Thai Dramas

Where to start?

The positives: 

#1.) The rep is not only varied but well done: We got a Trans SFL, a Nonbinary SL, a Queer SFL, a Lesbian SFL, and two Gay SMLs.

#2.) There are encouraged and detailed discussions about sex: education, positivity, protection, testing, pregnancy, positions, kinks, etc.

#3.) There are pro-body positivity, anti-outing, and feminist messages.

The negatives:

#1.) Non-con is not addressed properly, and there are inconsistent discussions about consent.

#2.) Alex.

#3.) Sometimes a good message comes across as preachy rather than genuine.

Overall this had the feel of a raunchy American TV Show, albeit with more education and not as explicit scenes. If that one scene/plot point didn't exist (if you've watched this, you know which one I mean), I would be rating this a 7.5/10; however, because that is in this drama, I cannot rate it that high in good conscious.

Can be found on YouTube

I've basically skimmed through this. But, I haven't finished it yet. I really should.

Time to actually watch the whole thing all the way through without skipping.

Update after completion:

It's far cringier than I remember! Jeez! Also, there is SO much homophobia and blatant Forceful pushing of heterosexuality.

There were a couple parts I found moving or relatable, as well as some legitimately funny moments. And one great quote: "It's better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not."

But, the best parts/truly fun parts of this drama generally came from the side characters instead of the main couple. And the side couple (Ai and Ni) is much more fun than the main couple. Plus I can't stand that Ton (Tonhon) seems to only be accepting of his friends being Gay, but also not quite.

All in all this drama is a weird mix of terrible tropes and stereotypes while at the same time trying to push the message of acceptance that just doesn't work.

Side Note: I eventually resorted to watching this on 2x speed at times, that should tell you how cringey this was.

Link to YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m828ENcNRI&list=PLYYyUhZKiEj4srxBc1_ZqjRBuqV1i_eOH

It started off pretty okay. It was slow, but charming.

It didn't take long for the side characters to seem entirely pointless though.

And different plot points were just randomly introduced out of nowhere only to not be fleshed out or brought back up again! There was also a time skip for NO reason! WHAT WAS THE REASON?!!! ???

The writing is what ultimately failed here. Someone must have been high as hell when they wrote this.

When I got to the last episode, I found myself asking: What was the point of this drama? Was it Ever actually trying to say something?

*thinking about the time I wasted* 

Can be found on GagaOOLala

Link to Review: https://kisskh.at/profile/8835865/reviews/233923

Can be found on YouTube

Link to Review: https://kisskh.at/profile/8835865/reviews/233945

Can be found on YouTube

I have to admit, I got my hopes up a bit in the beginning with this one. At the very least, it seemed much more promising than other Thai/Korean crossovers. No magic translating earbuds or conveniences in sight! Sangmin understood a fair amount of Thai, and Dinneaw understood a tiny bit of Korean. It worked!

But, God, did this oh-so-quickly give me major tonal whiplash. One moment it was super sweet, and the next, it was uncharacteristically crass and, to put it plainly, SO horny.

To paint a picture for you: one moment, two side characters are finally addressing their feelings; the next, they're in nothing but their underwear, and the camera is too comfy.

Also, tell me why so much time is spent on side characters we barely know at all, uncomfortably smashing over and over again. Why? What happened to the plot or the leads? Does anyone care?!

*sigh*

Why did I put myself through this?

Just skip it and save yourself. Even if you're looking for a "spicy watch," trust me, this is not what you're looking for, darling.

Can be found on iQiyi

*sigh* I never learn, do I? I need to take a serious lesson in dropping it like it's hot.

Another waste of my damn time. Other than to promote tourism in Japan, what was this even for? I don't feel I can say this was a romance drama because there really was no buildup or sense of romance, just sudden feelings that weren't really discussed and out-of-nowhere hookups. I also can't say this was a comedy, much as it tried to be one. The humor just doesn't land. And above all, everything felt awkward and forced.

Skip this one.

Can be found on GagaOOLala

It looked nice?

I can't think of anything else positive to say. Oh! Well, there was a brief side Lesbian couple! Yeah . . . That's all I got ?‍ *shrugs*

There were itty bitty teensy tiny pieces of a somewhat good drama that could have been. I feel like the writers and directors were really indecisive. They couldn't decide whether to have their characters be toxic and mysterious or sweet and silly. Like, you can have some of both but you have to do it well! Seems like they just couldn't make up their minds let alone execute their vision properly.

And the writing . . . It was just bad.

Another thing, I have to be honest, for the majority of the runtime the acting of the leads . . . Sucked. I generally put the onus on the director[s] for not directing them correctly. But even if they had I still think these actors just didn't know what to do with their faces or hands most of the time.

This is a definite skip from me.

Side Note: Really? The "wife" line again? Can't we let that die already?!

Can be found on YouTube, GagaOOLala, or iQiyi 

It gave . . . Nothing. I couldn't get invested or find it within me to care about the story or any of the characters in the slightest.

This could have been basic but sweet and warm, at the very least, like Tasty Florida or Ocean Like Me. But no, they couldn't even do that.

Side Note: Those magic translating earbuds were SO convenient they drove me insane. Never was the language barrier a problem at all!

Just skip it. Don't bother. I wasted my time FOR you.

Can be found on Rakuten Viki

NOT WORTH WATCHING

It makes no sense. Which is its greatest downfall and is what makes it amusing at the same time.

NOT WORTH WATCHING

Just... terrible people. And, more specifically, terrible people who shouldn't be in relationships/force others to be in a relationship with them.

I was hoping one of the straight couples would be decent at the very least, but no. I was enjoying one of the Fl's at first but then they ruined her as well. Pete and Kao were the only intriguing and actually entertaining part of this. Everything else made me feel pain. SO much pain.

