I had planned an entire series review but got sucked in big time.

Of course, GAP was meant to be popular, seeing that it’s the first Thai GL series. An entire, 12-episode long show centred around the love between two women certainly felt like a birthday gift that had arrived months earlier. There were quite a few Thai media fans who were waiting with bated breath for the release of the series, and I’m sure they weren’t disappointed at all!

Directed by Nuttapong Wongkaveepairoj and produced by Saint Suppapong Udomkaewkanjana, GAP The Series is based on Chao Planoy’s novel GAP Yuri (also called Pink Theory/Thritseedee See Chompoo) and revolves around the whirlwind office romance between Sam – Samanan Anantrakul (played by Freen Sarocha Chakimha) and Mon – Kornkamon (Becky Armstrong), with more than just workplace ethics drawing a line between them. There are many differences between them—including their being boss-employee, royalty-civilian, their ages, and the like. They seem to have met when they were younger, but only Mon remembers the incident and sees Sam as her idol.

For those of you who are familiar with BillySeng’s Secret Crush on You The Series, whose live-action adaptation was also created by Idolfactory Official, you would have seen FreenBeck as the loving couple Kongkwan and Fon. Although their roles in Secret Crush were minor, their chemistry was off the charts, and the announcement of GAP thrilled Thai media fans (BL or otherwise). They’re both doing a great job, with Sam being an ice queen while Mon’s love for her stays true to the original title of the series, painting Sam’s monotonous world and dyeing it pink.

It’s interesting to see how the first four episodes have already given us more than a peek into their world and the issues they’ve faced. The generational trauma, with rules binding Sam to “honour the family and its reputation,” takes the form of her grandmother and her whip-like control over her granddaughters’ lives. The first two siblings break free, albeit in excruciatingly painful ways (with one losing her life to the restrictive rules prevalent in society). Sam, however, is stuck in the same place, forced to do her grandmother’s bidding—including marrying the man (Kirk, played by Heng Asavarid Pinitkanjanapon) chosen for her by her grandmother.

Sam’s character seems like a handful, and it’s fascinating to see how she thaws in Mon’s presence. This is, of course, punctuated by the former’s friends, who are clowns in their own ways (and I mean this as a compliment). We’re also introduced to Mon’s friends—a second couple in the making!—but I’d like to discuss more about this when I do a full review of the series. The camaraderie among Sam’s friends, as well as the fun interactions among the employees at Sam’s company, reminds us of the clownery in Secret Crush, a series that also valued friendship a lot. I’d also like to mention that Noey, who plays the role of Tee (Sam’s friend), gives quite a few of us gender envy, and I can’t wait to see more of the story unfold.

The production is exquisite—from the cinematography to the wardrobe, we can see how they’ve spent quite a bit on the series. FreenBeck certainly delivered on their chemistry in GAP, too. I especially love Sam’s little smiles which she tries to hide from everyone else as she finds Mon adorkable. They’re really cute together, and I’m sure it’s going to stay that way throughout the series.

Of course, except for Mon’s father, I’m not really sure how I feel about the other men (the main characters, at least) in the series. They seem pretty shady, and that’s one way to put it. If the series goes the way the trailer showed us, there’s bound to be a bit of angst. Hopefully, we’ll all be well-prepared for that. And I know that we’ll definitely need to be prepared for more of FreenBeck’s onscreen chemistry, as the next few episodes are bound to blow us away.

Rating: 4 out of 5

You can watch Sam and Mon’s story for free on YouTube! All the episodes of GAP The Series are uncut on Idolfactory’s official YouTube channel, and I’m sure you’ll have a great time watching this wonderfully queer series!

Krishna’s Sidenote-

☆ GAP The Series stars Freen Sarocha & Becky Armstrong were featured in Spotlight Magazine China!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmBAIk1LXld/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmLT5pwrIYY/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=