Boy Scouts – Series Review & Episode Guide

Wut is a timid high school student who signed up for a three-day scout camp. He has a severe asthma condition, prone to flare up at unpredictable times. The other teenagers harass Wut due to his shyness and fragile physique. He doesn't retaliate and tries his best to ignore the bullies.

Wut experiences an asthma attack in the middle of the trip. Ram, another boy scout, heroically comes to his rescue. Ram is kind, caring, and patient in nursing the fragile teen back to health. The other campers feel agitated by Wut's health issues, delaying their progress. However, Ram stands up for Wut and defends him against the bullies.

Afterwards, Wut develops a schoolboy crush on Ram. He is too bashful to give a confession. Instead, he keeps his pent-up feelings to himself and longs for Ram from a distance. Meanwhile, the bullies continue to treat Wut awfully. Ram intervenes to stop their torment, becoming Wut's heroic saviour again.

Some BL dramas inspire me to write thousands of words analyzing every scene. Others drain my enthusiasm so much that I can't find a point of interest worth discussing. Sadly, Boy Scouts falls into the latter category. To clarify, I don't hate it. The low review score reflects my apathy more than it signifies an unfavourable opinion. There's a difference between disliking a series and feeling nonchalant towards it. In this case, I don't care about the story, romance, or characters.

Boy Scouts is decent enough to hold my interest for an hour. The lovely visuals, cozy soundtrack, and polished production make this series comfortable to watch. The young actors also aren't bad, doing an OK job for rookie performances. However, I finish the drama wondering whether there's a point to this story. The various scenes feel scattered, not building up thematically or substantially. Any overarching message is lost on me.

If Boy Scouts is supposed to portray a gay teenager's crush, it goes about the narrative the wrong way. The first episode has dubious scenes that depict Wut as a panty thief with a lecherous gaze. When his character put his grubby hands on Ram's underwear, I almost thought he might sniff it. 😬 Wut's actions appear seedy and lustful, clashing with the sweet and chaste bond he has with Ram. Is Boy Scouts a cute, wholesome adolescent love story or a dark, sensual exploration of sexuality? Either way, the BL drama suffers from this strange dissonance.

If Boy Scouts wants to showcase a coming-of-age journey, its efforts are underwhelming. Wut learns no valuable life lessons, experiences nothing positive, and constantly faces torment for being himself. It doesn't feel empowering to watch the other teens bully him for having an asthma attack. Frustratingly, there aren't any consequences. After Wut gets physically assaulted, the characters sing jolly campfire songs in the next scene as if nothing happened. Boy Scouts switches from intense drama to casual cheeriness without a sensible transition.

Wut and Ram's connection isn't established well. The leads don't have a proper conversation until the series is almost over. By then, it's too late to develop their backstories, like last-ditch attempts to fill a blank canvas. Although the series has a sad ending, I'm not familiar enough with the characters to feel moved by their final exchange. As mentioned earlier, I don't have much to say about this indie BL series, which leaves little impression. The disjointed story and minimal romance feel negligible, like something I will completely forget after this review.