A story of great visual and auditory beauty, with great emotional depth

Won-Gyu (Won Tae-Hee), a German airline pilot, returns to South Korea after a two-year absence, but only intends to stay a single night. Victim of a homophobic attack some time ago that forces him to live abroad, a decision also motivated by his search for a place where his homosexual condition is more permissive and tolerant, he faces the judgment that the homophobic and conservative South Korean society has on homosexuality. .
The protagonist tries to outwit his nightmare by living in constant transit. His home is anonymous and ever-changing hotel rooms, his connections with others temporary and rootless, of little significance to his life.
In one of those typical, completely evasive encounters, he meets Tae-Joon (Lee Yi-Kyung – (학교 2013/ Hakkyo 2013/ School 2013), a young gay delivery man on a motorcycle, whom he meets through chat websites. Despite Being a few years younger and having a less rewarding and paying job, Tae-Joon is much more comfortable with himself, including his sexual preferences.
On this basis, Korean director Leesong Hee-il writes and directs 'Baekya' ('지난여름, 갑자기'/'White Night'), a 75-minute film that has as its predecessor the short film 'One Night', with which he develops the trilogy known as 'One Night, Two Days' (백야), which includes the medium-length film 'Suddenly Last Summer' (지난 여름, 갑자기/'Jinanyeoreum, gapjagi'), and 'Namjjokeuro Ganda' ('Going South' /남쪽으로 간다), all from 2012, in which three unconnected stories are told that have gay themes in common.
Leesong Hee-il has an extensive filmography since his film debut in 2004 with the short film '동백꽃' ('Dongbaegkkoch'/ 'Camellia Project'), but is probably best known for his 2006 film '후회하지 않아' ('Huhoehaji Anha '/'No Regret'). In 2009, the director contributes to the overall project 황금시대 (Hwang-geumsidae/Short! Short! Short!), and also makes the feature film 탈주 (Talju/Break Away, 2009), before filming the short that begins the trilogy, in 2012.
As in the rest of the three pieces, 'White Night' tells a story of great visual and auditory beauty, but perhaps most important is the emotional depth. The raw honesty of the film's narrative – centered on the often deeply problematic feelings of its characters, all asking difficult but very real questions – is commendable.
Another characteristic of Leesong Hee-il's cinematography is the use of music that accompanies the images in a memorable way, with songs ranging from Western popular music to Korean ballads, being chosen with great care in the purpose. to instill a sense of peace, insane frenzy, sadness, uprooting, loss, abandonment, nostalgia or even melancholy, in contrast to the inner turmoil experienced by the characters.
With a high degree of concision, achieved within extreme brevity and economy of language, as well as by the semantic ambiguity and the interpretative potentials that the film offers, Leesong Hee-il reflects how Taee-Joon does not seek sex for the sake of it and, although not opposed per se to a one-night stand, he harshly rejects Won-Gyu. The director's goal is to expose how people relentlessly pursue a more meaningful and lasting relationship than a sexual romp, like the one Won-Gyu intends to have in a dark public bathroom frequented only by casual lovers.
However, as the night is still young, and these two almost strange individuals continue to gravitate towards each other, in this journey about the complexity of human relationships, accepting the other, emotional pain more than physical, and criticism To a society that still considers homosexuality a perversion, Tae-Joon learns, little by little, about the painful burden that Won-Gyu carries, while the latter, perhaps for the first time, sees an individual who simply accepts himself as such. as he is while accepting the other as he is.
Knowing that perfectionism can destroy creation, so he polishes his works seeking exquisiteness, Leesong Hee-il shows how Won-Gyu's internal conflict comes to the fore through the external conflict that arises when he meets again with a boy who knows about the past, before deciding to try to erase what happened in foreign lands. This climax comes surprisingly early, not to the benefit of the narrative, considering that the film begins as a short film and, perhaps, could have done even better to remain that way.
Furthermore, some of Tae-Joon's actions, in particular his decision to stay by the side of someone he barely knows and who displays quite erratic and then also violent behavior, are not entirely understandable. Be it sexual attraction, sympathy, pity, or whatever reason pushes Tae-Joon to stay with Won-Gyu, her presence is what offers the latter the opportunity to heal his past wounds and realize that a different reality may be possible.
In other words, thanks to Tae-Joon, Won-Guy comes to understand that there may be hope, which is why it's worth returning to South Korea more than once every few years, for more than a single night... and even remain in the country indefinitely.
There is an incredible beauty in the suffocating, depressing, dark, and even demented atmosphere due to the ghosts of the past that haunt one of the two characters and the intertwining of the lives of these young people. Who will not be trapped with the souls that inhabit the film? Who will remain impassive in the face of characters embodied in beings that we have once known or could be ourselves?
The entire trilogy reveals to us a filmmaker with a sure pulse to capture the audience through the use of the right phrase and image, the clarity of the speech. No wonder he is considered "one of the most interesting contemporary gay Asian directors." And in this effort to create stories, reality opens up in a multicolored fan with overlapping layers and blurred borders.
The essence of the film, which had its European premiere at the 2013 Berlinale, followed by screenings in Vancouver, Hong Kong and Jeonju and at the 27th London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival that same year, also lies in the fact that Tae -Joon could very well be precisely the type of person that Won-Gyu needs in his life, like Kyung-Hoon himself needs Sang-Woo in 'Suddenly Last Summer'.
Open-ended like all parts of Leesong Hee-ill's trilogy, 'White Night' feels less gloomy than 'Suddenly Last Summer' and 'Going South', leaving the viewer with the possibility of a long journey towards happiness. still ahead for both characters.
We are facing a stinging film, which digs into the skin and the bones not only because of what it describes, but because we are certain that beings like the main characters are not so few in a world dominated by homophobia in a conservative society that makes It makes homosexuals feel ashamed, which often leads them to blame themselves for not being able to meet the imposed criteria of normality.

Note: The reviews of the remaining pieces of the trilogy, in MDL, can be found on the page dedicated by the virtual platform to each of them.

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Taboo and controversial topics in a piece of goldsmithing that every lover of good cinema should see

The Korean director Leesong Hee-il writes and directs 'Suddenly Last Summer' ('Jinanyeoreum, gapjagi'), from 2012, a 37-minute medium-length film, second part of the trilogy known as '' One Night and Two Days' (백야) that include the feature film 'Baekya' ('White Night') and the short film 'Namjjokeuro Ganda' ('Going South'), three unconnected stories that began as shorts but later expanded, in the case of the first, to a 75-minute film.
His vast work, like a piece of goldsmithing, armed with the finest craftsmanship, shows a filmmaker always attentive to the details, to the subtle articulations of the adventures, with which he won the applause of critics and spectators who, even after more than one decade since its release, they still look for in it the keys to unusual, totally original cinematography, which make Leesong Hee-il one of the most distinguished exponents of Korean auteur cinema in general, and gay-themed cinema in particular. both from his country and, I would dare to say, from all of Asia and much of the world.
Without forcing anything, the director of 'Suddenly Last Summer' plays with reality, stretches it as moldable material, and we end up accepting, without questioning, his invitation to accompany the protagonists on a journey about their sexuality, their relationship and their place. in society. The viewer must be attentive, since the medium-length film begins right in the middle of the story, so the beginning may seem confusing to some.
In that art of telling small things, small memories, small pleasures, small sensations..., which are not so much because, ultimately, together rejoicing, they give meaning to life itself, Leesong Hee-il, considered "one of the most interesting contemporary gay Asian directors", is a skilled filmmaker capable of captivating the most diverse audiences with the power of words and images, involving the audience, in a charming way, in his films, which are all about his favorite subject , gay stories in one form or another.
Leesong Hee-il once again touches on taboo and controversial topics in any modern society, such as homosexuality, the complexity of human relationships, the problematic situation of one lover who is a minor and the other an adult, or the teacher-student role. , and the feelings between people, which on many occasions can be inappropriate, immoral or even prohibited. However, in its subconscious development, it is not something for which individuals can be directly condemned, but those feelings must be acted upon when they are negative.
Another of the values ​​of 'Suddenly Last Summer' and the other two films that make up the trilogy is that its director places the protagonists at some intermediate point in the story, that is, their characters have begun to realize what what they feel, and now they must decide how to act. In the most difficult moment for those involved, when some will triumph while others will falter, it is the ideal moment for Leesong Hee-il to put on the camera lens and begin to tell the story, achieving, through his raw honesty, commendable and unforgettable stories. .
In the medium-length film, its director once again exposes a constant dichotomy in the relationships of his protagonists: one of his characters hides or completely denies his homosexuality, and the other is not afraid to recognize it and even enjoys shouting to the world about his gay status.
In just 37 minutes, the medium-length film raises several controversial points. It is not only the sexuality of the characters that focuses the attention of the audiovisual. Kyung-hoon hides his sexuality from everyone around him, especially the managers and teachers and students at the school where he works. Keeping his homosexuality a secret, his sexual preferences are discovered by Sang-woo, a student of his, when they both meet in a gay bar some time ago.
In a kind of obsession with his teacher, Sang-woo threatens him to reveal everything if he does not agree to his demands, and shows him some photographs captured clandestinely during the meeting held by the two at the gay club.
Fearing that he will lose his job, Kyung-Hoo agrees to spend the day with him. However, the tension between the characters doesn't seem to be related only to Sang-woo's blackmail tactics. While it is evident that Sang-woo is not motivated by a sexual impulse, since he loves his teacher, the entire film suggests that the teacher has feelings for his student.
Sincere about his sexual orientation and love for his teacher, he will claim that he had revealed to his mother that he liked boys, as well as his love for an older man, but Kyung-Hoo's reactions are ambiguous and not transparent.
There is an uncomfortable polarity within the two characters. Due to his youth, Sang-woo is innocent and love and the freedom to be happy lead him to lose himself in a delirious frenzy that drives him to shout, excited, at the fish from the boat, or to act spontaneously and make Kyung-woo listen. Hoon his favorite music after placing the headphones over his ears. He feels transported to another world in which there is no control from society or discriminatory laws and family censorship and disapproval of their children's homosexuality.
The student believes he is invulnerable to what people will say, precisely in a country as conservative as Korea, with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions, where homosexuals have difficulty fitting into society and even in the 21st century, sexual diversity continues to be seen as a perversion and considered taboo. But despite his plenitude, Sang-woo is also immature and seemingly unaware of the implications of what he asks of his master.
This one, for his part, is wiser thanks to his age and experience. Kyuung-Hoon is caught between desire and responsibility, between longing and ethics, between good and evil. He is aware that a relationship of this type is not an option, but the hopelessness and unhappiness that surrounds him is evident. His face reveals deep loneliness. Drinking until you get drunk shows that you have found an escape from your sadness in alcohol. He understands that a romance like the one Sang-woo asks for, and he would like to reciprocate, would not have a good result for him. That's why you make the decision to not just deny your feelings to the person you like. She must hurt him again and again with the intention of taking him away from her forever. But the boy persists in his desire to maintain a loving relationship, not just a sexual one, with the teacher. This dilemma that Hyung-Hoon is struggling with causes him great anguish and regret. Sang-woo will not be able to understand why this man who is not afraid to give him furtive glances with a clear sexual connotation in the middle of the class, surrounded by other students, rejects him. He doesn't understand why that person with whom he spent pleasant moments in a gay club and who, like him, doesn't have a boyfriend that prevents him from formalizing a relationship, seems elusive to him.
The essence of 'Suddenly Last Summer' also lies in the fact that Sang-woo could be precisely the kind of person that Kyung-hoon needs in his life, just as Won-gyu himself needs Tae-jun in 'White Night'.
Although the fact that one is a minor and the other an adult, as well as the teacher/student relationship are socially and ethically problematic, the first problem would be irrelevant (at least if the parties involved considered it so) and would have a solution in a short term, taking into account that Sang-woo has less than twelve months left to reach 19 years of age, and with this, the legal age of sexual consent in South Korea. Leesong Hee-il voluntarily introduces this problem to play subtly and skillfully with the viewer by addressing such a complex issue, while pointing out that it can be overcome. No matter how difficult or incomprehensible their reality may be for others, the terrain where the two protagonists move is not perpetual: within a short time the young man would reach the age of adulthood and with this the hope for what each of them currently wants, but they can't specify.
Regarding his roles as a teacher-student, this problem also has an immediate solution, as we know that, through a phone call to a friend, Kyung-Hoon is desperately trying to find a job at another school.
Within the trilogy, 'Suddenly Last Summer' is the most successful film among the three. Its value also lies in the deeply uncomfortable and highly problematic questions it raises about homosexual relationships and society.
But its reach goes much further. Unlike another 'No Regret' (2006), another film by Leesong Hee-il, the focus of the medium-length film, as well as the other segments of 'One Night and Two Days', focuses exclusively on the characters' feelings, using simple narratives and many fewer twists than Leesong Hee-il's first feature film.

