OK BL, but doesn't seem like anything special

Note: I'm reviewing only "Love Mechanics" (4 episodes) without having watched the earlier part of En of Love (TOSSARA) that have the same characters but feature other couples as the main characters. As Love Mechanics has a page of its own here, I hope this review will be be useful for those who may want to watch Love Mechanics without watching the other parts. If I watch the other related parts and change my views, I will add my thoughts after the initial review.

Initial Review:
If you haven't watched En of Love: TOSSARA, which came out before Love Mechanics, you may find the beginning of Love Mechanics abrupt and even bizarre. My guess is that watching the earlier part of En of Love will help make Love Mechanics a bit more appealing.

At the beginning, Mark is drunk and mistakes Vee for a guy he is in love with (Bar). Bar has rejected Mark, and the drunken mark ends up having a one-night stand with Vee. Vee is not drunk, but inexplicably has sex with Mark. It turns out that Vee already has a girlfriend. (Those who have watched TOSSARA will probably already know that Vee has a girlfriend.)

What doesn't quite make sense for me is how Mark and Vee develop affections for each other. I doubt watching the other parts helps with this--after all, Mark has been in love with Bar for some time, and Vee seems to have a reputation for being a faithful boyfriend.

I feel that watching Love Mechanics as a standalone series doesn't make me feel much for the the main characters, Mark and Vee, in the first two episodes. By the time I found myself caring more about their relationship, it's the middle of Episode 3 (and only 2 of the 5 parts of the last episode, Episode 4, actually continues the story).

It's not hard to figure out what's going on after a short while watching Love Mechanics, but this production from Studio Wabi Sabi seems to be rather bland, especially in comparison with the really good (imo) Until We Meet Again. To its credit, the approach of dividing En of Love into different series that can roughly work as standalone mini series on their own may be a good thing. Many Thai dramas suffer from the "Too Many Characters" Syndrome, making the shifts in focus rather disorienting (and not in a good way). Also, at the very least, it hasn't put me off watching the other parts of En of Love.

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Funny and cute though not exceptional

The episodes for this series were released on GMMTV’s YouTube channel on Friday nights after the impressive and much-praised 100stars ended. It seems that this invited some comparisons, but this is a much more typical BL.
In Fish Upon the Sky, the main characters are university students (what’s new?) and we have a main and side couple. But Thai BL series this year seem to have a greater tendency to be self-reflexive, displaying and sometimes questioning BL conventions. This is in many way a typical BL, but like Lovely Writer, it also critiques the dark side of the BL fandom’s shipping.

The main couple is Pi and Mork. We see in Pi a rather familiar ugly duckling trope. GMMTV probably has to try harder to convince me about the ugly part, but it is interesting that Pi’s transformation to a swan takes place quite early in the story. This makes it a somewhat different spin to the ugly duckling trope – Pi remains awkward and diffident in many ways (though this isn’t always made obvious). But Pi’s behavior must be seen in this light. At first, he has a crush on Muang Nan, and seems to be a total dick to Mork, who secretly likes Pi and wants to befriend him. For a while, Pi rebuffs Mork regardless of how nice Mork is to him. This is quite plausible since Pi, as an ugly duckling, is used to people wanting to make use of him when they talk to him—he simply doesn’t believe that people would want to be his friend. (The affable Muang Nan, who doesn’t try to get close to him or get anything out of him, may be different in his eyes,)

When Pi and Mork eventually becomes a couple, Pi’s demands seem a tad unreasonable as one of the conditions is that Mork must keep their relationship a secret. This clearly isn’t because Pi is in the closet—he is quite openly gay except to his parents (earlier in the story). But I believe this is quite likely for someone who feels insecure—he neither wants to be mocked for being with a guy beyond his league nor be laughed at should the relationship not work out. The fact is that he has fallen in love with Mork even whilst he’s trying to convince himself that he is still in love with Muang Nan (his vehement denial that he is actually in love with Mork proves the suspicion). There is a beautifully shot scene of Mork helping Pi wash his hands after a lab session, which shows how in love Pi is.

