Not Me (2021)

this needs the best director award!!

one of the best bl's made till now!!!!
this is exactly what i expected from GMMtv, everything was just a chef's kiss. the way the scenes were directed gave a whole lot of emotions to the drama.
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#genre: enemies to lovers, twin brothers, cop and vigilante, political.
#things that could've been done:
1) i do feel they should've put more scenes where black and white are bonding.
2) a special episode with 6 months later plot would've given a better closure to the characters.
3) a proper conversation between eugene and black about him explaining everything to her
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overall a great drama and worth watching!!!!!

Citeste mai mult

"The law is just the law. It's only the gate to justice but the law itself isn't justice"

for a person who avoids political dramas like the plague, this one was different. from the aesthetics, the ost and to any scene in every single episode, it was a brilliantly artistic take in showing a well-balanced story involving romance and politics.

so, what did i love?

-the amazing cast
there are many familiar faces in this but one thing's for sure, everyone's performances in this drama didn't fall short. not even an inch.

gun really didn't pull back from giving his all in both his roles as black and white. it was as though i was watching two people play their parts and i had to blink hard as black and white truly had distinct personalities. again, i'm not surprised by gun's talent as he never failed in showing his talent on screen.

i used to be skeptical of off's acting but in here, he was able to depict a broken character seeking revenge against unjustice. those expressions of anger mixed with helplessness and those cute scenes with white, off nailed it as sean.

first didn't fail me in this drama. he was lowkey smug but at the same time, this boy knows how to break my heart into pieces. paired with fluke, they both served emotions that hit you right at your chest. fluke did well as a police officer that wants to fight against the corrupt, a person that wanted to change.

the whole gang had me in shambles for how much they cared for each other. with how good the chemistry is between all of them, it was inevitable that the friend group was shippable. despite being a serious drama, there were funny moments as well. gumpa as the father of five (including black ofc) was portrayed wonderfully by papang. even though his acting was a bit iffy at times, he definitely gave off the fatherly vibe as he trained and helped the boys out whenever trouble came their way.

i was so used to seeing sing as a silly or playful character in other dramas so seeing him play a new type of role was a surprise. he managed to blow me away whenever he showed up and his scenes with black are worthy to be applauded.

-the couples !!!!
sean x white:
as one of the well-known bl couples, the offgun duo strikes again. the angst between these two was steaming hot. before sean and white got together, the tension they had was enough to make me scream internally. once they broke the ice and started to cuddle up to each other, i saw sunshine, rainbows and thunder. white who used to not understand sean's pain slowly became sean's comfort. their love to fight and protect each other will forever be something i'm envious of.

dan x yok:
the conflict that comes along with falling for someone you laid your trust on is heavier than one can imagine. maybe, i'm masochistic but the relationship between dan and yok had so much to it that i can't help but root for them. those sentimental scenes in which they started to open up to each other and weren't afraid to show their vulnerable side.... it was purely beautiful. besides the angsty scenes, they have their cute moments that i cherish A LOT.

-the women
we don't see petty arguments or grudges. what this drama offered is women that stand their ground. namo, eugene and nuch are all clear on their views and have such an impactful character to them that doesn't make it overwhelming or underwhelming. this is one of those dramas that i appreciate for not writing female characters as stereotypes.

-the cinematography
if i wanted to screenshot every single second of this drama, i would. the camera angles and close up shots of small details in the emotional and intimate scenes were my absolutely favorites. i love how this drama was filmed and how the colorisation fitted the scenes perfectly.
also, i really appreciate that the actors looked naturally beautiful in this one. there was less makeup and it gives off this no filter feel to it.

-the important topics covered
this drama is not just a bl drama. it shows many issues that goes on in the real world as well. to name a few, it highlights:
1) privilege
2) lgbtq+ rights (marriage equality)
3) disability rights
4) political corruption

things i didn't like:
-the way the ending got wrapped up felt rushed
-gram and eugene as a couple
-the whole twin connection wasn't explored more (but then i understand it would stray far away from the drama's focal points)
-some questions left unanswered
eg. was dan let go just like that? what is todd's story? what will tawi do?

regardless of the imperfections, 'not me' is easily on my top bl dramas that i keep close to my heart.

