jarabaa

Very entertaining and sexy and just fun to watch in his pairing with Lee Shi Kang (Lee Si Gang) in "Because of You". The super-short episodes must have been a challenge as an actor, and the writing is not exactly brilliant, but he turns Lin Xun into a convincing and engaging character: poor artist, spontaneous individualist, quirky, frank, ready to be loved when Yuan Jun Cheng comes along...

A very handsome man, an impressive singer, and not a bad actor either. In "Because of You" he doesn't have a lot of material, but he throws himself into the role, playing it for all it's worth. Cool Korean dude, wounded son, comic, ardent lover, gay man discovering himself, etc - we get it all. And he looks sensational in a suit! Best is his beautiful song featured in the series, which seems to be called "My Way". It would be great to see him in further roles, especially continuing his pairing with Mu Ji Hsu (Lee Xun) - an entertaining, sexy, romantic combination with lots of scope for further development.

Thanks for looking up this interview.

I am glad to accept this other interview as more ... let's say authoritative. Bright is, as I said, an impressive actor, and Sarawat is an interesting character. For all sorts of reasons, one cannot take one's eyes off him, and what he says and does stays in the viewer's memory. The definition of impressive.

EDIT:
What appears immediately above is what I wrote. I then sought to explain why I may be what people think of as "oversensitive" on this point, namely this business of people seeking to "prove" that an actor in a gay role is "really straight". To explain my views, or indeed my oversensitivity, I wrote:

"It's sad whenever any actor says things which seem to be intended to distance himself from playing a gay character ... It's sad because it testifies to the power of homophobia, that's all. In reality, actors generally play characters who are very different from themselves - that's what acting is all about ... I guess all I want is to hear a straight male actor openly talk with confidence and pride about the gay character he plays - without any attempt to distance himself from the sexual orientation of that character. I don't want to hear [for instance] that an actor has to deceive himself or overcome distaste in order to kiss another man. I want him instead to feel free to talk - as a professional actor - about how he understands the feelings that prompt that character to kiss the other male character: desire, being in love, audacity, hope, yearning, spontaneity etc."

Finally, lest I forget: the director - New Siwaj Sawatmaneekul. This man has directed some of series I really loved and am happy to re-watch, including many intense romantic and dramatic scenes which stirred my emotions, to put it mildly. I will make a big effort to give attention to anything he's associated with.

I think many of us are imprisoned at home by coronavirus, so ... we're having a look at this and that. In this particular case, Tossara. Two episodes of Tossara and quite a few people seem thoroughly disappointed with poor writing, uncertain acting, and a cast who aren't as beautiful as some other actors we see in Thai m/m romances. But others feel "I'm not dazzled but I'll stick with it" and one or two sound genuinely enthusiastic. So far, though, no one who is highly positive has explained what the special virtues of this series are. Please, if you really, really like Tossara, tell me/us what you like about it!

Meanwhile, I am part of the "well ... I'll give it a go" camp. It's hard to cite anything I am very impressed by here. But I have a few glimmerings of interest: maybe some of the other couples or "side-stories" will develop in an absorbing way - and ... I'm sort of getting fond of Bar, whose face reveals expressions once in a while that touch me in their vulnerability and make me feel a lot of sympathy for him -plus ... maybe it's good to see young Thai men who are more .... everyday, routine, average-looking. Because come on, we really have been spoiled. Especially lately, TharnType, Dark Blue Kiss, and Until We Meet Again all featured spectacularly handsome men - guys you totally cannot take your eyes off. In real life, I think I would soon be comatose if I gazed upon such gorgeous men. And because they were so beautiful (think of Ohm/Dean in UWMA or Sun in DBK), I was often simply mesmerised by their stunning looks. And it so happened they were all good actors too ... I think. Here, the actors do not have that effect on me. But this isn't such a bad thing. It's not a beauty pageant. What I do need, though, is interesting writing and compelling acting, and those seem to be in short supply so far. But let's stick with it, I say, and try to look for things to be positive about. I want to be able to enjoy this more. In the meantime, I'm in splendid "self-isolation" for weeks or months, and it's better than watching paint dry.

The important thing is that he is a fine actor. Bright has given us Sarawat, a very convincing, powerful character. The development of Sarawat's love for Tine (Win), its intensity and purity, are so moving to watch. Rich and nuanced. And Bright is such a beautiful, handsome man. Tine has to fall for him!

