Between Us (2022)

Started off strong but struggled to stay afloat

Between Us was three years in the making. It had an existing fan base for the lead actors and from Until We Meet Again. It was well set up to succeed but, for me, it ultimately failed to live up to the bar set by UWMA and its own early episodes. Though it was one of my most anticipated series - and one which did have moments when it shone - I can't help but be disappointed.

Going in, I was expecting it to take place on a parallel timeline to UWMA. I haven't read the novel, so I didn't know what exactly to expect plot-wise, and don't know how much of it is true to the source material. Despite going in pretty blind, my expectations were high and I was excited to see the cast I knew and loved from the original series.

BU started off really well, though it did feel like they expected you to have watched UWMA. UWMA didn't tell us much about Team and Win as characters so they were brimming with potential. The early episodes had me hooked by setting up Team's childhood trauma and subsequent anxiety/insomnia, and hinting that Win also had attachment issues and family conflicts of his own. The lead actors also have great chemistry so that alone was doing a lot of the legwork. However, where the series fell flat for me is that is barely scratched the surface of these character backstories which seemed to be goldmines for compelling arcs.

I think this series was meant to be a character study more than something plot heavy. But character studies take *work* and it just did not feel like the writers put any in. By the later episodes, it felt more like they were trying to cram in tried and tested overly-familiar tropes than continuing to refine and shape their characters. By the end of the series, I felt like I barely knew Win better than I did at the start. As for Team, at least his storyline was resolved, but by the time the resolution came it felt like the plotline had been exhausted without getting much added depth.

As for the side characters, I wasn't expecting much more Dean/Pharm content since they had their own series. But I was hoping we would get to see more of Manow and Phruek since they were pretty sidelined in UWMA. Again, they set up a really compelling story for Manow - a young woman who wants to make in acting but feels like she doesn't have the right "look" - but instead of fleshing out her journey or relationship, they once again got a handful of scenes that seemed like they were just there to placate the audience rather than add to the story.

The new side characters didn't really work for me. I didn't have any qualms about the ABC gang as friends and comic relief, but I didn't feel like the Bee/Prince storyline was necessary. In the same vein, I didn't really get invested in Waan/Tul. These romances weren't explored or resolved well in any case, just going to show that the writers threw more balls in the air than they knew how to juggle. The show also, in my opinion, did a disservice to the friendships already established in UWMA. Though we got a handful of scenes, we barely got to see Win's friendship with Dean which apparently goes back to childhood - in fact, we barely got to see Win open up to anyone. And sometimes when Team would be pouring his heart out to ABC, I would be left wondering why he wasn't having this conversation with his alleged best friends.

Halfway through the show, the plot started to get all over the place - in a bad way. Character development does not have to be linear. Plots can be messy. But the writers didn't seem to have any grasp of how to build tension (and not let it deflate) or the concept of a "beginning, middle, and end" that most of us are taught in elementary school. Plots are meant to culminate in a climax which, by the time it came on this show, was dumbfounding because it felt so long overdue. Team's insecurities that Win was "like this with everyone" started, after a point, to sound delusional since we as an audience never saw him do this beyond looking out for his brothers. The writers could easily have added weight to his concerns by showing Win offering to help other members of the swim team, for example, instead of scenes dedicated to Bee wiping off Prince's makeup while he sleeps. As for Win's inability to commit, the dysfunctional family was more than enough to flesh out where this trait comes from, but, like Team, we basically end up knowing not much more than his coffee order.

Other aspects of the show were also not great. The background music was terrible (and often completely at odds with what was happening in the scene) and the OST most definitely did not need to be performed live during one of the most tense scenes on the show. There were a couple of moments when sexuality was addressed so bizarrely it was hard for me to grasp what exactly the show was trying to say. And the less said about the hair and makeup the better.

Ultimately, the show was kind of a flop for me. It had a talented cast and so much potential, but it almost all completely wasted on an unfocused plot and no clear understanding of its own characters. I had been hoping this would be one for the ages, but I don't think I'll even be thinking about it by this time next week.

