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ariel alba
Loneliness in love
Among the various contradictory situations that human beings experience throughout their lives, the relationships they establish with their peers are one of the most enigmatic. On the one hand, we are beings who naturally seek company and, in fact, it was thanks to our ability to socialize and live in groups that we survived and evolved as a species.However, at the same time, building relationships comes with some difficulties. For various reasons, loneliness, isolation or some other form of these conflicts prevails over the natural inclination to company, preventing connection with others and even with the world around us.
Throughout their history, film and television have explored these setbacks from different perspectives. In some cases, having as a premise that loneliness is a symptom of complex emotional states, in others as an effect of the social alienation fostered by the world-system in which we live, and on other occasions seeing loneliness that is experienced as a transition necessary towards something more.
'Lonely Connections', by Joselito Altarejos, addresses the deeply human and existentialist theme of loneliness in love. Does feeling alone, despite being accompanied, mean having to give up love? On the contrary, the person who feels lonely in a relationship wants love, but at the same time is very aware of the type of relationship they need and what they expect from their partner. Perhaps it is precisely because of this awareness that finding the right person is not easy.
The viewer is faced with a reflection on how human beings face, in an intimate way, the search for happiness and their own identity. Loneliness may not be the best theme for a series or a film, since it does not need to be dramatic, energetic and, of course, happy or romantic. But it is a fundamental part of our human nature and a feeling that we have all felt at least once in our lives.
The famous Filipino filmmaker starts from this reality to tell us a story that shows that having a relationship with another person is no guarantee of feeling loved and accompanied. Feeling loneliness, indifference and emptiness on the part of the other person should make us reflect on the health of the relationship itself. When these events occur it is because there is real wear and tear, and decision-making is needed.
The characters of the series find themselves in a gray atmosphere, full of monotony, tedium, and depersonalized beings. They are solitudes that come together, recognizing new faces and new voices from the crowd. In six episodes lasting about 15 minutes on average, 'Lonely Connections' fills its footage with small gestures while they, the actors, without shyness or modesty, have hard and hot sex, while exposing their erect penises in front of the computer screen , showing themselves to whoever is on the other side of it, knowing in what is nothing more than a fleeting moment within their lives.
As an example of Altarejo's stylistic mastery, which makes every scene overflow with beauty and excess, the series reflects on maturity, heartbreak, the search for happiness, the need to feel connected to someone and the feeling of wanting to escape and live. at that moment. It deals with the loneliness of the individual in the couple since, despite having someone by their side, the characters are characterized by a deep loneliness framed by unhappiness.
But the series adds a new ingredient: it takes advantage of the quarantine and social isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, to make loneliness more palpable and raw.
With dark photography and a sad, melancholic soundtrack, the series explores heartbreak and loneliness, but also invites us to reflect on the relevance of being with a person who loves you and loves you just as you are, rather than surrounding yourself with people. with which you will never feel accompanied and happy. The same thing happens in relationships. You can establish a relationship with another person, and share your life with them, but you come to feel alone. It is loneliness in love.
We see in the miniseries people fully accompanied, but still feeling alone. They have sex, kiss, smile, feed their cats and watch vintage videos. There are betrayals, casual relationships, but also dissatisfaction, fear of coming out, breakups, and a constant search for love and happiness.
And from the point of view of the person who has stopped being loved: heartbreak opens up, something we must accept. Maybe the person we love stops loving us. And we must accept it. We can't force anyone to love us, and no matter how much it hurts us, we have to let them go their way. What is really important is that this breakup is as healthy as possible. If the person stops loving another, they must have enough courage and maturity to know how to end the relationship, without the other person suffering excessively from their indifference and emptiness.
One of the most heartbreaking moments, and most notable for its visual intensity, is a pure reflection of the loneliness shown through one of the protagonists, after having hot and explicit sex with his partner and another boy whom they invited to join in a threesome. . Four minutes of fixed camera on Sandino Martin, dancing alone to the beat of a melancholic melody, which defines the character's mood, on the record player, while he silently suffers his loneliness and drowns his sorrow in a solo dance, while moving the head repeatedly as a sign of boredom, dissatisfaction, sadness, lack of love and frustration. In the next room lies his lover, on the bed still burning from the heat of the naked bodies, who is deciding to abandon him so that he can be with the person he loves, who could very well be the person who formed the group a few moments ago. sexual theme.
The entire scene is being "observed", as a witness, by the poster for 'Unfried', a film directed by Joselito Altarejos himself in 2014, which also talks about the loneliness, anguish and obsession of a 15-year-old gay teenager. with social networks and how the viewer is taken on a nightmarish journey with the film's hero, David (Sandino Martin himself), whom Jonathan, his lover, abandoned just before Christmas, and turns to the screens of his cell phone, iPad and computer in a desperate attempt to prolong her connection, also lonely, with the boy she loves.
Joaquín, as the character is called, has seen how his love for the boy who sleeps next to him has withered. We don't know the reason, but one of the parties has lost interest in the other person, and is emotionally distancing themselves from them, making their counterpart notice the emptiness and loneliness. It is at that moment when the paths of both fork and go in opposite directions.
Through monologues rather than dialogues, we can see how often a person's own emotional wounds are the reason why they can isolate themselves from others, as well as the fact that there is nothing so painful to experience. how the loved person distances himself from us, and thus we experience his total indifference. Loving and not being loved is one of the most terrible life experiences. Loneliness in love generates very deep wounds in the soul.
In addition to the cinematographic style, the film also stands out for its soundtrack. In short, one of the most interesting series about loneliness in love in recent years and that defines the behaviors and situations of many people today.
What can be learned from this story? A heartbreaking image is shown of young people who, in reality, only want stability, but circumstances have gone against their wishes and, in this way, they find themselves in a state of loneliness that, combined with sadness and pain from the loss of love, make 'Lonely Connections' a visually captivating story.
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Kimi no Koto Dake Mite Itai
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A teenage love that should become a love of youth and for life
Summer revives dormant or undeclared feelings due to fear of losing a friend, while the waves of the sea, when they hit the shore, raise splashes of water that wet two young people.It's time to say goodbye to high school and say goodbye not only to other students, but also to childhood.
Will Sakura want to separate from her childhood friend Yuki?
How old is it, when you leave adolescence and enter adulthood, to see two young people eating ice cream on the seashore and discussing random things, including their "wish list" that includes things like " skip stones until you get home", play with a frog that decided to go out to sunbathe, or have fun with the water left by the rain on the reliefs of the sidewalk.
This is how best childhood friends Asakura Sakura (Kura Yuki) and Nagase Yuki (Mizusawa Rintaro) act, two teenagers about to finish high school, in a beautiful Japanese coastal city.
Scripted by Mizukawa Katamari and directed by Kariyama Shunsuke, the miniseries 'Kimi No Koto Dake Itai' reflects how Asakura has come to understand that they are no longer adults or children, and yet, he does not want to abandon the phase he is in. .. a midpoint between a carefree childhood and the time to enter adulthood and with it higher education.
A few days after finishing high school and facing the risk of losing sight of her friend when they both go to study far from each other, Sakura loses the fear that has accompanied her for years and confesses her love for Yuki and kisses him, who in turn he is stunned and confused by the revelation.
At this point, we must ask ourselves: Is Sakura's love reciprocated or not? Does Yuki feel the same?
This simple and tender love story follows the falling in love of these two characters, in a dramatized about 84 minutes long divided into just four episodes, which wonderfully balances adolescent innocence and the intensity of first love.
The first movements of teenage love in some of its most precious nuances are addressed in this fun, innocent and touching story. Through absolute simplicity, but no less profound and fascinating, as well as a touch of reality, a subtle, pure, honest, age-appropriate romance is shown.
Without other conflicts or secondary characters that alter the dynamic posed by the boys, the talented, thoughtful and even-tempered Sakura, and the mischievous, energetic and class clown Yuki, resoundingly convince the public about their friendship and budding love.
The miniseries does not risk crossing the limits of age or the school environment as its setting to show something more than this naive adolescent game, subtle flirtation and tender declaration of love. Almost two years after its production, the time may have come to show a romance, not in their adolescent stage, but in their youth, between these characters. Special chemistry and connection are enough for this.
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The Sun, the Moon & the Hurricane
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The constant search for happiness and the fight against gay loneliness
With 'Arisan', from 2003, the first Indonesian film with a homosexual theme about the life of an upper-class woman who feels attracted to a young gay executive, other films from that Asian country have delicately touched on the problems that a marginalized community faces.While it is true that homosexuality is not prohibited by law, many members of the Indonesian LGBTIQ+ community remain in the "closet", as it continues to be a taboo in a country where 85 percent of its 220 million inhabitants are Muslims.
Films that have attempted to break myths around homosexuality and explore cultural taboos and social stigma in Indonesia include 'The Sun, The Moon and The Hurricane', which tells the story of Rain and his journey to find and lose happiness, love and the meaning of life. The protagonist, played by William Tjokro, will witness the change of the people around him, as well as the changes that will occur in himself simply to adapt, to survive. Rain will understand that all the events in his life and the people he meets shaped his personality and his destiny.
This brave film is easily identified with its audience through its beautiful and poetic narration. It effectively portrays the ever-changing nature of the human being, his eternal struggle to grow, to find his own happiness while fighting loneliness and facing the expectations of others.
After winning the Best Asian Short Film award at Screen Singapore with 'Red Umbrella' in 2011, Indonesian independent film director Andri Cung returns with his first feature film, from 2014, with which he contributes to the LGBTIQ+ community in its fight for rights queer in Indonesia.
Filmed in Jakarta, Bali and Bangkok with a small budget and no more than 20 crew members, the film, which screened for three consecutive weeks nationwide with Rating R21, successfully delivers its director's inspiring and liberal plot with a happy ending.
In this avant-garde, progressive, unconventional and sincere project that seeks to help change attitudes towards homosexuality in Southeast Asia, the filmmaker once again explores the social norms and taboos of his country. The notions of body image and passion, always from an artistic aesthetic and narrative, orbit the sometimes slow pace of the film.
The film takes us through the existential dilemma of Rain, who, in search of belonging, love, happiness and the meaning of life, pursues human connection in fleeting loves, and faces the inevitability of gay loneliness, this theme controversial in liberal societies. On the other hand, the viewer is immersed in the psychology of internalized shame and homophobia, shaping three-dimensional characters and weaving a fascinating plot.
In 'The Sun, The Moon and The Hurricane' the intention, as much as educating the audience, provoking reflection and perhaps connecting the audience with their personal circumstances, is also to provide a narrative that resonates with their own experiences. .
Its fundamental premise lies in the idea that our lives are a constant process of self-discovery, a journey that never ends. In this march through life, the film selected for its world premiere at the 2014 Vancouver International Film Festival advocates commitment to oneself. But in this journey towards authenticity and personal acceptance in the LGBTIQ+ community, support and connection with others is also important.
The film, which was highlighted at the 2016 Indonesia Film Festival and ACMI, Melbourne, Australia, also stars Natalius Chendana as Kris, winner of the Best New Actor award in Indonesia 2013, an actor who had previously worked with Andri Cung on '3SUM'.
Among the film's awards and achievements, the nomination for Best New Director at the 2014 Vancouver International Film Festival stands out, being selected to participate in the Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest) 2014 and the Jogja NetPac Asian Film Festival (JAFF) 2014. For his part, William Tjokro was nominated for Best New Actor at Piala Maya 2014, while at this same event Andri Cung was nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category.
At 19, and while experiencing a period of self-discovery, Rain is protected by the enigmatic Kris (Natalius Chendana) from bullying by homophobes at the high school they attend. Kris, who is very popular with the girls, will demand Rain's friendship, insist that she spend the night at sleepovers and that she abandon her other friends. “You don't need them. I alone am enough for you.”
