This review may contain spoilers
headache at times...
I think when I'm writing this I'm speaking for the whole fandom. This series is far from perfect. I would say the best part of this series was the acting. Also, the chemistry was glowing trough our screen which was nice to see. Freen and Becky did a wonderful job on what they had to work with. I am looking forward to their next project together. Now, at first, the plot was promising but it fell flat and dragged out in the end. We hardly even got to see mon and sam happily together in peace. I won't lie. Wedding ending was nice but it felt rushed. I blame it on writer who focused too much time on sam's emotional abusive grandma and manipulative kirkWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Quite good actually
Lately I have problems putting my thoughts into words and coherent sentences so forgive me if this review is a bit all over the place, but I've been trying my best. I think I'll just go with bullet points as that is easier for me when writing.What I liked:
1) Easy to watch. Maybe it was the fact that it's on Youtube and each episode is broken into four smaller parts but I found this series incredibly easy to binge-watch. I didn't do it but it would be easy to. The plot wasn't hard to understand and the aesthetics were on point.
2) Mon's parents. I loved how they were supportive of their daughter and how her step-father was so nice to her and they both had a great and healthy relationship together. Their scenes with Sam were also funny, how they were so polite to her.
3) TeeYuki. I loved Yuki. I loved Tee even more, it was nice to see a butch character. We were robbed when these two didn't have more screentime together. TeeYuki spinoff when?
4) Risa and Cher. My beloved ones. I loved to see a slightly older wlw couple, enjoyed every moment they were on screen. Seriously I liked the side couples more than the main couple.
5) The wedding. Although same-sex marriages are still not recognised in Thailand, it felt nice for them to still have one (and if I remember correctly Risa and Cher were also "married").
Mixed feelings:
1) Grandma. The last episode twist was out of nowhere. I'm glad that the grandmother changed her view on Sam, not fully but at least she supported her and let her be with Mon. Also Kirk, at the beginning I seriously thought that he was supportive of Sam not marrying him lol.
2) Sam's company. It was so vague what the company actually does lol. I liked the guy, who pretended to be dead at the beginning, that was funny. Auntie Mee portrayal was not and I hate how some shows treat trans women as just comedic reliefs, with their transness being the actual joke. It's not funny. And please stop casting cis men as trans women, even a cis woman would be better for the role (the best way would be for the character to not be there at all). I would prefer no representation over bad one any day. But yes, we need more trans characters portrayed well and with respect! And I needed more Nita, she was there as one of the minor antagonists and then just dissappeared out of nowhere.
3) The age gap. Nothing against age gaps as long as both the characters are mature enough, it is legal, it is not grooming and creepy. Sam and Mon have an age gap of eight years in the series, Mon is 22 I think while Sam is 30. That's perfectly fine. What WAS weird was that they met as children (well, Mon was a child, I can't remember how old Sam was during that encounter) and it made Mon idolize Sam and want to follow in her footsteps so I guess that it had to be there but still I was a bit icky with it. Maybe because I don't like the protagonists meeting in childhood cliche even normally, but with big age gaps it gets even weirder. At least Sam didn't seem to remember much about it and it wasn't portrayed in a romantic way.
What I disliked:
1) The character of Auntie Mee, I already talked about it.
2) The last episode felt a bit rushed to me. Like there were no time jumps in the seriee but the last episode was like "3 days later" and "2 months later" at least two more times.
