The Love Never Sets

THAT WAS UNEXPECTED

To be honest this series actually exceeded my expectations.
Is it a masterpiece??
NO BUT IT ALSO HAD NO RIGHT TO BE THIS GOOD. The studio really thought this story through thoroughly.

PROS
Storyline
The storyline was cliché but it the cast and crew made it work to their advantage.
I like the fact that they turned around the story especially addressing the issues of pedophilia, sexual assault and sexual exploitation. I also enjoyed the fact that it did not shy away from the the very hard subjects of sexual assault, gender identity, gaslighting, willful blindness/ignorance and homophobic tendencies especially among parents who always want their children to be "perfect".
It also made sure to give comeuppance to the perpetuators of crimes especially pedophiles to that you cannot sleep with someone against their will (rape) and go scot-free.
It also addressed a very important point about how institutions would rather be quick to sweet abuse under the rug and protect their own people in power just to keep the institutions "good name".
Addressing issues like suicide especially in LGBTQ+ Youths was very good and loved the way the series handled the subject with sensitivity and care. This shows attention to details. It also takes a more nuanced approach to these topics instead taking a sledgehammer to it.
The actors really did phenomenal jobs selling the series.

Characters Development
The characters were so well developed. Each character even the very minor ones who had very small roles to play had an impact to the story. No character was wasted. And that is great storytelling.
The fact that they also included and divided the attention between BL and the GL storylines connect show how dedicated the team are. It was so easy to fall in love with the characters even the assholes who later turned a new leaf.

Special Effects/VFX
I really appreciate the way they handled this part especially with rainfall (leaning into sunshower - genius by the way). Also using the advantage of night and daylight to generate the preferred atmosphere to almost every scene.
The studio really thought this through very well.

The film within the series was just the icing on the proverbial cake.

CONS
The pacing was quite too slow. Certain scenes were dragged too long though did not affect the quality of the story, it also sometimes made the scene redundant.
The episodes shouldn't necessarily be an hour long especially when the message has already been put forth. The main message is the important thing. Certain scenes don't need so much expositions. Sometimes, a little mystery goes a long way to help the series.

CONCLUSION
I'm very glad I actually watched it. I had a great time just watching and I've been re-watching some episodes over and over.
It was all in all, a cult classic.
Kudos to the team for a good series

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The series is okay overall. It was fun to see Ja with a new partner and to finally see Tae in a main role.

Both are good actors, but I’m not sure if they are the right pairing for each other (my personal opinion).

I also wonder if they will continue as a pairing or if this was only for this series.

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Emotional and heartwarming but slow and lacking depth

This reminds me so much of the earlier BL dramas and also some newer ones such as lITA ( side couple) and tharntype (without the toxicity).

It has very sweet and emotional moments involving a few misunderstandings about each other where they have to work to gain the others trust and overcome traumatic past events. Ja is an experienced, almost veteran BL actor at this stage having starred in many BL dramas since 2019 such as Tharntype and Don't say no which paved the way for many other series. This new CP with Tae is perfect, they compliment each other very well in terms of skill and style making the scenes believable.

This series touches on many mature topics such as sexual abuse, trauma, nightmares/mental health and bullying. However it fails to deliver with integrating these into the story leaving it hollow. It is a series about healing and growing together as a couple, I have always enjoyed this genre for BL since Tharntype however it is portrayed with less toxicity with no abuse at least with the main couple.

Consent is taken seriously, the characters take on a project as actors under an inexperienced director and there is a scene where they forget to ask consent when acting out a 'restraint' scene before checking if they were both ok first. They then discuss the right and wrong way to perform scenes and begin workshopping.

Some scenes are a little childish such as the bullies pouring water over themselves and bowing low asking for forgiveness, this came of as comedic and was not taken seriously even though ice was hurt by their actions. I find the smoking scenes to be unnecessary as well as the really awkward bra advertising scene right in the middle of an intimate moment.

edit: The show really starts to drag around episode 7 and some of the character interactions are quite childish making the production look low quality. There is a lot of unnecessary drama and an S/A scene where the jealous ex is wearing a comically stained shirt to suggest he hasn't washed and spilled food on himself.

The scenes with the second couple GL, are sprinkled in with not much build up and a strange ad for a bra company right in the middle of an intimate scene which is distasteful and insulting to the actors and their work in the moment.

The main story itself is quite weak and takes forever to build and reach any sort of excitement.

