Close Friend (2021)

Too rushed and unable to meet its full potential

Episode 1: 7/10 (Pretend To Love)
—Story- When I saw episode one would be OhmFluke I was very excited as I already knew they have great chemistry together. Unfortunately the fast paced plot meant their relationship didn’t go anywhere, and they were hardly in any scenes together despite the whole first episode being about them. I appreciate 20 minutes isn’t a lot of time for a full story to take place, but they could have done so much better than that. It was a huge mess with no real closure to the jealousy and misunderstandings, and the ending felt so incomplete. As a start to the series it really fell short for me and while I love OhmFluke so much, and we got to see Fluke’s award winning tears again, they didn’t have their chance to shine which was severely disappointing.
—Acting/Cast- Ohm as Pierce: Ohm is a pretty good actor, but unfortunately this series didn’t showcase his talents as he played a character with little emotion, meaning we couldn’t see a full range from him. His facial expressions were lacking and even when faced with a potential breakup his face was just quite blank and expressionless. I am a little disappointed with his character and was sad that Pierce didn’t have the time to properly apologise for when he did, but at least we got something.
Fluke as Typhoon: Fluke is back at it again with the top notch acting and the famous crying scenes he really excels in. While I feel like Ohm didn’t have the chance to shine that well, Fluke really showcased how a powerhouse actor can steal a scene with less than 5 minutes of screen time the entire episode. Fluke is honestly one of my favourite actors and this just goes to show why. His acting in the final scene was the best part of that episode and is the main reason I ranked this episode as high as I did. I really hope to keep seeing more of Fluke in the future!
—Overall, I’ll give this episode a 7/10 which I believe is quite generous in the circumstances. It could have been so much better with a better director and more time, but they really took over in the limited time they had and gave the best performance they could.

Episode 2: 5.5/10 (Just Friend)
—Story- Well, I wasn’t expecting any bestiality in a drama but first time for everything I suppose. Everything about this episode was just strange and confusing. Although I liked JaFirst ever since I saw them in TharnType 2, I just don’t understand why First had to be a cat that only we could see as a human, it was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. Other than the confusion at this part, the rest of it was pretty good. Although it was fast paced, it didn’t feel rushed or incomplete like episode 1 did, although it left me with several unanswered questions (like seriously, who sends a potential partner home just to cuddle with your cat, maybe it’s because I’m not a huge animal lover but I just don’t understand.)
Acting/Cast- First as Moojoom: Well, he played a pretty good cat even if it was the weirdest thing to watch a human meow and swipe at the air like that. He looked very sweet and defenceless in the box which I suppose a human version of a cat may look like, and First is very good at acting sad and depressed which made him rather pitiful when he was locked in the bathroom. As I said before, it was such a weird episode that I’m still questioning what I just watched and because of this I don’t think I can rate his acting very well.
Ja as Xin: Ja is a pretty good actor and although he’s still a relatively new actor, he’s very good and I’ve enjoyed his other works such as TharnType and UWMA. As I mentioned in First’s review, it was such a weird episode that I don’t think I can rate his acting very well, but he did a very good job playing with Moojoom (his human cat lol).
—Overall- I’ll give this episode a 5.5/10. The storyline was a little better because it didn’t have the same incomplete feeling that episode 1 left me with, but the fact that it’s a romance between an animal and a human meant that any enjoyment I got out of the episode was replaced with an abnormal feeling of bewilderment.

Episode 3: 9.5/10 (Willing Or Not)
—Story- This was one of my favourite episodes so far and I actually enjoyed it a lot (mainly because I love judo). After the first 2 episodes I was getting a bit sceptical as to the quality of this series, but MaxNat really saved this for me. As the storyline wasn’t in as much depth, it didn’t feel fast-paced or rushed at all, and honestly 15 minutes felt like much longer. Despite having no particularly romantic scenes (other than the piggyback at the end) Max and Nat had great chemistry, which combined with a more interesting plot, meant they did a really good job with this episode.
—Acting/Cast- Nat as Mini: Nat is actually a really good actor despite his age (ironic as he’s a few months older than me) and he always does such a good job. I first watched him in his debut role as Blue in WhyRU and have watched all the other projects he’s been in which was why I was so excited to see him here. Although now I play quite a few different sports, a few years ago I hated any type of sports or athletics, which is why I found Nat acting exhausted and tired really relatable for me. I loved his little commentaries when he looked at the camera and started complaining about something Titan did.
Max as Titan: I still can’t believe Nat (who is short) is called Mini and Max (who is really tall) was called Titan, but when I first heard his name I had to pause the episode and laugh at the hilarity of it. Max actually reminds me of my old Volleyball coach, incredibly determined and won’t let you take a break until you can barely move. I always think coaches and instructors like that are the best because you can guarantee you will learn some important lessons from them, which is why I really loved Titan in this series. Like Nat, I’ve also been watching all of Max’s projects since the beginning and I really enjoyed this episode with him in as well.
—Overall- I would have to give this a solid 9.5/10, it would be a full 10 if we actually got some romance like a sweet hug or even a kiss. I’ll settle on the piggyback at the end, but as this is supposed to be a BL series, it would have been nice to see some kind of romance. Other than that I honestly enjoyed everything about this episode.

