3
15
1
5
1
1
1
This review may contain spoilers
Road trip drama
"The End of the World With You" is, at its core, a road-trip movie -- in drama form, with a romance and instead of just one character dying, it's the whole world.And the world here feels very real -- the way the drama is filmed, acted and edited makes everything feel very grounded. There's no flashiness; sets and colours are as realistic as they can be, and as a viewer, I felt the heat of the sun, the refreshing water, the lushness of a Japanese summer.
As usual for the genre of "road trip", it's about reflecting ones past, bringing up regrets and giving character(s) their last-minute character development. And there's always the question in the background: Will we believe in a miracle?
The miracle, so much can be said, is heavily implied here but not fully confirmed. I like it when a story like this one stays open-ended, others might not be satisfied.
It took me years to start this, several days to get through the first two episodes. First because others talked about it being "hard to watch" and "toxic" (and I should have known then and there that this opinion is utter rot, the word "toxic" is as much of a bad sign as "heart-warming") and then because it seemed as if this would be another BL about lost-and-found-again love told only from the perspective of the "uke" character. But near the beginning of episode 4 I saw that this would be more.
The drama started to really go into the road trip part: picking up new party members, encountering different strangers and situations, and going deeper into the past of the four characters, which (of course) are intertwined. During this second half of the drama, Ritsu undergoes a very subtle character development -- maybe a bit too subtle for the average Western viewer. He has to confront his decisons of the past, whether good or bad. He has to face the results of his decisions -- especially what his actions towards his then-lover did to Masumi. With typical Japanese restraint, both of them quietly resolve their tension and understand each other's feelings with the prospect that their lives might end in a few days.
Or it might not, and that is the main crux of the drama and of life: We know we will have to die, but it's not certain when. Masumi and Ritsu will probably die tomorrow, but maybe, if a miracle happens, they might not. We, the viewers of the drama, will probably live longer -- but maybe, if a disaster happens, we might not.
The question is, how will you go on regardless?
Was it good?
It was made with care and a limited budget. It's surprisingly realistic for such a fantastic scenario.
Did I like it?
Yes, and much more than I thought I would. I loved the subtle and understated character development of Ritsu's.
Who would I recommend it to?
Actually, I think every BL fan should at least try it and see for themselves.
Was this review helpful to you?
Whichever aspect I consider -- story, acting, the pace, the set design, the message, how music and silance are used -- there is nothing I would want to change.
"Our Dining Table" is a gentle, slow-paced romance, tied together by simple but delicious food and an energetic little boy.
Both young men are missing something in their lives -- Yutaka is the more obvious one; since the story is mostly told from his perspective, and his loneliness and his problem with eating in a group is at the centre of the story -- but Minoru is also alone in his own way: Caring for a pre-schooler as a 23-year-old, he is only met with incomprehension from his peers, and so has lost most of his social circle.
While I was interested in Yutaka's story about how he found his own family, as well as delighted by Tane's overwhelming cuteness, it's Minoru who makes me come back to this drama. I love watching his face, and especially his eyes when he looks at Yutaka, and how their expression subtly changes over the course of the story, from interest to happiness to resignation and finally, to a gaze that is so full of love that it almost feels intrusive to watch him.
And it's not only Minoru's actor's ability that elevates a lovely story to something special -- it's all of them. The child actor, of course, but also the father's actor, who infuses the character's silliness with genuine fatherly love for his sons.
"Our Dining Table" is one of two dramas I choose to rewatch whenever I despair of humanity.
Was this review helpful to you?
เพราะเขามีหัวใจของหมอ
I breezed through this drama -- the acting is top-notch, the script (with one exception) incredibly well-written, and the characters are not only consistent but also multilayered.First of all: The acting.
There is really nothing to complain about. From the main cast to the small roles, there was no awkward moment or a moment where I would have said that something didn't fit with the character or the scene.
Especially for some of the main cast, whose characters are more of the ambivalent type, they managed to make me like or dislike them, as needed by the respective scene.
The script is overall very neatly written. It gently leads us through the lives of a group of doctors in a Thai hospital; with Doctor Talodgan and his journey through self-doubt and grief at the centre, and several other story lines around him, some just an episode long, others are weaved through more than half of the total runtime.
There is a set-up of an important plot point right at the beginning, and then, especially after episode 5, more and more story lines are gently introduced. There is a lot going on between episodes 6 and 14 -- but somehow the drama never feels crowded or rushed; on the contrary, there is a lot of space to work through the emotions we feel together with the characters as well as space to breathe between events.
The story picks up pace in the last two episodes, where the crime plot and its fall-out come to the forefront and the secrets of the past are revealed -- here most of the long-term story lines are tied together into one.
There is one revelation in episode 14 that in my opinion didn't fit the rest of the narrative, as well as a brief dip into a cliche in episode 15, but that is overall negligible.
"เพราะเขามีหัวใจของหมอ -- Because they have the heart of a doctor" is at the centre of the drama -- which is question of what it means to "have a doctor's heart", i.e. the ethics of being a medical professional. Around it there are other issues that are discussed by Thai society: for example the influence of social media on public perception or how money, political power and social status are still a deciding factor in whether a person gets preferential treatment in society. I also liked how the drama places importance on mental well-being as part of being healthy, and de-stigmatizes seeking professional help in these matters.
