You Never Eat Alone (2020)

What is normal?

Cast: the actors are known from other BLs, they have a couple of shows under their belts so they are rather experienced and doing their jobs well.

Music: nothing remarkable. No outstanding main tune, but nothing annoying either. There are few nice piano instrumentals though.

Production: this is very well produced, especially in the times of the pandemic. Camera work is fine, so is the editing. Props are fun, especially the whole colour theme of the main characters. Cooking bits are done extremely well. They filmed in a couple of interesting locations, I especially liked the library, the temple and the "classroom".

The only thing I will complain about (and not only me, judging from YT comments) is the quality of subtitles on the official Copy A Bangkok channel. The English subtitles are mostly delayed on every first part of the episode. Sometimes a large chunk of a dialogue is missing. The other time the entire subtitles sequence for the part is gone in 2min. They don't translate texts, messages, writings on the sheets of paper - everything that is not the dialogue. And episode 11 subtitling is an absolute mess. They also titled 2 parts wrongly. This is a shame for the international fans that enjoy and support Thai shows.


Plot: okay, this is bad.

Every episode I was screaming at the telly: Therapy! Psychiatrist! Meds! Diew is clearly on the autism spectrum and definitely not on the highly functioning one. The show says that he's got "autophobia", but it feels like it's just a tip of the iceberg. His issues, blown up by unprocessed grief after the loss of his grandmother and a big change which is going to university, make him unable to be alone for a longer period of time. This means he needs caretaker. Clearly his parents are to blame for not taking the matter earlier more seriously.

The plot is basically Diew trying to deal with his issues, struggling to understand the world and hoping to become normal. I've seen people complaining about the pacing of the scenes, but I suppose the creators wanted to show that people process the events in a different manner and I appreciate that. While the whole show was supposed to be uplifting, positive and "pat on the back" thing, I feel like this is a complete miss.

Although Diew's friends seem to be supportive and understanding of the problem, each one of them has their own life and has no time to care full time of him. Diew is forced to deal with the issues as best as he can. Some of his friends' ideas how to help Diew are only ad hoc remedies, that don't cure the real issues. It is clearly a work in progress for Diew, who needs a full medical support and a proper support network.

This is a complete misunderstanding of the situation. I understand the positive message this show wanted to show: you are not alone, in difficult times we're all together etc. etc. But I was more annoyed than uplifted. And disappointed as hell.

The show starts to develop properly from episode 10 onwards (although the messy subtitles do not help the situation). Diew starts to get professional help he clearly needs, his friends also team up to develop more tactics to try and help him. His relationship with Mix also blossoms.

And to all interested, this is not a full BL. There are BL couples, like Boon/Prem, but Diew and Mix don't get together. They do a lot of heart eyes at each other, and it is clear of their mutual crush on each other, but it seems that this relationship might be fully developed in season 2, if there is any.

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Subtitle Issues

Subtitle issues really had an impact. That was the worst of it for me (hence the title).
The guest couples were really fun if not oddly thrown in.
Some scenes were very slow moving. Like VERY slow moving and repetitive. At first, I thought the concept was cute, but s it went on without even a little bit of resolution, it seemed more like an untreated illness to me. I really think the show was meant to be quirky and really fun, but something went wrong. Also, Diew and Mix... frustrating. And what happened to their younger counterparts that seemed to wind up liking each other?

I don't think there will be a season 2 because how could they drag it out any more? I'd watch it to see if anything resolved or if anything happened between the main characters. But I'm not hopeful.

If the subs are ever fixed, I'd watch again in one throw and maybe enjoy it more and maybe it will seem to flow better.

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A Wonderful Non-BLthat is BL

I do not care what anyone else wrote about this series, but it is a very good love story. No, not in the BL sense of the word, but it brought love into the forefront of this amazingly good narrative about mental illness and compassion. It is quite a beautiful journey in which there parts that made me cry and at other times, made me bust out laughing. It is one of the most human stories out there and show how deeply you can love someone in other ways besides physically. I know that sounds odd but it is a deeply intense series and I for one appreciated its message of companionship, friendship, understanding, and yes love. I hope people watch it,

But can understand why they would not The production is just awful. Disjointed and poor editing. PLEASE, PLEASE do something about translating these series into English with some sophistication. It was just awful. In one case, they had a translation that was not for that episode. I get that these series are not perhaps made for English speaking countries, but if you want to widen the audience, do SOMETHING about making the translations better. These series and actors are so good but it is cheapened by bad translations. I for one deeply appreciate the efforts that are being done in this genre. God, knows, the USA will not likely ever get on board of doing these kinds of series. (Ok, Love Victor, as one exception).

