180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us

Perfect 10

That was truly a work of art! I'm left with completely different feelings from my usual shows, but I'm accepting that this is a good thing. I tend to latch onto the same vibes, rely on a comfortable ending and the expectation is often "at least a kiss".

This show reminded me that I have serious appreciation for world class acting, writing and dialogue. Not to say many of my top favorites don't have those things, but this show really just knocked it out of the park. It's easily some of the best chemistry I've ever seen and that statement extends well behind "bl" or the like.

It's hard to understand it, but Wang put it pretty well. There is seemingly going to be a happy ending for two of them, but not all three; In unfortunately is that character. I won't pretend I didn't wish for the Mom to be the one to get the short end of the stick, as she was heavily manipulative. selfish and from the storyline it seems like she's been getting her way in all aspects. The only time she didn't get her way was when her husband tried to pursue his own happiness and we all saw how that turned out.

I don't regret watching this and I hope there continues to be a large variety of options in media. I typically rely on the shows that "don't change" to protect my little heart from endings like this one, but I think if I keep doing that I will miss out on some absolute gems.

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Ugh!!! Literally has my stomach in knots.

I very rarely if ever take the time to give a review. This story has so much potential. The emotional intensity and chemistry between Wang and In was breathtaking and kept me on the edge of my seat. The storyline was great. Acting great!Scenery beautiful. Music lovely. Everyone played their parts and made you have an emotional response to them.

BUT the end left me feeling anxious and extremely agitated. I rarely feel hate (strong emotion) towards a character but mom had my stomach hurting. I have two sons 31 and 28. I can't imagine being that selfish and self absorbed to watch their pain for my benefit. Oh! She has my stomach hurting!

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"I'm trying, I'm just trying to be brave"

Starting this series was a challenge in itself. As soon as I noticed the age gap tag, I wanted out. I eventually watched the trailer because I was intrigued by the posters and the colour scheme of the extract I had come across. After watching it, I realised that the main character would fall for the one person his father genuinely loved. This made me uncomfortable. However, the intimate and almost out-of-time atmosphere that prevailed in each scene made me give in and so here I am, eight episodes later, writing a review for a series I didn't think I would watch.

Some people called this series “pretentious” and I can see why they would think that. This series did try too hard at times but, overall, it delivered much better than I had expected. It sometimes lacked nuances — the character of Sasiwimol especially — but the pure rawness of the characters' emotions, the thought-provoking dialogues and the detailed directing left me speechless. “180° longitude passes through us” strived to be realistic while still allowing the inner lyricism of emotions to soar. Its ending has served its purpose in the best way possible.

Given all the food for thought this series gave me, I decided to outline my review as follows: I’ll begin by giving my take on the main cast using the written sentences shown in the ending scene as a means to introduce each character. I’ll then end this review by bringing to your attention one particular piece of furniture in Inthawut’s bedroom — the decorative wooden screen— as well as the aerial view at the end of the series.

“To you who call yourself a parent, you can only give birth to them but you don’t own them.”
It will come as no surprise that I found Wang’s mother to be insufferable. However, I regret that the screenwriter chose to make her behave in such a cartoonish fashion, thus giving up on adding any layers to her character. She was so over the top, so ridiculous, and so blatantly dismissive, that all the problematic things she did were hardly commented on. Which is a shame given how manipulative she was and how she kept on guilt-tripping her own son and her so-called most trusted friend.

It seems that, all her life, Mol was never mindful of others. She does not listen nor does she compromise: “she always gets what she wants” and it doesn’t matter how many people she hurts along the way.
For instance, she easily acknowledges the fact that she got closer to Inthawut in order to approach Siam — she does not feel ashamed in the slightest for using him. She then married Siam despite him not being able to open up to her. She never bothered trying to wait for the people around her to be — and feel — ready. She sent her little boy, Wang, to a boarding school right after his father died. Wang had to mourn for his father’s passing all alone in an unknown place. I cannot even begin to imagine the utter loneliness and agonising pain Wang must have felt once he knew he was being sent away. By doing so, Mol, whether or not she was aware of it, put the blame for Siam’s passing on Wang’s innocent shoulders.

