#axelle judges non bl shows

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > Show Me Love

summary: Meena is an aspiring singer who moves to Bangkok to make her dream come true. There, she meets Cherine, who convinces to join a beauty pageant as attraction between them.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 7,5/10

pros:

this show has such feminine energy, I absolutely loved watching it & it really calmed my mind :)

the chemistry is FIRE!!!

cons:

the show fast-forwards most of its important moments & stays very surface level.

the show feels very 2016 thai drama tbh, it's not super well filmed or executed.

would I rewatch it: I'm not sure...

This show was honestly so fucking cute! It's far from perfect & the writing is very basic, but it's a show guaranteed to put a smile on your face so who cares! I honestly prefer a gl like this to gap that had a lot of toxic elements...

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > To The Moon and Back

/!\ SPOILERS AHEAD

summary: Matalada is a naive and kind girl who was raised by a community of queer drag queens. When she meets Pennueng, a doctor who was raised to be nothing but perfect his whole life, sparks flies and opposites do, as always, attract.

where to watch: dramacool

grade: 8,5/10

pros:

this story was so fucking down my alley, bro. minimal drama and pure character development & analysis for 21 episodes? sign me the fuck up!!! the themes were so beautiful, about forgiveness & growth, chosen family & kindness always winning... I ATE THAT SHIT UPPP!!! such a heartwarming & honestly important lakorn for choosing depth above drama.

this is the least toxic lakorn couple I've ever seen, apart from maybe the one in to me, it's simply you which I also loved! they just truly love & respect each other and were written incredibly well. even though they're vanilla af, I didn't get bored at all?? LOVE THEM!

bruh, the characters!!! truly the first time in a lakorn where I truly love not only the main characters, but the entire cast. pennueng is so fucking soft, mata is legit the queen of my heart, trichat owns me entirely and is one of the most complex & interesting ever in my eyes, pang was also super complex & badass, and matalada's entire family????? are my family now. I absolutely adored them, and it was by far one of the best queer representation in lakorns!

the chemistry was beyond incredible! the main ship is perfect & truly feel like soulmates, and the side ship was SO HOT & iconic together, I was stanning! two different vibes but they both ATE!

the acting was PERFECT! everyone did an amazing role, james jirayu perfect in the role of the sad & stilted doctor, toey jarinporn impressed me so much for the first role I've seen her in, she was perfect for mata & absolutely made this role hers, the pang actress was great, I loved seeing the dad actor in a queer role, he honestly ate, the aunt vee actress ATE, especially considering it's her first role ever, the grandma??? fucked me up, I cried so much in her scenes lol. but the one who impressed me the most is ryu wachirawich. I only knew him from 9x9, but BITCHHHHH. he absolutely BODIED trichat & made him his in a way that has made me an immediate stan even though it usually takes me 2 to 3 roles to stan someone! he was so good & I'm looking forward to his next roles!

cons:

I was so confused by trichat ending up with riri. while I liked them together & they had been built up to have some tension since their first meeting... obviously trichat & pang should've ended up together??? in fact, I was certain they did??? didn't they mend things together & go on a double date with the main couple??? that whole thing was so confusing bc tri & pang had been far more developed and also built up to be soulmates like the main ship, so I was so disappointed by this choice of ending. ESPECIALLY since riri is canonically queer & used to like mata, so I wish we'd have seen her end up with a girlfriend, which would've added to the representation of the show.

similarly, I think the whole tri x pang storyline was made overly complicated for no reason. what was actually my favorite ship of the two quickly became a bit slow & repetitive after a while, and I believe they could've conveyed the same type of story better.

I wish we'd have seen at least one queer character get a love interest. this lakorn focuses more on the 'identity' aspect of queerness rather than the 'sexuality' aspect, which I found very interesting & worth exploring, but considering half of the characters are queer & they're basically the only ones ending up single feels kinda weird. just something they could've improved.

would I rewatch it: yes!

It was honestly such a joy to watch a lakorn where the couple is not toxic, people's decisions make sense most of the time & that actually created realistic and beautiful characters, not caricatures. I loved every moment of it! I cried, I laughed, I screamed... definitely one of the best lakorns out there & truly such a gem to watch!

