Not Me is probably one of the best BLs of all time if not the BEST. (Review/Analysis) (No Spoilers)

I just cannot stress enough how much I love this drama. I finally watched it now that all the episodes have aired and it exceeded all my expectations despite me being a little apprehensive at first considering how it was not marketed very much. OffGun really took this drama and just made it absolutely soar. The plot, the pacing, the tone, the cinematography, the message, just really elevated my expectations for future BL dramas. Like don’t get me wrong I love Bad Bunny, Semantic Error, Theory of Love, and a bunch of other well made and great BLs but this is just one of those stories that didn’t require it to be a BL to be great. I’m a sucker for a good political crime drama and this one just took the cake and it being a BL was just icing on top.

Plot: 9/10

Boy oh boy, finally a drama not set in a college or work environment. Having a story of twins switching places has been done many times in cinema and tv but the reason behind it was crazy. White switching places with his comatose brother after years of not seeing him who is the literal polar opposite in every way is just iconic. Especially with Black being a modern day freedom fighter and White being a upstanding future politician, you just can’t go wrong with that. The Who done it aspect when it came to Black while great actually wasn’t the overall story of the main plot, but White figuring out he can’t bring true change while being a politician and that some roads have to be bumpier to bring long term societal change. The romance plot while slow was so well done and worth it by the end and while I wish it could of been a 16 Ep series like Kdramas to tie up a lot of the lose ends of the overall story, the romance aspect of it was so well done and just absolutely made my own heart soar which entirely made up for the lose ends. Plus this being a political drama really opens up a lot of avenues for a season 2.

Characters: 9/10

Gun really nailed this big time, and if he doesn’t win an award for this I will be very surprised. His portrayal of Black and White was just phenomenal, considering they are literal twins that embody ying and yang to a T. No light without dark and no dark without light is literally these two characters, which Gun is able to portray perfectly. Black is the rough and tumble gangster/modern day freedom fighter who legit takes no shit and is absolutely a complete asshole but despite all that still has an underlying warmth towards his brother and the people he’s actually close to. Not only that Black is a get shit done kinda guy no matter who he has to hurt to get his point across. While White is the polar opposite who originally believes that most things can be solved through words and non violence, and cares deeply for people around him especially his brother despite his conflicting feelings. Though the two of them are sorta strained, you come to a conclusion that despite their differences they’ve truly rubbed off on each other and this allows them to both grow into such complex characters. The gang member especially Offs character Sean is just so well done. Sean comes off very similar to Black but that’s mainly a façade to hide his past trauma and his reasonings resonate way more with you considering his harsh upbringing unlike Black and White. This is where White comes in and slowly and unknowingly starts rubbing off the best parts of his personality and ideals onto the rest of the gang while also coming to realize that the right way is sorta in the middle of his ways and their ways. The rest of the cast and the other side couple are also great and all their back stories really resonate with you and you come to understand that the law doesn’t always give you peace nor justice.

Romance: 9.5/10

A slow burn enemies to lovers is absolutely my favorite trope and surprisingly this dramas story is so interesting that really it didn’t need it but oh boy am I happy it did. OffGun brings the chemistry hot and heavy in this one when they finally get there. They portray this couple so well it is hard to fathom this show without it after seeing the beautiful development both Sean and White have. Especially with the fact Sean absolutely hated Black and is very conflicted with his own feelings and opening up. Plus the side couples are also well done and even sad at times. I saw a post describe the four romances so well as one of True Love, Love at First Sight, Unrequited Love, and Right Person Wrong Time, and the fact we get these stories all in one drama is absolutely nuts to me. All 4 plot lines are so well done and definitely left some lose ends that needed to be tied up in a season 2.

