BLISS RATING: ★★★★+
“I want you today, tomorrow, next week and for the rest of my life.” – m.lovethispic.com
This BL series left me with some high-highs and low-lows. It is such a mixed bag of emotions. I wanted to really love this series wholeheartedly, but just could not bring myself to fully embrace it as a great drama. One thing is clear, however. The acting is exceptional and superb. It is the story itself that fell flat for me. It took so long to get to what was obvious that I began to lose interest in it.
Quite simply, this was a story of soulmates from the beginning. Everyone knew it. They did. The families. Their friends. Everyone, except the story. They dragged out what was obvious from the beginning. I completely understand ‘roadblocks’ and ‘bumps’ along the road to a realization of the love connection, but this is one story that I wish had been evident all along rather than feeling contrived with artificiality to prove their love.
It is a pure love story between Eiw (Earth Namwirote) and his best friend and neighbor, Cake (Santa Oudompoch). These two are pre-destined, if you will, to be together. They are more than brothers to each other and in a sense have loved each other on so many levels at an early age except one – sexual intimacy. They tried to hide that they love each other more deeply than they did. Sure, they were young and did not completely understand the depth of their love in the beginning. Yet, it was obvious.
Eiw, however, recognized early on that he saw Cake in more intrinsic ways than perhaps Cake saw him. And here is the crux of the story. Eiw deeply felt love on an intimate level for Cake more than Cake was willing, able, or ready to admit to when they were younger.
One of the finest scenes in any BL series is in this series. It is when Cake must leave with his family to live in the United States for several years before he can return. When they have to part, it was emotional drama of the best kind. Deep, intimate, and sowed the seeds of their love – forever. It is a kiss that cemented their destiny.
In the interim time between Cake leaving and returning, Eiw learned to become independent, self-reliant, and popular, now having many friends. Cake, now thinking as he returned, Eiw would rely of him for everything, is startled and dejected to learn differently. This then becomes their journey from a childhood dependence to understanding that love is on many different levels including intimacy. Finally, when Eiw is forced to admit his true feelings for Cake that he has garnered since childhood with a fear that if he knew, Cake would reject him. It awakens in Cake the realization how deep his love for Eiw and that it is not just based on the good feeling that he was once needed, but based on the realization that he, as he is, is wanted and needed, and desired by Eiw and has been all his life. Cake awakens and he becomes conscious, once the walls of uncertainty came down, that what he feels for Eiw is exactly what Eiw feels for him. They have now become soulmates.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this series? This series is filled with tremendous acting. Without exception, all the performers were superb. Earth, as Eiw, is one of my all-time favorite BL actors. He brings a depth of sincere emotions to his characters. I could feel every one of his emotional needs. But the crying was simply over-done. However, Santa as Cake, is simply phenomenal. He brought such depth to the role yet with an almost child-like innocence. Ironically Cake was so deeply committed to Eiw that it simply became a part of who he was. Santa was able to show the complexities of this role in a simplistic manner and made it feel as if it was second nature to him. When the two of them finally become intimate, and he tells Eiw what he loves about him, it was pure cinematic magic. I, in all honesty, completely and totally melted. There was such a sincerity and warmth about his soliloquy that I found myself moved to tears of joy and honestly felt the intimacy he was conveying to Eiw. It was remarkable to make what was so trite sounding into making it feel as if he was the first person who ever said that to another person in love. It was spellbinding and a great screen moment and for that he deserves kudos.
Not that the other performances were not magical as well. They were. In particular, Afterday Sukphat as Ton-Hom (Eiw’s sister) and Fort Tangruen as Peak deserve special recognition. Peak had a crush on Ton-Hon from the first time he met her and throughout the years always tried to live up to winning her over. It is really a beautiful and deserving side-story that is filled with great human drama. Softly and gently told with great moments of warmth.
Two points of great significance are also dealt with head-on in this series. They make a great case against drinking and alcoholism. A good and worthy point to make. And the whole concept of death especially of a parent, is dealt with, with great sensitivity and care. These notions tend to be glossed over in these series, but this series dealt with them matter-of-factly and with empathy (but perhaps a bit too long, however). When Eiw’s mother passes away, Cake becomes once again his rock of support but with much deeper and greater meaning. We also get to see the depth of the loving relationship once again between Eiw and Cake as Cake becomes the rock of support that Eiw needs during this time and especially in trying to deal with his absentee father. We also see their respective families supporting one another. This was a nice period of reflection in the series where we see a sense of real life occurring.
So, what is it about this series that just did not push it over the line to greatness for me? It is the lack of depth that BLs have in the development of gay relationships. I completely understand the need to convey a story within the confines of cultural standards but unless you want to make an impact on a story, you must take chances. This was, in my mind, a story of two people who were pre-destined to be in love and were soulmates from the beginning. They knew it but each had to discover that in his own time frame. But once realized, it should have been portrayed as a deeper sense of love.
I wanted to see their love grow and develop, not tentatively, but with gusto. This story lacked a sense of maturity to it. Both main actors are superb, but the screenplay did nothing to break the cycle of tradition or formulaic experiences to push the characters along. These two, along with the strong supporting cast, could have taken this beautiful longitudinal story of love to new heights, but just missed. This is why I just felt empty and a bit cheated as I wanted more for this couple.
Will this relationship survive the 12% benchmark of success for first loves? Yes! That is the story I wanted to see!
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