This was not nearly as bad as I expected based on the mdl score (6.5 atm). It is quiet and it is slow, but I found it to be relaxing-slow not frustrating-slow. There is some gorgeous camerawork in this show that makes those quiet moments feel artsy and intentional. This show has its own flavor for sure, it isn't a fast-paced generic tv drama. Is the acting spotty? Yes: I think our mains Aek and Aue are good, but side couple Vich and Prem were rough. Is the plot a bit bare? A bit yeah: I think they could have done more, but what they did do wasn’t bad. Is this the best show I have ever seen? No: but it really isn’t THAT bad. Give it a try if you like food documentaries!
The thai title says "phi chai" which is a term used for family members, it isn't a general friendly "phi." So I think they were raised together in some sense, be it as step siblings or cousins or something like that. Maybe a situation like Cutie Pie where the two families are close and they raise their kids together like siblings could also be possible.
It is on ReadAWrite (https://www.readawrite.com/a/35a712b06bf0b5a9b0bc2e99dbff02bd) and Meb (https://www.mebmarket.com/index.php?action=BookDetails&data=YToyOntzOjc6InVzZXJfaWQiO3M6NzoiMTE0ODkzNSI7czo3OiJib29rX2lkIjtpOjE4MDIwOTt9&page_no=1),…
There are no supernatural elements in the novel: everyone is human. There are several instances of intense symbolism though, like angels and demons. It is possible the show production could change this though, we have to wait and see!
Novel is about a young art student, Po, who is infatuated with a gay porn streamer, Samsom (Sour Peach), who always wears a mask. After Peach returns from a long hiatus, Po excitedly applies to meet him and appear in *ahem* 18+ videos with Peach. The two meet several times over to film together and eventually fall for each other. Imo, reminiscent of seegasm.
I really enjoyed this!! I think the first 1-2 episodes are a little choppy and have some tonal issues, but if you get past those I found the relationships between all the characters endearing and so the suspense really worked for me because I wanted everyone, on all sides of the conflict, to survive. I thought the twist with Ramil’s powers was interesting! There are some moments of beautiful camera work and several interesting writing choices that I was excited to see play out. Is it a perfect series? No, there are also some plot holes here and some plots that are just never explained, but nothing that took me out of the story. Would recommend!
The boys get together just days after the series stops showing. They have a month or so of happiness together, sneaking around and kissing in the locker room and back home. The boys are both quite flirty and horny in the novel, however they both have concerns about how long they can really stay together. There is a side plot here where a local woman is murdered and it turns out she was a lesbian and everyone trash talks her except Wang and Tian pity her. Jiahao sees the boys together and outs them at school, leading to rumors flying and Wang gets into a fight. The parents hear about the rumors, and even though the parents are getting a divorce they are still furious to learn that their kids are dating each other. Wang’s father is irate (he drags Wang to his mother's grave and forces Wang to bow and apologize for being gay and ruining the family) and Tian’s mother (she is quite insane in the novel) has a mental breakdown and has to be hospitalized. At the hospital Wang’s dad confronts Tian and is like “either you leave, or I will take my son and leave.” Tian chooses to leave so that Wang can stay and study. The outing/fight/hospital arc takes place over about 3 days and in all that time the boys don’t get to see each other before Tian leaves.
So they part ways and don’t see each other for several years. Wang studies hard in hs and tries to be a good person like Tian would want him to be. Wang goes to university and becomes a tutor, working at the same school that Tian used to. Wang cuts himself off from his father and focuses on bettering himself, choosing to pursue law, but he becomes closed-off and lonely without Tian. We then get a chapter from Tian’s pov: he moved around a lot and studied overseas. He studies to become a doctor. He was robbed at one point and he lost his phone and had no way to contact Wang. Eventually a work conference brings Tian back to Beijing and the boys rather dramatically reunite across the conference table surrounded by all their peers.
The boys happily and easily make up with each other and they move in together and are very domestic. They attend a high school reunion where all their old friends are happy to see them together. The boys meet with their parents again and they stand up to them and confirm they will keep dating regardless of what the parents think. Tian’s mom stays insane, but Wang’s dad slowly warms up to them and invites them back for New Year. They go back to their hometown for New Year and they retrace their old steps and visit Old Man Ding. The final scene is Tian’s birthday and Wang gives him a kiss for each year they were apart, then they get lewd. The end! Except for the various bonus chapters: Tianyang and Pepper get married in Venice, Wang’s birthday, Tian’s next birthday.