However, Kris himself went out at night with a succession of casual girlfriends. Rain, who is coming to terms with being gay, will wait for Kris at his house, going through the drawers to try to discover the personality of his mysterious friend.
When Kris arrives on one of those outings with the girl on duty and kisses a Rain who is pretending to be sleeping, emotions are unleashed. Caught in the act of stealing a kiss, Kris first reacts by expelling Rain from the house, but not before ordering him to never reveal that he desires another man.
After the tempestuous sex scene that ensues, and after sleeping in each other's arms, Kris will leave Rain at her home. As the music in the background pumps as loud as the shame and guilt in her blood, Kris leaves crying, thinking that the time has come to abandon the person she loves so much. Andri Cung's unstable hand-held camera is masterful, as he follows that man inside a car, overflowing with tears of pain and sadness.
Rain, for his part, cannot understand why this young man who loves him and whom he loves abruptly disappears from his life.
Nine years later, Rain seems to have gotten over Kris. Visiting Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, she has a brief but warm and tender sexual experience with Will (Cornelio Sunny). However, he will come to confess to this free-spirited prostitute that it does not matter how many people pass through his life, because he has only had one great love.
Now, 32 years old and with a consolidated career as a filmmaker, he receives a surprising invitation to visit Kris, now unhappily married to Susan (Gesata Stella) and living in Bali. What does Kris really want? Is Rain the only person he's ever loved? The reunion with Kris will lead Rain to make the most difficult decision of his life.
While it is true that the first third of the film is slow-paced and suffers from narrative inertia, it begins to gain momentum after Kris disappears and Rain fully embraces his sexuality. The reason for this cinematographic procedure lies in the necessary accumulation of conflicts for the characters to develop.
The combination of one-liner dialogue, Rain's voice-over narration, raw, shaky camera movements, and close-ups highlight the characters' denial, internal struggles, and discomfort with each other.
The editing by Dwi Agus Purwanto and Mochamad Rizky Pratama, and the songs “The Moon” and “Daylight Dreaming”, by Toper Caesar, contribute to the visuality of the film, and create an impression of dreaminess and peace. Their combination manages to highlight the hope and intimacy shared between the two protagonists.
The sun shines during the day and is always in the shape of a circle. The moon rises at night and its shape appears to change and can sometimes be seen during the day. What are the sun and the moon? How are they similar and how are they different?
As a metaphor for life itself, the film's title alludes to the sunny and hopeful phases, on the one hand, and the dark and stormy phases, on the other, of human existence itself in perfect balance.
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How does the gaze of others affect an a priori perfect homosexual relationship?
In this 2018 short film of only 15 minutes, Taiwanese director Ching Chi Hu captures a youthful homosexual experience with a good deal of sensitivity, but also with the same taste for taking the dramatic conflict to a practically extreme situation that crushes the audience's heart. more sensitive.The first part of this deeply personal portrait of a newly discovered love, draws the love relationship between the two protagonist boys, Kai Chang (Xuan Qi Chen) and Hao Tsai (Bo Yao Wang), the latter co-writer with Chi Hu, in a of those intense and unique connections that occur over six magical months, while both frequently skip classes at a Taiwanese high school to discover the universe within their reach.
Between jokes, laughter and complicity, what emerges as a friendship quickly transforms into a more intense bond. However, with the same speed and simplicity as this pure relationship is created, it is affected when moving to another socialization environment, school. As Hao rides the bus with his fellow students, they express an obvious aversion toward homosexual people. In fact, the girl next to him, presumably a girlfriend to hide his homosexuality, asks Hao about the boy with whom he spends many hours together every day and they are very close.
As the connection between the two strengthens, Hao grows increasingly certain that they will not have the possibility of a future together. Therefore, against her will, she decides to break up with her lover. The scenes, which show the mutual discovery of secret desires until one's lips want to eat the other's, are filmed with a tender and tactile lens.
Through ellipses and in a naturalistic tone, in its second half, 'Grounded' becomes a drama around the loss that Kai suffers, first due to the death of his mother, and then due to the tragic breakup with Hao .
Instead of jokes, laughter and complicity, now there are half smiles on the faces of the two protagonists and involuntary grimaces of pain, with the boys' lips closed and those dark, very dark eyes, shining with shed tears and others without shedding.
Hao wants to “marry the sea and embrace freedom, but he is afraid of the wind and the waves and the limits of painting.” The homophobic society in which he lives and where marriage between people of the same sex is not recognized until the year after the filming of the short, does not allow him to conquer his dreams. Hao does not reveal himself to the circumstances and ends up being a victim of them. This foresees serious consequences for the loved one.
The short film thus becomes a sharp portrait of how the gaze of others ends up affecting an a priori perfect relationship. The audiovisual offers us, on the one hand, a window to other realities, and on the other hand, it places a mirror in front of ours.
With a little more development of the characters and events, I have no doubt this film will be able to remodel the belief system of many viewers, make them think and reconsider our immovable truths.
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From -20 to 100, the possible setbacks do not matter... only the advance
When the two protagonists meet, Cha Yeo-woon's affection level towards Tae Myung Ha was -20. When he gave him the shoes to use in the race, he dropped to -99. Due to the level of negative affect, the video game constantly throws out debuffs that would affect Yeo-woon. It had to be reversed.
I've been thinking about how to title this review. The race in which Cha Yeo-woon's affection level towards Tae Myung Ha goes from -99 to 1 gave me the title: 'From -20 to 100, possible setbacks don't matter... only progress'.
Since the early days of cinema, the industry has constantly sought new ways to captivate audiences. In recent decades, video games, like esports news, have emerged as a powerful and exciting form of entertainment.
This convergence between cinematographic art and video games has led to the creation of films and series that explore the theme of virtual worlds and immersive experiences.
Since 'Tron', directed by Steven Lisberger in 1982, considered the pioneering film in the world of cinematic virtual reality, until today, many film and television productions transport viewers to a digital world, where the characters are literally transported inside a videogame.
'House of the Dead', 2003; 'Alone in the Dark', 2005; 'Doom' (2005), 'Super Mario Bros' (1993), Nintendo, 'Mortal Kombat' (1995), 'Street Fighter: The Last Stand' (1994), 'Need for Speed' (2014), 'The Matrix ' (1999), 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' (2010), 'Wreck-It Ralph' (2012), 'Ready Player One' (2018) and 'Assassin's Creed', are some of them.
The growing popularity of eSports, virtual reality and video games in general provides rich creative terrain for screenwriters, filmmakers and television directors who seek to challenge conventions and offer unique experiences to their audiences, producing films that not only entertain, but They also serve as a reflection of our collective fascination with virtual worlds and the limitless possibilities they offer.
Kim Kyun Ah as director, and Kwon Cho Rong as screenwriter, take us with 'Love for Love's Sake' to explore the theme of video games and virtual reality.
This Korean drama in which genres such as romance, BL and fantasy come together, tells the story of Tae Myung Ha (Lee Tae Vin), a 29-year-old young man who is transported inside a video game.
Our protagonist enjoys reading a novel written by his Sunbae (Senior). He prefers secondary characters more than protagonists. “Why is Cha Yeo Woon the only miserable one?” you will ask the writer. Not liking the answer, he will state: “The fact that some people are destined to live a miserable life is what is vile.” “So, would you change your life for that of the character?” the novelist asks him.
Upon awakening, Tae Myung Ha experiences a disconcerting twist of fate when he suddenly finds himself transported to a fictional online game in the body of a nineteen-year-old character. He has fallen into "Love for Love's Sake", a video game based on the novel written by his Sunbae.
In this way he embarks on an adventure within the virtual world in which he must fulfill a mission: bring happiness to the student Cha Yeo Woon, his favorite character in the literary work. In the darkest moment of his life, he needs to make Cha Yeo Woon happy or face dire consequences.
A translucent window that constantly appears in front of him will give him game instructions. He will only have 300 days to achieve his goal, otherwise death will be his punishment. Can he survive, protect his favorite person and accomplish his mission?
Tae Myung Ha will wonder: if I was not happy before starting the game, how can I make Cha Yeo Woon happy? Will the game play out completely differently than the novel? How will it end?
Despite being an athlete with relevant results in athletics championships and having a very attractive appearance, Cha Yeo Woon has lived in poverty and maintains a humble attitude. He will see his life turn upside down when he starts interacting in the virtual world with Tae Myung Ha.
Cheon Sang Won (Oh Min Su), a high school student from a wealthy family, becomes emotionally entangled with Tae Myung Ha. His involvement adds complexity to the developing relationship between Tae Myung Ha and Cha Yeo Woon.
Another character in the series is Ahn Kyung Hoon (Woong Gi). This young man, introverted and reserved, supports and helps Tae Myung Ha in his mission within the virtual world.
The Korean BL series 'Love for Love's Sake' (Yeonae Jisangju-eui Guyeok), also known as 'Love Supremacy Zone', is a drama adaptation based on the webtoon of the same name written by Aquram and Hwacha and illustrated by Kkokku.
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After Sundown is a 2023 Thai film by prolific director, screenwriter, producer and actor Aod Bhandit Thongdee, which aptly combines the genres of horror, supernatural mystery and romance in a creative narrative and a certain historical period. In this way, Thongdee weaves multiple threads with admirable balance and skill.
The film delicately captures the vintage elegance and glamor of the 60s of the last century. The decoration, the costumes, the hairstyle, the scenery enhance the work in that sense. The script is based on the novel "Dap Saeng Rawi".
Rawee (NuNew Chawarin Perdpiriyawong) is a 21-year-old young man who lives a humble, folksy lifestyle. Raised in Aytthaya by his grandfather, the monk Chantakorn (War Jirawat Vachirasarunpatra), he accepts the invitation of Parit (Nu Surasak Chaiat), a generous patriarch of a wealthy family, to live in the city. Chantakorn sees in the invitation the possibility of a better life for his grandson, as well as the opportunity for him to continue his studies, and encourages him.
In his new home, Rawee will soon experience terrifying visions and strange nightmares. Every night he is tormented by the presence of supernatural beings. It will soon become clear that Rawee is the only victim of whatever is lurking and lurking in the house. The question arises from the first bars of the plot: why does he suffer these spooky hallucinations?
In addition to Parit, his son Patchara (Tao Adisorn Athagrisna) and his daughter-in-law Pimpila (Meenay Jutai) live in the rich mansion. The couple has a 25-year-old son, Phloeng (Zee Pruk Panich). This is an entrepreneur dedicated to the family business. Phloeng's parents believe their son is cursed.
According to a prophecy, Phloeng will suffer serious misfortunes during that year. Unless an auspicious event occurs, he is destined to spend the rest of his life alone. Your salvation lies in finding your soul mate as soon as possible. This must meet certain requirements: It is not necessary to get married. It is enough to unite their destinies. His age must be an odd number and not older than 25 years, he must have been born outside Phra Nakhon and it is not mandatory to go looking for him, as the indicated person will come to meet Phloeng.
Rawee meets all the criteria and turns out to be the ideal candidate to be Phloeng's soulmate. The proposal is made by Parit himself after knowing the prediction. But it conveys a doubt: don't Phloeng's parents care that they are men? They both agree that if Rawee can save Praphloeng from misfortune they have no objection.
