Escritor Adorável (2021)

Insightful and Entertaining!

(There will be very minor spoilers that are unrelated to the plot)

Where do I start with this show... I feel like I liked it more than I should.

It wasn't anything special nor did it have great aesthetics or music. It is your normal Thai BL.... so what makes this show worth watching?

It was everything together blending almost perfectly that made this show enjoyable for me. It started off cliche, one of the lead's acting was amazing while the other's was a bit off, both were eye candy and the plot didn't seem all that great. But as the story progressed, one can clearly see where it is heading.

Though it was nothing too deep, the plot had a very significant meaning that exposed the toxicity a fandom can hold. It was a healthy diss to the BL community as a whole and I loved the way the script of these arcs was written! Gene's acting was top-notch, changing from an introverted writer who was in a slump to an introverted writer who fell in love. The humor was where we needed it and there was no extra drama or over-dramatic characters (except for one... *sigh* that character had so much potential). It had enough of everything.

But the most important aspect of the drama that I must talk about, and I am sure every review out there is pointing it out, is the healthiness of the relationship between NubSib and Gene. NubSib is your typical 'dog gong'. He caters to Gene's every need and it's not limited to only when he's pursuing him, but also emotionally accommodates him and actually speaks to him about everything. Gene is also portrayed to be very mature and I love how non-toxic and healthy their relationship is, not only compared to its BL drama counterparts but all dramas as a whole.

One major issue I had throughout the show was the music and sound effects.... what did they make it so dramatic for? The music was beautiful, but the editing of it and the sound effects into the drama were overdone and could have been toned down a bit. There were also quite a few plot holes that were not addressed or filled even in the last episode and though it's not disrupting the main story, it is irresponsible of the scriptwriter to not take care of them. I love most of the side characters and their stories, but almost all the side characters either didn't get enough screen time or lacked some charm or depth.

This drama had a LOT of setbacks. It could have been MUCH MUCH better. But I am willing to overlook all of that because of how much I enjoyed watching it despite the problems. And the fluff in this drama is super cute :')

If you are someone looking for entertainment, this show will provide you with a lot of that and more.

Leia Mais

Golden cast, golden message

Side note: this kinda gave me Romance is a Bonus Book vibes with its focus on writing/publishing. This was definitely better though.

I love the subtle messages that this drama infuses in the cute romantic plot line. I feel like they were trying to highlight so many issues, from hypersexualization of lgbtq+ relationships within the lit/entertainment world to generational trauma tied to homophobia.

I'm not gonna lie, when I first started to watch this I thought it would be just another overused trope. I couldn't understand why certain characters already seemed to have feelings for one another and I thought things were moving way too fast to follow. Without spoiling, I'm just gonna say this... EVERY THING WILL MAKE SENSE EVENTUALLY. Stick around til the end! I promise it is so worth it.

What drew me to Lovely Writer was Kao from UWMA (the BEST bl if I do say so myself). His acting here is so enchanting and convincing, I genuinely felt like Nubsib was INFATUATED with Gene. It's the little things like the way he would look at him and how he would act when he missed him. I actually felt jealous!

Anyway, watch Lovely Writer.

Leia Mais

I’m giving it 8.5 stars even though I actually want to give it 1 star

„Lovely Writer” was a consistenty great show throughout the first 10 episodes. The 11th episode had some serious pacing issues and the 12th episode felt like a delusion in itself but on that later.


The Positives:

Let’s start by saying how this show touches upon some serious issues that involve the
BL industry. It is pretty self-aware in that aspect and I love it. For example that overly feminine gay actors apparently aren’t selling but also how they could profit from inclusion and progressiveness by casting less feminine gay actors from time to time.

Then there are some other issues that the show discusses, like people’s entitlement to your personal life and sexuality.
The scene where Gene has dinner with his friends and how they expected him to be gay simply bc he writes BL novels and even tried to pressure him into a coming out, regardless of him being comfortable with it or not. The friends even tried to come off as supportive, kind of, but ended up being incredibly insulting instead. One girl even thought that by shipping Gene, it would somehow make her supportive of him. This was incredibly uncomfortable to watch bc there are in fact people who think that shipping two (gay) people together somehow equals acceptence and support.

