Kidnap (2024)

OhmLeng Deserved Better

I was genuinely hyped for this show. With Ohm in the lead, there is always a promise of natural chemistry, especially with a new face like Leng. The trailer painted a picture of darker themes in my head, I mean, a kidnapping subplot? Intriguing, right? It seemed like this could be one of GMMTV’s more serious or emotionally grounded series, maybe even a hidden gem but I was wrong.

➬ Plot and Execution

To put it as nicely as I can, it's a dumpster fire. It feels like they pulled random ideas out of a hat and slapped them together without any thought lmao. I think they cater to a 12-year-old audience while simultaneously throwing in themes that should never be anywhere near a show for kids. A kidnapping subplot? Really? How do you take that and mix it with juvenile humor? It’s embarrassing and that's not to say a show can't be dark and funny at the same time but it has to be well done which isn't the case here. The storyline is not only predictable but it’s also shallow as fuck, there is no substance whatsoever.

➬Tone and Pacing

This is where things went completely off the rails. The tone oscillates wildly from (attempted) intense drama to cringeworthy + over-the-top humor which makes it nearly impossible to get emotionally invested. One moment, I was watching a serious “kidnap” scenario that should be thrilling or tense and the next it’s as if the characters are filming a skit lmao. This back and forth annoyed me a lot. I’m not sure what they were aiming for but whatever it was, they didn’t reach it and the pacing is equally disjointed which makes the show feel like a mishmash of scenes rather than a cohesive story. Important moments are rushed while trivial scenes drag on smh.

➬ Character and Performance Analysis

Ohm → is as talented as ever but even he struggles to shine under this weak script. I can see he is trying his best but with stilted dialogue and poor plot development, there is only so much he can do. It’s disappointing to see an actor with his range stuck in a story that doesn’t even let him showcase half his potential.

Leng → For a first-time lead, Leng isn’t doing a bad job but he does need improvement. He has potential, his charm comes through and he has an innate sweetness that works well for his character but again the plot leaves him stranded. Even with great chemistry with Ohm, the weakass dialogue makes it difficult for him to deliver anything memorable.

➬ Chemistry and Romance

Ohm and Leng have a good on-screen chemistry which is honestly the only reason to keep watching. But even that suffers due to the poor writing. Romantic scenes that should feel sincere instead feel forced and hollow and this is mainly because of the misplaced humor. With a better script, these two could have delivered a very good romance.

➬ Overall Production Quality

While the show looks pretty decent, the direction is inconsistent with no clear vision guiding it and don't even get me started on those damn cakes they keep shoving on my screen, I know sponsorship isn't new to GMMTV and this is something that has always pissed me off because there are show's that make the Ads very subtle and then there are other's who shove it in my face, like this one.

➬ Final Thoughts

Watching this has been frustrating because GMMTV has access to talented actors but instead of capitalizing on that talent and creating good stories, they are more focused on quantity over quality. This series feels like a product made for the sake of staying in the game, rather than any real effort to push BL forward.

Why I am watching? → Out of respect for Ohm and Leng because they deserve so much better. I hope GMMTV takes note of the show’s shortcomings and reconsiders their approach in the future but I have no hopes lmao.

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They kidnapped the plot

The only positive aspect of this series is that we get to see Ohm again in BL. Period. GMMTV strikes again with its next action-pacted series, which typically turns out to be another repetitive rom-com flop.
This series is becoming less watchable with every episode. Where has all the premise from the teasers and trailers gone? Where has all the suspense of the kidnapping gone? and finally Where has the plot gone in the second part of the series? I'm oficially out. Every week I struggle to get to an end of the episode (which by the way is 3/4 shown in the preview after each episode) looking for something intriguing, but there is nothing. I don't know why but this series painfully reminds me of the tragedy of the series called "Dangerous romance" but with slightly better chemistry. I like Ohm and started watching this series mainly for him like many other people, but we have to face the facts and realise that this series has nothing more to offer in terms of plot, which of course has to be absurdly stretched to prolong our suffering as well. And don't even make me start about PRODUCT PLACEMENT... I haven't seen such unsubtle product placement since Vice Versa. Unforntunatelly, all that was kidnapped was almost 9 hours of my life.

