Charn and Tinn are two sides of the same coin

It was intense. I think the series only having 8 episodes helped to keep us on our toes throughout. There was always something going on that required our attention. I liked that; it made tuning in each week for a new episode enjoyable.

The plot was interesting. There was some mystery, murder / accident investigation, corruption and action. Most of the characters were multi-dimensional which made them appear more realistic and human, no matter how much we want to hate some of them. The plot made sense, the events logically corresponded to one another, each action had a logical reaction. Even if motives of the characters were questionable.

Tinn & Charn: the two are different sides of the same coin. Tinn is the more idealistic version, the one who never lost faith in justice, in good in the people. Charn’s loss turned him into this heartless version of himself, he doesn’t believe that justice is possible by following the law. He wants power, something that he can use to protect himself from going through what he went again. Neither of them had it easy, but they chose two different paths in how to deal with it. Charn knows that while his way is effective, it’s not one that would allow Tinn to keep his head up if he had done the same. Charn has a way of making you want to hate him, but at the same time you want to give him a hug and never let go. I love the duality of his character, his ruthless side in contrast with his cute side when he is with Tinn. Tinn might appear soft and gentle at first, but he shows his fiercer and more possessive side as well. Both Film and Jam did an amazing job with playing the two characters. Their chemistry was amazing!

Methee & Thaenthai: They were a couple I didn’t know I needed, but I absolutely adored. Thee is Tai’s bodyguard and has been around him since the two were children. He loves Tai, that is clear from the start. And his pain whenever Tai gets hurt is something we can feel through the screen. Thee does his best to take care of Tai. Tai might seem like a rich troublemaker, but there is a lot more to him. Whenever he is with Thee, he shows this vulnerable and almost childlike side of himself that I started to enjoy. He is not nearly as wild or as problematic as one would expect. Pearl and See both did really well in their roles. I think they both showed a lot through their eyes and facial expressions.

As for other characters, I think Tinn’s grandma is amazing! I love how open and supportive she is. Rose and Maya are amazing too, I love how the two kind of adopted Charn as part of their little family once he lost his mother. Rose also isn’t afraid to put him into his place when needed. Charn’s ex is on a whole different level of crazy. I can see why he and Charn were together in the past, but the man is still obsessed! When it comes to the senator Thatthep… ugh, just burn him or something.

There were some parts that I think were overdramatic for no reason, but it didn’t bother me too much. The senator did come across as a bit cartoon-y at times, which made it hard for me to take him seriously at those parts.

The ending was what we needed. The OST was nice, I enjoyed the cinematography and the overall aesthetic of the series as well.

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Never let me go... I don't think I ever will

I knew it was going to be heavy since I saw the trailer. The storyline didn’t seem anything special – rich boy needs a bodyguard, the job is given to a poor boy who knows how to fight, they fall in love, bunch of problems follow them. But I am a sucker for cliches, so I am not complaining about it. I do feel like there are certain things regarding the storyline that don’t make much sense or seem extremely unrealistic, but the way the relationship between Nueng and Palm develops seems fairly realistic. There was a lot of questioning what they even are, is a relationship between them even possible, trying to not develop feelings for one another and being unsure about their feelings. We need to keep in mind that the characters are 18, so all of that felt very natural.

During the series, we do get to see both make some very questionable decisions. And while they seem like very typical plot twists (which they are), they also make sense, especially after what the boys went through. I feel like they are both very mature and kind of childish at times, it’s an interesting combination that I once again blame on their age. I like Nueng’s personality because it was not your typical rich boy persona, he was actually quite brave when needed and did stand up for those he cares about. His characther growth is amazing! Palm confused me for a very long time with his constant “Mr. Nueng” even when their relationship developed, but I feel like the reason for that is his father and how he tried to make Palm know his “place” in the rich people’s world. He hates being dependent on others as well, and that shows through quite a few of his actions as well.

