Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
Was Quite Fun!
First, the listing of Bas' character as a support role is wrong. In all Asian venues, Bas is listed first in cast members and Wayu is listed as the main character. Wayu is the first character you see (His eyes are the first set during the intro montage) and Wayu is the first of the main cast to arrive on Campus. Even the romance between Mark and Kit depended on Wayu's intervention. So, I am not sure why MyDramaList gave him second billing.
I have a lot to say about the acting. And most of it is very positive. Bas, Copter and Kimmon all three had exactly as much screen chemistry and warmth as you might expect from people who are close friends in real life.
Bas was brilliant! I mean he just acted his heart out. Not every actor can believably cry in a scene. For instance, Kimmon can't. But Bas really connected with Wayu and I felt every second of Wayu's confusion and grief. Bas made me cry at least twice. He nailed the role of a heartbroken and overwhelmed but determined Wayu, struggling to have hope while attempting to make sense of his loss. And Wayu was genuinely good, too. A lot of nobility packed in that small character. Gutsy in an understated sort of way. He didn't stand down a single time that Padbok started drama. Of course there were silly moments too. But overall, despite the lighter college setting, Bas packed in the feels!
The acting from Copter was solid. Copter of course had amazing screen chemistry with Bas. Which is always weird because somehow he always has less screen chemistry with Kimmon, who plays his on-screen romantic partners. As snarky as Kit usually was, he was soft and sweet with Wayu. Kit's sympathy and compassion for Wayu, and ultimately his protectiveness too was very convincing. And Copter nailed Kit's frustration with Pha. Oh his facial expressions spoke volumes! His character's (initially grudging) love for Mark was a journey of eye-rolls, repressed dimples and micro-expressions that made me frustrated, but then responding to relationship overtures in an emotionally constipated, grouchy way gets on my nerves. Your mileage may vary. It took me a while to love Kit, but not because of Copter's acting, to be sure.
Kimmon brought some spice to the role of Mark in a way that was very distinct from his role of Ming in 2 Moons. Ming was a big, slutty puppy. LOL. Mark is a big, slutty puppy, but he's got an emotional intelligence that Ming lacked. He has a righteous temper too. Yes, the role of Mark was still happy-go-lucky and boisterous, but also very hurt and angry at times. He definitely got across the "Wayu and Mark are ride or die" best friends. And again Mark's anger felt very convincing when Kit was attacked. Kimmon managed to convey it all. And I have to say it. Kimmon was really fresh faced in this! He looked far younger than his 29 years at the time of filming.
Dun was excellent too. Thanu was very sexy, and warm, and noble in a quiet sort of way. Even when he was making bad choices that I knew were going to bite him in the ass later, I could totally believe he was trying to do the right thing but was genuinely torn. Dun's on-screen chemistry with Bas was off the charts! There was very little of "This is his first acting job". I think the only times he fell short of the mark were when Thanu was reacting to Padbok. Dun seemed to have a bit of trouble connecting with Thanu's emotions during some of those confrontations. But wow, the rest of the time he brought it! He really conveyed how torn Thanu was between the person he so easily grew to love (Wayu) and the person he was still attracted to (Phai), and his conflict of interests (the duty he accepted from Pharawee). The "Fevered Wayu" scene in episode 7 was fun because he was very believable as a practical doctor type, in control of the situation but very human and warm. And that kiss!!!! His energy with Bas was so gentle but so intense I made noises and "grabby hands" at my TV. Jumping into a lead role as your first acting job can't have been easy, but Dun did it justice.
Jet and Jame did well as Jack and Koh. I laughed at their shtick and Jet really managed to make me feel how much Jack truly cared for Wayu. And his total exhaustion with Padbok's drama... Ouch!
Junior sold Padbok very convincingly. He was angry and doing awful things that were not only mean but amoral. But due to Junior's skillful acting I could tell Padbok was spiraling, not villainous. I want to see more of this actor! Padbok, still has a lot to say.
Kad was hilarious as SaenSab, Wayu's cousin. Sab's plotting and scheming to help Mark find his cousin a new beau was the perfect foil for innocent, earnest Wayu. Kad delivered 150% He was hands down the funniest thing in the entire show.
