Naughty Babe (2023)

Give that Dog an Oscar

I want to try to be kind. But it's nearly impossible. As a victim of cutie pie the series the year before, I have to say that I knew better and blame myself fully for watching this. I take full accountability for my bad decisions. I'd read both novels so I had a general idea of the plot and back story of each. And yes. The novel of naughty babe is just as bad as this. In fact I'd reckon the series is better in some aspects.

Story
There is none. They had good comedic timing in the beginning but while watching i came to the realization that i was using what I'd read in the books to fill gaps and explain away my confusion. Or maybe my brain is foggy from my old age. I still feel like I'm missing hours of my time from watching this. The cast was very attractive. The filter was a bit brighter. The product placements were a thing of beauty. Tell me a word for shameless in your language. Bills must be paid.

Acting/Cast
We need to retire this ship. Come for me, disagree if you want but since the whyru days of maxnat. I have always had a problem with an underage boy being paired with a twenty nine year old adult. I never liked it but seeing them in cutie pie I learned to stomach it. At least in my mind, nat was old enough to consensually do...those things he did. But let's be honest. NAT IS A TERRIBLE ACTOR. He has two default modes of expression; opening his mouth and widening his eyes. His enunciation sucks. He can't cry. He looks juvenile when being sexy. It's been almost five years and he's still this bad? At least Kuea Keerati gave us range. Max was okay. He looks mean naturally so he didn't have to work too hard. zeenunew were zeenunewing as usual with the cringe.
The Dog was the real star. He was obedient, he was cute, he looked great in his outfits. I mean...he was a better actor than the main leads. Carried the show on those four spindly legs.

Rewatch Value
If you want to lose your mind. Go right ahead.

Edit: Finale
It was definitely a ride. Even with all the complaints it had a lot of good moments. Dont take it too seriously and you'll be fine. Well done khun diao and hia yi. Enjoy your success

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enjoyed the second half more

Overall: I'd really like to see these actors with better writing. If I were to start this at episode 4 and think they had just started dating, then the terrible communication and reluctance would make sense. But their characters' ages were 25 and 32, they were dating for 5? years (engaged for 3), they had known each other for 18 years (age 7 and 14). Their relationship dynamic didn't make sense to me even with a traumatic past event. This is based on a book which I didn't read and I reviewed the series on its own merits. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on YouTube and iQIYI (uncut). Mandee also produced: Bed Friend, Cutie Pie 2, Cutie Pie and Why R U

Content Warnings: past death/gore, attempted murder, maybe held against will, dub/non con kiss, manipulation, manhandling, trauma/mental health struggles, stalking

What I Liked
- Kuea & Diao's friendship (and Diao and his friend group)
- Lian & Kuea's scenes
- Lian & Yi dream sequences/their dynamic
- cameos from characters in Cutie Pie
- couple funny parts like that dog's costume in ep 3
- sweet moments
- mystery aspect
- good kissing/intimacy (note, this is cut down in the YouTube version)
- Diao's evasive skills in ep 8
- Max's real mom played Yi's mom
- the ending of episode 8 was absolutely adorable
- production value (everything looks beautiful except too much blur filter, the actors, the sets, the cars, etc)

