Memory in the Letter (2024)

Beyond the Reflection

When I first came across the ending scene of Memory in the Letter, where Kyo openly confessed to Aksorn’s father that they were in a relationship, I was immediately intrigued and knew I had to watch it. However, seeing that the series only had six episodes left me a bit disappointed, especially since most Thai BLs typically span 12-14 episodes. Yet, understanding that it wasn’t backed by a well-known company, I set aside my expectations and delved in, eager to see what it had to offer.

The series’ premise is quite unconventional, offering a blend of romance and intrigue that keeps you thinking. This type of storytelling stood out and made it one of the more enjoyable dramas I’ve watched this year. The plot carried enough surprises to keep me engaged, especially the twist that Songjam was actually Kyo all along. It was an unexpected revelation—I initially believed Kyo was a standalone protagonist in the Aksorn and Songjam narrative, but that twist added a clever layer of depth to the story.

One of the strongest aspects of the drama was how Kyo/Songjam allowed Aksorn to uncover the truth gradually. The way this part of the plot was handled kept the story flowing while maintaining an air of mystery. I appreciated that they didn’t immediately resolve the identity revelation; it gave the drama more room to breathe. I genuinely thought the moment when the mirror broke and Songjam disappeared would lead to a dramatic scene where he would reappear behind Aksorn once he realized what had happened, but the plot chose a more subtle route, which worked well.

However, not all aspects were flawless. For example, the scenes involving Peach’s stalking were unnecessary and felt out of place once she noticed the similarities between Aksorn in the novel and real-life Aksorn.

Reflecting on my initial disappointment with the limited episode count, I couldn’t help but wish the story had been given more time to unfold. The premise was rich with potential, yet certain intriguing questions were left unanswered. For instance, if Aksorn’s mother wrote the story involving Songjam and Aksorn, how was Aksorn initially able to see Songjam before he teleported to the present world? Why did Songjam arrive years before Aksorn encountered him, and why didn’t Songjam make it clear that Aksorn’s mother was the story’s author? These gaps could have been explored further to enhance the narrative’s complexity.

Despite these loose ends, the series achieved its primary goal: telling a story that was both coherent and captivating. It managed to tie everything together enough for viewers to understand the plot, even with the untied threads.

The leads were visually appealing, especially Parky, who played Songjam/Kyo. His looks had me gushing throughout the series, and it wasn’t until later that I realized how well he and Can’s visuals complemented each other.

One recurring issue, however, was the awkward execution of intimate scenes. It’s 2024, and the era of side lip kisses and stiff, hesitant interactions belongs to the 2015 days of Love By Chance and SOTUS. In a time when on-screen romances have become more genuine and Thailand has made significant strides in LGBTQ+ representation, such stilted moments felt out of place and a bit frustrating.

All things considered, the drama had strong points: a compelling plot, impressive cinematography, and solid acting. It wrapped up well, leaving me satisfied and excited for future projects from the cast.

Hopefully, I’ll even get the chance to attend their fan meet in the Philippines next year!

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"Reflections of Time: The Meteor, The Mirror, and The Aura"

I love the concept and cast too did a wonderful job. Cute love story with blushing moments without any contacts is simply superb. The main problem is the age gap it was bit wierd but afterwards it feels ok. Now the major problem is that it is not promoted as other thai bl's dramas used to. So the writers of the show should have to take a step forward to promote this drama. And everyone should have to watch it , it simple and amazing too. I love it and all the 3 leads did wonderful job too. Even the ratings are given low in MDL don't believe it,just go and watch it is perfect drama in this year.

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Feeling disconnected towards the end

I love the storyline. It's unique and refreshing. I really enjoy it until last episode.

I've no issue with the age gap, that isn't the problem. It's not so much about the story than the execution.

For past 5 episodes, my mind has these 2 actors as main lead. That's who I've watched, who I adore and who I've been waiting to watch, and suddenly....in last episode, we have totally different actor as Songjam?!

I get they are the same person but I feel NOTHING...because, I feel so diasappointed not able to see the kiss scenes between the younger Songjam and Aksorn, one we've been waiting for since the dance in episode 1. Although they do it with the older Songjam, it doesn't feel the same. HUGE EMOTIONAL DISCONNECT.

