Shadow (2023)

First of all, I loved the series.
Amazing story line, amazing acting, and everything was spectacular. Definitely worth your time.

I personally don't consider this a bl cause there was more to the story, like the political issues, suspense, horror, and everything. Of course, there was a bit of bromance, but not to the extent what I think a bl should contain. I like the fact that the series discussed the cultural and historical background of Thailand.
The ending was amazing. I feel like there will be a sequel. With or without the sequel, this will be one of the best Thai dramas I've watched.
I would like to appreciate the effort all the cast put into this series, especially the main roles (Danai, Nai, Trin, Brother Anurak and Josh). They did their best for the roles and brought this beautiful script to life.

If you're doubting whether you should watch this series or not, this is your cue to go and watch it.

Leia Mais

One Suspenseful Ride

Warning: If you are looking for an average and fluffy BL storyline, this series is not for you.

Overall, this was an awesome series. Then again, I am a sucker for suspense filled paranormal storylines. I also loved this series because it was a paranormal/mystery drama first with underlining gay storylines incorporated into it. The script was excellent and had me immediately hooked by the first episode. This had so many twists and turns that will keep you guessing what’s going to happen next. However, I’m not a fan of how the series ended. All of the actors did an amazing job with portraying their characters. The cinematography and special effects were outstanding. They also did a great job using different screen formats to establish the changing time lines to reduce possible confusion.

Random Notes:
My only criticism is the ending was too ambiguous which left too many questions unanswered.

Don’t stop watching after the ending credits in episode 14 because there are additional scenes after it.

Although there are no standardized directions on giving it, the way Brother Anurak used the Rorschach inkblot test was very random.

Leia Mais

Surprising and engaged

As a BL watcher, I went into this thinking it might be a BL. It is not. But I was never disappointed about that. Singto and Fluke prove that they are capable of more than romantic drama and this thriller is so good, it kept me on the edge of my seat.

Thrillers have the tendency to give away the climax way to soon usually, and I'm hardly ever surprised by turn of events or endings. Here I was. The story is solid, no obvious plotholes, no annoying repetitions, great dialogue. What's more, this thriller contains social engagement. It tackles multiple issues that are current in Thai society, like domestic violence, LGBTQ issues, school bullying and - and that is really a big deal- the Red October massacre. All this combined with some awesomely worked out supernatural stuff is a recipe for greatness.

The only thing that could be improved is budget. With more money, this could have been the hitseries of the year. Now it stays underrated bc we want more fx probably. A shame, because this is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Leia Mais

A Disappointing Watch Despite a Good Casting

This show is a horror series through and through. Dealing with evil entities and spiritual witchcraft that made no sense and would have been enjoyable had they made it fun. But the whole story was dark, brooding, almost pointless, and incomprehensible to figure out. It mixed religious beliefs like you were mixing ingredients for a cake batter and expecting us to believe the cake was going to come out looking like something edible. Instead, it was half-baked, and it fell flat. Frankly, I do know what this series was supposed to be. However, I can tell you what it is not. It is not a BL. And it is not scary. It is not mysterious or even a thriller. But it is confusing as hell (no pun intended) wasted the talents of fine actors, and offensive on two fronts. I am rarely offended by anything, but this series was offensive to gay people and to how it portrayed Catholics, and I am no great admirer of the Catholic Church.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/02/08/shadow-series-review-ep-1-to-14/

Leia Mais

?

The first seven episodes was great, had the viewer totally
engaged in what was going on but when it came to the
second half parts of it they just completely lost me with
final seven episodes. The final episode only served to leave
the viewer "well me" scratching "my" their head with even more questions
then when it left at the seventh episode. That cliffhanger in the final ep
wasn't necessary at all. I doubt that they'll have more episodes
or even one follow up episode to explain what the hell I just watched
with that ending. This is definitely not a show I'd rewatch.

Leia Mais

A bit confusing and an unsatisfying end but worth a watch!

Honestly I came into watching this series because I thought it would be a thriller BL series--an interesting combo that stands out from the usual BLs out there. While I would definitely call it a thriller, it didn't have the typical BL elements. Like I get that there was a thing going on between Nai and Dan. Nonetheless, I will say that I don't refute it as a plot choice.

All in all, like other people have said, this show does an amazing job at offering a very complex storyline. I will say it is pretty heavy so I honestly had to take some breaks watching these episodes as it ended up being stressful to watch especially towards the end. This drama featured domestic violence, suicide, government repression against activism, murder, grief, homphobia, bullying, etc.

But with that being said, I found that the storyline was still captivating and each episode left me wanting to immediately watch the next to find out what the characters discover.

On the negative side, I will say the way they executed some of the scenarios were a bit awkward.

For example, the way things went down with Anan and Yada felt a bit rushed and anti-climatic. I thought for the buildup leading up to their (off-scene) arrest was a lot and very comprehensive. But it ultimately ended with them just being mentioned that they will probably spend time in prison and that's it. I felt like they could have at least showed them having this huge arrest and being taken away.

