The Sign (2023)

Really lackluster, I was so bored by the end of it with the anticlimactic scenario

I was super disappointed by this BL action drama. The first couple of episodes were interesting enough when they were training and I kind of liked the mythology with some of the fantastical elements. However, it quickly got very boring with the various investigations...I got so bored by the script that I had trouble to finish it. The conclusion was super anticlimactic for both the investigation part as well as the fantasy plot.

It is unfortunate, I wish they developed much more the part of the story relating to the supernatural elements as well as done a better job with the "fated mates" trope. Overall, I wish the scenario would have made the characters spent much more time at the Police Academy. Once outside of it, all we had was relatively amateurish police work, no interesting side cases and not enough tension with the villains being really one note.

The visual FX were okay but not great. The action scenes were overall good but not remarkable. The acting was also clearly a let down for me...The chemistry between the leads was okayish but the scenario really did not offer a lot of room for development of the characters and their relationships. The side characters were really just there to be there and fill a bit the void...And I really wish the actors playing the enemies (especially for the fantasy role) had been better and more compelling to follow to amp the angst.

I will not recommend this to people as I was pretty bored for most of the drama. The mediocre scenario and acting, as well as the anticlimactic ending totally brought down my enjoyment of the series which missed the mark on the compelling elements that could have been developed. Indeed, there are too many things I wish would have been done differently especially on the fantasy aspects of the story. I would have loved the focus to go there and not on tedious and amateurish investigation.

Read More

A Brilliantly Scripted Thriller

I grew up on a stable diet of Indian mythological (Ramayana & Mahabharata), both have been remade again & again with different casting. The central character that remains at the heart of both mythologies is Lord Vishnu (both Lord Ram & Lord Krishna are his reincarnations). So, when the trailer for “The Sign” was released, I was intrigued; because it had two main characters based on Indian mythology. I was surprised to say the least; Garuda is the vahana/vehicle of Lord Vishnu while Sheshanaga is his mount. Although we know about the enmity between Garuda and Nagas, their story was never properly described/depicted beyond the fact that they both serve Lord Vishnu. So, to see two divine figures from the Indian mythology in a Thai drama was quite riveting. It was only after the show started that I realised that Thais have their own myths about Garuda & Nagas. The show is hugely based in modern era, but is fantasy drama based on the age long enmity between the two demigods. In Buddhism, Garudas are enormous predatory birds with intelligence and social organisation. The Garudas have kings and cities, and some of them have the magical power of changing into human form; as can be witnessed with Phaya’s characterization. The Garuda are enemies to the nāga, a race of intelligent serpent- or dragon-like beings, whom they hunt. Nagas are believed to live in either water bodies or in caves and have different clans; as witnessed by their attire. Tharn is mostly shown wearing green clothes, which depict his noble status while Chalothorn is show wearing black clothes which signify the fact that he is a royal. “The Sign” cleverly combines these age-old mythologies with the concept of reincarnation to script a thriller that is incomparable to most modern dramas in the BL world.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/05/25/the-sign-series-review-ep-3-to-12/

Read More

Interesting story

The series looks to be fun and the storyline got my attention as I love mythology, but this series is overrated. Sadly the characters feel like something is missing. Not a fan of Babe at all. The acting looks like acting. Billy is a great actor, but for this pairing just did not work. The side cast was great and the costumes were lovely. It a fun series, but felt lacking in story and slo at some parts then felt rushed. I hope Babe grows more. I know this is his first role but I just did not feel the chemistry and I am sure lots are going to say the opposite but then they are reading into the fandom that people love.

Read More

Such an ambitious project; I can't wait to see what Idol Factory does next!

First off, this was such a cool project for Idol Factory to take on. The thai mythology aspect was interesting and very unique as that's yet to be done in a BL production to my knowledge. It seems that I may have an unpopular opinion about this series as I'm not rating this a 9.5 or 10 stars but I've gotta say that I'm so glad that IDF decided to create this. Hopefully it's another step forward so that we'll get more dark and complex BLs in the future!

I loved the opening action, the fight scenes were really well done and the shots are pretty aesthetically pleasing. I had no issue with the acting. The character are likeable enough and both couplings had good chemistry as well. This series has so much to include, there's the crime, the police investigations, the fight scenes, the mystery, the mythology, the romance and the lore to be established about Tharn's abilities, as well as the past lives aspect. Nevermind the human relationships part with this big cast of characters. That's a lot to juggle in one show especially considering that this is only IDF's third production, so big props to them!

