Absolute Cinema
It is rare to find a series where every single creative element aligns so perfectly, but this show is that rare exception. It is a masterclass in storytelling where the casting feels destined rather than chosen; the actors don’t just play their characters, they inhabit them with a chemistry that feels lived-in and raw. The plot moves with a precision that never wastes a moment, balancing narrative tension and character development seamlessly.Visually, the cinematography treats every frame like a painting, elevating the genre to new heights. But what truly cements this series as a masterpiece is the music. The score is its own character, guiding the emotional heartbeat of the story. The way the soundtrack swells during the final scene didn't just accompany the moment. It defined it. It completely broke me, leaving a lingering emotional impact that I haven't been able to shake off since the credits roll.
No further explanation is needed. This is a perfect 10/10. If you still haven’t watched it, I honestly don’t know what you are doing with your life.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Groundbreaking and Hauntingly Realistic Work of Art
I believe 'I Told Sunset About You' (ITSAY) is a groundbreaking series that truly deserved all the accolades it received. At its release, it stood out as the first high-quality queer coming-of-age story from Thailand. The series excels in every aspect: the cinematography is stunning, the acting is impeccable, and the story is beautifully crafted. I find it flawless in every regard.The show's portrayal of reality is so hauntingly accurate that I couldn't get through it in one sitting. I deeply relate to Teh, which at times is almost unsettling. Similarly, I find Oh-aew's emotional maturity incredibly charming, much like you do. The development of relationships between Bas and Oh-aew, as well as between Teh and Tan, is executed perfectly. Each character is given a thorough and meaningful arc, ensuring they all have their moments to shine.
I also fell in love with the authentic cultural nuances embedded in the series. It subtly yet effectively portrays the Thai-Malay-Chinese relationships, starting with Teh's family background as Chinese-Malay descendants. This cultural backdrop significantly influences the family dynamics and expectations, from Teh's name to his mother selling Hokkien mee and wearing a Malay-Thai kebaya. The differing family situations and upbringings of Teh and Oh-aew also profoundly impact their emotional maturity and acceptance of their sexuality.
Moreover, ITSAY provides a strikingly realistic depiction of the challenges faced by students from rural areas, like Phuket, who pursue higher education in Bangkok. The struggles with their studies and the emotional turmoil of adolescence are portrayed with such authenticity that it mirrors my own experiences of preparing for prestigious college entrance exams in the capital city. The series resonates deeply with anyone who has faced similar trials, making it an incredibly powerful and relatable watch.
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Fab
What can I say except what an emotional BL. Great script.. great actors and such a change from the usualcheesy bl series. The two ML where made for the parts..
one who wasnt afraid to show his feelings the other full of angst about loving a man. The emotional conflicts really hit home how society treats a man on man relationships and what some go through as I have had a personal experience having a grandson who held back
before having the courage to come out as gay even though the family would have supported him fully.
He is now living happily with his partner in the UK.
This drama has shown how lads who are attracted to their own sex have so many obstacles to jump over but I hope eventually things will change because as of now many are going through what this drama spells out..
Thank you to everyone who took part in such a mind blowing series. Actors.. Directors.. Producers..
Scripwriters and everyone else.. ❤️ ❤️
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Painfully beautiful
Beautifully told story with some of the best chemistry I have seen between 2 actors EVER! Did it make me ball my eyes out... Yes, but that's ok. Was there some unnecessarily ugly and snotty crying... Yes, but who hasn't been there!? The story of coming to terms with your sexuality was raw and painful but very real. The tension between the 2 leads was off the charts! It is a short series but it really focuses on the leads so no side couples to distract from the main storyline. My first BL staring these actors so I will definitely be looking for more!Was this review helpful to you?
