Love Sick (2024)

"You should know, our friendship is called love"

The phrase that gives the review its title is pronounced by George to Alexander, the protagonists of 'Les amitiés particulières', the French film directed by Jean Delannoy in 1964.
Didier Haupedin, the actor who plays Alexander, was only 12 years old when he starred in the film that adapts the work of the same name by Roger Peyrefitte. The main theme is the relationship between the teenager George (Francis Lacombrade) and the boy Alexander, both students at a Catholic boarding school in the south of France in the mid-19th century.
Who would later star in films such as the Italian 'L'innocente', directed in 1976 by Luchino Visconti, and the Spanish 'Cotolay (The Boy and the Wolf)', by José Antonio Nieves Conde, and many others, will always be remembered for this performance, because it is impressive, for its young age, the variety of registers it is capable of offering, from childish joy and innocence to the expression of great inner disappointment and pain.
At only 14 years old, Brooke Shields, the American film, television and theater actress, model and writer, was filmed by the cameras of director and producer Randal Kleiser, in 'The Blue Lagoon' (1980). Already before, at 11, she got the lead role in the film 'Pretty Baby' (1978), by Louis Malle, in which she played a sexually exploited girl. Just turned 15, he starred in the drama 'Endless Love', by Franco Zeffirelli (1981).
After some minor roles, Irish-American actress Saoirse Ronan had her first leading role when she was not yet 15 years old, in the film 'City of Ember', the film adaptation of Jeanne DuPrau's novel. Immediately after, he starred in 'The Lovely Bones', directed by the Oscar-winning Peter Jackson, the New Zealand producer, screenwriter and director, known especially for producing, directing and co-writing the 'Lord of the Rings' film trilogy, as well as its prequel 'The Hobbit' trilogy.
The British 'Romeo and Juliet', a film adaptation of the play of the same name by William Shakespeare, filmed in 1968 by Franco Zeffirelli, has in its main roles the young and inexperienced Argentine actress Olivia Hussey and the also debuting British actor Leonard Whiting, who at the time of filming were 15 and 17 years old, respectively.
These are some of the many actors and actresses who began their acting careers at such a tender age.
'Love Sick', the remake of the 2014 series of the same name, brings us as protagonists two debut actors who, like those already mentioned, began their acting career at an early age, since Almond Poomsuwan Suwansatit, who plays Punn, is 16 years, while Progress Passawish Thamasungkeeti, the actor who plays Noh, has one less.
Directed by Cheewin Thanamin Wongskulphat ('Why R U?' - 2020), this director, producer and owner of Copy A Bangkok, who is credited with being the first producer of the Y series in Thailand, now repeats as director of the series, since in 2015 he directed 'Love Sick Season 2'.
Edited by Theerasan Petmai ('Addicted Heroin' – 2024) and a large youth cast, all newbies, the LGBT+-themed romantic youth drama 'Love Sick' adapts the web novel "Love Sick: The Chaotic Lives of Blue Shorts Guys", by Latika Chumpoo, to tell us a story with a simple plot that we have seen in other romantic dramas starring heterosexual or homosexual couples.
The boy who, despite having a girlfriend, is forced by his father to go out with a friend's daughter. To avoid this, he asks a schoolmate to pretend that they have a relationship and he, after resisting a couple of times, accepts, since he needs the other boy, as president of the Student Council, to intercede on behalf of the Club Music, of which he is the leader.
And for the pretend game to begin, both will need to have the help of one of them's sister, who is obsessed with the boys' love stories, and who will have to convince the father that the boy is not interested in the boys' love stories girls, but in those of the same gender. However, the fake relationship soon begins to seem real.
The problem, of course, is that friction makes affection. And, if a certain sexual chemistry is added to that from the beginning, why do we want more. Both face the discovery of their sexual orientation and problems at home, at school, with their girlfriends and friends.
This has been the premise of great exponents of this subgenre baptized in English as "faux-mance", among which stand out, among others, 'Marriage of Convenience' (1990), 'Nick and Norah: A Night of Love and Music', 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' (2003), 'Holidate' (2020), 'Isi & Ossi' (2020), 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018), 'Midnight at the Magnolia', 'The Proposal', 'Badly Wounded Hearts' (2022), 'Wedding Season' (2022), or the gay-themed 'Xi yan' ('The Wedding Banquet'), by Ang Lee, and 'Single All the Way' (2021), by Michael Mayer.
We all know the classic structure of romantic dramas with a fake boyfriend story: the boys meet each other, they may even dislike each other, but due to circumstances they must pretend to be boyfriends... and then they fall in love, they separate for some reason only to end... make the audience enjoy a fairy tale.
Although there have been some films and series in the genre that have attempted to break these conventions, most stick to the formula. Because? Because many of us love to see two people who initially have no feelings for each other fall in love, and if it comes with an LGBT+ twist, much better: it's not about what happens, but about how it happens, about making us leave aside our disbelief and awaken our faith in love. And in 'Love Sick', a series that has no intention of breaking any mold, the tenderness shown by the two protagonists will definitely melt your heart.
The truth is that with its message of love and acceptance, 'Love Sick', whose main component is romanticism, emerges as a delicious and tender romantic drama, with touches of humor, which is a gift for everyone, as it presents the discovery of first love by the two protagonists, who will falsely experience a courtship, which will give rise to hilarious, sparkling and emotional situations, before giving way to true love.