The side couple is Duean and Meen. The series calls this “The Story of a Firth Year Student”—and the focus is on Duean, Pi’s elder brother, who should have graduated but has to retake a course before graduating. While the Pi/Mork parts of the series can be funny, the really comic parts are in the Duean/Meen segments. They aren’t really that interesting as a couple and they do not even become one by Episode 11 despite Duean’s open admission to Mork (Meen’s brother) about how he feels towards Meen. Nevertheless, Duean’s silly behavior can be really hilarious, especially in the first half of the series or so. He may not be someone you would want to meet in real life, but he’s entertaining as a character. He often behaves like an ass only to end up regretting his behavior and having to make up for what he has done, like when he gives Meen’s bottle away and then has to go through a whole lot of trouble to get it back when he thinks that it is a present from Meen’s late mother (she’s very much alive).

Unfortunately, Duean and Meen do not get developed much as a couple. There are obvious couple vibes from early on, and we know that they are supposed to be the side couple, but there isn’t that much of a love story despite the entertainment the scenes with Duean provides in the series. With Pi and Mork, we do at least get to see the transitions from hostility to tolerance and then to friendship and romance. With Duean and Meen, we get to see Duean’s diminishing assholery towards Meen, but there could have been more. I actually like The Story of a Fifth Year Student and wish there had been more attention on it.

This series will certainly not be everyone’s cup of tea. You are not going to get Tharntype’s sort of skinship (hey, the actor for Pi has not even turned eighteen). Neither will you get the 1000stars sort of touching grown-up love story. But you do get quite a decent BL comedy with rather high production values. To me, it’s better than recent offerings like the somewhat disappointing Tonhon and Chonlatee, the rather forgettable Gen-Y and the disjointed The Cupid Coach.

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Interesting premise but turns out messy

Although parallel-universe plots seem to be getting a little overdone these days, the series still had an interesting premise. Mum wanting to save Dew's life by traveling to an parallel universe is an engaging character goal. Unfortunately, as the story progresses, it gets a tad too messy and bizarre. It can be rather hard to follow (even more so w ahen third parallel universe emerges while the first two parallel universes are not even clearly sorted out). The rather interesting mystery regarding the identity of the person wanting to kill Dew also fizzles out and gets lost in a tangled mess.

To complicate matters further, there is one Mum and one Dew in each parallel universe. This isn't unexpected, but while we start with the idea that Mum in Universe 1 falls in love with Dew from Universe 2 and that the same people can have at least slightly different personalities across the universes, we also end up with the characters behaving as though their love interest in one universe can actually be substituted with their counterpart in another universe: Mum 1 loves Dew 2, but after failing to save Dew 2's life, Mum 1 somehow falls for Dew 1, practically treating Dew 1 as a substitute. Perhaps there is some deep philosophical question to be explored here, but I don't really see it being explored. And it can destroy our sense that the characters are even truly in love.

Eventually, what is there to love about this series? You can take away the parallel universe concept entirely and I dare say most viewers are not going to miss it. You can even make Mum and Dew characters who are not in parallel universes (just turn it into some time travel premise), and the story might well turn out better. In fact, you can even turn Mum and Dew into the side couple and the story might just become better. It seems that what is universally loved is Wee and Game, the side couple who really deserve to be the main couple in a story without any parallel universe premise. And this shows how the main story falls flat.

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Nice addition to The Untamed but doesn't work as a standalone

This is for fans of The Untamed--not in the sense that it is so bad that only die-hard fans will like it, but in the sense that those who have not watched The Untamed or know the story in some other way will not be able to appreciate it. It will seem like a random story with a perplexing ending to those who have no idea what The Untamed is about, so it's not a good standalone movie, At 80+ minutes, the movie isn't exactly long, and there is room for more scenes, especially at the end.

I suppose one difficulty of having more scenes if that it will inevitably involve more actors from The Untamed who may not be able or willing to commit to filming the movie, (Or maybe there simply isn't enough budget.) Also, even if there are more scenes added, there may be overlaps with the series (so is the solution then to re-film some scenes?).

The focus on Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue in this movie offers an interesting addendum of sorts to The Untamed. It gives insight into the character of Nie Huaisang and why he may be motivated to orchestrate the downfall of the villain in The Untamed. The ending of The Untamed does give the sense that it is to take revenge, but it remains ambivalent as to whether Nie Huaisang is another ambitious person trying to gain power or he simply wants to see the villain's downfall.

