Heteronormativity at its finest

Change the character of Rawee into a woman, and you'll get an old-fashioned, tropey romance movie with a supernatural side.

Why?
Rawee is the typical young orphan, who is brought into the house of a new family, first of unclear status, then gets engaged to/married off to the family`s son.
Rawee stays at home and makes desserts for the family, while Phloeng is outside, doing business things. Rawee is easily hurt, and the manly Phloeng carries her, sorry, him, because Rawee obviously can't walk on his own after scraping a knee. Phloeng is the one who gets jealous and overall is the one who pushes their relationship to the next levels.
Apart from one remark at the beginning, Rawee's gender has no relevance at all.

There's really no point in Rawee being a man. (Because the character isn't, it's just a male body in a female role.)
(Edit to add: And it's a stereotypically "weak" female role, at that. I like women to have more agency, and Rawee basically has none.)

The side couple really had no relevance to the story (at first I thought maybe the ghost would use it, but no.) and could have been left out. Instead the time could have been used to tell the ghost's story in more detail.

The acting was all right, good by the seasoned actors. Cinematography was fine, music non-remarkable.
Sets were appropriate for the early 1960s, as far as I can tell. I'm not too sure about the clothing -- in Europe no man would have just casually worn a T-Shirt, and short trousers for a young men of 21 years would have been a no-go. but I'm not familiar with Thailand's fashion in the 1950s and 1960s, so they might be okay.

Well, at least now I can point to another movie whenever I want to show what I mean when I talk about heteronormativity in BL dramas and movies.

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some background knowledge needed, otherwise excellent movie about the creation of anime series

[Edit to add a warning if you're photosensitve or are currently suffering from a migraine, the fast pace, the use of lighting and / or the jumpy half-finished aminations seem to have an adverse effect on some people.]

The film dumps you right in the middle of things. I did not understand at all what was happening until about the 35 minutes mark, and even then it took me another 10 to 15 minutes to really get it. I went in cold -- did not even read much more than the tags on the Japanese Film Festival Online 2024 website -- anime, business, drama -- so I had no idea what this film was about.
Several other things that probably did not help was that a) the Japanese names and titles that were shown with each introduction of a new character often were not translated and b) I do not know anything about the anime industry; also, c) it is not clear in the beginning which secondary characters will be important and which will be not, and most of them are introduced rather fast, so I was not able to keep track of them, and tended to mix them up in later scenes, as well as d) the sets for the two studios also look very similar, and e) I didn't know which anime series was which (because we only hear about the plot after about 40 minutes of runtime).

For the story, this is what I think would have helped to know: There are two production studios, who simultaneously make an anime series each -- both series are scheduled to air at the same time, so they will be direct competitors.
"Soundback" is directed by newbie Saito Hitomi (the woman with the glasses) and her producer is Yukishiro Osamu (sleek guy in a suit), it's colour coded as light blue. This is the one with the two sisters and the group of kids from a rural town.
"Liddell Light" is directed by Oji Chiharu who had a huge hit eight years ago (guy with tousled hair) and his producer is Arishina Kayako (woman, usually in business attire), it's colour coded as pink. This one is about a magical girl on a racing bike (or something like that).

So, live action scenes are supplemented by animations from both series (often half-finished) and also by animated scenes where the ratings and reactions from the audience are shown to us (this is where the colour coding comes in).

The main struggle might be between the creativity of the directors and the constraints of the market (an anime has to be commercially successful!). It also might be between the two directors, who compete and try to make the superior anime (which is where the title comes from). The film is much more complex and can't be reduced to just one "message" -- there are other stories below that, so it is worth to look a bit closer -- what seems the main issue in the beginning might not be what's actually important.

As soon as I got the hang of things, the film was excellent. Of course, the acting is incredible, but I was particularly impressed with the camera work and the editing. Fast-paced scenes in cramped and dark spaces are directly followed by slower, even contemplative scenes.
I loved the use of space and light, of static filming and of following moving characters with the camera -- it's quite obvious that a lot of thought has gone into this.
For example: the fast, almost oppressive, mood in the beginning is countered by an equally fast, but uplifting, mood in the last part -- we have the same sets, the same cast, the same time constraints to finish work, but they feel completely opposite, showing and underlining the main characters' state of mind.

Which is why I think some more time would have been good, maybe even as little as fifteen minutes or so, so that I could have been less confused in the beginning. In my opinion it must be possible to understand a film even if you know nothing about it before hand, even if you're not familiar with the subject (i.e. the making of animes in this case).
I also think that I did not get as close to the characters as I want to, there's no real connection there -- some more time would have helped with this too.

One last comment: I love that the male characters don't overshadow the female characters -- they have all their unique focus and their own strong personality. (Dare I even say it? I think both female main characters have a stronger personality than the male characters.)

