Bad Guy My Boss (2024)

Booty Call Appointments

Oh, Mr. Khun Elyes, now talk about a guy you wanna punch under a mistletoe. Yes, this show is not called 'Very Nice Tall Guy My Boss' but damn Susan, did Elyes have to be so good at being a red flag? He got under my skin so much, I'm lowkey having beef with a fictional character. And can someone please slap Pat with a rubber chicken? cuz I'm this close to throwing the holy Bible at his head. Homeboy is so pathetic I can physically see myself losing braincells with every decision he makes.

Reasons why this show gave me headache, and yet, cuz I'm nosy and love drama, I kept coming back for more. This is the whole romance plot sums up in one:
Pat: I love you so much Khun Elyes. Do you love me too?
Elyes: *crickets* y'all hear sumthin?
Pat: Well, then you have to leave. I have my dignity.
ME: Dignity? Where? Child where is it? On the floor?
*Khun Elyes and his long legs leaves*
*Five seconds later*
Elyes: I bought you bird nest soup. I'm gonna take care of you, although you don't need it.
Pat: bird nest soup? You are the best human in the whole wide world. *In-love noises*
Me: Child, that's not bird nest soup, that's literally water with rock salt and some plantain leaves, ask him about the feelings thing.
Pat: I love my water soup. *opens legs*
ME: Ah, there was your dignity... ON THE EFFING FLOOR.

This show lived up to its title. It promised exactly what it said it was gonna give us, a bad boss. What it didn't though, was how my blood pressure was going to hit the roof because of Pat. Homeboy had me fighting to stay sane with every decision he made. Pat was in love with a boss who had a schedule for his booty calls, treated him and his feelings with no care, and still he kept forgiving him, and coming back for more. Pat, son of Adam, please, quit!! He kept threatening to quit every 2-3 business days, then comes running four seconds later.

Like, tell me why you gonna love a guy who makes you drive him to his booty calls, schedule the appointments for his hoes, and knowingly plays with your feelings, and is somehow also still hung up on his ex who cheated on him? No, but Elyes is an asshole with a capital jerk! He's the kind of character you wanna shove down a long cliff, then throw a bulldozer over just to be sure.

Cuz, literally 2 episodes in, and Elyes have:
1) Double booked a booty call. Homeboy has a schedule where he appoints his booty calls!! Nah ah, it could never be me! Come try that in my backyard, child, see what happens ho! I dare you.
2) Made Patt filled in for a date so he could get with another booty call instead. The angry girl threw water on Pat for his troubles, while Elyes was having a good time against some wall.
3) Made Pat buy a birthday gift for his booty call, just to hurt him. He was like, 'you know what he likes, get to it.'
4) Humiliated Pat by letting him serve him and yet another booty call as their waiter.
5) Forbad him from quitting, or being friendly with people he dislikes.

And after all that, all THAT, Pat still loves him with a capital stupid, and let him kiss and bed him. Child of Adam, why? Why yous so stupid?? Pat deserves no right. Do you enjoy getting hurt?? QUIT, child, QUIT! Listen, I love drama, and stupid arse characters with no self respect makes me love myself more, but this was just sad. And the worse part was, Pat knew he didn't deserves how he was being treated, yet he still stayed. And to that I say once again, ON THE FLOOR. At this point, I don't even blame Elyes for how pathetic Pat was, cuz homeboy should have known better, he was literally the one in charge of Elyes' eff-buddy list. Falling in love with a guy who actively hurts you to teach you a lesson cuz he sorts of cares---miss me with that BS!

I still can't get my head around why Pat didn't just quit and save himself the tears. Pat helped Elyes build an empire in five years only to remain an assistant, a booty call, and the designated driver while Elyes is out effing everyone and their mamas. Elyes even made him a stand in for his dates. And he has to wait in the car while he's out ho-ing. Plus, after all that Pat have genuine feelings for Elyes. Like, why? Literally, why you gonna fell for someone who treats you with less respect than dirt? Sure, there was a scene where Pat said he didn't mind the ho-ing and felt nothing about it, but dude, you have a random else photo of your boss and you, with you in the corner in a frame, on your bed-stand, probably taken off the internet. Come on son, have some shame! Self respect Susan, do you have any? Cuz bish, after 5 years together, working so close with him, many late night dinners, if he doesn't know you're allergic to seafood, you should riot.

