mountain
A Tale of Thousand Stars
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Truly a meaningful story.
Story / Plot and Cast: The series is refreshing! To me, the series explored many issues in life. I am going to explain these below. As an apathetic person, I cannot count how many times my eyes were wet − there truly is a special power.Life and Death: As I probably do not need to elaborate, the story starts with the heart transplant of Tian and the heart is from Torfun. Torfun used to be a teacher in the village of Pha Ban Dao (literally, the cliff of Ban Dao [บันดาว]). Tian is well-off and used to be reckless because he knew he has a heart problem. What induced the change in Tian is the moment when he knew the donor of his heart is a well-loved teacher in a distant village. Tian felt a strong sense of guilt all along, and this was only alleviated near the end. He used to show off his wealth. After he knew the whole thing, he thinks nothing can compensate for the life of a well-loved teacher, be it money or a relationship. He has no choice (bear in mind, it was his parents who decided on the heart transplant), but he still decided to go to Pha Ban Dao as a teacher. We can say his acts were generated by his guilt towards the loss of a loving teacher to the village.
Love and Life: Why does Phupha want Tian to leave Pha Ban Dao so desperately? Phupha thinks Tian is young, and it is not worth it for Tian to stay in Pha Ban Dao just for him. (Honestly, if it is only for Phupha, Tian could have other ways to make it − thereby proving Phupha is obviously not the only factor for Tian to return to / stay in Pha Ban Dao.) Some think Phupha is selfless because he thinks it is better for Tian to develop his own life outside, despite leaving him. For me, I think Tian has the ability to decide. (Of course, if that turns out wrong, Tian himself has to bear the consequence too.) Instead of only asking Tian to leave, Tian should have the right to decide for himself.
Education and the Underprivileged: Education is not easy. Education is not only giving someone a fish, it is teaching someone how to get a fish. Tian has no idea what to teach at first, even though this is not his fault. The kids have learnt the Thai alphabet, and they show little interest in the English alphabet. Later, Tian understands that what the kids need is useful knowledge, not knowledge of the metropolitan area. The line that hit me most is when Phupha told Tian that he has to treat the kids as his family. It is only by immersing himself in the lives of the villagers does he fully understand what they need, and simultaneously this also let the villagers understand his passion for teaching. I do not think Tian is a bad person − and guilt cannot lead a person to stay in such an environment for three months. At the end of the day, I think Tian gradually developed his love of teaching, especially to the adorable kids! This can be seen from the finale.
Justice: You can say Tian is reckless or righteous. Sometimes, the two words do not differ that much. When the villagers were scammed by the rich guy nearby, Tian voiced out immediately. I agree that Tian could have done better, for example with planning and careful investigation. But, his intentions were good, and I think this is undoubted. Khama said later that Tian reminded him that oppression should not be accepted. Sure, careful planning is good. But did our spirit of justice dissolve throughout the time?
Stay or Leave: Pha Ban Dao is a dangerous place, as said by Phupha. Why do the villagers stay? Why do the team stay? Why one stay in a certain place has countless answers. For Phupha, it is his goal to protect the forests. The forests are so important to him that he can risk his life just to protect the forest. Pha Ban Dao is near the boundary, and there had been countless conflicts. If a heart (or a brain, you decide) wants to stay, nothing really can alter the decision, no matter how reckless and risky it is. So is the world. There is no utopia in this world. Conflicts are everywhere. Evil parties are everywhere. Violence is everywhere. But home is the place where you find your place. Will you leave your home notwithstanding all these?
The cast is excellent! I am not a big fan of EarthMix, but I have to say they have interesting interactions. Earth (Phupha) was manly (OK, I struggled to put the word or not) and really gets the role of Phupha. Mix (Tian) obviously has an innocent face and cause a heart attack whenever he was weeping. Khaotung (Longtae) is understanding, and Nammon (Dr. Nam) is the strongest shipper between EarthMix! Also, Aye (Torfun) really resembles a loving teacher. Not to mention the really adorable kids, which was a bit uninterested at first but turns out to be the source of happiness and satisfaction for Khruu [Th., Sir] Tian.
