solipsism5

I just wanted to put some things out about the director since we are talking about how homophobic the show has become. I agree with others that Thua outing people was uncalled for, but I don't think the director was hoping to send an underground homophobic message. It's just sort of a mistake on their part, and their intentions for the gay community are very positive.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/06/i-am-not-here-to-entertain-meet-thailands-first-transgender-mp

From this article:

The country has a complicated relationship with its transgender community. While often more visible than in other societies, so-called “ladyboys” are mainly treated as second-class citizens. They are allowed to have only certain jobs and face regular discrimination.

Transgender people are not allowed to change their gender on their identity cards, meaning that those born as men have to take part in the annual military draft enrolment, where every male is entered into a lottery to see if they will be called to serve. Transgender women have to endure a “humiliating” medical exam to prove they are not faking or get an army hospital to certify they have a “disorder”. Transgender men and women also cannot get married or adopt children.

Tanwarin, who was born in Nakhon Ratchasima, a city in Isaan province, says they grew up shrouded in shame and living in fear. They began publicly living as a woman at age 17. “I liked dressing as a woman and living as a woman, I still do. But it was later on I realised that I don’t want to be put in a box as a woman either. Society forces these gender boxes on us, but I don’t fit into either of them and I believe gender should not define us,” they say.

For Tanwarin, the main priorities in government will be to push for a change in marriage laws and sex education in schools. “Can you imagine, if you are transgender, sitting in the classroom and your textbook said you are mentally abnormal, how could you be brave enough to tell people about who you are?” says Tanwarin.

What was that transition to the ML's becoming friends, and talking about marriage - like they're thinking of the possibility. They had rape-like sex, and one filmed it, and the other was going to use it as blackmail, but without any transition, they're talking like they're going to get married. Weird. I have no problem with the enemies to lovers trope, but how about we earn it, instead of just writing it into existence without any "foreplay". I'm also missing the chemistry between the leads - they don't seem into each other and act more like distant friends.

I don't know why anyone is complaining about the bodyguards because that is the only fun part of this series. I sort of fast forward to their scenes, so they're like the main characters for me.

I like that they've transitioned out of that porno novel almost completely, but this has none of the sex appeal that should have been there considering its origin, and that S&M scene [with his former sex partner] was just totally lame. There seems to be very little sexiness in this series left and we are just moving back into the Victorian Era BL scene with no kissing, skinship, or even touching.

No - there are three screenwriters, and Prapt [who wrote Miracle of Teddy Bear] wrote the novel. The director can always have them rewrite a scene so it really is his/her responsibility.

It's too bad Thua outed Akk and Ayan. I think that was unnecessary to the plot and has thrown so many people off who previously liked the series. I understand completely how people don't like how that was thrown in there. The director had been so sensitive to gay issues throughout this series, and I'm surprised that she/they [I'm not sure which pronoun to use here for this transgender director] suddenly became tone deaf on this issue in ep.11. I don't want to go into why I let it slide, but I'm thinking it's going to ruin the rating for the show.

Now the director is actually a pretty progressive gay activist and I wonder how she/they missed it. It might have to do with current Thai concepts of gay representation in media. In the West we would all know not to put in the outing the way Thua did it into the script. I'm just thinking they're just not as sensitive to the concept of outing as we are in the West. This is similar to how Wai outs his friends in Bad Buddy, and how P'Aof was also insensitive to the way the outing was represented - especially since there was no consequence for what Wai did.

I wouldn't have done it that way with Thua, especially outing his friends. I just thought it was minor issue for the reasons I stated above.

I only meant that an unexpected plot resolution is emblematic of good writing, but I thought the writing was, overall, pretty decent.

Thua can be someone different than what we expected, and this episode reveals a different side of his nature. He comes from a troubled family so his behavior is not totally out of character. He's not the saintly character everyone thought he was, but this is more realistic, imo.

