2 Moons 2 (2019)

ANOTHER REBOOT

Everyone seems to be on the same page here about this series.

Another d*mn reboot. Why the Thai BL industry thinks this is cool is beyond me. Nearly every BL uses all the same tropes, enemies to lovers, high school crushes to college lovers, naive innocent nerd and popular elder classmate, Campus Moons, etc. So if you're going to make a series with all these tropes (especially if you're doing it with an entirely new cast), why not just create a new story - rather than force us to watch the same characters in the same scenes, with the same outcomes. If I wanted to see Pha and Wayo in EXACTLY the same story, I'd just go back and re-watch S1 (ps: I don't). I asked this in the comments section, but I'll ask it again here -- does the Thai TV industry do this with hetero series? Or do they feel that only the BL audience is pathetic enough to feed the same sh*t twice and call it S2? So frustrating.

That said, I found S2 much better than S1. I hated S1. The only thing I liked were all the side characters, but virtually everything else about it was horrible. Here, they suffer from the same casting issues... the two main characters are the least interesting and least charismatic of the actors and the side characters and actors are all much better and more interesting to watch. But thankfully, it's not as cloying and melodramatic. The pacing is much better and the direction is serviceable, although not memorable, but at times the cinematography felt phoned in.

The story is the same as S1. Yes, they truncate a lot of the action into fewer episodes, so they can focus more on the 2nd and 3rd couples, but even some of that is just a retread of S1. Is it compelling, interesting, fresh? No. It's all the same we've seen in every other BL as well. By shortening the MC's story, they actually removed some of the drama and conflict that occurred between the two. Both side couples have the same story. One aggressive pursuer, the other initially reluctant. There aren't any real conflicts between the two side couples. They introduce some drama and conflict late in the series when Pring and Park stir up trouble, but it's over and easily resolved. All that to say, don't come for the story.

There are plenty of questionable story choices. Wayo asking Park to the movies is so far out of character it makes no sense. Kit's got conservative Chinese parents, but he brings Ming home with him. Kit's brother's about-face in one evening. Beam's sudden attraction to Kit. But everything flies by in a flash and there is so little real weight given to any moment that none of it was horrible.

However, I wish the producers looked a bit harder at some of the messages they send. Pha is possessive with clear anger issues. I'm not a fan of people saying things like "you belong to me" and telling their boyfriends they can't do things without approval. People are not objects to be owned, and they have outside relationships that should be allowed to continue. Get jealous if you need to, but allow your BF to have his own life. Were these novels written in the 50s? Ming is too aggressive. Kit tells him countless times to back off, but he doesn't. Yes, that's their story - but what kind of a message does it send? Stalk people and eventually you'll wear them down? Forth is not quite as bad/aggressive, pursuing Beam, but maybe they could have tried to tell two different types of love stories, instead of just the same story with different characters.

The one thing I did enjoy this time around was the Angel Gang. There are some moments where they are treated as comic relief, but for the most part they are accepted by everyone (of course, everyone in this entire series is gay, so maybe that's why). They act as good friends, protectors and even help resolve some of the conflict. While they are stereotypes with no real dimension, they are not played with just the right amount of "over-the-top" qualities. I actually wanted to know them all more (c'mon... who wouldn't watch the twins in a ship with Ming?)

It's the incredibly handsome cast you should come and see. Again, the MC are the least appealling, but Ming, Kit and Forth are all worth watching. Wayo is horrible. He doesn't fit this character at all. There was nothing natural about his performance. Pha has some minor appeal. He's not an actor I would cast in a lead soon, but I think he can grow into a decent actor (He reminds me a lot of the actor Marc who plays Itt in MGAYG.). Ming is just adorable. Quite charming and obviously can do a lot more. And he's got a bit of a belly (at least from what I can tell). I love a funny boy with an average bod! Kit is my ideal. I would so fall for this guy IRL. I know some did not care for his acting, but I found it believable. He has a tough job playing the "i'm pretending to be angry while I'm secretly melting inside" and I thought he toed that line quite well. Even Beam is good, with the little he's got. Yes, his sudden attraction to Kit comes from out of nowhere, but you can't blame the actor for bad writing. Both Beam and Kit are so cute when they are being flirted with and trying to hide their excitement. Those sweet moments were everything. But Forth is the stand-out. This guy is destined to be a BIG STAR.

Here's another question... are any of these actors 100% Thai? Many of them didn't even look Asian. I know this is a big issue with Thai and all Asian entertainment... the light skinned, mixed race-looking actors are promoted above the more indigenous looking actors. But honestly, this cast could have been from Europe.

