Century of Love

The DaouOffroad Effect

Am I too late? Yes.
But is it worth it? Absolutely yes!

It got the hype it deserved. I’ve been adding this to my watchlist for so long and finally completed it today. The official trailer does not give justice to how beautiful this drama is. All the casts are new faces for me which makes it more memorable. They did not disappoint as everyone can act, with no cringe and underwhelming performances. It uplifts the overall impact to its highest level.

This show unexpectedly delivers a brilliant comedic approach to the story aside from the element of drama. I was laughing so hard during the interactions between the characters. They perfectly nailed it. Concept quality is above average too. My favorite is the transformation to a younger version from midnight until dawn. The child actor delivers the same personality as his older self; irritable but funny.

Offroad is the ace. I am astonished by how he conveys his role with ease. Daou is great too! He still looks so cute despite always being angry during the earlier episodes. Pond is the deity of handsomeness. I’m glad that they don’t turn him into an antagonist in his present life. Chu is an unforgettable character. She is pretty, cute, and the funniest among the crew. But when she cried, you’ll cry as well. The three-generation family is loveable, no doubt about that.

The charm from Daou and Offroad is so cute and I am always smiling whenever I see them in my social media feeds. It may not be the perfect drama for me but a high rating is worth it for how creative and entertaining this series is.

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CENTURY OF LOVE? BABE, IT'S SERVING CINEMATIC LEGEND.

Okay, so when they announced DaouOffroad as the leads, I was like, “Meh, this could go either way.” No offense, but their last stuff was like plain toast—okay but forgettable. BUT HOLD UP. This series came swinging, and I’m here screaming, “Where was this energy before??” Let’s break it down, gurl.

THE CONCEPT THAT ATE:
Picture this: 1970s-80s Chinese aesthetic, forbidden love, AND reincarnation drama? Ugh, it’s giving poetic chaos. So, we’ve got San (Daou) and Ms. Wat, who are in love but can’t be together because society (yawn, predictable). They decide to elope, but Trai (the certified villain of this tea) isn’t having it. San, heartbroken and melodramatic, does some ancient ritual to live for a century just to find Wat’s reincarnation. Commitment? Yes. Healthy? Absolutely not. Therapy, perhaps?

Fast forward: San meets Wee, the reincarnation of Wat, and starts spiraling because, oops, it’s a guy this time. And guess what? San goes into full denial mode—until a steamy wet dream rocks his world. LITERALLY. 💀 My man was like, "Wait, am I into him? Or is this indigestion?" Spoiler alert: it’s both. Throw in a mysterious woman who looks like Wat, and the drama EXPLODES. Love triangle? Yes, queen. Betrayal? Oh, you better believe it. The twists had me gasping, clutching my pearls, and screaming at the screen.


THE CHARACTERS:
Let’s start with Wee (Offroad). Honestly, I can’t decide if I love him or wanna shake him. He’s smart, but also dumb as hell. Like, one minute he’s all family-man vibes (love that he prioritizes his grandma), and the next, he’s making questionable life choices. Boy, pick a lane. Now San (Daou) is the epitome of repressed boomer energy. Sir, it’s the 2020s; being gay isn’t illegal anymore. Stop acting like it’s still 1970. That said, Daou’s acting? ICONIC. He serves old-school mannerisms with a sprinkle of tortured-soul realness. Someone get this man an award, STAT.

Also, can we talk about Pond just showing up out of nowhere as the second lead? Bro, aren’t you busy filming Fourever You? But honestly, he came, he saw, he served. His role added that little sprinkle of ✨drama✨ we didn’t know we needed.

THE DRAMA WE LIVE FOR:
The love triangle? Spicy. The betrayal? Juicy. The emotional tension? CHEF’S KISS. Every character carried their weight like pros, and not a single scene felt out of place. The pacing? Smooth like butter. The plot twists? GAGGED. Especially when the betrayal hit. If you’re not screaming at your screen by episode 8, are you even watching it right?

THE AESTHETICS & MUSIC:
THE VIBES? Chef’s kiss. The 70s-80s Chinese setting is immaculate, from the costumes to the sets. And the OST? I didn’t expect to cry over a love ballad, but here we are. It’s got this soft, vintage feel that perfectly matches the romance and heartbreak. I was swaying, imagining myself in a vintage qipao, living my best dramatic life. I’m downloading it on Spotify as we speak.

