Memory in the Letter (2024)

On both sides of the mirror

Aksorn (Beck Pitchayutt Chatchawansombut) and Songjam (Parky Napavit Tewaphankul), in their respective first major roles in their acting credits, represent two young people who are fighting for the same cause: the pursuit of happiness and love, which is not only that of romantic love but also that of love for one's own identity.
Adapted from the web novel 'Memories in Letters' (ท ร ง จำ ใ น อั ก ษ ร), by Hungrybird, the eponymous drama of six episodes of about 35 minutes each, is one of the most beautiful, emotional series and addictive Thai of recent years, and follows the love story of two young people in two different worlds and the miracles that come with it.
Playing on the series' title, Parky plays the character "Songjam," which means "Letter," while Beck plays "Aksorn," which translates to "Memories," a rebellious soul searching for love, understanding and happiness.
The two protagonists quickly fall in love and treat each other with love and care, which makes the loneliness, the absence of the mother and suffering the intolerance of the father in one of the worlds make Aksorn's life happier. On their respective sides of the mirror, feelings will begin to grow between the two young people towards each other, while they discover their sexual orientation and identity.
With an extraordinary ability to guide the viewer's imagination, the script, written by Nirattisai Ratphithak, presents us with an adventure that mixes reality and fiction, which explores the world of parallel universes. This is a supernatural story of romance and mystery with which any teenager and young person, and older ones too, will immediately identify.
The protagonist and main narrator, Aksorn, moves into a bedroom on the top floor of an old building after being kicked out of home by his authoritarian father, who does not accept that his son is a writer. After a meteor shower, accompanied by an earthquake, Aksorn discovers that his mirror has been transformed into a portal to another universe, specifically to a bedroom inhabited by a young adventurer with a turbulent past who is not afraid to defy the laws of physics. .
As they deepen their relationship, Aksorn forges a mysterious connection with the boy who lives inside the mirror in his room. From the first exchanges, both young people feel emotionally and physically attracted to each other.
Jinthaphat Sakkaen's photography contributes to the effort to tell a story set in an extraordinary reality that defies all logic, following the romance between these two young people and the obstacles they will face to be together.
'Memories in Letters' takes place in a surprising and unique environment, divided into two different worlds located opposite each other. The distance that separates both sides barely exceeds the width of a thin crystal, but the natural and physical conditions of each of the worlds make accessibility from one place to another extremely difficult. The boys can see each other, but not touch each other.
Aksorn is a university student of Literature who has lied to his father about the course he is studying at the university and who likes to read the work of Oscar Wilde in one of the two worlds that are on both sides of the mirror. His passionate nature is responsible for fueling his dreams of being a great writer. For his part, Songjam is a happy and smiling young student who dreams of being a doctor and who likes to dance and listen to music in the world opposite to Aksorn's.
One day, an online novel about two people from two different worlds who meet through a mirror becomes the fascination of readers. However, it turns out to be based on the life of Aksorn and his lover. Who wrote this story? How did the writer learn about the personal history of the two young people? Is Songjam the author? Who is Likit, the only clue that surrounds the mystery? What will the complex network of human relationships and time travel on which the story revolves have in store for us? Is there any way the two guys can meet in person?
While the novel may be the only key that breaks the wall between Aksorn and Songjam, the mirror, the only obstacle that separates them, remains at the same time the only thing that unites them.
This romantic drama with a touch of fantasy is the first BL series from Studio Say-Yes.
As in every love triangle, in this story about coming of age, friendship, love, discovery and acceptance, a third character is missing, and this is Khiao, played by Atirut Kittipattana, the well-known actor, singer and presenter of Thai news, who plays a doctor with a secret identity that will cause an important twist in the story.
As the enigma adds new layers of suspense and intrigue to the already captivating story, the trio will travel together, on both sides of the mirror, and we will learn more about them and their past. But will it be a true and classic love triangle?
I am struck by how Beck's character offers an image of a gay teenager who, despite his youth and family trauma, has maturity when it comes to relating to others, and maintains a healthy relationship with those around him, something which is sometimes missing or failing in other series of the genre, as it is not written and represented as delicately and carefully as on this occasion.
Through a modern fairy tale, 'Memories in Letters' demonstrates the interest in making homosexuality visible during the adolescent-youth stage approached from everyday life, that is, without the characters experiencing it with drama or histrionics, as traditionally happened.
Homosexuality as a theme is inserted not only in fictions aimed at a youth target or audience, but also in audiovisual content intended for adults, offering greater understanding to those who deal with adolescents, that is, family members, friends and those people in their school environment who participate in their personal and psychological development.
The musical themes "Crossing Paths", performed by Atirut Kittipattana and Parky Napavit Tewaphankul, and "Definition of Love", by Soravit Thitipawat, reinforce the action on the screen to tell this amazing story of love that overcomes all barriers and limits of its realities going beyond science and its properties, and that, in addition, demonstrates that with a low budget you can also work on the genre when there is passion and creativity for the story you want to tell.

