Recently, I’ve read and seen a lot of news about social injustices, gender discrimination, and inequality. Yes, I know these are overdue issues. But while I was pondering about these things, I came across Not Me which incorporates those concepts and has become one of GMMTV’s BL series masterpieces.
HEADS UP FOR A RIDE ON TRUTH AND LIBERTY
For the past few years, we have been overwhelmed with many BL series. But the vast majority of them followed the same structure. So, after I finished watching Not Me, I felt really happy, and I was able to see why everyone was enjoying this wonderful piece of art so much! Not Me was the complete reverse of the conventional BL series setup. It hit two birds with one stone: Boys Love being the first and standing up for other people’s rights being the second. I think my questions and doubts as an individual were clearly answered by this series through many different meaningful representations. Moreover, this series is extremely timely and relevant in my opinion, and it carries a strong message that I have carefully considered numerous times. It reflects the culture we live in today.
But let’s start from the beginning. Twins who had to live different lives due to unanticipated circumstances are the focus of the story.
White (Gun Attaphan), an ordinary person who was being controlled by his father’s aspirations and ideals, slowly started to question the meaning of his life and how he could get away from that manipulation. This was triggering for me. I also occasionally feel as if my decisions are controlling me, to the point that I doubt myself and the degree of freedom I am actually capable of enjoying. Because of what happens to his brother Black, White decides to join his brother’s gang in order to support him, and his first task is to learn the details of Black’s accident. White’s choice has forced him to step outside of his comfort zone and encounter a lot of new things. Without the influence of his father, he is able to create new memories and even make decisions for himself. White is unable to make his own judgments since, as we all know, his father carved out a specific path for him thinking it was the best for him. But after joining his brother’s group, he experiences real freedom and tries to push himself beyond what he ever thought he was capable of. Life’s situations have never been simple to handle, especially when there are numerous aspects to take into account.
I can connect with White’s predicament in this series the same way I did with Black’s. The series’ portrayal of Black’s exceptional principles of justice and freedom leads to many unexpected developments. Black is fighting to bring about change as a result of the inequality he has witnessed. His buddies Gram (Mond), Yok (First), Sean (Off), and Gumpa (Papang) join him as they have the same goals. Black’s decision to help expose a powerful business has grave consequences as was shown in the first episode White’s courage and Black’s determination to effect change and uphold their principles have inspired me. I’m now thinking things through, making choices, and facing it head-on. What I am trying to convey is that the “controlling” experience I had has probably contributed to my inability to stick to some of my decisions, leading me to blame myself for doing so and, worse still, to isolate myself and prefer solitude.
I am aware that having this attitude fosters a wrong impression in my mind and emotions. However, as I continued watching the series, I understood that freedom is a right, not a privilege. Everyone should make use of this right. Personally, I enjoy the scene in the series where the common people stand up to push for change by holding protests and alerting the authorities that something is wrong and that they need to take action. The series illustrates how crucial it is for everyone to have a solid support network, much like the bond the twins and the group share in the series. This action was not taken alone by one individual. Due to their different beliefs, they ran into problems and even started fighting because of them. But as time these encounters helped them learn how vital it is to have each other’s backs. One of the episodes of the series had a scene where the group passionately discussed their own aspirations. I realized that having ambitions to inspire change and influence the world is not easy. This definitely has a significant impact on the shift I am currently going through. You will face numerous setbacks, uncertainties, and even challenge barriers that will undoubtedly test your capacity to stick with your commitment to making a change.
The series has taught me to stand my ground and try (as much as I can) not to be easily swayed by the difficulties that life presents. I’m talking about reality, after all! Although we cannot expect to live comfortably till we pass away, obstacles test our resolve and lay a solid basis for building the “improved version”.
In addition to showing self-reliance and self-love, this series also addresses social injustice. I am a victim of bullying. I’ve been bullied for my gender identity, bullied for being stupid, and bullied for being weak.
Looking back on that time period in 2000, I can see how much bullying I endured during my time in high school, to the point where I finally broke down in front of my teacher. I regularly asked myself during those times:
“What went wrong?”
“Why am I experiencing this one?”
“Why is the world unfair to me?”
The story itself serves as a wake-up call to everyone, urging us not to be afraid to stand up for our rights and act as a conduit for truth and justice. We must stand up for ourselves and not let others overstep our moral boundaries or simply allow them to intimidate and sway us. We face many issues today, whether they are global, national, or even just personal in nature. We need to make a shift within ourselves before we can address these problems. The show also exhorts us to be present at the moment. We won’t succeed if we live each day as though we are speaking for someone else. Being real is the first step; don’t worry about those who may reject you. There are undoubtedly many others who will accept you for who and what you are.
In other words, go binge-watch the Not Me Series right now!
The BL Xpress 
Being bullied isn’t much fun. I always wondered why people could be so mean and nasty. To this day I do not believe people are born as a bully. As to Not Me I couldn’t make it through episode one. Off is not on my list as a good actor. Because you have highlighted this angle to the series I will put it on my list to watch. There are many people in this series I do enjoy. I do share the write ups around the Internet.
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