The meeting of the young people could not be more unfortunate. As Rawee cycles through the city, he collides with the arrogant Phloeng, who is returning home from abroad by car, after being called to return home and seal his fate by joining his soulmate. Class and cultural differences will hinder the relationship of the two. Phloeng does not miss the opportunity to belittle Rawee and accuse him of seeking to get his hands on his grandfather's fortune. Rawee is not daunted. In the face of threats and accusations, he responds with pride, haughtiness and a good dose of mischief, leaving Phloeng without resources to respond. The grumpy servant Pudsorn (Namping Napatsakorn Pingmuang) takes it upon himself to annoy and make life miserable for Rawee.
Phloeng, a modern young man for his time, is not superstitious and is skeptical of his relatives' proposal. Refusing to be a stranger's soulmate, he finally accepts the agreement to calm the fears of those close to him. For her part, Parit asks Rawee for understanding after explaining the misfortune that would befall the family if he did not agree. It is then the young man's time to return the favor to his benefactor. A very common practice at the time, especially in rural areas and provincial cities, was to establish alliances agreed upon by the members of two families, beyond social origins, ages of the couple and other aspects.
The film shows a practice that is still common today in various regions of the world, including Southeast Asia, such as consensual marriage, in which the couple has allowed outsiders to bring them together.
Under these conditions of a consensual marriage to ward off misfortune and in the midst of growing tensions between the two young people, on the one hand, and the terrifying visions that Rawee suffers, on the other, Phloeng becomes engaged to Rawee. But he sets a condition: if after six months the relationship between the two does not deepen, he will cancel the arrangement. They both reluctantly accept the compromise.
To comply with the rules and avoid misfortune, they must remain under the same roof after sunset. The discomfort they feel being close to each other is evident. However, Rawee will soon discover that his nightmares disappear whenever he is around Phloeng. The approach and subsequent romantic commitment of young people is inevitable. We will soon discover that they are both united by deeper ties than an arranged alliance could ever weave.
Let's add as positive features a fascinating narrative, the combination of genres, the historical period as a unique added detail, the impressive images, the majestic landscapes, especially the lake, and the elegant atmosphere.
The film offers conclusive answers about the origins of the ghost that haunts Rawee. Music contributes to the development of the plot and fulfills its function as a vehicle to tell the story.
Positive: The movie seems unpredictable. The viewer is not able to foresee what will happen next. The level of intrigue, suspense and surprising twists for almost two hours. Solid performances, especially from the leads. Passionate and healthy chemistry between the two main actors. Tender gay love scenes.
Negative: Little exploration of the historical and cultural context of the 60s of the last century. Weak character development. Poor construction of the supernatural. Inefficient characterization of the characters, hence the viewer's poor understanding of their personalities and life stories.
The characters, both from the script and the staging and from the performances of the protagonists, are built with so much love and delicacy that the film is irresistible even in its most obvious moments. It may not do anything revolutionary with the gay initiation genre, but it is emotional and honest.
If you are looking to be entertained with a supernatural movie with suspenseful plots and surprising twists, After Sundown is a good option.
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Service (Serbis, in Filipino) is a 2008 independent drama film directed by Brillante Mendoza, leader of a generation of new Filipino filmmakers who leaves a trail of wonder wherever he goes. With this, his seventh film, Mendoza was the first filmmaker from his country invited to compete for the Palme d'Or in the official section of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. It is also the first Filipino film to compete in that important international film event since Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim, by Lino Brocka, in 1984.
The script, written by Armando Lao and Boots Agbayani Pastor, shows us thieves fleeing from the police roaming the hallways of the theater. Mothers with infants looking for another child, also a minor, who may have entered the dark room to meet with gays. Sellers of flowers or watermelon seeds walking through what was once a prestigious establishment that became a dilapidated movie theater dedicated to presenting double programs of erotic and pornographic films from the 70s, to advertise their products for sale. People going up and down stairs in an endless maelstrom of sound, noise and movement.
Transvestites and prostitutes showing their bodies to the moans of the movie lovers in the background as if they were being exhibited on a catwalk. Homosexual couples at the entrance to the bathroom waiting their turn to let off steam, but not the urge to urinate but the sexual appetite.
Family problems aired in everyone's ear. Sewer water that floods the bathrooms and nooks and filters down the stairs to the ground floor. Between the stench and the squalor, we will soon learn about the various family plots that will become intertwined with the comings and goings of the public and clients.
Claire Villareal's montage allows us to appreciate the graffiti on the walls of the bathrooms or hallways that display penises or vaginas with the names of their owners along with the telephone number and the price to be paid by the potential client. Layers of paint with a broad brush to hide graffiti. Posters of gay and erotic films hanging on the walls. Lazy people are the only ones who do not have entry permission, as can be read on another sign at the entrance. A runaway goat pacing in front of the projection screen after entering through a hole in the wall. Lights that turn on. The luminosity invades the stalls. Pants that are pulled up in a hurry, zippers that close in an enigmatic frenzy, shirts that hide nakedness are placed again on the unsheltered bodies. The lovers run in terror due to the terror of being surprised. The four-legged animal on the run and in pursuit a herd of two-legged animals that bleat as much as that one.
Two cinemas closed due to the economic crisis and this one, the only one open, does not generate enough income to feed everyone. Rolled films pad the walls before rolling across the floor to the Philippine Rabbit Line bus that links Angeles City to Manila. The city, doors outside, like another spectator of the film that rolls inside the building. People on the streets coming and going and fixing their gaze on the posters to discover that it is not the one showing the film they expect to see.
If viewers have their party at the Family cinema, the Pineda family, a matriarchy around which children, grandchildren, cousins and nephews swarm, also has its treat. Together they run an old, baroque, grimy, decadent and labyrinthine cinema, which in turn serves as the home of the family clan, a kind of microcosm in which women, especially the two mothers, play a central leadership role in all the events. senses, moral authority and control of the property and custody of its members.
Nanay Flor, the matriarch, her daughter Nayda, her stepson Lando and her adopted daughter Jewel are in charge of selling tickets, meals and candy. His nephews, Alan and Ronald, are respectively the painter and the projectionist. While the family members go up and down the stairs in their daily chores, what happens in the living room and the more than populated hallways is foreign to them.
Bigamy, unwanted pregnancy, hasty commitment to silence what others will say, possible incest and boils on the skin are part of the daily challenges faced by this troubled family. And there, before them all, the true “star” of the show: a huge, dilapidated movie theater that serves as a family business and living space.
The exploration of family dynamics, particularly the relationship of Nanay Flor, played brilliantly by Gina Pareño, and her daughter Nayda (Jaclyn Jose), adds depth and emotional resonance to the story. The cast also includes Coco Martín, Dan Alvaro, Mercedes Cabral, Julio Diaz and Kristofer King.
As the film progresses, the plot becomes increasingly absorbing, drawing viewers into the journey of what happens in each space of the film establishment. Gian Gianan's music helps with this. Photographed by Odissey Flores, the raw, arid images, infused with a moving intimacy, enhance the emotional resonance of the story, while subtle touches of ironic humor serve to increase the tenderness aroused by the members of this surprising fallen gang. .
Mama Flor under the clock that relentlessly rings, with her best clothes, waiting for the curtains to come down. The cinema is silent. People go out. Among them Alan, backpack on his shoulders, fleeing from responsibility.
The tape burns. The projector turns off. The big screen goes dark. Images die until the next day. The movie within the movie ends.
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Thame - Po Heart That Skips a Beat
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Music is the other main protagonist
Who hasn't had the fantasy of a musical idol falling in love with you? What would happen if you fell in love with the fashionable youth idol when you are tasked with documenting his latest concert as part of a boy group? What would happen if in the midst of the band's dissolution you became its leader's closest confidant?'ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat', the Thai romantic drama directed by Mui Aticha Tanthanawigrai ('The Shipper', 2020), tells the story of Po (Est Supha Sangaworawong, 'Love by Chance Season 2: A Chance to Love', 2020), a young filmmaker who finds work in an entertainment company as director of a documentary that will record the latest performance of the popular boy group Mars, and is bewitched by the charms of Thame (William Jakrapatr Kaewpanpong), the band's singer and dancer, as well as his heart and soul.
And it's art that unites Thame and Po, in a way. Each one from their own line (Thame in the musical area, Po in the cinematographic arts), and they come together at a middle point that leads them to love, while one is about to leave the band to debut solo in South Korea due to a misunderstanding with the other members of the group, and the other must capture the group's final concert in images and sounds.
Both the work behind the script and Est's inspirational and empowered performance add to the narrative of the series substantially. The fact that the protagonist is a young man who has left his happiness and future on hold during the time he was dating someone who led him to be in the background in the relationship, turns a premise disconnected from reality into a very more earthly and empathetic. One that allows the viewer to understand more about the phenomenon of invisibility that some people suffer when they are part of the lives of public figures, such as artists. But if Po, his character, is leaving one of these relationships, he runs the risk of falling into another, when his path crosses that of Thame.
They are both heartbroken and need to heal. Will they find comfort in each other? Can they share their loneliness and sadness? In addition to their passions for music and directing work, will love be what heals them? Will the band's fate be to disband once Thame becomes a solo artist, leaving his bandmates behind? Is this Thame's dream or is it an action undertaken by internal conflicts that can be overcome? Will Po manage to overcome the trauma of having been a "shadow" in her relationship with her ex-boyfriend? Will Po be able to prevent the group from dissolving? I ask myself these and other questions, and I hope to have answers in the final episode.
Against all logic, the series does not raise the curtain on the meticulous process of creating a global musical sensation, but on the imminent separation of the iconic world-class boy band, made up, in addition to Thame, of Dylan (Hong Pichetpong Chiradatesakunvong), Nano (Lego Rapeepong Supatineekitdecha), Jun (Nut Thanat Danjesda) and Peeper (Tui Chayatorn Trairattanapradit).
The series does not raise the curtain on the meticulous process of creating a global musical sensation, but on the imminent separation of the iconic world-class boy band, made up, in addition to Thame, of Dylan (Hong Pichetpong Chiradatesakunvong), Nano (Lego Rapeepong Supatineekitdecha ), Jun (Nut Thanat Danjesda) and Peeper (Tui Chayatorn Trairattanapradit).
With a script by PingPong Suwanun Pohgudsai ('Cherry Magic', 2023-2024), Kannika Tovaranonte ('Gen Y', 2021), and the director himself, the series is a GMMTV production aimed at showcasing the five members of the group LYKN boys, winners of the Best New Artist award at the Komchadluek Awards 2024, who on screen show their skills as singers and dancers.
Combining their talent and charisma with exemplary physical discipline, William, Hong, Lego, Nut and Tui drive the viewer crazy with their songs, dances and stage movements. After starring in the short film 'No Worries', in 2023, and the documentary 'LYKN Day1 to Debut', the five members of LYKN more than reaffirm their acting and musical abilities.
From the first frame in which he appears, William is not only able to fill the screen, but he also manages to perfectly convey the energy of his character and the very particular circumstances in which he finds himself. Something that really manages to captivate the viewer and make the journey that the character goes through much more transcendental for them.
The series not only tells a romance between Po and Thame, or the story of the idol band, but also reflects on the price of success, the importance of friendship and the need to balance notoriety and privacy in a relationship couple. With convincing performances, this series promises to be an unmissable event for lovers of BL and music in general.
Although these are preliminary assessments, since only one episode of the 13 that the series has has been broadcast, Est manages to portray the young film director who must carry out the mission of filming the documentary of the Mars farewell concert, while deals with the recent breakup with his ex-boyfriend Earn (Pepper Phanuroj Chalermkijporntavee), the trauma left in him by a toxic relationship in which, after helping or achieving success, he was despised by the person he he loved, and the feelings that Thame, the handsome and seductive leader of the band, awakens in him.
