Manner of Death (2020)

A Dry, Tone Deaf & Disrespectful attempt at Mystery/Thriller with BL mixed in

First of all, Jane is the MVP of this show and she is the REAL main character in this story.

The fact that the main character was sitting on a goldmine - a cornucopia of evidence, you can say - and didn't know about it, until the very. Last. Episode.
Infuriating.
This drama was more amusing to watch then it's original purpose of being dramatic/well written/properly portrayed or respectfully represented. Either will do.
The overhead shots of the town (city? village? countryside? no idea! there's only two police officers in that whole police station! *shrugs*) showing the misty forest mountains is the prettiest this drama will get.
The women carried this drama (specifically Jane and Rung - mostly Jane). Even if Jane was a like the other females in this drama - victims of plot devices - Jane's secret sleuthing solved everything. All she needed was for someone to expose the truth to the public with the evidence she painstakingly collected!
But no.
Those who want to help her in her just cause, spends majority of the drama asking the wrong questions and turning their backs on the wrong people. Again.
(Seriously! The trope of being 'stabbed in the back' was overkill and annoying. Too many people in this drama were caught by surprise by someone sneaking up on them. It's old, stop it!)
Nam had the most character development out of everyone surrounding her and she spends most of her screen time on drugs. The acting is questionable and the scene of Jane's death was the best scene with the best amount of talent. The music was appropriate for once in that scene but anytime else... I just watched some moments on mute.

The couple....
I think I had an issue of liking this relationship because of Tan's gaslighting and deceitful habits towards Bun and Bun's general habit of saying one thing about who is he, and then acting in a contradicting way.
He's not a likeable person (to me at least) and he's quick to anger and relies on pettiness so much that it's not helpful at all to the mystery of his supposed-friend's death.
Both lovers need to work on their communication and conversation skills because following along in their 'flirtatious banter', made me pick up my phone to play a game until more of Jane's story was on screen. (Poor Jane, for being surrounded by average brain, spineless criminals.) Inspector M and Sorn were the only redeemable male characters in this drama.
I'm of course bias, so take my review for a grain of salt but the show was tone deaf and disrespectful about such a heavy topics like the sex trade/underage sex/r*pe/prostitiution and human trafficking that endangers soooooo many people (men too) and the drama brings it up in between 'the honeymoon phase' for the main couple: causally and irreverent. Same for the medical and professional practice of Forensics, Physicians/Surgeons and the Police.
Yes, the law is corruptible but before the show so obviously told us law enforcement wasn't to be trusted, the breach of confidentiality and conduct was repeated too many times to be intentional.
The drama had a small budget probably, but it doesn't excuse the production quality and lack of character depth in the show.
The BL exists, I'll admit that but this show could have been better if the mystery/thriller aspect was separate from the BL love story. In this particular instance, the two genres I was so looking forward to, did not mesh together well.

I felt like I brought my scuba, deep sea, diving gear to a kiddie pool at five-years old birthday party. Not impressed.

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not your cliché bl series

before watching this i had no idea who maxtul were, even though i was a part of the bl community for quite some time. man their chemistry is NO JOKE. it all felt so genuine, not a single scene where it felt like they were acting. i am a hardcore maxtul fan now!

coming to the series, I LOVE IT period
i really wanted them to make a bl which is not based on the clichéd university romcom, but one with a serious plot. honestly, i have NO complaints for this series. ZERO. ITS ALL SO PERFECT. That and Sorawit were the cutest out there, i couldn't handle how fluffy their couple was aghhhh. sorawit was an adorable little baby. i am not going to write about the other charaters here because i dont want to add the 'spoilers' tag

in conclusion, JUST WATCH THIS DRAMA TRUST ME YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT

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ENJOYED THE PLOT!!!

I have realised for some time now that Max is very adaptable and will always perform very well [especially under a director who knows what they are doing] and he did not disappointed in MOD. He stole the show. Period! Episode after episode.

I'm happy he and Tul got the opportunity to do a serious drama that addresses serious matters. I can honestly say, for myself and others alike, Manner of Death is a fresh offering in a BL. The plot was so good! While it gave fan service… it does not dwell on it, which doesn’t seem to please many people who were clearly hoping each episode would contain R-rated stuff. Too bad! Too sad! There lost!

