My School President (2022)

Among the best of the BL genre

'My School President' (แฟนผมเป็นประธานนักเรียน / Faen Phom Pen Prathan Nakrian) is a charming coming-of-age school boy love comedy (BL).
Through conflict, music and performances, the series will transport us to a dream world of teenage crushes, friendships and the search for happiness through love and fulfillment.
The series promises a charming romantic fantasy, a good dose of comedy and excellent music, performed by the same protagonists, which will ensure that the viewer, regardless of age, enjoys romance and youthful optimism, while discovering or rediscovering, as the case may be, happiness and teenage love.
With a narrative that carries surprisingly mature and thoughtful messages, the drama addresses significant themes about family, friendship, sexuality, love, the search for happiness, the realization of dreams, the dichotomy between fighting to achieve your goals and commit to reality.
Gun (Fourth - Nattawat Jirochtikul) is the leader and vocalist of Chinzhilla, the student musical group. Win (Winny - Thanawin Pholcharoenratm), Por (Ford - Arun Asawasuebsakul), Me (Captain - Passatorn Koolkang) and Pat (Prom - Theepakorn Kwamboon) are the remaining members of the five-boy band, who hope to compete at the Hot Wave Music Awards and win the annual contest.
This will be their last chance before graduating from the high school where they are their senior year. Next year, each one will have taken a different path and perhaps they will never meet again in their lives.
But it seems that everything is turning against him to frustrate his plans. They do not have a good reputation in the eyes of the director (Tao - Sarocha Watittapan), who is determined to put an end to the gang. It turns out that in the last edition of the musical event, the then members of the group caused problems, so Chinzhilla does not have the support of the school authorities. That Gun has been elected president of the music club does not seem to change the situation. What's more, I would say that it is the reason why the club's hours of life are numbered.
For the same reason, young musicians do not have the necessary musical instruments, and they often see how the club room is in danger of being taken over for other functions outside their usual function, so they would lose the space in which to rehearse. .
Although the friends were not part of the previous gang, the five have gained a reputation for being wayward students who are only interested in video games or cooking and eating barbecued pork in their club room.
Fearing that his band will fail, Gun decides to run for Student Council president. This would be the option to preserve the club, since the school regulations establish that whoever holds this position controls the extracurricular clubs.
But once again the world seems to conspire against him. Despite the brilliant campaign with which he intends to win the vote of the rest of the students, Tinn (Gemini - Norawit Titicharoenrak), the director's son and also a final year student, wins the elections by describing Gun as irresponsible and unkind. reliable enough to lead others.
An abyss opens up before both students. They have never been friends in the past. And now Tinn will try to torpedo any effort by the young musicians to keep the club open, under the threat that those clubs that do not generate profits for the school will be closed.
Gun has no choice but to make a pact with the enemy. This is how he becomes a servant of the president of the Student Council. What Gun doesn't know is that Tinn has a hidden agenda.
Why is 'My School President' a series above the others of its genre?
Several reasons are what make this a very special series. Let's start by stating that despite having a plot that does not break with those that precede it, the way in which it is structured is far from what is usual in the BL genre.
The writing of the series takes a non-linear form. Thanks to this, the episodes have their own mini story arcs while advancing the development of the characters and events through said arcs. In this way, each episode has to satisfy the need to resolve the conflicts presented with unusual speed. This brings the advantage of the possibility of exploring feelings and actions in an appropriate and spontaneous way. As a result, the relationship between Tinn and Gun is one of the most striking within the genre, despite being so young and having high school as the setting.
