The Sweet Taste of Pie
"Cutie Pie" has baked itself into a scrumptious treat. With masterful cinematography, a stirring soundtrack, and impressive performances from its male leads, it serves up a feast for both the eyes and the heartThe chemistry between the male leads is electric, a bond so strong that from the very first episode, one can't help but root for them to end up together. In the emotionally-charged episode 9, as the male leads profess their love and vow to belong to each other, the moment becomes more than a simple exchange of affection. It's a powerful statement of love's power to triumph over adversity and unite two individuals of the same sex
The icing on this already delectable dessert is its commentary on the issue of marriage equality. Gay couples deserve recognition and protection under the law, and this is a message that will resonate long after the credits roll
The drama's imperfections, like a slightly burnt crust or uneven filling, are the blemishes that mark a pie and add to its character and depth. They give it its greatest flavor
For those reading the mixed reviews, I urge you to give "Cutie Pie" a chance. Taste the pie with your own palate, and let it work its magic on you. "Cutie Pie" should be savored by anyone with a sweet tooth and an open mind
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Nothing Cute About It
I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this drama and having liked Zee's acting in Why R U?, I decided to give it a shot. It was, quite frankly, a hot mess. I honestly don't even know where to begin. There was so little good about it and so much bad. It all felt very forced and unnatural and much of the story made little to no sense.I was not impressed by the overly preachy beginning and ending dialogue. Do not get me wrong, I think same sex marriage should be legalized in all countries. That being said it felt out of place and unnecessary. I feel like there were more subtle ways of getting the point across that would have been more tasteful and again, less preachy.
The story was a complete and total mess. More than a romance, I felt like it was a drama about toxic relationships and how not to communicate. It is very and I do mean very, kiss scene heavy. I think those scenes were put in the drama to try to draw attention away from all the problems both in the story and in the relationships. Both Hias are depicted as being very controlling and possessive, to the point of wanting to know what their SO is doing at all times. While they try to portray this as them just being worried and caring, it came across as extremely unhealthy to me. For example, Hia Yi sets a curfew of 9pm for Khondiao who has to leave his friends in order to make said curfew in one scene. Hia Lian has had someone monitoring Kuea for who knows how long and is fully aware of the secret life he is living. Both men also seem quite unconcerned about the fact the men they love are afraid of them. The level of control the Hias have is just disturbing especially considering their SOs are grown men. At least with Yi and Khondiao's relationship, there is a moment where Khondiao stands up to Yi and their relationship seems to achieve some level of balance though still very much skewed in Yi's favor. Lian and Kuea's relationship, however, is stagnant for the entirety of the drama. Though Kuea has a few moments of defiance, in the end he always gives in to Lian. After the scene at Lian's father's birthday party, I was really hopeful to see a change, but it was basically everything back to normal with no real growth or resolution. Overall there was such a complete lack of character development.
On top of the toxicity of the relationships, there's the lack of explanation for why characters acted the way they did or why things are the way that they are. When and why did Kuea suddenly feel the need to act like a perfect person to suit Lian? When did Lian turn into the cold, emotionless jerk and why exactly did he tell Kuea he didn't love him? I felt like his reasoning and his initial behaviour was glossed over and dismissed far too easily for all the damage it did. Also, what was with the arranged marriage? Why was that in any way necessary? And how did their families even know each other since they were from such different backgrounds? The background was so completely lacking and nonsensical that there was no way anything else could make sense. On top of all that you have Yi and Khondiao's story which was incredibly vague and disjointed. I was actually semi-interested in it because of the mystery of what Yi did to Khondiao. The "mystery" was that Yi didn't actually do anything, it was an accident. And the flashback regarding that incident made it seem like they had a similar relationship to that of Lian and Kuea which was out of the blue as I never got that impression previously.
The plot positively drags. Scenes are drawn out that don't need to be drawn out or are just repeated multiple times. The couples keep lying to each other and failing to communicate. There's this constant theme of maybe telling the truth would be the best thing and then in the next scene they're lying to each other again. Its honestly so frustrating to watch because they never learn and even at the end, it doesn't feel like anything has really changed.
While the story was terrible, the acting was not. Zee and NuNew in particular had good chemistry and while there were a few moments where I felt like NuNew's acting was a bit forced or awkward, I thought he did really well for his first role. I also have to give a shout out to Poppy as Foie for bringing some much needed comedic relief. He was absolutely hilarious and I laughed every time he was onscreen.
The characterization, though, was lacking. I have rarely seen a drama with such stagnant characters. Very few had any real growth and most of them seemed to be in the same place at the end as they were at the beginning with nothing or very little learned from their experiences. That was very disappointing for me. I can generally forgive or at least mostly forgive a bad storyline/plot if the character development is good, but it just wasn't there.
-Kuea really does come across as a doll, maybe not an Annabelle doll, but a doll nonetheless. He acts the way he assumes others want him to and even when Lian tells him he loves him no matter what, he refuses to trust him. On the one hand, I can understand that lack of trust based on how Lian is at the beginning, but after a while it just seemed like an excuse. His roundabout way of trying to get information was also frustrating, adding to the whole lack of communication theme. His constant assumptions made things worse for himself and others. In the end, I didn't really feel like he had learned how to communicate to prevent the same issues from recurring.