We do get a side couple – Nueng’s cousin, Chopper, and Ben. I don’t really know how to feel about the two, I love the chemistry between the actors who portray them, but the characters are kind of annoying me. Being an emphatic person sucks, because I also understand why the two act the way they do or why they did something. In the first few episodes, my heart hurt for Chopper because being second best for someone who is your whole world sucks. His relationship with his father is also very difficult as the two have very different expectations and goals for the future. As for Ben, I want to hate him, I really do, for what he did, but I can’t because I can understand his fear that lead his actions. It doesn’t really excuse it, but it makes it make sense.

One question though - what happened to other bodyguards? Like no matter what is happening, most of the time Palm and his dad are the only bodyguards shown doing something to protect Nueng and his mom. I understand that the two are in charge of Nueng and Tanya, but it’s still kind of weird.

The ending was expected, but I am glad it ended the way it did. I think we could all tell who will come through at the end after a few episodes. It does feel too simple though, realistically things couldn’t be done like that so easily. I know some people might be a bit annoyed by it, but it was the comfort I needed. I really enjoyed the OST as well. I felt like it fit the storyline extremely well.

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… a storm of good, bad and nostalgia

The series has everything that life brings – the good, the bad, the ugly and the fluffy moments. I really like how they incorporate so many different emotions and events into one consistent story, with a start and an end.

Kazuma & Ren: the two have history together. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from their backstory, but I definitely got more than that. The two of them have had feelings for each other for a very long time. To me, Kazuma seemed like a mess – he is mature but a bit childish, smart and insightful but also kind of dense and impulsive. I don’t necessarily think this is bad, just a bit confusing as I never knew what to expect from him in any given situation. Ren is also a mess, but in a different sense. He has been through a lot and his guilt is something that has been eating him alive. Even if his guilt is misplaced. He appears anxious and seems like he finds it hard to make friends and open to people but is fairly good at masking it. A lot of Ren’s actions might be confusing to some viewers, but knowing his story, it makes a lot of sense why he reacts and acts the way he does. The two might start in a weird place when they meet again, but as the episodes pass, we cannot deny them caring about each other strongly. And not just in a sexual or just a friendly way.

I am going to be honest and say that I didn’t fully believe the actors when they tried to show emotions. Some of the crying scenes were more about it looking aesthetic than they were about making it look like the person was actually crying. The chemistry between the two characters was not the best either. I am not sure if this is due to the way the characters were written or due to the way actors acted it out.

Some side characters did leave me confused as to what actually was their role. One such character is Yagami, Ren’s friend. I feel like there is a lot about him that is left unclear. Same with Hide. As for the boys’ parents… they can get lost. That’s all I have to say on the topic.

I think the production value was not the best at times. There are a few scenes that were both shot and edited in a weird manner. The number of flashbacks we get is a bit ridiculous. I don’t mind the few flashbacks to the past, so we can learn what happened with the boys. But then we get flashbacks to things we have just seen like 5 min ago or in the last episode. Which was unnecessary. And I think that made the series choppy. So instead of focusing on the story’s progression, we are focused on flashbacks and repeating what just happened.

The series puts a lot of importance on nostalgia, on the feelings we / they had when younger. And I think that really shinned through nicely. Even the colors used were there to evoke those feelings in us.

The series started on a high, but the ending was mediocre. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. And I don’t mean the story of Kazuma and Ren.

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I dreaded the ending from the start

The plot seemed interesting, especially because Kiew ends up being thrown into the lives of his friends and their children. He must navigate between two generations, while adapting to all the changes that happened since 1995. It had potential to be quite messy, but that was not really the route they took. Don’t get me wrong, there are situations that were not handled well, but it wasn’t as terrible as it could be.

Generally speaking, I liked the series. I do think that they really did a good job at making Kiew act like he came from the past (not knowing how to use cellphones and being amazed by technology, etc.). I was a lot less impressed by his view on LGBTQ+ community. His comments and reactions were hard to swallow at times, but it is also something that gets addressed as problematic in the series, so that is something I liked.

