Only Friends (2023)

watch if you don‘t like happiness and enjoy being stressed tf out

Where to even begin…

I am so incredibly conflicted about this one.
I don’t think I‘ve ever watched anything this stressful in my entire life.

Cast: cast was awesome, loved almost all of them in their roles and they (mostly) all played their parts so incredibly well, which made the whole thing even more stressful but well more on that later.

Story: this is different. As in it’s not your usual happy go lucky everything is fixed by true love and a kiss BL. Which a lot of people might appreciate. I am not so sure I do. If anyone has seen Skins(?) that’s the kind of vibe it gives.
A bunch of very flawed humans with some serious issues coming together, clinging to each other for some light and love I guess.
If that’s what you‘re looking for then please go ahead and watch this. If you prefer being happy and need that magical love conquers all sprinkle on your BL maybe skip this one, or you might end up like me… which you might either way.
With blood pressure going trough the rough screaming on the inside and outside at almost every one of these characters throughout all 12 Episodes.
I was not able to ship anyone throughout most of this, I did come around a bit towards the end, but still… like I said, possibly a tad too „human“ for me.

That being said, this was not bad at all. It was actually painfully good at showing what fucked up peoples life’s, love life’s and friendships might look like… I just don’t know if that’s what I‘m looking for in a series (at least rn, 15 yo me would’ve eaten this up).

I personally don‘t think I‘d watch it again. I did take out some great music for my playlists though :)

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A mix of opinions

My thoughts on this series are quite divided. The ForceBook couple failed to capture my interest as there was no chemistry between them. Force's character Top, in particular, came across as unlikeable, while Book's seemed rather dull and uninteresting, even during his unhinged phase.
On the other hand, I found myself oddly drawn to the toxic chemistry of BostonNick, played by Neo and Mark. Although their relationship was far from healthy, I couldn't help but secretly root for them.
As always, FirstKhaotung stole the show for me. Their acting skills and undeniable chemistry were on another level. The emotional scenes they portrayed were exceptionally well-done, with the intense fight resulting from Sand being paid by Ray's dad being one of the best acting scenes I have ever watched. I was always excited to see them on screen. Unfortunately, my enjoyment was marred by the presence of the annoying ex in the final episodes. Their decision to both kiss him felt utterly repulsive and ruined the enjoyment of Sandray as a couple for me.
As expected, there were numerous NC scenes, but most of them were rushed and forgettable, with the exception of the ones involving FirstKhaotung.
What really captivated me about this series was the exploration of the characters' moral ambiguity. At first, it seemed clear who the good and bad guys were in the group. However, as the story progressed, more complexities were revealed. This series truly excelled in portraying a multitude of grey characters, which is something I genuinely appreciate.

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The Wild Young Things

I was enjoying myself comfortably before I found myself moaning, "Ohh God! Why am I relating?" LOL

This was gloriously trashy and all but one character is pretty morally questionable - Either through careless arrogance or vengeance but not irredeemable. Either way, I enjoyed this waaaaay more than I thought I would.

The thing is ~ I'm a major dropper. So quick am I to drop kick a show, I've annoyed the BL thread LOL And I honestly thought, this was going to be another one.

The thing is, this was relatable to me. This isn't a soft watch. All the characters will annoy you but it's in a way where, it's very human and understandable. I've known people, and have acted, the same way these characters do. They are troubled, insecure, have low self esteem, addictions and they feel very deeply, whether love, lust or hate. For me, this is how I experienced my youth, and honestly, I've seen people do worse to each other, than what these characters do.

This is the first time, I have enjoyed watching all three of the couples. My favourite were Sand and Ray, partly because FirstKhao knocked it right out of the park with their acting and chemistry, and they dealt with alcoholism. It's so common for characters to drink themselves into a stupor every night, that it was kind of interesting to see a show finally tackle an addiction like this.
The attempted threesome in the final episode was a little gratuitous but, maybe I'm just crazy enough to understand Ray. He has already made his feelings clear, and trying to get his relationship with Sand, finally, off the ground, after all the drama. Getting even the slightest sniff of another obstacle, and that wild dog persona we saw at Mew's birthday party came right out and drew a line in the sand....with Sand LOL He said, 'absolutely not - I have made my choice. I'm not doing this again' ....and I respect that lol ~9/10 ~ Loved their plot. I'd watch a whole other series with them.

