Jack and Joker (2024)

Slow Burn, Big Feels

This series pretty much has it all tbh, there is action, drama and romance with a provocative plot. The characters are well-developed too, the story is interesting and the visuals are really pretty to look at. Plus, it doesn’t shy away from real-world issues so if you are tired of cookie romances and want something fresh then please add it to your list because any series that can make you root for a heist-loving rebel with a heart of gold is worth your time.

The Master of Disguise: Joker

He is my favorite character ♡ he has a very suave and charming demeanor but under all that there is a man crushing under the expectations of his parents who only show love if he meets their impossible standards, so to cope he channels his energy into becoming a modern-day Robin Hood and I think that his moral ambiguity makes him a fascinating ML. My man is waging a one-man war against oppressive wealth inequality while trying to find his own freedom from familial pressure.

The Heartbroken Fighter: Jack

His story is a polar opposite yet equally heartbreaking. He begins as an idealistic, shy young man with dreams of becoming a taekwondo champion and opening his own school. But life throws him a cruel curveball because he ends up being forced to become a debt collector to survive, he transforms into someone unrecognizable, hard and intimidating on the outside but still tender and kind within. I think watching Jack grapple with his duality was one of the things I loved the most ngl. He’s a man trying to reconcile who he was with who he has become.

Jack & Joker together :

The relationship between these two is the heart of the show. They start from strangers to friends, then to enemies and finally lovers, they go through so many stages to end up where they do and it's slow but I personally think it's refreshing to see a BL series that takes its time building a relationship between the leads, plus their chemistry is off the charts thanks to YinWar. You can tell these two actors trust and understand each other deeply because whether they are working through misunderstandings, confronting their pasts or supporting each other in the present, they always nail the emotions head on.

Cinematography :

In my opinion, the series is stunning to the eyes which is a rare feat in BL dramas lmaoo but here, the cinematography catches the glittering and superficial opulence of the wealthy with the gritty realities of poverty really good.

Social Commentary :

I have to mention this because the heavy themes in this show are really worth paying attention to, like wealth disparity, family expectations and identity without feeling preachy, these were all subjects that really caught my attention. They went deep in how society shapes us and the lengths we go to in order to break free from the chains.

The Main Cast:

I just fucking love them. Their chemistry is just so damn good y'all, their emotional beats hit hard and they bring so much to their characters like it's so obvious how much they worked for this show, they have poured their hearts into these roles so PLEASE GO WATCH it. You won’t regret it.


➭SPOILERS AHEAD - DETAILED INSIGHT

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First, let me start by saying that Tattoo’s character development was really good. I’ll admit it tho at first, I couldn’t stand him. His decisions seemed selfish, reckless and frustrating. But then I started to understand where he was coming from. He was someone desperate for a better life, for a chance to escape the endless cycle of poverty and the choices he made were just about survival. It’s heartbreaking when you realize that desperation can push even the kindest souls to do things they wouldn’t normally consider but by the end, I found myself really liking his character.. Ahem..with Aran. I SHIP THEM SO BAD OKAY?


An other thing I have to mention is that I absolutely cannot stand the father. Every single scene with him had me seething lmao. The way he treats Jack is beyond infuriating, it’s hella toxic, I mean the constant belittling, the endless disapproval, and the way he dismisses every effort Jack makes ( ͡° ʖ̯ ͡°) I deadass think he was actively trying to destroy his own son. How can you call yourself a parent when all you do is tear your child down, leaving them feeling like nothing they do will ever be enough?

What makes it worse is that he doesn’t even try to understand Jack or his choices. Instead, he clings to this outdated, rigid sense of control expecting blind obedience while offering zero support. It’s no fucking wonder Jack feels like he has to bury so much of himself just to survive under that man’s shadow. Tbh watching their interactions made me sick because you can see how much damage the father’s words and actions have done to Jack’s confidence and that little redemption shit they tried to give him wasn't enough for him, sorry but I can not and WILL NOT forgive that man, he is literally emotionally abusive and Jack deserved better.

Lastly I will say that I am absolutely floored by our main leads ღ The way Jack and Joker started as complete strangers, slowly growing into something that could have been so much more. Sometimes, I catch myself wondering, what if Joker had never gone to that bank? What if Jack had never felt betrayed? Would things have been different? Well I'll never know ಥ_ಥ but seeing Jack so hardened by everything he had been through was painful however after the time skip, when his eyes met Joker’s, I didn’t see hate in his gaze ngl, not for one second. I don’t think Jack ever really hated Joker. Deep down, I think he hated himself. He carried so much guilt, so much anger and Joker became an easy target for it. But as he let go of that anger as he forgave Joker, he started to find himself again and the way their friendship rekindled so slowly, so naturally was what made it all the more powerful. There was no rush, no shortcuts, just a slow rebuilding of trust. Watching them fall for each other, piece by piece, moment by moment, felt really satisfying after all the emotions I have been put through with this show. At the end I think it was more about healing than just love. They became each other’s safe haven.

