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Freedom is the oxygen of the soul
Not me has to be one of the best Thai BLs I’ve ever watched. I’ve seen the praise for it for months, so I came in with high expectations and I can tell you I was NOT disappointed.STORY/PLOT : 7.5/10
The premise of this show was interesting from start to end, you could really tell the writers/directors put a lot of thought and purpose into it. The balance between action, mystery, social commentary, and romance was handled well for the most part and you don’t see that in a lot of BLs. The only gripe I have with this would be the pacing and a few plot holes. The first few episodes were pretty slow and more than once it felt a little too convoluted, but after I’d say, episode 6 or so, the pace really picked up and things definitely got a lot more interesting. Also, the ending.. I was happy with it because who doesn’t like a hopeful ending? But it was bit too quick or..easy for me, I guess. It really just left things to be desired.
CHARACTERS: 9.5/10
Each character was charming in their own way. I don’t think there was a character on screen that I wasn’t completely engaged in. Really liked how the female characters had goals and passions and were just overall PEOPLE and not one dimensional objects to help push the m/m romance along. Not only romance, but the friendships in this show were so refreshing, I will always love a good found family trope. Some characters weren’t as developed as I’d liked by the end, but I’d blame that on just not having enough time to flesh everyone out.
ROMANCE: 10/10
Sean and White’s build up to romance was refreshingly gradual and very cute to see. Seeing a couple just exist unapologetically queer, clear consent, and healthily developed was such a breath of fresh air and I loved every second of it. My favorite couple of this series though, has to go to Yok and Dan. The scene where they first arrived at Dan’s hide out and Yok was sketching him honestly made me tear up a little and solidified their chemistry and romance for me. The inevitable betrayal hurt so good and the forgiveness in the end, a promise to help pick up the pieces lost and hopefully build them back stronger, was beautiful to watch.
ACTING/CAST: 10/10
Gun (White/Black) has done it again. Absolutely phenomenal acting especially with such a difficult task of playing 2 different characters. The way you could clearly see the contrast between White and Black just goes to show how much work and effort he put into this role. I loved Off (Sean) in this role, I’m telling you, it felt like it came so naturally to him. Every facial expression and longing glance, you could tell he really embodied this character. First (Yok), Mond (Gram), Papang (Gumpa), and Fluke (Dan), all deserve their flowers too, not one character felt one dimensional or awkward, they all each had their own personality, faults, and goals, and it was really great to see.
MUSIC: 10/10
Loved it. Music can make or break a scene and ruin immersion but the way this team utilized it had me hooked and really did add to the tone of the episodes. Also appreciated the fact that they didn’t use any comedic sound effects in this show, definitely helped with the mature angle they went for.
PRODUCTION/CINEMATOGRAPHY: 10/10
Holy. Shit. I can say this with 100% certainty, I have never seen a BL look this good. I don’t know how many times I was just staring at my screen in awe, replaying a scene over and over because of how damn good it looked. Everything from the camera work, to the locations, to the clothing, to the lighting had a purpose to help tell this story and god damn did it work. The details they put into this production was absolutely jaw dropping.
OVERALL/TLDR: 9.5/10
This show is more than a BL. It’s a story of pain, heartbreak, social justice, corruption, but most of all hope. I will never stop recommending this. The shots were breathtaking, the characters felt real, the story was engaging, and it definitely surpassed any expectations I had going into it! ♡
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Dead Friend Forever - DFF
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Intruging premise that fell flat
Wanted something a little more dark for Halloween and was recommended this series. I went into this completely blind and had little to no expectations for it, but was somehow still disappointed.WHAT I LIKED:
— Interesting and intriguing premise
— Barcode’s acting. this was my first time seeing seeing him act and he definitely stole the show.
— Liked how they were not afraid to depict flawed and downright heinous main characters.
— When Ta (Phee) and Mio (Tan) were introduced in the middle of the story with their real motivations, it truly felt like the turning point of the show and when you can see the revenge plot actually start.
— Unpopular opinion maybe, but I liked the ending. Love how it tied back to Non’s actual script in the sense that no one ever really leaves. It nicely added to the dread and mystery of the story. Plus, it was a very fitting end to..most the characters. (White deserves better lol)
WHAT I NOT SO LIKED:
— First few episodes felt boring and directionless. nothing really peaks your interest to keep going.
— Revealing one of the main characters/antagonist, Non, so far into the story was not a smart choice pacing wise.
— The horror/gore element felt cheap and poorly executed at times. Like I’m sorry, I could NOT take a scene seriously with that damn mask on screen. other times, the deaths/blood/injuries just felt out of place and unnecessary. I get this is a horror/thriller, but sometimes it just felt “bloody for the sake of being bloody” with no actual direction.
— A lot of the acting, specifically when characters were supposed to feel terror, heartbreak, or were crying, felt extremely underwhelming and awkward.
— Although I did like the ending, there were too many plot holes and loose ends to even call it an open/ambiguous ending. More like incomplete ending. It being so rushed left me wanting more from it.
OVERALL:
The series tried…and fell flat. Props to the actors for doing what they could with what they were given, but unfortunately, it could not save the story for me. I would not rewatch nor recommend this, but I do hope this series opens the door for others to try something different in BL dramas like this again.
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