Moonlight Chicken

A short but not necessarily fast paced romance

Different narratives resonate with different people and Moonlight Chicken has quite a distinct flavour. It is a dose of realism. It tries to pack a mighty punch in these eight hour episodes which span a period of around six months. It tackles many issues that a person could face in today's Thai economy through the lives of the people at a chicken rice diner. Does it work though?

Jim, known as Uncle Jim to most, runs a semi-popular rice diner at chinatown in Pattaya city. It's the moon festival and on this fateful night, Jim meets Wen who has drunk and passed out at his shop. Out of a sense a responsibility, he decides to take Wen home and ends up having a one night stand with him. The next day however all it seems is that Jim want to pretend it never happened.

Jim is portrayed as a man who is nearly in his forties. He is not a closeted gay man but his previous relationship has burnt him and he still grapples with his past. Wen is an art director is in his early thirties. His youthful charm and shamelessness in pursuing Jim is a sharp contrast to Jim’s stoic behavior. We soon learn that it's not just Jim who has baggage, Wen has an ex whom he cannot cut off.

Then there's the budding romance of Li Ming (Fourth), Jim’s nephew who lives with him, and Heart, the boy of an influential, rich Thai officer. Heart is Li Ming's opposite in more ways than one, already a slightly introverted individual, Heart is further repressed by the fact that he is deaf. His disability makes him lonely, a loneliness in which he has doesn't have the support of his parents, and Li Ming is a sudden brightness in his life. Gemini and Fourth bring all their adorable sweetness here.

While Jim, Wen and their love quadrilateral represent a more complex, or rather dumb but extremely fraught relationship, Heart and Li Ming are simple. “I like it when I am with you.” They bring the liveliness of young love to the screen. Another couple is Saleng (Mark) and his girlfriend Praew (View) who get themselves into a mess. Through them a very important topic is discussed: unwanted pregnancy and the brunt of raising a baby in this economy (with a small talk on abortion).

The series is directed by my favorite director, P'Aof. While Moonlight Chicken is thematically very different from Bad Buddy, there is still P'Aof’s charm. His charm to portray a story naturally and to bring out the best in the actors. While I do appreciate that the side characters add a lot of goodness to the story, I feel that it was at the cost of the main romance.

The struggles of Jim with his past and Wen with his present were intriguing, but after episode 3 their relationship development became completely stagnant. The story does not resort to using cheap jealousy to keep it spicy, which I thought would be a big issue. The main couple shone the least here. I never really felt Jim reciprocate Wen’s feelings. It is attributed to the fact that Wen is younger and his personality is livelier whereas Jim (at his alleged age of "nearly 40" I hope i look as good at 40 as he does!) but I did not feel a significant shift in their relationship even when there was supposedly a huge shift in their relationship.

Perhaps it is the casting choice which held them back. While Mix did quite well, and Earth does do better than before, I just could not feel their acting. Whatever tension was there in episode 1 is effectively lost by episode 2 (this might seem harsh but it's true, at least for me). I needed Jim to want Wen more than he needs to breathe (okay, maybe that's a bit too much), but all he does is keep pushing him away and wow I honestly cannot imagine sticking around for an emotionally unavailable man for that long, Wen. I, as an audience, failed to see what Wen and Jim saw in each other.

Do not mistake this for a "fast paced romance" because this is absolutely not one, despite the one night stand it started out with. The only reason why I rate it as highly as I have (7/10) is because I love them as a family, all of them including Jim and Wen. They are a huge wholesome family and that is >>>>> 100 times than Jim and Wen's romance. But this may be more of a personal gripe.

Moonlight Chicken does touch on a lot of issues and not just "first world problems" as in most bls and it is mostly successful at doing justice to its characters. A point I found quite significant is when issues are raised, there are quite a few discussions on money, because lets not pretend, money is an important deciding factor in our lives. However in this Moonlight Chicken is not relentless, it does allow our characters to achieve happiness too.

