PaniniMayhem
Cutie pie: A groomers wet dream
I saw other reviews and thought maybe I should still give it a shot because I was intrigued by ZeeNuNew and I instantly regretted my decision. From the first episode I knew I would struggle to make it to the end because how disjointed and stupid the story was. If you like toxic age gap relationships bordering on creepy ( or just outright creepy) then series might be for you. The power dynamics are downright unfair in the first two relationships: two super rich CEOs dating younger men who are genuinely afraid of them so they live secret lives which their CEO boyfriends know about and use to manipulate them.
The first relationship (Hia Lian and Kuea) even goes as far as having the couple be engaged from childhood (they met when Kuea was born and they got engaged at ages 13 and 5)which they keep reminding us of up until the end and led to one of the cringiest lines in the series “I’ve loved you since you were born”. The second relationship (Hia Yi and Khon Diao) was particularly disturbing to me because the actor who plays Khon Diao looked like and behaved like a prepubescent teenager in the show IMO (he was 19 when they filmed the show) and it was cringey watching him interact sexually with his scene partner who is 10 years older than him in real life. The premise of their entire relationship makes zero sense and just felt like an excuse to keep and groom a child. The last and best relationship (Nuer and Syn) was the only bright spot for me, they were age mates, enemies to lovers in the least toxic way possible and they had the most realistic relationship dynamic.
The assistants especially Foei did the job of providing comic relief well and I laughed whenever they were on screen. The chihuahua didn’t want to be there and it was so obvious, she kept running away but they wouldn’t let her go.
There was absolutely no character development instead we watched the character decline. One could argue that Hia Lian and Hia Yi had changed by the end but they didn’t, they just confessed their “love” and did the things they already knew their boyfriends wanted to manipulate them to staying in the relationship after treating them like dog shit for years. Kuea started off the series sassy, cute and talented but then he devolved into this weepy spineless caricature of a person. Khon Diao kinda stood up for himself a little but never followed through on his threats to leave. All it took was a dog, a salty dinner and a weak ass confession to bring him back to obedient puppy mode.
Overall, the series felt like an ad for groomers that was overly preachy about same-sex rights in Thailand. We literally could not go an episode without being reminded about how backwards their society is in that regard. I felt like they could have been more subtle and still make the message clear, instead they just kept pushing the agenda by showing us some of the most toxic relationships I’ve ever seen on screen.
In conclusion: Watch at your own risk.
The first relationship (Hia Lian and Kuea) even goes as far as having the couple be engaged from childhood (they met when Kuea was born and they got engaged at ages 13 and 5)which they keep reminding us of up until the end and led to one of the cringiest lines in the series “I’ve loved you since you were born”. The second relationship (Hia Yi and Khon Diao) was particularly disturbing to me because the actor who plays Khon Diao looked like and behaved like a prepubescent teenager in the show IMO (he was 19 when they filmed the show) and it was cringey watching him interact sexually with his scene partner who is 10 years older than him in real life. The premise of their entire relationship makes zero sense and just felt like an excuse to keep and groom a child. The last and best relationship (Nuer and Syn) was the only bright spot for me, they were age mates, enemies to lovers in the least toxic way possible and they had the most realistic relationship dynamic.
The assistants especially Foei did the job of providing comic relief well and I laughed whenever they were on screen. The chihuahua didn’t want to be there and it was so obvious, she kept running away but they wouldn’t let her go.
There was absolutely no character development instead we watched the character decline. One could argue that Hia Lian and Hia Yi had changed by the end but they didn’t, they just confessed their “love” and did the things they already knew their boyfriends wanted to manipulate them to staying in the relationship after treating them like dog shit for years. Kuea started off the series sassy, cute and talented but then he devolved into this weepy spineless caricature of a person. Khon Diao kinda stood up for himself a little but never followed through on his threats to leave. All it took was a dog, a salty dinner and a weak ass confession to bring him back to obedient puppy mode.
Overall, the series felt like an ad for groomers that was overly preachy about same-sex rights in Thailand. We literally could not go an episode without being reminded about how backwards their society is in that regard. I felt like they could have been more subtle and still make the message clear, instead they just kept pushing the agenda by showing us some of the most toxic relationships I’ve ever seen on screen.
In conclusion: Watch at your own risk.
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