Wang’s razor sharp mind and his emotional and intellectual maturity are all proof that he had to grow up faster than he should have. Wang, most of the time, accommodates his mother’s wishes without taking into account his own feelings. He obliges, aware that every time they argue, his mother makes him feel terrible about himself, leaving the void inside his heart all the more gaping.
Mol’s manipulation and gaslighting has led Wang to live in the shadow of his father — sometimes becoming it entirely. When he dreams of his father and realises he has the same face, it acts as a confirmation that he has internalised what happened to his father thus making him lose track of who he is. His innocence died the moment Siam passed away. He had to bear the guilt of his father’s death because of his mother's immaturity, without understanding why he felt that way. Him being sent away and Mol’s refusal to talk about Siam must have felt like an earthquake had shaken everything Wang took for real. Why would his mother reject him when he needed her the most? Why was he not allowed to express how much he missed his father? Why did her mother tell him he should never leave her although she was the one who left him all alone in a place he couldn’t call home? Why does he feel his father was a stranger to him in the end?

Inthawut — although he was, for the longest time, just a face in some pictures — soon became Wang’s only hope to remember his father as someone who deserved to be loved and not forgotten.
When the two of them finally meet, In — who was stuck in an eternal winter— welcomed the warmth of Wang’s spring, who shone ever so brightly with his idealism and thoughtfulness. Mol was not fooled although she refused to acknowledge the fact that meeting In gave Wang a reason to believe in his dream again. Notice how Mol always found a way to interrupt the spring blooming between them even when she was not physically there (cf. her phone calls which interrupted two very emotional and intimate moments between In and Wang).

When Wang confesses to his mother that he loves In, Mol reacts in the most cruel and coldest way she could have. How precious Wang’s trust in her was and how easily she crushed it, making him doubt himself although saying it out loud had felt so right.
Mol dismisses Wang’s love completely and the conversation she has with In about it shattered my heart. When she asks In to make Wang normal again, you can see how devastated In is and how quick he is to stand for Wang.
Mol disregards Wang’s love by saying that him liking In is like a child loving their role model. But she is wrong; she is so obviously wrong that I wonder how she could have hidden the truth from herself so fiercely. Wang has no wish to become like In: he doesn’t want to be like him, he wants to be /with/ him.

Being a parent is a hard and scary thing. It cannot be taught and can only be learnt in the moment. Parents make mistakes, they can be insensitive but they should always strive to understand and listen to their children. Not only did Mol never listen to Siam and to Wang, but she never cared enough about them to see how much she was hurting the both of them. She imposed her will and whims on her family without once questioning herself.
The epitome of her ungratefulness and selfishness was when she said that her life had been nothing but endless disappointments although she had won two awards two days before. Wang was never the one with an obsession, she was. His eagerness had nothing to do with being obsessed — Wang feels too much and so he lives intensely. He knew that meeting Inthawut would heal him and so he rightfully listened to his instincts. On the other hand, Mol is obsessed with her son. She is obsessed with the idea that she owns him and so when she feels he is slipping away from her, she guilt-trips him into thinking that he has a debt towards her. That him turning twenty — thus becoming an adult in the eyes of the law — means nothing to her and that he should always stay by her side. She cannot bear the thought of losing her grip on him. As a director, she wanted her son to be the perfect actor: the one who would know her every query without ever needing to ask, the one who would feel such a deep respect towards her that he would always strive to please her. However, she failed to realise that a great director is someone who will give the actors they work with enough creative freedom for them to unveil their talents.

“To you who are still young, you have to bleed first before you learn.”
My dear dear Wang. I hate how cruel the world can be to the kindest of souls.

I now need to lavish Punnasak Sukee and Pond Ponlawit with praise for creating and bringing to life such a mature, lovable and profoundly humane character. His sensitivity and courage brought an ache to my heart that I will never forget.

When I look at how things ended, I can’t help but feel heartbroken for Wang who only ever wanted to make memories he could look back upon fondly. He will definitely cherish the moments he shared with In but those are bittersweet moments.

If Wang’s character could be described as a colour palette, I’d say his would be made of high contrast colours for his spontaneity, wit and gentleness slowly helped In to step out of his desaturated world (even though it was only for a bit).

