My Stand-In (2024)

A Machete Served on a Plate— An Absolute Treat to Start the 2nd Half of 2024!

Here’s the thing: When the world of wife-chasing, dogblooded crematorium novels meets the Thai BL industry, something absolutely magical happens— and My Stand In is exactly that!

Originally based on a novel called "Professional Substitute" (職業替身) written by Shui Qian Cheng (水千丞), My Stand In definitely takes the crown as one of the most well-made adaptations we’ve seen in a while and is undoubtedly one of THE BEST we’ve seen this year.

Surprisingly, it managed to stay true to its source material for the most part. As for the rest, our director decided to sprinkle in some of their own creative "flair" to the script by tailoring the storyline so that it promotes Thai culture to the greater audience.

My Stand In is definitely a hot take among the lineup of Thai BL released this year. Right off the bat, this drama will not be everyone’s cup of tea— why?
Well, the questionable morals and actions from the characters throughout the series may be the biggest deterrent. One of our characters, Ming, has a doctorate from red-flag academy (graduated from the same class as Vegas from KinnPorsche). As someone who’s seen characters far worse than Ming, my level of tolerance is much higher than the average person— that is, someone who has their morals in the right places in both real life AND fiction. Ultimately, it’s up to how much you can handle. If you’re of the majority described above, stay far away from this series. It’s dog-blooded (a Chinese term referring to a plot that is cliche, drama, contains soap opera-ish elements, gritty, angsty), a dark romance, toys with your moral compass, and relentlessly stomps on your heart left and right.

Adding on to Ming’s characterization: He is, undoubtedly, a rarity in the Thai BL industry as to how much of a red flag he is. It’s not often that we see a character so deep and convincingly in the red. It’s a real treat that’s FUN IN FICTION, of course. Having read the novel (which I heavily encourage you all to do!), I’m already quite familiar as to how exactly Ming develops throughout the story. However, others, especially those who have not read the original work, find it difficult to redeem a character like him, which is rational enough— I mean, if I were Joe, I would’ve already had a restraining order against him and sued him of 10 criminal charges.

Despite its flaws, My Stand In is also one of the more compelling, intricate dramas I found myself enjoying far more than the usual university rom-com ones. The series contains layered characters, keeps you on the edge of your seat with its no-dull moments, and is a real breath of fresh air among all the fluffy shows we’ve seen so far. Objectively speaking, the drama’s strongest points lie in the casting, soundtrack (for the most part), and storyline.

Starting on the meat of the review. Based on the synopsis alone, you can already tell that this drama has something to offer other than your usual romance. For those who are unfamiliar, Shui Qian Cheng, the original author, is quite redound for her '188 series' that share a common theme of angst, morally-ambiguous characters, and falls under the category of wife-chasing crematorium (a genre I advise you looking into for context!). And let me tell you.. wife chasing crematorium novels are NOT for the faint of heart. For me, I’m a sucker for angsty plots and redemption arcs, so crematorium novels are right down my alley. Given that MSI is based on such a novel, expect it to be messy, dramatic, and one that may recycle some of your standard cliches. In the Chinese BL novel community, these terms all fall under the "dogblood" category. Also known as gou xie (狗血), this term describes a novel that contains a lot of soap-opera elements. MSI is 90% pain and 10% fluff. It is a melodrama, deals with sensitive topics like death, non-con, dub-con, kidnapping, alcoholism, and implied suicidal thoughts— just to name a few. Sounds crazy, right?— that’s WCC for you! All these elements, when put into the right hands, weave a compelling tale that manages to keeps your eyes peeled throughout, each episode leaving a cliffhanger that’ll cause your blood pressure to rise. You will feel a lot of emotions as you go through the series. At one moment, you will be like "damn, this is too sweet!" then have your heart, soul, mind, and conscious incinerated. That being said, mind the tags (mentioned above) before you decide to give it a go! Otherwise, it will completely ruin the experience of watching MSI for you if you’re not already aware of it’s contents.

While the premise is in a league of its own, it’s execution fell short. The storyline is divided into arcs, but I can’t brush off the feeling that it’s choppy— think of writing an essay but using no transition sentences. Consequently, flow and pacing were a bit on and off. While the timeline of events is coherent, the transition between them feels like I’m watching a stop motion film. Overall, it definitely could’ve been better.

Character-wise, it differs a lot from the novel. Here, the screenwriters has a knack for making every single character morally grey. While this is good, you also need to have a good balance. In the drama, some characters just can’t be redeemed, and just when you’re content with the fact that the villain is going to stay a villain (rightfully so), the screenwriters suddenly throw in an amateur "redemption arc" to try and justify them. When it comes to redemption arcs, some characters just can’t be saved— and that’s completely fine! If you’re gonna give a seemingly irredeemable character redemption, you'd have to justify it by showing how much they repented and suffered. Just expect to get your moral compass toyed with for a bit throughout the drama. Some characters got their HE, but was it really deserved?

