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Just one doubt: Will it be as empty and boring as the prequel?
'Season of Love in Shimane' is a Thai BL series featuring a travel advertisement mixed with softcore erotica, continuing the story of P (Ekkapop Tata) and Pan (Pan Jirachot Chotticomporn), which began in 'Kiseki Chapter 2' (2024), whose plot immerses us in a travel vlog where four handsome guys who share a house end up sleeping together.
The arrival of Pan, Plai (Plai Chattrin Chotticomporn), PJ (Kritsana Planchai), and Tontae (Tontae Tinnakorn Puwasakdiwong), a group of Thai tourists eager to explore Japan, to the beautiful teakwood home of P, the Thai expat who now lives not in Tokyo but in Shimane Prefecture and works as a high-quality travel blogger, stirs memories in the host, who hasn't forgotten the romantic connection he had a year earlier with one of the visiting twins.
With the same strict rules of coexistence seen in 'Kiseki Chapter 2,' P awaits the arrival of the now young man who has achieved his dreams of becoming a singer, but he will be accompanied by his manager, who also aims to win Pan's love.
The encounter proves explosive, and the union of old and new friends is bound to trigger a series of tense situations, as well as some sexual encounters. We're here to see it. But above all, to see if it will lead to the definitive beginning of the two protagonists' romantic relationship.
Based on what we've seen in the first episode, 'Season of Love in Shimane' will show us passionate encounters, lots of skin, and the turmoil that every love triangle entails.
Without a doubt, these seven days of living together will lead to changes in the lives of these five people, in some cases for the better, and in others not so much... Will it end up radically changing their lives?
The series has a simple premise: the reunion of two lovers after a year apart due to their respective jobs and living in different countries, and the possibility of rekindling their romance and finally consolidating their relationship.
It also seeks to reflect the journey of a group of Thai tourists looking to have fun and relax while touring Japan.
'Season of Love in Shimane' successfully recreates the relaxed and casual atmosphere of a vacation. There's a pleasant charm in watching the five young people experience a trip to a destination unknown to them, living together in a house made entirely of teak, tasting food and drinks native to another country, experiencing the cold and snow, and touring exotic places.
However, the story is poorly written, and, as in 'Kiseki Chapter 2,' many scenes seem forced, as can be seen after Plai and Tontae arrive at P's house, where they are tasked with letting the host know that Pan will arrive the next day and that he won't be alone.
As in the prequel, the characters interact awkwardly, as if they don't want to be there, and only do so because it's written in a script they must follow. For example, it doesn't seem like P and Plain have met yet, and their reunion is rather cold and distant, not like that of two friends and possibly brothers-in-law.
The series explores themes such as friendship, love, travel vlogging, tourism, and long-distance relationships.
Curiosities
Director Paapare Khachaporn Roopchang ('Venus in the Sky', 2024), and his co-writer Piyapat Nanthanoraseth ('Switch On', 2021-2022), were in charge of writing the series, which is intended to serve as a tourist advertisement to reflect, through tours to exotic natural settings and scenes of soft eroticism, how five people spend a week together to end up making friends, finding love, discussing issues related to their respective professions or the places they visited. With this in mind, 9NAA Production, the Thai BL studio that produced 'Check Out' (2022), 'I Am Your King' (2017), 'I Am Your King 2' (2019), 'Skinship' (2020), 'My Blessing' (2023) and 'Kiseki Chapter 2' (2024), decided it was time to make a second series to pick up the story of P and Pan, based on a narrative already seen, such as in the also Thai films 'Present Perfect (แค่นี้ก็ดีแล้ว / Khae ni k dilaew), from 2012 and its sequel, 'Present Still Perfect' (แค่นี้ก็ดีแล้ว Part 2 / Khae ni k dilaew Part 2), from 2020, but with the variation that the romantic story is not between two boys who travel on vacation to Japan and coincide in the same hostel, but only one of them travels, while the other has been living for some time in that country.
According to the director, he also consulted with BL-loving viewers, and a common theme was the desire to see how different types of relationships were explored, especially with characters who, because they live in different countries, would have to have long-distance relationships, how changes occur in them between one encounter and the next, and what will happen to them after the reunion.
His intention, in addition to serving as a tourist advertisement, is to reflect that neither time nor miles nor oceans seem to be insurmountable obstacles to starting a relationship.
