I just found out about Shine and instantly watched it in two days.
What have I just witnessed? It this maybe the best Thai BL out there? I certainly hope so! I am in awe - why have I never heard of this series before? It's so so good.
The way the camera captures emotions so beautifully. They use orange vs. blue, darkness vs. light. It shows so many facettes of the characters and silence speaks louder than any word. The piano music, the stares, the letters, the sher joy of life but the hardships of society. It's all right there. Life is still shown as the most beautiful thing but it's hard living sometimes. It's suffocating - in many different terms. People suffer under a system opressing them and stealing their voices whilst the ones part of the military (thus the government) profit in every aspect. The press doesn't have a voice whilst others don't care and shout anyways. Because some are brave and some spend their whole lives trying to learn and understand what bravery is.
This series talks about so many different aspects of life, so much critique and so much admiration for the people navigating through life. Every one of them feels real, captured in their darkest and lightest times. Showing their jobs but also their friends. Spending nights on the beach, kissing in the car and being stupid while still trying to not let it show. And it's not even a conversation if their love should be public or not - because it just can't be.
Each episode on its own felt like a movie. I am mesmerized - honestly. This kind of series is very rare.
I could go on and on but I need to process this first.
We spend so many moments missing Su-ho alongside Si-eun. He visits the hospital, he texts him, he hopes one day Su-ho will open his eyes. Si-eun is eaten up by the guilt he feels, so much so he cannot sleep, he doesn't want any friends, everyday seems to be a new challenge. He even tries to leave the country until Jun-tae calls him, tells him they all know and think it wasn't his fault. Then, and only then, the world seems to be a better place. It's finally time to move on and be okay with it. Every day is a little bit better, it's different but it's gonna be okay. And he dreams about letting Beom-seok go, about letting the past be the past and not be haunted by it. It's all getting better but Si-eun never smiles. He cannot smile even when he has new friends and even if they know about him without judging. Even if he finally belongs somewhere, he still cannot smile. He goes above and beyond and it's all still so unsettling. Until on a sunny day, Su-ho wakes up again and it's true, now everything is fine, everything was worth it, it's all okay no matter what happened.
Just remembered that Wenai and Janine don't know about the time travel and death situation. As far as they know their bosses/clients/friends are Like That because of work stress or something
This is going to be long because I have so much to say. It's just so good.
I was sick the other day, so I essentially watched it in one sitting. The writing is generally very good. There are themes and symbols reappearing every episode, the past affected the present and future. It's a very well-rounded storyline with not many flaws.
The next prince is designed for me to like. It's a BL with a proper setting and plot while the lovestory is still there but there's other stuff happening. And it's a fictional monarchy? Count me in!
I absolutly love the costume designs. There are really pretty accessoires on every outfit they wear. The fabrics and combos look expensive - really fits the vibe of this whole world. But it took me embarassingly long to realise the colors they wear, represent each clan.
Characters and colors
The overall set-up is hilariously close to wattpad stories I once read. Suddenly, he's royal and immediatly needs to leave to fulfil his role as a prince...it's soo cliché. And I don't mean it in a bad way at all.
The story progresses naturally and we follow each heir's lives until the contest is held. Only then, I realized each of them are a symbol for equally important social issues. Each one of them has a mission and each has found their voice to raise. Even the colors mirror those themes to a certain extend.
Ramil is always dressed in black or dark green colors. Only when he's not around his father, does he wear something lighter. The clan is represented through a heavy dark green. Ramil is isolated, alone, scared and traumatized and all of that is caused by his very own family. It weighs on him and the darkness of those colors mirror his struggles. Initially I thought he's supposed to be the "black sheep" of the family - which he is - but it's much more deeper than that. Because why is he like that? Why does he never smile? Why does he hide?
Ava's clan is represented through her dresses by a very light pink. Her father is wearing a darker pink, more in the red area, but still. Pink is often associated as a female color and Ava is fighting for equal rights. She is a woman, she is not ashamed to be a woman and she is a woman who is not shy to be just that. Her father believes in her as a person but does not believe in her as a woman. It's a very distinct conflict because it's not like he's not proud of her. It's just he forgot to try or maybe stopped trying after realizing she could never be as powerful as other heirs.