Citeste mai mult

A show to treasure

The worst thing about this show is the power rangers style jumping lmao.

The best thing about this show is EVERYTHING. It was beautiful! The acting rendered me speechless and the story, the message...I have no words. The music matched the scenes very well and made me feel exactly how I was supposed to. I love the attention to details as well.

I didn't even realize the episodes were over until they really ended. Time flies differently when you're watching something interesting.

I cried more times than I could count. Not Me was a very good depiction of society and how it impacts everyone.
I also love the way they used the law and the group's surroundings to explain the problem, and the way they used art to express the characters' emotions.

A must watch. If i could give any show more than a 10, I would choose this one.

Citeste mai mult

Trust me...it's a MUST watch!!!!

I'm not one of those BLs fans that only watch the shows because of the spicy scenes...but of course we all love them and it does play a part in one way or another hahaha.

However, this BL is not a spicy nor a cute romance story. It has a heavily political storyline about a group of friends that are fighting for social justice and equality against powerful forces. The first half of the story sets the base of the plot and tells the story of our main characters White and Black, twin brothers that have a special connection but were raised apart from each other. White is an intelligent soft boy and Black is the tough and protective one (their names were a little too much lol but let's ignore that).

Everything begins when White finds out that his brother Black is in a coma after not hearing from him since childhood. White remembers an old promise and decides to infiltrate his brother's gang by pretending to be Black. He's willing to trade a bright future for a dangerous lifestyle.

The second half of the story is when the romance side of the plot starts to develop. WhiteSean are the main couple of the show, they have a pretty rough start on the first half because Sean and Black always were in conflict, but things started to change after White took Blacks place....and of course it's a perfect enemies to lovers trope, but very endearing and captivating. I was sold! There are other couples as well, but like I said the drama isn't written around romance. It is just one layer of this delicious onion lololol

It was really well written and produced. Hats off to the team here.....really great BL that is not about engineering or older rich guys that have a crush on their younger and slightly poorer "bros" lol don't get me wrong I LOVE those too lol but it's great to watch something COMPLETELY different and enjoy it just as much.

The cast is 10/10, both main and support were incredible....I really can't complain. Gun (White/Black) was absolutely incredible in this one! Off (Sean) was also just as amazing with his performance....you could see that they dove in head first in these characters.

Of course there are some plot holes (as expected) and the show isn't perfect, but overall it was 100% worth the watch!

Citeste mai mult

Almost 10 but still

It's certainly one of the best Thai dramas in the BL category and not only. Excellent cinematography, entertaining plot, handsome guys, bad guys lol... It's got almost everything to perfection BUT for a few aspects: product placement is way too obvious!! Either it's toothpaste, drinks, cars... things are always pushed into our face. Also, everybody is dressed quite the same and everybody has an artistic side, like painting and playing the guitar. The dancer girl always wears the same pair of pants! Some scenes are really cringey: the policeman cries while being painted nude etc.
The actors are very talented, no doubt. The 1st ML is the best by far. The 2nd ML - the one playing twins - is not subtle enough. He should've made the differences more refined, not so obvious. Like that constant scared look and crying eyes while trying to be the bad guy!? Im also a bit put off by seeing the same actors doing BL movies, cant you please make some changes for a while? Are we seeing the same movie again?
Watch it despite its flaws, it's still at the top.

Citeste mai mult

my favorite bl series

it was my favorite and i've watched a lot of them. that's it. okay they want me to surpass the character limit. well in terms of story, it was pretty well written. there were a few gaps in the plot but they can be overlooked honestly. acting and cast was spectacular, everyone knows gun and off's talent anyway, the others were amazing actors too. soundtrack was literally the best in the whole country tbh, in every scene I was distracted about how fitting and good the music they use were. i have already rewatched it, I probably will again, and I HATE rewatching things so that's telling something. yea, that's all, it is my favorite and if it's not yours then you don't have taste.

