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labcat
This review may contain spoilers
Not good for escapism, not good for in-depth exploration of themes, but a rather engaging story
Boy (human, Phat) meets boy (ghost, Phob). They fall in love. I liked this BL series quite a lot, but I won't put it amongst my favorite BLs. I'm not exactly sure why, but here are some possible reasons:
1. I appreciate that there is a ghost but there isn't much horror. In fact, there are quite a number of light-hearted and humorous moments. However, it doesn't work that well as a BL series that satisfies my need for escapism because the situations can be rather saddening at the end. It is not really an unhappy ending, but it isn't exactly a series like My Ride, for instance. The ending isn't quite as satisfying as, say, in He's Coming to Me (also a human-ghost love story, and one that's quite underrated).
2. It is a BL series that makes references to BL series and it's quite common for BL series to become self-reflexive nowadays, but I think the references to Lovely Writer are somewhat pointless.
3. It attempts to make a point about (Thai) society's attitude towards gay people, but it is somehow not consistently hard-hitting. It can be rather poignant (as we see in the last episode when a much older Phat says that he has failed to change society. However, the theme lacks development.
4. There are several plot elements that don't make that much sense or are under-utilized. For example, the mystery of what really happened to the father of Dream (Phat's friend) and Luck's supposed encounters with aliens seem a little pointless. Given the way the series ends, a Season 2 is unlikely unless the ending turns out to be a dream or something, so I don't think they are meant to be loose ends that can be used in Season 2. I also find it hard to believe that Phat's landlady, Nuan, is able to do so many things.
Despite the flaws listed, the series is quite enjoyable. The flaws are not really major, but nothing really stands out either. It is a fairly interesting watch, especially in the way Phob slowly finds out about his past. There is enough suspense to keep me watching. However, the series also doesn't quite dare to take things as far as it could have. Possibly very dark characters in the end turn out to be . . . well, not that bad.
If you only want a BL that makes you feel good and happy, I won't recommend this because the ending may not be what you are after. If you want a BL that explores themes in a hard-hitting wat and don't mind an ending that can make you feel unhappy, I would recommend The Miracle of Teddy Bear. If you are open to watching any sort of BL that has an at least okay story, by all means go ahead and watch this.
1. I appreciate that there is a ghost but there isn't much horror. In fact, there are quite a number of light-hearted and humorous moments. However, it doesn't work that well as a BL series that satisfies my need for escapism because the situations can be rather saddening at the end. It is not really an unhappy ending, but it isn't exactly a series like My Ride, for instance. The ending isn't quite as satisfying as, say, in He's Coming to Me (also a human-ghost love story, and one that's quite underrated).
2. It is a BL series that makes references to BL series and it's quite common for BL series to become self-reflexive nowadays, but I think the references to Lovely Writer are somewhat pointless.
3. It attempts to make a point about (Thai) society's attitude towards gay people, but it is somehow not consistently hard-hitting. It can be rather poignant (as we see in the last episode when a much older Phat says that he has failed to change society. However, the theme lacks development.
4. There are several plot elements that don't make that much sense or are under-utilized. For example, the mystery of what really happened to the father of Dream (Phat's friend) and Luck's supposed encounters with aliens seem a little pointless. Given the way the series ends, a Season 2 is unlikely unless the ending turns out to be a dream or something, so I don't think they are meant to be loose ends that can be used in Season 2. I also find it hard to believe that Phat's landlady, Nuan, is able to do so many things.
Despite the flaws listed, the series is quite enjoyable. The flaws are not really major, but nothing really stands out either. It is a fairly interesting watch, especially in the way Phob slowly finds out about his past. There is enough suspense to keep me watching. However, the series also doesn't quite dare to take things as far as it could have. Possibly very dark characters in the end turn out to be . . . well, not that bad.
If you only want a BL that makes you feel good and happy, I won't recommend this because the ending may not be what you are after. If you want a BL that explores themes in a hard-hitting wat and don't mind an ending that can make you feel unhappy, I would recommend The Miracle of Teddy Bear. If you are open to watching any sort of BL that has an at least okay story, by all means go ahead and watch this.
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