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It felt as if it was two different dramas -- one that ran for about two thirds of the total and another that started around the end of episode 7 or 8.
The drama starts like quite a few Japanese detective dramas do: An eccentric main character, often a genius, accompagnied by one or two equally eccentric (or very straight-laced) side-kicks solve a "case of the week" , often with a twist or using unusual methods. Their "lair" is appropriately colourful and chaotic, the way the first few cases are laid out follows the pattern of traditional mystery dramas.
And I do love this kind of mystery drama, I liked 99.9 Criminal Lawyer, The Locked Room Murders, and more.
But Inheritance Detective failed to connect me with the team members. It neither develops their quirks well enough for them to really become a running gag (for example Tomonaga is supposed to often speak very quietly, so that nobody can understand him, which is used only occasionally in the earlier episodes, and never in the later ones. Haie himself eats dry coffee beans when he takes on a case, but it's never explained why or at least commented on or, I don't know, *something*, he just does.)
The drama's cases are neither good detective cases, where the audience can either guess along or be astonished at the genius detective's abilities, nor are they connected by a common thread (except by inheritance and wills), unlike the themes of "identity" and "mother-child-relationships" in Don't Call it Mystery.
I could have followed either direction -- comedy, mystery, philosophy -- but this drama failed to evolve any of these possibilities to a depth I could have been satisfied with.
And then the "showdown" with the real villain started, and it felt as if I watched a completely different drama. Any hint of levity was gone, characters suddenly seemed to change (from antagonists to supporters), and it felt like a revenge thriller or court drama, complete with seemingly life-threatening situations.
But this too was never developed deeply enough, even the villain stayed one-dimensional, the speech Haie gives in court near the end felt more contrived than moving -- mainly because I wasn't invested in anything.
Actually, I went through the first five episodes like a breeze, slowed down later, and the last episode took me long enough that I watched both seasons of Minato's Laundromat (which were at least not boring, just frustrating), *and* 8 episodes of Monster Next Door in the meantime.
And it's a real shame that the script was so bad, because the main actors were brilliant. I almost didn't recognize Akaso Eiji, he completely disappeared behind his role.
I think, based on the actors' abilities, I could have loved the team -- but not with this script.
However, there *is* one thing in the script I loved: When Haie tries to sideline his female sidekick "for her safety" (not his male sidekick), she doesn't let him, but involves herself again without his consent or even knowledge.
Was it good? -- It had some good ideas, but wasn't consistent in theme or tone. The actors were brilliant.
Did I like it? -- I would have given the first part a 7/10 or the second part a 6/10 -- but put together, no.
Would I recommend it? -- No. Neither to mystery nor to thriller aficionados.
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Short and Sweet
"My Damn Business" is a short, tropey-but-sweet romance drama, that could happen "next door to you".With "My Damn Business", GND studio (formerly Guy Next Door) have released their second multi-episode mini drama. Before this one, "Fake Buddies" was released as seven loosely connected episodes, and before "Fake Buddies", they only made short comedic skits.
It's maybe also a good idea to keep in mind that they posted a note on YouTube in summer 2024 (unfortunately deleted by now), in which they mentioned that the "channel is run by three people who handle all the content creation".
So, GND Studio is very much a small start-up, with extremely limited ressources and even less experience with longer dramas.
As with "Fake Buddies", they used their experience with the short form and with working with a minuscule budget to their advantage:
1. They chose a plot that did not require a lot of actors, only few simple sets, and that could be told in a few short scenes.
2. Each episode was comprised of one simple and short story arc, which could begin and end within the same episode -- and still moved the relationship forward.
Other things I noticed:
* I mostly like the chosen background music -- especially the percussion piece in the first episode but also the melancholic piano piece. The jazzy tune at the bar was a bit annoying but we've heard worse.
* The company is called GND International.
* Acting, wrinting and editing came together to create a story that gets to the point quickly but is still slow enough in the important moments for the emotions to unfold.
