Ingredients

Ingredients is more than an advertisement, but it's all about the right moment to watch it.

I’m not a reviewer but the importance this show had in my drama watching life in 2020 lead me to take the time to write a proper one. I’ve tried to avoid spoilers, but still labelled it so as it’s sometimes hard to draw the line. I’ll try my best to not reveal the way the story go, but will address some production aspects, the influence of the advertisement part, and how the acting affected my vision of the show. This might include things that could be considered as spoiler by some readers. This will be filled with my feelings too.

Story
The story is quite simple : we follow the daily life of two young housemates, a passionnate yet shy and quiet cook and a musician who dreams to make it big all around the world. Marwin is young, ambitious, a little bit self-centered and immature. Tops is helping solving his problems by cooking him delicious and aesthetically beautiful dishes. As the story unfolds, the relationship between the two men is evolving.
People watching Thai dramas targetting young people are used to watch products placements and non subtle ads scenes in the middle of a series. « Ingredients » doesn’t even try to hide its commercial purposes, it is announced from the very start and all the products you can see on your screen are likely to be sold in any shop of the company. Yet the process seems to be reversed here as, all along the advancement of the serie, the advertisement part is slowly fading behind the progression of the story. To the point you finally forget what was the original purpose of the show, probably to the viewer’s expense.
This show is labelled as « Gay relationship » on MDL, yet the very slow paced growth of the love story has discouraged many viewers, all the more that the two weeks wait for sometimes-less-than-10-minutes episodes was kind of frustrating. I personaly think it’s a shame because despite its elementary plot, the show has a lot to offer.

First of all, you get to learn Tops and Win on a nine months course, and, like you learn to love your friends as you discover different sides of their personalities, you learn to love those two characters month after month. Their qualities and flaws, unfolding in their everyday life, make them very endearing. Before you realise it, you get attached to them, Despite being different because you can’t interact with those characters, watching them episode after episode reminds me of the process of progressively becoming familiar with people on MDL feeds.
Getting to know them better is also making you realise that the short description given of them at the start of the series is not really reflecting who they are deep inside.
The short length of the episodes and the pandemic context don’t allow many supporting characters, giving more room for the interactions between the two main leads. The growth of their relationship is palpable, you realise they might not know each other that much in the beginning of the show, but while living together, the closeness is increasing.

Another aspect of this mini-series is its slice of life feels to it. This genre is not always very well received, but that’s one of the reason I’ve enjoyed it that much. I’m not a cooking show fan, but the way the cooking part is incorporated in each episode is generally well done and feels quite natural (after all, Win just adores to eat and Tops to cook!) Most of all, each episode describes the everyday life of those two students, making it relatable to many (younger or older).
From one episode to the other, the story could seem disconnected, and surely we sometimes feel like we missed some important scene, wondering if the relationship has evovled. Despite having felt the same, I’m not mad about it, on the contrary. The production took into account the passing weeks from one episode to the other, giving me the impression I was visiting some friends on a regualr basis and witnessing the small changes between them. Moreover, the episodes are answering each others, be it through flashbacks and more often to simple references to what happened previously be it some weeks ago.

Despite being an advertisement for a supermarket, from the very first episode (« episode 0 »), the show is questionning the effects and consequences of a change in a relationship, and how it can affect not only your everyday life, but also your own goals.

On a side note, I particularly enjoyed the choice of title for each episode. This is not something I usually take into consideration, but in « Ingredients », I was early aware that those choices had many meanings and were related to different aspects of the story.

Acting
I’m not good at saying if an actor is a decent one. I can understand a pretty bad acting, and honestly, Thai BL shows have offered too many obvious examples. I can understand pretty good acting, many praised japanese actors have proved it to me. I find the in-between difficult to understand. Here the surprise lies in the quality of the two actors performances in a show that falls under the advertisement category.
The situation is different for each of them though.

