The Sign

sacrifices must be made for the greater good

Hey gang, I saw edits of the on-screen chemistry, and then I watched it lol. The most recent was 21 days ago, holy fuck, with This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans. I have so much stuff I need to do but this review is more important lol. I have written 4 supplementary essays for college about this show lol. Let's average it out. So this show came out a year ago and it has a pretty high rating overall (8.4), which drew me to the show too. Also just got Sylus in Wander in Wander so I am happy. 9.125 out of 10, so I will round it down to a 9 out of 10. This was a pretty good show, with some really good acting. Also not checking my grammar.

I love to start shows despite having 20 already started. First off, starting with the actors that I recognized because I mentioned that in my review. Phaya (Billy), Singh (Suprise), Dr Chalothon (Heng), Mayris (Looknam), Wansarat (Freen), and Saint (self-insert core). I recognized all of them from secret crush on You or Gap (which has been rotting in my watchlist for a long ass time now). I actually plan to rewatch Secret Crush on You after this, lol. I was very confused lol. Then I saw the hottest man I have ever seen in my whole life, "This disproportional ass guy who has big ass monkey ears and a big ass nose and who is jacked, has to be one of the sexiest mother fuckers I have ever seen in my LIFE." I am Chloe and I still stand by that. It was Yai, lol. It is a police academy x Thai FBI shit. "All that for a fucking police officer, bro. I'm pretty sure the qualifications in America are to be racist and bad at shooting." Probably the funniest thing I have said in a while. We start strong with all the foreshadowing of the soulmate shit. That and the next 11 episodes felt so fucking long, it was insane.

I was making heinous assumptions about Lieutenant Akk or whatever his name is and I would like to issue a formal apology. The whole police academy, while in a weird setting, was very cute and I actually set the show up very well. "This drama is all light and sweet and then it has this weird dark undertone with the murders and this soulmate shit" I still second this because it got so dark, it was psychologically overwhelming lol. Probably because I got very immersed in it. Me when I saw Chalothon for the first time " MY MANNNNN MY MAN MY MAN, I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU SINCE SECRET CRUSH ON YOU, MY MAN MY MAN."

It started very light and I was just taking it all in, in between class, during class, and while I was doing college stuff and homework (what I should be doing right now). The theme song was lowkey bumping and whoever made that and whatever soundtrack that was playing throughout (besides all of that fucking classical music) needs a raise lol. I knew Dr was bad from the start, "Dr what? Okay, they know each other but imagine they didn't, that is so problematic. Why he look down at the camera like that? Say it with me, that man is not your man." That was just such an off-vibe for me, that he kinda knew Tharn's every move at the start and Tharn didn't really think anything of it, but it did fold out very well I think. The subtitles were a little fucked and spelled wrong, with " a serial rapist and serial killers who kill rapists are two very different things." They were like oh he's a serial rapist. No, he is a serial killer who kills rapists, that is so fucking different.

Their having the random shared sex dream was funny as fuck. And Dr putting the image that Phaya has Schizophrenia in Tharn's head was vile, but Phaya and Tharn both have Schizophrenia, but Phayas is so much worse. Phaya also gets very angry very easily which makes it so much worse than it needed to be. I was so into the cases and the show that I was lowkey forgetting about their love story lol. Yeah, they should have both gotten help, because that would have fixed all of their issues.

"I think he doesn’t have schizophrenia he has anger management issues, he does have a lot of hallucinations though so, maybe it's both." It is very much both. "Just wrote one of my USD supplementary essays about this show, bro it turned out fire." Medical malpractice on the Doctors' part, with Tharn and Art, so much medical malpractice. He was making them more crazy than they needed to be. Also, someone's house was the house from Unforgotten Night lol. Then we had the soulmate thing confirmed.

Great acting throughout this show. Beautiful. I love Khuem and Tai, or whatever his name is, I wish we got more of them ". Khuem and whatever his man's name is have been a thing since 2009 lol. 14 years bro. Holy fucking shit 10/10, for the whole episode after that. Secret crush on you full circle moment. 14 years of relationships and I still don't think he likes men or you. They just start making out and the best SEX SCENE I HAVE EVER SEEN HAPPENS. I HAVE NEVER LAUGHED SO FUCKING HARD IN MY LIFE." I might rewatch just to see their moments again, but other than that I will not put my shit through that again. We find out that the Naga that has been after Phaya and Tharn is actually the doctor and that is interesting.

"How long are these episodes? Why are they taking me two hours to watch?" Now we are in the 24-hour zone, on episode 7. We meet Art, who is a very beautiful looking man. ". This is one of the most overwhelming things I’ve ever watched. It’s like psychologically overwhelming. Dr." just medicates "these people and makes them even crazier and he did that with Tharn and he medicated him to stop him from having dreams about" Phaya and like him instead. I think this was the biggest connection I have ever made. He keeps telling Tharn that Phaya is this crazy bitch with anger management issues and schizophrenia and to stay away from him that he is normal and they should be together. That was insane and great story writing and acting. Claps all around.

I said the show was overwhelming 5 times in two sentences lol.

The whole thing with Phaya and the water, they kept connecting back to that from the start to the end, good on them lol. "Hey dude, can you fight demons for us." Oh fuck he is having a seizure. Holy fucking shit what the fuck is even happening anymore what is the show? I'm so confused somebody please save me. I'm so confused. What the fuck how the fuck did he get discharged from the hospital bro he still got his fucking IV on what the fuck someone send them back to the hospital swear to God." I think that sums up that episode and the rest of the show very well lol.

So much was happening and yeah. "Glad they're worried and want to go look for him because he's schizophrenic and has a history of wandering around and almost killing himself." And then they finally started dating.
"Normalize saying that people are looking up at you when they die." Their love is short-lived because another person dies and there are so many things physically wrong with the killers and everything, love to see it. Paying off the police to close the cases.

"The schizophrenia or “signs” came from the car crash with his parents. Traumatic brain injury core. Whatever the mofos on this tree mil are smoking, I want some of it. I feel like there are eight cases happening and it's very overwhelming." If Tharn just listened to Phaya they could have worked out a lot faster. I know he trusts the doctor but his admiration and trust are blinding him from the truth. "It is not a matter about being jealous, it's a matter of he will ruin y'all. I feel like I am being fucked with and I am actually the crazy one as the viewer." I think this show psychologically messed with me, bro. Normalize shooting people. The fact that Doctor has been preying on Tharn since he was a kid is very scary and concerning considering that he likes him and the way their relationships ended up folding out. " All of our problems would be solved if we just started shooting people lol. Tharn also needs to get out of his own ass and listen to Phaya." "Why does Phaya still have his gun if he is on leave? FIRST MOFO SHOT HOLY FUCK. Took y'all 11 episodes lol. Fucking freak. Holy. This show is so overwhelming it makes me not want to eat. Tell him you're sorry Tharn. Holy fuck." After I finish writing this I am going to go eat my dinner that I didn't finish because of this show lol.

They could have done the ending better, but I am just happy it's done, bro. "This is making me sick to my stomach. Chart: This might be the end road for you, but remember sacrifices must be made for the greater good (headline core). I am also praying that they can leave the main cast alone because the ring and the food are telling me otherwise." The oh I will give you this once the case it is over, I knew Khuem was about to get fucking shot lol. I was ranting and getting really philosophical lol. "I guess that’s the funny thing about death: you’re not supposed to feel a certain way and nobody can really force you to feel that way. People grieve differently and I think this is a pretty good example of that but they better bring that shit home or I will crash out. You find somebody who finally gives you purpose and then they’re gone and you don’t know what to do with yourself. That’s this. Glad he has friends to support him, because that could end very south very easily and could end in him killing himself. Because he has been looking for Tharn for literally his whole life, and now that he’s gone, I guess that can be very overwhelming. I guess that’s really love in a way. That’s kind of sad but true. That’s love. It’s not something you can ever buy; it’s something you find and that’s its fucking soulmate and he found him finally and know he’s dead and so is his love." Good on them for that message. It was interesting and not something I see a lot in Thai Drama endings. I wish they did more, they could have had some cuter moments or something. Also who the fuck was the red naga in the water. If there is a season 2, I will not be watching it because what the fuck. I think there is a special though, so I will watch that while I eat dinner. Would I recommend it? Yeah, it was actually pretty good and was great for writing college essays lol. Of course, the ending was mid but the rest of the show was good. If you are looking for some mystery, funny, psychologically and emotionally draining show that is going to flip you on your head so many times that you can't tell dick from ass anymore, this is the show for you. Stay woke my friends. Okay bye!