Episode 4: 9/10 (Just One Life)
—Story- I’m so glad that episodes 3 and 4 have started to get better as I absolutely loved this episode. Although some people preferred this episode over MaxNat’s, I personally don’t think it was as good, only because I was quite confused about the plot. It did feel very rushed, one minute Peam is crying over his ex, the next he’s fallen in love with XiaoPing. Although it made more sense after rewatching it, when I first saw this episode I was quite confused by the beginning with Peam crying and wanting to throw himself off a bridge then XiaoPing appearing out of nowhere and cheering him up. Those were the only complaints I really had about this episode, everything else was so good. Yoon and Talay have such great chemistry from recording YYY the series and they definitely carried it on here, which has got me very excited for their episode on Y-Destiny. It was just a cute, fluffy episode without any drama and a breath of fresh air.
—Acting/Cast- Yoon as Peam: Although Yoon has done quite a few projects, he hasn’t had very many main roles which is quite surprising considering the high quality of his acting abilities. I first saw him in his main role in YYY where he flawlessly acted in such a funny, comedic series. It’s clear from this episode he has a certain charm that reveals itself when he plays a funny character which really draws you in. He’s so talented and I look forward to seeing his future projects.
Talay as XiaoPing: Although I knew Talay has done quite a lot of acting before, I never realised he’s a member of a boyband until I looked at his profile. He’s such a natural actor and I’ve enjoyed every project he’s been in with special emphasis on My Engineer and YYY. His expression management is no joke and the way he can manipulate audiences emotions just from a slight change in expression is incredible. He’s honestly so beautiful and his eyes are stunning, it’s so visually pleasing when he smiles that I keep falling more in love with him.
—Overall- I’m going to give this episode a 9/10. While this may be a rather unpopular view, I really did enjoy this episode, but I honestly think the slightly rushed place and simplistic plot set it a little lower than episode 3. However, it was still an amazing episode and I really liked it.

Episode 5: 10/10 (Dear My Star)
—Story- Okay, now it seems I have a new favourite episode. This was about a long distance relationship that connected through the 2 characters being “pen-pals” (thats what I would refer to it as but basically just talking through letters to someone in another city/country). This is the first time I’ve seen something like this as, while there have been dramas with online relationships forming, this episode was completely different from that. As this episode was set during the 90’s I was worried it would look tacky and obviously fake, but that wasn’t the case at all. It was such a natural setting and layout that if the camera hadn’t have had such high-quality definition and I didn’t already know Jimmy and Tommy, I would have honestly thought this was filmed in the 90’s.
—Acting/Cast- Jimmy as Night: Jimmy is such a great actor and I honestly keep forgetting he only started acting very recently when I watched him in a main role in WhyRU the series. His expression management is insane and I constantly find myself falling in love with how sweet and innocent he is. Although the episode lengths are quite short, due to the plot we were able to really meet the character of Night in depth and learn about him. I love Jimmy’s facial expressions when talking and writing to Mekhin, and when they met you could practically see the stars in their eyes. Jimmy and Tommy have such great chemistry and they definitely showcased that in this episode.
Tommy as Mekhin: Tommy is another actor I love to watch and I first saw him when he played a couple with Jimmy in WhyRU the series. Although that was the first time I saw him in a drama, he has been in the industry for 6 years so has had more experience than his costar. Tommy is such a great actor also for the ways he can manipulate the audience just from a simple change in expression. Although he’s played a couple with other actors than just Jimmy, he definitely has the best chemistry with Jimmy and it came across so well in this episode, making it my favourite one.
—Overall- This is definitely a full 10/10, I absolutely loved everything about this episode. The storyline was something unique and refreshing to watch, and Jimmy and Tommy’s chemistry made it even better. I honestly hope they will make an extended version of this episode some day!

Episode 6: 8/10 (Imagine You)
—Story- I’m still very confused about this episode due to the elements of Sci-fi that didn’t really make sense to me. KimCop are one of my favourite BL couples in the industry so I was so excited and happy to see them here, but I think the plot they were given was too confusing for only a 15 minute episode. I thought the VR concept was great and a really interesting idea, but it should have been a series within itself instead of a single episode which made it all quite rushed and complicated. I have quite a few questions about the ending, particularly whether Jedi actually carries the memories from his VR counterpart or if he has no idea who he is, but why was he nice to Ray one minute, then cold to him the next? Although the confusing storyline ruined the episode for me a little, as this could have had the potential to be my next favourite episode, KimCop have such great chemistry that I enjoyed the episode regardless.
—Acting/Cast- Copter as Ray: (recently edited this review to change Copters pronouns, they are non binary and use they/them pronouns <3) Copter is another actor I discovered right from the beginning of their career after their debut in 2 Moons, and I’ve followed them for almost every project they’ve taken on. I have so much respect for Copter as an incredible artist. They’re such a great actor and they definitely showcase their remarkable acting abilities in this episode. Ray was incredibly anxious and clumsy in front of Jedi which is very relatable as many people struggle to face their crushes head on, especially when you’re basically in love with a celebrity. Copter did a great job with Ray and I’m so excited to see them in many more of their upcoming projects.
Kimmon as Jedi: Kimmon, like Copter, I have been watching since his acting debut. Although I never realised he was in Love Sick 2 as well, I’ve watched nearly every series he’s been apart of and I’m constantly keeping an eye out for any new projects he takes on. Jedi was such an interesting character, both his physical self and VR persona, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about him. As I said before, if the episode was longer and we had the time to learn more about him and have some more questions answered then I would have loved him even more. Despite this he was such a cool character and, like Copter, I can’t wait to see more of Kimmon in the future.
—Overall- I’m going to have to give this episode an 8/10 because of the short, confusing plot. This is one of those episodes where the perfect phrase comes to mind “The idea was better than the execution”, which sums up this final episode perfectly.