* One thing that should have been made clearer for the viewers was the intention of Han U Jin in the first two episodes. I think quite a few viewers (me included) felt his actions toward Yoon Su An were too much -- when it was just his extremely awkward way of flirting, where he tried to use any opneing he saw to get closer to Yoon Su An.
* Both Han U Jin and Yoon Su An were a bit awkward, fumbled interactions, and still managed to solve their issues in the end by expressing their concerns and desires. Apart from their too good looks, they really felt like two "guys next door" to me.
With an overall runtime of just over an hour, this drama is a quick sweet snack in between longer and heavier dramas.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Mr Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss" is a series that has both a title that is too long and episodes that are too short.Or maybe the episodes are just long enough -- long enough to develop a light-hearted story that makes us fall in love with the main characters and get to know the side characters. Dragging it out would not have helped, in my opinion.
This is what makes the show outstanding:
* The acting for Fukuhara's character is on point. I love how the actor can go from fake high-pitched cuteness when covering up his bad luck to real joy when something goes right, to his inner monologues complaining about his bad luck, to his real self when talking to Shinomiya.
* I like how the professor's lectures fit into the developing relationship. Also, from what I know of psychology, the theories presented are actual theories.
* It is astounding how the people working on this show have developed the supporting characters so well that I feel like I know them, even though they get very little screen time.
* The attention to detail in both the acting and the sets makes this show worth watching more than once (or twice. Or three times.)
* I am also glad that the issue of consent is so prominent in the story. (Especially as it's a point of concern in some other BLs.) Not only is it discussed several times, but the characters follow through to the end -- even to the frustration of the character who said no. The sudden kiss in episode 1 is also discussed later. (So, actually, the title is wrong. Fukuhara Kouta does have a choice to kiss!)
I also love how they showed that Fukuhara with his bouts of bad luck and Shinomiya with his incredible good luck both stand apart from the people around them. Now that they have found their counterpart who can bring balance to their lives, they will be able to open up to others and live as normal people among them.
I must admit that the nature in the background always confuses me a bit, as the story is set in April, but the nature looks like autumn -- but that might be because the whole colour palette tends towards brown and orange?
All in all, I highly recommend this series. It's fluffy and sweet, something nice to watch when you need a pick-me-up.
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After the owner of a Japanese publishing house has died, a power struggle ensues. Hayami is appointed as the managing editor of the magazine Trinity by one side -- and editor Takano is also caught up in this, even though she just wants to publish well-written and interesting serialized novels. Both will try to save Trinity in their own ways.
The writing is tight -- every dialogue has meaning, so this is not a casual watch. It took me a while to get who is who and who wants what, which is important because this is very much character-driven, I had to rewind some scenes in the first half hour.
The characters' motivations and ambitions are only revealed by what they say, or don't say; sometimes by their actions -- and a lot of it means you have to read between the lines. The movie's title -- 騙し絵の牙 -- Fang of Deception -- or, the official English title Fangs of Fiction -- hints that at least of these characters may be hiding secret motivations.
There are several plot twists in the end, one of which I did not anticipate at all, but, in hindsight, made a lot of sense.
Also, I want to point out that the office sets, like in many other Japanese productions, are excellent! For example, I love how cramped and busy the editors'room of Trinity is, the mountains of paperwork of every available surface. The space of the much revered Kunpu Reviews, in contrast, looks much more organized and still as realistically used.
Fangs of Fiction is both really funny and shows us the contemporary struggles (of the publishing industry) at the same time. Both the external struggle as a traditional company against the new online world, and the more internal struggle about traditional values and old styles of story-telling versus modern innovation and showing more diversity in stories (I loved the cameos of the disabled and the old model and of Ladybeard.)
It also subtly touches on issues of how women are treated in fiction: The main female editor is constantly trying to point out how outdated the depictions of female protagonists in the fictional novels are -- and is instantly shut down by her male companion. I am glad to see that the female protagonist in this movie is at least as important as the male main character -- and how she found her own successful way of dealing with the issues of the publishing world in these modern times.
