Manner of Death (2020)

EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH THIS SHOW

I wrote this review crying, I never in a thousand years when I started MoD think it would make me cry but after watching episode 13, I was wrecked, I just could not stop crying. Like that episode hit so good, so I just decided to start my review now.

INTRODUCTION
I will start by saying, I came to Manner of Death for MaxTul and I stayed for the great series, I genuinely did not have high expectations for the series going in [I mean we all know Thailand for its great variety of genre of BL series outside schoolboy love, lol]. I was not going to write my review of MoD until it was done, but after what I felt in episode 13, I just felt the urge to pen this review down.

To unofficially start the review, I feel a lot of people [most of whom I believe do not have a background in law and criminal investigations] came to this with weird expectations, I guess while I came with no expectations from the show. So, I am going to be writing this review with the years I have spent as a law student and the head of my university moot court and mock trial, which I have led several criminal mock, but also as a fan of great storytelling, please note I am not saying this series was the perfect series on legality and investigations because I don't know what the law is like in their country and how they separate jurisdiction in crimes in Thailand, but the under thought was appreciated for some parts of legality. I would also like to note that the purpose of this story/series is not to be an action intense, passion-driven story, it is meant to be more of a criminal investigation, a murder mystery. Seeing as it is a murder mystery thriller, it sets up the tone a lot for what the series has to offer, which I believe was beautifully met, I love that they didn't make the show about insane crime plots, but more of a slow revelation of people involved in a heinous crime (which about 90% of the time in real life cases, that is what happens, I mean I have had a lecturer who has a guy convicted for murder just because he didn't want his wife to know he cheated (his mistress was his alibi), so most times crimes aren't what a lot of shows paint them out to be) or this girl who knew he boyfriend was involved in a series of crimes but kept quiet because she "loved" him and I was like, where look at where that landed you. An example is KinnPorsche the series is a pure action series, which is totally different from MoD, just because both pertain to ‘mafia’, does not mean the elements of the series would be similar, they are two quite different genres of series, can't expect the same level of action


GENERAL REVIEW
Alright, so for my general review, I would say that Manner of Death was a refreshing breath to the BL industry when I first heard about it, because while I love my fluffy cute boys, but as someone that is older, I would love to believe that people fall in love outside school too. I was already pretty excited for a non-school Thai BL and by the first episode I was super excited, as a criminal prosecutor because I saw the attention to detail in certain aspects of the series, like the mentioning of the 5 manners of death, that was the first indication to me that they knew where they were going with their series and that there was a vision [this is one of the first things we are taught under murder and homicide in criminal law and how to differentiate each one for charging purposes], so it was refreshing to see detail in that sense, as well as the amount of detail paid to medical terms, autopsy, etc. Yes, they had a lot of sloppy parts, there were parts that were so convenient, but in a general overview, I loved how they handled a lot of things.

I was happy with the level of intrigue they left us with after each episode like they gave us tiny crumbs of information which keeps you want to know more by next week and there was a form of intricacy with the amount of intention paid towards the mystery. Seeing the motivating factors of each character, being ultra-suspicious of every character because everyone was basically a suspect until we started getting towards episodes 6 and 7, when they started to be clarified on so much more of the story, even when we thought we knew definitively who the killer was, by the time we got to episode 13 and we got the full back story, I was left so gut-wrenched, not just by the shock of who the killer was, I mean I had my suspicion about the character as a whole, but the entire story behind it, like I was hurt so much I didn’t know when I started crying and that's because it kinda brought me back to some dark places, it just hit differently for me.

I loved the series for so many things, they always made me laugh and roll over with laughter with how suspicious Bun was of Tan like Tan could breathe and Bun would look at him like ‘you breathe suspiciously’, I mean Tan’s phone literally rang and he gave Tan a side-eye in the earlier episode, it was always funny. What made me cackle was Bun warning Sorawit against That like he was literally playing housewife with one of the prime suspects as of when we knew nothing. Or after the shooting, when Tan and Bun were together with Inspector M and being all lovey-dovey and inspector m smirked like, ‘these kids really about to act like I am not right here.’