In terms of production value, this is a very aesthetic show. With charming shots it explores the vibrancy of Pattaya’s beaches and temples and festivals. It offers a brief but colourful look into Thai culture. Each episode roughly spans over a month and there is a certain link to the festival being celebrated in each episode that may be a little hard for viewers to follow (at least for me :). The sound quality was okay, the background music doesn't take over the speech, then again it's P'Aof, we really don't need to worry about the production. I wish they had made a different decision about translating Heart though. I understand they wanted to portray the struggle of understanding a deaf-mute man, but even in the final episode there are so many things Heart says which were left unsaid :(

My final takeaway is that I wish Jim and Wen as characters had been more dynamic, they fell rather flat in comparison to the others. Re-watch value? Not that high. Only for Heart and Li Ming! If you are wondering whether to watch this, I'd suggest giving it a go because from what I've already seen, most viewers have very different opinions on this because Moonlight Chicken hits a different tone with different people. And it's short too :) 7/10

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this drama is not just a bl, its so much more.

every character of this drama has some type of pain and trauma that P’Aof showed beautiful through each character one at a time.

saleng, (please leave there are spoilers ahead, youve been warned) both his parents pasted away. alankaipa are both heartbroken and lost someone very dear to them in different ways. jim lost his loved one/got cheated on. heart became deaf and his parents are ashamed of him. wen fell out of love. limings parents left him and the fighting with his uncle and the falling outs.

P’Aof directed this beautifully in every way possible.
the cinematography and colors in the whole drama tells a story you might not catch the first time, but you can still feel it.

the cool and warm tones. in hearts house and alan/wens apartment. you can feel the sadness and pain with the blueish cool tone colors and the warms tones around jims house, you always are on edge because of the reds and orange warm tone colors.

its not just about the fire needing to be rekindled, but when the waiter asked won said “no, we’re done here” when wen and alan were having dinner to settle things, meaning so many ways to so many people, which you can take it any way.

and the sticky-notes around hearts desk, showing that hes boxed in and isnt allowed out. thats his world. through those paper with words.

at the end of ep7 i completely forgot i was watching a bl, the pain the characters takes the viewers through can also be shared, where we can relate very well too.

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A bar-raiser for GMMTV BLs

Moonlight Chicken is one of those shows where you think that the trailer is giving away the story. But no, you will be proven wrong.

Moonlight Chicken is so unique because it tackles several topics spanning from social issues like poverty and disability, to relationships; one-night stands, status transitions and the idea of ‘home’.

A lot of Moonlight Chicken’s relatability comes from the fact that the characters are so damned lonely. Everyone is looking for a safe harbour where they can be at ease with themselves instead of worrying about the troubles that lay ahead.

I love that GMMTV was unafraid to dive into messy tangles that don’t have a clear villain. Here, Wen and Alan are neither good guys nor bad guys. Jim doesn’t want to be the bad guy, but ends up being dragged into this miserable predicament anyway (so much for an uncomplicated one-night-stand). And that’s just life sometimes.

Earth and Mix have managed to outdo themselves in Moonlight Chicken – after 2 full-fledged series (ATOTS and Cupid’s Last Wish), their acting chops have improved tremendously. Fourth and Gemini, while only a side couple, stole the show for me.
In MLC, they play two people whose homes don’t feel like ‘home’ (more on this later), and how home, to them, is not so much a place but other people. I was extremely invested in this couple and thought they deserved an entire series as Liming and Heart.

Imo, the director successfully balanced story substance (great storyline and plots that were far from empty fluff), aesthetics (beautiful scenes), and emotional connection (relatability/how invested you get in the characters).

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/03/06/moonlight-chicken-review-bl/

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Mid-final plots fly straight to heaven, left the angels at full bliss but also crying from up above.

I have mixed emotions in this series, in a more positive way. I didn't vibe it at first but it continued to grow on me. The emotional scenes from mid to final episode caught me off-guard. The throw of well-written lines of the characters gives a strong impact in me. This series didn't give too much intimate scenes which I respectfully admire. A deep connection between couple (LiMing-Heart) is more valuable than having more focused on intimate relationship. I think their plots are stronger and more interesting than Jim-Wen. I think Gemini-Fourth really carved their names on this industry. They totally nailed their roles. Jim-Wen relationship development lacks depth and there is nothing fresh to see. Their chemistry (Earth-Mix) is always that perfectly wonderful though and make their decent plots a lot better than it would be.

