I didn't have plans to watch My Engineer until I started seeing photos and GIFs of Ram and King on Tumblr. I'd watched the trailer prior to this but held off on it. I wrote a review on the first 3 episodes, you can read that here. Initially I didn't enjoy it so much, as you can tell from my initial review. However, and I cannot stress this enough. You should stick it out, things get better by the 4th episode. I'm glad I finished the series, was happy with it overall and can't wait for season 2.
From WeTV: When Bon the popular engineering students start a revenge plan on Duen The innocent first year medical students slowly their feelings start to grow through roses that Duen Have to buy for Bon every day for a month. The series bring out the different side of each couple and their journey with friends and relationship. Join us and see how their feelings slowly evolved with each other through the 4 couples
You can watch it on WeTV, however some episodes were missing english subtitles so I'd watch it on YouTube instead. Full episodes are only available on YouTube outside of Asia, so you need to use a VPN.
I thought the premise was a little bit cheesy (but let's be real, I do love cheesy things at times, otherwise I wouldn't watch them). The pairing of Bohn and Duen, the main couple, was a little bit unsurprising. As the story progressed, they did have cute moments together but nothing to really set it apart from other BL series.
Personally, what really drove the show was the comedy (at times bordering on campy, but it totally works) and the other main characters (Ram, King, Boss, Mek, Frong, and Thara). The pacing of the series was good, we had other couples apart from Bohn and Duen but I felt that they got enough exposure for us to get to know them and develop interest in their characters. I believe they had more interesting storylines and personalities than the main couple.
The series does not really focus on really serious and deep issues. If I were to rate how heavy the series is compared to TharnType at a 10, then My Engineer would be a 3 or 4. It isn't the kind of series where you'd need to prepare yourself mentally for an emotional rollercoaster. It is a fun watch, enjoyable and sweet.
When you watch My Engineer, you would need a little more Suspension of disbelief because there are moments that really don't make sense or are not grounded in reality. Not necessarily a bad thing, just that some scenes are kind of ridiculous but definitely fun to laugh about!
I won’t delve into all, just one from episode 9 that stood out for me.
In episode 9, the series tackles the notion of masculine and feminine roles in gay relationships. I was fairly satisfied with how it was treated. When the topic first arises, the reactions of Bohn and Duen are defensive and their friends presumptive. I found this to be irritating initially because it portrayed one person as less than the other.
However, I quickly realized that their reactions were valid because they probably didn't know more about it. Their environment probably enforced those stereotypes and I can't entirely blame them for thinking that way. We live in a heteronormative society so their reactions to the topic would probably be the reactions of the majority. I won't delve into how they answered the topic as not to spoil the episode, let's just say that by the end of it i wasn't irritated anymore.
Duen (Poy Kritsanapong Soonthornchatchawet) - My Engineer is Poy's first series, and by goly does it show. His sweet and innocent features match Duen's character but a little too much. So much so, that even when he cries, he has the same expressions as when he is happy. This is part of the reason why the emotional parts didn't hit me as hard, because I could not connect the mood of the scene to Poy's acting. On the other hand, he captures that shy cutesy emotion very well. When he is shy-happy, you feel it as well. In Tagalog, if he is kilig you also really feel the kilig.
Bohn (Cooper Patpasit Na Songkhla) - I thought Cooper's acting was okay. He portrays Bohn, someone who is too into himself well. Bohn's character can border on irritating that I could not help but roll my eyes because of how he was. Bohn is a character that tries hard and I appreciate his efforts but he didn't really win me over.
King (Lay Talay Sanguandikun) - Yes, just yes. Lay is a good actor and his movements and delivery feel natural. As a character, I just love King. I wish he was my friend. King is the kind of person you know you can rely on and trust, and we are all here for that.
Ram (Perth Nakhun Screaigh) - My Engineer is also Perth's first series and I'm impressed. His acting isn't perfect and can be a little awkward at times but it plays into his character, the very introverted Ram. Ram is a character of few words, at times this is cute but sometimes its a little bit too much. When Ram is with King, that's truly where he shines. Their scenes together are some of the best in the whole series.
Boss (Inntouch Naphat Chalermphonphakdee) - Boss is that one guy who hits on girls too much that it becomes awkward already. He is definitely the loud class clown type and his personality really contrasts with his best friend, Mek. I feel like I'm watching a comedy sketch every time they are together, so it is definitely fun to watch them. Boss' character isn't one dimensional, in the series we get to see more sides to him that make him worth watching.
Mek (Ryan Peng) - Can I just say, even after finishing the series, I never got used to how they dubbed him. The voice really doesn't match his face nor mouth movements. Mek is your typical one sided I-like-my-bestfriend type. He is quiet and always in pain, like I always feel bad for him.
Frong (Shane Nutchapol Cheevapanyaroj) - Frong's character initially comes off as the playboy pretty type but he is actually quite mature. He knows what he wants and will try to get it, but if he doesn't then he isn't immature about it. I appreciate his character's maturity most of all.
Thara (MD Nutthapong Phibunthanakiet) - This character is a marshmallow. He is happy, sweet, kind, and caring and perfect if not a little dense. He gives off the vibe that he would definitely be the perfect boyfriend.
I thought the production quality was pretty good. Only a few things I didn't like so much: the soundtrack, I didn't feel that the music flowed into the scene (if that makes sense), instead they felt a little to abrupt when introduced and the dubbing of Mek's voice.
Should you watch My Engineer? Definitely, yes, add it to you watch list. However, I wouldn't recommend this for people new to BL series as the first 3 episodes are dragging. I would encourage you to watch this series when you need a good laugh and want something to watch with friends. I watched this series alone but I think it would have been more fun if I had others to watch alongside.
