Gay OK Bangkok (2016)

This series is literally one of the BEST BL drama's I've seen in a long time. It has an amazing cast, amazing writing, and each episode deals with really profound issues that I have never seen discussed in any Asian BL TV series I've watched in the past Here's the break down:

 STORY: 9/10
The story revolves around 6 gay men, with the main characters being Arm and Pom, two best friends who room together. Their lives, and the lives of the other characters, connect through a series of events that take place throughout the show. The writing and development for each character is well thought out and I grew attached to each character very quickly, despite it being a 5 episode series with each episode clocking in at around 29 minutes. What's really great about this show is the issues that it deals with are so taboo but yet eye opening and  it was handled in such a smart and educational. As a gay man in my 20's I really appreciate this sort of series. It's all very realistic, maybe too realistic for those expecting a fluffy BL drama... this show is definitely not for kids and not for the close-minded. The romantic and kissing scenes are so on point. I don't know if the cast is LGBT+ in real life but they sure had me fooled.

ACTING: 9/10
The actors in this series are phenomenal. They truly were invested in their characters and each actor gave their respective role layers and depth. Highlight actors for me are the ones that play Arm and Nat, but every actor in Gay Ok Bangkok really gave Oscar worthy performances, in my personal opinion. Very raw and realistic performances.

MUSIC: 9/10
The sound track was super good and changed in each episode, but it still managed to maintain overall tone throughout. Fantastic!

REWATCH VALUE: 9/10
I would say this is an easy rewtach for me. Everything about this series impressed me and I did not want it to end OVERALL: 9/10 Excellent! The only reason I did not give this drama a 10 out of 10 is because it's only five episodes and I felt as though the last episode was a bit choppy, the way it ended. But they make all that up with season 2, which you should all watch if you have not!

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OKAY! so its a 9/10! U ask me why!

STORYLINE: its all about REAL life! REAL events! Something people usually hide, and search for a fluffy drama. The stories of the couples are covered realistically true... the issues they deal with clarifying the dangerous sides of being gay as well as the good sides. They raise awerness.
ACTING: the acting was soo believable! Was very professional, the events were well developed and delivered.
CAST: the guys are HOT! Lol but its also well paired, the chemistry was all around the place.
MUSIC: oh come on! Thai drama OST? heck yah! Have u ever saw a thai drama with no good music?

REWATCH VALUE: well... its a wake up call for everyone concered for the matter. Realistic , raise awareness... drama, hot guys, good storyline and entertaing.
OVERALL: YASS watch it... RECOMMENDED!

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While Gay OK Bangkok (2016) may be considered a Thai boys’ love (BL) series in its broad usage nowadays, technically speaking, it’s really a Thai gay series. BL or "yaoi" in Japanese or series "wai"/series "y" in Thai depicts homoerotic and/or romantic relationships between male characters while gay or "bara" in Japanese or series "ke" in Thai presents gay sexual relationships. Gay OK Bangkok (2016) with its naturalism, is one of the best Thai gay series produced in recent years.

It followed the sexual relationships of everyday gay men living in Bangkok in the context of their careers, leisure activities, and family lives. As an advocacy series for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection education and prevention, Gay OK Bangkok also effectively tackled the sexual health of gay men. The plot/storyline was not convoluted at all. It was very easy to follow. The script was serious but simple enough to represent everyday gay men speak. While the series could have benefited from better character background and development, the acting of the main casts was really good. I can’t decide which portrayals I like more: Aof and Bing or Arm and Nat? And I love Pom and Sathang too! In terms of editing, Gay OK Bangkok was a bit slow paced for my liking. Overall production value including musical score was just ok.

On the whole, if you’re into more mature Thai BL series and Thai gay series, I would recommend to watch and rewatch Gay OK Bangkok because it’s more than ok.

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A Realistic BL...

I've heard raves about how Gay OK Bangkok was real. That it portrayed real gay Asian people and their lives. As a gay Asian, I HAD to watch this series.

And it was a breath of fresh air seeing BL series portray gay people realistically, portraying the issues that gay people come through, such as the rampant hookup culture, the emphasis on looks, relationships and cheating. However, I do admit that I prefer BL's that are fluffy and rose-tinted though as they make my heart sing which Gay OK Bangkok doesn't. Gay OK Bangkok is more akin to the LGBT films and TV shows that the Western world releases.

It is unfortunate that Pom, my favorite character (and many other people's favorite character), didn't get the love that he was seeking and that he was constantly rejected. He knows that he's because of his looks and that he is femme, which are both down upon in the gay community unfortunately. It's hard and I can completely relate...

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A sexy, authentic drama focusing on adult themes for adult audiences, Gay OK Bangkok is a nice break from the fluffier BL titles out there. All of the actors are great; they have wonderful chemistry with one another and portray emotions really well. It is short, which I'm guessing is due to a relatively small budget, sometimes things felt rushed, and although I wish we could have had more of the story fleshed out, I'm still left feeling as though I got a complete story and a good understanding of the characters. A lot was accomplished in these five episodes, and the characters felt three-dimensional, genuine, despite sometimes being placed in stereotypical settings. The ending, while not necessarily sad, is a bit ambiguous, but I'm looking forward to seeing where things go in Season 2. Definitely recommend watching this!

