Iclabon72

Lol.
Came here to see if there was any update to his upcoming projects, since he and Ohm made another video announcement about their plans this year. They enthusiastically led with what's confirmed and what they can make happen for themselves, more fanmeets and publicity events (of course), and then threw in a couple nervous little sentences about a series happening "very soon" at the end.

Were they lying? STILL lying, after having already said they'd have a series by the end of last year?
Of course they were. I get that they have to keep fans hopeful and indirectly address the frustration some like myself have been having with the lack of acting work... but I do wish they'd just be more honest, instead of announcing improvised fake deadlines they'll fail to meet and using vague but urgent language that it'll happen when they don't know when or if it will. Will it just be more handwaving and business as usual for them when it's the middle of THIS year and that "very soon" response has definitely expired? When do they finally admit it's time to give up and, in First's case, get back in the game as a serious, hungry actor? I just hope they do before it becomes undeniably obvious to even the most diehard of the fanbase that these 2 are now just kind of shamelessly holding events to use fans as a primary income, and actually acting and having projects aren't a real priority they're working towards, or even a "must" at all for them. My feeling is they're content to just continue as is - "funning around," for as long as they can get away with it.

I'm sure Ohm is a total sweetheart and a great friend to First (which would make him all the harder to abandon as a partner), and I'm sorry for how Ja treated First and how that may have affected him and how that all has impacted his career and needs since, but I really do wonder where First might be by now, what roles he could have played and what other partner(s) he could have been cast with and truly connected to and reached new heights of popularity with, had he not put himself in this box with Ohm for all this time.

Maybe now Mike's finally letting it go and hopes he can avoid mentions about it and wants it to be forgotten. He never knew what he was doing and still doesn't have a clue - he's just not someone meant to produce a series it seems.
Or maybe we'll get another random update from him at any moment. Who can say.

He pretty much ruined both of their careers when he quit being partners with First, and on such publically bad terms on his side. It was no secret from how he was brazenly mistreating/disrespecting First and slacking all the way up until their end - that he had let all the negative homophobic pressures from people in his life finally get to him, only to eventually find out there wasn't ever any other pot of gold waiting for him outside of the BL industry. And never have second chances and comebacks been guaranteed. Like how this last series and partnership of his shouldn't be getting him any more work (and paychecks) based on how poorly it did.
A lot of lessons there to be learned. I hope he is a better person now, and manages his money more wisely. We may never hear from him again now, but that wouldn't be a bad thing, lol.

He should probably beg First's forgiveness though 😅, they need each other. But it'll never happen.

It's now months later to no new career developments for him, and I don't see it changing. So yes, I have things to say about it. If that makes me somehow a bad person, then so be it.

I would implore him to be a lot less of a touring fanclub president, which while I understand seems to be a lucrative enough pastime, he still should get back to focusing on being an actor. If his schedule is always packed with event appearances and fanmeets and trying to force his own ship instead of letting companies and casting directors cast and pair him and make their own decisions for their own projects, well when is he really finding time to actually audition and hone his craft? He's become too codependent and so fixated on having a partner and reliant on fanservice and skinshipping, when all he needs to be is an actor! And OhmFirst have no credits as proof of their chemistry or bankability, and again, Ohm has never acted. So even if companies were looking to hire a packaged pair, there are better tried-and-tested options out there. All this time is being wasted anyway because the fanbase numbers aren't even growing. There's been no significant increase in followers anywhere.
You all can come to his defense and tell me I'm wrong on here and a bad fan, but I'm not. The proof is in the pudding, in the state things are right now. If I'm wrong, then why aren't they in any project? It's now pilot season for all these companies, and in fact, First and Ohm were there to present at the IQIYI event... but no project for them, not even supporting and side ship roles for them. Ohm's been under First's management for over a year now. Where are the progress updates? Does another 6 months, another full year of no success have to pass before y'all understand how First is sabotaging his own career, how he's not helping himself? That being blindly, unconditionally supportive with no constructive criticism at all, is not actually doing your faves any real favors? They need to hear it from somewhere when they clearly don't know what's best themselves, and when they're under poor management and not hearing it there either.