Note: The reviews of the remaining pieces of the trilogy, in MDL, can be found on the page dedicated by the virtual platform to each of them.

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'Waterboys', the original and its derivatives

The film 'Water Boyy', from 2015, and the drama 'Water Boyy: The Series', broadcast on the GMM 25 network in 2017, both Thai and from the youth genre, comedy, romance, sports and yaoi, are heirs of 'Waterboys' (ウォーターボーイズ?), the 2001 comedy written and directed by Shinobu Yaguchi, about five teenagers who start a synchronized swimming team at their high school.
Based on real events that occurred in 1999, the Japanese film recreates the idea from the experience of a group of students from the Kawagoe High School swim team in the city of Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, who were inspired by the exhibitions synchronized swimming Olympians on television to create a choreography for "Men's Synchronized Swimming" that they performed at their high school's school festival.
PLOT
Suzuki (Satoshi Tsumabuki) dreams of being a great swimmer, but reality conspires against him: in addition to being the only member of the swimming team at Tadano Boys' High School in Sagara, now the city of Makinohara, Shizuoka Prefecture, He's so slow that in his last competition he literally came out of the water after the pool closed. When he believes that all is lost for him, while retiring after his failure, he sees a team of swimmers practicing synchronized swimming, and is dazzled by the beauty of their movements.
With the arrival at the school of a new Physical Education teacher, Sakuma (Kaori Manabe), it is announced that she will take charge of the swimming club since until now it lacked a coach. Marveled by the young and beautiful teacher, all the students at the school decide to enroll. However, they flee with the same speed when they discover that he plans to turn it into a synchronized swimming team, a popularly feminine sport. In the stampede, Suzuki and four boys who fail to escape in time become part of the brand new "syncro" team.
Along with Suzuki, the other members are: Sato (Hiroshi Tamaki), the failed basketball player; Ohta (Akifumi Miura), a skeletal boy who dreams of some physical activity giving him muscles; Kanazawa (Koen Kondo), a math nerd who can't even float, and Saotome (Takatoshi Kaneko), an effete gay boy.
Against all logic, during her first day of work and a few hours after making the boys promise to become a syncro team and make a presentation for the school cultural festival, Sakuma reveals that she is pregnant and requests maternity leave for the rest of the year. . In this way, the five teenagers are left to their own devices, being the laughingstock of the rest of the students.
Amidst the ridicule of their colleagues, they decide to resign, but at the last minute they agree to move forward. But another setback appears on the horizon: the pool has been assigned to another club that has filled it with fish.
In response to their complaints, Sugita (Tetta Sugimoto), the teacher in charge of the club, agrees to give them the pool if they collect all the fish before the next day to return them to the supplier. Hard task for these slow and "lazy" guys: but the idea arises of taking advantage of the night to drain the pool and collect the fish without effort. Subsequently manipulating the water meter will allow you to refill the pool with water for free and everything will be fixed.
In this chain of absurdities, the boys are discovered and are required to pay for the wasted water. They will be forced to go out and sell tickets door to door. After completing this new mission, they will have to convince Sugita and Isomura (Naoto Takenaka), the supplier of the fish, to return the pool to them. Desperate to prove themselves, they improvise a synchronized swimming routine that ends in disaster. With Sato's head burned and banned from appearing at the festival, they once again think about dissolving the team.
On a date with Shizuko Kiuchi (Aya Hirayama), a beautiful girl from Sakuragi Girls' High School and a martial arts practitioner, Suzuki visits the city aquarium. To his surprise, he finds out that Isomura is the coach there. Seeing his skill with the dolphins and orcas in magnificent routines choreographed by himself, he begs him to train the team. At first he refuses, but finally agrees in exchange for athletic achievements and not questioning his strategy to train them as athletes.
It's time to convince Sato, Ohta, Kanazawa and Saotome to resume training, now with a new teacher. But in the agreement Isomura hides a trick to get rid of them. He will devise tasks in order to make them give up, such as cleaning the windows of all the orca and dolphin tanks in the aquarium under the excuse of strengthening their muscles.
In the first test in the pool, and against all odds, the boys can swim: they have improved their physical condition and by observing the mammals in the tanks they learned to imitate their movements.
Since their original plan failed, Isomura will require them to dance in time, arguing that "it's not synchro if you don't synchronize." But their plan suffers a setback again: Ohta brings his experiences in aerobic routine practices and gives them ease in dancing, which allows them to master the game and develop choreographic skills. Defeated, the coach decides to take his job seriously.
One night Sato, Ohta and Kanazawa discover Suzuki and Saotome talking secretly on the beach. Sato proposes that this is proof of his theory that Saotome is in love with Suzuki and is confessing. But Suzuki reveals that Saotome, whom he has always been in love with, is Sato, but he has never had the courage to declare himself, so he summoned him to tell Sato on his behalf.
The team only needs authorization from the school directors to participate in the sporting event. They achieve this by devising the plan to fake a mass drowning during training on the beach and with the arrival of lifeguards and the press to obtain news about the supposed rescue efforts, taking advantage of the occasion to promote their presentation on television. Pressured by the enthusiasm of the community and the television channels, they have no choice but to authorize them.
With the return to classes after the end of the holidays, many other students ask to join the club wishing to participate. Ohta teaches them the choreographies and Kanazawa calculates the rhythms, patterns and spaces to move. Suzuki, Sato and Saotome investigate the new members' skills to enrich the presentation.
A few days later the men's synchronized swimming team, now large and popular, is fully prepared for its presentation.
But new fears assail Suzuki: although he loves swimming and being part of the club, he is embarrassed to be seen by others, especially by Shizuko, whom he fears will discover him.
To make matters worse, on the eve of the festival, some students accidentally set the school on fire and the firefighters must use the water from the pool to extinguish the fire. Given the impossibility of filling it on time, the event is in danger of being suspended.
But the Sakuragi student council comes to the rescue by offering their pool as they celebrate their own cultural festival on the same day. With the participants and the public moved to the new stage, Suzuki reveals that he does not wish to participate, since the event will take place at the same Shizuko school. Faced with everyone's disappointment, Isomura encourages them and the team performs an amazing choreography that impresses everyone with all kinds of performances.
Just before finishing the aquatic routine, a sudden dip causes Suzuki to lose his swimsuit when he falls into the pool, but Shizuko, sitting in the front row, throws him a swimsuit that she has handmade for him, revealing that she has always She knows about the team and is proud.
The film ends with the team, baptized as Waterboys, thanking the spectators who applaud them, impressed and delighted by their performance.
In addition to the aforementioned Thai audiovisuals, which separate themselves from the original by focusing on swimming and not synchronized swimming, in addition to making explicit what is related to homosexual relationships between their characters, the Japanese film inspired a television series, with a total of three seasons: 'Water Boys', from 2003, 'Water Boys 2', from 2004, and 'Water Boys 2005 Natsu', from 2005.

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The opportunity to correct the mistakes we have made in our lives