While he is more experienced if we could say so, I first thought that Gameplay was a little bit stiff. But as the story unfolds, I realised he is in fact showing quite surprising strong skills. Gradually, he managed to build a character shy at first encounter, able to open up to others when he feels comfortable, and becoming bold on the most unexpected moments. Above all, this actor is able to express with just a gaze or subtle changes on his face and in his body, and with barely no word, a wide range of emotions that contributes a lot to the realistic aspects of the show. The way Gameplay displays the character’s feelings and tourments is praise worthy. And, despite not being interested in the cooking part of this show, let’s congratulate the actor for coming up with cooking ideas and recipes for each episode.

Jeff Satur is the one that has probably improved the most. He has gained confidence in his acting and to me he has evolved and got better throughout the months. In the first episodes, Win is too obvious in his reactions, (and his overreactions), mostly due to the fact that the shortness of the episodes can’t suffer too much subtility in the portraying of the characters. We should not forget it was supposed to be a 10-episodes-only drama, so the pacing was presumed to be fast. When the story got extended, as well as the episodes length, there were finally room for more subtle reactions. Or, possibly, more realistic ones. Jeff Satur’s acting on the second part of the show seems more on par with the description of his ambiguous emotions. We can feel the struggle within himself.
He was able to add layers to Win’s personality, to make his character very endearing and relatable, despite being at first sight the kind of cool brat boy I generally don’t really like in dramas.

Those two actors also add to the realistic aspect of the show thanks to their amazing chemistry. Once again, I’m generally not good at saying if actors have chemistry, but the way those two men are interacting with each others gives no doubt about the level of proximity they have. Don’t get me wrong : I’m not saying that there is something going on between them, I don’t think so and, most of all, this is none of our business. But they know each other very well, maybe like friends do - we can see it in the behind the scenes of the episodes or other shows attached to this one - and that contributes to make their interactions very natural. I particularly enjoyed the tenderness they were able to establish between the characters, that felt much more natural than what I’m used to watch (whatever the country).

Production and setting
In many ways « Ingredients » is well anchored in its era. From the pandemic context to the services advertised by the company, and most of all, to the very own questions of every of those young people, this is the current thai way of life that is portrayed throughout the series. That might be surprising for a supermarket brand (I would have been less surprised to see families or older people for supermarkets ads, but that just might be my old fashioned way of thinking), but I think it was a clever marketing move, because they managed to appeal to the young (or older) watchers (of BL).
The company has probably achieved more than its original target, considering the extension of the series, which might not have happened if the reactions were not that positive. Most of all, the company managed to make people click on its YT channel, go see, maybe out of curiosity or solely to watch more of Gameplay and Jeff, the other videos they are sharing. Those services are addressed in the series, even if just in the course of a phrase. The company is also promoting its own values (or, if we are more cynical or just realistic, what it thinks should be the values that will give them more credits in the eyes of the young population targetted by this online advertisement), be it the support of the LGBTQ+ community or sustainable development.

I wouldn’t say it was a chance for them, but the pandemic context made the health and sanitation topics part of the stories and they capitalized on it, at the same time showcasing what the supermarket is selling and spreading the prevention message to the young generation. We can almot follow the progression of the pandemic in the country, as we start the serie at a time when sanitary measures are expanding in Thailand : canceled concerts in the first episode, hand sanitizers throughout the first part of the show, which disappeared for some episodes and came back later, letting you understand that the situation worsened in the country (the prerecorded last episodes are probably not a proper image on the real evolution of the diseaes in the country since summer 2020). I can understand that going through a story which reminds you at any moment the hard times the world is facing can seem repelling. But on that aspect I found that « Ingredients » was in fact quite interesting : if the context is there, it is never addressed in a dramatic and anxiety-provoking way. On the contrary, it dedramatized the way we should protect ourselves and others, and the messages were distilled here and there, lightening the heavy situation we all faced.