Warnings: The show promotes smoking in a few scenes. Some scenes may also be triggering as it covers topics such as SA and trauma.

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I had high hopes

The starting was little bit tacky and lacking. I've never written a review in my life. I solely made this account today to write this review after finishing episode 7. I sat through whatever this drama was trying to be. Trauma? Romance? College life? Separation? Second chances? Asshole predatory professors and boyfriends who deserve to be thrown into the ocean. I didn't want to give up on the drama because trauma and reemergence of characters from said trauma (re- Sky from LITA) to me is like what a flame is to a moth. I just can't ignore it but then the end of episode happened and I was like "no" do not ask him to kiss you right now. Honestly...what was the thought process behind that? Like come on! I get it that everybody processes trauma differently but those around them are supposed to bear responsibility.

This just felt a little cheap and hollow to me. You could have had so many scene to differentiate Saint from other characters-especially Warm...it was not difficult. This just was not it. And you want me to believe an assault victim isn't vigilant about their surroundings-with an intoxicated ex just around the corner. Throughout that scene I kept going "Lock the damn door!". I can overlook whatever happened after that because locking up\freezing up is the kind of response your body turns to when something like this happens again BUT you're telling me he didn't lock that damn door for whatever reasons!??

This felt a little insensitive to me.

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In love omg!!what took me so long to watch?!!??

so like I’m love this show so much omg!!
JaTae omg where do I start. these two when I first saw they would be paired together I was excited to see what they had in store and I omg I couldn’t be happier! there chemistry was amazing!

Their characters Saint and Ice where both emotionally complex characters with their own traumas to deal with. Saint with his Abusive dad (who I got to say that actor did his job cause I wanted to jump into the screen and punch him so bad😅😅), Ice who was forced into doing noir films and that son of a ******** professor Mint who essentially r**** him and countless other boys. Ice was going through it and omg I wanted to hug him so bad🥲🥲I was so happy when Saint finally told ice what happened and why he disappeared and I loved watch them be able to grow their relationship. I don’t understand the other reviews they were amazing and I can’t wait to see this pairing in future projects🤍

Now.. When I say Book and Mud took me by surprise it would be an understatement. I love these two so much like Domon and atom did an amazing job protraying these characters! I was in love with thee two and I wish we got more of them 😔🥲🥲 Like no joke I need them paired together in another series!!

My Gl couple SeaLanee where spectacular!! My smile was so big every time I saw them on screen! I literally am in love I was so happy when Lanee’s mom when Lanee confessed that she didn’t like Saint and that she liked sea she accepted and apologized to her that if she knew she didn’t like him she would have never made them be arranged and that is a W mother right there😌. Nikita and JaJa need to act in another series together for my sanity they look so cute together🥹🥹🤍

As much as I hated Warm I’m kinda happy that Saint and Tae gave him a second chance at the end. also warm’s actor Bounus is so cute 🥹🥹 I hope to see him in another project soon!!!

overall this series did have it’s moments but it’s not bad I truly enjoyed this series and it talks about topics that are important and I loved that. the topics of S/H and S/A can be very easily misinterpreted in media so I’m glad they didn’t sugar coat it and all showed it. I’m so sad this Series is over tho I’m so glad I was able to watch it🤍🤍

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The show that tried to do to much

This show started off strong and I was really rooting for it. The six main characters were all likeable and the actors, for the most part, did well with the material they were given. The concept of a porn star leaving the industry and returning to college was compelling and original.

Unfortunately, this show suffered from trying to do to much. In a 13 episode series they tried to cover:

- Sex work
- Sexual assault
- Abusive, controlling, and neglectful parents
- Redemption arcs for 2 of the 3 terrible parents
- Blackmail
- Class differences
- Consent
- Coming out
- 3 romance arcs
- Jealousy and miscommunication tropes
- A show within a show that includes death and over-the-top 90s era homophobia
- An overly complicated plot to overthrow a cartoonishly evil professor
- Bullies learning the error of their ways and becoming supporters of their former victim
- A protagonist who also has a burgeoning music career in the middle of all this
- Having a character who has experienced pretty horrific sexual assault SEEK OUT an ex-boyfriend who attempted to SA him and invite him to join his music label?!!!

And they tried to do all of this while keeping the tone pretty light. There was just no way to do justice to all of these issues and plotlines. And I hate to say this because I really like Tae as an actor, but he's not great at on-screen kissing, which makes his love scenes with Ja kind of a rough watch.

