Stalker (2022)

A Hidden gem

SCOY is the ultimate hidden gems if I've ever seen one. Every episode was really surprising and exciting, never a dull moment at all.

I think, before SCOY, I was really in a daze and watched anything BL, no matter how bad. But SCOY has raised the bar for me because it seems like I was in need of a romcom that was actually REALLY funny and not a repetitive tropes that other BLs use. SCOY was genuinely Funny... like Cover your face with your hands/pillow/scarf or anything, with your hands and legs flailing around and Screaming and laughing every few minutes in Every episodes. Now that I've finished it, It feels empty and no matter how much I try to get into other series I missed while watching SCOY, I simply can not get into them.

I will definitely re watch this in a few months.

Lire davantage

My heart...

This journey started a bit rocky for me because I've been reading comments on MDL that said "Toh is a stalker and must be admitted to a mental hospital"... I read all these before starting the series because it got me curious and as a counselor, I wanted to "study" his character. What I found was more than what people were talking about. They only focused on Toh's actions and failed to mention the other character's insecurities and actions. Almost everyone in this series had insecurities that were addressed in the show one way or another. But I want to focus on Toh as he seems to be a topic of choice for some to hate on the series.

Well... I was disappointed because the comments made it seem like Toh was like "Girl interrupted" while he was literally acting like fan. He collected food, which I found was a bit sad but other than that, because it showed a lack of self esteem and we start understanding it is based on nurture and not nature, through out the show,

I see that the title of the book says "Stalker the series" but in all honesty, it was a poor choice of word and Secret crush on you fits better to what the series showed. Because as a counselor that works at a treatment center, I did not see any harassment or disruptive, unwanted behavior from Toh towards Nuea that would make me say "he needs therapy or needs to go to a mental institute".

What I got from his actions, especially after meeting his parents is that he grew up in a Loving home but was still told since young he was not beautiful or was ugly and then when he started going to school, he might have felt more self conscious because he was made to believe since his younger days from his most trusted family, that he did not possess a face that is fully acceptable to the world. And based on his mom's "obsession" with handsome men, we learn how looks are coveted in society and if you dont have the looks, then it'll be hammered into you that you are not good enough.

That is why I Loved Nuea's view of Toh. Nuea told Toh that he is cute on multiple occasions and told him to be himself and did not ever want him to change himself because he loved him the way he was. The last episode, when Nuea brought all Toh's collection into his home and made a display of it without making Toh ashamed... that sealed the deal for me. Nuea was the only person in Toh's life, from childhood until now, that ever showed a full and total acceptance of him without any strings. Nuea is the only person in Toh's life that Loves and accepts him for who he is.

Can you imagine? A person you've had been crushing on for a long time tells and shows you, no matter what you reveal about your true self, and no matter how much society says you dont deserve this, that person is there fully, without any conditions, to show you your worth that you have never believed you had. By doing this, Nuea was not encouraging Toh's "habits" but telling him, it is ok now. I am with you now and what you've collected so far is more then enough and from now on, since our feeling is mutual, lets be present together and look forward to our future that involves only Us!

This was a Beautiful watch and I would recommend it to anyone.

Lire davantage

Literally the Best... WTH?

I started my SCOY journey a bit late because I, ignorantly, took some negative comments on here to heart. Which I should not have at all. If anyone wants to know the true and honest feelings of people who actually watched this series, You must check out Reddit, Tumblr and last but not least, Youtube comments under each episode.

This series had literally everything that No other BL had or has and will ever have. I"ve watched so many BLs in the past couple of years but I have to say, this is by far my favorite BL as it is literally about everyday people that have never been represented well in other BL series. They were always made fun of or were put in the series for comic relief (i.e. LBC, 2gether and etc...) those side characters were given the chance to shine through this series and I am so glad it was made. The actors are crazy amazing. Each character has a place in my heart, I Literally LOVE each and everyone of them, I even like Prao and her gang. Lol.

The relationship between the couples are one of the healthiest and cutest I have ever come across. The way the Never hold grudges or if they did something wrong, they are ready to apologize and talk it out. No break ups in this series and that is another thing that makes this series different. If there is a misunderstanding, then it is literally covered by the next episode and not dragged out.

