zwarber
Relevant and important BL
I love when BLs dive into deeper issues and I feel like the philosophical and societal undertones of this story are way too important to simply categorize this show as a romance or a niche product. I’m unaware of how well this did with the GP in Thailand, but it was truly outstanding to have felt the love the people behind this project have for their home country.
On a microscopic level, sure, I have issues with some aspects of the show: the acting wasn’t bad in the slightest but could have been way better in most instances (though call me impressed at Gun for portraying the twins) and there were some usual BL elements in Thai productions that I’m not a huge fan of (the romantic slow-mo shot, the tackiness of some dialogue, the annoying misunderstandings) BUT…
On a macroscopic level, the value here is immense. Not only did I enjoy the romantic side of things in the end, like I do believe the painting scene with Yok and Dan to be one of the most beautiful and meaningful imagery I’ve seen in any BL ever), but moreso where the story shines is with its politics exploration of power and violence. On one hand, it shows how problematic capitalistic societies are when they are based on principles of hierarchy, which usually lead to nepotism, individualism and ultimately to the corruptible illusion that money is power, and power is what you need to survive in this world. But then, power you’re either born with (= you’re born in the upper class) or, since power is not for the masses but for the few, it must be obtained by the rules of competition. But then again, fair play is only for the sports, so the way it usually goes is for people to reach a position of power either by deception, manipulation or exploitation and violence. Power DOES get you corrupt in the end. You WILL be forced to succumb to malice when you’re thrown in with the wolves that are the higher ups, who are all struggling to hold onto the privileges that they have, ‘cause why on Earth would the working class WANT to go up the social ladder if they were content where they are? They aren’t, and the powerful are obviously afraid of stepping down. It’s a whole inescapable cycle and, unfortunately, these are usually the people that rule our countries. No matter what good of a constitution you have and no matter how good your laws, there’s ALWAYS a way to bend the rules… for those in positions of power, of course. Power, hower, does not only deceive the rich, and is a danger to all, and we see that with our cast of people when they burn that house down: if you’re using violence to gain something, you’ll end up losing something. It could have been Dan, but it most certainly was Yok’s mom in that situation. So, not only the people are put in outright bad positions, but if they try to act against injustice, often that will backfire on themselves. Then there were talks about gun violence and human rights and how difficult it is for outcasts, for the disabled, and how a bunch of youngesters can’t even enjoy their education and youth ‘cause the world’s such a fucked up place and the older generations are all just either completely disenchanted, afraid or utterly enamored with corrupt ideals. And THAT’s what I love about this: the fact that they managed to stir an uprising with peaceful acts and protests. They painted a whole new form of power, that of democracy, which we seriously take for granted in most parts of the world. Even when people have it, they still don’t practice it their rights enough to have a voice and have it heard. I know I may seem naive, but we the younger generation should AT LEAST acknowledge that this is an ideal we should uphold and act by. Protests, activisism, the courage to go up against the currents. I truly felt uplifted by this show and I’m so grateful to have watched and have it inspire me to look forward and fight for the kind of society we want to live in.
9.5/10 AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN A TEN IF THEY DIDN’T BULLSHIT US WITH THAT GRAM/EUGENE PAIRING WHEN I KNOW!!! I KNOW!!! I JUST FOUND OUT!!!! That Gram was originally supposed to have it HARD for Black. Shame on y’all!!!!!!!
On a microscopic level, sure, I have issues with some aspects of the show: the acting wasn’t bad in the slightest but could have been way better in most instances (though call me impressed at Gun for portraying the twins) and there were some usual BL elements in Thai productions that I’m not a huge fan of (the romantic slow-mo shot, the tackiness of some dialogue, the annoying misunderstandings) BUT…
On a macroscopic level, the value here is immense. Not only did I enjoy the romantic side of things in the end, like I do believe the painting scene with Yok and Dan to be one of the most beautiful and meaningful imagery I’ve seen in any BL ever), but moreso where the story shines is with its politics exploration of power and violence. On one hand, it shows how problematic capitalistic societies are when they are based on principles of hierarchy, which usually lead to nepotism, individualism and ultimately to the corruptible illusion that money is power, and power is what you need to survive in this world. But then, power you’re either born with (= you’re born in the upper class) or, since power is not for the masses but for the few, it must be obtained by the rules of competition. But then again, fair play is only for the sports, so the way it usually goes is for people to reach a position of power either by deception, manipulation or exploitation and violence. Power DOES get you corrupt in the end. You WILL be forced to succumb to malice when you’re thrown in with the wolves that are the higher ups, who are all struggling to hold onto the privileges that they have, ‘cause why on Earth would the working class WANT to go up the social ladder if they were content where they are? They aren’t, and the powerful are obviously afraid of stepping down. It’s a whole inescapable cycle and, unfortunately, these are usually the people that rule our countries. No matter what good of a constitution you have and no matter how good your laws, there’s ALWAYS a way to bend the rules… for those in positions of power, of course. Power, hower, does not only deceive the rich, and is a danger to all, and we see that with our cast of people when they burn that house down: if you’re using violence to gain something, you’ll end up losing something. It could have been Dan, but it most certainly was Yok’s mom in that situation. So, not only the people are put in outright bad positions, but if they try to act against injustice, often that will backfire on themselves. Then there were talks about gun violence and human rights and how difficult it is for outcasts, for the disabled, and how a bunch of youngesters can’t even enjoy their education and youth ‘cause the world’s such a fucked up place and the older generations are all just either completely disenchanted, afraid or utterly enamored with corrupt ideals. And THAT’s what I love about this: the fact that they managed to stir an uprising with peaceful acts and protests. They painted a whole new form of power, that of democracy, which we seriously take for granted in most parts of the world. Even when people have it, they still don’t practice it their rights enough to have a voice and have it heard. I know I may seem naive, but we the younger generation should AT LEAST acknowledge that this is an ideal we should uphold and act by. Protests, activisism, the courage to go up against the currents. I truly felt uplifted by this show and I’m so grateful to have watched and have it inspire me to look forward and fight for the kind of society we want to live in.
9.5/10 AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN A TEN IF THEY DIDN’T BULLSHIT US WITH THAT GRAM/EUGENE PAIRING WHEN I KNOW!!! I KNOW!!! I JUST FOUND OUT!!!! That Gram was originally supposed to have it HARD for Black. Shame on y’all!!!!!!!
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