That being said, beneath the novelties and all of the aspects mentioned above- the flashiness of it all, if you will- it's decent but is falling flat for me. The show doesn't seem to know what genre or tone it wants to be/hold and shifts it every episode or so. At multiple points, it was boring and kinda draggy and then sometimes, it's just really really CAMPY out of nowhere?? Sure, that could be chalked up to the contrast and sum of all of the different aspects that The Sign has set out to include and while it could surely be smoother, that's not the issue at play here. At first, it keeps it interesting but it's not consistent enough and didn't necessarily feel the most cohesive to me; it was weird. It feels like there's different directors alternating between the episodes.
The writing and storytelling isn't great, it's the same issue that I had with GAP; it's trying to do way too much without the quality writing aspect that's needed to bring it all together for what the production really deserves. The characters are likable but not memorable. They don't have that much depth and I find them to be underdeveloped which in turn means I'm not that invested in their stories. I'm definitely someone who enjoys character driven stories so I need the characters to be compelling enough so that I can connect with them and care more about their storylines.

The CGI was great especially for the budget of the production but the costumed mythological flashbacks felt like an odd 'stage play' (as someone else had mentioned in the comments while airing). It really took me out of the scenes and distracted from their importance; it was also frankly a little painful to watch. But I've gotta say that The Sign has really mastered the art of strategically blocking NC scenes which some of the bigger BL production companies have yet to master *shade intended*.

My favourite characters were probably KhemThongthai, Nee and Nee's cat, Namami. Namami is my favourite. But as of right now, I've currently lost interest in The Sign after episode 8. This series is just really missing something and I can't quite put my finger on it but I'm fairly certain that it has to so with the writing. I do like this series so I'll probably pick it back up when I'm more in the mood to watch it. I am happy to hear though that so many people here are enjoying this show because it does have a lot to offer and will keep you visually entertained, if that's what you're looking for!
This show has a handful of really good concepts, so much potential and I could see the artistic intentions behind some of the storylines and production choices, but unfortunately, it just wasn't all that to me.

My rating would be about a 7-7.5 out of 10 stars.
(If I do pick this title back up again, I'll make sure to edit this review :))

Read More

A SECOND SEASON ANNONCED AT THE END CREDIT !!!

This series is fantastic. Not only its a mix of everything you love in action and fantasy series, but make it BL is even better.
The chemistry between the two is amazing. The s.x scenes (mostly in their head at the beginning of the series) are not "shocking" for regular public. It's more romantic.
The story is also fantastic. Well written to the end, you can not be disappointed.
What exited me is that after watching the last episode (12), they had a preview of a second season with a new bad guy, this time related to Phaya.

The other thing I have to say is how amazing Saint Suppapong is. As an actor, who didn't have a little crush on him in the drama Why R U? But here, he's the Executive Producer for this drama with A Natthaphong as Director. Saint is not really an BL actor of producer, and you can see the "straight touch" on this drama. Even if its a BL, the element of action and sci-fi are really taken seriously, so it doesn't look kitch. The only thing I didn't like is the "cross dressing" of Tharn as a woman (he was a woman in his previous life) like we wouldn't have understood. I think that was a mistake. They could have show the link, and then tell the story in his woman form.

Other thing that suggest a second season is all the other powerful people that appeared but we don't know who they really are like the mysterious woman at the restaurant, or the man at the end of ep12. Also, we want to know more about the stories of those legendary beasts. It's not official yet, but if the show is popular, I guess a second season may be possible by 2025 or 2026...

Read More

A Wild Ride Through Rainbow Uniforms and Thai Folklore

Rated = 10 ~ 44/50 ~ 8.8
RPG Scene // Rainbow Cops, flying on their rainbow Unicorns through Sky City, wielding the biggest ass swords like Thor's hammer screaming 'Get the FK out of the way!"

I never thought I could give a BL a 10 and I especially didn't think I could give a Thai BL a 10 but karma likes to prove me wrong and my mistress never misses her shot.
This was awesome. It's not perfect, but it's gloriously camp, dramatic and incredibly sensual.

The weakest element of this show is that there are two very different plots, running simultaneously beside each other. This is a reincarnation plot and that's often the case. But with The Sign, it's two very different themes trying to blend together and that can get a little disjointing and over the top for some people. I can understand that.

The 'front' theme, is of the two ML's and their gang, training to be and becoming special investigation cops. It's gritty, brutal and a lot of questions about justice and the law. Where does justice stop and revenge begin. Are they the same thing?
All of the men are beautifully buffed out and our protagonist, Tharn, is persistently seen in his little red speedos by the pool, showing off his beautiful figure. It's brutal cop life with homoerotic visuals. This show was not afraid to have man bulge, chesticles and ass in your face as often as it could.

