That Summer

It's okay but.....

When this series began I was greatly entertained by the storyline and the actors. The actors were refreshing and it was interesting to see how this would evolve. A prince being betrayed by a close friend, losing his memory and starting afresh. The first few episodes were blunt and deliciously funny. Winny in the role of Lava was down to earth without pretense and on meeting Wave (Satang) continued to rub against the grain and irritated everyone. Then in true Gmmtv style it began to feel like a constant throbbing ache until the end. The unnecessary elongation of a script with nothing spectacular. Disappointment set in somewhere around ep 6. Then boredom took over. Episode 10 did some recovery and made it a better viewing.

From the night of the election campaign and most things after, there were numerous sighs being emitted. With all the money Gmmtv has, couldn't the baby bump actually look like a baby bump. Who smilingly gives up their newborn like they're distributing christmas gifts? Like no private conversation. Just blurt it out infront of everyone. Putting the couple on the spot. At this point, I'll bypass the diversion of Winny to help the shopkeeper, whose druggie son decides to inflict revenge. At least, make it look more credible.

Mond can get a pass but most and I do mean most can do with serious acting lessons. I'm left wondering if Neo is regressing. Gawin can not speak without his eyebrows constantly rising as he verbalizes. Ryu is trying but still has some way to go. Winny was a little too expressionless at times.

Personally, if I'm spending money on a project, it should be good. Gmmtv seems to be greenlighting projects to keep the actors names relevant but they should look into making them memorable. I will love to see Winny and Satang in another project because they are decent together. The ending did uplift it and was a nice touch to bring the romance to the fore and cute beach scene. I especially liked that Davin / Wave took some time apart to face his parents and choose the life he wanted. Both their characters showed growth at the end. Its not unwatchable but with a tighter script it might have been much better.

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The Best Narrative, Cinematography and Visual of 2025

I would say I usually have a issue with Thai BL's narrative flow, especially those which tend to dumb all everything in the final two episodes. That Summer is relatively in a good pace (although a slight tendency in squeezing plots in ep 9 and 10), and surprisingly it contains a good narrative callback which makes the story a circular and complete work. For those who have made to the end (ep 9 and 10), you will be surprised that some of the exact terms have been mentioned very early in the show (like ep 3). Take one example without too much spoiler, Lava and Wave discusses about the presence and future after their first intimate scene. When Lava (still a fuck boy at the time) says that the present moment is much treasuring and he would not think about the future (neither the past, as implied), later in ep 9 when he "lost" Wave, he was indulged in the past and Davin asks him, "to focus on your presence". I found this a very deep and insightful discussion of Queer time, which is rare in many popular dramas, and I have to say Director Jo executed this very well.
I would also give some credit to Winny's acting, as he truly portrayed a young boy's growth in a complex form. Growing-up is not a rare theme in Thai BL series, but Lava deals with more complicated questions. One example without further spoiler again: after learning the true identity of Wave, Lava's changes do not only stem from the fact of class difference, but also their relationships on this island. What does an island boyfriend mean? Is it as temporary and illusive as the "presence" he used to indulge in? I think Winny shows some deeper concerns in his micro-acting, especially in the dancing scene.
Another thing is just Jo's strength at all time: cinematography and all other visuals. Some fans may be disappointed to see Winny got so tan and sometimes even seeing his dark spots in some close up shots, but I think that with all the beautiful mise en scene is what a lovely island in Thailand looks like. The color tone of the drama, especially the night scene, made reference to well known Thai directors such as Apichatpong in his slow cinema. Besides, the careful use of camera angle throughout the show aptly show the change of characters, especially in terms of their relationships and personal growth.
Some people may not like this show because the trope is a bit dated (or is it?), but I would say in terms of its overall production, That Summer deserves to be regarded as one of the top. I am very grateful for WinnySatang and their first lead series.

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A perfect example for don't judge a book by it's cover

I never planned on watching this one cz i thought the actors were not handsome enough. I remember skipping them in "we are" too but then the reviews and edits said that this was a really good one so i gave it a go.

