Only Friends (2023)

A great show that went off the rails somewhere along the line

Boy oh boy am I conflicted about this one! There are some things I adore about it, some things I absolutely hate about it and on the whole I suppose I'm just not quite sure where I stand.

Let me start off by saying that the acting and cinematography in this show are phenomenal, the soundtrack absolutely slaps, and best of all: it has some of the most realistic and multidimensional depictions of queer people and their lives I've ever seen in a Thai show.
Relationship boundaries are complex and shifting, sexual roles and preferences are fluid, and monogamy is often not all it's cracked up to be. For that alone the series scored big points with me.
Unfortunately though, they completely flubbed the ending in my opinion.

This story could have had the perfect three act structure: the building of relationships, then the complete breakdown of those relationships, before finally rebuilding connections and salvaging whatever possible from the wreckage.
And for a while it really looks like that's where the show is going. I absolutely adore the first third of the series and am very much on board with the sheer chaos of the second third (I especially love the twist to Mew's character and think this could have been the perfect set-up for a truly interesting and subversive character arc).
But by the last third I was so furious about some of the writing choices made that all that goodwill pretty much went out the window.

I strongly dislike the way Mew and Top's relationship rekindling is handled (I think it's a great disservice to both characters to be honest) and I just couldn't get invested in their dynamic anymore.
Boston also gets done pretty dirty in that the show frequently blurs the line between "this character is a complete dick who is unrepenting and pretty much irredeemable" and "this character is simply polyamorous/prefers open relationships" which plays into negative and antiquated stereotypes.
And then there is Boeing whose inclusion is as unnecessary as it is deeply irritating. It detracts focus from two of the most important relationships in the show and pretty much ruins several character arcs in my opinion.

That being said the series does still have a great deal to offer: it is raw, touching, and real. It subverts a lot of tired old tropes of the genre while also skillfully addressing several important issues like consent and addiction. It is incredibly sex-positive and unabashedly queer and features several loving lesbian and trans couples (though none of them really get enough screentime).
And most importantly it's pure, chaotic fun.

In short I hope to see this production team create more shows like this in the future and hopefully learn from some of the mistakes here too.
I also would like to take this opportunity to grab GMM by the proverbial collar and inform them that they better wise up and make space for more authentically queer productions going forward without leading good projects awry due to unexpected audience demands dammit!

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Crazy little thing called love.

Oh boy. This series was a ride and a half, and I'm still not entirely sure about my rating.

There were points when I was so frustrated watching this, but it did a fairly good job at engaging me. I'm a sucker for complex relationship dynamics, and I think each of the pairs in this delivered on that tenfold. So to best assess, let's look at the couples.

Mew & Top: When I started, I wasn't sure about them. Mew's character was relatable for me, and I wanted Top to be a good guy -- but of course, nothing is that easy. The fist shaking and face palming done during certain scenes with them was numerous. Surprisingly, I feel they did a good job at redeeming Top. I was rooting for him by the end, and in a weird twist, I was annoyed by Mew. His character flip due to heartbreak was enraging at points, but they pulled it back together. This was the pair I was least engaged with, though. Also can we talk about the random storyline they threw in at the end? Literally insanity to me because it had zero development and felt like someone was like "but wait... fire!"

Nick & Boston: This dynamic hit so much on Queer as Folk, but couldn't live up to that series. Still, Nick was endearing, though naive. Boston was not meant to be likeable and they did a fantastic job of conveying that. I really wish they would've explored more of his character, especially after what Nick said to him about wanting to be loved. I feel like that hit so hard, but wasn't fleshed out. Furthermore, they tried to redeem Ton, but there was no real moral dilemma evident when he just repeated his usual patterns. I feel like if they wanted us to believe he had some signs of hope, they needed to show that more. Ton grew on me, but like mold grows in a poorly ventilated bathroom. I'm sad but happy in the end that Nick chose himself. Boston has some growing to do, and he can't do it if he is enabled.

Sand & Ray: I actually chose to watch Only Friends because I enjoyed First so much in Note Me. This couple is really the star of the show for me. Ray was so enraging at points, and I think Sand was such a beautiful person, which they conveyed well. They were ying and yang at points, but complimented each other. As someone who works with mental health and addictions, Ray was a particularly heartbreaking character. His one therapy session had me near tears, and I wish we could've seen more of his exploration. I would've loved for them to delve more into the dynamics of recovery and loving someone in recovery. Their chemistry was palpable. One thing that bugged me a bit is the lack of closure related to Sand's dad.

