I'm underwhelmed by this. Most of the actors lack charisma and come across like they are just there for the paycheck.…
Well there’s hope for writing to pick up here? I’m enjoying this show so far. I also agree somewhat with what you say about Trapped, although Trapped was no surprise because the writer and director weren’t experienced with action/crime, so it was easy to love what it was, and the romance was very well done there with the right tension when needed for the plot.
Here it would be more surprising for this to fall short in the crime/thriller department because that’s the director’s specialty, and I’m pretty sure the director actively refuses most BLs for lack of plot. Although I know next to nothing about the writer, if the writer and director had two different visions on how to adapt the novel, it could explain it being underwhelming to you.
If you end up giving up on the writing here, there’s Not Me to look forward to - trailer looks good but I am a bit worried because it’s GMMTV and they either nail it (3 Will Be Free) or end up causing very mixed reactions with international fans with often all-to-familiar writing (messy university BL dramas - that being said this isn’t a school or university set drama).
Can anyone remind me who or what is Ice again? (-_-;)
Meth / methamphetamine - ice is a slang term for this drug that doesn’t get used often in English as far as I know. Pretty sure it isn’t a character in this case, and I think it’s the drug Nam has been taking.
Ep 1 feels so awkward! Does it get better? Also, I know that the awkwardness for me is because of the context for FL because of how she’s from the future, but please tell me she doesn’t spend the entire drama acting like this, it’s hard for me to watch, what person in their right mind would act like this? I realise she’s given up her immortality for this, but is she really going to keep acting like a lovestruck adolescent, or will she actually start asking questions - the first thing I’d do when I got there would be work out who I am in context and who the other characters are in context..?
How does this measure up to Lost Romance, The Romance Of Tiger and Rose, and Extraordinary You? I loved those shows, but didn’t like W or Unexpected... although I love the genre it seems to be polarising for me, as it’s either perfect for me, too inconsistently written (W), or oddly enough boring (Unexpected, although admittedly I didn’t get far).
Edit : does it get more interesting than the first episode? I watched half of it and already have a moderate dislike of FL, sorry...
If you mean online, you can watch it on the official streaming site Rakuten Viki (if you want to pay for the subscription),…
It’s free on Viki, and was free even when it was airing, and you don’t need to pay for Viki. If you want to get rid of ads or watch VIP-only shows, then yes, you need to pay, and some shows are VIP for a month or two during airing and then usually become free too.
I saw somewhere that there are ca. 300 chapters in total, but nobody has translated the entire thing yet.
The most translated I can find is 166 chapters, but it’s no surprise that they no one has got further, as the translator struggles with the heavy amounts of Beijing specific slang, as many native speakers wouldn’t know it. 300 chapters is a pretty long novel though XD
Anyone know where this was filmed (town name / region)? I think Viangpha Mork was a fictional name (looked it up, no results other than Manner of Death).
Something cool about this is the consistent use of colour in the show, not in a massive symbolic way as such but rather to create tone. If you look at Thai shows that do not edit colour in any way, the scenes are typically bright and full of colour - which is where the slight decrease in saturation and slightly darkening the tone as a filter over the show really helps set the tone.
There have been a couple of scenes where I’ve wondered how gorgeous the colour would be were the filter not there, but I understand and appreciate that it helps create the perpetual feeling of being slightly on edge that is being executed well so far.
Also, the locations in this show are gorgeous! The town that the show is set in as well as all the various buildings we get to see the inside of for scenes - I’d love to go there to see the locations and views. I’m also a fan of Tan’s house, and the style of the mostly wooden interior with the minimal decor, accompanied by views of the forested countryside. Really appreciating all of the locations and setting. Tastefully chosen I think!
I absolutely love this drama, for me this is the peak of romance in a Kdrama. As someone who is tired and bored of Kdrama rom-coms, this feels fresh both in terms of genre - thriller/romance; but also in the relationship it is choosing to portray - a well-established married couple. The fact that they are married creates a lot more of a connection for me, probably being that the trust is there and has been for a long time.
