Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring

I would recommend this

i’ve seen a lot of critical reviews saying the series was poorly made, but we all know it didn’t have a big budget for better production. still, i think they really tried.

so far, i like the story because there aren’t too many characters, so the plot focuses on the main pair. they make a great duo, and the story feels different from other bl shows. the trope of a prisoner and a prisoner is rare since most bls are about high school love stories. the characters seem mature, but they’re clearly struggling with their relationship, like they’re yearning to be loved even though it feels forbidden because of who they are.

i’m honestly so curious about their backstories. i really want to know more about them.

to be honest, their acting needs improvement, but it’s understandable since it’s their first time acting. and while we can’t really complain about the writing since it’s based on a true story, i think they could’ve added better elements to the plot and executed the drama more smoothly.

this would be a good drama to watch if you’re short on time but still want a “good” plot. the episodes are really short, but so far it's a great story to watch.

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It is based on a true story

The book took 44 years to write, based on a true story, the story is complex but you realize why it had that ending, prison can be cruel, it makes you make decisions that you don't like just for your own benefit, the series itself is very good, totally recommended.
The story is a bit slow, but entertaining, it catches you and gives you a new perspective, it is not a common and current series, it is not the typical Thai bl, it is very different but that does not mean that it is bad.
Both actors played their roles really well, you could tell their feelings and what was going on in their minds. The entire cast and production were excellent, I loved the songs chosen.

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Must watch!

Set in the unsual setting of a Thai prison, this story tells of the love blooming between two young inmates from different worlds. Its title reminds us that darkness holds the seed of light or, like the emblematic lotus, that beauty can grow from the mud. It is told, filmed and played with talent and a deep sensitivity which almost doesn't need words. At this stage (12 episodes shown so far out of 21), there is no saying where the story is actually going and how it will end. But one thing is for certain: this series is addictive, and the airing of 4 episodes at a time avoids the frustration short formats often bring to the viewers. I strongly recommend to watch it as well as one of these new opuses which lift the so-called "BL" genre out of cliches, and make it more mature.

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meandering plot and incomplete feel

Overall: I was intrigued in the beginning, but it lost my interest with the large amount of staring and lack of meaningful dialogue. Began airing on YouTube November 20th https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Njz75725bXKH1h92Yn-RCgu5EZb_SW-&si=P7Jx-VCWqEIUqr_b, then moved uncut episodes to a different platform and then moved an uncut version to WeTV in January https://wetv.vip/en/album/dd8g63nmfpkqdwg

Content Warning: sexual assault, non con touching, death off screen, self harm

What I Liked
- unique premise
- caring moments
- steamy scene in ep 4 uncut version was well done but it seemed to go on for too long
- production value for what I assumed was a very indie production

Room For Improvement
- voice over exposition
- too much staring/flashbacks, they needed to talk/learn about each other more
- I'm not familiar with the Thai prison system but it seemed odd they had a fully stocked music room and library based on the other facilities and the whole music video/the voice thing, how some characters had those numbered shirts and others wore regular clothes, also they were packed like sardines for sleeping but then magically at the water area there was no one around
- showing a character defecating was not needed
- the ending was a non-ending, apparently there was supposed to be a special but months later and there's no special, the series feels extremely incomplete
- made viewers wait a month for the last 4 episodes, the release platform/schedule felt like they figured it out as they went instead of it being preplanned

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mature story, bad audio-editing

The most positive of this show is that it's not childish at the least, as most of the thai shows aired 2024.. The young actors did their best to transport the story which plays out in an unusual setting: A thai prison. Of course this is not a polished high budget production, but the lack of polish was compensated with more workshops and pre-production run at least a year to improve the acting skills of the cast. In contrast GMMTV does the reverse, high polished production but the acting skills of most of it's actors are either lacking or the script is so bad, their skills don't matter.

The most negative of the show is the drowning of the actors voices whenever background music overlaps. This is really annoying. They also used some lip-sync which were not top-notch. Also the ending is not a real ending, it's a cliffhanger for the special episode which is seperated from this short series. That we had to wait for the last four episodes for nearly a month made the show not better.

It'a mostly a story of power dyanamics in a prison with a flair of a partly fluffy BL. It's also a story of a gay youth doing something stupid and going to prison for it twice, finding someone he falls in love with but his partner while showing some feelings does not commit. I liked this story much more compared to most other shows... It's not great, but it's good for what it is. The end is a bit abrupt and not happy at all, but I suppose the special episode will resolve that. For a low budget production it's well done. If you watch on youtube, be aware there are only auto-generated subtitles on the last four episodes which makes some dialoges hard to understand. Maybe in the future they remedy that problem.

