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sigh... horrified i spent time on this
I honestly regretted putting in time to complete this series, even though I skipped parts and played this back at x1.25. I think it tried too hard to incorporate suspense, horror (that was mainly manifested in make-up and unnaturally echoey voice effects), star-crossed lovers type romance, introduce thai culture and rural thailand, and do justice to the fans. The base material and dialogues were written like it was ripped off some soap opera in the 90s. Story was predictable (with the exception of final plot twist) and characters were poorly designed...I was hoping for a sassy, resilient, 'fuck-off-death' type protagonist and a hopeless yet restrained type of romance since the character Khem is destined to die and the character Paran should technically be completely resolute in protecting him. Instead we got a Khem who couldn't make up his mind if he was going to fight fate tooth and nail or just let his kharma be and a Paran who didn't give the audience confidence that he was committed to protecting Khem right from the start (think my commitment to finishing this series beat his). The character Khem was jealous, filled with self-pity and just cried a lot. The character Paran flashed a lot of skin (I'm guessing much to his fans' delight) and was full of inconsistency (turning horny all of a sudden like some switch had gone off in his head).
Saving grace? The side story with the second leads (who had more personality) was mildly entertaining and thai culture was interesting for the first part. The choice of music was also decent.
Had high expectations and now I want my time back.
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1“She was young and very beautiful, but pale, like the grey pallor of death.”
Yupp those are goosebumps . A state of the skin caused by cold , fear and excitement . I am glad that they are not making same typical doctor , engineer dramas , they are helping the BL drama industry to show their different sides . I have no words to describe how good this drama is . The actors / actresses are exceptionally handsome / pretty . When I was watching this series , I literally could not imagine anyone in these characters except them , the background music was adding frosting to the cake .Sound is a vital element in creating a successful horror movie or drama . It's not just about the visuals; sounds , music, and the use of silence all play a vital role in building atmosphere, coldness , and fear. And I was surprised to see how professionally they made each scenes , there were literally no boring scenes , at every second , each horror scene literally freaked me out .
And about make up , in this budget , they did a good job , the actors are professional , sometimes I was like ' You guys are acting right ? ' because the way they were giving micro expressions wow wow .
Give this drama a try , I am 100 % sure , you guys will not regret .
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Had hopes but it was crushed
First 2 episodes we good, side couple was heavenly but beside that? Boring, mediocre, main couple was not it, poor acting even. For me they could do so much better with the story but they did not. The actor who played Khemjira, was not it or probably his character was so poorly writen? He was really useless the whole show. He was the main boy who is cursed but beside that? He did nothing just cooked for his crush and be saved all the time by others.Was this review helpful to you?
Great Occult/Horror Story! BL Falls Flat
There are only two reasons to watch this series. One is for the metaplot to the story itself. The horror fantasy theme of it is simply engrossing. As long as that portion was involved, this story was most extraordinarily entertaining. The second reason is for the antagonists; as they far outshined the protagonists. They were more engaging in terms of depth of quintessential personifications, acting, emotional impact, and frankly just the spirit of the story (no pun intended). The story rapt you with its supernatural elements, including magic, mystic incantations, and frequent exorcisms. Since a lot of this is foreign to me as a Westerner, I am enthralled and captivated by the spiritualism of it all. As I stated, the story is very entertaining and its production value and special effects are some of the best I have seen in a Thai series. Because the protagonists for the most part have no real personalities, the series dragged on with mundane storylines only carried on by some fine acting and scenes by the support performers. This whole series frankly would have fallen apart without the eclectic array of antagonists and the plethora of tragedians propping up the dullness in who the protagonists were. Once again, gay relationships are shown as being unserious and are presented as pre-pubescents exercises that never show any real depth to commitment and/or devoid of any desire of physicality to love. Or those acts are too ‘shameful’ even if they are done contextually or innocuously and therefore must be backtracked and made to go down a right (acceptable) path. Or worse than all that, a relationship is presented as to what an idealized version of what a gay couple reside in the Land of Oz, ought to be, devoid of a serious tethering to any reality.Was this review helpful to you?
Wasted Potential
Note: Since this comment is literally a rant-review, I decided to post it here with a couple of editing here and there.You know the drama's doomed when actors only getting cameo roles have more sass and spunk than the main actor whose role is literally the title of the drama.
Could have been great if Khemjira had been written better. For the life of me I just don't understand how could anybody write a character like that. He's BLAND. Period. Except, crying, cooking and waiting to be saved, he does NOTHING, he's got no agency and I'm fed up with him. He's got nothing compelling but the awkward acting doesn't help either. Not gonna go about a rant about giving more experience to actors before casting them as lead since throwing inexperienced actors onto a main role as soon as they start their careers seems to be the norm in the Thai BL industry...
But in this case, give these actors a GOOD role. Because if the character is written terribly, you can imagine how difficult it might be for a seasoned actor to make that character compelling let alone an inexperienced one.