On the back theme, and arguable the main theme, we switch to sparkly cgi and Thai folklore of mythical creatures, tragic lovers reincarnated, and a really jealous prince. These are two very different concepts, that can be difficult to reconcile together. You'll either love it or you wont and that's ok.

And in the middle of these opposing concepts, we have our leads, Tharn, an orphaned psychic, raised by a monk in the temple for his safety with his grandmother's approval, and Pyah, at first, an ambitious and sharp trainee cop who softens into devotion and absolute loyalty when he falls for Tharn. Tharn believes he can never love anyone or they will die, and Pyah refuses to leave Tharn alone despite attempts on his life by his naga love rival. But both unequivocally love and are devoted to each other, despite their denials, refusals and blockages.

It's a bit of jumble but I loved it. It was very different from I'm used to from the genre and especially from Thailand.

Our side characters also have romantic relationships, and we do get some insight into that but just enough to give the character's interactions some weight, without taking away from the main couple.

I really loved the sex scenes. I usually don't, finding them a little too much for my taste. However, the love making scenes are exactly that. There's pink lights, ambient music, panting, and slow. It gave off a very kama sutra vibe, which matched with the soulmate theme. I liked this more sensual approach rather than just throwing each other around the room.

The CGI isn't the best, and it's a little corny but I'm pretty immuned to this now with cdrama's and given that this is a Thai show, it didn't take away from the plot for me. I really loved having the glimpse into Thai folklore.

There were a few things that were kind of dropped a little too early I think. Such as the first murder and the artist, we never get closure there but that's the thing with having only 12 episodes, some things just have to be wrapped up quick. I would absolutely be down for a second season.

The music I loved. They went with hard hitting rock themes to pump you up for the action, and soft, slightly native sounding for emotional moments, and then there was the erotic, sensual ambience for the love making.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this mad ride and will definitely be rewatching.

Read More

A gay romance with fantastic touches and the whitewashing of the homophobic Thai Police

The Sign is a captivating drama that stands out among other BLs for its ability to balance multiple stories and themes. Broadcast on Channel 3, this production by renowned Thai director and screenwriter A Natthaphong Wongkaweepairod, perfectly intertwines elements of gay romance, the complexity of first love, religiosity, the exciting world of fantasy, the supernatural, the resolution of crimes and political and police corruption.
This unique combination of genres, its compelling narrative, the pair of irresistible protagonists and a direct story of love-overcomes-adversity, guarantees that 'The Sign' will hit the mark among fans of BL products, always in search of a series that show an engaging and exciting experience. All this positions the audiovisual among the most outstanding in the BL universe of all time.
Professional critics and fans alike praise its emotional depth and the cast's sincere performances.
Its director has to his credit the dramas 'My Hero Series: Spell of The Swan Mark', from 2018; 'School Tales The Series', 2022; and the lesbian 'GAP The Series', from 2022, and 'Dream', to be released in 2024. In addition to directing, he is also the screenwriter of the serial 'Lipgloss Spy' and the film SLR', both from 2022.
Based on the great success of 'GAP The Series', its first GL series, the Idol Factory company put all its effort into producing a BL criminal investigation project. This is how 'The Sign' comes about. The series is a television adaptation of I-Rain-Yia's novel of the same name, with a literal translation into English, Premonition, which was produced by Saint Suppapong of 'Love By Chance' and 'Why RU?'.
Billy Patchanon, star of 'Secret Crush On You' and 'War Of Y', and promising actor Babe Tanatat, are in charge of taking on the main roles. I have no doubt that both because of their on-screen chemistry and their genuine performances, the two young actors will consolidate themselves as a ship within the BL universe.
The story centers on two young people who loved each other for centuries and were separated in several past lives, but in a twist of fate they were reincarnated as Phaya o Sakuna (Billy Patchanon Ounsa-ard) and Tharn Wansa (Babe Tanatat Phanviriyakool). This allowed them to meet at an academy where future police officers are trained, in order to enter the Investigation Detective Force (IDF).
During their training, they both experience unique visions related to their pasts and common future, which ignites their romance as they embark on the investigation of some criminal cases shrouded in mystery. Phaya and Tharn's love will be tested by an enigmatic man.
Other talented actors and actresses bring the characters to life in a way that has resonated with audiences.

