Why Until We Meet Again is special among Thai BLs
Until We Meet Again is one of my favorite Thai BLs of all time.I wouldn’t say it subverts tropes so much as it utilizes them as a spice for story, rather than utterly depending upon them. Most BLs (out of Thailand in particular) turn the tropes into the story. The narrative is entirely dependent on BL tropes for scene structure and plot. They are BL trope reliant/dependent.
UWMA is not like that at all.
Another way of putting it is that if you pulled all the BL specific tropes out of something like, oh I don’t know, 2gether, it would actually fall completely apart.
Now, I’m not talking about the romance foundational tropes like fated mates or fake relationship, those form the narrative backbone of any romance story (and most BL is romance). I’m talking about visual element tropes like baby is a floppy drunk, or the dreaded sponge bath, or wound tending, sharing earbuds, sharing a closet, etc...
For something like 2gether, these tropes ARE VITAL to moving the story along, fixing pacing issues, etc.. Which is FINE. That’s how most hey-day yaoi is. It’s how many contemporary romances are now.
But with Until We Meet Again if you removed all the BL tropes, the story would still be there, standing strong. The tropes add BL flavor to the series, like a spice, but in essence UWMA is actually just a fated mates romance, and it would stand strong as such if all the tropes were striped away (although we would probably lose WinTeam under those circumstances).
Another series that recently acts this way is 1000 Stars. Which is why, I think, it had such broad appeal and rabid fans.
Since it also doesn’t have a suicide element trigger, I would poset that 1000 Stars is actually one of the best BLs to recommend to outside watchers in order to lure them into the genre. Until it came out i tended to rec UWMA with a trigger warning, now I’ll probably be pimping 1k* first.
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What I applaud most about this drama, is its story, which was in par with the mainstream dramas. It was commendable, how the drama binds together all the characters and not just focus on the leading couple. In most BL dramas, the main focus is always on the buildup of the relationship between the main couple and their friends. Basically the leads' struggle within themselves is highlighted. But "Until I met you" was refreshingly different. I could see the story from the eyes of many different characters. I could feel their emotions. The flashback scenes were amazing. Each scene had a meaning, a reason to be there in the show.
The acting and character development of each character was very good. And I mean it when I say that for 'each character'. Dean is a quite and strict man. But gradually after meeting with Pharm, he starts feeling more happy and socialises more with his siblings and his friends. I loved how his personality undergoes slow and gradual changes like a little smile or little romantic stares instead of stark changes. It is because he has always carried the burden of his memories, actually much more than Pharm. Pharm is a cute, innocent boy and dude, he has given some good emotional scenes throughout the series. Talking about the development of other characters, I loved how the story binded the Ariyasakul and the Chatphokin families together, both 30 years ago and in the present time. So, each and every character had something to realise and to deliver, from Dean's mother and grandmother to Pharm's grandfather, uncle and his cousin. Now, saving the best for the last, I loved the acting of Intouch, portrayed by Earth. I believe that he had the most variations in his acting, from sweet to cute, hyper energetic and sad too. I simply loved him. I think he and Korn had more variations of romantic scenes, i;e: from food making trials to giving the umbrella to Korn under the rain, from the candy and the keychain gift to the beach confession, whereas the love display between Dean and Pharm was limited to visiting each others places and Pharm cooking good food. I wished there were more.
I loved the ost of 'you and me forever'. It's so freaking romantic. I think this drama will be a memorable one in the universe of BL. It is a must for all BL and all drama lovers. I re-watched it within a week, this is how much I loved the whole scenario. Do watch it. You won't be disappointed.
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The series does deal with serious topics like homophobia and suicide, which it might be triggering since is really explicit. There's some aspects of that that I did not like how it was handled in the last two episodes, but I won't go in detail about that since it would spoil it. Also just being nitpicky there were a couple of episodes in the middle that felt more like fillers so it gets boring, but overall is a great series with a magnificent team.
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I liked the unique story, two lovers that couldn't be together in a past life that end up being reincarnated and meeting in a new life. The only thing I didn't like is the crying, it was happening so much, and I get it when you're freaked out by the flashbacks but you were gonna have a good life and things are chill so why keep crying? Idk, that's just me though. Lol.
The acting wasn't bad, semi new faces, they were all cute together, I liked the relationship and friendships and acceptance.
Music was enjoyable, really set the mood.
Overall, I wouldn't rewatch it lol but it was a good show. Made me cry and all that though.
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Wow.... Just wow
Best BL I’ve ever watched. Until I started this I had TharnType and Why R U as my favorite BLs, but this tops them by far. The story is so emotional and the acting is amazing. Usually when I watch a drama I tend to focus too much on the acting aspect of it, thinking about how awkward some scenes must have been to film, or what it would have been like on set. But with this drama I’m just 100% immersed in the story as if it was all real. This makes you feel so many things, and you’re guaranteed to cry if you watch it, but don’t let that throw you off. This is absolutely a must watch!Esta resenha foi útil para você?
