solipsism5

Thank you so much! It is such a wonderful series. It is a really healing, and uplifting series like hardly any other one out there.

This series is nearly the perfect BL for those looking for an escapist, comforting drama. For many of us that is the essence of BL dramas and few BL’s seem to deliver it. They are trying hard to be something else. This series focuses on the essentials and does it with nearly perfect execution. Yet it is not too syrupy, drowning in excessive cuteness. It has its serious side exploring one of the main’s extreme psychological torment caused by his neglectful parents.

The main strength of this drama is the effortless chemistry of the two leading characters, and their perfect execution of the characters depicted in the novel. Even though the main character is sort of buffoonish, he has a more serious side. The actor TeeTee does both sides of his character exceptionally well, and is really an extraordinary actor. The script is pretty faithful and is in total sync with the characters, and their personalities. Duang is almost always clownish in a really over-the-top way, but when he needs to dial it back, he’s able be very sober, mature, and judicious. The actor who plays Duang really captures the duality of this character flawlessly. The other main, played by Por has several layers to his character that he brings out with a lot of subtlety. Even though he has a mostly deadened exterior façade, he is able to reveal glimpses of other sides of his character with a slight smile, a softening of his facial expressions, or a slight longing look. He’s able to reveal his love for Duang with these even if he seems mostly stern or aloof. Por is able to also show his vulnerable, damaged side with some great portrayals of anguish. When he’s crying, revealing how his old nanny abused him, Por captures how Quin is not able to fully express himself because of his inhibitions, his natural inclination to never reveal weakness. This is really subtle acting on a high level.

What is also on a high level is the natural interaction between Duang and Quin which both actors pursue at a level that is possibly the best ever in any BL ever made. The characters feel totally comfortable with each other, meaning they don’t have the smallest hint of what I consider the inability to convey attraction between men prevalent throughout the BL industry. I’m not saying that other shows don’t have two mains that are pulling off the male attraction thing, but there is always a remnant of that feeling of unease and discomfort. I want people to think of gay actors that can easily pull off heterosexual roles, where no one even thought those actor’s where unable to convey their physical attraction to a woman. I still think the male actors in the BL industry still struggle to a large extent with this. This show reveals the path forward – this is how it’s supposed to be done. It’s not just the sexual attraction part, but how Duang comforts Quin when he’s crying in front of him. It's how they hold each other, and look into each other’s eyes with such affection. He’s acting like his partner in every way that it is possible to be a partner. This is acting which is fully committed to the role. Again, that’s what’s missing in most BL’s, and why this show is exceptional. Even the secondary couple has this. It’s something to do with the overall direction of the show.

There are several other aspects of the series which are exceptional. The script is really well done, avoiding a lot of the miscommunications which plague BL’s. It also avoids a lot of the tropes like ghosting, toxic girlfriends, and screeching ladyboys. Conflicts are handled in a matter of minutes rather than lasting for several episodes. This is critical, in my opinion, for BL’s to progress. Using the crutch of misunderstandings to create fake drama is an example of weak writing which is commonplace throughout BL’s. These are confident scriptwriters that allow their characters to communicate effectively. If we don’t have effective communication then our main characters are always portrayed as being a little pathological, cruel to their partner, indifferent, or just plain stupid. What does that say about gay people? I’m sure they don’t intend it, but this would be the natural takeaway for people after seeing hundreds of examples of this in various BL’s.

The script is also paced so well that there is never a dull moment despite the fact that there are hardly any dramatic events in the drama. Other than Quin’s confrontation with his parents which lasted a couple of minutes, there is no serious conflict in this series. What keeps the series going are just everyday conversations that somehow still capture our interest while moving the story along. There are no dead spaces. What is conveyed is a subtle psychological portrait of the characters and the dynamics of their relationships. With strong writing this is enough to keep our interest. Two characters with totally different personalities and how they interact is what is keeping our attention, and it really is enough. You can get into how Duang slowly melts Quin’s icy façade over several episodes, and how their trust in each other grows from episode to episode. How Duang is so loving and authentic is real entertainment, somehow, and how Quin can slowly evolve to reveal more of his emotions – his love for Duang, and his anguish over his past abuse is what captivates us. How could this possibly be enough? It’s done all the time in various other dramas, and art house productions. It’s definitely doable in a BL. In fact, BL’s are the perfect place to do this because they don’t rely as heavily on conflicts as virtually every other genre – just think of horror, action dramas, science fiction, etc. It just requires strong writing to accomplish this.