And the sad truth is, it's not that Elyes didn't see that what he was doing hurt Pat, he did, and even knew when he was mad at him for it. Plus he seemed to like him back, and didn't want him to quit. Then of course he got all jealous and possessive when that random ex-girlfriend showed up. (Sidenote: Literally, are there girls like her who can't take a hint and just disappear?) So yeah, Elyes still liked Pat while hurting him, which was the worse.

Listen, I felt so embarrassed for the villains in this show. No, really, they were pathetic and flat-out cartoonish. Like, that one guy who went to steal whatever from Elyes's computer. Mfker was like grinning, doing whatever with his eyebrows and trying to look very sly, but came off looking constipated. Like dude, give it a rest. And the two big bad villains. HAHAHAH, like, one of them was like:

Villain #2: We need to kill Run cuz his lover is a mafia. Big bad mafia.
Only for the big bad mafia to show up to a kidnap/blackmail with one hand in his pocket and get totally beat up. Then in the end, he was standing there doing some real hard staring and breathing, while Villain #2 fell down like he did something, and my arse was like, my brother, my brother, go find somewhere to sit, you've embarrassed me and your ancestors enough for today. While they were fighting, I was laughing my arse off, all that guns and both weren't smart enough to keep one on them? And in the end one of them pulled out a knife and got shot in the head.

PLOT:
This had an interesting premise, falling for a bad guy who is also your boss. I went in knowing there would be nonsense drama, and that's what I got, so they nailed that part. The execution of the plot however was all over the place. The bad guys were mid, the secondary characters were uninteresting, and the mains kept going in circle with their relationship. Yes, after a while they made Elyes changed his way, and with some backstory, we came to understand why he's the way he was, so it added to his character. Unfortunately, there wasn't so much meat anywhere else to make this go from interesting premise to a very good show.

I'm still wondering what the reason for that random arse time jump after all the close up shots was about. I went from: how many close up of his effing shoes did we need to see, how is the camera work weird and all over the place to, 'a time jump literally after 1 scene is rubbish'. The director and editors might have thought they ate with that, but my arse was staring like... pack it up and bring it back Sharon, you've done nothing impressive enough to time jump.

CHARACTERS:
Though both leads had my head spinning, I enjoyed the drama they brought to the table. Stupid, braincell losing drama, but still drama. As for the acting, it could have used more work to weed out the awkwardness, and whatever Elyes kept doing with his eyebrows. Most of my attention was on the leads, but Run's character also seemed very interesting, though he was as dumb as Pat, falling in love with an abusive cheater. I wished we'd have gotten more depths from the other characters, but even with Pat, he was a nice guy, stupid and a pushover, and that's basically most of what he was. Once in a while he'd get some bold genes but they deflated pretty quickly. I almost reached into the screen to shake him when he couldn't just be straight with the ex-girlfriend. Though in his defence, homegirl just couldn't take a hint.

As mentioned, the story with the business part was uninteresting, and all that bidding stuff went straight over my head, so it didn't make the secondary characters any interesting than they were made to be. Even in the finally whatever problem arose, all we saw were different montages and Pat putting his pen to his chin. I'm sure they solved it, cuz they had wine, so... yaay for them, I guess.

FINALE.
That finale pissed me the eff off. Literally, after all the work they did with Elyes, only to have him cheat one last time. He could easily have told Kim they should just be friends instead of making out with him. And Pat, after... you know what, why bother, homeboy is officially too stupid to insult, so whatever. I stayed in this show for the drama, but damn, did the writers even know what they were doing with the plot? And was I supposed to cheer that Pat and Elyes ended up together? cuz all I did was roll my eyes and laughed at that corny arse candle love scene. Literally, why?

All in all, a typical bl, nothing special, but watchable like most bls, but you gonna need patience for this one. So if you're looking for some dramatic arse show that's probably gonna make you want to reach into the screen and slap yourself a lead, then this show is for you. Grab some popcorn cuz we've got a red flag and a lead who is colorblind by choice, it doesn't get any dramatic than this. I am looking forward to more series with James and Kad in a different drama. Hopefully, something that will keep our interest from start to finish, and with their acting improved.