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > Sweet Sensory

summary: Tam is a blind girl who writes food content. Through her work, she meets Chef Kram, a recently unemployed chef who gives cooking lessons.

where to watch: vipa

grade: 7,5/10

pros:

this is a very sweet slice of life with all touching characters. it also gives us a variety of stories & experiences which I loved!

the acting was really good! ploypach slayed in the main role, and gee had some of the most powerful heart eyes ever for her! it really felt like he worshipped her which was adorable!

the topic of this show is important & aims at showing able-bodied people the reality that disabled people go through. the ending showing us a cooking school that teaches all type of disabled people how to cook was so cute & heart-warming!

cons:

this show is cute but kinda forgettable ngl

I didn't like the depiction of abortion as not even an option & completely demonized, but what's new with thai dramas...

would I rewatch it: sure, but I know I won't bc of lack of time

This was a very heart-warming show & I enjoyed every bit of it! Would definitely recommend :)

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > The Jungle

summary: The Jungle are a group of good-looking men that meet regularly in the secret bar Rendezvous owned by the mysterious bartender Hunter. When certain special women approach them, their whole self-built image shatters.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 7/10

pros:

the cast is awesome!

the acting was good from everyone, though the ones who impressed me the most were my already faves off, pat, nanon, mild & lookjun, who especially slayed considering it was her first main role! they didn't have to go that hard for this show lol

the aesthetics of this show are beautiful, be it the lighting, locations and especially the outfits! each girl's wardrobe was incredibly gorgeous!

cons:

GIRLLLLLLLLLLL. the writing!!! this is one of the worst writings from gmmtv, like... ever bruh! let's analyse everything that's wrong with it:

this show is some of the worst marketing failure ever. they really done advertised a silly 6-stories romcom like a dark, mysterious murder drama bruh!!! so when the viewers started watching the show, obviously we were not gonna like it & feel like it's super surface-level & dumb, bc they had built up our expectations for a completely different show. if this show has been advertised to be in the same vain as the three gentlebros for example, we would've have accepted its three gentlebros writing. but the issue is that we expected something on the level of ps: I hate you & we didn't get anything near that.

focusing on each story one after the other impacted everything badly in this show. first of all, it makes it so every ship (except pineaugust bc they got the most screentime) looks rushed AS HELL, especially the earlier ones like lee & mook, so the romance that we were supposed to feel? isn't here babes. secondly, bc each story is so separated, the link between them feels close to non-existent and the friendship between the jungle guys feel stick thin. MOREOVER!!! since each story is so separate, once a ship get together we barely ever see them on the show again, and the later characters like nathee, hack & pine, whose stories only start by ep 8 feel non-existent during the first part of the show! you literally cannot win with this way of doing the show lol. ALSO!!! bc each story is separate, every viewer had their favorite and the one they don't care about, which means that some entire eps were super boring & people got mad some ships got better development & screentime than others.

they made their female characters look so fucking dumb & useless, oh my lord. honestly it's even more insulting considering the same team created some of the most interesting & complex female characters ever in ps: I hate you, like... makes me wonder what they were on for this. only august is written with layers & an interesting storyline, and florence is alright since she flips the usual conventions of the male lead pursuing the female lead relentlessly on its head.

the male characters aren't much better, there's so many cringy parts where they try to look cool & be defenders of women but it doesn't work at all when they've been established as players who don't respect women. btw they look pathetic bc we are TOLD that they are players but never SHOWN so they have no credibility, also I love the boys & they're all good looking or whatever but idk they weren't emanating this cool, badass energy the showrunners wanted us to feel lol.

leemook's story gave me nothing. it was the most disappointing bc it was the first so that's when I realized my expectations of a gritty series wouldn't happen, but even then not only is their story basic but there's nothing to it, it's so basic & forgettable.

the nanonpunpun story was alright, imo naanfah was probably the most interesting male character in the show (he's black from not me but in a different font lmao), but their story was rushed & didn't have a satisfying conclusion at all. also they didn't really have much chemistry compared to nanonmild imo. lastly, bc their story is so early in the show but contains what was set up as the center of the show, kaewta's murder... once it's done & we know the truth we're just left like... alright there's 8 eps left, what's even the point lol. their story should've been done differently & solved at the end imo.

the plot twist of nanon playing twins... could've been good if it was actually a plot twist??? bc the viewer is aware there's two nanon characters it just fell so flat, the reveal to punpun's character seems so ridiculous & straight out of a low-tier lakorn from 50 years ago bc the viewer is not surprised one bit bruh.

