O Smoking (2022)

Short nice but kinda felt like I needed more

I really enjoyed this series I’m following groups on Instagram that have bl in their name but theirs so much going on it’s hard to know what to watch so let’s jump into this

Nawee is one of the most toxic bl characters I’ve come across his attitude and disrespect was atrocious to his love interest Aiaoon this was a typical enemies to lovers story line even when they finally were ready to let their feelings fly Nawee hurt Aiaoon knowing how they both felt he made it right in the end but I just thought that wasn’t okay . Granted I understand his past trauma but I can’t give him a free pass for that

On one hand I felt at times they got too close too fast when your only given 8 episodes at 20 mintues I can understand why this moved along so fast

The brothers storyline I thought was pointless if only to show what a caring brother Aiaoon is on the other hand let’s talk about his girlfriend??? were they together or were they not because that kind made little to no sense but girls are always used as the Catalyst in BL’s to have main leads speak out what they feel, spark jealously or shake up the relationship I have no sympathy for them it’s Boys Love ❤️ after all

Lastly the father was probably the worst parent In BL history I can’t imagine the last time I disliked the parent probably types father in tharntype


I understand the confusion but this was good and definitely worth a watch

Leia Mais

This is more like a venting session than a review so has round about spoilers?

I just finished the show and read a few reviews as i was interested in how others felt and there opinions. It seems that im not the only one to feel short changed about the show and its brutal ending. I was hoping that the idea of revenge would have taken place with Aioun and Nawee destroying his father company after the step brother took over(that would be priceless). The chemistry between them was undeniable and romantically hot one of top 10 bedroom scenes. I was so heartbroken for Nawee (i cried) as he keep doing things to earn his father praise & approvals especially after his mom died. He was proud that he was throwing his fathers birthday party and made sure everything was perfect including his suit. Instead his dick headed father if you could him that and evil step mother & brother both major assholes all treated him like a peasant. I was sadly hoping the dinner would go well (haha) NOT instead they came with a mission to destroy him and again i cried. After boasting happily about all the hard work he did getting them international known and being the heir. His father instead makes his brother the heir and disowned him stating he not on the register as legal son so he can keep the house and $2.5 million baht. He SNAPs and has every right to and they jump in fear as his nose bleeds from anxiety instead of caring his father tell him to stop and proceed to leave. Wow wow wow just wished that they made the wine and food go on everyone now that would have been funny.
So many of the rants i went on i wished the script would have explored more and give better closure like the ending to me was a waste as it was 4-5 min of flash backs. They could have definitely made this a higher rating, but storyline/script failed. Again actors, music and set were all great.

Leia Mais

don't put hopes in it.

i guess it must be a low budget series.. story is okay, but i think there should be more, more clarity to the plot, more interesting facts, more useful screens.

the story selection was quite beautiful, only needed to add up the twists.

you can watch it, try it out. it isn't utterly bad.

plus one more thing i felt disturbing was, putting the ost in irrelevant places, (is it only for me or not) ost was beautiful but theres few scenes when we finally get absorbed in it but suddenly the loud ost ruins everything. other than that it's pretty much a "OKAY" series to me.

Leia Mais

SIZZZLING CHEMISTRY

First, the writing. It was uneven and most of the time problematic. It was sometimes messy. There are scenes that are repeated (girlfriend-Oun talk after the party and the following day). It’s as if the writers didn’t have a story outline/timeline and checklist.

Anyway, the main message of overcoming challenges and finding love along the way was very clearly stated.

Acting: Overall, there’s improvement in the two MLs, though Chap (as Nawee) still has awkward moments, despite all the assignments he has recently. The chemistry between the two is sizzling hot. And sizzling hot, too, are the kissing/love scenes despite not showing much (of THAT part, you know. Haha).

We must thank Tape (as Sichol). His character and performance helped a lot to lighten the mood when things were going downhill. Actually, his character/acting is one of the more memorable pluses of this series/ .

On the technical side, it’s okay overall, but no “wow” factor really. Above average though.

THE FINALE: You get the feeling that it was rushed. Again, there are many support characters (very typical of Thai BLs) so you get the feeling that many were underdeveloped.

But the overall pacing of this series is just okay for me. There were no forward moments because the episodes are short – unlike in other BLs where there are lots of unnecessary or dragging scenes..

The director is obviously old school. So many stereotype characters, acting and scenes. Fit for a telenovela. Too many unrealistic moments (slipped that’s why they kissed – not once but twice! Haha!).

Hope to see the two MLs handled by more competent directors in better written series in the future.