The characters mostly seemed realistic. I like both friend groups, and poor Kiew having to navigate between the two. The dynamics of each group were nice, but they did seem like a copy paste of one another. I think it wasn’t as obvious, as we didn’t really get a good feel for how the “old” group was when they were younger, but we only get to saw their mature versions interact. I do like how the older version of Kiew’s friend group do look similar to their younger versions. That was a good casting choice.

Kiew & Bamee: I really like the chemistry of Cooper and March, not that I expected anything less from the two. Both of them have done great with emotional scenes, and they portrayed a lot through their eyes as well. Kiew and Bamee have an enemies to lovers story going on, and I was really enjoying their bickering at the beginning. I think Kiew struggling with his feelings was more obvious than Bamee, but the latter was not as indifferent as he wanted to appear.

Plawan & Mudaeng: a pairing I didn’t know I needed, but they make so much sense. I am not happy with how fast Plawan seemed to move on from his crush on Bamee (especially to his brother), but that is also something that is in a way brought up. So, kudos for that. I really love the way the two interact, they are very lovey-dovey with one another and super cute. I found Plawan kind of childish and Mudaeng can be quite mischievous at times, but I think they match each other well.

There are things that don’t really make sense to me, plot wise. Especially towards the end when Kiew is trying his best to return to his time. Wouldn’t it be a lot less painful for those involved to do things differently? If you have to leave, people not remembering you would be best. Because remembering you would mean missing you. And missing you would be painful.

I do think the makeup was not really done well in a few scenes. And the camera panning in or out was done in a strange way. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it didn’t feel right. I do like the OST though.

One thing I have dreaded since the start, was the ending. No matter how I look at it, no matter how it ends, it knew it won’t be a happy ending. Kiew will either not go back, meaning he won’t be able to fix what he wants to fix. Or he will go back, breaking both his and Bamee’s heart in the process. Either way, it didn’t look good (I do know how it actually ends; I’m just not saying anything). I do not really like how it ended though. It did ended up being creepy, and not romantic as they were probably going for.

So there is one more thing… I might be reading too much into it, but the way Kiew talked about Art (Bamee’s dad) made me think that he might have had a crush on him. It is possible that he wasn’t fully aware of it or that he was in complete denial. For whatever reason, I found it really uncomfortable how he would always compare Bamee to Art (e.g. both not liking taking pills). It made me think that in a way, he transferred the feelings he had for Art onto Bamee, and with gay relationships being more accepted in the modern world, he was only then able to show his feelings. But who were they actually for? Bamee? Or Art? It might be just a silly theory of mine, but it’s been bugging me since the start.

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A mix of everything

It had some amazing points, but there were also some that could have been better. But good things first – the acting in general was pretty solid, the action and training scenes were jaw-dropping and incredibly well executed, the dreams and visions were nicely set apart from the reality, which made the story a bit easier to follow. They also did a really good job incorporating different genres and themes into a pretty logical plot line.

However, I did feel like a lot of time was wasted on all those crimes that the team investigated, many of which were kind of related to one of the main plots, but not enough to really make them worth our time. I would prefer there to be one really big case that would have connected to the other main plot. It would have made more sense, and it would have allowed a more solid connection between everything that has happened.

Phaya & Tharn: I loved them in the first episode – the rivalry, the tension, the connection. The two are quite similar. They are both stubborn, tend to act without thinking, hate having others worry about them while being very protective of their loved ones, have a very solid moral compass… I did Phaya to be a bit more hot-headed, but Tharn was not far behind him either. I do think there are certain things about their story that I wish wouldn’t have happened. There were a few slaps, which have no place in a relationship nor between friends or colleagues. Another thing that bothered me was the lack of trust between the two. It made me confused why Tharn has so little trust in Phaya, even knowing the two are connected, while blindly trusting others. Well, Phaya didn’t really trust him either, he kept a lot of secrets. Maybe that goes hand in hand, you get what you give. Billy and Babe had great chemistry though, and they did amazingly in their roles.

I really liked their team and the dynamics between them. Khem and Thongthai were kind of cute together, even if I wasn’t always sure if the two were actually a thing or not. Yai is a lot of fun too, and he is a good friend. Even with his occasionally slightly crazy ideas. The inspector was interesting, but I didn’t really understand his thought process most of the time.