Overall, I liked it and I learned something new about making anime, so that's a plus.
If you go into the film with the background info I gave above, and maybe a bit of knowledge of the anime industry, then I think you'll enjoy it.

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I was promised the "fake relationship" trope, but I just got "jealousy" as the main plot device.

Let's talk about the first half of the series:
Sarawat is supposed to act as Tine's fake boyfriend, which btw is dropped in favour of "flirting" ("wooing" would be a better translation) -- but where are the sweet gestures of love?

Until the second half of episode six, Sarawat only looks either bored or annoyed. He never looks as if he's interested in Tine, faked or not. If I were Green I wouldn't buy it either.
I only knew he would be the main love interest because the synopsis told me so. Where are the feelings? Where's the pining? Sarawat's side of the story is only told in episode 10 or 11, which is too little, too late.

Tine, the self-proclaimed "Mr Chic-Chic" is (almost aggressively) heterosexual -- his only interests are girls and songs from one band. Even when he tried to dissuade Green from pursuing him, he starts to flirt with girls in front of him and Sarawat. If he's so certain of his sexuality, there should have been more of a struggle or at least emotional imbalance until he accepts his own feelings toward Sarawat.
I had hoped the "gay for you" trope had died a silent death some twenty years ago but it seems it's still alive and kicking.
Also: Even though he's supposed to be a good cheerleader, we only see him standing around in one pose (and even that plot point is dropped in the latter half otf the series).

Jealousy is not only the main catalyst for Tine to discover his own feelings, but also the main plot device for conflict in the following episodes, which gets old very fast.

Even when Sarawat and Tine are "together", the only strong emotion they show towards each other is jealousy. No besotted smiles, no casual touches, no hugs, nothing. Where's the giddiness of new love?
They touch each other less then they touch their friends. I'm not talking about anything above a PG level of intimacy, several other BL dramas I love have only one kiss or not even that.

Tine's continued denial of Sarawat's advances make it seem as if he's not actually in love -- except if it's supposed romantic but asexual. (Which would actually be a novel and exciting concept for a romance drama, if done right!) But as the series has established Tine as somone strongly interested in (het) relationships, that can't be it.

I feel that conflicts during the series were never satisfyingly resolved, but just ended with some kind of deus ex machina device. Best examples: How Green stopped pursuing Tine; and the question if Tine's brother would accept their relationship.

Another thing that made me really frustrated with this drama is that boundaries are often disregarded. It starts with Green who gets told repeatedly his advances are not welcome -- and continues anyways. It goes on with Tine, who doesn't stop bothering Sawrawat (doesn't matter if Sarawat actually likes it or not -- what counts is what Tine knows, and Sarawat clearly tells him to go away). It doesn't stop with the side couples -- neither Sarawat's brother nor Man stop their pursuit, even after being told to leave. I can't enjoy a relationship if it feels as if one pertner just gave in to harrassment.

I'm not sure if it's just the plot or also the acting, but directing has definitely a large part in why I could not get into the series. I disliked all of the characters, there was never a moment when I rooted for any of the couples to get together. Small changes in how lovers-to-be interacted with each other would have made it a bit better, at least.

There are other points, I would have liked to talk about the female characters for example or to wonder how they manage to establish top/bottom-dynamics in all four couples without even a bit of handholding, but this review is already long enough.

All in all, I had to stop and do something else every few minutes, since the plot and the acting had me so frustrated. I just finished it because I knew I'd never pick it up again if I stopped. I'm glad it's over.

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Little Gem

I watched this series on Viki, in the edited 12-episode-format.

Some people have mentioned that it's obviously low-budget -- but I think if the story and the story-telling is good, things like this don't matter much. And the story-telling is excellent!

First, the series is set both in our present and in the past (or maybe dreams) -- and they are beautifully interwoven. I loved how smoothly the transitions between both worlds are done.

There are five sub-plots (or rather short stories) about friendship, familial love, romantic love -- about loss, letting go, sacrifice, and healing. These are cleverly tied together by the "Demon Bar", a place where demons meet, and destiny brings customers to ... well, to what? To dream? To tell their story? To relive past lives?
What is real, what is a dream -- this is never quite clear; and in the moment when the sommelier (the demon hunter?) maybe grasps an important part of the truth -- the series is over.

I wouldn't even be sad if there's never going to be a second season, this ending is kind of perfect.

Throughout all of these sub-stories, we also follow the friendship (and it can't be more, it's from China) of the demon hunter and the dragon. The former gets some backstory and also some character development; the latter unfortunately not. Maybe he is supposed to remain shrouded in mystery.

On a personal note: I laughed a lot -- but I also cried at the end of every sub-story, especially the first two had me bawling my eyes out.

