Last Twilight (2023)

Last Twilight but Our First Twilight

"Last Twilight" emerges as an exceptional masterpiece, leaving an inerasible impact on us viewers. The year-long wait for this series was undoubtedly worth it, as it took time to craft its brilliance. My admiration for JimmySea, immersed by "Vice Versa," only deepened with "Last Twilight." Upon experiencing the series, I was left astounded. Jimmy and Sea surpassed my expectations for BL dramas, showcasing a well-developed chemistry not only on screen but also in real life. Sea's portrayal of a person with a visual disability demonstrated remarkable improvement, adding depth and authenticity to the narrative.

"Last Twilight" arrived at the perfect moment amidst a sea of hit-or-miss series. It concluded my 2023 on a high note and ushered in my 2024, infusing the transition with a renewed sense of optimism and possibility. What more is there to say? To truly understand the magic in "Last Twilight," one must embark on the journey themselves, engaging in its allure and experiencing its wonders firsthand.

Struggling under substantial debt, Mhok (Jimmy), a technical college student, seeks a well-paying job and lands a position as a caregiver for Day (Sea), a badminton player grappling with partial blindness caused by infectious keratitis. Mhok, in contrast to other candidates, shows no signs of pity for Day. As they spend more time together, a profound connection forms between them. However, when Day receives the news that he has approximately 180 days left until complete vision loss, the challenges ahead will test their bond's strength.

"And now here is my secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." - Day (A reference from the Little Prince)

Read more here from LauLastWonderland. This is an excellent review to clear up the misconception, especially with the last few episodes. (Spoilers ahead) https://mydramalist.com/profile/LauLastWonderland/review/336399

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We could have had it all.....

Up until ep 9 this was a solid 10/10 drama for me.... but then the last two episode happened and I don't know anymore.
For the past two months this drama gave me immense joy and happiness.... maybe that's why the disappointment at the turn of events feels enormous. I wish they had taken a better, different route for the journey they set sail for.
At the end there I couldn’t even recognise the characters I came to love so much in the previous episodes. I don’t understand what the whole point of the journey was anymore. These two very different characters were healing each other and growing together towards a better life. And that journey ended at ep 9. That should have been the end.
Everything after that feels kind of pointless…. Especially the last two episodes….
I wish instead of so many time skips they had actually delved a little deeper into Mhok’s character… the trauma he had because of his sister’s death… how he didn’t want to leave Day because he was afraid of losing time with the people he loved…. I also just do not understand why he was the one who was apologising to Day when he was genuinely afraid about losing Day from his life.
“Thank you for breaking up with me”????????? Yeah no. That did not feel right at all.
I’d have preferred if Mhok and Day had an actual conversation about Mhok’s feelings and fears…. for Day to understand where Mhok was coming from. I’d have preferred if they had talked it out and then decided to do a long-distance relationship while Mhok gets to go forward in his career….
Oh well…. You can’t have it all I guess….
I would still say that it was good, well written story till ep 9. If I ever rewatch this drama that's where I would end.

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BEST THAI BL 2023

Did GMMTV save the best series for the last months this year cos Last Twilight is realllyy giiivvviiinnggg.

If Last Twilight can be this good, then I have no doubt Cherry Magic Th and Cooking Crush will also be good.

This drama has restored all hope that I had already lost from GMMTV this year.

A soft drama with no complex plot and story. Every emotion is being felt down to the soul. The story, the acting, the ost, everything is just so on point. The chemistry between Mhok and Day is just too real to be ignored.

I am so glad I get to watch this and if you’re thinking about watching it, think no further, just start. It’s sooo good

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Part 4/4 isn’t needed

That ending ruined the purpose of the entire story. Day saying he’s having his “normal life” back after getting his sight is such a lame writing considering how the show tried so hard to tell the audiences that day was and had always been normal. As someone who’s living with a deaf little brother this series was such a huge deal to me, showing that people with disability can also be happy with what they have.
Also them choosing to still do the one palm distance at the end felt ableist and lost its value too. Such a shame bc this could have easily been a 10/10 show.

