What Zabb Man! (2022)

"Chasing someone who doesn't love you is tiring, you know?"

That was deep; Tay was so real for that. The average was an 8.75 stars out of 10 stars, but because it didn't reach 9-star potential, I am bringing the average down to an 8.5. I love this trope. The whole Oh no, my parents are dead, singing killed my grandma, taking care of sibling(s) because your parents are dead, and not wanting help from anyone on top of the CEO finding you and wanting to take care of you with some enemies to lovers That is my forte, lol. I wish they showed more of Koa's (I think that's how his name is spelled) and Poon's relationship and made me feel slightly more bad for them, but I loved Poon's whole dynamic, he is a vibe.

I forgot they were beefing when they first met, and I think this is supposed to be an enemies to lovers; it was straight to lovers and crushing. Which was meh. The older big brother working his ass off to pay rent and keep his brother in school was done well, and the rich, annoying ass CEO was done well too. Okay, now I am going to look at my close friends highlights for what zabb man? I finished this in 20 hours, which is pretty fast because I usually forget I am watching shows and then pick them back up 3 months later.

I talked about how Poon was Thai Gordon Ramsey in the way he was cooking and beefing with people all at the same time. I talk about how I liked the trope and how much potential the show has. It didn't really reach that potential because of episodes 6 and 7, but we still got a super mega happy ending, so that makes it sort of okay. Love Poon is trying to beat up Tian and not taking the money. Bro literally almost ran over his younger brother. I would have taken the money and then beat his ass for even crossing my family like that.

I love how they were actually cooking, and it wasn't like, Oh, let's go into the kitchen and then just cut it and pretend like we cooked this whole meal. They showed some of the process, and I really liked that about the show. They thought they were fish upon the sky with staring into the camera and talking to the audience one on one (this is a joke, by the way).

Then we had Teng, his annoying ass boyfriend of 5 years, and Mayom. I actually had no idea Tan and Teng were dating at all, and I was so surprised it wasn't even funny. Mayom kind of backed off after that, and I respect him for that.

Then we met clumsy ass Amy. Her home wrecker era was so annoying, but she was really funny for no reason. The way she carried herself and talked was just funny to me, and I don't know why. I love Pirada so much; she was the moment.

Then I start shipping Amy and Tay, and I say, "Girl, go for Tay. I know he's not a CEO daddy, but he's still good for you, girl." I was right; he was good for her. I think he had a thing for her from the start, the way he kind of talked about her and looked at her. Good for him, I guess.

Tan's annoying ass Hate him, bro. Tay and Pirada were the funniest people in this Thai drama. I was getting mad at Tan once more; bro needed to back off. You all broke up; you don't actually love him; you only came back because the restaurant opened. He had no reason to get on my nerves like he did. I'm so glad they ended things. One thing that was real was Tan's need to stay in contact with Teng because they legally owned the restaurant together. That was real, and Im glad they showed that.

In the end, we got a super happy ending, but I am mad they didn't do a little bit more with this because it had potential in my eyes. Yeah, meh. You can watch it if you want. I wouldn't recommend it, but I would at the same time, so I don't know. Do what you want. Okay bye!

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Story About a Struggling Chef

Was the plot orginal? Not really. Was the acting sometimes camp? Yes. Even so, I liked the series.

Pros:
1. I poor chef trying to support his younger brother after losing their parents, and he wasn't model hot. I like that the protagonist was poor, and that he had ups and downs due to his economic status. For example, his landlady.
2. Boss did a great job in this role. He was a jerk at times, he was vulnerable at times, and he was also a sweetheart at times.
3. The kitchen staff actors were the comic relief and I think they did a great job. Kab are Tung were regular guys who tried out for Superboy. I also liked Flluque too.
4. All of the enemies became friends once they got to know each other. Sometimes first impressions are not correct. I've experienced this first hand.

Cons:
1. The Amy character could have be entirely eliminated. Tay is stupid, but likeable.
2. Some of the over acting.

