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I almost dropped this series
I didn't like the show when I first started it and I probably would've stopped at episode 5 if I didn't have friends that recommended that I keep going. If you are like me and were not invested in the lead couple, but had a soft spot for Jet and Charn, then it's worth watching to episode 7 and then re-evaluate from there if you want to keep going.
Tle and Firstone won me over with their performance throughout the entire show. To me, it was worth watching all the way to the end just for them. But even with all of this and my criticism, I still think this is the best show Domundi has put out so far. But I wouldn't say it's the best BL I've seen.
I think Khemjira had a lot going for it, but the execution didn't quite make it there for me. The way I felt about Khemjira reminded me of when I first watched Until We Meet Again. In both, I thought the secondary couple overtook the first. The first couple felt lacking to me for the same reasons where the past life of PeemKhem & DeanPharm held more weight to their backstory then their current lifetime. Actually, Fluke’s character (Pharm) reminds me of Khem. They both cook and cry their way to romance, which those acts aren't inherently a bad thing if there was weight to that emotion. Even grandma Si’s backstory cooking sweets for Peem had more emotional weight than this.
Khem’s sadness is soooo tangled with his previous life and we have little connection to it as a viewer who only looks through a window of short flashbacks into the past. Yet as a viewer of the drama we are asked to feel so deeply for them in these short bursts despite when the only thing they are giving us in the present day is longing looks, Khem's cooking as his act of service, and a medicinal scene with Peem wrapping Khem's wounds on his fingers. Yes, Peem does help Khem dispel his Choyod in the first act. But he is tied to that karma as his brother is the ghost haunting Khem. And Peem's knowledge of their previous life has baring on his feelings for Khem in that situation. What about the present lifetime made them fall in love? They can’t help but fall in love. It just is. But, that was my issue.
In fact, I actually don’t have a problem with fated love stories. I have a problem with fated love stories that is used as a shortcut to skip out on building romance. Just because they loved each other in their previous life doesn’t mean that it’s enough to sustain their relationship in their current life. What I was missing from them was found with Jet and Charn.
“You’ve been helping me. But I also cursed at you. But you’re still nice to me. You even mess with, but maybe I started it.” LOL (Jet fully knowing he is the instigator most of the time but I digress). It’s not hard to see why Jet would fall for a lovable dork who would do anything for his friends. For Charn who tries not to get knocked out unconscious by Jet’s dancing skills, you can see why he fell for him too. Jet wears his emotions out in the open like the way he dances. He is unguarded and he feels so deeply. They were the ONLY reason why I kept watching the drama. They felt like a real couple to me who are in love versus Peem and Khem who were performing the acts of love. And I do not think my issue with this has anything to do with Keng and Namping as actors, but has everything to do with the script. Overall, I think it's still a solid watch even though the pacing can be slow at times. I was ultimately rewarded at the end because of my absolute adoration for Jet and Charn. I will undeniably follow Tle and Firstone's future works because they are so talented!
Tle and Firstone won me over with their performance throughout the entire show. To me, it was worth watching all the way to the end just for them. But even with all of this and my criticism, I still think this is the best show Domundi has put out so far. But I wouldn't say it's the best BL I've seen.
I think Khemjira had a lot going for it, but the execution didn't quite make it there for me. The way I felt about Khemjira reminded me of when I first watched Until We Meet Again. In both, I thought the secondary couple overtook the first. The first couple felt lacking to me for the same reasons where the past life of PeemKhem & DeanPharm held more weight to their backstory then their current lifetime. Actually, Fluke’s character (Pharm) reminds me of Khem. They both cook and cry their way to romance, which those acts aren't inherently a bad thing if there was weight to that emotion. Even grandma Si’s backstory cooking sweets for Peem had more emotional weight than this.
Khem’s sadness is soooo tangled with his previous life and we have little connection to it as a viewer who only looks through a window of short flashbacks into the past. Yet as a viewer of the drama we are asked to feel so deeply for them in these short bursts despite when the only thing they are giving us in the present day is longing looks, Khem's cooking as his act of service, and a medicinal scene with Peem wrapping Khem's wounds on his fingers. Yes, Peem does help Khem dispel his Choyod in the first act. But he is tied to that karma as his brother is the ghost haunting Khem. And Peem's knowledge of their previous life has baring on his feelings for Khem in that situation. What about the present lifetime made them fall in love? They can’t help but fall in love. It just is. But, that was my issue.
In fact, I actually don’t have a problem with fated love stories. I have a problem with fated love stories that is used as a shortcut to skip out on building romance. Just because they loved each other in their previous life doesn’t mean that it’s enough to sustain their relationship in their current life. What I was missing from them was found with Jet and Charn.
“You’ve been helping me. But I also cursed at you. But you’re still nice to me. You even mess with, but maybe I started it.” LOL (Jet fully knowing he is the instigator most of the time but I digress). It’s not hard to see why Jet would fall for a lovable dork who would do anything for his friends. For Charn who tries not to get knocked out unconscious by Jet’s dancing skills, you can see why he fell for him too. Jet wears his emotions out in the open like the way he dances. He is unguarded and he feels so deeply. They were the ONLY reason why I kept watching the drama. They felt like a real couple to me who are in love versus Peem and Khem who were performing the acts of love. And I do not think my issue with this has anything to do with Keng and Namping as actors, but has everything to do with the script. Overall, I think it's still a solid watch even though the pacing can be slow at times. I was ultimately rewarded at the end because of my absolute adoration for Jet and Charn. I will undeniably follow Tle and Firstone's future works because they are so talented!
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