Room For Improvement
- I struggled with the characters and the relationship dynamic, we had an attractive, taller, stern, controlling character paired with a cute, shorter, avoiding physical affection character. The relationship felt more parent/child than equal partners, though thankfully this did start to change a bit. However, Yi said that Diao couldn't go to his own sister's party in episode 4 which was not cool. Also in episode 1 it appeared that there were security guards in their home to keep tabs on Diao/prevent him from leaving and security cameras inside the house for the same reason. And then the writers could have had Diao (an expert in martial arts) fight off those dudes but he got like 1 hit/punch in and then was a damsel in distress. Also him getting around on his bicycle further infantilized him.
- the manipulation/lying to Diao starting in episode 2
- poor communication, they didn't have sex in over a year? they've known each other for over 18 years and can't say what is bothering them, what they need from a relationship, problem solve together how to fix their problems? (I did like that one scene when asking about their honeymoon and future family plans), in later episodes they both say the importance of better communication but then don't communicate well
- the writers didn't make it clear that they had collaborated on their plan
- should have cut out the whole love rival side plot and explained character motivations more
- how Diao frequently avoided physical affection from his boyfriend
- too many time jumps in the first episode
- fart joke humor (and they've known each other for 18 years so what Yi said never happens in front of people was a total lie)
- comedy noises including the goat bleating
- cliche plot point at the end of episode 1
- maybe it was supposed to be funny how the dad prefers Diao because I found it really sad, Yi's dad was awesome in some ways but he was overly harsh to Yi at times
- terrible tiger cgi
- nonsense plot things: in 18 years, Diao didn't know that Yi has sisters (even if the marriage was recent that is something you would know about), Diao had never met Yi's mother in the 18 years that he knew him?, assuming someone is cheating because they smile/hug the opposite sex

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Toxic, Not Naughty

I am still wondering why I bothered to watch this drama. I wasn't a fan of Cutie Pie, toxic relationships made to look cute are not my thing, but the trailer made me wonder if this drama would put some of that in the past. I should have known better. Naughty Babe, quite simply, is a disaster. I'm not sure what was worse: changing the original story, the lack of plot, the complete lack of character development despite years having gone by, or the acting. Honestly take your pick.

So let's start with the story. There really wasn't one. Honestly it felt like a toddler throwing anything and everything at a piece of paper and calling it a masterpiece. With only 8 episodes, they needed to stick to a central story line and they just didn't. The mystery of who messed with Diao's car and caused Yi to crash is probably the most consistent story line, but even it falls flat. The choice to change the childhood attack Diao suffered from a dog to a tiger was absurd. The CGI tiger was awful and the change didn't serve any purpose other than creating inconsistencies and erasing some of the development in their relationship from Cutie Pie. Because it was so disjointed, the pacing felt off. It never got a good rhythm going and I struggled to stay invested. Things like their plan for the wedding was just so nonsensical and out of the box, and not in a good way. They were in on the plan together, so why Diao kept going on about being afraid he was going to hurt Yi and break his heart and blah blah blah just didn't make sense. And the ending, maybe it was just me, but it felt like there was a level of favoritism for their son over their daughter. They interacted far more with him than they did with her, especially considering it was her birthday. Again, could just be me reading into it too much.

One of the biggest issues though truly was the complete lack of character development. It's supposed to have been what, 6 years or something since Cutie Pie and three since Cutie Pie 2 You and literally nothing has changed in their relationship. In fact, they've taken steps backward. I didn't watch it, but my understanding is that a lack of development was present in Cutie Pie 2 You as well. Relationships change over time, that's just a fact. That Diao and Yi's relationship remained so stagnant shows that the writers and production had no clue what they were doing. Because of the foolish decision to change the attack to a tiger, some of the issues between them that had been dealt with or at least acknowledged were rendered pointless and they were right back where they started. And you would think, after all the time they'd been together, that they would have figured some things out. But no, they are still unable to communicate effectively, they make assumptions, there's a clear lack of trust and understanding between them, oh, but they're madly in love. Cue eye roll. The imbalance in their relationship is still very present. There are times that Yi comes across almost as more of a father with his controlling ways than as a fiancé. And Diao, for all that he does stand up for himself on occasion, it never seems to be when it matters or when it would do the most good. Frankly, they're just frustrating to watch. And a bit disturbing, because, all joking aside, at the heart, their relationship is not one built on love, but rather years of manipulation and Diao being conditioned to rely on Yi. And that is simply not addressed. It just points back to the fact that nothing has changed since Cutie Pie and their relationship is just as toxic and discordant as it was then.

