Causa da Morte (2020)

Most Action-Packed BL Ever

Manner of Death was such an adventure to get through. I felt like one minute I knew where the story was going, and then the next, I had no clue. This kept me on the edge of my seat throughout my binge-watch, I legit stayed up till 4 in the morning cause each episode would leave off on a cliffhanger, and I just felt like I had to keep going. Manner of Death is definitely one to remember for its crazy adventures and deep-rooted plot.

Let's Dive In.

I want to start off by talking about the plot. When we look back at other BL plots, they're usually not very deep or complicated, but in this series, I felt like each moment was mapped out perfectly. From the first episode to the last, everything fit like a glove. The only thing I had a hard time with was keeping up with the many characters they had, and how each of them impacted the plot. These big revelations would happen, and I would completely be lost because I wasn't sure who they were talking about. Towards the end though, I was able to remember names with faces. Another thing was that they kind of dragged on at times in the first few episodes, so I had to force myself to watch, but I was hooked by about episode 7 or 8. I think that the plot was my favorite part of the series. Very well done.

Let's move onto the actors/characters. While I do love Tul and Max together, I will say that I wasn't really pining for them to get together in this. I don't know if it was because they only got so much time with each other outside of the very hectic plot, but most of the time, their moments felt forced. Their intimate moments were good, don't get me wrong on that (epically the handcuffing on the stairwell, idk why but I loved that so much), but everything felt either rushed or without explanation; why did they like each other? The proposal during the last episode was good, except why did Tan ask Bun to marry him when they hadn't even been dating? It felt off and not usual, but the proposal itself was clever and sweet. Let's move on to the somewhat side couple That and Sorawit (It took me a moment to realize his name was That lol) I liked how sentimental and caring Sorawit was towards Nam and That. He served as kind of everyone's helper and kept getting himself into messes that he had no business getting into. The same goes for That. While I liked that he was kind of tough and was there to also help, they were just kids and kept getting themselves in mixed-up situations. While there was no confirmation of this couple ever, they were teased throughout the series and at certain points they were cute, but most of the time they just felt like close friends. Moving onto the third(?) pairing, Dr. Oat, and Inspector M. I really liked Inspector, at first I was so sure that he was going to end up being the bad guy, but I was way off. The actor Great is overly attractive which made me pine for him to be with literally anyone, guy or girl, and they teased that a bit at the very last episode with Dr. Oat, but it was obviously way too late. I'm pretty sure Dr. Oat had a crush on Bun, but it was never said so we'll never know. Both those characters were perfect for this story, and maybe we can get a spin-off with them (????).

Let's move onto the darker parts of this series. While there was an 18+ warning at the beginning of each episode, I still felt like there should've been something else to warn of how gruesome this series was going to be. I'm not a person that gets triggered by stuff, but some of these scenes were hard to sit through. Watching Jane get hung twice was not easy at all, I couldn't even watch the second one. I definitely think there needs to be multiple warnings.

I really liked how this show focused on human trafficking, something that happens all around the world but is not nearly talked about enough. Most of the time it is with people in high places, so seeing the captain, judge, commander, and whoever else all in high place running this human trafficking ring wasn't surprising (sadly). These revelations were incredible though, and I loved the way I was shook after each person was announced to be part of this ring.


Overall, Manner of Death was a fantastic watch, and I highly recommend this. All of the actors put on an amazing performance, but I want to really give Mint and Meiko an extra pat on the back. These women put on a beautiful performance and I really hope to see them in future series. The OST also went perfectly with this drama, and at times really did have me spooked out. This is for sure something people should watch (warning if you're sensitive to gruesome scenes and heavy topics though).

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

Un petit BL qui change du contexte habituel =)

« Manner of Death » est un drama qui a beaucoup fait parlé de lui dans le monde du BL. Pourquoi ? Sans doute car nous quittons les bancs de l’école et vivons une histoire plus mature mais également car la romance n’est pas le centre de ce drama puisque l’enquête ainsi que la corruption (bon j’avoue les deux sont liés x’D !) font partie intégrante de l’histoire.

Courte introduction à ce drama : « Manner of Death » prend place dans une petite ville où tout le monde se connait. Cependant, les secrets sont légions et compromettent l’équilibre instauré… (Oui, nous sommes d’accord, l’équilibre de cette ville est des plus malsain ^^’)
Nous commençons l’histoire sur l’arrivée de Bun dans cette ville qu’il a quittée plusieurs années avant. Le voilà devenu légiste et avec un cadavre sur les bras dés sont arrivées ! (Les réjouissances commencent =D) Lors d’une soirée, il rencontre Tan qui prendra beaucoup de place dans sa vie et dans l’enquête.

