it does smell nice: an ode to apo
it is i, the niel.
it took me a looooong time to finish this show. literal months. at first, the storyline was intriguing, but, like most bls, just started adding in random elements to pad the runtime. it certainly is a high-quality production. gotta give it its flowers, because it was the bl that caused the genre to shift in a more mature direction away from high school/college fluff. the actors did a good job, the scenes were shot well (lots of variety in set locations), music was great, and overall, it was well-made.
however, there were issues with the tone of the story at times. within seconds of certain scenes, the tone went from serious to goofing around in a very jarring way. this can work in certain shows, but i was caught off-guard every single time. after having watched the show, i can go back to the goofy scenes and laugh at them, but as i was watching, i just sighed every time. the product placements were giving unforgotten night, which works great in a show like that, but not this one.
porsche, as a character, was generally a likable guy. but, i think that apo plays porsche in such a way that makes viewers look past his inherent flaws, because apo is just a charismatic dude. porsche's motivations are slightly contradictory at times. for example, he claims to be doing this job to protect and provide for his younger brother. however, by doing so, he essentially abandons chay (a minor) in the process, which then leads to him getting groomed (well, yes). at times during the story, he had opportunities to leave, but he chooses to actively stay with kinn as a bodyguard, which is not in the best interest of his brother. i'm not saying all of his decisions should be based around chay, but bro is in high school. porsche is literally his legal guardian (uncle gone). i don't think that porsche starts off as a selfish character, but he slowly becomes a selfish character, and that honestly isn't acknowledged.
every single relationship in this show has a basis that makes it impossible for me as a viewer to turn a blind eye to their relationship dynamics. there are factors in all 3 couples, at least at times, that make it legally/morally impossible for one person in the couple to give informed consent. vegas and pete, foul. kim and chay, deceitful. kinn and porsche, hr violation.
way too many scenes of SA or nonconsensual interactions. in all of them, the show tends to justify the sexual violence in some fashion, or fails to make the couples acknowledge/address it. woof.
on a positive note, i think back on the bread product placement scenes fondly. like i said, apo is a chill dude. the actors did a great job with what they were given. it's not their fault that the script was sus at times. overall, it's a refreshing change of pace from what we had seen from prior thai bls. it's worth watching, if you're okay with darker themes mixed with nonsense. also, a lot is left unresolved by the end, which might be frustrating for some viewers. i don't think i'd rewatch the entire thing, but some scenes were good enough for me to go back to. kachow!!
best,
the niel.
it took me a looooong time to finish this show. literal months. at first, the storyline was intriguing, but, like most bls, just started adding in random elements to pad the runtime. it certainly is a high-quality production. gotta give it its flowers, because it was the bl that caused the genre to shift in a more mature direction away from high school/college fluff. the actors did a good job, the scenes were shot well (lots of variety in set locations), music was great, and overall, it was well-made.
however, there were issues with the tone of the story at times. within seconds of certain scenes, the tone went from serious to goofing around in a very jarring way. this can work in certain shows, but i was caught off-guard every single time. after having watched the show, i can go back to the goofy scenes and laugh at them, but as i was watching, i just sighed every time. the product placements were giving unforgotten night, which works great in a show like that, but not this one.
porsche, as a character, was generally a likable guy. but, i think that apo plays porsche in such a way that makes viewers look past his inherent flaws, because apo is just a charismatic dude. porsche's motivations are slightly contradictory at times. for example, he claims to be doing this job to protect and provide for his younger brother. however, by doing so, he essentially abandons chay (a minor) in the process, which then leads to him getting groomed (well, yes). at times during the story, he had opportunities to leave, but he chooses to actively stay with kinn as a bodyguard, which is not in the best interest of his brother. i'm not saying all of his decisions should be based around chay, but bro is in high school. porsche is literally his legal guardian (uncle gone). i don't think that porsche starts off as a selfish character, but he slowly becomes a selfish character, and that honestly isn't acknowledged.
every single relationship in this show has a basis that makes it impossible for me as a viewer to turn a blind eye to their relationship dynamics. there are factors in all 3 couples, at least at times, that make it legally/morally impossible for one person in the couple to give informed consent. vegas and pete, foul. kim and chay, deceitful. kinn and porsche, hr violation.
way too many scenes of SA or nonconsensual interactions. in all of them, the show tends to justify the sexual violence in some fashion, or fails to make the couples acknowledge/address it. woof.
on a positive note, i think back on the bread product placement scenes fondly. like i said, apo is a chill dude. the actors did a great job with what they were given. it's not their fault that the script was sus at times. overall, it's a refreshing change of pace from what we had seen from prior thai bls. it's worth watching, if you're okay with darker themes mixed with nonsense. also, a lot is left unresolved by the end, which might be frustrating for some viewers. i don't think i'd rewatch the entire thing, but some scenes were good enough for me to go back to. kachow!!
best,
the niel.
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