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Gay ok Bangkok

Essa não é uma história do gênero BL, e sim com uma temática realmente LGBTQIAP+, e isso por si só já é um fato fantástico para o ano de 2016, pois a Tailândia é um país muito preconceituoso até os dias de hoje, imaginem cinco anos atrás. O enredo mostra eventos que podemos facilmente trazer para a vida real, traz um sentimento de identificação com a realidade. Atores representando pessoas comuns, corpos fora do padrão de beleza imposto pela sociedade, a degradação a que muitos gays se submetem para poder viver, a insegurança capaz de fazer uma pessoa manter um relacionamento apenas por medo de ficar sozinho, e por último, o diálogo constante sobre o HIV. A atuação dos atores é excelente. A fotografia também é linda, nos mostra vários pontos da cidade de Bangkok.
Minha única crítica seria ao final aberto, mas como hoje já sei que existe outra temporada em seguida, vou deixar a crítica de lado.
Recomendo essa série mil vezes, assistam e com certeza não vão se arrepender.

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Nothing short of amazing!

I cannot describe how engrossed I was in this. It was all perfect for me - the story, the acting, the editing and the music. I loved the caracters, they are well rounded and their flaws make them more sympathetic. The script is well written. I wish more BLs were made by these. Best tv series I’ve seen in a very long time. The style reminds me very much of the iconic British series This Life from the mid 90s. It is understated and believable and i don’t understand the low average score, which made me hesitate before I watched it. I can't believe I almost missed out. So sad that there are only two seasons of this show.

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So I just binged S1 of Gay Ok Bangkok and a thought occurred to me.

I enjoy all of these characters. I see their flaws and their strengths and I love them because of both, because these are people I know. I'm friends or have been friends with all of these people - I resonate with some more than most from my own experiences, but I could point to people in my life that remind me of all of them easily. They're real and lived in in a way that I'm frankly unused to seeing from most of the dramas I gravitate towards.

They make mistakes I've made, mistakes the people around me have made, and they break and they fight and they come back together in ways that I've done with people I've loved.

The Bangkok crew (aside from Big) are all past or starting to get past that point in their lives when the future seems both daunting and very far away, and everything is all immediacy, but they're still searching. Whether it's Pom who just wants to find love (and I don't want spoilers for S2 but I love that season 1 ended with him learning to appreciate himself as an individual more - the facebook posts were a nice touch and a great way to show his state of mind as we went through the show), Aof who is trying to find a person he can take care of (and balance his dwindling interest in sex along with that need - he interests me so much tbh because so much emphasis does tend to get put on sex in relationships and it's a real struggle when it just isn't the thing you're after but everyone assumes that you should be, or wants you to be, or needs it from you (disclaimer: there's nothing wrong with either and I'm not trying to imply that but I want to see the navigation between his needs and Big's needs, or his needs and the needs of whoever he winds up with)), or Arm who is maybe the most aimless of all, wandering between relationships and jobs, staying with Pom when he gets dumped but unable to help foot the bills because he doesn't want to be stifled by a regular job. Arm strikes me as the friend who just doesn't want to grow up, but adulthood comes for us all in the end.

And then there's Nat, who I think is the most settled of the bunch, possibly to do with his HIV + status, or maybe it's just him. Whatever it is, I adore him. He's got his head firmly on his shoulders and he knows what he wants, but that doesn't quite stop him from taking a chance on Arm, who he knows is a risk but who he hopes will be for him anyway. But he has enough strength to walk away when he realizes it won't work.

Am I still kinda rooting for Arm and Nat to work things out? Yes. Will I be upset if they don't? I don't know. If there had never been a season two I think I would have been fine with how it all shook out. Frankly, this is the kind of ending I want from OF - one that feels earned, and logical, and not like they threw a pat, unambiguously happy ending at us for no reason (no, I am never getting over the end of The Warp Effect, don't @ me I don't want to hear it).

But even more than the romance, what I really loved is the friendship. The sense of community. Yes Arm and Pom fight when Arm makes a move on Pom's crush, yes they are petty and mean and say awful, hurtful things to each other in the moment, but in the end they're still friends because they know each other and care about each other and because to be quite honest, in a community as small as theirs (and I can't speak to Thailand because I'm from the West, but I know that where I'm from you see this kind of thing a lot. We have more legal rights here than there, I know that, but our community is still smaller and everyone kinda knows or knows of each other) you don't just drop the only people you know who get you over that kind of thing. You just don't. I was as invested in Arm and Pom making up as I was in any of the romantic couples working out. More, maybe.

I am also extremely glad to see the show address sexual health. Suck, fuck, and get tested! Words to live by, honestly.

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