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So confused and so many unanswered questions

Idk, episodes 1-4 I liked the series. I love the Parallel Universe troupe, also Songjam and Aksorn were really cute together, I considered it 10/10

Then episode 5 hit and It got extremely confusing to the point my head was hurting because I was trying to figure out what was going on. I enjoyed the plot twist though and finding out who Kyo was but I had a lot of unanswered questions. I then dropped my rating to 9.5/10

Now episode 6 (ending) was rushed, I feel like. We didn't get to see much of Kyo and Aksorn's relationship together, We didn't get to see Aksorn's dad talking to Kyo after finding out they were dating, and we also didn't get to see them actually writing the book, it just went straight to Aksorn passing them out and having a book signing

I'm just leaving this series so confused and with so many unanswered questions, The series had so much potential but it was rushed into episodes 5 & 6 because they tried to fit this complex storyline within 6 episodes when it needed to be at least 12 to get the full story across, I don't think people understand that Parallel Universe is so complex that stories and series can't be rushed with this topic because there's so much room for confusion if it not explain properly. Take 'Two Worlds' with Max and Nat, for example, that is a parallel universe but they explained everything thoroughly so it's not confusing and you aren't left with so many questions. I really wish they made this series a 12-episode so we can see everything. It sucks we only got to see like 20 minutes of Kyo and Aksorn's relationship.

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Cute...Interesting....Weird... and Creepy

What attracted me to watch “Memory in the Letter” is the interesting plot. What’s going to happen when you move into a new apartment and find someone living inside the mirror in your room? What’s even more weird is that a novel is detailing your experience with the guy in the mirror and you have no idea how that happens and who the author is.

The two leads, Parky and Beck, are pretty new to dramaland. I think their acting is decent for newbies. This is Parky’s first ever acting gig, and he’s done a lot better than others. Beck is adorable and is able to shoulder his first drama as a main lead pretty well. Can Atirut is quite a handsome guy, but he seems to always have a fake smile on his face with too much makeup.

There’s enough story to make this short drama into a full length one. Because there are only 6 short episodes, everything happens very quickly. In the first episode, not only have the leads met but they also fell in love right away. The first four episodes show us the quick romantic development, and they are really a cute and adorable pair. When a handsome stranger approaches you at a coffee shop and is super kind and helpful, one starts to wonder what his motive is. The mystery of the novel is interesting and is solved rather quickly.

Episode 5 tells us Songjam’s side of the story. Even though it’s important to learn of his experience, I miss Aksorn here. I think the best part of this drama is when Aksorn and Songjam are together and doing little romantic things. With Aksorn’s absence, I lost a little interest.

