Water Boyy: The Series (2017)

Rien ne vaut les origines

Alors, restons francs, malgré plusieurs commentaires que j'ai pu lire, je n'ai pas aimé la série mais, PAS TAPER ! j'm'explique...

Bon, la série n'est pas totalement nulle non plus, hein, me faites pas dire ce que je n'ai pas dit, mais il y a dans la balance plus de point négatifs que positifs selon moi.

Je vous propose donc d'approcher pour regarder en détails les plateaux de cette balance :

Les points positifs :

tout d'abord la série est un remake du film donc elle peut prendre le temps là où le film n'a pas pu le faire et elle nous présente plusieurs autres couples en plus de nos deux héros, qui plus est, des personnages hétérosexuels, homosexuels femme et homme, ce que j'ai trouvé très intéressant car, d'après moi, ajouter de la diversité c'est toujours un bon point.

Les personnages sont biens décrits, bien construits. Les jeux d'acteurs ne sont pas égaux mais certains ressortent énormément comme Victor Zheng (Min) qui joue vraiment très bien et heureusement ! Car son binôme... j'en parlerai dans la seconde partie.... On retrouve White (Fah) de Lovesicks qui nous offre, comme à son habitude, une performance époustouflante ! Et enfin, celui qui m'a bluffé le plus : New (Apo). Alors lui, à chaque fois qu'il rentrait en scène, c'est moi qu'on pouvait essorer (et pourtant je n'ai pas de piscine sous la main !), y donne chaud ce garçon ! Que ce soit dans les scènes drôles ou les scènes émouvantes il peut faire craquer tout le monde par son sourire ou son air abattu, les deux vous transportent sur un petit nuage en mode "Moooooh".

L'alchimie entre les couples met du temps à se développer mais quand elle est là, elle y reste et c'est un bonheur renouvelé de les voir se regarder dans les yeux avec intensité. Les scènes avec la bande de copains sont particulièrement agréables et sympathiques, j'en reprendrai bien une tranche à chaque fois.

Enfin, certaines phrases et dialogues sont particulièrement mémorables en matière de questionnements, ça fait réfléchir et ça donne à penser.

Les points négatifs :

Et oui, seconde partie déjà, comme je l'ai dit y'en a plus que pour la première...

Au niveau du scénario, ya des gros problèmes selon moi, ils "luttent" les uns contre les autres en se montant des stratagèmes dignes d'élèves d'école primaire, voire de collège mais, rappelons le, ils sont à l'université ! On a envie de leur tirer les oreilles pour leur crier dans le pavillon : "Oh, tu te calmes ! Tu comprends ce qui se passe ?! Quand je te parles, y'a rien qui gigote là-haut ?!".

Je parlais du jeu d'acteur particulièrement incroyable tout à l'heure et si on parle du personnage de Min, celle à qui il donne la réplique, Wan m'a paru teeellement molle ! C'était une torture ! Son histoire est intéressante mais quand on la connait, on se rend compte qu'elle n'a pas évolué si ce n'est qu'elle ne porte plus de lunettes et qu'elle s'attache les cheveux différemment, tu parles d'un parcours initiatique !

En parlant de filles, je m'attaque maintenant à Pan. Mais quelle déception ! L'enthousiasme que j'éprouvais au début de la série concernant ce personnage s'est effondré comme un soufflé à la voir utiliser des plans niveau cour de récré de maternelle pour finir par changer d'orientation sexuelle comme ça l'arrange. Euuuh, on en parle ou pas ? Ici la série nous présente en réalité un triangle amoureux de pansexuelles (j'ai mis le féminin, car ça ne concerne que les filles du triangle) mais sans le dire. Bon, passons...

