Not Me (2021)

Anyone disappointed after watching this? NOT ME.

An incredible series that GMM25 has delivered and a dangerous new standard for the upcoming series. Why? Read below. This is a longer review than usual, but this series is INCREDIBLE and therefore incredibly hard to only put into only a few paragraphs. :))

(Quick recommendation. Listen to this while reading: https://youtu.be/__6Eb2jhceo)

The story is unique and nothing that anyone has easily come close to achieving. Political topics have a high risk of not being well received by the viewers because the pacing often becomes very sluggish and boring if it is not implemented correctly. Another danger with this trope is that romance can often feel redundant and inappropriate, thus degrading the quality of the story. Neither is the case here. Why? The answer is not very simple.


PRODUCTION
Let´s start with the production and filming/ writing of the scenes. Throughout the entire series, one can not deny the beautiful shots that were taken. Everything seems to have gone under detailed planning of how to use the natural light the best and how to film beautiful scenes at locations, that doesn´t depend on much editing. However, one thing is certain, professionals are at work. Both in the filming and editing, but also in the individual usage and choice of music. Incomparable to other series.

Praise to Nuchy Anucha Boonyawatana, Noolek Sureechary and M Rittiktai Kanjanawiphu for the incredible screenwriting. I did not stumble across any grievous mistakes. Personally, I want to thank the creator of "Not Me”, Dem Thanutnun Vitsivakun, for creating this incredible story. She has succeeded in merging the topics of politics, injustice, LGBTQ+ and revenge to a point where you can only be amazed.

And of course, praise for the cinematographer Beat Pramett Chankrasse, he gifted us with captures of breathtakingly beautiful moments. The scenes embody the emotions of all the characters and carefully embrace them. But how are other series supposed to keep up now, mister? I have no idea.

The difficulty that this series has met was the decreased amount of episodes because of budget problems. This problem was briefly felt towards the end, but the overall presentation is so brilliant that the few inconveniences can be overlooked, really!


PLOT
Black and White are twins with a powerful connection but the two are as different as day and night. White is very dedicated to reveal the truth behind the state of his hospitalized brother, but his personality is FORTUNATELY too different to not cause other problems, incidents, etc. This fact is very well implemented by the writers: Without being too obvious about it they make White purposely misbehave in his role as Black. The story and its execution go hand in hand in this series.

The entire plot had so many risks in its adaption, but the series succeeded in not getting trapped by them. On the contrary, they used this fear to create a masterpiece that will amaze everyone, probably even the people involved themselves. The expectations were more than met.

The side stories also have their unique charm, and the introduction of a mute person just gives the overall picture that certain something of realistic scenario that you get addicted to watching. No matter if politics, injustice, LGBTQ+, revenge or disadvantages, each topic is accurate and not exaggerated.

The female characters did not meet the cliché standards of many other BL, on the contrary, they were no tools for the story but - and that should be the norm - they were their own masters, had their own lives and did not have any unexplainable toxic trades. All their reactions were understandable and well implemented.

The characters aren't denied their mistakes either, rather in the series these people try to work on their mistakes. That's what makes them so human and the series so perfect.


ACTORS
Before I get to Gun´s outstanding performance, I start with the supporting cast. The acting of all of them was solid and no one seemed to be uncomfortable to look at. Additionally, I also want to praise whoever cast this outrageous cast. Because even smaller roles like the parents or the antagonist have proved themselves well and worked fine with the plot.

Film (Eugene) and Lookjun (Namo) delivered two incredible performances as two female characters in a gay romance oriented series. They acted very naturally, and one could sympathize with their portrayed roles. Especially Film was well cast for her role as Eugene. Filmshy was also doing a good job, but she didn´t have much screen time, so it´s hard for me to review it.

Let´s get to the boys. Oh. I have so much to say but I don´t know where to start. I have never imagined Sing to ever get this kind of role, but he succeeded in any means. If you ask me, he deserves to get more main roles in series because he is such a flexible and good actor.