The sex scenes seem particularly simple, as nothing suggests to me that the actors didn't enjoy themselves while filming them.
The filming wasn't complicated; once they found the perfect house and the ideal setting for filming, everything fell into place without a hitch.
We won't be featuring Japanese actress Kikkawa Yuu or Thai actor BeBoy Nanthakorn Sringenthap, but we have two new faces joining the project.
In addition to 'Kiseki Chapter 2,' we've seen Ekkapop Tata and Pan in the short film 'Juicy Lips Juicy Heart,' from 2024.
The Best
There are several scenes from the first episode that I liked, particularly the ones where we see P remember Pan and the days she spent with him just a year before the current events narrated in the series. Another is P's erotic dream, which gives us a preview of the sexual scenes to come and will remind us of other Thai BL series, such as 'TharType,' 'Kinn Porsche,' 'Ailonghai,' 'Bed Friend,' 'Big Dragon,' 'Only Friends,' 'Unforgettable Night,' 'Chain of Hearts,' 'Love in the Air,' 'Be My Superstar,' 'Playboy,' 'Manner of Death,' 'Together With Me,' among others.
And the scene of P, Plai, and Tontae's tour of some of Shimane's natural sites, especially the Hinomisaki Lighthouse, in Izumo, the tallest in all of East Asia, with its beautiful surroundings and the proximity of a 17th-century shrine, and its beautiful surroundings. You can even see the distant Oki Islands, 50 kilometers out to sea.
Of the cast, P Ekkapop Tata and the twins Pan and Plai reprise their roles from 'Kiseki Chapter 2,' while the other two actors went through a normal selection process, auditioning.
The Worst
It seems like a common technique in BL series is to use extremely attractive actors, show them sexy or semi-naked, and engage in sexual intercourse. This is undoubtedly to grab the viewer's attention; to show the "sexual freedom" achieved in Thailand, but in this case the actors are extremely poor in their performances.
We are shown conversations devoid of content and meaning, forced anger, poorly portrayed jealousy, and feelings more typical of vegetables. Once again, a group of terrible actors come together in a BL series.
The expected
I wish the study of relationships weren't as superficial as it was in the prequel.
I wish for a better-developed plot, better-developed characters and plot, and not just the presentation of Japanese tourist spots.
I wish for more than holiday sexual shenanigans.
I'll resume the review later. There will surely be changes to the final rating.
The arrival of Pan, Plai (Plai Chattrin Chotticomporn), PJ (Kritsana Planchai), and Tontae (Tontae Tinnakorn Puwasakdiwong), a group of Thai tourists eager to explore Japan, to the beautiful teakwood home of P, the Thai expat who now lives not in Tokyo but in Shimane Prefecture and works as a high-quality travel blogger, stirs memories in the host, who hasn't forgotten the romantic connection he had a year earlier with one of the visiting twins.
With the same strict rules of coexistence seen in 'Kiseki Chapter 2,' P awaits the arrival of the now young man who has achieved his dreams of becoming a singer, but he will be accompanied by his manager, who also aims to win Pan's love.
The encounter proves explosive, and the union of old and new friends is bound to trigger a series of tense situations, as well as some sexual encounters. We're here to see it. But above all, to see if it will lead to the definitive beginning of the two protagonists' romantic relationship.
Based on what we've seen in the first episode, 'Season of Love in Shimane' will show us passionate encounters, lots of skin, and the turmoil that every love triangle entails.
Without a doubt, these seven days of living together will lead to changes in the lives of these five people, in some cases for the better, and in others not so much... Will it end up radically changing their lives?
The series has a simple premise: the reunion of two lovers after a year apart due to their respective jobs and living in different countries, and the possibility of rekindling their romance and finally consolidating their relationship.
It also seeks to reflect the journey of a group of Thai tourists looking to have fun and relax while touring Japan.
'Season of Love in Shimane' successfully recreates the relaxed and casual atmosphere of a vacation. There's a pleasant charm in watching the five young people experience a trip to a destination unknown to them, living together in a house made entirely of teak, tasting food and drinks native to another country, experiencing the cold and snow, and touring exotic places.
However, the story is poorly written, and, as in 'Kiseki Chapter 2,' many scenes seem forced, as can be seen after Plai and Tontae arrive at P's house, where they are tasked with letting the host know that Pan will arrive the next day and that he won't be alone.