Music: The soundtrack of the series, นิทานพันดาว (Tale of Thousand Stars) by Gun Napat Injaiuea is really touching. The sound of woodwind indeed strengthened the theme and made it a soft song. I will not deny that whenever the song was played (except, of course, in every outro) it made my eyes wet. My favourite line is
หากดาวได้ยินคำอธิษฐาน ของหัวใจ
กี่พันครั้งก็ยังจะขอ ให้ดวงใจฉันอยู่ใกล้เธอ
which translates to
if a star can hear the prayer of my heart
even for thousand times, I will still wish for my heart to be close to yours
(A phonemic approximation can be obtained from Google Translate. If not, comment down below and let me know, I might produce a rough transcription there.)
That’s it! I love the series not only for the cast; but also for the meaning it conveyed.
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The Most Unpredictable Show I Watched.
Story / Plot and Cast: The Shipper is the most unpredictable show I have ever watched. The show is one of its kind, and only comparable to itself.Kim played a “double role” in this show. Before the car crash, he played himself. After that, Kim’s soul was probably still in heaven (?) and so any conscious Kim afterwards is expected to have the soul of Pan. I must say that his acting is excellent. He can be very “normal” and then shout at Khett. Throughout the 11th episode, I find it difficult to determine if the Kim is really Kim or Pan. The actor of Kim, First Kanaphan, is eye-catching.
Pan has, technically, not a lot of screentime. But her “soul” played a large part in the progression of the story. Some mentioned the issue of making decisions for Kim when Pan is still inside his body. It can only be said that if things do happen in real life like this, the person indeed has no choice but to decide for the displaced soul for practical reasons. Pan is played by a very talented actress, Prigkhing Sureeyares, which gave the character her own style.
Khett is also another interesting character. He is not directly involved in the soul-swapping exercise. However, he is still closely related. Khett is the younger brother of Kim, and he also has a crush on Pan. Obviously, he has quite a smart personality in this show, as we can see he tried to test (at the beginning) if the Kim is real Kim. I probably don’t need to mention that Ohm Pawat played Khett, as many would have known him from previous shows.
Way has questionable chemistry with Kim. Don’t get me wrong - he is good. I think the chemistry between them is just a bit lacking. Nonetheless, the conversation between Way and “Kim” (and probably Kim, too) does teach something to us. I have to also point out that Way has so little chemistry with Phingphing that they don’t look like they are together! I don’t know if this is supposed to be good or bad for the audience and shippers. With all due respect, the actor of Way (Fluke Pusit) may have to add more facial expressions to make the whole thing less monotonous.
Why do I say this show is unpredictable? There are several major twists. First, Khett is “suddenly” known to be the brother of Kim (Pan does not know this before). Then, Pan discovered, as Kim, that Kim held copies of the exam papers and so suspected that Kim has been cheating to get a good result. This is only partly explained near the end of the show (to help Way to get a better result). (The real Kim never got the chance to explain, too bad.) In the middle, several unusual ships happened like Soda said Khett might have a crush on “Kim”, “Kim” trying to scare off Soda but ended up making Soda like Kim, the previous relationship of the teacher and Kim (not “Kim”). Also, Pan’s soul returned to her body accidentally for once, and then returned to Kim’s body intentionally (when Off, Khett and Way were fighting). The second time she wants to return, it failed. There is still no plausible reason for why the first time succeeded but the second time failed. The end of the 10th episode focused on the motorcycle for no reason. Unfortunately, the motorcycle seems to mean nothing. Of course, the most unpredictable of all is probably the fact that Kim is actually dead.
I am not sure if this is a “happy ending”, but at least it conveyed several messages. For example, the real Kim seems to be much stressed. Someone in the comment pointed out that the soul of Kim probably doesn’t want to live, because Kim stepped forward first when the Death Angel told them to come forward, etc. There is, of course, also no explanation given for this.
Music: The opening theme of the show is a cute, adorable song. The song is แคร์ไกลไกล (Care from Faraway) by La Ong Fong. The ending theme is a moving song with a strong beat. The song is ฉันเป็นของเธอทุกวัน (I am Yours Every Day) by Ford Arun.
