solipsism5

The mom's illness is really heart-wrenching, but I just think there were several issues with the screenplay this episode. I just wonder how the kids support themselves. I don't see any of them working and they're all going through college. It seems like the mom supported them and no one seems worried about this, nor about the crushing hospital bills. Peak asking Hom for a shot at being her boyfriend is just really out of place. It's not just inappropriate, his character wouldn't have done it given how virtuous and upright he is. That scene was just a mess. Peak should have done that before they found out about the mother's illness. Why would Hom say yes to him? She should have been creeped out by him, and would be thinking something like "this guy was nothing like I thought he was." The third hand smoke causing the cancer was just silly. Just come up with another cancer, please. There are plenty of cancers that are life threatening that ramp up to stage 4 very quickly.

Other than that, I loved the emotional scenes here. The scenes with the kids crying by the bedside were great, and Proud crying next to her was just beautiful and really moved me pretty strongly. This is still a pretty solid series and the flaws this episode can easily be overlooked.

I was watching Name just saying Em's name. It's just one of the saddest things I've ever seen in any drama. You have to wonder if that's all he thinks about. The acting there was just phenomenal for me - Title really conveyed such a total level of despair. I was just really floored by this scene. I also wonder if Name is putting too heavy a burden on Em and that's why he feels he needs to distance himself. Honestly, having Name as your lover would require an intense amount of involvement beyond any normal relationship. It's certainly possible, and I'm curious how they are going to make this relationship work in this series. It's really one of the reasons I'm going to keep watching every week.

The scene with the mom is equally powerful, but I always wonder why he won't say one word to her. What trauma triggered this, because his mom really seems like a good person, and the show really started with Name at a really young age having this mutism. I don't think it's really thought through by the writer, but forgetting that, the idea of the struggle to get answers from his mom about why Em is avoiding him was just really so sad and I could see both sides. I think the mom is at her breaking point and she doesn't want to help Name get what he wants anymore, thinking she's just enabling him, but Name is being treated very poorly by Em, and she should understand that. It wasn't the time to not give in to him.

Her talk with her mom was supposed to be validating for her, and she did need it to find courage, because her situation with Name would traumatize anyone, and showed that she was such a concerned parent. She didn't want to hurt Name, but she was trying to nudge him forward. I still think it was the wrong time, but these are tough calls to make. I think the show really did a good job capturing this, even if I'm criticizing their depiction of the cause of Name's selective mutism.

This series is just a grind, and is poorly written. The story of Gun and Golf is so illogical it's nearly impossible to give any credence to it. I still don't think people can wait ten years to reveal themselves to each other - it's just unbelievable that a teenager can be that shy without it manifesting in other ways, and Gun is not that shy around anyone else. His name would have been revealed to Golf many times over whether in roll calls, or other ways. If he didn't want to meet Golf because of his acne, what's the reason now? [believe me, the acne was supposed to be the reason but they forgot all about it]. I just don't believe the premise at all. Sometimes that doesn't matter if the chemistry is there, or some other element in the relationship becomes interesting enough that we can ignore the emptiness of the main plot, but there really isn't anything. And that stare they had between each other while doing the old cliche hand touching while moving the mouse was just way too long. There's no going back from a stare like that - you might as well just kiss him passionately after that.

The story of Name if just full of a crushing sadness, but it also makes no sense. I just don't know what motivates Name, and it is just way too mysterious for me to follow it. At this point I want some idea what causes his selective mutism and why he won't speak to his mom. His selective mutism is just too extreme - he's only spoken to one person and only a single sentence to him.
Just like the shyness of Gun I think they just overshot it with the mutism. They're just doing anything that makes the audience feel as sentimental about these characters as possible, but they are wearing us all out with their excessiveness. Putting that aside, at least the mom is trying to move things forward with Name, so the story shows some development, but it's very slow. I still like the attempt they're making with this story which is unique for any BL I've seen, and highlights people with disabilities. It just needs way more time and should be a standalone series. It's way more serious than the others and really way more involved. I find it very hard going between this story and some of the others, especially Mean's.

Mean's story is impossible to follow. All I see is a wig. I can't focus.

