Lenny

Lawl! I don't think anybody would be foolish enough to challenge you after you took such a firm stance.💀 They knew you weren't the one!

I would've made a similar comment, but I've been raised by women, and was taught to stay in my lane. Especially on these types of issues.

So I felt very thankful when I saw your post pushing back against those posters who were shaming the people who didn't agree with their take, and standing firm in your opinion. I just wanted you to know what you said mattered to me, and you have my support. ❤️

I've been good, Sweetheart! Just busy! Thanks for asking, and I hope you've been good too! ❤️ LOVED your comment on The Warp Effect btw. I didn't get a chance to respond, but know that I definitely was in full agreement with you on your stance.

I'm glad I could help you with some of the details. I suspected you might've been aware of some of those plot points and was mainly trying to convey how bad the script writing really is. It's pretty clear now that this was handled by amateurs. Which could explain why the series had multiple delays from what I understand.

I just figured if you were going to continue watching, I could probably give you some additional details to help with your experience.

I definitely agree that the subs and writing are probably going to hold the show back. So my expectations have been tempered for now. At the very least I hope we can get better subs, lordt!

It might be time for me to renew my subscription to ThailBLFan and beg her to fan sub the series...

Always a pleasure. Talk to you later!

Hey, Tss! It's been awhile!

Once again you summed up my experience.

I think the main thing that stuck out to me was how this may not be the AAA title it's been presenting itself to be. This feels like a smaller production that just has a lot of passion behind it. The sound mixing, directing, writing, and editing seem to imply as much. Bearing all of that in mind, I think the production did a pretty good job with whatever they had to work with.

Unfortunately, like you, I was completely at a lost for this plot! Chile...The writing, along with the bad subs just wasn't givin' me what I needed. I think it would help you as much as it did for me to read the synopsis provided here on MDL and on IQ, All of these details should've been made clear within the episode itself though, like you pointed out.

From what I've gathered(the synopsis on IQ is a bit spoilery, so I won't give away the plots details that were probably meant to be hidden.):

Din is/was Ken's boyfriend of 7 years. He was a forest ranger(Like Earth's character from Tale of 1000 Stars) who got mixed up with a gang of illegal smugglers, and is attacked as we see in the first part of the episode. It would've been a good time to disclose these details when Din and Ken met for the first time in the forest in the flashback.

After Ken somehow miraculously survived the fall from the steep cliff, he was taken from Thailand to live in hiding as an assistant chef in Singapore Chinatown by his father. I'm assuming these people are still searching for them, even after two years.

The 2 boys who came to tell Ken about Din's body being found were Payu(Ken's best friend from Thailand) and Hin(Din's younger brother). They are the only two people back in Thailand who know Ken is still alive. The synopsis for IQ said Payu and Hin are apparently a couple, and the trailer implies the same. So they are probably the second couple of the series.

DeeDee(the guy who Ken helped fight off the attackers) is described to be a second love interest to Ken(although this might just be one sided). I think what triggered Ken's outburst was DD putting himself in danger with the attackers, after telling him one had a gun, and almost getting himself killed. Which is likely similar to what Din did back when he was a forest ranger with the gang of smugglers.

Peter Lue(the pretty man/played by the insanely handsome Boom) is a Taiwanese businessman that supposedly does business in Thailand and Singapore. The mystery with this character is that he seems to bear certain similarities to Din. The episode implies he's the man under the mask(at least I think so) who goes to see Ken in his home, and is protecting him. The trailers and MVs imply that he is Din; So this could be anywhere from a bodyswap, reincarnation, or plastic surgery story plot point(or could be none of these). We'll have to watch to find out.

The people grieving over Din are apparently his(Din's) family back in Thailand. We see them all gathered at Din's funeral in the preview for next week.

And I'm still not sure what to make of what happened at the end of the episode. The subs make it too confusing. but from what I could gather: The people they got into a fight with earlier, came back to attack the daddy's restaurant. I'm assuming these were the people who were captured by the masked man at the end and blown up. So I guess that could be why he did it, and sent them the recording.

Definitely needed much better subs, execution, and writing. Hopefully we see significant improvement in the following episodes, even though I did enjoy it for what it was!

I knew this would slay!

