Monster Next Door (2024)

I felt the acting was mostly awkward and not nuanced.

The premise of this story is interesting the execution was lack lustre.

A supposedly introverted student (with very dyed hair) tries to not be noticed?
A jock type student who loves loud extroverted friends and sport falls for his neighbour after a brief glimpse and a few conversations?

Issues of how these two extreme types make for a good relationship are attempted, however, the power dynamics are uneven and despite all the 'green flag' behaviour of God he overplays the benevolent protector to the point of nearly creating a 'Daddy' personna.

Luckily this is curtailed. I felt the jump to intimacy was premature, they had so little time together beforehand so this trip away and shared tent scenario seemed rushed, especially as we are led to believe Diew does not reveal much about his past or feelings.

The grandfather is terrific offering the whole hearted support in place of the dead father. The Mother is well depicted because her harsh expectations are what has added to her sensitive son's inability to voice his needs and to feel not 'normal' enough. The ex boyfriend reveal is a good explanation of what can occur when first love feelings get trampled on. Diew has already absorbed the not normal message from his mother and now it is repeated exposing his greatest fears. So the little turtle shrinks back into his shell.

The turtle metaphor is apt but like other viewers I wanted both Diew and the turtle to have more freedom.

Leia Mais

Cute series, but had a few misses along the way

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

Overall, this was a very cute series with some odd execution choices. I was enjoying the nice relaxing pacing because it did not have over the top drama. Unfortunately, the pacing took a drastic turn in episode 9 because they decided to pack in as much drama as they could. Despite this, it had a very positive and uplifting ending.

On the positive, they did a great job in the beginning with introducing all of the characters. Well, with one exception that is. They also did a great job with color choices which created an aesthetically pleasing world. For the most part, the script was not bad. One of the good parts was the overall relationship development between Diew and God was sweet and didn’t feel rushed. Although the misunderstanding between them was weird at times, at least it was not drawn out and they eventually talked about it like adults. It was nice that the two side couples’ storyline didn’t overpower the main couple’s storyline, but both storylines also had some weak aspects. As for God’s friend group, they were ok. They were very annoying at one point. However, one of them did give God some good advice in episode 11. All of the actors did a great job portraying their characters and gave it their all. There were some inconsistencies within a few scenes with the placement of props and actors, but this was only minor. I liked the main theme song, but it is a little unrealistic that a band would use the same song over and over again for a competition.

Random Note:

The letters hovering over to note the different types of personalities in the first few episodes were annoying.

Am I the only one that noticed that God spelled backwards is dog in English. This is probably a coincidence, but I fond this interesting because Diew always tells God that he reminds him of a dog.

It was cute that the BL novel that Diew picked in episode 5 had the same name of the series.

The timing for the subtitles was horrible in the beginning of episode 12 on GagaOOLala, but was fine after the opening credits. I hope they fix this.

The English subtitles on GagaOOLala were ok. There were some grammatical errors and they kept spelling the character God’s name wrong (Got) in the first 3 episodes. There were a few times that English subtitles were not shown when printed content appeared on screen. GagaOOLala also did not edit out the break credit between the episode sections.

********Spoiler Alert********

Wan and Beer’s storyline was interesting, but was underdeveloped towards the end. Their conflict resolution was very weak and lack luster.

I would have also liked just a little more screen time with Win and Game. Just enough to see how their relationship development throughout the series.

It was horrible how God’s friend group treated Diew in episode 9. What made it worse was that God did nor said anything about it and that Diew forgave them so quickly.

I like how Diew did not forgive his ex-boyfriend for how he treated him in their relationship.

Leia Mais

Old-school BL that belongs in 2020

Wow, I thought this type of BL was extinct. It was like I time travelled back to the BL heydays of 2020 when things were largely fluffy. But I don’t mean this in a bad way. 

The male leads in Monster Next Door are just so shy and innocent that it feels almost old-school in terms of its style.