Wang has left a mark on me that I wish time will never erase. His lucidity stirred me greatly as I found echoes of my own thoughts in his words.
His words inspired respect in In who was mesmerised in his presence. The way he looks at him when they first meet is quite telling. In was humbled by Wang’s courage and grace. Although he couldn’t follow in Wang’s footsteps, he still encouraged him to stay true to himself even when things felt too painful to even continue moving forward. His last words to Wang were a selfless act of love and something Wang desperately needed to hear.

I find it difficult to collect my thoughts and talk about Wang in an organised way because he made me feel too many things at once. Something that needs to be highlighted though is the way he always tries to smile when he is in pain. This made my heart squeeze in my chest. It was as if he told himself that he should not bring sadness to others and so he should always smile through his tears. It was as if he wanted to muffle his pain so as to always bring comfort to others and never be the one who asks for it.
Although he feels utterly alone, he seldom verbalises his pain. When his whole world came crashing down after his terrible fight with In, it killed me to see him fall into his mother’s arms. He knew she would be of no real comfort but he had no one else to turn to.

Wang’s sharpness, just like his “saturated” personality, made him experience the world with all the despair and intensity that youth could provide. It is no wonder he felt that philosophy would be a good match for him given how he likes to think about the world and understand its inner workings. Although he has a good understanding of his surroundings, it broke his heart to realise he would never be able to completely understand In and the depth of his suffering.
If Wang is a rather inward-looking character who likes to think things through, he also knows how and when to take a leap of faith and be spontaneous. When he falls in love, the feeling doesn’t scare him. On the contrary, it makes him eager and relentless. He loved In wholeheartedly. He was convinced of how good a man In was even when In himself couldn’t see it.

In and Wang’s love is the kind of love that lasts for more than a lifetime. It is the forever type — the real one. Their love was so devastatingly beautiful, so painfully genuine. Pure and yet so raw. It would have never worked out but it was worth a try — the most desperate of tries. It would have never worked out because In has drowned himself with guilt. Because Wang speaks his mind whereas In shields himself with silence. In doesn’t feel worthy of such a genuine and warm love. He would have done anything to protect Wang from harm although he realised in the end that he was the one hurting him most and that’s why he decided to let him go.

In’s resignation allowed Mol to have everything she wanted, as always. Although she did get her way in the end, Wang is the only one who’s triumphant. He realised that his mother never had his best interests at heart and that knowledge changed him. Knowing that, he has finally the means to break free from her grip and he has. Him not responding to her constant chatting in the car, holding on to the book that the one he loves has gifted him, aware that this book is nothing but proof that In’s love is persevering… Him looking at the window is him looking for a way to exist and be his own person.
Mol will forever live blinded by her strong convictions while In will live with an ever growing pain in his heart. A hole in his chest that the loneliness he has forced on himself will forever expand. As for Wang, he will fly on because he now knows things he didn’t before.

Before moving on to In’s character, I’d like to comment on a few key moments which happened around the last episodes. When Wang realises his love for In, he feels elated because he has finally found something to look forward to — studying philosophy and living with the one person that fills the void in his heart. However, no one is happy for him, no one thinks his happiness is the right happiness for him. No one thinks he has made the right decision. The world makes him doubt himself over and over again although he is in his most vulnerable state. Mol and In make him feel as if he has made a terrible mistake and that he should feel sorry. “I’m just in love” — the sentence he speaks to his mom — is the climax of his helplessness as he nearly drowns in sorrow. Nevertheless, he is faithful to his role; he has always been the most mature one out of the three. So he keeps his pain silent, a silence so deafening that the rain has to muffle it. (cf. episode 8 when he drives alone at night and chooses to come back)

After driving alone, I thought Wang wouldn’t greet Mol nor In but instead, he let his head rest in the hollow of In’s shoulder. He leans on him and in doing so, he shares the heaviness crushing his heart and asks him, ever so silently, to warm his heart with his sun-like presence.
In’s warmth comes from the intensity of his stifled feelings and Wang can see that even though In refuses to.

Wang knows he will never see In again. He says so explicitly at the end of the series but he is aware of that way before it. When his mother tells him to make sure he doesn’t forget anything while packing and he responds “I won’t. How could I?”, it brings to the fore his clear-headedness which heavily contrasts with his mom’s blindness. He knows it’s not goodbye but farewell.

