Instant Cult Classic - artful characters beautifully packaged in a Brat-Tamer sitcom
RakDiao is refreshing and creative for the genre being a BL-sitcom. I don't want to simply reiterate key details already covered by many other reviews, so here are some new thoughts accompanied with points I believe reviewers should continue to be emphasize:Praise:
I see a lot of folks describing the show as following an enemies-to-lovers theme. This isn't wrong, but I believe the dynamic is better described as "Brat-Tamer". This dynamic is key in understanding Rak's uncanny interest in Diao as the slow burn builds into a more apparent game of cat and mouse. It is also the bread and butter of every episode as Rak and Diao square off in the most ludicrous ways. If you enjoy silly and witty banter lanced with flirtatious tones and teaching moments then you'll find the rewatch value to be very high.
At a surface level, Rak and Diao are respectively juxtaposed against each other as the wise and virtuous boss vs. the brash and mischievous employee. For a sitcom, I was incredibly impressed with the level of complexity built into these characters. Their nuanced qualities were slowly unraveled for viewers to see until the veils of their crude, one-dimensional introductions were completely removed. Diao is revealed as a passionate person driven by his care for those he considers closest to him and hurdled by his pride and fear of vulnerability. Rak turns out to be more human as his perfect stoicism and self-assurance are challenged by a lack of direction for the problems weighing on his heart.
Character development and touching moments are artfully woven into the show without disrupting the light-hearted fun and humor that comes with being a sitcom.
Challenges:
Others have mentioned this, but if you aren't fluent in Thai (and perhaps even if you are) then the abuse of the laugh track in the first episode might be a hurdle for you. I preemptively beg everyone I share this show with the at least watch through episode two before deciding whether or not to continue. Almost everyone who has done this claims that the laugh track quickly becomes less noticeable as the humor of the show starts to brand itself.
Some folks find Diao's character too aggressive and offputting in the first episode. Again, I challenge them to give the show another episode or two as many find he quickly grows on them--if not for his unique charm then certainly for the chaotic humor he generates for the show.
The coworkers in the show, funny as they may be, continue the less desirable tradition in sitcoms of framing sexual harassment as humorous. I enjoyed many of their moments on screen, but there isn't a single episode where they don't make a sexual remark or advance about their boss while at work.
SMALL SPOILER:
The show was initially rumored to have around 50 episodes, but ended up only being 15 for unknown reasons. The crew clearly had to make some adjustments towards the end. While I think they handled this masterfully, some folks may find that there were too many elements left open and that the show could have benefited from some epilogue-like content to color in its conclusion. Many of us are hoping that this show is eventually revisited for a second season or at least a special episode.
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Surprising
I did not expect to be so happy after watching this series. It's kind of silly and stupid, just like an american 90s sitcom. But it warmed my heart, it makes me flutter, I was feeling the tense. The chemistry between Earth and Win is extraordinary. Just the glancing at each other has telling so much story itself. I loved it.I wish they continue the series, because it was fun and there is so much unclear, they could fill another 15 episodes.
Worth to give it a try. Maybe you need time to adjust at the artifical laughing and the overacting, but it's absolutely worth!!!
available on YouTube
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One Of The Best Series Ever!
أول شيء وبالبداية حبيت أكتب ريڤيو بالعربي عشان لو في عرب يقرأوهالمسلسل هذا من أجمل المسلسلات على مستوى البل الاسيوية، مختلف تمامًا، صح كونه كوميدي إلا إنه بنفس الوقت واقعي ويعلمك دروس وفيه حكم
ممتع ومختلف، وتطور الأحداث بطيئة بشكل واقعي يعني مو اليوم شافوا بعض وثاني يوم حبوا بعض، تدخل معهم بالجو وكأنهم جزء من حياتك
التمثيل خرافي، لدرجة تحس إن الممثلين هم حرفيًا شخصياتهم كذا بالواقع
من أحب المسلسلات لقلبي ولو بيدي أخبيه من كثر م حبيته،م عجبني وبس،إنما حبيت المسلسل مرة وكل فترة أعيد أتابعه
أنصحكم مرة تشوفوه لأنه يستاهل الشهرة أكثر من كذا
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Love the character Rak, and the way he smile. Female cats(characters) are lit ?????????????????????.
Overall a good drama. I like it very much. Must recommended.
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Decent, but annoying.
The story is basic, but okay. The acting is slap-stick and a bit over the top but I felt they still did a good job. The music was forgettable, I couldn't notice much about it due to the excessive and annoying sound effects and laugh track.Honestly, if the sound effects and laugh track had been toned down, or removed entirely, then I think this show could've been much better. Even with the over the top acting, bold outfits and borderline breaking the 4th wall by speaking their thoughts outloud to the side I think things could have been so much better without all the sounds and laughs. They were just so distracting and annoying, also those sounds were much louder than the voice track.
