Khemjira

One of the best Thai drama's

Khemjira is truly an amazing drama. A stroy about surviving the revenge of a vengeful ghost. The story is very well executed, everything is well explained so you don't have any questions afterwards. I loved how the last episode was extra long and had about an hour of after story. In most drama's when the main plot is done it's finished, but here you get to see an hour of their lives after, that was sooo good!
I really loved the two young spirits, they brouht so much fun to this drama. This drama was very thrilling, but i also laughed an cried, i love it when a drama gives so many emotions.

The visuals were stunning, and the special effects amazing! So many attention for details. The music was very beautiful.
And i wasn't even mad about the product placements, they were very subtle.

The acting of the entire cast was amazing.
The dynamics and chemistry of both couples was out of this world, and the kisses and bed scene's amazing and beautiful. You knew exactly what they were doing without making it vulgair, it was really beautiful. I love it when they do it that way.

Definatly a must see, you'll be amazed!

Read More

Khemjira takes the “BL” genre to another level

Khemjira é uma das poucas adaptações que não só é bem executada, como consegue elevar o trabalho original para um outro nível. Em uma indústria que muitas vezes falha em aspectos diferentes enquanto produz um BL, Khemjira aparece como um exemplo de como esforço e confiança em um projeto podem construir uma série de alta qualidade. O roteiro de Khemjira é genuinamente impressionante; muitas vezes, BLs se prendem em desenvolver apenas os protagonistas, e mesmo quando existem subtramas, elas dificilmente conseguem ser bem desenvolvidas. Essa série, por outro lado, encontra o equilíbrio perfeito entre seus protagonistas e todas as tramas que os envolvem. Khemjira trabalha com várias histórias diferentes e consegue fazer isso sem negligenciar nenhuma delas, uma habilidade realmente louvável.

Com uma narrativa fluida e uma escrita competente, e mais importante, com o valor que Khemjira dá a seus personagens, é difícil não se sentir encantado por eles. Mas apenas um bom roteiro não se sustenta sem um bom elenco, o que é bom, porque o elenco de Khemjira é impecável em todos os momentos da série. Claro que pessoalmente ainda tenho algumas ressalvas quanto a algumas atuações, mas no plano geral, Khemjira entregou tantas performances marcantes que essas preocupações parecem pequenas. Desde a estreia do Pung até a volta do Keng às telas, é como se você estivesse constantemente descobrindo novos talentos. E não só isso, mas a escolha do elenco se eleva em vários níveis, sejam nas versões das vidas passadas ou na versão jovem dos personagens; de fato, um trabalho bem executado.

Por fim, não poderia deixar de mencionar como Khemjira se comprometeu em mostrar temas além do romance. Trazendo uma série para fora da cidade e indo ao interior da Tailândia para explorar a religião e costumes de um pequeno povoado é sair da curva da melhor forma possível. Uma escolha de ambientação como essa poderia ser perigosa, mas o comprometimento em mostrar com respeito outras partes de uma cultura entregou um trabalho sensível e com grande valor cultural.

De verdade, eu poderia falar horas sobre todos os aspectos de Khemjira que tornam esse BL tão rico, mas acho que a produção se explica sozinha e mostra que existe sim a possibilidade de fazer obras que se estendam além do rótulo "boys love", sem se escorar em narrativas pobres e uso excessivo da sexualização, além de mostrar que existe um público que anseia por obras de boa qualidade.

Read More

Humble, Yet Hauntingly Beautiful.

I came to know about the existence of this series after coming across the pilot episode, which already had amassed a whopping number of views – apparently it was already based on a widely popular novel with a huge number of fans, which sets the bar really high.

9.0 is an overblown score, but this is the best that the company had made in a while. It'll be much closer to 8 or 8.5/10. The 0.5 is for the characters.

Why did I begin this? It aired right after The Next Prince and the timing is convenient enough for me to follow throughout its run.

Well, well… Khemjira is a shocking surprise as it now sits right up there with dramas such as Not Me, Triage, Something in my Room and I Feel You Linger In The Air in my books.

It's also a heavily character driven story.
There is a high chance that one might not be able to connect to the story if the characters haven't caught up with them.
So, if you are looking for a logical, character driven, yet completely heartfelt and emotional drama, this one is for you.