My absolutely favourite scene though was probably Gene and Sibs dinner with their parents, when they finally decided to open up about the romantic nature of their relationship. This one was even more uncomfortable to watch. Not just bc of the parents’ take on homosexual relationships but also their take on the whole of BL-genre.
When the topic of BL came up, the parents seemed to get pretty awkward and uncomfortable but they still tried to come off as kind of open-minded, but not really. They talked about BL as if it was a trend and wasn’t to be taken seriously. It’s something to laugh at and maybe it can be enjoyed at times but it’s nothing to be discussed at dinner in a respectful and serious manner. And while the parents seemed to be kind of open-minded about BL, the moment their sons tell them that they’re dating, their fake acceptance crumbles at lightening speed.
The whole scene depicts some very serious conflict but I’m glad it wasn’t turned into an overly melodramatic mess. Everything felt very realistic. I feel like this is the reality for many lgbtq people when they deal with their families.

Another point that I would like to applaud this series on is the way it portrayed how writers are pressured to write what the publishing house thinks the fans want. Their own wants and concerns seem to not matter at all. I never hated or even really disliked Bua and I think it’s bc she has such a quirky personality and she has to shoulder a lot of responsibilities too. I certainly understood where she was coming from by pressuring Gene to write NC scenes bc she thinks it’s the main selling point of BL, but it is just as important to understand where Gene was coming from.
NC scenes are, ultimately, not necessary for portraying a love story. They can be a great add-on if the story demands it but adding them simply for gratuitous reason can either be boring or even distract from the actual storyline and I think it’s great that Gene and Hin had a conversation about it.
The term Yaoi may have originally meant something like “porn without plot” but there is a reason why this term is nowdays mostly replaced by “BL”. Because BL evolved throughout the years as a genre and keeps evolving. It’s so much more than the simple term “yaoi” describes. I personally really dislike this stigma attached to BL, that it’s mostly smut and that the main selling point of BL dramas should be hot guys. I’m not saying that there isn’t any truth to it but there definitely is a stigma.

All in all I liked the non-preachy tone of how the show drew attention to these issues. Everything felt natural and not forced. I didn’t feel like the story tried to condescendingly push the issues into my face. It didn’t feel like the show put itself on a high moral ground and thought itself to better than BLs or other BLs. It actually made me care about the issues more. I loved that instead of actively bashing the industry and fans it simply served as a mirror to the fans and the people in the industry. I hope that these issue will become less and less prevalent over the next years. The change might be slow but I’m happy as long as it’s happening at all.


The Romance:

It was ok. It was cute but nothing special. While at some points the romance certainly broke away from stereotypical tropes or even subverted them in a way, it stayed staunchingly loyal to others. I liked the scene when Gene was drunk and wanted to kiss Sib but Sib prevented him from doing so. Their communication was usually pretty open and mature too, something that is usually a rare find in BL. But then again, while Gene seemed to be portrayed as an actual human being with some depth, Sib felt like a cardboard cut-out. He was the typical BL “top” (I don’t like using this word to describe characters but I feel like it’s the best way to describe him here).
His whole motivation for everything was Gene. He was there not to be his own character but to be perfect and capable and to basically fawn over Gene. He had no real depth and it’s disappointing. At least Gene behaved like a human being and speaking of Gene, Up did a wonderful job of portraying him. His acting was consistenty good and even phenomenal at times. Can’t really say much about Kao bc Sib wasn’t a well written character but I guess he did a decent job with what he had.


Aoey:

. The storyline did him so dirty. I know that some people as well as the characters in the show love to treat him as a villain simply bc he initiated some conflicts for Sib and Gene but he honestly wasn’t a villain. He was a very real, very flawed character. He actually felt more human than any other characters in this show.
While he unquestionably did some very assholish things, he was nowhere near irredeemable. He wasn’t a cookie-cutter villain, he had a personality, backstory, depths and a lot of unfortunate happenings as well as a difficult family. If I were to call someone a villain it’d be his sister. He had a motive for what he did and he was on a self-destructive journey. Does this excuse his behavior? No. But the circumstances of a person shouldn’t be overlooked either. He’s 20 years old, he’s a lost kid, he needed someone to help him getting out of his toxic mindset and the only person who seemed to be genuinely willing to do that was Mork.
We only ever got minimal scraps of their storyline so we don’t exactly know what happened between them but we know that Aoey has some very deep-seated resentment towards Mork while Mork has some deep, romantic feelings for Aoey. For that reason it’s understandable that Aoey wouldn’t want any help from Mork. Aoey circumstances are very tragic. I could never bring myself to hate or even dislike him. I mostly felt sorry for him and wished for him to be happy or least to stop being so self-destructive. It’s like he knew what he was doing but couldn’t stop.
Anyway, the Aoey/Mork dynamic is very interesting and I would love to see it unfold more. Maybe we’ll get lucky and get a second season with them as the main leads, fingers crossed.
Bruce is a great actor btw! He did this wonderfully complicated character so much justice.

