Be My Favorite (2023)

a must watch for romance lovers! def one of the best bls out there!

Intro:

I am someone who doesn't particularly enjoy romance, especially romcoms. I enjoy genres like: action, thriller crime, etc. However, I can recognise a good drama regardless of the genre. This is one of those rare gems which you'll love even if you don't necessarily love romcoms in general.



Acting & Cast - 10/10

My first Thai BL was SOTUS so, Krist is an actor I hold in my heart memorably. However, his controversies surrounding his homophobia made me dislike him over time. As a queer person myself, I couldn't comprehend how people, especially those who profit off the queer community, can be queerphobic. I am not someone that believes queer character should be only played by queer people. A character is just a character after all. But the least you can do when you play a queer role is to be an ally. However, even though late, I've learnt that Krist has grown a lot over time. He has always been vocal towards his support towards the queer community. People, including myself, were quick to judge with only edited and limited resources at hand. He has said somewhat "rocky" things but has always learnt and grown from those mistakes. Krist is truly one of the few BL actors that loudly supports the LGBTQIA+ community online and offline.

Now on to the actual series, I never expected to see Krist and Gawin as a couple but it was an extremely pleasant surprise. Krist is an actor, who plays all the roles he is given amazingly well. He never disappoints when it comes to acting. Gawin is another great actor. I'm so happy to finally see him having a lead role. This was truly the perfect first main role for him, imo. GawinKrist's chemistry was insanely good. They fit so well together. I really hope to see more of them again, one day. I hope to see Krist in more BL roles (which is something he has wanted as well but couldn't due to his pairing with singto).

The cast was a perfect fit for all of their respective roles. Everyone was great at truly embodying and projecting their characters. This one of the best series in terms of casting and chemistry between actors.



Story - 10/10

The story was amazing. The story was very progressive, complex, and heartwarming. The portrayal of one coming to term with their sexuality was beautiful. I felt that they did a great job in showing the complexities of it. There was one thing that disappointed me. The only thing that disappointed me. There was a certain scene where there was an opportunity to talk about asexuality but wasn't. Asexuality is practically invisible in most dramas. It would have been nice to finally see some representation for those on the asexual and aromantic spectrums.

It was refreshing to see family dynamics that were complicated. Families that weren't just bad or good. The children had problems with their parents, faced disappointment but also showed the love between them. It felt very realistic and relatable to the majority in most parts. Every character's family situation was unique and different but also very similar. Most of the families in the drama were supportive which was so nice to see in BLs.

The characters all had depth and development. The best part of the drama was Kawee's character development. The side characters had their own stories which were filled with complex emotions and depth. I loved how the side characters' stories had satisfying conclusions too and weren't abandoned. Every character has their own unique struggle.

The fantasy/ supernatural aspect of the drama was very good. It all felt like a big heartwarming lesson on life. The time travel was perfectly woven into the story. It never felt unnecessary and it further showed each character's growth and made the ending even more satisfying. The drama showed how even the smallest decisions can have a domino effect and change the future. The best part was how after every travel, the characters grew some more. It was imperfect in a perfect way.

The romance was perfect. Kawee's and Pisaeng's growth together was great. I loved how healthy their relationship was. We truly need more representations of healthy relationships in dramas especially BLs. Almost all of the characters ended up being green flags by the end of the series. The romance and character development was paced so smoothly. It never felt sudden or delayed. The overall pacing of the whole drama was really amazing. It kept me wanting more and more, to the point that I am miserable now that the series ended.



Music & Sound - 9.5/10

The OSTs were actually so good. Krist and Gawin are really good singers. The singing parts didn't feel cringe or out of place, which is unfortunately something that often happens in BLs. I felt that the songs really portrayed the emotions and stories of the characters really well. This is one of the rare series I've watched where I actually remember the OSTs.



Rewatch Value - 9/10

The series was very memorable but I'd rewatch it just to be happy all over again. The fluffy feeling that I got from the drama will not fade easily. The drama had me all giggly and flushed, that wholesomeness is something I want again.



Overall - 9.5/10

I loved it! I definitely recommend all BL and romcom fans to watch it. Don't hesitate just give it a try and you'll even get some relatable advice from Max. This series is truly one of GMMTV's best creations. I need more like this!



Thanks for reading this far <3!