One would expect the romance aspect would save the show... But there's literally no chemistry with his co-lead. The kisses between Khem and Paran are the worst I've seen in YEARS in a Thai BL.
I'm sure some people stuck with the show only for the second couple... And they certainly were better... But I personally scarcely ever care about second couples and this drama is no exception. The second pair do make the drama slightly better... but only slightly.
The pace is also terrible. Slow as fudge. I had to take several breaks watching this. I thought I would binge it... but sadly I wasn't able to due to the terrible pace.
This is a typical example of great ideas with poor execution and bad casting choice. I have not a lot to complain about regarding the whole cast... except for Namping...
OOPS, he's the MAIN CHARACTER.
The Thai lore was fresh and intriguing especially in a BL setting... which is one of the only reasons why I'm gonna rate this show above the passing grade.
The silver lining was the OST. Best one I've heard in a while... Too bad the show didn't do it justice.
Sad for what it could have been.
And I so wanted to like that one...
PS: Learn to tone down your filters Domundi. Sometimes your actors' faces look like they'e AI generated given how smooth their skins appear.
PS2: Well the kisses got better in the NC scene of the last episode but Keng clearly did the heavy work. He really was into it... Too bad his partner wasn't. Either closing his eye or smiling awkwardly... I get it, such scenes are awkward... But I'm not supposed to feel how awkward you feel, I'm supposed to feel you DESIRING your co-star. JESUS. You've got one of the most gorgeous stud almost completely naked in front of you and I couldn't feel even an ounce of desire from Khem. Which made the whole scene really awkward.
And they have another drama already planned together... 😒
Well hopefully Namping gets better... Hopefully...
But I'm gonna be honest... I'm crossing my fingers this ship soon tanks REAL BAD and Keng is paired with somebody better. Or not. He could just act like Peterpan and Pond as free agents. These two had insane chemistry and they're not even an official pair. Given how Keng tried SO HARD to sell this ship during the whole drama, I'm sure he could do wonders with anybody who would at least try a little, unlike his current official onscreen partner.
Suggested rating: 7
Personal rating: 6.5
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So so ...
I’d give it a 6 out of 10, and honestly, I think it’s extremely overrated.Sure, it had a lot of potential, and you can feel it in three, maybe four episodes — but that’s about it.
Oh, and if you’re looking for horror, this drama is not really horror at all, except for maybe two or three scenes.
The episodes are slow and boring.
The actors are good, but that’s not enough to save it.
Honestly, they should have made only seven or eight episodes, because the finale doesn’t live up to the rest.
In short, it had potential, but it wasn’t fully realized.
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Sluggish plot saved by strong world building, production, characterization and my love for the cast.
Let's face it : this series is not without flaws : the main one being its lethargic pace. It felt so slow at times that I am pretty certain that putting the show in speed ×2 would make the dialogs seems to be at regular speed....The scenario is not dense enough for the duration of the drama and the story could have been covered in 8 episodes of 1 hour rather than 12 episodes of 1h10 to 2h. Despite me loving the main cast that I first encountered in DoMunDi Friendship reality show, I couldn't help feeling their acting was also a bit unequal depending on the individuals.Having said that, I LOVED the atmosphere, the world building, the soundtrack. This series has its own color with a real artistic vision. Its esthetics felt very cohesive and the various special effects, costumes and make-up were solid. It is really setting itself apart from other BLs I have seen and felt fresh. The overall story was really interesting even if slow-paced : for once, I felt that redemption when offered was deserved as it was the outcome of well-written ill-fated relationships. The karmic burden, the white and black magic, the previous lifes : it was captivating. The opening generic as well as the soundtrack were work of art in themselves, setting up perfectly the small traditional village and fantasy atmosphere.
The chemistry between the main couple Peem/Khem (played by Keng and Namping) as well as the secondary couple Chan/Jet (played by Tle and FirstOne) was also great, with the secondary couple being my fave of the series. I feel the characters of Charn and Jet were the heart of the drama, they were animated and charming : their bounds really made me swoon so much. I cannot wait to watch Tle and FirstOne as main leads in another work : both their chemistry and acting was super convincing ! Peem and Khem had also some very nice and hot moments but I was less invested in them than in the secondary couple. It is partially due to their characters being more closed off but also unfortunately to some less convincing acting, mainly by Namping. He felt sometimes bland here, which is a bit of shame because I expected more of him from the previous title I saw him in. It might be linked to the role/directing, so I will definitely keep an open mind for his future performances.
I would recommend this to people looking for a dark fantasy BL drama. While slow-paced, it takes the viewer into a well-rounded journey featuring characters with motivations that made sense. The romances were very well-built as well, with a lot of fiery chemistry, angsty slow-burn and butterflies inducing moments.
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It could be much better but..
It took me a while to collect my courage since horror is definitely not my forte, and if you can relate this, then let me tell you that ep 1, 2 & 9 is the only scary part. So, you don't have to worry too much about it.Tbh, horror genre is quite new in BL entertainment, so I might put a lil bit of high hope in this one, and I have to say that I feel a lot of disappointment in this one..
