Techno being the only (kind of) sane person in this mess of a series
I don’t even know where to start. I kept seeing people talk about TharnType being one of the must-see BL series, so I decided to give it a go. It definitely had some good moments, but it also had quite a few bad ones.But let’s start with the good. I think both Mew and Gulf are amazing actors and have done an amazing job playing their characters. I really loved the way the two of them acted out certain more emotional scenes. We can all agree that the two actors have an amazing chemistry. I do find it hard to imagine Mew as university freshman, but it wasn’t really something I was too bothered by. Also, the ice kiss. I’m just going to leave it at that. The OST was amazing as well, I really enjoyed Mew’s voice. It’s very soothing.
The friend group was… interesting. The two roommates were a lot of fun, Khlui being the noisy neighbor that we all have was an absolute joy. Even if he was a bit clueless. And pairing him with wanna-be-idol Seo was a combination I didn’t know I needed. Champ and his food obsession were a bit overdone at moments, but I think he was a nice addition to the group.
Now, let’s talk Techno. I truly believe that he was the only (kind of) sane person in this whole mess of a series. Sure, he sucks at keeping secrets and did make some questionable decisions, but most of the time, he was the one making sure things didn’t go from bad to worse. I know he was often used as this comic relief character, which is a bit disappointing, as I believe they could have done much more with him.
Thorn and Tanya (Tharn’s siblings) were absolutely amazing as well. And I feel like the relationship shown between them is very realistic. I have siblings, trust me. I just wish that Thorn would be a little less supportive of Tharn and his toxic relationship with Type. I still have a lot of questions about San. I don’t think a punch in the face would be enough for me to forgive if he did that to my brother.
Now, a warning. When I talk about characters, I am talking about characters. It has nothing to do with the actors who played them. I know they are not the ones that come up with the story, they simply act what they are told to act. So, keep that in mind. I know I will ruffle a lot of feathers with my opinions on the characters below.
Tum & Tar – just why? I get that Tum has a crush on Tar, that’s an issue I just don’t feel like getting into. Let’s just say that stepsibling relationships are not something I usually enjoy when the two characters pretty much grew up together. But with the number of problems and symptoms Tar was showing, I can’t believe that Tum didn’t try to find out more earlier. I think we can all agree that Tar’s story is heartbreaking, and I am not trying to put any blame on him. Could he do things differently later in the series? Yes. Do I understand why he didn’t? Yes. He is a victim of an incredibly violent crime, and fear of something like that either happening again or becoming a public knowledge has a lot of power.
Llhong – why is he not in jail? I think that after he dropped the glass, we all knew he was madly in love with Tharn. I was surprised just how awful he actually is, but his feelings were not a surprise. And while on the topic of Llhong, let me just add that giving him a special episode to make us feel bad for him was the worst possible decision they could have made. He does not deserve a redemption arc. The end! Kudos to the actor though, he did an amazing job when it came to switching the emotions shown.
Tharn & Type: say what you want, but they deserve each other. And I don’t mean that in a good way. Type has his own problems from before, which does to some extent explain his homophobic behavior and thinking. He did cross certain limits though. But what I found to be maybe even worse was his abusive and manipulative behavior towards Tharn once they got together. The jealousy was overdone, and the fact that he punched Tharn, multiple times? Red flag after a red flag. To be honest, Tharn is full of red flags as well. He was too pushy, especially knowing that Type is not okay with gay men. Adding to that, he sexually assaulted Type, multiple times. And yes, him kissing him without his consent, trying to get him off when he caught him, and going down on him in the bathroom were all non-consensual. Also, their first time – I don’t get the thought process behind it, I really don’t.
I think the timeline of the story is all over the place as well. The way the characters deal with problems is a mess on a whole other level. There is very little to no actual character development. The writers included a ton of serious issues – from sexual assaults and trauma related to it, mental illnesses, homophobia… yet none of them were handled in an appropriate manner. They were done in a very ignorant and offensive way.
I’d probably give it an even lower rating, but the acting and the OST are saving it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Engaging...but, be prepared to dislike characters.
Firstly, I believe it's okay to dislike and judge characters and their choices without discrediting an entire show. Secondly, this show should probably come with a trigger warning. I do think the acting was good, and I say that partially because of how often I was talking to my screen about how awful a character was being. Type is not a good guy. He isn't a good partner for most of the show. He does have reasons for his feelings, but that does not excuse his actions. I don't think he was ever held appropriately accountable. Tharn is so hurt by thinking he must be a bad person since everyone leaves him, that he doesn't try to hold Type accountable. You just want to yell at your screen that it's all counterproductive and they NEED THERAPY, but...that being said, trauma can be internalized this way. It's a drama, so the biggest conflict is super intense, but the little stuff isn't totally unrealistic. I'm sure some people could find relatable moments in there. I think this drama is fine to watch for the acting and for possible catharsis, but you have to keep in mind the situation. It's possible to get lost in the cute parts and the sexy parts without realizing it, and no one wants to romanticize trauma or abuse.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Is this still worth watching in 2021?