I don't think the themes of this show were abandoned because of what Thua did and they are still presented as being highly relevant. I'm sure they are valued by this transgender Thai politician that's been directing this show, and don't think they were diminished by what happened this episode. Again, just my opinion.

I love this series. I just never know what's going to happen next, and the plot twists are just everywhere, but they are just natural and emblematic of real life. I see Peek acting like Bew, drawing out everyone's sympathy, and revealing an unexpected cunningness for a country bumpkin.

I really never know what's going on - is Kla into Peek, or is it just acting? Who am I even rooting for in this 3rd installment - like everyone is evil and I'm hoping one of them turns into a good guy, maybe? This would normally be unsettling, but I'm enjoying the wonderful realism. This is probably how the cutthroat movie business works and I'm enjoying watching this from a safe distance. I just love the recreation of this fan service, y-idol show. It's really very fluffy and enjoyable, and all the evil conniving mechanations are mixed in with it. I think this is just a totally unique, and wild show that's always full of excellent acting, writing, and drama. The execution here is just at the very highest level of anything in the BL world [though this is not a BL].

I don't understand the vitriol about this episode. Sure Thua did not act like a gentleman this episode but doesn't that balance his sort of totally passive character from the rest of the series? I think people were complaining about the constant lack of movement in the plot and now it progresses at a very dynamic pace, but somehow it was bad? Look, I was surprised by what happened in ep. 11 and most of the people on here did not predict it which, for me, is good writing.

Did Thua go too far? No, I think he wanted everyone to be honest. It probably wasn't the best way to do it, but he's just a young kid, and his intention wasn't bad. What he did really got everyone to the point where they could finally confront their inner struggles. I was thinking it was Thua all along as Namo was too obvious, but I hated to see what that would do to his relationship with Khan. I think they did explain it well enough, and I don't know what the griping is all about - Thua is not suddenly an evil character, but his methods weren't the best. He shouldn't have outed Akk and Ayan, but his reason was that Ayan was covering up for all the terrible things Akk did because they were in love. This is a grey area of morality here, but it is not like Thua is totally crazy or evil doing this- he has a point about revealing their love relationship, and I think in the bubble BL universe, this is really not outing the couple - they are really treated as the equivalent of a heterosexual couple here. If you look at the weird way Khan outs himself with Thua later on, I think you should get the idea.

I really enjoyed this episode, and the enormous pain of Akk at the beginning was really moving as was the very sad story of Chadok and Dika [and the person playing Chadok did an incredible job expressing his loss of Dika]. This episode had some of the most emotionally intense scenes of the series, and was for me the most engaging and interesting episode. I just don't understand most of the reactions here, to be honest. Most of what happened was built up in all the previous episodes, and this was the fitting climax, not some weird detour - I mean all these things were hinted at, like all the things Thua did in previous episodes, and all the constant pressure on Akk by Ayan to confess his crimes [now accomplished by Thua]. I think, if nothing else, this episode was as good as any of the previous ones, and had more drama than almost all the rest of them combined.

I like it but I don't. I really hate when I have to guess whether a show is a BL or not, especially when it's not all that daring, or ground-breaking. I guess it's a little different. I can't remember a BL with this theme other than The Shipper which was also a let down, because who wants to see the BL part like second-hand through the lens of a female lead? BL's are already inherently made for a teen female audience, and it doesn't need to be watered down anymore.

On a positive note, I like seeing Mean and Plan reprising their roles. It will be nice to see them possibly get it on in this series - they better or this will be a huge disappointment. What's the point of making a comeback if you're going to be all lukewarm about it?

