HaiLuoYin

I absolutely love this show!!!! Ben and Jay are doing such a great job, I wish their acting coach coached more BL actors. I also love how effortlessly the series shifts tones. One minute it's funny, then suspenseful, then kinda sexy, it all works so well which is really rare in Thai BLs. Because it doesn't take itself seriously, I can easily turn my brain off and just go with it.

I'm really loving this series, but I must admit that I don't see any romantic chemistry between Tew and Kan. No, I'm not talking about the lack of skinship. The line delivery and looks they share make me think Kan is trying to trick Tew and Tew is bored in this small town and found a buddy to hang out with after work. Neither feel sincere about the developing relationship. Since Tor and JJ are both great actors, I'm surprised that they aren't convincing me yet, but maybe I'll see it in future episodes.

I think this could be entertaining for anyone who loves BLs that are so bad they're kinda good. And for people who are nostalgic for Chinese BLs from between 2015-2018. The script is completely predictable, the acting from everyone except Tle is bad and the directing/editing/camera work were also bad. But I was mildly entertained throughout and I finished it.

My only complaint was that even though the episodes were extremely short, overall it felt long and full of filler. The story could have been told in an hour or less. I hope Tle and FirstOne's next series is better.

Idk how people can have high expectations for a show with an amateur cast, low budget, 8 minute episodes and a below average director. I think acting is a lot more than one kissing scene and I think both leads have done a wonderful job portraying their characters so far. But ok, we all want what we want. Like I said in my first comment, I also think that if I were either character in that situation, I wouldn't have the most perfect kiss in that moment either. I wasn't wowed by the kiss, but I also didn't think it was bad. I've seen much worse from actors who have been doing BL for a long time. Naming them would be mean, so I won't.

I might agree with you if these weren't amatuer actors in their first on screen kiss, but I have no idea what either was thinking or feeling. I also know that the director doesn't have the strongest filmography and may not have directed them well.

I think we live in an era where most Thai BLs have leads who have worked together and kissed on screen MANY times. So when a new pairing comes around, many viewers are expecting the new pair to have the same level of comfort with each other as other more established ships do. IMO that is unrealistic. If they have multiple kissing scenes and all are bad, then I would be more inclined to complain about the kisses. But it's the first one, so my expectations were low and I thought they did fine.

❤️

While this is still the best series airing right IMO, that episode completely broke my heart. Hirukawa is the most well written character I've seen in a really long time and I want to protect him at all costs, but Jin's behavior also makes sense. Even though I wish he made different choices.

I'm not expecting a happy ending, but I do hope Hirukawa gets away from his dad and never has to see him again.

Despite more than a year of constant disappointments, shows like this are why I can't give up on Thai BLs. We had to wait until the end of the year, but there are multiple Thai BLs airing right now with unique scripts, strong directing, decent acting and new pairings and I'm 100% here for it.

I know a majority of Thai BL fans on MDL only want series with the same ships, same plots and the same lazy writing over and over, but I want stories that are as compelling as what we see from other countries. I want to see the actor who fits the role the best, get the job instead of established ships getting roles they aren't suited for all the time. I also want music that adds to the feeling of the episode instead of distracting from the plot.

Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring is giving all of the things! So much is unsaid. Every scene is full of subtext and that has me completely invested. Idk why some people are complaining about the kiss. I can imagine that if I was in prison kissing a guy I knew I shouldn't be falling in love with, for the first time, that the kiss would be awkward. The kiss fit this stage of the show IMO.

I'm soooooooo glad I decided to stick with this series. The last two episodes were some of the best writing/directing/editing I've seen in a Thai BL all year!!!

The show was not perfect, but it did so many things that you almost never see in a Thai BL and I loved it! I've liked Mick since La Cuisine and he did not disappoint in this series. Top also did a great job and Fiat was great like always. I really hope the writer and director get more BLs soon. These are the type of people who know how to turn a simple story into compelling tv. It was obvious that the crew cared deeply about this project and it showed in every episode. That is soooo rare and made it even more special to watch.

Without spoiling much, I truly loved the use of the time jump. So many Thai BLs these days use time jumps as lazy short cut, but this show used it to drive the story forward and give the characters time to grow/mature. That was wonderful. Lastly, this is the only Thai BL that I know of that gave a behind the scenes look at the lives of BL actors that was focused on scandal and sensationalism. It was really refreshing to watch.

I highly recommend this series. The beginning isn't kinda rocky, but it all comes together over the course of 8 episodes.

At a time when the overall quality of BL keeps improving while Thai BL seems stuck making the same series over and over, this show is exactly what I needed. If JJ and Tor were an established ship, this series would be rated a 9. But these actors are ACTORS, not people who spend all their time enabling people to live in a fantasy world.

This show is exceeding my expectations in every way. This is what happens when you have a talented director, a strong original story from someone who knows how to write BL, an amazing cinematographer and a great cast! I hope other companies take note. And I REALLY hope this show maintains this level of storytelling throughout the rest of the series.

Liu Ming was the adult and should have tried even a bit to help his students not mess up their lives for no real reason. But he spent his time being sad and treating Tan Yin like a child until he decided he liked him. Are we supposed to be ok with him liking kid who looks like his dead brother? Because I'm not. Tan Yin had nothing to do after he got his hearing air besides pout.

Qin Xiao was the typical Chinese BL character, poor, miserable, unloved and alone in the end. Because it wouldn't be a Chinese BL if the gays didn't suffer from start to finish! Speaking of, Qi Lu suffered as much as anyone and also had the most stereotypical Chinese BL dad who of course violently abused him every chance he got. Their romantic relationship felt hollow from the beginning and seemed to only exist because the script required it and both guys were sad and lonely. So of course neither had a problem lying to the other and not meeting for 6 years.