Looking at the rest of Kdramas with romance that I have seen, they typically focus on EITHER the focus of bringing two single people together with the relationship being new, OR if in the less common case they focus on married (or established) couples, it is usually about falling out of love, or falling for someone else and infidelity (either emotional or physical). What I love about this is that the tension is not the relationship between the characters - it irritates me to no end when the relationship is almost always the main cause of tension in romance series.
Also, loving the crime/thriller aspects of the show equally with the romance aspects. This feels truly well balanced in that regard, with neither part feeling out of place. Pacing is done well so far too (that being said, still on ep 13).
I’ve seen bits of Friend Zone 2 and immediately thought it was a toxic show - and I agree how funny it is that people are so aggressively attacking Tonhon Chonlatee (which I also very much like) for this “toxicity” when there’s clearly far more to be found in Friend Zone 2 which is also currently airing.
I’m also pretty sure that there’s a large portion of viewers watching both shows - as they seem like they’d have an overlapping audience.
Am I the only dumbass that did not realize until now that there are extra scenes after the outro and before the…
I only realised at the end of episode 4, I had assumed it would be preview too, only discovered that wasn’t the case when I accidentally left it running. I sometimes use previews so that I can prepare mentally if an episode is going to be sad, but usually don’t bother unless I suspect a tragic next episode.
Pang tries to console Chon by saying there are many guys who like him, like P'Nueng. So, the fact that a potential…
I had a similar thought, I think it’s safe to say it would be better to not be liked than to have to deal with scary people like P’Nueng. Na on the other hand is endearing and like Pang, is someone who protects Chon in bad situations.
The darkest part of the script this episode was with P’Amp and P’Nueng, as she strongly implies that when they were younger, a senior had taken advantage of him, when she asks him if he wanted to “extend the same courtesy” as a senior had to him. In a way, that would explain his character more, going from victim to perpetrator, but that scene was quite horrific in terms of dialogue and action. Have to say Gunsmile nailed it even if I now hate his character.
Okay, seeing Ton’s reaction to a kiss in SOTUS got me thinking based off his reaction that he has been aware of his sexuality all along and that he’s in the closet with strong denial - I cannot think any genuinely homophobic individual could both accept their two best friends coming out and then feel so much excitement while watching SOTUS, a show that is BL and focuses on gay romance. It was clearly no coincidence that he was seen watching it all alone in his room earlier on in the series, it was a deliberate hint.
Conclusion : Tonhon has never been straight, but due to family reasons he is in strong denial and the closet; it isn’t certain wether he is gay or bi based off the fact he has shown some interest in women, although he seems to be much less emotionally attached to women even if he’s into them. Another thing is how he is fine with letting Miriam stay knowing that she is single and female.
I think that rather than confusion, he is actually battling with acceptance, and the only thing that has provoked this is because Chon kissed him, confessed, and left for home to deal with the emotional fallout. I also think Chon is the only person who had caused this to happen, because of how he does care for him to an extreme extent; if Ai and Ni had come out to him and Chon not done the same, I don’t think he would be struggling with himself as he is at the end of episode 6. I also think he is a major case saying the opposite of what you think judging again by his reaction to Sotus, as he wouldn’t be excited at the kiss scene between men if he genuinely believed that it’s wrong for men to like each other.
Having just finished SaifahZon story; I almost think that this could EASILY have been two separate shows. The Fighter Tutor storyline could have held its own as the single main couple of its own series, and the tone to their story compared to the rest of the show is more serious and it tackles a lot of things well. Meanwhile, the rest of the intended stories of Why R U - Saifah and Zon, and however many other side couples there were going to be, could easily have been a lighter comedic series by comparison.
I do realise that they are tied together by a common plot, but the first half of the show’s pacing was all over the place, and in many ways, I don’t know if it would have told Fighter and Tutor’s story so well had it not been for the disruption. I am inclined to think that the disruption made this show better, because although when it aired I liked what I saw from both main couples, the SaifahZon story that fills in the gaps was downhill from what scenes they had here. I also very much still appreciate Fighter and Tutor’s story from this although I regard them as a stand-alone couple and don’t associate them with Saifah and Zon at all. Not to mention how their story addresses more serious issues and subverts many harmful tropes.
