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So different for GMMTV!
I have watched so many GMMTV BL dramas and this by far was the highest production value by far. But I don't think that was always beneficial. With a higher budget they were able to do so much more, but the longer episode run time made some episodes feel like they were dragging the plot out. And for there only being 8 episodes in the series they didn't really plot out the pacing correctly so by episode 8 it felt like a rushed conclusion. The acting by the leads of Earth Pirapat Watthanasetsiri and Mix Sahaphap Wongratch was really beautiful, however their love story felt like it was never going to happen as a result of the drag out. As per usual GMM has produced another side love story that was almost an "Eclipse" of the main story (pun intended.) The performance we were given by Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul and Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak was absolutely heart warming, and they left me wanting more. I do feel like they were done a grave disservice however because their one and only kiss was completely obscured by the camera angle.On the whole this was a really good series with many high points. The higher production value was a great enhancement for the cinematography. The only down side being the long run time being a disruption from a properly paced story line. If it was a 12 ep series then I think they could have done a lot more.
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From the cinematography to the actors, everything was a "yes" for me.
"Moonlight Chicken" is currently my favorite show. From the cinematography to the actors, everything was a "yes" for me.I saw a lot of people mentioning how Heart and Ming steal the show—a comment I can understand but definitely don't agree with (though I respect their point of view, of course).
That said, I think one thing that might not be to everyone's liking is that the series takes its time. Many facets of everyday life are covered; it feels like I was living with them. It’s a show that reflects the daily lives of a large proportion of viewers and is not fast-paced as a result.
I'm not someone with a lot of experience in love, yet I was still deeply touched by the different aspects of relationships portrayed by P'Aof and the actors, to the point where I lost count of how many times I cried as if I myself had experienced these situations. It was so realistic and refreshing to see being gay in one's thirties or forties portrayed on screen, especially as a poor character. Earth did an amazing job, as did Mix; it was pleasant and interesting to see their relationship evolve as they learned to let go of past relationships to be able to move forward.
Ming and Heart were the cutest part of the show, with an adorable dynamic. I loved how everyone in the series became more mature by the end, not just the young characters.
First and Khaotung did amazing as well. I felt so bad for Alan throughout the show. I understood everyone's position and way of thinking, which made the confrontation scenes even more relevant. Gaipa was a ray of sunshine who made me ugly-cry as if I was the one in pain. Not to mention the beautiful color palette the series uses !
In conclusion: I love MC !
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What a good show.
This was a very good drama, i really enjoyed watching it. I finished it in a day.It was a supreme cast, so no further comments on the acting, these people always deliver.
I must say, it was so weird seeing Mix and First as a couple...i'm glad it was just for a little bit..
The individual stories where quite interesting. For me, the series could be a few episodes more, because i would have liked to see more of Kaipa and Alan together. That's also the reason why this show didn't get a 10 from me.
I will probable watch this series again in the future.
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The Mature BL series We Need
Moonlight Chicken serves as a realistic take on the slice-of-life stories within the gay community. Starting from the perspective of a mature man, it explores the socioeconomic struggles and romantic worldviews of ordinary city dwellers.In addition, it is one of the very first BL series to introduce a disabled person as a major romantic lead. This refreshing representation not only depicts the authentic struggles of the deaf community but also shows how love and connection can transcend language barriers.
And of course, my favorite actor Khaotung proves himself yet again to be a versatile actor, delivering a deeply emotional performance.
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Not quite as advertised
Kudos to P'Aof and GMMTV for producing an adult* (grumpy sneer) series.That being said...
Too many plot threads surface skimmed, ended ignominiously. or utterly dropped and forgotten, so the Gemini/Fourth teen/barely legal story could overtake the show. And the hearing impaired storyline - SO much wrong, infuriating and insulting. Almost dropped the series. (Did plenty of fast-forwarding instead)
While I do like Earth and Mix as actors, and both did a solid job in this series - Mix stepping out with some subtle and effective character subtext, yeah!) just as with ATOTS and the dumpster fire of CLW, there is no sexual tension between them, at all. From the shag at the beginning to the kiss at the end, dry choreography.
Khaotung, as he demonstrated in "The Eclipse" is a good actor, but you really shouldn't notice that he's acting, and in all emotionally heightened scenes, aka crying, boy, he's acting his heart out.
First, as always, is divine, one of the finest GMMTV actors. Could speak volumes about his character building and in the scene's moment skills. Would watch him in anything.
The cinematography in the first few episodes excellent, framing, angle, and movement, dynamic and interesting. By the end of the show that magic had, sadly, lapsed into BL static average. Sound issues galore, however. Should really find better placement of mics in scenes where hugging is involved. Pleasant opening sequence, if too long, could have used some of that screen time for additional story time.