Sky is just a little too resilient this episode. He should definitely be too far gone to get into Pai this quickly. I don't see any flinching, or looks of inner turmoil while he's just flirting with Pai. Yet, uncharacteristically for Mame, Pai is acting quite restrained, and seems at least unconsciously aware that he has to move slowly with Sky - at least any normal person could see there's something wrong there with how troubled Sky is while sleeping. For much of the episode Pai is acting like a gentleman, and he finally communicates effectively, telling Sky he's not just going to chase him like a piece of meat. I was waiting for this because it so rarely happens in BL's. In this case, it's really critical he tell Sky that, or even the movement you see in this episode wouldn't happen at all. Mame kind of built a bridge to the future here, but it's still too rushed. They really need some sort of time lapse for this to be an effective story, but it's not bad the way they did it . I thought because of the huge psychological problems that Sky has, that this was an episode with a little release of tension. It's a quiet, sedate episode, but it's definitely the calm before the storm. It's also an episode where you get to see Sky and Prapai acting cute and romantic with each other which was really missing till this point.

Coming up will be the confrontation with the ex which should be volcanic so I wouldn't worry about a little slower episode here. This is a psychological drama and you don't need constant turmoil in every episode - this kind of drama is better done with some soft interludes between the major scenes of emotional conflict. I think Peat and Fort are capturing the mood of where they need to be in this episode very effectively. So far this is very well done in my opinion, and is a far more interesting BL than most.

Yeesh, what a name - Fruitylove. This seems quite dismal. I'm watching this for Jump who I've always wanted to see as a lead in a series for "reasons", but I'm enjoying the comedy so far even if it's pretty lowbrow.

Sky should really be seeing a therapist. He's put on a facade for so long that's just causing him a lot of stress and is physically wearing him down. That's what the fever is about. Prapai is just forcing him to confront his self-loathing, and is bringing it to a climax. There are so many scenes where he is shown to really like Prapai, and he just has to rein himself in, telling himself he's crazy. He has to convince himself that relationships are painful and he can never be in one again. He's really incapable of analyzing his situation. He can't deescalate the pain caused by his nightmares, and he can't love someone that shows him affection. If only he would say something to someone. This is what is most painful to watch in his situation, his idea that he has to totally isolate himself, and deal with the situation on his own. Even telling a friend would be beneficial, but he really needs professional help.

Just a small comment about Rain since everyone's talking about him. I think that he's definitely a very good friend, and he seems like Sky's closest associate. I don't think he's particularly smart, at least not in practical terms, but he's definitely a good person who is trustworthy. I think people are making too much of his errors in judgement. Sky has been pretty damaged because of what happened to him and he needs someone that is pretty pure and decent around him, and I think that is the best reason for Rain to be his best friend. Now Rain left him with Pai, a stranger, while Sky was recovering from a fever. He had no idea about his friend's mental trauma, because Sky has basically covered it up completely. It's not terrible to leave someone who seems reliable, a close friend of his lover, to handle a sick guy recovering from a fever. The alternative was for Rain to miss a deadline that could seriously affect his grades.

In the long run, Sky has found a very good long term friend in Rain who's heart is definitely in the right place. I hate the phrase the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, because it really is far more likely that the road to Hell is paved with bad ones. Rain does mean to do well by his friend, and is not selfish. I think he just shouldn't have placed him with Pai, because his friend indicated that he didn't want to have Pai around him, but this is a venial sin. Rain is thinking Pai is a great guy, and hasn't understood why Sky doesn't like him, nor does Sky really explain it to him. I think Rain has no idea how sensitive Sky is because he's such a happy-go-lucky person, and he probably wouldn't be able to be that careful with Sky even if he did know what he went through [though far better than he is now]. In general most of us wouldn't mind having someone like Rain around, but we would have to "train" them, and be aware that they are likely to put you in awkward and/or uncomfortable situations. Sky has never really done the work to restrain Rain, but I think he would be more willing to after what just happened with Pai.

I was thinking that since this is taken from a novel that is virtually a porno, the reason I'm struggling with it is that porno's not only lack intellectual depth, they usually lack emotional depth. They try to create scenarios that are abusive involving things like sado-masochism, rape-like sex, etc. The dialogues are also totally an afterthought. One other aspect of this is inapporpriate exhibitionism which is usually supposed to be titillating - I'm just thinking of that video recording that Dragon has is just an example of this. Just watching the scene where Dragon is talking about it and feeling up Big, almost fondling his crotch as he's talking about it, reveals how they both are excited about that video.