ENDING: The way Tan expresses his love for Bun... literally the purest, most sincere declaration of love I have seen in BL ❤❤❤


Salute to MAX and TUL ✌✌

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Most Action-Packed BL Ever

Manner of Death was such an adventure to get through. I felt like one minute I knew where the story was going, and then the next, I had no clue. This kept me on the edge of my seat throughout my binge-watch, I legit stayed up till 4 in the morning cause each episode would leave off on a cliffhanger, and I just felt like I had to keep going. Manner of Death is definitely one to remember for its crazy adventures and deep-rooted plot.

Let's Dive In.

I want to start off by talking about the plot. When we look back at other BL plots, they're usually not very deep or complicated, but in this series, I felt like each moment was mapped out perfectly. From the first episode to the last, everything fit like a glove. The only thing I had a hard time with was keeping up with the many characters they had, and how each of them impacted the plot. These big revelations would happen, and I would completely be lost because I wasn't sure who they were talking about. Towards the end though, I was able to remember names with faces. Another thing was that they kind of dragged on at times in the first few episodes, so I had to force myself to watch, but I was hooked by about episode 7 or 8. I think that the plot was my favorite part of the series. Very well done.

Let's move onto the actors/characters. While I do love Tul and Max together, I will say that I wasn't really pining for them to get together in this. I don't know if it was because they only got so much time with each other outside of the very hectic plot, but most of the time, their moments felt forced. Their intimate moments were good, don't get me wrong on that (epically the handcuffing on the stairwell, idk why but I loved that so much), but everything felt either rushed or without explanation; why did they like each other? The proposal during the last episode was good, except why did Tan ask Bun to marry him when they hadn't even been dating? It felt off and not usual, but the proposal itself was clever and sweet. Let's move on to the somewhat side couple That and Sorawit (It took me a moment to realize his name was That lol) I liked how sentimental and caring Sorawit was towards Nam and That. He served as kind of everyone's helper and kept getting himself into messes that he had no business getting into. The same goes for That. While I liked that he was kind of tough and was there to also help, they were just kids and kept getting themselves in mixed-up situations. While there was no confirmation of this couple ever, they were teased throughout the series and at certain points they were cute, but most of the time they just felt like close friends. Moving onto the third(?) pairing, Dr. Oat, and Inspector M. I really liked Inspector, at first I was so sure that he was going to end up being the bad guy, but I was way off. The actor Great is overly attractive which made me pine for him to be with literally anyone, guy or girl, and they teased that a bit at the very last episode with Dr. Oat, but it was obviously way too late. I'm pretty sure Dr. Oat had a crush on Bun, but it was never said so we'll never know. Both those characters were perfect for this story, and maybe we can get a spin-off with them (????).

Let's move onto the darker parts of this series. While there was an 18+ warning at the beginning of each episode, I still felt like there should've been something else to warn of how gruesome this series was going to be. I'm not a person that gets triggered by stuff, but some of these scenes were hard to sit through. Watching Jane get hung twice was not easy at all, I couldn't even watch the second one. I definitely think there needs to be multiple warnings.

I really liked how this show focused on human trafficking, something that happens all around the world but is not nearly talked about enough. Most of the time it is with people in high places, so seeing the captain, judge, commander, and whoever else all in high place running this human trafficking ring wasn't surprising (sadly). These revelations were incredible though, and I loved the way I was shook after each person was announced to be part of this ring.


Overall, Manner of Death was a fantastic watch, and I highly recommend this. All of the actors put on an amazing performance, but I want to really give Mint and Meiko an extra pat on the back. These women put on a beautiful performance and I really hope to see them in future series. The OST also went perfectly with this drama, and at times really did have me spooked out. This is for sure something people should watch (warning if you're sensitive to gruesome scenes and heavy topics though).

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A Bit Disappointed

Ah, when I saw the trailer for the drama, I was super excited to get started because so many have dubbed it as a 'serious' drama that is the best out there in terms of Thai Dramas.

However, I was a bit disappointed with things. - It was a good drama, but I was far from impressed.