Fluke was stunning and Haji was adorkable. Really very fun, both of them. They stole whole scenes.
Fergie's role just felt solid and comforting. He did a really good job conveying Jill's approachable "good guy" qualities. Those eyes! So Warm! He was pretty! And I really like his performances.
And here's where my acting compliments run dry. Pon, the actor playing Phai, looked way older than even his 25 years, let alone the 18 he was supposed to look like. And he was kind of numb in the role of Phai. I could not tell what his character was supposed to bring to the table at all, and that may also be part of the problem. Aside from the shared vision, what was Thanu supposed to find compelling? I know Pon was trying to play Phai very mild and gentle, but he came across as flat instead.
Big was awful for the few seconds he was on screen as Pharawee. But honestly, I do NOT think that was Big's fault. I am sure it was the awkward nature of the cliffhanger. We're supposed to go "WTF! Boooooo!" And I did.
The rest of the support cast did pretty well with their roles, but it might have been just a bit too much happening in the background of one show and it impacted pacing just a little bit. I managed to follow the plot of the juniors just fine. But I think most of the very small problems with Gen Y (Pon's performance notwithstanding) came from the large cast.
The relationships between Juniors Pok and Tong was highly toxic. Which bothered me at first, but in the end, I found it DID give extra character motivation to SaenDee, who straight up, would have been sorted into Slytherin.
SaenDee IS the bad guy. It's one thing to do bad stuff out of pain, or because you are not sure what the right thing to do is and you make a mistake (Hello Thanu). But SaenDee actively smirks when his actions hurt people. So even if they find a way to redeem him in season 2, he's the sort of character that gets off on causing chaos and pain. Kudos to Bank Thanathip Srithongsuk. His representation of Saen Dee was thoroughly creepy.
Tung, the actor playing Kalae, is an undervalued gem. He was sweet and warm and stalwart and funny, even though we didn't see him nearly enough.
The setting was camp, but in just the right way. There was a sensual richness to the restaurants, outdoor scenes and dorm room settings. Even stark rooftops were employed effectively as an environmental support for the harder emotions of those scenes. (If you notice, the really difficult emotions tend to happen on rooftops) Which is what art direction should be. I enjoyed the occasional peeps into the inside of the Engineering school too.
And more attention was paid than is usual for a BL drama to make sure "crowd scenes" felt filled out. Classrooms and pitch bleachers had enough actors filling seats to make it feel real.
Specific details didn't miss the mark, either. Bruises and the small amounts of stage blood looked real. The lighting moods were skillfully accomplished. Foley was solid. The shot angles and perspectives were all very mood enhancing. And the music was adorable. It's always a win when I don't have to shuttle past the intro because I hate the theme song. (Hello, Tonhon Chonlatee)
One thing I definitely disliked; I wasn't fond of the visions experienced by Wayu, Thanu and Phai. Psychicly linked visions aren't a great plot contrivance to throw into a BL unless the writers create a world where that sort of thing can just happen sometimes. In a world setting where it seems impossible to the characters, it feels over the top to the audience. Once Wayu shared a vision with Thanu their place in the overall plot finally began to make more sense, but it was still a total WTF moment every time it happened to any of them. The show writers should have worked to give the plot a more organic, realistic way for Wayu and Thanu to realize their first meeting and Pha's deceit. And really, the visions between Thanu and Phai were completely unnecessary. It would have sufficed for them just to share a strong attraction.
I wanted more info on what was happening with Pha. I'm not sure how audiences are meant to be receptive to his return, but then maybe we aren't. Maybe the lack of info on Pha is important to the longer story being told in Season 2.
And I would have liked to have found out more about Padbok's breathtaking anger management deficit to get a feel for if he's at all justified. Before we ever got a chance to give a damn about it, he began to chill out. I assume in season 2 we'll finally figure out what crawled up his butt and died and then Padbok and Thanu will hug it out or something.
In the end, I really, really loved this BL. It's probably my favorite Thai BL ever. It just somehow got under my skin. The sweet moments were really quite sweet. The funny moments were well balanced. The sad moments wrecked me. And it left me hungry for more. So it did its job. I had a lot of feels while watching it and I continue to go back to this universe. It just touched me.