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Abusive Jerk Guy His Boss (watch suggestions)

Overall: I was hoping this would be the bodice ripper BL version of What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, but the abuse, idiotic decisions, repetitive plot and love rivals ruined the series for me. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4736/bad-guy-my-boss-2024-e01 Might eventually re-air on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJx-XkJhYuVf6ejPVOOW2e3hwO8XfFMPO&si=QS9_ZMVBzioZJHRH

Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, blood, violence, intimate partner abuse, non con kissing, manipulation, manhandling, stalking, drugging, kidnapping

Watch Suggestions (takes out love triangle/business stuff/violence and instead focus on cute/steamy scenes)
- watch episode 1
- episode 2 watch 27:40-29:40
- episode 3 watch ep 2 recap up to 3 min, 15:20-17:30 (which is a flashback) and 31 to the end
- episode 4 watch 4:30-8
- episode 5 watch 28-38:30
- episode 6 watch 12-13, 16-16:50 and 20-22
- episode 7 watch 36:30-38
- episode 8 watch 5:25-5:55 and 9:30-10:30
- episode 9 watch 6:30-7:15, 31-34:30, 39-41:06
- episode 10 watch 14:30-15:15, 19:30-23:15, 25:30-28:30 and 38:30-42:30
- skip episode 11
- episode 12 watch 2-5:40, 7:30-9:15, 24-26:10 and 37 to the end

What I Liked
- what I thought was the premise based on ep 1
- established 1 protagonist as queer and sexually active
- caring/sweet moments
- visuals
- the ex girlfriend accepted the rejection once it was made clear
- Kim made something clear to Pat towards the end, with a breadcrumb that he might find a different romantic relationship

Room For Improvement
- two of the characters were abusive yet we were supposed to root for their romantic relationships with non-abusive partners, examples of abuse included: physically violent (manhandling, choking, shove), manipulative, ignored boundaries, controlling, enacted retribution for perceived slights, one character shot a guy in the head and the next day the viewer is supposed to root for his romantic relationship...
- too many love rivals/love triangles
- there were many flashbacks/flash forwards and I was not sure a couple times where we were in the timeline including the intro (or was that a dream and not a flash forward...), this was worse in the beginning and not an issue later on
- the daydreams and what actually happened needed more differentiation
- a character had a terrible "plan", he acted like a total jerk (which granted is in the title) but had zero character growth
- bad production value things like music not fitting the mood, odd angles, odd 360 rotating shot in episode 2 when a character was talking to his friend
- cartoony villain who was sitting on a black couch in an empty warehouse sipping wine
- nonsense stuff: zero logical reason for why a character didn't communicate his feelings at the end of episode 9, why kidnap/kill the boyfriend when he could have kidnapped/killed the actual guy
- a CEO ordered around doctors and police officers, police not included when they should have been
- too much business drama in the final episode
- in episode 12 the kiss went on for way too long and Elyes was an idiot for not realizing why Pat was upset
- waited until the very last second for Elyes to say "I love you" to Pat

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I am glad it ended.

What can you say about a show which does start with sexual harrasment and mentally abuse?
It's a trope nobody needs, a trope nobody asks for and a trope which was lame 10 years ago.

Besides the cinematography and the title song this shows has nothing really likable. The characters are plain, the story is aweful and everything is so full of clichés. If you want to know more other reviewers will detail all the points which are bad, but I have no time to waste on this show anymore.

It's one of the dissapointments of 2024. Nice production quality meets aweful script, boring acting, some fan-service and nothing more. You should avoid it, if you haven't watched it yet.

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And the award goes to

Certainly not them. This was so painfully disastorous that it was laughable. Pat was the proverbial door mat. No, paddle ball. The more Elyes would hurt him, he would pull away, only to come back for another rap, to pull away again. Not that I cared. They were all distasteful except for Pat's female co-worker, Kim and Run. There really was nothing of interest that would warrant 12 episodes.
Elyes - controlling, obsessive, manipulating, condesending, whore
Pat - idiot
Kim - loyal fwb
Run - didn't know the meaning of his own name. Stuck around in an abusive relationship in the name of love. A loyal idiot
Fei Long - abusive, controlling, despicable, insecure, obsessive, coercive
Thiranai - ineffective petty clown

Base line: poor script. Terrible acting. Sub par apologies for hurtful behavior. Misleading messages delivered in the resolution of issues. Really not worth the effort. Rewatch - never.

