Bad Buddy (2021)

Non-Original Plot but Original in Execution

Let's be honest, we've seen the University plot with Engineering students many times before. There are many tropes that are represented in this drama but the brilliance of it is held with the phenomenal execution.

Story:▷▶ Honestly, the story has been done before but so has every other story. The telling of it is what's original, the drama openly mocks the problematic tropes in previous BL and addresses them in an exceptionally natural manner. The drama also doesn't rely on shock-value or any unnecessary quarrels between male leads which eliminates previous drama toxic tropes. Instead, the drama picks out its issues and deals with them nicely and allows the characters to be human and not pawns for melodrama. Pat and Pran have by far one of the healthiest relationships in BL, they communicate with one another and also don't shy away from being affectionate towards one another and truly feel like a real couple. Their comedic scenes and quarrels that they face is treated with maturity that communicates to the audience their feelings perfectly. The key theme is that the couples and friendship bonds feel exceptionally real in this drama and it gives a refreshing experience to watch! I've never been more impressed by chemistry amongst actors as I had been throughout my entire watching experience. This drama feels no need to exaggerate or stretch out cliché plot points, it instead approaches them at a natural pace and makes the character feel the consequences of their action at redeemable amounts. It's perfection in a simplistic plot.

Acting/Casting:▷▶ Perfectly done. Ohm and Nannon sells their roles perfectly, the two bounce of each other with phenomenal chemistry and control that draws the audience in and truly allows the audience to enter this drama's universe. Nannon's facial expression to portray Pran's sarcastic yet witty personality creates some of the best bonding scenes between characters I've ever seen. Ohm equally portrays a playful and charmingly childish Pat flawlessly through his body language and facial expressions. When it comes to the heart breaking/ raw moments between their characters, these two actors have mastered the skill in subtle expressions that are filled with extraordinary amount of emotions, which further adds to the atmosphere of their given scenes. I can't compliment them enough because this drama was truly amazing. Jimmy and Drake also deserve a round of applause by their comedic duo at the end of the series and their more serious quarrels at the start. Their characters had the best development as side characters and further added to the likeability of all the side characters. Love and Milk also did an amazing job at portraying a GL couple, their portrayal of their characters was very sweet and tender that was a pleasure to watch, I'd love to see them paired again!

Music: ▷▶ I loved it! There's not much to say as not much stood out to me, though the OST and how music was used to portray the growing relationship between Pran and Pat was done beautifully.

Overall:▷▶ This drama is truly worth a watch. It's not like other University dramas and it does not disappoint in its deliverance.

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Admirable BL drama

I request you to just go and start watching this series already buddy, because you are too late if you are reading all the reviews first and then going to watch.
I have been watching BL dramas since covid lock down, and I felt happy to see how people are directing the BL dramas with such a cute plots. I liked all the BL dramas I watched till now. Mainly GMMtv channel BL's are so adorable to watch. When ever I watch any drama I learnt something which is applicable for my present life. Bad buddy is one of such meaningful yet entertaining drama with cute plot twists.
When I first watched the trailer, I just fell in love with the plot and actors who played the role Pat and Pran. Bad Buddy is a journey of two buddies who born as rivals and destined to be together forever. The main thing in this BL drama is that there is no such people called toxic. Even though their parents are rivals they never over reacted to the Sexual orientations of their children and their friends were sad only because they kept their relation secret but never questioned about their relationship. This makes the series to re-watch as much as we want.
Each episode contains romance and comedy together with lots of emotions filled in it. Actors ohm and nanon were just awesome and their acting was so real they just walked into the character and done justice to the characters they took. The romantic scenes were so adorable and they are not too horny like other dramas( not only BL, But also other dramas). Many dramas just show us how main leads first fights with each other, then fall in love with each other, then a kiss / hug and directly jump into the bed scene. Many BL dramas were shown us that love between two people happens after that silly bed scene. I just got bored with these repeated plots. But when i watched Bad buddy series, i realized that this is the best drama out of all which is totally filled with correct sort of emotions and actions. This series also contains kiss scenes but not the forced one like other series.
Pat and pran characters just show us how a relationship should be maintained in a healthy way and how to respect each other's personality,taste,time,privacy, favorites, dreams, future goals,..etc. Even though their parents are not in a state to approve their relationship, they had never gone against their parents nor let their parents to destroy their relationship. They just continued their relationship together and faced the obstacles together by fulfilling each other career goals. There are many meaningful dialogues and romantic lines which i loved so much while watching and they made me re-watch the series for many times:
"We might not be able to change the world, all we could do was just adjust to it and live happily. We might not be able to change people around us, but they couldn't change the two of us either." - PatPran
"In the end one of us will win and the other one will lose. But if my victory puts my boyfriend in trouble, I'd rather lose" - Pat
"I can be anywhere, as long as i have you" - Pran
"Lets play Speedy quizzes, i don't want to just compete, I want to know you better" - Pat
"Just because I'm not telling people doesn't mean I don't like you" -Pran
Sacrificing little things for our love is necessary but sacrificing our love for other people is just foolishness. So just keep loving without any fear and give time sometime to make things go on our way. My kind apologies if i hurt anybodies feelings. I trust that this review may be helpful.

