This review may contain spoilers
a good drama with good chemistry that was ruined by bad production
I wasn't going to watch this drama at first because I had seen some quite negative reviews but I was pleasantly surprised. The only truly disappointing thing was the production quality especially coming from the same company as "SOTUS" and "Kiss Me Again". The sounds in the street weren't edited properly but I don't really something just felt a wee bit lazy but still not the worst production level I've ever seen.The storyline has some gaps in that I only really understood after rewatching. There are also some scenes that seem very irrelevant as well as parts of the storyline - having Au fall for Mork made no sense as it didn't really have that much impact on the actual couple. The side couple was also quite irrelevant for me just seemed to be there to have something else going on but the series would have been fine without them. I do have to admit that a big part as to why I like this drama so much maybe because of how much I like Drake but it was this series that got me into him anyway so take that as you wish.
The music isn't memorable but I do like the title song. I think it suits the overall vibe of the series.
One thing that I was extremely surprised and impressed at was the acting quality and chemistry between Drake and Frank. I was expecting some awkwardness from them as they were both 18 and this was their first main role but even from the beginning I was so impressed by the tension between them.
I have rewatched this series many times but as I said earlier there is a high chance it is just because I like Drake and Frank so that is a biased rating but I do think that it is an easy watch fun drama. It isn't too serious and is something fun and innocent that is enjoyable.
Overall, the main thing I would change is the production of the series. The quality needed improving and the storyline just seemed like they were trying to copy what all other bl dramas do. The making the girlfriend jealous, the friend secretly being in love, a parent disliking and trying to break up the couple. If I could rewrite the story I would have simply made it about two boys who went their separate ways trying to understand their feelings for each other. Maybe the friend thing would have worked better had it been more impactful. But despite this and my own bias I do recommend this drama even if it's just to broaden your bl horizons.
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Not just a BL - FOCUS IS FRIENDSHIP
This might be one of my favourite bl dramas, definitely from GMMTV. I liked that it didn't have some deep mafia or fantasy plot, whilst I love them (Trapped is legit my fave bl ever), sometimes you need a nice sweet simple plot so you can focus on the characters and their relationships. I have seen a fair bit of criticism around the pacing, and to be honest, I'm not sure I agree. I think if this show was supposed to be a simple BL, then the pacing is a valid concern, but I saw this show as being about the friendship group itself and how they support each other in finding love. With this mindset, the pacing makes a lot more sense, especially considering they need to showcase the story of four couples. Some might see Phum and Peem's storyline as being too long, but I think it did its job as a contrast to Toey and Q and Tan and Fang perfectly. Peem was focusing on his art rather than throwing his university degree away to fall in love like we often see in GMMTV, Q told him from the get go that he needs to work out how he feels and he was doing that just at a slower pace because it wasn't his main concern at the moment, it just felt like they were in the talking stage for slightly longer which happens sometimes. The friendships were healthy, the relationships were healthy, no unnecessary toxicity that GMMTV likes to throw in sometimes. I loved it. Could the acting have been a bit better? Perhaps. But as someone who has been watching BLs for years now, I enjoyed the acting and found myself replaying so many scenes to laugh at (something I rarely do).I think the show was supposed to act as an almost reset and introduction for these couples, AouBoom in particular, who have skyrocketed since this show. It's nice to be able to just stick a show on and enjoy it without having to watch them suffer trauma every single episode.
If you're looking for a straightforward BL drama, then you might not love this as much as I did, but if you want a show about friendships akin to that of Friends, How I Met Your Mother, and the like, then this is perfect. It has become a comfort show at this point purely for the friendships. It features university students simply being university students, and I loved that it focused on the art students rather than engineering for once and didn't make it seem like a throwaway degree.
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