STORY – 9.5
I loved the story in this, it follows Dr. Bun as he tries to uncover the mysteries of Viangpha Mork, the town he grew up in, which makes him learn, everything is not what it seems. I mean every revelation comes like a gut punch. He is helped by a dark and somewhat mysterious man [tan], whom he comes to fall in love with. The story is a story of mystery, suspense, betrayal, and manipulation. I absolutely loved it. I do not want to give out more than this here.
The story had a lot of moral lessons for me like
1. Everything is not always what it seems to be and even when we think we know someone, a lot of the time we really do not.
2. Most people go through their pain quietly like Jane and Natty and by the time we get the courage to speak out, it might be too late.
3. It spoke on the problems of trafficking and rape that is ever so prevalent in the society and that sometimes it goes to the very top of the society, those who are meant to tackle it
4. That love can make us do a lot of things, like a lot of things.

I loved the story overall


CHARACTERS – 9
I love the characters, while they were core characters that make up the entire story, I love how they tried their best to give each character a little bit of something, they did not always succeed but it was great though, I love that they had 3D characters, no caricatures of characters though I wish they did more with some characters.

Bun, our main protagonist, I love Bun because he represents a lot, friendship, love, and confusion. Bun was a bit of representation of how naïve we can be sometimes, and through him, we get to view it and understand that everything is not always what it appears to be, his friend Pued was not the good man he grew up with, Rung that was like a sister to him was a twisted person. His growth on the show was interesting to watch. He kind of kickstarts everything with his pursuit for truth. He teaches us to fight for what we believe in and what is right, even at those hard moments. In the grand scheme of things, I actually don’t think he was the most important character [in my opinion]

Tan, as a character, Tan was a bit more complicated than Bun, a victim of circumstance. Rejected by his own father and eldest brother, yet still loving them in a way [when he said he could not let Por die despite everything]. He represents conflict, conflict on thoughts, conflict of emotions. Bun and Tan worked together to reveal the story to us, while a lot of us came for MaxTul, which means we technically came for BunTan, which they delivered to us, good acting, smut, and fluff. They gave us the mystery and gave us the love feels. The characters who ended up standing out to me the most were Jane, Rung, and Pued [that is at the ending]

Rung, Jane, and Pued as characters show us how we can be so wrong about people just from outward appearances. They also make us understand, that there is this idea, that family are the people who care for you the most or have your back the most and these characters show us the errors in this reasoning. They show us how easily a person can be manipulated, they show us how twisted and cruel family can be, they show us how weak those who are meant to love us and protect us can be. I feel the greatest moral story of the series lies with this set of characters.

I love Inspector M as well, he represents this inner struggle we have with ourselves sometimes, between taking the right path and the easy path.

Of course, we have evil and disgusting characters like the Congressman, Police Chief, and Judge, which shows us how often people in power misuse the trust placed in them, even if it is not through sex rings and trafficking, stealing, embezzling and so much more… gosh I hated them.

Sorawit and That, they kind of just plotted characters, gave us cute scenes, they really didn’t add or take away anything from the series, so I don’t mind them. Oat too as well, he is cute.

I think overall, the core 5 or 6 characters showed a little bit of depth, that they were thought out to some extents and to make us understand that humans are complex 3 dimensional people, we dong just fit into a one for all box... Though I wish they did more with side characters sometimes but it's fine


ACTING - 9
Gosh, episode 13 was a masterpiece in acting and emotions, you know when I started MoD, I felt a little bit misplaced about the acting, the men felt like overall better actors but shit, episode 13 changed my mind heavily.
I mean they had acting misses do not get me wrong, examples are when nam was drugged and she was back with sorawit and she was able to regain coordination or it appeared so despite being drugged. Also, there were some acting misses in terms of pain and stuff, but the thing is that in moments when it mattered, THEY ALWAYS DELIVER [you can quote me on that]
Like, I walked away from episode 13, which was the most important episode in my view, with pain in my heart, the sequence was executed so well I could not stop crying, it was just so much. MaxTul as well were also great in their parts, but I have to say, episode 13 kinda took the cake for me in acting, which hurt me in ways I did not know I could be hurt, memories of things to be forgotten.

Though like I said there were some acting misses but I don't think it was prevalent in this show.


