Sunset x Vibes

Great Acting, Beautiful Production, but Do the Visions Add Value?

Sunset x Vibes brings together a solid cast, impressive production quality, and strong acting, making it an engaging watch. The visuals are stunning, and the direction complements the story well, bringing out the chemistry and tension among the characters. The cast's performance deserves special mention, as each actor brings depth to their roles, making their characters believable and emotionally resonant. There’s a natural ease between the leads, and they carry their characters’ personalities with a charm that’s hard to ignore.

However, while the acting and production are high points, the storyline takes an unexpected turn with the main lead’s visions, which didn’t entirely work for me. The visions appear to add a supernatural element to the story, and though they aim to add mystery or depth, I found them somewhat distracting. These scenes felt like they veered away from the core narrative and diluted the story's impact, shifting focus from the character-driven plot that initially hooked me.

Had the visions been more integrated into the storyline, or had their purpose been clearer, they might have added something more compelling. Instead, they left me somewhat disconnected, as they didn’t seem to align with the grounded, emotional tone that the rest of the series had established. It felt like the show was unsure whether to embrace a supernatural twist or remain rooted in the present reality of the characters’ lives.

Despite this, Sunset x Vibes still has plenty to offer, especially for viewers who enjoy character-focused stories with strong performances. The chemistry, production quality, and the authenticity of the cast make it worth watching, even if the supernatural visions didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

Read More

Watch to make up your own mind without reading bad reviews!

I definitely believe Sunset x Vibes is one of those BLs which is often rated lower than it should be. And I never tend to follow the reviews or ratings, I like to find out if it’s good or bad myself. I really enjoyed this drama, but yes a few times I did get confused, especially with the dreams that Salin was having, I didn’t quite understand them at first until the end, and I’m not sure I fully did understand them. But it did make me want to see Mos as a merman in a drama in the future!! The chemistry between the two is definitely fully alive! Sunset x Vibes was actually my first MosBank BL, even before Big Dragon which I did go and watch straight afterwards but honestly… out of the two I preferred Sunset x Vibes.

The settings and the visuals were beautiful, and some of the steamy scenes were very… very… steamy indeed. I also loved how they played Dancing With The Devil in a later episode! I liked the second couple too (Pete and Tenon) and I hope they can have their own drama later too. I’m definitely looking forward to watching more BLs with MosBank. I just hope the next one they have, the story makes a little more sense and it can get the review ratings they deserve!

