Hidden Agenda (2023)

Definite improvement over SIMM, easy fun watch

If you are expecting HIGH drama and complicated layered plot, this is not the show for you. What it has going for it is the undeniable appeal and chemistry of Joong and Dunk. Joong is his typical endearing, thoughtful, besotted self. He has more nuance and more moods to convey here than he did in SIMM, where mostly I think his character was a confusing asshole. Not sure why everyone is picking on Dunk, as he was notably improved here. His character starts out clueless and hostile and gradually falls for Joke in a way that feels natural and understandable, especially when a little of his relationship backstory comes in to play. Dunk does his best work reacting opposite Joong and this as true for their conflict scenes as it is for their love scenes.
The side couple feel like an afterthought, and the plot and the twists lose steam after episode 9, not gonna lie, but Joong and Dunk are what sold the show and it was still very enjoyable to watch their scenes and their little shout out to SIMM.
It was fun for what it was, it would have been better if it was a shorter series or had a tighter ending but it didn't ruin anything for me.

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Disappointed after all the wait!

I'm here for Joong Dunk, I really love their role in our Sky. I'm disappointed they end up in yet another typical school BL, like we've not had enough of this.

It's somehow really boring in 1st episode and somewhat frustrating as the focus seems to be on the girl (at least for now). I don't know, I just feel like its too complicated lol

I just want to watch Joong Dunk in a good role, good storyline and goood chemistry but I didn't get any of this in episode 1 , so Im dropping it.

I'd rather drop it and keep the good memory I've of this couple in Our Sky!

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JoongDunk chemistry never disappoints

Yes this was not perfect and the hidden agenda was not a big deal at all, I expected more. But I enjoyed this. It was a simple BL and I absolutely love JoongDunk, so I had to finish this. As always they look so good together with overflowing chemistry.

They improved a lot and the kissing scene were so much better than in star in my mind.

It was interesting the issues that were addressed with like the relationship with their families, the pressure…

I also like the second couple, wish we had seen more of them.

Don’t know why add this stupid problems in the last episode, Zo annoyed me here. Joke is such a good boyfriend, I didn’t like how Zo treated him sometimes. Also, it would have been interesting to explore more Joke story about his relationship with his family.

For me, it’s not as bad as people are saying it is, you don’t always need a big or complicated plot.

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The agenda wasn't really hidden at all.

The plot and the pilot trailer got me hyped up, but in the end, it wasn't such a good experience at all. Let me explain.

I have been expecting this since the pilot trailer, and I think that the original plot was more intense, hot, and fun. I was already a little down when the official trailer showed up. What upsets me is that the "Hidden Agenda" was so mid. Not really hidden at all and the plot was all up the table so early in the episodes. It wasn't enjoyable. At least their development as a couple was... good? I'm not sure. However, I understood the choice to focus on their development as a couple and not focus on their dynamic. But it was just... boring.

What I liked, was the secondary couple. Jeng (Aou) and Pok (Boom) were incredible, even with a tiny screen time their fights and problems were so much deeper if you compare them to Joke and Zo. Their acting was amazing too. Well, Joong (Joke) and Zo (Dunk) were good too actually. And they got better since their last series (Star In My Mind), so it's good to see them improving.

And just a little observation: The OST was soooo good. And the photography was really cute too.

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Coming of Age

This is a great series exploring coming of age. Who am I? And what is my goal in life? If you look at this as a stricktly romance series I can understand that you miss a lot of the interesting underlying plot lines. I personally love how strings and crumbs were given in episode 1 and with a red thread throughout the episodes became clear how each character had multiple hidden agendas with their actions and experiences.

The series explore self-awareness into adulthood, how ties to family changes from childhood into young adulthood and romantical connections. How past experiences are carried with us and impact our future decisions and reactions in various situations.

Personally I loved how Dunk’s acting showed parrallels in scenes from the beginning of the series to the same scenes happening at the end of the series and you can clearly see his character growth. (Zo is supposed to be an awkward character in the beginning before he grows into himself over the couse of the series. We see Joke grow and learn more about himself as a person and how to approach his friends, family and situations.

The side couple wasnt showed much, but Aou and Boom did amazing in the few scenes they were present. And gave the perfect counter-balance to Dunk and Joongs characters.

Also, we cannot deny that Joong and Dunks chemistry carried in the low plot parts of the series.

