The Rebound (2024)

The Rebound is about two best friends with feelings for each other who are separated and then reunite over reinvigorating their highschool basketball team. With likeable characters and a nice little OTP, the show is quite an enjoyable watch overall - as long as you don't pay too much attention to the jerky plot, bad editing and sudden detours into gangster violence and sexual assault (thankfully dispensed with halfway through).

The basketball scenes are lovingly shot and thematically, the show is quite strong but it'll take a lot of parking of the brain in neutral to deal with the nonsensical detours and strange mini-arcs that come out of nowhere and disappear as quickly. In one scene, our two leads witness a mass murder and then never seem to care - or even reference it again.

Some of the casting is also hilarious with early 30s actors playing senior school administrators and fathers of 17 year olds. Every time I was reminded that Ton apparently had a daughter in her late teens, it was enough to send me into peals of laughter.

In fact, The Rebound seems to be three dramas in one: a sports drama, a BL, and gangster action. But it's the heartwarming "teens coming together to save their basketball team" one that you'll mostly stick around for. The rest could have been easily jettisoned.

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I'm in LOOOVVVEE with The Rebound!!! Spoiler Warning - More then watchable for me

I'm in LOOOVVVEE!!!
Spoiler Warning
I'm loving the chemistry between the two. I'm just fucking up for Meen and Ping. They develop and get better every time they get paired for another BL together. They are a team and have a friendship that doesn't need words and we get to see that in this series. I'm still sad this series is over now but also exited for what's coming next. Loving and the happy ending, and I literally cried in the last Ep, this series showed love, anger, jealousy, trust, commitment, family problems, great basketball games, teamwork, the buildup of friendship, love, the will to fight for their dream and great brotherhood of Ryu and his bro. Oh, and so much more. For me, it has really gotten into my heart. All of them really gave their characters a life. Everyone can be proud of this masterpiece. I'm surely gonna watch it more than once!

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At least they tried...

I actually quite enjoyed this show for its first half. It was pretty entertaining in comparison to the same boring stuff every other BL is feeding us. But after that, it started to drag and things went off the rails. Is this a great show? Not in my opinion, no. Was there an attempt to do something different? Yes, and I can appreciate that.

You see, I think what this show was TRYING to do is something that We Are The Series did extremely well. They attempted to have this rag tag group of friends who are a bunch of idiots, but supportive idiots who vibe off each other and are fun to watch interact. Sadly though, they didn't succeed. Mainly because the characters just didn't really land. Did We Are have fleshed out characters? No, not at all. In fact, I think The Rebound had more fleshed out ones. However, the characters in We Are stood out with their quirks, and felt incredibly lovable. The characters in this story just fall flat.

The most interesting by far was Ryu. I actually really liked him, or well, the idea of him. Discovering more about his family and background was interesting enough to keep my attention, at least for a while. I also really appreciated his arc from this lone wolf fighter to becoming captain of a team he loves and that loves him. Granted, his backstory didn't make all that much sense, and it was never fully dived into enough for me to follow Ryu's thought process. I would've loved more flashbacks to him and Q building their bond, because that was actually one of the best parts of the show for me. To my disappointment, it didn't do that, but at least it had something compelling to offer.
Zen on the other hand felt just like your standard BL guy. He was agreeable, kind, cute, and incredibly stupid. I actually fear he doesn't have more than one braincell because he got himself almost killed instead of calling for backup or anything. He just goes into situations without a plan, hoping it'll end well. Him and Rain from Love In The Air would get on super well, but they'd probably fall of a cliff together because they both lack in the braincell department. Also, Zen's either oblivious to the point where he didn't realise Atom has feelings for him, or he just straight up didn't give a damn and strung him along. Frankly, I don't know which option I prefer. His relationship with his grandmother was heartwarming, but the rest of him just felt like an annoying little kid.

As far as side characters go, Shogun was by far the most intriguing. It's a real shame we never got to see much of him. The others didn't give me much to get attached to. Jedi and Lin had the most personality. Okay, that's a bit of a stretch. Jedi was smart and Lin had a dead mom and an unrequited crush. I do appreciate how she got to be more than just your standard jealous BL girlie though, so credit where credit is due. The other side characters didn't land. The whole team never felt like a very convincing friend group even though they mostly stuck up for each other. I think the actors just didn't really have all that much chemistry which is a real shame. If they had the same banter and chemistry the guys in We Are did, I would've loved this show because it had a much more interesting plot than We Are (not hard to top considering We Are didn't have a shred of a plot in sight). The coach was interesting, but I just don't really care for adults in my BLs that much, unless they are the centre of the story. But that's a me problem.

