Future – Series Review & Episode Guide

Ana is a fifth-year dental student who works at his father's clinic. He aspires to follow in his parent's footsteps and become a dentist after graduation. Ana is best friends with Guy and Polla, students from the same faculty. They have a close bond, although Guy and Polla like to tease Ana about his love life.

Ana has been unlucky in love. He is openly gay and dated various guys in the past, but none of his relationships lasted. His ex-boyfriend, Top, seemed like a catch. However, Top broke his heart, adding another painful experience to a history of disappointments. Recently, his ex wanted to reconcile. Ana hasn't forgiven him and seems reluctant about offering a second chance.

A year ago, Ana developed a crush on Fuse, an engineering student he met through mutual acquaintances. Guy and Polla encourage their friend to confess. However, they see Fuse and his best friend Khamphan chummy on campus. The trio misinterprets their close bond and believes the two must be dating. Ana feels discouraged and gives up on pursuing this crush.

Contrary to what Ana believes, Fuse is single. He has a platonic relationship with his best friend Khamphan. Fuse and Khamphan make a pact to stay single together as their other friends couple up. However, Fuse complains about being lonely and wants to experience love. His other friends tease the goofy engineering student for not finding anyone. "You think I can conjure a partner out of nowhere!?" Kla jokes.

Fuse visits a new dental clinic to get his teeth cleaned. Ana is surprised to see his crush from a year ago, although Fuse doesn't remember him. The pair makes small talk during the new patient registration process. Fuse mentions how he's hopelessly single. Ana takes a bold initiative and offers to go out with him. Startled by his forwardness, Fuse agrees to a date. From that day onwards, they officially begin a relationship as boyfriends.

Future shocked me in the first episode with an unforgettable line. The protagonist visits a dental clinic and meets his love interest for the first time. "If I hit on you, you have to be my bottom," he bluntly tells the stranger. Wow. And they say romance is dead. Despite showing less decorum than a gay hookup app, the proposition is considered a romantic start for the couple's love story. This crude exchange sets the tone for the rest of the series, which is pointless, tactless, and brainless.

The writing in this BL drama is abysmal. I cringe at corny lines, unfunny jokes, or immature reactions in every scene. In addition, many generic plots lack originality and repeat clichéd tropes. It imitates ideas from other series, except they're done way worse in Future. Nothing is meaningful or entertaining. There's also too much unnecessary filler. The story includes irrelevant dialogue and excessive online chats that don't advance the plot. Future often comes across as childish and amateurish, embarrassing itself with an unpolished script that needs refinement.

Jealousy is an annoyingly prevalent storyline in Future. Both leads overreact to innocuous interactions, interpreting platonic exchanges as scandalous betrayals. The petty conflicts are repetitive and portray the romance unflatteringly. You claim to love your partner, yet your irrational accusations indicate you don't trust them. Ana seems possessive whenever he throws jealous tantrums over Fuse and Kamphan's bond. I hate that Fuse must apologize for hanging out with a friend. Future sends unhealthy messages about boundaries in relationships, discouraging independence.

Ana and Fuse get together in their first encounter with hardly any courtship. The series doesn't explain their attraction, explore their feelings, or emphasize their bond. In a compelling romance, there should be a buildup of tension and anticipation as the characters know each other. Instead, Future skips an exciting phase of a love story by pairing the leads immediately. Once together, the couple's flirting is cheesy and unmemorable. They claim to love one another after only dating for a short time. Yet, their shaky relationship is eclipsed by angsty conflicts and needless drama.

The acting is just okay. Fuse's actor (Boom) doesn't exude enough charisma or enthusiasm that his role necessitates. Fuse is supposed to be a bubbly character, yet the performer seems muted and low on energy. The story material doesn't do him any favours since he's saddled with trite melodrama instead of lighthearted humour. His costar (Bigboom) suffers from portraying an unlikable protagonist. He lacks the charm to offset Ana's neurotic personality and comes across as whiny. The pair also displays limited chemistry, so their flirting often feels flat.

Future has a happy ending as the couple overcomes tensions with their parents. The finale is slightly better than the other episodes. Although the family storyline isn't complex, it presents something new to the narrative beyond the usual jealousy subplots. However, its thematic messages are shallow. These ideas are conveyed more expertly in other superior dramas. Sadly, Future wastes four hours on angsty conflicts, irrelevant filler, and an uninspiring romance. With few redeeming qualities, this subpar BL series will fall by the wayside, becoming forgettable history.