1
a hot mess on six rolling wheels.
Let's be clear: I have a PhD in denial, which is why my relationship with I'm the Most Beautiful Count was a masterclass in self-deception. I tried hard to love it, tuning in every week with the hope of a lost traveler, only to be repeatedly led to a plot hole.
My commitment was firmer than the scriptwriting. I'll admit my future returns will be shallow: a revisit to the genuinely funny first episode, and, let's be honest, pausing on scenes featuring Kosol's and Jade's glorious, sculpted hot bodies.
Let's start with the story (5.5/10), or what I assume was a first draft scribbled on a napkin. The series explored the niche of transgender representation, then treated it with the attention span of a goldfish, resulting in what can only be described as lazy writing.
The ending felt like the director yelled, “Hey, guys. We've been playing too much on set. Let's wrap it up!” The result was a finale more disheveled than a Christmas present wrapped by a toddler.
Why did Prince have to die? What would it have cost them to let him live, wake up to freedom, and maybe have a coffee with Kosol in the present? Instead, we got… that. Don't get me started on the rulers being let out of jail. Are we really suggesting that greedy men who live for power would just retire peacefully? In a normal world, it'd be a life sentence or a public execution, not… No, like, why TF was Somdet, a monarchical lord, a candidate in that election?
Also, how did the entire kingdom appear to have a population of 3,000 people, 2,000 of whom were apparently servants? The world-building was less “kingdom” and more “understaffed theme park.”
The voting scene was meant to show the people protecting their freedom, but the direction was so awful, and the kingdom's population shattered any last shred of believability.
The acting (2.5/5) was a fascinating spectrum. Atom, as Chaiyached, gave a performance that was… there. It was a stark contrast to his work in The Bangkok Boy, proving that even the best ingredients can't save a recipe written by what I assumed were 13-year-old fujoshis on a caffeine bender. But, no, the screenwriter is a man. I'm mad he didn't let Ched end up with Jade when their love was as obvious as the plot holes.
Nut Supanut (as Prince & Worradej) aced his role as a kathoey, mostly because he was basically playing himself, while the direction around him spun wildly like a weathervane in a hurricane.
Pop Pataraphol was also well-suited to Banjong's role, though those eyeglasses were distractingly, anachronistically modern. Also, after all of his romantic poems… go gurls, give us nothing!
Now, let's talk about the music, or lack thereof. The soundtrack (6.0/10) underwent a tragic glow-down. It started with a decent song by Prince in the premiere and devolved into a “national anthem” in the finale that sounded like a trash can falling down a staircase. What were they thinking? I suspect a hostile takeover by a tone-deaf AI.
Besides that, most scenes had little to no music, creating the ambiance of a silent film with worse pacing.
But the casting (3.5/5) was sensibly obsessed with physiques, for which I am grateful. The actor for young Kosol did a great job and is, for the record, fit AF for his age (I think he's in my age range).
Nothing could save this script tho. The original work's author must have seen the final product and invoiced the studio for emotional damages. That is, if they weren't all-in on this wrecked train.
Yes, I enjoyed the comedic parts and, yes, I felt sad when Jade [redacted]. But these moments are mere flotation devices on the Titanic of this plot.
It's the comedic moments and a few serious plot points (like Kosol training Chaiyached during his childhood) that keep the rewatch value (6.5/10) and my overall score from plummeting below a 6.0, stopping this from being a total wash.
I genuinely hope the cast finds better material, especially Jade (Lee Asre). I'll be watching his next series, Goddess Bless You From Death, this Halloween. Here's to hoping the script is way less of a comic tragedy.
My commitment was firmer than the scriptwriting. I'll admit my future returns will be shallow: a revisit to the genuinely funny first episode, and, let's be honest, pausing on scenes featuring Kosol's and Jade's glorious, sculpted hot bodies.
Let's start with the story (5.5/10), or what I assume was a first draft scribbled on a napkin. The series explored the niche of transgender representation, then treated it with the attention span of a goldfish, resulting in what can only be described as lazy writing.
The ending felt like the director yelled, “Hey, guys. We've been playing too much on set. Let's wrap it up!” The result was a finale more disheveled than a Christmas present wrapped by a toddler.
Why did Prince have to die? What would it have cost them to let him live, wake up to freedom, and maybe have a coffee with Kosol in the present? Instead, we got… that. Don't get me started on the rulers being let out of jail. Are we really suggesting that greedy men who live for power would just retire peacefully? In a normal world, it'd be a life sentence or a public execution, not… No, like, why TF was Somdet, a monarchical lord, a candidate in that election?
Also, how did the entire kingdom appear to have a population of 3,000 people, 2,000 of whom were apparently servants? The world-building was less “kingdom” and more “understaffed theme park.”
The voting scene was meant to show the people protecting their freedom, but the direction was so awful, and the kingdom's population shattered any last shred of believability.
The acting (2.5/5) was a fascinating spectrum. Atom, as Chaiyached, gave a performance that was… there. It was a stark contrast to his work in The Bangkok Boy, proving that even the best ingredients can't save a recipe written by what I assumed were 13-year-old fujoshis on a caffeine bender. But, no, the screenwriter is a man. I'm mad he didn't let Ched end up with Jade when their love was as obvious as the plot holes.
Nut Supanut (as Prince & Worradej) aced his role as a kathoey, mostly because he was basically playing himself, while the direction around him spun wildly like a weathervane in a hurricane.
Pop Pataraphol was also well-suited to Banjong's role, though those eyeglasses were distractingly, anachronistically modern. Also, after all of his romantic poems… go gurls, give us nothing!
Now, let's talk about the music, or lack thereof. The soundtrack (6.0/10) underwent a tragic glow-down. It started with a decent song by Prince in the premiere and devolved into a “national anthem” in the finale that sounded like a trash can falling down a staircase. What were they thinking? I suspect a hostile takeover by a tone-deaf AI.
Besides that, most scenes had little to no music, creating the ambiance of a silent film with worse pacing.
But the casting (3.5/5) was sensibly obsessed with physiques, for which I am grateful. The actor for young Kosol did a great job and is, for the record, fit AF for his age (I think he's in my age range).
Nothing could save this script tho. The original work's author must have seen the final product and invoiced the studio for emotional damages. That is, if they weren't all-in on this wrecked train.
Yes, I enjoyed the comedic parts and, yes, I felt sad when Jade [redacted]. But these moments are mere flotation devices on the Titanic of this plot.
It's the comedic moments and a few serious plot points (like Kosol training Chaiyached during his childhood) that keep the rewatch value (6.5/10) and my overall score from plummeting below a 6.0, stopping this from being a total wash.
I genuinely hope the cast finds better material, especially Jade (Lee Asre). I'll be watching his next series, Goddess Bless You From Death, this Halloween. Here's to hoping the script is way less of a comic tragedy.
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