axelcarlisle

As of the final episode, the credits show a long list of shooting locations with English translations.

“P’Deeeean” was definitely one of the most annoyingly hilarious things while watching UWMA but yes one of the most memorable and cutest things in hindsight.

Looks like the final episode answers why Oat was created for the series and why they cast a BL actor in the role :)

And I like the answer - that he is essentially Aem’s ship.

My only complaint is that I wish they had foreshadowed this much much earlier.

Aem (who is straight and married in the book) did show signs of being interested in men on the series - he had invited Bunn out to The Mist in episode 1, and there is clearly some sexual tension between them in their banter and then later conflict over Jane’s case.

I’m now starting to read Aem’s later annoyance at Bunn throughout the investigation as a bit of repressed / unaware jealousy when Bunn started to show attachment to Tann. (But I may be over-reading it)

But I think they had Aem showing up at the hospital to talk to Bunn and Oat often enough for them to have at least shown a few subtle hints throughout - like maybe a small glance at Oat, or Oat smiling at him, or such. Maybe a few “personal” banter moments.

But at least I did sort of started suspecting an AemOat end-goal after Oat was erased from the suspect list in Eps 12/13 and then Oat basically saved Aem’s life.

I’m glad to see that one at least turned out true, but hope it had come a bit earlier.

As of the final episode, our wish to see Aem and Oat being nudged in that direction has been answered. Yey. My only regret is that I wish they had foreshadowed it much much earlier because we basically just get one scene of them in an implied beginning of getting closer.

Well as of episode 14, it looks like it’s both 1 and 2. Rungthiva essentially admits to Pued that she sold her sister to predators because she apparently hadn’t gotten over Pued ten years after they broke and couldn’t handle seeing Pued and Jane together.

Your wish has been answered as of the final episode :) too bad it was too short and fleeting, so we absolutely need a season 2 to explore that one and see more of BhuPutter.

You can add those and find other differences on a forum topic here. :)

https://kisskh.at/discussions/manner-of-death/58123-novel-vs-show-mod-comparisons?p=1592729&page=1

It might be a glitch again? I had no issues watching the VIP ep on WeTV (Philippines).

That was a satisfying ending Rungthiva-wise, considering that justice was meted out by Por (who in the book died in the climax before Rung was exposed).

It also makes Tann even more morally gray, and I liked it. He may not have been there when Por set up Rungthiva’s execution / staged suicide, but Tann clearly handed Rungthiva over to Por. I’m sure Tann would’ve known the vengeful Por would never just “hand Rung over” to the authorities. Tann was essentially handing Rung over for death.

I wonder if Bunn knew this - unlikely he would have been told, of course, but it will definitely be an intriguing thing if he ever finds out.

Also: that was a satisfying BL ending for TannBunn, ThadSorrawit, and now clearly the beginning for AemOat! I hope Season 2 happens and we get to see all three pairs again. Whether it be “Transplant” (I haven’t read it, so I don’t know who else returns from MoD), or something else... please give it to us.

I also liked the over-the-top proposal scene. In the book, it happened in New York in a “surprise set-up” coordinated with the help of Boon (Bunn’s brother)

But how they changed it for the series is really more fun.

Rung killed Jane in the book (she and Pued together), so chances are this is the final confirmation that they’re following the book especially with one episode left.

Depends on how you define scary (i.e. horror, blood, ghosts, violence?)

It’s not a horror series, so it’s not scary in that aspect.

It’s suspense and mystery. There are some violent and disturbing scenes related to crime. So it depends if you think mystery, crime, some blood and adult scenes, and action involving guns and murder is scary or not.

I actually interpreted the abortion clinic thing differently. I think Rung called Pued so that she didn’t have to go inside the clinic and that she won’t have to be “documented” as having been there. I think she wanted to leave no trace of being connected in anyway to Jane having an abortion, and Pued was the convenient choice to be there inside with her.

I believe Sammon (the writer) wrote a sequel called Transplant (if I recall correctly). I haven’t read it though, so unsure about the details, but if so, then that can likely be Season 2.

