Shine (Orchestric Ver.) (2025)

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After watching the recent chapters I’ve gotta to admit this bl show does a lot of things incredibly well.
My favorite episodes being 6 and 7



Review of ep 1-5

Unpopular opinion: I don’t think Shine is the masterpiece people hype it up to be. To me, it felt like fan-service dressed up as a serious political/romance thriller.

Main couple (Trin & Tanwa — MileApo):
They didn’t work for me. Tanwa comes off as childish, so it’s hard to take him seriously; I honestly don’t get why Trin is into him. Victor made far more sense to me.

Second couple (the colonel & the journalist): Naran, Krailert

They’re the reason I kept watching. The chemistry is insane; their scenes are 🔥🥵 and genuinely compelling. That said, even with them, the writing undercuts realism, like flirting in a bathroom during a high-profile event in a period hostile to homosexuality. It just made no sense. Instead of coming across as daring or romantic, it pulled me out of the story because it felt careless and unbelievable.

That’s my biggest problem with the show: it tries to blend politics, social commentary, and romance, but it never balances them well. The “serious” parts feel hollow, and the romantic parts lean too heavily on fanservice. The end result is a story that wants to be meaningful but doesn’t have the weight or realism to back it up.

Shine wants to be a layered political romance, but deep down it’s still just fanservice wrapped in fancy packaging. 😒

That being said, if you enjoyed the show, that’s great, I did enjoy certain parts too. This is just my personal take, so don’t come for my head 😂. Feel free to disagree, just keep it respectful.

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Stars are shining like moon in this 60s era

They episode started like a banger. The music made me travel to those songs of 60s era. The aesthetics are eye catching. The story has lot of levels. We have student protest, Capitalism, Corruption and hippie culture. Im looking forward the each sub plot.

Apo as Trin, a principled gentlemen appearence is convincing. His appearence gave justice to his upright demeanor. But Mile as free spirited hippie stole the show. The opening song was good. Very intersting era to be explored in BL context.

Be on cloud gets their camera angle, lighting, color grading etc... we saw that in Kinn Porsche. What's else? Let's Shine together.

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welcome back actor APO NATAAWIN

After waiting for two years, we finally saw shine's release. After going through a series of issues such as shooting delays and rewriting the script, i finally got to see my favorite actor APO return to the screen. After watching EP1, I'd like to share some thoughts

1. Photography: I really like the overall shooting quality of this time. It can reach the level of film shooting. In terms of color tone, scene and transition design, it has all reached a very high level.

2. I'm quite satisfied with the plot, at least in terms of the entire narrative structure and pace of the ep1. It quickly unfolds the entire storyline centered around the character TRIN, who is connected to every character in the show, making people look forward to EP2 with great anticipation.

3. The casting of the actors: APO's portrayal of Trin is extremely accurate. Also, I really like the casting of Krailert this time. It's just perfect. I love his piano performance so much. Naran and victor's performance was also very natural. I'm looking forward to seeing more of their parts.

4. Acting skills, I must give APO and SON a score of 90 in ep1. APO performed both the French part and the interaction with senior executive at the end very well. In France, he was a melancholy and indignant young boy. In Thailand, he was a rigorous, patriotic and mature economist. You can watch his performance. Even his eyes expression are different.

5. Favorite cut:
-The part where Trin and his French girlfriend finally embrace each other in silence;
-Krailert the piano part;
-Trin took off his shoes and tried to blend in with the environment.

In conclusion, I can give EP1 a score of 9. But I can't fully trust BOC. I hope it can still maintain such a high level in the next eps. No more too many cliches and outdated plots that follow the trend.

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Episode1: The episode starts with a banger! The music, the storyline, acting and the visual. Everything is top notch.
Each and every person gave their 100% to the series.
It's very engaging. Not for one second it had any dragging moment. It's not too fast paced either.
It's really is not just another "BL". It's a mature concept with layers and layers of situations. Nobody is black and white and everyone is fighting for what they believe is right. Everyone is fighting for freedom.
Highly political series. But it isn't the same as LGBTQ community rights politics. This is students protest against government and militia.

Episode 2: holy macaroni! This episode was fantastic! It was comedy. It had politics! Corrupt military! It had freaking Gay panic!!! And the ending! *Chef's kiss*
Library will never be the same again 🤣

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It’s only episode 1… and I’m already obsessed ?✨

Wow. Just wow. Shine didn’t just meet my expectations, it blew right past them. From the very first scene, it had me hooked.

The production is gorgeous. Every shot feels alive. The lighting, the colors, the way the camera lingers just enough for you to feel the weight of the moment. The team clearly poured their hearts into this and it shows.

