Love Storm (2022)

Didn't feel the hype. Unpopular opinion.

Well this is awkward...

This started off as a solid 4 star read for Payu/Rain story, but it all went downhill from there since Sky/Pai story started. Not to say that this was not a fun watch - because it was. I was just expecting more.

*ahem*

You're confused. Well here i explain it.

I was expecting a chemical and passionate story about two people falling for each other like Payu/Rain but what what i watch is superficial and cheesy words and gestures.

It was supposed to be a "slow burn" romance but It felt... repetitive, dull, dry and rigid. That's how I'd define for this second couple story.

Didn't feel the hype.

I really think a lot of people, like me will enjoy this... I also think a lot of people will love this story for what it is - just like I have. Unfortunately, I speak for myself when I say this story just did not do it for me.

Leia Mais

The chemistry between both pairs will take you to heaven

One of the bestest bl drama.The cunning nature of Payu the cute dumbness of Rain is one of the attractive part in this series.How Payu makes Rain woo him and makes him his boyfriend is so cute and how Payu understand Rain's feelings.
In one of the episode Payu is ready to give up his pride to save Rain and ready to kneel down in front of Rain's kidnapper makes us love Payu more.How Payu announced Rain his boyfriend and Rain accepted it in front of friends make us fall with this couple?
This series have 4 main protagonists makes it differ and the writer gives importance to all equally makes it special
When we consider Pai and Sky...The way Pai woo Sky makes me smile like crazy.The way he held him in his hands when Sky scares and cries and say "i love you" take us directly to heaven
Sky's character is also so sweet .how he is scared of Pai gets bored on him shows how much he loves Pai and want to be with him forever
The actors are so handsome and their Acting makes us feel it's real
MUST WATCH
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Leia Mais

Tharntype 2.0

If I had known this story was written by the same author as tharntype, I would have never even gave it a chance. What even is going on in this show... If you're looking for fluff, consensual relationships, non-toxicity, and a strong plot? Sorry, this ain't it. If you're looking for some good steamy scenes then this might be up your alley if you just ignore everything else wrong with the show!

To start off with the plot? There is none. If that's the kind of show you're looking for I'd advise you to skip this. Outside of the romances there is absolutely nothing going on, well besides the occasional bad guy that usually then gets involved in the romance plot. Dare I say the show is just complete fanservice, and cringe (not the good kind).

The one thing I'll give this show props for is the intimate scenes, they were well done in my opinion. However, when given the context and consent status of these scenes...


NO MEANS NO
STOP MEANS STOP

That's right about where my nice thoughts for this show ends.

The beginning of this show truly got me hyped, there was something so good about it that got me hooked in, and almost immediately all my interest dropped. It's like they spent all their time on a really good hook for their essay and didn't know where to go after that. And yet again this show delves into the galaxy of dub con and non con... they can't keep getting away with this. Whether including this is realistic or not, the problem is that non con is not dealt with the way it should be. It should be criticized and shamed on, but here it is romanticized and sexualized and there are no reprecussions for the perpetrator. I'm seeing some say that Phayu touching Rain without consent was okay because he didn't go the whole way?? If someone doesn't want to be touched, then you don't touch them, that's that. Now how does this show THAT DEALS WITH A CHARACTER WHO HAS BEEN SA'D simultaneously have dub con and non con?? It's just not adding up and giving me flashbacks to Tharntype that did the exact same thing.

Albeit that I did technically stop watching every second legimately at episode 6, I skipped around a bit having some hope left for this show. So maybe I don't get to have a say about this show because I didn't fully watch each and every single episode, but I also know right from wrong and how you should treat another HUMAN BEING.


1ST COUPLE THOUGHTS

For the first couple, they honestly didn't interest me. The first few minutes of the episode intrigued me and got me excited for them and that was about it. The chemistry between them was palpable (and i dont necessarily mean this about the actors) and got boring around episode 6 like im not getting concerned for Rain getting kidnapped like I should be.

I dislike the "I'm not gay, I like girls, oh but I'm gay for you" trope. People can question their sexuality and not be sure about what they're into, but I just think Rain's switch from saying he's not gay to falling in love with Phayu so short after that is too fast. If they hadn't had made the 2nd couple a sole focus for the other half of the series, they could've made Phayu and Rain a slowburn. Then again would I really want to see that.