Tum and Tiffy:

I was never invested in their romance and it’s not bc they’re a heterosexual couple. I warmed up to Tum pretty fast but liking Tiffy was...difficult. At first she seemed ok even though I disliked her simply for assuming that Tum was gay for no reason at all. They were a heterosexual couple who were supposed to break the hetero- stereotypes and in a way they did, but why did they make Tiffy be so adamant about perceiving Tum as gay even though he openly told her many times that he wasn’t? And what was the deal with the ridiculous rapping-shtick? Tum rapped about not being gay and suddenly she believed him? Even though she didn’t believe him before but rapping it somehow did it for her? I don’t get it.
And what about her awful treatment of Aoey? At first she seemed to care about him. They weren’t super close but at least she seemed to genuinely care about his well-being but then drops him right before an interview? Not even telling him why? She said he supposedly knew why but that’s just cheap and awful. She should’ve at least talked to him. And she’s supposed to be older and a professional at that? lol
In the end she was a very judgmental and selfish character. Ironically, I disliked her instead of Aoey.


The last two episodes:

Finally let’s talk about the last 2 episodes. There’s not really much to say about the 11th episode apart from how it disrupted the pacing of the story. For some reason the show decided to go full-on melodrama for this episode. It was strange bc nothing really warranted Sib and Genes break - up.
Yes, shit happened, they got exposed (kinda..they weren’t even intimate, just playing around in the sea) and were told to stay away from each other for a couple of months. They could’ve easily done that without needing to break up. They could’ve called and texted each-other, they could’ve even lived together (maybe get some delivery service if they’re not allowed to be seen together). Knowing how mature they usually were in dealing with other conflicts I was amazed at how childish and melodramatic this specific conflict needed to be.

The 12th episode was especially weird. The first half might seem ok (not a fan of time jumps) but the moment Sib appears in front of Gene it gets very strange, to say the least. First of all it’s kinda unexplained how and why he appeared in front of Gene and we also never really get to know what was going on with him throughout these 4 (or maybe 8) months. The only thing we know is that he apparently ended his contract and is free to do whatever he wants.

That’s not even my main issue here. The tone of the show kind of changes when he suddenly appears. The scenes feel unnecessarily long but also almost too “perfect”. Like I’m watching a fairytale. And then we get a scene when Gene complains that he doesn’t know how to finish the his novel and Sib tries to help him by whispering some ideas into Genes ear and we get a 4th wall break! Both of them suddenly interact with the camera. They’re looking directly at it and even touch it to symbolize the transition between the scenes.
Suddenly I felt like I was watching a special episodes of YYY. The humor suddenly didn’t fit the overall tone of the series. This show had never had any other 4th wall breaks and while “Lovely Writer” is undoubtedly a comedy it never had the same type of comedic style, like for example YYY. This change in tone felt incredibly jarring.
And what exactly were these ridiculous ending scenes even supposed to be? What was their purpose? They were long and unnecessary and the screen time could’ve been used so much better.

Now let’s get to the weirdest and most reciculous shtick they pulled in ep 12:
Sib and Gene are fictional characters.

