labcat

A few nice cases with some bromance

This detective series doesn't start off with very interesting cases, but the cases do get more intriguing after one gets past the first few episodes.

As a detective series, it is at least passable. It doesn't try too hard to do something original or have really unexpected twists. However, most of the cases are at least interesting enough to follow. A couple of cases (the teenage killer and the cult leader cases) start from early in the series, perhaps in unsophisticated attempt at creating a sense of connection. However, the cuts to the teenage killer and the cult leader can be somewhat disorienting without really being suspenseful. (On the other hand, especially for the case of the cult leader, it may be difficult to finish the cases quickly if they crop up only in the later episodes.)

The series has a rather nice old-school feel in terms of the setting. The Sherlock Holmes and Watson references add on to this feel. The series is a sort of homage to Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, complete with an equivalent of Moriarty. The equivalent of the Moriarty in the cult leader, however, may just be a little too much of a challenge for one's suspension of disbelief. The effect that she has on people seems a tad exaggerated, and we also don't really know what the cult is all about besides some references to a belief in some utopia.

The bromance between Detective Himura and the novelist, Alice / Arisu, is endearing despite not being the focus most of the time. At some points, it even has hints of romance rather than bromance (though the lines are often blur in other series anyway)--in one scene, the landlady even hints to everyone that they should leave Himura and Alice alone and not play gooseberry, and no one seems surprised. The real surprise is that the series actually does bromance better than some series that bait BL fans only to turn the characters' relationships into rather bland instances of bromance.

This series isn't groundbreaking contribution to the detective/whodunit genre, but it isn't disappointing either.

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Not bad, but the ending isn't going to please everyone

Verdict after watching the entire series:

When the series started, everyone was kept wondering if the series would be BL or have a true BL element. By the end of the series, the answer is halfway between a yes and a no.

So the Way/Kim ship really did materialise in the sense that they do turn out to have affections for each other. However, in a modification of the body swap concept, Kim does not really swap bodies with Pan--it's Pan switching between two bodies, and Kim has actually died. Like the characters, we realise in retrospect that Way and Kim do love each other, but nothing really comes out of this because Kim has died.

To be sure, the ending isn't exactly Make-Our-Days-Count sort of awful, it still doesn't sit that well in a series that has spent most episodes being really fun and lighthearted. To its credit, the ending doesn't is not made to seem all that sad, but it is not really a great twist that Kim is actually supposed to die from the start. Also, everything about his affection for Way is inferred by his past actions, and we don't get to see Kim expressing his love for Way. (Couldn't there have been a couple of flashbacks to the time before Kim dies? E.g. how about a flashback to the time he booked the air tickets and wrote #waykimforever on them?)

Yes, I do get it that there is supposedly some deeper message about treasuring today (not unlike MODC), but is this really the sort of message that will be delivered with impact in this series? In the end, the most interesting thing I can imagine the series doing is to make fun of such messages, like how it good-naturedly makes fun of (or at least have fun with) concepts like body-swapping, BL shipping, etc.

The BL element aside, the Pan/Khet story is cute, with Ohm delivering a show-stealing performance as Khet despite not having exactly a meaty role to play. Khet is the most consistent and believable character in the series whereas something doesn't quite add up with the character of Kim despite all the interesting twists.

I actually think the series has the potential to be a classic if it has a better ending. Even if it turns out that Kim's soul has been trapped somewhere and only returns to his body at the last minute, it will be better than the somewhat affected delivering of some "deep message". I see speculations that there could be a Season 2 with Kim not dying--who knows? It would be hard because Kim's body is either buried or cremated since there's a funeral for him. A further twist is likely to stretch the limits of believability too much or invalidate the good ending for Pan/Khet. (But if you see my comments for Episodes 10-12 below, you will notice that the series does tease us with the possibility of a Season 2.)

Comments after Watching Episodes 1-3

Pan fantasizes and writes BL about her seniors, Way and Kim. Way has a girlfriend PhingPhing, but Pan (as well as her friend, Soda) doesn't care.

