Tin Tem Jai

Plot? We don't know her.

The trailer looked really promising. It looked really interesting, and it seemed like we will get some forced proximity between our main leads, which I was really looking forward to as it has been a while since I watched a BL like that. The beginning of the series was, sadly, all over the place – we were introduced to a crazy number of characters who I didn’t get the chance to really tell apart, for whatever reason everyone and their mom is babysitting a niece or a sister or is leaving her with “friends” and strangers! What are all these little girls bringing to the story, to the plot?

There is no actual story to follow. There are also many inconsistencies with what is going on to the point that it becomes annoying. Like Tin meets his sister and then asks two of his friends to take her to his place – but he is going there as well, yet he takes much longer than the three of them! And the sister and other kids are waiting outside the house for Tin while Park and the rest of their friends are inside, yet not one of them said anything to the kids?

Also, how old is Tin supposed to be? At times, it seems like he is still a high school student, talking about what major he should pursue with his friends. He is childish enough to fit the age group well. And then at other times, he seems to be older, as someone who should already be in university or maybe even done with it. Especially considering that Park is working and seeing had to get a degree first, their age gap might be quite big. But that doesn’t really make sense to me with relation to their childhood. It’s confusing.

To be honest, I am way more invested in Pao and Khana. I think the two of them will make an interesting couple. Especially with them being so different, there is this idea of Pao being a golden child and Khana being the black sheep. I am excited about seeing more of their dynamics. I do get a sense that Khana doesn’t think himself good enough for Pao, which is why even after they have their moment, it feels like he is not happier.

I don’t like how the series addresses some very serious and sensitive topics. For example, the whole family situation with Khana when he seeks shelter at Park’s house was dealt with awfully. Yes, he is an adult who has probably done this before, but he is still the victim in this whole thing. Has been since he was a child. And to see how Tin (and even Park at some point) treat him is wrong on so many levels. Being cute afterwards does not make things okay.

It does deserve the recognition in one aspect though - I like how they adressed the fact that LGBTQ+ people are often held to a higher standard than others. It's true and it often seems that the world is just waiting for them to make the smallest mistake, so they can be condemned for it.

I am ready to drop this one. I really wanted to like it, but I am just not feeling it. The main couple lacks chemistry, the story is getting boring and very repetitive. There is also nothing really happening, no new developments in their relationship. I really wish they made Pao and Khana the main couple. And it would be nice if they didn’t include that many kids with no meaning to the plot.

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Mediocre and plotless

To be honest, I was not hoping this series to be something big or really good, but at least I expected to have something cute and enjoyable, it turns out it was only a plotless story that in terms of romance was so slow that it couldn't even be called a series full of fan service. There is no story, it is just a bunch of situations piled up together, they even treat important matters such as Long Lee's character's situation or even Tin's family problems.
The acting wasn't bad, but it was just plain and there was no chemistry, and the secondary couple did not have a decent development, so it feels somewhat uncompleted.

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Cute but pointless

Writing a review about this BL is not easy, since there is not that much to review. Why this series is 10 eps long is anyone's guess, it could have been done in 4. Or even none at all. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad. It's just.... not good.

I'm a generous rater and my 7,5 is used for average drama. This is below avg, so a meagre 6.0 is all it gets.

Tin is cute as a button although a bit too childish. The way Park goes from I'll kick you to I love you was so sudden I thought I missed a scene. But I didn't. Pao is supposedly a teacher but works at an office? There is a whole drugs depression and angst plotline there that could have been explored but wasn't. The whole brothers-to-lovers is never not weird, mainly due to the consistent references to parenthood. Chemistry is spotty, mostly in the beginning and with the PaoKana side couple. I get the feeling this was a practice run for the screenwriter (also the MC) and the actors. I hope they learned a lot.

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2nd time around:

Thanks to the New Years break in BL's I got a chance to watch this series for the second time.

My initial rating was an 8.
Second time around I did drop it down to a 7.5 rating.

You can check my Watch List and see that my ratings are pretty close to the average ratings of everyone else.
Some of mine do stray a little from the norm, but that is because I also factor in how a series makes me feel.

That being said, I don't understand why this show got such a Low rating.
I've seen bigger production shows that were worse and got better ratings.

This series had some bad editing/flow issues for sure. Blame that on the post production ppl and the director?

But the acting was really good across the cast! Everyone of them!

I felt that Tiger played his character really well. It wasn’t the usual effeminate role that is commonly played, it was more Innocent child like adoration.
I’m just putting this out there in case any of the cast or crew see it and know that at least ONE person Really liked this show!
I hope all of the actors continue to get work and that I can see them more.
Especially Run and Tiger.
Full disclosure: I’ve had a Huge BL Crush on Run and his younger brother Games since I saw them back when “With Love” broadcast.
Attack me all you want! I think it deserved better than a 6.2 rating.

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It was cute

This was cute but very low budget. The story was confusing, the editing was bad, and I had no idea who was related to whom. They called each other mom, dad, darling, etc. I had no idea about some of them.