I enjoyed the intimacy. I admit, I do watch these series with the hopes of seeing boys kissing (even just a little peck is fine). Yes, I want great characters and a good story, but a little steam never hurts. Pha and Yo at least seem like a real couple. There is some decent chemistry between the two. And while Yo is that odd character who remains freaked out about intimacy long after they are a couple (even though he's been lusting after Pha for YEARS... like he hasn't imagined them kissing or having sex before!) I felt they handled the first sex scene well and even appreciated cutting away before any clothes were removed. I could loop the moment where Yo comes out of the shower in a towel to find Pha and Forth staring at him. I was thankful they actually acknowledged that boys have sex with Forth and Beam, and that sometimes you have sex for the wrong reasons, and that sometimes you have sex on the first night and that sometimes that can lead to actual feelings. That's real. It was laughable when Beam climbed into the hospital bed with Forth, but I forgave that moment, since it was so late in the series and I knew they had to ship these two before the lights faded out.

All in all, a piece o light, retreaded cliche fluff that I still enjoyed. I won't watch it again. It's just not compelling enough. But nothing angered me here. It feels more like great background tv while I'm doing chores than something that requires all my attention. I hope there is no S3.

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Did I watch this franchise correctly?

First and foremost, I have yet to watch the sequel (2 Moons: The Ambassador) so I do not know what happens there yet.

But so far, from what I understand, because of studio politics and such, there will be a completely new cast for the next installment. When I read reviews about a new cast, I thought people were referring to the change from the 2017 version of 2 Moons verses the 2019 version 2 Moons 2. Now, I realize there will be a third completely different cast playing the main characters, as if relearning who is who once was not enough.

Also, when I started watching this version, I thought it was going to be the exact same thing and I was wondering why on earth did they redo it when the first one was fine as it is? Then I realized that it was more like a recap as the 12 episodes of 2 Moons is actually only 4 episodes of 2Moons 2 with the rest of the series being a continuation.

I think both were worth the watch and both have actors I prefer in the role over their counterpart. It's a confusing situation and now I question if I was supposed to watch it in order it was released. At least this wasn't as bad as when they start making prequels, spin-offs and "sister series."

I quite enjoyed the series as a whole, even if it wasn't mindblowing. So many school tropes and unnecessary misunderstandings but it's to be expected. One thing I didn't really understand was why they were playing up the villain theme music for Park every time he showed up and why the characters were treating him as such BEFORE he actually did anything bad. He was a boy with a crush but he essentially backed off when Pha finally claimed Yo. And then Yo flat out uses Park to make Pha jealous then ditches him at the movie theater. Now, I'm not saying Park taking revenge was justified as revenge so rarely is. But seriously, Yo made a dick move and a petty one at that which essentially created a villain. This trope of playing mind games in a relationship is so overused and really is childish.

I very well may change my tune after watching the next instalment and, hopefully, they will be older and wiser next time around. Though, according to other reviews I've already seen for it, I'm not holding my breath.

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Series playful series

I enjoy the series a lot. The characters and actors have very good chemistry and growth, which for me is important. my favorites are Bean and Forth as a couple. I just wish the side characters had more relationship time than the leads. I was not a fan of Wayo at all, to be honest, I found him to be annoying and childlike always. I feel the characters could have done better. I love the rest of the cast and c- stars were fun. The story had a nice flow to it and it was nice to see all the couples come together. Sadly for me, the only down part was Wayo and his character, the actor looks to be good, but the outline and play of the character were horribly annoying, and felt more like a high schooler than a college student, this boyfriend was right when he said he is a grown man and needs to grow up and think before he acts. Otherwise, the series was great, I just wish the following series kept the same cast and storyline as it would have flowed better since season 3 was a bit horrible.

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Worth watching

First time reviewing, but after reading all the others, I just had to add my two cents.

I watched 2 Moons and 2 Moons 2 back to back. I read all the reviews, spoilers included, to prepare me for the best and the worst of both shows. This is what I have to say about it all.

They are both enjoyable!

2 Moons, for the short series that it was, was a great show! The actors pulled off their roles well and though the story seemed to drag on just a bit, it was a decent story for what was a good 1st season.

Now, 2 Moons 2 is a sequel. But not really.
First, the main cast has completely changed. I heard it was because of production/studio issues. Second, 2 Moons 2 is more of a remake, the first 4 episodes are essentially the whole of "Season 1" smooshed together and retold.
(And it's not bad.) The only problem I had with 2 Moons was the pacing, it seemed to drag on for me in places. 2 Moons 2 took the major plot points and moved the story along well.