Overall, the show will be remembered for its unpredictability.
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A well-structured show.
Story / Plot and Cast: This is not a very innovative or new story, but I can’t say it is bad. For several reasons the show still manages to draw my attention to it. For so long in the Thai BL (where I struggle to understand some 80% of words) I finally return to the world of Taiwan BL. The whole series of HIStory has been long-lived, from the original single episode show to a fully developed show with 10 episodes. Due to “historic” reasons, I have to say the HIStory series has a record-breaking low reputation to me by the end of HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count. It’s not fully restored, but it’s better than nothing now. Let’s come to the actors, shall we?Ye Xing Si and Fu Yong Jie: They have … interesting chemistry. We will deal with their appearances later. The roles of the two in the show are nearly the most “off” that I have seen - not that I despise them. What I mean is they are stepping even further into the warning zone. Back then being gay was prohibited, and now we are stepbrothers. Truly, I have no problems whatsoever about the relationship, because, well, love is love. I like particularly the scene when their father was talking with them. He cannot accept the two as a pair, but he will still bless them; for their happiness is more important than his feeling. It is debatable regarding the issue of drunk sex in the earlier parts. I don’t think that is acceptable, but that shouldn’t spoil the whole show either because there has been clear guidance and value judgement that such non-consented acts should not be permitted. (The official setting also indicated their zodiac sign which, though some do not believe, is kind of accurate in terms of how they act. Xing Si is a Cancer and Yong Jie is a Scorpio, for your information.) Now about the cast: why is Yong Jie so hot? (The hottest in the show, if you ask me.) I think Lin Chia Wei (Fu Yong Jie) best expressed the determination of Yong Jie. But inside the determination, he is, in fact, a soft guy (the puppy eyes!). An Jun Peng (Ye Xing Si) acted the role with reservation, and that is accurate about the character of Xing Si. Xing Si is a person which has a lot of reservations; he has to think about many things, take care of others’ feelings, etc. They really acted out the character.
Xiao Li Cheng and Teng Mu Ren: What’s with them? I cannot find a lot of adjectives to describe them. They really are very typical in the world of BL. Xiao Li Cheng is the type of guy that is straight-to-the-point, that will not stop when they have found their goals. Teng Mu Ren is reserved but not cold; in fact, he has a lot of feelings, just that he needs time to process them. (In case anyone is looking, Xiao Li Cheng is an Aries and Teng Mu Ren is a Virgo.) But more importantly, what made Xiao Li Cheng like Teng Mu Ren? Is it the fake BL courtship to please Liu Mei Fang? Is it the night when Xiao Li Cheng accompanied Teng Mu Ren in the hotel room? We don’t know. Talking about Liu Mei Fang, I think her character is ideal. She was a BL fan, but she didn’t lose consciousness because of BL. (The technical term should be fujoshi.) Not everyone is comfortable with BL-ish behaviour. We see many cases of BL-provoked controversy, including things like “fan service”. My principles are simple: actors or people should be able to do what they want to do. If they do not want to kiss or cuddle in fan meetings, they have done nothing wrong. (This could mean they are “forging” scenes in the show, but that is another story.) And to talk about the cast, Tu Shan Cun (Xiao Li Cheng) and Chen Li An (Teng Mu Ren) both did a great job, especially Chen Li An when he can portray the long faces of Teng Mu Ren. And Chi Xin Ling (Liu Mei Fang) is so pretty!
Music: The show has a lot of soundtracks. Three are from Andrew Tan (陳勢安): 兜轉 (Circling Around), 唯一想了解的人 (The Only Person I Want to Understand), and遺失的靈魂 (Lost Soul). Three others are from GJ (蔣卓嘉): 看不見的傷最痛 (Unseen Wounds Hurt the Most), 愛的數學家 (The Love Mathematician), and遠距離 (Distanced). My favourite is看不見的傷最痛, tell me if you share the same with me!
