This is how you do a gay musical

“My School President” might not be an original soundtrack; two boys in high school, one has a secret crush and chases the other. Been there, done that. I mean after more than a hundred gay romance shows (I'm not even joking, check my stats) you'd think I've seen it all. Yes, I have seen everything in My School President before, but not like this.

MSP takes all the tried and worn tropes, weaves them together seamlessly into this epic gay musical. The show has an energy to it which I cannot put into words. For the most of it, MSP is a really fun show: friendship, family and slice-of-life youth drama, but there are moments of grief and sadness which binds the story. And MSP reminds us time and again, that when it seems everything is lost and grey, you will find the purest emotion left: love.

The main arc is of Tinn and Gun. Nerdy Tinn, son of school principal and perfectionist has comitted the ultimate crime: fallen in love with a backbencher, and a boy nonetheless. After (several) repeated attempts to get Gun's attention, Tinn finally comes into the spotlight when he runs for school president. But wait! It has now set him as an enemy to Gun! For the school is trying to shut down the Music Club which Gun leads. With the excuse of "bringing glory to the school", Tinn pairs up with a reluctant Gun to try and win the Hot Wave and the rest, you know it :)

Not everything goes perfect in this story. There are many, many downs. MSP deals with topics like failure, grief of death, homophobia and the fear of first love. In this also, MSP has set itself apart from other dramas. Any misunderstanding or event is dealt in withing the episode itself, without letting it drag to the next episode and viewers are always left with the expectation of something fresh and delightful.

There are few stories where I can say that there were no moments which I found to be extra but MSP truly has no "filler moments". It does not lag, it does not take up a sloth speed at episode 8 (which most bl dramas tend to do), it is never boring.

Apart from Gun and Tinn, a major part of the story are their family and friends. The Hot Wave takes centre stage in episode 10, 11 as Gun and his friends battle three stages to reach their destination. The boys and their relationship with their families is so heartwarming to watch, their mothers both approach their sons so differently. There are a few unexpectedly cute side couples too. At the end of the day, MSP is a show about love and all its different forms.

It is evident that the production teams really put their efforts into this. Each character, even the side characters, have been crafted uniquely. They went all out with all the love songs here and it's obvious that a lot of work has been put into it. As far as chemistry goes, Gemini and Fourth are a match made in heaven. I say this not because I ship them, but some pairings just click you know? My main inhibition regarding MSP is that I dislike school shows and the tragic boring uniforms they have on all the freaking time. The show makers however put extra effort into everything with a stylish wardrobe for everybody (and I have to point this out because it's one of my sore points with most others school/uni shows).

Each actor and actress has done well in their role, and this is really important because MSP is one of those character centric shows. The dialogue is well written without the cliche replies. It gets especially fun when Gun teases Tinn! I love how Tinn is like this confident gay until Gun does something even minutely flirtatious. Gemini and Fourth brought them to life and I wait (not so patiently) for their future projects. And the OSTs! The Holy Chinzhilla in its Greatness has blessed us with the best songs, and so easy to sing along too that I cannot get them out of my head!

MSP has been a delight to watch. The secrecy of having a first crush, the innocence of first love, the buoyancy of being seen and recognised, if only for a moment, by the one who makes your heartbeat pick up. MSP will make your heart race and wish for that romance you haven't had yet or remember the cherishable memories you have experienced.

And while it is not an original soundtrack, it is the one of the most genuinely hearwarming songs, an ode if you will, to love. As they say, “love songs we listen to in high school are the best love songs ever”, and MSP is proof of that. One word for this show: fluff. 9.5/10.

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What a waste of time.

These are seven stories of seven best friends whose personalities are based on the Thai description of characters associated with a particular day of the week. Reviewing each installment individually~~~

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 1,2
TUESDAY
• Chap as Tue
• Tae as Ake
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Tae will be starting in “You're my skyy”. Chap can be seen in a side role in Lovely Writer, and in the upcoming series, “The Tuxedo”.

RATING: 4.5/10

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS: – If you're looking for a sports themed bl with coaching and all that, then I'd suggest Mr. Heart. If you're looking for enemies to lovers then I'd suggest My Gear and your gown, Love by chance (Tincan), Love by chance 2, Why RU?

STORY: Tue is an aspiring Muay Thai coach. On his very first day as an assistant coach he meets an old enemy and they have a faceoff. During their sports camp trio, the coach makes Tue and Ake room together to teach Tue patience so that he can be a better coach and to keep Ake in line

REVIEW: Script issues. In my honest opinion, the actors did the best they could with the storyline they were provided. There wasn't lack of chemistry and both the actors convinced me that they hated each other and were simultaneously attracted to each other. Given that two episodes of 1 hour each is not enough to deal with an entire relationship, the story could've been less of a mess if they hadn't tried to incorporate so many tropes into it.

*Spoiler alert*
They used a gazillion tropes in here: a single interaction wherein Ake cuts into line makes Tue hate him with such gusto. Sickness and the subsequent requisite white towel treatment (because it's a bl). Parental issues to bring the mcs closer to each other. Roommate drama.

Regarding the romance, you can if you're want to, justify every assholish thing done by Ake on the basis of 'attraction'. Ake even goes so far as to tell Tue that he was responsible for arousing him and henceforth must take care of his needs. Furthermore, for someone who vehemently begged the coach to allow him into the team (and also because Ake wants to fulfil his father's dreams), Ake’s behavior of purposefully skipping practice and investing leaves just to look like he has a fever do not comply with the story. Needless to say I couldn't get into their story. Sad because the actors were really trying.

Major plot hole: So Tue gets the chicken pox. Granting that I am not a Thai citizen but an Indian one, I believe that's one disease south east Asian countries are vaccinated against? Even if we allow room for the fact that the hadn't been vaccinated, it doesn't make sense that the entire team isn't down with the disease. Logic #101.


═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 3,4
SUNDAY
• Max as Sun
• Nat as Nuea
ALSO SEE THEM IN: MaxNat are a side couple in “Why RU?” the series and in the upcoming projects by Mandee (nameless, “Cutie Pie” the series). They're also the main couple in episode 3 of “Close Friend”.

RATING: 4.5/10

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS: Why RU?

REVIEW: Can we appreciate Nuea’s style in this? I don't like MaxNat per se, and I don't see the hype around them but their acting was pretty decent and considering that they were given a pretty average story, they carried the episodes well. Notable point, this is a healthy relationship. Not taking advantage of your drunk bf marks the beginnings of a healthy relationship.


═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 5,6
MONDAY
• Korn as Mon
• Gung as Team
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Korn has a really funny supporting role in YYY the series. They haven't starred together in any other dramas.

RATING: 3.5/10

I have no idea what happened here, it hasn't been many weeks I suppose but that's exactly how forgettable it was. I just remember that there was a confession scene on stage and I could feel the second hand embarrassment through the screen and in my head I was like: somebody end my pain. Yet again, I feel the actors delivered pretty good (like a 6.5/10 for the acting), but the storyline was ridiculous. I also remember being irritated as hell with Team.

Notable mention: awkward pauses. Like longer than the one in kdrama confession scenes. The drawn out soulmate gazing and pauses were just lowering the score at 127 km/s.

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 7,8
THURSDAY
• Pi as Thurs
• Au as Pao/Pae
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Pi is part of the secondary couple in YYY the series. They haven't starred together in any other dramas.

RATING: 5.5/10

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS: He’s coming to me, Hidden love as these are both bl dramas involving a ghost-seeing boy story ark.

No spoilers for these episodes because you have to watch this at least once. I have only seen Pee Peerawich Ploynumpol in his funny role in YYY and I wasn't sure what he was going to deliver here but he was really vibin’ with his role here! In some places he conveyed his reverence for his art and his feelings quite nicely. Also Pao is the cutest ghost I have ever seen. If you're deciding on which episodes to skip then DON'T SKIP EPISODE 7 & 8, it was probably the most wholesome episode here in terms of their relationship.


═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 9,10

• Takizawa as Puth
• First as Kaeng
ALSO SEE THEM IN: Tae will be starting in “You're my skyy”. Chap can be seen in a side role in Lovely Writer, and in the upcoming series, “The Tuxedo”.

