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Reality check
Now this one was totally different than any other BL drama I've watched so far!This drama definitely won't suit some people's taste, I'll take myself as an example. If this drama aired in 2019-2020, when I just started watching BL dramas, I know that I'd probably drop it/won't be interested in it :( when I started I just wanted to watch some fluff/nothing too serious, also we can say that compared to me from today, I was more immature back then 🤷‍♀️
If you expect just fluff or if you expect something 18+ happening, I don't think you'll like it. To like this drama I guess you have to understand it. I don't blame anyone who disliked this drama, maybe try watching it once again one day when you have a different mindset, maybe it'll hit you differently.
This drama is literally a life lesson, not everything goes the way we want it to go, but we can fight for what we want, but also we should know when to put the ball down and stop the game. The characters didn't just talk into the open so the wind can blow away their words, words they said/discussions they had, are actally deep. As for the ending, I'm not sad/disappointed abut it at all, because YES that's life 🤷‍♀️and yes, since life is hard to everyone in their own way, we prefer a light, funny, happy and "daydream" drama (I'm saying this because I also prefer those light cute dramas), but sometimes, it's good to watch a drama like this as well!
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More than BL, a true artistic piece
Edit for ep 8: NOTHING, and I cannot emphasis more on that, has ever moved me in a way this show has. This not romance, this is not bl, this is not drama, this is real life. This show is a direct, raw, almost cruel reflection of reality that so many of us live in. And just like real life, there is no happy ending. Just moments of happiness followed by grief and the cycle continues. This show is an experience, a thing to feel, to think, to ponder upon. Watch this only if you can handle the harsh truths of reality because this show is explicit in it's delivery of emotions and struggles.Original review: Firstly I'm going to say, don't start this series if all you look for in a bl are s sex cenes, cliche troupes and hot dialogues. Go watch something else because to enjoy this series you need to forget what you have seen in bls till now.
I literally created this account to leave this review because people aren't understanding the depth this series has. It was created by Punnasak Sukee who is an artist of Thai Modern Theatre and you can see it in this series. Everything from the opening credit to even a blink carries meaning and weight. This series is about 4 people, and we see 3 of them. That's it, no third wheeling girl, no homophobic parents, no dramatic friends, this is about 3 people and them only. This is not a show, it's an analysis of human psyche, presented to you in the form of 3 characters.
And the reason why I saw it's more than bl is not because bl shows are shallow, I love them as well, but the topics this series focuses upon are much more than just 2 men falling in love. It's about their life, their experiences, their demons, and amidst trying to fight all that, they will find love.
If chemistry b/w leads is important for you, then don't worry, because this show has more sexual tension than any you might have seen. It's not explicit, it's not violent; it's subtle and soft but just as ever-present. It so slow burn, 100k word novels will look short in front of it. But it's worth it, its so worth it.
It's a true artistic piece, it needs patience. Don't start it if you don't have that.
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A masterpiece
The few characters and basically two settings (inside and outside the house, if we exclude their home in Bangkok in episode1) gave the perfect vibes of a theatrical piece.The story is totally original for a BL (to be fair, this is not a BL in its pure essence): a son with a complex relationship with his mom and a strong love for the dead dad finds his way to the exact longitude and latitude of the one friend of his parents that knows the truth about their family secret.
The acting was pure masterclass. Even Pond (the actor playing Wang) is extremely stunning, despite the young age. The other two actors have great performances too. The feelings were so real you could touch them.
The music and the OST (sung by Pond) are pretty on point, and start at the exact time to fill the silence and accompany the feeling.
Despite the bitter finale (which I find realistic and maybe even the best one to conclude the show), I'd love to rewatch it because the performances were undeniably awesome and the topics were important and well-discussed.
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52 Blue
I enjoyed this drama series to the extent that it compelled me to write a review about it. I have rarely watched such a drama which made me feel this conflicted. There was no clear side to choose from and no clear character to root for. At the same time I felt completely involved in all three characters and indentified with them on many levels.This is a story about three characters. How their past caught up with them and how all three reacted in different ways. It's a story about lost chances, deep scars, finding and acknowledging one's identiy, healing, moving on and much much more.
The setting of the drama is like a stage play. Only three characters, set in one house with long dialogues between characters. But in no point I felt bored. In fact it felt like a thriller at times where each character was revealing somehting that helped solved the puzzle that was this drama.