I read many comments on YT complaining about the sound, which is not new in thai productions. They are indeed, at times, sound issues, mostly music covering dialogues or mics blocked because of the characters moves. If this would be a total shame on any normal serie, I am quite oblivious of this issue considering the purpose of the show and the general quality of what is « just » an ad. But as frustrating as it was, there were times that this sound issues were interesting as they get to make us aware of some moves, transporting us in the room with the characters in their everyday life. It contributes to the closeness we can feel with the characters and the fact we can relate to the scenes.

As in a sitcom, most of the scenes are taking place in Tops and Marwin’s house, and especially in the big kitchen-living room shown in every episode (which is quite understandable as Tops has to cook, and people had to stay at home more often). We get to visit almost every room, making you feel like you really inhabit the house with the young men. This house has become a true character of the story, the sofa and the kitchen being the key places. How two young people of their age (around 21-22 maybe) can afford this kind of place is still a mystery to me (even if it’s not a fancy place).

OST
This is definitely the great achievement of this show, at least a big part of the enjoyment I had while watching it. I don’t know if all the musical signatures of the show were original ones, as we could sometimes listen to classical music pieces. This musical soundtrack is very apeasing and makes you feel relaxed, offering a necessary counterpart to the sanitary context. The music playing when Tops is cooking is also filled with love and happiness.

As for the songs, I have no words strong enough for them. I’m not talking about some background songs or music pieces that were sometimes played (you can check some of them by clicking on the description on YT). I mean those which have become the iconic ones. Jeff makes me cry with his interpretation of « Princess » (all the more if you’re watching the official MV on DV8 YT channel, but do not spoil yourself before reaching episode 16).

But the true masterpiece will stay for me « Moment ». This song really incarnates the slice of life aspect of what « Ingredients » is, a collection of moments in their life, some moments that could seem insignificant to many people but which mean a lot to the two of them. I found in this song the same apeasing vibe the musical pieces have in the show. It fits this mini-series perfectly. Jeff’s voice also catch me out of guard whenever I listen to him in the first line, even months after its release. It’s a song that will accompany me for years, being kind of timeless.

As for the song we had a glimpse of in the 12th episode, I’m looking forward to its release. I won’t say more, but people who have watched the show would definitely understand its meaning.

All in all, this drama made me discover Jeff Satur, and his voice was what I needed at this difficult time of my life. It would be a shame if his talent is lost in BL series, I’m really wishing it to be a stepping stone for more recognition, in his country or abroad.

Rewatch value
My answer is totally biased on that matter. To many people it must be very low, to me it is probably the drama I’ll be able to rewatch many times when I’ll need peace of mind and to relax. I’m not a rewatcher (except for some movies) but I already rewatched this each episodes, the « iconic » ones ahead, numerous times.

Overall
As you have understood, this review is totally biased. I’m so oblivious of the many flaws people are pointing out that I’m unable to make an objective statement on this show. I’m assuming this biased rating and biased review. It’s not about wanting to support an actor or a show or wanting to see more than there is to see in it. This is just about the place that little add took in my life in 2020. Previous remarks and praises are only relevant to the person I was in 2020, the context I watched it (not really the sanitary context, just the pressure I got because of its consequences). This mini-series was my very own breathing space, the things that managed to apease me at that time. It worked for me because it was the right moment, the right pacing, the right dose of fluff and down-to-earth nothingness in the midst of a chaotic era.

It also worked because I followed it while airing. It gave me the time to overthink about it, to rewatch episodes many times, to read the comments every time, to look forward to the next episode while daydreaming about the next events, such fantasies being crashed everytime to my greatest delight. Would have it been at another time of my life, would have I watched it in a go after its ending, I would have probably not find anything particular about it. If I haven’t become a fan of japanese slices of life, I would probably never have been able to enjoy it, I would not even have started it because it’s an add. But I’m really glad I did.

In « Ingredients », the journey was probably more enjoyable than the goal itself. And I’m happy to know that this mini-series would probably be my lasting memory of this very peculiar year.
I would highly recommend it to anyone who needs something to destress, without useless drama, but I would aslo advise to take the time to savour it by watching it bit by bit.

