Moonlight Chicken (2023)

A Masterpiece

I was confused as to why this drama only has 8 episodes but after finishing it, I realized why. Every single episodes, every single parts truly touched the audience’s hearts with its truly remarkable moments. All the characters were executed well. You truly see the growth of every individual characters as they also learned to accept what life has to offer them. Uncle Jim finally accepting help from others and opening up at the end was such a refreshing scene. Him moving away from the old diner place and selling his car really shows he’s moved on with Wen. I love the growth of his relationship with Ming. From being flawed in the beginning to accepting each other at the end. Wen and his fighter nature really inspired me. The amount of persistence he has despite being continuously rejected at first was just amazing. I love how he rejected the promotion at the end. It may seem absurd to some but since the beginning, he never was about money. He actually have always wanted a home which he finally found with Uncle Jim. What happened between Wen and Alan was heartbreaking but it does happen in real life . You wake up one day and realize this is not the love you’re looking for. It was very realistic the way their characters were portrayed. From trying to be friends, to not working out, to angst then finally to moving on. I’m glad both of them were able to find another means of happiness and seem to end the series by still being friends. Then we have Heart and Li Ming. I have so much praises for them. The innocence yet heaviness of their story must have been hard to portray but both Gemini and Fourth played their parts very well. Then we have Gaipa. This sweet man tore my heart in pieces when he was singing for his mom. Khaotung’a acting definitely deserve a recognition! All the actors do! The series was made to be realistic that even after finishing it, I can still feel their emotions. Congratulations to e everyone who was part of this masterpiece. Hope everyone will get the chance to watch this! ❤️

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It just feels real

The Midnight Series of GMMTV had been on my "Watch Later" list for a while now. Simply because i have grown so accustomed to their story telling type and the quality of their series that I did not expect anything profound from it.

Then I stumbled upon Moonlight Chicken. By it's name, I had already found it interesting enough. A Chicken diner located in a region/province in Thailand that is yet to recover after the tumultuous times from COVID-19. Despite the rising prices and the need to adapt to an economy that has been heavily hit, Moonlight Chicken stands different because it gives more of a respite to its customers than a reminder of harder times.

There are a lot of things I thoroughly enjoyed about this story but one stood high above all-- the use of a Chinese song called "The Moon Represents My Heart".

For those who are familiar with this song, it is a sweet Chinese love song that has been popularized by Teresa Teng. I would not get into much details with the song because the show encapsulates the kind of love that it wishes to share. But that's not what I am getting at. I had not read or watched anything regarding the production of Moonlight Chicken, so I have no idea what the director/writer's intention was when they incorporated the song-- but one name stood out when I was watching the series and it was Li Ming's mother's fiance Mr Tong. What's funny enough is that she refers to him as Mr Tong multiple times through the series.

And it hit me so hard, because Mr Tong and The Moon Represents My Heart suddenly becomes real. I am not sure if it was meant as a reference, but after watching the story of Jim and Wen, then Li Ming and Heart and the hardships of Alan and Gaipa-- I can't help but relate it to a beloved actor's story of Leslie Cheung. And for those who do not know, that is a story that is both pure and tragic. Such love that is enduring and a love that is all consuming. Thank you to the writer for that beautiful homage.

Now it brings me to the three or maybe an extent, four couples that are showcasing love differently.

Jim and Wen, the main couple. This is interesting because they both are dealing with different kinds of trauma from their past love. You have Jim whose love had treated him with selfishness, and had ended up with much tragedy that the entire ordeal had left him distrustful. Then we have Wen, whose heart is ready to love but can't properly move on from a love that has kept him captive. How could you move on from someone you have been with for so long? How can you help that person accept that you no longer love them? Sprinkle in with other personal matters such as work, family and inner predicaments gives you a story that beautifully endures. Kudos to Earth and Mix, they rarely miss.

Li Ming and Heart. This couple had captured me in a way purity does, in awe and appreciation. LiMing and Heart shows the silence and subtlety of love, where what is considered "normal" should not dictate the limitations of what love can become. Despite Li Mings feelings of inadequacy or Heart's disability, the two of them found the right note and voice to conquer their trials and emerge victorious. A love stemmed from the desire to understand and grow together. Kudos to the young actors Fourth and Gemini.

Saleng and Praew. Though brief and not as highlighted, I appreciate the realness of this couple. They are by no means rich and they know that with the pregnancy they will be facing harsher times. And yet they persevered. The growth of Saleng's character as well made me admire him more, his hard work to ensure his child will grow up with enough opportunities and his willingness to do more to give his wife a safe home. It's wonderful how they both did their best for each other and did not let the situation hinder them from still also working hard for the betterment of themselves. Kudos to Mark and View.