The characters are very consistent -- and most importantly, nobody except for two background (but influential) characters is solely a hero or a villain, not even the hospital director. The script gives every character a reason for their actions and feelings as well as the chance to grow throughout the series. I found this the most obvious for Talodgan's friend and colleague, Tonnam, and for the female intern, Fon.
Relating to that, there were many points where the script could have veered into lakorn territory, with jealousy, love triangle or revenge plots. It didn't.
There is a slight romance arc, but it's more simmering in the background, and even the love confessionss are extremely understated.
Overall, the characters are *adults* and medical professionals and act accordingly.
The medical aspect seems to be very accurate -- given that there are several messages about healthy living, organ and blood donations and other medical issues that are relevant for the average citizen, and that medical ethics are at the centre, it's good that the writers and the director paid a lot of attention to this. I loved how they showed the doctors as professionals, and that there is no more drama in the cases than needed. An normal operation is already tense enough, you don't need extra dramatics.
A last note: The background music was sometimes a bit too sentimental, but I loved the percussion part in tense moments, which sounded a bit like a heart beat.
Was it good?
Yes! It had very tidy writing, and the acting was superb. I liked how they weaved character development, a sound plot and messages to the public into one engaging drama.
Did I like it?
I loved it and finished the whole thing in days. I love the unhurried pace, and how every character has their redeeming qualities. Also, the romance was barely there.
Who would I recommend it to?
To anyone who watches dramas for the characters, who can cope with a pace that takes its time to arrive where it was going, and who doesn't need a blazing romance.
Was this review helpful to you?
Twists and turns, steeped in Thai spiritualism
"Shadow" is an all-around solid supernatural mystery (not horror) with some gay main characters. It's not a romance, and there are no BL tropes in sight.So, anyone who wants a BL romance should maybe not watch it.
However, those who are interested in a ghost mystery with a lot of twists and turns, to the very last second even, might have a great time with it.
Before I go into my thoughts about the script, let me say a sentence or two about the actors. They were fantastic!
This was only the second role of Fiat Patchata's that I saw him in. The first (in this year's "The Death of Khun Phra") was so different that I almost can't believe that this is the same actor! Both Fluke Natouch and Poon Mitpakdee were excellent; and Utt Uttsada led me by the nose with his portrayal of Brother Anurak.
And Singto Prachaya? If there was any doubt at all that he was brilliant as Dan, any doubt would have been swept away by the last eight minutes of the drama.
The sets, the camera work, the background music and the colours were appropriately done for setting the mood of each scene; I admit I am not overly fond of the end credits song.
The script though.
The script was *everything* I look for in a supernatural mystery.
It led me from one question to another -- I had so many theories while I watched it, and most of them made a lot of sense at the time, but then with the next reveal, all of them had to be discarded. And it was well-written in that regard: the new information *always* made sense, and in the end I saw that I had picked up on some important hints and foreshadowing, without understanding what I saw at the time.
When the story ended, there were only very few loose threads and unanswered questions, none of which concerned the main plot.
Apart from all the the parallels to "Hamlet", one other thing in the script I adore was that it managed to include some metaphorical commentary on some other topics, for example on Thailand's history and the influence of western culture, on how being viewed as different can lead to self-destruction, as well as how abuse shapes children, and more.
Just a few, hopefully non-spoilery examples:
* The forest spirit whose mutually beneficial co-existence with the locals is cut by the arrival of western (Christian) culture, and is consequently becoming twisted and malevolent.
* The silence of Thai society about the events of 6th October, which they call "Red October" in the drama (I suggest to read up on it, this is *the* scar on Thailand's communal conscience), ultimately leads to more pain and mistrust in the present.
* Trin, Dan and Nai are different from the norm -- and the difference in how they are dealing with it and if they have the good kind of support leads to growth or destruction.
* An abused and lonely child is easy prey for the next abuser, who can use the child's needs and trauma to forge a connection and the illusion of safety and belonging.
"Shadow" is also deeply intertwined with Thai spiritualism and Buddhist believes, and I'm sure I didn't understand all of it. Like with the events of 6th October, the writers assume that the audience are aware of it, and I'm sure that Thai viewers understand much of what is only implicitely said that I don't.
One belief that does seem to be extremely important is the concept of "karma" -- that is different for everybody from birth, and that we might be able to escape, or not.
I also suspect that the Thai and Buddhist way of seeing the world influenced the ending and the overall meaning of the drama -- which might lead to some disappointment by western viewers because it means the story goes towards a different conclusion than westerners might expect or hope for.
So.
Was it good? -- Yes, the script was solid and engaging, the acting excellent.
Did I like it? -- Oh, yes. It had everything I want in a mystery, made me develop theories and ideas and gave me lots of twists, right until the very end. And I *loved* the ending.
Who would I recommend it to? -- To everyone who likes supernatural mysteries, and like to explore the mystery together with the characters. Not to those who are looking for a BL.