I enjoyed it. This was the best chemistry Ohm and Fluke have had, and a much better series than Oh My Sunshine(which I couldn't even finish), and probably the best character Ohm has played on screen. Mint's character drove me up a wall, but I need to clarify that it was mostly Dew's world version. The Mint from Mum's world seemed like a far more likable and reasonable character, and was a badass sister to boot. Which I thought was a nice twist.

The story was incredibly convoluted though, but I think I managed to follow where things were going for the most part(probably because I'm accustomed to parallel worlds/time travel stories). So this might be a bit too confusing for casual viewers.

This was cute and had some good messages. The babies did a good job here; I just wanna give them a big hug! I think the production is a bit underrated as well. The aesthetics(costume designs, soundtrack, locations, and quirky acting/story elements) gave this a pretty unique vibe that help it stand out. It won't be easy to forget this one.

I love this.

Well, we should consider the context of what he did first. Dew didn't say it was a full blown relationship. He only agreed that they would try dating, which is very different. It doesn't even need to be anything serious if you're just trying out dating. Even other potential relationship partners can be involved in this process. They didn't officially become an item, yet people pretend like they were in a marriage.

It was just a promise to give it a try with no strings attached from how I understood it. Mint obviously took this to the extreme.

I don't agree about Aun and Joey either. Aun is basically pretending like Dew was stringing Mint along by rejecting her. And Joe has not been a mediator. He has been encouraging Aun's behavior by indulging his twisted ideas, and only stepping in when he goes too extreme, while he shames Dew for rejecting her. Dew has made no attempts to instigate a fight with Aun, nor did he attempt any sort of romantic relationship with Mint up to that point, or string her along. That was all in their heads. He only agreed to try dating Mint because they kept pressuring him and telling him he was wrong to reject her. There is just no way this can be spinned in their favor...

They were the ones at fault and Mint especially is responsible for this outcome, since she should've learned how to take no for an answer the first five times Dew rejected her. The only person I have sympathy for in this situation is Dew. He is the one being pressured by his friends and family, and trying to do his best to appease everyone despite them all taking advantage of his good will.

Well, there's 28 people above that apparently see what I'm seeing, sweetheart... And while I'm usually against the majority mentality, it at least highlights how this is a common issue for many.

I'm not saying Dew is confused about his feelings for Mint. What led to his decision has nothing to do with the way he feels about her. He just doesn't believe he has a right to reject her because (he thinks) she's good to him. Everyone has been gaslighting him about it. He thinks he has to be perfect for his father too, and Mint to him is ideal for that. Everyone tells him he treats her poorly for rejecting her, and then, of course, Mint is constantly sending out emotional manipulation as well when he's literally ghosted her and Aun told her he might be gay...

Strong people aren't strong all the time and can fall to emotional manipulation and gaslighting as well. If enough people you trust around you tell you you're in the wrong, then chances are you're going to cave to that false narrative if you're not mentally prepared. It's just the way it works.

And we have to remember this decision was made shortly after Aun cut him off on the road and threatened to murder him if he hurt her again, and by hurt, he means reject, If that isn't a reason enough trigger to justify his decision then I don't know what is.

Erm, that was a legit honest question... My intent wasn't to be rude, but to be certain if you were aware of what occurs as commonplace in the outside world. I mean, what other reason could there be that you wouldn't know that normal people often force themselves into relationships with partners they don't really like, especially within the gay community?

But I apologize that it came off sounding that way though, sweetheart. It's easy for words to be taken the wrong way when you can't really hear or see the person's intent.

"Dew could have and should have avoided dating Mint and he had every implication that he should be firm and double down on that."

Again, I encourage you to look into gaslighting and emotional manipulation. These aren't excuses, but are very real emotional abuse issues. My intention was to educate, not to judge those who said Dew's actions were problematic. It clearly wasn't the right call on his part but that doesn't mean he made that choice out of malice or selfish intent. Or that he was capable of making the right call in his current state of mind after everything that occurred.

"I didn’t do this. I referenced how you described Dew as a person, not what’s been done to him."

My original post was about describing the emotional abuse Dew suffered that ultimately led to that decision, and it was directed at the folks who said he was being messy to Mint. So I guess this wasn't meant for you. Dew has already shown who he is as a person by constantly rejecting her when he was in the right state of mind. What came next was nothing but emotional manipulation and abuse.

