Manner of Death is my comfort show, I love it to pieces and I’m going to rewatch it regularly for the rest of my life. It is absolutely amazing, unique and I have never been that invested in a fictional story and characters before. It’s exceptional on many levels, but for me there are two major ground-breaking elements in this show – the story and the relationship of the main couple.

Story

This isn’t another college/university drama, this is a full-fledged mystery, suspense and crime story with brilliant, mature characters, which is extremely refreshing. There is so much metaphorical space in the story, so many things to notice and consider, various secondary characters, locations and subplots. I wouldn’t even say it is exactly a BL drama, rather a thriller where the lead couple just happens to be gay.

The plot is really complex and well-thought, there are twists and turns, nothing is obvious, nothing is what it seems and if you think that you have guessed the culprit correctly, you are in for a few surprises. The plot has some flaws, but give me a show without them. The characters make some unreasonable decisions, but who doesn’t, especially in such dire circumstances? I am willing to forgive that because of the overall impression.

The show touches upon many difficult and very important social issues, such as sexual abuse, human trafficking, underage sex work, government corruption. They are treated the way they should be – as a crime. I never felt that they are disregarded or swept under the rug (I have recently watched TharnType and yep, still triggered). Not going to spoil anything, but Jane’s story will break your heart.

Main couple

Another ground-breaking element is that the show leaves the overused BL tropes behind and moves to more mature, realistic relationships. There is no gay panic, no toxicity, no homophobia, no evil girlfriend, no coming out issues, no mean friends, no school/uni problems which are obviously valid but have been repeated so many times that MoD is like a breath of fresh air.

TanBun’s relationship is based on attraction at first sight which gradually transforms into true love and devotion. There is an obvious level of mistrust at the beginning but they both treat their developing relationship as something precious and valuable, not like a hot potato the fate has suddenly thrown at them. There is no stupid miscommunication leading to major heartbreak, they actually talk, care about each other and express it in meaningful ways, they do not play games or toy with each other’s feelings.

This is exactly what I want to see and what makes this show unique and outstanding. I want healthy relationships. I want the BL couples to put their loved ones first. To give them the benefit of the doubt. To ask questions, listen to answers and trust the person they have chosen. TanBun’s love is inspiring and beautiful because it is so unwavering. And if you think that their relationship is boring because of that, you have never been more wrong.

I must admit that when Tan cuffed Bun to the staircase and left, I was really distressed. Considering other shows I have seen, I braced for an inevitable fight, I expected Bun to break up with Tan, stop talking to him, hate him forever etc. And then my heart melted after seeing Bun’s reaction and I thought THIS. THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE. I CAN DIE HAPPY NOW.

Some minor complaints: I have never understood the popularity of protective lover/mean brat couples, this trope is present in MoD as well, it is not overused (ok, maybe the fish scene was too much lol) but I wouldn’t mind getting rid of it entirely (I guess it's just me). There were also a few weird moments when Tan leaned in for a kiss and Bun backed off like a blushing bride. Guess those are remnants of the wifey trope and while it works for teenagers struggling with their sexuality, it was kinda bizarre for two adult men in an actual relationship.

Characters and acting

I would say that there are no distinctive differences in acting and the overall level is very good. If I was supposed to decide on the best actor, I would probably choose Max because he displayed various emotions perfectly, effortlessly switching from dark, brooding, sexy Dam to smitten Tan with his little happy smiles and genuine care towards Bun.

Plus MaxTul’s chemistry is seriously out of this world. They could literally sit and read a phone book to each other and they would still take your breath away. It makes TanBun relationship even more believable because there is not a shade of doubt that this is it for both of them. Hurried or unhurried, this is their love of a lifetime. And it makes all the intimate moments insanely hot, too!

Great Sapol was a discovery for me and not only because oh boy, that man is uhmm... very aesthetically pleasing xD He is also a brilliant actor, his character is very interesting, torn between his official duties, obligations towards his superiors and just doing the right thing. It was fascinating to observe how he changed depending on whether he was wearing a uniform or not.

There is a number of vivid, colourful characters, plus most of them do something morally ambiguous sooner or later, there is no black and white only, which adds to the complexity of the entire story. I particularly liked Pued because he is so “unobvious”.

I could go on like this for hours but the simple truth is that this show captured my heart in a way nothing else ever had. An absolute must watch.