Boeing: Not a pair, but he gets his own line because he created so many feels. Love the actor, hate the character -- so basically, he did another great job at acting. He was like Ton but boss level Ton. Any time he walked into the room, I was ready to throw something at my screen.

The ending felt a bit flat, but I enjoyed by journey (well, most of it).

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Splendidly messy, highly entertaining ! Hot, wild and thrilling !

This Thai BL follows the story of a group of 4 business students who are friends and open an hostel together as part as one of their university project. They are all somewhat very flawed individuals pursuing love in a very messy and foremost highly entertaining way. They are all entangled together with 4 additional characters and the relationships they all build along the show are full of red flags but also so wild and thrilling. I was pretty satisfied by the ending as I was afraid of it being full of potential redemption arcs not very believable. Here the choices done made overall sense to me, even though some resolution might seem a bit easy, it was pretty nuanced and convincing.

I watched this show religiously every week and I was invested emotionally in the adventures of the 8 protagonists but not at the same level for each of them. I had clearly 3 favorites characters that I was rooting for: Ray, Sand and Nick. I think what made me so attached to them is the great acting performance of Khaotung, First and Mark. I loved those actors in some of their previous works and once again they truly impressed me here. The other actors were not bad but there is for me a clear difference of skills level between those three and the others. This explains why there is one specific pairing that I adored so much that I was ready to forgive any mishaps happening between them while I was much more severe in my judgement for some other storylines. This pairing had also the most sizzling chemistry and the best emotional scenes in my opinion.

In terms of production, I really enjoyed the overall indie vibe of the drama. The soundtrack was pretty nice with its rock sound and it was very fitting with the story as a lot of the scenes were happening in bars, concerts or parties. The styling of the various characters was pretty cool: I rarely notice that much the clothing but there are a lot of noteworthy wardrobe moments.

I would recommend this to people looking for hot, wild and thrilling BL. If you are not afraid of messy relationships, you are in for a real treat. I would have loved for the drama to be longer even though the conclusion was good and satisfying (despite what felt as some shortcuts), that's why I would gladly watch a second season if they decide to make one.

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RESENHA BRASILEIRA

A GMMTV quis fazer algo mais ousado para o público que gosta desse tipo de conteúdo. Eu, particularmente, não curto assistir nada que tenha cenas de s3x0, gemidos me dão vergonha alheia e fico fora da imersão, pensando em como foi para os atores encenarem aquilo e fingirem que estão sentindo prazer KKKKK. Mas, enfim, sobre a série, há pontos positivos e negativos.

POSITIVOS: Os figurinos são maravilhosos. A vibe vintage me encanta porque acho lindo demais. Tem muito couro, jaquetas, jeans, motos, discos, vitrola e bebidas amareladas. Chique. A fotografia é muito bonita e a vibe de todo o conceito é incrível. Outro ponto são os barracos; eu amo brigas e bate-bocas. E uma coisa que gosto bastante é quando, em uma série LGBTQIA+, eles falam abertamente sobre isso. Eles mostram quem são, como o Sand citar que é bi ou o Boston dizer que nasceu sabendo que gostava de homens. Não é uma série onde os personagens vivem em um mundinho cor-de-rosa ou que a sexualidade do personagem é gostar de somente outro homem e não de homens em questão.

NEGATIVOS: Prometeram muitas coisas. Eles apresentaram uma narrativa e personagens que não souberam desenvolver. A história era sobre um grupo de amigos, mas a menina foi mal trabalhada; eu queria ter visto mais dela e da namorada. Se eles entregaram um protagonista podre que é infiel, deveriam mantê-lo assim até o final. O Top era infiel, tinha suas qualidades, mas era um filho da p**a, e deveria ter continuado assim até o final, pois seria um dos melhores personagens. Não fez sentido aquela redenção. O Mew melhorou muito no meio da série quando começou a desenvolver uma personalidade vingativa, mas de repente ele se torna um corno manso. NÃO! Que ódio. Deixem ele brilhar, cuspir na cara do Top, beijar várias bocas na frente dele. Vi por aí que foi culpa dos fãs, que disseram estar estragando o shipp, por isso ficaram juntos no final. Porém, achei que estragaram a história.
Sobre o Boston, ele é o pior e o melhor personagem. Ele é podre e permaneceu podre até o final, o que é maravilhoso. Eu gosto de personagens podres que têm um final sozinho e não mudam. O Nick teve uma evolução, sendo um dos poucos personagens que foram bem trabalhados, porque se ele ficasse com o Boston no final sem amor próprio, eu tacaria meu computador na parede. Outra coisa que odiei foi terem o poder de dar destaque para a personagem da Jennie Panhan, mas tratarem tudo de forma muito rasa. Igual ao tratamento do vício do Ray e a terapia mal feita dele.

