Not a Robot

Thank you so much!

I just listened to this. I was at Siam Discovery having a leg massage and ATLAS was performing outside. I had no idea who they are, but it was very hot at around noon, and they were giving their all on the stage, dancing and singing. The fans were giving their all too holding up their signs. I'm so glad they have the opportunity to do this OST.

Hi, do you have a link or title to search? I only see books 1 and 2. Thank you.

All of the cast changes are confusing to me. I don't like the Yiwah replacement, and where's Mark, Vee or Nuea? I'm just grateful they call Bar and Gun by name or I would keep forgetting who they are (I'm still used to the originals). I think the MLs are likable, I just want them to move the story a little faster.

Having worked with women who have experienced CSA, child abuse and chronic, pervasive family trauma, I think this series is doing a good job showing a highly sanitized version of reality.

As an aside, when I see Krit on the screen, I mentally yell, "underling" at him.

BL is a spectrum, just like other genres, and I think it's good that you realize you don't like it, instead of forcing yourself to watch to fit in. I hate gratuitous violence, so I don't usually watch violent popular shows. No Squid Games, or Game of Thrones for me.

The father of the baby must be a terrible secret for Tian to do an Ode to Billy Joe.

I thought he was Tian's little brother. He said, "that belonged to my sister" when he was grabbing the bank away from the father. I'm not sure though.

It's a shame how the law changed in the middle of this series. We also lost Love is More than a Word. They had to rush the wedding scene so we never got plot resolution to the mystery that brought the men together.

You make some great points. I can’t stand Teh from the ITSAY franchise, which made me only watch the last 2 episodes of IPYTM. This series is much better in my opinion. Unlike the aforementioned franchise, this isn’t a tear jerker, but some viewers may shed a tear. I would classify this more with 180 Degrees… without the staginess or histrionics. This is one of the best BL dramas I’ve watched, except for Earth not looking old enough for his character. There’s not a lot of soap boxing like Not Me either. Just a beautiful slice of life. It makes points without the preaching or hysterics that are often in BL dramas today. You have to watch and listen to the characters. Just like Li Ming does with Heart.

Lol. Hopefully it will get better now that he and Wen made merit together for Beam and he talked to the girlfriend. She has moved on and found happiness, Jim should try. I can’t make any promises though.

Most people on here haven’t raised a child to adulthood yet. Until then, or unless they see a close friend or family member struggle, they will not realize how difficult it is. I think some viewers are closer to Li Ming’s age so they can more identify with his point of view. Jim is raising a child he didn’t bring into the world and loves Li Ming so much. Realization will come with age and maturity.

I’m sorry that your cousin had to go through that situation, but glad that she escaped before they could get her hooked on drugs or murdered her. She is very brave to have escaped, it’s dangerous to cross them.
I just see Li Ming working back of the house in a Thai restaurant, at the mercy of others. Having been a kid and having raised a kid, this series is doing a terrific job of showing a teen, who is a good person, but thinks they know everything, with the confidence of adolescence, and the parent who is afraid and feeling helpless.

It’s many developed countries. I spent time in Japan before moving on to Thailand and noticed a large amount of foreign workers who were not there before COVID. The housekeepers were from Nepal, convenience store clerks were from Philippines and India. Most people I saw were from SEA or South Asia. I know many westerners who would love to live and work in Japan, but they would expect a high wage. I know that I’m being hyperbolic, but it’s much less complicated if you make the person traffic themselves. I agree, Li Ming would be much better off in Thailand. At least he has family and friends, and he could go to a university or vocational school to get a skill that will support him.

I Jim very likable. He has so much compassion and cares about everyone. He could have yelled at Wen to get out or had the cops throw the drunk guy out of his place. I think Wen can see what Jim is like inside. I mean Alan is “likable” on the outside but it didn’t work out. What he is going through with Li Ming is parenting. Where’s his parents?

I’m surprised they took it off YT. It wasn’t that great to start with, now they’ve lost the opportunity to build a fan base for the series.

Even if Jim is struggling with internalized homophobia, when I went to college, internalized racism, colonization, etc., were recognized as by products of oppression. I believe it exists but the person is usually unaware of it. That is usually helped with compassion and gently bringing it to the the conscious mind, not scorn. But I’m not part of the current generation who obviously believes the world is a soft pillow to lie on and they are perfect..

To be honest, I would be reluctant to have my child to that travel and work program because how do I now know if they will be trafficked. Plus to get into a college in the US, he would need to pass an English language proficiency test, and since he isn’t a scholar, I’m not sure he could pass. I’ve never heard of anything legit requiring payment either. I think that I have internalized not wanting to cut the cord, so I’ll stop.

What if Jim is merely trying to get Li Ming to get more serious about his studies since being both poor and gay in Thailand will be struggles? He will be graduating soon and even if he does decide to leave, he is creating situations that will make the decision to go more difficult. This board always complains about lack of adult content in BL then whines when we get a truly adult series. The insular privilege of some people is more annoying that the perception of a fictional character’s “internalized homophobia.” It must be nice to criticize situations of the poor from the balcony of privilege. There are women in Thailand who collect a 5 baht fee to use a toilet and are in charge of the upkeep, including having to dispose and clean up used toilet tissue and pads because you don’t put tissue in a toilet that needs to be flushed by a hand bucket and gravity. Would her son have the same time to be outraged as we are? I may get heat for this but I empathize with Jim.

I love that this is showing working class people. This place is for local people, all of the signage is in Thai, no photo menus. When the tourist industry was shutdown, people who would be Jim’s customers lost their jobs. It’s difficult to look at Earth and see him as 10 years older but like many men who have been hurt and betrayed, he is having problems trusting and is sticking to old ways. Nobody can survive serving all you can eat for 35 baht, but he is trying for his customers. Hopefully Jim and Wen will bridge the gap. I’m loving this small slice of life, even the sad parts.

When I see his relationship with his parents, and not being allowed to leave the house, I think he hasn’t had the opportunity to speak to others to build his confidence. Heart even thanks LiMing for talking to him, his parents haven’t tried. Many people born hearing and go deaf do speak, but they aren’t kept in social isolation like Heart.