First Impressions: Duang With You is a Love-At-First-Sight Romcom Delight

Domundi is back with their first released drama of the year! Highly anticipated Thai BL romcom Duang With You is based off of the novel Not The Best But Still Good by PeachhPlease. The college love story follows Duang (TeeTee Wannapichit Nimitparkpoon), a decorative arts student as he experiences love at first sight with popular and icy jazz student, Qin (Por Suppakarn Jiratchotikul).

It’s the pair’s debut as main leads in a series and we’re already enamoured by their chemistry. Director Kla Nathawat Piyanonpong describes Duang as “playful, like a golden retriever. As for Qin, he’s reserved, strict, and a bit arrogant. However, he’s fairly emotionally sensitive, like a black cat.” 

The first episode which aired on January 31, already has our faces split with smiles and sides hurting with laughter. Right off the bat, the series presents itself as a youthful and comedic drama that builds off of lighthearted exaggeration and the cheesy awkwardness of our charming protagonist Duang. Can he manage to break Qin’s guarded walls and win his heart? 

A Meet-Cute in Motion

“Have you ever fallen in love at first sight?”

This is the first line from Duang as he gazes starry-eyed at Qin on the stage.

The next scene introduces Duang and his fellow art friends, Jamie (North Chatchapon Pranotphong) and Pae (Wave Thanapat Tansakul). They’re a rambunctious bunch, like the kids that sit in the back of class that are mildly disruptive, but you find yourself laughing at their interjections anyways. The three bounce off of each other, bringing chaotic energy wherever they go. Jamie and Pae sneak up on Duang as he walks to class, running away with his bag. As he chases after them, he crosses paths with Qin, who doesn’t even meet his eyes, too engrossed in the music playing through his headphones.

This first encounter is the epitome of “love at first sight.” Time slows. The sun brightens. A breeze sweeps through Duang’s hair. And the soundtrack swells. Duang is so starstruck that he holds up traffic, frozen in the middle of the crosswalk. 

After picking up his jaw, he follows Qin, entering the music building, and we’re introduced to Qin’s friends, Kim (Hugh Phoovitch Chan) and Tong (Thi Thirati Eksatian). In just this short introduction, we can see that Kim is like the advisor of the group, seeking out the other two’s opinions before coming to a conclusion. On the other hand, Tong is a bit cheeky, balancing the quiet energy of the group with his playfulness. The difference between Duang and Qin’s friend groups is stark. The latter reflects Qin’s demeanor — calm and reserved. 

This juxtaposition is further highlighted when we witness Duang relaying his encounter with Qin to his friends. Jamie is quite the advisor himself, albeit in a more blundering, lively manner. Pae interjects at just the right moments, mainly when Jamie and Duang are butting heads.

The three are in a drawing class, completely distracted from their work as they banter. Jamie and Pae tease Duang when he reveals that all he knows about the cutie he saw is his name and major. The two tell Duang that they might encounter Qin at Freshy Night, an event taking place that evening. As planned, the Duang gang shows up to Freshy Night, an indoor gymnasium concert. Right as Duang is about to leave, disheartened by the absence of Qin, a new performer takes the stage — and it’s just who he was looking for. 

The Power of Song

Qin sings a heartfelt ballad. Duang is completely enraptured, telling his teasing friends to be quiet so he can listen to Qin’s voice.

Music is an integral part of the series, with all main cast members learning how to play instruments. We can also see how the acting and T-pop industry crossover in the series, with the theme song being sung by PROXIE. Fans already know TeeTee and Por to be trained T-pop idols and can expect cameos from their favorite T-pop stars throughout the series.

Jamie and Pae overhear Kim and Tong teasing their own friend on stage, revealing that Qin was reluctant to perform and pressured to do so. As expected, once the song ends, Qin rushes off the stage. 

Duang is even more determined to get to know Qin now. But it seems like he isn’t the only one — he hears surrounding audience members say the same thing, suggesting Qin’s popularity amongst his peers. 

Later in Duang’s bedroom, he finds Qin’s Instagram and gleefully gives him a follow, but not without accidentally liking the first photo in Qin’s feed. This scene especially visually designates our two leads — with Duang’s vibrantly decorated room, plastered in drawings, as opposed to Qin’s muted and clean social media feed.