Hopefully StarHunter will continue to improve and stop with the talent showcase pieces they been produced in the past.

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Pretty basic

The storyline isn't anything groundbreaking. Guy#1 meets guy on street and have a fight. Guy#1 curses out other guy without realizing he has enough money to buy and destroy his whole life. They meet and start to bond and feelings blossom yadda yadda yadda. They did have a lot of chemistry but there was also a lot of conflict that could've been avoided if they had COMMUNICATED.
The side couple however- i feel like toxic relationships aren't portrayed as well as they could be in a lot of dramas, but this one really showed how hard it could be to leave someone, especially when you've been together for so long. Their story was also nothing special and it took so long for them to actually get together that when they finally did it felt a bit off. Idk how else to describe it.
By episode 5 i wanted to just drop it but I wanted to see if it would get any better. Up until episode 7 i had absolutely ZERO hope but episode 8 kind of made up for it and it felt a bit less like i had wasted 8 weeks of my life. Everyone got their happy ending and Thaenkhun got what he deserved.
By the time episode 8 ended i had one exactly 2 characters who i still liked- Phirada and Ping and they are now one of my top 5 ride or die characters and i will die on this hill.
One last thing; the kiss scenes. I would rate it a 2/10 at best. I'm a firm believer that shows don't have to have sex scenes to be good, they don't even have to have a kiss scene, like a lot of dramas have proved (i.e. cherry magic, kieta hatsukoi) but if you're going to include one MAKE IT LOOK REALISTIC. The side couple had a cute little peck on the forehead at the end and that was honestly good enough. It was one of those cute moments that make you smile even without meaning to. However the main couple should've probably done the same thing cuz the kiss was giving "it counts as a kiss cuz our lips touched". If the actors felt uncomfortable kissing, either don't cast them (because it's literally their job to ACT and play a CHARACTER) or take out the kissing scene altogether

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Cookie Cutter BL

While this isn't exactly a series that leaves you wanting to smash your screens in frustration, it isn't much good. Standard Thai BL fare that is somewhat passable compared to the most poorly made BLs, but there is much better stuff nowadays.

The enemies-to-lovers plot is definitely nothing new, but delivery is everything. Sometimes it turns out funny and cute, but not this time. This is partly because the characters are not very well written or developed. They merely change when the time comes for them to change. Arthip, for instance, seems truly obnoxious at the start. He's not just an awful, uncompassionate boss to work for but also quite unpleasant in general, such as when he almost knocks down someone. And yet, when the time comes for enemies to start becoming lovers, he seems very much a different person. Arthip's love interest, Poon, is also somewhat inconsistent, vacillating between being headstrong and vulnerable. The changes in him are more explainable, but a lot of it is done hurriedly.

The side couple, Teng Nueng and Mayom, is a little better. There is also the same enemies-to-lovers plot for them, but the transitions seem better. The strange part about this couple, however, is in the fact that Teng Nueng is attached when he first meets Mayom, and we are as surprised as Mayom when he reveals it. The thing is, Teng Nueng has no intention at all to cheat on his boyfriend, and yet the way he behaves with Mayom before telling Mayom that he has a boyfriend easily gives one the wrong idea. If you ask me, it's really because there is a preoccupation with showing BL-ish moments at the expense of sensible characterization.

The woman, Amy, who is in love with Arthip is another character that is a tell-tale sign of a poorly written script. When she's supposed to be the main character's rival in love, she's a nasty, almost universally hated person. And it's not just the way she behaves towards her rival. Her affected behavior, her elitism, her superficiality were all evident. And then when it's time in the story for her to stop being the love rival, she becomes quite a different person, though no less comical.

I'm actually not too averse to cookie-cutter BLs. There are some that end up being pretty decent, but this one can afford to do better. Use the cookie cutter by all means, but the cookie needs a better mix of ingredients.

