This series is just boring. Reading comments here that the source material is sexually explicit just makes it even more dull. Why take that type of work and reduce it to this type of plodding, prudish series? It's not like BL novels are great literary works in the first place but if sex is all one has to offer, keep it in and add "plot" around it. And what is wrong with the leads? Salin acts like he hasn't even started puberty, and I have no idea why Sun finds that appealing. Salin isn't "cute" or "innocent", he's just frustratingly immature, and all his mincing about makes me want to throttle him.
And why are we spending so much time with the Board of Directors? Do they live in that conference room or what? This company manufactures jewellery not weapons, why do they even need to meet so often?
Well, maybe something of interest will happen next episode, as it appears the series has remembered its premise. The opening scene of episode one with the naga is still the most engaging thing that has happened so I'm looking forward to more sexy water monster shenanigans.
....this thing's kind of falling apart in the third act, isn't it? And for there to suddenly be so much story, it really feels like the series resents having to tell us about any of it.
I need a Dr. Plakao special or spin-off or something. I have just so many questions about how this man is living his life.
The soundscape in this series is reaching "Dinosaur Love" levels of obnoxious. Just a ceaseless, pointless wall of noise. It makes an already youthful story seem downright childish. Can we please have sixty uninterrupted seconds of the actors being allowed to talk, gesture, emote, and enter or exit a room without all the ruckus?
A definite decline from the first season, particularly as regards certain production aspects. Elements that annoyed me the most: the main characters feel shoehorned into their own series, the murder mystery reveal is weirdly convoluted, and the makeup is frequently appalling.
There are three primary stories at play in S2:
Story #1: delves into questions of reintegration, following Fang’s Daughter as she attempts to establish a life on the other side of her crime and punishment from S1. Her story is a melancholy yet persistently affirming journey through forgiveness of one’s self despite eternal condemnation from the world. Her arc interrogates questions about what “rehabilitation” means in a society that neither forgets nor forgives, and whether/how reformed offenders find new footing. Fang’s Daughter’s story is a beautifully compelling meditation on the overlapping essence of criminalization and victimization, and whether absolution is an inherently external gift or an intrinsically personal choice. This is all a compelling character-study drama, but it is not what I signed up to watch. I signed up to watch a gory murder mystery. That brings us to:
Story #2: is the actual murder mystery. The murders are beautifully gruesome but the obviousness of the perpetrator is frustrating. It’s so obvious who the murderer is that you keep hoping their identity isn’t the point. It ultimately both is and isn’t, but the plot point about identity is…perplexing. I won’t elaborate here but I will say it was rather stupid. What sticks the most is how, once the main mystery is resolved, you don’t really care what happens to the lead character(s) while the series, meanwhile, is still carrying on about them. Hence, the third story:
Story #3: is about Fang handling the conceits of others; essentially, his arc this season is about the ways in which we may compromise our ethics to rescue the ones we love. Which was the entire point of last season with his Daughter, so…? Seriously, it’s boringly ridiculous. And the loveline between Fang and Reporter Chick is just tedious. S1 barely sold the idea that Fang is capable of having a romantic relationship that leads to marriage and children, but S2 is convinced there was ever any chemistry or attraction between Fang and Reporter Chick. As a result, we’re also following Reporter Chick’s side-story about purpose and ethics, which feels lifted wholesale from an entirely different script and only present here to justify Reporter Chick’s presence. Seriously, why is she here? They’re supposed to be a couple this season but it’s laughable on many levels. Honestly, you can skip any scenes in which our three ostensibly main characters are alone together in whatever configuration and miss nothing important. The series has to go so far out of its way to include them in the main narrative that you can practically smell the script rewrites from whatever original property this season was squeezed.
In summary: Story #1 should’ve been a spin-off. Story #3 is extraneous to proceedings and demonstrates how our main characters are surplus to requirements. Story #2 is serviceable but continuously undermined by trying to make Stories #1 and #3 matter.
I get the sense that the first season was meant to be a self-contained narrative, a complete story with no intentions of subsequent seasons. In fact, supporting characters in S2 have to keep making excuses for/articulating shock at the main characters’ involvement in the story to the point it becomes comical. I am so disappointed that after years of waiting for the sequel, this is the best we get.