Citeste mai mult

what we needed.

i think this is such a solid start. following yinwar from their beginning and the ups and downs since the FIRST love mechanics, they deserved this. it’s a serious plot with some funny moments, and the script is IMMACULATE compared to other thai bls rn.
this drama deserves to get recognition like other darker theme bls rn, i’m so excited for the rest of the series to air.
the difference between this show and love mechanics is exactly what yinwar needed to show their talents. everyone knows they have the chemistry, but their acting has gone unnoticed when i believe they are one of the best acting pairs in the thai lakorn world rn.

Citeste mai mult

I’m seated.

sometimes you just forget what good quality is when it comes to Thai BL shows. I’m not trying to knock other shows, and of course there are some great quality Thai BLs out there. But sometimes everything just falls into place in a way you weren’t expecting.

so, I’m not one to write reviews before a series is over; however, Jack & Joker knocked my socks off. not just with storyline, but quality as well. in the first episode we are getting back stories of the MCs… or shall I say their villain origin stories and honestly I. AM. HERE. FOR. It. I might be the problem, but I love a good red flag, anti hero story and even though we are only just starting this journey I believe that’s what we are going to get.

I’m seated. this to me is KinnPorsche level quality, and I am foaming at the mouth wanting more.

oh Joker, the anti hero we didn’t know we wanted has becoming something we need.

I can already see this being my top Thai BL of the year which is wild since I didn’t think anything would dethrone my stand in, yet here we are.

Citeste mai mult

Okay, this one honestly lived up to the hype...

I’ve been awaiting this series since it was announce! I have no idea where that rating is coming from, but that first episode was perfection. It perfectly set up the dynamics between the characters as well as the plot. The acting was PHENOMENAL! War and Yin’s acting, chemistry, and passion are unmatched. The action sequences in the first website were well
planned and actually looked like real action sequences. Each character has an awesome back story that I can’t wait to see how they’re developed. War is going to be so fantastic in this role since he has the emotional range to play this complex character. Yin is truly going to shine in this role as well, he is the perfect choice for a
character that wanted to be good but due to circumstances out of his control he can’t be. I cannot wait to see what is it come in the next episodes.

Completed Series Review:
War and Yin at their finest with this one! Went into this so excited and it did not disappoint. I am a really big fan of War and Yin, and their performance in this show blew me away. They put everything they had into these performances and their talent and passion really showed. I was hooked from episode one and it kept my interest every week.

The whole cast was spectacular, even though we didn't get a full send on Prom and Mark, what we were given on them was so great and fingers crossed they'll do another show together and actually get together.

The ending of Episode 12 really took me by surprise, I wasn't expecting that the ring boss stole didn't have any power and the Four Horsemen were basically playing with him the whole time. I thought that was really cool and unexpected. I think one of my favorite moments of the show was during the hangman scene where Jack chooses to stay with Joke when he might get blown up. It is so cheesy, they apologize, but I just really like that when they both think they're about to die they're just kissing, like nothing else matters but them and being together one last time.

Absolutely adore this show and these actors!

Citeste mai mult

tried something different

Overall: though it was cool how they tried something different, the tonal shifts and writing didn't work for me. 12 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired uncut on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/jack-joker-u-steal-my-heart-episode-1-l2dlqwi91c?lang=en_us (I watched the uncut version which originally was the only MDL listing, if there is a cut version released at a later date that I can watch, I'll try to update this with the differences)

Content Warnings: past suicide, suicide, attempted suicide, theft, violence/beaten up, blood, bullying, attempted kidnapping, coercion, manipulation, punch, kidnapping, blood

Watch Suggestions starting at ep 5 (uncut timings) (to take out nonsense plot, brutality and focus on the leads' relationship, I might go back thru earlier episodes for suggested timings later)
- episode 5 watch 5:30-9:30 and 16-50:50 if you want to see a caper, otherwise watch 9:30-12:40 and 50:50-56:55 for 2 hurt care scenes
- episode 6 watch the beginning to 9:10, 16-21:40, 24:45-29:30 and 38-1hr2m30s
- skip episode 7
- episode 8 watch 1hr10m45s to the end
- episode 9 watch 1hr4min to the end
- episode 10 watch beginning to 5 and then 12-12:45
- skip episode 11
- episode 12 watch 53:30-54:20 and 1hr 24 to the end

