VenusAD

FTR, this isn't just Thai BL, this is ALL of Thai drama. Koojin have been a thing before Y/BL series started and it's an extremely successful formula. If it ain't broke, lol

I definitely think we'll end up with at least one couple still together by the end, but I don't know that it won't still leave a bad taste in our mouths - like okay they work things out, but one or the other has done so much harm at that point that it would be better for them not to be together - GRANTED we'd also be bummed if they broke up, lol.

This is by the writer of Friend Zone, so I know not to expect a happy tidy ending, but I can't resist the mess-of-a-bad/play-boy-secretly-in-love-with-his-innocent-sunshine-friend trope, so yes please, I will be watching this dramatic disaster.

I have to say, first off, I was pretty surprised with the acting from the cast. It wasn't like, high budget lakorn level, but it was all around pretty good and most of the couples had good chemistry.

As for the plot...well, it's a classic slap/kiss. Really violent, scenes of assault, relationship starts on the worst possible terms imaginable - somehow the pra'ek falls for, uh, the other pra'ek and all the tension amps up and the misunderstandings keep happening until it's all resolved and also there's a big action scene for...reasons.

It's really standard, but I had fun. I will say that in the uncut version, the flashbacks to the assault(s) are longer and more violent/intense than the cut version as I remember it. I do wish they had spent some more time on the actual lessons learned, because clearly Day and Itt both learned they need to chill out and cut down on the dependency, but there was very little attention given to that beyond Itt knowing how to cook now and Day being kind of okay with that sometimes.

Part of me kind of wishes that they'd make part 1 (2?) of their story, but I don't know how they'd get away with it. I'd just like to see the Gear/Night story paralleled with instances of Day/Itt somehow going from the nightmare they began with to how adorable they were in the beginning of this (BEFORE the ridiculous amount of discussion over cake). But then again, I could just watch Sawan Biang again >_>....

No, but fr....definitely worth your time if you're fine with fantasies of toxic irreperable disaster beginnings where the lead should be in jail by the end but is SUPER sorry so it's fine. Avoid if that's not your bag. MASSSIIIIVE trigger warning for those flashback scenes though. The actors just really went for it and it is rough.

Man, awesome fight scenes, an interesting plot, fantastic performances, AND a ton of heart. I really enjoyed this! Also I really don't see the big deal about the kids' kiss scene. It was sweet and romantic. It didn't feel exploitative or anything. I really loved how Boksoon was trying to do her best for her daughter and put so much effort into trying to communicate with her. Seeing them develop that and open up to each other (sorta lol) was great.

Love the ending. I do agree that there were lots of interesting side characters that would've been cool to learn more about, but you'd need a series for that. I would totally watch that series though!

I'm glad to know it helped someone! I've learned a lot over the years from very helpful Lakorn fan translators who include cultural notes so international audiences understand things better. I really wish that would've been available for this series, because I think it would've created a better understanding of what's going on here, but I also appreciate seeing a BL series that isn't just original in plot, but more enmeshed in traditional Thai culture. We don't see that too often.

Sadly no, but they stayed true to the book enough that the gov't decided it was too much. Since you watched it, you likely know the scenes that were too much. Even the theatre version was less focused on the romance and just finishing up the story, though they still packed as many innuendos as they could in there, which was fun.

Of course, then the actor from AB did straight roles and then whipped around and did Word of Honor, which put the nail in the proverbial BL coffin. At this point I'd be surprised if we even get anymore bromance rewrites. Maybe gender swaps, but people hate when they do that...

Oh, I forgot about Counter Attack too! That one dropped after Addiction, I think, and still had kiss scenes (pretty intense ones), but I dont' think it was broadcast? And the deleted scenes were even more intense.

Sadly no, but they stayed true to the book enough that the gov't decided it was too much. Since you watched it, you likely know the scenes that were too much. Even the theatre version was less focused on the romance and just finishing up the story, though they still packed as many innuendos as they could in there, which was fun.

