Heartbreakingly beautiful
This series is very different from all the shows I've seen from Thailand so far. I really enjoyed it, it doesn't have a lot of your typical stereotypes in Thai Bl and that only made me appreciate it even more.
The way the script and characters were written is superb. The way the characters deal with loss, homophobia, and self-acceptance is incredibly well-written and you can see growth in the characters as the series progresses.
The actors did an amazing job, their acting was on point, not only the main couple but, the mother as well, I think the way the actress portrayed her was incredibly well done. One of the things I really appreciate is the way Wang calls out his mother's behaviour and her microaggressions that she hides behind banter. It's a great conversation regarding real acceptance and doing the politically correct to save face. Also, talk about codependency I swear the entire cast of this show needs a LOT of therapy.
I think that the way this series was written is perfect I didn't miss your typical cliche kisses or anything like that, the yearning only made the characters so much more believable.
One thing that I really appreciated and I won't spoil it but, the way it ends just felt perfect for this story I don't think they could have given it a better ending if they tried.
The cinematography is gorgeous, the sets are beautiful and the way it was filmed, especially the night scenes made it feel much more intimate almost as if the viewer is eavesdropping on the characters' lives.
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This review may contain spoilers
One of those you remember forever
I knew getting into this it was going to be emotional. I had seen some spoilers and I thought I was prepared. I was not. This drama reels you in with the charm of Wang, gets you hooked on the sweetness of In, chews you up with the selfishness of Mol and spits you out with the heartbreak of all 3 of them. I really don't mind emotions, sadness or even bad endings, but I dread them since watching MODC. This one is not THAT bad, fortunately, and the ending is fitting the mood and feel of the drama, but I still hated it. I so much wanted In to get over his hesitation and fear and for Mol to get over her selfishness and think more about her son's happiness. Mol has very narcissistic tendencies and this triggered me a lot. In never gets angry with her, he never calls her out. Probably because he feels so guilty, but there's therapy for that, people!Suffice to say I was really invested in this drama and I binged it in a day. The acing, cinematography, music, it was all on point. The fact that we are actually only dealing with these 3 people without real side characters is a great choice, we really get into their motivations, conversations and emotions.
There were some inconsistencies and unclear parts, but maybe that's just that I missed it because I was crying too much. I don't know.
I dare not hope for a 2nd season where Wang and In find their way back to each other, but, you know, just saying....
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When the man found the 52-hertz whale that lives in a mountain
The acting performances from the three of them made the drama more remarkable. Despite shooting in a limited location, episodes, and casts; the outcome was insanely great. Pond with his long hair and exposed chest is legendary. I am drooling at how sexy he is but more importantly, in awe of how great he is with the dramatic exchange of lines with Uncle In and his mother. A boy who is seeking an answer to the death of his father but eventually falls in love with his father’s true love. A complicated flow of events but I am buying it.Nike, as Uncle In, is the definition of a daddy. I can’t blame Wang for shooting a fiery glare on those tight muscles. Both of them are too hot to handle. The more episodes I’ve watched, the deeper I wanted them to kiss. Those stares sent signals of them craving to eat each other but holding back because of their tangled relationship. The sexual tension is high and showcases a perfect atmosphere to convey the feelings of their characters,
They also introduced me to the story of a 52-hertz whale which is sad knowing how isolated it is while patiently waiting for someone to reach its place. It was a prominent concept in the drama as it visualizes the life of Uncle In. Not being together at the end was understandable and I love how the finale ended with taglines representing the lessons we got from the three characters; Wang, In, and the noisy mother. This has already carved their uniqueness in the BL history and I salute them for bringing a new trope to BL fans.
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Most intense heartbreaking series ever
"We were just an inch away from each other. We were so close it felt like we could touch. But we couldn't because of the 180 degrees longitude that separated us."Every line cuts deep. An hour has passed, but still, I'm emotionally pierced by the circumstances they had to face. Added with despairing instrumentals and cinematic shots, this series stands out above the rest.