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There is absolutely nothing I would change about this series.

Aspects I find especially outstanding:
* The class: Even the background characters had their own personality. They weren't just there, the actors seemed to know what their characters were like at any time. I found myself rewinding some scenes just to watch them doing their thing in the background. There's not only our favourite drama couple (the original Cinderella & her prince) but also look out for: the guy who alsways has his little notebook with him, the foodie, the two boys playing games... I would actually watch a second series just to see what they were all up to during the whole relationship drama of Aoki and Ida. (The same is true for the volleyball team btw.)

* The whole atmosphere in the class. It reminded me of my own last two years of school. We had much less dramatics, or at least I wasn't aware of any, but this is what it can be like if young people are allowed to be whoever they are and respect that about each other.

* I liked every single character in this show. Yes, even the student teacher. They were all genuinely trying to understand and to grow.

* The friendship between Aoki and Hashimoto. Hashimoto could easily have been that stereotypical love rival but she wasn't. I love how we gradually get to discover that she is more than just a timid or shy girl.

* I haven't even said anything about the two main leads. They earnestly try to discover how they feel and what to do about it. I like how the drama focuses on the awkwardness of trying to figure out who you can be as a romantic partner, and what you want your partner to be like. I remember being this awkward at 16 and 17, so for me, it's actually quite an accurate portayal of a first love, if a bit exaggerated -- but it IS a Japanese show and adapted from a manga, so it is kind of expected.

Overall, this little series has become of my favourites, and is one of the series I choose to watch if I need a pick-me-up.

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Colourful!

Let me be shallow for a moment: Hiroko would absolutely be my type of woman, if I had a type. Competent, always friendly, a boiling mass of emotion behind a nice smile, and that hair? Mmh, yes.

Now on the the actual review:
From the first minute, this drama surprised me with its colourful design: From the worklpace and Ayaka's home to her clothes, the light outside and inside -- I think I've never seen a Japanese television series with such clear and crisp colours.
This colour scheme does fit the upbeat and light-hearted story -- only tempered by the past experience of discrimination of LGBTQ+ people and the subsequent emotional state of one of the characters.

This is one of the best points, story-wise: Discrimination of lesbian women (and also the inherent misogyny, heteronormativity and sexism that go with it) are not glossed over but are part of the story itself; and the positive outlook we get at the end does not detract from that.

On the other hand, Ayaka's character feels unfinished. Why was she the way she was before her transformation? Is her "new" self closer to who she really was all along or did she completely change her persona? How does she manage to go from uncommunicative and reserved to an outgoing and socially adept colleague? Something's missing here, which is why I had to subtract a point.

Mori Kanna's (Hiroko) acting is suberb; her comedic timing and her facial expressions are excellent. Especially the first part of the series (which is more hilarious than the serious latter part) lives because of her inner and outer reactions to Ayaka's flirting.

Overall, I think this is a series I could recommend for a first-time GL viewer.

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Of historical interest -- and also very moving. I cried.

The way "Twenty-four Eyes" is filmed, is period-typical for a movie, especially one that is not about action but tries to explore characters. I watched more than a few western films from the fourties and fifties, so I was already familiar with the style of acting and filming, as well as the sound quality (especially voices and singing have a special "ring" to them, which is hard to describe.) For people who are not used to this, the movie might feel strangely slow and static.

With 2 hours and 36 minutes, the film is quite long, even for modern standards. There are three parts:
First, we meet the twelve children and her teacher in the first grade. For both the children and the teacher their roles at school are new and unfamiliar -- and while it might seem as if not much is happening, the freedom and serenity of this first hour is a good contrast to the following parts. After a time skip of five years, teacher and children meet again in the children's sixth grade, the last obligatory school grade back then -- we'll see how both the children's families and the growing nationalism (with it, the looming war) will shape their futures. And, lastly, vignettes of the following years of war and death, and how it impacts even that small Japanese island. There's also some time dedicated to the aftermath -- children, now young adults with their own kids, and the teacher reunite, look back to their shared past and then into the future.

I think for anyone who wants to watch this in the 21st century, it is important to be aware that the year that the film was shown
in cinemas -- 1954 -- is only nine years after the end of World War Two. So, these children (young adults in the later parts) could have been themselves, their children, their brothers, sisters, husbands and wives. I can imagine that the film was cathartic for the audience back then; it definitely must have had a stronger emotional impact than it could ever have for me.

Besides the emotional journey, and the reminder of how nationalism and senseless wars (and all wars are senseless) will destroy lives, for me the film also gave me a chance to see Japan as it was 70 to 90 years ago. We get to see two rural schools and a glimpse of teaching and learning; we see the houses in the fishing village; we hear people's thoughts on poverty, proper manners, women, family. I loved seeing how the style of clothing changed from 1928 to 1946.
(The film had the advantage that everything was very recent, so sets are probably authentic buildings and streets, and the people who made it could just remember how it was. No extra research needed.)

