Gaia

Ok, so - this was one great series! It could have been a masterpiece, even better than Shine for my taste, BUT there were quite a few pacing issues: maybe one ore two episodes more would have been a nice plus, since the ending felt kinda rushed.

The time slots weren't never really clear, I know the order 66/2523 (the amnesty for students/literates who fled into the jungle after the Thammasat Massacre) was published in April 1980 so this means Vin, Sila and Mada spent 4 years in the jungle... but after that, how much time did Mada and Sila stay in prison? When they meet again they say "it's been forever" but tey say their sentence was reduced so I suppose a few months, or a maximum of one/two years... and how long then did Sin spent in prison too?
Honestly a better and clearer storytelling would have been nice, especially since it's a plot that unravels in history.

Also, that lakeside talk between Sin/Vin was a bit unnatural: "I will pay for my sins and make your mom accept me" "I'll be waiting" and that's just about it? I mean you thought the love of your life was dead but he's not, he's alive (and as hottest as ever) in front of you... and that's just about it? o.o

And moreover: for as much as I could understand the "worried mother" trope, I COULD KILL someone for reading my private letters! What the hell, I understand you hide them, BUT YOU CAN'T READ THEM!!!! My autistic side was screaming SO MUCH!

ANYWAY
that said, I LOVED this story, and all the characters were very well built.
I'm happy we got an happy ending and I cried when Sin was hitting Fah to gain his freedom, it was like a metaphorical way of stoning his identity of Comrade Yue to death and leave it behind in the jungle... an identity that was born because of Fah, and was also finally dying because of him, making a full circle.

My personal superstar for this series was Bas - he carried the show with his presence, his acting, his aura and the incredible way in which he managed to transform a character into someone real and tridimensional: all the subtle expressions he made, the small movements... it was a pleasure to watch.
The rest of the cast was good but not up to par, and it was easy to see in the overly emotional scenes (I liked Vin/Sin dynamics but Lhongchan was often too stiff in intense scenes).

Sorry for the long post - which btw kinda feels like I didn't like the series while in fact I loved it! XD
A missed masterpiece but still a very good surprise, it's a 9 for me (a bit biased but the pros are way more than the cons!)

I swear I'm not crying, I just got an unread letter in my eye... T_T

agreed! i might have even liked VOS more than FOF, although the format is a bit different and the "brotherhood" theme too.

Thailand has always been a monarchy, and starting from 1932 they also had a constitution, although the power was never really to the people but to a little majority of nobles and military oligarchs. To make it simple, General Kittikachorn basically used the elections in 1969 and won the people trust, to democratically legitimize his position - but in 1971, due to the continuous opposition of the parliament, he took all the power and dissolved the chambers. this caused unrest and revolts and in 1973 a revolution, lead by the students, overthrew his regime and exiled him. there was a brief democracy, but in 1976 a new military dictatorship takes the power (and that is basically where this drama starts, with the massacre of Thammasat university iof October 1976).

oh and i forgot - if you're watching THE EDGE OF HORIZON airing now, or if you've watched SHINE last year, this series basically is the historical conclusion in a timeline that starts with TEOH with General Kitti's coup d'etat, than SHINE with the revolution and then WLF with the return to the military regime.

It connects directly to one of the most significant and tragic turning points in modern Thai history: the October 6, 1976, Massacre at Thammasat University in Bangkok, and its immediate aftermath.

-- In October 1973, a massive student-led popular uprising successfully overthrew Thailand's military regime, ushering in a brief, vibrant three-year period of democracy. However, tensions soared in September 1976 when the exiled former military dictator, Thanom Kittikachorn, returned to Thailand under the guise of becoming a Buddhist monk. Believing his return signaled an attempt by the military to claw back power, students at Thammasat University organized massive demonstrations.

-- On the morning of October 6, 1976, state security forces (police and border patrol units) alongside right-wing paramilitary groups surrounded Thammasat University. They opened fire on the campus using heavy war-grade weapons. Official numbers recorded dozens of deaths, though unofficial estimates were much higher, and thousands of students were arrested. The event brutally terminated Thailand's experiment with democracy and brought in a hardline, anti-communist government.

