We Are (2024)

We Are: Entwined Hearts & Uncharted Paths

Should you watch "We Are"? Honestly, it's a bit of a mixed answer. The storyline is quite simple, without much depth or intense drama. But if you're looking for a show that emphasizes healthy friendships and relationships, "We Are" does a great job of that. This was something I was really hoping for, and it delivered well in that aspect. The genuine connections and positive interactions between the characters are refreshing and heartwarming.

While there are some enjoyable moments, the pacing really becomes an issue, particularly between Episodes 9 and 13. This section felt especially slow and could have been condensed, making the whole series tighter and more engaging, probably fitting better into 12 episodes.

So, while it might not be the most thrilling series out there, its charm comes from its simplicity and the heartfelt bonds it shows. If that sounds appealing to you, it’s definitely worth a watch.

"In this group of friends, even though university life is tough, life's ups and downs, plus love's twists, keep things always stirring.
We are... friends who argue but care so much about each other that sometimes, we end up flirting."

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16 episodes, no plot in sight, and I'm eating it up

I imagine the conversation about how this show came to be going something like this…

Writer A: Guys, I have an idea for a new story!
Writer B: Oh, fantastic! What’s the plot about?
Writer A: Ah, the plot? That would be good to have I guess. But screw it, we’re not doing a plot this time.
Writer C: Uh, okay… So if there isn’t a plot, what is the show about?
Writer A: Well, I had all these scene left over from other shows that didn’t make the cut, so I just kind of strung them all together to create a show. It’s about this large group of friends who are a bunch of idiots but a lot of fun, and cute boys will fall in love!
Writer B: I guess people love cute boys falling in love, so that works for me.
Writer C: Yeah, sure. So, since there isn’t a plot, maybe we should keep it short and simple? Maybe go with 8 episodes instead of the usual 12.
Writer A: I was thinking more like 16.
Writer C: But why? If there isn’t a plot, wouldn’t it be better to keep it short and sweet?
Writer A: Absolutely not. We have four couples in this, so we need more episodes.
Writer B: Oh, great! So that means we’ll have four incredibly well fleshed out couples that all get about an equal amount of screen time?
Writer A: Don’t be silly. We’ll spend a lot of time on two ships, and give the other two some scenes here and there.
Writer B: Are you sure about this? The whole thing kinda sounds like a very strange show to make. Will people really watch it?
Writer C: I guess they will if we get phenomenal actors. Maybe we should hit Khaotung and First up.
Writer A: Nope, we’ll get a bunch of mediocre actors and just make them do cute things and do puppy eyes very often, so people will look past the fact that some of them *cough Phuwin cough Marc cough cough* aren’t the greatest at portraying emotions. Not that the show really needs great actors anyway, because there isn’t really any meaningful conflict, so there aren’t many scenes of heightened emotions.
Writer B: I’m not sure, dude. But I guess if we come up with new scenes and stuff and avoid dead-ridden tropes, it might be a breath of fresh air.
Writer A: Don’t be silly. Why fix what ain’t broke? We’re going to use all the cliche scenes and tropes and we’ll run wild with them. Or do you guys have a better idea?
Writer C: Nah, thinking of something new and unique sounds like a lot of work. I say we run with what you got.
Writer B: Works for me, now let’s go eat something.
Writer A: Ah yes, eating. They do that in the show too. Like a lot.

This series is nothing new, nothing unique, it has no real plot or meaningful conflict, the characters aren’t really interesting, some actors are really struggling (mainly Phuwin and Marc, but Pond and Winny certainly won't win Oscars any time soon either), and one of the romances is dragged out beyond any point of reason. In short, it has everything I don’t like, and I ABSOLUTELY ATE THAT SHIT UP. If you ask me why, I honestly couldn’t tell you. Despite it dragging a little after a while, it was incredibly entertaining and adorable, and I honestly have not much more to say than that, so this will not be my usual in depth review.

