👏👏👏 A major thanks to the cast and crew for bringing this stunning series to us on such short notice. I feel so blessed to have experienced more work from many of the folks that brought us To Sir With Love! I only ask that they continue to work and grow. They all clearly have a talent for this.
This gave me everything I was looking for. Focused story, action, drama, suspense, social commentary, attractive cast, great acting, and good music(Rose's song at the wedding slayed me).
Nawin was a great addition to this cast. He came late but did not waste the time he had left. He brought a levity to the show that really helped balance out the heavy drama that had built up toward the later half of the series. I loved that crazy a** fine man. He can always HMU if he ever gets over Charn. *wink*
Villains not getting theirs is one of my main grievances with many of the BLs I've come across. So I was quite pleased to see Thatthep get his just desserts in prison after threatening Charn and his new family. Charn already went through that once, my guy! It ain't gone play out like that again!
And I was even more happy to see there was no drama between Charn and Tinn about him getting shanked in prison. The convo with grandma seemed to suggest Tinn would let it go. So I'm thankful for that. Their relationship really matured well throughout the series, and it's cool to see that Tinn is okay with Charn doing a little bad under the table if it's necessary. It was also a nice callback to TSWL when they were talking about the marriage equality.
The babies(Tan and Thee) need their own little series. They did a good job with the limited amount of screen time that they had to work with here on such a short series. I definitely see potential with these two and hope to see them in more stuff moving forward.
Shoutout to Rose, Maya, and Grams for being the best supporting cast here. They all managed to leave a lasting impression with me. 🤍 Definitely a redemption arc for Grams after her character in The Love Proposal.
and another shoutout to the writers for finally making a protagonist smart enough to wear a bullet proof vest when they know they're about to catch some heat.
Another thanks to the person on Telegram for providing the right subs for us!
The Thai version is one of my all time favorites(or at least the first half of it is before it was derailed by the pandemic), so I've decided to just approach this as its own thing. And after watching the first 4 episodes I realized I didn't really need to do that since they've pretty much done that work for me. I thought this was quite okay so far. It doesn't have the cameo novelty or the quirkiness of the original, but it works for what it is, Both couples have good chemistry and the story is much more streamlined here. There are definitely some production qualify issues, but it's not really a concern for me.
I wonder about the backstory: if all of the villagers (at least adults) were on board with the chief's plan then…
Hey there! Thanks for the wonderful reply.
I agree with you. There's still some bits that are unclear about the backstory reveal that I'm hoping we'll learn more about soon. I don't think the villagers all turned against Charn(even though that is probably what he believes). It was probably the chief's plan mostly, like you mentioned, with Charn probably being convinced by someone that it was all of them. Perhaps it was by this Mr. Nawin, who I'm assuming is the ex boyfriend Rose mentioned. Because there is a shot of someone putting their arm around Charn's waste when the village is being burned. We don't get to see his face though... It seems pretty late in the series to introduce a new character though, so I wonder if it's someone we've already seen?
And I definitely agree that it's TV magic with how Wit managed to survive the explosion(we probably won't get an explanation either), and this would be right up this writing team's alley considering the leaps in logic they went with in To Sir With Love as it concerns the death of characters. With all of that being said, I thought Wit's death last week was a little premature seeing as we haven't had any backstory with how Charn and Wit came to work with each other in the first place, and more on why he turned against him.
Soooooo Goood! This team just does not miss and I'm here for every second of it,
Thoughts below:
- We finally got the full reveal of Charn's backstory, and whew was it darker than I was expecting. Everybody cashing out on Charn and his mama and letting them be murdered was some straight up messed up sh**. The trauma he must've received from this experience is unfathomable. It definitely explains the trust issues and the insatiable demand for power, and like I already guessed, is why he was originally so drawn to Tin in the first place. As he sees him as a reflection of his former self.
- I about screamed at the top of my lungs when Charn just fell back on that bed and basically said 'Take Me' after finally confirming Tinn is the person he has needed all this time to help him finally grieve properly and move forward.
- Jealous Tin throughout this episode was so cute! The pouty attitude, the serenading to impress Charn, and asking for a rating after their happy time was everything!
