Bed Friend (2023)

Pas parfait mais quelle alchimie

Alors oui tout n'est pas parfait.
Finalement beaucoup de scènes de "préliminaires" pour s'arrêter avant les scènes de sexe (assez représentatif de Domundi en général, cf. Cutie Pie), beaucoup de "teasing" mais oh que c'est bien fait, et ce grâce à l'alchimie et à la sensualité renversantes de NetJames / KingUea. Généralement l'association "top/bottom" fait apparaître un côté "beau/sexy vs mignon/adorable"mais là on a deux beaux/sexys et c'est assez ravageur quand il s'agit de ces deux-là. Sincèrement la série, c'est eux, leur relation, leurs regards, leurs caresses, leurs soupirs, et finalement l'histoire on s'en fiche un peu, même si le personnage de Uea est tout de même assez complexe.
Vu le succès de la série, les producteurs ont rallongé le drama de 2 épisodes et très sincèrement cela se sent. Ça traine un peu en longueur pendant un épisode et puis tout se précipite dans le dernier épisode. Un problème de montage ? Dernier petit problème, on a des scènes sensuelles pendant tout la première partie du drama puis quand les personnages passent d'une relation sexuelle à une relation amoureuse, les scènes sensuelles disparaissent (sauf au dernier épisode), ce qui est un peu dommage vu l'érotisme prégnant du drama et des acteurs.
Les acteurs secondaires sont bons, très bons. Quand on se prend à détester des personnages, on sait que les acteurs sont bons. Les "méchants" sont vraiment détestables, et les "gentils" vraiment adorables (ah Jade, j'ai vraiment hâte de voir ce que la vie te réserve).
Mais vraiment le plus plus de ce drama c'est NetJames.
PS : la musique accompagne bien le drama.

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I liked them a lot as a couple. But that's it.

I liked these two. I really did. But the story was a little too hard to watch. The thing I hated the most was that they made us watch Uea being harressed and sexually abused too many times. They would repeat those scenes to "remember" us what happened, but it was just unconfortable and sad. The writers could've left Uea alone for a second. He had too many traumas and 3 guys abused him in the show. I don't like watching this stuff repeatedly and with detail like that, it's triggering. King and Uea were great together, they had great chemistry and King was very supportive (there was this one time where he wasn't very nice with Uea insinuating he was actually hitting on their boss, but after that I would say he compensated a lot by getting him fired and putting Uea's stepfather in jail.) I loved Uea and Jade's friendship, Jade was so sweet all the time and I can't wait to watch his spinoff.

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Decent story mediocre writing and production

The main plot/arc is interesting enough. Friends with benefits struggle with the usual problems plus the effects of sexual abuse and harassment to eventually become partners. What works best is the sympathy that is built for Uea, who has to endure a breakup, an evil mother, sexual harassment, and the lingering effects of sexual abuse as a child. You want the relationship to work out for him because he really seems to need it.
What doesn't work so well are many of the distractions thrown in here and there to bolster some pretty thin writing in the main story. Also the acting tends to be stiff and manneristic even in dramatic scenes that need a more realistic performance. So even though I'm inclined to be sympathetic with Uea, I often have a hard time believing him as a character, and what would otherwise be fairly effective drama falls flat.
The music is un-memorable. The production values are pretty low (continuity errors, confusing cuts, sound glitches, etc.). At one point the product placements come so frequently and aggressively that I felt like I was being waterboarded with bottled drinks.

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Honestly not that great but I still finished it

Bed Friend felt over the top and frankly, unnecessarily so at times. While there was an abundance of spicy love scenes, some intimate sequences felt out of place and had awkward transitions. All this made the show slightly cringey and hard to fully appreciate as a realistic romance. 

Uea's character was disappointing. It sometimes seemed like he was constantly trying to prove how cold he is. I appreciate his backstory, but I think the writing/Uea's character was poorly executed.

But did I finish it? Yes, I did. Now, I even have a huge crush on Net’s smouldering gaze. No idea how he does it but am I living for it? Also yes.

All in all, if you’re coming here for superb writing and storytelling - don’t. If you’re here for the steamy sex scenes and lots of toe-curling flirting, yes, this might just be what you need.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/05/02/bed-friend-2023-bl-review/

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Uea did really meet a good person in King

I have been so looking forward to this series! I do admit that I expected a bit more from the NC scenes as they have been really hyped up and as the series is produced by the same company as Cutie Pie. I am not saying that NC scenes are the only thing I want from such series (most of my favorite ones have no real NC scenes), but when half of the trailer is the two main characters “enjoying” each other, you do end up expecting more from it. The chemistry between the actors is amazing though, you can feel the sparks fly as the two look at each other. And there were a lot of looks passed between the two.