“To you who call themselves wise, don’t let your cowardice get the better of you. Pick a side or throw away what you believe in.”
There is a veil of guilt and regrets in Inthawut’s eyes that is only lifted in the presence of Wang and it is truly heartbreaking to think that, with Wang’s departure, In will forever be stuck in a blurry vision of what his life could have been.

“Our minds form a cage. And in the end we reject freedom without knowing the taste of it.” How painfully accurate those words are when you think about how In has kept on punishing himself for having fled Siam’s feelings.

In feels as though he has disappointed the world thus making him unworthy of any love nor happiness. He feels guilty about what happened to Siam and Mol and so he accepts whatever stabs she made at him with her harsh words. He offered his apologies relentlessly although he knew he couldn’t have changed the way things went.
Mol wants In to help her force her views on his son but In would never let that happen. Why, you may wonder? Because Wang is the beacon of light he has aimlessly searched for all his life. The house he has built for himself is reminiscent of his inner self — a house so dark that it can only house shadows or broken reflections visible on the glass wall. In needs light but Wang's was so bright that it scared him, once again.

You’ve probably noticed by now that this review is a means for me to talk about how well-thought-out this series was, so let me stray from the point for a short while to talk about the settings. Obviously, In is an avid reader and so the books displayed in his room say a lot about his personality. Everything in In’s room is quite relevant in regards of his character and I loved that. I loved how detailed the directing of that series was.
There is a shot at one point when we see him holding a book called “Naked Philosophy” and its blurb is as follows: “Naked is not about being physically naked. It's about stripping to let someone see the inner you.” In is learning to do just that with Wang and that’s what I call genuine love. Wang acts as a gentle reminder that vulnerability is never a weakness but a necessary state that one should experience in order to truly be.

In has distanced himself from the world to protect himself: that's what the wooden screen in his room embodies. That is why it is highly symbolic whenever Wang goes around it. Wang who helped him built the bridge that connects him to the other side of the stream. Wang who is making him lay down his armour. Wang who has entered his heart. The one person that can see through him. The one person that /gets/ him. But In chose to stay hidden behind the wooden screen, inside his designer house, his eyes having lost the ability to adapt from complete darkness to bright sunlight (i.e Wang).

To end this review, I’d like to comment on one of the last shots of the series.
When Mol and Wang drive back to Bangkok, there is an aerial view of the road on which they’re driving and the element which caught my eye was the sight of a dead tree (timelapse is 50:35min). Its paleness contrasts with the luscious forest they’re crossing and I can’t help but feel this acts as a reminder that Wang has lost a part of himself along the way. Something died in him when In made him realise that people’s hearts cannot always be changed. That terrible truth is something Wang will have to live with all his life. Aware, alone and in pain.

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Stagey at Times, but a Wonderful Bittersweet Story

I need to get my one criticism out of the way. I felt this series was too stagey at times, including with over the top acting at times. It was distracting because in my opinion, I would have preferred a film style presentation, but I ended up being able to overcome my bias.

I had difficulty finishing this series, not because it was lame and cliche, but due to my feelings of not wanting the protagonist, Wang, to continue being in the middle of a love triangle that will never be resolved, because it cannot be resolved. Wang is one of my favorite fictional characters I've had the pleasure of meeting. Wang is such a delightful person, that it really hurt me to see the adults in the generation about him being so stuck in their own misery, mostly a misery they made and sustain. Initially, I was pretty judgmental about Wang's mother sending him to board school, but now I realize that it may have saved him from a s similar fate. Being away from his mother allowed him to not experience her over the top demands 24 hours a day.

The shallowness of Sasiwimol and In's existences are in sharp contrast to the liveliness and optimism of Wang. Even when offered a ray of light, neither of them could reach out for it. Since Siam was with Sasiwimol and In all of the time, he wasn't able to break out on his own, while Wang has the strength the adults never had. Sasiwimol won two prestigious awards and could not find one person to share her victory with, and In could not acknowledge his feelings and chooses to be alone.

I half jokingly said that Wang should take his father's ghost, and move out on his own. I stand by this. Wang will honor his father by living, while In and Sasiwimol will continue to be the walking dead.

