Feels formulaic and too commercialized

TharnType 2 was the series in which the main couple here (Leo/Fiat) was introduced. In my eyes, Leo/Fiat is one of the most gorgeous couples in BL (whether we see the two as individuals and as a couple), but more needs to be done of their story.

TharnType 2 was really a vehicle that capitalized on the success of the first season of TharnType while serving to introduce Leo/Fiat and perhaps see the market potential for a series on them. I think this was one reason the Tharn/Type plot in TharnType 2 was weak. Unfortunately, I see a similar strategy in Don't Say No: The best part of the Leo/Fiat story is already in TharnType 2 even though it lacked full development, and Don't Say No seems to be a vehicle to test the commercial viability of the Leon/Pob side couple here.

While the production is generally polished enough to be rather watchable, it wouldn't be too much to ask for a more compelling story for Leo/Fiat. Essentially, the Leo/Fiat side of the plot in Don't Say No is simply: crisis, sex, crisis, sex, crisis sex repeated ad nauseam. The plot feels somewhat fragmented and can mostly be summed up as: various things in Fiat's past come back to haunt him. The part of the story involving Fiat's mother seems to be the most compelling and could have been developed further into a tighter plot for the entire series.

And really, the sex borders on being excessive. The sex scenes are actually quite nicely shot and I guess fewer people would complain about them as compared to the number of people who complain about the lack of skinship in series like 2gether. Nevertheless, the repeated mentions of sex as a "punishment" for Fiat cheapens the Leo/Fiat relationship even though the characters never mean it seriously. The sex scenes fail to show the couple's deep love and instead feels like the bells has rung, announcing, "Time for some fan service!"

The other couple in Don't Say No fares better in some ways. Leon (Leo's brother) is an a playboy reformed by love, not a very original sort of character. However, Pob is rather interesting. He seems like the soft and innocent type of character (like Wayo in 2 Moons, he takes care of a cat), but he is also someone with a mind of his own and not a pushover.

The ending for Leon/Pob isn't nice, unfortunately. While the Leo/Fiat story in TharnType 2 ended happily and it does not really matter whether there is a separate series on them, we are left hanging with Leon/Pob in Don't Say No. I'm not a fan of this sort of fan manipulation when there may not be a follow-up season for the couple. The turn of events for Leon/Pob in Don't Say No is actually quite unnecessary: the couple could simply have ended happily in Don't Say No, and, if a separate series is made on them, the turn of events can be introduced at the start.

I think the No. 1 rule of milking a successful series commercially ought to be: Ensure that the milking is not felt by the audience. Unfortunately, this isn't the case in Don't Say No.

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Not that much solid sleuthing and even less BL, but quite a good period drama

The title made me expect that this would be a period detective drama of sorts, and there are some aspects of the detective genre at the start. However, the more interesting part of the series actually start when the detective genre conventions get ditched as the characters become embroiled in political intrigue.

I'm somewhat undecided about how good the story is. On the one hand, it is quite an engaging story. On the other hand, it can be infuriating at times because of the characters' occasionally illogical behaviors. Despite having anticipated that there would be people coming to rescue a prisoners, Tang Fan someone sits down in the prison, talking to the prisoner as though he were waiting for the people to arrive to rescue the prisoner (and kill him in the process). Yes, a large number of people had to be deployed for some other mission, but to make no attempt to hide the prisoner elsewhere or take care of his own safety is just senseless behavior coming from a person who is supposed to be really intelligent.

The story actually gets better after a while, as the different cases investigated by Tang Fan get more complex and are intertwined. The series does have characters who are likely to be endearing or intriguing to the audience. This helps in the series' less interesting parts. Tang Fan is cute (to me) and intelligent although he can be silly and even exasperating at times. The eunuch Wang Zhi, is intriguing because he is by turns ruthless and compassionate. He is politically astute and knows how to maneuver his way around. However, he is also fiercely loyal to the emperor. The other main character, Sui Zhou is the one whom I actually took time to get used to because of his deadpan expressions (physically and verbally), but he is quietly caring rather than emotionless. I think the actor does quite a fine job of portraying a soldier with PTSD.

