I Told Sunset about You (2020)

Beautiful, a must-watch

The first three episodes are absolutely incredible, just so good. After episode 3, I was really thinking this would be an instant new favorite but the last two episodes personally let me down so I'm a bit sad. Episode 4 takes a turn I didn't see coming (you know, for the angst, it was to be expected) and sadly I thought the aftermath felt rushed. I honestly think the first three episodes set my expectations too high for the last two.
However, you absolutely do need to watch it. It's really gorgeous, both in terms of story and directing. There are so many incredibly beautiful scenes simply through the setting, the colours, the music or the meaningful silences. Oh-aew and Teh's chemistry is off-the-charts. I can easily get annoyed when there is too much focus on the main couple's other interests but they do a pretty decent job showing that no one can compete with what Oh-aew and Teh feel for each other.
That being said, I am ecstatic about "I Promised You The Moon". I'm also looking forward to seeing if doing a rewatch will change my mind on the last two episodes.

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A coming of age as well as a coming out story..

I Told Sunset About You is a BL drama that has everything that we need in a teen / youth drama.. The slow burn development of the romance between the main characters as they start off as friends to rivals then as to more than friends deserves applause for the acting as well as the pacing of the plot.

Moreover, the beautiful cinematography and the mellow soundtracks fits the series so well that every scenes or moments of the characters were captured aesthetically.

The drama is more on the melodramatic side as it tackles issues that teens have to face in the society such as finding their career and identity. We see the constant struggles of the main characters (Teh and Oh-aew) as they try to understand the feelings that they have for each other most especially on the part of Teh.

What really caught my attention when I was watching this series were there eye expressions. The intensity as well as the tension of their fleeting glances towards each other kills me... Whenever Oh-aew and Teh looked at each other most especially at the middle of the series were damn fervid...
To be honest, I have never watched a BL series that had so much tension whenever the main characters just looked at each other. Moreover, the little things they do like their brief touches tells us A LOT about their burning desire / longing love for each other.

This is by far one of the best BL series in which the eye expressions of the main characters portrays a lot of what the real intentions of the characters are.. Like how they really feel about each other..

I'm also glad that the series really showed us the fear as well as the confusion of the characters as they try to grasp the emotions they have. It also tells us that actions have consequences (not just in relationships but notably, LIFE) as recklessness can lead to maturity if one truly understands the consequences of the decisions they make.

Teh indeed showed us in the series his issues and confusions of his self, family and most importantly his feelings.
The only thing that didn't sit well with me in the series is his "unclear" confession to Tarn at the end of the episode in which Tarn asks Teh if He did use her and Teh didn't admit that he used her. This is just my opinion but Teh used Tarn and it was pretty obvious too and I was so disappointed that he didn't admit to it. Not to mention, when Teh was saying his confession to Tarn for his confusions and feelings were pretty vague.

Anyway, Oh-aew in the end deserves an applause for his bravery. He was clear with his feelings and convictions although he struggled at the beginning, however, I'm glad that after his realizations of who he really was, gave him more confidence.

In conclusion, this series will take you on a journey of the main characters (Teh and Oh-aew) coming of age as well as a coming out story. If you're interested in watching a teen / youth drama focusing on the struggles of youth for their Life and Love then you might as well add this to your watch list... Enjoy watching... ;)

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A MASTERPIECE ever made!!!

*This series is an Art*

This is the first Thai series I have ever watched, let alone the first BL and I have due respect for the cast and crew. I had no idea what was the hype about BL shows, let alone I was aware of the Thai entertainment industry and their works. I absolutely had no idea why Bilkin and PP were. As a viewer I have always looked for good cinema. That's when I came across this series and I regret not knowing about this sooner.

While watching, I felt every emotion each one of the characters portrayed. The story is a slow paced story but it's slow pacing didn't harm the series as a whole instead it gives the audience to truly feel the depth of the scenes.

I am writing this review probably after rewatching this series for the 100th time.
I personally want to give award to everyone associated with this series, the actors, the director, the scriptwriter, the cinematographer etc. Literally everyone!!! It is soo good . What a show really, it's really art. Other shows should really take inspiration from this show. Unfortunately this series (being my first Thai series) has just set my standards soo high for a BL, I am hardly pleased by other fairly good series as well.

