quesosoup

The thing is, multiple issues can arise and co-exist within a single subject matter. In this case, most people are criticizing both the casting of a minor alongside an adult and the content of the series itself, which exacerbates the problematic nature of that casting choice. There are numerous other concerns that people have with this series as well. It's not that our reasons for criticizing the series have changed; it's that there are so many aspects worth discussing that it's difficult to focus on just one issue. Again, I'm not trying to argue with you—you have your view, and I have mine, which I've already defended in other discussions. I'm bringing up these points only to try to clarify some of the arguments others are making, as it seems a few people are confused by them.

I think what people are mostly upset about is that a minor was casted alongside an adult, especially in a story that involves a handful of sexually explicit scenes (sexual violence, sexual harassment, forced kissing, etc.). The concern isn’t about the age of consent, as he is still a minor regardless; even if another minor were casted alongside him, I am sure plenty of people including I would still be disturbed as this just isn't the type of story that a minor should be casted to act in. Make it Right also received similar criticism, but the backlash wasn’t as strong because it was released at a time when BL series weren’t as popular and the genre was just beginning to develop into televised content. If it were released today by a larger company with a bigger user base, like Gmmtv, I’m sure it would receive the same level of backlash, or even greater.

Well I think the issue they have is not with the age gap specifically, it's the ages that make that gap. In the example that person gave, the ages that make the gap are 20 and 31, both being adults, but in this series, the ages that make that gap are 16 and 27, which is a minor and an adult. That is the distinction they were trying to make, since large age gaps are arguably fine if they're both adults (maybe a little weird in certain cases but most would argue that it's still morally sound). I am not trying to argue or anything here, by the way; I've already said plenty in other threads lol. I just thought I would clear that up for you since you said you were confused about their point.

Exactly. Even if this were a small platform, dismissing arguments against this series on the grounds that they "won’t bring any change" is a perspective that has been argued for decades, yet change has always begun with small, persistent voices.

While we can't reverse Mac's involvement in this series, this issue isn’t something to be ignored (as it has been with this director twice before) under the pretense that it’s "just acting" or legally permissible in various jurisdictions. Remember guys, plenty of laws around the world have allowed harm to occur, including psychological and physical harm—even death. If you want examples, I can provide them in another thread. Such dismissiveness normalizes a practice that could lead to more minors being cast in explicit roles, which would eventually lower industry standards and endanger young actors.

Though preventing every minor from being hired for explicit content is impossible, we can at least critique it and rate it low enough so that the majority of viewers would avoid such content. This could deter directors like Yuan from casting young actors in 18+ shows in the future, especially since, as he and another producer of the series stated multiple times in just one interview, they are thinking about international viewers, not just those in Thailand. I don’t think people realize just how large a platform kisskh is. It is quite literally the largest platform for viewers of Asian dramas and media GLOBALLY. Given how popular Asian media, especially BL content, has become in recent years, if the rating doesn’t drop low enough to dissuade viewers—regardless of whether they agree with the casting—this will only enable such incidents further, as it would seem like the general public enjoyed the series despite the casting.

I understand all this can come off as me being conceited or me trying to be on some moral high horse, but this isn’t just "hate," as a lot of people are arguing. It’s constructive criticism. While the two may seem synonymous, there’s a fine line between hating on something—opposing it without sound reasoning—and constructively criticizing it with a goal of improvement. Those who oppose this series do so with genuine concerns, whether about the ethical issues of casting a minor or the quality of the production itself. Expressing these concerns is an exercise in constructive criticism, not hate, and it’s a vital part of holding the global industry to a higher standard.

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When you click the link, click where it says Google drive and you'll have access to the first 21 chapters 😋 After you reach the end of the document, in order to access the rest of the chapters (because there's a little over 100 lol) it has instructions on how to purchase the raw novel from jjwxc, and it's only about $5 USD. Afterwards, through the forum that is provided at the end of the Google drive, you submit proof of purchase and the person who translated it will send the rest of the translated chapters! Hope this helped!

They meant to entirely hire minors to play the roles; in episode 0 they stated that the reason why they went with August is because they couldn't find anyone that they wanted for the role of Hero during the auditions, and the director figured August's visuals were similar enough to what he had wanted for Hero.

1) You literally said, "Bro, not all people who are 16 are not mature." If you're not trying to argue that Mac, as a minor (by Thai law, if you want to argue by legality), is mature enough, then it makes no sense to start your argument with that opening statement.

