Great Follow Up!
[REWATCHED 2023]I still think it's a pretty smooth follow up to Together With Me , considering the order in which things were filmed (and if you ignore how terrible Bad Romance got toward the end with that Beauty & Tanguy drama). The Next Chapter is a more matured and more developed story line and continuation. The acting was good before and it remained consistent in this season, matching the slightly more serious plot but still maintaining the humor here and there. I'll admit I found Korn's character to be very ooc for a brief but major part of the plot, but it was interesting to watch how it unfolded, and it added some new dimensions to the story, especially seeing how dedicated Knock actually is to Korn, which was a nice change from the previous series' where Knock is such a douchebag most of the time. Everyone's else's stories were interesting as well.
This next show is just really good over all. I wasn't disappointed.
The only reason I won't give it 10 is because the writers sacrificed Korn's character to develop Knock's.
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The chemistry is insane in this one
I really enjoyed the series for one reason and one reason only -- it gave me the chance to see more of Max and Tul as Korn and Knock. I would watch these two shop for groceries if someone filmed it! Their chemistry is so strong, and both of them commit to their characters fully. I loved to see growth in both of them, and even though a certain incident was so difficult to watch...it made for great drama and seemed realistic, in the sense that so many couples have gone through that. I'm glad that there wasn't an easy fix, and that Korn had to work hard for forgiveness.I also love the side characters, although I wish there was more Fai and less Farm. The Farm/doc storyline is one I find so disturbing because of the lack of consent that we saw in the first "Together With Me." If that had been addressed more, and if the doctor had acknowledged the horrible nature of Farm's birthday "present" in the previous series...I would have been more okay with them.
I will be re-watching this a lot and focusing on the Korn/Knock parts of the story!
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So let's talk about the elephant in the room: the plot involves cheating. That's a red flag for most people, because it destroys the idea of pure and everlasting love. I only care about a good story. A believable story. A story that feels real where you can connect with the characters. I don't care about cheesy fairy-tales. I don't even care about a sad end.
The thing is, that this series was rather mature compared to other BL series out there. Some parts of the plot were rather silly, but the way they portrayed the emotions were really great. There was sadness, desperation, regret, love. Everyone (Yihwa and Cho included) did a great job. I wasn't really a fan of the "villain", but the whole series was extremely intense. I can recommend it to people who are tired of the cheesy school-boys BL.
Max and Tul are the kings of the BL genre. The most "badass" couple how Tul once said in an interview. The chemistry is mind-blowing. That alone makes this series worth watching. Even though they weren't lovey-dovey (they had trouble in their relationship after all), a simple kiss on the shoulder could melt my heart.
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Max and Tul are fantastic as Korn and Knock respectively. I was so upset with Knock the whole time because he kept giving Korn the cold shoulder when he was trying to love him. And when Korn tries to help him he gets annoyed but then I started to understand him when it all the pieces started coming together. I totally understood Knock's mindset. Giving up your dreams to follow someone and feeling like you're not good enough and then not trying hard enough so your failing and then you're constantly being "helped" which starts to feel like nagging (even though it isn't), which all slowly builds up and starts suffocating you, but you still love this person so it's so hard to say anything because saying anything means hurting the one you love. And when they find out, of course, they are hurt because they never wanted you to give up on your dreams to follow them. They want you to do what you love. They don't want to "nag" you or make you feel belittled, and they believe in your dreams just like you believe in theirs. I loved their story. I loved it so much. If you really take the time to understand it. It totally makes sense. The cheating, I don't know - I guess for many people it makes sense. To me less so, but I understand forgiving someone after the fact. I understand wanting to find comfort when the person you would usually take comfort in has turned into sharp edges all the time. I guess I do get it. Also, remember the "boss" was a master at manipulation. He was playing all sides. He was playing Korn and Knock against each other. He was driving a wedge between them. Add to that the fact that they aren't out, Korn's dad is pressuring him to be straight because he found the fan page, Knock is pressuring him to come out, and Korn doesn't want to hurt anyone or himself in the process. I love Tomo. I just want to say that. He is so beautiful. Why Yihwa would want to hurt that beautiful man is beyond me! I mean Cho. But the heart is fickle. It wants what it wants. And sometimes distance makes things blurry. Cho and Yihwa both were working super hard and barely had time for each other, whereas "boss person" was with her all the time flirted for fun (as confirmed by his own girlfriend) and it was only natural for her to start having feelings for him, but I'm glad she didn't let it go too far, and that she was self-aware. I love that Cho was so understanding of her. I love how he accepts her completely, is willing to let her go, and let her process things at her own pace. He doesn't push her for an answer. He doesn't push her to get back together even though everyone, their mothers know that Cho wants her back. I miss Yihwa's bad ass self that was so apparent in TWM.