Doc Chalothon was there, I guess. I just wish his character was a bit more involved with the investigation part of the plot. He did pop up here and there, but he wasn’t nearly as present as I hoped he would be. I did find him creepy from the moment he appeared, so Heng did a great job with this role.

Now, as for a few other not so great things. I did find their way of investigating things a little like playing pretend. There were just a lot of things that didn’t make much sense, especially in relation to keeping the details of the investigations private from the general public.

But the major setback was the ending. I found it extremely anticlimactic. I think they should have concluded the investigation in one episode and the naga in another. They concluded them in the same episode, which made one of the conclusions feel very rushed and lazy, and maybe illogical as well. I feel like we were robbed of a scene we were all waiting for.

All in all, it was a good watch but it could use a few tweaks.

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Magic mirror? Or no magic mirror?

I was ready to absolutely hate Pond. I didn’t like the way the character was introduced, he appeared arrogant and very out of touch with reality. And while the later stuck through the series, I realized that I mistook his confidence for arrogance. He was quite sweet and caring, not only to those close to him but also others. A big part of the series is spent on him doing his best to make Mawin happy.

I don’t really know what to think about Mawin, his story is not exactly thought through. It might be just two episodes, but it needed more background and a strong basis to make it all believable. What exactly does he have? Why can’t he hang out with his friends? Why doesn’t he keep in contact with them in a different way? I just don’t think the plot around him held any water.

The mirror was kind of an interesting addition to the story. I guess it was a good connecting factor between Pond and Pawin. I just wish it actually had the power we were led to believe it does. With how things are, it didn't really serve any real purpose.

I also have a little bit of a problem with the cast. I did think Pond looked much older than 29 and with Mawin looking quite young, it was a bit of a strange choice. Looking at the cast, I realized that the actor playing Pond is actually 44 years old. Which I don’t think was the best choice. I guess it would also explain that the chemistry between the two might have been better than with some other couples, but it wasn’t exactly great either.

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Adorable story about crushes, love, and heartbreak

I loved how sweet and fluffy the whole thing was. It’s kind of a coming-of-age series, following a story of a young hopeful who faces an unrequited crush(es), heartbreak, love, failure and success. So pretty much everything one would imagine someone of that age going through.

The plot was interesting, the cinematography was beautiful, the OST was catchy… It had a lot of positives and I enjoyed watching it. There were a few plot holes in the end, they were not addressed or rounded out in a clear manner in the end. I wish we would have gotten a more solid closure on those, instead of them just disappearing with no explanation of how they were actually dealt with. As well as the fact that certain things didn’t necessary make sense (even if they were crystal clear) just to push conflict into the story.

Im Han Tae & Han Ba Ram: the two are so adorable together! I found their relationship development sweet; it didn’t feel rushed. We follow Ba Ram as he navigates through his crush, heartbreak and falling in love with his best friend. It shows that he is wary of saying out loud that he likes men or that he likes his friend, which is understandable after his first experience. Han Tae is like an overgrown puppy. He absolutely adores Ba Ram and is doing everything he can to be around him. He is loyal and protective. I do think they make a cute couple. And while the chemistry between the actors were good, I was annoyed by the fact that their kiss was… well not a kiss, but just lips pressed together. At least the dream kiss was better.

The other two members of the band were amazing! I loved how supportive they were of their friends. And I am still convinced that the two knew there was something more brewing between Han Tae and Ba Ram but decided not to say anything and let the two come clean on their time and terms. Which was nice of them.

As for Sangin, Ba Ram’s guitar teacher and unrequited crush, I don’t think he deserves the attention. I do wish the plotline relating to him would have gotten a better conclusion. Not just relationship wise, but everything else that was included.

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The plot was a bad kind of messy

I had really high hopes for this drama, but it ended up being one big letdown. I think the plot where a celebrity falls for their fan is something that has a lot of potential. Why? Because it plays into the fan culture. Let’s be real, a lot of fans fantasize about meeting their celebrity crushes who will fall in love with them, and they will get to live their happily ever after. So, a plot with that premise can be a big success if it’s done right. Which this one wasn’t.

