This was one of the best dramas in my opinion. Loved it and I’m really admiring the acting, I was fully invested. It could have been longer (and I normally despise dramas that are dragging - and there are a LOT 😄). Would gladly watch a second season if there's one! Korea has an ability to create thrillers that I really enjoy.
There is no difference between a religious and an atheistic person, when it comes to forgiving and holding someone…
What 😂 If having God in someone’s heart automatically made people forgiving, history - and even many everyday interactions between religious people, would look very different.
This is seriously so good. Gives me « the glory » and « juvenile justice » vibes (only much shorter), has the potential of a big korean drama, loving it
I love this series, I have always loved Ngern’s acting and I really like Oat’s portraying of Dao. I’ll likely comment some more on them, but I really wanted to praise Meen and Do’s actress/actor as well, their story broke my heart and it wouldn’t have been the same with mid actors. I felt so sorry and emotional watching these two characters, so thanks to the comedians for their honest portrayal.
I absolutely loved this series - the way it immerses you in such a pivotal era of the 20th century is just brilliant. What I really don’t get are the comments that focus only on the ending of one couple, instead of appreciating the series as a whole. Every time there’s more than one couple in a show, some people seem to forget the actual story and turn it into a competition of “which couple deserved better” – and honestly, that gets really tiring.
To go as far as discrediting an entire production company just because the ending of one couple didn’t match your personal expectations feels unfair. From the very beginning, it was quite clear to me that Naran and Krailert were not going to end up together, given their professional circumstances. Yes, it’s painful, but it’s also a realistic portrayal of what countless couples experienced at that time. Krailert was never truly “free” from the start of their relationship, unlike Trin and Tanwa, who had at least a slightly better chance because of their non-governmental work and the fact that neither of them was already married.
That’s why the ending didn’t surprise me. It hurts, sure, but this series never promised to be a light BL with rainbows and guaranteed happy endings. From the start, it was clear the story aimed for authenticity, not fantasy. And in my opinion, that choice - combined with the outstanding execution and the GREAT acting - makes Shine one of the strongest series of its kind.
Unpopular opinion I guess but I really liked Book and Force in this (as well as the other actors). The story of Mew and Top interested me the most, especially since episode 6. Really liked their acting (everyone was good, but I guess I expected it from the others and was more surprised by them since I never really saw theme in serious / sad characters).
I’m on episode 17 and I’m so annoyed by the misunderstandings since 2 episodes (I hate it when they drag it in a show), but everyone seems to love it so much that I don’t know if I should drop it or continue🥲 I fast-forwarded a lot
I respect your point of view, but I really can’t agree with the idea that GMMTV has “the best stories.”…
What you’re saying actually reinforces the point I was trying to make. 😅GMMTV’s strength is in producing a high volume of shows, constantly creating new Cps, and promoting them heavily - that’s why their fanbase is so huge and why every new pairing gets attention. But that doesn’t mean every series is amazing in terms of writing, cinematography, or acting.
BoC (among others), on the other hand, doesn’t focus on fan service because that’s not where they put their energy. Their emphasis is on storytelling, production quality, and creating something more cinematic, even if it means fewer Cps overall. It’s simply a different approach.
I am goingg to be honest. GMMTV might not have the biggest budget for their shows but their stories are the best.…
I respect your point of view, but I really can’t agree with the idea that GMMTV has “the best stories.” Their strength is in producing a lot of shows and promoting their actors/couples well - but quantity doesn’t equal quality. When you produce that much, of course some will be interesting, but many are also very average.
If you compare that to other companies or producers (like BeOnCloud but there are others) which put out far fewer series but invest much more in the writing, cinematography, and depth of the story, the difference is clear to me. GMMTV’s model is built on volume and fan-service, and that’s why they’re popular - not because every story they tell is top tier.
It’s true that the representation is very unbalanced and that there’s a clear complacency toward the United…
That’s a fair point, and I agree - the US’ support for the junta did create a contradiction that the student movement was probably very aware of. You’re right that portraying those same students as pro-American does feel like a form of revisionism.