Yes, the audience understands that “Lovely Writer” is a fictional story, Sib and Gene don’t exist in real life but...did they have to be fictional even in their own story? Why was the scene, where we see Rose writing about them, needed? It just left me baffled, lost and completely unsatisfied. This scene alone made me debate if I wanted to give this show 1 star, and one might think that’s too harsh but I humbly disagree!
This last scene put everything in a new context; Sib and Gene are fictional characters written by a BL author. While I respect and love what Rose has done with her story, I didn’t want her to be IN the story, at least not like that. It would’ve been fine if they showed someone being inspired by Sib and Gene to write their own novel but why did they have to show that it was Rose and that she simply imagined their story?
Ngl, I feel very cheated by this...twist. Especially bc nothing in the story even suggested any 4th wall breaks or anything else that would’ve shown that they were fictional characters.
I remember reading a comment on ytube which said that this show was so meta that the last scene adds a new level of metanarrative to it and that’s why it’s great. Well, I have to disagree.

Yes, the show is meta but it still has its own reality. It shouldn’t have been connected to our own reality bc again, what was the point? If the point was to remind us that this is not a real story then that’s moot bc we, as the audience, know that it’s a fictional story. If the point was to remind us in the midst of a fictional story that we’re watching a fictional story (with no forewarning) then they did a stellar job! And it’s the worst decision they could’ve made.
They did their best to show some very dark and very messed up things that are permeateing the entertainment industry (in this case BL specifically but I’m sure it can be applied to other fields) and they did it in a pretty serious manner. Suddenly being aware that all of it is fiction, creates an estranged feeling towards these issues. Almost as if they’re not real or at least not as important. Now, I understand that all of these issues are very serious and are based off of some real happenings. But you’re not making a documentary, you’re making a fictional love story.
And usually, when you want to make a fictional story, you’d want to make it be as immersive as possible.
You’d want your audience to believe that it’s real. At least while they’re watching it. And while “Lovely Writer” does portray some serious issues that are very common in the bl industry, they’re not excatly a secret. Maybe an open secret at most.

What the series did well (till the last episode) was that it made the audience connect and feel emphaty for people that are suffering from such issues through the lenses of Sib and Gene. As audience members we feel a connection to Sib and Gene. They’re like our friends or family. We want them to do well, to be happy. Sometimes when you know that similar things are happening to the actors and their loved ones, it’s not always easy to experience the same type of intense emphathy bc actors are often not even perceived as humans but a fans possessions. I think Lovely Writer did well in showing us what it would feel like if we or our loved ones suffered from the same issues many actors suffer from. So, making the whole show feel like it was a fictional story was a wrong move. It makes the emotional impact much less intense imo.

And if the writers, for some reason, wanted the audience to be aware that Sib and Gene are fictional characters even in their own story then they should’ve made it obvious early on bc using it as a twist is the weirdest, stupidest decision made. It actually makes it seem like the actual author of the novel (Rose) is the protagonist instead of Sib and Gene. They should’ve called the series “the BL author” like you know,...”the Shipper”?

Excuse me for the long review and thanks for staying with me throughout this rant

Leia Mais

A BL That Subverts Expectations

So I won't lie. The first episode of this series I was like... this is okay? However, by the fourth episode I knew this was a special show. Full of subverting expectations, really important lessons, such sweet moments it made my face hurt. A heavy emphasis on consent in this which we STAN. It's got a lot of really really amazing stuff in it. Though I think episodes 11 and 12 kind of took it down in rating for me. But we'll get into that more.

So lets start with how much I love the love scenesssss lol. There was so much skinship in this and passionate kissing that I lost track. Like the intro song says at the beginning "I wanna kiss you!"They weren't lying lol. I think also the director wanted to poke fun at other series lacking on that aspect in their shows? Or showing subpar kissing? That's what it felt like anyway. Kao as Nubsib was gorgeous and the best you can get in a man literally. He did such a good job playing the ideal role and yes I got sucked in. I've loved him since UWMA and I shall continue to love him in anything he does! Up as Gene was really good too. Though his character frustrated me later on, the acting was great. Gene is such a mess sometimes and awkward, Up did a really good show portraying that appropriately. Then put these 2 together and you have some of the most solid chemistry I've ever seen in LGBTQ content let alone BL content.

The story doesn't really start going until Nubsib actually moves in and they start "practicing' for material in Gene's book and Sib's acting role. That stuff was hilarious and a great gateway into exploration between them. That entire scene with Gene being drunk off his a** and Sib rescuing him from the bar was stellar. Not only in acting, but in representation of consent dude! So important to show that even if Gene appears to really want Nubsib in that moment, he cannot consent if he's that drunk ya'll and Sib knows that and respects it. I freaking loved that scene. Moving onto Sib and Gene having a history. I thought it was fine, though the child actors don't look the ages they are meant to portray. Which confused me, but it was well done. Gene didn't have to get so angry, but I get Nubsib was technically lying to him about stuff. However, trying to understand goes a longgggg way.

