When second parts are better

'Ossan's Love Returns' continues the adventures of the Japanese gay couple Maki and Haruta after the events of the first season, 'Ossan's Love: Ossan zu Rabu', broadcast in 2018, and the following film, 'Gekijoban Ossan zu Rabu Love or Dead', 2019, from TV Asahi.
Ironically, even after years of being together, the two men, already close to forty, have a couple of things to learn about life itself and relationships, since they have passed professional issues with high marks.
Luckily, the entire cast of the original series is present to offer life lessons to the young couple in their marriage experience. Haruta, in need of all the help he can get from his friends and co-workers, on how to maintain a loving relationship and how to treat his husband, will need to learn from the lessons that can be given to him. .
The popular Japanese BL that was overwhelmingly addictive to many since its initial season, returns to the small screen with a new sequel in which Kento Hayashi, Kei Tanaka and Kotaro Yosida reprise their roles as Ryota Maki, Soichi Haruta and Musashi Kurosawa, respectively, who, along with the other characters, portray the varied dynamics that move our main protagonists.
The show features a cast involving Iura Arata (as Ko Izumi), Miura Shohei (Kikunosuke Rikudo), Uchida Rio (Chizu Arai), Kaneko Daichi (Utamaro Kuribayashi), Ito Shuko (Maika Arai), Kojima Kazuya (Teppei Arai ), Mashima Hidekazu (Masamune Takekawa) and Ohtsuka Nene (Choko Kuribayashi) in supporting roles.
Considered one of the first Japanese television series of the Boys' Love genre aimed at a general audience, it is not the adaptation of a previous manga, although it was serialized between 2018 and 2020 by Umebachi Yamanaka for the manga magazine Be Love. It is also appreciated for serving as an influential model for audiovisual adaptations of the same genre produced both in Japan and internationally.
In fact, due to its good acceptance and criticism, what was initially a special episode broadcast on December 30, 2016, with the title 'Ossan zu Rabu', was expanded into a franchise. The aforementioned special chapter has the peculiarity that in it Haruta's romantic interest is his kohai Hasegawa Yukiya, played by Ochiai Motoki. The original cast, with some changes, was part of the seven-episode series, considered the first season.
Added to this universe are the 8-episode series 'Ossan's Love: In The Sky (Ossanzu Rabu: In The Sky), from TV Asahi, from 2019, and Ossan's Love HK, starring Kenny Wong, Edan Lui and Anson Lo in the main roles. Directed by Kwok Kaa Hei and script written by Tokuo Koji, this is considered Hong Kong's first BL drama.
'Ossan's Love Returns' manages, as a sequel, to recover the magic of the original, while offering something new to maintain the interest of viewers. To do this, the characters just have to be who they were in the first season, but with a more anime style.
The series also respects one of the characteristics of both anime and Japanese live-action works by exaggerating and making improvised mood swings, whether in dream sequences or in fantasized worst-case scenarios. Haruta being a very imaginative man, in many moments of his hyperactive shouts, different and overly expressive voices and internal thoughts, his directors, Yuki Saito and Ruto Toichiro, excel in the exquisite camera work in the close-ups; moving the focus directly onto the face of actor Kei Tanaka, who characterizes Haruta ridiculously well.
Kento Hayashi, her sensible husband Maki, is not far behind in loving her foolish husband, but also showing a side of annoyance with the man who even today, five years after the relationship began, does not do the housework and, To make matters worse, he frequently gets drunk and loses the gifts they give him.
The series describes the “newlywed life” of Haruta and Maki, after the latter's return from Singapore, where he had gone for work. Haruta, who has been dealing with his long-distance relationship, waits for him impatiently, but fails to arrive at the airport in time to see him get off the plane, as was his intention, indicating from the first scenes the comedic tone that characterizes the Serie.
With increased responsibilities in the workplace, the couple has difficulty dividing and accomplishing household chores. To save the situation, Haruta comes up with the brilliant idea of ​​hiring some online cleaning services to make her home life easier. But the person who appears at the door turns out to be none other than his former boss. This will be the person in charge of cleaning the home you share with Maki. In this way, Musahi Kurosawa, played by the fantastic Kotaro Yoshida, Maki's eternal love rival for the love of her foolish husband, re-enters the lives of the two young people.
Kurosawa, who had retired early, now works in a company dedicated to domestic work. As a “housekeeper,” while visiting the couple, her old feelings for Haruta are rekindled.
Despite stating that he has changed his intentions to conquer Haruta and now only comes to play the role of “mother-in-law” in the effort to make the young couple happy, he does not miss the opportunity to argue with Maki and cast her jealous glances, animosity or resentment for “having taken the man she loves” or for “making him suffer for preferring to be with other men,” as she often thinks, without knowing that Maki, who loves Haruta madly, is a victim of misunderstandings and absurd setbacks. , like leaving her engagement ring embedded in a baked ceramic vessel, which she and Haruta had molded hours before.
In this original “fatherly love”, while Kurosawa hurts Maki in subtle ways, a foolish Haruta is not able to notice what is happening around him, achieving moments of humor also with other situations, which will not be lacking in the series.
The three main characters, as well as the rest of the cast, are adults and handle their nonsense in a script that has plenty of intelligence and good workmanship.
With a plot ably written by Tokuo Koji, it's no coincidence that audiences can experience the series as a sexless Yaoi: the characters act with the same kind of bombastic, chaotic energy you see in anime. An example of the above can be seen when a jealous Kurosawa, in a sort of “drama queen”, passes a rolling pin over the fingers of a helpless Maki, unable to react in time, when he comments on her cooking.
If as an obsessed lover “the boss” is a stalker, as a mother-in-law concerned about Haruta's happiness he is also a stalker, a kind of sweet and tender sociopath who will make even the most demanding viewer laugh. In this way, the chaos and drama rise to a divine level, which will make everyone laugh during each episode.
For their part, Haruta and Maki bring tenderness in their fun ways. As husbands, they have dealt with and overcome so many problems, thanks to pure love and faith towards each other.
However, this series, which belongs to a particularly Japanese comedy genre, whose type of humor is not always understood and enjoyed by the audience, is undervalued by many outside the borders of the nation of origin.
However, each episode is a true work of craftsmanship with its chaotic plot and, to top it all off, a satisfying ending. Every time I think that the entire cast, both technical and artistic, cannot surpass the last episode, they do it effortlessly in the next one, reaching greater heights.
In this fantastic show, with excellent characterizations, creativity flows and the audience never yawns. Quite the contrary, he settles in front of the television screen to enjoy the mysterious secondary characters neighboring the main couple, or the performances of the rest of the people who surround Maki and Haruta.
If at times the ghost of 'Ossan's Love: In The Sky' assails me, of which I admit I don't like the ending, and I think that the lack of communication, the work entanglements that tend to keep Haruta and Maki apart, or the fact that Since they both have such opposite personalities, and that's why they both have to take different paths, I really enjoy each scene being more explosive, tender and joyful than the last.
The two protagonists have grown a lot as people and the writing reflects that growth.
Tanaka Kei is fantastic with his facial expressions and body movements. The genuine relationship he has with his traveling companion, Hayashi Kento, is a key piece in the resounding success of the series. The two actors prove to be completely comfortable next to each other.
The complicity, trust and camaraderie of both, as the basis of every romantic relationship, is enhanced with the incorporation of scenes of intimacy, of genuine and spontaneous kisses and hugs, of hands held in public, of restrained tears due to missing the other. , and tender laughter that demonstrates mutual love, as we have rarely seen in Japanese series.
I only hope that around our universe, that of humans, that other universe, fictional, but no less human, which is titled 'Ossan's Love', continues to revolve.

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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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A journey of falling out of love and falling in love between two parallel worlds