2ND COUPLE THOUGHTS

I was really intrigued by the second couple for the longest time because I really liked Sky and their story didnt even start until ep 8 I think...? So, I watched that episode only to be imensely disappointed that Sky was essentially blackmailed by Pai to have a one night stand, consensual or not you don't have the right to have sex with someone just because you helped them....

Some more skipping and stuff, Pai not knowing what the word "no" means... I saw all of Sky's trauma and past in ep 13 and I honestly was about to cry at some point, this guy has been through a lot and deserves much better (and when I say this I AM INCLUDING PAI too, boy needs therapy before he gets into another relationship honestly...) and when Pai comforts him saying "I'd never do those things to you." ... Good for you Pai, good for you being able to do the bare minimum in a relationship, however instead of saying YOU would never do those things can you just comfort your boyfriend who is currently reliving, and willing to tell you, his trauma..

It's just so conflicting cause they can present good examples of a healthy relationship and comforting your partner who's been through trauma, such as the "tell me when you're ready", but then they mix it in with this weird shit that's just manipulative and while what they say is nice, I guess, I feel like it's just not the right time to say those things.

I GOT SO MAD WHEN PAI SCREAMED AT SKY. This poor guy is reliving his trauma and shaking and you got the fucking nerve to think he's cheating on you?? I completely understand that Pai didn't know the situation at this point but he can also read a room RIGHT?? If I see that my partner is literally shaking and about to cry my first thought isn't going to be to yell at them right in their face. I would also just like to add that Gun didnt get hit nearly enough times.

For the record, I truly think that Sky should not be in a relationship for his own well-being, he's got some serious trauma that has been repressed and having this dependency on Pai is not healthy. I'm sorry it isn't like the fantasies, love does not fix trauma.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

I really dislike the infantilization of some of the characters in this story, more specifically Rain and Sky. This is a weird trope that needs to die, and yes I completely understand that some relationships are like this irl HOWEVER when it is presented this way with every relationship in these bl shows you can clearly tell its a stereotype to make sure you know who's a top and who's a bottom. Like what even was that spanking scene with Phayu and Rain, I was uncomfortable to say the least. Pai and Phayu calling them "babies" irks me. You can't tell me there's not a power dynamic going on here, more specifically with the age.

Both couples were more likable when they were secondary characters, they seemed to act more normal, more human..

Phayu and Pai are walking red flags. Pai is literally a stalker, his actions in the beginning are unacceptable and he has little growth after that. Getting a spare key to his crush's room was not cute or sweet, it's an invasion of privacy. Changing sim cards everytime Sky blocked him.. Are we supposed to want them to get together or?? Pai was literally cuddling with that guy at the bday party, I'm not hearing it from ANYONE.. Phayu constantly forces himself onto Rain before they're in a relationship even as Rain has expressed his disdain. In the end Phayu always blames Rain for not behaving and that he was asking for it, EW.

Phayu being mad was supposed to be hot I guess, but I was left feeling uncomfortable and concerned for Rain's safety at times. His actor has charisma and yes is attractive, however it's hard to feel any positive emotions after the things Phayu has done.

Truly if someone has a hard time understanding why people are writing harsh reviews about this show then apply some of the things these characters do into real life. They would be penalized, and the problem is that the show makes it seems like their behavior is okay. I wouldn't have a problem if they made stories like these if they didnt romanticize the hell out of non con, dub con, and toxic relationships and rather they critiqued it.

Sorry for how disorganized this whole thing is, I've never written a review before but I had to let out my annoyance with this show.

Leia Mais

Two predators and their victims

This series deserves all the flack it gets. Yes it's fiction, but there is so much romantization of stalking, SA, and very loose definition of consent. IF they had even addressed that yes! stalking is bad! forcing someone to pay you back with their body is bad! Then I might have liked it slightly more. Not only did they not discuss this, they actually romanticized it.

You'd think that the first couple was problemating with some grooming themes with the sudden (non-sexual) spanking scene that came out of nowhere, the older dude saying shit like "I don't like boys who use bad language", and just literal weird parental dynamics. But I'd argue that the second coupling is even worse, and the bar was already in hell.