The acting was... Well... They were trying? I think Meen and Ping have improved ever since Ai Long Nhai, but it's still hard to watch them in many scenes. They both had moments where they delivered at least some emotion, but mostly, their facial expressions and their awkward hand movements just feel painful to watch. Especially Ping. He reminds me a lot of Dunk and Phuwin in that way. All three of them would benefit from some acting classes because they act like a robot trying to act human. Because of that, Ping's characters feel the same in all shows he's been in. It doesn't help that he always has to play the dumb cute guy, but I think with more acting talent he'd still be able to make them all feel somewhat unique. However, if you showed me a scene from this and one from Ai Long Nhai or that Gangster Oppa show, I couldn't distinguish which one it's from if it weren't for sets and costumes. I do actually quite like Meen and Ping together. Their chemistry won't burn the house down, but there's a spark at least. If they both felt more comfortable and confident with their acting, I think they'd be able to deliver a lot more passion in their chemistry. I still have some hope for them for the future.
Most side characters won't win any awards for their performances either. But I won't dive into that.

I won't dive too much into the plot either. I will say that I really enjoyed how they managed to blend the rough, tough street games and gambling storyline with that of high school basketball. It worked for me. I just think the story should've ended once that arc came to a finish. This series would've benefitted from being just 8 episodes. The latter half of it felt unnecessarily dragged out and filled with sad plot line after sad plot line. I began to lose interest which is a shame since I actually fairly enjoyed the first half. It wasn't perfect either, far from it actually. Characters make decisions that don't really fit their characters or feel incredibly stupid, there are plenty of plot holes, and there's a lot of plot convenience. But I was still able to enjoy it despite that. After that though, it became a bit of a slog to get through. Maybe if you're into basketball or sports in general, you'd enjoy the second half more than I did.

As for the romance storyline... It was okay. I liked that Ryu and Zen had history together and how that played into their dynamic. It was pretty clear how Zen was at the same time happy to have Ryu back in his life but also had a lot of pent-up anger. I think this was never fully resolved and just kind of vanished, but it felt pretty natural how they got close again. I just wish they would've had more bonding moments outside of basketball. There were hardly any meaningful conversations or sweet moments between them. At least not enough for me to really be that invested in their relationship.

I also really hated how Ryu fell into the stereotype of overly jealous BL boyfie who doesn't take no for an answer. I hate how BLs so often normalise things like that. When someone tells you 'no' about hugging or kissing or anything else, you don't do it. It always gets turned into these play-fights and I really don't appreciate that. It was the same in this show. Ryu was also jealous to a point where he actually told Zen not to smile at anyone else. Yikes. Though in this story, I actually understood Ryu's jealousy. It was obvious from miles away that Atom had a massive crush on Zen. Either Zen really was too dumb to see it, or he did notice but still didn't shoot it down. Either way, when Ryu said he was jealous, maybe that's when Zen should've taken note that Atom is kind of overstepping at times and have a conversation with him. I mean, the boy just randomly showed up at Zen's house which was a bit stalker-ish. But Zen didn't give the guy any boundaries, so blame's on both of them really.
What I appreciated most about this couple is the fact that in the end, Ryu didn't hold Zen back from following what he wanted to do. Other than that, it's just pretty standard and with the chemistry not igniting much of a firework either, it wasn't anything exceptional.

As someone who hates a love triangle (or any sort of love geometry) this series was really frustrating to watch. I did appreciate that Frank and Ping actually had chemistry though, and how they at least gave Atom a little more than just being a jealous third-wheel. It was quite unfortunate how his storyline just kind of ended, but I appreciate the effort. Atom actually had chemistry not only with Zen, but also with Ryu (in an enemies to friends type of way). Honestly, I think they should've just become a throuple (I'm kidding, but only half because they could've actually made that work if they wanted to).

The humour of the show didn't really land with me. I did however laugh in the end, when poor Granny had to put on headphones to block out Ryu and Zen going at it like rabbits. Zen sure went from feeling uncomfortable and awkward about Ryu revealing their relationship to his grandma to being VERY comfortable in 0.2 seconds. That got a laugh out of me.

All in all, this wasn't a bad show. It had its moments and its interesting ideas. It just wasn't anything great either. Again, I like the idea of Ryu a lot, and I like what they were trying to do with the friend group. The execution was just too clumsy for me. It's a real shame that the side characters fell so flat and that they barely spent any time on the side couples. I think they were trying to juggle many "interesting" characters, but in the end, they didn't follow through on any of them. Which in turn left me feeling like I didn't have a grasp on anyone other than the main two. I honestly wish the writers of this and the writers of We Are would've just combined their ideas. That way, we would've ended up with one great show that delivers on both likeable characters that bounce off each other well, and a fun, entertaining storyline. Maybe someday.