Read More

Judge by your own successes and errors

The Thai actor Mos Panuwat Sopradit in his acting debut and the Thai-American singer ISBANKY (Bank Mondop Heamtan), in his first leading role, gave us in 2022 a series that from its premise raised a question: Can love be born from hate?
To answer this question, in this romantic comedy-drama with an LGBTIQ+ theme, its creators, the director and screenwriter Puwadon Naosopa and the writer Boy Mitpracha Outtaros, tell a story whose narrative arc describes how the protagonists begin as declared enemies or adversaries, only to discover gradually a deeper connection that transcends the initial animosity.
Taking a common pretext in romantic films and series in which the initial enmity between the protagonists leads them to an enviable love story, 'Big Dragon' presents us with Mangkorn (Mos) and Yai (ISBANKY), two young people who appear to be opposite poles and end up attracted by a chemistry produced throughout the series.
What began as a natural dislike between the two little by little leads to romance, which is complicated because, first of all, because the series is set in a society in which even today, in the 21st century, it is illegal to marriage between people of the same sex or in which members of the LGBTIQ+ community are equally discriminated against due to the impossibility of starting a family, adopting a child or changing their name and new identity after undergoing sex change, and other injustices that are not suffered by the heterosexual people.
In this context, which we cannot ignore, Mangkorn and Yai live, separately and in different ways, the process of accepting homosexuality, denying that they like a person of the same sex, stating that what happened between them was motivated by alcohol and drugs, asking friends for guidance, looking for women as a way to confirm heterosexuality, or even getting into fist fights.
On the other hand, Mangkorn's father pressures his son to marry his friend's daughter, and Yai suffers family pressure with a dead mother and an absent father for work reasons and now in a new love relationship to which the protagonist objects.
Despite social pressures, jealousy, the presence of a new love interest who will try to come between the two, the need to separate due to student issues, Mangkorn and Yai will reach a happy port after starting a journey that will lead them to experience a true individual transformation after falling in love.
I first saw 'Big Dragon' and was interested to see what else Puwadon Naosopa had done or would do in the future. That was a highly produced, incredible, but ultimately conventional series. However, his muse about things was a curious thread that persisted.
In 2023, Mos and Bank starred in one of the 'Y Journey (Stay Like A Local') stories, specifically episode 5, titled 'Let's Say a Lover', in which they represent one of the six young couples that lead the viewer on a trip to various tourist attractions in the eastern region of Thailand.
Both would also act in 'Club Friday Season 15: Moments & Memories', but with Bank as a supporting actor.
Surely someone is wondering if I am reviewing the 'Big Dragon' series here or remembering the filmography of these actors. And no, those are not my goals.
My purpose is to introduce the interested reader to 'SunsetxVibes', a series that brings us back to the MosBank ship in a romantic comedy-drama that shines with its own light in the BL universe like the name of the company where the protagonists work.
On this occasion, Puwadon Naosopa, who wrote the script and directed the actors in 'Big Dragon', convened a team of writers, composed of, in addition to himself, his colleague Somchai Tidsanawoot, known for writing 'Lovely Writer', 'Hidden Agenda', 'I Feel You Linger in the Air', and newcomers Nunt Thongngamkham and Baifern Ataya Sawatdee, to adapt the web novel "Sunsetxvibes", by Rosesarin, and place, in the competitive business world, this suggestive variation of the theme of two young people who meet by chance one night and the next day discover that one of them, Sun (Mos), is the newly appointed director of a large fine jewelry company, and the other, Salin (Bank) is his new employee.
'Sunset x Vibes' is a romance somewhere between comedy and drama. The first thing we know about Salin is the strange and recurring dream he has about a mysterious man dressed in traditional Thai clothes. This aspect, although it seems that it will be important in the series, in the first chapters they deal with it in broad strokes, since the series focuses much more on her relationship with the boy with whom she is flirting through a dating app, who does not It is another who is the owner of the company in which he has started his internship.
The acting traits that many MDL users have criticized here are actually the same aspects that make the two actors fit their roles.
However, despite its powerful cast, made up of renowned actors and actresses, the undeniable chemistry between the protagonists, the beautiful cinematography, its contemporary style, the brilliant visual effects, its majestic soundtrack, the clarity with which the story is conceived on paper, the pulse with which the direction guides her through the setting, and the way Mos and Bank defend her, as well as the beautiful love story that Yotha (Pete Wacharanon Seeduan), the friend of Salin, and Sam (Tenon Teachapat Pinrat), Sun's younger brother, both interns at the company, the series, like its predecessors, does not enjoy the approval of the public, and I fear that the cause does not exactly have to do with the audiovisual product , but with the "trauma" that 'Big Dragon' left in many BL fans, as many of the MDL users recognize.
For their part, the couple formed by Chan (Fong Bovorn Kongnawdee) and Juldis (JJ Rathasat Butwong) provide us with fun antics to relieve tension. Maybe there is another couple, lesbian in that case.
Someone could tell me that the problem lies in the fact that they do not accept that one of the protagonists hides their identity from the other (since both boys have been knowing each other through chat for six months, but they have never seen each other), but, although the series should generate a conflict to be resolved with a consequent personal growth, in my view, the problem does not come from there, since the low ratings are observed from episode 1 itself, when the young people had not yet met personally. In other words, no one could know what would happen between them. The comments make it clear.
They have not given the series the benefit of the doubt and without thinking they have sent it to the slaughterhouse for reminding them of the disappointment that some had with 'Big Dragon', I think for not understanding its objectives.
I believe it is time to grow as we demand of our narrative heroes. It is not logical, fair or ethical to judge an audiovisual product because it reminds us of a frustration.
The series tells an explosive, mature, healthy romance. I identify with the feelings and emotions of the characters.
The romantic plot that entertains and at the same time invites debate and reflection is irresistible. 'SunsetxVibes' has captivated me for the warm atmospheres created with which the audience can identify and for making us empathize with the story, allowing us to see ourselves reflected in the protagonists.
The charisma, tenderness, attractiveness of its protagonists and its irresistible romantic plot make ''SunsetxVibes'' a charming love series made for BL fans. It doesn't break much of the mold in terms of its structure, but its characters and conflicts are unique enough to avoid falling into stereotypes.
The drama brings a full love story, without red flags, and makes the most of the proposed premise, the intellectual potential and good intentions of the team behind the camera, the cinematographic resources available to the creators and the undeniable artistic abilities of the cast.
'SunsetxVibes' surprises us with intrigue and satisfies the expectations of the most demanding audience, by allowing us to believe that love can change the course of a story, a relationship, even the universe, and allowing us to feel that magic and passion can exist even if it is in television series.
It has some sound problems that are sometimes obvious but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the series.
The story is told concisely, never strays from its focus, and is tightly edited. I've watched each episode several times and I didn't get bored at all. All in all, a better than average entry in the world of Thai BL series.
I, for the moment, say my YES for 'SunsetxVibes' and I hope, as on other occasions, that MDL allows me to return to this review to update it.