Of course, then the actor from AB did straight roles and then whipped around and did Word of Honor, which put the nail in the proverbial BL coffin. At this point I'd be surprised if we even get anymore bromance rewrites. Maybe gender swaps, but people hate when they do that...

Oh, I forgot about Counter Attack too! That one dropped after Addiction, I think, and still had kiss scenes (pretty intense ones), but I dont' think it was broadcast? And the deleted scenes were even more intense.

I feel like I watched a totally different show that most of the commenters here, like...there was a very clear story that was told really well in a linear fashion. The conflict was largely internal though and very much about social expectations and class divide. So...just in case, for anyone interested or who wants to understand what was going on:

Kuea is Thai nobility, due to that, he's expected to act in a very proper, gentle manner. You see the same behavior from his grampa, his partner, and his mom especially. Kuea is under massive pressure to live up to that. The reason he hides his interests and true personality from Lian is that he is terrified that if he finds out the Nu Kuea he's getting isn't the one society expects, then he'll reject him. He more or less eventually explains this.

Lian, on the other hand (along with his friend, Yi), are from Chinese immigrant families who have made their fortunes in Thailand. This is a population that often faces prejudice in Thailand, especially from the "old money" type families, and in Thai media, they're often depicted as extremely powerful shady characters who prey on wealthy Thai families (noble or otherwise) to gain more control/money. (Note that Kuea's friens constantly refer to Lian and Yi as scary and/or looking like gangsters, even though they really aren't.) Lian is worried that he will come off this way, as someone using Kuea and his family solely for money and power, which is why he works so hard to make his own way and perfectly around Kuea's family and not overstep his bounds. He's trying to be as proper as possible, and in doing so, he ends up making Keau believe he doesn't really love him. That it's more about duty and his promise to his grandfather.

Now add to the fact that marriage between two men isn't legal in Thailand, so Lian has to figure out how to take care of Kuea and protect his assets without the ease of simply marrying into them. His mistake is hiding this from Kuea, and we see it addressed, along with Kuea taking a more active role in the relationship by the end.

Overall, the story is about learning to be honest with and trust the people you care about, and I think that was conveyed beautifully. I do think more time on certain aspects on the story and more information about the family dynamic couldv'e been really helpful, but for the time they had to work with, I thought everyone did an excellent job.

Also the chemistry was fire, the songs were gorgeous, and the performances were all very solid. Also BONUS if you're a lakorn fan, because Lian's parents are well-known veterans who have played like a million villain roles, and that kind of had me laughing.

But yeah, I really enjoyed it and I wish we had more time with these characters. I'm glad I decided to watch it, despite all the bad reviews. SO...if you're on the fence, give it a shot. Maybe this info will help you enjoy it better!

Yep. It aired and got a ton of international fame and the gov't reacted to that. There is even a fan meeting where the leads are standing together that was interrupted by authorities who separated them. Advance Bravely came out shortly after that, which had to remove all kissing scenes, but still go popular, so they didnt allow it to be broadcasted anymore and the series had to finish in theaters (with most BL content cut). Then you have The Untamed and Word of Honor triggering even stricter control. The people in control right now are super conservative and believe that "feminine" depictions of men make the country weaker.

I'm guessing you never saw Addiction then, the series that kicked off the ban 😔

Okay now I'm randomly back here wondering if we'll finally get season 3 now that Dylan Wang is the actor of the year due to his phenomenal performance in Love Between Fairy and Devil. Anyone else? I mean, I'd be fine with Arthur Chen returning, but Dylan would really knock it out of the park now.

So, Republican Era dramas are often quite dark, but I haven't seen anything quite like this in a LONG time. This had pre-2015 vibes, and...that one terrible...event? This is the second time I've EVER seen it happen. NGL, I was shocked.