Read More

Beautiful But Incomplete

I have learned with time to lower my expectations so I can be pleasantly surprised. Saying that, the poster for this drama intrigued me and the plot sounded interesting, the first episode surprised me and overall the story was very well-written and unique, but there was always something that bothered me.

I understand that they were going full out with the special effects, the story was daring and hard to adapt to the small screen, so it was a huge risk taken by the company. But it annoyed me that they didn't dedicate more of screentime to the flashback scenes, even in the present it felt too much that I was being told what happened instead of showed what happened and I'm a visual person, so it really made a difference to me.

I loved the build up of the main couple, flirting and bickering being my favorite dynamic, up until the point that they consumate their love, I can't really explain why, I don't think it was either the director or actors' fault, as they still delivered masterfully done love scenes, but the writing did feel a little bit lackluster at times and I stopped being pulled by their epic love story, what was bad for me since it was the main point of the story.

I didn't really care for the secondary couple, they couldn't even work as a comic relief for me. Yai was the highlight of the series, he was not just a great friend and a wonderful boyfriend, the support he gave Tharn warmed my heart and I really believed in their bond, he was ultimately a great person.

Heng Asavarid was giving it as the villain Chalothon, but unfortunately Chalothon didn't give much as the main antagonist making his redemption very undeserving.

For that and other reason I say, The Sign gave a lot to the genre, it was an audacious adventure with a lot of heart and a pinch of experience. It was beautiful, but for me, it was incomplete. Making it a good start, but hopefully, not the best fantasy BL we will ever see.

Read More

REFRESHING STORY, worthy of taking time for writing a review.

Regretting not watching it sooner!

Oh my god.... I don't even know from where to start. The show overall, i mean completely, wholly, overall was so interesting kept me so hooked up, I didn't even realise i had crossed half of the series.
Starting with story line,
Uncommon. Not typical. Something unique. Good fiction. The storyline was unique, different from normal bls with predictive plots. It did fair contribution to all the elements and not did focus on only romance element. The romance element was still there, without continuous flirtations, friendship was also centred not only among friends but also with main leads , showing love can also be shown in platonic way also between lovers. Genuine care, worry, beliefs, all was shown beautifully.

The development relationship, was slow but not something which will bore the audience, it was a rational pace i would say. The strengthening of bonds slowly and gradually due to plots of the storyline was smoothly portrayed.

The storyline didn't just revolved around love or romance but covered most of their missions, action, training, investigation. Fight scenes were nice and not cliche. I love their acting. FIRST TIME SEEING THEM BOTH . THEY DID ABSOLUTELY GOOD. THE SIDE CHARACTERS WERE NOT REALLY SIDE BUT PLAYED GOOD SUPPORTING ROLES ADVANCING THE STORYLINE.

it's been so long that i found a bl worthy of writing a review. This was such a good bl. Last but not the least all the actors were good-looking 🙃. I love the series really. Everyone did such a good job. The fusion of mythology was unique and refreshing.

Read More

This started strong, dragged a bit in the middle, and had a rather disappointing ending. I watched the uncut version, so it had a happy ending, but I found it disappointing all the same.

I liked the mythological storyline and much preferred it to the crime storyline, despite the low-budget CGI. The crime storyline dragged a bit at times, especially in the middle. Did we need to see the whole love affair of Art and Kao played out? It was beautifully acted (especially by Art) and compelling of its own right, but had no bearing to the overall storyline so an entire episode dedicated to it was a waste. The filler episode dedicated to the side couple felt the same way, especially since we barely saw their romance through the rest of the series. The fact that Khem got shot at the end and they completely gloss over it and never mention it again is a testament to that. I would have rather had more time spent wrapping the story up, rather than the leads reuniting less than 10 minutes from the end. Some of the fight sequences dragged on too long as well, particularly the opening sequence. It took me a while to get started because the opening is a bunch of fighting and shooting and you don’t even know who’s who to know what’s happening yet. Also, the crime storyline was related to Tharn’s parents’ death while the mythological storyline was directly tied to the romance, so the mythological storyline enhanced the romance whereas there were definitely times where I felt the romance was overshadowed by the crime storyline.