- I am finally starting to warm up to the second couple, and I waited patiently for that since I had faith in the writing team here. It was wise to reveal that Thee had a childhood connection to that little punk! Because now we know for certain that Thee knows the real person behind the mask. We witnessed a completely different person when Tan is alone with Thee and away from his toad of a father.
I was grateful for the scene of Tan trying to rescue the cat from the tree. As this shows a very stark contrast to the cruel person we see have a dog murdered without a shred of remorse. His father has obviously played a huge role in brainwashing Tan into believing he has to be this person. But despite all of that he at least subconciously knew he was wrong and has actively made attempts to escape the madness by asking Thee for help. And I think that's probably the most important thing here. He clearly doesn't want to be that person and wants to leave. So just keep that baby far away from his crazy a** daddy and I'm sure he will be fine with his bro/boo.
- I'm dead after seeing the glow-down for that chief(now a hobo). 💀
-Is this Mr. Nawin the ex-boyfriend Rose mentioned? If so, I suspect he had a very bad influence on Charn, given what he supposedly helped him do to the villagers that had backstabbed him.
- How is Wit's burnt a** still alive? And with very few burns? I don't remember them dragging him out before the explosion?
I kinda can't stop watching the bar scenes... and NO.. not for the flirting and jealousy scenes but for Charn's…
Yesss! This is what I've been saying. Film displays so many vibrant and complex shades of character, and probably moreso than we've seen in any of his previous works. It's been awhile since I've seen a character with so much depth, and played organically by such a talented actor. I believe he did say that he was happy to jump at the chance to play a queer character since it gave him the most freedom to tap into his acting. You can tell he has a passion for this,
Agreed - totally loved them in To Sir with Love, and they are serving here too! Hopefully we see more of them!
Yes, the struggle was real since One31 isn't known for releasing subs for their lakorn series, but it was making enough noise for them to release them within a week or two delay(which was too long a wait for me)! But it was all worth it. We had so many fun discussions in that thread. lol
I think my subs got taken down on Bilibili unfortunately. Hopefully the ones on youtube have improved if you ever get around to watching it.
Agreed - totally loved them in To Sir with Love, and they are serving here too! Hopefully we see more of them!
They're actually the main couple. The story just isn't centered directly around their romance. It's more about the drama that their relationship stirs up with the families since it's a period drama. But JamFilm still have plenty of great moments together in it. I highly recommend.
I don't know about the subs on Youtube though and if they've improved. I oftentimes preferred my bootleg subs, since the wording and flow was better(I used an auto translator to translate the official Vietnamese subs that I found, and then cleaned them up in my own words).
Agreed - totally loved them in To Sir with Love, and they are serving here too! Hopefully we see more of them!
Yessss, I felt so blessed when I found out they would be getting a new series after To Sir With Love. Because it's very rare for thai bl couples from the telenovelas(Thai lakorns) to continue working together as a couple in new series. So To Sir With Love must've really been a hit for JamFilm and the production crew to work on another series again. I was so invested in To Sir With Love that I rigged some bootleg sub for folks like me, that couldn't wait a week for the episodes to be subbed. 💀
JamFilm are the total package. I knew despite the production issues they would serve us with their chemistry and…
Episode notes:
I didn't quite notice it before, but Tinn had a unique way of disciplining his niece. On the surface he seems to be careless about her behavior, but once you see enough of their interactions you notice how effective his method is, and how he does so without showing a shred of cruelty. Tinn seems to be able to connect with people on a different level and is capable of bringing a person to reasonable judgements without much effort. I noticed this in his interaction with Thee as well. So it isn't just Charn that he's been able to do this with. I think this is a fascinating character trait. Because it shows that Tinn has his own way despite what Charn believes.
- Me dying of laughter at Tinn whooping all of Tan's bodyguard's a**es and Tan getting locked out of his car and having to run like a little punk after doin all that chest puffing. 💀 The budget may not be great, but Jam always delivers on fight choreography.
