* A very nice and cute adaptation of an extremely popular online novel on the classic theme of teen love and school life, but with a little twist.
* First episode kinda' sucks but bear with it - it gets good.
* Honest and expressive acting by the leads
* Cute score and Music
* I love it.
So, to the longer version;
Let me start by saying that I absolutely adore this series, I love, love, love, love, love it.
Secondly, I am very prone to fangirling and therefore get all crazed up and squealing over most BL.
So I am biased, but I'll try to be as objective as possible.
And the thing is, this is not even BL. This is just about teens.
The plot is the average teen-love-school set thing, nothing original there. High schoolers are in love, fight, break up, get together, are jealous, get drunk - yada yada, you know the deal...
But - there's a twist. The main protagonists are both guys.
Tadaah - the classic BL melodrama is set for action.
But the other twist is, that it isn't. Because this differs from the other stuff.
This is not about being gay, societal issues connected to it, or even catering to fangirls.
(Ok, a little bit, then.)
This is something a little bit different. All of us BL-crazed, know that most stories in the genre are angsty, sad and usually ends tragically - after we've cried our eyes out over the forbidden love.
In Love Sick - it's not angsty, not very sad at all, no forbidden love and the whole athmosphere is a positive and happy one. This isn't a story about two gay guys in love, it's just a story about two teens who fall in love. The gender is not all that important in this case, the air is accepting and happy-go-lucky and it's SO refreshing. I love that the focus is not all that much about the two lovebirds both being guys, but rather that the trouble around them is created from other obstacles, which are universal and not related to gender nor sexuality.
The series is based on a very popular Thai online novel called; Love Sick - The chaotic lives of Blue Shorts Guys (Chunlamoon noom kang keng namgern) and very well adapted from the novel, with the difference that the two protagonists Phun and Noh aren't the only focus in the series - as they are in the novel. In the series, their friends and classmates have gotten their own storylines.
Which, in all honesty, aren't all that interesting IMO, but one or two characters have the presence to make us want to know more about them. But some of the side stories are really boring, actually.
Due to the novel being published first, the series had a huge fanbase already before it started airing and the pressure was huge to make it work.
The first episode - didn't. It's really bad as a whole and some people tell you to skip it entirely. I don't agree since there are some stuff in the end that are relevant and also, it's a good episode to go back and watch later on, when one knows the characters a bit better. But don't give up just because you'll probably find the first episode boring and pretty bad!
It gets better soon, promise.
Most of the actors in the series (if not all?) are total newbies and have never done any acting before.
And that's one thing that really impresses me since I wouldn't have guessed that. The first couple of episodes were a little bit awkward in the acting, probably the actors were getting to know their characters and getting settled in them. The two main characters, Phun and Noh, are a bit clumsy - especially Captain Chonlathorn, who plays Noh, who tends to overact in the first eps. I would imagine that it might be a little bit awkward settling into a fairly physical role with another person of the same sex in front of a camera, especially as Captain, at the making of the series, was only 16 (!!!) years old (soon to be 17 as of right now) and White Boonserm who plays Phun, is only slightly older, being 18.
But the two leads catch up quickly and turn into brightly shining little stars.
It's not that the are making ground breaking, dramatic performances worthy of a ton of awards,
but rather that they are so believable that one is completely convinced of their characters and the relationship between them. Their acting is incredibly honest and natural and their eyes and facial expressions tell whole stories in themselves.
The chemistry between them is absolute awesome and shoots sparks.
Captain is like an Energizer Bunny, all over the place, but in a way that makes one smile and fall completely in love with him. White is more calm and composed but manages to portray Phun excellently. The other actors also do a fairly good job although no as shining.
The characters and their storyline is very faithful to the original story, which is good.
The novel isn't in any way explicit, but the series are even more innocent. A lot is left for the viewer's imagination and to read between the lines.
The score and music is cute and mostly very good IMO. A couple of songs from the soundtrack I like very much, like Captain's (yes, he sings too and rather well, actually) - Khor rong, which I think is great. I also like the title song - Shake.