I really wish there would have been some major changes when it comes to the script. There was so much unnecessary and silly drama, situations that made no sense, characters who had no real purpose… It’s like they threw together a bunch of ideas and scenes and just went with it.

The two managers and whatever they were fighting about was unnecessary. I think it would have been better if more focus was given to the second couple or even to the main couple. Instead, we got scenes where the two were acting like little children. How they expected us to believe that they could manage actors when neither of the two could act like an adult, is beyond me. I am also not happy that trans character was once again made into both the villain and wanna-be comedic relief. It's more than time to leave that kind of portrayal of trans people in the past.

I was mildly invested into the lakorn Achi was filming, but I feel like I have seen the same scene every time they showed a snippet of it. It could have been incorporated better, and the scenes could have been either more diverse or shorter. There are also a lot of scenes in general that don’t make the most sense, like the way Punn confessed to Ashi or the way Mingmueang acted when he visited the doctor at the hospital. I mean, who does that?

Punn & Ashi: Punn was extremely childish and immature. It could have been adorable, but it was overdone, and it became annoying quickly. His obsession with Ashi was slightly creepy at times, especially once the two of them got together. And it made me wonder if he is actually in love with Ashi as a person, or if he loves the idea of Ashi. And I feel like that is something that later episodes made a bit more apparent, even if I don’t think that was what they were going for. Ashi seems to be a bit cold at times, someone who doesn’t let people close easily, and after seeing those around it, it makes sense why. I think Ashi was a lot more mature, but he was also hiding what he truly felt. Neither of the two was good at communicating, go figure. I felt like there was very little to no chemistry between the two actors, and I don’t know if this is due to the way the characters were or something else. Because I know Ja and First had great chemistry in their other works. I think they did fairly okay in their roles, they were different from their other roles (which is great), but I feel like they didn’t really show everything they are capable of.

Mingmueang & Namning: did they even have a plot? I feel like they had one actual conversation, the rest was them hooking up. I have very mixed feelings about Mingmueang. I know he tried to help Punn and whatnot, but the whole daddy thing was strange. How he went around getting the doctor to sleep with him for the second time was wrong on many different levels. What happened to consent? Namning is a character we don’t really know much about, except that he is a doctor and likes having one-night stands. And the extra possible love interest thrown into the mix was unnecessary, I think it only made things weird. The two actors did okay, but I think the roles they were given were not really well thought through.

I liked Punn’s family. They were supportive of Punn. His mom had some great advice for him on multiple occasions. And as much as Pai enjoyed annoying Punn, he always had his back. That’s how siblings tend to be, especially if they are close in age.

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Showing the toxic sides of the industry

If there is one thing that made me really love this series, it was the critical approach to the BL industry and toxic fans. I never fully understood the whole idea of (especially) BL actors not dating or at least not being allowed to talk about it. A lot of them are in either their late teens or their twenties, the time when most people get to date and explore their options. But they can’t, because some fans cannot differentiate between fiction and reality, between characters and actors. The amount of hate an actor’s partner would get… I feel bad for them just thinking about it.

And that is something that was really shown well, especially towards the end of the series. We got to see so many different comments from many different fans. The sad part? Many of them are pretty similar to the comments we get to see online in reality.

The series didn’t shy away from showing some of the bad sides of the behind the scenes either. From the homophobic remarks in castings, to constant pressure for more NC scenes (even if they don’t fit the story), the romanticization of non-consent… There was a lot of digs to what we see in many other BLs.

Now, for the story. I really like how it was paced, I think it went great with the overall plot and everything that they included in the story. I am not a big fan of the whole childhood friends and how that was played into the story. I really disliked the secrets that were related to that.