There are quite a few scenes that were very poignant, such as the teacher's despair that nationalist teachings had overtaken everything at school, or the scene after the war ended when her eldest son is not able to grasp that everything he believed was now supposed to be wrong.

One thing that I was a bit disappointing was that the songs's texts (the children sing quite often) were not translated in the subtitles. I think these were mostly Japanese folk and children's songs, and the texts probably underlined the emotions of the scenes -- but the international audience won't know them. It's not the fault of the film, but disappointeing nevertheless.

Overall, if you have the chance to watch it, do so!

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underdeveloped plot, underdeveloped characters.

There's three things you should know before you watch this:
1. The producers of this series are also the people who made "Second Chance", "Coffee Melody" and "Tin Jem Jai".
If you liked those, you might like "Ai long Nhai".
2. There are a lot of scenes, where it's clear that they intended to have a product placement. There are no product placements in the whole series. Either the production company is very bad at finding a sponsor or all potential sponsors did have no interest.
3. Ai long Nhai -- อัยย์หลงไน๋ -- Ai is infatuated with Nhai. That's it. That's the story.
[As an aside, the dictionary I use also gives two other meanings for หลง, which are a) [is] lost; confused; forgotten; neglected; mentally weak; b) to lose one's way, to go astray, to get lost, to be mistaken or forget; to be absorbed; to be absent-minded -- which is Nhai's personality in a nutshell]


The series -- I hesitate to call it a drama -- suffers from these points:
1. Interesting plot ideas, which never go anywhere and unconnected scenes, with plot holes and inconsistencies.
2. Side characters who can't even be called "one-dimensional".
3. Old BL clichés, and not the good ones.
4. Low funds, static scenes.

Let's elaborate:
-- 1. The series had a really strong start. I especially loved the banter between Ai and his father. When Ai first met Nhai, I expected this story: Ai falling in love at first sight, and subsequently pursuing a clueless Nhai, in more and more ridiculous situations; to the great amusemant of ai's father and friends -- I would have loved this comedy.
I liked that it was Nhai who made the first move, and his subsequent self-exploration. He was a classic case of a gay man deep in the closet (pining after a girl he will never get, getting physical with men when drunk, insisting that another man is just a friend and some internalized homophobia -- vocally claiming that touching another man is "eew"). That also would have made a really good story, maybe finally something more LGBTQ+ than BL. And they could have made this story light-hearted and funny, if they wanted. But that was quickly discarded.
Nhai's characterization as dirty and generally being a slob could also have been something new and interesting, people could have asked Ai "Why that guy?". It was kind of important but didn't translate into his appearance. He always looked styled perfectly, and I couldn't even see that his shirt was not ironed.
Scenes were often not connected, side stories discarded. I never could tell how much time had passed. Between a scene and the next, there were inconsistencies several times. Example 1: The friend group talk about Ai and Nhai several times, whether those two are together -- but there's no continuity, the discussions are always as if the friends haven't talked about it before. Example 2: In episode seven, a hickey appears and disappears, and reappears.

There's more, but this is getting long, so on to the second point:
-- 2. The side characters. I'd complain that the female characters are there just to advance the plot for the main characters -- but the friend group is more or less the same. They stay remarkably bland, considering they have quite a bit of screentime. At the end of episode two Nhai tells us about his friends in a voiceover, but this information is never important for any of the plot.

-- 3. Clichèd BL tropes that I hate.
Top/bottom dynamics, including the use of "hubby" and "wife" -- The top is manly, sucessful, knows how to get through life, perpetually horny, while the bottom is whiny, fragile, needs help constantly, reluctant when it comes to sex. There's a review here by RemmiKay, who says "This is a CLASSIC exchange of power relationship." There's actually some textual clues for that, so it works. While I don't think this interpretation is in any way intended by the writer or the producers, it made watching the series bearable. Still, even from an exchange of power relationship I'd expect that both are shown as into the sex -- Nhai continues to look like a nervous virgin whenever things turn sexual, and it gets worse the longer the series goes on. (Even if Nhai would only be playing at being reluctant, as part of their relationship dynamic, the audience should get to see that he wants it.)
There's the stereotypical gay (maybe transgender?) friend; there must be a gay friend in a romence, right? Of course, they are flamboyant, have pink hair, but they are definitely not beautiful or attractive. And it's disheartening that Nhai goes to this friend when he's unsure about his attraction to Ai and gets "Yes, of course you are the wife" as an answer. That's not helpful and also sexist.
Too many side couples. While other Thai BL productions in 2022 seem to have learned from past mistakes, this one tries to give a male love interest to everyone in the friend group. Not only do most of them not go anywhere (the one that does, just ... does, behind the scenes), the three friends also had explicitely stated that they are straight in previous episodes. (see above, inconsistent plot)

