The Effect (2019)

The title is fiting - it's a very impactful series

Viewer (reader) discretion is advised. The series with some very triggering topics which I will also mention in my review. Some such topics are rape, bullying, homophobia, violence, suicide. It has some pretty graphic scenes and it’s not for everyone.

For only having three parts, this is a very impactful series. Going into it, I knew what the story was going to be about, but I didn’t expect them to be this transparent about it. This is not a love story, far from it. It’s a story about a man who is obsessed with another and will go to any lengths to have him. The series addresses a lot of important topics and they do it quite well.

I honestly didn’t expect the rape scene to be so graphic, so violent. Not that it is a good thing, but sexual assault and non-consent are very common things we see in BL series. But they tend to romanticize both, make them gentle and with a lot of persuading. The Effect didn’t go that route. They made it violent, hurtful, traumatic. And that really had a big impact. The dialogue that accompanied the scenes were heartbreaking, especially considering that rapists who rape those that are close to them do see this as an act of love. It is not. It’s an act of violence, of needed control, of showing their dominance. And they point that out too, which is really important.

The trauma Shin went through because of Keng was portrayed very well. Not just his physical trauma through the bruises he carried on his body, but also his mental trauma. Shin’s bruises were in a way symbolic. They were a symbol of his pain, but it seemed like as they started to fade, people around him started to forget how traumatized he is. There is a scene in which Keng begs for forgiveness and offer money, and the fact that Shin’s parents agreed to that, shows that they didn’t understand his pain. I am so glad that Shin had friends who were there for him, who supported him through everything and who protected him when needed.

Social media is toxic, by now we all know that. However, that doesn’t mean that we are not impacted by what happens on social media, by what others say and post about us, even by what we post ourselves. And that is something that this series really pointed out. People always take sides, and they usually take the side of the more popular person. Be it the right side or not. Be it the truth or not. And the worst part is that once it is over, people tend to forget about what happened on social media. They treat it like it’s not reality simply because it happened online. The effects it has on a person are often times not acknowledged.

Homophobia is something that not only followed Shin and Keng at school, but also something that was coming from Keng’s parents who wanted him to protect their reputation. That’s a sad reality that many LGBTQ+ youth still face today. They either cannot be who they are due to fear of what will happen to them or because they are forced to conform to the norm of “normal behavior” that are set by the society.

Both main actors were absolutely brilliant when it came to portraying the emotions, no matter how good or bad those were. I felt their pain. They were on point with their gestures, facial expressions, body movements, even tone of voice. It was so raw, yet amazing.

I do think the story was very rushed. I wish there would be more time to develop the characters and their storylines. And to address some things a bit more in depth. To give Shin a chance to heal before our eyes. And I wish for the ending to be cleared. I am still unsure what exactly happened.

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