Diao and God live next to each other but Diao, being super shy and introverted, avoids speaking to God face-to-face. Instead, they communicate by chatting on their balconies and leaving cute post-it notes on each other’s door. Aww. Don’t expect anything emotionally deep from this show. It’s not meant to be a profound romance or to evoke complex feelings. 

Nothing much important goes on except for the progression of their romance and their changing relationship, which is so sweet that it’s almost syrupy. Towards the end, I also got a bit bored by the nothingburger conflicts but this show is perfect for when you want to relax after a long, tiresome day.

I was also rooting like mad for the second couple and wouldn't have minded more scenes of them!

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2024/10/16/monster-next-door-2024-bl-review/

Leia Mais

Hidden gem slice-of-life

What do you get when you combine the most green flag pairing in BL with good communication, realistic character arcs and solid chemistry? Monster Next Door.
This is most likely going to be a comfort show for me, it’s really lovely.

I am literally shocked by how well done this was. It was surprisingly well paced. A lot of BL have the curse of the 11th episode but they managed to skirt it. They had some conflict but they resolved it, communicated properly and then there was time remaining to build back up the good vibes. My heart is left warm.

The personality MBTI thing at the beginning was kind of weird and it does have its slightly cringe moments but it’s all pretty forgivable. Like the show did low key have people treating introversion like a terminal disease lol. Really my only major gripe was that it was a little long. Probably could have been trimmed down to like 8 or 10 episodes.

Anyway, if you’re looking for something light-hearted and lovely, look no further. This is 2024s sleeper hit.

Leia Mais

A Endearing Romance between an Introvert & an Extrovert

The central premise of “Monster Next Door” revolves around the age-old question: Do opposites really attract? For Diew (Park Anantadej) and God (Big Thanakorn), the answer is a resounding yes. On the surface, the two seem like opposites. Diew is quiet, introspective, and keeps a small circle of friends—his best friend Game, and his beloved turtle, Khun Shy. God, on the other hand, is outgoing, popular, and thrives on social interaction. Yet, despite these differences, what shines through is their mutual care and understanding. They embrace each other’s true selves, communicating openly to navigate their differences.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/10/19/monster-next-door-series-review-ep-5-to-12/

Leia Mais

Quite curious about this when it's aired. Now it's finished let's watch this...

Story about God, an extrovert man & Diew, an introvert man. Both of them attended the same university & next door neighbor in the dorm, but they never met, cause Diew is an introvert man, who don't like to go out and socialize with other person, except for his class.

Their story start when God move to Diew next door & had a party with his friends at his room until late at night. Can't take it anymore, Diew slip a note under God door to shut them up. Feeling guilty with his action, the next day God send some snack with note to Diew door, but been rejected by Diew. Curious about his next door neighbor, God keep sending Diew some snack of course alongside the note & Diew keep rejecting it. That's how they their relationship built up over time. From note to note until one day, God decided to break their norm & start talking to Diew from their balcony. And from that day on, their relationship start to steer into something more....

That's pretty much the story. Now what I like and don't.

What I like:
+ God really a green light man. He ask for Diew permission for every action that involve Diew. And he really respect Diew boundary.
+ How Diew & God shape each other into a better person. Like how God bring Diew out of his shell.
+ The little introduction of Personality Test. INFT or INFJ, etc... Although is so quick & not really give a full view of the personality & easily been forgotten.
+ Teach everyone to respect each other boundary.

What I don't like. There're some nonsense that been forced...
1. Instead of just giving up, God keep really curious about his next door neighbor & start build up some feeling for him. You never meet a person, yet that person give you good feeling & make you fall for them. NONSENSE!!!
2. The way God is so jealous of Diew ex. Oh come on.... How long they been together, no more than a year, but God already pissed cause Diew won't tell him everything about his life.... God is a really green light from the very first ep, but his non sense action of jealousy really took the sharp steer into red light zone....

Overall that a little bit disappointment in the ending really effect my score. But still this is a good drama to be watched.

Leia Mais

Green Forest Characters

I'd like to address a few of the reviews before diving into my own.