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Perfect, except the ending

I was completely captivated by this drama from the very beginning — the plot of two people both in the darkest time of their lives finding each other and healing is always so beautiful, and I think Last Twilight sets it up perfectly. You can see very easily how Mokh and Day’s clashes actually bring out honesty and clarity for each other, and the theme of acceptance and treating people with disabilities as equals are both really powerful. I also just love the fact that there aren’t any villains; everyone, even the side characters, have their subplots, their motivations, and their development.

And there’s the beautiful episode 9 ending scene, which really stole my heart and made me shed tears. It was one of the most cathartic moments I’ve ever watched and the OST, particularly the main theme by William, perfectly ties everything together emotionally.

I continued enjoying the show until the penultimate episode and I was immeasurably disappointed to be hit with the last-minute break-up trope, and even more disappointed that the reasoning behind the break-up was something that had come up in the story before but had never been an issue. It felt way too fast and out of left field.

And then the final episode came and my jaw dropped when we were suddenly hit with a three year time jump. It’s another one of my least favorite tropes, and it just feels so many things had changed in the lives of our main characters and yet we were supposed to also believe that they didn’t change that much and were able to pick up exactly where they left off without extended conversations about what kind of people they had become. We got a little bit of them addressing their situations, but I felt like the “I’m sorry for feeling pity for you” resolution felt really shallow and didn’t at all capture how much depth was in their relationship before.

There were also additional plot developments that felt so random and rushed — such as Day getting his eyesight back at the last minute. There’s the argument that it’s okay because he’s already grown to accept himself either way, but it still felt really disingenuous to the disability theme to show that he needed his eyesight back for it to be considered a happy ending. Part of this is also just because it all happened so fast it felt thrown in.

I felt like I really emotionally checked out for that last episode — there was just such a huge gap between who I was seeing on screen and the characters I’d grown to love from the previous episodes. For me, that’s the consequence of time-skips, and I’m sad because this was on its way to becoming one of my favorites before it.

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Fun couple, emotionally engaging in most parts, they lost me a bit at the end.

Day (Sea Tawinan Anukoolprasert) was an aspiring athlete until his cornea was injured and told that he'd become blind eventually. While Day is living his days with his remaining sight, he meets Mhok (Jimmy Jitaraphol Potiwihok), who is hired by his mother to be his caretaker. Mhok and Day's moments together make them attached to each other, but their relationship gets really tough at some point.

"Last Twilight“ emphasizes the challenge of being in a relationship, rather than the obstacles in getting together. From how they portrayed Day and Mhok, it feels more of a character-driven story than plot-driven. As much an independent person he is, Mhok's past prevents him to fully express himself. Day is no 'damsel-in-distress' in his situation, but he often doubts his decisions through the ups and downs of their relationship.

Despite the somewhat sad premise, these two are fun and adorable. Another one that has my heart is Day's brother, Night. I enjoy his story and their brotherhood. The one I never understand is Day's mother. She is talking wise and all-knowing but her attitude is childish.

It was lovely except for the last quarter part, where the conflicts felt forced. They keeps showing us somewhat hopeful cliffhangers, but when we get to the actual scenes they felt underwhelming. At the last minute, they employed a trope I dislike before jumping to conclusion. The ending wasn't that satisfying but worked out pretty conveniently. Last note, this drama has a better than average production value (the editing and OST) as a Thai drama, I appreciate that.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Day is not a likeable character

Many won't like me because of my review, but I'll be honest. When I started watching this series I really liked it. But, after a few chapters, I started to find it difficult to understand the character Day. I completely understand the fact that he is angry about losing his vision. I would possibly be even angrier than he was. Even so, I think the script created a very inconsistent character. It is very difficult to understand the character's way of thinking and motivations. Let me explain.
Not long after they meet, Day becomes interested in Mhok and we can see this in the way Day interacts with his caretaker. The series clearly demonstrates that the interest was MUTUAL from the beginning. However, without a convincing explanation, Day rejects Mhok when Mhok confesses his love to him, saying that he likes more affectionate men. It didn't make any sense since Mhok was always kind and affectionate to him all the time.
After they start dating, things seem to be going well, but Day decides to break up with Mhok because Mhok lied about his job. This breakup and his motivation were quite unconvincing. Day has the right to be upset, but ending everything just because of that seemed like an exaggeration. So Mhok is not worthy anymore for just one mistake? He lied for being overprotecting, he was not committing genocide for the God sake! The fact that Day cannot forgive Mhok makes him a bit childish.
Actually, I think Day's character didn't treat Mhok and Night well for most of the series. I hate stories where one of the characters tries everything he can to make the relationship works, while the other just complains and doesn't help at all. Mhok did everything for Day but Day didn't reciprocate in the same way. Day, by the way, never apologized for anything. He treated his brother Night like trash without a justifiable reason (Night wasn't responsible for the car accident) and Did not apologize for that. He broke up with Mhok for a stupid reason and did not apologize also. When Mhok comes back and tries to renew the relationship, he rejects him again as if Mhok was a monster who had made a terrible mistake. How much drama! Then all it took was for his mother to say a few self-help phrases for him to completely change his mind and accept Mhok again. Sorry, but all of Day's fickle attitudes were not justified by what the series showed to us. Day was poorly written.