As a side note, the chemistry between the actors was good and the visuals were great. I loved the sets and I felt like overall everyone did a good job.... it was just those darn sounds and laughs that partly ruined it for me.
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Too underrated
Everything was well executed. cute boys, perfect chemistry, great story, funny, loving, sweet, from episode one and right to the finale. I really want to watch season 2 when the boys’ story develop but I’m not sure if there will be one. one of the most underrated BL in my opinion. it deserves a lot more . I love it and enjoyed every single episode. I really don’t think a good review needs more words so I’m just gonna put hearts ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Too little and too much imbalance to make it worth watching
I really wanted to like this show, which is the reason why I watched until the last episode, but there's just too many things about it that I found incredibly annoying and unsatisfying.Starting from the plot: there is the interesting premise of an enemies-to-lovers romance, where Rak and Diao pick on each other at work or at home based on where they have the power to do so. I was hoping some kind of balanced war between the two, with the protagonists giving and taking the same energy from each other, but it didn't happen.
The first episodes are all pretty much independent from each other, then toward the end there is a more evident continuity. A good chunk of the episodes weren't even useful for the sake of the plot or the characters, which is a pity - I wish they got rid of episodes 2-6 (and maybe episode 7) and used that time for more developments after episode 15. Since the only episodes that have some proper content are only about half of the total, I can't say that it's "worth it", especially because the only episodes I actually enjoyed are the ones from 11 to 15.
Rak was obviously written to be a perfect character, way too much to get back at Diao at work and being unprofessional, or even put up any kind of resistance against anyone. I had the impression that he was being pulled and pushed around by the other characters at all times, without him even complaining about it because he is "too nice" and "loved by everyone". Not saying that a character can't be like that, but if that's the case, then why would you use this characterization in a story like this one?
Diao, on the other hand, is just too much, to the point that I had to fast forward many scenes (and in a couple instances, entire episodes) to avoid the second-hand embarrassment his words and decisions gave me. He acts unprofessionally at work, then keeps pranking Rak at home "for revenge", even when it was all his own misunderstanding. I'm not going to say that he's the worst I've ever seen, but his juvenile behavior makes it very hard to grow fond of him.
The actors are both good and their chemistry is great, but while Win got to show a lot in the series (especially toward the end), Earth felt a lot more limited in his expressions. Not sure if that was because of the directing or if it's all on him, but still.
Leaving aside my two biggest complaints about the series (the imbalance in both the plot and the character dynamic), there were also multiple smaller things that I found annoying, such as the continuous sexual harassment from almost all the characters toward Rak, the transphobic lines that someone thought would be funny (they aren't), and the very invasive sound effects and canned laughter that are spread all over (sometimes they are even used during the most serious moments, it was very annoying).
I can't say that it was all trash, because the final few episodes glued me to the screen and I also found it funny here and there, but that's it. If you're interested but you want to spare yourself going through all of it, I can only recommend watching the first episode, then skipping to episode 8 and watching the rest.
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People praise this and I can see why. The cast is GREAT. (Also, super mega cute:) For the first time, I don't even mind watching scenes with Ampere. The characters are funny, just the right amount. Their dynamics is spot on. Rarely I find a BL rom-com/drama where you see the relationship development which entertains you, usually it's something forced and/or whiny. Not here!:)
"Rak is the boss in the office while Diao is the boss at home."
This simple idea works. AND it's enjoyable to watch. It's comedy but the episode runtime is not a sit-com one, it's more like drama one (but that's speaking US runtimes, in terms of thai tv it's still short:) I love the opening credits (unshortened, best in episode 2, or at least 3-7).
The number of episodes is not very high (I could watch this WAY longer just 15 times) and the show is actually not that special. But the main two ARE! They are SO cute:))) Seriously, they work so well together. This is what you call chemistry (the word that I see in almost every review about every show lol). That being said, I must say honestly that for the majority of those 15 episodes, there sure were moments I KNEW BL audience must have enjoyed, lol. But it's not that we'd see a direct indication that the two guys were not straight. I just knew that I enjoyed watching them, whether it was bromance, or romance in bloom there:) Though it was always clear to me that Rak likes Diao. Only at epi 12/15 I could definitely confirm that he likes him likes him:))
They then have their happy ending in last 5 minutes, and while I honestly thought Rak a (little) bit old for Diao, and their kiss awful (the hug was cute:), overall I liked this "sitcom" more than most "dramas".
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A show about growth - beyond episode 4
This starts off pretty ham handed with the parodying of American sitcom style drama, and the laugh track does my head in. Despite this, there is something about this show and the development of the characters that had me hooked.I do have to admit that I speed watched the earlier episodes. Especially the scenes that were rehashing the same dialogue between different characters. Having done that made it easier to enjoy the brilliant and mature relationships that develop between Rak, Diao, and their friends and family.