I thought it's just me feeling this way! I've been following since the first episode week after week and really…
EP09 is already making me mad. We've watched Wandee be repeatedly charmed and seduced by all Yak's overt, cheesy romantic gestures. Yet, not only are we supposed to believe that they're not "official", despite all evidence to the contrary and how we've seen them communicate, we're also supposed to buy that Wandee would get upset about being aggressively wooed by tasteful bouquets and table-side music dinners?
I totally agree, the character development for Taem was leading that whole story down a different path. I'm fine…
It's long been clear that the series doesn't know how to utilize its supporting characters but these last two episodes have reinforced that the series doesn't even understand its supporting characters.
Taem has been a level-headed, practical, and aware character from the start. During the first 2/3rds of the series, she never indicated that she had a romantic interest in anyone, or was focused on anything other than her own educational and professional goals. We even saw her suss out the attraction between Yak and Wandee and smile softly to herself about it. While the series never sold me on Yak crushing hard on Taem, it did convince me that Taem wasn't interested anyway. I legitimately thought the whole storyline would end with Yak confessing out of desperately sad despair and Taem reading him an empathetic but firm riot act on coming to terms with his true feelings for Wandee. THAT would have made sense given what we've seen. Same with the Ohm nonsense; neither of these characters, as we've seen them, are the type of people for whom that car scene makes any sense. What little we saw of Ohm hinted he had an interest in Taem but in no way suggested he was a predatory creep who would press the matter; what we've seen of Taem tells us she wouldn't have reacted or behaved the way she did in that situation. The whole scene was an insult to Taem's character, bizarre for Ohm's character, tedious for Yak's character, and an insult to the viewing audience.
Ter is having the same issue. He is whatever manufactured drama needs him to be. He's not a character, he's an overstretched plot point.
There is an increasingly growing gap between what the series is SHOWING us versus what it's TELLING us, and it's disappointing in what is an otherwise engaging story.
I know we're only two episodes in but this series just isn't grabbing me. It's rather dull. A few of the characters are kind of interesting and it's quite lovingly shot (kudos to you, Khun Ratchanon) but it just isn't capturing my attention, for whatever reason.
The last episode was replete with stupid, this episode was filled with pointless. Ohm is even less of a character than Taem (completely forgot AJ was even here) but you drag him back out just to have him be a gropey asshole for...what? And turned Taem into a sudden damsel-in-distress because...why? What purpose did that scene serve? Why are Taem and Ohm even having any scene? Yak didn't even miss the ball so...what was the point of all that?
And is Wandee suffering from a head injury we didn't see or something? What is this indecisive wishy-washy mixed signals nonsense with Ter? Is he over him or not? Because literally every other aspect of the series says "yes" but then Wandee keeps barely resisting Ter in private. Again, why? We are eight episodes in; Ter stopped being a thing like four episodes back but he keeps going round and round in a cycle of nothingness because the series won't just let Wandee give it to him straight. I'm actually starting to feel kind of bad for the guy.
The premise of this series obviously couldn't sustain itself for 12 episodes but this third act is a real downgrade. Yet, it doesn't have to be. Yei has an actual problem, one that threatens the stability and likely safety of the whole family—why aren't we focusing on that? We could spend these last episodes watching the boys fight to save Yei, the gym, and their financial future, while watching Yak battle back from the exhibition match loss, but for whatever reason we're still dicking around with this "fake boyfriend" thing that definitively wrapped last episode. The preview for next episode is aggravating.
If GMMTV wanted to do "MSP" again, they should've just done a sequel to that series. The references, the musical numbers—it's annoying and schlocky, and a poor substitute for the chemistry that isn't happening between the leads. Both Gemini and Fourth are playing their individual parts well but this hesitant, imbalanced energy storyline just may not be the best material for them as a pair. The friendship between Atom and Mudmee is the only aspect that's somewhat working.
I think I see how the soundscape was intended to be the Thai equivalent of the broad mugging common in Japanese acting but, holy hell, it is irritating beyond belief, especially when it's part of a scene that is already exaggerated or overly explanatory. It's like the series either doesn't trust the audience to comprehend what characters are feeling/thinking, or doesn't trust the actors to properly convey it. Which is unfortunate because the cast is doing their jobs well enough, only to be undermined by poor production choices and unnecessary emphasis. Just let the scenes breathe for a moment, give the characters some room.
Every time Ming shows up while Joe is working, Joe ends up getting some kind of finger-wagging lecture from an industry bigwig. I hope Sol punches him again.