The best part of this is by far the friend group. I’m convinced they all share one collective brain cell that hops from head to head, depending on the episode, and I love it. Okay, Fang may get his own brain cell, but the rest are definitely sharing. They’re just a bunch of idiots who do dumb stuff, but they’re so supportive of each other and they all bounce off each other incredibly well. The chemistry between the actors was great, so this felt actually believable unlike the friend groups in other shows. It also didn’t fall into the trap of forgetting about the friends as soon as the romance begins to pick up. The title fits perfectly because they really are, they just exist, which sounds incredibly boring and like a slog to get through, but it really wasn't at all (at least not for me). It was a joy to watch them and I could’ve probably gone for another five episodes just because they were so hilariously over the top and stupid and cute.

An honourable mention goes to Satang as Toey. He absolutely nailed the role and Toey is so insanely adorable that I squealed every time he was on screen. I just wanted to put him in my pocket and protect him from the world, and I loved how his friends felt the same and spoiled and protected him. So cute. Aou was phenomenal as Tan as well and despite the character being an annoying cringe fest, I found myself loving him.

That’s honestly all I have to say. If you’re a plot driven person, this show might drive you crazy because nothing really happens in it. But if you enjoy a bunch of idiots being idiots and having a great time together, then this might be for you. I honestly expected not to like this series at all, but it ended up on my list of shows I’d rewatch any day (if it weren't for it being such a large time commitment). This is not an objective 8, it's an 8 in terms of subjective enjoyment and entertainment factor. Objectively, this isn't anything great. So if you want to enjoy this, you’ll just have to give up on trying to watch this under a critical perspective, and instead embrace it for what it is, aka chaos x 100.

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GMMTV ensemble romcom

Overall: this was a Thai ensemble romcom with several sweet moments, but I wish they had increased the pacing. 16 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI exclusively for U.S., Canada and Thailand; on GMMTVs YouTube channel for everywhere else. The director's more recent BL works include: Absolute Zero, A Boss & a Babe, Between Us and My Only 12%.

Content Warnings: hit, hits played as comedy, punches in the past, vomiting, manhandling, manipulation

What I Liked
- seeing many GMMTV actors again
- whale spout hairstyle
- took a taxi when drinking
- the friend groups
- sweet moments
- the bloopers at the end of episode 16

Room For Improvement
- some lackluster kissing which in 2024 and a major production studio meant that I took off a half point
- slow pacing, the story could have been told in 8 episodes instead of 16
- voice over exposition dump/main character intro
- the myriad of comedy sound effects did not make me laugh
- nonsense "plans", cliched poor communication skills
- art students transported important paintings without any carrying cases
- because there were so many couples I (and likely others) had favorites and tended to fast forward/skip other couples

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Are These People Afraid of Lips?

Literally, how the eff did this cast look like supermodels and kissed like stale bread? Also why did I think Pond’s name came second in his couple tag? LMAO, imagined my surprised when he showed up acting all aloof and cool, talking about needing his junk repaired for 200k baht. I was like, 'Oh, okay, so this is where we going, arite.'

Anyway, here is my quick review:
First, this series had no business being 16 episode. How many time did they have to go do something with water? The last 3 or so episodes were super unnecessary. We get it, Peem likes water, move on to something more interesting, please!!

What I liked.
FRIENDSHIP. No, their friendship group was beautiful and so chill, and brought back good memories. I love how supportive they all were to each other. Whenever they had a scene together, I had a big grin on my face. I enjoyed the scenes when they tried to get Q to admit his feelings, and every time they tried to fit into Peem's tiny arse bed.

What I didn't like:
1) The acting: Open back the acting school, cuz like... some parts of this was so awkward and cringy. Though, I think AouBoom improved from when I first watched them in Hidden Agenda. Tan was a bit hyper but I liked his character. Truthfully, most of the cast looked ready to shoot a catalogue than they did acting. They all moved as if they were camera shy. No, like, every time Peem tried to act serious I went, 'Dude, stop doing that thing with your eyebrows!!'

