Love in Translation (2023)

Slow-Burn Pining Into Wildfire, Great Through Ep 6.

Spoilers only at bottom of review. 8 Episodes total. Finished series & updated review 10/15/23.
I'm conflicted on how to rate this because Ep 2 through 6 are great, very enjoyable, and I would easily rate a 9/10. I know I'll re-watch them multiple times. But Ep 7 & 8 are cringy for multiple reasons and I would rate them a 4/10. Such a disappointment. Still, I loved most of the main couple's story so much that I've decided on 8/10 as my overall rating. When I watch again, I will likely either stop after the first scene in Ep 7, or skip to the 2nd half of Ep 8 to finish.

Wonderful acting by the two leads, decent plot Ep 1-6 but ridiculous plot Ep 7-8, smooth-flowing dialogue *until Ep 7, some lovely cinematography, okay music, meh side characters.

The first episode is a bit overly goofy, and though it did get a few chuckles out of me, I was glad to see that toned down in the second episode as the character interactions and emotions became the focus.

The actors playing Yang and Phumjai are fantastic. There are a lot of sweet moments between the characters and the actor's chemistry is palpable, like magnets. They both also really nail the nuances of overlapping feelings; puting on a certain mask to others while the character's true emotions are just under the surface and still visible for the audience to see. Their chemistry and the way they interact with each other quickly drew me in and got my emotions invested. Their characters and the way they act them are my favorite thing about this series.

The friend Tag and the girl Tammy are acted well and feel like real people. I especially like how Tammy is written; I didn't like her character at first but her actions and communication skills won me over.

The brother is not acted or written well, he feels like the weak link, though his character gets slightly more likeable by the end. The other side characters are more like caricatures; over-the-top and lacking depth. Because the series is only 8 episodes, I was okay that they didn't spend a lot of time rounding these people out in Ep 1-6. But then Ep 7 & 8 relied on them more heavily and the simplistic writing and acting got annoying (especially in situations that were supposed to be serious and dire).

There are some beautiful shots utilizing space and lighting that, to me, underscored the bitter-sweet lonliness of pining. The feeling of being a part from others as you hold your thoughts to yourself.

Sometimes the background music was good, but at other times it did not fit the mood of scenes well (for example, positive major chords being played during an emotionally sad moment). It's probably not obvious enough to bug most people, but it distracted me from scenes a couple of times.

GENERAL SPOILERS:
The intimate scene at the end of Ep 6 had a similar feeling to Love In The Air nc-17 scenes, and I learned it had a similar approach: the actors improvised the scene as their characters (except for a couple of lines). It is BOTH emotional and hot, the best combination in my opinion. It feels very real. And this scene will be memorable for a couple of reasons, you'll see ;)
In Ep 7 & 8 there's a good amount of affectionate skinship and a couple of emotionally charged kisses.

Ep 7 & 8: Ugh, what a way to unravel the magic. The writers, director, editors, and most of the actors created a muddled mess. There was obvious confusion about what mood/tone was the goal. On one hand, there's a very serious situation, on the other, the side characters continue their over-acted comic relief. Things that were supposed to be serious were undermined by lightheartedness or ridiculousness, and what were supposed to be feel-good moments or humorous were not because they were poorly done (& poorly timed) and ridiculous. Tension is completely disolved.

!SPECIFIC SPOILERS!:
Further frustrations with Ep 7 & 8 (I just needed to vent):

Why is it that in most BLs calling the police (or for an ambulance) is treated like an afterthought? You think you're boyfriend is kidnapped and you call and wait for your brother, your employees, and your friend to show up and ask "what should I do?"? This is so obviously unrealistic it's just lazy writing for plot contrivance trying to wring our emotions.

The older brother didn't have any savings of his own to help out instead of "being a hostage"? And neither of the brothers thought to ask their very weathly parents for a loan (instead of one of their sons being a hostage)? Get real. If the situation was as dire as the script pretends it is, something could have been worked out with the loving, supportive parents.

The creditor goes from being set up as a scary mob-like antagonist (though this is not pulled off well), to a waffling basic business man. A dire situation spearheaded by a buffoon lowers the stakes and can't hold tension (or the audiences attention).

The completely unnecessary and eye-rolling cliche of the discovery of a young childhood connection. Thankfully, it was brief and didn't have an impact on the story.