At least with Phayu and Rain, they actually started out with a very strong meet cute and very strong attraction even from Rain's end. Like that boy was lusting after Phayu before he even knew that he likes men. Like yes, Phayu did initiate sexual contact without clear consent when he brought Rain back to his room but I can believe that it was a misread signal. I would also thought Rain was hitting on me if his car breaks down the second time in my vicinity after him spending his dinner literally ogling at me. Yes, he should have stopped the moment Rain says no the first time, I am not justifying that. But him giving Rain a proper out by clarifying that he's not going to try anything anymore and that he's not in the mood anymore is better than what Pai did for Sky. For me things really only started getting problematic after Phayu implicating that he wants Rain to pay back the car servicing with his body. That couple went straight to hell after that but became kinda cute again after Rain starts feeling more comfortable in that relationship.

The same thing can't be said for the second couple. With Sky and Pai, the way they started out was already dodgy as it was literally presented to Sky as a "fuck or die" type of situation. Noone would see his reaction after and think "oh, this person just had a consensual sexual encounter." Then this Pai dude went on to just straight up stalk him - and you can literally see that Sky was so distressed in the beginning about this, and then Stockholm syndrome kicked in and he started giving this psycho stalker a chance. And what did this psycho do? Create a copy to Sky's room key and intentionally spread the rumor that they're dating when they were not. He did a couple of decent things like took care of him when he was sick, be a little bit romantic, and then Sky, who already had such a low bar in relationships due to his previous history of dating an abuser, ended up falling in love with him.

I'm sorry but I'd rather watch eat dog shit than watch this hot mess ever again. Yes, the sexual chemistry is there, but if I wanted that I'd just watch porn. At least I can filter out non-consensual contents. I honestly regret this as much as I regretted watching tharntype and dark blue kiss.

Leia Mais

Compelling but... Ep-By-Ep full review

Review ep 1-3: Considering this is a MAME BL, I am pleasantly surprised on the lack of unconsentual scenes and inappropriate language. There is clearly immediate attraction between Rain and Payu and not from one side. The chemistry sizzles like lightning (pun intended) and builds up every time they meet. Although Rain vows to win Payu over in some stupid bet, we soon learn that Payu had his eye on Rain for some time already and is actually the one who fell first. He is clearly thrilled that Rain is slowly but surely swayed by the caring and charismatic Payu. I felt the tension building between them and in ep. 3 they have a very hot and spicy bed scene. Although the build up to this was almost perfect, I felt the shift from outside in the rain to inside the bathtub was a bit sudden. I am very excited to see the next episodes!!
Ep. 4 and I'm invested in seeing this through. Although an actual plot is nowhere in sight, the interactions between Payu and Rain are everything. From (threatening to) putting in a suppository (yes, really...) to singing a beautiful lovesong up close... It's all so so good. The chemistry is off the charts and the atmosphere as a whole is just... I have no words. The lighting is a story on its own in every scene, looks and kisses, playfulness and sincerity, it's all put to frame exquisitely. One thing though... I'm kinda tired of waiting for the impactful first meeting of Sky and Prapai... Can we have it soon? Na? Na? Na ?
Ep.5/6 These guys.... They're bold and sensual and wholesome at the same time. From raw lust to cute baby in an instant and it does not annoy or bother. The dosing of moods is just so good! The annoying dangerous guy who thinks he's all that was annoying, but that's his job. Let's see what happens when Payu finds out about them taking his darling...
Ep7: who else took Rain than the asshole from earlier? He's a speciall kind of stupid pulling this stunt and it won't stand. Payu and Rain are a literal force of nature, no-one gets in their way. I love how fierce Payu gets cute over Rain and how Cute Rain fiercely defends Payu. It's so wholesome I could cry. Rain even gets the courage to confess he's with Payu to his friends and his proud expression is amazing. We get a little preview of what's to come starting next week. The story of Prapai and Sky will take off. Can't wait!!
Ep. 8: The PrapaiSky arc has been launched. It was and was not what I expected at the same time. Sky must have been seriously hurt to offer himself to Pai so easily. The sex looked like what it was: just sex. It then takes Pai 2 months to make up his mind and start pursuing Sky. 2 months?? Seems a bit lengthy... Then, the way he decides to woo Sky is a little on the creepy stalky side ngl. I would have called the cops on him. All it takes is a bouquet and a cheesy line to sway Sky. I would've thought he would be less easily charmed. I hope he will give Pai a very hard time before he lets him touch again.
Ep. 9. Omg, PrapaiSky could be even better than PayuRain! Poor Sky is dealing with traumatic experience(s), which seem to be related to his ex. He's having nightmares and these seem to get worse the more Pai is pursuing him. He is obviously affected by Pai's attention, but he wants none of it.
The interactions between Pai and Sky are intense. Every word, look, move meaningful.. The chemistry is -again- off the charts. How did they get these guys to fit so well together? It's almost match made in heaven so far. Even with an all but unconscious Sky it radiates from the screen. The torture of waiting a whole week for next episodes is real.
Ep 10-13. There is a lot to be said, some scenes are under a lot of discussion, but it all fits so well. Sky's ex is (of course) making a creepy rapey come back and Pai rescues Sky but not before serious damage was done and it takes a lot to get Sky to realize it is not his fault. It even takes Pai to hurt Sky by violating his privacy to make him come to his senses. That scene made me cry, It was so painful for both of them. In the end, both PaiSky and PayuRain are happy couples. But 13 ep bl's have a 14th ep. I hope to be able to see that one too since it will be a paid one.

