Golden Blood (2021)

Content Warnings: violence, tragedy (not between m/m)

Watch it for Pitch/Bank if you want, but unfortunately the potential was definitely not reached.

What I Liked
- a nice concept of a bodyguard/protectee
- humor mixed with action
- some cute fluff moments
- Pitch/Bank as the side couple
- Sky's dad's acting
- production value seemed fine

Room For Improvement
- that sponge bath was too invasive
- Gun's sad/angry acting, this was just painful to watch and it's partially the director's fault
- many plot holes/non-logical things such as: why wouldn't Sky's mother pre-donate her own blood (especially when she was pregnant as there can be complications), why couldn't Sky donate to her (granted he couldn't do as much as he was a child but still...), why wouldn't Sky pre-donate his blood since it's so rare, why would you put one of the only blood donors in an extremely dangerous job, why did the writers have them be in the art department when Sun can't draw and that's easily found out by the university, why did Pitch get a personality transplant, how did Pitch/Bank become boyfriends
- how Sky used those two women which I was worried about from the beginning, they should have cut out their characters and focused more on Pitch/Bank
- lack of character growth from Sky especially
- I absolutely hate time gaps and this was no exception, the ending felt very rushed

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I knew it was only a matter of time before there would be a BL "The Bodyguard" clone...

There, I said it. Basically this is like an LGBT/BL version of the 1992 film with (the late) Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, and this clearly caught my attention enough to make the comparison.

Skimming some of the other reviews here, and seeing the overwhelming disapproval of Sky (portrayed by Gun Napat Na Ranong), it didn't even dawn on me that he played Techno in the other series that I remember watching not too long ago: "Love By Chance". And they're not wrong -- other than a couple of scenes where Sky demonstrated anger towards Sun (portrayed by Boat Tara Tipa) -- he's really lackluster in the role. A MacGuffin that could have easily been replaced by any actor (or actress) for the purpose of the story.

The story itself is straightforward enough. Mafia Princess... err, I mean Prince... spoiled rotten and going to be used as a pawn in a cartel shift of power between Sky's father (portrayed by Oat Voravudh Niyomsap) and a rival mafia lord (portrayed by Kradum Thanayong Wongtrakul). Blah, blah, blah... seriously this plot was lifted from so many other movies and shows that you can practically sleep through is as it's more filler to the ongoing plot than the driving factor of the story...

Now to break it down to three categories

* The Good:

Gold Stars go to Boat Tara Tipa for being able to convey emotional depth through body language, facial expressions and even through eye and eyebrow expressions. In fact in one of the school scenes at the beginning of the series when Bank (portrayed by newcomer Tenon Teachapat Pinrat) said something that Sun didn't approve of, Sun gave a look that I saw my first boyfriend give someone that had threatened me at a nightclub a long time ago. And it's been more than 35 years since I've ever seen a similar look given by *anyone*.

More gold stars go to J-Chin (portrayed by Dai Setthasitt Limkasiddej) for being the sense and sanity that tied together what I had been suspecting going on with Sun between duty, honor, and obligation. Seeing the final scene with him brought back memories too intense to talk about casually here in a simple review. Needless to say, it bought a smile of bittersweet memory being triggered.

Interesting the placement of the magnetic hearts above and below the shirt between Sky and Sun. It was pretty clear to this Eastern Philistine who's heart was out in the open and who's was not... And it was doubly interesting how other than the scene which they exchanged the jewelry was one of the earlier times where they were both out.

Thank the producers and the powers that be that Toktaeng (portrayed by Jane Jaytiya Naiwattanakul) and Juno (portrayed by Apple Lapisara Intarasut) weren't manipulative, harpies, rakes or disruptive cows to the plot sabotaging everything for selfish reasons on where the main characters were trying to sort out their feelings. While such selfish women might spice up some stories for needlessly tropish-like drama, in this story, I guarantee they would've been a distraction to the plots and subplots currently going on with this series. Added points to the fact that when it was discovered, they exited stage left without so much as an F bomb or wishing curses and voodoo spells for not being told what was clearly in front of their noses. I just wished they bounced back better (like Qiu Qian Ru (played by Hana Lin) did in "HIStory 2: Crossing the Line") without all the tears and hand-wringing.

