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This review may contain spoilers
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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If you saw a light teenage summer film, fine! If you saw an allegory about modern tiktok-shorts, easily consumed and easily forgotten, versus feature-length old-style slow-paced films, good! Or if you saw an essay about how similar rival relationships in classic samurai films (and also wild west movies and thriller dramas, btw) are to love relationships, also nice!
And if you saw a completely different meaning in the film, especially in the last scene -- impressive! The author is dead. It's your film as soon as you watch it.
Maybe one word about the cast -- they were all great! I love the subtle pining of Bito-Ban's, I love the banter between the technical crew of the samurai movie. And Ito Marika, who played Hadashi was overwhelmingly good -- I loved how she managed to change her body language depending on the mood and setting her character is in: Awkward and angular at school, relaxed and engaged when with her friends and when directing, focussed and precise when imitating Samurai fighting. Her facial expressions range from subtle to exaggerated. I cannot imagine another actress taking this role.
Thank you, Elisheva, for giving me the push to finally watch this film. I'm glad I did.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Can I ... Can I carry you on my back?"
"You know ... I'm getting married soon. But it has been so hard for me these days. I should ... I should get married... I have to soon ... but ..."This is not a story about a middle-aged man lusting after a boy. This is a story about a man, who once was young, who denied himself his chance with his first love, who is feeling the societal pressures to get married -- who mourns his loss and tries to say good-bye to what once could have been.
Even though this film is short, it's slow. What we hear is not what Jin Tae says -- do not listen with your ears, listen with your heart and your mind; what you can feel and know about him.
Everything is subtle and muted; the excellent melancholic acting, the autumn colours, the quiet sounds -- the story's in the details.
This film will not be for everyone; it's been hard for me to "get it" too -- but maybe you'll find yourselft a bit more open the next time a middle-aged queer person tells their story.
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His progressive ideas about teaching don't find easy acceptance among parents and teachers, who think strict upbringing, including corporal punishment, and learning by rote is the path to success for their children.
We follow teaching, parenting and learning adventures of Kru "Ma" Wichai and his third graders in this 12 episode drama.
I admit, I can't often withstand the temptation of a good drama about teaching -- and this one delivered. I loved its message about good teaching methods (even if sometimes I thought Wichai could have found a middle ground in teaching, for peace's sake) and how it showed how school and parenting was done in the 1970s in Thailand.
Also, I learned that I know next to nothing about the history of south-east Asia -- I mean I had heard of Pol Pot, and of course, the VietCong but I did not know anything about the greater picture in the area, let alone that life in Thailand's border territory was that dangerous.
So, a great learning experience not only for the characters but also for me.
The acting was great all around -- and especially for the children! These young actors, five of whom had rather large roles, impressed me.
The story, i.e. the characters and the setting had hooked me from the very first minutes -- and it did not let me go until the last second. The conflicts were at times solved too easily or too quickly, that is to be expected though; this series is made to be a feel-good drama, with a positive outlook.
Most of the series is either optimistic or funny, the last episode had me in tears three times (for entirely different reasons each time).
There's maybe a bit of romantic interest (a few minutes in the later episodes), but it's up to the viewer to decide if they get together as a couple or if they remain good colleagues -- I choose the latter ;) The teacher-student relationship and the friendships between the children are definitely at the centre of the drama, as it should be.
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You need courage to take the next step
This movie with its simple love story has fast become one of my favourites -- a story about two very ordinary men who fall in love with each other and take the first steps into a relationship.I love how the film shows us the insecurities that come with having a crush on a man as a man, the questions that come with getting to know another person -- will you like me, too? Do we have a chance to come together? Will I take the step into the unknown?
And at the same time, both men as well as us get to experience the giddiness when we feel that our feelings might be reciprocated.
We get to see how these two men, who seem to be very different in their hobbies and lives, try to find the courage to open up to each other -- only then the relationship may move forward.
The film makers obviously had to make do with a low budget, there are some sound issues in outdoor scenes. But they did not need much more -- as I said before, this is a simple love story of two ordinary men, who could be our neighbours, our colleagues, ourselves. Accordingly, the use of places, of light that is already there makes the film feel very real.
I also love the sets, which are lovingly filled with small details: There's the changing date on the white board behind Koiwai's desk. There's the small detritus of the life of a working person in Yamashita's room. There are the messy bed sheets near the end of the film.