hack's character is so icky & terrible. not only is he INTRODUCED into the show using his power imbalance to fuck a student's mother, but then he has sex with irin while she's blackout drunk & thinks he's pine, which is... r*pe obviously. but then he keeps playing these games & he's just fucking terrible & icky and made me feel so gross while watching this, which is such wasted potential since he actually had really great chemistry with lookjun. but yeah throw his whole character in the trash!

nathee & florence's story is so rushed & underdeveloped, which is kinda sad bc they had good chemistry & also were very fun together. but also tbh florence's insistance on having sex with nathee when he said no 500 times is literally coercion babes, if florence was a man doing this to a girl we wouldn't find it cute.

also please for the love of god luke I'm rooting for you, but why did you have to growl like a werewolf everything you wanted to look hot & angry 😭 this man is so unserious as an actor, wishing him luck in getting better lmao

as for the augustpine storyline, imo it should've started and ended the show. the "past" should've been at the beginning of the show so that 1) we immediately get context of what brought the jungle guys together and 2) we actually FEEL the 10 years wait that pine had to feel on the show for august to come back. it would've given so much more weight to the show imo.

would I rewatch it: only the offpat parts

This was in my top 5 shows I was the most looking forward to watch this year, and goddamn did it disappoint all of my expectations except for offpat being one of the best ships ever. I would not recommend this show except for the pineaugust storyline, honestly don't bother.

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > Good Manager (Chief Kim)

summary: Kim Sung Ryong is a scammer accountant who decides to infiltrate TQ Group, one of the biggest Korean companies, before retiring. Surprisingly, his morals seem to completely change with the help of his work team.

where to watch: dramacool

grade: 8,5/10

pros:

- the relationship between kim sung ryong & seo yul is one of the best enemies to lovers... um I mean, allies, I’ve ever seen! such a fun relationship that truly carried the whole show & I absolutely LOVE THEM!!!

- on a similar point, the characters are all really great (with one exception) & I enjoyed them tremendously with their quirks & endearing flaws.

- the acting was quirky & kinda silly but really great imo. especially for chief kim, seo yul & hong ga eun who are the silliest and also my faves, they still managed to sell me their characters 100% and did great in every scene.

- the story was very well written, and for such a complicated plot I thought every detail fit perfectly together :)

- I’m glad there’s barely any romance in this show bc it actually makes it stand out & also (see the cons) since I believe the female lead to not be able to hold a candle to the male leads, I feel like it was better they got their time to shine instead of being forced in a random love triangle.

cons:

- sadly as I said I thought the female lead was kinda basic & boring, which sucks bc the other female characters are all great, especially hong ga eun who’s definitely my fave.

would I rewatch it: with a friend, sure!

This was such an entertaining & great show! I had so much fun in front of it & wasn’t bored even once! Would definitely recommend :)

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > Loneliness Society

summary: Meena rescues the man she has a crush on after a hit and run accident, and his family misunderstands that she is his girlfriend. The problem? She ends up falling in love with his brother.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 7,5/10

pros:

the acting was very good! nune is a very good actress so that wasn't surprising, but I felt SO PROUD of joss for slaying not one, but TWO emotional scenes with tears! until now I felt like that was the one thing holding him back as an actor, so I truly thought he did amazing in this :) jan's performance was also the highlight of the show for me!

a lot of people disliked meena for being a liar & kinda having dubious morals, but I actually really liked that aspect. normally, pretty much every thai series has the male lead be kinda (and often not even kinda) manipulative & toxic while the female lead is pure & innocent until the very end. here, with the roles reversed, it honestly really did bring something new to the table. in addition, meena openly expressing her crush to her best friend & being quite fiesty while being an overall good person was really pleasant & made her more relatable in my eyes!

the story is extremely entertaining, and benefits from being bingewatched imo. it's just pure dumb lakorn goodness which might frustrate a lot of people bc the villains are annoying af, the female lead makes weird & dumb decisions, and the story is very basic, but since I was familiar with all of these tropes already, I enjoyed it & it was an easy watch (FOR ME! this is not for everyone, for sure.)

