Ghost Host, Ghost House (2022)

Beautiful and emotional BL. Synopsis is misleading.

As a BL it is a beautiful romance. BOTH ARE ALIVE and human. Don't let the poor synopsis throw you. Think of it as a BL set against the backdrop of here being ghosts. The boys set out to help unravel a mystery about a ghost house in the town. And in the process, fall in love.
It doesn't have a lot of the dumb forced dramatic conflict you see in some shows. No pointless trouble for the sake of trouble. There is plenty of drama but it is a lot more grounded and real.
The main actors have chemistry and there is plenty of good skinship. Not a single dead fish kiss! Their handholding alone is more emotional and sexy than most stuff you find in a lot of BLs. (And you get a lot more than handholding - don't worry!)
The side characters are all enjoyable. If anything I am left wanting more of them! I wish the series were longer than 8 episodes.
The supernatural element has a little bit of scare/horror, but it isn't a dark show. If you scare easily, don't worry! Yes, you see ghosts. He's a ghost hunter. But he isn't going around vanquishing evil ghosts. He is hoping to meet then and communicate with them.
The pacing of the show is slow and steady. Some reviewers are frustrated by it. But it isn't constantly hitting you in the face with cheese and cliche. It allows the emotions to breathe. Some viewers just want brainless smut and comedy. Fine. that isn't this.
My only criticism is that it is too short. There are so many things (mysteries, side character relationships, and so on) that are hinted at or touched on that could each have been expanded to a full episode. The show could easily have been double in length. That isn't to say that it is missing something. Just that like with any really truly good story, it leaves you wanting more.

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Good Idea, Bad Delivery

Since this series was neither touching nor memorable for me, all I have to say is that it suffers greatly from the stiff, draggy, sometimes unnecessary, dialogues between the characters, mostly between the main ones. Dear scriptwriters, when we people speak, we do not make long pauses in every sentence. No one would have patience to listen to others if we did.

I do not know where the chemistry between Kawin and Pluem, which viewers on YouTube are talking about, is. All I saw is a lot of awkwardness. Sad, angry, or happy, they express each emotion so half-heartedly that I did not care about their feelings. I skipped through scenes, hoping that the main plot twist of the story would be that Kawin and Pluem are ghosts too. Then, their lifelessness would have been understandable at least.

I would have dropped Ghost Host, Ghost House if not for the ghost family, who were likeable, funny, and interesting, and Kawin's look. Tod's stylist for this series deserves a raise. Not only is the actor himself an eye candy, but also his outfits are beautiful. Kudos to the styling team.

In general, this story could have been way better than it is. It had the premise that it needed to be entertaining. However, the production team chose to turn it into another boring, forgettable series with high-quality cinematography.

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Poor Title But A Great Series!

Perhaps I am in a minority here, but I found this series to be quite good and watched it on a lark. The title was awful and that I think more than anything through people off and stopped the audience from watching. Yes, it is a 'ghost' story (duh) but it is quit good and the ghostly part of it really enhances the romance aspect of the story in a very adult way and not in an intended way. For a fantasy series, it was presented with reasonably expectations and felt 'real' if that makes sense. All the characters, including the 'ghosts' were likeable and relatable and were so ordinary that the scenes seemed so normal. Regrettably, I think this series was overlooked but it should be watched. I found it quite moving.

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amazing chemistry/dynamic (need Tod & Boy as main leads again!) but with lackluster writing

Overall: Pluem and Kevin have some of the best chemistry/physical affection of any m/m couple that I've ever seen. Unfortunately the writing was not great otherwise this could have been a 10/10. Also don't be nervous about the title of the series (see my comment spoiler). Aired on GagaOOLala and YouTube.

Content Warnings: kind of something off screen, keeping this spoiler free, you can look in my comments

What I Liked
- Kevin and Pluem have some of the best physical affection that I have ever seen (hand holding/rubbing, side hugs, sniff kisses, etc)
- consent examples
- that Kevin is actually interested in ghosts/wants to see them
- mystery element/premise
- funny moments
- sweet fluffy moments
- production value

Room For Improvement
- the writing was the main weakness: confusing world building, plot threads that weren't fully explained, plot holes, too many characters (a random character kind of thrown in), a character did something super cliche (and out of character) in ep 7 and beginning of 8, I'd suggest just skipping to 14 minutes in ep 8
- the commercial breaks were kept in GagaOOLala (but I didn't deduct for this)

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It's not terrible.