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Watch This Series From A Prisoner's Perspective

Don't listen to the negativity about this series! Sure, there are production issues but this is a different BL. This whole series is unique in that despite its dark surroundings, it is still a human connection that binds two people together and that might be the requisite for survival in their world. Perhaps without that, the days and nights become a crestfallen abyss. If that connection is a form of love, then let it be named so. All I know is that this throw-away series is an exceptional and phenomenal series that says more with less. This series, I think, is misunderstood. It does not flow well. It feels disjointed. Time is hard to discern, as in reality, it would. So much is done cryptically. However, I am guessing that is exactly what prison life is like, plus more. There is also more unsaid than said. It is up to you to fill in the blanks here. This is one of the few real, honest, and genuine BLs to come out of Thailand in a long time. It is brilliantly acted, as the story is told with a brutal sincerity that is relatable for all of us to understand, if we open our minds to their confinement. They lost their souls in prison. We see that clearly. They are shells of humans. The only vestige of humanity is the here and there touch by one another that brushes past them occasionally, and even then, it can never fully be intimate. This story is gritty, touching, and unfeigned and not comfortable to watch.

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Artistical take on BL

I just finished the 5-ep version in a binge. Not sure how I feel, since there are conflicting parts, I liked the story, because it's different from the average BL drama, I do have some pointers though. Some crucial scenes and backstory are missing, a lot of the conversation is missing and I would have liked a more satisfying ending.
AsI understand it, this is a book adaptation. I wonder if the book has blank pages, since that's how long some of the silences last. This is not the first Thai series where this happens, so I guess it is a style, but I hate it with a vengeance, It distracts and almost makes me double the playback speed, I suspect it is to make it look more artsy?
I still have many questions. What happens to Jed and Bible now? What happens to the doctor? Why is the doctors twin in prison? Why does this twin dislike Bible so much? Does Bible really have a wife and kid? And more.
I wonder how this series would have turned out with a bigger budget and a better ending,

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Hooked from the Very Beginning!

The title of this series alone had me hooked since it is so esoteric. This whole series is unique in that despite its dark surroundings, it is still a human connection that binds two people together and that might be the requisite for survival in their world. Perhaps without that, the days and nights become a crestfallen abyss. If that connection is a form of love, then let it be named so. All I know is that this throw-away series is an exceptional and phenomenal series that says more with less.

Unquestionably, this is a story conceivably of thousands mirrored in two people. ‘Jed’ Pathomakan (Mark Methasit) is arrested and sent to prison for cheque fraud. Perhaps he would be unremarkable in the sense that typically he would blend into society well. Quiet, somewhat studious-looking, but now having to fend for himself in prison- alone. In this setting, his face and demeanor are enticing and to a degree charismatic. Almost immediately he is ‘protected’ by Bible (Art Pawaret). Bible is haunting. He is boyishly handsome and hypnotic. He seems to be somewhat of a leader in the prison yet obviously given the pecking order within the penal environment, is still subservient to those to whom he owes money. While quiet and introspective, he wields a lot of force among other prisoners and seems to be respected by the guards. Not by force but by demeanor. He rarely, if ever, smiles and even more rarely gives in to any emotions.

Read the complete article here-

https://theblxpress.wordpress.com/2025/02/08/winter-is-not-the-death-of-summer-but-the-birth-of-spring-series-review-ep-1-to-5/

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Lesson lost in production

This is the first Thai prison production that I've seen and I believe more should be told. Two things: I've never been to prison and most importantly a Thai prison so the commentary below is from a novice's pov.

Plot: The story of prison life and learning to appreciate your life outside. That's universal. Learning to love yourself and accept love from others. Also universal.

Acting: It's a first time for both main leads but even with a better script, this was terrible. Especially, Jed. Bible and Khuen did a fair job. Kudos to the warden who seemed to have had more experience than all. The long stares and pauses between made this feel even cheaper than it was.

Thoughts: What hampered this from having a greater impact was the production of it. Bad audio. Bad directing. Impromptu humor that didn't fit or was grossly displayed. Very poor script. Choppy, disconnected and erratic pacing. Unrealistic scenes. Prisoners walking around doing nothing at all but talk. Doing laundry, sporadically talking and stares. Why was one actor given two roles? Being the prison doctor and being a prisoner, which did nothing to propel the story. Lack of funding, perhaps. This story could have used less people and made the a more concise representation of prison life. Jed made this unbearble. His wide open mouth and creepy mannerisms, one would think he should be behind bars. Having sex in the open where communal washing is done. This is one of the unrealistic parts. Having to wait 3 weeks for the ending as the series was paused, here the momentum was lost.

Nothing was learnt at the ending that wasn't told in the beginning. I will defin̈itely not rewatch. If you haven't, pass.

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