Interpret My Love With Your Heart (2020)

I really wanted to like this drama and went in with positive expectations after reading the praises of it. Too bad it did not really capture me and left me rather disappointed in the end. Let me explain why. (On a side note, this review is based on my feelings and enjoyment I felt while I watched the drama.)

The beginning was promising and I liked the first two episodes but that changed when the story progressed and things between Teh and Oh Aew got (even more) complicated.
I tried hard to understand the characters, their motives, feelings and actions. I can imagine how confusing it must be for Teh to being sure he's straight but getting confronted with growing feelings towards his friend Oh Aew, but for me that does not justify his actions especially when he saw how much he hurt Oh Aew with them.
As for Oh Aew I wondered why he stayed close to Teh when he got repeatedly hurt because Teh was unable to be true to himself and others and actually speak out about that. When you care for someone no matter if it's out of love or friendship or any other reason wouldn't it be only natural to talk to them honestly when you see they get hurt by your silence or actions?
Sorry, but I could absolutely not relate to that and many other things Teh did. A lot of his actions seemed selfish to me and at some point I just lost all sympathy for him. To be honest, I didn't want him to end up happily ever after with Oh Aew. Oh Aew surely deserved better.
I'm not saying the entire story was bad, actually the general plot is really good. I just think they overdid it a bit with the drama and heartache. To me that didn't look realistic anymore but rather self-produced by the characters due to lack of honest conversations paired with dumb decisions.

Another issue I have is actually the acting of Billkin as Teh and his facial expressions, especially the crying. The scenes when he cried made me cringe really badly. Those scenes should be emotional, captivate the viewer and make them feel sympathy for the character yet I just wanted to fast forward or skip those scenes completely as they looked too extreme and I could not relate nor connect to it because in my opinion someone other than Teh had way more reason to cry their eyes out.
I think PP did better acting-wise, at least his portrayal of his character looked more authentic to me and actually made me feel sympathy for him. Well, except for one scene that gave me strange vibes because Oh Aew is questioning himself as a male and what he does is really exaggerating. Why did he even have that in his wardrobe? A bit too far fetched and just added to other scenes that failed in trying to show emotions because they went overboard by trying too hard.
Together Billkin and PP/Teh and Oh Aew lacked chemistry in my opinion. For me Oh Aew was a better match with Bas and that's not just based on the fact that Bas is a true friend to Oh Aew.

The music did not stick to my memory, sorry. It wasn't annoying because that would be something I would certainly not forget but that also means it wasn't outstanding nor memorable.

Rewatch value is non-existent for me. Teh as a character was too annoying for me and that's exactly why I decided not to watch IPYTM (season 2 of ITSAY). I read enough about it to know that I would only end up disliking Teh even more. In my opinion Teh's behavior in ITSAY was toxic enough for the relationship between him and Oh Aew.
Overall ITSAY did address some serious topics and I think it's good and important to do that because real life isn't a fluffy rom-com, but the way they did it might not work for everyone or even put some people off.

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I wanted to love it. I did love the first two episodes, but I "only" enjoyed it till the end. From episode three, I got disconnected from the story. Maybe, being an adult, I could not relate to all the amazingly dumb decisions the teens made. With that, the emotional and sad scenes that were supposed to make me cry my eyes off, just made me laugh my ass off.

It just felt as if they were trying too hard with the presentation of emotions. There was nothing subtle about them in a lot of scenes. The aggressive crying, especially when done by Billkin was comical. I just couldn’t connect nor relate to what the characters were feeling coz of that excessive presentation.

The plot was amazing until it became teen makjang. I loved to see the friends in the past, rediscover their relationship and struggle with figuring out if what they feel is truly just friendship, or something more. The clues were subtle, hints dropped here and there… and then I was slapped across the face with insta story dramatic war talk with hysterical crying, posting shit on public feeds instead of sending dm, like a normal person, not to mention doing things that should not be done in the presence of family members. These kids had no brain.