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It's a cute , funny and good story

Finally GMMTV back with another good BL series after a long time . Definitely Ohm nailed again . Just try one time , no regret .

Story - The story is simple , cute , funny and natural . Ohm who played the character Min , took a job as a kidnapper for his mother's medication and kidnapped Q , played by Leng . Then he took Q to his house and hide him from the criminals . They were living in a same house and slowly fell for each other .

Acting - Ohm always acts awesome but there are some rooms for Leng to improve his acting skills . Every characters are professional in this series .

Chemistry- Their Chemistry is so strong, natural and smooth like butter . They don't seem like they are collaborating first time .

Visuals - Always top tier .

Cinematography - Outstanding cinematography from GMMTV .

Music - Background music is not that much good . GMMTV should improve this point .

Should or shouldn't watch - There are so many haters of Ohm, they always try to pull down him and his carrier . So don't listen to anyone , just try to watch two episodes then decide .

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Maybe getting beaten up has knocked all braincells out of Min

I went into this show very cautiously. GMM often struggles to write even the most simple campus BLs in an appealing, sensible way. Thus, my faith regarding an action packed, high stakes story was very limited — especially since Never Let Me Go was a letdown. I will say it's not as bad as I feared, but it's also far from being good. So naturally, I’ll go on a bit of a rant here.

Ohm is pretty much a BL veteran, so it’s no surprise he’s doing really well in the role of Min. In my opinion, this is not the show he shines in most, though. Since Min's a serious character who’s usual state of being is worry, Ohm’s natural charm doesn’t get as much room to shine. He’s best in cheeky, charismatic, easy-going roles like Pat from Bad Buddy. That doesn't mean he isn't doing well here, it’s just my personal preference. All in all, he’s still a pleasure to watch though.
Leng, on the other hand, is really struggling. Since this is his first series, I’ll cut him some slack here. He has solid moments, but I think he would’ve benefitted from gaining some experience in a side role first. Q is a very emotionally demanding character, and I wonder what the creators were thinking when they cast a newbie. While Leng does have some good moments (i.g. the initial kidnapping scene was pretty well acted), he struggles with most scenes. Especially in moments that are supposed to be romantic, Leng has this confused, apathetic, irritated look on his face. The worst instance is the scene where Min covers Q's ears in front of the TV. Maybe Leng was going for an approach of Q not being used to someone caring for him, so he wanted portray mixed emotions, but it wasn't working. The music studio scene in episode 6, just before the kiss, was one of his best moments in terms of delivering romance since seemed more at ease. There’s also that one moment when Q licks chocolate from Min’s finger. It’s so brief that you blink and you’ll miss it, but his emotions there feel so genuine. I wonder whether it was improvised and Leng shone through instead of him trying so hard to be in character. Anyway, I have faith for his future. Leng’s a hard worker, so I’m hopeful he’ll improve quickly and get over all this initial stiffness and the awkward delivery.

The chemistry is hard to separate from the acting. I call this the Joong-Dunk-Problem. The way I see it, Joong and Dunk have great chemistry, but it oftentimes falls flat because Dunk’s acting feels so stilted. Leng and Ohm are the same in my eyes. I do think they have really solid chemistry but Leng’s struggle with acting is severely taking away from it. In moments where Leng’s acting is at its best, their chemistry really shines through. In moments like that awkward ear covering scene, the sparks are nowhere to be found. So, my conclusion is that once Leng feels more comfortable in front of the camera, there will be more room for their chemistry to really shine. I’m willing to wait it out for a while since I do love these two together. Behind the scenes, Ohm and Leng have a ton of chemistry, and they look visually stunning together. So I’ll give them time.

