F4 THAILAND: BOYS OVER FLOWERS - A DAY IN LIFE WITHOUT BLS
So today marks the fifth day in the last three months that I’ve watched something other than a BL. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Am I absolutely dying to go back to BLs? ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY. No shade to these series, it’s just… how my brain is now wired. If I see hot guys, they need to kiss. Every second without a smooch feels like wasted air. Ahem. Apologies.
Anyway - my highlight for the past two days? F4 Thailand.
Now listen. This one is hard to review because I genuinely enjoyed it. But let’s not pretend the plot doesn’t scream high school nonsense from start to finish. Gorya is 15 when the chaos begins. Thyme is ready to take over a corporation at 17. Ren is out here willing to probably elope with Mira before graduation. Like, make it a college setting, at least! I would’ve believed the whole “we have our own elite campus where bullying is the norm” thing if they were 18+. The ages just make the trauma feel extra nauseating.
That being said: YES, I still bought into Gorya falling for not one, but two of her tormentors. Obviously.
But let’s talk about the real issue we have here: SECOND LEAD SYNDROME™. HOW did y’all survive watching this weekly in 2022? How did you sit there, week after week, knowing Ren (aka Dew, aka my entire heart) was going to be sad, poetic, and beautiful, with no happy ending? I am OBSESSED with Dew. I’m counting the seconds until his new series with OffGun airs. Put Dew in a BL. I am BEGGING.
I both loved and hated the ambiguity of Ren’s feelings. That scene at Gorya’s parent’s farm? He looked so sincere, like he was genuinely ready to stay if she said the word. It felt like he was willing to burn bridges with F4, knowing Thyme would be back at some point. But… F4 had already kidnapped Thyme to make him realize he was still in love (because, you know, he’s OLD THYME, we want NEW THYME - it’s almost like he has multiple personality disorder) and the video was ready for Gorya to watch. So was Ren serious? Or was it an elaborate ploy? I choose to believe he was ready to open a clinic and live a soft life with Gorya. I’m sure this discourse has been discussed and dissected religiously by fans back then - across all adaptations and the original manga - but honestly, I don’t have the bandwidth to spiral over it right now. It can just remain beautifully, tragically unresolved in my mind.
That said, Gorya and Thyme? A mess. A perfect match. I’ve never seen two people so chaotic, so loud, so violent, so meant for each other. I think Ren is far too composed and intense for someone like Gorya. She wouldn’t know what to do with a man like him - quiet, self-assured, exuding smoldering sexual energy with every glance, every brushstroke. He’s the type who’ll whisper gently in your ear, then ruin you in the best way possible - headboard shattered, soul ascending, speaking in tongues. That’s his vibe. Gorya can have her loud, chaotic man-child. I’LL TAKE REN.
JESUS. JUST LOOK AT HIM!!!
I did love each F4 member’s distinct style - MJ’s black, dangerous mystery, Kavin’s luxurious rich playboy energy, Thyme’s leopard printed chaos incarnate, and Ren’s pastel serenity. Visually, this show delivered.
Plot-wise? Safe. Characters? Stupid with feelings, smart with scheming - as one does. Villains were villaining. Evil mom turned soft overnight. No surprises. And I do love a good redemption arc - I was already smitten with my F4 boys even when they were being literal menaces. So my biggest problem? The rest of the fucking school. Like - NOT THE SAME GUYS WHO BEAT GORYA UP NOW FORMING ANTI-F4 AND BEATING THYME UP?? Talay, babe, you of all people shouldn’t be throwing stones when you live in a glass clique. Be serious. Calm down.
Oh and don’t think I missed this: one accidental kiss, one disguised kiss, and one real kiss? If I keep watching straight GMMTV dramas, I’m going to start screaming every time the camera pans away. The low-heat romance is killing me softly.
TL;DR: I liked it. I hated it. I mourned Ren. I yelled at the screen. But I made it through. BLs, I’m coming home.




