MISSES
Now, MoD was a great show, it had thought put into it but there were just some few misses, some which I have already noted

But episode 11, 12 and 13 had some plot issues that were kinda weird, like how Por was conveniently at the school. The phone with the video was in the exact place they were (though it makes sense seeing as Pued had taken refugee there for a while, but it was just a little convenient)

They had very great storytelling, although their pacing was a little off, what I mean, is how fast somethings happened or how slow it happened

Sometimes like there were some fluffy parts of Tan and Bun that were just kinda unnecessary to the overall plot, [but hey, who am I to complain, after all, MAXTUL for life]. Sometimes the way patients recover from shootings or beatings in life seconds was kinda funny like characters had super-regenerative cells in this show like I do not know how Tan survived like he was beaten numerously, shot, kidnapped, and somehow, he could still walk, lol.

I mean in the grand scheme of things; I understand why the judge allowed them to bring everything to him so he could monitor anyone getting to close to the truth and I think because it is a small town everyone knows everyone but I think it was just weird how everyone could just turn up at the judge's office for a favor or how they took evidence on them at the police station. But like I said earlier, I don't know how the legality in their place works, so it might make sense for a small town to have that.

I mean MoD had misses, but I don't think any of the misses was so fatal it made the show unenjoyable, but I just thought to note them

Production – 8
Well, the production was kinda weird at first, I thought like there was just low lighting, but as we moved forward, I got to understand that was meant to the feeling that was created, it was meant to be a foggy town and the low lighting was to add to the chill vibe of the murder mystery. The Pacing was generally okay, so I do not seriously have any issues with them, I just wished they didn’t waste as much time on some things or some things that didn’t seem so out of the blue.

REWATCH VALUE - 10
I would absolutely rewatch this a thousand times, but episode 13 has me scarred, so I do not know, anytime I think of it, I cry… But I do not think that would stop me from watching it because the series overall is great.

OST - ?????
They do not have an outstanding OST in MoD,
well point of correction they don't have an ost at all in MoD. Which was an interesting choice, I don't know how music would have changed the show but I think it was a safe choice, better no Music and the show came out great or they inserted music and potentially ruined key moments.

They rely heavily on instruments, which worked out for them in. I do love the introduction to the episodes when they are showing the characters. I think they did an overall good job with their use of sound for effect.

As a series in whole, I definitely loved this, I look forward to a season 2 and I hope they fix a couple of issues here and there but I am ranking it among my top BL series ever and that is going up against Gaya sa Pelikula, UWMA, and many more

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COMMENDABLE JOB

Are you curious why I wrote "commendable job" in the title? It's because the writer and director of this MoD actually need some applause for making this unique Thai BL.

I am so so so happy that finally Thai BL makers are coming out of their comfort zone and trying out genres which are way beyond of their league. Crime thriller is absolutely not what their area of interest.

To be very honest, I found many flaws but I think it's worth looking them away for they've come out of their box probably for the first time. In fact, they've done a pretty good job in direction, screenwriting and screenplay, which I thought they might not work out.

It was a pretty good story with plots, twists and turns placed at their rightful places. Few things felt absurd but can be totally ignored. They didn't research about the forensic stuffs properly which they could have done by consulting experts of the respective fields. And the thing about the police station organisation didn't feel right either.

But anyways, I was intrigued by the ending and tbe way the main culprit was revealed.

It was overally a good watch. I hope they keep making such Thai BLs.

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A BL where the BL is overshadowed by, you know, an actual story

Manner of Death is presently something of a unicorn: it’s a BL drama where the BL aspects are incidental to a primary story rather than driving the plot themselves. Hopefully, that’s a sign that same-sex relationships are shedding the novelty factor that called the genre into existence in the first place. In the future, perhaps Asian dramas can incorporate same-sex relationships into other storylines just as in real life the people engaging in same-sex relationships have other things going on. Things like jobs and crazy family dynamics, for example. In this case, Manner of Death incorporates those rather standard tropes from non-BL (melo)dramatic television premises into a murder mystery detective story that grows in complexity as the series proceeds. Along the way, the two leads fall for another. After all, it is still a BL—and a BL that features the legendary BL pairing MaxTul, here in their fourth series pairing as a couple.