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Breathtakingly Beautiful - BEST GMMTV PRODUCTION

This is easily GMMTVs best production. Whenever P’Aouf is involved you can count on beautiful cinematography, great direction and a heartfelt story. Not only does JimmySea have some of the best chemistry out there when it comes to pairs but they’re so versatile with their acting as well! They’ve come a long way since Vice Versa.

The story naturally is something raw. Day has a vision impairment and we’re seeing how he has to accept his current situation and adapt. His family is worried about him and are in sense walking on eggshells around him. Mhok is trying to choose a different path from what he knows after coping with the loss of his sister.

The show does a really good job by representing how ableism in society affects and invalidates someone with an impairment and their feelings. We see how Mhok is helping Day find joy in his life again without feeling like he’s not allowed to continue to do everything he did before his accident. But more importantly we see how Day is opening Mhok up to being more understanding and educated on what it’s like for someone who has a visual impairment.

The way this show portrays someone adjusting to losing their sight is well done but also, they did a good job at showing the way someone who is able to see should treat someone with a visual impairment.
This show does a really great job of showcasing many other prevalent themes in society such as single parents and family dynamics after a life altering accident.

The way Sea portrays Days character is commendable and definitely one of the best performances that I’ve seen in any drama. And I can’t even explain the hurt and agony my heart felt watching Jimmy portrays Mhok. Just truly such a beautiful and well done show.
Ofcourse Mark is outstanding with his character Night and hands down his best performance in any drama he’s been in.
Honestly though my favorite part about the show has got to be the way it’s shot. Not only cinematography wise but directional as well.

I loved everything about the show except Day getting his sight back. It felt like a cop out and easy route when it could’ve been more impactful with them giving him a more realistic ending. The whole show was around Day learning to accept his new reality but also appreciating everything in a whole new light. I also didn’t like the direction of how Mhok and him broke up but then reunited. There could’ve been a better way that the ending was done in my opinion but overall the show was great.

I love how finally in the BL world we’re slightly shifting from trivial high school and college plots but dipping our toes into more raw and meaningful stories.
This drama and the entire cast deserve endless success!!
Everything about this show is 10/10.

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Strong Representation, Weak Plot

Watching this series felt to me like looking at abstract art. I wondered, "Am I not sophisticated enough to understand what a masterpiece this is, or is this not as much of a masterpiece as others say?" Now that I have seen eight episodes, I think that Last Twilight is not that good. Let me tell you why.

1. It is weak on plot.
Remember how JimmySea's previous project, Vice Versa, had an interesting pilot episode, but then forgot about the story and gave us ten episodes of plotless fluff with product placements and unnecessary drama? Last Twilight does almost the same. The first episode introduced some interesting conflicts only to show us two guys just hanging out from episode two to episode six. There is a lot of walking around, a lot of cooking, and a lot of fluff, but a whole lotta nothin' in terms of plot. Then, episode six had a plot, but after the more or less cliched love triangle was resolved, the story went back to fluff. Many viewers will probably disagree with me, but I was bored. From episode four on, I watched at 1.75x speed, and some scenes still felt slow.