Parallel universes are one of the most interesting resources in science fiction. This concept glimpses the possibility of alternative worlds existing in other planes of reality. They can be the same as ours with small differences, or divergent versions with completely different rules and people. According to this theory, everything would have an infinite number of variants that would be encompassed in a cosmos of realities called the Multiverse.
Focused on parallel worlds, films and television series have covered this concept in genres as diverse as comedy, adventure, and horror, jumping from mainstream to independent cinema.
Produced by Kongthup Chanel, 'Two World' stars MaxNat, a ship formed by actors Kornthas Rujeerattanavorapan and Natasitt Uareksit, respectively.
Directed by Khets Thunthup and Petch Varayu Rukskul and scripted by Pratchaya Thavornthummarut, the romantic drama with LGBT+ themes and a touch of fantasy tells how the life of Kham (Nat) could be boring for many, living in his humble house in a rural village surrounded by hills and rivers, with her father as the only person close to her, a friend who visits him from time to time and the pleasure of leaving nature captured on canvas.
With the aim of making us reflect on the importance of choices when defining ourselves, the series proposes an unusual love triangle between three men from two alternative worlds, with an exciting plot and intense dramatic scenes.
His world is turned upside down when he falls in love with Phupha (Gun Thapanawat Kaewbumrung), the handsome and dapper heir of the Khum Fah company, who arrives at his home seeking refuge while he escapes from the Big Slum gang that is after him to kill him and thus prevent him from taking the reins of his father's business.
The brief idyll between the two young people is broken when Thai (Kornthas Rujeerattanavorapan), the son of the gang leader, an evil man marked by a scar on his face, attacks Phupha. This is the moment when Khram will learn some secrets about Phupha's life. In addition to discovering that her lover is engaged to a rich young woman, it will also be revealed to her that Phupha is not the real son of the man she believed to be her father until that moment. On the other hand, both will suspect that the person who has raised him as a son is the one who has sent him and Uncle Viroj to murder.
The next day, Khram finds Phupha brutally murdered in his own home.
Desperate, Khram decides to go to the Magical Moon Pond, remembering that around the pond there is a legend in which the dead can be resurrected. In this way, the young man falls into the waters unexpectedly turned blue and crosses, inexplicably, to a parallel world almost identical to his world where not only Phupha is still alive, but in which a kind man similar to Thai and of the same name, but without the scar crossing his face, had been his lover, and his mother has died at the hands of the man with the mark on his face.
For his part, Thai is also confused because the Khram he knows has been murdered three years ago.
The sensitive young art lover wants to fix the past so he can save Phupha's life in the other world. To do this, he is forced to ask Thai for help, as he has come to understand that the young man who is tough on the outside and soft on the inside, with big eyes and dark eyebrows, is capable of protecting others with his strong leadership.
Denied at first, Thai ends up giving in to Kham's requests, once he tells her the truth about his relationship with Phupha in his alternate universe. And this is how the story begins between these two young people from very different worlds who are unaware that this journey full of mystery, fantasy, action and violence gives them a perfect opportunity to meet each other and end up in love.
Phupha and Thai represent different stages in the protagonist's life, and little by little the feelings for the former will disappear and in its place will be born friendship and love for the boy who has just arrived in his life. While trying to complete the mission, both will feel their hearts beating faster and stronger when they are next to each other.
This is how the series introduces a new element in its plot: the love triangle. Personally, I quite reject this very common resource when developing a piece of fiction. Reason? Whatever the outcome, there is no way in which the three involved will be injured. I understand the goal of adding some issues to the story at hand, generating sides and controversy, and ultimately creating an extra layer of entertainment, but honestly, when I like a couple, a third person really bothers me a lot.
No, I'm not saying I like GunNat. It's not that I prefer MaxNat, although I understand that the series seeks to consolidate this last ship within the BL universe.
And in this matter of confessing, I must then recognize that a love triangle like the one the series places at its center does have my approval and absolute enjoyment, despite, let's continue with the confessions, I don't like fantasy stories and parallel universes either. . I mean, the series has exceeded all my expectations.
Will Khram manage to save Phupha's life? And can he love Thai, who is in a different world from him, but intertwines with his every time the waters of the sacred pool turn blue?
Adapted from the web novel "2 Worlds" (2 Worlds: โลกสองใบ ใจดวงเดียว) by Prang (พราง), 'Two World' creates initial tension through the mistrust between its protagonists. The uncertainty about Khram's identity and the reality in which he finds himself after crossing the boundaries between the two worlds, capture the viewer without the use of special effects.
Throughout his journey, Khram encounters allies and enemies on this personal odyssey. Despite conforming to the characterizations of people he knows in the parallel universe, most of them, especially Thai, are variants of people with whom Khram will try to discover who he is. In this new stage of his life, Khram will fall out of love with Phupha and fall in love with Thai, who provides him valuable support and also begins to develop feelings for the young traveler between two worlds.
What is certain is that Thai manages to make his way onto our protagonist's romantic radar, and there, among the waters of a blue water pond that serves as a gateway to an alternative universe, Phupha's boyfriend meets Thai and Something sparks between the two, giving rise to an adventure that will determine their destinies.

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Gay romance full of light and sensitivity

In recent years, LGBTQ+ coming-of-age series have found a new, joyful and hopeful voice. Gone are the days when teenagers came out of the closet only to become victims of HIV and AIDS, homophobic attacks, parental disapproval, or increasing suicide rates.
In the new image of gay coming of age, happiness is deserved, even if there are some slips and stumbles along the way. This new positivity is welcome as both series and films celebrate LGBTQ+ relationships while drawing a line under the endless tragedies of the past.
However, some of the struggles of the coming out process, especially in heteronormative and patriarchal societies, such as Japan, where equal marriage is not yet legal, can be eliminated for the sake of positivity.
'Takara no Vidro', the series by Yuho Ishibashi ('Our Dining Table' and 'Toyko In April Is...') and Mirai Tomita ('Around 1/4'), sometimes opts for positive vibes instead of a more realistic exploration of homosexual love between two young Japanese university students.
Based on the manga of the same name by Suzumaru Minta, and scripted by Tomomi Shimo, we review a sentimental initiation series that tells the queer love story between two hiking lovers who begin to develop emotionally; a series that has the power to win your heart with its gentle charm that simply takes it to the finish line.
The literal translation of the title is actually 'Glass of Takara' (in reference to the character's obsession with glass marbles) although the name of the manga in English has always been known as 'Takara's Treasure'.
Directors and screenwriter have recreated an inspiring story. 'Takara no Vidro' has a strong sense of being a classic, down-to-earth series and doesn't try to be anything more than that. Instead, the staging develops an immersive and tender coming-of-age story with strong queer motifs.
The main hero of the series, Nakano Taishin, a shy and insecure young man who has just moved to Tokyo from his native Fukuoka to start university and reunite with Shiga Takara, a kind tourist who manages to comfort him during the summer of his third year of high school. while mourning the death of his pet. Surprisingly, this little encounter will change their lives forever.
Unable to forget that kind gesture, Taishin decides to thank him in person, but Takara acts cold and distant towards him.
"So all I have to do is keep trying until you like it one hundred percent?" With this idea, Taishin, undeterred, decides to pursue Takara anyway, and Takara finds himself increasingly charmed by Taishin's candid, direct, and honest gaze.
For his part, Takara has gone through childhood and adolescence full of internal conflicts, because after the divorce his father leaves his life and his mother looks for him whenever she wants, just to ask him for money. His grandfather is the person who loved him the most and instilled in him his taste for mountains and for small glass spheres inside whose "you can see the blue world turned upside down."
A lover of hiking, very popular among his mountain club colleagues and other university students, Takara's eyes say much more than his words. But their world is about to change forever with the arrival of Taishin.
Confident and sure of his likes and dislikes, Takara is Taishin's polar opposite, and it isn't long before a friendship and unspoken attraction develop. As they spend time together, romance begins to blossom, between the activities of the hiking club, their meetings on the university campus or the store where Masaya (Sano Gaku), a friend of Takara, is one of the employees.
Slow-burn romances, like the one the series presents us with, are sometimes predictable, but often leave viewers in suspense, wondering if the love interests will really come together. When Takara and Taishin finally realize that they are meant to be, all that waiting is worth it.
After their reunion, they begin an atypical friendship, which will unite them in the process of climbing much more than high mountains. With shyness and shocks, together they share experiences, words that until then they did not know, reflections that they had never uttered and, who knows, maybe they even discover the secrets inside the crystal balls.
Probably one of the most interesting aspects of 'Takara no vidro' and what makes it a unique series is that it is not just any love story. The audience will see the two protagonists consider concepts such as identity, self-discovery, acceptance, family, the universe, trust, friendship, helping the helpless, student camaraderie, life and death (seen in the loss of Taishin's pet, but also in that kind of loss that exists in any dissolution of marital ties). Many adolescents and young people will feel identified and understood thanks to their unusual way of seeing the world.
Little by little, the relationship between the two becomes closer, and Takara begins to wonder why she likes spending time with this boy so much that she insists on being close to him.
Following a theory from his friend Emiri (Mihara Ui), Taishi will believe that the only way to be close to the person he admires is to see himself as a "fan" of Takara and Takara as his "main", whom he cannot cause problems and who would have to be content with watching him from a distance without interfering in his life. However, Takara will tell you that the relationship between the two is not that of a main character and his follower, but between two equal people: "No one is greater or lesser than the other." He only has one request: do not hide from him and be honest about your feelings and emotions. This will bring you even closer.
The series adapts a very moving and intelligent manga, in which the dialogues are the basis of the story. Through the conversations between Takara and Taishin, two characters emerge who, although shy and insecure, will not hesitate to open up to love.
Takara and Taishin begin a journey of discovery, in which their group of faithful friends will also participate, who are united by the search for their place in the world: in addition to Eimiri, Yukawa Kenzo (Yamada Kento), Taishin's main confidant, Uehashi Minami (Kasama Yuri), the leader of the mountaineering club, Hyodo Mei (Shimoda Ayaka), and Ishikawa Akira (Asami Kazuya), Takara's best friend.
BL lovers will happily welcome this new romance in which the tireless search for love is narrated, with Taishin willing to do anything to conquer someone as seemingly distant as Takara. The push and pull between the two and the way their relationship evolves create an ideal series for fans of the genre.
Although its narrative is simple, it still works as a unique story about how to find love, understanding and warmth in the person whose footsteps you have followed over time and distance because you cannot erase them from your mind.
The music, original and catchy, fulfills its objective within the story, and helps us understand the feelings and moods of the characters.
The series is a loving and enjoyable romance that celebrates the love between two young people who discover their homosexuality through a senior-junior relationship and beautifully timed moments of drama. The chemistry between Hiroshi Iwase ('Saiko no Kyoshi: Ichinengo, Watashi wa Seito ni Sareta') and Eito Konishi ('Kabe Koji Desires To Be Recognized') as the central couple Takara and Taishin, respectively, is brilliant when the first sparks of Attraction flows between them through a shy smile, eye contact or the gentle touch of a hand. The couple adds warmth and emotion to the story.
The depiction of gay romance is full of light and sensitivity, and the series deserves kudos for that.