I have never watched a series with so many possible ships starting from the first episode. (This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it will likely prevent the series from being good BL if it even turns out to have actual BL relationships, so hardcore BL fans may not want to watch it so quickly.)

There is, of course, the ship of Pan and Soda's fantasies: Way and Kim. Despite the fact that Way has a girlfriend, it is not impossible. (We know how it goes in BL--even two apparently straight guys can fall in love.) There is an undeniably close bond between them: Kim (a star student) threatens to quit school if Way is expelled, Way hugs Kim in concern after an accident, and Kim is conspicuously chill when Pan tells him that she has been shipping him with way. Kim guesses correctly that Pan likes Way very soon after meeting her--perhaps they connect because they have something in common: they like Way and want him to be with someone worthy of him.

But if Way and Kim don't turn out to be a real ship, there are other possibilities:
1. Pan and Khet (her classmate, who happens to be Kim's younger brother): Khet is clearly very concerned about Pan.
2. Pan and Kim: the way Pan holds on to him during the bike ride, and the way Kim treats her gently is a hint.
3. Pan and Way: Pan admits to liking way though she fantasizes about Way and Kim.
4. The series even goes to the extent of having a teasing moments between Kim and Khet. They are supposed to be brothers, but Kim doesn't talk to Khet. It is unlikely, but they could well turn out to be those "brothers" who have entirely different biological parents (think: My Bromance).

In fact, Way and PhingPhing, the only real couple so far, appears likely to break up because PhingPhing is a pretentious and awful bitch (and we know how that usually goes).

BL fans who can't take BL baiting should remember that the title of the series is The Shipper, which most likely refers to Pan. If she is the focal point, its likely that her relationships will be the focus. On the other hand, Pan seems to be spending so much time in Kim's body that the actress for Pan seems to be playing a much more minor role. For better or for worse, what GMMTV has done very well so far is to tease and keep us guessing.

Nevertheless, what I really like so far is Ohm as Khet. Ohm seems to have the ability to play intriguing characters who are not the focal main characters but still steal the show from everyone else. Khet's relationships with Pan and his relationship with Kim are rather intriguing. By the end of Episode 3, I'm more interested in Khet than in Kim and Pan (we see mostly Pan in Kim's body) and even Way (too little is revealed about way so far, but this is likely to improve).

Comments after Watching Episodes 4-8
The series keeps teasing us with more possible ships, including Pan/Soda and even Khet/Way. But the ones we really want to take seriously are probably Pan/Khet (rather than Pan/Way) and Way/Kim.

The number of possible ships is either the most exhilarating thing or the most frustrating thing. Perhaps both--the series is light and funny, but it's probably not the greatest love story ever.

One twist that is keeping everyone in suspense is the revelation that Kim to be a terrible person (secretly dating a teacher and stealing exam questions through her). Is he really such a bad person? The unfortunate thing is there is not enough of First as Kim. Pan is no doubt the main character, but First gets the important role of Pan in Kim's body.

Ohm continues to shine in the episodes.

Comments after Watching Episode 9
The Way/Kim ship seems to be sailing, though it might well be a false start. It's entirely possible that Kim doesn't turn out to be a terrible person and the Kim/Way ship works out together with the Pan/Khet ship, but who knows?

I'm not going to like it too much if Khet falls in love with someone else because if anyone is in love from the start, it's him. If he doesn't end up with Pan, it will be sad. If he falls in love with someone else, it will seem out of character.

(Irrelevant: Episode 9 is also the episode in which everyone can get jealous of the Angel of Death who gets to kiss Ohm.)

Comments after Watching Episode 10-12
Watchable, but Episode 12 is somewhat disappointing, not least because Kim does not have a chance to come back to life. The "deeper messages" that the series supposedly conveys are undermined by the story itself. If we are meant to understand that reality is different from fiction, why do Pan and Soda continue writing (by all appearances happy) BL fiction to console Way? If happy BL fiction serves a function, why not give the series a happy BL ending too?

