TharnType (2019)

Toxic relationship check!

I'll make it short:

Pro:
- Good acting and fantastic chemistry between the main cast
- Hot love scenes (the only reason I would watch this a second time :))
- Techno! I love him, he's easily the best character in the series!

Contra:
- Everybody is toxic (except Techno) ... and I mean the really, really bad kind of toxic
- Unsympathetic main characters (Type is childish, mean and abusive, Tharn is a whiney push-over and also abusive)
- Plot could have been good, if it were consistent.... I mean, they have Types childhood trauma, which they could explore a lot more, but it's practically forgotten after the first few episodes in favor of much more unrealistic and overdramatic (!) storylines
- Acting of the support roles was meh (except Techno of course, he's awesome!)
- No-consent scenes and the overall problematic and abusive relationship between Tharn and Type

I know that the series was created after a novel, so plot-wise they were limited. I just wish, they would have used the chance to fix some of the problematic things... or added more of the NG-scenes as compensation ;)

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I cant think of a title for this

If you haven't seen this series, I hope you read this. This entire series is a TRIGGER WARNING. Don't just go into this like I did thinking "Oh wow those are some HOT NC scenes" It's not worth it. I wanted to like this series... but it's challenging given how much SA and toxicity are in it. There is nothing healthy about their relationship. I don't tell anyone to watch this. Ever. It is full of triggers, homophobia, transphobia; the list goes on and on. Just because he changed his heart of the one person doesn't mean he can continue to be homophobic... like, COME ON. I really hope we can move past this in all future series from now on.

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When I first began watching BLs, I wasn't aware of the common criticisms of the subgenre. When I started to see people say that BLs are written by girls for girls, it struck me as odd that m/m romances were written more for girls than gay males. Despite that, I always felt that even gay males can write stories and relationships similar to the one in BLs. I often argue that the common BL criticisms are a little too harsh.

But TharnType is the first time where I felt like this story appeals to girls more than boys. The plot is driven by extremely toxic behavior. TharnType is popular for the same reason that movies/books like After, Fifty Shades of Gray, Twilight, 365 Days, etc. are popular: romanticization of abusive relationships. Only difference here is that the physical abuse is brushed off completely because it's a male-on-male offense.

Nearly every review mentions it but in the first few episodes, Tharn makes some hella rapey decisions. It took me a while to not snarl at him every time he appeared on screen. But eventually, I stopped snarling because Type is such an abusive boyfriend that I started to feel sorry for Tharn.

And even outside of the glorification of the abuse and sexual assault, the writing still left much to be desired. I never really felt like Type got over his homophobia. Even while he was in a committed relationship with Tharn, he still openly admitted to hating gays and even expressed his homophobia to his GAY boyfriend, as if it was a cute interaction. Type never fully processed his homophobia at any point in the show. That storyline feels just as incomplete as Seo and Klui's; and whose genius idea was it to close out their arc with a love confession? It feels like a dropped storyline rather than a purposeful storytelling choice.

I couldn't watch TharnType back-to-back, and it wasn't because I didn't care enough about the story but because I just wasn't rooting for titular couple. Sure, there are some individual scenes that (when disregarding the history of abuse and toxicity) I thought were either heartwarming or heartbreaking. Truthfully, I didn't absolutely despise TharnType's relationship and that in itself is a triumph. Both characters have given me so many reasons to HATE them and their relationship, but I didn't. I still didn't like them or root for them, but I didn't hate them.

I think a lot of that is because the leads are great actors. They really bring these character's emotions out and it makes me feel for them in individual moments. The entire cast gave a solid performance, which helped soften the blow with some extremely melodramatic material in the last couple episodes.

The music also played its part in making the show somewhat enjoyable despite the writing that only seemed to care about making exciting drama for TharnType's relationship instead of holding them accountable for shitty personality traits like homophobia, physical abuse, and rapey tendencies.

Simply said, the show had potential, but the writing just needs to be ironed out.

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Techno being the only (kind of) sane person in this mess of a series

I don’t even know where to start. I kept seeing people talk about TharnType being one of the must-see BL series, so I decided to give it a go. It definitely had some good moments, but it also had quite a few bad ones.

But let’s start with the good. I think both Mew and Gulf are amazing actors and have done an amazing job playing their characters. I really loved the way the two of them acted out certain more emotional scenes. We can all agree that the two actors have an amazing chemistry. I do find it hard to imagine Mew as university freshman, but it wasn’t really something I was too bothered by. Also, the ice kiss. I’m just going to leave it at that. The OST was amazing as well, I really enjoyed Mew’s voice. It’s very soothing.