News flash, it aint. (Summary in last paragraph lol.)Okay so lets start with the likes and positives seeing if I would end with the positive points, it would be like giving painkillers to someone who has been hit by a car.
- The cast was cute, but more importantly knew how to portray emotions when the focus was solely on them. Tharn's actor knew how to cry, Lhong's actor did a great job towards the ending, showing how sad he must have been yet clearly showing Lhong missed a couple screws.
-The supporting cast did their part well. Techno seemed like a true ride or die or atleast long term best friend. Tum played a very, VERY, loving brother so well. Just by the protective nature and his whole demeanour you could see something really hurt Tar, and Tum REALLY loved him.
-Sets were believable, I would stay in most of the dorms. The main theme song grew on me over time, but the original singer did it better then most of the covers by the cast for me. He really embodied it.
Okay so now for the reason 4 stars is pretty high for this trainwreck-
Does who ever wrote this, see consent, as a kink? Tell me. Because once you really sit down and rewatch some scenes, (which is why I do not recommend rewatching, it ruins the show as a whole if the ending did not yet.) you see consent was a word no one had in their dictonairy. And I mean NO ONE. If you know someone their trauma and its origin, you would think to respect it and stop being a selfish sex monster. (Like a normal human being, but the show fails to do that right with most of our lovely cast) Hell, someone who has not made it clear if they have ANY romantic or sexual attraction towards you, is a no go. The show handles trauma and consent as if it is just something as normal as buying groceries and it does not need to be respected. Neither do boundaries. That are made clear. If I tell you not to kiss me in public, you don't. If you do, don't get mad at me for getting mad and demand an apology. What world do you live on? Tell me so that I can assure NASA skips it.
The plot twist "Lhong" was. not. needed. PERIODT. I get that you want a shock factor for the final episode, an unexpected plot twist, but this was just poorly done, and hell, a show that FAILS to treat trauma, rape and other serious topics with the maturity and approach they need, should in no way, shape or form have done the twist it pulled. Also how the show decided to end this twist once again removes the seriousness of the topic and makes it seem like a joke. Had Lhong declared his love for Tharn whilst Tharn, went through it, (CAUSE CHILLEEEE, How he even got home in the state he was in? Did he drive? how he aint crash?) they dated, Type moved on, Tharn and Type figured they cant live without eachother and had to deal with their current flings and trying to get rid of the other their partner AND fix their own relationship would have been better then this. Lhong deserved a better final couple episodes then this. Even if it was just him being the supportive bestie who hid his feelings forever. (And did not ruin any relationships till date of course.) It would have been better, and maybe a more emotional rollecoaster for us as audience. The show milks anger from us because ThE MaIN COupLe Has A tHreaT, and that way tries to keep its plot interesting. Well once you are angered out, this facade flops and u see the shit plot for what it is before the shitshow even ends. I am not excusing what Lhong did in cannon, it just should have never been cannon, ESPECIALLY in this show that can not do it right.
Type, is just an asshole and how Tharn even felt for him is beyond me. Tharn (no angel either) as well being so over sexual it becomes predator-ish is a problem. The show once again over glorifies problematic traits and makes it seem "cute or sexy" when relationships could never work like this in reality and excuses this behavior by making it work in the end in a happy ending, that could never exist in any reality. I get it, fiction is supposed to be an extreme, and fairy tale like so we can escape. HOWEVER. It has been shown this can be down SO well, without having to overglorify, excuse or romanticize, the inexcusable or overly problematic to the point its not fiction, just unrealisitic. The show also fails to end the cans of worms it opens. For example, Tharn's homophobia never really goes away, it just gets swept under the rug, since he is not homophobic to Tharn anymore. He says it himself, he still hates gays, just not Tharn.
