Monster Next Door (2024)

Very great uplifting drama

This show is very very good. I am not a drama expert and I have my own taste, but if you are looking for a drama that have a good story, character having a background, not too heavy, but still there. I find the acting quite good, not the best I have seen but it was not terrible, the acting is good enough to not take you out of the watching. It's a simple storyline, but IMO they executed it well. Things are not too messy, but it is still interesting to watch. I don't think there is any part to "skip" personally I found them relevant. I think they represented well the introversion, as one myself I felt particularly connected to Diew. I rarely see my type of behaviour in a show so it was refreshing to see the focus on introversion and extraversion here. I recommend this title!

Leia Mais

butterflies

This series is absolutely delightful—it’s calming and gives you that fluttery, butterfly feeling. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it is. I had no expectations going in, but it turned out to be an incredible rom-com. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment—the scenes, the expressions, the acting—all were fantastic. The chemistry between the characters felt so authentic, making every interaction engaging and heartfelt. The plot was well-paced, keeping me hooked from the beginning to the end. The humor was light yet impactful, striking the perfect balance with the romantic elements. Overall, everything about the series was fantastic. There's something about it that even evokes a sense of nostalgia, reminding me of those classic rom-coms that never fail to bring a smile to your face.

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Carino, ma...?

Ho iniziato questo lakorn senza troppe aspettative perché non ne avevo guardato neanche il trailer, ma non nego di aver guardato i primi 3-4 episodi tutti d'un fiato, incuriosita dai personaggi e dalle evoluzioni di trama e/o dei personaggi stessi. Putroppo, però, l'euforia è svanita presto.
Stavo apprezzando il fatto che avessero, per una volta, dato spazio ad un main role che fosse introverso senza descriverlo come il classico timidone goffo che non sa stare al mondo, però penso che in qualche modo siano riusciti ad esagerare lo stesso.
Gli sviluppi del personaggio di Diew non mi stanno facendo impazzire. Capisco che ci siano diverse tipologie di introversione, ma sono -ahimè- riusciti a cogliere tutti e soli i lati negativi e analoga impressione la sto avendo con lo sviluppo dell'estroversione di God.
Continuerò a guardarlo e spero di cambiare opinione, ma per ora sto preferendo gli sviluppi dei BeerWan.

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"Monster Next Door": To be young and to flourish feelings of passion

It is not my usual approach to writing reviews, especially when the series still airing. Still, after a lovely time watching the fourth chapter of this work, I am inclined to leave my candid sentiments and contemplations in this commentary.

These past months, I have been quite unhappy with the writing of some newly released series. It is an individual matter, truly. However, I see myself struggling to bear the tone in which these stories are portrayed, and certain production and directing choices that flatten the narrative. It is a matter of emptiness. Works that are supposed to depict love, friendship, and such heartfelt themes feel like nothing.

Taking this into consideration, I am delighted to note my thoughts on "Monster Next Door: EP4". There is a vibrant serenity in this show. It is truly a "nostalgia" of times that weren't that long ago, but the contrast of the web dramas of now and then certainly makes it feel like a century has already passed. "Monster Next Door" is a 2024 series, that resembles the first boy love dramas of past years; the foolish portrayal of young love, the everyday atmosphere of university, the awkwardness of the raw immature emotions of passion... To be in love in this phase of life, the youthful that blossoms, is a silent agreement to missteps, inexperienced sayings and actions, and vicarious embarrassment of oneself. It is not ever an enjoyable memory for the majority of us. But to bear a passion is that; this dreadful affair of sweet horror.

In wise choices, they decided to tell a tale of young love in such a way; that precious discovery of a new world that will never look as good as examined by the eyes that once weren't complete with memories. The story of Diew and God has been, until this moment, an ideal one, like that first memory of passion that kisses the mind every time we dare to think about it. Like the cold soft rainfall on a hot summer day; it soothes our mind. 'No work is flawless, like in life, everything has to have some wrinkled scar to make it truly appealing. "Monster Next Door" does not have a model screenplay that acclimates with the bigger part of the viewers. And for that, I allow myself pettiness and feel cheerful about it, because this sincere slice of life was what I longed for.

On a last word, the certain mood of the whole drama makes me think about a song, that I dedicate to the ending of this review.

"fallingforyou, The 1975"

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Why was this show so perfect?