After the remade first 4 eps, we get into the rest of the story. Pha and Wayo are a cute couple, although they have jealousy issues and to make matters worse, they are given antagonists that are a bit too creepy for me. I found Park really stalker-esque right away and honestly had a hard time watching any scenes with him in them. However, I did not appreciate Wayo's behavior towards him in episode 11. All he should've done was talk out his anger/jealousy issues with Pha instead of try to use a psycho as revenge. Communication, people! Solves a lot of problems. Pring is just a bi**h.

Ming and Kit were a bit of a treat for me. I loved Kim and Copter in the first roles, so I was hesitant to see how the new actors would fill their shoes. I LOVED them!! ? These two were perfect for the roles and played them sooo much better than I thought they would. Ming, being the confident man that he is, went after Kit with all he had and though Kit kept up his stance that he just wasn't interested, everyone could tell that he definitely was. I liked how Ming did, in fact, back off for a bit, showing Kit that he really did have feelings for him instead of being a huge pain in the ass by constantly not taking "no" for an answer. When they met Kit's family, I honestly thought it was going to be so much worse than it was, (still hate Kit's brother though) and the sweetness they shared was absolutely adorable.

Now, onto couple three, Beam and Forth. Okay, first things first, WHAT?!
I really didn't understand where this couple came from at all. Are they cute together? Yes.
Are they both hot as s**t? Yes. But falling in love immediately after a drunken one night stand? Not very believable to me. Forth originally liked Wayo, love triangle ensued, then choice made, Forth was out, but still a friend. Makes sense. Then all of a sudden we have a long time secret crush of Beam to Kit?! Nothing leading into it...no clues....it was so out there, all I could do was shake my head and just keep watching to see what happened next. Then the infamous night of drinking to drown their sorrows of lost love only to fall into each others arms and come out the next morning with one of them suddenly ready to make a go at a new relationship. This whole storyline had me confused. Don't get me wrong...they were cute together and in the end, I truly enjoyed watching their scenes, but I just had a hard time believing the whole thing. (BTW: Forth goes shirtless a couple of times....so feel free to enjoy that!!)

The fact that they made each couple different was a plus for me. I prefer a multi-couple show where they each have something special.
Pha and Wayo: "unrequited" high school crush
Ming and Kit: Younger pursues older, the chase
Beam and Forth: sexy times and friends to lovers.

The ending had me wanting to outright kill Park. Not kidding, I felt murderous rage. I knew he was a psycho and I can only hope he gets a damn good punishment in the next season. That punch was so not enough.

In conclusion, this show is definitely worth watching, whether you like it or hate it in the end, is entirely up to you, but for me, overall it was pretty good. I will probably go back and rewatch it after a while.

I am definitely interested in seeing 2 Moons 3 when it comes out, although, I haven't heard too much about it yet.

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Much Better this time!

Watched in 2019 but finally got my review in.

So much better than the first to me. Better actor chemistry and retelling of story. You feel the whole cast is more connected as well. The main actors playing the main leads felt more believable in their roles.

The side characters have more time and development. For me there were times I preferred watching Forth /Beam and Kit/Ming more as we didn’t get their stories in the first edition.

I think Aam Ansuron got it right. He really pushed for better dialogue and conversations and knew how to direct his cast.

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Pavel and Chen…

So I recently watched this and I know I’m late to the party lol…I watched this because I recently finished Pit Babe and wanted to see more Pavel. I was surprised to see Chen in this also so I was happy about that since I love him in GMMTV series. The plot was decent but I hated the cliffhanger especially since I know we aren’t getting a “2 Moons 3”. I didn’t watch 2 Moons but I wasn’t confused on the plot (you don’t have to watch 2 Moons before this one). I like all the couples and enjoyed that they all got their own moments within the show. It was a little boring at times and the plot was lacking in moments. I probably would’ve rated it higher if I had watched it in 2019 since the theme of the story fits that era better than in 2024. I loved Ben’s character in this one and the communication between the couples was decent (miscommunication is so common in BL which is something I dislike). I think the acting was decent but I’ve seen majority of the actors in more recent BLs and can see that they have improved a lot.

Overall it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t my favorite. It could’ve been better at times but for the time it was airing, I can definitely see it being popular. I wasn’t bother by the cast change from the first season since I didn’t watch it but I enjoyed this cast as a whole.

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THIS ELEVATE WHAT SEEMED TO BE SOMETHING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FIRST SEASON JUST SAYIN'

Well this sequel/adaptation put a bit of color that is missing from the first season. This has its ups and downs that I think everyone notices, not only me. When you compare these two seasons, season 2 has more tension than the first one. While this season improved on something, it degrade on something too. The story was just the same but there are more that are unfortunately cut in EP 12. So I'll just rush you to this sequel's ups and downs.

