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Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! (Uncut Ver.)
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by seakeenstrawberry
The fun campy action thriller BL of my dreams
When I was a kid, my father used to take me to the theater to see all of the big budget Hollywood action flicks he could find. Explosions. Hot women. Quippy one-liners. Fast cars. You name it. It was exciting, and fun, and something my father and I really bonded over, though there was always a small nagging suspicion in the back of my head that something was missing. As an adult, watching Jack and Joker, I realized that it was that I never got to see myself portrayed in said stories.
So imagine my absolute glee when I popped in the first episode of Jack and Joker and it starred two complex interesting characters, who just so happened to both be men, and not only that, but they were blatantly into each other. Each episode proceeded to just wow me in how natural it felt to have two queer leads in a complex story of family, class disparity, crime, and sentimentality. They really build a world you can live in in this story, and you find yourself really caring for the various colorful characters, from sopping wet tech guy Tattoo, to the lovable sassy Toi Ting. Is this a deeply Thai drama? Yes, which means you've got your typical pacing issues in chunks of the story and lots of over the top campy humor moments complete with a bunch of obnoxious sound effects. But behind the usual trappings is a deeply human beating heart and a story of a downtrodden community brought together because of the Love and Passion of two men with hearts of gold.
I've seen a LOT of Thai dramas, the flaws in this didn't bother me in the slightest, but I know not everyone will enjoy the pace and tone of this beast of a project. But I had a blast from start to finish. It was just so much fun. I loved the characters and their dynamics. I loved Jack and Joker's slow burn romance. I found the world and story, though deeply campy and flawed, super engaging.
Art is beautiful because it is imperfect, and this show moved me deeply despite its flaws. If you are thinking about going into this, ignore the hype, ignore the haters, and just try and enjoy the show for what it is. It's the fun campy action thriller BL of my dreams, and maybe it could be yours too.
So imagine my absolute glee when I popped in the first episode of Jack and Joker and it starred two complex interesting characters, who just so happened to both be men, and not only that, but they were blatantly into each other. Each episode proceeded to just wow me in how natural it felt to have two queer leads in a complex story of family, class disparity, crime, and sentimentality. They really build a world you can live in in this story, and you find yourself really caring for the various colorful characters, from sopping wet tech guy Tattoo, to the lovable sassy Toi Ting. Is this a deeply Thai drama? Yes, which means you've got your typical pacing issues in chunks of the story and lots of over the top campy humor moments complete with a bunch of obnoxious sound effects. But behind the usual trappings is a deeply human beating heart and a story of a downtrodden community brought together because of the Love and Passion of two men with hearts of gold.
I've seen a LOT of Thai dramas, the flaws in this didn't bother me in the slightest, but I know not everyone will enjoy the pace and tone of this beast of a project. But I had a blast from start to finish. It was just so much fun. I loved the characters and their dynamics. I loved Jack and Joker's slow burn romance. I found the world and story, though deeply campy and flawed, super engaging.
Art is beautiful because it is imperfect, and this show moved me deeply despite its flaws. If you are thinking about going into this, ignore the hype, ignore the haters, and just try and enjoy the show for what it is. It's the fun campy action thriller BL of my dreams, and maybe it could be yours too.
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