Do not waste your time.
I’ve never written a review but felt compelled to stop others wasting their time. The story could have been really good but the way it was produced was very disjointed and quite repetitive. I was pee’d off in the first episode when a trans girl was misgendered for the sake of comedy, so I had my back up before the story really started. The lead actors were having the least convincing romance ever. Their kissing was comical! Actually I do recommend watching a kissing scene just for comedy value, I would describe it as two dead fish kissing each other. I can’t explain how bad it was without giving spoilers, so all I’ll do is recommend a much better, underrated BL to watch instead…….. why not give why R U? A try instead? It’s 100x better lolWas this review helpful to you?
What happens when 2 toxic people like each other?
This series certainly doesn't answer that question. It is a convoluted mess of multiple characters all concerned about just one goal and that is to get the 2 leads to be in a relationship. The story line had so much potential but the writer just couldn't understand what to do with the 2 toxic leads and just added multiple characters with no other motivation but to hope and pray that these 2 seriously broken people fall in love.To summarize, the story, is about two playboys who meet and decide to be friends with benefits. But the first lead (Fahlan) can't help himself from being jealous, become a push-over and get punched and slapped multiple times. Next we have Sherbert, who can't stop himself from fighting with Fahlan over everything, cry, drink, forgive Fahlan, have sex, rinse and repeat.
And then you have a wide variety of supportive characters who only talk about what Fah and Sher are doing. "Are they together? Have they broken-up? " OMG! find a hobby. So many characters have been introduced that you cant keep pace with what is happening. Fah's 2 friends, Sher's twin brother and his lover interest, and his half-brother, Sher's best friend and his love interest, a fujoshi and her love interest and other random set of characters that dont play any role in furthering the story. Instead they just tell you what you have already seen.
The strangest thing that I have seen in this series is the amount of time these characters go to eat or drink. In fact they just eat, talk, fight and drink and go back to eating. You can righfully call the food and drinks as supportive characters for how often its on screen and being talked about.
In conclusion, take heed from all the other reviews and either skip this series or watch it using the fast forward button like I did.
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This review may contain spoilers
Laughed my ass off
the first 2 episodes were good ofc acting could be better but i think from then on it just got funnier and funnier somehow me and my friend just ketp tuning in every week but it just kept getting funnier sherbert was annyoing af (haircut now) same with fah honstly ping and tap carried highly reccmonedep 11 took me out coudlnt stop laughing my ass off i even cried
they tried to give tharntype but we ended with super junior
pink was cute loved her
charles was not related came out of nowhere
the evil twin was just there
Tar loved him
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Cringe-tastic
I've watched a LOT of BL and I gotta say this one has left me with the most mixed feelings.First 4ish eps were the best and I binge watched the entire series. After that it got confusing where they started adding in random/unnecessary characters, the same dramatics and pitiful smackdowns. The MCs literally argued over the same thing everytime and the facial expressions of everyone had me cringe mode! The "hickies" had me dying. It's clear everyone is a new and upcoming actor so with that in mind the series wasn't too bad. There's a lot of gay people at that college and I believe everyone low key has a drinking problem lmao
Wouldn't recommend but not so bad I'd drop it
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Mishap, over and over again.
The plot is there; but it kept being spoiled by drunken people, unnecessary intimacy moments and merely repeating bad plot twists. Repeating the same jealousy moment really did annoy me. "I understand how you feel" ee hia~Part of me did plan to drop this story halfway; however, GearPrince & TapPing made me not to give me, as I wanted to know what happens to them. They are so adorable with each other. The drama was there; conflicts occurs and resolves it within short period - unlike the main characters.
I'll give it to James as he managed to carry two characters in the movie. He delivers them well by their own individual characteristic. Nevertheless all of them still need to somewhat amend their acting skills.
Their ost is nice. I loved it.
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I thought it was good... I was wrong.
At first, I only watched two episodes and took a looooong break from seeing BLs (as I always do), but the last note I wrote was "So cute and horny at the same time!!!"... I changed my mind, this series is a HOT MESS, some couples are cute like Prince & Gear and Ping & Tap, but them being so dependent of Fah & Sher to develop makes them worst, and let's not even discuss Fah & Sher bc this couple is so so SO toxic. The advertisement of thar serum was so on my face that always got me out of the fantasy of the show. A lot of couples, storylines and characters that should've been more developed didn't, like Pink & Tar, Sher's relationship with his father, Tam's boyfriend's amnesia (he was so forgetable, i'm sorry lol) and Charles. And another thing recurrent in these BLs, not just Fahlanruk, that I hate is putting femme boys as villains, there's not a femme one who isn't annoying or straight up evil, that's messy. Anyways, if it wasn't for those two other couples ' little development and Namwan being the smartest person in this whole show, this would've been a 1/10, unfortunately. Some of them are cute, and need another chance than THIS, even tho their acting skills aren't the greatest, but this is very normal in these shows.Was this review helpful to you?
Main leads are super trashy, I stayed for Ping and Tap instead
Fahlan, the first male lead, is a walking red flag - he has no qualms gaslighting his lovers and exhibits alarmingly toxic behaviour when it comes to pursuing others. In the initial stage, it’s unclear if he really has feelings for Sherbet or just wants to win the game of pursuit.The other male lead, Sherbet, is not any better as he’s drunk half the time. His personality is intended to be sassy, but comes off as arrogant and unlikeable. Both of them are constantly being surrounded by people but their hearts are empty, even if their beds aren’t.
At some point, I decided to fast forward the boring bits (read: all their lame misunderstandings) because their chemistry was nothing to shout about. For all its trashiness, the only reason why I stayed until the end was because of a side couple.
