Causa da Morte (2020)

I will cherish MaxTul till the end of life.

I am crying and writing this, Words cannot express how beautiful and thrilling, this series is. One of the bold Bl series. the ending is so beautiful, I will cherish MaxTul till the end of life. MaxTul is one of the powerful BL couple. Till my last breath, I will always stan them. The ending is just too beautiful, I just want to cry. Without saying anything, Tul's eyes can express a thousands emotions. I love the scenery is this drama. I wish the production to be little more better. I wish I could have read the novel, the story in the novel is more deep than the drama.

Leia Mais

The Best Thai BL of 2020!

In my opinion, this was the best Thai BL of 2020. Why?
Story:
1. The leads are working adults.
2. No high school students or university students.
3. No struggles with sexuality.
4. Not an angsty teen melodrama.
5. Action scenes and adult content, such as human trafficking.
6. No community homophobia for having a male teacher in a gay relationship.
Yes, there were flaws. The medical procedure portrayals were weak, even to a layperson such as myself. When people were injured, they fully recovered within 5 minutes.

Max and Tul have chemistry and since they have kissed hundreds of times, their love scenes were not awkward. They did a great job as the heroes, and Max as a somewhat gray character. The support cast were great, especially since the age range of the cast was pretty wide. The older actors were the strongest, especially the villains, even though Mint could be a little scream queenish as Rungtiva. I would love to see a spin-off between Sarawat M x Dr. Oat and/or That x Sorawit.

Manner of Death kept surprising me and the story line kept me interested. The plot touched on problems such as drugs, sexual abuse, human trafficking, systemic corruption, abuse of power, and murder. It was nice to see working professionals falling in love and not denying their love. None of their friends questioned their relationship and even helped them out.

The shooting locations were breathtaking. It was the perfect setting for this series. I now want to visit the locations because they were so beautiful.

Leia Mais

It was okay. Could've been better.

Manner of Death is a story that takes place in Viangpha Mork, a small town where everyone is weird and creepy and goes around trying to kill each other. The End.

Okay, not exactly, but close. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS:

THE WHODUNIT ASPECT. I love a good whodunit. This was the best part of the show for me.

"TWILIGHT ZONE" VIBE. The way this was filmed and directed had a kind of "Twilight Zone" feel that compelled me to keep watching.

SORAWIT. The only character I actually liked.

THE KILLER. I almost never guess the killer right in a whodunit, but I suspected Rung the whole time. So I was happy.

CONS:

MAX/TUL SEX SCENES. Yeah, I know, I know. They're the hottest BL couple out there, famous for their sex scenes. I was the biggest fan of Together With Me and probably the only fan of TWM The Next Chapter. It's the reason that I (and probably most of us) watched Manner of Death. But the sex scenes seemed really misplaced in this drama, let alone that both their characters were weird as hell. For me, the series would have been far better without the sex scenes.

CHARACTERS. Were we actually supposed to like ANYONE in this series? As mentioned earlier, Sorawit was the only likeable character for me... I guess Dr. Oat as well. Everyone else -- including Dr. Bun and Tan -- went around with guns and weapons and behaving like criminals.

STORY. Por was the head of the mafia, tried to kill both his brothers, and then we're supposed to like him at the end. That was a total creep, but then he became Sorawit's boyfriend so I guess we like him after all. Inspector M was pretty much an ass for the whole series, but then he became an ally of the main couple and looked to be dating Dr. Oat at the end, so I guess we like him. In other words, the characters were kind of... bizarre. If I ever visited that town, I'd turn around and run like hell!

ENDING. So Tan stages fake killers to hunt Bun and himself down in the woods, scaring Dr. Bun out of his mind, only to propose marriage with lovey-dovey notes? Wow, how romantic. Happy Valentine's Day. I want a divorce.

This was one of those series that I only watched to the end because I'd already started it and was invested in it. I doubt I'll rewatch... if I want to get my Max/Tul fix, I'll watch TWM.