Without a doubt, music is the other main protagonist. In addition to "All I Need", by LYKN, other musical themes by a real band created for the series are played, such as "I Remember", in the voice of Victor Lundberg, and "Destined", a song performed by Tui Chayatorn, among others.
The lyrics of the songs turn out to be a decent summary of the series: "How could we fall so quickly and let ourselves go? It's time to give up. Now that it's over, there's nothing to say 'cause, I guess we've said it all," we signals the breakdown of Po and Earn's relationship, but then, like a pleasant foreshadowing, we will hear: "You stole my heart in the blink of an eye. I've been yours since the first time we met. All I need is you!" ", as a sign of the birth of a new romance, while the audience claps their hands and sings the song.
Likewise, Thame performs a song with the other members of the band, and then acts alone on stage, and sings a song in which he expresses: "...although all the dreams we had did not turn out as planned," and Dylan, Nano, Jun and Peeper retire, leaving only the leader of the group on the stage, it is a prediction of what the viewer could expect in the series if they do not solve the group's internal problems.
In my opinion, the creators have sought to make the story seem as authentic as possible and ensure that the actors who are members of LYKN were integrated into the plot in a real way. The five boys have this type of integrity, which must be of great help, since in the progression of the series in general, they are in charge of writing, performing and dancing the songs that we hear intertwined with the love story between Thame and Po.
It's too early to give conclusions, but what I've seen so far, I believe this couple's romance. Yes, they are diametrically opposed in some aspects but at the same time very similar in others. The fact that their relationship makes them grow individually enriches the plot. Examples? We can see it when Thame tries to better understand Po's passion for art. Likewise, when Po tries to look at Thame as the man he is and not the famous singer.
In this sense, how I would like them both to learn a lot about themselves and their sexuality through their relationship with each other, that they both make the other better on a personal level, and that together they can keep the band together.
But I will tell this later.
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A dream and a forbidden love
Every year, the music industry launches numerous boy bands around the world to make their international debut. Other industries, also dedicated to entertainment, such as television, always at the forefront, have not been left behind, in the effort to tell us about the creation and evolution of these groups.And if, along with this, they address stories of overcoming and forbidden love between members of said bands, the public awaits them with greater interest.
That is why today we remember 'Boyband The Series', a Thai audiovisual characterized by its excellent performances, a dream soundtrack and enviable scenery.
Its premiere took place in February 2023, and with 6 episodes lasting approximately 45 minutes each, we are introduced to Top, played by Phiphat Wichasu (Zubom), in his first acting role, a young man who has had to make an effort in life to be able to pay the debt contracted by his father, in addition to paying for the medical treatment of his mother, a disabled woman after suffering a traffic accident, and also paying for the education of his minor sister. To get ahead, he has had to work as a waiter, elephant keeper and sword fighter.
Top will have the opportunity to travel from Khon Kaen, Isaan province, to Bangkok, to become an artist under World Star, the company of Khun Serena (Metinee Kingpayome - Lukkade), the queen of the entertainment industry, through a singing, dancing and acting contest, which in addition to artistic skills, will evaluate the behavior and attitudes of the contestants.
This trip into the competition represents a new stage in his life for Top, full of surprises that he is willing to accept without hesitation, because in addition to competing against a hundred young people to obtain one of the six positions in dispute, he will meet Juju (Theerachet Yanwantana - Jaymin), the impulsive son of a wealthy family, with whom our protagonist will live a forbidden romance, because the contest imposes a rule on the participants: "Artists are prevented from establishing romantic relationships with each other."
With a chemistry that transcends the screen, Top will help Juju deal with her main problem: her father's refusal to accept her fulfilling her dream of becoming an idol.
One of the aspects that attract attention in this dramatic, romantic, musical and youth comedy with LGBTIQ+ themes is Top's constant race in pursuit of Juju. The unforgettable sequence of Zubom on the motorcycle arriving, with delays, to the place of the band's debut, among the first scenes, while the music directed and composed by Terdsak Janpan for the series plays in the background, is one of the vertices about the that a plot is articulated, which will lead us to other chases, such as that of Top behind Juju's car in an unfortunate first encounter in which the two come out as enemies.
There will also be other chases, such as the chase that is not after Juju, but with Juju, to rescue Juju's bag that the motorcyclists intend to steal, or the race to prevent Juju from fighting with other contestants, due to the risk of being disqualified.
Another race is when Top follows Juju to the latter's mother's house in Krabi, the boy requiring his authorization to continue in the competition.
Each step in those runs brings them closer to each other, and not only from the point of view of shortening the distance.
Top and Juju are joined by Jeff (Arm Boonyavanit - AP), the typical prankster that everyone will want to have by their side to have fun; Ryu (Pakpoom Juanchainat - Art), the famous dancer with many followers on social networks, Ken (Intouch Kooramasuwan - Intouch), the brilliant singer who will fall in love with the singing teacher, and Atom (Wasin Suungkavathin - Aom), the boy seriously focused on his art.
These young people, along with Sun (Natthanun Kurusatienpron - Man), Kampun (Phutawan Yamsai - Tawan); Tiger (Phicaphop Khamnanak - Auto), Pokpong (Patchapol Bhamornbuth - Tong) and Yok (Athiphat Arkrawarachotihiran - Nice), will fight to join the world-class boy band, and will undergo intense training in singing, dancing and acting, as part of the fierce competition that would allow them to achieve their dreams.
As in all competitions, there will be envy and professional jealousy that will play dirty and, through cheating and disloyalty, will try to get others to abandon. Likewise, there are those who will rejoice in the stumble and fall of their rival so that they do not continue in the fight, but there are also those with wise advice and timely encouragement, those who will not mind helping those who do not master the technique or those who He has suffered a blow to his foot that prevents him from dancing well.
We are not looking at the classic BL (hence surely the low rating of the drama), because 'Boyband The Series' aims much higher by exposing problems inherent to the entertainment industry, such as the corrupting power of money to buy artists trained in other agencies , the pressure from managers towards future idols with promises that are not always fulfilled, topics that are rarely addressed in series of the genre, with the exception of 'Call It What You Want I' and some others.
The series, directed by Dome Jade Bunyoprakarn ('My Dear Gangster Oppa', 'Together with Me', 'Bad Romance'), also reflects another theme equally little or poorly portrayed in Thai BL. I mean homophobia. Top and Juju's budding love relationship is used for the purposes of not only causing harm to them, but also to Khun Serena.
And here the series contributes to the struggle of the Thai LGBTIQ+ community, because although discrimination against the members of that human group persists in that country, the initial scenes of the series, which take us to the moment of the meeting of both young people before their debut , shows us that the revelation of their romance will not stop them from moving forward.
Two other main characters are Madame Pauly (Anon Saisangcharn - Pu), in charge of convincing Khun Serena to return to talent training after a period away from the agency she created, after the breakup of her marriage to Phanu (Maethanee Buranasiri - Nino), a manager in the entertainment industry to whom anything goes if he can punish his ex-wife.
Madame Pauly also has the mission of searching for contest candidates and serving as a judge for the competitions.
The writing of the scripts is carried out by Piangpaitoon Satrawaha – May), known for being the screenwriter of 'Naughty Babe' and 'Hormones Season 2', among other series, who in 'Boyband The Seires' plays the judge and teacher My .
Throughout the series, Serena, Pauly and My act as judges and guides in the training of the contestants, imitating the style of programs like "American Idols": while the former acts as an infallible judge, with a reputation for being a "strong hand" , there are always some performances that allow us to see their most sensitive and fair side, because although difficult to convince, they have sound recommendations that are usually accepted and applied by all those who aspire to join the band.
Everything seems fine to My, while Madame Pauly is the one who tries to be objective and lets herself be carried away by her criteria, to which she is always faithful. The actor who plays Madame does not believe in gender stereotypes that pigeonhole men who play very effeminate characters, like his. Lukkade and Pu's performances spice up the series.
'Boyband The Series' darkens in the final episode, with a discussion on stage after the winning team is announced, which contributes little to the closure of the story. It is very unlikely that what happened took place in real life, much less in the grotesque way it was portrayed. These disputes are ultimately aired in court.
Another reason that worked against 'Boyband The Series' was that it aired alongside other popular ThaiBL, such as 'Never Let Me Go', 'My School President' and 'Moonlight Chicken'. It is also not helped by the difficulties that the public has in accessing audiovisuals with English subtitles.
The series brings us as a bonus the possibility of meeting several BL stars who show their faces as guest artists. These include Copter Phanuwat, Bas Suradej Pinnirat, Max Kornthas Rujeerattanavorapan, Fluke Natouch Siripongthon and Peter Knight.
Love triangles, forbidden romances, infatuations between contestants and teachers, seductions of judges to try to be favored by them, villains who steal talents just to cause harm, young people who fight to achieve their dreams, self-realization, personal and spiritual growth, diversity Sexuality, acceptance, homophobia, among other themes, appear in a very well written script, despite the aforementioned slips and others.
Top and Juju have a dream. The realization of it comes to the first almost by chance, when he no longer had hope after his uncertain initial steps in Korea. Juju won't stop until he reaches it. And both manage, by putting one brick on top of another, to build together that dream life that grows together with romantic love.
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The alternate universe and BL romance
Have you wondered if there are parallel universes in which Israel does not invade and colonize Palestine and its peoples were like brothers, each within their own borders, or the small, sovereign, rebellious and heroic Cuba is the one that imposes a genocidal blockade? economic, commercial and financial to the United States? Science is not willing to deny the possibility that there may be other realities parallel to ours in which things happen differently, but, for now, that only exists in film and television.Our own universe is limited by the laws of physics, but when it comes to shows and movies, these rules can be bent and broken to create parallel universes and alternate realities where the possibilities are endless and the impossible is no longer impossible. Therefore, by managing to blur the boundaries between fiction and reality and, as a result, they leave us with great innovative stories, characters and incredible worlds that make us want to explore them, while testing the limits of our own mind.
The creators of 'Why R U' know this, who to curl the curl of their delirium of poetic science fiction and BL romance, decided to present a parallel reality in this 2020 Thai romantic series, to, through the multiverse, explore the possibility of getting to know a character in a million different ways, changing stories and destinies, correcting contexts, offering second chances or simply playing with our minds, with the aim of achieving an addictive and entertaining product.
Imagine waking up one day in a dramatic world written by your sister in which everything has become completely opposite to reality: your best friend is in love with his archenemy... and your lover is your nemesis.
In his personal vision and a distinctive style in his own cinematographic process, director Cheewin Thanamin Wongskulfat proposes the aforementioned synopsis to bring us a romantic comedy that revolves around two main couples, those made up of Tutor (Saint Suppapong Udomkaewkanjana) and Fighter ( Zee Pruk Panich), and Saifah (Jimmy Karn Kritsanaphan) and Zon (Tommy Sittichok Pueakpoolpol).
Intimacy, love, self-discovery, acceptance, sexual diversity, the search for happiness and coming of age, are some of the themes that the series explores through the dynamics of the characters, achieving hilarious scenes unique to the series. Thai drama, as well as intense, tender, romantic and dramatic moments, which are also inherent to the entertainment industry of that Southeast Asian nation.
The development of rivalry to friendship and from this to romance is one of the hooks to attract the public in Thai BL, and on this occasion it does not fail, despite the fact that the story of the alternative reality suffers some setbacks. along the way, or the poor development of events and secondary characters, especially Zon's friends, whose roles and performances, as comic relief, contribute little to the story.
With good, genuine performances and competent direction, the cinematography and scenery are surprisingly valuable. But the script falters at times. Perhaps I'm being too harsh, given all the Covid-19 production and post-production issues during the filming of the series, and the obvious hasty script rewrites.