RATING: 6/10
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS: En of Love: Love Mechanics, Side couple in My Gear and your Gown

This is where I pour out my feelings about these two. First of all, First playing Kaeng is impressive. He has a vast expression range: that suggestive smirk directed at Puth, that look of pure adoration when he's studying Puth, the joyous expression when he's around Puth, that kicked-in-the-gut sad puppy eyes he does to move Puth, that death glare he specifically reserves for Payo and lastly the crying scenes. This actor can go from 0 to 100 real quick. Same for Takizawa. He is cute at the right moments but he can be flirty and asshole and hot mean jerk just as well.

Secondly, the nc scenes. I let out a bleh when I saw how effusive fans were being about their nc scenes but they jumped the gun saying that the romance wasn't well developed. Well I beg to disagree. The actors had great chemistry, that's true, but the nc scenes weren't just that—it was the trust Puth had in Kaeng, the way he was letting himself be free with him. Kudos to them for bringing a proper friends-with-benefits relationship to the screen and turning it to something more.

When twenty minutes were left for episode 10 to end I was beginning to wonder how they were going to wrap up these threads at the very end. But it was ended well too! Turns out it wasn't just the audience who noticed how Kaeng was whipped for Puth, Puth isn't one of those typical oblivious characters. It took him time to understand his feelings but he did notice Kaeng’s gestures! The ending really touched me. *SPOILER* When Kaeng told Puth to stay with him for one last time, it was obvious that Puth wasn't sure about it but he cared enough for Kaeng as a friend to not leave him alone. And so he does grant his request which eventually lead him to realize his feelings.

Also, can we appreciate how perfect these two are for each other? Both are flirtatious jerks who are whipped for each other. When Kaeng starts shouting that he has a boyfriend Puth just laughs and urges him to say his name and then proceeds to shout that he has a boyfriend too. Like I cannot with these two—

This was so far my favorite in terms of acting, pacing and character development.

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 11,12
• Jaab as Sat
• Ton as Choke
ALSO SEE THEM IN: —

RATING: 5.0/10
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS: I have no idea what bl drama to recommend which has similar fantasy-time travel-friendship themes as this one does.

STORY: Sat and Choke have been friends since childhood. Unlike Choke who was satisfied with his status and his chubby figure, Sat wants to be included into Top’s gang. Top is a older than them, plays football and is considered cool in the school. Prior to this, Choke had gifted Sat with a Gundam, a giant robot, which was supposedly magical and it proves its powers when Choke unknowingly presses the button which activates it and it fulfils his wish but this comes with a side effect: he can't be friends with Choke anymore because that's what it takes to be cool, he must cut off his connection from the 'fat' boy. Encouraged by Top, Sat punches him effectively severing their friendship.

Not only do, since Sat wished to be all grown up and part of Top’s gang, he wakes up in the future—mind you his memories are still of the past, the years in between are a gap in his head—and is surprised to find his head in Top’s lap. They are best friends now but Sat wonders why he isn't best friends with Choke, he has no idea that they aren't friends anymore and turns up at Choke’s house to remember his memories. Things spiral from there.

REVIEW: As I scrolled through the comments, I realized that this couple got overlooked a lot as people commented their opinions on the series. For me they were cute. Kind of forgettable maybe but cute.

I think the strongest message here was how our experiences shape us. Whatever choices Sat had or hadn't made had changed him from his innocent naive mentality to a person who played with others’ feelings and was uncaring.

This was quite obviously a rip-off (an adaptation, if you will), of the popular rom-com “13 Going on 30,” which delivered a lot more than this story did and in shorter time.

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 13, 14

I am honestly underwhelmed guys. I got some messages here AND a personal dm to complete this review. And here goes: underwhelmed with Yoon, Lay and Perth. Serious injustice to some of my favorite actors (in bl series I mean).

Rating: 6.5/10. See Perthlay in My Engineer and the hypothetical My Engineer 2. Also, Perth go taken out of Kinnporsche so yeah. Seen Yoonlay in YYY (one of my favorites), YYY special and Close friend (episode 4).

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ Ep. 15
Shhitty ending. Everybody gets together. Hugs. Kisses. And they all live happily ever after except of course... you know if you know.

═ ∘♡༉∘ ═══════ OVERALL
Ranking episodes: [13, 14], [9&10], [7&8], [11&12], [3&4], [1&2], [5&6], [15]

These are some points I need to stress about this series.

AWESOME. COSTUMES. Like damn was I tired of the standard issue bl drama uniforms with the stark white shirts and black pants. Everybody here had a distinctive colourful style. Tue was pink, Ake was sporty and casual, Sun was a bit formal, Nuea was rocking the effeminate style (we need more such rep), Mon was sunflower, Team was masculine hot, Pi was a ghost summoner need, Pao was cute (too cute to be a ghost), Puth was sweater and Kaeng went all out with his striking red shirts and earrings.

The director seems to have his signature style. Music was pretty much on point. The actors mostly managed really well.

Overall rating 4.0/10 for an awesome waste of time.

Are you thinking of watching this series?
If you're looking for something mindless and pulpy to watch then go for it. Select the episodes you think you'd like best and watch those first, the stories are not interconnected. Happy watching!

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There's lots to say about “I Promised you the Moon” but I have to begin by saying how it's close to ITSAY. While comparing IPYTM to ITSAY (which is but natural, considering they are sequels), many have pointed out how IPYTM fell back while others loved it more than it's sequel. I belong to the grey zone where I loved both for what they were.

The biggest parallel or similarity between these series was how Teh and Oh-Aew's relationship progressed. In itsay, they start out as friends, not best friends or bosom friends–these two boys were attached at the hips. They new even the most minute details about each other and the details they didn't know about each other, they were ready to learn. Similarly, in ipytm they start out as boyfriends. Not flings, not the questioning phase. Boyfriends in the truest sense of the word.

But all good things don't last and so it ends for Teh and Oh-Aew in both itsay and ipytm. In itsay they fight when one questions the other over whether they'd be ready to give up the thing they love for each other. In ipytm the struggle is different. It comes first in the form of Oh-Aew’s change in faculties which makes Teh feel betrayed; while Teh becomes closer to his own friends and his work, Oh-Aew gets closer to his own friends and his new faculty. Things hit the fan when Teh develops an attraction for Jai, his friend and then the director of the university play he acts in.

The problem with both Teh and Oh-Aew is that they don't stick together. The moment something happens they switch off communication, cut cords, ignore each other completely. But they can't let go. They keep thinking about each other. Both can't happen simultaneously, you either care of you don't and their conflict is that they do care but are forced to show that they don't. In itsay Teh texts Oh-Aew but he doesn't send it while Oh-Aew waits to talk to him in person. In ipytm Teh texts him again but Oh-Aew cuts him off.

The fact that they can't let go is highlighted when they meet each other for the first time after their fight. In itsay, they stare daggers at each other, unaware of what they will mean for each other in a month's time. In ipytm Teh and Oh-Aew meet at least two years after their breakup. Teh is heartbroken and guilty; Oh-Aew is heartbroken and angry.

It's ‘Shangxin’ all over again. Two people applying force against each other's hearts.

They take comfort in knowing that the other is okay. Seeing Teh flourish in his career on TV makes Oh-Aew smile. Teh texts him to know more about him, but stays away without imposing himself on Oh-Aew. The first thing he asks Oh-Aew on meeting him is whether he's okay.

“No one can replace you for me.”

Teh and Oh-Aew aren't just friends to lovers. Their connection runs deeper than that. It runs so deep that Oh-Aew knows he has to comfort Teh on learning about Tuty’s death. A small detail, but it really stood out to me. Because regardless of how many boyfriends Oh-Aew has and how many partners Teh dates, nobody can take take the place of Oh-Aew for Teh and nobody can take the place of Teh for Oh-Aew.

The series ends with at Phuket, with Teh’s brother getting married to his long time love. Teh and Oh-Aew, now with the sunset at their back, a calmer sunset–not the glaring brightness of the Promthep cape at Phuket–they get together again.


Direction • script and storytelling • cinematography & soundtrack
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
In terms of cinematography, the quality is still maintained. Apparently the 4k release on Vimeo is the best experience ever, as has been said by those who purchased the Vimeo package. While we don't get to visit the quaint spots of old town Phuket, we have amazing shots of the characters with the Bangkok skyline in the background.

