Rak Diao (2022)

The Lost Art of the Sitcom!

As someone who grew up watching classic American sitcoms, Rak Diao is a like a favorite warm blanket, or a comfortable old chair. Three years ago if you'd told me I would be addicted to a sitcom from Thailand, I would have looked at you like you were crazy, but here I am singing the praises of a show that has become a weekly treat for me.

I was three episodes in when I found out it was a "Y" or "BL" sitcom, and was impressed at how cleverly the bromance and "BL" aspects were woven into a classic sitcom format. This show provides a lighthearted and whimsical break from a lot of the heavier BL dramas that seem to be everywhere right now.

The show may initially turn folks off due to it having a laughtrack instead of a live studio audience, but don't forget it was filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many shows had to either shutdown, or enact sweeping restrictions to keep in production. This show gets big props for being able to do this.

The cast is very lovable, especially the two titular characters Rak (played by Earth Thanakrit) and Diao (played by Win Songsin). These two are relatively new to the entertainment industry, but man do they have a ton of chemistry on screen, as well as presence! For BL fans, both are absolutely handsome for sure, but their real appeal is their awesome performances. To be so young, they are doing some fantastic dramatic and comedy work!

Ask any soap actor or sketch comedy actor and they will tell you that comedy is HARD, mostly because you need to not only be a great actor, but you also have to have great timing. All the cast has great comedic timing and chemistry with each other, even the supporting cast.

Week to week, hilarity ensues as the two main characters rivalry kicks into high gear. Though this is not a typical BL, it does contain several tropes found in BL, but they are so expertly embedded into the sitcom format that they feel natural. Don't worry, there is no accidental "dead fish kiss", lol! (EDIT: Sorry, spoke too soon...there is one).

-Enemies to lovers/bros
-Dutiful brother/son
-Meddlesome sister/mother
-Flirty same sex innuendo/situations

As I mentioned before, I was a fan of classic American sitcoms. This show hits all the marks of one with absolutely funny moments, some somber and thoughtful moments, and some dramatic moments. The cast and crew handles them beautifully. In terms of a BL, it seems to be a 'slow burn' between the two main characters, where each week, they get closer and closer and do not realize that they are falling for one another.

Those expecting realistic sex scenes or anything like that may be disappointed, but the show does have many little romantic and sexy moments that will make your heart race and you will be rooting for the two characters to get together. All of this is still done perfectly in the context of a sitcom...just masterful.

So I would recommend BL fans who are looking for a whimsical break from the heavy stuff to check this out. Don't let the laugh track turn out off...it becomes a non-issue by the third episode. Grab some snacks on your favorite comfy spot and just relax and laugh! The music is also fantastic! You will find yourself humming or singing the themesong, and even the show's background music is beautiful and fits every scene.

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This was a real surprise

When I first watched Ep 1, I could barely get through it - it just seemed so ridiculous, slapstick, and annoying. But a friend urged me to go back to it, and I'm so glad I did.

When you first watch, the laugh track and sound effects will be annoying. If you're not Thai, some of the laughs appear to be in the wrong places, but remember, a lot of wordplay is missed in translation. But soon you stop noticing the track, and it is toned down after the first episode.

This is a classic enemies to lovers trope, but there are some original spins on it. The series appears at first glance to be episodic and without progress in the relationship, but it's there. It moves at a different pace for Diao than it does for Rak, whose feelings are fairly clear by the middle of the series, overtly revealed in a powerful moment - you'll know it when you see it. And by the end things start moving so fast that it's quite surprising, but never feels rushed or unearned. There are many, many moments that you'll really feel. Yes, there are the way-too-long stares (a LOT of these), but somehow they work (and when you're watching the full-episode version, you're getting both ends of a segment break, so that makes these even longer). But by the last quarter of the series, the way Rak looks at Diao could make a block of ice burst into flame.

I've seen commentary and reviews deriding the seme/uke dynamic between Rak and Diao, but there's a point being missed. First, Rak holds "power" at work because he's the boss, but Diao does at home because he's Rak's landlord. Rak is older and much more mature than Diao, but Diao isn't a classic uke at all - this is highlighted by the opening scene, with him showering and showing off his ripped body, usually the preserve of a seme. He's smart and capable, strong-willed, and can walk without tripping and chop vegetables without cutting himself. In fact, it's Rak that ends up having the physical mishaps and Diao has to take care of him.

This is highlighted in contrast by the fujoshi, who throughout the series is writing a BL about Rak and Diao - and in her story, the guys are an extremly classic seme-uke duo, and their interaction in her scenes, which are adapted from observing the "real" Rak & Diao are far more overtly romantic and tropey. And as such, they lack the electricity of the real interaction, and the power struggle and heavy ribbing are smelted down into stock BL cliches. This is a critique of the seme-uke duality, and underscores how pigeonholing characters into these boxes removes a dynamism in their interaction which has so much more heat when there's an equal give-and-take. Normally all the teasing is done by the seme, which makes the uke sulk. When Rak teases Diao, Diao hits back just as hard, and occassionally even wins the exchange.

As an example, there's a scene where Diao is going on a date, and he wants Rak to stop him. The fujoshi sees it, and in her version Diao wants Rak to give him a reason to not go, and Rak says "because I love you." and Diao responds "that's all I wanted to hear" and they embrace. The "real" scene is wrenching and the desolation and longing are visceral.

The main pair are the usual heteronormative types that are ubiquitous in almost all BL - but neither show any interest in women at all. Diao expresses an interest in the idea of finding a woman, but is never interested in any actual women, and when he realizes who he loves, he accepts it without any of the common "but we're both guys!" And their chemistry is insane.

The two leads are excellent. They both have great comic timing, but are also capable of subtle emotion and speaking without saying anything - Diao is especially good at a glance that is not OTT, but clearly says "f&*% you." Both of them are easy to look at, espcially Rak, who is absolutely gorgeous, and the wardrobe is outstanding - their outfits are often wow moments, although there are a couple that won't age well, like Rak's fluorescent blue plaid suit. Rak tends toward a masculine wardrobe, and Diao is high fashion, with beautiful color combination.

I would never have expected it, but this is one of my all-time favorite series, and I can't recommend it highly enough - but give it time if you decide to watch it. You may not like it much at first, but I guarantee it's not as silly as it first seems.

Story: 9 - the episodes are tightly written and almost all of them are self-contained, and yet part of an overall arc. Things that happen don't disappear never to be referred to again - in fact, there are things that happen in the first episode that are very important towards the end. The balance between the characters is handled with great skill, and nobody behaves like an idiot just for the sake of the plot (although there is immaturity, but that's not the same thing).

Acting : 9 - excellent with surprising range, especially Win as Diao, which is a tough role. He's impulsive and immature, often almost obnoxious and often ridiculous, but fundamentally sweet, and when he's sad it hits you, and his drunkenness is the most realistic I've seen in a BL.

Music: 9 - some of the best I've encountered in BL. It doens't just support the story, it elevates scenes and gives them quite a bit of extra power.

Rewatch: 10 - I've seen each ep three times - once raw, once with fan subs, and again with the offical subs. There are scenes I've watched a dozen times.

Overall: 9.5 - I'd have to put this in my top handful of BLs. It's not the most profound thing you'll see, but it's a real pleasure to watch, and it's a lot smarter than it first appears.

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