Lire davantage

Don’t compare it to it’s prequel Until we meet again.

No action, no mystery - like in the prequel. Watch this first and then UWMA is my advice. I must say that I like this also novel based series a lot more.
Several couples, where the main story between Win/Team gets more attention than the other. Great acting and chemistry between the 2 main leads, Boun and Prem. The need a bit of a free hand in the script/acting to give their combined acting potential a super boost - like in episode 11. This was I think not the case in another of their series: Even sun - I didn’t end watching this series.
The depth in this series lies in emotional problems/characters and development in this area. There is attention for thoughts about the heavy consequences of being famous for a private live through the story of Prince/Bee. There’s als attention for starting to know each other online and making the step to a real relation (Wan/Tul). I like it that there was room for a non-BL couple (Manow ❤️/Pruek). The acting from all actors was good. Special attention from me for the 3 fiends A, Bee and Sea. Always worth a good laugh.
Great OST from Boy Sompob.

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Not bad at all but plenty of room for improvement

I have seen UWMA and that’s how I came across Hemp Rope. Expectations were built from 3 year wait for this series.
For new artists, the two lead obviously improved in their acting from UWMA. Facial expressions and the pauses in speaking need to improve for all casts. Find it common with Thai series the weird pauses before speaking like they are waiting for a cue to speak and this is during emotionally driven scenes. Awkward to look at. Team being a cutesy, whiny character seems not fitting - it is a college setting. The whining could have been toned down.
The story is good - relating to mental issues and it’s effect on people around us and our own life.
I became a shipper for the WinTeam because of the excellent fan-service these two provide. They are being r their real selves while honestly providing fanservice.
The production for this is great. The hard work is obvious. I believe wardrobe is alright. I just wish they were dressed appropriately for some of the scenes. This is supposed to be college scenario but in some scenes wardrobe is more for teenagers.
Tattoo art is a great addition in character.

Scene when Win was over Teams place and it’s really out there that Team is introducing Win to his parents when they are already about to eat.??‍♀️

Overall, I enjoyed this series. Don’t expect anything exemplary. Just enjoy it for what it is - a light story BL series.

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BounPrem and lacking plot

So, I am a HUGE BounPrem fan, I have seen all of their works, and I first discovered Thai BL from this very show. The plot was good, the original cast were together from UWMA (other than KoaEarth because it wouldn't fit with WinTeam). The drama was good, and Boun really showed a lot of depth and emotion in this work. Prem has slowly come into his own, and you can see his improvements in the series, too. But, I have some big issues with the show overall. I would have loved for special episode to show how things turned out for WinTeam after college ended, but I know that is sadly not going to happen. :( Still, it was a solid show that highlighted a lot of love, bitter emotions, the importance of having someone accept you, and overcoming your fears. Here are the pro's and con's of this series. I still HIGHLY RECCOMEND WATCHING THIS! But, here's some spoilers you should know and some major issues I had with it.

Pro's:
1) Its BounPrem. Anything they work on together is gold chemistry-wise, and the projects that they have worked on under other directors or even during live events have been really enjoyable to watch. They are very natural with one another most of the time. Though Prem is still pretty innocent with anything physical, so he tends to need time to really get into a scene, since he's admitted to having no experience, having only kissed Boun, and so he ends up having a slow response to some scenes, it worked well for this show because it matched Teams character, so it's a pro here.

2) Episode two's nc scene was so awesome! Their special clip for it showed that they had a lot of... excitement, in their eyes. Like you could tell they got into it, which made it sexier and realistic. Team showed impressive control when interrupting Win while they were making out, because his character is typically meek, so I liked that part of the scene too. They both did a fantastic job in this one, much less nervous, more confident and it wasn't rushed, either, so the pace was good. It was probably my fav nc scene of the show. They did very well.

3) The songs for this were recorded by Boun and Prem and it made it better, to hear their music during certain scenes. Very nice touch.