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Simple and heartwarming

Fulfilling smiles, heartwarming story, entertaining plot, and never ending bickering. This is a complete pack of entertainment and laughter in one! It is very light on the heart and easy to watch. Ohm and Nanon's chemistry is one of the most iconic and deep ones in the BL world! Nanon's cuteness and Ohm's 'never-give-up' attitude are lovely to watch. Pran's all-understanding smile is the cutest. Their secrets, sacrifices and care for one another makes it worth watching. This one makes you fall in love and leaves you begging for more! Thank you GMMTV for yet another blockbuster!

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The series that breaks all the LGBT stereotypes in filmography

So, I have been following the director's work for a while and honestly, at the beginning I was spooked that he would be directing this series, because if you know him as long as I have, you know that he has done some series that were not done pretty well - at least in my eyes.

But than the concept trailer came out after New Year and I was hooked on the story since the release and I had been waiting for it to drop for like centuries. I may be different from other people - since majority didn't enjoy the concept trailer and feared the drama, while I on the other hand loved the concept trailer and wanted the drama right away.

I really won't be writing about the plot of this drama, since you can read about it on here, but I really wanna point out why the rating is so high and deserves to be high.

The thing that first attracts me with any drama/movie is the acting and with this I knew beforehand that I would be pleased, because Ohm showed everything he could in the movie Dew - it was spectacular. With Nanon, I saw glimpses of his acting only - from teasers and trailers, but I also knew he was super capable and I was right. The dynamics these two have is just over the roof. The script was written as if for them, because they embraces the roles as if they were strictly made for them. I love that the director gave them space to improvise and usually you know how good the actor is based on improvisation and in this case - it helped the plot a lot.

Secondly, the whole relationship dynamic was done perfectly, because they didn't just get together out of nowhere, we got to see that both had the feeling of love in them, but it was suppressed by other people, which is new. Honestly, in a lot of LGBT dramas where there is some issue with other people, the couple decides to selfishly just focus on themselves and give flying F about others, but these two reacted in more realistic way for the culture they were raised in.

Thirdly, I see a lot of people saying that this series has won the hearts of many because of the skinship - which in my eyes is a total bullshit, because the actors only showed how majority of relationships work. I can name quite a lot of dramas where it is clear as a day that the director and whole crew makes money out of skinship (purposely making few kisses or ending an episode with a kiss to put emphasis on how special it is~). Honestly, kissing and touching is normal and favored in a lot of relationships, and the way this director put them in the show was so so unforced and natural that I was in awe - also the actors improvised a lot of kisses as well.

Lastly, the biggest stereotype this series has broken is for sure the uke/seme one, which I always hated. If people just looked at statistics they would know that a big percentage of LGBT community switch in sexual relations, okay? And I loved that they showed this in this series, because believe or not, this is the first. First in the Asian LGBT cinematography and that says a LOT! Yes, it is up to the couple how they want their sexual life to go, but come on! Who would believe that ALL those couples in those LGBT dramas do not switch and are strictly top or bottom!

In terms of music, I loved Nanon's songs, but I did quite miss the Tily Birds songs which were hinted from the concept trailer. Yeah, it did make a small appearance, but I want moreeeeeeeeee.

