Cuter than expected!!
The main characters Moo and Kang come from different worlds but fate has brought them together in the random province of Nakhon Pathom, and showed them that home is a person, not a place.Together, they have a relaxed but natural chemistry. My only complaint would be that this same chemistry could be said of close siblings. The romance aspect had to work a little harder for the story to be sold because the kisses seemed a little stiff and awkward.
Still, it’s a great effort from the two new actors, who currently still lack flourish and polish in their acting, but I’m certain they will get there given the right storyline and experiences.
It was a pleasant surprise that the storyline didn’t involve childish conflicts and misunderstandings, which are, sadly, all too common in high school and college BLs.
BUT. Special shoutout too to the side couple. I’m glad Aun got his time to shine with Only Boo. His relationship with co-star Ashi is a close-friends-turned-lovers type of arc, and truth be told, I’m a real sucker for it. Compared to the main couple, their moments felt more natural and romantic at some points.
Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2024/06/27/only-boo-2024-bl-review/
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Simply a wonderful story
General overviewThis is a well written, almost classic BL and coming-of-age story, which stays consistent and focused on the plot and the main characters. With good pacing for almost the entire span of the series, proper presentation of the plot and solid performances of the main couple, the story flows nicely and is easy to follow. Despite apparent cuteness and occasional comedy it deals with serious issues like family relations, character growth, following one’s dreams, realizing and expressing one’s feelings, communication, love, relationship, breakup and longing for a loved one, making choices and accepting responsibility of those choices and – in the latter part of the series – reality of becoming and being an idol. The story is accompanied by a decent soundtrack performed exclusively by cast members.
Plot & script
The main plot line revolves around Moo and Kang’s love story; the secondary plotline is about Potae’s and Payos’ situationship. The two storylines are, at times, opposites or reflections of each other (when Moo and Kang are coming closer, Potae and Payos are friendzoned; when Moo and Kang separate, Potae and Payos are frozen in a relationship limbo), which seems to be a deliberate choice of the showrunners and it works well. The script is pretty tight, with no filler nor longueur. We get a good introduction of the main couple from the very start of the series and the scene gets set for episodes 1-8, which deal with events spread over about 6 months; each episode marks a step in developing of the main couple’s story, which progresses at a steady pace. Events accelerate in ep. 9-12, which cover about 14 months of in-show time. There’s a time skip in ep. 10 of 12 months, but – contrary to horrible GMMTV fashion – we do learn (through retrospection) a lot of what happened during that time; this is what “saved” the time jump for me. It’s noteworthy that up until ep. 10 the story develops without major drama, with mere hints at potential problems and some foreshadowing of trouble to come. The writers did a good job setting up the emotional cliffhanger of the series and building up the tension. The resolutions of both the main and secondary plotlines are okay, although predictable (as this is a BL show) and a bit rushed (especially the Potae-Payos part).
Cast & performances
Keen gives the strongest and most memorable performance of the whole cast. His portrayal of Moo is very genuine, and the character itself comes across as very likeable, bold, optimistic and wholesome, relatable in his dreams and a certain (almost childish) belief that those dreams will come true. Moo’s saddest moments – and there’s plenty of them, despite of the show’s general lightheartedness – is where Keen really shines. As far as I’m concerned he’s not just a performer (like many other GMMTV employees), but an actual actor. A good singer and dancer, he’s even better at acting – he can proudly follow the likes of Fourth, Gemini, Khaotung, Mix and Nanon (to name those on GMMTV’s payroll who can actually act and sing).
Compared to Keen, Sea’s performance is almost muted – which actually fits Kang perfectly. Reserved, sometimes defensive, Kang moves at his own pace – though pretty often he feels Moo’s pull and follows him. There were several instances where Kang was opening up, coming out of his shell (and literally coming out) – and I wasn’t sure if it was just the character or the actor as well. That blinding, radiant smile, which brightened Sea’s face was far too rare… And – despite of all his apparent acting shortcomings – Sea managed to pull off some of the most emotional and intense scenes of the series; the gut-punching delivery was on point.