All the music is light and cute and stay true to the feeling of the series.
For me, the rewatch value is huge - since I've already watched through the whole thing many times...
I'm completely hooked and very engaged in the series. I follow the novel obsessively, eagerly waiting for every chapter to be translated into English by the eminent Kuda Lakorn at kudalakorn.com , who also translates and subs the fansubs of the series.
Both the novel and the series are... floaty, bubbly, shiny and light. Positive and extremely refreshing and innocent in their storytelling.
I think that most young people who like romantic stories could find the series entertaining, whether they are BL fans or not.
The series is not a masterpiece, but I will gladly rate it as an 8 overall - because I really, really love it and it has so many positive sides to it, even though it's not in any way a heavy weight.
Engaging, endearing and enjoyable are probably the keywords.
Season 2 is scheduled to air the 25;th of april 2015 - I will be benched, waiting for the translation!
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This should be short, so here's my review on Love Sick: The Series
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Story: Honestly, I'm not quite sure what the story was suppose to be but my guess is the journey of teenagers in school and all their romances and conflicts that come with it. The story is something that has been done before but with two males facing romance together. I felt that the story did center around mostly school and romance and there wasn't any problem with that. However, I did find myself skipping around the story mostly for Noh and Phun, everyone else's issues I wasn't too interested in.
Acting/Cast: To be honest I don't know how people rated the acting as spectacular. I felt that sometime's the feelings between Noh and Phun, no matter how cute, weren't always easily portrayed ( I got confused during some instances) . It was sometimes difficult to understand the problems between these two characters but you pretty much get the gist of it. I don't feel like the cast as whole had great acting, but I did like the story nonetheless and the chemistry between Noh and Phun kept me wanting to watch more.
Music: I did like the music it was different from the dramas I've been watching, this was actually my first thailand drama.
Rewatch value: I normally don't rewatch shows that often, BUT i would rewatch this one only for Noh and Phun. I found myself smiling and going back to see the moments between these two, it was just so adorable.
Overall: Do I recommend? YES, I do. Like everyone else has said, if you can get through the first episode(which was poorly done) you can watch the rest of the series. The only reason I can't give this drama a higher score is because of the acting. I do love the characters but I felt that if this story wasn't focused on something that was different to me (BL) then I would have dropped it. That being said, the two main characters were so cute and I enjoyed watching the drama and am looking forward to the second season.
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Hormones had a boys' love (BL) side story but the first popular Thai drama series with BL as main story was actually Love Sick (2014). I love Love Sick! I don't think it's entirely fair to assess Love Sick based on current artistic and social standards since Thai BL series in general have improved a lot the last couple of years. Love Sick should be appreciated because it's a forerunner in the history of Thai BL series. It's not simply an imitation of Japanese BL series but an improvement of the traditional Thai lakorns. It also blurs the heteronormativity found in most Japanese BL series and traditional Thai lakorns. When Love Sick came out, it was actually revolutionary. No one was producing Thai BL series then compared to now when it's almost like a dime in a dozen. I remember during that time, the conservative sectors of Thai society even made a big fuzz about this Thai BL series (the same way they criticised Hormones). Some were even calling for the boycott or banning of Love Sick. Luckily, Thai BL series are more accepted now not only in Thailand but also in other parts of Southeast Asia, hence its current popularity in the region.
In terms of plot/storyline, Love Sick is very simple and yet very charming. It's about school boys falling in love with fellow school boys and how they navigated not only their school lives but especially their homoerotic and romantic relationships. Of course, aside from their homoerotic and romantic relationships, boys have other problems that could have been given more focus in Love Sick but let's understand that this is the first popular Thai BL series; everything's new, so let's give it a pass. The script was more natural and realistic compared to traditional Thai lakorns although there were a few times when the dialogue did not really make sense. Acting was generally ok if we take into consideration the fact that most, if not all, the cast members were newbies. The portrayals of Noh, Phun, Earn, and even Pete were actually cute. The chemistry between Noh and Phun was good. Noh was particularly endearing. Editing was awful especially of the first two or three episodes but it did improve in the succeeding episodes. With most probably a very low budget, not much can be expected in terms of production value. But Boy Sompob's official soundtrack (OST) "Shake" for Love Sick can be considered as a template for Thai BL series OSTs. No one does it better than Boy Sompob in bringing sensitive and touching emotions to Thai BL series OSTs.