Some questions that one has after watching The Untamed remain though. For instance, how does Nie Huaisang know about the range of the villain's misdeeds? In this movie, he discovers that his brother's death is caused by the villain, buthow about all the other evil deeds? Of course, to reveal more will require the inclusion of characters like Wei Wuxian (is there enough budget to get Xiao Zhan into the movie for a role that isn't the focus?).

One may be happy enough with The Untamed's fifty episodes. We do have a strong hint that Nie Huaisang isn't really an evil person even though he has enough intelligence to be a frightening villain if he wants. (Contrast it with the anime version of the story in which Nie Huaisang may be the next villain rising to a position of power.)

Ultimately, perhaps a better story can be told about the Nie brothers. As it is, we have flashbacks to the past with the brothers as kids, showing how close they are. We also have Nie Huaisang being shown to be clearly uninterested in power--he is rather cowardly but he also has a strong sense of righteousness, so much so that he would admonish his brother for doing questionable things. Why not include how he discovers the way to bring Wei Wuxian back to life and why. Why not show whether he has ruthlessly made use of Mo Xuanyu (who sacrifices his life to resurrect Wei Wuxian) or whether Mo Xuanyu is a willing party? (He starts off being a really good person, but does the quest for vengeance change him?) Instead of protracted fight sequences that don't do that much for me, I wish there had been effort to make the story a good standalone movie that can even serve as a good introduction to The Untamed for those who still have not watched the series.

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It is a good thing that Season 3 of Wu Xin: The Monster Killer is actually a prequel, set centuries before Seasons 1 and 2. It is somewhat predictable, but Season 3 eventually explains why Wu Xin goes into a deep sleep every 100 years, (it's not something inevitable although he might not realize it) after which he forgets (almost) everything. It is not directly stated, but this memory erasure is probably also why Wu Xin does not have any magical powers except for using his blood to kill evil beings--he actually used to have some magical powers, but his memory erasure may also mean that he has no recollection most of his powers. The beginnings of Wu Xin's friendship with Bai Liu Li, alluded to in Season 2, is also explained.

Of the three seasons, Season 3 probably has the best romance plot, which is quite nicely integrated into the main story. Sabrina Chen (the villain in Season 1, and another character in Season 2) plays Wu Xin's love interest in Season 3. For reasons unknown, Sabrina Chen gets to play a male character again (like in Season 2), though it makes sense in Season 3 because there is a pair of male/female identical twins in the story.

The supernatural aspects of the story, on the other hand, doesn't turn out to be as strong. Like a detective series that moves on from one murder case to another, Wu Xin Season 3 moves from one supernatural case to another before finally getting to the central supernatural antagonist. Then in the final episode ... I'm not even sure how the villain is defeated.

On the other hand, beyond the supernatural villains, the human characters are interestingly complex. Some of the most detestable characters have rather poignant moments in the series. The male twin played by Sabrina Chen is also morally ambiguous in a convincing way. Chen's performance is excellent as she not only manages to play both the male and the female twins well but also manages to pull off some scenes when the two twins inhabit the same body (and the personalities get a little mixed).

Elvis Han is simply be playing Wu Xin yet again without much room for him to impress us with his acting. However, the pathos in the character of Wu Xin is surfaced quite well--his immortality brings him misery as he is doomed to repeatedly experience the agony of being separated from people he has affections for no matter how long he lives happily with them: he can have both happily and ever after, but he can't have happily ever after.

Season 3 can either be a satisfying end to the Wu Xin series or pave the way for a Season 4, which I won't mind. Perhaps one set in the contemporary era?

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Good but could have been great

The first twenty episodes were really impressive, but the standard drops somewhat in the second half of the series despite some really ingenious scenes. The scene where the characters start showing a split personality is hilarious, and I see it as the equivalent of showing a hidden middle finger and making a face behind the back of the censors.

It's a pity that some Chinese productions seem to have the potentials to make BL dramas that would easily put the bulk of Thai and other BL dramas to shame but are hampered by ridiculous censorship laws. Still, the entire Guardian team has managed to pull of something quite stunning for 39 episodes. The BL elements from the source material are removed but one does not even have to fantasize about the love the two main characters have for each other because it's so darn obvious despite not being directly expressed. Including obvious supernatural elements under the pretext that everything can be explained by science (even if science can't already explain it) is clever and almost pushes the series to the level of satire, but this is never blatant. Unfortunately, the ending was a bit of a disappointment--it's not very clear what is going on and it seems hurried. The plot is also less well developed in the second half and has some plot holes that could have been avoided because they are just minor details (like how one of the characters claims that he has learnt first aid and knows how to dress someone's would in an earlier episode but is later said to be totally unskilled in dressing wounds).