Careful. You're assuming a lot about my country and the culture I was raised in, sweetheart. For starters, gay blacks and POC in my country suffer a much higher percentage of societal pressures and discrimination within and outside of their communities than the dominant race or their straight counterparts here. It's called intersectionality, and I would encourage looking into it before attempting to go down a road you're probably not well educated in.

I never once said dating someone you didn't like was unavoidable. I'm living proof that a gay man doesn't need to date women or people I don't like to get by. I do however question why YOU don't believe normal people do this in real life, because that obviously isn't true and is something that has even become somewhat of a trope in BL shows at this point. And I would suggest coming a bit off that high horse of yours. Not everybody has accepting parents and people around them who understand them, or have the mental health or willpower to make those reasonable judgements. Whether they be 4 or 40, mental health can affect anyone and shouldn't be underestimated.

and I like how you sum up threatening to murder someone and other literal emotional abuse as making excuses. And painting the perpetrator as a victim who literally couldn't take no for an answer and tries to murder for the rejection...

The parents intentions are beside the point. Most parents don't realize how their "good intentions" do harm to their children(read: gay or straight). It's not about why they're doing it, but how it's affecting their kids.

Sweetheart, may I ask if you're living under a rock? People getting into relationships with people they don't really like happens all the time in real life, and not just with gay people. It could be for any number of reasons, but it's probably the most common thing in the world. And I have several gay friends who started out with girlfriends as a cover, or because "they wanted to give it a try to be sure".

It's not just Mint and Aun. It's Joey and his parents as well. His father pressured him to find the perfect girlfriend, and his mother gaslit him with the "I know you will never disappoint us". Joey shamed him after Aun blew up at him for rejecting Mint again. These are all the people in his life, aside from Mum, that he trusts.

His father scolds him like crazy and is pressuring him into what he wants him to be, while Mum can be viewed as nothing more than a wet dream at this point. It's definitely enough to get a boy confused and making foolish decisions.

Sweetheart, that's the point... He agreed to the relationship out of the emotional manipulation and gaslighting by the people around him. He had already made the rational judgement and decision NOT to agree to the relationship before this happened... Many, many times.

So what he could've done is beside the point, because now he is under the influence and isn't capable of making those same rational decisions on his own anymore. In his mind, calling off the relationship would've caused MORE harm to Mint and made him the selfish one in this case.

And it's not reasonable to think the "cord" could even be cut at this point. Aun already threatened his life, and we can now see Mint is completely unhinged as well.

Thank you for sharing the story, sweetheart! I've definitely heard these stories all too often in my life, but rarely do they turn out as well as this one did. I think it's important for people to realize these factors before quickly jumping to their judgements. NEVER is it always as simple as "they could've just come out" or "not lied". and it bothers me when people continue to overlook the bigger issues at play.

I'm sorry, but that is not how emotional manipulation and gaslighting works... Dew is being shamed and guilted into thinking every decision he's making is wrong. To the point that he has to resort to lying to protect himself. He has made it super clear to Mint from the start, over and over again, to the point that he's ghosted her, that he's not interested. Any rational thinking person would accept this truth by now and move on. Whatever you're thinking his response should've been would not have affected her reaction in the least bit. She is obsessed to an extreme and unhealthy degree and isn't capable of seeing reason.

To the folks saying Dew was being messy this episode should look into gaslighting and emotional manipulation. Dew has been constantly pressured by just about every single person in his life.

As much as we all want to believe that people should always be capable of making rational decisions at every moment in their life, not everyone's psyche is built for that kind of stress. Dew has been very upfront about his feelings toward Mint, but everyone was making him out to be the bad guy for rejecting her. Aun even outright threatened to murder him if he made her unhappy again.

And under no circumstance is Dew required to out himself to anyone. He told Mint he would TRY dating her, but he never made any promises that he would be able to make it work.

The situation with Mum is completely unique. How is he suppose to know whatever is happening with Mum is even real? Some guy just drops into his bed every night from another universe for an hour a day, and ain't even sure he'll return or have any lasting feelings about him. That don't sound like a stable relationship to me or one people with a rational mind would find reasonable.

He is confused and has every right to be. It's the people like Mint, Aun, Joey, and Dew's parents who are the ones being messy.