As anyone conversant with the history of (US) television has already discerned from the title, the main plot of Manner of Death centers on a medical examiner who will get drawn into tracking down the killers of murder victims for whom he performed autopsies. Like his TV predecessors from Quincy, Crossing Jordan, and Bones, Dr. Bunnakit (Tul Pakorn Thanasrivanitchai) will occasionally go up against unhelpful relatives of the victim, police officers who refuse to believe murders took place, and obvious initial suspects who turn out to be a good guy. Or, because we are in BL world, he turns out to be a good guy to date. In what surely must qualify as a fresh take on the enemies-to-lovers trope, the most obvious suspect for the murder in Episode 1 is not only dashingly handsome but also manifests a surprising interest in the good doctor. Soon Dr. Bun and Tan (Max Nattapol Diloknawarit) agree to become partners—and that partnership isn’t limited to crime-solving.

Since the core story is a whodunnit, I will forego the usual plot synopsis. Suffice it to say that our two heroes face increasingly dangerous scenarios as they persist in trying to solve a crime that powerful figures in this rural town want to disappear without a full investigation. Towards the end this story becomes overly complicated, macabre, and dark. But don’t let that detract from the fun. Manner of Death offers two-fold pleasures for diligent viewers. First, trying to figure out who is behind the escalating series of crimes (side characters in this series have a limited life expectancy!) and also why. Second, watching one of the more hallowed couplings in the BL realm dig into new roles and fall in love with each other all over again. Er, I mean their characters fall in love with each other. Because I, like ,totally, understand Max and Tul are just actors. And that just because they are convincing and delightful as a couple it doesn't mean they themselves are a couple. Dammit.

Enjoy this pairing because all signs are that one or both of the actors will move on from acting to pursue interests outside the industry. To the detriment of BL storytelling, because Max and Tul have an ease with one another that elevates the productions they perform in. Their chemistry as scene partners is undeniable. That alone makes Manner of Death worthy of sampling.

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Brilliant!

Plot line is 10 out 10 and not just for a BL drama. This is a great drama that has a romance sub-plot and the romance is a BL. The story is interesting, well written and keeps you on your toes. And the romance is developed seamlessly and incorporated well into the story without it being the main focus. Max and Tul have an amazing on screen chemistry as always and this time around they really get to show us their great acting skills as well.
I mean, I like this so much I created an account just to write my very fist review on here for this drama - because it so good and so worth the effort.
Honestly for anyone who likes murder/mysteries - this is fantastic. I don't really and still loved it! If you have an issue with character death and generally this type of visual in a TV setting, then I would not recommend as we have a lot of violence in the main plot line.

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I will cherish MaxTul till the end of life.

I am crying and writing this, Words cannot express how beautiful and thrilling, this series is. One of the bold Bl series. the ending is so beautiful, I will cherish MaxTul till the end of life. MaxTul is one of the powerful BL couple. Till my last breath, I will always stan them. The ending is just too beautiful, I just want to cry. Without saying anything, Tul's eyes can express a thousands emotions. I love the scenery is this drama. I wish the production to be little more better. I wish I could have read the novel, the story in the novel is more deep than the drama.

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The Best Thai BL of 2020!

In my opinion, this was the best Thai BL of 2020. Why?
Story:
1. The leads are working adults.
2. No high school students or university students.
3. No struggles with sexuality.
4. Not an angsty teen melodrama.
5. Action scenes and adult content, such as human trafficking.
6. No community homophobia for having a male teacher in a gay relationship.
Yes, there were flaws. The medical procedure portrayals were weak, even to a layperson such as myself. When people were injured, they fully recovered within 5 minutes.

Max and Tul have chemistry and since they have kissed hundreds of times, their love scenes were not awkward. They did a great job as the heroes, and Max as a somewhat gray character. The support cast were great, especially since the age range of the cast was pretty wide. The older actors were the strongest, especially the villains, even though Mint could be a little scream queenish as Rungtiva. I would love to see a spin-off between Sarawat M x Dr. Oat and/or That x Sorawit.

Manner of Death kept surprising me and the story line kept me interested. The plot touched on problems such as drugs, sexual abuse, human trafficking, systemic corruption, abuse of power, and murder. It was nice to see working professionals falling in love and not denying their love. None of their friends questioned their relationship and even helped them out.