One way to get past this is to understand that the series isn't even trying to convey these deeper messages but is simply making fun of shows with such messages. After all, quite characteristically, Episode 12 teases us right at the end with a very brief scene (after the closing credits) of Kim in the spiritual world and a voice (God?) speaking to him. This is most obviously a way of suggesting a Season 2 and the possibility a different ending for Way/Kim. There's no indication of which part of the chronology of The Shipper this brief scene is supposed to belong to, however. I recall Way making a wish for Pan in church, asking Kim to help Pan by making a heads-or-tails bet with a coin. The coin magically flips: is it Kim blessing Pan from the other world or is it a conspicuously absent God doing something to help?

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This is a mini series with about 20 minutes per episode, so we can't expect a very complex story. The series starts with Time shooting Night by accident and then trying to make amends for it. It's a BL series of sorts, so not unexpectedly, they fall in love. The part about the shooting is ignored until the very end of the series.

There are quite a number of inexplicable moments in the story: what on earth is Time doing with a gun? Why doesn't Time seem scared of being caught by the police at any point in the story? Why does Time suddenly leave Night and asks his girlfriend/ex-girlfriend to meet him?

Then just after I have managed to suspend my disbelief about how Time can get away with possessing a gun and shooting someone and embrace the happy ending, Time is suddenly caught by the police in the ending sequence, almost as if the scriptwriters suddenly thought, "Hey, we forgot to follow up on the shooting incident. Let's use it to create an unhappy ending because we hate the viewers!"

On top of the sudden turn that ends the series, the cinematography is rather strange. The arrest of Time is filmed from a distance without any dialogue. We can guess the emotions of the characters, but why film it from so far away? (Incidentally, there were some scenes where the close-ups were not very helpful.) One wonders if it is because of a lack of faith in the actors' acting. Oak, who plays Night, delivers his role competently enough. The shyness he exudes as Night is endearing if somewhat exaggerated, and it would have been interesting to see how he would act in the final scene.

I think the strongest flaw in the series is the failure to make the shooting incident something that lingers in the background. Time's friends could have mentioned that the police are looking for him, and Night could have at least shown some concern about whether Time would be arrested. Alternatively, the writers could simply have opted for an alternative story and happy ending that renders the shooting incident unnecessary. An alternative story could have Time injuring Night by accident: the rest of the story can still make sense with minor tweaks and the story can end with a happy ending after Night gives Time a watch. This alternative story may have nothing interesting, but the actual story isn't actually any better and at least the alternative story would have more coherence and a crowd-pleasing happy ending.

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Three brothers with different mothers but the same wealthy father find out that there might be a fourth brother by a fourth woman. The three brothers' father order them to look for the last brother (actually supposedly the eldest one), but that's really important because a DNA test reveals that the "new brother" isn't their father's biological son.

What's important is that the eldest of the three brothers falls in love with the "new brother" who's thankfully not his brother. The story isn't as confusing as it may sound here, and that's a good thing. But there isn't really much of a story because what is really meant to be shown is each brother's BL romance, except that the romantic relationships aren't that fully developed either.

Despite the flaws, the BL aspects are rather cute. Strangely enough, although Brother 2 and 3 (the younger ones of the three brothers) behave as though they have boyfriends from the start, it is later revealed that their boyfriends are actually their best friends, and it is only towards the end of the series that they and their boyfriends confess their love for each other. Nevertheless, their interactions are sweet, and it's hard to dislike the show too much.

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Cute couple who deserve a better story

The BL couple is cute and likable, but you might sense that something is lacking when the side characters like Tanaka and Katori prove to be more interesting as characters.

The two main characters like each other and start dating. But Takara's cool demeanor leads to some misunderstandings. The couple is cute, but it's hard to fathom why Takara would so doggedly act as though he is nonchalant about things when there seems nothing motivating or compelling him to (he doesn't even really care about what others think, so it's not like he is putting on a façade to maintain an image or something). There are some subtle changes in the way he behaves in the last couple of episodes, but it seems to come a little late and pointless.