The plot was amazing, very interesting and very intriguing. However, they were full of holes that even the blind could see. And that was why I was so disappointed because for once I found a Thai drama that wasn't so bad in terms of the casts' acting and voila, I was presented with many hard-to-dismiss plotholes.




[[[[[ SPOILER TIME, AVOID READING PASS THIS SENTENCE IF YOU HATE SPOILERS ]]]]]

Here's the plotholes that I couldn't digest blindly:

1. When Jane's body was found, Tan was said to be her boyfriend when he was not. He found her body and they simply assumed that he was her boyfriend. (Seriously?! I don't how the police do their job in Thailand, but they sure wouldn't have just 'assumed' instead of investigating right?)

2. When it was revealed that Jane was actually killed and didn't actually commit a suicide, we were never presented with the events where people close to her were investigated. (Seriously?! I thought the first course of action would be to question people?!)

3. When Bun was attacked by an unknown guy at his home, his first thought was to go stay with the most suspicious guy within his reach simply because he helped fend off the attacker. (Seriously?! No suspicion, simply letting yourself enter an unknown territory when you haven't even figured out what's happening. For God sake, the guy even owned a gun at home!)

4. Rung and Jane. Rung said that she loved her sister but she sacrificed her for the sake of her business, saying that she had had to do it as well before this so Jane should do it as well for the same reason. And Jane agreed. And why, even for the sake of the said business, Rung was willing to kill her own sister. (I have nothing to say about this, that is just too fucked up, beyond saving.)

5. The falling at the cliff? (or was it into a river?) event? The police conducted a search and couldn't find both Tan and Bun when they were just there at the bank. (Unrealistic level: Out of The World)

AND THERE WERE SO MANY OTHER SCENES AND EVENTS THAT I COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO NOTE DOWN. AS WELL.

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A Good Change of Pace

It's really nice to see another crime series with a gay couple, or couples, as part of the story.
There is a great sense of flow throughout, that leaves you room for thought after each episode over who's the culprit, who's involved, who's innocent, etc. This is a type of series that focuses on the journey rather than the destination. The ending does make it all worth it for sure, but I found myself enjoying episode after episode, and that's a rarity.
Of course, acting gets a high rating - all of the actors and actresses do a tremendous job at portraying their character. The story has great twists and turns woven in that keep you on the edge of your seat.
It's a very deep and dark story that exposes a lot of underground secrets. Once again, the execution is well done. Only minor hiccups throughout.
There's a nice amount of suspense, sprinkled in with some spice, and a dash of sweetness. A real treat to watch.

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It is bad, very, very, bad

I wasn't going to watch this drama but silly me decided to listen to the reviews which somehow are mostly positive. I am 11 episodes in and each episode just gets worse and worse, it is so unrealistic, full of plot holes and very badly written.
Most of the reviews said they were happy that the story had moved away from the university setting and that the writers were trying something new and exciting, this would be true if the writers knew anything about crime, doctors, police, coroners and autopsies.
This drama seems to have been written by a child after watching a few episodes of Scooby Doo and thought that a BL murder mystery would be a good idea.

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Could've been executed A LOT better.

I was really excited for this series because of MaxTul and it having a different plot from most other Thai Bl dramas, but by the end I was dreading having to put in the energy to watch it.

PROS: Max(Tan), the cool IDEA for the general plot, scenery, and the story didn't make them being gay a central part of the plot.

SPOILERS BELOW???
CONS: Dr. Bun was extremely annoying. Poor execution of plot. Severe lack of communication. Main characters making glaringly dumb decisions just to further the plot. Dr. Bun and Tan being a doctor and a teacher, respectively, but not having the brains to realize an obvious clue that would have saved them a weeks worth of struggle and made the last episode or two unnecessary. Unnecessary flirting during high stress situations (i.e. trying to decide whether or not to reveal evidence, but also finding the time to make suggestive comments). The school not paying enough attention to what's going on with their students. And again, just a whole bunch of idiotic decisions or lack of decisions by multiple characters just to further the plot. And again, Dr. Bun and his attitude.

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Suspense, romance, love ... Amazing drama

I just don't know how to explain how much I enjoyed everything about this drama.

