Eu Não (2021)

Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique

For everyone who plans on watchign this show: It's important to note that this BL doesn't follow the typical BL formular and isn't mainly about the love story. A huge portion of this show is focusing on the social political issues in Thailand and how the gang and other people are suffering from it and trying to fight against the system. If you find yourself totally uninterested in anything regarding politics or anything that ISN'T a very romanticized version of a Wattpad mafia/gangster story than this isn't for you. I highly recommend this show to everyone, but it's important to go into this show with the right idea in mind of what to expect.

Story: I think this is one of the Thai BLs that actually swept me off my feet. When it first was promoted as another OffGun show, I wasn't expecting too much of it. And I don't mean that in a negative sense, I mean that I didn't expect OffGun to take part in a show that was more serious and dark, since I've only seen them play in lighter and typical BL stuff. But HOOOOH BOY WAS I WRONG. It's way darker and more realistic than I thought it would be, but there were enough funny and cute moments to balance things out.

There went so much love and care into this show and you can really tell. I adore every character. They were all incredibly facinating to watch and flawed. They all deserved so much more screen time and sadly, some of them didn't get their deserved time to shine.

While the main love story of White and Sean (Gun and Off) is never an afterthought, it takes its time to be developed and doesn't take away the attention from the main plot or the development of each character. There is no unnecessary drama or abusive bs.
The side couple with Dan and Yok (Fluke and First) was a great addition that was not only really sweet but also relevant for the main story (and I do love when there are side couples that actually contributes to the story). They are the total opposite of White and Sean but were created with just as much care and love in mind.
The third couple I will not talk about for two reason 1) it would be a spoiler and I wouldn't want you guys to miss out on being shocked by that plot twist and 2) I wasn't really invested in them.

The friendship was really wholesome and really sweet to watch and aside from like the political scenes, one of my favorites. The relationships between the characters were all unique and deep and complicated.

Acting/Cast: The whole cast was great and I thank whoever was in charge of it. They all acted their ass off and it really shows. The whole crew did an amazing job. But I have to mention two actors specifically whose performance stuck with me.

1) I was seriously impressed with Gun being able to pull off playing White and Black and White pretending to be Black and Black pretending to be White pretending to be Black. You always knew who was talking and he managed to play them very differently. The way he smiled, talked and even cried. Just amazing really! I know that there were a few people criticizing the show for not using actualy twins, but seeing what Gun did with these characters, I can't imagine anyone else in these two roles.

2) Also not to forget: First who had some really great scenes all filled with different, complex emotions that he all nailed. But the ones that stung out to me the most were the ones where he was able to perfectly capture the rose-colored glasses look, the puppy eyes and just the absolute adoration in his acting and the one where he totally broke down in tears, crying his eyes out.

Music: Amazing. This show wasn't afraid to use silence when it was necessary, but it also shone with the choice of music. There were many great songs that I still listen to daily, but the one that got to me the most (musically and storywise) was Everlast (if you know you know).

Rewatch Value: Super mega high.

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A love story in a gritty and promising backdrop.

Okay, I have to say that this series was interesting in many ways, and I like the direction the recent BL series are going.

To begin with, it's the story of Black and White who are twins with a powerful connection, but when their parents divorce, they are separated completely with a different parent, for fifteen years.
But everything changes when White returns to Thailand after having lived around the world, he is then contacted by Tod, a childhood friend who tells him that Black is in a coma following a violent attack.
White then decides to appropriate Black's life to discover, without anyone knowing, who is the traitor who put Black in a coma. He then discovers that his twin brother lives a very special life, in a gang, and that he is not what he thought.

I must say that I was very entertained by the series, the story already is not common, and even if I guessed the traitor very quickly, I liked to follow the development of the story.
The overall production was very good, we are far from these very polished series with perfect houses, perfect schools, no, here the sets made the story believable, the garage, the warehouses, the universities, the streets, the sets contribute really to make the story more raw and real.
The aesthetic tones of the series are rather dark, it gives a more mature impression and far from the light-hearted series, and thank goodness, because it is consistent with the story told.