Opposites attract – and that rule applied beautifully to Moo and Kang; the chemistry is there from the very first scene. It’s easy to form an emotional connection with the main couple played by Keen and Sea – which can’t be said about other currently running GMMTV-made BL series. When together on screen SeaKeen are in their element – the show relies heavily on those two and they carry it with ease.
The secondary couple of Payos, played by newcomer Ashi, and Potae, played by Aun, is a mixed bag. Ashi mostly does a decent job, while Aun struggles to go beyond 2-3 poses (making fun of something or someone, crying and pouting).
Three GMMTV “veterans” were cast in supporting roles: Book as Moo’s cousin Shone, Louis as band leader Jang and Milk as Neth, Kang’s best friend and confidant. Milk does a decent job while Book and Louis give lackluster performances – and it’s not due to the script nor direction; I’d argue that both of their roles were miscast. Shone should have been played by someone like Mark Pakin, who can actually act (which Book can't) and elevate even an underwritten character (see his performance in “Only Friends”); Jang – given this character’s respect for the rules – should have been played by First.
Music
The soundtrack consists of seven songs written for the show and released by GMMTV Records: the title song “แค่ที่แกง” by Keen, “เกินกว่า Friend (Situationship)” by Ashi, “Check Me” by Louis, “พี่(อย่า)แกง (Don’t be fooled)” by Keen and Sea, “ดังกว่าเก่า (Louder)” by Keen, “ติดกลางใจ (Gump)” by Aun, Ashi, Keen and Louis and finally “สถานีที่ศูนย์ (Station No. 0)” – which is the strongest part of the soundtrack, with heartbreaking lyrics and a very good delivery by Keen.
Final thoughts
While the show had its ups and downs, SeaKeen kept going strong - "Only Boo!" is worth watching and rewatching mostly for this new ship. Hope GMMTV can appreciate this new gem it got.
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I want to know how yos' and tae's relationship went after they got together
I loved the series and the cast sm. the ost was so catchy and made me want to start watching another episode too. even though I cried sm when moo and Kang decided to broke up. I'm glad they got back together. I think the ending was little rushed but i think it's alright. shone was getting so annoying tryna hit on Kang but I'm glad he found someone he loved at the end. also I loved yos and tae. they're definitely my favorite couple from the series. I just loved it smmm. I think the producer did a good job.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
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Reseña sencilla
La serie es muy bonita a la vista al igual que la relacion el como va avanzando, la vd es que le sacaba la vuelta a verla no se pq simplemente me pasaba, pero siento que tiene cosas a resaltar como lo es estos "contratos" donde vienen todas las clausulas que tiene que cumplir el idol y alch siento que esto tmb queda con los actores, el como la empresa te maneja por asi decirlo por completo desde como tienen que interactuar, lo que tienen que hacer y no etc. El salto temporal de 1 año no me lo esperaba siento que fue una buena adición pero no nos mostraron mucho sobre que ocurrió ese año mas que Moo busco Kang al principio en varios lados y Kang enviandole estos sobre con una hoja en blanco, tengo que decir que me gusto la amistad de Moo y Jang siento que real si se llevan bn bonito y Jang siempre lo esta cuidando, tmb me falto ver mas de ellos como amigos o de Moo preocupándose un poco mas por el pq alch tanto Jang como Potae como sufrieron durante tanto tiempo y una cosa mas díganme lo que quieran pero para mi la mama de Moo es una culera no hay otra palabra y la mama de Kang es un amor de persona, del hermano de Moo no voy a hablar pq siento que tmb no sabian que hacer con el personaje lit el no tenia trama mas que estar como cuchillito de palo, si quieren algo ligerito y que sea todo muy bonito sin pasar a algo grave esta es una serie que tienen que ver:)Esta resenha foi útil para você?