Nubsib & Gene: Gene is so relatable, awkward, and adorable. But he is also someone who speaks up when is uncomfortable or when he needs to do things he doesn’t like. Does he still do them? Usually yes, because he is a people pleaser, but he makes it clear he doesn’t like it. Nubsib seems to be a bit more relaxed, but also very mature at the same time. I really liked how they never pressured one another to come out or do things that they were not okay with. They had some rough patches in their relationship, some of which could have been resolved quicker with some good communication. Both Kao and Up did an excellent job portraying the two characters, their emotions and the love the two had for one another. I really like how Nubsib seemed to light up whenever he got to talk to Gene. I think that was a really nice and well thought detail.

Aoey: He’s a character you want to hate, but at the same time, you find it hard to do so. He made a lot of poor choices and did a lot of bad things, yet he was hurting too. A lot. I don’t want to excuse his behavior nor his actions, but I can understand why he did things the way he did. Bruce did amazingly. Some of the scenes were so difficult to watch, yet he really shined in them.

I really liked Hin, Tum and Tiffy as well. They were really fun characters to have around, and while I wasn’t as interested in their stories as I was in the story of Nubsib and Gene, I still liked them. Hin and Tum really showed themselves as great friends to the two main characters, even if they were both kind of employed by them, as a manager and as an editor.

I think there are certain things that were left kind of open. I guess one could say that we saw how Aoey ended, but at the same time, I feel like that is not enough of a conclusion. I also think it would be nice to see how the public reacted to how it all ended. Another thing that I found a bit annoying was the amount of flashbacks to the events that happened earlier in the series. There were quite a few of them in the last few parts of the series.

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Not a trial run. I mean the real thing.

I can see why people say this is an absolute must-see BL series. I can’t believe I put off watching it for so long! Like sure, the plot is very typical – university based enemies to lovers plot – but it was really well executed. I really liked the overall cinematographic aspects of the series. They did great combining the colors, the lighting, the setting and the music.

Jang Jae Young & Chu Sang Woo: first of, I am in love with their height difference. I found it so incredibly cute throughout the series. The two actors have great on screen chemistry too. As for the characters, I love how different the two seemed to be. One is very extraverted, good in social situations but can sometimes forget his duties. The other one is introverted, likes things to be in order and hates slackers. They are so different, yet they make it work. Their relationship started from a (badly thought through) revenge plot. I do like that while they started as enemies, it never got to an abusive level as I have seen happen in other series. Jang Jae Young was quite quick to back off once he realized just how immature and stalkerish his actions were. Kudos to him for that. I also like that he respected Chu Sang Woo’s boundaries.

I am not sure if I am correct and I do not want to label anyone, but Chu Sang Woo did seem to be a neurodivergent person. He has a lot of OCD tendencies (e.g. rituals, how everything has it’s place, being on time). And I know he is supposed to be introverted, but at times it felt like there might be more than just that to it. He seemed very socially inapt; he also had a hard time understanding social clues. I actually really liked the comparisons between him (and events in his life) and a computer. I feel like it gave us a look at how he thinks.

I was ready to applaud Chu Sang Woo when he turned in the group project with only his name on it. Honestly, we have all been there at one point in our lives and wanted to do that too. And then saving them as freeloader 1, 2 and 3? Iconic!

It was a bit short, but it didn’t feel too rushed. The pacing was quite nice for the length of the series. I would love to see more..

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Kind of creepy

Before watching the 2022 Love Mechanics, I thought it would be a good idea to watch the En of Love series to get a grip on the characters and any backstories that might be good to know. That is a decision that TOSSARA made me regret. I like the other two instalments of En of Love much better.

Gun & Bar: Gun gave me creeps pretty much all the time. His interactions with Bar made me uncomfortable. I don’t really know what they were trying to do, but this was not cute, it was creepy. Bar was sweet, I liked his character. And him rejecting Mark is probably my favorite scene in the series. It shows that he can be assertive when needed. I think that the two actors playing Gun and Bar lacked chemistry, there was not a single moment where I thought that the two characters might like each other.

Here’s the thing. The plot and the idea behind it are not bad. It had a lot of potential to be great, but I think the execution was not good. It lacked in many aspects. Maybe things would have been better if the series was longer and the relationship between Gun and Bar actually had a chance to fully develop. Or not, Gun was creepy. I know I said that before, but that really stuck with me.