The weakest part of this series is the storyline. Most of the episodes begin with some sort of problem in the relationship, often because there is some misunderstanding going on. The somewhat confusing editing in the early and final episodes don't really help much either.

There is so much potential for characters like Tanaka and Katori to play a more important role in the story and the couple's relationship. The potential is wasted especially with Tanaka. In the end, it feels like what happens in the last episode could well be in the second episode and real complications can be thrown in subsequently.

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So bad but I'm asking for more

Gen Y offers us what 2Moons 2 could have been if the same actors playing Ming and Kit in 2Moons 1 had acted in it. We have the same actors of Ming and Kit (2 Moons 1) playing the characters, Mark and Kit. (Yes, even the names are a bit of a rip-off.)

The Mark and Kit part of Gen Y is actually fairly decent where BL is concerned -- nothing really exceptional, but it is cute and sweet nonetheless. What I find myself liking even more is Kim and Bas acting as the best friends, Mark and Wayu (the parallels of Ming and Wayo in 2Moons). Kim and Bas work really well as BFFs.

Wayu, if it's not obvious enough by now, is the parallel of Wayo in 2Moons. And his boyfriend at the start of the series is Pha, just like in 2Moons. (The full names differ though the shortened versions of these names are the same or very similar.)

But Gen Y is not merely a ripoff or unofficial sequel to 2Moons 1. It's like 2Moons with a few twists, which are sometimes interesting and sometimes downright bizarre (and perhaps both at times).

For a rather light-hearted series, a couple of characters take a rather sinister turn. Sandee, for instance, seems like a really nice person at first but is given an unnecessarily dark turn later on. The motivations for his actions are vague. The same goes for Pha, who breaks up with Wayu for unknown reasons. There may be extenuating factors in his break-up, but his behavior is either weird or creepy (or perhaps simply badly written): he breaks up with Wayu, but wants to secretly see him and even secretly "spies" on Wayu after Wayu has gotten over the break-up and in the end appears again as though he has the right to ask Wayu to reconcile with him. (Seriously, wtf, dude?)

Wayu, on the other hand, despite his apparent love for Pha, actually gets over him quite easily. It seems that, in this series, that kissing a hot guy would help one get over a sudden breakup with someone one totally loves. Anyway, this is why Wayu shifts his affection to Thanu instead.

Thanu is another fascinating disaster of a character. Perhaps you won't be able to take your eyes off him because the actor playing Thanu looks really good. But, more importantly, you will find it difficult to look away because of incredulity. Have you ever encountered a character who is portrayed as a really nice person and yet inexplicably do things that assholes do?

And perhaps you can't even blame Thanu--just blame his creator, the scriptwriter. Because his creator has decided to endow him with some mystical experiences. He sees a guy once and basically falls in love (ok, this is common in BL, but more is coming). Then one day, he touches the hands of the same guy, and they both have visions of the future, with this guy being hurt (heartbroken) very badly because of him. Wow, magic! But wait a minute. Thanu is also falling in love with Wayu at the same time. He vacillates between the two guys. Surely the destined one should be the one with whom the magical visions take place, you say? No, when he touches Wayu's hand, both of them have flashbacks of the past, which reveal something they don't know. I guess if I have to sum it up, Thanu is basically this good person who inadvertently ends up being an asshole because his creator has overdosed on hallucinogens.

There are also too many characters in this series. I thought Thai BLs of late have started avoiding this, but apparently not. By the end of the series, the series does not even bother to address some of the issues that it has given considerable attention to, such as the problem between Thanu and his ex-good friend, Padbok. (I thought that was an interesting part of the plot, but obviously Thanu's creator had a different idea of what makes a good story.)

Watching Gen Y is like listening to your next-door neighbors quarreling loudly. It can be rather annoying, but you may well find your attention progressively grabbed by what they are shouting about. Then when they suddenly stop, you might find yourself anticipating a continuation.