and, finally,
-- 4. low funds. The sets, few as they are, look empty. Ai's condo is supposedly "like a labyrinth" (Nhai, somewhere in the second of third episode), but it's not, and you can see that -- the living room and the kitchen are in the same room, for example. The props in the shelves etc. are obviously placeholder props; had they filmed in one of the example rooms in an IKEA, there would have been more personality to this living space. There are no knick-knacks or anything that makes a home a home. Ai's car seems to have cost most of the money they had.
That everything, the sets, the clothes and so on is mostly in white and black, really does not help.
Scenes often just were two or more people standing and talking, which made the already slow pace wven more static. Some actors need more acting classes.


Overall, I feel that the writer had some good ideas, but shied away from anything that would have made the series more interesting, either writing a good conflict (inner or external) or more comedy. Was it too daring for him?
But even if they intended to make a slice-of-life series, they would have needed something more plotty and consistent.
It's like a teenager's first fanfiction -- they love their characters, they don't want to hurt them, they write things they wish for in their relationship. But for a product that is supposed to bring in an audience, who'll remember the story, this is just not enough.



That being said, there have been two small things that need to get an honourable mention:
* I think this is the first Thai BL in which lubrication for anal sex is mentioned, and hopefully used.
* Ai explicitely states that he is bisexual. In most BLs they don't even use the word "gay".

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Short and Sweet

"My Damn Business" is a short, tropey-but-sweet romance drama, that could happen "next door to you".

With "My Damn Business", GND studio (formerly Guy Next Door) have released their second multi-episode mini drama. Before this one, "Fake Buddies" was released as seven loosely connected episodes, and before "Fake Buddies", they only made short comedic skits.
It's maybe also a good idea to keep in mind that they posted a note on YouTube in summer 2024 (unfortunately deleted by now), in which they mentioned that the "channel is run by three people who handle all the content creation".
So, GND Studio is very much a small start-up, with extremely limited ressources and even less experience with longer dramas.

As with "Fake Buddies", they used their experience with the short form and with working with a minuscule budget to their advantage:
1. They chose a plot that did not require a lot of actors, only few simple sets, and that could be told in a few short scenes.
2. Each episode was comprised of one simple and short story arc, which could begin and end within the same episode -- and still moved the relationship forward.

Other things I noticed:
* I mostly like the chosen background music -- especially the percussion piece in the first episode but also the melancholic piano piece. The jazzy tune at the bar was a bit annoying but we've heard worse.
* The company is called GND International.
* Acting, wrinting and editing came together to create a story that gets to the point quickly but is still slow enough in the important moments for the emotions to unfold.
* One thing that should have been made clearer for the viewers was the intention of Han U Jin in the first two episodes. I think quite a few viewers (me included) felt his actions toward Yoon Su An were too much -- when it was just his extremely awkward way of flirting, where he tried to use any opneing he saw to get closer to Yoon Su An.
* Both Han U Jin and Yoon Su An were a bit awkward, fumbled interactions, and still managed to solve their issues in the end by expressing their concerns and desires. Apart from their too good looks, they really felt like two "guys next door" to me.

With an overall runtime of just over an hour, this drama is a quick sweet snack in between longer and heavier dramas.

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"Wherever feels like home ... is home."

Having seen "Midnight University" and "Low Season", I was looking forward to a non-romance Thai-style horror comedy. Those other two titles managed to combine Thai silly humour with deeper themes of life to create something very unique.
And "Peaceful Property" did the same. I laughed, I cried, I was moved.

If we're being honest, each element of the story on its own follows a trope or two: The family backstories of two main characters, the individual ghost stories, the way the friend group meets, fights and makes up -- but then, how these are weaved together, with colourful threads of goofy humour, heart wrenching acting, consistent writing and solid editing, it's become a beautiful tapestry that tells us about family, home, (familial and romantic) love and loss. About how important it is to tell your loved ones that you love them before it is too late.

Maybe a note before I go into more detail: Thai humour, especially the silly sort you find in ghost comedies has a lot of screaming, running, is even bordering on slapstick situational comedy. If this is not to your taste, you might want to proceed with caution. If, on the other hand, you are easily scared -- this is not that sort of horror. The ghosts look mildly scary at first glance, but they are definitely not.