As for the story itself, I have to say that I liked that the art students discussing the arts, law students discussing and debating about the law, I like that it was coherent.
This series covers several themes around law and justice in Thailand, the power and influence of the rich who use their privileges to sit on the laws and citizens of the country, LGBTQ + rights. It was really a very politically oriented series for Thailand but also resonates in every society around the world, regardless of culture.
I also liked that the story was interesting and intense without the need to use toxic plots, the partners did not use violence between them, they were respectful, there was no kissing or even sexual relationship without consent or the influence of alcohol, they were tender and wild at the same time, proof that you can do both.
The two young women on this show were a far cry from the seedy clichés these shows generally categorize them into, but they were mature, understanding, strong and knew what they wanted for themselves.
Shout out also to Nuch, the only transgender woman on the show, who instead of embodying the usual fangirl cliches in the shows, was someone who clearly had better things to do than pine for other people's relationships, she often displayed her knowledge in her chosen fields and I love that she fought for LGBTQ+ rights.
I liked that our protagonists had the desire to fight for their country, their society and their citizens.

On the other hand, I wouldn't lie, the very smooth execution had some skipable moments.
Just as the parents of Black and White only have very brief appearances, then we don't see them at all, it makes you wonder if they care about their children.

About the second gay couple, they weren't just there to fill the void like in other series, but had their own evolution and story, of which these two characters had a lot of chemistry and good acting.
I wouldn't say they've outdone the main couple, but they definitely have potential, and I think a series centered around them could be very popular given a good script.

Special mention to Gun Atthaphan Phunsawat, who played the role of the two brothers to perfection, embodying the different personalities smoothly and he really evolves with each new drama.

So it's a good series, not the best of all time, I've seen better, but very entertaining and interesting. To see.

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Not Me started off as a slow burn but eventually expanded into a huge flame that, unfortunately, lost a bit of steam near the very end. While I enjoyed the gritty ambiance and production value from the very beginning, I don't think Not Me will have every single one of its viewers hooked from the start. It takes times for both the plot and romance to really get rolling but once it does, this series proves itself to be one of the best Thai BLs as of late.

Maybe I am speaking from a subjective standpoint but I think that Sean/White's slow burn enemies-to-lovers dynamic is one of the best yet. I really enjoyed seeing them and seeing how they gradually became lovers in a world where they prioritize social justice over their own lives.

There are decisions in Not Me's writing that I think could have used some fine tuning. For one, I find the whole "Parent Trap" arrangement to be completely unrealistic. It would have been easier to believe if Black and White had occasional reunions throughout their years apart. It could have easily been explained away with saying that Black visited his brother and father in Russia on certain holidays; that way, it would still be justified that Black's gang had no idea about White and it would have made the scene between White and his mother near the end of the show more impactful. Tbh, that entire scene between White and him mom felt shoehorned in, considering he never concerned himself with the whereabouts of his mother, nor was it mentioned beforehand that Black and his mother were on bad terms. With 14 episodes, they could have easily explored that relationship deeper.

And don't even get me started on GramBlack. As much as I was rooting for a GramBlack relationship, I'm not faulting the writing for the bait-and-switch with Eugene being Gram's endgame. I just think it was overall sloppy writing that the audience was given the illusion of Gram and Black being best friends. After Gram was done with the exposition dumping and being used as red herring for hurting Black, it's as if he never had a friendship with Black at all. Gram didn't seem to care about Black being hospitalized for weeks, or the fact that he kept his twin a secret for their entire friendship. Any chance that I had for liking the Gram/Eugene pairing was ruined when the flawed execution presented itself.

And, lastly, I thought the entire final arc of the show could have used a different direction. For a show about a gang conspiring corporate espionage, there was very little action in the last episode. The scene in the van was tense but it soon fizzled out right after the gang got saved. While I do understand the message about how the fight against an unjust system isn't over but has just begun, I think the last arc could have used a big bad. Other than Sean and White's relationship, everything about the final episode felt underwhelming.

Still, despite all of that, I still think Not Me is one of the best BLs yet and I highly recommend it.

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Why should you watch this?

Because it's amazing!

Not Me is one of the best BL series I've seen so far. The story makes you think and opens your eyes to issues you might otherwise be blind to. It evolves in a natural way that makes it very believable.
The acting is of an entirely different level. Off and Gun were perfect for these roles. Their chemestry is palpable and their skills undeniable. I especially admire Gun for the way he pulled off playing both Black and White. With just one look you could tell the difference between the two.
The OST is beautiful. It goes along very well with the episodes. The songs are part of my daily routine now.

I will definitely rewatch this! And I wouldn't mind a second season at all. In fact, I would very much like to see how their fight continues.

My heart goes out to the entire cast and crew. May you all continue to thrive!

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A perfect integration of romance into a more complex plot

I've been hyped about this series since the very beginning, but I'm amazed that it has still managed to exceed my expectations.