The ending did feel a bit rushed and some things that were added were too dramatic for my liking, even though I assume that the intent was to make it "thought provoking" and symbolic, representing Joe’s feelings and all. However, we’ve seen enough of that. I wish that they could’ve used that opportunity to display more of Ming’s guilt and how exactly he suffered after Joes death (essentially putting all those words into actual perspective, make it more impactful). If those extra elements were added, I believe that that the ending could’ve been more satisfying and "closed," where the bad guys got their punishments and the good guys lived on happily. That would be my interpretation of an impactful ending.

Cinematography was good and expected from a drama of this budget. Soundtrack had a lot to offer but some songs were very overused / misplaced at times (ruined it for me, but each individual song was great). Most importantly, the acting and chemistry were OFF THE ROOFS. As expected from same two people who won the best couple award, UpPoom was an unexpected duo that managed to completely sweep me off my feet and stands as one of the best on-screen chemistry I’ve seen in a BL work!

Also, the experience of watching this as it aired would remain one of the most memorable! For those who are new here or held watching the show until it completely aired, I both commend your patience and are seething in envy. I remember the journey from episode 1-12, one episode a week, after all those cliffhangers— it was rough, but very fun! No dull cliffhangers here!

Acting wise, Poom Phuripan is definitely one of the most beloved, talented new faces of the year. His performance throughout this series is more than enough to showcase what the man can do. If there is one thing I’m certain about, it is that he will have a bright future ahead of him in the acting industry. Up, on the other hand, gave me another impression. This may be quite an unpopular opinion, but I found his acting to be a bit rocky, or maybe it was the characterization that I felt was off. Sometimes, it felt like he lacked that 5% to make Mings character come true. Sure, he most certainly fits the bill for how Ming should look like, but the acting wasn’t too convincing at times. I rationalize with myself that it may be due to the fact that I’m too used to Ming’s egocentric, utterly vile personality in the novel, which was toned down in the adaptation. As such, I will rewatch the series with a fresh mindset and separate Ming from Yan Mingxiu, which I encourage for all you novel readers to do as well! As for the other characters, Wut and Tong’s acting were rather underwhelming. Wut looked like he wanted to laugh even in serious situations and it seemed like Tong didn’t know what emotion to portray.

Since I’m writing this review right after watching the last episode, a part of me feels empty bidding farewell to MSI. Despite its flaws, it really had a chokehold on me for the past few months. Minding the tags, why not give this series a chance? Once you pass the "trauma" aisle of the market, you can’t go back to all that fluff!

Lire davantage

the best series ever, unique storyline, amazing actors

Normally I get bored of watching a long running series easily but this series is quite different from others. A good series with unique story line, and it's so interesting....It's been a while since a bl series grab my attention like this. I'm watching if for the third time and so sad to see a series end in a few weeks.

The actors are so good that I can't take my eyes off them especially Ming. Ming is very good in every scene, emotional, missing, angry, sad and also showed a lot of longing and love. I'm more and more obsessed with Ming/Up and his amazing acting skills. Soooooo touching!

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BEAUTIFUL MISTAKES

Thought I'd hate this show but I am loving it even for all the wrong reasons.

None of this show is going like I expect it and It's not a bad thing, honestly, the fact that this is a BL series where pretty much everything is unpredictable is the best thing that has ever happened to it.

Every character is f***ked up but this is a hot mess. If you tell me about it I have always admired stubborn and headstrong characters but what makes these guys epic is that they have this tendency of swinging from one extreme to another, it's like 90% of everyone in the series is Bipolar.

The Obsessions, don't get me started, every character is obsessive, spiteful, I even get the BDSM Vibes, grooming feels. Nothing about this show or its characters seems normal but I suppose the execution of their abnormalities isn't so bad, in fact it isn't bad at all.

Thumbs up, this show gives me the creeps in 1000 ways and I suppose it felt new to feel something new other than being lovey-dovey from our old-fashioned fruity series, it might qualify to be in my best BL series of the year 2024 since shows like Kiseki Chapter 2 even exist.

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A Show That Proves Not Every Relationship is Perfect

To start this off I have to say that this show was a pleasant surprise and I loved a lot of different aspects of the show. I loved that they were able to show a couple that doesn't necessarily fit into the normal BL couple dynamic box and shows what I would say is a realistic portrayal and is the type of relationship that some people experience in real life.