Overall, I would recommend to watch and rewatch Love Sick. It's always good to look back and learn from the history of Thai BL series and see how far the genre has improved and still needs to improve.
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More of a meh than wow to be honest!
So before I do write anything, I kept in mind that this bl was made back in 2014, which is such a long time ago. It is also considered one of the classics, so I decided to watch this series with an open mind. I want to mention that the first two episodes are terrible and, therefore, very confusing. I think the actual story starts at around ep. 2! Overall, I wouldn't say it was unwatchable, but it was missing a ton of elements. The story has so much potential, but the execution was very mid. I was surprised to see many people loving this bl, but it is understandable as it is a classic. I also couldn't care for the side stories because they were irrelevant to the story. Go ahead and watch this bl! You would either REALLY love it or hate it!Was this review helpful to you?
I feel like it had a lot of potential, but it missed the mark in too many places to be any good. The acting was subpar, though I understand it was only the first or second role for some of the actors. The relationship was very unbelievable and juvenile. I understand that they ARE young, but it actually felt like I was watching a story about ten year olds. Everything dragged on for a few hours longer than it needed to, and there was so much dancing around that a lot of the time I forgot what the plot actually was. I skipped through a lot of it (thank god for that 5 second jump button on youtube, out here saving my life) because I was so bored and it was dragging on and on and on for no good reason. Virtually none of the additional story lines were interesting (barr Yuri, who I'll get to in a moment), and I understand that they weren't such a focus in the original novels, so it may just be that the original pieces of the screenwriting sucked.
It wasn't all bad, though. I did love that it treated every story and character with respect. While I'm not a huge fan of the "I'm only gay for you" thing, I thought Love Sick managed to tackle the subject of sexuality and the real-world ramifications in asian culture especially in a thoughtful way, and portrayed it kindly. Notably, Yuri's story was refreshing and heartfelt, and it was easy to really feel for both her and her situation. In my experience the "girlfriend" is usually portrayed unkindly in BLs, so it was nice to see her treated with love and respect and never once be made out to be the bad guy simply for existing. Noh's interactions with her were very well-written, and they were some of the only times where I thought Captain (who plays Noh) actually did a really good job.
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I have waited so long for Season 2... way too long!!! Before I share my short-ish opinion let me say that I find Thai BL cinema to be a zillion times more interesting than Korean BL movies/shows.
Honestly, I am tired of Korean BL cinema... damn, TH-shows are just so positive and I need that!!! True Romance instead of the same love-death pattern that you will find in most Korean productions.
About the drama- the plot is nothing ground-breaking, two teenage boys falling in love with each other and their (ex)girlfriends not knowing anything or pretending not to know. Lots of love, jealousy, emotions, teen issues, but mostly just fun slice-of-life. The show isn't about social issues such as acceptance or morality, so... if you like those issues tackled in your BL shows then this is show is so not for you.
I gotta say it is refreshing to see a normal slice-of-life drama! Apart from the BL-ity of the leads there's nothing unique about this show- it is a completely normal, dare I say "generic", romance/slice-of-life show. It just happens to have two guys fall in love with each other and I think that's something positive!
I haven't read the novels...and I don't want to spoil myself... but it looks like the majority of people share the same opinion about Love Sick's 1st episode- it was a disaster! And it seems the cast generally agrees... when I turned EP 1 on for the first time it was only to click the X 10 minutes later. I left it alone for a month or two(actually, a little more than that!). That was my first unsuccessful attempt to watch the show. I gave it a try later and left with the same bad impression. Turned out I was so wrong about the whole thing- after coming back from a trip abroad I had a lot of free time and decided to pick up where I left off and oh man was I happy. The show gets better with each episode and you can clearly see the cast evolving, the actors, young guys, finding themselves on stage... if you can get past Episode 1 you will love it!