And Khanin's clan is represented with beige - certainly a bit boring. It still fits. Khanin himself is thrown into a world he doesn't know nor understands. He doesn't have an opinion yet, he doesn't know any history and he doesn't know its people. So having him wear beige fits his outsider-aura. He wants to change things without really knowing how. He questions things without thinking much about it. He is not influenced, he is "a blank piece of paper". And beige looks very royal paired with gold. In some shots, Khanin was obviously supposed to look like an angel. Like the bloodline of the crown is holy or mighty.
Still, I like how Ramil's life is slowly unraveled. First, it's Khanin witnessing the opression Ramil suffers under his father's hands. It's an outsider and the scene is so intense. Because if the father is not afraid to "discipline" his son like that in front of other people, what else is happening when nobody else is home? It's a question that immediatly arises.
Domestic violence
I'm gonna say it once - and some may not like me for this - but I was so glad Paytai left and I am mad he came back. He didn't deserve to be treated that way. I was shocked when Ramil did what his father told him without ever trying to fight. And even though the situation is different now, doesn't mean it's safe for both of them to be together again. It's not healthy and I would have been okay if there was a time gap but merely days have passed since then.
Later we see the father punishing Paytai and making Ramil watch which is certainly disturbing. What really got me was what happened after that. When Ramil realized, what he likes doing in the bedroom is exactly what his father is doing. It's an immediate response, he doesn't know anything else. In a very weirdly twisted way, it's part of Ramil's understanding of love - though Paytai raises the question if it ever was love.
Because he was protecting Paytai, until he only protected himself. Their love was romantic, until it was founded on physical pain. He respected Paytai, until his father ignored him. He was so sweet, until he wasn't any more.
What happened in episode 13 truly made me cry. And Paytai lays on the ground, crying, calling Ramil pathetic and all Ramil can do is not helping and then seeking intimate physical contact. Because it's the only thing he knows.
His speech about domestic violence came from the heart though it wasn't as impactful as it should have been. But raising his voice against his father is truly brave.
Women's rights
We all love a woman who stands up for herself, talks back and doesn't care if people laugh at her. I love Ava so much, she tries to prove herself in a world that's against her and I love her for it.
She steps back from the contest and it's honestly the strongest symbol of all. It doesn't mean she accepts what society wants from her, it means she stands above them all. Gender equality is one of the most important topics. By stepping back, she allowed herself to keep on fighting the real life. Society isn't ready for her to be the next princess but it is ready for her fight. She doesn't need to participate, she doesn't need to earn power, she is strong on her own and still matters. The contest gave her a voice and her father accepted every part of her and the people saw her not as a gender but as a participant. That's already more than she ever thought would happen and it's more than winning the contest.
I love that message. Because symbols matter, showing yourself matters. She is an icon.
Pollution
It's good writing because the moment Wasin smiled at Khanin the first time they meet, he seems to be so nice. It's when everything seems to be black and white. But then it unravels and it gets messy really quickly and Wasin doesn't smile any more.
It's good writing because we see the protestors rebel against the crown and Khanin hears voices that were once unheard. He tries to adress the issue, he tries to make everybody believe again. And it's coming full circle when it's revealed Wasin once tried to do the same. He once tried to find a solution because people were dying. He has the right purpose but the wrong intentions. Khanin is trying to fight the same problems but in a different way and it makes Wasin's character so much more tragic. He started at the right spot but ended up taking the wrong direction. Wasin was lost long before and it's scary because history could repeat itself. In a way Wasin is Khanin's misguided future. He has people who think like him, it's terrifying to watch how much his own hatred consumed him until he threw his morals out the window.
It's good writing because the king nearly succeeds to let history repeat itself. What happend in the past affects the present and future. It shifts Khanin's perspective and Wasin is not the only bad guy here. The king silenced so many people and was so stubborn to avoid the slightest change. A great criticism on old people sitting in governments and doing nothing just because they believe time will tell and the problem resolves on its own. The king is in the wrong, the crown needs to be protected but the crown isn't always right. There's the underlining question if a monarchy even fits the current society any more, if the crown should die or not. The king let the prince suffer until he started a rebellion. The king sends people away to protect them until he needs them for something. The king doesn't listen until it's his end.