Anyhow, that’s my two cents now that Why R U and SaifahZon story have finished airing. I’d recommend watching this series for Fighter and Tutor.
Meh. I liked Why R U at the time in spite of disruption, and while I know this was meant to happen regardless - it feels jarring in comparison to Why R U when it aired. Glad I know what happened with them but didn’t exactly enjoy this either. Also glad it happened because otherwise it would have been unfair on the actors, because Why R U was meant to have two main couples with this one probably getting more screen time because of Zon’s relevance to the actual plot, if this didn’t happen I would have felt the actors were cheated.
This also makes more sense of the novel plot in Why R U, because shortly after halfway through, there are no SaifahZon scenes until the end, so the original premise/plot in Why R U is largely forgotten and lost if not for this.
I’d only recommend this if you want to know about Saifah and Zon’s story in the second half of Why R U or if you want to know what happens regarding his sister’s novel. This is probably best experienced if you’ve recently watched (or are currently watching) Why R U - not several months later.
Just finished it, I loved every second of it, definitely the most emotion I’ve felt watching anything. Some of the moments were so touching, especially with Hoon and Bas (and to an extent, Tarn), who really just wanted Teh and Oh-aew to be happy.
I found some moments from both leads to be relatable on an emotional level, especially with how Oh-aew felt when Teh was being confused and backed away. As far as coming of age goes, this felt incredibly real - I could relate to some of it quite a lot as someone who is LGBTQ+ myself with a couple scenes in particular.
The acting was flawless for me, and huge kudos to the two leads - when considering how much non-verbal communication and facial expression was used, as in many ways the leads don’t speak much to each other at all. I loved everything about this drama, and it had enough of a dose of realism to it too, I really felt that in the conversation between Teh and Hoon. Hoon’s character was a gem, quietly observing Teh, supporting him however he could, while also not pushing him to say if he isn’t ready yet; Hoon embodies the best possible reaction from family in my eyes, and I’m all here for it!
Looking forward to season 2! I can’t say any more other than this drama was perfect for me, and a welcomingly emotional journey that you can go through to watch it. The length and pacing here was perfect too.
Just a silly question. Do you like how coconut smells? I use a hand cream with coconut and same as Oh I even used…
I hate coconut (in terms of eating), and really don’t like the smell either, it’s just sickeningly sweet. It feels like a funny parallel to me when it was actually a thing in the show because of how specific it is.
Here it would be more surprising for this to fall short in the crime/thriller department because that’s the director’s specialty, and I’m pretty sure the director actively refuses most BLs for lack of plot. Although I know next to nothing about the writer, if the writer and director had two different visions on how to adapt the novel, it could explain it being underwhelming to you.
If you end up giving up on the writing here, there’s Not Me to look forward to - trailer looks good but I am a bit worried because it’s GMMTV and they either nail it (3 Will Be Free) or end up causing very mixed reactions with international fans with often all-to-familiar writing (messy university BL dramas - that being said this isn’t a school or university set drama).
Edit : does it get more interesting than the first episode? I watched half of it and already have a moderate dislike of FL, sorry...
There have been a couple of scenes where I’ve wondered how gorgeous the colour would be were the filter not there, but I understand and appreciate that it helps create the perpetual feeling of being slightly on edge that is being executed well so far.
Also, the locations in this show are gorgeous! The town that the show is set in as well as all the various buildings we get to see the inside of for scenes - I’d love to go there to see the locations and views. I’m also a fan of Tan’s house, and the style of the mostly wooden interior with the minimal decor, accompanied by views of the forested countryside. Really appreciating all of the locations and setting. Tastefully chosen I think!