Themes: 10/10

This is where all of it ties together for me. Despite my love for OffGun and the Plot the theme behind it all is what takes this past my standard of what we consider a BL, and I would go as far as to say that despite it being marketed as a BL, if this was a show here in the states it would definitely be seen as a Political Crime Drama. To see the injustice of societal hierarchy, not just in Thailand, but in so many other countries portrayed in such a way is crazy. The most similar drama I can think of with similar tones as that would have to be Chicago Typewriter, which is a reincarnation piece about 3 friends who were freedom fighters in a past life. While the stories are vastly different, the portrayal of social injustice like this always gets to me and that the rich always wins if no one stands up. While the characters actions at first seem minuscule in comparison to what they are up against we slowly get to see the domino affect of change as the series progresses and while I think the story took away from this darker theme with how it ties up the main plot, the development of this theme is still there and again is PERFECT for a season 2.

Acting: 10/10

My god I cannot gush about the raw emotions some of these actors portray. I cannot stress enough how well Off and Gun KILLED their rolls. The raw emotions and personality switches that Gun was able to portray with White and Black, and the sheer inner turmoil that Off was able to bring to life with his characters ideals being questioned when it comes to right and wrong, just couldn’t be topped for me at this point and you could see how much Off has truly grown when it comes to his acting. Their chemistry and real life friendship just really made these characters come to life so beautifully and even melancholy at times. To see the main pair go through this inner monologue of what justice truly is was made to real with Off and Gun. Plus that one scene towards the end with Gun and Sings characters Black and Tod just really made you feel for both sides despite everything happening. One other person that stole a couple of scenes for me was definitely First, my goodness can that boy portray so many emotions with just his eyes. He has one of the most heartbreaking scenes I’ve probably seen in almost any Asian Drama and just nailed the agony he was in to a T. Him and Fluke really nailed their story with their own amazing chemistry. You could really see all the emotions that their characters were feeling, whether it joy, love, betrayal, heartbreak. All of it. Not only that Papang’s portrayal of the lovable boss man Gumpa was just amazing he played this big brother role to these boys so perfectly and while I’ve never seen him in many other dramas his portrayal made you feel that he really did care for these boys and wanted all of them to live in a better society then he did. The main cast was all great but these were the ones that really stuck out to me. On a side note Filmshy who played Nuch did such an amazing job portraying someone who truly saw the right and wrong sides of the law and the fact it was her first acting role, I really hope we can see her back if they have a season 2. Lastly that van ride at the end was so well done by every actor involved in that scene my goodness was it powerful.

Tone/Cinematography: 9/10

I woulda done a 10/10 if the ending had matched the rest of the dramas theme and while I did love the ending it just didn’t match the tone nor the theme that the drama portrayed. For most of the show we had a dark political drama about a gang of freedom fighters with romantic undertones and a who done it side plot to boot and while I love that it was a “happy ending,” for our main cast was it really a happy ending overall? Like one of the characters said, just because you take out one evil, their will always be someone to replace it. Plus it just didn’t seem realistic to me the way the gang was handled due to the overall tone of the show. Again season 2 please. I love my dark atmospheric tones but you must stay consistent for what the overall theme is trying to project. The last episode was the only time I felt this way. Plus the cinematography really did this show justice when it came to its tone and showed us a glaring reality through more muted colors rather then the bright more vivid colors we see in most BL dramas.

Overall: 9.5/10

I hope they make a second season following this gang. I know it didn’t do as well in Thailand due to its political themes but us as an international audience need to hype more dramas like this up. It sends a message and I know most people typically watch BL for the love and the drama and the intimacy, but as I said while the main couples are all mostly homosexual relationships, I don’t see this drama as such, and while I do love the BL aspect, especially how steamy it is due to OffGuns performances, they did this story justice just by being amazing actors. And I have to give this show props for literally having the most iconic scene I’ve seen in any show or movie and that has to be the Pride Flag scene, if you know you know. The power and acceptance of what this scene shows for the future not only for society but OffGuns characters is so beautifully done. The lighting, the colors, the facial expressions between the two actors portraying what their characters could achieve is absolutely phenomenal. I have probably rewatched that scene 10 times since watching this drama, just because of how impactful it is if you look past the “BL” tag. Don’t get me wrong I love a good lighthearted BL with all the mush and gush and skinship. But this show made me feel something and maybe I’m ranting or overthinking, but I truly love this show and everything it portrays. Please GMMTV, make a season 2, because hopefully I’m not the only one who saw how beautiful and impactful this show could be.

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