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Mostly adorable, but not much development

Third and last instalment of En of Love series, even if it’s not the last one in the same universe. I found this one pretty enjoyable. It was, once again, too short to really fully develop the relationship and really show character growth.

Nuea & Praram: Nuea was one of my favourite characters in the previous series. He is very sweet and caring, and someone who can take no for an answer. Something many characters can’t. I know a lot of people were bothered by their age gap, but I don’t really mind it. Praram is a senior in high school, so he is around 18-19, and Nuea is probably 3-4 years older. It’s not a huge age gap and they are both aware of it. I did find their story cute, even if nothing much happened. They also kept things very PG friendly, probably due to the fact that Praram is still a high school student. I found them being shy with each other really adorable. Nuea makes a perfect boyfriend, I’m sure of it.

This one only had three episodes which really made the story feel rushed. I would really love to see their relationship develop more, or even see the two making it work once Praram makes it to the university.

And a quote to end it: “Brother that isn’t a brother, like a daddy that isn’t really a father.”

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To truly love a person for who they are

I’ve been on an EarthMix binge since Moonlight Chicken ended. My expectations for the series were not very high as I am usually not a fan of body swap storylines, but I decided to at least give it a try. I was honestly impressed by it! The story is okay, it’s not super exciting or something completely unexpected, it has some plot twists /plot holes (e.g. aunt and uncle, mom) that could have been handled differently, but it wasn’t bad. The OST is lovely as well, I think the longing is nicely portrayed through it.

I think Jan deserves a big shoutout for how on point were her actions and mannerism when she was playing as Win in Lin’s body. Her actions and reactions were so on point, it was absolutely brilliant! I especially loved the scenes in which it switched between Mix and Jan, I feel like those moments were when both really shined! And Mix acting as “Lin” showed just how talented he is as well, especially his struggles to adapt to what it really means to be a girl. It really was something different.

Another thing that I really loved is how whenever it was just Korn and “Lin”, it was always Mix we saw in her role. It really showed how Korn never thought of doing the mission with Lin, to him it was always Win that he went with. Win really struggled with the idea that Korn only cares because it’s Lin’s body that’s involved. The scenes when this really shows were absolutely heartbreaking and Mix did extremely well portraying that confusion, that struggle. So, I think this detail was really important for us viewers to really understand certain parts of the story.

I know many don’t agree, but I can see how Win’s anger and hate for Korn are justified. Win is short tempered, he just lost his father and the person he trusts the most has no explanation for what is going on. Emotions were running high, Win reacted (even over reacted) impulsively, but Korn not explaining anything was also a mistake on his part.

I think this is an amazing series to show how one can love a person for who they are, all their flaws and mistakes. Korn knows Win, maybe even better than Win knows himself, yet he never tries to change him. He accepts him for who he is and just goes with it – be it his tantrums, his love for food, and his tendency to tease Korn.

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More like house of drama

It is intriguing. And messy. I am here for that. I did find it hard to keep up with all the characters through, as there seems to be quite a lot of them, but it got easier after a few episodes and once we got to know each of them a bit more. The subtitles of the first two episodes were terrible, but it got much better after that. I mean, they were butchering the names – like Pitch aka Pete, Picci, Pizza… or Wayha aka Haha and Weha; also is it Sin or Shin? So or Zo? It seems to have gotten better from episode three forwards, so that’s something.

Now, for the plot. It’s a hot mess, but in a good way. I feared that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everyone and that the plot would stop making sense. I was pleasantly surprised that no matter how messy things got, it all still followed a logical plot line and was headed into a clear direction. It didn’t left me confused at all. The storyline was really well written, meaning if you paid attention, you could predict or guess certain things would happen.

I do find Miss Suzy kind of creepy. I know they are trying to show her as someone who has all control, knows everything, but I still feel that it was a bit too much. Host is someone I don’t really know what to think about. She seems to be under her mother’s full control, but there is more to her. We just sadly don’t really get to see that side of her very often.