4) Win's care of Team is magic, I love how he pampers him without being too easy on him, and his care for Prem comes through in his portrayal of Win. You see them a lot before and after this project and Boun always looks at Prem with affection (whether that is as friends, brothers, or more- its undeniably there) and Prem's awkwardness that is often covered for by Boun is also present in this series. As is the obvious trust and playfulness Prem has with Boun whenever they are seen together. It felt like they brought parts of themselves and their relationship (whatever it is) to the roles, it didnt feel like they were just acting. That made the series much better. It takes talent to give that impression.

5) Boun's smile is honestly one of my favorite things, its contagious, so whenever he would flash that smile after a emotional scene or while flirting, it always drew me in. Prem always seems to smile or calm down when Boun is smiling, and you can see that happen a few times when it really shouldn't have. (Like, Team is crying and had just had a traumatic experience and Win smiles and suddenly he seems much calmer) Its a double edged sword for Prem, really, but I think its a pro in this case. It matches Team's reliance on Win, so it fits nicely here.

6) The story for WinTeam is pretty good regarding the slow burn effect that many fans love. They grew closer slowly but surely, with Win focusing on Team from the beginning and both slowly falling in love. It was a beautiful aspect of the show, if not a bit frustrating at times.

7) The scenes with WinTeam always had a certain gentleness to them, and the drama was good. Boun really stepped up his acting for this role, and Prem has really improved in a lot of ways. Of the two, Boun has always been the better actor, but Prem is finally coming into his own, which is seen throughout this series.

Cons:
1)The other couples and the unnecessary amount of time they were given. Now, granted, BounPrem's first roles were side characters in UWMA and in only 30 minutes of scenes, the BL world fell in love with them. In fact, they are arguably the favorite pair from that series! However, neither of the side couples in Between us had that chemistry, neither of them could capture feelings of love or connection beyond that which is expected of them. (Though Bee did try his best!) they took away from WinTeam time- which is why we were all even watching this!- and the Bee/prince story didn't have anything to do with the theme, it barely even tied in with WinTeam or the premise of the series!

1.5) Most specifically, the relationship between Bee and Prince was... upsetting. Not because it wasn't a sweet concept, but frankly, Prince's acting is in need of work and, when paired with Bee whose character was built around humor, it just didnt fit. Not only that, but they had wayyy more time than needed for side characters. 30 to maybe an hour max should be devoted to side couples, especially when they have TWO of them, but they had a large chunk of time in most episodes, even when WinTeam was dealing with a lot of emotion, this couple would suddenly pop up and break up the pacing of the entire episode. If you want this paring, give them their own series, but for the love of god, don't freaking interrupt the main pairing and the whole plot of the story randomly to see the side couples!!!!!!

1.6) Also Tul and the brother... WTF was that? Frankly, I thought it was a better concept than Bee/Prince, since it at least fit with the story and added to it rather than took away from it, but they did not get nearly enough screen-time for any real coupling. The ending was super rushed for the entire show and this was very much the case for Tul and the brother. They should have had more time to develop, if so much time was devoted to lesser known and less important characters (bee/prince) while Win's close friend and brother were given minimal... it seems unfair. Like the director (issue number 2) had a specific focus on the Bee/Prince pairing and had no plans to deviate from that focus, even if it means taking away WinTeam time and stopping the other side couple. If you're going to half-ass a side couple, just dont try it.

1.8) The THIRD side pairing that was the most unnecessary was between Manow and the swimmer. It didnt fit and wasnt needed. It likely only happened because the actress is dating a producer, so she got more screen-time than she should have.