I loved the different character dynamics that were shown throughout the show and how Joe had to navigate his relationships with each of these characters, both before and after the body swap. I also found it incredibly interesting with his relationship with Sol in particular and Joe knowing that he had a better option in Sol, who had very deep feelings for him but he just could not help how much he loved Meen, for better or for worse. It really just goes to show that you cannot choose who you love even after everything that happened between them in the show. And trust me if Meen and done to me what he did to Joe, there would be a lot more punching than talking.

The acting in this show was also absolutely amazing and the show would not be what it is without it. Everyone in the cast did an amazing job, especially Poom and Up as Joe and Meen. I have seen both of them in their prior BL work and well they did a good job here, their work here just blows their other projects out of the water. Their chemistry is absolutely undeniable and I think the direction their relationship took would not hit nearly the same if not for the chemistry that the actors had.

Among the many things that I did like in the show though, one thing that I could not stand was Tong as a character and I do really have to thank Mek for doing such a good job making sure that I did not like him in this show. Tong as a character just made me very frustrated and while I understand that was the point, it felt to me that his presence in the last episode in particular wasn't really needed. I do not understand why May would stay with that man even after everything that he did and especially after he basically confirmed that he would have never been with her if she weren't rich. And I get that it could be because of the child but that just doesn't seem like a reason to stay with someone who's seemingly done nothing but hurt you and the people around you. But it could be that there's some deep cultural contexts that I don't quite get and if so then that's fair enough.

I also didn't really like the parents in like any way. Especially the mom though because while I get that she said she did it for the betterment of her son, I feel threatening him to the extent that she did wasn't really necessary and could have handled a lot better than how it was. And I'm also just kind of tired of the constant "parents not being accepting of their relationship until the very end and then everything's happy in the last episode" because it happens far too often in these BLs. And it also usually seems that the children are way too forgiving of the actions committed by their parents but that's nothing new with this show in particular.

Regardless, all this jumbled mess to say, I did rather enjoy this series and it was obviously not without its faults, but you could say that about literally any show. And I do hope to see some series that are similar in changing up the typical BL relationship dynamic because it can make the show so much more interesting and engaging even if you're not rooting for the main couple to say together. And I also wish Up, Poom and the rest of the cast the best of luck on their future work, whether in a new project together or otherwise. (But I would enjoy seeing Up and Poom as a couple in a show again, preferably with a healthier relationship dynamic this time.)

Lire davantage

It's a very interesting series and the highlights are the technical aspects. The direction, cinematography and performances are excellent. The main actors are excellent and I like that the story is very different from what we usually see in BL but this should be a story of revenge and not a story of starting over.

And that's where the story starts to lose its strength. Joe is an extremely lovable character but there comes a point when he becomes too permissive and makes decisions that only harm him. And when he puts himself in the same situation that culminated in his death in the past, it simply becomes impossible to defend him.

And that's what makes the series lose its strength, especially at the end. It's a serious problem when your main character doesn't evolve. And on the other hand, we have Ming, who despite having a redemption arc, still does abominable things and is absurdly toxic towards Joe, which makes it hard to accept his "love."

And I like complex characters who make mistakes but the script here failed to develop this in a way that would benefit the characters.

Another thing I hate is when a series hints at other couples in the final episodes (the secretary Jim and the brother, the makeup artist and Sol), especially here when other couples would have been excellent to make the story more dynamic and less repetitive.

The idea is very good but the series ends up dragging a bit and I hate that Joe decided to save Tong in the end. This was a decision that made me abandon Joe. If he had died there I would have been completely fine with it. I understand that they want to create a good and selfless character, but he ends up sounding stupid and masochistic.

This soap opera ending with everyone happy is something that I didn't like at all. It's a series that could be much better, but it's still interesting and has an excellent production.

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Great Actors Wasted On Terrible Story

I want to preface this negative review with saying the actors were great. This was a very well-acted series. Even the smallest characters were very fitting for their roles and they played them well.

The story, however, was a decent premise from the start that derailed into 'oh well, all the psycho stalker toxicity is forgiven because he got sad. To avoid spoilers, let's just say Ming was the reddest red flag ever who never actually underwent any sort of redemption arc, he just got forgiven because he cried a lot about how heartbroken he was over the tragedy of his own making. He was a deranged, psychotic, obsessive, abusive stalker and that sometimes can work really well (ie: Vegas in KP, where he was always a psychotic, cold-blooded murderer whose lover was also sick and twisted, so Toxic4Toxic fit) but in this case, where Joe is so genuine and sweet and kind, him forgiving Ming isn't out of character, but that isn't how the 'rules' of filmmaking work. In a reasonable 'rules of filmmaking' series, Ming would have no happy ending and Joe would.