WHAT COULD SLAP HARDER:
Okay, imma say it. The bedroom scene. Look, I get it—they’re sticking to the aesthetic, but why does it feel like I’m watching two dolls kiss? Give me tension. Give me heat. Give me the fireworks we deserve. It’s giving PG-13, when I need TV-MA. Like, I get that we’re keeping it classy, but give me something, you know? We’re all adults here.

FINAL VERDICT:
This series? It’s giving everything. From the heartfelt acting to the dramatic plot twists, it’s the type of show you binge and then think about for days. The reincarnation twist was done so well, and the love story is just chef’s kiss. Daou absolutely killed it with San’s emotional depth, and Offroad brought the perfect mix of humor and heart.

Watch it, rewatch it, then force your friends to watch it too. It’s THAT good. And if Daou doesn’t get some awards for this, we’re rioting.

12/10. Now excuse me while I replay the wet dream scene for research purposes. 💅

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Delightfully overdramatic

A disclaimer first: I watched this drama while I was sick, and in pain from an ear infection -- what I wanted was something sufficiently fast-paced and engaging but not too complex in terms of plot. It was clear from the first episode that "Century of Love" would be exactly what I needed.


It's a delightfully overdramatic series -- from San's over-the-top reaction to Vad's death in the past, to the supernatural elements, the heinous villains, and San's family in the present. It was fun to watch, appropriately ridiculous in the fight choreographies (and their sound effects) and the main villain in his wheelchair, which was juxtaposed with the silliness of San's family members trying to get them together.
Some plot-changing decisions didn't make any sense to me -- why did the shrine keeper/priest in 1924 agree to the ritual, if it would result in the destruction of the last piece of Nüwa's Five-Coloured Stone? Why did he not refuse, since death and loss are part of the cycle of life? Why didn't Tao (the shrine keeper/priest in 2024) recognise the signs of Nüwa's approval and why didn't he trust in his own calculations but let himself be confused by lies later on?

Nevertheless, the drama is remarkably consistent in keeping to its universe's rules, in the actions of the main and supporting characters and in the story they want to tell.

Because the story is not without depth. The core message the writer wanted San / us to see is being spelled out towards the end of the last episode, so I won't spoil that for anyone who hasn't seen the drama yet.

Another aspect I found much more interesting is the way two forms of homophobia are shown here -- the overt homophobia of San and the internalised homophobia of Vee (which is reinforced by his low self-esteem, more on that later). San's homophobic behaviour comes from the time he grew up in, he believes in the values and customs he's known all his life, and after he has overcome them, he is very much willing to pursue a relationship with Vee. We've seen that in other BLs already, even if not that often in the last year or so.
Vee, on the other hand, is even more interesting. Outwardly, he's openly bisexual, he is out to his grandma, he has had sexual relationships before, and he admits early on that he has a crush on that handsome man named San. However, the deeper his feelings for San grow, the more insecure he becomes. He doesn't trust this budding relationship, and with good reason -- don't we all know that "you should never fall for a straight man"? It gets worse when a young woman, who calls herself Vadfah and tells them that she has dreamed of San all her life (unlike Vee), and has the same birth date and place as Vee, so they share the same destiny -- as Tao says, the probability that she is the real Vad, is higher for her than for Vee. The probability is also higher just because she is a woman -- isn't it more "normal", more "usual", and doesn't it make more sense that she is the one San has been waiting for? Vee believes all these things.

Vee also has quite low self-esteem. He manages to hide it by playing up his goofy side, by smiling and laughing, by making self-deprecating jokes -- but occasionally he will let another character (and us) in, and tell us about growing up poor, about how he was cheated because of it and now has a criminal record, how having his grandmother as his only family member made him an outcast among his peers; and then he will try to laugh it off, play down his experiences, while the others look on in horror. With San, he is a bit more direct; he tells San that he's not worthy enough to be with him because he's from another class, because he's a man, because he is Vee.
I love Vee's complexity, his optimistic side, and his love for his family, as well as his insecurities and self-doubt. He is a well-written and consistent character, and I wish they'd have explored him a lot more.
However, I do understand that this is not the main story the writers wanted to tell -- it's a side story, and just the story that I, as a viewer would have found more interesting. So, this doesn't affect my rating.

