Since the first episode, I've been feeling like this is a throwback to History1: My Hero. Remember it had that…
Woops, I missed that. It feels so totally different, like made by a different person. Maybe the producers told her what direction she was supposed to take in the series. Perhaps it's that combined with the screenplay requiring a totally different approach.
As I predicted, no one gets fired for attempted murder. The boss who is obsessed with his newfound boyfriend, doesn't even reprimand anyone except Tangyi and only with a toothless warning because Tangyi is right back at it like 5 minutes later. Now there are few consequences for misbehavior with characters in Thai BL's like Lhong in Tharntype, but even Lhong loses quite a lot, like he even leaves the country, but this is a new low for BL's. I've never seen absolutely no consequence to evil actions depicted - this is just wacko. I would say this part of the screenplay is literally brain-dead.
Nonetheless, I'm enjoying the relationships of the two main couples which have gone leaps and bounds forward in this episode. That kiss between Liang and Lin did it for me, and it was just one of the best framed kisses I've ever seen in a BL - just beautifully shot. I just replayed it several times, and Liang especially looks so beautiful as he's kissing Lin, like some well rendered artistic drawing from a manga with his subtle and delicate features. That kiss was so sensuous, and it helps that both characters are so pure and gentle - this was an ethereal experience for me. History 5 will always be memorable for me because of this alone.
In an interesting and pleasant contrast, the other couple has also become captivating in a totally different way. I like how they are getting closer and closer, virtually scene by scene, and are both trying harder and harder to get the other one's attention until in climaxes with He Bo finally confessing at the end of the episode. It was well done, and very entertaining. I like how Hae Yi is becoming more sensitive throughout this episode, becoming less narcissistic, attempting to understand He Bo's reaction to his dinner date, and sympathizing with him about his dead grandmother. He's become so much more attractive as a character, and he was always beautiful before this, but character always adds so much to one's looks. Hae Yi is just glowing for me at this point and that whole outfit he was wearing to dinner just accentuated his beauty to a jaw-dropping climax. I love the constant comedy in their interactions - its virtually nonstop and that trick Momo played on Hae Yi was just hilarious and well executed. She created the situation where it is always "darkest before the dawn" which is a play on the silly situation she created - she knew it was harmless but it gets such a comic kind of melancholy out of He Bo.
History 5 has become very entertaining even if it doesn't have the gravitas of the previous History series. It's unique character is very enjoyable, and I'm just hoping it's going to get progressively better as it has been the past several episodes.
Even the director posted a video saying this show is a family drama - not a mafia story. Perhaps people can appreciate it better with that in mind. I know the advertising doesn't convey that and they should stop misleading people with these trailers that set up these false expectations. Also, people should stop thinking trailers will give you a true representation of any series or movie. I don't know how many times I've been misled myself.
I really like this. I'm just going to ignore the plot holes. Who cares - none of it makes sense, but there are so many wonderful scenes. The time Pond and Phuwin spend together has been idyllic - it's beautiful at this resort in a very natural and rustic Thai setting. Its absolutely the most romantic setting I've seen in virtually any Thai drama and the love between the two is growing naturally here. Phuwin has organically grown in this environment out of his stuffy, stilted upper-class mindset, and has become a very pleasant character - one who is willing to do an honest day's work to help buy a phone. I think the character development is done remarkably well, and you feel like your watching a real person changing for the better.
I love all the scenes with the foreign couple, and it's a gift from the BL community to the LGBTQ+ community whenever you see a wedding like that, and I loved the proposal that preceded it - this is so advanced beyond the high school BL's from the past. This is as nice as when you saw the pride flag in Not Me, and is more relatable. This is where BL's provide a service, and help model society's thinking.
I thought it was also excellent character development with those scenes of Palm's father and mother. You can see how Palm's father got to the point of feeling indebted to Phuwin's family - and I like how Phuwin tells Palm that he needs to break away from that mindset and to live his own life. Palm's family has been through pretty severe hardships, and I can relate with the mother as well who could not handle the relationship with the overweening father [and the father is playing that character trait to the hilt]. It explains her whole story, and shows how she's a well adjusted and loveable character in the present - she had to do that in order to survive. You can't blame a woman in that situation for leaving her family. She had to do it to preserve her sanity. The psychological portrait here of both Palm's parents is really done in an excellent way and was one of the most interesting and really entertaining aspects of this whole episode.
There have been so many excellent portrayals in this episode that I feel like I'm writing a novella here, but I want to dwell on Chopper for a minute. First of all, the first rate acting of Perth and Chimon is just mesmerizing - the two of them together have so many subtle and nuanced scenes between them, it's just a treat watching them, and the director just works with them in such an adroit way that all their scenes flow perfectly - and just listen to the music in the scene with the two on the rooftop. There was a pause there at just the right moment when they are talking, and the level of professionalism there is amazing. Ben also reveals how sorry he is for what he's done, and becomes a much more layered character. You can finally sympathize with him because he expresses his regret. Chopper is in love with Ben but is very shy, and also so determined to do the right thing by his cousin that he never reveals his simmering passion for Ben, but it's there and Perth conveys that tension with such artistry in his acting, I'm just like breathless. The scenes with Chopper and his dad are also so dramatic and are wonderfully done because the acting by both is also just perfect. Chopper has to be so restrained in front of his father that he's like a mummy at times, but his natural instinct to do the right thing, struggles so strongly with this that there is this fierce tension. It's really conveyed so perfectly by Perth that I think he's just a real master of his craft. Chopper can never say what he thinks or his father will turn on him, and he knows that. He's very savvy, and is a survivor. You feel like he's smart enough to wait for the right time when he can help without being torn apart by his father.
This was the best episode so far, and really every episode has been entertaining. It's one where I am happy to suspend my disbelief, because I'm a believer in a series that is really trying a lot of new things, and seeks to portray a multitude of complex characters that are growing and developing in a believable way. In addition to the excellent cinematography and sound score, this is a well directed series in most aspects.
Team: HIAAAAAAA, I’m so sad because….[long dramatic pause].…I want to….wait….HIAAAAAA….I want to tell you something about my feelings…[extended torture pause]…for you…because I need you….but you like all these other people…..why?..[flamboyantly long pause].…you think you're so good don’t you, but Hia, you actually suck….because you’re too good and you shouldn’t be….you need to focus all your love on me and treat me like a special person with extra special sauce….because HIAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I need to be pampered like a baby. And furthermore…hey, are you asleep…wake up, I’m talking to you about why I love you.
[Team rambles on for 10 more minutes, moaning disconsolately and shedding a bucket full of tears]
Win: [I wonder what he’s even talking about anymore. I think he wants to break up, maybe. What’s he even going on about. I better try to pretend I’m listening, and I should keep crying]
Team: …and four score and seven years ago our forefathers brought forth unto these hallowed shores…wait, I got sidetracked, HIAAAAAA, you distracted me…it looked like you weren’t completely focused on me….but anyway, I kind of like you…I don’t know why..it’s not because you’re super rich, and handsome, or that you’re as nice as the Buddha, but I just don’t understand me…maybe I’m just stupid, but wait .…[evil long pause]...let’s be boyfriends, ok, because you need me and I need you to need me, so I think I love you.
Win: OMG, you love me!! What did I ever do to deserve this! Team, thank you for being so patient and putting up with me.
Team: I know, I know, you don’t deserve it. Just shut up and get me some food, like 20 bags of chips would be good to start.
I think the diversity of themes and sexual issues depicted in this series is really great. I like both the playful and serious tone they take with every character's situation, and I'm really into every relationship.
Is Army not just supernaturally good playing this sex-crazed comedic character? He's also fully embraced his gay role like no other Thai actor I've ever seen. This will always be the most memorable character in this series for me. Fluke is just on fire in this show. I just wish the screenplay writers hadn't done him dirty by making him a creepy guy that outs his lover and never apologizes for it. Maybe Joe will finally make him confront his shallow side. I'm hoping this will happen at some point.
I just hope the endgame for Jean, though, will be with Tony. I understand people messing up, like Alex did, but it will never be a satisfying ending if they end up together. Where Alex can really redeem himself is helping save Kat, and helping her recover from that disgusting assault by that psychopath.
It's really surprising how deadly serious this show becomes. Ew's situation devolves into him having a nervous breakdown as his girlfriend breaks-up with him. Even if he seems like he's always ridiculous, and laughable, he really was totally pitiful when he begs his girlfriend to stay with him in a really manic and frenzied way. It's like the show strips people of all their superficial layers till it reveals the real person who is, most often, very vulnerable, weak, and in need of support. It's really an aspect of a coming of age drama where the illusions of young people have to be stripped away before they can make progress in the real world.
Really an excellent show with an enormous amount of stuff going on, brilliant acting, and wonderful characters that are very alive and well - drawn. The editing is tight, and the music score is brilliant. Despite flaws I've mentioned before this is a great show which is really on the cutting edge while being very entertaining in virtually every scene.
It's nearly impossible. He gets his ability to orgasm back if he doesn't rape her, but you don't know if he's…
Perhaps it isn't clear cut for many people, but Jean perceived it as a rape, otherwise she wouldn't be so traumatized by it. I think the screenwriter even assumes this is a rape, because why does Alex have to fix this? I think we would all have felt better if Alex had just stopped when he was asked to even if Jean put herself in the worst possible position.
And I want the Cauliflower plushie. They should be part of a set, Mr. Broccoli and Mrs. Cauliflower. Coming soon to Studio Wabi Sabi merch site! Don't forget to get the family set with baby Broccoli and Cauliflower!
This show is really fantastic and continues the dominance of Japanese BL's. There have only been a few that have been bad, like the complete obverse of Thai BL's. I think the acting is fine in this and I think Yamanaka plays Kaburagi to the hilt - that's the character and he nails it, I don't care what anyone else says about it. Kimura plays an excellent Onoe and he has all the diffidence and naive charm that this character needs. The scoops that they are getting are always interesting, and the latest character is the best. Inami is just so charismatic and likeable with a touching story of unrequited love with his high school friend. I think seeing him through Onoe's eyes lends him this air of quiet respectability that seems an almost impenetrable shield to his probably nefarious character. This is really well done, and was so subtly portrayed. I like the weird scene where Inami's friend wants to feel up Kaburagi's abs - it was really strange and almost surreal. It really added to the quirkiness of this drama.
I love the jaggedness of the relationship between the two mains. It always feels uncertain as to what's going on although you know they like each other. Kaburagi just blows so hot and cold all the time you don't know what he's doing with the relationship except that he likes to keep Onoe guessing. The work dynamic between the two and their intertwined relationship is really complex and adds a lot of drama to every scene like when Onoe is attacked by the old geezer getting the scoop on tax evasion. Kaburagi comes in to save Onoe because they are secretly lovers, and not because of any work obligation - I think he would have just let him be used, normally, if he wasn't in to him. I really feel like Kaburagi is needling Onoe to be more bold and express his love more directly, and is waiting for him to develop that confidence. I'm really not sure, though, and I like how hard it is to guess.
This is really an excellent show that's really on a higher level than most BL's. I would really recommend people stick with it.
They really need to have shown him seeing a therapist. It's not just this series but virtually every BL that has…
lol, I agree. We never get the therapy at all. It can be integrated pretty easily. We have hospital scenes in these BL's all the time, so they can just meet at the other kind of hospital, or at the therapy clinic. I just don't get why it never happens. It should happen once in a while just by accident. It's like they are consciously avoiding it.
I think most watchers here need to remember this is the backstory of WinTeam which literally everyone was asking…
They really need to have shown him seeing a therapist. It's not just this series but virtually every BL that has this kind of trauma including virtually every Mame production. Nothing is ever resolved, and in every production like this, there is a lingering feeling the story was never finished. That's because it really isn't. It's not like everything needs to have a fairy-tale ending, but they never talk about these psychological issues and just sweep them under the rug in every BL. It would be good modeling to represent the actual thing these guys should be doing which is seeing a therapist or psychiatrist. I think the kids that watch these things might be thinking that getting a boyfriend solves all your mental health issues - at least they are being programmed to think that way. The scenes they need in here would just take a couple of minutes. It's also a good public service to teach kids what they should be doing. I'm not sure if there is a stigma against seeing therapists in Thailand, but there definitely was in the US not too long ago, so it would be good to represent it in Thai programming whether they are BL's or Lakorns.