I n its favor, the fans were already there before its premiere, as the series pays tribute on its tenth anniversary to the first Thai BL series and also the initiator of the expansion of Asian boy love dramas to the rest of the world continent and the world. This will forever remain in my memory, the story of two ordinary boys like anyone else, who fake a courtship out of convenience and whose only intention is: the desire to live among others.
In 2014 I fell in love with the series after watching it half a dozen times. The excitement of seeing Captain Chonlathorn Kongyingyong and White Nawat Phumphothingam, playing Noh and Punn, respectively, and the rest of the youth cast still lingers.
After a long time, this week before the start of its remake I watched both seasons again, and in the process I wrote their corresponding reviews on MDL. I confirmed with joy that it still has the same effect on me as when I saw it back in the day.
Despite being newbies, Almond Poomsuwan Suwansatit and Progress Passawish Thamasungkeeti are charismatic and attractive: they perfectly sell this relationship to us and make us want them to end up together. The first makes his character the classic young man who hides his homosexuality and seems to be in love with his schoolmate, by saving photos of Noh on his phone, and takes the opportunity to approach him. Meanwhile, Noh, faced with so much tenderness and affection, cannot help but fall in love with the president of the Student Council.
'Love Sick' stands out for giving us everything one expects from this type of series, with the context of having as its setting an exclusive school for boys, full of diverse characters and a beautiful message about acceptance and discovery. It may fall a little short in the dramatic tensions department, but the tenderness of their romance more than makes up for it.
Although it is full of clichés, the story of Punn and Noh has candid moments that move and manage to bring a knowing smile to the viewer. Furthermore, looked at generously, the story invites a debate about the very nature of love, the family's reaction to their children coming out of the closet, and relationships based on mutual care that survive over time.
They are both teenagers living their first experience of love. One is a child who cannot ignore the feelings that are born and grow in his chest, and the other who, loving too, fears that his love may cause harm to those around them. They both repress their feelings. And that is what makes them so genuine and real, as they struggle with who they are and who they want to be, as they navigate their struggles to understand the limits of love, to learn to love, to discover who they truly are.
Starring actors who play two gay boys, and in which sexual orientation is not a dramatic focus, the tone of the series is festive, bright and, despite some flaws, it is deeply inspiring.
'Love Sick' may not be perfect, but it is a worthy tribute to the original series that tells a story of love and friendship between two boys who mutually discover their sexuality. It is, in short, the series that we needed to remember it and for those people who did not see the two-season drama broadcast on Channel 9 to enjoy the story.
It is appreciated the existence of a series in which its characters portray LGBT+ people in which conflicts do not prevail and also the warmth with which 'Love Sick' transmits the story it wants to tell.
The good tone of the story is rounded off by five luxurious secondary characters who elevate the dramatic moments: Lift Supoj Janjareonborn ('My Only 12%'), who assumes the role of Punn's father; Joy Dhanyabhorn Sondhikandha ('Hidden Agenda'), as Punn's mother; Pym Pympan Chalayanacupt ('Kidnap'), as Aim's mother; Tontae Tinnakorn Puwasakdiwong ('Venus in the Sky'), as the Sports day emcee, and Jennie Panhan ('The Shipper'), as Im.
All of them manage, together with the protagonists and the rest of the cast, to develop an imperfect story that continues an important path in favor of representation and diversity.
'Love Sick' may not become the BL series of the year, however, it has a certain luminosity that is worth highlighting, especially for the fact that it can demonstrate that homosexual relationships are as normal, as sweet, as heterosexual ones.
With a rich youthful vibe, the feel of the series is very young and fresh. The music helps a lot, as the soundtrack has been revised and expanded by Boy Sompob, who, as in the original series, is once again in charge of this section, and promises that listening to the iconic music again will really invoke nostalgia.
Directors and writers of the original series expand this world through the eyes of these two new boys who try to navigate trying to control their emotions and doubts, sharing with their girlfriends and friends and, ultimately, exploring their identity through 15 episodes 55 minutes long.
That is to say, the adaptation to the original series brings new depth to this story. Through the dialogues, the internal thoughts of the protagonists and numerous well-used flashbacks we will learn about all the things that the boys do not dare to express out loud, as well as those that have to do with the beautiful moments of a shared childhood, which allow us to fill in all the gaps and reveal to us the reason why these teenagers are so close to each other.
These scenes, which do appear in Latika Chumpoo's novel, were not incorporated into the 2014 series, which puts in context who these teenagers are, what ties unite them, while adding layers of tenderness that make the The link between Pun and Noh is as genuine as it is inevitable and fragile.
In short, the series is pleasant and harmless. It is true that the performances of the new actors are somewhat weak and their script could have needed some more layer of depth, especially when it came to portraying the characters. But sometimes nothing else is needed to work. And he does it.
The light plot with captivating characters full of chemistry is what makes this teen romance series, despite its flaws, perfect for distracting the mind and warming the heart.
True to the original in tone and spirit, its pace is a little faster, more polished and elegant: it's well made and the boys are promising. They are, in short, the new and future protagonists of BL series.
"You should know, our friendship is called love", the phrase with which I end the review, could very well have been said by our two protagonists.

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