The Cupid Coach – Drama Review & Episode Guide

Nite

I thought The Cupid Coach had a pretty interesting premise, but it could've been explored so much more. Imagine having a mythical god appear in your life all of a sudden. I would have so many questions about his life, his powers, his history, and his knowledge. What does he do!? Where does he live!? How much does he know!?

Instead, Nite's character was so enigmatic, never receiving much focus outside of his romance with Tae. They barely scratched the surface with his character, and then he just magically disappeared one day without a trace. I finish the drama knowing almost nothing about him as I did in the start. Who is Nite? Where did he come from? What is his story? I guess we'll never know. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Nite 2

The big twist in The Cupid Coach is obviously the character switcheroo that happens in the last few episodes. Nite 1 vanishes after sharing his first kiss with Tae, and then Nite 2 suddenly appears in Tae's life as an ordinary human being. That's way too much of a coincidence, right?

I was intrigued by Nite 2, but believed his character had some type of hidden agenda. The friendlier he was, the more I suspected him. My imagination went wild as I tried to figure out who Nite 2 was. There must be a deeper story behind this mysterious character, or so I thought anyway.

Theory #1

At first, I assumed Nite 2 was like the human version of Nite 1. Maybe the power of love turned him from a god into a human, but he lost his memories along the way. At the start of Episode 9, there was a scene where OG Nite confided in his godly friend about his feelings, and he was encouraged to ~follow his heart~. Shortly after that scene, Nite 2 suddenly appears. This timeline supported my theory that Nite 2 is actually Nite 1.

I thought Nite's original memories would probably awaken at some point, leading to a climactic reunion in the finale. This seemed like a realistic way (relatively speaking) for Tae and Nite to end up happily together in the human world.

Theory #2

After a while, I had a different theory. Nite 1 used his cupid powers to make Nite 2, an ordinary human, fall in love with Tae. Maybe the OG Nite knew a relationship with Tae was impossible, so he forged this new romance to help him move on. OG Nite thought he can fulfill Tae’s wish this way, by manufacturing a romantic relationship from behind the scenes.

I also thought Nite 1 would eventually get jealous over Tae and Nite 2's close bond. He might appear afterwards, creating some kind of love triangle between Tae and his two Nites.

Theory #3

As we head towards the last episode, I started thinking Nite 2 was some kind of con artist. Maybe this charlatan stole Nite's identity and was trying to scam Tae out of his money. That's probably why Nite seemed so perfect and so over-the-top in pursuing Tae, because it's all part of his calculated plan.

Admittedly, this theory didn't seem like a realistic possibility for a sweet, innocent drama like The Cupid Coach. However, I was SO cynical and just couldn't believe Nite 2 was actually who he said he was. To me, it made more sense this guy is a fraud than he is genuine. 😂

Nite 1 and Nite 2 Explained

In the end, none of my theories came true. Although I thought they'd pull back the curtain and make a big reveal in the finale, it turns out Nite 2 was simply a normal human being with no prior relation to Nite 1. We didn't get any winks, nudges, or subtle hints that Nite 2 might actually be Nite 1 in disguise. Nite 2 is who he says he is. This is just a normal guy who works at the hotel and quickly falls in love during a whirlwind romance with Tae.

After reading some online discussions, it seems like they might've introduced Nite 2's character only because ~something~ happened with Nite 1's original actor. The most popular theory is that COVID-19 impacted the original production schedule, although there's no official statement. Instead of recasting, The Cupid Coach made his disappearance part of the plot and brought on a new character to serve as the replacement love interest.

I'm inclined to believe the COVID-19 theory, because it does make sense when you look at what happened to the drama in its second half. A lot of the ongoing storylines got dropped, while most of the other actors didn't appear in scenes outside of phone calls. This also explains why the last few episodes feel so drastically different, and the many flashbacks are to cover up the fact that they can’t film new content.

If this is the reason, I don't blame The Cupid Coach for introducing Nite 2 to the story. It might not be the most conventional way to end a BL drama, with a totally different romance from the one at the start, but it's an understandable workaround given the circumstances.

Tae and Nite

Tae and Nite looked cute together, but their romance ended just as it was getting started. Most of their relationship was like a tourism ad, featuring two friends as they visited beautiful outdoor locations across Thailand. Even though Tae claims to have such special feelings for Nite, their scenes feel pretty basic and platonic. The only passionate moment is when Tae and Nite kissed (VERY awkwardly, I may add), but then he just disappeared in a puff of pink smoke, so it was more traumatic than romantic.

The two of them had potential to develop into an epic romance between a human and a god, which sounds interesting even as I'm typing it out. Sadly, their relationship never materialized and Nite's character just disappeared after Episode 7 for whatever reason. This storyline feels totally unresolved, and it's a loose end that will likely never get tied up.