Overall I give 8.5/10 rating, I enjoyed watching it and I hope that it will bring us more full-length GLs.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Too Big A GAP
Going into watching GAP, I wanted to like it, I really did. Especially with it being, from my understanding, Thailand's first GL focused drama. Also considering it had Becky and Freen as the leads, I was hopeful. I was, unfortunately, sorely disappointed in it. It started out strong but just went downhill from there and eventually there was simply no coming back. It became repetitive, tedious, and downright boring. I severely struggled to get through those last couple episodes. I think what I find saddest is that it had all the ingredients for a solid, if not spectacular, drama, but instead it just imploded.The plot is thin here, razor thin. Okay, fine, I can work with that. Character driven dramas can be great too if done well. Except this wasn't done well. I liked the beginning with Mon and Sam reunited but with Sam not remembering Mon. I thought it was a stretch for Mon to expect Sam to remember her after so long, but, again, we'll go with it. The build up of their romance was okay if not great. They both seemed a bit too obtuse regarding figuring out their feelings. If you're biting each others lips and noses, it's a safe bet that you're probably not just friends. A lot of the problems though came once Sam and Mon actually got together. We got thrown into a repetitive cycle of fights and misunderstandings followed by making up only to do it all over again. Also, the waterworks. There was hardly an episode where one or both didn't cry at least once. I'm fairly certain the water level in the Gulf of Thailand went up an inch or two. And what all that bickering led me to wonder was if they even really loved each other. There were so few moments of them actually happy together, it made it hard to believe that they were each other's happiness. The pacing was awful after the first couple episodes. By the time I hit Episode 10, I was seriously wondering if I would make it through. It was just rehashing the same things over and over again and I was so done with it all.
There were also some aspects that were left unanswered or unexplained.
-One of the big ones I had was what exactly did Sam's company do? Their spin off that Mon worked on, Diversity Pop, seemed more social media oriented, but the rest of it was unknown.
-I don't believe Sam's parents and where they were or what may have happened to them was ever addressed. I would assume they're deceased though given that she and her sisters were raised by their grandmother.
-And where were Mon's parents? Their daughter was shacked up with her boss and there were no questions? No discussions? I mean, her parents seemed willing to agree to anything regarding Sam, but it was odd that they just kind of disappeared.
-What was with Nita? The flirting with Sam was very weird and awkward, I thought that was going to come back up at some point, but then she never appeared again. What purpose did that serve?
-There were a couple of times, particularly in Episode 11 though, where Yuki would be present, but she would be asked to do something to get rid of her. One, I didn't get why, it wasn't like they were sharing state secrets, and two, even if they were, they weren't lowering their voices at all so she wouldn't hear what they were saying. It was just weird.
The characters of Mon and Sam were an interesting pair given their differences. I liked how Sam was created. She was just bitchy enough to show the character's development throughout as she softens without making you absolutely hate her. Her awkwardness and struggles with communication also leant her a level of realism as well as giving her background more believability. However, I didn't think we were given enough insight into her emotions and thoughts. She loved Mon, but had she really given any thought to their future? She knew how her grandmother had reacted previously so why hadn't she put any thought into what would happen when her grandmother found out? It was all fair too vague for my taste. Mon was interesting because her appearance belayed her actions. She appeared sweet and innocent and yet when it came to things like continuing her relationship with Sam despite Sam technically being in a relationship with Kirk, she didn't put up much of a fight. She was portrayed a very much a people pleaser, something that came back to bite her a few times. With her I also had the question, prior to Episode 10, of whether she ever saw a future for them together. That lack of insight again was frustrating. And neither character had particularly great character development. Minimal at best. Together, while the theme seemed to be that differences attract, their relationship was not fully realized. Yes, they had chemistry and physical attraction, but very little beyond that was explored. There was a constant failure to communicate effectively despite several conversations discussing how they needed to communicate and by the end, it didn't feel like their relationship had developed to any real extent. Not every relationship in dramas needs to be sunshine and rainbows, but it does need to be established why the couple is together and what they're fighting for. Aside from Mon's hero worship of Sam, I really didn't get why these two were together.
Mon and Sam together also created a level of interest due to their moral ambiguity. It's not a primary focus, and it's never really addressed as such, but essentially Sam was cheating on Kirk. Despite the fact that she had no feelings for him, they were in a relationship that was headed towards marriage, willingly or not. While Mon shows some reticence towards this treatment of him, she never pushes it and Sam has no qualms despite being fully aware of Kirk's feelings for her. Now this can make it easy to view Kirk as a victim, however, that's hardly the case. While not the same big bad as Sam's grandmother, Kirk is an antagonist in his own right, albeit a more sympathetic one. His privilege comes screaming through in his actions, forming the deal with Nita, pressuring both Mon and Sam about the wedding, taking Sam's grandmother's words as gospel, all of it comes together to reveal that he's a man who doesn't really respect or value Sam regardless of what he says. His actions speak louder. I really appreciated his character for all his dimensions because you really don't view him as an antagonist initially. He's sweet and handsome and likeable and it's easy to think he's been ill used until you examine his actions more closely. Although proposing to Sam at Jim's wedding, that was an asshole move.