-Lian's cold then hot attitude was confusing and, again, never clearly explained. It also felt overdone and too abrupt going from his cold boss persona to adoring partner. I feel like that could have been pulled back to make it somewhat more believable. Based on his personality, I have trouble imagining someone like him making out in public. And although his attitude changed to lovey-dovey, he still came across as controlling.
-Khondiao came across as more of a kid than an adult so taking his relationship with Yi seriously was a bit of a stretch. I did appreciate him standing up for himself though and I felt like he had more character development than others. He seemed more able to stand on his own and stand against Yi if necessary at the end.
-Yi seemed like a sadist who enjoyed the control he had over Khondiao and the fear he could incite. He supposedly feels guilty towards him for something that happened during their childhood, and so takes care of him, allowing him to live in his house. But, he does control much of his life, wanting to know where Khondiao is at all times and even setting a curfew for him. The communication between the two is just nonexistent. They get together without discussing any of their issues really and it just feels so forced. While he does soften, he doesn't ever seem to trust that Khondiao can take care of himself and remains overbearing.
-I can't say that I had much of an opinion about the other side characters. Foie was an amusing diversion when he was onscreen and added some much needed comedic relief. Kuea's university friends were also amusing. Of them, I did enjoy Nuer and Syn's love story. As a side couple, their story was not really elaborated on, but they made a cute couple and were by far the healthiest relationship.
There were two moments that I particularly appreciated, though one promptly got thrown out the window shortly thereafter. The first is just before Lian and Kuea have sex for the first time, Lian asks for Kuea's consent, making sure that he's not drunk and knows what he's doing. It was nice to see since most dramas just imply that both parties are consenting. To actually have it verbally given was refreshing. That was promptly thrown out the window multiple times afterward when Kuea clearly says no or to stop and Lian keeps kissing him. Apparently you only need to ask the first time and its fair game after that. The second moment was when Kuea is with his university friends and one of them asks the sole woman in their group if she's on her period because she's cranky. She gives him a proper verbal beatdown that was kind of awesome to see.
As a side note, I always have an issue with the way most pets are treated in Asian dramas and this one was no exception. Aside from the Golden Retriever who, unsurprisingly, seemed to be content being on set and getting pets, the Chihuahua really bothered me. The poor thing's body language screamed that he was stressed and did not want to be there. I felt so bad watching. And also, having Yi give him as a gift, just no. It is never a good idea to give an animal as a gift, there are too many things that could go wrong. And I will now step off my soapbox.
The music was overall good. I did like NuNew's voice and I think he's frankly a stronger singer than actor. I didn't love the song that Lian and Kuea sing to each other though so having to hear it twice was a bit painful. Actually both those scenes in general were just awkward to watch.
I will also comment that the whole engineering/university setting is massively overused and this was no exception. While the automotive engineering aspect was different and more interesting with the students working on their project, it still felt repetitive.
This is not a drama that I would ever recommend anyone to watch. It has no substance and instead promotes toxic relationships as being hot. It uses steamy scenes to make up for the fact it is lacking in anything remotely genuine. At times it felt like an infomercial about gender equality, but I couldn't take it seriously because none of the couples, aside from Nuer and Syn, portrayed anything resembling a healthy and normal relationship. I highly recommend NOT wasting your time with this one.
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A Hot Mess!
Gosh, I don't even know where to start. This was one of my most anticipated BLs of this year, and I am so disappointed.Let me start with the good. I adore Zee. I have been following him since Why R U? and he is literally why I was looking forward to this drama. His acting did not disappoint, and I was pleasantly surprised by NuNew. For a first-time actor, he did a great job. There were a couple of scenes where I felt like he could have delivered more, but overall them and the rest of the cast did a pretty good job acting-wise.
Another thing that actually led me to finish this instead of dropping it, is the side couple. Syn and Nuer. OMG. They are just the cutest lil beans I have ever seen in my life, and if I had to watch an entire drama of them just staring into each other eyes, I would!!!!
Finally, the music. I will be honest and say I don't know much about Thai music, but this drama introduced me to so many great songs that I have been listening to on repeat.
Now let's move on to the bad. The story was a complete mess! And honestly, calling it a storyline, is a bit of a stretch. The same plot was dragged and spun for the entire twelve episodes and the characters just kept lying and deceiving each other. Not to mention, the pacing was so hard to follow. I felt like I had no idea what was happening half the time. I get that the whole point of this drama was to watch them grow and learn to communicate, but I still feel like they haven't. In fact, this show had some of the most stagnant characters I have ever seen. There was little to no character development for both of them, in the end, they both found out each other's secrets, did nothing to resolve the miscommunication, and continued on in their lives like nothing was wrong, but NOTHING CHANGED! There are so many things that I felt went unaddressed. The show should have focused less on being preachy and more on actually writing a plot with substance.
Hot kissing scenes are always fun to watch, but it's not going to save a drama with a boring messy plot or boring stagnant characters. The saddest thing is, this had the potential to be so good. A stellar cast, a good budget, and an established fanbase. It had everything going for it. Unfortunately, it just couldn't deliver.
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Normalizing toxic relationships 101
This show is the worst thing I've watched in a while...Why is it normalized that Diao and Kuea are literally SCARED of the people that should love them?