Final Thoughts:
My final ranking of these 6 episodes is as followed:
1. Episode 5 (Jimmy and Tommy)
2. Episode 3 (Max and Nat)
3. Episode 4 (Yoon and Talay)
4. Episode 6 (Kimmon and Copter)
5. Episode 1 (Ohm and Fluke)
6. Episode 2 (Ja and First)

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Quick Entertainment

While I wouldn't say this is the BL of the year, I still had a lot of fun watching each individual couple and their story. I think that this could've been better had this been kind of like En Of Love and each couple got at least three-four episodes to enhance the story and go deeper in plot. It was a bit depressing to see that each episode was only about 20 minutes long. That's barely enough time to do any storytelling with. If anything, they could've made these episodes at least 40-45 minutes long and give us an actual thought-out plot. However, most of the couples did use their time wisely, and I was left entertained for the most part.

Let's Dive In

I'll go from my most favorite to least favorite episode. Most episodes were on the same scale, nothing much too better than the other. Although, some really did just do better (lol).

Night (Jimmy) and Mek (Tommy) - 9/10

I would PAY to see their story fully fleshed out into a 12 episode series. The entire vibe that this episode gave off was absolutely radiant. Out of all the episodes, this one used their allowed time the best. Nothing felt too rushed, and nothing was left unsaid. The plot was something pretty new. Since it takes place back in the 1990s, things are different, and their writing to each other, and using payphones, and it's too much for me to handle. Mek makes these itty-bitty origami stars that I think are the most heavenly thing I have ever experience. They write back and forth to each other, sending pictures and origamis and just having a fun time. Jimmy was the best thing ever. I love how he has the child-like aspect in his acting. He is literally an adult child (in a good way though). His sitting on the phone with Mek was just absolutely precious. I loved the way they met, and how the "a thousand stars" thing work out. I have a few nit-picky things which are that their relationship didn't necessarily feel like a relationship, and more like they were becoming close friends (LOL). This might be due to them only having 15 minutes to tell a story, but as I said, had this been longer, I think I would've been able to see their relationship grow further. The last thing, Please for the love of God, these boys do not pass as high school students. Hell, they barely pass as college students. It could've been better had it been the summer that they come back from college and had met through close friends or something along those lines. Anyways, I loved this story so much, Both Tommy and Jimmy did an excellent job, and I can't wait to see them in future series.

Jedi (Kimmon) and Ray (Copter) - 9/10

Come on now, this was the cutest thing ever. I just want to sit here and talk about how much I love Copter. He played this stubborn, stoic character in Geny Y, but here, he is just all bubbly and happy, and smiley, and I can't explain how much I love him. This was a concept I had never seen played out (a little bit in Great Men Academy, but not in this aspect), and it was beautiful. I liked how we could see the obvious difference between Jedi in the VR and the real Jedi. Everything really was just an illusion up until the end. Which, confused me a bit. So was Jedi actually in the game? Was he actually pretending not to know Ray? I would've liked more of an understanding of the ending, but I guess we can interpret it for ourselves. Kimmon was an absolute joy as well. He basically played the same character, but with completely different attitudes. I think I liked the real Jedi better just because we should never assume the traits or characteristics of actual celebrities and consider them to be the nicest people ever, which Ray gets a bit of a taste for up until the end. While I would love for real Jedi and Ray to get closer, I think it felt too rushed in the end. It was definitely there to give us a happy ending, but had this been an actual series, I would've wanted them to take more time before getting close like that. Overall, I really enjoyed this episode and think it would've made for a good full-length series.

Xiaoping (Lay) and Peem (Yoon) - 8/10

This episode reminded me of the Kao and Pete one from Our Skyy. This was the episode adventure, in which they go on some hunt to find something. For these two, it was a hunt for Peem to be able to...find love? That part was a bit confusing. I'm not sure if they were searching for Peem's true love or for luck in his love life, or for him to get his ex-girlfriend back. But besides that, I think this episode was pretty cute. I loved them going through the maze and us getting a wide birdseye view of them. I liked how Xiao had an already established crush on Peem and tries to help him with his problems while also trying to get the courage to tell Peem that he likes him. The only thing I was a bit confused about was the sparkling ray around Xiao at the beginning of the episode. What was that supposed to represent? that Peem was seeing his true love? I don know. once again, maybe it's something for us to interpret, but I would've liked to see that beam of light around him at the end to connect us to the beginning and give a clear understanding. Peem's actions were a bit ambiguous at the beginning. I'm pretty sure he was on the verge of committing suicide, which if that were the case, then I wish it would've been more spoken about throughout the series, and instead of trying to get back with his ex-girlfriend that made him feel this way, we build upon his confidence in himself and knowing that he can get passed her and move on. I felt like it was dropped too quickly, especially something as serious as harming oneself. Also, I think Xiao telling Peem that he liked him was cute, and once again they gave us a happy ending for the beck of it. Even though I liked that we get to see them go back and redo all of the rituals, I still would've liked it if Peem thought about it for a bit, since it was not obvious that he had any prior feelings for Xiao like Xiao did for Peem. But once again, with only 15 minutes, you've got to up with a resolution fast; there's just no time for extra. Overall, this was a cute adventure, and I enjoyed seeing Lay again.

Mini (Nat) and Titan (Max)- 7/10

This was a surprise to me how much I actually enjoyed this episode. I believe it was a bit entertaining with these two because I feel like they have spent enough time together for me to actually ship them. It was a great creative choice to have them do a montage of them practicing together cause we see them grow in their relationship and see that they've spent quite a lot of time together. This was one of the sillier episodes perse. While I'm not too big of a fan of the comedic BL's, I will say that this one did have that aspect about it that I liked. For one, I just loved the height difference between Nat and Max. I'm a sucker for height differences. The only thing I can say that I'm not fond of is Nat's acting. I'm pretty sure he's still brand new in the acting field, but a lot of his expression and emotions are so stoic and so monotoned. I hope he can improve in his acting before any other roles are given to him. I don't get how when it comes to jujitsu or karate there is only ever one move. There are plenty of moves in these activities but these series only give one defined move. Would love to see literally anything else. I didn't understand Mini's reasoning for breaking the 4th wall. It was to narrate what was going on, but I would've liked to see it instead of being told. Overall, this was a decent watch and left me entertained for the most part.

