FreshKicks

This was Crystal's episode to shine. All concerns about her character (in both meanings of the word) were swept aside. (And you're right, she's gorgeous -- as a gay guy I can say that objectively haha. )

I agree that Mico can be a big baby and I'll add that he's too stubborn, but I think he's never dated anyone, right? He's dealing with a lot of new feelings. It's good for him that Xavier is so patient.

This is one of the most interesting threads I've read on here.

What struck me as different about Bright from the beginning was that pics showing him with his girlfriend started circulating very early on. I'd never seen that happen before -- in fact I thought that BL actors usually avoided any confirmation of whether they're actually gay or straight -- so it made me wonder if someone was trying to establish Bright's "het credentials" right out of the gate.

I don't think I know about his scandal in high school, though, unless you're referring to a rumor I heard about him being a bully back then.

Shen Yue is in this? Well then I have to watch it!

The little girl character is completely unnecessary and really strains credibility. I know she's going to be around for a while since she's mentioned in the series description, but what a stupid and obvious play for the audience's emotions.

Kim will come back "somehow" ... in a fantasy show like this they always make up arbitrary rules about what powers certain characters have and what magical effects certain actions have. Next week I think we'll see some combination of those two things lead to Kim's resurrection.

The show has dropped so many clues that the BL between Way and Kim is real and has been there for years already. Some people just need it spelled out in neon letters before they'll trust it.

For some reason I'm convinced there will be a happy ending. The vibe of this series has been too chirpy and sweet to finish any other way. My only regret is that we'll get so little time with the real Kim again.

I agree with you, but it's something that I've seen happen in almost every series, BL and non-BL. And as soon as it happens, I'm taken right out of the imagined world and reminded that it's all made up. I guess this is what separates casual entertainment like this from a production that wants to say something important.

First, thank you for reading all that. When I got the notification and came here for the new comment I was shocked at how much I'd written lol.

I guess my limited access to Thai BL made the tweets and tumblr posts about Bright and Win stand out more, because I know that early on I was sending pics of Bright to a friend of mine who I was trying to get to watch the series. This was around the time the first trailer came out. So I guess I was "hyping" the series for myself even if GMMTV wasn't.

Regarding Champ, I think I held him in such high regard because he directed the Pete-Kao side story in 'Kiss Me Again', which I think is the best enemies-to-lovers BL in any drama I've ever seen.

What I would love to happen in the new season of '2gether' is for them to playfully acknowledge the mistakes of season one. Like, have Sarawat and Tine be just about to do a high-five but then stop themselves at the last second, saying 'Nah, let's not to that,' or something like that. I'd be screaming! It would not only be hilarious, but might even help to neutralize all the backlash that's happened since.

Another review of '2gether' pops up on the main page and once again I'm back to check the latest score for the series. Why am I still so interested? For a long time I couldn't understand it myself, but now I think I've figured it out.

I've disliked a lot of series and have always moved on after separating from them, but '2gether' has had a grip on me, and judging from the comments on this page I'm not the only one.

I've thought about why it has proved so capable of bringing us back, again and again, and I've come to the conclusion that it's because '2gether' itself is so different. We've all watched (and dropped) series that failed us, but what we got in '2gether' wasn't just another disappointing series. What we got was bigger than that.

I've decided that the key factor in all of this is that '2gether' was more than just another failure -- it was a debacle.

A debacle is failure on another level entirely. A debacle gets people talking, almost in awe of how it occurred, and more than that, a debacle eventually become part of the zeitgeist, providing metaphors that serve as shorthand when judging other failures, and becoming a continual reference point for jokes and humor.

For example, when a friend of mine recently told me how much he loved a trailer for an upcoming BL series, he ended his reaction with: "... and there wasn't a high-five anywhere in sight!" Up until that moment neither one of us had brought up '2gether', but he'd reached for that comparison almost out of instinct -- and we both knew exactly what he meant, and we both got a good laugh out of it.

There are movies that have achieved this same kind of infamy -- huge budget, stellar cast, famous director, etc., but in the end a stunning example of overreach and artistic failure.

(There's another BL series that I might say was a debacle, and that's 'HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count'.)

It made me wonder what needed to happen to turn a romantic comedy like '2gether' into a debacle. What I came up with is:

1. The buildup of lots of hype before it debuts, about both the series and its stars.

2. The backing of a major production company that has years of experience producing such series, many of them excellent.

3. An experienced (maybe even famous) director.

4. A big budget and spiffy production values.

5. Initial previews/trailers that generate genuine excitement.

6. Strong initial episodes that raise expectations even higher.

7. Then, somewhere along the way, seemingly out of nowhere, a collapse that shocks nearly everyone -- fans and industry people alike -- something of epic proportion that would have seemed impossible given the money and talent involved. The collapse is big enough to overshadow almost everything that the series got right, and the things that they did get right start to look like they might have just been dumb luck.