EDIT: In an earlier version of this post I said I'd seen an interview in which I thought I heard Bright say something (about playing Sarawat, or gay characters generally) which had made me feel "disconcerted and saddened". Instantly, others demanded that I "prove" that I had really heard this. And indeed, when I looked again on YouTube, I could not find the interview. I wrote a further message here acknowledging this openly, and speculating as to how I'd arrived at my impression. But that was not enough for my critics: as seen below, I was accused of "ruining" Bright's career, committing "defamation", being "irresponsible", etc.

I have removed what I wrote about my impression of what I thought I'd heard. First of all, I do not want to damage anyone's career, in any way: because his performance as Sarawat is so admirable, I want Bright's career to prosper and flourish. Secondly, nothing I wrote was "defamation" by any imagining - I had explicitly owned my feelings and stressed that I was interpreting what a particular actor "seemed" to be saying. Third, (see above!) I called Bright a "fine actor" and highlighted the "intensity and purity" of his performance. If that's "defamation", what does praise look like?

Finally, having now watched several interviews and read through endless pages of comments all over the place, I HAVE discovered that some viewers/fans ... seem very keen to insist, indeed "prove", that Bright and other BL actors are indeed straight. There are many references to these actors' "girlfriends". Even here on this page. And yes, there are those who seem desperate to stress that playing a gay character is a most uncomfortable challenge for a straight (male) actor. And again, yes - this makes me "disconcerted and saddened". I delightedly affirm that there is no evidence that Bright holds these views. He's 100% innocent of such attitudes. But: they exist. To me, me alone (it seems!) it feels as though these insistent claims all over the Web are aimed at upholding the superiority of heterosexual actors - and heterosexual men in general; as though being a gay or bisexual actor (man) is ... shameful, second-class, inferior. That attitude is what makes me uncomfortable. And I have a right to my opinion.

This has got off to a good start. I see that it shows some of the hallmarks of "new improved" m/m romance stories ... which for me = guys who can own their gay/bi identity openly, positive interesting female characters (who arent menacing would-be "girlfriend" troublemakers), and an interesting support characters with their own engaging stories. One defect: the stereotyped ugly "bad guy" characters who attack Bon/Bohn in ep 1. This is definitely (for the moment) more comedy than drama, and as such it's more than OK. I am amused by the way the whole thing pokes fun at the overworked "engineering student" theme we find in Thai "BL" series. No one has ever explained how the engineering faculties at Bangkok universities became such a literal hot bed of male/male love, but this is gently satirised here, and that makes me smile.

It's slight and melodramatic, the episodes are absurdly short, but I love this series. The characterisations of the three brothers are fantastic, all three distinctive and interesting and rather captivating too. And the three love interests, barely more than sketches, are nevertheless all equally original and memorable. Lee Shi Kang, of course, is a rather mesmerisingly attractive man - turns out he is also a great singer and songwriter. He doesn't have much to work with but he develops Yuan Jun Cheng as fully as he can. And Mu Ji Hsu as Lin Xun is amazing to watch - he's vulnerable and pure, even waifish, yet also a sensual and volatile young man - a particular type of male character who reminds me a lot of Yu xi Gu in "Make Our Days Count" , Hai Qing in "Dark Blue and Midnight", and Meng Shao Fei in "Trapped".

Thank you for explaining this. It is extremely helpful to have an insight into something which I know nothing about. I recognise the sound of Chinese and Korean, so I can generally tell which is being spoken and when. Maybe it's just a way of accommodating a beautiful Korean actor/singer, Lee Shi Kang (also transliterated a Lee Si Gang, I see). They wanted him, he was available, and though his Chinese may be OK, he prefers to speak Korean; and so a half-Korean character was written for him. In the real world, as you point out, there are all sorts of multi-lingual, multi-national families nowadays who constantly switch linguistic codes (literally with every breath), so I find the idea of this particular three-brother clan plausible enough.

Good heavens. What a lot of negative comment on girls/women who enjoy m/m romance. However, I think this is going to be the theme at the heart of "Boys, Please Kiss Him Instead of Me" - so if it's an idea which a person finds repellent or alien, well, watching this series may not be a good idea! In reality, though, the phenomenon is a huge one: many girls and women around the world are devoted to the genre of m/m love in all its forms.