As far as characters go, I’d say this is one of GMM’s better series. At least when it comes to Min. He’s very caring and protective, doesn’t shy away from doing morally gray things to make a living, and is bold and brave. Despite having a playful side, he’s very serious when it comes to things he cares about, and he has clear motives (at least in the beginning). That’s more than most characters in GMM shows get, which is nice. I enjoy watching Min on screen, and he's very likeable. Q doesn’t get nearly as much. He seems to be defined solely by his trauma and the difficult relationship with his father. I think he’s supposed to be a spoiled rich kid, but that somehow goes flying out the window as soon as he enters Min’s house. Q is also incredibly stupid, which I don’t think is done on purpose (I’ll get into that later) which makes him incredibly frustrating to watch. I do like his strong desire for someone to care about him, but other than that, he just feels too much like a stereotype. Like every other BL bottom, he suffers from nightmares, has daddy issues, and likes to sing and play guitar. He also likes to play keyboards that aren’t plugged in. Well, at least his actual job is producing music, so him serenading Min feels in-character for once. That doesn’t make it any less cringe-worthy, though.
The side characters don’t get much of a personality. Mhen is the sick brother, Yada’s the evil villain, Jeen has a crush on Min, and Q’s dad makes no sense at all. The acting is overall solid. I do think whoever decided to cast the two Ohms as brothers deserves a raise. They work so well together, and their dynamic is my favorite part of the story. The way Mhen ships Min and Q so hard is adorable (and a nice change since usually, it’s the girlies in BL who are the crazy shippers), and the relationship Mhen and Q develop is cute as well.

In terms of the romance, I’m feeling a bit conflicted. Firstly, the whole thing feels pretty Stockholm-syndrome-ish. Since Min is the worst kidnapper in the world, though, and since I’ve seen a lot worse, this doesn’t bother me all that much. What bothers me way more is how their arc moves very quickly and gets way too intense way too fast. By episode six, they are both ready to die for each other. The main problem is that the time frame of the whole show is entirely unclear. I have no idea whether two weeks have passed since Min kidnapped Q, or two months, or half a year. I assume it’s about a month or two at most, so that’s a very short period of having known someone. I’m willing to forgive the fast intensity for a few reasons though:

1. Especially for Q, it makes sense why he’d get so attached to Min so quickly. His entire personality is basically wanting someone who takes care of him, loves and protects him. Min is doing exactly that, so it’s understandable why he’d fall hard and fast, and why he’d cling to the first person showing him kindness. It also makes sense that he’s willing to put his life on the line for Min since he doesn’t really have anything else to lose. He doesn’t believe his father would miss him if he died, after all.
2. When it comes to Min, a sense of responsibility might come into play. He’s the reason Q got kidnapped in the first place, thusly starting the whole thing. So he might start caring for Q very quickly because he feels responsible for his situation. Also, the initial kidnapping was traumatic for both of them. Obviously for Q, since he got kidnapped and it triggered old memories, but for Min too, since he was basically forced to commit crimes and came dangerously close to having to kill someone. So they might also be trauma-bonding hard. All that intertwined with his naturally caring and protective personality adds up.

So, my main issue isn’t necessarily how quickly their bond is growing, or how easily they both risk their lives for each other. My issue lies in the depiction. Outside of the kidnapping, the bad guys being after Q, and Q’s sleepwalking disorder and panic attacks, they hardly bond. It doesn’t feel like these two actually know much about each other in the first place. I mean, it isn’t until episode 6 that Min learns what Q’s job is. I really would’ve liked for them to have more deep conversations about who they are as people, thusly making it more believable they’d fall for each other. Because right now, I struggle to understand why Min even likes Q. It’s clear that Q is attracted to Min’s caring nature, but why Min likes Q is beyond my understanding.

Also, I think the show needs to be careful with how brotherly Min’s care for Q feels. It oftentimes feels like Min treats Q just like he treats his younger brother. And while I do find it cute at times, in other moments it’s dangerously close to feeling like Q has just adopted a second brother to take care of. I think this wouldn’t be as much of a problem if the chemistry was shining more. If there was more obvious romantic and sexual tension between these two, I wouldn’t even think about the whole thing twice. But since (due to the stilted acting) I got little to no sense of romantic/sexual desire, it just feels a bit strange in certain moments. Also, it often feels a bit too one-sided with Min taking such great care of Q, and Q basically just existing and getting into stupid situations.