Certain parts of the dialogue have been dubbed over. I have read that it is because of censorship, but I can't imagine how the characters could even be saying something that the censors would object to in many of these scenes. Whatever the reason is, the dubbing does affect the viewing experience though not to the extent of making the show unwatchable.

The series is clearly one that could have been great but fails to fully fulfill its potential due to external factors like censorship. It's a pity. Still, the series manages to be quite good despite the unevenness of the second half and is worth a watch.

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There's indeed nothing all that special about TOSSARA, but the story is fine and the delivery is acceptable.

Gun has been in love with Bar for several years, but he has never dared to confess to Bar until Bar loses his engineering gear. (Yes, there are several nods to SOTUS, which unfortunately invites comparison with a classic BL).

A lot of people are unhappy with casting Win as Gun because he doesn't look the part of the handsome, muscular guy whom lots of girls in his university go crazy over. I can understand this, and I partly blame it on the make-up department who could have at least given him a nicer hairstyle and image. But I find that he is pleasant looking (he looks better in an interview than in the series) and has played his role well enough. I originally thought that the element about Gun being a very handsome and popular guy was unnecessary for the story and should have been modified after Win was chosen to play Gun. However, it does become quite important for the story, particularly in the freshy competitions scene in which Gun publicly expresses his love for Bar and asks Bar to be his boyfriend.

Win actually plays the part of an infatuated Gun rather well even though it is a bit of a stretch to imagine him as this handsome, muscular popular guy. After a while, he does look fairly compatible with Folk who plays Bar. Folk, on the other hand, is cute but his acting is inconsistent. He doesn't seem able to convey Bar's underlying affection for Gun when Bar is putting up a tough front.

Bar's change from being reluctant to let Gun hit on him to feeling affection for Gun also seems rather sudden. We see that he has fallen for Gun but we don't see why or how this happened. In fact, Gun merely flirts with him for a week and suddenly he seems to be in love with Gun.

The series is not an example of a great BL series, but the couple is rather likable. Both Gun and Bar may get unnecessarily jealous, but the ultimately have rather human concerns and genuine affection for each other. Not a bad watch if you have run out of BLs to watch.

One thing that could certainly be better is a stronger exposition of the characters that would be the main characters in Love Mechanics. I watched Love Mechanics first, but watching TOSSARA hardly makes me understand Love Mechanics better.

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I find this a really watchable BL drama although the story could have been stronger. There is enough to get us to like and care about the characters, but not enough to make the story strong and unforgettable.

The Characters and Story
The main couple, Fighter and Tutor, have interesting personalities. They are similar in some ways, which make them an interesting match. Fighter appears to be the one who is more aloof and even domineering, but he is in fact rather insecure and lacks the confidence to be honest about his feelings for Tutor. Tutor outwardly seems gentler, but there is both a tough side to him and a vulnerable side to him. This may sound contradictory, but it makes sense: while Tutor is by no means a weakling, he often finds himself faced with situations in which he has to be stronger than he really is and has to force himself to act as though he can handle the situations.

The similarity in their personalities is perhaps also what makes them keep their attraction to each other for so long, apart from how Fighter's father is trying to make him date a girl (Hwahwa, Tutor's friend) for the sake of business. In fact, Fighter and Tutor are attracted to each other the first time (or soon after) they meet. Fighter admits it towards the end of the series, and Tutor is shown to have kept the piece of paper on which Fighter has written his name. On Tutor's part, this is already quite strongly suggested from the time Fighter brings him and drink and he tries to get Fighter to say so--his disappointment when Fighter later gives the drink to Hwahwa instead is telling. On Fighter's part, it less obvious, which may cause his behaviour to seem rather bewildering. I think the story would have been more engaging if their mutual attraction had been clear early on, with misunderstandings occurring to prevent them from knowing each other's feelings.

