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labcat
This review may contain spoilers
Cookie Cutter BL
While this isn't exactly a series that leaves you wanting to smash your screens in frustration, it isn't much good. Standard Thai BL fare that is somewhat passable compared to the most poorly made BLs, but there is much better stuff nowadays.
The enemies-to-lovers plot is definitely nothing new, but delivery is everything. Sometimes it turns out funny and cute, but not this time. This is partly because the characters are not very well written or developed. They merely change when the time comes for them to change. Arthip, for instance, seems truly obnoxious at the start. He's not just an awful, uncompassionate boss to work for but also quite unpleasant in general, such as when he almost knocks down someone. And yet, when the time comes for enemies to start becoming lovers, he seems very much a different person. Arthip's love interest, Poon, is also somewhat inconsistent, vacillating between being headstrong and vulnerable. The changes in him are more explainable, but a lot of it is done hurriedly.
The side couple, Teng Nueng and Mayom, is a little better. There is also the same enemies-to-lovers plot for them, but the transitions seem better. The strange part about this couple, however, is in the fact that Teng Nueng is attached when he first meets Mayom, and we are as surprised as Mayom when he reveals it. The thing is, Teng Nueng has no intention at all to cheat on his boyfriend, and yet the way he behaves with Mayom before telling Mayom that he has a boyfriend easily gives one the wrong idea. If you ask me, it's really because there is a preoccupation with showing BL-ish moments at the expense of sensible characterization.
The woman, Amy, who is in love with Arthip is another character that is a tell-tale sign of a poorly written script. When she's supposed to be the main character's rival in love, she's a nasty, almost universally hated person. And it's not just the way she behaves towards her rival. Her affected behavior, her elitism, her superficiality were all evident. And then when it's time in the story for her to stop being the love rival, she becomes quite a different person, though no less comical.
I'm actually not too averse to cookie-cutter BLs. There are some that end up being pretty decent, but this one can afford to do better. Use the cookie cutter by all means, but the cookie needs a better mix of ingredients.
The enemies-to-lovers plot is definitely nothing new, but delivery is everything. Sometimes it turns out funny and cute, but not this time. This is partly because the characters are not very well written or developed. They merely change when the time comes for them to change. Arthip, for instance, seems truly obnoxious at the start. He's not just an awful, uncompassionate boss to work for but also quite unpleasant in general, such as when he almost knocks down someone. And yet, when the time comes for enemies to start becoming lovers, he seems very much a different person. Arthip's love interest, Poon, is also somewhat inconsistent, vacillating between being headstrong and vulnerable. The changes in him are more explainable, but a lot of it is done hurriedly.
The side couple, Teng Nueng and Mayom, is a little better. There is also the same enemies-to-lovers plot for them, but the transitions seem better. The strange part about this couple, however, is in the fact that Teng Nueng is attached when he first meets Mayom, and we are as surprised as Mayom when he reveals it. The thing is, Teng Nueng has no intention at all to cheat on his boyfriend, and yet the way he behaves with Mayom before telling Mayom that he has a boyfriend easily gives one the wrong idea. If you ask me, it's really because there is a preoccupation with showing BL-ish moments at the expense of sensible characterization.
The woman, Amy, who is in love with Arthip is another character that is a tell-tale sign of a poorly written script. When she's supposed to be the main character's rival in love, she's a nasty, almost universally hated person. And it's not just the way she behaves towards her rival. Her affected behavior, her elitism, her superficiality were all evident. And then when it's time in the story for her to stop being the love rival, she becomes quite a different person, though no less comical.
I'm actually not too averse to cookie-cutter BLs. There are some that end up being pretty decent, but this one can afford to do better. Use the cookie cutter by all means, but the cookie needs a better mix of ingredients.
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