Having the separation of the two main characters and the death of Golf as my final memory of the movie, the pilot episode made me confused. It started eight years later after they were separated and it was set in two foreign locations. From the get go, the foreshadowing of what would be the main conflict was already conveyed. I had to detach myself from the original film because clearly the series was taking a different route. In the beginning, the execution wasn’t impressive and the acting of the new set of actors were still in question. As the next episodes went on, more revelations unfolded. The storyline wasn’t simple. More characters were involved, several conflicts branched out and multiple timelines were introduced.
The beauty of My Bromance The Series was the storytelling. It’s not the most well-produced drama but the editing was done smartly. They have thoughtfully woven the past and the present in a way that the viewers will easily understand the heart of the story and the points of view of the characters. The screenplay was rich in details because it didn’t just show where the current state of the main characters are eight years after. They were able to inject the history behind the present. The parallelism was clever. It pushed the development of Golf’s and Bank’s characters as well as their relationship. It showed that who we are now is the effect of all the things we experienced in the past. I thought it would be difficult to pull off such an approach but the big picture was crystal clear.
Golf and Bank’s chemistry may not be the most exciting I’ve seen on screen. Their roles have to be portrayed as exact opposites and the friction between them was at times unbearable. What made it work so wonderfully was the script. The profiling of their characters was explicit and the building up of their relationship was done thoroughly. The storylines weren’t left hanging in spite of some parts that were left untold - the real reason why Golf and Bank were away from each other, Golf’s strong attachment to their old house, Bank’s engagement to Jackson. The foreshadowing gave out concrete hints without the need to deliver the scenes where they lead to. In effect, the plot was tight and there was no repetition. The lack of a natural chemistry didn’t bother me because what was shown was an extraordinary love story.
My Bromance The Series was one of a kind because it's the only Thai BL series that centered family values. Golf and Bank are stepbrothers. Unlike other BL couples who first met at school, their first meeting was at their house. Being their home as the primary setting added a different layer to the story. Their boy-to-boy relationship alone was already questionable. Even though they are not related by blood, they were still brothers in the eyes of their mom and dad. Having such a kind of relationship was deemed scandalous. Evidently, it wasn’t tolerated which caused the eight-year gap. But the irony was the people who caused their breakup were the same people who brought them together. Most BL plots usually limit the role of family. Others even evade it. It’s refreshing to see that My Bromance The Series didn't just address it but it was made vital to Golf and Bank’s relationship.
In just two sittings, I have finished the entire series. There was no wasted time. Every scene has a purpose. Each moment was relevant. The twists and turns were exhilarating. It didn’t rely on the chemistry of the actors to sell the story, which was also its downfall. It’s disappointing that My Bromance The Series didn’t soar. I understand where the other comments were coming from about the acting, execution, direction and so on. But there is no perfect series. And in terms of screenplay, this is the quality content that I’m looking for in a story. Not all series have depth and substance nowadays. And I’m so happy that I got bored one weekend and decided to watch My Bromance The Series. It turned out to be one of the most satisfying BL series I’ve ever seen.
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This review may contain spoilers
Hello FriendsSaw the movie and then decided to watch the series. I must say apart from a few points, the series was better made compared to the movie. The movie at most points felt choppy with bad editing and continuity that pretty much sucked. I agree that the time limit does put a constraint on the narration but still the story could have been paced better, especially towards the end. That said, the leads did a pretty decent job.
Coming to the series, Bank (Kai) was a show stealer. His expressions, especially when he was bullied and beaten up by his dad was heart wrenching. Enjoyed the grown up naughty Cooper compared to his teen self. The other cast members were very good as well. A special mention of Jieb who was an absolute delight, with her oppa craze and loyalty for her friends. The story was well paced and the in spite of the repeated time jump, one doesn't feel lost or confused.
I have read a lot of comments about how the ending felt incomplete and rushed and in my opinion that was the beauty of this story. Though it feels abrupt, actually a lot was said and covered.
The last scene said it all. As they moved between the two periods they ended with the grown up couple on the bed. As adults, Bank took the first step and when Golf spoke about telling their family, there was calm acceptance. Mainly because Bank knew how serious Golf is about the relationship, which was evident in the effort he was putting towards changing his life and proving himself. An effort that even the family members saw as they discussed his daily job related shenanigans at dinner.