The two main characters seem like narcissitic man-whores so far, and I'm not sure what is appealing about them. I'm only enjoying the goofy, slapstick of the two bodyguards. I'm not sure that's enough to keep watching this. Again, if you just want pure porno, that would be better than this - Big Dragon is like porno-lite with all the most fun parts missing.

It’s the same as vice-versa and that show was a frickin mess. I normally don’t compare shows but if you are talking about plot issues, vice versa is the poster-child for that - the most incoherent, slapdash piece of junk I’ve ever seen in a major production.

But the ratings never make sense on MDL except in a very general way, like a show with an 8.0 is probably better than one with a 7.0. Nonetheless, I think that it should at least be about be an 8.5 rating for this show.

I found this incredibly boring. Perhaps it's because I was reading the Big Dragon porno novel before starting this series - it wasn't that good, but it's still better than this. I just wonder why they decided to make a BL out of a porno. Just who decided that was going to be a good idea? At least the production values are decent. I'm just hoping for a BL that's so bad that it will make me laugh.

Am I going to have to separate you two?

The second part of this series is definitely way better. The story is like 100 times more intense, and this has become one of my favorite BL's [at least part 2 has]. I can't get over Peat's acting - he's just captured this character so well. He can be super-tragic, full of near psychotic despair, or he can be very nonchalant and peevish. He just does both "personalities" perfectly. I think the story has the potential for being one of the most moving BL's ever. I just hope they execute it right, because Sky's story has to handled very delicately.

The chemistry in this series is electric. It's been slowly built up and in a very believable, natural way. I think we know these characters, like how Akk is suffering from Chadok's rebukes, and how Ayan suffers because of the loss of Dika. How they comfort each other, and support each other is just done beautifully, and climaxes with Ayan hugging Akk at the end, as well as when he gives him the necklace. I come to watch BL's for the relationships, and not the suspense or drama, so, for me, this really is one of the best. The acting of the ML's is just perfect, and the story captures the essence of of their beautiful relationship. Really a fantastic series that has been built with a real eye for detail in the area I'm most interested in as far as BL's are concerned.

As much as I'm a critic of Mame's writing she does come up with these really intense scenarios that are kind of deep and psychologically gripping. There's some really good writing she did for Tar's character in Tharntype and Love by Chance, as well as Tul in Love by Chance 2, whose backstory is really much more interesting than in the series. Tar was also gang-raped, and it left him emotionally scarred for years. I think that's the actual way to approach it as a writer- I think Sky's recovery is going to be rushed, unfortunately. Mame is just not consistent, but she does have a lot of decent ideas.

I love the tenderness of Prapai this episode, and he's really become a very sympathetic character, instead of the rakish playboy from last episode. I just don't think Sky could deal with him right now. I think the scenes where he is really upset that Prapai is constantly calling him and texting him preceded his illness, meaning that Prapai is the last person he should be seeing while he is sick. He's just not even ready for verbal intimacy, let alone physical intimacy and Prapai seems to be getting close to doing that while he is taking care of him. I think this would be better not just as a slow burn romance, but a glacially slow romance involving years of recovery for Sky. I'm not sure Prapai's character is ready for nothing but hand shakes for several years, but I'm going to assume we're going to go much faster than that. If this was done right it would probably need a time lapse of several years to really capture the part where they are getting intimate like normal boyfriends.

I'm still very sad for Sky's character, and this kind of severe trauma is not something I am used to seeing in BL's, but it's really worthy to be brought up because these things do happen and are often swept under the rug. What a wonderful character that Sky is to bring focus to this issue, and I love Peat's incredible portrayal of Sky which brings out all the intense pain that Sky is suffering from.