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Take it as a better way to end Season 1

This is rather hard to review. If I see Still 2gether as a separate season, it has little to offer. The plot in Season 1 wasn't strikingly original, but there was a rather fine story. The plot is much thinner in Season 2. Depending on how much of a cynic you are, you can either say that it is to reward fans of 2gether or it is to milk fans. Whatever you think it is, Still 2gether is largely for fans of Season 1 and is unlikely to win over more fans or the rather harsh haters of Season 1.

However, I can't say I'm disappointed. Season 2 actually makes up for some of the missteps in Season 1, with the first Episode filling in some gaps and clarifying the plot in Season 1 (such as by revealing that Sarawat actually stayed by Tine's side in the hospital, but Tine wasn't aware of it). Having watched on 4 episodes out of 5 so far, I believe it also ends the 2gether story more solidly than Season 1. What this means for me is that Season 1 and 2 should actually be taken as one season. (Ok, I know I'm the one who keeps calling them Season 1 and 2 in the first place, but I suspect it's what people may be expecting.) In fact, if Season 1 had continued and ended with Episode 4 of Season 2, it would have been a great ending compared to the original ending of Season 1.

[Edit: In fact, after watching Episode 5 of Season 2, which is the final episode, I still find Episode 4 a better ending. Episode 5 is really more for the other couples and for the Sarawat/Tine kiss right at the end, something which some viewers seem to see as really important. I kind of guessed that the kiss has been deliberately left to the very end thanks to all the teasing, but it didn't do wonders for me. I like the way Episode 4 ends more. Also, somehow, whereas Episode 4 is brimming with sweetness without giving a sense of finality, Episode 5 gives such a proper ending that it seems to be telling me, "That's all. There won't be any more seasons." This saddens me because there's actually more potential for the story to be developed.]

Still 2gether is a nice addition that tries tor improve on (or salvage, some might say) 2gether, and it kind of succeeds in that regard. But this also means that Still 2gether perhaps does not need to have 5 episodes, perhaps not even 4. (I'm not complaining though. Sarawat and Tine are amongst my favorite BL couples and I don't mind just watching them being loving. lol)

Because of the rather weak story, the way Sarawat and Tine miss each other borders on absurdity despite being sweet. It would have been more convincing if one of them had to go overseas for a semester due to an exchange program or something, but Sarawat merely goes away (somewhere in Thailand that' maybe an hour's trip away) for a few days, and Tine is crying.

I love Sarawat and Tine, and I want a real Season 2 (call it Season 3 if you want). Still 2gether is like a nice cake to wrap up the main course of 2gether--the cake is sweet enough even though it could have done away with some excess cream. If I had to choose between the dessert and waiting a longer time before another satisfying meal, I would choose the latter. (Though if I could have both, why not? Just don't tell me that the cake is actually my next meal, please.)

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Largely pointless but somewhat likable

(Reviewed together with the Special Episode)

The Special Episode is really more like an Episode 5 and final episode because Episode 4 is in no way an ending even for a story with a plot so thin it could break into pieces at so many places.

This series isn't so bad that you won't be able to stand watching it. The main actors, especially Golf (who plays Sky), are surprisingly natural though their roles aren't demanding. Some random parts are funny in rather random and pointless ways--this series probably deserves an award: The Most Ridiculous Costume Ever Designed and Worn for No Reason Whatsoever. You have to see what the woman from the clinic (Jum Pook) wears to believe it, though it is rather pointless, like many happenings in this series.

It is as though the scriptwriters have made a bizarre decision to give only a glimpse of most things that can be developed or turn out to be interesting and opted for trivia. Maybe someone just thought, "F**k it! What can I do with 5 short episodes?" As it turns out, the series is a demonstration of how much one can do with 5 episodes, simply by not doing it. James' growing attraction to Sky deserves more focus while the extent of Sky's affection for James should also get more focus.