I loved the concept of the romance - reincarnation, soulmates, forbidden love. But wow Tharn pissed me off so many times, and his reasoning and actions in the end cheapened the whole relationship, in my opinion. He disregarded Phaya’s concerns so many times — ignoring and dismissing his dreams when he himself wants Phaya to listen to his visions, or continuing to attempt to contact the doctor after promising Phaya he would trust him and stay away. He often acted flippant, ignoring calls or having an unfriendly attitude, for no real reason. He didn’t return the level of affection that Phaya gave to him. In the scene directly after they finally get together and Phaya has a nightmare, he doesn’t even hug him. And in the morning, he goes around pushing Phaya away and semi-rejecting his affection. Phaya was so sweet in giving verbal and physical affection, and I don’t think Tharn reciprocated in the slightest. Yes, he was willing to sacrifice his life for Phaya’s, but that’s the extent of it. The worst was when Phaya was in a coma in the hospital, fighting for his life, and Tharn actively chose not to stay in the hospital and instead went about working and investigating his parents’ death. And not only that, but he let the doctor console him, crying on his shoulder and holding his hands. It was like an on and off switch — one minute he cared and was crying, and the next he looked totally unaffected and dedicated to work.

And the end, when Tharn chose to stay with the doctor for an entire YEAR while Phaya was desperately searching for him, unsure if he was even alive, because he was worried about the doctor “suffering” was horrifying. Because what about Phaya suffering for that entire year? And the doctor was the one who has been trying to break them up and kill Phaya this entire time, so why does he deserve any grace? Yes, Tharn justifies it by saying he wanted to convince the doctor to stop breaking them apart in this life and future ones, but then in the special episode he talks about how the doctor was there for him and saved him after he lost loved ones AGAIN. Totally ignoring the fact that the doctor was the one responsible for killing said loved ones in the first place! And the fact that they gave the doctor a redemption arc, saying he “let” Tharn return to Phaya, as if that was something he had the right to dictate in the first place…I was seething.

Plus, Tharn tries to play this placating middleman in half the scenes where the doctor and Phaya are physically battling. Even in the past life flashback, Tharn just stands around while the doctor is actively strangling Phaya and begs him to stop instead of physically intervening. When he’s dying in the end, he tells both the doctor and Phaya to stop fighting as if Phaya is doing something wrong by trying to stop the doctor from killing him and stealing Tharn away. He chooses to go with the doctor in both the past and present life to “keep the peace” instead of fighting for Phaya like Phaya is willing to fight for him. Why is it Phaya standing up to the doctor and telling him Tharn doesn’t love him instead of Tharn telling him himself? He was never once straight up with the doctor — he should have told him point blank that he was in a relationship with Phaya and that he loved him, but he didn’t even once disclose his relationship status. Tharn is a spineless man with no conviction that’s willing to die for love but not willing to fight for love.

I also didn’t like all the secrets between Tharn and Phaya, and sometimes for seemingly no reason. Pharn should have told Tharn about the doctor way before he actually did. Tharn should have trusted and believed him when he did. And Tharn would just lie for no reason sometimes. Like why did he tell Phaya there were no updates to the Kao case when he’d just been told that the fiancé had agreed to handover evidence? Phaya finds out two seconds later anyways when Tharn has a vision of the fiancé being murdered and has to warn the team, so what was the point?

That being said, I really liked that both leads were complete equals and equally capable. They were both responsible for protecting each other, which is something you rarely see in BLs - normally they stereotype the top into that role as if the two are related. There’s no power dynamics either. Even if there are times where one might tell the other what to do, there’s never a case where they’re unable to refuse or are physically forced or coerced into something.

There were a few confusing things about the plot. One is the whole past life Tharn. It’s explained that Tharn was a female in his past life, and the dreams Phaya have show a woman played by a female actor. But in all the flashback scenes, the “woman” is portrayed by the same actor as Tharn - looks male, dressed male, but with long hair and addressed as if they were female. I didn’t understand that. Why not have the same actor play both the dream and flashback versions of Tharn? And even if you were going to have the male actor do it, why dress him male instead of female if she’s supposed to be a woman?