This is a censored adaptation of a BL work, and the BL is largely taken out. We do get occasional hints of it, especially in the later parts of the series. It seems that there was some indecisiveness as to whether to give Tang Fan a female love interest instead. There are points when Tang seems to be romantically interested in Dora but eventually this does not get anywhere (possibly because someone realized that turning BL relationships into bromance isn't quite as bad in the eyes of many viewers as turning BL into straight romance). As for Tang's relationship with the imperial guard, Sui Zhou, even if the relationship has been transformed into bromance, it would have been good to show the intimacy between them early on. Instead, this gets shown clearly (whether as bromance or potential romance) somewhat late in the series.

The image of Sui Zhou putting a cloak on Tang Fan followed by a shot of them standing next to each other towards the end of the last episode does hint at something between them despite being subdued. It gives a nice conclusion to the series and leaves their relationship somewhat open-ended.

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Excellent in many ways, somewhat marred by a weak final episode

The Story: Interesting and Nicely Intertwined Subplots

The mystery stories involving insects involve some interesting knowledge but I also wonder if they stretch the limits of plausibility. Sometimes I feel as though it is not likely that everything goes as planned by the killers, making their ingenious murder schemes turn out to be complicated schemes executed with tons of luck.

I like the use of flashbacks to tell the story in this series. The flashbacks can, unfortunately, be a little repetitive for some. However, they do reveal more with each repetition. I also like the rather daring move of having some extended flashbacks with very little dialogue because it shows the killers going about their plans alone. I suspect it won't be everyone's cup of tea though, and the series may be a tad too reliant on the same technique.

In the last episode, the use of flashbacks seems a little less skillful, giving the impression that it is to reveal things to the audience rather than to show the process in which the truth is unraveled. In fact, the characters do not even get to find out all the truth. It feels as if the series had suddenly been cut short by one or two episodes and there was a sudden need to wrap the story up quickly. When you see a sudden accident killing one of the criminals at large, you can easily feel the sense of hurry.

Characters: The Strength of the Series, with Some Quirks

The series features probably the most endearing detective figures I have ever seen. The main character, Tan Jingtian, is actually not a detective but an entomologist/postgrad student who happens to use his knowledge of insects (and other things) to help the police solve a few cases. An unassuming and affable character, he is really easy to love. Gala Zhang seems to have taken to the role very naturally.

Tan Jingtian is one of those people one would be glad to be friends with if he appears in real life. We can feel happy for him when he discovers that he has a half-brother and that his father is still alive, but we also cry for him when his brother and father die soon after.

Jingtian's relationship with Wen Bai is intriguing--he doesn't know that Wen Bai is his brother until towards the end of the series, and they are so close that even his girlfriend jokes about "matchmaking" them as brothers. There is no overt baiting of BL fans (since that the two characters are actually related by blood). Nevertheless, Jingtian and Wen Bai do often seem more like lovers /potential lovers than siblings whereas Jingtian and his girlfriend seem more like siblings than lovers.

Wen Bai, the second male lead, is the most complex and morally ambiguous character in the series, though it is believable that he is basically a good person who has committed some crimes, including murder. He recognizes Jingtian as his brother immediately upon knowing his name, but keeps the truth from him. We also see some obvious jealousy in see when the girl he likes becomes closer to Jingtian.

There are subtle changes to his character in the series. He is capable of harming others to protect his secret, but he is also increasingly touched by Jingtian's care for him and values their brotherly relationship. He's a bit of a tragic figure because he could really have been a truly good person had maybe one event in his life not taken place. He is responsible for causing the accident that causes the death of Jingtian's mother, and this is a secret he would literally kill to keep. The reason behind his obsession with keeping the secret is more complicated than it seems at first.

