High School Frenemy (2024)

Amazing?

This is the first time I am leaving a review for any asian show in my whole life. The story line was so amazing. Bromance at its peak. Their chemistry was so so good and so real that everyone is rooting for them in real life too. Sky and Nani both are such amazing and great actors that took this series to a top level. Even all other supporting characters were amazing and their acting was great. Ken, the twins, Mark, the girls ,the teachers and yes our adorable chingching were very good. Loved this series to next level. I highly recommend to watch this. I hope we get to see SkyNani in more interesting dramas in the future.

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This dragged for what felt like an eternity

Let’s get spoilers out of the way first: this story is about two teen best friends who used to be in a gang, one wanted to leave to have a football career, the other didn’t want to let him go, so he gave him a “customary” beating, breaking a leg of his friend and ending his football dream. The perpetrator felt ashamed and vanished while the victim felt abandoned. 3 years later they meet again and – instead of clarifying things – begin a prolonged back and forth with the perpetrator wanting to apologize and the victim refusing to listen; they eventually reconcile, but by that time the show introduced several side plots which sidelined the main plot and the series can’t end before those side plots are concluded. At the end of the day we get whopping 16 episodes filled mainly with repetitive content (e.g. in ep. 1-6 Saint follows Shin and tries to talk to him, Shin doesn’t want to talk; they nevertheless kinda talk, but nothing comes out of that – no conclusion nor resolution – so Saint follows Shin… And this happens 2-3 times per episode) or side plot content – about various problems of Shin’s and Saint’s classmates. I admit I got tired of the main plot by ep. 3 and started watching the show on FFDW.

Some claim that this is actually a BL. I guess some people could get this impression as the show was produced by a company specializing in BLs, both main characters are male, young and attractive, and the show’s about their relationship. Others might believe that nonromantic love between males is impossible (hence it’s no “bromance” – it must be a BL) or that the supposed chemistry between Nani and Sky proves that their characters are more than friends. I strongly disagree with the above – and not just because there’s nothing in the story that would imply “High School Frenemy” to be something else than a “bromance”. It’s also the structure of the story. In most BLs (and love stories in general) story is about characters developing their relationship, going from strangers to a couple. This is a gross simplification, but – with a few exceptions – that’s how vast majority of BL are written. “High School Frenemy” is about two characters who already had a strong non-romantic relationship and want to rekindle it – which takes them most of the 16 episodes. I’m not saying forgiveness, healing and rekindling of a friendship are easy nor that they can be achieved quickly, but in case of this show it’s more than obvious that this process was treated as filler for as many episodes as possible. The aforementioned repetitiveness does not result from Shin and Saint needing a lot of time to reconcile (they actually do it in two scenes), but from the show needing content. There’s like 2 hours of actual story and content of the main plot and it could have been told in a concise and emotional way; it loses a lot of emotional weight due to being stretched over far too many episodes, with the few decent scenes getting drowned by constant repetition. The “give up what’s most important for you” thing in ep. 7 is a good example of what this show does to good concepts: it was supposed to display Saint’s sacrifice and importance of friendship, but was executed in a horrible way, ruined by awful dialogue (spelling out what Saint was giving up), poor delivery and dragging it over three utterly pointless scenes, making it lose all emotional charge.

As for subplots, I feel all save one were shoehorned as additional filler. Sure, when you have a school/classroom setting for a story (regardless what the story is about), you need people to appear in the background – as students, teachers, administration etc. What I don’t get is why any of them needed their own small story, which was unrelated (or very loosely related) to the main story.

Ken’s subplot, the only one somewhat connected to the main plot, was stretched just as unnecessarily as the main plot. This had several consequences – we got tons of pointless violence (apparently one fight scene wasn’t enough to illustrate the problem) before characters were allowed to realize that it serves no purpose: neither side could “win”, asserting permanent domination, and even if “winning” was possible – it wouldn’t change much (they would still be students at a high school). Furthermore the show presented school violence (and violence in general) as something ordinary, an element of everyday life – normalizing it. Violence and danger are so common, that the stakes are oddly low: we get a solid beating every other episode, yet it ends with a few bruises, no apologies and no punishments.

The school setting makes sense – but only when viewed from a distance. As someone who does not require full realism I can say that too many things felt nonsensical and were written like that because of plot (and not realism or relatability); I listed some examples of that below.
1/ Teachers (not just Jan and Sung) had no idea what they’re supposed to do, imposing “clever” punishments to force students to think (punishments that no school in the civilized world would dare to apply). The method of tricking someone to change their behavior or mind was also used on one of the teachers.
2/ The principal was unhinged, throwing tantrums and switching between having bright ideas and going hard on students, between being bent on expelling an innocent student and overlooking those that are responsible and applying collective responsibility.
3/ The exam cheating issue was presented in a crude and heavy-handed way, plagued with banal statements by Jan and Sung (which were, of course, made sound like something profound and important). Jan punishing herself/forcing students to “punish” her for them cheating during the exam was pure cringe.
4/ School bullies who associate themselves with criminals were scared of a teacher quoting penal law and threatening to tell their parents about what they do. Were they naughty teens, who can be kept in line by teachers, afraid of getting expelled, or delinquents who don’t care about graduating or their parents finding out that they’re bullies? Which is it – cause it can’t be both, and the show sure wanted it to be.
5/ During the “investigation” into cases of violence (in ep. 6-7) nobody remembered the brawl which resulted in Chatjen throwing a chair through a window nor about the one class member who was recording all the school fights for “content”. And how come virtually all the surveys from class 2 incriminated Shin – did Saint, Chatjen, First, Thiu and Cable accuse Shin of being a violent troublemaker in their surveys?