What deserves justice is my Khaotung-First ship. I expected something different but then I understand that they are just supporting leads. Well anyways, Khaotung (as Gaipai) singing on mic continued with that sad song (which I want to know the title) is my tearjerking moment in this series. On the other hand, First (as Alan) has the best character development in this series. The development of all characters is fairly thought and executed except Alan since he really needs the most attention in character development.

Overall, this is a recommendable series to watch. I love it.

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Moonlight mess... Life is hard...

To be perfectly honest this should be a 6 but I just could not give it less than an 8... Why you may ask these two very different ratings?

It is all about the + and - Story and Pacing is probably more of a 6 or maybe a 6,5 it is just not that captivating or interesting... It has a lot of interesting moments and some good lines here and there but most of the drama feels like it has a bunch of ways to make the stories fit together instead of focusing on 4 good stories.

I love all the actors in the cast of this drama, however both Earth and First where miscasted here, I assume they where there as part of their assigned duo... I do not know if it is a either take the whole band (duo) or I am out type of deal , but even though there was nothing lacking in their acting they where just not right for their parts... As Earth did not give almost 40 vibes at all (trust me I am soon to be 40 myself), the age difference between Mix and Earth is 5 years and well it is noticeable which makes the whole old man plot line just ridiculous... That said the very few physical scenes between Mix and Earth where as lovely as always.

The best part of this show was without a doubt Gemini and Fourth they where as playful as ever had great chemistry and just left me wanting even more... I am not going to say that their story line was perfect but they did manage to show some of the issues that deaf people have to deal with in a decent way... And though some of the dialog there felt forced there were a whole lot of good lines in there as well.

There are also a bunch of good portrayals of found family, friendship, poverty sucks, break ups can be hard... and life in general is complicated.

Part of the show felt like it was a mixtape of GMMTVs most popular performers... There to fill the void of those who miss their Ships... Which gave me mixed feeling, I love em all and enjoyed a bunch of their scenes, reminding me of past dramas I loved watching and just generally putting a smile on my face... I can not help but wonder if those who have not seen these pairings before would feel about watching this. And while it did give me some enjoyment for those particular scenes I am pretty sure this casting affected the over all execution of the show in a bad way...

I am not exactly sure where I am going with this but I guess I want to say that if you have previously enjoyed the actors of this show you will probably enjoy this show in a different way than if these pairings are completely new to you. I am not sure in what way...

So what can I say it is a slightly messy slice of lie that could have been a lot better, but is good enough to watch... and gets extra points for the parts that made me smile.

Also, make sure to pay attention at the color coordination of clothes and set... Sometimes it is more obvious than others.

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Realistic, Love Heart & Li ming, watched series mainly for them

I had fewer expectations from the series because I find Earth Mix acting to be lacking in whatever I have watched from them. The main reason I watched the series is because I loved Gemini Fourth chemistry & acting in My School President.

I loved the overall story of the series and i liked the job done by the director and hence the good rating & review.
Acting side I loved almost everyone's acting except for the Main Leads. Gemini & Fourth as expected nailed it.

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Too much sighing...not enough story

The unfortunate thing about this show is that it had so, so much potential, with a brilliant cast, a beautiful setting, a great soudtrack. But the main story between Jim and Wen just didn't give...almost anything. Jim is a boring and stunted character, and Earth just wasn't given much to work with. He was literally sighing for 50% of his screen time. And it was never entirely clear why Wen after him THIS hard when Jim kept pushing him away time and time again. The characters' chemistry didn't measure up to the actors' chemistry. Heart and Li Ming's story on the other hand was much, much better handled, and Fourth's acting blew me out of the water. Incredible stuff all around!!!!!! Gaipa was a sunshine character, and Alan and Wen's relationship was portrayed well. The chemistry between FirstKhao is out of this world and I truly wish we could get a glimpse into their future together as AlanGaipa, but nevertheless, their scenes together were wonderful. Khaotung delivers every single time. Overall, I literally skipped most of Jim and Wen's scenes because nothing was happening. But the show does leave you with a distinct found family warmth that is hard to shake off. I'm really grateful to the whole cast for all their hard work.