Some of the characters suggest that Wen Bai wants to keep the secret at all costs to protect Jingtian or his brotherly relationship with Jingtian. But he has been blackmailed for years before meeting Jingtian, so it's obvious that--at least initially--he wants to keep the secret for selfish reasons. (Then again, he was just a small kid when he was manipulated by someone into causing the accident. He is not legally or even morally culpable.) He clearly feels guilty about what he has done, and even breaks down before the tomb of Jingtian's mother.

What I like about this character is that the writer(s) could have taken the easy way out by making him one of the biggest villains of the show who is merely a hypocrite, cold-blooded enough to kill the girlfriend who has been blackmailing him. Yet, while he has killed someone to safeguard his secret, one can be convinced that he is not the one who has killed the girlfriend and that he loves his brother too much to be blackmailed into killing him even before the revelation of some truths in Episodes 22-23,

Ultimately, the exact motivations behind some of Wen Bai's actions are not fully revealed. This isn't necessarily a weakness though I think the characterization ultimately suffers from the rush in the final episode. Maybe he is more selfishly concerned about his reputation at some point, but also later becomes more concerned about not hurting Jingtian with the truth. Perhaps some groundwork is being laid for a sequel.

What is also commendable in the series is the attempt to depict a strong female character in Jin Ling, Jingtian's girlfriend and Wen Bai's initial love interest. At first a new forensic pathologist who faces discrimination against women, she overcomes the discrimination with her capability. Physically, she can easily overpower a guy like Jingtian. Her romance with Jingtian is nicely unconventional though perhaps their romance could have been better shown.

I guess the series suits those who are casually into the detective genre. If you are the type who tends to nitpick on the plausibility of and logic behind the events, it may not satisfy you. Nevertheless, there is enough of an interesting story about the characters even if you relegate the mystery cases to the background.

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A little formulaic, but a nice BL with a dash of bromance

I've seen some people commenting that the flashback takes too many episodes and the story is too draggy, but I have on issues with the pacing or the flashback.

There is indeed a flashback that starts in the very first episode: we briefly first see the main characters in the university and then we have a flashback to their high school days. The story could very well have been told chronologically, but I find that starting with the characters' university days creates some suspense by letting us know that the main couple (Itt and Pai) are not (yet) a couple at the start of their university days. For me, the tension-with-a-hint-of-affection between Itt and Pai at the start of the series piques my curiosity enough. Furthermore, seeing Wan's friendship with Pai also gets something out of the way during the flashback episodes.

In some ways, the relationship between Itt and Pai is cliched. Pai, a reserved guy falls in love with the seemingly straight Itt (who has a girlfriend). They become friends, but the love seems like it could be one-sided until the point when both of them are locked up in a room in school overnight. Unfortunately, the moment when Itt seems to have fallen for Pai does not last as he discovers a secret and stops being friends with Pai.

Or so it seems--later it is revealed in a twist that Itt does not really mean to stop being friends with Pai but merely wants to turn him into a more confident person who is able to express himself. The twist is somewhat surprising, but it is also one of the series' weak points. Apart from seeming a little labored, the twist makes Itt seem rather presumptuous--who is Itt is try to make Pai the sort of person Itt thinks he should become? Also, it would be hard anyone who cares about Pai to ignore his desperation to mend the friendship? I get it that Pai has helped Itt a lot in putting Itt on the path of fulfilling his ambition and Itt wants to return the favor in some ways, but Pai hasn't asked for the favor to return in this manner.

Nevertheless, if one ignores the problematic nature of Itt's actions, one can appreciate the love they have for each other. Each of them really wants the best for the other. Pai tries to help Itt even when he knows that his love may not be requited while Itt tries to turn Pai into a more confident person even if Pai ends up loathing him. The moment when the misunderstanding is cleared is touching.