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Better than I thought

I hesitated to watch since it's a high school drama- I thought we're over the school BL era? LOL...But, I gave it a try since it'll be one of the 1st sports BL that I watch and boy, did I love it so much!

I finished watching in 2 days, it's refreshing since it's just something new in BL scene- sports drama- i love the sportsmanship, the team value, the spirit they have. I especially love how they raise money for the team which is so inspiring to watch. Of course, I love RyuZen-totally shipping them from episode 1

It's a narak narak kind of BL- no NC or real kisses, just cute puppy love which is fitting for a high school setting.

Everything is great except this part that I can't overlook. The street basketball drama that Ryu got entangled into was overly done. I mean, how can 2 high school students witnessed 5-6 people being killed, and they just moved on with their life next day happily playing basketball, like nothing has happened. This is not only not realistic, it might have send a mixed message or signal to the audience. Murder isn't something that is to be overlooked like that, even if it's self-defense in this case. It's a bit contradicting on how they're keeping the show innocent with the amount of non-existence NC, and yet they've this violence part that's sending totally different message

Beside this part, I really enjoy the drama as a whole- like it's just lighthearted, fun, and exciting to watch. I love the chemistry of RyuZen. And boy- Ryu is gonna grow up as one fine hot man for sure!

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EXCELLENT BL SPORTS DRAMA

STORY
Generally the Drama or story is about encouraging viewers to pursue their dreams and what they really want with their lives no matter what and not giving up with them no matter the obstacles may bring. I was impressed as I end watching this drama and now I have seen how or what the constrcuction of this drama has in order to bring the viewers to the ending. Zen has a dream to be a Professional Basketball player as what he has promised to his Dad and as he pursues about it he me Ryu who also has a dream to be but due to some circumstamces in his life he was not directed to the right path at first, he might me too strong and cold but deep inside he is hurt and the two of them worked and trained together for the team in their school and also as a representative of the school, they almost became the champion but there is always an another chance to be.
At first I thought it was the reason why Ryu was suddenly disappeared will be the main answer that we the viewers will be trying to stay tuned into and to find out but since it was revealed into the middle part, the drama turned out to be the reason why the title is Rebound. Rebound that is not just applicable to the sports but also to life. The drama was funny at the first part but as it ended it became emotional, serious lesson was shown---that in life we really cannot get everything we wanted, but inspite of that, if we do not give up, there will always be a perfect place and award for us. My favorite parts were the turning point of Ryu from bring a player for gambling into a player for a purpose, thank fully the thing with the thugs that he was involved with has finished not too long at the drama, it was a bit violent but it is bearable. Another this is how Coach was able to abstain himself from drinking and finally when Zen has chosen to do the right thing--pursuing for the scholarship at Phuket than of only following his emotions. This is the lesson for every youth out there, it is that love is not everything, love is nice but it won't give you food at the table, love is good to be used as an inspiration to work hard and pursue your dreams, The dream of Zen and Ryu to be a basketball player.
ACTING
Ryu or Meen's acting was impressive, he is now one of the good actors I know in Thailand, and the rest was good also but I am impressed by Meen in this drama and Atom ! Don't get me started, as I always mention I really feel bad about him here, he is so fine , and here we go again with the second male lead syndrome, thanks to Atom, Ryu realized and made to himself clear that he must not let go of Zen and that he really likes him. and the P'Q, I like his character here, he loved Ryu as his own brother , he seems a bad guy at first but he was really not , all he did was to protect Ryu , I almost thought he liked Ryu in a romantic way, P'Q have shown here that there can be a love for brother without malice unlike other or most of people think, and besides that, he is such a hottie, also the Thug Master , P'Q's leader , the one he killed was so fine too and really had a good act.
VISUAL EFFECT
I am only sometimes wondering about the hair of the coach that changes in every scene that was why I was checking also the hairs of every character, but it is okay , all in all good faces of the actor, good effects epecially when the leads are playing basketball
MUSIC
I was not really into the music here but it was okay in every scene, the intro and ending songs was sporty so it was good but not a song that I will be playing for a week
OVER ALL
It was very impressing for a sports drama, the last sports drama I watched was so good that I have never forgotten about it until now and that also made me cry so much .. here I cried at the last two episodes. I was just curious why the board was not blaming the director when they were trying to fire the Coach, after all it was the Director who scouted the Coach, also I just felt too bad that Ryu has chosen Zen but Zen has left him. Not literally but I was trying to understand Ryu'situation here, if he would've gone to the UK i believe things would get better for him there, the situation has proven that Ryu has matured and have understood Zen inspite of him being hurt. I like this drama not boring not too fast , no filler scene, it was exciting, I would probably watch this again after sometime gonna miss Zen and Ryu