I'm looking forward to rewatching the story of these sweet and gentle people.
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It's never sentimental about it; there's no pathos at all. It just shows the people as the are. It also never tries to explain what people are thinking or feeling, why they act the way they do -- which is especially exceptional for Chu-san. I can imagine that a lesser film would try to explain him to the "normal" people (i.e. the ausidence), either directly or through the mouth of a character.
This film does neither. It shows us how Chu-san lives his life, what is important to him and where he clashes with the world, who shows no sympathy for him at all; with the exception of the son of the neighbour family.
Following the way the story is told -- unsentimental, but with great sympathy -- the acting and editing stays natural and even understated throughout.
If you can watch this film, then I recommend you to do so!
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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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So, I'll just point out only some aspects:
* Trigger warnings for explicit depictions of excessive violence, suicide, human trafficking, drug use rape and forced sex work.
* The movie is very slow and quiet, except where it's not.
* The movie is definitely not fluffy. But heartwarming all the same.
* There's a love story that is told in less than six minutes, from beginning to the end -- and I still cried for both lovers. (But it's still not a romance movie.)
* The young boy actor was impressive.
* A lot of the story is told not in dialogue but in silence. The movie expects the viewer to pay attention not what the characters say, but what they do.
* When people are victims, over and over, all of their lives, is there a chance to get up again? -- The story can be read as some social commentary. But maybe not.
* The sombre tone is lightened by the group of neighbours, whose loving antics are hilarious.
This is not a movie I will rewatch any time soon, it's just too intense for that -- maybe in a few years. But I can recommend it for anyone who is not disturbed by the themes mentioned above and wants something different that engages the mind.
It's probably best if you see for yourself.
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A court / crime drama that combines serious cases with slapstick humour.
Does the combination of serious cases and humour work? Yes, for the most part.If you don't like the Japanese style of comedy and typical Japanese acting, then this show is probably not for you.
There are a few scenes when the slapstick comedy is a bit too much for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the puns.
Things I liked:
* The cases are not too simple -- although the clues are usually quite obvious, it's not always clear on the details, so they stay interesting.
* This does not matter actually, since the main point of attraction are the lawyers and their team of paralegals and how they interact with each other.
* Especially Miyama and his "boss", Sada, who absolutely do not like each other at the beginning, start to respect each others strengths, even though their professional ethics differ.
* Regarding Miyama, the show manages to balance on the fine egde between making him eccentric and unlikeable -- usually landing on the side of eccentric. I think the humour in this show makes his quirks endearing rather than obnoxious.
* A huge plus is that there's no romance plot. Yes, there are two people with enormous crushes on another person, but these are only played for laughs, and it's very clear that the other party will never be interested.
One minor thing I did not like as much: The prosecutors' side stayed too one-dimensional; I would have liked more development for them.
Recommended!
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Mellow and relaxing; painting together on a hot summer day
What I liked:* The general atmosphere of the movie was relaxing, they managed to capture the feeling of sitting in nature on a hot summer day and falling in love perfectly.
* The storyline is a good fit for the length of the movie.
* All three main characters, especially the bodyguard. They all manged to convey their feelings without trouble. I liked the bodyguard's reaction to that suspicious person, his worry and gradual acceptance of what is to come. Also, I love that it remains unclear what his feelings are exactly -- loyalty, friendship, romantic love? Sometimes things are muddled and it's good to leave it open.
* Although I'm usually wary of timeskips, that one at the end worked. In my opinion, showing what happened directly after the return would have felt very differently to the rest of the movie. Good choice, there.
What I did not like:
* The last ten minutes or so feel weirdly paced, in contrast to the majority of the film, which is pretty slow. I think they tried to convey a sense of urgency, but why then this strange flashback to the conversation between the lady and the bodyguard?
Overall impression:
It's a nice romance, with okay-to-good pacing, nice scenery, and well acted. The story is captivating and although it is on itself quite predictable, the characters and their actors make it something special.
There are some questions that remain unanswered, sometimes I liked the ambiguity, sometimes it would have been nice to have it a bit clearer.
[This is a slightly edited version of the review I posted on Viki.]
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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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Good for a one time watch
"Friends-to-lovers" is usually a trope I like very much, and they did it justice until Zheng Ze Shou and Fu Li Gong got together. From then on, it was rather cheesy and the conflicts too clichéd for me.The acting by the main couple was excellent, especially when they were still figuring out their feelings or what to do about them.