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enjoyable romcom

Overall: it was a fun watch and I hope we get a sequel/see these actors in more series. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI and YouTube (not in the U.S.) here is the first episode link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s27LxcQeg_0

Content Warnings: kidnapping/held against will, manipulation, coercion

What I Liked
- the supporting characters
- I did laugh several times, the comedy sound effects weren't excessive (I loved that security guard just watching them go at it like that wasn't part of his job lol), though the comedy did give way to angst at some points
- sweet and supportive moments (though Yang should have apologized verbally in episode 3)
- Tammy wasn't a cliche female character
- ep 6 NSFW scene was very well done

Room For Improvement
- plot holes/continuity errors/nonsense stuff (i.e. pretty sure that isn't how you find investors/partners, why didn't he just ask his wealthy parents???)
- Phojai's plan/timeline made no sense and that was a weak apology
- they lived in the same building, but this was not shown/explained and then sometimes Phumjai was at a different bedroom/house (his parents?)
- cliche plot point in ep 5 and other cliches (sick after being in the rain, accidental fall/catch, etc)
- ending was rushed, too much of the debt stuff (could have cut that whole plot out)
- several interrupted kisses in the final episode
- I didn't deduct points for the blatant product placement because it funded the series

Note: I am blown away that Offroad's character here is so different from Saint in Our Days, I have to keep looking to make sure it's the same actor

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They were at least not lost in translation

The trailer looked cute, so I decided to give it a go. There were certain plot twists that I didn’t expect, but I also didn’t hate. I was not sure how the whole “being in love with an influencer” thing would go, especially as it came across as an unhealthy obsession at times. But they handled it well, they gave it reasoning. I liked how it was less about Tammy as an influencer, but more about Tammy as a person.

I know that there were a quite a few unrealistically done things (e.g. they way Yang was fining a partner for the store), but I didn’t let that bother me too much. They simply played well into the plot. The comedic value in the earlier episodes is something I really enjoyed, especially the bickering between Yang and Phumjai, and Phumjai having two (in his eyes) unreliable best friends. I do feel like the comedic aspect of the series kind of faded out as the series progressed though.

Yang & Phumjai: I loved their dynamics! They started as enemies, became friends and then lovers. They really took us on a whole ride. Yang seems to be a lot more mature, but also closed off and not as ready to open up to others. Phumjai is more childish, he lives in the moment and is generally a bit ray of sunshine. He does seem a bit spoiled at times, but that’s more on his family than him. They are both quite stubborn though. I really liked how patient Yang was with Phumjai most of the time, how he put his happiness first. And I liked the way Phumjai didn’t hold back once he became aware of his feelings. He is true to himself. I think both actors, Daou and Offroad, did well. I liked how their characters looked at each other. Their chemistry was good too.

Phojai & Tag: I like that we had an already established couple, but the two made me mostly confused. They were super adorable together; they were the cute couple permanently stuck in their honeymoon phase. But they were keeping their relationship a secret, and I don’t fully understand why. Everyone around them was very accepting, and Tag made it obvious that he hates being Phojai’s dirty little secret. He was hurting, a lot. I could understand being worried about Phumjai getting upset about his brother dating his best friend, but I don’t think “Phumjai is dealing with a lot right now” is a good enough reason for keeping their relationship hidden. Ngern and Ohm had chemistry, but I think it got a bit lost under their characters just being cute together.

I really liked both Phumjai’s friend group and the shop’s team. They had nice dynamics, were supportive of one another and made it obvious how close they were. Even Tammy. She was a much more developed character than I thought at first. I like that she wasn’t made into a villain.

Talking about villains, what the hell were the last two episodes on? That was so unnecessary, it didn’t bring anything to the table and was so over the top. The way they tried to solve it all made absolutely no sense. It was a mess. There was some other… interesting plot choices. I am not sure what Phojai does for a work or if he even works at all towards the end. He is always at the store, can disappear for who knows how many days.

All in all, it started of good but it ended going a bit downhill towards the end. Which seems to be happening to a lot of series lately. And it’s also what brought my rating lower.

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Slow start then too much, yet not enough

Somehow finished it, though i turned the speed up i admit. It almost felt like the story didn't kick in at all, then i was waiting for the chemistry i kept hearing about.
Also that stuff at the end came out of nowhere and just seemed to disrupt things.
Like it took long enough for them to get together properly then you do that? Instead of showing them together?
I felt no connection, i tried and they tried but it missed it's mark in my opinion.
At least it wasn't set in a school but still the story and writing to me was bland or over the top.
Not too long but i still kinda wish i hadn't bothered.

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It's OK

This series had a lot going for it - a good cast, interesting main characters that are well-acted, the main character's smoke-show brother lifting heavy boxes... but the quality of the writing is low, with improvised moments ending up the highlights of the series.