Recommended! Maybe you'll find more subtle deceptions when you watch the movie, I'm sure I did not catch them all.
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This review may contain spoilers
pure crack
Are you familiar with the term "crack fic" from fan fiction? This is like that -- as if the writer asked: what are the most common tropes for BL stories to get two guys together, and how can I put all of them in one show?Here's some of the tropes:
forced cohabitation
only one bed
tutor -- student
a fujoshi
a love rival who makes one of them realize his feelings
caring for the ill love interest
sharing food
childhood bully to lover
gay for you
This show is silly, with intentionally exaggerated acting (bordering on slapstick) and camera work, and no plot besides the aforementioned tropes.
If you are not a fan of silliness and suggestive scenes that never actually get anywhere, then this is not for you. If, on the other hand, you are willing to laugh at your own love of BL and are also a fan of silly slapsticky situations, then what are you waiting for?
Also, it might be of interest to know that this is all about the phase BEFORE one of them finally realizes the attraction to the other, so there's no actual relationship here.
In a traditional broadcast setting, this show would fit perfectly at the end of a more serious BL drama.
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One main reason for this is the main male character, Lee Ahn, who I thoroughly disliked. He is cocky and self-assured without having any abilities to support it -- and it feels that he thinks it's enough that he is himself and has this psychometry to be allowed to flaunt rules.
Another is the romance, which felt forced and superfluous. Is it not enough to share the same traumatic childhood exerience? To have the same goal? Why does it have to be romance, when partners and eventual friends would have made enough sense?
I did not feel any sexual or romantic attraction between them. For the longest time, Jae In seemed to be more annoyed than romantically interested.
They wouldn't do a romance arc if the young people had the same gender, so why force this into a good mystery?
Because the mystery plot was quite good otherwise -- the storyline of the dangerous stranger whose identity is slowly revealed and how he connects to the mysterious Kang Seong Mo was delightfully muddied by the storyline about corporate fraud.
It seemed that we knew everything already in episodes 11 to 13 or so (which is also part of why I had trouble continuing at that point) -- but then there's a surprising plot twist!
(The story telling though was a bit too slow in the last episodes.)
Kang Seong Mo was by far the most interesting character, and his actor subtly portrayed his emotions -- emotionless robot, even though it seems to the other characters, he is not. Without him, I would probably not have made it through the drama.
An honourable mention for Jae In -- one of the few female characters in a drama who can hold her own -- yes, she "needs" to be saved by the male lead at least once, but other than that, she is indispensible to the plot, and actually more competent than Lee Ahn.
Overall, it's not bad -- just not something I liked. If you don't mind romance in your mysteries, cocky male characters and slow pacing, then it might be for you.
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Too much and not enough, no middle here.
I understand why fans of "Bed Friend" were angry about "The Middleman's Love". This might be set in the same universe as the dark-ish "Bed Friend", but the genre couldn't be more different. What's more, the series isn't even very good as a stand-alone comedy.If you have read enough fanfics, you might be familiar with a specific type: A fan decides they want a fluffy feel-good happy-ending with some elements of crack for their "fav charrie" -- and why not throw in some cross-over characters or OCs in there as well? -- and then to their own astonishment the fic suddenly has plot? And they don't quite know what to do with it, so they decide to throw in another few comedy scenes and a sex scene or two and call it a day.
This is what "The Middleman's Love" feels like.
We get the OOC scenes of a ghost hunt and a "company sports day" with children's party games; we get the catchphrases and the OTT humour, we get a lot of snacks, we get a "workplace" that is a joke and has no bearing at all on the story, and so on and so forth -- and then, suddenly, character backstory and angst? Which breaks the style and the established rules of the story.
What doesn't help is that director Cheewin Thanamin wasn't able to create a vision from the mess of a script. He re-uses elements from his previous dramas; for example the animation from Why R U? or the over-acting from YYY or Toh's character design from Secret Crush On You or the background music from Bed Friend, whether it fits or not. But he does not manage to make it a cohesive whole. In the beginning, he chose to use elements of parody and over-done narration, like when Jade and Mai "ride" in the obviously parked car or in the day-dream sequences, as well as the use of the "mandee" logo for the company. But then he switches the style to that of an average rom-com later on, while he still tries to keep Jade's over-the-top character.