Là j'attaque le noyau dur de l'histoire et de l'acting : le couple lead. OMG ! Autant Apo est génial, autant Waii... j'arrêtais pas de hurler (silencieusement) à Earth : " mais retourne donc sur ta montagne à compter tes étoiles, tu seras plus utile !" (ceux qui ont la réf comprendrons). Alors Waii m'a foutu une claque qui avait des relents de Fuse dans la série Make It Right. C'est pas qu'il ne sait pas choisir entre Fay et Apo, c'est plutôt qu'il veut le beurre, l'argent du beurre et le c*l de la crémière en prime ! Lors du voyage de l'équipe chez Apo j'ai enfin cru que c'était bon et puis revirement total pour une fin trop amère selon moi même si la série reste sur l'image que tout va pour le mieux, j'aurais aimé un bisou comme celui auquel on avait eu droit !

Enfin, je ne vais pas m'étendre sur les actes d'agressions sexuelles qu'on peut voir, je sais que la culture est différente, d'autant plus à cette époque (pourtant pas si lointaine) mais je pense que la série aurait pu avoir le bon ton de ne pas lancer une musique romantique quand ladite scène se produit dans l'épisode 4 entre Waii et Apo.

Ah oui, à noter qu'à partir d'un moment j'ai fini par regarder les épisodes en accéléré, en ralentissant pour suivre les dialogues, mais l’intérêt n'étant presque plus présent, j'ai voulu achever le supplice.

Voilà, si vous avez réussi à me supporter jusque là, vous voyez maintenant le fond de ma pensée concernant cette série. Je ne vous conseillerais pas de faire l'impasse dessus pour tous ses points positifs mais je dois avouer que j'ai grandement préféré le film (à voir ma critique dessus ;) ). Je retiendrai de cette série les bonnes performances des acteurs, l'esprit de camaraderie qu'on y retrouve et l'inclusion dont il a su faire preuve.

Maintenant, à vous de vous faire votre avis.

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Most of the people who watched this show can be put into two categories: the ones who really liked it and the ones who were really disappointed. I understand the sentiment of both groups.

This show is a remake of the popular Waterboyy movie but don't expect to get the movie just in series form. The overall feeling is really different, you'll only recognize some things from the movie, although this show brings a lot of new and interesting elements.

Acting
Different from the movie the series has other couples and straight couples in it too. And while I was mostly interested in Waii and Apo's story I caught myself watching some of the other stories too. But all for a different reason. Min and Wan as example, many people thought they were bland and didn't match well...well, I thought Min's actor was so good that I just watched his story for his acting and less because I was interested in where it goes.
As for Waii and Apo. Let me say, Apo's actor, I think New or Neww is his short name? He is really amazing. I watched him in a supporting role in SOTUS but in this show he gets all the spotlight as a main lead and I'm amazed how good he is. He really managed to show emotions just through actions, looks and his body. Not always words needed. He also gave Apo character and made him more believable.

Story and Chemistry
One thing Thai (BL) series are better in than any other shows I watch worldwide, is chemistry. Thai shows excell at that and that's one of the reasons I love them so much. So...the storytelling in this show is...strange...yea, this is one of those shows where I can say: If you didn't like the first two episodes but like shows like this, then continue watching. The first two episodes are awkward and strange and the chemistry seems forced and staged.
And then comes ep 3 and 4 and so on and suddenly there is chemistry where there was none before. Don't ask me how it happens or what is going on but it is what it is. The chemistry between the couples takes some time to bloom but when it's there, it's there and it stays. So don't worry if you don't like the first few episodes.

Unexpected...
I decided to bring up some points here, that others were disappointed in. A lot of people say that Waii and Apo's relationship is like awkward 2 eps - teasing the audience 10 eps - full on romance 2 eps. It sometimes just seems rushed and strange how fast the sentiments of the charas in the show change. Well, I don't take it too seriously. Just when they fall into full on romance, I'm like "and that's the moment when the producers had enough of their own teasing". So the storytelling is definitely not perfect in this series.