The writing is already pulling me in. Setting the story between 1969 and 1971 was such a brilliant choice. The world feels so rich and textured. From the backdrop of protests to the rise of the hippie movement, to the unapologetic and powerful focus on LGBT life and love in that era. Even the OSTs and music choices are perfect for the time period. They are not just background noise, they set the tone and carry the emotion.

And then… MileApo. Apo plays Trin, an economist from France, bringing so much emotional depth and subtlety to the role that it’s impossible to look away. Mile plays Tanwa, a rockstar hippie whose charisma practically leaps off the screen. The way these two bring their characters to life feels completely natural, like they were born to play them. Their chemistry is undeniable — every glance, every pause, every touch is loaded with meaning.

We have only seen episode 1 but if this is how the series starts, I cannot even imagine how good it is going to get. I am already counting down the days for the next episode.

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Shine mostra que o amor também pode ser uma prisão

Shine foi uma experiência bem diferente de tudo que eu já vi no BL tailandês. Eu já vou começar sincera: o primeiro episódio foi um suplício pra mim. Eu pausava, voltava, mexia no celular, ia beber água, tudo servia de desculpa pra não terminar. Quando finalmente acabei, a vontade de seguir pro segundo era quase nula. Mas, ainda bem, eu fui, porque dali em diante a série começou a mostrar pra que veio. Ainda não é aquele ritmo eletrizante que prende logo, mas dá uma engrenada boa e me fez continuar.

O que me pegou de verdade é que Shine não é uma história feita pra ser agradável. Não tem nada daquele BL açucarado, cheio de ceninhas fofas e momentos pra suspirar. Aqui é tudo cru, pesado e até doloroso de assistir. A série mergulha em um período sombrio da história da Tailândia, com militarismo, revolução, corrupção e repressão social. E, sinceramente, eu gostei porque a gente quase nunca tem acesso a essa perspectiva. Normalmente só consumimos o lado ocidental dessas épocas, e Shine abre um espaço pra enxergar as marcas que ficaram do outro lado do mundo. É denso, é cru, mas é necessário.

Os romances seguem essa mesma linha: nada de conto de fadas, é amor marcado por dor, obrigação, repressão e escolhas que cobram um preço caro. O coronel é talvez o personagem mais triste nesse aspecto. Ele consegue sair das amarras do exército, mas continua preso em outro tipo de cela: o casamento sem amor, mantido por convenções e preconceitos. É sufocante ver alguém que se liberta de uma corrente, mas permanece amarrado em outra, e isso, pra mim, foi uma das coisas mais fortes da série.

E aí tem o Trin e o Tanwa, que em teoria são o casal principal e até tiveram um final feliz daqueles que a gente gosta de ver, os dois juntos, envelhecendo lado a lado, sobrevivendo a todo aquele caos. Só que, sinceramente, por mais bonitos que fossem juntos e por mais química que rolasse entre eles, eu não senti tanto impacto. Pra mim, Shine acabou sendo muito mais sobre o coronel e o repórter do que sobre o casal principal. Era pra ser a história de Trin e Tanwa, mas quem carregou o peso emocional de verdade foram os outros dois. E isso não quer dizer que eu não tenha gostado deles, pelo contrário, foi bom ter uma fagulha de esperança no meio de tanto sofrimento, mas o protagonismo, pelo menos pra mim, escapou das mãos deles e se alojou firme no casal secundário.

E aí vêm os destinos de Victor e Veena, que são quase um soco no estômago. Os dois não mereciam o fim que tiveram, mas cada decisão deles pesou. Victor escolheu levantar a voz e acabou silenciado de forma brutal. Veena sendo envolvido com o exército e ainda por cima se apaixonou pela mulher do coronel, o que o colocou num beco sem saída sendo chantageado e traído. Shine deixa claro que toda escolha tem um preço, e, na maioria das vezes, ele é alto demais.

Agora, se for pra apontar problemas, Shine tem sim. Os episódios poderiam ser mais enxutos; algumas cenas parecem arrastadas e acabam cansando. Além disso, não é todo mundo que vai conseguir embarcar nesse tom pesado. Entendo quem desistiu logo no começo, a série não faz esforço nenhum pra “conquistar” o espectador, ela só joga a história nua e crua na sua cara e espera que você aguente.

No fim das contas, minha experiência com Shine foi de respeito e impacto mais do que de diversão. Não é a série que eu assistiria de novo numa maratona de conforto, mas é uma que vai ficar na cabeça e no coração por dias. Eu recomendo, sim, mas com a ressalva: vá sabendo que é pesado, que não vai ter final feliz pra todo mundo e que talvez você saia mais reflexivo do que satisfeito. O que mais me marcou foi justamente isso, cada personagem teve seu destino traçado pelas próprias escolhas, e Shine não romantizou nada, só mostrou as consequências. E, apesar de tudo, eu gostei de ter assistido.

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