Yuki, Tee, Jim, and Kade were vastly underutilized characters. They pretty much popped up whenever Sam and Mon had a fight and oddly, despite being primarily Sam's friends, were always seen supporting Mon. The typical excuse was that Sam was unreachable, but I would have preferred if they switched things up with sometimes being there for Mon, other times being there for Sam or dividing and conquering. Although generally over the top all around, they added a good dose of humor and served as a source of support and advice for Mon. I just would have liked to see their characters fleshed out more and given more screen time. At some point, Tee and Yuki appear to have started a relationship, but it's never fully confirmed and never really shown either which I found disappointing. A side couple to divert from the main couple would have been very welcome.
Sam's grandmother was the big bad of the drama and frankly I was really disappointed with how she was used. I hated that they gave her a redemption arc as it was done far too quickly and unrealistically. If she had found out about their relationship earlier on and had been given more time to reconcile to the idea of them together, then I could have maybe gotten on board, but as it was, I was disappointed. Considering how set in her ways she was and how obviously firmly she held to her beliefs, it felt contrived that she changed her mind so abruptly. I would have much preferred to seen her stick to her guns and instead have Sam finally have the cojones to break free like her sister and damned what happened to old biddy. But that wouldn't be a totally happy ending and we can't have that.
While all the crying got very tiring after a while, I was impressed with both Becky and Freen for their ability to bring the waterworks. They were, for the most part, believable in those many emotional scenes. They had to be absolutely exhausting though. Becky's acting had a bit more a natural and raw feel to it, whereas Freen sometimes seemed almost too controlled even within the character. Still I overall their portrayal of their characters and they did have great chemistry together. Yo who played Sam's grandmother deserves a shout out because she made me legitimately despise the character.
The production quality was nothing special. There are some shaky shots that, while infrequent, I found distracting. Flashbacks are massively overused, particularly in later episodes. The songs used were repetitive and got old after a while. Basically the usual occurrence of the same song is played every time someone's happy, someone cries, etc. The instrumental music utilized varied from fitting to almost discordant. In particular, there was a scene in Episode 9 where the music was very loud and distracting and did not fit with the scene. It was awful.
Despite all the criticisms here, there were aspects that I enjoyed of GAP. The lesbian representation was obviously a highlight as was having a large female cast. I also appreciated that unlike BLs which have a tendency towards misogyny and objectification of their female cast, that was not the case here. The few male characters were treated as full characters and actually utilized within the story. I was uncertain about how the sex scenes would be portrayed, but they were aesthetically pleasing and well done.
GAP lacks a lot. In my opinion, it is not worth the slog to get through it. However, I am hopeful that GLs continue to be made and gain popularity and traction so that at some point, something truly great can be created. I would love to see a female director take the helm to bring a non-male perspective and perhaps even a full female production and film team. Only time will tell.
Was this review helpful to you?
GAP is a materpiece of Asian Lesbian representation
GAP the series, as Thailand's first major lesbian wlw drama to be aired on national TV there, is a standard bearer in lesbian and gl media, I feel as if a lot of the other reviews here are unfair to the final product and I will be addressing a lot of those concerns so keep other reviews with a grain of salt should you read more. GAP tells the story of Mon, a 22-year old university graduate who idolizes and admires Mom Luang Samanun (or Khun Sam in the story), the great-granddaughter of a previous King of Thailand and has several encounters with her in her childhood that leave her with an immediate and strong infatuation, Mon and Sam meet again when Mon goes to work for Sam's social media company to be closer to her, only to find Sam has changed since the younger version that she knew.Mon and Sam have an instant, immediate, sparking chemistry that is unlike anything I have ever witnessed on screen, you can feel the tingles and sparks through the screen.