Aesthetics aren't about how much scenery you can clump into an episode–the colours matter. I never knew there were so many shades of blue.

In episode 3, where Oh-Aew first sees Teh and Jai kiss, the colors work perfectly. The drama club room where Teh and the other's practice have a light brown shade to them: Teh's shirt, the close-ups of Jai's face all meld together but Oh-Aew's bright pink and red don't match.

Again in episode 3, during the floating in water redux scene where Teh sadly backfloats on the water, the color is sea blue but this time it's artificial and lonely unlike the waves of Phuket where Teh and Oh-Aew swam in their childhood. The Bangkok skyline is navy night, not black. I can't help noticing all this about ipytm.

The most important usage of the color is the counterplay between cool blues and warm reds. Itsay was a whirlwind romance which shook me as an audience. It left me feeling raw in places, ugly sobbing and emotionally drained. Ipytm was considerably different–it was meant to be different. This is Teh and Oh-Aew after six to seven years of their relationship. They are both older, calmer and their story is sadder.

The final scenes of both these series have a sunset but where in itsay it's the bright radiance of Promethep Cape of Old town Phuket, in ipytm it's a calm sunset with small waves. There's even an ornate pier which wasn't there before. Phuket has changed, Teh and Oh-Aew have changed, Mama Sui has changed (she speaks slower and softer now, stressing more on the syllables)—but that's the point of love. Unchanging and forever. In the end, it's not the sunset that convinced me that these two people were meant to be, it's the people.

SOUND EFFECT:
The sound effects of IPYTM don't sound like normal sound dumps in most dramas. Where the OST is just dumped during long agonising moments of 'romantic' eye contact, or during the kiss scenes–no, the tracks have been perfectly timed.

There are three particular beats in the OST which have never stuck out to me before but at the moment when Jai tells Teh to recreate his first memory with Oh-Aew (read: sleep with Oh-Aew again) in episode 3, I could feel the weight of those three notes, they perfect hinted at the impending sadness.

In episode 1, one of my favorite parts was the ending scene where Oh Aew was sitting alone on the couch, closing his eyes an hoping to conjure Teh in front of him. When he opens his eyes and sees Q who makes him join the party, the crescendo rises in the background before coming to a still.

TIME SKIP:
If you've been keeping up with the news on ipytm since March, then you might know that Nadao had announced that each episode will be dealing with a year of their lives at the university. Needless to say, this worried me A LOT. Time slips/jumps always feel like meaningless plot devices but I'm just beginning to understand that it's more about how you use it. In IPYTM, each year hasn't been summed up in one episode, instead key incidents from each year have been woven together to tell the story.

Thanks to P’Meen's direction, we can see all these actors at their best, bringing the characters to life. IPYTM (like itsay), is not a sci-fi or fantasy or historical production. Its a largely ‘feeling based’ romance, as in the emotions it conveys to the audience are very important. To convey sadness, an actor doesn't just have to be good at crying, the build up to that emotional precipice has to be guided well and the director, scriptwriters and everyone working backstage have done that.


Cast & Characters
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1. OH-AEW & TEH

Both Teh and Oh Aew have changed slightly—the cognitive changes which accompany the beginning of adulthood—but at heart Teh is still the enthusiastic boy who saw Yongjian on his television screen and realized what he wanted to be and Oh Aew is still the soft boy who fell in love.

But after episode 1, we begin to see significant changes in their characters. To anybody who complains about this, people do change. People change enormously, especially during the transition during university. Oh-Aew and Teh face lots of emotions–lomeliness on their first week when they had only each other for comfort, rejections during cast calls, the fear of not fulfilling their aspirations, new friends, new lives–they both change, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.

PP Krit and Billkin have grown so much as actors. PP's soothing voice was perfect for the osts and mvs released for this series. He has really controlled tears, those single tear lines in episode 5 just shook me. Billkin deserves lots of love for his role. I hated to see people thrash the actor for the nuances in Teh's character. Billkin is a wonderful actor and nobody can change my mind.

2. JAI
JaiHe is so much more than an intriguing side character. First of I want to say that even though Jai told Teh that he wasn't sleeping with Ms. May for grades, I don't really believe him. His manner was secretive, not confidential while he told about it to Teh, as in he's hiding something.

Does that make him a bad person? I would say yes. If you've been to university, you may have encountered such individuals who to resort to such techniques. Does it make him a completely bad person? No, everyone is capable of growth. Does it make him a bad director? Definitely not. Judging from the way he interacts with the crew, it's evident that he's not a bad director. He pays attention to details, he reads through logbooks, he's considerate when he has to be.

A clear example is how Teh interacts with him. At first Teh was enamoured by Top but Jai was the one who told him to work backstage. Who opened up options for him. I'd say it's really natural for Teh to feel those signals from him. What stood out to me most about Jai was his dedication and secondly his insecurity. He tells Teh that he broke up with James because he was afraid how long they were going to stay together. He's afraid his portfolio isn't good enough for the New York university, which is probably why he's sleeping with Ms. May.

We get to see one shot of Jai in the end of episode 5 when he smiles on seeing Teh and Oh-Aew's post on Instagram. Regardless of what he has done, he's a character who left me rooting for him till the very end.

OAB is a splendid actor. If anyone has seen Blackout, you might appreciate him even more. He captures every emotion perfectly.

3. OH-AEW'S FRIENDS
Can we appreciate how unassuming Oh-Aew’s, Q, Mang, Plug and Au’s friendship is? In the fifth episode, when Mang and Plug (now dating) have a small argument which Oh-Aew and Q happen to witness, Q tells Oh-Aew to look after Mang while he will do the same for Plug and then they have a small squabble with Q finally conceding that he will take care of all of them. They will not judge their friends on the basis of who breakup and because of whom and will extend the same support regardless. When Teh comes on tv after the breakup, we see Au looking constantly at Oh-Aew to gauge his reaction to it. In this way we get too see how closely knitted they are.

4. OTHERS
If someone asked me what is the best part of IPYTM then they'd probably expect confusion but i have my answer ready: REAL CHARACTERS.IPYTM will convince you that the people they show are real. They are friends, partners, exes, sons/daughters—real people with aspirations and dreams and responsibilities. Even the side characters have a story to tell. Like Top who despite reaching his goal suspects that he isn't truly good enough. Khim, who isn't ready to forsake her dream yet but her duties compel her to. Teh, who is afraid of being alone. Oh Aew who gets judged for being who he is.

Everyone from itsay was reunited at Hoon's wedding. Teh’s brother Hoon finally–finally–gets married to the love of his life and that brings everybody who left Phuket, back to their scenic hometown. We get to see the MoRaoYuLok a final time, some of them are dating, some have a job, some want to return to Phuket, some want to stay in the places they have built for themselves outside Phuket. We get to see Bas, handsome as ever. We get to see Mama Sui, and she is sweeter than ever.

Also, are Top and Khim dating >·<


Cast & Characters
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1. Romance
We get to see a lot of romantic gestures from both Teh and Oh Aew. In the first scene we see Teh with the milk bottle in his hand. Even though its been a year, Oh Aew still heats up milk for him. He gets a small tattoo too. Teh may be more subtle but his emotions are there. I was particularly touched in the scene where Oh Aew was drunk and Teh, instead of taking the bed, sleeps on the carpet beside the couch.

2. Coming Out and being open
Five minutes into the episode 1 I was grinning like an idiot because Teh’s mom just got the best mom ever award. She's not only supportive but a romantic at heart and she had handmade gifts for both Teh and Oh Aew.

Then comes the aquarium kss. I think it was perfect that their first public kiss was after Teh’s mom accepted him. Even in LTIP, while they're on a nearly deserted street, they don't kiss openly. It's Teh's family's acceptance which gives them the courage to be open and it is Teh's love which let's Oh-Aew be free too.

3. Diversity
Itsay as fans know, took diversity to a whole new level in terms of ethnicity. Teh was partially Chinese, his friend was partially of Western decent. Ipytm took it to the next level with a transgender woman as Teh’s manager. It was the most natural thing ever and I hardly even realized it while watching the series. She was written in as a side character, thank you to P'Meen for not writing a cliche bl with horrendous transgender representation.