- Grandma is serving nothing but facts around her shop. So far she's been an amazing grounding presence for our two knucklehead leads. A major step up from her character in The Love Proposal.
- Speaking of The Love Proposal, this is where I was first introduced to Jam. He did a great job in that series as well. People might want to check it out, but not for BL though... The gay storyline in that is unfortunately very tragic. I see several familiar faces from that series. Beer(one of Tan's friends at the party who flirted with Charm) was also in that series. And not to anyone's surprise, I hated his a** there too!
- Maya stays SLAYING! If anyone is interested in more of Silvy's work and hasn't already seen The Warp Effect, I highly recommend that series.
- I don't know about that second BL couple Yall. I still ain't forgave Tan's a** for having that dog killed. lol Thee so far, seems to at least have a shred of humanity. I guess I will wait to see more of how their relationship develops, but we already halfway through and all I want to do at this point is strangle that poor child as much as his daddy. But I have faith in the writers. At least we know his behavior is just a front and he doesn't truly believe what he's saying/doing. Still, a person walks a fine line with this, and once you cross a certain threshold, it's very hard to come back from that. We know he didn't kill the niece now since he was drunk that night and passes out after only two drinks(tragic, that bathroom scene has me rolling though).
- That waist grab from Tinn was EVERYTHING. The smoothness. The grace... The stare. THAT is how you make a statement that your partner is taken with respect to both the partner and the person you are taking them from! Only Jam could deliver that with such class! 👏 Production gets major props for delivering here as well. It was a perfect and ICONIC scene!
- Charn's facial expressions continue to dazzle me. He says so much with just his expressions, and it continues to give me life.
-Tinn's happy dance bike ride was the cutest thing ever! I loved it!
- Thanks to the sweetheart on Telegram for sharing the episodes!
JamFilm are the total package. I knew despite the production issues they would serve us with their chemistry and acting. Periodt. They've now officially become my favorite BL CP after this and To Sir With Love.
I don't think it's being released in China. From what I understand, they seem to have worked their way around…
Thanks, love!
It's been a hot minute since I watched a bl from China. Addicted was one of my first BLs and I'm excited to see how this adaption will play out. Most folks are telling me it slays.
Well stated. I loved this post.I don't agree that Tin has Charn fully pegged though, because he continually assumes…
I would rephrase what I said, because I agree with everything you just pointed out.
I think Tin sees Charn's sincerity and feels it in his heart, but is willfully ignoring it out of anger and caution due to his cruel behavior. And that is indeed well within how he should feel, given what Charn has put him though like you mentioned. It's him doubting himself since Charn's actions don't align with the character Tin can see beneath the surface. It's actually a testament to Jam's acting. Since he does conveys all of those complex thoughts and emotions without really speaking. I think once he does learn about Charn's past, it will be easier for him to understand his behavior and try to help him be more reasonable and responsible with his actions.
I think the struggle between doing what's right is what makes the story so compelling. When you really understand both sides, you can only keep watching to learn how it will all play out... and I really hope it isn't rushed like you mentioned with the limited number of episodes. So far, the pacing has been great for me.
While I actually really dislike the theory that Thaenthai didn't hit the niece but is being made to take the fall,…
Well stated. I loved this post.
I don't agree that Tin has Charn fully pegged though, because he continually assumes Charn doesn't care about him or his family. This is only because he doesn't know about his past, which is why I thought his conversation with Rose was so important(since she understands both sides). Charn's perspective is twisted by his past experiences, so he doesn't express care in the general way one would normally expect. He see's Tin as a reflection of his former self and wants to protect him the only way he has learned to protect himself. By gaining power and control, and by being selfish. In the case with the fire, he needed a leg up on Thatthep after the threat with killing the dog happened. Charn knew that if he had dirt on him, he would cease his attempts to threaten their lives. This was a desperate attempt to protect, even though it was wrong and easily could've went south as Tin expressed.