It seems quite likely that the production team consists of quite a number of inexperienced people, so various elements like the editing and cinematography are inconsistent in quality. Or perhaps it is simply a matter of a low budget coupled with tight deadlines. I do think, however, that there is some promise shown. The effort may be inconsistent, but many people involved in the production seem to be doing what they can with fairly weak material. The story is inexplicably weak, and it's a pity--catch the right moments and use their comic energies well, and you can have something much better. If I get to rewrite the story for the series to be remade with the same cast and crew, I would start with the part where James and Sky, two roommates, pretend to be a couple to get the free treatment promotion at the skin clinic; thereafter, a series of attempts to keep up the pretense to Jum Pook (underused in the series) can cause them to develop affections for each other.

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Competently made though unexceptional

This BL follows a tried-and-tested formula in many ways: one-sided love on the part of an awkward unpopular guy for a popular guy, that is until it turns out to be anything but one-sided. The production values are, nevertheless, rather high. The scenes are beautifully shot, and there are no scenes that feel unnecessary or digressive.

Hira, being the awkward, stuttering guy who is bullied by others, is the character one sympathizes with first. Yet, it may be hard to understand his obsession with Kiyoi, who is one of those who order him about in school even if he is somewhat more reasonable than others. Is this some sort of Stockholm-Syndrome romance? He supposedly falls in love with Kiyoi because Kiyoi saves him from embarrassment, but Kiyoi does not even do so intentionally--he saves Hira simply by walking into the class and grabbing everyone's attention.

Kiyoi isn't the worst bully for sure, but his behavior towards Hira can be regarded as abusive too. But this is BL in which some borderline perverse sorts of relationships are par for the course. Even though we finally see things from his perspective in Episode 5, his behavior towards Hira isn't exactly very nice. Could he blame Hira for having no inkling that his love is not one-sided? In contrast, Hira's friend in college, Koyama, is such a sweetheart that one either wishes Hira would end up with him or that he would be able to find happiness. But I guess the equivalent of the second-male-lead syndrome in BLs is the third-male-lead syndrome.

The issue of romanticizing a somewhat abusive relationship aside, the series is nicely made. There are only six short episodes, but the storytelling does not feel rushed or inadequate. The young actors are surprisingly good in their roles too. It is worth a watch.

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Enjoyed it though some parts are unintentionally hilarious

There is a lot to love about this series.

First of all, I was surprised by how prominently the gay theme is foregrounded from the start. The story isn't entirely focused on the gay romance, the issue of homosexuality is central to the plot. I was thinking that the subject would be a minor issue, but it seems that the production has decided to take a risk by focusing on it throughout even when the story isn't dwelling on the romance. For a show that doesn't pander much to a BL fanbase, this is quite amazing.

Secondly, the bromance is wonderful. The close bond between Tian and his brother, Yang, was what made the series, which involves a lot of characters scheming and plotting against one another, more palatable. And while a lot of series featuring "bromance" make it borderline romance, in this case, the Tian and Yang are biological brothers, and there is no hint of possible romance at all. The sibling bond between them is pure and moving. I really love the scene in which Yang realises that Tian is gay and runs to him to hug him, half chiding himself for not understanding what Tian has been going through, half wanting to comfort Tian without revealing that he knows his secret.

As a bonus, the straight couple, Yang and Pin, is also cute.

Yet, some of the scenes and turns in the plot may leave one incredulous. A case in point is the scene in which Jiu was attacked by a group of people sent by Tian's father. The attackers (some of them anyway) had guns, but nonetheless fought with knives until they were about to lose. So far it is simply not very logical, but the next part is truly absurd. Another group of people do not want Jiu to be killed but do not want to clash with the attackers. So guess what? They spotted a couple of birds on a tree and somehow manage to catch the birds and send them flying into the hut to create chaos, so Jiu has a chance to escape.

Then in a plot twist that isn't exactly unexpected, a man who has been "killed" by poison turns up alive . . . because he has the antidote. Okaaaaay, but he was rendered unconscious by the poison and couldn't have taken the antidote--especially when the one who wants him dead dumps him in a body of water to drown him. No proper explanation is given for how he manages to stay alive apart from the fact that he has the antidote.