Finally, a thank you to cast, admin and entire production crew for bringing this series to life., for seeing the worth and wealth of the working class adult* story. May this be the first of many, and many more.
*should have been exclusively
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an emotional rollercoaster portraying everyday lives
"Moonlight Chicken" is part of the "Midnight Series" alongside "Midnight Motel" and "Dirty Laundry". It is the third and last series released from these three. First of all, I have to agree with many other opinions; it is the best entry out of the three series. One of the reasons is probably the longer runtime which results in allowing to have more place to fully develop a background story and giving characters the ability to grow.The story tells a lot of different aspects of life; losing a loved one, falling in love, financial problems, the problems and prejudice towards deaf and hard-of-hearing people have to face... but these are only a few exampled of the many aspects it portrays. Especially the inclusion of a deaf character (Heart) as one of the more important characters gives this series a special place in my heart.
This is where I will have to talk about the acting. Heart (Gemini) is portrayed extremely well, without using much speech, only expressions and body language, he is able to show all his emotions without it feeling like too much or too little. Acting-wise, Heart (Gemini) and Li Ming (Fourth) probably steal the show. The actors are able portray the feelings that teenagers have while trying to find their own way, in a natural, convincing way, probably due to the fact that they are the same age as their characters. But every other actor (and actress) in this series does their role justice, making "Moonlight Chicken" a natural, convincing (and emotional) experience.
The soundtrack is beautiful. Starting with a great intro song, the series is able to use the soundtrack in a way that it completes every scene in perfectly, making the experience for the viewer even better.
Therefore, while I recommend watching all three series of the "Midnight Series", "Moonlight Chicken" is the one that will leave the biggest impact on the viewer.
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The familial love is the highlight
I really enjoyed this show. There was so much to dig into and it was a real pleasure to see a BL with such mature themes, nuanced characters, and complex morality. By far my favorite part of this show was the care and attention shown to familial love, especially the complicated relationship between Jim and Li Ming. Heart’s storyline was also a highlight, and he and Li Ming had a very charming teen romance.That said, it was not a perfect show for me. I think for a show with only 8 episodes aired over 4 weeks, Moonlight Chicken tried to do a little too much. In particular, I thought they resolved the major conflicts too early on, releasing a lot of the dramatic tension in the story and leaving us with a slower pace and fragmented focus. I enjoyed all the characters and themes, but I’m not sure it all came together as one cohesive narrative engine.
The biggest flaw in the show was in the casting. The actor playing Jim was simply too young for the part, and it became a distraction. The romance between Jim and Wen was also missing something as a result. I think a better casting choice for Jim would have strengthened the show a lot.
Even still, I do recommend watching. It’s a beautiful show with a lot of warmth.
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it is one of the best, not only bl but also thai drama out there.
this is hands down one of my favourite thai shows. everything about it is just so real and hits all the right spots. totally worth a watch. it is not that over the top fancy shows but here we see some real emotions. i genuinely recommend it.Was this review helpful to you?
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I feel that something is missing.
I have been waiting for this series for such a long time. And now it has done. While I do love this series, I felt that something is missing from this series for it to be perfect for me.Pros:
❤️ Beautiful cinematography
❤️ Excellent acting from not just the main actors but from all of the actors (looking at Khaotung Thanawat Ratanakitpaisan. While I didn't really like 'The Eclipse', he got my attention with his acting there. In this series...he impressed the hell out of me).
❤️ Time jumps did not actually annoy me
❤️ Getting to see Earth and Mix again in another series, where they did not disappoint me as well as watching another series from Aof.
Cons:
💔 I felt that something was missing. I really can't explain it better than this. I guess that I had extremely high expectations and it just wasn't able to reach it. Because the series did start off good and... something just went off. But it was able to get back on track by episode 7 and 8. Please note that this is my personal opinion.
In the end I give the story an 8, the acting a 9.5, the music a full blown 10 and the rewatch an 8. Overall, I give this series a 9. I honestly thought that this was going to be my first 10 BL for this year.
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It's Really, Really Good. I Wish It Was Great.
This is probably the best Thai BL I've ever watched. It was like a regular show and I didn't feel the need to give it a pity grade(look, we all do it).That being said, it's still not very great. Good. Not great. Writing still lacks in the pacing department. And, yeah, that makes a difference. I imagine that for some reason an editing department doesn't exist or maybe they think it's unnecessary to have one but, whew, watching fifty different angles and facial expressions as they repeat how sad they are is--it's less impactful not more. And it takes a solid 5 to 8 minutes of additional runtime. Now, imagine this is the worst example but certainly not the only one.