What I Liked
- best grandma ever
- unique premise
- sweet/flirty/caring moments
- fight/action sequences
- grey protagonists
- how Jack called out his coach and then the coach apologized and got his karma
- non cliche female character

Room For Improvement
- tonal shifts between inept comedy caper and brutality/action
- the romance took a backseat to the nonsense plot
- characters were stupid and inept
- because 2 characters relished in violence at the beginning of episode 5, it made me uninterested in any romantic pairings with them involved
- ep 1 started with a flash forward
- I didn't laugh at most of the jokes including the food poisoning/farting
- there were a ton of nonsense things, one example being it didn't make any sense why a character was so angry at another character when the result would have been exactly the same
- failed redemption arcs
- the character acting like someone with less money and then having fake dirt on him was in bad taste and the knock off Squid Game video game thing was completely uninteresting
- a character's instance on something in the NC scene in ep 10 felt dated
- characters just stood around while a character was hauled off by very shifty looking dudes
- lack of trust between romantic partners
- lack of consequences for several characters

Citeste mai mult

most disastrous fall-off since Game of Thrones

God, where do I begin. I guess I'll say that at the start, I was enjoying myself. Sure, it was a little contrived and there were always pacing issues from the episode 1 on, but there were enough interesting elements to have me willing to go along. Over the following three months, I then experienced what the proverbial frog being boiled must have felt as around me the waters got hotter and hotter until I was being turned into rancid jelly.

Quick premise recap: Through a series of contrivances, Jack and Joke meet as youths (Joke is somewhere around 20, Jack is 18) and bond. Jack runs into Joke while Joke is robbing a bank, Joke approves a loan for him, then Jack gets accused of participating in the robbery, Joke turns himself in and goes to prison for 5 years while Jack ends up working for a loan shark referred to as Boss. Time skip forward, Jack is out of prison and wants to go apologize and is upset to find out that Jack is no longer the sweet kid he remembers but instead a (seemingly) brutal debt collector. He teams up with two of Jack's friends to steal Jack's parents' ring from Boss, which he's been using as leverage to keep Jack working for him, and free Jack from this life.

Okay. That seems fine, right? Except from there the plot proceeds to introduce more and more elements, getting increasingly out of control as it goes. I should have known it was doomed the moment they introduced The Evil Crime Boss monopoly game in a scene that must have taken a solid 10-15 minutes but felt more like an hour. I doubly should have known when in, like, the next episode they did an almost identical scene but with a digital game of Chutes and Ladders. In case you didn't get it, these rich people see the poor as their playthings. Do I understand what any of these people actually do? Nope!

From there, it just gets more comic book before reaching absurdist heights with a final episode that includes three characters handcuffed to video game consoles with bomb collars on while for some reason they're forced to play hangman in one of the most excruciating sequences of television I've been subjected to. And then it's revealed that all the danger the characters were allegedly in didn't actually matter, because the escalating events of the past three episodes were actually all just the Four Horsemen screwing with Boss. Which thematically, yes, makes sense, but also negated 90% of the character decisions that had come before.

It's hard to describe what a letdown this show was. It started with a promising premise and themes of the cycle of poverty and self-interest versus self-sacrifice, all to abandon that for a poor knock-off of Squid Game. Character arcs are introduced and dropped at the speed of light, interpersonal conflicts that should be a major problem are resolved in a few lines, and plot points that seem incredibly important just disappear into the wind.

Things that were good:
- War is still a great actor and manages to pull genuine pathos out of an insane script.
- Yin and War have the chemistry and heat to convince you of Jack and Joke's attraction even if their romance arc felt pretty anemic towards the end.
- For the most part, it looks great, and the early fight scenes especially are fun.
- Victor, perhaps the only actor who truly understood what genre he was in, chewed the scenery to bits and left no crumbs.
- The first heist involving the fashion show was pretty fun.

Things that were bad:
- Almost everyone was hopelessly incompetent. If you were looking for a fun, slick heist show, this is not it because no one is good at anything, including Joke who is allegedly a master thief even though we are given absolutely no reason to believe this.
- Wildly inconsistent pacing and tone. Perhaps the Saw traps at the end would have felt more fun and camp to me if the first couple episodes hadn't been relatively grounded.
- Character motivations bounced all over the place, especially for the antagonists. We're told in a two line exchange in episode 10 that Boss is actually doing his hostile takeover of the Four Horsemen as revenge for his parents, which is given no further explanation or depth aside from another single line in the finale that has no relevance and is never mentioned again.
- Characters and plot threads were dropped for multiple episodes. Side characters Save and Hope, who have a lot of bearing on the plot as minions for Boss, straight up disappear for like three episodes straight. Tattoo, Arun, and Hoy, who all seem really important at the beginning, also have arcs that are completely dropped.
- People/the show seems to conveniently forget there are guns for long stretches of time, or just forget how basic physics work.
- One of the most poorly executed twists of all time because we have no information about the people involved in said twist. You have time to make Jack bark like a dog for like five solid minutes but can't give us a Mean Girls-style rundown of the Four Horsemen? Please.

