Despite not having a strikingly original story, 2gether manages to hit all the right spots for me as a wonderful BL.

The premise of the story probably does not sound like something that would immediately draw one into watching the series: Tine asks Sarawat to pretend to be his boyfriend so that he (Tine) can shake off a guy (Green) who is chasing him relentlessly. Of course they fall in love for real--what else do you expect? Never mind that Tine is straight; anyone who knows even just a little about BL knows that in the world of BL, any cute straight guy can fall in love with another guy and be totally devoted to him.

The series is surprisingly good though. Apart from the BL element, the story can be rather hilarious as a lighthearted comedy. Very often, scenes that are otherwise possibly quite dull turn out to be rather engaging. In the scene where Tine tries to learn how to play the guitar using an app, for instance, his friends promise to be with him and not fall asleep only (of course) to end up falling asleep--one of them is even apparently using another friend's butt as a pillow.

The character, Green, appears to be one of those exaggerated effeminate characters brought in just for comic effect. But I'm glad that, given his pivotal role in bringing Tine and Sarawat together, there is actually more to him. Yes, his mannerisms seem over the top, but who is to say that such people don't exist? The important thing is that he is not brought in merely for comic effect but is given more attention and sensitive treatment that countless other such characters I have seen in Thai BLs.

The dynamics between the main characters are interestingly portrayed. Although there are viewers who joke that Tine must be really dumb not to realize that Sarawat is totally in love with him, I think he senses something quite early on but simply isn't sure. It's also obvious that his attraction to Sarawat starts quite early on although the character may not realize it. I think the first time it becomes rather obvious for us is when he watches Sarawat sing a song in the latter's room, but even the scene in which Sarawat agrees to be his fake boyfriend is rather telling. The sheer happiness in both their faces suggests something much more than just an agreement to pretend to be a couple, and Tine totally looks like someone he likes has agreed to be his boyfriend for real.

The scriptwriters have done a rather good job in showing Sarawat's love for Tine even before it's directly revealed. It is confirmed only later in the series that Sarawat has already fallen in love with Tine when he saw Tine for the first time at a concert, even before they meet in the university. This means that when Tine keeps bugging Sarawat to pretend to be his boyfriend, Sarawat is already in love with him. Some find it strange that Sarawat would appear hostile to Tine and keep calling Tine a nuisance since he is in love with Tine. But we see what Sarawat is thinking in one scene where Tine asks him to pretend to be his boyfriend,explaining that Green has been pestering him, To Tine's dismay, Sarawat retorts that maybe he (Tine) would enjoy being pestered one day. And that's basically what Sarawat is going through: despite appearing cold towards Tine, he is secretly enjoying being pestered by Tine.

The director has also hinted at Sarawat's love for Tine early on, such as in the music club's welcome games for new members: Sarawat is characteristically uninterested in all the activities, and the only time he seems to be interested in the games is when he is paired with Tine.

He remembers the first chord he teaches Tine, he secretly keeps the guitar pick that Tine stupidly breaks into two, he pretends to lend Tine a guitar he hardly uses when he has intended to give it to Tine from the start, and he refurnishes his room because Tine says that it looks haunted, he immediately turns up with snacks for the cheerleaders when Tine complains that he is hungry. (Ok, Tine actually jokes that he would like Sarawat grab his boobs (what boobs?) if Sarawat brings him snacks, but I'm sure he would do it simply because his Tine is hungry.)

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Episode 12 of the series got a lot of flak for the way it introduced Pam, supposedly Sarawat's first love but more like the first person Sarawat fell in love with (for a short time) before he sees Tine. Some people were not happy with how Pam turns out to be in love with Sarawat and tries to get him to leave Tine. (In the novel, Pam is just a friend although she is the first person Sarawat is in love with.) I have not read the novel, but I find myself preferring the way the series brought the tension to a high point with a more complicated misunderstanding. (But of course, both the novel and the series may be good in their own ways. It depends on how the medium is used.)

The series is not without its flaws, to be sure. The episodes after Tine admits to his brother that Sarawat is his boyfriend do suffer from some transition problems. I may have to rewatch the episodes to be sure that this is a fair statement, but I find Tine's sense of insecurity about his relationship with Sarawat a little too suddenly. I know that the more he cherishes the relationship, the more he fears losing Sarawat, but Tine's inner world could have been explored further (without really needed many lines, really).

The last episode also had some weaknesses in editing, with cuts to the side characters being rather sudden. The editing of the flashbacks is also not always well-executed and even potentially disorienting. But these are not so severe as to affect our understanding of the story.

What is possibly more serious is how the final episode is not made to be particularly touching. It is overall still good, but the flashbacks actually have unfulfilled potential. They are not fully utilized to show how much Tine misses Sarawat after leaving him due to the misunderstanding about Pam. I'm still rather satisfied with the ending. It's just that the most memorable scenes take place from Episodes 1 - 11, and there isn't anything particularly memorable when the couple make up or after that. Tine's voiceover speaks of a relationship that stands the test of time, and I wish this had been shown more, kind of like the way Season 1 of SOTUS ends.

Although some viewers have commented that the actors seem awkward or lack chemistry and others have complained about the lack of kissing and sex scenes, I have a different opinion. I don't find the acting awkward. Win is very good as Tine, conveying Tine's latent attraction to Sarawat and confusion about his relationship with Sarawat well. The happiness he exudes when Tine is with Sarawat and the affection he has for Sarawat are remarkably conveyed without resorting to kissing to show intimacy. In Episode 11, Tine asks Sarawat if he thinks their relationship would last ten years and Sarawat says it will be more than ten years, the cautious delight on his face was naturally shown, and I can see that Tine really wants it to be true yet doesn't dare to be too happy about it because he's still feeling insecure. I think choosing an actor who looks the role may be one reason for the success, but I saw a trailer (made before the series) and Win gives markedly different vibes in the trailer.

When I wrote the first part of the review before the end of the series, I mentioned that there are two bad things I can get out of watching this series. The first is that it would leave a void when it ends (though I have to say that Episodes 1-11 contribute the most to this). The second bad thing is that it's one of the series that will remind me of a kind of relationship I can only wish for but never have.