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A really nice change of pace

Okay, in all honesty, this show isn’t flawless or perfect; it could have definitely handled quite a few things differently in terms of specific episodes and characters (writing-wise and editing-wise). But it succeeds so well at achieving what it set out to achieve. As in, dismantling many tropes of the bl “genre,” giving us a healthy, happy couple living their lives and confronting what is essentially generational trauma. It really all depends on what you’re looking for and where you set your expectations. If you come into the show expecting drama, angst and heavy emotions, you’ll be sorely disappointed, but if you come into it understanding that it’s a rom-com at heart, this show will hopefully bring some joy into your life. It’s not very story or plot-driven, but it is very character driven (which I personally like a lot—and the acting is amazing). I’m honestly so happy that Ohm and Nanon were able to play such endearing, warm, happy characters. This is the type of show that queer audiences need and deserve, one that depicts a couple facing all of the problems that come their way, together (drama-heavy shows are good too obviously, but it’s definitely not the only way to tell a queer love story). I think we can use a little rom-com fun sometimes. It’s a show that’s a really nice change of pace.

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A Family Feud, A Secret Romance

Bad Buddy was one of the most highly anticipated BL's of last year and arguably this is one of the best to come out of GMMTV. Ohm and Nanon were a perfect pick for the main characters of a rom-com enemies to lovers fiasco with wild family drama, crazy faculty rivalry, and a quiet romance between two supposed enemies.
The one thing I found to be a dent to the plot was how weak the conflict was handled. This is an overall rom-com that contains multiple goofy scenes so it's not taken seriously, but during the more serious scenes it interrupts the wackiness and was weakly resolved.
Regardless, though, this series remains a high favourite.

The acting is incredibly well done. The line delivery, facial expressions, body language and more was expressed in a believable manner. All of the actors were great, but I have to give credit where it's due and that's with Ohm and Nanon's acting. It felt genuine and heartwarming with their scenes, they nailed their roles to a tee.

It's great to see the romance branch out and how the dynamics are at play. There is a sapphic side couple which comes as both a shock and a hopeful step in the right direction for more opportunities to have diverse queer couples in series. Their development felt natural and sweet in every scene... and dammit, I want more!

Pat and Pran's development throughout the series was strong. I love how their opposite personalities go hand in hand. The way they express their love for each other was something not often seen in dramas (at least from ones I've watched). It was typical couple bickering, sweet affection and true feelings communicated all wrapped in one... or two, haha!

This series is a perfect lighthearted introduction to Thai Queer dramas. It does not have any kind of bad stereotypes, just people in love despite all odds against them.

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Happy, Fluffy and Intense!

First and foremost, I have never watched a single BL from GMMTV. Hence, I dove into this one with no expectations, without any prior knowledge about common BL tropes. I was immensely surprised by how popular Bad Buddy was. Everywhere on Tumblr, I couldn't escape it. Well, lucky for me. I'm so happy that I watched this drama while it was still airing. One of 2021's good surprises.

Two rival families and also next-door neighbors attempt to etch their grudge upon their sons, starting a chain of events from Kindergarten to University. Pran and Prat, the aforementioned sons, have their own cliques, friends and interests. After a few years of separation, they are flung together in the same University. But, this time, they get to decide whether they really need to rekindle their grudge, or start anew.

Is it cliché plot? Yes. But, it was a cliché done right. Right upto the ending.

The drama was a wholesome package. It had family, siblings, friendship, career, character growth and everything so neatly arranged, acted and directed that right now, I have nothing to complain about. I've not seen a single drama of both the leading actors. Their performance literally blew my mind and there were scenes where I would simply feel their emotions and smile like crazy because it was so unbelievable. That's some Oscar level acting. •_○

We slowly watch the two opposing rivals grow closer and support each other, ready to force real conversations when things go wrong. It was a simple plot, but the depth of sincerity and time the entire crew took to bring it to screen is palpable from the final product.
There were no unnecessary misunderstandings or time leaps that were senseless.

(I'll forever remember that one tumblr post that went: P' off, I'll be under your bed tonight.)

Shout out to characters like Wai, Korn, Pa, Ink, the theatre Big-Bro and Nang Nao who were a few memorable ones.

And last but not the least, the people who chose the BGM better get a pay rise. Because it was absolutely heavenly and pulled all the right strings, making the scenes indelible.