The writing is extremely consistent for a light comedy -- some elements and hints are shown early, and picked up in later episodes, the main villain is not quite clear from the beginning, the ghost's stories (which have only one episode to unfold and conclude) are able to build a connection with the viewers in a very short time, and ! the series remains interesting until the last minute. I'm usually bored by longer "and this is what happened after everything was resolved", which takes more than 20 minutes here, and I was not bored at all. I even paused at some points to read PangPang's live stream chat (I recommend to pay attention to the chat throughout the series, some comments are extremely funny!)
I would have liked to see a bit more criticism of the capitalist and classist society, Kan's background would make a good starting point for that. But to be honest, I did not expect it -- it's not generically part of the genre, and doesn't fit the core themes (home & family).

Without good acting, even a good script can't save a drama -- and I loved the acting here. Nobody was awkward and out of character, and within minutes of meeting a new character, I was able to connect with them.


The first episodes focus on a "ghost of the week" story while the relationship between our main characters develops in the background. It's not too on the nose, but also not too subtle how the "cases" relate to the group's story -- and some of them are picked up in the latter part of the series, which focuses on Kan's and Home's backgrounds.

The theme of "home" is both already in the name of one of the main characters ("Home") and in its title "บ้านหลอน On Sale" /baan long/, i.e. "Haunted House for Sale".
บ้าน /baan/ means both "house" (as in the building) as well as "home" (in the literal and metaphorical sense). ที่บ้าน /thii baan/ usually means "at home" but is also sometimes used for the people living "at home", i.e. the family.
If we look at the ghost stories with this in mind, they all not only take place in some sort of house, it's also always about family, about relationships between people -- some of them literally dream of owning a house.

Overall, this is one of the Thai series that can be watched by anyone. It's funny, it's heart-wrenching -- I sobbed in every episode, and often laughed just a minute later -- and it tells us to cherish the people who are ที่บ้าน, (at) home.

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Since the synopsis is rather non-descript, let me start by giving some more information:
After the owner of a Japanese publishing house has died, a power struggle ensues. Hayami is appointed as the managing editor of the magazine Trinity by one side -- and editor Takano is also caught up in this, even though she just wants to publish well-written and interesting serialized novels. Both will try to save Trinity in their own ways.

The writing is tight -- every dialogue has meaning, so this is not a casual watch. It took me a while to get who is who and who wants what, which is important because this is very much character-driven, I had to rewind some scenes in the first half hour.
The characters' motivations and ambitions are only revealed by what they say, or don't say; sometimes by their actions -- and a lot of it means you have to read between the lines. The movie's title -- 騙し絵の牙 -- Fang of Deception -- or, the official English title Fangs of Fiction -- hints that at least of these characters may be hiding secret motivations.
There are several plot twists in the end, one of which I did not anticipate at all, but, in hindsight, made a lot of sense.

Also, I want to point out that the office sets, like in many other Japanese productions, are excellent! For example, I love how cramped and busy the editors'room of Trinity is, the mountains of paperwork of every available surface. The space of the much revered Kunpu Reviews, in contrast, looks much more organized and still as realistically used.

Fangs of Fiction is both really funny and shows us the contemporary struggles (of the publishing industry) at the same time. Both the external struggle as a traditional company against the new online world, and the more internal struggle about traditional values and old styles of story-telling versus modern innovation and showing more diversity in stories (I loved the cameos of the disabled and the old model and of Ladybeard.)
It also subtly touches on issues of how women are treated in fiction: The main female editor is constantly trying to point out how outdated the depictions of female protagonists in the fictional novels are -- and is instantly shut down by her male companion. I am glad to see that the female protagonist in this movie is at least as important as the male main character -- and how she found her own successful way of dealing with the issues of the publishing world in these modern times.

Recommended! Maybe you'll find more subtle deceptions when you watch the movie, I'm sure I did not catch them all.

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As soon as I saw that Kagawa Teruyuki acted in a main role here, I knew this would be excellent. I'd previously seen him in (the later produced) series "99.9 Keiji Senmon Bengoshi" and "Roppongi Class".
And, as expected from any film shown on the JFF Theater platform, the actors are brilliant. They are indeed so brilliant that there is no need for dramatic music, or experimental camera work -- the actor's way of portraying their characters is what carries this film.

Most of the film's value comes from how the characters react to their circumstances (or, rather how they try to shape them) -- which is why the actor's capabilities are so important.
I don't want to spoil anything about the plot and its little twists and turns. Maybe just this: This is not a "firework of jokes" kind of comedy -- yes, there are some scenes that made me laugh out loud, like right in the beginning, when Kanae Mizushima straightens her desk and then takes out a small vacuum cleaner for the finish; most of the comedic bits are more subtle.

And a short word about the romance -- yes, there is a romance story -- it was very cute. Two oddballs falling in love with each other, over their shared passion for plans and lists, was sweet to watch. And the hug in the end was everything.

