Only Friends (2023)

Wonderfully messy

I like many others have been counting the days for this show to air. As usual GMMTV has another iconic show on their hands.
The acting: I already knew the acting was gonna be good because of the beautiful pairings we had for the casting but I was still so pleasantly surprised at how much more everyone had gotten even better. Khaotung and First blow me out of the water every single project they do but this one right here is the one! Just breathtaking. THE CHEMISTRY.
Force and Book are another pair that have stolen my heart. Book has really shown how versatile he can be going from a boss and a babe to only friends. When I heard Mark and Neo we’re gonna be paired up I was so excited. People were upset that Louis wasn’t going to be with Neo but I just knew Mark was gonna be such a good pair with Neo and give us what we needed. And I was not wrong. Like I was nowhere near wrong. Like at all *insert the blushing emoji.”
Finally GMMTV has given Mark his time to shine instead of giving him the side character treatment.
The story: the story is messy as hell and so scrumptious. This show does a beautiful job at discussing difficult topics and showing the process of not so pretty consequences. I really just want to highlight GMMTV for not giving all of the couples “happy” endings just because the pairs have wonderful chemistry. One of my favorite things to come out of this show is you should love yourself and not lower your standards for no one. Absolutely gonna miss this series forever hoping for a season two.

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Only friends forever.

I need to vent.
I absolutely loved the series so much that I watched it again. This, being the second time I watched it, I see it in a different perspective than I did a year ago when it released.
Even then...it never stops hurting.
The ending.?

Okay, let's start by mentioning the positives.
I love the cast. Neo Trai, First Kanaphan, Khaotung Thanawat, Mark Pakin, Book Kasidet, Force Jitrachapong, and Lookjun Bhasidi as always never failed us. I have absolutely no problem with the cast, hell, even Nonnie Pitchaporn did such amazing acting(Does it run in the Kirdpan family to be this cute?). Sand and Nick probably had to be the best-written character ever. On top of that, they were so relatable and real, except Nick always lowering his bar. Ray's healing era was instantly my favorite. And Boeing was legit the character who stepped in, kissed everyone by Nick, and left. Slay kind, you dropped this?.

Then, storyline. If you're into messy storylines, you're gonna love this. I did <333333
I bet everyone is going to hate Boston the most, but not for me. I surprisingly never liked Top. The reason was, Boston came off straightforward, he was like 'Yeah, I'm an asshole' but Top on the other hand came off as a manipulator from the get-go. He manipulated Mew by making his confession grand. So...yeah, there's that.

Okay, improvements. To be honest, I loved everything.......except........ForceBook. Wait, no don't get me wrong. Their acting is really good, as amazing as ever. But after seeing them act in light hearted and fun series like Enchante and Boss and a Babe, they were almost fit for it. Their individual acting itself was amazing, but as a serious ship, they were slightly off. But by their masterpiece of an acting, that flaw went simply unnoticable.

Overall, the experience is great.
I am very sad over the fact that Boston didn't change. I fully expected him to and I thought the ending would be Nick and Boston don't ehri merry way to New York, but sadly I was wrong. But we can accept Nick's decision as good humans. I also loved the ending, clearly, they sort of accepted Boston and let go of their past fury against each other.
So yeah, I suggest you watch it. And when you do, have a good time <3333333333

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A Rollercoaster of Emotions: A Late-Night Binge-Watch

When I first saw Ray with his head resting on the toilet seat, I knew he was the one. Have you ever watched a movie or a drama and felt an inexplicable connection to a character? Ray was that person for me—twisted and flawed, yet profoundly relatable. Life has a way of molding us into unexpected shapes, and Ray’s journey resonated with me.

As for Sand, he's such a sweet guy. I mean, he saved my Ray and made him a better man. What could be more perfect than that? I admire his hardworking nature, the way he takes care of the people he loves, and his deep bond with his mom. It pained me to see him cry or suffer, but such is life.

Mew's situation is perplexing. I felt anger toward Top for betraying him behind his back. It's as if fate inscribed in red ink, 'Innocence gets you hurt.' Mew possesses a forgiving heart—a quality I lack. If I were in his shoes... well, let's not dwell on what I'd do.