The story is a-typical. Where love is portrayed as a means of self-exploration and realization. Love is not treated as the remedy to all problems rather a way to face the reality. And the reality is different for each character. It is a love story but one where love alows the characters to face their darkest fears and come to terms with it.
each actor playing the three characters did brilliant. I could relate with all three. In many instances I found myself in all three of them.
The visuals and color palette of the drama is spectacular. Each character wore a specific color through out the series and it blended with the settling seamlessly. The camera angles and shots were manipulated as such that each frame felt like a painting.
Finally the direction, it is the director's debut venture (as far as I know). He is a veteran theater director. Hence the treatment of the drama was very fresh. I have become a fan and will look forward to his work in future.
I hope this drama gets wide spread acknowledgement both at home and globally. I will come back to it.
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Honestly, some of the best acting I've ever seen
The success of this drama heavily relied on the performance of its main leads and they did not disappoint. Just spectacular acting all throughout the series. Pond Ponlawit Ketprapakorn's portrayal of Wang is exceptional. In each episode, you will feel the emotions of the lead actors on the screen and what they are going through. And the story itself does a great job of illustrating the complexity of love and sorrow. This is one of the best series from Thailand in 2022, and it deserves more recognition. Definitely, a great watch from start to end.Was this review helpful to you?
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That was actually beautiful
I’m going to be completely honest, I almost didn’t watch this series because of the age gap. And I almost stopped when the series started implying that Wang’s father had feelings for In and vise versa because I found it weird which I mean it is weird considering In also has feelings for Wang but that’s really the only negative thing I have to say about this blFirst off, the writing and acting was outstanding. I love how realistic the show was, which is hard to find in a lot of bls. I also really liked the pacing. The slow but not too slow pacing made the story feel so calm and peaceful, which made the tense moments even tenser. The acting was really good and believable too, especially for Wang.
I don’t really have much to say about the music since if I’m being honest I didn’t pay much attention to it, but I don’t remember it being super distracting or sounding like the same track that’s played in 10 other bls so I’d say it was good enough for me lol
Anyways, this show is really up to personal taste as most shows are. If you can overlook the big age gap between the 2 characters I’d definitely highly recommend this bl B)
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One of the most boring serieses ever...
It was nice that for once the emotional relationship was the focus and not the physical one! So I found it really good that the point was not to sleep together etc.Also the acting and the cinematic and aesthetic things were nice!
BUT! for 8!!!!! EPISODES! they always talked about the same thing! there was almost zero development..... everything what happened im this 8 episode could have been easily summarised in 2-3 episodes....
It was a good idea and I think the ending was also kinda realistic, but everything else was really disappointing.....
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A masterpiece
This series is perfect in all ways. There are no flaws that I can point out. This is literally a work of art. The story is so mesmerizing and heavy. Even though the shooting only took place in one location and it only the characters talking, they did it so good. This is why you call a character driven story. The story of Wang and In was done so beautifully. Wang is a person that is doesn't have any ambitions and knows what he wants to do in life. But when he found the thing he wanted, he fights for it even it hurts him. It was beautiful seeing his growth. He looked like a cocky person that knows all but as you continue his story, he is actually a person that is lonely and yearning for love. In on the other hand, seems like a person who it intelligent, composed and rational but when hardship arrives he tend to run from it and avoid it. He is a coward and he stayed a coward till the end. It was nicely depicted that some people can't change no matter how much we try. In the end, In stayed in misery and choose to stay in misery. He never even said 'I love you' to wang. though his actions and gestures displayed it so obviously. It was sad to see this ending even thought it was highly predictable from the first episode. But I think it was a nice way to end thing. I am a person that doesn't like sad endings. I don't like reality to come with my fiction, but still I am alright that it ended this way. This series may not be for everyone, since it is a character driven story and only focuses on the characters. So some may not like, but if you're into things that are plot heavy and focus on the characters, with deep dialogs. You should definitely, no you MUST try this. The actors did such a splendid job. Pond is a terrific actor, when he cried, I cry, when he was happy I was happy. He displayed emotions of someone who is cocky but is lonely and yearning for love so well. As well as Nike. You may not notice it at the beginning but when it was an emotional scene, he did it so well. As well Mam, she made me annoyed of her and that was her character so she did a splendid job lol. The music also was spectacular. Like I said this series is a masterpiece so I am just repeating the words now lol. One of the best Bl, which I would say you can't even say it is a bl. More like a lgbt+ series. Beautiful, outstanding and a work of art.Was this review helpful to you?