HIStory has a historic perspective in the sense that they are the most developed BL shows in Taiwan. All through the years the quality is very high (with laughter or tear, depends on which one). I hope they will continue to produce high-quality shows in the future.
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Too much characters may be confusing.
Story / Plot and Cast: The series has a unique cast composition. There were the familiar faces, Kimmon (Mark), Copter (Kit), and Bas (Wayu). There were also a lot (I mean it) of supporting actors, so much that I still cannot fully match their faces with their name. This is very much because the drama series is catalysed by the end of the Superboy Project, in which candidates compete against each other as if in a talent show. The show ended in early 2020 or late 2019, which is a plausible timing. (In Superboy Project, 5 were the winner, namely Bank Thanathip, Bank Toranin, Pon, Kad, and Junior. All participants of the show starred in Gen Y The Series, there are 9 of them.) As I probably don’t need to tell you, the 3 protagonists are from SBFIVE, which was formed after the shooting of 2Moons. It is difficult not to correlate Gen Y with 2 Moons, given the fact that the 3 protagonists have similar or the same name as the characters. Notwithstanding the resemblance, let’s look at the characters:Mark and Kit: Mark seems to be a playboy before he met Kit, and subsequently decided to wholeheartedly court Kit. Kit was apparently offended at first but slowly opened his heart for Mark. On the whole, I think there is little character development for Mark, given that he was the playful character all along. The change in Kit’s attitude towards Mark was not apparent, though fairly natural in the eyes of the audience, and might be traced to the scene where they rub their cheeks in the sushi shop. It might as well be said that the confession scene marks the turning point of their relationship. All along, Kit was defensive of his friend, Pharawee (Pha), and also the boyfriend of Kit’s close friend Wayu. Kit eventually paid more attention to himself and Mark, which eventually led to their happiness at last. It was all too familiar for us to see the faces of Mark (Kimmon) and Kit (Copter) after 2Moons, and they portrayed the character quite well, despite the resemblance to their relationship in 2Moons.
Wayu, Thanu, Jack, Koh, Phai, Sandee: Needless to say, this is a very complicated relationship. Wayu was ghosted by his boyfriend, Pharawee, back then. Thanu later returned to study and his relationship with Wayu grown gradually. Jack and Koh are both interested in Wayu. Phai seems to be interested in Thanu, but was turned down when Thanu confirmed his choice. Sandee sabotaged the events in the middle, occasionally, and cause disturbance in the process. Compared with 2Moons, Wayu (Bas) has been largely improved and does not only seem like a cry baby with little thinking. Thanu (Dun) feels like a telepath! Thanu repeatedly had scenes flashing in his head when he interacted with Wayu and Phai (Pon). Even though his “telepathy” with Wayu can justify the idea that they are the “true” pair, his telepathy with Phai is difficult to understand, and his response to Phai even more so. Phai and Sandee (Bank Thanathip) had interactions that are difficult to understand. We can only conclude that Phai is a selfless boy who wishes Thanu all the best with Wayu [really?]. Pon (Phai) is cute and innocent; Bank Thanathip (Sandee) is good-looking with some evil; Dun (Thanu) is charming; Jet (Jack) and Jame (Koh) are crazy lovers; all have lived up to my expectation and articulated with their character. All I could say is they could have more screen time in order for a better understanding of the relationship between them.
Padbok, Sab: Padbok is an impulsive playboy and Sab is a playful young boy which is going to enter university. They have few interactions and can hardly be called a “couple”. Their interactions are confined in the café that Sab worked in as an intern. There is, in fact, little to comment on their character, as their characters do not have a lot of special stuff. Padbok (Junior) is very eye-catching. Even though the character seems to contain only hate and impulsiveness, I must agree that Junior is charming. Sab (Kad) is playful and brings laughter always, and Kad also lived up to this standard. [They also played in another series, ‘Bad Roommate’, even though it has a TikTok format.]
Pok, Tong: Pok has an impulsive character and Tong is the near opposite of Pok. I have to admit that their interactions always leave me with question marks because sometimes it is difficult to understand. It is hard to decipher whether Pok has feelings for Tong, because 3 seconds after their interactions violence will kick in. What did Tong do exactly? Are his acts justifiable? Even if it is not, is Sandee’s sabotage (?) justifiable? A lot of questions are to be answered in Season 2 if there is one. Nonetheless, Pok (Bank Toranin) are handsome and Tong (Bonus) apparently would look better without the glasses!