UPS (improvements)
•Wayo has more personality here. Din really made him a bit sassy and showing wide ranges of emotions compared to Bas. Bas, on the other hand, kept his shy demeanor all throughout the show. He's not that showy of his feelings and emotions when needed. I got to witness angry Wayo, jealous Wayo, flirtatious Wayo and bitchy Wayo (I mean when he thought Pha treat him pink milk. When he found out that everyone was treated as well, he disposed off the drink and kick the bin aggressively lol).
•ForthBeam moved!!! Their romance here is pure gem. Obviously way better than the first season!! They had one-night something hahaha. Then from that and all the confusion inside Beam's head, they dated and ended up together! Good for them.
•Forth's portrayal has been given JUSTICE!!! From the awful portrayal of Forth, this season delivered by casting Pavel. He really did his part and just like Din, he showed emotions enough to make the viewers think that he deserves to be in this series. The emotion and all are felt. Probably the best actor in the cast. Nah we're not going to talk about the other one's portrayal lol.
•Dome's portrayal of Beam is great. He got to show more about Beam being a bot hahaha. More moody than the first Beam. I think Pavel and Dome really put colors into this formerly uninteresting couple.
•Nine got the sassy kicks!!! No offense to Copter, Nine really seemed like a moody girl who needs attention consistently. He really has this sassy behavior that I felt has some more oomph than Copter. He really lived by bottom's usual behavior; mean, sulking and sassy hahahaha.
•Green remained!! This one actor was and will forever be an eye candy just like Kimmon and Tee. Surprised he's the only one who came back for the sequel, everyone changed. I thought for his cuteness, I wished he's shown more despite being a minor character.
•Rushed properly. What I mean, this sequel also retold what happened in the first season but with fast pacing. They never drag it for long but kept it short and sweet within three episodes. The rest continuation.


So now we're gonna talk about the downside of this sequel.

DOWNS
•Chen (Joong) as Ming is probably not a good option. Don't get me wrong, I'm obsessed how cute and handsome he looks in every scene but he never relive the behavior of Ming that permeates within Kimmon when needed. He's more mellow which is something I kinda less favor. Kimmon did it better. It's just, maybe, bcuz producers can't find another Kimmon so Chen replaced him.
•Problematic characters added!!! Not Pring posted Yo having promo for something fun (you know that!) She just tainted his reputation making him depressed and stressed. Pring became a hateful biatch here. Another character that I hate is Park. Park is an asshole through and through. He just slutshamed Wayo telling him that first he's seeing Pha, now he's seeing Ming. Fck that! This character might be the worst. Everytime he gets in the scene, he has this dark menacing aura around him. The other scene was when Pha found out Yo having hickeys in the neck while sleeping. He confronts Park about that. That's just drag. The fact that the director or producers decided to add these issues is terrible ugh!!!
•Pha got Sarawat-ed!! Pha here shows not much emotion than the first one. It felt like Pha's emotions has been suppressed here. He became just like Sarawat, having no emotion and is mellow than his counterpart. Ben did it like a lifeless being just like Tae did Forth. This Sarawat-esque portrayal is a thumbs down for me.

So that's all about it! I think this sequel is somewhat an improvement from the first season.

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Another cast, another story??

Another cast, another story??
That was i also thought when i first known that there is season 2 of this series but with different cast.
At first i was really hesitant to watch this season because i was still hooked with the cast in season 1. I was really keep on saying "no i won't, i want the former cast. They change the story. Almost a year after i discover the first season and yet i still won't watch this season." But it is true what they said "time heals and you will accept the reality that it won't comeback" so i try to watch this sesason and i've learned to accept this season.

Another cast, another story??
No not really, it is the continuation of the first season with different cast only but the flow of the story is not. Now that i've seen this season i must say that this is not really a bad story after all. Glad that the production and the story was not only focused on the first main couple, and also to see the character development of the 3 couples from the story of the first season it was really great. Especially the story of MingKit. I was into them when i've watch this season. The story of ForthBeam is slowly in progress too. Hope to see more in season 3.

It's just to bad that it gives us a CLIFFHANGER. But still looking forward for the next season.

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Lack of chemistry between main couple let’s down this potentially cute drama

This show was incredibly dull for the first few episodes. Now usually when a BL is dull at the beginning, it’s because of world building or incredibly slow burn. That is not the case with this show, the “main couple” get together relatively early in the show and have almost no chemistry at all. If it wasn’t for the beginning of the MingKit couple, I would for sure have this show in my dropped list. When a couple gets together early on in the show, often their drama is caused by jealousy and although this is the case here, it was totally unbelievable jealousy. I would have believed these men brothers before believing they were lovers.