Close to Gorgeous
I really enjoyed a lot about this. The story was genuine and raw and felt very new to this genre and very engaging.I felt like the chemistry and attraction was gorgeous to watch on screen though.
I did feel like some of the acting wasn't my favorite, and the plot was a bit convoluted. Sometimes it seemed like a scene that should take 2 minutes took 20 minutes, just for dramatic pauses and long speeches about something that was so long-winded.
I did really enjoy it though and would probably recommend.
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Cinematographic masterpiece full of emotions
This drama is artistic, like a theatre piece (only 3 characters)Brilliant acting of only **two** (three) actors in story which happens in only few days. The drama is heavy on emotions, hidden or open. The scriptwriter wrote amazing lines, every sentence has more meaning and you have to think while watching this. There is lot of symbolism too. The story is slowly opening till it explodes with every episodes until the climax at the end. The development of the characters, the acting itself, amazing. These characters will be forever engraved in my heart.
The cinematography has pulled me in from the first trailer, wonderful quality, coloring, shots. The location is architecture house in the tropical Thai forest, which also supports the story and the characters. The OST and accompanying music fit the mood greatly.
Some of many quotes I loved:
Quote: "Some ppl will never see us as their equals."
Quote: "It's just tolerance, not acceptance."
Quote: "People may live in the same world, but people experience it differently. "
Quote: "Sometimes we can't change people, because some people just don't change. "
Quote: "You shouldn't force your views and think for others."
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Family is politics.
Cinematography, storytelling, casting and acting, symbolism, the simple, yet complex nature of this drama is simply mesmerizing. It will pull you in, won't let go and break your heart in the end, because nothing is more complicated than human nature. This show is about how one person influenced the lives of another three people that keep dwelling on the past and keep hurting each other in the process, leaving their scars open and gapping, instead of tending to them.“People keep saying they are okay with you being gay - but it’s not acceptance, just tolerance.”
N O T S P O I L E R F R E E / N O M A J O R S P O I L E R S
Sasiwimol and her son Wang are influenced by the loss of their dad, husband Siam. Sasiwimol doesn't like to talk about him, since she's not able to reminisce on the good things, so Wang has to find someone, who knows his father well and is able to tell him more about the person he lost and the one turns out to be an old family friend, In. In the span of a few days, Wang uncovers more than he maybe would wish for...
180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us shows us how powerful unresolved trauma and regret can be, how expressing our feelings and being truthful to ourselves and others can hurt so much so to heal means cutting people out of your life.
The Great Sasiwimol, successful producer and mother of Wang, always energetic and with a sharp mouth, yet a carrier of trauma of her husband passing away drunk driving. Sasiwimol keeps hurting herself and her son, sending him to boarding school and seeing him only during the weekends, not really listening to him or accepting his opinions, because her own opinion is the only one that matters. Maybe she can't listen to him, as Wang resembles his father too much and it's painful for her just to look at him, or she's simply ashamed of being a single mother, not introducing Wang to any of her friends, lovers, not mentioning him during her speech. She projects her insecurities onto Wang, keeps being homophobic, toxic to her suroundings, gaslighting people into doing things she wants them to do.
Wang, who lost his closest person, his father, was backstabbed by his mother for sending him away, bullied and defending others from bullies during his school days and figuring out his own sexual preferences he could never talk about with anyone, especially not with his mother. The suddenly missing father figure pushes him closer to In, who keeps wallowing in the sadness and who doesn't want to get on anyone's bad side by playing a diplomat, which doesn't help anyone. Wang, even for being only 20 years old, is the most mature one in this doomed triangle.
Lastly In, who shut himself away from the world. He likes to say he likes his quiet, but maybe he's just running away from his problems which used to be Sasiwimol and her husband, later on his own feelings of betrayal, hurt and regret, that haunts him now in the form of Wang. Wang who is too much like his father, like In's best friend, his idol he abandoned when Siam needed him the most. When Wang's father was there for him, but In wasn't there when he realized his and his own feelings, that could tear Wang's parents apart. And now, years later, he serves as a catalyst between Wang and Sasiwimol.
There's no good way of handling the situation those three find themselves in. Someone will get hurt and it will only get worse, before it gets better. But the change needs to happen, if they like it or not.
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