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Two opposite poles, an unlikely romance, an unexpected union

Two opposite poles, an unlikely romance, an unexpected union
From the first scene, 'Wandee Goodday' makes viewers fall in love with it. In a beautiful, dimly lit room, a young orthopedic surgeon seeks to ease the pain of having been rejected by his platonic love... by practically having sex with a stranger.
Wandee, the name of the risky and irreverent protagonist of the Thai series of the romantic comedy genre with an LGBT+ theme, after being rejected decides to go crazy and drink away his sorrow. Drunk, on his way home, he meets Yoryak (Gigante), a Muay Thai fighter, and decides to propose to him to have revenge sex. Wandee and Yoryak spend a passionate night together, after which they agree to become friends with benefits.
However, things change when Wandee lies to her colleagues and tells them that she is dating someone. As the official synopsis points out, Wandee then asks Yoryak to pretend to have a romantic relationship with him for four months. The couple goes from being friends with benefits to being fake boyfriends, but little by little, their relationship transforms into something much more meaningful and substantial. Moments of emotional connection, in addition to the physical connection that already exists between the two of you, will allow you to develop deep feelings.
The fuse of the series lights at a good speed through a give and take of more or less witty replies and counterreplies. The quick transition from scene to scene will make BL lovers jump for joy.
Inn Sarin Ronnakiat ('Miracle of Teddy Bear') and Great Sapol Assawamunkong ('Manner of Death'), in the roles of Wandee and Yoryak, respectively, star in this series in which the limits of love and friendship are not at all clear . The audiovisual promises that between sexual dates, the doctor and the fighter, one fighting to get a medical scholarship and the other to win the title of world champion, will experience a rollercoaster of emotions, dramas and personal crises. And this is exactly what viewers expect.
Seeing both actors in action is super hot, and yes, the story tells us that love comes even if you are not looking for it, even better! They are both single, they meet again one night on the streets of Bangkok, they have sex and decide to repeat it several more times without any commitment. But who wouldn't fall in love with them?
Not being emotionally available is the excuse that many people use to start a strictly sexual relationship, but what if your heart really wants something else? That is not the worst scenario for Wandee, but the fact of having run into Yoryak, a boy who will soon be open to taking the relationship to another level.
The always necessary figure of the "killjoy" does not take long to appear, this time assumed by Ter Kawin, played by Pod Suphakorn Sriphothong ('Dark Blue Kiss'), the serious and responsible doctor, who after rejecting Wandee for considering that he is "too vanilla" for his taste, he has come to the conclusion that Yoryak is a bad influence on Wandee, and that he does not deserve to be with someone as good as him, so he will try to separate them, causing problems and discord between the three. But really, is it not that he is jealous? Has he fallen in love with the person he rejected? The series also proposes combats, and not only between the four ropes.
Golf Tanwarin Sukkhapisit, the non-binary actress, filmmaker, writer and politician, directs this tongue-in-cheek comedy adapted from Nottakorn's novel Y 'Wandee Witthaya', with a slight title change by GMMTV.
Characterized by an attractive visuality in its artistic conception, the series surprises us with something more than just a new ship. Because, I can't hold back: what chemistry between Inn and Great. Because if 'Wandee Goodday' manages to surpass other dramas of the romantic comedy genre, part of the blame lies with these two actors in an absolute state of grace. The romantic and sexual vibrations between its characters immediately infect the most cautious viewer, creating a strong empathy with protagonists infinitely better written than the secondary ones.
The verbal humor and the witty retorts and counter-replies that they throw at each other are fabulous. Added to this is the restless and aggressive air of the Thai capital, which seduces the viewer, with the background music, the crowds, the monks walking the streets, the historical monuments, the social and cultural landscape of the days and nights of the Thai capital, boxing matches that promise action and scenes of pure adrenaline.
But to the magic of addressing another historical, social and cultural context, is added the literary basis that inspired Yokee Apirak Chaipanha, who has been an ally of Golf on multiple occasions, to once again put a text with his name in his hands. to be brought to the screen.
In addition, other series by the renowned director are also represented in one way or another, including 'Our Skyy 2', 'Moments of Love', 'The Eclipse' and 'The Bedtime Story'. Golf's narrative fiction and its recurring themes, such as sexual diversity, the complexity of homosexual characters, family relationships, sex, and others, are mixed with Asian authenticity, both in the boxing ring and in consultations and rooms. surgery at the hospital where Wandee works, as well as in her cozy home, all main settings of the series.
At the same time, other attractive stories take place, such as that of Plakao (Drake Sattabut Laedeke), known for his participation in other BL, such as 'Bad Buddy', an interesting character who, in addition to being Wandee's friend, is a person who does not want experience sexual contact with other boys.
Likewise, the story of O-yei and Cherry, Yoyak's brother and coach, and her boyfriend will be interesting, an always expected second couple that increases tensions and conflicts, roles assumed by Thor Thinnaphan Tantui ('The Warp Effect') and Fluke Nattanon Tongsaeng ('Ai Long Nhai'), respectively.
The cast includes AJ Chayapol Jutamas as Ohm, Ployphach Phatchatorn Thanawat as Taemrak and Emi Thasorn Klinnium as Khwan.
The nuances of these and other secondary characters, all good actors and actresses in their respective roles, will be discovered as the episodes progress. Her performances, along with those of the main protagonists, the locations, and that tone that the director knows how to give to the story, is what makes 'Wandee Goodday' a series that, although it could have been excessive and routine, becomes a product enjoyable, fun, entertaining and very addictive.
It's true, 'Wandee Goodday is not the height of originality. Nor does it intend to provide a definitive anthropological approach to friendship and love relationships. I highly doubt that he intends to change television. It's not in their plans. But it seeks to contribute something to the romantic comedy genre, and I mean to be natural and realistic, without completely renouncing romanticism, but without falling completely into the ordinary and vulgar.
I liked how the series set out to achieve what many others of the same genre do not achieve, which is to talk like people today, do the things that people today do and relate like people today do. . It is this naturalness that gives Thai drama the freshness it needs to be credible, the freshness that any comedy would need. Its script and editing become true weapons in favor of the story and its tone, something that is appreciated.
And as I have already said in some way, the great success of 'Wandee Goodday' is its leading couple. In the same way we expect special effects to work in a science fiction series; or that true emotions are what drive a drama; For a romantic comedy to be crowned with applause from the public and critics, its couple has to be credible, compelling, with chemistry. And Inn and Great deliver here exceptionally. The weight of the series falls entirely on their complicity and the nuances of their relationship, something that these two actors do with indisputable charm and charisma.
The story of Wandee and Yoryak makes the audience laugh and cry with their love dilemmas, but above all it makes us reflect on whether there is that person who stays with you through thick and thin, even if at first it seems like just a game.
Because, in addition to entertaining, the series confirms that even when there is no commitment in a relationship, there are attitudes and actions that generate intimacy and emotional ties between two people despite not wanting it, resulting in uncontrollable love. Open relationships can be chaotic, but some have happy endings, so don't stop believing.
We are faced with an unbeatable example that two people can have an open relationship and later fall in love. So don't lose hope if you have a friend with benefits. Whoever said that starting a relationship with sex is wrong is wrong.
But now that I think about it, 'Wandee Goodday' is not exactly a story about friends with benefits. Although it all begins with a sexual encounter, the relationship between Wandee and Yoryak is about the power of destiny and the way it manages to bring two people together.

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Min Hwan (Hwang Min Hwan) is not afraid to tell his girlfriend Joo Ha, with whom he has been in a romantic relationship for about six months, that in that time he has fallen in love with Jin Hiuk, his best friend.
Joo Ha (Lee Joo Ha) is also not afraid to let Min Hwan know that she has also fallen in love with Soeun, her best friend.
Your problem lies in how to let them know.
Is the problem because they love people of the same gender? Will they be able to overcome doubts and insecurities and express their true feelings? Will they decide to flee to face the conflict and repress emotions in order to please the other? Will they choose to hide the truth and generate temporary tranquility that in the long run will gradually cause happiness to be lost, and therefore the relationship to deteriorate? Isn't avoiding conflict the cause of that feeling of guilt, that you owe something, and therefore you don't have the right to demand or claim from the other?
From my words, anyone might think that we are facing a drama that would make us cry, but no.
From the romantic comedy genre with an LGBTIQ+ theme, the hilarious miniseries 'Fake Buddies' (가짜 친구 / Gajja Chingu) promises to make the viewer laugh in this mess that, in addition to fake friends, explores communication problems.

