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labcat
This review may contain spoilers
Somewhat likable, but not a strong BL offering
To be really honest, this BL series isn't great. But it is still a couple of notches above some of the most uninteresting series in the same genre.
The story isn't at all original: gay man falls for a straight man who will somehow reciprocate. But even generic stuff, if properly executed, can still be rather good. Unfortunately the writing in this series is rather weak. The climax and denouement are rather disappointing and illogical. Chonlatee's reaction to Tonhon being provoked into kissing his ex-girlfriend seems like an overreaction that is out of character. The twists in the final episode, like the revelation of when Tonhon starts falling in love with Chonlatee, are also rather unconvincing. The theme song is actually rather nice, but the use of sound effects and music during the episodes is a tad repetitive. The same music is played when the scene is supposed to be tense regardless of the level of tension. This doesn't help with the story-telling.
The characters also often change according to the requirements of the plot or exist simply to advance the plot in a somewhat clumsy way. The best example is Tonhon's father who suddenly switches from a rather bigoted homophobe to someone who can actually accept that his son is in a gay relationship as long as he has an heir. (The solution to the heir problem isn't ingenious and could have been offered years ago.) Another character, Amp, exists solely to be the typical awful woman in BLs whereas Miriam is the complimentary fujoshi. Na changes from an annoying narcissist to a rather sweet guy when the story requires it.
On the other hand, there are some likable aspects of the series. Chonlatee's mother is a delight to watch throughout, and I wish there were more of her besides Ton and Chon. Ai and Ni totally outshine the main couple--their characterization lacks depth, but the actors pull of their roles in a really endearing way.
One controversial thing in this series is the portrayal of Tonhon's father (and Tonhon himself to some extent). Yet, it could also turn out to be the series' (possibly unintended) redeeming quality. Tonhon and his father are guilty of quite a bit of bigoted behavior, but they are basically not blamed much for it. I have seen comments on YouTube pointing out how the terrible behavior gets glossed over. On the other hand, I find that there is something realistic about the whole thing. It is unfortunate, but gay people do struggle with their identity because some homophobes are actually people they care about.
Often enough, a gay person may discover that his friend or family member is homophobic. Does this discovery decisively end the friendship or family ties? A gay person may love his parents for so many reasons, but this love won't simply be erased just because they are homophobic. I think this is what Ai and Ni go through as they hide their sexual orientation from Tonhon, their best friend. They do not like his homophobia one bit, but, as they point out, they value him as a friend for his other qualities.
This series is by no means a must-watch for BL fans. But if you want something fairly light-hearted and easy to follow, it isn't as terrible as some have made it out to be.
The story isn't at all original: gay man falls for a straight man who will somehow reciprocate. But even generic stuff, if properly executed, can still be rather good. Unfortunately the writing in this series is rather weak. The climax and denouement are rather disappointing and illogical. Chonlatee's reaction to Tonhon being provoked into kissing his ex-girlfriend seems like an overreaction that is out of character. The twists in the final episode, like the revelation of when Tonhon starts falling in love with Chonlatee, are also rather unconvincing. The theme song is actually rather nice, but the use of sound effects and music during the episodes is a tad repetitive. The same music is played when the scene is supposed to be tense regardless of the level of tension. This doesn't help with the story-telling.
The characters also often change according to the requirements of the plot or exist simply to advance the plot in a somewhat clumsy way. The best example is Tonhon's father who suddenly switches from a rather bigoted homophobe to someone who can actually accept that his son is in a gay relationship as long as he has an heir. (The solution to the heir problem isn't ingenious and could have been offered years ago.) Another character, Amp, exists solely to be the typical awful woman in BLs whereas Miriam is the complimentary fujoshi. Na changes from an annoying narcissist to a rather sweet guy when the story requires it.
On the other hand, there are some likable aspects of the series. Chonlatee's mother is a delight to watch throughout, and I wish there were more of her besides Ton and Chon. Ai and Ni totally outshine the main couple--their characterization lacks depth, but the actors pull of their roles in a really endearing way.
One controversial thing in this series is the portrayal of Tonhon's father (and Tonhon himself to some extent). Yet, it could also turn out to be the series' (possibly unintended) redeeming quality. Tonhon and his father are guilty of quite a bit of bigoted behavior, but they are basically not blamed much for it. I have seen comments on YouTube pointing out how the terrible behavior gets glossed over. On the other hand, I find that there is something realistic about the whole thing. It is unfortunate, but gay people do struggle with their identity because some homophobes are actually people they care about.
Often enough, a gay person may discover that his friend or family member is homophobic. Does this discovery decisively end the friendship or family ties? A gay person may love his parents for so many reasons, but this love won't simply be erased just because they are homophobic. I think this is what Ai and Ni go through as they hide their sexual orientation from Tonhon, their best friend. They do not like his homophobia one bit, but, as they point out, they value him as a friend for his other qualities.
This series is by no means a must-watch for BL fans. But if you want something fairly light-hearted and easy to follow, it isn't as terrible as some have made it out to be.
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