That the sex scenes neither have any kind of narrative function nor round out the characters' relationship dynamics (on the contrary, they break them completely) is only the over-ripe cherry on top.
I wish that both the screen writers and the director had committed to one singular vison and style for this drama. Either go completely overboard with everything and make something unique or follow the title of a "คนกลาง", "a middle/mediocre man", and make Jade really an absolutely ordinary, unremarkable and middling man. The latter also would have had its own potential for a good and special story, be it comedy or serious drama, in its own right.
One positive thing that can be said is that Yim, who plays Jade, does his utmost to fill the role. He doesn't hold back and obviously is not afraid to look ridiculous, which is a must-do for his role. Unfortunately, he is neither directed with good vision (see above) nor coached well enough to use his whole body for the comedy; and it does not help that (for whatever reason) he doesn't move all his facial muscles to the extent needed, so his Jade doesn't reach the kind of physical comedy that would have been required for the series to work.
There is not much to say about the other actors -- none of the roles required much acting skill, even for a romance.
Was it good?
It had some good elements for a crack fic or a parody but didn't dare to go all the way. Both the script and the style of direction muddied any potential vision.
Did I like it?
I didn't think of dropping the drama, so it wasn't that bad for me. But I also would not say I enjoyed most of it.
Who would I recommend it to?
I wouldn't.
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Young Love with three Sweethearts
Oh, what sweethearts these three teenagers are! This is a love-triangle done right, and the film hits all the highs and lows of a first love.And this is a story with one of the narratives I love: The "ugly duckling" doesn't change.
Takeo is, while well liked by guys, shunned by girls at every turn. His appearance and his deep voice -- the first image that came into my head when I saw him was one of a middle ranked yakuza -- is definitely not what teenage girls look for in their next crush.
The film makes is very, very clear in the first minutes, however, that this boy is a complete sweetheart, a loyal friend, and a gentle soul. From his many rejections in the past, his confidence regarding love is non-existent and he thinks his crush on Yamato is hopeless; and still he puts on a smile and tries to make his friend and his crush happy.
And this is why the film works so well; the three main actors convey the feelings with apparent ease -- when their characters smile with a broken heart, when they try to stay calm but would rather break down and cry; it's all there to see.
The humour is over-the-top as for most adaptations of comedy manga, but sprinkled throughout, and never laughs at the characters.
One little thing I loved a lot was how the writer let the mother causally accept the possibility of her son dating a man. Progressive mums, yay! Also, I love how they hinted that Suna's feelings might be not quite the platonic friendship he would like us to believe. I hated the after-credits scene though, it broke the style of humour and the characterizations of Takeo and Suna, so if you see Suna's characters the way I do, you might want to give the after-credits scene a miss.
Was it good?
Yes, both actors and writers knew what they were doing, and they told us a beautiful story about young love and friendship.
Did I like it?
Absolutely.
Who would I recommend it to?
People who want to watch a different kind of coming-of-age / young love story.
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This film is not a rom-com. It's a rom-com parody.
And the film makes very, very clear from the first few minutes in that it is a parody -- the "heroine" looks at herself and the people around her as if they were in a story. The exaggerated acting in the typical Japanese comedy style paired with stereotypical extras (like the thuggish bullies or the canteen cook) as well as the constant fourth-wall-breaking are another clue -- and then the story tones the physical comedy down in the second half but still proceeds to follow every single beat of an average rom-com: With a light twist, like when the "summer" date is filmed in the middle of winter. And they follow this concept until the very last scenes, with the hundereds of lanterns and the kitschy snowfall, and then tie it up with an uplifting message.And yet, they somehow smuggled in some very real character growth. The aggressive playboy, who pursued the heroine "just because" and initiated a sudden and unwelcome kiss, learns to let go. The shy and awkward girl learns to stand up for herself, not with lies and deceit but with honesty and integrity. The "hero" learns to make a decision and commit to it. And the "heroine"? She learns that love doesn't just happen because she wants it to.
