BraveAppointment1

This is really enjoyable. It just gets better and better as it goes along, and the creators reveal the relationship between the two guys. In the final episodes, the young actors do a stellar job of portraying the confused mix of emotions that guys in this situation feel. I would describe this as the ultimate "short but sweet" coming-of-age drama.

It's on Gagaoolala with subtitles, for those who can't understand Cantonese.

The episodes have been posted by unofficial sources on YouTube, and not taken down. So you shouldn't have trouble finding them.

People have said it previously, but wow, Mark's acting is really great. In Ep. 10 he really does a fantastic job of portraying the conflicts that shape Aek's choices. In the scene where he's talking with Vich, you can almost see the warring emotions on his face. And then in the breakdown with his Mom.......he wins the acting prize even if he didn't win the Top Chef prize.......

Well, there is not going to be agreement on the answer to this question. I think it is quite good, with interesting depictions of subtle relationships in a very Thai context. If you start watching it, pay attention to Aek's interactions with his mother.....because they are key to understanding his motivations. (Ep 10 makes that very clear, in a well-done flashback sequence.)

I agree with pretty much all of your comments. It's a real shame that the potential shown in the first few eps was not realized. The story just wandered all over the place.....I really think it would have been better to cut out the third couple and just FOCUS on the stories of the two Santiago brothers.

I don't agree that Jethro is unlikeable. He started off rather conceited in the first ep but I think he's had some very cute moments (e.g. when he backed up the car to give Mario back his phone.) He looks at Mario in the most adorable way, and I think he's really been quite patient with Mario. Frankly, IRL a lot of guys would have just thrown Mario out (thrown away) because of his hesitations. By the end of the most recent ep, it was clear that Jethro was losing his patience.....and then Mario suddenly made his move. Whether Jethro (or Mario) is likeable or not is going to be determined by what comes next.

This is right. There are several kinds of egg dishes that English-speakers might call omelettes in Thai cuisine and this deep-friend version is one of them.

I think you've put your finger on a key aspect. As this story has developed, the main relationship tension is "when will one of them break the barrier and confess." Aue keeps starting, and then veering away. Aek came close in Ep. 7 .

And yes, the food porn in this series is fantastic!

Yep. I'm with you all the way on this one.

I watched this because it has recently appeared on Gagaoolala. I liked this short film a lot. It is a deep commentary about life, and roads not taken. The end, unfortunately, is not a happy one, as the main character has to live his life in the knowledge that there could have been greater happiness for him if he had taken a different road.

The acting here is excellent. The plot is spare, but full of impact. The cinematography is very good, with nice scenes. Oh, and don't be deceived by the title.....there is little nudity in this film and no sex at all. Just emotions......

I loved several new aspects of Episode 5:
-- The episode broke completely with the Bangkok-centric world (at least for a while). I believe that the jarring juxtaposition in one episode of the very hoity-toity artsy environment of Aue's mother's gallery (complete with gratuitous English in her speaking) and the much more simple and sincere up-country ethos of Aek's family was completely intentional.
-- the depictions of traditional Thai society were excellent, and the guys paying homage together at the Buddhist temple was a very nice touch. I think Aue's line about the morning charity devotion bringing back warm boyhood memories would generate sympathetic reactions from a LOT of Thais.
-- The food scenes this time intentionally focused on very common up-country foods: Khao Soy, Phat Bai Kapraow, and Khao Tom. (It was the Khao Tom that brought back memories for me, of many breakfasts in Thailand.....)
-- The characters evolved in a very amusing way. Aue, the macho Chef who gives everyone orders, turns out to have some pretty profound insecurities of his own. And he sure isn't giving any orders to Aek: in the face of Aue throwing caution to the wind and propositioning Aek, Aek just smiles enigmatically and puts him off. It is Aek who is in complete control of this relationship!! That's a nice bit of emotional role-reversal -- it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

For me the heart-winner was the Khao Tom breakfast.....brought back soooo many memories of life in Thailand!

Episodes with English subs are being posted on YouTube. This channel posts high-quality versions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClVeQBbxJ6MMh1qd2JsdtSw

I'm loving this series. It is so different from the usual.......I get that some people don't like the pacing, but I find it has almost a zen quality; you have to slow down your expectations and just go with the flow. And some of the scenes produce incredible tension just because they ARE slow. Ordinary activities (touching an arm for encouragement; adjusting a bow tie) are given central roles in scenes that leave me holding my breath. I'm living for the scene where there is a really slow build up, and Aue and Aek are looking at each other, physically close....and it ends with a kiss, not with backing off.

And just in terms of production: the visuals are gorgeous. (I love the food porn scenes!) And the use of the music is excellent as well. Watching this is really a pleasure.

Ep 3 has got me completely hooked. The "almost-kiss" scene was so full of tension and suppressed longing......wow. I am seeing much more in the way of serious acting from Kaleb, and from David, than in their past work. This is definitely a cut above other recent Pinoy BL works.

Hahahaha.......Comment of the week, jpny1: " Who thought anyone wanted a BL about a scheming pregnant maid?" Not.

I'll never play darts again without thinking of.........

Wow. This had to be the gayest movie I've ever seen......and the least erotic!

But I have a serious question: why does a movie like this one get made? Is there a business model behind it somewhere? Did it actually show in cinemas in Japan? Did people PAY to see it? I only wasted an hour of my life on it, but I would be livid if I had actually paid to watch it.

I enjoyed this show despite its flaws, largely because of the two acting leads, and the nice photography. The concept is that two guys who have been close friends since childhood go on a weekend trip, and discover more depth to their relationship. I didn't think the writing did justice to the concept, though. I have to leave some of the interpretation to Filipinos, who can say whether the depictions of their starting relationship were realistic -- I personally found it not-very-credible that these two "straight" guys would start out so close that they were taking showers together and slapping each other on the butt, and then going on to cry on each other's shoulder over their life problems. And if they WERE that close to start, then why did it take so long and so much hesitation to realize they are more than "just friends?"

As a result, the pace of the plot development seemed very slow; they don't move very far in the first four episodes. While there are some nice scenes filmed at sunset (or sunrise) on the balcony, they don't make up for the impatience I felt as little moved (physically or emotionally). And then, when they do begin to move, the throttles get opened all the way, in a way that doesn't seem realistic. (And was it ever explained why there is no one else in the hotel where they are staying? And why they can just make love on the stairway without getting interrupted?)

The two actors were great. Gus Villa is an experienced gay actor and he got into his role very well -- though his character was the one with a girlfriend. Drei Arias is super-cute, and obviously very talented (he did the music too). But his character was so ambiguous -- was he really straight in the beginning? -- and it never gets clarified.

Thanks to loveinfernal72 for alerting me that the subtitles were completed!