This review may contain spoilers
This series is nearly the perfect BL for those looking for an escapist, comforting drama. For many of us that is the essence of BL dramas and few BL’s seem to deliver it. They are trying hard to be something else. This series focuses on the essentials and does it with nearly perfect execution. Yet it is not too syrupy, drowning in excessive cuteness. It has its serious side exploring one of the main’s extreme psychological torment caused by his neglectful parents.
The main strength of this drama is the effortless chemistry of the two leading characters, and their perfect execution of the characters depicted in the novel. Even though the main character is sort of buffoonish, he has a more serious side. The actor TeeTee does both sides of his character exceptionally well, and is really an extraordinary actor. The script is pretty faithful and is in total sync with the characters, and their personalities. Duang is almost always clownish in a really over-the-top way, but when he needs to dial it back, he’s able be very sober, mature, and judicious. The actor who plays Duang really captures the duality of this character flawlessly. The other main, played by Por has several layers to his character that he brings out with a lot of subtlety. Even though he has a mostly deadened exterior façade, he is able to reveal glimpses of other sides of his character with a slight smile, a softening of his facial expressions, or a slight longing look. He’s able to reveal his love for Duang with these even if he seems mostly stern or aloof. Por is able to also show his vulnerable, damaged side with some great portrayals of anguish. When he’s crying, revealing how his old nanny abused him, Por captures how Quin is not able to fully express himself because of his inhibitions, his natural inclination to never reveal weakness. This is really subtle acting on a high level.
What is also on a high level is the natural interaction between Duang and Quin which both actors pursue at a level that is possibly the best ever in any BL ever made. The characters feel totally comfortable with each other, meaning they don’t have the smallest hint of what I consider the inability to convey attraction between men prevalent throughout the BL industry. I’m not saying that other shows don’t have two mains that are pulling off the male attraction thing, but there is always a remnant of that feeling of unease and discomfort. I want people to think of gay actors that can easily pull off heterosexual roles, where no one even thought those actor’s where unable to convey their physical attraction to a woman. I still think the male actors in the BL industry still struggle to a large extent with this. This show reveals the path forward – this is how it’s supposed to be done. It’s not just the sexual attraction part, but how Duang comforts Quin when he’s crying in front of him. Its how they hold each other, and look into each other’s eyes with such affection. He’s acting like his partner in every way that it is possible to be a partner. This is acting which is fully committed to the role. Again, that’s what’s missing in most BL’s, and why this show is exceptional. Even the secondary couple has this. It’s something to do with the overall direction of the show.
There are several other aspects of the series which are exceptional. The script is really well done, avoiding a lot of the miscommunications which plague BL’s. It also avoids a lot of the tropes like ghosting, toxic girlfriends, and screeching ladyboys. Conflicts are handled in a matter of minutes rather than lasting for several episodes. This is critical, in my opinion, for BL’s to progress. Using the crutch of misunderstandings to create fake drama is an example of weak writing which is commonplace throughout BL’s. These are confident scriptwriters that allow their characters to communicate effectively. If we don’t have effective communication then our main characters are always portrayed as being a little pathological, cruel to their partner, indifferent, or just plain stupid. What does that say about gay people? I’m sure they don’t intend it, but this would be the natural takeaway for people after seeing hundreds of examples of this in various BL’s.
The script is also paced so well that there is never a dull moment despite the fact that there are hardly any dramatic events in the drama. Other than Quin’s confrontation with his parents which lasted a couple of minutes, there is no serious conflict in this series. What keeps the series going are just everyday conversations that somehow still capture our interest while moving the story along. There are no dead spaces. What is conveyed is a subtle psychological portrait of the characters and the dynamics of their relationships. With strong writing this is enough to keep our interest. Two characters with totally different personalities and how they interact is what is keeping our attention, and it really is enough. You can get into how Duang slowly melts Quin’s icy façade over several episodes, and how their trust in each other grows from episode to episode. How Duang is so loving and authentic is real entertainment, somehow, and how Quin can slowly evolve to reveal more of his emotions – his love for Duang, and his anguish over his past abuse is what captivates us. How could this possibly be enough? It’s done all the time in various other dramas, and art house productions. It’s definitely doable in a BL. In fact, BL’s are the perfect place to do this because they don’t rely as heavily on conflicts as virtually every other genre – just think of horror, action dramas, science fiction, etc. It just requires strong writing to accomplish this.