The side couple, Saifah and Zon, is cuteness overload although their story isn't really a strong point in the series. I like the way Zon starts from being shocked by how his sister's BL story is coming true but becomes more open to being with Saifah and eventually fantasizes about it. The main couple naturally needs to have more drama because the side couple has so little drama. Unfortunately, the "drama" in Fighter and Tutor's relationship is one of the weaknesses of the series. The problem with Fighter's father is so easily and suddenly resolved that one may be left incredulous. The ending seems rushed although I believe no one really minds the happy ending.

Saint's Acting
One thing I liked about this series is Saint's acting. I thought it would be hard for me to imagine Saint as anything but Pete in Love by Chance. But it turns out that I didn't find myself sayng, "Go back to Ae, Pete!" It helps that Tutor has a very different personality from Pete, but I find that Saint has portrayed the gentle and vulnerable side of Tutor quite differently from the way he portrayed Pete. I think this isn't easy, and Saint has handled his role well. At times, I did find that the role stretched a young actor like him a little too much. The director has chosen to show Tutor's character in rather demanding ways early in the series, quite often having Tutor put on a strong front in front of others only to turn around and reveal his sadness and vulnerability when no one is looking. Saint handled these scenes fairly well although the transitions from the front Tutor puts on to the revelation of his true emotions could perhaps have been better.

The Male Characters
Another thing to like about this series is the range of masculinities portrayed. The series veers from extremes (as indicated by Fighter and Tutor's personalities), and has male characters who are more conventionally masculine as well as those who are more androgynous or even effeminate without negatively portraying those who are not conventionally masculine. The owner of the cafe Tutor works in may seem stereotypically effeminate at first, but there's more to him than just the usual ornamental effeminate character meant for laughs. Although the series is woke in this regard, some may feel uncomfortable about how Fighter almost forces himself on Tutor after Tutor breaks up with him and pretends to be intimate with another guy. At least, however, Fighter does not win Tutor back in this way.

The Subs
One thing that could have been better for international fans is the translation (though I'm really grateful there are even English subs). For example, the subtitles kept saying "cringy" instead of "clingy". I suspect the translation may affect how international viewers understand the dynamics in Fighter and Tutor's relationship. For example, the subs could be the reason I'm not sure why Fighter seems perturbed by the idea of having sex with Tutor a second time at the beach. They could also be why I'm unsure whether there was any intention to hint that they might reverse their top/bottom roles though maybe it's just me imagining things.

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The most common response I've seen for this series is that it is a disappointment. This is probably because many fans who watched 2Moons (Season 1) were expecting something better as many members of the same cast are in this production.

It may be a little better for me. Although I have watched 2Moons, I merely stumbled upon this series. However, it is still a rather weak production.

The story isn't very interesting, and, to make matters worse, it is full of holes. It also suffers from having too many characters, none of whom is developed sufficiently. There are characters with potentially interesting back stories (e.g. Tone, Toey and Pong), but they do not get enough attention. For example, it remains unclear what Toey's father expects from him. Tone's story involves a sick mother who needs mother for medical treatment, but little so little is shown about their relationship ship from the start that when the mother is on the verge of dying, the emotional peak is compromised.

To be fair, there is at least a fairly discernible story in this series (compared to say, I am Your King, Season 2). It isn't altogether that hard to watch from one episode to another, especially if you have managed to get past the learning curve of recognizing all the different characters.

Unfortunately, the baiting of BL fans is rather annoying in this series. There is a real BL couple, though there is not much about their romance. The consolation is that that the BL couple is the only instance where hints of romantic interest get anywhere, and the couple does have a happy ending. On the other hand, there are obvious moments planted to bait BL fans, e.g. there are moments between Kin and Pong (played by the actors for Ming and Kit in 2Moons I) that seem to have been added in solely to lure viewers to watch the next segment or episode. Toey's behaviour towards Tone towards the end of the series, too, may have hints of BL, but they seem rather pointless.

One positive thing I would like to mention is the casting and acting of Bas as Toey. Although the character got a lot of hate from viewers at the start, I felt that he was quite early on suggested to be a spoiled and bad-tempered person who has moments of soft-heartedness. Despite his anger when he thinks that Tone has got him into trouble, he seems sympathetic when he overhears Tone talking to his aunt about his financial problems. True enough, Toey does prove to be more good-natured towards the end of the series and also does overcome some of his character flaws. Unfortunately, the change in the character suffers from a lack of development and is likely to come across as being rather sudden, even to those who have paid attention to how he isn't a horrible person to begin with.

