It Had Me Hooked

Okay, so I don’t usually go for political dramas, but this show totally pulled me in from start to finish. The romance was kind of slow to build up, but honestly? It was done so well that I was fully emotionally invested. The way it played out really hit in the feels, and I couldn’t stop rooting for the characters.

And speaking of the characters--I loved every single one of them. Even the second main leads, who I usually couldn’t care less about in other shows, were so well done here. They made all the characters super likable and endearing, which is rare for me. I was obsessed with all of them!

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ROMANCE not bromance.

This is gay. ෆ

Im not joking, this show is more flaming than a pride parade float lmao.

So we have Saint and Shin, two former besties-turned-raging enemies forced back into each other’s lives when their schools merge. Saint, the cold, stonefaced heartbreaker who apparently majored in being dead inside, spends his days ignoring everyone like he is allergic to eye contact. And then there is Shin ♡ bless his hot-tempered, heart-on-sleeve self, who is ready to blow a gasket every time Saint so much as breathes in his direction.

Now, I swear, every time these two are on-screen together, I felt like watching a smoldering match about to hit gasoline. They exchange looks with the intensity of a thousand K-dramas. Every stare, every hissed argument, every "I don’t care about you but I’m going to spend all my energy looking at you like you are the last thing on Earth" moment, it's practically Shakespearean y'all.

Also the flashbacks are so sadistic because they just drip with the bittersweet remnants of a beautiful friendship and they give you just enough “we were once so happy” moments to leave you screaming at the screen, "JUST TELL ME WHAT WENT WRONG!" And when the big reveal finally drops...well no spoilers but let’s just say Saint didn’t exactly follow the friendship handbook.

Also the acting is so good. Their scenes have me convinced these two are soulmates in some alternate universe or possibly in THIS one because they are fooling exactly no one.

My only regret? These two didn’t get thrown into an actual BL, they are already more of a couple than half of the official pairings on GMMTV no offense tho.

Side note: shoutout to Mark's character, who has autism and brings some genuinely refreshing and much-needed representation. He is so fucking precious, authentic and provides a nice breather from the on-screen storm that is Saint and Shin’s "friendship" crisis. NGL Mark is probably the only sane one here, while everyone else is busy having emotional stare-downs or fighting.

So, to sum it up: High School Frenemy is the most non-BL, BL series that ever non-BLed. It’s filled with emotions, teenage angst, broken limbs, unresolved sexual tension and enough romantic subtext to sink the Titanic. You will laugh, you will cry and you will absolutely scream at the screen, “JUST KISS ALREADY!” ♡

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The Romance Was a Major Letdown

The first episodes in the series had me hooked and the plot was fresh with so many cool twists and turns that kept me guessing. The characters were well thought out and I could relate to them from the beginning.

As it went further into the story though, I started to feel like it wasn't hitting the same. What started off being very unpredictable and unique, slowly moved into a string of tired clichés and predictable tropes. I could almost always guess what would be happening next and that was kind of a letdown. I truly had hoped for more surprises than this but the creativity was no longer there.

What really bummed me out though, was the chemistry between the two leads. Perth was actually really good and did his character's emotions justice, making it believable. Chimon? I don't know, something was off. He wasn't bad at acting, but there was no spark between the two. Their romance felt kinda flat and I just couldn't feel the love between them like I was supposed to. And well, it did leave me feeling pretty disconnected from their whole story.

Honestly, I think Chimon has to improve his acting in romance. Of course, he is talented, but regarding deep emotions and maintaining believable chemistry with a co-star, he still has room to grow. With practice he might get better

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