I’m a sucker for the friends-turned-lovers storylines so Ping and Tap. Ping thinks that his love for Tap is unrequited, and Tap does take awhile to come around. The process of how they came to acknowledge and act on their feelings for each other – starting from the small gestures and then progressing into more obvious behaviour – was really quite sweet.
Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/11/30/fahlanruk-2022-review-bl/
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Kinda dissapointed ngl.
Fahlanruk follows the story of two young, messy men. In the beginning, you get exited as you see them grow closer. HOWEVER: I personally do not feel satisfied, knowing that the next episode will be the last. The story was way too repetitive and dragged out, making me want to skip through many parts of each episode for this very reason. While there are a few *spicy* scenes, I didn't find them to have too much depth. The actors are ok on their own, but lack chemistry. When watching dramas, I want to feel like I NEED more. In this case, I sadly can't get myself to care. I'm sad to say this, but I am disappointed.Was this review helpful to you?
Had potential, executed badly
I tried to like the series but it is truly unbearable to watch.The main characters have no chemistry and seem like they don't like kissing. Their hot scenes are very cringy and seem forced, to the point that they make the viewer uncomfortable. Very unrealistic about a couple that is supposed to have lust for each other.
The side couples are cute but all in all quite boring. Unfortunately they cannot save this series.
The plot of friends with benefits is quite unique for a Thai BL, but the execution is really bad.
And seriously why is there so much drinking and throwing up?! I don't understand why everyone is an alcoholic and cannot take the alcohol! This is not how students are in real life! And what the hell is wrong with the music, the main lead is suppose to be a singer in a band and we have not heard him sing a word, he just pretends and opens his mouth. It looks bad and inauthentic, they didn't even try to make it look real! It makes me so frustrated
Not worth watching it, as I skipped so much because of nothing happening. Shame because it had potential
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Getting better episode by episode.
I am really surprised how invested I became in this series. First episode as for many other viewers was not really encouraging to for me to watch this series further but I did not give up and I do not regret. After episodes one and two (which were cringy because of the s*x scenes and kisses which made me feel uncomfortable watching it to say the least), things started getting better and plot became more entertaining. Let me put it simply: this drama is not something really discovering or groundbreaking. It reminds me of the series “My secret love " which was also a typical, very predictable drama but still was manage to draw my attention until the final episode and I guess with Fahlanruk the case will be the same. The plot is very simple and ordinary : two boys who fell in love with each other in university setting. Nothing new for someone who watched more than five Bl dramas in his life even if there is 'a friends with benefits' concept presented in it (but the concept itself is not new as we could see it in Check out for example). I think we all agree that the whole FWB theme is a bullshit here since we know that main leads from the very beginning are whipped for each other, and we know how this story must end. Still their story is somehow interesting to watch. I love Ping- Tap couple I think at this moment I watch this drama mostly for them because I like their chemistry and I cannot wait for the realization of Tap's feeling towards Ping. If it comes to the rest characters like most people who watch the drama I really dislike them because their presence in this series does not make much since their whole life seems to go around Fahlan and Sher's love life. Every other character beside main leads appears in this series because they have to stick their noses in Fahlan-Sher relationship and constantly comment on that. It is irritating. What I really like is OST— somehow this cosy rhythms reminds me of Christmas and I never skip the intro. Finally, it is not a perfect drama especially in the intimacy aspect which could have been improved as not to be so cringy. Even though I previously did not have much hope for "Fahlanruk", this drama turned out to be funnier than I expected and it still makes my Sunday evenings more enjoyable. I am waiting for more.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
EPISODE 1-3
I started watching this series accidentally after seeing quite a lot of shorts on youtube. The premis for the show was very refreshing - one built of sex buddies, which is not portrayed a lot in the BL industry. Perhaps the closest representation was Pure from 'My gear and your gown' but the execution up until to episode 3 was extremely poor.STORY
- As stated before the story had so much promise to be extremly good if only it was exectuted properly. From the very first episode there were too many characters intoduced at one time, therefore i had to rewatch the episode just to undertand and put the characters names to faces. Additionally, there was not enough of a solid foundation for me to have an understanding of where the plot was heading instead they filled it with sex scenes which didnt help at all and felt so random
ACTING/CAST
- I found it extremely hard to even believe that both sher and fah were friends with benefits, sometimes it felt almost comical seeing that they had absolutely no sexual chemistry. I undertand that they might be rookie actors but the desire and lust they were supposed to be feeling for each other was non existent. Plus, i dont understand how they could be 'friends with benefits' when the only emotion you can see them feel towards eachother most of the time is anger, added with the fact that they only ever get together when they are both drunk out of their minds. Perhaps i lack the understanding of what friends with benefits means but this isnt it.
- With how badly the sexual chemistry is between them, combined with the volume of sex scenes the director put into just one episode alone, i would have just prefered if it was hinted that they slept together. It was awkward to watch for me personally, and so i ended up skipping all the intimate scenes. Possibly the only part which i liked was the cuddling scene.
- One thing i cannot understand is Fah's facination with Sher - there is zero reason why he likes Sher so much if we are setting aside the supposed sexual chemistry. Both Fah and Sher to me didnt even have the tension that couples would need. For example Kinn and Porshe, In and Wang just to name 2 couples. Therefore if the sexual chemistry is lacking and basic chemistry is lacking, whats the point of this couple?
These are my thoughts up until epsidoe 3 as i cannot physically bring myself to continue with this series, once it has eneded and if it seems to have improved i might give it another go.
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