I think the biggest difference between him and the standard jocks is that Palm didn't choose to focus on his physical strengths. He was raised in those conditions and had to do the manual work. Whereas the standard jocks tend to want to be that way for whatever reason, and it's why I don't get the folks assuming Palm and Nueng are really polar opposites to begin with. They're assuming Palm doesn't like the same things when the reason could simply be that he hasn't been afforded those same opportunities.

With the fighting, that's also true, but we have to remember Palm isn't just a fisherman. He grew up poor and in rural places. He's had to most likely deal with physical altercations far more than the standard rich kid at the school. He's already mentioned that he had to use guns to protect himself at work, and is much stronger due to the manual labor that he grew up around. So yeah, it wouldn't be too surprising he would be able to manhandle some pampered rich kids at a school, but I think you proved the point either way by pointing out he hasn't been shown to be unstoppable.

I think people are projecting and trying to fit them into a box, when I don't think it works so well here. If Nueng is just the standard weak nerd, then why are they entertaining a romantic interest with Ben, who is basically into the same things as Nueng and is of a similar strength and build?

Chile thank you! Where are they getting this nerd trope mess from? Maybe I'm old as hell, but last I checked Nueng isn't backing down from bullies or putting all of his time into books or nerd culture. And it's been made pretty clear Palm isn't some standard jock. He's grown up dirt poor in conditions that require more physical strength to thrive in those conditions. So he's conditioned to be a good swimmer because he's a fisherman and has had to get physical to protect what he has. Education isn't something that came easy for him, so he's not as smart as the rich people in his school. Not to mention him being Nueng's bodyguard is literally the main plot of the show. So folks should've already been known this from the start if they hated it so much.

- Insert *Annalise Keating grabbing her bag and being done* gif here -

No, sweetheart. We shouldn't dictate the chemistry that others share. That is for the people in that relationship to decide for themselves. You said it yourself, there are a variable of factors that can lead to a sustainable relationship. "Fiery chemistry" is a concept that's open to many interpretations, and traditionally excludes people, such as pansexual and asexual, who do not need to be sexually attracted to their partner. Someone being seen as "boring" to others can be the most amazing person to someone else. So it isn't an excuse for that person not to be in a relationship.

However, there ain't nothing wrong with people saying they couldn't feel the chemistry between two actors in a drama. So while your statement is indeed true on that front, my message wasn't coming for those folks. It was specifically directed at those whom I know were judging Soh's character superficially by calling him boring and unfit, and Saint "hot". If you're saying those messages don't exist in these comments, then I encourage you to keep looking.

I had my own issues with the show, so I wasn't defending it from the criticism that's been directed at it. This was about calling out the superficial and petty folks, which I make a habit of doing. I've been around MDL for a good while(much longer than I've actually had a registered account), So I recognize these patterns and behaviors quite often. You seem to recognize that truth as well, so I think you understand where I'm coming from on this.

And yes, that's life in general, but that does not mean this sort of behavior is acceptable. If those superficial people want only "pretty" actors in their shows then they're in for a rude awakening, because the world is filled with people of varying beauty-types that deserve just as much of a shot in these shows as any other. If we're talking real life, then someone's appearance being the only factor for a relationship is perfectly reasonable. People are free to choose who they want to be with and feel attracted to. But they should also be prepared for the consequences that come with having such a limited outlook on life...

It was never my intent to suggest a person's relationship should be based on how much a person can provide for them. It was simply to debunk those who suggested Soh didn't/couldn't. That he was unfit or too boring for Mon. Trust me, I've been in enough crappy relationships to understand that truth. That if they ain't into you, don't give them your time, or coin...

----

For the last bit, I know the way you feel. The intersectionality of growing up as a gay black man with weight issues has often made me consider myself a serious underdog in my youth, which is why I often go for the underdogs and root for them like you do. That is why I liked the concept of this show.

Fortunately, I've found the importance of visibility and how accepting ones self can do you wonders. How our differences can empower us.

But I also think it's important to call out those who try to make us feel otherwise. To at least protect the ones who don't have the enlightenment that you and I both share about these social issues.

Anyway, I hope I explained my position well to you. If you decide to finish this show, I hope you enjoy it. *hugs*

Hit me up if you need to ask me anything in the future.