Came for OffGun, stayed for everything else
I’ve seen quite a fair bit of Thai BLs, and Not Me definitely stands out.Whether or not you agree with the methods used by the characters in furthering their cause is, in fact, irrelevant. The point is this: The world we inhabit doesn’t exist in absolute terms. No black or white, only varying shades of grey. And it is the portrayal of these uncomfortable moral ambiguities that makes Not Me so nuanced and unique.
Not Me shows that good things take time. And are most definitely worth the wait.
Gun is phenomenal as usual, playing two completely distinct roles within the same series must have been mentally wrecking. But of notable mention here is Off – if Theory of Love was Gun’s first BL series to shine, Not Me was a platform both both Gun and Off to display their acting chops. Together, they have outdone themselves.
No doubt I came for OffGun, but I actually stayed for everything else. The series is intensely cinematic. The story is well-paced, compelling and profound (some dialogue exchanges like “We can’t be brave without fear” were rather poetic).
And the romance. Goodness, the delicious tension that builds up to an explosive romance. The romance is always better with rebels. Living (and loving) like every day is going to be their last. In Not Me, it’s not just about two good looking people getting together. I love that the relationships are characterised by deep emotional connection and intensity, longing and togetherness.
BL aside, Not Me is a visually stunning, profoundly propulsive tale about the nexus of power in Thai society and the invisible forces that govern realities. Unlike other fluffy, wholesome BLs, the romance unfolds with the theatre of politics as a backdrop. It delves into thorny and highly political issues like rule of law and rule by law, corruption, inequalities and oppression of marginalised groups.
In essence, Not Me is highly political, reflecting the zeitgeist of the woke generation.
Read my review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/03/20/not-me-2021-review-among-the-best-thai-bls/
Read my elaboration on why Not Me is so much better than the usual BL: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/03/19/why-not-me-is-unlike-your-typical-bl-but-so-much-better/
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Worth Watching!
I'll state right up front that I see why other reviewers had issues with the way the politics came across and how some of the show was done. Could those areas be improved on? Yeah, probably. However, this is still a BL and they still had to focus on that aspect as a major plot point, and I think to completely nail everything story-wise it would've needed to be longer.Now that we got that out of the way, I want to mention that the political and social issues that the show brought up are very important, especially to present day Thailand. The differences between upper, middle and lower classes, privilege, LGBTQ+ rights and activism, treatment of the disabled, etc. These are issues that were very bold and I applaud the show for addressing them, and in a BL no less.
The acting from everyone was on point. From the main characters right down to all of the minor support actors everyone delivered. Gun was absolutely phenomenal, and you could tell which character was on screen Black vs White just by looking at him. Off did a great job and has really improved! First & Fluke were so good you could forget about everyone else when they were on screen. Mond was heartwarming and so likeable. Honestly, every last one of them brought their A-game and knocked it out of the park. Also, I'm so thankful that there wasn't a single jealous, bitter, angry bitch female character dead set on ruining one of the guys or being spiteful. It was incredibly refreshing to have mature, reasonable female characters with self respect. Oh, and I can't forget Sing, goodness, I've seen him act since he was young and now suddenly he's grown up and played his adult role flawlessly!! I was very impressed with how well he took to this role.
I was kind of expecting a little something different based on trailers, I thought we'd see gang on gang action or something of the like, I did not know that it would be so political and socially charged. So I was a bit surprised that the antagonist was not even remotely what/who I was expecting, but in the end that didn't detract from the show, it just wasn't what I thought it would be. I still loved every episode and I'll probably watch it again.
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I will be rewatching this until I can reference scenes by timestamp
Remember how we were so excited about Manner of Death?This has the same level of realism, wonderful acting, and no-nonsense plot progression. (though the mystery of Thai college schedules persists, like, how are they managing law school /and/ bamf rebel things?)
Each character is intricate, and grows throughout the series, with fleshed-out backgrounds. While they don't spend a ton of time on campus, they do remind us now and then that the boys are studying the legal system etc.; and White's confusion therein is realistic given that he was in Russia for so long, and probably only being taught the palatable version of Thai history and politics.
Each relationship progression is intricate and (slightly) unexpected, instead of the typical BL ship checklist. The Yok/Dan ship is beautiful and compassionate, and Sean's differing relationships with Black and White are both powerful and logical.
Gun does such an excellent job of playing twins that we don't have to rely on costume changes to differentiate the two (though they do wear different things from each other). The way Sean reacts to Black and WhiteasBlack are openly discussed between the rest of the group in a way that gives us insight into who Black is before we even officially meet him in the present day. Black and White's relationships with their parents are also believable and complicated, and it is even possible for the audience to sympathize with the adults; whereas usually bl's place us firmly on the MC's side.
