Scrlt_Pimpernel
USA
This review may contain spoilers
Was I Just Bamboozled??
So I just finished watching the series. And I have a distinct feeling that I was just bamboozled. Some people might not be familiar with that word. Basically to be tricked, fooled, deceived, lied to, to be led to believe one thing while the truth is another.... and it kind of makes me feel empty. Let me explain.
From the get-go the series has been straightforward about its meta-ness and the BL industry. At times quite a harsh eye-opening reality for us BL lovers. Of the sacrifices to integrity and artistic expression that a writer may feel, the lie that actors may live in order to appease demanding fans, the overall sacrifice that people in the entertainment industry have to make when it comes to their family or relationships. The veil of fantasy and reality of the industry was constantly being lifted. So it’s not like that wasn’t always there in the back of my mind.
However, as I got more invested into each episode of the series I think I was slowly losing cognition of that fact. There was the realistic portrayal of facing your fears, facing the disapproval of your family, having the courage to defend a love that you believe in, and even going outside your own comfort zone. All of the scenes that the lead, Gene, went through started to feel very real. A testament to the actor’s skills, for sure. But it made me forget about the story that was within the story. This is where the bamboozled part comes in.
Up until the end of episode 11 and the beginning of the final episode 12, I would’ve said that this is probably one of the best BL‘s that I ever watched. Heck, I would go even further to say one of the best Thai love stories that I’ve ever watched. And then the writer, producers, director, whomever was in charge, ruined it. They ruined the whole drama for me.
They took all the real feelings that I had from these characters, and their story, and they reduced it down to one big meta-moment. The “gotcha!” moment. The wink-wink, tongue-in-cheek...bamboozled moment.
You ruined it for me Wizard. You shouldn’t have pulled back the curtain.
From the get-go the series has been straightforward about its meta-ness and the BL industry. At times quite a harsh eye-opening reality for us BL lovers. Of the sacrifices to integrity and artistic expression that a writer may feel, the lie that actors may live in order to appease demanding fans, the overall sacrifice that people in the entertainment industry have to make when it comes to their family or relationships. The veil of fantasy and reality of the industry was constantly being lifted. So it’s not like that wasn’t always there in the back of my mind.
However, as I got more invested into each episode of the series I think I was slowly losing cognition of that fact. There was the realistic portrayal of facing your fears, facing the disapproval of your family, having the courage to defend a love that you believe in, and even going outside your own comfort zone. All of the scenes that the lead, Gene, went through started to feel very real. A testament to the actor’s skills, for sure. But it made me forget about the story that was within the story. This is where the bamboozled part comes in.
Up until the end of episode 11 and the beginning of the final episode 12, I would’ve said that this is probably one of the best BL‘s that I ever watched. Heck, I would go even further to say one of the best Thai love stories that I’ve ever watched. And then the writer, producers, director, whomever was in charge, ruined it. They ruined the whole drama for me.
They took all the real feelings that I had from these characters, and their story, and they reduced it down to one big meta-moment. The “gotcha!” moment. The wink-wink, tongue-in-cheek...bamboozled moment.
You ruined it for me Wizard. You shouldn’t have pulled back the curtain.
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