This review may contain spoilers
Painfully Ordinary and Boring Characters and Story
What I liked:
Freen and Becky were truly excellent. Honestly, it is only because of these two that Lom and Blew had any sense of depth at all. In reality, Lom and Blew barely have any emotional buildup, but Freen and Becky’s acting ability and chemistry are so strong that they somehow create the illusion that there is something special between Lom and Blew.
There is really no other way to say it: Freen and Becky, who stand at the very top of the Thai GL world and can even be called its queens, are wonderful actresses.
The visuals were also relatively beautiful. The Air does not reach the level of the stunning, colorful, and memorable visuals seen in works such as URANUS2324 or Love Design, which were handled by VelCurve Studio, but it did not feel completely flat either. There was at least a certain degree of visual beauty.
What I disliked:
A heavy premise with only shallow weight
The biggest problem I felt was that, despite dealing with heavy themes, the story barely makes Lom and Blew carry any of that weight. I felt the same thing with The Earth 4 Elements, but this author, or whoever is writing the script, seems to have a tendency to avoid making the story too seriously dramatic.
For example, in The Earth 4 Elements, Din proposes a fake marriage in order to help Rose. That setup could have made Rose feel guilty about the possibility of putting Din in danger, and also about taking away something as special as marriage, an important milestone in life, even if it was only a fake marriage. Through that, Din and Rose could have come to understand each other better, reaffirmed their bond, and given the story more depth. However, this author, or whoever is coming up with the script, almost never depicts that kind of inner emotional weight within the characters.
That tendency is extremely obvious in The Air 4 Elements as well. Lom could have been shown carrying the pressure and tension of knowing that one wrong decision might get Blew killed. Blew could have been shown feeling panic, frustration, and anxiety over being at the mercy of an impostor who looks exactly like her, being pushed around and used for that impostor’s convenience. But the story almost completely avoids depicting the key conflicts, fears, and foolishness that should define these characters.
Even if those conflicts, fears, and foolishness had been depicted in the series, they would still feel extremely weak, or almost as if they were not there at all, because there is almost no real buildup behind them.
So even when Lom and Blew are given a nice romantic atmosphere, all I can think is, “Did these two ever really clash with each other face-to-face? Why are they suddenly getting closer?”
The weak portrayal of the setting
In Episode 1, Lom is introduced as an elite expert who has solved many difficult cases, but the evidence for that is far too weak.
During the hostage rescue in Episode 1, Lom is supposed to be the leader, yet she is sitting in what looks like a parking lot near where the hostage is being held, chewing gum while waiting for her teammates. Normally, a leader like that would be demoted immediately. On top of that, she even acts alone. If she is the leader, she should be with her team until the very end, confirming the final details of the operation and staying with them while they suppress the enemy.
The combat scene is also hard to accept. When facing an armed enemy who is holding a hostage, Lom gets close to the enemy, puts down her own weapon, and suddenly turns it into close-quarters combat. That is just too unrealistic. What would she have done if the hostage had been shot and killed? How would this woman take responsibility for that?
I think the director and scriptwriters wanted to portray Lom as a very strong, reliable leader, but she only looks like an idiot.
The series lacks scenes that make me think, “Yes, this person really is strong, smart, a leader, and an expert.”
There is almost no tension
First of all, Lom and Blew have way too many allies. Din’s group, Nam’s group, and Fai’s group were completely unnecessary. Yes, it would feel strange if those three sisters did not come to help, but the story could have given any number of reasons why they were unable to help or unable to go to them. If those reasons had been presented properly, the audience could have accepted it.
This series should have been portrayed as an extreme road-movie escape drama centered on Lom and Blew. It would have been far better if, through that harsh escape, Lom and Blew came to understand themselves and each other, deepening their bond along the way.
But in reality, there are safe stopping points prepared for them along the route, and the three sisters and other people keep helping them whenever something happens. Because of that, even when the series tries to create tension, I can only think, “Well, they’ll probably be fine.”
Conclusion
The Air 4 Elements ended up showing exactly the issues I had been worried about since The Earth 4 Elements.
Both stories deal with heavy themes. The Earth 4 Elements deals with human trafficking, a plan to take over a farm, and a fake marriage. The Air 4 Elements deals with an assassination plot against a princess and a life-or-death bodyguard suspense story. And yet, both of them have stories and characters that feel strangely light and weightless.
The basic premises of both The Earth 4 Elements and The Air 4 Elements are actually very good. That is why it is so disappointing to see them turn out like this.
Freen and Becky, alongside the production team and everyone involved, were among the people who created the absolute masterpiece Gap: The Series. But after that, works such as The Loyal Pin and URANUS2324 were boring and dull. The fact that GL projects like that have continued honestly makes me feel bad for Freen and Becky.
