Khun Chaai (2022)

One of the best BLs I've seen this year!

There’s never a dull moment in the 17-episode series filled with death, drama, and a forbidden romance that drives the narrative forward.

But let me talk about the BL plot. Unlike modern BLs where gay relationships tend to be normalised, 1940s Thailand is a very different world.

Tian and Jiu are from different worlds. Tian is a rich, educated heir to a powerful Chinese family, while Jiu is an illiterate worker who sells candy to support his siblings. But their compatibility and chemistry are unmistakable – the way they look at each other says everything.

Moments of tenderness with Jiu bring Tian fleeting bliss, but he quickly learns that following his heart will only bring ruin to everyone around him. This gnawing tension makes TSWL a heartachingly wonderful watch with some moments that will leave you smiling to yourself like a fool.

Just to allay any concerns that this is going to turn out to be one of those tragic gay stories, it ends pretty well. Almost too unrealistically happy but you know what? I'LL TAKE IT.

Full review here: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/12/18/to-sir-with-love-khun-chai-thai-2022/

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The meaning of the title is in the drama....JiuTian forever!!!

I watched this drama without no expectations, as this was my first bl lakorn. As I keep watching, I get involved with Tian's family drama and Tian's internal struggle with coming out and trying his best to please his family. Tian is a smart, handsome, and kind man to his family, subordinates, and loved ones. He is looking out for everyone's well-being; and much less for himself. Tian's mother-Madame Li loves Tian, and would do anything to help him succeed to become the successor of the organization. While her love for Tian for success is good, she also failed to see Tian as Tian, always pressures him to hide his identity, and refused to acknowledge Tian's true self. Tian's dad is the leader of the organization and he also pressures Tian's to become the successor and refused to acknowledge Tian's real true self.

Tian lives his life doing everything as his parent wishes---taking care of the family's business and organization. Then one day, Tian met Jiu on the street. Tian and his best brother/friend Yang (Tongtong's character) went to see a play, and Jiu saves Tian from the Japanese. Earlier than that, Tian actually saw Jiu in the street, making candy. He bought candy from Jiu :). Jiu's a poor man while Tian came from a rich family. Well, Jiu saves Tian, and their fate begins there. Tian seeing Jiu, he's already falling in love at first sight :).

Madam Li knew from the start when Tian was little, that he likes chinese opera play; and she forbid Tian from liking and watching chinese play; as she associates this with being different. She tries to hide Tian's identity. Madam Li soon killed one of the workers at her mansion because he knows about Tian's real identity. From one death to another, the killings keep going.

Everyone is trying to figure out Tian's identity- from Tian's stepmother to Ma's (a bad guy). Trying to destroy Tian so that he cannot become the successor after his father in the organization. Jiu at this time was working for Ma bad guy.

Suddenly everyone finds out about Tian's identity-More killing. Then some people die. Tian and Jiu live happily ever after, it's a happy ever ending after all the angst and misunderstandings :).

This is the gist of it all. Oh yeah if you like mushrooms, be sure to eat lots before you watch this drama; because your stomach might not be able to digest them later.

Happy watching :)!!!! I am 100/10 forever loving this drama. Highly recommend.

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Chinese immigrants in Thailand during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China era

Disclaimer:
First of all, this review is clearly articulated. It was orignially a journal as I recorded my feelings after watching each episode.
And on the morning of the 26th of October (GMT + 8), I woke up. Though I was extremely tired, I had to wake up to attend the jurisprudence class on VooV meeting on 8 o'clock. In order to gather consciousness, I picked up the phone and wrote a few sentences on the 7th episode.
Later on as the class lasted for about an hour, I got a notice from Douban (the simplified Chinese platform where I initially posted this review) that this article contained information that violates the law or might harm the public interest. So it was removed from the public sight. Now it's only available to me.
Thank you, Douban, for not deleting it completely.
I just paste the text here because currently I'm too busy with the academic assignments that I can barely spare any time for translation. If I'm going to continue this journal, I will use English instead.

Main body:
10/26 EP7
这一集里大夫人的形象丰满了很多：指在她看到宋先生祭奠张先生时，问张先生能力好，办事可靠，这么多的优点，都抵不过他是断袖的事吗。
这一段我相信她是在试图说服着什么的，直到听到宋先生斩钉截铁的回答后，她目光坚毅，似乎能让人看到一串文字描写：阿Lee坚定了要隐瞒Tian是断袖的事实。
Jiu去刺杀那段笑死我了，怎么杀手大变采花贼。

Another point that really gets me to LMAO is the board that reads “五龙商会创始人。”
The Song Family goes to Chunburi to worship the ancestors of the family and some old acquaintances of the 5-Dragon Association. In the scene where Mr. Song expresses regret in front of the memorial tablet of Mr. Zhang, a board hangs at the wall which writes the pioneers of the Five-Dragon Commercial Association.
But how come the characters are arranged from left to right? And it even has a full stop!

