1
1
2
The story, rife with many BL clichés, will soon give way to an LGBT+ narrative
A lover of horror, supernatural thrillers, and comedy, Thai director Mike Phontharis Chotkijsadarsopon also enjoys telling boys' love stories. From 'Still 2' (2014), 'Ghost Ship' (2015), 'Haunted' (2016), 'Bangkok Ghost Stories: Rescuer' (2018), 'Pee Nak' (2019), and 'Pee Nak 2' (2020), the art director and actor, as a keen observer and expert in dissecting emotions, gives audiences his intimate exploration of human relationships and affections.
In his next work, the television series 'Siew Sum Noi' (2021), Mike tells a story about the complexity of fully entering adulthood, love after faking a fake courtship, discovery, self-acceptance, homosexuality and acceptance by parents and society, homophobia and internalized homophobia, gay shame, the ways in which a few couples relate to each other in which at least two are still in adolescence and face their dreams to fulfill, having in common that they fight to change their reality and the desire to escape loneliness, prejudices towards people from northeast Thailand, identity and culture shock, played by a cast of new actors or with little artistic experience, while others have seen their acting careers stopped after the premiere of the audiovisual.
A few glimpses into the portrait of teenagers and young adults who have decided to come out of the closet and refuse to give up on finding some happiness, as well as a generational discussion, given that most of the characters are of a similar age.
THE BEST
The director touched on several profound themes in what was his most ambitious audiovisual offering to date, and in which Mike successfully pursued a story that, despite featuring a trope already explored on various occasions —the story of two boys falling in love after pretending to be dating— resonates with audiences for its amusing dialogue, the chemistry its protagonists inspire, its status as the first bilingual Thai/Isan (a variant of Laotian) BL series, its approach to social issues, and its cast featuring actors from the Isan population, with their distinctive skin tones and hair types, among other physical features and facial structures, different from those of the people from central or southern Thailand that fans of dramas in the genre are accustomed to seeing.
On the other hand, the series, which combines sports, music, and romance, showcases the musical film format with the use of dance songs and themes in the style of country music from northeast Thailand to tell a story from a much more subjective and intimate point of view. This allows the audience to have a much more personal relationship with the series and its protagonists.
'Siew Sum Noi' is also an example of how, with limited resources, it is possible to tell stories that audiences can connect with.
Another aspect worth highlighting is the fact that while the series begins as a story filled with many BL clichés, it soon gives way to an LGBT+ narrative, moving away from romance and delving into personal and family issues.
While its first three episodes are forgettable, with one-dimensional characters and chaotic, pointless drama, the series that follows Ruk (Champ Chenrach Sumonwat ruk - 'Past-Senger', 2023), and IG (Nakharin Phanwong - 'Love Poison', 2019, who answers to both the nicknames Virgo and Gun), picks up momentum when it changes scenery from the boring school center in the Thai capital to a cozy rural town in the Isan province.
Despite mediocre writing at times and characters lacking depth, the following episodes manage to captivate audiences, among other virtues, with their cheerful and wacky humor, fun musical and dance numbers, hidden romances between the family and the townspeople, homophobia, gay shame, popular festivals, the clash of cultures between the big city and the countryside, parents accepting their children's homosexuality, and complex family relationships, come together to revive the series.
The gang made up of Kaengsom (Garto Pannawit Phattanasiri), Mes (Fam Pornpawit Putthisethakul), Tong (Fluk Pisith Nimitsamanjit), and Kui (Bomp Premsama Punn), IG and Ruk's friends, provide the comedy and exaggerated humor.
The arrival of the two protagonists and the remaining members of the school soccer team to this rural area of Thailand will introduce new characters and subplots that enrich the narrative.
Here we find the villain Tunwa (Tao Phichairak Phimonmat), Petch (Got Sarun Kanyamoon), who, along with the character played by Bomp, will embody the second couple, while Grateen (Moo Yong Yukhondet Patchim) and Nakrob (Ohm Pracha), Ruk's brother, will bring to life the third youthful romance.
But there are three other characters who are very interesting: Kaewdtah (Candy Rakkaen – 'Brothers', 2021) and Yoi, IG's mother and grandmother, respectively, and Yinrod, Ruk and Nakrob's father. These two women represent maternal love and grandparenthood, the kind of love that grandparents offer their grandchildren, which is distinct from that of fathers.