I honestly about halfway through thought that it was going to be a revenge story where Joe seeks his revenge on Ming for all he did to him and Joe would end up with Sol. THAT would have been an amazing series. Unfortunately, we got this BS.

6/10, do not recommend.

Lire davantage

what's with authors choice of the partner

I'm writing this review four episodes to last and would surly edit it in the end but I have a few complain about this drama. the first one is even though the story is not that bad it is hard for me to stomach the fact, the guy had a back thing and loves the other because of his back? the second point that I cannot get my head around is the fact that Joe could not get a more healthier and supportive partner than what he has got here. Other than these two point about the story that are illogical for me as an audience the rest of the story was acceptable and the acting was superb specially the actor of the joe did a fantastic job here, the shots were good and the music is not bad either.

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Spoiler alert: this isn't overly detailed, but if you're on the fence about watching,READ

*OK SO EXPECTED A GREAT REVENGE STORY LIKE FOR REAL MAN...YET DEATH ALSO DIDN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN....DISAPPOINTMENT!!!*

1st of all acting was downright on point no doubt. Tong portrayal made us want him to throw him in an inferno and burn in hellfire and a lot of people will really agree with that. We loathe him and wish him his ultimate demise! Ming’s portrayal of abusive love and Joe's green flag version were remarkably on point. ( later portion Joe could have better character development, that was missing!! what I mean is Joe’s anger is missing… we don't need mild disappointment, we need absolute fury!! imagine those horrible things happening to us, wouldn't you be seething with ultimate rage?? And want to send him to jail or kill him or make him suffer till he cries…that rage was missing)

However, the script was not as good as it could have been. The series had the potential to be exceptional with themes of revenge, downfall, and letting go. But according to the script, the wrong character suffered, and the one who could have let go didn't. The first 4 or 5 episodes were great with character development, but after that, the story started to feel hollow. Love is not easy to overcome, but they were the reason for your death, Joe. Your mission was to make Tong suffer right??? Where is that portion?? In order to make the story more unique in the BL fandom, the focus should have been on Tong's suffering, and Ming never getting a chance to love again. The portrayal of Ming as abusive, even when he got Joe back, or guessed the other Joe to be Joe added depth to the drama, but there was a lack of development in Joe and Tong's portion in the latter half. The heightened expectation that Joe would make Tong suffer like HELL or go away from Ming, and get his body back (could have been a better option to add the concept of independence, freedom, new choice and breaking ‘my stand-in’ position to add more depth) was not fulfilled in the script…. WHERE ON EARTH IS THIS PARTTTTTTTT?? WHERE??

And one more thing: the BLUE watch that was gifted to Ming by Joe held such an important significance to melt Joe down. However, Ming never wore it. If she had used it, maybe it would have been more convincing for Joe to fall in love again. He fell for the 2nd time with so much less input, honestly. Just cooking food!! OH, YESS FOOD made me remember that Ming is really blind if the half-boiled-poached egg in noodles can't make him be sure that it's Joe...then, sorry no words from my side!!! In the drama, Joe literally said only he did that thing, yet Ming needed VALIDATIONS constantly for everything. No wonder I wanted them to fall apart for real.

Literally Tong needs to be punished instead of a family dinner. He manipulated everyone like Joe, Ming, in-laws, the wife always bro like…not even the unborn child was spared...whyyyyyy?????? Man Tong fucking deserves to suffer in hell nothing else period!! Like the sight of Joe, Ming, and Tong reuniting at the dining table underscored the series' theme. Goodness, the series is all about suffering, accepting the suffering and forgiving and forgetting at any cost without letting go. (But I Understand some BL fans like this toxic relationship and wanted them to end together which is why maybe they did this and leads were fresh so they went for the easy go with no complex plot but that was disappointing… btw no hate on anyone one neither the actors not the fans. It's ok whats done is done can't be undone.) At this point of time, Joe loves an abuser and ‘‘accepts & helps’’ a man (Tong) who changed the stream of his life, body and face again to be his stand-in and guess what?? he DIED AGAIN 2nd time!! (Now here the script from my perspective should have been the letting go portion and coming up with a plan to punish Tong or get his body back and now hunt them down or maybe haunt Tong… throw him to jail and take Ming's help for that but nothing as such happened) Goodness utterly frustrating. Love is great and beautiful but abusive love and obsessive love is no game…. SORRY!! Run from this honestly JOE!!