2) The director. Whenever New is directing, you can expect to see odd pacing, too slow plots or too fast turn arounds, and way more of a boyish, shy, less mature approach to relationships. This can be seen very clearly with the pace and the lack of kissing. They are set in college, not high school, and more maturity was needed from them in terms of approaching the other. As they are close friends and occasionally more for this series at first, I could see it. But as they develop feelings for each other, it is obvious that they want to-or should have- shared a few more kisses and physical scenes. It didnt need to be too intense, but friends with benefits suddenly becoming super sweet and not at all physical makes little sense. They needed to run with that plot, or confess much MUCH sooner. Several times kissing was teased, which was annoying. He also tends to have odd breaks right after intense scenes, like HE needs a break and so he just switches gears on the pairings and the fans. Its annoying and i wish BounPrem didn't like him so much, as he is the director both prefer to work with. :( so their series are most likely going to be directed by him. :(

3) The NC scene in the bathroom. That was Horrible. It was rushed, like it barely happened. After their steamy ep.2 scene, they should have-and needed to- bring that same fire for the bathroom scene. Win had clearly wanted to stake a claim on Team, he's holding back and it's harder for him every day. So when he follows him to the bathroom and kisses him, there should have been more to it. When he asked if he could sleep with Team and then just pushed him into a stall- which was hot- only for the scene to end, well. I was pretty upset about it. The pace was too fast. They should have been shown kissing for longer because they clearly want each other by this point, so passion and desperation would have been two emotions really needed for this kind of sudden scene. It lacked that, it lasted 2 minutes, and it left me upset that a good opportunity was wasted. Why put it in there at all if your going to not run with it??

4) The confession. Another poorly done pacing from New. They had so much build-up, so much they both worked through, Win was planning to confess- and then he froze. For a looooonnnnggg time. Then he's chasing after Team, and they for whatever god-awful reason decide 'hey, lets not talk about this. lets sing about it while we cry and still dont say the freaking words' which went on for a solid 5 minutes. Before they finally got to the point. The fact that Win had Team so insecure was really sad, but Win was even more insecure, and he needed Team to be strong for him. Which, thankfully, he was. So, of all the BL confessions I have seen... this one is a 6/10. I'm being generous. If I didnt LOVE BounPrem, it'd be less. Once again, this is a New issue. He's constantly messing up the pacing, and it makes an otherwise critical scene either too long, too short, or oddly arranged.

Overall, I still rewatch it, because Boun-specifically- tends to have a soothing effect on me for some reason so I'll rewatch his works. But, if you dont like attention to side couples, the slow-burn, teasing kisses, and/or dislike the overly drawn-out type of story... well, please support them by watching it regardless, just get ready to be left displeased half the time.

Lire davantage

The Most Anticipated becomes The Most Dissapointing

The first 9 episodes were honestly so confusing, the plot was going nowhere. Just when they start to address the problem in their relationship, the next episode they act like nothing happened and completely ignoring it. Win is confused whether his feelings toward Team is platonic like caring for a brother or is romantic, he also doesn't want to love anyone. Team likes Win but is afraid to communicate his feelings. Just when they have realized that the plot reset back to the start, like nothing happened, and then they back to realizing then back to nothing happened. They start addressing their situation on episode 10 and 11, that is where things start to get better and clearer.

Second, too many side couple and situation , while we should be focusing on the main couple and their progress in their relationship. I'm going to say the same thing about the back story of Team's nightmare, I think that's it's good to give a back story but it has gotten a bit complicated, kind of bothering the plot bcs they put this story in the middle of everything and just left it hanging. I think they really should be focusing on clearing their issues and defining their relationship status.

Third, the acting. Boun Prem's chemistry is good but I can't really feel it in this series. Prem's acting is really good, Boun still has a bit to go, because they are the main character and the story needs their acting to be deep and touching. But it's okay.

For me this series is lacking a lot because they make this series about WinTeam being the main character, not just some side stories like they were in UWMA. I'm absolutely disappointed with series, especially the confusing plot and the additional side couple, we have waited years for this to come out but this is what we get.

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Not amongst the best BL series in 2022-2023

If this had been released together with Until We Meet Again back in 2019 or in 2020, it would have been more highly rated. Unfortunately, the series feels a little dated because BL series have largely moved on. I am certainly not saying that a series has to keep up with whatever is fashionable. However, the series does not seem to be able to avoid some of the weaknesses of BL scripts a few years ago.