Champ's story is touching and sweet. It's actually the best story because it makes sense and every line is believable. I don't mind that one at all, but why is it in a BL? There are some M/F relationship side stories in BL's but not sentimental family stories a la the Hallmark channel.

I just don't know what to make of all this. It's just a hodgepodge of different stories, written with different degrees of skill, interspersed with terrible music and hideous wigs. Good luck staying awake or making sense of any of it.

Concerning Pete's acting in the crying scene I'm going to respectfully disagree with a lot of people on here. I think the acting was completely fine, and you don't have to have tears streaming down your face when you are distraught. I rarely cry myself in public, and someone like Sky is putting on a facade of being stronger than he is. It's easy to make an actor cry, as others have said, and the director told him not to. Some of what Pete is feeling is just fear and you don't have to cry to portray that. Pete's acting has been fine in every scene and his crying scenes are no different. Maybe someone can wail more beautifully and artistically than Pete did in those scenes, but I'm not an expert on that, and I have my doubts anyone on here is.

That was incredible. Prapai is an amazing character whose sensitivity is on the level of being heroic. When he first started getting interested in Sky it was because he saw someone that was a real, decent, honest, sensitive person that had far more character than anyone that he had previously dated. Prapai might have been playing the field which is natural for a handsome, successful man in his early twenties, but he was always a good person that someone like Prayu valued, and he would be naturally drawn to someone like Sky. Sky is hypersensitive, and can get triggered at the drop of a hat, and needs someone like Prapai, who is willing to help and Prapai understands how hurt Sky is, but he doesn't know everything. Prapai didn't know what would would trigger Sky nor did he know how hurt he was from his past trauma. He's learning, though, and he tells Sky he doesn't have to tell him about what happened to him till he's ready. All you can do is learn - you'll never know everything when you first meet someone, but Prapai is doing about the best a human being can do given the circumstances. For someone you really love, you'll do almost anything, and he would have stalked Sky till he got him to relent and give in to him, and Sky wanted that to happen. Like Prapai said, he wanted him to find that notebook and read it, but he was too scared to say those words to him in the "real world". I loved how he broke down, and gives in to Prapai, because Sky knows Prapai is his only hope. The depressed, self-loathing side of him has to defeat Prapai so Sky can give in to the sort of bleak world of nothingness, of nihilism, and hellishness because so many people in Sky's shoes believe they deserve it. Some people would never give in, and they would lead lonely, miserable lives till they died. There is a spectrum of negative effects caused by trauma and it looks like Sky will make it out much happier than most, and the fairy-tale like ending he will get with Prapai is beautiful because it was achieved under a huge veil of darkness.

I absolutely loved this. It was trememdous, and some of the best scenes I've ever seen in a BL. I don't care what anyone says, that was perfect, and I cried watching it. I like the Rain, Prayu episodes but this is on another level for me. Very well done - the acting, and directing were phenomenal.

This is was a really slow episode and the weaker elements of the series are really coming to the fore. That wig of Mean's really looks like something a homeless person found in a garbage can. Why in the world does he wear it everyday? It's not hip or cool - it's just embarrassing. Mean is supposed to be the hot stud on campus, not the retiring, tasteless slob that everyone secretly cringes at whenever they come near them. That music is becoming unbearable, like nails on chalkboard. It's cheap synthesizer music from an old Casio system from the 90's. I guess they were trying to save money to spend on other more critical elements like Mean's dazzling wig selection.

The only thing I liked this episode was the scenes with Champ's family. I loved how sweet his family is, and that hug with grandpa was just so sad and touching. I liked how Champ cries after coming home from the bar. It just felt so real how he misses them. The only other scenes that were any good this episode were the scenes with Name and Em which is no surprise since they have the best written parts of this series. I continue to be amazed at how much Title is conveying with just body language, and his eyes. This might be some of the best acting I've seen in a BL, and he's improved vastly since he was in Yearbook. Every scene with Name is full of such sadness for me, and also some brief, transitory seconds of happiness, as you see those fleeting moments when he gets to experience some affection from Em. It's really some of the most touching stuff in any BL.

No, I've never seen it. Is that a Thai BL? I also don't buy young hot blooded teenagers waiting ten years to get together. This whole plotline is ridiculous. Even monks who perform vows of silence for several years have less restraint than these two.