2) Stale kisses and cringy scenes: Dafug was up with most of the couples in this? Out there acting like they were afraid of lips. I blame it on the stiff acting. No, I did not want KinnPorsche level of kisses. I just wanted like a normal one. You know like that penguin couple who kissed in the last episode. They moved their face and were enthusiastic, and that was a-o-kei. In the scene where Peem and Phum were kissing beside that canoe by the sea, Peem literally looked like he was in pain, legit, Phum would have had a better chance making out with that canoe cuz... yikes!

3) Meh plot-line: Don’t ask me the voice of nobody. The plot did not keep my interest, so I watched most of this show at 2x and they all sounded like alvin and the chipmunks to me. Peem, is going directly to my list of characters who deserves to be slap with a rubber chicken, cuz dafug you mean a dude asked you to be his slave and you fell in love with him while cleaning his apartment and doing his laundry? Also Phums father 'issues' had me going, 'Damn, and to think those of us who's father went out to get milk and never came back brood less.'

I guess, this show was mostly about the friend group each finding love? than it was about anything else, so in that aspect, it was fine, but it wasn't anything extraordinary.

Also was there like one random friend who didn’t have anyone? I felt like everyone was paired off except that one guy. Poor dude, don’t even remember his name. Oh well.

Which reminds me, why won't Phum kick a ball into Peem's painting? Homeboy dragged that sorry arse painting everywhere with him, unprotected. Like in one scene he straight up left it and went to go chase Phum around a park. I was surprised it survived until the end.

Please, why was Q always threatening us with a song every second scene? What in this plot called for his singing? After the second time, I rushed to skip whenever he got near a guitar. You will not stress me today child.

And lastly, I can’t believe they put Peem’s ugly arse painting next to Q’s, lol. No, hear me out, the first time I saw the wave painting, I wanted to write poems about it. It was so beautiful, such incredible art. Then he went and added those flowers and the whole thing became tacky. Nah, I was sad he ruined it. That being said, his future works looked very beautiful, so there's hope for him after all.

But yeah, if you like any of these actors, I'm sure you'd enjoy this. I will recommend it for the friendship scenes, cuz those were heartwarming. Unicorns, Rainbows and whatnots.

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How did this happen?

How have I watched 12 episodes and almost nothing with the main couple has happened? This series isn't winning me over and I feel stuck now that I'm 12 episodes in. I watched 11 & 12 on 2X just trying to see it through until the end but nope there are 16 episodes. Not to mention I'm not really sure why this is a NC rating because there nothing NC about it. No violence, no bad language, no drugs not even a heavy petting scenes. Any of those things would at least make this series a little more interesting. I'm also way more invested in ALL the side couples then I am in the main couple. I'm basically watching to see if chain and pun end up together and the simple fact that Tan & Fang are freaking adorable, seriously they are carrying this show.

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Great show with a great cast

I went into this show with high hopes and I was not disappointed this show has everything a Romcom should have. It has great cast, amazing characters, wonderful storyline, great family/friendship dynamic, beautiful Ost. Plus it has funny characters so far my favorite character thus far is Tan.


He is sooo hilarious the minute he spoke and the way he delivers his lines to the rest of the characters was just absolutely hilarious. He was so funny and even though there is only one episode out as if right now this show is wonderful. I have very very very high hopes for this show once it continues on being uploaded.

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GMM-TV for kids

Simply one of the worst BLs that GMM has ever released. It's simply disappointing how a series with 4 couples can't deliver anything.

The direction and script are terrible and can't develop or deal with the amount of characters - I also don't understand why they insist on putting scenes with 8 to 11 characters, when most of them have no reason to be there.

The acting is very caricatured and that's what bothers me the most here. It's a series about young adults in college, but they all act like children. It's extremely childish to the point that it seems like a kids show..

