BLISS RATING: ★★★★
This is a short and sweet BL series that is typical for a Vietnamese BL series. The one focus that the Vietnamese are good at is getting to the point quickly. This is a simple story revolving around misunderstandings and jealousy. It is a basic story of an on-again-off again relationship between Phuc, played by Ba Vinh and Tung, played by Duy Harry. Phuc is the level head one who is consistently trying to help others which usually ends up being misunderstood by his boyfriend, Tung. Tung is a hot-headed, jealous individual who misunderstands almost everything Phuc does with others. For example, he misinterprets Phuc’s actions in rescuing someone from suicide as him being interested in someone else because Phuc hugs him. He storms off but eventually comes back after he cools off. While they have a simple life where they reside, Tung gets accepted in a school that will take him to Saigon and eventually to Thailand. Phuc initially is reluctant to go to Saigon but surprises Tung and ends up going to Saigon to be with him.
There is a ‘second’ couple composed of Son, played by Nhat Truong, a cousin to Phuc who is crushing on Tung’s brother Thanh, played by Kai Bie. These two banter back and forth with one another without either one ever really confessing that they like each other. They pretend that they do not but are inseparable. They also move to Saigon to attend school as well.
In Saigon, Phuc befriends a guy by the name of Vu, played by Tuan Vet. While Phuc is naïve as to his shenanigans, Tung sees through that and of course gets angry with Phuc for thinking he is falling for Vu. He is not and all he is trying to do is learn English and Thai from Vu so he can be with Tung in Thailand. Vu, on the other hand, does want to break up Phuc and Tung’s relationship as he is interested in Phuc. Vu is a very lonely individual who simply wants attention and wants to not feel so lonely. But in the end, he relents and confesses to Phuc what he was doing with him. Phuc simply telling him that he is only interested in him as a friend. Phuc lost the bracelet that he and Tung both swore they would never take off to show their devotion/commitment to each other. Vu ‘pretends’ to wear this bracelet so that Tung believes Phuc has cheated on him. But when Tung finds the bracelet of Phuc’s on the floor (as Phuc tried to explain), he realized that Phuc was telling the truth and he did not give Vu his bracelet. They make up with both confessing their love for one another and that they will never hide anything from each other again and never say ‘good-bye’ to each other. They will be open and honest with one another. Thanh and Son also finally admit to each other that they like one another.
This is a simple basic story that moves just too quickly. It is obviously a low-budget production and is not particularly developed to advance any significant depth to the characters.
Yetr, there is just something so organic and real about this series. For sure it is not for everyone but what they do portray is a sense of realism and relatability. There are things here we can all understand. Innocent behaviors of others being misinterpreted by lovers simply because of one’s own insecurities and the general insecurities of being in a gay relationship. These are everyday people portrayed in everyday life facing the same issues we all do. Will someone try and ‘steal’ our love away from us because that person has more money, better education, or has a higher status in life than we do? They are also not afraid to show their affections to one another, unlike most Thai BLs. In the very first episode, we see Tung and Phuc in bed (all G-rated of course). There is no wasted time in buildups or contrived roadblocks. The problem with this series is that there is not enough time to develop the characters with any real sense of depth to them.
However, you can see, even with Thanh and Son, the level of frustration and tension as their relationships bloom, there is no real sense of commitment until they are able to communicate with each other. When they are ready to do so, they do it where it seems so natural and honest. They talk in bed to one another! While the series is not deep, it still tackles the issues of relationships with a lot of emotional sensitivity and profundity. They can cry when they are in personal pain, and you can sense the severity in the loss of the connection in their faces when they are challenged with the reality of maybe losing the love of their life. It is all subtle but still there in very soft evident tones.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. the series? While they all did a great job in this rather low-keyed production, the one that I felt captured this honor and captured my heart is Vu, played by Tuan Viet. I named him as he is just incredibly handsome (and I do mean stunningly so) and adorable, and I love deliciously villainous, manipulative individuals. He played the part so well. While he seemed strong on the outside with a resolute to break up Phuc and Tung, inside we could see his vulnerability and his loneliness and would do just about anything to reduce the pain of isolation in his life. He could use his talents in a very manipulative way without looking too sinister and could almost get away with it except in a very real sense he knows his behavior is wrong. In the end, someone manages to find him worthy and becomes interested in him for who he is and because he has deep emotions that are attractive. It was a nice ending for someone who perhaps did not seemingly deserve such consideration.
After watching this, no matter what, you cannot help but to like these people. They are ordinary, relatable, and have issues/problems we can all understand. They are not perfect and do not pretend to be such. This series is not trying to go deep or make some profound statement. They are just presenting a slice of life that is real and genuine. They are displaying in an elegantly simple manner that the most peaceful place is with each other. I liked this series for that reason alone.
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