And the main villain in the show is ridiculously hard to kill. It's perhaps another soap opera thing, but it's quite funny how he could survive having a couple of fingers cut off, having a sharp object stabbed into his eye, being hit viciously with a stick several times (including on the head, I think) and getting knocked about by some drug that caused him to lose consciousness--all at the same time! I thought that the loss of blood while he's unconscious would kill him. But not. Not only does he survive the attack that takes place in the wilderness, but he also soon turns up at Tian's house (with his injuries already bandaged) with a few soldiers and go on a rampage despite all the injuries he has sustained.

Additionally, the portrayal of homosexuality may be somewhat controversial. It seems ridiculously easy for characters to guess that Tian is gay. Yang sees Tian helping Jiu, whose sleeve is stuck somewhere, by cutting Jiu's sleeve, and Yang can suddenly, with a few recollections of events in the past (like Tian pretending to be a female protagonist of the opera, Madam White Snake), surmise that Tian is gay. Is anyone suggesting that it's a sign of homosexuality if a kid who is into opera and pretends to be the female protagonist in an opera? By all appearances, Tian merely loves opera and isn't into crossdressing.

Although the series is flawed, I did find myself quite invested in the bromance and romance. Tian, Yang, Jiu and Pin are characters that one will care about enough to keep watching. However, do make sure that you can take soap opera plots and their levels of exaggeration.

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Cute, sweet and sometimes funny

There's nothing really exceptional here. The characters are lovable and cute even if often more like anime featuring human actors. There are a lot of exaggerated expressions, but I think this is the style of the production--it's not necessarily a flaw in itself, but whether one likes it or not is another matter.

There is some supposed crisis about Yanase's career that I don't entirely get. I think it is written in just for the sake of having a stumbling block to Yanase and Kaneda's relationship. In the last couple of episodes, the couple meets again after parting for one year because Yanase goes overseas for work, but it seems strange that they don't even seem to have contacted each other in the course of the year and become awkward with each other. It seems as though the writer knows how absurd this is given how easy it is to communicate without meeting nowadays, and they have one character commenting that the two of them have been so busy improving themselves that they haven't contacted each other. (Really?)

While the plot is far from perfect, I find myself liking this BL production a lot. The characters are cute and the love between them is so pure, and in a way, that's what I happen to want to see from time to time for a dose of escapism.

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An unusual blend of BL and serious drama

The story here is pretty good despite a few flaws, namely:

1) Prakan's initial hostility towards Tua Phee is not very logical because (as he later seems to understand) Tua Phee does not cause anyone to die but merely sends souls of the dead on their way. A doctor getting angry with Tua Phee is like a doctor getting angry with someone who provides funeral services--the latter doesn't cause people to die.
2) For a large part of the series, it is not clear when Tua Phee's love for Prakan becomes romantic love. The changes in feelings could have been shown, especially given that when Pua Phee is alive, Prakan is only a kid.
3) Like many supernatural series, it is hard to have a truly happy ending (think: The Miracle of Teddy Bear and Something in My Room). Even a happy ending has to deal with some of the sadder things in life, but the audience may prefer their BL series to be more escapist. And it is even harder if you don't want the ending to be too predictable.
4) Too many deaths/near deaths of the main characters (sometimes for no good reason).

Still, Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Soul has a rather good story that is competently told. Prakan's character is flawed, but he doesn't get to the point where he becomes annoying (at least for me). Apart from Prakan and Tua Phee's romance, another relationship that is nicely portrayed is the kinship/friendship between Prakan and Metha. Yacht is really good as Metha, conveying the characters jealousy while convincingly maintaining the fundamental righteousness of the character.

The side couple, Natee and Keeta, is cute--a nice addition to the story without being digressive or excessively sweet. At the same time, Metha and Nuch's love for each other is also portrayed in a way that will make us wish they end up together but doesn't get in the way of the more serious parts of the story.

