Secret Crush on You – Series Review & Ending Explained

Story

Stalker

The beginning of Secret Crush on You explores Toh's obsessive infatuation with Nuea. We learn he doesn't just have some innocent puppy love. Instead, his feelings are super intense with photo walls, life-sized pillows, and boxes of relationship mementoes. The early humour comes from Toh's over-the-top secret admiration, going beyond reasonable boundaries.

Don't quote me on this, but I'm not too offended or outraged by Toh's behaviour. No, I don't encourage his spying or hoarding. And yes, he should definitely stop. However, I don't think he's hurting anyone with his extreme infatuation. He never oversteps personal boundaries to make Nuea uncomfortable. Toh doesn't steal these items. He's just collecting trash or gifts and storing them in his room. While the photo collages are intense, they mostly depict Nuea playing basketball or him posing in his school uniform. They aren't creepy surveillance pictures in inappropriate settings.

Personally, Toh's stalker behaviour doesn't reach the point where his character becomes irredeemable. Maybe others have different thresholds, and you'd feel uncomfortable with his actions. For me, I was curious about how Secret Crush on You would handle his infatuation. How far would his obsession go? Or will they gently walk him down from the edge and pull Toh back to reality? It's an intriguing storyline with many possibilities. I found Toh fascinating, and his antics didn't freak me out enormously.

Misfits

The best part about Secret Crush on You is probably Toh's friendship with Jao, Daisy, and Som. They're like a merry band of school misfits who march to their own rhythm. To outsiders, they may giggle over silly, frivolous things that don't matter. However, you can feel their enthusiasm and giddiness around each other. These four close pals genuinely enjoy each other's company. 

I love the spirit of this friendship group. Toh, Jao, Daisy & Som are proud of their quirkiness, wearing it like a badge. Daisy and Som are flamboyant, but the series celebrates their exuberance instead of mocking these personality traits. The four friends get along because of their similarities. However, they also show understanding of everyone's differences. Toh's friends never judge him harshly for his over-the-top behaviour. The only times I don't like these characters are when they interact with Prao & her clique. Those scenes teeter closely on obnoxious bullying.

I enjoy how Toh, Jao, Daisy, and Som have each other's backs. They show admirable soldiarity, supporting one another through thick and thin. When Toh is upset, his buddies are there to console him. Likewise, everyone offers love, warmth, and encouragement when Daisy has an identity crisis. I wish Secret Crush on You highlighted their friendship more with actual storylines. Instead of silly subplots about camping trips, let's highlight the bond among the four of them. Make Som and Daisy prominent characters instead of treating them like playful sidekicks.

Humour

Secret Crush on You has eccentric humour that may not suit everyone. The comedy is zany, surreal, and over-the-top. Many scenarios are so absurd, while the quirky characters are not meant to be taken seriously. I find the series funnier at the beginning when the jokes are still fresh. The novelty wears off after a while. Secret Crush on You often crosses from cheeky to cringy with its juvenile antics. Although perpetually playful and enthusiastic, not every episode is hilarious.

Secret Crush on You is also raunchy. The characters have many amorous encounters, but these scenes seem wacky more than they are erotic. A few bedroom interactions between Nuea & Toh are so delightfully bonkers, making me laugh. The series tries very hard to be entertaining. Yet, the naughty humour wears thin after a while. The jokes don't feel fresh anymore after you've seen a similar version in the past. In this instance, less is more. Maybe Secret Crush on You would leave a better impression if it doesn't go overboard with excessive silliness.

Length

My biggest issue with Secret Crush on You is the insufferable length. The series has too little plot to sustain itself throughout fourteen long episodes. The story almost drops off after Episode 4 or 5 once Nuea's feelings for Toh crystalize. The narrative loses momentum, lacking suspense or anticipation about what might happen next with the couple.

For many episodes afterwards, the series dissolves into a lot of pointless filler and silly romantic fluff. There's very little substance during the middle stretch, where the characters always go on vacations and parties. After two episodes of vacation retreats, the group immediately embarks on another camping trip for two more episodes. Then, they hang out at the bar or go to another birthday party. At some point, it feels like the story is going in circles after running out of ideas. I was bored and losing my patience.

Realistically, SCOY could've paced Toh and Nuea's story arc much better. The series rushes their romance, too overeager to pair up the couple as soon as possible. I wanted a sophisticated long-term story arc that explores Toh and Nuea's growing attraction to each other. Instead, they just jump into bed and have raunchy sexual encounters almost right away. There's barely a journey between them. The worst part is that Secret Crush on You has little remaining plot after the leads get together. I'm aggravated about watching hours of meaningless and unfunny filler.

Romance

Toh and Nuea

Secret Crush on You features a classic romance between a shy school misfit and a popular campus jock. Their different social statuses produce tensions in their relationship prospects. Conventional expectations lead us to believe Nuea should be dating Prao, the cool girl in the popular clique. In contrast, Toh is an underdog who can only admire his idol from afar. Toh lacks confidence in his looks, his personality, and his worth. He doesn't confess his feelings due to insecurity, believing Nuea might be out of his league.

Yet, the twist is that Nuea defies expectations and falls for Toh instead of Prao. Contrary to his archetype, Nuea doesn't care about popularity. He's attracted to quirky guys like Van Gogh. Yet, this romance falters because the storyteller never clarifies why Nuea likes Toh so much. Nuea seems head over heels for Toh, but…why? I'm not questioning the validity of his feelings, but I'm mystified about the rationale behind the attraction. What is it about Toh that Nuea likes so much? Why does Nuea have a secret crush on him?