When it comes to friendships, well 3 equals 4 (Toh, Som, Daisy, Jao) are the epitome of the Best friendship Ever. They went through up and downs together, they supported, advised and helped eachother so much that I kept thinking, "why dont I have friends like that?" Nuea's friends also are wonderful (Sky, Tor, For, Kangkwan) ... and when the two friend groups came together, It was like fireworks. It just fit perfectly!

One last thing I want to point out, what Toh was doing is not Stalking, it was basically keeping things that shouldn't be kept like crab, the can from the trash and the tangerines. But other than that, Everything he did was out of love and not in anyway to hurt Nuea. Toh Never followed Nuea anywhere except School festivals. He never approached him or made Nuea afraid for his life, nor did he appear in front of him. on the contrary, Nuea was the one to reach out to Toh first through P'Thep, who asked him to go to Nuea's sister's birthday to take photos. Nuea figured out that Toh would never come to him on his own so he made the first contact.

If anyone wants to know what Stalking really looks like, watch Kong stalking Toh in ep. 12 and 13. I know most of us relate to at least one character in this series and that is one of the best things about it.

Thank you to all the actors, Producer, director, staff, and all the wonderful audience who understood what this show was really about.

Lire davantage

Dropping this would have been a huge mistake!

My first review despite years on MDL. This is because this show is that good and that underrated. Give it 5 episodes at least. Look past the shock value. The story and characters are amazing.

Every now and then a drama comes along and resonates with me more than others. Means more to me than others, obsesses me more than others, touches me more than others.

SCOY was one of those every now and thens...

I dropped it the first time I watched, only to come back to it when I needed to escape some bad news I had received. Yes, admittedly for me the cringe and second hand embarrassment was powerful in the first two episodes, but my mood was such that I could see past that and actually listen to the story they were trying to tell me. Listen to Toh and his rules for crushing. See Nuea watching the guy with glasses and smiling. See the friendships that were unconditional and supportive. I could really see the story past the crazy. And what a beautiful story it was.

Some say Toh is a criminal and creepy. He harmed no one. He did nothing illegal. He was devoted and loyal and pretty strong. His intentions were never to hurt or make someone uncomfortable. If Nuea had approached him and said I see what you are doing, please stop, I'm pretty sure Toh would have been upset that he had made Nuea uncomfortable and would have stopped immediately. That's how I see it at least.

I've heard others say the story is not plausible. How could Nuea like Toh? Considering I'm a chubby nerd that got the hot popular jock, I can't really agree with that way of thinking. Was this story in a setting of unicorns and rainbows. Yes, maybe. But, wouldn't it really be wonderful if all parents accepted their children for who they are unconditionally? Wouldn't it be wonderful if all friendships were as unconditional and supportive as theirs? Wouldn't it be wonderful if all the bullies always get put in their place? Wouldn't it be wonderful if your secret crush was secretly crushing on you as well?

I never write things this long on MDL. I usually don't have the confidence. But SCOY really meant so much to me. This crazy, silly, beautiful mess of a story captured my heart.

I thank them all, from actors to subbers. I wish them all the best. You made this person very happy.

Lire davantage

cringiest series with the best subtitles (need a Daisy/Touch spinoff)

Overall: this series has some of the cringiest moments (especially the beginning episodes) that I've ever seen in any genre. There were aspects that I disliked, but it also had several amazing things. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: stalking, taking photos/video without permission, dub con touching/kissing (drunk), non con kiss between m/f, cyber bullying, body shaming, attempted suicide?, violence in a dream sequence

What I Liked
- this series has the BEST subtitles, we were given additional information about references non-Thai audiences likely would not know about
- the friend groups, especially Toh's, they really supported and loved one another
- Daisy/Intouch, I'm sad we didn't get more scenes with them, they could have left off that pointless new character towards the end and developed Daisy/Intouch more
- acting, as much as I dislike some of the characters' behaviors, the actors did an amazing job. I don' t know how some of them didn't die of embarrassment while filming. I cried when Som cried and I believe those were real tears/crying instead of the frequent fake tears that I see
- the stylists, some of these characters look soooo different in real life you wouldn't even know they were the same person
- how Toh and Nuea are horny for one another, I appreciate that there isn't just 1 kiss at the end in this series
- the GL though it was not shown that much
- the funny moments, I laughed several times throughout the series
- the poignant moments, characters have some really good conversations
- Toh's parents
- I was happy that they revisited the bathtub scene with Toh and Nuea a second time and Nuea said "of course" because the first time it seemed that Nuea was setting up Toh to fail
- good production value

