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Ai Long Nhai thai drama review
Completed
Ai Long Nhai
2 people found this review helpful
by puwupy
Dec 17, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 7.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 6.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0

Full of flaws, but somehow still enjoyable...?

Like I said in the title, this series is full of flaws. I don't believe it would be fair to pretend there isn't any: stiff acting, slow pacing (and slow dialogues!), plenty of overused tropes, plotlines that were introduced but never developed, and even the English subtitles on the official episodes on YouTube being pretty awful.
The reason I'm giving this series such a high score is that, despite all of this, I was still able to finish all the episodes without much trouble, and even enjoyed myself. So, for a change, I also want to list the things that I appreciated in the series, just in case you have nothing better to watch and you're looking for reasons to give this show a try.

- The couple dynamic isn't overly polarized. It might look like the typical combination of rich+caring and childish+innocent, but it's not exactly like that. Sure, Ai IS rich and takes care of Nhai in many ways, but Nhai is an actual adult with a few childish traits and not just a baby in an adult body. It's shown multiple times in the show that he can make his own mind about things, that he can be equally as romantic and loving to Ai, and that he can be determined enough not to let other people walk all over him.
- The group of friends of Nhai and Ai is one of the best I've ever seen in a Thai series. They get a good amount of screen time, and while their side couples were not explored much, they are fleshed out well enough and they don't just function as a convenient "frame" for Ai and Nhai's love story. Most importantly, they are NOT ditched after Ai and Nhai become a couple and the characters hang out together throughout the entire story.
- The parents of both Ai and Nhai are pretty cool and fun (with an important exception, iykyk). I also heard that the two actors interpreting Ai's father are an actual couple in real life, so it was fun to see queer people representing queer characters.
- The story is fluffy and romantic. It might have felt slow at times, but I was just so endeared with all the cute moments I could watch here.
- The lives of the characters are explored enough to show some clear likes and dislikes, and they weren't another instance of a show revolving entirely on two guys kissing or anything like that.
- While there were some typical tropes here and there, there was also a significant lack of annoying tropes that are way too popular, such as: miscommunication, unnecessary angst, break-ups for the sake of the other person, and stuff like that.

This being said, I understand that this show is not for everyone, and probably not even for most people, so watch at your own risk. All I know is that I had fun watching, and wouldn't mind watching again sometime either.
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