The story is told from Toh's perspective, so we understand why he's smitten with the famous basketball star. Yet, we don't get the same insights into Nuea's hazy motivations. It seems like Nuea is attracted to Toh solely because the BL gods said so. This romance would resonate more emotionally if we could understand his inexplicable crush better. The series has a problem with making Toh the butt of the joke, so his character seems strange and unappealing. Secret Crush on You should highlight Toh's endearing qualities from Nuea's point of view, which it fails to do.

Jao and Sky

Sky and Jao meet in the party game. Sky starts flirting with his love interest since then, laying it on thick with the charm offence. At times, Sky is irritating because he can't take no for an answer. He persists in hitting on Jao, who doesn't seem to reciprocate his attraction. It's puzzling why Sky is so adamant about his courtship. Jao doesn't do anything to stand out or suggest he wants a romance. Yet, Sky pursues him constantly. Is Jao's appeal that he plays hard to get? Why is Sky pestering him so much?

After an annoying start, this couple taps into a slightly intriguing storyline. We learn that Jao feels self-conscious about his weight. His insecurities prevent him from agreeing to a relationship with Sky, an athletic jock. Eventually, Sky convinces his love interest that his chubbiness isn't a big deal. He's attracted to Jao, regardless. This subplot echoes similar themes to the leading couple. Toh and Jao struggle with an inferiority complex, which their love interests help them overcome.

Sadly, I'm indifferent to this secondary romance. Jao and Sky stir up even fewer emotions in me than the leads. I recognize the sentimental messages and appreciate both characters' sincere personalities. However, I find this couple very generic. Their scenes consist of cliché BL material, hardly inspiring me. Their relationship dynamic is repetitive and doesn't progress compellingly. I grow tired of watching Sky's aggressive flirting as Jao resists his advances episode after episode. Even after they get together, I'm numb and can't muster strong feelings for them.

Daisy and Touch

Surprisingly, Secret Crush on You introduces a relationship subplot involving Daisy midway through the series. What an unexpected twist! Daisy appears to be a minor supporting player, merely a playful and flamboyant sidekick to the leads. I assume the character's purpose is to deliver comedic jokes from time to time. Instead, Secret Crush invests in an unlikely romance with Daisy and Touch. The sudden storyline catches me off-guard, and the delightful novelty is a welcomed surprise.

This couple suffers from a lack of meaningful content. There's no emphasis on Daisy & Touch's romance, completely sidelined compared to the other two pairs. They only get a morsel of relationship scenes. Evidently, Secret Crush on You treats Daisy as nobody of significance. The series is over fourteen hours long, yet it doesn't dedicate time to Daisy's character development. The only worthwhile scene occurs in Episode 11. It features a poignant exchange that highlights Daisy's trans status. Then, the story forgets about Daisy again, paying little attention to this unique character.

Acting

Silliness

Secret Crush on You is an over-the-top series with silly, surreal humour. It requires an energetic lead performer who can convey this offbeat eccentricity. Toh's actor (Seng) does a decent job, in my opinion. He's goofy and exuberant, capturing the oddball persona with proficient comedic timing. This series has many ridiculous scenarios, yet Seng tackles each scene with an admirable uninhibitedness. He isn't afraid to look stupid or do dumb things on camera.

Nuea's actor (Billy) gives an acceptable performance as the campus heartthrob, but I don't find him that funny. The difference between the two leads is that Toh induces laughter in me, whereas Nuea doesn't. However, it's a mild critique about just one facet of his performance. The rest of Billy's work is pretty respectable, and he handles the material adequately. I'm less impressed with the supporting cast. Without pointing out specific names, a few of them are too hammy. The performers appear cheeky and playful, but they sometimes annoy me with their theatrics.

Style

Polished production

Secret Crush on You gives off the impression of a polished production. The visuals look bright, vibrant, and colourful. There's attentiveness to the props, styling, and wardrobe choices. The series also films in many beautiful outdoor locations, including a picturesque kiss by the waterfall. Technically, I can't pick apart many flaws. I can tell there's a lot of effort and thought into stylizing this BL drama.

I enjoy the raunchy scenes because Secret Crush on You makes them fun and entertaining. Whenever the characters get intimate, the series builds the anticipation enticingly. It uses clever camera angles, edgy soundtracks, and ambient lighting to create a sexy atmosphere. More importantly, it also injects cheeky mischief into these naughty encounters. The eroticism comes across as hot and playful instead of tacky and sleazy.

Ending

Happy ending

Secret Crush on You has a happy ending for all the couples. Everyone is paired up with their romantic partners. During the final episode, the characters visit Toh's hometown, where Toh brings Nuea to meet his parents. Their friends also tag along inexplicably. Initially, Nuea is anxious because Toh's dad seems hostile around him. However, he feels more reassured after clearing up their silly misunderstanding. Nuea leaves the family excursion with the blessing from Toh's family.

The leads make out on the beach and consummate their love. Afterwards, Nuea sets up a surprise for Toh. They enter a unique room decorated with keepsakes of Toh and Nuea's relationship moments. There are many photos on the walls and trinkets stored in glass cabinets. It intentionally resembles Toh's love shrine in his bedroom. However, the main difference is that the pictures and items feature both characters, not just Nuea. This updated love shrine includes Toh alongside Nuea.

This ending is sweet because the bedroom shrine caused anxiety in past episodes. Toh was worried that Nuea might find his obsession creepy. However, Nuea is understanding and doesn't mind. Toh explains he keeps the souvenirs to cherish his fond memories. These pictures and items last forever, even if their relationship ends one day. Nuea proves his commitment by designing this extraordinary room dedicated to their love. Toh is touched by his boyfriend's gesture. As the series ends, Toh feels grateful, delighted, and reassured about Nuea's romantic feelings.