Actually, the time-jump in MoD the novel (with the whole Bunn moving to Bangkok and them trying to make a long-distance relationship work out, and Tann getting close to Boon and his family, while Bunn tries to resolve his concerns about his ex) can be sufficiently enhanced to be its own Season 2. It was almost 10 chapters anyway.

This also 100% can include an enhanced Thad/Sorrawit story since Sorrawit encountered Bunn in medical school in Bangkok; Sorrawit told him that his boyfriend (Thad) just graduated from trade school and was moving to Bangko also to look for a job and be with him.

So all 4 of them would be in Bangkok... other than the fact that Bunn would go to New York for a couple of years for his graduate studies and also address the issue with his ex. But the New York subplot with the ex can always be changed to be within Bangkok anyway.

That said, it will end up being “pure BL” as opposed to the main MoD story which really “sold well” because it was unique as a murder mystery.

So maybe this story can be combined with Transplant (not sure how possible as I’ve not read it) to become Season 2?

But whatever happens, yes. This show has been generally well-received for upping the game for Thai BLs, so hopefully they’re doing some form of Season 2.

As long as TannBunn and ThadSorrawit are there, I’ll be happy.

Getting Aem and Oat to be on it will be a plus also.

While Aem is straight and married in the book, there have been enough hints on the series that the show version may not be straight (inviting Bunn to hang out at The Mist, a certain tension between the two of them, etc.). With Oat looking to be “on the side of good,” I wouldn’t mind an AemOat side story if they choose to develop that.

Aside from Thad and Sorrawit, Aem has been well-received by viewers so if they do a sequel, there’s a big chance they still include him.

Again I understand the frustration.

And don’t get me wrong, I agree making the woman the killer isn’t really a good look.

But that’s on the novel and not on the series. Perhaps what we can criticize the series for is removing the man from the pair of killers and just leaving the woman as the sole killer.

I’m not sure though which is worse from a representation standpoint:

1. The book wherein the root of it all is the sisters basically fighting over a man (Jane learned Pued and Rung were having an affair, so she threatened to expose them for corruption)

2. The show wherein the root cause is the woman who sold her sister to predators

#1 is very shallow and too typical a cliche for women, while #2 is much more complex but then makes the root cause way more vile than just “jealousy gone wrong.”

Again, I’m already directing you to the chapter that basically confirmed it (Chapter 26). Rung claimed to have arrived at 7PM. Jane died after midnight. The implication given the additional information that Aem gathered is that both of them killed Jane.

I get the frustration that the killer is a woman. I agree it’s not a good look.

But this is not something the show did. Blame it on the novel.

Please re-read Chapter 26 of the novel.

Rungthiva didn’t “just” kill Pued. She and Pued BOTH killed Jane.

There were holes in her statement to the police, claiming to have arrived at 7PM to find Jane already dead. But Bunn’s autopsy showed Jane’s time of death as after midnight.

So Rungthiva lied in her confession. Aem also noted evidence that there were pictures of her and Pued together (as in the book, the main issue was that Jane suspected Rung and Pued of having an affair, and so Jane threatened to expose their involvement in housing development corruption).

So the implied conclusion of Aem and Bunn in Chapter 26 was that Rungthiva and Pued both killed Jane based on Rung’s lying on her confession and the motivation for them about to be exposed for corruption.

I understand the frustration that a woman killed Jane, but this is not solely the fault of the series. Rungthiva being Jane’s killer is directly lifted from the novel - with the exception of removing Pued from the equation (this is the one that would lend credence to the problem because the male killer was removed from equation).

But please let’s not misinform people that Rungthiva being Jane’s killer is only something the series did. It is not the show that made Rung a killer of Jane. This came straight from the novel.

Again: re-read Chapter 26.

3tangfei - did you really read that novel? You may have misunderstood the revelation scene. You claimed that “in the original story, she just killed Pued.”

You’re not correct. In the original story, Rungthiva and Pued BOTH killed Jane together. Then she later killed Pued because she was afraid he would confess to the police.

This was revealed in Chapter 26.

