Epic and high in Re-watch Value
So here is my honest review:
1. Production. Production value has got to be the most amazing thing that has ever happened in a BL series. As expected, they did an excellent job with the locations, set, fashion, and overall Mafia look. The shots, including camera angles and fight scenes, are straight out of Hollywood movies.
2. Story-wise. It's unusual to see series that depict the lives of the LGBTQ community in a mafia setting. Although the target audience is mostly female who likes stories of two men falling in love with each other, it's not surprising that the series turned out to be gay-friendly because both the actors who played the main roles, Mile and Apo, were vocal about their stand on equality. They even campaign for marriage equality in Thailand and are very supportive of it, as they mention in their interviews. The story is really one for the books. It didn't even come from the big companies out there, and it's a start-up project from a new production company, but it surprisingly gathered the best people, including one from the production team behind the Call Me By Your Name movie.
3. Acting. It's obviously one of the best factors that drives the show. All of the actors and even the production were really devoted to the series in the best way possible, and it's obviously shown. Although it's not that perfect, it certainly is one of the best that the Thai BL industry has ever had. Skeptics may find this statement biased, but you really can't think of a fault because it did what it was supposed to do. The actors clearly put in a lot of effort, as evidenced by the high quality of the final product.
So, what went wrong, according to the skeptics?
1. Some of them say that the third couple was unnecessary. Why would you even question this if they are following the books? It's weird for you to question the story if it is a product of the writer's imagination. It may seem mean, but I suggest you make up your own story if you don't like the idea. I don't even find it questionable to add the third couple simply because it's highly possible due to them being in one environment, the mafia world. Anything is just possible, and you can't do anything about it.
2. Unnecessary connection? Why do you even think there's an unnecessary connection going on? As far as the story goes, I can't remember a character who has an unnecessary connection to the story. Anybody who thinks otherwise can simply finish the series before saying this and drop the name of that character. I believe everyone played a lot, even the friend of Porsche who seems to have nothing to do with the plot but surprisingly plays quite a role in proving the character development of Kinn.
3. I don't know why it's a problem for some when the main leads simply develop a character change. I don't think in the real world it isn't possible, so why does this become a problem for some?
4. BL series, especially those from Thailand, are known to insert comedic plots, so I don't quite understand why other people still find it negative and distractive. If you are a fan of the Thai BL series, you will find that every now and then there are comedic scenes added. This is because Thai series in general are known for it. Even the lakorns use this type of plotting to create some lighthearted scenes in the midst of the episode's dark tone. To be honest, the only time I have seen the timing be off was when Kinn and Porsche were talking about Kinn's ex after Porsche showed Kinn the picture of Tawan. I expected their conversation to go deeper, but in the end they cut the conversation short and had Kinn throw the cramped picture of Tawan in the trash can after Porsche said so. I was expecting Kinn to actually dispose of it and get rid of it because Porsche, who is looking adorably cute, was jealous and ordered him. I was waiting for a game changer there because my emotions were high at that point, only to be turned off by a cute joke.
5. Some people are saying it should focus on the mafia aspect. I beg to disagree. This is a BL series in a mafia world; it has the right amount of mafia in there, and if you really followed the story correctly, there is plenty of that aspect in every scene. If they go beyond it and focus on the mafia aspect, the story will become a mafia story rather than a BL story. I haven't read everything in the novel, but I came across an English translation one time, which is now removed due to copyrights. The scenes are too dark, but overall, it didn't really get too deep into the mafia world. So why would you think the series should go into that aspect when it's not the main point of the series? I get it; it lacks scenes where there is plenty of killing every minute, but do you really think that's how the mafia works? They have already shown a couple of scenes where there are killings and actions and everything you can expect from a mafia world, but just because they are showing how Kinn is slowly leaving away from that part because he falls in love with Porsche, you can say in general that they should have been focusing on the mafia aspect. Why is that a problem?
6. Vegas, you say, is the saving grace. Yeah, I get it; everyone loves Vegas. It's always the toxic manipulator, the cunning character, and some fans have typical villain apologists' behavior that I always see, but, to be honest, he is not the saving grace because there is nothing to be saved here. You just love the concept of torture, killing, toxicity, and redemption. There's no need to argue that those are typical story arcs that always get a good clap from fans; honestly, that's how it gets interesting, when villains become good people after they do the most horrible things. I can see where this is going already, so I am not surprised that a group of fans would rather choose Vegas and Pete over Kinn and Porsche. I have no problem with that except that you oriented your review of the series around what happened to your favorite character. That's not fair because that's not how you make a review. You can't say the entire series is bad just because you don't like the characters. That's not how it works, honey. Just tell me you have second-lead syndrome; I'd understand. Kinn changes into a soft, caring, and loving character because of Porsche and Vegas similarly did when he met Pete. But why are you hating how the story of Kinn and Porsche goes because you are loving Vegas and Pete? It doesn't make sense to me. That is why I don't like people with one-sided views on everything. They always misunderstand things because they are not open to looking at other people's points of view because they only like what they like, then shut off the window and close the argument.
7. You like Tankhun but you hate the comedy inserted into this series because it's too much? Every scene with Tankhun is hilarious. Are you kidding me? Every scene with him is a literal comedy.
All in all, the series is not perfect, but it is definitely something to be praised for its production value, story, and actors' performances. They deserved to be recognized and hailed. I almost forgot about how great the cinematography is. So yeah, it is one of the things you will notice in this series. Spoiler alert! The bathroom scene, the helicopter, Vegas' torture room, and Kinn-Porsche's date are stunningly shot. Those scenes are really incomparable. The acting of the actors in those scenes is superb. Please watch them on official channels. You can watch them legally on iQIYI.