Extreme heteronormativity and comphet leaves a LOT of younger gay women mistaking their crushes for "idolization", and Mon is no exception,
Plot-wise, the show is nothing special. The story is not bad, but in this series the plot does it's job extremely well, providing a foundation for our two characters to fall in love and interact. In a drama like this, plot is not as important to me as romance and character development. In this way, GAP the series excels
Khun Sam is a very complex character, being subject to immense childhood trauma, leaves her unable to express her desires or feelings in a proper way, also leading to her lacking many skills and being unable to communicate properly. She comes off a certain way but as you get to know her character and watch her develop and grow, you cannot help but love her.
Mon is also a complex character in her own right, being seen as naive, happy, hopeless, dainty, and meek but is able to muster a great deal of courage, speaking her mind and standing up for others. This is also a character flaw later on, as her rigid sense of justice (right and wrong) leads her to make decisions she should not. This is a departure from the trope of the happy sunshine girl who is nice to everyone
The cinematography (specifically light and color) is extremely well done, the use of parallel shots and light and fire to highlight Sam's world is worth paying attention to. I often notice foreshadowing, use of light to contrast other scenes to show Sam's growth and subsequent rewatches, there is so much to analyze just here alone.
There is more than meets the eye , as it may seem to have a light-hearted, cheesy, corny feeling both in the trailer and at the start, but do not be fooled. It's just a lure to the real story, as it morphs in tone to a 'star crossed destined lovers' who will sacrifice the sun to be together sort of story.
On an unrelated side note, the costumes are amazing, I love Mon's wardrobe and want all of it for myself.
Due to this show not having any sponsors and having to be funded mostly by the producer and CEO Saint's own money, we did not have a long enough show as 15 episodes instead of 12 would have been more effective for this story, but you often have to make due with what you are given, which lead to the series and ending 'feeling rushed', but despite this, the story is told complete with no plot holes.
An additional criticism I have is the director did not do much to indicate the passage of time, so you might feel as if the entire story takes place over the course of a week, but it was supposed to be many many months (at least 6 months) so keep this in mind as you watch.
You will NOT regret watching this series, it's cute, funny, will make you cry and sob, breaking your heart before putting it back together again with a satisfying ending.
Was this review helpful to you?
Such a waste, had to drop.
This started out so good, with two strong and fascinating leads, so why did they suddenly make them juvenile and stupid?This story had such a good premise, but it gradually turned into a very slow and overdramatic lakorn, with too many fillers and too little common sense. The chemistry between the leads was still scorching, but it wasn't enough to make up for the bad script writing.
What I did love about this drama was the styling. The wardrobe department knew more about the characters than the writers did: at one glance the viewer can tell who is rich or poor, who is tough and who is sweet. Great job.
To summarise, my wish is to see the two actresses together again in a drama that has better writing and less obnoxious supporting characters.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Sam stop being mad
Okay, so I'm just going to go over some things I did like in the show and things I didn't.Things I liked:
The effort to make a gl (wlw relationships don't get much representation)
The communication between Mon and Sam at times
A lot of the moments they had were very cute
The subtle change in Sam's attitude at work (that could've just been because of Mon)
Tee and Yuki
Things I didn't like:
Sam's attitude towards Mon a lot of the time: 2 examples are in the 8th episode where she basically slut shamed her (if I were Mon I wouldn't have gone back to her) and in episode 10 where Mon rejected Sam's proposal and then Sam got mad (like ick).
The involvement of Sam's/Mon's friends in their sex life, like it's none of your business if they have sex or not and you shouldn't be trying to force them to do anything.
Kirk, is such a dick, proposing to someone at someone else's wedding, like really dude.
How naive and "stupid" they made Mon
And how annoying Sam is, getting mad at literally nothing.
I appreciate the attempt and the try at giving wlw relationships representation, but there are things that need improvement
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
So much hype,so much potential but it did disappoint. 8/10 and this with leniency.