Maybe the writer and the crew were too good at that, so that MDLers caught real feelings and thus don't understand that this is supposed to be a parody?
Was it good?
Yes! It starts out as a physical comedy where absolutely everything is exaggerated, and ends up with real feelings.
Did I like it?
I did! I was hesitant to watch another youth focused het romance but I am glad I did.
Who would I recommend it to?
To people who get on with the exaggerated Japanese style of comedy. And to those who are able to understand how a parody works.
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Neither the character dynamics (excitable puppy vs. cold cat / country mouse vs. city mouse) nor the backstory (controlling father, betrayal by lover, thwarted dreams) are in any way new. The setting is an appropriately romanticized village, complete with stereotypical overly friendly villagers and out-of-season fresh fruit and vegetables. Wounds heal quickly without scars; the surroundings don't change with the progressing in-universe time.
And yet, it works.
The story, tropey as it is, takes its time to develop Seon Yul's character from being closed-off and exhausted to a confident young man who has found his own way of life. Events around him fit neatly into the narrative, and everything resolves without becoming too cheesy.
Ye Chan's antics are the eye-catcher of the series (and another proof why you should hire actors who know what they are doing -- according to MDL, the actor Yoon Do Jin is a stage actor in SKorea), and the main aspect that elevates this rom-com above the average. Yoon Do Jin gives his character an endearing quality, child-like but not childish, with unexpected words of wisdom, delivered with perfect innocence. In contrast, Do Won ("Seon Yul") gives us a subtle performance of a jaded man that you need to look closer to see. Both of them balance each other quite nicely.
Technically, I find this to be a solid production; I am not a fan of the sung OST but overall the background music fit well with the rest. I wish they had used the countryside to more effect -- most of the time it was just there -- but we all know that in reality, country life looks nowhere near as idyllic as on screen.
Was it good?
It was a solid, if predictable, rom-com with well delivered performances.
Did I like it?
Yes, and I even have rewatched it a few times.
Who would I recommend it to?
To someone who is looking for a rom-com with comedy elements, with a relatively short runtime.
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Raising a child gives the whole village a headache
"เลี้ยงเด็กหนึ่งคน ปวดหวัทั้งหมู่บ้าน" -- "Raising a child gives the whole village a headache" ... and raising an adult even more.The Thai title "เกิด / แก่ / เจ็บ / โต" is a very good indicator for this series' themes: "เกิด แก่ เจ็บ ตาย" -- "birth, age, sickness, death" is the fundamental aspect of life in Buddhism. Everybody will experience these four things in life. So, when the Thai title says "birth, age, sickness, growing up" instead, the "death" part and the relation to Buddhist teachings is already implied. The producer tells us: This is a story about life itself.
However, the title goes a step further and inserts "growing up". Both main characters, the man in his sixties and the 17-year-old girl, have a lot of growing up to do, and the only way of doing this is by listening, understanding, mutual respect, and within a community.
For me, "เกิด / แก่ / เจ็บ / โต" was an interesting watch for the cultural lessons it had. How do Thai people speak about dying and death? What changes bring the modern times to family values and intergenerational relationships in a society that is traditionally very clear about roles of family members?
Its intended main theme, I think, was about broken parent-child-relations, about the value of community and family, whether by blood or by choice, and about the importance of listening with respect, regardless of age. And I think that they did a good job with this overall; except in some parts where it got a bit too preachy for my taste, and some of the ending was too feel-good when one secondary character reformed too fast while another gave forgiveness a bit too easily.
That being said, I had feared that *everything* would be resolved neatly, which was not the case, because this too is life: Not everybody will grow up, not every attempt at reconciliation will work out. I just think that it could have been even more realistic without diminishing the feel-good happy ending for our main cast if it had stayed a bit more open-ended.