Rungthiva only claimed that Pued was the only who killed Jane. However, the dialogue between Aem and Bunn in Chapter 26 clearly revelaed Rungthiva was lying based on Bunn’s assessment of Rungthiva’s statement vs. his conclusion on Jane’s time of death.

Rungthiva claimed to have arrived at 7PM and already found Jane dead at the hands of Pued. However, Bunn’s autopsy had shown that Jane died after midnight - Rungthiva clearly lied about her account of the murder. That, plus in the same conversation, Aem said they found pictures of Pued and Rungthiva together. The implication is that they concluded that both Pued and Rungthiva killed Jane.

So the show didn’t make Rungthiva the killer of Jane. The book did.

What the show changed is Pued being one of Jane’s two killers.

Regarding Oat: I do get that he was probably comic relief in the end (and maybe he’ll be the one to revive and help Aem save the day)... but I feel any of the hospital characters in the book could’ve fulfilled the role.

I remember a hospital staffer or intern, I forget the name, who was sort of friends with Bunn (or his protege?) and in love with one of the female staff (may have been Fai). Not sure why they couldn’t have used that character and still used the same actor anyway. Considering they could have changed the character a bit.

Maybe they wanted viewers who read the book to suspect this new character? (I guess it worked LOL)

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Regarding Pued: maybe “more sympathetic” in the series might not be the best way to describe it. Maybe... less cold-hearted?

Book Pued did suggest to Tann that he (Tann) rape Bunn in order to scare him enough to write off Jane’s death as a suicide.

Then again, Show Pued did allow Jane to be used by the officials (though he seemed more passive on it compared to Rungthiva who basically initiated it).

And my impression is that Pued and Tann are closer on the show than they are in the novel.

In the novel, although Pued treats Tann better than Por... in many ways Book Pued still treated Book Tann more like an “agent” or “henchman” to do his bidding.

I cannot imagine Book Tann trading blows with Book Pued like they did several times on the show.

I do agree Pued is more pathetic and spineless on the show. He’s despicable in the show as he is in the book, but maybe just a shade less despicable - maybe because they gave him more character development than in the book where he was pretty much generic rich playboy who ordered his half-brother around (the biggest character twist was when it was revealed he was secretly in love with Bunn - which also almost came out of nowhere).

I guess he feels a little bit more human and real on the show (not necessarily sympathetic, just... more human).

And Rungthiva killing him is pretty analogous to the book, to be fair. Both versions of Rungthiva were afraid Pued would expose her (book - by possibly confessing; show - as a suspected witness).

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Regarding Rungthiva: oh, I definitely 100% believe she is coldhearted and that there should be no redemption. I just meant that “a caged bird sings.”

Once they catch her, and coupled with evidence from the SD card and Jane’s files, she will want to take the others down with her. She won’t allow herself to be “the only one.”

This is especially since she can even claim that she was coerced/ordered by the Judge to kill Jane (which he basically did, anyway, since he whispered to here that night to “take care of it”). This will give her a reason to possibly plead for a lesser sentence assuming she even pleads guilty.

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100% agree on the book.

I liked it, but (1) it lacked a lot of character development, which the show remedied very well, (2) yes! the crime was ultimately boring and would not lend to a very cinematic experience - housing development corruption, resolved with a confession by Rungthiva after they “catfished” her social media account, and (3) exploring more of the side characters.

Thad and Sorrawit’s high-level of visibility on the show, in particular, is the biggest delight.

I also like how modifying Por’s role and relevance to the entire story. Por is still despicable, but like Pued, I think they’ve made him more three-dimensional on the show than he was in the book.

Also: I’m glad they got rid of the subplot involving Bunn’s ex because that was just one of the more “off” subplots and also dragged down the last several chapters of the novel. It was practically an entirely different novel.

On the negative side, I feel bad that they had to remove Boon (Bunn’s brother). I felt he grounded a lot of Book Bunn’s motivations in life (even if the author didn’t really shape that very well) and also added a family dimension that show Show Bun doesn’t have. We don’t really get to know Bunn’s background on the show unlike Tann whose family story is heavily touched on (even the mother who’s dead to begin with on the show). Maybe even just more lines of dialogue of Bunn talking about his family wouldv’ve helped.