Every character plays their part well around the central characters. The friends of Duang and Quin, are perfect in their roles. They are also able to communicate effectively and this lends them a greater sense of credibility (again missing in most BL’s). The whole sense is of organic relationships that people can get behind and get interested in. In addition, there is a good sense of integration of all the characters into a cohesive whole. Just look how Marvis and Jamie’s relationship helps the overall show. Jamie and Marvis talk about Duang and Quin in their segments and their comments flesh out their relationship as well as developing Jamie’s character’s relationship with Duang. This is world-building that enhances the drama, giving it a sense of palpability which is essential to our participation and immersion in the series. The rest of Duang and Quin’s friends are also incorporated in a totally inclusive and integral way. They show some natural conflict between each other, but they resolve it like normal people, rather than treating every disagreement like some world-ending event. The friends also understand Duang and Quin better than they do themselves, most of the time, and provide a lot of good commentary – done in a pretty comical and entertaining way. Duang’s family is also perfect in how they help in understanding Duang’s personality traits. They are the total embodiment of how Duang became the way he is, and provide the perfect backstory, and backdrop, which is, again, great world-building. Quin’s parents also serve this role and provide the essential guidebook to Quin’s character.

I think it’s all about the details, and keeping things realistic. This is aided by the fact that the characters are not at all one-sided, and that they are relatable. Duang is not just an adorable golden-retriever, but can be depressed when the situation merits that kind of reaction, or he can dampen his goofiness when he’s in bed with Quin. Quin bullies Duang, but it’s just light bullying, and only to draw a few boundaries between Duang and himself. Duang likes to goad Quin by acting extra silly but it’s only to get his attention, not because he’s a totally supercilious character. These are people that are relatable, without any strong pathologies. It’s what draws us to them, and makes us fully involved with their characters.

Overall, this is one of the best BL’s ever made, in my opinion. It is bound to become a classic. It’s really strong in every area, including the cinematography and the music score. I love the OST, and most of the songs they’ve had throughout the series which accentuate the mood of many scenes. The lighting is also skillfully applied during the romantic episodes.
This is probably Domundi’s best series, and I hope they continue their winning streak.
We definitely could use an alternative to GMMTV. The only drawback for this series is the quick redemption arc for the parents. Those guys should never have been given a pass for years of neglect, and their attitude when Quinn was confronting them was totally unacceptable. Those two need years of therapy, and perhaps Quin’s confronting them would be the doorway for them to become cognizant of their pretty serious psychological issues. My suggestion is give us a Season Two where Quin can confront them again, and we can have some better resolution to this. As it is, this is still one of the best BL’s ever made, and I really hope we get a Season Two – they would be crazy not to make one. Even if it’s just out of greed to make money off the success of this series, I’d be happy if Domundi did it. At least give Teetee and Por another series in the near future. They definitely deserve it.

This is a review of the whole series. I'm putting it in the reviews also, but it seems no one sees them over there - like there are 0 views for most of the new ones.

That was incredible!! I loved how they moved the set to Japan for the first part of the final episode. I can’t think of a more romantic place – not even Paris. There are so many tasteful outdoor venues there with cherry blossoms out (this happens to be the season), and zen gardens. Nothing is so beautiful as that minimalist, yet natural Japanese aesthetic. I think the amount of romance was on overload for me. I love how sensuous that love-making was. I think I fainted as Duang was holding on to Quin’s butt. It was done without seeming at all animalistic, but rather sensuous, natural, and loving. Just that whole scene in the bed, the way they ate each other up with their eyes – it was incredible. This is some of the best BL love-making I’ve ever seen. The rest of the episode was also good, but it was a little bit of a blur after that. I like how they ended with Quin giving the maximal public display of affection possible. It all ended on a euphoric note. It was nice seeing the crew at the end. They never do that, but I think they wanted to make the point that everyone loved making this series – and, thank you, I loved watching it.