Alan and Wen (then Gaipa). Alan comes of pitiful to me. Which is maybe what we want to feel at the start. Though it is annoying and clearly appalling how he acts so stubborn with Wen and how he allows his personal feelings affect his work-- you can't deny that the man is clearly deeply heartbroken and moving on has become a curse to him. However, it also shows two people who drift apart and are slowly drawn to beings that can move their world for the better. Kudos to First and Khaotung, they express emotions strongly and beautifully.

This is already a testament to the story writing and to the actors themselves.

Apart from that, what's the most beautiful about Moonlight Chicken is that everything feels real. Rarely were their the usual plot devices that forces the characters to come together-- it was enough for the characters being human to move the story forward. Their jobs are not glamorous, there are hardships and the effects of gentrifying a historical part of the land is also highlighted. There is also the evolution of dreams, how one can transform that dream and still be wonderful. Family dynamics, how giving birth does not guarantee forever love, how being different does not mean you affect others, how your love is enough to make others feel appreciated and how we can never be perfect, but we can always try to make it work.

Love. Loss. Hope. Bravery. Honesty. Resilience. Growth. Heart. Friendship. Trust. Letting go.

I appreciate so many things about this series but can't really put all my thoughts in one go. It is well thought of, well executed and well meaning. Love and suffering, love and growth, love and moving on. Truly a treat and something i wish could touch hearts for the years to come. Kudos! A definite must watch.

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Exceptional

Moonlight Chicken has two perfect couples and I love them both for different reasons. Wen and Jim are basically love at first sight but it takes them a whole show to be able to act on it, Wen gets there quicker but he has his troubles to sort through as well. They yearn, are scared, are tired and just really want to find a some place to call home.

Li Ming and Heart on the other hand have a rocky beginning but after they get over it they become close so fast. Their relationship was the most special to me, and the way it was written is truly exceptional. They both just want someone to listen and believe in them. Acting from both of the boys is perfect, all the strong emotions, small facial expressions, they sold it so well and I love them both.

Finale was perhaps the least strong of the episodes, but I already rewatched it since I wasn't ready to let this show go.

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Can I have more, please? Pretty please?

Softly, gently swimming in the river of life and avoiding obstacles with determination and intelligence.....

A few days ago, I started watching Midnight Motel but the dark themed series left me wanting for something else, lighter and nicer so I decided to watch an episode of Moonlight Chicken. Next thing I know, I was finishing episode four, it was like 3AM and I was trying really hard not to watch anymore. I succeeded even though it was so hard.

This series gripped me from the beginning with its music first and then the slice of life story. I am a sucker for a good slice of life romance and this one was almost perfect. Now I just want to rewatch it!

The story is deceptively simple: in a diner in Pattaya, different people meet and forge relationships. Uncle Jim is the owner and one night he meets drunken Wen: they end up spending the night together and Wen falls for Jim who does not want to continue this relationship. Jim's nephew, Li Ming is wrongly accused of breaking a valuable bottle during a delivery and has to work to pay it back. There he meets the house owner's deaf teenage son and they become friends.

This drama deals with some important everyday, mundane issues: work, money problems, redevelopment of areas, unrequited love, unwanted pregnancy and so on but it shows friendship and love and family with a minimum toxicity. There are no forced and invented problems and issues: everything is very quickly dealt with by TALKING. Well, that was quite refreshing since most of dramas thrive on misunderstandings and lack of communication. Not the case here.
Rarely seen as well, is a deaf character. The description of a handicap and the way the boy's family struggle to accept it (by hiding it) is shown in stark contrast with Li Ming's attitude of "there is nothing wrong with being deaf! Let's communicate and be friends!" Their story was beautiful. It showed young people completely unphased by adults' fears of difficulties and rejection.
And then there was Wen. He is a troubling character. He is still living and sleeping with the ex boyfriend. Their relationship is toxic and problematic and spills over into the new relationship he is trying to start because he seems stuck and unable to make a clean break. His ex, Alan, tries to hold onto him and as a result they are both unhappy.

Moonlight Chicken, with all its lightness, managed to touch upon and deal with a numerous life problems, small and big but realistic.