Both, especially the mother, an icon of the series, will make us laugh and feel proud for accepting her offspring and for her unconditional support of the romance the two protagonist’s experience. Furthermore, their figures play a very important role during IG and Ruk's introspective journey.
Yinrod, for his part, is a character who appears upon the young people's arrival in the northeastern province of Thailand. While he represents the other side of the coin to Ruk and Nakrob, he, a conservative man with strong patriarchal characteristics, experiences a family drama as he has to deal with his offspring's liking for boys. The village leader, he personifies a homophobic figure who opposes his two sons' same-sex relationships. From the first moment I met the character, I tried to answer one question: will the father undergo a radical change in his stance toward queer people?
All three will make the viewer reflect.
THE WORST
The gang's antics become tiresome and repetitive. A better distribution of their screen time could have served to better develop the main plots, especially the three romances.
IG's return, already in the final moments, to his abandoned pursuit of his ex-girlfriend, despite knowing she had been unfaithful and that he didn't love her.
MAIN CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROMANCES
Originally from Isan, Ruk arrives in Bangkok after transferring to a new school on a sports scholarship. A very popular boy among his childhood friends, the feelings of confusion and nervousness he suffers after leaving a familiar culture to live in a new and different one lead him to distance himself from his teammates. Not having friends irritates those around him, especially IG.
Ruk is unaware that, like him, IG is originally from Isan. After tense and conflicting encounters, Ruk receives an invitation from IG to go to a party masked. In a plan of revenge, IG seeks to embarrass the newcomer to Bangkok. However, during the party, Ruk is kissed by a nervous IG, who is unable to deal with his ex-girlfriend Fangkao and her secret relationship with his teammate Kim (Tape Worrachai Sirikongsuwan). While a surprised Ruk resists participating in a fake relationship, photos of the two boys kissing circulate on social media, to everyone's amazement. However, this fake relationship will bring him even closer on IG.
IG, the attractive internet idol, is the latest heir to the family business. Coming from a wealthy family, the popular student returns to school after taking two years off. During this period of self-discovery and rethinking his passions and dreams, he became a popular influencer and has a large following on social media.
Upon learning that the family business is in trouble, the teenager, who maintains a close relationship with his mother and grandmother, decides to help the company move forward, even though the steps involved don't fit his idol image.
Faced with the prejudices that rural people experience in big cities, especially if they are from another province with significant cultural differences, IG hides his origins as a child from northeast Thailand. I quickly understood why he has to hide his origins and even fake his accent to gain sympathy.
IG and Ruk
During a party, in an attempt to make his ex-girlfriend jealous, IG accidentally kisses Ruk on the lips and claims the two are in a relationship.
During mid-term break, the two boys return to their hometown. One to visit his father and older brother, while the other follows his mother to respond to his grandmother's request claiming to be ill. It's then that they both discover they share the same cultural identity and live in the same village.
The first thing that strikes me is the skin color of the two protagonists: olive, something rarely seen in Thai dramas of any genre.
Both IG and Ruk have similar vibes. Their characters blend many of the typical "seme" and "uke" clichés. Mike's decision to cast two very masculine characters as gay protagonists—two soccer players, one of whom is popular with girls and going through a breakup with a girlfriend, and the other a heterosexual with a homophobic father who, before falling in love with another boy, paints a picture of rejection of LGBT+ people, no less—reflects the constant tension in Thai drama regarding queer representation.
While exploring their sexuality, IG and Ruk will deal with the band's problems and their responsibilities to their family and their village, while also dealing with the homophobic father of one of them, who opposes their relationship.
The relationship between the two protagonists will be jeopardized by the appearance of Tunwa, a con man who is secretly in love with Ruk, his childhood friend. The character's evil nature will be exposed when the gang members discover that the criminal has appropriated the funds they had honestly earned for the soccer team's activities during their school holidays in the village of Isan.
Nakrob and Grateen
Nakrob is a teacher at the village's primary school. He lives alone with his father after his younger brother left to study in Bangkok. Very close to Yinrod and Ruk, the man who struggles with decades of gay shame, he maintains a secret relationship with Grateen and struggles to keep it hidden, worried about his homophobic father's reaction.
