PARTY TIME FOR MY ASEXUALS (and everyone else<3)

Since I've finished this series I can't help but to think about it from time to time. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into, but I wanted to try a series like this out. As an asexual (particularly one that doesn't like/want sex ) I was so curious to see what approach and direction the show would have regarding the central idea of sex and I was pleasantly surprised to not see just overall healthy, sex positive messages to encourage and help people but also that it included asexual representation! I thought surely they'd have to mention asexuality, but I seriously doubted they would since the aro and ace spec is usually ignored. So thank you so much to the people behind this show for giving us a really cool asexual character + giving them such a nice love story :))

As for the main characters and main plot, yeah I fucking loved it. I looked forward to the show every week & found myself really attached to all the character's individual stories. I cried seeing how touching a lot of the messages were in this show. Overall just a well written, extremely impactful show.

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the cycle of grief (=the cycle of love)

Bad Buddy feels very much like a universal love story. It is the young adult version of a coming of age story centering, ultimately, around the idea of peace over revolution when facing the familial cycles of love and neglect. Pran and Pat were not able to become the friends they should have been in childhood due to their parents’ rivalry and hatred towards each other. They had to repress this friendship, and thus parts of themselves, to fit into the standards that were made for them.

Growing up, you figure out who you are, the basics of your identity, stemming from how you were raised. From your relationship to your parents-- the foundation of who you are-- you start to identify what you are, and of course, what you are NOT; what are you, and what is the “OTHER”? What do you relate to, who do you not relate to? Where do your loyalties lay? How do you dream? What do you dream of? How do you cope? What kind of child were you? (What kind of parent are you?) How do you view love? Is it an obligation? Is it a competition? Is it completely unmarked, unexplored and unknown territory?

Whether through deep thought or an innate ability to know yourself, you put yourself in these boxes, or you cross the line between you and the other. You are sometimes given the chance to reject the box. But how do you go against your upbringing? How do you compensate for the habits, weaknesses, fears, way of communication, that you’ve known forever? What if our parents were wrong? What happens if they have wronged us? Do you ever need to forgive your parents?

What are the barriers in love?

In Bad Buddy we see how the past greatly influences the way Pat and Pran become, and how they try to be together despite the odds, what feels like their whole world telling them to not be together. Some dreams our cast keeps, some dreams our cast lets go. Some become the “other,” and they all find their own family. They learn they cannot change the world, but they should never let the world change each other. They choose acceptance and peace over completely revolutionizing their lives for the greater good of the love they created and learned-- though that acceptance in itself is an act of revolution.

And all of this was portrayed so beautifully. :')

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my favorite genre: angry and violent burnt out gifted kid core

honestly i am so biased because this show feels like it was made for me. as my little headline suggests i am a SUCKER for repressed angry gifted kids and this gave me the "the bullied bullies his enemies back" realness like i'm sorry but my guy sieun is a king. lived for it all. the fighting. the drama between the three friends. all the depression and trauma my 3 pookies go through. it's just # real. (i'm sorry i'm not a serious reviewer i have to joke a lil)

ok but i seriously do think that the trio is perfect. they're such a power move!!! i personally love when 2 main characters have this sort of... how do i explain it. protective vibes for each other? like barely even know each other but already on each other's side? secret soft spot? becomes literal besties? with the bromance? *cough* couple material. not to mention a character who is hella morally grey but you end up feeling pained and sympathetic for them anyway because their situation is just. so dang complicated? like this trio has both and i personally feel like that's the perfect mix for complex relationships and thus themes of revenge/self-preservation/affects of trauma etc. so much more engaging.

also yes im a beomseok apologist and raging sieun supporter. had to be said. (yes these kids have issues. yes they make me feel heard. i will not be silenced LMAO)

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this show made me a hopeless romantic fr

just gonna add my two cents about this show i have a massive soft spot for. i was sooo excited to see jimmy being the lead role, it was actually the reason i watched it at first and i remember the first two episodes or so being like, is this going to be good? but i'm so happy i stuck by its side because it became SUCH a treat to watch weekly. jimmysea's chemistry is so good, they make me melt every single chance they get. plus jimmy is hella attractive ok i gotta say it. overall this show gave me sappy sweet emotional romance realness and i am forever blessed because of it. also!! there were parts that were so healing to me??? not just with the romance but the FRIENDSHIP. oh my god i love the friendships in this show. i ugly cried over them ok i was about to be devastated if the gang was gonna split up. tbh i ugly cried throughout this whole show i am NOT gonna lie i became so invested.

i will say that some of the reoccurring issues between the 2 leads made me shake the computer aggressively towards the middle-end because i was like. didn't we go through this already??? but honestly everything was worth it. this whole show speaks volumes about romantic love, friendship love, even familial love, and it made my heart swell with happiness nostalgia pain bittersweetness and sometimes just sweetness. the atmosphere alone throughout the entire series is enough to make me feel so immersed.

anyways love these nerds i want them to be happy forever OKAY

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overall good but issues with ending

Nonspoilers:
I want to start off by saying in general I did like the show because to me it was a light, casual watch that both relaxed me and made me laugh from time to time. It was easy to immerse myself in and I was genuinely intrigued to see what all the twists would be and where certain character arcs would go. I wasn't particularly emotionally attached to the main couple, but I mostly rooted for them throughout the show, and there were some nice emotional scenes. However, I am relieved to see others agreeing that there is a somewhat "lack" of something deeper in their connection? I don't mean the complaints of lack of intimacy or sexual attraction, a couple is way more than that, but I mean as time goes on you can tell these two are not on the same page. I know a lot of dramas obviously have the characters run into the same problems but with this one it felt kinda useless because Sarawat tries his damned hardest to be a good boyfriend (and he is) but Tine's personal issues of jealousy gets in the way. Also, the side couples... geez. I do not support.

I do not mean to be too harsh on this show because it's still enjoyable and I mean I'm here for the ride and experience but it’s all the stuff at the end that makes it fall short. The ending felt rushed and unsatisfying.

Character specific spoilers, you can still read because I don't talk about plot things but if you don't want to know about the side characters' deal yet, I wouldn't read:

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Phukong and Man need to chase different people, they deserve so much better. Mil flip flops who he is interested in and he just doesn't make sense. He has potential to be a decent person but he does NOT have his priorities straight. And I straight up hate Type. Worst boy. Such an ass to Man and Sarawat.
We stan Fong for being the smartest one here.

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