Overall, definitely top-tier content that I will be returning to often.
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Crazy...
I write down all the BL's i've watched. As for now my list have reached 110 BL's and among all them Not Me is very close to topping as my favourite.Usually thai BL's are about college students (engineering, medical or music) falling in love and then some dramtic conflicts. We always see that and maybe some times we're lucky to be gifted great stories.
I only decided to watch Not Me for Offgun, but damn im so hooked on everything now. I love the story and plot so badly!! Its amazing and i love how everything is portrayed realistically and in the most beautiful way! I dont even have words to describe it. Not Me is exactly the type of dramas Offgun needed. Their chemistry is out of this world and needs a drama just as great as well. These college student plots are too cheap for them. Offgun are good actors and they can really show what they're capeable of here. I liked the music too. It fit the emotions and sit perfect. One thing i also noticed and liked is how there aren't any childish or useless conflicts.
Gun did such a good job playing two characters. You can tell the difference between the twins just by eyes and aura! Its crazy!! I never noticed how different Black and White were until they stood next to eachother. When Black walked into a room you could tell it was him just by the vibe he gave off and White as well. Gun is a crazy actor and my respect for him just doubled!
Overall its such a great drama and its doing well even without promotion. Not Me will sure top in the bl history! It deserves so much more!
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different from all the boy love series ive ever watched
a must watch BL for all bl fans. a very different bl which isnt just romance but it also raises social issues like inequality, abuse of power and LGBTQ rights. Im very much impressed and every episode it just keeps getting better and better. offgun chemistry is soo amazing and danyok are just too good. the background music and locations are perfect. the side chatacters are amazing. everyone's acting is so on point, love it absolutely. can't wait for the next episode.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
This series is going to define a whole new era of Thai BL series
I literally created an account with MyDramaList just to share my opinion on this series. I just finished watching episode 8 on YouTube, and I am beyond just blown away. This series is by far one of the most visually but also storytelling wise engaging series, I have yet had a chance to watch. The story around politics, gender identity, failure and success in a world which is ruled by the few is a story I have yet not seen in many Thai dramas, and it is setting the bar high for future productions. This series is going to path a whole new way of not only BL stories, but Thai series in general, and I am beyond honoured to be able to witness this. Every character is beautifully portrayed by a beyond talented cast of actors/actresses, and the chemistry not only between them is so natural. I am immersed during every episode so far and just come back to reality when the ending song hit, that's how much of an impact the series as a whole had on me so far. Please take your time and watch this series on YouTube, you will not regret it at all. Can't believe we get to watch this masterpiece for free on their official channel. I am beyond grateful.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
This is a series that everyone should watch.
I feel like this series deserves to have my first review for so many reasons.As many others, I came across this series for OffGun but stayed for the series. I believe "Not me" shouldn't be cataloged as a Bl series because it just happens to have gay couples. The purpose of this series is to open people's eyes to what's happening in the world, the political issues Thailand is facing and I love how many issues such as black lives matter, corrupted cops, seme-sex marriage were adressed. I personally think this would open people's eyes if they could just watch it for what it is, not judging it for having LGBT in it.
For me, thriller/mystery/psychological series are the best, especially when they're well-made and after "Manner of Death", which was such a refreshing breath to the BL industry, "Not me" came even stronger, setting such high standards for everyone. This series is far away from all the cliches we see everywhere in Bls and don't get me wrong, I've watched almost every korean/thai Bl and I sometimes love cliches as well, but I'm tired of all the rape scenes, all the toxic couples that remain together in the end and can make viewers think that it's love when it's not and many straight dramas promote that as well. For me, White and Sean were such a healthy couple, I loved all the details that showed what consent means and other couples as well. I also loved how the girls weren't portrayed as some obsessive and crazy exes who would do anything to get the guy back. Both Eugene and Namo had their own personalities and were so supportive even when they were hurting. They also fought with others for human's rights and tried their best. I loved the friendship between Gumpa, White, Gram, Yok, Sean as they grew closer after White came and even tho they fought and sometimes had different opinions, they stood together, never abandoned each other and were together at best and worst. Every single character had flaws and qualities and the fact that they chose to not put any makeup on the actors and let their imperfections to be showed was such a nice touch for me.