I'm not sure what it meant either. I looked it up, but still not sure what it means in this context:

"Skibidi widely appears in reference to the show Skibidi Toilet, and other content it has inspired, from memes to merchandise. Due to its sudden and extensive popularity, it also comes up in mainstream discussions of so-called “brain rot,” or mindless content and slang associated with Generation Alpha’s perceived unhealthy digital lifestyles. In fact, the effects of such content, specifically the grim absurdity of Skibidi Toilet, have prompted a fictional ailment dubbed Skibidi Toilet Syndrome.

Outside of these contexts, skibidi is mainly used for humorous, expressive, and ironic effect. It can mimic the grammatical versatility of expletives, as in “Oh my skibidi! I didn’t expect this game to be so skibidi hard.” (We could get more technical about its grammar, but in the name of all that’s skibidi, we won’t.) While it doesn’t have a set meaning, its connotation can skew negative, due to its association with nefarious sentient plumbing, and frequent appearance in skibidi Ohio rizz, a mostly joking insult for someone thought of as bizarre or awkward."

This is from Meriam-Webster dictionary on slang.

Thank you so much. This drama hits home so close to me. I was in a relationship with someone like Quin. And, believe it or not, I was someone like Duang but with Quin's parent's (and my partner still had the same bad parents like Quin's as well). I always tried to be comical - he used to call me a clown, but it's because he was always so depressed. I take care of my mom because she's in her 80's, but she's never learned to be a good parent (my father has passed away). She's still like the mom in this show, and it's really impossible to ever change her. My partner passed away of HIV, but his personality is so close to Quin, that I see him in this show every time I watch it. Good luck finding friends, and a good relationship. I'm in the mental health business and I would suggest finding a counselor. I know they can help.

I'm in the same boat as you. I grew up with terrible parents - they were just like these guys in the drama, but worse. Parents don't change, so this drama is a little unrealistic. I'm giving it a pass because it's a drama, but those parents need 10 more years of rehabilitation. Most parents would never admit their mistakes, and Asian parents even less than those in the west.

I like how Quin says that he's still recovering, and how he's still unsure of himself at the Jazz festival. That at least keeps things a little more realistic.

This show does offer some good modeling for me as well as others. It's healing to just watch a person like Duang help out a troubled kid like Quin.

Let's all hope for a Season 2.

Wow, what an amazing show! I just love how we have avoided the fake drama of an episode 11. Again this show demonstrates such great emotional intelligence that we steer clear of the crazy misunderstandings. Instead of Quin’s family having a heated feud for the whole episode, it lasts only a few minutes. I think they played it just right. Quin finally expresses his long-pent up frustration at being ignored, and his parents don’t get it at first. That’s good that they didn’t because it would have been unrealistic – they’ve been oblivious for years, and they also thought they were doing great as parents. I like how Duang didn’t interrupt them as they were talking to help Quin out at first. The show really did well to let it build up first before Duang finally intervenes – that really played a lot better than if Duang had jumped in there early. The parents didn’t blame Duang either, even as they said Quin had changed. I think it is implied here that the change was due to Duang, but it was really good that they didn’t launch into an attack on him, avoiding melodrama and keeping things real. I think that the moment that Duang finally does intervene was done perfectly because he gives Quin the hug that the parents have never given him and demonstrates to them, visually, what the problem with their parenting is. The parents see it clearly at that point, and their hugging Quin was a real cathartic moment that I felt was done brilliantly.

This is how you do an episode 11. Don’t change the whole flow of the show but integrate it with everything that has come before. You can have a lot of drama, and I believe the confrontation with the parents was definitely enough, but you don’t have to change the whole course of the show to do it.