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A lovely mix of fluffy ingredients

This is such a feel good dose of cheese, sweetness and fluff... There may not be a lot of substance, and there are som episodes that where a bit more meeh than others and one episode even got on my nerves but over all these guys deliver enough to satisfy whatever need of fluff you may have. As this drama shows us them with a baby, a cat, chocolate, mixes in a little bit of music, jealousy, friendship and just about everything fun to watch.

The boys have great chemistry and are the definition of "you complete me" type of deal. Both with humour, smiles and lots, and lots of cooking.

when I started it I felt that I wanted to savour it for a long, long time, but my curiosity got the best of me and I ended up watching it a bit faster than I planned. But Why savour when you can just rewatch episodes of clips whenever you need some fluff?

This is in no way a high quality masterpiece, and is very much a commercial done right. Do not expect greatness just because I gave it a 9, the 9 is solely based on entertainment value and fluff! The type to make you fall for both Jeff and Gameplay (if you have not already).

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Cute and Fluffy At the Start But Gets Aimless and Dull...

Short, cute and fluffy. This mini-series is essentially a glorified ad for a grocery chain, called Tops, which is also the name of one of the series' leads. It's smart, effective marketing to make a low-budget BL to promote their products. Props to them for that. The series showcase various recipes in each episode. The salmon-egg-avocado dish in episode 5 looked amazing! I really wanted to make and eat it to be honest! There isn't really a story or plot and thus, the story quickly gets aimless as you do feel like it's just a glorified ad series. Just two roommates who have a secret crush on each other and who go about their daily lives, cooking, playing the guitar, hanging out at home, etc. I do like how they wear masks, wash their hands and use hand sanitizer though. This series was most likely filmed during the COVID 19 crisis. I wonder if this series would have still existed if not for the pandemic. Possibly not due to the BL genre exploding in part due to the pandemic, which gave many people (including myself) the time to binge-watch and become obsessed with the genre. It's pretty cool seeing BL series like Ingredients and Gameboys take advantage of the pandemic to create something unique!

Though there were a lot of filler episodes, episode 10 was actually quite nice. We were introduced to Win’s family and learned a bit about Tops’ family. I really liked learning that Win was pursuing his dreams instead of working with the family business, which his brother tries to guilt him. Tops’ spiel to Win about the importance of chasing your dreams while still maintaining a relationship with your family was also touching.

After watching Episode 12, I've decided to drop this series as nothing is happening. Though the series can be cute and charming at times, there isn't enough of a story to keep me interested for 10 more episodes. I may revisit it in the future. I may not. We'll see...

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Lacking

Regardless how much I really love both Jeff and GamePlay, I feel storywise and as series, Ingredients felt lacking.
Perhaps because it was too long between the episodes where each episode itself wasnt impactful enough, perhaps it was production, in whatever the case is, the only somewhat memorable from the show was the food.
I wish I could say it was the music, because it was good, as singles and outside the show.
The last song was good and felt good in place, which I kept thinking to myself "why didn't they had such melody from the get go?"

It shows how the actors were growing during the production, which, again, should be a good thing but it made the show itself inchoherent in my opinion.

The script felt dull compared to the acting and the production was even more lacking.
It has many fluffly moments and the last episode is a sobfest without any particular closure or closing points.

Will it be a sexond season?
It gets a low grade because there were too many episodes and situation that leaves you hanging and gives you incomplete vibe, which is such a pity towards the actors.

The food is easy to feast on the eyes and invites you to cook it yourself, which is a huge bonus.
The songs are easy to listen to (tad mellow though).

I wish Id seen this in one go, but watching it as it was released, didnt do good..

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THIS MADE ME HUNGRY!!!

Watching this series will make you hungry. Seriously. And you’d wish you know how to cook well or have the patience and perseverance to do so.

