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Fahlanruk (Thai Series) [Friends With Benefits]

Another waste of time on such a badly made show. This drama is so toxic that its so unreal, and you question, why the hell do we waste our time watching shit like this. Thelevel of toxicity with both the lead characters is at another level and to make matters worse, the makers try to convince us that the problem is not the people but the people around them and surroundings. I mean wtf! At 12 episodes of 45 minutes each, please please stay away from this one.

Two main characters are Fahlan and Sher. They are both playboys. Fahlan has a so called boyfriend but he still flirts around with both boys and girls. Sher is a musician and one night after seeinghfm perform in a club, they both end up hooking up, but Sher makes it clear that it's just a one night stand. However, his rejection provokes Fahlan, who feels determined to sleep with him again. Fahlan aggressively pursues Sher, making his courtship public. Sher rejects him and maintains his no-dating policy. Eventually they agree to have a friends with benefits kind of relationship. Sher has a best friend Prince, who he jokes around to be his wife, but thy are strictly platonic and another classmate his very much interested in Prince. The couple's closeness doesn't go unnoticed by Fahlan's closest friend Ping and Tap. A girl in college, who takes secret pics of the supposed couple makes them popular. Meanwhile, when Tap finds out that Ping feels more for him and doesn't see him just as a friend. cause both of them to start building a wall in their hearts.

This series is atrocious in every aspect, from incoherent storytelling to pitiful acting. It's impossible to root for either protagonist, who are charmless scumbags. Their dysfunctional relationship drama is a vicious cycle of rage, jealousy, and disrespect. The narrative drains all the exciting energy from sex and replaces it with joyless relationship drama. Instead of flirting, the characters constantly whine, throw tantrums, or rehash the same arguments. And this goes on for like 12 episodes. It gets to the point that you don't care and stop paying attention to the main couple when they're onscreen until Fahlan has his shirt off. Their endless jealousy fight is so dull and repetitive that it would have been more entertaining to watch them argue over something more mundane. Both protagonists have rotten personalities and can't be taken seriously at all. All the rest of supporting characters do is obsessed with Fahlan and Sher's boring relationship. All the characters gossip, meddle, and offer inane love advice, making it seem like they have nothing better to do. Ping and Tap's relationship is equally shallow. This show isn't just bad, it's infuriating. It's a complete waste of time with no countervailing redeeming qualities to balance the endlessly toxic plot. I always wonder whether the makers never see the final product before they bring it out to public. The actors are bad (sure, they are good looking but that will take you only so far), probably their first gig and need to take some acting classes. Do yourself a favor and stay away. (2/10)

Comments

Miisu said…
Oh. Shit. I realize what a threat I am to your sanity and mental well-being and I'm ready to take full responsibility for this extreme suffering. (I know it's not much of a consolation, but there are worse toxic pieces that should be considered mental contamination, like "My Engineer", "Secret Crush On You", "Love Mechanics" - DON'T WATCH). This series could have been worse, too, the book it's based on contains some extremely disturbing scenes.

This series gave a little, but took more. Or... I don't know how to explain this, but there were miniature "yes!" moments in every episode. Like Pink saying "have you ever liked someone without wanting to own them?" or Prince's "be careful when you play with someone's feelings - the only person who's going to get hurt is you" or Gear's "unrequited love is like dry noodles... damn hard to swallow". The meet-cute with the falling phone. The stunt of the twins in the cafeteria. The sleeping scene in the classroom. Grocery shopping at the supermarket. I also have a thing for twins on screen and although James was rather amateurish in other scenes, the way he played two completely different personalities of Sher and Chertame was pretty good for a first-timer. Am I too forgiving - ?

What I was surprised to find was the main storyline of two alike "nail and bail" sluts falling for each other. Must be like falling for the karma you've created for yourself - knowing every shitty trick they can pull on you 'cause you've done it to someone else, probably more than once. It was like watching a circle of wounds healing and being torn open again - sort of like a metamorphosis process, really painful to watch. It must be my own metamorphosis (of a different kind, from victim to survivor) that made me feel for both Fahlan and Sher.

Then there were things that almost turned me into a human question mark. Like - have these young people ever been drunk? Probably not since their characters turned sober so effing fast. It's not humanly possible to down more than half a bottle of hard liquor, puke gracefully behind a bush and not only walk a line, but a slack line afterwards. The second thing that made me question their experiences with drinking was kissing right after one of them had JUST puked half-digested alcohol. Like - eww? And the absolutely artless first kiss of Ping and Tap had me close my eyes and cringe.

While I would praise the choice of the theme song (it still bothers me that I don't know what's the classical piece that was used in it!), I would also give a few Golden Raspberries. For the most shameless brand placement of all times! O.M.G. How many minutes did that Google-doesn't-know-facial-goo get? Quite a few, I'd say. Overall (having read a few hints about the book) the script was compiled quite well, but the directing was clearly half-assed and sadly it showed on screen a little too much.
Sailor Maan said…
Such a horrible series. Can I quote you : "This show isn't just bad, it's infuriating". Exactly my feeling. The start wasn't that bad. Fahlan is sexy. He can't play but he is sexy (but who can really play anything when the "story" is that bad written). And I liked the fact that he wanted to win Sherbet because of his pride, not accepting anyone saying "no" to him. It's not glorious for sure, but human, and could have opened interresting perspectives of evolution for the character. But what follows can only been described as a painful long disaster. Sherbet is probably one of the worst character ever written (not to mention his desperate housewife hairstyle). The secondary couples won't even begin to save that miserable series.
I'm sorry if I didn't warn you against this one. I'll try to make up for this by joining Miisu in telling you to run away from "Love mechanics" and its parallel story "Future". Only 5 episodes, but I already want to kill myself after 3... I'll quote you again : " why the hell do we waste our time watching shit like this". Masochism should have a limit lol.
Golu said…
Miisu: I have to admire you to be able to find positives and things you liked even in atrocities like this. lol More power to you hahahaha

Sailor Maan - yes masochism has a limit and it can't come soon enough. I need to note down these names and just delete them from my hard drive, so that even by accident I can't watch them. :)
Miisu said…
:D Be careful what you wish for - Chuck Norris might become scared of me :D

Indeed it's time to start a "never watch/read"-list to get some more time for decent stuff.
Golu said…
Its only now I realized that I have already revised 'Love Mechanics' here and yes it is SOOOOOOOO BAAD
Miisu said…
That was the initial 4-episode tiny piece of poop :D I tortured myself with the 10-episode big shit and it still makes me squirm in secondary embarrassment cramps when I remember the watching process. Only "Cutie Pie" is worse than this. Oh, and "Enchanté" is equally as eww :D
Golu said…
OMG! Thankfully these other two shows, I had already added to my 'do not watch' list as you gave me a heads up before.

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