Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram) Click for short audio review
Ah to not be a teen anymore! What joy. To not be drowning in anxiety over whether your crush likes you back or even looks your way. To not have to wait for hours to get a response. To not have to second-guess and burn in your own self-imagined hell of rejection, before even a confession can be made. Yep, some of us just don’t miss being a teen trapped in hormonal angst. But re-living some of those experiences through a series like ‘Gel Boys’ can be frustratingly fun.
Directed by Boss Naruebet Kuno, Junior Naron Cherdsoongnern, the Thai series follows New Chayapak Tunprayoon as teen protagonist Fou4Mod (yes, that’s his name), who falls for senior Wichianmas (Pide Monthapoom Sumonvarangkul), after the latter hits on him. The two start bond by getting their nails done together, however, Wichianmas is only using Fou4Mod as a distraction, while crushing hard on his own friend Bua (Leon Zech), with whom he often records TikTok dances. Fou4Mod starts using his best-friend Baabin (PJ Mahidol Pibulsonggram) as bait to make Wichianmas jealous, leading to a chaotic love triangle, or square in this case.
Honestly, the trailer for ‘Gel Boys’ didn’t look very interesting, promising the usual high-school themed love story, with unfamiliar fresh faces. But giving the first episode a chance is all you need, and if the dynamic direction style doesn’t immediately suck you into the chaos of teen crushes, confusion, heartache and heartbreaks, this show is not for you. I was instantly bowled over by the vibrant graphics, the stickers seamlessly integrated into scenes, and the teens constantly scrolling through their phones. It might not resonate with those who grew up without smartphones in school, but it’s an all-too-real portrayal of the current generation.
All the teen protagonists of ‘Gel Boys’ love singing, dancing, and are often hanging out at the dynamic Siam Square, a popular shopping market area in Bangkok. They all have their ‘biases’ (no, not the discriminatory ‘bias’, but the phrase used for a favorite artist within a group), go-to bands, and exclusive playlists. Fou4Mod is a lead singer in his school band, almost always hanging out with the same crew, including Baabin. Pide Monthapoom Sumonvarangkul as the flirty senior Whichanmas gives off a shady vibe, which is the whole point of the character, but it also makes it kind of hard to understand Fou4Mod’s growing crush and obsession with him. (Yeah, yeah, love is blind and all that.)
The background music is fantastic, incorporating a lot of synth-pop beats that give the show a lightly nostalgic feel mixed with vibrant modern tones. It also features a range of popular Thai-pop songs and even a few fleeting moments of K-pop hits, including tracks by BTS and BLACKPINK – two of the biggest boy and girl bands in the world. Music is also a huge mode of bonding between the characters, with a hilarious little sub-plot about some of them sharing exclusive curated playlists online, with more songs shared implying stronger mutual interest.
‘Gel Boys‘ primarily explores teen vulnerabilities and the concept of keeping someone “on the hook”: leading a person on by making them think you’re interested, while actually treating them as a backup as you chase someone else. Wichianmas is smitten with Bua, who keeps him on the hook. In turn, Wichianmas strings along Fou4Mod, who then drags Baabin everywhere, especially when Wichianmas isn’t around. Will someone finally grow a spine, end the “situationship,” and start dating seriously?
Well, it takes a whole seven episodes for one of them to muster the courage to confess their love, and it might not be the person you expect. Until then, the boys keep getting their nails done in a small shop in Siam Square, which are more like dates than just two people hanging out. And they don’t just go for simple manicures with a bit of glitter, but opt for elaborate 3D nail art featuring cute characters, fruits, stickers, and all sorts of quirky add-ons. Hence the title Gel Boys, which is also the nickname Wichianmas gives to Fou4Mod.
Seven episodes long, ‘Gel Boys’ is fast-paced, and dynamic, although there are some slow-mo shots dwelling on character faces to let their facial expressions speak. Chayapak Tunprayoon is striking as Fou4Mod, a precocious teen who is only in Grade 10, but desperate to be in a stable relationship. Episode 1 starts with a hilarious end to his ‘situationship’ with a girl, who refuses to give any labels to their relationship.
Chayapak Tunprayoon shares both the charm and looks of Bilkin Putthipong Assaratanakul from ‘I Told Sunset About You’, and like Bilkin, he has a knack for stealing the spotlight in emotional scenes. I don’t have a lot to say about Pide as Wichianmas, the character is weird, suspicious, and the actor doesn’t necessarily bring a distinct flavor to the role.
While Fou4Mod was the clear protagonist in ‘Gel Boys‘, actors PJ Mahidol Pibulsonggram and Leon Zech emerge as big surprises in the second half of the series as Baabin and Bua. In the beginning, Baabin and Bua appear to be mere bystanders in the budding romantic confusion between Fou4Mod and Wichianmas, but as things get more serious, their characters are pushed to the forefront. Leon Zech’s Bua appears morally grey at first but proves to be just as emotionally vulnerable as Fou4Mod, grappling with more complex identity issues due to being half-Thai and looking like a foreigner.
PJ Mahidol Pibulsonggram as Baabin is, without debate, the most likable protagonist, who is always by Fou4Mod’s side and one of the rare characters in ‘Gel Boys’ who places more value on friendship than romantic entanglements. At first, we only get to see him as the sweet, quiet friend whom Fou4Mod drags around everywhere, but in the second half, Baabin reveals himself to be a small box of big emotions. By the end of ‘Gel Boys’, I only cared about what was to become of Baabin.
Watching the teens struggle with their emotions and desires can also be exasperating, especially in the penultimate episode, where all four boys get into an awkward video-call for a confrontation to clarify things. Well, it doesn’t help as much. So, the climactic episode is a mixed bag, where some get their ‘happy ending’, while others remain trapped in the blurry dimensions of modern ‘situationship’.
Rating: 3.5 on 5 stars. ‘Gel Boys’ is on iQIYI.
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