Pierce (Ohm) and Typhoon (Fluke) - 6/10

Confused is the only word that comes to mind for this episode. This did not leave a good first impression. While I was so excited to see Ohm and Fluke again (since I hadn't seen them since UWMA), I was rather disappointed in this. For one, Fluke had little to no screen time. I wanted to see more of him so badly. I'm absolutely in love with Fluke's acting, but this show (just like My Bromance - 5 Year Later) did not do him justice. Fluke is an incredible actor! Use him! But even with the time we see him, he did an incredible job, especially at the end. So many things went wrong. I liked that they already had an established relationship, and I liked how this was more on the serious side like others weren't. It's an actual thing for someone's love to not be on the same scale after some time, but it was not done right in this ep. Peirce spends most of his time in the studio with Marc, in which we get little hints that Marc might've grown feelings for him. because of this, Peirce and Typhoon are having a bit of a struggle in their relationship. The end did NOBODY justice. There were so many things left unsaid. Let's start with the fact that Peirce told Marc that Typhoon was only his brother. Why did we not see anything further for that? we should've at least seen Typhoon learning that Peirce had said that, or Marc figuring out that they're not just brothers. I needed something more on that cause it's obvious that Peirce is not ready to be public about their relationship. By the end, we see that Typhoon and Peirce land in an argument which leads to them breaking up (or not?). But this was so chaotic and so not realistic that I was left confused and needing another episode to fully understand. Peirce says they need a break and Typhoon doesn't want one so he cries and says "let's act like we're in love" and Peirce is like "sure" and they kiss? No, that's not okay. Pierce forgot their anniversary, Peirce lied about his relationship with Typhoon, Pierce had some underlying something going on with Marc, and he wasn't being open with Typhoon about anything. They weren't a good couple at all, and if anything, they needed that break to be reminded how much they love each other. Overall, too many things were left unsaid, and they aren't a healthy couple at all. But, because I love Fluke so much, and I do love their pairing, they get a somewhat decent score, as well as they had a few cute moments that I wish were built upon further.

MooJoom (First) and Xin (Ja) - 4/10

No, just no. This ep was so out of whack that I literally have no words. While the concept of the show was actually pretty neat, I think that this would've worked out better had it not been a romance and rather just a show about a dude and his pet and how they live throughout their life (kind of like those kid movies in which their pet turns into a human and they go through wild adventures together). But for the most part, I was uncomfortable. Especially when I thought they were going to kiss, it really hurt my stomach. It's literally a cat like the human Moojoom is not real and in fact, a literal cat. But, I think that First did an excellent job in his acting, which is why this isn't sitting lower than a 4. Actually, I was quite impressed with this couple, and hope to see them in other shows (one where there aren't any animals). Overall, the acting was good, but the fact that it was a cat just was too much for me to handle.

I'd say that overall, these were pretty good. I think there are even some episodes that would make for a killer series, and that I can see doing well in numbers. One thing that I will say I really enjoyed about this series was that there weren't any ads or brand deals. I think this is the first series ever in which I can't remember a single time that an ad was used. If so, then they did an incredible job at keeping it subtle. I would recommend this for a watch since it only took me a couple of hours to finish, but this will most likely be yet another forgotten series.

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Short, Sweet and Shallow

As this is a collection of 6 short stories about 6 different couples, you can't expect deep characters and well thought out plots. Some stories are entertaining and work as a whole while others fall short in some aspect or just lack enough substance to keep an audience interested.

All in all, however, this was a short and sweet series. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who's looking for a deep story and wants to be emotionally invested in a romance, but if you just want something short to watch during a break or while having a snack, or just want to see your favourite couples from other BL shows again, Close Friend is a good choice.

Here are my comments on each episode:

Episode 1 (OhmFluke) had a lot of potential and great acting but fell short with an ending without a proper solution.

Episode 2 (JaFirst) was just stupid. It wasn't even proper BL.

Episode 3 (MaxNat) was rather fun but felt like a first episode out of a longer series which obviously left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.

Episode 4 (YoonTalay) had a unique setting and cute story but to me fell a bit short by not introducing the relationship of the main characters properly.

Episode 5 (Mii2) had the best characters and pacing out of all of them, in my opinion. The story was heartfelt, the characters were likeable and the ending worked very well.

Episode 6 (KimCop) included some messy scifi elements that I wish would have been explained better but nevertheless delivered a cute story.

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Half rewatchable

The first three episodes were a bit “meh” for me. Episode 1, had a lot of potential and Fluke stole the scenes, as per usual, but it’s just not enough time to get invested.
Episode 2, was a waste of perfect potential and time.
Episode 3 was better than 2, but boring. More lost potential.

At this point I was starting to think they were all gonna be a miss.

But Episode 4 was a HUGE improvement.
Episode 5 made the whole series worth it.
And for me Episode 6 was the divine icing on the cake. KimCop never fail me.

I would rewatch episodes 4-6 many times over.
Everything about them were perfectly executed.

I’d skip the first 3.

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Overall, painful to watch

I really try to support all BLs, but this was difficult to get through. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

ACTING, SOMETIMES. Okay, we all know Fluke is an amazing actor. And Ohm is good, too. Jimmy and Tommy have become a beloved veteran couple. There were other fan favorites here as well. I think they did the best they could, given what they were given.