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Well... I watched it

I consider myself a very lax reviewer...
that being said... the cast was great. I found them to be very good picks for the roles, the potential for serious on-screen chemistry was insane. The storyline felt a bit rushed... I know they only had 8 episodes but like.. I still have zero clue when exactly Ahtip and Poon went from hating eachother to being in love. Like... did I miss it? Teng and Mayon's story was cute also.. a bit rushed at the end but the back and forth with Tan didn't help with that. I was a bt confused about Kao.. like there he was and then --POOF-- he's gone until the last bit of the last episode.
Would I rewatch it? I mean... maybe? Probably? I can't really say...
It was fine.

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Entertaining

I liked the series, even if the base story is something that we have seen again and again.

What I liked
* It's fast so you don't get bored, It's a bit more realistic than some BLs I have recently watched.
* It's simple, entertaining and elegant
* FOOD!! loved it
* how Poon changed Athip on various things like showing how Athip's niece was feeling

Scope of Improvement
* I think the surprise given by Athip in the last episode should have been shown down the line i.e. after a year at least.
* Many times I observed that character change was too fast, it felt as if it was according to the scene/sub-story and not matching with the original
* Title of the series doesn't match at all.

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Not that good, but not that bad either

Even though, I didn't expect to watch the BL of the year when I started this series, I was entertained enough to continue watching. But my interest for it got lower and lower as the episodes progressed...

The main plot is not great, but it is okay enough to make an 8-episode series. The problem is that it was poorly written and poorly directed. I'm sure the actors could have done a better job if they had a better script and they were better directed.

About Poon and Tian... I have watched this series for them and I kept watching only for them. Their pairing wasn't great, but it was the best out of all the pairings. My problems with them are that Tian was too possessive (barging into one's kitchen restaurant just because he doesn't want Poon to work for another than himself while he's just dismissed him from work for a month was a bit too much...) and Poon doesn't love Tian as much as Tian loves him. I really felt it was a one-sided love. Tian was the only one reaching out for Poon every time they had a problem and, at one time, I was hoping Poon would do the first step but, yet again, it was Tian. Also, I'm really tired of series that try to avoid kissing scene at all cost. They want to do romance series but they can't show one normal couple that kisses without being shy or ashamed. It's really annoying... I know Asia doesn't like couples showing their love in public, but the couples in series are usually in a private space when they try to avoid kissing! That's not how normal couples would act! At least, I hope so for Thailand's sake.

About Teng and Mayom... I gave up. I was already skipping their scenes in Gen Y, then Gen Y 2 so I was a bit reluctant watching their scenes in this series. I tried and, at the beginning, it was okay as Teng already had a boyfriend and I think this part of the story was interesting but I quickly gave up. I would have honestly been better without Mayom's character (or him coming later in the story). Because the whole thing with Teng and Tan was that Tan didn't want to go public with Teng, hence the reason why Teng broke up with him. But then, Tan thought it was because of Mayom (who only works in Teng's restaurant to get him, by the way - this is already a red flag...) and when Teng said to him that he had no feelings for Mayom (which was absolutely great, I loved this scene), Mayom was still the topic of their discussion instead of concentrating on their real problem: Tan not wanting to get out of the closet. For once, they had a good story to tell but they completely ruined it with one character that can't keep his thing in his pants...

I'm going to finish with Tay and Amy... Since when Tay had a thing for Amy?... Because he's never shown any interest for her until she was heartbroken because of Tian. Their pairing would have been more believable if they had initiate something between Tay and Amy before she got rejected by Tian.

Another problem that I have with this series: I didn't know you can run an entire restaurant without only one cook... Also, why are the cooks out in the room and not cooking in the kitchen? That was so annoying to watch Mayom out and about to flirt with Teng when clients were waiting for their food to be made...

As a whole, I still managed to finish the series. It was not that good but not that bad either.
Would I rewatch it? Certainly not. But I was entertained enough the time that I watched it.