Looking at the rest of Kdramas with romance that I have seen, they typically focus on EITHER the focus of bringing two single people together with the relationship being new, OR if in the less common case they focus on married (or established) couples, it is usually about falling out of love, or falling for someone else and infidelity (either emotional or physical). What I love about this is that the tension is not the relationship between the characters - it irritates me to no end when the relationship is almost always the main cause of tension in romance series.
Also, loving the crime/thriller aspects of the show equally with the romance aspects. This feels truly well balanced in that regard, with neither part feeling out of place. Pacing is done well so far too (that being said, still on ep 13).
I’m also pretty sure that there’s a large portion of viewers watching both shows - as they seem like they’d have an overlapping audience.
The darkest part of the script this episode was with P’Amp and P’Nueng, as she strongly implies that when they were younger, a senior had taken advantage of him, when she asks him if he wanted to “extend the same courtesy” as a senior had to him. In a way, that would explain his character more, going from victim to perpetrator, but that scene was quite horrific in terms of dialogue and action. Have to say Gunsmile nailed it even if I now hate his character.
Conclusion : Tonhon has never been straight, but due to family reasons he is in strong denial and the closet; it isn’t certain wether he is gay or bi based off the fact he has shown some interest in women, although he seems to be much less emotionally attached to women even if he’s into them. Another thing is how he is fine with letting Miriam stay knowing that she is single and female.
I think that rather than confusion, he is actually battling with acceptance, and the only thing that has provoked this is because Chon kissed him, confessed, and left for home to deal with the emotional fallout. I also think Chon is the only person who had caused this to happen, because of how he does care for him to an extreme extent; if Ai and Ni had come out to him and Chon not done the same, I don’t think he would be struggling with himself as he is at the end of episode 6. I also think he is a major case saying the opposite of what you think judging again by his reaction to Sotus, as he wouldn’t be excited at the kiss scene between men if he genuinely believed that it’s wrong for men to like each other.
I do realise that they are tied together by a common plot, but the first half of the show’s pacing was all over the place, and in many ways, I don’t know if it would have told Fighter and Tutor’s story so well had it not been for the disruption. I am inclined to think that the disruption made this show better, because although when it aired I liked what I saw from both main couples, the SaifahZon story that fills in the gaps was downhill from what scenes they had here.
I also very much still appreciate Fighter and Tutor’s story from this although I regard them as a stand-alone couple and don’t associate them with Saifah and Zon at all. Not to mention how their story addresses more serious issues and subverts many harmful tropes.
Anyhow, that’s my two cents now that Why R U and SaifahZon story have finished airing. I’d recommend watching this series for Fighter and Tutor.
This also makes more sense of the novel plot in Why R U, because shortly after halfway through, there are no SaifahZon scenes until the end, so the original premise/plot in Why R U is largely forgotten and lost if not for this.
I’d only recommend this if you want to know about Saifah and Zon’s story in the second half of Why R U or if you want to know what happens regarding his sister’s novel. This is probably best experienced if you’ve recently watched (or are currently watching) Why R U - not several months later.
I found some moments from both leads to be relatable on an emotional level, especially with how Oh-aew felt when Teh was being confused and backed away. As far as coming of age goes, this felt incredibly real - I could relate to some of it quite a lot as someone who is LGBTQ+ myself with a couple scenes in particular.
The acting was flawless for me, and huge kudos to the two leads - when considering how much non-verbal communication and facial expression was used, as in many ways the leads don’t speak much to each other at all. I loved everything about this drama, and it had enough of a dose of realism to it too, I really felt that in the conversation between Teh and Hoon. Hoon’s character was a gem, quietly observing Teh, supporting him however he could, while also not pushing him to say if he isn’t ready yet; Hoon embodies the best possible reaction from family in my eyes, and I’m all here for it!
Looking forward to season 2! I can’t say any more other than this drama was perfect for me, and a welcomingly emotional journey that you can go through to watch it. The length and pacing here was perfect too.
“I was just being polite.” -Tan
“You are indeed polite.” -Bun
“Do you want to know how truly polite I am?” -Tan
Tan, a morally grey character who you probably don’t want to mess with. Polite. Out of all the conversations in dramaland, this one really killed me!