As it is with Thai shows, expecting deep dialogues is futile. Thai people don't really complicate things so much, which can be hella annoying! I love Love Sick The Series!!!
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Watch the Bias- I'm giving it a 10/10 because... I don't know?... Because I love it!
If you asked me to be fair, I'd rate it a 7/10.
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And that's so true.
The basic premise is the one of a high-school drama, with all the ingredients you would expect from one: the poor boy, the new girl that is transferred, the exams, the adolescent love, etc.
But I was very surprised to find here very serious elements such as the implications (and the alienation) of being openly gay; the effect of social media and the spreading of rumours; the difference between who you are and who you are expected to be; how society determines your "place" according to your status (and what's on your bank account), and so on.
But don't be afraid, everything is being displayed in a very light way (there's no forbidden love drama), with lots of humor and in a realistic way; there's nothing there that couldn't have happened to any of us (more than a few years ago in my case =P); and there's no intention in the writer to make you suffer either.
The acting, despite none of the kids being professional actors is quite good, specially Phun and Noh; I'm sure you'll grow very fond of them although they are more adorable than believable.
Last but not least, this is the first part of a two part series, so beware that the story doesn't "end" here.
So, if you're looking for a realistic yet innocent BL/High-school drama (but keeping in mind that the production values aren't all that great) this one's for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
Story:I honestly don't understand the tidbits of the fake-boyfriend subplot in the story. It doesn't have alot of impact and is abandoned so quickly. I find it very difficult to follow the story because the characters are all over the place, and the story keeps jumping from one character to the next. Why did they focus on Mo so much when she is just a supporting cast? Plus, she is suddenly insignificant in the sequel when she took up so much screen time in S1.
Acting/Cast:
I found the acting very awkward. I know they are young but the acting is very stiff and the chemistry is lacking. At times, especially during romantic scenes, I feel that White and Captain doesn't even want to look into each other's eyes. Of all the casts, Ngern and August are probably the better actors but it's unfortunate that they appear so little.
Music:
The one good thing about this drama is the OST. I like the music very much, and it introduces me to Boy Sompob's music. He has a very nice, charming voice.
Rewatch Value:
I've seen it once and that's it. I think it's too messy for me to rewatch; I don't care for about 3/4 of the other character's stories whether it be S1 or S2, and I wasn't feeling any chemistry enough to make me smile.
Overall:
I've watched this drama because of the hype. I think the director could've organized the plot/characters better. Western shows also have this type of youth story with multiple characters too but it is not this chaotic. I just cannot keep up with the characters and subplots and how they are even supposed to support the main story. It's like watching ten plots meshed in one story.
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There are some downers about the show in terms of music. In my personal opinion the music wasn't organized properly, like you could tell what type of vibe they were trying to set with the music at that specific moment, but it didn't fall through properly. Though the first theme song of the show, called "SHAKE', becomes insanely addicting. It fits the show perfectly, as a weird type of delicacy mixed with harsh reality. Its hard to explain but that specific song represents the entire show to the fullest.
While your watching the show you'll first not like a few characters, but slowly each and every one of them starts to grow on you. They'll of course be some moments where you lose respect for a character due to their actions, but as far as it goes from the first season, some type of situation happens where you feel either sorry or understanding for what that character is going through.
The BL in this show is very fluffy. Its very light and heartwarming but it doesn't shy away from the fact that not all relationships are as smooth and not everything is so perfect. The Two main characters face off problems regarding how they truly feel about one another, and how it'll reflect on themselves and the people around them. This show heavily respects LGBT situations that occur in actual life. When your watching, you'd expect there to be some type of homophobia represented. And while there isn't, they touch base on the subject in a very respective way.