Was this review helpful to you?
The awards are certainly well deserved. The acting, the soundtrack, the cinematography, everything served to enhance an already incredible story.
Here are some aspects that impressed me:
* The whole drama is not something to watch casually. Every minute is relevant, every twitch or facial twist is an important part of the story.
* I loved how I got to see only bits and pieces of what happened -- and had me mistrusting everybody throughout the series. Especially during the first episodes, which left me reeling with their cliffhangers. And then there was some new bit of info which slotted seamlessly into what I knew but changed all my ideas on what was going on.
* The first episodes made me guess and mistrust to the point where I expected a new twist even to the very end, when in other dramas I would already have been bored by the predictable plot -- I did no longer trust my own deductions nor my knowledge of the genre's usual plots, culprits and tropes.
* Every character is just shades of grey. Everybody's got their motives and reasons for their actions. Nobody is purely good, and still, a lot of them are somewhat likeable. That is something not a lot of dramas manage to do.
* I loved the role smiling and laughing played in this drama. I think the times when a smile, a chuckle or a laugh was really genuine instead of expressing any kind of negative emotion could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
* While the female characters were in the minority (no surprise there), all of them were strong, independent and active characters in their own right. (Apart from the victims of the serial killer, which was one of the few genre-conforming elements.)
* And last: No romance! Always a plus.
If you are a fan of mystery thrillers, this one will be worth your time!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Please pay no mind to the star ratings for this review. Because I admit it, I am one of those people for whom this series has nostalgic value. When I first watched it in 2022, this was only my second live-action BL drama (and my first encounter with anything Thai), and I was *fascinated*. I had been reading Japanese BL manga in the early 2000s and I have been a voracious reader of slash fanfiction for more than 25 years now -- but I never knew live-action BLs even existed until 2022. So, I was feeling slightly overwhelmed, and this makes me feel more favourable towards this series than it deserves.
Because, if we are being honest, apart from Pete and Ae's love story, this drama is not very good.
It starts with the technical side:
The colours are strangely subdued (for a Thai production), without there being a narrative reason for it. The background noise is at times overwhelming (especially in a scene where Pete, his mother and Ae sit near a fountain) -- although at other time I find it charming to hear university life going on in the background. We can hear clothes brushing over microphones in some scenes. Props are not quite what they should be (thereare props from IKEA at rich Pete's house, and school bags are often obviously empty. In some scenes the actors look as if they had to do their own hair and make-up.
The show obviously had a rather low budget; but not everything about it is bad. I love the messy dorm room -- a bit icky, probably hot -- and both the flat colours and the background noise give the university grounds a realistic vibe -- watching the young people in the canteens, on the walkways and on the football field, surrounded by the noise and heat of Thailand, I always feel that this is just one of many stories happening on the campus. It's nothing like most of the newer airbrushed and clean BL drama, which are painfully obviously set in drama-land.
If we're looking at the acting and the directing, the series is mediocre: Some scenes are full of awkward acting -- some are more watchable. Since most actores were complete newbies at the time, I can understand it -- but better directing could have helped here. There are some scenes that are outstanding though. One of them is the beautiful coming out-scene in episode 1 -- the hesitation in the beginning, the way Pete's mum suppresses her own feellings and turns away and towards Pete again and again, the tentative questions and the short but reassuring answers, until both are in tears, the hesitant acceptance in the end -- this is the kind of coming-out scene I miss in newer BLS, where acceptance often is immediate and coming out is no big deal. (And while we here, I love that Pete describes himself as "gay", and doesn't only use descriptive terms.)
And an upopular opinion, maybe: I wish they had cast someone else than Perth for Ae. Don't get me wrong, Perth does a good job (especially considering his age)! But Ae is time and again described as short, stocky and dark -- Perth is none of these. Ae's appearance is an important part of his character though, and one of his sources of insecurity, and I would have liked it bo be more obvious. Alos, I would have liked to see the visual difference between a dark, stocky and short Ae and a light-skinned, tall and lanky Pete.
And now to the most obvious flaws: the storylines. We have five couples here, which is aready too much for a fourteen episode series, and half of them are not what I'd call good romance.
The one with the least screentime is also the worst -- outright rape, and subsequent victim-blaming, which is only played for laughs? Yeah, this is where it becomes very clear that this is based on a MAME story. Since this was a Wabi Sabi production and aired by GMM25, there must have been people in charge who worked independently from MAME and should have been able to cut this from the drama? I really don't want to know what the producers and screenwriter were thinking.
The story of Tar and Tum is very flawed -- I don't really mind that they are step-brothers. Two consenting adults can do what they want, in my opinion, as long as there won't be any children (the risk of genetic diseases is just too high). The thing is, there's no consent here in the scene where Tum tries to assault Tar. What I don't like about this subplot are two things: a) the story neither begins nor ends within the series. We don't know the background if we don't know TharnType, and the story does not stop at a satisfying point. And b) Tar's trauma is not handled well. If he's still victim-blaming himself-- then why is he not still in therapy? Why does his brother not know anything about it? (He doesn't need to know details, but it's quite obviuos that Tum is completely in the dark here.)