I will be honest, I was “traumatized” by episode 4. It was just so not fitting compared to the rest of the story. We had subtle coming of age and rediscovering relationships plot, but episode 4 just went HARD on everything. After that episode I was kind of confused. This one episode completely threw me out of the story. Normally, not liking one episode would not have much impact on my views, but here it’s ⅕ of the whole story and a lot of important moments happened in it. So even though it’s just one episode, it had quite a negative effect on my viewing experience.

Out of all the characters, Bas was my favorite. He was a loyal friend, and even though his feelings were hurt, he was still willing to help the person he liked.

Teh was just a ball of frustration that caused me to feel annoyed more often than not. By episode four I didn’t even wish him a happy ending in terms of romance. I was truly done. Not to mention I am not the biggest fan of Billkin’s acting. A lot of his facial expressions just made me laugh at inappropriate moments.

Oh Awe was a baby that needed to be protected. He worked hard, but sometimes it’s not enough. He was true to his feelings and spoke about them openly, but when the other person is not being honest with you and themselves… Well, it simply made him miserable.

One thing that’s for sure was truly a high quality level - production value and visual directing. Damn. This show is beautiful. I am not one to take screenshots of the shows, but I wanted to take quite a few while watching I Told Sunset About You. Stunning.

I loved the serious topics they decided to comment on with this show. I love the ideas behind some of the truly impactful scenes, BUT the approach and the end result was not always something I enjoyed.

Overall, it’s still a step in the right direction for Thai BLs. While I love the silly rom-coms with only entertainment value, we also need some more serious series, which will balance the easily digestible ones. I don't think we need a continuation for this one though. This had perfect closure.

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This show has set the bar for bl shows

Okay wow just WOW!!!!!
This show is excellent in every way possible from acting, cinematography to ost. I dont think yall understand hoe amazing this show is like in 5 episodes this show has shaken the table in the bl world and there's a reason why the rating for this show so high. Both leads were great and really held their ground and can i just say how they portrayed so much emotions with their eyes like wow. Personally i feel this is the show every bl show should take notes. The side characters also held there ground which i loved especially Bas who is my fav, i don't wanna pretend like im a critical reviewer of bl shows i just find them entertaining but this show here deserves all kind of awards.

Teh and oh really show you how much they want each other every episode and you just sit and watch how these boys fall for each other in the most dramatic and heartfelt way. I cant stress this enough watch this show its top tier bl of 2020 maybe even of all bl shows

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Best LGBTQ+ series this year!!

I’m not good at writing reviews, also this is my first time writing it. I decided to write this because this series is so amazingly impactful to me. I watched a lot of bl dramas and honestly I watch them just for the sake of watching, because we don’t get any other LGBTQ+ related dramas. But ITSAY completely blow me away! This series has the complete package! The quality of the production, the plot, the actors, the acting, the musics and the cinematography, all perfectly done!

I personally could relate to Teh and Oh-Aew, when I was a teenager I admit I did a lot of stupid things and when I watch this, it just reminds me of my teenage self and I was embarrassed because Oh God so I was this reckless and stubborn! The portrayal of the teenage shenanigans and struggles are so realistic for me. Everything feel so raw and beautiful at the same time. I was so emotionally invested that I can’t stop thinking about this series. I have so many things I wanna say but I am not good at expressing it so, please just watch it. This is a must watch!! You won’t regret watching this masterpiece!

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Watched 200+ shows from diff countries and this is my top 10

I rarely watch Thai shows but I watched this cus couple drama analysis channels I watch are praising it, and it got 9.5 rating on rating platform (kinda like IMDB) in China which is suuuuuper high (Crash Landing on You got 8.2. It’s OK to Not be OK got 8.6. Some Day or One Day got 9.1). It won #1 international show for Weibo Award (Weibo’s huge influence is like all the social media you know + news stations).