Tae and Nite 2

I was receptive to the idea of Tae and Nite 2 being together. The new Nite had more personality and was played by a dynamic actor, so I actually connected with his character better than the original. This relationship also had more focus and development, probably because there were no other subplots to distract us in the second half. The last few episodes were filled with romantic scenes of Tae & Nite 2 behaving like a couple, and they were way more affectionate than anything we got from Tae & Nite 1.

With that said, this romance felt a little too good to be true. Nite 2 just came out of nowhere, started hitting on Tae with an inexplicable persistence, and they quickly ended up together. Other than a little drama about Tae not wanting to be kissed by Nite 2, everything in this fairytale romance felt too blissful, almost like it wasn't real. Although all their romantic scenes were very pleasant, I just couldn't connect with Tae and Nite 2 emotionally.

Que and Bhu

What a loathsome couple. Que is cowardly and despicable, hurting so many people's feelings just because he wasn't ready to come out of the closet. Bhu is just as selfish, not caring about about anyone else as long as he can maintain his sordid love affair with Que. It's fine that you aren't certain about your sexuality, but don't string Namwhan along or egg Tae on knowing that you can't return their feelings.

The Cupid Coach couldn't even deliver the juicy drama after this couple gets exposed. I was expecting tears, arguments, and severed friendships, but the confrontations were so mild and tame. Why build up this storyline for so long when there's so little dramatic fallout? Even after they got together, Que and Bhu's scenes were boring with no passion between them. It just feels like a lot of time was wasted on this unlikable couple with very little satisfying payoff.

Tae and Bhu

It's pretty obvious Tae only had a crush on Bhu due to his looks, and not because they had any meaningful connection with each other. I had to laugh when Tae couldn't explain to Nite why he liked Bhu, because he knows his crush is completely superficial. Not that there's anything wrong with crushing on a hot guy, but their relationship just isn't that deep.

I liked that Tae's crush on Bhu faded away once he realized he had feelings for Nite. There was a scene at the end of Episode 4, where Tae admitted that his feelings for Bhu weren't love, compared to how he felt about Nite. That was a nicely handled moment of character introspection.

Que and Namwhan

Man, I felt so bad for Namwhan in Episode 4. Part of me understands it isn't Que's fault that Namwhan has a crush on him, but it's still hard to watch this poor girl have her heart broken. Que really could've let Namwhan down more gently, instead of humiliating her in front of all their friends. It also felt so unnecessary that he pretended to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, instead of just telling Namwhan straight-up he isn't interested. What is with this guy and why does he get high on contrived drama?

And oh my god, that entire birthday party was ROUGH. If I was Namwhan's friend, I wouldn't have asked her to attend that party, where she had to put on a brave face as Que flirted with other girls in front of her. That was so uncomfortable to watch. Poor Namwhan. 😢

Poor acting

The acting in The Cupid Coach wasn't the best. Nite's actor is very handsome, but his performance was so stiff and wooden. I know his character came from a piece of stone, but does he have to behave like one as well? The other actors were pretty much on the same level, like they were just waiting to recite the lines instead of acting in the moment.

The only one who felt natural was Nite 2 (Pak Chavitpong Pusomjitsakul), who injected a boost of energy that was sorely lacking in this series. I believe this actor has another BL drama coming out later this year, so I'm interested to see what his performance is like with a more substantial role.

OK ending

The ending in The Cupid Coach surprised me. Up until the last moment, I was still convinced there would be some sort of big revelation with Nite 2's character, which never came even as the end credits rolled. I had to overcome my shock that Nite was really just an ordinary guy, who just happened to share the identical name, and all the other similarities were just mere coincidences.

I never expected Tae and Nite 2 to be the endgame couple. In fact, I cannot think of many BL series that end with a different pairing than the one it started with. I definitely don't think this was intentional, because no drama would want to end the story on such a risky and unconventional note. This ending was most likely the result of unforeseen circumstances, and they would've continued with the Tae and Nite romance if there was a choice.

As surprising as it might be, this was an acceptable ending for me. Obviously, I would've preferred if The Cupid Coach tied up many of the loose ends in the finale, but at least the Tae and Nite 2 romance seemed solid. This ending doesn't feel rushed, and the last few episodes were entirely dedicated to establishing the two of them as a couple. I think The Cupid Coach laid enough groundwork to make this pairing seem plausible.

It actually made sense that Tae would get over the OG Nite, move on from his heartbreak, and find happiness with a normal guy. This might not be a very typical BL ending, but it's realistic and down-to-earth, at least compared to falling in love with a god!