I also loved the two fathers and Nikita. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the second couple; especially Yuki's actor stayed bland, he mostly had the same gentle smile, whoever he looked at and however he felt -- I noticed it the most when he was fighting with the laundromat owner. It really didn't help that he didn't get any backstory (we only know his father was Japanese and died when Yuki was a child, which makes Yuki's "ohayou" even more pretentious).
The song that was used for the opening credits got on my nerves (it also was non-sensical); and the piano background music was distracting from what was happening on-screen.
It's a shame that the female roles did not get more development. The sister is unfortunately the stereotypical little sister (even though she's somewhere in her early twenties), the little girl has no personality whatsoever, apart from being a bit sassy. And Nikita's character, who was so cool and mysterious and generally an impressive woman with her own business, was ruined by that stupid and unnecessary crush.
I did like that we got to see two lawyers working together, and it was an excellent idea to have them be divorce lawyers in a romance -- the drama was strongest when the cases made Ze Shou and Li Gong think and talk about love and marriage, and reflect on their own love story. I wish the writer had used this also to resolve the conflicts of the second half. Together with maybe more time to show the father's side (because I think it's not very clear why he reacts the way he does). this would have made the second half better.
Overall, the story's flow is good, it's done well -- though not so good that I'd want to watch it a second time.
[cross-posted to VIki]
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Came for the comedy, stayed for the mystery, enjoyed the friendship.
The tl;dr:* Good pacing overall, nice balance between mystery and comedy
* Fine acting, distinct personalities and interesting background stories for the main cast
* No Romance!
* Strong female character, who unfortunately gets pushed out of the plot later
* Important message; good portrayal of diversity (considering it's Chinese)
* Ear-catching OST
The first episodes start with a strong comedic vibe, which is sometimes even stapsticky, after which the drama progressively gets deeper into the mystery of what happened three years ago.
I liked how this change happens gradually, the audience gets lured in with seemingly simple detective cases, and glimpses into the background stories. Only slowly the bigger picture begins to emerge, and it's not until the very end that we know all of the important elements. And on the way to the story's climax, the comedic elements are not lost -- the whole show feels well-rounded in its pacing and in the balancing of the different elements.
There are no episodes that feel dragged out, nor does the story ever feel rushed.
All of the main characters are incredibly well portrayed. Usually with costume dramas, especially those set at court, with all these similar uniforms and hats, it takes at least three episodes until I know who is supposed to be who. Not in this drama! Not only have the members of the Judicial Court all distinct personalities (more on that later), but each character has his (or her) very own body language. Even when they do nothing but sit or stand around, it's possible to recognize each and every one of them, even from behind.
No Romance! Always a plus, if the writer doesn't force a het romance into an otherwise engaging story, just to prove that there is no homo-romantic attraction between the main characters.
I loved Vice Minister Shangguan from the first minute -- finally, here is a female character who is not a simpering, love-sick and annoying girl but rather a strong woman who fought for her right to have her own life. In a sexist society (other characters even comment on this), she opposed her parents' will and got into a position of power as an official. Her office which is overflowing with scrolls and paperwork shows how hard-working she is. She must have had a hard time navigating Palace politics, as a woman and sole vice minister -- always on the outlook for people who want to sabotage her and her work; and we get to see glimpses of how she did it in the first episodes.
I also loved how her appearance underlines her character -- she's wearing sensible clothes, her make-up is modestly done.
All of which make the one thing that's really bad about the drama even worse: When things get serious, she's getting shipped off, for her safety, or, as Li Bing would put it, "for her own good". Why? She's certainly not weaker that, say, Cui Bei. She's not less experienced in intrigue than Wang Qi or less clever than any of them. So, why? Only so that when it gets serious, she can't "steal" the spotlight from the men. Plotwise, it would have been very much possible for her to be an important part of the team.
This is the one reason I deducted half a point from the rating for the category "story".
One big point in the drama's favour is that it shows us how important it is to see others as a human being -- what it does to a person if they are dehumanized (whether revered as god or reviled as monster) and how it makes us more human if we are kind to one another. Connected to this is that the acceptance of diversity can only strengthen us. (Which makes it even more regrettable that Vice Minister Shangguan is not part of the team!)