Besides the story of the main couple, I find that the series has brought in a side couple in an interesting way. Spoiler: The other couple is Pure and Folk. Pure is, to me, the most interesting character in the series, sensitively played by Fiat (who actually has quite an impressive acting range). I like the fact that we have an unabashedly bisexual character without much fanfare and effort to harp on the issue of bisexuality. Pure's most prominent trait is his promiscuity, but he is a character whom one can sympathize with. His mother does not really care about him and his first love, and the traumatic experience of seeing the guy he is in a relationship with stand by and do nothing while he is being beaten up by a gang of literal gay bashers makes him lose faith in love. From then on, it's just sex and no love--unprotected sex at first and then only protected sex after an HIV scare. However, after knowing Folk (who turns out to be a much more pure person than Pure), he falls in love again.

The Pure subplot is interesting as Pure's bromance with Wan (Pai's best friend) makes us wonder at first if they would end up being a couple. Interestingly, it is Folk, who is initially in love with Pai, that Pure ends up with. (Wan, on the other hand, ends up with a girl. Yeah, BLs can feature straight couples too.)

This is one of the surprisingly well madeThai BLs of 2020. I wasn't expecting much more 2gether and My Engineer, but both were surprisingly good. The 2gether, this may not be everyone's cup of tea. Unfortunately, unlike 2gether, there may not be enough cuteness and star popularity to make this a classic BL in the hearts of many. However, I think it is engaging and interesting enough, particularly in comparison with weaker productions like the En of Love trilogy. Win and Fiat turn in rather impressive performances as Pai and Pure, and I hope to see them in more series.

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Nothing really stands out, but it's nice to watch

Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss

If the titular Mr. Unlucky were truly unlucky, he would not meet and become the boyfriend of someone who can make his luck much better. But don't try to ask questions when watching this. Just enjoy the cuteness.

There is some sort of story going on. Mr Unlucky meets Mr Lucky and asks Mr Lucky to always hang out with him (because Mr Lucky changes his luck for the better). However, Mr Lucky takes it to mean that Mr Unlucky is him to be his boyfriend, and agrees. Because he desperately wants to have better luck, Mr Unlucky goes along with him. Eventually Mr Unlucky also falls in love and you can guess the rest.

This is the sort of show one would watch for some escapism. Nothing that bad really happens, and we know everything will end up well. Mr Lucky is really a sweetie, and we are spared the sort of potentially toxic interactions that are in some BLs. What we have is a series that may not have a gripping plot but we can love the characters and we may just want to keep watching them. In this sense, the series has its peculiar way of getting the audience hooked. I can't rate the story all that highly and the acting isn't astounding (though it is at least ok), but somehow the rewatch value is there.

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Lacking where it matters

If this series had been one with a compelling plot about crimes , with the bromance being the icing on the cake, it would have been really good. Unfortunately, the story involving crimes seems more like an excuse to showcase the cute bromance and occasional humor. In short, if you don't mind sitting through a largely unimpressive ten-course meal just for the rather tasty dessert, why not?

There is some reasonable effort to connect the different crimes, but eventually the plot has an anti-climatic feel. The build-up may give the impression that the cops are dealing with a ridiculously powerful mastermind, but the eventual revelations are a little disappointing. I was even left wondering if there would be a twist or perhaps a hint right at the end that the actual mastermind behind all the crimes has not been caught.

The relationship between the experienced cop and the newbie cop is cute and at times touching. It's nice, but the romance between the newbie and a woman seems rather superfluous and doesn't really make the story more interesting. (Imagine an enemies-to-lovers couple where you actually prefer it when they are enemies.)

In the end, 26 episodes for a cute bromance between the two cops with a lot of stuff that isn't very interesting seems a tad too much.

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A lot of hollow cuteness, and also somewhat disturbing

Cats. Cute guys. BL. Lots of affection and friendship. What could go wrong?

Well, if you isolate the different parts, it's all good. I wish the real cats appeared more frequently. They are adorable. The leads are cute and sweet too. There's even a bit of GL thrown in as a bonus.

But even if we don't care about the lack of a story in quite a number of episodes (the danger of Meow getting into deep trouble because his ears are revealed isn't really made use of fully), there is the awkwardness of the human-evolved cat romantic pairings. At what point does love for the cuteness of cats become romantic love for the human form of the cat?