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Not the worst ever, but really quite mediocre

This is not amongst the worst or the most incoherent series I have watched. I watched it because of the BL, and relative to the BLs being produced in 2021, it is rather mediocre.

There is something of a story--you know, there's conflict (a forgetful old lady agrees to sell her house to two different buyers at the same time), some development (the female buyer's brother and the male buyer's friend fall in love with each other at first sight, the two buyers fight each other, the old lady asks them to live with her for a week so that she can decide whom to sell the house to, the buyers fall in love) a bit of a twist (one of the buyers is offered a good deal to sell the house to another person), a rather exaggerated climax (the female buyer's brother leaves her because she tells his boyfriend to leave him) and a happy ending.

The series would have been better if it had just gone all-out nonsensical but it tries to be more serious than it should. The editing makes the story confusing. Some scenes are shown before they should (without any indication of whether it is a preview of the next episode or whether there is a flashback). To make matters worse, the BL couple is shown making one plan to get the sister to accept their relationship but somehow carries out an entirely different plan. Major issues with flow and coherence could have been avoided with a series that is so short.

In the end, the only character who is really worth watching is ............ the old lady selling the house. The lack of character development is fine because her character is the type that doesn't require it. And she's quite endearing in the way she loves her house so much she interviews the potential buyers so that she can sell it to someone who will care for the house well.

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Compelling plot, but the characters could have been more interesting

The Long Night is a sequel (or sorts) to Burning Ice--it features the policeman Yan Liang solving a different case. The story of The Long Night is set a few years after the story of Burning Ice. Nevertheless, Yan Liang is a much more charismatic character in Burning Ice. While Liao Fan does a decent job of portraying Yan Liang, there isn't really any depth or nuance to the character. The character who is the most interesting in The Long Night turns out to be Jiang Yang, and Johnny's Bai's performance is impressive in this series. (It's not the first time I've watched a series with Johnny Bai, but I could hardly recognize him in this one at first.)

Unfortunately, the characters in The Long Night are generally not portrayed with much complexity or nuance, and I think this isn't really because of the acting but because of the writing. At times, the series even feels almost like a sort of propaganda for the police force and legal system of China, with barely disguised motherhood statements about them. (Perhaps this is obligatory, given that there is at least one corrupt policeman in the series?)

This series really stands out in terms of its compelling story, with twists that are interesting without being over-the-top. What seems to be a simple case of murder at first turns out to be an elaborate last-ditch attempt to expose crimes committed by powerful individuals who have managed to cover up their crimes by silencing those investigating them and destroying practically every bit of evidence that is found against them.

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A gem that seems under-publicized

I really love the main couple in this BL. Although there are small parts of the plot that seem a little under-developed and even clichéd, the main story of the main characters meeting each other and the development of their relationship is done very well.

Jiang Shao Peng, one of the main characters, is a person with a disability, and I'm glad that the disability is portrayed with positivity without denying the problems faced by people with disabilities. The title, See Your Love, alludes to the fact that Jiang suffers from hearing impairment (and is unable to speak)--he literally has to rely on his sight, either through sign language or through actions, to understand that Yang Zi Xiang loves him.

On the surface, Yang is a lazy nepo baby. Thankfully, though, he is not portrayed as an insufferable scion. It is somewhat clichéd that he is being forced to take over the family business and enter a political marriage. Nonetheless, he comes across as a relatable character who is neither idealized nor hyperbolically obnoxious.

See Your Love is ultimately a feel-good BL that succeeds in what it intends to do. The side BL couple are adorable in their own way, but they don't overshadow the main couple. What some may dislike, however, is Yang's fiancée appearing and trying to break him and Jiang up. She doesn't end up being too evil, but the trope may irritate some people.

This is probably one of the best Taiwanese BLs in 2024. Although a lot of BLs feature more unconventional plots nowadays, few come close to See Your Love in making me feel the love between the characters and start rooting for them.

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