A few words need to be said about the cast. Most performances are either weak or unimpressive – this includes what both Maria and Foei bring to the screen. Nani’s delivery is pretentious and annoying in nearly every scene, while Sky is stiff and wooden; in all “emotional” scenes he’s reciting lines like an automaton and gets better only during the very few “friendly banter” scenes he shares with Nani. Neither of them can act and they have little chemistry (although these two things are not related – there are many couples and ships with no acting skills, but with good chemistry), with just a few better scenes in later episodes, when Saint and Shin reconcile. The single good performance of the series comes from Mark Pakin – the only actual actor in the cast. I did, however, enjoy Winny’s guest appearance, while Marc Natarit was surprisingly convincing in his little role.

I enjoyed some of the music used in the series. The opening theme by “Kong” Jaithep Raroengjai is very good and I was upset upon finding out that it’s only 1:08 minutes long (no “full version” or longer version is available).

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THE BROMANCE WE ALL NEED !!

So first things first ...
Is this a bromance /BL????
Let me just clear this up once and for all .
1.The main characters have confessed their love to each other more than most BLs I've seen 😅.
2.They have more chemistry than most BL couples out there.
Idk which bromance has so many cheesy confessions 🤣

Reasons to watch
1.the electrifying chemistry b/w the main leads ⚡
2.the amazing script and the supporting crew
3.incredible OST
4.Lovable charcters with great backstory .almost all supporting characters have a good storyline and charcter development .
5.great action packed scenes with realistic stunt performances.
6.SkyNani
7.SkyNani
8.SkyNani
9.SkyNani
10.SkyNani

Reasons to skip
1.hate having a good time
2.don't enjoy great dramas

Just go and watch this masterpiece and thank me later.
Imina SkyNani ❤

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BOYS WILL BE BOYS

Guys for CRYING OUT LOUD I guess we should really check out HIGH SCHOOL FRENEMY.

Two stubborn guys,
They fight like a divorced couple,
Make it look like one hell of a Romantic betrayal I can't possibly resist the urge of SHIPPING these guys and trust me you won't.

It feels pretty much like a queerbaiting show,
We have two Tops, sure the fighting gets intense, somehow annoying, 99.9% nonsensical but you're gonna pray to see these guys in a BL after seeing them going through the CAT AND MOUSE phase to the HARD TO GET LEVEL.

Never thought that a "PLATONIC UNBROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WOULD GIVE ME THESE MANY BUTTERFLIES. LOL" 😘

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A Gripping Tale of Friendship, Rivalry, and Redemption

Watching High School Frenemy was a refreshing experience for me, as it offered a unique mix of high school nostalgia, complex friendships, and the dynamics of rivalry. The premise of two rival school campuses merging, with former best friends Saint and Shin forced into the same environment, immediately drew me in. The series does a great job depicting how teenage tensions, misunderstandings, and past grudges can evolve and affect relationships over time. The tension between the characters feels real, and I found myself rooting for reconciliation, which added depth to the story and kept me engaged.

One of the highlights for me was how the show dealt with themes of loyalty, personal growth, and forgiveness. The strained friendship between Saint and Shin, and the reasons behind their animosity, made me reflect on how misunderstandings can often lead to deep rifts. Watching their journey reminded me of friendships I've experienced where small miscommunications led to bigger conflicts, which took time and effort to mend. This relatability is one of the series’ strengths, drawing viewers into the characters' emotional journeys.

Overall, High School Frenemy is a compelling series with strong performances and engaging storylines. Its focus on friendship, rivalry, and self-discovery made it an enjoyable watch. The show goes beyond typical high school drama, highlighting the importance of empathy and understanding in repairing damaged relationships. For anyone who enjoys youth dramas that go beyond surface-level plots, High School Frenemy is well worth watching.

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Beautiful delinquents

After being disappointed by other recent series with insanely high ratings I was a little scared to start this one but, boy I'm glad I did.

I started yesterday and within the first 5 minutes I already knew I was going to like it. I'm 7 episodes in and I might sacrifice sleep tonight because I can't stop, I need to know more.

I assume that at some point Shin is going to forgive Saint and I'll be happy when he does but , If he doesn't Wouldn't be mad, it wasn't a misunderstanding or a mistake nor was he forced to do it, He did it because He want it to because He is that selfish and although He shows remorse and seems to really love Shin, Does he really deserve forgiveness?We'll see...

Also it says Bromance, but, Aren't all bromances just a little bit gay?

