The Sign (2023)

Silver Screen Insights: The Sign

| GENERAL SYNOPSIS

Among each BL that was released in 2023 (with the exception of the phenomenal 'I Feel You Linger in the Air'), The Sign has secured its place as one of the top 10 BLs of all time, and has set major expectations for future BL series. I was hooked from e1 and was eager to learn more with every episode released afterwards. To conclude, The Sign is not a perfect series, but the performance from all actors and the team behind this series was constructed excellently.

| Spotlight of Excellence (Positive Elements)

• All of the abs (especially Gap Puribhat [Yai]) and butts shown in e1 was a sight to see LOL
• Billy Ounsa-ard (Phaya) gave us everything in the last few episodes and should be applauded
• Each couple had sweet moments which was appreciated
• Nat Sakdakorn (Art) out-acted everyone in this series with only 20m of screen time
• Phaya & Tharn have beautiful chemistry and really fought to remain by one another's side
• Saint's cameo at the end gave me goosebumps (in a good way)
• Subtle inclusion of a GL couple was nice
• The NSFW scenes were excellent and had me blushing
• The police and special forces aspects were well done

| Shortcomings and Flaws (Negative Elements)

• Khem taking the bullet for Thongthai was unnecessary
• Overall the CGI was wonderful but looked cheesy at times (take notes from Game of Thrones)
• Tharn's plan for justice/revenge for his parents' deaths could have been executed better
• The antagonists (except for Chalothon) were lackluster

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The Best BL Ever

I've never seen or watched a BL series like this since I started my interest in BL series. This is Epic!!
The plot or storyline is amazingly layout where it makes you want to know more. 60 to 83 minutes too short. Seems like 60 to 83 seconds!! That's show how amazing they tell story to the viewers. Every each episode has its continuation or link to another story or scene which I believe it is brilliant.
The Director of this series really looks into every details that make each episode connected to one another without fail ... brilliant. The CGI.... the quality, I must say equally Hollywood style. Amazing.
The actors and actresses, they are perfect for their characters.... indeed.
The chemistry between the two ML, they are excellent.
Bottomline this is my kind of BL series I love to invest my time in. This is big time Epic.

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I like Billy & Babe Yet I Miss Seng

This is not a bad series quite the contrary in fact. It does suffer from a storyline that is all over the place.

As a huge fan of Saint since Love By Chance, I want to support his every action but this has to end for me. I can't continue on with this. I like Babe but I look at him and his adorable handsome face and all I can think of is Seng.
I may be alone but I love the dynamic of BILLYSENG when they brought to life Nuea and Toh in SCOY so Babe seems like an interloper.

In addition why does Billy lead all of IDOL FACTORY's BL's which is only 2 but why not give Heng a chance to lead a BL or even Surprise. Everyone seems to take a backseat to Billy.

Please dont get me wrong Billy is gorgeous and talented like MIX of GMMTV but the difference is GMMTV have different male leads in BL. Yes IDOL FACTORY is not as vast as GMMTV but it could be much better than GMMTV if it uses it talent pool besides Billy.
Seng has BL coming out soon and I look so forward to seeing him again, he has that special something like Saint did in Love By Chance. Like Saint he is an immense talent and he brings out the best in his co-stars. Perth was already great on his on but working with Saint made him shine that much brighter and Seng did that for Billy in SCOY.
So fans of The Sign please enjoy I look forward to reading your positive reviews at the end but my journey has to end before the ending. And here's hoping IDOL FACTORY comes back with another fascinating BL soon.

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I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but it was pretty close.

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

Overall, this was a very interesting series. The general story concept was great, but the script quality was not consistent. However, it successfully connects multiple story lines and characters together. The ending of the whole series was ok, but it was a little lack luster. However, I liked how they tied up everything in the end.

The positive: The series had a very strong beginning and really knew how to draw you into their world. The areas that the script did very well in were the supernatural and suspense thriller elements. The actors were incredible and did a great job with their characters. The cinematography was stunning and had incredible special effects.

The negative: The big miss for me was the comedy element. It would have been fine if this was your usual series with a high school or college setting. Considering this was supposed to be a more mature series with the police setting, the comedy seemed very out of place. A lot of the humor came across as very juvenile.

The in-between: The romance element was a hit or miss for me. There was just something off with the romantic relationship with all of the characters. The relationship development between the main characters in the beginning was also a little off, but it did get better as the show moved forward. The only two characters I didn’t like were Yai and Dao. The character Yai was very annoying, immature, and unlikable during most of the series. As for the character Dao, she was very irritating.