The plot is frustrating, as Phumjai (Offroad) spends two thirds of the series obsessing over a girl, who in fairness is not evil and doesn't attempt to sink the ship. Once the romance starts, it's immediately derailed by a ridiculous plot turn that could have been fun if it went camp like it did at the very end, but unfortunately was instensely boring. the writing is poor, repetitive, and lazy. There's a point where it turns out Yang has a number code system for some reason, including a code number for "just don't come". What possible purpose would he have for that phrase? Unless he's kinky or something.

There's too much of people behaving out of character just to move the plot along. Yang won't allow Phumjai to give him $5,000, but he's OK with selling Phumjai's brother into slavery? OK, good to see he has his priorities in order. That did lead to Phojai lifting heavy things shirtless and sweaty, so it was all worth it in the end, I guess.

Offroad has always been compelling, and Daou Pittaya is a stunning man... when he's not disfigured with a hideous wig. Why is BL so terrified of short hair on men? Look what they've done to poor Frank Thanatsaran!

Anyway, this is silly and immature - it left me missing high school dramas and engineers - but the cast is able to compensate and make it a worthwhile watch. Special mention goes to Ngern Anupart who had me fanning myself whenever he was onscreen - I hope we get to see him in a lead role at some point.

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Love in Translation spoke to me

For my sheer enjoyment (and actor Offroad’s performance), I was going to give this series full marks but then it wouldn’t be a genuine reflection of the glaring plotholes it possessed. Still, I wasn’t rolling my eyes every other scene as I have with some recent series.

The acting can be silly at times but in the end, it played into the characters’ personalities anyway so it wasn’t impossible to watch. Everyone in this series was new to me so I had no experience with their past work, however, I thought they all did well with the exception of Phumjai’s parents. Though I’d say that had to do with their characters rather than the actors themselves. I believe in two different scenes, Phumjai’s parents had very contradicting reactions. His mother would be smiling and his father seemed concerned and vice versa.

Any main character who wears a Woody and Buzz Lightyear t-shirt on his first date is automatically my favorite.

Daou is a replica of Korean actor Kim Junghyun.

Overall, I truly loved the characters and love their healthy friendships.
Yang is serious but lowkey playful.
Phumjai is lovable, full of energy, and a moodmaker.
Bowgie was straight-up fun, the slip/split in the store is my all-time favorite part (also my favorite callback to Phumjai suddenly falling backward. I thought he was lying about the floor being slippery until Bowgie swept the floor like a ballerina).
Tammy and Cheer are great and charming female characters. I wish they did more with Tammy’s ‘player’ character though. Her suddenly doing a 180 because she reunited with Phumjai was a bit out of character, especially when she made no effort to keep looking for him (as far as we can see).
Tag is so freaking cute, I just want to put him in my pocket and carry him around.
Phojai is a good brother, but he’s doing too much. Sometimes I wonder if the writers accidentally switched his relations with Phumjai and Tag. I’m glad he gave Tag the much-deserved attention later although his apology up to that point sucked :/ Him coming back as Boss No.2 was legit hilarious though.
Odo was just chaotically fun and had the right amount of support for all the characters. I laughed so hard when Yang and Phumjai borrowed his car and asked why he was still at the shop (looking bored out of his mind) like even I forgot they had taken his car.

If it’s not obvious, the comedy was right up my alley. I always love a good childish show that doesn’t stem primarily from pettiness.

I enjoyed the music and danced along to some of it at times. I was so happy no character pulled a guitar out of thin air and started serenading the other. I loved that the series only had 8 episodes which was more than enough and they did fine tying it up in the end with some unanswered questions. Such as Phojai’s possessiveness of Phumjai. However, the finale also introduced multiple out-of-the-blue ideas where Tammy was a successful author when she’s never said anything about working on a book/story, Yang and Phumjai have actually met as children and were friends, and Phojai having a conversation with Tag off-screen about moving in with Tag.

Although the storytelling was fine, and I actually like it when flashbacks include scenes we haven't seen, this series overutilized flashbacks to replay, reveal, and re-tell what we’ve just been told by the characters so it felt slow at times.

