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My favourite BL so far is Why R U. Let's find out why, episode one.

Updated: Jun 19, 2022


Okay, grab a Timbit and a Double Double, we are back in the Cozy Corner to take on my fav Thai BL so far, Why R U.


It is based on a novel by Mame. Mame's writing often has some problematic parts (noncon not handled well); she is also responsible for TharnType and Love By Chance, which technically is all in the same universe, although I remain confused about the timeline of these works (TharnType probably comes first).

It is important to note that due to some filming issues brought on by COVID, the secondary and main couples were switched. From Zon/Saifah being the lead to Fighter/Tutor being the lead.


This series is based on another fanfic classic trope: enemies to lovers. Fair warning, this is the start of our descent into BLs featuring engineering students, music, and sports.


Cast of Characters


We are going to begin with the cast of characters so we can better understand the players before I share my thoughts on the first episode.


The Couples






Our first set of enemies about to fall in love, are Tutor (left) and Fighter (right).


Tutor is actually a tutor - what are the odds? Tutor is a studious guy, who is working a bunch of jobs to make ends meet.


Fighter is a basketball-playing, rich senior, who happened to be responsible for Tutor’s hazing during his entry to a the engineering faculty.


Yes, like many Thai BLs Engineering is the gayest faculty. Fighter kind of rubbed Tutor the wrong way during that initial encounter.


It was not helped by Fighter dating his best girlfriend, Hwahwa.


Fighter begins the series totally clueless as to why he enjoys teasing Tutor so much.





Our second couple, who were initially the main couple, are Saifah (left) and Zon (right).


Zon has a panicked, disaster-type personality. He puts the disasta in disasta gay.


Saifah is a popular football (soccer) player.


Their enmity stems from Zon catching Saifah with the girl he was seeing, in flagrante delicto. During the subsequent fight, they accidentally kissed and Zon never forgave Saifeh for that.


There is a whole host of side characters, some of which become side couples, because we are in little-to-no-hetero land.


Zon's family





Zol is Zon's sister, a fujoshi who writes BL fiction. Her current novel features Zon and Saifeh as the main couple since she witnessed their accidental kiss and concluded that they're dating and Tutor/Fighter as the secondary couple.


Zon's pals


Zon has his own gang of silly pals to back him up.





Junior (left) is one of the biggest clowns among Zon's friends. He's a total jokester and is crushing hard on the girl in charge of the Chemistry Cute Boys Page (more on that later). He's also on the football team. 


Zen (right) is true to his name by being the most grounded of the group. (His actor is a terrible person though, so we try not to bring him up too often.)





Then there is Naetee who is just an all around chaotic disaster human. He is the classic over-the-top, crass, comic relief character. He is crushing hard on Zon's sister Zol.


Footballers


Next up are the other football players.





Thantai is an affectionate junior player who is enamored of the football captain, Japan.




Japan is one of the football captains. He tries to be a strong leader, but inside he is a sweet marshmallow man that loves his cat.





Champ is another captain. He is the calm, level-headed one, protective and just a bit fatherly with his team members.





Dew is the final captain and a hot-headed bullying type. He is also Fighter's bestie and on the basketball team. I don't know when he has time to do homework or sleep either.





Blue is the sweet naive junior. He's a people pleaser and,  surprisingly, a fan of Zol's BL novel. He even agrees to be a character in it, but he prefers not to be paired with his bully, Dew.


Tutor's friend group


Next up are Tutor's friends. He is close with Saifah and Zon, but these are his other friends.





This absolute cutie is Hwahwa. She has Tutor wrapped around her dainty finger. Tutor often behaves like her indulgent older brother. She begins the series dating Fighter.





This is Day. He is a very positive person and is also a member of the engineering faculty along with Saifeh, Tutor, Fighter, and Dew. He is totally whipped for Hwahwa, but who isn't. 


Miscellaneous


Last up, we have the head of the Chemistry Cute Boys Fan Page, Soda.


Currently, the Fan Page is collecting votes to choose the cutest boys on campus to perform a duet, that will help the football club raise money for sports equipment for underprivileged kids.




Soda is also an avid Zon/Saifeh shipper, and of the two, Zon is her favourite.


Episode 1 Recap - SPOILERS AHEAD

So, here we go with Episode 1. In this episode it is obvious from the set up that Zon was supposed to be the main lead, as it is very focused on his story this episode.


Zon is having a dream, he'd probably call it a nightmare. He is at a carnival where he sees Tutor, who ends up walking off hand-in-hand with his nemesis, Fighter. Then, Zon is pursued by his rival Saifeh.







How much do the animated characters fail to resemble characters. This is supposed to be Zon?


Naturally, he wakes up screaming.




Zon is working on a sci-fi novel, but is dismayed to find that Zol's BL novel has 100,000 views, over breakfast. Zol challenges him to get the same number of views on his novel.



Sorry for choosing that photo Zol, but you are very hard to screetshot. You're too animated, girl.


It turns out Zon does have a few chapters of his sci-fi novel posted online. However, judging by the savage commentary, only a few people like it and he will have a hard time getting 100k views.




We suddenly cut to a high tension encounter between Tutor and Fighter. Fighter's basketball gets away from him and it ends up knocking Tutor over and spilling his coffee all over him.





Tutor is so infuriated because he believes Fighter did this to him on purpose.



How very dare you!


After a heated exchange between the two, we cut again.



One of the best characters, truly, but I can't remember his name. Let us call him, Cool Gay. And yes, he is judging you and your choices.


A man in a cafe we've never seen before is dealing with a troublesome customer looking for Tutor.



You seriously leave the house to intimidate people, looking like that mess. Get yourself together, girl.


Tutor arrives and reveals that the customer is the son of his father's debt collector here to harass him. The debt collector demands payment or to make Tutor his "wife".


The cafe owner cuts in to save Tutor and pays the debt collector to leave Tutor alone and he finally leaves after the owner chews him out. 



Cuckoo, cuckoo!


It is roughly at this point, that we fully come to understand the goofiness, that is the sound effects on this show.


Zon is working on his novel again, (though it's framed like he's doing something else online (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, eh, know what I mean, eh, know what I mean); when his sister interrupts him saying his parents want to speak to him.



The struggle to screenshot Zol continues.