Bad Decision Making

Addicted has a special place in my heart, so when Thailand announced they were doing a remake, it felt like Christmas came early for me. I watched eagerly as Newyear participated in the casting process and then, during the big event, they introduced three main actors. Yes, three actors: Mac, Newyear, and Jur. At that point, they presented Mac as the lead, with Newyear and Jur in supporting roles. Was I a bit disappointed? Kind of. With such a young cast, it seemed like we were headed for something more along the lines of Stay With Me—toned down and less faithful to the novel’s intensity.

But then, quietly, came the shocking news: August had been cast as the main lead. My jaw literally dropped. As more information came out, it became clear that the director simply couldn’t find a younger actor who fit the role of the male lead. Despite that, he still went ahead with the big event, introducing Mac as the lead and Newyear and Jur as the side roles, only to later quietly announce August.

So, let’s recap: the director made the conscious decision to cast minors in an adaptation of an 18+ novel. Then, after casting one of the main characters because he couldn't find a second, he still decided to go ahead with the big announcement event rather than rethink his casting picks or the age of the actors. The absurdity of this decision-making is what ultimately hurt this adaptation.
Because at this point any reasonable adult suddenly was stuck with the realization that they don't want to be part of this circus. This is clear with quality of this series, for such a long-awaited big project it feels cheap and amateurish.

Going back to age difference —Mac is a minor starring in the adaptation of an 18+ novel, a story he can’t even legally read. Yet someone thought it was acceptable for him to act in explicit scenes that he wouldn’t be allowed to watch in any other context. As I wrote above stupid decision making.

There’s a good reason why, for years, productions that involved large age gaps—or featured one actor who was underage—chose to use fake kissing and avoid any NC scenes altogether. It’s just common sense. To their credit, this series at least showed the wisdom to follow that rule, opting to tone down the more explicit content.

This puts fans like me in a tough spot. On one hand, we want a faithful adaptation of the story we love, but on the other hoping the cast is treated appropriately. Honestly, I just wish they’d kept their hands off this project altogether.

To sum it up watch orginal Addicted or Stay with Me, both are better.

Leia Mais

Alternate Universe of 2moon

I have a hard time describing what this drama is supposed to be, is this 2moon sequel? While most characters are still here, some characters magically disappeared, some events happened others never happened, or happened differently.
Me after the first episode… Ok let’s treat it like 2Moon alternate universe with Mark and Kit as lead (anyway I liked them best in 2moon)
Now the main couple, their storyline is pretty good and worth watching. But something is off and cringy. I had a hard time putting my finger on it but it's a mixture of Mark character, it was almost like he was written by two writers who had similar but at the same time vastly different visions of him in mind. There is also a problem of lack of chemistry between the main couple. Some people would push it on bad acting but their performance in group scenes or with other actors is pretty solid. There are many romantic scenes that I would normally love but due to their chemistry, they are at best mediocre.
Then episode 9 - is pretty normal until a couple that misses each other for the last 8 episodes finally meet and have a flashback - me - wow is this analogy to leaving behind your past and moving on? I like it… but no, now they both have mysterious visions at the same time - I didn’t know I watched supernatural shows till this moment…
Episode 9 also adds other changes, like - let’s push the main couple to the side and give their screen time to others. Then adding to the new love triangle, we also have elements that could come out straight from Wanda Vision.
This show also has way too many characters, like we have maybe 15 - 20 min in the 9 ep. each one hour long is about some dudes at the pool, their storyline doesn't add anything to main storyline so why we still randomly get feed scenes of them? Since their screen time is so short it would be better to delete it completely because it's only confusing viewers. But in the last 3 episodes, they suddenly get promoted and have more screen time than the main couple - while most of the viewers (or just me) don’t care about them at all at his point in time.
We also have a plotline about Pha hiding from Wayu, can’t meet, can’t contact, can’t explain anything for some unknown mysterious reason … still driving his own car like nothing in the city and creeping from shadow to stalk Wayu… True love in the finest.
In conclusion, if the showrunner stuck to the main couple it would really improve this drama overall, side plots are confusing at best or just plain weird.

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Why settle for romance when you can throw in a little murder on the side?

Hearts Killers

After the success of Only Friends, Jojo is back at it, sticking to his strengths with another mature rom-com. This time, he brings us Hearts Killers, starring not one but two GMMTV ships: FirstKhao and JoongDunk.

It’s hard to fully judge the acting based on just one episode, but a few things are already clear.
FirstKhao continue to prove they’re versatile, talented, and can generate chemistry like it’s their part-time job. Meanwhile, JoongDunk are stepping into slightly more mature roles, and while Dunk’s acting still teeters into “hmm, questionable” territory at times, you can see the improvement. Particularly in his scenes with First—though, to be fair, First could probably have chemistry with a mop. Credit where it’s due: Jojo’s strategy of dressing Dunk to the nines to distract the audience worked brilliantly on certain fans (and possibly some unsuspecting reviewers). Good editing also plays its part, smoothing out some of the rougher edges.

The story itself is a modern reimagining of The Taming of the Shrew, giving us an overarching plot with an added bonus: Khao and Joong moonlighting as killers. Yes, you read that right—killers. Because why settle for romance when you can throw in a little murder on the side?

The first episode comes out swinging with a strong start, but it’s too early to tell if the momentum and quality will hold up. Will this be a steady climb, or are we about to take a nosedive into Wasted Potential Land? Time will tell.

One thing is certain: this show had a budget, and it flaunts it. From the polished aesthetics to the careful attention to detail, it’s clear that Hearts Killers received a level of care and investment that some other GMMTV projects can only dream of. For that alone, I’m grateful—there’s nothing worse than watching a good idea drowned in low-budget awkwardness.

All in all, it’s a strong start, and I’d definitely recommend giving it a try. Murder, romance, and fan-favorite ships—what’s not to love? Well, unless you’re the shrew getting tamed. Then maybe not so much.

Review will be updated as series progress.

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