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'This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans' is a series set in a famous restaurant in Bangkok, owned by chef Oab, which seeks to entertain and also take the viewer on a journey full of love, friendship, self-discovery, acceptance, rivalry between competitors of a cooking contest and rich aroma of sautéed basil.
It is a story in the tone of a romantic comedy that unfolds through the eyes of Plawan, a young man eager to find his place in the world, influencer in financial trouble and model lover of pad kaprao, a typical Thai dish, which, for one high sum of money, he must fulfill the secret mission of infiltrating the competitors of a cooking contest to become the successor of the restaurant owner, a serious and severe-looking chef, with great culinary skills, who will make the protagonist go crazy with love when he smells the aroma of sautéed basil that permeates his clothes and his body.
On his journey, Plawan will discover his first love, while exposing himself to harsh criticism from the chef for not having culinary skills, and tries to pretend to be the person he is not to fulfill a hidden agenda: win the contest and then give the restaurant to Methas (Benz Atthanin Thaninpanuvivat), a rich businessman who dreams of destroying the premises and turning the place into a shopping center area.
Meeting the chef will shake up the life of this young man who discovers, among plates, pans, stoves and a basil patch on the restaurant's roof, a melting pot of unique and diverse characters, who will become part of his chosen family.
For its part, the rigid and perfect world of the perfectionist Oab, a strict chef and not prone to banality and nonsense, is turned upside down from the moment Plawan bursts into his life. This is how you will also find out your true sexual preferences.
This is a solid project, since on the one hand there is the web novel "No Beans and Love Me More", by Ninepinta, which I think tells a beautiful love story, and on the other hand there is the direction of Nui Suttasit, a great director who has participated in several LGBT+ projects, such as the famous anthology 'Club Friday', since his debut behind the camera in 2012, precisely with the film of the same name.
In 'This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans', Nui Suttasit preserves several of the distinctive features of her authorial work, while constructing a story worthy of her legacy. The series resembles other works in the career of prolific creators, while presenting echoes of their previous filmography.
Perhaps the most pronounced similarity is with 'Bangkok Love Stories 2: Innocence', his most popular and well-known series in the West, due to the dramatic structure and the movement towards a fantasy and dream world starring homosexual or presumably heterosexual characters who discover their true nature. sexuality.
However, the reverberations are not limited to this, and the director's usual concerns are added to the series' discourse, such as self-discovery, acceptance, coming out, multiple partners, friendship, family, best friend relationships, love triangles, work environment, workplace romance, heir male protagonists, social networks, cooking, multiple courses of food, the clash between tradition and modernity, usually from the adaptation of novels, another distinctive feature of his work.
All added to the unmistakable sound of the soundtrack composed by Chachamon Thunyaon, and which includes titles such as "Stop", "You Fill My Heart" and "Let Me Say".
The director, who throughout his career has had very diverse characters, in the case of the series wanted to approach it with respect and a gender perspective, with a lot of love and without caricaturing. Knowing that each work has part of its creator, and that it is a famous novel that he would adapt, he foresaw at all times needing the series to appeal to a large audience, which is why it is filmed in an attractive way and with a lot of music and excellent photography to show an attractive story for the characters.
The screenwriters have extensive experience in the BL universe, writing scripts that would later be brought to the screen. 'Pit Babe' is one of the series written by Kanokphan Ornrattanasakul ('Catch Me Baby', 'Dead Friend Forever – DFF''); Issaraporn Kuntisuk (Dead Friend Forever – DFF', 'Be My Favorite'), and Fleur Irene Insot, who now join forces again not only to design the characters, build conflicts and a dramatic progression of the series 'This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans', but also to return to the public some of the members of that 2023 drama starring Pavel Naret Promphaopun and Pooh Krittin Kitjaruwannakul.
The way of playing with the nostalgia and tenderness of first love is a success in the narrative line that is created, showing adequate doses of realism and viscerality. The director is correct in the construction of the script and complies with what was planned, an element that could end up attracting the public after viewing it.
The cast is made up of talented actors and actresses, several of them already with experience playing LGBT+ characters.
Pon Thanapon Aiemkumchai stars in the series as Plawan, one of the actors who already have experience in productions of this theme and genre. The actor made his acting debut playing Bay, the main character of the BL series 'The Moment', in 2020, which was followed by its second part: 'The Moment Since'. He would then participate in the two seasons of 'Gen Y', in 'Make a Wish', and in the drama 'Pit Babe', in 2023.
There, his character, Jeff, explores his sexuality alongside Alan, the owner of the race track and sports car repair shop, a character played by Sailub Hemmawich Kwanamphaiphan, an actor who in 'This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans' assumes the role of Oab. This actor is natural in front of the camera, which creates a hypnotic effect on the viewer. Furthermore, he knows how to perfectly use the intensity of expressiveness, which makes him one of the best performances in Thai drama.
Thanapon Aiemkumchai draws a protagonist in whom an interesting emotional web is woven once he discovers his sexuality. His role in the series is fundamental, since the greatest dramatic burden falls on him. In this way, the actor takes advantage of non-verbal expressiveness, showing the chiaroscuros that run through the nature of his character.
In addition, he has that sordid touch for having agreed to compete in a contest for money, knowing in advance that Oab expels from the event anyone committed to whom he wishes to use the restaurant grounds for something so foreign to his dreams. This gives his character some edges, which are highlighted and developed in the script.
In a way, his character can remember other performances he has given throughout his career, which is why it gives a remarkable result.
In the midst of their personal experiences, Auto (Lee Asre Watthanayakul), Pansib (Tiger Tanawat Hudchaleelaha), and Kluea (Aon Kasama Khamtanit), the other three finalist competitors, experience the friendship and love of the protagonists. The youthful cast offers freshness and vitality to the series.
Nubnueng (Michael Kiettisak Vatanavitsakul), Oab's friend, will always be at his side with the most accurate advice, while Khaosuay (Belle Jiratchaya Kittavornsakul), the chef's ex-girlfriend, will return from abroad and test the budding romance between Plawan and Oab.
Separate paragraph for two attractive actors with great potential: Garfield Pantach Kankham, who takes on the role of JJ, a young physiotherapist friend of Plawan, and Benz Atthanin Thaninpanuvivat, the actor who plays Methas. Both will make up a beautiful couple in the process of being built when the first has to go to treat a sprained ankle suffered by the rich businessman. Both are ready to become a ship that stars in numerous BL series.
Garfield, who in 'Pit Babe' takes on the role of Kenta, is remembered for his debut as a protagonist in the 2017 series 'D'Cup', also with an LGBT+ theme, as well as his role as Top in 'Dew the Movie', from 2019, a feature film in which he plays Lew's boyfriend. Fans of this actor remember him for his work in the acclaimed series 'I Promised You the Moon'.
For his part, Benz Atthanin Thaninpanuvivat, who played Kim in 'Pit Babe', is followed by a large audience after his leading role as Praram (Pralak) in the BL drama 'En of Love: This Is Love Story' , from 2020, without forgetting that his acting debut takes place in another series of this genre, 'Theory of Love', the popular audiovisual of 2019, starring Gun Atthaphan Phunsawat and Off Jumpol Adulkittiporn.
Ingenious, elegant, the series shows great care in each scene, allowing us to easily forget some of its inevitable clichés.
The technical realization follows the patterns of the BL genre series, but from a dynamic that has no intention of innovating, but rather of offering a visually attractive product. The photographic direction does not make any mistakes and there is creativity and visual quality in this section. The artistic direction stands out for its successes.
Another audiovisual parameter that stands out is the use of color. A sensitivity can be seen in the choice of the visual palette and what it conveys to the public. On the other hand, the editing of the series follows a conventional system, supported by flashbacks, which has a remarkable finish.
In summary, 'This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans' is a series that starts from an interesting base with potential, and gains in intensity as the episodes go by and delves deeper into the narrative construction of its story.

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The fear and insecurity that homosexuals suffer in an intolerant and homophobic country

The third short film by Kim-Jho Gwang-Soo (김조광수) takes up Min Soo, the character created by him and first introduced in 'Boy Meets Boy', in 2008, and later in 'Just Friend?', the following year, for tell us about the most recurrent film themes and objectives of this renowned South Korean film director and screenwriter: sexual awakening, coming of age, sexuality, gender identity, being queer in a heteronormative and homophobic society.
But in this film, the filmmaker introduces other topics, such as sexual desire, bullying, the problems of homosexuals facing a homophobic society, the fear of homophobia. The final scene is quite devastating with the Irish song Danny Boy.
Peter Kim, nickname by which this filmmaker is also known, seeks to illustrate in 'Love 100° C' (사랑은 100℃ / Sarangeun 100℃), the desires and dangers that homosexuals face in South Korean society through a hearing-impaired gay teenager named Min Soo. From the first scene we are introduced to the teenager, while he masturbates with photographs of his classmate Ji Seok, a supposedly heterosexual, homophobic person, of course, whom he secretly loves.
Despite his deafness, Min Soo is a self-aware young man. He suffers from bullying from his classmates not because he is gay but because of his hearing problem, since the other high school students confuse the condition with an impairment in his brain. For the same reason, his brother, a year younger, also bothers him. Min Soo needs a hearing aid, but he can read people's lips if they talk to him correctly.
It is probably not difficult to imagine that he would also suffer homophobic attacks if his sexual orientation were discovered.
Min Soo's life changes when one day a young and attractive masseuse from a bathhouse he frequently visits begins to flirt with our protagonist. For the first time in his short existence, Min Soo receives kind and respectful treatment from a person who is not his mother, the only one who thinks he does not have a mental deficiency.
The handsome bathhouse worker treats him as an equal and offers him a free massage. Next comes a beautiful scene between the two boys communicating through whistles and applause to the beat of the background music of the short film itself.
The shot of Min Soo swinging his legs between the masseuse's crotch, one sitting on the bed where he will receive the massage and the other standing before him, is moving.
Kim Jho films the next sequence, that of the massage or rubbing, slowly moving the camera and stopping it on her soft skin, like that of any child. There is nothing obscene or disturbing in the scene and there is a lot of poetry and art. Finally, in the sauna, the masseuse performs oral sex on Min Soo, who writhes in a state of sweaty enjoyment and ecstasy.
Afterwards he is jubilant at home. His mother notices that something has changed in her son's life, as he is now happy and communicative. The experience with the man has given him a new confidence, a unique power. The steam room becomes his refuge, a place where he can experience sexual pleasure with someone who respects him despite his youth and disability. He is a free young man.
Feeling confident and valued, he is able not only to confront his annoying brother, but also to tear up the photo of Ji Seok, the boy he was in love with, thus, in the past, the boy he was in love with, when he bullies him again.
But his life is turned upside down again when one day he enters the bathhouse looking not so much for the warm waters and steam at 100 degrees Celsius, but for love at that same temperature, just when the masseuse suffers a homophobic beating. No one present dares to intervene while the young man is attacked by another while receiving kicks, expletives and homophobic phrases. Min Soo can only react by running away and hiding in a nearby alley, where he cries inconsolably.
Back in the bathhouse, but this time alone, Min Soo comes to understand, as well as transmit, the message that the film carries: the fear and insecurity that homosexuals suffer in an intolerant and homophobic country like Korea South.
Although Kim Jho's work has mainly bordered on the territory of Boy's Love, which is why he is able to attract a female audience, with this film, released in September 2011, the film producer and LGBT+ rights activist also pursues conquer gay men with a story perfect for these people, especially when contextualized.
This endeavor will not be difficult for him to achieve, thanks to the adorable Do Jin Kim, the first hearing-impaired film actor in South Korea. This young man, 20 years old at the time of filming, conquers us from the beginning with his silly, sweet and effeminate smile. Although the director manages to establish the conflicts in each scene with the good script and excellent work behind the cameras, the actor carries the film on his thin shoulders, showing us what drives Min Soo's decision-making process.
We will find the character created by Kim-Jho Gwang-Soo in his next film. In 'Two Weddings and a Funeral' Min Soo also does not react to a homophobic attack against one of his friends. The difference is that Min Soo from 'Love, 100°C' is not an adult over 20 years old, but a teenager already separated from the world due to his hearing disability, but both, each in their respective films, fear facing a intolerant and violent society.
In his two previous short films, the filmmaker explores the terrain from fairy tales and fantastical dreams, but 'Love, 100°C' demonstrates that it is honest realism that best adapts to the world vision of its director and screenwriter.