As the best comedies do, this film also touches upon question of human existence: What is love? And what are you willing to do for it? What makes you "you"? How do you "know" who you are? And can you be an ethical killer?

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Compared to this year's (2024) crop of Thai BLs, this rom-com from 2021 would be somewhere in the upper middle -- it has some strong points and three major weaknesses. Overall, it's an enjoyable watch, even worth the occasional rewatch (hopefully it'll get licensed somewhere again after leaving GagaOOLala).

The premise is simple: Artist Phap (easy-going, living from day to day, a bit of a slob) meets entrepreneur Poramaze (money-loving, very controlled, a clean-freak, basically your tough shell, soft core type) and personalities clash.

And there's the first of the three major weak points:
For a story that has to be character-driven (there are very few external obstacles to overcome), the script doesn't give the actors much to work with. Maybe it's stronger in the novel, I don't know. But here, motivations for our main characters are very unclear. It's not so bad for the artist, whose character is stereotypically colourful enough we can fill in the blanks ourselves. But for the more complex Poramaze, who is both both a cold and strict type who "loves money" and still obviously likes his friends and his team, this is more of a problem. We never really know what exactly made him the way he is. Why does he feel the need to be always in control? Was it only that his step-brother left him? But then, why did this have so much impact for him? The few minutes of back-story does not explain things sufficiently. And that's a problem in a story where for several episode the main story arc is this character's inner struggle with his own emotions.

This is saved by the drama's best feature: its actors. Both Singto ("Poramaze") and Tae ("Phap") portray characteristics and emotions that are never explicitly stated and break their characters out of the confines of the strereotypes the script gave them. I love their scenes where they lash out against each other -- both actors show their hurt and their heartbreak very well, and my heart broke with theirs. I'm sure that with weaker actors this series would have been flat and boring.
The same goes for Maengmum ("Nae") and Soodyacht ("Tharn") who both don't get a lot to work with. But Nae, who should have been the stereotypical airheaded rich girl, becomes a steadfast and intelligent friend, and Tharn is being shown as a guy with a long-term secret crush from the very second we see him.

Yoon ("Nueng"), on the other hand, is the drama's second main weak point. He does absolutely nothing with his character -- I think Yoon has about 1.5 different facial expressions: "amused", "gently amused" and "gentle". It's most obvious when he directly faces Soodyacht, who is acting circles around him. And that's a problem. Nueng has had a huge influence in Poramaze's life, and he still is the major point of conflict for the relationship between Poramaze and Phap. But he doesn't have a character at all! Why does he act that antagonistic towards Phap, even until the end, and at the same time encourages Poramaze to voice his feelings? What is his motivation here? Is he not aware of how his words hurt Phap and disripts their already fragile relationship? We don't know. Neither the script nor Yoon give us any hint for us to fill in the gaps. I also don't believe that he was ever attracted to Tharn -- no longing glance, not secret smile, nothing -- until the confession, and even then he only shows expression number 3 ("gentle").


There are several aspects in this drama that I love:
The wardrobe choices are excellent -- Nae's outfits are gold (Does she even wear the same thing twice, except for her pyjamas?) and I love how both Poramaze's and Phap's clothing reflect their change and growth.
I'd love to live in Phap's house, it's messy and cozy at the same time (although the gleaming wooden floor is a bit unrealistic, especially in the area where Phap paints) and his little garden is a small oasis -- contrasting nicely with the modern look of Poramaze's office and condo. On that note: I do wonder about the plants in Poramaze's condo -- the first time we see their corner is in episode 9. Were they there the whole time or did he only add them after he started to like Phap and his little garden? Whether it's option 1 or 2, this shows that the people responsible for the set design put a lot of thought into it, but it was not used to its full potential by the director.
I love the opening credits. Painting-like animation is not something we see often, and it fits with the premise of the story, and I also like the almost chaotic orchestral music.
The background music choices are also well done -- I did not notice them most of the time, which is a good sign for me -- and I loved that there are some emotional heavy scenes that don't use any kind of music at all, which is a rare thing in Thai mass-market productions.
So, all in all, it's apparent for me that the production team put a lot of thought and effort in this. Which makes the third major weakness all the worse.
Phap is commissioned to paint an abstract work "The Love", which progresses along with his feelings and his relationship with Poramaze. It's a central point of the story, and we see him working on it. But then the set design team and those responsible for continuity dropped the ball -- after his second time working on it, we see the painting again several times -- in the form it had after the first but before the second time Phap painted it. And since its so huge, and right in frame more than once, this is a glaring error I could not ignore.

