When homophobia wins the game
'The Best Story' (Thai: ครั้งหนึ่งที่รัก) is a Thai BL and LGBT-themed television series broadcast between July 9 and 23, 2021. Played in its lead roles by Wanarat Ratsameerat (War) as Best, and Anan Wong (Yin) as Dew, the series depicts a romance between two young high school students.Directed by Ratthapon Keawmeesri (Heavy), the central thread of the three-episode series is the way in which both boys begin to forge an emotional relationship and the obstacles they must face. Four other teenagers also appear: Brigght (Prat Itthichaicharoen) and Ray (Thanakom Minthananan (Win), Best's best friends; and Dave (Nadol Lamprasert - Bonz) and Tar (Patsapon Jansuppakitkun - Bever), Dew's inseparable comrades.
From the Line TV network, 'The Best Story' addresses topics such as romance, homosexuality, emotional diversity, secondary education, friendship, homophobia, youth and its way of relating, or personal evolution.
I don't intend to give much spoilers beyond what I have to say due to the focus of the review.
We are faced with a sweet, tender and brief love story, both for the length of time it lasts and for the brevity of the series, which follows the code of the best Thai BL: the main character, usually a high school or university student, He secretly falls in love with a fellow student, but does not dare to confess his feelings. Both boys will deepen their friendly relationship in the hope of declaring their love for each other. But this moment, expected by everyone, never comes.
While the shy Best does not confess because he believes that Dew loves a girl and, therefore, his feelings are not reciprocated, Dew does not confess his feelings for Best either, first also due to his shyness, and then to passivity, hopelessness and the fear of his mother's homophobia.
This light but realistic teenage romantic drama stands out for its evocative music and the good acting of the two protagonists, whose on-screen chemistry shows emotional physical interactions full of naturalness, warmth and positivity.
The romance is palpable in the small everyday moments that manage to convey the affectionate relationship of the characters played by War and Yin, whom we have previously seen starring in the 2020 Thai BL drama 'En of Love: Love Mechanics', where they also play a romantic couple. This same series also features the participation of the actors who play Ray, Bright and Tar in supporting roles.
An aside to talk about the magnificent cinematography. Despite having few settings, such as the classrooms, the school hallways and courtyards, Best's bedroom or the kitchen-dining room of Dew's house, the camera work is indisputable to make the viewer feel the emotions of his characters. characters with immense closeness and authenticity, with memorable intimate frontal and side shots with the characters looking into the lens or walking in front of it.
But Heavy's work is not only good in its colorimetry; It is also outstanding in terms of planning and use of the frame, bringing together the vast majority of the attention centers of the shots at the same point to ensure that the subsequent assembly of the series is legible at all times.
But, as I said from the title of the review, this focuses on homophobia and intolerance, and not only for being present in the series, but for coming out victorious over love.
Although everything seemed to indicate that the main couple would have a happy ending, related to the confession of love by one of the two boys, presumably Best because he was the one we knew from the beginning is in love with Dew, the truth is that later We know that this also corresponds to your feelings.
However, the romance is spoiled by the actions of the only two female characters in the series: Fern (Masa Marisa Kittelberger), the girl in love with Dew and not reciprocated by him, and Dew's mother.
Dew nobly rejects Fern, his friend and fellow student, who has been secretly in love with him for some time. Once again, Dew is honest with her, and confesses to being in love with a boy. Everything indicates, after the pleasant and confidential conversation held by the two, that Fern would respect Dew's sexuality and support him in his relationship with Best.
However, Fern betrays the friendship and trust placed in her by Dew by confessing her most intimate feelings, and full of hatred, homophobia, jealousy and meanness, she goes to Dew's homophobic and also intolerant mother to "save her son." of the influence of the homosexual Best". Is he doing it out of spite? So that Dew won't be happy with the person he loves? Why does she think that abruptly outing him will make the boy love her? Did he have the right to reveal Dew's sexuality?
If we do not know the answers to the first questions, it is true that, in relation to the last question, no one would ever act ethically; That is to say, it is not right or fair to violate someone's privacy, to remove them from the drawer, especially when it is motivated by petty and selfish interests.
Why does Dew's mother react so cruelly to the rumor that her son might be gay? Will you listen to your son? Will he also oppose any homosexual relationship of his son in the future, when Dew is of age? Will he continue to throw him out of the house with each new gay relationship? Will he ever accept his son? Will she be willing to prevent his happiness for life?
And Dew? Why don't you defend your love? Why accept your parent's decisions, which lead to the loss of your future and happiness?
If until that moment, the story was tender and cute, from this moment on, already in the final moments, homophobia prevents the two boys, who admit that they love each other, from being able to have their happy ending. The romance between Best and Dew can't even begin.
Dew, practically expelled from his home by his mother, will only be left to write partial sentences on social networks that say: "I like-", but without daring to complete the phrase with a "I like you", much less place the name of who they are addressed to.
What is the intention of the creators in giving this ending to the series? Will it be a denunciation of the reality suffered by the Thai LGBT+ community, and in which society and the family, especially parents, have a great responsibility? Or to promote the viewer's debate and reflection on such cruel and real topics as homophobia and intolerance, or jealousy and betrayal? Only if these were the reasons, the outcome of the series seems good to me.