STORY:
I can't believe we've been able to learn something while watching a BL drama. It's not really common for this "genre" to bring out any deeper messages, but Not Me has done this wonderfully and on top of some great romance we were able to witness an inspiring story of young adults fighting against corruption and political issues. All the genres meshed in well and the story has been able to bring out a lot of different aspects.
The protest in episode 7 which put a lot of focus on LGBTQ+ issues and showed a small-scale pride parade had basically fulfilled all my wishes for a positive representation. I was hoping there would maybe be a conversation about sexualities since White was shown dating and kissing females earlier, but SeanWhite holding hands under the pride flag conveyed the message better than that. There was no need for words and the usual basic conversations when we got a beautifully sceneric event representing the community as a whole.
I was really worried about how they were going to pack an entire ending into the last episode, but it turns out 45 minutes can fit in quite a lot. I thought it was reasonable how in the end everything cycled back to the mission they'd started and the people they'd riled up to protest were the ones to save them. It makes little sense that someone was just able to see the kidnapping scene and photograph the car without anyone spotting them, but the rescue had such a powerful atmosphere that it didn't let me ponder on that detail for too long.
I'm sure there were some hardly explainable details along the way, but overall everything was tied up quite nicely with a room for an open ending.

However, there seemed to be a conflict between equally balancing out the romantic and story parts. The first 3-4 episodes felt like they were trying to emphasise the future romance too much on top of all the introductions to the situation and the group's activities. I understand why it had to be done as this is unfortunately the fault of the groups of viewers who would've dropped it if the romance seemed too slow and the focus was only placed on the politics at first. However, the slow development of the relationships which took place during the episodes after the beginning had an even worse effect since people had already got used to the romance-coded scenes and were missing that part as a result.

CHARACTERS:
I really liked how all of them had thought-out personalities and got a bit of a spotlight despite not being involved in any romances. The addition of Nuch and Yok mom's characters and how they could directly point out all the societal issues of their respective minority groups was also great. I think I got too invested in the story because I'd genuinely like to know more about everyone's past, not just the main reason why they'd joined the group, though Gram hasn't told us even that. But I guess we'd need a few more episodes or a second season to get that deep into the characterisation.
I'm a little disappointed that Gumpa ended up with no background story since he was playing a big role in all the planning and there clearly is a reason why he's a mechanic who knows how to do parkour and work with guns and assembled a group of teenagers to fight for justice.

ROMANCE:
It sure was a challenge to make a cohesive story in 14 episodes while inserting three romance storylines into it, but the staff seems to have done their best with what they had to make it work and I'd say it has worked quite well. It sure wasn't perfect and having more episodes with a slower romance probably would've made this series even better, but nothing felt too off or unreasonable to me.
Especially in the later episodes after the pairings had already got together, the actors expressed the feelings of the characters so well that they'd got me fully emotionally invested and I think the slower pacing with a proper friendship development before they got into the romance part in the middle of the series has helped this as well.
Also I really want to talk about this, I was so happy to see an opposite-sex couple having their own storyline in a BL drama. We almost always only see the "everyone is gay" trope which makes me feel like the same-sex couples are being isolated into their own stories instead of mixing all kinds of relationships together and showing the true diversity with everyone involved.

MUSIC:
My biggest appreciation for the music of this series came once I'd found out how many songs had been hand-picked for the different emotional and sceneric scenes. It seems like a whoever is in charge of this has done their job really well and it was really felt during some of the moments when the music went along with the mood instead of overpowering it or being too faint.
I hadn't noticed any background music being too unbalanced or rapidly switching up, as Thai dramas sometimes tend to do. Also I was personally really grateful for the lack of use of any background effects because this particular thing really bugs me and way too many Thai dramas use them excessively. Though that may just be me.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS:
This drama is probably going to stay at the top of my favourites list for quite a while since it's right in the line of what I enjoy in romance stories. Even if it had its flaws and some parts were better than others, ultimately I don't mind disregarding the imperfections to focus on all the good things about it.
It makes me a little sad that this series stayed behind in popularity compared to some other BLs which I wouldn't rate as highly, but I understand how the heavy and political topics and environment aren't for everyone. On the other hand I'm kind of glad the fandom for this isn't as big since it's a little bit more shielded from the BL audience that only watches the dramas for the sexualisation and stereotyping of same-sex couples.

Personal enjoyment is definitely at 10, but since there were some issues and holes in the plot, a strong 9.5 feels more objective.