Fast Forward to them FINALLY getting together. Which was...lit lol. The interaction with coming out to the family was something else! So proud of Gene and his brother for sticking up to the dad. Acceptance from the family is what matters most. You don't need it but it's so important. So I for the most part was okay with how it was represented. Though Nubsib's family talk I'm conflicted about. It wasn't very "accepting" to me since the dad clearly cares more about reputation than his son or else he wouldn't of brought that up. Also wtf does his son being in a gay relationship have to do with reputation? Its annoying and I wanted so badly to be in that room and set him straight. Damn right you can't stop him from being an adult and living his life stupid. It works out in the end but that kinda irked me.

Before we get to the slight downfall of this series, I wanted to talk about side stuff. Aoey's character was interesting to say the least. I'll talk about his demise at the end, but his character was so interesting and I wanted to see more of his backstory danggit! Hin I didn't care for at all. He was annoying at the beginning, gets slightly better because he has less screen time and just doesn't do much. Tum and Tiffy were cute, however I don't understand why Tiffy straight up assumed he was gay? Wtf was that about? That was some stereotyping if I've ever seen it and she of all people should know better! She's a bada** girl who doesn't give a crap about labels and she's gonna do that? Unless I missed something. Didn't vibe, but together they were okay.

Time to move on, to the dreaded 11th episode f*** up. First thought. They couldn't chill secretly until the end of the series shooting!? Gene had to end it!? I get he thinks doing it for Nubsib's career or whatever. But what a load of crap. You know that's not what he wants! Why have this show make fun of cliches and then do one that sucks this late into it!? So hear me out and let me elaborate. Legally Sib's company CANNOT under any circumstances force their actors to do anything in their personal relationships. Unless it's part of a contract, which its made clear its not they will catch a lawsuit! Nubsib and Gene are not slaves to the system. So that entire boardroom scene was nonsensical. Look at this from an outsider perspective too. It reeks of homophobia without the context of it being for a BL show. So that wouldn't fly either! Then followed up with Gene wimping out again got me aggravated to say the least. This show should've not done the obvious thing and had them fight it together. Because a breakup is cliche at this point. You can't dictate who people date and Tum's sister is the biggest b**** ever. By then Aeoy was cancelled too because he escalated the situation by garnering sympathy from fans during the livestream. Really bad move dude. Very reminiscent of a real-life situation that happened between 2 BL actors...if you know you know.

Immediately I was like Nubsib better cancel his contract with these people. I would've on the spot, however if he doesn't after he's nuts. These people are unethical and how disrespectful you have to be to try and decide for an actor of yours how important his relationship is to him. With his partner RIGHT THERE!!! Holy crap I wanted to throw that woman out the window! It's not for his benefit girl, its for yours don't lie. The reporters too, why do you feel the right to dig into someone's private life like that? Though realistic I suppose, that's none of your business and disgusting. I live for the scene of Nubsib hugging Aoey though out of nowhere and being like "see? I can act too" oof that was a win.

Past all that nonsense. We get to more nonsense lmao. The show becomes the butterfly effect for a hot minute, with Gene living through his memories again. It seemed like they were gonna have him live in the past unhealthily for material and I was like really? That's what we're doing!? Then out of literally NOWHERE Nubsib shows up at the house and kisses him like THAT. All is forgiven? WHAT!? I appreciate the cuteness and that skinship scene with Gene afterwards had me in a flutter. But me and my friend watching this thought it had to be a dream because of how outlandish it was. But nope! It actually was happening! No resolution or talk about it. No redemption of Gene bailing out after lying. No big stick it to the man scene of them coming out as a real couple to crappy stans. NOTHING. What a disappointment. I guess at least Tum said screw you to his sister and made his own management company. That was nice. I can also say Aoey's ending was surprisingly dark though and I'm 50/50 about it. He's left with noone, Tiffy abandons him and his love interest moves on. All he has is gifts from fans and their support online. I feel like he even ate a flower from the bouquet at one point (fact check me) because he's lost it completely and is finding validation from consumption. Dark stuff and idk how I feel about it. I appreciate the thought process behind it, but I think he deserved redemption too. Maybe in another season? I doubt it heavily but damn.