The shooting locations were breathtaking. It was the perfect setting for this series. I now want to visit the locations because they were so beautiful.

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It was okay. Could've been better.

Manner of Death is a story that takes place in Viangpha Mork, a small town where everyone is weird and creepy and goes around trying to kill each other. The End.

Okay, not exactly, but close. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS:

THE WHODUNIT ASPECT. I love a good whodunit. This was the best part of the show for me.

"TWILIGHT ZONE" VIBE. The way this was filmed and directed had a kind of "Twilight Zone" feel that compelled me to keep watching.

SORAWIT. The only character I actually liked.

THE KILLER. I almost never guess the killer right in a whodunit, but I suspected Rung the whole time. So I was happy.

CONS:

MAX/TUL SEX SCENES. Yeah, I know, I know. They're the hottest BL couple out there, famous for their sex scenes. I was the biggest fan of Together With Me and probably the only fan of TWM The Next Chapter. It's the reason that I (and probably most of us) watched Manner of Death. But the sex scenes seemed really misplaced in this drama, let alone that both their characters were weird as hell. For me, the series would have been far better without the sex scenes.

CHARACTERS. Were we actually supposed to like ANYONE in this series? As mentioned earlier, Sorawit was the only likeable character for me... I guess Dr. Oat as well. Everyone else -- including Dr. Bun and Tan -- went around with guns and weapons and behaving like criminals.

STORY. Por was the head of the mafia, tried to kill both his brothers, and then we're supposed to like him at the end. That was a total creep, but then he became Sorawit's boyfriend so I guess we like him after all. Inspector M was pretty much an ass for the whole series, but then he became an ally of the main couple and looked to be dating Dr. Oat at the end, so I guess we like him. In other words, the characters were kind of... bizarre. If I ever visited that town, I'd turn around and run like hell!

ENDING. So Tan stages fake killers to hunt Bun and himself down in the woods, scaring Dr. Bun out of his mind, only to propose marriage with lovey-dovey notes? Wow, how romantic. Happy Valentine's Day. I want a divorce.

This was one of those series that I only watched to the end because I'd already started it and was invested in it. I doubt I'll rewatch... if I want to get my Max/Tul fix, I'll watch TWM.

P. S. Max/Tul with the Hansel and Gretel references were just so dumb. "We're like Hansel and Gretel!" Umm... no, you're not.

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Neither a Great Thriller, nor a Great Romance drama.

Completed - 3/17/2022

I was hoping to watch a more mature BL drama, that’s not just a rom-com of high school or college students. Thus, “Manner of Death” became my choice. A crime/thriller romance drama sounds exactly what I am looking for.

Unfortunately, I am a little disappointed. I am not sure if I am not used to Thai acting, or the acting of the cast doesn’t live up to my expectations. I do not find the acting of Max and Tul, the two lead male characters, to be convincing. If I have to pick, I think Tul as Dr. Bun did a better job than Max as Tan. The drama likes to have close-up shots of the actors' faces for viewers to focus on their facial expressions. Unfortunately, the camera stays with the actors for a little too long (5-10 seconds, maybe) and their inability to convey emotions is more observable and makes me feel uncomfortable. At times, the music accompanied these close up shots made feel like I'm watching an American daytime soap opera. Of the cast members, I would say the actress, Meiko, who played Jane, is the best of the bunch, followed by maybe Great, who played Inspector M.

The chemistry of the two leads was pretty good in the first half of the drama, before they officially got together.. But when the second half focuses more on the crime investigation, the chemistry took a dip. The transition from crime investigation to the leads being flirty with each other appears out-of-place with a very sudden tone change. There aren’t enough sweet or sexy moments to satisfy the romance-at-heart, and the longing and tension from the first half of the drama are gone.

I like the general plot of the drama, a medical doctor who wants to uncover the truth of his friend’s murder. But I don’t think the execution is quite there. Our leads seem to have 9 lives, as they get hurt all the time, recover quickly, but they never die. There is a mix of predictable and unpredictable plot twists. I don’t know much about Thailand’s forensic/medical work, so I don’t want to say they are wrong. However, it does seem somewhat minimal and easy when Dr. Bun does his autopsy work. Overall, this is neither a great thriller, nor a great romance drama. It’s just OK.