How are Kuea and Lian supposed to be close
childhood friends even though they can't have a conversation about anything else than their relationship? Don't they have any common interests?
The characters of this show are puppets, flatly written to somehow drive the barely existent "plot" to some fan service, (there are so many unnecessary kiss scenes!) and then slip into the next recycled filler material about how they betray and gaslight eachother. These relationships are so unhealthy!
I was also just disgusted by the way that Hia Yi and Hia Lian treat Kuea and Diao like they are their dogs, it was infuriating! Two of the few things they did right in the show were letting Kon Diao stand up for himself and having Kuea be determined to call off the engagement (Only at first unfortunately). The glaring problems in their relationships were rather ignored instead of actually solved.
Despite the weird premise of the show I was genuinely hoping that the main couples were going to develop a meaningful connection over time, but there was barely any development. In fact for example, instead of showing his rebellious side more as the show went on, it felt like Kuea adopted a part of the "Annabelle " mindset more and more as his real personality. Just saying yes, smiling, shallow sweet talk and ditching the last bit of depth his Character had, until his breakdown when Lian proposed to him (The only emotional moment, I could actually get invested in). But afterwards he quickly paddeled back into mindlessly
obeying Lian.
Onto the next problem: Yi and Lian seem always keen on making Diao and Kuea as dependent on them as possible, taking their autonomy and controlling them, which is being portrayed as cute and caring, but it is plain toxic.
The "friendship" between Yi and Lian was also very lackluster, when they were meeting up they always just seemed annoyed and were missing, like pretty much any relationship in the show, any real common interests apart from being business partners.
Fortunately at least Kon Diao and Kuea's friendship was overall supportive and one of the few positive parts in the series.
Side note: I do appreciate the effort the actors put into portraying the characters well, but even good actors can't save a badly written show.
The only romantic relationship that wasn't absurdly unhealthy was the one of Syn and Nuer, they seemed to actually be on one wave length and even though their relationship was also lacking depth, it was still very cute and worth watching.
I truly believe that this show was made for a kind of thirsty viewers who don't really care about the plot as long as there are plenty kissing scenes between two hot actors (even if the kisses don't really feel romantic), as this is the only way I can explain why this show isn't as widely called out for what it is:
(also tldr) A substance lacking excuse for kissing scenes with a plotline almost exclusively consisting of normalizing unhealthy relationships, a few good songs and 10 minutes of preachy dialogue in the beginning and end, that can't be taken seriously, because nothing said is actually reflected in the show.
They should have called this series "normalizing toxic relationships 101"
I'm very disappointed, what a waste of time!
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A Waste of Time
Honestly, this show was a huge letdown for me all around. The production value was great, the acting was overall pretty good, but the story? The relationships? A big, hot mess that never truly got solved by the end.We can start with the positives. I liked the actors (for the most part— to be honest, New's crying scenes felt inauthentic at times), and the chemistry between the couples was pretty good. Not mind-blowing by any means, but enough for me to buy that they were actually attracted to each other. I loved pretty much all of the friendships, as well! Kuea and Kon-Diao were great best friends, and actually supported each other equally in a way I feel I hardly ever see in fiction. I also really enjoyed all of Kuea's school friends— they were hilarious and so much fun to watch on screen. And honestly, Syn and Nuer's little side relationship was the best-executed plotline in the whole show. The last positive was Foei, who was a side character that stole the scene every time he showed up; I enjoyed the comedy he brought immensely.
And now, the negatives. For starters, a lot of the storyline and plot felt very, very nonsensical. The arranged marriage aspect felt very forced, because there didn't seem to be an actual reason for Lian and Kuea to be arranged to be married. It was like the writers wanted to make us see that they were really in love and not actually being forced into marriage, even though that's the whole point of an arranged marriage plotline. There was also so much weirdness around how Lian and Kuea had known each other since Kuea was a baby, and yet at some point (we never find out when, because why would they ever give us any answers??) Kuea starts acting like a "perfect little doll" and hiding who he actually is. But it's also pointless because the viewer learns early on that Lian knows everything Kuea is trying to hide from him— so what is the point of Kuea hiding it? Why don't they ever just communicate about anything ever?
And that's not even starting on the mess that is the Yi/Diao plotline. Somehow, that one makes even less sense than Lian and Kuea's, since Yi and Diao aren't even together prior to the start of the show! It's weirdly written where it's made to look like Kuea and Diao are in the same situation of pining for their fiances while they think the Hias don't actually love them back, and yet it's not until way into the show that we find out that Yi and Diao aren't anything like that. And pretty much nothing about them and their situation is ever explained, presumably because the writers want to do a sequel series surrounding them.
In the end, the only way to enjoy this show is to just not think about anything and enjoy each scene for what it is rather than as it should be as part of an overall narrative. I wouldn't recommend watching it, as pretty much every other drama I've watched thus far has a more cohesive storyline with relationships that actually make sense.