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More to it than loads of topless guys

If seeing loads of flesh is you thing then this is certainly the BL to go for - whether it's Meen and others having their tops off at any oportunity (I'm not complaining!) or guys just wearing towels, boxers and even something I've never seen before in a Thai BL - naked asses in the shower. Plus It's got its raunchier moments as well with Meen and PIng in the shower together, having sex under the covers and Frank pleasuring himself.
However beyond the baiting the basic story is more interesting than your average BL although it's not without its faults for example Prince and Jedi are prominent in the first half but after suddenly in one scene where their 'situation changes' they take a total back seat. The final episode did a good job with much of it not being predictable.
Although Meen and PIng have great visuals they're not the most charismatic perfomers and Ping still needs to develop more as an actor as he tends to look ike he's acting rather than being natural.
On the other hand Earth as First does great for arelative newbie and the girl who plays Lin foes an excellent job.

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I liked this, but there were so many things that got to me.

First, Zen was annoying with blaming Ryu all the time, even when he didn’t do anything wrong, Yea your mad/upset at him from what he did in the past, but that doesn’t mean you blame him all the time, If I didn’t know better, I would think you hated him for how you are acting with him. Though he did start to get better, but still…. Oh, and let’s not forget how he never once talked to Zen about him leaving with Atom to go to school, till the last game… I say they lost because of Zen telling them that he was leaving for Phuket… Are you STUPID! You don’t tell your BF you are leaving him before you start playing a game! Argh!!

Also, what the heck is with Lin, you are so damn nosy asking things you should not be asking, bitch it’s none of your business so shut the hell up and go away! Just because you like him, yet it didn’t really feel like it too much to me, at first, I didn’t know it was Ryu I thought it was Zen she liked, but anyway just because of that reason it not reason enough to ask the things you did, and to keep pushing him to answer you about his mother, what the hell!

Oh, also her thinking her dad forgot about her mother… do you have eyes at all stupid! Leave it to Ryu to have to tell you. If you haven’t guessed I didn’t really like Lin much. She just irritated me throughout the whole series.

Let’s not forget Atom, yes, we got you liked Zen, but you should not have been all over him for a pic, knowing Zen was uncomfortable with it, and knowing full well he had someone that was NOT you. Also making sure you stay the night, ok fine, as long as you’re sorry ass sleeps on the floor and not the bed of someone who is dating someone and that someone being the person you confessed to, but oh no that’s not how it goes down, but it makes it all the more worst you go and kiss him, WTF man!

Another one that I did not like, Ryu’s mother. That bitch needed an ass kicking more the once!!! All you think about is money, you looked well enough off when Ryu’s dad was around, but oh no you had to get more so him doing what he loves wasn’t good enough for you… yet you get bad at Ryu when he comes to his dad, but you are the one who kicked his dad out not caring about his or Ryu’s feelings… Enough about this bitch… I’m getting irritated typing about her.

How about so good now? I liked the chemistry, Meen (Ryu) and Ping (Zen) always have good chemistry, but not just them… as a whole I am meaning to, how that the others characters connected to each other. I loved the grandma; she was just so loving and supportive. A lot of shirts being off, either in the showers or even on the court. Yum! The last scene them in bed… Oh man talk about pounding the fun way! If only er got to see more than just what we did….

I know it may not seem like I liked this from the way this review is, but overall, I did like it, it just had a lot of things that annoyed me and all, but it was worth watching.

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Its.... fine

Like the title says.... its fine, everything about it is just okay

The plot: fine, wish they could've focused more on the street basketball part

The setting: fine, it's good for a sport bl and I liked that they showed that at least Meen and Ping could actually score

The acting: fine, some highs and some lows but overall it's not horrible, standout performance from Coach Ton. Wasn't really convinced by Meen and Ping playing high schoolers so that took me out of the immersion

The characters: fine but on the lower side, most characters didn't get enough screen time (looking at you side couple #3) and a lot of screentime wasted on Atom's one sided crush

The romance: fine, fairly simple but appreciated except for the unnecessary love triangle. Also not a fan of having this many couples when 2/3 aren't fleshed out

The ending: fine, extremely rushed with unnecessary plot points but ultimately wrapped up fine

In conclusion it's a good watch if you're bored and have nothing else but it's not a standout show, and that's completely fine (no pun intended) ,not every show needs to be 10/10

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a missed slam dunk?