Spoiler……Episode 6
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This is when the creepy part comes in. It’s an interesting twist that we finally find out the identity of this mysterious kind stranger. But if I do the math right, he’s at least 40-45 years older than Aksorn. I cannot for the life of me see him acting all smitten and lovey dovey with Aksorn. This age gap is quite hard to accept when he’s the one who helps bring Aksorn into this world, literally. The romantic feelings I have in the first 4 episodes are all gone. What’s left is a creepy old guy (who looks the same for the past 20 years with a fake smile) trying to rekindle old flames and flirt/court a 20 year old.



I am not sure if the drama follows the web novel well and if it also feels creepy in the end. It’s unfortunate as I really enjoyed the first four episodes despite everything happening at lightning speed. But this is a low budget Thai drama, so I am willing to overlook that because Songjam and Aksorn are adorable with good chemistry, and it has a couple nice songs. With that positive note, I am not rate this lower than 7.5.


Completed: 5/21/2024 - Review #441

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enjoyed the first 4 episodes

Overall: I was really enjoying the chemistry in the first 4 episodes but the last 2 didn't work for me. 6 episodes about 35 minutes each. Aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/x9f8tbtrynespbk-Memory%20in%20the%20letter%20(Uncut%20Ver.)/x0048wdyxbh-EP1%3A%20Memory%20in%20the%20letter%20(Uncut%20Ver.) A spoiler comment with additional thoughts.

Content Warnings: punch/parental abuse, stalking

What I Liked
- unique premise
- mystery aspect
- sweet moments
- chemistry

Room For Improvement
- though I'm normally not a fan of montages to show time passing, I think they needed one because it seemed a bit rushed for what happened at the end of episode 1 to happen
- love rival (this kept me from fully investing in the couple)
- Christmas music
- the dad's redemption arc was poorly done
- never explained exactly what happened to the mom, was it an accident, how did that happen???
- unrealistic things i.e. lugging something up to the roof and leaning on it without worrying about it tipping over, something taking only 5 years which for that kind of case would be a person with much more training/experience, no one really concerned over something, etc.
- awkward kiss in episode 6

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Beautiful setup spoiled by poor and lazy ending

It's starting to become a truism of BL that authors come up with good ideas and have no idea how to bring them to a conclusion, so they just skip over everything and just tack on a shallow happy ending.

This series can't help but bring up a comparison to the Filipino BL Happenstance, with a similar premise but 100 times the depth, although the overall production quality for that series was lower. It had something to say about different times and worlds, and had a bittersweet and authentic ending that carried a lot of power and stuck with me.

This, however... it's quite engaging, cute, and romantic, with a touch of mystery and darkness, up until when Songjam tries to enter Aksorn's world, when it all falls apart.

First of all, while it's possible to do a time jump well, it rarely is done well - usually it's just a lazy jump over any sort of authentic and organic resolution of the plot.

Because of the one here, there was an opportunity to explore the nature of love - does it transcend age? What does it mean when two people are at different places in their lives? But no, they just cast a 32-year old actor to play a 45-year old and called it a day.

Even what should have been an interesting confrontation between Songjam and Aksorn's father happened offscreen, and given the intensity and centrality of Aksorn's conflict with his father, this lazy solution is baffling. "Not only have you defied me by pursuing a useless career, you're also f@#%ing my best friend?!? (or rather being f@#%ed by his best friend since Aksorn suddenly transmutes into an uber-uke, with the usual homophobic loathing of sex that they always seem to have, resulting in uncomfortable coersion scenes.) But, Dad has absolutely no problem with any of this, and all is forgotten. Hugs, expressions of pride, and end scene!

It doesn't help that (slightly) older Songjam has at most a tenth of young Songjam's charm and cuteness, without 25 additional years of maturity & wisdom. Also, if you think about it, this is about a man in his 40s who wants to be with someone he watched grow up since he was born, which is, well, eww. And that's not to mention the logistics of being the best friend of someone's father without them ever even suspecting it - I suppose it's possible, but COME ON.

Plus, are we to believe that seeing someone born, experiencing his mother's death, and a lifetime of friendship with his father, plust the passing of 25 years, won't have any effect on your love for someone? It might still be there, but it would age and change. I can believe Songjam would do everything in his power to promote Aksorn's happiness, but to retain romantic love for him? That's more than borderline creepy - it's more like grooming.