The team of Ming Jing Hall are very different people, not only is the boss half-human, half-cat, there's also the superstitious ex-soldier, the "diplomat" with a fondness for cross-dressing, the bookish man who always brings bad luck, the bumbling country boy and even a foreigner!
(That's one aspect that I found astonishing, there was actually very little nationalism in this drama; usually Chinese dramas are all about how great and heroic the Chinese people are -- here they are the aggressors towards another country, while the presumed antagonist just wants ... well, that would be a spoiler.)
Only by working together, by not just accepting each other but also recognizing each other's strengths and quirks, can the team solve the mystery and get justice for those who have been wronged.
Overall, this is an engaging and well-acted drama that made me laugh, and made me cry, and had me on the edge of my seat until the last minute of the closing credits.
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อย่าหยุดสู้! -- Never Stop Fighting!
I usually only watch variety shows when I'm feeling really, really sick. So, when I clicked start on the first episode of "Running Man Thailand" in late February, I didn't expect to get hooked on the show and to wait impatiently for the next episode to air each week.Somehow, the regular hosts, their guests and the technical crew made this show highly addictive. There's never a dull moment, even if some episodes scratch the two hour mark.
Granted, not every game met the mark (I think the game inventors severely underestimated the difficulty of the Pattaya Beach games), and I didn't think the "couples' episode" (ep 5), was the best of ideas -- but overall, the games were well-designed, and made so that every participant could shine at least once.
Episodes were also edited on point for the most part; the editors built tension incredibly well and I think they found the best scenes to tell a good story for each game. The amount of material must have been huge, so I really think this is impressive work.
The regular hosts were delightful! I love how competetive all of them were -- nobody backed down, even when exhausted or cornered. NuNew was a wonderful surprise. I also liked how they grew over the course of the season -- from people who knew each other in passing as professionals in the same industry to team members (or opponents) who know each other's strengths and weaknesses.
However, even with all of these great aspects, there's one thing that makes this show stand out: The hosts (and guests) all genuinely seem to like each other. I love how happy they are when an opponent does something extraordinary; I love how they step back after a fight and check if the other is okay. There never seems to be even a second of animosity between any of them.
Of course, one never knows how much exactly is scripted in shows like these but I think there is some genuine fondness among the participants.
Overall, I enjoyed almost every minute of "Running Man Thailand". I really hope the producers will consider a second season.
For those who consider watching just one episode for their favourites -- you can, of course, and it's likely you will enjoy it. But I really recommend watching all ten episodes for the development of the dynamics between the regulars.
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This review may contain spoilers
Set in a fantasy land with a timetravel/body swap trope at the centre, "I'm the most Beautiful Count" balances three (Western) genres: comedy, romance and political intrigue. It starts out as a simple comedy, slowly adds romance and lastly edges into the political plot -- I liked how the script never forgets any of the three and usually manages to combine them nicely.The romance was maybe too underwhelming for some -- the focus is on the revolution plot for quite some time, and we don't really get the two main characters be lovey-dovey together, which, in my view, wouldn't quite fit them anyway, since they do love to bicker with each other. I liked that they made it clear that even after declarations of love there will be misunderstandings and a continuous re-balancing of boundaries. I also liked how the script acknowledges that you can love one person dearly while still being attracted to another -- it's the decision if you'll want to act that makes or breaks a relationship. (That being said, I think Prince!Worradetch should have just taken all three of the men -- Kosol, Banjong and Jade -- into his harem.)
The comedy was there on-and-off throughout the series, and I liked its use until the start of the last episode. Mainly it was Prince!Worradetch being extra again and again, and their surroundings having to somehow cope with it -- but I felt that it never laughed *at* Worradetch, only with him.
While the plot about the revolution is not ... revolutionary, I found it to be solidly done for the most part. It took over much of the runtime during later episodes, as is only right, and there were some narrative tricks used to make a rather straightforward plot more interesting. For a while there I thought that we might even get an ending that was not a happy one -- but unfortunately they pulled the rug there from under our feet, and not one time, not two, but three times! And while the first one was an almost-clever plot twist, the second just cheapened the emotions they made us go through -- and the third diminished the taste of victory and justice in favour for unhinged comedy. (There is a reason why in old fairy tales the villain *always* gets punished.)