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I've never wanted amnesia until this bl
I want to address the fact that some reviews are saying "it depends on what genre you like" how does that make any sense? The genre has nothing to do with how most of us feel negatively about this drama right? So, I'm going to be blunt about how much I hate this series. Also, at episode 10 I couldn't take how slow this show was going so I watched it in 1.75 speed.STORY- TW: Pedophilia/Grooming, Non-consensual Sex
The story is dry, and the script is so shit. The same problems were repeated over and over again where the characters keep lying to one another. They put in some sex scenes so we can ignore the fact that they're in a toxic relationship of lying, abuse of power, pedophilia/grooming, etc. However, the sex scenes still fall flat cause there was no build up and it's just Lian forcing Kuea to have sex with him. This drama is a BL it's not a porno, so a sex scene was so unexpected. Also, the people who were praising this show for "consent" are absolutely wrong because after halfway through the show they throw consent out the window because whenever Kuea kept telling Lian to "stop it" he never stopped and just kept going. This is also true for Hia Yi, and Diao cause their sex scene was so out of the blue and came just after Hia Yi confessed to him and there was no verbal communication, just did it without even saying anything.
About the pedophilia/grooming part, Lian was 7-12 when Kuea was born so there is a big age gap. If I can re-call I think Lian said something about loving him since the day he was born which I find really weird because I assume the type of love he is talking about is romantic and not platonic. The abuse of power comes from how Lian forces Kuea to live with him and doesn't take no for an answer. They're lying to each other because they can't trust the other. Trust is an important factor of a relationship, so this just further shows how they don't have a healthy one.
At the beginning of the show, they made it seem like Diao also had a fiancé but that wasn't even close to what was going on between him and Yi because they weren't even in a relationship. The plot was dragged on and on and didn't develop till the last 2 episodes either.
The arranged marriage part wasn't necessary since there was no reason for the adults to arrange one in the first place. Also, the way Kuea's father just arranges a marriage for them even though Kuea is just an infant is so odd and gross to me.
Diao interfered in Kuea and Lian's relationship after being told he shouldn't which is so childish. Diao and Hia Yi have a major plot hole in their relationship because their past relationship and how they met and what happened to Diao wasn't cleared up.
Lian says to Kuea "I don't think it is love yet" so Lian didn't love him but after Kuea says he's going to call off the engagement he suddenly loves him? They also didn't explain how Lian and Kuea's family became friends. It's also just insane how they make Lian hide the fact that he bought the Keerati family's property from Kuea because something as important as that I think Kuea should definitely know. Honestly, this show is just absurd.
CHARACTERS-
Kuea:
Lian proposed to Kuea, but Kuea rejects him and even after all the "misunderstandings" are cleared he still won't accept his proposal because he wanted to propose to him instead which shows how selfish Kuea is. Kuea is also one who doesn't clear things up and just makes assumptions like, "they didn't tell me because they think I'm a kid". Kuea assumes that Lian doesn't love him despite Lian CLEARLY repeating that he loves him over and over again. He also overreacts and cries way too much. A good example of a character crying a lot is in Theory of Love where they made me actually feel the pain the character is going through and for good reason too. Also, Kuea's real character wasn't elaborated on enough cause the only things we know is that he's a biker, a singer, wears cool clothes, and an engineer student. And once Kuea revealed his true self to Lian he hasn't changed at all and still acts somewhat like a doll.
Lian:
He thinks that Kuea is a "bad boy", who needs to be forced into an environment where he has no choice but confess who he really is. Lian has a small set of facial expressions and is supposed to appear as a cold boss of a big company but clearly doesn't seem to appear that way. Lian at the start of the drama payed little to no attention to Kuea and was cold to him. At the end he has completely fallen for him and acts like a puppy desperate for the other's affection. Lian also is someone who does things behind his lover's back like stalking and getting information on him from people he knows which is really weird.
Diao:
Making it seem like he is a kid who needs to have someone look after him and keep him in check. Diao acts like a kid and still does things like interfering in someone else's relationship. Making NC scenes between him and Yi uncomfortable.
Yi:
A man who pities a guy he loves. Hia Yi got in an accident with Diao at some point and pitied him for what he had done so he gave him a house to stay in. Hia Yi is possessive and controlling to the point where he wants to know where Diao is almost 24/7. Hia Yi and Diao can't properly communicate (which is really bad for a relationship) so Yi buys Diao a dog instead hoping to make up with him.
University friends:
Kuea is a university student and studies engineering. seem familiar? bet it does. Well although his university life doesn't appear a lot in the show there is a side couple of Syn and Nuer. Syn and Nuer had chemistry but barely any screen time at all. The show showed one scene of Kuea's university friend Nuchy where she stood up for how when a woman is mad it doesn't mean they're on their period. This drama has made 1-3 attempts to show how they "care" about lgbtq+ people and women. However, I don't see it as how they care they're just trying to gain likeability.
ACTORS/CAST-
The actors are all good looking and some have great acting experience. I like the cast but their acting in this show wasn't their best. NuNew's acting was.. it was good enough, but he doesn't have any other experience in acting and also the only times he didn't seem cringe to me was when he's at university and when he's on stage.
CHEMISTRY-
Lian and Kuea:
Their chemistry was practically non-existent for me. Only during NC scenes did I feel like they had some tiny bit of chemistry.
Yi and Diao:
Not a lot of chemistry.
Syn and Nuer:
They had good chemistry and a healthy relationship, but I feel like they could pull it off better if they had more screen time. I hope they get to act in a different series together with more screen time.