The story telling was a bit too slow at times and, together with the heavy-handed message, I never felt the urgent need to watch the next episode immediately.
The screenplay was mostly solidly written -- I love the progression of the two main characters, and also how Nok's backstory was revealed slowly. I would have liked it if the supporting characters had been fleshed out more; Pha was a bit too good and too understanding at times, and the trio of our lovely grannies deserved more than to be the background chorus, too. I think the story would have worked as an ensemble cast, maybe even better than it does now.
It's also maybe of note that the screenplay does the usual Thai way of mixing comedic bits and serious messages, which might take a bit of getting used to. There is just enough romance that I can't put the drama in my "No romance!" list -- but both couples make sense within the narrative and the character progression, so it's all fine.
What made this drama was the general production quality, the setting in a lower class environment and the outstanding abilities of the actors. I loved the interactions between Nok and Jan, of course, but also the actors of supporting characters like Omsin and Jojo were excellent in their roles.
Was it good?
I think it was. The production quality was high, the actors were excellent. The message was delivered a bit too heavy-handed at times, and part of the ending felt slightly undeserved.
Did I like it?
I didn't love it so much that I devoured the drama; but I am glad I watched it.
Who would I recommend it to?
To people who an watch a slow, slice-of-life-adjacent drama. And to those who are interested to understand how Thai people view life and death.
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I am not quite sure what the film is about. Is it about gay life in the year 2000, with all that it entails? Is it about heteronormativity, and its consequences for women and queer people alike? Is it about lonely people who try to find comfort in a harsh and hectic society?
Is it about he question what a *family* is?
And I'm not sure if they put too much into the script (there are several scenes and side stories that don't advance the main plot at all, the scene where they try to mate two dogs in front of a kid is still burnt into my brain), so it's core theme isn't clear -- or if it's done intentionally, because, well, life is messy and everything is intertwined. I tend towars the latter reading, especially with the more than hectic beginning and the parallel telling of the story lines of the three main characters.
Whichever it is, for me, the most intriguing thing was not the gay couple -- their story is interesting as well -- but the three women who encounter the restriction of society's expectations in their own way.
There's, of course, the film's main character: Asako. Who has had different sexual partners in her life (not always by choice, as the film makes very clear; cw for an on-screen non-con sex scene), and is shamed by medical professionals for it. Confronted with the possibility of infertility, she tries to take desperate measures to become a mother -- outside of society's norm of marriage.
By contrast, we meet Katsuhiro's sister-on-law Yoko, who tells us that her marriage was arranged and she didn't have a choice in it. That her mother-in-law expected a grandson. Yoko has resigned herself with this kind of life, and has started to identify with it. She, like her mother-in-law, perpetuates the toxic ideas of a "good woman" and of "family". Because if she didn't, her whole life would be meaningless.
And this comes to head in a climactic scene, where both women meet and their views clash. One of the exchanges stayed with me:
Asako says: I wanted to choose a family the way you choose lovers and friends!
And Yoko replies: You don't choose your family, they are just there.
And in addition to their contrasting worlds, there's a third woman, a co-worker of Katsuhiro's, whose attempts at pursuing him become more desperate over time. She suffers not only from the expectation to marry and start a family -- her disability also makes it much harder to find a partner at all, so she latches on to the only man who treats her kindly.
Core themes aside, the film is gloriously messy. No single character is perfect here, no motivation is "green" -- even Naoya, who is a sweet man, chooses his partner not because he is in love with him, but because Katsuhiro is the one who stayed. There are many things that stay unsaid or unresolved, some character arcs never get what I would call a stopping point.
The cinematography and the side stories give the film a hectic and disrupted feeling -- and occasionally this will be contrasted with slower scenes.
While there are light-hearted scenes, which are occasionally very funny, and while the film gives us an overall optimistic outlook about three people who carve out their own space in this world, this doesn't make the film gentle or light -- it's more that we find laughter and happiness *in spite of* reality, not because of it.
I'm not sure if I *liked* the film, but it certainly stayed with me for weeks now, and that is always a good thing. If I ever have another chance to watch this again, I will definitely do so.