Without a doubt, 'Soon of Macho Dancer', 2021, (Original title 'Anak Ng Macho Dancer'), can be considered the legitimate heir to the film series started by 'Macho Dancer' (1988), in which rentboys confront to the sordid realities of poverty in the Philippines. In fact, its director, multi-award-winning filmmaker Joel C. Lamangan, stated that his film was the first authentic sequel to Lino Brocka's greatest global success.
This last film was followed by other films with high-voltage homosexual themes such as 'Midnight Dancers' (1994), 'Burlesk King' (1999), 'Twilight Dancers' (2006), all directed by the late Mel Chionglo, interested in continue exploring the world of dancers who pose in scanty clothing for the homosexual clientele of Filipino venues.
Let us not forget that Brocka first attempted to depict the underworld of male prostitution through a largely improvised sequence in 'Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag' (1975), most of which was removed after the author of the original novel opposed the invention.
Considering the defiance and frustration that Brocka expressed just before his unexpected sudden death, 'Soon of Macho Dancer' could very well be the film he would have made had he survived to the present and the current discontents in the Filipino population, not very different from those of his time. No greater award can be given to a Filipino filmmaker who claims to have made a work worthy of the highest aspirations of the director of 'Macho Dancer', and Lamangan's film turns out to be one of those rare cases.
Most of the characters in these films have in common that they are overwhelmed, defeated by the sad political and socioeconomic reality of the Philippines, which is why they will be forced to practice prostitution as a means of escape from misery, in addition to being driven to claim freedom. lost dignity, without ignoring the insularity of the situation of sex workers.
'Macho Dancer' paved the way to investigate the degeneration induced in the Filipino population in general, and the male population in particular, by the presence of US military bases that curtail national sovereignty while exercising a not-so-hidden political and economic power. but they abandoned those concerns once the main character leaves for Manila or another major city in the country.
Lamangan, who played the role of a rebellious queer lady in 'Macho Dancer', 33 years after its controversial premiere, gives 'Soon of Macho Dancer' the same perspective of a hellish underworld. In this film, the director continues the story through Pol's son, the protagonist of that film, also forced to enter the sordid world of prostitution, when the coronavirus begins to reveal itself as a pandemic.
This pessimistic vision of today, which, however, is not as dark, sordid and sensual as the original, revolves around the coming of age of Inno, a 19-year-old boy who, together with Karla (Elora Españo), his girlfriend, sells clothes online offering sensual dances in front of her mobile camera with the aim of motivating the client, she has to help her father Pol (Allan Paule), a retired stripper addicted to drugs. His dancing skill will be shown later in another gloomy and dark setting.
To get out of debt and pay bail for his father, who is frequently imprisoned for public scandals associated with drugs, Tere (Rosanna Roces), Inno's mother, forces him to work in a male strip club. Like any merchandise, he sells it to Mama Jimmy (Jim Pebanco), the owner of the establishment and retired macho dancer: "He dances well and has a good penis." Faced with Inno's resistance, he assures him: "Your penis will be very successful here." In another scene he instructs him: “Use your head. If you are offered the opportunity to choose between being supported by a gay pimp or a woman, be sure to choose the richer one.”
But just when Inno starts working, Tere, who had turned to prostitution to support the family after Pol's car accident, abandons her son and her husband. At the same time, the club's premises close due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Circumstances put pressure on Inno's life, and he finds himself in need of money like never before. The family dynamic has changed drastically, as the father demands cash to pay for the drugs. Faced with this reality, he breaks up with Karla, whom he considers a hindrance, and delves into the exercise of selling his body in order to survive.
In Club Mankind, Inno will meet Bambi (Jaclyn Jose), a former prostitute who organizes private parties to sexually satisfy the rich. Inno, as "fresh meat" placed on the sales platform, is invited by Bambi to join those parties, but at the first opportunity he fails to be chosen by Kyle (Ricky Guimera), the attractive 19-year-old boy in charge of choose the young man with whom you will have sex.
Although initially nauseated by the abject nature of his new sex work (as opposed to the dancing for the audience, male or female, or escorting that he used to do at Mankind), Inno manages to find some professional equanimity in selling his body, motivated by his father's deteriorating health, increasing financial pressures, and buoyed by the camaraderie of his fellow dancers.
"This place is a pit stop for you. But it's a happy stopover for those kids looking for a better life. I know it's what you want. But don't let your heart guide you. Reject anger. Use your head. That's it the only thing that will help you." With the advice of Mama Jimmy who transmits her experiences as a veteran macho dancer, very similar to those of Tere, Inno turns out to be more skillful than expected. He understands that it was not Kyle, who he would have to conquer in his quest for a better life, but Jun Mallari, the wealthy gay businessman hidden in the next room, who masturbates while watching his favorite sex toy on the cameras with the boy on duty.
In this way, the main character of this film that combines drama, thriller, prostitution and homosexuality, seduces Jun, attracted by the life full of comforts that it offers him, becoming his new sexual puppet and abandoning his father, without to know what awaits him in that world that has opened its terrifying doors to him. Feeling like owner and lord of the mansion he shares with Jun, he will soon want to escape from it and get away from hell.
It turns out that the additional challenges that await the narrative hero increase from this point, quickly and terrifyingly, without giving us time to catch our breath. The turning point occurs in a chain of events that begins with Pol's arrival at Jun's house to look for his son, and the plunge that the protagonist suffers into an underworld of drugs, violence, crimes and parties to which his Millionaire lover invites prostitute boys.
From the get-go, Kyle warns Inno to stay away from Jun before it's too late. But Inno, mistakenly believing that he is acting out of jealousy, turns a deaf ear and ends up entering a world even more violent than the one he was escaping from.
Throughout these dramatic changes, Lamangan ensures that we are aware of Inno's plight by maintaining unconditional empathy with the character he seeks to save at all costs.
The film shows a sordid and violent world, in which the main character will see his self-esteem gradually diminish, especially when a client asks a male dancer to do something he doesn't like. It is natural. The loss of dignity and virility due to the money he needs to survive marks his path. "My father was a whore. My mother was a prostitute on the streets. And I, another whore. We are a family of whores!", Inno confesses to Bambi, who has recognized in Pol the macho dancer with whom he interacted in last.
The film aims to open the viewer's eyes to the unbearable facts and circumstances of life. The protagonist himself makes it clear in an interview: "Not all of us are lucky enough to have the opportunities that are presented to us, so we do not have the right to fire or judge someone for their choices (…) I am not saying that these macho dancers They may be saints but they all fight for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. They all have a story that we must understand and respect. When you hear their stories, if people take the time to really listen to them, it will impact you a lot. Others have already arrived to the conclusion that your choice is easy."
"Soon the Macho Dancer" fully fulfills its purpose of making the public reflect and inviting them to controversy.
'Anak ng Macho Dancer' leaves me with some life lessons. Among these, the way in which Inno overcomes the consequences of his actions and choices that lead him to live a true hell stands out. He's not just fighting for his life. What Inno believes is right for the people he loves, he does it head-on. He knew that his choices are not good, and in the face of the consequences of the choice, there is a lesson to be learned. Mistakes and struggles, also triumphs, are an integral part of human life.
The viewer should keep in mind the film's message, summarized in Pol's words to Bamby: "We still have the opportunity to correct the mistakes we have made in our lives."
Even with less than ideal material, Lamangan is able to guarantee stellar performances. The filmmaker resorts to exposing, very accurately, a decidedly negative queer image seen before in his other films, such as Lockdown, in which the higher the position of the gay character rich in money, the more malevolent he turns out to be. However, this disturbing state of affairs should be seen as post-queer, rather than homophobic.
The rich characters possess what the citizens who live in poverty need, which allows the macho dancers to carry out pecuniary transactions with wealthy clients that they could never find outside this world of prostitution and lust.
The greatness of Inno's character lies in his status as a redeeming hero who, by saving himself, saves.

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A double switch to brighten our lives

This 2013 Filipino screwball satirical comedy film, starring Zanjoe Marudo and Cristine Reyes, tells the story of twins Brando and Brandy. Despite the physical similarity, both are very different from each other. While the first is heterosexual and has no ambitions in life, the other is a friendly gay who has a career plan.
Brandon is attracted to Erika, Brandy's best friend, but she breaks up with him after realizing that Brandon has no plans for the future.
The homophobic Brando cannot accept that his brother is gay, so he decides to distance himself from him and make his own life independently. To do this, he will plan to start a car repair business and become a mechanic. Brandy, for her part, sets out on her own path to try to make her dream come true.
Eight years later we see Brandy become a successful interior designer, while Brandon still struggles to make ends meet.
Based on real events, the plot delves into each person's journey along their respective paths. Everything seems to indicate that they will never unite again, until one day, their mother begs them to put aside their differences and reconcile. Moved by her mother's plea, Brandy goes out to find her brother to make peace, but suffers an unfortunate accident that leaves him in a coma.
While Brandy remains in the hospital, Brando learns that just before the accident occurred, his brother was putting the finishing touches on negotiating a multimillion-dollar design deal with a client.
Fearing that Brandy will lose the multimillion-dollar business, Brandy's two close friends convince Brando to pull a double switch and pose as his gay brother. Then he will make the second most important decision of his life: So Brando, the straight, homophobic, tough and sexist, becomes the gay Brandy!
This is where the fun begins with Brando juggling Brando and Brandy.
By usurping his gay brother's identity he will not only allow Brando to solve all of his financial problems. It comes with another surprise: It will also give him the chance to patch things up with Erika (Cristine Reyes), Brandy's good friend, who he's always been in love with!
But it doesn't all end here: pretending to be the gay twin will mean that while he tries to prevent a multimillion-dollar business from failing and, in the process, get the love of a girl, he will look at the person he has always hated with different eyes, and acquire a new appreciation for him. by living your life.
In this world gone crazy, with Brando taking on Brandy's cheerful personality, what real chance is there of life returning to normal for the twins? Will Brandy wake up in time, discover the switch her twin flipped, and save the situation?
With a script by Olivia M. Lamasan, Joel Mercado, Enrico C. Santos, Danno Kristoper Mariquit, Kriz G. Gazmen, Kathy Despa and Ays De Guzman, and direction by Wenn V. Deramas, the film features the now Filipino star Kokoy DeSantos will play the twins as teenagers, while Maliksi Morales will play the young Brando and Brandy, and finally Zanjoe Marudo will play the twins as adults.
Filled with comedic moments, 'Bromance: My Brother's Romance' is Skylight Films' first foray into the comedy genre. Even in serious situations, they look for hilarious and over-the-top reactions, which makes it fun to watch.
Zanjoe Marudo achieves a brilliant and natural performance by playing, interchangeably, Brando and Brandy in three different roles: gay man, straight man and straight man who pretends to be gay.

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The harsh reality of Thailand without makeup

This audiovisual product represents the harsh social, economic and political reality experienced by the Thai population. It talks about its problems and contexts, generally adverse, and becomes a reflection of that Asian country.
The film shows topics such as illegal immigration for political, religious, ethnic or sexual orientation reasons; political, administrative and police corruption; police violence and crime, physical elimination of activists and members of the LGBT+ community, border militarization, dysfunctional families, bisexuality, racism, racial discrimination, politically motivated murders, homosexuality, economic problems, prostitution, political activism, stripper , violation of Human Rights, phenomena all reflections of Thai society. I highly doubt that for one reason or another any member of Thai society escapes seeing themselves reflected on the screen.
And facing all these problems there is Sorn (Ud Awat Ratanapintha), a Burmese refugee who, with the hope of a better life, seeks refuge and forges a new identity as a sex worker in Thailand. The protagonist will end up involved in a client's risky plan that endangers his life and that of other people. The diversity of conflicts he faces, his psychological complexity and emotional evolution, add layers to the narrative and weave an intriguing web that keeps the viewer in suspense during its hour and 36 minutes of duration.
The artistic maturity of its main performer protects a remarkable wisdom forged through the experiences lived on the film set. His ability to convey emotions, in a genuine way, cements his position as a leading actor in the Thai film and television scene. Far from seeking grandiloquence, you immerse yourself in your characters with the simplicity that characterizes those who understand that true art lies in authenticity.
From her first appearance on the big screen with the feature film 'Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy' (2013) or as a girl with dramas such as 'Hormones 1' (2013) and 'Hormones 2', in 2014, to her participation in television productions such as 'Cat Radio TV Season 1 and 2', '#HATETAG' (2021), 'Bad Genius' (2022), 'Quarantine Stories' (2020), of which in addition to being an actor he is the director and screenwriter; or in the 2022 documentary JMJ: Lesson 25, in which you participate as an actor and director, you have shown how versatile and capable you are of connecting with the public.
With 'Doi Boy' it is not the first time that he has faced the challenge of playing a leading character. Also in the drama ThirTEEN Terrors (2014), and the special Project S Let's Say Goodbye, from 2018, he had already been placed in front of the responsibility of leading plots. However, taking on the lead role in a film like this involved new challenges, and for the actor, it was a crucial step in his career.
Pae Arak Amornsupasiri as Ji, and Aelm Bhumibhat Thavornsiri, who plays Wuth, are the other two main characters.
The way in which social criticism, border problems and issues related to sexual orientation and male prostitution are represented in the film is not coincidental. In his first work, the documentary 'Boundary' (2013), its director, Nontawat Numbenchapol, already addressed the reality of the local population on the border between Thailand and Cambodia never before recognized in Thai cinematography.
Interested in social issues, in his second documentary, 'By The River', he visualized the situation of the villagers of Klity affected by lead water contamination. With this documentary, for the first time a film of that nationality won the Special Mention at the Locarno International Film Festival.
'Doi Boy' is not the first film with which the filmmaker analyzes issues related to sexual or gender identity. With the hybrid docu-fiction #BKKY, from 2016, this renowned documentary filmmaker and cinematographer visualizes stories of 100 teenagers interviewed in Bangkok about their loves, their dreams, and their coming of age just after graduating from high school. With it, he won the Jury Prize for best feature film at Lesbisch Schwule Filmtage Hamburg, Germany.
Despite a solid premise and good performances and general direction, the film does not reach perfection because it is based on an underdeveloped script, with aspects that deserved further exploration.
Beyond its positive aspects, Doi Boy can be perfected, like any artistic creation. The absence of unique characters like Sorn, Ji and Wuth and the practically non-existent presence of stories like this in Thai and Asian cinematography in general could work in its favor. However, these same positive qualities cause the film to be undervalued by followers of the BL genre, but as a thriller and drama it works well.
'Doi Boy' is a forceful justification to talk about Thailand far beyond the false and illusory representation, both in cinema, television and other national media, of a country as a sexual paradise and freedoms for members of the LGBT+ community and the rest of its population, equally discriminated against for political, ethnic and racial reasons. The film is a reflection of what hurts millions of human beings both in that nation and in the world. That is why I am grateful that it does not have a made-up ending and shows reality as it is until its ultimate consequences: those gray areas of the existence of the Thais shown in 'Doi Boy' are not really reflected in the BL dramas from that region of the planet.

