My Roommate – Series Review & Episode Guide

Xian is a photographer who goes by the alias Rati. However, it has been a while since he has worked. He lacks inspiration and enthusiasm. Recently, his mother passed away. She left behind a house for Xian to inherit. When Xian arrives, he's surprised to find five tenants. His mom rented the house for the long term before her passing. Reluctantly, he must live with these roommates, each with a quirky personality.

The other tenants have occupied the available bedrooms in the house, so Xian has nowhere to stay. Only Time is generous enough to allow Xian to sleep in his room. They become roommates and befriend each other. The two men met months ago, although Xian doesn't remember their encounter. Time is a long-time fan of Rati's photographs, but Xian pretends he isn't the mysterious Rati. Time wonders why his roommate no longer takes new pictures. He wants Xian to feel enthusiastic about photography again.

Eric and Pipe are two of the tenants in the house. Eric is an exchange student trying to familiarize himself with the Thai language. As a foreigner, he suffers from a bit of culture shock. Eric is friends with Pipe, an online influencer. Pipe likes to do live streams and interact with his fans. Lately, he has included Eric in his videos. The fans love him. They enjoy Eric and Pipe's on-screen chemistry, encouraging them to spend more time together.

Zai and Mina are the other two tenants in the house. They have been friends for many years. Zai operates a clothing boutique store, while Mina runs an online business. Recently, Mina exited a relationship with her boyfriend. She's emotional about her breakup. Zai is there to comfort Mina. However, she harbours secret feelings for her best friend and can't find the courage to confess.

My Roommate breaks its story into 32 mini-episodes. Most last around two to three minutes, but a few can be shorter. Essentially, it takes more time to cook instant noodles than the length of an average episode. This condensed format is terrible for storytelling since it leads to a disjointed narrative. The plot doesn't have time to develop thoroughly before moving on to another random topic. My Roommate is a pitifully shallow BL series lacking depth or substance.

Besides the miniature length, My Roommate suffers because of its childishness. The frivolous plots involve immature behaviour, petty conflicts, and annoying shenanigans. It's hard to get excited about Xian hiding his photographer job or Mina crying about her ex-boyfriend. They're lousy storylines that should've stayed in the drafts inbox. On top of having awful ideas, the narrative is choppy and incoherent. I have trouble following the events, understanding character motivations, or making sense of the silliness. Please return to writing school and learn how to tell a story properly.

My Roommate has three romances. While none of the pairs are impressive, the lead couple may be the weakest links. Xian and Time's relationship is just weird from start to finish. They meet under odd circumstances, fall in love with minimal bonding, and go through irritating conflicts. Most of their relationship scenes are either dull or aggravating. Xian's backstory is also a vaguely defined mess, making it tough to invest in his character. Although the two actors are okay (Hawk and Jo), they can't elevate the material. There's little I enjoy in their romantic journey.

The secondary couple is relatively better. I like how the characters have quirky identities. Eric is the hapless foreign exchange student, while Pipe is the camera-savvy online influencer. Together, they create a fun relationship dynamic with entertaining scenarios. They also have enthusiastic personalities, boosting the energy in these short episodes. When you only have two to three minutes to tell a story, you want lively leads who engage in fast-paced interactions. Eric and Pipe successfully deliver easy, breezy BL content in a nutshell. Surprisingly, I was charmed by their scenes.

As for the third pairing, Mina and Zai are inconsequential to the plot, often overshadowed by their male counterparts. The story seldom focuses on the GL storyline. And when it does, the insignificant scenes add little value. Mina's character also annoys me, especially when she squeals or whines. The only ship I enjoy in My Roommate is Eric and Pipe. With that said, their romance benefits from being the best of the worst. They're the bright spots only because the other two couples are bland. If you put them in another BL series, they'd seem inferior and pale in comparison.

My Roommate is filmed in a vertical video format. I'm not a fan of how it looks. We only get a narrow scope of the surroundings, restricting the artistry. The poorly optimized viewing experience makes watching each episode more painful than it already is. Overall, I have an unfavourable opinion of this series. Everything about it feels half-hearted, from the low-budget production to the low-quality writing. The secondary couple may have a few cute moments, but that's very faint praise. My Roommate is terribly made BL fluff that I can't recommend.