P. S. Max/Tul with the Hansel and Gretel references were just so dumb. "We're like Hansel and Gretel!" Umm... no, you're not.

Leia Mais

Neither a Great Thriller, nor a Great Romance drama.

Completed - 3/17/2022

I was hoping to watch a more mature BL drama, that’s not just a rom-com of high school or college students. Thus, “Manner of Death” became my choice. A crime/thriller romance drama sounds exactly what I am looking for.

Unfortunately, I am a little disappointed. I am not sure if I am not used to Thai acting, or the acting of the cast doesn’t live up to my expectations. I do not find the acting of Max and Tul, the two lead male characters, to be convincing. If I have to pick, I think Tul as Dr. Bun did a better job than Max as Tan. The drama likes to have close-up shots of the actors' faces for viewers to focus on their facial expressions. Unfortunately, the camera stays with the actors for a little too long (5-10 seconds, maybe) and their inability to convey emotions is more observable and makes me feel uncomfortable. At times, the music accompanied these close up shots made feel like I'm watching an American daytime soap opera. Of the cast members, I would say the actress, Meiko, who played Jane, is the best of the bunch, followed by maybe Great, who played Inspector M.

The chemistry of the two leads was pretty good in the first half of the drama, before they officially got together.. But when the second half focuses more on the crime investigation, the chemistry took a dip. The transition from crime investigation to the leads being flirty with each other appears out-of-place with a very sudden tone change. There aren’t enough sweet or sexy moments to satisfy the romance-at-heart, and the longing and tension from the first half of the drama are gone.

I like the general plot of the drama, a medical doctor who wants to uncover the truth of his friend’s murder. But I don’t think the execution is quite there. Our leads seem to have 9 lives, as they get hurt all the time, recover quickly, but they never die. There is a mix of predictable and unpredictable plot twists. I don’t know much about Thailand’s forensic/medical work, so I don’t want to say they are wrong. However, it does seem somewhat minimal and easy when Dr. Bun does his autopsy work. Overall, this is neither a great thriller, nor a great romance drama. It’s just OK.

Other Observations:
1. Inspector M’s uniform is really tight, showing his fabulous body. He’s the hottest guy in the drama.
2. The actress who played Jane is really pretty, both in casual wear and when she’s all dolled out.
3. Bad CPR alert!
4. Seems like a low-budget production.
5. do enjoy scenes of the small town.
6. Music is not bad. I like the theme song.

Leia Mais

So Close!

I appreciate the attempt at adding suspense, drama and thriller elements into this because it feels more like a show and not just a BL. However, the writing in this was not it for the most part lol. Especially with the medical part of it. That's so inaccurate and from what I understand the author of the book is a medical professional? So why not consult with them on the accuracy? Or hire someone from a medical field to come onto set and help? Total missed opportunity. The chemistry between the leads is top tier but what else is new with MaxTul. The mystery actually didn't have me fully grasped at first but they kept adding more and more to keep it interesting enough. It got hella confusing sometimes with the names and lack of character screen time to attach those names to people, but overall it wrapped up alright. With more care added into the accuracy and more time to really flesh out some of the characters, this could've been up there on my list! It didn't get there, but I would say watch it if you want something different and Max & Tul always are fun to watch.

Leia Mais

Excellent intertwining of mystery and romance

In case anyone is wondering, the reason this series has an 18+ warning has (probably) got nothing to do with the BL elements but everything to do with the crimes depicted, which are pretty dark and involve sexual exploitation, including the exploitation of underage people.

I believe there are many BL fans who are drawn to the series because of the promise of BL. Personally, I was somewhat unsure about it (as someone who watches a lot of BL) because the the crime/thriller story in the synopsis doesn't seem to cohere well with the BL genre, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how nicely the main characters' romance is woven into the story involving some rather heinous crimes.

