RATING: A-

GENERAL
This series strives for maximum comedy. It’s a ridiculous premise, so you have to just go with it and leave logic aside. That doesn’t mean I’ll forgive ALL of its flaws, but I’ll try to ignore the absurdity and lean into the farce.

Overall, this is a very strong series. A favorite that I would not mind watching again. It was a bit hard for me to get into it in the beginning because of the over-the-top premise, but a few episodes in I began to really enjoy it. The chemistry between the two leads is very strong, relatable and believable. They are both charming, charismatic and natural performers. There is a tenderness to both their characters and performances that is heartwarming. One of my favorite things about their relationship is how they seemingly can’t say “no” to each other. Even when conflicts arise, there is something that compels them to “show up” and be there for the other. It made both of their characters extremely likeable. As an aside, I really like the first song Wat wrote for Tine, “Your Smile”, because Win/Tine has a smile that could melt any heart. And Bright/Wat’s smirk is equally adorable. “The Nuisance and the Charming Prince” indeed!

I also appreciated both sets of friends. They were supportive and gave some very strong advice. It was nice to see how they helped the leads and gently influenced their union.

Some problems arose during the second half of the series. After taking up the bulk of the episodes setting up their relationship, once they admit their feelings for each other, the rest goes by far too quickly. They go from “like” to moving in together in one episode. These times in a new relationship are ripe for drama that was passed over. Other issues; distrust, past relationships, rivals – are also introduced and settled too quickly, sometimes in the course of the same episode. For the audience to truly immerse themselves in these moments, it would have been appreciated if they could have been explored in a bit more depth.

ACTING & DIRECTION
The acting is quite strong and natural, even for the Secondary Characters. Win does a great job of showing the slow shift in his feelings from annoyance to acceptance and eventually love. Bright, as Wat, is given the stereotypical brooding “silent type” role at first, but even he plays it naturally and much better than others (Mean/Tin in “Love by Chance”). In his small role as Ohm, JJ is much better here than in his supporting role in “Dark Blue Kiss” (one of my favorite series thus far, where he stands out in all the wrong ways). The other stand-out for me was Mike as Man. He does a great job with this role. What could have been annoying is somehow charming in his hands. He, too, plays it very naturally and realistic.

I give kudos to the director for eliciting the best from his cast. Without inside knowledge, I suspect it was the strong direction that allowed the performers to give it their best. Even though they are playing it for farce, the overall feel is quite realistic within those boundaries. The pacing is so much better than many other BL series. Fewer forced slo-mo glances, fewer awkward silences.

KISSING/INTIMACY
I appreciated the “Lady and the Tramp” style first kiss during the music club initiation and was happy it didn’t involve the typical stumble-and-fall-into-a-kiss. Their growing friendship, while based on the ridiculous premise (that seems to come and go, be forgotten then remembered whenever it’s convenient) seemed realistic. The second kiss felt very natural as well. Wat is drunk and can’t resist kissing Tine. Been there, drunkenly kissed that! But after they declare their relationship, there is no more kissing at all, not even any hand-holding. I found that strange and disappointing.

THE DOWN-SIDE:
If you’re going to make a character a cheerleader, please have them do something other than stand still with their arms raised in half-salute. This was the only move we ever saw them perform. That’s not going to encourage anyone to play better. Was this element even necessary?

Some of the BL tropes started to annoy me by the second half of the series. Tine is injured or sick a bit too much. I was never clear why he fainted at the football match/cheerleading. There was a mention that he didn’t eat, but… really? He passes out and is taken to the hospital? (I skip breakfast all the time, never ended up in the hospital because of it). And it coincidentally happens when Wat is injured and also needs to go to the hospital? Both incidents would have had more impact if treated separately and given the proper set-up. Naturally, there are the myriad of misunderstandings that lead to doubts and problems in their relationship. These, too, happen, and are resolved, too quickly.

The worst part of this series for me is the over-the-top portrayal of Green, the effeminate gay man who has a crush on the lead character, Tine. As I mentioned above, I’m not a fan of this type of character, even though they do give him a redeeming moment when he defends Tine against the masked “attackers”, and much of his comedy works well. But this was one of the rare elements that felt out of place in this series.

There is also a disturbing underlying homophobia to this storyline. Tine is so upset about a gay man having interest in him that he resorts to a cruel trick to keep the gay man away. He pretends to be in a gay relationship, but is clearly disturbed by the implications from the start. When Green discovers the lie, he tells Tine that he didn’t have to be so harsh, and based on his hurt reaction it does feel especially cruel. This is all wrapped up in the ridiculous plotline, and they are going for farce here – but the creators should be more careful. While most BL series are aimed at teenage girls, they must know young gay men are watching. These types of issues could be more harmful than helpful for a young man struggling to understand his sexuality and how to express it.

SUMMARY
Heartwarming, tender, strong performances, excellent direction. This should go to the top of your lists.