It was okay. The chemistry insane but it had so many BAD flaws . Well,so much hype. So much potential. It was good. But it did disappoint. So many annoying & unnecessary things.Kissing games,Mon forgives Sam everytime she chooses gradma,Mon knows Kirk is the mole and decides not to tell Sam etc etc.Like how many times should Mon forgive Sam since Sam always,always choosing her grandmother over Mon?And Sam was saying like lets fight together and was going to marry Kirk after all. Like girl.Sorry but you can't have both. Sorry,not sorry.All these 3 things i mentined are a RED flag for me. Kissing games like they are sisters or smth?Hell nah. Mon forgiving Sam and comes back to her ?Hell nah.Its like she was manipulated by Sam.Just like grandmother manipulated her.Yes of course,Mon loved Sam. Yes she was weak.But you cant have both i fear. And even Nueng helped them and then we see that there is a wedding next ep.Like why?Sam choosed Mon.And the next day she marries Kirk. She decided to be with Mon and then the next day she choosed grandmother again.And Mon forgave her once again.Sorry to tell you but this type of stuff,nah.Just no.And in last ep after all these forgivenesses by Mon she forgave Sam once again. Okay yes.Im not complaining.They wanted and gave us a happy ending.Im happy.But i am so disappointed with all these tropes.My hopes and expectations were so high.But these 3 things made me realize this is not the best GL show to exist.Sorry,not sorry. 8/10 for me. And that's only because of the wedding proposal scene and the good ending.Imagine if we havent got a H.E. hahaha good one .Good try tho. RIPWas this review helpful to you?
I could go through and pick through all the different aspects of the show, but ultimately I think I just want to keep it brief. The acting is there, the chemistry is there, and while the story may wobble sometimes, it's there too. I am now a fan of just about everyone in this show, and I hope to see more from them all in the future!
If you're hesitant to give this one a try, I would say just go for it. Give it a chance, because it may just surprise you.
Was this review helpful to you?
first does not mean best, and that's fine
I'm watching GAP for the first time in 2024, with two Idol Factory GLs in the pipeline (one in partnership with the Thai government), 23.5 airing on GMMTV, and a FreenBecky movie about to hit cinemas--not even to mention the other GL projects from smaller companies cropping up every day. And I think it's important to acknowledge that all of this owes something to GAP, even if GAP isn't very good. The first doesn't have to be perfect, but it has to be made. It's got to be fun and get people excited, and I think GAP did that well. Even though this will never be a favorite for me, I still very much respect the effort and look forward to what this team has coming up next.-The Full Review-
STORY:
It's not controversial to say that GAP has... a lot going on. And most of it questionable at best. It's not that it's "unhealthy" or "toxic" or anything, I like a good dark romance just fine. But this story was sloppy and didn't bother to earn most of it's emotional moments. Sam and Mon rarely talked about anything real and it was difficult to see what they even found to love in each other. The back third of the show in particular continually seesaws on the character development, leaving everyone rather pale and two-dimensional. It's a real shame.
That said, the script managed to scrape together some fun scenes. Sam and Mon's friends and coworkers are always a delight, injecting much needed humor and life into the story. Sam and Mon also excel when they are funny and most of their early flirtation is genuinely enjoyable to watch. Most of the characters, at least the ones who are not evil, are charming and loveable and kept me going through the slog of some of the worst of the melodrama. Enough, at least, to convince me to give the author a second chance.
ACTING:
The acting here... isn't great, but I'm not sure how much of that is a result of the shaky story versus the actors skills. Both of the lead actresses had some really lovely moments in their acting... and some really stiff/awkward scenes. With such inconsistent storytelling, I imagine it was difficult to craft a comprehensive character. That said, while some of this was due to the style/tone of the story, it was not often balanced by enough true connection to make the jokes land well. The ensemble was particularly weak, with the exception of Looknam and Heng.
Despite this, I did enjoy the chemistry that Becky and Freen created. Even at their stiffest and most intolerable character moments, they played off each other well and had a believable attraction. In their best moments, it was enough to truly start getting excited about future projects with better scripts and productions. I think it's very likely that one day this show is looked on fondly as the fumbling first starts of a young cast and production company that grows into something much better.
PRODUCTION:
On one hand, I really loved so many of the costuming choices. They were insane, but they were really fun and sold the type of story being told here. The wedding outfits alone were so good we almost forgave the episode for all it's previous sins. While some of the locations have been used to death already (how many times must someone cry about their engagement on the death stairs lol?), the production design and lighting was decently good, if sometimes a little random.