Mew and Top ~ Hmmm, 7/10 a little less interesting because it was pretty straightforward. Top wants to bang Mew but falls in love. Pursues him. Cheats. Mew falls in love. Is told of the betrayal, spends the rest of the series hating Top, going off the rails and finally forgiveness LOL I did enjoy it but it was the least interesting to me. I think what I liked about it was just simply the character evolution of Mew. He's presented as the meek little nerd but we see early that he's not a push over, and as his plot develops, we learn just how passionate and savage he can be. It felt more like Mew coming into his own, than it being about Mew and Top's relationship.

Not an actual couple but I honestly loved Ray and Mew's friendship. When Ray makes the choice to move on with Sand, we see just how strong the friendship is, and I loved that.

Now - Nick and Ton ...... Ooooh boy. There's a conversation we could have had here about a poly relationship but the writers had to bring in the ex for the other couples just simply to get Nick to realise what's happening LOL
I think that's the biggest downfall of this series. But having said that, it's very clear from the start, that Nick wants Ton to himself and Ton can't give that. So it's left with Nick, finally choosing himself and wishing Ton the best, while Ton is left alone, to start his new life in New York.
Personally, don't actually mind that ending. Would like to have seen Nick's next move but, that may have been left open in the event of a season 2.
Did feel a little on the nose though from the writers. It's the bad bitch finally getting their comeuppance, which is, if you want to ride alone, then you will end up alone, and that's never fun. This may feel like slut shaming, but when we consider Nick wanted an official monogamous relationship, Ton is not seen in the best light.
Which is why myself, and so many other reviews have said the whole Boeing story, really was a waste, when we could have explored poly relationships. But I guess Ton was just simply our villain in this series and he got a villains ending. ~ 8/10

Would also have liked to have gotten more on the lesbian couple and the bar couple. Because there clearly was a story happening in the back. If the whole Atom and Boeing story had been dropped, and used for them instead, would have been nice.

They also started doing this reality tv show thing of the characters talking to the cameras at the start, and then it just kind of stopped. Why bother starting then? LOL

Overall, it was messy ride that did it's best to explore different types of relationships but it ended up just following the same bl narrative i'm used to. I do feel some potential was wasted, but I enjoyed the heck out of it nonetheless.

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Really good story with SO MUCH drama!!

Only Friends was really good in my opinion. The story was full of drama and backstabbing and revenge and I loved it. Every episode was juicy lol. The characters were great and everyone was somehow connected which I liked alot.

Opinion on the acting and casting:
I think the acting was good for the most part. Khaotung and First really outdid it for me. Their scenes were executed so well. I think they were a great cast, as they suit their vibes perfectly (and I just love them two haha) Mark conveyed his feelings perfectly and it made me feel sympathy for him almost every episode. His casting was great too. However, Force and Book (as much as I love them) I don't think their acting was the best it's ever been but I think they were good for their parts as Force conveys an 'experienced' (ifykyk) aura and Book gives off innocent and library vibes 😭

Opinion on music:
The OST for only friends is CRAZY GOOD!!!!! Khaotung really popped of with it, I can't lie. Let's Try has to be one of my favourite songs ever.

I don't know if I'll rewatch it. I tried but only got to the first episode again. It was more enjoyable when an episode came out every week.

In conclusion, watch it if you haven't, you won't regret it!!!

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Part 2 or an open ending?

Only Friends is a good series and I was eager to watch each episodes but it doesn't mean I'll give it a ten.

Let me start with the lesbian couple. I expected more from gmmtv. Chueam isn't just a random character and so I expected to see more of her and her relationship like the guys but little to nothing was shown.

Story : I gave the story an 8.5 only because it's quite different from gmmtv releases so far... Still, there where a lot of plots I felt they could've done better instead of covering it with hot kisses. Acting wasn't a solid ten for me. I adore the way the characters; Sand, Ray, Boston and Nick were shown, but there were times I felt Mew and Top could have done better, especially Top. But I won't lie, I enjoyed them more in this series than in their previous work. The intro was kind of cringy to me, but aside from that, the bgm were nice.

Plot holes?: There were reasons why I felt there might be a second season, though not entirely sure. Let's start with how it ended with Mix. I smelled trouble and more drama with that cliffhanger with the way he looked at Mew and the way Top reacted. Sand also didn't conclud with his Dad issue yet. Did they just throw that part of the series out the window? What happened to Boeing after his encounter with Boston? Also daddy Dan just disappeared with no trace whatsoever cause there was no scene of him in the series. Like I mentioned, the plot holes gave me lots of question marks which made me wonder if there would be a season 2 to clear things up, or an open ending so we can imagine other outcome.