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Whirlwind of love and revenge on a tourist island

He works for a dolphin and sea lion show at Fantastic Ocean. He works at a karaoke bar on a beach on the Chinese island of Hainan, where they both live. He is a talented trainer of aquatic mammals. He succeeds in his traveling business, in part because he bears a striking resemblance to the late Chinese actor and singer Leslie Cheung. He waits for him with dinner ready and both of their underwear clean. He is a daring and handsome boy who also has sexual relations with women and walks around the beach, the streets and the house half-naked. He, in silence, awaits your return. He, drunk, comes home late after playing with other men. Both help in an illicit business, while committing petty robberies and other mischief, such as recovering their assets seized by the police.
Li Qi (Shen Shiyu) and Ren Yu (Zhao Bingrui) are two young men who live a wonderfully simple life as a couple. Happy, between the two of them they have built their own earthly paradise.
However, things change when an attractive young woman, Bai Ling (Yue Yue), comes into their lives and drastically shakes their reality. When the daughter of the illegal beach food vendor joins the two men, a three-way relationship seems possible. Li Qi shines around him. She shines around Ren Yu ('Marriage Proposal Say Yes!', 2013 and 'Love in Late Autumn, 2016'). In this classic love triangle, does the girl know about Qi and Ren Yu? Does he know they are a couple? The truth is that the three of them intend to test the limitations of their own sexuality.
The lovers now face difficult decisions because they want to explore their sexuality further and include Bai Ling ('A Woman', 2022; 'Mother in the Mist', 2021), in their relationship. At times, the loving trio disappears to become a secret couple again, but now between Bai Ling and Ren Yu. But the latter will not accept his proposal to be her boyfriend and live in a distant city. Could love for Li Qi be the reason for his rejection? Don't you want to enter an uncertain, but promising future? Why then does he kiss her and while they are living their idyll, the tragedy occurs that will shake the three of them to the depths of their being?
The film, which begins at the end, initially tells us how one of the main characters commits a heinous crime motivated by revenge and then goes to the roots of the conflict to expose the reasons that motivated the revenge.
Also skillful is the location of the plot in one of the tropical and paradisiacal beach areas of Hainan (in Chinese, 海南; pinyin, Hǎinán; literally, 'South Sea'), the smallest and southern province of the People's Republic of China. The site surprises by becoming another protagonist, the fourth, of the film. Its streets and shops show the wounds of the passage of successive typhoons that hit what is now the largest Special Economic Zone of the Asian giant.
Like an island from which you can only leave by air or sea, our protagonists will also find themselves unable to escape their own destiny. This is marked from the very title of the film. The main reason to chew Asian betel nut or areca nut is for its stimulating and slightly euphoric effects. The person who consumes it obtains a greater feeling of alertness, a sensation of heat throughout the body.
Subtle and masterful use of metaphor to mark the destruction of the paradise in which Li Qi and Ren Yu have lived with the interweaving of the Chinese tradition of consuming betel nuts with the risks to human health associated with the prolonged use of these seeds. , since this practice has led thousands of people to an early death.
Released in April 2017, the film, by Chinese director and screenwriter Hu Jia, won the China Stard Best Film Award 2018. It was also presented at the Berlin International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival and Hong Kong International Film Festival, in its 2017 editions.
The yaoi genre romantic drama 'The Taste of Betel Nut' (槟榔血) depicts a story of revenge and young love, a story about the growing desire for intimacy between two men and a woman.
Very cleverly, Hu Jia makes unique decisions in writing the script and developing the plot of the film. The choice to include few dialogues does not discourage the viewer. On the contrary, it awakens in us an interest in discovering where the film story will take us. This way, the audience will be able to appreciate the images and focus more on the characters' actions.
The writer and director creates a fractured storyboard that unfolds like a puzzle: fundamental pieces are missing to finish the work. Together, he and the viewer, we will have the task of, as the footage rolls, compare the fragments we have with those intentionally omitted, in order to advance through the incomplete scenes that have kept us in the dark until we reach the light. and with this the understanding of the narrated events.
The ending is open. The viewer, once again behind the cameras, has several pieces of the puzzle in their hands. According to his wishes, only one of them may be the right one to complete the puzzle: on the terrace of his house, between sheets swinging in the air, Ren Yu, with obvious scars on his shaved head and with a slow, hesitant step, has been able come out of the coma and now turns his face and smiles at someone who approaches. Is it Li Qi who has been able to escape the fury of the bullies? Has Ren Yu waited for him during his years in prison for the crime committed? Is it just Ren Yu's imagination? Like Ren Yu, Li Qi has also died at the hands of the gang and they both meet again in another paradise, but this time heavenly?

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We are faced with a filmic gem:
Song Young Jun, 30 (Song Jae Ha) and Seo Joon Suk, 23 (Jo Hye Hoon) are a very happy gay couple despite living their love in secret. Both actors, who play their roles perfectly, are not afraid to show their naked torsos during the 65 minutes of the film and have explicit sex scenes, all achieved in an artistic way.
The young people decide to create a memory they never had in celebrating their 5th anniversary. They rent a room in a motel in Jongno (Seoul's popular gay neighborhood) to record their precious memory on a video camera.
Between a celebration cake, confidences, naked baths, sex and complicities, all in front of the camera in which they record themselves, the room is filled with the memories that unite them, like the day on the beach to which they promise. go back. Likewise, they vow to never change their love for each other.
However, there is a feeling in the air that today is going to be their last day.
On the one hand, the excellent performances, the control of the body and voice of the two actors to interpret the emotions, the direction, script and other technical elements of the film and, on the other, the viewer's refusal to accept the obvious, but All the signs of what will happen are cleverly shown: Joon Suk is reluctant to allow himself to be filmed from the first scene, the bathroom scene. He claims to be nervous, then worries that the video could be taken as pornography. Only your boyfriend's insistence will lead him to agree to participate in everything that will happen inside the room.
As Young Jun prepares to leave, Joon Suk is awake, but he pretends to sleep and doesn't want to say goodbye. It is evident that he knew in advance that the relationship would end, and of the existence of a prior agreement between the two that it would end in this way.
Young Jun will also ask “When did you hate me the most?”, to which Joon Suk will respond: “When you tell me 'we don't have a future', 'we should marry women' or 'the gay community in Korea hasn't changed'.” Young Jun will also confess that “there is a fantastic recording ready for you,” referring to the recorded video that he leaves for her to watch after he leaves.
In my opinion, not knowing how to appreciate the true emotions and feelings that the characters convey is the reason for the negative reviews and low ratings. The characters themselves, very subtly, are responsible for answering the reason why the film does not have an ending like the one we would like. The film makes a very intelligent, very subtle criticism of the discrimination that exists in South Korea against members of the LGBT+ community.
South Korea is a conservative country, with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions, where homosexuals have difficulty fitting into society. Coming out is still not welcomed in most conservative Korean families, who consider their children's homosexuality as something close to a crime.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in South Korea face legal challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT+ South Koreans. Same-sex sexual activity is legal, but Gay Marriage, Equal Marriage or Same-sex Marriage or other forms of legal partnership are not available to same-sex couples.
It's true: we would like a happy ending for the two young people, but reality prevailed. Young Jun leaves an envelope on the nightstand containing an invitation to his wedding to a woman. His destiny is decided by his family. Your destiny is determined by society. He doesn't have the strength to fight this and accepts not being happy and also making his boyfriend unhappy.
An ending, which would only be syrupy, melodramatic and unrealistic, perhaps bordering on the worst film productions, would have been for Young Jun to have rebelled against his family and society and not have abandoned his boyfriend. For a moment, before the end credits, I thought that they were not a couple, that Joon Suk was a prostitute (because of the envelope on the table I even speculated that it could be money) and they both pretended to be boyfriend and girlfriend for some reason. A happy ending, in this case, could be that the connection created between the two turns them into a couple. Young Jun would return to the room to confess to loving him and Joon Suk would claim that he also developed feelings for him during the hours they shared in the motel room.

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The cliché of engineering students in BL series: from 'Sotus' to 'Secretly Love'

University environment? A university in Bangkok? Faculty of Engineering? Hazing boss? A secret love between two boys? A boy in love with a sundere, that is, a person whose initial behavior is cold and reserved, but who gradually transforms into someone warm, sensitive and friendly? One of them who, after a while, turns from hostile and unfriendly into an individual whose behavior is affectionate? Is one of them from a year older than the other? One called Khonprot, a name very similar to Kongphob? All this in a Thai BL?
This is how I reflected while reading the synopsis of 'A Secretly Love'. Then, other recurring questions would arise: By some chance one of the boys gives the other a "gear", that small toothed wheel, symbol of the Faculty of Engineering? Are you sure it's not SOTUS?
With this idea I immersed myself in the first episode of the series that tells the romance between Khonprot, a role assumed by Kut-Thanawat Sukfuengfueng, a third-year hazing leader at the Faculty of Engineering, and Pluem, played by actor Kimmon-Warodom Khemmontha.
Since I started watching BL dramas, I have found that if you ask any fan of the genre what the biggest cliché is in this type of productions, they will undoubtedly answer that placing the plot in the Faculty of Engineering and its protagonists are future engineers. I don't consider it bad to repeat the same cliché over and over again, especially if it is developed well. But this requirement is rarely met, which undermines the success of the drama.
The main problem with these series is not the use of the much-questioned cliché ad nauseum, but the fact that it is not even made good use of, in addition to ignoring a cruel reality, such as the hegemonic masculinity prevailing in the faculties of Engineering.
Homosexual engineering students in Thailand suffer from violence perpetrated by homophobes, both inside and outside the University, as well as mockery and harassment from students in higher years. This affects their self-esteem and daily life, to the extent that many have been forced to leave their studies because they feel harassed, while others commit suicide.
Future engineers and other careers, especially the "effeminate" ones, describe psychological, physical and sexual violence against them, demonstrating the articulation of homophobia and misogyny in Thai universities. Much of his narratives describe the role of alcohol in strengthening masculine bonds, negotiating manhood before groups of peers, and evading feelings and frustrations. Others, to hide their homosexuality, are forced to seduce and have sex with several women and separate them from their true feelings and emotions.
Let us remember that Thailand is a sexist and conservative society in which marriage between people of the same gender is not yet legal and in which homosexuality is taboo and frowned upon by both family and religion.
Topics such as the need to seek new ways of “being human and free” in the university environment, or how boys construct new ways of being a man and being young in the society in which they live, as well as the other problems highlighted in this review. to 'A Scretly Love' are absent in the plots of BL series, which do not take into account the social and historical nature of masculinity. This is a social construction recreated, reproduced and reinvented daily by social actors differentiated by age, sexual orientation and other factors.
Whether it happens organically due to the environment in which they grew up, due to their desires for expression through physical appearance, due to experiences lived in the school environment or, on the contrary, due to their feeling of not aligning with the paradigm, the Engineering students assume the consciousness of being a male subject who develops daily in a sexist environment or environment, exalting masculinity and even homophobic, which expects from them strength and resistance, sporting inclination, independence, self-sufficiency, passion, determination, open mind and abruptness as concepts associated with them.
Thai BL dramas, and others, do not take into account the reasons why these situations and beliefs have arisen. They do not tell how homosexual engineering students (and other majors) are excited about the possibility of reimagining and deconstructing the reality that surrounds them. They do not reflect on how they expect to live in a community in which no one feels pressured to align with certain thoughts or be forced to act in a certain way that is foreign to their personalities and characters.
Given this reality, the series on this topic within the BL genre suffer from not addressing the necessary equality policies that must be established in Engineering faculties in Thailand and other places in the world, and for which so many members of the LGBT+ community have fought and still fight to make them a global reality.
These dramas are limited to reflecting a homosexual romance and leave aside everything related to equity, justice and equal opportunities as the benefits that everyone would receive as a result of actions being implemented for their benefit. These dramas ignore everything that has to do with the need to recognize problems, question behaviors and join the essential changes that do not come and do not focus their attention on something more rooted in the freedom with which each person experiences life. .
In this context, the interest of scriptwriters and directors in presenting engineering students in romances with other boys of the same sex is striking and, above all, if they all dream of training as engineers, ignoring everything else.
All of the above would change if the premise were better supported within the script. It can get tiring, due to oversaturation, that creators want us to believe over and over again, that engineers, so “masculine”, can also love other boys, especially when in most cases they represent to these not so masculine.
'A Secretly Love' shows that it is not necessary to place the protagonists as students of the Faculty of Engineering. In the series, as in other previous ones, this fact has no relevance within the plot. Apart from using the faculty as a setting for various scenes, the interest in demonstrating a supposed superiority of some students over others depending on the faculty in which they study, or the much-used gear as a symbol that represents the official acceptance of the student at the faculty, or the representation of the actors proudly wearing the blue shirt that becomes another emblem of future Thai engineers, do not seem to have greater importance than the role they play in the story.
The series repeats the same mistake of its predecessors determined to place the story and the characters in an Engineering faculty, by attempting to show the great importance that this career has, when this circumstance collides with the little value that it truly represents in the plot line.
As is the case in other Thai BL productions, 'A Secretly Love' confirms that it would not suffer any alteration in its plot if the protagonists were placed in any other faculty other than Engineering.
At the opposite extreme, stands SOTUS: The Series and SOTUS S: The Series (2016-2017), by director Pongpisit Sri, based on a BL novel by BitterSweet, a pioneering work par excellence within this type of series of this Thai genre.
Sotus is the perfect demonstration of the evolution and development of the main plot, subplots and characters, both main and secondary, in an environment of students from the Faculty of Engineering. The entire cast manages to cope and develop within this reality in such a deep and emotional way, as has never been seen before or since in a BL, by achieving a good balance between romance and the everyday life of engineering students.
It would be meritorious for Odd Ramet Ruangpratum, the director of the television adaptation of Avery Pie's novel of the same name, if he managed, without repeating Sotus, to show us in a more profound and convincing way than his predecessors within these BL-themed series, a romance between engineering students, renewing formulas and ignoring clichés.
I just hope that the fictional characters that represent one a noble boy who keeps his word and has leadership qualities, the one who tries to act strong all the time, although inside he is a very sensitive person, and the other a young athlete who speaks little, but hits hard and likes to be pretentious, but deep down he is a sensitive person with a fragile heart, easy to love and difficult to forget, so that the young Engineering students that they embody can live in freedom. , equality, equity and justice, and their human rights are respected.
I would like Khonprot and Pluem to be able to live up to Arthit and Kongphob, the two heroes of Sotus, by convincingly showing us situations such as hazing, the upper-year student-lower year hierarchy relationship, the effort involved in achieving the long-awaited gear, or achieve the title of engineer, while their romantic relationship matures, grows and becomes as strong as the metal from which the small cogwheel, symbol of the Faculty of Engineering, is made.

