Stand By Me – Series Review & Episode Guide

Khang is a senior high school student. Most people call him by his nickname, Meo, which means "cat" in Vietnamese. He's best friends with Tho Trang, a spunky guy known as White Rabbit, who loves wearing rabbit ears. The two also hang out with Ngoc, a strong-willed girl from a martial arts family. Ngoc has a crush on Meo and wants to date him. Tho Trang constantly teases her about it, insisting Meo is gay and not interested in girls. However, Ngoc refuses to believe him and still thinks she can be Meo's girlfriend.

Meo lives with his grandmother after his mother left the family and his father died in an accident. His grandmother raised him on her own, and the two share a close bond. She makes a living running a small stall that sells soup and snacks, and Meo helps out after school. On top of that, he's busy preparing for university. Meo dreams of getting into medical school and becoming a doctor, but tuition is a real concern. Meo wants to support himself without putting financial strain on his grandmother, knowing how hard she works to make ends meet.

One day, Meo is shocked to find Quoc standing in his house. Quoc was his childhood best friend, and they used to spend all their time together. Their favourite hangout was Little Island, a grassy field with an abandoned van. That friendship ended when Quoc moved away with his family. They were supposed to meet one last time, but Meo never showed up. Quoc took it as a betrayal and cut him off, while the silence hurt Meo just as much. They haven't spoken in seven years, which makes Quoc's sudden return all the more surprising.

Quoc is one year older than Meo. He used to be a first-year medical student. Despite his good grades, he decides to drop out of school. This decision leads to a massive fight with his wealthy parents. After the argument, Quoc runs away from home and shows up at Meo's place, hoping for a place to stay. Meo is still holding a grudge and immediately refuses. However, his grandmother takes pity on the runaway teen. Despite Meo's protests, she lets Quoc stay for a few days. Quoc is grateful and even helps out at her stall.

Quoc is cut off from his parents and left with no money, so he relies on his cousin Kate for support. Kate studied fashion in the US before moving back to Vietnam. She now lives with Quoc's parents. They use her to keep tabs on him after he runs away, putting Kate in an awkward position. She wants to support Quoc, but also feels pressure to appease her aunt and uncle. Kate urges him to go home and make up with his parents, but he refuses. Instead, he extends his stay with Meo and his grandmother. Meo must adjust to this new living arrangement.

I have mixed feelings about Stand By Me, but my first impression is positive. It feels like a cute little sitcom. The early episodes are super lighthearted. Many jokes are dumb but funny, getting a giggle out of me here and there. I also like how the drama never becomes too stressful. Sure, Meo is mad at his friend and Quoc ran away from home, but Stand By Me knows how to keep the mood upbeat. Any time there's a serious moment, they'll slap in another joke or parade out a funny supporting character. Comic relief to the rescue!

There are many quirky characters in Stand By Me. Everyone is so lively and full of personality. Meo is a grumpy tsundere, while Quoc acts like a clueless goofball. Their classic black-cat-and-golden-retriever dynamic can be really entertaining. Meo's grandma is easily my favourite. I love her kindness, her wisdom, her humour, and her life advice. She has heartwarming moments with the two leads, and those are often the best scenes in the series. Another MVP is Kate, Quoc's hilariously chaotic cousin. She's kinda messy, but that's part of her charm. The second she pops up on screen, I know I'm gonna laugh.

Quoc's actor (Huy Cao) brings an innocent sweetness to his character, which is so endearing. Grandma's actress (Le Thien) radiates warmth in every scene, as if you can feel the love pouring out of her. The entire cast handles the comedy well. Their energy makes the jokes as funny as possible. Plus, the production quality is strong. Everything looks polished and meets professional standards. Unfortunately, the English subtitles are rough. Super rough. They get better as the series goes on, but those first few episodes? Good luck figuring out what anyone is saying.

Stand By Me is packed with funny filler. Some moments are meaningless gags, completely unrelated to the plot. The main storyline is supposed to be about Meo and Quoc rebuilding their friendship, which takes a long time. You're gonna sit through a ton of dumb jokes while the relationship content gets pushed to the side. In fact, the leads don't get along for over half the series. Meo is straight-up hostile to Quoc. Like, aggressively mean. It's uncomfortable to watch. Sure, they eventually get closer, but I still remember a huge chunk of the story with zero romantic vibes.

Episode 13 is where the series peaks. Meo finally drops his grudge and owns up to his feelings. We have the long-awaited kiss, complete with swirling cameras and swelling music. Woooo, it's happening! I was really excited to see their romance get started. I wanted cute romcom moments… I wanted to see them be a lovey-dovey couple… What did I get? Endless melodrama. Conflict after conflict. Angst piled on top of more angst. Meo and Quoc barely have time to be happy together. Annoyingly, the story won't let these two just enjoy their relationship. It's frustrating as hell.

In the last few episodes, the story gets hijacked by homophobic family melodrama. Every Vietnamese BL does this same old plot. Ugh, the conflict is so annoying! Quoc's parents spend scene after scene berating him for being gay, which drains the joy out of the series. Remember the lighthearted vibe at the start? Yeah, that's gone. Even though there's a happy ending, my excitement has deflated by that point. I still appreciate Stand By Me for the comedy and the quirky characters. However, the unenjoyable parts have overshadowed the good moments, and that's a shame.