If you want to read my full review of this outstanding series, please go to BLBliss.com

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Finally!

Like most others who watched this, I'm only here cause Zee, Boun, Prem etc. lol Very successful BL actors all on one screen? Sign Me Up!... is what I once thought.
This was on my PTWL for awhile and I think it was on my Currently Watching List for even longer. I just couldn't get into it. Every ep estimating almost an hour basically made me waste 12 HOURS OF MY LIFE! I am whole heartedly frustrated in this show. I wouldn't recommend and definitely won't re-watch. The guy can't eat alone. There. That's It. That's all that happens. I wouldn't even call that a spoiler cause it's in the title of the show. I gave it a higher rating than the Rating Recommendation suggested (if that gives you an example of the s*** show you're about to experience) LMAO
Good Luck...

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I saw something else...

Sooooo….let's write about this…

Facts:

Yes there is a big problem with the subtitles – synchronization mostly - that will not let you fully understand it and enjoy it.
BUT ... except YouTube, there are several are sites (first page of google) that don’t have this problem so you can watch it there.

Yes it is said that this not a BL
BUT… There are lots of boy couples and the main couple express their feelings for one another …Sooo it has a BL – gay romance aesthetics - it’s just not the main issue here.

Personal opinion:

There were lots of people claiming that this is a mental issue drama combined with food comedy. For me, trying to watch it from this perspective, made it awkward, superficial - as far as the mental issue is concerned - boring slow and in many parts meaningless.
Instead of that I’ve decided that what I’m watching is a drama of a young boy who struggles in a society forcing people to “grow” without one another, without contact in person but only trough social media, with love and family affection being banished, with a society in which no one has time for the people that she/he loves and love her/him back. An extremely common truth in our days. Along the way he is trying to become “normal”, to make new friends, to understand them and their needs, to find a new love (in the face of another boy who shares his “abnormal” view of the world), to reconcile with the past and the people that he has lost and in general …to become an adult without losing his soul, love, sensitivity and affection for other people.
From this perspective, this drama is a sweet, deep enough and meaningful BL.

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The subtitles sucked but everything else was amazing!

What a silly premise! I had so much fun watching it. Right now, I'm rating this a 9.5/10. Though it could fluctuate from a 9/10 to a 10/10.

My only real criticism is that some jokes go on a little too long. But, there's generally a better joke made shortly after to make up for it. The many funny shenanigans that came as a result of the weird concept were truly a blast.

I grew to love this drama! They really show the importance food has with people as well how people can be devastatingly affected by loneliness/being alone. And not just that but what it's like to try and overcome something often debilitating due to past trauma. You can't suddenly get yourself to eat alone within a week. You may make progress one day and be right back where you started, or worse off, the next day. What matters is that you try. And you don't beat yourself up for failing.

Also, Diew is just a ray of sunshine, even without including his yellow clothes. His smile is addictive and his personality is warm and welcoming. And Mix is simply incredibly attentive, caring, and sweet.

I saw many in the comments section argue that this isn't Bl/doesn't have a "Gay Romance." It absolutely does. Now, if you ignore the constant quiet flirting, easy chemistry, deep connection, and sometimes obvious lines you may walk away from this with the impression that this was only baiting people and this was a story with simply straights. But, you would be wrong.

This drama was everything for me, and then some. It was wholesome, sweet, had amazing cooking shots and camerawork, symbolism through key colors, and an intense amount of subtlety in regards to romance (which I am a big big fan of).

To put it in one word, this drama was: Wonderful!

Regarding representation: I'm just going to say it. I think Diew is Pan. No, every part of my being screams he's Pan. I know my gut feeling is right with this. Though, I have no evidence for this other than that he seems to have great chemistry with everyone he meets (whether it may be something leaning more toward romantic, or just friendship). I could go into more detail, but we'd be here all day. In my opinion if there was EVER queer coding THIS is queer coding.

Side Note: The subtitles do get screwed up a lot in the later episodes, so that is something to keep in mind if you decide to watch it.

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So much potential... misused :/

PROS:

- I LOVED the world building of this series. The idea to color code Diew (and consequently his cousin) in yellow & Mix (and consequently his brother) in blue was genius!!! This immediately creates a super interesting color palette & lets the viewer know that Diew & Mix are basically soulmates who complete each other. Also calling Diew like that which means “the only one/alone” in Thai to show his loneliness was great as well :)

- I loved the settings. All of COPY A BANGKOK’s shows manage to have really beautiful buildings that seem to come more from a European country than Bangkok & it’s rare to see such original settings in a thai series.

