Even Sun (2022)

script sat in the sun too long

Overall: The number of times I screamed "what is going on?" might have been a record. I was both bored and confused. Beautiful location and great actors were wasted with this nonsense plot. Watched on iQIYI.

Content Warnings: suicidal ideation played as comedy, dub con kissing, held against will, manipulation, slap, drugging

What I Liked
- beautiful ocean side location/beach town
- cute intro but on the long side (3 minutes)
- Boun & Prem!!! It was fun to see actors from several different BL series together in this series
- the end of the boxing match was bizarre but cute
- the dads discussing love is love
- the outro with the behind the scenes footage

Room For Improvement
- too many couples, there were (I think) 4 and maybe one or two love triangles. This was just too many for six episodes.
- boring, 1/3 of episode 3 was getting down from a mountain, 5 full minutes of cleaning in episode 4
- confusing, there were several times where I just did not understand what on earth was going on, things just happened and we didn't get enough explanation. The most clear plot was the two boxers and they had about a minute per episode of screen time.
- nonsense things i.e. what was the dad's "plan"?, who leaves their (expensive) adult stuff lying all over a bedroom?, Arthid's elaborate plan instead of just...talking to him?
- some choppiness
- the comedy fell flat for me, the comedy sound effects didn't help
- that suicidal ideation was played as comedy
- the two trans/effeminate male characters played as slapstick comedy characters
- the red/orange hair and glasses weren't my favorite style (would have preferred tattoos/lip ring/etc) but I didn't take off points for it
- subtitle errors, but I didn't deduct points for them

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This series couldve been amazing, sadly terrible writing ruined it.

I wish I could give this above 3 stars, but I just can't. The only reason its even that high is because of Ashing and Mangkorn. It was so just bad..
The plot was super confusing and made almost no sense most of the time. I felt like there were so many loose ends at the end that they never explain. It's really disappointing because the premise of the show was very interesting and honestly with better writing I feel like this could have been amazing even with only 6 episodes for the show. The side couples story line wasn't confusing and I actually loved their story, but we got so little of it 🥺
As much as I love Boun and Prem, I barely cared about their pairing in this story. They didnt flesh anything out and it didnt even feel like they had romantic feelings for each other till the last episode. Then all we got was an accidental kiss and two sniff kisses. It just felt like a weird choice to me especially since the side couple kissed.
I'm the type of person that feels kissing isnt always necessary for the story, but it just really irritates me when BLs do an accidental kiss or a one-sided kiss as the only kiss for the couple.
Honestly, Ashing and Mangkorn are the only thing that got me through this and kept me watching. I'm just really sad they got such little screen time cause their story was super cute!
For me personally, I would never watch this series in its entirety again. As I said before, it was just so bad I wouldnt put myself through this again. I would, and probably will, rewatch Ashing and Mangkorns moments because I loved them.

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Just Pretend That This Drama Don't Exist

Rather than detailing what went wrong with this drama, it’s quicker to list what went right. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.

Summer. A time for love, sunshine, and short romantic stories set in picturesque resorts, right? Clear blue water, stunning beaches—an ideal backdrop for a sweet summer fling. And what’s better than having fan-favorites Boun and Prem as leads, playing a debt collector and a resort owner? Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

Spoiler alert: It’s not.

There are six episodes, each clocking in at 43 minutes. But here's the catch—only about 25 minutes of that is actual content. The rest? A delightful assortment of full-length intros, outro songs, summaries of previous episodes (just in case your short-term memory is non-existent), and behind-the-scenes bits that, quite frankly, are funnier than the drama itself. But, hey, at least the intro song is catchy! You might even find yourself humming it long after you've forgotten the plot.

Now, if you’re hoping for more positive highlights, buckle up because we’re done. Why, you ask? Well, because this show shares the same screenwriter as That's My Candy, which should tell you all you need to know about the quality of the plot. The story is a mess, with four couples jammed into six episodes. That’s right—four couples, but not nearly enough time to develop even one. The plot progression is like a jigsaw puzzle where half the pieces are missing, and the ones that do fit somehow don’t form a complete picture.

The last episode? A surprising gem. If the rest of the show had been even remotely like the finale, it could’ve been a decent, maybe even charming, summer drama. We get a happy ending, sure, but only after we’ve skipped from point A to point D, leaving points B and C to fend for themselves. The character development you were looking for? It got lost somewhere between the intro song and the BTS clips.

The script, the storytelling, the editing—oh, where do we even begin? Let’s just say, if I handed the basic plot outline to a group of middle schoolers, I’m confident they’d come up with something better. Honestly, it’s as if the "professionals" responsible for this got together and decided to collectively wing it.

I scored this drama a generous 5.5, and that’s purely out of sympathy for the actors. Boun, Prem, and the rest of the cast worked their hearts out, only to end up in this misfire of a show. The best thing you can do? Pretend it doesn’t exist. Let’s all agree to hum the intro song and move on with our lives.