No character works, no character has financial problems, family problems or any problems that aren't about romantic relationships. And when these problems appear, they are so weak and do not change the plot at all. Everything is extremely shallow, the dialogues are rotten and there is no character development whatsoever.

Simply nothing happens. They are always hanging out, eating at college or drinking after classes, but nothing significant is happening. The last few episodes get more interesting, but the episodes are too long and full of montage scenes of the characters having fun that are not at all entertaining.

I really like the friendship between them and that's the only part of the plot that's really cool to follow, but that's it. There's no mature conversation and there's no reason for this series to have 16 episodes when only two couples are developed.

Tan and Fang should be the protagonists of this series. The chemistry between them, the acting, the kissing scenes - all impeccable. But unfortunately, they don't even have 1 hour of scenes together in 16 episodes and their characters act the same way the whole time, there's no variation. And they deserved so much to be the protagonists and receive good characters and a good plot.

Phum and Peem have good moments, but the chemistry between them is strange here and the kisses are even worse. Q and Toey have an interesting beginning, but then it becomes repetitive and boring, especially with Toey literally acting like a child (it was supposed to be cute, but it wasn't). And Chain and Pun have such a poor development that it's absurd to think that they only get together at the last second.

It's a light series to watch and the actors have good chemistry, but after watching teen series like Heartbreak High, Young Royals and Genera+ion with well-defined and interesting characters and plots, this is a big festival of nothing and anything.

Extremely disappointed to realize that GMM has no commitment whatsoever to elevating its series and delivering more robust and interesting productions. Let's be honest, GMM-TV is more concerned with promoting its ships to sell fan meeting tickets than actually creating good series.

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An overstretched Nothingness

When I watched the trailer I didn't expect much, but it actually started really well. I ate my words for the first five episodes and I was so pleasantly surprised, but then it flopped. No depth was given to neither the characters nor the couple dynamics. Everyone in this story remained two dimensional from start to finish and it's a shame because all of them had so much potential to be fleshed out in 16 episodes. Instead of that we got a pointless back and forth between the two main couples for multiple episodes and almost zero screen time for the side couples, when there was so much room for development. Don't get me wrong, it does have it's fun and cute moments, but that's just it. Nothing really substantial. If they went for a 10 episode series it would work, but 16 episodes is just a waste of budget.

The acting overall was fine. The actors did their job. For me, Aou and Boom really carried the show, even with their limited screen time. They are very experienced actors and elevated their roles.

If you're interested in watching something feel good with zero drama just to pass your time and relax that's a fine show to watch.

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A Drama with No plot but full of Cheese and Fanservice

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.25

I decided to watch “We Are” because I wanted something simple and light-hearted, a stress reliever. With that in mind, I made the right choice. “We Are” is so easy, and too easy of a watch. It’s a drama full of fluff, cheese and cringe.

Unfortunately, the drama does not hold my attention. “We Are” has no plot whatsoever. The whole drama is about a big group of friends hanging out, pairing up with each romantic partner, professing their love and kissing their loved ones. While I enjoy seeing the tight bond of these friends, especially the 5-some of Peem, Q, Tan, Pun and Chain, I cannot consume 16 hours of just hanging out. The drama is way too long for its lack of content. It ended up not really what I am looking for, but this might just be the right one for you.

The acting of the cast is OK. There really isn’t anyone who stood out as being excellent. The big selling point of this drama is Pond and Phuwin as the two main leads. I enjoy their chemistry and their scenes together. They are obviously comfortable around each other. Pond and his handsome face and loving gazes are what keep me going and not dropping it.

I also feel that the introduction of such a big cast at once causes some confusion. I was trying to figure out the first 5 and then the drama introduced another 6 guys to the mix. Aside from the main romance between Peem and Phum, I really didn’t care for the other pairings. Some characters are more annoying and cringey than others. The drama has many unnaturally long gazes and slow motion shots for every single supposedly romantic gesture or kiss. It’s somewhat trying to manipulate how the audience should feel.