Leia Mais

flabergassted

SO,
I'm not a film critic so I don't know any of the lingo, and it's just my opinion (blablabla you know the drill).

The sound is WACK: sometimes the quality changes everytime the angle changes, also I'm pretty sure they used mics a lot so you can hear the friction in their clothes.
It's weird as hell since the quality of the camera is good.

Another thing is the acting... I'm sure ppl noticed how cringy it could be sometimes.
I could not take Sky's traumatic scenes seriously, it was painful to watch and not in the way they intended. Whenever he cried I had to look away bc of the face he was making.

Prapai is an alright actor but all the scenes where he played a badass CEO in that lil' office of his, made me laugh out loud. I didn't know why it felt so wrong at first, then I looked up the actors age. He's 22 and he looks it (if not younger).
It kinda gave a "3 babies stacked on top of each other in a trench coat" vibe.

But one thing positive we can't ignore was the chemistry. It was OF THE CHARTS esp for Prapai and Sky imo.
We know most of us started it for the NC scenes (don't deny it's ok) and they delivered. For the kisses... the wet sounds... it was well nice if you know what I mean.


OH another thing ! When Sky was trying to play and innocent cute lil' baby it felt so forced I almost fainted of embarrassement.

I know I'm being harsh but I started after I watched Bad Buddy and dear god the difference in the acting (esp nanon) was a rude awakening.

I know it's technically not the page to talk ab the special ep but I just have one note : I SCREAMED, like literaly not just in my head, when he called him Daddy, it made me want to slam my head against a wall.

Seeing that woman at the front desk always made me smile, I love her sm. I want to hear all the tea she has on everyone.

Anyways,
Hater out

bisous

Leia Mais

PrapaiSky are the standard!

PayuRain: 3/5
They were nothing special to me. They were enjoyable and cute but I wasn’t avidly interested. It took me till episode 5 to be invested in their story; I really enjoyed them once they were together but i thought the journey to get there wasn't anything special or very entertaining. I think they got together a bit too quickly and needed more emotional intimacy, especially since Payu was a bit manipulative of the situation and in getting Rain to peruse him.

PrapaiSky: 5/5
They really carried this series for me! They're in my top 3 favourite couples of all time, I could literally talk about them forever! They fill my heart with so many emotions i can't even describe it.

So many scenes were all time favourites for me, I couldn’t pick just one… “I want to see your lovely smile…”, the notebook scene, Sky ringing Pai after he has a nightmare, “P’Pai… can I really love you?” UGH THEY WERE ALL JUST SO GOOD!

Sky is so relatable… I want my own Prapai… I cried so many times… I wish we could've had a million episodes with them. I have already rewatched their section of the series 3 times <3

Series overall: 4/5
It was a perfect balance of fluff and angst. For newbies the actors are fantastic (especially Fort, he is a beautiful crier, and Peat portrayed Sky’s trauma and emotions so well) And finally I really like the atmosphere of the soundtrack.