It’s more like a “coming of age” show that most people can resonate with. It’s less about realizing why you like someone of same sex but more about when encountering love, how to start loving and give what that person truly needs, while fighting for your dream/career.

The camera work and filming techniques make the show fill with subtle hints that showcase love. It’s also like BEAUTIFUL artistic MOVIE. Screenshot at any time can make a wallpaper.

People internationally are praising it as the CEILING of BL shows and IN FACT it’s UNLIKE typical BL shows which give artificial sweetness and interactions that don’t seem genuine.

Please don’t look at it using “colored lenses” and just think it’s a tacky Thai show without nutrition. IMO it’s the best international show this year. Not only kdrama, western shows, Japanese dramas, etc. all can’t compare with the quality and resonance it present to the audience.

In fact, you can pretty much put any kind of relationship (even like large age gap, dating someone of different ethnicity, etc.) or just normal heterosexual relationship into the show and learn lesson from it.

Not just romantic love, it also showcase friendship and family love well. And also showcase how growing up in a conservative family (such as with Chinese ancestry) impact one’s view about education, dream, and love.

If you were ever confused about love, like The Untamed, want to learn Chinese, or knows a bit Chinese culture, I think you will really enjoy “I Told Sunset About You” （以你的心诠释我的爱). They have interesting ways of learning Chinese.

The chemistry is off charts. In fact, the main leads were close friends since high school (similar to the drama) before they debuted. They were side characters in another drama (My Ambulance) which was really popular in Thailand but due to censorship in China, the cut version that was released in China was not as good. Regardless, fans internationally loved the chemistry of these side characters so much that they petitioned for another series where they (BK and PP) can be the main lead. Now, wish came true!

Part 2 will be out in March 2021. Part 2 is probably going to be similar to part 1 in that it’s less about the cliche topic of “why I started loving someone of same sex”, but rather more on a spiritual level, whether two people are complimentary soulmates, whether they understand each other, whether they can defeat obstacles and outside forces, and walk into the future together.

Loving someone is never about gender and sexuality. It’s just that this feeling is too special, making adolescent unable to handle it. So the panic, confusion, recklessness presented is a genuine heart.

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huantingly beautiful

The whole production team put their heart and souls into this drama. You can tell just how much they cared about this project and how much they wanted to make an impact with their drama. And they did, this was one of the most beautifully written and impactful dramas I've ever watched.
It tells the tale of growing up, of accepting yourself, of following your dreams, of learning how to be in a healthy relationship and so much more.
Words cannot describe how amazing this drama is. Every little detail from the plants drooping by a roadside to the color of the shirt the characters are wearing is important to the story.
It's like Hansel and Gretyl, little breadcrumbs are being dropped everywhere and you're unable to stop following the trail until you reach the end. Except for this time, the end isn't a witch's hut but a beautiful castle with all that you could ever wish for.

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Raised the bar for Thai BL series

This series went against the generic dose of BL series that Thailand has been producing lately.

Cinematography is the best one yet for this year. It's visually creative and stunning. I also loved that it's located in Phuket. The beach is part of the entire story rather than just an episode filler or a finale location set.

Directing is also crucial for this one. Billkin and Krit are fairly new actors and there are scenes that they still look green but the direction made them pull these scenes off with conviction. They are also not afraid to bare it all emotionally.

Another one of my favorite in this series is the OST. I admit I was a fan of 'singer' Billkin before I saw him acting. But without bias, the soundtrack and background music gave me all the feels. The cinematography + music goes so well together!

It's also commendable that it's not a romcom. They didn't have a second couple. No evil (ex) (girl/boy)friend. No consent issues. And although this is probably the first time I got SLS on a BL series, I appreciate that this does not have any villains at all.

I have great expectations for season two and I will anticipate it.