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Everybody is a BIG fool!!! and I love it

Don't judge me for my bad taste
Everytime I watch this show I'm always screaming "you're a fool" at someone over being foolish, stupid and dumb (usually the three at the same time). The fact that a lot of people decided to take this show so personally and be so offended at its existence and were upset that people actually liked it is what sends me.

Personal thoughts
The show is literally called "bad guy my boss" so it is to be assumed we already should've expected what we're getting into and people were still coming back every week to complain? What exactly was you expecting? Academy award winning performances? a dramatic plot? Hollywood studio producers? a blockbuster? or euphoria typa aesthetics? Let's be serious please. This show is exactly what it said it is, often times trashy, wattpad level of cringe and a dumpster fire of pure mess.

Story
Now. I won't ignore that the show was written very badly. It definitely was, but that's its defining charm because the writers and producers seemed not to take themselves too seriously, to create a story that was lighthearted, and very sweet from a very popular genre as old as time ....."sexy boss man wants to fuc ....err penetrate naive secretary" but oh wait naive secretary is in fact in love with sexy boss man and is an undercover freak in bed. YES, YES, YES this is one of those secret guilty pleasures I should enjoy in peace. This is right up there with mafia king kidnaps innocent civilian and falls in love (365 days type shii), billionaire playboy marries poor orphan, most popular guy falls for ugly duckling plain jane or Alpha mates with luna or bonds with omega. I watched pitbabe too btw and i loved it and it was just as bad as this. So sue me.

The point i'm trying to make genres like this exists for people like me who just loves consuming them, because you honestly dont need to think hard very hard, its usually funny, there's always a happy ending, and it proves that out there, there's really someone for everybody and you too will find love, because love is beautiful and it doesn't judge you. It comes exactly when you need it.

And that's why i adore this show and why i kept tuning in. The happiness on Pat's face whenever Elyes loved on him. That glow. I mean the penis must have been phenomenal too but dang they was in love. And i loved it regardless of the misunderstandings; even with kim (damn kim. Aww you'll get yours too king), teeranai, thiti, the ex girlfriend, feilong with the; clunky loafers, one outfit and white ankles and Run. Btw Run is gorgeous. Big s/o to the casting team. Everyone is a snack. Run, Thiti, Kimhan. TOPTIER
...….......Even with all those misunderstandings they worked it out and now he got the happy ending he was so afraid to hope for because he thought he didn't deserve it. Many a times I wanted to slap Khun Elyes for being a dog bastard but as the great draya michele once said "your hoeness can be deleted". So as far as Pat's concerned Elyes is as pure as driven snow. But Pat's a better person than me cos I would have dragged kim's ass for kissing my man. I don't play like that. Fool was up there crying.
And the exposition was crazy. A character would narrate a whole backstory without drawing breath randomly to explain a situation they could have just woven into the scenes. And the flashbacks were even worse.

Overacting
Well they tried they best. A lot of times James was a bit forceful and did look like he wanted to burst out laughing but Kad was able to compensate for that and at times the cast were stiff with each other but they carried they roles well. A lot of them were first timers as actors and i gave them grace I did read the book and i think they sold this buswreck as best as they could. But i busted out laughing a lot whenever teeranai was in his villian era.

Music
Yeah. The soundtrack was a mix of early 2000s telenovela osts and 80's porno bgm. Especially in the beginning but you'd eventually get used to it. The music was at most times used to set the mood of scenes of smoke filled tension, rose tinted lust, jealousy, anger, teeranai...etcetera. I swear the music is so random and loud

Disappointment
In the book they had a character in a wheelchair. Jz i believe whom had a partner. That would have been nice to see on screen bring some diversity to thai shows esp for PLWDs community. But i guess the budget went as far as it could. Hmm

Conclusion
I looked forward to this show everyweek. I'd make tea lay om my bed and have a grand ole time. The show is honestly not that bad. I understand why a lot of people were impatient with it. I also have complained about shows like this. But this particular one had a certain charm. It must have been that first scene of Pat having flashbacks of Elyes' flash bang...anyways I loved it and i suggest that before starting it you'd realise that this show should be taken at face value and If you dont like it that's perfectly fine. But complain once and leave us to our trashy show lol

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Bad plot and even worst acting

"Bad Guy My Boss" is a 2024 Thai BL drama that intertwines corporate intrigue with complex romantic entanglements. The series introduces Pat, a diligent secretary who finds himself enamored with his stern, mixed-race boss, Elyes. Despite the hierarchical boundaries, Pat grapples with his growing affection, while Elyes's aggressive advances further complicate their professional relationship.