This was the cutest thing I ever saw
First of all I'm happy to see new and old faces in this drama. Im my opinion Keen and Sea had a very good chemistry, so I really want to see them in more bl's. Also I'm happy to finally see Aun with a partner. Last but not least I think Louis was the center of atettion here.The plot was something similar to my school president's but different at the same time. It was very cute and easy to watch, I finished it in a day. Of cource and it was a high school romance because we all know how much gmmtv loves high school romance dramas. Now let's talk about their clothes, Moo's style was just perfect that goes for Kang too. However, when I saw Kang's clothes I thought of Mhok's clothes in Last Twilight.
Finally my favourite part, the ost. This must be one of the series that deserve award for their ost, like my school president. I believe that everyone agrees that Keen's and Louis's voices are angelic. My faourite ost was Check Me by Louis. What about you guys?
All in all this series is one of the series you must watch. I highly recommend it.
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a somewhat realistic youth series, away from chaos
I finished the series in a short time. (Generally, it may take a long time to finish this kind of series, or I may leave it midway because it gets boring later on.) I watched a fluent story with cute points. Even though it sometimes felt disjointed between chapters, overall it seemed intriguing to me. As a subject, it was possible to draw realistic lessons from many aspects of life.As for the actors, I think it was successful, considering that it was both of their first major role experiences. With the harmony between them, the characters behaved according to their ages. The development of their relationship was also very peaceful, so it was far from chaos. It can be watched to have a good time. The actors gave the impression that they were very comfortable with each other. The physical contact in some scenes was very heart-warming and moving. It would be unfair if we skip the dance scenes without mentioning them. I also enjoyed every scene with the side characters.
In short, it was a great start for this couple. If you have time, I recommend you give it a try!
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Not Just Cute! A Deep Story.
While it appears to be a sweet, fluffy love story like a sugar confection, this work challenges viewers to think about the relationship between idols and romance. The storyline has some parts that are hard to agree with or feel forced, but overall, it was well done.Firstly, the chemistry between Sea and Keen was fantastic. Their acting is still developing, but they put in maximum effort and fully embraced their roles. And they are incredibly, incredibly, incredibly cute! Their romantic scenes are so sweet and fresh that they make you blush. I also loved watching them work towards their dreams and grow together.
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Enfin un scénario bien contruit.
Même s'il manque un peu d'alchimie entre les acteurs à mon goût, le scénario tient la route. Il suit une trame logique, tant dans l'évolution du scénario que dans la personnalité des personnages.C'est agréable à suivre et j'ai apprécié de ne pas tomber dans les habituels stéréotype qui apparaissent par obligation et sans coller à l'histoire.
Ici on profite d'une série bien construite où chaque élément est présent pour une bonne raison, et où les choix des personnages sont fait en fonction de leur personnalité et vécu.
Cela faisait un moment que je cherchais une série qui casserait un peu les codes des BL habituel et qui aurait à coeur de travailler un minimum son scénario pour qu'il soit logique du début à la fin.
J'ai bien aimé qu'on en profite pour utiliser les difficultés rencontrées dans le monde des Idoles, ça permet de donner de l'originalité au récit.
Les musiques sont très sympas et j'ai particulièrement apprécié "Station N°0".
Pas de scènes intense et pleine de passions mais de joli moment de romantisme et de sentiments assumés pour notre couple principal. Malheureusement, pour le couple secondaire, je ne les ai pas trouvé très intéressant, il ne se passe pas grand chose voir ils sont même exaspérant au bout d'un moment. Mais ça n'a pas gêné mon visionnage, l'histoire étant vraiment axé sur nos 2 protagonistes principaux.
Voilà, j'ai vraiment apprécié ce visionnage, c'est une belle série à découvrire.
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Loved it
It was very adorable and I'm glad to see a little force book at the end! The show was amazing but honestly mostly the actors are so good at acting I can't wait to see them again. I really hope they act together more I will definitely be watching it if they do. I do hate when at the end of episodes they leave a small cliffhanger and then oh that's just a dream you thought it was good but that didn't bother me enough to rate it any lower. I also loved the side couple and I am happy they also got a happy ending!Esta resenha foi útil para você?
