This review may contain spoilers
A Refreshing BL with a Historical Soul
As a foreigner who loves watching Thai BL series, this drama was such a refreshing watch, especially because it is rooted in a real period of Thai history. I honestly enjoyed seeing a BL story set against such an important historical backdrop rather than having the romance exist in a completely fictional world.
And the chemistry between Inn (Phob) and Ongsa (Tin) is INSANE. Their chemistry felt natural, and their relationship was definitely one of the biggest reasons I stayed invested in the story.
One thing that initially confused me was how relatively accepting the setting was toward their relationship. I've watched several period BL series, and I've noticed a similar pattern: despite being set in the early 1900s to the 1950s, many of them portray same-sex relationships as being more socially accepted than I would initially expect.
But I eventually realized that this may partly be because our modern understanding of homosexuality doesn't perfectly translate to how relationships, gender, and sexuality were understood in historical Thailand. Thailand's historical attitudes toward same-sex relationships were much more complicated than simply being either "homophobic" or "accepting." Traditional Thai society had its own concepts and social expectations surrounding gender and sexuality, while the modern Western idea of sexual identity developed differently and became more influential later. So, I wouldn't necessarily interpret the drama's setting as meaning that historical Thailand was completely accepting of gay relationships. Rather, the social context was simply different from what we might expect based on modern Western perspectives.
Another thing I really appreciated is that there were no unnecessary scenes. Almost everything served a purpose and contributed to either the characters or the progression of the story. Nothing felt like it was there just to fill screen time.
The production was also impressive. I especially loved the old buildings and the way the wartime scenes were presented. The bombs, explosions, and fire actually felt convincing to me. It didn't feel overly dependent on obvious CGI, which I really appreciated because it made the historical setting feel more grounded and authentic.
That said, I really wish we had gotten more of Chat's (Tin's brother) backstory. His attitude toward everything felt like it could have had more depth, and the sibling favoritism alone wasn't quite enough for me to fully understand why he behaved the way he did. I also kept wondering: WHERE IS THEIR MOTHER?
I feel like there was a missed opportunity there. Exploring their family background and explaining why their mother was absent could have added another layer to made Chat's character more understandable.
As for the ending... the plot isn't exactly something new, and it felt quite typical of a Thai drama. I was already predicting that the recovered body wasn't going to be Phob's. So while the execution was emotional, the twist itself wasn't really surprising to me.
And honestly, I was also hoping we would get a GL storyline here! There were hints in the first few episodes that Siri and Jan had some flirty energy with each other, and I was really hoping the series would develop that relationship. Unfortunately, their story seemed to gradually disappear in the later episodes. Such a missed opportunity!
But overall, I loved it.
It has a great main couple, strong chemistry, an interesting historical setting, good production, and a story that actually respects its runtime by making most scenes meaningful. Despite some missed opportunities with the side characters and a predictable ending, I genuinely enjoyed watching this.
As a foreign viewer, this was definitely a refreshing Thai BL to watch.
And the chemistry between Inn (Phob) and Ongsa (Tin) is INSANE. Their chemistry felt natural, and their relationship was definitely one of the biggest reasons I stayed invested in the story.
One thing that initially confused me was how relatively accepting the setting was toward their relationship. I've watched several period BL series, and I've noticed a similar pattern: despite being set in the early 1900s to the 1950s, many of them portray same-sex relationships as being more socially accepted than I would initially expect.
But I eventually realized that this may partly be because our modern understanding of homosexuality doesn't perfectly translate to how relationships, gender, and sexuality were understood in historical Thailand. Thailand's historical attitudes toward same-sex relationships were much more complicated than simply being either "homophobic" or "accepting." Traditional Thai society had its own concepts and social expectations surrounding gender and sexuality, while the modern Western idea of sexual identity developed differently and became more influential later. So, I wouldn't necessarily interpret the drama's setting as meaning that historical Thailand was completely accepting of gay relationships. Rather, the social context was simply different from what we might expect based on modern Western perspectives.
Another thing I really appreciated is that there were no unnecessary scenes. Almost everything served a purpose and contributed to either the characters or the progression of the story. Nothing felt like it was there just to fill screen time.
The production was also impressive. I especially loved the old buildings and the way the wartime scenes were presented. The bombs, explosions, and fire actually felt convincing to me. It didn't feel overly dependent on obvious CGI, which I really appreciated because it made the historical setting feel more grounded and authentic.
That said, I really wish we had gotten more of Chat's (Tin's brother) backstory. His attitude toward everything felt like it could have had more depth, and the sibling favoritism alone wasn't quite enough for me to fully understand why he behaved the way he did. I also kept wondering: WHERE IS THEIR MOTHER?
I feel like there was a missed opportunity there. Exploring their family background and explaining why their mother was absent could have added another layer to made Chat's character more understandable.
As for the ending... the plot isn't exactly something new, and it felt quite typical of a Thai drama. I was already predicting that the recovered body wasn't going to be Phob's. So while the execution was emotional, the twist itself wasn't really surprising to me.
And honestly, I was also hoping we would get a GL storyline here! There were hints in the first few episodes that Siri and Jan had some flirty energy with each other, and I was really hoping the series would develop that relationship. Unfortunately, their story seemed to gradually disappear in the later episodes. Such a missed opportunity!
But overall, I loved it.
It has a great main couple, strong chemistry, an interesting historical setting, good production, and a story that actually respects its runtime by making most scenes meaningful. Despite some missed opportunities with the side characters and a predictable ending, I genuinely enjoyed watching this.
As a foreign viewer, this was definitely a refreshing Thai BL to watch.
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