Never Too Late (2021)

Regrets and second chances

When we're young, we often picture our future exactly the way we want it to be. But what if one day you realize those dreams you've had never came true? Those chances you didn't take turned into regrets, and you feel like you've wasted most of your time waiting for the right moment? Well, usually that's the part where you might wanna consider therapy, but since we're in dramaland turning into your younger self sounds more like it. The premise is nothing groundbreaking, but I've a thing for time travel and second chances kind of stories. It's typically a story about personal growth and living your life to the fullest. It's an inspiring theme that has been used over and over since it gives us simple humans hope. Hope that in the end everything's going to be ok.

"Never Too Late" is a simple story with themes you can relate to no matter your own age. While the show might lack some complexity in its storytelling, it makes up for that with likeable characters and charming unlikely friendships. The first few episodes focus on each of our leads, taking enough time to establish their backstories. Personally, I think the show really benefitted from this approach, since the character development and friendships were the strongest aspect of it. While there is much to love about "Never Too Late" it does have its flaws. At the beginning of the story you might have to suspense your disbelief a bit and the storytelling feels slightly disjointed. Some episodes were oddly paced, giving insignificant and predictable scenes way too much screen time. Nonetheless, it was delightful to watch these characters grow together, and I appreciated how they balanced the different storylines.

The acting of the main cast was solid whether it was the younger or the older cast with View, Khaotung and Nanon delivering standout performances. Their acting was the most nuanced, and resembled their older counterparts. The support cast was a hit or miss, with certain acting being way too over the top, which took me out of some scenes. My personal favorites were Bomb, Phiphu and Noinae. Not only did I love these characters, I also really enjoyed the performances of the actors. 

"Never Too Late" is a light, fun and heartwarming second coming-of-age story. While not without flaws, the wonderful ensemble cast make it a worthwhile and fun take on the turning back time for a second chance in life formula. It's not a fairy tale, but life hardly ever is, and that's probably part of the reason I enjoyed it so much.

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Underrated and beautiful series

At the moment I'm at episode 12 of 16 but I have to say that this series is really worth watching.
Honestly first time I saw the poster and read the plot, I wasn't so sure about this. But well... I was wrong!! Even if GMMTV is known for its good BLs, it's true that something different it's a good way to refresh. So...
First things first the actors are AMAZING. Senior cast has less scenes than the counterparts but they do an amazing job with the characterisation of their personas. I could watch any other series with them cause they really hooked me during their screentime. Young cast is really brilliant with that too and it's impressive how these teens resemble their seniors and viceversa. You can clearly see how skilled they are by their attention to details as posture, gesture and emotions that gives so much depth and realness to their characters. Nanon, Khaotung, Kay, Piploy and View I want to see you together in another series soon cause damn. ??
Now talking about the story, the thing I love the most is the fact that we have 5 different backgrounds but everything is well connected. Yes, it may be something not so original but I think is one of the fortes of this show. Each character has a very distinctive story and personality and they are so relatable (some more than others).
The colour palette of this show, the sets and hair and costumes are so cool!! In particular 70's/80's ones.
The OST that you can hear during the opening is really good ? Thanks Khaotung for making us happy everytime we start a new episode.
I gave 9.5 ⭐ because I don't like to rewatch series and I think this one might be one of those that I want to watch once and cherish. Also I cant wait to see what will happen during the other 4 episodes. I can't imagine how the stories will end.
Hope you like 55:15 Never Too Late as I do (:

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Brilliant!

This series is unfortunately under-the-radar and overlooked. That is sad as this is one of the better (BL) series out there. I hesitate to call it a BL because that is only one component of this remarkably complex but easy to follow story. The acting in this series is near perfection because of its set-up. I was so mesmerized by this story that I binged watch this series which I rarely do. It is a bit uneven in places and a bit too much time was spent on one particular character, but that does not distract from this series. The 'song' is distracting and at times it was torturous to listen to it being sung again and again. But overall, this series is one of the best for this year that I have seen.

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Truly a gem and underrated series from GMMTV!

GMMTV did not disappoint me a bit with this one. I did not have a high expectation when I started this series. To be honest, I wanted to watch this because of Khaotung and Nanon. Mostly because I wanted to know who will be the actor partnered with Khaotung in his love story. I wish it will get high rating but I think because this is like fiction fantasy kind of drama, so it is probably not everyone cup of tea, and it is not BL so less people watch this and less people give ratings. In short, all five main characters who were 55 years old, went back to their 15 years old bodies and trying to figure out what opportunities they missed, what mistakes they did and they learned and tried to correct it on their own way.

As soon as I started this when it first aired, it got me hooked till the very end. This series aired at the same time with Baker Boys, Bad Buddy, F4, Not Me and The Player but I did not know why but every week I was excited and kept waiting for this one.