These three aspects -- San's overt homophobia in the beginning, Vee's internalised homophobia and his low self-esteem -- all of them could have given the series a deeper meaning if the writers had made them stand out a bit more, made the character's emotional journey clearer, or maybe given them a bit more room.
On the other hand, I do understand that this drama was always supposed to focus on the romance, the villains' plot and the message they spelled out at the end (although I would have liked to see that shown more clearly throughout the drama, rather than being said outright -- but then, I'm a fan of subtle storytelling).

One other thing I'd like to point out is that I love the colours and the sets -- I love how the living spaces reflect the characters, and even Vee's room in the first episodes, which we only see in a few scenes, does this. I love the shrine, with its rich reds and its shadows. I love how San's mansion stands out ridiculously among the low and small houses around it.


Was it good?
For a Thai BL, it definitely was. It had a theme that was different from the usual plots, it was consistent, even if a bit overdramatic and more or less predictable.

Did I like it?
I did! I do wonder though, if I had liked it as much if I hadn't been sick.

Would I recommend it?
I would, with the caveat that it feels very Thai, and not to expect a masterpiece of art.

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A Century of Waiting for Your Love!!

Love is a powerful thing. It is powerful enough to bridge generations, erase hate, and overcome prejudices. If we let it. Love is powerful enough to bring two people together so intimately that it’s hard to tell where one begins and the other ends.

Thus is the story that the Thai BL Century of Love tells.

Starring Daou Pittaya (San) and Offroad Kantapon (Vee), Century of Love follows a devoted man named San who spends a hundred years waiting for the woman he loves to reincarnate after she died to protect him only for her to return as a man named Vee. This begins an unforgettable love story that becomes much more about who we are and less about the bodies we’re born with.

While I’ll admit I initially had trouble becoming immersed in San and Vee’s story, I found that, with time, San’s love and his interactions with Vee aged well. Ironically, a story about a man who spends 100 years not aging and trying to rediscover his first love becomes a love story that ages slowly on screen before suddenly capturing the heart.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/08/13/century-of-love-series-review-ep-3-to-10/

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♡Lovebirds of Century♡

Normally, I can't enjoy the fantasy romance, especially if you mix it up with bl. Most of the time, it goes wrong, and results too much cringiness. This show is more than okay. The story is pretty original. I can't say it's great though. There are tiny plot holes and things that should've been better. But it doesn't destroy the whole storyline. It's to be expected when you create a whole lot of imaginations things are easier to get messed up even in K drama, Hollywood and whatnot. That's why most bls are lighthearted romcoms. And that's why I wanna applaud the effort of the whole production team of this show, even the costumes look pretty dope. Most of things are done in minute detail.

Now, the best appreciation goes to the casting directors for choosing a whole lot of not just good-looking but great actors. I mean, they seriously know the deal. Aside from some comic relief, it's a serious show. It's okay to accept the actors who just have looks for light romance, they can make it even funnier with the actors who can't really act. Even the side characters here are no joke. For an example, the first one that came to mind would be Chu. Honestly, the character presents the good fit of a gen z great granddaughter well, not just the way she dressed. Then, Third character. Man, I swear that man can act. I've seen the actor in another drama. At first, I couldn't recognize him because he looks totally different here, then I found out and it's amazing how much he's changed according to the roles. His character is so likeable too, he's almost making me fall for the second lead syndrome. If it wasn't for San (gosh San is so fine too I can't), I definitely side with him. I especially love how Daou act as San, a boomer. He seriously look like one lol the way he talks and behave. All the other actors are great, the grandma, the grandpa and the villain girl.


SPOILER!

It's just my personal opinion, but I feel like San didn't really fall in love with Ms. Wad. Sure, she maybe his first love. We all know how first love can be, and then also he felt indebted to her for saving his life. Y'all would be like, duh he waited her his whole-hudred-years of life! At the time, he loved her because she was the only one and 'the one that got away'. The way San loves Wee is more with passion—more like life partner love.


I'm writing this review before I watch the last episode, I'm not sure how it will turn out after the final episode but I don't think it'll change my view of the show much. So it's a 9/10 for me. I love it!


FINAL THOUGHTS!