The friend group was… interesting. The two roommates were a lot of fun, Khlui being the noisy neighbor that we all have was an absolute joy. Even if he was a bit clueless. And pairing him with wanna-be-idol Seo was a combination I didn’t know I needed. Champ and his food obsession were a bit overdone at moments, but I think he was a nice addition to the group.

Now, let’s talk Techno. I truly believe that he was the only (kind of) sane person in this whole mess of a series. Sure, he sucks at keeping secrets and did make some questionable decisions, but most of the time, he was the one making sure things didn’t go from bad to worse. I know he was often used as this comic relief character, which is a bit disappointing, as I believe they could have done much more with him.

Thorn and Tanya (Tharn’s siblings) were absolutely amazing as well. And I feel like the relationship shown between them is very realistic. I have siblings, trust me. I just wish that Thorn would be a little less supportive of Tharn and his toxic relationship with Type. I still have a lot of questions about San. I don’t think a punch in the face would be enough for me to forgive if he did that to my brother.

Now, a warning. When I talk about characters, I am talking about characters. It has nothing to do with the actors who played them. I know they are not the ones that come up with the story, they simply act what they are told to act. So, keep that in mind. I know I will ruffle a lot of feathers with my opinions on the characters below.

Tum & Tar – just why? I get that Tum has a crush on Tar, that’s an issue I just don’t feel like getting into. Let’s just say that stepsibling relationships are not something I usually enjoy when the two characters pretty much grew up together. But with the number of problems and symptoms Tar was showing, I can’t believe that Tum didn’t try to find out more earlier. I think we can all agree that Tar’s story is heartbreaking, and I am not trying to put any blame on him. Could he do things differently later in the series? Yes. Do I understand why he didn’t? Yes. He is a victim of an incredibly violent crime, and fear of something like that either happening again or becoming a public knowledge has a lot of power.

Llhong – why is he not in jail? I think that after he dropped the glass, we all knew he was madly in love with Tharn. I was surprised just how awful he actually is, but his feelings were not a surprise. And while on the topic of Llhong, let me just add that giving him a special episode to make us feel bad for him was the worst possible decision they could have made. He does not deserve a redemption arc. The end! Kudos to the actor though, he did an amazing job when it came to switching the emotions shown.

Tharn & Type: say what you want, but they deserve each other. And I don’t mean that in a good way. Type has his own problems from before, which does to some extent explain his homophobic behavior and thinking. He did cross certain limits though. But what I found to be maybe even worse was his abusive and manipulative behavior towards Tharn once they got together. The jealousy was overdone, and the fact that he punched Tharn, multiple times? Red flag after a red flag. To be honest, Tharn is full of red flags as well. He was too pushy, especially knowing that Type is not okay with gay men. Adding to that, he sexually assaulted Type, multiple times. And yes, him kissing him without his consent, trying to get him off when he caught him, and going down on him in the bathroom were all non-consensual. Also, their first time – I don’t get the thought process behind it, I really don’t.

I think the timeline of the story is all over the place as well. The way the characters deal with problems is a mess on a whole other level. There is very little to no actual character development. The writers included a ton of serious issues – from sexual assaults and trauma related to it, mental illnesses, homophobia… yet none of them were handled in an appropriate manner. They were done in a very ignorant and offensive way.

I’d probably give it an even lower rating, but the acting and the OST are saving it.

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2nd review of this toxic drama

Okay, when I first wrote about Tharn/Type, I gave it 10s across the board. I know now that this was because I never really watched this show with an "adult" eye. Having read some of the reviews (positive & negative) and then re-watching the show, I've revised my opinion.

I give the acting for this show a 10 due to the ACTORS, not their characters. The actors portraying their characters were very good. I even like the acting of Kittipat Kaewcharoen (Kaownah) who played the antagonist Lhong. All played their parts well despite the very difficult plot.

However, the plot was very toxic for Tharn & Type (and Lhong, too). The fact of Type's being raped by a man as a child is totally glossed over, the fact that Tharn kisses and touches Type while he is asleep and without Type's consent, that despite his childhood trauma Type still allows Tharn to give him a bj and then as a "thank you" and to "do it once and get it over with", Type becomes the "under" for Tharn - who said that this won't be just once, is DISGUSTING and ABHORRENT! How did Type "get over" his trauma so quickly without any type of therapy? Why didn't Tharn, who supposedly loves Type so much, use his care for Type to gently encourage and help Type deal with and heal from that trauma before trying to become Type's boyfriend? And why did Tharn, when he and Type officially became a couple, immediately take type out to a bar, KISS HIM IN PUBLIC and then get upset when Type got angry? Just because Tharn was comfortable with his sexuality (he'd had time and came out on his own terms) didn't mean Type could handle it and WANTED to announce that he had a boyfriend! Tharn was incredibly SELFISH to EXPECT Type to admit his feelings for Tharn.

