I have started to keep my expectations low now with Thai BL shows. I sort of know what I am getting into and hence prepare myself. This show is no different in the sense that a small plot of love is stretched way too much in 12 episodes, and this could easily have been a mini series. But thankfully the goofiness and silliness of some these characters actually make it a pleasurable watch. Sure, it keeps going in circles but that fact that I rolled my eyes only a handful of times during the whole show means it actually was alright.
Pi is a nerdy geeky second year dentist student. Even though he is very conscious of his looks, he has always had a crush on a popular university student Nan. However Nan's best friend Mark is always with him, much to annoyance of Pi who can't do much about it. More is aware of Pi's crush on Nan and teases him. Meanwhile Pi wonders if More is his rival in getting Nan's attention. Pi decides to go for a makeover with help of his brother Duean, which makes him feel much more confident about himself. Pi decides to confess his love to Nan but Mark keeps coming in his way forcing him to be his friend, which we all know that More is harboring secret feelings for Pi. One day when Pi musters courage and confesses to Nan, he very politely declines it saying that he doesn't think Pi really likes him but may have feelings for More instead. We then have almost 6-8 episodes of Mork doing everything he can to ignite feelings of love in Pi for himself. We also have one parallel story about Pi's brother Duean, a fifth year student who has to retake several courses. IN one class he makes friends with first year student Mean, who sometimes gets needy and clingy. Somehow they end up spending time together and slowly Dean starts wondering if his feeling for Mean are more than just friendship. The surprise towards the end that Mean is actually Mork's younger brother doesn't help the matter.
Lets talk about good things about this show. It is a light hearted comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously. Some of the funny scenes and goofiness is actually quite funny. I found some dialogues really innovative. For the first time in a BL show I actually saw some good realistic brother bonding here between Pi and Duean. Thanks to a detailed character for Duean, his energy and enthusiasm brings in a lot of of fun in pretty much all of this scenes that he is in. The brothers doing goofy stuff all around is more realistic than the typical BL tropes we have seen so far. Also Duean's four friends who keep reappearing add to the light fun streak of the show and are thankfully never annoying. But sadly, the story is paper thin and overall the proceedings are superficial. The story keeps going in circle where Pi like nan and More likes Pi and is always after him to make him fall for him. Actually, as a character I found More slightly stalker-isa and annoying. First he is like always lurking around Pi and magically appears every single time near him. Despite hearing so many times from Pi that he is not interested, he keeps following him. These things looked cute maybe 10 years ago, but in todays' time a no should mean no. Sadly the story just keep repeating from here. More confesses to Pi, he rejects and the cycle repeats. Thankfully the Duean and Been story helped me keep my attention here. Their chemistry was zany and the way the makers have purposely dedicated a small part of every episode to their story by formally announcing it every time was cute. I thin kid not for Duean's character, the show would have fall flat.
Thai shows still need to get over themselves by sticking to certain scenes of the way of showing love. Like wiping food from lips, or pecking hair or touching of shoulders or sudden falling leading to eye contact. Mix this with annoying music and 3 time repeat of that moment; the overall instance becomes super annoying. Please , lets get a real more realistic. This show thankfully has much less of these tropes. Overall, I enjoyed and laughed at many places in this show but overall the shallow story, extremely slow and repetitive nature are definite shortcomings of this show. Thankfully there are not many random side stories to distract you away. Now suddenly I feel I wish there were a fan club or something, who could edit these BL shows with scenes that actually still give you a good idea of the story without having to go through 12 long episodes for every single almost similar story. (6/10)
Comments
Main problem came from the main couple. I mean, Mork is sexy, no problem, but he really is just a galmourous stalker, super pushy on Pi who rejects him. So it killed the romance for me. Which is a problem on this type of thai BL that are all about super stretched romance haha.
Secondary couple was a little better (especially with the "special episodes") but I had the impression Duean was screaming all the time.
I liked the insecure unpopular kid slowly gaining confidence though. And the series had me laugh on several occasions. Mork and Pi actors are planned on playing on a future BL this year. Looks like the atmosphere will be different so it has me curious to watch it (...oh yes sorry, don't trust the trailers!!)
I repeatedly keep saying that these shows need to learn how not to stretch the romance bits unnecessarily, just to create 12/13 episodes. Viewers like me are very low on patience.