Music: The music was OK. The opening theme, รักโดยไม่มีเหตุผล (Love without reason) by ISBANKY is like floating in mid-air. I was not able to find the ending theme, but it sounds too rock ‘n’ roll for me as an ending theme for a teenage love series. รักไม่มีนิยาม (Love has no definition) by Kimmon and Copter is also a nice song.
On a whole, the series was OK. Screen time distribution is an issue because there were too many characters, and it is difficult to keep up with so many “couples” (?) at once. If dealing with Mark and Kit at first and leave them in their world can help other characters to develop, then it is fine. Too many characters may confuse the audience at first, but eventually, stuff will clear up. The series ended in a cliff-hanger, and I am not in strong opposition to this, as long as there is actually a Season 2 to clear things up. Overall, the introduction of so many characters (the contestants, in fact) into a drama may be confusing at first.
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Not a bad sequel!
Story / Plot and Cast: The story has been a continuation from season 1, simply titled TharnType the Series. With the series putting the incidents 7 years after the first season, it is inevitable to look at the projected changes. In general, timing, ages, growth of characters, and communication style are all consistent. The “couples” have, in general, adequate screen time, but they are discussed later. The plot is general and basic (of course!), with only minor twists from the normal storyline. The last part about ordination was really culturally embedded, and occasionally left me in a grin. But, hey, it’s meant to be serious! Let’s talk about the “couples”, shall we:Tharn and Type: They have significantly improved communication in this series! (Not sure if that is, in fact, common in couples together for seven years.) Communication problems have been severe in season 1, and all that was distressing and aggravating. They weren’t free of communication problems, but certainly less aggravating and face-palming as last time. They have trust issues (again not sure if that is frequent in reality!) but are able to resolve them in the end. More sweet scenes this time, and I’m for it, even though I wasn’t particularly into them. Type was significantly less hot-headed than season 1, improved for so much that he let Fiat infiltrate into his own relationship (!). We need no more elaboration on Mew (Tharn) and Gulf (Type) because we all know they have been doing an excellent job in portraying the respective characters.
Leo and Fiat: It is good that they were together at the end, even though one may question the intention of Fiat of the sabotaging he did to Type and Tharn. I cannot feel the feeling of Fiat to Leo, despite their intimate behaviour (they slept together!). It is well possible that Fiat (or Leo? or both?) treated that as a brotherly relationship (also known as “Phi-Nong” relationship, exclusively for Thai). There is mixed feelings for Fiat because his experience seems really sad, but such could never justify his sabotage. In the end, whether Fiat stays true to Leo is, regrettably, not so observable from the acting. Ja (Leo) was eye-catching and First (Fiat) adequately gave Fiat the character a complex personality. Ja was also involved in Until We Meet Again, and it is refreshing to see him with a new look!
Champ and Khunpol: Despite a reduction in dangling “couples”, one still remain, and this is Champ and Khunpol. Champ was oblivious, but Khunpol wasn’t obvious either. Champ has not a single idea on Khunpol liking him, and this is occasionally aggravating. Khunpol was apparently a shy boy and has held feelings for Champ for seven years (!), coincidentally (or not?) resonating with the series title. (I have to say that, when Type was bullied by his senior right after Khunpol’s feeling was spotted by Type, I held negative feelings for Khunpol. The music might have also contributed to my faulty perception. The show eventually clarified that Khunpol was crucial in dealing with Type’s senior, but that was another story.) Boat (Champ) has made it to season 2, and Jame (Khunpol) is also refreshing.