I'll get started.

☆ When boiled down to the bones, Khemjira, to me, is one of those classic tales I’ve heard as a child -- young males in a family are bound to fall victim to a malevolent spirit's curse: none of them would live past the age of 21. And the women are bound to suffer illnesses, passing away before reaching old age.

And Khae knew this better than anyone else. In an attempt to save her son’s life, she names him Khemjira, hoping it would hide his identity as a male child. However, when she falls gravely ill and Khemjira starts to see the unnatural, she seeks help from Grandmaster Sek, who gives him an amulet for his protection.

15 years later, with only a month left till he turns 21, Khem realizes that his protection was failing after narrowly missing fatal blows. He confides in his happy-go-lucky friend Jettana, who decides to take him to his Master, the late Grandmaster Sek’s grandson, Pharan, a seemingly cold, young shaman with whom his fate had crossed in the past.

☆ First and foremost, there are a million ways in which this drama could go wrong - with only four characters permanently on screen, one single mystery and an established backstory, Khemjira could easily be dumbed down as boring and slow.

Is the drama slow at times? Yes.
Is the script powerful? 100%.
Is it a masterpiece? Definitely no.

To me, for a story to be solid, the plot need not have to be convoluted with twists and turns or a gazillion characters to keep one entertained.
I'm used to hearing stories like these when I was a kid, so being able to pull off 12 episodes of it while establishing the past storylines, relationships, friendships and flashbacks all into 50 minutes is no joke.

☆ We basically see Khem and his college friends visit the village for their semester break. Khem has the ulterior motive to get help from Pharan, but Pharan knows that dealing with someone else's karma is not something he should be doing. Jet and his newfound ‘friend’ Charn are invested in saving Khem from his inevitable future, but drawing all this out for 12 episodes takes skill.

(I'm kind of glad that The Next Prince was released first before Khemjira because the contrast in writing is clearly visible. That too, from the same Directors and company. I can imagine the wars that would've been waged had the reverse happened.)

Khemjira proves that flamboyance and thrills are not needed to convey a good story.
The plot has a solid direction that it was heading to. I never once felt that the 12 episodes were a waste even once.

☆ To me, the real heroes are the characters.
They were realistic, relatable and logical. It was one of those times that I've felt that I was going through a journey with them instead of watching them from the sidelines.

No story can be told well without well-fleshed out characters that aren’t air dropped into existence. Or maybe I’m telling this because I know people very similar to these college kids.
I can see people are surprised that this is a Domundi production as everyone seems to keep low expectations; a good script and well fleshed out lovable characters are all that is needed to elevate a drama to greater heights.

Starting off with the seemingly weak Khemjra, the namesake of the drama. I personally know someone who is very similar to him. Although always appearing as a smiling, caring and soft spoken boy, his backstory is extremely dark. He has only a month left to live; his mother had passed away and his father had chosen a life of ordination in hopes of prolonging their son’s life.

There are moments in the drama where his emotions explode, but it’s evident that it is solely not because of his crush on his potential savior.
Namping plays the role to a tee - Khemjira might be outwardly weak, but he was mentally, one of the strongest. And perhaps one of the most empathetic characters I've seen onscreen.

To balance for his soft and slow nature is his best friend, Jet. A sprightly young man with carpe diem as his motto, his shenanigans and fanboy behaviour is one to watch. While he sees romance in everything, Charn, a psychology student, exists to counteract and provide a rational view of matters.
This perfect balance of both supporting characters along with Khem provide a wholesome experience.
Both Jet and Charn were the comedic relief of the rather bleak story and it was absolutely hilarious.
Their friendship is relatable, lively and realistic. It is what makes this drama a worthy watch.
No character is left discarded and no storylines seem unfinished.

There is Pharan. Following his grandfather's footsteps, he takes on the role of the powerful shaman of the village, respected by everyone regardless of their age. But, the struggles he had witnessed on his path towards it has made him cold and aloof. He is initially both amused and enraged by Khem's antics, and while I did feel to whack him at times, he slowly grew on me.
He was the ‘mystery' of the show. And the writers cleverly utilised it, taking the smart route, introducing characters who have already established their position in his life, through which we get to know him little by little via flashbacks at the beginning of each episode.

Honestly, I felt to laugh whenever he appeared with sunglasses on.