Freen and Becky are incredibly talented and wonderful actresses, which makes this feel like such a waste.
Freen and Becky were truly excellent. Honestly, it is only because of these two that Lom and Blew had any sense of depth at all. In reality, Lom and Blew barely have any emotional buildup, but Freen and Becky’s acting ability and chemistry are so strong that they somehow create the illusion that there is something special between Lom and Blew.
There is really no other way to say it: Freen and Becky, who stand at the very top of the Thai GL world and can even be called its queens, are wonderful actresses.
The visuals were also relatively beautiful. The Air does not reach the level of the stunning, colorful, and memorable visuals seen in works such as URANUS2324 or Love Design, which were handled by VelCurve Studio, but it did not feel completely flat either. There was at least a certain degree of visual beauty.
What I disliked:
A heavy premise with only shallow weight
The biggest problem I felt was that, despite dealing with heavy themes, the story barely makes Lom and Blew carry any of that weight. I felt the same thing with The Earth 4 Elements, but this author, or whoever is writing the script, seems to have a tendency to avoid making the story too seriously dramatic.
For example, in The Earth 4 Elements, Din proposes a fake marriage in order to help Rose. That setup could have made Rose feel guilty about the possibility of putting Din in danger, and also about taking away something as special as marriage, an important milestone in life, even if it was only a fake marriage. Through that, Din and Rose could have come to understand each other better, reaffirmed their bond, and given the story more depth. However, this author, or whoever is coming up with the script, almost never depicts that kind of inner emotional weight within the characters.
That tendency is extremely obvious in The Air 4 Elements as well. Lom could have been shown carrying the pressure and tension of knowing that one wrong decision might get Blew killed. Blew could have been shown feeling panic, frustration, and anxiety over being at the mercy of an impostor who looks exactly like her, being pushed around and used for that impostor’s convenience. But the story almost completely avoids depicting the key conflicts, fears, and foolishness that should define these characters.
Even if those conflicts, fears, and foolishness had been depicted in the series, they would still feel extremely weak, or almost as if they were not there at all, because there is almost no real buildup behind them.
So even when Lom and Blew are given a nice romantic atmosphere, all I can think is, “Did these two ever really clash with each other face-to-face? Why are they suddenly getting closer?”
The weak portrayal of the setting
In Episode 1, Lom is introduced as an elite expert who has solved many difficult cases, but the evidence for that is far too weak.
During the hostage rescue in Episode 1, Lom is supposed to be the leader, yet she is sitting in what looks like a parking lot near where the hostage is being held, chewing gum while waiting for her teammates. Normally, a leader like that would be demoted immediately. On top of that, she even acts alone. If she is the leader, she should be with her team until the very end, confirming the final details of the operation and staying with them while they suppress the enemy.
The combat scene is also hard to accept. When facing an armed enemy who is holding a hostage, Lom gets close to the enemy, puts down her own weapon, and suddenly turns it into close-quarters combat. That is just too unrealistic. What would she have done if the hostage had been shot and killed? How would this woman take responsibility for that?
I think the director and scriptwriters wanted to portray Lom as a very strong, reliable leader, but she only looks like an idiot.
The series lacks scenes that make me think, “Yes, this person really is strong, smart, a leader, and an expert.”
There is almost no tension
First of all, Lom and Blew have way too many allies. Din’s group, Nam’s group, and Fai’s group were completely unnecessary. Yes, it would feel strange if those three sisters did not come to help, but the story could have given any number of reasons why they were unable to help or unable to go to them. If those reasons had been presented properly, the audience could have accepted it.
This series should have been portrayed as an extreme road-movie escape drama centered on Lom and Blew. It would have been far better if, through that harsh escape, Lom and Blew came to understand themselves and each other, deepening their bond along the way.
But in reality, there are safe stopping points prepared for them along the route, and the three sisters and other people keep helping them whenever something happens. Because of that, even when the series tries to create tension, I can only think, “Well, they’ll probably be fine.”
Conclusion
The Air 4 Elements ended up showing exactly the issues I had been worried about since The Earth 4 Elements.
Both stories deal with heavy themes. The Earth 4 Elements deals with human trafficking, a plan to take over a farm, and a fake marriage. The Air 4 Elements deals with an assassination plot against a princess and a life-or-death bodyguard suspense story. And yet, both of them have stories and characters that feel strangely light and weightless.
The basic premises of both The Earth 4 Elements and The Air 4 Elements are actually very good. That is why it is so disappointing to see them turn out like this.
Freen and Becky, alongside the production team and everyone involved, were among the people who created the absolute masterpiece Gap: The Series. But after that, works such as The Loyal Pin and URANUS2324 were boring and dull. The fact that GL projects like that have continued honestly makes me feel bad for Freen and Becky.
Freen and Becky are incredibly talented and wonderful actresses, which makes this feel like such a waste.
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