Also, kudos to Teh our bisexual king. He has dated other girls and boys but he's never struggled to find a label for himself. Then there's Oh-Aew who's comfortable in being gay. When Teh was not-so-subtly trying to find out whether he has a partner, Oh-Aew confirms that he doesn't have a 'boyfriend'. Some people like labels and some don't, giving space to your partner and understanding them is the most important part.

4. Phuket vs. Bangkok
The reason cited previously for the director change was that P'Meen would be better at framing a script which showcased the problems a student from a rural area would encounter in Bangkok and these were realistically portrayed: homesickness, cost cutting, sticking out in the crowd.

Teh, despite his avid interest in film making has no idea of how it works and is fascinated with even the simplest backstage tasks. The drama club members playfully laugh at his interest.

Oh Aew too faces difficulties, he is unable to make friends at Anantsart. While Teh immerses himself into the drama club, he is unable to toggle between reducing transportation cost, late nights backstage and making time for Oh Aew. When Teh thinks of resigning, Oh Aew encourages him to continue with his drama saying that he will be fine. But what was supposed to last just a month, stretches into two.

5. Reaching your dreams
Every character in itsay and ipytm was working towards a particular goal. While Teh is one minded and confident about his choices, Oh-Aew wavers. But in the end, both are successful. Even their mutual friends from Phuket have jobs or are in relationships. But we also have Au who decides to take a break which is encouraged by Q and the others.

Reaching dreams is hard and there are many obstacles, in some cases like Oh-Aew's, the obstacle includes discrimination for his slightly 'feminine' nature. This made me appreciate seeing a transgender woman in a strong job even more.

⚘
8.0/10 for an awesome story which fell a little flat sometimes but worked for the most of it.

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Love is simple, really

“I'm scared that you'll disappear right in front of me.”

I am truly impressed with the execution of Our Dating Sim. Considering that it is a story that revolves around a misunderstanding, there is little to none of the commonplace tropes like 'miscommunication" and 'walking away while the other is talking' or the dreaded 'jumping to comclusions'.

I needed to start my review with this because I totally thought these would be tediously utilised by the drama, but instead ODS gives us two beautifully authentic people who have their own ways of dealing with emotions which leads them to a place of conflict and a separation for more than 7 years.

With a run-time of only 15 minutes, the show makers have utilised every second to build Lee Wan and Shin Ki Rae's relationship, with each scene contributing to their story in a meaningful way. Every conversation, every little thought adds something to the story and this is really important for a short series.

They have done this and more than what other longer series provide us, and within an obviously limited budget. ODS has proved that having a small budget is not an excuse for a lackluster production (side-eyeing certain other korean bls which have recently aired). There is a small cast too, but the show in itself never feels empty.

Then there are the actors themselves who brought their all to the screen and delivered one of the best kisses in bl history, gotta talk about it considering physical intimacy is a very lousy point for most Korean bl dramas. The characters feel mature and there is a visible difference in them between their youthful friendship days and their older mature selves. The chemistry between the leads is palpable and it helps that scenes of physical intimacy are peppered generously throughout the series.

They behave a a real couple would, and as people who have missed each other during a long separation, and deal with their own anxiety of losing each other once again. There are little dating sims recreated at the end of each episode, each giving a little view into what a braver Lee Wan would have done in his school days. Although Lee Wan was not brave then, he has changed now and the show ends on a hopeful message that although life is a game and there is little certainty to it, it is his choice now to be with Ki Tae and that is all that matters. To stay in the moment and to choose one another.

An unexpectedly well done series and a must watch for those looking for a sweet, fluffy way to pass the time without too much unwarranted and uncalled for drama. 8/10

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everything and nothing

Midnight Museum was a very ambitious project, there is mystery, science fiction, dark magic and curses, fantasy and even some religious jargon thrown into the mix–everything and nothing because it did not create a cohesive plot. It was almost as if the show makers couldn't decide exactly what they wanted to create, not to mention it also as very convenient plot points.

The biggest fallacy of this show is its pacing. When Khatha's museum is robbed, the dark artefacts he has stowed away make their way into innocent hands and create chaos. The first six episodes revolve around a bunch of random people discovering these artefacts and killing a bunch of other random people. The excitement is boosted by bunch of random cameos by a l o t of popular gmmtv actors. Also, did i say "innocent people" because no, these were terrible people and the artefacts brought out the worst in them. It was fun as the kill count kept increasing with each episode, but it does get boring after a while you know? In retrospect, I wonder if the show was created for this very purpose, to showcase the gmmtv roster.

Throughout this however, gmmtv was working on the gayest bromance to ever exist—the story of Dome and Khatha. The actors, Tor and Gun, have a "to die for" chemistry, probably because they themselves are very capable actors. Honestly, without them and their "bromance", Midnight Museum would have ended up on my drop pile. Their intriguing past and the estranged soulmates thing they had going for them was really awesome, at the very least it did keep me impatient every week for the ep to air.

After episode 6, the show kind of loses steam in terms of fantasy. We are now thrust into the emotional exploration of Khatha's past and we learn some unexpected (and some very expected) things. Cue another cameo. But this was really strong development on the "bromance". Then all of a sudden we are thrust unceremoniously into the possibility of multiverse. Think multiple moons, nerd scientists, communicating with the past from a different galaxy–hardcore shit. And Dome is lost!

Now with the sudden absence of my favorite on screen off screen straight gays, I was examining the plot and all I saw was a string of unexplained bizarreness with some murder thrown in; plot holes or a lack of plot to even have holes! And lo! We have been fooled ;) There is no plot, is what I realised as even more bizarreness unfolded in front of me.

Coming to the characters, Bright as a moth-eating murderer was more developed as a person than the supposed important side characters of this series. Take June for example, I found so many viewers confused as to who she was although it was actually shown in the very first episode, in a very confusing way. Then there was Bam, a "spunky" officer; i put that in quotes because spunky equates to useless and dumb enough to be killed. And Phob, he supposedly helped Khatha do undercover work ...

In shows like these, I usually turns to the villains. But the villains here were either behaving like a lazy grouchy teenager or cult leader (played by Tay Tawan, LOL)—they seem to be power hungry and they did given Nanon some very good one liners and Tawan a lot of swag, but their motivations were largely unclear.

Even my favorite b̶r̶o̶mance seems undeveloped now as the Dome in the past wasn't Dome at all! Won't spoil any further but as much as i liked seeing them together, it doesn't make sense to me (but I won't take points for that, bc I love my straight boys). I won't even take points for this queer baiting because wow, that good.

Overall, this has been a terrible disappointment but i can't bring myself to rate this a six, as I rightfully should. The overall production is very lazy—lazy fight scenes,

lazy fashion (1. why was Gun always in that fucking grey tee and pants like a prisoner! 2. impractical clothing for women, CHECK 3. sometimes they dressed Khatha so well and sometimes the clothes looked so cheap...)

lazy pacing (it is slow as a sloth till episode 8 and then it's dashi dashi! keep up! till the finish line),

lazy half-assed development of the universe this was set in, the only consistent point being that it is extremely illogical.

7/10

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If you ask me what romance as a genre really lacks then I'd say: authenticity. And maybe I'd be wrong according to a lot of viewers but I really do get surprised when I come across stories like these which by the sheer force of authenticity bring out those emotions in me–and let me tell you that's hard given what a crudgy watcher I am.

And it doesn't have to be a pulpy show of chastity or, on the other side of that scale, terribly unnecessarily raunchy; it can be something as small as hands brushing, smiling when the other isn't looking (gosh I hate that! BUT it works here, it works). The Eighth Sense really doesn't have a lot to offer on this metric, it does not have full-blown NC (it's not wrong to have sex scenes, except i mostly feel it's a terrible substitute for plot) yet it left my insides in a happy state of “butterflies”!

Ji Hyun and Jae Won are the perfect opposites attract trope. Ji Hyun, newly moved to Seoul from a remote part of the country feels quite lost and he understandably develops a sort of reverence for the senior who takes him under his wing and (seems to) have his shit together. Then, a feeling Ji Hyun can't understand, emotions heightened after he and Jae Won kiss. But let's stay friends, a poor, poor follow through.

An important part of the story is Jae Won dealing with emotional trauma of witnessing (and believing himself to be the cause of) what is the most painful event in his life. It's been years, he's almost thirty and has been going to a doctor regularly. This unhealed trauma is a source for grief to both parties later in the story and there are so many ways this can go wrong.