Diew's hair colour suits him a lot, I have no idea why people are calling him a clown, it's a drama, why in the world are y'all focusing on the turtle's cage, pretty sure he has a nice big home after the shoot (Diew is a college student, he can't get a life sized tank in his accomodation).
The drama is very similar to the soft but absolutely adorable drama's I've seen lately, "takara no vidro" and "hidamari ga kikoeru" however if these drama's aren't your cup of tea you wouldn't like 'monster next door'.

Both the MC's are soft and understand one another, there's no aggression, and they respect each other's boundaries. It's a lot like real life. Even with wan and beer it's not easy to go from a friendship to romance, ofcourse it's going to be a little awkward.

There is some drama with diew's ex, they have no issues at all, so you can't really blame them for going for the age old ex drama. However, they don't take too long to resolve it. Nonetheless it's been great.

I've constantly been smiling and laughing throughout.

Leia Mais

just disappointing

when I began monster next door it was instantly a favorite for me. The first four episodes were adorable, I loved how much of a green flag God is, and I found a lot of comfort in Diew because he actually reminds me a lot of myself. I was super excited because this plot seemed new and interesting, but after around episode 5 or 6 things just kind of went downhill. First of all, the acting from a lot of the cast is not good. God's friends all irritated me and did not really have any substance to them. The side couple was very confusing for me as they'd have these huge scenes and then we wouldn't see them again for two episodes. Also, there were a lot of conflicts that just were completely dropped. For example, God having drama with the main singer of the band, then it was suddenly switched and they became friends? There was no huge resolution or anything that I can remember, but maybe I missed it (also the fact he started dating Diew's best friend out of nowhere was pretty random and unnecessary). The other issue with this series is the amount of filler scenes there are in these episodes. I genuinely think that if these were condensed down in to 8 20-minute episodes most of the problems with this drama would be gone. There were multiple parts I wasn't even able to pay attention because I was so bored, but once the actual plot picked up every once in a while I enjoyed it a lot. I think that the hour long episodes were too much, but this is not a new thing for WeTV so I'm not very shocked. Also the OST was awful.
But, there were still good things about this series, which is why I gave it a 6:
-I LOVE Big and Park together. Their chemistry is amazing, they look great together visually, and I see tons of potential for them and their acting careers. They were honestly the reason I stayed for this show as long as I did.
-The storyline about Diew's ex was interesting. I liked how much background they gave, and I wish the series was more revolved around Diew overcoming his trauma and learning to communicate.
-God is a wonderful character and is well written, I love how much of a green flag he was and that this show does not romanticize toxicity like some BLs end up doing
-The first four episodes are just perfect and so funny, especially the mini storyline where they draw on the library desk, that was super cute.
Overall, I dont see myself watching this series again or finishing it. I hope that Bigpark have better opportunities in the future, though, and I will definitely support whatever they are in next.

Leia Mais

a chore to watch

perhaps i'm being too harsh on this series, but it felt like a chore getting through this series. i'm not sure i liked anyone at any point, just maybe putter's cameo was nice?

character-wise, all of these characters were pretty flat to me. i wanted more fleshed out personalities, and i felt like diew was hardly ever accommodating to god. often times, it felt like a very one way relationship, and god doing a lot of the work to get anything going or even discussed, but i also understand there were some things that made diew the way he was--i just didn't like it at all.

wan was also grating to see, and i again don't know if i'm being overly harsh, but he was one of the most annoying characters in this. i dreaded having to watch anything about him.

i don't know, i found myself very disconnected from the entire series, cast, and story. i just couldn't get into anything about this. the most random things would immediately take me out of the story all the time, and i can't say this was much of an enjoyable show for me. maybe i'll have to revisit this at a later time, but for now this is not something i liked.