MUSIC-
2 birds with 1 stone. Thats what it was. NuNew is a singer and an actor he is also good looking. They made him sing the opening song (which I didn't like). He also sang a lot of other songs in the show, but I only liked 1 of them. I feel like they could've just made him the singer and have a different actor for Kuea.
PRODUCTION-
Production quality was definitely great.
TROPES/OVERUSAGE-
The childhood friend trope is definitely an overused one to be honest. Also, Kuea is in university and does engineering which is obviously overused and anyone would know this if you've seen university based bl's. Like they could've made Kuea be in computer engineering and that would honestly make me feel better about this.
OVERALL-
This series is a waste of budget and a waste of your time. This show makes people think being controlled and manipulated is "hot" when it isn't.
P.S.-
Why is an 18+ rated drama on YouTube? that makes no sense whatsoever. If I could give this show a lower rating I would.
If you actually read all my nonsense then thanks. (This is my 3rd review, so I bet it's really shitty)
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I Love It, One of the best BL for me
At first, I was hesitant to watch the series because of the negative reviews here but I accidentally found the Ep 1 and decided to watch it and decide if it's in my taste.I am really not fond of hardcore BL series especially those who have cheating story, rape arc, etc. So when I accidentally find Cutie pie, it's a fresh drama for me. The actors are great, especially I used to only watch GMM BL dramas so it's refreshing to see actors who can really act well especially the two main leads. The songs and OST are so great especially Nunew songs, gosh the boy can really sing and has heavenly voice, that it makes you want to watch the series more and more when you hear him sing.
The series addresses the importance of equal marriage and also addresses the prejudice and social judgment under two people with a large age difference in a relationship. Showing that society still does not know how to respect differences. Finally, for me it is a series with quality, full of love between the characters, and with very important messages for today's society.
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Cutie Pie? More like a sleep paralysis demon!
[I don't normally write reviews on MDL, since I'm easily influenced by my emotions and such reviews may not be helpful for most people. BUT!! Cutie Pie deserves one. If you're looking for a more impartial review, I recommend the one from @Purple Scenes]TL; DR : Just don't. And if you do, know when to quit. I didn't.
STORY: 1/10
I will give it a symbolic one star for trying, since the premise sounds actually pretty interesting. Unfortunately, by the end of episode 2 it's all but buried. What comes after is inconsistent, boring, repetitive filler that's just vaguely separating all the fanservice and NC scenes. Progress comes and goes whenever director demands a skinship or dramatic tension. You can't consider any piece of information as established. Subplots are abandoned or explained insufficiently. If you're looking for an arranged marriage portrayal, it's not there. Neither is a dual personality of one of the main leads. There is no real push-and-pull dynamic between the MLs present, either.
There are 3 pairings in this drama - LianKuea, YiDiao and NuerSyn. The show focuses mostly on a relationship between Lian and Kuea, who portray a standard BL dynamic of seme and uke. Lian is a business man that's cold on the outside, but secretly cares deeply for his other half. Kuea, who is portrayed as a spoiled, bratty child with rebelious hidden side, is literally swept away by Lian. In fact, Lian cares for Kuea so deeply, he feels the need to know everything about Kuea! It's his sacred duty to decide what's best for Kuea at all times! Anything, just to give Kuea the perfect life his little doll deserves. I'm sure many of you can already see where they're going with it.
YiDiao is basically a slightly altered rehash of LianKuea. Yi is portrayed as more aggressive partner compared to Lian, while Diao is a more scared version of Kuea. At the start, we can see Diao shaking during all of his interactions with Hia Yi. For a reason that's poorly explained to audience later on, Diao lives mostly alone in Yi's house and needs to notify Yi by phone each time he steps out. Or hide from him. As their relationship progresses, Diao earns himself a curfew of 9 pm.
Neither of those relationships develop significantly in any capacity, other than their physical intimacy. Both major conflicts are "solved" in the last episode with less than 5 minute conversations that explain next to nothing. Those neverending cycles are all presented as simple miscommunication. And we still get a "happy" ending for both of them.
The last pairing, NuerSyn, is barely even worth mentioning. They have less than hour of overall screentime and no reason to be together at all. That said, they are the most healthy, unproblematic pairing in the show. Which can be partially explained by writers forgetting to do anything with them.
POTENTIAL TRIGGERS (with minor spoilers included) :
Age gap - both between actors and characters. Main two couples consist of older, successful men and their barely adult, (financially) dependent lovers.
Grooming - both couples knew each other since they were kids. The main couple was engaged to be married since their early teen years, while the situation for YiDiao is more unclear (they are meant to be engaged, but no real information was given in the series). Both Lian and Kuea talk about how they were preparing for the marriage.
Arranged marriage - this one doesn't bear much weight in the bigger picture and is mostly a cause of other triggers.
Power imbalance - Both Lian and Yi basically control the lives of Kuea and Diao. Starting with where they live, where they go and when they return, to spying on them, following them around and being able to influence their financial situations. Both Lian and Yi are trying to solve their relationship problems by giving Kuea and Diao gifts.