Top is still not my cup of tea from the first time I saw him. His character resembled a predator toying with its prey, inflicting wounds and then licking them. Perhaps my bias influenced my perception, but anyway...

And then there’s Boston, a lost soul who struggles to understand love and how to be loved. When he settled down, I hoped he'd find stability. Alas, he stumbled again, losing something precious. Boston reminded me of a thirsty lamb in a desert, bypassing an oasis to wander deeper into scorching sands. Sometimes, we all need a wake-up call—a metaphorical smack on the head—to alter our course.

Nick, the sweetheart, faced perpetual bad luck in love. His heart woke up one day and chose unrequited love. I'm relieved he eventually found self-awareness and escaped the torment he inflicted upon himself. Innocent face, wounded heart—sweet Nick.

The friend group was f**ked up to the core, probably why I sometimes wish I remained friendless to avoid the drama, betrayal, and complicated love dynamics.

The series itself was a whirlwind of emotions. Stellar performances by the actors, perfectly crafted scenes, and an engaging storyline held me captive. So here I am, writing this review at 5 a.m., fueled by my all-night binge-watch. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

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Boston is the winner kkk ?

In a show where the word love is misused because it hardly exists. Everyone is just on for a good duck. All of us be ashawo haha.

Boston makes it on my list of beloved characters. Of course in real life I would not wish even my worst enemies a Boston in their lives haha. But got to give to the guy he stayed true to himself, he was an a***hole through and through and unapologetic about it. That’s what we call consistency haha. Too bad someone was hell bent on taking him for who he is and supposedly loving him no matter what.

I loved Sand. I adored Ray. I cared less about the other couples. These two were the only reasons I kept watching, the reason I’m giving this “interesting show” a 9. My fav couple they were not perfect but whatever they had was so much better. Sand was perfect for Ray. Ray was a douche sometimes but he quick to realize his mistakes and seek out Sand. Unlike Boston the Ashawo, who even had the audacity to f someone while on a date with his bf.



Spoilers
I sympathized with Nick. I get it all he wanted was love, but he was looking for it in the wrong person. The only time I was genuinely annoyed with Boston was he forged a lie to hook up with Top. But I didn’t blame him much for breaking Nick’s heart because he at least had the decency of telling Nick so many times before that he would not give him what he wanted. He was honest with him, he told him he is an ashawo and was not willing to be anybody’s bf. It’s Nick who insisted on sticking around. At first I thought all Nick wanted was to be loved, so I was happy for him when some one, Nick’s showed genuine interest in him and was even willing to be his bf, but Nick only had his heart set the ashawo.

I never bought into Top and Mew’s love. First of all I was annoyed by how Mew’s so called friends were so eager to get him laid. Was like let the guy be, he will get there himself when he wants to.

Anyhow going into the show I knew exactly what I getting into so not gonna complain about any of the “interesting” stuffs.

Everyone is an Ashawo in this series ?.

Most problematic lines/ scenes for me.
There were so many of them as expected
But this one’s stuck with me.


Mew telling Ton: I’m going to finally sleep with Too because I’m afraid he will get bored of me I don’t.

Ray wanted to have a threesome with his bf and his bf’s ex. Was like this show has gone too far with fan service.

I predicted that Sand and Top were also going to kiss haha since I saw everyone was kissing everyone it didn’t matter whether or not they’re “dating” other people.

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Obsessed with RaySand

I really enjoyed watching this, even though I actually prefer to watch cutesy, sweet, no-angst shows, which I would say this isn’t.

First off, I love RaySand’s story/romance it’s done so well and Khaotung and First do an amazing job acting. I will say I wasn’t really all that interested in MewTop, but that didn’t detract from the story too much. The acting is all quite good, I think this is a pretty top-tier cast (especially Khaotung, the way he portrayed emotions was really really good). Some emotional moments nearer the end did make me tear up, again the way Khaotung and First portray their characters is SO good. I also am a big fan of Neo, he did a great job (even though Boston isn’t the best).