Read More

Time solved everything

I started to watch this drama because of Krist, but in the end, I fell for Gawin. In 2023, GMMTV had many BL dramas, and I watched everything. And this is one of the best dramas on GMMTV. At the very beginning of the trailer, I was excited because it's a fresh plot and a new pairing. But the production changed Mike to Gawin, and I was disappointed. The other thing was that, though it's a new pairing, I was loyal to Singto and Kris, though there is no future for this pairing.But after watching the first episode, I was ecstatic because it was not the same copy-and-paste plot and time travel, which is brand new. And the new pairing was awesome. They had the chemistry, good acting, and body language that made me sit through illogical plots and make the drama even more addicting. As a couple, they brought out their understanding of each other so well. I could describe their relationship as comic, inevitable, fiery, jeoulous, and mature. All their scenes together highlighted their amazing chemistry. They complimented each other perfectly, whether they were in love or fighting with each other.The character Kawi, on the other hand, was annoying. I was wondering why he cannot see or feel the feelings of Pisaeng, and the obvious answer is that writers want the Kawi to grow throughout the drama. Typically, this means moving from a worse person to a better person. Meanwhile, Pisaeng delivered an emotional roller coaster, which made me fall head over heels for Gawin. But in the end, he gave up and left Kawi.Though I never believed "time will solve everything," it did. This story path is not a flower road. There are many obstacles that test their love and affection, and it was heartbreaking to see fate testing their love for each other. "As time goes on, you'll understand. What lasts, lasts; what doesn't, doesn't. Time solves most things, and what most time can't solve, you have  to."Time solved everything.The writer used each and every character to develop main characters, and each minor character had an ending without vanishing into the air after building a happy ending for Pisaeng and Kawi.Actually, I'm so glad that this drama is not only focused on romance. Recently, I learned many life lessons from this drama. Mainly, it addresses common insecurities, overthinking, and different aspects regarding the LGBTQ community. Not only was it a drama, but it also taught me many life lessons.

Read More

Una hermosura

La verdad es que solo la vi porque no tenía nada más que mirar y me arrepiento de no haberla mirado antes.

Es una historia de amor hermosa, tierna y retratada de manera preciosa por los actores. Los recursos que se usaron para el viaje en el tiempo son buenos y, a pesar de que la historia va para atrás y para adelante varias veces, no es difícil de entender y la historia está muy bien desarrollada. Me pareció muy emocionante y, una cosa que me gustó mucho y que generalmente no sucede, es que podemos ver el después de la pareja, su vida juntos y su convivencia.

Totalmente recomendable.

Read More

I have fallen out of love

I wanted to wait until the last episode airs before I write a review, but now I'm not sure if I will watch this last episode.
If you want to know, why this series is so great, read other reviews. Whatever those reviews say, it’s mostly true: the series is very well written, well acted, with an interesting and engaging plot, very well developed and complex characters, and some mature storytelling you don’t see often in this genre.
We have different people with different personalities and different sexualities: a hetero girl (Pear), a hetero guy (Knot), a open gay gay (Max), a gay guy in the closet (Pisaeng), a guy who has to figure out his sexuality (Kawi). That’s an ensemble of characters I have never seen before in any other BL. So 10 points for that. Of course this constellation with a love triangle in the middle causes lots of drama and complex issues.
But again, read other reviews if you only want to hear about the good stuff.
About the bad stuff: I tend to fall in love with many GMMTV series until episode 7. This series is no exception. The first half was fun, crazy, exciting, lovely. The second half not so much. Reading comments on MDL, twitter, YouTube I really wonder why so many people are unable to see those characters for who they really are. They are able to recognize that Kawi is problematic, but they are completely blind about Pisaeng, because they only see his love as pure, innocent and romantic. He isn't portrayed as a bad person, but he is seriously dense, and I think this character has not much depth and not much brains. I must say I liked Pear more as a character, and thought she was the least problematic. Still, those people love each other, life is complicated and things can get out of control. So the writing isn't the problem, that's why I rate this series rather high. Objectively speaking it's good, but if I talk about my personal feelings: I have fallen out of love. At the end it was just all a bit too cheesy, a bit too sad, a bit too depressing, a bit too slow. I hoped to see them being together, happy and crazy, but in ep 11 we only got to see a montage of some future scenes without any story behind it. If they had some dialouge it was a sad conversation. I thought they would be a fun couple, but not really. Maybe they will fix that in ep 12, but I don't think that a single episode can change how I felt since ep 7.
Well ... what else?
I think I'm now as tired as Krist is looking since ep 10. They should have ended it earlier, give us a special Our Sky episode and everything is fine, but I guess I'm the only one who thinks sometimes less is more.