Why to watch?
Because the chemistry between Apo and Waii grows really really strong.
Because Min's actor is amazing.
Because Apo is just the right mix of cute and cheeky especially around Waii. He knows how to be sweet and is totally in love but also knows when he has to stand strong and not give in.
Because it features a really nice scene every BL fan will love.
Because it needs to get really popular for me to get a second season to watch ^.^

I don't think this review helps anyone but if it does, my pleasure :D

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it could've been good... but it wasn't.

besides apo (the only good character in this) and the swimming club friendship (aka puth, song and kluay being babies), this show was a train wreck. we had a rape scene that was never addressed and waii didn't even bother to apologise to apo.... we had a great lesbian character turned into a predator (which is very harmful to the lesbian and lgbt community) and then become straight? bi? what tf was that clownery??? we had some of the most terribly written female characters ive seen (wan being shown as crazy and evil and then being slutshammed, mai being possessive and manipulative, and fay being a victim of the cliche cheating plot) and forced romantic dynamics (yes this applies to waii&apo as well as kluay&achi). i wont even get started on that age gap couple bullshit.
waterboyy could've been a good show, but gmmtv made every single decision to make sure it was a disaster. and tbh thats sad because the cast is amazing ):

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I didn't give a full 10 cuz I found that the two main characters' scenes were limited. Though I find the other cast enjoyable, too much time was spent there. I know I didn't watch this for Min&Wan's story or for Pan&Fah, which I found even less interesting. These couples' time on screen could have been edited out shorter. I found that damn girl coach segment especially annoying too. If it's a BL, then make it a BL rather lump every other couples' problem as if it were the main story (ah but I'm reminded its GMM, and they tend to bait people). If I wanted an Everyone Drama, I'd stick to watching stuff like Hormones. So next time, production team, less dragging around and more focus on the driven source of the drama.

Casting: Earth and New's chemistry was on par. They did really good together. The kiss scene felt natural. A 10 for them and 8 for the rest of the cast.
Music: Love Pete Pol. A 10 Also.
Rewatch: Only when I'm bored. Even then I'll just watch Waii and Apo.
Overall: Narrative could have been better. A 7 here.

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STORY: * BL and GL themes * This is not a continuation of the movie but a series remake. It starts out with a clear plot: Save the Swim Club! But the plot wanders a lot and gets lost.

ACTING/CAST: You'll recognize much of the cast from other Thai series.

MUSIC: The theme song and its lyrics are good, and it was English Subbed (at least later episodes).

REWATCH VALUE: Maybe a BL cut but otherwise not really.

OVERALL: There are hot bodies and some funny moments, and the second BL couple is also cute. I was disappointed in the overall lack of direction.

Episodes are English-subbed by Part Time Subbers (Thanks guys!).

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Spoiler that shouldn't be a spoiler ahead because it's a Trigger Warning!

I'm just going to jump right into it:




Waii rapes Apo. And afterward, a "romance" blooms between the two. It is not a scene featuring questionable consent. It is undeniably rape. Apo says no and tries to fight back; Waii doesn't listen and restrains him. You may be asking hopefully, "Is it condemned?" I'm sorry to tell you, it's not. The drama doesn't treat it as the horrible act it is, not at all. Not only does Waii face no consequences for what he does, but romantic music is played over it, and it's even used in a flashback later. Apo also takes almost no time to forgive Waii, as if he stole his homework rather than forced himself on him against his will. Now, it is each survivor's right to be affected by their experience in different ways and heal from it however they see fit. However, this drama did something unforgivable and extremely damaging by not properly framing rape as wrong. If you can stomach the experience, I would recommend watching The Effect. It properly shows how horrifying and violent rape is and its effects on someone, including not only trauma but also the conflicting feelings that may come as a result of someone you love hurting you in a way you never thought they would.

After reading all of this, you may be wondering, "Why in the Hell did Noir watch this?"

I started this for the Bi/Pan FL. Every time I asked for Queer FLs, this drama kept getting recommended to me, always tagged along with the phrase "problematic content." I wish now I'd looked into this drama more so I knew what to expect and could skip that horrible scene. So, if, like me, you do decide to watch this drama for the rep alone, let me save you: The rape scene takes place in Ep 4 1/4. Unfortunately, I can't remember what episode has the flashback.