CONS:

THE STORIES. Ep. 1 was really tough to watch, Fluke and Ohm are very capable actors and deserved much better. A depressing episode. Ep. 2 was just stupid. Ep. 3 was kind of cute, I guess. A kiss would have been nice. It's a little strange that this couple has a nine-year age gap between them. Hard to imagine them getting it on in any situation other than anonymously in a sex club. But I digress. Ep. 4 featured a veteran couple with a really weak script. Ep. 5: Jimmy and Tommy were adorable, but the story went nowhere. Ep. 6 was a couple of cute boys acting whiny and toying with each other. Yawn.

I had the feeling the producers were going for an "Our Skyy" dynamic. The only problem: Our Skyy was actually good, endearing, and really well done. Close Friend was just a dud.

Sorry. I will never rewatch this. 4.5 from me. And my rating is only that high because of Episodes 3 and 5, which still weren't really all that great.

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A mediocre blend of short stories

Normally I would wait until a series is complete before I leave a review, but seeing as how every episode is about a different couple, I figured it's best to address each episode as they come.

Episode One "Pretend to Love":
OhmFluke greets us on the screen again in the first episode of Close Friend. Pierce (Ohm) and Typhoon (Fluke) are a 3-year couple living together. Once Pierce gets an opportunity to help produce new music for a famous idol, their relationship slowly starts to crumble.

First of all, let me just say how much I love OhmFluke! They're my favorite BL couple of all time and I will always love them until the end of time. That said, this episode really doesn't do the pair justice. The length of the episode is around 20 minutes, and you can feel the limitations in its pacing. It jumps from scene to scene at an alarming rate while trying to build up how much Typhoon feels neglected by Pierce. The ending of the episode feels very underwhelming and incomplete. We don't even know if Pierce will learn to better prioritize his work life and homelife, nor did he acknowledge that he forgot his anniversary. We also didn’t get a whole lot of Pierce and Typhoon interacting together. Most of the episode was spent with Pierce and Marc being together, and Typhoon brooding alone at home.

Typhoon is understandably frustrated with Pierce spending more time away from home than at home, and I hate that he was made to feel childish.

I did like the concept of the show, because this is a realistic issue with a lot of couples. Where one member gets the job of a lifetime and completely ignores everything else around him, including their family. I just wish it was better developed.

I also feel like there was something going on between Pierce and idol Marc, but it was never addressed which I felt like was a wasted opportunity.

Overall thoughts:
Like I said, I love OhmFluke so much, and I wish I had enjoyed this episode more than I did. I think the show tried it's best to convey an entire story in 20 minutes, but that doesn't mean it was well executed. It decinitely left me feeling unsatisfied with how it ended, and I wish we had more. Ohm and Fluke are powerhouse actors and this episode was no exception. I do hope they get a proper new series to main in the future. I loved Until We Meet Again, and I so desperately want to see them in something new.

Episode One rank: 6.5/10

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Episode Two “Just Friend”

- We’ve now reached episode 2 of Close Friend. This one introduces the couple JaFirst. Right away, I can say that this story feels more complete than its previous episode. The storyline was very simple with no major complications, so by the time the ending came, it felt more complete.

- That being said, one question…Since when did we start romanticizing bestiality?

- Yes, you heard me right. This episode was nothing but a soft bestiality romance between a cat and his human owner. What makes it a “romance” is that we, the audience, see the interactions between P’Sin and Moojoom as if Moojoom was a human. First, who acts as the human version of Moojoom overly adorable, but at the end of the day, it was still an ordinary cat who’s in love with his owner. There was no magic that turned the cat into a human, or a cat shifter. It’s just an ordinary house cat. That just made things very uncomfortable.

- The pacing was still pretty fast, but I didn’t mind it nearly as much.

- There were a couple of unanswered questions like who left the cat at P’Sin’s house in the first place, or even what is his sexuality? He brought a girl home, but then just as quickly asked her to go home when he felt bad for how he treated the cat. Which, by the way, I highly doubt any single eligible bachelor would give up a hot date just to cuddle with a cat, which made it even more awkward in terms of the bestiality trope.

Overall Thoughts:
I’ve pretty much made my overall thoughts known. This episode was pretty cute, the storyline felt more complete than OhmFluke’s episode, and the actors had great chemistry. But what I can’t get with is the fact that this was basically a bestiality romance. No…just no.

Rank: 6.5/10

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Episode 3 "Willing or Not"

- Episode 3 gives us MaxNat in this tale between a senior and junior. Mini is a skinny hopeless junior who needs to join a club and was hoodwinked into joining the judo club. That's when he meets the intimidating senior, Titan. Right away, I can say this episode does the best job of telling a complete story than the first two episodes. What helps move the episode along was the little training montage with Titan teaching Mini basic judo. Even though Titan is essentially a hardass, you can see he's developing a soft spot for Mini.

- This episode thankfully gives us a small backstory with Titan, which I do appreciate, but once again the time constraint prevents us from really getting to know these characters.

- Aside from how short this episode is, I think the weakest element for me are the lead's chemistry. I'm not saying they don't have chemistry, but it's not as pronounced as it could be. There clearly is an attraction, but it's overshadowed by the training. I think their most intimate moment was Titan letting Mini flip him on purpose.

Overall Thoughts:
This episode was a lot better than the first two, but it was still pretty mediocre and honestly forgettable. I think MaxNat work well together, but this episode didn't do the best job of highlighting their on-screen chemistry. This episode definitely gave us a solid plot and it delivered with telling a cohesive story, but it still left me craving more of pretty much everything. As it stands, it was decent but pretty boring.