If there was a list of the top 10 thai bls itsay would take up the top 9 spots
Hands down the best bl/thai series i've ever watched,it was around 2 years ago.. i had been a fan of kdramas before that for a long time but i never watched other asian dramas so i decided to give it a shot, i watched a few japanese shows and i loved them, the chinese ones however, i couldn't really get into them especially since they were mostly historical, one day i found this drama called "addicted heroine" and i watched it, i liked it until // spoilers---->: he started being abusive//,
anyway that was how i got into the world of asian bl, i had heard about thai bls before but i never cared to watch them, and when i did it was honestly not much, from story to acting to production, most the time it felt like a cash grab or meant for 13 year olds, so when found itsay i watched it expecting to drop it half way or to like it as much as thai bls go.. so imagine how hooked i got when i loved the firts episode, and honestly not even the first episode just from their first interactions as adults, the more i watched the more i loved it and the more time passed after finishing it and thinking back to it the more attached i got.
There are shows that you like there are shows that you love and there are shows that don't leave an impact, but some times you find shows that actually shape your standards, they become your own, setting the bar for excellence, and become part of the things you ultimately deem goated, it could be a movie, a song, a person, a random line that you read somewhere and even a trivial incident, that joined the "oh this one thing in this context is too iconic for it's peers".. it may not have had that effect one everyone but it did for me, i compare every bl to it and whenever i finish it i think to my self "you were good but itsay was better" "you will never be itsay" "this one here almost dethroned itsay" but it actually never does..
Moving to acting, story and production,
(I'll finish the review later i got lazy)
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MASTERPIECE
genuinely, it conveyed to me what it is to fall in love, to truly and accidentally fall in love for the first time in adolescence, with all the pressure, exaggerated and uncontrollable emotions. it's all so well articulated and developed in the most human and beautiful way possible.i deeply sympathize with each character, especially teh. i totally understand any criticism towards him for the behavior he had towards oh-aew, but at the same time, i truly believe that no one can blame him for the reaction he had.
when oh-aew confesses his feelings to teh and he realizes that he is in love and that everything he thought he was, is now a huge question mark, then he enters into emotional resistance, repression, and rejection of his feelings.
the great conflict is that they can't separate from each other, they can't stop thinking about each other, even when suddenly all communication is cut off and they completely ignore each other. and honestly, i love how this part is so realistic and raw.
when bas confesses his feelings to oh-aew, which, in my opinion, is one of the most painful scenes to watch, the overwhelming feeling of having lost the person you love and how lost you are without them.
throughout, we can see how teh lives to meet his mother's expectations. when he talks to hoon, teh tells him how scared he was about what his mother would think of him. oh-aew is always open about how he feels, showing that this undoubtedly comes from how he was raised.
the final scene is one of the most beautiful and touching things i have ever seen, and i love how every detail was placed. the fear of judgment is still a sensitive subject for teh, but it no longer stops him from loving who he wants to love and living how he wants to live, now both of them have the maturity and emotional stability to support each other in a relationship.
i can say that "i told sunset about you" has had a profound impact on me. i don't think i'll ever get tired of talking about any aspect of this show, and it will never be enough <3
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It’s a BITTERsweet series
This series is so good you guys, but if you’re a person who gets pissed off & stressed out so much LIKE ME it will be very exhausting to whatch it… they pissed me tf off, they pissed me off to the point that i was BEGGING them to cut that shit out… even tho i kinda understand why everything happened (i was just so mad when whatched them being like that) but I understand why they didi all of this, and the fact that they’re so young, and all of those feelings were too heavy for them to deal with, they hurted each other & themselves a lot… overall i really liked this series, but i don’t think I’ll rewatch it ever again i don’t wanna throw all of that again, anyways if see my review by any chance you HAVE to watch it.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Absolutely sublime!
I have been addicted to watching BL for a while now. Of course, the transition happened, like most from KDramas. But more on this later. I came to watching this series through sheer accident, a happy and most treasured one for sure. Since I hadn't seen these actors before, can you blame me when the GMMTV world dominates all the BL shows? Anyway, I stumbled across this series through serendipity, and I cannot help but be blown over and transfixed to my screen.To begin with, the cinematography of this series is a masterclass in framing, blocking, lighting and capturing silhouette. This is just too good. Then, it highlights the story, which captures the emotions in the most ethereal, sublime manner possible. Adding to this much-awed experience was the music. Despite not understanding the language, the music just pulls you in; it is so surreal, so poignant, so deeply moving, one has to listen to know what I mean. Now, to say I am speechless is an understatement. And as if all of the aforementioned wasn't enough, throw in the mix the acting, what a class act performance by the main leads, I mean!