The Eighth Sense doesn't go down the path of "loves fixes everything" but that we can experience the same excruciating pain in safety and support. While Ji Hyun becomes a sort of safe space for Jae Won, JW himself recognises the problems of that (and even discusses it with his doctor). This a very positive depiction of the importance of mental health not just from the perspective of the sufferer but also Ji Hyun’s side, how he must try to understand him in a different way.

Secondly, I loved that Jae Won as a character is not defined by his trauma. Neither is Ji Hyun merely a puppet, a stand-in "love healer". There is an inherent kindness in both of them that they protectively branch out to each other (and to me, any relationship be it family/pets/friend/romantic comes with kindness). The side characters supplement the story with being draggy fillers.

Coming to the production itself, beautiful acting. I found myself holding my breath in a few scenes (eagerly leaning into the screen, nose touching pixels and all). Jun Taek (Ji Hyun)in episode 9: wrecked my heart. His happiness is my happiness, his grief is my grief. And normally that would imply grief for the one who brought grief to my aggrieved child but Ji Im Sub (Jae Won) stole my heart too. Man he's got that hollow look down pat, and that way he visibly kind of lights up when JH is around.

My major problem in the show were the openings, that wannabe edgy look is something I dislike but I got over it. There were many blackout scenes and sudden cuts which I again attribute to the "wannabe edginess" but okay, not a major issue compared to the other wonderful thing about this show: the soundtrack. I don't listen to music, I have a reason for that, but I recognise very well that showmakers often don't know shit about choosing the right music. And they unlike me cannot–should not–cite mysterious reasons for their ill choices of music (basically playing the ost over and over or different parts of it sometimes slower and sometimes faster. This is why shows like the eighth sense and kinnporsche and i told sunset about you stand out to me in the bl romance genre).

I think I've accomplished my mission rant abt The Eighth Sense. Hopefully it's going to make some more crudgy souls happy like it has made me for the last 5 weeks. (Also that poster has a whole new meaning when you get past that scene, awesome choice).

PS: when I say no NC I don't imply a lack of sexiness because damn that tension and their dynamic? fire. hot. (and I do mean it, I'm a crudgy soul remember?)

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Cute lesbian romance in a fantasy setting

“There's something I still don’t understand. Can you enlighten me Ms. A-Ze? I don’t know why, but whenever I look at you, my heart starts beating strangely.”

Legend of Yunze is a short series focussing on the developing romance between the cultivator Jiang Zhao Tun and the fairy-like A-Ze. It is also a Xianxia series since it combines the elements of magic and demonic cultivation.

As our protagonists investigate the mysterious evil that has taken over the Changshui Village, they start to fall in love slowly and Jiang Zhao Tun’s experiences teach her that there is an evil inside humans which supercedes that of demons.

In 12 episodes of merely 3 minutes or less, Legend of Yunze manages to cover a lot of ground. For one, the romance is really cute with all the hesitancy and sweetness of first love. The CGI is also commendable, its not over the top but looks better than some Cdramas I have checked out. The actresses bring the characters to life and feel different here as compared to their roles in a previous drama, Legend of Yun Qian. There are some comical moments too which attribute a more light hearted vibe to this series.

Despite being a low cost project, this drama has managed to deliver. 8.5/10.

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Stylish, short, okay.

“Bite Sisters” is about three hot vampire ladies who are not sisters. Two of them run an expensive designer fashion boutique and the third is a workaholic who works at a design/art company.

❝At some moment, when even the unique temperament that flows deeply inside comes out, it eventually makes them have no choice but to bite.❞

In terms of story, Bite Sisters was boring and predictable but mostly just boring. It starts out with the fabulous vampires in 1921 Korea and transitions smoothly into present day Seoul. While there are three of them, the episodes concentrate on Han Yi Na played by Kang Han Na. The other two sisters feature in all episodes but are side characters for the most of it.

Han Yi Na is shown to be a person who cannot stand injustice as shown in the opening. The latter half of the show concentrates on how she steps in to protect a child and her mother from an abusive father. Don’t expect too much depth from this part of the story though cause you won't find it. To be honest I probably wouldn't even have noticed that Han Yi Na is a champion of justice unless it was mentioned in the synopsis itself. The story was all over the place and while grappling with the romance plot, Han Yi Na’s character arc didn’t get much focus.

❝I don’t want to put you through my death.❞

Now, the romance. It was sweet and sad. The main lead is as dumb as Bella Swan in Twilight but the romance was better here (obviously). It didn't get much time to develop but as viewers, we get all the essentials of it. How Sungmin was struck by Han Yi Na’s beauty when he first saw her 100 years ago and how he is drawn to her again in his second life. A really well done take on the romance between a mortal and an immortal.

The best part about this show were the production values. Since MDL doesn't have that parameter, I'd like to establish that this show deserves a 8.5/10 in terms of production values. The red aesthetic was super pretty. The scenes from 1921 melded with how Han Hi Na’s first romance ended. Overall Bite Sisters was gorgeous with really high visual quality.

Even the acting was great. Kang Han Na is like super gorgeous. The only thing dragging this show for me was the storyline.

Overall a 7/10. The episodes are all completely up on YouTube and it's good as a short vampire fantasy drama.

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Beguiling intimacy~

No spoilers.

❝You might be wondering why I did this silly thing. Maybe, it's a way to cover up how lonely I am.❞

Pornographer is the story of Kuzumi, a university student who accidentally bumps into a man and injures his arm following which, he decides to assist the man who turns out to be an author, to complete his novel. But as Renjiro begins his dictation to Kuzumi, he is surprised to learn that Renjiro writes erotica, moreover Kuzumi is discomfited by his own sexual reactions to Renjiro and Renjiro’s erotic narration.

❝I don't want to finish the last page. I want to be with him much longer.❞

Pornographer is brimming with the sort of raw emotions that are so common in Japanese dramas. It was quite overwhelming to see the feelings which these men developed for one another.

For one, there is no constrictive labelling of sexual orientation. There is no labelling of being "gay" or "bisexual." Similarly there is no strict line between lust and love. There is just sexual desire and a convoluted romance of sorts which is undefined and all their own. The dark ebb and flow of desire is beautifully displayed using a warm colour palette which elucidate the constantly varying emotions.

❝Such an idiot. This kind of thing... will never go away.❞

As their relationship progresses, it is fraught with lust as Kuzumi starts imagining himself in imaginary situations with Renjiro. In a way Kuzumi becomes a muse to the broken Renjiro who only seeks to keep writing but cheap erotica is all that he can sell.

Pornographer does not seek to rectify, uphold or justify the despondent actions of its charcters who lie and cheat and fall in love, or rather, a sort of intimacy from which they can never extricate themselves because they have revealed to each other the deepest desires hidden at their core. They are, in a way, disastrous for another; their relationship is tumultuous, the portrayal of their relationship is vivid and deep. The love letter in the form of an erotic novel cannot possibly be the last I've seen of them.

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*lots of spoilers*

I am pleasantly surprised. Judging from the reviews and comment and my own judgement of the first three episodes (after which I dropped it), I came to the conclusion that it would be bad and horrible. But guess who was lucky enough to get three-point-five stars?

I had expected lots of toxicity but surprisingly it wasn't nearly what my convoluted imagination had made up. I mean sure I zoned out every ten minutes and wondered what I was going to eat for dinner but 'boring' is actually a good adjective for tharntype in comparison to some other words I have for it.

Ps. Please excuse incorrect grammar. I just rewatched a few scenes of Tharntype to refresh my memory and singed my gray cells in the process.

1. Dialogue
Tharntype has some of the most impassionate dialogues I have ever seen.

“Hey, do you want to eat breakfast."
"Why? Are you worried about me?"
"Do you want a piece of me?"

The dialogues were just pathetic and 80% of this was dialogue. This *should* tell you more about tharntype than anything else.

When 90% of the dialogue which forms 80% of a drama is the main characters’ confabulating about what breakfast they are going to have and what birds they saw today then (do the math people) it makes 72% of the series a shitty elocution. Tharntype's dialogue basically comprises of a. Boring dialogue that has nothing to do with the story b. Boring dialogue tht has everything to do with the story c. Cheesy dialogue that made me want to scratch my eyes out d. Confrontations.