So, the show is not worth it, because it does not know how to deal with the immense serious topics it puts in the plot, just for shock. It even makes the topics seem so normal or insignificant that the topics almost become a joke. There never is any punishment or resolution next to a punch or kick, promoting violence over common sense. If this plot made any sense to begin with. This story many times made me really think it was a bad wattpad (365 days level plot/writing) story adapted into a show. How anyone let this plot on TV is beyond me, since there are much better BL shows, so the standard is there. The couple good points and the very real/good acting at times can by FAR not save this. No matter how many cute smooches, hugs, unrealistic dynamics or sparkly sound effects you put in the show. Once you remove that pink filter of "WoW HOw CuTe!!1!!" you would see how f*cked up this show is. (again no hate for the actors tho)
ps this is all my experience, likes, dislikes and opinion, if u disagree, too bad but let me live-
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Skinship Doesn't Makeup for Unresolved Toxicity
SPOILERS AND TRIGGER WARNINGSCurrently watching. Sexual assault and verbal abuse in the first episode. I can already tell this will be problematic and toxic.
Finished this drama and it didn't get any less toxic, problematic, or abusive. It got a lot worse. Let's get the positoves out of the way since it's short. Tharn is eye candy and the couple has good skinship. It's annoying when couples in dramas don't behave as if they like each other like a normal couple. They actually hold hands, hug, kiss, and show affection like a normal couple which is great.
Now the negatives. One ML (Type) is verbally and physically abusive towards multiple people including Tharn. His parents are horrible because they knew he was sexually abused as a kid and they didn't put him in any therapy.
The other ML (Tharn) is sexually abusive towards Type. His brother Thorn is horrible because he's friends with the person that sexually assaulted Tharn when he was younger. Thorn doesn't tell their parents and Tharn doesn't get any therapy. Not only are they still friends, but this guy still comes over to eat with the family. To top it off, he makes comments about sexually assaulting Tharn when he was younger because he looked small, young, and innocent and wishes Tharn was still young like that. He's a predator.
Tharn's best friend Llhong paid 3 grown men to sexually assault a 10th grade kid and recorded it. He is also manipulative and physically abusive.
So this drama is insane. It includes sexual, physical, and verbal abuse of adults and kids. And the story didn't include any lessons about how to deal with these real life issues. If there were healthy solutions to these problems shown or at least suggested, then maybe it wouldn't be as bad. No one called the police which is the least that could have been done. At a minimum, the police should have arrested Type, Tharn, Llhong, and Thorn's friend. I'm sure justifications can be made to arrest more characters in the drama too. Most of the characters are terrible people. It's like almost everyone is an antagonist and there's no protagonist at all.
I know some people still rate this highly because of the skinship between Type and Tharn, but I can't do that. Yes Tharn is very attractive. Yes Tharn and Type have great skinship. This is not enough to overlook the mountain of unresolved toxicity this drama has.
Was this review helpful to you?
Well-balanced BL drama
This is one of numerous Thai BL I've watched during quarantine and is by far my most favorite from the genre. I wouldn't say this drama is perfect, in fact it has flaws in various aspects.Story wise, TTTS brings out serious issue such as childhood trauma and mental health problems but 12 episodes was clearly not enough to peel them all through thus making the drama felt unsatisfactory for some. Another thing is that the drama has multiple nonconsensual acts which weren't addressed properly. Let's say people can brush off few 'fictional' issues, but at the very least a drama has to convey which behavior is deemed wrong or right to its audience. Even with the story's faults, I appreciate the neat pacing of each episode.
Acting wise, both main actors can portray their roles quite well despite not having that many experience under their belt. Some parts can be improved but more experience will hopefully do the job. The drama also has one of the best chemistry I've seen in Thai BL to the point where I can't be convinced watching other BL couples.
Lastly I wanna give kudos to newbie director Tee Sinta for making the story come to life, for casting suitable actors, for capturing beautiful shots even with limited budget and no sponsor. Once you see the drama, you'll understand how good his directing is.
TTTS is not perfect but well-balanced. The plot has depth, the acting is good, the humors are well-timed, music placement is wonderful, and the directing is superb. What more can you ask for?--
Was this review helpful to you?
Tharntype the series
Such a great series . all the characters played in the series was so good every character had a meaning of its own in the series. The series is so great and unforgettable..The character development from hate to love was so good portrayed. Both the characters played by the main actors were suited for each other.. some scenes for was relatable the love they portaited was so real. I have never seen such a great BL series in my life.. I hope it does get more success in views.MewGulf forever...
Hopw it does success more ..
Can't wait for the season 2 ...
I hope everyone will support mew gulf through this journey..
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The I-dont-ever-watch-Thaidrama review
Pressured by the overwhelmingly positive reviews, I, the I never watch thai dramas because cringey acting, weird story, etc has ruined it for me years ago type, gave this a chance.Phuuu...what am i gonna say about this.