King & Uea: With every new episode, my heart breaks more and more for Uea. He really went through a lot of pain and heartbreak in his past (and even now). Uea is very clearly not used to others caring about him and his emotions, be it his family or his ex-boyfriend. I noticed he finds it hard to say what he wants, especially in terms of non-sexual aspects, from his relationship with King. It’s like he doesn’t want to burden him. I really hope that King can be that good thing in his life going forward. It shows very early on that King can be very caring and maybe a bit too possessive for the stage of their relationship. But I do think that having someone so protective and attentive is what Uea needs to heal. I do really appreciate that the two have an honest conversation about what they expect from their bed friends agreement, especially the part about the consent that can be revoked at any time. I do like the sassy side of Uea, it really makes me think he is comfortable enough around King (even before they get together) to tease him. And with his past, him being this comfortable around someone means that the person must have done something right. We could see that he was much more guarded around others.

Their first time is not really what I hoped for. I don’t mind a one-night stand storyline, but I do mind it when one of the participants was barely able to stand a few minutes before while the other one seems to be fairly sober – he drove them to the apartment, so unless they are promoting drunk driving, he was sober enough to know and to do better. Uea was not really okay with what happened, his actions show that. King does get some minus points in my books for that. But at least he learned his lesson out of it and did better the next time Uea was drunk.

Let’s talk about Jade for a moment. I love Yim in his clueless and adorable roles. But saying that Jade is only that would be criminal. He might appear quite clueless at times, or maybe he just doesn’t stick his nose into things that don’t concern him, but he is the type of friend everyone wants. He is extremely supportive of all his friends and wishes the best for them. And he is nowhere near clueless enough to not see when the ones he cares for are uncomfortable. I think him being soft spoken makes it easy for him to react without others taking it as something negative, as something aggressive. He knows how to stand up for people, in either a very assertive way or in a more hidden manner, depending on what the situation calls for.

I do have one major complaint. The series seems extremely choppy at times, there seems to be a lot of time skips that sometimes make it a bit hard to follow the story. There seems to be a lot of development in a very short time or not enough development in longer time periods. I did find that a bit confusing at times.

The OST is amazing too! I always have the theme song stuck in my head after the episode ends. It’s very catchy.

Also, can we please show some appreciation to both Uea’s aunt and later King’s mom? After everything Uea has been through with his mom, the interactions between him and the two women had me in tears. They were happy tears, but there were tears.

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Deeper than the title suggests

The title would make you think that this is all about 2 characters and them exploring a relationship as 'friends with benefits' and you wouldn't be wrong Uea (James) and King (Net) certainly give you a lot of that, and their chemistry is no joke on screen........however there is a lot, lot, more to the story that this simple idea.

First of all we have the mother from hell! However the actress was extremely good. Uea's mother doesn't like the fact he is gay and basically treats him as a human ATM with no feelings whatsoever.........worse than that we find as the series goes on that Uea has been physically and sexually assaulted from a young age and now has such a low opinion of him himself that he feels he isn't good enough for love.......simply sex.........enter his relationship with King. King on the other hand knows nothing of this, but his actions around Uea seem to make things alternately better and worse, depending on what's happening.

Apart from dysfunctional families, abusive parents, sexual abuse and even workplace abuse.........this show also covers abuse of power, loss of confidence, attempted rape.......and even towards the end therapy as well as the long term effects of abuse on the individual but any relationship they might attempt.

For a show with a name like 'Bed friends' it is actually a very deep and touching story........Net and James, as always, are fabulous on screen together and leave you wanting more of their interactions, but the supporting cast does not disappoint either. Despite the heavy contents, the show still manages to give you a nice blend of comedy and stupidity, which balances it nicely and the music is ok.

If you want a Thai BL that is more mature than most and with great casting, this is definitely one to try.

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not the best, but #1 in my heart

This is my first (and probably only) review on MDL and it’s going to be very very subjective, but I wanted to contribute. You’re probably looking at my ratings and going wow this person is nuts. Well, you’re not wrong. Anyways, I’m not the best at words, but I still want to give my honest opinion of this drama as I think it has too many negative reviews in and outside of this website.

Aside from the terrible and rushed production, questionable editing that is all over the place, way too many shots of the city & buildings as a lame excuse for a transition, and the background music that cuts off weirdly, I still really enjoyed the show.

I haven’t read the novel, but from the many reviews I’ve seen of people that have read it, they all mentioned that it is one of the best written Thai BL novels. And even though the directing of this drama falls behind and feels as if a high schooler directed it, I think they managed to get the essence of the story.

Before starting this drama, I was already interested in it because of the plot and had it instantly added to my watch list. I’m a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers (light on ‘enemies’) trope turned into FWB and then there is the PINING. So much pining! To be honest, if anything, this drama’s plot feels a lot like a fanfic come to life and that’s one of the appealing factors for me. I saw some negative views that said this show “doesn’t have a plot.” But the plot /is/ Uea’s daily life, his love-related struggles, and him working to overcome his trauma. And even if it’s not an overly fancy plot like other dramas have, it doesn’t mean it’s bad. Sometimes the life and struggles of a character are engaging enough to just have that as the story.