1. Production. Production value has got to be the most amazing thing that has ever happened in a BL series. As expected, they did an excellent job with the locations, set, fashion, and overall Mafia look. The shots, including camera angles and fight scenes, are straight out of Hollywood movies.
2. Story-wise. It's unusual to see series that depict the lives of the LGBTQ community in a mafia setting. Although the target audience is mostly female who likes stories of two men falling in love with each other, it's not surprising that the series turned out to be gay-friendly because both the actors who played the main roles, Mile and Apo, were vocal about their stand on equality. They even campaign for marriage equality in Thailand and are very supportive of it, as they mention in their interviews. The story is really one for the books. It didn't even come from the big companies out there, and it's a start-up project from a new production company, but it surprisingly gathered the best people, including one from the production team behind the Call Me By Your Name movie.
3. Acting. It's obviously one of the best factors that drives the show. All of the actors and even the production were really devoted to the series in the best way possible, and it's obviously shown. Although it's not that perfect, it certainly is one of the best that the Thai BL industry has ever had. Skeptics may find this statement biased, but you really can't think of a fault because it did what it was supposed to do. The actors clearly put in a lot of effort, as evidenced by the high quality of the final product.
So, what went wrong, according to the skeptics?
1. Some of them say that the third couple was unnecessary. Why would you even question this if they are following the books? It's weird for you to question the story if it is a product of the writer's imagination. It may seem mean, but I suggest you make up your own story if you don't like the idea. I don't even find it questionable to add the third couple simply because it's highly possible due to them being in one environment, the mafia world. Anything is just possible, and you can't do anything about it.
2. Unnecessary connection? Why do you even think there's an unnecessary connection going on? As far as the story goes, I can't remember a character who has an unnecessary connection to the story. Anybody who thinks otherwise can simply finish the series before saying this and drop the name of that character. I believe everyone played a lot, even the friend of Porsche who seems to have nothing to do with the plot but surprisingly plays quite a role in proving the character development of Kinn.
3. I don't know why it's a problem for some when the main leads simply develop a character change. I don't think in the real world it isn't possible, so why does this become a problem for some?
4. BL series, especially those from Thailand, are known to insert comedic plots, so I don't quite understand why other people still find it negative and distractive. If you are a fan of the Thai BL series, you will find that every now and then there are comedic scenes added. This is because Thai series in general are known for it. Even the lakorns use this type of plotting to create some lighthearted scenes in the midst of the episode's dark tone. To be honest, the only time I have seen the timing be off was when Kinn and Porsche were talking about Kinn's ex after Porsche showed Kinn the picture of Tawan. I expected their conversation to go deeper, but in the end they cut the conversation short and had Kinn throw the cramped picture of Tawan in the trash can after Porsche said so. I was expecting Kinn to actually dispose of it and get rid of it because Porsche, who is looking adorably cute, was jealous and ordered him. I was waiting for a game changer there because my emotions were high at that point, only to be turned off by a cute joke.
5. Some people are saying it should focus on the mafia aspect. I beg to disagree. This is a BL series in a mafia world; it has the right amount of mafia in there, and if you really followed the story correctly, there is plenty of that aspect in every scene. If they go beyond it and focus on the mafia aspect, the story will become a mafia story rather than a BL story. I haven't read everything in the novel, but I came across an English translation one time, which is now removed due to copyrights. The scenes are too dark, but overall, it didn't really get too deep into the mafia world. So why would you think the series should go into that aspect when it's not the main point of the series? I get it; it lacks scenes where there is plenty of killing every minute, but do you really think that's how the mafia works? They have already shown a couple of scenes where there are killings and actions and everything you can expect from a mafia world, but just because they are showing how Kinn is slowly leaving away from that part because he falls in love with Porsche, you can say in general that they should have been focusing on the mafia aspect. Why is that a problem?
6. Vegas, you say, is the saving grace. Yeah, I get it; everyone loves Vegas. It's always the toxic manipulator, the cunning character, and some fans have typical villain apologists' behavior that I always see, but, to be honest, he is not the saving grace because there is nothing to be saved here. You just love the concept of torture, killing, toxicity, and redemption. There's no need to argue that those are typical story arcs that always get a good clap from fans; honestly, that's how it gets interesting, when villains become good people after they do the most horrible things. I can see where this is going already, so I am not surprised that a group of fans would rather choose Vegas and Pete over Kinn and Porsche. I have no problem with that except that you oriented your review of the series around what happened to your favorite character. That's not fair because that's not how you make a review. You can't say the entire series is bad just because you don't like the characters. That's not how it works, honey. Just tell me you have second-lead syndrome; I'd understand. Kinn changes into a soft, caring, and loving character because of Porsche and Vegas similarly did when he met Pete. But why are you hating how the story of Kinn and Porsche goes because you are loving Vegas and Pete? It doesn't make sense to me. That is why I don't like people with one-sided views on everything. They always misunderstand things because they are not open to looking at other people's points of view because they only like what they like, then shut off the window and close the argument.
7. You like Tankhun but you hate the comedy inserted into this series because it's too much? Every scene with Tankhun is hilarious. Are you kidding me? Every scene with him is a literal comedy.
All in all, the series is not perfect, but it is definitely something to be praised for its production value, story, and actors' performances. They deserved to be recognized and hailed. I almost forgot about how great the cinematography is. So yeah, it is one of the things you will notice in this series. Spoiler alert! The bathroom scene, the helicopter, Vegas' torture room, and Kinn-Porsche's date are stunningly shot. Those scenes are really incomparable. The acting of the actors in those scenes is superb. Please watch them on official channels. You can watch them legally on iQIYI.
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