Leia Mais

Hmm

Expect that when it comes to MeMindY, the kisses will be great; a thousand steps from mediocre kissing scenes, level of KinnPorsche... but I think the greatness stops there. Aside from the kisses and visual of Payu, there's really nothing special about it. The story isn't something new, the music isn't catchy, the script looks like it was done by elementary kids, the acting isn't that great either but the production is good; the cinematography, the lighting, etc. [But let me just call out again the script because it's horrible. I can and I believe everyone can too, write scripts with much more substance than that.]

However, I think it has high rewatch value because of the steamy scenes and of course, Payu.

This will be the 3rd series that I will be watching that comes from MAME. She's a very controversial person as her stories have problematic themes. Her best one will always be TharnType even though it's also problematic. Out of the three MMY series: TTTS, Don't Say No, and this, I can see how the development when it comes to intimacy, they become unhinged.

Edit: I've finished and I can say the acting of FortPeat needs major improvement. I can feel their physical touching (stroking the hair, etc.) scripted. The last ep which was supposed to be dramatic and full of tension failed to even make it halfway.

You know, they all need to undergo acting workshop more. The cinematography and the quality of the series is great but the actors really need improvement.

Leia Mais

I Bought The Box Set

I'm a year behind, and wish I wasn't, but there you go.

If you can't stop re-watching a series, you buy the Box Set.

You just do.

The English translations of the novels "Love Storm" and "Love Sky" were released in May of 2023. I purchased them on impulse, and read both of them in two days.

Then, I watched the tv series.

And watched it again.

And again.

And again.

And then I bought the Box Set.

Let me start off by saying that this is a show that earns it's NC/18+ rating. If that makes you uncomfortable, that's fine, it's not your cup of tea and that's ok. It's mine, and I love it.

Rain is an Adorable Puppy dog.

I just want to give him a hug and spend the whole day with the little snark. Everything he does, everything he says, is so entertaining and so--what a 19-year-old would do that I'm grinning like a stupid idiot whenever he's on screen. His sweet and naive misreading of the initial situation is so authentic and his "plan" spectacularly backfiring on him is one of my favorite little plot points. He attracted to Payu from the get go(I mean, he literally says "you're so handsome" at their first meeting and then bites his lip because it just slipped out and I "awwwww"ed, because why wouldn't I). I also love that he goes straight to Payu when he needs him(in the rain, because of course) and remains his stubborn feisty, snarky little self even after they get together. Watching his become more confident in both himself and his relationship with Payu(Episode Six: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) is fabulous to watch.

Noeul Nuttarat Tangwai is a delightful personality and I love how he throws himself into his character. The lip twitch thing he constantly has Rain do is so freakin cute I could die. This is his acting debut, but it's hard to tell, because he's so authentic and commits one hundred percent to portraying Rain. I want to see more of his work and I hope he does another series soon because !!!!!!!!!!

I want a Payu.

This is the type of character who could easily be called a red flag, but he really isn't. Yes there are controversial scenes in both the novel and the series with Payu/Rain, but here's the deal: Payu LITERALLY give Rain the Safe Word/Phrase, and stops as soon as Rain says it. Even when he's doing the butterfly kisses he checks to see how Rain feels(it's a very tiny glance, but a glance none the less, and Rain *looks* like he's enjoying it; plus, Rain is 19 and super naive so misreading of situations is bound to happen). However, he never pushes later on--he literally says "I'll wait until you're ready". Payu is attracted to Rain but wants a committed relationship, and tells Rain so. There is no NC until Rain has proved himself to be responsible, and even during that scene, Payu is checking in with Rain. He asks permission and takes his time so Rain is comfortable(if you know, you know, disagree if you want to).

Say what you like about the early interactions( since I've dated guys like this; I see it as mischievous flirting, but others may disagree) Payu cares about his little Rain. He drops everything at work and runs home because Rain is waiting for him after Rain missed a deadline as is upset. He comforts Rain when he first sees him, and then delivers Life Home Truths about responsibility and then distances himself from Rain so Rain won't be distracted. He won't take him to the street race because there's "too many assholes". He allows himself to get beaten to a pulp by some rich asshole so that rich asshole won't kill Rain.

