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TharnType thai drama review
Completed
TharnType
0 people found this review helpful
by 8392225
Aug 15, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 5.0
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Tan x Tai (or How To Serve You All That Straight Already Discarded On "New" BL Plate)

I call this show 'Tan x Tai' rather than TharnType and I call the two boys Tan and Tai, because that's what all the people really pronounce and because they are asian and I find the english spelled names idiotic.
After this first episode, I was not sure whether I should finish watching this: reading some other reviews, I was even afraid to. But it proved needless, there wasn't anything really shocking in this, even though it touched significantly grave themes. It firmly remained shallow and childish in using them. My detailed experience follows...

Episode 1: The base for this story seemed silly as I didn't believe the homophobic boy would not find a single person who also did not like their roommate in the whole building. If he tried a bit longer, he would definitely find someone to switch with. And that's not mentioning his friend who knew about the whole situation or some other friend. But no: instead, he starts some kind of silly war against his gay roommate, and his friends won't prove very helping...

I didn't have a problem with the main character not liking gay people. Not everyone does. But he started to act too childish. There's a scene right in episode 1 where the homophobic boy gets drunk and falls asleep on the gay guy's bed. The gay guy, instead of simply going to sleep in homophobic boy's bed for that night (which was clean, as the homophobic boy did soil the gay boy's bed on a purpose), or dropping the unconscious homophobic boy into his bed with a help of his friend (who is there, too) openly says he'll "teach him a lesson". The homophobic's best friend not only hears this, he leaves saying things like the gay guy should go easy on his friend, not cause any noticeable hickeys, as the homophobic's boy has class next morning, etc. After such conversation, and because the gay guy stated he "won't do drunk people", I expected he was just kidding and he'll just prank the homophobic boy and let him believe something did happen. Instead, we can see the gay guy really starts touching and kissing the homophobic boy, who is in drunk stupor. If this is a love story, shouldn't he be a better person than that? Granted the real kiss is nice. But I'd appreciated it more if I could see such kiss in 'Love By Chance 2', with which this is supposed to be a related show. I can't tell, because I watched only Phit&Ae and Tin&Can couples, I skipped and ignored all the other characters. Sadly, I can't find real kiss real exciting, when it is this creepy...

Second episode offers completely different narrative. Though Tan caused some serious hickeys to Tai, he is mostly shown teasing him in the morning about them waking up in the same bed, but just teasing. Tai looks annoyed but not really worried (that something more has happened). Plus, solution to the roommate situation offers itself, but Tai decides to stay in the room with Tan, saying he's got some unfinished bussiness with him. The rest of the episode are mostly scenes with Tai crying and Tan comforting him, tending to him when he's sick, etc... I suddenly remembered that right in the beginning, before Tai learned about his roommate being gay, they seemed to be getting along pretty well. Now. We were shown that Tan was definitely sexually attracted to Tai, else he would not pick kissing him as "revenge" in episode 1. Then we were shown he was definitely affected by Tai crying, being upset or hugging him while scared in episode 2. There is a scene with Tan washing his face and staring in a mirror, classic scene of a character facing themselves in a mirror which portrays them facing their feelings. He definitely started caring. So we now have attraction + care. Usually, that equals love...

If so, we're actually presented with love-angst situation with Tan falling in love with someone who hates him. It's a desperate position to be in, so in last pride salvage attempt Tan lies that it was his friend No who stayed by Tai's sickbed. Tai believes it because he wants to believe it, though it doesn't make much sense, because it's not No who's LIVING with Tai (and therefore is able to make short visits, but definitely not stay overnight). Anyways No says the truth as soon as Tai gets well. Tai then heads off to face his "hateful" rommate...

Episode 3: Wow, there is definite proof that this is not just one-sided story. Tai starts unwillingly showing signs of being attracted to Tan!

Again, one of his friends offers he'll switch rooms with him. Again, he refuses? I kinda agreed it would be a good solution. In this particular respect, Tai was a jerk. He has suffered in his childhood, so now any guy who'd fall in love with him shall suffer. Going away from Tan's life would be a way to end suffering. Doesn't he hate being close to a gay? Unless...?:)

Tan starts getting happy. He's looking forward to returning to his room each day and rejects other offers how to spend his evening. He starts flirting with Tai softly, not really doing much but leaving it on Tai to get excited on his own. He's actually just teasing him, which befits Tai's harsh way of speaking to him and plain telling him that he hates him. But when Tan teases him, it DOES work on Tai. Hmmmm...!:)