“We Are” is a pure fanservice drama. I don’t think I’ve seen a drama with so many kisses from all romantic pairs, and so many “I love you” spoken. The kisses on the lips are actually not bad, much better than the pecks on the cheeks or forehead (don’t they know you should also extend your lips a little?). I would recommend this drama if you are a fan of the cast.


Completed: 7/29/2024 - Review #468

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Bland, bloated, boring

One of the worst BL’s I’ve seen, “We Are” has enough story for about 4 episodes of an average BL, which got stretched and diluted to ridiculous 16 episodes, with hardly any plot and almost no substance. There’s an obscene number of filler scenes with characters – usually in a big group – gathering to do something, going somewhere, standing and waiting for something, taking a group picture or participating in what (each and every time) seems like a poorly improvised party, fake and lifeless. Development and story progression are utterly absent, with the in-show flow of time indicated mostly by exposition. I suppose that lack of progress gets reflected, in an ironic way, in the series’ title – “We Are” refers perfectly to this weirdly static show.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the show has a throng of one-dimensional characters that are dull, annoying, unlikeable, uninteresting or forgettable and unimportant. It’s baffling that with 4 couples and additional supporting cast there are no stakes, no emotion nor any tension between characters. Some of that results from poor script, but mostly it’s because of bad or lackluster performances and absence of any chemistry between the main cast.

Pond and Phuwin, as usual, fail to deliver anything remotely interesting together; during all 16 episodes I laughed exactly twice – both times because of something unexpected Phuwin did – that (and his stunning looks) is his contribution to the show. At least this time he didn’t portray an obnoxious character. Pond on his own seemed less wooden than normally in a BL – and that’s the best thing I can say about his performance.
Aou, whom I’ve seen giving one decent performance (in “Be My Favorite”), tries to be funny, but all he does it being irritating; Boom is simply there, doing less than a guest appearance would. Similarly, Marc and Poon could have been replaced with two human-sized cardboard cutouts and I wouldn’t see any difference.
I left the worst for last: Winny and Satang, by far the strongest cast members, don’t do anything to elevate the show; I even felt they dragged it down. Satang’s Toey is self-centered, infantile and painful to watch, while Winny’s Q comes across as unlikeable. I watched “We Are” mainly to see what WinnySatang can do when upgraded to main couple status (or almost-main couple, as PondPhuwin were the actual and only main couple) and I was disappointed with the outcome.

The BTS footage, shown during end credits of the last episode, was more interesting to watch than everything that preceded it in ep. 1-16.

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We Are... Bored After the 11th Episode

I actually really enjoyed this a lot, initially. The set up of the characters, their dynamics, the start of their relationships, I really really enjoyed it. However, once you get past the 11th episode, with some little hidden gems in the latter, this series falls completely on its face. We Are is a fantastic, extremely long romcom about everyone on campus being gay.

Let's Dive In.

Again, the build-up of all the relationships was definitely my favorite part. Once they all get together (besides one couple) they just kind of fall off completely for me. But before I get into each couple, I'll talk about some other production things. One, the filter on this is actually ridiculous. They all looked so pasty, and not a, "we want to look pale," more like a, "We are the color of white paint." Oh gosh, it was so bad. At times, I had to lower my brightest so that they looked somewhat of a natural skin tone. We get these hidden shots sometimes of their natural, gorgeous skin, and I needed more of that.

This is 16 episodes long, and it just didn't need to be 16 episodes long. The last two episodes are of them going on trips back to back, and had Tan and Fang not had what they've been serving this entire series, I would've skipped it. There's so much dead space that the characters are quite literally doing nothing besides kissing and teasing one another. This could've easily concluded in episode 12 or 13.