We can perhaps see this series as a thriller with romance in it, like many series that focus on straight relationships instead of a gay relationship. This story happens to feature a gay romance, but perhaps the "BL" label shouldn't be used here. I personally think that not every story with a gay romance in the main plot is BL, which is a genre that has certain quirks. If you are looking for a series that is largely focused on the love between them like many other purely BL series, you are better off watching something else. Nevertheless,, this series has a prominent romance narrative thread that is nicely intertwined with the narrative involving various murders.

The relationship between Tan and Bun (played by Max and Tul) is beautifully developed. The mutual attraction between them from the start is nicely portrayed, with Bun barely able to conceal his disappointment when he thinks that Tan is his female friend's boyfriend. Yet, despite his attraction to Tan, Bun is unable to trust him unreservedly at first because of how Tan is possibly involved in the crimes. Bun's complex emotions towards Tan as the mystery starts to unfold make their relationship interesting. The audience is also, for a while, left guessing what sort of person Tan is. Is the attraction purely sexual? Is it deception? Or is there genuine love on both sides?

Even without the romance narrative thread, the series is already pretty solid as a thriller, with the mystery being unraveled at a nice pace with some twists. A couple of twists are somewhat predictable but they don't weaken the story. One may be incredulous that, in an age of easy digital reproduction and dissemination, people can still think trying to getting back the original digital video of their incriminating acts. However, the flaws of the series are fairly minor. The story is well paced and nothing seems too rushed or draggy.

The strength of the series as a thriller makes the choice of featuring a gay romance commendable. After all, the story can very already do very well on its own with bromance or straight romance. In fact, there is a risk in featuring a gay relationship. It can either be a hit (since BL has a lot of fans) or a miss (since audiences beyond the BL fan base may not like the gay romance plot). The series does target and pander to BL fans, but not in a childish way. There is a kiss between Tan and Bun in the first episode (and even at least one possible side BL couple for us to ship), but the elements made for BL fans are worked quite seamlessly into the story. The final episode also has one of the tenderest gay romance moments I have seen in BLs in the past year or so.

I'm not sure how popular the series is currently, but I wish it will prove to be commercially successful. This will be a good impetus for a higher visibility of gay characters in mainstream productions.

Leia Mais

A Bit Disappointed

Ah, when I saw the trailer for the drama, I was super excited to get started because so many have dubbed it as a 'serious' drama that is the best out there in terms of Thai Dramas.

However, I was a bit disappointed with things. - It was a good drama, but I was far from impressed.

The plot was amazing, very interesting and very intriguing. However, they were full of holes that even the blind could see. And that was why I was so disappointed because for once I found a Thai drama that wasn't so bad in terms of the casts' acting and voila, I was presented with many hard-to-dismiss plotholes.




[[[[[ SPOILER TIME, AVOID READING PASS THIS SENTENCE IF YOU HATE SPOILERS ]]]]]

Here's the plotholes that I couldn't digest blindly:

1. When Jane's body was found, Tan was said to be her boyfriend when he was not. He found her body and they simply assumed that he was her boyfriend. (Seriously?! I don't how the police do their job in Thailand, but they sure wouldn't have just 'assumed' instead of investigating right?)

2. When it was revealed that Jane was actually killed and didn't actually commit a suicide, we were never presented with the events where people close to her were investigated. (Seriously?! I thought the first course of action would be to question people?!)

3. When Bun was attacked by an unknown guy at his home, his first thought was to go stay with the most suspicious guy within his reach simply because he helped fend off the attacker. (Seriously?! No suspicion, simply letting yourself enter an unknown territory when you haven't even figured out what's happening. For God sake, the guy even owned a gun at home!)

4. Rung and Jane. Rung said that she loved her sister but she sacrificed her for the sake of her business, saying that she had had to do it as well before this so Jane should do it as well for the same reason. And Jane agreed. And why, even for the sake of the said business, Rung was willing to kill her own sister. (I have nothing to say about this, that is just too fucked up, beyond saving.)

