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  • Join Date: January 7, 2020

Bayamon_Hill

Chicago, Illinois, United States of America

Bayamon_Hill

Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
Oxygen thai drama review
Completed
Oxygen
4 people found this review helpful
by Bayamon_Hill
Jan 18, 2021
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 10.0
Rewatch Value 10.0

One of the Best of 2020

If you have looked through the reviews, this show is very polarizing. Some like it a lot and some don't like it at all. I liked it a lot. I liked that the story provided me with likable characters who each had back stories that informed their actions. Guitar's background explains why he is so mature and goal-oriented - an old soul with sore spots. Solo's background helps you understand why he is an injured boy looking for someone to love him completely. Even Phu's background can help explain why he is so robotic in his expressions (it's a pretty extreme story). Those stories are also explained in the show to one another, like people do when they're trying to get to know each other. I also liked that the story had enough details that weren't in the stereotypical mold. They were college students, but were barely in class, Guitar was an engineering student, but you couldn't tell. There are work scenarios, but none of them take over the show. Some might hate that it can't seem to decide what it is, but I enjoyed its obsessed focus on the love of the couple at the center. Whether school, work, internships, family, friends, it all comes second to the love of Solo and his Guitar.

There are some drawbacks to this show. Some of the music, especially the harp music, is pretty bad, but cheap. The secondary storylines are not as good, especially the bizarre love square featuring the doctors. There might be at least a ten-year age difference between some members of that love game. The saddest part is that the second couple of Phu and Kao doesn't develop as much as it should. For me, Kao is a wonderful character and he deserved more. He stole the show for me, which isn't hard to do when everyone else is acting in such an understated way. That may also put people off, but there was enough sincere crying to go around at the right moments, and importantly, there is a lot of physical touch, like hugs and head leaning (love it!), that go a long way to making the connections between characters clear even when their actions are lowkey.

So, it isn't a perfect show, but it is a lot better than most of the recent BL shows coming out of Thailand. It's better than Tonhon Chonlatee, it's better than My Gear & Your Gown, and it's better than 2gether, so that's saying something. And the show gave me what I needed during this depressing COVID-19 pandemic - a beautiful, happy ending where all is resolved. I can't really ask for more from a 13 episode series.
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