And the very toxic Lhong and how he manipulated Tharn and assaulted and almost murdered Type because he (Lhong) thought that he DESERVED Tharn as a boyfriend as he'd been Tharn's "friend" for years. He gets NO jail time or time in a psychiatric hospital? He's not punished at all? WHY did Tharn's own BROTHER treat Lhong with no anger whatsoever, and wish Lhong all the best?!

All in all, this drama was NOT a good BL, nor a good DRAMA, at all, not because the acting was not good, but because of the awful script and awful direction. So I've revised my "10" review down to 3.0 - and I don't recommend anyone watch this.

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Engaging...but, be prepared to dislike characters.

Firstly, I believe it's okay to dislike and judge characters and their choices without discrediting an entire show. Secondly, this show should probably come with a trigger warning. I do think the acting was good, and I say that partially because of how often I was talking to my screen about how awful a character was being. Type is not a good guy. He isn't a good partner for most of the show. He does have reasons for his feelings, but that does not excuse his actions. I don't think he was ever held appropriately accountable. Tharn is so hurt by thinking he must be a bad person since everyone leaves him, that he doesn't try to hold Type accountable. You just want to yell at your screen that it's all counterproductive and they NEED THERAPY, but...that being said, trauma can be internalized this way. It's a drama, so the biggest conflict is super intense, but the little stuff isn't totally unrealistic. I'm sure some people could find relatable moments in there. I think this drama is fine to watch for the acting and for possible catharsis, but you have to keep in mind the situation. It's possible to get lost in the cute parts and the sexy parts without realizing it, and no one wants to romanticize trauma or abuse.

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Is this still worth watching in 2021?

News flash, it aint. (Summary in last paragraph lol.)

Okay so lets start with the likes and positives seeing if I would end with the positive points, it would be like giving painkillers to someone who has been hit by a car.
- The cast was cute, but more importantly knew how to portray emotions when the focus was solely on them. Tharn's actor knew how to cry, Lhong's actor did a great job towards the ending, showing how sad he must have been yet clearly showing Lhong missed a couple screws.
-The supporting cast did their part well. Techno seemed like a true ride or die or atleast long term best friend. Tum played a very, VERY, loving brother so well. Just by the protective nature and his whole demeanour you could see something really hurt Tar, and Tum REALLY loved him.
-Sets were believable, I would stay in most of the dorms. The main theme song grew on me over time, but the original singer did it better then most of the covers by the cast for me. He really embodied it.

Okay so now for the reason 4 stars is pretty high for this trainwreck-
Does who ever wrote this, see consent, as a kink? Tell me. Because once you really sit down and rewatch some scenes, (which is why I do not recommend rewatching, it ruins the show as a whole if the ending did not yet.) you see consent was a word no one had in their dictonairy. And I mean NO ONE. If you know someone their trauma and its origin, you would think to respect it and stop being a selfish sex monster. (Like a normal human being, but the show fails to do that right with most of our lovely cast) Hell, someone who has not made it clear if they have ANY romantic or sexual attraction towards you, is a no go. The show handles trauma and consent as if it is just something as normal as buying groceries and it does not need to be respected. Neither do boundaries. That are made clear. If I tell you not to kiss me in public, you don't. If you do, don't get mad at me for getting mad and demand an apology. What world do you live on? Tell me so that I can assure NASA skips it.
The plot twist "Lhong" was. not. needed. PERIODT. I get that you want a shock factor for the final episode, an unexpected plot twist, but this was just poorly done, and hell, a show that FAILS to treat trauma, rape and other serious topics with the maturity and approach they need, should in no way, shape or form have done the twist it pulled. Also how the show decided to end this twist once again removes the seriousness of the topic and makes it seem like a joke. Had Lhong declared his love for Tharn whilst Tharn, went through it, (CAUSE CHILLEEEE, How he even got home in the state he was in? Did he drive? how he aint crash?) they dated, Type moved on, Tharn and Type figured they cant live without eachother and had to deal with their current flings and trying to get rid of the other their partner AND fix their own relationship would have been better then this. Lhong deserved a better final couple episodes then this. Even if it was just him being the supportive bestie who hid his feelings forever. (And did not ruin any relationships till date of course.) It would have been better, and maybe a more emotional rollecoaster for us as audience. The show milks anger from us because ThE MaIN COupLe Has A tHreaT, and that way tries to keep its plot interesting. Well once you are angered out, this facade flops and u see the shit plot for what it is before the shitshow even ends. I am not excusing what Lhong did in cannon, it just should have never been cannon, ESPECIALLY in this show that can not do it right.
Type, is just an asshole and how Tharn even felt for him is beyond me. Tharn (no angel either) as well being so over sexual it becomes predator-ish is a problem. The show once again over glorifies problematic traits and makes it seem "cute or sexy" when relationships could never work like this in reality and excuses this behavior by making it work in the end in a happy ending, that could never exist in any reality. I get it, fiction is supposed to be an extreme, and fairy tale like so we can escape. HOWEVER. It has been shown this can be down SO well, without having to overglorify, excuse or romanticize, the inexcusable or overly problematic to the point its not fiction, just unrealisitic. The show also fails to end the cans of worms it opens. For example, Tharn's homophobia never really goes away, it just gets swept under the rug, since he is not homophobic to Tharn anymore. He says it himself, he still hates gays, just not Tharn.