Yes i loved it🤭. The story was really good. It was a breath of fresh air and something new. I've never seen a drama with double memory loss and i usually get sick of memory loss dramas but i think they handled it really well. I cried ugly the entire episode 9😭 and 10. Dont worry it's a happy ending but a really touching one

I liked all 3 couples but my fav would be doc and village head. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ i really wanna see them in more dramas probably as main leads. Their story was really beautiful. I'm happy every single character got their happy ending.

I deducted 0.5 cz i felt the aranta kingdom's plot was like completely sidelined in a kinda odd way. Especially at the end. They showed us the plotting and scheming but then they didn't show us how the whole thing ended and just told us that it ended so that kinda made me feel like there was a gap.

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Why u should watch this peak show.

It’s hard to find shows u actually like and u can rewatch it without get bored after watching it once or twice, but this show, I can literally rewatch it without getting bored at all! Casting is so great. I love seeing neomint in it! Here’s a little summary on what it is about. Wave is a prince who wants a bit a freedom and he basically runs away to an island to find meaning of freedom. Meanwhile lava got sent to an island from his mom bc his mom wants him to teach him a lesson since he’s bad. So one day while lava is out on the ocean, he see an unconscious person for the distance.. it was wave. He got sent to the hospital and he lost his memory! Since he doesn’t remember himself and doesn’t have anyone to get taken care of. Lava is now in charge of him and eventually they get close…. But that soon ends when lava doesn’t really know if wave actually likes him or it’s just because he’s the only person he knows.. one day when they are together, wave gets hit on his head and regain his memory! But he forgot his old memories with lava. Watch to find out what happens next!

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Better than expected

I kept my expectations very low when I started this, mainly because i can't seem to remember anything I watched for the main couple, and basically Mond was what had pulled me in to start it.

so I didn't know what to expect tbh~
That's why I enjoyed it despite being really slow burn with nothing going on and a very rushed end.

Story is nice, kinda expected but still the main couple were great, Lava had some character development that was enjoyable to watch, Wave on the other hand, despite being really nice characters, the whole memory loss thing is a bit too much, I think WaveXDavin should have a slight difference in character, like to have the same soul but slightly different, I don't know how to explain it in words but I couldn't believe the whole amnesia since I couldn't see any difference in behaviour, be that as it may, I loved Satang's performance.

What I didn't like is actually the pace, it was slow with literally just day to day life of the cast with things happening in the background, ignoring the main story or the main focus of it which is Wave's family and amnesia and what actually happened to him, still they had a fair amount of time showing their relationship in a slow burn way which - surprisingly - not boring at all.

But I wish they would include them in a scene or two showing what is happening with his family, to show that they are concerning about their child or at least searching for him, he is a prince for goodness sake, he is much important than they showed us, and that wouldn't necessarily be a problem, hadn't they show us the whole "you are the future of our family" sh!t at the last ep, and that he must gain people's trust and bla bla bla.

Another thing was how they squeezed everything in the last ep as if they didn't have a whole 9 episodes full of nothing to expand the last ep through.

Generally speaking, it was good drama, but if we looks into the details, this failed to show the whole potential of the very simple and predictable story that doesn't even require much thinking ~

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A nice feelgood series

This series was good, i liked it a lot. I just wish they gave us a bit more background story of Victor and Dawin and of the hostile coup.
The visuals and music were beautiful. The intro song was ok, but not great.

For me the couple Mond/Ryu was a big masmatch, their dynamics do not work and there is no chemistry. Not to blame Mond, he was trying so hard to make it work.
I liked the dynamics between Neo and Mint.
And i love Winny and Satang, their dynamics and chemistry just work. It isn't the most charismatic couple in the industry, but that's just like real life. Not every couple is extremely charismatic, some coupes are just less expressive and that is fine!

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Feels like a summer dream

That Summer is a mix of a light and unpretentious script, beautiful cinematography that manages to capture the island's beauty exceptionally well, and a couple with great chemistry and fluid development.

I didn't expect this series to be so good, and it was a great surprise. The story manages to balance well without becoming repetitive or too childish.

It's not a profound script, but the direction and photography really elevate the series to a level where everything becomes poetic and like a summer dream.