Lian and Kuea reappear and while Lian does have his useful moments serving as a sounding board for Yi and actually giving solid advice at times, Kuea causes some issues by sticking his nose where it doesn't belong and making incorrect assumptions that he then feeds back to Diao. Together they're alternately vaguely amusing and mildly cute. While their relationship in Cutie Pie displayed the same imbalance as seen with Diao and Yi, they seem to be on more equal footing here. Nuea and Syn also pop up briefly and bring a few moments of levity. The only other character that I actually liked was Yi's father. He had a decent balance of comedy and seriousness that worked fairly well.

Nat and Max are not the strongest of actors and expecting them to carry their own show was asking a lot. Of the two, Nat was the more compelling to watch. His expressions are limited and there's really no nuance to his acting, but it feels more authentic. Max is just wooden and his emotions always felt very surface level. It looked like he was acting.

The production value was meh. There was nothing special about it. The product placement was incredibly annoying and distracting. It's been a minute since I saw a drama that was so in your face with it. And the music felt pretty generic. Nothing like Cutie Pie which had some decent and catchy songs.

Naughty Babe is simply a continuation of the toxic relationship first shown in Cutie Pie and a further romanticization of it. I don't generally totally regret watching a drama, but I fully regret taking the time to watch this one. There is frankly nothing positive about it and unless you are a die hard Cutie Pie or Diao/Yi fan, I would avoid it like the plague. You'll never get those hours back.

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It could have been good...but it wasn't

Bad acting, no real story line (seeing how they couldn't stick to just one idea and jammed any and every trope they could think of).There were just so many story lines and by the end none seemed to truly matter. The only purpose they served was to make the show longer then it needed to be.
There was 0 chemistry between the actors and the mediocre filming/editing. didn't help either.
Maybe if Khondiao/the actor was better then the story would have been more palatable but as it stands he only seemed to emote sadness disgust or a combination of the 2, and that is not what you want in romantic/ intimate scenes.

Would not recommend this one, not even if you have brain cells to spare and want to kill off a few.

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Unfortunately this show ended up being a bit of a let down and struggle to watch to the end.
Although the story itself could have had potential it was done in a very lame way and some scenes were tortously drawn out.
Max is undeniabe adorable but he doesn't have the strongest acting ability while Max is just wooden meaning they are more suited to support roles - it's a step too far expecting them to carry the show, much in the same way I felt about Jimmy and Sea in Vice Versa.
There were some hot NC scenes but it I so hate it when they do that common BL thing of classing lip sucking as kissing - if you want to make it believable do it properly boys.

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hmm eles pisam em CUtie pie...

não é bom e não é ruim... Atuacoes ruins? Demais!! mas ajuda a passar o tempo. teve um momento q parecia q eu tinha aberto um site porno cheio d virus sabe mas era so o casal se comendo :/ o plot tb achei bem bobinho bem paia n captei bem o objetivo d um plot tao cringe. mas o final foi super fofo eles sao uns queridos adoro eles !!! Off: o cgi do tigre foi a coisa mais ridícula q vi em mt tempo! sem contar c a atuação das crianças e o ketchup de sangue mas deixaremos em off POIS o casal nos cativa <33 assistiria dnv no lançamento sabendo de tudo? OBVIO QUE NAO!

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Don't waste your time on this one

Let me get straight to the point what I liked about this BL:
1. It had a good start with a amnesia trope.
2. It had a good start for an angst love story of someone leaving for abroad and the lover meeting an accident.
3. There was backstory for this couple from cutie pie.
Rest is all about making money through sponsors and it was a promotional for 2 more BLs starring the main couple from Cutie Pie and the side couple from the same. It was a fan service for people who like this pairing. But that's it
1. Nat and Max pairing doesn't work for me. Both seem awkward with each other and to be honest both need a lot of acting classes. Max could do better paired with some other actor of his level and physical stature.
2. This was like one of those Marvel movies who's only plot is to cover the potholes of previous movies and set the stage for the next ones.
3. Filled with intense melodrama done by actors who make it look a wasted effort.
4. A CGI tiger when you could have added items from NatGeo or other documentaries?
5. The character of Diao was made to look pathetic as hell.
I don't think I should bash this BL any more. It probably has fed a lot of people and given them good opportunities. So kudos in making a project and I am hoping to see Max with some other BL actor cuz he's really got potential. But if you are choosy about BLs don't watch it. I am choosy so I dropped before things got more messy.