And what's funny is that despite the dialogue snoozefest, there wasn't much "communication" happening here. Two parts particularly stand out to me:
Firstly, Type talking about his rape and childhood trauma. The dialogue delivery was so feeble my left eye was twitching. And get this, I don't want Type to be over drmatic or traumatised about his rape. I just don't want him to talk like he's angry about the ice cream he ate yesterday.
“The chocolate was so bad. There were no choco chips at all. I was suffocating.”

Secondly were the parts where Tharn kept reassuring Type that he wasn't treating him like a woman. That he loved him like a man. And then cue the melodrama:
“I want you to be mine.”
“It's you who are mine.”
OR!
“I'm already yours.”

The parts where they talked about the goodness of people regardless of sexual orientation were particularly enlightening.
“All gay men aren't bad you know.”
I mean that's some good woke shit right there.

And then there were the parts where I was wondering whether the Thai had been lost in translation.
“You are my bitch.”

Lastly those monologues where the characters started talking to themselves out loud...

0/10 for dialogue and –10/10 for effort (there must have been lots of effort going into writing pages upon pages of that shit)

2. Acting
You know what's the main reason why many users who acknowledge that Tharntype has a shitty plot (more on this in a bit <3) justify giving Tharntype a 7/10 or 8/10 rating ?

Acting.

And you know what? They weren't totally wrong. I could not get enough of Gulf acting constipated, as if he had eaten too many durians for lunch. Same goes for Mew's bed eyes.

The side characters didn't have to do much acting anyway. Tar was going around being morose and acting like he had a bad stomach ache while Tum kept rushing into his room in a mad frenzy simple because he didn't answer his call. At least he made me laugh because every time he did thay, I thought of Jack Torrance from The Shining (splendid performance from Jack Nicholson btw).

Then there was Techno. His only job was to inquire into Type's romantic debacles at every new stage in Tharntype's relationship through on-the-nose dialogues. Oh and he's a shitty football captain.

Point is, that Type's constipated acting was on point, sadly this wasn't a Doc McStuffins series about stomachache or I would have given him 10 stars. Mew carried it well, I don't have many complaints about him.

3. Plot
Tharntype is the story of Type, a 19 year old college student who had been raped as a child and had to subsequently face lots of stigma for it and had to run from media who were oh so interested in the story of the boy who got raped. He gets assigned to a room with Type who is openly gay and has had multiple boyfriends (and exes) in the past. Also 19. Also an engineering student.

Their relationship begins when Type discovers that Tharn is gay from his friend Techno and starts a war against Tharn to drive him out of the room. Tharn being the god of patience that he is (but actually just a masochist), bears all of Type’s idiosyncrasies which include Type littering his bed, destroying his books and disrupting his affairs. Tharn however continues to be caring and takes it in stride.

In fact, Tharn may already be in love with Type because guess what he does? He rapes Type by leaving hickeys on his body.

Their relationship continues to grow. Type and Tharn go from casual roommates to haters, to friends with benefits but that's a far stretch because they still hate each other. When Type wants to get into a relationship with a girl, he is quick to set rules for this fuckbuddies relationship, that they are allowed to date whoever they want without interrupting in each other's affairs.

Tharn just accepts it with the patience of a mute dog and Type never asks him if he is okay with it. Hurray! Power to Type for being an asshole.

Once Type realises that his libido is only set off by Tharn, he is quick to dump the girl and get back to Tharn. More power to man who knows what he wants and gets it too, regardless of who is hurt in the process!

There are lots more problems of course but I'm afraid I won't be able to stop once I start. So lets skip to the main part of the story.

One of the major reasons I was intrigued about Tharntype was the plot twist. Everybody kept talking about a huge mysterious plot twist. Around episode 9, Tharn and Type mutually decide that they have had enough of this boyfriends bullcrap and they go back to square one. Type starts hitting on women, Tharn starts talking to his exes.

Tar, one of Tharn’s exes, makes an appearance and starts pursuing Tharn actively. This causes a rift in the relationship. On the other hand, Lhong, a side character you probably NEVER noticed because he totally hasn’t been hanging around Tharn with that crazy look AT ALL, starts whispering into Type’s ear. He makes Type feel insecure and Type breaks up with Tharn as is expected.

In the last episode it is revealed that Lhong was the villain all along. That Lhong was the one who had got Tar gang raped. That Tar had started pursuing Tharn because Lhong had forced him to do so. That Lhong got them to break up.

Totally did not see that plot twist coming from a mile away.

And then we get a glimpse of Tharn and Type three years later where they are happy.

Why Techno is the real MVP:
The plot is literally moving ahead because of Techno.
He was the one who told Type that Tharn was gay. He was the one who asks Type to make up with Tharn. He keeps asking Type about Tharn. He comes in at the key moments right after their breakups to keep the dialogue going. More love for this dude who can't play ball to save his life but is a good friend and the one behind Tharntype. An unappreciated character.

4. Characterisation
Another reason I was intrigued about TharnType was how people were blown away by the realistic portrayals.

And to be fair, Type’s progression from being a hater of gay people to a gay man is great. Sure he was an asshole once in a while, sure he used derogatory language. And so what? Nobody is perfect. We must also give some leeway to him because he is a rape survivor and has a good reason to denigrate gay people and does so even after he and Tharn start dating.

Very realistic and wonderful portrayal from the showmakers.

And Tharn. He was just badly written. So basically we are lead to believe that he is a good guy. The epitome of patience. And he really is, the amount of patience he showed even after Lhong all but confessed to getting Tar gang raped is awespiring. We must all learn how to maintain a calm and cool facade from Tharn. The only point I was majorly irked was when he kept telling Type to be open about their relationship.

Even though they could have had a perfectly happy relationship, Tharn wants Type to openly accept being Type’s boyfriend. I found this was conflicting with Tharn’s reputation as a patient boyfriend because lowkey coercing someone to come out is not what understanding lgbt people do to other lgbt people, let alone their partners, let alone partners with a traumatic past.

The other side characters didn’t have much progression. Techno is still a shitty player three years later. Tar is still traumatised by his rape and goes abroad to deal with his breakup with Tharn (not his rape mind you, the breakup with Tharn is obviously the greater problem here).

As for their relationship, it started with hatred, was built on attraction, fuelled by hate sex and fraught with misunderstanding, lack of communication and causing mutual pain. Goals.

5. Rape as a plot device
It bothers me. It bothers me a lot that when I talk about rape in fiction being romanticised or as a mere plot device and no, it is not "just fiction after all."

Tharntype shows two characters who have been shown as rape survivors. Type who was assaulted as a child and Tar who was assaulted as a minor in 10th grade by a group of men. In Type’s case, nobody thought it was his fault but the media hounded hum for a long time. In case of Tar, the incident is later revealed to have been arranged by Lhong to blackmail Tar and breakup his relationship with Tharn.

I don’t want to say much about Type. We are talking about the dude who even after getting raped once, doesn’t confront Tharn for leaving hickeys on him.

Let's talk about Tar for a bit. Tar who is clearly still messed up about his past. Tar who doesn’t have anybody to go to except Tharn and even that doorway is shut because Tar is scared that the rape looks like real consensual sex (it was recorded by Lhong. Messed up right? I know.) Tar is again coerced by Lhong to break up Tharn and Type and he does so unwillingly because Lhong threatens to expose his tape.

Lets talk about what happens after Type physically attacks Tar for getting between him and Tharn. Tar breaks down. He breaksdown so bad that he shows Type (and Techno) the video of his assault (Lhong must have sent it to him and Tar has kept it). A video that he hasn’t shown anybody. Now he shows it to two strangers.

When all this is exposed to Tharn, guess what he does? he punches Lhong. He gets together with Type, he professes that he never wants to see Lhong again and then asks Type to apologise to Tar because he believes that Tar's assult is his fault. And guess what Type does?

He texts him.

Get this. Type texts Tar that Tharn is sorry for his past rape.

Also, Type asks Tharn for sex as a favor to get over his fear of gayness.

Let that sink in.

I wonder how much people think is okay. Whether people think it is actually okay for them to turn a blind eye to somebody who got raped and to not offer support. You can’t (shouldn’t) force anybody to report but yes, you are required to show support.