Additionally, when Dan wakes up after being dead, I thought the reaction from his friends were mild. It was very "welcome back" but I thought it would be more natural for them to carry more astonishment and disbelief that their friend died for however long but literally came back fine and dandy. I mean, throughout the series, they end up witnessing hella supernatural shit so I guess they'd be unphased...

And while I found the big reveal about Brother Anurak pretty shocking, it was a bit confusing how that wound up and I found his characterization changing from this stoic person to I guess frazzled and very concerned about Dan a bit weirdly played out. Granted, I guess it makes sense considering his true identity being revealed and that (for some reason) causing a lot of anguish for him.

Regarding the ending (I almost missed it but thankfully kept GagaOOLala running lol), I was disappointed about the reveal of Trin actually being in Dan's body. It is a still a horror genre......so I am not refuting it, but it just sucks for Dan haha. My only gripe with it is that it characterized Trin in an evil, malicious way, whereas his whole storyline was him constantly fighting for justice and truth.

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TL;DR:
All in all, I would recommend the series for someone that enjoys a mystery thriller, not necessarily to the typical BL watcher. While the plot could get very complex (arguably borderline too much) and some scenarios being awkwardly played out, I think Shadow significantly offered a vastly different vibe from the Thai drama series out there.

Leia Mais

Crazy show

To firstly start I would like to say if you came to watch this show for the bl content... Don't expect so much like me because when watching this show I was expecting it to be in the show! Buttt no it was only 3 gay characters in this show lmao besides that, this show barely has any romance it is mostly just a thriller if I'm being honest and I'm mentioning all this so you won't get click-baited like me, and in the end up watching it all while expecting bl content and romance (When I went looking for bls this pop up so I watched it expecting just that)

Secondly, the storyline of this show is super good! I really enjoy watching this show it is very different and extraordinary I honestly thought I wasn't gonna get through this show, for I don't watch thriller/horror shows like that. So when watching this I was like wait why is this actually so good and continued even if it wasn't what I watched the show for which of course I'm now here rating it here meaning I've finished it and let me tell you expect to be so curious after you finish this show! I'm pretty sure there'll be no season 2 sadly since Singto is now with GMMTV and is now in the making of a show... Which I'm so excited for! But I really did want a season 2 of this lmao.

Acting + Muisic + Overall
Honestly, I could care less about acting it just has to be bearable tbh, but what I will say is the acting wasn't bad at all it was good and I have nothing bad to say about it + the same with the music. Overall I think you should watch the shows if you like thrillers, weird mysterious shit, and investigation not for romance, or bl lol.

Leia Mais

Atmospheric and ambitious modern dark fairytale

Singto and Fiat are the acting standouts with Singto carrying the whole show wonderfully as Dan and Fiat as Trin who is Dan's opposite and parallel. It's so fascinating that they set the Catholic side as the scientific sceptic against the Buddhist side with the practical solutions to Dan's supernatural issues. There is also the shaman that takes no one's side. The Catholic boarding school lends to the gothic imagery and the color grading is nicely done with care, with skin tone and clothes popping over the gray instead of just a bland gray wash over everything. The music is also very good, the mdl credits list the actor who plays the murderous bully Anan doing double duty as the composer as well. The opening credits is stylish and fun to watch before every episode. The slow burn nature of the story works best when the editing is strong, with the ghosts shown in restraint, their ability to commune directly with Dan limited. I also like how Dan and Nai's ability to see the supernatural is different. It slips during the over long fun house segment that spans the end of one episode and the beginning of another. Other weak moments of the story is Nai never reporting the pedo teacher Yada who has been having sexual relations with Anan, merely using the photo evidence luring him into the funhouse that lead to nothing but him attacking Dan for the billionth time and the whole plot with brother Anurak being the one armed man. Brother Anurak's was innocent regarding the university student's deaths in the past but acting really shady and keeping the student's remains inside the statue pedestal. What was well done was hiding in plain sight that Brother Anurak had a hand cast the whole time.

The story is not a bl, but does have gay characters. The romance is limited to the messy crushes among the four friends. Both Nai and Chaaim likes Dan, but Dan rebuffs both. Nai is lucky to get a dance date from Dan though while Chaaim settles for shady Josh who will smack talk Dan at a drop of a hat. Dan meanwhile does like her, but as much as he likes the creepy shadow creature. Though fearing it for much of his life, the increasing power of the shadow to manipulate what he sees in dreams made Dan see it as more of a comforting presence. The scene where he decide to hug the shadow was a fascinating moment. Then soon after the shadow makes it really weird, taking advantage of Dan physically for the first time when he's high, then again in the middle of the school day when Dan is just not feeling well. It's mirrored by how teacher Yada takes advantage of Anan. At the very end it's revealed that his terrible father made a deal with the forest spirit who is the shadow to have Dan in order to keep his abused wife with him. The shadow seems want Dan to itself like Hades wants Persephone. The solid form of the shadow didn't really work, probably would have been better just as a shadow the whole time. As soon as Dan started speaking in a deeper voice, I knew that it was Trin in Dan's body, then doubly so at his joy to see teacher Joe drop by. Teacher Joe was the only authority figure he didn't have an issue with, but unfortunately was an adult he had a huge crush on. It's a low bar that it's commendable that Teacher Joe turned him down.

