The Sign (2023)

connected to past lives, action, love, execution is good

This is my first time ever writing review i don't know why but i like this one it's some what interesting and action,investigation nd added love scenes their friendship even apart from it teamwork in their roles is great like these interesting every episode itself but somewhere i disappointed is tharn climax part i didn't expect that and i hoped a better one but it's like same that's one is disappointed for me as i expected a little more but somehow it didn't meet my expectations...
Apart from it i loved it wholly, beautiful ones with culture including too i liked it.

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Beautiful But Incomplete

I have learned with time to lower my expectations so I can be pleasantly surprised. Saying that, the poster for this drama intrigued me and the plot sounded interesting, the first episode surprised me and overall the story was very well-written and unique, but there was always something that bothered me.

I understand that they were going full out with the special effects, the story was daring and hard to adapt to the small screen, so it was a huge risk taken by the company. But it annoyed me that they didn't dedicate more of screentime to the flashback scenes, even in the present it felt too much that I was being told what happened instead of showed what happened and I'm a visual person, so it really made a difference to me.

I loved the build up of the main couple, flirting and bickering being my favorite dynamic, up until the point that they consumate their love, I can't really explain why, I don't think it was either the director or actors' fault, as they still delivered masterfully done love scenes, but the writing did feel a little bit lackluster at times and I stopped being pulled by their epic love story, what was bad for me since it was the main point of the story.

I didn't really care for the secondary couple, they couldn't even work as a comic relief for me. Yai was the highlight of the series, he was not just a great friend and a wonderful boyfriend, the support he gave Tharn warmed my heart and I really believed in their bond, he was ultimately a great person.

Heng Asavarid was giving it as the villain Chalothon, but unfortunately Chalothon didn't give much as the main antagonist making his redemption very undeserving.

For that and other reason I say, The Sign gave a lot to the genre, it was an audacious adventure with a lot of heart and a pinch of experience. It was beautiful, but for me, it was incomplete. Making it a good start, but hopefully, not the best fantasy BL we will ever see.

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Espetacular!! Definitivamente uma das melhores do ano, vale mt a pena!

Foi uma experiência incomparável poder acompanhar esse bl sensacional do começo ao fim, já estou ansiosa para reassistir.
Pra começar, essa história sensacional que conseguiu abordar perfeitamente: investigação, policial, fantasia e budismo numa série só! O desenrolar da série durante os eps foi impecável, a cada ep ficava melhor. Ainda tiveram culhão de serem os primeiros na indústria do bl (ou até da Tailândia) pra colocarem cgi, que na minha opinião para a indústria cinematográfica tailandesa ficou bom demaaaaaaais! Não posso deixar de ressaltar também as cenas de luta que ficaram surpreendentes!

Gostei muito da cinematografia e da trilha sonora. A produção toda desse bl foi sensacional, vendo os 'behind the scenes' deu pra ver o quão bem produzida essa série foi.

A atuação de todos os personagens é impecável, me apaixonei por todo esse elenco perfeito e super esforçado!!!
Agora, a química dos BillyBabe é completamente surreal!!! Como podem arrasar tanto a série inteira, viraram meu novo vício, estou muito ansiosa pra eles atuarem juntos em outro bl.

Assim como toda série, essa também tem alguns defeitos, mas nada que tenha alguma relevância.
E achei o último ep meio corrido, não achei que chegou na altura de todos os outros eps, mas mesmo assim foi muito bom!!!

Pra finalizar, recomendo demaaaaais, uma das, se não a, melhor série do momento! Toda a produção, história e atuação tá sensacional, vale muuuuito a pena ver.

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Uneven quality but still interesting

It's really cool to see a story that utilizes Thai mythology, the action scenes are well done, the visual effects look good, the leads playing Phaya and Tharn are good, and the supporting role Yai is effective at both comic relief and serious scenes when needed. The Yai hand heart scene with him accidentally interrupting the two diver's conversation is the most hilarious scene of the series.

The pacing of the scenes are a bit slow and the writing introduces a lot of story beats but they disappear abruptly or is explained as something that happened off screen, like whole Montree storyline, Mayris disappears, Chart never getting mentioned after he ended up in the hospital after blowing his cover trying to help them, and the worst instance is the ending where instead of seeing Tharn and Chalothon's discussion, it's just quickly explained away by a Tharn who suddenly reappears. We don't get to see him reuniting with everyone else who has been looking for him and how the conversation went for the whole IDF to be on board with Tharn is missing because of being taken by supernatural forces. As elite officers, Phaya and Tharn aren't very professional a lot of the times. Phaya is also the worst at explaining why he finds someone shady, which is a crucial ability in his line of work. He was also cognizant when drunk Tharn mentioned the amulet, but he just totally forgets about it by the time he goes to the temple. Then there is an epilogue that seemed to be setting up for a 2nd season, but is actually for a special episode for a paywall live in person event.

I appreciate the ambition of the show. It would have been nice if the script was further polished and there was either more episodes or runtime to flesh out certain story points or shaved some off to film some important missing ones. Overall, it's still worth a one time watch.