The narrative attempts to explore themes of power dynamics and forbidden love within a corporate setting. However, it falters in execution, presenting a storyline riddled with problematic elements. The portrayal of abusive behaviors, including physical violence, manipulation, and boundary violations, is particularly troubling. For instance, a character commits murder, yet the storyline inexplicably expects viewers to support his romantic endeavors shortly thereafter. This normalization of abuse undermines any potential for meaningful character development and sends a concerning message to the audience.

The plot is further bogged down by an overabundance of love triangles and rivalries (which is a plot point even in the last episode), which dilute the main storyline and create unnecessary confusion and drama. The frequent use of flashbacks and flash-forwards disrupts the narrative flow and leaves viewers disoriented regarding the timeline. Daydream sequences are poorly distinguished from reality, adding to the overall confusion.

Character motivations often lack coherence. For instance, a character devises a convoluted plan that involves acting antagonistically without any subsequent growth or redemption. Production missteps are evident, with mismatched musical scores, awkward camera angles, and jarring 360-degree shots that detract from pivotal scenes. The antagonist is portrayed in a clichéd manner, epitomized by scenes of him sipping wine on a black couch in an empty warehouse—a trope that feels outdated and uninspired.

Logical inconsistencies plague the storyline. Characters make baffling decisions, such as failing to communicate crucial feelings or choosing to harm unrelated individuals instead of directly confronting their primary targets. The depiction of authority figures is unrealistic; a CEO commanding doctors and police officers without plausible justification stretches credibility.

And the worst of it all is, in my opinion, the acting. If the acting was good and the actors managed to portray the character's emotions acurately, this show wouldn't be nearly as cringey as it is. Unfortunately, both leads are horrible, hearing them talk feels like listening to someone reading off a script. They couldn't even portray anger or surprise acurately. This only makes the whole thing unwatchable. I did not like the main characters and their personalities and the actors do absolutely nothing to make these characters more endearing in my eyes. Truth be told, you don't even have to watch the whole thing to see how cringey the acting is. Just watch a scene in an episode where the characters have to display emotions and then you can decide if this is for you.

In summary, "Bad Guy My Boss" squanders its potential by romanticizing abusive relationships and presenting a disjointed narrative. Despite its attempts to offer a fresh take on the BL genre, it ultimately reinforces harmful stereotypes and delivers a viewing experience that is both frustrating and disappointing. The characters are unlikable, the acting horrible and the story lacks the charm that comes with a trope like this (think a Boss and a Babe).If you have any standards when it comes to BL, don't watch this (or you just skim through it if you are afraid of missing out).

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Sometimes too much is just... too much

I will be completely honest here and say that I had to force myself to watch this show from the very beginning. It literally started out by assaulting the viewer with cliched, poorly-written, badly-acted, horribly overdone tropes that don't still need to exist in QL media in 2024. I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt (maybe my SSRI was working that day) and stuck with it.

Honestly, I will never doubt my instincts again. A spoiler-free pro-con list:

PRO:
- Chaos gremlin side character (always a welcome addition to any show)

CON:
- Pretty much everything else.
- It is deeply difficult to like most of the characters. At all.
- Speaking of unlikable characters, why are there so many? Did someone feed the Mogwai after midnight and their multiplying? No one needs this many villains in a BL; it's not Kinnporsche.
- The constant additions: characters, backstories, conflicts; why do we need so many?
- I made it through episode 8 without the slightest sign of character development from anyone. None. Mayflies go through more growth and don't they only live for a day?

The show would take the bullet train to the realm of "yeah, I'm done" and then suddenly have eight minutes where it looked like it was going to be interesting. The interesting aspects of the show, however, were few and far between (quite literally). The show seemed to rely on NC (and even that was mid - and I'm being kind here) and extraneous drama to cover the gaping plot holes and flat performances.