+ The one thing that stuck was oddly enough the title song. Catchy af.
That's actually one thing about ThaiDrama i approve of: the music seems to be kinda good most of the time. Liked it.
+ the actors. Looks-wise both started out not my type at all but especially Type's actor won me over. Still not that much of a fan of Mew but oh well, seen worse. Acting was fairly good too.
Chemistry was there, especially in the later half of this season.
+kissing/making out was less cringy than i thought, they actually acted well!
~ plot. I mean, who doesn't love a good rivals/enemies to lovers plot, BUT it had its faults. Like, the whole I hate gays bc I was abused (btw they never explore the abuse in a healthy way, no therapy, no healing etc) thing and then he lets Tharn actually abuse him. Wtf?!
- A lot of NON-CON is going on on this at the beginning and it's bad. BAD! Kissing a sleeping person, ignoring multiple NOs etc. That kinda thing. Just no!
Will I rewatch? No. I will most likely watch season 2 although I dont know why but that seems to be the charm of this series, you actually wanna stick with it, even through the bad and ugly, kinda fascinating actually...mh....
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I'm not really sure what to start with because there are so many things I want to talk about. I had to rewatch an episode at least 3 times because I would constantly skip because I was uncomfortable with some of the scenes. Type:
I'm not really that mad at Type for SOME of his actions because they have reason to them. Like he was sexually harassed when he was younger. After that, he trained himself so then that wouldn't happen again (Does that make sense)
Also I feel like Tharn came into his life too quickly for Type. Type finds out his roommate is gay, turns out that roommate likes him, and that roommate kind of sexually harassed him. The times I remember most were when Tharn was kissing Type in his sleep and in episode 3 when Tharn kissed him and did something else (watch the episode if you want to know) Type looked uncomfortable and was trying to push Tharn away. When that happened his childhood trauma was brought back up and that would not feel good to remember at all. Other than that Type could seem like a complete asshole so that's why I said "Some of his actions".
Also when the 2 start dating and Type realized after a while that he was being a bad boyfriend to Tharn he apologized. In most situations most people don't notice they are doing that and don't apologize. I'm glad that Type realized and apologized.
Type's character was written very well and he's my favorite in Tharntype.
Tharn:
I felt so bad for Tharn when I found out that Lhong was behind a bunch of drama. His best friend. Was behind multiple things and Tharn didn't even know. But I also didn't really like Tharn. He did that stuff to Type and he didn't even know about his past trauma. That's what makes the situation worse. He just hurt Type even more. Also kissing someone in their sleep and giving Type a hickey is too much and Type didn't even give consent obviously because he was asleep. He wasn't awake or aware of what is going on so it's basically sexual harassment.
Like, imagine you were asleep and you woke up to find hickeys on your neck? would you like that!?
Yea, I didn't like this series much.
One thing I'm really mad at is that Lhong got NO punishment for his actions!
Was this review helpful to you?
TharnType is with out a doubt the best BL Drama of 2019, so lets start obviously from the beginning, the OP (Be Mine (ไม่ยอม)), God, i dont think i have fall in love with a oppening such as with this, the lyrics from the singer point of view is heartbreaking, knowing that he will not give up on his love, even tougth he knows his crush doesnt love him back(it may be confusing to speculate who dedicate the song to who, but after watching the entire series you will understand everything).
The acting is good, The Character development of Type (Gulf) is flawless, you can even see how his facial expresion change as the series avance. Would have been the greatest acting performance of the series if it wasn't for Lhong (Kaownah) is amazing how complete and credible his acting was. And can we take a moment to apreciatte how Hot and Gorgeous Tharn (mew) is?, literally every scene that he is in is breathtaking.
Meanwhile the Story could not be the series stronger points, but it manages to involve really serious theme in the plot, as Type and Lhong background stories
To conclude, TharnType may seem like a regular BL Series, but its better than that, thats the reason is the best of 2019
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I'm not just saying this because I'm in love with Tharn's character or the intimate scenes are fire but that's exactly what I'm saying. There are a few shortcomings here and there but I don't they are relevant enough to mention. The characters are college freshmen but the storyline is simple but the delivery is mature, the acting is on point (for the most part) and MewGulf's chemistry is just off the charts! Plus they are both good-looking (my type), like how unfair is that? I've read some comments like "rape" or "non-consensual" crap but for me, it only adds to the realism of the story. Sorry to break your bubble but pure innocent love rarely or - if not - doesn't exist in this world. Request a "fairytale" tagging next time. Of course I do not condone rape or anything like that, but this show didn't really romanticize rape or anything (unless a few stolen kisses count), in the end they are all grown men, if they don't want it, they'll fight for their lives, not enjoy it. Overall, if you want chemistry and a grown-up approach in a university setting, this one is for you. Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I've never found something so hard to sit through. Never. This is the first series that I had to pause every other minute just to let my cringe flow out of me before I can continue watching. Sitting through 8 episodes of this was the hardest thing I had to do as a BL fan. We've all heard the tales of toxic relationships from this series and they all hold true. Except, when you do watch it, they make it into a joke so you don't mind it as much. I was even surprised at myself for ignoring the red flags even though in my mind, the red alarms are going off.