I give Pond (Wang) my extreme wish to have his success in this industry. He is a one-of-a-kind that you can only find once in a lifetime. No doubts! His terrific acting balanced with the other two great veteran actors. With only five characters (two of them just shown for only a minute entirely), I could still give them a higher rating than 10/10 if I could.
Also, how could they have the perfect title for this? Even reading the title hurts the hell out of me.
A DEFINITELY MUST-WATCH SERIES! I can guarantee your precious time won't be wasted.
(PS: Can we have a Season 2? Let someone accidentally trip up and cross the line that separates?)
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Life unfiltered
First and foremost, this is not a literal review per se, more of a conclusion or final thoughts type of thing. Second, this is not for everyone, if you're looking solely for entertainment then I advise you to pack up and go. If I'm being honest, close to nothing about this is entertaining, it's a raw, brutal story that could happen anywhere in this world, so if you're going in expecting something light and fun, don't watch it, if you decide to watch it regardless, I advise you to keep an open mind, this is not pretty, at times you'll have to pause to just think and process what you had witnessed and heard, this has garnered mixed reviews, so I'll leave the final verdict to each person and their perspective. For me, I loved every single minute of this, it was painful, uncomfortable, ugly but so very beautiful at the same time. It's not something I'll ever rewatch easily or frequently, but I sure as hell won't forget about it, I honestly don't know what to write because no words can express what I'm feeling right now, it's very complicated, and you'll have to experience it firsthand to know what I mean, so for those interested, I hope you give it a chance and see for yourselves how the story of three people with nowhere to hide from life and it's reality unfolds.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Gives off a 'front row seat' vibe
The mood of this drama is like a very gritty play where the dialogue is given the most focus and the actors convey raw emotion.The characters are flawed and hurting and in this secluded house past traumas come to the surface in broken remembrances.
Although it is dark at times this is still a story about love and loneliness.
A lonely mother devoted to her son but wanting to control and keep him with her as her best friend.
A lonely young man just discovering his sexuality and torn between his love for his mother and his burgeoning need for independence.
A lonely architect living a monastic existence as perceived punishment for past mistakes.
In their own ways each character is trying to use their influence on the others for their own advantage. The different means they use is what defines their personality. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the volume (lit and fig) of words and other times the silences are deafening.
Left me with a lot of unanswered questions.
Who was the most selfish?
Who really showed love?
Who was really the strongest of the group?
I would love to rewatch this as a movie without the breaks.
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Deep Lesson In This
First, The story and the script/dialogues are the main reasons I continue watching this.2nd: The drama set was shot on limited ground with limited people. it was also OK for me. for me who likes minimalist style. The drama set and limited actors were comfortable to the eye and I was focusing on the story more.
3rd: Actor: Pond Ponlawit Ketprapakorn needs to work on his acting more but the story was interesting to me so the acting was also ok.
The story showed the real truth of our society. This kind of toxic parent behavior is common in every culture. Parents forget they are also human and their decision can be wrong. Children are also human, parents should present the reasons in front of them and work on common ground to find a solution.
Society made a norm: school > college/university > work > married > children > die. if we all try to go against this norm. it becomes a 'problem'.
Some children sacrifice their happiness for their parent's temporary satisfaction and endure the pain and hurt. which became the trauma of a lifetime. some fight back, follow their heart, and become taboo of their society and an ungrateful beings.
our society needs this kind of story to know the other face of our society not everything is a rainbow in real life.