I think the most frustrating thing is that there were absolutely seeds of a good, fun show, but it was buried beneath ten layers of nonsense that should have been cut in the first round of edits. Like, not even. It should have been cut at the outline stage and then thrown into a fire never to be contemplated again. I am willing to accept a lot of nonsense in my media, I am able to suspend disbelief, and I have watched a lot of objectively bad television, but this manged to hit my threshhold on everything. Even watching it with friends didn't help; we ended up setting the finale on 2x when we realized there was still half an hour left after watching people mess with an ipad in a cheap-looking warehouse set for an hour. I guess I'm glad other people enjoyed it, because I like Yin and War, but kings, this one should have gone back to the drawing board.

Citeste mai mult

too much plot

jack & joker is not even close to being a decent show so far cos—them meeting/their past, joke's jailtime, their reunion enemyship and cohabitation were all sped through and barely had buildup. not bringing jack's lack of character development so far cos it's through joke pov rn. there's too many side plotlines cluttering the main heist of which there are two now? which ig are sorta connected and can be excused but seriously though the ring plot is holding on by a thread not to mention the bs sewercide backstory w jack's parents and joke's helicopter dad. their relationship itself has nothing going on LIKE he hates him why? he got scammed and then he let him live in his house (??) and now they're partners? they're faught what once? thrice? so far and have like 3 scenes worth of interaction between, in the same frame and then side couple? useless. no one cares. naive guy, friends with protag vs guy who works for a crook, hates protag/coworker could be interesting if it wasn't at the cost of main relationship. im actually so pissed jack and joker's relationship seems to be going nowhere can you tell? i get that this is action heavy unlike love mechanics which honed into relationships and interactions but i feel this could've been much better if the writers/directors had tapped into yinwar's incredible microexpressive acting along with all the boom pow over the top scenes. the unnecessary zoom-ins, long lines that literally add nothing new, scene and tone switching, shitty loud ass background music.... all in all this is nawt giving elaborate action-heist comedy it's giving medicorely made slapstick gag.

(update) yinwar acting down on the latest j&j episode but what even is the point with this slap things on and see what sticks type of plot :/ not only is too much going on but it's getting repetitive preseries joke betrayal misunderstanding jack forgiving him and now the same shit all over like the theiving plot was fun in of itself and then there's the grandma sickness and jack fake marriage and now the lil girl is in the hospital too? i get that joke's father's a surgeon but sab ko thoosne ke chakar me kuch aur nahi ho raha bas ye character ka struggle phir us character ka struggle with 10+ characters the only screentime of the main couple is when their fighting or fucking which is fun and all but we don't know shit about any of these characters except when vocalised by the other characters which is a WASTE of yinwar's acting talent

Citeste mai mult

Discount Thanos & the Debtors

Now, hear me out, and this might just be me, but if I had a super ring that basically made me Thanos with hair and less purple, I would not make it so that anyone who have the ring can immediately, without reason, become the most powerful person and drive me out of my house and country. Thank the eff, the finale made some sort of sense of it. Also, for most of the drama, I was convinced these people were allergic to happiness, cuz the eff is up with all that hurt, heartbreak and tears? That boyfriend era lasted like 0.3 seconds and a cheek kiss.

Listen, this was me the moment I saw Jack's face for the first time.
ME: Ew, it’s Vee from Love Mechanics. I hate that dude.
*Jack walks in, slow motion, in a black suit.*
ME: I mean, sure Vee sucked to high heavens, hurt Mark and broke his heart, but like, did Mark die? Personally, I've always like Vee. Haha, nice suit man, I love you dude.

Pfttt. Don’t judge me, I am weak. Petition to burn all Yin’s cloths and leave the suits so he only wears suits, like, forever and ever? Cuz, dude was wearing those suit. HE WORE. Suits were made for Yin.

Oh, and, these people kept going 'Boss this, Boss that, Boss, Boss, Boss.' So much, I thought that punchable excuse for a bad guy's name was Boss, only to find out it was... and I kid you not... Alice. His name this whole time was Alice. No wonder he seemed so lost and confused and got played. Also, was the whole ring thing being some sort of game the rich were playing the best the writers could come up with? Like, I buy it, but I also don't. As reveals go, it felt like an ex-machina to save themselves after they realised that plot device made no sense whatsoever. Oh, well.