Even if we just take the evolved cats to be more like humans who can transform into cats, the characterization of Meow is problematic. Meow doesn't seem all that young, but he behaves very much like a really young kid who does not know anything. Come on, cats grow up much faster than human beings, and why would a cat remain like a kid when a human kid has grown up into an adult who has been working for a number of years? And then the talk about Meow "growing up" in the future and Meow's seeming ignorance of romantic love makes the whole relationship between Dermdem and Meow pedophilic. Such a portrayal of Meow is very much unnecessary. Can't he simply be a young grown-up who is really innocent but is still aware of his own romantic feelings for Dermdem? (Even young teenagers are often curious about romantic relationships and sex, so Meow seems more like a toddler in a young adult's body.) There's no need to exaggerate his innocence given that this is a live action series featuring human actors.

Some parts of the series are quite nice, like the first half of Episode 8, which brings some of the significant events together. Unfortunately, overall, the potential provided by the cuteness of cats and the cuteness of the actors isn't really used.

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Nicely shot, but something seems lacking

This 2-episode miniseries doesn't have much of a story, but it probably isn't meant to have one. A group of boy scouts go camping. Wut and Ram partner up, and Wut develops a crush on Ram. Run-of-the-mill growing up issues are portrayed in the two episodes: the pangs of having a crush on someone of the same sex, the bullying of someone who does not seem masculine enough, sexual curiosity, etc. But the depiction of these scenarios is sensitive even if not exactly deep. Those who have been through similar situations will likely be able to identify with Wut.

Still, there is potential for the miniseries to be better. How Ram feels towards Wut isn't clear, and this isn't a bad thing in itself. But perhaps there could be more shown about Ram to show the complexity of the situations the youths go through. He may stand up for Wut, but couldn't this seemingly heroic figure have his own struggles too, especially when he is one person against two or perhaps more. Does the bullying come and go so easily? (Could there have been flashbacks of how Wut has been bullied in school previously?)

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Not very good either as horror or BL

If bare skin could compensate for other weaknesses in a film, this would be quite a good film. For no good reason, the male characters spend more screen time in just their underwear or less.

However, there isn't much of BL here except that one man has a one-sided love for another, and it doesn't feel at all like BL. As for horror, there are plenty of the usual tactics (ominous music, ghosts appearing in mirrors, etc) to scare those who would *not* want to watch horror because they are easily scared. The film isn't at all likely to appeal to those who actually enjoy horror.

Still, this isn't a lengthy film and if you are not expecting groundbreaking work in either BL or horror, it isn't altogether bad. There is a bit of a plot twist towards the end, though it seems like a twist that seems to exist for the sake of having a twist. One might also appreciate the characterization of Obet--the motivations for his behavior and the struggles he undergoes lend some semblance of depth to an otherwise superficial film.

And while I'm not averse to nudity in film, the focus on the men's bodies is pointless. The characters may simply be in their underwear, but does it serve the story for the camera to linger on ... whatever region the clothing is covering with more eagerness than an underwear commercial. It would actually seem more respectable if an underwear company had sponsored the film and asked for product placements. Perhaps the filmmakers are eager to have something to attract audiences, but if this is so, it is baffling why they have not gone for full-blown BL and steamy sex scenes.

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Quirky and cute, rather decent

When I saw that this was 30 episodes, I was like, "Wow, I don't think there's any Thai BL since Love Sick with so many episodes." Then I realized that each episode was only a few minutes long. Which is not a bad thing for what has been touted as a Tiktok drama. It's just as well, since I'm not really used to the unusual aspect ratio adopted.

The story is fairly OK--not particularly exciting, but sufficiently coherent and at least it is focused. One guy moves in with another as a roommate and some misunderstandings arise, giving to some mystery and some comedy. There is enough cuteness in the two roommates to satisfy BL fans who are not all that demanding.

This is not something that you would want to compare with some classic, high-budget BL series. But at least it is as entertaining as (or even more entertaining than) some BLs with 12-15 episodes of about 40 minutes each. With the focus on a limited number of characters, at least it does not drift from one couple to another. With some BLs, I complain about wasted potential. But with a production like this, I would say it has sufficiently fulfilled its potential despite less than stellar results. Several aspects of the production seem on the amateurish side, but the actors seem to have taken the production seriously, and this makes a difference.