As for the cast, they were hit and miss. Firstly Earth was miscast: he is supposed to be almost 40! He does look older than the rest of the cast but not that much! And also, somebody should just tell Earth (playing Jim) that e cannot act and that he should remain a model: he's a handsome guy but has a single expression throughout the series wooden eternally surprised expression. Frankly that bothered me already in 1000 Stars! He shares no chemistry with Mix, who played Wen and I found their interactions, when they were lovey dovey, stilted, unnatural and unconvincing! Mix, on the other hand, is a king of microexpressions, his eyes tell a thousand stories but what happened to him? He looks like he is made out of putty, all soft and pudgy and soft, maybe too soft. But he has great chemistry with First who plays his ex Alan. I must say that First was a revelation! He is an amazing actor. Unexpectedly so since he did not leave a lasting impression after The Eclipse.
And then there are the two hottest BL stars of the moment, hot on the heels of their huge hit My School President. Gemini plays the deaf kid Fourth as Li Ming befriends. And they are just perfect§ Playing a daf character is not easy since you are not allowed to react to sounds all around (there was a scene where he unwittingly turned his head when a note was pushed under the door he was not looking at!Just a minor flaw!). They were the right measure of cute and serious and fun and real, just like every teen is nowdays! Open, with surprising maturity and without prejudice. And, by the way they were much better here than in MSP!
Finally there was Kaotung who has mastered overacting. Some of his scenes were hard to watch because of his grimacing face!

The producers should stop repeating actors' couples from other series. Earth and Mix as well as First and Kaotung were wrong here! That did not stop me from enjoying this series a lot but some moments were rather cringey especially scenes between Earth and Kaotung (who plays a chicken stall owner with a crush on Jim!).

The cinematography was stunning: the colours were in the brown, dark and warm tones. Everything felt soft and gentle. And the lighting and the colour palette corresponded the characters.
The music was so right for this series! The old taiwanese song the six main actors sing is giving me goosebumps and spills something warm inside my soul.

And in spite of all the flaws, I loved this series. It was just perfect for me at this moment in my life when I was looking for a serious story but with no toxicity. And I need more of all of them!

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stayed for heart and li ming

They stole the show for me. It got to a point where I skipped everything just to watch their scenes together because their chemistry is insane! The way the two of them had me blushing and kicking my feet every interaction ! Thank you to the actors for portraying their characters so beautifully:) I do feel like they always give their all in every single role they play so you never have to worry about them slacking.

Oh, and the second couple close to the end, I would have liked to see that progress, I think they had potential.

Final opinion: The second couple saved the show for me.

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So different for GMMTV!

I have watched so many GMMTV BL dramas and this by far was the highest production value by far. But I don't think that was always beneficial. With a higher budget they were able to do so much more, but the longer episode run time made some episodes feel like they were dragging the plot out. And for there only being 8 episodes in the series they didn't really plot out the pacing correctly so by episode 8 it felt like a rushed conclusion. The acting by the leads of Earth Pirapat Watthanasetsiri and Mix Sahaphap Wongratch was really beautiful, however their love story felt like it was never going to happen as a result of the drag out. As per usual GMM has produced another side love story that was almost an "Eclipse" of the main story (pun intended.) The performance we were given by Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul and Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak was absolutely heart warming, and they left me wanting more. I do feel like they were done a grave disservice however because their one and only kiss was completely obscured by the camera angle.

On the whole this was a really good series with many high points. The higher production value was a great enhancement for the cinematography. The only down side being the long run time being a disruption from a properly paced story line. If it was a 12 ep series then I think they could have done a lot more.

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From the cinematography to the actors, everything was a "yes" for me.

"Moonlight Chicken" is currently my favorite show. From the cinematography to the actors, everything was a "yes" for me.
I saw a lot of people mentioning how Heart and Ming steal the show—a comment I can understand but definitely don't agree with (though I respect their point of view, of course).

That said, I think one thing that might not be to everyone's liking is that the series takes its time. Many facets of everyday life are covered; it feels like I was living with them. It’s a show that reflects the daily lives of a large proportion of viewers and is not fast-paced as a result.

I'm not someone with a lot of experience in love, yet I was still deeply touched by the different aspects of relationships portrayed by P'Aof and the actors, to the point where I lost count of how many times I cried as if I myself had experienced these situations. It was so realistic and refreshing to see being gay in one's thirties or forties portrayed on screen, especially as a poor character. Earth did an amazing job, as did Mix; it was pleasant and interesting to see their relationship evolve as they learned to let go of past relationships to be able to move forward.

Ming and Heart were the cutest part of the show, with an adorable dynamic. I loved how everyone in the series became more mature by the end, not just the young characters.

First and Khaotung did amazing as well. I felt so bad for Alan throughout the show. I understood everyone's position and way of thinking, which made the confrontation scenes even more relevant. Gaipa was a ray of sunshine who made me ugly-cry as if I was the one in pain. Not to mention the beautiful color palette the series uses !