* The Bad:

Too many flashback clips through the last third of the episodes. Many of the other reviewers were complaining about the series being rushed, probably because they wanted to see more of it, but for me it was the opposite: too drawn out. And the reason why it was drawn out was because episodes 5, 6 and 7 had too many flashback scenes reminding us of the feelings that the main characters had for each other that they were being too obdurate (or too prideful) to admit to themselves and each other. Which brings me to another point...

...The love theme for the series. Once again, it's being hammered -- ad nausea, ad infinitum -- whenever and wherever it can be squeezed into. It should be something elicit positive feelings from the audience, not be hammered at them until they decide to pick up the single from whatever music outlet that can google.

* The (Truly) Ugly:

Product placement. Jeez, you'd think I'd've gotten used to it in Thai television (and even cinema), but after episode 5 (and DEFINITELY episode 8)... Ugh... it came all flooding back as badly as some of the sponsored commercials I remember seeing in old American 50s and 60s television serials. Sure, it hasn't been as ad as some of the series I've watched (like "Love by Chance" coming readily to the top of the list). I'm waiting until some of these companies try to cut into movies and shows with more advertising time, but until then -- it's just another cross to bear.

Overall, there's many elements that touched personal chords within me, dating back to the days when I first came out of the closet that are both fond and bittersweet, so my opinion would be heavily shaded by those memories. I just have to sometimes remember that stories told in a movie or a television series have to be told on rails from the beginning to a middle and and ending, instead of having the Infinite Possibilities that life and the spontaneity of it can't be interjected into weaving a story of the moment. Riding this series to the end, it's good to see that someone thought about a story that reflected something that happened in my life in its own way.

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Such a sweet story

This was just what my heart needed. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Do I care? Also no. This drama told a story. It was an enjoyable story with some pretty good acting. I actually found that the younger crowd was much more realistic in their acting than the seasoned actors. I enjoyed seeing a story where people cared about each other. I hate the "separate (for whatever reason) and see if our love lasts" scenario, but it is what it is, and at least there was a happy ending.

I love that Sky was crying before he even looked up in final lake scene. I loved the heartbreak Sun exhibited every time Sky cried/yelled/stormed off. I love that Sky berated his father for treating Sun like a pet. I love that there weren't a bunch of unnecessary scenes, or extended "looking off into the distance" contemplation scenes. I was invested throughout the entire series.

I kinda think that the second leads got shafted out of their love scenes....they had problems, questions, then suddenly they didn't. And those tests the father had Sun go through? That was just *&% (insert your favorite expletive.)

Regardless, I'm not sure why so many people gave bad ratings, but to each their own. I loved this. Now I'm going to watch the movie, because why not?

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Pairing of actors

actually I agree to some comment cuz I gotta be honest Gun crying is not cute for me it irritates me really cuz there's a lot of teeth showing and the way he reacts to a certain scenarios actually Boat did a really good job its just that its not a right pairing for me, Gun has his good looks but What I can suggest is that they should look for a cute good looking very good actor if they are planning for season 2 or if they are planning another series. Boat(Sun) must pair to a cute cheery innocent looking with a good acting skills especially when it comes to a hard drama like this. Anyways they manage to deliver it good for me but not too good

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Give this a chance!

Ive watched the series many months ago and i just finished watching the movie(found in youtube).
I even changed my rate to a higher score today because my final conclusion is that is an underrated one.I leave my review under the series section in case anyone reads it to give the series a try.
Before i watched this i already knew what golden blood is, so this fact made things more interesting and let me connect few dots easier.And thats the reason i started the series in first place plus the fact i have a thing to mafia theme-any genre-
So the core of the story itself is very interesting and unique. A bodyguard,a young master and..blood.Golden blood.
Dont spoil yourself and google it let the story unfold!(as i said i already knew so couldnt help it but be a bit suspicious)
A great story but the production value is rather medium to low and u can see this mostly in the fight scenes which were below average to really bad!But i believe all actors did their very best.It was a nice heartwarming love story the main couple was good -at least the kisses seemed really real and hot-and the secondary couple though not much screen time was funny,playful and sexy!
I recommend it for the story,at least this is what i liked the most-Dont pay too much attention to the -manyyyyy- flaws just relax and enjoy it!