Room For Improvement
- serial killer stalking level: taking a can out of the trash, vacuum sealing things, an entire wall of photos, projector image, sticker on his phone, pillow, life size standee and then actively stalking him. This is played as comedy and the characters do address it later but it was not my thing.
- not enough screentime with Daisy/Intouch, crucial moments seemed to happen off screen and we really needed more scenes with these two
- Nuea kind of plays games (as does his dad) which is also not my thing
- that dream scene with the dad at the wedding was disturbing and unnecessary
- the cliche evil woman wannabe girlfriend
- Jao was too reluctant, there is a difference between nervous and unwilling and he was on the unwilling side. Even in the last episode he scrunched up his face preparing for a kiss which is uncomfortable to watch.
- the stereotypical trans women at the food stall
- some bad consent examples, saying that kissing is better when drunk, giving a hand job when the other person is drunk
- the theme song was nice but they played it over and over and over again

Lire davantage

Rewatching now

I just finished watching this series a day ago and I'm going to start rewatching it tonight. I Never re watch a series right after I finish it but Secret Crush on you is different to me. There are so anything's that I think I missed at the beginning, Especially when it comes to Nuea's feelings towards Toh.

For example on ep. 3, after Toh's friends helped him cover up the picture on the wall, he tells them he'd get them Grilled Barbq pork for a week. Then when Nuea is about to leave after getting the thumb drive of his sister's picture, he gives Toh an envelope of $ and tells him to get his friends Grilled BarBQ Pork. Like how did he know??? lol

Another one would be Nuea already knowing Toh has a huge collection of pictures of him (He asked him "is the reason you dont want me in your dorm because of the pictures you took?" on ep. 8) and also how he wasn't that shocked with the pictures all over Toh's wall in ep. 13 because he already knew. Idk I want to know more about those moments lol

It's an addictive series that I think everyone should watch. the 2nd hand embarrassment is there and that's what makes this series sooooo good. Do you know how hard it is too make a 2nd hand embarrassment plot funny? Toh aka Seng did a wonderful job with his character. He's an amazing actor (same goes to everyone in this series).

Lire davantage

Wow, What a Ride

I cannot believe Secret Crush On You is already over when I feel like it just began. What once was a cringe series I was sure I would hate to now being my favorite of 2022, I will forever and always be grateful for what this series did, brought, established, allowed, and created. Yes, this was nothing but tropes and giggles and cringe and foolishness, but it brought me utter joy just to experience it and get to love in its moment. While it might not seem at the beginning to be such a heartfelt series with a message to tell, by the end, you're swept away by the development of the characters, the lessons they learn, and the goals they achieve. I will miss seeing my children every Friday.

Let's Dive In.

Secret Crush On You was a silly little BL that at first, I wasn't taking seriously, and really only enjoyed it for what it was; a crack series with the stupidest situations, and with every corner came some character doing the most out-of-the-ordinary shit. One of the most extraordinary characters is Toh who has a massive crush on the popular guy Nuea and keeps a shrine of him at his home. Through some coincidences, Toh and Nuea get closer, and inevitably date, with Toh's gang of friends also going through their own stories. In the beginning, this is total insanity, with nothing the characters doing at all very normal or even the slightest thing that could happen in real life, but you fall in love with them anyway, and you can't help but laugh at their stupidity and their nerdiness. The reason this show just works so perfectly is that it is that slice of life mixed with utter fiction and it's the perfect blend.