I dunno why they make the story so complicated. It could have been such a beautiful ending. Ugh.

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An Impressive Watch Indeed

Watching this series is like wrapping yourself up in a warm cozy blanket on a cold winter’s night as you are reading a romantic allegory. While the sensation is comforting, the fable still provides you with enough stimulation to keep you awake. But you suddenly realize that you reach a part in the story where one of two possible endings can happen. Either a fairy tale one or a tragic one. While I certainly love a fairy tale ending (and these two guys deserved one), I was preparing myself for a tragic one as the series did seem a bit dark overall. Unfortunately, I got neither one. And I threw off my warm blanket and started to cry with disappointment. Let me elaborate.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/05/23/memory-in-the-letter-series-review-ep-1-to-6/

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Pretty good fantasy BL

This is one of the better BLs in the first half of 2024 and is in my list of my favourite fantasy BLs . The 6 episodes never felt rushed, the story flowed properly, and it was not encumbered by 2nd or 3rd ships. The chemistry between the young couple was great. I was genuinely surprised that I can experience chemistry from 2 persons interacting through a layer of glass (or mirror, as is in the story :p) Their acting was decent, and the twist was surprising and mindblowing.

Many people are dismayed by the ending. I can understand that, considering our current norms with regards to relationships like that. Some might even consider it as grooming. The producers also seem to have considered this, considering that they have SJ alternate between actors. There were also some instances which the story could be extended, like the dad reconciliation arc as well as the dad meets SJ part. But I suspect its more on the novel then on the artistic direction.
That said, I think in a fantasy genre, there is always an aspect of un-realism there, in this case, how someone can hold on to a love for so long? But if I were to take a flight of fancy, isn't that why you watch BL's in the first place, for rare love that is hard to achieve? That is exactly what is so Fin about it. Love that transcend time, space and universes always have that certain appeal in them.

The standout actor to me is Beck. His facial expressions are great and his acting is realistic. Sometimes I wonder if its because of a good script or if its because of his acting. I conclude that its the blessed combination of both factors.

Overall, I gave my score based on my opinion that its well paced, the story is tight, the twist was reasonably well done, and the actors have reasonable chemistry with one another.

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Interesting premise that needed more time.

This was one of the rare Thai series where I'd say a few more episodes would have really helped. Normally I say this about Korean series as they are notoriously shorter and try to cram so much in 6-8 episodes. Usually with the longer Thai series (10-14 ep at 40+min each) they contain so much unnecessary filler that the story becomes boring, silly, off the rails, etc.

But there was so much going on in this series that, while they probably should have made it longer, I still feel like they did very well with the time that they had. It's a complex concept, to say the least. And then as the series goes on, I can see how some people may not like all the "coincidences" and how things are connected. But I thought it made the series more enjoyable.

I also wish I hadn't seen some of the spoilers so I will refrain from saying any of them myself.. as much as I can while still writing a review on the series as a whole.

It seems like a lot of people did not like the last couple of episodes. All I can say about this (as someone not trying to spoil anything) is that, if you are in it for the shipped actors, then yes, you will not like the last couple of episodes. But if you like the story of the characters, then the last bit is VERY satisfying and downright heartwarming. Also, do yourself a favor and ignore the age with the math. It's better enjoyed at face value.

That being said, the story has a lot of depth and makes one question a lot (I mean, come on.. we're talking about parallel universes and quantum physics here) but as far as the main couple is concerned, I enjoyed the lack of questioning how they felt toward one another. There were no secrets or hiding of feelings and I LOVED that they were open with each other when feelings started developing. Maybe they needed the impossible concept of them ever being together to make that honesty happen, who knows? Maybe they felt safe in being honest because they knew they had nothing to lose, being on opposite sides of the mirror. That was their obstacle and I liked that about the series.

While the acting could have been better, I understand that this was a first lead role for these two so it's understandable and forgivable. They were still good performances in the end. I also liked how there wasn't an abundance of side/supporting characters as there really wasn't much time to focus on anyone else. Everyone who was introduced had a clear role and was essential in some way to help the story along. But then they were put on the back burner instead of trying to make things complicated. That was handled well, in my opinion.

I really would recommend this series and encourage everyone watching it to stick it out to the end. It really is a well-rounded story and I like how everything was wrapped up to completion.

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