For those of you who keep saying dramas like these are toxic, watch something else! This is FICTION. If you are going to emulate or glamourise what is seen here, then clearly you're not old or mature enough to be watching this. There are countless fluffy BL out there. Go watch that.
I’m sorry but this show is beyond trash, not sure how it has a 8+ rating. Also can they stop with the Rape/noncon…
Not everyone likes fluff, me included. Angst is how people like me destress. Yet it's so hard to find so-called toxic BLs to watch. It's extremely annoying that so many people are trying to push for every single BL to be full of fluff and get rid of the angst. Uncomfortable topics like rape and abuse are a part of life, unfortunately.
Incest is one of those things that absolutely freaks me out for some reason. Just do as I do and heed the tags, especially if you know something might trigger you.
I was driven to watch Tharntype because of the hype. While I don't regret watching it, I still tell myself that I should have known how it would turn out. A lot of Thai productions in particular seem extremely amateur and Americanised with the type of bad acting you only get with people who might not have had formal acting classes. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be much of a push to improve beyond finding pretty male leads.
Honestly, I don't expect a masterpiece. I don't. I know the budgets aren't large, but I there are independent filmmakers who have and continue to do more with less. I think there are so many great Thai BLs with great concepts, but the dramas are driving some of us away since they're so hard to watch! 😢
Poor acting...laughably bad at some points. You know what? I was willing to overlook the forced acting of Kanawut Traipipattanapong, the guy who played Type. Yet, when the actor who played Techno first appeared on screen I was astonished at how terrible he was. That's just one example...
The screenplay adaptation was full of rookie mistakes like cliches and characters thinking out loud and stating the effing obvious. It was very cringeworthy. I'm saying this as an amateur by the way.
I could go on and on, but this is already long enough. Thailand needs to step up its game. Tharntype SHOULD have been better. I'm partially mad at a lot of BL fans to continue to praise series like this. Hot actors don't mean that the production is great. If a production is bad, it's just bad...
Why do people in the comments keep saying its BDSM? I genuinely loved the movie. It's one of my favourites in fact because of the screwed up dynamic, so I'm not complaining at all, but let's be realistic. The sex at the beginning was not consensual in any way, shape or form. It's obvious too.
There was no grey area for the first 30 or so minutes. The victim is kidnapped and repeatedly assaulted. Despite the type of assault, you can literally be put in prison for that in most places. It might not even be ubder the legal definition of rape in some societies, but it's still non-consensual sex!
Even when the rapist finally decided to penetrate him with his, he still was struggling, crying and trying to push him off. The victim tried to RUN AWAY for goodness sake, and the synopisis LITERALLY SAYS it's a RAPE VICTIM. 🤦🏾♀️ How in the world does BDSM come into play? If it makes it easier, imagine if the victim was female...
This is a long one! Let me be frank, The Effect hasn't got the best acting and there's quite a few differences between that and the book. Yet, it's got a good and fairly realistic storyline, which was refreshing. HEED THE WARNINGS! Do NOT watch it if you're triggered by rape and then come back here and whine and annoy the rest of us!
'The Effect' is not a BL per se because it's not a romantic relationship. It's a one-sided obsession (stalking, manipulation, etc) that has disastrous consequences. The novel makes it crystal clear that Shin, the protagonist, thinks of Keng as a role model and looks up to him. It even debatable as to whether Shin even finds men attractive in the first place since it does say that there was no one, neither male nor female who he found attractive. One of my beefs with the series is it makes it appear as if Shin has a crush on Keng, which he does not.
The actor who played Shin wasn't terrible, but he certainly wasn't great either. I really despise it when actors seem to put too much attention on appearing the stereotypical 'small, vulnerable and cute' 'bottom', rather than trying to actually embody their character's personality a bit more.
The actor who played Keng ranged from so-so in terms of acting to bordering on cringe. Looks-wise, average. At the risk of sounding like a monster, I feel like they could have gotten someone a bit more stunning, because it matters. Women were gushing over his attractiveness in the novel and series after all.
I really respect the story because as many people mentioned, it's one of the few 'BL' series and movies that explores red flags, obsession and sexual assault realistically. There's no getting together with the stalker or eventually falling in love with him. It's a raw and gritty story, exactly the way I like them.
I wasn't really satisfied with how rushed it was though. Quite a big chunk of what Shin went through in the novel seems to have been omitted in the series, that I thought was very important to the story. After being raped by Keng, he was absent from school for weeks and was constantly ill because of the medication he was on (PrEP). The novel focused more on his journey to 'becoming strong', at first to pursue the case, and then trying to move on with his life and possibly help other assault victims. Unfortunately, that was glossed over in the series, which robbed it.