I thought Farm/Rit was so cute. But I'm so glad Rit stood up for himself and let go of Farm. Farm was being a real a*hole. Rit is just such a ray of sunshine and he doesn't need Farm's obsession with Bright to cloud up his sunny day. Can we pair Mew/Rit together? Can they have a happy ending together? Mew needs someone good after he helped
Bright/Farm really creeps me out. It always has. Even in TWM. It was such a power imbalance. It felt like Farm was always being trampled and Bright was always using him. In this, it's the opposite but it's still Bright who is creeping me out.
Fai!!! She is just so cute. And such a little goody-two-shoes prude. But I'm glad she's there to be everyone's moral compass. You can see how much she loves everyone and how much everyone loves her.
Why my rating is so low:
I feel like with Bad Romance having been the bridge between TWM & TWM : The Next Chapter, and it having been the first series, there is a lot of continuity problems.
What happened to Kavitra? Korn's sister? How come his dad says "I will not allow my only son to become my only daughter?"
Where are the Bad Romance friends? They were so cute! James/Being, Tanguy/Dewey.
Where is Phubet? He was adorable!
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Korn and Knock are too easy on the eye
I made it through the whole series but not without fast forwarding through some of the storyline for Yiwha and Cho and ALL of the storylines for Farm and Dr Creepy. Dr Creepy makes my flesh crawl and Farm is a total dick in this series.I had turned into this sequel with the hope of something that I did not get. Korn and Knock are both so pretty that they are a joy to watch - good actors as well I should say, I’m not totally shallow - but their story was a depressing one.
Cheating Korn broke my heart, especially as he cheated with the second most creepy character in the show, Pervy Pete. He’d had a drink but was not hammered and he gave in and shagged the man who was not only his boss but so slimy and creepy looking - WTF, cheat on Knock with that... *shudders*
After the cheating I actually did not want Knock to forgive him because I don’t think I could, Not drunk, not upset, not angry after an argument... I’d have to have been drugged to go anywhere near Pervy Pete and honestly, it was totally out of character for Korn. OK so his dad had been giving him a hard time but that was not a reason to shag someone else. When I read a review that this happened before I saw it I had though that he might cheat with a girl as he as trying to be the son his dad wanted or something and that might’ve been understandable. Pervy Pete though, just - yuck.
As the series moved on through, I wanted them back together as they do belong with one another and I am glad they reconciled and that Pete got his comeuppance. It was hilarious watching as all the boys happened upon Pete with their shirts off, he must’ve thought he’d died and gone to heaven!
I loved both sets of parents in this. Knock’s dad was the best as he transitioned from horror that his son was in a relationship with a man to pretty much fanboying at the couple and being far more amp than either of the boys.
What happened to Korn’s sister though, no mention of her at all, and didn’t they live in that house by the canal in the first TWM?
I loved that Knock’s parent’s house (and sofa!) was the same set as Can’s house in Love By Chance (I may have watched the Tin/Can highlights a few too many times).
I didn’t notice what the music was, I’d only rewatch for the pretty, but I did enjoy this series.
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Amazing MaxTul in a mediocre story
I started watching this solely because I needed more MaxTul in my life and yes, of course they delivered, but the plot was rather poor. Not because of the cheating. Actually, I found this element of plot quite refreshing, because it's different, it's realistic and it was interesting to see three different approaches to the subject.Korn/Knock
Honestly, I wasn't surprised at all that Korn needed a little care and understanding in his life and that he lost it once someone has shown him just a little warmth. Knock has been such an asshole! All he did was play games, drink, act irresponsibly at work and let Korn take care of him like a stubborn kid. He hasn't been interested in why Korn was so afraid to talk to his father, he never asked about that, never thought that perhaps he should give a little support to the person he loves. He just took and took, without giving anything in return. Korn in turn was a little pathetic in clinging to the crumbs of affection Knock sometimes threw him. Because of that I wasn't even angry at Korn when he slept with Pete. I just hated watching Korn suffer again and again, hurt by Knock, hurt by his father, heartbroken because of the breakup, I was just waiting for a bolt of lightning to hit him out of the blue, just to add to his misery.
Yihwa/Cho
I actually liked the beginning of their story. It's not uncommon in long-term relationships to miss the butterflies and the thrill you get when you fall in love. It's not uncommon to search for this thrill in other people instead of working on your relationship. I didn't like the development of that story though. Yihwa has always been a fiercely loyal person who knew exactly what she wanted. And here she was, torn between two guys and in the end she decided which one she loved but she didn't want to be with him because...? I don't really get it.
Farm/Bright
This in turn was disgusting. I guess we all know what Bright did to Farm in TWM (*spoiler* on top of his toxic behaviour, he invited his friends and they had group sex with Farm. While he was asking them to stop. Don't know how the writers/producers call it, I call it rape. End of story). I kinda liked the revenge trope, but I really cannot understand why Farm ended with him. I felt sorry for sweet innocent Rit because he got caught up in the dirty games between those two, but fortunately he was smart enough to save himself.
Acting was what really saved this show. MaxTul are just something else, they are perfect together and they nailed it as they always do. Fei was the cutest, Pete was a solid, slimey villain, Bright was a delightful creep. It's just that the story was mainly based on cheap drama and irritating misunderstandings. On a positive note, the last two episodes (when KornKnock made up and everyone worked together to expose Pete) were actually good.
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The chapter that shouldn't have been
There's always a risk one takes when creating a sequel and it's either a hit or miss in terms of relaying a message or telling a worthwhile story. For this particular drama, I was all with the writers until around the 8th episode where we lost the plot and every self respecting character, except one.Some might see this as an intertwined and complex view of each character's feelings and appreciation of their respective partners, but I see it as lazy writing. They had various obstacles mapped out from the first instalment that flowed into the continuation of this series to allow the plot to properly meat out each character's struggle, which initially, they all had different ones, but instead chose, to my BL demise, to downplay key moments to put most of the main characters in a similar situation and somehow make them deal or handle things differently. The writers were clearly trying to tackle a main theme, but this strategy only made things feel forced. Followed by weak redemption arcs for each and every single character who was in the wrong, took away not only from the character's growth, since the first drama, but it also made the storyline a messy one.
One thing to be thankful for and to note, as it carried the last third of the show, was the incredible performance done by the actors, Tul Pakorn Thanasrivanitchai and Max Nattapol Diloknawarit, especially from episode 8 onwards with their break up scene! Despite plot concerns, they portrayed those emotions very well and really captivated the audience with their performance.
My personal tip for those wanting to watch: For better viewing purposes, I would watch the two dramas separately with some time and other dramas in between them as it's quite evident in both the comments and reviews that people who did this, enjoyed the drama more than those of us who watched them one after another.
X - DF
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Fulfilling!
So happy to have finally completed watching TWM, BR and TWM:TNC.KornKnock: They went through real obstacles - coming out to parents, cheating, jealousy etc. I can feel how much they love each other, amazing chemistry protrayed by Max and Tul. I expected Knock to be a better partner for Korn from the beginning, as it seemed Korn was the househusband and constantly cleaning up after Knock. Their love scenes were beautiful without making the viewer felt like we were intruding.
I finally understood why these two are always high on the list of everyone's favorite BL couple.
ChoYihwa: I find that Yihwa's personality has changed quite a bit since TWM. In TWM, she was feisty with a no nonsense attitude, and cared so much for her friends. I didn't see that in TWM:TNC. Somehow the role fell into Fai, who seemed to be the more concerned friend who took care of everybody's drama. I missed Yihwa from TWM. Cho and Yihwa's story has got to be one of my favorite straight couple story in a BL series.
Farm,Bright, Rit: Well what can I say. Farm wanted revenge, and Rit became the victim. What I found amusing was everytime someone was ill or injured, there seemed to be only 1 doctor available and that is Bright. Not a fan of their story arc, I had wished for Farm to forget about Bright and move on with Rit.
Missing character - Phubet.
What happened to this guy? They didn't mention anything about their roommate from TWM. Sad that he didn't return in TWM:TNC.
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Not cute but great
I really understand why fans have problem with this season, for me the cheating plot is also a HUGE turn off.BUT!
The chemistry between KornxKnock is insane, all of their scenes are just on spot. As everyone else I loved their make up scene, but the real deal is their break up - I am not a crier, but in this case I was crying so hard, it was so painful to watch (they were breaking up while hugging eo for God´s sake!). Well I have of course problem with the cheating - it was totally awful and also horribly acted - yes I am looking at you, Max, but I guess it happens when you should play something so out of your character ( Korn and cheating what the duck??) and especially when there is no real reason for that ( that guy is just repulsive and you have your literal wet dream at home whom you love for life). So all in all KornxKnock reign as always, love them.
I had problem with Yihwa and Cho, and not because Yihwa kissed someone else and than took time to sort things out (we all should be like this IRL!!), but I just did not feel the love between them, if KK were on fire, these two were just..not.
Bright/Farm/Rit mess is just that, a mess, so I am not going to start to explain how I feel about that.
So if you are looking for a cute gay story, this is definitely not for you. But if you want some more mature themes with actors who have some of the best chemistry you can find in dramas, just go for it. Definitely worth watching!!
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A series that deals with complicated issues that arise in real-life relationships
Overall, an engaging, entertaining series well supported by a cast with great chemistry!I really appreciated that the series dealt with issues that arise in real life - people and relationships changing as they grow and enter different stages of life. I appreciate that the series didn't shy away from dealing with difficult topics like infidelity, and changing personalities and circumstances. It does end on a hopeful note though, that even as we grow and evolve, some things will always be there for us at the end of the day.
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A wonderful show I think most drama fans will like. The couples are compelling, and the storyline even more so. The only thing that this show has a little too much of is the cheating storyline. I do not think all of the couples need to have this in their storyline. While cheating creates angst very easily they could have come up with other things, or just rely on the stress of Korn/Knock and them telling/not telling their parents about them. There was not a need for Korn cheating in their storyline. Was this review helpful to you?
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