Putting the Tar/Tum story and the No/Kengkla plot next to each other -- why? We have a guy thoroughly traumatized by rape and in the same drama, rape is supposed to be something funny? Doesn't compute at all. Why did nobody notice?
Can and Tin, well. This is a mixed bag for me. I strongly dislike the "top pressures the bottom into sexual situations" trope, so I was not enamoured with their story at first, or later. Can is clearly not in a mental place where he is ready to enter *anything* remotely romantic / sexual, and Tin is only trying to get someone so he won't be alone any more, so his pursuing Can is not about Can, only about himself. So, I was really happy with their ending -- Can got a good character development arc, where he ends up realizing what a romantic/sexual relationship could mean for him, understanding that he does not want it at the moment -- and consequently rejecting Tin. Go, Can!
I did love Cha-Aim and Pond. I love their constant bickering, love how she always pushes back at Pond whenever he gets too much. I love a woman who knows her worth, and can clearly communicate her boundaries and her wants. Pond comes across as this slightly icky, sex-crazed porn addict (and I don't love his slightly homophobic attitude at the beginning). But as we get to know him, we can see that behind his "Three S" behaviour, there's actually a guy who cares about his friends deeply, and who never judges people for who they are.
Well, and Pete and Ae? Their love story is the one reason I can't give a lower rating than I did. This is a wonderful teenage love story, with a lot of "firsts" for both of them. I usually don't like the top/bottom dynamics, which are extremely strong here (Ae is rough, strong, possessive, while Pete is meek, soft, and very shy). But with them, it fits -- here, it feels as if they are two halves ot the same whole. And while Ae is extremely possessive, he is also someone who doesn't feel as if he deserved Pete (and seeks reassurance from Pete!). Yes, Ae is clearly the dominant partner -- but as a good dominant partner should, he always chacks in with Pete and tries to be aware of any boundaries. Even the "gay for you" trope works here, since Ae hasn't had any sexual desire before.
Like with any good teenage romance, both Pete and Ae grow in the course of navigating their relationship, and are more adult in the end than in the beginning.
So, can I recommend it?
Not really. There's so many good BL series nowadays, that it's really not necessary to watch this one.
On the other hand, Love by Chance *is* one of the classics which laid the groundwork for following works. And Ae and Pete are just adorable. Should you decide to try it, you should be aware of the show's many flaws and prepare yourself for a rather explicit rape scene in episode 14. Or you can just fast-forward through all of the scenes with Kengkla (No alone is okay) and with Tum or Tar in them. You won't miss anything.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Mr Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss" is a series that has both a title that is too long and episodes that are too short.Or maybe the episodes are just long enough -- long enough to develop a light-hearted story that makes us fall in love with the main characters and get to know the side characters. Dragging it out would not have helped, in my opinion.
This is what makes the show outstanding:
* The acting for Fukuhara's character is on point. I love how the actor can go from fake high-pitched cuteness when covering up his bad luck to real joy when something goes right, to his inner monologues complaining about his bad luck, to his real self when talking to Shinomiya.
* I like how the professor's lectures fit into the developing relationship. Also, from what I know of psychology, the theories presented are actual theories.
* It is astounding how the people working on this show have developed the supporting characters so well that I feel like I know them, even though they get very little screen time.
* The attention to detail in both the acting and the sets makes this show worth watching more than once (or twice. Or three times.)
* I am also glad that the issue of consent is so prominent in the story. (Especially as it's a point of concern in some other BLs.) Not only is it discussed several times, but the characters follow through to the end -- even to the frustration of the character who said no. The sudden kiss in episode 1 is also discussed later. (So, actually, the title is wrong. Fukuhara Kouta does have a choice to kiss!)
I also love how they showed that Fukuhara with his bouts of bad luck and Shinomiya with his incredible good luck both stand apart from the people around them. Now that they have found their counterpart who can bring balance to their lives, they will be able to open up to others and live as normal people among them.
I must admit that the nature in the background always confuses me a bit, as the story is set in April, but the nature looks like autumn -- but that might be because the whole colour palette tends towards brown and orange?
All in all, I highly recommend this series. It's fluffy and sweet, something nice to watch when you need a pick-me-up.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
pure crack
Are you familiar with the term "crack fic" from fan fiction? This is like that -- as if the writer asked: what are the most common tropes for BL stories to get two guys together, and how can I put all of them in one show?Here's some of the tropes:
forced cohabitation
only one bed
tutor -- student
a fujoshi
a love rival who makes one of them realize his feelings
caring for the ill love interest
sharing food
childhood bully to lover
gay for you
This show is silly, with intentionally exaggerated acting (bordering on slapstick) and camera work, and no plot besides the aforementioned tropes.
If you are not a fan of silliness and suggestive scenes that never actually get anywhere, then this is not for you. If, on the other hand, you are willing to laugh at your own love of BL and are also a fan of silly slapsticky situations, then what are you waiting for?
Also, it might be of interest to know that this is all about the phase BEFORE one of them finally realizes the attraction to the other, so there's no actual relationship here.