The leader of the garage, Gumpa played by Papang. Two words. Unexpected Gem. This guy did such a good job in his role. He also deserves more screentime because he is truly gifted. The same goes for Mond, who portrayed Gram. Personally, I like this actor a lot because he always managed to meet my expectations and I love the control he has over his facial expressions.

When it comes to emotions and portrayed intimacy, First (Yok) and Fluke (Dan) were blowing my mind. I loved their shots and on-screen scenes. Everything in this series worked incredibly well together but especially these two. After watching their sequences, I got inspired and overwhelmed by a sudden wave of motivation. I will miss them. I will miss the PAIN. THE PAIN.

There was also incomparable harmony between Gun (Black/ White) and Off (Sean), again ... but honestly, how do they do it? How crazy can one succeed in their role? The two are a great match and I hope to see more of them in the future. Speaking of how incredible these two are, Gun deserves a special mention. He managed to draw a clear line between Black and White. Cold and warm. Physical and psychological. He was playing both twins, but you could tell them apart. Manifestly! What an incredibly good actor! Mastering a twin role alone is something many have attempted and failed, but none has been as good or compelling as Gun. Give him a huge award and lots of love and attention.


OVERALL
At this point I´d like to cite our POP-Queen Lady Gaga:
NOT ME is “talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, (…)”. In a nutshell, this show is everything and more the LGBTQ+ film community has ever wished for. The sceneries and shots are breathtaking, the actors outstanding and the edit incomparable. Even the use of music has been merging with the entire awesomeness of this show. Every expectation is being met and it´s honestly nothing you should miss.

The upcoming series has a lot of work ahead if they ever want to meet this extreme standard of perfection.
Who am I lying to ... it´s impossible.

Read More

A true treasure among the BL shows.

I noticed this while scrolling through the feeds, and everyone seemed to like it. I was in the mood for a thriller at the time, so I chose this one.

This drama's mystery plot isn't particularly well developed; it felt almost predictable to me. The political aspect of this drama, on the other hand, is extremely well done. If not well executed, it could have been extremely boring. The romance, which often feels unwanted or unnecessary in these types of dramas, is something I really liked in this. This is a one-of-a-kind drama that successfully blends romance and politics without making either feel out of place.

This drama is about twins, Black and White, who have a powerful bond that causes them to feel each other's agony during a near-death experience. Their personalities are as diametrically opposed as chalk and cheese. They were separated after their parents divorced, causing them to lose contact with one another. One day, after returning to Thailand, White learns from Tod, a childhood friend, that Black is in a coma following a brutal attack on him, which rekindled White's connection with Black. He also learns that Black is now a member of a motorcycle gang, and he suspects that one of the members—Gram, Yok, or Sean—is to blame for Black's current state. As a result, he disguises himself as Black and joins the gang to discover the truth.

Although Black appeared to be a little different to everyone, no one noticed that it was another person disguised as Black, nor did anyone know that Black had a twin. Sean seemed to be the most affected by Black's sudden change, as he began to develop feelings for him.

In a BL, usually the supporting characters, as well as the female characters, usually play minor roles. They are used as tools to bring the main characters together or to cause conflict between them. However, in this drama, they each had their own point of view and story to tell. This really impressed me. Except for a few scenes, the characters in this drama are very well developed, and their actions and reactions are understandable. Of course, the characters aren't perfect, but they all have their own unique charms.

Both the main character and the supporting characters did an excellent job. Gun's performance was out standing and so was Off's. They portrayed every emotion almost flawlessly (Of course, nothing is perfect). Gun should be specially appreciated for successfully portraying two characters at a time who are too different to compare. The chemistry between the main leads was a visual treat and is very pleasing to watch. I hope to see Gun and Off together more often in the future. The actors who played Gram, Yok and even the actors who portrayed small roles like Grumpa and Tod were able to meet my expectations. The antagonists too were so well portrayed and this made this drama more appealing and entertaining.

Overall, this is a really outstanding BL that, in my opinion, deserves more attention and love. Almost every aspect of this drama is well-executed. This is a totally unique show that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys BLs, politics, or the actors.

Read More