ToL's concept is really cute and pretty well executed. Does a great work making you empathize with the characters, or react to their behaviour, and the soundtrack is so good. Every episode has the title of a romantic movie, and not only the movie is named or referenced within the episode itself, but they even replicated the posters! ?

With that being said, let's go more in depth.

The representation of the women in this drama is not ideal. They are mostly a screaming crowd or seen more as a prize/object by MCs than anything else. Khai's gfs especially are either arrogant or psychos. That is, unless they are the love interest of one of the other boys. Both Lynn and Paan are smart and kind women, and Praew ends up telling Third the truth in ep 9. Still, not a good picture in general even if it's better than some others bl dramas we have.

CHARACTERS

Let's start from my favourite crybaby.

Third is someone easy to feel close to. He has an unrequited love for his best friend (even if HOW he came to fall for someone who constantly acts like a jerk is a mystery) and while I appreciate how he's super popular too, making it different from the usual "nerdy, 'insignificant' main secretly in love with the popular bff", the fact that he decides to give up on Khai at least once every other episodes but ends up always coming back.
Makes you terribly frustrated in the first half of the drama.
Just see what Khai does to him (and he does to himself) in the first 3 eps:

- EP1 Third buys 2 blackpink concert tickets (for Khai and himself) after Khai tells him how much he wants to go, camping and spending 12k ฿ just to discover that Khai found some on his own and he actually wanted them to be able to go with the girl of the moment.

- EP1 Khai suggests to go see a movie but later cancels saying that he has a family dinner. Third then bumps into him with a girl at the mall

- EP1 (Yes, STILL) Khai tells Third to give back to Milk her stuff, Third even defends him with her, before throwing her stuff away as Khai said. That is before they go back together and Khai tells him to go find Milk's stuff in the garbage and when Third comes back defeated and dirty for something he shouldn't even be doing in the first place, Khai only asks him "Are you sure everything's there? " and proceeds to close the door completely ignoring Third.

- EP3 Sexiled. Do we really have to talk about how Khai tells Third to go out so that he can do his stuff with the new girl and leaves him out FOR THE WHOLE NIGHT, unapologetic and completely unfazed?

So yes, you're both hurting for him and praying for him to just move on.


Khai, on the other hand, is obviously created to make you hate him with all you have for the entire first half of the drama.
He's a SHITTY friend to Third. Doesn't seem to care at all about him or his feelings. He sometimes randomly acts like a semi-decent person And that makes you even angrier, because it has on Third the same effect of a kidnapper showing basic human behaviour, like giving you food and water so you don't die on them. Third is grateful and hopeful and goes back to him again.
2 examples of this are when in ep2 he offers Third to go live with him - when and ONLY WHEN he sees there's no other solution. And let's remember Third is supposedly his best friend. And in ep 3 when he tells Third the iconic "With girls, I use my body. With you, I use my heart".
And it should be romantic, right?
WRONG.

Up untill this moment Khai almost NEVER shows any sign to even just respect Third as a human being, let alone his best friend. These words are not supported by facts and my only reaction was frustration because I knew Third would, Once again, refrain from moving on and go back to him.

BUT

Character development is a blessing and the second half of the drama shifts prospective, letting you see what changes Khai goes through.
Ngl, the change itself is a bit too sudden. I'm willing to believe that missing Third completely all of a sudden acted as a waking up call for him, but it's not really coherent with his character.

Nonetheless he starts working hard to make things better and becomes a better person. So much that you will feel bad for him against your own will.

Bone and Two are both good friends and good people in general. I'll talk about them again when analyzing the relationships, but I really appreciated both, especially Two who is funny, cute and helps Third a lot.
Also I'm whipped for White since Love Sick so there's that lol

RELATIONSHIPS

• KhaiThird

As I said, the start of their relationship is far from being the best. Khai is not even a good friend, let alone a good potential partner. Third clinging to anything remotely decent Khai says or does for him attests for how toxic the relationship is.
It starts like a mostly unilateral friendship on Third's side.
Khai comes up with 3 plans during the drama. I call them the "Jerk Plan", the "Oh-So-Stupid Plan" and the "Desperate Plan".
The Jerk Plan is "on" during the entire ep 4.
At the end of the episode you find out - disappointed but not surprised - that he was just testing Third to see if he had feelings for Khai.
Third's reaction is finally on point.
Right after that, at the end of ep 5 and for all ep 6, we see in action the "Oh-So-Stupid Plan" in which we find another pearl when Khai asks Third to be back being friends "like before" (So with you treating him like garbage? No, thanks) and then proceeds to finally treat Third good, only to fake being drunk and kiss him while calling a girl's name.
That hurts so much.

This genius plan is supposed to let Third move on and go back being just friends. Predictably the only result is Third disappearing for good.

The "Desperate Plan" consists in Khai going thru the list of his defects Third made and try to fix them all. It doesn't really work, but both we and Third appreciate the effort lol.

• TwoAun

For both the secondary couples, I appreciate the time and space they get. They are not rushed nor left without a conclusion unlike a lot of other dramas!

Two is a good character and the way his feelings for Aun change is well builded. Appreciate a lot his incapacity to lie and go behind Lynn's back. When he starts realizing he has feelings for Aun it's immediately obvious and the 2 of them TALK and even decide to remain friends. Healthy relationship and mature characters right there, people!
The way Aun appears at the beach in the last ep is a bit random, not gonna lie, but it's still a sweet moment, and Aun himself has the space needed to let the us know him and his story.

• BonePaan

Bone is the only one in the group who has a "sad" ending (even if he does get a girl at the end, just not "the" girl).
I'll be sincere and say that I mostly went thru his parts at 2x speed, I wasn't really engaged. But there are a couple of things I especially appreciated in his story.

He had the chance to take advantage of Paan and his fiancè' problems, but he choose to help them instead and since the moment he found out she was engaged, he's always been respectful of her and her relationship. Even if it meant give up on his love interest. I appreciate both the character and this choice to no end.

EXTRA

I can't NOT mention a few things before the end.

• THINGS MEH

- Checking Third's phone to find out what his relationship with Aun was. That's really not okay to do.

- Khai kissing Third in ep 8
That happens while Third is sleeping, and I really wish dramas could STOP with this trope. It's not romantic, it's not cute. It's forcing themselves on someone who is defenseless at the moment, which is creepy and NOT OKAY. Third's reaction to it is only justified and I'm glad he reacted that way!

• FUNNY THINGS

- I know it's supposed to be a sad moment, but every time Third cries in the shower has me cracking

- When Khai had an accident and Third heard his name called.
Eye just.... I'm sorry but that's just too much

- Love confession sketches ep 2
They were really cute and funny, so they deserve a special mention!

• THINGS I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATED

- Khai's friend.
I appreciate him suggesting Khai to take his time and understand well his feelings for Third before take any action. ??

- "Tell this story to the audience"
I find the whole conversation Third has with his P' at school really inspiring.
Often we stop ourselves from doing something, thinking what we want to do or talk/write about ecc might not be interesting. But in reality, we just need to be ourselves, that's good enough. People will resonate with our story and our passion.

- Final Love Confession.
I just like it a lot.