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A masterpiece

This series is perfect in all ways. There are no flaws that I can point out. This is literally a work of art. The story is so mesmerizing and heavy. Even though the shooting only took place in one location and it only the characters talking, they did it so good. This is why you call a character driven story. The story of Wang and In was done so beautifully. Wang is a person that is doesn't have any ambitions and knows what he wants to do in life. But when he found the thing he wanted, he fights for it even it hurts him. It was beautiful seeing his growth. He looked like a cocky person that knows all but as you continue his story, he is actually a person that is lonely and yearning for love. In on the other hand, seems like a person who it intelligent, composed and rational but when hardship arrives he tend to run from it and avoid it. He is a coward and he stayed a coward till the end. It was nicely depicted that some people can't change no matter how much we try. In the end, In stayed in misery and choose to stay in misery. He never even said 'I love you' to wang. though his actions and gestures displayed it so obviously. It was sad to see this ending even thought it was highly predictable from the first episode. But I think it was a nice way to end thing. I am a person that doesn't like sad endings. I don't like reality to come with my fiction, but still I am alright that it ended this way. This series may not be for everyone, since it is a character driven story and only focuses on the characters. So some may not like, but if you're into things that are plot heavy and focus on the characters, with deep dialogs. You should definitely, no you MUST try this. The actors did such a splendid job. Pond is a terrific actor, when he cried, I cry, when he was happy I was happy. He displayed emotions of someone who is cocky but is lonely and yearning for love so well. As well as Nike. You may not notice it at the beginning but when it was an emotional scene, he did it so well. As well Mam, she made me annoyed of her and that was her character so she did a splendid job lol. The music also was spectacular. Like I said this series is a masterpiece so I am just repeating the words now lol. One of the best Bl, which I would say you can't even say it is a bl. More like a lgbt+ series. Beautiful, outstanding and a work of art.

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A masterpiece

The few characters and basically two settings (inside and outside the house, if we exclude their home in Bangkok in episode1) gave the perfect vibes of a theatrical piece.

The story is totally original for a BL (to be fair, this is not a BL in its pure essence): a son with a complex relationship with his mom and a strong love for the dead dad finds his way to the exact longitude and latitude of the one friend of his parents that knows the truth about their family secret.

The acting was pure masterclass. Even Pond (the actor playing Wang) is extremely stunning, despite the young age. The other two actors have great performances too. The feelings were so real you could touch them.

The music and the OST (sung by Pond) are pretty on point, and start at the exact time to fill the silence and accompany the feeling.

Despite the bitter finale (which I find realistic and maybe even the best one to conclude the show), I'd love to rewatch it because the performances were undeniably awesome and the topics were important and well-discussed.

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Family is politics.

Cinematography, storytelling, casting and acting, symbolism, the simple, yet complex nature of this drama is simply mesmerizing. It will pull you in, won't let go and break your heart in the end, because nothing is more complicated than human nature. This show is about how one person influenced the lives of another three people that keep dwelling on the past and keep hurting each other in the process, leaving their scars open and gapping, instead of tending to them.

“People keep saying they are okay with you being gay - but it’s not acceptance, just tolerance.”

N O T S P O I L E R F R E E / N O M A J O R S P O I L E R S

Sasiwimol and her son Wang are influenced by the loss of their dad, husband Siam. Sasiwimol doesn't like to talk about him, since she's not able to reminisce on the good things, so Wang has to find someone, who knows his father well and is able to tell him more about the person he lost and the one turns out to be an old family friend, In. In the span of a few days, Wang uncovers more than he maybe would wish for...

180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us shows us how powerful unresolved trauma and regret can be, how expressing our feelings and being truthful to ourselves and others can hurt so much so to heal means cutting people out of your life.

The Great Sasiwimol, successful producer and mother of Wang, always energetic and with a sharp mouth, yet a carrier of trauma of her husband passing away drunk driving. Sasiwimol keeps hurting herself and her son, sending him to boarding school and seeing him only during the weekends, not really listening to him or accepting his opinions, because her own opinion is the only one that matters. Maybe she can't listen to him, as Wang resembles his father too much and it's painful for her just to look at him, or she's simply ashamed of being a single mother, not introducing Wang to any of her friends, lovers, not mentioning him during her speech. She projects her insecurities onto Wang, keeps being homophobic, toxic to her suroundings, gaslighting people into doing things she wants them to do.

