Welcome to my Saturday blog post, where I give thoughts on dramas I’m watching, whether at the beginning, middle, or end. Whatever I want, because I’m petty that way.
Except it’s not Saturday. It’s Sunday. I was a little busy these last few days and unable to conveniently relocate myself into another body to get things done.
This week, I recapped episodes 23-24 of The Prisoner of Beauty. Man Man’s brother shows up, and it causes all kinds of problems. If there’s one thing this show has taught me, it’s that family is the worst.
I also recapped the final episode 13 of I’m The Most Beautiful Count. Were our merry band of rebels able to overthrow the evil patriarchy and change the future? Read my recaps to find out! Or check out my general review of the whole series below.
What did I watch this week? Today’s theme is people falling in love while in other people’s bodies. Let’s start with a halfway review of:
Me and Who – โปตัวปลอม – 2025
Currently airing Thai body-jumping contract marriage BL, I’m at 5 out of 10 episodes.
A poor, unfortunately, orphan finally has some good luck when he dies and wakes up in the body of a spoiled, rich young man. Who has a fiancée. A nice, big one.
I enjoyed Park and Big in Monster Next Door, which was an okay show that had my kind of plot, so it was my kind of okay show. Here, they’re in what is apparently another one of my kind of plots: Someone being transported into someone else’s body, where they just want to live their easiest life.
Because before this, their life sucked
Park’s character is a diligent, hard worker with no support system and little chance of getting ahead in life without winning the lottery. Then, a dog he feeds half his dinner gives him a winning lottery ticket. Then he dies.
Only to wake up in the body of a spoiled rich kid in the hospital because of their own recent accident. He’s also got a hot, rich fiancée who, unfortunately, seems to hate him. Played by Big, he’s also tall, broad, and well, big.
Our transmigrated guy is extremely practical and ready to enjoy this new life in better circumstances. However, marriage to a hot, rich guy who hates him isn’t to his taste. He wants an easier life, not a more complicated one.
But the hot, rich guy is psychic. So the moment our transmigrated guy woke up and met his eyes, the rich guy knew what was up.
It’s not entirely fluff, but it’s mostly fluff
Once all that’s cleared up, they pretend to be a couple so they can get married because… If a reason has been given, I wasn’t paying attention. If it’s important, it’ll come up again.
From then on, it’s mostly light-hearted comedy as our transmigrated guy tries to fit into this new world he’s in, with new parents who adore their son’s spoiled ways, new friends who have a crush on him, potential in-laws who hate him, and an absurd butler character trying to prove they’re faking it.
And this hot fiancée who’s getting to know him and liking him way more than the body’s previous occupant.
It’s a fun kind of fantasy that isn’t taking itself too seriously but still has heart. So far, we’ve had no real bad guys, just unpleasant people who make our leads’ lives harder.
It’s also fun to see the actors in such different parts from their last roles. Park gets to be a little more outlandish and extroverted, but still has a very gentle quality that reminds me of his introvert character in Monster. Big is now a cold, rich guy, but underneath it, he’s got the sincere, golden retriever desire to do good like his extrovert character in Monster.
Oh, there’s also a stuffed peacock. Jessica.
This reminds me of My Magic Prophecy, not in story but in my feelings about it. There’s nothing really amazing here, but it’s the show I’m looking forward to watching most each week.
I also finished a show about someone transported into another body who then tries to save the world from the patriarchy:
I’m the Most Beautiful Count – ฉันนี่แหละท่านขุนที่สวยที่สุด – 2025
Recently aired Thai time-travel revolutionary adventure BL with 13 episodes.
A queer singer in a repressive present-day is sent back in time and into a complicated political and romantic situation.
Based on a popular webtoon I have never read, this story has admirable goals that it never reaches. I’m fully behind characters trying to overthrow a repressive, evil regime so the oppressed get to live their best lives.
Unfortunately, the show veers off from its message to engage in pretty standard drama shenanigans, making the middle sag and forcing a rushed ending.
Let’s start with the characters
I love our lead couple. Prince was a non-binary performer, defying the rules of their time and performing in heels to excited crowds and facing protests from the public. They are unapologetically feminine and refuse to back down when they see someone being oppressed.
Thrown unexpectedly into the past, they meet Kosol. Kosol is unapologetically masculine and unapologetically into men. This gets him thrown out of the royal family. He’s also unapologetically into Prince, or rather the person whose body Prince is now in.
While they seem like opposites, they are very alike in their attitude about the repressive society and their determination to change things. This show doesn’t have any “learning that our differences are okay” section to get through. Kosol adores Prince’s feminine quality and respects their opinions and suggestions. Prince admires Kosol’s well-built body and has no problem with him killing people to keep them safe.
There’s also not much “will-they-or-won’t-they”, as both characters like having sex and want to have sex with each other. In a way, this made the whole “falling in love” aspect more important. Since Prince didn’t see sex as love, it took sex out of the equation and made love the focus of their romantic dilemmas.
But this show is as much a historical adventure as a romance
Which is where everything starts to fall apart. Since it’s more of a historical adventure with something to say, it needs the side characters and plot to pull a certain amount of weight.
And we have some good, interesting side characters. There’s the person whom the owner of Prince’s new body previously loved, a more intellectual type who questions things more deeply. A young king who is uncomfortably aware of all the problems with his kingdom and how much people want him dead. A loyal servant so oppressed that he keeps arguing for his own continued oppression.
They’re all great material for some good moral dilemmas and conflicts. And with the show’s lighter, comedic tone, it could be fun. And it is a lot of the time. But then, we spend several episodes on a love triangle that conveniently glosses over some big issues instead of engaging with them. Characters momentarily drop their ideals and forget the urgency of their larger goals so they can engage in petty bickering. Only for it all to resolve very shallowly.
Then, some very brutal deaths happen that are treated with little consequences, somewhat counter to the show’s whole message.
It regains its footing in the later episodes, but rushes through the final dramatic events too fast, so none really hit emotionally. Though I will say, I liked the very, very ending quite a bit.
It’s that frustrating situation where disappointment is worse than satisfied low expectations
I can recognize that, unlike the show above, this show was trying to do more. And I really appreciate it. But the weak writing meant that I was bored and frustrated for several episodes, and that’s no fun.
As always, I think some people would still enjoy it despite that sagging middle. Or just so need to see the oppressed overcome their oppressors that they can ignore the weak writing. I don’t quite fall into that group.
Still, if you want to see one of our leads in beautiful, feminine tops and the other rarely in any top at all, this is here for you.
My recaps are also here for you if you want to know what you’d be getting into before giving it a try.
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