In conclusion: I love MC !

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slice of life, struggles, other side of the tracks romance, great side dishes

I enjoyed this complicated little show, even though it’s spectacularly messy gay with lots of shrapnel and authentic pain (normally not my style).

I thought EarthMix turned in their most compelling performance to date, yes better than Thousand Stars.

But it was GeminiFourth who stole my heart. What a wonderful side romance that was!

That said, the most interesting central relationship was that of Jim & Li Ming, their father-son angst mixed with evident affection made me tear up. This was more slice of life than it was BL, but it ended happily so I’m not mad at it.

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Not quite as advertised

Kudos to P'Aof and GMMTV for producing an adult* (grumpy sneer) series.

That being said...

Too many plot threads surface skimmed, ended ignominiously. or utterly dropped and forgotten, so the Gemini/Fourth teen/barely legal story could overtake the show. And the hearing impaired storyline - SO much wrong, infuriating and insulting. Almost dropped the series. (Did plenty of fast-forwarding instead)

While I do like Earth and Mix as actors, and both did a solid job in this series - Mix stepping out with some subtle and effective character subtext, yeah!) just as with ATOTS and the dumpster fire of CLW, there is no sexual tension between them, at all. From the shag at the beginning to the kiss at the end, dry choreography.

Khaotung, as he demonstrated in "The Eclipse" is a good actor, but you really shouldn't notice that he's acting, and in all emotionally heightened scenes, aka crying, boy, he's acting his heart out.

First, as always, is divine, one of the finest GMMTV actors. Could speak volumes about his character building and in the scene's moment skills. Would watch him in anything.

The cinematography in the first few episodes excellent, framing, angle, and movement, dynamic and interesting. By the end of the show that magic had, sadly, lapsed into BL static average. Sound issues galore, however. Should really find better placement of mics in scenes where hugging is involved. Pleasant opening sequence, if too long, could have used some of that screen time for additional story time.

Finally, a thank you to cast, admin and entire production crew for bringing this series to life., for seeing the worth and wealth of the working class adult* story. May this be the first of many, and many more.


*should have been exclusively

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an emotional rollercoaster portraying everyday lives

"Moonlight Chicken" is part of the "Midnight Series" alongside "Midnight Motel" and "Dirty Laundry". It is the third and last series released from these three. First of all, I have to agree with many other opinions; it is the best entry out of the three series. One of the reasons is probably the longer runtime which results in allowing to have more place to fully develop a background story and giving characters the ability to grow.

The story tells a lot of different aspects of life; losing a loved one, falling in love, financial problems, the problems and prejudice towards deaf and hard-of-hearing people have to face... but these are only a few exampled of the many aspects it portrays. Especially the inclusion of a deaf character (Heart) as one of the more important characters gives this series a special place in my heart.

This is where I will have to talk about the acting. Heart (Gemini) is portrayed extremely well, without using much speech, only expressions and body language, he is able to show all his emotions without it feeling like too much or too little. Acting-wise, Heart (Gemini) and Li Ming (Fourth) probably steal the show. The actors are able portray the feelings that teenagers have while trying to find their own way, in a natural, convincing way, probably due to the fact that they are the same age as their characters. But every other actor (and actress) in this series does their role justice, making "Moonlight Chicken" a natural, convincing (and emotional) experience.

The soundtrack is beautiful. Starting with a great intro song, the series is able to use the soundtrack in a way that it completes every scene in perfectly, making the experience for the viewer even better.

Therefore, while I recommend watching all three series of the "Midnight Series", "Moonlight Chicken" is the one that will leave the biggest impact on the viewer.

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The familial love is the highlight

I really enjoyed this show. There was so much to dig into and it was a real pleasure to see a BL with such mature themes, nuanced characters, and complex morality. By far my favorite part of this show was the care and attention shown to familial love, especially the complicated relationship between Jim and Li Ming. Heart’s storyline was also a highlight, and he and Li Ming had a very charming teen romance.

That said, it was not a perfect show for me. I think for a show with only 8 episodes aired over 4 weeks, Moonlight Chicken tried to do a little too much. In particular, I thought they resolved the major conflicts too early on, releasing a lot of the dramatic tension in the story and leaving us with a slower pace and fragmented focus. I enjoyed all the characters and themes, but I’m not sure it all came together as one cohesive narrative engine.

The biggest flaw in the show was in the casting. The actor playing Jim was simply too young for the part, and it became a distraction. The romance between Jim and Wen was also missing something as a result. I think a better casting choice for Jim would have strengthened the show a lot.

Even still, I do recommend watching. It’s a beautiful show with a lot of warmth.

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