Other Observations:
1. Inspector M’s uniform is really tight, showing his fabulous body. He’s the hottest guy in the drama.
2. The actress who played Jane is really pretty, both in casual wear and when she’s all dolled out.
3. Bad CPR alert!
4. Seems like a low-budget production.
5. do enjoy scenes of the small town.
6. Music is not bad. I like the theme song.

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So Close!

I appreciate the attempt at adding suspense, drama and thriller elements into this because it feels more like a show and not just a BL. However, the writing in this was not it for the most part lol. Especially with the medical part of it. That's so inaccurate and from what I understand the author of the book is a medical professional? So why not consult with them on the accuracy? Or hire someone from a medical field to come onto set and help? Total missed opportunity. The chemistry between the leads is top tier but what else is new with MaxTul. The mystery actually didn't have me fully grasped at first but they kept adding more and more to keep it interesting enough. It got hella confusing sometimes with the names and lack of character screen time to attach those names to people, but overall it wrapped up alright. With more care added into the accuracy and more time to really flesh out some of the characters, this could've been up there on my list! It didn't get there, but I would say watch it if you want something different and Max & Tul always are fun to watch.

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Excellent intertwining of mystery and romance

In case anyone is wondering, the reason this series has an 18+ warning has (probably) got nothing to do with the BL elements but everything to do with the crimes depicted, which are pretty dark and involve sexual exploitation, including the exploitation of underage people.

I believe there are many BL fans who are drawn to the series because of the promise of BL. Personally, I was somewhat unsure about it (as someone who watches a lot of BL) because the the crime/thriller story in the synopsis doesn't seem to cohere well with the BL genre, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how nicely the main characters' romance is woven into the story involving some rather heinous crimes.

We can perhaps see this series as a thriller with romance in it, like many series that focus on straight relationships instead of a gay relationship. This story happens to feature a gay romance, but perhaps the "BL" label shouldn't be used here. I personally think that not every story with a gay romance in the main plot is BL, which is a genre that has certain quirks. If you are looking for a series that is largely focused on the love between them like many other purely BL series, you are better off watching something else. Nevertheless,, this series has a prominent romance narrative thread that is nicely intertwined with the narrative involving various murders.

The relationship between Tan and Bun (played by Max and Tul) is beautifully developed. The mutual attraction between them from the start is nicely portrayed, with Bun barely able to conceal his disappointment when he thinks that Tan is his female friend's boyfriend. Yet, despite his attraction to Tan, Bun is unable to trust him unreservedly at first because of how Tan is possibly involved in the crimes. Bun's complex emotions towards Tan as the mystery starts to unfold make their relationship interesting. The audience is also, for a while, left guessing what sort of person Tan is. Is the attraction purely sexual? Is it deception? Or is there genuine love on both sides?

Even without the romance narrative thread, the series is already pretty solid as a thriller, with the mystery being unraveled at a nice pace with some twists. A couple of twists are somewhat predictable but they don't weaken the story. One may be incredulous that, in an age of easy digital reproduction and dissemination, people can still think trying to getting back the original digital video of their incriminating acts. However, the flaws of the series are fairly minor. The story is well paced and nothing seems too rushed or draggy.

The strength of the series as a thriller makes the choice of featuring a gay romance commendable. After all, the story can very already do very well on its own with bromance or straight romance. In fact, there is a risk in featuring a gay relationship. It can either be a hit (since BL has a lot of fans) or a miss (since audiences beyond the BL fan base may not like the gay romance plot). The series does target and pander to BL fans, but not in a childish way. There is a kiss between Tan and Bun in the first episode (and even at least one possible side BL couple for us to ship), but the elements made for BL fans are worked quite seamlessly into the story. The final episode also has one of the tenderest gay romance moments I have seen in BLs in the past year or so.

I'm not sure how popular the series is currently, but I wish it will prove to be commercially successful. This will be a good impetus for a higher visibility of gay characters in mainstream productions.

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A Bit Disappointed

Ah, when I saw the trailer for the drama, I was super excited to get started because so many have dubbed it as a 'serious' drama that is the best out there in terms of Thai Dramas.

However, I was a bit disappointed with things. - It was a good drama, but I was far from impressed.