In a traditional broadcast setting, this show would fit perfectly at the end of a more serious BL drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
What I liked best:
* The initial premise is different and interesting, the story arcs well paced and in the end, all story threads are neatly tied up. Even if they ended the series with a glimpse of a new plot, it felt more like a "this is not the end" than a cliffhanger.
* The main character was extremely well acted, I loved the facial expressions (or, sometimes, the lack of them) and how the actor moved his body, we never forget that this is actually a dead body, not a living being.
* The comedy was there duiring all the episodes, and varied between spoofing Zombie movies and the detective genre, slapstick-y routines and just plain hilarious situations.
* The mysteries were not too simple, but simple enough for a comedy.
* Some K-Dramas I've watched have a weird slump in pacing or story in the 9th to 11th episdes. This one doesn't, every episode was interesting or funny enough to keep me watching.
* There was no romance between the two main characters, only a hint of interest on the woman's side, which is not even recognized by the zombie detective.
Was this review helpful to you?
Things I liked most:
* The female characters! Although they were still in the minority, they were fantastic! The two main female characters were an equal part of the cast -- in most cases the female forensic doctor was the one who found the deciding clue, even. Both were shown as professionals, with interesting personal lives, own ambitions and well-rounded personalities.
* The team! We get to know all five (hm, six) people of the UDI well, and how they learn and grow together. They start as distant, even uncomfortable colleagues -- and in the end, they work as a well-integrated team. Some of them get some character development, some don't really need it.
* The supporting cast! Even they got a personality, some are more mysterious, some antagonistic, some familial. All of them clearly have their own motivations and goals.
* The acting! The directing! The soundtrack!
* No Romance! Well, over the course of one or two episodes, the male part-timer wonders if the female lead might be interested in him, and it seems he wouldn't have rejected any advances -- but! That fizzles out and is never even thought about again.
(Although, as I read through the other reviews, I see Orangevine's who states that "There is also a love triangle (with the caveat that one must be well-versed in Japanese romance tropes to spot it)". I'm obviously not well-versed, so I don't see it.)
* Minimal gore! We see blood, contusions, discoloration of the skin, some wounds, the occasional part of an organ preserved in formalin. Faces of the deceased are never disfigured, there are a few scenes where we see how the scalpel starts to cut, but never any opened bodies or any inner body parts while the autopsy is in progress.
All in all, it's remarkably respectful of the dead (compared to US productions) and there's never any kind of voyeurism.
* A fascinating insight into Japanese culture! Concerning death, and how the deceased and those who have contact with them are regarded and what it means for the politics around them.
* Last but not least: The cases! Not every case is a crime, but they are all interesting. The first one is noticably from before CoViD. The seventh had me in tears, that one hit close to home for me. The overarching plot was also intense, and was the main focus of the last three or so episodes, and tied all the personalities and their development together.
Was this review helpful to you?
Weird, remarkably consistent -- and can make you think if you look beyond the Pork Blood Soup
For vampire Pun, only meeting Yo makes his own life meaningful. Only when they are together, during the all too short span of a human life, there can be happiness. Pun will enjoy every single second with Yo, it doesn't matter if these seconds are good, bad, or deeply absurd.For those who seek help in deciding if they should watch this series, this might be important to know:
* Take all of your ideas what a vampire story should be like, and put them away, because this story either discards them or at least subverts all the vampire tropes.
* Almost all of the characters are weird in some way. If you can't handle "cringe" (whatever that is, because I still don't understand the word), then this might not be for you.
* Blood Pork Soup sometimes feels like the main character of the show. This is what brings the group together.
* This is not a fast-paced romance. At times, it seems as if this show is not about the romance, but about the absurdity of life. Which also means that sometimes it seems that nothing is happening at all. Relax, follow the flow of the drama, enjoy every scene on its own, without expecting it to advance the story -- and you'll enjoy this show.
* Pun is, and that is important to notice, usually at least an unreliable narrator -- inconsistencies in what he says are not plot holes. Take everything Pun says about himself or other vampires with a grain of salt, he has his reasons.
* You *will* get a common trope used in stories about humans and immortals at the end.
* And last, watch the trailer https://youtu.be/5ekNPUazAmA. For a trailer, this one is pretty much accurate. If you like what you see there, you might like the series.
_________________________________
Now, the things I love about the series:
1. The series tries to do something different.
While I can love a tropey rom-com, I don't want only that. I love when somebody does something new; when tropes are discarded or subverted. Actually, I was deeply sceptical before I started watching this serie, because I DON'T like vampire stories and their tropes. Dark and brooding, cruel and mysterious, erotic blood-sucking included? No, thank you. But this one is different. This is colourful, and bright, and everybody enjoys the absurdity life can bring.
"Different" always gets bonus points, even if other aspects might not be good.
2. The characters are weird, and so, so loveable.
Pun, of course, the good vampire who loves Yo and Pork Blood Soup, who once wore braces as an accessory, whose assortment of colourful umbrellas shade us from the harsh sun of reality.
Yo, who is obsessed with aliens and fascinated by the weird, who likes wearing his beaded bracelets and, of course, loves eating Pork Blood Soup.