Brief characterization of the characters

Tharn: He is the cheerful and kind young officer of the IDF. He loves Phaya, with whom he has a romance from the past. That is why he constantly risks his life to save him from the danger he is in. He has a strong sense of "instinct."
Phaya: He is the young, handsome, intelligent, cool and upright IDF officer. Love Tharn.
Khem (Tack Pongsakorn) is the young officer who has a flirtatious personality, likes to have fun and plays with all the other IDF members, especially his boyfriend Thongtai.
Thongtai (Poom Natthapas): Khem's boyfriend. He studied psychology and has a good sense of duty. He is a very observant young officer.
Yai (Gap Jakarin) grew up alongside Tharn since childhood. They both consider themselves brothers. He is a young member of IDF.
Singha (Surprise Pittikorn Siripornsawan) looks weak on the outside but is the brains of the team.
Doctor Chalotorn (Heng Asavarid) an attractive psychiatrist who is close and protective of Tharn.
Captain "Akk" Akkhanee Assawawaisoon (Akk Akarat Nimitchai), leader of the investigation team.
Wansarat (Freen Sarocha Chankimha): The GAP The Series actress is part of the cast as a Guest.
The resounding success of the series has led to the creation of other content, such as The Sign Special and Behind the Sign.
A must-see drama for fans of the BL genre and those who enjoy a good mix of romance, mystery and the supernatural, The Sign brings a captivating story that, together with its talented cast and unique combination of genres, will leave a lasting impression on the spectators.

Underlying reality of the series

On the same day of the premiere of The Sign, after watching the first episode, I wrote in MDL: “I find it commendable that in a hostile, sexist, homophobic environment, which exalts masculinity, as the Police Force of any country is supposed to be, tell a story (maybe two, if we take into account Khem and Thongthai's relationship) of a romance between boys. But I wonder if this series is not a 'whitewash' for the Thai Police. I hope that the series is not a tool to apply cosmetic touches to a Police accused of repressing members of the Thai LGBTQIA community.”
With these words I meant that homosexuality is still illegal and considered taboo in that country. Same-sex unions are not recognized under Thai law, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. This prevents gay couples from applying for bank loans or joint health insurance. It also prevents the possibility of adopting children. Thai homosexuals do not enjoy the same rights as heterosexuals. Thai law denies transgender people from changing their sex on their national identity card.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1956, but was considered a mental illness until as recently as 2002. Many Thai Buddhists believe that homosexuality is a punishment for sins committed in a previous life. Thai homosexuals suffer physical and verbal harassment in the classrooms by their classmates, and discrimination at work, under the permissive gaze of society, despite the image of tolerance towards this group in order to attract tourism to the country. The Thai Police, the result of the Military Juntas that emerged after successive coups d'état, is accused, both by the local population and internationally, of being corrupt, torturing and repressive.
The Royal Thai Police is the most corrupt state department in the country with tens of thousands of complaints annually, according to regular reports from the Ombudsman's Office, and many of these complaints come from members of the Thai LGBTQIA community, who go unheard mostly.
The high-profile crime and dismemberment of the Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta, known as the “Daniel Sancho Case” (name of his confessed Spanish murderer) confirms this. This macabre murder once again brought to public attention the dynamics in the Asian country, the excesses, the parties and the mechanisms of privilege when the victim is a homosexual.
The LGBTIQIA collective is openly discriminated against and even with criminalizing laws, which, to wash its face before the international community, welcomes all those foreigners who will be part of the collective, but without displays of public affection
At a legislative level, Thailand has much more permissive LGBTIQIA policies, but at a factual level, there is discrimination, taboo and extensive stigma. Perhaps that explains the media treatment that has been given to the Sancho case from within the country itself: half-hearted, without fully clarifying the relationship that the two men had, and the eagerness that the police have shown to close the case. In addition to trying to maintain the idyllic image of the country before Thai and international public opinion so that tourism is not scared away.

Read More

Don't snooze on this masterpiece. it's a must watch

Going through all type of emotions while writing this review, wanted to hold on to it, but I can't anymore(considering this review has been on my notes for weeks now, which I keep adding and making new adjustments come every week/new ep)

First, I want to wholeheartedly thank sign production team for showing us the beautiful culture of Thailand. The myths, folktales, culture, storytelling is just beautifully done and depicted. This is the type of series you honestly learn from and may even help you in exams or random historical/mythological conversation. Gosh I'm in awe?. Now I want to visit Thailand so bad.