All five stories are greatly written. It was full with messages and truly, I learn a lot from the drama. The music and OST are amazing. The drama showed a lot of actors and their acting were really good. I didn't have a "cringe" moment from any scene or from any actors. It made me smiles all the way because some part were funny, but I shed some tears too at some scenes. It was full with emotions. The directing, cinematography and editing were good, you can see that the production house that produced this drama is a good production house and an experienced one too because compared to some other series from GMMTV (I don't want to put the name here), this series was so much better and good quality.

If you're wondering whether or not you should start with this one, please do. You'll not regret it.

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Remember to live a happy life!

Is my first review so forget me for any eventual mistake :). Beside the fact that this is the most underrated series I ever watched, I want to say ..damn .. I literally cried because it was so good. This isn't your typical drama so if you want bad-good, mafia idiot relationships, isn't your place here. This series approached almost all types of relationships, REAL type of relationship. I didn't expect this ending not even in 100 years. But this is the reality. "Please live a happy life"... I loved that. Remember to not waste any moment cause we only have one life. Nothing about this wasn't cringe or nonworthy to watch. Even if its having some sci-fi scenes, it was one of the most realistic series I ever watched. Almost all the characters received same screen time. The diversity in this drama is just on point. You don't have anything cringe or boring. The acting was amazing. I cried a lot of times. I was happy and sad with them. And about the music.. this is gonna be one of those series you won't skip the songs cause Khaotung made sure you will love the music. If you want to learn some lessons watch it, you won't regret it. I just loved everything about this.

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5 unique stories of second chances intertwined into a touching drama.

“55:15 Never Too Late” connected 5 strangers from all walks of life in a new universe and transported them back 40 years, to when they were 15 years old. This is a beautiful drama about second chances in life and correcting any regrets that they had when they were 15 years old.

I personally found the introduction of all characters a little slow, as it took a while to introduce all 5 of them. Not all their individual stories are interesting to me on the same scale, but they are unique and touch on normal folks' everyday life decisions and regrets. In that, I found them relatable (except probably the teen idol/diva).

What I like best about this drama is how each story is intertwined. Once all the characters meet, they develop a camaraderie and help each other out. We didn’t really go through any conflict within the group or any animosity towards each other. It’s comforting to see how strangers can collaborate and be there for each other. The pacing is good and I enjoy how they switch between storylines to give everyone equal screen time. I like the switch to the older actors during some important moments and it doesn’t cause confusion. One of the funniest scenes is when the older actors in their high school uniforms lament their challenges in this new life. Seeing how they adjust to teenage life is a highlight of the show. There are many comedic moments, but it’s not over-the-top like most Thai dramas.

The acting is great among the 10 main cast members. The veteran cast, of course, is experienced and did a fantastic job. But the younger generation performed just as well. I am most familiar with Kaotung and Nanon, and they don’t disappoint. Piploy as the sassy Jaya is awesome (though her characters can be annoying at times). View and Kay are not bad either. It’s weird to say that the acting that I find less impressive is the actor playing Mathee, and the veteran actress playing Prim. The rest of the supporting cast did a pretty decent job. I especially enjoy the actress playing Noinae.

There are 5 main storylines but my favorites are Teacher Jaurnee (View) and Cafe Manager Paul (Khaotung). I like theirs the most and the ending to their stories are most touching to me. I cried so much in the last episode! Boxer Thep (Kay) and Idol Jaya (Piploy) stories are not bad but there are a couple minor things that keep me from loving them. My least favorite storyline is Voice actor San (Nanon). I do not see why he is still so in love and obsessed with Prim. The flashbacks are not setting up a good foundation for the whole storyline to be based on that, no matter how great Nanon is in portraying San. The confession in the end was not very believable to me.

I would recommend this drama if you are into time-traveling and second chances. The individuals are lovely and it doesn’t really have any villain or annoying character that you want to strangle. The acting is good and the stories are engaging. I do get irritated when the main theme song gets overplayed, no matter how lovely it is.



Other Random Observations:
1. Mathee looks the same when he’s 20 all the way to when he has a teenage son and remarried a second time. I want what he’s having!
2. I love Paul’s relationship with his niece, Noonae. I’m glad someone is on his side and rooting for him without judgment.
3. Line app aka the green thing on your phone.
4. I am still not quite sure how the female student knew of the teacher’s secret. I thought only Noonae knew. Did I miss something or is it a plot hole?
5. They found the smallest and skinniest actor to play a teenage boxer!