Anyways overall it was a fun watch. I kind of knew Boston and Nick won't end up together, and sometimes separation is good. Nick needed someone way better than Boston and that's fact. Though I felt really bad for Boston at the end.

I also don't see myself watching this series again. Though it was a fun watch, I can't imagine watching it for the second time cause of some scenes.

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This is gonna be an Intriguing Mess

Absolutely loved the casting and looking forward for the story to unfold.

I cant emphasize enough of how much i enjoy watching actors associated with GMMTV and getting to watch more than one BL couple in a single series is definitely a feast to the fans. TMI - First being my favorite of all :P

I love dramas that are a little twisted, dark and emotional. Enjoyed watching first episode and it felt like this is gonna be an interesting Mess , looking forward to how they are gonna wrap this up.

I am having a really hard time understanding few of the characters here because of One night stand concept which is alien to me but ya i am here for the mess to become messier. Each one of them has a different perspective towards friends . Super excited for the new episodes
I could tell what was running in their mind though they were silent just by watching their expressions, that is how much of a good actors they are!! Must mention the music is highlighting their emotions and is much enjoyable for us to listen

I can literally feel that this is gonna take my soul away by making me wait for the next episode each week

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Good but I dropped it

Hear me out. I dropped this in the last episode. I actually enjoyed watching this a lot. For once, not a typical university BL, and the amount of intimacy scenes were definitely not bad, either. Not really a fan of FirstKhaotung in this, but oh well. Also really not a fan of ForceBook in general. I think I'm never actually gonna like that ship, idk, something is just off for me. I personally loved Neo in this. My boy deserves a main role. I dropped in the last episode because the drama and the actions of the characters were getting tedious, but it was a fun ride until then.

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It was definitely NOT worth the wait. I ONLY wish it were as daring as it claimed.

I must be in some parallel universe because this series is very flat, predictable and trying way to hard with their awkward sex scenes. They need an intimacy co-coordinator because it's all so forced. Speaking of forced....

It's hard to get through any scene with Force and Book. They can't emote. They are uncomfortably wooden. Nothing about their story is engaging or even makes sense.

Why does Top like Mew? Why does Top dress like an 86 year old man on his way to the golfing club? So many questions.

First, Khaotung and Neo's capabilities and range as actors only highlight how poor Force and Book are. It's a disjointed series in terms of acting ability.

First and Khaotung are working well with the stories they have been handed. However, it's quite tiresome to see the same pairings again and again, it just takes away from the beauty and mystery of acting. I already know Ray and Sand are going to fall for each other because they are a BL pairing. I personally don't have an interest in seeing them do the same thing with slightly different ingredients.

Only Friends was meant to be daring, messy and unpredictable but it's anything but. You can already tell where each story is going and what audience/fandom they are catering for. Nothing is spontaneous.

If only Force were a better actor. The dark horse pairing could have been Top and Boston. Two characters who are addicted to each other no matter how hard they try not to be but this is the predictable BL pairings world. So unfortunately, no such luck.

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Problematic in a interesting way

I can't lie, this series are extremely messed up. All of the characters are manipulative, kinda stubborn, really horny, also some of them have certain addictions, BUT!! I think you can learn a lot from the characters. They're all so interesting for analyzing and you can make so much theories and conspiracies about their behavior. It's not all sex, it covers a lot of social problems. And the cast is so strong, they all are perfect for their roles everyone is delivering his role in the best way possible. Go watch it if you wanna talk with people about social problems and analize people's behavior. And of course to support the amazing cast, they deserve it.

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firstkhao meus pais??

que dorama!!
achei a temática bem diferente de outros bl's, que assisto normalmente mas tem algumas coisas que eu pessoalmente não gostei, mas dependendo a pessoa nao vai importar!

uma das coisas que eu nao gostei muito foi a questão de ter 3 casais, sou acostumada a assistir dramas simples e curtinhos de 1 casal principal e pronto, mas isso é so uma preferência minha

também acho que em poucos episódios ja tentaram trazer muita informação e muitas tramas que sinceramente nao sei se seriam necessárias agora

nao consegui simpatizar com os outros dois casais além do sanray, principalmente o secundário, nao acho que eles tenham química alguma, também pelo fato de ser uma relação complicada, acho que mais pra frente isso pode melhorar

e espero de verdade que tenham mais cenas do first e khao, fiquei um tempão esperando pra ver eles atuando juntos novamente e ate agora to achando perfeito, eles sao a única coisa que ta realmente me prendendo nesse bl

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