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Beautiful Story Sets a New Bar

Thoughtfully written, masterfully acted, and beautifully shot. The amount of detail and effort found in each episode, from color palettes with symbolic meaning to small gestures that reveal character development, really showcases the right way to make a poignant youth love story. Each episode, there were multiple times I had to pause the show to take in a beautiful view - the purposeful scenery, lighting, or mood of the scene was truly cinematic.
The actors absolutely could bring heart breaking emotions to the screen, along with lighthearted fun and cute emotions. They really weren’t afraid to give it their all, and the audience can feel genuine emotion without the need for a single word.
Side characters are much more than just ‘on the side’ because they actually develop and enrich the plot without falling into typical tropes (the villainous girl getting in the way, the goofball comedic relief character, etc.). Each character is realistic and has flaws, and although they may act in ways we don’t like at first, we can understand why they do.
The OST is not just great for listening, but plays an integral part in the story, intermingling as a kind of meta-commentary on what goes on in the screen. There is none of that goofy ‘you-should-laugh-now’ music or cheesy sound effects that many shows include today, further pulling you in to take this show seriously.
I thoroughly enjoyed this show; it starts wonderfully and keeps its energy all the way until the end (unlike some other dramas which fizzle out to a disappointing end). Please watch I Told Sunset About You, you will not be disappointed.

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the background city, place, and street are perfectly well suited with the whole story. the color is such a good match, vintage-vibes one. the plot, the acting, the logic really putting hand into this story. how an innocent teenager confuse with their own desire, the series represent it perfectly, no cringe, no overact, no useless scene, everything is well prepared. the acting, the crying, everything seems really perfect, not to mention their chemistry. this series really set a high standard for you, no skipping scene because there is no boring scenes, this series is badass

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we will meet again in 109 counting down

everything about this drama left me breathless and in awe. p’boss is a genius. simply put. and to find out that he himself identifies as part of the community makes the project feel so much more meaningful and genuine. i really just want to praise and thank him and everyone else on the team who worked tirelessly to help itsay become something so beautiful. i thought i knew what i was getting myself into emotionally when i first watched the trailer/teaser but god was i clueless. something among the many things that i appreciate/d about the series is that the “main” side characters (tarn & bas) were written in a way that i don’t think we’ve seen a lot .. both wonderful people i was rooting for throughout the episodes even when what i wanted the most was for teh and ohaew to be together i still loved them and cared for them and i hope that maybe in part two we’ll see them with a significant other who wholeheartedly loves them as well because they both deserve it so so much. and p’hoon ... he was there for teh when he felt like he had no one left to lean on and there were so many other scenes where you could tell how deeply he cares for his younger brother. p’hoon is hope. that there will always be at least one person who will understand you accept you support you or at the very least listen to your worries and give you a shoulder to cry on. was i worried that itsay would end up breaking my heart? yes absolutely and it did many many times but in the end what we got was love and a warm hug in front of the sunset and a promise to see each other again during the spring. and honestly what more could anyone have wished for. i know i will be there.

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A masterpiece

This is my first review, but I felt compelled to write one after watching this series. It's hard to find the words to describe this work, but I'll try my best.

I'll start with the TLDR because this review will be me rambling about how good this series is: this is a true love letter to the lgbt+ community, with such insight and nuance, masterful cinematography, acting, soundtrack, storytelling and a true must see. Not only if you're a BL fan, but also if you're a cinema fan in general as the execution is at the level of "international cinema" and I could see this winning awards at festivals. Nadao wasn't playing and nothing was left to chance. This goes beyond the genre. An unforgettable experience that will stay with you long after watching.


Story and writing:

The story by itself is one we've seen before and simple at first sight: two boys who are childhood friends reunite and discover and navigate through their newfound feelings for each other. The reason I give the story 10 stars is that this series stands out is the masterful way in which is this simple and everyday coming of age story is written.The characters are written with such depth and nuance. The dialogues are so natural. This series is full of symbolisms. Actually if you go to the comment section of this series, you'll see us writing and writing about all these details. Everything intertwines perfectly. Something that is refreshing too is how the supporting characters are written in a good balance that adds more to the series and balances perfectly with the main characters.