I am looking forward to see more of the actors Billkin and Pp.

I will probably watch it again. There is no stopping...

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underrated masterpiece

this drama is AMAZING like the only word to describe it is "masterpiece".

Being a 5-episode short thai BL drama and this being the first thai and BL drama i've watched, i didn't expect much going into it but i was hooked immediately after just watching the first episode. i loved the vibes and cinematography of the drama- it almost felt like i have just finished watching a whole movie. I also loved how most of the important scenes from the leads involved no talking, - just eye contact, actions and feelings, making these scenes perfect and allow the viewers to feel the emotions the writers and director are trying to portray. BK and PP also did great in portraying the emotions of their characters especially the part when they were just trying to find their identity.

I wished this drama had hit bigger and gain even more international recognition because this was an Oscar-worthy drama legit. If you are still deciding whether to watch this, please don't hesitate its only just 5 episodes and i guarantee that you won't regret. The trailer is already of a enough reason for you to watch it.

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Beautiful but draggy and frustrating

Hmmm... One of the rare case where I'm going to lower my initial ratings after a rewatch. I rated it 8.5 initially but I've decided to lower my ratings to 7.5. Not because I've changed my mind since I initially watched this 3 years ago... but rather because everything I felt back then, is still the same today. It's just that 3 years ago, I just couldn't bring myself to rate this show according to what I truly felt given the production value, how gorgeous this series is and how much people liked it. High production BLs is still a rarity in Thailand so whenever you come across one, we tend to forget to rate the show for its overall story and not for how good it looks. Not saying it shouldn't play a part in the overall ratings but it shouldn't overshadow the main criterion which is the story.

So what issue do I have with this show? Well, since I'm too lazy to write a long review and lots of people have extensively written about how magnificent this drama is yadayadayada, I'll go straight to the elephant in the room:

Struggle n°1: I feel the director loves their cinematography too much. Yes it's gorgeous, yes it's important to let the viewers be "in the moment" but every time I feel like each scene could have managed the same effect with less extra seconds. Each scene is always slightly too long to the point of feeling draggy and because it piles up and piles up repeatedly, it just makes watching the whole thing a struggle.

Struggle n°2: These teenagers are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO frustrating. Teh in particular. I'm not gonna go back on his case but I found these characters realistic but frustrating to watch. My God were they frustrating to the max. Is it because my teenage years are a far away memory now but there were many instances were I was just utterly fed up with the both of them. Both Teh and O-Ew were being ridiculous.... But Teh was on another level. No matter how beautiful the show was, at the end of the day, Teh made every scene a struggle. I'm not really sure why I got frustrated to that degree because I regularly watch shows featuring teenagers and no matter how unreasonable, I'm usually not as frustrated... But my guess is that Teh just has a very shitty personally. He's not a bad person, but the few flaws he has are HUGE. Most of his problems are struggles of his own making but the worst of it is how hurtful he turns out to be and repeatedly at that.

With almost 20 years of Asian dramas under my belt, I can count on the fingers of ONE hand, the number of times I wish the main pair didn't end up together. This one takes one finger and I hope I'm mistaken... But I think the follow-up series "I Promised You the Moon" which I've yet to watch, is probably going to take another... of the same hand.

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who felt that way though. When it first aired, it was difficult to find anybody who shared the same sentiment but time did its job, you see lots of people who are sharing their frustration.
People who loved it LOVED it though... So you should definitely check it out yourself.

I'm currently rewatching though... But with 2 episodes left on my rewatch, I'm now 100% sure my opinion is not gonna change. I felt the same back then and still feel the same today.

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The characters are relatable

The most important thing with shows like I Told Sunset About You, is that the characters are relatable. No one wants to spend a couple hours watching a show with unrelatable characters and no violence.

Both Teh and Oh-aew have colourful, fleshed-out personalities, and are in situations many others are in, have been through, or will experience at some points in their lives. That helps bring the audience in and gives them that feeling of relatability.
Teh is ambitious and outgoing, it's obvious that he makes friends and conversation easy. However his actions are harsh and affect everyone around him.
Oh-aew, on the other hand, is reserved and observant so he tends to stick to people he knows and environments he knows, but is the most vibrant amongst his friends.

It's obvious that they're teenagers who do dumb things and make decisions that they'll look back on and cringe, and that's the most refreshing part about I Told Sunset About You, neither Teh or Oh-aew are perfect or smart about what to do, making them relatable.

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Fantastic!

I loved this so much! Mainly because out of all of the BL series I've seen, this was just... different? No generic college storyline, no cringey characters, no fake emotion or unnecessary dramatic acting.

Firstly, the storyline was perfect, I wish it was longer but I can't complain because every scene was relevant and executed fantastically. I liked the authenticity of the story - it wasn't exaggerated or unrealistic (unlike a lot of BLs...). Seeing both Teh and Oh Aew finding themselves was such a pleasure to watch.

I was pleasantly surprised by the acting! Usually when watching these kind of shows I'm never blown away by the acting. However, there were some really strong performances in this. Krit (Oh Aew) is a STAR! Possibly the best played character I've seen across all of the dramas I've seen. The 'bra' scene broke my heart and I thought it was the stand out scene of the entire series. It felt so real. Teh's mother is also a hoot! I loved her over the top reaction to everything, she was so charming! Tarn was also a great addition and she had some great scenes.

Will certainly be rewatching in the near future. Was delighted to find out there was a season 2 coming soon, so will be enjoying that in the mean time!

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IMMATURITY OF OH-AEW

I'm actually quite drawn in the first episode but as I continue watching the entire series, I skipped some unnecessary parts. The story is good but all scenes are very long. I would say that this drama could be much better if each episode is 30-40minutes only.

What I like the most in this drama is the acting of the casts. They did a fantastic job on their roles. The character development of Teh is very commendable. I like how he sacrificed his place for a friend. Tan and Bas have the best overall personality in my opinion. The only problem I have in this drama is I hate one particular behavior of Oh-aew. His emotions always make him worse. I don't want a person who can't manage his own priorities. Never in the entire series did I see him giving anything to Teh as token of appreciation. He only thinks of his own good. Immaturity is what I had in mind. (Note: I just only hate that particular behavior but the actor did his role well). Still, their overall acting is a 10/10 for me.

This is the second Thai BL drama I've watched so far. This is worthy to be watched if you have spare time but not a must-watch for me.

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When it's about you, I know nothing at all.

It's been a few days since I finished this drama, and I still can't stop thinking about it. I can honestly say that this is one of the best BLs that exist and definitely my favorite.
ITSAY has a high level of production, and it's clear the dedication put into this work. There is a beautiful cinematography and a soundtrack that fits the story really well.
The way this drama developed is incredible pleasent, and a whole reason for that is because the acting is so convincing that I sometimes forgot that they were actors playing, I felt every little emotion along with the characters. This drama is different from all other BLs I know, in fact ITSAY can't even be summarized in this category, because this work is so much more than that.
I guess is impossible to express in words the peace that this story brought me; it's like I feel a nostalgia for something I've never experienced. It's magical and a truly piece of art.

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Call Me By Your Name x Thai BL

With its stunning visuals, ITSAY is easily the most beautifully-produced BL I’ve encountered. The BL delivers both aesthetics and substance. However, the intensity of emotions revolving around a turbulent sexual awakening makes it difficult to binge watch or rewatch frequently.

Burgeoning young love aside, what really makes this series stand out is not so much the plot, but a strong undercurrent of sexual tension that consistently propels the narrative.

The pacing is also unlike most BLs as it moves a lot slower. Some scenes are long drawn out, dramatizing the effect of waiting restlessly in loneliness. In several instances, the deliberate lack of dialogue becomes purposeful, with actors relying on their eyes to convey wordless desire through the gaze. It’s sequences like these that arguably make ITSAY so unique and so memorable.

Read my full review here: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2021/12/18/i-told-sunset-about-you-2020/

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