Anyway, Joke made crying and being heartbroken felt like an Oscar performance, and he was aiming for gold. Damn, son, leave some of the heartbreak for the rest of us. That thief owes me for emotional damages, cuz he made sadness looked so beautiful, my arse spent episode 10 and 11 crying with him. War deserves like all the awards for just his crying alone.

Listen, this show was a rollercoaster, and I liked every moment of it. From the silliness, to the heaviness, to that unholy episode 10 and 11. Sure, I wanted to boo at episode 11 for bringing back the curse episode 11 nightmare, but I was too busy crying with Joke, I let it slide. And the ending of episode 10 was so traumatizing, I legit forgot about the heavy breathing sexy scene from the beginning of the episode. Poor JackJoke, their boyfriend era lasted like a bed scene and a swing playdate.

I knew shit was about to go down, cuz Dafug you mean, ‘I love you’ right when you leaving for a mission against discount Thanos? This is how people die. The moment Joke said ‘I love you’ I went. Child, would you keep quiet? Don’t jinx it. Well, we all know how that ended.

Random sidenote: Did this people really think I’ll be crying while War was singing that I’m sorry song, when all I could picture in my head was him in that tank-top in the MV? LMAO, good luck with the tears I guess, ain't nobody crying here. But like how talented is War? What can't that man do?

PLOT:
I enjoyed the plot of this. Some things I overlooked, like the Thanos ring thing, how those poor people kept making the most stupidest decisions, comedic timing and etc, but when all was said and done, it was interesting enough to hold my attention and bring me back every single week. I liked the intensity, the jokes, the emotions, and the overall cast. Story-wise this didn't really feel like something new, but the redemption arc with Joke added depth to it, how he was struggling to become a better person, personally I think he was always better person, heart of gold. And also how the good guys, no matter how hard they tried, always made decisions that hurt others. Nothing was black and white here, which made the plot interesting and worth watching. There were some stale parts in the middle that not even the good actors could make interesting, but when everything was added up, the plot held its own well.

CHARACTERS
Joke stole the show for me. Every time he did another character I was so impressed by War's range as an actor. Him as a lady was so beautiful, my arse was this close to asking for beauty tips XD. Jack and Joke's journey was a wild ride, going from friends to enemies, then enemies to friends, friends to lovers. And in-between it all, we went through the high and lows with them. For a second there, I thought it was only going to be all lows, cuz damn, these people knew how to make us suffer. I enjoyed their journey, and as leads, Yin and War carried this show very well, bringing their characters to life. As always their chemistry was chemistrying and that forehead touch might just be the best thing ever.

The secondary characters here also had their own thing going for them. Everyone seemed to have their own problems they were working through, which added to the overall plot, so that was good. I wanted more of Tattoo and Aran, cuz it seemed they were suppose to be a thing, then took an arrow to the knee somewhere along the way. I wanted to know more about Hoy as well, he seemed the only one who didn't have any sort of background.

Rose grew on me. I came to love how graceful she was in defeat. No, her heart was literally breaking from being rejected and I was out here laughing, cuz she took it so well, although she wanted to cry. I was so happy she wasn't one of those delusional female characters who can't take no for an answer. Love her. In the finale, she seemed to have grown out of her rich girl naive phase and understood her circle was evil/jerks , so good for her. But like, rich power hungry people are just the worst!

As for the Boss, he was a typical bad guy with no redeeming qualities or even an interesting background. He came off as greedy, unlikable and just dreaming of becoming a bigger fish than he was. That whole Thanos ring thing seemed like a big deal, but then in the end Rose was like, give me back my ring, and he was like, well, I wasn't the one who stole it. And the whole time, I'm confused, cuz if it's that easy to ask for it back, why her family ran? And why Boss made it look like he basically owed Thailand cuz he put it on his finger? Yeah, that whole ring thing made no sense to me. And somehow, in the finale, knowing it was all a game, still does not sit right with me. Should have been a big plot twist but I can’t feel the payoff.

Joke's father was nothing but a sperm donor in the beginning. I didn't understand why he didn't see himself as being part of how Joke turned out. I mean he was constantly making him feel like he wasn't enough, while the little brother was like everything. And the only time he said anything good was about the Joker thief. I was happy for the father's growth, how he came to apologies as well, and they became family again. When their family was together in the end, I cheered a bit, Joke deserves that so much!

