This. Is. Real. Talk.

Acting? Not the best acting performance I’ve seen on a Thai drama. Some moments were bordering awkward. Some facial expressions were tad bit exaggerated. There were times that the acting was either stiff or over the top. Storyline? Not the most well-written story. It was fan fiction-ish. It took so long for the conflicts to be resolved. Same issues kept on occurring time and time again. The plot was more complicated than it needs to be. Character development? Some characters were frustratingly unreasonable. I’m not sure if they were just being naive in every problematic situation or they were just being foolish. It was messy. Being logical or practical is never an option for some at all until they reached the finale.

We all knew how the love story of Korn and Knock ends because it was already concluded on Bad Romance. Since Together With Me is a prequel, I can just imagine how difficult it was for the writers to come up with a solid script to keep things interesting between the two main characters prior their relationship. It must be very challenging for them especially right now because, in this day and age, there are so many BL series coming out. The audience have a lot of benchmarks and we can’t help but to compare each one to another. Which has the best storyline? Who were the best in acting? Which couple has the best chemistry?

And so, this is why Together With Me stood out to me. The series has shown the audience one of the most essential aspects of a romantic relationship that other Thai BL series didn’t even dare to give us. The intimacy. The passion. The burning desire. This is the reason why it soared so high for me despite my quibbles. The intimate moments between Korn and Knock were exquisite. Max and Tul may not be the best actors out there but they have executed the love scenes so gracefully. They were natural and believable. The kissing scenes were not just for fan service. They weren’t thrown randomly in every episode. These moments were on point and remained relevant to the story. I highly commend Max and Tul for their commitment to their roles. Not all actors have the guts to do what they did on screen. They elevated romance to a new level of intimacy. From being the underdogs, they have succeeded in cementing their place in the Thai BL world by setting a new standard.

The series as a whole was brave in general in the sense that it breaks out from the typical formula of BL series. I don’t think we should still categorize it as BL because it’s not about boys’ love anymore but rather it’s a legitimate gay series. At least four important characters on Together With Me were profiled as gay. We have Korn the most sensible male character, the innocent Farm who just discovered his wild side, Bright the player and Mew who just kept growing on me every episode. They may seem to portray either the good side or the bad side of the lifestyle, which is subjective. But at least, finally, there were no pretensions. Everything was legit. It wasn’t groundbreaking but they have managed to push the boundaries. It was a complete game changer.

The true heroine of the story was Yihwa. Without Yihwa, Korn and Knock’s relationship wouldn’t happen. Without Yihwa, they wouldn’t find out the mastermind, who has caused all the trouble, that is Plern Pleng. Without Yihwa, the story wouldn’t be fun and engrossing. Without Yihwa, what’s the point of Together With Me? I love Korn and Knock so much but I adore Yihwa because she made everything happen almost single-handedly. Who wouldn’t want a best friend like Yihwa? She is now one of my most favorite female characters ever. And it is only fitting that she wrapped up the show.

Without Yihwa, no one would gather their housemates around in times of crisis. Together With Me has made me smile and laugh more than it made me fall in love because the real romantic scenes just happened towards the end. What kept me hooked was the group of people surrounding Korn and Knock. They were not just supportive and protective towards their friends. They were also hilarious even the tomboyish Fai and the black sheep P’Phu. The sound effects, as tacky as they seem, while delivering the punchlines were spot on. Their comedic moments together made me want to join their clique. Their chemistry as a group worked so well and at the same they were all memorable.

In the end, it was a wonderful ride. I’ve been waiting for this series to be aired since the official announcement after Bad Romance. In my opinion, aside from the unquestionable chemistry, Max and Tul are the most good looking couple. They are so gorgeous. They are on the top of my list right now in terms of looks. But what made this series special and stand out from the rest of BL series is that it was never afraid. It was daring and fearless. If you’re going to love, love all the way. And Together With Me has gone all the way and delivered. No holding back. No second guessing. No hesitation.