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It's nice

Ok, not going to lie I 100% went looking for this show because of Gun. He did such a good job playing Techno in Love by Chance 1 & 2 that I wanted to see what else he had done. He did a really good nib playing the good not good looking guy that I wanted to see what he'd do with the handsome lead character. The show wasn't horrible. Like was it the worst BL I've watch not at all but it wasn't Until We Meet Again or Love in The Air good either or was a solid medium good. The love story is good, slow to start but a decent show all together. I feel like if they had 12 episodes instead of 8 the could have flushed out a few more things but I'm not feeling like I wasted my time watching it. I REALLY REALLY wanted the other lead to be Mark and still can't understand how they tried so hard to ship Mean & Plan and not Mark & Gun.

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Worth a chance!

The story is good, different from the usual in a good way. It's not too bad but it would have been better in my pov.

Sun is a good actor and this role did really suit him. He played it well, just like how a bodyguard should be. Sky on the other hand didn't really get immersed with the character fully. I felt he was lacking in many aspects especially with his facial expressions and reactions but the chemistry was there, albeit not too much.

The drama also started getting rushed towards the end.

I did, however, enjoy Pitch and Bank and would love to watch them in a different drama where they're still a couple. They don't have to be the main leads but I feel that their chemistry can be developed.

Overall, it is an okay drama, just don't go into it with too much expectations.

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Good series

I never write reviews mostly but after seeing many negative comments I'm writing this review.
Please ignore all the negative comments.
I can say the main cast did an excellent job I just loved the chemistry of the lead pair and acting too. Loved Gun and Boat cute and hot pairing.
Their protectiveness and caring for each other amazed me.
If you want to watch bl other than the normal collage genre this is the right series to watch.
After the manner of death series this one interested me.
Please give time to watch this bl, it's worth it.
The second couple was also fun to watch.
Thumbs up for sunsky☺️

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It started out really promising but around the middle, it slowly started to drop off and by the end I was kinda just ready for it to be over.
It's not that I hated it, it was kinda more along the lines of no surprises, so what's the point I guess? I feel like I was more invested in the side characters more than I was Sun and Sky. Which sucks because they really did make a cute couple. I don't know why as time went on I lost more and more interest in them. And dare I say as time went on they seemed to get more awkward with each other? Or is that just me who gets that vibe?

I know I had major issues for the dad treating Sun more like a pet than anything. It was kinda psycho level "I'm going to adopt you, raise you to protect my son who you'll never meet until I need you too.... oh and I'm also going to collect your blood every 3 months, PS: call me father.. xoxo" That was just... pretty much all there was to it. Lol My thing is, you are so "protect my son protect my son I have to protect my son. You have to protect my son blah blah blah" .... until your son really did need saving and you didn't show up until AFTER the fight was all over. Are you serious? Then had the audacity to say Sun and Sky couldn't be together? What the fuck? Lol
Like it really wasn't mafia vs mafia... it was mafia vs college students and the students fucking won. Lol What's that say about you're "protective father" status?

And why did they need to prove themselves for so long? Why prove it at all, didn't he take a bullet for him? Didn't he stay by his bedside 24/7? I don't get it. Even up til the end I feel like the father still saw Sun as more of "cattle".

I'm glad for the happy ending and all but it still didn't seem to satisfy or justify the long wait. Especially with all they had been through.

