NOT ME THE SERIES

MAIN LEADS: GUN ATTHAPHAN, OFF JUMPOL

GENRE: POLITICS, SOCIAL ISSUES, ACTION

RATING: ★★★★ (4.8/5)

NOT ME SERIES EP. 1-6 OVERVIEW

Initially, I did not have many expectations for this series as I'm not a person who is into the action genre. However, I still watched it for Off Gun and the series did not disappoint.

It is about White having to pretend to be his brother, Black, to find out who hurt his brother. My overall stand with the series is that it is very educational in terms of law and how society portrays things. What you do might be against the law, but rightfully in the eyes of the public.

"Your life is worth more than you think."

This is what sets apart White from Black, as well as the rest of Black's friends. White views life itself as the most important thing while the rest of them only want to live in the moment. I can't help to agree with White that being alive and living is what keeps you going. Losing your life from a so-called "mission" does not prove to the public that what you are doing is for justice and rightfulness.

I was impressed by how the group always stuck to their principle, ensuring that no one was harmed during their mission. In episode 6, Gram did his research to ensure that the bitterness they were going to add was completely safe for consumption.

Before this, there was also the fire incident where they checked that no one was in the house before setting it on fire, although there was someone inside whom they were not aware of. I felt that value is really important as they could've just taken the shorter route to not do their research, risking other people's lives, but they did not.

Every episode was exciting as I wanted to know more about the missions they carry out to justify their doings and also Sean's past that led him to hate Tawi so much. In addition, I am excited about the love line of Sean with White and Yok with UNAR. Worth a watch if you are into laws and action!

NOT ME SERIES EP. 12

"The idea of not being able to see Sean anymore causes me so much pain right now. It's the suffering my brother will never understand."

This was a very crucial scene in showing both White and Black's feelings for their loved ones apart from their own family.

White was hurting as Black did not want him to hang around Sean. However, I do not agree with White that Black will not understand his pain. I truly believe that Black loves Eugene, and in order to not hurt her, he pushed her away.

From these 2 perspectives, we can see the difference in White and Black's way of loving someone. White believes that loving someone means being close to them while on the contrary, Black believes it to be letting them stay safe away from him.

I like the way the twins have this special connection to feel what the other felt. It was not until later in the series that I realized Black woke up from unconsciousness because of White's feeling for Sean.

Black was initially portrayed as the "villain" from the way he hits Sean and wanted him to stay away from his brother. On the other hand, you could tell how much White and Eugene mean to him and that he would do anything to protect them.

From the Not Me teaser, Dan was set to be a character of betrayal, which is why I do not ship him with Yok. I do not like his overall character as a person. He chose to be upfront with Sean about his dad's incident solely due to him not wanting to feel guilty and in debt to Sean. Although I disagree with taking a life for a life, I felt for Sean at that moment as til the end the police refused to tell him the truth. Even if the police who shot his dad should be kept confidential, I think he has the right to at least know it was a mistake, and what happened.

NOT ME SERIES EP. 14 (FINALE)

Throughout the series, Black is portrayed as someone who is void of emotions and only cares about himself. However, as the series progresses, we are shown how deeply he cares for his family and loved ones. The fact that Black went to save his gang members says a lot. He might not have connected to the gang members as well as they did within themselves, but a part of him still views them as people who are important to him. Black tells Sean to take care of White, which shows that he is slowly opening up to Sean and putting the past behind them. Gun also really did a great job in the action scenes.

It was unexpected that the protestors are the ones who saved them from their kidnapping. I see how the director is trying to portray the power of the public, to show that protestors are not just people who are loud and close-minded.

The way Black said he felt good about Sean because he could feel the love White has for him is just too adorable.

The series let it in a way of open ending, where there are still problems unsolved. One of it is what will Black be doing after his separation from the gang and how will he deal with Todd when he is awake.

It touched my heart that Black did not choose to finish off Todd, as he knew that the problems would still not be solved. BlackTodd was a potential couple that could have been there. I still admire the way their friendship works, the way they fight each other but ultimately have the same intentions.

This scene is like a parallel world with the rooftop scene in episode 8 where they first kissed. Both scenes used the BGM - Everlast by Will Van De Crommert.

As mentioned, many problems are left unsolved, but we know that they are tight-knit with the gang and have support from the public to not be alone.

REFLECTION JOURNAL (BONUS!)

For one of my film appreciation classes, we were tasked to write about any drama/movie and infer what we have learned from in based on the things taught in class! I was contemplating between Bad Buddy and Not Me and eventually decided to go with this as it shows a more in-depth plot of unresolved and ongoing social issues.

TV series link: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=qgGKIEBp2jE&list=PLYYyUhZKiEj59aNMppRfRc_F_MYI_ccLH&index=54

(timestamp 0:54-5:29)

I have watched "Not Me", which is a Thailand TV series about a small group of people, who named themselves "ROL", targetting the politics in Thailand. The group name "ROL" stands for the rule of law, which is a political philosophy that all citizens and institutions within a country are accountable to the same laws. Throughout the series, the main characters are seen constantly partaking in activities that aim to raise awareness of Thai politics. They felt that the country was uncivilized and unlawful as the government did not follow the rule of law. This particular scene in episode 14 talks about the social issue of civil rights and equality.

Tawi is a corrupt capitalist who breaks laws and uses his wealth to cover all his unethical actions. He attempted to kidnap the ROL group, in an attempt to ensure that the country does not follow their lead and go into protest. In the end, they were discovered and rescued by people who were already having a protest with the same focus, which is to have a lawful society where everyone falls under the rule of law. During the protest, they emphasized no enforced disappearance. However, in reality, not everyone who has enforced disappearance is as lucky as them to be "rescued".

This scene is inspired by the real-life incident of the disappearance of Wanchalearm Satsaksit, a Thai pro-democracy activist and political exile. He started as an activist for gender and LGBT rights in Thailand before shifting his interest to broader calls for democracy in the country. Wanchalearm was on a call with his sister when he was kidnapped. His sister recalled hearing a loud bang, following the screams of her brother. The witnesses attempted to help Wanchalearm but were warned by armed abductors to stay back. As a victim of enforced disappearance, this has sparked protests in Bangkok to bring awareness to the more serious issue at hand which is the disappearing dissidents.

This TV series made me more aware of what is happening in our neighboring countries and be contented with Singapore's system.