The conflict and resolution is mostly episodic, but the way the characters react to the topic for the episode is wonderfully crafted to show them learning and them developing each week.
I can't say much more without spoiling anything, but I really recommend this show! Also Diao becomes A LOT less frustrating (it's part of his growth).
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To good to end like this!!!
Ok, so I just finish watching it. It's a bit like an old version of Roommates of Poongduck 304 but in a very comic side but it has what RoP304 missed, like the drama outside the two of them. The side stories are yet not developed enough. It is more turned like a kid show with all the laughter that laughter reminding you of live American shows like Friends or The Nanny.It is not to camp either, so anyone can watch it without feeling like mocking the LGBTQI. The ending is expected as a BL, but it doesn't feel realistic. But, you also can dream that it is possible. Both Earth Thanakrit and Win Songsin are hot (those bodies!!!)
They both deserve to be more in dramas in 2023.
Fallow the on their insta : earth.et and win_songsin
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Light, entertaining, visually stimulating
The visuals is what attracted me despite the late subtitles for this series. Although not every punch line is translated literally, its easy to figure out when something is way funnier than the generic context us Asianas are used to. I bet there are a ton of spelling and pronounciation based jokes that fly under the radar for non-Thai speakers/readers. Its apparent in the reaction videos for this series.Its a pallet cleanser compared to the pastel color grading and boring white walled backgrounds in all the other mediocre BLs with poor production value. Can be compared to YYY visuals.
Story/narrative isn't groundbreaking but you know what you're getting into and there isn't much to be disappointed about. Although its a sitcom, there are emotional moments and some relatable things. Its a slow burn if we consider how stubborn the main character is. There are enough classic romantic "moments" to get excited about. It makes sense that the scenes that add to the romance are put in the end after credits because its a sitcom.
Overall, a fun watch. Not a head scratcher. Might be annoying if one cannot tolerate the sitcom-y laugh track. Could even be compared to Be Loved In House due some similar elements.
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And people say Vaudville and Bad 60s Sitcoms are dead...
...They apparently haven't headed over to the other side of the Pacific to see that they're alive and well and residing in Thailand. Because this is the stereotypical epitome of that complete with sound effect/sound-board zingers and horribly canned laugh tracks in all the wrong places.I went stumbling across this one after attempting to watch Demigods and Semi-Devils, which I dropped when I got to the point where the story ended up being one big Chinese tropes of children being friends with their parents not only bickering and fighting against each other, but hiding the truth of their sexual adventures (and misadventures) in the process.
This one was easy to figure out -- and quickly too. Further, it's not even worth the time to even synopsis as it can be figured out in less than the first 10 minutes of the pilot/first episode.
I really tried to like it because it sort of reminded me of the 1970s Odd Couple (with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman) with a BL sort of twist, but between the sound-board zingers, and the artificially bad laugh-tracks, I found myself more disgusted with the paltry and shallow attempts to make this into an end of the episode status quo trope of shallow and mediocrely stereotypical attempts at humour.
Extra bad marks go to the writer -- Kate Pimmada Pattana-alongkorn -- for making the only out gay character of the show (played by Aim Witthawat Rattanaboonbaramee) the sort of disgustingly bad 80's so-outrageously-and-flamboyantly-out-and-forever-alone and never will be with a boyfriend character that Americans still struggle to face, accept and deal with when it comes to an actor with dangly bits instead of internal plumbing. The continued bad marks go to **not remotely** dealing with the continued social stigmas for LGBT folk in Thailand (and Asia), and making Rak (played by Earth Thanakrit Talasopon) and Daio (played by Win Songsin Jaipan) so heteronormative and yet so stereotypical in the whole seme/uke dynamic. If anything, it feels like just cookie cutter attempt to rake in the cash from bored teenage girls wanting to fantasize more man on man action that's either not going to go anywhere, or will continue to play along to making these teenage girls keep watching and keep slamming them with sponsored products until they either get bored, or the writers and producers will have to put up or shut up to keep them watching.
A special nod goes to Uncle Jod (played by Yong Chernyim) for making me think of the Central American sitcom of the 70s "El Chavo del Ocho" complete with vaudevillian slapstick and outrageous comedy.
Overall, I'm through with this... I wish Earth Thanakrit Talasopon and Win Songsin Jaipan all the best of luck... It's clear this is their first "major" role and Comedy is never easy to go into for actors trying to cut their teeth in show business. Comedy requires timing, and it's clear that they're trying to find their way with a crew of people writers and scripts thrown at them in a weekly format.
I'd rather watch "Boy Next Door" (2017). Now those two (Choi Woo Shik and Jang Ki Yong) had better timing without the need for zingers and laugh tracks.
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