Gaslighting / Lying / Hiding information - Both Yi and Lian have a major secret that has the power to impact life of their partner. Kuea and Diao hide their interests from Lian and Yi in fear of being punished or rejected. Kuea questions how much Lian actually knows about his "hidden" side. Lian's trying to force Kuea into confessing his hobbies, while pretending to know nothing. And much more, but that could count as spoilers for the show.
Unclear (try non-existent) consent in romantic interactions between Lian and Kuea.
Basically, if you get triggered by any abusive behaviour or manipulation tactics, tread carefully. To make it even more disturbing, the show never addresses it: It's all presented as normal, romantic, or even hot! Major issues between the leads are waved away by a simple "miscommunication" excuse.
ACTING/CAST : 5/10
The roles didn't seem miscast to me. Actors are attractive and their skills are mostly good enough, so I barely notice any issues. Characters aren't really multilayered, though, no matter how much they try to convince you otherwise.
Zee alternates between blank face, evil smirk and puppy eyes.
Max is either aggressively angry or looks as if he's being eaten alive from inside. He also smiles, once or twice.
Taking into consideration it's NuNew's first role, he does fine (except from when he has to cry, which is often). Also, he does the most grating fake voice I've ever heard. Iconic!
Nat is overdramatic, but it kinda fits his role. I personally found it funny, but it might annoy you.
PRODUCTION VALUE / CINEMATOGRAPHY : 8/10
A lot of money was spent on this drama. Such a shame it was in all the wrong places. It looks really good and it sounds decent, if you are able to ignore everything that's happening .
MUSIC: 5/10 -> 6/10 post edit
Some of the songs are pretty good, especially "Change" (NuNew's original song I think) and "Just Being Friendly" (NuNew's cover of song by Tilly Birds Ft. MILLI ). The main OST is fine (around the same as other BLs). The rest of songs were boring to me, but not insultingly so.
Edit: The music got to me more, because youtube just won't stop pushing NuNew into BL OST playlists. Especially the ending song (Love) is now bearable. So I came here to up my "music" score in order for it to more reflect my new situation. That said, I like to waste time on stupid stuff, so I decided to rank all of the ost songs I found and decide. Here are the results:
My Cutie Pie (main OST - 7.5), Change (9), How you feel (5.5), Be Yours (5), Always You (3), Alone (3), Suddenly (3), I Feel Your Love (Dead 0. This song makes me icky, sorry. I would have liked it more if it wasn't used at all), First Date (3), Just Being Friendly (9), Love (7.5 - the major ending event song ). The mean score comes to 5.045454545. I'm not petty enough to raise the score by 0.045454545 points, especially after all that time I spent looking for the songs. So, let's give it a 6. Out of 11 songs, I only really love 2, and one of those is a cover. I kinda like another 2, one of them cover. I could bear 2 more, but they are sort of a nothing burger. The rest is just boring and generic sap.
REWATCH VALUE : 1/10
I don't recommend you to watch it even once, let alone a second time. There are plenty of shows that look good. Plenty of songs that sound good. If you want to watch the NC scenes, there are bound to be plenty of edits being made. It might be worth it to wait for fan compilation of the third pairing, though, if there is one.
OVERALL : 1/10
If I could have given it a lower score, I would. In my personal opinion, this show should have never been made. It's unhealthy in a way that's dangerous to the whole BL community. There is no climax, no point, no meaning. Nothing. I'm not even sure they had a script to begin with. It feeds entirely off fanservice (which only got WAY WAY worse after the drama ended), cute visuals, and above average soundtrack. It's boring. It's tiring. It's uncomfortable. It's trying to take a high moral ground by promoting equality for all of 15 minutes, which is just plain pathetic, considering how the show itself handles the relationships. Even hate-watching it gets old very quickly. In short, I consider Cutie Pie a failure in every way that counts for a viewer.
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How to do a Romantic Comedy
This show at the core is a romantic comedy. That’s just how I see it before seeing it as a BL, and that’s because there aren’t overplayed scenes or tropes like forced kisses or any tropes. I’ve seen plenty of BL to understand the tropes that are usually sprinkled in. Cutie Pie has all the good ones and acknowledges the bad ones. I really like how they brought up how gay characters (in the context of a commercial) are satirized and usually comical. Hia criticizes the idea and throughout what I’ve seen he’s a pretty solid person overall.The main couple has amazing chemistry and I’ve been looking forward to Zee being in a new drama. His chemistry never fails, he’s such a talented actor and this project is another example for that. I’m wishing to have more self reflection from his character so he can showcase his full acting potential. The relationship isn’t toxic at all although there are flaws, and Hia has a front to hold up for his image, this show has a lot of potential and I’m guessing it will continue to be a fun watch and not agrivate me.
Kiren’s character is also complex and his alter ego makes the plot all the more interesting. He’s conflicted with his feelings but in a way feels obligated the same way Hia does. Kiren also holds a front but in a different way, he isn’t ready to be himself around Hia because of the business relationship. Kiren is generous and honestly the cutest ‘bottom’ in any BL I’ve seen.
I really like how gender isn’t a big deal in this drama and how the fact that they are engaged isn’t surprising or disgusting as in some BL’s I know they could’ve went that way. So far the complaints have come for the lack of chemistry between Zee and New, which stem from the age difference. I don't see it and either way how you see the chemistry is all opinion and personal preference. One way of the other if you're not into it then you aren't. I see the effort the actors put in and to me there's that spark.