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I really wanted this to be good

This show started out really nicely. I was so excited for this bodyguard trope. Unfortunately, it wasn't what I was hoping for.
The series started out really strongly, however, I felt at times that the camera work was weird in some scenes, and Gun's acting is a bit rough. I felt like this was a weird character for him to play. I saw him previously in Love by Chance, and that character made sense for him to play. During some of the emotional scenes and scenes where he was angry, it was clear that he had to really try to act, and it kind of ruined some of the scenes for me.
I actually didn't make it to the last episode, because my sister told me how it ended and I was so disappointed that I couldn't bear to finish it.
I wanted this series to be so good and I wanted to love it so bad and I loved Boat's acting, but it just didn't hit the bar for me. The story and the concept itself have so much potential, but perhaps if it was with a different cast or maybe under a different studio it could've been so much better.
The silver lining for me was that the on-screen chemistry between Sun and Sky was definitely there and was sweet at times, but it was just the mounting of everything else that made me give it the rating I did.

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Disappointed but honestly not too surprised

Don't read this if you're thinking of watching the series, even just a little. Would recommend u get the experience before reading anything I'm about to say.

Hate to be that person, but as someone who was quite excited for this show, I sure was disappointed. /soorry for the rant-iness of this review. I am just so sad over the outcome.

I will go over the best part of the show first: BankPitch.
Oh, how sad I was that this side couples storyline was skipped in the ways it was... One second they're "mad" at each other over something, the next they're acting like besties, and suddenly they're a couple? I really hate how common this is for most shows, but I ended up being a lot more excited for this side couple's storyline than the main one's. And that is not at all common for me when watching Thai BL dramas. I was not in the least expecting these two to become anything more than acquaintances at most. Guess who was proved wrong, and that's probably why I ended up liking them as much as I did. It was really unexpected. I honestly thought Pitch was gonna be some "villain" type character on the drug lord's side at first, and that uncertainty remained for most of the series. Up until when Bank and Pitch started becoming closer with each other.

The tension when their first (almost-)kiss happened was incredible. It made me really excited for more BankPitch, maybe some backstory n all that juicy stuff. I don't know, the build-up of BankPitch was simply a lot more satisfying than whatever SunSky had going on with the family drama, that Sky's dad later on also joined, I just wasn't at all interested.

But that certainly wasn't going to happen with how short the show was. So I tried real hard not to get attached to them, but the chemistry between Gun and Boat just wasn't comparable to Tenon and Sugus ?? I'm like- I ended up not even really liking Sky as a character towards the later haft of the series. (Sun is soooo precious, he tots grew on me instead, compared to my first impression of him from the beginning).

The show also started feeling quite rushed towards the latter half/last third of the series and I felt like a lot was left unexplored because of the time limit. The time-skip at the end of the last episode also really threw me off, damn I hate those kinds of time-skips. It always feels so unnecessary… and nothing can mend my broken BankPitch heart. I sound so salty over all this but I really was so disappointed in what this series could've become if it only had more time to play with... Not blaming anyone, just personally would've loved a more cohesive storyline with some more thoroughly developed BankPicth is all. I would love to see TenonSugus as an on-screen couple again, this time with a more developed storyline…

Aaah no this series was just so disappointing… :'))

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It was camp

So this was cute and fun im just gonna get that out the way. If you've been watching bl for a while you must have come across the bodyguard trope and some have been done really well, with this show I'd say they had all the material but it still lacked something.

Now i my negatives, the acting kinda wasnt there like at all maybe a few scenes you can see them trying their best but the rest well lets say they were "acting". And when it came to the supporting actors mainly the 2 girls i felt a wasted potential with them. They honestly were just props for jealously and sad crushes that never work and we all know how girls that have crushes on gay men act in these shows. Maybe if they gave them a GL storyline it would have been even better for the show idk.

Now the positives my babies bank and pitch, they really stole the show for me especially bank. He's so cute and honest with what he wants that its hard to dislike him. Pitch may start of a bit off but he comes around and honestly it made his character 10x loveable. The main couple were interesting thats all imma say tbh like you gotta watch the show to see for yourself. Oh also the budget was really good surprisingly and the fights werent that bad.

So overall really fun, sloppy sure but nothing too cringe to make you turn the laptop off. So enjoy and hope this long ass review helped.

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