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It's a very interesting and enjoyable slice of life series. Almost perfect

It's one of my favorite series instantly. It openly talks about many issues and subtly talks about others. Within just 8 eps it has managed to tough at the right spots. The acting, was phenomenal to say the least. I mean- I could easily say that I, personally, haven't seen any better-acted series among many of the c/t/k-dramas. At one time I was like- 'Wow, Fourth acts as if he's li ming whose uncle is not understating him', at other time I was like- 'Is First crying or is Alan crying?' then I was like- 'bro it's so hard to act deaf with all those sounds audible around you', 'Earth at a young age is giving a vibe of a mature person who has faced everything', 'Mix is delivering the feelings well', 'Khao looks extremely heartbroken as if he was rejected' and 'Mark's versatility is insane'. Everyone was so good that I couldn't pick favorites. It's perfect. Thanks to every staff, especially, P'aof!

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the only bitter and gritty thing about this show is how I feel about it

Uff, this really hurts to write, but I need to write it anyway. When I first heard about this show and its premise, I’m gonna be honest, I wasn’t too happy. But I was reassured that it would not be your typical cheating storyline and it would be handled more realistically and less like your typical BL cheating plot. It was also said that this show would be very realistic, gritty, and bitter. And I prepared myself for that. Once the actual trailer dropped though, it didn’t look nearly as bitter and gritty as they promised. And surprise, surprise it wasn’t. And what was left was...a mere shadow of what it could've been.

This show was so dead-set on being realistic and the first thing they do is cast a 28 year old to play a middle aged man. Like…come one. The joke writes itself. I’m not saying that Earth wasn’t fit for this role because of his skills, because he is a good actor. This is entirely about his age and how the role makes him out to be way older than he actually is. It just turned into this joke that whenever Uncle Jim sighed or complained about the youth and how old he is, I had to laugh.

There is a very clear ship>casting mentality in the BL industry. If it wasn’t for the specific ship(s), I am almost certain that the cast wouldn’t look as they do now. Not that I would want to recast most of them, but it's obvious.

Someone said to me that P’Aof is really great in making lighthearted, fluffy BLs and maybe he should stick to what he’s best at, because bitter and realistic isn’t hitting nearly as much as his previous works. It does look amazing though, you gotta give him that.

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it was amazing!!!

I really liked this series! The plot was interesting. When it comes to Mix and Earth - i will watch everything. I think there is a chemistry between them, even though this series didnt show many kisses, romantic stuff, etc. I was suprised when i watched the first episode; Wen was drunk and end up in a situation like this, so and Jim. It is a bit annoying to meet someone when you are drunk.
Honestly, the relationship between Li Ming and Heart captivated me the most. It was so pure. It was obvious that they will catch a romantic feelings to each other. Li Ming even learned the sign language and Heart`s disabillity wasnt a burden to him. He treated him like a normal person and that was enough for me to like this couple so much!
Everything goes well till Alan came in the picture. My feelings are mixed, by the way. On the other hand, i was sorry for Alan, maybe he really loved Wen so much that he couldn`t let him go. But Wen so many times told him that their relationship is over and they cant be more than friends. Alan shouldnt hurt himself, trying to make Wen fall in love with him again. I was sorry for Gaipa, too. He deserved all the love but from the right person. I hoped that he will meet Alan. Yes, they met each other but the circumstances was awfull. Episode 7 was really hard to watch. I cried so much because of Gaipa`s mother. It was so sad..
I`m glad because that series had a happy end. It will be amazing if we get a chance for second season. I really want to see Alan and Gaipa as a couple. And of course - to see Li Ming and Heart`s life in America.
I give 10/10 to this series, because i really enjoyed it.

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A refreshing look at relationships and the realities of life with adult couples rather than students

NO-SPOILER REVIEW

Pros
- The story is a great and realistic representation of relationships, family, and the realities of life for adults. It's so great to not only have stories about students with school-level low stakes. This series shows you that everything isn't always sunshine and rainbows but people still have the strength to live their lives and find love.
- The acting is superb. The entire cast is very talented and this makes it easy to full immerse yourself in the story.
- The pacing is just right and keeps you interested from start to finish.
- The variety of couples keeps things fresh and interesting.
- There's great representation of the deaf community.

Cons
- There were a couple moments where it felt like some drama was introduced for the sake of having drama. Those couple moments felt a little bit forced and unrealistic.

Overall
- A wonderful series that represents the adult world in a realistic way. A must watch if you're bored of school-aged dramas.

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