Then exactly 1 scene later all that turns wrong. There is a bathroom scene where Tan goes too far with Tai. Any second I expected him to stop and just say he's only kidding. That would be what Tai deserved and probably even helped possible growth of their (troubled, but still a) romance in the future. What Tai didn't deserve was being forced AGAIN. That was precisely what Tan should avoid. It's true that Tai was pushing Tan away only some moments, there were some moments when he was responding to Tan. THE MORE Tan needed to apply the moment where he would STOP. Let Tai make the next move or go away, because if he wanted to get away then that's what Tan had to let him do. Else he would not be better than his childhood villain guy. Luckilly, things did not go all the way in episode 3, it was good Tai had to face that he WAS responding to Tan on physical level and then the rest of the story could be him slowly sorting out his emotions. But it was bad it wasn't Tan who withdrew himself first. He really should have been just teasing Tai, that would have worked better. If you never cease to chase someone, you never find out whether they'd be chasing you back. I mean WHEN are they ever supposed to stop panic and realize they actually miss you chasing them?;)

I was afraid if this show's writers don't realize this, this show is going downhill. And with the thai shows being notorious for their tendencies to portray rather forceful and toxic relationships, I really was afraid...

Luckilly, next scene Tai doesn't seem to be very traumatized by the bathroom incident. He also still didn't move out the room and away from Tan, which would NOW be understandable. He is not in a good mood, though. And what follows is a bizarre scene where Tai bumps into an openly gay boy and his mother. They both talk lot of uncomfortable sex talk, even though he is complete stranger. They want to photograph Tai and put a cute post with his info on their page. He is not responsive to that. Instead of letting it go, they keep at it and push him to make a "couple photo" and the boy hugs Tai and touches his chest. That moment Tai gets angry and plain says he despises gays and that they can't just grope whoever they want. In revenge, they publish Tai's photo along with a post describing him as a guy who is hateful towards whole LGBTQ community... I must say I kinda pitied Tai. Just as LGBTQ people have their rights, so do straight people have rights for their privacy. Tai didn't ask to be photographed and posted on some web page in one way or the other. Even the fact he doesn't like gays is his right for his private opinion. Instead, he now faces public backlash...

Episode 4: Tai opens to Tan and tells him about his bad experience. That of course makes them closer than with anyone and also Tan now knows he must never be violent with Tai. Tai still says to Tan that he hates all gays, that he hates him. Tan says it's okay. I agreed he responded very well. Yes, it's okay. Then Tan resolves the internet backlash situation for Tai. It's more and more clear he's in love with Tai. He says to Tai straight (lol) that he's into him. Then Tai has to listen to No's hilarious summary of the whole affair. I was really glad for the general mood to turn more into rom-com. I still thought now was the time for the boys to - peacefully - exchange rooms. Still, they keep living together, and for the 1st time (besides the very early beginning) I liked their dynamics. Tan openly flirts with Tai but in a gentle, friendly way. They already both know each other's dark spot, but are more or less okay with it... But, of course! Exactly 1 scene later that has to crumble, yet again. Tai makes a really weird suggestion...

First, Tan's reaction is hilarious. But same like episode 1, I didn't wish him to really go through with it. He should feel rather insulted by Tai's proposition. So I hoped he would do some kind of prank on Tai only, but reading other reviews, that probably won't happen so I was getting afraid, again. Which way is this show going to turn? It can't be a rom-com AND twisted sex-thing in the same time. Hopefully some poor writer won't attempt it...? Yeah, we know that thai tv was never short of poor writers. So, we do get the bed scene with these two. I would say Tan should still have problem to progress this fast with someone whom he knows is a rape victim. No matter if he wants to just sleep with him or eventually date him. Tai's motivation makes even less sense. But yes, the very next scene we listen to their conversation with light music like from romantic comedy. Tai's funny friends come as the comic relief again... So yes, the writer DID attempt this. I can now understand reviews bashing this as a great disservice to actual rape victims. Or criticizing it as a romance, because that shouldn't use such dark themes in it. In reality, this is just poorly written. Which isn't uncommon thing with thai tv. Straight lakorns are exactly the same. You watch big romantic action adventure of main pra'ek & nang'ek, and just casually you see some side-villains doing human trafficking. They always deal with stupid naivety with such grave a theme. Not to mention the classic lakorns, where pra'ek rapes nang'ek always. THAT is the oldschool thai tv comes from.

So, is the silly-comedy background music playing along with all this actually wrong? The whole thing IS a silly thing.

Episode 5: Suddenly a standard romance series (?).
After the two "roommates" had (weird, if you ask me) sex a few times, they decide that taking the "sex" out of the word "sexfriends", they are simply friends. Therefore, suddenly they are taken aback by a simple kiss. Makes NO sense for two people who already slept together, then again, what does in this series. As this is one whole episode completely free of ANYTHING twisted, but still you get to watch real kissing, it's actually enjoyable.