I don't know why people are so picky about the plot. The only BL's I know of with a serious plot that would be comparable to this would be Manner of Death and Not Me. Most of the BL plots are rather sparse, and serve as nothing more than vehicle's for the romance of the male leads and the small hurdles they have to overcome to achieve the desired consummation at the end of the series. I thought the obstacles for Ayan and Akk were incredibly challenging and they had to undergo brutal psychological torture to achieve their goals. Akk has to even sacrifice his scholarship which must have been devastating for him - and you can see it when he breaks down during that little film they were making. I didn't find this plot to be cliche at all - I think people are being a little too harsh with it, and the ending with Dika was really one of the most unexpected I've seen in a BL or any series, for that matter. Yes, there were a lot of loose ends to tie up at the end, and it could have used a couple more episodes to clean that up, but these are minor issues. The overall plot was more involved than your normal one, and there were elements of intellectual exploration like when they were discussing great philosophers in class, or bringing up 1984 - and yes it was relevant to the plot. For those saying the fight against the dress code wasn't relevant, you just don't understand Thai history [and Thai history was brought up in class to address this very thing] - the dress code is very strictly enforced, and you will get into serious trouble for breaking it, so it is not a light thing like in the US. I think people were expecting something else in this series because of the trailer, but this was really a very substantial series, and you could draw something out of it - understanding the challenges of mental illness, anti-authoritarian political insights, the struggles of LGBTQ+ teenagers in a difficult environment, etc. If it doesn't offer direct insights, the show at least provides a framework for thinking about these issues. The romance of the mains was set in a much more interesting environment, and was greatly enhanced because of this. I think the thought that Ayan and Akk's relationship was staid and boring is just kind of silly - they had constant emotional struggles that they faced together and that really made the dynamic of the relationship far more interesting than the vast majority of BL's.

Considering this was made by the same team that made Yearbook, thank you for getting rid of the flashbacks. Well, there was one this episode, but that's definitely acceptable. Now you have to work on the wigs, and the music editing for the next one.

What a mixed bag of a show. I love the nostalgia but the editing is so poor, especially the music - could it be more in your face and repetitive? I seriously love some of the storylines especially the one with No Name - I think that's the best one, by far. I was just awestruck by that parting with Em when he leaves for Bangkok. The look of desolation on No Name's face was just really stark - what he conveyed with his eyes there was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in a BL or any other drama. I mean he looked so forlorn, like at the deepest level. What great acting - I was totally impressed. The director did a great job in that scene as well, and I like the the shots where the wind was sweeping No Name's hair over his eyes - it was just done with artistic finesse.

It's odd thinking of this scene juxtaposed with the one where we see that hideous wig of Mean's, and the horrible scene in the bar which was pure ugliness. I really hate that one ugly chord that was played endlessly in the background, and who wants to see a hetero frat-like scene in a BL. I also don't understand the story-line where the two guys are corresponding over 10 years and never meeting. I mean acne is not a good enough reason to avoid someone. It seems very shallow of him, and he even got over the acne, so now there's not even a fig-leaf of an excuse. It makes no sense. It's just a series that's kind of all over the place, but I'm definitely enjoying certain parts of it, especially any part with No Name.

It's just a pretty funny job, and their execution of it is hilarious

Huh? Is that like possible. Ok, have fun! I'm watching this for weird reasons, but it's no problem that you get a kick out of it.

I love those names, Park and Pong - that's the best writing in the whole script. Just perfect.
I would love to see those two in their own comedic BL - that would be a classic. You could even keep Yai as their boss - it all seems to work well together. I love how silly their job is, and how we don't even know exactly what it is, and why would anyone pick them for it - it's like when Mr. Bean is picked to be the person watching over the painting of Whistler's mother.

This is just such a strange little show. I am still watching this mainly for the body guards who are by far the most entertaining thing in this series [still the main characters for me]. I have no idea what's interesting about the ML's, and they have much less screen time than they should to allow some development what with all the random girls [and 1 guy] thrown at them. I don't know what those other characters are even there for except some random slice of life scenery. This is a nice BL to play in the background while you do other things like clipping your nose hairs - some of those hairs are hard to get to and require patience. Don't worry, you won't hurt yourself because this series requires very little concentration. I wish they had some more wild, and tumultuous nonsense like Unforgotten Night, but we gots what we got here, and I'm here for the subtle, insipid nonsense which is somehow entertaining in it's own unique way. I mean it's so weird that it does make me laugh. At the end when they were fighting over the girl, that was just so funny, like none of it made any sense then it suddenly starts raining on them.

