reefpicker

See my comment below to the other posters.

I think people focusing on the idea this series s about consumerism (not capitalism BTW), is wrong. If you went in expecting a critique of consumerism, you would be disappointed. That is not what this series is about.

Critique on Masculinity?

I am all about critical analysis, so please point out to me exactly WHERE you see these critiques or messages, because I don't see any.

I always analyze three things about Thai series: name of series in Thai, name of series in English, name of characters.

If you do that in this series, you will realize this series is not about masculinity, but simply about the teenage experience. You can see my post below about the name in English and Thai. As far as the characters go, I haven't done much with that yet, but here is what I got: Bua represents Purity (lotus = Bua), Baa Bin (Reckless or impulsive), Chian (Cheer/joy, but can also mean quick skilled and expert), Fou4Mod (its an old T-pop group, but it also means four-ants, mod is ant). All in all, I think they represent different aspects of your teenage experience, coming-of-age and they also represent the main traits of the characters. Bua is pure and innocent, Baa bin is reckless and crazy in love, Chian is always cheerful and he is the less emotional (expert, older, wiser?), and Fou4Mod... I owe you that one :) I think this is also a play on opposite attract.

In any event, there is little here to make me think this is a comment on masculinity. And as I said, I am a firm believer it has nothing to do with Capitalism/Consumerism either.

From what you have posted (I have read a few of your post), I think you are missing a few key pieces. I don't blame you. They are things that are not obvious to any casual viewer.

The first thing you need to fit into your interpretation of the show is that this show has the title Gelboys, and the subtitle "Sathana Gak Jai". Google translates this to "Status of holding back", but the word by word translation reveals that it probably means something closer to "What happens (status) when you hide your feelings (lit. heart)."

Fou4Mod wrote on the stairs: "ไร้ สถานะ" right after Chian tells him they don't have a status. That's the same word "Sathana" but he used rai before it, which means "without status".

Status here is used as both the situationship and also the result of a lack of situationship.

Gelboys, of course, refers to the one thing they all had in common, but a lot of people here have also mentioned the possibility that it refers to the consumerism aspect of the series. I don't think so, but that is a separate debate. I think this series is not about consumerism, but about how social media has impacted dating and the modern teen experience.

When Fou4Mod tells Chian that he wonders if they are going to do their nails when they are adults (this is one of the last scenes of the finale), Chian says he doesn't know, but that he will let him know if he can't make it to an appointment (or something to that effect). The way I interpret that scene is that he is really wondering about growing up and what their priorities will be. Right now, fashion and doing what is trending is at the core of their experience as teens, but Fou4Mod is now older and questioning if it will always be that way. Thus, I think that ending scene, regardless of the situationship question, is more about them crossing that threshold into adulthood. It left me with the idea that they are on the cusp, but not there yet.

Going back to your numerous observations about the relationship between Chian and Fou4Mod and how they are still possibly not ready to be a couple, I think that is not the point of the series. As BL fans, we do love to ship the couples and we love when they end up together, but I think the motivation of the writer/director of this series is showing us the consequences of hiding our emotions, how social media has changed (and not changed) the teenage experience, and how fashion, fads, and trends shape the teenage experience. To me, the fact that I found myself identifying with the characters (as a 48 year old man), makes me think that, at its core, the teenage experience is the same. Teenagers still go through the same torments we did growing up 30 years ago.

So, for me this series was really good and I did enjoy the ending. Do I think they will be together 10 years from now? IDK Honestly, I will agree with you that I can see Fou4Mod going back to his bad habits, but I can also see a sliver of hope at the end of the episode when he questions himself and ask if he will always be doing his nails. He is maturing. Same when he told Baabin (and had me crying), that he will always like whoever he likes because they are friends. That was BEAUTIFUL BTW and is one of my favorite scenes of the series. Fou4Mod shows that he is maturing. Thus, I think he MAY be with Chian in the future.

Bua and Baabin and an entirely different thing. I do see them together 10 years from now. Baabin is 100% boyfriend material. Bua is very insecure, but I think Baabin brings the best of him. Or maybe that is the BL fan in me wanting to ship them hard. LOL :)

The point is not that the feelings can change or not change. That is a separate question. The point is that they are transparent with each other about what they are feeling, at the time, in how they interpret it.

Once Baabin realized he liked Bua, he tried to hide it from everyone, but on the last episode he broke free and was transparent about his feelings for Bua.

Fou4Mode never told Chian how he felt about him. He always went along with whathever Chian said. I think in the second or third episode he did tell him he wanted to be something more, but he never said what.

On the last episode he tells him he has been in love with him (this is true) for a long time. Thus, he finally opened up.

Neither Bua, nor Chian had been hiding their feelings. They were the ones that had been confused. To some degree they also concealed their feelings but mostly from themselves.

Thats not how i read that scene. Chian is reassuring him by basically saying, "I am yours".

Up to that point their status was, as Four4Mod wrote on the stairs "withdrawn".

The very final scene has Chian again trying to reassure Fou4Mod by saying to him, he will always let him know if he cant make it to an appointment or be out of reach.