Episode 6: To prevent just being hung on Tan only, Tai starts dating a girl. He keeps texting her non-stop and then meets up with her one evening. It looks pretty conventional, bordering on boring... I found this interesting. It's well known guys are capable to withstand plenty of boring conversation & keep showering average person with compliments just because they are attracted to girls. But with Tai, we already know that's not his only option, lol. So I thought Tan would just sit back and let Tai "enjoy" this experience. After listening to a good dose of silly girl talk, Tai would crawl back to Tan, won't he? But instead, Tan makes a jealous scene like an old wifey...

Unsurprisingly, that's not a very smart move to make himself desirable to Tai. Tai gets annoyed and Tan behaves completely like a woman in that scene. I don't know whether this had male or female writer, but I did not find it believable. Tan's aggressive swagger is suddenly gone completely, too. Like he is different character. The next scene he changes his behavior a bit but it only seems like Tan's pretending something or the scriptwriter's manipulating things. Either way, I felt the writer does not really understand boy & boy relationships, and only presents us with their imagination of those.

We watch Tai's other date with the girl. It looks natural, Tai looks convincing that he likes the girl. Maybe more convincing than with Tan, lol. Then he returns to his room and starts telling Tan how he kept thinking of him the whole time he was with her but it's strange, because that's not what we watched. Either way, after this confession, the two boys are now "together". If it's like that, then there actually wasn't much to their story. (And we weren't successful in making even such banal story believable.) We're not at the end, though. We're at the half...

Episode 7: The couple - meaning Tan & Tai couple (I'm not really watching any other characters in here, actually) - moves in together. I mean they were living together already but they decided to change it from the dorm to their own place. So that they'd have more privacy. Or, in the words of their common friend No: So that their classmatess won't be able to hear their loud sex:) I wondered which direction the show is heading NOW. This couple had seriously rocky start, then weirdly fast progress. And it keeps being weird... Tai is still bothered in situations like when a random guy tries to pick him up at a bar. He loudly cusses at length how he finds that creepy, until his old friend confesses to him that he is gay, too. That he is actually afraid to tell him for years. And that hearing him swear against all gays hurts him. And that he's afraid he won't now be able to stay friends with him. Tai listens to all this and doesn't correct his friend, doesn't tell him he doesn't hate him and will still be his friend. Then Tai heads off home, where he jumps straight into bed with Tan. I must say that I like these two have good kiss scenes and I like that Tan just loves Tai no matter what. Still, it's all a bit ridiculous. Either way, Tan's main goal now seems to make Tai go out public as his boyfriend...

Epi 8: I am kinda bored and almost a half of the series is still ahead. Thank goodness for the distraction provided by the crazy friend No.

Epi 9: Tai gets properly jealous. Tan is happy and uses this to push Tai go public as his boyfriend. After all, if you want to be possesive, you show to everyone that your chosen one has an owner... Tai is a bit nasty in return, nevertheless I would still count it in a couple-bickering. Also apparently, Tan is in a band... They perform in a small bar, just a couple of boys, and the song which we hear has a piano, while we can clearly see none of the boys is playing a piano/keyboard. It's funny, but other than that I keep skipping the side characters. Unless they have Tai/Tan in their scene, too.

Epi 10: Jealous games. But somehow I thought the third person being depressed to the point they've been attempting suicide a bigger problem...?

Episode 11: Teary break-up. So annoying... One of Tan's friends is behind the break-up, wanting to be more than his friend. He used yet another boy named Tar for the whole thing: while this side-character was the one only one suffering with actual problems and would deserve the most concern (he's the one mentioned in epi 10) I didn't follow his line as I was not interested in side-characters of this show.

Epi 12: It's revealed that Tan's longtime friend is a total psycho obsessed with Tan. It's so far fetched it's actually not different from the classical lakorn psycho nan'rai lol. Nevertheless, it serves as "action climax" after which our main couple reunites. Looks like we made it on the end of their journey... I mean, I know there are two specials, one is 'Lhong's Story' (I was bored once enough), then there's 'Our Final Love' which is supposed to be about them being 4 years together already but it looks like they are still at the same school and nothing much changed... I dropped watching after several minutes. I'm not into this couple that much so I would care to watch their "7 years of love". As I didn't get even their first couple of months lol. I'm going to suffice with this one series.

Overall, this felt like rushed and unconvincing lovestory (I still don't really get when they fell in love, especially Tai) which used potentially grave themes in shallow and childish way. The result is average at best. Had they omitted both Tai/Tar traumatic experiences, had they made Tai just homophobic for no reason (such people exist), had they use any kind of mediocre cause for the last episode break-up/reunion apart from yet another psycho attack, the result might ironically be better. "Simple" relationship problems are more romantic than situations where you could rather imagine police involved. Which is actually a long time problem I criticized for years about classic STRAIGHT lakorns. So, again I ask: Who was is actually that made a BL series like this? This very ironically uses all the "iconic" straight themes. More precisely the most obsolete ones they try to get rid of by 2019 this was filmed.
On this note, I'll leave you ponder.....
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