Grateen is a professional singer and lead vocalist of a band that has lost popularity in recent months and is struggling financially, causing the character to doubt his future. Adopted by Yoi after the death of his parents, he struggles to keep his romance with Nakrob a secret. I would have liked to see more development for this character. I left wanted to learn about his close relationship with his adoptive mother, or his commitment to a musical career in a fading band.
Delving deeper into these stories would allow for a better characterization of the character, one that transcends the cliché of a one-dimensional love interest who only sings and smiles.
The audience will enjoy Moo Yong's performances as he sings, dances, and smiles from the stage at each of the band's shows.
Kui and Petch
Kui is a member of the soccer team and a friend of IG, Mes, Kaengsom, Tong, and Katty, the members of the school group dubbed "The God Boys" due to their immense popularity. He later befriends Ruk after the latter arrives at the school. Very popular with the girls, he comes to discover his sexuality when he meets Petch. Curious about Petch's same-sex attraction, Kui kisses him and experiences sensations, emotions, and feelings never before known.
Petch has been Ruk's friend since childhood. Openly gay, he feels attracted to Kui from the moment Ruk introduces them. According to the main character, Petch is a quiet and unassuming boy, but tends to withdraw when he falls in love.
The two experience a tender and simple romance, the least profound of the three romances, which faces the main difficulty of each living in two distant provinces. Petch ends the long-distance relationship by transferring to the same school Kui attends.
UNFORGETTABLE SCENES
There are several enduring scenes: Grateen in episode 4 singing the series' soundtrack; the one of Ruk and IG, who unwittingly end up naked together in a bathtub; every time Kaewdtah stumbles upon her son and his boyfriend in a compromising situation; and in episode 5 when Kui spills water on his shirt, immediately strips naked and asks Petch to clean it up, looking at him with provocative eyes.
While the funny scenes and absurd, over-the-top entertainment outweigh the narrative, the scene of physical intimacy and sex between IG and Ruk in episode 11 is one of the most homoerotic, exciting, enjoyable, and artistic in the BL universe.
The intimate camera angle, which slowly but precisely pans over the eroticized bodies of the two young men inch by inch, manages to showcase the beauty of the male physique like rarely seen in audiovisual works of the genre.
In his next work, the television series 'Siew Sum Noi' (2021), Mike tells a story about the complexity of fully entering adulthood, love after faking a fake courtship, discovery, self-acceptance, homosexuality and acceptance by parents and society, homophobia and internalized homophobia, gay shame, the ways in which a few couples relate to each other in which at least two are still in adolescence and face their dreams to fulfill, having in common that they fight to change their reality and the desire to escape loneliness, prejudices towards people from northeast Thailand, identity and culture shock, played by a cast of new actors or with little artistic experience, while others have seen their acting careers stopped after the premiere of the audiovisual.
A few glimpses into the portrait of teenagers and young adults who have decided to come out of the closet and refuse to give up on finding some happiness, as well as a generational discussion, given that most of the characters are of a similar age.
THE BEST
The director touched on several profound themes in what was his most ambitious audiovisual offering to date, and in which Mike successfully pursued a story that, despite featuring a trope already explored on various occasions —the story of two boys falling in love after pretending to be dating— resonates with audiences for its amusing dialogue, the chemistry its protagonists inspire, its status as the first bilingual Thai/Isan (a variant of Laotian) BL series, its approach to social issues, and its cast featuring actors from the Isan population, with their distinctive skin tones and hair types, among other physical features and facial structures, different from those of the people from central or southern Thailand that fans of dramas in the genre are accustomed to seeing.
On the other hand, the series, which combines sports, music, and romance, showcases the musical film format with the use of dance songs and themes in the style of country music from northeast Thailand to tell a story from a much more subjective and intimate point of view. This allows the audience to have a much more personal relationship with the series and its protagonists.
'Siew Sum Noi' is also an example of how, with limited resources, it is possible to tell stories that audiences can connect with.
Another aspect worth highlighting is the fact that while the series begins as a story filled with many BL clichés, it soon gives way to an LGBT+ narrative, moving away from romance and delving into personal and family issues.
