Manner of Death (2020) Review/Rec
So I’ve just finished watching this Thai BL, and it’s absolutely excellent. So in the custom of….me. I’m gonna tell you about it.
I’ve talked before about the things that I generally don’t enjoy in BL dramas, and how I am not really a huge fan of most shows. So that’s context.
Manner of Death is the best attempt I’ve seen of any BL show at being a “real” drama, with quality plot and writing, that just happens to also involve a m/m romance as well.
But rather than just say it’s good, pretty much the whole reason I’m writing this post is that the trigger warning list for this show is EXTENSIVE and I feel I have to talk about that.
Manner of Death is a mystery-thriller about a series of mysterious deaths in a small Thai town.
Trigger warnings for: Murder, autopsies, sexual abuse, drug abuse, forced drug abuse, abortion, illegal abortions, abortions gone wrong, rape, coerced sex, coerced drug abuse, suicide, sex trafficking, human trafficking, police corruption, and probably more.
All of those are involved in the main case, not the romance. But parts of the show are ROUGH in the way things play out and how some characters are treated and what is onscreen. So while much of the show is fine and pleasant, exercise care.
Main Characters:
Bun (above right) - Dr. Bunnakit, a medical examiner who has recently returned to his hometown in a rural area after becoming jaded by like in Bankok.
Tan (above left) - a tutor and mysterious person who Bun suspects of murder. Also someone he saw once in a bar and immediately kissed while incredibly drunk.
Also all of those people. ;)
Plot:
I don’t want to spoil things because it’s worth going through the story blind. But, generally: People start turning up dead, and as the medical examiner Bun isn’t satisfied with the police conclusions, so he pursues the truth on his own.
This gets him in danger, and the mysterious Tan appoints himself his protector. Because reasons they end up living together and acting Extremely Married while investigating the mystery that keeps getting more complicated.
Verdict:
A+ honestly.
It’s still clearly made on a limited budget but the production has clearly tried to do the best they can on their resources. The severe color grading gives it a moody but dated air and covers some of the budget issues.
But this really feels like it fits in with some of the other shows I’ve recced, like Beyond Evil and The Devil Judge. It’s not quite at that level, but it’s trying REAL hard and I admire it. PLUS it’s got explicit queer romance that is REALLY satisfying. Like the ending is…SO HAPPY. I fucking MELTED. Out-Loud Squeeing from me.
The gender politics aren’t flawless, in that we get a good amount of female victims and the focus is mostly on the men. The victims do get their own stories but they aren’t really…empowering. I don’t know. It’s not a deal breaker or worse than typical US crime shows, but it’s not perfect and I feel I need to acknowledge it.
Anyway, given all of that, please go watch it if you’re interested. It’s not the easiest show to find online, unless you are a WeTv subscriber. So you may have to do some searching, but it’s worth it.
I mean look at Bun and Tan’s first meeting:
