BLISS RATING: ★★★★+
“You own the rights to your own truth.” – Quote from Why R U?
Romantic and sensuous. Best way to describe this series. It is a rather simple story involving two couples. One is between Tutor (Saint Suppapong) and Fighter(Zee Pruk). The second couple is Saifah (Jimmy Karn) and Zon (Tommy Sittichok). There are simply not enough adjectives in the English language that would adequately describe how handsome these guys are as well as many of the supporting cast. I do not want to get too much into the story, but the premise is rather interesting. Zon’s sister, Zol (Perth Tangkitsuvanich), is a writer of BL stories in which she sees her brother and others with partners. This freaks out Zon who begins to believe that they stories are prognostications of things to come (through a series of misunderstanding circumstances). They all start out disliking each other which is somewhat predictable. But how they get to like each other is both charming and plausible. The fear of the sister’s stories being true is what drives the relationships to fruition. They are quite simply adorable couples, and you smile as they go through their journeys to discovering themselves.
The relationship between Zon and Saifah is your story of first-time love with all its awkwardness and clumsiness. They certainly captured quite beautifully the moments where you are excited about what may happen next but do not want to show it or pretend like you do not care. There is a hysterical moment between them when Saifah tries desperately to cover up his obvious erection, but Zon sees it. This is so relatable that I could not help but to laugh out loud.
The relationship between Tutor and Fighter is more intense. Tutor has a lot of issues to deal with and juggles a lot in his life. I want all to know that the scenes with his sister (late midpoint through the series) is emotionally draining. For all who have had to tell family members “I am gay’, this is for you. His sister, Tog (Thikumporn Rittapinun). She is in only one episode, but her scenes are some of the most emotionally moving I have ever seen. When they are at the airport, she separates from her brother Tutor and looks back, the intensity on her face and the embrace she shares with her brother one last time left me wilted and drained. She is incredibly supportive, and those scenes had me in tears. I watched this series twice and both times at these scenes with his sister I was left crying almost uncontrollably. Many of us have had to say goodbye to loved ones not knowing when we might see them again and how important it is to have someone by our side during those moments.
These small but crucial examples of being there for someone made this series in particular work so well and be so effective. I have not seen many series where just the small gestures of support from your ‘boyfriend’ become such an integral part to the development of their love. This series did this in spades and did it exceptionally well.
The supporting cast also do a great job. There are some over the top silly acting scenes, but they are few. Most are relevant to the story. One side story (not particularly relevant to the story but nonetheless quite adorable) involves Blue (Nat Natasitt). He is the janitor for the locker room at the gym and is picked on by some. He is small in stature and therefore can easily tormented. I must admit that these BL series, (this one in particular) do an effective job of dealing with bullying. When he is bullied particularly harshly by one of the soccer players, the Captain steps in and ‘forces’ them to get along. While implied and never overstated, you can see that the soccer player is (or will eventually be) taken in by Blue and a relationship will develop. He is the most charming person in this series. Is this fantasy? Perhaps, but let us just enjoy the brief moment when we hope it becomes real.
You will enjoy these scenes. Janistar Phomphadungcheep (Janis) plays the role of Hwahwa who is Fighter’s girlfriend and best friend to Tutor. Not only is she stunningly beautiful, but she also plays her part with quiet convincingness and ethos. Never over the top, which I enjoyed. The expression on her face when Fighter tells her that “she is not for him” is breathtaking. Nuance in acting is everything for me and she is excellent at it. I felt for her deeply in that moment (and besides, has that ever happened to you?)
One other thing this series has going for it is its ROMANCE. They were NOT afraid to show it and it is quite beautiful, honestly. It is hot and steamy. There are a number of very, very sensuous love scenes between Tutor and Fighter. These guys can KISS!
In the end, they do this ‘thing’ with Tutor’s necklace that is unbelievably sensual. They were not afraid to show their love, passion, and commitment to each other. Neither one was necessarily dominant over the other. One might think of Fighter as the aggressor and the dominate one, but Tutor was quite assertive in several scenes which was refreshingly different. Not all couples play their roles as ordained, and this was one series that was not afraid to show that. The scenes at the beach and seaside were visually stunning which simply added to their romance. I just love romance and this series was not afraid to show that. Well done and good for you!
Who really S.T.O.L.E. the series? Perhaps not meaning to be so, but something comes along that profoundly affects a viewer, perhaps forever. And that moment happened in this series. Thikumporn Rittapinun (Cheer) who plays Tog, Tutor’s sister, took my breath away. Her persona as his sister was so dynamic and powerful, it is seared in my brain. She conjured up unwavering intrinsic support, love, encouragement, and acceptance for him. It was so sincere that watching it brought me to tears with its impact. That was astonishing acting to be able to create such a memorable scene. I shall be forever grateful for those scenes with him. They are fervent. Kudos.
The screen play and directing for the most part is well done. The story flowed well. There are many quotable lines in this series but one in particular stands out to me. It is when Fighter says to Tutor, “You are like my long-awaited dream” and Tutor replies, “I might be your long-awaited dream, but you are my reality.” Common on! Would you not simply melt into the floor if someone said that to you!! Call me a hopeless romantic, but I loved it. Well done!! That could have been so cheesy, but it was done with a beautiful intensity that I sensed it.
There is no question that this quiet series is one of the finest out there not only for its great romantic story and intense love scenes but for its superb acting. And this is the irony. I am so sorry, but I did not ‘feel’ the connection between these actors. They beautifully showed the emotions, but I never quite felt a connection between them. I wanted and needed to see the eyes connect and their souls intertwine. I wanted the ‘look’ between them that showed me they meant it. For me, it was just not there. Maybe others saw it or could feel it. I could not.
Of course, that does not diminish the beauty and impact of this series. It is still an excellent narration and tells a beautiful story of love.
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