☆ And last, but never the least is Rampheung, the villain of the story. Her existence and presence is what makes the drama fall into the ‘horror’ genre. But, the manner in which her tale is revealed, all the while taking sweet time to seep her icy intent into the episodes cast a constant shadow throughout it. This is where the scriptwriter won.
She is not evil for the sake of it — her backstory, empathy, grief and rage all had explanations. I couldn't truly hate her. Green, the actress kicked the ball out of the park with her performance.

Every single one of the cast members were perfect for the role. I can't find a single thing to complain about.


☆ Relationships:

The very backbone of this series. The one that I find memorable is Khem's relationship with his parents. Although it's a very sad one, and easily overlooked, it was done with care and thought – we begin the tale with them. And it's only fair that we end it with them.
Khem was in constant touch with his family all through the series. His parents’ conversation in EP2 was touching, yet shed light on the fact of how tragic Khem's life truly was.
Master (Pharan) and his relationship with his mother in particular influenced his actions and decisions till the very end.

The next are the ‘ships’.
Or rather romantic relationships. Though, I did not expect it to have too many intense moments, considering how dark the atmosphere was, the writers and characters surprised me.

I don't board any ship, but oh boy, the writers knew what they were scrawling because the development of each one of them was convincing and realistic.

Initially, Khem is enamoured by Master's good looks and admits that he simply has a crush on him; it takes him one month to break down his icy barriers. Master is initially surprised and amused by Khem's acts of service to get on his good side, but as he realizes that beyond their past lives and the curse, he was a genuinely good soul, he begins to grudgingly admit that he was fighting a losing battle.
It was slow burn at it's finest, yet hit all the marks without being cheesy.

The relationship between Master, the villagers and Yai Si were some of the other golden treasures of this show.

Jet and Charn were the abrupt couple, but never once did I feel that they were out of character. The progress of their relationship was well balanced and emotional, may it be as Jin and Da or Jet and Charn.

☆ The friendship between Jet and Khem is noteworthy because it's ultimately the one which led Khemjira to meet Master. This theme of friendship and found family persists throughout the entire series, never losing focus.
Then there is Khachen. I don't fan girl over actors, but I cheered when Net came on screen because I felt sorry for him as Prince Calvin.

☆ The overall production is rather subdued without flamboyance. Maybe because the entire production is more on the spiritual side of matters? But, it fits well with the theme.

☆ OST:
Mantra sung by Keng Harit in one of the most beautiful melodious songs I've ever heard in my life. I don't even listen to melodies or slow songs, and this one managed to impress me. (The last one that caught my attention was I Trust You by Daou Pittaya for The Next Prince.)

As for the opening… honestly, I skip it all the time because everything reminds me of going to a temple. Heck, the sound of the conch is the first thing I used to hear when I used to wake up at 5 in the morning.

☆ Another cold prickly I felt was that we didn't get to see Master's side of his feelings for Khem. The plot took over most of the screen time and we got to see only Khem's slow and inevitable fall. Master had a lot going on aside from the romance aspect and I personally felt that providing a couple of minutes for it would've been fine. It felt abrupt; some of the scenes.
I'm not complaining, though. It also might be because his character is restrained.
Another thing? The plot does get intermixed and sort of loses focus around EP4 or EP5. The romance aspect will inevitably appear bland if conveyed this way on paper, but the performances filled in the gaps. Or atleast attempted to.

☆ [I might be a bit biased in my rating as I watched this during certain turbulent times. And after the Next Prince, this one is leaps and bounds above it.]
Some random stuff that I'm writing down just to remember this drama by: The first thing that came to my mind while I watched EP1 was how my mother would never be able to watch Khemjira.

She grew up frequenting and studying in temples, enjoying temple fairs and used to speak about how she had witnessed possessions in real time to the point that it scared and disturbed even at the slightest mention of the unnatural. She also used to say how parents used to ask kids to not visit homes where young mothers or children had passed away. Seeing Master exorcising a lady in EP1 reminded me of that.


And as someone who is currently living in a location steeped in ancient rituals and beliefs, this drama speaks to me.
We literally have festivals where people draw designs, fast for days and summon deities.
Even Rampheung's story is similar to ancient legends that I heard when I was a kid. No ghost is simply malevolent in many of those stories.