- Rank: 7.5/10

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Episode 4 "Just One Life"

- Now we're at LayYoon's episode, episode 4! XiaoPing, down on his luck when it comes to love seeks guidance from his best friend Peam. The adventures the two endure with rituals, praying, blind faith, etc was both lighthearted and heartwarming.

- The one thing this episode did better than it's last 3 predecessors was was being able to tell a cohesive story in its short time frame. We understood the plot, we saw the dynamics, and we even got a pretty satisfying ending.

- Right away you can see the strong bond of friendship between XiaoPing and Peam, even though Peam seems to have more feelings than friendship. Even though this was all a game for Peam, in the end he was still able to finally confess his feelings for XiaoPing, and help him realize that the love he'd been seeking all this time was right there in front of him. I love that we actually got to see XiaoPing coming to realize his feelings for Peam and it looked genuine. It didn't feel forced, or out of place. This was one of my favorite couples in the series and now I want to see more of them.

- Overall Thoughts:
I think I pretty much expressed how I felt about this episode. This was one of my favorites and leagues better than the first three. LayYoon had me smiling and giggling the entire episode. You instantly felt the connection between them. Even with Peam's "punishment" for tricking XiaoPing, it was still light and fun. This was a cute friends-to-lovers story, and I want more now!

- Rank: 8/10

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Episode 5 "Dear My Star"

- TommyJimmy are giving us 90s vibe in episode 5! Between the 90s era which gives me flashbacks to my childhood (I was born in 92), Night's interaction with his mother, and the overall connection between him and Cloud through letters, everything was just so heartwarming.

- I love the idea of pen pals writing back and forth, getting to know each other and growing closer despite not being able to see each other. Long Distance relationships, rather romantically or friendship, is never easy. So many obstacles get in the way, and the show does tackle a couple of those obstacles that is accurate for its era. There's no cell phones, no text messaging, pretty sure no emails. Everything was either by letter or land line (God I feel so old lol)

- Night and Cloud were so cute together. On the surface they seem to be complete opposites, but the more they learn about each other, the more they start blending their interests together. Like I said before, the back and forth between Night and his Mom was also hilarious. I loved their interactions.

- Just like with the previous episode, this episode also gave us a pretty satisfying ending with Cloud coming to see Night in person for the first time. We even get the subtle hint that maybe their friendship will blossom into something more. I loved this episode, and I hope we get a longer version somehow.

Overall Thoughts:
- This episode was my absolute favorite out of all six! This short story was able to give me everything I could've hoped for. Just like with the previous episode, we're given a cohesive story a simple plot, and a solid ending. Jimmy and Tommy are outstanding actors and as I said, you can feel their connection despite not being with each other in person. I love the 90s vibe this episode gave us, it was very nostalgic. This was a sweet and tender story with a glimpse of how it could evolve even after it ends. I wish we could get more, because I'm so invested in them now!

- Rank: 8/10

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Episode 6 "Imagine You"

- KimCop closes us off this anthology series with episode 5, a love between an idol and a fan. This episode didn't end the series on a positive note for me. I felt this was weaker than episodes 4 and 5. I'm not saying it was bad by any means, but it just wasn't doing it for me.

- Let's talk about the premise. We're given a unique concept with Ray being a huge fan of Jedi and was given VR goggles so he could have a virtual version of Jedi as the perfect boyfriend. I don't know why, but this brought me back to my manga days in High School, and one in particular was Absolute Boyfriend. This reminded me of that manga series, and not in a bad way.

- Ray and virtual Jedi had some cute interactions, while Ray also gets to meet his idol in the flesh at the coffee shop he works. I do like that later in the episode Ray acknowledges that the VR version of Jedi is just not. Virtual, but not real. It shows that he hasn't lost sight of reality even though he gets a taste of what being with his dream guy could be like.

- I think the weakest point for me is that we really didn't get much interaction between Ray and the real Jedi other than small talk and Ray being starstruck. Virtual Ray gives us a cryptic comment about how the real Jedi does notice him, and we do see them having a moment towards the end, but it leaves us with a lot of questions with no answers. This wasn't a solid ending, and I found myself confused when the episode finished.

- Overall Thoughts:
All in all this was a decent episode, but it didn't have the magic I felt in episodes 4 and 5. The premise was creative enough, and I did enjoy virtual Jedi and Ray's interaction. For me I think the problem was how confused I felt after watching it. We got more chemistry from Jedi's virtual counterpart than we did his irl version, so it made his moment with Ray in the end a little dejected. In the end this wasn't my favorite episode, but it was still pretty decent. This was more in line with episode 3 in that it was alright, but nothing to write home about.

- Rank: 7/10

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More and anthology of microfilms than a series

range 3/10-7/10 = c. 4.33/10

Same basic model as Y-Destiny except each couple was only given one 15 minute episode and there’s no character cross over. All known pairs. Look, I think I’m just not into microfilms that much. We get enough short BL out of Vietnam, Korea, and Taiwan these days. We don’t need it from Thailand in this sampler value pack model (like a BL anthology or something). Although it was fun to get Thailand doing tropes they normally don’t touch.

OhmFluke: LTR = 5/10
JaFirst: Cat = 3/10
MaxNat: Sports = 6/10
YoonLay: Friends to Lovers = 5/10
JimmyTommy: Pen Pals = 6/10
KimmonCopter: Idol meets fan meet VR = 7/10

*pats Thai BL on the head* You just do long series better, okay sweetie?

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An honest failure

This was truly a nice attempt at being a good multiverse of stories, but it failed on so many of them. The stories were just lacking substance and some of the actors just didn't have enough to go on. A few met the mark, but I am an A+ student... So I will leave it there.