The story follows White as he finds out about what happened to his twin brother, Black from a friend of his, Tod. Loving his brother and wanting to find out who did that to him, he disguises himself as Black and meets his friends Gram, Gumpa, Yok and Sean. In the process, he finds out that he didn't know his brother at all and finds himself being a part of their group, fighting along with them, even growing romantic feelings for Sean. I loved how dark the story started but also how it had funny elements and moments where we could laugh and smile. As a watcher who waited for episodea every week, I can say that having to wait was such a torture but excitment at the same time because I found myself creating theories based on how the last episode ended. The trailer also made me interested in the story because the scenes were edited so flawlessly, without giving away any spoilers.
The acting was flawless. I believe that the story wouldn't have been so great if it hadn't been for these magnificent actors. All of them did their part perfectly but let's start with Gun who, damn, outdoned himself. He was always amazing but until Not me, I didn't know how much he can do. Everything from his voice to his eyes was perfect. He put all his emotions into the character, I could see so clearly through his eyes when he was hurt, happy, in love and everything he felt.
Off was amazing as well, seeing him in "Theory of love didn't amaze me but, damn boi, he grew so much as an actor from then, he learnt so many things in acting and this time I think he delivered the feelings perfectly. Fluke and First were amazing as well, as the rest of the cast. They all delivered the perfect feelings and didn't miss a thing. Even when they weren't talking, I could feel what they were feeling.
As for soundtracks... I got goosebumps. You know how in most of the dramas and series in general there are like 2-3 songs that are replayed and replayed everytime? Well, that's not the case in Not me. Each scene had their own soundtrack to convey the feelings. I loved the fact that there were mostly english songs, songs that I'd never heard about before and got to know them through Not me.
Overall, Not me is an outstanding series that deserves much more recognition than what it gets already.
The lighting and cinematography were amazing as well. Every scene was filmed in such a beautiful way, delivering the feelings with the song's help. If this series was one's first Bl, they would have such high standards.
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Probably one of best series from the new BL generation.
First of all, I want to say the fact that I've been a big fan of OffGun for a year, the same time I've been waiting for this series since I watched the pilot trailer. And although I was highly waiting for this because it was a new series of OffGun, I must admit the theme into the pilot left me seriously hooked. I still have one quote engraved in my brain: "Iron Man and Thanos are both violent. What's the difference between a hero and a villain?". I saw this was one chance for BL to explore new genres, new perspectives. So in the end, I waited for it because of the intrigue of how they will reconsider who's the hero and the villain in the plot.Now, let's get into subject.
Story: as I said, I was waiting for a gang of young people who were against the system as rebellion. However, the plot was developed in a deeper path, connecting all the characters that fight for a reason which affects their lives. It's not as simple as just saying "I don't want to follow the rules", but a view of "they screwed the people I love and me myself, I won't allow them to go unpunished". Once the characters start to move to the same aim even if they don't get along, when rage and powerlessness invade them sometimes, the question if they're also doing the right thing arises thanks to the intervention of White disguised as Black, who gives them a different perspective to confront Tawi, especially Sean, what slowly introduces the romance part as just a side-theme which affects the main plot, but not letting it control it. Besides, I want to add that in every episode there are claims they do regarding many issues that not only involves politics, but also social as disable people, LGBTQ+ comm fight, manipulation inside the political system. As last, I want to highlight that every kiss/love scene is strictly justified as it develops the main plot with a cause-effect and not to add sexualized scenes and gain fame. Those scenes are produced in a very aesthetic way, reaching the art level thanks to the illumination, colours, bgm, camera angles, costumes, location. There's still five episodes to watch, but until now it's been flawless.
Acting/cast: I have no words to describe how speechless I am left in every episode, if not in every part of each episode. It's not just the fact the plot surrounds really delicate issues which may affect you in your RL too, but the way each actor and actress portrayed the characters. Gun has again proved me he's probably one of the best actors in the industry, but finally Off could show off his amazing potential as actor. Fluke and First were a surprise indeed, both act deeply natural, letting their feelings lead the way in each scene. I don't want to forget any cast in here as everyone is so on point in their acting, not forced or unrealistic. And I must thank the screenwriters and director for this. P'Nuchy is so strict in her work, but doesn't refuse to try new ways, allowing the actors explore fully. There was a quote in the recent bts where she said "if I see they can't follow the script after a few takes because they don't know how to convey it, I let them improvise as long as I may be the one wrong". I applaud that way of work because thanks to it, many of the most beautiful scenes have great part of improvisation grown up inside of each actor. It's a team work that helps everyone to improve together.
Music: what to say about the music. It's perfect. So on point in each scene, not just added to fill the silence, but to convey the feeling completely. A new taste in songs that are rare to be heard in BL. With or without lyrics, it's impressive how the songs were chosen and not created for the series (aside of the main OST and My Side), because they fit 100% .