I started this show not really thinking I’d even get through it, but mainly because I just wanted to give it a try- then ended up finishing it in 3 days. There’s a lot of messiness with the characters, and a lot of drama (and a lot of bad decisions made), and it makes for a great show.

I also really loved how the show talked about sexuality and consent and such were important and talked about. I see too many BLs living in some sort of fantasy world where consent is not given and it’s not a problem- not even talked about. Also there are some BLs that are just weird with pacing and the story and confusing, but this absolutely was not, the plot and pacing were very natural, the way characters react is completely natural. It was a very good watch.

I wasn’t even planning on writing this much, I just finished it so I think I have a lot to say about it. If you’ve actually read this, I definitely recommend you watch the show, and I hope you enjoy it.

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I think a very good study in human behavior. Funnily enough.

Explicit. Characters are of all shades of gray. When I say explicit it is definitely on higher end of explicit for a BL. And when I say I overall liked this watch, you may think it was those scenes but not really.

It was simply upredictable and exciting to see characters respond to plot demands. So dramatic! So fun! With burlesque quality to it. Cannot pinpoint it but I feel like I have been thrown into the OG Gossip Girl first watch. Does anyone get what I mean?

I was easily invested in the story of each of the characters, so much that I remember all of their names. And I do not have to say leave your morality at the front because these are not good people and they do not pretend to be.

At the beginning, everything and everyone seems superficial and thin like paper but throughout the show they flunctuate as people and do so in an honest and raw way.

The characters were developed with solid back stories that justified their actions in the drama, but were still unexpected when they struck you as audience. Ray was multi-layered character from the get go and fit Khao's emotional and vulnerable performance excellently. Even the lack of chemistry with Mew exemplified that his match was elsewhere. Sand was an absolute favorite in the way he was written, his sass was very well portrayed and his wimpy attitude was toned down but his cool and confident disposition. The chemistry was on point between the main leads.

Ton was consistent as hell in his immorality. He made me think so much. Even though I would condemn some actions in real life, the drama made me consider the angles of forgiveness and contempt and change ...and all in all, letting go. Nuncheon, I thought was useless in the plot. If judging from this as my first time seeing his performance, Force seems better person than he is an actor. In behind the scenes he was funny and charming, seems like a great guy to have around in any team --but his acting I just did not think was complex enough for the role of Top. Book was solid, nothing much to complain about. Mark Pakin the same case as with Force, this is my first time to see him acting and he did not impress, seems like a great guy perhaps the role did not fit. Also strange because his chemistry with Neo was not really lacking in the interviews and behind the scenes so I am not sure why I was not vibing with them. I am throwing all unpopular opinions here, sorry.

In all, a few things carried this drama: complex and unpredictable plot, refreshing mature script that matched perfectly with the scenography and Khao, First and Neo.

I know many people here rate it as trash, even tho I understand I would disagree. depends what you are looking for (or finding). With all those salacious scenes you expect to be kind of at the brink of oversaturation but characters were simply well written so you may end up caring more about what happens to them. Like me.

I think I liked Only Friends more than Eclipse, even though I think Akk fit better First than Sand did, and Ray suited better Khao than Ayan did... And well, I am First's fan girl first, and an objective reviewer (caring about your viewing experience) second, hihi.

Go for it. It's unexpected surprise. And 12eps only.

Thanks for reading.

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A great show that went off the rails somewhere along the line

Boy oh boy am I conflicted about this one! There are some things I adore about it, some things I absolutely hate about it and on the whole I suppose I'm just not quite sure where I stand.

Let me start off by saying that the acting and cinematography in this show are phenomenal, the soundtrack absolutely slaps, and best of all: it has some of the most realistic and multidimensional depictions of queer people and their lives I've ever seen in a Thai show.
Relationship boundaries are complex and shifting, sexual roles and preferences are fluid, and monogamy is often not all it's cracked up to be. For that alone the series scored big points with me.
Unfortunately though, they completely flubbed the ending in my opinion.

This story could have had the perfect three act structure: the building of relationships, then the complete breakdown of those relationships, before finally rebuilding connections and salvaging whatever possible from the wreckage.
And for a while it really looks like that's where the show is going. I absolutely adore the first third of the series and am very much on board with the sheer chaos of the second third (I especially love the twist to Mew's character and think this could have been the perfect set-up for a truly interesting and subversive character arc).
But by the last third I was so furious about some of the writing choices made that all that goodwill pretty much went out the window.