The story writers’ efforts to make Tharn look like a saint pretty much failed. If he truly felt that it was his fault, why didn’t he do more about it? Just an apology maybe?

As for Lhong, he gets a redemption arc too. He loved Tharn too much. He also has negligence issues at his house. Boo hoo. 19 yo rick kid with family problems and lack of attention gets a kid gang raped and it's all justified. They even brought in Lhong’s sister to reassure him.

Lastly, if Tharn was so much in love with Tar and id Tum, Tar's brother, truly loves Tar so much, why didn’t he have people to go too? How did this show deal with rape in any way, except write it off once it's purpose had been served. So yes, I dock a lot off points from Tharntype for bad usage of rape as a plot device; once to justify Type’s hatred for Tharn and once to provide conflict.

And lets not throw just Tharn under the bus for this one, Type has physically hit Tharn on multiple occassions. And somehow it was okay when he did it, which brings me to my next point:

6. Playing into Bl tropes
Tharntype isn't playing into bl tropes. It probably established those Bl tropes.

The biggest trope which sets me off is how one is marked as the 'seme' or top and the other is the 'uke'. The idea is that the seme takes the position of the 'man' in the relationship and the uke takes the role of the 'girl' in the relationship.

Despite the number of times Type protests to Tharn that he is "not a girl" and won't accept being treated as one, I could not overlook how Tharntype were cast into the same roles. Tharn has claimed the seme role for himself, saying that he is "always the top." These dialogues would make me cringe out of existence if I wasn't otherwise engaged in adding it to my list of unhealthy bl tropes in Tharntype.

By the way, Type's blatant sexism where he tells Tharn that he won't let Tharn pay for him because "he isn't a girl," did not improve my perception of his character at all.

Apart from all these points which I absolutely hated about Tharntype, I also hated the music tracks. The OST itself was upbeat but the sound placement was triggering my audio proc disorder a lot (had to put it on mute). I think I would have enjoyed the show more if the subtitles had been in Spanish. I can't read Spanish.


Right after the 'Did the egg come first or the chicken' question is the second biggest question about our existence. Why does Tharntype have a 8.1 rating on MDL. This show gets a wholesome, well earned 3.5 from me. Would not recommend to anybody.

(Also, they legit couldn't think of a different title? Just glue the main characters’ names together and voila! It does not get less creative than that).

The only good thing was Pete's cameo in the end. Saint's smile can still brighten up my day but even that was sort of ruined by Tin's comment.

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sapphic slice of life

I often mourn the fact that lesbian series don't have the financial backing to make longer productions and that feeling just multiplied several folds after watching this drama.

Tucked away in some unknown corner of South Korea is a small bar which openly welcomes lesbians; it's proprietress, a lesbian herself, welcomes all with the iteration “welcome to the lesbian bar.”

In these five short episodes averaging six minutes we get a look into four stories of love stories in different stages. The lives of closeted lesbians intersect in surprising ways.

Apart from this we learn how the conservative society of Seoul has affected these women who are simply searching for a way to protect their love. The lesbian bar becomes a cosy nook for them. And despite everything, these women find happiness.

While these are admittedly not cohesive stories, and they left me wanting for more more m o r e,,, but it's a nice way to spend half an hour, especially if your motto is like mine: seeing happy lesbians makes me happy!

And a plus for the butch representation, like thank you!

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A 9.5/10 ‘cause why not? I wouldn't say I am very liberal or too stingy giving ratings that are above 9, but ‘The Best Story’ hit every sweet and sad spot a middle school rom-com can.

With just three episodes, two main characters, a simple storyline and no kisses and/or mature scenes, ‘The Best Story’ will get you more emotional than most romances will. In this case acting is of top importance because there is no cushion for the show to go on. If the viewers don't like the main couple then there is nothing else to keep the show afloat.

This is the story of Best and Dew. At it's core, ‘The Best Story’ doesn’t bring much in terms of a new plot but the pacing out and presentation of this saccharine and bittersweet story and the amazing acting supplemented by the beautiful ost and soundtracks got me really emotional. This is a story of first crush and a youthful love which is nipped in the buds by a narrow-minded family. Kudos to this show for the representation of a boy who knows he likes men—

“Sometimes I wish I liked girls, it would be better that way.”

—and one who isn’t sure of himself but he is sure of his first crush.

“I li(ke you)”

This simple story is supplemented with a great portrayal of relationships. The thing which stood out to me here was how beautiful the friendship of Best, Bright and Ray was. Most Thai shows don't portray friendships properly but seeing these three I felt I could watch another series based just on them. Bright is full of bad ideas and crackhead energy, Ray is the calmer and cooler balance and Best will cheer on and go along with both. But while friendships can be beautiful some people turn out to be untrustworthy, like Fern, Dew’s best friend.

The story is rounded off with the B E S T acting. War, as I have said during Love Mechanics and continue to say so, has the most wonderfully expressive eyes and a beautiful expression to match his other skills. He is a different species in the sense that his eyes are actually his communicating appendage. In the face of War’s acting, I feel that Yin gets overshadowed a lot. But Yin conveys the character's emotions really really well too. The way he slowly lets his tears out is a contrast to War and I think such differences just establish how different but similar their characters are.

Unlike most Thai shows, the actors didn’t seem to be bursting out of their uniforms. The costumes and desk heights were managed properly and I felt they were actual school kids (this irked me a lot in the Gifted series, the actors seemed to more older than the age they were). The bashful or boisterous natures of the characters had me convinced that these were actual school kids.

So, The Best Story managed to make me smile and remember my first crush, gave me a sweet friendship to laugh over, feel the pain of love that is requited but forbidden and an actual gay character (as opposed to two dimensional characters who can't get over the fact that they are gay). It broke my heart on it’s knee but didn’t piece it back together because that’s how it is sometimes, even when you are brave it doesn’t work out always.

Apart from this, huge appreciation for the film crew. For one, the product placement wasn't awkward. Great camerawork and soundtrack. Unlike most Thai series (there I go again XD) which have random weird sound placements, TBS has sound effects which contribute to the crescendo of emotions it evokes in its viewers. Despite the small budget, they delivered on aesthetics and quality. The symbolisms here are just awesome but sometime it maybe difficult to grasp for international viewers because the subtitles yeeted themselves for a few crucial minutes in episode 3 but if you are paying attention then you will notice that what Bet wrote on Dew's shirt was what Dew put on his instagram story. The comments under the episodes (available on youtube) have explained everything btw so make sure to check them out.

Doesn’t it deserve that 9.5 if it managed to do all this in just 3 episodes? I have an unhealthy relationship with “The Best Story” :') it is one of the most 'delightfully sad' stories that left me in 'sad tears' by the end but it's the kind of story that I won’t forget for a while and I plan to rewatch it.

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When our high school session officially disbanded in the year of 20xx, there were two students less than the ones who had joined. One of them was a girl who isn't here anymore and the other is typing this review.

The Comments obviously tried to cover a lot of ground in 5 episodes of 45 minutes; each episode is jam-packed, and flitting between the past and present, “The Comments” manages to tell a pretty coherent and well done story about Papang, and why she killed herself, that the reason might be closer to home than we had thought.

*warning for spoilers*

Papang is a character straight out of every series out there–straight A+ student, sporty, student body President , super nice, super pouplar, yadda yadda. But what sets her apart is that unlike other such 'super' characters, she killed herself.

“With social media if anyone wants to say something bad or mean, they can just type it.”

The story opens on Papang’s funeral where we see her mother and brother Khan (New) conducting the rites and people paying their respects. On the very next day, we are brought to the investigation of Papang’s death. The police find it a curious case because Papang had not left any note.

While Khan investigates his sister’s death in his own way, we are slowly allowed to see who Papang was and what Papang did through the eyes of Pok (Sing Harit) whom she viciously ridiculed and turned down on the day he proposed to her in high school; Nan (Ciize) who dislikes her own self and feels over shadowed by Papang and in her efforts to share Papang’s glory for just a little bit finds herself facing hatred; Toon, who was Papang’s best friend but ran a hate account about her.

