Step by Step (2023)

Semi-interesting story but with poor chemistry and bad directing

I started watching this after having seen a summary on YouTube which caught my interest.

The story per se is not bad, although a bit cliché. The department manager and heir of a big company and an employee fall for each other - misunderstandings ensue, drama emerges and generally K-drama proceeds as expected. So far so good.

First let me start with the positive things: all characters evolve in a manner which is not usual in such dramas. The plot has all the necessary ingredients to make a great drama.

However, and now come the negative things: the said elements simply do not work. They seem like random scenes thrown together in a way that they are completely disjoint. There is no read threat in the plot. Certain scenes do not fit, while others would fit if there weren't so large logical gaps between them. The lead characters (Pat and Jeng) come from completely different worlds. So different, that all their interactions seem dissociated from the story told. There is not enough going on to justify what is being told. One minute cry-baby Pat rejects his Boss because he still needs to find out his feelings (while he himself effectively plays around with his ex), and the next minute they divulge each other in the car. Mr. Perfect (Jeng) changes from a stern, hated by his employees manager into a respected team leader. Super rich, successful, handsome (like spending 3 hours in the gym on a daily basis), living in a super maisonette with his totally immature little brother (who undulates between subversiveness and independence, himself an innocent boy and at the same time a game player), excellent cook, who spends time to develop a recipe that suits Pat's taste buds, when he sees him saying he does not like celery. The gap is too large, and the causality of his actions simply is unbelievable. One detail that kept confusing me is also the time intervals between scenes. Sometimes something takes place the day after and sometimes a month or two later, and this is not made clear enough.

One last negative thing is the chemistry between the two main leads. I am anything but convinced that they develop feelings for each other. I guess, after having watched countless Bl dramas (I probably should find another hobby LOL) with actors who couldn't be better suited for each other, this one falls rather short. It is also their total incompatibility, mature vs. young, tall, full of muscles and totally manly vs. rather boyish, super rich vs. middle class, super clever and talented vs. more normal, good cook with his own restaurant vs bad cook (although son of a cook), I can go on for ever. The gap is really unbridgeable, and their initial encounter (when they still do not know who the other is) simply to short to develop such feelings. Everything seems forced and unrealistic.

I am not sure where to attribute all these flaws... Don't get me wrong, the series does not suck or anything, it simply is produced at a rather amateurish level.

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The consequences of great expectations

Thanks so much to all the bad reviews that allowed me to enjoy this series.
This is a good example of how your personal taste or expectation leads you to (perhaps) exaggerations.
I expected a disaster and finally watched a cute, relaxed series with its good and not-so-good moments.

Jeng's character is more interesting in terms of the approach to the role, as a more mature approach to love situations and the conflict of emotions with logic.
Pat's character although sweet and capable in the friendly scenes, touches at times a one-dimensional approach that reduces the potential development of the story.
The secondary couple, although promising, never begins and is never really completed, and thus the audience remains unparticipated.
The depiction of the company's work environment adds a lot as do the supporting characters led by Chot.
It is an effort that is mainly honest and partly incomplete.

It's certainly not one of the best series, just as it's certainly not the fiasco described by the reviews.
Especially lately where we've seen ill-intentioned series glorified for the sake of the protagonists.

Take it easy, give it a try and have fun.

PS I wouldn't write a review for this series but I have a sensitivity to unnecessary unfairness especially when it is based on one's personal taste.

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Cliche BL Set In Office

**Brief Synopsis**
B (Employee): Pat
T (CEO): Jeng

- Beginning: B is a new employee at T’s company. He meets T for the first time when he spilt coffee on him. T notices B way before B notices him. From the very start, T finds B interesting and slowly develops a crush on him. However, he is his manager so he tries to keep his crush a secret by being very strict with him.