The number one thing that has shocked my world to its core is the actors in this show. This series wouldn't be anything without them, and not nearly as enjoyable as it is. They are remarkable actors that played up to their roles perfectly. The thing that worked was that they all acted over-the-top and dramatic. Had one person been off, this entire show would've gone down the drain. But luckily, the director knew what he wanted and saw it in these actors. On top of that, they were the best of friends which just made their chemistry on the screen 10 times better. Not a day goes by where I don't think about how mesmerizing they are and how much I will miss them.

Each couple, while some more noticed than others, were pretty much everything I wanted. Toh and Nuea's story was none like any I've seen. They take an overused trope and turn it into a gold mine. Yes, some situations are idiotic, crossing the line of what-the-fuck, but it just makes sense for the world they live in. While Toh at the beginning was an annoying obsessive freak, they throw in some character development that spices up his story and he becomes someone who believes in himself enough to know that Nuea isn't going away and he's really his boyfriend. His problem was that he didn't think he was good enough to be anything more than someone Nuea never noticed, and it took him a while to realize that he is important, and he needed to recognize that. He understands that keeping the little things isn't important when you have the real thing, while Nuea went through his own struggles of not feeling perfect and sometimes worried that he wasn't enough for Toh. I'm telling you, this show has a way of telling these characters' stories, and this couple had plenty of moments to go off of.

With that also came Jao and Sky, their story being one of loving oneself and learning to let others love them too, and then there was Daisy and Touch's story that was criminally half-assed, and was given the very bottom of the barrel. Really my only problem with this show is that they have set up so many different characters with their own stories, but have no time to tell them, with Nuea and Toh taking up the time we could be using on developing these other plots. Daisy's story was the most mesmerizing to me. Even overwhelmed me to the point of tears when she comes out as trans. Her story with Touch is not much, some hints here and there that they both have feelings for one another, and a very half-assed ending for the both of them, but Touch's smile was enough for me not to be too mad. I wouldn't mind at all for these two to get their own series. Som and the other dude weren't given much of anything but some teasing remarks from the others, and the same goes for Kongwhan and Fon. With fewer filler moments (like them throwing in a Toh 2.0 character plot), I have no doubt that these couples couldn't have gotten the story they deserved.

Not let's talk about the moments that really meant the world to me; The gang. I can't tell you enough how much fun I've had watching them all together. I've laughed, I've cried, I've pretty much done all of the above, and I never want them to go away. The best support team there is, and I can only wish that I had my own gang of friends.

I will comment though that this show does an exceptional job at kiss and heat scenes. I liked that there was a difference between Toh and Nuea versus Jao and Sky where the latter took their time, and voiced open communication and clear understandings with Sky taking his time with Jao until he was ready to expose himself in a new light. It was slow, it was intimate and it was sensual. On the other hand, Toh and Nuea's was a lot more rough, passionate, exciting, and fast-paced. The cast has excellent chemistry, nothing ever veered off, and I do hope I see them again.

I can't believe Saint was able to produce such a heartfelt show! I'm so astonishingly proud of him, and can't wait to see what he has in store for the future! Producer Saint is the new way to go!

Ratings:

Story: 8.5 - Overall, the character development was everything. While the story could sway sometimes by being maybe too filler or maybe too repetitive in certain circumstances, I was still able to hold on and enjoy every minute of it. However, I will take a star off for that, and another half star for their poor execution of DaisyTouch, KongwhonFon, and SomWhat's-his-face.

Actings 9.5 - No complaints here! The actors knew what they were given and played them to a T! Everything was supposed to be exaggerated and maybe they were even supposed to sprout about cringe, who knows?! But all I know is that these actors did a superb job and I will miss them dearly. I will take a half star off cause there were times I wasn't paying attention to Toh and only the profuse amount of sweat that was dripping off of Seng (someone get this man some air conditioning ASAP)

OST: 8 - Weirdly addicting. I noticed myself singing it the other day and don't usually even take the time to really pay attention to stuff like that.

Rewatch value: 4.5 - I plan on watching this whenever I feel the need to. I can't go without them for too long.

I highly recommend this series, and while there are some incredible stories, really good morals, and astounding character development, I wouldn't look past that this series IS weird, so maybe take it with a grain of salt, and really just enjoy yourself.

Lire davantage

Crush on them all!