Did I end the first half of my review by saying that this was a bromance with a little gay in it??
Because no it is not it love 100% without any doubts these two boys are madly in love with each other and it's so satisfying to watch.

"I'm not mad at you because you broke my leg, I'm hurt because you chose to walk away"...just one of my favorite lines in this show.

Beautiful delinquents is what I chose to name tittle this review, because it's the first impression I got, it's a school full of troubled kids all of them ridiculously good looking it reminded me of when I was 13-14 and turned on the tv to watch Dawson's creek and Buffy (yes I am that old). And it's that nostalgia that first got to me but then I stayed for the story, The characters are all so good I fell in love with all of them.

I watched all 16 episodes without skipping anything, eyes glued to the screen with a big smile on my face.

The only reason I am not giving this show a 10/10 review is because it dragged a bit towards the middle, they kept having the same fight over and over between Shin and Saint, same discussion same outcome every time, insteadbof that I would've preferred to see more of the supporting characters as I said they were all so good, the actors did an amazing job so it's a shame that they didn't get enough screen time. Also we're told that Saint used to be this vicious bully but aside from that one flashback we really didn't get to see him be that horrible person, I would've liked to see a bit more of that in the past to contrast to this sweet puppy faced dummy that we're seeing in the present.

The twins shone here it's the best I've seen of them up until now and I would absolutely love in the future to see either one of them, but preferably both play a main antagonist like the big bad irredeemable people that we can't help Bute hate. I am a 100% sure they would nail a part like that.

In conclusion this show is absolutely amazing I loved it and I would recommend it to people and I will rewatch a bunch of times.

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Testing a new BL couple?

In the midst of rave reviews, I want to put out my own review here just for those who may be feeling how I'm feeling right now should they watch this show. If you fall into what feels like an isolated alien corner with this show, hello, I am here too.

I really, really wanted to like this and perhaps I'm most angry with myself for not understanding the hype. This show felt like I had put my brain through a vice. It was a class in all the tropes, I now know that I really hate.

The most obvious case being the school bullying, which can be very triggering for those who were physically bullied at school. But hopefully you are self aware enough of your triggers to know that before clicking play. I am, and still hated the bullies. I don't want to see them redeemed. I don't care about them.

But with that said, I was bored silly. This is basically a gang war with delinquent kids, which makes the immersion a little difficult, if real minors acted like this, they would be in a detention centres.
These are the 'hopeless case' kids that make everyone abandon them because they are so insufferable in the name of being tough and cool. They are headed for a gang and jail later in life. So the idea is for us as the viewer to find some sort of compassion in our dried up hearts for these kids and their circumstances. One group has taken in the autistic kid. Yes, and? Why are they still assholes to everyone else? They walked into the classroom ready to hate because of the whole campuses are at war for 16 years. *sigh* That kind of logic does exist in reality and perhaps it's why seeing it here just wore down my attention. Everyone living in a bubble counting the scores.

The male teacher was a student there so he knows how to handle the class (and probably the guy who started the war in the first place) but his teaching logic is basically, you just need to pass the exam, don't worry about the subject, which defeats the point of being a teacher. That's not a successful student to me. He's a product of his schooling. You don't need to learn, just win, which is what the principal is doing to her own son. Put him into the troubled youth class so he'll naturally be the top. No effort needed. Forget about how violent and abusive these students are. And they wonder why the school is a school for thugs?

I also had a math teacher like this. If it wasn't on the exam, dont worry about it. No wonder I failed my math 3 times because i didn't learn anything. I was taught how to answer questions. That's not teaching and is another personal irk for me as a viewer.

You'll probably hate every character except Mark's because he's the sweet one, he's just loyal to Shin. I loved Only Friends, so toxic characters aren't really the trigger here. I just couldn't find it in me to care about these ones. Again, maybe because they're school kids, and I just see my own bullies, I dont know.

When the real Tsunami is finally revealed, he conveniently destroys all the minions single handedly until the top dog with crazy eyes starts fighting. So of course, he's more of a challenge. Not to mention mom slapping Tsunami across the face after he saved her, her daughter and her son's life from this gang. If he had chosen to stay away as you insisted lady, you would have dead children right now. So there's another irk. The non sensical parent trope.

The three bullies who are starting everything, are scared to have their parents find out about their bullying but they want to join a drug gang? They kidnapped and beat the crap out of their class mate and are in school the next day like nothing happened. The adults are very conveniently placed in this show. They are there when the plot needs them to be. They care when only when it drives the plot.

And finally, the bromance. I like a bromance. This isn't a BL and personally, don't even see the gay happening and I dont care enough to keep watching to wait for it.
I see an angry young lout who opened up to his friend once and was physically beaten by him at some point and now won't forgive him. That seems pretty fair to me. What broke my interest was the chase. It was the old follow and force myself into his space until he eventually forgives me. This annoys me in a romantic sense, so it's good to know that it works platonically too lol
I don't see loving stares either. I see anger, hate and desperation.

I only made it episode 5 before I decided I just cant do it. This is really not for me. I can suspend belief for those heroic uplifting moments but I feel like this show was asking me to do that quite a lot and I don't enjoy that.

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