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One Step Away from Greatness

The first four or so episodes of this series were so action-packed and engaging that I couldn't believe my eyes. Was I really watching a Thai BL? Would The Sign be a sign of big improvements to come? It had everything that the Thai BL audience is starved for: a setting away from the college campus, a unique story inspired by Buddhist mythology, fated soulmates, and a bottom who is a match for the top in strength and ability.

My excitement fizzled out soon, though. It is not that The Sign became bad after the promising first episodes -- it was still a good series with likable characters, funny humor, and green-flag romance. But it could not meet the high expectations that it set in the beginning. The complex storyline, which consisted of several different threads, lost its way and began to meander, spending time on characters whose connection to the main plot is not clear and leaving plot holes. I believe that stories in which a lot is going on are more interesting to watch, but it seems that in this series, there was too much going on for the scriptwriters to handle. Furthermore, the ending was underwhelming, as the resolution of the main couple's conflict with the villain, which the story had been building up towards since the beginning, was done off-screen, by talking it out with him. This is so out of character for that villain.

Billy and Babe have amazing chemistry, and the whole cast delivered great performances. The production team deserves praise for their attempt to make a series that is different and better than what we usually get. They have succeeded in many ways. The Sign is one step away from greatness -- a step that could have been overcome by a good scriptwriter.

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Perfect at first, tedious to get through by the end

Two episodes in, I was telling my friends this could be my new favorite BL series. It reminded me of Manner of Death a lot, and I loved the mature, serious atmosphere. The dynamic between the two main characters was unpredictable and intriguing, and I liked that they were both portrayed as equals.

Unfortunately, the series lost its identity halfway through when the mythical stuff began to mess with the priorities I thought were set out at the beginning. By the end, I was no longer interested in the romance, the plot or the characters. I hoped this show wouldn't be one of those which has to clearly define which character is a bottom and which is a top, both through physical traits and their past lives, but alas, that's what it was. Honestly, even with the mess this show became and how much of a chore it was to finish it, I would have had a much better time if at least they flipped that dynamic on its head.

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THE SIGNS OF A GOOD BL?

What makes a BL 'good'? This is subjective of course. I can't tell you how to live your life. But I can tell you that you need to watch this series! And why.

1. The story is so unique for the BL world (and that makes me very happy). We are so past the high school/college universtiy student phase! We need something new and substantial with actual plot, depth and relevancy! The story is a mix of mythological reincarnated lovers and thriller with Phaya and Tharn working as detectives of a special unit (theyre cops lol) and i think this adds to the tension because phaya and tharn often are in dangerous situations.
however they do have a lot of unresolved conflicts left that deserve some more explanation.
THE SIGN is unlike any other BL series i've watched and i predict it will become one of those staple BLs in a few years.


[i will admit that though i was ecstatic when watching the finale, it is a fact that it is very rushed and SPOILER!!!

spoiler:
tharn should not just have returned Just Like That with no nothing stakes or consequences of him carrying a Naga soul in a human body.]



2. the acting is just superb! I can't believe that this is one of babe's first series (i think i read somewhere that this is his debut but i'm not sure about that). he did so well as tharn! the ensemble cast was also great, and also had everybody's favourite 2 grandmas ;)
i am kind of sad that the GL storyline was kind of unresolved at the end, but the post credit scene for the finale makes me hopeful that we're getting a season 2 (please please please)
3. the cinematography and production was also great! the cgi, for a tv-series was pretty good and impressed me.
i love when they use different colour lighting :)

all in all, it was a very enjoyable series and im waiting for a season 2

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you definitely SHOULD give it a watch, terrific acting!

HI! to start, i have to say that this show requires more attention. for a show that has a lower budget, it has beyond exceeded my expectations. the pacing of the show was great and i never felt like any episode was lacking anything. compared to other bls with weird pacing and random new information, everything was well connected. here are some points for you!

1. the action was done really well, it wasn’t cringe! surprising honestly… i think the actors were well trained to carry out the role and make it look realistic and good

2. there were so many diff characters with their own unique stories. somehow, the director managed to tie all these subplots back to main plot in a meaningful way. we managed to see the stories of all the side couples and even their dynamics

3. there were so many diff types of genres (?) like romance, reincarnation, karma, thai mythology, family relationships, action, suspense and many more but somehow, it didn’t feel overwhelming and flowed really well

4. the attention to detail was absolutely incredible! from the lighting to the costumes, it was all well done and had many details. i do think the CGI could’ve been better but ykw? it’s a small sacrifice for the incredible story

5. THE ACTING. the two main characters were billy and babe. when i tell you my jaw dropped when i watched their more intense scenes. i NEVER expected billy to be able to act that well. babe’s acting worked so well with billy and you can tell that they have major respect for eo. there were some scenes that felt so real, these scenes could’ve gone so wrong if not for their terrific performance. can i just say, EVEN THE SIDE CHARACTERS HAD TERRIFIC ACTING??? the villain acted so well that i hated his face. there was this guy called Art later on in the drama and his acting blew my mind.