Look, I managed to forgive Tattoo, but for some reason, I can't get over Save's betrayal. Yes, he was also trying to get himself and his evil boyfriend out of debt, but he was directly and knowingly hurting everyone else, just to be free. And these were friends that he pretended to love. Yes, they all did stuff to be free, but I still can't forgive him. Man tried to poison and kill poor Grandma. Heck no. Okay, I sort of forgave him after seeing the finale, but they up and made him the new Boss? The guy who knows how to hurt everyone where it hurts the most? The smart guy who was giving Boss all the evil ideas? Nah, these people don't want peace. Then again those 4 horsemen might know what they are doing putting such a person in charge. I did like him and Hope though, in the finale seeing Hope being stupidly proud and in-love was cute, although I've still only forgiven them halfway.

Now, the Grandma was the real MVP of this show. Woman was legendary. Lol, Joke out there getting his arse whooped and she was holding her own by throwing food. Loved her!

FINALE:
Felt like, after trying to make a very good plot, the finale lost the concept. Cuz this hour and half episode felt like the writers and director were trying to fill as many cliches as they could into the ending. From the cartoonish fights, some out of place comedy, last minutes saves, dramatic over the top scenes, and unnecessary waiting times for the good guys to converse while the bad guy just wait, everything about most of the finale had me going... yaaay mediocre, where's the awesomeness from the beginning of the drama? Yes, having them play the game was interesting, built some tension, but many things had me questioning.

Even so, I was happy for the happy ending, cuz for a moment there, I thought we'd get a sad one and it would ruin my Christmas. That being said, that finale was so convoluted and also somehow long. Legit, most of the fighting scenes had me rolling my eyes, cuz there was so many ways to win over that Cardboard or Carpenter or whatever his name was but they kept just making stupid decisions. Arrrggg. Literally even when he was down, Jack and Joke decided to just not go for the tablet/control thing. Like, literally that was the whole point of the fight. Stupid. And as villains go, I legit did not care one bit for that Cardboard paper character... took me a while to even remember he was that one guy.

I hate basic villains who get so talkative and petty when they get the upper hand. Boss suddenly turned into this childish person with that over the top trying to do evil things. And then suddenly bam, it was all a game, everyone is safe, and instead of making room for Tattoo and Aran we had to watch Boss slow dance with his ghost wife. Yeah, no thanks. Though, seeing that he's probably out there suffering is good punishment.

HAHAHA that ‘Zorry’ scene, I admit was one of the best thing about the finale. I paused to finish laughing before continue, and then when he tried to explain himself, I lost it even more!!

Jack and Joke's engagement? I am calling it a proposal, cuz what else could it have been? I loved how simply and easy it felt. Jack offered the ring, and Joke just happily took it without question. Their happy ending was well deserved/earned. Wish I saw more of them with their daughter. Well, now that the father is back? would they still adopt her? Would Tattoo and Aran give it a go? Either way, I'm going to miss the drama and the cast.

All-in-all, YinWar made the last quater of bls this year fun. The timeline was alive every week with theories which made Mondays not suck so much, and I enjoyed it. The drama is not without flaws, but it's one of my favorites dramas this year. I recommend it to everyone who loves a good bl, watch it, you'd like it. Looking forward to more work from YinWar in the future. For now, I'mma go watch Yin in suits, and War create stuff with clay and grin at my screen like a creep. Bye bye.

Citeste mai mult

Joker, the antihero we didn't know we wanted has become someone we need.

