This is a cleverly made BL that knows the elements of a popular (and good?) BL and what bad BLs are like. It's also an understated satire or criticism of the BL industry while being a nice BL series in itself.

The story of Gene and Nubsib is pretty good especially in the first half of the series. In the second half, I felt that the narrative threads that have been started were not really dealt with all that well (e.g. why Gene has such a strong reaction to Nubsib hiding the fact that they were childhood friends, why Nubsib forgives him quite easily and their parents' initial objections to their relationship). Some problems were resolved a little too quickly to make way for the good old Episode 11 crisis. Some practical constraints could have caused this since the creators are actually quite good at telling a story.

The series that Nubsib is filming in the story, Bad Enginner, is a mocking take on Thai BLs featuring engineering students (though I believe some of these are better than others). Some of the scenes in Bad Engineer (with Nubsib walking around and posturing with a few other engineering students) are reminiscent of what we see in some BLs but are so cringe-inducing that you begin to have an inkling of where the title is *Bad* Engineer.

The series also, in a rather understated and mild way, exposes the problems with the BL industry (well, actually the entertainment industry in general), including its fans. 2021 seems to be the year when the genre turns self-reflexive--I am reminded of Call It What You Want. Gene, who is the writer of the novel form of Bad Engineer, is a reluctant BL writer who keeps getting pressured to add sex scenes to his novels even at the expense of more important story-telling elements. Well, fans love it, the reasoning goes. Tiffy mentions to Tum some "curse" regarding the managers of BL actors in a series quarrelling (possibly a reference to series like Love by Chance and the infamous conflict between Saint's and Perth's managers).

The craziness of fans shipping actors rather than characters (without being able to draw the line between reality and fantasy) and the industry's willingness to pander to them for the sake of money is more than hinted at. And despite all the portrayal of same-sex relationships, the industry isn't altogether about tackling social problems like homophobia. At the end of the day, there seems to be some degree of exploitation: obligating young and good looking actors to perform fan service beyond the filming of the series (Bad Engineer) and any series-related events. I must say, however, that the series does not demonize BL fans. In the fan reactions to the exposure of Gene and Nubsib's relationship, there are actually diverse reactions, and there are those who can support Nubsib regardless of whom he is dating. Ultimately, it is a concern with profits that causes the TV station and managers to pressure the two of them to deny that they are dating.

Nevertheless, the series is lighthearted and does not really give its social critique a dark spin or throw it in the face of viewers. It still demonstrates the qualities of a good BL. It also has an awareness of what "woke" (I'm not using this term pejoratively) fans of BL would find issue with, avoiding stepping on landmines like gender stereotypes and issues with consent. Perhaps one weakness is that it is a little too self-conscious about this, but I won't fault it too much here.

This series, to me, is a nice mix of fluff and serious issues. Some may of course prefer just the fluff and others just the more serious issues (though I would think the latter aren't likely BL fans). Perhaps it is a sign of better BLs to come because the industry now has an awareness of its own problems. If fans want less toxicity in the industry, it may just happen because the industry doesn't want to lose fans.