I was intrigued by the trailer, and I really enjoyed the series. I expected more in the terms of the mystery and suspense. I do think the pacing of the series was a bit off – it started very intense and then kind of simmered down. I am not really sure what bothered me with that kind of pace, maybe just that it was so different from what we usually get.

I wasn’t expecting such serious topics to be addressed through the series. I was honestly expecting another silly high school drama with a bit of mystery. However, topics of mental health (depression, suicide, pressure), the structure of society (following the rules) and LGBTQ+ issues are heavily present throughout the series.

I know that when it comes to mental health, the suicide of teacher Dika and his depression were supposed to be in the center. But I think that what we really need to talk about it Akk. Why? Because the thing that weighted so heavily on him was the pressure that him and others put on him. It’s something we see so often in today’s world, yet we very rarely realize when that pressure becomes to much someone. Often, the realization comes after it is already too late. I really like the way his struggles with trying to do his best were portrayed.

The structure of society is extremely present through both what is going on at school – the protest, the prefect club, the way they treat those who think differently – and in the books we see Aye read. Another thing that I found interesting was the philosophy class where all the thinkers believed in very different things from what the school expected from their students. I also really liked Wat’s “you are what you consume” speech.

As for LGBTQ+ struggles, the series focuses mainly on the teens (but not exclusively). I think the struggle of coming out and / or being openly gay in an only-boys school was shown really nicely. The doubts and the hesitations from Kan and Akk were really on point. Akk also struggled with the fact that being gay might ruin his image of a perfect son, a perfect student.

As for actors, I think they all did an amazing job portraying their character emotions and leading us through their stories. I love the friendship between Akk, Kan and Wat. The three are a mess together, but in a good way. I love how supportive they are of each other as well.

Akk & Ayan: There is no doubt that First and Khao have an amazing on-screen chemistry and that played their roles amazingly. Their romance is enemies to lovers kind of love, but it is done really well. I really like the fact that neither of them was abusive to the other or was bullying the other just because they “hate” each other. The way they supported each other long before they were official really warmed my heart.

Kan & Thua: I think Neo and Louis are a great pairing, they always deliver. Kan is a character that seems very unserious at first glance, but paying more attention, we can see how caring he is and how many details he notices. He also becomes more confident, more self-assured through the series. Thua was someone I felt a lot of empathy for at first – not only is he the target for many jokes for being openly gay, but also has his crush occasionally avoiding him to not start any rumors. However, none of that excuses what he did in the end. To be honest, he is maybe the only character in this whole series who I didn’t wish a happy ending for. But Kan deserved one, even if it was with Thua.

Ending was maybe a bit of a letdown. I really expected something bigger behind the whole Suppalo curse story. But at the same time, it felt kind of realistic to end the way it did. Kind of realistic being a very broad definition, of course.