BLISS RATING: ★★★★+
“The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only ting we never give enough of is love.” – Henry Miller
I am a bit surprised at myself for liking this series so much. Variations of this theme have been done in the past with some having limited efficaciousness. But this one really works. While seemingly contrived in the beginning, it settles down quickly into being a solid story of discovering yourself and coming to the realization that your actions do affect others.
Kaitoon (Pak Varayu) is a bit of a loner and almost emotionally isolated. Mainly because he has no family and has had to rely on himself for so long. He is incredibly resourceful and a very industrious individual who, rather than whine about his plight, simply moves on and finds another path. Never either with a holier-than-thou attitude or with any sense of hopelessness. He has an acceptance of the reality he is in but there is not even a hint of resignation about it. Continuously hard working to a point that he misses out on a lot of what living is all about.
Serendipitously, he is spotted by Pangko (Ant Warinda), an owner of a restaurant called “Love Area”. Because of his creative ingenuity, she sees his worth and offers him a job even as he seems rather adrift. By happenstance as well, he moves to a new place where he is befriended by a senior named Nont (Pan Norawit). who lives right across from him. Nont shows covert signs of being attracted to Kaitoon. Because Kaitoon is more than a bit naïve when it comes to Nont’s overtures, Kaitoon apparently only sees him as a friend. While friendly towards Nont, and enjoying his company, there are built in boundaries that Kaitoon is unwilling to cross (like insisting on calling him brother) and a romantic interest in Nont is unthinkable.
On his way home from the restaurant after getting paid, Kaitoon is robbed by a desperate but rather bumbling individual who apparently has a gambling problem. In another ironic twist, that individual turns out to be Panko’s brother, Valen (Gun Tieosuwan). Valen sees little value in hard work and is always looking for the quick fix to getting money. His sister is desperately trying to get him to reform his ways and has had enough of bailing him out of trouble. So, he is given this opportunity to work at the restaurant (to pay back his debts) while under the watchful eye of his trainer, Kaitoon.
So far this story line has been used before but what makes this one work is that the unfolding is more organic, and the characters are so much more alive, real, and relatable You can sense in Valen that he wants to change but has no tangible incentive to do so – up until now. We do not know much about his family except that he feels abandoned and isolated, much like Kaitoon. Perhaps that is why there was such a natural attraction to each other. Despite Kaitoon being in the right, he never held that against Valen. He never mentioned his troubles with Valen to his sister.
In every sense, Valen and Kaitoon are complete opposites and because of that, there should be a tendency to repel each other. But over time, they begin tapering each other’s faults or weaknesses, and start seeing individual strengths. A sense of comfortableness in being with each other evolves that frankly both have had little experience having with others previously. Their desire and yearning to be together overwhelms them. It is done so with more of a helter-skelter sense about it or perhaps from a complete lack of understanding why, but it is there. They have this need to be together as if it is a part of their learning curve. Valen needs Kaitoon for direction; Kaitoon needs Valen to show him that life is not one long workday. The stirrings of a romantic interest in each begins to take shape especially as Kaitoon helps Valen prepare for his stage performance.
Their connection together is a real thing of beauty to watch. While they profess that the other is annoying, their energy and focus is concentrated on the other. In the meantime, as Nont becomes more deeply invested in his feelings for Kaitoon, he begins to realize that Kaitoon is slowly being drawn to Valen. As hard as he tries to gently redirect Kaitoon towards spending more time with him, he fails. This failure is more painful because it is a failure of omission rather than commission on the part of Kaitoon.
This series is unique for its ordinariness. This story should NOT work but it does mainly because of the strength of the acting. We get to see each characters’ unique strengths, weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and capabilities. What underlies this series is the willingness to accept individuals at where they are. I found that so refreshing and, in this series, they used that to tell a story. The last episode is so remarkable in its tenderness of that I found it one of the most romantic scenes in any BL.
When Valen tricks Kaitoon into going away for the weekend and they have finally an opportunity to be themselves, they talk openly, share, and more importantly, connect more intensively on different levels. The end when they are on the beach and their hands find each other’s and touch, both slowly grasp and gently fold their hands together, I found myself tearing up. Sometimes, romance can be so soft, gentle, and touching but can still move mountains. And that is what this scene does. Yet, at the same time, there is juxtaposed Nont’s own painful reality, sitting forlornly alone, waiting for someone he knows is not going to come. Love’s coin indeed has two sides. Beautifully, the actors showed these characters with exceptional acuteness but with a softness and realism, reinforced with a complete understanding of their emotions.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. the series? Yet, the individual who stole my heart is Ant Warinda as Pango. Her character is one of complete understanding of the human nature of each of the individuals to whom she connects with. Subtle though it be, she treats each person as if they are unique and important to her. Pretending to be busy with her paperwork, she observes, notes, and processes more that anyone realizes. She understands what is going on and provides encouragement when necessary, direction when needed, and advise when asked. I have always appreciated an individual who can take a small but integral role and make it unique and pivotal to the development of others. Without her uniqueness, this series would not have moved along as well. She does so with consistency and a show of real internal strength.
What this story unmasked so well was the awakening of two individuals whose lives have become routine and mundane. They are going through life on autopilot. Suddenly the presence of someone touches the soul and changes life’s equation. No longer is life simply about you. Unexpectedly, someone else enters your world. You must learn to live outside your comfort zone and sometimes that can be disheartening or exhilarating and even both at the same time.
This is a worthy story that goes beyond cuteness and gives us a journey to enjoyment.
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