I like how in the rest of the episode we continue to have great communication, like when they buy clothes together. Quin’s gift of the slippers was really done well because he explains how it is different than when Duang bought him his camera – his gift won’t break his bank, and he tells Duang that he should be allowed to buy him nice presents if he wants to as an expression of his love for him.

Another highlight of this episode was the jazz festival. It’s really important that Duang encourages Quin whenever he falters. It continues to demonstrate the title of the series Duang With You, because Quin really still struggles with low self-esteem. Duang always supports him and he tells Quin to imagine him being there with him, and to make that even more clear he shouts out to him and positions himself right in front of him. He’s training Quin to know that he will always back him up, and with that support he can perform without fear of humiliation. I love, love that song because it was all about them, and how they repeated that refrain at the end so many times, finally changing the last phrase was just brilliant.

So much happens in these episodes, and they don’t waste a moment. The show ends with the great contrast between Duang’s family and Quin’s. Duang’s family is very supportive and is such a breath of fresh air compared to Quin’s. You can feel how Quin would benefit enormously from being around them. It’s so different in tone to the rest of this episode which is so brooding. They also provide more background as to how Duang grew up, and you see how parents should behave. Duang’s mom was always supportive and never tried to force him into something he didn’t want to do. The brother is also helpful and gives Duang a lot of good relationship advice. These people are light years ahead of Quin’s family. Even if Quin’s family is wealthy, Duang’s family is the real success story.

This series is one of the best I’ve ever seen and will become iconic in the BL genre. Every episode is good individually and builds on the last one which is a difficult feat. My compliments for everyone involved – the crew, the director, the actors, the screenplay writers, and even the cinematographers. This is a series with strengths in every area – it’s really made with heart and dedication.

Here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3h2GsZ_8wE. I haven't watched too many of these videos, but I'm can't see that there's an icy chill between Por and TeeTee. They do so many videos together where they are very comfortable with each other. Maybe, I'm missing something. I didn't watch the whole video, but let me know what you think.

These parents are horrifying as portrayed. There is no coming back from what they have done without some "extreme" acts of contrition which will not happen given what I have seen so far. The mom, in particular, is treated as someone that is angelic. Just replay the scene where she is telling Duang about Quin. It's like someone that is completely rehabilitated, and the ball is now in Qin's court. No, it's not his turn to fix this family. The parents need to have many sessions with therapists without Quin to learn their role as parents, and what their role is in fixing Quin's past trauma. Never hugging him once is indicative of poor parenting that would lead to things like throwing him to the wolves, like the nanny, when given the chance. This whole situation is their fault, and the nanny isn't wrong though she's only saying it out of selfishness.

It's just as bad that after that, they ignored him for years. These guys are the real villains of this series. I don't think that is the intention of the writers, but I can't understand why they thought that leaving this kid alone for years afterwards WITH NO ONE wasn't just beyond neglectful. In this this context, it was very abusive. This is a big flaw in the plot. The parents should be treated like periah's in this series, but just look at the sympathetic portrayal of them, especially the mom, whenever they're onscreen. Well the father is portrayed as being a little neglectful, but the mom almost seems angelic the way she's depicted. Love this show, but even the best shows can have drawbacks.

I know, lol, but they need more. It's like that psychiatrist disappeared after 1 session. They were so close, and kudos for that little bit, but he needs a therapist for a couple of years

I love this episode, and Duang with You is continuing its winning streak. Every episode is really excellent and the story is always progressing and getting better. The relationship is actually starting and not with a whole bunch of artificial fluff, but going on to real issues that gay couples face. Finally a show brave enough to get to the relationship phase without ending the show – most of these dramas have 12 episodes of “the chase”, where like a Tantalus, the gay couple is hopelessly pursuing each other while facing a bizarre and endless set of obstacles, that roll them back down to the foot of Relationship Hill. It’s one of the regressive aspects of BL’s that I’ve always disliked, and even after the chase is over, and the couple is together, along comes episode 11 with just another artificial barrier to the relationship – like gay people have to be cursed by the fates. It’s similar to the regressive ideas of the 50’s where the gay has to die tragically at the end of the drama.

