16 Episodes

Main Cast: Pond Naravit Lertratkosum, Phuwin Tangsakyuen, Winny Thanawin Pholcharoenrat, Satang Kittiphop Sereevichayasawat, Aou Thanaboon Kiatniran, Boom Tharatorn Jantharaworakarn

This is my favorite Thai drama of all time, and I wanted to begin my blog by talking about this amazing show. We Are stars Pond as Phum and Phuwin as Peem, and takes place during their final years of university. Its premise is simple, enemies to lovers in typical romcom fashion. However, what sets this show apart is the friendship. Peem’s friend group throughout the show is something both special and endearing, and is something everyone wants in the university life. I know I do! While a large friend group can often be typical for an ensemble cast, it’s not always seen as equal to the romance. That’s why I love We Are, because it’s more than just a romantic show. We see the growth of the characters not only through their partners, but through their family and friends. Peem and Q’s friendship is especially fun, and I don’t often see art majors in dramas (but we love the engineers!) so I enjoyed that aspect of the drama as well. Ciize’s character had a small role, but was equally important in contributing to the humor that we see in their art major friend group. The early morning deadlines, laughing about grades, and just honest talks about life and the future were what made We Are more than just a romcom. It’s a show that accurately displays university life in its totality, while introducing romance in a natural way.

Of course I can’t ignore the most iconic meet-cute of all time! This show has two of my favorite CPs (PondPhuwin and AouBoom), and PondPhuwin continue to put the comedy in a romcom. I love PhumPeem because-even if it was only for a little bit- they actually started as enemies. There was true animosity between the two when they met, and it continued until they got to know each other and fell in love. Besides the short (but felt like forever) Kluen plotline, PhumPeem stayed consistent and loyal to the plot and their relationship. I appreciated that this drama didn’t make me stress and instead stayed lighthearted while tackling difficult topics (e.g. Phum’s relationship with his father). This is definitely a more lighthearted PondPhuwin show, and the fact that it’s an ensemble further promoted a carefree and cheerful vibe.

2023-2024 brought many new ensemble shows (Only Friends, We Are, Perfect 10 Liners, etc.), but I enjoyed We Are the most because of the cast and characters. I think it’s hilarious that of the 4 main CPs of this show, 2 broke up within a year of each other (I was especially devastated by WinnySatang don’t get me wrong). Just because they aren’t still working together doesn’t mean that it detracts from the romance in the show. Each CP showed a different and unique journey to falling in love, which makes each storyline special. Especially TanFang. I could write an entire article about how much I love TanFang and AouBoom, but I think I’ll save that for another day. Tan walked so Duang could run. There was nothing new about the trope of TanFang, but it just worked so well with their characters and how it wasn’t made to be a cringe relationship. Both were mature and, through their backstory, showed that their feelings didn’t develop overnight. It took time for them to become friends and then develop a mutual attraction. It never felt one-sided, even when Tan went all out in his downbadism. They are the highlight of We Are for me, so I would continue to watch if not just for them. Both QToey and ChainPun had great storylines and romance, and both contributed to the overall comedy of the show. I personally thought QToey’s storyline was drawn out and led to situations that weren’t necessary for them to get together, but I overall appreciated their love story. ChainPun could’ve been further developed, but I loved their ending scene so much I can’t complain about the process to get there. The friendship between Peem, Q, Pun, and Tan made so much sense, and the scenes in Peem’s room were some of my favorites. Combining friend groups by the end also elevated the romance, because it showed that they could have both great love and great friends at the same time. All in all, each character contributed greatly to the development of the plot and my love of the series.

I often see mixed reviews of We Are-some say it’s the favorite work of PondPhuwin and others say it’s their worst. While we now have Me and Thee, on top of Fish upon the Sky (which I still need to watch!) and Never Let Me Go, I continue to say We Are is my favorite work of theirs. It’s my comfort show, something I can come back to every once in a while that still makes me smile and grin like an idiot at how corny it can be. I highly recommend this show to people who enjoy more slice-of-life like me, and are okay with shows that can be trope heavy. I came for the romance, and stayed for the friendship.

First-Watch Experience	10
Rewatchability	10
Characters	10
Plot	9.75
Overall	9.9