Leia Mais

The romantic comedy of two neighbors in conflict

Who doesn't like a romantic comedy, even knowing its dependence on many clichés and narrative schemes already seen? Raise your hand if you don't enjoy the kissing scenes in the rain, the happy endings, the music that surrounds the lovers at full volume, the typical corniness and such unrealistic situations, despite knowing in advance that they are sufficiently illusory. Who hasn't dreamed of a love story larger than life itself?
Can you guarantee that you would reject your "prince charming" singing to you in front of the school and making a fool of yourself for you, and surprising you with a guitar (or drums) playing your favorite song? Who doesn't like to see a series of this genre capable of offering us a ray of hope, a good dose of faith in the healing power of love and the guarantee of a "happily ever after"?
'Monster Next Door' is the Thai romantic comedy series that frames a love story with university overtones, and that draws attention not only for its warmth and humor, but also for its ability to immerse the viewer in a narrative that combines relationship between neighbors, the value of friendship, family, love for pets and the unexpected turns of love.
Based on the novel "Godzilla Next Door" (พี่เขาบุกโลกของผม) by Jiwinil, 'Monster Next Door' tells the story of Diew, a reserved and introverted first-year college student who likes to live in his ultra world private, hiding in his apartment. His best friends are a turtle named Khun Shy and his classmate Game.
But what Diew didn't count on is that his dorm life would include his neighbor, God, an attractive, kind, and outgoing senior from another college, who with his sweet lips has just moved into the next room.
Night after night, God and his friends either keep him from going to bed at his usual time or drag him out of bed with their loud parties. However, when he begins to interact with his neighbor, who is separated by a wall the width of a cigarette paper, Diew's perfect and harmonious world is turned upside down. They both fall in love: they stumble upon the shyness and wonder of first love.
And while the meet-cute, that is, when the two characters meet by chance in an adorable way in the first scenes and that becomes the beginning of their love story, serendipity does not stop uniting them in cafes, libraries and other spaces of the university or in their respective bedrooms, although there is a wall in between and without one having seen the other's face.
The supporting roles, played by Krismon Thanawat Sutthijaroen, Kade Tanapon Hathaidachadusadee, Ole Thanakorn Sangwan, Proud Urucha Sirichaiwongsakul, Pik Supawit Vichitrananda, Mhing Thatsaphon Ruengkitrattanakun, among others, bring to the story a rich tapestry of characters that enrich the main plot. Through these characters, the series manages to convey its light humor, emotional drama and, ultimately, a feeling of satisfaction and warmth to the viewer.
When a comedy of this type starts you know that at most it will entertain you. Although that will not be enough guarantee for you to stay since at any moment something may arise that will make you get up from the couch, caring very little about the story they were trying to tell us. However, in 'Monster Next Door' there is a factor that makes you want to continue in front of the screen until the final closing; and that detail for which you spend minutes after minutes and jump from one chapter to the next is none other than seeing its two protagonists.
That is to say, a key factor of the series is the performance of Big Thanakorn Kuljarassombat, an actor who plays God, who with his mix of attractiveness, generosity, humor and passion for playing music on the drums, manages to capture the essence of the romantic journey and transformation of his character. The relationship between him and Diew, played by Park Anantadej Sodsee, stands out for the depth of feelings they develop, creating a bond that captivates the audience.
Here Big Thanakorn Kuljarassombat proves himself again as an actor, after his debut in 2015 in the film 'Love Love You' and BL series such as 'Enchantment', 'Gen Y', 'My Mate Match', 'Big Dragon', among others.
What power of protagonism!, without ignoring that he was the star in his role as Ruy in 'My Mate Match', or as Suea in 'Love Songs Love Series X Years After: Our Promise… My Friend'. If anyone thinks that being a protagonist was trivial, this series proves them wrong. Big has been there in many series that we have all enjoyed, but always as the disposable character, as the third wheel, as the intruder who arrives to bother the other person and endanger the romance of the protagonist couple, so we have discarded and not taken into account. How lucky for us to be able to see him taking on this role!
On the other hand, it is the second acting job in front of the cameras that we see of Park Anantadej Sodseea, after getting into the shoes of Wayo, one of the leading characters in '2 Moons: The Ambassador'.
Perhaps the strongest point of the series is the way it is told. It is also notable how the characters are framed and described.
In this sense, the cosmopolitan university seems like a liberal queer space with some of its professors, librarians and food stall vendors presumably belonging to the LGBT+ community, and where secondary characters also support their partner establishing a romantic relationship with another person of their same gender, while others look for a partner of their own sex, since an interest is expressed among several friends of Diew and Good, but I will not say more to avoid spoilers.
As in any romantic comedy, 'Monster Next Door' makes one thing lead to another and both protagonists fall at the feet of the god Eros. Through a simple, direct premise, and a staging without much complexity, everything very effective, in my opinion, the series will make us laugh, entertain and also reflect.
Being in settings as close as the same university or with a wall in the middle, there are several opportunities for both boys to meet. However, God will respect Diew's request not to meet in person until he considers he is ready to look each other in the eyes. In this way, a beautiful friendly and romantic relationship is forged.
The series presents the usual topics of the romantic genre, giving them a different approach by having the protagonists separated by a thin wall. An easy and direct premise that, however, serves as a starting point for endless controversies that the main characters face in order to live together, while love grows between the two.
In the series, the result in the field of direction, by Kungfu Nitivat Cholvanichsiri, works thanks to that theatrical tone that is constantly represented through the simple interaction of its protagonists and the basic environments.
In summary, 'Monster Next Door' is emerging as an ideal option for those looking for a happy, tender and moving story that celebrates love and the beauty of simplicity. Although the plot does not escape certain clichés of the genre, this characteristic does not detract from its charm, but rather underlines the ability of its creators to tell universal stories with a new approach.
'Monster Next Door' is located within the large branch of love comedies for young people produced around the world, especially Hollywood, Bollywood, television in European and Latin American nations, and other latitudes. Its fun touches and carefree plot plus the use of a pleasant and pleasant rhythm manage to make the viewer watch the series without expecting anything other than what it suggests.
I am not going to say that it is a major work of television and if I analyze the different fields there is nothing that stands out. Soundtrack, script and actors simply acceptable.
However, it is a captivating story, perhaps it is the way it is told to us or the values ​​they present to us such as love, friendship, family and tenderness.
It made me smile and daydream from start to finish in the first three episodes aired and on which I based this review, and if that's not the goal of romantic comedies, then nothing is.