8. Then, after there's been enough time to recover from the shock, a sense that this particular failure is so spectacular that it can serve as an object lesson for other series on what *not* to do.

9. Finally -- ultimately -- a place of honor in the lexicon of series criticism -- a point of reference that everyone, even those who loved the series, can understand with just a word or two. ('High five', anyone?)

A debacle like '2gether' attains a kind of Legend status that makes it hard for people to stop paying attention to it, especially as the franchise continues to grind out fan events, spin-off series and (be still my heart) a sequel.

That sequel is due in a few weeks, and even if it makes all the same dumb decisions that the original series did I know that this time around I won't get mad. Maybe Sarawat and Tine still won't hold hands, or cuddle, or kiss any more intimately than the way a kid kisses his grandma, and maybe a pat on the head will still serve as the go-to gesture of affection, but I'll still be loving every second, and visiting its MDL page to soak up the reactions with a big grin on my face.

That's because '2gether' now holds a place in BL History, and we're all living through that history right now. I think both fans and anti-fans would acknowledge that, although of course they'd say it for different reasons. The bottom line, though, is that it *is* an historic series, and as such I hope that stans will feel less offended when people like me keep coming back to pay homage or just to kid around a little. In a strange way I think it actually shows a kind of respect for what '2gether' has achieved and for the way its hype machine continues gamely plodding forward to give us more.

The trailer for this is just wow.

I felt a kind of frantic energy as well. I think they were indulging in a bit of fan service, like with the montage of the boys in front of different vacation scenes and that exercise session. The pillow schtick might have gone on a bit too long too.

But that's me. I like a tightly plotted series where every scene contributes something meaningful. It's one reason that I think 'Where Your Eyes Linger' is a kind of masterpiece.

It might be that this week the people at Gameboys wanted to reward their fans after all the angst of the last couple of episodes. There's something to be said for that.

Risa's apology -- that just felt so random to me. I felt bad for the actress, too. Her one big scene, and she's required to ugly-cry from start to finish. (Imagine the auditions for *that* role lol.)

The BL Force in this one is stronger than ever. I just hope the boys get enough screen time together for us to enjoy them as a blissful couple.

This is one of the first BL ships where I think both guys are equally hot, and I mean hot. To see them getting all soft and sweet together will be such a treat. (After "that other series" I'm keeping expectations low in the kiss department though. ;)

Exactly! There was something intentional there. Now, I don't know how the mechanism would work, exactly, but maybe when they fell back to earth after the visit with the Angel of Death, Kim's soul got knocked off-course and landed in the motorcycle instead of him.

I love this idea. It would be such a hoot if it turns out to be the actual twist. (And if it doesn't, they should hire you as a writer haha.)

Ooh great catch! I would never have thought of that.

Don't be impressed by my VIP label or anyone else's .. we have it because we paid MDL to get rid of the ads. ;)

I know .. that's constantly in the back of my mind. It affects my enjoyment because I worry that the rug's going to get pulled out from under us any second.

I nearly fell out of my chair when Xav told the teacher, "I'm a top!"

I have been guilty of this myself and like to think I've seen the error of my ways. We are so lucky to have both series to enjoy.

I had a good long talk with myself and said, "Self, these are sincere efforts by people who only want to entertain and move you. Accept their gifts -- don't nitpick like a spoiled kid on Christmas morning."

Agreed ... but comparisons between, say, a film by a famous auteur and a thesis submission by a student in film school, while valid, is silly and ultimately pointless. To judge the latter based on the former might be fun, but there's a danger of it becoming more about the critic showing off than actually adding value to the discourse.

Also, I don't know if there are definitive "artistic standards" for any form of expression, whether it be film, writing, music, painting, or drama series. (If there are I'd like to know who defined them and what makes them the authority lol.)

Academics sometimes might think they know all of the so-called proper ways to do things, and enjoy using those standards to educate us about the works of others, but for some people the most rewarding artistic experiences are the ones that diverge from the accepted norms.

I myself listen to K-Pop songs and Mahler symphonies. Most fans of either of those genres might find the other to be utterly lacking, but I love both. (Imagine a classical music critic reviewing a song by iKON lol.) I think that for any individual, the best person to decide if a work of art has impact, meaning, or importance is themselves.

Sorry if I alarmed you. I was mainly joking. But aside from Singto in Friend Zone 2, I don't know of any BL projects coming up for any of these guys. So maybe I accidentally joked about what is actually true.