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Im glad I put aside my initial bias to give this drama a chance
I felt very uneasy watching this drama, but I know its supposed to be that way and part of me is glad that I set aside my hesitation to watch this drama. There is daddy and mommy issues all up on this thing. On the surface you see attraction between the male leads with a significant age gap among other taboos that is pretty messed up. Its hard to swallow. Its disturbing. But I put that aside in this case because this drama isnt about romance at all. If we were to follow the metaphor layed out, there is no doubt here. The leads would never be together. But underneath that it goes beyond the individual but the ideologies that Wang and In represents. You have these two very different people of differing generations sharing the same trauma. You watch as Wang and In get entangled in philosophical questioning. They lay out their statements and pick apart each other's arguments challenging each other's words. For Wang, he wholeheartedly fights without hesitation. He has conviction and passion and stands by his beliefs. He gets frustrated and angry and doesnt understand why loving a man is an issue. He wants to travel beyond his resting coordinates. Above all, he holds his truth and embodies it and lets the world see it. There is a beautiful scene that stuck out to me in the drama where Wang reaches out his hand over In's heart trying to will that belief into him. He so badly wants In to adopt his worldview, to accept his feelings and his identity . To me, I see this as Wang represented by his generation trying so hard to convince the prior generation to change. Wang gives the world he inhereted from his father to In. The globe now in his care, its up to In to decide on how to proceed forward. He responds to Wang by encouraging him to stick with his beliefs, follow his instincts, and use his talents for good.In's perspective is filled with trauma. His sees the world differently and explaining this here would be a big spoiler, so to put it simply you learn to understand why each character make their choices. In cant move on from the past and Wang accepts this. If In adopted this worldview earlier on. If society wasnt so messed up back then. If he felt safe enough to express his love for another man in the past, he wouldve led a happy life with the love of his life. If that happened, Wang probably wouldnt have been born. His existence came out of his In's heartbreak and his parent's broken relationships. The age gap has a purpose here. I dont think the messaging here is to accept the age gap which is why in this case Im putting that aside. It never comes to fruition. Its in the name of the title. They discuss parallel lines never meeting. The messaging is to examine the victims of this messed up society. That if we hold onto the past and if we dont let go of those ideologies, it hurts people. Therefore if we follow this metaphor... Wang accepts the failure. He is unable to convince the prior generation to adopt his worldview but it isnt defeat. After all given his age, time is on his side. His generation and the following will craft the future in the hopes that they can show them all what a better world could look like. An optimistic perspective for a very pessimistic outlook in that things might not change but at least its worth trying.
The acting in this is phenomenal. Im really looking forward to watching more from these actors. The drama is slow moving and introspective which might not be for everyone. But, overall I liked what i saw. The cinematography is gorgeous. Considering that In is an architect, the set design is very intentional. His house is very refelective of him to the smallest detail. Wide open windows to the isolated woods he lives in. Even the Rectangular and square geometric shapes in the background including glassware and lampshades. He is living in the safety of his own box scared to wander outside of it. The drama makes use of his room divider that mimics bars of a cell. The muted gray earthtone colors for his cave...the list goes on. Very well done but I would probably not rewatch it. Lol. Its very uncomfortable to watch the first time around and quite sad at the end. Anyway a solid drama for me that is unlike any other BL I have ever watched.
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Mature and Precise
The plot hit me big time. It's well written. Heavy yet meaningfull dialogs.The talents gave justice to their characters. You can really feel their emotions through their actions and eye contact.
There's no "intimate" explicit scene but you'll get it. I cant remember any unnecessary scene just to prolong the series.
Excellent cinematography. Simple but striking.
Different people, different perspective.
It's true that there's someone who always get what he/she want; and there's someone who always give way for what "should" be done.
Parents always want the best for their children but sometimes they should check if their children really like it. The more you control the person, the higher the probability that he/she will go against you. Disorder to more disorder- entropy... that's how nature works.
Highly recommended series, but not for those who prefer lovey-dovey type. 😊
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Heartbreakingly beautiful or beautifully heartbreaking
The series is a masterpiece. Considering the fact that it so extremely focused on conversations between the characters, one would expect to be bored easily. But the reality is different. I was kept on the edge of my seat through most of the conversations, especially when Wang finally let out everything he was feeling.The pace seems both slow and fast at the same time, but it is not something that bothered me. I actually think it fits the storyline very nicely. I really loved how nicely different metaphors were put into the dialogue. And even into the scenes themselves. The lines, the bridge, the divider in In’s room. They all made so much sense in relation to the story, the emotions and relations between the characters.