Cirrus and Phugun: If the two were already a couple, is the problem of dangling “couples” dissolved? [I wonder.] They were linked to the plot by Phugun, where he is a little brother of Tharn, proving again Tharn really has a lot of non-biological relationships (!). Phugun was a warm and helpful person, and whenever he appears the scene is guaranteed to be warm. Cirrus seems to be an over-protective boyfriend, but later he has proved to us that the over-protection was necessary. Cirrus also has the softer side when he talked with Tharn in Tharn’s room. There was little room for character development, but it’s all we have here. Haii (Cirrus) and Title (Phugun) was cute! All in all, I am looking forward to their next roles, be it together or not.
Music: The soundtracks did not particularly attract me. The main track, ข้างเธอ by Off Chainon, was a nice song. What the song gave me is a feeling of grand, beautifully decorated hall which is just made for a nice wedding, which is perfect for the theme of the series. The ending theme, เธอ... ที่เดินเข้ามา by Nuengthida Sophon was lovey-dovey, and did not really attract me. Other songs were mostly the extension of the frequent melodies which appeared in the series intermittently, and may worth your time listening.
To conclude, I would rate the show as mediocre to good. Improved communication and a fairly interesting plot is the good side, but screen time imbalance may be detrimental. As a sequel that is based on the success of season 1, it is not a bad show to watch.
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The BL with a good foundation
Alright, first time writing a review, I just try to be systematic and, though counterintuitive, objective on the matter. Fellow audience who wish to read this might want to bear in mind that all reviews inevitably contain subjective matter, and don't feel offended (if you are really offended).Story / Plot: The plot contains little new insight or new idea. The plot is, however, fairly original. It is just the background that sounds like a cliché. There are students from the faculty of medicine and faculty of engineering, just as you would expect. One thing that I really appreciate is the equality for the different pairs. We all know there are main pairs, and of course the non-main pairs. The arrangement of the background of the show has made it possible that the screen can switch between different pairs without illogical transition (say, campsite and then someone’s home). With that being said, the progression of different pairs was smooth and well-executed. Even though conflicts happened (more often so, in the penultimate episode), the resolutions were also logical and plausible, proving that the screen time arrangement was really good. Let’s not miss the couples, though:
Bohn and Duen: I am not going to lie that these are the most eye-catching couple, for me at least (but that’s the issue of the cast). The start of the two is interesting, in a sheepish way, and would probably leave the more demanding audience unimpressed. It is worthwhile to note the point when Bohn started to like Duen and the point when Duen started to like Bohn. These two, however, were subjected to communication problems. As many people have pointed out, Bohn is too sensitive or too insecure, and this is shown by his action of suspecting Duen in multiple episodes. Duen, on the other hand, is pure (obviously) and fairly oblivious. Some also pointed out that Duen is not prepared for a relationship, as shown by his reluctance to a kiss from Bohn. All in all, we are sure, at least, that both are not the best prepared to get into a relationship. No one is perfect though, and in general I think the resolution of the two did sufficiently address these issues. Also, the issue of consent is depicted here, as Bohn did not kiss Duen when he does not want to, and this is a good thing to advocate.
Ram and King: The two are not the most eye-catching couple to me. However, I do have to admit that their characters (and the development) are really intriguing. Ram was eye-catching. The character of King was quite intriguing, and the planning team did not only give King the typical character of “protagonist’s friend”. Instead King has a phobia for dogs, and also a BL-infatuated sister (some said she was toxic, I prefer to think that she is comical enough to turn her actions as satirical rather than serious). Whereas the conflict between Bohn and Duen in the latter part of the show might be regarded as superficial, the conflict between Ram and King seems to be fundamental - that is, they have to sort out their feelings for each other. The relationship between them was not clarified even at the end of the show, and it seems likely that we will see them in Season 2.
Mek and Boss: The two attracted my attention in the latter part of the show. It is evident after only some episodes that we know Mek has a feeling for Boss, and Mek was often hurtful given that Boss always flirt girls. Later in the show, we know that Boss has a girlfriend (Fon), which certainly doesn’t look like a good thing in a BL show. Boss does have a recurring theme, and that is the fact that he was always being ignored. Whether this was meant to be comical or serious, it does give the feeling to many that there’s always the one friend who is being the clown of the group, yet receives little in reverse on his/her side. Mek confessed after Boss was being told off by Fon’s manager, which is in fact surprising. Even though the plot device of “the crush also crushes on me” was spotted, in general the scene is able to draw audience into it. The proclamation of Boss in the final episode was also nicely done, fulfilling at least the basic requirement of reconciling the two to a happy ending. (Notwithstanding the rejection, Fon accepted and there was no pleading or begging from any side, and I have to say this is very refreshing.)