They are often the creators too. They write the stories, the novels, the comics, the scripts; they direct the series; as well as being enthusiastic fans. Is it really as sick and outlandish as it's made out to be here? Are they really self-hating female misogynists? Does it make sense to see them as addicts who fetishize gay male experience? Allow me to present an alternative, more positive view. First of all, this is about the imagination: the starting-point of all creative work. These girls and women like to try to imagine male experience, something which in "reality", OK, is outside of their sphere of reference. But that's what imagination is all about. And they create amazing things. Two of the greatest authors of classic male/male love stories were Mary Renault and Marguerite Yourcenar, who set their novels in ancient Greece and Rome. Secondly, maybe some girls and women would like to imagine men outside of the conventional heterosexual framework in which they are normally forced to relate to men. Maybe they would like to imagine men doing something other than fighting and killing each other ... for instance, loving each other. I salute these inventive, daring girls and women - they not only create new stories, they create new possibilities and visions - including for boys and men. They're creative and imaginative, transgressing boundaries and thinking up new stories and visions in a dull, restrictive, unimaginative world.

Great to re-encounter this handsome man in 2gether. He was outstanding as Yong in Sotus the Series - what he did with that role was amazing. There he must have been playing a character of (I thought) around 30-35, but in reality Sivakorn (Guy) was about 24-25. Now here he is in another "older" .... yes, "manly" role (that is, definitely not a callow boy/youth) and though Disathat is a small role, I like everything I see. Sivakorn's expressive face is always fascinating to watch.

This has emerged as the front runner in many viewers' hearts right now (early 2020). Though I sort of feel similarly about "Why R U?" And you know, I felt the same way just a couple of months ago about "Until We Me Again", "TharnType", and "Dark Blue Kiss". So ... maybe it means that these series are a notable advance on their predecessors?

Yet I still think of earlier Thai and Chinese/Taiwanese m/m romances very, very fondly. I started with "Advance Bravely", the Chinese series, about 2 years ago. I was re-watching some scenes yesterday. As electrifying now as they were then. And I feel very warm and nostalgic, smiling to myself, when I think of Korn & Knock, Ae and Pete, and of course Kongpob + Arthit. But much as I loved the earlier productions, there have been real improvements. We see them here. Green, for instance, doesn't just squeal and wave his hands "flamboyantly", as he might have in some earlier series - here he's a complex character, switching his emotions on and off, showing strength when we don't expect it, - playing a complicated game, I sense... Also, we don't seem to have the "I'm not gay, I'm just in love with 1 guy in the world" phenomenon. I guess it's the way the character of Tine could be developed - I rather hope not. It's perfectly possible that in due course he'll not only fall in love with Sarawat but also realise that he fancies men and is a fully-committed partner in what the world calls a gay relationship. Didn't we see him more or less stop dead when he first encountered Sarawat in the first episode? ( I figured out I was gay, definitely 100% gay, when I was much older than Tine, after various involvements with girls and women, so I at least think it would be a completely plausible way to write Tine's story. ) I would like to see that. And quite recently I've been impressed by the ways that DBK, UWMA, and TharnType, plus Together with Me (Next Chapter) all showed guys living as men with a gay identify, out to themselves and to others. Another defect of Thai m/m love stories in the past was inventing one-dimensional "girlfriend" figures portrayed as enemies and troublemakers - whereas there are so many possibilities to create interesting female parts in these series: there are often more important female figures in a gay man's milieu, or a gay couple's social scene, than in the lives of comparable straight men. Friends, sisters, teachers, classmates, colleagues, neighbours, cousins, bosses, mothers, grandmothers etc. Not sure if any female character of this type is going to emerge in this series. Again, I hope we don't have some hapless would-be girlfriend dragged into the plot.

The production values seem better. But are they? Camera angles, sets, continuity, plotting, etc? It's hard to judge. I just re-watched Sotus the Series - it was good - very good: interesting female characters, great scenes, amazing acting, an interesting focus on workplace politics, the drama of coming-out etc. Two fantastic, beautiful actors whom one can't but stare at. And that was 2-3 years ago. Here the strength, as in TharnType, is that central couple. Two outstandingly beautiful men whose faces keep you mesmerised. Brilliant acting, such an incredible palette of expressions, movements etc which convey so much. And intense, simmering erotic energy. Bright and Win are exceptional. Plus the interesting, rather highly-developed place of music in the story.