Alors dans le fond, que dire sur ce drama ?
• Un intrigue bien menée avec le suspense maintenu tout du long. (Je n’avais pas vu venir la tournure des évènements ^^)
• Nous nous retrouvons encore dans une ville corrompue où les puissants ont les pleins pouvoirs… (Situation récurrente dans les drama, donc rien de bien innovant…)
• La relation amoureuse entre Bun & Tan est à mon sens assez malsaine au début… Pourquoi ? Car ils commencent sur des bases de méfiance… Et ils continuent à s’enfoncer dans des semi-vérités. Cependant, au fur & à mesure que l’histoire avance, ils se découvrent réellement et peuvent donc avoir une relation plus saine… (D’ailleurs, je dois avouer ne pas comprendre comment on peut commencer une relation en se méfiant de la personne avec qui on vit…)
Cette relation est parfois tendue, douce mais également gag… (Je m’explique ! Bun a souvent des réactions des plus « timorées » qui ne collent pas vraiment au contexte ^^)

Je me dois tout de même de relever un point qui m’a dérangé tout le long de mon visionnage… Comment est-ce possible de faire des scènes d’autopsies aussi mauvaise ? =O Et depuis quand un légiste est également médecin généraliste et chirurgien ? Je pense qu’ils n’ont pas pris en compte le nombre d’années pour chaque spécialisation x’D !

Pour finir mon avis, je parlerai du fait que ce drama m’a parfois fait penser au drama coréen « The Village : Achiara’s Secret » de par l’ambiance du « village » où tout le monde se connait… Et la présence d’innombrables secrets qui pourraient remettre en cause le statut de chacun.

Leia Mais

A Good Change of Pace

It's really nice to see another crime series with a gay couple, or couples, as part of the story.
There is a great sense of flow throughout, that leaves you room for thought after each episode over who's the culprit, who's involved, who's innocent, etc. This is a type of series that focuses on the journey rather than the destination. The ending does make it all worth it for sure, but I found myself enjoying episode after episode, and that's a rarity.
Of course, acting gets a high rating - all of the actors and actresses do a tremendous job at portraying their character. The story has great twists and turns woven in that keep you on the edge of your seat.
It's a very deep and dark story that exposes a lot of underground secrets. Once again, the execution is well done. Only minor hiccups throughout.
There's a nice amount of suspense, sprinkled in with some spice, and a dash of sweetness. A real treat to watch.

Leia Mais

It is bad, very, very, bad

I wasn't going to watch this drama but silly me decided to listen to the reviews which somehow are mostly positive. I am 11 episodes in and each episode just gets worse and worse, it is so unrealistic, full of plot holes and very badly written.
Most of the reviews said they were happy that the story had moved away from the university setting and that the writers were trying something new and exciting, this would be true if the writers knew anything about crime, doctors, police, coroners and autopsies.
This drama seems to have been written by a child after watching a few episodes of Scooby Doo and thought that a BL murder mystery would be a good idea.

Leia Mais

Could've been executed A LOT better.

I was really excited for this series because of MaxTul and it having a different plot from most other Thai Bl dramas, but by the end I was dreading having to put in the energy to watch it.

PROS: Max(Tan), the cool IDEA for the general plot, scenery, and the story didn't make them being gay a central part of the plot.

SPOILERS BELOW???
CONS: Dr. Bun was extremely annoying. Poor execution of plot. Severe lack of communication. Main characters making glaringly dumb decisions just to further the plot. Dr. Bun and Tan being a doctor and a teacher, respectively, but not having the brains to realize an obvious clue that would have saved them a weeks worth of struggle and made the last episode or two unnecessary. Unnecessary flirting during high stress situations (i.e. trying to decide whether or not to reveal evidence, but also finding the time to make suggestive comments). The school not paying enough attention to what's going on with their students. And again, just a whole bunch of idiotic decisions or lack of decisions by multiple characters just to further the plot. And again, Dr. Bun and his attitude.

Leia Mais

Suspense, romance, love ... Amazing drama

I just don't know how to explain how much I enjoyed everything about this drama.

All 10/10. This is the best Max and Tul drama ever, maybe because of the fact that it's not high school based, maybe it's the mature Max and Tul, I don't know but I was glued till the end.

The suspense, the surprises, the great acting, the chemistry, the love, romance and great story line. Everything aligned, there was direction, every story line was covered and towards the end we saw the beginning of Inspector M and Dr. Oat's story. Awww....I'm smitten. Did I say how much I loved these two kids - That & Sorawit ...

Enough said, please watch it. I have, for the 3rd time, I need a break now. I'll be back ... <3

Leia Mais

WATCH IT NOWWWW !!!!!!

This is going to be so biased, because it is tailored to me so hard. It involves a murder mystery AND a gay romance plot line. One MaxTul the original kings of bl play our main leads, and finally they were given a decent storyline to perform. And that they did. They always go all the way in and have no qualms with pushing the limits when doing romance. But their skills have also improved so much and they were both able to put on an amazing performance. ALL of the casts were amazing, mature, and super talented.

What I enjoy about this series a lot is that I enjoy the non-romantic plot MORE than I enjoy the romance plot line. I love that TanBun's relationship while amazing, and I am completely in love with, was not my favorite part. The murder mystery was extremely well thought out and showed that this was not just another series trying to cash in views from lgbtq+ community and fetishizing straight girls.