Leia Mais

Highly recommended

Green-flagged Relationship! I really enjoyed this series; it was a heartwarming story that captivated me from start to finish. What I liked most is that it wasn’t a common BL plot—refreshing twists and unique character dynamics kept me engaged throughout.

The acting was a big plus too, especially from episode 10 onward. The chemistry between the actors was so noticeable, making their relationship feel authentic and genuine. It really added depth to the narrative and made me root for them even more. Overall, "Monster Next Door" is a delightful watch that stands out in the genre!

Leia Mais

Enjoyable but inconsistent characterisation.

Overall I loved this series. The characters were mostly well thought out and believable however there were a few inconsistencies that slightly lowered my enjoyment of the series, most notable in the character of the 'monster'. Earlier episodes showed he was thoughtful and supportive of other's needs and very understanding. Later episodes he appeared to forget all of this and became suspicious and judgemental for a time. It was not in line with his character and was not enjoyable to watch. It very much came across as a plot driven requirement with no foundation rather than a believable character driven challenge. Also I can't be the only one that was disappointed that a certain scene from the pilot trailer never materialised in the show.

There's also a very unhealthy setup for the pet turtle featured in the series which is very irresponsible of the production team. I would hate to see anyone copy this set up for their own pets. The enclosure is far too small with nowhere near enough water for proper submersion. There is no basking spot with a heat lamp or a source of UVB light which will likely result in a softening and deforming of the shell. There was a moment where I actually thought this was going to be addressed and was a little impressed with the detail but this turned out to be wishful thinking on my part. No turtle should be kept in this environment long term. Please do not copy this setup.

Leia Mais