I'll be back in another few months when I'm still right. Hopefully a few more of you will have come around to reality by then. I'd love to be proven wrong, but I would have been by now if that were going to happen.
First is such a star, and I just want to see him make the most of that. So it's hard watching him get in his own way like this, seeing him stagnate so needlessly for so long.

If I had to guess, it'd be that LM suffered some substantial financing issues, because comparing the pilot trailer with the official one, it looks very obvious that the underwater/merman scenes have been scaled way back - that same one mermen shot got repeated the whole official trailer, almost on a loop.
So if that's indeed the case, I hope viewers and people who've been waiting all this time for this series, can still be satisfied with the fantastical elements not actually appearing onscreen as much as would be expected. That was its biggest draw, the as-still unique novelty of the marine supernatural, and if it's underdelivered, it could be disastrous for the series' success.

I did actually think he was a highlight of this last series as of now he was just in, Reset. He was the catty slightly camp standout antagonist in what was just another run-of-the-mill series for me, and it just goes to show how wasted he's been as of the last couple of years.
Time just continues on, he's only going to get older, and I really miss him in major roles. So I'm still here hoping he'll get back out there as an actor *soon*. Sigh.

Oh exactly, he's more than likely "lying" to people again to save some face in the wake of all the building speculation and questions and assumptions the series is dead. But he's only going to get himself in trouble for a second time now if he pushes the date come January again.
I really wish I spoke Thai, because I'm so curious to know why he won't just let the series die if it's become too much of a mess bts, and maybe he's spoken on it. Maybe it's just a reputation/ego thing. He could always just make up some lie about why it didn't work out to avoid taking fault and just move on. It's ok, Mike.
They all seemed to be good enough friends and professionals, Mike and Jeff and Becky, so I hope there wasn't any real falling out over this. Schedules are schedules, so if or when these projects reach the production stage, that they'd like to be available for each other if they can. Mike and Jeff have enough issues going on making sure their series' even happen, than to be thinking of cross-promoting right now.
And the fact it's now BL, makes me think that his understanding of the reaction to Vamp overall, has been that more people care for it to be BL than they care about Jeff or Becky being in it, lmfao. From on forums and social media, to investors. So really, the biggest concern that begs answering, is if and how he'll be ready to roll camera in 6 months, with whatever script and cast he's thinking he can make happen or whatever's the Plan B by then. You and I will believe that when it's factually existent to our eyes, lol.

Adding to this because I was just thinking about it off the top of my head, and I have a story pitch for him right now, or at least the romantic setup. If I can write this script, and if he can come up with the visuals in that pilot that themselves told a story, then I'm baffled as to why the script ended up being such a struggle to get written. Maybe he's just picky and never liked any of the versions that he read. Maybe Mike is just crazy, because this is the same man that produced that action pilot and then turned around later to say that the series would be a multi-season romcom based on his life! You just have to laugh. We've all come a long way.
But anyway, if he's playing an ages-old vampire and it's now BL and if he could afford Jeff and Becky to be in it, then why doesn't he ask PP Krit to be in it. That way, it brings them full circle back to him starring with the same person he did the only BL thing he's ever done, which was be the LI in one of PP's mvs. You really could simply start from that thought. If PP's too busy for a large role or if his ship with Billkin restricts the role, then PP can be a foxy vampire ex-lover that Mike has messy history with and avoids, but now has to see again to find out what PP's character knows or something, or if he's on the side of the enemy. Mike was leaning into being shipped with First Chalongrat for awhile too, and First was also already originally in the cast, so Mike should just have First take over as the main love interest that would have been Becky's role in the het version. Make it a love triangle, a tug of war between old and new love, and if love can still be enough to save a vampire's soul, tired of his own bloody brutal existence.
Sigh. So see, dreaming up a good story isn't that hard. So I'm praying this could still turn out as epic as the potential that pilot had.

