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Favorite Thai GL as of the moment
Recommended if: you're looking for a GL with a unique setting and is visually appealingNot recommended if: you want a mind-blowing or groundbreaking story or an upfront social commentary (it brings up important points but doesn't drive them home)
***
Clairebell pulls off a lot of things really well: acting, cinematography, set design, music choices, editing, and directing. There are room for improvements in the writing and some threads could have been explored further, but the story and its execution successfully evokes emotions from the viewers. It has thought provoking moments as well. It's a well-produced show overall. I can tell that the makers poured in so much effort and care in this work. ClaireBell is a valuable step in diversifying and marking up the quality of Thai GLs. I'm currently rewatching it, and would definitely do so again in the future. Kudos to everyone involved in making this show! 🌹
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Decent Watch
Recommended if: you like drama and queer charactersNot recommended if: you are looking for a clear depiction of romance
***
I went into this show expecting it to be romance-focused. Despite this not being the case, I enjoyed the intimate story of the leads. There's something heartwarming about their quiet understanding of each other, and how they choose to be with one another. It reminded me of another Japanese show, 'What Did You Eat Yesterday?', although that was clearly BL. I'd much prefer 'Soulmate' if it had a less drastic fate for Johan. Taecyeon's acting as Johan was great. I just wished that his character had a better ending with Ryu. Overall, it's still a decent watch. I liked it because it showed the beauty in human relationships.
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Chaotic but Decent Show
Recommended if: you like mind games, obsession, manipulation, complexityNot recommended if: you want something simple to watch or looking for a cute GL (there is suggested romance but it's not the focus of the show)
***
It seems that I'm part of the minority who enjoyed the plot of the show. It started with one case, branched out all over the place, and entangled the characters against each other. The way they presented how the events unfolded by balanced use of showing and telling created intrigue and kept me interested every episode.
However, there were times where too many things happened at once that it became confusing to follow. The characters were also more of a tool for the plot than well-developed entities. Their motivations were questionable, especially Jei. That's where they built on the mystery and thriller—instability, intensity, and complexity. I believe the show had a strong foundation but became ambitious at some point, and suffered loss of connection and impact to the viewers by the end.
Nevertheless, its a decent show that has its own charm. Its an interesting and fun chaos. I might not watch it again, though.
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