Not Me Series: Here’s what we love about the new BL drama

Fans of Boys Love (BL) dramas are positively raving about the Not Me Series. Images of Gun Atthaphan Phunsawatthough and Off Jumpol Adulkittiporn, colloquially known as OffGun, are all over our social media timelines. The trail of angst they have left all over our social spaces got the better of us and we tuned in to check out what Not Me Series is all about. 

This isn’t the first time OffGun have worked together in the world of BL and these two adorable buttons had quite a cult following before the Not Me Series even aired. Now though? It seems that support for their ship has increased dramatically, and it’s still gaining traction. 

And we get it. The chemistry between these two boys is dynamite. The characters they play in the Not Me Series are wildly different from the characters they embodied in their previous project together and fans have been blown away by their range as actors. 

We’re not going to lie; we had very low expectations for the Not Me Series. We are happy to report that we are hooked. There are ten out of fourteen episodes currently available to watch and we binged all ten of them in one sitting. Yes, it’s that good. We’re planning a full season review once the series finishes airing, but we couldn’t wait to talk about this incredible show. So here is everything we love about the Not Me Series so far. 

The gang setting

This is not something that usually sparks our interest here at the Q+ offices, but this one comes with enough of a twist that we’re definitely on board. Black (Gun Atthaphan Phunsawat) and White (Gun Atthaphan Phunsawat) are twins who were separated by their parents when they were younger. Black and White’s parents separated, White left Thailand with his dad and spent fifteen years living in Russia. They lost contact with Black and their mom.

When White returns to Thailand, he learns that Black is in trouble. He has fallen in with a gang crowd which has brought tragedy upon his life. When White finds Black, he is severely beaten and on the verge of death. White decides to assume Black’s identity (they’re identical twins after all) and find out who is responsible for hurting Black so badly. 

The only problem with this is, although they look exactly the same, Black and White are nothing alike in personality, and White has quite a hard time assuming Black’s identity. At first, he is kind of scared of the gang that Black now calls his family. White is a good boy who toes the line and doesn’t want to get caught up in all the illegal things the gang is doing. 

However, after spending some time with them, White realizes that what the gang is actually trying to do is bring about social change for the less fortunate and exploited communities in Thailand. They might be getting caught up in illegal situations, but their cause is good. 

The gang setting of this show serves as a social exploration into right, wrong, politics, and the exploited Thai communities, such as the LGBTQ community, women, and disabled people. A lot of the social issues that Thailand is currently facing as a country are represented thoughtfully and artfully in the Not Me Series. 

The romance

The Not Me Series is marketed as a BL but the romance takes a bit of a back seat to all the social issues being explored. But it’s still there. Sean (Off Jumpol Adulkittiporn) notices there is something different about Black. He doesn’t know that Black is actually White, but he does notice a change for sure. And it’s a change that has Sean feeling all kinds of things for the boy that he never thought possible. 

White is smart, whereas Black is Brute. White is gentle, whereas Black is cold. White is selfless whereas Black is selfish and unforgiving. Sean doesn’t know what to make of these new personality traits appearing in his friend and it sends him into a bit of a tailspin. That is until he is able to work out what those feelings actually mean. 

The romance that exists in this show is a super slow burn and viewers have to wade through seven or eight episodes of angst before any hint of romance even emerges. As the show was marketed as a BL and said marketing placed OffGun as the main ship, fans knew it was coming, but it was a long journey to get there. 

We love the warmth that White has brought to life in Sean’s otherwise cold and hard exterior. As episode ten comes to a close though, Black has woken up from his coma and situates himself back in the gang. Sean doesn’t know there are two of them and it doesn’t go well at all. 

We have no idea how this is going to play out, but we can’t wait for Sunday to see for ourselves.

Not your usual Thai BL

This is not set in that famous university where all the gays in Thailand go to become musicians and engineers. This isn’t set within the confines of a school setting at all. The adolescent drama that usually comes with that setting is absent from the Not Me Series. It’s a mature, adult show with mature themes. 

While it is clear that Sean and White are definitely coming into their sexuality together – not too much is revealed about their LGBTQ status before they met each other – it doesn’t have that young, coming-of-age storytelling quality that is present in so many other Thai BL dramas. 

While they’re young, these characters are grown-ups and they’ve endured a lot. It was perhaps this quality alone, the growth and maturity that oozes from the writing, that kept us tapped in. We very much hope to see more stories like this emerge from the Thai BL industry. It’s a welcomed change indeed. 

Pushing the LGBTQ agenda

Queer consumers of Thai BL have often commented that the industry doesn’t use its platform to advance LGBTQ issues in Thailand enough (or at all). The stories more often than not include harmful stereotypes that do nothing but advance negative commentary around LGBTQ folks and LGBTQ issues. However, the Not Me Series tackles some of Thailand’s LGBTQ issues head-on. 

And honestly, we couldn’t believe what we were seeing. 

In episode seven, a rally breaks out in response to something that the gang had set in motion. The rally focuses on the marginalized communities in Thailand and specifically focuses on women and enacting marriage equality for LGBTQ people. 

This episode originally aired in Thailand, and around the world, on the tails of the Thai government ruling against marriage equality for the Thai LGBTQ population – again. While many of the Thai people are very clearly ready for social change, the reality is, their government very much isn’t. 

To speak out through such a public platform and stand in opposition to a regime like the Thai government is nothing short of an act of defiance. And we’re here for every part of this. Social change is never going to be possible for the Thai LGBTQ community unless they can get the masses on board. Scenes, television shows, and episodes like this one are crucial to that fight. 

Everyone involved in the making of this masterpiece should be proud. We definitely are!

---

The Not Me Series airs on Sundays in Thailand. International audiences can watch it on YouTube at the same time. There are four episodes left in this season. Stay tuned for our full season review upon its completion! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for all queer stuff!