Before I started watching the drama, I wasn’t yet a fan of NetJames, but watching some clips from the first couple episodes, I knew they’d instantly become a favorite. And NetJames are definitely the reason this drama has a hold on me like no other. Their chemistry is some of the best I’ve ever seen, and they truly bring King & Uea to life. King is hands down one of the greenest of flags in a BL and for that alone, I would recommend this drama to anyone and everyone. And Uea? Uea is such a strong and wonderful MC, we as an audience really feel for him and his never-ending trauma and horrible luck. Overall, King & Uea’s relationship, although it started out as FWB and could have gone a lot of (wrong)ways, they turned out to be one of the most wholesome, healthy, and sweet couples.

While the directing and editing team could use an upgrade (or change altogether), they certainly brought up a lot of good topics to address in the show. From the episode with KingUea going to get tested after their one night stand, to the positive portrayal of seeking a therapist and taking medication for Uea’s trauma, it’s nice to see all these things normalized on the big screen.

And lastly, for some negatives, the most disappointing thing for me (aside the aforementioned second paragraph), were of course the many scenes cut out from the show. Whatever their reasoning may have been, it’s a pity that so many of their more intimate scenes were cut even in the “uncut” version of the episodes. The fans can only hope they would make it right by adding them into a future DVD set version. And maybe redo some(all) of the editing overall.


Production: 2/10
Visual fx: ??/10 (Though I do want to say, the whole budget went into the graphic design projects Uea & Jade were working on. At least it wasn’t a blank screen.)
Background music: 4/10 (sometimes too much, sometimes stops weirdly, what is going on no one knows)
OST: 10/10 I have to say Feel Fan is one of my most favorite theme songs out of all dramas.
Acting: 9/10 for NetJames, questionable for some of the others.
Rewatch value: for me personally? 1000/10 I honestly could watch King & Uea’s story for a million more episodes.

An objective overall rating? Around 6/10 or 7/10 if we’re being sincere. But my subjective overall rating will stay at 10/10 because despite the many shortcomings, I haven’t felt this way about a drama in more than 10 years. And that in itself is enough for me to give it the highest rating.

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Don’t miss!

Such a good story with excellent acting. The story so much more than the title suggests. The actors all work well together and 2 leads have incredible chemistry. Scenes that may seem somewhat “cheesy” are acted out so well that they are just super cute! I would even like a season 2 of this. There were very serious topics that were addressed in a serious, but relatable manner. Take the time to watch this. You will not regret it!

Hopefully we will see these actors in many more dramas!

Also, it was nice that this was picked up by IQIYI. Sometimes it’s hard to watch on YouTube

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Almost perfect

I really loved this series. I appreciate it that the intimate scenes weren't too graphic like KP and LITA. You have to have those sometimes. The last two episodes were my favorite. They were cute, funny, and romantic. Also, the acting was A+, mostly on the antagonists' parts. The actress that played Uea's mom did a fantastic job at just awful and someone you would hate irl. The little sister actress did a really good job too.

The only thing I really have to complain about is all the hell Uea went through. He dealt with it in a healthy way toward the end, but I feel like it was too much. It seemed like constant "mmm watch ya say" moments over and over (if you get the reference, we're best friends now).

I'm really glad we get a season 2/spinoff (Middleman's Love) because seeing Tutor in the very last scene of the last episode was entirely not enough for me. Ok that's it bye.

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1st BL, but people needs to understand....

that there is more to mature themes than just the steamy scenes. For those of you who thought it focused too much on the trauma aspect, I think it shows how well, and very realistic families like that can be. There are women in this world who are mothers that rely on their husbands so much that no matter what they're child says they'd always think they're lying. Mothers who only care about the paychecks more so than loving their child. And sadly, in life I've seen it that way where a person was in the LGBTQIA+ community and they want their parents love so badly they fork over the cash despite the endless abuse. Uea's story is very real. I'll admit, King was the player, but I don't they were ever fully enemies like they suggest, they just misunderstood each other. He kept flirting with Uea because he knew that he was the one. He just had a wall and he put it up. It was Uea that was the only one that could tear it down. For my first BL that was beyond a 10/10 it deserved more.

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One of my Top 5 favorites

So first off ... Net and James are inexplicably gorgeous! I would pretty much watch any show with the two of them!
I know at the beginning I was expecting more of a friends with benefits storyline and not a lot of romance and more of the frenemies type moments. The fact that there is a bunch of romantic moments makes this series a bit more lovable.
There are some instances where people might feel uncomfortable watching certain scenarios, but in all reality, it happens in real life and could be portrayed as 100xs worse. We may not want to see or think about it, but that's what a FF button is for. Uea's backstory is hard to watch, but it helps to better understand where he's coming from when it comes to his relationship and reluctance with King. Net and James did an excellent job so far with their roles and even their characters' supportive friends have nailed it!
With every new episode, I start back at the beginning and watch all the episodes including the new one! That's how much of a rewatch factor I think this show has! There always seems to be a few more nuances or new details that I catch every time I watch it.
And I don't think a negative review after 1 or 2 episodes is really fair to the cast and production team.

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