While its first three episodes are forgettable, with one-dimensional characters and chaotic, pointless drama, the series that follows Ruk (Champ Chenrach Sumonwat ruk - 'Past-Senger', 2023), and IG (Nakharin Phanwong - 'Love Poison', 2019, who answers to both the nicknames Virgo and Gun), picks up momentum when it changes scenery from the boring school center in the Thai capital to a cozy rural town in the Isan province.
Despite mediocre writing at times and characters lacking depth, the following episodes manage to captivate audiences, among other virtues, with their cheerful and wacky humor, fun musical and dance numbers, hidden romances between the family and the townspeople, homophobia, gay shame, popular festivals, the clash of cultures between the big city and the countryside, parents accepting their children's homosexuality, and complex family relationships, come together to revive the series.
The gang made up of Kaengsom (Garto Pannawit Phattanasiri), Mes (Fam Pornpawit Putthisethakul), Tong (Fluk Pisith Nimitsamanjit), and Kui (Bomp Premsama Punn), IG and Ruk's friends, provide the comedy and exaggerated humor.
The arrival of the two protagonists and the remaining members of the school soccer team to this rural area of Thailand will introduce new characters and subplots that enrich the narrative.
Here we find the villain Tunwa (Tao Phichairak Phimonmat), Petch (Got Sarun Kanyamoon), who, along with the character played by Bomp, will embody the second couple, while Grateen (Moo Yong Yukhondet Patchim) and Nakrob (Ohm Pracha), Ruk's brother, will bring to life the third youthful romance.
But there are three other characters who are very interesting: Kaewdtah (Candy Rakkaen – 'Brothers', 2021) and Yoi, IG's mother and grandmother, respectively, and Yinrod, Ruk and Nakrob's father. These two women represent maternal love and grandparenthood, the kind of love that grandparents offer their grandchildren, which is distinct from that of fathers.
Both, especially the mother, an icon of the series, will make us laugh and feel proud for accepting her offspring and for her unconditional support of the romance the two protagonist’s experience. Furthermore, their figures play a very important role during IG and Ruk's introspective journey.
Yinrod, for his part, is a character who appears upon the young people's arrival in the northeastern province of Thailand. While he represents the other side of the coin to Ruk and Nakrob, he, a conservative man with strong patriarchal characteristics, experiences a family drama as he has to deal with his offspring's liking for boys. The village leader, he personifies a homophobic figure who opposes his two sons' same-sex relationships. From the first moment I met the character, I tried to answer one question: will the father undergo a radical change in his stance toward queer people?
All three will make the viewer reflect.
THE WORST
The gang's antics become tiresome and repetitive. A better distribution of their screen time could have served to better develop the main plots, especially the three romances.
IG's return, already in the final moments, to his abandoned pursuit of his ex-girlfriend, despite knowing she had been unfaithful and that he didn't love her.
MAIN CHARACTERS AND THEIR ROMANCES
Originally from Isan, Ruk arrives in Bangkok after transferring to a new school on a sports scholarship. A very popular boy among his childhood friends, the feelings of confusion and nervousness he suffers after leaving a familiar culture to live in a new and different one lead him to distance himself from his teammates. Not having friends irritates those around him, especially IG.
Ruk is unaware that, like him, IG is originally from Isan. After tense and conflicting encounters, Ruk receives an invitation from IG to go to a party masked. In a plan of revenge, IG seeks to embarrass the newcomer to Bangkok. However, during the party, Ruk is kissed by a nervous IG, who is unable to deal with his ex-girlfriend Fangkao and her secret relationship with his teammate Kim (Tape Worrachai Sirikongsuwan). While a surprised Ruk resists participating in a fake relationship, photos of the two boys kissing circulate on social media, to everyone's amazement. However, this fake relationship will bring him even closer on IG.
IG, the attractive internet idol, is the latest heir to the family business. Coming from a wealthy family, the popular student returns to school after taking two years off. During this period of self-discovery and rethinking his passions and dreams, he became a popular influencer and has a large following on social media.
Upon learning that the family business is in trouble, the teenager, who maintains a close relationship with his mother and grandmother, decides to help the company move forward, even though the steps involved don't fit his idol image.