Rewatch value: I think this point is really important because sometimes the scenes are so overwhelming (or at least I felt so) that I needed to rewatch to see small details or connotations that the first time you may miss as you're extremely focused on the feeling. This is not a bad point, moreover, it shows how it absorbs you into its world.
The overall rate is obviously 10/10 because I can't see any major flaw. It's a series that must be enjoyed from a very subjective view so you will understand each feeling and reason behind their actions. However, at the same time, that's what makes it so immersive, deep and charismatic. No series are alike. No characters are alike. No plot is alike. It's a one-time experience. And I hope it will keep as such until the end.
Thanks for reading.
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Sopravvalutato
Premetto che dopo aver guardato Theory of Love non ero *così* gasata per questa nuova serie con gli OffGun come protagonisti ma... ho voluto dare una chance a Not Me dal primo trailer uscito. Mi sembrava diverso e interessante, questo trophe mi affascina: un fratello che prende veste i panni del suo gemello nella sua gang per scoprire chi è il colpevole del suo pestaggio fa molto "fanfiction", e ingenuamente pensavo che almeno ci fosse quel sano trash che avrebbe bilanciato un’atmosfera stile urban mob e un parte romantica boyxboy. Peccato mi sbagliassi.Premessa: my opinion, non devi concordare.
Dopo il terzo episodio visti in diretta l'ho data su, come si suol dire, troppo lenta e noiosa. La recitazione è una mera sufficienza solo perché Gun è una spanna più in alto rispetto all'intero cast. La sceneggiatura è caotica e lascerà buchi di trama al termine della serie, lasciando quindi un wtf generale. L'unico motivo per cui ho ripreso la visione sono stati gli elogi dei miei mutuals su ig che hanno inneggiato l'episodio numero 8 come, cito letteralmente, "a masterpiece" e mi domando che serie abbiano visto.
Tutto ciò che trovo di sbagliato mi è stato giustificato con "il budget basso/la censura/il taglio degli episodi (da 16 a 14)/il realismo" ma... ne dubito: una penna, un foglio di carta e buone idee costano poco, nulla se il materiale già ce l'hai a priori.
Parliamo di come il villain della situazione, aka Tawi, sia praticamente inutile nella storyline: la ROL gang ci annuncia che Tawi è un criminale nelle vesti di imprenditore di successo che mina alle piccole attività, all'ambiente e sia segretamente un trafficante di droga... per non parlare di come Sean praticamente odi Tawi, incolpandolo della morte di suoi padre (con annesso insabbiamento + chiusura prematura del caso). Cazzata madornale. Sean dice più volte come Tawi sia responsabile del fatto che suo padre sia stato etichettato come uno spacciatore di droga... ma da come lo hanno ripreso lo era seriamente. Letteralmente era su un camion che trasportava droga, e nulla fa pensare che non ne fosse a conoscenza. E il responsabile della morte del padre di Sean (Dana aka Unar) è un poliziotto che ha sparato ad un soggetto disarmato... perché collegarlo a Tawi? Alla fine sono gli stessi poliziotti che hanno fermato il camion per un controllo, non possono essere dei corrotti di Tawi, altrimenti non li avrebbero fermati in primo luogo, e non si fa riferimento al fatto che il camion con la droga sia stato insabbiato. Bho. Si poteva scegliere un motivo più solido.
Per non parlare di come la serie abbia ammesso che Tawi abbia assunto la madre sordomuta di Yok mentre le altre attività l'hanno licenziata per il suo handicap... e questo comportamento (assumere gente con disabilità) lo hanno etichettato come negativo... ok. Potevano rendere Tawi sgradevole se avesse comprato una ipotetica azienda dove la madre avrebbe potuto lavorarci e licenziarla per la sua condizione... questo era una mossa furba per creare uno che *non* dà eguali opportunità a tutti i lavoratori.
A mio avviso la mossa token è stata attuata quando hanno messo in mezzo la parata del pride durante una manifestazioni della mancata sicurezza sull'azienda delle bibite di Tawi. Che poi, di nuovo, la ROL gang vuole smascherare Tawi facendo cosa... contaminando la loro Cocacola? Mia illazione, durante la stesura avranno pensato alla cazzata d'idea e l'hanno modificata con White che non versa l'amaro ma lo poggia vicino ai serbatoi...
Diciamo che le uniche scene d'azione sono quando la gang va nella casa di Tawi nel bosco (terreno fertile strappato ai locali, ci tengo a precisarlo dato che lo hanno fatto loro) per bruciarla, e all'attentato all'azienda della Cocacola nella bottiglia di olio per contaminare i lotti... mentre il gran nemico cosa fa? Nulla.