2. The character development happened too fast.
Last Twilight seems to be one of these stories that flesh out their characters well, but then forget that their personalities determine their behavior and the development of the plot.
In episode one, Mhok is introduced as an impulsive, blunt, street-smart person, freshly out of jail. Day is a spoiled and stubborn rich kid who hides his pain behind a bratty attitude. Their first meeting was so entertaining to watch -- great banter and sparks of playful chemistry. Then, in episode two, impulsive Mhok quickly turned into a perfect caretaker with endless patience, and Day's brattiness disappeared almost completely. Their character development would be way more impactful if Mhok had slowly learned to be gentle and patient and to take care of another person, and it had taken Day longer to open up to him.

3. The chemistry is one-sided.
Jimmy carries every romantic scene on his back. Sea is stiff. I don't feel any passion from his side. I didn't believe that Day had feelings for his crush, and I don't believe that he has feelings for Mhok now. In Vice Versa, both Jimmy and Sea were stiff in the romantic scenes, so it looked like bromance. Now, only Sea is stiff, so it looks like Mhok has a one-sided love for Day.

Last Twilight deserves praise for representation. It is great to see a good depiction of disabled people. Day is not defined by his disability.
Jimmy and Sea have both improved their acting. Sea's portrayal of a blind person struggling to adapt to a life without eyesight is convincing and sympathetic, and Jimmy seems to enjoy playing a more rugged character a lot -- he becomes Mhok.
The story is free from endless product placements, jealous exes, girls throwing themselves on a guy who is clearly not into them, and stupid misunderstandings. However, none of this is ground-breaking anymore. Other BL series have also moved past the negative portrayal of women and the other toxic tropes that were part of older BLs. The challenge now is to have a plot that can hold the viewers' attention until the end.

Last Twilight shows that the actors and producers have learned something from the criticism that JimmySea's last project got. I am happy that it is received well by viewers. As someone who was expecting more plot than I saw in Vice Versa, though, I lost interest quickly.

Edit: I watched the rest of the series. It had plot development and some good emotional moments, but the last two episodes were as bad as other viewers have written.

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more melodramatic series that didn't stick the landing

Overall: this first episode really hooked me, but similar to most of GMMTV's series, the existing plot would have paced better at fewer episodes and I was especially disappointed at the last 2 episodes. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel.

Content Warnings: violence/beaten up, see my spoiler comment for another one, fights/punches

What I Liked
- how the intro notice was blurry to make the viewers feel how Day felt
- the premise was explained/shown well
- sweet moments
- laughed a few times
- enjoyed several of the supportive side characters

Room For Improvement
- pacing was too slow for me, I watched most at 2x speed
- I couldn't get into some of the conflicts because I saw easy(ish) work arounds for most of them
- ep 11 curse/cliche plot point, time jump and a rushed ending
- it felt like Mhok was doing more of the heavy lifting in their relationship and Day's fast change of mind felt unrealistic

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great first 9 episodes, offensive ending

man I have never before written a review on mdl but this show drove me so insane I have to. This was going so well. it took me an episode or two to become sold on this, but then I loved it. the disability acceptance, a character who was struggling with a new disability but coming to accept it and live a full life no matter the circumstances. the relationship between porjai and mhok, when we rarely get intimate male-female friendships, especially among exes. day and night slowly reconciling was great. the music is fantastic, i sobbed like a baby after episode 9 like everyone else. genuinely if the show ended there it would have been like a 9.5-10/10. but no. then we had to go into Relationship Drama for the rest of the show. suddenly everyone is weirdly overprotective of day like he’s not a grown adult, the whole day’s mum is against their relationship bc she doesn’t know if mhok can provide for him was bizarre, but fine. i guess it’s a Romance at the end of the day, whatever. then episode 11 came. i’m like wow mhok sure is being weird and condescending and overprotective wonder whats going on there are we taking this caretaking urge past the level where it’s sweet and is instead now a compulsion? i had some hope when they broke up tbh. i thought well knowing the genre they’ll get back together but time apart will be good, day will become morw independent and mhok will have learned he cannot lie and coddle day like a toddler. then comes episode 12. which is so bad it was offensive. as soon as mhok decided his big arrival was to trick day and baby him in ways he didnt ask for again, even after three years apart, i fell to my knees in metaphorical despair. what was the point of the time skip, if no one’s going to change or learn anything? they absolutely nuked any character development by mhok in the last episode. he was there to beg day to take him back and for that only. his actual motivations or story mattered so little that they don’t even bother to explain like….. what happened with his prestigious job he abandoned out of nowhere or what he does after he stays in thailand. the whole “second chance” message was SO forced and heavy handed— why the hell did night call his deadbeat dad up to the stage at his wedding to talk about how much he sucked, and not his mom who raised him and who hes had this arc of reconciling with??? wouldnt that be a more meaningful second chance, instead of oh i guess we’re all forgiving this dude who walked out on us for no real reason, including the mom for some reason— though she has every reason to never forgive that man. but then. then the part that made me literally yell in anger. oh here’s a SECOND cornea transplant with no emotional weight this time and a SECOND three year timeskip for some reason! and day can see again and it’s all better now, he’s so glad that AWFUL part of his life is over and done with now haha the disability the show seemed to be about learning to live a full life with is gone now isn’t that great??? girl i was so mad i barely focused the last like five minutes. great they’re in a relationship that no work went in to fixing. woohoo. maybe worst last episode of anything, actively insulting to its audience and the story it was allegedly trying to tell. stop after episode 9 and have a lovely story instead.

