TamzinMillemni

I don't even think I'm as far along in the drama as you and I'm thinking the same thing, "with friends like these...." smh

The way he took a bite out of him. These Vampire BLs need to take notes. Lmao

Strangers From Hell was not a ‘pleasurable’ watching experience for me but it’s so darn good, it forces you to keep watching. The more you watch, the more you appreciate just how good it is. It’s one of those dramas that makes you feel extremely uncomfortable, like you’ve got insects crawling around in your skin. It’s like psychological torture meets sleep depravation. At least, that’s how I felt. I didn’t enjoy it but I liked it.

Now that I see this is possible, I’m hoping more Chinese bls get made using Thai production and distribution to get around the censorship. I know Chinese actors may still be afraid of being banned in China but if we can get a good mix of Chinese and Thai actors to fill the quota for these kinds of productions, I’d be more than happy. So many Chinese bl novels are waiting to be adapted. So many wonderful stories are waiting to be told.

I’ve seen in a lot of Asian bls this notion of using red thread and exploration of reincarnation/destiny. A lot of the bls are pretty similar in the way they portray this. I think they make these creative choices to amp up the romance factor. I.E. having the two leads physically tied by two ends of a thread is a great physical imagery to demonstrate a bond/that they are destined and can’t escape their fate of being together. It’s also a way to portray ’intimacy’ on screen for the countries that are a bit more censored with their bls. Thus, I can understand why they don’t strictly follow/portray it the traditional way.

Thanks for the info though. I enjoy learning new things about different cultures.

I actually agree with this sentiment. There were quite a few things I was staunchly against when I was younger including BDSM but I look at it now like, 'does it cause harm?' 'Is it consensual between the age-appropriate parties involved' 'Are there extenuating circumstances'. Ironically enough, by viewing things in this way I actually went from being someone who fantasised about relationships with school aged girls and older authority figures such as teachers (probably because I was a young girl myself) to seeing how much harm these relationships cause in the long and short term due to things like grooming and not being able to give informed consent. There are very, very few portrayals of these kinds of relationships where there are adequate extenuating circumstances for this not to be wrong (and not just the stigma) imo.

TO MY LEFT: Those excessively hating this adaptation
TO MY RIGHT: Those excessively praising this adaptation
ME: Just enjoying it for what it is.

gotta love comment sections lmao

Surprised to say I enjoyed this first episode. I think it's a pretty strong start. It's not a masterpiece or anything but I was impressed with what it was.

It's funny, the actors suit the roles (I was half way through before I realised they were the side couple from PitBabe), the acting seems natural and suits the tone they are going for.

Quite honestly, I was about done with cooking dramas and have been wondering why there were so many Thai ones of late; but this turns out to fit the brief in a way that Cooking Crush and Bake Me Please didn't.

Most importantly, this episode didn't lose my interest. It kept me engaged all the way through. I wasn't tempted to skip scenes and my mind didn't wander elsewhere. I even like the dynamic between the second couple, so far.

Again, I'm not saying it's a deep, high level masterpiece of a drama but for the lighthearted comedy genre, I think it does pretty well. It knows what it is and the creative choices in this first episode absolutely works for this story - A+ for execution and direction. I really hope it continues like this.

As far as I know, this doesn't offer subs (correct me if I am wrong). For me to pay for a service, there would need to be subtitles available for it to be worth it.

Thanks for answering.

What gets me is that people say what they’re showing is realistic. That doesn’t mean it’s not an unhealthy relationship. If you knew friends in this kind of relationship you wouldn’t have high hopes for it lasting and that’s if they don’t already break up over it.

The reality is when non-straightforward relationships are depicted in Asian dramas they do not add the necessary nuance or conditions that would make it akin to the types of ‘our love is so strong that we can get through anything’ type of relationship I’m assuming they are aiming for. This is not that and it’s never ever portrayed like that for some reason which is why people calling these types of dramas ‘realistic’ are so jarring, as it’s insinuating that this is a ‘realistic happy’ outcome. It’s an outcome, sure, but happy is not the word I would use.

Were both parts filmed all at once or did they film the second part after airing part 1? At first I thought it was all filmed at the same time but now I’m not so sure. Does anyone know the answer?

I think he used to, when he first started out. Maybe he got to a point where he didn't enjoy doing them anymore.

On a personal note, I don't really care about ships. I judge an actor's performance on the day. I don't blindly like them and I don't go out of my way to bully them online or in person either (both are insane to me). My observation of them is that they are both capable actors who have had highs and lows in their careers. Chimon strikes me as someone who shines more as a support character but freezes up when the spotlight is on him as a main character. My impression of Perth is summarised in the above paragraph. Perhaps you are on to something about him riding solo or being paired with an actress instead. I've seen that a few other male bl actors have left bl to do series with female partners. I prefer this tbh, if they are uncomfortable doing bl. No one wants to see actors being uncomfortable in bls. It works out better for the actors, the audience and the series if they don't stay and have that discomfort be evident.

I by no means think her acting was bad. The image of the child actors in Lifetime movies popped into my head and I could not stop giggling. 😂

This is another series that includes leads that are some of the better Thai actors. I never have to question their acting ability. It's always solid.

I'm not enthusiastic about this series so far BUT I like it and find it easy going.

Perhaps Off and Gun are more suited to roles/characters with a bit more grit. Those types of roles really bring out all the things that makes them standout.

I do like that they're experimenting with their style though, to see what else works for them, and I hope once these group of series they've already filmed have been released and they receive the feedback, they'll take what works and tweak what doesn't and come back with a series that mixes positives from both their new style of series and their old ones.

I didn’t realise how nostalgic I was until he came on the scene. It was like my mini “Avengers….assemble” moment. I was cheering and smiling from ear to ear. 😅

You’ve expressed my thoughts exactly how I was thinking them. I was so impressed with the training scenes right back at the start of series, then when they became actual special forces, some decisions and actions in the line of duty did not seem up to par. Still, I really enjoyed this special episode. I also found Deeni’s acting commendable but it did remind me of the overacting those kids in the Lifetime movies do. It’s the faces they pull. It’s always so intense no matter the scene. 😅

I’m so excited for this. I hope it’s a spin off that operates in the same universe so we get some of the same minor characters as well. If we’re lucky we get cameos from Tharn and Phaya from time to time. And if we’re really lucky, we get more of the mystical NaGaruda world.

The flash drive was hidden in Deeni’s teddy bear, put there by her father (Michael) for safe keeping. Phaya found it after having a suspicion that it might be in the teddy.

Deeni gets kidnapped when the bad guys find out that she is staying at Phaya and Tharn’s house. Deeni escapes through the bedroom window when she got scared that the bad guys were in the house. This was while Tharn and Phaya were fighting the bad guys downstairs. Unfortunately, there was another bad guy waiting outside and he grabbed Deenie while she was trying to make a run for it.

I’ll drop a reply here to let you know how I found it.