I liked the world building for this show, with the titlecards at the beginning of every episode, the best koo ekkasit cinematography I've seen & the cute delivery company truck that really contributed to giving the show its own visual language.

cons:

this is a koo ekkasit lakorn, so redemption comes to the shitty characters out of nowhere. to be fair though, it didn't bother me that much when it would usualy frustrate me to death? I felt like even if their change is forced, I was just happy to see than have a happy ending full of love from his family members tbh. the mom & brother can fucking choke, though, and this is probably down to me being SO USED to lakorns now.

similarly, this is a very surface level show. there's nothing deep to it & its interesting points such a than's story are not very explored bc this is meant to be pure entertainment with very little depth. that's why I can't rate this show higher even though I did quite enjoy it!

would I rewatch it: I wouldn't mind it tbh!

This is a classic Thai lakorn type of series, which means it's really not for everyone. Personally, since I'm quite familiar with those tropes, I really quite enjoyed this show! It's nothing out of the ordinary but cute with a great cast :)

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > The Warp Effect

summary: Alex is a 17 years old virgin who ruins his classmates' lives in one night. When he wakes up, he is now a 30 years old gynecologist who needs to fix the past.

where to watch it: youtube

grade: 8/10

pros:

I really loved the approach to sex in this show, in this very open, non-judgemental & diverse way. it represented multiple types of sexualities & approaches to sex, which was pretty much unseen in thai dramas until then. just for that fact, it's a one of the most important thai dramas of the last decade.

the acting is very good. everyone did a great job, were silly when needed, hot when needed, and emotional when needed. of course my queen fah carried the entire show, and sing slayed the more emotional scenes as always, but everyone did a great job.

the chemistry is amazing for every couple, and they really sold their pairings & the sex scenes without feeling cheap or oversexualized.

the show talks about so many important topics: it's the first thai drama EVER to depict a successful & happy abortion, it canonically has a bisexual female lead, explores sexual trauma, fat-shaming & being non-binary which, again, has never been seen before in thailand. it's truly a show that aims to normalize difference & give so many minorities representation which was beautiful to witness.

cons:

undoing all of alex's actions in the end felt so disappointing... not only does it mean the reality we witnessed for 12 episodes didn't happen, but also it really cheapens jean's trauma since it's undone instead of alex having to deal with the consequences of his actions. having alex & jean end up together felt so wrong since imo there was too much water under the bridge for them, and jean & tony had more chemistry and were healthier. also having kat end up with tony when she didn't want a romantic relationship before was also a disappointing choice, since it was really cool to see a 'queen bee' type of character not define her success with her relationships with men.

the characters aren't overly lovable like in every p'jojo ensemble shows, since they have very little time to get explored, but here it's even more present imo bc even alex, the main character we follow most of the time, is kinda super bland & the least interesting character from the bunch.

would I rewatch it: maybe

Even though the ending disappointed me, this show is really important still and I still enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend it for the great diverse representation & openness to sex :)

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > Dirty Laundry

summary: Neon, a naive laundromat owner, discovers a suitcase full of cash in her crush’s, Night, apartment. While she’s hiding the suitcase, it goes missing, and she’s forced to help Night in his quest to find it again in order to escape Mama-san, a crazy mafia lady.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 8/10

pros:

- really fucking funny! this was one hell of a good comedy, absolutely carried by its actors & was only made better by the great camera work & execution!

- the writing is super fucking tight, dare I say the tightest from p’jojo, which is lovely! I feel like everything was resolved well and the script spend just the right amount of time on each story. the slow uncovering of the story was also very pleasant.

- nanon & film’s chemistry is literally perfect, and they had very cute moments towards the end, I truly love this pairing so much!

- the execution was just really good. the colors, the camera work, the directing of the actors, the writing... this really felt like, thanks to its shorter nature, a p’jojo show was finally able to resolve itself 100% perfectly.

cons:

- because of its shortness and ridiculousness, I would say it was hard to really get attached to the characters, especially since they’re all so over the top, even neon & night.

would I rewatch it: honestly, I know I probably won’t, but I wouldn’t say no!

This was super fun & I loved seeing this cast in roles that were so different for them for the most part!

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > Midnight Motel

summary: After scamming an online betting site, Mote is forced to work at his aunt's old hotel to try and save it. When meeting Kat, a sex worker, he decides to create a sex work app with her and his friend Doy. But that's without taking into account the gangsters tracking him, as well as Sun, Kat's pimp.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 9/10

pros:

- the writing of this show is so goddamn tight, man. haven’t witnessed such a good one since motherfucking itsay 2 years ago <3 they manage every single complicated element to the plot perfectly and solved them all in a satisfying way, while also adding quirks & humor to an otherwise kinda fucking dreadful show lol. the social commentary is also great & not too in your face... it’s just so well written imo!