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Nothing can top this!
If a drama can make me cry, it IS an awesome drama. BUT a drama that can make me cry within the first five minutes of its first episode, I'm officially ruined for that entire genre. I don't think I can find another BL series as good as this one wherein everything seemed to fit in my likes.It's actually a simple reincarnation story but I became invested into the whole story due to how well the actors played their characters. I could actually feel and understand what they were trying to convey. No half-a*sed crying from Fluke and Earth. Plus the differences in everyone's personalities made it diverse and compelling. The chemistry between the pairings is also there. They were all believable and not awkward at all.
The soundtracks. I'm not ashamed to admit that I slept with the main theme song by boy sombop on repeat. If you ask me to translate it, I can NOT! But the whole vibe of the song can really take you down the melancholy road. And when I finally read the translated lyrics, oh my god --- straight to the kokoro! I also liked four other tracks from the series and I think they all fit the pairings they were designated to.
The only thing I could have asked for more was that last bit where Dean and Pharm proved that their love was theirs. I wished they could have shown a bit more of that journey rather than snippets of giving deserts with sticky notes.
Other than that, I have no complaints at all! I highly recommend this series to those who love a good drama and not just body flashing and smut (I would also love some but this isn't the series for those :p).
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Not the easiest review to write, but I’ll try my best. First of all, I was a huge fan of Love by Chance, I even gave it a 10/10 back then. So, this director’s style is definitely something I highly appreciate. Consequently, my expectations from UWMA were rather high. The series lived up to my expectations, yes, but there are definitely more aspects I have to criticise here compared to LBC.Let’s start with what I didn’t like or what I felt could have been improved (they are all closely related, actually):
- The number of episodes was unnecessarily high. The story felt like it could have easily been told in the usual 12 or uttermost in 14 episodes, definitely not 17! I think it could easily be shortened down to that number of episodes without losing relevant parts of the stories.
- The film editing was not great. It felt as if they just left in everything they had filmed, while the job of a film editor should be to extract only the relevant parts of the scenes, so as to tell a coherent story. Scenes just went on and on, filled with meaningless phrases and awkward stares; I wanted to shout “Cut, please!” very often.
- There was absolutely no balance between the screen time of the main couple and the supporting cast. I get that by showing them in two incarnations you need to give them a lot of screen time, but I had the impression that the director was indecisive about whether to actually tell the side stories or to keep them out of this series/season. Like this it’s none of the two options, they just threw in some scenes without any sense of timing and inconsistent storytelling.
Anyway, I can’t think of any more negatives! What I liked:
- Great soundtrack: touching music that fits the scenes very well.
- Great story: Romeo and Juliet (Julian, actually) with a happy ending, that’s exactly what I needed! The concept of reincarnation isn’t really my cup of tea, but here it basically “saved” such a beautiful, but tragic love story. The pain felt so real (still don’t understand why Korn did what he did), and Pharm’s doubts at the end were very much understandable. The whole family entanglement (at least in my view) made clear that the tragedy in the past needed to be “resolved” by the same families ultimately responsible for it, very impressive.
- Great actors, I have nothing to criticise. Well, some felt wasted with such little screen time, but that’s a different problem. Also, no over-the-top comedic sidekick ruining the mood, big plus.
- High production value, no doubt. As I already mentioned, I really like this director’s style. Of course the aggressive product placement is very annoying, but it’s just how it works …
- The double suicide as a consequence of parents and society not accepting their children’s homosexuality gave the series a very dark theme; it wasn’t fully exploited imo, but still very present until the end.
I could continue the list of positives, but I’ll stop here. Compared to LBC, I think that UWMA has a better story and slightly better actors, but the lengthy and overly slow storytelling and the badly balanced screen times of different characters made it a little less enjoyable to watch for me. Still, I can highly recommend watching it!
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One of my favorites.
Honestly this BL really made me cry like no other. The connections and good acting really built up my emotions. I think the emotions and hardships were very well portrayed within the scenes. It is clear to see the love that was growing between the main roles. It was a heartbreaking yet beautiful story. With out the heartbreak the story wouldn’t be the same. It was refreshing to see something new with a sensitive plot such as the one presented. It was a beautiful tragedy but a beautiful ending too. It shows how love doesn’t end when ones life is over rather the strong love finds a way to reconnect. This BL was much different from the usual but in a good way. I really loved the cast, plot, and everything.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Frustrating, but some redeeming qualities
This review is an opinion. It is not intended to sway you or discourage you from watching a drama. It is a personal opinion and critique of what I found worked and didn't work for the drama. Please make your own informed opinions and decisions.Until We Meet Again is a Boy's love drama directed by Siwaj Sawatmaneekul (also known as P'New) who has directed such works as; Love By Chance; Make it Right; and War of High School to name a few of his popular projects.