The actors were cute and they made it worth the watch. There were some pretty decent love making scenes. But plainly showing the boxers in the bathtub killed the imagination. I’d say there was good chemistry.

What happened to Pao that he missed the entire concert? If he had diarrhea the entire concert and dinner afterwards, he should have been taken to the hospital.

Not much else to say. Quick watch and I enjoyed it even though it had no substance.

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Mediocrity at its finest

I have many issues with this drama, which I'll go into later, but I think my biggest problem is that this drama COULD'VE been a 10 star for me. They kept dropping interesting storyline after interesting storyline and if this drama had properly explored even one of them, it could've been great. But they didn't. Anyway, here is my review of Tin Tem Jai.
Story:
So this drama follows Tin, a university student who lives with his long time crush Park. I actually really liked Tin as a main character. He was funny, caring, sassy, and just overall fun to watch. His storyline with his mom was also extremely interesting and I wish we'd gotten more from it. Seen his relationship with her before she left him with Park and his mother, actually gotten some exploration into Tins abandonment issues and his feelings on his mothers new family. We got crumbs but I wanted more. My problem was with Park. How do I say this? Park was boring. He had barely any personality, he had no hobbies, he had 3 facial expressions the entire drama, and he had the charisma of a twig. Together, these two characters had no chemistry. Enter the second lead, Ploen. He's got good chemistry with Tin, they share an interest, he's open with how he feels about Tin, and he's handsome. Literally they made the perfect love interest the second lead😭 I was so upset that Tin didn't pick him, I knew he wouldn't but I was grinning and kicking my feet for them only for Tin to reject him. As for the second couple, I feel robbed. We get build up, a hot sex scene, and then we never saw them alone together again until the special episodes. We see them together in group scenes and they both get a few solo scenes but I wanted more. I wanted what was in the special episodes to be in the main ones. Just them being a cute couple and that chaotic boyfriend calm boyfriend dynamic they had. They had the chance to make them stronger as a couple when Pao ods. It is said that Kana previously did drugs so if they'd given glimpses of him helping Pao through the rehab process (not that he actually went because tv doctors are stupid but hypothetically) would give them a chance to connect more. Another unexplored storyline dropped in for conflict. Speaking of unexplored, I want to know more about Bai. Her transition, how she built herself from a run away to a successful hair salon owner, and the tense relationship she has with her family. Because having family be unaccepting of your identity is a reality for many lgbtq+ people and it clearly had not resolved. Though her brother and her friends show her unconditional support, her parents do not.
Acting:
The acting in this show is fine. Not horrible but not going to win any awards either.
Soundtrack:
Fine, except during the sex scenes. Specifically for the main couple. The main couple has one sex scene in the 10 episodes and 2 in the special episodes. All have terrible music. Due to the actors lack of chemistry, the sex is kind of boring and awkward so the terrible music just makes it worse.
Rewatch value:
Haha, no. I will not watch this again, ever.
Overall:
I did not hate this drama but I was severely disappointed and underwhelmed. Personally wouldn't recommend

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well seriously this is not the best bl I ever watch

for the story it's not that intriguing but the flow is good so I watched it but the second couple has no proper ending and that's disappointing also the acting is so - so it's not that good especially the boy park he is a disappointment but I like his because of his character development in this series I kinda enjoy it but the story is lacking And that's why my overall score is 6/10
only the music is good other than that it's average
also the second main lead is childish but I don't find him annoying also the two main lead I can't feel there chemistry in my opinion I like the senior supporting character than the main lead which is park

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What. A. Mess!

This "story" had no plot that actually made sense. It was filled with endless cut scenes that did not matter and did not add to the overall story. Not to mention the 180° flips of emotions from one scene to the next without any preparation whatsoever. I can't even blame the actors, most of which overacted the majority of the time, because it was the direction and the cinematography that really drove this to a weird place. I can't help but wonder if there are countless hours of missing footage that would have made this make sense; but truthfully, even that feels like I'm being too generous. The script was a mess, the direction was a catastrophe, the sex scenes we're painfully shot (Who the hell wears shorts in a tub? I understand that the actors would, but that's what camera angles are for, I don't want to see rubber ducky boxers, with black underwear underneath, in a bathtub, whether it's a sex scene or not.) Slight spoiler: I have never been more turned off by a scene, than when Park and Tin are in the tub, the extreme lack of chemistry was abysmal, yes, but the way it was shot was 10 times worse. Overall, the two leads were likable enough in the first half, (though the amount of whining Tin did is unforgivable for an adult, and the radically sudden change in character for Park was laughable.) and the episodes short enough, that it made me bear with it; even though the last six episodes were like nails on a chalkboard for me. It had no real ending, it had no real purpose, it had no real plot. My gods this is a must skip. How it has an 8.2 on Viki, I will never understand. It's like something that would have come out in 2008, not 2023.

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