Second is the whole karma thing. It’s said that Tharn had bad karma from wronging people in his past life and they’re out to kill him and his loved ones in this life. His life is intertwined with Phaya’s, and he needs to protect Phaya because Phaya will rid him of his bad karma. But that’s not what ends up happening at all. No one is out to kill Tharn. The only bad guy we see is the doctor, who is out to kill Phaya and keep Tharn alive because he wants Tharn to himself. And the only loved one that is killed is a dead ex that was alluded to. (Side note but I take issue with the dead ex plot point, especially given that it’s only mentioned in passing once. Was that necessary? His parents would have been a better choice.) His parents’ deaths were attributed to the crime storyline and not the mythological one. And how exactly did Phaya rid Tharn of his bad karma, even if you take that to refer to the doctor? Because he loses to the doctor in the final battle in every life, this one included.

None of the Luangpor’s prophecy came true, so all the advice he gave seemed like complete nonsense as a result. Yes he provided the protective amulet, but he did nothing else useful. He told Tharn to live with him at the temple, except no one was out for him or his family because the doctor never wanted to kill him or his family. He kept going on about giving merit and mindfulness and meditation and enlightenment and how morals should be dictated by Buddhist precepts, but none of that ever had any tangible impact on anything. And because it had no tangible impact, it came off as preachy, like if a pastor character kept going on about praying and Bible-defined sin but neither had any visible magical results in the fictional universe. Plus he knew from the start that the doctor was evil, but did nothing to warn Tharn or protect him. So I don’t get what his purpose was or why Tharn and Phaya had so much respect for him.

And third, the idea that the whole high-power corrupt criminal / political network came immediately tumbling down the minute they caught Montree was ridiculous, especially given that he had an even higher power backer. It took them what, 15 years to catch Montree due to corrupt interference, and you’re telling me there was no corrupt interference getting Montree and everyone else associated off the hook this time around?

Also, I took issue with the whole messaging that legal justice always prevails, even if it takes longer, but that’s just blatantly untrue. They even prove it in the series, with all those rapists that got off scot-free and the whole corrupt political network. Just because there was eventually legal evidence to arrest one of the rapists does not negate that the others were under-punished or that many, many people were roaming free due to corruption. The inspector kept wailing on about following the rules and not letting personal matters interfere when he himself was breaking the rules and letting personal matters interfere by investigating his brother’s death and Montree’s association.

And fourth is more minor, but the 2nd couple had some kind of break up going on in the beginning, with Khem saying they were still together and Thongtai saying they were broken up. But it’s never mentioned again and they act like a couple through the entire series, getting engaged in the end. That should have been properly explained, especially given that there was a filler episode largely dedicated to showing how they originally got together.

The special episode was a bit lackluster for me. It was more crime/action focused, when I wanted something more character/romance-oriented. Since I preferred the fantasy to the crime in the first place, I just wasn’t that interested in the storyline. The only place the fantasy came in was Phaya’s past-life brother suddenly revealing himself and helping to defeat a henchman. It didn’t even make sense, because he didn’t show up when fighting the doctor, but he helped to defeat a henchman? The brother also warned that Phaya and Tharn’s powers would wane if they were too far apart, but nothing ever came of that, which was really disappointed. That would have been a much more interesting dynamic to explore. There was also a kid they had to take care of and a shall-we-have-a-baby dynamic, which is never my favorite.

There were some sweet moments and an NC scene in the first half of the special episode, but not much in the second half. We didn’t get an ending kiss either. And it really pissed me off that Tharn brought up the doctor in a positive light, talking about how he helped save him when he lost loved ones, when the doctor was the one responsible for their deaths.

There were some consent / boundary issues, but relatively non-egregious for BL standards. (Although I live for the day when consent issues as a whole aren’t normalized, and I don’t have to consider it a good day when they’re “only minor.”)

The scene that bothered me the most is when Tharn is in the bathroom, drunk, and Phaya comes in and reaches around him and helps him zip his zipper up. They’re not even really friends at that point, more just colleagues, so their relationship isn’t anywhere near that level. Tharn pushes him away and protests and then pushes him away again when Phaya says something about pulling it back down again if Tharn doesn’t need his help. Phaya also asks if Tharn is single, but the tone is kind of intimidating (I don’t know if that’s the right word, really). The whole interaction was kind of like a high school bully that’s only bullying you because they like you, basically. It also felt out of character, because Phaya is never that egregious with overstepping boundaries like that again.

Aside from that, there’s a scene where Tharn is drunk and leans into kissing distance, but ultimately doesn’t go in for a kiss. Phaya kisses his forehead. For their first kiss, Phaya grabs Tharn as he’s leaving and kisses his cheek, then his lips. Tharn doesn’t pull away but he doesn’t welcome it either - he gives a soft rejection (“let’s go to bed”) and avoids him after. Tharn liked Phaya at the time but wouldn’t admit it to himself, but the point is he wasn’t given the opportunity to consent because it happened so quickly and he likely would not have consented if he had been given the opportunity. Phaya doesn’t respect Tharn’s space in the aftermath - he kept pushing to get Tharn to let him drop Tharn home and to go out to eat, basically trying to get Tharn to stop avoiding him.

There’s one scene where Phaya pretends his bike is broken so he can stay overnight at Tharn’s, but he sleeps on the couch by his own choice. There’s also a different scene where Tharn grabs Phaya in his sleep, and Phaya takes that as an invitation to stay in the bed and sleep instead of going back to the couch. He also touches Tharn’s face and pulls him even closer to cuddle. There’s a point where Phaya invites Tharn over to his house because he wants to introduce him to his family. He tells his family in advance but only tells Tharn it’s a surprise, so Tharn doesn’t really get a choice in the matter. And overall, I felt Phaya was too grabby when trying to get Tharn not to leave. He was never forceful though, as in refusing to let go or actually preventing him from leaving, which is a step up from other BLs.

When Phaya thinks Tharn told the doctor about his dreams, he gets violent, including punching Tharn in the face hard enough for him to bleed. He’s also overly jealous of the doctor, sometimes reasonably given his knowledge of the doctor’s intentions, and sometimes unreasonably. He goes behind Tharn’s back and tells the doctor to stay away at one point, and also gets in a physical fight with the doctor at another point. But he never forces Tharn to cut contact with the doctor. He does request that he keep away from the doctor towards the end of the series and gets upset when Tharn wants to contact him, but it’s justified by that point because Phaya knows that the doctor is evil by that point.

The NC scenes were fairly explicit (naked ass, stimulated sex). They were okay, but a bit mechanical. The light orb effect over NC / romantic scenes was really annoying though. Their first proper kiss was a bit of a disappointment as well. It was shown from a really faraway camera angle and cut away too fast.

Read More

Uneven quality but still interesting

It's really cool to see a story that utilizes Thai mythology, the action scenes are well done, the visual effects look good, the leads playing Phaya and Tharn are good, and the supporting role Yai is effective at both comic relief and serious scenes when needed. The Yai hand heart scene with him accidentally interrupting the two diver's conversation is the most hilarious scene of the series.

The pacing of the scenes are a bit slow and the writing introduces a lot of story beats but they disappear abruptly or is explained as something that happened off screen, like whole Montree storyline, Mayris disappears, Chart never getting mentioned after he ended up in the hospital after blowing his cover trying to help them, and the worst instance is the ending where instead of seeing Tharn and Chalothon's discussion, it's just quickly explained away by a Tharn who suddenly reappears. We don't get to see him reuniting with everyone else who has been looking for him and how the conversation went for the whole IDF to be on board with Tharn is missing because of being taken by supernatural forces. As elite officers, Phaya and Tharn aren't very professional a lot of the times. Phaya is also the worst at explaining why he finds someone shady, which is a crucial ability in his line of work. He was also cognizant when drunk Tharn mentioned the amulet, but he just totally forgets about it by the time he goes to the temple. Then there is an epilogue that seemed to be setting up for a 2nd season, but is actually for a special episode for a paywall live in person event.

I appreciate the ambition of the show. It would have been nice if the script was further polished and there was either more episodes or runtime to flesh out certain story points or shaved some off to film some important missing ones. Overall, it's still worth a one time watch.