Boss Chaikamon Sermsongwittaya is making his acting debut with this series and he knows his character inside and out (seriously, that Payu Smirk and Eyebrow Thing is my favorite). He even read the novel and discussed his character relationship with both P'MAME and Noeul Nuttarat Tangwai(Rain) to make sure that the character was portrayed accurately. He's also a total sweetheart off screen so I'm looking forward watching more of his work.

The relationship between Rain/Payu is raw and sexy and full of squeal-worthy and even tear jerking moments(Rain's "I screwed up" about tore my heart open). Even before they get together, there's an emotional as well as physical connection that I adore. Payu reassuring Rain before his race and Rain running to Payu on the racetrack is another highlight that I watch on repeat because of course I do.

Also, Stop sucks. Like, what a freaking entitled asshole. But, a great villainous foil for Rain/Payu, and I love the fact that he doesn't cackle in the corner for most of the first half of the season and then make his move. No, he shows up halfway through, and antagonizes Payu in a way that's realistic and fabulous. Because, let's be real, sometimes people we see as"villains" show up out of nowhere and do their thing and leave. Theme Phubeth Atarunwong is another Thai actor who is now on my radar because he acted the shit out of his role and made me hate him so much(leave my baby Rain alone!!!).

And I want a Prapai.

It's the One Night Stand With A Playboy Trope--at least to start. The thing that I love about Sky and Prapai's relationship is that Sky is savvy enough to initially tell him "you're an asshole, I know you're an asshole, leave me alone", so then Prapai has to deal with someone he's crazy about who wants nothing to do with him. It's a sweet little slow burn, where Prapai has to go from Playboy to Nice Guy. And the way he wins Sky over is so sweet: buying him food, texting to make sure Sky is eating, and sleeping and literally saying "I'm worried about you"(which we know Sky loves).

Prapai is someone I want with me when I'm sick or stressed. The way he looks after Sky both when he's worked himself sick and when he's stressed about school made my heart melt. He's another one that doesn't push, but he doesn't push in a different way. He tells Sky "you can tell me when you're ready" and he also holds himself back beautifully when Sky is vulnerable. He also drops everything to run to Sky when he thinks Sky is in trouble, and even though he's annoyed that all Sky wanted was help with his homework, he stays to help. He even proves himself worthy by cleaning Sky's apartment and in the NC scene he wants to make sure that Sky is aware of his intentions(again, if you know, you know).

Fort Thitipong Sangngey is the youngest in the cast and starts out just a tiny bit rough improves as an actor faster than expected. Seeing his relationship on and off screen with Peat Wasuthorn Chaijindar(Sky) is the most adorable thing ever. He can say so much with just a tiny little gesture and I'm also looking forward to seeing more of his work.

Also, Sky should be my best friend.

For someone who has such a traumatic past, Sky is able to maintain his sassy and sarcastic front, especially in the first half of the season, when you're seeing him through Rain's eyes. He's the kindest, most supportive of Rain's friend circle and is always ready to either help Rain out or tell him when he's being stupid(which he does--often). In the second half of the season, when we get in his head, he still has that sassy front, but we also see how strong he actually is, and how hard he has to work to move past his trauma. As hard as it was to watch, his confrontation with Gun is a highlight of his half of the season because he tries so hard to fight back and it's Gun's lies about Prapai that finally break him.

His relationship with Prapai is also one of the most endearing parts of the second half of the season. As standoffish as he is to the "dark giant", who wants to court him, you can tell just how much Sky wants Prapai to like him and how much he hopes that his feelings toward Prapai are reciprocated. The diary scene/love confession about broke me and his "I love you"s in both Thai and English were a masterclass in emotional acting.

Peat Wasuthorn Chaijindar blew my mind with his acting ability. He's another of those actors who can act with his eyes or a twitch of his facial muscles, which is a joy to watch. He also said is a couple of interviews that he improvised some of his lines, and they were truly some of the best ones. He's a natural actor that I can't wait to see again.

Sky/Prapai's relationship is a beautiful contrast to Rain/Payu's. It still one-partner-trying-to-win-the-other-over, but there seems to be a more mature quality to it. Their conversations--once you get past the sassy "stay-away-from-me-you-potential-asshole" phase made me smile like an idiot, and the trust that builds between them was a beautiful slow burn. The NC scene was equally fabulous, and a fantastic contrast to Rain/Payu's, it made me "awwwwwww".