Rumors are now that not only has it been changed to BL, but Mike's still posting that old pilot on his TikTok and captioning it with saying that filming will begin in January next year. I'll believe it when I actually see it.
That said, even Jeff's series is taking just as long to materialize, so maybe we've been too hard on poor Mike, lol. I will always clown him a bit for the lack of common sense it takes not to have at least the framework of the script or story hammered out before casting it and creating a pilot and having a premiere with production plans (LMAO), but maybe he's got things on some kind of track now. Maybe it's finally occurred to him to hire some writers.
But it seems he's heard all the feedback, and if he now gives us the same high-end dark edgy aesthetic and vibe for the series as he did the pilot, then I'm still willing to wait. It could still take the crown of this recent wave of series of this genre.
It'll be super interesting to find out what cast changes are happening and if Mike is still acting in this as the lead, as it's now allegedly BL.

Maybe he's just content with the financial stability and whatever minor employment GMM provides him, but I hope he won't end up being another one of their actors whose career is only years of side roles. He deserves a worthy shot at being a lead and having a cp.

Perhaps Armin should be prioritizing his mental health and should either take a break from acting altogether and seek therapy, or at least find another group of actors to work with 😅? Like, why is he putting himself through this, exactly? This can't go on, the constant PTSD and outbursts and further traumas and setting back of entire productions. And Thada's so misguided, he's no better for not recognizing that and getting proper help for Armin, either. Instead, he's still buying Armin his career in this timeline too. I know this is BL fantasy, but what's so romantic and enjoyable about any of that?? Why am I rooting for Ren more than anyone, lol. This series hasn't done the best job making their protagonist and his love interest likable and compelling, and making the rivals unjustified. Ren is spot-on in his suspicions of Armin just being some rich guy's nepo sugar baby, it's hilarious how right he actually is. Armin (or Pond's performance) isn't so talented that he'd be getting these jobs without Thada's influence.
Also, why isn't there a side couple? Ren and Pharit feel pretty ripe for it to me. There could be more chemistry there than between the leads!

There are artists at GMMTV who never get any good opportunities at all, let's not forget. Both Mark and Ohm have been extremely fortunate in that regard. Even with a flop series, they'll both be fine.
So even if it takes awhile for them to work back up to having another series of their own, or even if they split up, at least their fans had this time and project. There are fandoms of other actors there that get almost nothing, always. And yes, unfortunately the stars always have to bear the blame for the failure of a series because they are the face of it. There is no writer or director or producer that will ever come out to take fault for them instead, their own jobs and money mean the most to them just like it would anyone.
There is also a great lack of respect within that company, and of competence, from the very top all the way to the bottom. What power do we have to change things other than with our dollars, and GMMTV is still probably years away from any mass boycotts or declines over quality affecting their bottom line. So I guess my point is, is that a better grounding of perspective is needed from consumers of this content, all the way from management of expectations, to better making your voices heard.

Aof is a listed producer, and though I'm not sure about how much influence he ultimately had, he's the one who had the story novelized and scripted and I believe he chose Mark lead as well (and let him pick his own partner with Ohm). My point was his reputation proceeds him as a writer/director and he should have known better to produce this at the quality it ended up having. Apparently STGD was gestating for like 4 years or something over at GMMTV, and this is how it turns out!

Hmm, while I respect Mark's charm as a personality, I don't agree that he's all that great an actor, and this series just exposed his weaknesses. I think he's had flashes of greatness in some scenes he's had over his many series support roles, but it's not consistent. From the very first episode of STGD, I just didn't feel a lead's presence from him at all. Although it was painfully easy to tell as well from the start the premise and writing and flavor of the show were all weak and silly and it was going to flop anyway, it pretty much confirmed to me how much Mark has a lane he should stick to as a comic relief/supporting character actor. Same feeling pretty much with Ohm.
As far as chemistry goes, Mark's almost always been paired with actors that can create chemistry with anyone, so chemistry he's had in the past can't be credited to him either. I think one of the only exceptions was Ford, and that's because Ford isn't given enough work to be tested as an actor himself, and maybe this series would have worked better if Ford had starred in this with him instead of Ohm, and made his official partner. I remember them being so popular together in My School President, that they got 2nd couple treatment in the Our Skyy episodes with WinnySatang, so why didn't Mark want to be in a fixed pair then, when they'd already been accepted? Ohm had nice chemistry with Fluke in A Boss And A Babe though as well, so maybe he and Mark just don't bring out the best in the other and aren't what each other needs as scene partners.
Why they were paired, how this script was approved, how Aof of all people was involved - we'll never understand why they make so many of the decisions they do over at GMMTV, but there is a price they pay for their stupidity, as we see with this result, and many others.