Another thing? There are wild hogs where I live, so most of us are asked to watch out for hogs all the time, too. I found that scene with Jet and Charn funny because of this and it also brought a touch of nostalgia.

☆ I also wonder how good the actual novel was. I suspect that the original story was quite solid or maybe the scriptwriters were talented and had a vision in mind.
Domundi series often begin strong, then fall to aimless wandering plotlines and the only one that I truly liked was Your Sky as it delivered exactly what it was advertised as.
This series set the bar high for DMD stories in general.
Now, my attention is on Love Upon A Time, as it too, is adapted from a novel. Though, I'll keep my hopes low.

I feel like I'm bidding farewell to a friend, which this drama truly had been to me since August. It made the dark times brighter and brought about a strange sense of nostalgia, happiness and sheer joy. It was well written, acted and I applaud each and everyone behind the scenes for creating this.

I, for one, am definitely sure that Khemjira will indeed survive, for a long time in my memory.

Read More

This series is a total masterpiece. “Khemjira” is easily one of the best and most recommended BL series I’ve ever watched.

The cast selection, the acting, the emotions everything is just perfect. Every episode ends with a twist, a question, or a shock that keeps you wanting more. The storyline is deep, emotional, and beautifully written, leading to an incredibly happy and satisfying ending.

From the sad scenes to the funny and even the intimate moments, every part feels real and well done. The direction is top-notch, and you can tell how much love and care went into making this.I honestly wish I could watch it for the first time again. It’s one of those dramas that stays in your heart forever. 💜

Read More

Beautiful storytelling

I loved this show so much, I’m sad to see it end. However the ending was beautiful and wrapped up the story in a beautiful way. I haven’t enjoyed a show like this in a while, from the storyline to the acting, it was a 10/10 for me on many levels. Both the main and the second couple had me smiling from ear to ear and the connections from their past lives to now was a beautiful way to show that their love is bound together. The actors did a great job at portraying the story in such a captivating way and because of that this show will always have a special place in my heart.

Read More

get ready to feel!!

honestly such an amazing show from start to finish. it's an all rounder show and I would absolutely recommend!! the casting was immaculate, the osts throughout the show added to emotion, the storyline was easy to follow throughout. all emotions from each character were portrayed so well. the ending was absolutely satisfying. definitely a rollercoaster ride of emotions, but they're absolutely worth it in the end! trust, you won't be disappointed <3 kengnamping & tlefirstone, thank you and the rest of the cast for your amazing work. thank you for providing comfort and a safe space on Saturdays!

Read More

I did not like so much

Best BL of the century, of the world, of all time, of the year? Not for me.

This BL is so slow that directors like Darren Aronofsky or Terrence Malick would be jealous.

The development of the romance is so slow and boring that it's more stagnant than a mere slow burn. Some people will say that wasn't the focus... fine, but the backstory is equally tedious, with the ghost woman who haunts the title character... there came a point where I wanted her to just take him already. At first, the shaman doesn't want to help him, so we see several episodes dragging on with nothing really happening, like that meme of hay rolling in the desert and the viewer watching... The two main actors perform as poorly as the others from the same company, but here we have a problem: Namping acts in such a disappointing and lukewarm way, while Keng .He seems like the passionate one of the pair. besides, it doesn't even seem like Khem is going to die at any moment... The positive points are that we see the money invested in the series, but the story itself is a bunch of boring nothingness.

Read More

DON'T WANNA SAY GOODBYE

I don’t have a lot to say about Khemjira and that’s a good sign.First,i want to thank Cali for trusting the agency with his work.The novel is beautiful.Thank you to the agency for the great casting and to the whole technical team for doing an amazing job.Every OST is stunning.Every actor truly put their heart into the project and i’m really grateful for that.This series reminded me so much of my own culture and especially my grandmother throughout the episodes(she’s basically Grandma Si and Pharan combined) the chanting,rituals,curses,spirits,healers,karmic debt «I FELT AT HOME» the only difference was the language.Since it touched me personally,maybe my opinion is a bit biased.But i really think everyone should give Khemjira a chance,it deserves recognition and you might form your own opinion too.

Read More

They (mostly) stuck the landing!