All 10/10. This is the best Max and Tul drama ever, maybe because of the fact that it's not high school based, maybe it's the mature Max and Tul, I don't know but I was glued till the end.

The suspense, the surprises, the great acting, the chemistry, the love, romance and great story line. Everything aligned, there was direction, every story line was covered and towards the end we saw the beginning of Inspector M and Dr. Oat's story. Awww....I'm smitten. Did I say how much I loved these two kids - That & Sorawit ...

Enough said, please watch it. I have, for the 3rd time, I need a break now. I'll be back ... <3

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WATCH IT NOWWWW !!!!!!

This is going to be so biased, because it is tailored to me so hard. It involves a murder mystery AND a gay romance plot line. One MaxTul the original kings of bl play our main leads, and finally they were given a decent storyline to perform. And that they did. They always go all the way in and have no qualms with pushing the limits when doing romance. But their skills have also improved so much and they were both able to put on an amazing performance. ALL of the casts were amazing, mature, and super talented.

What I enjoy about this series a lot is that I enjoy the non-romantic plot MORE than I enjoy the romance plot line. I love that TanBun's relationship while amazing, and I am completely in love with, was not my favorite part. The murder mystery was extremely well thought out and showed that this was not just another series trying to cash in views from lgbtq+ community and fetishizing straight girls.

Visually the series is also EXTREMELY stunning. All the shots are so so so so so beautiful. IDK I'M SO BIASED BUT PLEASE GIVE IT A SHOT

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Holy shit this was so fucking good

What can I say about it (actually I have a lot to say)? It was a masterpiece! From the incredible acting and electrifying chemistry to the intricate and intriguing plot. I started it with the intent to finish it in about 3 weeks. Instead, I completed it in 3 days. That should tell you all you need to know.

The narrative flowed well and the plot twists weren't just surprising, they also made sense in hindsight.

The first episode drops you right into the story and then proceeds to backtrack to the events leading up to the murder. And the chemistry between the ML's was already present as well. There were these wonderful intrigued stares they gave each other which created a solid connection and tension between them before they even really got to know one another.

I can't believe I waited this long to watch it! It was thrilling, shocking, horrifying, real, intense, sweet, and addictive. It reminded me a bit of Criminal Minds with it not shying away from dark topics and some gore but keeping some light-heartedness in it as well.

I especially loved how it wasn't solely a romance drama. The romance played a big role, yes, but it wasn't the main focus or the point of the plot itself. That's the kind of progress I want to see. See people, you can have a great drama with a great plot while ALSO having an LGBT+ romance in it. You can. So, make more of these please!

Us non-straight people like a cool plot that isn't just about falling in love too!

Side Note: Much as I like to see coming out scenes in dramas, provided they are done well and respectfully, I want to see more dramas where no coming out scene is even necessary. That was yet another thing I loved about this.

And also, the aspect of "I'm falling in love with another man, oh no!" wasn't a thing. And both Tan and Bun weren't mocked, ridiculed, bullied, or put down for being in love. Nor did they or their friends make "wife" jokes or anything of the sort. That was incredibly refreshing! It was treated as a legitimate and normal relationship like others.

This drama is a 10/10 in its blood. God, I hope we get more like this! Thanks to HIStory 3: Trapped for paving the way for this wonderful drama! Golden Blood couldn't do it, but (if we ever get it) KinnPorsche looks incredibly promising.

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Romantic suspense + cozy mystery + enemies to lovers + forced proximity

I thought Max & Tul did a great job at a difficult task which was to make gay romantic suspense palatable to a wider audience. Romantic suspense is already difficult to adapt to film, and then to add a queer? It was a fun if convoluted story and Max & Tul turned in a killer performances in all ways from smooches to bad ass-itude to badass smooches.

Was it ultimately successful?
That depends on your definition of success. I wanted it to open up Thai BL actor pairs to a broader market share in terms of story. I think it failed in this regard.

Was it a good show?
Sometimes, especially when Max & Tul were on the screen together.

Will it change the tide of Thai BL?
No, actually, I don’t think it will.

Still it is really enjoyable if you like gay romance more that suspense mafia thrillers. Like HIStory 3: Trapped it is more successful at the first than it is at the second.

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