And Gun is a Fucking Pig.

Like Stop, he doesn't really make an appearance until the the end of the Sky/Prapai half of the series, his presence is felt throughout. When he actually does appear, he made my skin crawl even though I had no clear idea who this person actually was. His confrontation with Sky was heartbreaking and I wanted to help Prapai kick the shit out of him. Well done, Patak Pingmuang.

I said at the beginning of this review that the show earns it's NC/18+ rating, and here's why: one of the themes that I saw in this series is "you can have sex without love, but you can't have love without sex"(Boss said something like this in an interview and I totally agree). Both Payu/Rain's and Prapai/Sky's stories show that. Contrary to what some viewers may think, I believe that these are two of healthiest portrayals of how couples who have a solid relationship also have a healthy sex life, and I wish this was portrayed more often in entertainment.

MAME gets flack for some of her content, so this show isn't for everyone, but it's worth the watch--and the re-watch.

And you should by the Box Set.

Leia Mais

Second Half: I Looked To The Sky.

note: The first half didn't do it for me so I'm just going to focus on the second half.

It's a mature story and while I felt that the focus strayed away from it's most complex and intriguing character, Sky, in favor of some harmful plots it remains a strong story.

• Sky is the reason I have rated this series so well. His maturity, sass, kindness, beauty, dedication, and most of all his strength are a wonder to behold. I only wish he had been allowed to shine more instead of having pain constantly inflicted upon him. Still, his growth and finding someone who loves him so deeply were deeply pleasant to see.

• Prapai's development as a character is also worthy of note. He changed a great deal from episode 8 to 13 for Sky. He caused him to become a better man.

• They were what each of them need to heal and become the best versions of themselves. And the love that developed between them can be felt in every glance, touch, and word of affection. (Looking forward to the special episode to see more of that and them.)

Shouout to Peat and Fort for their superb acting in bringing it all to life. ✨ (Minor cast members did excellent as well.)

[ ⚠️ tw: past physical/emotional/sexual abuse (age 15 when it began), past sexual assault, ep13 - physical/emotional abuse & attempt sexual assault ]

Leia Mais

MAME ugh

Thanks to MAME, I'm now defaulting to looking for red flags in all Thai BL. She's managed to make me so paranoid that I can only call what I am right now traumatized. Congrats MAME, for ruining me for life. Not in a good way.

Fair warning - if you liked this show, then stop reading this review right now and click away. If you haven't watched this show, and have issues with dub/non-con, then watch at your own risk.

(If you have watched it and feel the way I do, thank god because I'm feeling very lonely with what seems to be my very unpopular opinion.)

tl;dr: MAME = Trigger Warning.

It's probably established by now that MAME has a thing for romanticizing toxicity. Enough that people are willing to overlook the messed-up-ness of her main couples that almost always start off on the wrong foot, and yet somehow has (most?) people watching it calling it cute/sexy and eating it up like it's so romantic. But if you look at her track record, you probably wouldn't find a single non-toxic pairing. Not even AePete despite how wholesome it started off as. And don't get me started about the clusterfuvk that's KengklaTechno or TharnType or LeoFiat, ugh. (She just freaking loooooves manipulative/controlling/possessive semes, istg)

I thought LITA would be different because it's rated much higher, but obviously, I should start seeing MAME as a TW before picking a series up. Seriously, how TF is it romantic to use multiple phones to stalk someone when they block you? If someone did that to me irl I would want to get a restraining order. And the whole spanking thing - it made me so freaking uncomfortable when it happened - it's definitely non-consensual and not sexy in any way. They know each other for like a few days and Rain is clearly uncomfortable with it. And from beginning to end, Phayu is so creepily manipulative and controlling, and I don't understand why I'm in the minority in finding their relationship extremely uncomfortable. It's like they're in a D/S relationship, except Rain isn't even aware of it, so there's no question of consent at all.

But the worst thing is everything is shown in such a rose-tinted way that it seems either comedic or romantic. I don't mind watching a fucked up relationship, as long as it's written well enough that you know it's fucked up. (VegasPete obviously did that very well. You know while watching that it's wrong and at no point do you watch it with hearts in your eyes. Morbid fascination, definitely - Lima/Stockholm done well.)