It's a given that Jackson is out of the picture because he never seemed too concerned about the fact that a guy was claiming to be his fiancé's ex and constantly hanging around Bank. And even though Bank’s family was facing so much, he never made an attempt to be there with Bank to support him. Just like Thom, who was never there was Bank whenever he was in trouble. It was always Golf who was there beside him in the time of need and even though he did behave like a jerk, Golf always stepped up when the situation called for it.
About the parents, Bank's mom always knew her son was gay and later Golf's Dad apologised to Bank and said they are free to do whats' best for them. With his impending death he realised that everyone have a right to live the way they want.
Overall, it was an enjoyable show.
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Ah where to begin... This BL had a lot of potential that I felt was never fully actualized. I have not watched the movie as of yet, and maybe that would go along way to filling in some plot holes. However, I feel that each work should be able to stand alone and this series didn't do that for me. I overall enjoyed the idea of the plot and the juxtaposition of the present storyline with the past (if you want to watch a series that masters this I highly recommend Until We Meet Again) the problem lies in that somehow neither storyline seemed well laid out. This show was too slow of a burn to only have 12 episodes. Clearly from the beginning we know Bank and Golf had a relationship as high schoolers, but I feel that you never quite get the essence of how their relationship unfolded. A lot of people have said that they spent too much time on the secondary plots and I agree. I also feel that the ending was super abrupt. Season 2 is set to release this year (2020) which I am looking forward to mainly because of Fluke. It's apparent that you should watch the movie before watching season 2 as it is centered around events that take place after Golf "dies" in the movie.
Overall I thought it was a cute series. I love that Guide is not your typical BL male lead and it just made his character that much more enjoyable. I wish they would have made Golf grow up some more in his adult version, it was annoying watching him repeat a lot of the same antics he had as an adolescent to garner Bank's attention. It's a series worth a watch though definitely not a favorite for me.
*Edit*
I did watch the movie and as predicted it filled in some plot holes (while still having major pacing issues) and made me like the series a little less. It is very interesting, however, to see what things they included from the movie in the series (and how they twisted some things). The thing about movies is that they are limited by time, the series had all the time in the world to follow a better plot progression and failed. In the end I still say watch it, especially if you're as BL obsessed as I am.
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Start of it all: Golf is a stereotypical example of hormonal adolescence. Full of anger and resentment to the reality and people around him, but at the same time desperate for attention, takes everything out on the easiest target: sweet new step-brother. Also, unlike the movie, drama gave Bank abusive father backstory that earned him sympathy points with audience as well as Golf stepping up as his protector. Sometimes Bank is like a damsel in distress with a hero with shitty temper. LOL.
2016 is a followup of alternate ending from movie; again, another reason to treat the drama differently. Reunion after 8 years separation under complicated circumstance, Golf try to get back with Bank while Bank struggle with conflicting emotions between his step-bro & new fiance. Blah blah. Why do Thai writers enjoy love triangle and infidelity in relationships so much? It's been done again and again, cliche, let's move on.
My favorite character was Golf & Bank's high school friend Jeeb. Finally, a female character (other than Yuri from Love Sick the Series) I can really adore. She's the only character who brings positivity into the show, like the class clown who keeps everyone from drowning in self-pity and killing themselves. The series focus a lot on intense moments with heavy emotions; so much goes on in 12 episodes that it'll keep you focused and entertained.
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Wow what a wack job
I don't even know where to start.I just want to ask: how was this drama even allowed to be released? I have never seen a drama so unbelievably disorganized in the four years I've been watching Thai BLs. Like, don't these companies hire some type of proofreaders or someone who checks the quality of the episodes BEFORE they are even released. How can someone in their right mind let this out in such a poor condition? I am flabbergasted.
~Story:
You know what? The story isn't necessarily bad, but it looks like it got chopped in pieces and blindly pieced together by a toddler. Someone just eenie meenie miney mo'ed these scenes.
First of all, this drama should have been a two-parter: either one season divided in two or two separate seasons. The irregular pacing and back-and-forth between the past and the present was confusing and out of place, specially because the past is not revealing anything or trying to connect to the present events. The past and the present are literally two different and stand-alone plots that don't intertwine in the slightest.
It is quite disappointing because the story does touch some topics that can be fascinating IF done right, but there was NOTHING right about the way the story was written. There were so many plot holes and things that were left out that you can barely understand what is happening most of the time.
~Cast:
This is a 2016 project and, during that time, these type of dramas didn't have the best actors or the best acting, but there's some highlights here and there. I'm not going to mention all; I'm just going to talk a little about some of the more relevant characters.