So far I recommend for anyone wanting an easy watch that’s not too melodramatic. Cutie Pie made me laugh out loud many times and has witty and charismatic characters (specifically Kiren and the maid). This drama is super cute, and Kiren is also super cute. I had to pause a few times to take in how cute Kiren is. while Hia is super hot. I can’t stress enough how good Zee looks like in a suit, if you won’t watch it for anything else, watch it because Zee is hot in a suit. Skip through the side couple if you get bored, Zee X New is the breadwinner here.
UPDATE: Chemistry did not disappoint.. as of episode six I remember why I like Zee so much. The acting he is able to do with zero to no dialogue is all up to the capability of the actor and the direction. Zee is so good at giving off loving and concerned looks, he is so talented and with the kissing that talent shows. I'm not just a pervert everyone, he acts through it all and you can tell (just watch episode 6 to get what I mean).. and again by episode 8.. this show really does know what it's doing. The whole relationship is developing so well, and considering Zee felt comfortable enough to try new things for it.. watch to see what I mean but this show really is showing how BL is evolving. Consent wise, dynamics between two people, acceptance, etc.
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“You will fall in love [with Cutie Pie] just the way I do” [Maybe]
“Don´t be like everyone else, just be yourself. I love you just the way you are,my Cutie Pie!” -
In terms of cinematography, Cutie Pie is a hazardous new standard for all the upcoming series. They made my heart burst with excitement and "second-hand blushing":
This has been the best introduction to a story that had many risks to portray the wrong message. I am so overly satisfied with how they wrote the entire show to be this non-toxic, or at least they tried their best to make it the least toxic. I remember a few scenes that are misleading f.e. when Nuea asked for help in the club. However, these types of stories tend to be even more toxic so I think they have done a good job of minimizing the triggers. Think about it, Lian, a rich guy and his compliant lover, Kuea, who tried everything to not offend "his Hia/ Lian" and even denied his own wishes and identity for Mr Wang/ Lian? That screams to have a high risk of selling another nonsense toxic relationship to the fandom, but it did not. On the contrary, I think they deliver a heartfelt message to the audience. Hear me out. <3
Production / Music // 9.5
Aoftion Kittipat Jampa, one of the creators of DoMundiTV, made another LGBTQI+ series glow up. He is best known for his screenwriting of WHY R U and with “Cutie Pie” he exceeded all my expectations! This man is such a blessing to the film/ entertainment industry and an idol of mine.
The introduction of New to the DoMundi / Mandee family has been such a blessing to everyone. Let´s also agree on the fact that all the DoMundi guys are extremely appealing to the eyes and were well cast for each role, delivering all the vibes and aspects demanded. The entire aesthetic fits the vibes of this story and undermines the characters and the inner colours of each and every one of them. It´s breathtakingly beautiful. The production team and the cast gave their best and put a lot of noticeably effort and affection into this series and it paid off. I especially highlight the arrangement and screenwriting of each scene! Nothing seems unfitting or out of context.
The music is as captivating as the series and the use of each piece fits the overall mood of “Cutie Pie”. I even saved some of the songs to my playlist, which I rarely do with OSTs from romance series. Some of you guys know I am a sucker for thriller/ horror OSTs, so as you can see, even though the soundtracks are the opposite of what I normally prefer, they still caught my attention, nonetheless.
Plot / Story // 8.0
When DoMundi and Mandee channel were releasing information’s about the plot a few months ago, I got worried. The risks this sort of story carries is still quite bothersome, and it can totally shoot in the wrong direction. Nobody needs/ wants another BL that is indirectly glorifying a toxic relationship. Nonetheless, they deliver this story with perfection and casually introduce a beautiful message to the audience:
“Be Yourself” “Don´t sacrifice yourself/ change your identity to be liked by someone” & “Don´t be someone you´re not just to satisfy others” - similar to the lyrics of NuNews OST of Cutie Pie.
Those messages may seem to be an obvious criterium for any show or even any life, but unfortunately, their importance is often not highlighted enough. “Cutie Pie” takes the portrayal of those problems/ issues to another level and even shows the development of a relationship if you start to be more honest and aware of yourself. With what you truly want. Nonetheless, it also shows the obstacles and issues that go hand in hand with being too full of oneself/ arrogant.
I personally just have my issues with the high society aspect, because that´s where those kinds of stories often fail to be realistic. In reality, the person you fake your identity for isn´t necessarily rich or someone with who you´ve been in love your entire life. It is not criticism towards the show, rather just a reason for me, why I don´t give the story aspect a 10/10, despite its very exciting and creative parts.
However, the portrayal of Hia´s observing character and him actually caring secretly without being toxic, rather just playful and ready to have a new start of their relationship and he´s ready to dive in deep with Kuea. Every detail they added, e.g. with the dismantling of the CCTV or that Kuea directly confronts Hia when he´s too full of himself, is beneficial for the overall message of this series and the pureness of their relationship BUT also beneficial if they want to leave a sustained impression on the audience - Admirable work!