I think both will need to bend a little, since I feel they both sit at opposite extremes of their viewpoints. Tin needs to be less selfless(this is the same man that let his family fake his Grandmother's death for a birthday surprise and only initially wanted an apology and for Thaen to show up at his niece's funeral). He needs to be willing to get his hands a little dirty and play the game if he ever hopes to get justice for his niece, and Charn needs to dial back on the crazy like he did with starting the fire and framing people. He needs to learn to draw a line with how far he's willing to go if he ever hopes to find peace with himself and happiness with Tin.
I'm just now finding out about this adaption. When did China go gay again? I heard even the Guardian/WOH/K&H type of gay wasn't allowed anymore as well, but the clips I've seen from this so far are not even subtextual... Unless they were posted out of context. Lol
Despite the budgetary constraints and questionable production, JamFilm's chemistry and acting shine through brightly in this series for me. Film especially brings to life a very complex character with a sea of depth. Someone compared his character Charn to Annalise Keating from How To Get Away With Murder, and while I believe that show is on a whole other level, I completely agree with that take. Charn's character has been forged by the harsh realities and cruelties that have been placed upon him. Every action, statement, and argument that he's deployed are expressed as a result of those experiences.
What everyone sees as cruel and selfish is actually a desperate effort to save someone from falling victim to those same experiences, as well as to put a stop to those who would do harm to them. Every time Charn and Tinn clash, the energy and passion just leaps out through the screen. So much of what is expressed is REAL talk, but the beauty of Tin's character is how he offers Charn a silver lining and a more grounded perspective to his extreme action/views. If they can find the right balance, the best course for their views/actions would lie somewhere in the middle of the two.
I just have to give JamFilm their flowers for delivering on those scenes outside of their romantic chemistry, and for creating such a compelling dynamic between the two.
100% agree with this assessment as usual Lenny. I never wanted Gaga to have a skip forward button more than during…
Glad to hear Wedding Plan seems to be worth checking out... and guuuuurl!!! I forgot all about how dirty Mame's messy a** did our babies Leon and Pob! There hasn't been any news about their new series? SmartJames definitely deserve better. It's been maybe 2 years? and we haven't seen them get anything of substance. I wonder what all the hold up is?
This gave me everything I was looking for. Focused story, action, drama, suspense, social commentary, attractive cast, great acting, and good music(Rose's song at the wedding slayed me).
Nawin was a great addition to this cast. He came late but did not waste the time he had left. He brought a levity to the show that really helped balance out the heavy drama that had built up toward the later half of the series. I loved that crazy a** fine man. He can always HMU if he ever gets over Charn. *wink*
Villains not getting theirs is one of my main grievances with many of the BLs I've come across. So I was quite pleased to see Thatthep get his just desserts in prison after threatening Charn and his new family. Charn already went through that once, my guy! It ain't gone play out like that again!
And I was even more happy to see there was no drama between Charn and Tinn about him getting shanked in prison. The convo with grandma seemed to suggest Tinn would let it go. So I'm thankful for that. Their relationship really matured well throughout the series, and it's cool to see that Tinn is okay with Charn doing a little bad under the table if it's necessary. It was also a nice callback to TSWL when they were talking about the marriage equality.
The babies(Tan and Thee) need their own little series. They did a good job with the limited amount of screen time that they had to work with here on such a short series. I definitely see potential with these two and hope to see them in more stuff moving forward.
Shoutout to Rose, Maya, and Grams for being the best supporting cast here. They all managed to leave a lasting impression with me. 🤍 Definitely a redemption arc for Grams after her character in The Love Proposal.
and another shoutout to the writers for finally making a protagonist smart enough to wear a bullet proof vest when they know they're about to catch some heat.
Another thanks to the person on Telegram for providing the right subs for us!
Canada and Austria appear to be working as well for me, if Egypt didn't work.
I agree with you. There's still some bits that are unclear about the backstory reveal that I'm hoping we'll learn more about soon. I don't think the villagers all turned against Charn(even though that is probably what he believes). It was probably the chief's plan mostly, like you mentioned, with Charn probably being convinced by someone that it was all of them. Perhaps it was by this Mr. Nawin, who I'm assuming is the ex boyfriend Rose mentioned. Because there is a shot of someone putting their arm around Charn's waste when the village is being burned. We don't get to see his face though... It seems pretty late in the series to introduce a new character though, so I wonder if it's someone we've already seen?