The weird thing is I was just thinking that the actor who plays him probably had a hard time fitting in and finding ppl who find him attractive becauae i bet with him it's the extremes: ppl either find him very hot or very ugly. And 5 minutes later Baabin said that and it broke my heart.

No. But the story reached its logical conclusion. Look at the Thai title: "status of holding back [your emotions]". They finally were all honest and transparent about their feelings.

Well, the story is layered and the characters are pretty deep.

Did you not like it? If so, why?

I liked Bua and Baabin story but both couples had a common thread to their story, summarized in the Thai subtitle of the series: the consequences of keeping your emotions hidden. So, dont forget that Chian and Fou4Mod both did the same to each other as Bua and Baabin did to each ofher. ;)

Bua is probably the most complex character. He is clearly thirsty for attention. And on that last scene in ep 6, we get a hint that there is something very wrong with him. I would say he is dying to get love and attention.

What is it to understand? Have you never had a crush on someone and told them you liked them? That's basically all that part of the series is... They kissed because they are attracted to each other.

I was OK with the kissing scenes. I am a bit surprised you didn't like it.

What did you see that made you not like it?

It is an unserious show. It is mostly a dark comedy. Very entertaining, but nothing that will make you cry or move you etc. It is pure entertainment and nothing else. I think the reason that you didn't like it is partly because you probably prefer a show that touches your heart.

I have mixed feelings about the show. I actually enjoyed the first few episodes because it did a good job of upending a few archetypes and tropes that I am tired of seeing in BL, and it did so in a clever way. A lot of times the seme and uke dynamics are very predictable. The uke behaves like a woman in victorian times protecting her virginity. Here, you can hardly tell who is seme and who is uke, and the two characters that offer any resistance do so only because they are scared (and not of loosing their virginity). We also have a very dominant, masculine character who we later see bottoming, which goes against the normal BL formula. There is also other little things, like how the character Joong plays is a total Tsundere, but he has his reason and it makes sense.

However, on the flip side, the show is silly and gets even more silly in later episodes. Characters do things only to drive the plot forward. Incredible coincidences happen that make no sense.

And then yet on the other hand, Joong is really good as Fadel. Khaotung is amazing as Bison. First is incredible as Kant. And Dunk? Dunk is beautiful to look at. And he tries hard to be at the same level as his co-stars.

I think if this series had a serious re-write and a better director, it would have been one of the best series of the year. The material was good. The idea was original. The cast is excellent overall. But the inconsistent tone, plot holes and flat characters (mostly the main antagonist), just weaken the entire show.

I gave it an 8/10, but I know I am being generous.

I think he went to jail for 6 months and came back in that scene where JY had the pamphlets and was talking to him about all the places he could go. IDK The editing was a bit rough.

Sorry, I am a bit behind, but in the book he does stay with Aim but it is mostly a decision taken because Noh insists that Phun do the right thing, but Phun always wants Noh.

It is the only weakness in the story. Phun eventually is handed a reason to breakup with Aim, which then gives him and Noh an opportunity to be together again.

I was hoping they would fix that in this version, maybe they didn't.

So probably class #73? Year #73? Definitely not a "generation" in the normal sense of it. :)

In English, a generation is 20-30 years, so 73rd Generation would be at least 1,460 years :D

Added. The OG had no GL.

I agree. This is a worldwide Golden year.

I had it at 9.5 and dropped it to 9.0. My logic is as follows: I took 0.5 off for the inane and total waste of time of a story that was the two teachers (they have as much chemistry as two pieces of cardboard stuck together), and I took 0.5 for the gutsy move of giving us an unfinished story for season 1.

I think they have the intention of making season 2. We just have to cross our fingers they get funded and don't run into any issues.

Is not much of a spoiler, but if you keep a keen eye on their interactions, you will realize that Yuri is obsessed with Noh. Everyone teases Noh about Yuri being his girlfriend (even Phun), but Noh never says anything.

Noh loves Yuri, but he is not attracted to her at all. In the OG, Noh really comes off as being gay, but in the novel he is bisexual. I think in both the book and the novel, Yuri tests Noh and slowly realizes he is not attracted to her.

Yuri is the one that thinks they are a couple. He also tries to convince her friends that they are a couple. Noh never says they are a couple (so watch for that as a hint). He also never introduces her as a girlfriend (as far as I can remember).

So the key is to watch his interactions and notice those hints. Like in the first episode when the boys tease him about her being his GF, he never says yes she is my gf. When she invites him on date, he acquiesces reluctantly. When Phun asks him, is she your girlfriend, Noh never says anything.

I think later on Noh starts seeing himself as Yuri's protector and sort of accepts his role as his boyfriend but he never openly admits it. Like in Episode 1 how he takes a picture of the license plate and then teases Phun for not being a good BF for not doing the same. This is as far as Noh goes. He does the things he needs to do, the bare minimum, so that Yuri is safe and protected.

[Small spoiler]

When they "break up", it is one of the most emotional moments in the series and in the OG I cried a lot watching them go through that pain, but that's because I felt Noh's pain as I also had a GF (I am gay!). So I know how it is to come to terms and have to break someone's heart that you know doesn't deserve that pain. :(

Hope I didn't spoil it too bad.

Thanks! Yeah, my blog article is due for an update.