BLISS RATING: ★★★★
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu
I picked this quote because if the main characters had followed this principle, the story would have been so different. But instead, the premise of this series simply jumps from one perilous situation to another. All of which were unnecessary. So many of the trials faced by the main characters (as well as some of the supporting characters) appeared to be too contrived and a bit unrealistic. In the sense that all of them occurred. When you have tragedy occurring, it should feel realistic and plausible (even if sudden), not something seemingly thrown in for affect. This series unfortunately appeared to have done just that. Some, admittedly, worked while others did not. It almost had a ‘Perils of Pauline’ feel about it.
Let us look at the main characters. Jim (Earth Watthanasetsiri) owns a chicken and rice small restaurant and is guardian for his nephew, Li Ming (Fourth Jirochitikul). He employs Saleng (Mark Kunaanuwit) and treats him like family. Superficially, Jim seems to be well-adjusted and content with his life and an overall nice guy.
One day at the restaurant, he meets Wen (Mix Wongratch) and instantly there is an attraction. They hook up for a ‘one-night stand’ but Wen is unable to be content with that. Jim has forewarned Wen that this is all he is capable of doing and to try and seek a relationship with him would be fruitless. Yet, Wen does, despite the massive walls around Jim which he himself put up. Not that Wen is without drama himself, but his was a bit more believable (but still stupid). Wen’s issue is with his former lover, Alan (First Puitrakul).
While they have broken off their relationship some time ago, they remain roommates. Alan however clings to and maintains a continuous unrequited love for Wen. And becomes jealous of the budding relationship between Wen and Jim.
While I understand the continued desire to maintain a friendship with a former lover, living together as ‘friends’ fresh from being in a relationship and still sleeping together is a recipe for disaster and more importantly fosters the notion to Alan that there is still a chance. Although his friends told him that, Wen is unwilling to change it, until it finally becomes necessary. That whole agonizing trip to realize that could have and should have been shortened at the first sign that Alan was meddling into Wen’s personal affairs. That would have been the adult-thing to do. Yet, that silliness continued. I found it too droll.
On the other hand, Jim’s sad saga is certainly plausible but seemed so artificial to me that I could not wrap my head around it. One had to be as dense as a forest to not see what was going on from an early stage with Jim and his former lover. His whole story just seemed to be too convenient to be believable.
And now for their relationship. I know I am in a minority here, but I did not get it and did not find it in any way convincing. Wen tried and made a nobleman’s effort to get Jim to open up and be human. But there were only cracks in that wall of Jim’s. I just did not see a relationship. A bromance perhaps as they both ‘need each other’ but a loving committed relationship was just too difficult to wrap my brain around. Neither showed any depth to their characters or worse yet, any kind of growth in who they were or were they were going. And there was also no real depth or sincerity to their budding relationship.
While the acting is passable, the commitment is lacking. Earth’s constant sighing is such a distraction and is overused and then becomes a crutch to rely on to not have to show any emotions. It then becomes a deterrent to the story. It quite literally drove me to distraction, and I wanted to scream every time I heard it. If I were playing the drinking game, and took even a sip every time he sighed, I would have been completely drunk within the first episode. I found it that annoying. To be frank, I did not even see a lot of chemistry between Mix and Earth to want to make me believe their characters were or are going to be a couple. Earth and Mix seemed unchallenged in these roles and could do these roles in their sleep and therefore there was no real fastidiousness to the performances.
But the saving grace of this series was the absolutely marvelous connection between Li Ming and his obvious attraction to Heart (Gemini Titicharoenrak). I do not like to make comparison to series actors who were in previously series together, but here, I shall make this exception. I did not particular think that Fourth and Gemini were solid in My School President in which they were the main couple. However, in this series, they are simply spectacular. They were given a chance to act with intensity, and they ran with it. Heart, who was recently deaf, always looked lost, forlorn, and depressed and his family cloistered him like he was disabled and needed to be protected. Li Ming was gregarious, lively, and spontaneous and given to take chances. Just what Heart needed to become human again. Li Ming saw Heart more like him than unlike him. These two showed growth and a natural attraction to each other that was just not lustful, but more with an appreciation of who these characters were. Li Ming made an effort to know and understand sign language; something even Heart’s family had to be guilted into learning.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this series? Unquestionably, this distinction goes to Gemini and Fourth. They are simply astonishing in these roles and showed so much of their characters’ personalities, both good and bad and they had a clear goal – to be together in the here and now. I could not take my eyes off them as every scene of theirs was so refreshing and gave me new insights. Gemini as someone who was deaf was exceptional. As someone who has worked with deaf individuals and know a little sign language, what they did to show that deaf people are as ‘normal’ as the rest of us was remarkable and should be applauded. I could watch a whole series on just their relationship and wished they were the main focus. It might seem easy to play a deaf person, but I can assure you it is not, and Gemini convinced me that he was deaf. And Li Ming’s (Fourth’s) complete commitment to get to know Heart (Gemini) as a person not as a deaf person but a person who is deaf was magical and I found their acting so realistic and a thing of beauty to watch. They have such chemistry together and it showed. They knew each other’s timing and how to handle his not ‘hearing’ with such precision, that I was indeed mesmerized. I completely detest ‘shipping’ couples, but I want to ‘ship’ these two. They have something they share together that I rarely see in BLs anymore. And that is perfect timing and how to read the scene with complete conviction. And a built-in respect for each other. And they are both young. They are remarkable actors and are the couple to watch.
I also think that First as Alan was presented so sinisterly that he almost became scary. He feared losing his love and believing that perhaps that what he felt for Wen in the past was all for naught. First had some great moments in this series when he showed the profundity of the pain he was in from losing the love of his life. This could have been expanded. Frankly, I still do not know why the breakup occurred; that was not clear to me.
Unfortunately, this series went off into inane and empty directions that it did not need to do. For example, the relationship between Kaipa (Khaotung Ratankitpaisan) and his understanding mother was a remarkably touching and warm bond that they needlessly thwarted. I think for nothing more than theatrics. Rather than turning it into a nice story between mother and son with her acceptance of his gayness, they have to blow it up with tragedy, that I found unnecessary and a cheap way to not have to deal with a more intense story. Kaipa has an unrequited love for Jim that he expresses to him perhaps clumsily with Jim’s responding in rather matter-of-fact way that crashes and burns Kaipa’s hopes and ego. While not necessarily an inappropriate response, it was given with little emotion and in a completely tone-deaf manner on the part of Jim which I found to be humiliatingly sad and deliberately pernicious. Kaipa did some fine acting in this scene, and I completely understood how he felt (been there and done that).
I know that perhaps I am in a minority here, but this is not one of my favorites nor do I think it was great or memorable. For me, Fourth and Gemini are the story and are a pure joy to watch. With First taking a small role and turning it into something quite memorable and intense. So many of the rest were unfortunately underutilized or presented more as fluff in an effort to shore up the main characters.
This series is worth watching for its supportive roles and stories.
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