If you don't set your hopes too high, the series can still be at least ok in terms of entertainment value. But if you are a BL fan who only wants to watch BL, perhaps you can pray that someone makes a BL cut. I'm guessing that cut of the BL couple's key scenes may even be an episode long.

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Not bad, but the ending isn't going to please everyone

Verdict after watching the entire series:

When the series started, everyone was kept wondering if the series would be BL or have a true BL element. By the end of the series, the answer is halfway between a yes and a no.

So the Way/Kim ship really did materialise in the sense that they do turn out to have affections for each other. However, in a modification of the body swap concept, Kim does not really swap bodies with Pan--it's Pan switching between two bodies, and Kim has actually died. Like the characters, we realise in retrospect that Way and Kim do love each other, but nothing really comes out of this because Kim has died.

To be sure, the ending isn't exactly Make-Our-Days-Count sort of awful, it still doesn't sit that well in a series that has spent most episodes being really fun and lighthearted. To its credit, the ending doesn't is not made to seem all that sad, but it is not really a great twist that Kim is actually supposed to die from the start. Also, everything about his affection for Way is inferred by his past actions, and we don't get to see Kim expressing his love for Way. (Couldn't there have been a couple of flashbacks to the time before Kim dies? E.g. how about a flashback to the time he booked the air tickets and wrote #waykimforever on them?)

Yes, I do get it that there is supposedly some deeper message about treasuring today (not unlike MODC), but is this really the sort of message that will be delivered with impact in this series? In the end, the most interesting thing I can imagine the series doing is to make fun of such messages, like how it good-naturedly makes fun of (or at least have fun with) concepts like body-swapping, BL shipping, etc.

The BL element aside, the Pan/Khet story is cute, with Ohm delivering a show-stealing performance as Khet despite not having exactly a meaty role to play. Khet is the most consistent and believable character in the series whereas something doesn't quite add up with the character of Kim despite all the interesting twists.

I actually think the series has the potential to be a classic if it has a better ending. Even if it turns out that Kim's soul has been trapped somewhere and only returns to his body at the last minute, it will be better than the somewhat affected delivering of some "deep message". I see speculations that there could be a Season 2 with Kim not dying--who knows? It would be hard because Kim's body is either buried or cremated since there's a funeral for him. A further twist is likely to stretch the limits of believability too much or invalidate the good ending for Pan/Khet. (But if you see my comments for Episodes 10-12 below, you will notice that the series does tease us with the possibility of a Season 2.)

Comments after Watching Episodes 1-3

Pan fantasizes and writes BL about her seniors, Way and Kim. Way has a girlfriend PhingPhing, but Pan (as well as her friend, Soda) doesn't care.

I have never watched a series with so many possible ships starting from the first episode. (This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it will likely prevent the series from being good BL if it even turns out to have actual BL relationships, so hardcore BL fans may not want to watch it so quickly.)

There is, of course, the ship of Pan and Soda's fantasies: Way and Kim. Despite the fact that Way has a girlfriend, it is not impossible. (We know how it goes in BL--even two apparently straight guys can fall in love.) There is an undeniably close bond between them: Kim (a star student) threatens to quit school if Way is expelled, Way hugs Kim in concern after an accident, and Kim is conspicuously chill when Pan tells him that she has been shipping him with way. Kim guesses correctly that Pan likes Way very soon after meeting her--perhaps they connect because they have something in common: they like Way and want him to be with someone worthy of him.

But if Way and Kim don't turn out to be a real ship, there are other possibilities:
1. Pan and Khet (her classmate, who happens to be Kim's younger brother): Khet is clearly very concerned about Pan.
2. Pan and Kim: the way Pan holds on to him during the bike ride, and the way Kim treats her gently is a hint.
3. Pan and Way: Pan admits to liking way though she fantasizes about Way and Kim.
4. The series even goes to the extent of having a teasing moments between Kim and Khet. They are supposed to be brothers, but Kim doesn't talk to Khet. It is unlikely, but they could well turn out to be those "brothers" who have entirely different biological parents (think: My Bromance).

In fact, Way and PhingPhing, the only real couple so far, appears likely to break up because PhingPhing is a pretentious and awful bitch (and we know how that usually goes).