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The ending felt... unfinished, but that's okay

I just watched the last episode of this series and wow. I didn't expect it to feel this way. After last episode I did question how episode 14 would wrap up the entire series, and it felt kind of wrong and kind of right. I have questions to things that didn't get answered and it was just left there to be seen. How did the crowd against Tawi know their friends were in the van? Not like it didn't look suspicious enough, but still. How did no one catch Black as he was leaving the hospital? There were more than 3 policemen. I don't know.
But I felt like an open ending is kind of what this needed. Many might disagree, but we don't know what might happen to them in the future. Anyone of them could die, and that was the whole point of the ending I believe. The whole goal was to make people aware of what Tawi does and will continue to do.
What happened to Todd felt a little right. He got what he deserved in the end. Was I expecting him to die? Yes. But it almost ties into how Black isn't that person. He isn't a murderer. That's what I found to be great about his short character arc. First he's an ass, then he's all secretive, then finally he becomes honest with others and himself.
The happy endings I felt needed to be there almost to wrap up that longing feeling, especially for Yok and Dan. It felt too sad if Yok continued to stare at his drawing of Dan for the rest of his life. Sean and White's happy ending was already a given, I think everyone knew that was gonna happen.
Some open endings are great, this one was okay.

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Not Me, Not You, But Everyone... Should Watch This Show

It's finally the ending guys and I'm super sad about it! "Not Me" definitely met my expectations and even surpassed them in so many ways. Let's get into this show in detail because that's what it deserves, a thorough look at it as a whole.

First of all, the story was solid. I think it could've done with a few more rewrites but I appreciate all the messages it had to give. As well as showcasing how intense and important standing up for what you believe in is. What's right isn't always rewarded, so that's where protesting comes in. A protest is grounded in just wanting to be heard and I think the series did this aspect justice. Even in the classroom scenes, they felt real when talking about law and order. I have zero experience in this, so I'm not sure how accurate all of what they were discussing was. Especially because I am also not from Thailand. However, from the comments on the video its very real so I will trust that! Though I might've been a little lost at parts, mostly it was satisfying to watch.

Let's move on to Sean and White, because that's why most of us are here lol. Obviously, they are too adorable and of course chemistry but what else is new? Their relationship development was pretty good. I liked seeing the subtle nuances of them getting closer and eventually leading to the confession/hook up in the tent. All of which had me shrieking XD. I'm also glad the White reveal stuff wasn't super drawn out. It was rough seeing Sean confused because Black is kinda a dick, but he figured it out on his own. So though obviously it's reasonable that Sean was upset with White for lying to him, it wasn't episodes of trying to rekindle the relationship. Overall, their scenes together are pretty emotional/passionate so it's nice to see Off and Gun push their on screen romances further, though it's not a surprise knowing how close those two really are ;P

Next the twist. Since the show is based around White taking of Black's life due to him being in a coma we had to wonder who put him in that coma in the first place? Well it wasn't too surprising to me that it was Tod, seeing as he kinda recruits White in the first place. I kinda wanted it to be Gumpa because that would've been more of a shock. But that's just me! Speaking of Black and White The scenes with them together were actually really well done! Twin stuff isn't easy to pull off and certain scenes I was like damn that looks really clean and I could believe there's actually twins there. Some scenes like in the last episode I could tell when it was someone else lol but for the most part very solid, I just have a good eye for these things.

To get some of the random side stuff out of the way. Gram getting with Black's ex I did not vibe with. Sure she deserves happiness and Black seemingly sucked as a partner. I also liked Gram, even though I'm still slightly confused if he liked Black or not? But yuck that's a bff no no to get with Black's ex like that. I don't know I just can't get past that, makes me think of "Euphoria" with Maddie and Cassie. You just don't do that!


Okay side couple time! Dan and Yok are cute but underdeveloped majorly as a side couple. I really like Yok's character though, he might be my favorite of this series tbh. His discussions of art and justice were really interesting and well written. While Fluke (Dan) is just....so gorgeous lol and did a great job at showing emotion in this series. I do gotta say though Dan and Yok's ending was really good. So even if they were rushed the end result was solid. Gotta see forgiveness in order to move on into a steady relationship, I would've liked to see where they go from there.


Finally, the last scene. Is of course with Sean and White and it did actually give me chills. The song played when these two are together is actually really beautiful and their lines of dialogue were well written. Plus the KISS, ugh. Why must it end now!? I want more! Overall really good job show, lets see more and more of this in BL continue and never stop the OffGun hype train!

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This was a masterpiece!!

I'm heartbroken that this series had to end. It was an amazing ride. You definitely have to watch this one. Even if you've already watched it I'm pretty sure you'll agree that Not me is on of those series that you'll never get bored and you'll watch it again and again. For those who haven't watched it yet I'm telling you: go do it now. First of all, the plot is amazing. It deals with real life issues and is not about a university or engineering like we've seen so far. This plot will make you think and be a part of everything. The actors we all knew already that are amazing but the acting here is on another level. I am a huge fan of all them and maybe a little biased but especially in this series the relationship of Gun and Off and their chemistry was amazing. I don't think there is nothing I didn't like and I'm about to rewatch right now. Just trust me and add this to your watchlist.