Completed: 5/28/2024 - Review #446

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Slightly odd and a bit of a mess

40 years is a long time... very long time and a lot happens in 40 years having people who are 55 in 40 years younger bodies is complicated enough, trying to understand 5 of them simultaneously was a little bit to much for my mind to handle, making this a show that was a bit to hard for me to follow as well as relate to... It could also be me seeing somewhere in-between 15 and 55 in age. And I could be a little bit more judgmental then I try to admit, but seeing people who are mentally 55 flirt with 15 year olds just felt wrong in so many ways... Seeing people who have the body of a 15 year old flirt with 55 year olds also felt a bit off... but atlast there the mental age was more right... but honestly I found all of it confusing...

I did however like most of the characters and side characters, the acting was really good and each person story interesting and with mostly pretty decent messages about love, family, life regret... I still do not know what they where trying to say about age gaps... If they were trying to say anything at all?

Some endings were more predictable than others, so all in all an okay drama, just a bit to messy for me.... Also the most consist of more or less one song... and well after the 10th time hearing it I did get tired of it even if it had its charm in the beginning.

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Stunning - one of GMMTV's Best.

Seriously - 'stunning' is the only word to describe "55:15 Never Too Late". I don't even know where to start. On the surface it's just another gimmick - suppose (at 55) you woke up one morning in your 15 year-old body...what happens next? Now let the awkward old people (unable to fit into today's 5G world) try to adapt and let us start chuckling and guffawing at them old-timers. Hardy-har-har.

But then...that never really happens. What we get instead, is a beautiful essay on life and death, regret and rebirth, addressing the past and embracing the future. This series is so beautiful in every aspect. ALL of the five leads are magnificent. Just watching these young actors embody their 55 year-old selves...man, you have to see it to believe it. Just watching Thanawat Ratanakitpaisan go from excited to confused to smitten to in love within minutes - I just kept thinking, "Is this really that kid from 'Tonhon Chonlatee'? When did he become an old soul?" Of course, the standout performance, IMO, is Nanon Korapat. He is brilliant, and watching him in "Bad Buddy" on a Friday and in "55:15" two days later - mind blown. His performances in both these series is the stuff of legend.

The writing is incredible, the direction is flawless - everything is top notch. Even the Costuming Department throws in some minute details - like the five "teenagers" dressing like 1980s hipsters or Jaya's hairstyle that she refuses to change (girl, just move on from your teenage heyday!) to Jarunee's old-lady outfits. Job well done.

I really have nothing much to say except - please watch this. It'll definitely be among the best for 2022, trust and believe. Oh, just a warning - there will be crying. You can rest assured.

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I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

I normally don’t’ like time shift storylines, but this had an interesting story concept. It had a good message about being careful with your choices in life and don’t live your life on how others think you should live it. The series handled each character’s story very well. However, I do have some complaints about the end. See the potential spoiler alert at the bottom if you want more info. The actors did a great job with portraying their characters. The series also did a great job shifting between the past and present. That is not easy to do and could have made this series confusing.




******Potential Spoiler Alert******
The ending could have been better. The series makes it seem they all went their own separate ways. It would have been nice to see the group meet-up at the end of the series to confirm that they are all still friends. The storyline between Paul and Pipu was too weird for me and wish they went a different direction. I also wished that Paul had a happier ending.

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I loved it! Best series in a long while. Highly recommend watching.

No it isn't a BL story, but there are some elements of BL, or more specifically growing up gay and being comfortable being gay in general. The overall story is relatable to real life issues and how people deal with their problems, either current ones, or issues they have carried throughout their lifetimes. I am closer to the 55 group than the 15 group, and I can see a lot of elements of my past and present life in this story. The Songpol/Paul story especially had some very familiar themes to things I have experienced, but the other people's issues were also very recognizable to me.

Everything about this is great. The story, the acting, chemistry between characters, and more. I liked there were few if any of the tired tropes like the episode 11 argument/breakup, the white truck of death, the ever lame "I'm gay only for you", and the many others we have seen over and over again.

My only real criticism is they should have cut Jaya's song by about 30 seconds in each episode and put that few minutes of time toward a better ending for San and Prim. They overdo the singing in many episodes, and it gets a bit repetitive. I get she is a singer, and that is all she does, but to leave San and Prim with a much shorter block of time in the last episode is a bit of an odd decision.

The only part that wasn't completely believable was that the younger set of actors were 15, but I will forgive the casting director for that. I am sure it would be harder to cast, to get good actors, and with some of the themes they explored it might be better to have a bit older actors. I am glad they stuck with the 55:15 age theme, I can't imagine it would be as good with a 55:25 or 55:30 as the age difference. So just use your imagination they are really 15, and it will all be fine.

I really hope there is a sequel or special of some type, maybe a "one year later" follow-up to see if this second chance made any difference long term? I could even see a new set of characters with their own issues in a second season, but it sure will be hard to beat this cast and their wonderful chemistry.

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