I knew this version was going to be good & successful even before it aired because,
(1) I had already seen the director's other works before and he's someone who always does something different & amazing... I knew F4 Thailand was in good hands and he's the perfect person to tackle the issue everyone had with this plot - Romanticizing bullying. He promised he's going to change it and I believe he will. Also the fact that he included cyber bullying in this version is commendable!
(2)THE CAST! oh my god I'm not exaggerating when I say this version has the most talented and the most famous actors and actresses under its belt and there's no way this would flop. I am a huge fan of Bright and Win and I think all the 4 boys are perfect for their respective characters!!

Now the actual series is pretty fast paced and I'm living for it... I love how they don't drag the scenes unnecessarily like the previous versions. Thyme (Bright) is probably going to be the most loved Doumyouji because from the very first ep, we get to know why he's the way he is. We just can't hate him. We can see he's a real softie inside and he's aware what he's doing is wrong. We often get to see him questioning himself when MJ tries to talk some sense into him. But because of his mother's pressure he has to be ruthless and be in "control" of the students, and his way of doing it is through the red cards. I love how he didn't ask Gorya to be his gf at his house, instead he asked her to record an apology video which is REALISTIC. I'm so glad they changed that scene! This version shows us what a baby Thyme is when he's with the people he's close to - his sister or his friends (airport scene was so damn cute) and Bright does a damn good job delivering it - he has such a cute face with a fierce look - the perfect Doumyouji in my opinion ❤️

I love how Ren actually shows emotions in this version. He doesn't look dead inside even though there's probably a storm inside his heart. He's also not rude to Gorya for no reason unlike other versions; the only time he got annoyed with her was during ep3 and other than that he actually had pleasant interactions with her. He actually acknowledges Gorya's presence even though his head is filled with Mira. He actually "SAW" Gorya even when Mira was a part of his life; because of that it will make sense when he falls for her after he comes back. I feel like Dew was born to be Ren, his mannerism, his looks everything screams Ren & he's actually a talented artist in real life which is amazing!

Hands down Gorya is the best version of Makino!! She's smart, she's brave, she's beautiful and she's REAL. I love how she was living a lowkey life out of F4's way because she wanted to graduate without a problem. She never approved or liked what F4 was doing but she's not stupid enough to stop them or make a scene. She only fought back because she's a great friend and she had no choice. Even then we see the internal conflict she has with herself before doing that. She even runs and hides so that she won't be found by other students. I think all these are close to real life events. I'm glad they didn't make Gorya a feminazi fighting against all the injustices that goes on around her. That's not how real life works. She's definitely brave, but she's not stupid. She stands up for herself and her loved ones only when necessary.

Kavin's storyline still hasn't started but when I say he's already a scene-stealer I mean it! He's mysterious, he only speaks a few words but they are powerful. He has a dark aura around him that he masks by his seductive smile; I could tell by the minor changes in his expressions when he was talking about his family in ep1 that there's a deep background story. Win is an outstanding actor and I can't wait for Kavin-Kaning storyline to start so we can see more of him!!
I like how F4 Thailand didn't let MJ's character get lost behind the other 3 characters - something we commonly saw in other versions. Here KAVIN-MJ are the ones that keep the group together. They don't follow Thyme blindly. Yes they don't actively stop him but they warn Thyme when they feel like he's gone too far. I really like that aspect of the story.
They call Thyme the leader of F4 - but that maybe in the eyes of the ordinary. When F4 is together, there's no leader there, they are all equal. They are just a normal group of friends who tease each other and do cute things like we saw in ep3.

Overall I'm in love with this version. One might think I am biased because I'm an old fan of Bright and Win, but I genuinely believe people who are not watching this version are seriously missing out on a good series.
It's the same story, yet it's so different and fresh. I think everyone should give it a try 🔥