After watching / completing the series, I gotta say such a wholesome watch for me—gave me laughs and kept me agitated. The best thing about this series is the chemistry of the two main actors—Daou and Offroad never disappoint us. Rather, they make us to want more. I don't think I'll ever get bored of them being lovebirds on and off screen keke ☺️ Not just that, they're pretty good actors although they don't have much experience. I like the music too. To be honest, I think it's become one of my favorite BLs so far.

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Review after waching until ep 10

after watching ep 1 my first impressions is this series really good. every ep they will give u cliffhanger 😭, until ep 10 damn i hate it but at the same time love it caused this wasnt made me bored. so the story overall is really interesting. for acting , daou offroad are really improve alot in their acting than before. especially daou , for offroad also made it, but still he should pactice in cry scene caused sometime a little bit awkward, i believe he can do it more. i will wait for his next project

for music overall oke but some part too dramatic hahahahah, but drama ost is best lahh , i think many people should notice this

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fantastically tight and entertaining lakorn bl

This is my first 10 star review on MDL and I really can't say enough good things about this show. Century of Love is the perfect example of working within your means to create a really solid, moving and memorable story. Between the charismatic cast, wonderfully witty script, and production that lived within it's means, this series is a definite hit. I almost wish it hadn't been on a twice-weekly release schedule so I would have gotten to enjoy it even longer. I'm new to both DaouOffroad and this production team, so I'm very happy to have a backlog to look and more to come in the future. Highly, highly recommend.

-The Full Review-
STORY:
I'm a certified lakorn enjoyer, so the I absolutely loved the tone of this show. Despite being highly entertaining and largely unserious, Century of Love always picked the perfect moments to ramp up the emotional connection to the story and provide a truly touching and beautiful scene. My favorite episode, episode 7, had me on the absolute edge of my seat and cycling through emotions the entire hour. It was very well balanced to provide joy and laughs without feeling empty or surface level.
In terms of the themes and execution of the reincarnation plot--I was so pleased. This is probably my favorite handling of this particular trope since Until We Meet Again. I've seen some anger at the primary concept (that the female love interest has reincarnated into a man, to the initial discomfort of her former lover) as well as some annoyance at the (in my opinon, minor) mysteries left unsolved at the end... but I don't think these criticisms hold much weight. The writers are careful to give weight to San's struggles and decisions, and his narrative arc is satisfying.
The true jewel in this show's storytelling is the connection to family. It's pretty rare, these days, for a BL to have such a strong ensemble cast (unless that ensemble is same-aged friends). San's and Vee's connections outside of their relationship really elevate the concept of a mature BL and cement their adulthood. It's a rare treat for this genre and one I very much would like to see more of in the future.

ACTING:
I don't have any prior experience with Daou or Offroad, but they both won me over almost immediately. It's a very fun genre for acting-- giving melodramatic, comedic scenes as well as much more realistic and emotional scenes. The balance here and the slide from one moment into the other was very well done.
For Daou, I really enjoyed his handling of the age of his character. While San is over 100 years old, his body and (in many cases) his mind have been static. The contrast between his graceful and wise stature when comforting Juu and his childish and petulant fights with Vee sold the premise well and were quite funny. There was a subtlety to his performance that shouldn't have paired as well with the lakorn styling of the show as it did, but it truly made him feel otherworldly when necessary.
Offroad has a more traditional lakorn acting style, but one that was very suited to his character. Young, passionate, and easily upset by the events of the story, his open-book expressions contrasted Daou's restrained performance perfectly. Their chemistry is quite obvious and exciting. While I sometimes felt like his acting was verging on the overly melodramatic, it never quite reached point. When the scenes truly did hit their most emotional, Offroad delivered a very sincere and affecting performance.
In the ensemble, there were no weak performances. In particular, I was delighted by Cookie and Xiang--both of whom added so much to the humor and heart of the show. I especially enjoyed the moments where Juu and San's age difference became very apparent. I also have to give props to young San who gives a positively hilarious performance. It's probably the most laughter a series has gotten out of me in a singular episode.