This is how 'My School President' explores each stage of Gun and Tinn's relationship. The two begin as adversaries, but their romance evolves along an exciting journey of discovery and acceptance, in which they will be accompanied by their friends.
The excellent performances. This is another reason why the series stands out above others. The drama is full of well-designed and structured characters. Fourth and Gemini have shown both their artistic talent and the fact that they are an enjoyable couple in 'My School President' as well as in 'Moonlight Chicken' and 'Our Skyy2'. The histrionics of the two protagonists reveal to us, once again, an organic, tender and beautiful homosexual love relationship that is, possibly, one of the most beautiful that Thai BL has given us.
Tinn and Gun are the perfect couple. The actors who play these characters, Fourth and Gemini, conquer the audience with their dazzling charisma and physical attractiveness.
Fourth is the typical teenage heartthrob and dreamer with charming looks. Who doesn't fall in love with her smile and her captivating eyes? For his part, Gemini is the sincere, enthusiastic boy, with high doses of mischief deployed to deceive everyone, especially Gun, with the intention of getting closer to him and conquering his heart. Together they are explosive, adorable and give off awesome vibes. Both have a chemistry like few other ships. The compatibility, the comfort of each other is evident, achieving very tender and natural romantic interactions.
Another aspect to highlight is that BL series have evolved over time and today seek to expand their areas to explore new plots about the love relationship between boys, moving away from those budgets that placed the stories and characters in high schools or universities. However, many of them fail to really explore the premise of the stated plot.
'My School President' overcomes this situation, but it does so by returning to the essence of the genre, telling a romantic comedy story set in high school about Tinn's long and secret crush on Gun.
The first great strength of the series lies in its simple and unpretentious plot, surpassing the concept of high school BL.
Experienced in telling BL stories, director Kornprom Niyomsil (Au) and screenwriters Pongsate Lucksameepong (Bee) and Pratchaya Thavornthummarut, who have worked and collaborated, both together and individually, on classics such as 'Oxygen', 'Theory of Love', 'Dangerous Romance', 'Vice Versa', 'Bad Buddy', '2gether: The Movie', 'Still 2gether', 'KinnPorsche', 'Our Skyy 2', 'Last Twilight', 'Dark Blue Kiss' , and many others, and they have learned from the mistakes and successes of their predecessors to produce a series that seeks perfection.
Music is another of the sections that reaches notes of excellence. The BL series have incorporated music to show the evolution of the couple's love relationship, whether they are the main or secondary ones.
While '2gether The Series' uses the discography of Scrubb, a famous Thai band, in 'My School President' it is the cast themselves who sing the songs that make up its soundtrack. Unlike other dramas, the actors in the series know how to sing and do it well as they are boys with great musical and dancing talent. If we look at the artists' biographies the reader will know what I mean.
No wonder the series premieres at least one song in each episode, dedicated to describing the events told in such a natural way that it combines with the non-linear narration of the program.
We cannot ignore that the series is structured around a music club and its band of musicians. Hence, the creators excelled in bringing to the screen the interpretation of different musical genres and styles. In this way, we find the same with the classic Thai song, the modern Thai pop song (T-Pop), the folk, urban pop, the ballad, the rock music, the musical theater or the original song written specifically for the program under GMMTV Records. In this sense 'My School President' reveals itself to us as a musical BL, something little exploited in the genre.