Non c'è una scena mostrata in camera dove il nemico architetta qualcosa di malefico, corrotto oppure illegale, anzi, quando i cittadini attaccano l'auto di Tawi, egli dice "lasciali fare, hanno il diritto di protestare". Wow, quindi anche un democratico, che cattivo veramente cattivo.
Ho molte parole da spendere anche da quanto ridicola sia la trama dopo aver saputo chi è stato a mandare in coma Black - il responsabile, il movente e la soluzione... al posto di Todd potevano letteralmente addossare la colpa a qualcuno della gang... nonostante l'alleanza nessuno spendeva parole piacevoli su Black, dato che tutti lo additano come uno stronzo senza sentimenti (però... non riesce a vendicarsi con Todd perché sono besties, è ancora innamorato di Eugene e tiene talmente tanto a White da impedirgli inizialmente di frequentare la su banda, sì, molto apatico mi dicono...).
Ci sono ancora enormi ? per quanto riguarda la side story Black/Eugene/Gram che non ha senso alcuno se non minutaggio (sprecato, dato che si poteva pensare ad altri temi sociali di cui chiacchierare) + esattamente quando e perché Sean e White si sono innamorati?: domanda legittima dato che White usa come foto profilo per ROL l'uccello disegnato nella porta di Sean sin da quando lo ha trattato a pesci in faccia e Sean l’ha quasi soffocato allo svenimento + esattamente il ruolo di Gumpa quale sarebbe? + i genitori di Black/White fanno un'apparizione e poi si dimenticano di avere figli (motivo che mi hanno propinato: la carica che hanno è troppo importante e ci sono implicazioni politiche da evitare... quindi, tutta la storia della serie che denuncia una società corrotta non permette di parlarne? ooooook)
Morale della storia: in 14 episodi cosa hanno concluso? Non hanno concluso una singola missione, non hanno risolto nessun problema sociale, la situazione tra Black e White è un po’ trattata all’acqua di rose… “ma Black vuole bene a White” certo, ma White non si è mai fatto venire in mente un singolo ragionevole dubbio riguardo al suo cambiamento, alla lite con la madre e tutta la situazione con Eugene – la direttrice Nuchy ha descritto Eugene come il personaggio girl empowerment della serie… sì, la povera ragazza volubile e innamorata di uno stronzo che le fa solo male (lo ribadisce più volte) e che cerca conforto nell’unico beta sfigatello che le va dietro… girl empowerment…
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As a connoisseur of BL dramas, "Not Me" stands out as a shining gem in the genre, offering viewers a heartfelt and compelling narrative that leaves a lasting impact. From its engaging storyline to its charismatic cast, this series captivates audiences from the very first episode, delivering an unforgettable viewing experience that will resonate with fans of all ages.
Beyond its romantic storyline, "Not Me" also explores themes of friendship, identity, and self-discovery with sensitivity and grace. The series tackles important issues facing LGBTQ+ individuals with honesty and compassion, shedding light on the challenges they encounter while celebrating the power of love and acceptance.
This type of storyline also gives us so much moral values!
Visually stunning and expertly crafted, "Not Me" is a feast for the eyes, with gorgeous cinematography, evocative music, and impeccable production values that transport viewers into the world of the story. Every scene is meticulously shot, capturing the beauty of both the characters and their surroundings, creating a rich and immersive viewing experience.
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Not me, not you but everyone!
This is a series that will never age! It will teaches us lots of lessons on real life issues. From the LGBTQ movement to those who are ready to defend their freedom and democracy. Maybe it's because of its unusual style in the world of Bl series that it attracts me. The music " Everlast" by Will played in the series is touching and heart warming. Never has a Bl series treated genuine love as between Sean and White. I wish to congratulate off and gun for pulling this series through. It settings also avoids the usual university, college grounds and moves into the real, wild world. Not me will always have a special place in my heart. It's in a class of it's own. Remember it's not me, not you but everyone!Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
OFFGUN chemistry
omg i cannot stretch this enough when i say offguns chemistry has never been so good i could feel it through the screen, i would give up my lungs to watch this show again for the first time. their first meeting in the show is so intense. The acting in not me is incredible, the cinematography is so aesthetically pleasing to watch. even the side characters had great chemistry. the directors picked the perfect cast for the roles. Atthaphan Phunsawat's acting has improved so much I'm really proud of how far his career has come. I would write a note for my next life to find with the name of this show in it.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