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It is giving my school president but more realistic
That was actually really cute. Gonna rate Love Sea first though. Just rated Love Sea, and now I am on to this. 8.875 out of 10. So 9 out of 10 and the second one I have given today. This was cute and a nice watch. Spoiler time!It was a very cute start; the intro was very funny and the songs were really good. "The actors were born in 2005; I'm very close in age to both of them. Extremely scary." Insane but they were both very cute and I was excited. We had a case of puppy love at first sight. And it was one-sided love at first sight.
"They are actually so cute and I love them. The actors are good-looking as well, so this should be fun. These kids actually look like they are in high school. Opps on the first day of school is crazy." I was laughing my ass off, bro; this shit was so fucking funny. I wish they developed Kang's dad more; Bro got two scenes and one of them was him getting run over. It is the whole thing with the tablet but in the end, he ends up using it anyway, so I wish they did more with that because we could have had a crazy bryonic hero. "Great communication between these two." It was a little bit boring but they were cute.
"They are cute and it is nice to see puppy love after watching special things. Such a cutie, holy fuck. Fallen for Kang already? Girl, you all have barely interacted; this seems like a case of forced proximity so this is cute." It was very much a case of this and he clung to him because he was alone and in a new environment, he was the first one to give him the attention that he had always craved. I was hating on the music but it was actually really good. Tae and Yos with their weird one-sided love dynamic, that they tried to develop but lowkey failed miserably, but it ended up all working out in the end. This was very realistic with Moo and his 2.0 and falling asleep in class. Very realistic, and was nice to see. Moo and his looks were for real getting me through this show.
This show lowkey took me a long time to finish. Considering I was beasting through shows in 2 days, this one took me almost all of this week to finish. "It’s really cute and I need something like this because I can’t stand these negative ass crazy ass fucking shows." "Kang is very much speaking the truth because well I do think Moo likes him. He does bring up a good point about him not actually liking him and him just being lonely because he’s here alone and it’s a new environment so he clicks to the first person who gives him attention very good point, this show, very good point." Also Tae and Yos, from the start, had this weird more than friends dynamic and I wish they developed it better. "Moo now has a friend, phayos or whatever the bitch. Moo is actually such a cutie and a sweetheart. Comfort hoodie, that is Moo's comfort hoodie. Got so sidetracked doing songs over Thai dramas for this scene of phayors or whatever and tay. They are so wildflower-coded. I can't, it makes me want to vomit and cry. They are kissing in this awkward ass pose lol"
"Kang is valid in his feelings of not being ready to date." Tae was a super senior lol. "This is oddly romantic in this locker next to a trash bag." Also deep shit: "You only miss people's company when they are gone and you realize how much you like them." That was the main character dynamic. Kang and that blue hat were making me feel some kind of way bro. Kai Palo lowkey looks bomb.
"Good for Moo for trying to be unapologetically himself. I think that is a nice break from all of the perfect characters I have been seeing in these. There is tension with this eye contact. Kang is down bad; he just can't come to terms with it. His mom and he are talking so openly, but she is sending him away, lol. Oh, Kang blames himself for his dad's death. OKAY ABS. OKAY 6 PACK HELLO."
We were finally caught up and got a full-circle moment from the start. Tae was fucking crazy it was insane. I did like this show a lot because it took my mind off everything in my life. My dog died this morning and this show actually brought me so much joy and made me smile a lot.
"hey are very cute together. Stop making him call you nong you freak. Moo is so freaking cute I can't get over it. That mood change just gave me whiplash. I doubt they will do anything but the tension got me fucked up. This show is very much cheering me up right now, thank the lord. I know they aren't going to do anything but the freaky ass look (had to rewind) Moo gave him at 7:10. FREAK. The music change." "Talking about the future 3 days into dating is insane, but I am working with it. I love romantic moments like this. Very cute very manure. The neck holding and the waist holding as they awkwardly rock back and forth. That is love. 1/4 of this episode, was very romantic." Very meta very manure.