What also hurts me inside is seeing the year this was made was 2017. It was only 5 years ago that this mindset of using rape as a plot device for romance was perfectly acceptable.

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Things this show tries to normalise:
1. rape
2. bullying
3. stalking

Awful characters, awful personalities, and awful things that they do. I don’t get the show at all. Can’t believe it even aired and there are people who excuse Wai and Pan’s disgusting behaviour. They both did not deserve the people they got with at the end. Not to mention Wai’s dad is so old and he get’s with Wai’s friend. Grooming much?

Nothing is cleared up and talked about and these people all display horrifying behaviour. I watched it only for New and honestly Apo deserved much better than he got.

Do yourselves a favour and don’t watch it. It’s not worth it.

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Just lacking.

I want to call out all of them bitches here because you're all damn LIARS!!!

Let me tell you something: If you're not going to give a thoughtful and constructive review of the drama (story, acting, writing, etc.), please, STAY AWAY FROM THE REVIEW SECTION! I was fooled by all of you who tried so hard to give a good review to a show that doesn't deserve it! Honey, if something is bad then something is bad, period. That being said, just because you're a fan of an actor/actress, doesn't mean that every single project they work on is automatically good. Some things are bad and they should be called out for it. Lastly, with all due respect, NOBODY CARES ABOUT THE DUDE'S NIPPLES, BARBARA, GET YOUR FETISHES OUT OF THE REVIEW SECTION!

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Rant's over, let me talk about this show:

Long story short, it was poorly made. There's so much that could be improved from EVERY aspect of it and, honestly, there are so many faults that it's insane someone could come up with the audacity to tell me this is actually good.

- Story: What is even the story in here? This is just a conglomeration of people's petty "struggles" that do not seem to get better even though they are improving. I was constantly asking to myself, "but do they *really* regret their actions? "Are they *really* learning from their mistakes?" "Why are these college students acting like they are still in high school or elementary school?" And I'm still wondering these things.

I happened to watch this drama before the movie and oh my goodness this made the movie look like a work of art. It was actually quite good, so you should definitely go and watch that instead.

Something that I did like about this work is the inclusion of heterosexual relationships. As a gay man, I always enjoy when they add these relationships because it shows the audience a sense of normality and harmony between diverse sexual orientations. Surprisingly, I personally feel like the heterosexual couples were far more entertaining to watch. Why? Because they were fleshed out nicely and we got to have a full picture of their story with a beginning, a middle, and a solid conclusion.

- Acting: Lord have mercy. I mean, were they even trying? Everyone was pretty painful to watch, but the worst was definitely the female swimmer. It was staged-looking and predictable, incredible lack of chemistry, terrible dialogues, and more. If I have to be nice, I guess the two actors that did better were Apo's and Wan's.

-Production: This is from 2017 and I did not expect a lot from it, BUT Love Sick was older and looked better than this. Let's assume that the recording equipment was not of the best quality which caused things turning out looking quite cheap instead of believing the production team just straight up sucked.

The editing was decent at the beginning, but gradually became a mess the more we got into the story. Did they even try on the last two episodes? I doubt it. By the way, I am surprised at the lack of swimming from a story about swimming. I was expecting something similar to Free! Iwatobi Swim Club, but got not even a shadow of that.

Sis, this show has everything: questionable cast, questionable acting, questionable writing, questionable fashion (that actually works), questionable sexual orientation, questionable fandom, just questions all over the place. I do not recommend watching this, but watch the movie, though! It was pretty decent.

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Although New Thitipoom fits in the "painfully beautiful" category and is a strong actor, this is a meandering mess with boring side characters getting all the screen time. This series is heavily plagued by girlfriend-in-the-way syndrome, which makes this nearly unwatchable at times. The plot is a mess and makes little sense.

The only way to watch this is to fast-forward through everything involving everything uninteresting, which on the bright side means it will only take you an hour or two to get through.

Edit: Having now watched 1,000 Stars it's hard to believe that Earth is the same Earth as one in this. What a complete waste of perhaps the most talented actor in BL.

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