Honestly, I am both satisfied and unsatisfied at once. Now, please excuse my oxymoronic statement and let me tell you that I absolutely love this series.

It has components of BL, romance and also horror. But please don't come here for a lovey-dovey happily ever after BL series because you will be massively disappointed.

But all these aspects make it a one of a kind show that will leave it's mark in the Thai drama industry.

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD.

From my past experience, I love the films/drama which have confusing and ambiguous endings. I am fond of open endings where one has to use their heads to think what may have happened after that. If you did not know , now you know that I love to live in my head making up stories.

Speaking of stories, Shadow is an exceptional one.
The plot, the premise and the storytelling. The directors, the cinematographer, the screenwriters and the editor, need a standing ovation. The storytelling comprise of "show, don't tell" method and the script, cinematography, lighting , costume and music and is exceptionally well done.

Let's see the plot. Honestly, it is a lot.
Dan has a tragic past and tormented childhood. He lost his mother who committed suicide and for his abusive father, he has immense hatred in his heart.

One priest, brother Anurak, comes to his rescue as Dan starts to suffer from insomnia and sees a peculiar shadow figure constantly. Dan's father develop brain tumor and later cancer. Dan is taken under the wings of Brother Anurak in his school to take care of him and also treat him. But Dan's mental health starts to regress further as the shadow seem to have gotten stronger.

What is interesting about the plot is horror is used in many ways - it's trilling, it's supernatural, it is also psychological. And the audience also can't decipher between reality and dreaming.

The characters are very well portrayed along with their backstories. Dan, Trin, Anan and Brother Anurak have very very well developed backstories and character arcs.

Singto as Dan is brilliant. Fluke as Nai too. Poon stole the show as Josh. Fiat is one of the most well rounded actors of Thai BL industry and in a darker role he won my heart. Special mention to Yaimai as Chaim - her expressions and emotions are on display and she did her part very deftly.

Fun fact: Dan probably is bisexual in this drama. He did not recoil when Nai kissed him and he confessed that he liked Chaim but he chose neither.

There are many themes are going on together in this drama with the plot and the symbolism is one of them. The drama is also part dark academia with its symbol of Hamlet and Lord of the Flies. I mean dead father's ghost and children stranded in an uninhabited island aka the school premises guarded by a cursed lake? I see you Shadow the series team. I see you.

The complimentary colours throughout the series, the shots with symmetrical patterns, have given it a special edge. Each shot is an artistic expression. I love the angles to show various moods and emotions.

I would specifically mention how blue tint has been used - blue is associated with sadness. We see Dan's (the MC) mother almost bathed in soft blue after she thought she shot her son with the gun and had to put into mental health institution.

The blue also symbolise mystery. Dan's dorm room at school has the an eerie blue colour. There is also greys- in the smoke and in the shadow. We also see blacks.

The blue's complimentary colour orange/amber shows peace, happiness but in this case almost always we see a muted amber colour. To me it symbolises peace and normalcy but with a tinge of sadness flowing underneath.

The shot where Trin is sitting beside Master Joe in the drama class - Trin wears deep red while Master Joe wears dark blue. The stage is also draped in the two colours. The two are fond of each other but the two can't mix with each other. They are teacher and student. There is a huge difference in their probable relationship if that was to happen that we can't unsee.

Let me applause for the music. The theme music, the ending song by lazyloxy who also acted as Anan and all the background music are splendidly used.

What is that shadow anyway? As the last screen showed that Dan's father did the same ritual and passed and after that Dan was born. So in a way Dan belongs to the shadow spirit. He is probably the food that will keep the spirit go strong.

It became even stronger as he came to the school. As the power was lurking around the school premises due to Trin's mistake in ritual, the shadow spirit quickly takes an interest to Dan and does not let go. It is also a repressed form of sexual fantasy as we see the shadow molesting him when he was high on weeds and also in his dreams.

Nai can see spirits. He also has some natural protection against them, either gifted by the venerable monk or his own capabilities because the shadow usually never harms him nor Josh. But it did hurt Chaim because she did not live in close quarters with them so lacked the natural protection. But also the shadow was probably angry and hurt her as retaliation and she was a soft target.

Trin. Damn this guy. He was a rebel, a guy standing for justice and equality. But he was not above to do his own bids when threatened, even if the process is evil. He was not really a good guy and his spirit was malevolent in desperation to flee from the clutches of the shadow spirit.

The ending was confusing but as we see Trin's face grinning at Dan's, it is actually Trin in Dan's body. Nai failed to bring him back. But it may also be that Dan did not want to come back at all and let Trin come back instead as he wanted to live the life. The shadow spirit just wanted Dan and thus let Trin go.

This show was never meant to have a happy ending. Dan was supposed to be the sacrifice like Hamlet. Brother Anurak was supposed to be the tragic hero. Shadow the series is essentially a tragedy of an individual falling and failing at the end. This is not a story of win but to lose and that is okay because not all of us win. But Dan fought until the end. And he chose to stop fighting. The show succeeded.

Now, unless we have a season 2 or some special episodes, we can't say what exactly happened. Although the chances of getting season 2s are usually slim.

All in all, 2023 will end now with a bang.