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From friends to lovers, an unsatisfactory ending and the use of multilingualism

Cinema and television have told many stories that show that it is possible to conquer love through friendship and achieve happiness. One of these stories is undoubtedly 'Eccentric Romance'.
Produced by Hanyang Studio, the series is part of an international audiovisual project that unites South Korea and Thailand, both in story and cast, as it did before with 'Peach of Time', 'Love Is Like a Cat', 'Why R.U?' ('Waialyu'), which should be added at some point, among other series, 'Wuju Bakery'. On this occasion, Studio Sky and Studio Target also participate.
If in the aforementioned series they combined romance with the supernatural, a plot of healing, love and the fusion of two opposite worlds; the stories of enemies to lovers; or how a novel becomes reality, this time it tells us a youth and university story that excellently mixes suspense, crime and police investigation, before becoming a story of self-discovery and acceptance.
Jagwan Gong, also known as Kong Ja Kwan, who spent his early career making adult films, such as 'Pornmaking for Dummies', 'Pizza Dare 1' and 'Pizza Dare 2', 'Buddy's Mom' and 'A Unique Movie ', before moving into the mainstream with his first theatrical feature film, 'The Sex Film', in 2006, he is the director of this LGBT+ themed romantic drama, which uses the quasi-thriller mechanism of a murder mystery in the that the two protagonists will involuntarily find themselves involved. But its narrative transforms into something much better and deeper. 'Eccentric Romance' is actually a story that rises about friendship and love.
Because as the background of a budding romance, the scriptwriter imagined a crime and tells its resolution, step by step, having as investigators some inept and even laughable protagonists and their closest group of friends, all so that the viewer is sometimes deceived, but putting the clues under our noses in such a way that we overlook them and suspect at times of one, at other times of other characters.
This series is the first of a three-level Hanyang Studio project Y Evolution 2023, and began life under the name 'PT is Love', however, shortly after the filming schedule was announced its title was changed to ' Eccentric Romance', although for a time it was also often called "Bizarre Romance".
In just six chapters, each divided into two, each lasting about 17 minutes, the series plans to tell us the story of how a boy does the impossible to be close to his best friend, and in the process, such At the same time, he also conquered something more than his heart, since from the beginning the main organ of the circulatory system of each of them is already in his power.
The story tells us about Jay, a young Thai man who travels to Seoul to meet Seong Hun, his best friend, to study the same degree as him at university. Both, who hide their feelings from each other, which are more than those of one friend can have for another, have built a solid friendship for 8 years, but the last four years they have been distanced, at least geographically, since each one has must attend secondary education in their native country.
With a vibe as dark as it is interesting, the series tells how the two friends are enrolled in the same college elective class called "Health and Happiness" and must submit a physical body assessment for their final project. Although Seong Hun already exercises regularly and has a well-developed physique, Jay does not believe he is in the best shape and wants to develop his physique in the gym.
For this reason, Jay convinces Seong Hun to take him to the gym where he usually goes and thus get in better physical shape to be able to complete the academic exercise.
At the gym, Jin Uk, a personal trainer, shows a special interest in Jay, much to Seong Hun's chagrin. However, there is something strange about Jin Uk. Despite his kindness towards the Thai boy, suspicions begin to arise that Jin Uk may be involved in the murder of a man named Jin Wook. Is there a happy ending in store for Jay and Seong Hun, or will Jay's budding relationship with Jin Uk cost him an untold price?
Will it happen, as in every beautiful suspense story, that nothing is exactly what it seems? I'm waiting for a delicious plot that will surprise me with its twists and turns.
Scripted by Yeon Joo Lee and Yong Ju Lee, 'Eccentric Romance' is based on a story by Keum Lim Lee.

IS IT WORTH IT OR NOT TO WATCH 'ECCENTRIC ROMANCE'?

In reference to the performances, Yoon Jun Won manages to give life in a credible and well-crafted way to a sports-loving boy who shows from the first shots that he has feelings for his Thai friend. It's one of those performances that hits the sweet spot of a friend-to-lovers relationship with the audience. The dynamic, chemistry and sexual tension created between this actor and the one who plays Jay is fascinating.
Yoon Jun Won, the actor and former member of the "multi-tainer" group THE MAN BLK, is known for participating in numerous films and series, such as the three seasons of 'Best Mistake'.
For his part, Save Saisawat, who plays Jay, steals the spotlight when he enters the frame, the happy and sincere way in which he relates to his friend, the laughter that flows from his lips, the secret glances at his friend, along with his facial gestures, he conveys to us from the first moment who we are in front of and what we should expect from him.
Save Saisawat has extensive experience in BL productions. In 2022 he starred in the series 'Why You... Y Me?', and that same year he played Chonlathee in the drama 'Ai Long Nhai', and in 2023 he appeared in the film 'Ai Long Nhai: The Endless Love'.
This main group of actors is missing Lee Geon U, who will play Seung Ju. This actor played the romantic interest of Mew Suppasit in the series and film 'Love is Like a Cat', by South Korean director Kwon Nam Ki, and Taeha, also known as Momoland, as 'Ji Won'.
Finally, after the interesting meeting between the two protagonist boys and Jin Uk, a character played by Go Byung Wan, known for participating in the dramas 'Love Returns' (2018), and 'Bad Thief, Good Thief' (2017), it ends to propose the main elements of the scenario, from which the series begins to take shape to know in the following episodes what the most interesting awaits us.

THE USE OF MULTILINGUALISM

There is one issue that seems to bother some viewers: each of the characters speak their native language instead of a single common language. However, this is not a problem for the development of the series.
The actors maintain a special dynamic even though some speak Korean and one of them speaks Thai, as they are perfectly synchronized, comfortable in their own languages, and give the idea of ​​being able to understand each other fully and fluently, achieving a connection with the viewer.
In my opinion, South Korean director Jagwan Gong has been free to use the tool of multilingualism to provide characterization and establish tone, and also to entrench certain linguistic stereotypes.
This situation allows me to remember a brilliant and masterfully choreographed scene from the film 'Everything Everywhere All at Once', by directors Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, winner of awards in the categories of acting, editing and direction, as well as the coveted award for best film, at the 95th edition of the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards.
I'm referring to the scene where three generations of a chaotic immigrant family speak three different languages at dinner.
This is a solid example of how screenwriters and directors use language in film to do much more than convey dialogue: language and subtitles also help characterization, set the tone of a scene, and anchor fictional stories to the story reality.
What is annoying for some when they watch 'Eccentric Romance', evokes in me the moment when the South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho in his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes for 'Parasites', in 2019, when he stated: when the audience overcomes the "subtitle barrier, a richer cinematic world awaits."
Telling authentic stories in a modern, globalized and multicultural world means fairly portraying the languages spoken and adopted in our society. Hence, sometimes, the need for subtitles.
In some of the best scenes in Todd Field's 'Tár', its protagonist, Cate Blanchett, uses German only during orchestra rehearsals and completely dispenses with subtitles.
Non-German-speaking audiences may not understand the words Blanchett speaks, but are instead encouraged to focus on the visual aspects of the character's communication: her facial expressions, her physical tics and tremors, and the mounting tension, both visible as audible, between her and everyone around her.
Another example of the use of multilingualism in audiovisuals can be found in the Japanese film 'Drive my Car' ('Doraibu mai kâ, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi', 2021), one of the most interesting and stimulating films, and, why not say it, most awarded, of 2022. In it, a Japanese playwright, Yusuke Kafuku, a character played by Nishijima Hidetoshi, intends to stage a new version of the play "Uncle Vania" by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Except for a long forty-minute introduction, the entire film takes place between the rehearsals prior to the premiere and the car trips that the stage director makes daily between his hotel and the theater driven by a laconic woman, Misaki, a role assumed by Miura Toko, that they have assigned him as a driver.
A peculiarity of this new update of Chekhov's text is that the cast of actresses and actors who are going to participate in the production belong to different countries and that they each recite their sentences in a different language (Korean, Mandarin, Japanese and even French. of Korean signs) that is not understood by others. It seems as if gestures and body language were enough for the interpreters to be able to transcend their linguistic particularisms and elevate us to the universality of emotions.
The relationship between Kafuku and Misaki will also strengthen despite the silence, the absence of words, that presides over a good part of their trips. Hence it is no coincidence that the play to be performed is "Uncle Vania." Because the same inability that human beings seem to have, and that Chekhov points out in Russia at the end of the 19th century, to face change, taking refuge in melancholic loss, to assume our desires, abandoning ourselves to guilt, resentment and frustration, of getting out of boredom, routine and boredom, letting ourselves be carried away by a kind of moral inertia, is what Hamaguchi observes in 21st century Japan. And also, and of course, the lack of communication, the insufficiency of language to account for the deepest layers of the human soul. Because both Chekhov's characters and those of the Japanese filmmaker express themselves more in what is not said than in what they really say.