Read More

Decent show except romanticised sexual assault

Before the romanticized sexual assault in episode 6 (Edit: detailed spoiler description of it in comments) afterwards which i dropped it and have no knowledge of what happens afterwards, this show with all its cliches and minor faults was a strong 7.5+ for me. Just a regular run off the mill 'hidden feelings surface' plot with time travel sprinkled on top.

The main character was little annoying being 30 year old cosplaying a pre-pubescent teen in a 20 year old body but it was tolerable. Everyone in the show were doing some messed up, problematic or questionable things with Pear and Max being the resident collateral damage but it was tolerable and not bad as a viewer. So that's why it was 7.5 for me and not 8.

What instantly dropped the rating from 7.5+ to 5 overall was the fact that in episode 6 there is a scene b/w main characters where one of them is drunk and the other who is sober, engages in sexual activity (if an activity is sexual or not, it depends on the context) with him and only stops when he notices the protagonist being asleep and not before. All this happens whilst romantic music plays in the background. Thus romanticizing the activity happening in the scene.

Multiple respectable orgs and lawmaking institutions (courts/govt etc.) around the world state that drunk people (or intoxicated people) cannot give consent. And i personally hold the same belief.

Sexual Assault's definition on Wikipedia:
"Sexual assault takes many forms including attacks such as rape or attempted rape, as well as any unwanted sexual contact or threats. Usually a sexual assault occurs when someone touches any part of another person's body in a sexual way, even through clothes, without that person's consent."

That all being said,
Since i didn't watch past episode 6 (except the first 5-7 minutes of ep7 to see how the show handles the convo of 'what happened last night'.... - They romanticized/normalised it further whilst also spouting the dialogue "people have no idea what they do when drunk"), I can't comment if the story improves past ep6 or not.

Maybe they fix all storyline/character issues and the show becomes great, maybe they further mess up storyline and characters and the show becomes worse. I don't know and i won't know.

But what i do know is that the show romanticized sexual assault and i can't continue watching it post ep6. You can watch it, it's a decent show except that thing. And that's why the rating for me is 5 instead of 7.5+

Read More

A Second Chance Exploring Your "What-Ifs"

It's already clear the amount of fantastical potential this series has. Time traveling in itself isn't anything new, but this still feels fresh by adding an unexpected actor pairing, great production, and BL to the mix.

Even though I was initially skeptical of Krist and Gawin's chemistry, I'm not anymore. As many have pointed out, Krist really shines in this role. His portrayal of Kawi boosts the cute and unpredictable flavor of this series's comedy, while still representing his darker emotions when need be. And Gawin brought not only acting skills but also charm and rizz to the table with the insane number of enchanting gazes he gave within ep1 alone.

Seeing how Kawi's changes caused an interesting ripple effect through time-traveling makes me eager to keep watching! It's more difficult to get supernatural concepts right compared to other genres, yet Be My Favorite has the potential to be a surprising GMM classic.

Read More

Meu Favorito.

Desde que Be My Favorite foi anunciada, eu fiquei totalmente animada com a série além do mais por ter Krist e Gawin como protagonistas que pra mim foi um casal improvável, mas deu muito certo. Sempre gostei deles e nos entregaram química e fofura que eu tive muitos surtos nos episódios que tinham romance.
O enredo inteiro me surpreendeu bastante que fluiu no seu tempo certo, os personagens foram ótimos para a história toda e a cada episódio serviram muito bem, eu amei cada episódio e eu me apaixonei tão rápido pela série que já estou com saudades, minhas sexta-feiras serão vazias sem os episódios.
Admito ter tido medo do final da série que parecia levar a história em outro nível, mas tudo ocorreu maravilhosamente bem e fiquei bastante feliz com que foi entregue, aqui falo com convicção que BMF é uma das melhores produções da Gmmtv. Agradeço muito a todos os envolvidos com a produção, direção e fotografias por entregar essa beldade que é a série toda.
As trilhas sonoras são lindas também e muitos duvidaram por motivos bestas em relação ao par principal, mas chupem essa manga porque TUDO vale/valeu muito a pena. Deixa o passado para trás e aproveitem! Não tenho decepção nenhuma por ter escolhido assistir Be My Favorite.
Encero minha pequena resenha com borboletas no estômago e um sorriso feliz estampando em meu rosto, obrigada por lido até aqui. ❤