- Middle: Despite trying his best at keeping a distance, he is still unable to resist getting closer to B and starts finding ways to spend time with him outside work. At first B is very nervous around him, believing him to be serious and strict and scary but after a while, he relaxes and starts to like him as well. After B suffers a heartbreak, T finally decides this is his chance and asks him out. His first confession is rejected because B doesn’t believe he is serious (as T is rich and handsome while B is just normal), but after some thought and advice from a friend, he decides to give it a chance. They started dating.

- End: But before they could have their happy ending, another obstacle comes their way. People have seen B and T being intimate so rumours that B had slept his way to a promotion began circulating around the company. B wants to cool it off for a while but T doesn’t want to discuss it. But when B finds out that T has kept an extremely big secret regarding his job from him, he is deeply hurt, breaks it off with T and leaves the company. Some times later, he finds himself face to face with T again, this time to collaborate on a new project. By that time, B has realized that perhaps he had misunderstood T and deeply regrets breaking up with him. He goes to see T and begs for a second chance, which T gives. The show ends with them together again.

**My Opinion**

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT:
- I really like the characters, especially the one playing T. He is really good at playing the manager and everything about him is just so sophisticated. B on the other hand is awkward and adorable. I really like this kind of pairing and have been rooting them on since the beginning and wondering just what T will be like once he starts dating B.
- Although still a little dramatized, I found the depiction of the workplace to be rather accurate. I’m glad they showed B dealing with being a new employee and T finding ways to support him even if they aren’t lovers yet.
- I really like the acting. The actors did a great job at portraying the affection between the two characters. They also did a great job at being what their characters were supposed to be. As for the supporting cast, their acting was okay as well.
- I really liked the concept of this show and for what it’s worth, I think the concept was pretty well executed. The pacing was a little too slow for my taste but the story flowed well.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT IT:
- The plot is cliche and predictable. I have tried guessing what would happen multiple times and has guessed right every time. There is a set formula for these types of stories and this show falls within that formula.
- There were times when the dialogue was just a little bit too much, too awkward in mind but those moments are few so that’s okay.
- There aren’t enough intimate scenes, just two, but they are pretty well shot and moderately hot.
- Miscommunication is used as source for angst. B left without giving T any chances to explain, breaking off with him and disappearing. It is an overused cliche.
- Denying the other person’s feelings because you think they are better than you and shouldn’t like you is also often used as source of angst.
- The length is also something I didn’t like. It’s just way too long for no reason. I felt there were a lot of padding in the sense you can skip forward and still not get lost. Less attention could have been given to other pairings or other events and slim down the run time.
- Despite the long run time, I felt their relationship lacks buildup. We have no idea why T liked B in the first place and why B suddenly liked T when he was obviously deep in like with another guy just then. It felt more like T is B’s rebound, cheapening their relationship a little bit.
- Although I know it’s intentional they were written that way, I really didn’t like the other women in that department. They don’t seem to do anything and cause trouble with their gossip and yet they are not punished.
- Sometimes B feels too soft. Although B’s reaction is probably realistic but since he is a character, I would have loved to see him with a backbone. Luckily, he does seem to become more confident thanks to T.

**Conclusion**
An OK watch but probably won’t be revisiting.

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If you're into fast-paced and sexy scene heavy BLs, this ain't for you lol

I never thought I'd ever write a review about a series, but I have the biggest urge to defend this series. First off, finally a drama that focuses on showing what irl working looks like and not just prancing around pretending to do something important by just using big words LMAOO. Everything about the office and on-site work plot I absolutely loved it and highly recommend to people who want to know what working in corporate as a young fresher looks like. The plot. I do have to admit it is a bit slow-paced but I am into slow-burn so I didn't mind lol.

Second; the cast. Everyone did an amazing job in this series, hands down some of the best acting I've seen in a while. Trust me fr cause I watch tons and tons of Bl dramas all year round. I do have to say that P'Man was my favourite in this, he has proved himself as a very talented actor. It is so hard to act by just your facial expressions, but he did such an amazing job, especially in the crying and pining scenes. Typically the bl tops are portrayed as "too tough to break down/ be vulnerable", but his character was so on point with showing his emotions and being so raw about it. He deserves more recognition honestly. But the cast for Pat, Chot, Ae, Jaab, Jen, Kanun they all slayed as well!