The story is focused on the two boys who at some point have a girl and a boy romantically interested in each one of them. However this story has no antagonists in which these secondary love interests are written in such a real way that we end up sympathizing with them. For once we have a girl in a BL properly written and not a villain or used as plot device. The only antagonists here are the inner battles of the protagonists which are depicted in such real and raw way.

Another aspect of the story that I found interesting is how they included Chinese in this series. The protagonists are studying Chinese and the words and symbols are a constant in the series, adding another layer to it.

The series has only 5 episodes (it will have a part 2 though) and in these 5 episodes you get deep knowledge of these characters, a well paced story where no scene goes to waste. This is a masterclass in script writing.

Get your tissues ready but also get ready to smile, to relate, to fall in love with the characters, to really get attached to them. I for one can't let go of them. This was written by people who have empathy and knowledge of the struggles of the lgbt+ community and want to show them to the world and make the people in the community feel seen and understood and people outside of it to understand and empathize.

Cinematography and other technical aspects:

This is one of the aspects that this series shines. Every shot is intentional. and well balanced. The photography is out of this world and each scene so beautiful it hurts. Almost every scene deserves a screenshot for how well is composed. The color pallet in yellows and warm tones gives a nostalgic feel to it making it seem that the series takes place decades ago while taking place in the modern era. Phuket, the place where it takes place is shown beautiful. I also want to praise the styling, make up and air department for making the characters truly look their age and so natural. I can't point any technical flaws.

This is a "show don't tell" type of series and the way it's executed... chief kiss. There are symbols, color being used to depict how the characters feel and how they stand it that moment and details that blend so well in the story while still requiring an attentive eye to catch them all.

Please watch the behind the scenes documentaries once you're done as the director P'Boss will guide you through the technical aspects of it and how it was done.

Acting:

This is the highlight of this show. If I could give a 100 stars I would. This series was written for Billkin and PP and it shows. Their acting is so powerful, nuanced, poingnant, mature but still retaining the natural immaturity of these teenagers. We get to feel all their emotions even in the scenes where there are no words. Billkin and PP at such young age and with the masterful directing of P'Boss went where most actors in this genre don't go, offering us a performance worthy of all the awards. At some points it felt so real and raw I had to take a pause to compose myself. I had never seen something like this in Thai BL. I would say this was probably some of the best acting I've seen in any series of any kind in the past few years or more, that's how good it was. Billkin and PP's chemistry is out of this world too! Keep an eye on these boys, they will go places!

The supporting cast also does an incredible job: the group of friends though shown as a background is so natural and fits perfectly. And the 2 secondary love interests I mentioned before, interpreted by Khunpol and Smile give a stellar performance in the few scenes they're in. They might not have many scenes but you'll also feel everything they feel.

Music and Soundrack:

Another masterpiece that added so much to this series! The OST of this series is fabulous and it adds so much with it. The lyrics portray what the characters are going through and I always cry when I listen to the Skyline song. This song has a version interpreted by Billkin and another one in Chinese interpreted by PP. All the versions of this song are true works of art. We also have 2 other songs sang by Billkin. Not only are they phenomenal actors but singers too! The soundtrack in this series is never overbearing or out of place, instead gets us more involved in the story and works as an aid to portray what these characters are going through.

Rewatch value:

As I mentioned before this series is full of details that you might not catch on a first watch, so I'll be rewatching for sure. The comment section of this series is full of commentators dissecting every aspect of it as nothing is left to chance in this series. Also there were some scenes that were so breathtakingly beautiful that I'll be rewatching for sure.


I want to thank the actors, cast and crew for all the thought and effort they put into this and for the powerful message this series has. One of my favorite series (BL or not BL), I'm still blown away.

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