- the cinematography, filming & world-building is beyond TOP-TIER! this show feels like a really cool indie movie in every shot & I really appreciate the care put into it. makes me think of how even the script for the show had special fonts & colors to make it cooler bc of how much thought went into this project <3

- the acting is subtle but FUCKING FIRE! first of all I gotta give it up to mond tanutchai, who played his best fucking role here! he played the complexities of sun to perfection & managed to steal the show from the actual main characters lol. as for off & jan, they did incredibly well too! they managed to make their quite heavy characters feel a lot lighter with humor, facial expressions & quirks, and I honestly have nothing bad to say about the acting, it was even nice seeing the actor who plays tawi in not me have a goofier role :’)

- bc it’s such a short show, the pace is basically perfect! so much happens every episode but you don’t feel overwhelmed either, it’s just the right dose of plot twists & drama!

- the execution is fucking fire. it’s nice to have a good script & good image, but if you can’t pull it off until the very end it means nothing. and here I would say everything was pulled off really well & made this show really easy and satisfying to watch.

- the chemistry between everyone was fucking fire, offjan gave me loser lovers vibes, offmond gave me best enemies to fuckbuddies vibes & mondjan gave me star-crossed soulmates who weren’t meant to be vibes, it was SO good! I especially loved that the show built all 3 relationships equally well, and honestly give me a 3 will be free remake with these three bc 👀 (also I’m gonna need a mondlouis show asap babes)

cons:

- bc it’s a short show, there’s of course limits to the attachment you can develop to it, and even though the characters are amazing & very well developed in such a short time, it’s still doesn’t compare to 12 episodes shows on that aspect. but I’m definitely just fucking nitpicking bc I have nothing negative to say about this show LMAO

would I rewatch it: absolutely, it's the perfect length too!

This was the number one show I was excited for in 2022 and it did NOT disappoint! It’s just such a fun watch sprinkled in with great commentary & I couldn’t recommend it more! An all time fave for sure <3

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > 10 Years Ticket

/!\ SPOILERS AHEAD

summary: The story of 4 families who grew up as one united one, but are torn apart by P’Luk, Kongwan’s sister, admitting to killing P’Mai, Phukhao’s brother. 10 years later, when Kongwan comes back in town, will she able to repair her relationship with Phukhao?

where to watch: youtube

grade: 8,5/10

pros:

- the acting is honestly perfect from everyone! there was not one bad performance, and even side characters acted their asses off! I was especially thrown off by marc pahun & gunsmile’s performances bc they really put their whole in like the one dramatic scene they had! it was my first time seeing tu on screen & she did very good, though bc her character was a bit boring I’ll be waiting to see her in a better role, ohm did great as always, I’ll of course say the same thing for off, and view absolutely carried the show for me, she was incredible & I became an instant stan! so overall I’d say the acting is definitely the number one reason to watch this show bc it’s really impressive from everyone :)

- the show is very well written, especially considering the amount of characters it has. everyone’s storylines are taken care of & wrapped up nicely, and I especially love how much the show puts focus on the characters’ feelings and honestly spends its run healing them bit by bit. the story is also pretty powerful in itself, and was made more interesting with the side mafia storyline which kept it from being a bit too long & boring otherwise.

- I loved the characters. they’re all flawed & complex and all get a backstory, a happy moment, a sad moment... it’s rare to see a show with such an extensive cast actually give each & every character so much of the attention that they deserve, and it really made the show so lovable bc you truly want to see these characters heal & be happy.

- while the cinematography is nothing out of the ordinary, I loved the world-building of this show! this small town with a lot of vintage objects was the perfect backdrop for this & really made this show stand out so much against all the other thai series that look like each other.

cons:

- I say this with love, but phukhao & kongkwan are pretty boring. you would think with a story like theirs they’d be more interesting, especially in terms of their personality, but honestly they ended up being the weakest links of the show.

- because it’s such a dense story, there are definitely some key story points that felt a bit disappointing to me, namely luk not being the one who killed mai, which in my opinion was made clear way too early on, and also diluted a lot the lesson about letting go & forgiveness that phukhao & kongkwan’s love story wanted to teach in the first place. and also phukhao’s mom returning to be with her shitty husband & abandoning her wlw love sucked so fucking much lmao, I’ll forever be bitter about that.

would I rewatch it: hmm... honestly probably not? like I wouldn’t say no if it happened but I feel like this show sadly has a very low rewatch value.