Third; the characters. The chemistry was chemistrying for sure. The main leads were adorable and so were the supports as well. I often find people saying the characters didn't have any "real" obstacles like a homophobic mother or toxic ex or sabotaging 2nd lead etc. But I think everyone should take a step back and realise that being human in itself is an obstacle for being in a relationship lol. Not saying these factors don't make sense, but I feel like even in "straight/gay/lgbtq" relationships its the individual's emotions that usually drives the decision and not these things. When you are confused about your feelings about someone, or when you're insecure in yourself and think less of yourself in comparison to another person, or when you're helplessly in love but can't be with that person due to practical reasons: these are all equally valid reasons and circumstances as any homophobia or scheming ex. I do admit that the character of Pat is dumb sometimes, but he's human, we're designed to be dumb LOL. So realistically speaking I think this series did a good job with all their characters, and Chot and Ae are so fun I loved them to bits!

Overall I'd say that if you're used to seeing things escalate from like the 2nd ep itself then you'll meed a lot of patience to watch this. Highly recommend this, do watch this if this review interests you lol ><

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This Was Supposed To Be A Glowing Review

I am acearo but I am now also desparately in love with Man. The amount of times I said "goddamn," in response to his mannerisms cannot be counted– he exudes attractiveness, and I normally only find people pretty at best. Chot is a perfect character, I wish Chot was in every scene, but I am biased here as well as I have been ferociously interested in Bruce since Lovely Writer. Up until episode 8 or 9 this was an almost perfect series to me and I intended my review to be a dissertation on how wrong it is that the rating is 7.1. Obviously, my rating now is now far below that, so let's get into it.

Pat is uniquely irritating. He cries at the drop of a hat, is never in the wrong despite always being the problem, and generally manages to make every issue excruciating to watch. I do not like the character. I actually did at first because he had a lot of pizazz and determination, but that kinda disappeared around the halfway mark.

The storyline gets more disjointed as the show progresses and, at some point, it feels distinctly like the writers forgot their own plotlines. The coworkers (Ying especially) are gossipy, mean, and basically bully Pat and then they all chat happily at badminton?? Jen tells Jaab he'll stay away from him and then....doesn't. Like at all. Not even for one scene. Jaab tells Jen they should stay friends but last we saw them, Jaab was still 300% cooked for Jen and we get no insight as to why he suddenly decided not to go for it. Actually, speaking of JaabJen, I've never been so disappointed by a formerly interesting couple. Up through the kiss, I was invested in them. Right after the party when Jaab for some reason decides to shoot himself in both feet, I had to force myself not to skip through their following scenes right through to the end. It was just so stupid, entirely unwarranted, and woefully under-explained.

The entirety of the Jeng's dad plotline was meh. Put was.....there? I was kind of indifferent to him (I love Up, so he was at least nice to see) and the story around him and Pat, especially after he's shown caring only about Pat, then taking him for granted the moment they get together, then caring only about Pat again once they're apart. He felt more like a plot device than a character. I really want to disparge Pat more right now, but we'd be here all day.

Jeng is perfect, I have nothing bad to say. except maybe he should leave Pat and the company and just vibe at his restaurant.

Tbh, I had a feeling that, to maintain my high rating, I should've just stopped at episode ten because we all know how ep. 11 goes, but I chose my path because Man is not in any other BLs and I do not like him enough to subject myself to any form of not-queer media. I enjoyed how much of the office we saw and the maturity (read: this is not the right word) of the characters (bar Pat and like, all the side character coworkers). It's rare to have older characters be the focus of a BL so I really appreciated it in this series— not being in high-school, college, or fresh out of school is really a blessing for this genre.