I think this episode was supposed to make me feel sad or angry or perhaps just pity but it was the first episode where I felt nothing. It was an episode of people being subjected to the consequences of their own dumb decisions. And any potential emotional weight is just undermined by the fact we know these two are endgame. It was all unkeepable promises—Ming will definitely hurt Joe again because Ming is a narcissistic asshat by nature, and Joe will go back to Ming in like two seconds because Joe's spine has the structural integrity of a jellyfish.
The one thing I absolutely loved in this episode is that Ming didn't say sorry. Joe is over there rightfully losing his shit about how Ming ruined his first life and Ming's whole response is basically, "Get over it. You were mine in that life, and you belong to me in this one, too." And doubling-down on it by reminding Joe he's still under contract and therefore doesn't even have the autonomy to leave? Oh, Ming, you magnificently selfish bastard, please don't ever change.
I'm excited that next episode will focus on Tong's brazen machinations. What a delightfully shameless villain he is. That's how he got away with the murder I'll forever remain convinced he has definitely committed.
["...but this felt more like a series of graphic encounters than a genuine exploration of love and connection."]Because…
There is...so very much that is aggravating about your AI-generated response but what it tells me most of all is that I should disengage immediately from someone who can't even write a halfway decent prompt in the first place.
I just don’t like the fashion style they make Tongrak wear. Can’t they show gay guys with taste when it comes…
I'm also not a big fan of the sartorial choices here but then I am generally put-off by conspicious consumption masquerading as style. I absolutely hated his introductory outfit in the first episode. I took one look at it and thought, "That is a man whose clothes are wearing him".
But at the same time, the wardrobe choices could be character-related. Perhaps Tongrak dones flashy clothing like armour, the same way he uses money as a weapon. He's inhabiting a shell that loudly telegraphs to the world that he's successful, in control, undaunted, and not even the littlest tiniest bit unstable or uncertain.
Or, you know, it's Thailand, where the cultural affinity for what's considered fashionable is closely aligned with what visibly looks expensive. I'm just glad he's not strutting around with branded bags and giant logos plastered everywhere.
Ok fine, but I'm only hanging around for the sex and the scenery; let's not muck it up with too much "story".
Vie is deliciously diabolicial. Khaimuk, my lovely little doe, you are a married woman, even if you don't realize it yet. If you two were any other type of mammal, Vie would've just been aggressively scent-marking the hell out of you. I could smell the pheromones through the screen—you're in danger, girl!
I don't think I've uttered the sentence "What in the world?" as many times in my whole life as I did during that opening scene. Shame the rest of the episode was nowhere near as entertaining.
That poster communicated no information, advertised no product or service, provided no insight, contained no logos or even a website. It wasn't even a complete thought. That poster existed, in that specific elevator, at that precise moment, just to mock Yak. It tickled me pink and I laughed and laughed.
Which was good because pretty much the rest of the episode just pissed me off.
I fully expected some pointless conflict because we're at about the part of the story where it has to happen but holy hell was that manufactured. Everybody came out of this looking like right idiots.
Yak hasn't displayed any propensity for violence outside of the ring, nor has he been shown to be anything but hard-working, devoted, and successful; he's not even particularly cocky about it. He seems like the kind of guy who is aware that, as a professionally trained fighter, he shouldn't be getting into punch-ups with civilians. So what in the blue hell was all that yelling about him always resorting to violence and being a constant disappointment to everyone?
And did Wandee just lose all common sense? He had a pre-arranged date with Yak and candles burning on the table; on what planet does he sit himself and his sex costume down for dinner and drinks with Ter and then a little light PowerPointing? Previous crush aside, Wandee just would not do that; at the very least, he'd have taken off the headband and put on some damn pants first. I am insulted on behalf of the character that he was reduced to such outright stupidity for the sake of pointless drama.
And speaking of Ter—look, either pull the trigger or drop this storyline. I have no idea what his motivations or objectives are and, at this point, I really don't care. So either let him be an actual villain or move him out of the way; he has served his primary purpose as a plot point, and nothing else he's doing is important. I am getting annoyed by his face and have you seen Pod's sexy face?
I would say the same about Taem but Taem was never a thing. Even she looked confused about why she's still here.
As usual, Dr. Plakao was the only one making any sense; I, too, would like this saga to end already if this is the dumbassery we should expect going forward. Just...wow.
Episodes two of both this series and the JBL ended the same way: with our main protagonist realizing he's developing feelings for his male classmate. Why was it so believable in the JBL but comes across as undercooked balderdash here?