Read More

Une histoire belle et intelligente

Bien qu'on se retrouve une fois de plus dans un contexte universitaire pour la plus grande part, voici encore un BL original qui sait s'écarter du cahier des charges convenu des autres BL scolaires. D'une part parce que l'intrigue est aussi originale que bien pensée, d'autre part parce qu'il y a peu de temps morts (voire pas du tout) et que l'histoire se concentre surtout sur la romance ainsi que les choix du héros pour améliorer son avenir, donc on ne nous bassine pas avec des scènes inutiles de cantine ou de salles de classe sauf quand c'est vraiment nécessaire au déroulement de l'intrigue. Cela explique pourquoi je n'ai trouvé quasiment que des points positifs à ce drama, à l'exception d'un seul point pas très grave que j'évoquerai en dernier.

Au début de l'histoire le héros nous est présenté sous un jour assez peu sympathique, c'est un loser asocial qui n'a jamais pris sa vie en main et qui préfère blâmer les autres que se remettre en question, d'où le fait qu'il est toujours un loser 12 ans plus tard. Le cadeau qu'il souhaite offrir à son amie, dont il est toujours amoureux mais qui va se marier avec le beau gosse de la fac, lui permet de revenir dans le passé à l'époque où il était encore étudiant. Peu à peu il prend conscience qu'il pourra influer davantage sur le cours de sa vie pour améliorer son avenir, réparer ce qui doit l'être notamment au niveau relationnel, et s'offrir une nouvelle chance de se rapprocher de cette jeune fille. Ce faisant, il devient involontairement ami avec son rival et se rend compte que ce dernier est tombé amoureux de lui. Ces événements vont amener des changements dans la personnalité de notre héros, ils le rendent à la fois plus sympathique et attachant au fur et à mesure qu'il prend conscience de l'influence qu'il peut avoir sur sa propre vie et ses choix, et il devient également plus sage concernant les choses qu'il ne peut pas changer. C'est donc une belle histoire d'apprentissage qui fait évoluer notre personnage principal dans le bon sens, notamment sur ce qu'il souhaite vraiment pour accéder au bonheur.

Comme autre point positif, j'ai trouvé que tous les personnages de ce BL étaient construits de manière intelligente et jamais unidimensionnelle, tous ont des personnalités et des motivations qui leur sont propres et cela donne une histoire un peu plus fouillée que d'habitude (enfin je dis d'habitude, mais depuis quelques temps on constate une évolution très positive dans les productions BL thaïs ainsi que GMMTV qui sait désormais nous proposer des programmes de qualité). Ensuite, je n'ai pas spécialement remarqué de placements de produits barbants. D'ailleurs comme fait notable qui n 'a peut-être l'air de rien mais que je n'ai pas pu m'empêcher de remarquer : pour une fois, le crush du héros ne conduit pas une grosse Audi blanche, mais une charmante Mini ! Quant aux dialogues, ils sont sensés et intelligents, bien que les personnages soient étudiants la plus grosse partie du temps, on est face à une histoire mature très bien pensée. Enfin, nous avons affaire à des acteurs qui ne sont plus débutants et ça se voit, leur jeu d'acteur est relativement bon et naturel, ici pas d'hésitations débiles et de phrases qui durent trois heures, les choses se déroulent de manière assez fluide et c'est plaisant. Sur ce point, les lakhorns thaïs plus traditionnels devraient en prendre de la graine parce que la sous-catégorie des BL fait parfois bien mieux ces derniers temps.