If anything, what I might now sort of be looking for, a bit, would be some compelling side-story. How much pleasure such "side-stories" have given us all! Good grief, Mork and Sun were co-stars of DBK, Sun Bo Xiang and Lu Zhi Gang literally saved "Make Our Days Count", Jack and Zhao Zi enchanted us in "HIStory 3 - Trapped", and we loved Win and Team in UWMA as much as we loved Pharm and Dean. We don't have to have a "second couple" here in "2gether" but if we're looking at the evolution of these m/m (or BL) series, well, these side-stories were a much-loved, highly successful plus in several series - a device I definitely would not like to see "retired".

I've watched through all 5 episodes (to date) in the space of two days, and found pleasure in every minute. This is an inventive series, combining both wild fictional games and a good romantic/comic account of two very plausible relationships. The role of Zol, the author, is a very affectionate creation - the young "author" at work. It is not a mockery of these m/m love stories or of the female authors who create them, not at all. But we all know, especially in this multi-media age, that fiction not only represents an author's vision of reality, it creates new visions and indeed new realities all the time. It plays with people's brains, as Zon experiences first-hand.

As for the two relationhips, as a gay man who has known his share of real love relationships, and dreamt of many fictional ones too, I think they're both plausible and compelling. In real life, I've been in some of the scenes that our four actors (Saint & Zee, Tommy & Jimmy) present very convincingly. They aren't romantic fluff. They really happen every day. It's just that until very, very recently, we haven't had any "cultural artefacts" - no short stories or novels, no fairytales, images, advertisments, tv series, films, musicals, poems etc etc - which gave us an account of same-sex love & romance.

That's why I'm not inclined to chime in with those who complain of cliché-ridden storylines they've come across a million times already. In fact, the history of depictions of m/m romance in popular everyday culture - anywhere in the world - until a few years ago added up to Absoutely Nothing. Throughout most of my life, LGBT stories were absent, invisible, untold, unseen, unheard. Instead, I been submerged in numberless versions of heterosexual love, many of them vastly more cliché-ridden and shallow than Why R U. That's why these Thai "BL" series are ... unique. Historic. Anyhow, Why R U is full of fine comic scenes and beautiful romantic moments. It also in a minor way takes note of financial realities in young gay men's lives plus the challenges of learning English, and includes some positive and engaging female characters.

I'm feeling uneasy. Many people have expressed sympathy with Thai BL actors who say they want to abandon the world of BL series because these roles are somehow demeaning and they need to move on, advance their careers, dissociate themselves from gay characters. Apparenty BL series are seen as inferior and embarrassing in the Thai film and television world, the lowest of the low. Actors only take roles in them because they need the money and as a "stepping stone" to something better.

I don't live in Thailand and I do not speak Thai so I simply cannot judge what the truth is. But I have sincerely ... well, enjoyed quite a few of these series. Now I am wondering what it's all about.

Yes, I have watched Mean's interview. And I have read all the comments defending him:
to wit, he's simply saying he wants to act in other areas of drama, he has every right to want to expand or develop his career, etc. Moreover, I read below that Mean's objections have nothing to do with the gay content of his roles - no, it's all about him wanting to escape the poor production standards, toxic fandoms etc of the BL world - a world that is "disgusting and demeaning", populated by "crazy, demanding and aggressive fans".

I'm not so sure those are his motivations. I think it's fair to come away with the impression that he specifically wants to get away from gay roles and stories. That is the context of the interview. He makes no reference to being dissatisfied with bad writing, cheesy dialogue, crazy fans etc. He seems to want to get away from gay content. He seems to see it as something that only the old or broke (or old AND broke) would willingly touch. And many people here on this page also seem to agree that playing gay roles is indeed something which is "lower", an inferior activity, something a proper actor needs to graduate beyond.