Read More

One Step Away from Greatness

The first four or so episodes of this series were so action-packed and engaging that I couldn't believe my eyes. Was I really watching a Thai BL? Would The Sign be a sign of big improvements to come? It had everything that the Thai BL audience is starved for: a setting away from the college campus, a unique story inspired by Buddhist mythology, fated soulmates, and a bottom who is a match for the top in strength and ability.

My excitement fizzled out soon, though. It is not that The Sign became bad after the promising first episodes -- it was still a good series with likable characters, funny humor, and green-flag romance. But it could not meet the high expectations that it set in the beginning. The complex storyline, which consisted of several different threads, lost its way and began to meander, spending time on characters whose connection to the main plot is not clear and leaving plot holes. I believe that stories in which a lot is going on are more interesting to watch, but it seems that in this series, there was too much going on for the scriptwriters to handle. Furthermore, the ending was underwhelming, as the resolution of the main couple's conflict with the villain, which the story had been building up towards since the beginning, was done off-screen, by talking it out with him. This is so out of character for that villain.

Billy and Babe have amazing chemistry, and the whole cast delivered great performances. The production team deserves praise for their attempt to make a series that is different and better than what we usually get. They have succeeded in many ways. The Sign is one step away from greatness -- a step that could have been overcome by a good scriptwriter.

Read More

Perfect at first, tedious to get through by the end

Two episodes in, I was telling my friends this could be my new favorite BL series. It reminded me of Manner of Death a lot, and I loved the mature, serious atmosphere. The dynamic between the two main characters was unpredictable and intriguing, and I liked that they were both portrayed as equals.

Unfortunately, the series lost its identity halfway through when the mythical stuff began to mess with the priorities I thought were set out at the beginning. By the end, I was no longer interested in the romance, the plot or the characters. I hoped this show wouldn't be one of those which has to clearly define which character is a bottom and which is a top, both through physical traits and their past lives, but alas, that's what it was. Honestly, even with the mess this show became and how much of a chore it was to finish it, I would have had a much better time if at least they flipped that dynamic on its head.

Read More

THE SIGNS OF A GOOD BL?

What makes a BL 'good'? This is subjective of course. I can't tell you how to live your life. But I can tell you that you need to watch this series! And why.

1. The story is so unique for the BL world (and that makes me very happy). We are so past the high school/college universtiy student phase! We need something new and substantial with actual plot, depth and relevancy! The story is a mix of mythological reincarnated lovers and thriller with Phaya and Tharn working as detectives of a special unit (theyre cops lol) and i think this adds to the tension because phaya and tharn often are in dangerous situations.
however they do have a lot of unresolved conflicts left that deserve some more explanation.
THE SIGN is unlike any other BL series i've watched and i predict it will become one of those staple BLs in a few years.


[i will admit that though i was ecstatic when watching the finale, it is a fact that it is very rushed and SPOILER!!!

spoiler:
tharn should not just have returned Just Like That with no nothing stakes or consequences of him carrying a Naga soul in a human body.]



2. the acting is just superb! I can't believe that this is one of babe's first series (i think i read somewhere that this is his debut but i'm not sure about that). he did so well as tharn! the ensemble cast was also great, and also had everybody's favourite 2 grandmas ;)
i am kind of sad that the GL storyline was kind of unresolved at the end, but the post credit scene for the finale makes me hopeful that we're getting a season 2 (please please please)
3. the cinematography and production was also great! the cgi, for a tv-series was pretty good and impressed me.
i love when they use different colour lighting :)

all in all, it was a very enjoyable series and im waiting for a season 2

Read More

you definitely SHOULD give it a watch, terrific acting!

HI! to start, i have to say that this show requires more attention. for a show that has a lower budget, it has beyond exceeded my expectations. the pacing of the show was great and i never felt like any episode was lacking anything. compared to other bls with weird pacing and random new information, everything was well connected. here are some points for you!