The final episode is one of the great demonstrations of terrible writing. It rushes to the end of the series without anything interesting to say or show. And it's unfortunate, because the central story of the alternate reality has a lot of potential. It is right there, in those failures, when the creators try in their efforts to make the public understand when they are facing the real world and when they are facing the alternative reality, that all the cheesy clichés of the BL genre are incorporated, and the good work ends. , while satire and romantic comedy are left to their own devices.
The four main characters are introduced at the very beginning of the series through a dream sequence. In it, our main character, Zon, discovers that his best friend, Tutor, is in a relationship with his archenemy Fighter. But his astonishment increases when, suddenly, he discovers that his adversary Saifah approaches him and begins to show him affection, which obviously causes him to reject him and, scared, flee.
And at this point the series incorporates a component rarely used in Thai series: animation. Zon will continue his dream through the use of this film technique, allowing Cheewin to show a new facet as a director, since directing live action and animation films requires similar skills but results in very different experiences for the director, because although the task consists of direct the project in terms of its story, soundtrack, cast, costumes, special effects and editing, both types of productions have their determining characteristics.
But this will not be the only novelty, as the series has another big surprise in store for us, when Zon has hallucinations that involve several very popular BL characters. We are then fully introduced into a parallel universe.
Saifah is a very popular musician who frequently engages in pranks with his college friends. One of his most frequent pranks is playing pranks on Zon, so the two always end up involved in a fight every time they meet, in public or private.
For his part, Zon is a shy, but opinionated online science fiction writer. Much to his chagrin, his younger sister, Zol, maintains a vlog in which she writes and publishes successful BL novels whose characters are based on real people.
When Zon discovers that Zol is writing a BL story about his imaginary relationship with his nemesis Saifah, he insists that he delete them. She shamelessly asks him to swear that he has no feelings for Saifah, knowing beforehand about the two's accidental kiss during a fight. Zon hesitates to answer honestly, but swears anyway. And this is your mistake? His obvious lie throws him into an alternate BL universe, where Zol's boy romance story seems to come true.
Fighter and Tutor make up the other main couple. Tutor is an intelligent and wise engineering student who acts rationally. His family, once rich, now lives broke. To pay off his parents' debt and support himself financially, Tutor accepts several part-time jobs, including at a coffee shop near the university and his tutoring classes.
For his part, Fighter is an arrogant, emotional and aggressive final year student of the same major, who from the very first day he meets Tutor, when he goes to him to obtain his signature in that absurd process of welcoming students, New entrants to Thai universities, thanks to a misunderstanding, begin to treat each other with coldness and animosity.
Like Zon and Saifah, the relationship between Fighter and Tutor begins with contempt and eternal arguments, only to discover their true feelings for each other.
Their approach, both physical and emotional, begins to occur when Hwahwa, Tutor's childhood best friend, convinces Fighter to hire Tutor for private English classes that will help one to pass the subject and the other to improve. their economic position.
Between tutoring classes, Fighter discovers Tutor's personality and internal struggles. And what is expected happens, especially if we take into account that both look at each other with lust from the very first day they met.
Although everything seems to be going well for the couple and their relationship seems fluid and tender, both will face challenges and their love will be tested on more than one occasion. While the scene in which Tutor kisses Fighter's Adam's apple is considered one of the rawest, most beautiful scenes seen in a BL drama, Fighter's confrontation with his father when he discovers his son's romantic relationship with a boy, is without a doubt the most dramatic scene in the series. Tutor will be ordered to abandon the romance and leave Fighter alone.
Fortunately, both boys have friends, who will help them stay together and accept the challenges imposed by a society in which, despite homosexuality being legal, gay marriage and homosexual relationships are not recognized, and all those behaviors, Sexual preferences and identities that transgress the social regime and are outside of it - as is the case of lesbian women, gay men, transsexual and transgender people - occupy a marginal situation within the heteronormative system and are therefore discriminated against. , made invisible and persecuted through different mechanisms.
Both Tong and Hswahwa, Tutor's sister and best friend, respectively, will be among the people who encourage the couple. The first will be in charge of encouraging Fighter to follow his heart and love bravely. For their part, Zon and Saifah will also contribute to Fighter's father finally accepting the two young people's relationship.
Another moment to remember is the scene where Fighter and Tutor get into a fight that completely annihilates the former. Without going into more details so as not to give away too many spoilers, anyone who has seen the series will know exactly which scene I am referring to, but it would be correct to add that this is not the only occasion in which Zee and Saint show the talent of the two actors.
For Saifah and Zon, the innocence of their relationship is maintained so well throughout the series. To their surprise, Zon and Saifah have been chosen to perform at the university concert as a duo. Initially, they are unwilling to share the stage, but, forced by circumstances, both begin regular practices on campus and at Saifah's house. And this is how the romance between the two begins.
Of note are two moments of the couple: the torrential rain scene under which both boys begin to run holding hands, and the pajama party after which Saifah develops an interest in Zon.
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Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun
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Dismantling the myth of a teacher-student relationship with the particularity of being a gay romance
I find it a very valuable series because of the theme: the reciprocated love of a minor and an adult and the consequences that this can have.(And talking about this topic is enough to get you accused of being a covert pedophile)
Our society has a general taboo when it comes to the subject of a supposedly pedophile relationship, but it is something that is there, that happens every day, that minors fall in love with adult people, (and vice versa) and want to live their love despite of laws to the contrary, or of social customs. Many long-term gay couples are made up of people with a large age difference. Sometimes they begin when the minor is fifteen or sixteen years old, and last a lifetime.
The social problem is how to distinguish between abuse by an adult "who forces or dominates" and when two people with an age difference can love and respect each other as equals.
If society did not ignore it, there could be ways to help these young people face a relationship, certainly premature, but which can be not only loving, but also mutually enriching, as it was in classical Greek times in the form of pederasty.
At that time everything was institutionalized and that protected both parties.
The series makes us sympathize with the older protagonist, due to his innocence, despite possible social rejection. And this is already difficult. And at least it makes us think about the issue of pedophilia, not as something that can simply be rejected, but as a complex issue that requires further exploration.
From Nabokov's Lolita, in which a forty-year-old professor becomes obsessed with a twelve-year-old girl, to Bernard Schlink's The Reader, where a student falls in love with an almost forty-year-old woman, passing through The Dying Animal, the novel by Philip Roth that tells the story of a sixty-year-old critic and renowned professor who becomes involved with a 24-year-old intern, the bond between teacher and student is written in fire in literature.
Film and television are not far behind in telling a love story between the master and his disciple. Asian series generally have a fun way of approaching love. When it comes to stories that have a secondary school or university as a background, they do not always show romance between students, because upon discovering this feeling some may develop a crush with their teachers.
The stories range from one-sided infatuations to those in which teacher and disciple meet again years later and it is then that they can begin a relationship. However, there are others in which some decide to take the risk and start a romance in the middle of the classroom, the school hallways and, why not?, in the gym. The latter is the case of the Japanese romantic comedy 'Sahara-sensei and Toki-kun', from 2023.
From director Shibata Keisuke Sukiyanen (who also directed 'Kedo Do Yaro ka', 'Nare no Hate no Bokura', 'Yukionna to Kani wo Kuu', 'Rokuhodo Yotsuiro Biyori' and 'Waltz of Turtle', among many more, the series tells the romantic relationship of Toki-kun (Hachimura Rintaro), the rebellious 17-year-old student at a Japanese high school, and his handsome Physical Education teacher, three years older. The former only needed a fraction of a second to fall in love.
With the minimum age of sexual consent met, according to the legislation of his native country, and close to reaching his majority, love makes Toki-kun grow. That student always involved in fights and absent from classes stops looking for problems and his life takes a 180 degree turn to give way to a totally different person. He will be the first to arrive to the classroom, he studies hard and participates in all curricular and extracurricular activities. He is guided by a single objective: to attract the attention of his beloved instructor Sahara-sensei (Kizu Takumi).
The person in charge of adapting the manga to television is the screenwriter Miura Yuiko, also the author of works such as 'Ultraman Geed', 'The Sango Ranger', 'Screaming Class' and 'Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo', among others.
What do 'Sahara-sensei To Toki-Kun' and the series 'Big', from 2012, have in common; 'A gentleman's Dignity', 2012; 'My Rommate Gumiho', 'Hello Mr. Right', 2016; 'Hello, My Teacher', 2005; 'Teacher Monarch', 2018; 'Somewhere Only We Know', from 2019; 'Doctors', from 2016; 'Sensei', from 2017; 'Tunnel of Love: The Place For Miracles', 2015; 'Thorn', from 2014; 'My Rainy Days', 2009; 'Close Range Love', 2014; 'My Little Bride', 2004; 'High School Teacher', 2003; 'Flower Boy Ramyun Shop', 2011; 'Doctor Crush', 2016; 'Exclusive Memory', from 2019; 'Secret Love Affair', 2014; 'A Story To Read When You First Fall In Love', 2019; 'Daytime Shooting Star', 2017; 'I'm Sam', 2007; 'Met Me After School', from 2018, among others?
All of them raise the teacher-student love relationship as a theme and view it from various points of view. But there is a decisive factor that differentiates them: while these latest television productions narrate a heterosexual romance, 'Sahara-sensei To Toki-kun' addresses a gay love.
This 8-episode series debunks the myth of the romance between teacher and student. The program at no time plays with the viewer. It doesn't give them false expectations. Let no one think that they are facing the umpteenth story of forbidden love between a teacher and the teenage schoolboy. There are no first kisses or secret sexual encounters here. There is no rape or pedophilia here. Here we are not in the presence of sexual abuse of minors disguised as falling in love.
We witness a pure, sincere and innocent love, even clumsy. As the chapters progress, it's easy to forget the age difference between the two. The story encourages you to accompany them in that sincere passionate and tender love. They will soon confess their love for each other. Communication is quickly established and they face problems together.
Who has never known love before, much less in a man, sighs every time she has classes with Sahara-sensei. He looks for him in the hallways or in his office that he shares with other teachers. You need to see him, be by his side. And for this he will look for a thousand pretexts. He waits after school or in the morning when he arrives at school for the being that seems to him the most attractive, most perfect and most complete in the world. He fantasizes, he dreams about him, he listens to music thinking about him, he walks through the streets with him in his mind. Sharing with the only person who really looks at you and understands you will become your priority. Thus a sincere love arises between these two people who are too pure.
As soon as he discovers love, an antisocial Toki-kun becomes friends with Rise Tatsumasa (Sono Shunta), a student in his same classroom whom he had never paid attention to before. The personal growth of our protagonist does not stop. He will also make friends with Todo Shinji (Matsumoto Hiroki), a third-year student and friend of Sahara who is in charge of being Toki's tutor; and Todo Takuya (Momose Takumi), Shinji's foster brother. Although less interesting because it is not developed well, there will also be a romantic bond between these last two boys.
The love of the two protagonists will be tested when Nekoto Minato (Hori Kaito), whom Sahara-sensei declared her love for when they were both studying at the same school years ago, returns to take over as teacher and claims that she also loved him since then, but he did not have the courage to recognize it and today it is ready.
Is the temptation of the forbidden the driving force behind Sahara-sensei and Toki-kun? Is it the idea of a forbidden relationship that generates the fantasy of being able to sexually possess something taboo? Is the possibility of being discovered what motivates you? Is this a love with an expiration date because once the “hidden” is overcome, one falls into normality and from there to boredom? Is the intention to challenge the norm the main characteristic of your relationship? Perhaps it is the desire to control, to exercise power, an emotional need or seeking to make an illusion come true that moves them?