The secondary couple, despite their rapid development, works very well. However, the entire plot involving the coup in Arantha is absurdly poorly developed.

In addition, the final conflict, besides being rushed, is very cliché. Again, GMM-TV resorts to the same pattern of series finales with a time jump and a forced wedding.

However, this doesn't spoil the greatness of this series. It's an easy series to watch and has so many interesting moments that you simply fall in love with it.

A great success and without a doubt, one of the best cinematographies that gmm-tv has ever delivered in a BL.

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muito bom… até os três episódios finais

O título da review diz tudo. É um drama muito bem produzido, com atuações convincentes e detalhes técnicos impecáveis, uma prova de como os bl se consolidam cada vez mais em indústria, e uma de peso. O problema, para mim, se dá no final: todos os clichês possíveis foram utilizados, mas não se aprofundou o suficiente nas consequências desses clichês de modo a tornar possível um real aproveitamento por parte da história. Um exemplo: Darvin e Lava ficam um ano sem contato, e, quando se reúnem, parece que nada mudou, e a relação deles avança imediatamente. O roteiro tinha tudo na mão para fazer desse clichê horrendo e desnecessário em algo verdadeiramente interessante. Poderiam explorar as mágoas e incertezas dessa separação, poderiam mostrar o esforço do Davin em reconquistar o Lava (ao invés de fazer o otario ser largado por um ano e ainda pedir em casamento… ugh), e fazer o episódio girar mais em torno deles se amarem apesar de tudo. Tentaram criar ao máximo a angústia para proporcionar uma grande catarse, e terminaram por desperdiçar o final em clichês batidos que podem até servir para emocionar no momento, mas que em nada contribuem para tornar o drama memorável e alvo de revisitas