Second, you needed to see how my jaw dropped when I learnt that this is Tharn's first ever acting job, he is everything but a rookie actor. I do call him a monster rookie actor, far much better than those several years in the game. Job well done. I'm not joking when I say this is the best work I have seen so far from Thai bl production(I'm sorry but I hate Thai bl production, just overly saturated, terrible actors who can't act for shit, zero to half baked storyline, unnecessary cringy ass talks, and NC scenes). But this was literally the opposite of all that. Everything was properly depicted. Or is it the chemistry of all the couples?. No this guys did a great Job, well done, like take your flowers for a job well done?. I try as much as possible to stop myself from watching the new EPS so I can binge watch at once and that I have failed terribly??. I knew I wasn't the only one feeling this series when I saw the rating and number of comments on here?, good to see that we still have people with taste. Like do away with NC scenes in this series and I will be very much still be seated for this masterpiece, that is how much I love this series and I just hope it continues this way till the end

Lastly, this series isn't for you if you are looking for some burnt out rinse and repeat storyline sprinkled with unnecessary NC scenes everywhere alongside zero to mid ass acting/actors, in summary fast paced very common mediocre production, not my fault you are more into garbage just so you can satisfy your horny ass. So don't come here saying shit.

Read More

action/fantasy bl with fire chemistry ?

First of all, the fact that Saint is the producer blew my mind a little bit, but lets get into it.

This story has everything-- our leads are new recruits in a special investigation unit, they train together and hunt down criminals, the murder mystery alone keeps your interest pretty well, but there's so much more. The two MLs are linked by destiny, they have a past that goes much farther back than they know, the fantasy element of this show is pretty good, I love a good lore. The merging of these two aspects of the story, or rather lack thereof, is the only thing that had me kind of disappointed. They invested so much time and energy into building up both the story of their past lives and the story of this big wig criminal that they have to hunt down, I expected the stories to be somehow linked. But it was kind of a crime fighting by day, fantasy love dtory by night type of feel, with a bit of both in some scenes. It was great at first but towards the end it started to feel like they were trying too hard.

Im not sure who threw this cast together, but it was beautifully done, theyre all well written characters played by good actors with fantastic chemistry. The tension between our two MLs gives you butterflies, Phaya and Tharn are both lovable in their own ways, I love love love their chemistry and can't wait to see their relationship develop even more. I love our side characters relationships too, wish we had seen more!

High quality everything, rarely do we see good storyline, good acting, and good graphics all in one BL, so the fact that we have all 3 in one, recipe for success right there. These aren't short episodes either, these are hour + long episodes packed with content, you feel like you just watched a short movie. Unfortunately, toward the end it started to feel a little more dramatic, the length of the episodes seemed to drag on a bit.

The ending was happy, but felt a little ?????
I'm not sure how to explain, I just felt like, oh, okay, that was it?

Part of me wonders if they started to lose it towards the end because they got such good feedback that they started to think they'd get a season 2 and wanted to save some of the plot twists for S2, which is why they ended it the way they did. All in all it was a great show, the ending wasn't bad, just didn't match the energy of the rest of the show in my opinion. I'll be excited to hear if there's a season 2!!!

Read More

Good effort, overcrowded plot

The Sign is a very ambitious project by Idol Factory and I have to give them kudos for their efforts. The efforts aren't wasted either, most of the series was highly enjoyable, and you can feel that this was made with passion. However, this series is overcrowded with ideas that the execution for each doesn't feel 100%.

Here are the good:
- Amazing chemistry between Billy and Babe. I was not familiar with their game before this but now I am hugely obsessed because of how electrifying their chemistry is on screen. Even from the very beginning where they had minimal physical contact, they've always maintained an amazing amount of tension that keeps the viewers going.

- Their first case as detectives was actually interesting. Honestly this was the more interesting case compared to the main case that they worked on - it was also presented better. I was actively rooting for the murderer to succeed because of how good they sold the motives to me but also I didn't end up hating the cops either. They showed a good balance of humanity for both sides which made an interesting watch.

Room for improvement:
- Premise is super interesting but you need moderation with everything, including excitement. The reincarnation, detective case, and the whole folks tale/fiction thing proved to be too much for one series. The plot is overly crowded and I wish they toned it down slightly or expanded it over a longer series. 12 episodes and 1 special episode is not enough to properly contain all of these stuff.

- Some characters are not written with enough purpose. What was the purpose of Dai? What's the purpose of the last scene with the murder of the employee? What was the reason that the first death happened in the training area? I get that they are used to progress the plot but I wish there was better writing around this.

- I do wish that the handling of the one case with a mentally unwell suspect was done with more sensitivity. The doctor was actively feeding incriminating answers to a mentally unstable suspect and the detectives just let it be. I think it's important in crime series to highlight that people with mental illnesses are way more likely to be victims than perpetrators. This series did manage to kind of relay that in a not so obvious way, but the initial hammering and emotional pressure they put unto the suspect was quite triggering.

The bad:
The acting of the girl who played Dai really needed huge improvement. All lines delivered were stiff and felt like she was reading off a teleprompter. Surely there were better actresses.

Overall this isn't bad but it's a case of flying too close to the sun with this one.

Read More