Rated= 7.5 ~ 29.5/50 ~ 5.9
Scene // Mage fighting hard in the Crumbling Castle with a Battle Axe

Ahh Hello Thailand, we finally meet again. Ever since KinnPorsche I've been extra vigilent around Thai BL's. My review still exists as a testiment to how much I did not like the KP experience or the crew surrounding the production.

This is not KP, thankfully. I really enjoyed this one. But God has a sense of humour and I swear, I heard about 3 to 4 different backing tracks that were also in KP. I've only watched a few Thai Bl's in total so reusing tracks is common there? I don't know.

(Having said that, I've just learnt that one of the directors and screenwriter from KP were involved here. Ahhhh. So that's why most of the characters are abusive f**ks)

But moving on, this show has a very interesting concept which pretty much goes unexplained. It's hinted that it's perhaps a karmic slapback and since I consider myself a spiritual person, I kind of like the idea.

Joe is a stunt man for super celeb, actor Tong because he resembles him from behind. Where Joe is sweet and professional, Tong is lazy and narcissistic and it quickly becomes apparent that Joe is the reason that Tong is so famous. All of Tong's most famous scenes are because of Joe's talent but as a stunt man, he's only ever seen from behind and we find out later, he's also never credited either.

The series opens with Joe's stunt scene that goes wrong, resulting in his death. He wakes up two years later in the body of another man, also called Joe. After this initial set up, we have 3 or 4 episodes of a flashback, how he falls in love with Ming, and Ming pining after Tong, and the abuse and injustice he faces that leads him to taking on the deadly job that results in his death.
I don't mind flashbacks as long as it's done in one go and thankfully, this show did that. We got our story set up, the flashback, and then back to the present to show us the progress and conclusion.

This creates an interesting karmic impact for me. Joe didn't want to die. He was forced into a dangerous job with no one willing to protect him only control him. His voiceover thoughts are shown to be even angry about his situation. Joe 2.0 however did. We discover that Joe 2.0 also worked in the industry as a model and attempted suicide on the day of Joe's death after being used by his boyfriend. Alone with his mother, his body was in a coma for 2 years while his ailing mother took on loan sharks to pay for his bills. Joe was a lost soul and here was a body the owner didn't want but who's mother was doing everything to keep alive.

When Joe returns to the land of the living, he quickly finds himself back in with the group he wants nothing more to do with.
Also interestingly for me, his lover Ming feels an instant connection to him whereas his friend just accept it's another guy called Joe. But it's his friends that quickly accept that this new Joe is still the old Joe and it's Ming who needs a little more convincing.

Ming is pretty obsessed with Joe. I feel like Ming is the sort of character that might push people's buttons. He's obsessive and controlling, at first. But as the relationship develops his need for control over others softens into taking control of his own situation and proving to Joe that his feelings are real and Joe will always be first in his life. This may not be agreeable to some people. Much like how I feel about our next character.

Tong is not a likeable character and although he does get his comeuppance, at the same time, there's almost a forced forgiveness arc at the end. I didn't want to pity him but I did anyway. I would have liked to have seen him quit his job or recognise Joe in his past works as an act of penance but we weren't shown that so I'm still left a little reluctant to forgive the character for his meddling and bullying. What he did was not exactly something you can just brush over with, don't do it again and all is well. I prefer to see real actions that give me a reason to feel comfortable with this character much as I do with actual people.

That we are shown at the end of the 'light' never being truly on the first Joe's work, left me feeling sad that even though Joe was able to rebuild his life with Ming by his side, his first life was still left as a tragic story. I dont feel comfortable with that kind of ending and knowing that Tong is the reason for it and never being shown a correction, just makes me feel pouty about it.

Then we have Sol who honestly, for me, just felt like a slimy creep. He was that guy who's crushing on you but doesn't know when to back off. And to top it off at the end, he tells Ming when he found out that Joe was gay, he thought Joe was taking advantage of him and only realised he liked him when he went to Korea to be an idol. I LOL. What a jerk. And then he walks off all rejected into another potential pairing,, you know, like a 'stand in'? No. Go sort yourself out first my friend.

Always wanted to be with someone who would use me to get over their heartbreak and, fingers crossed, they fall in love with me instead.

Overall I did enjoy it. It was nothing too intense. I felt pretty relaxed through most of the plot. Perhaps more of a refreshing reprieve from the 40 long anxiety ridden torture that is most c-dramas LOL

I unfortunately didn't feel the chemistry between the leads but that may just have been me. They were one of those couples that I find cute together but don't feel any heat between them, despite the sexual tension in some scenes. They gave their all in those sex scenes though. Thought the sneezing during orgasm was a bit silly but I guess the writers needed something that only Ming would know lol

I think what dampened any kind of enjoyment between the pairing is just simply, most of the characters in this show are assholes and Joe is that really sweet character that's just persistently walked over. He does get angry but he never shows it so at the end, I can feel the 'sweetness' of problems being solved but I feel reluctant about.

I at least didn't get the visceral rage I felt with KP and it's crew but I can't say I agree with their world view that seems to be coming across in their work.

Overall, it's a short enjoyable watch but not sure I'll be rewatching it.