Until We Meet Again is a love story about four young men whose lives are interconnected by the “red string of fate” and the tragedies that befalls them due to homophobia and family interference. Without going into spoiler details, one couple lives in the past and the other in the present. The special thing in the plot is that the director takes dramatic liberties such as, not telling the story linearly in time but using slices; the present mixed with the past. This allows for both stories to co-exist without overshadowing each other. It also helps drive the point home that all four of these people are interconnected by their fate and they cannot escape it.
This story brings back one of my favorite actors, Fluke! You may remember him from My Bromance and Red Wine in the Dark Night. He took a break from acting for a few years, but his lovable portrayal of his characters made him a household name not easy to forget. In this drama, Fluke shows why he is considered a great BL actor.
Directing: P’New is good at what he does, which is, telling the story in a way that connects with the viewers. However, editing was an issue in regards to the way the story was told. There instances where characters seemed out of place or rather, the scene could have been more effective with the right editing or right characterization.
Acting: Everyone played their role to their best. Fluke as always takes on his character’s specifics traits and brings them to life. He was the soul of this drama. Ohm, likewise, gave the ever cold and moody Dean the right touch. I found myself rooting for Earth and Kao because their story seemed more interesting and would have been a great one to tell first. Obviously the drama suffered from the ever present too many characters, so proper development of stories and characters suffered quite a bit here.
CONS
However, though the acting is good, I think that we as ther viewers are often asked to use our imagination where a character has long pauses .... This is a critique not just for this BL, but for most Thai Bls in general. Whenever there is an inner monologue by a character, we are not given that information. Rather, you have awkward pauses where you can tell that the character is “thinking” or “talking to themselves” It is such an easy fix, by having the actor’s voiceover during those scenes. This also helps with those pauses because we the viewers are to deduce if they are thinking or talking to themselves. I wish we have more inner monologues to get an idea of what the character is thinking.
Side characters: The drama suffered from the too many characters/couples syndrome (TMC) that Thai BLs always want to insert. Though there were two main couples, the series kept inserting one more “couple” and hinted at a potential couple with Manaow that went nowhere. Now, this is done intentionally by directors who are looking to expand the dramas into another season, but with director New, no one ever knows if his dramas will have a second season. If they do have a second season, obviously that drama will focus on the couples that did not get proper development.
SLOW BURN/PACE: Though the couple kind of gets together within a few episodes, the drama drags
Another issue for me was leaving the climax for the end and not in the middle of the story. It wasted a lot of the story.
Music: As always P’New relies on Boy for the music. He is a great singer and his songs are always perfect for BL dramas, but I wish that his music wasn’t as repeated as much in nearly all of the poignant scenes. Those scenes would have benefited from a melody instead of a lyrical song. Also, often the music was louder than expected and for me that was distracting.
Plot Holes galore: So many plot holes, so little time spent on clearing them up.
In the end, it's an okay drama to watch when things are slow or no BLs are airing. The cast did the best they could with what they got.
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A must see!
I watched the first episode, cried uncontrollably and swore I would not watch another "unhappy" bl drama. But...my curiosity got the best of me and here I am watching one of the best dramas I have seen in a long time! The acting is superb - In and Korn from the past. Dean and Pharm in the present. Their chemistry is off the charts. The sexual tension actually leaves me squirming in a good way. The story is unique with the relationships being handled in a loving and tender manner. I am in love with both couples. They are beautiful men who act with raw emotions. I eagerly look forward to each episode wanting to know what happens next; but, at the same time, I never want this drama to end. I want to fully know these characters. They are now a part of my life. I cannot say enough about this drama. Kudos to the actors, writers, and director for giving us superb entertainment to fill our lives. A special thank you to the subbers who are doing a wonderful job of translating. You are the best! Please watch this drama. I guarantee you will be hooked.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
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So, it was good for the most part and I was into the couples especially Win Team and Korn Inn, mostly because I felt like the Dean Pharm storyline was a bit lacking. I felt like there was no proper build up for Pharm going crazy in the end, there were maybe two scenes that showed him properly getting freaked out but again there was no build up so the going crazy bit seemed rushed and just abrupt and I couldn't get into it. And then of course, there was SO MUCH ANNOYING PRODUCT PLACEMENT and other problematic stuff like fat shaming to an annoying level , etc. So it felt a bit immature overall. Even the ending conflict between Dean Pharm felt forced. And so much time they invested in the last episode to give a romantic interest to even poor Manaow who was basically their shaming vehicle until then and then omg God gave the fat girl a hot guy RIGHT TOWARD THE END because only super good looking and thin people deserve a complex and entertaining storyline, right? XD ugh okay. But I mean so much time and Win Team didn't even get proper conversation or skin ship ffs in the last episode. So, there you go. Not bad but could have been better and I STILL NEED THAT WINTEAM SERIES Esta resenha foi útil para você?