From Toki-kun's point of view: Could it be an attraction out of admiration and curiosity? Will your interest be in possessing something from your teacher, such as his or her knowledge and skills?
From Sahara-sensei's point of view, is what he feels is basic sexual attraction or the pride of feeling important and admired by his student? Is feeling that attraction from your disciple exciting to you from a sexual and emotional point of view, since it is a strong validation?
Are we facing a power relationship? Will Toki seek to take advantage of the person who has more power? Is the need to control the situation when the matter is complex the factor that generates this relationship? Will it be difficult for an athletic, runner and fighter like Toki-kun to pass the Physical Education subject? Should the teacher avoid a loving bond with the person he loves? Is the solution to postpone the relationship until the student reaches the age of majority and is no longer under the “shadow” of the teacher? Will this relationship have a future? Is it just desire or a fantasy and will it eventually die? Will it prosper and become a lifelong romance, as the two young people have vowed?
The protagonist, a boy who is not at all insecure and with very high self-esteem, very mature for his age, is not a victim, and takes charge of his actions until the end. Knowing that he is in love, he is able to acknowledge his love to his friends and classmates, despite living in a society where homosexuality is illegal. That confession will define him.
For her part, Sahara-sensei is not the archetype of the manipulator. He is a serious and responsible adult. He is aware of his strengths and weaknesses. He shows that he knows his physical and moral limits when he resigns from being the advisor of the Swimming Club, a position for which he was proposed, or when he stops swimming due to a fracture in his spine.
He admits to being afraid of losing the trust of others. His personality, sensible and calm, becomes one of the most rational, balanced and endearing in the BL universe.
He conveys the feeling of being a friendly, unique, wise older brother. He respects Toki-kun, gives him his space and freedom of decision.
The relationship is based on mutual respect, trust and friendship. There is healthy communication and complicity between the two. Everyone is happy with the person who is next to them. They both feel valued and their limits are respected, both physical, emotional and sexual. In other words, Sahara-sensei and Toki-kun fit perfectly into the relationship established by them. They complement each other.
There is no morbidity or adrenaline in the actions of either of them. Their brilliant performances elevate the story and make the characters much more interesting and fascinating to watch. Both actors are capable of transmitting feelings and emotions naturally. Hachimura Rintaro and Kizu Takumi's outstanding performances have delicacy, subtlety and depth
As for the relationship between Toki and Sahara being unhealthy because it is a relationship in which one has power over the other, as one is a student and the other is his teacher, nothing could be further from the truth. The two agree to wait for each other. What are you waiting for? Why don't you give free rein to your love? Why don't they kiss in the corners of the school or in the park, away from it? Why don't they have sex in a hotel room, if they both want each other? Wouldn't theirs be consensual sex? Isn't Toki 17 years old? Don't the laws in Japan set the age of sexual consent at 17? Isn't that an age when kids fantasize about sex all day? Isn't that the age at which you dream of losing your virginity, if you haven't already? What then prevents them from loving each other freely?
They both wait for Toki to finish graduating from the Institute and go to the University to be an “adult” and thus be able to help Sahara in a life together, as the young boy stated to his lover.
The series even goes as far as NOT to violate their relationship, when the agreement to wait for each other is NOT sealed with a kiss, with sensual hugs, with genuine expressions of love, as anyone would expect. They sealed it with a fist bump and a smile on their lips. That is the purpose of the series: we are NOT faced with a power relationship. The teacher does NOT exercise any authority over the student nor does the student take advantage of obtaining possible advantages from the teacher to the detriment of the rest of the students.
In the final moments, Nekoto will reveal to Sahara that she always loved him, but she refused to be his boyfriend because she did not want to be a burden on him, since Sahara was destined to be a star swimmer and fear that a relationship with him would obstruct her future.
Learning the truth from Nekoto himself will allow Sahara to heal her still open wounds. Sahara can now close a page of pain in her life that meant rejecting her love for the man she loved. Now Sahara can be happy with Toki because Nekoto's ghost will no longer haunt him.
This revelation opens up a range of possibilities for Sahara between rescuing her relationship with someone she knows well, of the same age, someone with whom she shares beautiful memories and indestructible ties, on the one hand, and, on the other, with a new love like Toki. As we could see, Sahara chose Toki. Sahara distinguished the person he loves today above the person he loved in the past, despite the latent age difference, or that one is a minor or the teacher-student relationship. This contributes to debunking the myth of teacher-student romance.
The Japanese use kintsugi as a perfect metaphor for resilience because not only is the damaged piece of pottery repaired, but even it becomes more beautiful, stronger and more valuable. This centuries-old technique consists of reassembling ceramic pieces that have broken or developed cracks with resin mixed with gold dust.
Toki-kun becomes a potter who heals Sahara-sensei's wounds through kintsugi. The professor sees himself as a heartbroken person. He needs to get over falling out of love. The student becomes the new love that repairs the broken pieces of the teacher's life with golden strips to make it stronger, more resilient. I do not doubt that in his thoughts, Sahara-sensei asks Toki-kun not to abandon him, since without him he will once again feel empty, destroyed, hollow. A person in these circumstances gives themselves to their loved one with devotion. I would never hurt her. I would never try to lie to you, manipulate you, hurt you.
Regardless of the possible interpretations, what there is no doubt about is the ability of the director and screenwriter to dismantle a myth, give other causes to the theme of homosexuality in dramas, make the BL genre thunder, shake it up. , wake him up and dress him long in fine and new clothing, due to both the effectiveness and the organicity with which the creators integrate an entire arsenal of romantic cinema resources into the narrative.
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Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring
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It is not original, but it is unrealistic in sweetening the reality of prisoners in Thai prisons
'A Prayer Before Dawn' is a prison drama directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire. Based on a true story collected in the book "A Prayer Before Dawn: My Nightmare in Thailand's Prisons", by Billy Moore, it tells the life in prison of a young British man with a problematic past and addicted to heroin, who ends up being confined in one of the Thai prisons, considered among the most dangerous and inhumane in the world, for drug possession.In the film, the relief for the self-destructive life and mind of Billy Moore, masterfully played by Joe Cole, known for his role as Luke in the series 'Skins', John Shelby in 'Peaky Blinders' and Sean Wallace in 'Gangs of London', comes in the arms, lips and the inconstant sexual attentions of Fame (Pornchanok Mabklang), a ladyboy, with whom the main character will maintain a homosexual relationship, and the discipline of Muay Thai and boxing practiced by the British citizen.
The image that the West has about the life of a prisoner in Thai prisons, such as the Bangkok Hilton, which many call "The Great Tiger", one of the harshest prisons in the world, is consistent with the reality shown in this 2017 film: institutional corruption, extreme violence, overcrowding and unhealthiness where prisoners fight to survive in inhumane conditions.
The recent sentence to life imprisonment of chef Daniel Sancho, the son of renowned Spanish actor Rodrigo Sancho, for premeditated murder, dismemberment and concealment of the body of Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta, on the tourist island of Koh Phangan, in southern Thailand, in August 2023, has once again brought to debate the inhumane situation experienced by prisoners in Thai prisons.
In addition to living with drug traffickers, pedophiles and murderers, between 30-60 prisoners survive in each cell, without water, electricity or hardly any food, with a single hole in the floor to relieve themselves. Fights over a crust of bread or a piece of soap, or to avoid being raped by other inmates and even by the guards themselves, are constant. If the prisoner runs with good luck, he will be cared for by a doctor and two nurses, alone, to provide medical care to thousands of inmates.
While in other prisons around the world convicts spend their time with the aim of reintegrating them back into society in most cases, going to prison in Thailand is simply a punishment.
In this scenario where the days are tremendously difficult and hard, in which crime and daily violence outside prison continue inside it, and survival is the greatest challenge, 'Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring' focuses on showing the life of the main character already inside a cold and hostile prison in Thailand. A voice-over, which tells us, during the first minutes of the plot, how he ended up there, helps us as viewers to become familiar with him from the moment he crosses the threshold of the prison and leaves his routine life behind.
The series follows a real love story between two inmates: "Jed", sentenced to one year and six months for a check fraud law, and Bible Khamphi, a young man guilty of illegal arms trade who must serve around four years, but as a model prisoner, after two years in prison, he could soon be released on parole. Although Bible seems indifferent to life, he possesses a magnetic attraction that attracts Pathomkan.
It is precisely the approach of anguish, oppression and confusion that Andy Rachyd Kusolkulsiri, known for directing numerous BL series and films, such as 'Love Sick Season 2', 'Make It Right: The Series' and 'Tom Gay', turns to tell us the story.
From the first scenes, the audience is able to perceive that the director does not stop to explain anything to us, he builds his main character as he goes and at the same time he inserts the other characters and subplots. The series manages to keep the viewer stunned and disoriented, holding Jed's hand in a prison that looks at him with brutality, leaving this peaceful and dejected man alone in the middle of a violent place, waiting to be rescued by a pious soul... or loving.
In addition to a love story, 'Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring' is a story of survival in prison conditions, something unusual in BL series, but it will show the desire for redemption and the search for light after the tunnel, with Jed waiting to get out of prison to dedicate himself to work, help his mother and pay off debts, and Bible with the truncated dream of finishing his studies in International Business Administration to continue a correct life away from crime.
Andy Rachyd Kusolkulsiri's camera takes us into the warlike Thai prison world. It shows sweaty and tattooed male bodies like emaciated flesh eager for violence, blood, nicotine, drugs and sex, a voracious hunger that never sleeps, where you have to fight to get a few drops of drinking water with which to quench your thirst, sleep carefully open and where a visit to a latrine can end in a gang rape, since the guards are not there to ensure the safety of the prisoners.
The explicitness of the acts of institutional corruption, authoritarianism and physical and psychological abuse, both by the guards and by the prisoners towards other prisoners, in a hierarchical order, of supremacy, remain in the feint and the attempt, and do not reach to show all the truth revealed in the first minutes after Jed's arrival in prison. The director chooses to avoid the underworlds that inhabit our same planet.
Jed is going to end up in prison for a crime committed, he will ask for bail, and the most terrifying thing is not the stay, but that he must denounce the smoking inmates, it does not matter if Bible is among them, as if he had a pact with the guards to obtain freedom or enjoy some privileges. This is something that shocks me, because I did not expect to witness an act of lack of camaraderie in the main character. I also don't understand how smokers are persecuted as if they were committing indiscipline, when cigarettes are brought into prison by the inmates' relatives during their scheduled visits.
The intrusion does not remain in the auditory, but also in the visual: down there, in the depths of hell, among dark men with elaborate tattoos, pronounced abdomen or extreme thinness, their pale skin and innocent gaze, in contrast to those around them, shine like a beacon, bringing to light the sexual desires of those who have not enjoyed sex in a long time. But we will only have a hint of this in the first scenes, since this phenomenon that is always present in prisons will soon be left aside, and that could provide drama and realism, to give way to the love story between the two protagonists.
It is the unfavorable side of justice, stuck within four narrow walls of an underworld, stuck inside the purest shit of the environment that surrounds him, Jet will try to find the light, that is, freedom. Or at least a relief for their tormented days.
An innocent young man, with an angelic look in a prison: in these circumstances, I hoped that the protagonist would live the pain of a traumatic experience that would allow him to draw life lessons and achieve redemption for his crimes. However, none of this is represented in the series. It seems that, instead of a prison, the prisoners enjoy a stay in a cheap and little-publicized hotel by the Thai Ministry of Tourism.
Another aspect to consider is the acting, where for obvious reasons, the majority is either novice actors or are not professional actors. Likewise, we have a notable work by Art Pawaret Prapapornvorakul, who plays Bible Khamphi, and Mark Methasit Aiyakornkul, who plays Jed, both in their debut in the entertainment industry.