The world has always been a place full of light and shadows. Regardless of the stage in human history, crises have often led us to think that we are living in the worst times. However, the economic situation, racial tensions, the resurgence of fascism, genocide on defenseless peoples, hunger and hopelessness have always been present in our history.
In a world where money and power guarantee that athletes, some without deserving it, take a place on the national team of their sport..., in a world where the poor, including children and the elderly, live in misery and have to work sun to sun to try, without success, to pay their debts and be able to put a crust of bread in their mouth..., in a world where being rich certifies that you cannot go out on the streets at the wrong time, because they can kidnap you for ransom..., in a world that shows the most cynical face of economic power and the amorality of the media, political and economic universe..., in a world where the oppression of the individual prevails at the hands of an alienating system, inhabit the characters of 'Jack & Joker U Steal My Heart!'.
It is in this world where Joker, a master of disguise and a skilled conman, emerges as a rebellious political and social subject. This is how he decides to lead a double life. Boastful and gifted at conversation, he is secretly a notorious thief wanted by the police. Using his exceptional disguise skills, he steals from wealthy oppressors and redistributes their wealth to help the weak and needy.
Joker is, in short, an antihero. The figure of the antihero has reigned in cinema and television series since modernity. Far from the stereotypes of good and bad, these multi-dimensional characters are more attractive to the public than heroes and villains. The antihero presents more humanity, therefore more contradictions, and this can make viewers come to love them in a matter of seconds. And this precisely happens in this 12 episode drama produced by Dee Hup House.
Jack lurches his way through the jungle of crime, violence and corruption, at times as part of it and at other times as a staunch opponent. This jungle is contextualized in the quintessential space of the street, but also in that intramural focus of offices, bars and luxurious mansions where gangsters decide the paths of evil.
In this context, Joke and Jack, the two protagonists, and their friends Aran (Mark), Hoy (Bonz), Tattoo (Prom), Nang (Took) and the inhabitants of the Temple, will fight against Boss (Beam) and the Four Horsemen , maximum exponents of the sordid criminal world, to protect the humble residents.
We are facing a transgressive series that distances itself from the bombastic epic and expansive narrative of superhero stories. We are facing a series whose main character reminds us at times of Walter White from 'Breaking Bad', an antihero who represents criticism of the American dream, who brings to light the limitations of the American middle class and the neoliberal health system; Jack Sparrow, the famous pirate who brought chaos with him and was not afraid to lie and take advantage of others, while trying to help his friends; Loki, the well-known "God of lies", who has a tendency to betray his family, but at the same time provokes laughter with his actions and phrases full of egocentrism and who was finally able to redeem himself and become the favorite antihero of the Marvel films; or Deadpool, a popular antihero thanks to his black sense of humor, high-sounding language and sarcasm who, due to his originality and lack of fear of saying what he thinks, breaks the mold of those who were considered a Marvel hero and, for this reason, everyone likes him wants.
The main character of 'Jack & Joker U Steal My Heart!' It reminds us, without a doubt, of Joker, the character created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson, and introduced in the first issue of the comic book "Batman", in April 1940, published by DC Comics, becoming one of the favorite characters for their originality, and, he is equally, or more popular than his archenemy Batman. Let us remember that his cruel past causes him to explode violently and, in the end, he manages to accept himself as he is, with all the evil, thirst for power and tireless fight with the Batman.
The chain of suffering and melancholy that drags the Joker of the Thai series by director Tee Bundit Sintanaparadee, recognized for directing the BL dramas 'I Saw You in My Dream' (2024), 'I Feel You Linger in the Air' (2023) , 'Hidden Agenda' (2023), 'Step by Step' (2023), 'Lovely Writer' (2021), and 'TharnType' (2019 – 2020), among others, is so palpable and shocking that the viewer has no other choice. The only way out is to identify both his family and society as the true villains of the show, in addition to allowing us to empathize with him.
But it will not be in a Gotham City inspired by New York in the 70s, for many, the darkest stage of the American city and where hope seemed to be lost, but in Bangkok in 2024, just as dark, violent and corrupt than that.
This is the perfect setting to tell a story that deviates somewhat from the original and twists its path of explaining how evil arises in the world, to reflect a beautiful love story between two boys, with which many people can feel curiously identified.
In this way, the sordid world of Joker, a high school student who is pressured by his parents to enroll in medical school, will turn upside down when he meets Jack, an 18-year-old taekwondo player who decides to leave the sport when he becomes discouraged the road, all in the effort to help his elderly grandmother, the only living relative he has left. The dreamy, reasonable and kind Jack, who likes to help others, will be forced to become a debt collector.
His and Joker's lives will change abruptly and unexpectedly when they find themselves involved in a complicated situation, giving way to a love-hate relationship.
The Joker of the audiovisual of the Southeast Asian country is liked and exudes a controversial charm for the population in general and the LGBT+ community in particular. And this is basically due to two things, the first is that as a viewer we manage to empathize with the human being and not just with the character. In this series, and due above all to the sublime performance of the actor who brings Joker to life, we are presented with a very human and sensitive person, despite the dramatic events that have led him to be who he is.
Second, one thing is obvious: their misdeeds are not fueled by the desire for money, personal ambitions, or other material goals. Their motivations are ideological and philosophical. It is the darkness rebelled after a dark childhood and adolescence, despite living in a wealthy family; it is the Shadow that emerges after the impact of a society that attacks and excludes, that ignores the weak, that feeds itself on its own corruption.