Somewhere between all the unnecessary inner monologuing and the silly noises soundscape may be the element that would actually make all of this work within the confines of Thai culture but I'm not seeing any promise that element will actually come to the fore. This series is hitting all the beats but it just feels so artificial, so empty, and so forced.
The play scene really left a foul taste in my mouth. In the JBL, the protagonist is a tad goofy but genuinely well-meaning and caring. He had no confidence in his own ability to perform the role but he was willing to be embarrassed on stage in front of the whole school if it meant he could save a friend from the same fate (and in the JBL, this decision truly seemed less about his crush and more about his inherent empathy; you got the impression he would've done it for anyone in the class, not just the girl he liked, because he's driven to be helpful to the people around him). He let them put him in that shapeless dress and slap on that shoddy-ass wig and just went with it, because he promised to help and by-golly, he was going to fulfill that promise. We watched him awkward his way through the production with all the gusto he could manage and it was bloody fucking charming. The play scene was short in the JBL but it told us so much about our characters: their fears, their shortcomings, their strong suits, their braveries, the traits that underlay their personalities.
In this Thai series, all of that was lost. It just seems like he was waiting for the right moment to step into the spotlight and flex his own talents. I skipped both of the songs; they felt so out-of-place in the story, so obviously just a vehicle servicing the main ship as a commercial Thai BL product rather than an integral plot element that moved the story and its characters forward. And, sure, he's "just stepping in", but he can perform the song flawlessly with no rehearsals and has the most perfectly tailored wardrobe for the whole show despite there being ZERO warning to the production crew that he would replace the title character? Sure. Ok. Aggravatingly stupid, and without reason. He could've just played freaking Cinderella and we could've skipped all the nonsense.
I so want this Thai series to be good because I genuinely like the source material. I'll stick around for another few episodes; perhaps it will find its speed once it reaches the new material, where there's more overt romantic activity between the leads. Thai BLs tend to be rather decent at that stage.
And why are we spending so much time with the Board of Directors? Do they live in that conference room or what? This company manufactures jewellery not weapons, why do they even need to meet so often?
Well, maybe something of interest will happen next episode, as it appears the series has remembered its premise. The opening scene of episode one with the naga is still the most engaging thing that has happened so I'm looking forward to more sexy water monster shenanigans.
I need a Dr. Plakao special or spin-off or something. I have just so many questions about how this man is living his life.
Well, at least nobody sang this episode.
There are three primary stories at play in S2:
Story #1:
delves into questions of reintegration, following Fang’s Daughter as she attempts to establish a life on the other side of her crime and punishment from S1. Her story is a melancholy yet persistently affirming journey through forgiveness of one’s self despite eternal condemnation from the world. Her arc interrogates questions about what “rehabilitation” means in a society that neither forgets nor forgives, and whether/how reformed offenders find new footing. Fang’s Daughter’s story is a beautifully compelling meditation on the overlapping essence of criminalization and victimization, and whether absolution is an inherently external gift or an intrinsically personal choice. This is all a compelling character-study drama, but it is not what I signed up to watch. I signed up to watch a gory murder mystery. That brings us to:
Story #2:
is the actual murder mystery. The murders are beautifully gruesome but the obviousness of the perpetrator is frustrating. It’s so obvious who the murderer is that you keep hoping their identity isn’t the point. It ultimately both is and isn’t, but the plot point about identity is…perplexing. I won’t elaborate here but I will say it was rather stupid. What sticks the most is how, once the main mystery is resolved, you don’t really care what happens to the lead character(s) while the series, meanwhile, is still carrying on about them. Hence, the third story:
Story #3:
is about Fang handling the conceits of others; essentially, his arc this season is about the ways in which we may compromise our ethics to rescue the ones we love. Which was the entire point of last season with his Daughter, so…? Seriously, it’s boringly ridiculous. And the loveline between Fang and Reporter Chick is just tedious. S1 barely sold the idea that Fang is capable of having a romantic relationship that leads to marriage and children, but S2 is convinced there was ever any chemistry or attraction between Fang and Reporter Chick. As a result, we’re also following Reporter Chick’s side-story about purpose and ethics, which feels lifted wholesale from an entirely different script and only present here to justify Reporter Chick’s presence. Seriously, why is she here? They’re supposed to be a couple this season but it’s laughable on many levels. Honestly, you can skip any scenes in which our three ostensibly main characters are alone together in whatever configuration and miss nothing important. The series has to go so far out of its way to include them in the main narrative that you can practically smell the script rewrites from whatever original property this season was squeezed.
