Felt like Mon's biography rather than romance

This series did exceed my expectations in many ways, since I've read a ridiculous novel (let's leave that misogynistic and internalised homophobic lesbian author aside. Credits goes to uninterested scriptwriter. She didn't like novel. Seems obvious to me. So she wasn't too invested). Maybe, it's a biased standard to measure expectations. I honestly didn't think this series would be sucessful but it did and it's popularity soared in Thai mainstream media. However, it's still objectively not perfect just like most traditonal lakorn-quality series. This series is actually an attempt to morph tropes into different outcomes. Sam may seem like a typical rich male lead but it turned out that she wasn't. Thai male leads are often smart, powerful, saves a woman, brave etc. But instead, she was completely opposite of usual qualities male leads have. In fact, Mon is much closer to these male leads' qualities while seeming like a stereotypical female lead. Villainous grandma trope was actually a "clickbait." She was a portrayal of older heteronormative generation, but it felt little rushed at times. Top/bottom trope was defied, lurking us into thinking Sam is the top in ep 8 but ep 9 proves us wrong. They are a switch just like a novel's version. Idolization trope turned into actual representation of certain queer experience. You may not relate to it, she was influenced by heteronormativity enough to fail to negotiate her sexuality. She clearly had a crush and thinking it is a idolization until ep 6 where she explores her feelings for Sam. Some queer women, including me, did experience what Mon experienced. Nice guy trope turned into the reality of meritocracy. Kirk and Nop are a mirror of each other. Third party trope turned into "unneccesry and doesn't need to continue." That's why Nita didn't appear again. Transwoman trope, turned out to be one of sanest characters in this series. She wasn't used as a punching bag and wasn't portrayed as a stalker-ish effems who are obsessed with sex. It was common in thai lakorns. There are several tropes that went to different outcomes but these tropes above are what i pinpoint. That being said, Gap the series is trying to throw CH3 lakorn's usual directions away. That's pretty good, ngl.

But still, i don't think this series was that good in terms of pacing and storylines. I feel like this series was more focused on Mon's pov even in Sam's perspectives. Sometimes, Sam seemed like a support role in certain episodes. They never showed us her side and her character development is here but too subtle and it was like she privately developed without us seeing it. Her side was skipped a lot. I do understand plotlines very well but i feel like scriptwriting poorly coordinated an empathetic approach towards Sam. It's also too cultural, limiting understandings amongst interfans. Thai viewers could figure it out easily and effortlessly. So i guess interfans weren't their targeted audience? Nah, this series had small budget considering CEO of Idolfactory decided to follow his ideology stubbornly by investing all of his expenses and life savings alongside with his mother's life savings as she wanted to help him. He had several problems in the production team, dealing with conflicts of interest in musical composition and casting. Director kept on trying to make everything artistic and symbolic. Some of it works but others don't. Nevermind, it was average for me. They had to do everything in a short time, it was too late to change the novel. What's done is done. I hope it is a lesson for Saint to select better novels. Not just GLs but also BLs. I understand that he's young and inexperienced since he opened this company as a safer space for actors/actresses 2 years ago. He succeed it at least, but he needs to reconsider the creative issues and learn how to choose better stories.

Lovescenes were correctly done and portrayed with a care. Saint and director admitted that they were super cautious. It showed a result. FreenBecky did a good job in depicting an intimacy in a sapphic lovemaking scene. Production team made sure it was comfortable for them. They made sure cameraworks were safe. Saint also said that he would say "cut" if he notices a detail of discomfort. It turns out that FreenBecky were super comfortable with each other. Didn't feel male gaze-y somehow. It's also admirable that they shot scenes with no direction, no pratice, no choreography or no rehearsal. All improvised. They even said that love scenes were the easiest for them. They both are newbies, it's not easy. Their acting isn't perfect. Becky worked hard for language that is not her primary usage. She had more scenes and dialogues than Freen. Again, it also proves that Mon is, indeed, the only pov we are seeing. They both have potentials. It's good idea for them to play in gap the series so they can work on their skills. So they can improve for better projects. Maybe, that's what the company doing? Start with small things to prepare for better projects? They also did it with BillySeng. If so, there's still a hope for the future of FreenBecky's better GL project. They annouced that they aren't doing season 2 for gap the series but another project. Finally.

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