My review sucks and I know it. Bad Buddy is a story that needs to be experienced and I'm at a lose of words to describe my feelings.
9 is much too high a score, but this is definitely one of the most excellently made dramas I've ever seen. I'm so happy I watched it. The hype didn't lie for once. And thank you, tumblr, for bringing this to my dashboard and eventually making me watch it.
If you are seeking a satisfying and sweet, yet slightly angsty and serious escape from reality, definitely give this one a try!

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a show filled with all the best tropes in the best way

Bad Buddy was my first foray into the world of Thai BL's which was a world i was hesitant to step into because of how much content there is, but i gotta say...what a show to pick as your first.

I spent 12 weeks watching the story of Pat and Pran and their journey from being so called enemies to the most loveliest couple that I have seen on tv in a long time. I contribute that all to the fantastic chemistry of Nanon and Ohm and the very apparent comfort they have with another that translated so well on screen for their characters. The show had such a nice balance of high comedy moments and then moments where you're crying because you can't bear the thought of something bad happening to these boys who deserve the world and more!

AND THE MUSIC! i would be remiss to not mention the music in this show! It helps that they had Nanon as Pran because that boy can SING. He provided two very lovely and heartfelt songs that are so very special to the show and i will forever have them on my playlist to remind me of the 12 weeks i got to spend watching this series.

I have to shout out to the inclusion of the ink/pha side couple which was VERY unexpected but oh so welcome! So often we see the female addition to the main couple be there for drama and then have little to nothing in the show to offer after, but bad buddy thankfully did not go down that path and instead gave us a sweet little romance that was presented so sweetly even with the short amount of time.

Overall, this show had a lot to be happy about: a feel good romance, well crafted angst, sweet side couples, hilarious group dynamics, GREAT soundtrack, and a general good vibe about everything.

I wouldn't take back a single moment spent watching this show whether it was alone or with a group of friends and I hope others who decide to give the show a chance also have the best time getting to see the beautiful and heartfelt romance and story of Pat and Pran - two boys who weren't allowed to be friends and then decided they couldn't be Just Friends ):)

I could not recommend this enough! Well worth the watch!

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This is a real 10/10!

I can honestly say without any hype or bs, this show is a perfect 10 for me. I adored every episode, it never got old and it left me with an enormous happy feeling. I did read the book first and honestly this is quite different, which I love. I would almost pit the book as it's own stand alone and try not to compare, both are worth your time though! I think we all know by now chemistry is king in this industry and these two had it. I know quite a few people complain about other epic BL series and their toxicity, but I personally have never been bothered and I love a wild ride. This show is not a portrayal of toxic love and I still felt myself floored by other elements. The excitement for each episode and the immense amounts of intimacy kept me going. There is no reason to skip this one now that it's finished, it is now one of the "epics" and is a must watch for any BL fan. I am whole heartedly satisfied and I would for sure watch this over again!

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So good at being good that this may be its flaw

Bad Buddy is probably the best conventional Thai BL series to come out in 2021. At the beginning of the year, there was A Tale of Thousand Stars, which was excellent and different from many conventional BL series. Then there were plenty of average to above average BL series that did not really shine.

The thing that first made me excited about Bad Buddy was the casting of Ohm and Nanon in the leading roles. Ohm has always been great in the roles he’s given, even the less important roles while Nanon always thrives with a well written role. Seeing Ohm and Nanon in the leading roles meant for me that Bad Buddy would not be one of those series with first-time actors trying their luck in a BL production; and most likely, the production team would not be amateurish as well.

Indeed, Bad Buddy did not disappoint. It is the perfect textbook example of how to do a conventional BL very well. The premise is not exactly original, but it is one that lends itself to endless variations. We have the sons of two constantly fighting families in the fashion of a Romeo-and-Juliet tale. At first, the two sons themselves seem to be engaged in a similar sort of rivalry, but soon it becomes clear that they are different from their parents.

Everything seems to hit the right notes in this series. Tension is mixed well with light humor. The portrayal of Pran’s love is suitably moving without being sappy. The pacing is also excellent. I doubt anyone will find it draggy or too fast. Quite quickly, we get to see Pran’s love for Pat, but the “unrequited love” part of the plot is not protracted for Pat also realizes soon enough that he loves Pran. When they become a couple, they face more problems together. (Not only are their parents always fighting, but their friends and faculties are always fighting too.)

