BLISS RATING: ★★★★★
“The hardest goodbyes are the ones never said.” – communityPete’s Post
This is yet again another treasure from what should be considered the leading country for outstanding BL series. In fact, superior story telling as well. It is a groundbreaking BL series of unrequited love in epic proportions that is told simply, brilliantly, and with a plethora of human emotions. It involves only three individuals on their last day as high school students and in fact, their last day that they will be together as friends.
The most sensitive one Thuy (Do Anh Hoa) is a wreck as he must go up and give a speech about being the top student. Here is an individual who is so insecure and full of doubt that if it were not for his two friends, he would indeed not be where he is today. His one friend is his opposite. Outgoing, secure, gregarious and a risk taker, his name is Thien (Nguyen Viet Hung). He also has to give a speech before the assembly but is not at all concerned about it. Then there is the third friend who in essence is a combination of these two. He is the glue that maintains the group and is the stability it needs. His name is Trieu (Truong Dang). They have been a force of friendship and for three years now, have been inseparable.
Each with different personalities and strengths, yet able to complement each other and remain connected. Or that is at least the perception of what they have. In every sense of the word, they have had a bromance between each other. Yet, as they got older and knew each other, two of them developed feelings that went beyond mere friendship. Trieu and Thuy grew closer and as they did, both had romantic desires for each other. They knew each other’s needs but not their wants. But it all went unrequited. It was obvious that they did have strong attractions to each other and the one person that they told of their attractions to each other was Thien. However, he had his own secrets and desires and plotted to keep these two from becoming a couple. He for a long time secretly liked Trieu and was willing to foster the ruse.
On their last day, with Thuy unable to face the assembly, decide to take a trip to get as far away as possible and to enjoy the day together. They do and as they do, they reminisce about the times they spend together, realizing that this will be their last day together as friends. As walls break down, they began to talk about real issues and Thuy confesses that he did have a crush on Trieu. Trieu realizes now that he made a mistake in not pursuing him and in a moment of what he thinks is quiet solitude, kisses Thuy on the lips as he sleeps. (Thuy is aware of the kiss, however).
As Trieu walks off, Thien makes a startling confession to him. He tells him that the reason he is studying abroad is that his mother thinks his love is a bad influence on him and has caused him to be a rebel. As he stares into his eyes, Thien suddenly kisses Trieu but he pushed back. In a confused torturous moment, Thien confesses that he was only teasing him, and his real love was Thuy and that he manipulated both to keep them separated. Trieu is angry, upset, hurt, and confused and pushed him away and wants to punch him. When Thuy enters and breaks them up, he is confused and wants to know what is going on, but neither will say anything. Trieu tell him he never wants to see him again.
So, on their last day together after being intimate friends for years, they part in anger and resentment and with bitterness. Trieu and Thuy go off by themselves while Thien waits for his mother to pick him up. The silence and pain are palpable and real.
On their way back, Trieu breaks down and tells Thuy that he will not be joining him at the University as he has to sale his property in order to pay for his grandmother’s medication, as her health is deteriorating, and he must move to his hometown to take care of her. This will be the last time they will be together. To say this was not melancholic would be a lie. It is profoundly sad that it is to end this way.
A few days later, Thuy calls Trieu and asks him to meet him and Thien at the airport as he is leaving to study abroad. Even though Trieu knows in his heart this is deeply regrettable, he cannot bring himself to go but instead tries to call Thuy. Inadvertently his mother answers the phone and castigates him for the ‘bad influence’ on her son. It is at that point he realized that Thien is not in love with Thuy but him. Thuy calls and as Trieu talks to Thien, he confronts him over the phone and asks him if he is in love with him.
Thien finally admits the truth and tells Thuy the whole story also. Thuy says to Trieu that he could not tell him the truth as they are ‘closer to their denied egos than our (own) selves’. Thuy wonders what was the point of telling him now since he and Trieu can never be together. In a state of clarifying perception, Thuy realizes how shallow their friendships really were, how cowardly they were, and how fragile the friendships really were because they might have been lost so easily. In essence, they looked down on this friendship. Thuy says to Thien that it was not his fault completely; all three of them were ‘fools’.
Thien says sorrowfully and pathetically, “You fools are the most precious things I have ever had’” You can see in his eyes and his face, his sincere remorse in what he had done. But there also seemed to be a resolution in him to try and eventually make amends for it. It is at this point, I openly wept and was so caught up in the acute emptiness that all three of them experienced in the sudden loss of their friendship, knowing it would affect them for the rest of their lives. It is one of the most profoundly moving human destinies I have ever witnessed in any of these series. It was electrifying.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. the series? This is easy. All three of these actors deserve this distinction. It is one of the finest acted series I have ever had the pleasure to view. They brought pain, angst, soul, warmth, connection, and feelings to their roles only for all of it to come crashing down because of pettiness, jealously, teenage stupidity, and lack of courage to be truthful. What painful lessons to be learned here. These three not only are adorable on screen, but they also have a presence that shines and each one had their own distinct personality and characteristics. It was like watching a Greek tragedy play out, knowing nothing in this universe could stop its inevitable outcome. These three deserve something more than a mere distinction from me (a real nobody). They put their heart and soul into their roles and made these characters so real that I was myself heartbroken over the loss of their friendship more so than the loss of love they had for the other.
This series just must be seen to be believed. The production is spot-on. The music simply enhanced the series and these guys, since they are the only ones in this series, had to carry this whole series by themselves, which they did. The took a simple story and turned it into a theater-in-the-round masterpiece. They showed us their vulnerabilities, their flaws, their strengths, and their humanity. And they did this all in only four episodes of 15 to 20 minutes each. This is nothing short of miraculous and superb story telling. The screenplay is top-notch. The ending treatise is one of the best written endings of a series I have ever watched. “….But sometimes, the most precious piece [of a broken being] is the one who walked away to a place far beyond the sea.” That is so profound and poignant yet offers a glimmer of hope. I cried, yet again.
This is by far one of the best BL gems out there. It is not an overt BL but way more subtle. When each of these guys kissed, they kissed as if it felt real and at the same time, their last kiss. I have seen a lot of kisses in BL series, but none as soft, ardent, and meaningful as these were. My emotions are so (as my mother used to say) ‘discombobulated’. I want this series to get out there and be recognized and so I am pleading for others to watch this. It is that good.
Dear God, I was so moved by this small gem of a series that I do not feel as if my pedestrian words give it any justice at all.
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