After all these BL kisses where it looks like they don't want to be kissing at all, I appreciate how their first kiss was very passionate, but it felt like such a stark contrast to the rest of their relationship. The sudden horniness felt very out of character for both of them, and I was incredibly taken aback. It just didn’t seem fitting, especially after they’ve both just had such a rough day. Personally, I would’ve opted for a gentler, sweeter approach. I would’ve had them kiss in bed for the first time since this is where the major part of their relationship has taken place (because 70% of their bonding scenes were nightmare based). I think that would’ve been a lot more fitting and meaningful. Also, I would appreciate if there was no moaning ASMR next time. That’s just a personal pet peeve of mine. I don’t find it hot, it just makes me want to crawl out of my skin.

I think this show would’ve greatly benefitted from a side-couple. I know there’s the storyline of Mhen liking Jeen, but that doesn’t count. Maybe have two of Yada’s guards fall in love or something. Anything to get a bit of a breather from Min and Q sometimes.

While I do like that each episode is entertaining and there’s always something going on, I do think the show moves a bit too quickly for what it is trying to do. There’s a severe lack of downtime for Min and Q to just hang out, and getting to know each other. I think this show has an identity issue. It’s not sure whether it wants to be an action show or a romance show, so they’re doing both half-heartedly. The romance feels lacklustre because of all the action, and the action plot makes little sense in many instances. I don’t want the action to come to a complete halt for several episodes just to do relationship building. They did that in Never Let Me Go, and it was a very poor decision since it felt like the characters just didn’t care about their loved ones being in danger. But it would be nice for the whole plot surrounding Yada to be a bit more drawn out, so we could have more scenes of Min and Q interacting outside of that whole situation. And by interacting I don’t mean yet another scene of Min consoling Q during his nightmares. Lord knows we’ve already gotten plenty of that — both in this show and in others. Speaking of other shows, this series is a treasure chest of Thai BL clichés. At this point, I'm just waiting for Min to dry Q's hair or to buckle his seatbelt (I clearly wrote this before episode 7, lol).

Now for the major issue with this show: potholes and characters acting incredibly stupid to further the plot...

First off, Q is an absolute idiot. I know he has little to live for, but is it really necessary to put yourself in danger all the time? He wanders around the streets while he knows someone’s out to kill him. He follows Min into an abandoned warehouse, knowing he’ll meet the guy who wanted him dead. He just follows suspicious and dangerous people around, hoping it’ll go well. The boy acts without thinking, thus doing things that put both him and Min in very dangerous situations. It makes him feel like a complete idiot and watching him just becomes increasingly frustrating.
He’s not the only one suffering from being dumbed down, though. In episode 6, Yada threatens Q’s father, Q, and by proxy, Min and Mhen. Q’s dad says he needs to get his son to a safe place, and offers Min money to keep his distance. Min turns down the money, but why in the world didn’t Q’s dad just send all three, Q, Min and Mhen, to safe place together? Min is a very gifted fighter, so he could act as Q’s bodyguard. But nope, when Min turns down the money, Q’s dad just leaves. We don’t even see the end of that conversation, but I just assume he was like "Well, it was worth a shot. Guess I’ll go now.“ Also, he’s a police officer who just walked in on a crime scene where Yada’s men clearly beat Min black and blue. I’m pretty sure he could’ve arrested them, or at least taken them to the office for interrogation or something.
Then it’s Min’s turn to act like a total prick. Instead of grabbing Q and Mhen, and travel somewhere they won’t be found, they just act like nothing happened. Like their life wasn’t just threatened. No packing suitcases in a tizzy and frantically trying to get away. Nope, this is the perfect time to play guitar and follow Q to his music studio where they have a make out session. Thusly leaving Mhen alone at home like he didn’t just get incredibly frightened. It makes Min feel super inconsiderate and goes against everything he stands for. His main motivation for everything has been to protect his brother. But now, he just leaves him home alone, and puts himself into dangerous situations to save Q, which could likely result in Min’s death and leave Mhen all alone — sick, without money and with no family left. The three should’ve ran away together, to an island or something. Q is literally a rich kid who has a job and probably a whole ass trust fund. He could’ve afforded to pay for a hotel for all three of them, I’m sure. But instead, they ruin all sense of suspense and ruin Min’s character in the process. Honestly, when Q told Min "You're stupid" for wanting to be with him still, I couldn't have agreed more. Maybe getting beat up really knocked all the braincells out of him... If they just ran away, Q nearly getting beaten to death and Mhen panicking in the bathroom (probably bad for his weak heart) in episode 7 could've been avoided. I'm glad that by the end of the episode, they finally came to their senses and Q agreed to go to Vancouver. However, the breakup was entirely unnecessary. Apparently both Q and Min are the type of guys who "go all in" when they love someone, but a long-distance relationship somehow isn't even crossing their minds? Ah yes, very all in of you.
I might have been a bit too harsh on Q, because it seems like he’s inherited his stupidity from his mother. In the flashback to the two of them getting kidnapped, Q’s mom successfully frees them both. She then proceeds to tell her son to run away and call for help while she stays behind. What the hell is the logic in that? Clearly, when the kidnappers return and see your son gone, they’ll take it out on you, and kill you. Sorry, woman, but getting shot was pretty much your own fault. If you ran with Q, you would’ve at least had a chance at living.