This was honestly a really good show but I would still say I prefer Happy Birthday by the same director bc that show evoked more emotions & its themes touched me more. But overall this had so much soul & I truly enjoyed every week I spent with these characters <3

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > The Three Gentlebros

summary: Itch, Thames and Arty, three brothers from different fathers, are being set up for marriage by their controlling mother, and doing everything to derail her plans.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 8/10

pros:

- all three pairings were really cute & brought something different to the table to me, the chemistry was on point!

- the writing is really fun & entertaining, and it’s hard to really not enjoy this show bc of it.

- to complete that, I thought the pace was perfect, except for the fact that the resolution of each ship was at the beginning of the next episode, which was a bit anti-climactic, but overall the show doesn’t overstay its welcome and its pace definitely made an otherwise pretty basic show way more entertaining.

- the cast definitely adds something to this show imo, and that extends to the side characters, especially lookjun, win & book were a pleasant surprise in this show :)

cons:

- I wish we would’ve seen more of the mother, mostly to understand her motivations & story more, but also so she could take way more accountability for the crazy things she pulled during the show. while she’s supposed to be the center of the show, her storyline is the least satisfying bc there’s no real, genuine growth on her part, and I wish we could’ve had a toxic parent actually taking accountability for their actions in a thai drama.

- because of the short amount of episodes given to each character & their relationships, and in big part because of the writing too, we don’t really get attached to them much and the show feels quite surface level in the end, which is a problem with every koo ekasit’s show tbh, except for 46 days that actually dove into its characters a lot more.

would I rewatch it: probably not but I wouldn’t mind it

Overall this show was much better than I expected, it is silly and not very groundbreaking, but I had a lot of fun in front of it & would honestly recommend it!

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > PS: I Hate You

summary: On the day of her wedding, Prae’s sex tape is released in front of everyone, causing her to commit suicide. The primary suspects are the rest of her Flower Gang, her four best friends.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 9/10

pros:

- the acting is incredible! everyone did incredible but the most notable performances are definitely jan & pat, who had the most intense storylines and blew me away on a weekly basis!

- the characters are incredible bc they’re all flawed & fucked up yet you still root for them for some reason, and it just works EXTREMELY well! for the first I can say that a gmmtv show that focused more on its high entertainment, messy plot, still managed to have very solid & endearing characters, which makes this show much better than the player or friend zone for example!

- the writing is pretty fucking good, be it with the characters which I’ve just talked about, the relationships, and the storylines in themselves!

- the cinematography, color palette & costume design did NOT disappoint <3

- it’s SO rare to get a show where women are so front of center. they’re allowed to be great, deep, complex characters who also are horrible people sometimes. usually, even when a show has a majority of female characters (already super rare), there’s always that one male character who gets more love from the director & screenwriters, but here it’s not the case at all. this show is truly an example of how to write female characters: not as these perfect human beings, these badass feminists who sound superficial, but as multi-dimensional. for me this show is without a doubt the best female-led show I’ve seen from thailand & it needs to be given the proper credit for that.

cons:

- I wasn’t a fan of some of the plot twists of the show.

- this is not a feel good show. it ends with everyone in pain in some way, and has no satisfying resolution, bc the message of the show is that digging a hole further after making a mistake will only lead to more mistakes with even higher stakes. so even though it’s an amazing show, for me it will never be a comfort show or a show that brings me particular joy. just like the revenge, another of my faves, I love the show for its quality of production on all aspects & not because the story particularly speaks to me or inspires me joy if that makes sense. and bc of that aspect, it can never be in my top top top favorites like itsay, not me, project s: sos, 3 will be free & theory of love that actually touched my heart deeply.

would I rewatch it: yes!

This was one of the shows I was looking the most forward to for this year, and it did not disappoint!!! Truly directly at the top of my favorite thai dramas’ list, I couldn’t recommend it more <3

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > Catch Me Baby

summary: Phat, a relationship juggler who’s tasked to hide men’s affairs to their partners, starts running into trouble when he meets Cher, a private detective who’s highly against cheating.

where to watch: dramacool

grade: 8/10

pros:

- the show is really well written, especially its gimmick. I honestly finished ep 1 wondering why there were more eps bc the story seemed like it had been fully told, but then they managed to twist the gimmick in many even more interesting ways almost until the very end! the missions are also all super entertaining & the plot twists original while still making sense, so this was really well executed in my eyes!

