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zyxsln

somewhere between your legs
The Boy Next World thai drama review
Completed
The Boy Next World
3 people found this review helpful
by zyxsln
Mar 20, 2025
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 10.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS STRAIGHT-UP VIOLENCE

They should’ve called it The Boy Next Confusing Mess, cuz WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS GOING ON. If you came here looking for a sugarcoated review, babe, you better hit that little ✨X✨ in the corner cuz I ain't sparing anyone today.

So when I heard that Boss and Noeul were starring in this, I was like “YAAASSSSS, WE ABOUT TO EAT” … Gurl... Lower. Your. Fucking. Expectations. This was microwaved leftovers at best. Like the concept? It had potential. The execution? A crime. They really pulled a Love Sea on us, where the only thing keeping it from flopping is the spicy scenes.

Now let's get into it before I combust.

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1. Plot - 🚨 WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS STRAIGHT-UP VIOLENCE 🚨

Okay, first of all, WHAT IN THE ABSOLUTE FANFIC WATTPAD MULTIVERSE MESS DID I JUST WATCH?? From episode one, my brain was already buffering like a Windows XP update. I thought, "Maybe it's just me being dumb as hell," but NOPE, the confusion persisted. I'm sitting here waiting for a PROPER backstory, a little bit of sense, a crumb of logic—but instead, I get Cir looking like a professional stalker while claiming he’s from a parallel universe. EXCUSE ME, SIR, DO YOU HAVE A VISA FOR THIS WORLD OR??? Up until episode 8, I was flipping between "okay, maybe it's good" to "GIRL, FOR REAL? THIS IS THE PLOT Y'ALL GOING WITH??"

Also, why is the chemistry so FLAT?? The second episode wasted its whole runtime showing clips from episode one—HELLO? Episode 2 straight-up gaslit me by playing clips from Episode 1 like I got amnesia. BABE, I REMEMBER. MOVE ON. We get it. Cir ran. Phu got confused. SAME OLD SAME OLD. Give me CONTENT, give me SUBSTANCE, not a rerun of yesterday’s mess. I didn’t sign up for a damn recap episode disguised as progress.

And let’s talk about the false advertisement. The synopsis made it seem like we were getting some high-stakes, thriller, multiverse mindfuckery, and what do I get? Some half-baked, comedic nonsense with no clear direction. Like, if y'all wanted to make it funny, at least COMMIT. If y’all wanted to make it serious, then STOP PLAYING. Personally, I would’ve done the whole “Cir is really stuck here, and Phu helps him find a way back while they slowly fall in love” kind of storyline. AND THEN—BAM! CIR GETS SUCKED BACK TO HIS OWN UNIVERSE, HEARTBROKEN, PHUK LEFT BEHIND, TEARS, ANGST, ACTUAL STAKES. BUT NOOOO, instead, I got a storyline that feels like it was written by a sleep-deprived fanfiction author rushing a deadline.

AND THEN. THE HEAD BUMPING SCENE. GIRL, I DIED. I RESURRECTED. AND I DIED AGAIN. IT WAS TOO CUTE. THE WAY PHU WANTED TO CHECK CIR’S WOUNDS AND THEN YA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED 👅. I WAS SCREAMING. And don’t get me started on the fact that throughout the entire series, I was waiting for a big reveal like "Oh, maybe Cir isn’t actually from another universe; maybe he has a twin who just HATES Phu." WHICH, BY THE WAY, WOULD’VE BEEN A BETTER STORYLINE THAN THIS WHOLE ASS MULTIVERSE FIASCO.

And ummm, the side pairings? TRASH. Not even a single ounce of chemistry. Usually, I’m the type to get obsessed with the side couples, but this time? CHILE, I FELL ASLEEP. Every scene felt like they were just filling up time. At this point, I was just WAITING for Phu to get sick so Cir could take care of him, AND SURPRISE BITCH, IT HAPPENED. PREDICTABLE AS HELL.

OH, AND ABOUT THAT BIG "REVEAL" IN EPISODE 8? BFFR. Y’all wait eight whole episodes to EXPLAIN what the hell is going on? At that point, my soul had already left my body. The pacing is bad, the execution is worse, and I just sat there, staring at my screen like, "Okay, so Cir got a fever and just teleported into another AU???" WHERE IS THE SCIENCE??? WHERE IS THE BACKSTORY??? HOW DOES THIS EVEN MAKE SENSE??

AND WHO THE FUCK IS THE CIR IN BLACK SHIRT? WHY DID Y’ALL INTRODUCE HIM IF YOU WEREN’T GONNA EXPLAIN SHIT? GIVE ME ANSWERS OR GIVE ME A REFUND.

Also, Rome deserves a love line. I DON’T CARE. HE’S TOO CUTE TO BE LEFT OUT.

AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT CIR’S MOM??? Cir’s mom in one universe being the total opposite in another could have been a BANGER subplot, but instead, they said, "Let’s make this as basic and underwhelming as possible." Cir’s dad? Sir. SIR. EXCUSE ME? I was waiting for some deep, gut-wrenching backstory, and instead, I got "Oopsie, I chose one kid over the other." Nah. We beefin’. BITCH, I HAVE NEVER WANTED TO SWING ON A FICTIONAL CHARACTER SO BAD. You mean to tell me he straight up abandoned his son like HE WAS RETURNING A FAULTY IPHONE?? JUST SAID, “NAH, THIS ONE DON’T HIT, I’LL KEEP THE OTHER ONE”??? AIN’T NO WAY. AIN’T. NO. FUCKING. WAY.

AND ANOTHER THING. THE WHOLE RESOLUTION BETWEEN CIR AND HIS MOM???? GIRL, THEY JUST GLOSS OVER THE FACT THAT HE BASICALLY SACRIFICED HIS BROTHER FOR HIS OWN FREEDOM????? WHAT IS THIS SELFISH BS???? AND WHY DIDN’T HIS MOM HAVE A REAL REDEMPTION ARC? MAKE HER ACT LIKE A MOTHER FOR ONCE, DAMN IT. And Cir’s dad? WEAK AS HELL. My guy, you couldn’t even outsmart your ex-wife? BOY, BE SERIOUS.

Overall, the plot gave me "Vice Versa but make it Walmart." The lack of chemistry, the weak-ass plot, the wasted potential—girl, I expected better. Maybe I hyped it up too much, but damn. They really fumbled this bag.

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2. 🔥 Characters: Aka "Some of Y’all Snapped, Some of Y’all Fumbled, and Some Need to be Launched into the Sun" 🔥

- Cir (played by Boss) - aka “Mr. I Will Make You Forget Every Other Role I Played”
BOSS. BOSS, YOU SEXY LITTLE MAN. HE DID IT AGAIN. The way this man just waltzes onto my screen looking like a whole damn five-course meal, expecting me to focus on anything else?? I AM ACTUALLY SCREAMING. Boss’s acting? BITCH, HE LEVELED UP. I was so deep into Cir that I forgot all about LITA, and that’s a feat. AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE ACTION SCENES. Crisp. Sharp. HOT. I needed MORE. You’re telling me this man is out here radiating raw, aggressive, testosterone-filled charisma, and all they let him do was throw a few punches?? JAIL. He deserves a whole action movie, and when it happens, y’all better remember I said it first.

And then we have Cir with Phu. Oh my god. The way this big, intimidating, brooding man suddenly turns into a soft-spoken simp for Phu?? I LITERALLY MELTED. He talks to Phu like he’s the most precious thing in existence, and if I took a shot every time Boss looked DELICIOUS while doing it, I’d be COMA-LEVEL DRUNK. BUT. And I hate that there’s a but. Cir’s character development? Almost non-existent. He started off as shy, awkward, mama’s boy, obedient, hesitant, and by the end? Still shy, slightly less obedient, still hesitant, just slightly more aggressive about Phu. SNOOZE. Where is my main character glow-up??? Where is my BIG MOMENT™?? He could have been THE moment, but they played it safe. I hate that for him.

Final thoughts: Boss ATE. Cir was a little undercooked.


- Phu (played by Noeul) - aka “Why Is This Just Rain 2.0”. OKAY, FIRST OF ALL, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW NOEUL LOOKED IN THIS SERIES??? BLACK HAIR. SEXY AS FUCK. His hair had more shine than this entire script, and I need his conditioner recommendation immediately. BUT. LET’S TALK ABOUT HIS ACTING. BECAUSE WHY DID I EXPECT IMPROVEMENT JUST TO GET JUMPED BY DISAPPOINTMENT. Noeul, baby. Love you. BUT WTF WAS THAT. I was praying to the BL gods that he would finally step out of Rain’s shadow, and yet HERE WE ARE. He’s still giving “awkward boy with squinty eyes and no real emotional range.” LIKE PLEASE. I wanted to feel something. ANYTHING. But instead, all I felt was secondhand embarrassment. Like, sir. You’re supposed to be MOURNING your father, and your version of crying is WHAT??? Blank face, slightly squinted eyes, dramatic breath—BABY, WHERE ARE THE TEARS??? WHERE IS THE PAIN???

I am begging this man to take an acting workshop because this ain’t it. AND I’M SORRY BUT. If Noeul doesn’t start taking acting seriously, I WILL be campaigning for Boss to get a new, actually emotionally expressive partner. I SAID WHAT I SAID. Right now, it’s giving “Do you even wanna act, bro? Or do you wanna sing? Or do you just wanna be famous? PICK A STRUGGLE.” The way I saw more emotion in my leftover pizza from last night than in his entire performance?? Unacceptable.