Thara and Frong: Even though they grow from conflict, the interaction was smooth and well-articulated with the environment. Frong was originally interested in Duen, but decided to back off after knowing that Bohn is also courting Duen. We all know that two characters competing are bookishly dramatic, but removing so earns the show the reception of refreshing (OK, at least to me). And if some are trying to pick on the consent issue or other stuff, let’s not forget that appropriately backing off when the target has clearly expressed the lack of interest is a very healthy act and, really should be endorsed. Overall, the two achieved a lot with the screen time allocated to them, and this is all we could expect.
Cast: All the actors were great! Cooper (Bohn) is a versatile actor, and in this case he did portray the role of a playboy-turned-into-pure-boy adequately. (I have to confess that his constant eyebrow-raising in the show was charming, if not he himself, but that is too biased and is probably another story.) Poy (Duen) is really suitable for the role of Duen, especially when he really could show the pure (and oblivious) face of Duen. Perth (Ram) was charming, eye-catching, and mystic. There was nothing unnatural with him not speaking anything and just be silent (and yes, that is a compliment). Talay (King) has amazing visuals, and really can depict the chill image. Ryan (Mek) has a charming eye which implies melancholy itself, and this is greatly beneficial to constructing Mek’s character as the melancholic boy who has a crush on his best friend. (The dubbing was really off, but things are done and so we could only let it be that way.) Inntouch (Boss) was chill, and so was his character. He did a great job in displaying a variety of emotion, including flirtatious and determined (as in his proclamation). MD (Thara) and Shane (Frong) both have a sweet smile, and this contributed significantly to their relationship in the show. Notably, Nam (Ting Ting) has made a great attempt in being comical and, more importantly, as a loyal supporter for the BL couples around her.
Music: Great music was offered, despite their rare appearance. I am most attracted towards จะเป็นไรไหม (Would You Mind) by Merry Dancers and Goh M. The song was in the show a few time only, as it is not the main theme of the series. The feeling conferred to me by the song was that there was a certain degree of lovely environment, but there was some uncertainty. Combining the subjective feeling and the objective lyrics, it is safe to say that the rap (?) part of the song is why the song is more than just a lovey-dovey song. The opening theme คนที่ฉันรอ (The Person I Wait For) by MOD3G and Joelong is great if you want a tune with lovey-dovey and an elevated mood. The closing theme รักไม่มีกฎเกณฑ์ (Love Has No Rules) by Ton Thanasit is, then, more elaborated on the feeling of melancholy and, quite certainly, is not only lovey-dovey. In general the music was great and well-matched with the plot of the show.
The show has no surprising plot or very creative character design, yet all the basics of a BL drama are done well in this show.
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A nice remake!
Story / Plot and Cast: As a remake of the original Japanese series Ossan’s Love, expectations on this are significantly higher and, of course, slightly different from that on the original show. The reviewer had not yet watched the original Ossan’s Love. The series revolved around Tin Yat Hung [abbreviated as Tin] (Edan Lui), and the two who like him: Ling Siu Muk [abbreviated as Muk] (Anson Lo) and Chak Kwok Keung [abbreviated as KK] (Kenny Wong). Below, comments will be solely given without comparison to the original series.Tin: I am not going to lie, the character of Tin is really not the best one you could find. Tin remained very innocent and naïve. Now, the ability to take care of himself is only minor (no, this is not a Marie Kondo show). We can see that Tin did not have a strong opinion on many issues. This may also be accounted for by the fact that he has no experience of dating prior to all this. He spits out words before he could think; this is reflected in the show at least two times (and both were important to the progression of the story!). This vagueness in feeling and lack of motivation to clarify matters eventually led him into the dilemma at the end where he has to reject KK just to find Muk. Only then can we say he is truly clear about his feeling, but don’t we all wish this can happen earlier just to prevent the mess. Tin may also have misunderstandings about love and dating in my opinion. Someone who can take care of him (and actually do so) only points to the fact that the person likes him (or, the person is simply very caring). Whether Tin allows the person to take care of him can only mean that Tin can trust the person; this is not love or anything of that sort! I think this misconception is most pronounced when he was with KK in Taiwan. There are some nice endings at last, and this may well help to restore a likeable character for Tin! (Thanks, I don’t need to be reminded that I sobbed when Tin was crying outside Muk’s room.) Casting is great! (This is going to be some biased comments! You know why.) Edan (Lui Cheuk On) truly displays the side of Tin that is messy and chaotic (at least externally). Finally, I need no more explanation to convince you that Edan is good-looking and hot.