Visually the series is also EXTREMELY stunning. All the shots are so so so so so beautiful. IDK I'M SO BIASED BUT PLEASE GIVE IT A SHOT

Leia Mais

Holy shit this was so fucking good

What can I say about it (actually I have a lot to say)? It was a masterpiece! From the incredible acting and electrifying chemistry to the intricate and intriguing plot. I started it with the intent to finish it in about 3 weeks. Instead, I completed it in 3 days. That should tell you all you need to know.

The narrative flowed well and the plot twists weren't just surprising, they also made sense in hindsight.

The first episode drops you right into the story and then proceeds to backtrack to the events leading up to the murder. And the chemistry between the ML's was already present as well. There were these wonderful intrigued stares they gave each other which created a solid connection and tension between them before they even really got to know one another.

I can't believe I waited this long to watch it! It was thrilling, shocking, horrifying, real, intense, sweet, and addictive. It reminded me a bit of Criminal Minds with it not shying away from dark topics and some gore but keeping some light-heartedness in it as well.

I especially loved how it wasn't solely a romance drama. The romance played a big role, yes, but it wasn't the main focus or the point of the plot itself. That's the kind of progress I want to see. See people, you can have a great drama with a great plot while ALSO having an LGBT+ romance in it. You can. So, make more of these please!

Us non-straight people like a cool plot that isn't just about falling in love too!

Side Note: Much as I like to see coming out scenes in dramas, provided they are done well and respectfully, I want to see more dramas where no coming out scene is even necessary. That was yet another thing I loved about this.

And also, the aspect of "I'm falling in love with another man, oh no!" wasn't a thing. And both Tan and Bun weren't mocked, ridiculed, bullied, or put down for being in love. Nor did they or their friends make "wife" jokes or anything of the sort. That was incredibly refreshing! It was treated as a legitimate and normal relationship like others.

This drama is a 10/10 in its blood. God, I hope we get more like this! Thanks to HIStory 3: Trapped for paving the way for this wonderful drama! Golden Blood couldn't do it, but (if we ever get it) KinnPorsche looks incredibly promising.

Leia Mais

Romantic suspense + cozy mystery + enemies to lovers + forced proximity

I thought Max & Tul did a great job at a difficult task which was to make gay romantic suspense palatable to a wider audience. Romantic suspense is already difficult to adapt to film, and then to add a queer? It was a fun if convoluted story and Max & Tul turned in a killer performances in all ways from smooches to bad ass-itude to badass smooches.

Was it ultimately successful?
That depends on your definition of success. I wanted it to open up Thai BL actor pairs to a broader market share in terms of story. I think it failed in this regard.

Was it a good show?
Sometimes, especially when Max & Tul were on the screen together.

Will it change the tide of Thai BL?
No, actually, I don’t think it will.

Still it is really enjoyable if you like gay romance more that suspense mafia thrillers. Like HIStory 3: Trapped it is more successful at the first than it is at the second.

Leia Mais

Good direction for the BL genre but...

I was very much looking forward to this drama as it attempts to take the BL genre into the suspense/mystery genre. However, unfortunately, this series did not live up to (my) expectations. The series did have an interesting beginning, with the introduction of our main characters and the mystery behind the murder of Ms.Jane.
As a BL, the romance elements in this series are just okay. It's not too much where it would overtake the mystery/thriller side of the series, which is great. However, I wish the relationship between our main couple would have been fleshed out a bit more.; there were some awkward moments.

The Mystery/action part.... is underwhelming. The Police force and forensics team in this series are as useful as the stormtroopers in star wars; no help whatsoever...our main characters are made out to essentially solve the entire case on their own. The plot in the second half of this series is just FILLED with plotholes! Each episode had at least 3+ moments where I'd question, "why is this happening?", "why is this character here?", "how did they get there?", "how did they know about this?" etc, etc. The motives behind our antagonist are not well explained either.
Also, the medical aspect is very poorly adaptive in inaccurate.

Overall, this series missed the mark which is upsetting to say. However, I hope this will encourage the BL to continue to venture into the thriller genre!

Leia Mais

Manner of greatness dragged down by... Something

This is the story of the gorgeous doctor/medical examiner who stumbled on to the lips of an even more gorgeous stranger when he was drunk. After that a whole bunch pf people kept dyeing unfair deaths, girls kept disappearing and both powerful and less powerful people kept wanting to pin this on the doctor and the stranger... and kill them while they were at it... taking us on a journey with more or less predictable twists.. beautiful fight scenes and a lot of gorgeous greens and scenery...

The two men who stumbled on to each others lips, do of course fall in love/lust/suspicion,.. The stranger has this lovely playfulness to him and boy knows both how to flirt and kiss.. as in not a dead fish kiss in sight... giving us som top notch romance... leaving me wanting more of that..

There are som fun friendships, interesting betrayals not many annoying elements... Some corruption, men that hate women, woman's issues.. all stuff I love to watch.. So I should probably have rated this higher BUT... Something was missing, I honestly do not know what it was but I was not captivated and on my toes even though the plot should have kept me there... That special "it" that makes me curious about what will happen next was just not there.

So with all the pluses, and trust me there are a lot of plusses in this drama.... I still could not rate it higher than an 8.

Also the stranger has a lot of great lines and is extreamly gifworthy...

Leia Mais