I strongly dislike the way Mew and Top's relationship rekindling is handled (I think it's a great disservice to both characters to be honest) and I just couldn't get invested in their dynamic anymore.
Boston also gets done pretty dirty in that the show frequently blurs the line between "this character is a complete dick who is unrepenting and pretty much irredeemable" and "this character is simply polyamorous/prefers open relationships" which plays into negative and antiquated stereotypes.
And then there is Boeing whose inclusion is as unnecessary as it is deeply irritating. It detracts focus from two of the most important relationships in the show and pretty much ruins several character arcs in my opinion.

That being said the series does still have a great deal to offer: it is raw, touching, and real. It subverts a lot of tired old tropes of the genre while also skillfully addressing several important issues like consent and addiction. It is incredibly sex-positive and unabashedly queer and features several loving lesbian and trans couples (though none of them really get enough screentime).
And most importantly it's pure, chaotic fun.

In short I hope to see this production team create more shows like this in the future and hopefully learn from some of the mistakes here too.
I also would like to take this opportunity to grab GMM by the proverbial collar and inform them that they better wise up and make space for more authentically queer productions going forward without leading good projects awry due to unexpected audience demands dammit!

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Crazy little thing called love.

Oh boy. This series was a ride and a half, and I'm still not entirely sure about my rating.

There were points when I was so frustrated watching this, but it did a fairly good job at engaging me. I'm a sucker for complex relationship dynamics, and I think each of the pairs in this delivered on that tenfold. So to best assess, let's look at the couples.

Mew & Top: When I started, I wasn't sure about them. Mew's character was relatable for me, and I wanted Top to be a good guy -- but of course, nothing is that easy. The fist shaking and face palming done during certain scenes with them was numerous. Surprisingly, I feel they did a good job at redeeming Top. I was rooting for him by the end, and in a weird twist, I was annoyed by Mew. His character flip due to heartbreak was enraging at points, but they pulled it back together. This was the pair I was least engaged with, though. Also can we talk about the random storyline they threw in at the end? Literally insanity to me because it had zero development and felt like someone was like "but wait... fire!"

Nick & Boston: This dynamic hit so much on Queer as Folk, but couldn't live up to that series. Still, Nick was endearing, though naive. Boston was not meant to be likeable and they did a fantastic job of conveying that. I really wish they would've explored more of his character, especially after what Nick said to him about wanting to be loved. I feel like that hit so hard, but wasn't fleshed out. Furthermore, they tried to redeem Ton, but there was no real moral dilemma evident when he just repeated his usual patterns. I feel like if they wanted us to believe he had some signs of hope, they needed to show that more. Ton grew on me, but like mold grows in a poorly ventilated bathroom. I'm sad but happy in the end that Nick chose himself. Boston has some growing to do, and he can't do it if he is enabled.

Sand & Ray: I actually chose to watch Only Friends because I enjoyed First so much in Note Me. This couple is really the star of the show for me. Ray was so enraging at points, and I think Sand was such a beautiful person, which they conveyed well. They were ying and yang at points, but complimented each other. As someone who works with mental health and addictions, Ray was a particularly heartbreaking character. His one therapy session had me near tears, and I wish we could've seen more of his exploration. I would've loved for them to delve more into the dynamics of recovery and loving someone in recovery. Their chemistry was palpable. One thing that bugged me a bit is the lack of closure related to Sand's dad.

Boeing: Not a pair, but he gets his own line because he created so many feels. Love the actor, hate the character -- so basically, he did another great job at acting. He was like Ton but boss level Ton. Any time he walked into the room, I was ready to throw something at my screen.

The ending felt a bit flat, but I enjoyed by journey (well, most of it).

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Splendidly messy, highly entertaining ! Hot, wild and thrilling !