The character represents the Shadow that is in us. His actions remind us, without a doubt, of the concept of Shadow that Carl Jung told us about. Adverse impulses live within us that we must accept and bring to light to heal them and proceed to healing. The psychological profile of the Joker shows us that the character lets his Shadow escape to give way to a healing process thanks to love.
What will happen when Joker's actions affect the needy and vulnerable he aims to help? What will happen when the innocent are punished for their actions?
It is not the first time that Joker, who perhaps represents that part of us that longs to break the rules and react, is represented on screen. We remember the character played by Jack Nicholson ('Batman', 1989 - Tim Burton), who brings us a gangster, that of Heath Ledger ('The Dark Knight', 2008 - Christopher Nolan), who gives us an agent of chaos, that of Jared Leto ('Suicide Squad', 2016 - David Ayer), a true sociopath, or that of Joaquin Phoenix ('Guazón', 2019 - Todd Phillips), who draws a famous crime clown and the most villainous multifaceted character of the world of comics, which transcends even the limits of his own personality and offers us a clear warning sign and a direct invitation to reflect on current societies.
However, the cunning Joker, played by the young Thai actor and musician War Wanarat Ratsameerat, remembered for playing Than in the short film 'Because I Love You' from the series 'The Right Man', in 2016, which marked his debut acting, he is a very human and vulnerable character, which is why we empathize so intensely with him. It is impossible not to put yourself in his shoes when you see how, upon discovering that his actions affect others, he without hesitation tries to correct them, even if this means admitting to his family his failure and true identity, as well as paying with years in prison.
Very plausible solution is how we can feel sympathy for a character who tries to outwit his authoritarian parents and a brother who seems to enjoy his failures as a student, and reveals himself to the shortcomings of a society incapable of assisting and giving an effective response to those who need it.
Despite coming from a privileged family, Joker suffers from a lack of affection. Unlike Jack, he does not find affection in his family life, and this has turned him into a lonely being, hungry and thirsty for love. However, we are not dealing with a person with antisocial or sociopathic personality disorder characterized by committing violent and bloodthirsty acts.
For his part, although he comes from a cosmos in which poverty, lack of material goods and the absence of his deceased parents prevail, Jack has a sweet and generous grandmother who understands and supports the young man in his daily conflicts. Much of Jack's sweetness and nobility, undoubtedly, comes from the upbringing given to him by this noble being.
Adrift from their lives, trying to find their place in the world, both of them, with such different and contrasting personalities, meet and their universes collide. And this serves to address other topics, such as memory, absence, maturity, the process of growing up, self-esteem, family expectations, the feeling of never being enough in the face of the complexity of life, discovery, acceptance, recognition…
'Jack & Joker U Steal My Heart!' It also stands out for reflecting the pressure cooker state of urban centers, and is an undisputed daughter of its time. That a stranger in a collar and tie robs a bank after being previously considered its manager, or that a young woman is chased by three violent thieves, portrays the convulsive city and its suffocating system.
The series also works in its effort to make queer people visible. Its creators know that the LGBT+ community is growing rapidly: one in six members of Generation Z in the United States identifies as part of this human group. The data also shows that LGBT+ audiences have an increasing need to see LGBT+ characters in series and films with which they feel identified.
In all this endeavor, War, in a monumental role, does not carry all the dramatic weight of the series. From the first minute, "Yin" Anan Wong, the Thai-Hong Kong actor who plays Jack, stands out in his role as a reasonable man who believes in solving problems without the use of force and has the conviction that "The strength one possesses should be used only to protect the weak," but as a debt collector he will have to impose an intimidating presence, far removed from his personality.
The chemistry between the two main actors goes beyond the physical realm, but is emotional, psychological and completely satisfying. It turns out that these two actors know each other well. They have been lovers in 'En of Love: Love Mechanics', 'En of Love: Tossara', 'En of Love: This is Love Story', all from 2020, and 'Love Mechanics' and 'Love Mechanics: Director's Cut', 2022, BL series in which War plays Mark and Yin plays Vee. They are also the protagonists of 'The Best Story' (2021), in which the former plays Best and the latter plays Dew.
Their performances, authentic, vivid, intense, are sublime as they masterfully embody the raw emotions and internal struggles of their characters through words, silences, looks...
Screenwriters Myminorh Sarun Kaensap ('Peaceful Property', 2024), Pacharawan Chaipuwarat ('Shadow', 2023), Yui Athima Iamathikhom ('Wannabe', 2022), and Anawat Kitchawengkul ('GGEZ', 2018), combine perfectly the genres of action, romance, crime and drama, to deliver a coherent, complex and uncomfortable story that works as a great mirror of contemporary society.
On a technical level, it is important to highlight that the series has an impeccable setting, raw photography and a beautiful soundtrack that take the viewer through sensations and moments that make this a journey into the depths of human despair and the need to stay afloat, especially thanks to love and nobility.
With a masterful performance, a forceful script and a clear social discourse, 'Jack & Joker U Steal My Heart!' it's not just a boy's love story. It is a necessary work to understand that today there are issues that cannot be ignored. Violence, political corruption, social class contradictions, poverty, and evil have origins that must be faced and despite how dark the present may seem, crises do not last forever. Better times will always come, if people like Jack and Joker come together to do the right thing.

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