But I understand why Boon had to be removed - given the changes they made to the story, plus an already big cast with the enhancement of the roles of Aem, Thad, Sorrawit, Por, and Commander Tung (and arguably even Rungthiva - she was barely in the novel, to be honest)... Boon became non-essential and would have just muddied up the story further.

Maybe if they do a Season 2 with the sequel novel.

Ok, so I guess that’s that as of Episode 13 with the revelation that Rungthiva is the sole killer of Jane, and unlike the book, does not involve Pued as a second killer, and also unlike our guesses, that Oat is involved LOL

I am actually both relieved and disappointed that Oat isn’t involved (unless they have one last twist which I doubt). Relieved because it’s pretty close to the book except they removed Pued from the equation, but disappointed because this means that MD (the actor playing Oat) didn’t really have a major role. To my point before, it would be a waste to create an entirely new character that would have no major role when this role could’ve been filled in by any of the other existing hospital characters in the book... and then hire a BL-known actor to fulfill the role. I guess it was all really just for marketing and pull.

I did like that they changed it so that Pued, instead of being one of the killers and in cahoots with Rungthiva in the murder, is a key witness.

The little details around the phone had analogies in the book, and although not exactly the same - which was a nice thing. In the book, the phone revealed Pued was in contact with a mysterious woman hiding behind an anonymous username; of course she turned out to be Rungthiva, and they entrapped her to confess. The series kind of used the phone, too, but in a more exciting way suited for a show. It was a good way to keep the key parts of the revelation while adapting it and changing it up.

Judging from the trailer for the final episode, it looks like Por will fill in for Tann’s mother in the climactic scene where the life of Tann’s relative is used as leverage. I thought Thad already filled that role when he was used as leverage against Tann a few episodes back, but it looks like they will recreate a different (and more climactic) scene from the novel.

In the book, it was Por and his men who took Tann’s mother hostage, with Por ready to kill them as revenge for Pued’s death. In the ensuring melee with the police who were called in with the help of Bun’s brother Boon (if I recall it correctly), Por gets killed. This all happens before Rungthiva and Pued were revealed as Jane’s killers.

On the show, I am predicting that - since the trailer shows Rungthiva has taken Por hostage as leverage and Commander Tung about to assassinate them - it will be Inspector Aem (who has likely recovered, maybe with the help of Oat - who I am guessing now has suspicions about police corruption since he saw Gun try to kill Aem in the hospital) who comes to the rescue and has a shoot-out. Probably they would have the anti-human trafficking police from out of town.

My guess is that Commander Tung is the one who dies in the shootout instead of Por in the book (giving Aem the promotion he has in the book) and Rungthiva survives - and Rungthiva is the one who exposes the Judge and the Congressman , alongside evidence from the SD card (copy probably made by Aem) and perhaps some more files from Jane’s email (since Tann and Bunn found her password last episode). This effectively dismantles the prostitution ring.

Por probably also will survive and would develop a better brotherly relationship with Tann.

If these are the directions, I love the change that (1) Pued, though has accountability in what happened to Jane because he allowed her to be use, is not one of the killers and that overall the series made him more sympathetic, and (2) Por is alive and possibly will be the family that Tann lost. Is Por a still a douchebag? Yes. But I do like gray characters, and I like that they have made him grayer and more layered on the show than he (and Pued) was in the book.

Same with Rungthiva, who was barely developed in the book (as was Jane). We got to see significant character development and enhancement than what was in the book, where she was - to be honest - pretty generic and lacked the stature she has in the series.

All in all, this show really has done a great job in being faithful enough to the book while changing things to be more exciting and cinematic.

That was just a great penultimate episode with the major revelations finally happening!

MAJOR BOOK AND SHOW (UP TO EPISODE 13) SPOILERS on my next comment that will be below as a reply to this.

Uncover only if you want to read MAJOR spoilers, plus speculations for the final episode.

I also posted the exact same comment below on the “Who Do You Think Is The Murderer?” discussion forum: https://kisskh.at/discussions/manner-of-death/57359-who-do-you-think-is-the-murderer?pid=1572605&page=12#p1572605