There are some positives to this, including that the author clearly has enough life experience to write characters that act like people. The plot doesn't depend on tropes and accidental kisses, it's just a straightfoward attraction between two people.

What the author does not have, however, is any sense of pacing or dramatic plotting. There really isn't much point to the premise as it doesn't really factor much into the story and has nothing to do with the ultimate resolution. There is a mystery at the beginning that could have been drawn out and made more terrifying, but instead the audience is let in almost immediately and it's played mostly for laughs.

The two main failings are the plot holes and the general lack of energy to everything. The end result is that I really never had much idea what was going on because nothing impressed itself on me stongly enough to remember, like in the finale when they reveal their coke-can tabs. I have absolutely no memory of anything involving those. Kevin has an ex that's important somehow, but that's never fleshed out. Also, How is it possible that Kevin wouldn't know the state of his aunt's family? Wouldn't his mother know the truth? Or if not, wouldn't he have to tell her?

Also, the story depends on a three-year time jump, during which the main pair don't see each other. What? Why not? Kevin has the resources to fly back & forth from the US, and Pluem's new job would certainly pay enough for him to travel. Why did Kevin even go home? All he does is live stream - it's not like he can't do that from anywhere.

But most of all, none of this has anything to do with the premise of the show, which isn't in the end a premise, it's just a "schtick". It isn't integral to the plot like in the masterful Something In My Room, and has nothing to say - it's just a shallow and unmemorable romance.

The dialog isn't vapid, but it's infected by the Thai-drama-endless-pauses-while-speaking disease which I take it is supposed to lend serious scenes gravitas, but instead makes them dull and stilted, because nobody speaks like that or we would slap them. The pacing of the series is too fast, but the pacing of every individual scene is too slow.

There are also other strange choices - in the final episode, where Pluem is being seductive (highly, highly, successfully), this could have been one of the hotter scenes in a while, except instead of being turned on, Kevin appears to be terrified, which is really a buzzkill and makes it creepy. It's odd, because when the camera shows us his perspective, he's staring straight at Pluem's pecs, which are ably outlined by the fantastic outfit he has on (speaking of which, the wardrobe in this series is first-rate), so why is he acting like a 12-year old girl facing his first time when he's a man in his late 20s? It drained all the energy out of the scene.

You can see that Boy and Tod have the potential for chemistry, but it's never really allowed to go anywhere, and this whole series feels like it was created with a hand tied behind its back - as if the creators were embarassed by feelings and felt they had to exercise unnecessary restraint.

This isn't a terrible series, but if you remember anything but Tod's short shorts a few months from now, or maybe Boy's sexy smirk, I'd be surprised.

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Not My Cup of Tea

I've never been the type to enjoy ghost love stories, but I feel like this one isn't necessarily the same thing, however, it still wasn't my cup of tea. I think the romance side of the story was way too fast-paced. The building-up was going well, and then they just went straight to it, and once you've passed the intimate stage, I usually lose interest because there's nothing else to be excited about. And that's exactly what happen and I just had no interest at all. I pretty much skipped a few episodes after episodes 4-5 and watched the last one fully. I think the ghost plot itself was nice, but as I said, it doesn't intrigue me very much. Seenam and Prim's story was very tragic, yet beautiful, but still wasn't enough to keep me interested. There were a few nice plot twists, and I think Seefoon is the cutest.

Ratings:

Story: 6.5/10 - the ghost story is nice, but the romance happened too quickly for me. Nothing was enough to keep me very inspired though.

Acting: 8/10 - Good! The cast all did a good job. A few "eh"s here and there but it was decent.

Music: 5/10 - don't remember but it wasn't distracting so that's good.

Rewatch value: 1/10 - No.

I can see why a lot of people enjoyed this. The main leads had very good chemistry, I just think it happened too quickly for me to be interested in the entire series. I wouldn't mind seeing them again. I personally don't recommend it, but if supernatural plots intrigue you, go for it.

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Started great, but ended up in a crash

I wasn't expecting much when I started watching this, I was surprisingly into it.

PROS
•Chemistry - I personally thought that Kevin and Pleum had really good chemistry together. It was very cute and there wasn't any awkward moments for me.

•Acting - Everyone in this show has done a good job acting. Special recognition for the actor who played See-foon. I loved how the portrayed his sadness and acceptance!

•Excellent communication most of the time. I was happy to see the main couple talk through their problems and fights. It's really refreshing to not see any misunderstandings.