Read More

What struck me was how the vibe between them were like WangXian

If anyone doesn't know who WangXian is, please go watch The Untamed or reading the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (aka MDZS), or watch the anime or read the manga, or listen to the audio drama. Wide range of entertainment to enjoy it from, just do it.

This series was particularly funny to me, as Tinn's pov is kinda what i imagine lwj's pov to be like whenever he's around wwx. Kinda unhinged, completely head over heels, and of course crazy fanboying. Both likes to put on a cold front, but inside they're literally just squealing like a fan and it's absolutely adorable!! And obvi Gun is the wwx equivalent, dumb and oblivious, super cheerful all the time and surrounded by friends, but of course he lacks the brains element here haha.

I haven't completed the series yet as I'm currently only on ep3, but this was important enough to make me jump here and write a review. But I'm really looking forward to see how their relationship develops

Read More

Like 2gether but BETTER!

MSP shares a similar theme as 2gether when it comes to music, deeper backstories, and youth. BUT after watching this first ep, I must say that I already love it so much more!

First of all, I can already see Tinn and Gun's amazing chemistry. There's a good balance of funny jabs at each other, adorable heartfelt moments, and verryyy long gazing into each other's eyes. And without spoilers, it seems like tension will grow more with more details and reasons being exposed.

Also, the music and soundtrack is chef's kiss! In the first ep alone, we got 3 beautiful songs that tie into the themes of the show with their lyrics and vibes. They're absolute bops and sound so refreshing.

The comedy overall is actually funny (humor in Thai shows can oftentimes get tiring fast). Even subtle gestures, faces, and actions add to the comedic flavor of youth without going overboard. The actual story isn't super unique, but I'm hoping that similarly to Bad Buddy, the execution of the show will bring something new to the table.

Overall, I definitely recommend you giving it a watch if what you're craving is something musical, youthful, funny, and less dramatic. Especially comparing it to most of the upcoming BLs GMM will be releasing, this series is an easy watch and a breath of fresh air to help relax and heal your soul!

Read More

With such a high rating I expected better

Usually BL shows with ratings higher than 8 have been really good and worth my time.
This one, I couldn't even finish episode 1.
The plot line is mediocre and everything feels over-acted. Good series like Bad Buddy, the dialogue feels natural with only brief comedic moments that might be overacted.
The only "supposed to be romantic" moment was awkward and forced.
I was almost going to force myself to finish the episode, but then I asked myself "Why am I forcing myself if I'm not enjoying it?"

A show that can't interest me in 30 minutes isn't worth my time, and I've watched a few dozen BL that actually did manage to interest me in that much time or less, so I'm going to pass on this and find something better.
Also going to stop trusting the ratings on MDL. It's a little too weighted if it only reflects users who watched half of the show or more. All the ratings will be higher because very few people will finish a show they dislike.

I'm starting to the think GMMTV is only able to produce so many BL series because they don't worry about quality. They make a formula and plug actors into it, regardless of how boring it might be.

Read More

Que c'est bon !

GMMTV a mis les bouchées doubles pour faire de ce teen drama musical l'un des gros succès, mérité, de l'année 2022.
MSP concentre quasi-parfaitement ce qui fait d'une série une bonne série, BL ou non : acteurs, scénario, réalisation, musique.

Les acteurs : très jeunes pour la plupart, notamment le couple star, ils étonnent par leur maturité, leur bonne humeur et leur complicité éclatante.
GeminiFourth, mineurs au moment du tournage, sont LA révélation de MSP, et l'excitation qui les suit depuis la sortie du drama n'est à mon sens pas prête de retomber tant leur charisme et leur alchimie atteignent des sommets, que ce soit ici ou dans Moonlight Chicken. Je suis impressionnée et conquise par la décontraction qu'ils affichent, que ce soit à l'écran ou en dehors, lors d'évènements de promotion, d'interviews ou de soirées de remise de prix. Proches avant même de débuter, leur amitié transparait à l'écran pour faire de TinnGun l'un des couples les plus adorables et charmants du drama BL, voire du drama tout court.
Les "seconds" rôles (cela semble injuste de les appeler seconds tant leur présence est impactante), les couples secondaires (on veut plus de SatangWinny et de MarkFord, ils mériteraient réellement des specials dédiés), les membres de Chinzhilla (joyeux et attachants), les parents (impeccables, tant dans leur humanité que dans leurs doutes), ainsi que les antagonistes, tous contribuent à faire de MSP un évènement. J'applaudis.

Le scénario : a priori assez basique dans les productions teen (grandir, maturer, apprendre dans l'adversité, individuellement et collectivement), le scénario réussit pourtant à développer ses personnages en dehors des clichés et des poncifs habituels, et s'appuie sur un parti pris assez rare dans le BL, moins dans la série teen, le musical. Les différents éléments scénaristiques se marient parfaitement et donnent une lecture agréable et fluide de l'histoire.

La réalisation : je suis agréablement surprise par la réalisation qui accompagne le scénario et les acteurs ; elle ne s'efface pas mais se met au service de l'histoire et surtout des personnages. L'utilisation des gros plans et des plans larges, à bon escient, permet de passer d'un point de vue individuel à un point de vue général, que ce soit lors de scènes différentes ou au sein d'une même scène, et ainsi proposer des moments d'ampleurs différentes, intimes ou plus spectaculaires.