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BL and the vertical format: a marriage for the future already in the present

It is a pleasure to see Park Hyeong Seop, the popular YG model and actor, and Lee Sang Min, now as protagonists of 'Please Teach Me', the Korean romantic comedy from Top Reels, Korea's newest streaming platform. , after discovering the first playing Simeon (Chim On), in the drama 'Jun and Jun', and the second playing Woo Sun Woo in 'Why R U?', the Korean adaptation of the 2020 Thai series, and Ji Seung Min in 'Star Struck', all from the year 2023 and from the BL genre.
Rookie actors Kwak Hee Joo, Ji Jong Ho, and Lee Young Joo also join the star cast.
Produced by Astin Camel (formerly T2N Media), the drama is a collection of Korean BL shorts with 50 episodes of approximately 1 minute in length.
Its director and screenwriter, Yoon Hye Ryeom (Holy Class, 2014), is known for writing and directing the short film 'My Daddy Is a Bellydancer' and the unitary 'tvN O'PENing: Summer, Love Machine Blues', from 2023.
In addition to highlighting Park Hyeongseop's histrionic qualities, I would like to congratulate him for his humanism and commitment in the fight for the rights of the LGBT+ community and against homophobia. Specifically, I will refer to the actor's attitude when, on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at the press conference for the official launch of Top Reels and the presentation of the series trailer, he faced some questions that those present and followers of the KBL considered homophobic.
When asked by a reporter about the "challenges" the actor faced in filming, as the series depicted a romance between two men, Park responded: "Since our drama is the same as any romantic drama, I didn't feel any burden or difficulty during filming.
I find it interesting that it was decided to film the series in vertical format, and it is in this aspect that I will place the greatest weight of my review.
South Korea has joined the Chinese dramas, as these are the first to make the leap to be designed and recorded specifically for smartphones and their screens, therefore, exclusively vertically.
And the script, content and format of 'Please Teach Me' are specifically designed for consumption on smartphones, due to its ease of consumption.
Since 2018, Tencent introduced short series such as 'My Boyfriend-ish Sister' (Boy 的 男友 力 姐姐) and 'My Idiot Boyfriend' (我 的 二 货 男友), and iQiyi launched 'Ugh! Life!' (生活对我下手了) and 'Arg Director' (导演对我下手了), in 2019, the list of series shot vertically has been expanded.
And it will continue to expand, because among the characteristics of these dramas, comedies and other productions, it stands out that they are not limited only to adapting their content to the vertical format, but also adapt many more details.
Let's start with the length of the episodes. An episode of a vertically shot series should be between two and five minutes long, so the action happens as quickly as possible. The creators and producers of 'Please Teach Me' know that their potential audience is young people, so the episodes will be consumed over coffee in a bar, on the way to university or back home, on a break between classes or the school soccer game or even before the images of a film begin to shoot in the cinema.
Every line of dialogue, every conversation and every joke is meant to come and go, offering seamless dynamic viewing. The episodes will thus be easily consumable and will satisfy the television appetite of young people. Thus, the goal is for the viewer to consume many episodes in a row and they can be mixed with those of other series without major difficulties.
'Please Teach Me' was even designed for the audience to use their hands to watch the chapter and move to the next, which is why the content is brief. We always take the cell phone with one hand and always with the purpose of looking at something casual. Can we imagine long content that was also in vertical format? It would be unbearable to visualize it.
On the other hand, the vertical format in 'Please Teach Me' was conceived as a genre and not as a simple format, since the length of the episodes requires it to be even faster. Being a series characterized by comedy and humor, these same characteristics fit perfectly in this format, since they are ideal for a fast-paced pace. Even the television narrative itself adapts better to this context than the cinematic one.
Doesn't comedy follow the same pattern as a vertical video? The producers took this quality into account, making this format ideal for transmitting joy and fun in small, easy-to-digest bites without special emphasis on the script.
That is to say, by its very nature of generating small gratifications in the form of a joke, the vertical format is perfect for generating a more frenetic pace than that of a conventional series that we consume horizontally. 'Please Teach Me' proves it.
Furthermore, not everything fits in the vertical format. Intricate dialogues, internal dialogues, abrupt plot twists or especially complex stories have no place in this format. That is why 'Please Teach Me' presents a coherent rhythm, composition and way of teaching its content. The vertical format requires thinking about all this and although comedy is not the only one that fits into this formula, it has proven to be the most comfortable to adapt to this format.
Finally, vertical series have a fragmenting visual language, so the narrative is full of quick cuts, screens that slide or split to offer two different perspectives of a story. 'Please Teach Me' manages, in this sense, to increase the number of shots consumed by the viewer and offer more information in less time.
For this, the producers and creators took into account that although the settings and in general the context of the visual space are not well used in this format, the condensed visual information is.
We cannot ignore that these works usually have quick camera cuts, split screens to see the face or the situation in which two characters are involved, funny transitions, etc. Yes, it is true that the viewer loses in spatial content, but gains in visual information. This is how in 'Please Teach Me' the scene counts much more since it focuses much more on what is important. Therefore, the experience thus turns out to be dynamic and fluid.
While large movie screens try to put the audience into a world and an experience, vertical screens, and especially smaller ones, help the viewer to more easily believe what we see in the images.
The vertical format transports us not to a world, but to what we want to see on the screen, and giving it to us in faster doses and with more information sometimes makes it more enjoyable. The creators and producers of 'Please Teach Me' know this perfectly.

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A violent encounter between two cultures, two sexes, two Chinas, two generations.

Wai Tung (Winston Chao) is a Taiwanese-American man who is happily settled in New York with Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein), his American boyfriend. Already close to 30 years old, Wai-Tung has not yet married, and his Taiwanese parents are impatient with the fact that they want to see him married and have children.
But what shines is not the golden and cheerful champagne, but a sad and sordid story. Wai-Tung has not dared to confess his homosexuality because his father has recently recovered from a heart attack, in addition to coming from a conservative family and he fears that they will not accept that he is a gay man.
Wai's parents, unaware of the situation, have found him a girlfriend from Taiwan and gotten him engaged; and they plan to travel to the United States to introduce the girl and celebrate the nuptials. From there, the crazy dizzying entanglement: While Wai must announce that he already has a girlfriend, Simon proposes celebrating a wedding of convenience with his Chinese roommate Wei-Wei (May Chin), a young immigrant who needs a green immigration card. to remain in the United States.
With its Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, a Golden Globe nomination in the same section, and six nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Film, all in 1993, 'Xi yan' ('The Wedding Banquet ') won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, shared with the Chinese film '"Woman Sesame Oil Maker'
With a lot of ingenuity and a good dose of humor and drama, the success of the film is guaranteed by the truthfulness of the story and the way in which the creators do not seek melodrama and basic humor, but rather do justice to the characters. .
In this well-conceived, bittersweet, funny and very entertaining film, which never stumbles, it tells us how Simon's strategy, which seemed to be safe, causes even more problems when Mrs. Gao (Gui Ya Lei) and her husband, Mr. Gao (Lung Sihung), Wai-Tung's parents, arrive in New York to celebrate a big wedding with Wei Wei. As a result, all kinds of emotional conflicts and human relationships happen behind the Chinese-style wedding banquet.
Friendly and surprising film of cultural shocks that launched Lee to universal recognition, the multi-award-winning director demonstrates a certain creative maturity as an author. Halfway between comedy and social melodrama, he bases his story on the critical-testimonial subtlety of situations and dialogues, which range from hilarity to touching sentiment, managing to overcome cultural barriers and achieve, in this way, international recognition. . As a curious fact, Lee participates as an extra among the guests at the wedding banquet.
With sequences as successful as the wedding banquet - following Chinese traditions - that titles the film, the humor comes from both the characters and the situations, giving rise to a funny and emotional unusual comedy.
'The Wedding Banquet' offers a sharp study of mentalities and points out the problems of Chinese emigrants in the United States, in search of an identity and that "American dream" that most of the time will not be realized.
With a low budget, so it was filmed with natural light, and dialogues in English and Chinese, the film talks about the confusion of identities, traditional family values ​​and their clash with modern life. Not in vain did the Taiwanese director say in this regard: "It is a violent encounter between two cultures, two sexes, two Chinas, two generations. Also, in some way, a clash between Eastern and Western society."
With this very skillful and entertaining social comedy, turned satire on the middle class with more heart than bite, Lee seems to have the objective of breaking spears in defense of homosexuality, with his dialogues and erotic situations very explicit in this sense.
Hence Lee recognized: "it is an important aspect in this film, because American cinema has traditionally treated homosexuals and also the Chinese badly. I would like them to be respected more. (…) in America it is seen as something comical, but in Taiwan it would be a drama. I wrote it based on my own experience, because it was also an act of rebellion for me not to get married, and in real close situations," referring to the fact that he was inspired to write the story by a couple of his friends.
Due to its emotional charge, with this film, the Taiwanese director, screenwriter and producer continues, as he did in previous films, such as 'Pushing Hands' and 'Eat Drink Man Woman', his exploration of the relationships and conflicts between tradition and modernity. , eastern and western. Lee also deals with repressed and hidden emotions in many of his films, including 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' 'The Ice Storm,' 'Hulk,' and 'Brokeback Mountain.'