Main couple is Yo & Dr Pha - totally unbelievable as a couple, Pha is unlikeable and I didn’t enjoy the pressure he put on Yo at all. Kissing scenes made me look away from the screen.

MingKit - CHEMISTRY, rough around the edges adorable. Good actors and believable as a couple.

ForthBeam - decent amount of chemistry, mostly brought by Pavel and his acting. Funny scenes and I really enjoyed Forth’s disappearing tattoo in the Thai heat!

I would definitely watch 2 Moons 3 but won’t be searching out any other dramas with Ben to put it bluntly. I’ll have a look at Earth’s other works though as I feel he was let down and could have the makings of a decent actor with better direction and costar.

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they served in many aspects!

I really think that this series was good, I enjoyed watching most part of it :) the only thing I can remember right now that I didn't like at all was the banalization of sexual assault in the script. The jokes Ming did about Wayo possibly getting abused are not funny, and the writers should be aware of it because it is really insensitive, especially towards abuse victims. Despite this negative point, I loved the show! the couples have healthy storylines, and a pretty natural development. I should highlight here Pavel Phoom's acting skills, it was his first role (as well as the other 5 main actors'), but he did an AMAZING job. His acting was so natural that I couldn't even tell that was just a character. He portrayed passion, confidence, anger, sadness and insecurity really well. In my opinion, he was the best actor, and I hope I get to see him getting more roles eventually, since 2moons3 apparently won't happen anymore :(

(reposted from 2020 bc my old account got suspended)

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Despite the fact that on world servers this two has a slightly better rating, as number one, I am not inclined to this and rate it overall as a slightly above average series (I rate number one better here on GT). As the biggest positive, I highlight the music, especially the main musical motif and song (sung by August Wachirawit), unusually highly rated, I uploaded the video with the song to the Videos folder. It's not the fault of the actors, how they act, it's part of the whole "production process", the script, the processing and the direction, so in the end the supporting pair seemed the most natural to me, especially the only symposia for me, Forth and his colleague Beam, who didn't walk around hot mess and they immediately shared it in bed with the traditional who will be seme and who will be uke (both wanted to be seme). The main couple, here I noticed that the Thai extreme is brought almost to the extreme here. College student Wayo, innocence alone, when after hours of watching individual episodes, he allows himself to be forced into the biggest porn of his life - a shield meringue, and it's still moving. In some scenes, the creators created him so that he walks in slow motion, sleepwalking, as if he had a pickle stuck in his ass, and communication, that's where I grew up. Before one character asks the other something, it takes an incredible amount of time, the stretching between the texts is disproportionate - that's why I deducted half of the story and processing from perfection in the form of ten points, but otherwise I recommend watching, sometimes there are also comical moments. ..


I přesto, že na světových serverech má tato dvojka o chloupek lepší hodnocení, jako jednička, já se k tomu nepřikláním a hodnotím celkově jako lehce nadprůměrný seriál (jedničku zde na GT hodnotím lépe). Jako největší klad vyzdvihuji hudbu, především hlavní hudební motiv a píseň (zpívá August Wachirawit), nebývale vysoko hodnocená, video s písní jsem nahrál do složky Videa. Není to chyba herců, jak hrají, to je součástí celého "výrobního procesu", scénáře, zpracování a režie, a tak mi jako nejpřirozenější nakonec připadla vedlejší dvojice, především jediný sympoš pro mě Forth a jeho kolega Beam, kteří nechodili kolem horké kaše a hned si to spolu v posteli rozdali s tradičním, kdo bude seme a kdo uke (oba chtěli být seme). Hlavní dvojice, zde jsem si všiml, že thajský extrém je zde přiveden téměř až do krajnosti. Vysokoškolák Wayo, nevinnost sama, kdy se po hodinách sledování jednotlivých dílů nechá donutit k největšímu pornu jeho života - štítivé pusince, a to se ještě ošívá. V některých scénách jej tvůrci zpitvořili tak, že chodí zpomaleně, náměsíčně, jakoby měl zaraženou salátovou okurku v zadku a komunikace, tak tam jsem rostl. Než se jedna postava zeptá té druhé na něco, tak to trvá neuvěřitelnou dobu, protahování mezi texty neúměrné - proto jsem ubral z příběhu a zpracování od dokonalosti v podobě deseti bodů celou polovinu, ale jinak doporučuji ke zhlédnutí, někdy jsou tam i komické chvilky ...

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