So, the show is not worth it, because it does not know how to deal with the immense serious topics it puts in the plot, just for shock. It even makes the topics seem so normal or insignificant that the topics almost become a joke. There never is any punishment or resolution next to a punch or kick, promoting violence over common sense. If this plot made any sense to begin with. This story many times made me really think it was a bad wattpad (365 days level plot/writing) story adapted into a show. How anyone let this plot on TV is beyond me, since there are much better BL shows, so the standard is there. The couple good points and the very real/good acting at times can by FAR not save this. No matter how many cute smooches, hugs, unrealistic dynamics or sparkly sound effects you put in the show. Once you remove that pink filter of "WoW HOw CuTe!!1!!" you would see how f*cked up this show is. (again no hate for the actors tho)

ps this is all my experience, likes, dislikes and opinion, if u disagree, too bad but let me live-

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Skinship Doesn't Makeup for Unresolved Toxicity

SPOILERS AND TRIGGER WARNINGS


Currently watching. Sexual assault and verbal abuse in the first episode. I can already tell this will be problematic and toxic.

Finished this drama and it didn't get any less toxic, problematic, or abusive. It got a lot worse. Let's get the positoves out of the way since it's short. Tharn is eye candy and the couple has good skinship. It's annoying when couples in dramas don't behave as if they like each other like a normal couple. They actually hold hands, hug, kiss, and show affection like a normal couple which is great.

Now the negatives. One ML (Type) is verbally and physically abusive towards multiple people including Tharn. His parents are horrible because they knew he was sexually abused as a kid and they didn't put him in any therapy.
The other ML (Tharn) is sexually abusive towards Type. His brother Thorn is horrible because he's friends with the person that sexually assaulted Tharn when he was younger. Thorn doesn't tell their parents and Tharn doesn't get any therapy. Not only are they still friends, but this guy still comes over to eat with the family. To top it off, he makes comments about sexually assaulting Tharn when he was younger because he looked small, young, and innocent and wishes Tharn was still young like that. He's a predator.
Tharn's best friend Llhong paid 3 grown men to sexually assault a 10th grade kid and recorded it. He is also manipulative and physically abusive.
So this drama is insane. It includes sexual, physical, and verbal abuse of adults and kids. And the story didn't include any lessons about how to deal with these real life issues. If there were healthy solutions to these problems shown or at least suggested, then maybe it wouldn't be as bad. No one called the police which is the least that could have been done. At a minimum, the police should have arrested Type, Tharn, Llhong, and Thorn's friend. I'm sure justifications can be made to arrest more characters in the drama too. Most of the characters are terrible people. It's like almost everyone is an antagonist and there's no protagonist at all.
I know some people still rate this highly because of the skinship between Type and Tharn, but I can't do that. Yes Tharn is very attractive. Yes Tharn and Type have great skinship. This is not enough to overlook the mountain of unresolved toxicity this drama has.

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Rapey

If you find sexually assaulting/harassing victims of molestation endearing, then this is the BL for you. Tharn is such a creep, but the plot decided that Type would suddenly be ok with it and want to have a relationship with someone who abused him multiple time. Rape isn't cute or love.

But hey, its totally sexually suggestive and if you're just here to get your tickles, this may be the softcore pornography for you. Incredibly uncomfortable to watch in parts and in general as Type (and his friends) experience Tharn's behavior and react completely inappropriately.

Rated everything 1 because I can't give it a zero.

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