The music was okay at first but once the waterworks kicked off (so much fucking crying is2g) it got irritating hearing the sad piano all the damn time. The acting was ok to good. I can see why people might be underwhelmed with Man's acting, I thought he was good though, provided he wasnt trying to act sad. Pat was good provided he wasnt crying or being dramatic or speaking. Chot was perfection, as was Ae and her husband.

I will probably rewatch this, but really just for Bruce and Man, so make of that what you will. Maybe worth one watch if you stop at episode 10 before the bs. 3000% worth multiple watches if you drop it around episode 8. I actually like that the episodes were long, I didnt really get bored, but I always watch everything at at least 1.5x so.

I am once again trying not to hate on Pat but dear lord he is the entire reason this show went to shit. Like even the bullshit storyline between JaabJen has nothing on how annoying Pat's character was. I hate that he was babied throughout the show; everyone can hear mean or realistic things except Pat. But Pat is the one who needs the reality check the most. I had a lot of sympathy when he was being bullied at the office but the moment it stopped he became one of the most insufferable characters I've ever had the displeasure of watching, and I've watched some real garbage. Pat's character feels like the type of person to show up to a wedding in white and then cry when they're reprimanded. Just spoiled and self-centered. My rating was actually still a reluctant 7 until episode 12, at which point Pat wore through my already hair-thin tolerance and I dropped it. What a waste of good potential. Tbh, I'd give this a 9 if Jeng didn't take Pat back. Fuck Pat fr.

Thats about it. This started great and then shot its own feet until it was just mediocre.

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Never again. So many people hype it up giving it the attention it hasn't earned. The characters were unbearable, I skipped more than watching it. The interaction that Pat had with his colleague was the only bit I enjoyed as they got to be themselves with no expectations or worries. The ex was interesting as he seemed the silent type, never thought he would threaten Jeng but hey do we really know anyone? Don't fully understand why they broke up in the first place. The ending was so confusing as there was lack of communication making it so awkward to watch forced conversations

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A THAI VERSION OF UNINTENTIONAL LOVE STORY AS THEIR NEXT PROJECT?!!

I enjoyed most of the series until about the end of episode 10, but episode 11 and the beginning of episode 12 were pretty disappointing. Some of the crying scenes really did not need to make the cut so I think that the script itself needed some work. It seemed that emotional scenes might have been a bit difficult for Ben to get into. However, I think that Ben has great potential as an actor and since this was his first project, I'm sure he's improved with some practice. Now that he's probably more comfortable with his partner Man, he's very likely to do much better in his next project with him. If they work together again in another series, I think they would be a good pair for a Thai remake of the Korean series "Unintentional Love Story". Man would be a perfect Yoon Tae Joon with a serious demeanor. And Ben would be a great, cheerful, and animated version of Ji Won Young.

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MAN TRISANU SURANON deserved so much better.