As lackluster as those last 2 eps were. The role-playing genderbend recreations of Snow White, Cinderella and Romeo & Juliet were funny and cute! I didn't need to see another lover die on top of Kao via a gunshot wound, but those scenes were cute. We get a wink fourth-wall-break at the end that was clever, which ends with a kiss of course. The ending meta thing with the author of the books we didn't need and it was hella confusing. This series overall was still fantastic! Idk what it is though with series failing during the last few eps. We need to figure out how to fix that guys! Watch this though, you won't be overall disappointed with the results!

Leia Mais

A pretty decent BL for the Thai industry!

May 14, 2021

Lovely Writer is definitely a strong drama. Although, I did have some troubles with the plot and the execution. It was still a good series regardless. First of all, I JUST LOVE HOW THEY EXPLORE CONSENT AND THREW SHADES to the industry. With the number of shows I have watched, consent is so rare to see and it's so sad. Often the ML is always pushing themselves to their partners and that makes me want to drop a series.

I really love Gene and Nubsib's chemistry and they were hot. Like certain scenes got me running laps. I was a bit uncomfortable with the age gap during their childhood scene. But yeah, I guess it was just me...

Anyway, there are certain parts where I was shocked. Like damn, the plot twist was very shocking.

Now onto my rant:
If I am being honest, the plot was a bit messy and draggy and predictable. I really love the idea and concept but I think the execution was just a literal pain. AND as for a show, I thought that was gonna break the BL stereotype, I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED that they followed the typical route for episode 11. As for the music, I was a bit irritated cause some of the choices did not fit in with the scene. It was more of a nuisance if you know what I mean. Also, how can the series turn into the very thing it was calling out in the beginning. Like the first half was about calling out the BL industry and then suddenly in the second part, it starts following the cliche plots???!!!!!

Also, WTF WAS EP 10-12 I LITERALLY SKIMMED THROUGH IT CAUSE I WAS BORED AS HELL. THOSE EPISODES WERE A LITERAL 5/10. HONESTLY, IT COULD HAVE ENDED ON THE FIRST HALF OF EP 9 AND I WOULD BE TOTALLY OKAY WITH IT.

ALSO YALL WILL LOVE TIFFY AND TUM. Their sidestory was so cute and they were my motivation to continue the series. Even though they had least amount of screen time. I love them so much. If it weren’t for them, I would probably dropped this series at this point. Cause I was just literally dissatisfied with everything....

Anyway, make sure to watch this series as it's still pretty darn good!! I hope my rant didn't ruin it for you heheheh

Leia Mais

Give it a try, you won't regret it.

To me, this is one of the best BL series of all time. From the story, acting, directing, theme, and message, everything is great. The relationship portrayed here is healthy and full of CONSENT. It is entertaining and educative, without being patronising. Give it a try and it will give you something more than just entertainment. It's a bit slow at the beginning but it's totally worth it. Especially if you finish til the end, there will be amazing surprises for you. Don't forget to watch behind the scenes too. The director gives insight on the making process and about the message they try to convey.

Leia Mais

obsession

Okay, this is going to be one of my less objective reviews, just because it is subjectively one of my favorite boy love series EVER. One I came into this series not expecting to like it but I enjoyed Kao in UWMA so I was willing to go through it for him. However, I ended up loving the series, Up, and all the other casts. Everyone in the series is wonderful at acting. KaoUp are truly perfect at playing the parts of their characters. Up and his character Gene don't even look the same to me, is how in character he was able to get. And as a 26 year old man Kao was able to properly portraying a 20 year old.

One thing I absolutely HATE in series is when drama drags on and on and on and is CONSTANT. However, Lovely Writer did an amazing job at handling each of its issues QUICKLY and in HEALTHY ways. Other series can't relate. Nubsib and Gene were amazing characters and honestly I enjoyed their storyline so so so so much.