8 / 10

Leia Mais

Too Ambitious for Its Length

This is a short drama, eight episodes, each about twenty minutes in length. With the intro song, recap, preview of the next episode, and ending song, you get maybe fifteen minutes of actual material. The biggest issue, I feel, with this drama is that it tried to pack far too much into a very short time frame. I think it had potential, but there was a lot that was rushed, there was a lack of character development, and there were aspects that felt unfinished.

The concept of the drama is interesting, a tailor and agoraphobe fall in love. The actual execution, however, leaves a lot to be desired. All things considered, there's not much of a story, or plot. Its a fairly typical enemies to lovers story with a very slight twist. I know its an overused trope, but, again, the concept made me hope it would be worth the watch. Part of the problem was the overinflated cast which is nearly always an issue for me in Thai dramas. Precious minutes were spent dealing with an apparent years old disagreement between two of the brothers that would have been better spent getting to know our two leads and building up their relationship more gradually. Frankly, they could have cut the youngest brother out completely and not lost anything. There's also a number of questions that are left unanswered, like why he was allowed to help run the company at all if Thawin was just going to take his place. I'm going to assume that Thawin is younger and was finishing his studies or something along those lines, but it would have been nice to have that spelled out a little more. There was also a lot left unanswered with his father. I feel like he would have been an interesting character to delve into more with why he showed such disdain for Nawee, his relationship with Aioun's father, what drove him, etc. But again, there was just far too little time to be able to get into any of that and the story suffered as a result.

Another issue was the characters. There was very little character growth overall and the growth there was, mostly with Nawee, was far too rapid and without real reason. And neither of the leads is particularly likeable, in my opinion. The side characters are all a bit nondescript. They don't add much to the story and aren't memorable, other than Oab's haircut.
- Nawee had the most character growth but it was poorly done. He starts out as this arrogant, manipulative jerk and then once he leaves his house and is at the tailor shop, its like a switch is flipped and he suddenly starts to become much nicer. I wanted to see that developed over time. And there were just too many discrepancies with his character. At Aioun's birthday dinner, it seems like he's all ready to face down Chanjao for Aioun's love, but then almost immediately after, he just gives up and then he seems to want to make things work and then he gives up again. There just didn't seem to be much of a rhyme or reason behind why he acted the way he did. The fact that he never apologizes to Sichol or anyone for his past behaviour, takes away from some of that growth. I mean, he literally physically abused Sichol and it is never mentioned again.
- Aioun initially came off as a bit superior. That aspect lessens as he starts to fall for Nawee thankfully. I actually overall liked his character, until the birthday dinner. The fact that he was stringing along both Chanjao and Nawee really pissed me off. He knew he was falling for Nawee, he flirted with him, and he led him to believe that he was available and interested in him, which he was, but he should have come clean that he was already in a relationship. And then poor Chanjao has been strung along for who knows how many years by him when he apparently wasn't that serious about her. On the one hand, I understand that he didn't want to hurt her, but on the other hand, he was holding her back and stopping her from finding someone who would actually love and care for her. However, the fact that he was still hesitant to break up with her after having an affair makes me think he was also trying to protect himself from the fallout. Not okay, sir! On another note, his falling for Nawee happened far too fast. He hates the guy one minute, and then he sees him in a vulnerable state and he sucks his finger and suddenly he's in love? Not even remotely believable.
- I honestly don't have much to say about the other characters. They were just kind of there. Again, I felt Art was a superfluous character who should have been eliminated to give more time to the leads. Oab was basically there to act as a sounding board for Aioun and as a way to explain some past events. Sichol had a few minorly humorous moments, but overall I found him a bit annoying. Chanjao wasn't in there enough to get to know her, but the one thing I will say is that I loved the grace with which she took her and Aioun's break up. I'm so used to women in Thai BL's being petty and scheming and manipulative, and it was so refreshing how she took it. I felt bad for her because of how Aioun treated her, and I appreciated her forthrightness in making him finally admit that he didn't see a future with her. The fact that even after their breakup she still helped him with his business says a lot about her character.

The acting was okay, nothing special but also not the worst I've seen. It certainly could have been better though.

The costuming was disappointing. For a drama that had a tailor as a main character and had such a focus on Nawee finding the perfect suit, I expected a lot more focus on making sure the costumes looked and fit correctly. Apparently they figured their audience wouldn't notice if that wasn't the case. The suits are overall ill-fitting, not to mention impractical considering the climate. The tux in particular that Aioun wears to Nawee's father's birthday is awful in every way.

