Golden Blood (2021)

I knew it was only a matter of time before there would be a BL "The Bodyguard" clone...

There, I said it. Basically this is like an LGBT/BL version of the 1992 film with (the late) Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, and this clearly caught my attention enough to make the comparison.

Skimming some of the other reviews here, and seeing the overwhelming disapproval of Sky (portrayed by Gun Napat Na Ranong), it didn't even dawn on me that he played Techno in the other series that I remember watching not too long ago: "Love By Chance". And they're not wrong -- other than a couple of scenes where Sky demonstrated anger towards Sun (portrayed by Boat Tara Tipa) -- he's really lackluster in the role. A MacGuffin that could have easily been replaced by any actor (or actress) for the purpose of the story.

The story itself is straightforward enough. Mafia Princess... err, I mean Prince... spoiled rotten and going to be used as a pawn in a cartel shift of power between Sky's father (portrayed by Oat Voravudh Niyomsap) and a rival mafia lord (portrayed by Kradum Thanayong Wongtrakul). Blah, blah, blah... seriously this plot was lifted from so many other movies and shows that you can practically sleep through is as it's more filler to the ongoing plot than the driving factor of the story...

Now to break it down to three categories

* The Good:

Gold Stars go to Boat Tara Tipa for being able to convey emotional depth through body language, facial expressions and even through eye and eyebrow expressions. In fact in one of the school scenes at the beginning of the series when Bank (portrayed by newcomer Tenon Teachapat Pinrat) said something that Sun didn't approve of, Sun gave a look that I saw my first boyfriend give someone that had threatened me at a nightclub a long time ago. And it's been more than 35 years since I've ever seen a similar look given by *anyone*.

More gold stars go to J-Chin (portrayed by Dai Setthasitt Limkasiddej) for being the sense and sanity that tied together what I had been suspecting going on with Sun between duty, honor, and obligation. Seeing the final scene with him brought back memories too intense to talk about casually here in a simple review. Needless to say, it bought a smile of bittersweet memory being triggered.

Interesting the placement of the magnetic hearts above and below the shirt between Sky and Sun. It was pretty clear to this Eastern Philistine who's heart was out in the open and who's was not... And it was doubly interesting how other than the scene which they exchanged the jewelry was one of the earlier times where they were both out.

Thank the producers and the powers that be that Toktaeng (portrayed by Jane Jaytiya Naiwattanakul) and Juno (portrayed by Apple Lapisara Intarasut) weren't manipulative, harpies, rakes or disruptive cows to the plot sabotaging everything for selfish reasons on where the main characters were trying to sort out their feelings. While such selfish women might spice up some stories for needlessly tropish-like drama, in this story, I guarantee they would've been a distraction to the plots and subplots currently going on with this series. Added points to the fact that when it was discovered, they exited stage left without so much as an F bomb or wishing curses and voodoo spells for not being told what was clearly in front of their noses. I just wished they bounced back better (like Qiu Qian Ru (played by Hana Lin) did in "HIStory 2: Crossing the Line") without all the tears and hand-wringing.

* The Bad:

Too many flashback clips through the last third of the episodes. Many of the other reviewers were complaining about the series being rushed, probably because they wanted to see more of it, but for me it was the opposite: too drawn out. And the reason why it was drawn out was because episodes 5, 6 and 7 had too many flashback scenes reminding us of the feelings that the main characters had for each other that they were being too obdurate (or too prideful) to admit to themselves and each other. Which brings me to another point...

...The love theme for the series. Once again, it's being hammered -- ad nausea, ad infinitum -- whenever and wherever it can be squeezed into. It should be something elicit positive feelings from the audience, not be hammered at them until they decide to pick up the single from whatever music outlet that can google.

* The (Truly) Ugly:

Product placement. Jeez, you'd think I'd've gotten used to it in Thai television (and even cinema), but after episode 5 (and DEFINITELY episode 8)... Ugh... it came all flooding back as badly as some of the sponsored commercials I remember seeing in old American 50s and 60s television serials. Sure, it hasn't been as ad as some of the series I've watched (like "Love by Chance" coming readily to the top of the list). I'm waiting until some of these companies try to cut into movies and shows with more advertising time, but until then -- it's just another cross to bear.

Overall, there's many elements that touched personal chords within me, dating back to the days when I first came out of the closet that are both fond and bittersweet, so my opinion would be heavily shaded by those memories. I just have to sometimes remember that stories told in a movie or a television series have to be told on rails from the beginning to a middle and and ending, instead of having the Infinite Possibilities that life and the spontaneity of it can't be interjected into weaving a story of the moment. Riding this series to the end, it's good to see that someone thought about a story that reflected something that happened in my life in its own way.

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