There are the sorts of problems that drag on for too long in other series, but they get resolved fairly quickly in Bad Buddy. The effect is excellent as we get an overall lighthearted mood even though the problems that the couple faces become increasingly serious, culminating in their parents finding out about their relationship. We also get to see that two men may face problems but they love each other enough to not childishly fight and prolong any conflicts.

The series manages to avoid the problems that some other BL series have. It eschews having many side couples that can make the storytelling awkward and lacking in focus. It seems as though the team behind Bad Buddy has gathered a whole lot of feedback on other BLs and resolved to make one that doesn’t get all the usual criticisms. We see this when it makes fun of how BL characters claim that they are not gay (“I’m not gay–I only love one man.”). It also consciously avoids references to the BL couple as husband and wife. The series even cleverly manages to avoid the Penultimate Episode Curse (or the Episode 11 Curse which has the worst things like a break-up occurring in the second last episode), with Episode 11 focusing on the couple’s temporary “elopement” while showing their increasing awareness that they have to return home eventually. And instead of having multiple BL couples, the series is used as a means of testing waters for featuring GL. (The GL is cleverly kept ambiguous until the episode in which the women become a couple, so even if it is not well-received, any negative impact is likely minimized.)

What could possibly go wrong with such a series? Not much, to be fair. But perhaps Bad Buddy is so good at being good that we find few risks being taken. It is a lot of conventional stuff being done very skilfully. With such good actors and such a good team making the series, perhaps there could have been a stronger risk-taking spirit. Bad Buddy is a better production in so many ways than some of my favorite Thai BL series like Sotus, 2gether, He’s Coming to Me and Until We Meet Again. Yet, each of these other favorite BL series of mine has something that makes it more distinctive despite its flaws.

Bad Buddy is like a textbook example of how to make an excellent conventional BL series. But if I may have the audacity to be greedy, can everyone trying to make a BL series please learn the lessons that Bad Buddy has learnt but come up with something more convention-defying, something not as safe?

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DO NOT COME EXPECTING FOR A PERFECT PLOT

this series is really good. i really enjoy it and i was obsessed with it for weeks (tbh idk if it is bc i like nanon but again i am not obsessed with all nanon show so i think it is definitely the charm of the series). anyway dont come for this series expecting great plot, no, bc this is character driven instead of plot driven. idk if ppl will enjoy it if you bingewatch (bc there are a lot of fluff scenes so some might find it repetitive and cringe i guess (too much sweetness) but since i watch it ongoing i love it lol). the rating is obviously biased bc this story is not perfect but i rated it high for all the feels this show managed to deliver to me and that is on patpran strongest and healthiest relationship.

i personally really love the first 4 ep, it made me feel things and genuinely made me feel happy and i love how the conversation flows between them it is just very natural and i dont feel cringe at all. patpran is officially my top 1 bl couple they are just very enjoyable to watch and i love how they stay with their character till the end. the show start with them always bickering and also end with them bickering but with love. some ppl said after ep5 they look like two bros flirting with each other, well idk sometimes i perceive it that way but they are cute together so i love that part of them that are equally competitive and just doing dumb things with each other. they are both dumb yes pran included.

acting? now this is what made this show different from most thai bl i watched bc both main leads are really good actor. im gonna be honest, the story is cliche and the directing is sometimes questionable making me not fully be able to enjoy it so if this are not played by ohmnanon then the series will not be as enjoyable imo.

now let's move to the bad parts of the series?

again, the series is not perfect. i have 2/3 ep that i genuinely dont like and sometimes i had a problem with the editing and some plot. people might not like how simple the issue is resolved after the series building it or making a big deal out of it for almost 8/10 ep but i personally love it. would i prefer if it is more intense? yes but i also love how simple everything is. it is like a depiction of real life where we are very afraid of smth but when the real thing actually came, it is actually not that bad and that is how i intepret it with the friends and parents situation.

//////S P O I L E R//////
i know some people wish the parents conflict to be solved more clearly but i love it. i love how they show the parents are just flawed people, they are not a total villain they are just simply human who made mistakes and their slow acceptance towards the end of the show just made sense bc humans are like that. people might not be satisfied bc all those buildup are for what if in the end the parents never try to separate them? but how would patpran know in the first place? yall might question why must they fake a breakup? well their parents will definitely not ready to accept the relationship at first but throughout the years maybe they realised their sons never fully breakup and slowly try to accept the relationship.

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