In conclusion: Just watch the Pete and Kao cut. Trust me. 

NOT WORTH WATCHING

How to put this? I feel bad that this was bad.

Sometimes it was okay but mostly it was cringey. I could tell that the actors were at least trying, but they didn't do well at all.

Other than the acting, the pacing was weird, jokes never really landed, the story was all over the place, and what were supposed to be emotional lines/moments didn't feel emotional.

NOT WORTH WATCHING

So much went wrong with this drama. Things don't make sense and the main characters' motivations aren't clear. He's filming people without their consent or knowledge when they are inappropriately dressed and/or engaging in sexual activities. Okay, we got that part.

But it's not shown that he's doing it because these specific people said mean things about Best online until almost the end. And even then, he enjoys it too much for it to just be revenge for the comments they left. Rather, it makes it seem like he just gets some sick joy out of seeing people suffer. And yet, the drama still tries to frame him in some sympathetic light? But, by the end he's the worst person objectively!

The other big problem here is that there are scenes missing! The "previously" part will have scenes/shots that didn't happen in the last episode and don't happen in the current one. And they are all important scenes! Only during the last episode are just a couple of them shown. That's it. And they are only a few seconds long when they should be expanded on.

If they did this to have it be "artistic" or like a mystery where you piece things together, they failed miserably. It's like the editor and/or producer fell asleep while working on this and just said "screw it."

And if the intent behind this was to show the dangers of social media and the immensely dangerous power of anonymity/cyber-bullying, they failed there as well. By the end you walk away wondering why you watched this, thinking the ML is a disgusting person and criminal who took his anger on the online world out into the real world, and siding with the commenters who bullied Best in comparison to ever cheering Q on for "getting back at them."

NOT WORTH WATCHING

I don't even know where to begin. It was just shit.

I'm embarrassed that I started it and upset at my inability to drop it.

I had too much to say for this small box, so just go read my review for the rest of what I had to say. Also, I have no idea where to put it on this list!

How do I talk about this? This is a tough one. I'm sure I'm not going to make sense when I try to talk about this.

The aspects that were fantastic as ever: The shots, colors, lighting, acting, and music is great. And the OST is pure gold!

On the one hand, IPYTM did make me very emotional and I was able to relate to some of the struggles the characters were going through. I loved and hated how this drama made me feel at the same time. It was purposefully soul-crushing at many points. I knew this wasn't going to be an upbeat and easy sequel though.

On the other hand, I think my biggest criticism happens to be everyone else's: They should have shown this drama more from Oh-aews's point of view, or at least half of it.

I Promised You the Moon was never going to surpass I Told Sunset About You. It was either going to continue the story in a meaningful or somewhat meaningful way, or not measure up to it's predecessor at all.

For me, I found this meaningful but not on par with ITSAY. I didn't feel angry. I just felt something lacking, but, it wasn't enough to leave me completely unsatisfied.

I think I'll give this an 8/10.

Watching this opened my eyes even more as to just how much effort and love was put into ITSAY. Truly, beautiful.

Link to YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knjwvrslq4M&list=PLdvNxDar-vQeleSHrUuddFL5X5JxlxbUp

We only got the pilot because it was a school project. So, I guess I'll put it here.

I desperately wish we got the rest of this! So much potential!

Link to YouTube Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0fLyKt0IjENJqSdpU1nZsGIvM1KmMFRC

For a drama that seems to want to be taken seriously, it didn't make it easy for me to do so. The elephant in the room: the subtitles. If you want to tap into the English-speaking market, you need to have consistent and understandable subtitles. More often than not, even when there were subtitles, I had to guess and guess again what they actually meant. For key scenes, I was either left in the dark or walked away with a different meaning and/or possibly feeling irritated at what happened when I maybe didn't need to be.

Subtitles aside, this drama ranged from melodramatic with crazy soap-opera twists to simple and comedic. It didn't do this well, though. I wished they would have picked a lane and and stuck with it.

Also, the romance? Tell me why this supposed 20-something girl acts/is treated like she's 15. It made me feel quite uncomfortable. And the way the older FL, Nueng, went back and forth between being a supportive mother-like figure to a cold tsundere who strung this young girl along. Just why?

I will say that the actors did a great job with what they were given to work with. You could tell they put their all into it.

All in all, I don't recommend it.

Link to YouTube Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc6EfuKFtZrLLHsGgC9yUTRNQxqB8mffk&si=5Duwx6gXuADZVjYd

It's a special so I guess I'll put it here.

No rating because I don't see the point in rating it.

It was so incredibly short. So I guess I'll put it here.

Eh. Sometimes it was cute. I wanted more of the Lesbian couple though!

Can be found on GagaOOLala's YouTube channel

A cute enough little Sapphic series :)

Link to YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhsCXKbbbsR1KO1DbWimURBvRQd_D3Lwn

Very GL Web Series reminiscent. It was cute.

Link to YouTube Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlFBAZXJjUphNHA6CqYfDehWIGlOBA9BA

Just an enjoyable-enough little series. They were rather cute together.

Link to YouTube Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhsCXKbbbsR05fomBiv8HbsfpG7L6NYMN

Interested In

Likely will be found on YouTube

On-Hold

Coming April 30th

Can be found on YouTube

Hasn't released yet 

On-Hold

Link to YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezh6Fedz3k4&list=PLPfpgXVvsHKLCW-ES1UD6bnzRVUsItB6g

Maybe

On-Hold

Haven't rated yet

Haven't rated yet

Need to finish

Link to YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vun5jE7-2ec&list=PLOTD11ZdZi0KZu1Pos_Zfu2okdSA1Bda2

Maybe

Hasn't come out yet

Hasn't released yet

PTW