Nell
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they sure tried
This drama confused me so much. The opening was pretty good and quite promising, I went into watching it with a healthy dose of optimism. It appeared that it would be more mature than most Thai BL out there so I was excited.It didn't last.
I'll list the positives first because there are some things I genuinely liked about it:
There is something quite nice about having bisexual characters who are openly bi and owning their label. I'm sick of the 'But I'm Not Gay' trope and there is very little of it here. The actors' chemistry is good and I believe that given a good production they can really shine. Sex, when consensual, is not something the top does to the bottom, but an enthusiastic and reciprocated act. And lastly I enjoyed the attempt at making the plot more than just university students catch feelings. The bike racing and the shady ties to powerful people could have been so good if the story had chosen to focus on it. (it didn't)
And now the negatives...
A lot of other reviewers have talked about the non-con aspects of the show and how creepy yet unaddressed it all is, so I will leave those out of my review. I agree with those statements and don't have much to add, but they apply to my opinion as well.
What I do want to add is just how much Rain, and to some degree Sky's personalities really took me out of it.
Rain is supposed to be 19. He acts like a child. His character goes beyond naive at times, not just someone silly or adorably dumb, but outright seems to have the comprehension abilities of an 11 year old. The only times he appears mature is during the sex scenes but is right back to wide-eyed pouty idiot the moment that's done. I couldn't bring myself to like him.
Sky on the other hand I really enjoyed in the first half of the series. He appeared driven and a little bitchy with a strong personality. I couldn't wait to see more of him. Then his half of the series rolled around and it took him two episodes to turn into a different person. I'm aware that feelings make people act different but it quickly turned into Sky Needs Help With Everything And Frets Constantly. His entire personality shifted into Prapai's Boyfriend and suddenly his self worth depended solely on that. Not to mention that in the Rain/Phayu portion of the story Sky is shown to be around their friends often while that is basically gone once the focus is on him.
Lastly, the way the story presents it Phayu and Prapai are supposed to be best friends but they barely seem to even like each other.
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I was wondering whether to watch this or not for two years, after seeing the series, and always told myself not to because I don't usually deal well with major character death and am quite tired of the Bury Your Gays trope. But then I accidentally came across the trailer for 5 Years Later and while I hate Bury Your Gays I do love Oh You Thought They Were Dead scenarios. Ultimate hurt followed by ultimate comfort. So I thought, even if the second movie isn't out I will watch the first knowing the death isn't real. I can have some hurt, as a treat.I expected the movie to ruin me and I was ready for it.
It failed to do that.
I'm quite disappointed, since most reviews I read praised the movie as a beautiful tragedy but I can't say I quite saw it. The plot was rushed, like a bunch of ideas stitched together to form a Frankenstein's monster of a film. Okay, maybe that's a little too harsh. But there were a whole bunch of ideas that were suggested and never touched upon again. Things that I feel needed at least a little elaboration.
The characters felt shallow as well. I didn't see them fall in love, not really. I felt like I was looking through a picture album of a couple, seeing snippets of important moments in their relationship without the context that goes with them. They had a potential for good chemistry but I feel like the script hardly allowed for that, and the result was a sort of stiffness, accompanied by some awkward silences.
And then the second part of the movie was like a speedrun. So much was happening that it barely let any emotion happen in me, I was too preoccupied trying to keep up. Context for what was happening after Golf came back was almost none. Just a montage of random scenes played in succession.
And that leads to the conclusion. I won't say it was cheesy or tropey or whatever because even the cheesiest plot can be turned great. This wasn't one of them.
The kidney part was okay. But the plot twist completely failed to hit the target with how completely unrealistic it is?? How do you miss an entire ass funeral? How do you miss your parents mourning a child? (even if 5 years later does explain why they wouldn't be as sad perhaps, when the movie first came out no one knew if a sequel would happen) If Golf had gone to study abroad he'd still check in with them. They were on good terms before the surgery, he'd check in with Bank too. I went on a 10 day trip once and my family texted me every day.
The plot hole is just too big for any of the pain of it to really hit.
I understand why people like it. The story has great potential and I'm sure that if it had been executed better this movie would have made it to the top of my lists. As it is however it's just too big of a mess.
Rushed plot. Shallow characters. Nonsensical plot twist for a shock ending.
The ending is the equivalent of killing off your characters at the end of a story because you don't know how to tie it all up in a good way.
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As Far As BL Goes This Is A Solid One
This sure is an interesting one. The premise is nothing new, although it's presented in a way that still feels fresh and not overdone. The acting is spot-on and the chemistry between the characters is great.I'll start with the things I liked about the series first.
The main couple, Bai Zong Yi and Fan Ze Rui do have great chemistry together, and it was (for the most part) interesting to see them develop. I do wish the age gap was smaller, and while I do understand why Zong Yi had to be a minor I feel like that part could've been handled better. The premise of their meeting and subsequent getting to know each other was frankly ridiculous but you get to watch them become more and more healthy as they get to know each other.
The second couple is by miles more interesting in comparison by the sheer amount of history between the two. Ai Di's actor stole the entire show, and felt in a different league from his fellow actors I won't lie. At moments I felt like he was the only one who understood the assignment, be that gang related stuff, or his feelings for Chen Yi. Their storyline is complicated and painful and, in my eyes, a lot better thought out.
Now, for the things I find not so compelling.
The plot was rushed in places it should have taken its time and dragged in places that really didn't need it. The split between the past and the present is uneven and it leaves a bunch of questions open, and a lot of narratives that would have been compelling just hanging. Maybe this is due to production costs, but I was feeling both underwhelmed and rushed during the second part. I feel like the show would have benefited from a scene or two taking place during the time skip to give us an idea of what the life inside prison was and what Ze Rui or Chen Yi was up to in the meantime. It's obvious that Ai Di has some sort of ptsd after serving time but it's almost used as a throwaway, and Zong Yi's injury is, aside from about two scenes, used as a plot device and nothing that really affects his life too much.
It also felt like a mafia series written by someone who knows nothing about gangs apart from they have cool cars and hang out in dingy looking bars. The fight scenes and the whole villain plot is basically nonsensical and the fighting itself was reminiscent of a Gokusen one, and I still don't fully understand what Zhang Teng's deal was. Ze Rui's involvement with the 'gang' felt even more bizzare the more we get to know him, and even the explanation for it just... Felt off. Especially given how we're introduced to him in the first place. The series also gives off the impression that Zong Yi's family didn't visit him in prison which just baffles.
Overall, it's a cute series that you will enjoy if you don't think too much about the plot details. It has plenty of sweet moments for those who just care for that and the chemistry, which is fair. Analyzing it on a deeper level leaves you with quite a few questions that, sadly, remain unanswered.
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Now I know. Thai BL series are all pretty much fan service for fujoshis. This one however reminds me of those fics written by 13 year old girls who know nothing about relationships, let alone queer ones.
The humour is silly and childish and seems out of place with the overall plot. A lot of it brought me so much second hand embarrassment that I had to stop and take a moment to shake it off.
I'm used to awkward kisses too but the main characters looked like they were being held at gunpoint during theirs, and when they're hidden by the camera angle it's obvious they aren't even touching. Not saying the actors are to blame for this, maybe that's how they were directed, but either way it looks cheap. Their chemistry lacked too.
Overall everything felt shallow and halfway done. I couldn't get invested into the characters or relationships. Interactions seemed forced and awkward and I couldn't get myself to click next past the 8th episode.
If you want some mindless fantasy, and cute guys to lose your mind over then this is for you. But if you're holding out for a good narrative and interesting characters you might want to skip.
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