Okay, so I know some will say this was boring and nothing really happened but literally so much happened! This was a beautifully told character driven show about over coming personally and emotional obstacles in order to grow not only for yourself but for the people in your life. The characters and conflicts were so incredibly realistic and relatable that it has been impossible for me to stop thinking about them. I related to Diew so much and I could see myself in his character. The time he took to open up to God and to feel comfortable was so amazing, I really like that nothing about it was instant. The characters, both Diew and God, took their time getting to know one another and really developing their trust for one another. I was able to understand the conflict from both characters points of view. It was very well acted and I hope these actors have many more projects in the future.

Leia Mais

Soft and gentle, communication is everything

"Monster Next Door" is one of those gentle and soft romance dramas that are more about two people of opposite characters slowly getting closer to each other and finding a good balance in their relationship than it is about external conflicts.
As such, it can be either comforting or boring, depending on the personal taste and mental state of the viewer.

The tl;dr:
1. Is it good? -- It's certainly in the upper third of this year's Thai BLs, but it's not top-tier -- the overall production quality is good, acting is solid, and here are little to no plot holes. Regarding flaws, see below.
2. Did I like it? -- Yes, I enjoyed it immensely. I chose a time when I was in the mood for a light watch, with a soft and gentle couple, and this hit the spot. More on that, see the paragraph directly below this one.
3. Do I recommend it? -- I do. But only for those who are looking for a gentle low-stakes love story, where nothing hurts (much, or not for long), that has mostly but not only fluff.


I love how the drama shows us a couple who resolve their problems with open communication and gentleness, and try to understand and accommodate each other.
Park and Big represent their roles well -- one is more reserved and sometimes you have to look closely to understand how he feels, while the other telegraphs everything. The supporting friend group is hilarious, and both couples' stories fit well within the plot. I like the sets, the use of colours -- and even the opening song grew on me.
I very much liked it as a stress reliever and diversion from work and life, the drama is perfect for that.

(As an aside for those who have not watched this yet or were confused: Near the end of epiosde 1, God asks Diao to become คนคุยกัน /khon khui gan/, literally "people who talk with each other" -- it's translated as "dating" in the subtitles, which gives a wrong impression. /khon khui/ are two people who will meet up often, "talk" with each other, to get to know each other, with the prospect of a romantic relationship at a later stage. I don't think Western cultures have this exact same thing, so it's really hard to find an expression for it in English.)


Coming back to the drama; even if I like it a lot, there is one major and some minor irritants.

The one major irritant is Khun Shy's living conditions. Khun Shy is Diao's much beloved turtle -- for him, Diao even asks his neighbour for help, even if he doesn't quite trust him at this point. So, apart from the fact that it hurts every time we have to watch Khun Shy desperately trying to escape his prison, it also does not make any sense within the story that his cage is so small.
Everything else in both Diao and God's rooms is lovingly chosen and presented by the production team -- these rooms represent their owners in style, displayed items and colour scheme. Why then, is this not true for Khun Shy? Diao's love for him should have been reflected in the turtle's living condidtions. You can't tell me that someone like Diao, who has been obsessed with turtles his whole life and loves his own little turtle very much would *not* dedicate at least half his living space to a luxurious habitat for Khun Shy?!
It is a grave mistake on the side of the production team that they did not see this.

There are a few minor irritants that could have been avoided with a few more passes over the script and the editing -- the whole drama does not feel as polished as it could have been. Quite a few of these things I have also seen in other Thai BL production, so "Monster Next Door" is not alone in this. But given the care the drama shows in other aspects, it's a pity that these little splinters are left.

What follows now is what the Germans call "Meckern auf hohem Niveau" -- "complaining on a high level". When something is well done in comparison to other similar things, it's sometimes even easier to point out remaining flaws; to wish that something good could be even better, if not perfect. So, yes, even if the following text got quite long, the flaws really ARE minor.

I'll just list a few examples, to make my point clearer (some spoilers ahead!):
* There are many smaller excellent ideas. For example, the "angel" and the "devil", who represent the "introverted" and "extroverted" character traits. Or that Diao posts his thoughts on a private profile, so that nobody will see them. Similarly, the use of the MBTI types -- only seen during the opening scenes and mentioned once later in the drama, but later it doesn't play any role. All of these cute ideas are discarded as soon as they are no longer useful (or forgotten by the writers?) -- I'd have liked to see a resolution or a more continuous use for them.
* Passing of time is often unclear. How many days passed between God and Diao's agreement to become /khon khui/and the next step in their relationship? How often did they talk on the balcony during that time? Must have been often enough that God found it necessary to buy a bell so Diao can call him -- and often enough that God knows a turtle motif will please Diao -- but these scenes are never shown, and if viewers don't pay attention then they might be a bit confused. (A similar thing happens after Diao loses his bracelet.)
* God (whose name is short for "Godzilla") is repeatedly and consistently the "monster", it's even in the title. I think they should have explored this more and deeper, have him consistently be a bit too loud, a bit too large, a bit too much. Instead, they chose to add the "God is like a dog" simile -- while it does fit, it's too much for one character.