I know a lot wanted a happy ending but a sad ending might have made this a better drama with satisfaction. Like, don't go back to end that loop of abuse, suffering and death reborn with a new life and live your life happily. Don't give those men a chance honestly. People say Ming had a hard life after Joe left, but look at poor Joe - he's the one who really struggled. Let's not be dismissive of Joe's experience. Perhaps there could be better character development. (here I think they could even depict the concept of death and resurrection on a deeper level and connect it to the relationship between Joe and Ming. It could show that some relationships may come at a great cost and require letting go)...I waited for freaking revenge like hell man ...making them lose everything ....directors should go watch “GLORY” and take inspiration for revenge movies.


I was truly expecting a gripping revenge story, but even death couldn't bring it to fruition. What a letdown! BUT to me, I think the only person who suffered and absorbed all the negativity of the abuse, suffering and manipulation is none other than JOE. People who should have suffered didn't at all. Honestly, Ming caused Joe so much pain but didn’t suffer enough, and Tong literally fled the suffering just because he was going to become a father. He wasn't even beaten up! God, the frustration is at its peak!!! *ALL IN ONE - Despite the desire for a happy ending, a tragic conclusion might have added more depth to the drama. rather than succumbing to the cycle of abuse, suffering, and death, breaking free and leading a happy life would have been more empowering. I had hoped for a satisfying retribution, like witnessing the negative characters lose everything. once again, the directors should take inspiration from "Glory."*

1.The series could have been more impactful by showcasing the consequences of abusive behavior and the importance of holding abusers accountable.

2. Have you considered addressing the possibility that the resolution of the series may send a message that forgiveness and reconciliation should always take precedence over justice and accountability for one's actions?

3. How would you address those who argue that the series missed an opportunity to depict the importance of standing up against abuse and toxic relationships, instead of portraying a seemingly unconditional forgiveness?

So now this is my opinion pls don't come at me. I just shared my opinion and in the process, I meant no hate to anyone. Happy reading!!

Lire davantage

Sometimes couples just shouldn’t be together

I went into My Stand-In expecting that at some point it would turn into a revenge plot. At least for a short moment. But that means I was disappointed. Not only is Joe never trying to get revenge on those that HE KNOWS are responsible for his death, he’s also extremely stupid. He repeats every single mistake from his first life and gets involved with the same people. I would understand getting close to bring them down, but that’s not the case. So, at the end Joe ends up with Ming, who’s been trash during the entire series, and Tong also gets his happy ending. Worst part is that Joe almost died again because of Tong. I’ve not been this annoyed with a couple ending up together since Theory of Love.
The actors are good and the production is well done. But I feel like some characters just exist and don’t have much to do, like Jim and Mike.

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An Angsty Saga of Lost Love & Redemption

For better or worse, we don’t choose who we fall in love with, but we can determine what we do with that love.

And there’s no better example of this than the Thai BL My Stand-In, a series that explores not only love but finding the path to starring in one’s own life.

Starring Poom Phuripan as a stuntman and double named Joe, My Stand-In takes viewers on an emotional ride as Joe develops feelings for Ming (Up Poompat), a complex figure who sees Joe only as a stand-in for the famous actor Tong (Mek Jirakit). Tragedy strikes when Joe dies in an accident, but fate intervenes, and he awakens in another man’s body, also named Joe. When he reencounters Ming, they start on a rocky path of love and forgiveness.

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/07/30/my-stand-in-series-review-ep-3-to-12/

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Beyond the BL cliché, Allure and Shortcomings

High Points:
* Stunning visuals: The directorial and cinematography team (same as KinnPorsche) delivers beautiful aesthetics with a rustic modern feel.
* Captivating music: The score composed by Jeff Satur is another strong point of the series.
* Engaging plot: The story is a fast-paced melodrama with angst, misunderstandings, and over-the-top villains, keeping you hooked.
* Powerful performances: The cast, especially Poom, shines with their acting abilities.
* Unique concept: The series attempts to break away from the typical high school/university BL themes.

Lower Points:
* Unconvincing romance: The NC scenes lack passion and
might lead to skipping.
* Predictable plot: If you're familiar with the "crematorium"
genre, the central plot might be predictable.
* Wasted Potential: Winner's (2nd Joe) potential is
underutilized, and some character arcs feel rushed in the final episodes.
* Rushed side couple romance: The introduction of a romantic relationship between secondary characters at the very end feels tacked on and unconvincing.
* Unsatisfying ending: The dramatic shift from tension-filled betrayal to a wholesome family resolution feels unearned. The overly forgiving conclusion may leave some viewers unsatisfied.

Overall:
This series is neither a flop nor a masterpiece, a decent choice if you're looking for something beyond lighthearted BL fluff. However, be prepared for melodrama and uneven pacing.

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