-- After this, surviving student leaders, intellectuals, artists, and leftists faced intense political persecution, arbitrary arrests, and imprisonment. To escape capture, thousands of students fled Bangkok. Many of these young idealists sought refuge in remote jungle areas where the Communist Party of Thailand was waging an armed guerrilla insurgency against the Thai government. In the remote jungles, these students formed units, trained alongside seasoned guerrilla fighters, and tried to continue their political struggle from hiding.

THIS DRAMA STARTS with the revolt at Thammasat university and follows the story of three students who join a group of guerrilla fighters in the forest.

HE DID! i watched that scene ten times and kept thinking: "those seem Off's lips..." XD

As often happens with these kind of dramas, the second central part of the series suffers from lack of fluidity and pacing... I just finished ep29 and I'm developing a subtle disliking for the female lead to be honest. Don't misunderstand: I'm still liking this very much, it's so epic and majestic, but maybe it would have been better with 10 episodes less. o.o

honestly, i think it would be such a great twist if Kaye's second personality is the actual killer - but obviously it can't be like that, it's just I would love to have a really dark ending for once!

I
LOVE
P'Off!

please don't tell me I'm the only one who always stops and slowdowns the killing moments to see IF there is a glimpse of the killer... XD

yes there is - at minute 30:20, but it's very brief and at high speed so it's pretty confusing as a scene

this episode was a continuous "wtf?" of writing issues for me, in which basically everyone said one thing and then did the opposite, bringing about the very predictable final disaster.

Obviously Xiao Lin died... I was hoping he could survive, but at least he died being true to his proud and regal soul, saving his people and his honour.
I will miss his character deeply.

ARGH! ep 25 had me SO irritated!

Ep 23's battle between Tantai Jin and Xiao Lin is one of the most elegant, scenic and well-made battles I've seen, both in terms of choreography and CGI!

Also: why didn't we get Xiao Lin in black clothes from the start, Deng Wei looks so good in black! I'm really loving his character up to now, I'm curious to see if he turns cruel in some way or if he stays true to himself till the end... it's a pity he loves such a terrible woman tho'!

You used a good term, I agree that he kinda looked like he had lost his soul and strenght... like a shell with no heart anymore.
This poor boy T_T

I get the fact that he's completely broken, and it's only natural because the person he loved the most used him, lied to him and betrayed him... but he's a very intelligent man and he's a person who has always shown propension to dialogue, AND who trusts Phob with his own life, so I would have expected a more clear confrontation between the two.

He's the sweetest, most caring person on earth so I really hope he can have some peace... although the preview for next episode seems quite tragic. Also, I'm curious to see how they can make him go back to Phob, without basically stepping on his own pride after all this mess.

This volunteer torture is the sweetest, saddest moment of the week! T_T

For as much as I'm loving this (probably one of my faves this year together with AWSWtWiSHD), I had some issues with Tinn's complete break down this episode...

Ok, so.... 6eps and 5 years later, but seems like Lil'Jane hasn't learnt a single thing from their past...

But oh well, Big Jane looks even better than in part 1 so I'm on board! XD

I honestly cannot picture how this will end. I really, really hope we can get a HE for these two because they deserve it after so much pain and trauma!

Such a good story and setting... it's a pity the direction isn't one of the best because this series had such a potential! And Bas acting is definitely carrying the feels for me, he portrays Sin with such an intensity and depth that he feels like a person and not a character!

So I finally started bingewatching this and the first thing I must say is: LYX is for sure one of the best wuxia/xianxia actors out there. He's elegant and majestic in a way that can be both regal and devilish, so it's a perfect fit for a character so complex and faceted as Tantai Jin. I'm mostly glued to the screen because his acting is so magnetic!

Unfortunately I'm kind of getting irritated by the whole miscommunication trope that is basically slowing down everything. The first 10/15 episodes were GREAT but now (I'm at ep22) the whole "i love him but i don't know it" is a bit too stretched... and makes me think, how can we make it to 40 episodes? o.o

Anyway the story and the characterization of Tantai Jin is so intriguing... also, kudos to DuDu because she's acting like a real b!tch and I'm hating her character so much! XD