All That I Have Watched

This Thai BL is set in two separate but parallel worlds that both resemble modern Thailand. Khram lives in a rural area with his artist father. One day a family friend leaves his son, Phupha, with them to keep him safe from a gang leader and his son, Tai. A childhood friend, to enemy, to lover relationship unfolds. However, Phupha is killed, and Khram is emotionally crushed. In a semi-delirious state, he leaps into a mountain pool during a full moon. He finds himself in the second world where his alternative self is dead, Phupha is alive but does not know him, and Tai is a much different person.

There is abundant opportunity here to explore what it means to love someone, and when one should accept that the person one loves is gone. This is done well. However, the production suffers from poor to inconsistent world building. There are also enough timeline jumps to prevent the flow of the series from being smooth. The plot at several points feels contrived.

NC scenes are abundant. They were well done, if the viewer is straight. However, several of them include logistical positioning issues that many queer viewers will find cringe. Further, they are very much sex scenes and not intimacy scenes. This too is most likely to be felt by queer viewers. As I watched, I absolutely felt like I was watching two straight men enact M/M sex scenes. I was uncomfortable.

Overall, the acting was solid. Both Nat and Max have substantially improved as actors, and Gun's work was excellent.

TW: Death, homicide, blood, extreme violence, physical and emotional child abuse by a parent, jump scares, suicide

Tofu is Nut's teddy bear. Ten years ago, he awoke and found himself part of a world where many best loved household objects wake up and become self-aware. Today, a miracle happened, and Tofu found himself in a human body. Why has this happened? What is a loving teddy bear to do when his human does not recognize him? Tofu works to figure it all out with a constant feeling that everything is temporary. Nut is a successful TV drama writer with a complicated family history, a beloved teddy bear that has gone missing, and a strange young man that has suddenly appeared in his home.

This is one of my all time favorite Thai BLs. The MLs and secondary couple are all gay, not BI. Real issues surrounding lived experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community in Thailand are called out. Real mental health issues are well portrayed. Toxic behavior is not condoned. Characters experience emotional growth. It is 16 episodes that are an hour and a half each. The style is very Lakorn with a well structured multi-layer plot. The acting is excellent.

The teddy bear is happy at the end, but expect to cry.

TW: Mental health issues, strong homophobia, murder, physical assault, child abuse, verbal abuse of a parent by an adult child, domestic violence, physical violence between MLs, manipulation, homicide, attempted homicide

Based on real events, this is the story of Nong Toom's childhood knowing that she is a woman trapped in a man's body. She learns Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) and competes to support her parents and save enough money to pay for sex reassignment surgery.

The actor who plays her is a Muay Thai boxer, and the action is well done. The emotions are real and felt throughout.

TW: Transphobia & bullying

The time has come for Ichiko to introduce her lover Ellie to her father. His response is welcoming, but far from what she expected. For he discloses to her surprise that he is a closeted gay and her (deceased) mother was a closeted lesbian. Their marriage was based on longstanding friendship and the desire to raise a child. This confession serves as the introduction to interlinked open and closeted LGBTQIA+ relationships in Ichiko's extended circle of care.

I love the gentle way this movie explored the reality of queer relationships in Japan without passing judgment on any option chosen.

TW: Misogyny, dubconsent kiss, concepts of infidelity, one FL slaps the other FL, internalized homophobia

The Suppalo boys school follows strict rules and traditions. To uphold these rules, there is a Student Prefect's club of ultra-elite boys. Akk, Khanlong, and Wasuwat are all prefects and are also friends. Each has their own struggles and motivations as does Thuaphu who is part of their friend group as the top student in the school. The boys are coming of age though in changing times. Is a strict rules based culture still right? Within the school, a group of protesters is pushing for changes in dress code rules. Recently, a much loved teacher left, and nobody knows why. Around the school, accidents have been happening. Are they part of the school's Suppalo curse, or is someone using the curse to their own ends? When Ayan transfers to the school in search of answers about his uncle's death, his actions bring tensions to the surface.

This enemies to love BL is based on a Prapt novel. To me, it feels like a lost opportunity. There is exploration of the cultural norms of the last 100 years in Thailand being derived from Thailand's time as a fascist state. I suspect this is better done in the novel. The first six episodes are disjointed and both character development and the plot are lumpy and inconsistent. The second six episodes are much better and focus on the characters' emotional growth. Indeed, if the entire drama were as well done as these last six, I think I would have loved it. Both Akk and Thuaphu are Autistic coded in different ways. This makes it interesting to see how their two interpretations of justice come into conflict. 

The acting is good. The direction by Golf Tanwarin Sukkhapisit is acceptable though not their best. I was not impressed by the screenplay, as the dialog was often middling. As it is, I did not hate it, but I doubt I will rewatch it unless there is a second season.

TW: Self-deletion, mental health, bullying, Gaslighting, manipulation, lies, sabotage, dubious consent kissing, teacher to student bullying