i like this series in the sense that if saint's character were not pete it would genuinely be more enjoyable. and no side characters. his roommate was kinda dumb too. no rape. no fucking possessiveness (ahem ae). alas, he is not. it is not. so my enjoying only goes so far. i can only rewatch this show about once a year (as opposed to any time i need background noise) because of it. but i genuinely enjoy the unfolding love story as limited of space it can take up in my brain.

however, it gave us perth who is, so far, one of the best thai actors i have gotten to see in any of these shows. who has an actual passion for acting and to continue that. i really admire it. he's so childlike and immature both as a character and just as a kid IRL at the time but it's really nice to see him act, for his certain charm to come out; he became the one i loved to watch. i loved him. and pete as a character really facilitated that. it was sort of made for him to do a blank slate on since perth's so small but not intended to be read as feminine or with any background trauma (like pete) so it was just easier to connect with him as someone who has a lot less of an identity both because of intentional purposes and the writing's own flaws. it's interesting to see how he's evolved since then. and you get to see this young new actor with a true passion for the craft. it's less about ae as a characer and more about just getting to watch someone grow into a better version of what's on the page. genuinely that's the best part of the show and what i'm happy it gave us.