2) As I mentioned before, if you had read what I originally wrote in the first thread, I'm not arguing about the law here. Yes, the age of consent in Thailand is 15. Yes, it is legal for this to be produced. All of what's happening is legal in Thailand and several other places in the world. The issue is with the ethics of the situation. It is not unreasonable for anyone to find casting a 16 year old alongside a 27 year old in an explicit series to be inappropriate, regardless of its legality in Thailand or elsewhere. Every country has flaws in its legal system, and Thailand is especially known for having a loose regulatory framework in the entertainment industry. Since I know you care about legality, let me ask you this: Do you think it's right that it's illegal in China for homosexual romances to be televised? If you choose to respond to this thread and avoid answering this question, I'll assume you don't know what you're talking about. Though, I’ve honestly already assumed that. Even if you agree that it's okay for BL to be illegal in China, you'd still be contradicting yourself, as you’re quite literally fighting tooth and nail for a BL series.

3) Three to four sentences? You got it. Acting goes beyond just "pretending" because, unlike in cartoons, the physical actions and contact between actors are real. While the emotions are acted, the physical gestures, like a kiss or a touch, are not fake; they are actually happening, even if the context is fictional. Additionally, the Thai BL industry often blurs the lines between fantasy and reality for promotional value. As I mentioned before, to keep it concise for someone with limited critical thinking skills, Thai BL productions often include fanservice outside the show, where the leads act romantically with each other. This leads many fans (more than you might think) to believe they are a real couple. When it’s revealed they aren't, the backlash can be severe, even resulting in death threats and a significant drop in the fan base. That could be quite the shit show for a 16 year old to handle. I've given more sentences than you asked for, so I'll leave it at that.

You can choose to respond or not; it makes no difference to me since I won't be answering. By the way, if you respond aggressively to this thread, as you did before with slurs, you'll only make yourself look ridiculous since I've mostly kept my tone calm. You might also get your account deleted; just a heads up. It's happened to three people already, in case you care. Good day!

There are many points in your message that I could mention in response as illogical, ignorant, or simply misinformation, but I'll focus on one because I've reiterated the same arguments dozens of times already. If you are not even mature enough to handle a conversation about ethics with a respectful tone, then you should not be claiming that a minor is mature enough to handle not only acting in an explicit series but also what comes after it. Not that mental maturity is even the point of discussion here, nor is it a good point to make.

Omg I just remembered I literally came across like 3 accounts from over the past couple of days that got deleted, and they were people who posted threads defending the series. Perhaps people reported them or something and the moderators did something about it. That'll be good if that's the case, maybe there'll be less questionable people on this page 😭🙏

If they're gonna troll they could at least be smart about it, like how are you gonna confuse your alt accs like that lmao. I also saw that a couple of them got into like a minor argument with each other because one of them misunderstood what the other was saying 😭😭😭

This is just bullying at this point tbh, calling someone names that honestly, and not that this would at all justify it, but they don't even make sense given the context. We really need a moderator of some sort on this page because it's full of people either bullying others or low key exposing themselves as pedos

Same, I keep coming back and commenting on here because it's ridiculous the amount of people who are genuinely defending the series. I don't remember the last time I've seen a series as controversial as this one, but never have I seen anyone defend such impropriety this much. Such a large amount of people as well. This can't be real, honestly.

His idea of the "best way" he can adapt the series

You're so right, if zeenunew were to say that they aren't together, it would be a complete shit show. Just like you said, it's happened multiple times. No matter how large or small the fan base is, there will always be people who will bash the actors for simply not actually dating.

I can only pray that a similar situation doesn't happen with Mac, where people become so infatuated with him and his co-star's "chemistry" (it feels uncomfortable even saying that), that they manically ship them together to the point that Mac can't entirely move on with his own acting career. This is a child's safety and future that is at risk when there is no reason for it to be. The director had no trouble hiring a grown adult to play the role of a teenage character, so I am sure he could've done the same with Poppy's character.

Exactly my point. The Thai BL industry literally thrives on fanservice outside of the show, even hosting fan meetings where the actors act romantically with each other. They purposely blur the lines between fantasy and reality for promotional value. And honestly, I have to admit, it's a smart tactic. I mean, think about it; how much more likely are you to watch and enjoy a romance series if you're aware that the actors playing the main couple are together?