5. The falling at the cliff? (or was it into a river?) event? The police conducted a search and couldn't find both Tan and Bun when they were just there at the bank. (Unrealistic level: Out of The World)

AND THERE WERE SO MANY OTHER SCENES AND EVENTS THAT I COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO NOTE DOWN. AS WELL.

Leia Mais

More of this type of BL drama please!!!

My review is a personal opinion on this drama. It is not in any way shape or form meant to sway you into either watching it or avoiding it. Please make your own personal choice on whether to watch something or not. We are all individuals and have our own likes or dislikes.

I give this drama an 8.9 (thogh MDL only lets me pick wither 8.5 or 9.0...so I went for 9.0) (reason is as follows)...I got to say that Max and Tul did a better job here than in their previous works. I never really liked their other dramas. Anyways, they have improved immmensely, specially Max...that stare alone...gosh he does something to me, which is really interesting because I never cared for him before.

The story is pretty basic and formulaic, which isn't a bad thing at all if done properly. I loved the way it was told and though there was some plotholes here and there, it was enjoyable to watch. Can't denied that all of the actors had great chemistry with each other, not just Max-Tul.

My reason for the raiting is that most of the criminal justice proceedures were so badly done at times. GOSH...there was some things that made me shake my head...but again I'm sure this had more to do with the area the drama was located and the way that local police work, but it was just like...Come on Man, that's not how police proceedure works (even if you are in a different country, basic police investigative techniques are pretty much universal...)

Like no one bothered to do "latent searches" ??? on the rope, on the doors or even at Pued and the reporter's houses?

or having poor victim at the District Attorney's office to confront him about what he did to her and other young girls? No one would put a victim in the same vacinity as her abuser unless they were at trial and if she chose to take the stand...I was like...OMG that's traumatizing for her to be in front of someone so powerful who did so much to her and others. But again, this is a drama so I have to just take a step back and let it play out LOL.

It's obvious that the source material is going to lack a lot of the criminal justice perspective because the writer according to many comes from a medical background and not a police/dectective one, so I can forgive them for it.

I also didn't like that they didn't really wrap up the prostitution/trafficking/abortion arc of the story. I thought addressing this head on would have been a great opportunity to highlight the real problems that are happening not just there but in the world.

Lets talk about the CHEESY ending...sorry LOL...I'm just not a romantic person so the cheesiness was overkilled for me...from the surprise engagement to the cliff scene...BUTTTTTT, it was really fitting for them. So despite my dislike for it, I thought it worked for the story.

I do hope there is a special episode to see more of Aem/Oat and Sarawit and the other kid. I thought they were very cute.

Conclusion? I say watch it if you like mystery/crime dramas with a touch of BL. This was pretty decent and I can see myself watching it again. Minus the cheesy stuff... ^_^

Leia Mais

Incredible mash of thriller and bl!!

Honestly, I have no idea where to start with this show. The entire series is wrapped around ONE murder case and the events that follow around the main character. If you love watching thrillers, murder solving, and adventure, this bl will 100% be your favourite. I enjoyed watching this show and had a good time. I would recommend this show to anyone that likes this genre. There is a lack of dark-themed Thai bl, and this story was incredible. Everything in this show followed a perfect order, and everything made sense. Nothing was out of place. This show is so underrated. The relationship between the characters was SO maturely developed that it was shocking to watch. I did end up watching this show after "Not me" because I thought it was something similar of that sort. No, this was very different. A lot of people will enjoy this show. 100% MUST WATCH!!!!

Leia Mais

A Dry, Tone Deaf & Disrespectful attempt at Mystery/Thriller with BL mixed in

First of all, Jane is the MVP of this show and she is the REAL main character in this story.