Wang, who lost his closest person, his father, was backstabbed by his mother for sending him away, bullied and defending others from bullies during his school days and figuring out his own sexual preferences he could never talk about with anyone, especially not with his mother. The suddenly missing father figure pushes him closer to In, who keeps wallowing in the sadness and who doesn't want to get on anyone's bad side by playing a diplomat, which doesn't help anyone. Wang, even for being only 20 years old, is the most mature one in this doomed triangle.

Lastly In, who shut himself away from the world. He likes to say he likes his quiet, but maybe he's just running away from his problems which used to be Sasiwimol and her husband, later on his own feelings of betrayal, hurt and regret, that haunts him now in the form of Wang. Wang who is too much like his father, like In's best friend, his idol he abandoned when Siam needed him the most. When Wang's father was there for him, but In wasn't there when he realized his and his own feelings, that could tear Wang's parents apart. And now, years later, he serves as a catalyst between Wang and Sasiwimol.

There's no good way of handling the situation those three find themselves in. Someone will get hurt and it will only get worse, before it gets better. But the change needs to happen, if they like it or not.

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Loved every minute of it.

This was wild.

I surprisingly really loved that we figure out very early on what actually happened between In and Wang's parents. It's not a drama about this huge mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's about very real, human emotions and pain that still cuts so deep you can't bring yourself to say the words out loud. That being said, I was hanging on to every word being spoken, so still very much on the edge of my seat. And when I think about it, really, the ending is very much expected as well, and yet I was incredibly invested. The progression of them meeting, the intense gazes, getting to know each other, to confessing is so seamless.

Pond is phenomenal. So talented. And his smile had me kicking my feet, he's super cute, let's be honest.

[Spoiler-ish] There's honestly so much more I feel like I need to think about and digest when it comes to the daddy issues part of it all. But it was so interesting. I mean, the fact that they never address out loud how he looks just like his father, leaving us to connect the dots with the pictures of the two of them from the past with the way In looks at Wang when they first meet. That got me so good.

Highly recommend.

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Underrated and wonderful

I don't usually write reviews for shows but I had to after watching the last episode. There's no doubt that this show tells a story differently. It can be difficult to get into if you don't like quieter, carefully paced shows. There are entire episodes which consists of just one scene and dialogue between two characters (similar to that of the book "The Symposium" that Int gives to Wang). Not to mention, many parts of the acting and scenes feels more like watching a live play rather than a tv show. And many aspects (geographical lines, affection and attraction, loneliness) are spoken of metaphorically. All of which gradually builds up until the final episode where everything is so clear in who the characters are, what their "lines" are, and how they go about living. The only score is the song sung by the actor who plays Wang. It complements the show beautifully.
It is a very cathartic and special watch. Highly recommend.

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52 Blue

I enjoyed this drama series to the extent that it compelled me to write a review about it. I have rarely watched such a drama which made me feel this conflicted. There was no clear side to choose from and no clear character to root for. At the same time I felt completely involved in all three characters and indentified with them on many levels.
This is a story about three characters. How their past caught up with them and how all three reacted in different ways. It's a story about lost chances, deep scars, finding and acknowledging one's identiy, healing, moving on and much much more.
The setting of the drama is like a stage play. Only three characters, set in one house with long dialogues between characters. But in no point I felt bored. In fact it felt like a thriller at times where each character was revealing somehting that helped solved the puzzle that was this drama.
The story is a-typical. Where love is portrayed as a means of self-exploration and realization. Love is not treated as the remedy to all problems rather a way to face the reality. And the reality is different for each character. It is a love story but one where love alows the characters to face their darkest fears and come to terms with it.
each actor playing the three characters did brilliant. I could relate with all three. In many instances I found myself in all three of them.
The visuals and color palette of the drama is spectacular. Each character wore a specific color through out the series and it blended with the settling seamlessly. The camera angles and shots were manipulated as such that each frame felt like a painting.
Finally the direction, it is the director's debut venture (as far as I know). He is a veteran theater director. Hence the treatment of the drama was very fresh. I have become a fan and will look forward to his work in future.
I hope this drama gets wide spread acknowledgement both at home and globally. I will come back to it.

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