Episode 1: Having such great acting talent and not going anywhere was sad. This was mostly because of the rushed sto... well what should have been there story, but it went by so quickly that it seemed like a rumour. It was arguably the best in the short stories that this show offered. I felt a little cheated out of what could have been a great story, a little longer and we could have seen a real start, challenge and resolution.

Episode 2: This was just uncomfortable, like up to now I have know idea if the main lead was having a fever dream or not. It was way too confusing, the acting wasn't stella neither, but at least they are handsome. I think the plot didn't give them much to work with so they just did the best they can.

Episode 3: Was this episode really necessary? It felt like a waste, hurried and pointless in terms of character and direction. I mean what really was the story here.

Episode 4: Was a slight gem within these stories, simple and realistic. It didn't feel rushed and had a nice buildup that made me believe it wasn't to fake. The actors chemistry wasn't amazing, but it was alright, the story was cute enough to be enjoyed.

Episode 5: Definitely the sweetest out of all the stories. The pacing, the story telling, everything was great. The cinematography could have been better, but that's minor. Worth making it through the others to see.

Episode 6: Steupssss. Lost me again with this episode, the story was sad and not in a good way. I can't even say more because it really doesn't have much substance to speak of why I didn't like it at all. I like fantasy games but this was just not it. Get a life bro, you to handsome to be wasting it in your room.

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Dear My Star...best episode hands down...

It is difficult to give Close Friend a single, comprehensive review since each of the six episodes depicts a story independent from the rest. So here goes:

Episode 1 Pretend to Love
I dont know what happened, the OhmFluke chemistry I was so looking forward to was not here. Maybe because of the characters they portray? I thought for sure Pierce will cheat on Typhoon with Marc...I could feel some sort of tension between those two that made me feel sorry for Fluke's character. Pierce was so unlikeable I wished the main characters would just break up. That kiss made me cringe. Anyway, the story was rushed and I felt unsatisfied overall.

Episode 2 Just Friend
My first reaction was: what the hell did I just watch??? I thought it was a love story, but it was about a cat and his human. I did not know what to make of it lol but it was fun. I have cats so maybe I could relate. That being said, I liked this episode more than the previous one.

Episode 3 Willing or Not
This story was cute and fun. Mini breaking the fourth to complain about Titan was hilarious. Max and Nat acted well, and I was rooting for their characters. I knew them from Why R U? The Series but I liked them more here. This episode was much better than the first two, so I thought they arranged the episodes in such a way that the latest episode will be better than the last.

Episode 4 Just One Life
The story was so fast-paced that in a span of one day (or less than 20 minutes for the audience lol), Yoon's character went from almost commiting suicide due to a broken heart, to potentially liking his close friend, Talay's character. I found it a bit illogical and thus couldn't root for them to be together. That being said, I could empathize with Talay's character; he portrayed it so well that even the confession was not cringey. On top of it all, the locations for this episode were just beautiful that I want to visit them someday lol.

Episode 5 Dear My Star
Best. Episode. Period. Where do I start? The story was pretty simple, but the 90s setting is what makes it so unique and interesting. Production was on point and detailed. The cinematography was so good, they captured the feel and ambiance of that era. Jimmy and Tommy as Night and Mek were just so believable as high school students and penpals/phonepals. Their chemistry was such that I could feel it even when they are not on scene together. They were so cute and adorable, and their acting performance was so amazing that I could literally feel them falling in love. Their first meeting moved me to tears...it was THAT good. And when Night grabbed Mek's hand and pulled Mek to him, and they just both looked into each other's eyes....I screamed because I thought for sure they were gonna kiss (they didn't), and even though it was illogical I didn't care, I just wanted them to be together. But when Night said "friend" it just crushed me. I understood it though, the 90s was not that tolerant to that kind of love and it was their first meeting for God's sake!!! Anyway, we got that awkward hug at the end so I'm good lol Everything about that scene was well-directed and well-acted, and the restraint in Night's and Mek's actions was what made it so believable and real. Jimmy and Tommy just pulled me into the story, I wanted to know more about Night and Mek. I am still so curious how their story will continue, given the situation in the 90s. All in all, this episode was amazingly well-done. I was a bit skeptical of the less than 15 minutes runtime, but they managed to pull it off, and so brilliantly too!

Episode 6 Imagine You
Kimmon and Copter are a cute couple here, no doubt about it. I liked Ray, he was a cute fanboy, Copter really did his character justice. But I also felt really sad for Ray, he was living an illusion. Btw, secondhand embarrassment is real!!! I have to say, though, I was confused by the story, especially the end. Honestly, I don't know what happened there. The sci-fi element of this episode is different and interesting, but I just wish there was a little more explanation about it, so I could relate to the characters more.

So my ranking, based on my enjoyment of the Close Friend episodes, are as follows:
1st Dear My Star
2nd Just One Life
3rd Willing or Not
4th Imagine You
5th Just Friend
6th Pretend to Love

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Don´t forget this was a MV project not a mini series or series !

