6 Reasons To Watch Thai Office Romance BL “Middleman’s Love”

If you’re craving laughably cheesy rom-com scenes and office romance, Thai BL “Middleman’s Love” delivers. The series follows Jade (Yim Pharinyakorn Khansawa), the self-proclaimed middleman, and his coworkers as they train a group of new interns. When Jade’s designated intern, Mai (Tutor Koraphat Lamnoi), develops feelings for Jade, Jade has a hard time picking up on Mai’s advances because he’s too busy playing middleman, trying to pair Mai with another intern.

From a lovably aloof and selfless main lead to the return of characters Uea and King from “Bed Friend,” here are some reasons to start watching “Middleman’s Love” if you’re on the hunt for a new BL.

Warning: minimal spoilers ahead.

1. The steamy romance between Uea and King

Some of the most re-played moments of the episodes are scenes with Uea (James Supamongkon Wongwisut) and King (Net Siraphop Manithikhun), and I get it. These two are always spending time together at the office, and their interactions are equally cute and steamy. From adorable bickering to NSFW texts (lol!), this couple’s interactions are some of the best parts of each episode. You won’t help but want a workplace romance like this after watching (one can dream, right?).

If you’re curious about Uea and King’s backstory, watch their drama “Bed Friend.” FYI, the events in “Middleman’s Love” take place after “Bed Friend,” but the order in which you watch them is completely up to you.

2. The hot and cold interactions between interns Tong and Gus

Tong (Leo Peerapun Chungcharoenpanich) and Gus (Tai Thanaphat Kajonchaikun) actually stand for hot and cold… just kidding! But the saying that opposites attract might just be true when the talkative and smiley Gus shows an interest in the cold and quiet Tong. If you’re a fan of Ram (Perth Nakhun Screaigh) from “My Engineer,” Tong gives off a similar vibe.

The two are certainly both blunt, but in different ways. Their contrasting personalities make for many fun interactions inside and outside the office. Sometimes their differences cause them to clash too, but I’m not spilling any more than that — you’ll have to watch if you want more details.

3. The goofy yet supportive office atmosphere

From being unable to collectively decide on a lunch menu to an out-of-tune karaoke night, the office has a lot of fun. If office life were always like this in reality, going to work every day would be a lot nicer.

Besides the office shenanigans, we also get to see supportive coworkers taking care of the interns and guiding them, not only with work-related things but also with personal problems. One piece of advice that’s really memorable is when Uea explains to Tong that you should think about how the words you say will affect the listener before speaking. The bits of useful advice add a refreshingly mature and reflective tone to the show in between all the silliness.

4. A lovably clueless lead who is always thinking of others first

Jade is the main character of this rom-com series, but he just doesn’t know it. As a middle child, he has, quite literally, felt like the middleman since he was young. Instead of considering himself as the main character, he always thinks of ways to help his friends and pair others together.

Mai, the intern who’s been crushing on Jade since day one, is constantly trying to get through to Jade. He calls Jade cute many times, he asks if Jade is seeing anyone, and he even gives Jade his room number, but Jade still doesn’t get it. It’s going to take a lot of work for Mai to get his feelings across, but lucky for Jade, Mai isn’t the type to give up.

5. The debate: do workplace romances work?

If you haven’t noticed yet, office romances have been a trend this year in dramaland, especially in the BL world (“The New Employee,” “Roomates of Poongduck 304” “A Boss and A Babe,” “Old Fashion Cupcake,” and “Jun & Jun,” to name a few). The common topic that these all bring up is this: can workplace romances really work? When this is between a superior and a subordinate, things get even more complicated.

While it’s clear that Uea and King are able to maintain a healthy relationship while working in the same office, it might be different for Mai and Jade, who have different standings on the team. Either way, it’s easy to root for them!

6. All the iconically cheesy scenes

Hand to the forehead because they might be sick? Drunk sleepover? Accidental fall-kiss? Check, check, and check. This series has its fair share of cheesy scenes, from slipping into each other’s arms after a misstep down the stairs to slow-mo staring into each other’s eyes.

The BL genre has definitely grown so much in the past few years — in quantity, quality, and originality — but that doesn’t go to say it isn’t nice to turn off your brain for a while and enjoy the classic BL tropes that many know and love. What makes these drama cliches different in “Middleman’s Love” is that the show doesn’t take them too seriously. More often than not, everyday moments are blown out of proportion by Jade’s habit of shipping people together. It’s a funny look at how easily we can misinterpret the little things. Based on Jade’s imagination, he could be a BL fan too!

 

cr: Soompi