I truly believe this is a show worth watching. It's not a show where the problems they face seem cliche or some love scene's being too "Impossible" or unrealistic. The show is very real, in the sense that you can actually relate or understand in some type of way on what they're going through.
It's really hard to summarize this show when they're's so much to talk about. Overall, this show is one of my favorites and you should definitely check it out, you'd really be missing out if you don't.
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The story overall is very touching. The teenage problems the characters have are very easy to relate to. It is all about trying to find your place among others and to find yourself overall. These topics are brought up in the story very well and thus it is nice to watch. Nothing is too exaggerated or unrealistic, which is a huge plus.
Most of the cast is acting for the first time. Despite that, they did a good job. Sadness is an emotion hard to act and sometimes it doesn't look too natural. Most actors and actresses fit their character perfectly. Sometimes I feel like Captain doesn't fit Noh's role, but I got used to it.
The music is okay. Sometimes it ruins the moment, sometimes it enhances the emotions. Most of the songs sound just fine to me. Especially the OST has a place in my heart.
This series has one big minus. I absolutely hate that this series is filled with advertising. I know they might have to do it to cover the costs but they do it so obviously it makes me furious. There are whole scenes that are written just to advertise. They have no meaning for the story whatsoever, but include characters eating a certain food etc. I like my drama a drama. The advertising should go hand in hand with the story. Yes, you can hold that bag of chips or drink some green tea, but I do not enjoy watching a scene dedicated to a sim card and how it works. (I'm sorry, I might mix up the seasons but nevertheless, both have the same kind of advertising.)
Overall, I would (and will) watch this again. I have never watched a drama this great. Definitely worth watching! If you're looking for a school / slice of life drama, please watch this!
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Story: The first episode was disorganized and confusing. So many minor characters appear and disappear. Some of them will reappear several episodes later and you have no idea who they are. Throughout the series, it was hard to understand the secondary plot-lines. The only benefit of the side plots is they help us understand the world Noh and Phun live in, a world of really rich, privileged teenagers, who don't have a lot of parental supervision. These high schoolers spend a lot of time partying and drinking--and there's even a teenage girl who lives with her boyfriend.
But forget the side-plots: Noh and Phun's relationship is the entire reason for watching, re-watching, and forever adoring this show. It's a really sweet boys' love story. It starts with a weird contrivance, but the show doesn't rely on plot devices. It quickly becomes a character-driven story about two boys coming of age. The story is told in a relatively naturalistic way (for Asian TV), and feels believable. The end of the first season did annoy me, but the second season redeemed the show, and now I can rewatch the first season with pleasure.
Acting: As far as I can gather, all the actors and actresses in this show were pretty inexperienced when they were discovered in open casting calls. None of them were familiar faces and none of them expected to be stars. Their inexperience actually makes their performances really endearing. The actor playing Noh was 17 when they filmed season 1, and he looks very young. This isn't one of those series where the high school characters are played unconvincingly by 30-year-olds. And this isn't a BL show where the guys are beefcake hunks in their twenties (like Together with Me). These guys have one foot in childhood and one in adulthood, and that just makes me care about them more as a viewer.
Lots of credit goes to the director for taking these novice actors and helping them portray a variety of emotions. The actor playing Phun doesn't always convince me, but Noh--whose eyes we see the story through--is never anything less than fascinating. He makes me remember how scary it was to be 17 and dealing with teenage emotions.
Music: I don't remember anything distinctive about the music, probably because I don't care about the music in a show (unless it's super annoying).
Rewatch Value: I can't rewatch the side stories, but I'll definitely rewatch the BL edit focused on Noh and Phun. Their relationship is really well-written, especially in later episodes once they realize their attraction to each other. They react to their feelings in ways that match their personalities; and they alternately pursue and retreat from each other in totally believable ways. I particularly like that Love Sick avoids the manga cliche plotline of a smartass seme pursuing an innocent uke. Both these guys take turns being smartass and innocent. It doesn't take too many episodes for both of them to recognize their feelings, even if they aren't sure what to do. And season 1 sets the stage for a fantastic season 2.
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