10/20 EP5-6
看到马爷派Jiu去刺杀少爷那里我激动了：快让狗血来得更猛烈些吧！
一度以为本片的走向是丧尸片，尤其是吃蘑菇那段…
主线还是商战，马爷挪用商会的钱倒卖咖啡一事败露，宋先生把咖啡业务与新开的棺材业务暂交晓彤姑姑管理。这一幕与第一集开头那幕高度对称，从拖证人上台到对咖啡业务的讨论，只是三十年河东三十年河西了。隐隐中传达出来的是宋先生对十二年处理事务态度强硬逼死了义弟的后悔。

10/14
听到Tilly birds去年十一月出的歌until then，评论区有很多悼念Tangmo姐姐的。
才发现mo姐的身世其实和二太太很像，不知道是不是这个原因才选她来演。二太太是被父亲为了抵债嫁到宋家去的，没想到戏外演员也几乎被交易给富商，因为宁死不从而惨遭杀害。

2022/10/13EP3-4
一顿午饭一顿晚饭追平了更新，怅然若失倒没有，反而是心满意足。

一、弟弟的人设是完美的！
我一边看一边和舍友感慨：
阳少爷拿了探春剧本吧！（在亲妈和大夫人争斗的过程中，阳指责母亲，维护哥哥）
阳少爷拿了汉密尔顿剧本吧！（阳劝郡主，如果是被强迫成亲，那就应该反抗，“还是说你愿意为了金钱、为了优渥的生活出卖往后余生的幸福？”）
演员Tongtong本身眼睛圆溜溜的，有点像猹的演员，尤其是和贝贝演对手戏时，衬托得更像猹了（大笑）。
总而言之阳少爷就是一个大狗狗的形象，有点皮有点贱，但心地善良。
尤其那段阳回忆过往种种，猜到哥哥性向一事，演员红了眼眶，很有表现力又不过分。他一把抱住哥哥的时候，我觉得这个地方编剧已经把“收着写”这一招用到极限了，他这一抱，再一问“哥你累吗”，要比大夫人种种“我都是为了你好”的解释更能让人感受到爱意，难怪说兄弟情浓于水。
而且这一段真的刻画出了阳这一角色的机敏过人，与善良体贴——这么大的秘密在手里，他第一反应是心疼哥哥憋得累，这一点和阿东就是花开两朵各表一枝。

二、泰国可能没有冬天
但宋宅里有维瓦尔第的冬天。(10/26 comment: Sorry, I just discovered that the background music was inspired by Vivaldi's El Verano
古早泰剧BGM一直给人一种各家都共用同一个BGM的感觉：“你难道没有自己的BGM吗？”
但是新剧讲究的都挺讲究，动用管弦乐队的也不在少数。
第四集偏向于恐怖犯罪片的风格——果然泰国导演都有拍恐怖片的梦吗（笑）
情节围绕下人阿东展开，他偷听到大少爷是断袖的秘密，于是向大夫人勒索，大夫人起了杀机。
从作案后的第二天早上开始，进入了剧本杀的推凶环节（推指推锅）。二夫人直觉很准，跳预言家猜到了真相，但苦于没有证据。大夫人不说话，贴身侍女Jian与二夫人斡旋——这是一种身份地位的强调，被大夫人侍女顶嘴，二夫人一句话也说不得，二夫人的陪嫁丫鬟此时更要闭嘴。
大夫人侍女的手脚很麻利，几乎可以说是实现了一场完美犯罪。阿东完好无损的尸体被找到，身上又揣着工钱，人赃并获，这时大夫人才开口，用死者死了对谁最有益这个理论把嫌疑推到二夫人身上，意思是杀死阿东嫁祸给大夫人与天，才能推儿子阳上位——大夫人把自己摘得很干净，明明自己才是最受益的那个。但还是把笨蛋老爷骗到了。
这场推凶中有人没说全，三夫人说看到了二夫人，却未说关窗时看到了大夫人——她目前不知道真相，但为了保护大少爷考虑，可能二少爷后期悄悄调查时她会说出此事。
再一点是中了虫毒的尸体会尸变，这也是下一集里剧情的点。

三、白蛇传爱情故事
天少爷和Jiu的故事是放在白蛇传的框架下来讲的，天少爷像白素贞一样下山来到不属于他的市井生活中，他屡次示好，Jiu却以两人不是同一世界的人为由拒绝，有点人妖殊途的感觉。
但是我希望结尾Jiu不要像许仙那么渣😭法海只是外部因素，这部剧里的困难可能内外交加，不需要再来个法海了。
最后盲猜宋先生不会是Jiu的仇人吧🚬