This Thai BL follows the story of a group of 4 business students who are friends and open an hostel together as part as one of their university project. They are all somewhat very flawed individuals pursuing love in a very messy and foremost highly entertaining way. They are all entangled together with 4 additional characters and the relationships they all build along the show are full of red flags but also so wild and thrilling. I was pretty satisfied by the ending as I was afraid of it being full of potential redemption arcs not very believable. Here the choices done made overall sense to me, even though some resolution might seem a bit easy, it was pretty nuanced and convincing.

I watched this show religiously every week and I was invested emotionally in the adventures of the 8 protagonists but not at the same level for each of them. I had clearly 3 favorites characters that I was rooting for: Ray, Sand and Nick. I think what made me so attached to them is the great acting performance of Khaotung, First and Mark. I loved those actors in some of their previous works and once again they truly impressed me here. The other actors were not bad but there is for me a clear difference of skills level between those three and the others. This explains why there is one specific pairing that I adored so much that I was ready to forgive any mishaps happening between them while I was much more severe in my judgement for some other storylines. This pairing had also the most sizzling chemistry and the best emotional scenes in my opinion.

In terms of production, I really enjoyed the overall indie vibe of the drama. The soundtrack was pretty nice with its rock sound and it was very fitting with the story as a lot of the scenes were happening in bars, concerts or parties. The styling of the various characters was pretty cool: I rarely notice that much the clothing but there are a lot of noteworthy wardrobe moments.

I would recommend this to people looking for hot, wild and thrilling BL. If you are not afraid of messy relationships, you are in for a real treat. I would have loved for the drama to be longer even though the conclusion was good and satisfying (despite what felt as some shortcuts), that's why I would gladly watch a second season if they decide to make one.

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The Friends We Made Along The Way

There was one thing that annoyed me about this series once it started, I did not believe the core group of friends actually liked each other, if anything it felt like they only hang out together out of convenience but wouldn't miss an opportunity to belittle or mistreat each other.
But I think it was concise, since the story starts when the group starts to fall apart, when they reach the limit of what they can take from each other. It almost feels like a coming of age story where the main lesson is self love and worth.
The acting was top notch, while I think that Force and Book struggled with their characters and had a more lackluster performance compared to the others, at the start everyone still needed to break in their roles, Neo was the one that I felt was the most comfortable and ready for the challenge from the get go, Boston was probably the most different character he has played and it fit him like a glove, I was in awe by him. Khao had the hardest scenes to film and just like he did in Moonlight Chicken, he showed once again that he is one of the greatest actors in GMM, his character can give you a lot of mixed feelings from hate to pity, but it's certain that he will make you cry. While I think First bit a little more than he could chew with Sand, he still gives a strong perfomance, the chemistry he and Khao have is undeniable and allows the relationship between the characters to be believable and captivating even when it shouldn't. Mark was a pleasant surprise, Nick is a character to feel sorry for, with a lot of vunerability, I think Mark's performance was well done.
I feel that Cheum as the only girl of the group and the lesbian representation you rarely see, could have had more space in the drama, I would like to know more about her relationship with her girlfriend, while they treated her as the glue that keeps the group together, she seemed so out of the loop most of the time, her character was the hardest to relate to.
The story wasn't the best, but the execution justify why Only Friends got so much attention and praise, it is about people, about relationships, friendships, drugs, sex and betrayals.
I can't even say if it has a happy ending or not, because the end doesn't feel as a end, because life doesn't end after the credits roll, it keeps going, so I can only imagine that it will be the same for these characters, they will keep going and we will see Nicks and Sands and Rays and Mews walking around making mistakes and trying to get things right just like everybody else.

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Solid Acting and toxic relationships.

This was a RIDE!!! Kind of a guilty pleasure series filled with toxic characters and messed up relationships. But the actors did a splendid job. Since the series did not have a unique storyline or anything, the acting was holding it up. Display of emotions are done excellently and i am right there with them when the characters are hurt or heartbroken. I almost liked all the couples but i absolutely ADORED FirstKhao pair because these two were magical. And damn those smiles First had were the star of the show.

The character that took my heart and will hold it forever was Sand. I cried for him, fell in love with him and just whole-heartedly wished for his happiness. What he and Ray had was magic and the way he cared for broken Ray was worth watching.

Highly recommend!

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