UNSATISFACTORY ENDING

But the series ruins everything towards the end. On the one hand, it fails to engage with the expected increase in tension or an explosive and surprising closure regarding the crime expected by the viewer: the criminal investigation falls into the hands of some inexperienced university students. Although several police officers at one point began the investigations, they were never seen with their investigations again. Will the South Korean Police be so inefficient?
I can't find a real motive to commit a crime, kidnappings and multiple attempted murders. Instead of great villains, the murderers are laughable at most, while the central mystery stops being gripping, if it ever was. The characters never go through dark, dramatic and complicated situations.
The criminal investigation carried out by Jin Uk, Jay, Seong Hun and Ji Won (Kim Tae Ha) also compromises the development of the romance between the two main characters, as they will find themselves lost in the midst of the labyrinth of suspicions and persecutions instead of strengthening the loving bond.
In the last episodes, once the two protagonists have recognized their feelings for each other, instead of increasing the romance and sexual tension between the two lovers, the romantic approaches and physical interactions evaporate.
Bottom line: the ending is lackluster and doesn't live up to expectations, it's like a bad dessert after a good meal, and it leaves the viewer with a bad taste in their mouth.

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In recent decades, the proliferation of social networks has allowed the emergence of problems such as post-truth or distortion of reality in the creation of content. The lack of legitimacy of traditional media has given way to a collective thought that prefers to believe in content shared on networks by a family member or friend, rather than that which has been verified and contrasted.
This situation gives rise to a public opinion formed based on untrue information, giving rise to hyperreality. This favors fake news, as there is no proper selection, verification and construction of information.
Since becoming a public figure, FueangNakhon (Job Krisz Ahandrik), the protagonist of the Thai BL series 'City of Stars', has mastered the pressure from journalists and the persecution of his fans. Being a well-known face has not been easy for him. If you ever thought that being recognized on the streets would be a dream, reality proved you wrong. The pressure of always having the press watching his every move is exhausting. The emergence of his followers on social networks doesn't help either. After the latest “scandal” in which you have been involved, how to proceed on your social media profiles? Is it appropriate to take a season off to “detox”? Would it be preferable to abandon social networks permanently?
His “mistake” was to register and publish on “Zendaya” a first message that said: "let's transmit positive energy to each other." Due to the condition that each publication contains only positive content, the platform, whose offices are located in Silicon Valley, California, is not popular among Thai users. However, the message from the self-proclaimed “Thailand's most popular villain” will provoke an avalanche of attacks from Internet users in the Asian country. In response, Zendaya's managers intend to "monitor" FueangNakhon.
Who better to fulfill this task than Krommatha (Porsche Sitha Kanchana-alongkorn), Zendaya's only Thai programmer. Shouldn't he take his vacation in Thailand? Wouldn't he then be the right one to keep a close eye on “provocateurs” like FueangNakhon? How to protect the digital application from villains like this, if not by acting energetically so that situations like this are not repeated?
Who would have thought that Krommatha wouldn't have to work hard to track down the cause of the chaos, as he would take a seat at the same table occupied by Zendaya's programmer upon her arrival at the Bangkok airport? Who would think that the villain is called son by Krommatha's mother? Does Krommatha wish to pursue the “infamous” one or rest with his parents? What will happen between the two boys when they start dating?

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It is worth trusting and believing in destiny: original in its structure of connecting stories

Does destiny exist? Everyone has their point of view, there are those who say that everything happens for a reason, there are those who say that destiny exists and that we cannot escape its designs. Therefore, if so: are we directed? Does our life have meaning if we are already anchored to a future that, whether we want it or not, we cannot avoid? I, personally, do not believe so, I am a little more scientific, to put it somewhat, and I believe that each person takes the reins of their life, and that there is no destiny, but rather cause and effect... However, This already remains within each person.
Whether you believe in destiny or not, soul mates are a myth about love that has remained alive for centuries, perhaps because we are all searching for it, because we know a story that reinforces it or, possibly, we have seen many movies and romantic television series.
Film and television have delved into the search for perfect, magical and lasting love, and have shown more than once that soul mates exist and are in the places you least imagine.
If destiny wants two boys to remain united in an indissoluble bond, so it will be, regardless of whether they both live more than a thousand lives, and in each of them they somehow manage to fall in love with each other. This is the premise of the Thai LGBT+-themed romantic drama 'Every You, Every Me', from director Sutida Singharach, university professor and director of the Film and Creative Media Arts program at the Faculty of Communication Arts (International Programme) Bangkok in his official debut behind the cameras, based on the script by Saipirun Chaichiangpin, renowned author of BL series such as 'Love Sick: The Series Season 2' (2015) and 'Reminders' (2019), and also debutant Jeong Thunyathorn.
However, this is not a story of reincarnation or time travel. So the viewer will find it interesting to discover how the characters will live the more than a thousand lives indicated in the synopsis. Through independent plots, without a visible thread that unites them, without a tie that connects each of the stories, we will sometimes see stories with happy endings, at other times with closures that will make us cry; often with performances by part of the well-known supporting cast, occasionally with supporting actors who have recently entered the series. But yes: always with the presence of the two stars who dress in luxury and touch the sky with their performances..., always to tell us a better story than the previous one, which will keep us intrigued and expectant.
The truth is that with complete naturalness the two protagonists exchange personalities, characters, attitudes and characters from one chapter to another, since each story is completely different and if they have a connecting thread it is the performance of the same actors in each episode. The series is perfect for giving Mick and Top the opportunity to showcase all facets of their acting skills, something they achieve superbly.
Without spoilers, following what is narrated in the trailers, I will give my impression of the first episode, so that the reader can assess what awaits them:
It's raining heavily in Bangkok. The weather forecasts have been accurate: while people return home after the work or student day and seek shelter from the rain at a bus stop, a female voice on the radio alerts us that the effects of warming global warming has caused it to rain every night of November in the Thai capital for 30 consecutive days. But at the same time, the same voice gives hope to certain people: "If this can mean bad luck for many, it could also be the opportunity for singles to find their soul mate in the rain thanks to being able to see all the bright colors".
And in this situation our heroes find themselves, one selling umbrellas and raincoats to people in his path, and the other returning home after an exhausting day of work.
'Every You, Every Me' is discussing these topics, through a magical and fortunate encounter, and this encounter occurs between the characters played by two handsome and talented actors with meteoric growth within the BL industry in the Southeast Asian country: Mick Monthon Viseshsin and Top Piyawat Phongkanitanon.
The first, known for playing Lukchup in 'La Cuisine' (2022), plays Dol, a young worker at a company who does not believe in soul mates and denotes a certain coldness in his actions. In his opinion, there are many people who love each other without being soulmates, while for others, even if they are, their relationship does not work.
Mick proves that there is no series that cannot stand out for its presence, being the type that BL lovers find attractive and intelligent; in other words, pine for him.
He is the common man for fans of the genre. Mick's Dol is a serious, restrained, self-deprecating and attractive protagonist whose charisma the series conveys.
For his part, Top plays Sun, a messenger, food delivery man and motorcycle taxi driver, who has an eccentrically adorable belief in destiny and everything related to the Rain Color Verse and other beliefs related to this topic.
Sun, the object of Dol's love, is a boy who brings sweetness, joy and genuine concern for his soulmate, even if the other does not believe in this. Fun and sexy, he would gladly make any guy jump through all the crazy hoops he places in front of him for a chance to show his affection.
All of this looks good on paper, particularly the casting of Mick, who brings an elegant touch of romantic drama class to everything he touches. And if you add to this a good script, a haircut and custom-made clothes, you have everything in your favor.
For its part, Top is the one that promotes mischief, humor, and laughter, without lacking dramatic and tense moments, as well as those of tenderness.
This is not the first time that both actors have met on the filming set, nor is this their inaugural performance as a couple in an audiovisual production. Already in 2023 the first plays Korn in 'My Universe', specifically in the story 'You Are My So(ul) Mate' Korn, while the second got into the shoes of Butr, his partner in this BL series.
On this occasion, they play two city dwellers who meet by chance and fall in love after "each one getting wet in the rain and seeing the other in full color". This is the sign: you are soul mates. Sun has just broken up with Au, a toxic and violent boyfriend, while Dol seems like he hasn't known love yet. Without a doubt, I was waiting for him in a downpour.
The first episode of 'Every You, Every Me' keeps the audience's heart in its hands from the first to the last scene and, although it squeezes it at times and leaves a bitter taste when learning about unhappy childhoods due to the death of one of the parents and the mother's interest in finding a new boyfriend, on the one hand; or a dysfunctional family and the suffering of a child in the midst of his parents' constant arguments, on the other hand, the series provokes a delicious catharsis in the viewer's brain in the inevitable reflection "Do you love me for who I am or just because I am your soulmate?" That is, "Would you still love me, even if we weren't soulmates?"
But 'Every You, Every Me' goes much further, as she reflects on how much of love is destiny and how much is a choice.
The life stories of the protagonists, which we will learn about through flashbacks and conversations between the characters, serve as the necessary emotional burden for a plot that deals with so much baggage.
The main reason this series works where other romantic dramas fail is the casting. Mick and Top are affable leads with solid chemistry that meshes well enough and quickly enough for the audience to become reasonably invested in their activities and their budding romance.
Sun's best friend, Heung, the Minimart worker, is an enthusiastic and friendly character who brings a good dose of joy to the series. As much chemistry as Top Added to the mix is Meen Nattakrit Hamontri ('On Cloud Nine', 2022), although his work is uncredited, who steals every scene in which he appears as Dol's work senior; and Fiat Patchata Janngeon ('Shadow', 2023), who plays the bartender or clerk at the cafeteria where Sun and Dol frequently go.
The beautiful photography of Danupat Thananurak, a skilled craftsman in his craft, helps the series take off with the growing closeness between the two young people, physically and emotionally, and the way it unites the changes that both go through in their lives once they know each other. The back and forth between the protagonists makes it clear: this is a love story. And each reunion, usually at night and in the middle of a downpour, is the apotheosis.
There are sad, boring, dull series... But that is not the case with 'Every You, Every Me'. And there are also those that make you laugh, make you sing, make you cry, make you have a pleasant time, make you feel emotional. And this is useful for all that, but it can also be used to identify yourself.
Or even to extract reflections, for example about destiny. Which is behind everything. When decisions are made, perhaps it sends signals, it will depend on how we interpret them to be happy or not. Or if that assertion, practically shattered today, is true, that if a single person appears in your life that you really want to be with, don't hesitate, this is your series.
Philosophical disquisitions aside, this television delight of romanticism and the BL genre is a breath of fresh air, of legitimately sentimental and enveloping audiovisual production.
The protagonists, the always elegant and serious Dol and the joking and lively Sun, in maintaining balance, are irresistibly charming, adorable, one follows them in their smallest and largest gestures with great delight.
It's one of those beautiful series, really really beautiful. And although it exudes a certain bitter aftertaste, both bitterness and sadness, although it may sound strange, can generate a strange happiness, as is the case. And so, once the final credits roll it is easy to be overcome, as happens to me every time I reviewed the episode to write the review, with a feeling of lasting happiness and a tremendous desire that this couple can continue meeting in one and a thousand more lives.
In the line of Thai romantic dramas of the BL genre such as 'La Pluie', 'Century of Love', 'The Notebook' or the South Korean 'Color Rush', 'Every You, Every Me' joins the queue of scripts full of unlikely encounters and improbable disagreements to question or dismantle the initial theory held by one of its protagonists, Sun, for whom concepts such as "chance", "accident" or "destiny" are precisely the only way to know what is before him. soulmate. By chance he meets Dol and they both dedicate themselves to forcing fate to bring them together again, between "time lapse" and "time lapse", or what is the same, between life and life. Or is the script forcing them?
Of course, the soundtrack is in charge of doing its thing to recharge the cake even more and one ends up thinking that it is worth trusting and believing in destiny.
And although it tells us something implausible because it is unreal, sometimes it is nice to see stories like this.
I will not hesitate to return to update the review later.