Khemjira just wrapped up its final episode yesterday, and honestly, I think it’s one of the best shows Domundi has put out. Unlike many of their previous productions, Khemjira stands out for its strong writing and clear storytelling focus. Instead of trying to cater to fan service or BL shippers, the show prioritizes its narrative and characters—and that makes all the difference. It doesn’t feel like a “typical” BL show; it feels like a show that knew exactly what it wanted to say and how to get there.

I don’t want to make this about comparing it to The Next Prince, even though they share the same director, but the contrast is undeniable. The Next Prince felt grand and polished, but its main characters were too flawless to be interesting. Khemjira, on the other hand, invests deeply in its characters and story rather than surface-level aesthetics. That’s the key to what makes it so good—it’s grounded, emotionally resonant, and character-driven. It's not perfect. There are some flaws here and there with the pacing, but it's very impressive nonetheless.

It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure is mine. The OST for this show is also stunning, and the cinematography was as beautiful as always. Mandee knows how to make beautiful-looking shows.

If I had to nitpick, I’d say the ending dragged a little and the tone shifted from the rest of the series. I wish it had been shorter, so we could really focus on the aftermath of everything that happened. The climax also felt slightly anticlimactic; I was hoping for a bigger payoff. Especially since the build-up was really good. Still, it did justice to Ramphueng's arc. I really appreciate that the show didn’t go for an easy redemption or simple forgiveness for her. Instead, it acknowledged her pain and grief without erasing her wrongs.

Overall, Khemjira is a refreshing change of pace—a show that proves good storytelling will always outshine fan pandering and flashy production.

Read More

"BOUND BY FATE, KEPT BY LOVE, STRENGTHENED BY NEVER GIVING UP."

STORY - 10/10
The story of Khemjira is rich in Thai culture, tradition, and folklore. I even learned a couple of new interesting things by doing some quick research while watching and stumbling upon some terms I was not familiar with.
It's the first time that I like the side couple just as much as the main one. I loved all the characters and think that the story is at its best when it focuses on the main cast. But I found the side "adventures" also quite interesting and entertaining.
The story has a quite slow pace in the sense that dialogue is spoken in a very intentional, slow manner, where the actors have time to breathe a couple of times before speaking their next line. I didn't mind this very much, but it resulted in quite long episodes, with two of them being 2h long. I don't really know what you could've made shorter or cut out without reducing the overall quality of the story. Thus, I think that I'm just not used to series that are this long yet XD.
"Khemjira" has many intense emotional moments, many of which made me cry. I think the story is a masterpiece with a perfect ending. YOU absolutely need to watch it sometime if you haven't already!

ACTING/CAST - 10/10
Keng Harit (= Master/Peem) is gorgeous and extremely talented. He and everyone else sings in the OST of the show, which is amazing. Namping (= Khem) is very adorable and gives off major teddy-bear vibes. Both of them did an exceptional job at portraying the relationships and chemistry of their characters. I really hope that they end up acting in more dramas together!
Tle (= Charn) and Firstone (= Jet) were also very cute together and also made me laugh a lot.
The special effects are pretty good too.

MUSIC - 10/10
PLEASE just listen to this: https://youtu.be/F5yXpItDZVo?si=R7xzksCDuRDLpuEY

"If there were a magic spell that would make you never disappear
I would cast that spell so I could have you by my side
I'd give up everything if it would keep you from leaving

Even if there is no spell, I will use my whole heart
Use all of myself, my entire life, just to hold you in my embrace
If fate has a heart, don't take you away from me.
I cannot lose you, please don't leave me"
(translated lyrics of "Mantra" by Keng Harit)

The soundtrack is absolutely exceptional! And it's amazing that most of it is sung by the actual actors. I really recommend watching all the MVs after finishing the series (because some of them contain spoilers). I also loved all the variations of the main themes in the soundtrack. Furthermore, I loved everything about it and liked that they even had some tracks inspired by traditional Thai music in it.

REWATCH VALUE - 10/10
On a rewatch I will probably see everything in a bit of a new light now that I know all the story and the context of the characters. Maybe I'll even notice some new details of foreshadowing. Other than that, it's absolutely worth a rewatch, because the series is great!

P.S.:
Watch this after you're finished with the series. "BL Crack" pokes fun at some moments of the series and is really entertaining: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n59VDlCOFcU

Read More