My first love with this series definitely goes to the colour scheme. Nuea and Toh are mostly seen wearing the oranges and blues respectively (which you know are complementary to each other on the colour wheel, if you’ve studied basic colours) and Sky and Jao wear derivatives of red. It’s not just easy on the eyes, it’s very beautiful to see. This is just one small instance that shows the depths to which the production went to craft out the series. Coupled with excellent actors with fantastic platonic and romantic chemistry and a solid storyline, SCOY makes for an amazing watch.

In a nutshell, Toh has had a crush, no secret crush, on Nuea for long and SCOY is his journey of love. There’s no need to ponder about the difference between a crush and a secret crush because there are well set rules for having a crush in secret, that we are introduced to early on. One of them being, three equals to four. Contrary to common logic, it actually makes sense. As does the concept of secret crush, but it requires us to sit through two or three episodes to understand that it’s not the same as stalking. Toh’s crush on Nuea is his one single obsession in life. It’s not something that fuels his day, it’s what his day itself revolves around. From a completely different perspective, one could call it an addiction of sorts– but it hasn’t yet progressed to the stage where it’s troublesome to either character. Toh is very well aware of what his crush could amount to. He's still sane.

This delicate characterisation and portrayal require extreme care, caution and dedication and this is the show’s greatest asset. It succeeds in depicting an exact likeness of the character as it was conceived in writing. Toh was translated flawlessly from thought to paper to screen. And was given further credibility (and adorableness) by Seng. Normally, Toh is the exact sort of character I hate in stories, books, shows and real life but no one except Seng could have sold Toh for me. I even actually like the guy! Billy is likewise perfect as Nuea. He isn’t the typical overbearing seme. Even when he’s possessive, jealous or sad, his innate softness never goes out of the picture. I can wax poetic on how excellent Jao is, how he rocks pink, how he looks like a cute, squishy human plushie, how he’s just this soft and chubby bear who screams of comfort and gentleness.

You don’t see SCOY compromising anywhere- be it in the plotline, characterisation, costumes or production. There’s mature handling of practical problems that arise in relationships and it’s a treat to watch, especially after the stack of illogical and toxic stories we’ve had in the past. This is not to say that SCOY is impeccable. It has its share of negatives but none of them are disturbing. All of a sudden in the middle of the series, Daisy and Intouch are made the third couple but their track doesn’t have a proper beginning, middle and end. There’s inclusivity sure, but why is it not well presented? One sentence about Daisy’s problem to inform the audience about it and another to resolve it are not how a third couple should be treated. Kongkwan and Fon suffer a similar fate but at least, they are more of a side couple who’ve already got together.

For that matter, SCOY doesn’t resolve a lot of minor conflicts it brought in to further the plot. Kong? Peach? Prao? Flowers at the end? In that sense, SCOY isn’t exempt from how it uses the cliché of a jealous female who comes in between the leads. Prao gets the worst deal of all (especially after Ging’s super awesome Nadia in My Ride). One episode, Nuea and Prao are together and the very next one, Nuea can’t bear the sight of her. Why? The uniforms are different for a change, but it’s basketball again(?) Truthfully though, this is more my dissatisfaction than any criticism speaking because the show is enjoyable regardless. When all is said and done, “Secret crush on you” and “You’re the magic in my life” keep ringing in your ears and there’s a lingering smile on your face. Success? Yes!

P.S.- (repeat after me) We need more of Saint (and his productions)!

Lire davantage

Loved it!

I stumbled upon Secret Crush on You quite by accident, and I'm so happy I did. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

ATTENTION TO IMPORTANT ISSUES. Bullying, transgender identity, fat shaming, homophobia (and more) were addressed satisfactorily in this series.

LIKEABLE CHARACTERS. I found myself liking every single one of the characters, other than the bullies.

CONS

TOH'S MEMENTOS. Nothing says "I love you" like cutting the entire head off of a roast pig to save as a keepsake... in a Ziploc bag.

WRAPPING UP STORY LINES. Not dealbreakers, but I would have liked to see more of Daisy/Touch, Jao actually meeting Sky's mother, and Prao/Peach getting publicly shamed.

I had fun watching this series and looked forward to it each week.

Lire davantage