Thanks to you for taking the time to share your perspective. I’ll keep watching Shine with all this in mind!
It’s true that the representation is very unbalanced and that there’s a clear complacency toward the United…
I get your point of view and you seem to know history well, so I understand that it might be frustrating.
About your first question, I’d say that’s a really important point, because yes, Thailand at the time was capitalist and supported by the U.S., but it was also under a military dictatorship. So while the regime fit neatly into Washington’s “anti-communist camp,” it was still deeply authoritarian at home. For the generals, any democratic rhetoric - no matter if it sounded Western - was a threat to their power, which is why they repressed it. In my opinion this is where the contradiction lies: the U.S. claimed to stand for democracy, but it was willing to back dictatorships so long as they were anti-communist. And on the Thai side, opposing the regime didn’t automatically mean embracing communism. Some people could reject the dictatorship yet still distrust the Soviet model, so they leaned toward liberal-democratic ideals, even if the U.S. government itself was propping up the junta.
That’s why it might feel off when the show’s anti-regime characters simply echo pro-U.S. talking points when in reality, their stance would have been more complicated I guess. I agree that the way Shine presents it looks more like a modern projection: good guys = pro-Western democracy, bad guys = communism/dictatorship. It ignores the messy historical reality (maybe because it’s not solely a historical serie) in favor of a simplified message that resonates with Thailand’s current political climate.
Korea has an ability to create thrillers that I really enjoy.
To go as far as discrediting an entire production company just because the ending of one couple didn’t match your personal expectations feels unfair. From the very beginning, it was quite clear to me that Naran and Krailert were not going to end up together, given their professional circumstances. Yes, it’s painful, but it’s also a realistic portrayal of what countless couples experienced at that time. Krailert was never truly “free” from the start of their relationship, unlike Trin and Tanwa, who had at least a slightly better chance because of their non-governmental work and the fact that neither of them was already married.
That’s why the ending didn’t surprise me. It hurts, sure, but this series never promised to be a light BL with rainbows and guaranteed happy endings. From the start, it was clear the story aimed for authenticity, not fantasy. And in my opinion, that choice - combined with the outstanding execution and the GREAT acting - makes Shine one of the strongest series of its kind.
BoC (among others), on the other hand, doesn’t focus on fan service because that’s not where they put their energy. Their emphasis is on storytelling, production quality, and creating something more cinematic, even if it means fewer Cps overall. It’s simply a different approach.
If you compare that to other companies or producers (like BeOnCloud but there are others) which put out far fewer series but invest much more in the writing, cinematography, and depth of the story, the difference is clear to me. GMMTV’s model is built on volume and fan-service, and that’s why they’re popular - not because every story they tell is top tier.
Thanks to you for taking the time to share your perspective. I’ll keep watching Shine with all this in mind!
About your first question, I’d say that’s a really important point, because yes, Thailand at the time was capitalist and supported by the U.S., but it was also under a military dictatorship. So while the regime fit neatly into Washington’s “anti-communist camp,” it was still deeply authoritarian at home. For the generals, any democratic rhetoric - no matter if it sounded Western - was a threat to their power, which is why they repressed it.
In my opinion this is where the contradiction lies: the U.S. claimed to stand for democracy, but it was willing to back dictatorships so long as they were anti-communist. And on the Thai side, opposing the regime didn’t automatically mean embracing communism. Some people could reject the dictatorship yet still distrust the Soviet model, so they leaned toward liberal-democratic ideals, even if the U.S. government itself was propping up the junta.
That’s why it might feel off when the show’s anti-regime characters simply echo pro-U.S. talking points when in reality, their stance would have been more complicated I guess. I agree that the way Shine presents it looks more like a modern projection: good guys = pro-Western democracy, bad guys = communism/dictatorship. It ignores the messy historical reality (maybe because it’s not solely a historical serie) in favor of a simplified message that resonates with Thailand’s current political climate.