Like a Palette (Uncut Ver.) (2025)

Strong ideas and messages, weak execution.

"Like a Palette" is one of the books by Zezeho that I really enjoy, so I was looking forward to the series. But as much as the series is faithful to the book, the way it was brought to life is rather weak. At first glance, it seems like your typical student romance series with the senior-junior romance trope. But it delves into some ideas that set it apart - the self-discovery, self-acceptance, and the impact of societal prejudices, particularly transphobia. The series handles these sensitive topics with care, depicting the struggles in a respectful and impactful manner. Unlike many other GL series that shy away from explicitly naming the characters' sexual orientations, this series boldly embraces and celebrates lesbian identity. By doing so, the show normalizes and validates same-sex relationships, challenging the stigma and misconceptions surrounding LGBTQ+ individuals.

One of the refreshing aspects of this series is the portrayal of a supportive and loving family environment. The main character, Jane is surrounded by a circle of family members who offer unwavering support and encouragement. And the mom is definitely a positive character which is different from the typical moms we see in most GL series. And I like the jazzy OST.

While the series is commendable for tackling these important issues and the underlying positive messages, the execution falls short in some areas. The acting needed a lot more polish. Jane, portrayed by Thongfah Alicha, is the star of the show, but Thongfah’s somewhat unnatural performance diminishes the impact of the character, hindering the emotional connection. Her dialogue delivery sounds weird too. Even Prigkhing’s good acting can't help much. But the rest of the cast deserve praise for making this series more bearable. And Prigkhing-Fah's on-screen chemistry is somewhat lacking, making Dai-Jane's dynamic less convincing.

On top of that, the pacing feels a bit choppy, with certain scenes and plot developments lacking coherence and smooth transitions. And while the cinematography is okay, the visual storytelling fails to give the key plot points the impact they deserve. There were quite a few times I wasn't only cringed at Jane's acting, but also the awkward camera angles.

Overall, Like A Palette has the potential to be an engaging series, but the execution and acting just don't meet the mark. While it may not be a flawless series, its bold approach to storytelling and commitment to addressing vital societal issues make it a noteworthy addition to the genre.

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"Whats the matter with you, b*tch?"

Its a question Jane's best friend asks her at one point in the series and I happen to strongly agree with this question. Her character sure is.. interesting. Incredibly naive, like she was just born yesterday kind of naive. But that's ok, you expect some personal growth from characters as the series progresses, which she does, slightly..

A "slice of life" kind of series with GL, that unfortunately lacked a lot of story in my opinion, I didn't mind that it was chill with only a hint of drama, I still felt it needed something more going on. There are plot elements that should have explored more to give the story substance.

I felt there was aspects of the story that should have been introduced earlier on instead of the "filler" elements that somewhat plagued a decent % of the series earlier on, which was an odd choice in my opinion for a series so short. Thankfully the last half does improve somewhat. Not to say it doesn't have its moments, the phone-call scene is hilarious. But good individual scenes sadly doesn't make up for the show as a whole.

The two leads are good together on screen, its cute and sweet, whilst majority of the other stories and scenes with the other characters were severely lacking in my opinion, overall it has some highs, a lot of "skip" moments and in the end that makes it just a somewhat enjoyable, but slightly tedious series to watch. I'd recommend it if you enjoy a mostly-no drama "slice of life" series, with an air-headed lead, some humerus moments here and there, that has GL sprinkled throughout.

I think a lot of the problems I had with the show, could have been solved with more episodes to evolve the story as it goes on (the ending feels a bit rushed as well) and if they had injected some better story elements into the first half.

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