Random Note:

Don’t stop watching after the ending credits in episode 12 because there is a bonus scene after it.

The location used for the coffee shop scene in episode 4 is the same location used for the restaurant scene in episode 8 of “Step by Step”.

I did not take point off for the obvious money grab maneuver they used for the last episode. I like how all of the series they made at this point address many social issues, but this has tarnished my viewpoint about Idol Factory a little.

*****Spoiler Alert******

Although the ending had one of my most hated story element (time jumps), this is one of those times it made sense and served an actual purpose.

The reunited scene with Tharn and Phaya was a little anticlimactic for me. I would have liked to see a grander way for them to meet again.

The bonus scene is open to interpretation. I don’t know if it was a hint of a second season or the only way for Saint to find a way to make his usual guest spot. Either way, it was cool.

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One of the Best….

The Sign has been one of the best BL’s I’ve ever watched!
Idol Factory really hit a winner with this series!
Plus, based on the exchange between Phaya & Saint after the credits, dare I hope for a sequel? Yes, please!
The whole cast were superb…everyone brought their acting talents to their roles.
The comic value between Khem & Thong always came at the right moments, the groundbreaking role of Sand as Yai’s partner was encouraging, the fantastic acting of the children playing young Phaya & Tharn, and the chemistry between Billy & Babe made the series!
If a series keeps me engaged until the very final episode to the point I am in tears and clapping at the last scene (even after seeing spoilers), then it is well deserving of all the stars!
I look forward to many more wonderful series from Idol Factory & Saint!

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exactly what I always wanted ?

I absolutely adored this show from start to finish. Something about the mix of tone was just so compelling to me. While the underlying romance (and other relationships) was so strong and taken so seriously, the rest of the plot wasn't afraid to have fun and lean into tropes in the best way. The action was fun and bombastic, the reincarnation lore was fantastical and epic, the friends were bright and funny, and the chemistry was truly off the charts. I know not everyone will appreciate the way this style sometimes undercuts it's own tension, but I really enjoyed the way the show didn't let itself get bogged down for long.

Of course, I have to give accolades to the cast. Billy is, of course, a wonderful actor (as always). Phaya always has his heart on his sleeve and Billy's ability to show that in every moment is really quite beautiful. Especially as a new comer, Babe is incredible. Easily one of my top actors (I'm lying to seem less biased, he's the top). Nothing ever felt forced or put upon between these two, and the characters were crafted so completely that they could be understood without words from start to finish. It was a really exceptional performance. (Of course, there were many, many wonderful performances from the supporting cast as well).

My only faults with this show were some minor pacing and story issues. I would have liked to see a bit more care and craft in the way information is revealed, especially regarding Phaya and Tharn's past lives. Art's arc in Ep. 7 was so wonderfully done in subtle flourishes and circling narrative, it was disappointing to see the main characters get a less thoughtful info dump of a flashback. In general, I think the writers could have trusted the audience to pick up on clues a little better, as characters frequently repeated information that, at that point, had become pretty obvious. But this honestly didn't affect my enjoyment of the story all that much.

I am absolutely looking forward to the upcoming special episode and whatever BillyBabe have coming next! I certainly wouldn't complain if that happened to be a season 2 ;)

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It was perfect.

One of the best series of 2023/2024, the cinematography, the plot, the subplots, the acting, everything was perfect.

I love how this series managed to put a closure to every subplot they opened, other series can't relate, they managed to valance the romance with everything else.

It was good to see things about Thai's mythology, the story of Naga and Garuda really took my attention.

There were two things about then ending I didn't "like" but it wasn't to the extent to change my ranting. The first thing was that the thing with Chalothon was too quickly, it made sense, but it would have been better if we actually saw Tharn's effort trying to make him understand their love. And the second thing is that I wanted a reunion scene of Tharn with Yai and his grandma, but we still have the special episode left, so let's see.

Saint last minute apparition was the icing of the cake to me.

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Maybe not for me yet..

For me personally the first episode dindt catch my attention, the sudden start of random shooting things made it confusing where they where..
I tried to watch the first episode without getting bored easily but theres just something that is bothering me.. it feels slow as some reviewers said which is what i felt and got uninteresed just by ep 3 or 5..
I think the show is more about lore related on thai which goes into the romantic of the two main characters which is kinda a downfall for me since i dont want to really look into details much but rather enjoy the series without getting a headache..
I think its easier for me if the series were to be more understandable but i guess they were going for culture of thai.

I wouldn't say that its a bad series and the actors seems good at chemistry and i would definitely try to watch the whole series first if it will change my mind..

I have seen people hype up the series but i was disappointed abit

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