Considerações finais: Assisti apenas por causa das roupas, música, vibe, barracos e a química entre FirstKhao.

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The Friends We Made Along The Way

There was one thing that annoyed me about this series once it started, I did not believe the core group of friends actually liked each other, if anything it felt like they only hang out together out of convenience but wouldn't miss an opportunity to belittle or mistreat each other.
But I think it was concise, since the story starts when the group starts to fall apart, when they reach the limit of what they can take from each other. It almost feels like a coming of age story where the main lesson is self love and worth.
The acting was top notch, while I think that Force and Book struggled with their characters and had a more lackluster performance compared to the others, at the start everyone still needed to break in their roles, Neo was the one that I felt was the most comfortable and ready for the challenge from the get go, Boston was probably the most different character he has played and it fit him like a glove, I was in awe by him. Khao had the hardest scenes to film and just like he did in Moonlight Chicken, he showed once again that he is one of the greatest actors in GMM, his character can give you a lot of mixed feelings from hate to pity, but it's certain that he will make you cry. While I think First bit a little more than he could chew with Sand, he still gives a strong perfomance, the chemistry he and Khao have is undeniable and allows the relationship between the characters to be believable and captivating even when it shouldn't. Mark was a pleasant surprise, Nick is a character to feel sorry for, with a lot of vunerability, I think Mark's performance was well done.
I feel that Cheum as the only girl of the group and the lesbian representation you rarely see, could have had more space in the drama, I would like to know more about her relationship with her girlfriend, while they treated her as the glue that keeps the group together, she seemed so out of the loop most of the time, her character was the hardest to relate to.
The story wasn't the best, but the execution justify why Only Friends got so much attention and praise, it is about people, about relationships, friendships, drugs, sex and betrayals.
I can't even say if it has a happy ending or not, because the end doesn't feel as a end, because life doesn't end after the credits roll, it keeps going, so I can only imagine that it will be the same for these characters, they will keep going and we will see Nicks and Sands and Rays and Mews walking around making mistakes and trying to get things right just like everybody else.

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Solid Acting and toxic relationships.

This was a RIDE!!! Kind of a guilty pleasure series filled with toxic characters and messed up relationships. But the actors did a splendid job. Since the series did not have a unique storyline or anything, the acting was holding it up. Display of emotions are done excellently and i am right there with them when the characters are hurt or heartbroken. I almost liked all the couples but i absolutely ADORED FirstKhao pair because these two were magical. And damn those smiles First had were the star of the show.

The character that took my heart and will hold it forever was Sand. I cried for him, fell in love with him and just whole-heartedly wished for his happiness. What he and Ray had was magic and the way he cared for broken Ray was worth watching.

Highly recommend!

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Uma verdadeira relação de amor e ódio.

Confesso que não estava com as espectativas tão altas mas me surpreendeu de certa forma. Muitos pontos me deixaram com uma ideia de que faltava algo ou que poderia ter se desenvolvido melhor.

Confesso também que não sou tão fã desses BL's que tem muita pegação, traição ou coisa do tipo, então acho que isso também fez com que eu não ficasse tão interessada.

Vou começar falando da história da trama. Foi algo que não me prendeu muito e não achei tão interessante quanto pensei que fosse, além de as vezes ter sido deixada meio de lado. E também vamos combinar que não é o melhor enredo, claro que eu também não queria cobrar tanto da história e do desenvolvimento dela, mas eu realmente senti falta de algo, poderia ser mais cativante.

A cinematografia não é um ponto que eu acho que preciso me aprofundar, mas quero ressaltar uma cena muito boa e bonita. No último episódio, quando o Sand e o Ray ficam apenas ouvindo música no terraço e aproveitando o ambiente, dançando etc. Gostei bastante da cena e achei ela muito fofa!