Those two last rug-pulls are tied into how the screenplay flips the mood on its head in the last episode -- we go from light-hearted plot with serious messages to silly comedy that forgets all the hardships and all the bad things that happened before, just to make a happy ending with glitter and rainbows. That was *not* needed at all. A victory that acknowledges the sacrifice that was needed to get there tastes even sweeter, don't you think?
Another great let-down were the female characters. We have our main characters who want equality and justice for *everybody* to live how they want. And the screenplay? Gives us exactly *two* women who even are in more than two scenes or so -- and one of them only appears near the end of the story. The other has exactly one reason to be there: To be the jealous antagonist for Worradech's romance arc. She doesn't contribute in a meaningful way to the revolution other than to look pretty and cook meals with chili paste. Was it really too much to ask to give her at least *one* other character trait or purpose?
On a technical side, this drama was well done. They obviously only had a limited budget -- and clever use of locations and filming angles made the world richer looking than it was. (An advantage of setting this in a fantasy land, no need to be too fussy with historical accuracy.) Fighting scenes and anything that needed a crowd looked slightly empty with only a handful of extras, and that might be the reason why there's no huge battle scene -- but I'd rather the producers and writers look for clever solutions than rely on CGI (or worse, genAI). And I think they did well with their solution, the final takedown fit Worradetch and his companions' characters extremely well, I think.
While the actors all delivered a solid performance, let me point out that I loved Nut here: He was able to switch easily between the effusive Prince and the more reserved original!Worradech. The other actor who impressed me was Lee Asre, who played the slave "Jade", who was often seen just kneeling in the background and still never fell out of his role. He showed his character's development well through his body language which relaxed incrementally with Jade's growth of confidence.
Overall, I loved this production despite its flaws. I found it engaging, never boring; and it delivered a thinly-veiled political message with its comedy, which is my favourite style of story.
Before I come to my concluding three questions, let me makes two quick detours:
Detour 1:
Prince / Worradetch calls themselves กะเทิย "kathoey". Now, I'm not Thai, so this is all from my observations from a distance, but from what I've seen and understood, กะเทิย is a concept that doesn't fit into our neat Western boxes for identity, it is something quite different. A gay man can be กะเทิย, as well as an effeminate man -- it's a spectrum that reaches up to what we call "trans woman" in the West. So, while Prince says "ฉันเป็นกะเทิยค่ะ" "I am Katheoy" they are using ฉัน, which is usually a "female"-associated pronoun, but can also be used by men. So, it doesn't mean that they say "I am a (trans) woman" (in the narrow Western sense).
They are simply กะเทิย -- that's why I prefer the term to use as it is, and not try to translate it to a Western term that will not fit in most cases.
Detour 2:
To have a drama with a katheoy character in a main role is rare. To have them be shown not as the butt of the joke but as a competent, complex human being who succeeds outside of the "assigned" careers of fashion, entertainment or beauty, but in politics of all things, is even rarer.
Actually, I only know of one other drama like this, and that is "ผู้ใหญ่ลีศรีบานเย็น" ("Headman Lee of Sri Baan Yen").
So, while I know that webtoon fans were upset that the screenwriter decided to tone down the political side and set the adaptation in a fantasy land, for me it is already a feat that "I'm the most Beautiful Count" was adapted as a drama at all. It's one thing to be a webtoon with a (relatively) small readership, it is quite another to be a drama made by an established production company and published on a major streaming platform.
This is why I am not at all disappointed -- it's much less risky to have the main characters (the good guys) push for the abolishment of the monarchy that way. For those who don't know, Thailand has one of the most restrictive lèse-majesté laws in the world. In 2023, the party who won the most votes in the election was even dissolved by the courts because they had campaigned for a less restrictive law. So, I cannot blame the production company and their writer at all for erring on the side of caution, even if that made Thai fans of the webtoon upset.
(iirc, they were upset by more than that, but I can't remember the specifics.)
Was it good?
It was well-acted, the romance and the revolution plot line were nicely balanced, and the crew used their budget well to tell a story that should have been much grander in scale. However, the drama also had a few major flaws.
Did I like it?
I thoroughly enjoyed all of it! Even the two rug-pulls and the ridiculousness of the last episode couldn't detract from that. I might even rewatch the series.
Who would I recommend it to?
To those who like to see a kathoey character in a major role. To those who don't mind over-the-top ridiculousness and are able to see the political messages behind the comedy.
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