6. chemistry. THEIR CHEMISTRY WAS OVERFLOWING. i can talk about billybabe’s chemistry for HOURS. they had incredible tension before they got together and i could feel it through the screen. when the got tgt, you could see the pure adoration, love, vulnerability and protectiveness they had for/with eo. it was so incredible, i don’t think i’ve seen a bl couple with such good chemistry in such a long time. their raw emotions made their scenes tgt so intense, special and beautiful.

7. lastly, the directing. basically the show was directed by an actor named saint. he has been in a few dramas and i think bcos of that, he was able to direct the show from the perspective of an actor as well as a consumer. the attention to detail was amazing and all the camera angles were really good

OKAY IM DONE YAPPING. i would definitely recommend this show but i have to warn that it is a bit intense at times. i love this show sm, definitely in my top 5. there have been quite a few different opinions here and there but overall, it’s a good watch

(do note that i am rating it based on other thai bls i have watched and i’m not comparing it to korean bls or straight dramas)

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Reinventing Thai mythology for a modern romance

It’s quite hard to pinpoint the genre of this series because it combines so many – historical fantasy, true crime, comedy and BL — and rolls it into one jam packed series.

What I liked about The Sign is that it’s a uniquely Thai production and showcases the potential for Thai soft power.

The show is a real cultural treat as it weaves in the battle between the Naga and Garuda, spinning a rich tale of Thai mythology reimagined for modern times. At the heart of The Sign is a trope that we are not unfamiliar with; a Romeo and Juliet-esque tragedy, the forbidden romance that spans generations.

The Sign hasn’t gotten much publicity but it’s probably one of the more underrated BLs so far this year.

There’s nothing to hate about it. BUT save for the mythological element, which is unique to The Sign, there was also nothing particularly memorable about the storyline.

The story is well-paced but the ending proved to be on the weaker side. The resolution came a little too easily, and was rather abrupt and anticlimactic.

Overall, though, the show is still highly enjoyable because of Billy and Babe’s good onscreen chemistry – one of Billy’s many talents is having chemistry with anyone, even a plastic chair.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2024/04/07/the-sign-2023-bl-review/

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One of the best ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

O que dizer dessa série sem ser clichê? Terei que cometer esse pecado, pois essa produção e simplesmente ó-ti-ma!! Do início ao fim e nos manteve totalmente conectados a trama, que foi inteiramente recheada de tensão e suspense. Eu diria que essa série, nos moldes de 'Maaner of Death", trouxe uma lufada de ar fresco e renovação em um gênero que já não nos surpreende tanto. O trabalho com CGI foi extraordinário, tendo em vista que são iniciantes e ao meu ver como plateia foi impecável. A trama muito boa e bem amarrada, não focou exclusivamente em romance, dando a devida importância aos casos criminais bastante complexos. Adorei a parte da mitologia, nos levando a visitar locações belíssimas e a possibilidade de conhecer um pouco das tradições do povo tailandês. A fotografia também muito bonita, nada a reclamar. A trilha sonora simplesmente perfeita e adequada, e não falo apenas das canções interpretadas pelos atores principais (lindas por sinal), me chamou a atenção as músicas incidentais, que delicadeza, caindo como uma luva nos momentos de: romance, carinho familiar e ação. As cenas de ação completamente criveis, muito bem filmadas e editadas. Quanto ao elenco, só posso dar nota dez!!. Embora tenhamos atores estreantes, atuaram muito bem e conseguiram compor os personagens com eficácia, principalmente o ator Babe Tanatat que com maestria fez um sensível e determinado Tharn –parabéns Babe?!! Demais atores veteranos perfeitos!! Enfim, excelente serie que ao meu ver deveria ter uma nota mais alta. Precisamos de mais projetos como esse para sair da mesmice. ”The Sign” you really deseve all prizes. Kudos!!?

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Se suma al grupo de BLs que son el estándar

Esta serie es pura calidad. Muy buena historia, la mezcla con la tradición thai quedó increíble, la trama de thriller y misterio se logró y aprovecharon los casos que investigaban para tocar temas importantes (la inutilidad de la justicia legal, los supervivientes de abusos, depresión, traición, etc). Las escenas de acción están bien hechas y se logra mantener el foco en el desarrollo de la trama y la relación romántica, sin quitarle importancia ni seriedad a los otros temas.
Me habría gustado que el final fuera mejor desarrollado, creo que fue apresurado ese epílogo conn una explicación corta, el besa de reunión y fin. Poco satisfactorio. Pero todo lo demás, muy bien.
Amé ver a Billy en este papel, demostró una buena actuación y muchísima más química con Babe que parejas anteriores.
Me sorprendió saber que es de Channel 3, ya que las otras series que he visto de la productora (Lovely Writerm GAP y Secret Crush On You) me agotaron en distintos niveles; me hizo mirar ahora con atención, esperando que ojalá mantengan esta calidad en los proyectos que saquen en el futuro.

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