My problem comes with side characters and their storylines. They seemed deadset on making Aey a villain and unredeemable (even though he's still very redeemable imo) and dragged on making him suffer for no reason??? Mhok really didn't need to be in the series ??? (maybe it was chap's schedule with y-destiny was a bit conflicting but idk) Tiffy and Tum were cute at first, but then it got weird with her questioning his sexuality and becoming really mean to him for no reason?? I HATE nubsib's parents. Gene's parents are on thin ice. I LOVED the brothers though and would have liked more of them and Hin throughout the series. Bua annoyed me and I didn't really enjoy any scene she was in. ALSO NUBSIB DESERVED MORE SCREENTIME. Truly I get it was Gene pov mostly, but random side characters had more screentime from their points of view than one half of our main lead.

Gene and Aey were my initial favorites in the series, and I still love both of them. But after finishing the series and being able to analyze Nubsib I have fallen for him. Anyways the cast is full of talented pretty tall bitches. Stan lwts.

Leia Mais

very different from the rest

This show was just refreshing to watch, the storyline was interesting, the actors were on point and it makes you reflect as the chapters progress. Entertainment industry sucks, and artists are very much affected by it, so this series is meant to make you see the industry from another perspective, and not just as a fan. Also, Gene's father history really added spice to the show, makes you realise the hardships of being a non-heterosexual couple in real life and how society's prejudices can change someone's mentality notably. It was also a good reality check.

In brief, i loved this show and it's definitely a must-watch !

Leia Mais

Watch it, it's SO worth it!

This just became my favorite BL Drama that I've seen and I'm gonna try to put in to words as to why:

TLDR: The series breaks of out the BL mold in it's own way, criticizes the toxicity of BL fan culture, it's cute and fun and smart and meaningful. The characters have believable chemistry and genuinely like each other, and work through their relationship. They break every toxic BL stereotype while also being every positive and cute stereotype, the best of everything.

***

In BL Dramas there are certain tropes and plots that we are all familiar with and love, it is its own small "BL bubble". When you start a new series there are things that are almost always included; they're engineers, they hate eacher at first, bed-sharing, stolen glances, dramatic plottwist that almost tears them apart, misunderstandings, kinda cheap settings, predictable plot etc etc etc. And we love to see it, it's fun and entartaining and cute.

And then there's Tale of Thousand Stars and I Told Sunset About You that both break out of that mold and do so beautifully, they feel more real in a way. ITSAY with it's outstanding settings and scenography, and TOTS with it's deep dual plot about self-love and self-growth.

Lovely Writer manages to exist inside the "BL bubble" while also being deep and meaningful and beautiful. Without spoiling anything major I can say this:

It's beautifully filmed, the settings and scenography are top notch. The story is interesting and cute. The main pairing's chemistry feels realistic. There's next to no cringy moments or characters which was quite refreshing, and those who were a bit cringy did it tastefully and in my opinion for the sake of the plot. Their friends are likable and supportive and not just there as background characters. The main pairing actually like each other and they talk and are open and face their problems together, they support each other.

The show is also very self-aware! It really is a critique of the BL Drama world and its fans/fujoshis which was really interesting to see!

They break every toxic BL stereotype while also being every positive and cute stereotype, the best of everything.

Don't spoil the ending before watching all the episodes, trust me! It's a happy ending but I think it'll hit so much harder and be so much cuter if you get to know the characters first. I loved the ending it was so fun and so cute, and so so so worth it!!!

Leia Mais

The Best Thai BL this spring 2021

omg I want to say so much about this series. its so damn good. being a bl fan for quite many years watching many bls from many countries, I have never felt so involved & connected with a bl from Thailand, at an emotional level, like I did with LW. The matters they subtly yet skilfully touched upon are so important and often neglected. The praiseworthy highlights for me were,

1. Consent, they really perfectly showed the concept of a valid consent in ep.4

2. No to drunk sex

3. Calling out how (generally assumed) feminine traits of men are considered as gay in society

4. That coming out as gay is not a social obligation & people shouldn't jump at labelling someone's sexuality.

5. Toxic shipping/fans invading artists' privacy

6. Kind of calling out unnecessary portrayal/addition of NC scenes in bl dramas/novels for commercial purposes

7. Nubsib always being courteous and asking permission during intimacy with Gene (when they were not yet bfs & even after being official, that guy always make Gene comfortable)

6. The mutual trust between #SibGene

7. The fears and shocks of their parents and how we still need the older generation to accept their kids for who they are, so I didn't mind how (relatively quickly) they all agreed to their relationship. It may seem a bit fast but in a 12 ep drama this is to be expected. Also ig we needed that sort of positivity too, as it's basically a romcom.