Operation Help-Duang-With-His-Crush

In the next scene on campus, Duang prepares to confess his feelings to Qin, but Jamie stops him. “You’ve got zero game,” he tells Duang, “If you rush in now, you’re screwed.” Jamie’s words are proven right when they witness Qin reject a suitor in real time. Realizing that they need some strategizing, the three team up to figure out Qin’s interests. After a fun montage, they’ve come up with these observations: 1. Qin is wearing Dior shoes, 2. He’s wearing white Marshall headphones, 3. He’s wearing perfume, 4. He’s cute (this observation was made by Duang). 

Duang continues his observation, staring unabashedly at Qin in the cafeteria, noting what he’s eating for lunch. Then, Qin looks up and the two lock eyes. It’s the first time Qin has noticed Duang (in his perspective) and Duang is far from smooth, immediately looking away and blurting out nonsense. After a few more wavering looks, they meet eyes again. Cue the sparkling music. Duang practically has hearts in his eyes. Then, Qin mouths, “The fuck you’re looking at?” 

Undeterred, Duang keeps on exclaiming how cute Qin is while his friends tell him he needs serious help. 

Destiny: The Timing of Life

The three continue their pursuit, scouring the music facility building in hopes that they’ll run into Qin. It’s a ridiculously amusing scene, where the three put up a disguise as music students by singing the Do-Re-Mi scale while walking around, sounding more like ghosts haunting the halls. 

At last, they run into Qin and his friends practicing playing instruments. The scene leans into cliche tropes, the moment where Duang lays eyes on Qin marked by heavenly sparkling background music, slow pans, and fading transitions. Still, he misses the chance to actually talk to Qin, and he and his friends quickly exit. It’s revealed that they weren’t as slick as they thought, with Qin’s friends nonchalantly asking him if this was the guy that was following him around all day.

Again in Duang’s room, he’s watching a tarot card video reading. With his feet kicking behind him, he’s enthralled when the reading tells him that he’s met someone he’s totally obsessed with and feels like they’re the one. The almighty tarot reading video tells him that this person will need his help and advises to approach them slowly. “Destiny also goes by another name: the timing of life,” the video declares.

In the next scene, Duang is walking on campus when he runs into Qin (whose entrance is always marked by a jazz number), who asks for help to escape from a senior who wants him to perform again. Under the impression that it’s another one of Qin’s suitors (and his competitor!) Duang  boldly blocks the guy’s path. It’s a cute interaction and no one is intimidated by Duang’s puffed up shoulders. When Duang walks away, the senior alludes to roping Duang in for a performance, so that there would be a complete pair… A pair of who, we wonder? 

Duang and Qin relay their respective experiences to their friends. The progress for Duang? He’s said a total of four whole sentences to Qin so far. At this point, Jamie is tired of hearing and seeing Duang’s measly attempts of getting close to Qin so he tells Duang to just confess already. Meanwhile, Pae is cooking up a plan all on his own. He messages Tong, pretending that he’s “Cherry,” a pretty girl who’s invited Tong to the Loy Krathong festival, with the condition that he brings his friends along. 

The Confession

The festival kicks off with sparkling lights, stalls of street food, and decorated krathongs — crafted floating baskets to be released onto the water. Pae is still catfishing as “Cherry,” pulling Tong and Kim away so that Qin can be alone, a perfect chance for Duang to confess his feelings. 

The moment is here. Duang is trying his best to muster out the words and Qin already seems over it. Just when we think he’s doomed, Jamie runs into him, and Duang points and says, “My buddy likes you.” Jamie quickly corrects that, shaking his finger and pointing at Duang, to which Duang says, “My name is ‘Buddy.’”

A ubiquitous face palm from the audience. Qin is not amused, but Duang keeps persevering as their friends witness his fumbling confession. He rambles about Qin’s perfect skin, beautiful eyes, stunning nose, pretty lips, and perfect legs…? 

Qin does not appreciate this, so he launches a punch that Duang stops. This snaps Duang out of his haze so he apologizes and finally says his real feelings — he likes Qin because he sings so beautifully. Qin slowly approaches him and grabs his collar. The moment is leaden with tension, with their faces just inches apart. Then he leaves Duang and us with a lasting remark, “Good luck with that then.”

That’s not a complete rejection, right? Duang will surely increase his efforts tenfold in wooing Qin. In this first episode, the series sets up the characters as distinctive personalities as well as establishing the two friend groups. The cast’s chemistry with each other fuels humorous and blanket-kicking moments. As Duang gets to know him, what will he learn about what lies beneath Qin’s guarded exterior? How will these two friend groups merge? And what about that performance that the seniors have been planning?

You can watch the story unfold on iQiyi every Saturday at 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time or 10:30 PM Indochina time. 

Want another Thai romcom on your watchlist? Check out our First Impressions review of “Be My Angel.”