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Kidnapped kidnapper

An unusual love story captivates the audience in each of the episodes of 'Kidnap', a Thai series directed by actor, musician, singer and filmmaker Noom Attaporn Teemarkorn ('Midnight Museum'), known for his distinctive style and captivating narratives, in which it presents us with an intense plot where there will be no shortage of violence, kidnapping, intrigue, hand-to-hand combat... and romance.
Pawat Chittsawangdee (Ohm) and Thanaphon Usinsap, who after appearing as a guest actor in 'The Folly of Human Ambition' (2021) plays his first leading role in this series, are in charge of giving life to characters that have even become a trend on social networks, because every time they appear on screen their romantic approaches monopolize the throne of Instagram and Twitter.
Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee is a young actor who got his start in the entertainment industry with the lead role of Frame in the 2016 series 'Make It Right', which was followed by 'Make It Right 2' and 'Make It Right: On the Beach'. BL lovers remember him for his performance in the film 'Dew', a performance that won him the Best Supporting Actor award at the prestigious 28th edition of the Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards in 2020.
His character of "Pat" Napat Jindapat in the series 'Our Skyy 2' (2023) and 'Bad Buddy' (2022), and that of Khemachat Dhamrong-rattanaroj in 'The Shipper' are also treasured by his fans.
The link between Ohm and the director of the series is not recent, as both had already worked on the drama 'An Eye for an Eye', from 2021. On this occasion, Ohm played the secondary character called
Nawa.
Ohm plays Min, a young actor and stuntman who agrees to work as a kidnapper to use the money from the kidnapping for the expensive medical treatment of his sick brother, as well as to pay a debt owed to gangsters.
However, when her employer asks him to kill Q, him young, spoiled, rich co-star whom he has kidnapped, Min can't bring herself to pull the trigger. Instead, he tells them the job is complete and takes the boy home to hide him.
What we will see next takes the viewer through a wealth of emotions, from despair to hope, from insecurity to love, with Min and Q trying to outwit their pursuers to save their lives and those of their loved ones.
In this way, the two boys create a loving bond and discover that they have a strong and undeniable connection with each other.
Although the relationship does not begin as "Cupid's rules dictate", with the lover arriving with a flower in his hands to give as a gift, this love seems very logical to me because Min never exercises violence on the kidnapped person, while Q He finds in the kidnapper a strong and kind being who can protect him. His protector is always there for him.
Stockholm syndrome is one of the reasons that moves Q, a feeling that grows in his chest when there is an emotional bond towards the person who has kidnapped him. After experiencing something like this, people are not the same. Q is an innocent boy. His only "crime" is that of being the son of Khacha Yuenyongwisut (Lift Supoj Janjareonborn), the incorruptible police officer who is carrying out a criminal investigation in which those who hire Min to carry out the kidnapping are involved.
Let's face it, developing a strange bond with his kidnapper is not original, as it has been explored before. Films such as the British 'A Life Less Ordinary' (1997), by director Danny Boyle; the American 'Kill Me Later' (2001), by Dana Lustig, the Indian 'Highway' (2014), by Imtiaz Ali; and the American gay film 'The 24th Day' (2004), by Tony Piccirillo, have addressed the issue from various perspectives.
The Thai film 'Bangkok Love Story', by director Poj Arnon ('Tell the World I Love You'), from 2007, tells us a tumultuous relationship between two strangers who become close, but deep down there are no points of coincidence with this series, because in the film there is not a kidnapping but a rescue, while the mission entrusted to a cold hitman is not to kidnap, but to physically eliminate a police informant.
The difference that I appreciate between the previous films and the series directed by Noom Attaporn Teemarkorn is that Min is not the typical predator or the obsessive character with psychiatric problems represented by Ricky (Antonio Banderas) in the Spanish film 'Tie Me Up!' (1990), by Pedro Almodóvar, or Massimo Torricelli in the Polish '365 DNI' (2018), by Barbara Białowąs and Tomasz Mandes, to name just two examples.
'Kidnap' does not take lightly a criminal action such as kidnapping, with the legal implication to which the kidnapper is exposed and the trauma it causes to its victims.
What drives Min not to commit a crime is his kindness and love. This is what causes Min to not execute the order given by the employers and instead save the person he must kill. Together, the two young people will experience a traumatic situation in the best way they find possible.
Ohm and Thanaphon Usinsap represent a couple in the story with ups and downs, and Lima syndrome is also present in the plot, since the kidnapper responds to the victim. Since these syndromes exist, which in this case for me is true love, not a condition, there is this way of addressing it in the series. To tell a story this extreme, you also need a lot of delicacy and a lot of respect for the subject.
On the other hand, the strong chemistry between both roles is also partly due to the prior teamwork that the actors do before each scene, bringing to fruition sequences that are out of the ordinary, between kidnapper and victim.
In this character of Q, the actor who plays him comes out on top, combining strength and defenselessness, with a happy and noble character, which does not lack sensuality.
For his part, Ohm continues to stand out in his career in the complex role of Min with a difficult balance between the boy in need of money to save his brother's life and even his own in the face of the bullies who demand payment of a debt. and the nobility and innocence that hides in his heart.
It is not credible to me that a criminal network would entrust the mission of kidnapping and murdering a person with no prior experience. However, this is understandable, since it favors the development of the plot.
Ohm Thipakorn Thitathan, Min's younger brother; Phromphiriya Thongputtaruk (Papang) as Suea; Chelsea Napapat Sattha-atikom, in him acting debut, as Khanomjeen, Min's friend; Pym Pympan Chalayanacupt as Yada, Suea's boss; Title Kirati Puangmalee as Min's senior James, among other actors and actresses, bring a range of intense and complex performances.
Obviously this conflict arouses the interest of the public who loves to see the two main characters together, and also those who follow the other Ohm in his role as Min's brother, who left me wanting to see more of his artistic work after discovering it like August, in 'Last Twilight', and Zo in 'Our Skyy 2' and 'A Boss and a Babe', all from 2023.
By reading the comments on MDL one can see that the majority of the audience really enjoys every scene, every situation that these characters present. There is annoyance, but also a support that makes the audience who finds the series fascinating complicit.
Except for the rookie Nontachai Vinyousupornchai, the other three screenwriters, PingPong Suwanun Pohgudsai, Chalermpong Udomsilp and Sornpanath Patpho, have extensive experience in writing scripts, especially those in the BL genre, having written the scripts for 'Never Let Me Go ' (2023), 'Cherry Magic' (2024), 'Remark' (2016), 'The Gifted' (2018), 'ThirTEEN Terrors' (2015), 'Vice Versa', 'The Eclipse', among others, which demonstrates his commitment and vision in the development of the series.
In summary: 'Kidnap' offers a moving vision of the protagonists' journey as they deal with their growing attraction and the development of a beautiful romance, while searching for a sense of belonging in a world that is hostile to them.
I'll come back to the review to update it.

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BL and debate on a complex and novel social issue in the genre: male prostitution

It is estimated that almost 3 million Thais are in prostitution out of a population of 65 million inhabitants where, although prostitution is illegal, culturally, contexts of tolerance have been established, reaching the point of creating favorable scenarios to encourage economic growth. based on trips and sexual tourist events.
Bangkok's nightlife scene is majestic, with its lounges, such as The Pimp, Sherbet, Pegasus, St. Moritz or Le Pent, which copy the model of Japanese host bars in high-net-worth environments. Large, elegant nightclubs, with shows and luxury in abundance. You enter a place like this and at the door you already see that the matter is going to be expensive. They are places frequented by the upper and wealthy Thai class.
Inside, it's all tables where you watch the local guys drink high-priced liquor, accompanied by customers, both men and women, extremely smiling and pleasant. The hosts say whatever nonsense. The customers laugh. One drops the glass of drunkenness. His partner wipes his shirt and caresses his cheek.
Designed to receive groups of friends, and when I say friends I mean all male, the waiters of the also known as gentlemen's clubs greet the visitor with two cards. The one for drinks and the one for the hosts. But it's not a brothel. Hosts are not on the menu for sexual reasons. If you pay the high price, what they will do is sit with you at the table, serve you drinks and make you laugh all night. If you pay good drinks, you might touch some meat, kiss, munch, and you can even bite the neck and leave a mark as a souvenir. But no taking something home, at least at the price listed on the menu. It is paid by the company.
There is certainly some similarity with Japanese host clubs. But while in Japan you sit down with your rented girl or boy to tell her your sorrows and what stresses you about work, in Thailand it's for dancing and getting drunk. The hosts entertain the client by making them play rock, paper, scissors while laughing, or a video game on their mobile phone. Whoever loses, drinks. And the client always pays.
Of course, all this has a price. The guys in the lounge are carefully selected and have to be fun as well as remarkably attractive. Don't expect to drink a cheap beer either. The normal thing is to buy reserve whiskey.
How much can a joke mean in a lounge? Quietly about 5,000 bahts, 125 euros, if you don't lose control with what the hosts ask for. And that's knowing that, unless a miracle happens, they will go home like almost everyone else in a normal nightclub. Alone.
I think of all this when I watch 'Deep Night' ('Khuen Ni Mi Khae Rao'), the Thai series that bears the indisputable seal of "Cheewin" Thanamin Wongskulphat, the actor, director and owner of Copy A Bangkok, the production company and agency of casting, who is credited as the first producer of the Y series in Thailand, and who also made successful works such as 'YYY' (2020), 'Why R U?: The Series' (2020), the three seasons of 'Make It Right: The Series', all from Line TV, and 'Love Sick', his first drama, from 2015.
I think of all this when I watch 'Deep Night' ('Khuen Ni Mi Khae Rao'), the Thai series directed by "Cheewin" Thanamin Wongskulphat.
The series tells the exciting and stormy story of Khemthis, played by Shogun Paramee, the latest letter of introduction of GMM 25 in full ascendancy in his first leading role, who plays the beloved son of Madame Freya (Tanya Thanyaret), the owner of Deep Night Club, the most important host bar in the country, and Wela Ratthakorn, characterized by First Piyangkun, an already established figure within the genre with dramas such as 'War of Y' and 'Y Destiny', always in leading roles, this time representing no not only the number one artist on the trapeze, but also the host preferred by clients.
The series will attract the attention of many for different reasons, including the incredible chemistry in front of the camera of the two main characters.
A new aspect for BL fans is the social and cultural landscape of Bangkok nights and, especially, the elegant nightclub that represents the setting, a kind of acrobatic cabaret that serves as a backdrop to address a topic. new within the world of BL: male prostitution and escort services, since Wela and the other club hosts are auctioned and offer sexual and companionship services to clients who pay for their attention, without reaching penetration.
'Deep Night' shows us a form of male prostitution typical of Thai nightclubs. Since prostitution is illegal, these establishments seek to hide this social phenomenon when the prostitute, here called the host, is not paid directly or in cash, but rather through the payment of sexual services to the establishment and through the purchase of alcoholic beverages with those in which the client manages to spend the night being accompanied by the young sex worker.
The series shows how Thai rentboys are auctioned off in nightclubs. The hosts of the Deep Night Club are sex workers, although they only participate as mere companions or escorts. Who says that a person in the conditions shown in the series who receives money for their services, for not having penetrative sex, does not practice what is known as the oldest profession in the world?
Wela cannot do anything to prevent the provision of sexual services that the client demands. You can't do anything to avoid a drunk who insults you, someone who bites your neck, mauls you, touches you in an impudent manner, kisses you, and puts their hands under your clothes.
You can only ease your luck a little by frequently asking the client's permission with the excuse that you need to go to the bathroom. The host needs to ask permission from the person who paid, and justify leaving his table, even for a few minutes, hoping that the night goes by quickly and he is finally free.
The client acts like the client of any prostitute in any brothel anywhere in the world. He is the owner of the situation gained by punching bills or gulping drinks, which in this case is the same thing. The legal limits are set by the club. The sex worker cannot be a minor or be an undocumented alien or other violation of the laws.
Being exposed, Wela is forced to recognize that he has had to carry out this work in order to obtain the money that would allow him to pay off the debt left by his father. Then, new approaches arise: The main annoyance, anger and wound of a person in his place is due to reasons that the series hides, denies or ignores: the suffering of the prostitute for having to get ahead with his life, pay debts, be able to carry a plate of food on the table, being able to dress and put on shoes for his son, being able to pay for his elderly mother's surgery or his little brother's studies through this job.
Wela never questions the reality that life has brought him to. Wela never has a thought about what she is doing with her life, whether she has chosen the right path. He knows it's not the right way. For some reason, he has been hiding everything related to his work from his mother and everyone else for years, because he is aware that it contains both illegalities and shameful, defamatory, degrading, immoral content.
Instead of questioning himself about his behavior, of making the viewer understand why he has been forced to prostitute himself, which would be consistent with a person in his place, what he does is praise his sponsors, applaud the good things he has done. the club has been towards him or how kind the owner of the club has been in giving him the job.
The series does not offer us lessons, which would be extracted from focusing on specific issues like these. The main character does not give hope to people in his place. Wela does not redeem herself, she does not find redemption. He does not seek redemption.
I don't like that the series has approached this whole phenomenon of prostitution so lightly, in a festive tone, in which we will never get to know the human suffering behind the fact that a person decides to enter the world of prostitution .
And I understand that the creators have decided to face the issue in this way so lightly, so superficially, and not with crudeness, with realism, as the problem deserves to be exposed, because otherwise the series would be moving away from the BL genre to become an LGBT+ drama with greater depth, realism and complexity than this other genre would propose.
I also regret that the majority of fans of the genre prefer to ignore the obvious, and instead of joining the debate and reflection proposed by the creators and producers, they dedicate themselves to commenting on whether Japan would look good in a sequined suit or if Dai should touch up her hair. beard frequently.
With his resignation as host No. 1, Wela will no longer be bitten on the neck by a client, nor will he be groped, groped, kissed or touched in his private parts by someone who paid to do precisely this with him.
When the time comes, Freya has to admit mistakes in allowing prostitution in the club and apologize to the hosts "for the chaos that was previously in our club until today's special event occurred."
Whether or not it was their interest, the creators have given their opinion regarding the debate that is being waged today within Thai society about whether or not to legalize prostitution.
To all of these, I was hoping that Japan and Seiji would save the series from my disappointment. If Seiji always considered Ken only as a friend, if he had thousands of occasions to have a romantic or sexual relationship with him and he was never interested because for him Ken was nothing more than a friend, why does Seiji's sudden interest in Ken? ? When did Seiji realize that he loved both of them at the same time, when he always showed interest in Pan and never in Ken, despite the latter's constant hints first and statements later?