Kamsai, whose main goal in life is to have a Pork Blood Soup stall, and who is the most pragmatic of them all at the age of 16.
Yam, Yo's little sister, who seems to be a no-nonsense kind of person but ultimately gives in to the weird obsession of Yo's, and who is the one who has a good sense for people and is the first to point out the attraction between Yo and Pun.
Shin, of course, who is hard-working, always full of energy, and who seems to have a slight humiliation kink.
And then there are the side characters; the alien-obsessed Pak and her mute girlfriend, the nosy but courageous auntie, Gyoza and her elderly grandma, the small and cheeky landlady.
3. The series is consistent:
When I watched the series for the first time, I waited for the plot to fall apart very episode. It didn't. Actually, after rewatching, I can say, the plot and the worldbuilding is remarkably consistent -- there are no glaring inconsistencies, no obvious plot holes. I do wish the writer had put more obvious clues about Pun's backstory in earlier episodes. As it is, the last episodes reveals *two* crucial pieces of information about the past and has to resolve all of it in half an episode -- this might be one of the reasons some people find the ending rushed.
I also have to mention that this is one of the few Thai BLs that actually give us dates! The main story starts shortly before Valentine (episode 1, the couple's discount at the food stall) and ends shortly after Songkran, then there's a time-skip of a year, after which follows a montage over the next fifty-four years (this can be easily calculated). So, and I think that's something a lot of people haven't noticed, the main part only takes just over two months -- that's actually not that long.
I also feel that the characters are consistent in their actions. There wasn't a scene when I thought that someone was out of character. Even the side characters had, well, *character*.
Look at Chalui / Luis for example. He's part of "UFO and the gang" (Yo's college friend group) -- if you observe him, he's obviously not as into alien hunting as Yo and Pak. He rolls his eyes continuously, he doesn't want to get involved with that vampire nonsense. He points out that their thesis in the next semester will be a solo project -- and consequently, disappears from the moment the break starts and doesn't appear again. (And, let's be honest, friend groups at college form and disband all the time.)
4. Something that also impressed me were the props and sets.
Seeing the Pun and Yo's rooms, they fit their characters. None of those soulless condos and houses for the super-rich that look as if they were just rented spaces for a series. I can see Yo and Pun *living* there, surrounded by all the things that are important to them. The roof-top restaurant, too, evolves over time, from a neglected space to a place where our group regularly meets and eats their pork blood soup -- props were added over the course of the series, changed places, were *used*. That shows what you can do with a small budget, if you know what you want.
5. The music.
Most of the songs are sung by Boy YourMOOD, who also plays Shin in this show, they are as up-beat and colourful as the whole series. And I encourage you to pay attention to the songs at the opening and closing credits!
6. The plot, in all its consistency, leaves some questions unanswered. (Yes, I'm still at "things I love")
I don't mean the important questions -- the main plot itself is resolved in the end; we get to hear the reasons for the main obstacle, we know why Pun acts the way he does. But there are some minor plot points that are left open -- I won't talk about them here, I try to keep this spoiler-free.
The thing is, I like it when I can think and theorize more after a show has ended. When I can have my little fantasies about what happened before and why, about what someone did or said between scenes, about what will happen after the last scene. Bonus points for that!
7. Below all of the quirky weirdness, there lie unexplored depths of existential questions.
Throughout the series, it feels as if the mood is just one turn away from shifting into the dark.
The drama asks: What to do when everything falls apart and the thing / the person that gave meaning to your life is gone? What will you do when you are the one who will outlive them all?
And: How much do you let yourself be defined by what you are? Can you go against your very own nature? Against what everybody else says how you should be? How long will you be able to defy expectations?
And: What makes a good life? Can happiness be a bowl of Pork Blood Soup?
________________________
The acting by all of the actors was not something exceptional, but we've all seen much worse in Thai BLs. Both main actors did a good job -- especially Pun's besotted stares and Yo's laugh whenever he was embarrassed or confused were very well done. The comedic timing was usually spot-on for me, and where it wasn't. it seems mainly be a strange editing choice. Somchai could have had more range -- the clapping and laughing got samey after a while, but in other scenes the actor was good enough to make everybody hate his character. Special mention goes to Mild who played Kaemsai, what a remarkable scene in episode 11! And she was only 16 when they filmed; I'm looking forward to following her acting career.
__________________
And, at last, the not-so-good.
Because everything cannot be perfect, and we can love something while also be aware of the flaws.
I already pointed it out earlier: There are two crucial plot points that answer questions that are central to the whole plot; and we don't even get real hints before that. While rewatching, I noticed that, at least for one of those plot points, there are actions that make much more sense now that I know what I know -- during the first time, I felt that there was something ... not quite off, but strange about them, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
In my opinion, it would have been possible to place more and stronger hints in earlier episodes, without revealing everything. It might also have made the series more palatable for the people who felt that it was "too slow" or that "nothing is happening".
To everyone who made it to the end of this review, I say:
โบกมือลา ... แล้ววันหน้าพบกันใหม่ --- Wave goodbye ... and meet you again in the future.
Was this review helpful to you?