I've watched it all the way through more times now than I can count. No regrets. In fact, Pok and Tong get more palatable with subsequent watches. So give it a chance. You too may fall in love with the main cast of characters, just like I did.
I have a lot to say about the acting. And most of it is very positive. Bas, Copter and Kimmon all three had exactly as much screen chemistry and warmth as you might expect from people who are close friends in real life.
Bas was brilliant! I mean he just acted his heart out. Not every actor can believably cry in a scene. For instance, Kimmon can't. But Bas really connected with Wayu and I felt every second of Wayu's confusion and grief. Bas made me cry at least twice. He nailed the role of a heartbroken and overwhelmed but determined Wayu, struggling to have hope while attempting to make sense of his loss. And Wayu was genuinely good, too. A lot of nobility packed in that small character. Gutsy in an understated sort of way. He didn't stand down a single time that Padbok started drama. Of course there were silly moments too. But overall, despite the lighter college setting, Bas packed in the feels!
The acting from Copter was solid. Copter of course had amazing screen chemistry with Bas. Which is always weird because somehow he always has less screen chemistry with Kimmon, who plays his on-screen romantic partners. As snarky as Kit usually was, he was soft and sweet with Wayu. Kit's sympathy and compassion for Wayu, and ultimately his protectiveness too was very convincing. And Copter nailed Kit's frustration with Pha. Oh his facial expressions spoke volumes! His character's (initially grudging) love for Mark was a journey of eye-rolls, repressed dimples and micro-expressions that made me frustrated, but then responding to relationship overtures in an emotionally constipated, grouchy way gets on my nerves. Your mileage may vary. It took me a while to love Kit, but not because of Copter's acting, to be sure.
Kimmon brought some spice to the role of Mark in a way that was very distinct from his role of Ming in 2 Moons. Ming was a big, slutty puppy. LOL. Mark is a big, slutty puppy, but he's got an emotional intelligence that Ming lacked. He has a righteous temper too. Yes, the role of Mark was still happy-go-lucky and boisterous, but also very hurt and angry at times. He definitely got across the "Wayu and Mark are ride or die" best friends. And again Mark's anger felt very convincing when Kit was attacked. Kimmon managed to convey it all. And I have to say it. Kimmon was really fresh faced in this! He looked far younger than his 29 years at the time of filming.
Dun was excellent too. Thanu was very sexy, and warm, and noble in a quiet sort of way. Even when he was making bad choices that I knew were going to bite him in the ass later, I could totally believe he was trying to do the right thing but was genuinely torn. Dun's on-screen chemistry with Bas was off the charts! There was very little of "This is his first acting job". I think the only times he fell short of the mark were when Thanu was reacting to Padbok. Dun seemed to have a bit of trouble connecting with Thanu's emotions during some of those confrontations. But wow, the rest of the time he brought it! He really conveyed how torn Thanu was between the person he so easily grew to love (Wayu) and the person he was still attracted to (Phai), and his conflict of interests (the duty he accepted from Pharawee). The "Fevered Wayu" scene in episode 7 was fun because he was very believable as a practical doctor type, in control of the situation but very human and warm. And that kiss!!!! His energy with Bas was so gentle but so intense I made noises and "grabby hands" at my TV. Jumping into a lead role as your first acting job can't have been easy, but Dun did it justice.
Jet and Jame did well as Jack and Koh. I laughed at their shtick and Jet really managed to make me feel how much Jack truly cared for Wayu. And his total exhaustion with Padbok's drama... Ouch!
Junior sold Padbok very convincingly. He was angry and doing awful things that were not only mean but amoral. But due to Junior's skillful acting I could tell Padbok was spiraling, not villainous. I want to see more of this actor! Padbok, still has a lot to say.
Kad was hilarious as SaenSab, Wayu's cousin. Sab's plotting and scheming to help Mark find his cousin a new beau was the perfect foil for innocent, earnest Wayu. Kad delivered 150% He was hands down the funniest thing in the entire show.
Fluke was stunning and Haji was adorkable. Really very fun, both of them. They stole whole scenes.
Fergie's role just felt solid and comforting. He did a really good job conveying Jill's approachable "good guy" qualities. Those eyes! So Warm! He was pretty! And I really like his performances.