- The chemistry between Peak & Zee was SO GOOD, it's frankly a crime they didn’t get a more developed ship.

- I loved seeing the mental health portrayal in this series. I find it to be way too rare in series in general but especially thai dramas so I was glad to see a character struggle & be vulnerable on screen (even though it was sadly too little according to me.)

- The acting was honestly pretty good. I really like Peak as an actor & I way preferred Zee in this role than in Why R U, I thought Mix suited him way better as a character (since he’s such a cutie hehe.) The cameo performances weren’t as good or uniformous in quality, but as you’ll see in the cons I didn’t like them anyway so it didn’t change much :’)

- The cinematography was really solid. Again the settings & decors slapped, but also the shots of the food??? That was some top level advertisement quality cameras they used for that, I was so hungry haha :’)

- The story had SO MUCH potential, paired with all of the points above... Like legit this could’ve been an amazing show, and there are still many points in the story I enjoyed.

CONS:

- Wayyy too long. firstly the first three episodes were kinda useless & could’ve been cut entirely as Mix isn’t introduced until ep 4, but even then this series in the way it was executed (giving more screentime to random guests from different bl shows & focusing more on who Diew would eat with rather than the psychological aspect of his & Mix’s condition) should’ve been 8 episodes max, not 13.

- Honestly the random guests appearances every episode were so goddamn unnecessary. I feel like it’s sort of a pattern for COPY A BANGKOK’s shows to showcase how many famous bl actors they can get on their shows, but... here it truly added nothing. The only cameos that were well integrated in the story were Leo & Tai who play their family members (though they should’ve been featured way more honestly, they were the only sightly interesting side characters), and surprisingly to me BounPrem’s characters who not only play a confirmed couple (in a show that didn’t confirm their obviously in love main characters loool), but actually had a very touching moment with Diew that I really enjoyed. For the rest, they could’ve all not been there & it wouldn’t have changed anything for me.

- This truly wanted to be a bl but without intimate scenes... There are so many moments that come straight out from a bl, even clear feelings between the two main characters... Yet we don’t get to see them become boyfriends. I get not wanting to do a kiss scene, honestly I wouldn’t even have cared. The problem is that the series becomes frustrating when it’s very clear it’s still very much a mlm love story without intimacy... So why not directly confirm it instead of putting a bunch of really gay moments between the two main characters that are so obviously in love? That was just poorly done.

- There were a lot of inconsistencies or just weird scenes, for example their university classroom is in a freaking warehouse?? That was so weird. also I spent most of the show thinking Mix was faking his fear of eating alone bc legit the scene after he reveals he has the same condition as Diew we see him eating alone in front of his room alone lmao, and also the show doesn't explore his psychological reasons for his fear at all contrarily to Diew. Like again so much potential, but the execution in the writing just wasn’t there.

WOULD I REWATCH IT: hm... not for a while

CONCLUSION: This had crazy good potential, but like most COPY A BANGKOK shows it didn’t deliver. It was still an okay show & there are a few things I frankly LOVED about it, but its flaws are too big to be overlooked.

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In one word: Disappointing

The first episode gave me strong YYY vibes, which was not a good sign. But the humor is very different in the two shows. While YYY is more full on comedy + fantastical elements, You Never Eat alone is more whimsical.

The special guests were a huge plus for the show, helping the weak plot to not fell as repetitive as it was. It was great to see cameos from Mii2, BounPrem and MaxNat. But, obviously, the highlight was having Boom appear and interact with Peak, while having a boyfriend named Fuse. The main cast as a strong point of this show. I feel like Zee and Peak worked very well together, and the supporting cast was great too. I was surprised that they didn’t try to create a love triangle with Maeung.

But, unfortunately, no cast can save the over dramatic mess that is the plot of this show. There’s no evolution at all. It looks like we can some development, be it about the earning problem or the potential relationship between Diew and Mix. But then, the next episode starts and we’re back to square one. The biggest example of that was episode 11 giving us ALL the signs that Diew and Mix have feelings for each other, and then we get back to light flirting for the finale. Same thing with the earring alone part, Diew would eat alone in one episode and then literally throw up when trying in the next one. Also, I don’t feel like Mix as a character was well developed. As Diew said, he only cares about himself and never really tried to learn more about Mix.