The open ending with Trin's body reappearing and having drowned for a few days makes it possible that either Dan is still trapped separately in the other realm or Dan had also returned in the wrong body in the middle of the lake and drowned to death, with Trin living on in Dan's visage. I felt sorry for Trin who didn't have people looking for him in the way that Dan has even though he's surrounded by the same people. Trin doesn't accept that status quo for what it is and looks beyond it and he tries befriend and defend people that are picked on. He managed to encourage fellow students to be curious in history and question the teachers on why they aren't teaching them something that is common in books and at other schools. I really like the scenes where Trin and Brother Anurak actually has productive conversations about what Trin is advocating for and why it doesn't work like the bathroom improvement issue. It shows Trin is still naive to things from his youth. He gets understandably overwhelmed by seeing the shadow in the second part of the ritual. Fiat played Trin's strength and vulnerable moments really well. The final scene of Trin smiling in the mirror reminds me of the Twin Peaks "How's Annie?" moment. He looks sad though in the final seconds. I hope Singto signed an excellent contract with his return to his former management company and a season 2 of Shadow can happen. There's is so much potential of Dan and Trin actually interacting in regards to their ideals and other things.

Overall a good watch and I hope there will be more to continue it. Otherwise the ending it still works as a dark fairytale, where the terror of the supernatural is but a symptom of the horror of what humans do to each other in life.

Leia Mais

Fresh Plot and Good for Horror, Mystery, Psychological, and Suspense

I love to see new pairings and new plots because they're adventurous and mysterious. As for myself, I was frustrated because of the same or lame story plots. But this is quite a fresh plot and good for horror, mystery, psychological, and thriller genre lovers, but not that terrifying. We all know that Singto and Fluke are well-known actors in the Thai entertainment industry. Of course, their acting in Shadow is superior. Their chemistry was okay, but there were no sparks. I think this is because both of them are acting calmly. The drama itself is a Pandora box. Because when you start to watch the drama, it feels like every character is somehow hiding something from the world. Specifically, you cannot identify who is the white or black character in the drama, though they include villains. Somehow, the main or minor characters tangled with the unsolved mystery. And the setting of the drama is quite unique because everything happened at a missionary school. Because within Christianity, there are a variety of views on sexual orientation and homosexuality, which raises a high level of doubt about a happy ending.

Leia Mais

Good Attempt But Confusing

If you looking to watch Shadow because of the horror or BL element, then better skip this. It is neither. Might be slightly scary in the beginning but for the most part not at all. And this is coming from someone who avoids horror like the plague. It's strange because Thais are supposed to be amazing at horror.

The mystery element of Shadow is good but the problem lies in never understanding and solving the mystery till the end. Mainly why the shadow is obsessed with Dan. There were quite a few things about the shadow's behaviour that didn't make sense. And some of it got very weird (sexual). Trin's character was also a confusing one in some moments.

The actors did a good job overall but the story could have been laid out better with at least the main answers. The ending was interesting which begs the question if we will get a follow up season to this. If yes, then I hope they tackle the doubts left in people's minds. Although I believe this show meant to end at a shocking note.

It's good for a one time watch. The OST at the end of each episode is nice. The VFX are also decent.

Leia Mais

Wasn't much of a BL but it was a pretty good series. Filled with something new, that I haven't found much in the BL world, this series had a nice twist to the story. As a murder mystery, with a lot of thrills along the way, I found myself wanting more mystery than anything else.

The plot was a great mix of mystery and magic to me, paying attention to how easy it is to cover up things. I personally hated the representation of religion in this series, only because I think they made it into something evil. However, the road to hell is paved with good intensions. The odd scenes of what looked like ghostly rape, were a bit much and totally pointless to the story, But the main story line was developed well and didn't leave much plot holes. The twist at the end was somewhat expected, but was still executed well and honesty made me really sad for his faithed end.

The casting was great, leading with Fiat, Singto and Fluke, all of which have stella work credits. The chemistry between them, made it easy to see how the relationships developed. Having that 'will they, wont they' vibe that had me invested in the outcome. It wasn't any grand showing, just simple love being done in a simple way that was heartwarming. The other relationships that existed also complemented the main leads well, providing just enough backup where needed.

Leia Mais

When you'll understand why this is a BL - you'll be shocked !

Let me clarify first - this is a piece of art & one of the best thriller, mystery, horror themed BL I've ever seen along with DFF. So please watch it first & then read this. Dan, whom we're treating as a main lead, THE GOOD GUY, is actually a bisexual playboy. When Nai kissed him, he didn't stop him & gave him hope saying "I'm your partner" the next day. Otherhand, we can see he liked Cha-aim too. And when the monster pleasured him in his dreams, he enjoyed that to the fullest & kept saying, he isn't bad. Nai's father fulfilled his promise by giving him to the monster, so Dan belongs to the monster. But the monster doesn't treat him like his child, he treats him like his lover. This is actually the lovestory between monster & Dan. I like the ending so much, I want to see more actually, Trin is back in Dan's body, now he can be in relationship with his love interest (drama teacher) & my favourite character is Nai, the pure soul.

Leia Mais