1. the action was done really well, it wasn’t cringe! surprising honestly… i think the actors were well trained to carry out the role and make it look realistic and good

2. there were so many diff characters with their own unique stories. somehow, the director managed to tie all these subplots back to main plot in a meaningful way. we managed to see the stories of all the side couples and even their dynamics

3. there were so many diff types of genres (?) like romance, reincarnation, karma, thai mythology, family relationships, action, suspense and many more but somehow, it didn’t feel overwhelming and flowed really well

4. the attention to detail was absolutely incredible! from the lighting to the costumes, it was all well done and had many details. i do think the CGI could’ve been better but ykw? it’s a small sacrifice for the incredible story

5. THE ACTING. the two main characters were billy and babe. when i tell you my jaw dropped when i watched their more intense scenes. i NEVER expected billy to be able to act that well. babe’s acting worked so well with billy and you can tell that they have major respect for eo. there were some scenes that felt so real, these scenes could’ve gone so wrong if not for their terrific performance. can i just say, EVEN THE SIDE CHARACTERS HAD TERRIFIC ACTING??? the villain acted so well that i hated his face. there was this guy called Art later on in the drama and his acting blew my mind.

6. chemistry. THEIR CHEMISTRY WAS OVERFLOWING. i can talk about billybabe’s chemistry for HOURS. they had incredible tension before they got together and i could feel it through the screen. when the got tgt, you could see the pure adoration, love, vulnerability and protectiveness they had for/with eo. it was so incredible, i don’t think i’ve seen a bl couple with such good chemistry in such a long time. their raw emotions made their scenes tgt so intense, special and beautiful.

7. lastly, the directing. basically the show was directed by an actor named saint. he has been in a few dramas and i think bcos of that, he was able to direct the show from the perspective of an actor as well as a consumer. the attention to detail was amazing and all the camera angles were really good

OKAY IM DONE YAPPING. i would definitely recommend this show but i have to warn that it is a bit intense at times. i love this show sm, definitely in my top 5. there have been quite a few different opinions here and there but overall, it’s a good watch

(do note that i am rating it based on other thai bls i have watched and i’m not comparing it to korean bls or straight dramas)

Read More

Reinventing Thai mythology for a modern romance

It’s quite hard to pinpoint the genre of this series because it combines so many – historical fantasy, true crime, comedy and BL — and rolls it into one jam packed series.

What I liked about The Sign is that it’s a uniquely Thai production and showcases the potential for Thai soft power.

The show is a real cultural treat as it weaves in the battle between the Naga and Garuda, spinning a rich tale of Thai mythology reimagined for modern times. At the heart of The Sign is a trope that we are not unfamiliar with; a Romeo and Juliet-esque tragedy, the forbidden romance that spans generations.

The Sign hasn’t gotten much publicity but it’s probably one of the more underrated BLs so far this year.

There’s nothing to hate about it. BUT save for the mythological element, which is unique to The Sign, there was also nothing particularly memorable about the storyline.

The story is well-paced but the ending proved to be on the weaker side. The resolution came a little too easily, and was rather abrupt and anticlimactic.

Overall, though, the show is still highly enjoyable because of Billy and Babe’s good onscreen chemistry – one of Billy’s many talents is having chemistry with anyone, even a plastic chair.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2024/04/07/the-sign-2023-bl-review/

Read More

Did I understand everything? No. But even so, The Sign is a BL worth watching

The story stands out for being different: it starts off with a Chicago PD-like vibe — crime, investigation, tension — but soon introduces fantasy elements like supernatural beings and parallel worlds. From that point on, I found myself both confused and intrigued.

One of the series' strongest points is its cinematography. Visually, it's impressive, with high production value. The special effects are a mixed bag — some scenes look great, others are just okay. But let’s be fair: we can’t expect HBO-level effects here. That said, it's definitely a step up from the fantasy creatures in The Untamed.

The main couple has strong chemistry, which helps keep the viewer engaged even when the plot starts to lose focus. The supernatural storyline is unique and creative, but personally, I preferred the more realistic parts of the series. At times, the show becomes repetitive, relying too heavily on flashbacks and plot points that are recycled too often, which makes some episodes feel a bit dull.

In summary, The Sign starts off intriguing and visually compelling, supported by solid production and charming leads. However, the overuse of repetition and a somewhat scattered storyline can detract from the overall experience. Still, the effort and commitment to maintaining a high production quality are evident and commendable.

Read More