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joongdunk saved it

starting was good but ending was tooooooo rushed ....acting was good ....their visual chemistry ....those kiss scene ....saved the drama BUTT the plot was soo plain and poor ....we cant blame joongdunk but the writers ....joongdunk really deserve better projects ...worth watching but not rewatching

if u are a joongdunk fan u will love the chemistry ...yep u will get bored too
last ep was soo rushed ...its like the writers were forced to to make the last ep....the hidden agenda was soo hidden that i could n't find it
i will suggest not to keep high expectation while watching

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déception et déjà vu

Dommage encore un scénario mal ficelé, histoire déjà vue et pas originale, pas de nouveauté la trame se devine dès le 1er épisode.
1) L'ex qui négocie son aide pour conquérir la belle et l'amoureux qui se retrouve à devoir côtoyer l'ex et fini par succomber à son charme, tout est basé sur des arrangements qui finissent toujours de la même manière
2) Aussi très déçue par le jeu de Dunk, pas à l'aise dans sa gestuelle, des mimiques toujours maladroites en comparaison à Joon, pourtant il n'en est pas à son premier lakorn et surtout les 2 se connaissent bien maintenant.
Je ne pense pas visionner le reste de la série, trop évidente

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JoongDunk: The Series

Let’s get this out of the way: this is very much "JoongDunk: The Series". Everything else: the side characters, the plot, themes and conflicts, were put aside to make way for the main couple’s cuteness. And don’t get me wrong, they are cute. They have great chemistry and their intimate scenes are *chef’s kiss*. And although many people complain about the acting, honestly, I've seen worse.
Still, I wish the series was more.
To me, the biggest problem was that all the conflicts were thrown seemingly out of nowhere (unless you paid attention to a single line mentioned by an extremely side character a few episodes earlier), then solved immediately and never mentioned again. That made the series seem very fragmentary, with no overarching plot that would connect all the episodes into one coherent story.
I can’t help but think about Tee Bundit’s other series, “Something in My Room”. I watched it uncensored (70 minutes per episode) because the censored version had some really bizarre editing choices, with key scenes being removed to the point where the plot didn’t make much sense. I wonder if the same thing happened here, except we’ll never get the full show.

Here’s how I would make it:
As many people said, Jeng and Pok should have more scenes. Jeng coming up with excuses to avoid being seen in public, Pok being increasingly bothered by it, until he can’t take it anymore and tries to break up. Jeng with his football co-players (I can’t call them friends), witnessing their machoism and homophobia. Pok crying in Zo’s arms. And so on.
The debate club should play a bigger role. We should see more debates, preparing for debates, etc. The screenwriters could use this opportunity to discuss social issues, like marriage equality or queerbaiting in media (tee-hee). Also, the big competition should take at least half a season, not be mentioned twice, then thrown in at the last minute.
During the preparation, Wave’s distaste for Joke should become prominent. And mutual. Zo may have noticed and asked Joke, who’d say it’s not his place to say. Maybe he’d known about what happened between Trine and Wave, maybe he’d just known they had a conflict. In any case, Zo would have to do a bit of investigating.
While we’re here, I wish Nita would get more screen time, so we could get to know her as more than a “love interest”. Maybe give her a reason to want to win the scholarship? And us a reason to root for her?
James should show up earlier, stick around Zo, but always disappear when Joke or even Zo’s friends show around. Zo’s friends would notice there’s something off about the guy, so it wouldn’t feel like Joke’s just being paranoid.
Also, Zo’s mother should be more present, calling or texting Zo and putting pressure on him (even interrupting his dates). Maybe a scene or two of Zo scrolling social media and seeing her pose with her accomplished students? Also, the situation should be resolved with something more than it was (an apology maybe?).
Same with Joke’s father. I know it was meant to be a surprise, that Joke was going through the same thing as Zo the whole time, but the resolution we got left me feeling “wtf just happened?”. Joke’s father goes from 0 to 1 in a matter of seconds and for no reason other than “Zo told him to.”
To accommodate those changes:
The pointless faux-breakup in the last episode could be cut, it didn’t serve anything.
While Puen’s story was important in explaining Zo’s initial hesitation, the reconciliation could be cut. No one cares about him and he never shows again.
A lot of Joke and Zo's dates could be shortened.

Anyway, the series we got was a mindless fluff, something to switch your brain off and relax. I don't regret watching it, but I wouldn't do it again (although I will rewatch certain scenes, because damn).
If you really have to watch it, stick to the last parts of ep 4, 7, 8, and 10 and the beginning of ep 11. Thank me later.

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It’s worth a try.

I placed a spoiler alert at the end of this review.