I stumbled upon this series after watching HE SHE IT (2019) – while researching about the actors and the song at the end (that haunting song ironically titled “Comedy”). So I got to know a little about the lead actors. Gameplay is a chef in real life and Jeff Satur is a singer-songwriter. So, perfect roles for them!

After their intense kissing scenes in HE SHE IT, I was naturally expecting something similar – if not more – from their follow up, INGREDIENTS. Well, if you did, too, you’ll be a little disappointed. But hey, kissing is not the sole basis for a BL’s appeal, right? CHERRY MAGIC has no kissing, yet I gave it a perfect 10 rating.

Anyway, at the first few episodes of INGREDIENTS, I was a bit confused. These two (Win and Tops) are living together, so it’s natural to assume that they are lovers, right? Wrong! As you will realize in the succeeding episodes, they are NOT a couple!!! So, you ask: Why are they living together? Maybe THAT question will be answered as you go along, BUT – no answer came after you watch the finale!

Then you search online for answers. And you find out there is an EPISODE 0 (ZERO)!! A prequel!!! A 5-minuter which will answer THAT question. Why wasn’t I told about that?? Haha! Maybe they should’ve put an “announcement” of sorts at the beginning of Episode 1! So, if you’re planning to watch this series, watch EPISODE 0 first, okay?

Going back to the series… it’s quite long at 21 episodes (average of 10 minutes each) or 3.5 hours. Did I compute that right? But since each episode is short, you won’t feel bored or anything like that. But you will feel impatient though in the “touching” and “romance” department. Touching and intimacy came much later in the series. And when they came, you’d feel like they weren’t enough. But then again, that’s just me.

Love the way cooking/recipes are incorporated in some episodes. Reminds you of movies which also has cooking as its theme like CHOLOLAT (2000), JULIE & JULIA (2009), LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE (1992), etc.

I just feel that some side stories were not necessary or didn’t add anything to the main story arc, like Dome’s character (the third wheel wannabe) – and that girl who came crying to Win – who at first I thought was his girlfriend because of the English translation of her initial lines.

So, this series made me hungry because of the featured dishes, and hungry for more intimacy between Win and Tops – which I feel was not enough.

I don’t know if there’s a sequel to this series, but I really hope there is. So maybe then, we’ll get more romantic moments for Win and Tops.

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Where "simple" goes a long way.

This series is proof that you don't need a huge budget to make a great show. If you have an interesting enough concept, the passion and the talent to back it up, those ingredients are enough to make a tasty dish indeed.

To be honest, I don't know anything about the production of this series though it is pretty clear they were working with not a whole lot. I can only assume it was because of the pandemic and there was only so much you were allowed to do when it was at the worst. But this didn't need a huge cast nor did it need lavish sets or location shoots. If you have talented actors, give them a hidden microphone and let them run with it.

This is a first time for me for Gameplay's works and I have to say he did a great job. However I was completely blown away by Jeff and I'll explain why. I know he has a huge following since he has an acting and music career and yes, he is really talented in both. This is only the second thing I've seen of his (the first being KinnPorsche) and I honestly liked him better here. I didn't particularly care for his role or performance in KP as he was pretty "broody" the entire time. But here, he was playful, fun-loving and seemed all-round NATURAL to the point where I wondered if most of his lines were improvised. He had great timing and honest reactions and the most subtle of looks/expressions that had me unable to look away from what he might do next. This performance alone is enough to make me a fan.

I really enjoyed the simplicity of the series and truly wish they get to revisit it sometime again. Sure, it's not a sad ending nor is it a happy one which could be left as is for the viewer to imagine what happens next. But after such a fantastic ride, I would love to see a more solid (and preferably happy) conclusion.

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Short series leaving you wanting for more

If you are looking for a series that is a slow burn where the 2 main characters spend a good enough time together as friends before starting a relationship then look no further.