Step By Step is a BL series from Thailand and it is about an everyday worker named Pat. He is just starting work but he feels that he is at a company where his talents are not being utilized but when the manager changed, everything changed for him as well. I think that this is the best way that I will describe the story of this show because I will be serious and I feel like there is not much to say about this show except for the fact that we have wasted Man Trisanu Soranun in this show. Yes, I will have to say that he is super fucking hot. He had shirtless scenes and his abs are the most insane abs that I have seen right now. He is super fucking fine but he was surprisingly the best in acting in all of the show. My main problem with him and this show is the acting. I know and I am very sorry to say this as early as now but the acting is just bad. I know that they are trying their hardest and all but I hope that they can try so much better because I feel like what we got is boring especially in the emotional scenes. I was really wanting to feel something for these characters but the crying sounds that they make with no tears at all or the lack luster performances is just hard to watch. Man Trisanu Soranun is a bit forgivable because he had a decent performance but the lead performance that required most of the acting is of Ben who is playing Pat. Pat is the lead character and we have seen everything from his perspective but what I just noticed is that he did not even grow as a character. He is the most irritating character in the show. He literally is. I was waiting for his character development and it never came. It was so disappointing. This is on top of the bad acting too. Now, this is just really a tragic thing to watch. The performance is pretty hard to watch and I was really disappointed. They added many characters as well and I feel like the stories have potential but the bad acting is not really working to their advantage. The chemistry is not even there. On top of this, the story moved from a pretty glacial pace and it took me so much effort to finish it. I feel like they just decided to make a show and the story just became whatever they thought of on the spot and that is it. I am not even sure what they are trying to accomplish here but I feel like it is none. The love story of Pat and Jeng had solid moments especially when they are together but this happened around episode 10 and they are not anymore at episode 11. I feel like the story was forced to move so slow at the beginning and so fast nearing the end as they are trying to put as many things as they can in this show to make it work but it did not. It is a bit on the bad side because the potential is there for the story to be good especially it is an office romance but the writing and the acting just threw it all away. The ending had so much unnecessary problems that I think the chemistry of the actors was not establish properly. Seriously, they had few scenes together and most of them are work-related stuff that I was even unsure what I was watching because there is so much work happening in this show. They were meeting all the time. The ending was just forced and it took such a long time to get there.

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A bl with huge potential fell flat due to poor execution

Well I am going to come straight to the point and jot down the positive points first
1. This was a bl with immense potential cuz it had actors with extremely good visuals. Plus the actor who played Mr Jeng was on point with his mannerisms and expressions. I loved the character.
2. There were scenes that honestly made me laugh. No sarcasm I really did laugh and giggle.
3. I loved few side characters like Chot and I really wish they make a sequel of him and Krit his partner falling in love 8 years back.
4. The bl was realistic in many ways how toxic office culture is.
But that's it I guess.
Now comes the reason why this fell flat
1. There was no binding agent in the various sub plots. Some items didn't even mean sense as to why they were added.
2. Mr Jeng is the only round character who had a change in his personality and although it's being said that Pat has become more mature, his constant whinning infront of his colleagues was heavily unrealistic and honestly irritating, which ultimately makes him a flat character that never changes throughout.
3. The actor playing Pat has to go through a lot of acting classes to be able to perfect the role of Pat cuz even if you're a fresher, at one point you don't break down and cry in front of colleagues even if you're being fired. You express your disappointment through subtle expressions and words, not by letting your snot drool over your face.
4. I didn't realise this was a mature bl until the very end episodes. In the first episodes, it seemed there was chemistry but it severely lacked in the middle and even in the end in the bed scenes. Man aka Mr Jeng did his best to bring the chemistry but unfortunately only one actor cannot drag the entire show.
5. The intimacy was too sudden. Why Pat couldn't believe Me Jeng liked him and why he suddenly started liking him was beyond me. Gay men have a radar where was that. We never had our bosses running us favors even as women and even if they do we get the hint.
Basically, the direction was at loss. Screenwriters were being misled to make sure there were enough scenes for promoting the drinks and what not. As a director, one must know how to make art and make profits alongside. I feel bas for the plot really had high potential to be a super hot drama.

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it's not that bad

okay hear me out bc the first 6 or so episodes are very slow and somewhat background fodder but I also really do appreciate the way they built the characters and the story up.

I will say the number one plus and negative for this show is that it's perhaps TOO realistic. everything moved at about the pace of real life and was filled with just as much stupid decisions and long contemplations.

but in many ways that's where it also excelled, bc despite everything I really felt like they portrayed a realistic gay (or not gay) relationship. feom beginning to end it felt very realistic to me.

and especially from episode 8 on it really paid off but the build up was pretty crucial. I don't understand why people say there was no character growth when I feel like the whole story hinged on that and made it very clear that it happened. I also didn't really hate any characters which is a plus.

both the leads I liked. and people can complain about the crying but it was mostly while he was drunk which is also very believable. again, I think this show was incredibly honest and that probably annoys people who either haven't lived that reality, hate that stuff, or would like to pretend it doesn't exist.