Le seul point qui m'a un peu déçue concerne un aspect de la romance. Je l'ai trouvée mignonne, tendre et agréable, mais hélas je n'ai pas vraiment ressenti de réelle passion amoureuse entre nos personnages. Certains disent dans le forum que Krist n'est pas très à l'aise dans les BL et cela explique peut-être pourquoi j'ai trouvé qu'il y avait un léger manque de ce côté-là. Je n'en suis pas certaine mais en tout cas l'hypothèse est plausible, peut-être d'autres personnes auront-elles eu la même impression. Ou alors c'est la manière dont l'intrigue a été conçue, je ne sais pas. C'est un peu dommage mais quoi qu'il en soit, cela reste une très bonne histoire, romantique à souhait et intelligente, confirmant que cette industrie est en train de prendre un tournant très positif. Cela me rend confiante sur le fait qu'on peut s'attendre à davantage de BL de qualité dans l'avenir.

Read More

um dos melhores da GMMTV

Pensei que depois de Last Twilight não acharia outro BL que me fizesse falar “que obra maravilhosa”, mas aí assisti Be My Favorite. Fui sem expectativa nenhuma e talvez isso tenha ajudado. Simplesmente uma das melhores produções da GMMTV. Gosto de roteiro bom, e essa série tem, porque eu não aguentava mais ver coisas com roteiros pobres e personagens rasos, com apenas um traço de personalidade. Depois que abandonei We Are, fiz uma pausa porque não estava com vontade de ver mais nada. Então, sim, Be My Favorite é maravilhoso! Ele tem seus clichês, mas quando você pensa que algo comum vai acontecer, eles mudam os rumos. Tenho vários elogios:

1- Construção de personagens: Todos os personagens têm vida e são importantes, todos têm uma história e não servem apenas para girar em torno do protagonista. E todos têm traços bons e ruins. Eles são reais.
2- Personagem feminina bem desenvolvida: Não fizeram a personagem feminina que fica entre os caras ser uma vilã. O que mais me dá raiva nessas produções BL é colocarem a personagem feminina com o único propósito de atrapalhar o casal. Posso dizer que a Praemai e a Poh-jai de Last Twilight são as duas melhores ex/amigas que já vi.
3- Mensagens significativas: O BL tem pontos que te fazem refletir sobre si mesmo. Ele ensina algumas lições de vida bem legais. E isso é muito bom de ver, porque não se trata apenas de romance.
4- O casal principal: Esse casal me lembrou muito a vibe de Pat e Pran. São fofos, têm química, são intensos e combinam. Amei.
5- Ainda sobre os personagens: Algumas produções da GMMTV não têm essa profundidade na construção de personagens, mas em Be My Favorite, eles te fazem sentir empatia pelo protagonista. Mesmo quando ele comete erros, você não sente raiva dele. Esse é o ponto. E foi ótimo que houve vários conflitos entre eles ao longo da trama, mas não deixaram tudo para o episódio 11.
Enfim, agora não sei quando irei assistir outra obra que me faça apegar ao elenco inteiro e ficar acordada até de madrugada para assistir tudo.

Read More

Esperei nada e ganhei o que esperei

Não tive nenhuma, realmente nenhuma.expectativa com essa série. Não curto a atuação do Krist, acho que o Gawin é um grande ator e deveria ter outra prota pra ele, desculpem se minha opinião é impopular, mas é isso.

Até metade da série, assisti sem entender nada. O roteiro mostrava que Kawi, com a ajuda do artefato mágico, queria e conseguiu voltar no tempo para tentar modificar o futuro, e que a cada ida ao passado o futuro se modificava, isso é óbvio. O que me deixou confusa, foi que ele encontrou vários passados diferentes, isso eu não entendia bem.

Enfim, sobre o casal, a atuação de Krist melhorou, mas ainda não é suficiente para Gawin, não consegui ver química entre eles... O resto do elenco fez um bom trabalho, era entrosado, vestiam bem os personagens, pautas importantes foram citadas, como a toxidade do namorado de Pear, a questão das famílias que foram bem legais, mas o principal, foi a lição de que o passado é algo para que devemos olhar e aprender as lições, e não tentar modificar.

Achei estranho não terem explicado a origem do homem que consertou a bola de cristal, ou uma explicação racional (se é que é possível) para tudo que aconteceu. Mas no mais, a série é razoável.

Os aspectos técnicos são bons, a ost é linda, a filmografia e fotografia são excelentes, não existem falhas de som e continuidade. Enfim, se o roteiro não fosse tão confuso e existisse outro prota no lugar do Krist, eu teria amado.

Provavelmente não verei de novo, mas recomendo a série sim.

Read More