So, yes, I don't mind the wonky audio quality or how the change between scenes is often less than smooth. I can focus on how the actors do their best (and mostly succeed) and on the interesting camera angles.
What I do mind is if the script is not good. You don't need a high budget to write a good script -- you need a vision. And I think this is where the weakness of this film lies.
The three stories are very good -- on their own. The shy and confused boys experiencing their first love feels very grounded in reality, the close-ups and the wonkiness of the camera work support the viscerality of the story. The second changes genres -- from slice-of-life to horror: And this, too, has interesting lighting and camera angles, and is quite well written, with somewhat of an open end even. And the third returns to a more sensitive topic, and this screenplay makes us feel for all three men in just twenty minutes.
In the last few minutes, the script tries to tie the three storiess together -- but ultimately fails. There's a theory in the comments on MyDramaList, but the mental twisting it requires to make it work (and even then there are too many details that just don't fit) makes me think that these originally were three seperate stories, maybe even sperate projects.
letterboxd lists three directors for this project, and the difference in styles in the three stories indicate that each one was directed by one director. I suspect that they only noticed at the end of their work that they maybe should try to make the stories into one, which is why things don't really fit together.
In my view, they did their project a disservice by doing so. Each of the stories is not bad on its own; this could have been a simple omnibus. Each of the stories shows a different age in life already (teenagers, young adults, adults). The Thai title เพราะรัก...ไม่สิ้นสุด "Because Love ... never ends" would make a perfect starting point for a journey through the stages of life; just choose some middle-aged actors for the third story, and you already have it.
The three directors chose to do differently, but I don't think it works well enough.
Was it good?
Each of the stories were not bad for an indie production. The whole doesn't make sense, unfortunately.
Did I like it?
If I pretend that the stories are independant from each other, then yes.
Who would I recommend it to?
To those who want to peek into the history of Thai gay cinema. Not to BL fans who are used to recent productions and want everathing to have the same production quality.
Was this review helpful to you?
However, despite all of these technical issues, the film is worth a watch. Both main leads do a good job of portraying their characters -- I wish some of the newer BL productions had this high of acting quality -- and since this is a character driven story, that is the most important part for me.
Tum's story, who is the character we mostly follow in the beginning, is a classic coming-of-age story: He leaves the familiar shores of home and sets out into the wide world, where he meets people whose life is unusual for him, goes through rites of passage, falls in love, makes peace with his father, and finds what he wants in life.
Personally, I find Kim's story much more interesting -- he is a boy who is very lonely, who drifts over the island like a ghost. He is the one who embodies the feeling of "other" that makes us feel Not Seen. A supporting character puts it like this "มันคงจะดีนะ ถ้าใครสักคนเห็นเราอยู่ในสายตา" -- "It's probably good, right? When someone has us in their view." This desire to be seen, to be understood, is a very human trait, I think.
This could have been maybe made a little bit more obvious for the casual viewer; instead the writer tried to insert another metaphor into the story -- a metaphor which is related to wate: Pivotal scenes are often either in the rain or at the sea shore, and the girl who ties two storylines together is called น้ำ /náam/ "Water"), so I suppose this is intentional but I'm not sure what it means.
Together with the aspect that there were some scenes that didn't add much to the story, I think that the script could have been tightened slightly to make the theme clearer.
One last thing: The film is tagged with "BL", "gay", "young love" and "sexual awakening" on GagaOOLala, but it isn't, not really. In my view, it's less queer than "Confetti", and that one went over the head of many viewers, according to reactions on letterboxd. It's perfectly possible to view "Summer to Winter" as a film about a strong friendship between two young people.
As it is, it's a fine low-budget film, with some beautiful shots of Koh Tao, decent acting by the main leads, and a good, though not great, screenplay.
Was it good?
Overall, I think this was actually quite nice for an indie low-budget film.
Did I like it?
I would have liked it sightly better if the editing had been a bit gentler, but yes, I did.
Who would I recommend it to?
Not to people who only want to watch BLs. To those who love coming-of-age stories, and who like metaphors.
Was this review helpful to you?
The romance starts off strong -- and then comes to a complete standstill for six episodes. In that time, the series discusses how workplace dynamics (in particular hierarchies and the concept of seniority) influence the quality of work and of work life. It also picks up themes like bossing, the culturally significant concepts of "saving face" and เกรงใจ /greng-jai/ (the feeling of not wanting to burden people who have seniority/authority with your own needs or wishes), office gossip and others. We follow Pat in his first months at the office, and how he learns to find his own place in this world. The difference between his coworkers (who expect the Thai way of doing and saying things) and his superior, who is, even by my German standards, extremely up-front and blunt with his feedback, is striking; and I expect this might hit a nerve with Zillenial Thai viewers.
We also get to see how his friends go through things: getting prgnant, breaking up, living through unrequited love ... all of the things many young people in their twenties experience.
"Step by Step" is also the first Thai BL series I've watched that takes work issues seriously and not just as pretty background for a sweeping romance. The inter-office work as well as the lingo and the workflow felt quite realistic -- I'm not sure if it actually is, but if there was any nonsense, I didn't notice it. It certainly was better than whatever they did in "Bed Friend" or "A Boss and a Babe".