Citeste mai mult

my ostrich moment

no one knows the violence it took the become this gentle etc etc etc this was the most devastating thing i've ever watched and i feel Insane thinking about it so i won't <3 never watching the last episode. also the pride protest scene was the Most Scene Forever and Ever. may our lives be bright and colorful and may we all have someone who will hold us through night terrors. may we all be gentle people our loved ones turn for comfort even while asleep. i love us all i love you all
adding this later as i just found out off and gun are dating and that all of the actors in the lgbt parade scene were lgbt in real life, no wonder this show is so special to me, turns out everything actually came from a genuine place c': and also found out the director is trans as well we love to see us winning!!
apparently i'm supposed to write 500 words so i guess i'll talk about the rest of my thoughts.
the entire series was so immersive as the screenwriters popped off with character building, i'm very very thankful to all those who participated in the making of this series, for portraying those who are silenced everyday but continue speaking up regardless. seriously that pride march / protest was Everything to me.
each song and track were SO good and placed at the right scenes SO well i went to spotify to find songs many times. bless whoever picked bass heavy instrumentals too idk why it isn't done more often in this type of series smh
anyways i think this isn't meant to be watched in a weird gay fetish-y way (as nothing is meant to be watched with that mindset really). this wasn't a cliche fanservice BL or whatever the fuck cishet mfs call it & i hope it will be appreciated properly for the social injustice it addresses and for telling the story of lgbt people in a realistic and respectful way.
also whoever did the artwork throughout the series really snapped. especially the mural sean's friend did after the fire, i also remember one with many eyes that make an angel wing shape? the cop dude's artwork was great too. if anyone knows the artists for this series please let me know!

edit: i caved in and finished it, the last episode was incredible as well i just have no words.

Citeste mai mult

No matter how many BLs I watch, I always come back to this one.

One of the best BLs I've seen, if not the very best. Gun's acting as both Black and White was phenomenal. The slight differences that he manages to portray between identical twins is so convincing, it feels like there are two actors playing them.

The relationship is paced perfectly. Definitely a slower relationship development than a lot of shows, but that's exactly what makes it so convincing. The actors have amazing chemistry and really sell the development of the characters' relationship. No conflict is overly drawn out either, which saves the viewer from unnecessary frustration.

The plot outside of the romance is fantastic. You've got this gang of college students attempting to fight for justice in a way that they see fit, except each individual has their own idea of what exactly this means and how to go about it. Naturally, this causes conflicts between them. I thought this helped to make the relationships between all the characters that much more convincing. You really sympathize with the cause behind why they're fighting, and root for them even when they might not be in the right. Following them through this justice-seeking journey is a thrilling watch when paired with the development of Sean and White's relationship.

Citeste mai mult

A drama that stirred so much emotions - IT HAD MY HEART

I can't even begin to describe how I feel about this drama but all I can say it was a rollercoaster in the best way possible and it had my heart the whole time. Not me was able to create an enticing plot with deep character storylines and the perfect chemistry. It tackles politics, it tackles ableism, it tackles injustice of any kind in an interesting way that you can't help but watch unfold in-front of your eyes.

This show may have it's faults, since my review is spoiler free I will refrain from pointing them out and if you're looking for a perfect story then this is not it. So why rate it a 9? Because there's not many shows that can leave me feeling the way I feel now. Through the characters I saw family, i saw love- the characters are far from perfect but that doesn't stand in their way of caring for each-other despite each-others faults, that's what I view as true love- whether platonic or romantic the admiration, the passion, the raw emotions had destroyed me and fixed me in so many ways.

I don't think there will ever be a show that can pull off what 'Not Me' had, and I won't lie i began this show with little expectations only to find a sense of family within the characters and to see a heartening show that stirred so much emotion in me and I could not put it down, I may have watched it in the span of 3 days consistently but during the time I was occupied by my life, my mind returned to thinking about the whole dramas framework and plot. I will forever admire what this show was able to evoke, and I feel like it is a drama I will remember.

Citeste mai mult

One of the best BL I have seen, it doesn't revolve around the romantic aspect but it is there and offgun chemistry is off the charts. I really like the acting of everyone in the drama.
And the series is so much better than the book I'm so glad they changed everything even if they didn't give us GramBlack.
First and Gawins couple was also pretty good.
Is a most watch that I recommend even to people that don't usually watch bl series.
The ost song is one of my favorites, and OffGun song (My Side) is also really good.

I really do reccomend it, I have watch it like 5 times already.
And I'm waiting for another OffGun series.

Citeste mai mult