The use of multiple couples without a proper focus on the side couples is one thing that could have been avoided. Despite the presence of Win and Team as a couple in 2019's Until We Meet Again, it managed to focus on Dean and Pharm and the storyline was strong. However, the Win/Team storyline in Between US is not only weaker but also diluted by unnecessary digressions to side couples.

I find myself more intrigued by the story of one of the side couples (Tul and Wan) more than the main couple even though the duo have not even become a couple as of Episode 11. Sometimes, I even find myself enjoying the scenes of friendship (Team, Pharm and Manow) and brotherly love (Win, Wan and Wiew) more than the scenes with Win and Team.

To be fair, the story of Win and Team has potential to be more moving than it is. Win is one of three brothers who never feels like anything is really meant to be his and avoids commitment because of his fear of losing someone he treasures. However, he cannot stop himself from falling deeply in love with Team. On the other hand, Team has been living with guilt ever since a friend of his drowned while they were swimming together as children. A more compelling script could have been created with these ideas. There are some fairly good scenes, such as when Win saves Team from drowning, revealing how important Team is to him as he reprimands Team for swimming by himself. Yet, trajectory of the plot isn't very clear and instead of actual development, we often just see each half of the couple vacillate between realizing that he loves the other person and being in some sort of denial. We don't quite see how their attraction to each other intensifies over time or how each increasingly needs the presence of the other. The story simply goes like: they have a fling, somehow each is very much in love with the other, but oh . . . neither dares to show it because of the fear that the other person just wants a friend with benefits.

Without a strong plot, one might rather just rewatch 2021's Between Us (not an actual series but a few short episodes of random scenes with Win and Team). At least that didn't feel too draggy and there's a focus on Win and Team.

Lire davantage

Great Continuation of previous BL drama

This story highlights the love story between Win and Team. Unbeknownst to myself, they were the side characters in a previous series called "Until We Meet Again" (UWMA) where the main characters were P'Dean and Pharm. In Between us, I was slightly confused as to how Dean and Pharm knew eachother and the flashbacks didn't help much. It was only until I watched UWMA that I completely understood. If you're going to watch this series, I highly suggest that you first watch UWMA. Overall, this series has been a 10/10 for me this far. I'm looking forward to the forthcoming episodes. <(^•^)>

Lire davantage

Made me wish the show never got released

UWMA was one of my first BLs and the side couple were my favourite part of the show, so I was very excited to find out they were going to be leads in their own show. I held strong with the production delays, watched compilations of their moments and the short that was released. All this only for the acting to be cringy at best and atrocious at worst. The pacing was off and the forced "cute" acting just came off as juvenile and immature, making it a hard watch. 10/10 wouldn't rewatch. The poor acting of a majority of Thai BLs needs to be addressed fr, because I'm baffled by the high rating of not only this BL but several others.

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What happened???

This series got off to a strong start. Just started.
I loved the characters - Win (the best green flag ever), Tul (ahh, my fav); the couples - WinTeam, TulWaan (#1fav), BeePrince (#2fav), the friendship between Team, Pham and Manon.
But, the story, man, was boring. I'm sorry for the people how liked this series, but I got bored after the first few episodes.
The chemistry between Team and Win was there. I'm so sorry they didn't get a better story.
As much I loved the couple - TulWaan - their reconciliation scene might not exist. It felt so forced. A simple kiss was fine there.

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So bad. Sadly. :-

I can not recommend the series!

2/10 dropped, disappointed.

Negative:

1. Too few kisses
2. There was just 1 Lovescene and that was boring. I wanted so badly to see one or two Lovescenes where it comes off a bit.
This has nothing to do with 18+ - Rather 15+. Im very disappointed.
3. That team was constantly crying.
4. That Win was no longer Badass after Episode 2.
5. Story
6. The Character > Team became more boring and a crybaby from episode to episode....and made poor Win a crybaby too. I
thought that was a real shame...
7. I dont liked that Team has suffered a trauma.


Positive:

1. In Episode 1-2 i loved that Win was like a Badass Character.
2. I loved the Acting and Look of Win. Very stylish and cool.

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