10/12
先生这个剧虽然才看了一天，但真的让我好上脑…不，我的意思是上头。
虽然确实也很想出门吃火锅涮牛上脑😅
很久没有这种上脑的感觉了…

EP1-2

初见的镜头分析与老中沉重父母情

昨晚循着喜翻的解说去看了预告片，激动得半夜睡不着觉。
今天午饭时开始看，前情对于背景的介绍非常自然，比如大夫人给天少爷介绍五龙会成员——这一幕既是给未来要继承家产的小朋友做orientation，也是给观众介绍。
可以看出编剧是接受过专业训练的，剧本工整，出彩仍需1％的灵感，但是那99％的努力都做到了。
发现还很适合做dirty work的时候看，宅斗的节奏提高了我的搬砖速度。
吃完晚饭收拾东西的时候正好看到Tian和Jiu初遇，这是我唯一一段没有三心二意、好好看的片段。
首先镜头通过大少爷的视角，从两位顾客间的缝隙里窥见了捏糖花人的口、鼻，又越过她们头顶看到了他的眉眼，又多看了一眼才看到全貌——分开打量了他的五官后，少爷就已经动心了，五官拼凑在一起，1+1当然大于2。
接着少爷去拿现成的糖花，（一个激动）摔碎了，他局促不安蹲下去想捡，但是摊主淡淡地告诉他没关系，又给他现做了一朵糖花。
第一次见面，就送花了。
最后的回眸一笑，少爷也忘了身份贪婪地多看了几眼。转过头来，还是笑得一脸不值钱。而另一边的摊主，也望着先前顾客的背影出神。
看着少爷拿着两根棒棒糖走开时，我内心：这不得甜死🥰
还有个很触动我的点是大夫人因天少爷的性向担忧不已，这是中国人特有的“父母之爱子则为之计深远”。Tian反驳称母亲根本不是为了他着想，她只是不想被二夫人比下去，不想失去内政大权。
一下子让我想到《血浓于水》里Pete的妈妈，来自香港的王小姐，给妯娌下堕胎药，原因是为了争取自己的孩子能成为家族长子。成年后的Pete发现这个事实后大崩溃——父母再怎么为孩子考虑，孩子也不会想背负这么沉重的罪孽——妯娌因流产抑郁，上吊自杀，鳏夫也染上酒瘾，终生郁郁寡欢，退出家族酒店业管理层。
你很难说天少爷和大夫人谁对谁错，只能说在资源嫉妒匮乏的情况下，天少爷确实得如大夫人所言隐藏性向，可能才能过上外人眼里的好日子，即继承家产。
what if天少爷可以run away，毕竟宋先生本身就是下南洋的侨民，流浪与润对于天少爷而言想必也不是一个陌生的话题。
如果我是天少爷妈，我可能会想，怎么才能把他送去一个不以他的性向为禁忌的环境，当然这意味着我可能永远都不会再看见他。但父母之爱子，则不得不为之计深远。

关于译名的一些碎碎念：
好像官方海报里稚嫩的“先生”二字是一台给的官方中译，原谅我现在一看到这俩字就get haunted by 《东八区的西八们》…
不过确实คุณชาย就是先生、绅士的意思（坤คุณ好像是对无爵位人士的敬称，柴ชาย做后置定语强调性别为男）。“深宅绅士”是一个补充了细节的译法，比“短袖先生”这个版本更含蓄一点，有中式恐怖的元素在，还押上头韵了。
但是单单“绅士”“先生”信息量也很丰富，让我想到Great Men Academy《亲爱的绅士》那部里最后Tangmo退出比赛，被媒体追问是否因为同性恋身份暴露自认称不上绅士，Tangmo反问评价一个人绅不绅士和性取向有关吗——这一点和第一集张先生自杀前怒斥宋大哥仅凭张喜欢男人一点就否认他的全部价值打破下南洋兄弟结义也是吻合的。
在My Dramalist上看到英译版本是To Sir, With Love，不知道是官方的还是民间的——MDL上很少有民间译名，出于便于检索的目的古早泰剧的英译标题基本上编辑者都用的音译。这个英译让我想到布里奇顿家族里Éloïse那一部：To Sir Philip, With Love——主要讲的是小E通过乱写信认识了一个叫菲利普的鳏夫。先生第一集里张先生被竞争对手抓住的马脚也是给爱人写的一封情诗，不知道大少爷之后会不会给抗日杀手写情书。
这个to sir还让我当年看到莫里斯结尾和苏格兰场一枝花（青年版）时的那一丝亦可赛艇的精神又被勾起来了，不知道大家能否get到……
我真的好喜欢比较剧名的翻译，是一种guilty pleasure了。

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Really? Is this the best we can expect of Thai series in 2022?

The first episode is disgraceful. Appalling wooden acting that is worse than the worst pantomime scenes in other Thai drama - at least in others they were amusing interludes.

Appalling too as a story line which may pretend to do justice to the injustices inflicted on homosexual men in the past. However, it is clearly only a pretence in order to make a drama to gain some of the BL audience. I will only continue to watch this to see how they build this BL drama. At the moment it looks as if we will be seeing another trope using the perceived elder brother's effeminacy as an acceptable image of a gay man and the historic drama as another excuse for these historic attitudes,.

I am hoping that this is not the case but am reluctant to suggest it might get better. If this is another drama showing the stalking of another man in pursuit of unrequited love or their assault (sexual or otherwise) then what audience are they hoping to educate for the future?

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