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Nice BL that offers some lighthearted criticism of the industry

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.

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Competent in parts, hard to pin down as a whole

As a BL, this Filipino production can be rather special. It doesn't overly beautify the main characters, and it isn't shy to portray the sexual aspects of their relationship. It may be attempting some depth in commenting on class relations and political tensions, but "attempting" may well be the key word here: either the messages are painstakingly obscured despite all the historical, political and class references or the series is simply hollow and pretentious in this regard.

There is an assortment of characters living in the same block (reminiscent of the chaotic delight that the Thai BL, YYY, was). But their stories don't really intertwine in meaningful ways except maybe for the story of Kelly. There is some commendable message about the difference between a gay person and a transgender person through the character of Kelly, but the message is not very subtly stated. Perhaps this is a deliberate attempt to ridicule those who can't get the simple distinction.

Perhaps there is some commentary of class difference, with the wealthy guy an indirect beneficiary of the corrupt Marcos regime and the poor guy an indirect victim. The message may well be pacifist, focusing on reconciliation rather than confrontation. However, one may find that those who have obtained their wealth through corruption seem a tad too benign.

The series does have its strengths. The parts focusing on the sexual attraction between the male leads is competently done. There are also rather funny moments in the series. I'm not averse to the historical and political references, but they ultimately seem somewhat pointless and don't gel well with the main narrative threads.

The good thing here is that Filipino BLs have actually be venturing into terrains previously unexplored by BLs coming from countries like Thailand. They attempts do not always yield ideal results but are nonetheless laudable.

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This cross-genre series could have been a lo of fun given that it has elements of supernatural, crime and mystery. Unfortunately, a lot of potential is wasted.

An angel, Tep, wants to find out why human beings are not doing enough good to go to heaven. No human being has made it there for the past fifty years, and, judging by how the angels in heaven can congregate and form a rather small circle, I'm not sure how many people have made it there in the last 50 000 years. On earth, Tep bumps into Add, a reporter, and Tep ends up as Add's colleague in a news agency.

The supernatural concept is barely taken further even though it could have led to many funny and interesting situations. Add is able to become invisible, but his ability is seldom used and, when used, seldom leads to anything interesting.

Add is made to be a crime reporter against his wishes, and the criminal cases could, once again, have led to interesting situations for the angel and reporter pair, but the potential is once again wasted. Perhaps the intention is to focus more on Tep's mission to understand why humans are not doing good, but even this part is rather blundered. Tep vacillates between gaining insight into human beings and being even more confused than ever. (Maybe that's the point, but it's not a point that is made particularly well.)

There are some continuity issues, with events happening and leaving the viewer to think and go, "Ok..... so ....X must have happened even though it is not shown." It sometimes feels like a show that has had parts snipped by censors though this probably isn't the case since the "missing" bits do not seem like they have stuff that can be censored.

There are still things that make the series watchable. Some parts are done better than others (e.g. the part about the retired soldier threatening to bomb up a place, but the quality isn't sustained. Fluke is rather good in playing his part as Add, and his animated expressions are a nice contrast to Sunny's deadpan expressions as the angel.

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A lot of viewers seem to have something to say about Krist's acting and the views are rather polarized. Some think he can't act and has no chemistry with Punpun, the female lead. Others think he's a great actor has has wonderful chemistry with Punpun. He is not at the level where he he's so convincing in every single role that we see practically no trace of facial and verbal expressions that are probably a result of Krist being himself rather than the character. I feel that he is surprisingly good in the parts that require him to act funny and some parts with very strong emotions, but where the script doesn't offer much, he doesn't offer much either. And unfortunately, in One Night Steal, the character of Nott isn't very well written (or directed). The only really interesting character in One Night Steal is Charm, the actress with an apparent multiple personality disorder. Jonjam, who plays Charm, gets the mix of creepiness and hilarity just right.