Every character plays their part well around the central characters. The friends of Duang and Quin, are perfect in their roles. They are also able to communicate effectively and this lends them a greater sense of credibility (again missing in most BL’s). The whole sense is of organic relationships that people can get behind and get interested in. In addition, there is a good sense of integration of all the characters into a cohesive whole. Just look how Mavis and Jamie’s relationship helps the overall show. Jamie and Mavis talk about Duang and Quin in their segments and their comments flesh out their relationship as well as developing Jamie’s character’s relationship with Duang. This is world-building that enhances the drama, giving it a sense of palpability which is essential to our participation and immersion in the series. The rest of Duang and Quin’s friends are also incorporated in a totally inclusive and integral way. They show some natural conflict between each other, but they resolve it like normal people, rather than treating every disagreement like some world-ending event. The friends also understand Duang and Quin better than they do themselves, most of the time, and provide a lot of good commentary – done in a pretty comical and entertaining way. Duang’s family is also perfect in how they help in understanding Duang’s personality traits. They are the total embodiment of how Duang became the way he is, and provide the perfect backstory, and backdrop, which is, again, great world-building. Quin’s parents also serve this role and provide the essential guidebook to Quin’s character.
I think it’s all about the details, and keeping things realistic. This is aided by the fact that the characters are not at all one-sided, and that they are relatable. Duang is not just an adorable golden-retriever, but can be depressed when the situation merits that kind of reaction, or he can dampen his goofiness when he’s in bed with Quin. Quin bullies Duang, but it’s just light bullying, and only to draw a few boundaries between Duang and himself. Duang likes to goad Quin by acting extra silly but it’s only to get his attention, not because he’s a totally supercilious character. These are people that are relatable, without any strong pathologies. It’s what draws us to them, and makes us fully involved with their characters.
Overall, this is one of the best BL’s ever made, in my opinion. It is bound to become a classic. It’s really strong in every area, including the cinematography and the music score. I love the OST, and most of the songs they’ve had throughout the series which accentuate the mood of many scenes. The lighting is also skillfully applied during the romantic episodes.
This is probably Domundi’s best series, and I hope they continue their winning streak.
We definitely could use an alternative to GMMTV. The only drawback for this series is the quick redemption arc for the parents. Those guys should never have been given a pass for years of neglect, and their attitude when Quinn was confronting them was totally unacceptable. Those two need years of therapy, and perhaps Quin’s confronting them would be the doorway for them to become cognizant of their pretty serious psychological issues. My suggestion is give us a Season Two where Quin can confront them again, and we can have some better resolution to this. As it is, this is still one of the best BL’s ever made, and I really hope we get a Season Two – they would be crazy not to make one. Even if it’s just out of greed to make money off the success of this series, I’d be happy if Domundi did it. At least give Teetee and Por another series in the near future. They definitely deserve it.
The main strength of this drama is the effortless chemistry of the two leading characters, and their perfect execution of the characters depicted in the novel. Even though the main character is sort of buffoonish, he has a more serious side. The actor TeeTee does both sides of his character exceptionally well, and is really an extraordinary actor. The script is pretty faithful and is in total sync with the characters, and their personalities. Duang is almost always clownish in a really over-the-top way, but when he needs to dial it back, he’s able be very sober, mature, and judicious. The actor who plays Duang really captures the duality of this character flawlessly. The other main, played by Por has several layers to his character that he brings out with a lot of subtlety. Even though he has a mostly deadened exterior façade, he is able to reveal glimpses of other sides of his character with a slight smile, a softening of his facial expressions, or a slight longing look. He’s able to reveal his love for Duang with these even if he seems mostly stern or aloof. Por is able to also show his vulnerable, damaged side with some great portrayals of anguish. When he’s crying, revealing how his old nanny abused him, Por captures how Quin is not able to fully express himself because of his inhibitions, his natural inclination to never reveal weakness. This is really subtle acting on a high level.
What is also on a high level is the natural interaction between Duang and Quin which both actors pursue at a level that is possibly the best ever in any BL ever made. The characters feel totally comfortable with each other, meaning they don’t have the smallest hint of what I consider the inability to convey attraction between men prevalent throughout the BL industry. I’m not saying that other shows don’t have two mains that are pulling off the male attraction thing, but there is always a remnant of that feeling of unease and discomfort. I want people to think of gay actors that can easily pull off heterosexual roles, where no one even thought those actor’s where unable to convey their physical attraction to a woman. I still think the male actors in the BL industry still struggle to a large extent with this. This show reveals the path forward – this is how it’s supposed to be done. It’s not just the sexual attraction part, but how Duang comforts Quin when he’s crying in front of him. Its how they hold each other, and look into each other’s eyes with such affection. He’s acting like his partner in every way that it is possible to be a partner. This is acting which is fully committed to the role. Again, that’s what’s missing in most BL’s, and why this show is exceptional. Even the secondary couple has this. It’s something to do with the overall direction of the show.
