jpny01

I would revise that to "show careful judgnent and reserve" when befriending work colleagues. Those friendships, besides being personally rewarding, are also critical to a successful career.

I'm genuinely disappointed - in the first ep, one of the guys is clearly turned on by the other one shirtless after a shower, but that was the only sign of actual attracting we ever got

Shucks, thanks!

FreshKicks made me watch this, and at first I thought I was being punished for something because it took me hours to choke my way through Ep 1, but I'm glad I forced myself to watch Ep 2, because this is nothing like I though it was based on Ep 1.

This is actually a bit genre bending, and not only has a plot but themes, and far from being the hyper-chaste dreck aimed at 12-year-old girls (no offense), the characters express more naked attraction for each other than you usually see in even NC-17 series, where there's just formulaic and mechanical sex and no sign of real emotional attraction. Nobody can watch this and not see how into each other Shane and Kit are - in Kit's case it was clear from the first second he saw Shane.

It actually feels like two guys crushing on each other rather than two entirely different genders. Of the three couples, only one appears to have a fairly clear seme and uke.

Anyway, I can see why the rating is high - I was mystified after Ep 1.

That's it for me. As much as I like the actors, this isn't a BL. Two characters aren't in a relationship just because we're told they are - we have to be shown. They don't hug, hold hands, even cuddle on the couch or sleep together - they are buddies, not romantic partners. I'm tired of supporting homophobia with my hard-earned money.

I'm actually dropping this after this episode. I'm here to watch BL, and there is none. It's not a mistake, it's purposeful and just plain homophobic, and it's cynical exploitation of the audience. This is a buddy show, not a romance.

They should have just let Ohm and Mark improv the whole series, because that scene on the bed was the best thing in the series so far - one of the few moments that felt genuine. That's not to say their acting is bad - the just don't have anything to work with.

This could have been a stellar 6-episode series, but the perpetual GMMTV habit of stretching series out way, way too much drains the life out of it. I would love to see Mark & Ohm in something better, because even something this dull and lazy has some great moments in it.

It's more the total lack of plot and glacial development of their relationship.

Darn. I thought the writing might be more clever. It's so predictable that I thought it must be misdirection, but it wasn't. I do have to give them credit for the fate of one of the characters - I didn't see it going that way.

I don't think it's WRONG to use Western-coded fairytale elements, I just think it's a missed opportunity for some really cool Thai period costume. If you'll read what I actually wrote, I said "I WISH they had...", not "I don't like that they did..."

Also, when did I say anything about the Thai monarchy? It's a fantasy world, not Thailand. But there's no reason why a fantasy country in Asia that happens to be Thai-speaking to be Western instead of Asian.

I specifically said New's English was pretty good. The issue was Paul, who is supposed to be British, not Thai, but he speaks weaker English than the Thai character, and also with a thick Thai accent. I have no issue with New having an accent because it's clear English is his second language. I don't think you read my post carefully.

1) But the actor is Thai and speaks English with a Thai accent. Since he's only in one episode, why not get a Brit? There are thousands in Thailand, although I supposed most of them would be in Phuket. Like I said, it was probably more distracting for a native-speaker than a non-native.
2) Yes, I know, but why is an Asian country Western-coded instead of Eastern? 3
3) They didn't "cast" westerners, they brought them onset as extras, and like I said, they were all dressed like tourists in a very hot place. You don't go to fencing matches in London in a tank top and flip-flops.

Have any of these writers ever actually met anyone gay? Other than the intimacy coach, who clearly is. Why do BLs treat tops and bottoms as totally different genders? What adult gay man has an identity crisis because a guy is making him feel bottomy? It's just a sexual position, not your entire gender identity. They treat is like Jun's a cane toad that can change genders in extremis.

But they are giving us some of the more realistic love scenes. In the one this episode, they started with the insanely overused (by overused, I mean in 100% of love scenes) top pinning the bottoms hand over his head move, but then they took it in completely different directions - they even had them press their torsos together instead of keeping half a meter of space between them at all times. It's actually nice to see actual physical passion, which they managed while still keeping it teen-friendly and tasteful.

This show is bad, but I love it. I think Oat is actually a really good actor - it's hard not to be with gigantic anime eyes that you can express anything with. Oat has been a bit one-note, but I am getting unrequited longing mixed with cocky arrogance, which is decent.

Can't they just be emotional idiots who can't communicate their feelings? They are both young guys...

I like that it's not a typical BL setting, but it's still a standard BL plot, and I'm with you - I just don't think this pait]ring works. They always make New's characters too bratty and Zee's too stolid.

I wonder if native English speakers viewed that differently than non-natives - I kept thinking "why are 3 Thais pretending to speak English?" (Although New is pretty good).

I wish this weren't so Western-fairytale-coded - with such a rich history and culture, not to menion by far the most spectacular period dress, they couldn't have drawn on Thai culture instead.

This was OK - very predictable, but I was surprised to see how much New's acting has improved. However, his character's hostility to Charan was so poorly motivated that he came off as a rude childish brat and I found him unlikeable.

Not a criticism, because I know there aren't a lot of options, but they so obviously dragged every Western tourist they could find off the streets of Bangkok for the fencing audience - they're in London but all dressed for super-hot & humid Thai weather - kind of an ironic reversal.

Boring, but full of cute guys. But they need to take more gratuitous showers. I think the seven eps that have run so far could have been funny and high-energy if they'd been compressed into 2 or 3, but it stretched so thin it just sort of wilts. And the product placements - it's incredible. Nobody is allowed an important moment without some stupid carton of soymilk in the middle of it. Or even changing the ink of a printer (with great ease!)

Although I think they're not what they once were, Forth & Gemini did real chemistry in My School President, and they never even kissed. It was the way they looked at each other, leaned into each other when sitting, finding excuses to touch each other...

Mark and Ohm just don't have it. At all. I think they're just not commiting to m/m romance - I can't see them as anything but friends, even though, like you, I really felt Mark's unrequited love - it was actually kind of heartbreaking.

TBH, I think part of the problem is that all their moments are spoiled by horrendously invasive product placements. Also the bad writing.

Mark is one of my favorite actors, Jimmy is another, and I don't really know Ohm, but I like him. And the writing on this is terrible . I don't care about the budget, except insofar as it seems to be dependent on a disastrouslty huge number of particularly invasive product placements, but it shouldn't cost much to get good writing. There's no character development, the plot goes in circles, and they even had to throw in a romantic rival to provide at least some interest to the otherwise lifeless story.

It's dangerous to assume people's criticisms are "forced" just because their opinions aren't the same as yours - there's no basis for that assumption, and it's a little patronizing.

I would much prefer a slice-of-life series, provided it's not 12 episodes (!) - two hours is about as much as a story like that can sustain.

I agree completely. Besides the out-of-control ads, I don't feel Mark & Ohm at all. I thought Mark was excellent in this episode, and I felt how crushed he was waiting for Sant - I feel it (from Mark)v when they're apart, but not when they're together - it's just not there.