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Sometimes, less is more
... and this short film is a prime example.You don't need much if all people involved know which story they want to tell and have the ability to craft a good screenplay and to execute well it with everything they have.
In less than ten minutes, we see a love story from the first shy glance -- Is this feeling real? -- to an answering touch -- Is what I see real? -- until we know: Yes, it is.
The intertwining of fiction / acting and reality / genuine attraction in this short underline this uncertainty we feel when we make our first steps towards the possibility of a relationship, and even moreso for two people of the same gender.
Both actors, the director and the person behind the camera very obviously know what they are doing, they use their limited resources ingeniously, and manage to quickly connect audience and characters, build up a good amount of tension, and resolve it with great satisfaction.
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This is a story about an old man, who refuses to change.
This is a story about a father who loves his daughter.
This is a story about two survivors.
This is a story about gently supporting each other.
This is a story about expressing love.
This is a story about life.
This is a comedy. This is a simple slice-of-life story. This is a film that moved me to tears.
Expect a mostly slow-paced slice-of-life film, in the style that's typical for Japanese films of this genre. It has more than a few layers of story, see above, and those who get on with the style will surely find their own reading.
For me, what was most poignant, and maybe not easily accessible for the younger generation, was the way the two older people lived their life and how they looked back on it. They are, I think, almost exactly as old as my own father, and I found much of him in theses characters. All of them have lived through the horrors of war in their early childhood -- they saw the bomb falling on Hiroshima, my father lived through air raids in cellars; all of them have had to go on with life and rebuild a society they did not destroy, and even though there was no one to talk with about these experiences, this generation shares a silent kowledge about their traumatic childhoods and a quiet acceptance of what is that later generations don't. And in this film you can see exactly that -- and also how freeing it is for both to finally talk about it, to acknowledge the pain and to share their values with each other.
Other viewers might rather focus on the father-daughter-relationship or the tofu making process, or the scenery of Hiroshima, or maybe the two love stories -- it's all fine; I think this is what the writer wants us to do -- and this is what makes the film a great example of a good slice-of-life film.
The overall quality of the film is excellent, as it is usually the case with films shown on JFF Theater; the only thing I would have liked to be different is that Fumie's actress, while outstanding in her portrayal of the character, is about twenty years too young -- and because of that, I was unsure about the character's age for most of the film; even though that is an important fact to know about her, that she was a child in 1945.
Was it good?
Yes. Except for the one aspect I mentioned, it was well-written, and well-executed.
Did I like it?
I did. This is one of the kind of films I need to be in the right mood for, and I'm glad I found the time at the right moment for it.
Would I recommend it?
Definitely. Especially to those who like the Japanese style of slice-of-life films.
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A 12-course meal, where every course is a dessert
If I had to describe this series in three words? I'd choosesaccharine
repetitive
inconsistent
Why saccarine and repetitive?
This show is basically a 12-course meal, where every single course is some kind of dessert, and sometimes you get the same dessert twice.
The thing is, when even the bitter-sweet moments are more sweet than bitter, then the sweetest moments don't taste as sweet as they should. A meal that is only desserts might fill our bellies, but we won't feel satisfied, nor it is nutritious.
To say it clearly: None of this is the actors' fault. They all did their best with what they were given, and there are many moments where the love between Rati and Thee shines -- it's only that there are too many of these sweet moments, and not enough of anything else.
Knowing that this is a GMMTV production, I didn't expect them to use the intriguing possibilities a setting like this provides: The backdrop of the first World War is only used as an excuse to have a French national teach his language to Siamese dignitaries -- while Rati expresses that he is subject to negative scrutiny from Siamese people, this is never actually shown.
That Rati is both of Siamese descent and a French citizen, and is part of two very different worlds, is never used to its potential: France was the only Republic in Europe, and one of the very few Republics worldwide, and with its basic idea of "liberté egalité fraternité" it was an egalitarian society by law, if not in practice, while Siam was still an absolute monarchy, and had only penalized slavery a few years prior to the story.