"I wonder how they are going to pan the rest of this out. They are making out on the bed, very cutesy very manure. First night core and they are already macking dude. Moo looks sad but also happy. "My door will be unlocked." MOO IS A FREAK DUDE. Moo wants to be in Kang's skin dude. Kang also folds very easily when it comes to moo. They look great in this lighting on the couch. They're going to have some no-dating contract I already know." Got that shit straight on lol. "That is kinda shattering for Moo. Moo does not give a fuck dude. That is real, unapologetically himself. That is refreshing having someone who loves their partner and doesn't give two fucks."
"He loves Kang but he also loves being an idol. No, because if I was signing my life away I would read that shit back and front. I really don't understand dating bans on idols, like its not that serious if they are dating, like the fans can't even date them anyway. Just fake break up with him and you all can just mack in your apartment." This did not happen because Moo is so fucking down bad it is insane. The timeline in this was fucking wack dude.
I think I would crash out if my cousin was going behind my back with my ex-boyfriend. I would BE FUCKING TWEAKING. Why do we keep jumping around" in this crazy ass timeline? Just stay on track for like two episodes at least. The show was doing the whole thing was Shone good because I was losing my fucking mind. "Tweaking dude. Shone is a bitch. Knowing my cousin likes my man and is actively still going after him after we broke up. I WOULD TWEAK. That makes me genuinely angry. Good job kang. "Just in case you change your mind." I WOULD FUCKING TWEAK IF I WAS MOO." More shone hate: "I WOULD FUCKING TWEAK FUCKING TWEAK. Just knocked him the fuck out. Knocked his ass out, dude."
Reunion already, y'all graduated like 2 years ago. JANG. Neth and Jang, the couple we didn't know we needed. 3 out of the 4 Gump members are the same age. Are they gonna dance in their uniforms? Oh, thank god. Fuck out my face, embarrassing. Why is Kang at their high school reunion? The bracelet is cute. Was is their age gap? It is 2 years according to Reddit, a source that has never let me down. MACKING AT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL REUION IS INSANE. The people in the back need a raise. Jang and Neth the relationship we all wanted but weren't ready for. "Here we go. How did these two hit it off? When did the spark happen?" Great question lmao. Louis was either gonna be with her or book lol. This is giving my school dances. FORCE, I was hoping for it but I did not think they were going to do that. Force and book are dating in this. Ariana, what are you doing here? His mom and Kang's mom are good friends now. Okay, that was cute. Bonus scenes. I wish they did the narration throughout because that would have been cute. This ending sounds like a Kayne West song. And we are done."
Uh, I wished they filled a lot of the plotholes toward the end but it was a nice happy ending love to see it. Would I recommend it? Yeah, it was cute but a little boring. Do what you want man, I don't care. Okay bye!
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What I love about this show
I started this show because I love sweet romantic and fluffy shows. It is really beautiful and it has a good number of MVs to listen to after watching the series. This drama highlights personal conflict as the ML has to choose between his love and his dream. He really wants to have both despite all the people around him telling him otherwise. He has a beautiful support system and he also roots for himself a lot. So I advise people to watch it. I will be rewatching after this week. I recomment it 100%.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Why is this so underrated?!
I know, I know... We all are tired of the high school setting and all the tropes that come along with it. That's why I gave the story a 8.5 rating. It's not the most creative but when it's high school or university settings, GMMTV knows how to deliver. What this show lacks in complexity in the storyline it makes up with its well written dialogues. This show has super sweet moments and even though there's slight room for improvement in the acting, the main characters have chemistry. Sea aka Kang is a bit stiff in some scenes and it doesn't seem quite natural but I do believe it suits his more reserved character most of the time. This show doesn't have any heavy plotlines and it's definitely cliche but it's comforting, funny and sweet. The communication between the two main characters is also something we don't see quite often on screen, I really liked it. Definitely a recommended show, one of my favorite this year so far. If they don't mess it up with the last two episodes, I will update this review if my opinion changesEsta resenha foi útil para você?