All in all, I find the show entertaining and it does have its sweet moments. From episode 5 on, the quality goes down the drain — from unplugged keyboards making sound to characters acting stupid and out of character. Somehow, everyone's motivations go flying out the window, and they fail to rub their last two brain cells together in an attempt to save their own asses. It’s frustrating to see another GMMTV show suffer from bad writing, but since I expected it, I’m not surprised. The romance and chemistry isn’t giving enough to make up for the poor writing, and though the show feels at least somewhat original, it’s dragged down by checking all the tired BL clichés. If you’re looking for a similar show that does everything a lot better, go watch Jack & Joker instead.

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Its MinQ Era

I'm very excited about this series..fr I've never been so obsessed about a series as I am with this one...our boys really did put in their blood sweat and tears..now I know that the series will be a success no matter what...Leng did pretty well for a first timer..his acting exceeded my expectations now I'm so proud...his chemistry with ohm Is very smooth and it's so natural...so far the first episode was well played out and now I can't wait for the remaining episodes to air as well...I just hope that they will get the recognition that they deserve when the time comes...let's watch kidnap while also supporting our boys na

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Even the great chemistry between the actors couldn't save this drama...

Maybe I'll manage to get through the rest of the episodes, but my opinion can only get worse at this point.
GMM has a habit of ruining the last episodes of its really good dramas, but Kidnap only kept its quality maybe through the first two episodes. I feel like everything is happening too fast. Sure, Ohm and Leng have chemistry, but that alone isn't enough to save this drama. This didn’t need to be a dark romance because GMM is capable of making good romantic comedies. For some reason, Kidnap is too sweet to be a dark romance, yet it still tries to touch on more serious topics, which doesn’t make it a comedy either. The worst part of all this is that I was genuinely excited about this drama from the moment the trailer came out. Ohm can bring out the best in new actors, and he could create chemistry even with a chair, so I wasn’t too worried about the acting part. The plot seemed interesting, something new, with no high school setting in the background. Plus, the cast was solid—Ohm (the other one) as the younger brother, Title, who’s also already an experienced actor. The idea was good, but aside from that and the casting, nothing else worked out for the creators.

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An interesting concept trapped in a stale formula.

I think that Kidnap suffers a lot of the same issues as 23.5 did earlier this year--Technically, this show is fine. I wouldn't dissuade anyone from watching it if they like Ohm or Leng, or think the concept looks fun. It's a perfectly watchable show with decent production value and some very cute moments. It's just.... empty. The trailer promises of tension, thrills, and complex relationships are completely buried under GMMTV's typical PG-13 Happily Ever After format, leaving Kidnap rattling around uselessly in training wheels. It's cute! But it's never allowed to be anything more than cute, leaving it deeply dissatisfying for anyone looking for something with depth. There really isn't anymore to the characters or story than what was seen in the trailer.

-The Full Review-

STORY:
This entire story feels like the emotion has been compressed to its most palatable range. Tonally, kidnapping at gunpoint and a day on the beach really don't feel.... that different? There's no sense of danger present in the action and no sense of triumph in the "hard-won" good moments, despite what a dramatic score is trying to tell me I should be feeling. Argument appears and resolves without any real struggle or personal reflection, making the characters feel flat and convenient.
I'm shelving this title after seven episodes of build up led to a (inevitable) break up that was resolved-broken again-and healed AGAIN all in one episode, without any true reflection or shift in character. It's just lazy character work. These characters don't actually stand for anything or have any depth beyond the issues directly related to their relationship. They move from place to place with no real motives or principles.... It's utterly 2-Dimensional.