1. There's too much side character storyline that I wish they could prolong. Cutting them short just to fit everything in 12 eps were kinda leaving the audience hanging and confuse. (You can clearly see this at the end when one of the character ask the questions to the other people)
2. The storyline itself.. is too slow. I know that this series is mainly focuses in Ramphueng and Khem but the romance is also a genre of the series and it started to get bloom around ep 7 which is more than half of the series. The ghost itself also rarely appeared in the early eps, and started to get heavy at the end, makes me thinking that you can easily skipped the whole series in half (started on ep 7) and still be able to understand the whole series.
3. The ending of Ramphueng.. killed my mood. I don't know if the others would love that kind of ending but not me. The fact that she have hurt a lot of people during her existence as a ghost, I feel like it should be more than that. This part really makes me wanna drop the series right away, making me rethinking my whole life decision in starting the series.
I know it can be much better as it's basically not about the cast skill or series production, but more towards the plot itself.. Due to their beautiful location and settings choice, the ost is quite pleasant to hear (ofc, casting the singer couple as the 2nd lead) and the acting of Namping is soo good, the way he switched between a few roles, and also Keng, the way he express his emotion, when he cried and feel too much of his emotion.. I must say, both of them just debut but it makes me wondering if it is just a lil white lies?
But still, for me, it's totally not worth to rewatch (unless you want to see the certain scenes), and I wish the company can give another series that's much better than this storyline to the couple. They have so much potential and it's definitely shouldn't be wasted.
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Not really that good, people
Don't kill me, but I'm not on board the whole 'Khemjira best BL of the year'. Yes, the story and the production quality are amazing. But apart from Firstone and all of the extra's, the acting was just so-so. Chemistry of the mc was spotty at best. Keng is clearly a passionate kisser, bit Namping hardly matched that passion.Keng and NP are both acting as introverted characters. That means they need to master the art of micro expressions and voice tone. They do not. Their acting has too little range to keep being interesting.
Firstone as Jett was the only one with emotional range.
There were some parts really too long and boring, while others could have used more depth. Some episodes were thrilling and riveting. Some of them were not. Some plotlines fell flat, like the 'girlfriend from the past' Prim.
I really liked the show, but it's not one of the best BL's of the year. It just above average and that's mostly due to story and originality.
Lastly, an honorable mention for the amazing extra characters. The theatrical performance scene in the field was beautiful and the hordes of ghosts were truly frightening at times.
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boredom
I was really excited to watch this BL, because it's a relatively underexplored theme in BL series, but I thought there were some misguided decisions. The story is extremely boring and dragged out, the acting is really bad, especially Namping's, and what’s the story? The main character is cursed by a spirit from the past, and at first, the master, played by Keng, can’t help for some personal reasons. As a result, the story drags on through incredibly long episodes, over 1 hour each, with very little substance being developed in those episodes. I found it boring, and in every episode, I felt like skipping the video.Was this review helpful to you?
A 10/10 Masterpiece
Khemjira is nothing short of a masterpiece. Every single episode was captivating, drawing me deeper into its haunting yet beautiful world. From the very first scene to the last, I felt completely immersed, unable to look away.The setting was breathtaking, each location chosen with care and filmed with a polished eye. The cinematography was crisp and fresh, never once falling into the overdone or cringey trap that sometimes plagues BL dramas. Instead, it carried an elegance that elevated the story into something truly special.
The plot itself was a revelation. Layered, emotional, and unpredictable, it unfolded like a tragic poem, blending supernatural horror with the tenderness of human love. The flashbacks were perfectly woven in, never forced, always meaningful, giving us the heart-wrenching backstory of the family’s curse. The explanation of why the mother named her son “Khemjira” tied everything together so beautifully with the title, leaving me in awe of the storytelling.
The cast delivered performances that were nothing short of brilliant. Every emotion felt real, every moment of pain or love carried weight. The chemistry between the leads was powerful and believable, and the supporting cast gave depth and soul to the entire narrative.
The ghost effects were surprisingly realistic and heightened the sense of dread without overshadowing the story. The music score, meanwhile, was perfectly matched, haunting, emotional, and often lingering in my mind long after an episode ended.
What makes Khemjira stand apart is its balance: a supernatural tale laced with tragedy and horror, yet still deeply human and emotionally resonant. It never dragged, never lost its rhythm. Every episode was a 10 out of 10 experience, the kind of rare drama that holds your heart hostage until the very end.
This is one of the best BL series I have ever watched. It is powerful, tragic, and breathtaking, a drama that will stay with me for a long, long time.
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So-so
The plot itself is great and fresh, unique.I felt that there was no chemistry between the main couple, and the series focused too much on the ghosts and Khemjira's problems. I wondered if BL was just a small addition to this series?
Honestly, I liked the side couple the most. I had to watch some episodes at an accelerated pace because they dragged on too much.
The music, the plot itself, and the special effects are amazing, but everything else is so-so, and I'm glad I'm done watching.
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