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WAS IT GOOD? WELL YEAH! BUT...

IN THIS REVIEW MAY BE A SPOILER BUT IT´S NOT THAT IMPORTANT ( OR LIKE FOR ME IT WOULDN´T BE )!!

So...the most important question is "is it worth watching?" and let me tell you, yes it definitely is!
ALL the characters have have great chemistry together and all the actors are pretty good at acting too.
The story also isn´t the worst.
So you may ask "so is there anything wrong with the series?"....well yeah, but no.
For me, I always find something "cringe" or like "weird" in series and movies, even though it´s not. It´s my fault and I shouldn´t blame the series/movies because of it. But here I kinda doo blame it.

?SPOILER??

It waas all okay until Black and White were in the same room . Then i found it really weird and after a while even cringe. I get it. This obviously isn´t some Hollywood movie or something really big but like they could have try more.
When there is Black and White in one shot it´s pretty cringe. For example: You can see White´s face while he´s talking to Black who you can´t obviously see ( most of the time it´s like this ) but we know how Black looks right? We know how his ears and hair looks like, don´t we? But they didn´t even try to choose an actor with similiar ears and hair like Gun have ( the actor who plays White and Black ). So it´s pretty weird when you see Black´s hair and ears looking very different just based on the angle of the camera lol. And that is propably my only problem lol.
I know it´s pretty small detail but I was cringing because of it A LOT lmao

Overall really good series :) definitely one of the betters :DDD

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Despite a few misgivings with the ending, I still strongly recommend watching this

Not Me is social commentary, it’s gay comraderie, and it’s a bunch of college kids who are trying to fight against systems that they see as unjust. The actors are fucking phenomenal, the soundtrack is a straight up banger, and I will shout praises for P’Nuchy from the (gay) rooftops.

It starts off so thematically robust. The characters grow on us as we slowly get to know them through White’s POV. The cinematography and depth of meaning in some scenes will straight up punch you in the gut and leave you breathless. In a short span of fourteen episodes, Not Me manages to address a wide number of important issues like LGBT rights, worker rights, disability, cops, and overall systemic corruption.

I will not deny that the ending (read: last few episodes, a little more for two specific characters) is plagued with messy character writing and pacing issues, but despite this, it never strays from its core values of criticizing societal inequality and forms of oppression.

Go watch it.

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Game Changer

At first I didn't know what to expect but...they got me. Excellent series. I don't know what else to say but let me start with the basics...

First up - the performances. Gun's double performance absolutely caught me off guard. Two completely different characters, both of them top notch performances (Gun as a badass action hero...whoa! Who saw that coming?). And the rest of the cast isn't too shabby either. Watching Off go from dripping with contempt for Black, to wondering what the heck is up with Black to falling for Black to - THE BIG REVEAL! - his expressions just say it all. There's the second tier couple - Dan and Yok - that are so well written (down to the bitter end) that I was rooting for them no matter what turn the story took. They're my second favourite side couple of...ever(!)...right behind Uncles Cheep and Dej in "My Ride" (but that's for another day). Then there's the understated performance of Papang as "Gumpa" - the glue who holds this entire thing together. Love him.

On top of that here, is so much that I did not expect: - Politics, Disillusionment, Rebellion and Art as a means of Protest. There's so much more, but I refuse to spoil the experience for anyone.

Well, 2022 has been an exceptional year for GMMTV, that's for certain - with their stories of Anarchy in Thailand, Ageing and facing one's own Mortality "55:15", a Romeo and Jules Love Story ("Bad Buddy") and their Epic
production of "F4 Thailand". I hope they can keep it up 'cause I'm rooting for them.

There's so little else to say about "Not Me" except I love! LOVE!! L.O.V.E!!! it!!!!!!

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I quite liked it, it definitely deserves the hype.

I liked the acting (except Fluke, he was again painful to watch). I also like the dynamic of the gang & the bromance between the brothers. Whitesean was pretty cute, had good chemistry and dynamic, the relationship felt wholesome. I would have loved yokdan more (a cute love at first sight story), if Dan's character would have been played correctly...
I like the social criticism aspect and the message the story delivered, especially since it's about Thailand, one of the highly corrupt countries.
I wouldn't say that the series is perfect, but definitely good and worth watching.

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