Although it is original for a Thai LGBT+ series, its premise is not unique in world cinematography in telling a homosexual relationship in a prison in that Asian nation, nor is the label "based on a true story."
On the other hand, it seems to offer a sweetened and complacent image of the harsh conditions and life of the convicts, such as Jed's quiet walks through dubious and improbable reading and music rooms full of convicts, or the images of convicts kissing and enjoying sexual games in the light of day, under the gaze of anyone around them.
Despite not being realistic, the story moves in two directions: that of survival in a brutal environment, and the love that Jed finds in another inmate. That is to say, on the one hand it is an unpleasant series in substance and form that evolves in a rude manner to feed on violence and hostility, while on the other hand it offers the romantic rapprochement of two beings destined to suffer confinement.
Loaded with intrinsic dirt, the viewer waits anxiously to see if the next frame shows us even a drop of tenderness and redemption.
'Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring' has very powerful bases, since the presence of ladyboys is added to the above, which gives it an exotic touch. However, it fails to convince because it avoids showing a reality widely known to humanity: the darkness of confinement in a Thai prison.
In addition to the above, the lack of a budget that allows satisfactorily guaranteeing that all aspects of production are handled effectively and efficiently plays against the series, in order to better develop the story.
Due to its crudeness, the unusual settings, and the fact that it does not tell a romantic plot as lovers of the genre wish, it is not suitable for all audiences, but that does not mean its effort to tell a true story should be detracted, despite their failures.
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I'll Turn Back This Time
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It is worth going back in time as many times as necessary
That Chinese BL is a genre that is in good health is demonstrated every year by various film or serial titles. Just beginning 2025, a series like 'I'll Turn Back This Time' was released, which dwarfs other recent meritorious exponents of these queer productions from the Asian giant, such as 'Stealing from My CEO', 'Uncle Unknow', 'Inverse identity', 'Promising', 'Meet You at the Blossom', 'Stay Still', 'Be Moon' and several more dramatized ones.I'm not including 'Blue Canvas of Youthful Days', a Chinese queer series that I'm really passionate about.
Directed by Yan Xi, 'I'll Turn Back This Time' is a short series with extraordinary levels of reception in China, the rest of the countries in the region and far beyond the Asian borders, which manages to capture the magic of finding love and defend it even after death.
Although innovative in many ways, 'I'll Turn Back This Time' is actually a fairly conventional love story. The plot focuses on the romance between two stepbrothers, which is not a new concept. However, the strength of the series lies in its elegant simplicity and the nuanced performances of the two protagonists.
They are down to earth and lead such a normal life, despite the fantasy element, that I am impressed by their authenticity. Their performances are supported by excellent writing, giving us an intimate view of these well-developed characters.
The love of Shen Nan and Gu Shi Wen arises when the former, a stomatologist who quit his job in a city clinic, travels to Yiling, the urban district located in the city-prefecture of Yichang, in the southern Chinese province of Hubei, to reunite with his father (played by Li Hai Dong), on the eve of his remarriage to Gu Shi Wen's mother. The role of the mother is played by actress Yin Ji.
These two quickly learn the comfortable feeling of living together, especially when their respective parents leave on their honeymoon and are left alone to run the cafeteria and the guest house. Their relationship evolves in leaps and bounds from being strangers as the days go by. This is a story that can lead us to love one day. The two experience such a great connection, and with intense chemistry.
Love immediately arises between the two stepbrothers, interrupted by a tragedy that forces Shen Nan to go back in time three months before the traffic accident that cost Gu Shi Wen his life, in a desperate attempt to change the outcome of the future, and that reminds us of other BL series with a similar theme, such as the Thai 'Absolute Zero' (2023), 'Vice Versa' (2022), '55:15 Never Too Late' (2022), '4Minutes (2024), 'Triage' (2022) and 'Be My Favorite' (2023), and the Taiwanese 'HIStory: Obsessed' (2017), among others. I find time jumps interesting and intriguing.
After the reunion, Shen Nan tries to reintroduce himself into his stepbrother's life. To do this, he will ask for a job as an employee in the cafeteria. At first, he will feel some hostility, as the young man who loves painting will suspect that Shen Nam has a hidden agenda, after discovering that the stranger knows aspects of his life that are unknown to others. But then sympathy and mutual esteem will turn the feelings of friendship into love.
It should be noted that the relationship scenes seen up to this point are not graphic or explicit. Rather, they are tender, artistic and tasteful. The physicality is subtle, but we see enough interactions that the attraction between Shen Nan and Gu Shi Wen feels authentic.
After watching the first two episodes we can make some evaluations. These are preliminary considerations, because only two of the 6 episodes it has have been broadcast, but viewing them tells us that we are facing a series shot with a special style. Through the aesthetics of the lens and the gaze of the characters, 'I'll Turn Back This Time' is rich in spaces for interpretation.
'I'll Turn Back This Tie' is a gem that stands out exquisitely in the genre of gay television productions. Following in the wake of Chinese novelist Chai Ji Dan's "Are You Addicted?", the series explores a tender and affectionate relationship between two young men who become, without intending to, stepbrothers, and if they could very well hate each other either because of the unfortunate initial collision when the two meet for the first time on the road, which leads to some tension between them in the early stages of the pilot episode, or because they might hate that their parents have gotten back together get married, none of this happens, and the truth is that these two boys quickly go from strangers to being friends and from friends to being in love.
There are many intimate scenes in which the two protagonists hold in their hands or have objects placed in their mouths that can be interpreted as phallic symbols, such as the pinceles used by Gu Shi Wen, the chopsticks and elongated spoons intended to be used at meals, the key to open the house, the umbrella with which Shi Wen tries to defend himself from a possible thief who has entered his home and with which moments before he danced and sang in the rain in a kind of tribute to the 1952 musical film directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, the long drink box that Shi Wen puts into his mouth while Shen Nan drinks beer next to him on the riverbank, the mobile shower sprayer with which Shi Wen threatens Shen Nan when he interrupts him while he is bathing, the dental instruments (dental examination mirror, tweezers, pliers...) held by Shen Nan in his hands and inserted into his stepbrother's mouth, the tubes of tempera paint given to each other, even the chicken thigh? that Shi Wen eats at the wedding celebration dinner just when Shen Nan puts her hand on his shoulder to mock him, and even the quantum necklace that Shen Nan wears around his neck, which adds mystery and intrigue to the series.
Chen Shengxu's beautiful photography highlights the natural values of the beautiful city on the banks of the Yangtze River.
The musical themes "This Time, It's My Turn to Look Back First" and "I'll Turn Back This Time", composed by Zhao Beier, and "Returning to the Past to Embrace You", by Zhao Beier and Zhou Kanghaonan, provide of meaning to the series, causing not only the story to be remembered, but also its soundtrack.
Through 'I'll Turn Back This Time', director and production house ZX Entertainment PTE. LTD. they are composing what is a shared kind of audiovisual novel with LGBT+ themes: a serial body filmed with undoubted narrative and formal vigor, while standing as an ode to love, brotherhood, friendship, family and understanding between human beings.
It represents a song to love that also works as an exhortation to harmonious coexistence, above differences in gender identity or other divisions imposed by convention, since the Chinese series tells a love story that is socially unacceptable for many families in any nation for two reasons: the two protagonists will experience a homosexual romance, which at the same time can be rejected as its protagonists are considered stepbrothers, despite not having a blood relationship.
Set in the present day and with a strong character of romantic, family and youth drama, 'I'll Turn Back This Time' adds elements of the best of Chinese queer fantasy fiction, in the manner of the films 'To You, for Me ', from 2015; 'Shao Ling Bi' ('Mermaid's Jade', 2019), by Zhang Kai Qiang, and 'Star Appeal', by Cui Zi En, among many other examples.
The narrative of the butterfly effect, the mystery surrounding a painting of Shen Nan's face drawn by Shi Wen, and the jump in time as a paranormal phenomenon in which a person travels in time or appears in an alternative reality play in their favor. to ours through an unknown means.
The script by Xiao Wan and Zhi Zhi mixes, in equal parts, romance, drama, sensuality and fantasy, which ends up pleasantly surprising viewers. With an agile and concise narrative, it manages to bring together all the ingredients we need to make the most of our fun with it.
The result is an intimate gay romance told from a unique perspective, a subtle series that makes a surprising impression with its joyful, funny and complex characters, elegant storytelling and touching tone.
The acting performances are stellar. Although both protagonists began their careers last year, they manage to make a splash on stage, both in supporting roles and in this, their first leading role. And they do it professionally, providing a moving and nuanced interpretation of their characters. They appear natural, comfortable and confident in each scene.
Beyond the text, the casting, by Monkey Casting Studio, is also very interesting, since both have played other LGBQ+ characters. For example, Li Yi Mu gave life to Jin Bao and Kou Wei Long to Que Si Ming, the members of the second couple of the Chinese queer series 'Meet You at the Blossom', from 2024
Kou Wei Long forges the role of his life until today thanks to Shen Nan, a character conceived, and above all defended with fury, viscerality and characterological profusion.
Li Yi Mu also takes on another of the great roles of his still young career, taking on Gu Shi Wen. Both are the heart of the series.
'I'll Turn Back This Time' is built from two temporal planes: that of the events that occurred before and after the accident.
Now, let's get to the heart of the matter, which is nothing more than the rejection by some of the fact that Shi Wen and Shen Nan are "stepbrothers." In my opinion, both of them are free to have a romantic relationship. And if Chinese laws allowed it, they could still consider even marrying each other.
The two of them are not even close relatives. They are not technically step-siblings, but rather non-blood siblings who were not even raised together within the same family at any point in their lives. They are both possessive and very codependent. There is a universal principle of Family Law which is "AFFINITY DOES NOT PRODUCE AFFINITY". It is like in-laws who can marry each other, because the principle of affinity operates upwards: ascendants, and downwards: descendants.
Since they are not biological children of the same parents, there would be no genetic obstacle that points to incest. The two characters do not share genes, nor were they raised within the same family. That is, they did not grow up as brothers, they do not have the same surnames nor are they legally registered as brothers, so they would not be exposed to laws that prohibit incestuous relationships.
So, 'I'll Turn Back This Time' seeks to break two taboos, specifically the taboo when there is a relationship of kinship (although in truth a relationship of consanguinity does not exist in the story but of affinity), and the so-called "pride of the rainbow", since everything indicates that both young people choose to defend their love, to let the world know that they do not work according to its rules, and thus manage to break the chains of the ordinary to choose those they love.
Overmusicalized, redundant in its approaches and prone to emotional manipulation, the series usually walks close to the cliff of melodrama, but what saves it from falling into the abyss of soap opera tears is the depth – in script and interpretation – of the central characters.
Outside of the imposture, dramatic overload and affectation of the soap opera, the frames of the series exude candor, tenderness and truth, as they bear witness to the circumstances of both. They are supported by the accurate casting selection, which provided a cast that meets all aspects, including physical appearance, and in which Miao Jing Ou and Fa Xuange stand out, as Jiang En Ya and Jiang Yiling, respectively, the friends of the protagonists.
As the bulk of the series' ideology is reinforced during the second part - after the tragic accident - this commentator opts for this segment, when Shen Nan returns to make Shi Wen's life happy, and for this he will have to save him from death safe. However, he must justify his presence, and avoid questions that are difficult to answer, such as: what is he doing in that place when no one is expecting him, when no one has yet invited him to a wedding that will take place three months later, or how he arrived to learn details about the lives of the inhabitants of the house unknown to others, or how it works, details that are logically known to Shen Nam for having lived with them for some time.
