The Shipper (2020)

Very disappointed

I started out liking this series. I knew it was a body switch series and did not worry when the accident happened. I was intrigued at first with the idea that only of them could be conscious at one time. Then I started to get paranoid thinking I want the real Kim back, then they said "His spirt is lost" The Angel of death said That's no problem" Then with 3 episodes left he's dead. I keep hoping that the Angel of Death made another mistake and the real Kim would return. This almost seems like cruelty. This is a BL nightmare played out over 12 1 hour episodes. BOOOOOOOOOO - HISSSSSSSSS!!! I guess there is no season 2 for First. (Kim) I skimmed through the last episode I couldn't bare to watch it. This is almost as bad as My Extraordinary. Viewer beware.

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Maybe the series was Mis-titled

Another great story with that forbidden plot twist. The premise of this story seemed a bit off where body switching was involved, but the execution was very well done. The story did very well to bring the confusion and uncertainty of life to the forefront. However, the end result was still a little unnecessary in my book. Simply because the title was Shippers, I didn't think they needed such a bitter sweet ending.

The chemistry between the Kim and Way seem to be almost natural, even before Kim's body switch. Their basic interactions always seemed to be what best friends are to be. Being their for each other in every situation, coming to a boil at even put their lives on the line for each other. I don't think I have seen the level of pure love that these characters have for each other achieving their happiness, in any other BL thus far. I mean they all have a love story, but having it totally unselfish where they actually plan to not be together because it is best for the other. That is real love...

The main cast, seemed to have a chemistry that was undeniable, making the high school theme work well, and while they had some odd aspects that I didn't understand, the high school drama wasn't much of the focus. Making the dynamics between the boys, not just Kim and Way, but also Kim and his brother, had me cheering for the boys to have a happy ending. The more we learnt about Kim's life made him more human and we got to see the depth that he cared for his friend and his brother.

Because of all of this, I think he deserved better, let the shippers have their ship and get to sail on it too... but if the ending is a tease about something to come, I hope it does come soon.

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Deceptively Cute, But With a Whole Lot More Depth!

Spoiler section will be clearly marked at the end of the review!

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I'm honestly so surprised by the low ratings this show seems to have! I had a blast watching this from start to finish. Yes, the ending was a bit of a shock and was very emotional for a variety of reasons, but I think it was the only real way they could end it. It was very unexpected, but I honestly feel like any other ending would have felt cheap— forced, even.

The show is so funny and ridiculous in the beginning, but it gains a lot of heart as the show progresses. I loved all of the characters so much— every actor was so talented and brought life to these characters in the best way possible. The story continually grew and expanded on all of the characters, which was really nice to see.

The shining star of this show was definitely the actor who played Kim/Pan-as-Kim, First. He was so talented! He was brilliant as Pan, playing her the exact same as the actress so it felt like the same character in a different body. He was also so great when it came to the comedy of the show— I don't know how he managed to keep from laughing through every take! His "EHHHH"s had me rolling every time.

The rest of the actors were wonderful, as well. Ohm, the actor playing Khet, did a particularly great job with the more romantic and sad moments in the story. But the actors playing Way, Pan, Soda, and the Angel of Death were all incredible, as well. I have absolutely no complaints about the acting in this show.

I also really enjoyed the editing and cinematography of the show! The pop-ups when Pan and Soda were writing their fiction, and the text messages on the screen were a really good visual aspect of the show. Social media and texting is such a common part of today's teens' lives, and they did a really good job representing that. The scenes where the actors actually acted out their ridiculous stories were SO well done and comical in the best way. And the points when Pan-as-Kim was speaking and the camera would pan behind something and then Pan herself was standing there? WONDERFUL. It was so poignant and really showed the points when Pan's personality was shining through or when she was feeling extra impacted by the situation. Plus, it was a good way to give the actress more to do than just lie in the hospital bed.

To be quite honest, the only real reason this got marked down at all was because of the rewatch value. I'm not sure how the process of watching the show would feel upon a rewatch, when the viewer knows the end. Maybe one day I'll give it a try, but I feel like knowing the ending will change the viewing experience too much. Still, this show impacted me more than any show has in a really long time and I won't forget it.

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SPOILER SECTION | SPOILER SECTION | SPOILER SECTION

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The ending of this show did throw me off, but in the end I liked it. I guessed around episode 5 or 6 that Kim was dead, but I didn't realize how much it would affect me when it was finally revealed. I literally sobbed through the entirety of the final three episodes. The scenes that got me the most were Khet fixing the RC Plane, the family photo, and Kim's final goodbye to Way. (Honorable mention was the coin flip!)

I get that people don't like that there was no happy ending for Way and Kim. I get that it's a disappointment, but I do feel that with how the show was set up— with the fact that Kim never woke up in Pan's body— there wasn't another way. It would have been a happier ending, sure, but it would have been more forced for Kim to just pop back up and be totally fine.

I am really intrigued by the end credit scene— Kim standing alone in the afterlife, and an ominous voice saying they have a proposal for him. I really hope there's a sequel series— perhaps Kim gets a second chance at life, but ends up in someone else's body? And he has to find his friends and family in his new body and figure out how to get back to his old life? I don't know what the whole story would be, but I want it.