There are several other aspects of the series which are exceptional. The script is really well done, avoiding a lot of the miscommunications which plague BL’s. It also avoids a lot of the tropes like ghosting, toxic girlfriends, and screeching ladyboys. Conflicts are handled in a matter of minutes rather than lasting for several episodes. This is critical, in my opinion, for BL’s to progress. Using the crutch of misunderstandings to create fake drama is an example of weak writing which is commonplace throughout BL’s. These are confident scriptwriters that allow their characters to communicate effectively. If we don’t have effective communication then our main characters are always portrayed as being a little pathological, cruel to their partner, indifferent, or just plain stupid. What does that say about gay people? I’m sure they don’t intend it, but this would be the natural takeaway for people after seeing hundreds of examples of this in various BL’s.
The script is also paced so well that there is never a dull moment despite the fact that there are hardly any dramatic events in the drama. Other than Quin’s confrontation with his parents which lasted a couple of minutes, there is no serious conflict in this series. What keeps the series going are just everyday conversations that somehow still capture our interest while moving the story along. There are no dead spaces. What is conveyed is a subtle psychological portrait of the characters and the dynamics of their relationships. With strong writing this is enough to keep our interest. Two characters with totally different personalities and how they interact is what is keeping our attention, and it really is enough. You can get into how Duang slowly melts Quin’s icy façade over several episodes, and how their trust in each other grows from episode to episode. How Duang is so loving and authentic is real entertainment, somehow, and how Quin can slowly evolve to reveal more of his emotions – his love for Duang, and his anguish over his past abuse is what captivates us. How could this possibly be enough? It’s done all the time in various other dramas, and art house productions. It’s definitely doable in a BL. In fact, BL’s are the perfect place to do this because they don’t rely as heavily on conflicts as virtually every other genre – just think of horror, action dramas, science fiction, etc. It just requires strong writing to accomplish this.
Every character plays their part well around the central characters. The friends of Duang and Quin, are perfect in their roles. They are also able to communicate effectively and this lends them a greater sense of credibility (again missing in most BL’s). The whole sense is of organic relationships that people can get behind and get interested in. In addition, there is a good sense of integration of all the characters into a cohesive whole. Just look how Mavis and Jamie’s relationship helps the overall show. Jamie and Mavis talk about Duang and Quin in their segments and their comments flesh out their relationship as well as developing Jamie’s character’s relationship with Duang. This is world-building that enhances the drama, giving it a sense of palpability which is essential to our participation and immersion in the series. The rest of Duang and Quin’s friends are also incorporated in a totally inclusive and integral way. They show some natural conflict between each other, but they resolve it like normal people, rather than treating every disagreement like some world-ending event. The friends also understand Duang and Quin better than they do themselves, most of the time, and provide a lot of good commentary – done in a pretty comical and entertaining way. Duang’s family is also perfect in how they help in understanding Duang’s personality traits. They are the total embodiment of how Duang became the way he is, and provide the perfect backstory, and backdrop, which is, again, great world-building. Quin’s parents also serve this role and provide the essential guidebook to Quin’s character.
I think it’s all about the details, and keeping things realistic. This is aided by the fact that the characters are not at all one-sided, and that they are relatable. Duang is not just an adorable golden-retriever, but can be depressed when the situation merits that kind of reaction, or he can dampen his goofiness when he’s in bed with Quin. Quin bullies Duang, but it’s just light bullying, and only to draw a few boundaries between Duang and himself. Duang likes to goad Quin by acting extra silly but it’s only to get his attention, not because he’s a totally supercilious character. These are people that are relatable, without any strong pathologies. It’s what draws us to them, and makes us fully involved with their characters.
Overall, this is one of the best BL’s ever made, in my opinion. It is bound to become a classic. It’s really strong in every area, including the cinematography and the music score. I love the OST, and most of the songs they’ve had throughout the series which accentuate the mood of many scenes. The lighting is also skillfully applied during the romantic episodes.
This is probably Domundi’s best series, and I hope they continue their winning streak.
We definitely could use an alternative to GMMTV. The only drawback for this series is the quick redemption arc for the parents. Those guys should never have been given a pass for years of neglect, and their attitude when Quinn was confronting them was totally unacceptable. Those two need years of therapy, and perhaps Quin’s confronting them would be the doorway for them to become cognizant of their pretty serious psychological issues. My suggestion is give us a Season Two where Quin can confront them again, and we can have some better resolution to this. As it is, this is still one of the best BL’s ever made, and I really hope we get a Season Two – they would be crazy not to make one. Even if it’s just out of greed to make money off the success of this series, I’d be happy if Domundi did it. At least give Teetee and Por another series in the near future. They definitely deserve it.
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