In summary:
Story #1 should’ve been a spin-off.
Story #3 is extraneous to proceedings and demonstrates how our main characters are surplus to requirements.
Story #2 is serviceable but continuously undermined by trying to make Stories #1 and #3 matter.
I get the sense that the first season was meant to be a self-contained narrative, a complete story with no intentions of subsequent seasons. In fact, supporting characters in S2 have to keep making excuses for/articulating shock at the main characters’ involvement in the story to the point it becomes comical. I am so disappointed that after years of waiting for the sequel, this is the best we get.
Just stop, series. Just stop it.
Taem has been a level-headed, practical, and aware character from the start. During the first 2/3rds of the series, she never indicated that she had a romantic interest in anyone, or was focused on anything other than her own educational and professional goals. We even saw her suss out the attraction between Yak and Wandee and smile softly to herself about it. While the series never sold me on Yak crushing hard on Taem, it did convince me that Taem wasn't interested anyway. I legitimately thought the whole storyline would end with Yak confessing out of desperately sad despair and Taem reading him an empathetic but firm riot act on coming to terms with his true feelings for Wandee. THAT would have made sense given what we've seen. Same with the Ohm nonsense; neither of these characters, as we've seen them, are the type of people for whom that car scene makes any sense. What little we saw of Ohm hinted he had an interest in Taem but in no way suggested he was a predatory creep who would press the matter; what we've seen of Taem tells us she wouldn't have reacted or behaved the way she did in that situation. The whole scene was an insult to Taem's character, bizarre for Ohm's character, tedious for Yak's character, and an insult to the viewing audience.
Ter is having the same issue. He is whatever manufactured drama needs him to be. He's not a character, he's an overstretched plot point.
There is an increasingly growing gap between what the series is SHOWING us versus what it's TELLING us, and it's disappointing in what is an otherwise engaging story.
And is Wandee suffering from a head injury we didn't see or something? What is this indecisive wishy-washy mixed signals nonsense with Ter? Is he over him or not? Because literally every other aspect of the series says "yes" but then Wandee keeps barely resisting Ter in private. Again, why? We are eight episodes in; Ter stopped being a thing like four episodes back but he keeps going round and round in a cycle of nothingness because the series won't just let Wandee give it to him straight. I'm actually starting to feel kind of bad for the guy.
The premise of this series obviously couldn't sustain itself for 12 episodes but this third act is a real downgrade. Yet, it doesn't have to be. Yei has an actual problem, one that threatens the stability and likely safety of the whole family—why aren't we focusing on that? We could spend these last episodes watching the boys fight to save Yei, the gym, and their financial future, while watching Yak battle back from the exhibition match loss, but for whatever reason we're still dicking around with this "fake boyfriend" thing that definitively wrapped last episode. The preview for next episode is aggravating.
Did a new writer take over? What are we doing?
[Oh as an aside: congratulations, Thailand!]
I think I see how the soundscape was intended to be the Thai equivalent of the broad mugging common in Japanese acting but, holy hell, it is irritating beyond belief, especially when it's part of a scene that is already exaggerated or overly explanatory. It's like the series either doesn't trust the audience to comprehend what characters are feeling/thinking, or doesn't trust the actors to properly convey it. Which is unfortunate because the cast is doing their jobs well enough, only to be undermined by poor production choices and unnecessary emphasis. Just let the scenes breathe for a moment, give the characters some room.
I think this episode was supposed to make me feel sad or angry or perhaps just pity but it was the first episode where I felt nothing. It was an episode of people being subjected to the consequences of their own dumb decisions. And any potential emotional weight is just undermined by the fact we know these two are endgame. It was all unkeepable promises—Ming will definitely hurt Joe again because Ming is a narcissistic asshat by nature, and Joe will go back to Ming in like two seconds because Joe's spine has the structural integrity of a jellyfish.
The one thing I absolutely loved in this episode is that Ming didn't say sorry. Joe is over there rightfully losing his shit about how Ming ruined his first life and Ming's whole response is basically, "Get over it. You were mine in that life, and you belong to me in this one, too." And doubling-down on it by reminding Joe he's still under contract and therefore doesn't even have the autonomy to leave? Oh, Ming, you magnificently selfish bastard, please don't ever change.