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An Acquired Taste

LOL me finally getting around to writing a review for this (mostly for myself) even though I finished this like a month ago > <

Disclaimer: This review is not for someone who has not watched this drama…unless you already know the basic details & possible ending like I did when going into this!!

But with that being said I overall thoroughly enjoyed watching this drama!! It had its funny moments as well as its weird ones where you start to question what the heck am I even watching…but yet you just cant stop clicking next episode LOL. Its like a bad addiction, but a good one LOL at least for me. Usually, school settings are somewhat of a hit or miss for me depending how the storyline plays out however I felt this one worked really well and really embodied the different situations and realities of school life but adding a twist of "body switching" without it being cringe or over the top. It incorporated the pressures of parents expectations, sibling problems, friend circles, bullying, love, acceptance, and forgiveness.

The two mains, Way and Kim...ok Kims acting ISSS PHENOMENAL!! The way he can act like his regular self but also nail the role of a girl being inside his body…sooo convincing, like wow!! I feel like usually id get annoyed by the overdramatized acting but it somehow works here and its not that dramatized where I felt a disconnect between the character. And Way...omgg haddd me swooning, just his presence in the show mesmerized me…dont ask me why I have no clue, I just knew that every time he was on screen my eyes were glued. His facial expressions and the emotions he was able to emit just through his eyes alone…got me all in the feels >< He was like the most selfless person in the drama i just loved his presence the whole time. Their love confession got me…idk I thought it was really beautiful >< and they deserved so much better!!! PETITION FOR THEM TO BE IN ANOTHER DRAMA TOGETHER WITH A HAPPIER SETTING PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!!

Even though this wasn’t a BL, although “labeled” as one…the overall story was interesting enough for me to be engaged!! However, I will say that I wish there were more scenes of Way and Kim(real) together....i feel like as a viewer I didn’t get a chance to know their friendship well enough, prior to the accident…meanwhile the drama kept focusing on Pan than the actual Kim…which bothered me since he seemed more of an important role...like I wanted to know his story, his perspective on life, his relationships but instead we only got Pans perception of Kim...and not the actual him...which kinda defeated the purpose of what seemed like one of the messages in this drama. To not judge someone based solely on what you think you know and what you see….Expectations vs Reality. I mean the whole time she’s just assuming and judging Kim based off of what she’s seeing...whether she was viewing from afar orrr physically being in his body…nothing changed…and as a viewer we dont know what to think because we dont know the whole story behind it besides knowing there’s more to it than meets the eye. And even when we did get a better understanding of the real Kim…again it was through other peoples eyes…his brother and Way (which I mean it can still help in understanding the person he was since they knew him really well, but it just would’ve been nice to see more of Kim through his own eyes….

And before I end this…I just wanna rant a little more because I know many people loved the Angel of Death…but honestly she annoyed me and seemed like a wasted character because I couldn’t understand her purpose besides being a comedic relief…She didn’t deserve her title as Angel of Death in my personal opinion since she couldn’t even keep track of who was dead and who was alive it seemed. Throughout the whole series, we had no clue what was going on with Kim besides that he was “unconscious” until near the end. But regardless of some quirks in this series, I still think it was still a pretty entertaining watch!! I don't regret watching it and I think its a good one if you're bored and just wanna watch a short series thatll make you go through some waves of emotions!!

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Blown Away by Way

THIS REVIEW IS A SPOILER AT THE FIRST SENTENCE: Normally I'd scream, "They killed their gays!" but in this story it worked. It wasn't about him being gay. It was a really creative well acted-out story, and though you could have had a facinating ending where P'Kim was always in her body alive. This still is a great story. And I wasn't suprised at how good Ohm/ Khet's acting was, but I loved how different his role was from all his other roles, and he was just as incredible. (Equally as incredible as he is in hus current role in Best Buddy, just because of how different this role is, it shows the depth and breadth of his acting skills. But what I was blown away (pun intended because the Angel of Death is my BFF and deserves a standing ovation) was P'Way/Fluke Pusit's acting. I definitely judged that book by it's cover, his character's cover at that, but by the end of the show, he was the one that had me crying. Not anyone else. And I haven't cried for a show since going on meds.

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The Most Unpredictable Show I Watched.

Story / Plot and Cast: The Shipper is the most unpredictable show I have ever watched. The show is one of its kind, and only comparable to itself.

Kim played a “double role” in this show. Before the car crash, he played himself. After that, Kim’s soul was probably still in heaven (?) and so any conscious Kim afterwards is expected to have the soul of Pan. I must say that his acting is excellent. He can be very “normal” and then shout at Khett. Throughout the 11th episode, I find it difficult to determine if the Kim is really Kim or Pan. The actor of Kim, First Kanaphan, is eye-catching.

Pan has, technically, not a lot of screentime. But her “soul” played a large part in the progression of the story. Some mentioned the issue of making decisions for Kim when Pan is still inside his body. It can only be said that if things do happen in real life like this, the person indeed has no choice but to decide for the displaced soul for practical reasons. Pan is played by a very talented actress, Prigkhing Sureeyares, which gave the character her own style.

Khett is also another interesting character. He is not directly involved in the soul-swapping exercise. However, he is still closely related. Khett is the younger brother of Kim, and he also has a crush on Pan. Obviously, he has quite a smart personality in this show, as we can see he tried to test (at the beginning) if the Kim is real Kim. I probably don’t need to mention that Ohm Pawat played Khett, as many would have known him from previous shows.

Way has questionable chemistry with Kim. Don’t get me wrong - he is good. I think the chemistry between them is just a bit lacking. Nonetheless, the conversation between Way and “Kim” (and probably Kim, too) does teach something to us. I have to also point out that Way has so little chemistry with Phingphing that they don’t look like they are together! I don’t know if this is supposed to be good or bad for the audience and shippers. With all due respect, the actor of Way (Fluke Pusit) may have to add more facial expressions to make the whole thing less monotonous.

Why do I say this show is unpredictable? There are several major twists. First, Khett is “suddenly” known to be the brother of Kim (Pan does not know this before). Then, Pan discovered, as Kim, that Kim held copies of the exam papers and so suspected that Kim has been cheating to get a good result. This is only partly explained near the end of the show (to help Way to get a better result). (The real Kim never got the chance to explain, too bad.) In the middle, several unusual ships happened like Soda said Khett might have a crush on “Kim”, “Kim” trying to scare off Soda but ended up making Soda like Kim, the previous relationship of the teacher and Kim (not “Kim”). Also, Pan’s soul returned to her body accidentally for once, and then returned to Kim’s body intentionally (when Off, Khett and Way were fighting). The second time she wants to return, it failed. There is still no plausible reason for why the first time succeeded but the second time failed. The end of the 10th episode focused on the motorcycle for no reason. Unfortunately, the motorcycle seems to mean nothing. Of course, the most unpredictable of all is probably the fact that Kim is actually dead.

I am not sure if this is a “happy ending”, but at least it conveyed several messages. For example, the real Kim seems to be much stressed. Someone in the comment pointed out that the soul of Kim probably doesn’t want to live, because Kim stepped forward first when the Death Angel told them to come forward, etc. There is, of course, also no explanation given for this.

Music: The opening theme of the show is a cute, adorable song. The song is แคร์ไกลไกล (Care from Faraway) by La Ong Fong. The ending theme is a moving song with a strong beat. The song is ฉันเป็นของเธอทุกวัน (I am Yours Every Day) by Ford Arun.

Overall, the show will be remembered for its unpredictability.

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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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The Shipper worth to watch but not to rewatch

You'll know why it's not worth to rewatch if you'll watch the whole series, its not because it's bad, just go watch it for you to find out. The Shipper is a good series, at first it was a chill, comedic series but then it went ~ didn't expect the ending though :'( but still love it. The cast's acting was fine although sometimes the girls made me cringe but overall it's all bearable to watch. P'Jennie's character was iconic, I love her. Also First, he was really the reason why I watched it and second is Ohm. I love their chemistry but then there character's relationship is a bit complicated. WayKim really deserved more, I'm sad.

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what a delightful surprise! (no spoilers)

When I started watching this series I wasn't expecting anything big, I thought it was just a silly series (witch wouldn't be a problem since I enjoy silly series) but it wasn't. it was that and SO SO much more! The more I watched the more I got invested in the story and in the characters!
If your a BL fan or a hopeless romantic it'll be very easy to identify with Pan and Soda and they're view of Way and Kim. All the main characters are very well written (maybe at the start you might find them a bit 1 dimensional but as the series goes on you get a glimpse of they're lives and are given a chance to connect very well with them)
The plot is just amazing, you get to find out secrets, explore the fictional world, see the characters get into funny misunderstandings and catch feelings up until the very end (It doesn't get boring). Also, switching body's with one of your ships? how crazy is that?? Anything could happen, there is no way to guess what's going to happen next because this is not like any other switching body's series you've ever seen!
I 100% recommend this series, its so funny, heartwarming and just everything! This is without doubt the best thai series I have ever watched :) And the acting is actually really good! (I'm sorry to say this but the acting in most thai series is not very good... not the case here!)

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Best series of 2020

Because this series has really surprised me in a positive way, I wanted to write a short review for everyone who isn't sure if they should watch it or not. My answer is a definite YES!
When this series started, like many others, I wasn't sure what to expect from it. I usually only watch BL series and didn't know if this was going to be BL or not. The first episode seemed a little cheesy to me, but luckily I kept watching and as the story advanced I couldn't care less if it was BL or not anymore, because I began to like the story for what it was.

The Shipper has a very well written story. Every episode is exiting, surprising and unpredictable. It plays with your expectations which makes it a lot of fun to watch and never get boring.
The acting, as far as I can judge that, was also superb. I especially liked First's acting, because he managed to believably portray a girl in a boy's body. Fluke's acting also stood out to me, but maybe just because he was so cute in the series. Overall I couldn't name a single actor who didn't do a great job in this!
I would definitely rewatch this series as I want to know how many new things I'll notice now that I know the outcome of the whole story!

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