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Sharing a roof with complete strangers may seem risky, but over time, unconditional friendships are built... and possibly even more. On the other hand, making new friends who make you reflect and with whom you can share expenses is always encouraging.
Having roommates will definitely go from "sharing the house" to sharing everything; the bad jokes, the bad times and the existential crises. Although it is impossible for everything to be rosy, returning home to be yourself and having someone to talk to about the good in all circumstances is always a relief. The constant company of other people around you helps to observe the panorama beyond the tip of your nose.
The premise of this 'rom-com' may seem corny and implausible: Latte, Tawan, Peak and Almond are four young people who share a rental house. One night of drinking and playing spin the bottle, the first three discover that Almond is still a virgin.
In this way, the young man who has never enjoyed sex makes a bet: if one of them manages to connect him with the person he likes, he will cover a year's rent.
However, the creators of 'Knock Knock, Boys!' (Thai: บ้านหนุ่มโสด โหมดพร้อมเลิฟ/Ban Num Sot Home Phrom Love), make this 'fairy-tale' story a hilarious and emotional delight. This is how the story of love, dreams and friendship begins.
The series stars Nokia Chinnawat Phattharathanachot, who we saw in one of the episodes of the drama 'If I Love a Boy', specifically in 'Han on Me', and in 'Thank God It's Friday', both from 2019, playing this time to Almond.
Carrying out the daring and romantic mission is carried out by Latte (Boss Jaonine Jiraphat), who we know for his role as Tar in the drama 'Find Yourself'; Thanwa (Seng Wichai Saefant, star of the dramas 'Secret Crush on You' and 'War of Y', and Peak (Best Vittawin Veeravidhayanant), an actor we remember for playing Pluto in 'Love With Benefits' and Daonuea in 'Check Out'.
Directed by Natavut Leewairoj, the youth comedy-drama with an LGBT+ theme leaves us with a great lesson: living with roommates will mean that the jokes and fun will not stop, and the complicity and support at home, whether to set up night games, to prepare food, doing the laundry or helping you find the love of your life will be nearby whenever you need it.
The upbeat music, composed and produced by Susui and performed by Smart Wattana, makes 'Knock Knock, Boys!' remind us that true love and soulmates are also in our closest friends, which can even be those we just met. It also commemorates that in the same way that a loving relationship is built every day, so is friendship. Furthermore, an external look always helps us see more clearly.
The series will also address other topics, such as internalized homophobia, the school and work environment, family relationships, sexual repression and the fear of living sexuality freely.
Together with Almond, we will learn that not everything has to be perfect if you have the right roommates, because any difficulty or setback will be fixed as we go.
They are four opposite but complementary roommates, real, fun and imperfect young people who explore their sexuality, embrace their ambitions and face their insecurities while dealing with the difficulties of youth, such as coming of age, conventions, secret loves. , bisexuality, the discovery and acceptance of homosexuality without dramas or tragedies and a commitment to normalization, in a beautiful and fun youth story.
I would like to highlight the use of humor to dedramatize difficult moments such as coming out or recognizing one's virginity or pansexuality.
The drama aims not only to fulfill what one expects from such a premise, but also to overcome any idea or preconception, entering from a perspective full of love and humor into the lives of four friends, two of them in their early twenties, the other pair are university students still in adolescence, all in constant existential crisis, who oscillate between love dramas, student and work confusions and identity doubts, finding their salvation in each other.
Nokia leads with Almond's desperation to fit in and purest innocence. Jaonine puts security and emotional independence into her Latte; Best brings the entanglements of a heterosexual courtship just to make his father happy and Peak's sickly perfection, while Seng brings Thanwa's sexier carefreeness and self-love.
The four complement each other, argue, hug each other while drinking a drink of alcohol or face life as it comes and, above all, they never fail each other.
Much of its success lies in the perfect chemistry between the four young people, especially between the two couples in love: Peak and Thanwa, and Latte and Almond.
The cast closes with the performances of Mon Taechin Phaisanwan as Sean, Pak Varayu Pusomjitsakul as Jumper, Tuss Thotsawat Sing-uppo as Max, and Ten Tosatid Darnkhuntod, among other actors and actresses.
'Knock Knock, Boys!' It is a fantasy that we have all been able to or wanted to have, but that is more enchanting, natural, genuine and immensely fun in this production that will bring us many surprises.
I recommend this hilarious and unprejudiced Thai series, with its satirical humor with heart and its commitment to cultural, sexual and gender diversity, through the vicissitudes of four strangers who go from friends to lovers.

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Finding love in premonitory dreams