I'm not sure if the series is an official or legit adaptation of a movie, but it has been pointed out that the story is basically taken from a movie. That aside, the premise promises fun --a man who has the worst of luck swaps his luck with a woman who has the best of luck due to their one night stand. However, there is missed potential to play up the supernatural element regarding reincarnation and karma, especially at the end of the series where one wonders if the couple have broken the cycle of taking turns to killing each other in different incarnations. (I mean, it would be more moving if their love in this lifetime were so strong that it broke the karmic cycle, wouldn't it?)

The story about Nott and Jee can get insipid at times, and one appreciates the side characters the most when this happens. Sing is so natural and does not disappoints as the hilarious GD while Pleum is really likable as the nice guy, Nueng, who is in love with Jee but never going to get a chance. (Now, one wonders what such a nice guy has done in his previous life to deserve this.)

The sad thing is that the characters are not well written in general. Jee starts off wanting to get back her luck, and I'm not sure how she falls in love with Nott along the way. Nott at one point practically turns villainous when he thinks that Jee has lied to him about being the girl with whom he has had a one night stand, but the turn in the story no sooner occurs than it is dropped. And then Nott and Nueng uncharacteristically have a huge (physical) fight over Jee--I guess for no other reason than to serve the plot of having Jee abducted by Charm. Even Charm, the most interesting character, suddenly switches to her good self soon after abducting Jee, presumably because the drama cannot drag on much further.

If nothing else interests you, perhaps the songs in the series might. They are performed very well and blend into the story. Nott, Nueng and GD look convincing as a band. (Pleum looks especially charming when he is singing.)

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The story begins with Ton breaking up with someone over the phone, and we are likely to assume that it's the other main character, Tawan, but this will turn out to be a wrong assumption.

Perhaps the story would merely be an unimpressive tearjerker if it had involved a straight couple, but where gay love stories are concerned, it is still fairly refreshing to have a show that doesn't focus on sex-crazed gay culture, innocent schoolboy love or struggles with homophobia in society. It is a simple love story about two men who love each other, with Tawan being the older man who has given a lot to his younger lover.

It turns out that Tawan is dying of late stage cancer and has decided to break up with Ton who is oblivious to Tawan's condition. As Ton's superior or boss at work, Tawan has even planted a female secretary, whom he knows will get along very well with Ton, to work with Ton.

Even though Ton ends up sleeping with the secretary who seems unaware of Tawan's plan, the ethics of employing the woman for this purpose is questionable and not addressed. And why Tawan chooses a female rather than a male person is also, unfortunately, not explained.

We also do not know the reasons behind Tawan's coldness towards Ton from the start. The decision to reveal Tawan's motivations later rather than earlier in the story has its pros and cons. The good thing is that there is a bit of a twist though one may be half-expecting it. The bad thing is that we may not feel so much for the characters until quite late in the story.

In any case, things do not go as Tawan has planned. After Tawan breaks up with him, an upset Ton gets into an accident and loses his sight and needs cornea donation to see again. So, expectedly, it's going to be Tawan who sacrifices by donating his cornea. What I don't get is how Tawan manages to do so before his death. (Is it even allowed?) The logic of the story aside, Ton regains his sight and looks for Tawan, who doesn't seem to have expected Ton to look for him, and the documents that will reveal the truth about Tawan's health, the secretary's employment and Tawan's cornea donation are lying in plain sight for Ton to see. Don't try to be too rational with the story here or it will spoil things for you.

The ending is bittersweet. Almost callously, Ton breaks up with the secretary (not that he is even a couple with her to begin with) and is by Tawan's side for what remains of his life. Despite the cliches in the story, Choose does come across as a sincere effort to tell a story about two men who truly love each other even when they are met with the worst challenges that life throws at them. It's nice to see a Thai production venture into new terrain with a story involving gay men--the typical BL is fairly lucrative, so we can see why companies would create them, but stories that aren't going to be commercially very successful deserve a chance.

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