Kind of a smaller complaint, but having a bra ad in the middle of an NC scene was a really strange choice.

Domon and Atom (Mud and Book) were my favorite part of this show- I hope it's a launching pad for them to get better projects.

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Even though it’s not perfect, I really enjoyed this series. It tackled heavy, complex themes that you rarely see in BLs. But while it raised serious issues, instead of digging into them with real depth, it left those dilemmas more as background for the romance. Still, despite its flaws, the show won me over and moved me.

The JaTae chemistry honestly surprised me in the best way, as did the way they brought Saint and Ice to life. Saint is calm and serene, while Ice is a whirlwind of emotions. And even though they’re complete opposites, that’s exactly what made their romance work. Saint is the emotional stability and affection Ice needs to heal, while Ice is the courage and determination Saint needs to finally stand up to his father.

I understand and respect that filial piety is very important in Asian culture, and that in Thailand being a good son means recognizing and repaying your parents’ kindness. But that doesn’t give a father the right to be cruel under the excuse of “protecting his child from the world.” That excuse is getting old and honestly a bit tiring. I also don’t think children should accept that kind of cruelty so passively. These homophobic fathers keep getting away with it, and it’s frustrating.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised when Saint’s father admitted his mistakes and sought psychological help. That scene really touched me. The short film within the series, with Saint and Ice’s roles, also carried such an important message. Sea and Lanee won me over with their sweetness and companionship, while Mud and Book gave me full-on second couple syndrome with their cute and fun interactions.

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A premise that deserved more than I got from it

The setup genuinely caught my attention. A student forced out of school after being blamed for his own assault, years in the adult film industry, a return to college, and then a BL film role opposite the last person he expected — that's a story with real weight behind it, and I went in wanting it to land.
It didn't, for me. And honestly I can't fully explain why, which is its own kind of frustrating. Nothing went obviously wrong. JaTae are a decent pairing, the story has ambition, the themes are serious in ways I respect. But something in the execution kept me at a distance throughout, and by the end very little had stuck.
Sometimes a series and a viewer just don't connect, regardless of the quality of the ingredients. This felt like one of those cases for me — a story I wanted to be absorbed by that simply never let me in. I watched it to the end and felt mostly neutral about having done so.
Worth trying if the premise speaks to you. It might land differently for someone else.

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Por que parei em The Love Never Sets

Se o título diz que o amor nunca se põe, eu discordo: para mim, o sol não só se pôs, como já é madrugada e eu estou no escuro. Decidi abandonar o barco no episódio 12 e trago aqui os recibos do porquê esse roteiro parece ter sido escrito por um gerador automático de clichês com mau contato.
1. O protagonista é um "ímã de problemas" (sem bateria)
O roteiro insiste em colocar o protagonista em situações de "perigo" que poderiam ser resolvidas com um simples uso de lógica básica ou um sinal de Wi-Fi. A passividade dele chegou a um nível que eu não sabia se estava assistindo a um drama romântico ou a um documentário sobre como ser uma porta decorativa.

2. O Vilão Caricato de Desenho Animado
Temos um vilão cujas motivações são tão profundas quanto um pires. Ele não tem um plano, ele tem um "surto agendado" por episódio. As vilanias são tão datadas que eu esperava que ele soltasse uma risada maléfica e acariciasse um gato branco a qualquer momento. Spoiler: não é intimidador, é só vergonha alheia.

3. Diálogos que Parecem Biscoitos da Sorte
As conversas entre o casal principal seguem um padrão exaustivo:

Protagonista A: "Eu te amo, mas não posso te contar o porquê de estar sofrendo."

Protagonista B: "Eu entendo, vou ficar parado aqui com cara de paisagem até o próximo mal-entendido evitável."

4. A Física do Roteiro: Onde o Tempo não Existe
No episódio 12, percebi que a trama anda em círculos tão perfeitos que o roteiro poderia ser usado para testar a estabilidade de um compasso. Nada avança. É o famoso "encher linguiça" gourmet. A cada 20 minutos de tela, temos 15 minutos de flashbacks de coisas que acabamos de ver há 5 minutos.

Veredito: "The Love Never Sets" tentou entregar um épico romântico, mas entregou uma aula de como testar a pressão arterial do telespectador. Minha saúde mental agradece a desistência.

Nota de Despedida: 1.5/5 estrelas (pela fotografia, porque o resto está nas mãos de Deus).

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