Now, Phu as a character? A lonely, miserable little man. He just wants love but doesn’t know how to ask for it. And his so-called friends?? TRASH. Except for Tree and Lin. The other two? Useless. Phu is emotionally constipated, but if Noeul had actually made me believe it, I would’ve cared. BUT ON A POSITIVE NOTE—PHU’S CARDIGAN COLLECTION?? GIVE THEM TO ME. NOW.


- Wim (played by Donut) - aka “Your Business Is My Business”. LMAO, I LOVE HIM. He is nosy, dramatic, and up in everybody’s business BECAUSE HE CARES. And I respect that. He didn’t need a character arc because he was already peak human. But let’s talk about his chemistry with Fot.

Because what was that.

It was flat. Drier than my phone during exam season. Like, I wanted to root for them, but instead, I was just watching two people stand next to each other awkwardly. Do better.


- Jin (played by Fot) - aka “Mr. Actually, I Know Everything”. I CAN’T WITH THIS MAN. Something about him just irritates my spirit. Like, why does he act like he’s the smartest person in the room at all times?? I can’t even tell if I hate Jin as a character or Fot as an actor, but either way, I was annoyed. And where is the flavor??? This man is BLAND. Plain white rice with no seasoning. All he has is a superpower, and that’s IT. Like… okay?? Do you want a medal??


- Tree (played by Creamy) - aka “Mother, I Am in Love”. MY QUEEN. MY WIFE. MY FUTURE GIRLFRIEND.

ACTING? IMMACULATE.
CHARACTER? PERFECTION.
PRESENCE? COMMANDING.

She is that friend who WILL throw hands for you, WILL hype you up, WILL cuss out your enemies. And SHE LOOKS HOT DOING IT. Also, I’m not gonna lie… I was staring at her legs the whole time. I need a doctor because she is 100% my type.


- Lin (played by Yok) - aka “The Water to Tree’s Fire”. She’s… fine? Like, she’s cool, she’s supportive, she exists. But not particularly memorable. She just balances out Tree’s chaos, and that’s her whole thing. BUT WHERE WERE THE LIN/TREE MOMENTS??? They had chemistry, and yet the writers were like, “Nah, let’s do nothing with that.” DISGUSTING.


- Achi (played by Joke) - aka “The Character We Didn’t Need”. Trash. NEXT.

And before y’all come for me—I mean the character, not Joke. Joke’s acting was fine, but Achi as a c character? DELETE HIM. He was messy for no reason, annoying, and did nothing for the plot.

🔥 Final thoughts: Some of y’all ate, some of y’all need to find a new career path, and some of y’all need to be yeeted into space. 🔥

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3. THE SPICE: THE ONLY REDEEMING QUALITY

If there’s one thing this show did right, it’s the kiss scenes.

Boss ATE. THE. FUCK. DOWN. The way this man kissed with his whole chest, eyes open, gripping Phu like he was about to devour him?? THAT is how you do it. Every single scene where they got close had me screaming into my pillow.

Phu buckling his hips against Cir? I NEARLY DIED.
That scene where Phu pulled Cir closer? I HAD TO PAUSE AND BREATHE.
The BJ scene?? I TRANSCENDED.
The fact that Boss kissed Noeul with his eyes open?? LIKE WHO DOES THAT??????? LIKE FUCKKKK THAT IS SO FUCKING SEXY FAKKKKKK.
But you know what makes me sick?? The fact that ALL THAT SPICE WAS WASTED ON THIS MID-AS-HELL SHOW.

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4. Overall: THIS SHOW DESERVES TO BE LAUNCHED INTO SPACE

Okay, so overall? This plot had potential, but they FUMBLED it like a quarterback with butter fingers. The execution? Weak. The details? MESSY. They had a whole-ass AU concept handed to them on a silver platter, and instead of diving deep into it, they just waded around in shallow water like cowards. Be so fr.

And let’s talk about the acting—because one of the leads? BABY, SOMETIMES I WAS ROLLING MY EYES SO HARD I SAW MY PAST LIVES. Like, give me something! A little more depth! A little more conviction! If I wanted stiff performances, I’d go watch a school play.

Now, I NEVER rewatch a series unless it’s so good it alters my brain chemistry. And this? Yeah, no. It’s a one-and-done situation. Even the steamy scenes weren’t enough to make me overlook the plot holes, the weak-ass chemistry, and the overall "meh" vibes. So, final verdict: a 7/10—decent enough for a watch, but definitely not BoNoh’s best work. Better luck next time.
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