Is there love at first sight? A question that always sparks debate between passionate defenders of instant chemistry and those who claim that it is impossible for two people to fall in love with the first look.
Peet, the protagonist of 'Scent of Love', agrees with the first criterion, as he is convinced of the love he feels for Bass from the moment he meets him, despite not even a few words having passed between them.
We can assure you that they meet in the most cliché way possible: they cross paths during the university's hazing rituals, on the same day of admission to the university. The chemistry between the two is not immediately perceptible, but it is latent, hidden, waiting for events.
However, later on, something happens that is also quite trite in romance comedies: the two strangers will meet in another place, but it will not be thanks to chance, what we call destiny, because Peet will cause it by following Bass to the club. theater in which he trains as an actor, with the aim of being as close as possible to him.
If this were real life, two people with different personalities who have never exchanged a word would never connect. But here, fantasy and the promise of a happy ending are on the side of the protagonists.
It is worth pointing out that the Thai microseries stars Din Teerapat Ruangritkul as Peet, and Fluk Chatchawan Jitraxtham as Bass, whom we have also seen as the main couple of the series 'My Secret Love', from 2022.
Enjoyable enough, the two actors create what could be a throwaway story of love at first sight between two university students, a very common theme in the BL genre.
The protagonists play two university students who form a love bond that, although it seems impossible, the brief audiovisual production, which overflows with good intentions, sweetness and tenderness, all captured in a wonderful way, demonstrates that love knows no barriers.
We could say that this is a story about two soul mates. We have Peet, a cute, introverted, shy but mischievous first-year college student, who secretly loves Bass, a handsome sportsman from a senior year, a lover of theater and popular with his fellow students, especially the girls. girls.
Peet doesn't know how to react to the person he loves. First of all, they are both men, in a society in which, although homosexuality is legal, same-sex marriage and homosexual relationships are not recognized. And secondly, he is convinced that Bass is in love with Jang, the actress trainee.
And in the presence of Bass, while they are rehearsing a play, Peet always gets nervous and cannot articulate a word, not even to say his lines from the script of the play they are practicing, so Bass has ordered him to improve his performance or He left the group, this being the third reason why he is sure he lives a one-sided love. But by then, the rapprochement between the two boys, both physically and emotionally, had already begun... although they might still be unaware of it.
Will they be able to be together even though the world seems to turn against them? That is the question that remains throughout the almost 12 minutes of footage that, however short it may seem to us, the film is charming enough to please viewers looking for romance, for its charming characters, the tender story and attention to detail in the visual.
The Thai entertainment industry has proven once again that it has the right formula to revive the genre and satisfy an audience that craves authentic and heartwarming love stories. Personally, I liked the way the plot was executed, subtly exploring the personal stories of the characters, before we suddenly came to understand that the love is mutual.
'Scent of Love' hooks you from the beginning and in no time you've finished it. The charisma of the characters, the music of Kham Susira and, obviously, the looks of the lovers, make this piece one of those that we can't stop sighing over, due to its many romantic and poetic elements that give it a good touch. to the history.
To some it may seem like more of the same within the BL genre, but it is also easy to fall surprisingly under its cheesy and sentimental spell.
Yes, boy meets boy. They fall in love. The rest is history? No, history will unfold before our eyes, as we will be faithful witnesses to the birth of a romance. Many romantic television and film works revolve around this basic proposal for every love story. 'Scent of Love' takes the same starting point, but seeks, in turn, to tell its story in terms of commercially advertising a perfume from the Mith Bangkok company. This may seem negative to many, and they are right, but it will not be the first or the last time in which small works that do not have a budget have to succumb to the realization of a whim at the service of a transnational company. But, luckily, on this occasion the film product does not come out badly.
The creators' style highlights somewhat bland characters, but with a background in each one that is worth exploring.
The microseries is made for fans of the romantic genre and makes it clear that its objective is to portray love, acceptance, self-discovery, sexual diversity, the search for happiness and coming of age, themes explored through the dynamics of the main characters.
The photography enjoys very bright colors and, at times, the creators' intention is for Din and Fluk to feel like the center of the universe. By falling in love so suddenly, the rest of the universe seems to not exist. For this reason, the stage in which they practice the play, and especially the classroom where they finally have the conversation that everyone is waiting for, were perfect to get their romance started.
With a little luck, the two lovers will meet in the most traditional way, find the right words, and taking the next step will be a huge, but happy and charming challenge.