Aside from that, there are a few other things. Aioun makes Nawee's suit in less than a day. A custom made suit can take up to forty hours to make, if not more, and yet we're expected to believe he completed it in less than twenty-four hours. Not likely. The whole accidental kiss trope is stupid and annoying, in my opinion. It always looks forced and fake. Its used twice here and its bad both times. Aioun's whole approach to Nawee's agoraphobia is ridiculous. Just you being there is not going to cure a deep psychological trauma. The fact that he forced Nawee into going out and really didn't listen to him was so frustrating to watch. With that, the scene at the pool made no sense. Nawee falls in, the girls are screaming, Aioun rescues him and then its like they're all alone. There's literally no one else around as Aioun is performing CPR, no one called for emergency services or anything. Its just a very weird scene that makes little sense.

The music was overall good. Frankly Jeff Satur can make anything sound good so I did enjoy his contribution. The cinematography was decent, nothing spectacular though there is one shot at the end of Nawee with a mirror that I really liked.

This is not what I would consider a good drama, its tolerable, but not good. What makes it watchable is the fact that even if you're really not feeling it, you've only wasted a couple of hours. There are some sweet moments, its not all terrible, its just when you look at it as a whole, there's more bad then good. If you like decent kissing scenes, this one does deliver on that front and may be worth watching from that perspective. Its entertaining enough to get through once, in my opinion, but no more than that.

Leia Mais

Short and sweet..

As much as I can understand where all the discontented reviews are coming from, I think this series was fine overall. Was it the best? No. Was it the worst? No. It was just enough to make me want to watch another episode "just to see what happens."

It made me think that if a BL series mated with a Hallmark/Lifetime movie, this would be the offspring. Recycled plots/tropes and predictable while still managing to not resolve any major issues. There's tension from the get-go, a situation that forces them to see each other, growing closer, some minor issue and a half-assed attempt to push each other away, then a make-up and everyone apparently lives happily ever after.

Meanwhile, nothing actually gets fixed in the real issues. (The main one being Nawee's family and especially the history with the fathers.) (Also, it was a bad-ass move for Aiaoon to threaten Nawee's father and I had hoped it would turn into an interesting storyline with an aggressive Aiaoon, but then he just never followed through with it. In fact, the father is never seen again for the rest of the series and that entire issue that made Aiaoon pissed at the family from the very beginning has somehow vanished.)

There were certainly cringeworthy moments.. looking at you, Accidental-Kisses. However! When they finally mean to lock lips, they do so with full-on intent and purpose, which was enough to make me forget about the 2 ridiculous ones. If you're like me and the awkward kissing in BL grates on your nerves, then you'll like this change of pace. Especially when the acters are older than university age, I like seeing Man-love rather than Boy-love, if you know what I mean.

Bottom line, if you go into it knowing the story will be a stretch and the tropes are going to be ever-present, you can still enjoy the show for what it is. Short series with short episodes. Cute AF. Sharp-dressed men.

And Sichol needs his own story.

Leia Mais

short and sweet

It has good looking cast, good acting and chemistry, great background music and sets, slightly predictable( although that could be said for many shows and we all know it) but still quite enjoyable storyline ! And it wraps up in four episodes( the re-edit version). And no , IT WAS NOT CRINGEY! The subtitles available on weTV are slightly like those available for ai long nhai, but for most part work.

It is a bit rushed and incorporates a cliche or two, but I had fun watching it. the lead's storyline aside, the brothers were cute and there were many comic moments thanks to the assistant! I would say to give it one episode before judging it! Not every story has to have a bigger thing in it, sometimes a simple story works too.

(slight spoilers ahead)I liked how the fear/ phobia didn't just magically vanish away in a love cures all manner. Even when Nawee finally rushes on his own to Aioun, he still stumbles, finds it bit hard to breathe because it takes time to go away. Also that scene where he is stepping out after finally deciding to let go of wanting a father , we can see his multiple reflections..and the resolve can be seen on his face was something I really liked.
The suits were great , I want to wear one on my college farewell now!
Also like how the gf was not demonised and all the characters were mature.

would love to see the actors in another series with a better executed script!

Leia Mais

Holes

The story had great potential. However, like quite a few shows, sadly, there were holes in the plot. The acting was pretty good. And the soundtrack was great, obviously because it was done by Jeff Satur, and the clothing was great. It just needed some flushing out. The show seemed like a synopsis of a story rather than telling the whole story. I would suggest watching it, but go into it knowing that there will be missing pieces. It doesn't mean you won't understand it, but there will be plenty of times where you're like "I wish I knew more about this" and "this is something that should've been introduced earlier."

Leia Mais