While it is true that Thai BL series have contributed to the Southeast Asian nation being seen as a welcoming place for homosexuals, it does not mean that its laws are egalitarian or that it is truly respectful of the rights of members of the LGBT+ community. . As a general rule, Thai society in general and parents in particular do not accept the homosexuality of their children, and in some cases they even expel them from home.
The harsh reality is that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Thailand may face legal situations not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal, but such couples and households headed by same-sex couples do not have the same legal protections as heterosexual couples. It is estimated that around eight percent of the Thai population, five million people, are part of the LGBT demographic.
In 2013, the Bangkok Post states that "while Thailand is seen as a tourist haven for same-sex couples, the reality for locals is that the law, and often public sentiment, is not so liberal."
For its part, a 2014 report from the United States Agency for International Development and the United Nations Development Program notes that LGBT people "still face discrimination that affects their social rights and employment opportunities," and "They face difficulties in gaining acceptance of non-traditional sexuality, although the tourism authority has been promoting Thailand as a gay country."
A decade later nothing has changed. There is still constant and systematic discrimination against Thai minorities, including the LGBTI community. Despite the country having a law against discrimination against sexual minorities, there are legal gaps that still allow the stigmatization of said human group.
As I point out in the title, homophobia may have won the game, depending on the series, but it will not win the fight for human rights. Hate may win some battles, but the final victory will be love's.
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Original visual
Entregou MUITO, no quesito atuação, historia, química, drama, clichê e nem da pra perceber que esse uke já está beirando os 30 anos ne? HAHAHAH original visual mesmo!!! é um drama curto e bem aconchegante, de cara já é esperado um sofrimento pelo uke porque no começo é um pouco difícil de desassociar de en of love mas a historia é diferente e bem enxuta e deixou um gosto de quero mais enorme, a atuação está EXCELENTE! incrível que eles conseguiram fazer essa primeira parte da historia tão bem com leveza mas sem muita infantilidade. Espero pela próxima temporada com muita ansiedade e indicarei pra todos que conheço!!!Was this review helpful to you?
uma história emocionante!
assisti por conta dos yinwar, pois resolvi que ia ver (quase) todos os trabalhos que fizeram e não me arrependi nem um pouquinho.a história prende, assim como o casal principal e desde o primeiro episódio planta um sentimento no espectador, faz com que você torça por um final feliz, que o best (war wanarat) consiga finalemente se declarar ao dew (yin anan wong).
não sei se recomendo para quem ta começando, talvez pela inocência da série... no começo você espera uma maior interação, cenas românticas e olhares carregados de paixão ou que se desenvolva a isso. em the best story você não encontra algo explícito dessa forma, você aprende a se contentar com os mínimos olhares e diálogos, que por mais que pareça pouco, uma vez que você se insere na visão de charlie, que nutre esse amor colegial que parece possível mas tão fora de alcance, tudo se enaixa.
algumas cenas doem demais, principalmente se for da comunidade lgbt, não tem como não se ver na situação da personagem e sentir suas dores.
eu recomendo para quem procura uma série bonitinha, curta e que esteja disposto a sentir o que é proposto. tenho certeza que não irá se arrepender!
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Eu, tranquilamente, bateria na Fern até ela virar do avesso
The Best Story que de “Best” só tem o nome do protagonista, pois a única coisa que esse drama vai fazer por você, é quebrar seu coração.Atuações impecáveis, chorei junto com o protagonista, gritei, me irritei, me indignei, mas também me diverti muito com a conturbada vida do Best. Para quem gosta de finais tristes/realistas, essa história com certeza é para você. Não apenas por tratar de uma realidade de muitos com a intolerância, mas também por mostrar o quanto o amor cego pode te tornar tão egoísta a ponto de destruir a vida de alguém que você diz amar, e ainda te deixar ficar bem com isso.
No mais, essa aventura de pouco mais de uma hora e meia merecia mais atenção. Conta com fotografia e ost impecáveis, e um cast muito interessante.
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This review may contain spoilers
Aguardando o desfecho, não foi esse o final que eu pedi!
São apenas 3 episódios, mas que doem a vida inteira...Iniciei sem muita expectativa, pensando que seria apenas um pequeno projeto para manter o ship YimWar vivo enquanto a segunda temporada de "En of love não chegava", mas posso dizer que realmente me surpreendi. A atuação dos meninos foi simplesmente maravilhosa, eu ri, chorei, torci, chorei de novo, quase desidratei no final, como foi possível tanta emoção em apenas três episódios, jamais saberei. Apesar de curtinha, não foi previsível, eu fiquei até o último segundo esperando um plow twist com meu final feliz (infelizmente não veio). E a ost... o que dizer dessa música? Linda, perfeita, a voz do War encantando, a letra da música sendo a cereja do bolo, encaixando perfeitamente na história deles. Conseguiram ser adultos, interpretando perfeitamente adolescentes e sem aquele quê de infantilidade que é normal nesse estilo de série. Os amigos de ambos, os melhores que alguém pode ter, mas ainda não engoli a "amiga" simplesmente estragar o lance dos meninos antes mesmo de começar e ficar tudo bem para ela, a mãe homofóbica conseguir seu intuito de afastar os meninos, sinceramente foram pontos que achei que poderiam ser modificados. O final é muito poético, mas muito triste... espero que a qualquer momento anunciem um episódio especial, um filme, ou quem sabe uma segunda temporada mostrando eles formados e podendo viver o amor em paz.
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