The rape scene was also leagues more bloody and violent in the novel. In the series, it was rather tame. Barely a scratch on Shin. I think there was a faint bruise on his mouth? 🤦♀️ This is one of those times where I think it should have been more true to the book, because the level of violence of that scene was very relevant to the plot and to Shin's recovery. Shin was out of it for WEEKS because of how violent Keng was.
Also, just to prove the actor who played Shin wasn't great, he didn't really exude a whole lot of distress during the rape. His facial expressions even left a lot to be desired. In the book Shin was screaming and cursing, in severe pain and all around terrified. There was a point of time where he couldn't breathe because he was being crushed or choked, but actor didn't portray much of that.
I am generally not a huge fan of fluff, but this was amazing! I'm also grateful that the characters were aged up a bit instead of the usual high school/university characters.
I'm really mad at whoever recommended this as being a 'dark and toxic' BL. If you're looking for something similar to Double Mints or even Sei no Gekiyaku, then save yourself the time and don't bother watching. There are some elements of that, yes, (check the tags), but if you want something for ADULTS and something gritty, and not cutesy...this isn't it...
For those who are asking why it's so toxic, not every BL fan likes fluff. Some of us get incredibly bored with too much fluff and we find it unrealistic and unbearable. Some of us prefer watching movies with adult themes. It's how some of us unwind. Unfortunately, those are hard to find it seems.
Part 2 was only slightly better than part 1. The actor who plays Lu Feng seems to have gotten a little better, while the actor who plays Xiao Chen...I honestly can't tell if he's better or worse this time around, and he was pretty bad the last time. For example, there's rape scenes in it, and the guy's expression barely changes. Seriously?
It's also as poorly written as the first. I found that the characters, particularly Xiao Chen seemed to react strangely when placed in some situations.
Small blessings, the plot at least wasn't as monstrously dull as the first one. There was actual drama in it this time and you know what? I actually think it had potential to be a great movie. But just that. Potential. It was executed extremely poorly and straight up butchered what had the potential to be a great story.
The score as usual continued to be just as annoying as it was in the first movie. The music was almost continuous with little to no silence. That was, again, insanity inducing and it robbed the movie of a lot of tension.
I'm baffled by those who keep saying this was a great movie. If you're truly interested in watching something nice, don't waste your time. It was poorly acted and cliché. Just a terrible movie all around. I started watching it in a great mood, and then I was just irritated by the end of it. There was nothing truly engaging about the plot. Tale as old as time where starcrossed lovers are being kept apart by parents. It was boring from start to finish. I kept wondering when it would get to the point and then it ended. FML.
In truth I only soldiered through because I heard that the second part would be darker and more thrilling. Also, like an idiot, I was deceived by some of the reviews here that made it seem like a masterpiece. I'm beginning to think those people were either trolling or couldn't see beyond the actors' good looks.
Ah yes, I forgot to add that the score was also insanity inducing. It's the first movie I've ever watched that didn't seem to understand the value of silence. Films don't need music every couple of seconds. In this one we barely get a break from it. Silence has its place in film as it helps with tone, creating tension and is needed for transition.
Incest is one of those things that absolutely freaks me out for some reason. Just do as I do and heed the tags, especially if you know something might trigger you.
Honestly, I don't expect a masterpiece. I don't. I know the budgets aren't large, but I there are independent filmmakers who have and continue to do more with less. I think there are so many great Thai BLs with great concepts, but the dramas are driving some of us away since they're so hard to watch! 😢
Poor acting...laughably bad at some points. You know what? I was willing to overlook the forced acting of Kanawut Traipipattanapong, the guy who played Type. Yet, when the actor who played Techno first appeared on screen I was astonished at how terrible he was. That's just one example...
The screenplay adaptation was full of rookie mistakes like cliches and characters thinking out loud and stating the effing obvious. It was very cringeworthy. I'm saying this as an amateur by the way.
I could go on and on, but this is already long enough. Thailand needs to step up its game. Tharntype SHOULD have been better. I'm partially mad at a lot of BL fans to continue to praise series like this. Hot actors don't mean that the production is great. If a production is bad, it's just bad...
I'm just going to go ahead and read the book...