Yet this show went even further in the latest episode, because people are actually communicating, and it feels like at such a break-neck pace compared to other BL’s that I’m having whiplash. Yes, we started with some lovey-dovey scenes with the mains, but they quickly got into a dispute where both partners, and their friends have to discuss things, and feel each other out, and come to a somewhat mature resolution. No endless drama over some petty slight that remains unspoken and misunderstood for 3 or more episodes just irritating the heck out of the viewers and leaving the impression that gays are mutes that like to wallow in their own self-inflicted misery. Why not have more episodes where we get to see the couple we like, not just in NC scenes, but living together, and making cute moments together. Is this a revolutionary idea? I don’t think it is, and I could really watch BL’s with more of this than just NC scenes, or the endless fighting and bickering that make up the rest of a couple's screentime together.

I like how Duang and Quin’s dynamic works. Quin is the practical one, and Duang is the golden retriever that will lick you to death. Quin isn’t so damaged that he can’t take care of himself like Duang thinks. Quin also sees how Duang is totally clueless about how to take care of him without ruining himself in the process. Quin was right in taking a tough stance with Duang because 55,000 baht (about $1700 US dollars) is a ridiculous sum for a Thai youngster who has no job to be spending for just one gift. How Quin tells him to give him presents like before that were made with heart was so appropriate, even if it was cliché. It was done so well when they brought back the flashback of the candy Duang had made in one of the first episodes, it felt like the first time I’ve ever heard that advice. It’s great how Duang reciprocates later, taking care of Quin, telling him that he would take on all his pain. The plot was totally on point here, offering a clever parallel. It felt as if Quin was at a breaking point taking care of Duang having used up all his reserves of compassion. It’s hard for people that have been so abused like he was to take care of others. It was the point that he needed some compassion in return. Por is such a good actor – he had those sad-puppy dog eyes to reflect just a remembrance of a sad memory when he was playing the guitar, and it was done so persuasively. This moved on to a full ugly cry later on when Quin retold the whole story of the abusive nanny. It wasn’t ugly, though - Por is always beautiful, and no more handsome than in this scene. It's also muted because he can't really get himself to cry like normal people (Por nails that in this portrayal). I’ve seen few BL actors that cried in such a moving way – just perfectly done.

But please bring back the psychiatrist. Duang can’t even take care of himself, so he’s not going to solve Quin’s mental health issues. Quin needs more therapy, and I’m just asking for that one favor from Domundi – you guys are doing incredible things but I need to see Quin get some help, and you’ll have created a perfect 10 BL for me. As it is I’m giving you a 9.9. Great job, all around! Even the second couple was ok this episode. Whenever those guys came on I was like Yuck, time to hit the FF, but they were pretty good this time around.