Muk: How do we review the character of Muk? Sure, he is caring. He took care of Tin after he moved in with Tin. One thing I want to point out is that Muk really likes to keep things to himself; he tells no one, including his boyfriend (?) then. I am not trying to condemn this behaviour. I myself keep things to myself, and so do many. Yet, I think we need to realise this may not be healthy to communicate. Keeping things to oneself not only makes one sad on his/her own, and unfortunately can’t help to solve anything. I think it is also obvious that Muk is somewhat pessimistic; he thought of the bad side more and then disapprove or dismiss the whole thing. Sometimes, doing things “for the good of one” cannot turn out to be good for the one. For the cast, Anson Lo (Lo Hon Ting) looks warm and is very eye-catching. He is also the vocal of the songs in the show, and this will be discussed below.
KK, Francesca and Louis: KK is not an easy character to decipher. KK always take care of Tin no matter in Hong Kong or Taiwan. However, is taking care of someone enough to turn itself into love? You can see it in the show. But one thing we know is that KK really likes Tin, so much that he gave up his wife Francesca. Francesca is also an interesting character, as she supports KK to court Tin even when KK is not in Hong Kong. On the other hand, KK supports Francesca to have a relationship with Louis, one of the sales under KK’s branch. This has to be the healthiest relationship between a divorced couple in drama I have seen in my life! We can also see how Louis changed. He used to be a player, but he fell in love with Francesca and decided that he was serious about her. KK is played by Kenny Wong (Wong Tak Bun); Francesca by Rachel Kan (Kan Mo Wah) and Louis by Stanley Yau (Yau Sze Chun). KK is eye-catching although occasionally embarrassing (the wedding gown!); Francesca looks gorgeous and Louis is handsome. They all played a great role in this.
Tsz Tsin, Ah Ping and Carmen: Tsz Tsin is the childhood friend of Tin; Ah Ping is the brother of Tsz Tsin and Carmen is Tin’s co-worker. The reason for Tsz Tsin to confess to Tin is somewhat puzzling, as this does not seem too appropriate in the normal context of a couple. However, Tsz Tsin is one of the crucial characters who caused Tin to clarify his feelings. Ah Ping and Carmen are really funny! (I mean it!) Tsz Tsin is played by Asha Cuthbert; Ah Ping by Alan Yeung (Yeung Wai Lun) and Carmen by Florica Lin (Lin Mei Kuen). Even though they may not play a large portion of the show, they contributed significantly to the progression of the story.
Music: The theme song of the series is突如其來的心跳感覺 [literally, a sudden feeling of heartbeat] by Anson Lo and Edan Lui. Another song is不可愛教主 [literally, an unlovable leader] by Anson Lo. Both songs are light and catchy. I would recommend the two songs to every audience!
TV shows and drama series obviously influence, but this is usually minor. For most shows, we look at the show per se, about the character development and the cast, etc. For this drama, in particular, it is worth noting that this is the first locally produced BL show in Hong Kong. Pride month is over, but that doesn’t mean we are going to allow illogical arguments and unreasonable beliefs to persist. Efforts were paid, and now what we see is a new climate that LGBT stereotypes were erased and intimacy became universal - love is love, we say. This show is going to be a remarkable one in the history of entertainment in Hong Kong.
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