Anyway, while I loved the first four episodes, the ending is so clumsy, lazy, and ridiculous that I'm not sure I would recommend this.

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And here goes another story about a magic mirror! In spite of all its flaws, it has the merit of being short and to the point: there are no pesky side characters and time-consuming second couples.

Following an umpteenth fight with his father, Aksorn moves out into a dorm room. There is a mirror left by the previous tennant in the room. The same night there is a meteor shower together with an aurora borealis which causes electrical disturbances. And suddenly Aksorn can see someone else's room in the mirror. After the initial shock has passed the boys become friends and more. But the mirror is still between them.

This is probably the best "magic mirror" drama I have seen together with the filipino Happenstance which is on a more serious side. This one is nice and fluffy! The connections and coincidences were a bit forced but since it is a short fantasy, I was not looking for reality. Moreover, they threw in a time difference trope along the parallel universe so it added extra complications to the plot which may have been a bit too much : like helping at the birth of Aksorn. But on the up side, Kyo stayed away from Aksorn until they were supposed to meet so that was a nice touch. On the other hand, they left some things unexplained: Aksorn's mother role and what actually happened to her.

The three main actors are good. Though the casting director is, as usual in thai bls, incapable of finding two actors of different ages to look a little bit alike to play the same character. But they all had good chemistry until the last episode when that chemistry turned to be extremely awkward.

I liked the cinematography and I appreciate the effort the cameraman did in framing some shots (stairs!) and filming the night skyline. The song was also sweet and I found it slightly different and better than the usual thai soundtracks.

All in all, a nice way to spend three hours and better than the majority of thai bls that were released in the last year.

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An intriguing and beautiful story

It seems too short for 6 episodes and my only complain is, it has indeed some plotholes but maybe I'm a bit a nitpicky person. It would be better if the episodes were a bit longer or maybe to make another special episode. However, I feel at the same time, 6 episodes were perfect for the storytelling.

I was hooked since the first episode, I didn't even know the actors nor the production so it was a big surprise and a good one.

The concept was really interesting and I must say, they succeeded to make us want to watch each episodes without feeling annoying or bothered. I really like the interaction between the two characters (they are rookies, except Beck although he had some few guest roles and they already did a really nice job to interpret their characters / roles), the cinematography, the vibe and maybe another complain is that sometimes I was a bit confused with the choice of the background (music/instrumental) of some scenes but looking back, it's not really a big deal, just a small detail.

I was gradually captivated in the development of the story and its characters. I had to admit, I was a bit dumfounded by episode 5 but I won't give big spoilers. However, after that, I mainly think it's not a big deal, maybe because the actor isn't that "old" and he really did a good job that I didn't even find a difference. In addition, it's still a serie / a fiction and I'm glad I was open-minded to watch it and I don't regret it.

So yes, I won't mind a rewatch (I already rewatched it lmao) because it's a gem.

For sure, I'm looking forward to Parky and Beck's next projects and also P' Can. Hope to see good productions from Studio Say-yes in the future!

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OMG, they ruined the story....

While the first four episodes were entertaining and interesting it falls apart in the fifth and sixth.

Why did they need to do a timejump? I don't get it, especially if the actor is looking more or less the same. Secondly could they not have adapted the original story so they timejump would have been shorter so it would make more sense. Or if the timejump had to be that large, they would need an other actor and four episodes to explain if Aksorn a) recognizes Songjam and b) can love a twice as old person.

So for me, they ruined the series and I don't get a 10 review at all. Also even a 7.7 which is the rating now while I'm writing this is much too high. I can't understand why a director and screenwriter does not make the effort to keep that part of the story as realistic as possible and I also don't understand why the producer does not say "stop it, that does not make sense". I have to say, I'm really pissed that they wrecked this show which had so much potential.

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