8. Love how they showed the inability of some fans/fan culture in bl fandoms as well as other fandoms in general, that they can't distinguish between reality and fantasy, and how it ends up hurting the artists and ruining their personal life/relationships(alot of the times).

9. The real issues that exist with talent companies/TV stations/productions. The way they can be too demanding from the artists.


Furthermore, the kisses are so so real and beautiful, they both are so pro at this, I must say. There are also soft face/hands kisses too which adds alot to the romance & softness. Overall for me, after MaxTul, KaoUp are the best at doing kissing scenes now. No wonder the OST is about kissing too haha. The casting is super perfect. I was familiar with Kao's work before but Up really grabbed my attention as Gene. He played an introvert writer so well, it is so believable, his micro expressions & body language for the awkwardness he feels at times, tho the character is very different from his real self yet he nailed it. Bruce, the actor who played Aey, he did a good job as well, since the character was layered & complicated and not at all easy to play.

[Also one thing I strongly felt, so wanted to get it off my chest is that Aey doing that livestream was also a diss to a specific livestream that happened in the past by an actor. (It may be just me, & I may be totally wrong but it was pretty much the same pattern, the whole crying & all)].

I guess I have written alot here, in the honest conclusion, the series is definitely worth watching and re-watching. And I guess for beginners as well who are reluctant to get into Thai BLs, this is the one series for ya'll!!

Leia Mais

A BL That Serves Tea

Never thought a fluffy, cutesie BL could actually talk about things that matter. I was genuinely surprised by this. The story was on point imo and the leads were also topnotch (damn, Kao). Another thing I really liked was how similar young and old Nubsib was, especially how they called Gene's name, so adorable.

If I would nitpick, the breakup thing was an unnecessary drama (although I understand that's part of the story ofc). The last episode was also kind of a let down compared to the previous ones. But overall I think it still managed to stand out and is definitely one of the best (for me) or at least one of the good ones. I really hope this would be watched by a lot of BL fans, especially the toxic ones who doesn't know how to separate actors' public & private lives, as it not only entertains but also serves a lesson when it comes to these issues.

Leia Mais

Does really well in what it sets out to do

Things i liked
1. Calling out thai bl industry(how it panders to straight females and the consequences)
2. Acting of all cast
3. Chemistry between Gene and Nubsib( Hightlight of the show for most people, both actors are very comfortable with each other and it shows.. no cringe and very sweet/hot moments)
4. Consent, consent and consent! Its sexy people!(a particular common trope situation in bl turns out differently and beautifully..personally my favorite episode.. wont tell which one since i dont want to spoil but you will know ;)
5. Interesting premise
6. Gene is so cutee... I honestly get Nubsib here
7. Very cinematic..especially towards the end
8. Personally, I really liked the comedy aspect, did not feel it was much at all.
9. Even though Nubsib is very mature.. there are scenes when you do feel his age.. makes for an interesting dynamic and the choices he makes

What i didn't like:(a bit spoilery in point 3 since my issue is with the story)
1. I do feel there were issues with editing.. some moments of silence really seemed to go on for too long, especially during tense moments and you just could not understand why characters are just standing there making the situation worse..
2. Tum's bathroom scene.... just whyyyyyy
3.a)Nubsib does not seem to have any other motivations in life other than being with Gene... as desirable as he is.. i would have preferred to see more of this character aspirations.. best direction would be that he actually fell in love with acting during the course of the show.. absence of this leads to my next point..
b)Their main conflict at the end does seem very manufactured... there really should be little to no stakes here for them.. if Nubsib actually liked his career.. i would feel the pain but with the story shown..meh...seems unnecessary... he has made his stance clear many times.. i dont even understand Gene's point of view.. and the resolution is also confusing..so not much emotional payoff when they do get through it eventually as tender as that moment was...

Would I recommend this:Definitely!100%... Despite issues mentioned, i reay loved this show and would rewatch..very memorable couple.. upbeat story, good message about consent.. boundaries.. the love story of a cute bunny and the sneaky wolf really does leave you with a big smile ?

Leia Mais