The plot was amazing, very interesting and very intriguing. However, they were full of holes that even the blind could see. And that was why I was so disappointed because for once I found a Thai drama that wasn't so bad in terms of the casts' acting and voila, I was presented with many hard-to-dismiss plotholes.




[[[[[ SPOILER TIME, AVOID READING PASS THIS SENTENCE IF YOU HATE SPOILERS ]]]]]

Here's the plotholes that I couldn't digest blindly:

1. When Jane's body was found, Tan was said to be her boyfriend when he was not. He found her body and they simply assumed that he was her boyfriend. (Seriously?! I don't how the police do their job in Thailand, but they sure wouldn't have just 'assumed' instead of investigating right?)

2. When it was revealed that Jane was actually killed and didn't actually commit a suicide, we were never presented with the events where people close to her were investigated. (Seriously?! I thought the first course of action would be to question people?!)

3. When Bun was attacked by an unknown guy at his home, his first thought was to go stay with the most suspicious guy within his reach simply because he helped fend off the attacker. (Seriously?! No suspicion, simply letting yourself enter an unknown territory when you haven't even figured out what's happening. For God sake, the guy even owned a gun at home!)

4. Rung and Jane. Rung said that she loved her sister but she sacrificed her for the sake of her business, saying that she had had to do it as well before this so Jane should do it as well for the same reason. And Jane agreed. And why, even for the sake of the said business, Rung was willing to kill her own sister. (I have nothing to say about this, that is just too fucked up, beyond saving.)

5. The falling at the cliff? (or was it into a river?) event? The police conducted a search and couldn't find both Tan and Bun when they were just there at the bank. (Unrealistic level: Out of The World)

AND THERE WERE SO MANY OTHER SCENES AND EVENTS THAT I COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO NOTE DOWN. AS WELL.

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More of this type of BL drama please!!!

My review is a personal opinion on this drama. It is not in any way shape or form meant to sway you into either watching it or avoiding it. Please make your own personal choice on whether to watch something or not. We are all individuals and have our own likes or dislikes.

I give this drama an 8.9 (thogh MDL only lets me pick wither 8.5 or 9.0...so I went for 9.0) (reason is as follows)...I got to say that Max and Tul did a better job here than in their previous works. I never really liked their other dramas. Anyways, they have improved immmensely, specially Max...that stare alone...gosh he does something to me, which is really interesting because I never cared for him before.

The story is pretty basic and formulaic, which isn't a bad thing at all if done properly. I loved the way it was told and though there was some plotholes here and there, it was enjoyable to watch. Can't denied that all of the actors had great chemistry with each other, not just Max-Tul.

My reason for the raiting is that most of the criminal justice proceedures were so badly done at times. GOSH...there was some things that made me shake my head...but again I'm sure this had more to do with the area the drama was located and the way that local police work, but it was just like...Come on Man, that's not how police proceedure works (even if you are in a different country, basic police investigative techniques are pretty much universal...)

Like no one bothered to do "latent searches" ??? on the rope, on the doors or even at Pued and the reporter's houses?

or having poor victim at the District Attorney's office to confront him about what he did to her and other young girls? No one would put a victim in the same vacinity as her abuser unless they were at trial and if she chose to take the stand...I was like...OMG that's traumatizing for her to be in front of someone so powerful who did so much to her and others. But again, this is a drama so I have to just take a step back and let it play out LOL.

It's obvious that the source material is going to lack a lot of the criminal justice perspective because the writer according to many comes from a medical background and not a police/dectective one, so I can forgive them for it.

I also didn't like that they didn't really wrap up the prostitution/trafficking/abortion arc of the story. I thought addressing this head on would have been a great opportunity to highlight the real problems that are happening not just there but in the world.

Lets talk about the CHEESY ending...sorry LOL...I'm just not a romantic person so the cheesiness was overkilled for me...from the surprise engagement to the cliff scene...BUTTTTTT, it was really fitting for them. So despite my dislike for it, I thought it worked for the story.

I do hope there is a special episode to see more of Aem/Oat and Sarawit and the other kid. I thought they were very cute.

Conclusion? I say watch it if you like mystery/crime dramas with a touch of BL. This was pretty decent and I can see myself watching it again. Minus the cheesy stuff... ^_^

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