As in the prequel, the characters interact awkwardly, as if they don't want to be there, and only do so because it's written in a script they must follow. For example, it doesn't seem like P and Plain have met yet, and their reunion is rather cold and distant, not like that of two friends and possibly brothers-in-law.
The series explores themes such as friendship, love, travel vlogging, tourism, and long-distance relationships.
Curiosities
Director Paapare Khachaporn Roopchang ('Venus in the Sky', 2024), and his co-writer Piyapat Nanthanoraseth ('Switch On', 2021-2022), were in charge of writing the series, which is intended to serve as a tourist advertisement to reflect, through tours to exotic natural settings and scenes of soft eroticism, how five people spend a week together to end up making friends, finding love, discussing issues related to their respective professions or the places they visited. With this in mind, 9NAA Production, the Thai BL studio that produced 'Check Out' (2022), 'I Am Your King' (2017), 'I Am Your King 2' (2019), 'Skinship' (2020), 'My Blessing' (2023) and 'Kiseki Chapter 2' (2024), decided it was time to make a second series to pick up the story of P and Pan, based on a narrative already seen, such as in the also Thai films 'Present Perfect (แค่นี้ก็ดีแล้ว / Khae ni k dilaew), from 2012 and its sequel, 'Present Still Perfect' (แค่นี้ก็ดีแล้ว Part 2 / Khae ni k dilaew Part 2), from 2020, but with the variation that the romantic story is not between two boys who travel on vacation to Japan and coincide in the same hostel, but only one of them travels, while the other has been living for some time in that country.
According to the director, he also consulted with BL-loving viewers, and a common theme was the desire to see how different types of relationships were explored, especially with characters who, because they live in different countries, would have to have long-distance relationships, how changes occur in them between one encounter and the next, and what will happen to them after the reunion.
His intention, in addition to serving as a tourist advertisement, is to reflect that neither time nor miles nor oceans seem to be insurmountable obstacles to starting a relationship.
The sex scenes seem particularly simple, as nothing suggests to me that the actors didn't enjoy themselves while filming them.
The filming wasn't complicated; once they found the perfect house and the ideal setting for filming, everything fell into place without a hitch.
We won't be featuring Japanese actress Kikkawa Yuu or Thai actor BeBoy Nanthakorn Sringenthap, but we have two new faces joining the project.
In addition to 'Kiseki Chapter 2,' we've seen Ekkapop Tata and Pan in the short film 'Juicy Lips Juicy Heart,' from 2024.
The Best
There are several scenes from the first episode that I liked, particularly the ones where we see P remember Pan and the days she spent with him just a year before the current events narrated in the series. Another is P's erotic dream, which gives us a preview of the sexual scenes to come and will remind us of other Thai BL series, such as 'TharType,' 'Kinn Porsche,' 'Ailonghai,' 'Bed Friend,' 'Big Dragon,' 'Only Friends,' 'Unforgettable Night,' 'Chain of Hearts,' 'Love in the Air,' 'Be My Superstar,' 'Playboy,' 'Manner of Death,' 'Together With Me,' among others.
And the scene of P, Plai, and Tontae's tour of some of Shimane's natural sites, especially the Hinomisaki Lighthouse, in Izumo, the tallest in all of East Asia, with its beautiful surroundings and the proximity of a 17th-century shrine, and its beautiful surroundings. You can even see the distant Oki Islands, 50 kilometers out to sea.
Of the cast, P Ekkapop Tata and the twins Pan and Plai reprise their roles from 'Kiseki Chapter 2,' while the other two actors went through a normal selection process, auditioning.
The Worst
It seems like a common technique in BL series is to use extremely attractive actors, show them sexy or semi-naked, and engage in sexual intercourse. This is undoubtedly to grab the viewer's attention; to show the "sexual freedom" achieved in Thailand, but in this case the actors are extremely poor in their performances.
We are shown conversations devoid of content and meaning, forced anger, poorly portrayed jealousy, and feelings more typical of vegetables. Once again, a group of terrible actors come together in a BL series.
The expected
I wish the study of relationships weren't as superficial as it was in the prequel.
I wish for a better-developed plot, better-developed characters and plot, and not just the presentation of Japanese tourist spots.
I wish for more than holiday sexual shenanigans.
I'll resume the review later. There will surely be changes to the final rating.
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