Where do they go from here? Maybe sympathy for Mark will generate great fanmeet attendance and merch sales, but either way, even though they didn't choose STGD for themselves necessarily, I only see them getting side pair roles in any upcoming series for the rest of this year and next year's line-up. GMMTV's going to want to keep an eye on them and find out how viable they are as a pair before possibly giving them another series as leads.
I also see them maybe going silent for a few months after fanmeets and sales don't go well, and then resurfacing as having amicably concluded their work together to work as unpaired actors within the company again, to pursue the opportunities they can't have as a cp.

Maybe I don't know exactly why, but I'm just overall not impressed with the choice. I hope to be surprised and proven wrong. At this point, I'll just be happy enough for him to act again and be putting out series I guess.
In the past though, I've found First to be rather passive and naive somewhat about his own career, and I'm finding this all to be a result of the same mismanagement. I can understand, that after Ja, he's looking for a partner he gets along with and can be close to, that he wants good vibes only, but that doesn't mean he should settle for any downgrades in terms of onscreen chemistry and charisma. I hope there were other choices and Ohm ended up being picked as the best one, but what worries me is it doesn't seem and feel that way to me. I just don't see them moving the needle together and and making any big splash as a pairing that'll have them stand out amongst the sheer number of ships there are these days, let alone the most popular. And if they outright flop, that's just more precious time wasted and I'm not sure how much of chance he'll still have left to make any more comebacks. He needed to come back swinging after these two years while he's still at all relevant, and this doesn't feel like a power swing to me.
But then again, who's to say why some ships catch fire and others don't, sometimes it's just an alchemy or storm that can't be controlled or foreseen. Now that it's done and the choice has been made and they're moving forward, I hope for First's sake that it turns out to be a stroke of genius. We'll see.
They might want to have Ohm pack on some muscle though, and make sure he can handle acting in a sexy, emotional drama. If after all this time and waiting was just for the series to end up being one of these dime-a-dozen corny rom-com BLs, it'll be my villain origin story.

See, and this is how I get in trouble and get accused of being a bad fan of his... but I'm concerned.
Why, after a 2 year hiatus, when he's now going on 28 yrs old, is he hinging his comeback and future on partnering with a failed band idol that has no acting experience or proven talent.
Idk, it smells like desperation maybe, and looks like a lack of options, bc he should have better clout in the industry than to have to make a random grab like this and hope it's successful. There is no series, they're just hoping and working on getting one, whatever that means. Bc offers don't just fall out of the sky for untested cps, and they have to be able to audition and show they are the best choice to lead, but Ohm hasn't even acted!
Wouldn't GMM sign First? Or any other big company? There are so many working actors without partners looking to level up, and so many good projects going on... it truly is just baffling and frustrating to me how far it seems he's fallen for this to be where he is now.

Just because for awhile he's been quite obsessed with making goofy tiktoks of himself pulling faces and doing dance challenges awkwardly. He seems to think he looks cool, but it's actually just cringey and pointless.
That's time and energy he should be better spending, like on acting more.

I want to delete TikTok off of his phone forever!

What edits? MikeFirst aren't a ship, so if you're referring to First and his new brother artist under their shared manager, that doesn't matter.
And First just hasn't had enough else going on for him to be the one leaving, I'm sad to say. I'll believe it when I see it if I hear he's being serious about acting again.

It's got to be Jeff and/or Becky that dropped out, they were supposed to be the other 2 big name main leads and can't be easily replaced.

I wouldn't be surprised if the series ends up on hold indefinitely now and just never happens. And let this be a lesson to everyone: never try to cast big talent for your project before you've even made up your mind what you want the project to be, let alone have anything solid to move forward with.
I suggest he set it aside and try and produce something else with his company, something with source material that just needs to be adapted and not created from scratch.

You just have to laugh.
Because what the hell is he even doing? Why mislead people with a serious action-intense pilot, and then say the series is going to be a romantic comedy, something POLAR opposite and different??
And when it's already taking forever to enter production, if it ever even will???

And vampires as a theme is going to be played out at this rate anyway, everybody's doing it now.
Smh.