Also, her obsession with giving her uke characters abusive (sexual/physical/mental) pasts. Please MAME, that's not the only way to create angst. I mean, it's not completely a wrong way, as long as you, again, do it well - and deal with it well, instead of just using it as a reason to develop the relationship as opposed to a way of giving a character depth by healing past trauma and moving forward in life. Which is never done. Not with Type, not with Fiat, and definitely not with Sky. Love doesn't magically heal trauma for god's sake. Somehow MAME just manages to send all the wrong messages with her stories, and for those people who would say that it's all okay because it's "only fiction", well, it means her message managed to get across for you, congratulations.

If I could go back in time and make sure I never watched a MAME series again, I would do it in a heartbeat. I just keep making the mistake of not checking who the writer is before starting, so I suppose it's all my fault. I wish all of her works came with trigger warnings in the blurb so that I could have avoided them - but it's far too late now, so at least from now on I'm going to make sure to check who the writer is so that I never have to watch something written by MAME ever again.

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2 stories strung together well with great acting

I have always found Thai BL to be a hit or miss so I usually keep my hopes under check when I decide to give any series a try. This was no exception. That being said, after finishing the series I can state that I am glad that I gave this one a try. It was certainly not perfect (hardly any series can be) but it was good and entertaining.
The series is divided into 2 parts, each part dedicated to each of the 2 couples. The 1st part is about Rain, an engineering student who is in love with a girl but due to some circumstances meets Payu, an engineer and a bike enthusiast. Payu shows interest in Rain and devices ways to meet and tease him so he would fall for him (huh! what?). Ultimately Rain bets that in 1 month he will make Payu fall head over heels for him and bring a stop to his teasing. Here starts Rain's attempt to win his bet while also ensuring his engineering studies arent affected.
The 2nd part revolves around Sky (Rain's friend), another engineering student who is good with his studies and takes the responsibilities of being a senior seriously. Although he seems happy you later find out that he is battling his own past demons. His life is disrupted with the entry of Prapai (Payu's friend), a rich businessman, a philanderer and a successful racer who cant be beat. Prapai tries all the usual tactics to get Sky to fall in love with him and help him to get over the past issues that haunt him.
I am glad that they decided to keep both the stories separate although it dealt with the same set of people. This gave them enough time to concentrate on 1 love couple and bring out of the best rather than moving back and forth between 2 couples. It sometimes becomes an editing nighmare and there are countless such series that fails due to atrocious editing.
To begin with the 1st storyline, there are some great moments while Rain is trying to get Payu fall for him and is failing miserably. They are funny and sometimes heart-warming. You see that Payu likes Rain but is strict with him when it comes to his studies thereby showing that he really cares. As the story progresses you find out Payu has been manipulating the situation right from the beginning for Rain to make the bet and instead make Rain fall in love with him. This is where I was pulled out of the storyline a bit. It seems absurd that Payu can plan this whole thing out and knew that Rain will fall for him. I understand this is fiction but there is a limit to my suspension of disbelief. They could have ignored the whole manipulation plot and nothing would have been lost. But I did certainly ignore that facet and continued watching it with equal interest. The chemistry between the 2 leads was exceptional and it was believable that they are in love. 8/10 to this story. Certain scenes could have been trimmed to make the story more crisp but still good nonetheless.
The 2nd plot about Sky and Prapai was near perfect. The story had gravitas. On one side we have Sky, a broken boy with a dark past that haunts his dreams. He is seriously traumatised and that part of his is uncovered slowly and I loved it. On the other side we had Prapai, a rich boy who seems spoilt but is smitten with Sky after their first encounter and is willing to do anything to win him over, in the process changing himself and bringing Sky to terms with his past. The story is not something I have seen explored in a lot of BLs and I was glad to see it here and both the actors were convincing enough. Just like the 1st plot a few scenes should have been trimmed to make way for better story building about Sky's trauma rather than religating it to a few minutes in the last episode. That storyline had potential and should have been more fleshed out but you cant get everything you ask for and as I said earlier I entered this series with little hope. 8.5/10 to this story.

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