-Bank: Okay, I said that I was going to talk about relevant character, but this guy isn't one of them. And he's a main, which is funny and sad at the same time. Bank is a character that faded to the back too easily. He had a very bland personality and the actor didn't do anything to impress, always keeping it safe and forgettable. He had to rely on others to shine a little light to his own acting.
-Golf: I kind of like this character until the manipulator side of him came out. Thai writers have the bad habit of passing manipulation as romance, which always leaves a sour taste in my mouth due to personal experiences with that kind of people. You can tell the actor was relatively new to the job, but still did a better job than Bank's. Definitely more believable and with more personality. Although his chemistry with Bank was barely there.
-Thom: One of my favorites. He didn't have too much screen time, but was definitely one the most believable performances out there. His chemistry with Bank was much more natural and had a nice flow to it, specially because, unlike Bank and Golf, Thom's relationship with Bank was better written and built on-screen.
-Tar and Teacher: The best "pairing" in the series. Their acting and chemistry was so natural they may as well take the lead roles for me.
-Bank's biological father: His acting came off a little too staged sometimes, but gave a decent performance overall. Kind of wish he had taken some more screen time.
I just want to say that this is the second BL I watch that's inspired by a movie of the same title and that has turned out the complete opposite of what the original source (the movie) was. I really do NOT recommend this drama because it doesn't make the cut for me. Way too messy and poorly produced.
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I knew going into the show that this was different from the movie, so I approached it like a completely different entity all to itself. The acting was alright. I am watching My Engineer and Cooper hasn't changed much with how he plays "cocky". I enjoy him though. He's cute.
Guide was also enjoyable as Bank. He really reminds me of Mild Suttinut Uengtrakul for some reason and I need them to play real brothers now.
But the story was so disjointed and incomplete. I needed a lot of work. Someone should have fleshed out the storyboards and scripts better before going into production. We never got the story of why they broke up in the first place (the description says homophobic dad, but dad seems supportive of Jackson/Bank, and Bank seems to say at some point that he wasn't prejudiced or something about "those weren't your feelings (or thoughts or something)"), and why it won't be a problem this time around. Bank never broke up with Jackson. I liked the school teacher as a character, but that whole arc was so unnecessary. What purpose did Tom/Bank or the teacher's arc serve to the story? Nothing. This show could have had potential but it was just really badly written and executed. If you go to AO3, I can show you a 1000+ better step-brother turned lover plots that could last 13 episodes.
To Summarize: Acting was ok, Story was badly written and executed, Music was forgettable, I wouldn't rewatch it, but I would still recommend a Thai BL lover watch it because there aren't that many shows (less than 100, which means there are *less than* 2000 episodes, which if you watch 5.5 episodes a day you can complete in one year).
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While there are some similarities to the movie (Hurry up Part2), it's best to think of this as an homage with the same characters but a different storyline.
Pro's
* Some good rounded out characters.
* Humour and Drama without getting too heavy (for me)
* A decent pace
Cons
* There is a lot of jumping back and forth in this series. Understandable as it needs to show how it is different from the movie. But it can be a little heavy handed. May have been better split into two smoother cut series. One when younger, and one 8 years in future. But that's just my opinion.
* There is still plenty of story that could have been shown in a second season. But it looks as if that wont happen. Hopefully the 2nd movie (when done) will be enough to give me closure on both. To tell you more would give spoilers.
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BROTHER'S LOVE
BROMANCE focused on the emotions of a young boy who are struggling with different issues in his life. PAIN of loosing someone you love. ACCEPTANCE that everything in this life happens for a reason, LOVE that we want to receive for others, FEAR of expressing our love because it is not normal in our society.The series will teach us how to be genuine in our own feeling. It will teach us how to be responsible with all actions as an adult. And it will teach us to listen to the voice of the young ones.
The story line is brave enough to tell the story of each characters especially for Bank and Golf. We will see that the two characters help each other to heal all the wound in their heart. The story also make us see how the society look with this kind of love.
The actors of this series are good espcially Cooper and Guide. They feed each others emotion to make us feel what the characters are feeling. It is worth watching and it will give you a smile in your face.
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his smile can light up an entire city...my heart literally skipped beats while watching his dance moves.
I rewatched that portion at least 8 times now...and i will still watch it again, can't get enough!
Jeab's acting is fantastic. I love how she handled/delivered her character.
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