Read More

BadxVibes

Star Hunter Entertainment needs to quit making TV shows because everything they put out is mediocre at best.

Let's start with the story. The whole mythology/past lives aspect was very clunky and I think the show suffered as a result. I think the boss/intern dynamic was navigated pretty well in Salin and Sun's storyline so I wish they'd stuck to that instead.

The side couples were annoying at first and weren't adding much to the story, it felt like they had too many plates spinning. However, once their stories finally got going, they ended up being one of the better aspects of the show.

The acting was nothing to write home about, no one really impressed me or gave a memorable performance - although they weren't given much to work with in terms of the script.

The only standout in this show was the NC scenes - you can really feel MosBank's chemistry and trust in each other, and they were beautifully shot. Having said that, towards the end of the show these scenes started to feel gratuitous and didn't develop the characters any further.

If I had been binging this show instead of watching it as it aired I definitely wouldn't have made it to the end. Nothing in the show is especially terrible, but all the elements are so half baked that it feels draining to watch.

Read More

Just…ugh. The first couple episodes, I thought the reviews were exaggerating and it wasn’t that bad. But it just kept deteriorating. By the end I was watching at 3.5x speed, I was so bored.

To be honest, there’s nothing egregiously wrong about this. A lot of the time, when I dislike a show, it’s because of toxic relationship dynamics, consent issues, or other outright events in the show that piss me off. That’s not the case here. The couple is relatively green flag, and nothing bad really happens in the show.

But that’s the problem. Literally nothing happens in the show. There were two overarching plot lines - someone stealing designs and embezzling from the company, and the past life dreams. Both were so lackluster and anticlimactic that they felt like side plots and not the overall storyline. Both storylines drag for too long and resolve too easily. I think if they had played into the secret relationship aspect of things and had actual consequences for being together, that would have been a much more interesting storyline.

The dream storyline was just worthless. First of all, it didn’t even make sense. This woman (Lin) loved a man (Sun) who loved her sister, but the sister loved someone else and ended her engagement with Past-Sun. Past-Lin tries to kill her sister’s lover (for reasons?) and ends up killing her instead, so Past-Sun rips off the necklace she gifted him and locks her up in a cave. It ends when Present-Lin gifts a replica of the necklace to Past-Sun, therefore freeing Past-Lin and everyone lives happily ever after. Except why would Past-Sun want to free the woman that killed the woman he loved? Why did he forgive her so easily? And Past-Lin says that she and Past-Sun are destined to be together in the next life when she’s freed, so she clearly learned nothing. And none of that storyline paralleled the present storyline whatsoever. So what was the relevance? It would have been better if they just cut it altogether and stuck with the office rom-com concept.

Also, the CRINGE. I cannot tell you how many times I had to pause and just do something else because I couldn’t bear to watch. Khun Dad, for one. I find the term “daddy” gross enough, let alone straight up “dad”. The poses, the dialogue, the interactions…just everything was so goddamn cringy and also unbearably awkward. The pose Sun does when Lin opens the hotel door, the one-sided foot massage on the first date, their first kiss attempt, the dancing…please kill me. Like even in the special episode when they’re supposed to be effectively married, they were still awkward with each other. If it wasn’t for the cringe and awkwardness, this would have been so much more bearable.