The fact that the main character was sitting on a goldmine - a cornucopia of evidence, you can say - and didn't know about it, until the very. Last. Episode.
Infuriating.
This drama was more amusing to watch then it's original purpose of being dramatic/well written/properly portrayed or respectfully represented. Either will do.
The overhead shots of the town (city? village? countryside? no idea! there's only two police officers in that whole police station! *shrugs*) showing the misty forest mountains is the prettiest this drama will get.
The women carried this drama (specifically Jane and Rung - mostly Jane). Even if Jane was a like the other females in this drama - victims of plot devices - Jane's secret sleuthing solved everything. All she needed was for someone to expose the truth to the public with the evidence she painstakingly collected!
But no.
Those who want to help her in her just cause, spends majority of the drama asking the wrong questions and turning their backs on the wrong people. Again.
(Seriously! The trope of being 'stabbed in the back' was overkill and annoying. Too many people in this drama were caught by surprise by someone sneaking up on them. It's old, stop it!)
Nam had the most character development out of everyone surrounding her and she spends most of her screen time on drugs. The acting is questionable and the scene of Jane's death was the best scene with the best amount of talent. The music was appropriate for once in that scene but anytime else... I just watched some moments on mute.

The couple....
I think I had an issue of liking this relationship because of Tan's gaslighting and deceitful habits towards Bun and Bun's general habit of saying one thing about who is he, and then acting in a contradicting way.
He's not a likeable person (to me at least) and he's quick to anger and relies on pettiness so much that it's not helpful at all to the mystery of his supposed-friend's death.
Both lovers need to work on their communication and conversation skills because following along in their 'flirtatious banter', made me pick up my phone to play a game until more of Jane's story was on screen. (Poor Jane, for being surrounded by average brain, spineless criminals.) Inspector M and Sorn were the only redeemable male characters in this drama.
I'm of course bias, so take my review for a grain of salt but the show was tone deaf and disrespectful about such a heavy topics like the sex trade/underage sex/r*pe/prostitiution and human trafficking that endangers soooooo many people (men too) and the drama brings it up in between 'the honeymoon phase' for the main couple: causally and irreverent. Same for the medical and professional practice of Forensics, Physicians/Surgeons and the Police.
Yes, the law is corruptible but before the show so obviously told us law enforcement wasn't to be trusted, the breach of confidentiality and conduct was repeated too many times to be intentional.
The drama had a small budget probably, but it doesn't excuse the production quality and lack of character depth in the show.
The BL exists, I'll admit that but this show could have been better if the mystery/thriller aspect was separate from the BL love story. In this particular instance, the two genres I was so looking forward to, did not mesh together well.

I felt like I brought my scuba, deep sea, diving gear to a kiddie pool at five-years old birthday party. Not impressed.

Leia Mais

not your cliché bl series

before watching this i had no idea who maxtul were, even though i was a part of the bl community for quite some time. man their chemistry is NO JOKE. it all felt so genuine, not a single scene where it felt like they were acting. i am a hardcore maxtul fan now!

coming to the series, I LOVE IT period
i really wanted them to make a bl which is not based on the clichéd university romcom, but one with a serious plot. honestly, i have NO complaints for this series. ZERO. ITS ALL SO PERFECT. That and Sorawit were the cutest out there, i couldn't handle how fluffy their couple was aghhhh. sorawit was an adorable little baby. i am not going to write about the other charaters here because i dont want to add the 'spoilers' tag

in conclusion, JUST WATCH THIS DRAMA TRUST ME YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT

Leia Mais

ENJOYED THE PLOT!!!

I have realised for some time now that Max is very adaptable and will always perform very well [especially under a director who knows what they are doing] and he did not disappointed in MOD. He stole the show. Period! Episode after episode.

I'm happy he and Tul got the opportunity to do a serious drama that addresses serious matters. I can honestly say, for myself and others alike, Manner of Death is a fresh offering in a BL. The plot was so good! While it gave fan service… it does not dwell on it, which doesn’t seem to please many people who were clearly hoping each episode would contain R-rated stuff. Too bad! Too sad! There lost!

ENDING: The way Tan expresses his love for Bun... literally the purest, most sincere declaration of love I have seen in BL ❤❤❤


Salute to MAX and TUL ✌✌

Leia Mais