Faced with the prejudices that rural people experience in big cities, especially if they are from another province with significant cultural differences, IG hides his origins as a child from northeast Thailand. I quickly understood why he has to hide his origins and even fake his accent to gain sympathy.
IG and Ruk
During a party, in an attempt to make his ex-girlfriend jealous, IG accidentally kisses Ruk on the lips and claims the two are in a relationship.
During mid-term break, the two boys return to their hometown. One to visit his father and older brother, while the other follows his mother to respond to his grandmother's request claiming to be ill. It's then that they both discover they share the same cultural identity and live in the same village.
The first thing that strikes me is the skin color of the two protagonists: olive, something rarely seen in Thai dramas of any genre.
Both IG and Ruk have similar vibes. Their characters blend many of the typical "seme" and "uke" clichés. Mike's decision to cast two very masculine characters as gay protagonists—two soccer players, one of whom is popular with girls and going through a breakup with a girlfriend, and the other a heterosexual with a homophobic father who, before falling in love with another boy, paints a picture of rejection of LGBT+ people, no less—reflects the constant tension in Thai drama regarding queer representation.
While exploring their sexuality, IG and Ruk will deal with the band's problems and their responsibilities to their family and their village, while also dealing with the homophobic father of one of them, who opposes their relationship.
The relationship between the two protagonists will be jeopardized by the appearance of Tunwa, a con man who is secretly in love with Ruk, his childhood friend. The character's evil nature will be exposed when the gang members discover that the criminal has appropriated the funds they had honestly earned for the soccer team's activities during their school holidays in the village of Isan.
Nakrob and Grateen
Nakrob is a teacher at the village's primary school. He lives alone with his father after his younger brother left to study in Bangkok. Very close to Yinrod and Ruk, the man who struggles with decades of gay shame, he maintains a secret relationship with Grateen and struggles to keep it hidden, worried about his homophobic father's reaction.
Grateen is a professional singer and lead vocalist of a band that has lost popularity in recent months and is struggling financially, causing the character to doubt his future. Adopted by Yoi after the death of his parents, he struggles to keep his romance with Nakrob a secret. I would have liked to see more development for this character. I left wanted to learn about his close relationship with his adoptive mother, or his commitment to a musical career in a fading band.
Delving deeper into these stories would allow for a better characterization of the character, one that transcends the cliché of a one-dimensional love interest who only sings and smiles.
The audience will enjoy Moo Yong's performances as he sings, dances, and smiles from the stage at each of the band's shows.
Kui and Petch
Kui is a member of the soccer team and a friend of IG, Mes, Kaengsom, Tong, and Katty, the members of the school group dubbed "The God Boys" due to their immense popularity. He later befriends Ruk after the latter arrives at the school. Very popular with the girls, he comes to discover his sexuality when he meets Petch. Curious about Petch's same-sex attraction, Kui kisses him and experiences sensations, emotions, and feelings never before known.
Petch has been Ruk's friend since childhood. Openly gay, he feels attracted to Kui from the moment Ruk introduces them. According to the main character, Petch is a quiet and unassuming boy, but tends to withdraw when he falls in love.
The two experience a tender and simple romance, the least profound of the three romances, which faces the main difficulty of each living in two distant provinces. Petch ends the long-distance relationship by transferring to the same school Kui attends.
UNFORGETTABLE SCENES
There are several enduring scenes: Grateen in episode 4 singing the series' soundtrack; the one of Ruk and IG, who unwittingly end up naked together in a bathtub; every time Kaewdtah stumbles upon her son and his boyfriend in a compromising situation; and in episode 5 when Kui spills water on his shirt, immediately strips naked and asks Petch to clean it up, looking at him with provocative eyes.
While the funny scenes and absurd, over-the-top entertainment outweigh the narrative, the scene of physical intimacy and sex between IG and Ruk in episode 11 is one of the most homoerotic, exciting, enjoyable, and artistic in the BL universe.
The intimate camera angle, which slowly but precisely pans over the eroticized bodies of the two young men inch by inch, manages to showcase the beauty of the male physique like rarely seen in audiovisual works of the genre.
Was this review helpful to you?
