Like a Palette Review: A Thai GL Coming-of-Age Series

A soft, funny queer coming-of-age—with a few uneven brushstrokes

If you’re craving queer love that feels naive, playful, and rooted in very real life moments, Like a Palette understands the assignment—at least most of the time.

Poster of Thai GL series Like a Palette featuring Jane smiling playfully beside P’Dai, who stands with arms crossed and a serious stare in a school setting.

This Thai GL series captures several pivotal experiences that come with being a woman in college: self-discovery, first love, missteps, awkwardness, and learning who you are while navigating queerness in a structured, often conservative environment. The story centers on Jane, whose freshman year begins peacefully—until she realizes that P’Dai, last year’s university star, keeps staring at her… and not in a way that feels comforting.

Or so Jane thinks.

When Jane unexpectedly becomes the new star of the Faculty of Fine Arts, P’Dai is assigned to mentor her, forcing repeated (and increasingly charged) encounters. What Jane eventually learns is that those unreadable looks weren’t rooted in negativity—but in interest. From there, the series unfolds as a coming-out journey, a first relationship, and a slow process of understanding identity, attraction, and emotional vulnerability within a Thai college setting.

Full Transparency Before We Dive In

This series wasn’t entirely our cup of tea.But—and this is important—the GL drought is very real, especially over the holidays, and we will always show up to support sapphic storytelling. So we jumped in with open minds.

Here’s where Like a Palette shined—and where it struggled.

🎨 What We Appreciated

Thoughtful Trans Representation

One of the strongest elements of this series was its portrayal of a trans woman and her family dynamics. While this storyline wasn’t the main focus, it was handled with care and emotional authenticity. The reactions—from initial discovery to long-term acceptance—felt realistic and grounded.

And that neighbor? Yeah. Get her, Jane Ja.

Jane’s response to the unsolicited commentary about her sister was deeply satisfying. Boundaries were set. Respect was demanded—with just the right amount of sass—and we loved every second of it.

A Surprising (and Excellent) Lead Performance

We never thought we’d say this—but seeing Rati from #TSOU step into a GL lead role completely changed our perspective. We hated that character in the previous series… and yet here? She absolutely ate.

It took us halfway through the series (thanks to a friend pointing it out) to even realize it was the same actress. Her presence, confidence, and restraint worked beautifully. The styling? On point. The stare? Weaponized. The patience and emotional clarity she brought to P’Dai made the character compelling—even when the narrative wobbled.

Humor That Actually Lands

When Like a Palette goes for comedy, it hits.

Jane coming out to her dad delivered lines we will never forget. And just when you think you’re about to get a familiar “calling a sibling for relationship advice” moment, the show pivots into a hilariously unexpected conversation about living-with-your-partner etiquette—specifically, how to handle a very particular itch.

We screamed.The comedic timing—whether from the leads or side characters—was genuinely strong and well placed.

Emotional Authenticity Where It Mattered

This series deserves credit for handling complex moments with care:

• Jane coming out to friends and family

• The storyline involving her trans sister

• The loss of a pet (we hated it emotionally—but the acting was phenomenal)

• Supporting a closeted friend come out

And let’s talk about Jane’s mom—the unsung hero. From classroom moments to dinner table conversations to navigating multiple family dynamics, she consistently showed up with warmth, encouragement, and humor. Positive parental representation matters, and this was done right.

Solid Production Value

From wardrobe to lighting to location choices, Like a Palette felt like a quality production capable of standing alongside larger Thai studios. The settings were varied and relevant, and the overall visual execution supported the tone of the story well.

😬 What Made Us Cringe

The Naïveté Struggle

We’ll say it plainly: we’re not fans of the overly naive female lead. Personal preference? Absolutely. But Jane’s characterization felt inconsistent at times—bold and brave in one moment, inexplicably timid in the next.

While we acknowledge cultural differences between Thai and Western portrayals of young women, the imbalance occasionally pulled us out of the story. We gave it grace. We still struggled.

The Intimacy Fell Flat

This was the biggest miss for us.

The kisses felt elementary, physically distant, and awkward. Even accounting for experience levels and behind-the-scenes coaching (which we respect), the emotional connection simply didn’t translate onscreen. When the final episode jumps ahead two to three years and gives us an intimate moment, we struggled to reconcile what we were seeing with where the characters were supposed to be in their relationship.

You’ve just moved in together—a huge milestone. You’re doing dishes. Your partner comes up behind you and starts kissing you. We love that Jane clocks it, turns around, and engages. But once she’s lifted onto the counter, the intimacy unravels. There’s no instinctive pull-in, no hands signaling stay here with me, no continuation of connection. The kisses feel like two nervous freshmen, not a couple who’s been together for years.

Given that the final episode centers on miscommunication, the lack of intimacy feels… on brand—but unfortunately, not in a way that serves the story.

Final Take

If you enjoy queer coming-out stories, lighthearted comedy, or watching a young woman navigate her first relationship—and if you’re filling the GL drought like we were—Like a Palette is an entertaining watch.

Will it crack our Top 5 GLs? No.

But it does contribute to the growing landscape of Thai sapphic storytelling—and that alone keeps it worth discussing.