If you’re looking for a cute and somewhat lite series, then give it a try. The story concept was ok, but the script was messy. The first four episodes were weak, weird and cringy. It got better by episode 5 but it felt like I was watching a different series at that point. The relationship pacing for Joke and Zo was off at first. I like the secondary BL couple more because they were already an established couple with a real problem. I was also able to predict one of the story elements very quickly. I liked how unpredictable the ending of the series was. See the spoiler alert at the end of this review if you want more information. It had a lot of wasted/filler screentime that I skipped. The acting was good from most of the cast.




******Spoiler Alert******

We get a series of flashbacks in episode 1 that hinted how the rift between Joke and Zo started but did not fully explain what exactly happened during the contest.

There was no smooth transition between Joke and Zo going from enemies to friends. However, the transition from them going from friends to lovers was better and more realistic.

I liked how they addressed the issue of dating someone that’s not out yet and the toll it takes on an individual that is in a secret relationship. I just wish this couple had more screen time, especially considering how much filler scenes/wasted screen time the series had.

I was able to guess by the first episode that Pat was helping Joke with his “hidden agenda.”

As for the ending, it was refreshing that we didn’t get the predictable relationship problems in episode 11.

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A bit bland, but JoongDunk saved it

tl;dr: JoongDunk chemistry elevates this underwritten and troubled show – it was their dynamic which made me watch all 12 episodes.
Acting
Joong’s acting may not always be on point, but he was still superior to the rest of the cast. Dunk did his homework in this department too; his abilities are still limited, but he was nonetheless able to portray a new character, different from “Star in My Mind”. Both actors give their characters qualities some would attribute to the actors themselves: Joong’s Joke is effortlessly cool and nonchalant, but also caring and a tad clingy, while Dunk’s Zo poses as timid and withdrawn, while being perfectly able to stand his ground. Also, they get intimate quite often and seem very comfortable about it; no forced, non-consensual nor awkward kisses here!
Script
My overall reception of the show suffered due to weaknesses of the script.
My biggest complaint regarding the show is that it feels messy, but also bland, lukewarm, at times even boring. It’s not hot nor cold, it leaves you with a “meh” feeling. No idea how this was accomplished, as the script includes two plots to win someone over involving the main characters, a stalker pestering one of the main characters to get back at the other main character, strained relationships with a demanding parent, a past heartbreak, a side couple with their own problems and drama etc. etc. The content is clearly there – but it doesn’t translate to a captivating story.
As with many other BL’s this one doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be about. Is it a rom-com? A coming of age story? Family drama? Thriller (see the stalker episode)? You can include elements of all of those in a show, but you have to be smart about it – otherwise you’ll get a tonal mess. "Hidden Agenda” has this problem – it’s all over the place.
Hard to say what the titular “Hidden Agenda” really was/was supposed to be. Was it Zo’s attempt to win Nita over? Joke’s attempt to get Zo? BTW: depending on how you judge Joke’s motives and actions (and some reactors claimed that Joke didn’t do anything wrong – any normal person would act in a similar way) the hidden agenda may not exist; even if it does, it’s not important enough to have the show named after it. Spoiler warning: both the initial trailer and the official trailer are misleading, as the whole “Joke helps Zo to get Nita in order to get Zo” gets resolved in something like 3 episodes; the rest is about a variety of other issues, like family, ambition, friendship, competition, communication and so on.
The script introduces several important issues, like Zo’s relationship with his mother and Joke’s with his father, pretty late in the show. Since both issues seem to be late additions they do not appear to be important. It’s a shame we didn’t get more of both these storylines in earlier episodes. This would allow them to grow naturally, would explain more of Joke’s and – more importantly – Zo’s backstory and motivation, would show Zo and Joke as more than just students in love. Balancing every important aspect of the story, introducing them in the right moment, giving them more time to breathe – all of that would greatly improve the show.
Pacing
Pacing is generally okay and helps the show; only ep. 2 felt redundant (the “Joke gets into Zo’s club” storyline could have been a subplot in a different episode or be omitted entirely – have Joke be a club member when the show starts).
Cast
The support/secondary couple (Aou’s Jeng and Boom’s Pok) felt unnecessary. With only a handful of scenes (I think it was less than 1 per episode) we didn’t really get a storyline with them; it’s not clear to me what was their purpose in the show.
Same can be said about several other characters. Only Nita, Pat, Joke’s grandma and father as well as Zo’s parents do things that make the story progress. I loved to see Pod, Guy, Arm and AJ, but they were heavily underused and their characters didn’t have much to do.
Music
Both songs (“Hidden Agenda” and “Your Smile”) were decent, with nice MVs. Joong sings a bit in this show and he’s rather good at it. I enjoyed most of the background and ambient music used in the show, both the subtle emotional vibes and the cool electropop used to good effect throughout the series.
Favorite scene
I wanted to end my review with something good from the show. It has its moments – I enjoyed most scenes with Joke and Zo as a couple and plenty of other things (like Joke’s grandma – she’s a treasure), but the grand prize has to go to the finale of ep. 9. It actually moved me to tears. Joong’s delivery – quiet, but deeply emotional – was nearly perfect. Dunk remaining silent for the whole scene and non-verbally expressing Zo’s doubt, hesitation, sadness and how moved he was – great. To top it all the scene was shot in a very smart way, with Joke and Zo in the same room, but staying apart, with Zo packing his things and Joke trying to bridge a gap between them in one last attempt. That scene alone let us glimpse what this show might have been – and that JoongDunk can do magic. Would love to see them again in a BL as the main couple – this time with a good script.