It's good writing because there is not just one real enemy. It's a construct and it's the monarchy itself causing the uproar. It's a system that was build, a system where people long for power and forget everything else, a system encouraging stagnation. The scene by the water is so intense and chaotic and messy. Trustworthy people turned out to be on the other side and it's essentially the rebellion against the crown though it's hard to tell who was more in the wrong.
It's just good writing.
The song
I love love love the song Jay sings at the protests. And I'm so mad it's not an official OST. The lyrics, the melody, it just resonated with me. It tells the story of hope and loss. It's people standing strong because of their loved ones, it's the wish to be better. A story about grief and strength and memories of the ones they once lost.
Exam period is over, I don't know what to do now, so of course, GMMTV was there for me
Boys in love is the best BL this year because...oh my god.
I couldn't go to sleep, I couldn't stop, it's so cute and I understand each character so much. Looking back on that time of my life (which wasn't too long ago) I feel like I missed out on things while at the same time struggling with the same decisions. What do you want to study? Do you even want to study? Are my grades good enough?
I love each character and each storyline so much. I guess this will be a new comfort show. Something about it feels so authentic, it resonates with me deeply. Clear communication, being there for each other, giving the right amount of support, finding your paths together and finding out about one's self.
Watch boys in love if you haven't! There's no unnecessary drama and it's overall insanely cute and heartwarming. These people smile A LOT - like all the time. And it makes me smile. Their smiles are so wide, open and honest, really beautiful how they express their emotions.
I laughed at Sou Wei waiting for midnight to come and go, I screamed when he claimed Cheng as his. I laughed when that guy talked to him about Cheng's past, I screamed when he claimed Cheng in front of everybody.
Exam periods are always tough but this time...I am losing my mind. Tomorrow, at 11 am, it's finally over. 4 exams in 1,5 weeks and I'm gradually getting closer to writing my Bachelor thesis, so I'm desperate to pass all exams, so my plan works, so I will be done in summer next year.
I feel like this semester I studied with more passion than I ever had - it's probably true. And after some crisis in winter, I realized, I still love environmental engineering. I didn't see an end to this but now I do. So it's fine my brain couldn't comprehend math equesions any more today. It's fine as long as I stay healthy and can manage my stress.
It's hinted Tada also went back in time but I feel like there is something more to it. The way Tada is looking at Armin... I think after that flashback of Tada holding Armin's dead body in his arms we can all agree he was in fact there and knows Armin was dead before.
But I don't think Tada went back in time at the same moment. I think something else happened, maybe he found out who killed Armin. Tada is still such a mystery, something about him makes me uncomfortable because it feels like he knows more than he lets Armin know - than he lets anyone know.
What if Armin died and Tada tried to find out why and lived years without Armin? What if he found out who poisoned Armin? What if Tada was killed as well? Just because they have been send back in time, doesn't mean it happened on the same day. Like I said, it could have happened years apart.
OR Tada was send back in time but to a different date. Maybe he woke up in 1995 (or something)...we don't know. He suddenly became the CEO of Crown - maybe he got sent back a few years earlier than Armin and decided to take matters into his own hands, earlier than he intitially did.
Anyway, I believe there's way more to Tada's story. Him crying when he saw Tada act out a death scene....there was deep grief hidden in those eyes and I feel like for him, it's something that already happened years ago.
I could be so wrong about this, I am eager to know, I really need to know!
Knock Out feels soooo nice. It's heartwarming, they are so sweet with each other and I can't find another word to explain what I feel about this show. Their relationship happens naturally, they are not shy, they don't hide it but don't explain to others either. They respect each other and everybody just rolls with it. It's so nice.
I think it's hilarious how the love triangle isn't triangeling. Yut is just there and it really doesn't matter if he's there or not. Keen is just not interested to spend time with him at all and there's not really a conflict here. It's just there, so we get to see some over the top jealousy. It's funny.
I've reached the end of episode 6 by now, so I'm hooked how the plot will thicken.
So yeah, it's really nice to have a series about a couple without having unnecessary drama. Them staying together is never the question, it's just them dealing with life. Kind of like Manner of Death. The relationship was just a natural part of the story, not the most important factor of its progression. There's trust, there's love and there's commitment. I love it. I need it every once in a while.