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A series to sink our fangs and leave us bloodless

Vampires have been a fascination in both film and television. These beings have flooded literature and horror films and series, given the mystery and fascination that the public has felt for them. It is normal if we take into account that these mysterious and seductive subjects sleep in coffins, feed on the blood of their victims and cannot stand sunlight, among other attractive qualities for the public.
Film and television have also witnessed various versions of vampires who have developed a homosexual love relationship, such as the one between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt giving life to Lestat and Louis, respectively, in 'Interview with the Vampire' (1994). ), by Neil Jordan, based in turn on the 'Vampire Chronicles' saga (1976-2014) by Anne Rice, in which various characters alternate with intense homoerotic content.
As a symbol of transgressive and predatory sexuality, homosexuality in vampirism has been used as a cinematographic resource. Already in 19th century literature, it was present to show the vampire as a metaphor for homosexuality where "the undead" is a creature that appears human but must hide its true nature to avoid rejection and persecution from the society that surrounds it. . Television series have contributed to reconfiguring the figure of the vampire.
As a type of literature aimed at a homosexual audience developed during the 20th century, the vampire lost its transgressive sexuality as part of its predatory nature, and homosexuality became just another feature of it, without a clear difference from the homosexuality.
Male vampire homosexuality appears directly reflected for the first time as a comic element in 'The Fearless Vampire Killers' (1967), by Roman Polanski, where the first gay vampire on film appears, the effeminate son of Count Von Krolock.
On television, vampire homosexuality has appeared very occasionally. The main vampire and gay-themed television series is 'The Lair', produced by here! in 2007, a work that is aimed mainly at a homosexual audience.
For its part, the Chilean horror and romance soap opera 'Conde Vrolok', written by Pablo Illanes and produced by Televisión Nacional de Chile in 2009, shows one of its characters, Úrsula Donoso, having lesbian relationships with several women in the plot. .
The American dark fantasy horror television series 'True Blood', produced and created by Allan Ball and based on 'The Southern Vampire Mysteries', a series of novels by Charlaine Harris, features vampiric lesbianism in the figures of vampires Pam de Beaufort and Sophie-Anne Leclerq.
Along with GMMTV's 'My Golden Blood', 'My God! Vampire, Very Good' and 'The Vampire Project', from Studio Wabi Sabi, '1000 Years Old' tells a vampire-themed story.
Something in common that the aforementioned titles have with each other is that their premise is to intrigue and entertain the public with strong doses of mystery and action with a mix of a captivating supernatural plot and a love story between boys.
The series, which makes no apologies for its queerness with enough content of a homosexual vampire loving a boy, gives off strong homoerotic vibes to please all fans of the genre.
The drama, which depicts a blossoming romance between a vampire who has lived for almost a thousand years and a human, marks the return of Nutchapol Cheevapanyaroj (Shane) in a BL, now as the main protagonist, after 'My Engineer' (2020). He is joined by promising rookie actor Kritsapatorn Napawiwattanaku (Opal), who makes his debut in a drama and does so in a genre in which he can show off his artistic talent: BL.
From the first episode it can be seen that the series has proposed giving a supernatural twist to the traditional BL genre, by exploring an unlikely relationship between a vampire and a human.
The tone of comedy is very positive as a key element to expose the story between moments of humor and others of romance, while the characters face the unique challenges that this dynamic brings.
In this supernatural romance, what will be Yo's reaction when he discovers the truth behind Pun's identity? Will someone try to interfere with their romance? Can love materialize? Will a vampire and a human be able to love each other? Will this love end beautifully and be timeless like the longevity of vampires?
Pun, a mysterious and cool young man, has lived a simple life as an ordinary person. Around him, people are born, grow old and die, and he remains with a face similar to that of a 25-year-old young man. He lives alone in an apartment and rarely goes outside, only to go to a store near his house where he buys pig's blood soup. This is also the favorite restaurant of Yo, a third-year student who also enjoys Pun's favorite dish. This is where the two protagonists will meet.
From the first meeting, both feel a strong connection after introducing themselves with their respective names. From that moment on, they will deepen the bond. Yo begins to know the truth behind Pun: he was actually not a normal human being, but a vampire who had been living in this world for over a thousand years. He will be struck by the fact that his new friend uses the pronoun "I" to refer to himself and calls others by "sir", which is unusual for teenagers these days.
Only I know Pun's well-kept secret, with whom he has begun to open up and trust him with even his own life. Pun did not want to reveal it to anyone else, fearful of what might happen to him if the truth were revealed. Now, why does Pun agree to tell Yo everything? As his feelings for his friend grow stronger, Pun will understand that he wants to grow a love relationship between the two.
Unlike other series about vampires, Champ Weerachit Thongjil's “monster” is the most human and sensitive monster that any viewer will ever encounter. Its creator has let romance arise freely and spontaneously between these two beings totally opposite to each other.
The series does not shy away from intimate moments, both emotional and physical, between our two protagonists.
With this new BL romantic comedy by Champ Weerachit Thongjil, the same director of '2gether The Series', 'Kiss Me Again: Pete-Kao' and 'I Will Knock You', a collaboration project is established between the production companies Feel Good Bangkok and Study H8.
Since the very announcement of '1000 Years Old', fans have been extremely happy for the BL series and are shouting their joy on social media. “The love between the two will be eternal”, “They are both happy” or “This vampire will sink his teeth into you and leave you without blood”, are some of the most striking comments.
Also starring are Mind Sathittha Sinsakhan (as Kaemsai), Looktan Phusanisa Faichaipakdee (Yam), Boy YourMOOD (Chin), Jo Ployukon Rojanakatanyu (Phakwan), Mae Warisara Asawapattanakul (Bowie), Poon Mitphakdee (Chalui), Boss Natthakit Sangwankitruechai (Somchai), Jomjam Kanpitcha Phongphanit (Chanja).

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Sprite, the 'Trojan Horse' of the BL series or the debate around homosexuality in sports (I)

Sprite, the 'Trojan Horse' of the BL series or the debate around homosexuality in sports (I)

INTRODUCTION
Produced by Lovemedia Thailand, “Twins”, also known as “Two Bodies, One Heart”, was released on November 3, 2023 and consists of 12 episodes. Starring Sprite and First (a couple formed by actors Frame Ritchanon Sriprasitdacha and Ryan Panya Mcshane, respectively), the series shows a love relationship between two young high-performance athletes who mutually discover their homosexuality and accept it as such.
Although innovative in many ways, “Twins” is actually a fairly conventional love story. However, its strength lies in its elegant simplicity and in making visible topics rarely covered in BL series.
Siwasit Phondongnok and Ball Kanathorn Tabvilai came on board this time to direct the series. Both are renowned Thai directors, the former also a screenwriter and assistant director. His creations include “Night Dream”, “Red Wine in the Dark Night”, “Club Friday Season 8: True Love… or Bond”, “Eclipse”, “609 Bedtime Story”, and the two seasons of “Our Skyy” and “Love Area”, among others.
The progression of the story is spot on. The transition from the protagonist's initial fear and uncertainty as he is forced to leave his comfort zone to have to face an unexpected reality to personal improvement is measured. In the new scenario, the protagonist must quickly connect with strangers and with an unknown sports universe, very demanding and competitive because it is a collective and very popular sport, with a high presence in the media, such as volleyball.

RELATIONSHIP OF THE SERIES WITH OTHER AUDIOVISUALS

Since I read the synopsis, before its premiere, “Twins” reminded me of “Not Me”, the famous 2021 GMMTV series, starring White (Gun Atthaphan Poonsawas) and Sean (Off Jumpol Adulkittiporn). In this BL, the story revolves around White, who receives a call from Tod, a childhood friend, to inform him that his twin, Black, whom he has not seen in years, has been betrayed by one of his companions and He is torn between life and death after receiving a severe beating. This is why White will disguise himself as Black and infiltrate the group of friends to find out who the traitor is, while avoiding being discovered.
The main difference between both series is that “Not Me” includes a political background, the fight for human rights and against discrimination, which still exists, towards LGBT+ people in Thailand, and focuses more on suspense and action, while “Twins” has sports as a background and focuses on romance.

INTERESTING

The interesting thing about the series, in addition to the multiple romances, between these three homosexuals and one heterosexual, is the fact that the protagonist has a twin and will try to prevent anyone from discovering his true identity while he impersonates him.
On the other hand, the audiovisual highlights sports espionage, a very common practice today, when one of the volleyball players will spy for an opposing team by gathering sports strategy data for obvious motivations as old as sport and espionage themselves: information, competitiveness, money. “Twins” also shows the communication and interpersonal relationships between athletes and between them and coaches and managers.
It is also striking that the series aims to make visible harassment in sport, the use of violence, blackmail, threats, verbal and physical aggression between athletes, all favored by social pressure, rivalry between players and teams, emotional stability, the type of competition and its importance and the interests that are involved, topics that are rarely addressed in audiovisual productions, much less in BL.
“Twins” also takes an approach to a health issue with little, if not no, treatment in BL, such as the loss of autonomy and temporary disability, as well as the necessary rehabilitation after an accident. That is to say, the series aims to, and succeeds in, making visible problems that help us raise awareness and rethink these realities.
In my opinion, the most significant thing about the series is the possibility of reopening the debate around the secrecy surrounding homosexuality in sports and the fear of discrimination suffered by athletes from the LGBT+ community if they came out of the closet. Since the first athlete to declare herself homosexual, a woman, the French car racer Hélène Van Zuylen, publicly confirmed having a lesbian relationship with the English poet Renée Vivien, in 1898, many others have followed in her footsteps.
Although homosexuality is illegal in Thailand and homosexual athletes are afraid to identify as such for fear of discrimination and social exclusion, among the international elite there are more and more athletes who have declared their homosexuality after several years of hiding it. However, it is a reality that today the commercial image of those who decide to come out of the closet is revalued by becoming icons for the LGTB+ community and symbols of progress in sport as a stage for the visibility of the group.