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Good Guy, My Loss

A Review in Two Letters

Letter 1. From James/Elyes to Me:

Dear Meng,

Forgive me for not writing sooner, but, something strange is going on. As you know, I left Auckland to take up a new position in Bangkok, and I was really looking forward to it. However, since coming here, my world has turned upside down. Completely. I fear I may have left the real world behind, and might now be the lead in a Thai BL. Is this a good thing? Or bad? Help!

Since I stepped foot in this beautiful country, people keep calling me handsome. It has never happened before. Men, women, children, pigeons... they all call me handsome. That was the first clue. I have also lost most of my body fat. You can now see muscles in my body that I did not know existed. Then there is my skin. You’d think that, even with sunscreen, my translucent skin would become more and more tanned, being this close to the equator. But, if you can believe it, I’ve become paler. I suspect someone has been applying a thick coat of make-up on me when I'm asleep, all over my body, and it refuses to come off when I shower. You’d also think that the humidity of Bangkok would mess up my hair into unmanageable frizz. But no, every strand perfectly falls into place, even when it's wet with lube or shampoo.

I am the head of a company whose name I do not know, and whose business I do not understand. I wear suits. It is 35 C outside and I wear suits. I do not sweat. For some reason, I also cannot button up my shirt. Every time I try, it keeps unbuttoning itself, sometimes down to my waist. I go up to my colleagues showing my nipples and navel. Is this sexual harrassment?

I have an assistant. His name is Pat. At this time, I’m pretty sure we have an abusive relationship. I think I’m still gay in this world, or at least bi, but I’m not allowed to say it. Everytime I try to, someone chokes my throat. Not sure who. (Also, all the men in this world seem to be gay, except for one friend of Pat’s. Who would have thought it? Gay friends are no longer the side-kicks, but straight men are. Progress?) Anyway, this assistant does not to do any company work. He just manages my sex life. Which, I think, takes up a good chunk of my waking hours. I know he’s in love with me, and I like him too, so it is only fitting that I treat him horribly, and make him cater to my every whim. I am obsessive, possessive, and controlling, and I'm pretty sure I'm gaslighting him too. I suspect I'll be stalking him soon, then abduct him, and keep him under house arrest. All very romantic. But he loves it... I think. Weirdly, I have this other fuckbuddy named Kim who’s much hotter, and way better in bed. Pat, by comparison, is stiff as a board, and resists me like a Victorian virgin. Yet, the BL gods have willed it that I must lust after this wet blanket.

I keep falling ill. Pat keeps falling ill. We both keep fainting, often from a cold, often caught from a single drop of rain. But we don’t go to the doctors. Oh no. We unbutton our shirts instead (in my case, there's just one button left), and we gently rub each other’s white-as-chalk chests -- and, weirdly, our knee-pits, which is apparently an erogenous zone here -- with wet towels. I suppose leeches and blood-letting are no longer sexy.

Am I the arsehole here? You don’t need to ask Reddit. I am. Yet I’m sure there’s a reason for it, and a past will be revealed which will perfectly justify my present behaviour. Until then, I’ll have to put up with everyone calling me a “red flag”. Which is fine, because I hate "green flags". Only, I’m not sure I want to stay here. I know, it’s a pretty cushy life I have right now. I'm rich, hot, immensely fuckable, and answerable to no one. Who’d want to give all that up? But it sits so oddly with the world of today, and the person I was, that my conscience might not permit it. We shall see.

I’ll write if I have any updates. Pray for me.

Love,
J./E.

*****

Letter 2. From me to Elyes

Dear Elyes,

You will notice that I'm no longer calling you by your birth name, because I've been waiting for a reply to my last three letters, and have received none. I must presume therefore that you have now embraced your new identity, and are completely of the BL world, with no access to reality whatsoever.

You lucky bastard. Couldn't you have taken me with you? I hate it here. You get to live in a world where homophobia does not exist, where the majority of men are gay, and where straight people exist just to support you. A photographic negative, in other words, of the real world. Worse, in your world, you are also apparently rich, handsome, and attractive to anything that can breathe, all of which makes me want to run to my GP and ask for a prescription for Ozempic and Rogaine. Only, I can't afford either, because, in this world, I don't even have a pot to piss in.