For me personally, the whole reason I watched Crash Landing on You was because I heard that the main couple is married in real life, and the same goes for the main couple from Plus and Minus who are dating. It's interesting to watch a romance series when you know the chemistry is real and not just acting.

Although none of the actors, of course, never directly state that they're dating (because they're not), the romantic implications included in BL fanservice are so heavy that it causes people to believe so. It's the same logic.

Well said. I understand that some people just want to enjoy the show, and that's fine, but there's no good reason to defend it, especially when their only defense is that it's legal in Thailand. Otherwise, they bash others for feeling rightfully concerned about their decision to hire a minor for an explicit series, and that said minor is paired with a 27 year old as the on-screen partner on top of that.

I'm sure the same people defending this series would go bat shit if I or anyone else were to say, "It's okay that televising BL in China is illegal because most people in China agree that it's inappropriate to televise homosexual romances; it's a part of their society's culture, and they don't care about Westerners' views. Therefore, it's unreasonable for anyone to find it unfair or unethical, because it's a part of their law system. Go argue with the Chinese government if you have an issue with it." Like you said, it's not always about whether it's legal or not. The issue people have is the ethics of it, and yes, no one's moral values will ever perfectly align with someone else's, but come on, this is a 16 year old's safety we're talking about. We shouldn't have to have a statement from Mac himself saying that he felt uncomfortable or violated when filming this to know that this is inappropriate.

Actors within the BL industry are often over-sexualized and manically shipped with whoever they co-star with, to the point that fans will send death threats if it turns out they're not actually gay or if they have a girlfriend (no exaggeration). Imagine how that would work out with a 16 and 27 year old who acted in sexually suggestive scenes on their series. This is just one of the many layers in this situation that could lead to something detrimental for a 16 year old actor like Mac. At this point, continuing to defend the series despite everything is just peak consumerism.

That's what I've heard from other people, and it makes sense considering the laws that are in place to avoid productions such as this. Though, I understand why you find it questionable; I haven't really looked much into it myself. I only know of the laws that would make a ban or restriction of this series possible in certain countries due to the age of Mac. Although the "issue" for the original Addicted series is completely different from this one, it was banned in a few countries only after several episodes were released. If it hasn't happened already, it'll probably happen eventually.

Generally, apart from Canada, which I removed from my thread to avoid spreading misinformation, artistic merit or proven harm to the minor is not taken into account in the other countries. It is still considered illegal if a minor is involved in any sexual content, whether explicitly shown or only suggested. From what I’ve seen of the trailer, there was one scene where the actors were lying on top of each other, half-naked on a bed, kissing. I wouldn’t doubt that this series will involve more content like that, especially in the uncut version.

I understand your point about there being dozens of films from these countries that aren't considered illegal. While some films and series involving minors in sexual content may have been released without being banned, they often face censorship, limited distribution, or legal scrutiny. Examples that I found regarding what you were mentioning is The Blue Lagoon and Thirteen in the United States, both of which featured minors in sexually suggestive situations. The existence of such films, though, does not negate the fact that laws are in place to protect minors from exploitation. These laws are enforced, but enforcement can vary, and some productions do manage to navigate through these legal limitations through claims of artistic merit or by working within legal gray areas. However, in most jurisdictions, such as those I previously listed, the involvement of minors in sexual content generally remains illegal, regardless of whether the content is real or suggested.

Ohh okay I see, thank you for your clarification!

If you're feeling insulted by me or anyone else simply expressing criticism or concerns about the series or its producers on a platform meant for global discussions, that’s your issue. My criticisms are directed at the producers based on specific concerns, not at those who choose to watch the series, so there's no need for you to take it personally. It’s really that simple.

Instead of dismissing valid concerns as "spam," I really do encourage you to utilize empirical arguments if you believe the series is being unfairly criticized. Criticism is a part of open discussions, especially on platforms designed for such. Simply defending the series without addressing the actual issues raised, again, won’t help get your point across.

I think I should make it extra clear for those who are still defending the series; no one is shaming Mac, nor accusing him of "fetish." People are accusing those who directed and produced the series of such, due to multiple pieces of evidence that would direct anyone with a conscious into suspecting so. Again, if you want to defend the series that much, please use empirical arguments as to why it is unreasonable to be suspicious of what they are doing. You won't get your point across by doing otherwise.