BLISS RATING: ★★★★★
“Sometimes what we see…is not always the truth.” – Quote from SOTUS
In a very real sense, I think this set the tone for many of the following BL series. It is an intensely character driven story with superb acting and a great screenplay. What I enjoyed about this series, is as the characters grow, so does the intensity of the relationships. You see it develop through a sense of caring. It is not overwhelmed with gay overtones but still manages to make it its central point. You can honestly feel for these characters as they ebb and flow from anger to frustration to affection to intense love. It helps also explains many of the rituals of college life and how they really do impact the growth and development of character. It deals rather effectively with bullying and those who are experiencing the bullying. It is good solid storytelling and is a window into the world of freshman and upper-class students.
Arthit (Krist Perawat), always has this angry look about him as an upper classman who is trying to mold the freshmen into a Seniority Order Tradition Unity Spirit (SOTUS). But he runs into a roadblock with a freshman named Kongpob (Singto Prachaya). Kongpob has difficulty with and questions, the need for such abusive techniques to get people to do things. Ironically, the very message that Arthit is trying to instill is one that will make them all better students and better people.
His methodology may be wrong, but the message is so important. To our Western eyes and perhaps to our own mores, this behavior seems excessive and abusive. But there is a moment in this series, (being the bleeding-heart liberal that I am which surprised me) where I SAW the need for this commitment and discipline to old principles. Not necessarily by any means, but its meaning had a profound effect on me. I see what they know.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. the series? Singto as Kongpob is simply remarkable, which does not diminish the acting of the others in this series. But Singto’s portrayal of a questioning student reminds me so much of the story of the doubting Thomas. His evolution into questioning, believing, and finally accepting of the rules is a journey worth watching. Kudos for helping us understand those rules and his journey.
This one is in the must column for watching. It is beautiful. It is character driven and is one that will stay with you for a long time. Excellent! In essences, this series set the tone and format for almost all the other BL series from Thailand and other countries as well.
One cannot underestimate its impact of the BL industry and for that, it deserves a distinction among the pantheon of BLs. In every sense of the word, this series became an instant classic and much is owed to their foundation for character development and storytelling not just for Thai BLs but for BLs around the world. So, kudos for setting the future trends. Applause!
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