I think what is probably one of the greatest strengths of this series is its perceptive exploration of psychology, especially between these seemingly polar opposite personality types. I say seemingly opposite because they do share a lot in common. They both are people that are sincere and authentic, but Qin is just more damaged and defensive. I think sometimes, because of his defensiveness he bullies Duang a little bit, but it isn’t extreme. It feels like he is just playing with him, and Duang likes to make him angry enough to just get a reaction out of him (for attention). Even though Qin is a little damaged, it’s not that bad. He can bully Duang because Duang is a super nice guy, and Qin likes that sense of control. He didn’t have that with Taew at all – you can see his whole demeanor and facial expressions are totally different with his former boyfriend. Taew wasn’t someone whom he could be in charge of at all. I’m not saying that he needs to dominate Duang, but it’s a natural inclination. Duang cheerfully indulges Qin, and Qin really isn’t a bully. It’s a subtle psychological portrait that the series does so well. These aren’t extreme characters, but people we can all relate to. I think Qin still needs a therapist because that trauma he experienced from his parents isn’t dissipating, and Duang is not the remedy. His parents might improve, and Duang might offer the affection and attention that he had been lacking, but that is just not enough. It looks like he’s been tortured as a young kid, and ignored as a teenager and young adult. That’s something that needs professional help, but it probably won’t be depicted in this series. It’s just not presented in virtually every BL I’ve seen. It seems to perpetuate the idea that love cures all ills, but that simply isn’t the case. Nonetheless, this series is doing an incredible job presenting a detailed and realistic portrait of these fascinating characters, and the actors have done an extraordinary job bringing complex personality traits out in a very natural way. I think people ignore how Por bring’s out Qin’s despair with just his eyes when he’s listening to Taew, or how he show’s how much in love he is with Duang in various scenes just with a slight softening of his facial expression, and those sultry looks in the NC scenes are unparalleled. Everyone already knows how Teetee is really excellent at comedic acting, but he can depict a much more serious character like in his love scenes, or when Duang was upset over Qin’s possible reattachment with Taew. I remember someone saying that they couldn’t imagine Duang in a love scene (that it would be like pedophilia), but they didn’t realize that Teetee was not only fully capable of it, but brought out some of the best love scenes I’ve ever seen in a BL. It might not be a complex script, but it’s the psychological exploration in this series, and the amazing acting that I’m watching this for.

Episodes 7,8,9 are actually different and Duang is less hyper, but I understand- I drop series if I can’t get into it by episode 4-5. It’s that this one does change a little bit to make it more palatable. I think episode 9 was amazing, and episode 8 shows a totally different side of Duang.

I've never seen it, lol. I'm not into bromance - that's too tame for me (bad pun there 😊)

I know, I just saw that. That is actually rare. They don't change that much at all normally after several months. Untamed has been at 9.0 for years

I mean the ratings would fall back down. Like they would go to an 8.1. Maybe crash is too dramatic a word there, but it felt like a crash to anyone in the comment section. Just imagine at this episode, Duang with You suddenly dropped to an 8.5. You would be like, but this was the best episode ever and where did those thousands of negative ratings come from - and it would have to be thousands when these drops occurred. No BL would ever make it beyond 8.5 before and it seemed to be some artificial ceiling.

A technical note on ratings. I've been researching their system on here for years, and I've noticed how BL's were always underrated. I do think there was some bias in their system. Any BL that got a rating that was above 8.5 always crashed a few years back. It wasn't just me that was thinking this but everyone else in the comment sections. We never understood the cause, but believe me, it had something to do with the administration back then. That just seems to have changed recently with shows like Khemjira, and Me and Thee. I think this one will definitely make it out fine. I don't care about the ratings, per se. I watch a show and enjoy it whatever the ratings, etc (this is what everyone says), but I think a good rating does help draw in more people that are just scanning MDL for a good show and are just starting their BL journey. I'm more likely to see a 9 and want to check it out. I hope when people see a 9 for this show it will get more people to see this excellent series. Even for the rest of us, rating systems are useful when hundreds of people are involved and come to the same conclusion. I've seen some weird ratings, though, so don't make it your exclusive criteria. If you are interested in rankings it's under top shows under the explore tab. You might notice that some shows have different rankings despite having the same ratings - talking to staff at MDL, there are decimal points that they don't show you on there so it more like a show is rated something like 9.01432... , than a straight 9.0.

A note about ratings. This is currently the highest rated BL of an ongoing series, and would be the highest completed BL series if it ends on a 9. Congratulations to all involved, and you deserve it! This show has been getting progressively better till the point it has become iconic. It seriously has moved to a new level that I haven't seen in a university BL before. It is one of the most intense BL 's that doesn't even need the prop of seismic events for its intensity. It's the most carefree drama while still being totally serious about the issues it presents. It's totally unique and over-the-top with its comedy without collapsing into absurdity. It really is astonishingly good, and will be one of the best BL's ever made wherever it lands with its ending.