BL fans who can't take BL baiting should remember that the title of the series is The Shipper, which most likely refers to Pan. If she is the focal point, its likely that her relationships will be the focus. On the other hand, Pan seems to be spending so much time in Kim's body that the actress for Pan seems to be playing a much more minor role. For better or for worse, what GMMTV has done very well so far is to tease and keep us guessing.

Nevertheless, what I really like so far is Ohm as Khet. Ohm seems to have the ability to play intriguing characters who are not the focal main characters but still steal the show from everyone else. Khet's relationships with Pan and his relationship with Kim are rather intriguing. By the end of Episode 3, I'm more interested in Khet than in Kim and Pan (we see mostly Pan in Kim's body) and even Way (too little is revealed about way so far, but this is likely to improve).

Comments after Watching Episodes 4-8
The series keeps teasing us with more possible ships, including Pan/Soda and even Khet/Way. But the ones we really want to take seriously are probably Pan/Khet (rather than Pan/Way) and Way/Kim.

The number of possible ships is either the most exhilarating thing or the most frustrating thing. Perhaps both--the series is light and funny, but it's probably not the greatest love story ever.

One twist that is keeping everyone in suspense is the revelation that Kim to be a terrible person (secretly dating a teacher and stealing exam questions through her). Is he really such a bad person? The unfortunate thing is there is not enough of First as Kim. Pan is no doubt the main character, but First gets the important role of Pan in Kim's body.

Ohm continues to shine in the episodes.

Comments after Watching Episode 9
The Way/Kim ship seems to be sailing, though it might well be a false start. It's entirely possible that Kim doesn't turn out to be a terrible person and the Kim/Way ship works out together with the Pan/Khet ship, but who knows?

I'm not going to like it too much if Khet falls in love with someone else because if anyone is in love from the start, it's him. If he doesn't end up with Pan, it will be sad. If he falls in love with someone else, it will seem out of character.

(Irrelevant: Episode 9 is also the episode in which everyone can get jealous of the Angel of Death who gets to kiss Ohm.)

Comments after Watching Episode 10-12
Watchable, but Episode 12 is somewhat disappointing, not least because Kim does not have a chance to come back to life. The "deeper messages" that the series supposedly conveys are undermined by the story itself. If we are meant to understand that reality is different from fiction, why do Pan and Soda continue writing (by all appearances happy) BL fiction to console Way? If happy BL fiction serves a function, why not give the series a happy BL ending too?

One way to get past this is to understand that the series isn't even trying to convey these deeper messages but is simply making fun of shows with such messages. After all, quite characteristically, Episode 12 teases us right at the end with a very brief scene (after the closing credits) of Kim in the spiritual world and a voice (God?) speaking to him. This is most obviously a way of suggesting a Season 2 and the possibility a different ending for Way/Kim. There's no indication of which part of the chronology of The Shipper this brief scene is supposed to belong to, however. I recall Way making a wish for Pan in church, asking Kim to help Pan by making a heads-or-tails bet with a coin. The coin magically flips: is it Kim blessing Pan from the other world or is it a conspicuously absent God doing something to help?

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Relatively weak story for Tharntype, too little of Champ and Khumpol

The story of Tharntype 2 is no doubt weaker than that in the first Season. This can probably only be expected. There are only a few ways to continue the love story: (1) introduce a third party, (2) show how the realities of life after their graduation could cause a bit of a rift between our main characters, (3) a bit of each of the above.

So Season 2 ends u, where Tharn and Type are concerned, largely being the two of them fighting (for no apparent reason at times) and then making up (+ out), fighting and then making up (+ out), fighting and then making up (+out). It isn't that bad for hardcore fans of Tharntype. The production is rather slick, and there is no lack of kissing scenes. The introduction of Fiat into the story is somewhat lame--it seems too obviously calculated to create a crisis in Tharn and Type's relationship, but it is unconvincing and even self-contradictory. Fiat appears to really like Type at some point though we know from the start whom he will be shipped with.

One good thing about this series is the side couple, Champ and Khunpol. They are really lovable (especially Khunpol and that smile of his), but we don't get enough of them. I wonder why. They are so cute as a couple that I wish there had been more screen time for them to delve into their respective inner worlds and back stories. The first five episodes would have been better with some development of Champ and Khunpol. The already weak story of Tharntype only really gets going from around Episode 6, and I would have appreciate some Champ and Khunpol moments, possibly some flashbacks into their university days when they shared a room and Khunpol had a crush on Champ.