I also wish two major story arcs had a different and more realistic outcome such as Phumjai’s unexplained feelings for Tammy and Phojai’s over-protectiveness of his younger brother, Phumjai.
Since Phumjai doesn’t care that Tammy is a “player”, I thought they would reveal that his feelings for Tammy were more of that of a hardcore yet a not delusional fan. But the explanation, or lack thereof, was that all Phumjai could imagine and see was Yang even when Tammy was right in front of him.
For the second arc, I wish there was a deeper reason than ‘you said I was a useless brother and you didn’t want a brother like me when we were children because I let two bullies hit me and break your toy’. Seriously, judging from how Phojai had his boyfriend, Tag, spies and reports Phumjai’s every move you’d think maybe Phumjai has some serious health issues that only family and close friends knew about or Phumjai had some close-to-death experience as a kid and that’s why his family babies him but they do it just because.

The biggest plothole would be Phumjai admitting to conversing with Tammy in Chinese through private messages when in person Phumjai couldn’t understand an ounce of Chinese and witnessing this, Tammy even offered to teach Phumjai Chinese. However, after said scene, the story resumed like that never happened, Tammy would continue messaging Phumjai in Chinese and he’d have Yang reply on his behalf.

All in all, this is a definite rewatch for me :D

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Breath of fresh air

In a year that has been plagued by mediocre BLs (with some total disasters along the way), it is always refreshing to at least have something decent. "Love in Translation" decided to at least break the cookie-cutter mold that most GMMTV series have been and avoided the usual highschool/college students setting that we seem to get at least 3+ times per year (like "Fish Upon the Sky", "Tonhon Chonlatee", "2Gether", "Bad Buddy", "Dangerous Romance", and a long long etc.) and are so popular not because the acting was great or the story was fantastic but because GMMTV shoves the lead couple down our throats endlessly in very similar series later on. And other studios don't have the long list of actors so we get to see them plenty of times in several stories (like Frank-Lee Long, Noeul-Boss, among others)

"Love in Translation" provided a break from mediocrity and while certainly NOT perfect, is not the slow burner that "I Feel You Linger in the Air" has become (not a bad series but just becoming a bit too predictable) or the near porn show that "Only Friends" has been from the beginning (seriously, I'm shocked as to how only 2 segments of the 9 episodes that have aired are age-restricted on GMMTV's Youtube channel). And here are some of the reasons this series has been a pleasant surprise:

1. OFFROAD: I still think this guy has been vastly underused in the Thai entertainment industry. Yes, I know his main job is being a singer but we've seen him acting briefly in a cameo in "Rak Diao/One Love" (episode 8) and as the lone shining moment of the disaster that was "Our Days", where he simply stole most of the scenes he was in alongside the two leads. In this series, we get to see him play the bubbly character of Phumjai, a guy who is madly in love with a Thai-Chinese influencer called Tammy and that has to deal with an older brother, Phojai, who doesn't feel he is mature/responsible enough and follows him around trying to check on him from a distance. Later, to prove he is "worthy" of Tammy's love and to shut his brother's mouth, he decided to open a business and with Otto's help he meets Yang, a Chinese guy who is trying to open a business in Thailand but needs a Thai partner to do so.
Offroad once again shows his versatility as an actor as he navigated through several very different moments like when he is so flustered to meet Tammy for the first time, to realizing he is not in love in her but actually he is developing feelings for Yang, to feeling sadness and anger when Yang rejects him, to feeling worried when Yang is kidnapped and when Phojai has to stay with the kidnappers, to the loyalty he shows to Tag and other mini-mart workers, to all the cute moments he has with Yang, to the mature conversation he has with his brother in the final episode. All those moments were not 100% perfect, but certainly were well done by a guy who doesn't have a whole lot of acting experience (someone please show this series to Gun Napat!)

As point 1A, I will give an honorable mention to Daou who is making his acting debut in this series (he also appeared in episode 8 of "Rak Diao/One Love" but was only to promote LAZ1) and had a bit more complicated emotional scenes than Offroad but did it decently enough... However, the combination of him and Offroad proved to be deadly thanks to...

2. CHEMISTRY: Holy chemistry between the leads Batman! Offroad and Daou did not have a lot of kissing scenes or intimate moments like we've seen in many other shows. However, whatever they had, they made the screen sizzle like their sex romp inside the mini-mart and the kisses in episode 8. Not sure if being part of the same group has made me much more comfortable with each other but it was good to see two rookie actors really go for it in the kissing scenes without the hesitation and sometimes cringe that some more veteran actors show when they have to kiss their on-screen partner. In episode 8 I was 2 seconds away from screaming like the 2 ladies that were witnessing the moment as they definitely went for it in the kissing department. As a viewer, not only that makes the romance a bit more real but also I can appreciate the commitment instead of having fish kisses or actors who look really awkward while trying to avoid touching lips as much as possible. Outside of these moments, both developed a good dynamic in the other situations so the lead couple felt actually like a lead couple.