La musique : l'un des grands atouts de MSP, et l'une des raisons de son succès. Certains souriront devant des chorégraphies qu'ils qualifieront de trop simples ou des morceaux pleins de naïveté. Je ne suis pas d'accord : les moments musicaux accompagnent l'évolution de l'histoire, des personnages et de Chinzhilla. Les protagonistes sont des adolescents qui rentrent dans l'âge adulte, des lycéens et non des "idols", et l'innocence et le changement des personnages sont parfaitement actés musicalement.

Alors oui tout n'est pas parfait dans My School President, mais que c'est bon, que ça fait du bien, que c'est joyeux, délicieux et charmant ! Et on en ressort avec un gros sourire sur le visage et une envie de chanter la vie, même imparfaite.

Read More

Le BL scolaire le plus mature de GMMTV (petit coup de cœur)

BL scolaire & GMMTV, où comment me servir sur un plateau deux caractéristiques qui m'ont fait fuir le BL thaïlandais ces dernières années.
My School President est une formidable surprise à laquelle je ne m'attendais pas un seul instant.

L'histoire dans ses grandes lignes est simple. Gun voit son club de musique menacé de fermeture par la directrice qui souhaite fermer les clubs qui n'apportent rien à la réputation de l'école. S'ajoute à cela, le fils de la directrice, Tinn, également président du conseil des élèves qui semble l'avoir pris en grippe et qui possède aussi le pouvoir de faire fermer son club. Mais ce que Gun ignore, c'est que Tinn est amoureux de lui depuis longtemps.
Sur le papier, rien ne laisse présager un drama surprenant ou qui puisse intéresser autant que les dix derniers avec le même topo. Et pourtant...

La réussite de My School President est dans ses acteurs qui n'ont jamais essayé d'être ce qu'ils ne sont pas. Ce sont des lycéens qui n'ont pas la prétention d'être des adultes et ne deviennent jamais immatures ou gênants. Ce qui en fait le projet de GMMTV le plus mature de tout son catalogue dans le contexte scolaire (collège/lycée/université).
Au fil des épisodes, on voit les personnages évoluer les uns avec les autres et créer des liens forts qui respirent l'amitié, la camaraderie, le soutien et l'amour.

Gun et Tinn sont les visages principaux de ce drama. On craque doucement pour ce joli couple qui possède une alchimie taquine, douce, mignonne et vivante. Ce n'est rien de brut ou extrême, c'est adorablement mignon et stupidement craquant. C'est le genre de couple qu'on aime voir, celui qui réchauffe les cœurs et donne envie de re/tomber amoureux.euse.
Le couple secondaire (Sound et Win) connaît son petit développement et reste joli à suivre entre deux répétitions. D'ennemis à petits-amis.

Quant au scénario, il assume pleinement sa simplicité et c'est ce qui en fait une réussite. S'il use de quelques pointes dramatiques, elles restent faibles et non gênantes sur la durée. En temps normal, on pourrait cocher toutes les cases. My School President fonctionne différemment et coche seulement celles qui ont une utilité.
Côté bruitage, certaines scènes en abusent un chouia de trop. L'audio connaît quelques couacs ici et là, mais ce sont les seuls défauts franchement flagrants. Pour le reste, la photographie est propre de jour comme de nuit, le montage est fluide et les plans agréables.
Attention, ne regardez pas Our Skyy 2 avant la série. Vous risquez de gâcher tout le plaisir de découvrir les personnages et leurs évolutions dans leur contexte original. Our Skyy 2 n'invente rien et opte juste pour une inversion des rôles.

En bref, My School President est à mes yeux un des meilleurs BL scolaire thaïlandais, et sûrement l'un des meilleurs BL de cette année. Il peut faire penser plus d'une fois à 2gether, mais avec une bien meilleure dynamique, un rythme entraînant et des personnages réellement attachants.

Petit coup de cœur pour ces gars-là.

Read More