What really was Bizarre was the musical choices. I'm not quite sure why they chose to reuse themes the way they did, but it was not an effective way to create an emotional response. At the very least, they should have used different versions of the same songs to differentiate between tension, sadness, and sex scenes. It was all a little ridiculous. Along with the frequent fumbles in sound quality and visible mic packs... sound department has a lot to answer for here.
INTIMACY:
For the positives: I do enjoy that the girls didn't get doomed to hair braiding and were allowed to be sexual beings. I think that Becky and Freen served a really excellent performance that expressed true desire in their sex scenes--I don't think any of the weirdness is their fault. However, the scenes were blocked.... oddly! I'm not sure what SCOY looks like, but coming to GAP from having watched The Sign, it's odd how abbreviated their sex scenes are and how frequently they are... let's say taking turns? Instead of having a moment of mutual pleasure.
I don't care what other reviews say about "the male gaze" and "fetishizing" because it's all stupid! I am a lesbian, GL is *for* sapphics. I want GL to be treated equally and to be allowed to have as much much hot, weird, kinky, awkward, and unfounded sex as they want. GAP was a great step in the right direction, but it's still holding back. QL has a long way to go in this regard.
In all, I am not upset that I watched GAP, but I probably won't rewatch it any time soon. I think it's worth watching because of the history it brings, and I think it's worth watching because it can be fun and Becky and Freen are genuinely quite good. But I am also not going to pretend that I am satisfied with this series or even particularly enjoyed it. It's a start, and I'm looking to see what comes next.
Was this review helpful to you?
THE BEST EVER GL SERIES
At first I thought when I watched the first episode it was a very flat, uninteresting, and very boring story. But when I tried to watch the next episode, I thought I would take my words about the boring story, because it turns out that this story is very interesting to watch, I feel that this is not just a GL romantic series story but in this story there is a lot of comedy, good friendship, and makes me even more curious to continue the next chapter.Indeed, this series is not completely perfect, but knowing the fact that this is produced by a new agency and all the actors and actrees are also new to the acting industry, I think this series is quite good, their acting is natural, I laugh when they are laughing, and cry when they are in a scene sad.
For music, I really love.
The music is varied, and it's also sang by the cast of GAP, it's really amazing, all of them are not only good at acting but also can sing beautifully.
Lastly, I really like Freenbecky's chemistry, both in the series and in the real world, their visuals can attract the attention of many people. They are beautiful, funny, humorous and perfect together. Thank you to the company for making this series, thank you Mr ceo Saint from Idolfactory for successfully producing this series without the help of sponsors, you are really cool. Also thanks to freenbecky for playing Khun Sam and Mon so well, also thanks to all the cast and crew involved in making this series. I think GAP is also famous all over the world, that's amazing.
I hope there will be new projects for freenbecky in the future. I love freenbecky so much.
Was this review helpful to you?
The acting is bearable, I do like Freen's performance for the most part and Sam has been my favourite character but also the only one I've cared about. She is giving me major autism vibes and while she can be a horrible person, I do like here as a character and feel for her.
Becky's acting is... I barely made it past the first episode, it took me a week to make it through that one and another two weeks to decide to continue on with the show. Something about it really does not click with me even if it isn't the worst and I can ignore bad acting if the story overall is compelling enough.
The friend group was entertaining to an extent but their overbearing nature and nosiness when some things really do not concern them (e.g. Mon and Sam having sex) quickly became too much for me and the cringe was off the charts.
It is very noticable that the storyline of Tee and Yuki was cut and makes for some very awkward editing.
The editing and the camera angles are another issue. Why is every other scene filmed at a tilted angle?
I liked some parts, enough to continue on for 8 episodes and maybe I will pick it up again some time in the future - but why force myself to watch something when I don't feel like it just to support a GL?
Was this review helpful to you?
Best GL Series Yet
Ladies delivered an awesome performance with amazing chemistry, wardrobe, and acting. The storyline was a classic one employee and boss trope with some twists. The actresses are really fun to watch on screen and off screen. Their bright and adorable personalities really shine thru. The director and production team is legendary and made the audience feel so much emotions. I am so proud of this representation of two women falling in love and battling thru life obstacles together. What an emotional rollercoaster. Saint sup is a genius! Can’t wait for more GL content from IDOLFACTORY.Was this review helpful to you?