Toey might be the character we know the least about. He is there from episode 1 as one of the managers (like Host) and yet we don’t get to know a single thing about him. We know his name and we know that he works for Miss Suzy. That’s it. I found that a bit strange. I mean he is not an actor in the house, but we could still know at least something about him.

As for the actors in the House of Stars, they sure know how to keep us on our toes.

Pitch, So, Gun: Pitch and So are partners in a BL series, there might be more between them but neither of them acted on it. Once Pitch starts to follow Gun around, we get a love triangle. So seems to be jealous of his acting partner spending time with Gun, and Gun seems to be unhappy about Pitch and So being together. And Pitch is living his clueless life. I am living for the mind games that So and Gun are playing with each other. They are kind of fun. I wouldn’t mind if this love triangle turned into a three-way relationship. The breakfast scene between Gun and So made me think things. The ending made me rethink my throuple idea though.

Korn, Pawin, Mintra: Korn and Mintra are dating, but Korn is also interested in men, something Mintra doesn’t know or just doesn’t want to admit. Pawin is a BL actor, he is gay, and has a thing for Korn. It makes sense that Mintra and Pawin don’t get along at all. Korn and Pawin end up hooking up while Mintra is away, which ends up blowing up into everyone’s face. I am not really a fan of the whole cheating thing. I know the two have a contract in place that states they need to date, but there were still real feelings involved. The storyline and the mess that followed were interesting. Korn really got my nerves most of the time, because of him two-timing the other too. There were times that I absolutely hated Mintra but there were also moments where I absolutely loved her! The wy their story ended was perfect though, I think it was the best possible outcome they could have chosen.

Wayha & Wayu: Wayha is new to acting, but his pronunciation sucks. Wayu is tasked with helping him. The two of them are the only couple we pair for sure from the start. Wayu is one that fell first and Wayha is the one to fall harder. They are kind of cute together though. Most of their scenes are adorable, just the two of them being lovey-dovey with each other. They are the least dramatic couple in the whole series. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s good to have a few no-drama moments.

There’s also Sin, So’s brother. He was in an accident some time ago, which caused a lot of damage. Sin’s accident is also why So decided to take up acting. I feel like there is a lot more to the story, even after we find out who was responsible for the accident.

Lalit is the last to join the House of Stars and there is something suspicious about her. She is apparently a fangirl, so her sharing things that the fans shouldn’t know yet, doesn’t seem that unreasonable. I am not sure if they are just trying to make it seem like she is the one causing trouble, or if she is behind it, but there is something going on with her. I do like how her story progressed and while her end isn't something I fully like or understand, it is one that I think fits the story. She kind of grew on me as the series progressed.

And then we also get to meet Sun, Suzy’s son and Host’s brother, who seems to scare both of them. I don’t fully get their dynamics, especially considering the fact that Suzy could easily kick him out and disown him. Sun has a lot of secrets, and we don’t really get to know that much about him. I think there is a lot more to him that we are told, especially with how the series ended.

Am I happy with how everyone ended? No. Do I get what happened? Yes, mostly. Did I enjoy the series? Yes. And the fact that they left the story unfished… it can only mean that they set everything up for S2. I ended up really enjoying the series, so the fact that we are very likely to get another season is exciting!

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Was very confusing most of the time

It got confusing quickly. We are thrown into the middle of this whole thing with a bunch of characters who we don’t know who they are, adding some flashbacks on top of it made it very hard to follow. There are obviously a lot of different connections between all characters, but the lack of explanations means we don’t really get familiar with those connections.

The premise is quite interesting, I’ll admit that, but things are rushed. And that makes it choppy and hard to follow. Pluem / Kim is an interesting character, but he’s not the smartest. Also, slightly creepy at times. Khunkhao is not my favorite, and while we know Pluem is the one in Kim’s body, he doesn’t know that. Yet he’s flirting with a man who broke her sister’s heart. I’m sure that would make family reunions interesting.

The ending though… I should have expected something like that. Am I happy with it? Not really. Could it have been worse? Yes. Could it have been better? Yes.

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