Lin’s outfits were tragic. I have never seen more ugly clothing in my life. His high heels were particularly awful. His shirts and pants were ill fitting and his make up was so strong that I just kept wondering why his lips were so pink. The sparkly date outfit in episode 1 was a real choice. It was giving 14 year old on first date that picked something sparkly from the department store clearance rack. Also, it was a jewelry company but every single piece of jewelry was ugly as hell.

And the nepotism and rich-people-privileges were outrageous. Sun just gets handed the entire company when he wasn’t even working there before. His brother was secretly working as an intern, but when he’s discovered, he suddenly gets to take charge of the entire department. Sun was constantly throwing his money around — dates and trips and gifts that frankly would have made me feel bought and not wooed. Sun gets son-of-owner privileges because he can up and disappear for a week with no consequences, and Lin gets so much boyfriend-of-president special treatment that it’s actually ludicrous. He skips so much work to go out with Sun (basically unlimited PTO), his designs are obviously preferred, he’s guaranteed a job after graduation, he gets selected for work opportunities like work trips, and he gets to turn said work trips into romantic getaways.

There were plenty of stupid things as well. Like Lin saying he was never upset about Sun lying and just wanted to get back at him. Or Sun agreeing to be someone’s fake fiancé but not bothering to explain to Lin in advance. Or in the special episode, where they’re suddenly concerned about costs of clothing and accommodations when they’ve been throwing money around with no concern the whole time. The special episode in general was unnecessary. The finale already felt like a long, extended epilogue. We didn’t need another one.

I also felt that this show was heteronormative. I’m careful when using that term, because it is completely valid for a gay couple to have one masculine individual and one effeminate individual. That happens all the time in real life and isn’t inherently heteronormative. But the issue is when it’s depicted in a stereotypical, shallow way in a fictional series. You’ve got the masculine top that pursues and takes the lead and pays for everything, and the feminine virginal bottom that never returns the favor. Their outfits are very masculine / feminine accordingly. Lin initiates physical affection exactly once, in the finale, and he also takes the lead exactly once, in the finale. But Sun takes back control after like, 10 seconds, so did it really count? And it turns out that Lin is rich as well, and while he offers to split the bill once, Sun pays for basically everything. Why, if Lin is also rich? In the special episode, Sun doesn’t have a shirt and Lin is wearing 2 layers. He could have easily given his over shirt to Sun, but it’s Sun’s job to take care of him and not vice versa, and so he doesn’t. All of those things I could maybe excuse as cliched, bad BL tropes, though. The real clincher for me was when in the special episode, Sun looks at and rubs Lin’s stomach when they’re talking about having kids, as if 1) he can get pregnant and 2) he would be the one to get pregnant just because he’s the effeminate one / the bottom.

Also, it started off so overly chaste and ended so overly explicit. I mean, Lin was so extremely virginal. It’s said that Sun is around 30 and Lin is 8-9 years younger, but what 21-22 year old acts that overly innocent? Him puffing up his cheeks when trying to kiss for the first time, what even was that? He shies away from even hugs, let alone kisses. When they make it official, they do a forehead kiss instead of a real kiss. AT 30 YEARS OLD. They exchange couple rings before they’ve even kissed, and Lin gets shy after they do kiss. By episode 5, they’ve basically exchanged one peck and a few hugs and that’s it. But then it goes from hugs and cheek / forehead kisses and one solitary peck to a full on NC scene, no middle ground or build up in between. Then in the finale, we get a stimulated in-pants hand job, and in the special episode, we see crotch groping, nipple touching, and visible tongue kissing. The switch up was insane. I didn’t even feel like the NC scenes were particularly good. While both were both active participants, even if Sun took the lead, they felt overall mechanical, and just contributed to the overall awkward vibe that the couple had.

In terms of boundaries / consent, this was relatively green flag, especially considering it was a boss / employee situation. There were many instances of asking for verbal consent, even including hugs and kisses, and of taking no for an answer. When Lin says he’s uncomfortable, Sun respects it, apologizes, and backs off.