- the chemistry of the show was fire. the bl couple made me from a hater (for no reason, I just didn’t like them much bc I’m a hater to my core lmao) to someone who could definitely see the chemistry, but most importantly I LOVED phat and cher. they have not only great chemistry, but their dynamic is one of the most interesting & playful I’ve honestly seen in a while!

- similarly, the acting is really good. I already knew the female lead’s actress & I loved her even more in this role, as I said I appreciated the side bl actors, but for me the true discovery of this show was great sapol, who I knew only through the boyfriend project, but ended up really making me swoon with his on-screen presence & charisma. every performance was good in my opinion & completed the show nicely :)

- the cinematography is gorg, & I especially love the coloring and filming locations. you can tell a lot of thought has gone into this project :)

- the characters are all very well developed & interesting, they have their qualities & flaws, backstory, etc. that really pulls you in.

cons:

- I honestly hated the jim storyline, it felt like it was demonizing women who don’t want to have kids, but most importantly I think all of that build-up really didn’t end in valuable scenes to the overall story. I wish they would’ve cut the jim character entirely to be perfectly honest.

- the latest couple of episodes get a bit long tbh, especially once they let go of the initial gimmick, but that’s honestly something that happens in most shows so I don’t think it was too bad.

would I rewatch it: honestly why not!

This was honestly an extremely fun show that I randomly watched but honestly became one of my favorite straight thai romcoms. It’s really fucking good & I would absolutely recommend it!

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > Good Old Days

summary: 6 love stories relating back to the Good Old Days antique store that only sells objects that have a story attached to them. To conquer their love, those couples have to use these objects.

where to watch: youtube

grade: 8/10

pros:

- loved loved loved the direction & cinematography. the color grading & images are just all gorgeous and have this very singular, kinda vintage feeling to them. you can tell much thought & care went into the show and I love it.

- the acting performances were all great! for once joss managed to have a half decent emotional scene (no shade y’all know he’s one of my faves), and this is the best performance I’ve seen bright deliver so far! everyone definitely did a great job :)

- the writing is honestly great, bc it doesn’t only deal with these romantic relationships but also has very deep themes of self-reflexion & self-exploration. the common theme of the show, on top of being love, is truly about young adults finding their place in the world, and I honestly related so much, especially with aye’s character who decided to change her dream last minute, and krist’s character who is highly attached to places & objects and can’t seem to move on from them like me. and it’s all really, really well written!

- the pace is perfect! the fact that each story only got 2 eps really pushed the writing to be extra efficient, but it also made it hard to get bored or annoyed with a particular story. it all flowed together pretty seamlessly & I really appreciated it bc it’s rarely the case for series that contain multiple stories.

- the characters are all very convincing. there’s none that stood out to me that much but I found them all very lovable & they were developed quite well for such a short show!

cons:

- of course, since it’s multiple stories into one series, there’s gonna be some that resonate with you more than others, which can lessen the overal enjoyment.

- even though I said it was hard to get bored, I still did have some moments where I lost concentration a little bit.

- just like every short series like this one, it cannot become an ultimate fave bc I don’t get attached to the characters as much as in a full series.

THE STORIES RANKED:

road to regret (jossnamtan): this gave me big 3 will be free vibes, and I could definitely see it be a movie with the way it was executed. the writing was really quite excellent & queen namtan never fails to slay!

memories of happiness (tayaye): I’m a sucker for childhood best friends stories & I love both tay and aye so this was just a pleasure to watch, it was just incredibly cute, quirky & feel good and probably the least angsty story of the show. 

our soundtrack (brightthanaerng): so I had very little expectations for this ep bc usually thanaerng sadly has quite terrible roles & bright did recently disappoint me in astrophile, but??? they worked great together??? like I think we’ve cracked the code lmao. once again I have a thing for childhood best friends, and I also have a thing for music used well in shows so this was just really nice & definitely the biggest surprise of the show for me.

love wins (winpat): y’all know I adore pat & she was absolutely excellent in this as always, especially loved seeing her with her dog on screen! I do think win is quite a solid actor, and those two were really quite great together. I liked the exploration of social inequalities which is present in the entire show but especially hammered home in this story, but I also feel like this was the most scattered story in a way, and the writing could’ve been a bit tighter.