That was a great episode. If there wasn't a week break between scenes, no one would have focused on the break-up between Win and Team. After Team walks out, it's only like 5 minutes before they make up again, but they tried to keep up the suspense by making us think it was going to be much longer than that so you would come back to watch next week. That was really unnecessary guys, but I'm going to forgive you because this was a beautiful episode.
I like Win and Team's confessions at the beginning though Team takes one thousand pauses to get his sentences out. I loved the feels in that speech. I thought Team was going to talk about his low self-esteem and that he didn't deserve Win, but he talked about how he needs to be the special focus of Team's attention. I wasn't wild about that - it seemed a little selfish, but I'm going by the emotions here, and it felt good, and he does say he loves him by the end of this long ramble. Win's speech was shorter and felt more natural. Really great acting on both sides here, and the singing was a nice touch.
I just wish we had talked a little bit more about Team's trauma to at least give it some closure. Team really needs to see a therapist. His boyfriend's love is not going to solve his low self-esteem, and survivor's guilt complex. In general, BL's need to show scenes where someone going through these things is seeing a therapist like in Love in the Air where one character is gang-raped and never seeks professional help. Just like BL's show more things about LGBTQ rights, they should do this as well, because its a nice public service. I think there is little advocacy in Thai society for this, and there might be a stigma to seeing a therapist like there used to be in the West.
The rest of this episode was excellent with every character. I even liked the ending with Bee and Prince. Bee has to do an awful lot to stay with Prince, and they both will have earned that relationship more than most any other BL couple. I liked the realism they portrayed here, because it is that tough having a relationship while being an actor with these weird contracts. I thought Bee was a little too syrupy and bubbly before, but his character really became very serious here and in a believable way.
I really liked Manow and Phruek's engagement scene. It was done beautifully - really heart-warming. Manow is a special character and it's great to see her get a great ending. I like how Phruek tells her she doesn't always have to be strong with everyone, and she can be herself around him.
Hopefully Tul and Waan will get their reconciliation next episode, but the break up was realistic in this episode. I think Waan has every right to feel betrayed, and it would take him time to forgive Tul.
Overall the best episode of this series. I don't even feel like it was rushed. This episode really saved the show.
Nonetheless, I'm enjoying the relationships of the two main couples which have gone leaps and bounds forward in this episode. That kiss between Liang and Lin did it for me, and it was just one of the best framed kisses I've ever seen in a BL - just beautifully shot. I just replayed it several times, and Liang especially looks so beautiful as he's kissing Lin, like some well rendered artistic drawing from a manga with his subtle and delicate features. That kiss was so sensuous, and it helps that both characters are so pure and gentle - this was an ethereal experience for me. History 5 will always be memorable for me because of this alone.
In an interesting and pleasant contrast, the other couple has also become captivating in a totally different way. I like how they are getting closer and closer, virtually scene by scene, and are both trying harder and harder to get the other one's attention until in climaxes with He Bo finally confessing at the end of the episode. It was well done, and very entertaining. I like how
Hae Yi is becoming more sensitive throughout this episode, becoming less narcissistic, attempting to understand He Bo's reaction to his dinner date, and sympathizing with him about his dead grandmother. He's become so much more attractive as a character, and he was always beautiful before this, but character always adds so much to one's looks. Hae Yi is just glowing for me at this point and that whole outfit he was wearing to dinner just accentuated his beauty to a jaw-dropping climax. I love the constant comedy in their interactions - its virtually nonstop and that trick Momo played on Hae Yi was just hilarious and well executed. She created the situation where it is always "darkest before the dawn" which is a play on the silly situation she created - she knew it was harmless but it gets such a comic kind of melancholy out of He Bo.
History 5 has become very entertaining even if it doesn't have the gravitas of the previous History series. It's unique character is very enjoyable, and I'm just hoping it's going to get progressively better as it has been the past several episodes.