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I'm surprised I really like it

I wasn't sure I would enjoy this drama all that much, as I wasn't all that invested in the second couple during Cutie Pie but was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoy MaxNat's chemistry in this series way more than I did in Cutie Pie.

This show reads as more of a romcom to me, I think there's more comedic value to the series than I was expecting. I appreciate the fact that they bring child adoption into this series. I feel like I've never really seen that conversation in BL before and I also like how they keep the conversation of same sex marriage positive and hopeful for the future in Thailand in a lot of these Domundi series. I like the set up of episode 1, it might be a bit boring in the beginning but I like all the call backs of their events in Cutie Pie and Cutie Pie 2 You for those who may have forgotten or never finished watching that series, they'll be able to pick up and follow along with this show. It wasn't until end of episode 1 and going into episode 2 that I personally really start to get invested with this show. I thought I might start to get annoyed with the flashbacks by episode 2, but they eventually start clearing up some confusion I had surrounding this couple and the ending was chefs kiss for me.

The only thing I dislike is the same thing I disliked in Cutie Pie which is a big portion of the conflict centering around lack of communication and misunderstandings.

Side Note: Their uncut NC scene in episode 6, ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. It was beautiful, realistic and honestly I never expected Max and Nat to go there; they went there and DELIVERED

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Ridiculouls with some cute sprinked in

I am here after Cutie Pie, where I loved Dio and Hia as side characters. Their chemistry and personality made me like them more than the main leads of Cutie Pie, actually. But naughty babe let me down.
The chemistry itself was the same in places but since the vibe of this show is completely different from Cutie Pie, as is the personality of these characters, that leaves the chemistry almost unrecognizable from its original form back in Cutie Pie.

While cutie pie was an emotional watch, with some over-the-top shenanigans thrown in for comedic effect, Naughty Babe is an over-the-top wannabe lakron that tries too hard to be an action-adventure coupled with "emotional intensity". The result is an over-the-top ridiculous show that isn't a lakron, is far from dramatic, makes the "emotional intensity" aspects feel off and unreal, and completely misses the boat on comedy. Nothing meshes together well; it's all disjointed. It's one stupid mess. I had to force myself to finish it out, but I did, for the sake of the main actors, both of whom I like.
I wish they'd have stayed true to the cutie pie format, and the feel of those characters, but alas...if wishes were wings...

I'm not in the mood to write a plot summary. I'll say that the main MDL summary is pretty accurate, as is the trailer for the show.
For anyone not invested in these characters from Cutie Pie, I wouldn't recommend getting into this show. There are better viewing options available. <3

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While focusing on the bad don't forget to focus on the GOOD!!!

First of all, I would like to say that I watched this drama without having any expectations. But surprisingly just after watching the first episode I started to have high expectations for this drama. It is actually going at a fast pace(Maybe bcoz it has only 8 eps) and there is also a bit of suspense if you dig deeper into the story.

This drama has its own advantages - It is an 8 episode drama, story is unveiling in a required pace, and the acting is also good(I would not say it is great tho). Whereas it has its disadvantages as well, it has the most stupid misunderstanding b/w leads and also few elements of the story are very common.

But what makes it unique is the portrayal and the effort the team and the actors have put into. So, you will get to watch Why Yi and Khondiao have not married yet, the marriage life of Lian and Kuea(not in a detailed manner tho), and 1 or 2 scenes of Syn and Nuer(Yim x Tutor). The story is entertaining enough and worth your time.

And yeah I agree with few people saying that the timeline of them getting engaged and trying to get married in the first episode is portrayed very confusingly. Even I felt the same at first but after the episodes kept on progressing the confusion disappeared. Now coming to the chemistry b/w the leads, their chemistry improved a lot than in cutie pie. They started to communicated ad expressing their love for each other which is a huge improvement in their relationship.