Story: The story starts out with a bang. Type, the homophobic jerk finds out his roommate is gay. GASP. Craziness ensues. Something unbelievable about this story is how they make the homophobic person seem not that homophobic? Like, if I was homophobic and I find out my roommate is gay, I'd have dipped out that room. Wouldn't even confront the guy. I'd just be gone living in the streets. No but seriously, gone rooming with friends. Why Type thought he should confront the guy and somehow convince him to move out, is unbelievably a dumb way to kick off their relationship. The story itself has NO SUBSTANCE. Where is the story? Homophobic guy gets in a relationship with gay guy and crazy things happen. That's it. When, why, how? The whole 8 episodes was literally just them having cute moments together. Type is still homophobic, Tharn still likes him somehow, and they do nothing except tease/flirt with each other. There are certain parts where they expose their deep secrets to each other (Type exposing his past with the resort worker, Tharn exposing his past about his first times) But I'm like, where did this come from? How did y'all just happen upon this conversation? Were y'all that close to reveal those types of problems? There are SO MANY of these scenes in this series where there is no introduction, they just start talking about it and it's awkward. And then sometimes they talk for a long time, just expository dialogues that drag on and on and on and on. The friends get involved only for comedic relief. Most of the setting takes place INSIDE A ROOM. Seriously. It's like I'm on acid and blacking out in between scenes. And every scene I wake up to see are scenes where they are inside their dorm or apartment. I know this is rated 18+ and they started as sex friends but the emphasis on sex over emotional support, is problematic. The first time they had sex was in EP 4 and I was like, BRUH Tharn, what are you doing? Why did you let your bottom half take over? Type was clearly giving you something without actually thinking about your feelings but you JUST GOBBLE IT UP. Sigh. Then like I was on acid again, I don't understand when they agreed to be sex friends. Did I miss it? Was it in the series? I don't know. Type says they'll only do it once then all of a sudden they are sex friends. Where is the transition?
The story's blatant attempt to normalize problematic problems like sexual assault, manipulative behavior and apathetic toward their relationship development is why this series will never get good scores from people with a BRAIN to think outside "uwu it's gay, me likey". I have so much to say I don't even know where to go from here so I will stop. This will just become a rant if I continue anymore.
I've only spotted a few good things. In EP 1, when Tharn says to No that he won't move out, otherwise it would mean he admits being gay is wrong. YES! YES you got that part right! THANK YOU. Another good thing is the placement of the music. The song has a particular feel to it so when played in the right place, gives the right mood. Type's dad was great as well. He's so chill. He doesn't even play that big a role and I remember him quite well.
Acting/Cast: I don't know enough of the characters to know their cast, so I'll just talk about Gulf and Mew. Gulf is very cute in real life. He has that "i'm here but i'm not actually here" vibe. He looks carefree, goes with the flow, type of guy. What he likes is what he likes and he does what he likes. Type is the exact opposite of him. I like that Gulf was able to become a completely different person on and off screen. However, his acting as Type was slightly stiff? Perhaps it's Type who's stiff and not Gulf but Type was a one dimensional stiff character for me. Mew....I don't know. Mew and Tharn are basically one person? Caring, attentive, and loving toward his friends and family. Tharn is just slightly more devious with his teasing. Mew's acting was subpar, in my opinion? There are good parts but there are also parts where I thought, what exactly was he trying to accomplish by making that facial expression/tone in voice? Why does he look horny 100% of the time he looks at Type?
Music: As mentioned, the music was good.
Rewatch value: I have not finished this series and plan to finish. Even if that means one episode per month, I will finish. Expected rewatch value is 2/10.
Overall: 4/10. Because I haven't finished.
UPDATE: HAHA I guess I won't finish this after all. Idk lost the motivation. Relationship dynamic was not really my thing, story isn't clicking with me, and overall, I'd rather spend my time on BLs that I actually like than spend it on ones I dread finishing. That's all. BYE!
Was this review helpful to you?