There was no grey area for the first 30 or so minutes. The victim is kidnapped and repeatedly assaulted. Despite the type of assault, you can literally be put in prison for that in most places. It might not even be ubder the legal definition of rape in some societies, but it's still non-consensual sex!
Even when the rapist finally decided to penetrate him with his, he still was struggling, crying and trying to push him off. The victim tried to RUN AWAY for goodness sake, and the synopisis LITERALLY SAYS it's a RAPE VICTIM. 🤦🏾♀️ How in the world does BDSM come into play? If it makes it easier, imagine if the victim was female...
'The Effect' is not a BL per se because it's not a romantic relationship. It's a one-sided obsession (stalking, manipulation, etc) that has disastrous consequences. The novel makes it crystal clear that Shin, the protagonist, thinks of Keng as a role model and looks up to him. It even debatable as to whether Shin even finds men attractive in the first place since it does say that there was no one, neither male nor female who he found attractive. One of my beefs with the series is it makes it appear as if Shin has a crush on Keng, which he does not.
The actor who played Shin wasn't terrible, but he certainly wasn't great either. I really despise it when actors seem to put too much attention on appearing the stereotypical 'small, vulnerable and cute' 'bottom', rather than trying to actually embody their character's personality a bit more.
The actor who played Keng ranged from so-so in terms of acting to bordering on cringe. Looks-wise, average. At the risk of sounding like a monster, I feel like they could have gotten someone a bit more stunning, because it matters. Women were gushing over his attractiveness in the novel and series after all.
I really respect the story because as many people mentioned, it's one of the few 'BL' series and movies that explores red flags, obsession and sexual assault realistically. There's no getting together with the stalker or eventually falling in love with him. It's a raw and gritty story, exactly the way I like them.
I wasn't really satisfied with how rushed it was though. Quite a big chunk of what Shin went through in the novel seems to have been omitted in the series, that I thought was very important to the story. After being raped by Keng, he was absent from school for weeks and was constantly ill because of the medication he was on (PrEP). The novel focused more on his journey to 'becoming strong', at first to pursue the case, and then trying to move on with his life and possibly help other assault victims. Unfortunately, that was glossed over in the series, which robbed it.
The rape scene was also leagues more bloody and violent in the novel. In the series, it was rather tame. Barely a scratch on Shin. I think there was a faint bruise on his mouth? 🤦♀️ This is one of those times where I think it should have been more true to the book, because the level of violence of that scene was very relevant to the plot and to Shin's recovery. Shin was out of it for WEEKS because of how violent Keng was.
Also, just to prove the actor who played Shin wasn't great, he didn't really exude a whole lot of distress during the rape. His facial expressions even left a lot to be desired. In the book Shin was screaming and cursing, in severe pain and all around terrified. There was a point of time where he couldn't breathe because he was being crushed or choked, but actor didn't portray much of that.
I have so much more to say about this series.
Also, i started reading the Round Trip book and it's leagues better than the drama. Their relationship is far more toxic there.
For those who are asking why it's so toxic, not every BL fan likes fluff. Some of us get incredibly bored with too much fluff and we find it unrealistic and unbearable. Some of us prefer watching movies with adult themes. It's how some of us unwind. Unfortunately, those are hard to find it seems.
Part 2 was only slightly better than part 1. The actor who plays Lu Feng seems to have gotten a little better, while the actor who plays Xiao Chen...I honestly can't tell if he's better or worse this time around, and he was pretty bad the last time. For example, there's rape scenes in it, and the guy's expression barely changes. Seriously?
It's also as poorly written as the first. I found that the characters, particularly Xiao Chen seemed to react strangely when placed in some situations.
Small blessings, the plot at least wasn't as monstrously dull as the first one. There was actual drama in it this time and you know what? I actually think it had potential to be a great movie. But just that. Potential. It was executed extremely poorly and straight up butchered what had the potential to be a great story.
The score as usual continued to be just as annoying as it was in the first movie. The music was almost continuous with little to no silence. That was, again, insanity inducing and it robbed the movie of a lot of tension.
In truth I only soldiered through because I heard that the second part would be darker and more thrilling. Also, like an idiot, I was deceived by some of the reviews here that made it seem like a masterpiece. I'm beginning to think those people were either trolling or couldn't see beyond the actors' good looks.
Ah yes, I forgot to add that the score was also insanity inducing. It's the first movie I've ever watched that didn't seem to understand the value of silence. Films don't need music every couple of seconds. In this one we barely get a break from it. Silence has its place in film as it helps with tone, creating tension and is needed for transition.