They were not the love of each other's lives. They were guys who knew each other in high school and kissed a few times. A story like that is fine and could easily be told in 8 episodes or less.

*sigh* in a year with some incredible series and A LOT of letdowns, this series was a complete letdown. I remember being disappointed when it got shut down after 5 episodes, turns out it peaked there.

If the ban had never happened, this series would fit perfectly with many of the other Chinese BLs that aired around 2017-2018. All of the stuff that the genre has moved past was on full display plus the "artist flare" of a crew who just couldn't stop themselves from doing too much. The loud music, blurry backgrounds, ridiculous editing choices and blinding lights made an unsatisfying story so much worse!

In 2024 and there's no excuse for the story failing so completely. I'm not the type of person who thinks every BL should have a happy ending. Gay life and life in general doesn't always have a happy ending. But a well written story does require character growth, a conclusion or at least climatic moments that don't completely contrive to feel worth watching for me.

They all suffered throughout and got no ending, that's the story. I've said it a dozen of times, but I'm done watching Chinese BLs as they air. It's never worth the time/stress/energy. I'm glad people are finding a way to work around the ban. I truly hope the series catch up with the current era of BL soon. But I can't recommend this to anyone.

I'm posting character and plot spoilers below...

You're welcome

Another wonderful episode. Junior is adorable, but I admit if I shared a room with him and he kept talking throughout the night when everyone was trying to sleep, he'd be sleeping in the hallway 🤣🤣

Also, I know this is low budget, but I love the sound editing. Using suspenseful music only in suspenseful moments is rare in Thai BL these days and I really appreciate that music wasn't playing in the background throughout the whole episode.

I agree that it is very sad. I've been on MDL for 6 years and noticed that in recent years the tone has shifted. Some viewers really think this is a fan page and many think that their opinion is the only one that matters. I think it would be very interesting if someone did a research paper or dissertation on that types of personalities that gravitate towards BL. It seems like a lot of unhappy people watch BL and want others to be as miserable as they are. But I could be wrong.

I know there are no rules on how to behave on the internet and that each of us have had unique experiences that shaped who we are today. I also know we live in an era of censorship where people may be canceled for saying/doing things others don't like. I think that's led to a lot of self censorship on here and irl. It sucks that it's become harder for many of us to share (or not share) our honest opinions. I know I post comments on here a lot less than I used to because I don't want to argue with random people I don't know about a tv show I'll forget about soon after it concludes.

I think it is your business. I rarely reply to comments I disagree with unless someone is bullying someone. That makes me angry too and I think if we don't defend each other when stuff like that happens, the bullies/rude people will feel empowered to keep doing it to other people. And that's not ok IMO.

This is off to a fantastic start! It's so nice to see a Thai BL that is a story driven character study, instead the fluffy or NC scene focused series we usually get. It's also great to see skilled/experienced actors in lead roles.

I'm going to go out of my way to avoid spoilers for the show because I want to be surprised as the plot unfolds. So far, I love it.

Aww, you're so sweet, thank you! One thing I've learned about BL is that although the genre is about love, many BL fans have no problem being rude to other fans or inserting themselves into a comment just because they can. I don't think it's hard to not harass people just because the internet allows for anonymity. But it is what it is, I have nothing else to say/write to that person.

When it comes to my comment on the show, I didn't go into detail with all of my thoughts this week because if I were a huge fan of KhaoFirst or JoongDunk, I would be sensitive to critical comments right now. I also think some people forget that we all have biases and I know I have biases when it comes to certain actors. I like First and Khao a lot, I think they're great actors so I didn't feel the need to write about where I think they were lacking in the first 2 episodes. We have 10 more weeks to comment on everything we think is good or not so good about the series. But I really appreciate your kind words. ❤️

I don't recommend watching Joong and Dunk's previous series unless you want to see how much they have improved. Neither is great, but they are better than they were IMO.

I respect that some people were hurt by the ratings bombing and feel like that was unjustified. I also agree with some people who think the writing/directing/acting have not been perfect. I personally don't think any show is perfect, but I still enjoy watching many series. I also think that people are allowed to like some aspects of the series while not liking others.

Since people are very emotional about their feelings towards the show right now, I think letting things calm down for a couple weeks is ideal. As I said in my post, I think Joong and Dunk are doing a good job.

Seriously grow the hell up. I chose not say anything people could be hurt by because I didn't want to! But for some reason you think I don't like the show even though I spent an entire paragraph highlighting all the things I like about the show.

You don't get to tell me how or what to post! And your unwillingness to read what I actually wrote does not give you the right to come after me. Calling me names because I chose not to post how you wanted me to is not only obnoxious but also reinforces why people don't want to go through the hassle of posting their unfiltered options on a site that has been taken over by people who think their way of using a discussion board is the only correct way of using a discussion board. If you don't like my comment go read something else or block me!!!!!

Every single show doesn't require an agrument. I'm not engaging with you again so seriously STOP!

I usually point out the strengths and weaknesses that I see in a series when I post comments on MDL. But given the situation created by some unkind people in the last week, I'm going to only focus on the positives because in this case, I think fans of this show/these ships would be justified in labeling detractors if the series as "haters". Usually I think constructive criticism is appropriate and beneficial for any series, but this week it feels like that would be unnecessary.

I thought Joong and Dunk did a great job with their characters. I was highly entertained by all of their interactions and think both have grown in terms of acting abilities. I've seen their previous series and this is the first time I've actually enjoyed them together. I felt Fadel's bitterness and cold stares and Style is the best friend in the world. It's nice to see Dunk play a character who is shameless and funny. I'm looking forward to more from both of their characters as the story progresses.