BLISS RATING: ★★★★★
“I want to wear his initial on a chain around my neck/Not because he owns me but because he knows me.” – Taylor Swift, Call It What You Want
This is an exceptional BL series that is one of the most honest, straight-forward, and true portrayals of the ugly side of the film industry and the pain of mental illness. It is literally almost too realistic that I am afraid the reviews I have seen of this series mischaracterized and misunderstood this. This is REAL. In this series, which is one of the best and most flawless transitions from one season to another, the story resumes right where it left off in Season One.
The same four individuals are in this series as well. But the character development of these four is remarkable and almost like watching a documentary. They change before our eyes and their portrayals of each of their characters is not only punctilious, but also eerily stunning. We witness them changing – we feel them changing; we sense their changes; and we are swept up in their highs and lows. I felt these characters! They were almost real. You saw all their emotions – their doubts, anxieties, fears, hesitancies, flaws, and weaknesses. In other words, you witnessed their humanity. But overcoming all of the sufferings, the one underlying emotion that was the bedrock of their salvation was love. Corny as that sounds but a truism none-the-less.
James (Time Dhamawat) and Ait (Benz Panupun) continue the complexities of their relationship with a beautiful undertone to it. It was the younger one in the relationship who pushed the older one into being honest about their relationship. Perhaps this is a metaphor for our own world, I don’t know. But Ait was willing to take the risk and show the world who he really loved and not pretend to love. James, with much soul-searching, gave one of the best soliloquies about what love is in film I have ever seen. Simple, basic, honest, and so genuine. I cried. Marco (Daniel Chang ) continues to provide the stability and support and love to Bas (Michael Kiettosak) who spirals from reality like a meteor falling from the sky.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. the series? While all these actors were superb, there is one who is not just great but phenomenal. That is Michael Kiettosak as Bas. Anyone who has worked in the mental health field (which I have) or anyone who has suffered suicidal ideation knows that his portrayal of his character is unbelievable accurate. Bas spirals down rapidly, internalized EVERY negative criticism ever heaped on him and believed them. He tragically got so low that he knew no one loved him, cared for him, or would even miss him, if he were gone. His actions were irrational because he was irrational! It is that simple. In a suicidal mind, the world becomes simple – I am no longer relevant. I know it, sense it, feel it and it is true. His performance of that kind of characterization was phenomenally so moving, I wept. Individuals in that state feel nothing. Actions make no sense. The world makes no sense. He did that with such conviction and his portrayal of a person out of control is nothing short of superlative. I understood him completely and all his actions. This is one of the finest acting I have ever seen in any series, gay, straight, or anything in between. His emotional level, his spiraling out of control, his actions, irrational as they were, were truth in the making. If anyone is familiar with an ancient movie called THE SNAKE PIT (a 1948 movie about mental illness staring Olivia De Havilland) will understand what level Michael had to go to do this kind of portray. It is outstanding. It was his conviction to his role that made it so memorable. This takes nothing away from the rest of the cast. Daniel as Marco was the most complex character and had to transition the most. He had to go from simply being a ‘side-kick’ in Season One to becoming the force to save Bas’s life and to discover what he and Bas both wanted – love. It was remarkable to watch their relationship grow out of a chance encounter to deep caring to soulmates. The giving of Bas his necklace is not just symbolic but represents a commitment. Just beautiful.
This is a story that needs to be watched to be appreciated. It is solely character driven and so not fantasy. It shows the truly ugly side of what happens in the film industry, and I am sure in the BL world. It is not a pretty story and will make you think long and hard about the fantasy of film but the reality of life. At least I hope so. Two flaws about this series that I felt with one perhaps being my own pet peeve. The one flaw is that the whole series felt a bit rushed. I understood how Bas could spiral that way quickly but for others who do not understand the mind of someone in a full-blown suicidal ideation, it might have felt rushed.
The ending did seem a bit too neat and the resolution a bit too quick. But again, none of that distracted from the message here. That message is loud and clear. There are ugly things that go in in the world especially in the film industry and to stop pretending that everything is ok if you see someone who is spiraling out of control. Get involved and get help! The pet peeve of mine, please forgive me, but do not sing. While you are all so cute, handsome, adorable, and objects of lust, please do not sing. Leave that up to the professionals!
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