ACTING:
Hm. I'm pretty unimpressed. It's fine. Ohm is very pretty and charming. Leng does a reasonably decent job conveying his characters anxieties. Ohm (the younger) is full up on younger brother cuteness. As three, they usually manage to be a pretty compelling family with a decent amount of chemistry. But there's very little connection to the dialogue. Line delivery is fairly flat and detached, even in moments of high emotion and stress.
Everyone here is suffering a little from trying to make it pretty more than trying to make it real--something I'm not sure is a fault of the actors so much as of the direction and script. I am not giving up on these actors by half, and I'm still excited for Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist. But I don't think this will go down in their eventual filmographies as their best work.

PRODUCTION:
Is there anything here that is intentional and not an attempt to sell a stuffie, t-shirt or choco pie? There is no part of the production that is work talking about. They adequately deliver the bare minimum to appear high-quality, and put all their focus on selling products over a story. There is absolutely nothing unique, inventive, or interesting in the staging of this work.

INTIMACY:
Actually, the thing that has kept me going for eight whole episodes, is OhmLeng's chemistry. I quite like it... when we are allowed to see it. Surprisingly, they are allowed to have a more adult relationship--and I don't mean NC scenes. There's a casual affection to their physical touch throughout the series that feels grown and settled. Particularly, Min's care of Q during his sleepwalking/nightmares has kept me hooked for a long time.
That said, the treatment of the actual NC scenes is laughable. OhmLeng definitely deliver in the performance, but this lazy script just slaps scenes here and there, almost without thought. We go from zero to 100 without getting to come along that emotional journey (even going so far as to just cut to undressing in the bedroom). There's no connection to the story, making them feel like fanservice despite not being overly explicit or awkward in any way. You could cut every scene and the story would remain entirely unchanged.

In all, this was a promising idea for a very fun show that was clearly just fed through the GMMTV machine. There doesn't seem to be any real passion or care in the creation of the series, just another in a line of production. And I'm done giving my time to GMMTV shows that don't want to put in the effort.

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Enjoyable

I've watched episode 1 through 10, so this review will be updated at the end of the series.

Finally a BL series that displays genuine relationship building. The mail leads are very affectionate and tender toward each other. The relationship is very believable and genuine.

NSFW Content. - 1 - 9 Very sweet cuddles, hugs and affectionate touching. First Kiss in episode 6. Nice setup for NSFW scene in episode 8. The scene was sexy and classy. Not over the top., just enough to satisfy the viewers anticipation. Well done.

Story- I love the writing in this series. No , unnecessary frustrations. No stupid plot points. No lazy writing. No overused BL tropes. Good communication between the male leads. The story makes sense with a great plot and interesting twists. I'm enjoying the series immensely. It just makes you smile. The producers, writers, screenwriters, directors, everybody involved with this production has done an amazing job.

Production- The production is well done. Great cinematography, lighting, and scenery. High quality production. Thanks to everyone involved with putting the production together well done.

Casting,- The male leads are on fire. They are doing such an amazing job. I love it. They are so charming and sexy. The chemistry is off the charts. They're doing a wonderful job. They're budding relationship is very believable. The supporting cast is also doing a great job. Everyone should be very proud of themselves.

OST- Nice music played at the right times. Not overplayed. Well done. Nice addition to the show.

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OhmLeng deserves better

No, I mean what the hell is happening to writers of GMMTV ? They wasted such a nice series, I was so much excited about this & this actually started off great but after watching 7th ep, I dropped this. WTH with the unnecessary breakup? If their relationship is going well, then can't they do long distance? And in the flashback, when Q's mom was successful to free themselves, but chose to only let her son go, I mean who are you waiting for woman? And when they had their first kiss, Min suddenly got so much horny that he wasn't able to control himself more, this isn't matching with his characteristics. Though this series had nice OSTs, acting, action & production value; these couldn't save the series.

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