And the most important thing I liked in both Cutie Pie and Naughty Babe is that the parents(of lian and yi) are so open minded and are so modern and really love and respect their son-in-law. Now Lian and Yi can skip the step of convincing their parents from getting married to a person of same gender and in fact they are the ones who have arranged this marriage, whereas few other dramas take up the half of the story to show how they convince their parents.

One thing that I would like to clarify here is that it is better to watch Cutie Pie series and Cutie Pie 2 You(sequel of Cutie Pie) before watching Naughty Babe because it explains the relationship development of Yi and Khondiao. But its okay if you haven't watched any of the two as this story explains those things as well.

You might or might not like this drama. It is totally up to you whether or not to watch this drama. I just want to say that it has a story not just some stupid plot(not talking about climax hahahaha), it is just only 8 episodes so according to me is a fast paced drama, and I am not saying this is a great drama, it just has its flaws but it is enjoyable. All you have to do is shut your mind and watch this for fun and the greatest chemistry of the leads!!

PS - Just Give it a try!! You might like it :)

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So Poorly Executed And Toxic Relationship

Through ep 5/8. Struggles with writing (dialogue, plot, and characters), acting, music, and heavy-handed makeup. It comes off like it's trying really hard but has ended up campy.

Max and Nat do have good chemistry, but that's not enough for me to think positively of this series.

Possible trigger warning if you've ever been in an emotionally abusive relationship, or with a narcissist, or someone who uses an illness to compell you to stay with them.

The script is juvenile. Dialogue is shallow, cliche, repetative, and awkwardly unnatural. Like, "Don't overthink things. It's probably nothing to worry about... You should take this time to really think about your feelings and things." But you just said to stop thinking? *Facepalm.

The plot is convoluted and requires a ridiculous amount of suspension of disbelief. There's a lot of generic/bad elevator music and it's really obvious in spots.

The main character Yi is a compulsive manipulator. It casts an uncomfortable shadow on all the romantic scenes thus far; it feels more like purely selfish coercion. Because of Yi's long-standing and blatent disregard of Khondiao's mental and emotional well-being, it's difficult for me to enjoy the pressured-seduction heavy plot (which is a trope I often enjoy). More on this under the "general spoilers" section at the bottom of review. I really didn't like the emotionally abusive way Yi treated Khondiao in Cutie Pie and he's just as bad here. Though he's supposedly trying to make up for his horrible past treatment, Yi's current approach still includes lies and misdirection, and is not respectful or even thoughtful of Khondiao. *His actions, both previous and current, do not match his sweet words.*

Nat shows some potential as an actor and I'd really like to see what he can do if given a decent script. I most enjoyed the moments when his character starts showing some backbone and pushing back. There's a fire behind his eyes that makes those moments engaging.

Max's acting hasn't improved from Cutie Pie. He postures a lot and his emotions stay on the surface in almost everything he does. In other words, he's not good at pretending. He doesn't internalize and embody what his character experiences.

I am impressed with NuNew; how he manages to infuse such sincerity into his few, inanely-written lines here is beyond me, lol.

Now onto the emotional (and sexual) manipulation. GENERAL SPOILERS below.
If Yi doesn't remember any of his relationship with Khondiao, then it's so not romantic for Yi to all of a sudden start getting heavily sexual with Khondiao. The audience may know that Yi's miraculously and quickly gotten his memories back, but Khondiao doesn't because Yi is purposefully keeping that from him. From that perspective Yi is just a guy, with no emotional attachment, trying to get into Khondiao's pants. And going after that hard. Yi forces attention on Khondiao, and while Khondiao tries to put up boundaries, he keeps relenting to the seduction and sweet-sounding words because he's trauma-bonded and co-dependant on Yi, thinks he loves him, and is touch-starved. When really, there has been nothing redeeming about their relationship for years (or ever).

The approach written for Yi to take in this series is not putting things to rights in a way that is at all respectful to Khondiao. I can't believe Yi truly loves him. To me there is nothing sweet in that dynamic.

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