But that’s not to say there weren’t still issues though. On their first date, Sun spies on Lin taking a bath. They make it out to seem like Sun’s a good guy for moving on relatively quickly, as if it was acceptable for him to have been watching at all. There was also one scene where Sun takes off his shirt and kisses Lin’s knee while he’s on a call. Given their dynamic at the time, where Lin was uncomfortable with even hugs, I’d say Lin was probably uncomfortable. And afterward, even though Lin verbally consents to a hug, he seems uncomfortable anyways and keeps pulling away / trying to escape.

The boss / employee dynamic didn’t really bother me because they met before working together and Sun immediately told Lin to talk to him normally and act normal around him. So the power dynamic was instantly dissolved. When Lin’s mad at Sun for hiding his identity as the company’s president, Sun does chase after Lin, but he’s not super aggressive about it. Realistically, it’s sexual harassment because Lin indicated disinterest and Sun persisted despite the inherent power dynamic, but in relation to other BLs, at least he wasn’t forcing the issue to the point that Lin wasn’t able to say no. But that being said, he does manipulatively arrange a trip to Hong Kong with just him and Lin when Lin is still upset and seemingly disinterested, and Lin didn’t have a choice in the matter. So maybe that negates the whole “was able to say no” thing I just said.

The second couple (Sam / Yo) was more questionable. Sam follows Yo home, says he’ll tell everyone about Yo’s mom if he doesn’t give him something and then says the something he wants is Yo, outs their relationship without Yo’s consent, and is pushy about their first kiss.

Also, Lin’s friends spy on Chan / Juldis, non-consensually record them making out, and use it to blackmail them. First to get a ride, and then to prevent them from spilling about Sun / Lin’s relationship. Juldis was meant to be an asshole and comedic relief, but I actually thought their relationship was the sweetest out of all the couples, even though they were the fourth couple and barely got any screen time. I liked that Juldis was an ass to everyone but was so sweet to Chan, and their relationship dynamics were the healthiest and most consensual.

Read More

What is going on (slight spoilers but not really)

Plot is so confusing. As others said, it starts of as office romance, they work at jewellery design company. Then every 3 episodes, main character has something strange/ supernatural happen and then its completely glazed over and they never mention it again. Then it goes back to office comedy. Its not connected at all.
Office people are super annoying, especially girl best friend. They're basically stalking the main guy at this point. They need to know everything about his life and if he doesnt tell them they get angry and sulky.

Also, their nicknames??? Ppl talk sh*t about pit babe mama and papa (which i like, its cute lol) but why is the main guy calling his boyfriend dad??? Not even daddy?? (Maybe its daddy with a different sub?) Even daddy is yuck because one episode prior he was even too shy to kiss and now he wants to call him daddy?? And apparently they did IT (off the screen) when 10 minutes earlier he couldnt even kiss.

I'll push through the end because i mostly leave it as background noise at this point.
The only saving grace is the 2 main actors which i like. They were in Big Dragon as well, another horrible show i couldnt finish watching. They deserve better script, they're good

Read More

1 fois mais pas plus

j'ai aimé ce bl mais sans plus ce n'es pas le bl de l'année c'est sur j'aime beaucoup le couple principal que j'avais déjà vue dans Big dragon et leurs alchimie est vraiment magnifique je ne sais pas si ils sont en couple dans la vraie vie mais on voit bien leurs complicité pourquoi j'ai mis que 7 car malheureusement l'histoire a été mal développé que ce sois le côté fantastique que le côté thriller c'est ce qui m'a dérangé âpre ils ont tous misé sur les couple et les scènes...... mais quand on regarde un bl on ne le regarde pas que pour ça du coup je suis une peut déçue et je reste sur ma fin

Read More

One of my fav bls this year

This bl was really nice.
It was a comfy one and also Mosbank did such a great Job!
They were so cute together.
At the beginning I didn’t like some of the roles,but later I got to know them better and almost everybody in this Series was a Cutie actually.
Like ZeeNunew are still my absolutely favs,but I like Mosbank too.
I really do,so I think now they are also one of my favs.
I liked the Story,but some parts of it confused me..(For example not everybody understands the Naga thing and have then you have questions sometimes..)
But it was interesting to watch!
The music was nice too and suited the scenes.
I don‘t really get why so many people didn‘t like it actually,it kinda gave me the vibe of ,,The Sign‘‘ and I Iiked that.
I would watch it again and I‘m glad I watched before 2024 ends:)

Read More