Admittedly, there is a Mephistophelean bargain here: you've been reduced to a mere stick figure without any psychological depth or complexity, upon whom is foisted the most boring of lives, and the most nauseating language. But who cares? I just want a happy ending -- in every sense of that word. So do you, and so, certainly, does the audience, most of whom will eat this up no matter how horrible you are, and no matter how "toxic" they find you. And when the show "redeems" you, which it doubtless will, all the people who once screamed "red flag" at their screens would now cheer for you and Pat. Where's the incentive then to be good or have a personality? Sod it. You do you, girlfriend!

I was, for a moment, sad for you, because you are now trapped within the confines of this world, and must live out the same segments of your new life over and over again. But I soon realised that's jealousy talking. You get to be perpetually young, perpetually rich, and perpetually happy, while others around you, including the man you supposedly love, get perpetually abused, insulted, or shoved aside. I suppose that that, at least, is a faithful enough reflection of the real world. But then, we *know* the real world is horrible. Otherwise, none of us would be watching Thai BLs now, would we?

That said, a large part of me is also quite angry. Not with you, necessarily, but with the writers. On the one hand, I have lost you as a friend, and that makes me sad. On the other, I'm angry that the writers have written you into this cheap, derivative, lifeless world, instead of creating for you, and for us, a fantasy that is more worthy of you, less demeaning to others, and had greater ambitions. But then the gods of Thai BL have decided that stories such as yours, which they keep churning out at the rate of one a week, is all that its audience deserves. And why not? We keep coming back, because, evidently, we are all masochists here, and we will put up with any amount of suffering to see an imaginary glimpse of happily-ever-after.

I don't want to end on a wistful note. I shall miss you, and I miss the best days of Thai BL. But I want you to be happy. Do us a favour though, will you? When you do get together with Pat, for the tenth time no doubt, have the decency to dick him down properly. I mean, dick him down so properly that he will never have cause to complain again -- except perhaps of having to limp to work. The poor lad deserves at least that, don’t you think?

Take care, my friend.

Love,
Meng.


Reader's Digest:
DO SAY: Blame it on the Bossa Nova
DON'T SAY: What's HR?

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I want back the three months of my life that I wasted on watching this series!

I don't even know where to begin with this series. I decided to give this show a watch because of two reasons. One—the synopsis sounded interesting, and I wanted to see how this story would be translated. Two—one of the main characters, Kad Ploysupa, I knew from watching him in supporting roles from shows that were produced from Star Hunter Entertainment. I liked him in those supporting roles, so I decided to support him in his first main role here. I have now come and regretted it.

I have gotten some form of emotions from other series that I have rated low (even the 1's), be it anger, disappointment, confusion, or disgust—some kind of emotion. That was not the case for this series. I felt that the first two to three episodes were okayish, with me having this series between a 6 to 6.5. I believe that was due to the fact that Kad's character was really, really carrying the show then. And then afterwards...I just felt that watching this series became a chore for me, as I just felt nothing for any of the characters, be they main or supporting. Oh, I'm supposed to feel sorry for Elyes as the reason he has become a man wh@#e is because he was cheated on by his ex-boyfriend. I'm supposed to feel sorry for Elyes' ex-boyfriend, Run, because he went with Fei Long, who is Elyes' business enemy, because he gave him an ultimatum to be with him so that Run's brother will be safe in prison?! (Why the frick on the frack didn't you ask Elyes for help with that? Is it because Fei Long has a connection to the mafia, so that made him the better choice? Oh, no, it's because you guys were sweethearts, and you still love him even though you left him due to whatever circumstances and started dating Elyes. I call bulls@#t.

And, please, from what I interpreted, Run and Fei Long's relationship to how it was presented to me—that's not love. That's Stockholm Syndrome. Hey, I'm not saying that they weren't in love before—just what I saw with my own eyes watching this series. What was presented to me was Stockholm Syndrome. Also, why in this day and age are we trying to make one person jealous of another one due to some past girlfriend coming back in the person's life? We don't need that—we are past that, and I felt that part was pointless (and yes, I know she was there to tell Pat about the other bad guy whose name is eluding me right now for him to know that that person is not a nice guy and the person who's working with them—another name that is eluding me—is having relations with said bad person). And not only this, but the evil people kind of suck and just made me not care and be invested in this series. Everyone and everything sucked. This series gave me the feelings of nothingness due to the blandness that was seen in their acting skills, as well as how the storyline was portrayed. And no amount of 'eye candy' or smexy scenes in the last episode is going to save this show for me or make me give it a higher score than one.

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