Good story, War deserves an Oscars
I was really impressed by:
They’re acting. I think War is one of the greatest actors of all time. And I taking into account actors from all the big-budget countries like the US, Korea, etc. I can’t even begin to express how talented he is. His level of acting isn’t something you can learn in school. It’s something innate, combined, I’m sure with insurmountable dedication and hard work, that stands above all else. I hope War can get international recognition and be allowed to branch out in genre and … co-stars. I know this is a thing in Thailand, and I’m not saying Yin’s a particularly bad actor. He’s just ok (and War’s acting is so good, he shines simply by being in its vicinity. Good acting helps other actors get into character and respond realistically to situations. War is definitely the type of actor who can lead his co-stars into the best performances of their lives.
Also, the fighting abilities of the two main actors. You could tell that they never (that I could see, and I looked) used stuntmen. They were the ones doing the high kicks and flips that take many people years to learn. I would even rewind and slow down some scenes, especially the one where they get cornered in an empty restaurant. And I’m not usually one who cares about fighting scenes.
It also takes a stab at corrupt people and the corruption of power, juxtaposing it with an uplifting, inspiring drive to make one’s community greater despite all odds and a past that has only shown you a future of more pain and suffering. I feel like Thai shows have been making a point of dealing with societal issues all while making some riveting romance dramas (I’m saluting you, Not Me) – something we don’t see from other countries. I love this about Thai dramas, and I think they are uniquely placed to bring up these issues and make international audiences reflect on issues they normally wouldn’t consider. Please keep up the good work.
The only thing that I didn’t like, surprisingly, was the forgiveness arc of Joke’s family. Joke’s father had treated Joke like $hit since the very first episode, and this obvious disgust towards his own son and how he was an absolute a$$hole towards his son was one of the main things that drove him to become the Joker. I would have had no hope of reconciliation. This demeaning and hateful behavior would have stoked a hatred and hopelessness that would overshadow the little boy’s desire for love and acceptance, as well as the belief that either could ever happen. So when characters started to say that Joke missed and wanted to go back and live with them/reunite them (the grandma when they were talking about letting Joke stay, and then again in the hospital a couple of times), I thought it was a mistake. There wasn’t an impetus, and Joke’s father’s absolute a$$holery made these comments feel baseless and like an invalidation of all that he had gone through at the hands of his father.
Along this line, based on his prior behavior, I felt totally unconvinced by the father’s sudden agreement to support Joke. There was no indication he loved Joke; if anything, he hated Joke with a burning passion for not only not fitting into the mold he wanted, but for going out of his way to be exactly what his father might hate most. The father had still been saying Joke wasn’t his son with absolute disdain up until this point, when suddenly others were saying things like “we can tell he loves you.” It rang so false to me. Were the directors hoping for us to believe this just due to the fact that he was a father?
All that to say, I did love how the magically post-a$$hole father accepted, embraced, and encouraged his son’s relationship (and with another man at that), and how, in fact, Joke’s choice of man was part of why he started thinking better of his son - and then the addition of the adopted daughter was just majestic. I love this found family narrative, and this depiction of his utter acceptance of, not only his son’s identity and his choice to live his life out loud as gay, but also his acceptance of someone he would have felt below his son’s status earlier in the show. It was so cute when he called their not-yet-but-soon-to-be adopted daughter his granddaughter without prompting and continued to do so even when Jack and Joke weren’t present – indicating his whole-hearted acceptance of this state of being. It was truly a world where homophobia had never seen the light of day.
They’re acting. I think War is one of the greatest actors of all time. And I taking into account actors from all the big-budget countries like the US, Korea, etc. I can’t even begin to express how talented he is. His level of acting isn’t something you can learn in school. It’s something innate, combined, I’m sure with insurmountable dedication and hard work, that stands above all else. I hope War can get international recognition and be allowed to branch out in genre and … co-stars. I know this is a thing in Thailand, and I’m not saying Yin’s a particularly bad actor. He’s just ok (and War’s acting is so good, he shines simply by being in its vicinity. Good acting helps other actors get into character and respond realistically to situations. War is definitely the type of actor who can lead his co-stars into the best performances of their lives.
Also, the fighting abilities of the two main actors. You could tell that they never (that I could see, and I looked) used stuntmen. They were the ones doing the high kicks and flips that take many people years to learn. I would even rewind and slow down some scenes, especially the one where they get cornered in an empty restaurant. And I’m not usually one who cares about fighting scenes.
It also takes a stab at corrupt people and the corruption of power, juxtaposing it with an uplifting, inspiring drive to make one’s community greater despite all odds and a past that has only shown you a future of more pain and suffering. I feel like Thai shows have been making a point of dealing with societal issues all while making some riveting romance dramas (I’m saluting you, Not Me) – something we don’t see from other countries. I love this about Thai dramas, and I think they are uniquely placed to bring up these issues and make international audiences reflect on issues they normally wouldn’t consider. Please keep up the good work.
The only thing that I didn’t like, surprisingly, was the forgiveness arc of Joke’s family. Joke’s father had treated Joke like $hit since the very first episode, and this obvious disgust towards his own son and how he was an absolute a$$hole towards his son was one of the main things that drove him to become the Joker. I would have had no hope of reconciliation. This demeaning and hateful behavior would have stoked a hatred and hopelessness that would overshadow the little boy’s desire for love and acceptance, as well as the belief that either could ever happen. So when characters started to say that Joke missed and wanted to go back and live with them/reunite them (the grandma when they were talking about letting Joke stay, and then again in the hospital a couple of times), I thought it was a mistake. There wasn’t an impetus, and Joke’s father’s absolute a$$holery made these comments feel baseless and like an invalidation of all that he had gone through at the hands of his father.
Along this line, based on his prior behavior, I felt totally unconvinced by the father’s sudden agreement to support Joke. There was no indication he loved Joke; if anything, he hated Joke with a burning passion for not only not fitting into the mold he wanted, but for going out of his way to be exactly what his father might hate most. The father had still been saying Joke wasn’t his son with absolute disdain up until this point, when suddenly others were saying things like “we can tell he loves you.” It rang so false to me. Were the directors hoping for us to believe this just due to the fact that he was a father?
All that to say, I did love how the magically post-a$$hole father accepted, embraced, and encouraged his son’s relationship (and with another man at that), and how, in fact, Joke’s choice of man was part of why he started thinking better of his son - and then the addition of the adopted daughter was just majestic. I love this found family narrative, and this depiction of his utter acceptance of, not only his son’s identity and his choice to live his life out loud as gay, but also his acceptance of someone he would have felt below his son’s status earlier in the show. It was so cute when he called their not-yet-but-soon-to-be adopted daughter his granddaughter without prompting and continued to do so even when Jack and Joke weren’t present – indicating his whole-hearted acceptance of this state of being. It was truly a world where homophobia had never seen the light of day.
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