TLDR: The novel imo is actually a bit generic? (the show really added a lot of emotional impact that imo was a bit lacking in the novel) The boys get together, their parents find out and send Tian abroad. They are apart with no contact for a few years, but then they reunite and happily return to each other. The novel ends with a very domestic and sweet tone.
I don’t mind tragedy or unhappy endings so long as they fit the tone and plot of the rest of the story. IMO this bonus episode did not fit the main series and I think that is my main complaint about it. The bonus ep focuses a lot on how Jack and Joke are supposedly cosmically, karmically wrong for each other and that them being together will certainly lead to misfortune and death. That is an interesting topic and actually I would be down to watch a show with that plot. But s1 of Jack and Joker was not that, and so it feels out of place and out of character to introduce it here. I think it could have been impactful to kill off Joke if they had been hinting at this fundamental incompatibility in the main season (imagine the main season with the added stress and suspense of buddhist theology hanging over the main couples’ heads, if Nang had warned them there that they would bring each other to ruin, but they choose to stay together regardless, ah the angst!), or if we had seen side characters killed off in the main season then we would be more inclined to expect tragedy in the future. But there was just no build up to this, and then the absolute audacity to kill off the main character in what is essentially an epilogue? Boo. Like others have said, I think this could be a fun bridge to a season 2 but until that is confirmed and made this bonus ep has to stand on its own and on its own it is pas bon.
I liked this a lot more than I expected to! It played out with bombastic panache in pretty much every element, and production knew how to make a scene dramatic. Hua Yong was given a ton of opportunities to be fabulous and over the top and for me that was so so fun! I think the creep factor of the early episodes is tempered by how Shao You eventually demands honesty and then their relationship develops into something more balanced with give and take, and frankly the two mains are cute af and wholesome in a freaky way post-reveal. Very much "is somebody gunna match my freak?" energy.
As far as adaptations go, this short series changes the setting and ages somewhat of the characters, but I think it does a good job at capturing the angst, confusion, and sexual depravity of Qi from the novel. The production quality is so so, but pretty good for a small youtube crew. Overall an entertaining watch!
1
The official Thai is here (you can mtl if needed): https://www.readawrite.com/a/ef674d5df0cbcb37321f534dea8f4d10?r=user_page
So they part ways and don’t see each other for several years. Wang studies hard in hs and tries to be a good person like Tian would want him to be. Wang goes to university and becomes a tutor, working at the same school that Tian used to. Wang cuts himself off from his father and focuses on bettering himself, choosing to pursue law, but he becomes closed-off and lonely without Tian. We then get a chapter from Tian’s pov: he moved around a lot and studied overseas. He studies to become a doctor. He was robbed at one point and he lost his phone and had no way to contact Wang. Eventually a work conference brings Tian back to Beijing and the boys rather dramatically reunite across the conference table surrounded by all their peers.
The boys happily and easily make up with each other and they move in together and are very domestic. They attend a high school reunion where all their old friends are happy to see them together. The boys meet with their parents again and they stand up to them and confirm they will keep dating regardless of what the parents think. Tian’s mom stays insane, but Wang’s dad slowly warms up to them and invites them back for New Year. They go back to their hometown for New Year and they retrace their old steps and visit Old Man Ding. The final scene is Tian’s birthday and Wang gives him a kiss for each year they were apart, then they get lewd. The end! Except for the various bonus chapters: Tianyang and Pepper get married in Venice, Wang’s birthday, Tian’s next birthday.
TLDR: The novel imo is actually a bit generic? (the show really added a lot of emotional impact that imo was a bit lacking in the novel) The boys get together, their parents find out and send Tian abroad. They are apart with no contact for a few years, but then they reunite and happily return to each other. The novel ends with a very domestic and sweet tone.
--> Update: It is now available on Apex! I think this is a very new listing, not all of the bonus chapters are posted yet. https://www.23wx.app/books/2281/ml1.html