Now, not everything was picture perfect...

Some of the PLOT/STORYLINE made no sense because there was really no background story provided to know about Yang's past. We know his family has a lot of debt and they seem to be running away but I wish more details were provided so we didn't have to be guessing. The kidnapping in episode 7-8 was a bit unexpected as apparently the guy who wants the money from Yang suddenly kidnaps him and forces him to work in his company?! I mean, I've never heard of a loan shark who actually "hires" you to pay your debt by doing manual labor for him. Then, when Phojai stays, he ends up using his knowledge to save the loan shark's company and ends up being called "Boss #2"... I mean, talk about moments that come out of nowhere...
Plus, the way Phumjai, Tag and Phojai end up joining Yang and then the negotiation to only retain Phojai is also a bit weird as no loan shark will agree to that. Then, the money Phumjai has to lend to Bokki and her sick father is a bit unnecessary as all is solved off screen and Bokki remains "eternally grateful" to Phumjai for helping.

Then, the secondary couple of Tag and Phojai had zero back story or development... both are already dating in secret by the time the series start, Tag wants to go public, Phojai doesn't, they argue, they might break up until Phojai has a revelation and confesses his love for Tag, and he decided to move in with Tag at the end. The stalking that Phojai does for most of the series is a bit off-putting as he uses Tag to "report" on everything that Phumjai does and keeps following his brother's actions. The only good moment was the conversation both brothers have in episode 8 were the clear any misunderstandings and you can finally see a conversation between two adults.

In a minor complain, I wish Daou did not have to wear that wig, but given he had military commitments, I understand the need for it.

In the end, while definitely not perfect, this series at least brought some much needed fresh air from all the disappointing series we've had this year (not only from Thailand but also from other countries) and exposed us to Offroad-Daou who should be definitely be used more as actors in the near future.

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the kisses were nice

but... they didn't seem to really be in love. There was no depth, I think that was the problem with the entire series. I guess it's a romcom?

It's very weak in every aspect. The acting was ok, but no one really stood out. The storyline was so so and then went downhill the last couple of episodes - like they were not sure what to do with them - throw in some stuff that was kind of stupid and made the acting look even worse.

Besides the main couple there was a side couple - they were also not so great... I'm being kind - lol
I thought if he called him munchkin one more time, I was going to shut it down.

And the screaming store employees!!! No! No! No!

There have been a lot of BL's in 2023 that were worse, but this definitely goes with them on the "no rewatch list" for me.

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Fluff & loan sharks

With a final, post credit, oh so unexpected revelation, this little bl is over! It was a cute watch a bit draggy in the second part and full of tropes but still enjoyable.

The story is about a younger son of a well off family, overprotected, a bit spoilt but kind and sweet who has a crush on a chinese influencer in Thailand. So he wants to learn chinese. He meets a chinese investor who needs a thai partner to open a shop. Their interests converge so...They meet, clash, become friends and more....

The series reminded me a lot of Ai Long Nhai for the main couple in which one is grown up and serious while the other one is apparently silly and childish. With a gorgeous smile that literally lights up the screen!!! So they open a convenience store which takes some time to take off but still they employ the full staff who spend their time endlessly mopping the floor! No customers to speak of! But the staff keeps growing as the series moves forward!

This series is pure fluff even with the loan sharks who turned out to be businessmen and not too evil in spite of their looks. Everyone is kind and nice (reminds me as well of a number of japanese dramas in that respect!), not a big baddie in sight and the biggest evil doers are they to themselves! It is not cringy either: surprisingly so with a shrieking trans character who was actually bearable (or are we getting used to it?!?!?).

The music is awful! I presume that the songs are original but they sound just like the songs in every other thai bl: there is one with finger snapping (or something sounding like that) for rhythm, then another one which begins a capella before the music is introduced usually used in highly dramatic scenes post big revelation/confession, some instrumental piano pieces to set the mood...BORING!!!!

The amount of product placements was annoyingly high: from square loaves of bread (taken to a date as a snack), to ramen, porridge, skin care and so on and so forth. I guess the square bread PPL were actually a joke: they were so ridiculous so it must be second degree. Right?

The actors are very much at ease with each other and their chemistry is more than correct though it does not light up fireworks! The supermarket make out scene is legendary as are the morning after reactions and explanations: hilarious!

All in all, a correct though forgettable watch. On second thought, maybe not so forgettable: that smile is ......swoonworthy!

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