I love all the scenes with the foreign couple, and it's a gift from the BL community to the LGBTQ+ community whenever you see a wedding like that, and I loved the proposal that preceded it - this is so advanced beyond the high school BL's from the past. This is as nice as when you saw the pride flag in Not Me, and is more relatable. This is where BL's provide a service, and help model society's thinking.
I thought it was also excellent character development with those scenes of Palm's father and mother. You can see how Palm's father got to the point of feeling indebted to Phuwin's family - and I like how Phuwin tells Palm that he needs to break away from that mindset and to live his own life. Palm's family has been through pretty severe hardships, and I can relate with the mother as well who could not handle the relationship with the overweening father [and the father is playing that character trait to the hilt]. It explains her whole story, and shows how she's a well adjusted and loveable character in the present - she had to do that in order to survive. You can't blame a woman in that situation for leaving her family. She had to do it to preserve her sanity. The psychological portrait here of both Palm's parents is really done in an excellent way and was one of the most interesting and really entertaining aspects of this whole episode.
There have been so many excellent portrayals in this episode that I feel like I'm writing a novella here, but I want to dwell on Chopper for a minute. First of all, the first rate acting of Perth and Chimon is just mesmerizing - the two of them together have so many subtle and nuanced scenes between them, it's just a treat watching them, and the director just works with them in such an adroit way that all their scenes flow perfectly - and just listen to the music in the scene with the two on the rooftop. There was a pause there at just the right moment when they are talking, and the level of professionalism there is amazing. Ben also reveals how sorry he is for what he's done, and becomes a much more layered character. You can finally sympathize with him because he expresses his regret. Chopper is in love with Ben but is very shy, and also so determined to do the right thing by his cousin that he never reveals his simmering passion for Ben, but it's there and Perth conveys that tension with such artistry in his acting, I'm just like breathless. The scenes with Chopper and his dad are also so dramatic and are wonderfully done because the acting by both is also just perfect. Chopper has to be so restrained in front of his father that he's like a mummy at times, but his natural instinct to do the right thing, struggles so strongly with this that there is this fierce tension. It's really conveyed so perfectly by Perth that I think he's just a real master of his craft. Chopper can never say what he thinks or his father will turn on him, and he knows that. He's very savvy, and is a survivor. You feel like he's smart enough to wait for the right time when he can help without being torn apart by his father.
This was the best episode so far, and really every episode has been entertaining. It's one where I am happy to suspend my disbelief, because I'm a believer in a series that is really trying a lot of new things, and seeks to portray a multitude of complex characters that are growing and developing in a believable way. In addition to the excellent cinematography and sound score, this is a well directed series in most aspects.
Team: HIAAAAAAA, I’m so sad because….[long dramatic pause].…I want to….wait….HIAAAAAA….I want to tell you something about my feelings…[extended torture pause]…for you…because I need you….but you like all these other people…..why?..[flamboyantly long pause].…you think you're so good don’t you, but Hia, you actually suck….because you’re too good and you shouldn’t be….you need to focus all your love on me and treat me like a special person with extra special sauce….because HIAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I need to be pampered like a baby. And furthermore…hey, are you asleep…wake up, I’m talking to you about why I love you.
[Team rambles on for 10 more minutes, moaning disconsolately and shedding a bucket full of tears]
Win: [I wonder what he’s even talking about anymore. I think he wants to break up, maybe. What’s he even going on about. I better try to pretend I’m listening, and I should keep crying]
Team: …and four score and seven years ago our forefathers brought forth unto these hallowed shores…wait, I got sidetracked, HIAAAAAA, you distracted me…it looked like you weren’t completely focused on me….but anyway, I kind of like you…I don’t know why..it’s not because you’re super rich, and handsome, or that you’re as nice as the Buddha, but I just don’t understand me…maybe I’m just stupid, but wait .…[evil long pause]...let’s be boyfriends, ok, because you need me and I need you to need me, so I think I love you.
Win: OMG, you love me!! What did I ever do to deserve this! Team, thank you for being so patient and putting up with me.
Team: I know, I know, you don’t deserve it. Just shut up and get me some food, like 20 bags of chips would be good to start.