The story is solid. The actors are good. Earth really shines here. And so does the actress who plays Gaipa/Kaipa's mother. And it's egregious that she doesn't have a casting photo or even a blank one on the cast list. She's important dang it! For several of her scenes, I forgot I was watching a genre of television that gets shafted(don't laugh) when it comes to the writing room. And, boy, did this one ever.
I won't go on to complain because that's a bit unfair. The cinematography in the opening shots and the consequential ones were beautifully done. Lighting. Perfect. Set design, environment, and casting, so far as appearances go, are spot on. When Jim and Wen met, I was ready to love this. This was going to be the BL to end all and be all.
But, it suffers from a lack of editing necessary for proper pacing. And it was really only the times involving Wen. Which is unfortunate because I enjoyed his backstory. The funny thing is that for all that time spent on camera angles and repetitive conversations, it would've been better spent on Wen's internalized feelings blossoming into something real. I would've liked to see the differences in Wen's behavior compared to at the start of the drama when he was being flirtatious but lacking all experience in that form of confidence to when he learned to own his confidence completely. Instead, I watched Wen appear to always be confident from beginning to end except during his backstory parts--where he was a normal human being.
I have the typical issues with unnecessary relationship drama(not Wen) that could've been better set off as something that happened prior to the start of the drama and then tying off loose ends in the actual drama. It probably would've cleared up the pacing to make room to focus on Wen. Just saying. I wanted more Wen character-focused backstory but whatever.
I legit have nothing to say about Heart and Li Ming's portion. I think Heart's story is pretty interesting and it seems like it's been done very well. My isolated experiences with the deaf is that I was raised near the Maryland School for the Deaf. And I've probably see more deaf people than others have. It really doesn't give me an idea of what's proper or not. Add on the cherry that Thai sign language is a different form of sign language altogether--it seemed legit.
But yeah, maybe that should've been my headline.
The entire show.
It seemed legit.
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I would be happy to know continuation of all heroes' lifes
First of all, main couple's story was not intended for teen audience or for those who find a pleasure in watching fluffy or light romcoms, but business is a business and company did emphasized a little bit the story line of teenagers for commercial purposes which is in a way understandable. Personally I started to like to watch life dramas only as I was growing older and after going through some life hardships so I don't blame those who don't find appeal in main couple's story line. It's just not for them.I liked the acting in these series and especially Khaotung's portrayal of his character left an imprint in my mind. Khaotung is like a magician who pulls you in his fictional world and allows you to see and to feel it through his personage. I believe this ability is a gift by nature so there is no need to compare it with other actors' abilities.
Alan and Wen's story was very heavy and well played as well. They both were guilty and they both struggled and I cheered for both of them and I wanted them to be happy together or on their own.
Jim was like a basis for all other participants, his plain and maybe not so exciting story line became a canvas for embroidering of the stories of other characters. His story is not a romantic story but a story of accepting, transformation, adaptation.
The colour grading was interesting. I did remember that there were a lot of red lanterns.
The storytelling itself was not perfect. There were plotholes, some events and dialogues were happening out of logic of story.
Finally, it would be nice to meet the heroes of these series again in the future.
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Such a masterpiece
Such a masterpiece created by p'aoff , really thanks to everyone who contributed in this series , every dialogue hitted and looked soo personal so poetic the use of metaphors especially scenes like lighting the fire back when wen and alan were breaking up or anything that's related to liminguncle Jim is one of the most relatable character, i really loved how his struggles were shown realistically , the time when wen says "why your wall so high" it really showed the struggles and past relationship trauma it was elaborated perfectly. the relationship of jim and liming was the highlight for me bec liming portrayed by p'fourth was really good , the struggles of being a teenager really portrayed nicely
coming to the my fav characters alan and gaipa 🫠 i just know that these two are made for each other kind of character first and khaotang did a fabulous job i am less with words when i have to describe these two
heart one of the most important and beautiful character... Kudos to gemini the way he brought heart to life for me .. i related everything, the boy deserves so many awards for his acting still can't believe it was his first gig ever
the last and the best wen ... phi mix did a awesome job he is such a nice hearted person... the acting amazing .. i really wanted to hug wen when he said he is looking for someone who is a home to him
no doubt his relationship with Alan was , once u r detached from someone u can't build the relationship again .
my fav scene of whole series would be alan and wen fight scene bec that never leaves my mind . I hope people can get to the depth of this sereis it's too poetic and i love it soooo much 🫶🫶🫶🫶
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