The way this series unfolds episodically, it just unpeels the emotional layer with such depths, one just needs to take it in and then, perhaps, reflect on them, silently. I couldn't help but sob uncontrollably when the actors cried and felt those raw emotions. Furthermore, I have to mention the ingenuity about the title and how the entire series is almost like giving a golden-hour hue its homage. The warm tone is satisfying to say the least, especially in the scenes with minimalist set-design and hardly any dialogues. There is a constant feeling of warmth and as if, the characters are offering a respite even to the viewers, a shade of sort, to escape from life, albeit momentarily.
After I finished watching it, like the habit, I went down a rabbit hole of searching everything about this series and all the variables associated with it. I am just in awe of how beautiful this experience was. Of course, I ended up watching the sequel, and once again, I was transfixed. And I am glad it happened.
A must-watch for just about everything there is and can be conveyed through a brilliant storytelling experience.
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High tension level!
This is the series to watch when you want to watch something intense, complex, full of angst and tension.I watched it all in a row in the middle of the night.
It is worth contemplating and identifying deeply with the characters. I was captivated.
I used to say that for every series you have to be in the right mood. It's important when you watch it.
I watched this at a time when I was looking for just such complexity.
This is not a series about office romance or school romance, but about two souls searching for themselves and each other, just starting to grow up.
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Wow. One of the best.
This is definitely one of my favorite BL dramas I’ve seen so far. It felt so authentic and truly believable. The writing avoids many of the usual tropes and the acting is top rate. The direction and cinematography are film quality. The bar has been raised high. It brought me back to my own youth. So many feels!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A wonderful experience
I've long hesitated to write a review about this one because how does one write a review about something so beautiful as ITSAY?I've seen many dramas, watched many shows and found many of them amazing and mind-blowing but I Told Sunset About You is something special amongst everything I have ever finished. Everything about it blew me away. It has an amazing cast that can act so good I find it hard to find anything worth my while after finishing ITSAY. The music too.. it just fits so well to the storyline which is only strengthened by the cinematography.. Each episode felt like a piece of art.
Likes:
- Teh's discovery of his feelings towards Oh Aew. It felt so realistic to have him doubt himself and those around him. I'm really happy they chose to show his struggle and hesitance to accept he might feel something romantic for a boy, and his fear for what everyone else might think about him.
- The cinematography. The way they filmed the show made me fall in love with Thailand (especially Phuket) and makes me want to visit it sometime. But there's so much hidden in between the lines and scenes. Like I said.. it felt like a piece of art while watching it.
- The music. Most of the songs are sung by the main leads but the instrumental versions blew me away too. Made me feel the feels that much stronger.
- The acting. This cast deserves all the awards and more. 5 episodes is not nearly enough and I need more. THANK GOD there's a season 2.
- The chemistry between the main leads. It was BOMB.
- Teh's immediate acceptance that Oh Aew was in love with a boy and his willingness to help.
- A supportive female friend.
Dislikes:
- Teh felt immature most of the time. It made me wonder if he had difficulty recognizing emotions in others or knowing how his actions could hurt others.. I did hate him for a long while because he treated his best friend like shit.
I feel like I can watch this how over and over again and never get bored. It's a true gem hiding in plain sight and I feel like every BL fan should watch this one.
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A BL series which defines "PERFECTION"
I just wanna say, this bl is DAMN GOOD. It hits me with the wave of emotion that for sometime my brain refuses to response. It was an absolute cinema. This kind of bl raises the standard of BL Series high. Their acting was definitely AWESOME!! Actually it was something which can't be described by words . I was obsessed by their acting skill. The actors definitely did their job flawlessly. The acting was so good as well as the story.It is absolutely a worth watching BL. So, just watch it and enjoy!!!!!
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