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My Secret Love thai drama review
Ongoing 6/12
My Secret Love
0 people found this review helpful
by yuri_s02
Jul 12, 2022
6 of 12 episodes seen
Ongoing
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

Enjoyable, but not for everyone

I was initially quite excited about this since after the first 2 episodes I came to be under an impression this would be one of those dramas which doesn't take itself very seriously and mainly uses comedy to develop the plot. I wasn't completely wrong, but my impression also wasn't exactly on spot either.

First I have to say that while the comedy at the start is indeed the kind which half people will find absolutely hilarious and other half non-sensical and cringe, it doesn't really sell the drama well because in the later episodes the focus shifts on regular drama and issues between the couples. The jokes and exaggeration don't stop, but they're a lot more subdued in order for the plot to have an actual progression. The story itself isn't anything special in the classic school setting, but it can still be enjoyed as it's light-hearted and doesn't require too much thinking.

Rewatch value score is high, not necessarily because the drama is something most people would like to experience again, but because it's very difficult to remember the whole plot due to fast pacing and fast switches between the scenes. I personally prefer fast pacing over slower dragged-out scenes as long as the plot still makes sense and is properly developed, but in this case even I can't keep up with the speed. It really has fallen a victim to trying to develop too many relationships at once and as with many Thai BL dramas, there simply isn't enough episodes to do so without damaging the overall quality of the production.

Speaking of relationships though, I do actually quite like how they're being handled. Even though the scenes are sped up to fit everything in, the relationships themselves are getting a full development and don't seem to be progressing too fast or be incomplete.
My biggest appreciation in this aspect is that all the relationships are being treated as almost equally important and developed at the same time. Usually with multiple couples there's the issue of none of them getting an equal amount of screen time which earns complains from the fans who happen to like any other than the first couple. In this you get enough content of your favourite couple or can just be happy about the variety if you don't choose your preferred one.

As for the characters, you're absolutely going to end up disliking at least one of them at first, but all the problematic guys actually go get their short stories of self-realisation and improvement once their actions are confronted. Most of the characters seem to act overly childish, but at least these personalities of irrational students who are still learning how to deal with their emotions and communicate with others add an unique aspect to the otherwise standard conflicts.

There's quite an insignificant issue I still feel a need to nit pick at. I really wish the character design went through more work. For me with my face blindness it took 6 episodes to learn to distinguish between all 8 character which is the longest out of any drama I've watched so far. I might be the sole appreciator of Mek's ponytail, but I really wish more of them had a signature accessory or feature which could make them immediately stand out even without needing to recognise their face. I really feel like this distinction could help all the viewers since the story starts right away and not a lot of time is allocated to the character introduction.

As for the acting, the fact that these are all rookie actors can definitely be felt at certain parts. I wouldn't say all of them are doing a bad job or that someone is ruining an entire character, but there is certainly a room for improvement, for some more than others. I'd say the overall quality is quite average; the producers haven't hired 8 actor prodigies, but some of them are doing well and some have an adequate skill considering their lack of experience.

Last detail I want to mention is my appreciation for the lack of sound effects, that's something I'm always happy about when it comes to Thai BLs.

Final verdict: I recommend this to the people who enjoy light-hearted stories based around a school environment and don't mind exaggerated comedy. It's worth giving a try and sticking through multiple episodes if these are the kinds of stories which you usually have no issue sitting through.
The ones who should probably avoid this are people who are fed up with the school setting, prefer mature characters and stories or generally dislike comedy if it's not only used as an addition to an otherwise serious plot.
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