Death of a parent, or another loved one, is always hard. What we have in the series is three people who loved the same man (in different was) and are still mourning his loss. Each in their own way, but they are all still hurting, and there is so much left unsaid between them.
Sasiwimol, Wang’s mom, is a character I really wanted to hate. She comes across as someone who is very prejudiced towards LGBTQ+ community, who abandoned her child when he needed her most, and as someone who doesn’t really know how to be a mom but prefers to be a friend. But towards the end, we get to see just how much she really cares for Wang. She might not be the best mother out there and is quite manipulative, she still cares for Wang deep inside. She wants him to live a life of no pain, of happiness, something she didn’t necessarily have.
Inthawut, the 52-hertz whale, still feels incredible amounts of guilt for what has happened in the past. While there are certain parts of the story between In, Mol and Siam (Wang’s father) that are still unclear, his pain is. He hid himself away from his friends and most society, hoping to fix things that he didn’t even cause. He, I think, sees his loneliness as something he deserves for what has happened in the past.
Wang is lost. Not geographically, but definitely philosophically. He is unsure about who he is as he feels a big part of him was lost with his father’s death. His mom is not someone he can always have an honest conversation with as the two end up arguing. But he finds someone willing to talk in In. I don’t know if Wang’s love is actually real or if he is just interpreting it as such, but that is not really the main aspect of the series. It’s actually Wang’s journey of self-discovery. He learns a lot about his father, about his mother and about In, which in turn helps him learn a lot more about himself as well.
I expected the ending we got, and I think it was the right one. It doesn’t mean it wasn’t heartbreakingly beautiful. Wang had to completely break himself down before he was able to build himself up again. The same is true for In and even Mol. The three of them really went through a roller coaster of emotions.
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This review may contain spoilers
Facing your dark truths and secrets
WARNINGThis series is extremely heavy, it's emotionally taxing and draining for you. if you are not in the right frame of mind mentally and emotionally, I would suggest you skip this one entirely. There is triggering topics in this series (death of a loved one, grief, bullying, homophobia, alcoholism).
Overall Thoughts: This series was excellently produced; the acting was phenomenal. I felt every emotion and tension the actors was conveying. At episode 6, I considered dropping it because I felt my mood plummeting and I'm still not over the roller coaster ride of emotions this series took me through. This series is depressing and taxing on the viewer.
(Dislikes)
- How the series had cut breaks every 15 - 20 minutes to show you a preview of exactly what's going to happen in the next sense was annoying for me.
- I think it was unfair for Wang to blame In for his father's death in episode 8. Wang's dad got rejected by In when he expressed his love for him and because he could not handle the rejection, he killed himself. I think In has /had love for Wang's dad but just in a brotherly way nothing more, because he is not GAY, nor is he interested in being with a man in that way. I do think it was unfair to In. In has love for both Wang and his dad but not to be with them in a relationship.
I do agree with Mol when she and In was having a conversation in her room that Wang mistook the obsession and admiration he has for In into love. (I don't remember which episode that happened I think it was episode 8.)
(My Takeaways)
From episode 4-8. We have to deal with our deep-rooted problems, secrets and trauma. Pain is part of living this life, so we have to learn to accept, heal, let go and forgive ourselves. For if we don't, we will be forever having a heavy dark cloud on our shoulders. We will forever be stuck in the time we experience such pain. We have to integrate our dark side because it's a part of us, it's what makes us humans.
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i suppose this was the mom's, the son's, the uncle's and dad's "symposium" where they had to come together and discuss love from their point of view, "we all live in the same world, yet we all see it differently" not seeing eye to eye with your loved ones, I am well aware of how agonizing that is. i truly loved the discussions about love, philosophy, and politics and how they're all braided and intertwined. i felt so much for waeng, surrounded by these immature adults that he had to grow and show so much maturity that they overlooked his void and loneliness. god I wanted to give him a hug so bad.
such masterful work deserves so much praise. the scrip, cinematography and acting were truly splendid. i might need to recover but I will indeed go back to it.
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