Ingredients is a story of Win a wannbe musician who is looking for a right break that would propel him in to stardom and Tops a chef who likes to cook and experiment with recipes. The story captures the daily happenings in the lives of these 2 characters while they stay together as roommates. The series takes us on a slow journey where we see Win struggling with his dreams and Tops helping him soothe his worries by cooking delicious food.

The series concentrates more on the life of Win and Tops and other actors just enter and exit the scene to give you a glimpse of each of their characters. We find the troubled relationship Win has with his mother and brother, Tops losing his mother and the father remarried and has a small kid, we meet loads of Win's friends but not a single of Tops friends, Win's averseness to cats and babies and Tops helping nature when he meets his injured neighbour.

Jeff and Gameplay did a fabulous job of bringing the characters of Win and Tops to life. The dialogues between the two seemed natural and they shared a great chemistry together. They also star in a short series He She It and their chemistry continued there as well.

A slice of life story played by wonderful actors with fine songs played by Jeff and a slow paced story that keeps you glued and you are satisfied when they ultimately get together.

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Ingredients - Pure, perfect, simple, direct, and honest

This mini web-series was amazing. I'm so glad that I finally found the time to watch Win (Jeff) and Top (Gameplay) in this lovely drama. I know that this project was connected towards an online campaign for a grocery store, but TPTB really made all the right moves in showcasing the non-acting talents of Jeff and Gameplay, into making this series and turning it into something much more entertaining. I hope that TPTB in the Thailand BL genre, will take note that you can create something really intimate, interesting, and contained in a 10 minute segment and turn it into a web-series for viewers to enjoy.

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this drama made me feel warm

This drama is a simple one and it's one with short episodes and yet I felt so warm whilst watching it, there are no major conflicts like you get in most dramas so it was a very easy watch & even though there was no major drama I didn't find myself ever getting bored. The acting felt so natural at times that it felt like I was sitting in the room with them, there was something just really special about this drama, in some sense the warmth that this drama gives off feels like home. I really loved how the cooking and music elements played out in this drama, it's sad that it was so short but I think that's also part of what made it so special.

I didn't expect to get so emotional in the final episode but it was beautiful, well acted, and the moment the final studio version of goodbye not goodbye played in the background I was a sobbing mess (I say this like I wasn't already sobbing before but shh). It wasn't even sad per se it was like the song says itself goodbye not goodbye, a beautiful bitter sweet ending that makes me wish there was more.

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Short and soooo sweet

I watched this as a new fan of Jeff Satur since watching KinnPorsche.

This is sooo sweet and loving. its a very slow burn, actually more like a slow glow. And the ending to me was very sudden. I wish we could have had a return or reunion. The scene with the little brother gave me ear to ear smiles and I loved the way that food takes such a prominent role in this, its almost magical.

Although it is very short, with only a few minutes per episode, it never feels rushed. The falling in love is so natural and warm, it feels like a soft fluffy blanket. There is plenty of chemistry between the cp, but instead of it being passionate and needy it feels comfortable and logical.

These two really deserve their happy anding and I will believe that somewhere in the world of BL they are having it. I may rewatch when feeling miserable, as this is all very feelgood lovey dovey in a good way.

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Not that bad

As for me, I didn't really enjoy the series much... The entire story seems way too simple especially from episode 1 until episode 15. I only started to enjoy it when I arrived at episode 16. There was barely anything happened in each of the episodes, and it was almost more like a cooking show. I also didn't like the ending that much as it was more of a sad ending for the couple.

While for the acting/cast, I believe it was good. I can see that there was chemistry between the 2 main actors. They seem to be very comfortable with each other which made the series more fun to watch. The music was amazing! I really like Jeff Satur's voice, and all the songs that he had sang throughout the series. Overall, it was not that bad beside from the simple story/plot. If you like to watch simple and straightforward bl series, this is definitely for you! Good job to the cast and crew as well, including Jeff Satur, Gameplay Garnpaphon, Tex Thanapipat, Art Pasut, Phiao Duangjai, Boston Komwit, and Max Detter!

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