Definitely filled with classic drama tropes and not a very creative or new story, but overall, I did enjoy the drama, being a lover of such problematic intensity (yes, I'm a slap/kiss fan lol). And I have to say, despite the shortness and low budget, the cast absolutely knocked it out of the park. Some incredible performances here and the chemistry between the leads was sizzling.

If you want to see longer, better written dramas with this same exact setting and vibe, check out Cruel Romance and Too Late to Say I love You. Both classics.

I 100% support this, though I don't know if Chane would take on a BL role, I would love to see him as a romantic bad boy lead. He even had me swooning in Sampatan Hua Jai and he was a terrible terrible person in it lol

Overall I really enjoyed this one. Both couples had fire chemistry, and Fort and Peat deserve MASSIVE credit for their performances in the last episode. I was absolutely blown away by Fort's expression as Peat recounted his abuse. The way he conveyed how he was trying to keep a neutral expression while his heart was clearly breaking for the person he loved was just so beautiful. I'm not saying the series is a master piece, but these young actors deserve a lot of credit for carrying it the way they did.

Both P's are definitely problematic - Phayu doms without consent and Pai is basically a stalker who can't take no for an answer (aaand technically blackmails/abuses a power dynamic to get Sky into bed the first time), but it's nothing I haven't seen in million other Thai dramas. Still, I couldn't help being enamored by both of them - especially Pai when he became the perfect supportive boyfriend. I'm a sucker for the p-nong dynamic in lakorns, and these couples were no exception. I liked the nongs too. They were both interesting well fleshed out characters in their own right. The story couldv'e used more time to develop, but for what we got, I think it was overall quite good.

Also obligatory shout out to Chane for showing up as the badass gangster running everything. He is by far one of my favorite villains/general bad boys of lakorn land, and I was absolutely delighted to see him cameo!

I assure you that Kang Tae Mu is anything but a cold jerk. The original webtoon is legit so sweet and wholesome at times. But yeah, there are tropes, but overall if it stays the same as the webtoon, it turns a lot of them on their head!

So the abusive ex was a really great touch for me, because as awful as she was, I thought it was a fantastic depiction of the difference between consensual power exchange play and being abused. Ji Hoo's ex was clearly verbally and emotionally abusive, but it was clear that this wasn't something Ji Hoo wanted or benefited from, unlike when Ji Woo engaged in such abusive language during play at Ji Hoo's request.

Oh my goodness, a flogger SHOULD NOT leave those kinds of marks! Some can, yes, but the one she had looked like your typical soft flogger that exists more for the sensation than actual pain. Unless it's a specific kink, you really don't want to tear flesh like that. Yikes.

I really really loved how they had zero sex in the beginning. It's so refreshing to see BDSM portrayed without it being solely about sex. Lots of people engage in it without ever sleeping with their play partners, and that really need more representation. Obviously this was a romance ultimately, which I'm happy with cause I'm a hopeless romantic lol, but still, it was something that was really nice to see!

NGL, I'm kind of hoping for a sequel. The webtoon is quite long!

Absolutely LOVED this movie! This is the absolutely the way BDSM should be discussed/portrayed in media.

My only complaint is the lack of aftercare. This is such a huge element of BDSM and it always saddens me that it's never portrayed in media (not everyone needs it, but everyone should discuss it and be offered it). Well, that and the fact that they lumped a lot of different kinks together, which is a common issue and makes the uneducated think these are all part and parcel of bdsm. It's really all about what the partners desire and agree on (they're both new to it though, so I get it).

Also I'll post a spoiler below about the ex element that I really appreciated and a couple other elements that might be spoilery:

Omg, when they were about to sleep together and Lana told Keno to shut down and Dob/Bob was like, "I don't think they ever really fully shut down." YIKES.

I think that's fair. It definitely could have been better, but for what it was, I had a good time!

But it's very true that when you have a pair of actors like Mario and Baifern, you just expect to be blown away. They both did a fantastic job with what they were given, though.

I'm kinda sad they didn't take more time and budget and make this a series instead, because there was a lot there to work with!