I understand your perspective completely. It does feel a little rushed at the end. Its always good to hear different views. I wasn’t even thinking about what you’re talking about and I definitely think its changed my views a bit on the ending.

Right - I can agree with that. About Chadok I feel he left after he finally confronted his feelings about Dika. I think that is the intuitive answer. His motivations seemed to center around the school before Dika and he went back to that after Dika died, probably as a way to cope with his loss. I think he resigned because he didn't agree with suspending Akk and Thua, and he probably didn't want to be a part of a system that he could clearly see was hurting people he cared about directly - and he must feel that he is really behind the curse so it would be unfair to suspend those two for taking the blame for it. I think this might have been spelled out better, but I think this should be intuitive enough that the director felt that they didn't have to explain it.

The school probably changed because the curse and the propaganda is gone with Chadok not supporting it. It's also been revealed and it can't be done again, or recreated. The principal could always use new techniques, but she did seem to have some change of heart after Chadok gave her his resignation. Again this is an intuitive ending. Things had to get better when the villains are all gone, or to have at least changed. It would kind of be more odd if they just remained the same. The school could still be very strict, and we can't see that part. Only the treatment of The World Remembers group has improved but why shouldn't it? They were literally targeted for murder, as well as all sorts of other harassment - they should be treated better. They literally should be suing the school and the whole place should have changed drastically.

Maybe 1000 Stars also, but I agree with this. They waste too much time on meaningless fluff, fan-service junk

What questions were left unanswered? Just curious - not criticizing you in any way

Really a well written series. I love how they've built up this romance from their childhood, and I'm really moved by the emotional confession scene of Earth - it was really powerful. He really conveyed all the pain of that 4 year separation and a lifetime of longing for his lover there. Santa's an amazing actor and everything about him is sexy, his moves, his voice, his everything - I'm getting hot flashes watching him. This is just an amazing show that deserves all the praise it's getting.

First is really a very kind and gentle person offscreen and he's a superb actor that seems to constantly improve onscreen. The character he played was very challenging and I think he captured the incredible pressure he was under while he was trying to be a decent person. His parents were really angelic, almost to the point of being unreal. The father seemed like a monk who has achieved Nirvana, and is almost too good to be real, even for a BL. I can see where Akk would get his good side from, and that is why he suffered so much while doing all those terrible things. I think First captured this perfectly. Ayan's character was so complex and his mental illness compounded with his struggle against the school was totally captured by Khaotung. I really also loved all his sassiness in his love relationship with Akk. Neo did beautifully with a character that was struggling to come out, and you can trace all the various stages from his intial fear to when he comes out pretty boldly in front of the whole school. I really think Louis did a great job with Thua, irrespective of how he outed his friends in the end. Every character in this series is complex, including the principal who really showed a vulnerable side after Chadok gives her his resignation. I think the actress who played her was just totally commanding in that role - she would scare me shitless if I were one of her students. The actor who played Chadok was amazing - he played the ruthless dictatorial type as flawlessly as he played the sensitive gay lover.

Overall this was a series about the characters and the plot was just a vehicle for the expression of the characters' emotions and struggles. I don't think the plot mattered that much, but it did have enough suspense that it was still much more substantial than your normal BL - just compare it to something like Love by Chance, 2gether, Dark Blue Kiss, etc. I'm glad the supernatural element was never used, and I don't think it would have fit into the plot very well. The supernatural was just a tool of propaganda which was more a clever use for it than having it be literal, anyway. There was a lot of postive LGBTQ messaging throughout this series including the gay cafe, and the very positive depiction of the femmy gay characters from the World Remembers group. Overall, this was a fantastic series that is definitely one of the best BL's of the year. There has been a long run of bad GMMTV series, and this is the only one that was substantial so far this year. I'm going to miss it, and I look forward to more series with First and Khaotung, two of the most talented actors out there [along with Neo].