There are some problems with this. First of all, no female actor I've ever heard of has ever been quoted as saying that lesbian roles are something embarassing, low-status, just a stepping stone to better things, a miserable business that one would only return to when old and broke. So this seems to be a complaint only of male actors - which makes me think it's about straight male homophobia, not a neutral interest in broadening one's dramatic portfolio. Secondly, is it really the case that - for male actors at least - heterosexual roles and dramas featuring heterosexual male characters are by definition (in the minds of Mean and obviously countless others) more challenging, more interesting, more dignified, better-written, favoured by more appealing fans, characterised by finer dialogue and superior production values? And if it is true, then maybe it's worth wondering for a moment why this is the case?

Anhow, it all makes me sad. Until very, very recently, the lives of gay men were invisible, illegal and condemned as evil, diseased etc. They - and lesbian women - did not feature in dramatic or comic writing at all. Everything - on stage, on the screen, in novels and stories - was about the lives and loves of heterosexual people. That was the world I grew up in. And I still ready many articles about directors and producers around the world who struggle to raise finance for films, plays, operas etc with gay content. In fact, the Thai BL series are an extremely recent phenomenon, for heaven's sake. And they are of international importance because they seem to be popular with quite a lot of viewers in Thailand and other countries. To my mind, the dialogue in many series I've watched is not at all "cheesy", the production standards are impressive, the stories are often good, and the actors seem to pour themselves into their roles with total commitment - I don't have the feeling that they're all heterosexual men who feel a bitter disdain for the gay parts they have to take on. But now I'm wondering: Maybe I'm wrong. Is this really what actors in Thailand feel? Are they all straight men who are embarassed to be taking payment to act gay roles? Do they really feel that they're slumming it, starting with something lowly and contemptible in order to get away from it as quickly as possible and advance towards something respectable?

You said it! The message of this series is that gay men are confused, terrified psychos who may only choose between suicide or celibate alienation.

Although this series is ostensibly about human sexual diversity and fluidity, it's not a place to look for any depiction of male sexual diversity of fluidity. For the vast majority of viewers, that may be a totally insignificant consideration, I realise. But athough it is supposed to be about LGBT people, the main group of men featured in this series, far and away, are straight men. The existence of gay men gets an airing only in the third episode, and there is no reference anywhere to bi men or trans men. The first ep is about a trans woman, so that means we end up getting a story which in fact features not one straight man - but two straight men! Then in episode B we get a bisexual woman - meaning, guess what, another straight man appears. Nevertheless, it's mainly about the lesbian relationship, it's true. And of course the final ("L") episode is only about a lesbian relationship - so at least we end up with two lesbian relationships in this 4-part series. The existence of gay men, however, is only mentioned in ep 3, which according to the consensus is the worst of the lot. The message of the series seems to be that diversity and fluidity are characteristic of female sexuality, not male sexuality - and that being straight is the default norm for all men, with bi men and trans men totally absent/invisible and gay men relegated to the status of isolated, promiscuous deviants.

His role as Time is very special. NightTime a short series. But in its way, perfectly formed, both exquisite and occasionally electrifying. A beginning, a middle, an end. Total simplicity. A story. The scene where he sits in an agony of indecision silently wrestling with his feelings as he readies himself to tell Night he must go is quite ... stupendous.

The embodiment of sweetness and shyness, above all in NightTime. However, he's an actor; he can play other roles. Yet as Night he radiates a unique charm which is all his own.

Well, that's interesting and reassuring. Especially if it the character of Tian actually consciously wonders (as a man, rather than a hidden female soul) about how he has come to fall in love with Phupha. I see that the plot description above leaves open the possibility that Tian, rather than being mysteriously possessed by a transplanted female heart, is in fact emotionally and intellectually influenced by reading the dead woman's diary. I think I would find that a more interesting theme. I have met a number of people in my work who have had heart transplants. The theme of such a person reading (for instance) the writings of the heart-donor and feeling prompted to take an interest in something or someone of importance to the dead person is fascinating. In fact, people who've had transplants DO often think about the donor, and want to know more about him/her. That curiosity could be the starting-point of a jouney of self discovery, or a major new emotional experience. I would find that a much richer plotline to follow than the idea of a transplanted heart directing the life of the recipient.

Hey , the Pick and Rome story is perfectly normal. I sure didn't notice anything about it I'd call "abnormal". Two guys fall in love. Normal. Did you mean ... "the heterosexual love story"?