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Welcome to the island

1/ Jojo
To get this thing out of the way first: I’m not a fan of Jojo’s work. I was critical of "Only Friends" and still consider "Never Let Me Go" as well as "The Heart Killers" to be among the very worst GMMTV releases. This time, however, I have to applaud Jojo’s work; "That Summer" is by far my favorite of Jojo-made shows, with none of the schlock that annoyed me before. This time we got decent cinematography featuring a wonderful island setting and two beautiful gay couples, mostly good writing and Winny's show-carrying performance. Nicely done, sir.
2/ Plot and writing
Loved the plot – which, by the way, is not about a prince and a commoner falling in love, but about an amnesiac and the guy who saved him falling in love. The story writing is consistent and – with the exception of ep. 10 – pretty even; Jojo and Zaii mostly did a good job in this regard. Some of the writing choices I applaud include: (1) it's not a story about politics (even though it features local elections and a failed coup), (2) it’s not an "enemies to lovers" story either, (3) keeping the Arantha part of the story minimal, (4) Wave and Davin being – up to a point – separate and different characters (however the show could have done more with it). It’s not a "summer love" kind of love story either, and – after considering it for a while – I think it’s good that way. Getting reminded that all of this is fleeting and temporary, that things will return to "normal" after a while (once Wave regains his memories, Lava ends his stay on the island and returns home) etc. would have hovered over the show like a dark cloud, preventing me from enjoying it.
While the story progresses nicely from ep. 1 to ep. 9, I’m not sure why ep. 10 was so different – as if Jojo and Zaii didn’t know how to end the main plotline. It’s not like they have written themselves into a corner and couldn’t find a good way out – there are shows out there with this problem, but "That Summer" isn’t one of them. We got an "end of summer" with a shoe-horned, last-minute attempt to create tension or cast doubt that there will be a happy ending. It was pointless, just like the time jump – a fatal trademark of GMMTV shows. With minimal tweaks to its script ep. 10 could tell a story of Lava and Davin parting ways for real – there was so much put into this episode as obstacles for their relationship. The most annoying part was that once Davin told his parents he’s gay and doesn’t want the throne, everyone was okay with it. If so, what was the point of all that talk of returning to pre-island life, royal obligations, forced secrecy, living an unwanted life build on a lie etc.? Storywise it made no sense for Davin waiting one whole year to have that important talk with his parents. The whole ep. 10 Arantha part of the main story should have either (1) been expanded and come in ep. 8 or 9, to present an actual obstacle for Lava and Wave being together, a problem for them to solve and to create real stakes, or (2) been dropped entirely, getting dealt with off camera or with one scene in ep. 10. We got neither of that and most of ep. 10 was wasted on a non-problem.
As for characters, I liked how Lava was written, with solid background and good characterization. He’s unapologetically gay – one can clearly see Jojo’s hand here – and I loved it. Lava doesn’t have a full arc, but does mature during his stay at Peng’s, primarily due to his love for Wave. When he faces Davin in Arantha, Lava is a calmer, more collected version of himself; he also switches from stubborn to patient, which lets him wait for Davin once they part ways. That’s character development I like to see.
As for Peng, I understand his hesitation to come out and reveal he’s Wut’s boyfriend – that part of his character, as well as his at times strained relationship with Wut, was well written. What I don’t get about Peng is his attitude towards Lava. Throughout the entire series he’s overly critical of his nephew, complaining about everything Lava does; this doesn’t change a bit even in ep. 10. There’s no development nor progression, but also no explanation of why Peng would stay like that even after everything that happened to him and Lava in the show. Was Peng supposed to be a replacement for a strict parent or teacher or different figure of authority for Lava to oppose and rebel against? That could make sense if Lava actually was rebellious – which wasn’t the case.
My biggest complaint when it comes to characters regards Wave/Davin. He’s not a damsel in distress, but he’s not a fighter nor rebel either. It might be my bias, but I expected Lava and Wave having a different dynamic, resembling the Sound-Win relationship from MSP. With Wave being far softer that Sound this couldn’t happen. What almost ruined this character for me was ep. 10, which showed Davin as an undecided, timid pushover, scared to stand up for himself, to be honest with Lava and his parents, even when directly offered an opportunity to clear the air or given time to work on his parents (he literally did nothing for one whole year).
3/ Cast
After MSP Winny didn’t really get a chance to shine – the "Our Skyy 2" special was good, but his other appearances, especially in "We Are", were subpar. Fortunately we got none of this here; Winny’s performance in "That Summer" is by far his best. Lava seems like a part written specifically for the young actor and Winny played it beautifully – carrying the show and throwing in some surprises. Lava helping Wave after he got high in ep. 2 might be my favorite Winny scene ever; he nailed the delivery being warm, soft and reassuring – displaying features unusual for characters he portrayed thus far. Also, I enjoyed his performance of the title song "สายลมกับเกลียวคลื่น" ("Wind and Wave"). My only – and very minor – complaint is that in a scene or two Winny’s delivery was almost monotone, as if he lacked proper direction and didn’t know how to act; this shows that there’s still room for improvement when it comes to Winny’s skill.
I like Satang’s performance as it saved Wave/Davin for me. When the script wasn’t doing the character justice, Satang helped a lot, portraying Wave as confident or sickly-sweet and sassy. If I had to guess I’d say Satang followed his instincts on this one and was not lead astray.
Other cast members – who included some long time GMMTV employees like Sing, Thor and Gawin – gave serviceable performances. The supporting cast included Neo and his real-life girlfriend Mint as the only opposite-sex couple and Mond paired with Ryu. That couple initially surprised me, as the last time I saw Ryu paired with a guy was in 2024’s "Summer Night", where he portrayed a high schooler and Java’s boyfriend. Here he’s more his actual age and portrays a doctor – calm and responsible. Even if the character seems a bit boring, Ryu and Mond look good together and do what a supporting couple should do. Despite my reservations about how his part was written, I liked Mond’s portrayal of Peng; he brought some badly needed warmth to the character, with his big smile and goo-goo eyes.
4/ Final thoughts
All in all "That Summer" mostly works well. WinnySatang finally got a show for their own ("We Are" was more like a PondPhuwin + friends show) and did their best: the chemistry is there, the banter is there and they look great together. "That Summer" confirmed that this ship works well and can be entrusted with a BL, doing a better job than some other ships in the company's employ; hope GMMTV was paying attention.

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