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bounprem deserved better than this shit - short review

honestly it was a mess the last ep hasnt aired yet but idec
the story did move along tho but somethings didnt make sense to me. sun and arthit have zero chemistry i dont know how its going to change to romance in the last ep- im praying tht theres another ep that we dont know about. bounprem acted fine most of the cast acting was fine it was just the writing and it makes sense when u look at the other work they wrote
honestly treat this as a filler for between us they just wanted to give us smthing to hold us over until november. i disagree with a lot of ppl the side couple werent giving anything and i just found them annoying. honestly the only reason ppl watched this was because we are all bounprem fans if it this was another couple the rating wouldnt be at 7.4. but anyway boun looked hot and prem looked adorable but his hair got to go wasnt a big fan of it but i do like how he played sun.
..(edit)... ep 6 was cute even tho there was no build up for the chemistry bounprem made it work and i found them adorable honestly skip this if ur a bounprem stan because it really does make u rethink their chemistry im praying tht it was just the writing that made this horrible but i will say its a lot better than check out and unforgotten night.

inconclusion
pros bounprem cons everything else and since im a bias freak i give it a 7 even tho it doesnt deserve it
all actors deserved better no one in this series shined all the writing was weak from main to side couples this show was just messy honestly i dont care about a badly written show as long as the acting is fine and in this case it was but pls someone tell the screenwriter to quit their job

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wasted potential

I think the main problem this series faced is the six episodes it was given, because my main gripe with it is how undeveloped all of its plotlines were. We had so many characters, all of them with their own storylines, and so it was only logical for none of them to get enough screen time as a result. It even happened with the couples, with which it felt like the romance developed randomly in a blink of an eye. We also had so many themes I wish we explored further, like Arthid and Sun apparently meeting as children, which was such a random five seconds input, or how Sun became friends with Arthid's buddies. Overall by the time the series ended, it felt like none of the plotlines were properly wrapped up, and I think the series would have benefited a lot from either being simply longer or just straight up cutting some plotlines and characters, 'cause the set up was far too elaborate to execute properly in six episodes.
That being said the shots of the island and the colouring were stunning and overall it was a very pleasing series visually.

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What a waste.

Well, that was terrible.

First, I seem to recall Boun & Prem having good chemistry in Until We Meet Again, but now I'm starting to wonder if I just found them a refreshing break from Crybaby and his Talking Robot. Because in this series they have zero chemistry. Boun has some on his own because of his looks, but dressed like Bea Arthur they weren't really taking advantage of his appeal. But their acting was also unimpressive - they both did fine with their 2D roles, but they didn't manage to inject any life into this dreary series.

There is no relationship devlopment - they don't really like each other, then they have sex. Comfortably off screen. In fact, the whole basis of their relatinoship is disturbing if you think about it. Arthid met Sun once, for 15 seconds, and has been carrying a torch for him ever since. But Sun was 6 or so when they met, so Arthid is a pedo monster.

The secondary couple starts out as an oasis in the desert, but then they too dry up. They are smoking hot, though. Lee Long Shi is just ridiculous. I hope we see him a lot more. Top is also great at being a huge pile of muscle that can show vulnerability.

The "plot" is convoluted without making sense or being interesting, with no character or story development. All the characters are what they are all the way through to the last 15 minutes when they all turn into totally diffrent people to resolve the "storylines".

The directing is lackluster, the editing is fine, and the cinematography was uninspired, especially given the beautiful setting.

Story: 2. The story makes more sense than Physical Therapy, but that's about all I can say.

Acting: 5. Pretty much 2D. I found myself a little moved by the boxers and Talay, who managed to stand out a bit, the latter having great comic timing and also pulling off his 180 degree turn at the end.

Music: 5 - not much to say. It didn't ruin anything, so there's that.

Rewatch: 4 - I would probably rewatch the boxers and Talay's scenes.

Overall: 4 - It feels like it should be lower, but it's not as aggressively terrible as Check Out or Unforgotten Night, and I did get to see some attractive boys that weren't horrible like all the Check Out characters. But Even Sun is really boring.

I would skip this, epecially if you're a BounPrem fan. I was until I watched this. I get that we're all different and like different things, but giving this a 10 is ridiculous. If this is a 10, what was Until We Meet Again? an 87? Come on.

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Could have been great...

The positives for me:
Great OSTs.
The cinematography, except the last EP, was also good. Although some transitions from the island and the city settings are sometime abrupt and are jarring to the viewers, the used of flashbacks in the last episode left a bitter aftertaste for my viewing experience.
The acting was meh for me. It was there but sometimes it borders into silliness, especially the comedic ones, that causes me to skip some scenes.
Storyline: this series had the potential to be a good one but sadly it did not deliver. I enjoy slow burn storylines like of this one, but too few episodes of this series did not flesh-out the characters for me. Maybe too many pairings and arche of the minor characters killed the development of the mains. This was obvious by the last episode. the writer/director tried to tie up all premise they had presented from episodes 1-5 within a short period of viewing time leading to a confusing, lack-luster ending.
I wish they could have made it longer with few side stories and with focus to the main characters. I mean ep1-5 didn’t even explore how Sun and Arthit develop feelings for each other.
Rewatch Value: I can watch Boun x Prem storyline in repeat but will probably skip many scenes.