Anyways, onto the couples, and I'll start with my favorite, Tan and Fang. They were everything to me. The stoic uke and bubbly seme, literally my favorite trope ever, I absolutely loved it down to pieces. Aou, hand down, played the best out of all the characters. His personality doesn't waver, he continues being supportive and protective and clingy, and I loved him. Their kiss scenes and everything in between were perfect. There wasn't even a second when I didn't want to see them on my screen. Moving onto Q and Toey, Their initial build-up is the best part of their relationship, especially Q coming to terms with his feelings for Toey, and how they navigate those feelings together They don't necessarily lose me, they just get a little stagnant after a while, and then I'm not so obsessed with them anymore. However, they also have that same bubble seme, stoic uke trope, so I did enjoy them enough.

Okay, and to no one's surprise, if you've seen my reviews for another PondPhuwin series, they were my least favorite established couple. First, they take way too long to get together, and this is coming from somebody who absolutely adores slow burns. I think they get together in episode 12? Maybe 13? It takes a minute, and it's an absolute horror. They kiss at least a bajillion times before then. and at some point, I was screaming at my computer every time Peem looked so surprised and appalled when Phum kissed him. Like, dude, this is your like 15th kiss, please stop playing with me. Again, the thing about Pond and Phuwin is that they have no problem with the physical aspect of their romance, but when they're not kissing, they just don't click. I don't know what's not clicking about this couple for me, but quite literally, I still, after every series I've seen them in, can't get into them. They still look like best friends told to kiss. But either way, Peem kissing Phum when he does for the first time felt completely out of place, and I'm still not sure why or what about Peem makes Phum just fall head over heels. At least with the other couples, there's a backstory to their connections, with them, there's nothing but a small, frivolous tussle in the beginning.

Anyway, they slightly tease another couple, but they get a pretty sorrowful ending. Then, the twin and some other guy have a moment, and then that's it. overall, a lot of this goes well, and a lot of this goes not-so-good. But, I think I enjoyed watching this series more than I didn't like watching it, so it's getting a 7 out of me.

Ratings;

Story: 7.5/10: At some point, it gets pretty boring and draggy, but for the most part, I didn't mind it.

Acting: 8/10: Aou plays the best of all the characters, with Santang coming in second place. Everyone did a pretty good job, but again, and like always, Pond has this way of acting that I'm still not a fan of.

Music: 6/10: Didn't pay it much attention, to be honest. Also, so much singing...why?

Recommendation Value: 7/10: It's good, I liked it, then I didn't like it as much. Tan and Fang are why I'd recommend this to anyone, the other couples, ehh.

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hope it goes well tbh

I'll be writing a review for each episode here. Then I'll rewrite and conclude everything when it's done.

EP 1 - The plotline doesn't particularly stand out. After this episode, I anticipate that it's going to be a mix of chaotic, funny, and heartwarming scenes. The comedic elements are hit or miss for me. To be honest, I initially started watching for PondPhuwin. However, I unexpectedly find myself adoring WinnySatang, and this goes for the other couples, too. I hope that they balance the screen time for each pairing. And may I just say—Pond looks especially handsome with this hairstyle!

EP 2 - The whole "master and slave" theme is starting off strong. The way Phum looks at Peem, it's clear he's enjoying himself. I liked the scene where Peem asked his Professor for advice on his artwork because he's anxious about its message. He wants to shift from his simple style to a more complex one, similar to Q's. Interestingly, Q also expresses concerns about the complexity in his own art and desires to convey simplicity, like Peem's artwork. I appreciated the professor's comment about students comparing their works, and his response to Peem, "what's not good about simplicity?" genuinely comforted me. It's also nice to see Peem's character depth as he occasionally lacks confidence in his work. Anyway, the chemistry between each couple is on fire in this episode. Peem drunkenly complementing Phum's looks while unknowingly holding onto the roses Phum bought for him. Q's gentleness in shooing away bugs so Toey can sleep peacefully on his lap. Tan confidently initiates and flirts, while Khaofang secretly enjoys it. The sweet scenes from each couple are giving me heart attack! The chemistry is already established, and it's only Episode 2. You know what that means? It leaves room for some classic misunderstanding tropes.

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