Great cast makes the most of an okay story
After taking a year long break from watching Thai BLs due to what I felt was a drop in overall quality across the industry, ThamePo gave me something that seemed to want to be more than just cute boys doing cute things. There are inklings of many criticisms of the entertainment industry but it feels like the writers never really take a full bite of any of the issues that come up. Characters within the series seem to lack motivation and agency which makes some events that unfold unbelievable, though not to the point of being unlikable. That said, I did thoroughly enjoy my time with this series. It was a very fun watch that did manage to surprise me at least once.
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Things I enjoyed:
-Jun. It felt like he pushed the narrative forward more than other characters in the series. I wish that they had given more in the story.
-The main character dynamic, they're just two good boys
-Communication. The main characters are quick and straightforward to correct things they feel might be misunderstood by one another and unlike many dramas the conflict doesn't feel like a simple issue of miscommunication.
-The phone call, gave me a chance to see how earnest of a person Thame was.
-The letter. Great and helped to re-frame a scene that had happened before.
-Air Hockey.
Things that I didn't enjoy:
-Many things in the story seem to simply happen and at times feel unearned.
-Baifern being used as a proxy for toxic fans, I think there was more opportunity to grow her character in a meaningful way.
-I wish we had heard more music.
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While this series at times stumbles it was nonetheless enjoyable. There is a lot here for people to relate to in the way that each of the characters seem to be working toward their goals. While it didn't fully dig into the entertainment industry in a way I would've liked it is interesting to have touched on so many of the ways in which an idol is perceived. Amidst all of the idol/entertainment talk it also feels grounded by Po who both starts as a non-fan and is cemented as someone who is perceived as easily replaceable, so much so that he can't land a full-time job on his own merits. In its own way ThamePo is a series that highlights the differences in our perception of ourselves and the way others may view us.
---------------------------------------------------------
Things I enjoyed:
-Jun. It felt like he pushed the narrative forward more than other characters in the series. I wish that they had given more in the story.
-The main character dynamic, they're just two good boys
-Communication. The main characters are quick and straightforward to correct things they feel might be misunderstood by one another and unlike many dramas the conflict doesn't feel like a simple issue of miscommunication.
-The phone call, gave me a chance to see how earnest of a person Thame was.
-The letter. Great and helped to re-frame a scene that had happened before.
-Air Hockey.
Things that I didn't enjoy:
-Many things in the story seem to simply happen and at times feel unearned.
-Baifern being used as a proxy for toxic fans, I think there was more opportunity to grow her character in a meaningful way.
-I wish we had heard more music.
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While this series at times stumbles it was nonetheless enjoyable. There is a lot here for people to relate to in the way that each of the characters seem to be working toward their goals. While it didn't fully dig into the entertainment industry in a way I would've liked it is interesting to have touched on so many of the ways in which an idol is perceived. Amidst all of the idol/entertainment talk it also feels grounded by Po who both starts as a non-fan and is cemented as someone who is perceived as easily replaceable, so much so that he can't land a full-time job on his own merits. In its own way ThamePo is a series that highlights the differences in our perception of ourselves and the way others may view us.
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