PLOT

Zee and Sprite are identical twins who were separated in childhood after their parents divorced. Zee has become the star of a university volleyball team with the support of her mother, while Sprite, a brilliant fighter in a jiu jitsu club, has the support of his father. The unfriendly separation of their parents would lead to the siblings being raised separately, not having a good relationship and each one not knowing about the other's life. The story is told from Sprite's point of view.
The relevant sporting results achieved by Sprite arouse the envy of several of his colleagues in the fight club, who conspire to cause him harm and keep him away from active sports. To do this, they will hire some thugs. Unaware that Sprite has a twin, they confuse the brothers and beat up Zee thinking he is Sprite. Under these circumstances, feeling guilty for having caused collateral damage to his brother, who is in a coma in the hospital, and in response to a request from his mother, who perceives that Zee's life is threatened, Sprite is forced to impersonate his identity until he recovers his health and resumes his place.
His secret mission is to preserve Zee's starting position on the volleyball team with a view to becoming part of the Thai national team, and in the process solve the crime for which his brother's life hangs in the balance. Contributing to the deception will be Salmon (Mimi Ruethaiphat Phatthananapaphangkorn), the coach's assistant, a friend of the twins since childhood and Zee's future love interest.
Zee is a self-centered and antisocial character, lacking ties to others, including his own mother. Self-titled “the key to the team,” he despises everyone equally and is rude to his teammates. The arrival of Sprite, with a completely opposite personality, will initially generate friction. Sprite will immediately sense that his brother enjoys prestige for being a good player, but not popularity. Then, your priority will be to gain everyone's trust, while mastering a sport you have never practiced.
Your primary steps will be aimed at gaining First's friendship, since this is your roommate, and will be the person you will spend the most time with. Being friends with the relevant volleyball player and son of the coach would open the way for him to be friends with others. Also needing to master the dynamics of the game and the rules of volleyball, Sprite understands the need to have someone by his side to train with, but without raising suspicions that he has never actually hit volleyball. His life will change when he falls in love with First.
For his part, First, willing not to interact with an insensitive and arrogant person like Zee, whom he has known since when he was taken by his mother for the first time to a volleyball court, when they were both children, will raise a barrier around him that is difficult to overcome penetrate.

SENTIMENTAL HISTORY

As if it were surrendering a fortified city, in an undeclared war, Sprite would first lay siege to it and then launch all its firepower from the catapults and trebuchets until destroying the strong walls that it could not overcome with kindness and good intentions. Like the Achaean army at the siege of Troy, Sprite would employ battering rams and assault towers in a long-awaited attempt to take the besieged city.
Could the creators have intentionally conceived Sprite as the horse-shaped device used by the Achaeans to enter the Troy of the Homeric poems? I would like to think that they designed the character taking into consideration this mythical creation or, if it existed, the war machine transfigured by the chroniclers' fantasy, introducing an important variation in the myth for the conception of our hero: it would not be a destructive deception.
It would be Jack, Mike, Sam, Deddeaw, Tom, Ko and other talented athletes who would take the spirited wooden steed as a sign of their victory, introduce it inside the walls about to be demolished and take it to the volleyball courts without knowing that inside was hidden a boy willing to love another boy, without foreseeing that instead of a fierce warrior prepared to kill, a young man capable of dying of love would emerge from the hollow ambush.
Thus begins a sexy game of cat and mouse with increasing sexual tension. Sprite would never suspect that his feelings would soon change and that friendship would turn into love. In this way, the old and classic trope of “enemies to friends and friends to lovers” is gradually woven.
Sprite has to alternate volleyball training with his combat sport practices, which he does not give up. Exercising volleyball during the day and jiu jitsu at night exhausts him physically and mentally. On and off the field of play, Zee's coldness and arrogance are quickly overcome by Sprite's simplicity and sociability. Little by little the twin will create strong bonds of friendship, loyalty and camaraderie with the young athletes.
The best moment of each day for Sprite is when he arrives at his bedroom at night. Despite being tired after endless training sessions, he seeks to create a deep connection with First. He always receives a cordial and friendly “Zee” with suspicion. This will make him doubt why his roommate is acting so strange. “Has Zee gone crazy or have they changed people?” First would surely think on more than one occasion.
Step by step, Sprite will get closer to First, break the ice and end up falling in love with him. Both will discover love for the first time in their short lives. Although Sprite was always the one to initiate the flirting, it will be First who first confesses to being in love when he assures him that he didn't know when he started having feelings for him, but it bothered him when Sprite was around other people. “Is it jealousy? “Does this mean I like you?” he will ask you point-blank.
However, First will frequently be plagued by uncertainty as to whether Sprite really loves him or is playing with his feelings, since on several occasions he observes him in a romantic attitude with Salmon, unaware that the person who is interacting with the girl at that time is the real Zee. This will cause jealousy and misunderstandings, fueled by Sprite's inability to still recognize who he really is. Their relationship becomes tense, suffocating at times. The love between them will also be put to the test, towards the end, with the arrival of a friend of First, who has secretly been in love and intends to win him over.
Once Zee has recovered, Sprite will ask him to allow him to continue impersonating him for a while longer. When asked why, Sprite will confess to his brother and Salmon that the reason is having fallen in love with First and wanting to stay by her side to get to know each other better.
What many BL fans will like about the sexy series that doesn't shy away from showing passion and bare torsos, are the sizzling relationship scenes. You will be pleased to know that the two main actors, with well-sculpted bodies, have numerous passionate exchanges whether in the bedroom, on the volleyball court, the dining room or the hallways of the building, secretly, although in view of others.
Their kisses and looks are passionate; and their sexy interactions are highlighted with a refined cinematic style. Every time they kiss, look into each other's eyes, touch each other's bodies or make love, there is an elegant atmosphere that creates an intimate and pleasant atmosphere. The stage is not broken even in the moments of greatest hostility. The sexual tension that surrounds the boys is vivid, palpable, and demonstrates the chemistry between the characters.
These performers feel very comfortable with each other, immersing themselves in the physical relationship in a sensual and aggressive way. The artists do a convincing job and make their attraction seem authentic.
Frame does a plausible job of showing multiple emotions from the first to the last scene, from a contemplative look to one of surprise, from suppressed anguish to the euphoric cry of triumph, from hesitation to complete self-confidence, from a cute sulking to an expression of placidity, from the pose of an innocent person to that of an aggressive appearance, from the confusion of a frightened fawn to the attitude of a lion ready to devour its prey. That says a lot about his acting ability.
However, in my opinion, the character played by Ryan is the most adorable of all. Behind his taciturn, doubtful, desolate appearance most of the time, first because he cannot understand the behavior of the boy he believes is Zee, and then because he thinks that the person he loves is playing with his feelings, there is an immense honest human being, loving, hopeful, principled, true to himself and others, especially Zee.

OTHER HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS

Sam (Team Tatchanon Thongpao), the team's libero, has been secretly in love with Zee for years. The Zee now before him disturbs and confuses him. He can't understand it. He will soon understand that he has no hope, as he is the only one to realize that Sprite loves First. Pursuing him, Sam will meet Thun (Pooh Phiangphor), Sprite's best friend and fight club partner. Thun will fall in love at first sight with Sam and his feelings will end up being reciprocated. Consoling Sam from his disappointment in love is the strategy used to get closer to him. The couple provides humor. Will the couple be able to reach port happily? Will Thurn manage to get out of the pedestrian accident? Will the traffic incident catch Sprite's attention and make him return to find his friends?
Another homosexual relationship is that of Jack and Mike (played by Tuss Thotsawat Sing-uppo and Ten Apivit Ueamahasopa, respectively). This is the only romantic couple on the team upon Sprite's arrival. The romance they live is not exploited to the fullest. There is constant tension between the two boys without the reason for this being clearly explained, and their characters lack development and time on screen. Their love affair is only shown in sporadic sexual dalliances. Will Jack's dreams of deepening the relationship come true or, on the contrary, will it remain the same as it has been until now, as Mike suggests?

AS AN EPILOGUE

Towards the conclusion of the series, the viewer's fatigue is noticeable due to the delay in Sprite revealing his true identity to First and putting an end to mistrust once and for all. The creators overlong the suspense caused by the crime and the resulting lie, since it is assumed that the deception will be revealed once it is discovered who hit Zee and the danger is then eliminated, but he fails to advance the investigation for much of the story. series, dedicated at the last minute to pursuing Salmon. She will be in charge of discovering how to unmask the culprits.
Perhaps two fewer episodes would have given the possibility of reaching the climax sooner and would have been useful to round out the story with more nuances, add depth to the events and the development of the characters.
However, I commend Sprite for sticking to his moral convictions and keeping the fraud a secret until the right time to reveal it. His character would have seemed pathetic if, out of love for First or a quick return to his favorite sport or fear of the ruse being discovered, he had unmasked himself when his mission was not yet finished. I'm glad Sprite stood up for his principles, even when it could ruin his love relationship and inner peace. I respect and admire the never-die spirit of his character.
The truth will cause the wall that previously separated the two to rise once again in front of Sprite and First, who were always positioned on the same side of the playing field.
Will Sprite manage to accomplish his secret mission? What will happen to Sprite and First's relationship when the latter discovers that the person he loves has cheated on him? Will the two be able to stand again on the same side of the volleyball field or will they have to content themselves with looking at each other, as rivals, each from the opposite area, through a rectangular mesh one meter wide by 9.50 meters long located 2 10 meters high? Will the 'Trojan Horse' manage to penetrate and conquer the fortified wall again?

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The multifaceted nature of queer relationships in the tone of romantic tragedy

The multifaceted nature of queer relationships in the tone of romantic tragedy
"When your adventure is an adventure with everyone around you"

Experiencing fun and warmth is the proposal of the daring and heartbreaking 'The Outing', the Thai LGBTQIA+ romantic tragedy that will present the different dynamics of 22 people from three families who attend the annual excursion of a major advertising agency in a resort.
The drama is about three families - those of Anan, Phupha and Taurus - founders of a successful advertising agency, who meet at a resort to participate in an annual excursion. All members of each family and their employees must bring a partner to this holiday without knowing that their relationship will change forever.
From the first moment, several questions will arise: who organized an annual company trip? Could there be hidden agendas in inviting 22 strangers to a party over a weekend? Is this a trip to cover up an affair? What will happen when the true intentions of each of the guests are known?
At the party at which these characters, unknown to each other, will be present and against the backdrop of the many interests at stake, as those gathered intend to raise an enormous amount of capital before their company is listed on the stock market, the complexities in the relationships will be revealed. human like never before, by showing the multifaceted nature of queer relationships.
Very innovative to include 22 main actors from the Thai entertainment industry.
The script by Pete Kasidej Sundararjun, Three Supawith Utama and Rose Chanasorn Makhiew, which skillfully mixes suspense, thriller, mystery, romance and drama, will entrust us with the darkest secrets of the private lives of those involved in 12 episodes, kept safe from their closest family and friends. In this way, human relationships are filled with the wounds of love and the taste of betrayal.
The camera, skillfully manipulated by Pai Ekkapop Paiaree, will follow each of the 22 characters to reveal their different points of view on love and sexual and romantic relationships, in the midst of jealousy, greed, envy, strong sex scenes, misunderstandings. and marital instability. The love, greed, madness and ferocity of human relationships will be revealed through the bond of those present at this outing. A bitter conflict will affect everyone in one way or another.
In these circumstances, in which suspense, mystery, romance and drama are mixed, everyone will choose to betray their lovers, no matter if the person they are married to or their boyfriends. The annual outing will never be the same.
By presenting a cast full of famous Thai stars who manage to show an unusual dynamic in LGBTIQ+ series, revealing the dark secrets of 22 people while they navigate different points of view on love, fans of the genre have been waiting since its announcement for the series in which Nothing is out of the ordinary, from secret adventures to occasional bloodshed, from apparent naivety to the most complex human emotions that ultimately lead some to betray their loved ones.
I liked that the show also includes 14 expert artists in the Thai music industry, who will present 13 songs that make up the Original Soundtrack, to tell the characters' feelings in their entirety. Tul and Vaidun are some of the guest singers.
For his part, M.R. Chalermchatri Yukol or Khun Chai Adam, the leader of "Bison Idea", presents the topic of infidelity between couples.
In this work by Viu Original, its director, whom we know from 'Remember 15' (2022), and as producer of 'Nha Harn' (2019), seems to have taken the pulse of telling complex stories, with striking underlines and highlights , in which each character will have their own plot, to convey a secret love story, which is both spicy and will attract the attention of the most demanding fans.
If the successful BL series 'KinnPorsche' (2022) opened the appetite of Thai drama fans for thrillers, 'The Outing' proposes not to disappoint them.

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