Feardorcha

Future Pisaeng finally growing a spine & cutting himself out of Kawi's life was satisfying. It took him a decade but he finally got tired of playing the fool, & made a good choice.

I hope Kawi doesn't let Pisaeng do all the courting going forwars, & puts in equal effort to woo him too.

What was that ending? The series spent the last two episodes hammering home that the soulmate thing doesn't actually matter, that not only can people choose their love but can even shout away the connection, so what does it matter that Thian heard his?

Just give me more DreamNara, if they insist on a second season.

Shin is so pathetically grateful for the smallest crumb of affection from Minato, & is so insecure in their "relationship". That is not a healthy dynamic. I know they'll end up together but it would be nice to see Shin get over his hero-worship & really consider whether Minato is a good partner for him.

This production crew, New, & Double should remake "Bed Friends".

This feels like a series best binged on completion.

Agreed. Kong is turning in an awful performance but I can't tell if it's entirely his fault or sabotage-by-director. I've seen him in other roles, he's capable of emoting. The date scene w/ Dino felt like it was directed by someone else entirely, as Rak showed energy & emotion.

Or maybe it's the wardrobe choices. Rak's costuming is like a Black Hole, sucking all the life around it into its endless abyss of baggy sweaters & shapeless pants...

This series feels like two separate scripts got mixed together & the production just went with it. I'd like to watch the unhinged psycho thriller that Mek & Kram are obviously meant to be part of. They are the most interesting part of this show; it's a terrible show but at least they hold my attention when they're onscreen.

Also, Pepper deserved better.

Agreed.

I haven't yet been able to get onboard with the romance. I like Pisaeng & Kawi individually but I find their dynamic irritating. Kawi uses Pisaeng as his emotional support pet, & Pisaeng just lets that go on for a decade because of "love"? Yes, that is pathetic.

Maybe I'd feel differently if the Pisaeng in this timeline actually put his foot down & broke ties with Kawi, like Pear did (& whew, that is a whole other kettle of fish). Or, at least told Kawi off (like Pear did). I know Pisaeng loves Kawi but, good grief, have some self-respect.

It's strange how some people take objective criticisms of things they enjoy as personal assaults against themselves, particularly when it comes to TV shows. People express opinions about books, about theatre, about films, about music; why should TV series be exempt?

And how/why does someone else's opinion—voiced in general & not directed at others—impact their ability to enjoy what they enjoy? Other people not being thrilled by things that interest me doesn't make those things any less thrilling to me.

I suppose they take criticisms of any kind as abstract judgment of their personal tastes but, for my part, I appreciate both the criticism & the kudos; there is value in both.

That's what I appreciate about MDL's comment sections: opinions across the entire spectrum.

I like to imagine he nicks them from the dryers while his customers' backs are turned.

One episode in & I have confirmed how I felt at the end of S1: I don't want the lead couple together. In S1, Shin was a pushy, irrational, stalky teenager, & Minato was an indecisive, anxious, bumbling mess. That has not, apparently, changed; we seem to have lost even the minimal progress made in S1.

Shin's boyhood crush was really so extreme that he wants to move-in, after three months, with a man who treats Shin like he's riddled with plague every time he touches him? Minato, who as far as S1 told us, is neither asexual nor aromantic, & has processed the bulk of his trauma over his sexuality & that time he was hot for teacher, freaks out like a Victorian stereotype if his boyfriend so much as flirts with him (& I do mean stereotype; sexual repression in that era is a myth; Victorians were not prudes, & they regularly ignored their professed social mores in pursuit of sex & other physical pleasures), & we're supposed to believe his feelings are authentic or worth the aggravation/uncertainty Shin is enduring?

Please just give us S2 of "Old Fashion Cupcake" or "My Love Mix-up". Those stories hit the same beats but the characters actually grew. Even "My Beautiful Man" S2 served up fresh conflict between two even more difficult characters; the love between them felt real, & you could see that both of them were working on themselves to be a better partner in their relationship.

I'll hang around a few episodes for Sakuma & Asuka. At least in that pairing the dynamic is evident & their base conflict is compelling. If Sakuma isn't capable of returning Asuka's romantic love, despite caring for him deeply, is that a relationship Asuka can accept? Is Sakuma able & willing to expand his comfort zone to reassure Asuka & make him feel wanted? Will they, can they, meet each other halfway? I am eager to know.

Pat is a poorly written character. I don't hate him but he is frustrating & often irritating. I feel sorry for Ben, being saddled with this role as his debut. I don't think Ben's a terrible actor but Pat is a thankless role, & it's even worse when placed next to a natural actor like Man in the better role of Jeng (& I don't particularly care for Jeng, either, as a character, but he's definitely better written).

I like Ben, & I like ManBen, but this material wasn't suitable for either Ben as an actor or ManBen as a pairing.

I do not understand why any of these people want to be with each other. I especially do not understand what everyone is seeing in Pat. The whole character is just a headache.

I'm not certain if its the translation, the pacing, the dialogue, the budget, or the acting, but this series feels super retro (even moreso when Mean popped up). The whole thing feels like it was filmed during that heady post-SOTUS/pre-TharnType era, when MaxTul was shooting to stardom, loosening the stranglehold that cutesy college phase of Thai BL production had on the market & making producers realize gay men also kiss & have sex & skinship makes a lot of money.

We're living in a new Golden Age of Thai BLs, & this just feels like a throwback.

That being said, I am enjoying Pepper's turn as Dino. He's occasionally giving Jack from "H3: Trapped" vibes, & is managing to communicate "forthright & earnest" despite dialogue/translations that read like every character in this thing is on a sliding scale of sociopathy.

I take back everything I said about Thana & Pathit needing to breakup. Those two dysfunctional, shady idiots deserve one another.

Knot really is his own worst enemy. The boy can't have a single conversation without sticking his foot in his mouth. I suppose he'll grow into a better person as the series progresses, as we have seen that he has a level of self-awareness & can feel remorse/regret, but right now, every scene with him is just waiting for some new bit of idiocy to fall from his tongue & for someone to lecture him about himself. He's hard to watch; kudos to Title on this performance.

My only thought on this series now that it has ended is: how can I get a copy of that recipe notebook? Best thing in the show after Hao Shan.

I am thrilled for Chot. He's been doing so much emotional labour this whole series, I'm glad he got something he really wanted. He deserves all the happiness.

Pat's Father is intense. He was ready to pre-fight, just to make a point. Jeng better never misstep in their step-by-step because Pat's Father is ready to square up.

Also---does anyone else find the timeline of events slightly confusing? I see how they tried to use Ae's/Khanun's pregnancy, birth, baby, wedding, & vasectomy to denote the passage of time but some of those events don't quite seem to align to other happenings in the story. I think by episode 10 we're about 1.5-2 years in, aren't we? If we assume a two-month span prior to Ae's pregnancy, & at least a six-month gap between Ae giving birth & the wedding (since the baby was able to sit-up & hold its head steady)...?

Are you looking for quality BLs without NC scenes/skinship? I have recommendations, if so.