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Sweet story but no spicy scenes

I almost didn't watch it because of the previous reviews on here. I decided to try and I liked it. Yes, the MC start from an argument when Tian hits Poon's brother with a car (no injuries). Like all BLs there are misunderstandings between the 2 MCs and the 2 in the side couple. But no major fighting nonstop. In fact, there are a lot of sweet scenes. The kisses are those press your lips and stand together kind, no spicy ones. Yes, Amy, an old friend of Tian's who is after him is more of a caricature than a real person. I will say there were a few well written lines in the scenes between the side couple that make you feel Mayom's sadness. Happy endings all aroun. It's not a top tier BL but the cast did a great job. I also learned so many som tum variations!

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VERY KDRAMA FEELS

I would rather watch 8 episodes BL like this than others that has so many episodes but nothing really happens.
When I watched this, I didn't realized I'm almost done! This is how entertaining ut is (at least for me). This series has a real story, not too steamy, not too exaggerated, very simple, very beautiful ending.
To be honest I kinda notice the second couple bringing a great chemistry here, they have their own world, theis story is too mature for them to bear but, greatly they are able to handle it very well and realize to whom they were really meant to be. I did watched them on Gen Y , like I skipped their part because I don't like their story, but here, I was glad that the story they have here is good that made really proud of them and root for them.
This series has a very Kdrama feels, I missed watching Kdrama and thankfully they made this! The chemistry fo the leads are great too! They are very confident with each other, this is my first time finishing their series and I was glad.
This is not a waste of time watching , we can try it and we will not regret

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Salada de Papaya temperada com Amor

Se você está procurando um drama (vou tomar a liberdade de chamar de drama, achei tão curto para chamar de lakorn) sensual, com muita pegação, beijos enlouquecedores de tirar o fôlego, piadas prontas, muita fofura e superficialidade, pode parar e procurar outra coisa, pois se é isto que lhe agrada, você não vai encontrar aqui... e solto fogos por isso. Que bom que temos uma opção inteligente de um bom drama para assistir.
A história aborda questões como problemas financeiros, relacionamentos profissionais, "discriminação intelectual", insegurança, astúcia e vitimização, manipulação de pessoas e sentimentos e relacionamento tóxico e tudo isto com um pouco (ou muito) de romance também, até porque o mundo merece mais amor, aborda ainda a temática da amizade e de relações familiares.
Retrata personagens com características bem interessantes e reais, pessoas com situações e problemas, com as quais você poderia encontrar em qualquer esquina, e pessoalmente valorizo estas abordagens.
Os personagens foram criados e são desenvolvidos de uma forma crescente no drama, e foi muito bom observar este crescimento deles, as descobertas, o amadurecimento, com boas atuações os atores conseguiram trazer equilíbrio e harmonia tanto para horas dramáticas, quanto para os momentos cômicos, inclusive ouso dizer que algumas atuações surpreenderam muito, e cheguei a me constranger por ter, em momentos anteriores, subestimado o talento de algums dos artistas. A produção é boa, os cenários são simples e repetitivos, mas isto não desmerece o drama, pois todas as situações se desenvolvem nos mesmos nichos, então não se poderia esperar algo diferente disto. As OST's são poucas e nem um pouco atrativas, nada de impacto sobre a história. Algumas vezes quis beija a tela, outras quis entrar na tela e bater nos personagens, bem normal. Ao fim temos amor para temperar tudo, inclusive a Salada de Papaya, que se eu não falei antes, deixe-me dizer agora, é o personagem principal deste drama, a razão de ser de tudo o que existe nele. What Zabb Man ! é um bom drama, que penso ter sido desprezado pelo público internacional, não sei se pelo momento turbulento no qual ele foi lançado ou pela deficiência criativa do marketing da produtora. Foi bom enquanto durou, despedi-me com lágrimas nos olhos e com desejo de quero mais, embora a história tenha sido toda fechada, bem contada e sem pontas soltas... Enfim, não é fácil desapegar, mas a gente tenta.

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