Part of the charm of Season 1 (despite some rather toxic behavior on both Tharn's and Type's parts) is the real sense of crisis in their relationship. The story of Lhong, the villain, and what he has done to Tar (Tharn' ex) is much more compelling than the non-threat that Fiat obviously is in Season 2. Season 2 pales in comparison. Otherwise it might be more well-liked.

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There is undeniably hardly any plot here, but it's possible to get what is going on and feel for the characters even if you have not watched the Make It Right series.

It seems to be a misstep to reveal that Tee's parents want him to break up with Fuse only in Episode 3, the main source of tension in Make It Live. However, the mood is nicely built from the start: as the couple spend tender moments together, there is a clear hint and sense of sadness that something may happen to break them up.

Some may find that there is simply too little plot and much of the episodes consist of dialogues between Fuse and Tee. Nevertheless, it is actually watchable enough as time is spend showing how much the characters care for each other. Intertitles revealing their thoughts are frequently inserted as a contrast to what the characters are saying, but I find that they are used a little too often and are sometimes unnecessarily.

The story does have a happy if somewhat abrupt ending, with Tee calling his mother and telling her that he will not break up with Fuse. There's no indication of whether he will gain his parents' acceptance, but the point is that he won't give in to his parents even if they don't accept his relationship.

With the characters now older and and having been through more in life, their relationship can actually be taken more seriously than in the two Make It Right series. If there ever is a Make It Right 3 that continues from Make It Live, it might actually be the best series of the lot.

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Somewhat likable, but not a strong BL offering

To be really honest, this BL series isn't great. But it is still a couple of notches above some of the most uninteresting series in the same genre.

The story isn't at all original: gay man falls for a straight man who will somehow reciprocate. But even generic stuff, if properly executed, can still be rather good. Unfortunately the writing in this series is rather weak. The climax and denouement are rather disappointing and illogical. Chonlatee's reaction to Tonhon being provoked into kissing his ex-girlfriend seems like an overreaction that is out of character. The twists in the final episode, like the revelation of when Tonhon starts falling in love with Chonlatee, are also rather unconvincing. The theme song is actually rather nice, but the use of sound effects and music during the episodes is a tad repetitive. The same music is played when the scene is supposed to be tense regardless of the level of tension. This doesn't help with the story-telling.

The characters also often change according to the requirements of the plot or exist simply to advance the plot in a somewhat clumsy way. The best example is Tonhon's father who suddenly switches from a rather bigoted homophobe to someone who can actually accept that his son is in a gay relationship as long as he has an heir. (The solution to the heir problem isn't ingenious and could have been offered years ago.) Another character, Amp, exists solely to be the typical awful woman in BLs whereas Miriam is the complimentary fujoshi. Na changes from an annoying narcissist to a rather sweet guy when the story requires it.

On the other hand, there are some likable aspects of the series. Chonlatee's mother is a delight to watch throughout, and I wish there were more of her besides Ton and Chon. Ai and Ni totally outshine the main couple--their characterization lacks depth, but the actors pull of their roles in a really endearing way.

One controversial thing in this series is the portrayal of Tonhon's father (and Tonhon himself to some extent). Yet, it could also turn out to be the series' (possibly unintended) redeeming quality. Tonhon and his father are guilty of quite a bit of bigoted behavior, but they are basically not blamed much for it. I have seen comments on YouTube pointing out how the terrible behavior gets glossed over. On the other hand, I find that there is something realistic about the whole thing. It is unfortunate, but gay people do struggle with their identity because some homophobes are actually people they care about.

Often enough, a gay person may discover that his friend or family member is homophobic. Does this discovery decisively end the friendship or family ties? A gay person may love his parents for so many reasons, but this love won't simply be erased just because they are homophobic. I think this is what Ai and Ni go through as they hide their sexual orientation from Tonhon, their best friend. They do not like his homophobia one bit, but, as they point out, they value him as a friend for his other qualities.

This series is by no means a must-watch for BL fans. But if you want something fairly light-hearted and easy to follow, it isn't as terrible as some have made it out to be.

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