Sometimes less is more, and I think it would have been better for the writing team to go over their script two or three times more to cut everything that is not necessary to the story (there are some scenes that don't add anything) and instead explore some of the themes in more detail.

For example, God accuses Diao in a later episode that he doesn't know anything about him -- but what do we know about God? What made him the way he is? Where does his need to be a "good boyfriend" come from? Why does he obviously need to prove his worth by providing for and servicing his Diao?
As it is, God is more the stereotypical "green flag boyfriend" / "good seme", a fantasy boyfriend for the (female) audience, rather than a three-dimensional character. I think the drama would have gained from more background for him.
(Maybe leave out the secondary couple -- that one had such an interesting story, and there must be more to Wan's need for security and desire that things stay the same as always, which was already there before Tan left. Those two would have deserved their own story.)

Related to that, I would have liked the drama to break out more from the "top/bottom" mold. They had the best starting point -- an introvert and an extrovert who will have to find a balance between their needs.
Why not cast the smaller man in the "extrovert" role of God and vice versa? Why not let the smaller and introverted Diao top God, at least let him "top from the bottom", instead of letting him slide back into the passive "uke" role in bed?
We got a good story about character growth, and Diao has always been straightfoward and strong when it comes to stating his own needs and wants (even in times when he needs to process and think, he usually makes it very clear). We got a beautiful story about a couple that has to find their own way, so both of their needs are met. Why not reflect that when they are physically intimate?

This is what I mean when I say "the whole drama does not feel as polished as it could have been". There are quite a few missed opportunities, and that's a shame when this is a drama that is quite good overall.
I think, on the whole Thai BLs have been consistently getting better in quality, and "Monster Next Door" is on the upper end of the scale among fluffy Thai BLs from 2024.

Leia Mais

Simple, Lovely, Golden Retriever

Monster Next Door is probably one of the sweetest thing that I have watched. I know and you can clock me on this one but I am a sucker with a good love story that does not overly dramaticize or sensationalize stuff but instead they are trying to just be as normal as they can. This is why I really loved it. Basically, the story of the show follows Diew who is the stereotypical example of Introvert and God who is a stereotypical example of an extrovert. They fell in love with each other with the efforts of God to really push himself to be loved by Diew. I think we can say that it is a love at first sight and the romance is more or less what we can consider to be easy because they are already felt something towards each other but the main hindrance to their relationship is their difference in personality. We have a character who is more comfortable with speaking and I really understand this character so much but I think what I love with the character is that even though they marketed him as a stereotypical introvert, we also got to see a different side to the character as he is trying his best to really relate to the people around him. I think this is a big plus because we need this kind of representation that they may prefer to be alone but there are also those who seeks comfort in the people that they are close with. This is why I love that he is given a friend with Game who is also an introvert but is more flexible. I applaud that they did not just make him a stereotype and made him into a more realized character. He is played by Park Anantadej Sodsee or Park. I was actually trying to figure out his character as well but we got to really see him shine in the moments that are more quiet. I have to give it to him because he was able to show range with his facial expressions with a character that is usually not speaking. Then, there is Big Thanakorn Kuljarassombat or Big who plays God. First and foremost, I already have a huge crush of this guy even before I watched this series so I am so happy that I get to see him as a lead character. He really deserved it and I was so proud for some weird reason because he was good. He is a golden retriever in this show and I love that he really tried to understand Diew and he is not just forcing him to follow his values or his ways. I respect that. Seriously, I think I have watched stories where the introvert had to adjust to the extrovert but they really decided to slowly let each other into their lives without changing who they are. This is the main thing that the show is doing and I love that they did not try to overly complicate such thing and instead just focused on the romance that we are supposed to watch and it worked. I loved their interactions as they try to understand each other better. They are respecting their boundaries and even though they had a big fight in the show, I will have to say that I am glad that the directors and the writers did not make it into something so much bigger that they cannot resolve in one episode or just by talking, they had to separate for awhile but they are trying their best to respect each other’s boundaries and to not let their emotions get the best of them so when they talked, they felt more honest and mature with each other. I LOVE THAT. Also, I love Big so much as God. I mean, the guy is the most attractive human being with that fucking smile that will just make me swoon. The body, PERFECTION. He is so perfect for the role and it worked so well. The secondary characters are okay. I think this is where the miss is a bit. They really focused on the main characters and the secondary characters are not given stronger narratives except for the secondary couple. Wan and Beer are okay but I was happier to see Game and Win so much. Win is just so cute and I would not mind if they will have their own BL series. I will watch it in a heartbeat. I really enjoyed watching this BL because the pacing is good and the story is easy to watch. I like that we got really good sweet moments in between that really accentuate the love they have for each other. I love that there is good character development for the main characters not just as a couple but also as individuals as they are trying to also fully accept who they are and what they are for each other. There is a certain love that makes you feel comfortable and that is what I felt watching this show.

Leia Mais

Comfy beautiful little series

This series was such a comfortable watch as it didn't really prolong any conflicts and was full of genuine connections. With it's 12 episodes, I didn't feel like there was any time I thought that the things happening on screen are unnecessary, everything was paced very well. Let's dig in deeper:

The portrayal of an introverted character that doesn't have a lot of friends honestly hit close to home. I could relate to Diew's anxiety in front of other people. With that said I am glad that he had Game, his best friend, to spend time with in and after classes. For me, it seemed like perfectly okay and nice life. With that said, enter God!

I enjoyed every little interaction between Diew and God. God is very green flag character, which I really appreciate as a portrayal of healthy friendship and relationship is something very comfortable to watch for me. It was beautiful how God respected all Diew's wishes and how careful he was when interacting with him, so Diew didn't feel uncomfortable in any way (like checking if it's ok to touch his hand while teaching him basketball or being ready to instantly stop touching him when they suddenly got close on the sleepover).
It was sad that God's jealousy took over him so intensely regarding Dr. Pi. But nobody's perfect and until then we were able to see only God "the perfect boyfriend". I was glad that they gave each other time and then talked it out calmly.
It was also a joy to see them getting more and more comfortable with each other as time passed.

Second pair, Beer and Wan, was interesting to watch. I didn't really like the cliché of "what happens if we break up one day", but it was okay.

I liked the (subtle) relationship between Game and Win. And I appreciated moments when Game and Diew interacted and Win and God just looked at them lovingly (reminded me a lot of Love in the Air, haha).

I didn't really enjoy Jane playing a questionably bad character, because I don't enjoy shallow characters, her only motivation seemed to be famous. But I can still understand that maybe she didn't have any friends and thought that maybe being famous could help her. But like, no one sane would ask seemingly uncomfortable person three times to do modeling... BUT! I really like that she got her redemption arc lol, and was chill at the very end.

With Dr. Pi, I don't even know what to say :_D His group of friends from the past was so evil for no reason? Like, why would you say such a mean things about boyfriend of your friend? Well, didn't make sense to me... I was glad when he walked out and let Diew breathe. I don't really believe his apology, as just a few episodes before he was stirring things up with God. But I don't really care as long as he didn't make a reappearance.


The family stuff at near end was a very important part of the story and I loved it. I deeply adored how Diew stood up for himself by saying: "Can you stop pressuring me?" when his mother was trying to emotionally ambush him. On the other hand I really liked the self-reflection his mother went through after that and their clear conversation after that. Don't we all love healthy communication in all aspects of life.

The grandpa was the star all along. Such a nice guy! I liked how he managed to be there for both his grandson and his daughter in all difficult situations, very caring of him. My favourite line from him was: "Your love needs to have a space for him (Diew) to grow." as he said it to Diew's mom, that man is just spitting facts in the most caring way possible.

Acting: I didn't have any problems with none of the cast. I think all played their roles well.

Music: I am normally listening to other genres, but I appreciate that the lyrics matched the story very well.


This review was compiled from notes I made when watching the series, which I normally don't really do, but I did enjoy this series profoundly. I liked the vibes, I liked the all-embracing communication, I liked the affirmations, I liked the character growth and the whole message it sent: "...maybe extroversion and introversion aren't fixed things."

Leia Mais

Beautifully Executed Backstory

After watching this series I adore how the backstory was done. From my perspective I could understand every action that Diew took even when it caused misunderstandings. It is not easy to confide in your partner when in your previous relationship that person did even give you, showing your vulnerability to them the light of day. It’s like in one ear out the other. Also, at some points I identified with Diew. Especially the relationship with Diew and his mother. I can completely understand not being able to seek solace from your mother or really any other family member, no matter how much time we spend together or how much energy either party puts in to cultivate the relationship between each other. Both Diew and his Mom had their own struggles and they executed the reconnection very well. From the Mom and hurt daughter at the hospital, to the conversation between Diew’s grandfather and Diew’s Mother. The disconnect of Diew and his Mom that began from childhood was finally able to reunite and they could truly understand each other. I really will miss BigPark, hopefully they work together again.

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