And I definitely agree that it's TV magic with how Wit managed to survive the explosion(we probably won't get an explanation either), and this would be right up this writing team's alley considering the leaps in logic they went with in To Sir With Love as it concerns the death of characters. With all of that being said, I thought Wit's death last week was a little premature seeing as we haven't had any backstory with how Charn and Wit came to work with each other in the first place, and more on why he turned against him.
I'm using the PIA(Private Internet Access) VPN service.
The youtube uncut version everybody keeps posting has background audio and music missing. So I wouldn't recommend watching that one.
Thoughts below:
- We finally got the full reveal of Charn's backstory, and whew was it darker than I was expecting. Everybody cashing out on Charn and his mama and letting them be murdered was some straight up messed up sh**. The trauma he must've received from this experience is unfathomable. It definitely explains the trust issues and the insatiable demand for power, and like I already guessed, is why he was originally so drawn to Tin in the first place. As he sees him as a reflection of his former self.
- I about screamed at the top of my lungs when Charn just fell back on that bed and basically said 'Take Me' after finally confirming Tinn is the person he has needed all this time to help him finally grieve properly and move forward.
- Jealous Tin throughout this episode was so cute! The pouty attitude, the serenading to impress Charn, and asking for a rating after their happy time was everything!
- I am finally starting to warm up to the second couple, and I waited patiently for that since I had faith in the writing team here. It was wise to reveal that Thee had a childhood connection to that little punk! Because now we know for certain that Thee knows the real person behind the mask. We witnessed a completely different person when Tan is alone with Thee and away from his toad of a father.
I was grateful for the scene of Tan trying to rescue the cat from the tree. As this shows a very stark contrast to the cruel person we see have a dog murdered without a shred of remorse. His father has obviously played a huge role in brainwashing Tan into believing he has to be this person. But despite all of that he at least subconciously knew he was wrong and has actively made attempts to escape the madness by asking Thee for help. And I think that's probably the most important thing here. He clearly doesn't want to be that person and wants to leave. So just keep that baby far away from his crazy a** daddy and I'm sure he will be fine with his bro/boo.
- I'm dead after seeing the glow-down for that chief(now a hobo). 💀
-Is this Mr. Nawin the ex-boyfriend Rose mentioned? If so, I suspect he had a very bad influence on Charn, given what he supposedly helped him do to the villagers that had backstabbed him.
- How is Wit's burnt a** still alive? And with very few burns? I don't remember them dragging him out before the explosion?
I think my subs got taken down on Bilibili unfortunately. Hopefully the ones on youtube have improved if you ever get around to watching it.
I don't know about the subs on Youtube though and if they've improved. I oftentimes preferred my bootleg subs, since the wording and flow was better(I used an auto translator to translate the official Vietnamese subs that I found, and then cleaned them up in my own words).
I didn't quite notice it before, but Tinn had a unique way of disciplining his niece. On the surface he seems to be careless about her behavior, but once you see enough of their interactions you notice how effective his method is, and how he does so without showing a shred of cruelty. Tinn seems to be able to connect with people on a different level and is capable of bringing a person to reasonable judgements without much effort. I noticed this in his interaction with Thee as well. So it isn't just Charn that he's been able to do this with. I think this is a fascinating character trait. Because it shows that Tinn has his own way despite what Charn believes.
- Me dying of laughter at Tinn whooping all of Tan's bodyguard's a**es and Tan getting locked out of his car and having to run like a little punk after doin all that chest puffing. 💀 The budget may not be great, but Jam always delivers on fight choreography.
- Grandma is serving nothing but facts around her shop. So far she's been an amazing grounding presence for our two knucklehead leads. A major step up from her character in The Love Proposal.
- Speaking of The Love Proposal, this is where I was first introduced to Jam. He did a great job in that series as well. People might want to check it out, but not for BL though... The gay storyline in that is unfortunately very tragic. I see several familiar faces from that series. Beer(one of Tan's friends at the party who flirted with Charm) was also in that series. And not to anyone's surprise, I hated his a** there too!