do I need this level of real life realism in my dramas? probably not. but I really did end up liking it. mostly because the acting was solid, especially from keng. and the chemistry and intimacy felt very real. like even the awkward getting back together conversation felt genuinely like one I have had before.

overall it does not deserve as bad of a rep as it has on this site but I recommend skimming past a lot of the first 6 episodes to save time

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The timeline stopped making sense in the end

I was really looking forward to this and I really enjoyed it at first. I actually liked the fact that we got to see everyone at the office working, doing projects, have actual conversations and meetings related to work. It was mundane things that are often overlooked. It also made a lot of sense with how the story between Jeng and Pat was developing.

However, as the story progressed, I felt like the focus on the office related things became a bit too much. There was very little development in the relationships of characters and almost no character development. Instead, it was all work, work, work.

Jeng & Pat: Jeng has a very strong presence, kind of mysterious but also very intriguing. I know he is supposed to be this cold and ruthless boss, but I don’t really get that from him. I think he does tend to micromanage everything, which in turn makes him appear like he doesn’t trust his subordinates. He is not rude, but he expects people to do their work – something most were not used to. He is trying his best to make the department succeed. I found Pat adorable at first. He is a people pleaser and finds it hard to refuse others, but he is a good person. He does find it hard to deal with his emotions sometimes, but I can also understand his reactions. Sometimes it just all becomes too much, and you need to let it out somehow. However, as the story progressed, I started to find him a bit annoying at times. He is not really someone who is good at handling stress or work-related confrontations, which is something that often happens in his line of work. Their relationship was slow to progress, but when it did, it really went from zero to a hundred.

Whoever paired Man and Ben as Jeng and Pat deserves a raise. I absolutely love their height difference. They have great chemistry and did great portraying the longing the two characters had for one another. I did find some of their intimate scenes a bit awkward, like the focus was on everything except the intimaciy. Which made their actions appear stiff. The crying scenes were not beliveable either.

Put: there is something about him that just doesn’t sit well with me. He obviously hurt Pat a lot in the past, but it also seems very realistic for Pat to want to try and make it work with him again. It’s a sad reality that a lot of people go back to their ex at some point. It’s usually a bad idea in real life, and I think it’s a bad idea for Pat too.

Jaab & Jen: Jaab is a cutie too. I am not really a fan of him going after a taken man, but Jen doesn’t seem that indifferent either. There is obviously something on his side as well. Jaab just seems to be a bit more lovestruck. Or maybe lovesick. The two also confuse me a lot. I am not sure if we are just missing a big part of their story, but there are certain things about them that just don’t make any sense.

As for the side characters, most of the office workers are horrible. But I think it does show reality of such work – there are always those who gossip and do nothing, and then there are people who do everything and get no recognition. I really liked Nan. She is an excellent mentor to Pat. And Chot is so sweet! I really love his interactions with Pat. Plus Chot and his boyfriend are so adorable together! I do have a lot of complaints on what they did with some other office workers in the end, it came very out of the blue too.

Pat’s friend group is something! I really love the dynamics between Pat and Ae in particular. And the way Kanun treats the two is kind of funny. He seems to be the voice of reason while dealing with two troublemakers.

I liked the pacing of the story at first. It was a slowburn romance and I knew that going into it. The episodes were long, it felt like each one was longer than the previous one, with the finale topping the charts at 1h 42min. I think they could have done much better with the storyline distribution for it to make more sense. They tried to cram so much into the last two episodes, that it ended up being sloppy, messy and rushed. We were jumping around and forward, making me confused on when things happened and how.

A major letdown for me was how almost everything was left unresolved or never properly addressed. I guess we got an ending, but we didn’t really get any solid conclusions. I also found the fact that episodes continued from a different place than they ended annoying. There were a few scenes that should have been continued from when we finished in the previous episode, but they weren't. Even the change from ep1 to ep2 had that.

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