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Sweet, summer fun!!

Things to look forward to while watching this:
1. Prem being an absolute, lovable dork.
2. Boun being a cool, mysterious person.
3. The opening theme song (can anyone who already knows the name of the song or artist please tell me?! I wanna know!)
4. The closing theme that usually played over outtakes and behind the scenes footage (a treasure trove of crack!)
5. The scenery!! I just wanna drop everything and go to the beach right now~~

If this drama had been 4 more episodes longer and had elaborated further on the storylines of other characters, and the main leads, it would've been an absolute delight! But, BounPrem makes us watch even things that are just full on crack and hardly any drama.
But! This drama made me laugh, and I hadn't laughed in a long time now, so I think it's worth the watch, despite the shortfalls.

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A lot of wasted talent and a beautiful backdrop

Overall the average rating is a 7, because of the actors' charms, the couples' chemistry, and a fantastic island paradise as the setting for at least one couple's romance. All of which was wasted on a very underdeveloped plot and rushed storytelling. When the couples got scenes they were great and the potential was there. Athit (Boun) and Sun (Prem)'s relationship had minimal development it just kind of went from 0-60. The backstory between the main characters is like an outline in the dark that you can barely make out and eluded to by one random clip at the end of the series. I felt like they went back to try to fill in some of the plot holes as quickly as possible with flashbacks. Overall, I don't think this will hold me until Between Us comes out in November. It's left me unsatified.

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Plain and simple: this series was dull and boring.

To be honest with you, describing the plot of this drama is difficult. Mainly because I really had no clue what was happening for the majority of the series, and when I was doing my very best to pay close attention to the story, I was bored to tears.

Our story begins with Sun, a debt collector. His father sends him out to collect a debt from Athit, who lives on a beautiful island. Athit has no intention of paying, and does what he can to make Sun's life as hard as possible. While this is going on, we also have two separate storylines playing out between various characters that are very very loosely linked together.

I don't even know if you can say this drama had a plot. It was confusing and difficult to follow. Character actions made little sense, the pacing was a mess - things either sped up too fast or were dragged out painfully slowly - and there were way too many characters with complex storylines than could be resolved in 6 episodes. What that led to was a surface understanding of all the characters and a very weak romance (I was incredibly confused when the leads were suddenly romantically interested in one another after having gone through so many episodes at each other's throats).

The series has some upsides though. There was potential here; the filming location is one of the most breathtaking that I've seen. The filming was done incredibly well, with gorgeous shots of the beaches and ocean. The cast is talented, but they just weren't given something good enough to work with. Had the writing been stronger, the drama would have had a leg to stand on. As it is though, I only finished the series for Boun and Prem and finished feeling like I barely understood or remembered what happened.

The subtitles were also an ongoing issue. The English translation was awkward at best, confusing and difficult to understand at worst. I wouldn't want to penalize a show for this but when it's on a paid platform (I watched on iQiyi) I really don't get it. This isn't Studio Wabi Sabi's first project and I've never had this issue with a series from them before, which made this even more puzzling. The lack of coherent subtitles makes this hard for non-Thai fans to access and enjoy.

Overall, I kind of wish I hadn't wasted so much time watching it.

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Summer vacation

Do you remember those Adam Sandler romcoms, where Adam Sandler wanted to go on a vacation, therefore his character conveniently went on a vacation/lived somewhere in Hawaii? That's exactly the vibe I'm getting from this show. I kinda liked those tho.

I really appreciate the fact this isn't another university/high school drama, because it's actually really nice to see something new for once. I don't think I've ever seen anything similar to this, something about boxers or debt collectors... Yeah, that doesn't ring a bell. So extra points for originality!

I only wish Even Sun was a bit longer or the plot was a bit better executed, because it just felt a bit rushed at times and there were moments when it felt like we had skipped a few steps (actually a lot of them). Things were just going way too fast and it honestly didn't make sense sometimes. Like the whole childhood storyline, there were like two scenes in total and that simply wasn't enough. Another thing, I would love to know more about Arthid's father, but again, we didn't even get to see Sun's reaction to all that. And both couples... I'm really happy for them, I'm happy it ended up this way, I just wish it didn't come out of nowhere. I don't blame the actors at all, they were great. Don't get me wrong, there definitely was the chemistry in both cases, there were those little signs, but it was just so... rushed.

But you know what? I gotta say I still enjoyed this. I'm weak for these two, I really liked the second couple as well, those locations were beautiful (I miss summer so much!) and it's nice to see something so light-hearted during this gloomy weather. PS: The English subtitles definitely could've been better lol.

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