I think the genius of this show lies in the fact that instead of evangelism, it tries to speak about consequences. Every time you leave a comment, it can have either a good consequence or a bad consequence. It can lead to it directly or it can indirectly cause it. All of these characters are morally gray–nobody is angelically right or completely in the wrong–Papang more so than anybody else. She is expected to be a perfect angel, to force a smile when she isn't feeling like it. But she can be pretty rotten too because at the end of the day, she is also an eighteen year old youth. The show doesn’t seek to justify or disparage her, she is just another person with her own problems, problems that are added on by people who are supposed to be her friends. Problems she can’t take to her two living family members.

Another side of the show is that a wrong can’t be corrected with another wrong. Yes, Papang was wrong in how she treated her friends, but does that justify how Nan used her profile or that Toon was spreading hate about her?

Another message that I strongly felt was the relationship between Paang and her mother. In the beginning, we are lead to believe that Papang’s mother is disinterested in her daughter but that isn’t the case. To provide more context, after Papang’s father died/left, Papang’s mother has a relationship with another man who has a family. He is neither abusive nor invasive, in fact he is quite the opposite, but his presence shuts off another safe place for Papang. And with her brother Khan away in Bangkok, and having alienated her two friends, Papang doesn’t have a safe space anymore.

The story doesn’t have much suspense nor is it written to be tragic. But the lucidity with which this simple story is portrayed left a harrowing impression on me, and maybe because I too was once a bit similar to Papang. The changes in her behaviour, how she was vivacious and bright, then became unpleasant and bad tempered, and the sadness which got replaced by that expression that the fight had gone out of her, it reminded me of that period not yet so far away, when everything about me said that I had already decided. Papang too had already decided. All this was beautifully portrayed here.

I couldn’t really relate to Papang’s experience but I think we reached (or woupd have reacjed) the same end in different ways. The transition in her character was something I understood completely and therein lies the sign of a good show, how it manages to make you feel the character despite the gulf separating our experiences.

One last thing I learned from here is that we should stop 'living off comments.' Papang had started living off the validation she got from "the comments," and is kinder to pseudo people across the screen than she is to her own friends and family. Same goes for Nan. When we try to please anonymous people across the screen, we inevitably change, more often for the worse.

The story ends showing how everyone is affected by comments in one way or the other–the elderly teacher at their school, Toon, Pok, Nan, the 'fat' boy, Papang’s mother, Papang and Gina–nobody is free from it. In such times it is essential to remember that comments can kill and there may be unimaginable consequences.

Apart from this, stellar acting! I was blown away by Jennie, Sarunchana and Nan. Main roles for Jennie please GMM, you have an unused gem right here. Sarunchana is wonderful, now she needs a series where she doesn’t die five minutes into episode 1 :') I am always happy to see Ciize, it's an additional perk that she acts really well. Glad to see Sing Harit again. And New wasn't really the main role–the stage was taken by Jennie and Sarunchana XD but he did his thing. Huge shoutout to Fon who played Paapng’s mother. One of the most important scenes was hers and if she hadn’t done so well the ending wouldn’t have hit that hard.

To anybody who is about to watch this, do so with an open mind and I hope you learn to distinguish between hatred and criticism if you don't already. Do check out Jennie and Sarunchana’s interviews available in the GMM channel where they talk about hatred they have personally faced. And leave a good comment

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Chaotic and fun until the very end, a rom-com in the truest sense

No spoilers here!

So, what is a romcom?
A funny story centred around a romance. And, more often than not, it comes with a L O T of cliches.

46 Days was a romcom in the truest sense. There was a lighthearted and humorous plotline studded with tropes and centred around a cute romance and supplemented with some angst, sprinkled with family and friendships that run deep and rounded off with an essential life lesson. Lets look at all of these shall we.

• Comedy:
First of all, 46 Days wonderfully delivered on that comedy tag. The humour was woven into the story in such a way that it wasn’t “trying too hard” as some other comedies seem to do, nor was it over the top (except when it was ;).

• Romance:
The romance was adorable. There are three couples here, the main couple everyone is rooting for, the cute second couple everyone wants and the surprising third couple which everyone eventually comes to like.

There wasn’t a single dull moment for me during this ride as I watched Ying Ying trying to help Noina win (what she believes is) her first love in 46 days; while Pat follows Noina around like a puppy and *no spoiler* the third couple whom I frowned upon at first but slowly came to like too.

Ying Ying and Korn’s story wasn’t easy, they set expectations for themselves based on other peoples’ perception of them and drive themselves into the corner while trying to meet those expectations and hence keep pushing each other away but its a lovely story.

• Tropes:
Now this can be looked at as either positively or negatively. For me, 46 Days had “Tropes, proceed with caution” written all over it. If you hadn’t already figured out that there would be tropes well, you have it now ;)

In my honest opinion, 46 Days used the tropes in what was a truly refreshing manner. Love at first sight but with a twist. It was actually quite predictable and you could see the events from miles away but there is something about this drama which makes you gravitate towards it and just—keep watching ;)

(The period when GMMTV got hacked was such a drought. I was so overjoyed to see the episodes up again on the newly restored channel :')

• Characters:
A cute and soft-hearted male lead; an enterprising female lead who puts her loved ones first; a funny and warm second male lead; a cute but occassionally tiresome second female lead with a growth arc; a caring third lead; an annoying antagonist with a redemption arc which makes sense; a transgender sister who achieves her dreams.

46 Days was full of amazing characters that make you root for or understand them and that, I believe, is the most important thing while writing a character. No matter how bad a character is, the audience should be able to feel the struggles they undergo and the motivations which drive them.

• Cast:
I always say that, "the characters are only as good as the cast."

A weak cast cannot carry the show. I was already a huge Off and Mild stan. Jennie always does surprise me with her capacity to play different roles. Chanon grew a lot since Bad Genius, and I am not talking about his abs. Baifern...I can’t express how wonderfully talented she is, how she musters the most satisfying expressions for her emotions. And Ploy! Hats off for playing her role.

46 Days combined a lot of GMMTV's best.

• Life Lessons:
Here I am mainly talking about Ying Ying’s coming to. She is a great friend, sister, daughter and girlfriend and she is flawed. She stretches herself too thin for others and 46 Days teaches you to choose yourself.

It teaches you that love can’t be decided by fate, magic and rites and what your family desires. It’s about your feelings and their feelings and it's just you and them.

Everybody had a character growth here, and so did Ying Ying and Korn. And through their growth, I felt there were life lessons to be learnt here; that being selfless is a virtue but sometimes we should put ourselves first.

+ huge plus for the transgender representation and the drag culture. It wasn’t there just for comedy, Pang was an actual transgender mtf character with her own problems (transphobic father) and dreams (to be a dancer)
+ for the pacing and good ending. Endings are where series go wrong and 46 Days was bomb

Overall 7.0» A great show. (Check out my profile for the rating scale :)

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The story of a day

“There is an elephant in Manzhouli. It sits there all day long.”

And no matter how many people stab it with forks, offer it food, chide it or console it, it does not move. It remains stationary the whole time, throughout its life. It remains still even when life progresses. It remains still when time stops.

“An Elephant Sitting Still” is the first and last film by Hu Bo, who died by suicide soon after its release. It has definitely won "stuff" at film festivals but in terms of camerawork and filmmaking, An Elephant Sitting Still is hardly a masterpiece. It is bleak and grey, mostly the camera follows the heads of our characters as they walk. There is nothing special about it in terms of sound except when the elephant roars.

This entire story of 4 hours is based on a single day. It shows us four extremely different people: a high school boy with an unloving family, his friend who has an affair with the school dean, an old man who isn't given a home in his own house by his own son and a gangster man whose friend commits suicide. All these people are united in the bleakness they are trapped in, and all of them, on the very same day, witness death. And it's amazing how many deaths can occur in a day, and even more surprising is how plausible the story is.

At some point in the movie, I wondered if I was reading a suicide note. Something that is tragic and still and yet, moving forward with a purpose. The human life it fragile and fleeting, no matter what happens, no matter how much you are beaten down, life is forever going ahead and the elephant will still be sitting at Manzhouli.

Despite being bleak, “An Elephant Sitting Still” possesses a timeless grace. Despite having minimal dialogue where the characters seem to speak in broken sentences with even more left unsaid, the characters have a strange connection. Despite being 4 hours long, it is not boring.

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