The subject of classism and also of homophobia in Siamese society is reduced to a personal conflict within the two families of Rati's and Thee's, marking two characters as the evil antagonists, while everybody else stays neutral to understanding or even supportive.
And this reduced potential for external pressure is overshadowed by the saccharine, at times kitschy, relationship between Rati and Thee. As a love story that starts with a "love at first sight" cliché, and then only slowly develops, it is not only overly sweet, with a lot of handholding and gazing into each others eyes, it is also very repetitive. We get at least three different declarations of love and devotion, and after a kiss in episode 5, the relationship regresses to handholding and loving stares again -- you cannot tell me that Rati or Thee, as young men with a sex drive, would not try to find a secluded place for more, and instead wait for months without even doing so much as kiss again, and only sleep together when they are at Rati's mother's place, several episodes later? (A place that is not exactly sound-proof, I might add.) Especially Rati's resistance doesn't make much sense here -- if he accepts that they are both in love and knows that they should try to use their time together, then he should, as a 24 year old man who grew up in cosmopolitan Paris, want to and know how to be physically intimate with another man, and not shy away from touch like a frightened virgin.
The potential disaster of separation and unwanted marriage hangs over the protagonists from the start, and since everything stalls for nine episodes, with Thee's grandmother occasionally popping up to say "MARRIAGE!!" -- the climactic eleventh episode, which should have been the emotional highlight of the drama, full of anxiety and with a feeling of impending doom -- this part feels much the same as everything that came before. To be honest, I was bored at that point, and that episode 12 glossed over Rati's and Thee's feelings of loss and betrayal with a time skip only to proceed with a 40 minutes long sugary ending, did not make anything more interesting.
The story would have profited from a tightening of the pace, and a reduction to maybe six or eight episodes, and if the script had allowed the angst to shine, then this could have been something very special.
Why inconsistent?
The most glaring inconsistencies are around Inn's character Rati. As a young man from Paris, and a man who presumably has been groomed to take on a diplomatic career, he should behave much differently.
Paris was (still is) a cosmopolitan city, it hosted the World Exhibition of 1900, it was a centre for cultural and artistic innovation -- and yet, Rati is excited at the prospect of owning a bicycle, one of the most widely used modes of transportation in the early 20th century? He has never bathed in a natural body of water? He is amazed at the sight and taste of cotton candy? It's just not believable.
Rati, who should have had an education in politics and diplomacy, who should be much more experienced in worldly matters, who, I assume, has studied at a prestigious university and has met people of different countries and classes before -- this Rati behaves more like a sheltered Khun Nhu in more than a few scenes, especially when it's about physical intimacy with Thee (see above). He also at times is very ignorant in matters of society and how it works -- and then he is the one who points out the risks of engaging in a homosexual relationship between a noble and a son of a servant. His character does not make any sense. (Thee, on the other hand, doesn't have much of a character at all.)
Also, some anachronisms: The most obvious one being Thee's car, which is a model that didn't even exist yet in 1915 -- this is what a modern car looked like: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hispano-Suiza_(F)_Type_26_Roadster_von_Flood_1914_(2).JPG. There are a few more minor things, like the telephone in the customs office, and the ubitiquous presence of electricity outside of homes. But the one that should not have happened is the mention of the Chulalangkorn University in 1915/16 -- it was only founded in 1917.
Was it good?
The scenery was nice to look at, both the landscape and the actors, and it was well-filmed and acted. But the overly saccharine relationship, and its non-existent development combined with inconsistencies and missed opportunities for depth, made it feel like I was being force-fed one piece of cotton candy after the other. The only liveliness was provided by the secondary couple's story, which has its own share of multiple issues of inconsistencies and anachronisms.
Did I like it?
I liked it enough to finish it, but that was probably only because I chose a time where my brain wanted to watch something sweet.
Woud I recommend it?
No. Die-hard fans of Inn, Great or the other couple's actors, Boom and Aou, might find enjoyment in watching.
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