somewhere only we belong (kristprim): so as I said earlier I really found myself in krist’s character high nostalgia of everything & inability to let go, and I think this story was a perfect way to end the series. that being said... the age gap between the actors (8 years with prim being only 18) did make me uncomfortable & could’ve easily been changed. I get that prim is a great actress so gmmtv want to pair her with their most famous actors who tend to be older, but still. for me it really kept me from enjoying an otherwise quite solid story even though pretty basic.

bonds & relationships (leefah): for the first story of the show, it was definitely the weakest imo. it’s really not bad & I loved the mother-son relationship in it, but I found that something was lacking compared to the other stories, and not just the fact that this is the only story of the show where he doesn’t end up with the main love interest. the acting & theme were great though, but it’s definitely the worst story of the bunch imo.

would I rewatch it: I’m not against it but realistically, no

From the mock trailer, I had no plan of watching this show, but the final trailer made me way more interested & I couldn’t ignore the presence of so many of my faves in this show either. And I’m SO glad I gave this show a chance bc I actually really love its message & feel like I haven’t seen this side of adulting explored in thai romances that much before. I would honestly recommend, & this show is a testament to always give second chances!

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > Hua Jai Sila

summary: Mingta lives a quiet life, taking care of her adoptive family. When Khun Sila comes to mess with her sister, she can’t stay quiet and decides to put an end to it.

where to watch: dramacool

grade: 8,5/10

pros:

- THE ACTING!!! I love tor thanapob so much, he legit never misses!!! but also everyone was amazing, mingta’s actress who was a newbie at the time, the girl who plays her sister, the aunt... they all slayed <3

- it’s the writing for me! not only does this show take basically every lakorn trope ever and still manages to make them feel fresh & extremely entertaining, but it also tackles deeper issues like classism & adoption which makes it more interesting than your average lakorn imo.

- the ship was great! they had great chemistry and a very good story from basically enemies to lovers, with this kinda “meant to be” aspect as well. they were also very healthy (for the most part) so they worked really well for this lakorn :)

- the pace works SO well, you never feel bored even one second & the whole show is just so entertaining!

cons:

- sadly, the couple does have forceful moments from the male lead to the female lead, which seems to always be the norm in lakorns & I wish it wasn’t. here it wasn’t as grating as it usually is in lakorns bc the male lead does it on purpose so the female lead will hate him, but yeah it’s still just not my favorite trope...

would I rewatch it: ngl... yes!

This is by far the best lakorn I’ve watched with In Family We Trust, which also has Tor Thanapob as the lead. In conclusion? Tor Thanapob world domination thanks.

[juneviews]

axelle judges non bl shows > Wannabe

summary: Puen creates a rap group with his best friend Rang, his love interest Wine and his mentor Tan, with the help of his sister Pun. As they finally gain notoriety, Wang, a poor kid from the neighborhood who Pun betrayed, will try to take him down.

where to watch: viu | dramacool

grade: 7,5/10

pros:

- the acting was great. y’all probably already know that I’m in love with nonkul, and I LOVED seeing him in such a different role, he was amazing! everyone else also did an amazing job, especially rang & wine’s actors.

- the music is great! if you like rap, obviously the show will be for you bc I really liked most songs in it. non’s wannabe rap is STILL stuck in my head! (also gotta give credit to non bc he rapped incredibly well for someone I’m fairly sure had no prior experience!)

- I love the original script. not only is there no other thai dramas around this topic, but it’s very clear the screenwriters had a vision and I really respect that. even though I didn’t like everything, I mostly quite enjoyed seeing where this show was going.

- I loved that they weren’t afraid to make the main character also kind of the villain of the show. I love morally grey characters & it definitely made the show more interesting in my opinion.

cons:

- it was kinda slow to get to the point tbh... I know it was more of a slice of life show, which I usually love, but for a while I was wondering what the message & point of the show was bc it took a bit too long for it to get to it.

- I didn’t like wang. I know we’re supposed to root for him with him being poor, having a one-sided crush and this incredible naivity, but even when he was opposite puen who is, again, not the best person, I was never rooting for him, bc puen is still the main character and wang also got annoying very fast imo.

- the character development was not great. we finally get to it in the last 2 or 3 episodes when imo it was the true message of the show and should’ve been explored a lot more.

would I rewatch it: probably not

This wasn’t a groundbreaking show, but I appreciated the change of topic that broadens thai dramas’ horizons. So would I recommend it? If you like rap music, I would. If not? Probably not.