Addicted has a special place in my heart, so when Thailand announced they were doing a remake, it felt like Christmas came early for me. I watched eagerly as Newyear participated in the casting process and then, during the big event, they introduced three main actors. Yes, three actors: Mac, Newyear, and Jur. At that point, they presented Mac as the lead, with Newyear and Jur in supporting roles. Was I a bit disappointed? Kind of. With such a young cast, it seemed like we were headed for something more along the lines of Stay With Me—toned down and less faithful to the novel’s intensity.

But then, quietly, came the shocking news: August had been cast as the main lead. My jaw literally dropped. As more information came out, it became clear that the director simply couldn’t find a younger actor who fit the role of the male lead. Despite that, he still went ahead with the big event, introducing Mac as the lead and Newyear and Jur as the side roles, only to later quietly announce August.

So, let’s recap: the director made the conscious decision to cast minors in an adaptation of an 18+ novel. Then, after casting one of the main characters because he couldn't find a second, he still decided to go ahead with the big announcement event rather than rethink his casting picks or the age of the actors. The absurdity of this decision-making is what ultimately hurt this adaptation.
Because at this point any reasonable adult suddenly was stuck with the realization that they don't want to be part of this circus. This is clear with quality of this series, for such a long-awaited big project it feels cheap and amateurish.

Going back to age difference —Mac is a minor starring in the adaptation of an 18+ novel, a story he can’t even legally read. Yet someone thought it was acceptable for him to act in explicit scenes that he wouldn’t be allowed to watch in any other context. As I wrote above stupid decision making.

There’s a good reason why, for years, productions that involved large age gaps—or featured one actor who was underage—chose to use fake kissing and avoid any NC scenes altogether. It’s just common sense. To their credit, this series at least showed the wisdom to follow that rule, opting to tone down the more explicit content.

This puts fans like me in a tough spot. On one hand, we want a faithful adaptation of the story we love, but on the other hoping the cast is treated appropriately. Honestly, I just wish they’d kept their hands off this project altogether.

To sum it up watch orginal Addicted or Stay with Me, both are better.