PRODUCTION:
I'm infinitely charmed lakorns god-awful SFX, so I found the production of this series to just fine. While the restrictions of the budget were definitely visible in the effects, I think they successfully leaned into a style that allowed the story to move past it. Beyond this, the production was really quite something.
I loved the locations chosen for this show, especially San's house and the Temple. Vibrant, visually interesting, and filled with set dressing that bridges the century gap quite well. Likewise, I thought the costuming was so fun. The cut of San's suits (and the style of clothing Vee began to dress in) was such a fun modernization of his original timeline. I loved the attention to detail there.

INTIMACY:
I really, really like this pair. The intimate scenes are not particularly spicy in this show, but I don't think that fits the tone most of the time anyway. What I found most effective was the way these characters orbited each other. Vee moving with and to San immediately, whenever he was injured was so well done. Likewise, both characters had such a natural way of slotting into one another--my personal favorite being how tightly Vee snuggles up to San after their first time. You could really feel the connection between these characters and their desire to simply be close. Really well done.

In all, I am so pleased with this show. I pick the best of the shows I watch and rewatch them with some friends, and Century of Love has LEAPED to the top of that list of possibilities. I'm so excited to rewatch already and hope this brings nothing but new opportunities to everyone involved. I can't wait to see them again.

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An Epic Lakorn Love Story

A show I found myself waiting in anticipation for each week. With a strong traditional start, an action packed middle and finishing off with a deeply emotional ending… this series is one of my highest ranking series ever. I only wish that the episodes were longer and more of.

The story is different to anything I have seen before, its both fresh and interesting. The pacing and directing of the story is very well done for a 10 episode show. It very much keeps to the traditional buildup of a Thai Lakorn just with two males leads, and I appreciate that.

The acting of all the actors are believable, emotional and translates through the screen. They’re managing the drama, the comdic relief parts and the action scenes amazingly. Offroad and Daou has great chemistry and their scenes together feels natural and warm.

I greatly recommend giving this series a chance and maybe you’ll find one of your favourite series of 2024 too.

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Refreshing take on the reincarnation romance

The two things I thought was interestingly explored was how the familial structure would work with one really long lived immortal relative actively living with his descendants and how the reincarnated soul is completely their own person or even persons separate from their former lives. The weaker elements was how sudden and arbitrary the abilities and the punishments of the miracle stone are. It can heal, which is broad enough that anyone could figure it out. But how did the savant guy suddenly know that he can feed half to San and it would give him exactly 100 years of immortality with him being stricken by pain every midnight, and transforming into a child every 15 days until he is able to find Wat's reincarnation for a blessing/curse breaking ceremony? Maybe a scene of him divining instructions from the goddess or having a instruction book from the ancestors would have tied things together better. Also the youngest generation of the savant guy is pretty much San's best friend, which is kind of odd since San would have been like his uncle, having been part of his family's life for generations and there is no sense of that from their interactions. Also the show doesn't deal with why San deserves the destruction of the healing stone for him? Especially when the story immediately follows into scenes with Vee's terminally ill grandmother, the type of people the stone could be used to help. The stone could be used to heal and help people, but now it's used up for a pretty random guy in the grand scheme of things.

I really liked that Vee and Wat have no memories or any personality quirks or similarities to their past life as 1920's Wat aside from Wat having the same face and that they were incarnations split from the same soul as confirmed by the stone reacting to both of them and they both needed to be present to lift the blessing/curse from San. Vee and San may have been drawn together supernaturally, but they fell for each other on their own terms. Though San didn't treat him very nicely for a lot of their meetings, so maybe Vee may have been more influenced that it seems. It's so fascinating and there isn't much media that I can remember that explores this aside from the mention of splitting souls, which was mostly from older Cantonese supernatural stories. But then the implication is that Wat is somehow exempt from San's promise to love and cherish her in this current life even though she's also the soul that was bound to the promise. The potential for a bisexual polyamorous thruple is just plain ignored. Wat was a rich girl and reborn as a regular guy and a girl that seem to both be in the lower income bracket and both get intwined with San. It would have been nice if the show explored why Wat's soul was split, like as a side effect of her soul being tethered to a rock and a man or something? Doctor Tri is also an interesting case who has also been reborn looking like his past self who was a violent jealous man, but his current self is an amazing friend who goes above and beyond. He didn't really get any karmic punishment that was evident in the storytelling except for falling for Vee in this life as well, but he's also deals with it with the utmost maturity which was really nice to see.

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