And a last thought, I love Phap's names: ภาพ /phap/ means "picture, image, vision" and his legal first name ศิลปิน /sin-la-pbin/ means literally "artist". Love that. (And not to spoil, but if you watch episode 12, pay attention when they talk about "the artists" emotions, the knowlegde that it's both his job title and his name makes this all the more enjoyable.)
And, another aside regarding names: The GagaOOLala subtitles sometimes transcribe คุณภาพ, which is clearly spoken as /khun Phap/, i.e. "Mr Phap" by the characters, as the word /khunnaphap/ "quality; value; worth" but used as a name "Kunnaphap". I wonder where that comes from, is Phap's name shortened from Kunnaphap? Or is it a genuine error on the subtitler's part?

So, all in all, this drama could have been a failure, if the actors and the team responsible for set design and props hadn't done an excellent job.
As it is, they managed to elevate a sub-par script to a perfectly watchable and even enjoyable drama.

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What happens when everybody tries to to their very best at a wedding

A wedding should be a couple's best day of their life! This is what drives not only the bride and the groom, not only the wedding planner -- but everybody who is invited (and one who is not invited).

We get to see backstories of the couple and a few of the guests, who all want to make this day special, while they have their own aspirations. I love the aquatic theme that's going on while they tell their own stories -- even though it's never quite clear why it this theme, not another. (If you know, please tell me!)
The film also takes its "Chekhov's Gun" very seriously, but no need to pay extra attention, you'll see when it's used.

These sincere and genuinely nice characters do their all to make the wedding the best wedding of all time -- and overshoot their goal; this is where most of the humour comes from. I waited for things to go wrong horribly. But this is not the kind of comedy, and it works!

There was a bit of sexism in the beginning -- the long-suffering husband(-to-be) who wants to please his partner, and the "guy outing" (what are guys up to when they are alone, hehe... not that funny, all very innocent though) -- but the groom and the ex-boyfriend are so cute and nice that I can forgive them. There was also a story arc with a bit of "diarrhea-is-funny", I don't mind that kind of humour, other viewers might.
A bit disappointing is that the female characters are not only in the minority but also much less interesting then the men (with the exception of the wedding planner).

All of the actors made their characters come to life -- and I fell in love with all of them. Especially notable was the scene where the fathers and old schoolmates entertain the guests, what a choreography!
There are two storylines that happen simultaneously but are shown after one another; I wonder if they couldn't have been shown as they happened or if this would have been too much? I suppose it's the latter, because overall the pacing was excellent, fast scenes and slow scenes followed an easy rhythm, according to the story.

I wasn't bored for a second, I laughed a lot -- and there were a few heartwarming moments. The ensemble plot and the multiple points of view with their backstories show us a wedding that will be memorable for all of them, the couple, the guests, and the staff of the location.

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I've watched this series several times so far, not because there's a lot to discover with each rewatch but because it's a solid drama, well done within the budget constraints, and it balances well-loved tropes with some more sombre notes.

Things I liked:
* The story has two of my favourite tropes (emenies-to-lovers and accidental/forced roommates), which are are really well done. The boss/employee vs. tenant/landlord dynamics give good balance to their relationship. Overall the plot is a bit predictable but the characters' development and the interaction of the team members make it enjoyable.
* The team members were great, they provided both comic relief and an outsider's point of view for the developing relationship. They were also quite cute.
* Kang Woo Jung's acting was brilliant -- I hope he'll get the chance to act in productions of different genres, so more people will see him.
* Both lead actors seem comfortable with each other, which makes the intimacy between the characters believable. (It's sad that I have to say this -- but in some Korean BL dramas the actors seem so uncomfortable!)
* I also like that we get to see a glimpse of the struggles some gay men go through -- unluckily falling for a straight man, the fear what would happen if you're outed at work, how people will judge you for being with another man. Yoon Seo Bin was good at portraying all of these with a side of internalized homophobia. This topic was there throughout the show, sometimes just as an undercurrent, sometimes more obvious, but it never distracted from the sweetness of the romance plot.

Things I did not like:
* The acting of both main leads was a quite muted at times. Especially in the scenes when their characters argue with each other, I did not feel the emotions as much as I could have. I think stronger body language and facial expressions would help. They are both really good at expressing their emotions with their eyes, though, so it's not a question of talent -- either they just have to practice a bit more or the director did direct them that way. (Or is it something more ... chemical, at least concerning facial expressions? With the entertainment industry as it is, I wouldn't rule it out.)
* I wish the show would have made Jae Yoon's motivation for his decision in episode 7 clearer -- either by characterizing him better in earlier episodes or telling the audience outright. I think Jae Woon's actions come across as more tropey than it was intended.
* Also it would have been nice to get more of Ho Joon's backstory earlier and not infodump everything in one (though very heartfelt) speech.

All in all, one of the better K-BLs I've seen, and very comfortable to watch repeatedly.

[This is an updated version of the review I posted at Viki.]

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