•Proper Consent!!! - I loved how Pleum backed off whenever Kevin looked like he was getting uncomfortable. He made sure that Kevin was into whatever they were doing. Some dramas could use this as a lesson 👀

•The stylist who styled Kevin deserves a raise. His entire outfit looks really good. His hairstyle, costumes, and jewelry were all perfect.

CONS
•It crashed and burned from halfway of episode 7. I honestly don't what the director or the writers were thinking . They suddenly completely changed Kevin's character. They turned him from a sweet and understanding guy into a selfish and self-absorbed person. I hated everything they did after the half of episode 7. It felt like they suddenly felt like adding more drama for the sake of it. It was a big disappointment compared to the previous episodes.

•Too many plot holes - There was just so many things that were left unexplained. No matter how the good the main couple is, it cannot be a good drama if there's so many plot holes!!!!

•American guy?? - This is not a very major thing, but it bugged me a lot. Kevin does not look like a guy who has lived abroad for a long time at all. His "American accent" does not convince me at all. He doesn't act like someone who coming back to a different country after a long time. I honestly wish they spent more time with this part of his characterization.

Overall - The exact rating I have in mind 7.8. It's a pretty sweet and adorable show. It had great start and it was going well until it suddenly deviated from it's storyline. It had potential to make some great angsty scenes, but unfortunately it missed the mark. If I ever rewatch this, I might only watch it until the first half of episode 7. I think I'm going to just pretend that the rest did not happen because it makes no sense. T

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sweet ghost

I really enjoyed watching this show. I knew from the beginning that it won't be able to deliver the juiciest plot line in only 8 episodes, so I went in with managed expectations.
This show has amazing production. The scenes were shot beautifully and the sound was only off SOMETIMES. When will Thai shows stop with the wired mics under clothing...
Anyways, I was surprised when I read that this was the main actors debut. They delivered some amazing chemistry throughout these scenes. Especially since the characters have some longer scenes with emotional dialogue. I personally like scenes like this because they seem more intimate to me than the love scenes. But I can see how some might find them too long.

All in all, this is a light hearted show. Though it deals with death an loss, it takes a pretty fluffy approach on it. All characters are likeable and get a decent storyline, enough to connect and get to know them. I might rewatch it during spooky season :)

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Unique and interesting story, but some choices make certain scenes and interactions fall flat.

WARNING: THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE SHOW


OVERALL (TL;DR): A unique and interesting premise, decent but inconsistent acting, memorable and great music, and good comedy. Not a bad watch, but it’s more of a casual watch than a “I will binge this with my full attention and remember this for the rest of my life” show. The side characters are stronger than the mains. Not a waste of time but it wouldn’t be a tragic loss to miss it.


STORY: The story is unique and different to other ghost romance stories I have seen. It follows a streamer who moves in with his aunt and uncle, not realising they’re ghosts. He and the gardener for the house (decidedly not dead, as of episode 6) are attracted to each other, and romance-y ghosty things happen. The ghosts have their own side plots, but their actions are limited by merit points they’ve earned throughout their life, which they have to spend to do things and have people see them. Once they’ve run out, they will disappear. The plot is good, the lessons learned are good, and they put an emphasis on healthy communication and the misunderstandings are often resolved somewhat quickly. I adore the side plots with See-nam and See-foon, I want to learn more about Jake and the scenario surrounding the deaths, and I’m scared for the family, hoping they’ll get to finish their unfinished business and be happy in the end.

However, that is where the praise ends, as the writing of the script is not… bad. Not by any means. Nor are the performances. But the main characters feel almost…. lacklustre in comparison to the side characters, and the combination of acting and directing choices weakens it. A lot.

But first, the acting:


ACTING AND CHEMISTRY: The cast have shown that they are good actors. Pleum is believable in his grief and feels like a real person (most of the time - I’ll elaborate later). Kawin feels pretty real, kind of stubborn but also mild-minded. We can feel him crushing on Pleum from the start and the chemistry between romantic scenes is really good. See-foon takes the spotlight for me though. The whole cast has good comedic timing, but he is exceptional. See-nam and See-foon feel realistic as twins and their sibling chemistry is great. The entire family is cohesive and is fully believable as one.

Episode 6 contains what is perhaps the best performance of this entire show so far - See-foon’s final day on earth made me tear up, and you could feel the loss and subtle grief from a single expression. His eyes can portray any emotion without needing to speak or move, and it’s enhanced even further by his delivery of his lines. This actor really has potential, and I hope I can see more of his works in the future.

Additionally, See-nam and her relationship with Prim is bittersweet, and it makes me wish I could see more. Even though they have a tiny amount of screen time together, they have good chemistry.