And here's where my acting compliments run dry. Pon, the actor playing Phai, looked way older than even his 25 years, let alone the 18 he was supposed to look like. And he was kind of numb in the role of Phai. I could not tell what his character was supposed to bring to the table at all, and that may also be part of the problem. Aside from the shared vision, what was Thanu supposed to find compelling? I know Pon was trying to play Phai very mild and gentle, but he came across as flat instead.
Big was awful for the few seconds he was on screen as Pharawee. But honestly, I do NOT think that was Big's fault. I am sure it was the awkward nature of the cliffhanger. We're supposed to go "WTF! Boooooo!" And I did.
The rest of the support cast did pretty well with their roles, but it might have been just a bit too much happening in the background of one show and it impacted pacing just a little bit. I managed to follow the plot of the juniors just fine. But I think most of the very small problems with Gen Y (Pon's performance notwithstanding) came from the large cast.
The relationships between Juniors Pok and Tong was highly toxic. Which bothered me at first, but in the end, I found it DID give extra character motivation to SaenDee, who straight up, would have been sorted into Slytherin.
SaenDee IS the bad guy. It's one thing to do bad stuff out of pain, or because you are not sure what the right thing to do is and you make a mistake (Hello Thanu). But SaenDee actively smirks when his actions hurt people. So even if they find a way to redeem him in season 2, he's the sort of character that gets off on causing chaos and pain. Kudos to Bank Thanathip Srithongsuk. His representation of Saen Dee was thoroughly creepy.
Tung, the actor playing Kalae, is an undervalued gem. He was sweet and warm and stalwart and funny, even though we didn't see him nearly enough.
The setting was camp, but in just the right way. There was a sensual richness to the restaurants, outdoor scenes and dorm room settings. Even stark rooftops were employed effectively as an environmental support for the harder emotions of those scenes. (If you notice, the really difficult emotions tend to happen on rooftops) Which is what art direction should be. I enjoyed the occasional peeps into the inside of the Engineering school too.
And more attention was paid than is usual for a BL drama to make sure "crowd scenes" felt filled out. Classrooms and pitch bleachers had enough actors filling seats to make it feel real.
Specific details didn't miss the mark, either. Bruises and the small amounts of stage blood looked real. The lighting moods were skillfully accomplished. Foley was solid. The shot angles and perspectives were all very mood enhancing. And the music was adorable. It's always a win when I don't have to shuttle past the intro because I hate the theme song. (Hello, Tonhon Chonlatee)
One thing I definitely disliked; I wasn't fond of the visions experienced by Wayu, Thanu and Phai. Psychicly linked visions aren't a great plot contrivance to throw into a BL unless the writers create a world where that sort of thing can just happen sometimes. In a world setting where it seems impossible to the characters, it feels over the top to the audience. Once Wayu shared a vision with Thanu their place in the overall plot finally began to make more sense, but it was still a total WTF moment every time it happened to any of them. The show writers should have worked to give the plot a more organic, realistic way for Wayu and Thanu to realize their first meeting and Pha's deceit. And really, the visions between Thanu and Phai were completely unnecessary. It would have sufficed for them just to share a strong attraction.
I wanted more info on what was happening with Pha. I'm not sure how audiences are meant to be receptive to his return, but then maybe we aren't. Maybe the lack of info on Pha is important to the longer story being told in Season 2.
And I would have liked to have found out more about Padbok's breathtaking anger management deficit to get a feel for if he's at all justified. Before we ever got a chance to give a damn about it, he began to chill out. I assume in season 2 we'll finally figure out what crawled up his butt and died and then Padbok and Thanu will hug it out or something.
In the end, I really, really loved this BL. It's probably my favorite Thai BL ever. It just somehow got under my skin. The sweet moments were really quite sweet. The funny moments were well balanced. The sad moments wrecked me. And it left me hungry for more. So it did its job. I had a lot of feels while watching it and I continue to go back to this universe. It just touched me.
I've watched it all the way through more times now than I can count. No regrets. In fact, Pok and Tong get more palatable with subsequent watches. So give it a chance. You too may fall in love with the main cast of characters, just like I did.
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