I'm excited that next episode will focus on Tong's brazen machinations. What a delightfully shameless villain he is. That's how he got away with the murder I'll forever remain convinced he has definitely committed.
Good day to you.
Because it is. It's two young hot strangers banging each other on a tropical island; love and connection has nothing to do with it. For now, anyway.
But at the same time, the wardrobe choices could be character-related. Perhaps Tongrak dones flashy clothing like armour, the same way he uses money as a weapon. He's inhabiting a shell that loudly telegraphs to the world that he's successful, in control, undaunted, and not even the littlest tiniest bit unstable or uncertain.
Or, you know, it's Thailand, where the cultural affinity for what's considered fashionable is closely aligned with what visibly looks expensive. I'm just glad he's not strutting around with branded bags and giant logos plastered everywhere.
Vie is deliciously diabolicial. Khaimuk, my lovely little doe, you are a married woman, even if you don't realize it yet. If you two were any other type of mammal, Vie would've just been aggressively scent-marking the hell out of you. I could smell the pheromones through the screen—you're in danger, girl!
Which was good because pretty much the rest of the episode just pissed me off.
I fully expected some pointless conflict because we're at about the part of the story where it has to happen but holy hell was that manufactured. Everybody came out of this looking like right idiots.
Yak hasn't displayed any propensity for violence outside of the ring, nor has he been shown to be anything but hard-working, devoted, and successful; he's not even particularly cocky about it. He seems like the kind of guy who is aware that, as a professionally trained fighter, he shouldn't be getting into punch-ups with civilians. So what in the blue hell was all that yelling about him always resorting to violence and being a constant disappointment to everyone?
And did Wandee just lose all common sense? He had a pre-arranged date with Yak and candles burning on the table; on what planet does he sit himself and his sex costume down for dinner and drinks with Ter and then a little light PowerPointing? Previous crush aside, Wandee just would not do that; at the very least, he'd have taken off the headband and put on some damn pants first. I am insulted on behalf of the character that he was reduced to such outright stupidity for the sake of pointless drama.
And speaking of Ter—look, either pull the trigger or drop this storyline. I have no idea what his motivations or objectives are and, at this point, I really don't care. So either let him be an actual villain or move him out of the way; he has served his primary purpose as a plot point, and nothing else he's doing is important. I am getting annoyed by his face and have you seen Pod's sexy face?
I would say the same about Taem but Taem was never a thing. Even she looked confused about why she's still here.
As usual, Dr. Plakao was the only one making any sense; I, too, would like this saga to end already if this is the dumbassery we should expect going forward. Just...wow.
Somewhere between all the unnecessary inner monologuing and the silly noises soundscape may be the element that would actually make all of this work within the confines of Thai culture but I'm not seeing any promise that element will actually come to the fore. This series is hitting all the beats but it just feels so artificial, so empty, and so forced.
The play scene really left a foul taste in my mouth. In the JBL, the protagonist is a tad goofy but genuinely well-meaning and caring. He had no confidence in his own ability to perform the role but he was willing to be embarrassed on stage in front of the whole school if it meant he could save a friend from the same fate (and in the JBL, this decision truly seemed less about his crush and more about his inherent empathy; you got the impression he would've done it for anyone in the class, not just the girl he liked, because he's driven to be helpful to the people around him). He let them put him in that shapeless dress and slap on that shoddy-ass wig and just went with it, because he promised to help and by-golly, he was going to fulfill that promise. We watched him awkward his way through the production with all the gusto he could manage and it was bloody fucking charming. The play scene was short in the JBL but it told us so much about our characters: their fears, their shortcomings, their strong suits, their braveries, the traits that underlay their personalities.
In this Thai series, all of that was lost. It just seems like he was waiting for the right moment to step into the spotlight and flex his own talents. I skipped both of the songs; they felt so out-of-place in the story, so obviously just a vehicle servicing the main ship as a commercial Thai BL product rather than an integral plot element that moved the story and its characters forward. And, sure, he's "just stepping in", but he can perform the song flawlessly with no rehearsals and has the most perfectly tailored wardrobe for the whole show despite there being ZERO warning to the production crew that he would replace the title character? Sure. Ok. Aggravatingly stupid, and without reason. He could've just played freaking Cinderella and we could've skipped all the nonsense.
I so want this Thai series to be good because I genuinely like the source material. I'll stick around for another few episodes; perhaps it will find its speed once it reaches the new material, where there's more overt romantic activity between the leads. Thai BLs tend to be rather decent at that stage.