Finding love in premonitory dreams
From the first scene, 'I Saw You in My Dream' not only grabs the viewer, it also proves to be a special LGBT-themed romantic drama with its cozy vibes, delicate emotions and tender sentimental messages.
Each well-written scene highlights the protagonists and their charming personalities, helping me understand them as individuals. I empathize with the skillful narrator, who describes a tender bond between two neighbors and childhood friends. We are facing a healthy and beautiful youthful romance.
The possibility of romance does not take long to emerge on the screen. Although initially focused on platonic interactions, the main characters are one a university student and the other a freelance photographer, who have shared their entire lives in games, noble fun, and a lot of camaraderie.
However, everything changes when Ai, just on the day she turns 20, in the middle of the Christmas and New Year holidays, begins to have premonitory dreams, that is, those that end up happening later. Having dreams that seem to foresee future events causes him distress and confusion, since they are related to Yu, his friend, whom he sees suffering a tragedy or kissing him in the privacy of a darkened room. This triggers in him, on the one hand, the desire to protect him, and on the other, love, but at the same time he does not know how to handle the situation due to the fear of losing his friend.
This is how the series immerses the viewer in the complex labyrinths of friendship, love and self-discovery, presenting the moving story of two inseparable friends, who find themselves on an emotionally challenging journey. What they believe about themselves and what they feel about each other is not a constant – unlike many situations shown in the series that seem to remain unchanged: games in the garden of the house or in one of their bedrooms, the search for hidden treasures, sharing the birthday gift...
In the environment of their childhood and adolescence, their homes have witnessed countless laughter, games and shared secrets. However, as they reach adulthood, they face new desires and emotions, and endless questions about who they really are and what love is. What makes this period of changes a sea of ​​confusion for the protagonist is that over time he realizes that he loves Yu. Do you have to hide your feelings to preserve a friendship intact or is it time to take a risk to be authentic with yourself?
Ingkarat Damrongsakkul, the actor who plays Ai, is sensational. He brings sweetness and youthful innocence to an emotionally honest performance. Ruy, as he is known by his nickname, embodies his character so convincingly that Ai feels like a genuine person with complex thoughts and feelings drifting from his premonitory dreams.
This role is perfectly designed to highlight the best qualities of the actor who starred in 2015, at the age of 12, in the film 'How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)', a drama for which he won the coveted Best Actor award cast at that year's prestigious Suphannahong National Film Awards/National Film Association of Thailand Awards.
'Quarantine Stories', 'Fierce & Furious Academy', '2 Moons' and '#HATETAG' are other BL series in which Ryu had the opportunity to take on important roles.
For his part, Putter Phubase Pratumrat, who plays Yu, radiates a pleasant charisma. The actor who starred in one of the stories of the series 'My Universe', specifically the one titled 'Lucky Love', and who made his debut in 2022 in a supporting role in the BL 'Our Days', has a cheeky charm boy next door guy who helps you understand why Ai dreams about him. Unlike his friend, Yu is an outgoing and confident boy who likes photography and video games.
Ryu and Putter are a joy to watch: they establish an engaging and comfortable relationship, while sharing wonderful chemistry, which never makes accompanying them in their developing relationship boring at any point.
Visually beautiful, 'I Saw You in My Dream' contains many reflective messages about the loves between two boys of the same sex, members of the small Thai Catholic community, something that is new in BL series from that country, especially if we take into account that for the Catholic Church, homosexual acts and behaviors constitute a serious mortal sin because sexual relations must have a procreative purpose and take place within marriage, which is indissoluble and made up of the union of a man and a woman according to their identity. biological.
As Ai experiences various challenges, she must learn to handle these difficulties with maturity and confidence. Fortunately, our hero has a great support system, from loving parents to supportive and respectful friends.
Likewise, the story of Ing (Game Orarig Tanoi), who in turn is secretly in love with Yo (Surf Patchara Silapasoonthorn), Yu's younger brother, will be interesting. Both will give rise to an always-awaited second couple that will increase tensions and conflicts.
Tee Bundit Sintanaparadee, the director, opts for a sweet romance, filmed in warm tones with soft touches of romantic comedy. The Thai director, who with the series 'I Feel You Linger in the Air', 'Hidden Agenda', 'Step by Step', 'Something in My Room', 'Lovely Writer' and 'TharnType', among others, has been years is a chronicler of love and the daily struggles of a young generation, he returns to familiar territories to reveal some of his obsessions: homosexuality, family, traditional culture, the school process, the work environment, youth and its ups and downs emotional.
For this, it has the collaboration of Prig Apichayar Sinithichayanon ('Hidden Agenda'), Chot-anan Kasamwonghong ('The Rebound', '609 Bedtime Story' and 'The Eclipse', Wannapa Lertkultanon and Natithep Wong-In, in charge of writing the script based on the famous Afterday novel of the same name, who build real and sincere characters and follow them in an unprejudiced and natural way.
'I Saw You in My Dream' is at the same time a coming-of-age and a coming out, that is, a traditional growth story in which a firmly closed closet timidly begins to open to the outside and from which those who are inside. The director obtains from the young cast naturalistic performances – although clearly marked by a classic script in its structure and route – that are largely credible and fresh.
At the same time, it explores in a simple and kind way the process of growing up and self-discovery, and the complexity of human relationships even in a context that seems to be simple and comfortable for the characters. After all, they are lifelong friends, they are doing what they love to do most, which is sharing time together, and they have beautiful memories of what their lives have been like.
The casting decisions are correct, the cast being made up of actors and actresses committed to fiction and the performances being very natural. Nothing is forced in this series and that makes the story take its time and immerse the viewer in the thoughts of each character, without looking for a plot, a turning point or a moment of dramatic explosion.
The choices regarding locations, even those public places due to their scarce presence of personnel outside the filming, are successful because they do not distract from the central point of 'I Saw You in My Dream': the indescribable bond in words between Yu and Ai. The characters are the ones who have to be there; There are no distractions of any kind during the series. At times it may seem like it is moving slowly, but deep down it is because it is a work more focused on the development of the characters, instead of a traditional narrative structure of beginning-middle-end, although it does not lack this aspect either.
The series seeks to portray first love, self-discovery, friendship, family ties, study, passions, among other issues, in a very natural way. Although young people go through situations full of doubt and confusion, the audiovisual gives a certain luminosity to the messages it transmits and the way its characters are followed.
The director knows how to capture the sensitivity of the story he wants to tell and the feelings that blossom in the protagonists. At no time does it fall into common places, neither in relation to the construction of the characters nor in the development of the plot. Let everyone be as they are, do not judge them or justify them.
The characters are very real and sincere and the cast does a good job of carrying them forward. The actors manage to portray the universe and the stage of life in which they find themselves in an unprejudiced, natural and enjoyable way, showing the sensations and reactions of young people their age.
The setting is also achieved. The cheerful landscape of both boys' houses, the shared garden, the fence that divides one home from the other, the university, the church and the places they visit, are settings that color the series with a certain nostalgia, joy and romanticism.
The other notable aspect, and nothing minor in the plot and form of the series, is the music. This plays a fundamental role in the story, being a means to express the characters' feelings without them having to recognize them or have uncomfortable conversations. Many times they even don't know what's happening to them and the music lets those sensations flow. Plus, the soundtrack is original, catchy, and sounds good.
The musical score by Banana Sound Studio, and the songs composed by Sorawit Sangpupas and Thanawin Keawsri, and performed by Ryu and Putter, are not so much company as they are an essential complement to the story. That is, the songs help tell the story, but not in the usual way of the musical genre but rather as a soundtrack that expresses youth, doubts, and also fears.
In summary, 'I Saw You in My Dream' is a coming of age and an effective coming out that turns out to be sensitive and intimate, simple and complex at the same time, quite original, without the need for large concrete conflicts to resolve.
The work of Tee Bundit Sintanaparadee invites the viewer, depending on the moment in life they are going through, with empathy or nostalgia the process of growing up, of making decisions, of self-discovery, of being young but not so young, of risking what one feels, and to travel through love even when there are doubts and fears: wait for it in premonitory dreams.
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Short stature and a childish face play tricks on Sakuraba Isumi, when one night the university student, mistaken for a teenager, is stopped on the street by Amasawa Kyosuke, a police officer, while returning home late, with a few too many drinks, after attending a party with his friends.
However, the cooking-loving boy manages to convince the tall, sincere uniformed man with a natural and calm charm about his true identity after showing him his personal identification.
To his surprise, the next day he meets up again with the police officer, who works at a small police station, near the convenience store where he works part-time, in search of late-night snacks.
Becoming a regular customer at Isumi's workplace, both young people can see each other daily.
From then on, whenever they meet, Amasawa asks him for recommendations on what would be most appropriate to eat, and Isumi, concerned about Amasawa's eating habits, offers, "How about I come and cook for you?" Visiting Amasawa's house, they grow closer through home-cooked meals.
After the chance meeting, Isumi can't help but fall in love with the charming police officer, while struggling with the complexities of first love. Will the kind policeman feel the same way about him?
As the two deal with their feelings and the challenges of adulthood, the story touches on themes of acceptance, self-discovery, family, friendship, culinary art.
'Sugar Dog Life', the live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name with its Japanese title シュガードッグライフ, Hepburn: Shugā Doggu Raifu, by Yoriko, and serialized in the monthly yaoi manga magazine Gateau in 2019, is faithful to the original, by drawing various tropes, such as soul mates, a romance with a difference in age and height, with characters with great disparity in their personalities and distinctive characteristics, with the striking black hair and blonde hair that adorn the head of the protagonists, and the Grumpy Guy x Tall Kind Ball of Sunshine type dynamic.
Directed by directors Honda Ryuichi ('Pussycat Daisakusen'), Ouchi Takahiro ('Mimicry Freaks') and Kozue Sasaki, the Japanese series seeks to tell an addictive and friendly story with ordinary characters, while offering a rich palette of emotions capable of attracting viewers, and to do so it relies on a good script, notable performances and shots full of color and life to express a shy and honest love.
Although it is the story of a romance, there are no sex scenes in 'Sugar Dog Life'. It is, in that sense, a "discreet" series, which suggests more than what it shows.
Along with the visual and performance spectacle, the music composed by Erina Koyama stands out. Its opening theme "Sweets", performed by Super Dragon, and ending theme, "Futari Yōbi", by YaYuYo, make the framework of the story even more attractive.
The script, by Motoko Takahashi, Ayumi Shimo, Shiori Ueno and Fumino Kimoto, brings us the original manga in cinematographic language, to tell us a fun love story between a boy university student and a police officer five or six years older, starring Tawada Hideya and Tanaka Koki, who play Amasawa Kyosuke and Sakuraba Isumi, respectively.
Hideya Tawada, from Bungō Stray Dogs, is known to BL lovers for giving life to Kōhei Sugihara, the protagonist of 'Silhouette of Your' ('Hidamari ga Kikoeru' (ひだまりが聴こえる), director Kamijo Daisuke's debut film, filmed in 2017.
His character has an honest, slow but lively dialogue. This ductile and consistent actor manages to correctly reflect the calm and naturally flirtatious personality of the police officer. This role constitutes one of his best works to date and has served to demonstrate that he moves with the same ease through the comic genre as the dramatic one.
For his part, Kōki Tanaka, a member of the vocal and dance unit Super Dragon, who had a supporting role in the LGBT+-themed series 'One Room Angel', from 2023, manages to overcome the challenge thanks to his fantastic performance of a young orphan with culinary skills, a tsundere personality and vibes of a slightly "cunning", "naughty" and "pure-hearted" boy. The actor gives vitality to his character straight out of a manga.
Isumi, who has a kind and youthful image, harbors sensitivity and a desire to help others.
The chemistry between him and Hideya Tawada on screen gives rise to some intense scenes in which we sense the sincere love relationship that arose from a misunderstanding.
In the supporting cast, Souta Uemura stands out as Yōhei, Isumi's best friend, and Raiku as Shōji, another friend and fellow student. Their roles are important in the story by allowing a different side of Isumi to be shown compared to when she is with Amasawa.
On the other hand, while Isumi shows his pain at thinking that Amasawa only sees him as a friend, Yōhei feels alone and abandoned by Isumi, who before his eyes is building a world in which he has no place. However, their friendship is constantly strengthened.
The sensitivity with which 'Sugar Dog Life' is told is evident in the most moving scenes, capable of showing with great honesty and with complete naturalness the relationship between the two protagonists and its evolution throughout the time they shared.
Although its plot does not have any major dramatic twists, the series seeks to explore the emotional connection between two young men, and carries out a gentle development of their romantic relationship, offering a unique perspective on love and romance.
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