Remember Me – Series Review & Episode Guide

Name is an elementary school student from the city. He moved to a new hometown with his single mother. Name used to be bullied by the other children at his old school. They ridicule him because he cannot speak. Per the counsellor's advice, Name's mom decides to move away for a fresh start. She also home-schools her school instead of enrolling him in a traditional school.

At his new home, Name meets Em, a cheerful child around the same age. Em introduces Name to the rest of his friends, Gun, Champ, and Nan. They don't mind that he is quiet. "That's alright. You can just listen," they tell him. Name begins hanging out with his new friends, joining them in tiny adventures around the neighbourhood. They remain close, even as they grow into their teens.

Gun has a pen pal. They began exchanging letters due to a school assignment in elementary school. However, they continued their correspondence over the years. Gun and his buddy Golf have never met face to face. They only refer to each other as "#8". In high school, Golf wishes to meet his anonymous friend. However, Gun is too shy and feels self-conscious about his acne. Since Golf is a popular guy with handsome looks, Gun backs out whenever they're supposed to meet. They often see each other on public transportation. Yet, Gun never dares to introduce himself.

Em and his friends head off to university, while Name stays behind in his hometown. During an emotional farewell, Name speaks for the first time and asks him to keep in touch. Em promises to communicate regularly with him. Initially, the two friends had numerous chats on MSN. However, Em's busy schedule meant he had less time to talk to Name. As Em drifts away, Name feels alienated by his childhood friend.

Meanwhile, Gun and Golf are architecture students attending the same university. They become friends while working on assignments together. The friendly Golf is eager to spend time with him. However, Gun is self-conscious and doesn't reveal his real identity to his pen pal. The secrecy weighs on him as they become closer. Golf wonders why Gun acts evasively around him.

Remember Me is a sentimental BL drama about a group of childhood friends throughout high school and university. As expected from youth, the main characters don't always make the best choices, from misplaced priorities to questionable hairstyles. The series turns these stressful experiences into valuable lessons for the protagonists, inspiring them to improve from their mistakes. Remember Me produces several heartfelt moments, highlighting the themes of friendship, family, and adolescence.

I like how Remember Me takes its time to depict the characters' childhood in the first few episodes. The story explores their family dynamics, showcasing the influence of loved ones on their upbringing and values. My favourites are Golf's supportive parents, who raised their son in a nurturing home. However, the series moves on from the high school phase too fast. It could've included more memories and bonding moments during the formative teenage years. Remember Me uses too many time skips in its narrative, glossing over the nuances of each character's journey.

The series features two BL couples. Name and Em showed potential initially, but their relationship turned ugly. Em acted like a crappy friend after starting university. Despite the excuses about his busy schedule, he could've made more effort to connect with Name. Em's behaviour was so offputting that I stopped shipping this pairing. The other problem is Name's character, solely defined by his inability to speak. The story emphasizes this one aspect instead of creating a well-rounded protagonist. Name only sits in his room, pining after Em all day. What else does he do?

Thankfully, I respond much better to Gun and Golf. Most of their early interactions occurred via letters or online chats, which didn't create compelling exchanges. Their storyline gets exciting once they meet face-to-face. Gun forges a cute bond with his childhood crush in many adorable interactions. I was charmed by this couple, who became the only tolerable storyline in Remember Me after a while. I wished the series would forget the other characters and focus on this pair. Sadly, Gun and Golf have annoying drama near the end, tainting their otherwise enjoyable romance.

Nan and Champ are my least favourite part of Remember Me. The series spends too much time on these obnoxious characters and their dull non-BL subplots. Nan and his girlfriend are so boring. Like Name, Chompu's defining trait is her disability. Instead of a complex love interest, the story reduces her to a shallow portrayal without showcasing her strengths or uniqueness. Likewise, Champ is so insufferable in the later episodes. He acts like a self-centred brat, refusing to understand his family's perspective. While the finale redeems him, I can't forgive his immaturity.

Remember Me is solidly produced with warm, beautiful visuals. However, the series has no variety in its soundtrack. It replays the same song repeatedly, irritating me so much that I shudder whenever the background music starts. Also, the wigs look horrible. Nan spends almost the entire series in a fake and ugly hairstyle. Worst of all, the story feels so slow in the last few episodes. As the tedious conflicts escalated, I stopped caring about these unlikeable characters. Overall, Remember Me is a subpar BL drama. The only lasting memory I'll remember is those damn shoddy wigs.