The Rebound is a disappointing Thai BL drama that fails to deliver on its potential. Despite featuring a talented cast and a promising premise, the series suffers from a messy storyline, inconsistent pacing, and underwhelming performances.

The series' focus on basketball and the challenges faced by student athletes could have been a compelling narrative. However, the lack of depth in the characters' personal lives and the inclusion of unnecessary subplots detract from the overall experience. The gangster arc, in particular, feels forced and out of place.

Additionally, the pairing of Meen and Ping in this drama initially didn't generate much excitement for me, as I had similar reservations about their chemistry in Ai Long Nhai and after watching My Dear Gangster Oppa.

While the cinematography is commendable, the acting performances are uneven. Meen's monotonous delivery and Ping's awkward expressions hinder their ability to connect with the audience. The supporting characters, such as Atom and Shogun was underutilized and fail to make a lasting impression.

The series' focus on multiple couples is a missed opportunity. The lack of depth in the relationships and the rushed pacing prevent the audience from fully connecting with the characters.

The final bed scene, intended to salvage the series, falls flat and fails to compensate for the shortcomings of the storytelling.

The Rebound had the potential to be a slam dunk, but it ultimately misses the mark.

The series could have benefited from a more focused narrative, stronger character development, and a more compelling exploration of the challenges faced by student athletes.

Despite its flaws, The Rebound offered a glimpse into the world of basketball and its challenges.

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a strong start that doesn't quite nail the landing

I've been following MeenPing since AiLongNhai and this is, without a doubt, their strongest show yet. I love seeing them more comfortable and natural in their acting with experience, and I think P'Golf's style really suited their strengths. The plot was goofy and outrageous, but mostly very, very fun. That said, it kind of fell apart at the end and crashed into a rushed and unsatisfying ending. I wish the last few episodes had managed to maintain the pace and charisma of the first.

-The Full Review-
STORY:
As an All For The Game lover, I have absolutely no room to speak on loving dumb gay-mafia-sports plots. I don't really have any issue with the pacing--as I think making "the big game" more important than the mafia reality is always a stellar choice, especially for less serious shows. I also didn't really mind the throuple-baiting because it was funny! And I will let shows get away with a lot if it's entertaining, even if it feels like a missed opportunity to do something more daring and interesting.
My only real issue with the plot of the show is how it lost focus on the team and then shoehorned back around to The Team Above All. I love Frank, and Atom is an interesting character, but I think a strong version of this show focuses on Ryu and Zen's relationship with their team and their coach. Most of the team was benched after a couple episodes, which made the family scenes at the end fall pretty flat.

ACTING:
I was very pleasantly surprised! It's really been a treat to watch Meen and Ping grow over their careers, and I think they are starting to making some really good choices in their acting. There's a playful banter that they hadn't really nailed yet in their previous works that helps carry the relationship now. Aging them down, surprisingly, also brought out a lot of depth in the characters--especially when we got to see their idyllic, sweet middle school bond. I still don't think we've seen the best of them, and I look forward to seeing what they bring next.

PRODUCTION:
Honestly? I think the production design was so good. My honest to god only complaint is the Tharntype-like room design (Do you think they like basketball?) and the pretty sloppy SFX wounds. The tone brought out by the lighting and soundtrack felt so nostalgic of early 2000s American sports movies and really made such a unique experience in BL. The colors and costume design where vivid and purposeful and really hit the mark. I love P'Golf's bright and neon worlds so much.

INTIMACY:
I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did. MeenPing aren't usually very high heat (or when they try to be, it... gets a little shaky). But I thought the casual intimacy, especially through athletics, really, really worked for this show. Every time they reconnected mid-game and fell back into sync was genuinely moving and natural. The way they orbited each other really stood out and built a very strong foundation for their relationship. I liked it a lot! I don't wish to talk about the finale. I am pretending that one didn't happen.

In all, MeenPing still have me in a completely inexplicable choke hold, but I am happy to be here! I love seeing their progress with each new series and hope they continue to improve. I will be watching whatever comes next. :)

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The definition of Cuteness Aggression

It was cute and whimsical and all around cringe to the point that it gave me cute aggression... Def my second fave of Meen and Ping. I wouldn't say I like sports dramas usually, but I liked this one. It reminded me of all the high school romcoms I watched in the late and early 2000s. So, if you want something fun and cute this is it. I will say the only thing I did not like was Atom's character he just never gave up and it was starting to annoy me. I will also say I wish we got more of a redemption for Ryu's mom but I mean it's a 12 eps drama so there is that. Are we also never addressing the M-that happened or are we turning the other way because I guess Ryu's mom could make it disappear right?

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