After episode six, the focus pivots towards the romance -- and while I liked how they gently re-introduce it at first, the whole thing takes a nosedive near the end of episode 8. It recovers slightly in episode 10, when the same-sex relationship between boss and employee becomes known and thus an issue (but only for this episode), and then never fully recovers again. Here are some (hopefully non-spoilery) examples of things that went wrong:
* The timeline went wobbly -- what we get in time stamps, doesn't make sense.
In the beginning, Pat is 25, his friend knows she is pregnant (and in the third month of pregnancy), and Jeng gets a year to turn the department profitable.
Sometime later Pat has a birthday, then his friend gives birth, then we get a small time skip of three months. But then there's almost tow quarters left of the year Jeng had?
After that, there's a time skip of two years, another of birthday of Pat's -- and in the last minutes of the series, he says he is 26 years old. Sigh.
* The secondary pairing doesn't get a resolution at all, after a lot of dramatics between episodes 5 and 10 or 11.
* Some supporting characters are important in the first half, and then never come back. One supporting character has a 180°-turn with her characterization.
* Jeng has a breakdown in episode 8 because of his feelings -- there was never any hint before that he was that deep in love. Overall, the progression of emotions was uneven; especially just before and after they got together, there seemed to be a jump in attraction/love; which could have been prepared better.
* Let's just forget the lakorn-ish birth scene, which happened in a public bus with onlookers filming, and which had never any impact on anything else.
* The conflict between Jeng and his father never gets resolved. Jeng even says "this was too easy" at one point, but there's never any follow-up. (The father was also a severely underutilized character. And maybe all the more jarring because his actor was good enough to give him characterization where there was none in the script.)
* In episode 12, which is overly long already, with 1 hour 49 minutes, instead of resolving the remaining conflicts (e.g. the secondary couple's story), the last 30 minutes were spent on Pat and Jeng being domestic together in unrelated scenes. Also, Pat was ukefied in these last scenes, which, for me, made all his character growth kind of pointless.
And it's really a shame that the writing falls apart to that extent. We have this really well-introduced office and its work dynamics. We have a diverse friend group, that even has a token het couple, with interesting romantic and platonic relationships. We have a discussion about social issues about society and workplace politics. And then nothing of that is used to the fullest, and in some cases, not even resolved. I wished a ThaiPBS writer would take the same premise and run with it -- to think that they could do another "The Summer We Met" with this? I would love it. The potential for something special was there.
It's strange that despite these issues, I ended up liking the series anyway. Maybe because the first half was so strong for me. Maybe because I really liked both Pat and Jeng, and they did make me feel all aflutter when they were together.
Was it good?
In regard to production qualtiy and acting, it was an average Thai BL. It could have been a perfect ThaiPBS lakorn, if the romance had been reduced to a minimum and the social commentary about working as a young adult and issues of nepotism and class had been more developed.
It's also really unfortunate that the ending just fizzled out.
Did I like it?
Despite the issues the series had, I liked it fine, strangely enough, especially the first six episodes. I might even rewatch it some day.
Who would I recommend it to?
To be honest, I don't think I would recommend it. I would not advise against watching it, for those who like to watch a story that's slow to unfold and focuses on work relationships.
Was this review helpful to you?
I had no idea how this ended up on my "Watch Later!" list on iQIYI, and was not aware at all what this would be about. So, it took the first two episodes to figure things out -- is it horror? Mystery? Thriller? Elements of these were present in the first episode -- and the second turned out to be more on the silly side?
Finally, I understood that this is a collection of short stories -- they are just all happening in a remote run-down hotel.
Now, short stories are a genre that not everybody can get along with. They tend to have no real introduction, only outlines of characters, and often an abrupt or open ending. Nowadays, when we are used to media that spells things out more often than not (and, when in doubt, more than once), we are occasionally thrown by this form of story telling.
Keeping this in mind, these twelve short stories (each of them just about ten minutes) were well done. In each episode, we get a guest (or a group of guest) who come to the hotel -- and most of the episode is spent trying to find out what on earth is happening, who they are and why they have come there. All of the stories are more or less absurd, some silly, some surreal. Some with a layer of meaning below the obvious.
It's very clear that this was made on a shoestring budget, but that it was used well! The location fit well with the stories, and the actors were mostly doing a good job -- with the shortness of the stories it was occasionally hard to tell. I wish the writer had given the recurring cast -- the hotel's employees -- a bit more character: Not necessarily multi-faceted, broad strokes are more than enough, but just slightly more -- especially the two female characters stayed too bland.
I did like how they integrated elements of horror and mystery as well as rom-coms, mixed with comedy, into their little absurdist stories -- you'd never quite knew how things would turn out.
Overall, it was a nice change of pace, and I enjoyed some episodes a lot, other were ... forgettable, which is the norm for me with anthologies. I liked the dramatics of the hotel manager and the absurdity of the short stories.
If the English subs on iQiYi had been better better (they were machine translated, and I occasionally had to guess what was being said), this would get a rec from me.
Was this review helpful to you?
