Created by Rookie Thailand, the sleeper hit “21 Day Theory” was startlingly refreshing and surprising.

While most Boys’ Love series today have massive amounts of fan service, TikTok videos and tweets, this romantic cupcake appeared out of nowhere and as quickly as it came, it went. With only 4 short episodes to tell the story of Q, a boy with self-confidence issues who prejudges another boy named X; the series takes the time to introduce both boys who form the main character pairing, their friends, and family before it’s over. Does it do a good job and depict why indecent series should find massive amounts of endorsements before trying? Read on to find out.

Choosing to go with a shorter format creates a challenge for any series because you have to worry about pacing. While most Boys’ Love series are 12 episodes and Lakorns are 18 to 20, short miniseries are usually 2 to 4 episodes. The pacing is what any content creator should be concerned with. Because you have to get the audience to connect with the actors and the roles they play with maybe two to four hours of screen time. In this series, each episode is broken in half (I don’t know why?). However, the pacing only seemed off in the second episode. You watch Q and his two friends Frank and Toy discuss things in their brotherly way of arguing or finishing each other’s sentences with the camera cutting through their conversations focusing on each speaker. But for some reason, their usual antics grated on my nerves and the blocking for the action hero scene felt really odd. But the second half felt like I was watching a different episode entirely.

Overall, the pacing never really goes off course, which was really refreshing after watching so many series this year. In most shows, the focus is put on the main couple and the side characters are almost forgotten by the end. This show really amazed me by giving me nine characters and taking time to show me just enough about each one so I would want to know more about them. The way the script is written felt detailed and was executed well. So certain things are dealt with off screen but you get to know the end result, which was so nice because I loved Q’s gay uncle and had hoped that he would work it out with Q’s grandpa who didn’t approve of him being gay. Getting to see the end result of that storyline was very satisfying; even more so was getting to see how Q’s family came to accept him being gay. In a lot of shows, the parents are barely there,but getting to see his mother and uncle go through the journey with him felt really touching.

Again, high praise to the amazing script through which we get to see how they aren’t perfect parents but are trying their best with Q; as well as with each other when it becomes clear that Q’s uncle is also gay. He had a troubling past involving his father, he tries hard to give Q all the love he himself was denied, the mother also has to come to her own understanding of the young man who seems besotted with her little boy. It was touching to watch the pair who have little experience in the ways of raising a child work together to raise the boy. Their actors did a fantastic job bringing life to their roles and creating darling scenes of domestic warmth.

As young love grows between the two sets of couples, we watch their romance unfold beautifully as the scenes are shot in 1080p quality. The series takes the natural course of Q experiencing firsts. They interspersed the other couple and their friend Frank, each going through the growing pains of life in diverse ways. But to me the character who stole the show was X. All along we had an inclination that he has a secret. By the end of the series we know his secret, but due to his carefree nature it spins out of control. Like a car losing control, Q explodes with rage at the misunderstandings and it takes Frank & Toy’s collective efforts to help Q realise the truth, thereby giving X a second chance to have a happy ending.

The music, the cinematography both were fantastic; having the cast of The Yearbook, En of Love, and Best Years working together was a wonderful idea. Most of the actors have worked together in different productions and have a seemingly natural chemistry that worked quite well for this show. I need a second series as soon as possible.

Rating- 5 out of 5