Falando do Ray e do Sand, esses dois tiveram uma história de muitos altos e baixos e foi bem desenvolvida. Além de muita química que esses dois tem, eles serviram uma atuação espetacular, assim como os outros atores.

Acho que quanto a atuação não tenho tanto oque falar pois, em minha opinião, todos os atores realizaram bem seus papéis e deu pra perceber que eles se empenharam.

Agora um casal que eu achei que não teve TANTA química assim, foram o Top e o Meow. Em comparação com outros casais eles deixam um pouco a desejar, claro que dá pra ver uma conexão entre os dois mas não achei que tiveram toda essa química.

E uma coisa que não posso deixar de falar e a OST desse BL! Cantada por Kaothung, "Lets Try" se tornou uma das melhores ost's de BL's que eu já ouvi! recomendo bastante vocês irem ouvir porque é realmente uma música de se apreciar.

Não é um BL que entregou tudo aquilo mas também não podemos falar que foi ruim, voltaria a ver? Talvez não, mas acho que pra um BL que eu não esperava tanto eu até que gostei. Uma verdadeira relação de amor e ódio.

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They're all idiots, your honor

This so clearly needs a second season.

I'll keep things vague but maybe add a reply with hidden spoilers below, but in general the comparison to The L Word is spot on. I love overly dramatic soapy shows, and this brings the DRAMA. The music is outstanding, everyone is beautiful and impulsive, the production values are pretty good but not perfect, and the connection to real world things like jobs and how many stripey shirts any one individual should own are tenuous at best.

AND. I finally get why some of the popular pairings appeal to fans, which I didn't before. I might even give A Boss and a Babe another chance based on watching this. I am now officially a Mark fan. I see you, GMMTV.

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Love the drama.

Love SandRay and the pool scene with Boing, this show is pretty much problematic people trying to put their shit together while being depressed and drunk I guess but still love it.

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BEST GMMTV series of the year?

STORY: I didn't expect a good story from a series that focuses on messiness & (let's be honest...) sex. But the story has some twists along the way. There are 1-2 magic moments that wows you in (almost) every episode.

ACTING: Khaotung as Ray deserves acting awards! He's (arguably) the best Thai BL actor this year. First as Sand supports him so well. FirstKhaotung is the Thai BL CP that shares a similar level of acting skills (which is rare).

Neo & Mark Pakin's acting are surprising GOOD! They need to be main leads in other series.

Book has 2 scenes that wows me. I was like "Book can act!"

Force is good at side eyes (which he does often in Only Friends.) He's also hot so he fits the character (Top).

MUSIC: The team has great taste in music (3 music types for 3 CPs). The music fits the scenes well. It helps you feel the characters' emotions.

Rewatch value: SandRay (FirstKhaotung) have MANY memorable scenes. Gonna watch them again some time.

At least 2 of their scenes should win (or at least be nominated) for BEST Thai BL scene of the year.

SUMMARY: Only Friends is Director Jojo & Ninew's BEST work so far. They should do a season 2 in the Only Friends Stay (hostel) setting. And add new main characters like Mix, GUN, & Earth...

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It had potential

In the first 9 episodes this series was addicting. After that, it became a little bit boring and I really lost any interest in Mews and Tops story.I think the last three episodes could been shorten into two or even one. Or they could written a better storyline with Boeing.

First of all, I didn't forgive Top and I don't feel like he actually redeemed himself enough, but maybe it is realistic that Mew forgave him anyways. But I still felt really annoyed watching their cute scenes after they became a couple again.

Secondly, the Boeing storyline was really weird. It would have been interesting if he actually had wanted to date Mew, but instead he was a one-dimensional bag guy. Also, It was really unnecessary that he tried to get together with Sand. And why did Sand just accept it? I feel like this should have been resolved better, as it seemed like Sand wasn't sure if he should pick Ray over Boieng.


Anyways, I still like Sand and Ray together, even though it was unrealistic that Ray suddenly became a better person and suddenly forgot his trauma. To be fair though it makes sense, as Ray is very impulsive and changes his mind easily, I still feel like him improving this quickly should have backfired.
Another "couple" was Boston and Nick. In my opinion, they were the best written couple, even though they broke up, which was the perfect end for them. Boston couldn't have changed that quickly and he didn't. Also, I liked watching Nick's character development!

Would I recommend watching it? Actually, I would, if you like messy drama. It may not be the best written story, but it sure was entertaining.

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