- Maya stays SLAYING! If anyone is interested in more of Silvy's work and hasn't already seen The Warp Effect, I highly recommend that series.
- I don't know about that second BL couple Yall. I still ain't forgave Tan's a** for having that dog killed. lol Thee so far, seems to at least have a shred of humanity. I guess I will wait to see more of how their relationship develops, but we already halfway through and all I want to do at this point is strangle that poor child as much as his daddy. But I have faith in the writers. At least we know his behavior is just a front and he doesn't truly believe what he's saying/doing. Still, a person walks a fine line with this, and once you cross a certain threshold, it's very hard to come back from that. We know he didn't kill the niece now since he was drunk that night and passes out after only two drinks(tragic, that bathroom scene has me rolling though).
- That waist grab from Tinn was EVERYTHING. The smoothness. The grace... The stare. THAT is how you make a statement that your partner is taken with respect to both the partner and the person you are taking them from! Only Jam could deliver that with such class! 👏 Production gets major props for delivering here as well. It was a perfect and ICONIC scene!
- Charn's facial expressions continue to dazzle me. He says so much with just his expressions, and it continues to give me life.
-Tinn's happy dance bike ride was the cutest thing ever! I loved it!
- Thanks to the sweetheart on Telegram for sharing the episodes!
It's been a hot minute since I watched a bl from China. Addicted was one of my first BLs and I'm excited to see how this adaption will play out. Most folks are telling me it slays.
I think Tin sees Charn's sincerity and feels it in his heart, but is willfully ignoring it out of anger and caution due to his cruel behavior. And that is indeed well within how he should feel, given what Charn has put him though like you mentioned. It's him doubting himself since Charn's actions don't align with the character Tin can see beneath the surface. It's actually a testament to Jam's acting. Since he does conveys all of those complex thoughts and emotions without really speaking. I think once he does learn about Charn's past, it will be easier for him to understand his behavior and try to help him be more reasonable and responsible with his actions.
I think the struggle between doing what's right is what makes the story so compelling. When you really understand both sides, you can only keep watching to learn how it will all play out... and I really hope it isn't rushed like you mentioned with the limited number of episodes. So far, the pacing has been great for me.
Thank you for the wonderful response, sweetheart!
I don't agree that Tin has Charn fully pegged though, because he continually assumes Charn doesn't care about him or his family. This is only because he doesn't know about his past, which is why I thought his conversation with Rose was so important(since she understands both sides). Charn's perspective is twisted by his past experiences, so he doesn't express care in the general way one would normally expect. He see's Tin as a reflection of his former self and wants to protect him the only way he has learned to protect himself. By gaining power and control, and by being selfish. In the case with the fire, he needed a leg up on Thatthep after the threat with killing the dog happened. Charn knew that if he had dirt on him, he would cease his attempts to threaten their lives. This was a desperate attempt to protect, even though it was wrong and easily could've went south as Tin expressed.
I think both will need to bend a little, since I feel they both sit at opposite extremes of their viewpoints. Tin needs to be less selfless(this is the same man that let his family fake his Grandmother's death for a birthday surprise and only initially wanted an apology and for Thaen to show up at his niece's funeral). He needs to be willing to get his hands a little dirty and play the game if he ever hopes to get justice for his niece, and Charn needs to dial back on the crazy like he did with starting the fire and framing people. He needs to learn to draw a line with how far he's willing to go if he ever hopes to find peace with himself and happiness with Tin.
I will have to give it a go.
What everyone sees as cruel and selfish is actually a desperate effort to save someone from falling victim to those same experiences, as well as to put a stop to those who would do harm to them. Every time Charn and Tinn clash, the energy and passion just leaps out through the screen. So much of what is expressed is REAL talk, but the beauty of Tin's character is how he offers Charn a silver lining and a more grounded perspective to his extreme action/views. If they can find the right balance, the best course for their views/actions would lie somewhere in the middle of the two.
I just have to give JamFilm their flowers for delivering on those scenes outside of their romantic chemistry, and for creating such a compelling dynamic between the two.