As we know, in this project are 6 MVs for 6 songs with 6 couples/ships as the main leads.
OhmFluke: i like their acting, specially Fluke but Ohm did pretty good too. The problem was how they told the story and how they deal with their problem, thay affected the story line and the message. (7/10)

JiaFirst: i was a little bit dissapointed with this story because it had so much potential but it went to nowhere, their acting was good tho. (5/10)

MaxNat: i really enjoyed this one because it was like a comic/romcom story, also both of them have improved their acting and their chemistry is stronger. I had so much fun watching this one. (7/10)

TalayYoon: this story was simple, funny and adorable. Maybe, the plot could be more interesting but it worth it. Also, i liked to see them in different roles, so they could show more of their chemistry in a diferent story. (7/10)

JimmyTommy: "Dear my star" MV. This was my favorite from all pf them. The cinematography and all the details to build the 90´s was perfect. On top of that, JMTM´s chemistry was adorable and heartwarmig. I´d like to see more of this story (specially after some spoilers from the novel). Mek and Night stole my heart. (9.5/10)

KimomCopter: i like this episode, it was like scifi short movie, but at some point, the story line was confused. However, it was enjoyable and KimCopter´s chemistry made it. (7/10)

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The problem wasn't in the stories or with the actors, the problem was the time constraint. Each of these actors delivered the best they could depending on the materials they were provided. Preference of episodes is 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (the reversal of airing order ;) the best ones were put at the very end)

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 1
Pretend to love
• Fluke as Typhoon
• Ohm as Pierce, a music artist
SONG: To act like we are in love
RATING: 6.5/10
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Until we meet again
UPCOMING SERIES: Rumored upcoming series (I saw new pictures released about them so.. ;)

This story was pretty much surviving on OhmFluke. Both these actors have awesome chemistry and are wonderful in their roles and I suppose they were given a horrible story because they are the only ones who could act it and still get a mediocre score (instead of an abominably low one). The plot was practically non existent (basically Typhoon being jealous of how much time Pierce and Marc were spending together), the ending was abysmal with Typhoon asking Pierce to pretend to be in love with him and the characters were 2 dimensional. Sad endings aren't the problem here, the lack of development is.

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════Ep. 2
Just friend
• First as Mojoom, a cat
• Ja as Xin, the cat owner
SONG: Just be friend
RATING: 7.5/10
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Tharntype (sequel)
UPCOMING SERIES: Don't say no

There are two ways I look at this.
One way is that Moojoom was shown in a human form to portray the emotions of the cat. If so, First pretty much nailed the cute role.
Another is that the cat was actually a boy who was stuck in his feline form. Of so, the story's ending was unsatisfactory as there was no concrete evidence to support this idea.
Either way I was surprised how people were labelling this as bestiality because let's face it, Thai media regardless of how open it may or may not be l, is never going to tread into those murky waters. I thought this was a sweet story about a cat owner and his cat. The story could've been done way better though.

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════Ep. 3
Willing or not
• Nat as Mini, a freshman student
• Max as Titan, a senior student who is also a Judo champion
SONG: Accidental or intentional
RATING: 7.5/10
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Why RU? the series, Y-destiny (episodes 3,4)
UPCOMING SERIES: Cutie Pie the series

I've never liked Max and Nat as a pairing as much as others seemed to love them. I found it really awkward how Titan kept coercing Mini to participate in the competition but the story ended on a positive note with a signature post-injury piggyback ride.

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════Ep. 4
Just one life
• Lay as Xiaoping
• Yoon as Peam
SONG: Enough for one lifetime
RATING: 9.5/10
ALSO SEE THEM IN: YYY the series, YYY special, Y-destiny (probably episode 11, 12)
UPCOMING SERIES: –
If you've seen YYY and remember the 'English breakfast' scene then you'll get a pretty good idea about this story. Their shirts were the cutest thing ever, chemistry was on point, Lay was rocking his hair style as usual and Yoon was nailing his role as the clueless love interest.

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════Ep. 5
Dear my star
• Tommy as Mekhin/Mek, a student from rural Chiang Mai
• Jimmy as Night, a student from Bangkok
SONG: Your problem, my solution
RATING: 9.5/10
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Why RU? the series, Saifahzon story
UPCOMING SERIES: Middleman's love/Middle love, Peach of time

I may be biased but this story was the second best. The retro 90's theme with the cassettes, letter, payphones; the pen pals plot (a tale as old as time ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶), and the chemistry between the actors–a wholesome and light story.

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════Ep. 6
Imagine you
• Copter as Ray, a barista who is Jedi's top fan
• Kimmon as Jedi, a famous idol
SONG: To think– Not to think
RATING: 10/10
ALSO SEE THEM IN: (1) Kit and Ming in 2moons, (2) Kit and Mark in Gen Y, (3) TV shows based on SBFIVE, (4) Hotel stars
UPCOMING SERIES: That's my candy, Gen Y2

This story is getting a full 10 from me. This plotline is something that I love reading about in science fiction books and I was so surprised by the uniqueness of it. The story had me all in my feels. To summarize, Ray wins a virtual reality headset as a prize for a trivia competition. The headset let's him interact with a programmed counterpart of his favourite actor. When he wishes that his idol could become real, the sentient program emerges from the headset. Just to be clear, it doesn't emerge from the headset but it's just a projection who feels real to Ray (I got confused about the touching parts but I attribute that to his lovestruck state).

Ray works as a cafe in a small obscure cafe, and one fine day Jedi visits the shop! He begins to frequent the shop because he loves Ray's coffee and feelings start to grow. The show ends on a positive note with them touching and Jedi says: “This is better than the headset isn't it?"

Like I need a full series out of this. It would be mind-blowing and awesome. Keeping my fingers crossed! The only recommendation I could come up with was “Love from outta space”, because both these stories have science fiction elements in them but the stories aren't similar at all.

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════

This felt like a combination of fanservice, advertisement of upcoming series and bringing recognition to the Boxx music artists. I did the math, and the overall rating comes to 8.5.

Should you watch the series? I'd say episodes 5 and 6 were really unique so at least give those a try (I am rewatching them too!). Yoonlay have undeniable chemistry so episode 4 was enjoyable. Episode 3 was okay. I personally thought episode 2 was cute but if you don't think so then just skip it. If you want to watch episode 1 because of ohmfluke then don't–they weren't treated with justice.

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