BUT there are places where the series is lacking or inconsistent. The arguments between the parents and see-nam, and the argument between Kawin and Pleum are in entirely different leagues. The former felt raw and emotionally true to the characters, and I could feel See-nam’s frustration, her parents’ worry and their own frustrations. The latter…. It felt stilted. Their faces were stiff and at most conveyed slight worry and “I’m somewhat annoyed at the world”. The script felt awful, despite being perfectly normal for an argument of this type. Technically speaking, the script was fine; good even. However, the stiffness of the scene lends to the idea that the actors aren’t good with this kind of scenario —but the actors aren’t bad, and the direction has been proven to be decent (as exemplified with the aforementioned arguments), but the combination seems to fall short when it comes to conflict between the two mains. Additionally, Kawin is entirely un-believable as an “American” moving to Thailand. His English is heavily accented unlike the accent that is often gotten by a Thai person who lived in America most their life. However, in the grand scheme of things, this is a small nitpick, but it still really bothered me.

Overall, the acting is great from the side characters and good from the mains but it is inconsistent in quality, sometimes being compelling and sometimes being lacklustre.


MUSIC: Absolutely banging, great for the tone of the show, solid 9/10, minus 1 point in some small scenes where it feels a little too loud compared to the dialogue.


FINAL SAY: Yeah, s’aight.

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Low key uncomfortable.

When the dudes are flirting in some questionable moments and situations, it’s impossible to even care about the romance, which was sadly the biggest part of the plot.

I think the whole story lacks depth and details to create a more realistic picture of the events - it’s simply a juvenile presentation. There are no answers for the most basic questions the writer should ask themselves while writing a story. Did Kawin’s mom and her sister not contact each other for over a month before Kawin went to Thailand? How come they were not informed about what happened? Who paid the bills in the house? The set up was just ridiculous.

Then we have the issue of the romance, that made me feel a bit uncomfortable because a lot of the flirting and make out sessions had weird timing. Every time there was some romantic progression, all I could think about it - it’s not the right time for it.

The saddest part was the fact the family was actually the best part of the show and they were sidelined by the couple and their mediocre romance. What opened as a wholesome family comedy, became a weird mix of drama, slice of life and romance with cringey “spicy” scenes. Why?

If only good acting saved this show, but we did not even get that. During the wholesome daily and comedy bits everyone did great, but every attempt to deliver anything more emotional was flat and unconvincing. They just did not tap into whatever the characters were supposed to be going through.

The editing and directing was also a bit questionable. The progression between specific scenes was not smooth, and I had to check a few times if I played the right part of the right episode.

Overall, you can skip it.

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Unconventional and beautiful

When I saw the title I immediately tried to guess the contents: it had to be a supernatural romance, or a murder mystery, or a horror series. Given these expectations, I was a little confused at the beginning as to what was this series meant to focus on, but I caught on quickly enough for it to become memorable.

This story is mainly about relationship bonds (between family members, friends, and lovers), and most of all about grief, loss, and painful events in life. It's never too somber and gloomy to make it heavy to watch, and there are also some funny moments here and there, but it still manages to deliver its messages well.
I believe that the lack of action and drama was necessary for this type of plot, since they would have made the series derail from its main themes too much. In my opinion, that kind of entertainment can be easily found anywhere else and it's not needed here. Still, I understand that this is definitely not everyone's cup of tea.
The love story between the two main characters was one of the healthiest and most heartwarming I've seen. There is no unnecessary drama around their moments: they're just two young men who are attracted to each other, and luckily neither of them is secretly a ghost or anything like that. Their ups and downs are tied to their personal lives and struggles and not to the actual relationship, which was refreshing to see. Their dynamics also felt very realistic.
Kevin's family members were all very good as well. I was afraid that, given the type of plot, they would have turned all four of them into a single monolith-like group, with a hive mind and all, but instead each one of them has an individual personality and color. The dynamics between family members, just like the couple, felt realistic and believable.
Something that I want to criticize about the plot is the pacing, which was... not good. There were some aspects of the plot that deserved to be elaborated more (mainly Kevin's relationship with his aunt and the rest of the family, and also his bond with Jake), and the dialogues felt unbearably slow multiple times. Wouldn't blame anyone for watching the series at double speed or even quitting out of frustration.

In conclusion, do I recommend it? If you're looking for something sweet, slow and sentimental, then this might be for you. If you're expecting any kind of action, drama, thrill, or anything like that, then you should look somewhere else.

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