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A Story about Hope and Hope Realized

If you're looking for a BL show that has:
(1) Faithful depictions of visually impaired people
(2) Meaningful narratives about life struggles
(3) Solid cast with exceptional acting
(4) Stellar cinematography
(5) Great OSTs

Look no further, you are in for a ride! Do prepare some tissues.

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Spoilers below!
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POSITIVES
(+) Actings!
This show has a solid cast that delivers outstanding performances in every scene. Sea's portrayal of a visually handicapped man on a journey of acceptance and resilience is particularly noteworthy. His ability to convey hope and determination amidst challenges is convincing (and tearjerking). Jimmy also shows impressive growth since Vice Versa. He excels in scenes that require the expression of intense emotions, such as carrying the regret over his sister's fate through many episodes, his anguish following Day's loss of sight, and the turmoil from his sudden breakup with Day. The side-characters are great as well; I especially enjoy the dynamics between Day and his family, and Mhok with Porjai.

(+) Wonderful Life Messages
While the final episode may be divisive for some viewers, the series undeniably conveys powerful and meaningful life lessons. Two messages particularly stand out to me: the importance of hope and the value of giving ourselves a second chance. The kindness shown by everyone around Day, including strangers, in light of his disability, is really heartwarming. In a world where life's challenges can be overwhelming, especially when societal barriers may add to the difficulty, this show serves as a reminder that kindness, support, even love exist for those who are willing to seek and embrace them. It's often thought that forgiveness is something we give to others, but truly, it's often for ourselves. Thanks to this show for the reminder!

NOT-SO-POSITIVES
(-) Inconsistent Focus on Side-Characters
The finale's emphasis on Night and Porjai's wedding preparations and ceremony seems disproportionate, considering their limited interaction in earlier episodes. The narrative relies heavily on exposition to establish their relationship, rather than showing it through meaningful scenes. Despite the excellent performances by both actors, the lack of early development and interaction with the main couple results in a storyline that feels underdeveloped. Some scenes are unnecessary too, like the transition from Wedding Venue -> Airport -> Wedding Venue in the finale, which instead could be used for more meaningful characters interactions (more Chef Ramon + Chef Mhok acknowledging each other pls!)

(-) Sound Design/Editing
This show has impressive OSTs, yet the sound effects placements are often distracting. Scenes like August's regretful kiss and Day's breakup with Mhok had these jarring cymbal rolls and loud instrumentals, somewhat overshadowed the actors' performances. Yet, the sound design is perfect in other scenes, like Mhok finding Day in Chatuchak, or Day's total sight loss at Khao Khuha, proving that the cast performance could carry the scenes without over-reliance on sound effects.

FAVOURITE SCENES (in any order)
1. Day reconciling with his dad
2. Porjai telling Mhok about her pregnancy
3. Beef stew for Night
4. Last Twilight at Khao Khuha

ENDNOTES
All in all, this show stands out as a poignant and beautifully crafted series. For anyone seeking a BL show that combines emotional depth with quality storytelling and production, this series is a must-watch.

I am really excited about what's next for JimmySea. Their growth and development as actors can be observed in this show, where they have successfully portrayed characters that are so different from their real-life personalities. I hope they'll get more opportunities that challenge and showcase their range.

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