FreshKicks

Tul/Hin was an unexpected bonus. Their kiss at the end was very nice, but I thought the dialog in the scene where Tul discovers that Hin has returned was a bit of a letdown. Tul's lines sounded awkward, and I wonder if this might have had an impact on Meen's acting because that too seemed a little stiff to me.

What a good-looking couple, though!

Episode 8 was full of surprises but for me the real killer was Oil telling Tan that he's as delicious as the porridge then asking Tan if he wants a taste. I guess we can say that he's now given permission to Tan for any moves that Tan himself would like to make. I can't wait. :)

With Kao now inviting himself to move in with Tan and Oil -- and letting on that he knows the true nature of their dynamic -- I hope we're not headed for another scenario where yet another person (Kao) is infatuated with Oil.

Now, for me Oil is the most fully realized character in the series and his cuteness is 100% legit and undeniable, and the wisdom and support that he provides to Tan in times of need is the truest sign of his love. I can also actually believe that three guys would feel drawn to him, with Kao as a potential fourth. But with only four episodes left, at some point the series needs to stop introducing new characters, new conflicts and new love triangles and start resolving a few things. I'd like for Episode 12 to have enough time to include some soft scenes between the couples that will reward us patient viewers.

Itt also says to Pure "It's painful", and Marc's delivery of this simple line is as poignant as can be, but as you say, given everything that Itt has done up to this point the whole conversation with Pure is almost laughable.

I mean, seriously, Itt: What else did you expect???!!

One thing that struck me is that Itt also says that Pai is the ONLY light in his life ... and when I think about it, it does seem that the only friend that Itt seems to have at university is Pure. It's really sad but only helps to prove how focused he is on Pai.

I love this review. You're very witty! You made me LOL and this I appreciate.

This is one of the few BL series I've watched where the m/f pairing is interesting on its own and doesn't feel like an add-on.

I think the main reason is the character of Waan. He's friends not only with Pai but with Pure as well, and it's because of Pure that Waan ends up becoming the bridge between the rival clubs in high school. Then later on in college his interactions with both Pai and Pure have consequences that affect the couplings of Itt/Pai and Pure/Folk.

Having Pure's character be bisexual allows for a nifty setup where his flirtations with Beau have an impact on both Folk and Waan. As viewers we become invested in how both situations turn out.

Some of the credit for all this must go to Fiat and JJ for making their characters so interesting and fun. The parts could not have been better cast.

That's the Photo Club room where in the book Itt confesses to Pai. It looks like the series is going to do things differently though. Instead of Itt (as Mr. 950) asking Pai to meet him there, the preview for Ep 11 makes me think that Pai will follow Itt to the room and ask to be let inside. So, if Itt confesses it won't be all planned out like in the book (which to me is a more romantic scenario by far.)

Pure has a predilection to be in a committed relationship -- it's just that first boyfriend of his stood by while Pure got beat up. That made him stop trusting in love and deciding he'd only look for sex.

(And Freud would say that he symbolically gets back at his ex every time he dumps one of his one-night stands....)

Folk will make him believe in love again.

Enough photos to prove to Pai that Itt has been watching him from afar for a long, long time.

In the book Pai sees them as a slide show but I'm guessing the series will save time by having them all tacked to the wall.

Extra redemption points for Itt if he kneels in front of Pai the way he does in the book! (Not getting my hopes up....)

I can make a pretty good guess about what's in the photo club room, if you want me to speculate/spoil it for you. I don't think they're going to do the scene exactly like in the book but I have a hunch about the direction they're going with their alternative approach.

"I want him to know he's the only light in my life." (Itt in Episode 10)

After all of the bullying that Pai's been subjected to by Itt, this comment sounds like it comes from an alternate universe.

And even if the bullying wasn't a factor, even with all the backstory they gave us in earlier episodes, the series never managed to show why Itt would think of Pai as the greatest gift in his life (to paraphrase the book.)

Four unappealing people treating each other badly. There is absolutely NO CHEMISTRY with either couple.

The whole side story with Soda and Noah is terrible. Anyone with half a brain would know that they should not get married, no no no. Who wrote this crap?

Honestly, I think your speculation is far deeper than anything conceived by the writers. They should have hired you as a story consultant.

Yes, Kang Doo sucks. His character annoyed me so much that I've had the drama on hold for months. I'll probably never finish it.

The brightest thing about this series is Kim Kang Hyun as Sang Man. This actor does supporting roles in so many dramas where he plays an offbeat/quirky character that's there for comic relief. He was given the opportunity to show his stuff with the Sang Man role, and he delivered.

A real gem. The 7.8 rating is a crime.

Apparently 10% of the ratings came in as a "1". Why do I suspect dirty tricks by the bitter fanbase of another series?

Mai/Wan certainly delivered (somebody on here commented earlier that Yang Jiajin, who plays Mai, had said in an interview that there was another scene between Mai and Wan that was really hot, and he wasn't lying.) And, for a couple of hornballs, their storyline was actually pretty nice, with Mai not giving up on his pursuit of Wan despite Wan feeling so hurt that Mai had moved away without saying goodbye. Aside from Ongsah/North, to me it seemed they had the most character development in the series.

The intensity of the Indy/Jedi moment surprised me. Has any other Thai BL featured that much open-mouthed kissing? Whew!

I think the bad and sometimes missing subtitles do limit the show's appeal, and probably make the writing seem worse than it is. I don't joke when I say that some of the subs might have been courtesy of Google Translate .... maybe they couldn't otherwise afford to have them done more professionally.

But I appreciate that they at least considered us international fans and did what they could.

SMILWY won't win any awards but I have a lot of affection for it nonetheless.

So many flaws, yes, but for me this was my #1 guilty pleasure. I looked forward to it every week.

In the finale it really stood out to me that North's hair length would change almost from scene to scene. :)

Ohhh yes, Mame wrote this and she’s got the exact track record you mention.

The best translation I've found is the one by _hanayuki on wattpad. It has the additional advantage of being close to finished up to the end of Book 2.

It's not perfect by any means but once you get used to how punctuation and sentence structure are done, it reads pretty smoothly.

You are too kind, but thank you!

Since you are another fan of the book, I'll comment that the big thing that strikes me about the book is how Itt's character is portrayed after he has confessed to Pai. It's like he becomes a little boy.

I can't decide if I like it lol.

Teh is a volatile guy ... Bilkin really nails it whenever Teh is in turmoil over something (which seems to be often). Plus, it doesn't take a lot to trigger Teh and he seems to have trouble controlling himself once triggered. For some reason I suspect he's going to self-implode and deeply hurt Aew in the process.

And now that things are "progressing" so early in the series, it's got me more worried.

But I'm here to stay ... I'll allow this masterpiece to do with me what it will.