Is Army not just supernaturally good playing this sex-crazed comedic character? He's also fully embraced his gay role like no other Thai actor I've ever seen. This will always be the most memorable character in this series for me. Fluke is just on fire in this show. I just wish the screenplay writers hadn't done him dirty by making him a creepy guy that outs his lover and never apologizes for it. Maybe Joe will finally make him confront his shallow side. I'm hoping this will happen at some point.
I just hope the endgame for Jean, though, will be with Tony. I understand people messing up, like Alex did, but it will never be a satisfying ending if they end up together. Where Alex can really redeem himself is helping save Kat, and helping her recover from that disgusting assault by that psychopath.
It's really surprising how deadly serious this show becomes. Ew's situation devolves into him having a nervous breakdown as his girlfriend breaks-up with him. Even if he seems like he's always ridiculous, and laughable, he really was totally pitiful when he begs his girlfriend to stay with him in a really manic and frenzied way. It's like the show strips people of all their superficial layers till it reveals the real person who is, most often, very vulnerable, weak, and in need of support. It's really an aspect of a coming of age drama where the illusions of young people have to be stripped away before they can make progress in the real world.
Really an excellent show with an enormous amount of stuff going on, brilliant acting, and wonderful characters that are very alive and well - drawn. The editing is tight, and the music score is brilliant. Despite flaws I've mentioned before this is a great show which is really on the cutting edge while being very entertaining in virtually every scene.
Phruek: Here's a bouquet of roses Manow
Dean: Hey Pharm let's go to the 3 star Michelin restaurant I booked
Win: Here's a broccoli plushie I pulled out of the garbage. I think my kid brother was clearing out his closet, but do you want it?
I love the jaggedness of the relationship between the two mains. It always feels uncertain as to what's going on although you know they like each other. Kaburagi just blows so hot and cold all the time you don't know what he's doing with the relationship except that he likes to keep Onoe guessing. The work dynamic between the two and their intertwined relationship is really complex and adds a lot of drama to every scene like when Onoe is attacked by the old geezer getting the scoop on tax evasion. Kaburagi comes in to save Onoe because they are secretly lovers, and not because of any work obligation - I think he would have just let him be used, normally, if he wasn't in to him. I really feel like Kaburagi is needling Onoe to be more bold and express his love more directly, and is waiting for him to develop that confidence. I'm really not sure, though, and I like how hard it is to guess.
This is really an excellent show that's really on a higher level than most BL's. I would really recommend people stick with it.
I like Win and Team's confessions at the beginning though Team takes one thousand pauses to get his sentences out. I loved the feels in that speech. I thought Team was going to talk about his low self-esteem and that he didn't deserve Win, but he talked about how he needs to be the special focus of Team's attention. I wasn't wild about that - it seemed a little selfish, but I'm going by the emotions here, and it felt good, and he does say he loves him by the end of this long ramble. Win's speech was shorter and felt more natural. Really great acting on both sides here, and the singing was a nice touch.
I just wish we had talked a little bit more about Team's trauma to at least give it some closure. Team really needs to see a therapist. His boyfriend's love is not going to solve his low self-esteem, and survivor's guilt complex. In general, BL's need to show scenes where someone going through these things is seeing a therapist like in Love in the Air where one character is gang-raped and never seeks professional help. Just like BL's show more things about LGBTQ rights, they should do this as well, because its a nice public service. I think there is little advocacy in Thai society for this, and there might be a stigma to seeing a therapist like there used to be in the West.
The rest of this episode was excellent with every character. I even liked the ending with Bee and Prince. Bee has to do an awful lot to stay with Prince, and they both will have earned that relationship more than most any other BL couple. I liked the realism they portrayed here, because it is that tough having a relationship while being an actor with these weird contracts. I thought Bee was a little too syrupy and bubbly before, but his character really became very serious here and in a believable way.
I really liked Manow and Phruek's engagement scene. It was done beautifully - really heart-warming. Manow is a special character and it's great to see her get a great ending. I like how Phruek tells her she doesn't always have to be strong with everyone, and she can be herself around him.
Hopefully Tul and Waan will get their reconciliation next episode, but the break up was realistic in this episode. I think Waan has every right to feel betrayed, and it would take him time to forgive Tul.
Overall the best episode of this series. I don't even feel like it was rushed. This episode really saved the show.