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The Hidden Agenda Is Behind a Glass Wall

It seems like we have been hit with a lot of GMMTV BL’s that start with one lead attempting to swoon another person but eventually falling in love with their “surprisingly” attractive male counterpart. We saw this with Fish Upon the Sky, then currently with Be My Favorite, and now with Hidden Agenda. It’s not that I don't like it, but it is losing its impact, imo. (but go watch BMF anyway, it is amazing.)

The first episode starts off with a story read by Zo (Dunk) in a recording studio. Joke (Joong) and him get into a small fit as Zo went overtime by 5 minutes, which now makes him “owe” Joke something. I am not wild about this first interaction, especially how strong Joke came off (he backed Zo up to a wall and…idk for a first impression it didn’t hit bc I knew how uncomfortable I would feel if that happened irl).

They see each other next on a bus ride when Zo’s friends talk about his crush on Joke’s ex aloud — not knowing Joke was a few seats away. He offers his help to Zo and he turns him down. Again, not totally wild about this interaction and it supports my worries of liking the original trailer more than the newest.

When the original trailer came out seven months ago, I liked how mysterious Joke seemed. He was quiet, respectful, but there was a passion to him (honestly like Khabkluen). I felt it balanced well with Zo being the eager and friendly person he is. However, in this new rendition of their story, Joke is a bit more aggressive. For example, their first meeting when he backed Zo up to a wall, and 25 mins in when he said Zo has “no spine.”
Joke is a bit unserious and I don’t particularly like this route. For instance, I liked how in og trailer, Zo approached Joke to help him date Nita, and Joke is quietly happy because he likes Zo, and it just ends up being super cute and wholesome. Though, in this version, Joke seems mostly forward to help Zo, and it doesn’t hit the same, imo.

Random Ramblings:
• I want to add that I don’t like how Zo’s “unattractive” phase continues the “glasses make you less cute” trope. Bit of a bummer, tbh. Like, Dunk is clearly societally attractive anyway. Just because you style his hair down and put plastic rims around his eyes, we can still see his features so why not just have his other look to begin with?
• I hope I don’t get annoyed with Zo’s friend group and I hope they actually give him good advice/are there for him when he needs them. I’m a bit iffy of them as of the first ep. especially since they left him drunk.
• Music is what it is for GMMTV. You’re gonna get those random soundbites and fading in and out music.
• Thank GOD we have a character that plays the guitar!! I have no clue what I would do without that! /j
• Happy Joke was able to be there for Zo when he got sick in the bathroom, but the scene after, when Zo was confronting Joke, Joke said he wasn’t making any sense when all Zo was saying was sense?? But then, Joke’s comment that, “If you think you don’t stand a chance with Nita, just give up,” was very right.
• The flashback from their freshman year at ~39 minutes had me very confused- it came out of nowhere.

On to more positive things:
• I really hope they add more to Nita’s character! She seems so sweet and I’d love for her to be deeper than your love-interest turned non-love interest. I also like how they made Joke and her friends even after their breakup <33
• Yay, for JoongDunk getting a drama with 10 eps! I hope their chemistry continues to grow and I am happy they seem comfortable with each other.
• I like how the plot’s environment is centered around a club. I don’t believe we have seen that from GMMTV yet and it is nice to see a new aspect than your typical college classmate.
• On a similar note, I like that it is a debate club. I think they can implement some great moments of tension from their personal love-life which then seep into the club debates.
• The college’s campus seems pretty.
• Favorite line: “Why should I hurt my hand by punching you?” (ep. 1, 35 mins.)
• So far, it's better than Love in the Air, but that bar is pretty low!

Pinterest plug: https://www.pinterest.com/ed3nelle/drama-hidden-agenda/

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