It is here, in the concluding segment, that the story grows, as one discovers the other's deficiency in color vision, which caused his death when Shi Wen was unable to differentiate between the green and red light of the traffic light; the cause of the color blindness you suffer from and how to correct it; but She Nan will also come to discover her sexuality while helping Shi Wen pursue his dreams.
They are such moments, fueled by charm and nobility, in which the sense of understanding, support and love will be affirmed that will reconnect the two protagonists from now on, and will make it worth going back in time as many times as necessary.
In case my effusively positive review wasn't obvious, then I should shout out that I've loved 'I'll Turn Back This Time' up to this point. I recognize some areas that could use further development, such as enriching the dynamic of the two young people with their respective fathers, who apparently tend to disappear from scenes.
The narrative may also be too fast and subtle for some viewers. However, these minor quibbles do not detract from my overall appreciation of the series.
I will surely update the review again later.
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The Heart Killers: Uncut
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Antiheroes, villains and wild beasts
Inspired by the comedy "The Taming of the Shrew" by English writer, poet and playwright William Shakespeare, the Thai BL series 'The Heart Killers' brings back four popular and talented actors: Kanaphan Puitrakul, Khaotung Thanawat Rattanakitpaisan, Dunk Natachai Boonprasert, and Joong Archen Wiraphakul, who play Kant, Bison, Style, and Fadel, in that order.The series addresses themes such as love, courtship, disguise, deception and crime, while love arises both in the case of Bison and Kant, and in that of Fadel and Style. However, unlike Shakespeare's work, whose secondary plot serves as a counterpoint to the main plot, in the Thai series both stories balance and measure equally, that is, there is no preeminence of one over the other.
Directed by Jojo Tidakorn Pookaothong, the story is not set in the Italian city of Padua nor are we in the 16th century, but in Bangkok, in the present. Instead of Katharina, the main character, it is Bison, a young man with a boisterous, stubborn, disobedient and indomitable personality, but also famous for being attractive. This in principle would not have any mystery nor would it be transcendent for the series, except for the detail that the father of this young woman, Baptista Minola, does not want to marry his youngest daughter, Bianca, until Katharina, or rather, Bison, does not has found a boyfriend.
But the story, which has a script by Kanokphan Oraratanasakul, Issaraporn Kuntisuk and Fleur Irene Insot, known for writing 'This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans', will bring us other changes: instead of Baptista, it will be Bianca herself... or better yet said, Fadel, Bison's intelligent, handsome and responsible brother, who will oppose Bison having a boyfriend until he himself finds the right person to love.
Fadel, who is the complete opposite in character of his older brother, has never shown interest in any of the men who have disputed his love in the past.
Protector of his brother, Fadel scares away all the suitors who are interested in Bison, to the dismay of the latter, who has just succumbed to the charms of the handsome man... no, don't be hasty, he is not Petrucio, but Kant, a young man with a strong character and intelligent, who will have the courage to pretend to Bison.
The love, which is taking shape between the two lovers, will pose a serious problem: will Fadel accept Kant when he himself has decided not to allow his brother to have a boyfriend until his heart also trembles with passion?
Faced with this dilemma, Kant and Bison, who is devoted to annoying others, especially Fadel, will plan to find a suitor for him. And who wouldn't be a better choice than... stop there, it's not Lucentio, but Style, the happy and smiling automotive mechanic and Kant's best friend.
Style must fulfill the task of helping the two lovers as much as possible to get Fadel to accept Kant as Bison's boyfriend, so the three of them develop a plan: Style will pursue and woo Fadel until he makes him yearn for her him and in this way allows Bison to also have a boyfriend. But when Style sees Fadel he falls in love, and he will try to win him over, but to do so he will not have to pretend to be a Latin teacher.
But the most interesting twist in the story is that both Bison and Fadel are two hitmen. As you hear, dear reader: while the authorities are not clear how to respond to organized crime in the Thai capital, these two young antiheroes are a curious solution. These brothers are hired to murder drug traffickers, rapists, corrupt politicians, dishonest businessmen...
If in "The Taming of the Shrew" that would be the main approach of the work, the Thai series brings other ingredients. Of course, in both one and the other, various situations of entanglements and abundant witty dialogues await us in which verbal wit undoubtedly becomes the most forceful of weapons.
Owners and workers by day in a hamburger restaurant, Bison and Fadel are, by night, two expert shooters and assassins. While the first dreams of not spending his entire life chasing criminals, the second believes it is necessary to carry out, for life, his mission of exterminating all villains.
But who is Kant? Is he really in love with Bison or does he have a hidden agenda? Kant is a young tattoo artist who has a history of being a car thief. He was caught by the Police some time ago for this crime. In order to have his criminal record archived and even be lucky enough to see it disappear completely, he must complete undercover police missions. Otherwise, they could reopen their case and end up in jail, so Babe (Kenji Kanthee Limpitkranon), his younger brother, would lose his only protector in life.
In this way, Kant will be forced to be an informant and spy for the Police on the same parasites of society that Bison and Faude eliminate daily.
And it turns out that, at the request of Chris (Peter Tuinstra), the police agent handling his case, Kant will have to secretly investigate the brothers Bison and Fadel, suspected of being the two hitmen who have taken the law into their own hands.
It is interesting how the series rewrites the work of the Elizabethan playwright that deals with the theme of "taming a brave woman by her husband", giving it a personal touch that does not leave anyone indifferent. The dialogues are full of wit and the wordplay is remarkable. That's something I love about Jojo, who plays with language and shapes it as he pleases to create series considered true gems of the BL genre with insightful, intelligent and even cynical characters, as he demonstrated in 'Only Friends', 'Never Let Me Go', 'The Warp Effect', 'Our Skyy 2', 'Nobody Happy', among others.
It is also striking how instead of machismo, the submission of the woman to the designs of the husband, marriage and the struggle between the sexes that permeates Shakespeare's work, 'The Heart Killers' takes an unexpected turn to address topics such as crime, flirting and a pitched battle between different personalities or characters.
As in "The Taming of the Shrew," the Thai series notes the ingenious use of duplicates. The contrast between the two brothers, the two love stories, the day divided into two, the different dreams of Bison and Fadel about their futures, the two scenarios that will involve one the laborious life as a front in the hamburger restaurant and the other the crime, among others, all aimed at giving rise to an agile and continuous dramatic counterpoint that very effectively helps the two romantic stories intertwine in an effective way.
In addition to a battle between totally opposite personalities, 'The Heart Killers' is a battle between wits, all the themes: seduction, crime, the relationships between best friends and between the two brothers, the professional tasks of the protagonists, namely that of a tattoo artist, a car mechanic, a chef and a restaurant worker, all of this to give rise to a display of deceptions and tricks, and the winner is always the one who demonstrates the greatest practical intelligence in all matters.
Furthermore, 'The Heart Killers' is a series of transformations that relies on the conventional resources of intrigue comedy; disguise, deception and false identities.
As far as the characters are concerned, above all I would like to highlight the two brothers, since the contrast in their personalities is overwhelming. On the one hand there is Bison, who has a lot of character and does not always agree with what is said to him and, in part, likes to bother others. Meanwhile, Fadel is very serious, responsible, and has always managed to maintain his composure... until Style enters his life.
Khaotung is a convincing actor. He has had meteoric growth since his debut as an actor in the 2018 series 'Cause You're My Boy', in 2018. The construction of his character allowed him to deliver a performance full of subtleties, where Bison's surly and indomitable character contrasts with the moments of introspection and the decisions that lead him to confront his most intimate feelings.
First once again demonstrates his talent, that each role he plays is comfortable for him, despite the challenges, the volume of work, and the archetypal experiences that he has to express on screen, no matter how new they may be for him.
Both make up a dream ship. Their interactions are natural. They know each other well, after being a couple in 'Only Friends', 'The Eclipce' and 'Our Skyy 2'. On this occasion, not only are their sex scenes a gift for the viewer.
Joong Archen Wiraphakul's Fadel is the most important character in this rising star's promising career until today. In his social accounts, the actor, model and singer recognizes that the recognition and affection of the public is the greatest reward received, in addition, what he has been able to grow and learn as an actor and person during the process. I never imagined seeing him "masturbate" in front of the cameras.
But of the four, Dunk has the most growth from a role prior to this. To my surprise, his Style overflows with provocation, sexuality and impudence. As an actor, he has been able to increase his acting skills through training and giving his best in each project. His evolution as an actor is based on extracting valuable lessons from each experience to apply them in future projects.
In the series he had to face things that he had never experienced, such as harassing Fadel, speaking with brazenness and determination, adopting a much sexier pose than on previous occasions, no longer in a university uniform, but in a car mechanic's outfit, T-shirts and shorts and occasion clothes. He had to face situations he had never experienced and search the depths of his emotions to interpret them. For this reason, I consider that 'The Heart Killers' and Style have been a school in his life.
Dunk and Joong Archen are also two actors who have managed to get along after pairing up in 'Star and Sky: Star in My Mind', 'Star and Sky: Sky in Your Heart', 'Our Skyy 2' and 'Hidden Agenda'.
Only the first two episodes have aired. I'll come back later to update the review.
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Between cruel, deceitful, and loving and nostalgic characters
'Stealing from My CEO' is a Chinese drama and romantic series with an LGBT+ theme with a plot about two adopted brothers, Chen, from rich parents, and Gang, a poor orphan, who are separated, while still children, when an ambitious employee of the family mansion hatches plans to steal and blame Gang.Thirteen years later, now young, the two adopted brothers meet again. By then, Chen has assumed the name Lucas and is a successful CEO, engaged to the ambitious employee's daughter, Nana, who, posing as Gang's biological sister, manipulated Lucas' guilt into convincing him to commit to she.
Meanwhile, Gang finds it impossible to tell Lucas his true identity, because during that time, without relatives, home or friends, he has been forced to be a thief by Green Dragon, a man who picked him up on the streets after escaping, and now pressures Gang to rob Lucas and his fiancee's house. To carry out the heist, Gang will have the help of Crane, Green Dragon's son. The story also tells of a love triangle between Lucas, Gang and Crane.
Good and evil characters, drama, intrigue, boss-employee relationship, love triangle, romance, tension, threats, dangers and adventures are the ingredients of the series.
Despite being poor and orphaned, and the mistreatment to which he was subjected, Gang, the main character, is a noble and innocent spirit, a quality that he preserves contrary to all the suffering he has suffered in his childhood and adolescence.
The series, signed in vertical format, also has a moral purpose, through the reflection of the life led by the most marginal sector of society, since having lived among scammers and thieves, both Crane and Gang survive with candor and innocence, wanting not to continue their lives as thieves and, instead, study to be able to enter university and carve out a future free from criminal acts.
Despite its low budget and numerous flaws: linear content marked by conventionality, emotional affectation, narrative scheme of melodramatic and sentimental exaggeration, overacting, low blows, reproduction of gender stereotypes, caricature characters, linking economic success with crime, discrimination and little desire to investigate social contexts, the series seeks to criticize the lack of protection of the most disadvantaged classes, the determinism that can lead directly from poverty to crime and inhumanity.
Between cruel and deceitful characters, on the one hand, and loving and nostalgic characters, on the other, it will be discovered who the young employee in Lucas and Nana's house really is.
'Stealing from My CEO' paints the misfortune of two young people who hope to escape with their own efforts from a world of theft that is not the one they dreamed of the squalid moral misery of a father who forces his children to steal, the undeserved life of opulence of ambitious father and daughter who will do anything to climb the ranks of society, and a young man who has not forgotten the one he once called brother and with whom he shared games and laughter in childhood.
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