Cast // 8.5
As I said before, New joining DoMundi has been such a blessing for everyone. He can act, sing, dance and on top of that, with everything I have seen so far, he seems to be such an incredible and angelic human being. Still, there is some room for improvement in his acting. Maybe it´s just the effect of being compared to Zee all the time, who has more experience.
And his partner in this series, be prepared, Pruk Panich the rising star of the MDL Leaderboards, a talented gift to the filming industry and a blessing to the eyes. HE DELIVERED AGAIN. How does he do it? I don’t know. He can “naturally/ realistically” adapt to all the various types of characters. How can I not be obsessed with his performances? The overall appearance of Lian matches the series in every aspect and I am blushing whenever he appears on the screen. It´s just hard to say if Zee and NuNew were matching because sometimes they did and in some scenes, they did not.
Nat and Max also hit it off, I admire their visual matching the most. They flourish in their roles as Yi and Kon Diao and the audience gets aware of their skills the more the story unfolds. Here I want to highlight Nat´s character as the most warm-hearted person I have come across in a long time and I can´t help but be taken aback by his overall performance. Amazing!
Perth, Poppy, Tutor and Yim don´t disappoint and they deliver them very well. Especially Poppy´s character, Lian´s secretary, was so hilariously relatable. Where do they always get such a talented cast? I hope they reward them well for their outrageous performance.
Overall // 8.5 !!
I feel like I can only loop around my praises for this masterpiece of a series. The storytelling, the screenwriting, EVERYTHING sums up and becomes this beautiful result of paid off effort. At this point, there is no border between the film industry and the LGBTQI+ film industry anymore, except for the fact that a lower budget was able to exceed most other series in visuals and delivery of emotions.
“If you were me, who gets to look at [Cutie Pie] all day, (…), you will fall in love just the way I [did]”
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Not flawless, but delightful!
Cutie Pie seems to be hated or loved, no middle ground, and before I start writing my review I wholeheartedly encourage anyone to give it a try and form your own opinion instead of going down the rabbit hole of threads/comments etc.The thing is, this is a series that you might detest or watch giggling and smiling like an idiot.
Well, I was the idiot. And I will be the idiot, because I know I will rewatch it. This is to say that if you trust the negativity, you might miss something that can give you joy and fluff.
STORY:
The premise of the series is quite simple: there's an arraged marriage between two dudes. One older, a workaholic that seems quite cold, and a younger man, that tries to hide and present himself as the perfect heir, since he comes from old money. The main theme of the series is that miscommunication can (and will) ruin relationships and that being yourself sometimes requires a lot of courage. I won't spoil anything and I will keep this review vague, but let me say that both Lian and mostly Kuea end up lying because they think that this is the best course of action.
If you can't stand misunderstandings and you're one of the viewers that frequently says "just talk to each other and spill everything!" then this series is not for you. But if you can appreciate a plot that revolves around insecurities, being sweet and in love and sometimes imbeciles, then PLEASE go on.
Also --- I am a fan, but I have to admit it: there's quite a few plot holes. However, I never felt overwhelmed by them, just a bit miffed. I was also never bored.
The side couples are interesting too!
ACTING/CAST:
I loved everyone. Well, almost everyone, but there was nothing that made me think I shouldn't give a 10.
Zee is amazing, New surprised me so much.
This is a series where you won't find dead-fish kisses or awkward stares, or actors that seem bothered or downright disturbed by what they need to do to show that their characters love each other. When I was watching Cutie Pie, I was immersed and convinced that those characters loved each other. And I am talking about ALL the couples.
Love scenes, crying scenes, funny scenes, they were all so well portrayed!
MUSIC:
I enjoyed every song and it's quite obvious that the soundtrack was made with Cutie Pie and its plot in mind. New has a beautiful voice and I was pleasantly surprised by the other artists as well.
OVERALL:
I consider this a damn good series. A guilty pleasure, so to speak. Something that could've been done better (screenwriters, I'm looking at you!) but that is way better than many other series already aired or airing now. Cutie Pie was scrutinized a lot because it was highly anticipated and unfortunately, it received very harsh criticism where other series with worse plot/acting/production value got away in silence.
Again, I will repeat myself: give it a chance. Be aware that it's not perfect, start watching if you're looking for good acting, awesome fanservice and love scenes, a cute plot with silly drama.
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This is a Completely Incompetant Mess
I've been watching BL's since 2019. So not as long as a lot of people. But long enough to get a feel for the tropes, the good stuff and the bad stuff.I can handle a little bad if there is even one likable character for me to connect with. This drama didn't even have that. It made no sense. The characters were unlikable. Their behaviors were inconsistent. Half of them were complete assholes. No one learns anything until this one 5 minute period int he final episode that retcons all the crap that happened the previous 11 episodes. It's an arranged marriage drama with no actual marriage. The writing was so bad it wasn't even "funny" bad. It was painful bad. This was the first drama I've ever fast forwarded through parts of. Fanservice can save a show for me. If there's something to save. But the fanservice here was worthless because there was nothing for it to rescue. I really disliked this drama. It's the first time I've ever regretted giving a drama a chance.
I wanted to like the idea of the arranged marriage but it was written in a creepy way that made me need a shower.
The music is pretty good, but most of it is cover music. The acting is okay but not anything special. The production quality is high but who only watches a show that looks good but has nothing else?
Give this a skip and don't look back.
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