It’s quite obvious that the finale was developed with a second season in mind. I think it's doubt that season will not happen.

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Slow first half, better second half.

I really had trouble getting into this one. However, after episode 3 it was tolerable. I almost dropped it, but I'm stuck in bed with a spinal injury and decided to wait it out. Episodes 9, 10, 11 ,& 12 were the best part.

There's a lot to be learned here about anxiety and self reflection. While Diew should've sought professional help sooner from a mental health specialist, I still commend him on trying to solve it alone first and coming to the conclusion he needed help of his own volition.

All in all, not the best show -- but awesome actors doing really well in their roles. This just needed a better ... I don't know... writer, director... maybe both?? It just needed to be done differently.

Oh, thecworst part is the horrible subtitles!! I imagine they're correct, but the majority of the episodes have them times wrong, so you see the lines after they're done speaking in the middle of someone else taking, abs then it's just confusing after that. It can be done, but it's a hassle.

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It is quite rare for a series to tells about "mental disorders", especially related to eating behavior, so I give this series quite high points from the story side.

Performances of some actors actually weren’t exactly bad, it's just that some characters are quite ruined the "scenery" every times they’re appear.

Honestly, I like the tune in each episode, even without the lyrics but the piano chime sounds quite romantic to me lol

but ... what a bastard!!! I have to guess about the conversations between the characters, especially in each part 1 per episode. And getting worse in the last 2 episodes. Please fix the subtitles!!

In Indonesian:
Cukup jarang series yang ngebahas soal “gangguan mental” terutama terkait perilaku makan, oleh sebab itu saya memberikan poin cukup tinggi terhadap series ini dari sisi story.

Aktingnya sebenarnya tidak bisa dibilang jelek, hanya saja beberapa karakter cukup mengganggu “pemandangan” acap kali dia muncul.

Jujur saja saya suka dengan alunan nada ditiap episodenya, walaupun tanpa lirik akan tetapi dentingan piano yang terdengar cukup romantis bagi saya lol

tapi... bajingan sekali memang dari sisi subtitle, saya harus menebak kira-kira percakapan antara tokoh terutama ditiap part 1 per episodenya. Dan diperparah dengan 2 episode terakhir. Bangsaaat!

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It's not a BL just bromance.

The story lacks many things to be honest.
I only give this serie 5 because of the following reasons:
1.Diew was a very dumb character.I think they tried to make him funny but they just couldn't.
2.This is not a BL serie.Actually I don't even know what to call it.
3.This serie lacks character development.
4.No kiss,Not a single moment of affection to please users.
5.The story doesn't even have any strong base.

Plus points
1.This serie has a lot of famous couples that appear as guests.
2.Childhood trauma was explained.

What A BL should be consist of
1.A great story
2.Good chemistry between leads
3.Good acting
4.A little fast romance
5.At least the leads should be kissing if they aren't ending up as a couple.
6.At least ending should make sense.

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Interesting series totally wrecked by bad subtitles.

This was a cute series turned bad by lousy production, specifically the atrocious subtitles. It took this from what could have been an enjoyable series to one where I struggled to follow along at times. My low rating is mostly due to this. I barely made it to the end, I almost dropped this series a couple times.

I have watched well over 150 BL series, and none were this bad for subtitles, not even the ones done by volunteer or amateur subbers that you find on those sketchy websites. There were delayed, missing, and inaccurate subtitles. Also ones that flashed across the screen and promptly disappeared, and other times were overlapping on other subtitles. I even put this off for a few weeks hoping they would fix the subtitles, but nothing seems to have changed throughout the series. They also even named one of the titles of the series wrong! (EP 11-4 is titled 10-4) This is either laziness, or incompetence, not sure which.

The premise is unique, a guy who cannot eat alone. That plot is one I don't think we have seen before. It has some interesting cameos by many BL actors. This series is (or would be) a good filler for in-between a more "serious" series. It is light hearted, clean, and inoffensive. There isn't much more than a hug between friends, so it isn't even a BL series, just a story of friendship and loneliness. It is neat that Diew always wears a certain color clothing. And the other actors have their favorite colors too, watch for that.

Some comments were made about how Diew needs psychological help. Maybe that is true, and they did address it a bit throughout the series, but that sort of misses the point of the series I think.

Also note the cameo of the apartment building where TharnType and a few other series were set. (Diew/Mix apartments) That building needs to have billing in the credits, it appears more than some actors have in BL series!

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