Call It What You Want (2021)

Good Concept, Bad Execution

Clumsy & unrealistic writing, awkward acting, insta-love – overall this show felt very amateur (& low-budget). I like that they tackled some serious topics, but they were handled without any kind of nuance, as the producer or whatever was basically Satan. If this show was going for gritty and realistic, it missed the mark big time. They wasted all the screentime on a boring and cliché romance when they could’ve done so much more.

I did not care about James or Ait at all, I basically knew nothing about them anyway. Their romance was very rushed, I have no idea who these characters are and why I’m supposed to believe they like each other. Explaining to the audience what “love at first sight” is, felt like the writer was anticipating criticism of the fast development of the relationship between James and Ait, and wanted a scene he could point to say, “but look! we’re self-aware so it’s okay!”. I’m not even opposed to love at first sight stories, but in order to pull that off the writing needs to be good, and the actors need chemistry. This show was lacking in both departments unfortunately.

Bas’ character was the only one with any sort of interesting arc, but he gets sidelined in favor of... of what exactly? I feel like absolutely nothing happened in this show. It would have been so much better had they made Bas the main character and just went all in on the dark theme. Instead, we got 3 hours of fluff, a romance with no substance and a weird tonal shift between Bas’ & James/Ait’s storylines. Male sexual assault is a serious and largely unspoken issue that deserves more than 10 minutes of screentime. I just wish they had put a little more care into it. I assume they will talk about this more in the second season, so let’s hope they treat this topic with the respect it deserves.

Also, a couple notes on a more technical level: As many here have pointed out, the car scenes look absolutely awful. If you can’t do it right, just don’t do it at all. Have them talk somewhere else. If it has to be in a car, then do it in a parked car. The horrible greenscreen was very distracting. Background music was too loud at times I couldn’t hear the actors properly. These are easy mistakes to fix, it just made this whole production seem careless.

Overall, this whole show just felt kind of unnecessary. From the trailer it looked like an interesting premise that would have lots of interesting things to say, but it totally failed to deliver. Episode 6 was the only one that actually had some substance to it, but then it ends before it can go anywhere. The build-up to episode 6 could’ve been done so much better, but the producers don’t seem to know how to build dramatic tension or how to structure a narrative in a compelling way, with rising action, a climax, and a resolution. Hopefully the second season does a better job at this.

Leia Mais

BL industry inside

A wonderful surprise. I didn't know about the story and started to see it as one more BL series to be seen. But I was wrong: it is a sample of what the BL industry is, and based on real facts.
Very interesting plot with great performances from the cast (for a change). Highlight for Kiettisak Vatanavitsakul who give us all the repression and insecurity of his character (Bas).
The evolution of the BL plots is amazing.
A show that must be seen for sure!
Curiosity: pay attention on the book Ait reads and the posters at James house (Brokenback Mountain, Priscilla - I believe - and Hedwig).

Leia Mais

Finally an other BL calling out problematic stuff in the Industry

First of all, I'd like to mention bas's acting who was phenomenal. It was so realistic, makes me want to cry every time. It was so good that it kinda makes others acting not so memorable...
Marco : a lovely character, we can feel he has a crush on James, it is obvious. I like him ! However I would like to see a bit more but I think we are gonna have this in S2, given how S1 ended.
James : the main character, director, who fell in love with his actor. It was okay ; what I mean by that is his acting was not phenomenal but neither cringe or boring.
Ait : .... It's the kind of character who makes me go crazy and scream on my pillow and smash my bed because it's supposed to be "cute" and "lovely" but I found just this cringe as hell. I can't stand this "cuteness" in BLs, too much for me. Also I don't get why he becomes jealous when Marco is around. It's james' best friend and even if Marco had feelings, you can't prevent him from having feelings for his only best friend who took care of him for 4 years, thought him Thai ect... I found this very selfish of him.

Tee was an odious, execrable and hateful character whereas Jun was so funny ! I really liked her.


Story
For those who have watched Lovely Writer : Call it what you want has the same vibe (calling out the BL industry) but LW made it a bit lighter than this, focusing more on the relationship VS the fan.
CIWYW took this in an other direction, focusing more on the relationship VS the company and the restrictions applied in the contract only made to restraint actor's lives. It was way more serious and sad, especially with bas's story. I think there is even more shit going on under the surface that we don't know, but this kind of story is refreshing, dealing with important issues that need more attention.

Also don't get crazy over the car's scenes. I wanted to laugh so bad everytime. And unfortunately I didn't get use to it 😭

I would say it's a good BL, but it needs its season 2 ! For those who liked lovely writer you will like this (disregarding the car's scenes lmao)

Leia Mais

Important message, even if it's exaggerated.

At the beginning, the show gives the standardized message of "this is inspired by real events but is dramatized for television" spiel. Yes, it is a drama that brings forward a lot of questions and possible insight but it is so much more than that. It's not your typical "actors are humans too" and leaves it at that. This really dives into the effect certain demands can have and not just in a relationships POV but in personal trauma and self image. Sure, they talk about shipping culture but, for me, the most important character and situation was Bas. Seriously, watch this just for him and you won't be disappointed.

At the time I'm writing this, I have only seen season 1 so I have no idea what happens going forward but I hope to all that is good that we get more Bas and Marco. Their arc is so beautiful and stunning made 100x better by Michael and Daniel's acting. I don't think I've ever hurt so much as I did when they were on the way to Bas' home and made a pit stop. (When you see it, you'll know what I'm talking about.)

The series had an overall vibe of an "artistic piece" where there were a lot of breaks in dialogue. I didn't feel like it dragged, though, because the cast was really good at communicating with looks and expressions that a lot was being said without being verbalized. The episodes average out to about half an hour each and the season only had 6 episodes, which seems like a very short time but I feel like there was good development all the way through with semi-satisfying resolutions at the end. I only say semi-satisfying because I'm sure they knew they were making a season 2 so they had to leave some things open.. I get it.

Speaking of which, it's time to move onto the next one!

Leia Mais

The plot is ok but delivered bad

I am really sorry to say it but it's started promising and than the last few episodes was lacking, the plot is good, but the editing and the long long scenes make it boring to watch and not to remember, I even forgot what happned in the previous episode to the last one so I need to refresh it , than I go to the last episode and it was so slow I must watch with dubble speed.

The acting of Benz need improvment,I really really sorry to say it, and I hope it will not hurt him, but he have a way to go , need to express his feelings with more than 2 faces, need to go trough some acting class to make him express more because he have more to give.

The only good actor was the big boss, he was the only one that convinced me it's real.


For me it wasn't the car scene that make it not good as it could have been but the flow and the pasted and how it's photograhped, it's really reminds me 2moons2 that was the same slow motion. If you make it slow you need :1. great actors, I mean really the best, so they can make it real. 2. Good editing, good light position, interesting editing that can express the emotions.

It was needed more episodes or faster scnes to connect to fill the story holles, make it look more real, for example maybe the harrasment itself or hints, it comes really as surprising.I didn't see it coming, you need to give some interaction between Tee and the actor.

Overal it could have been a lot better

Leia Mais

Bitter taste

bittersweet feeling I write this review having seen the two seasons, which I think serves to improve what the first one had left me with a bitter aftertaste. You should definitely watch both seasons in a row if possible. Regarding the series, because on the one hand it is true that it is good to bring to light the manipulation behind the entertainment industry, it is being seen so recently exposed, and to do it with respect to actors who play roles of gay characters in series boys love . because they could also suffer harassment for what they tell (story based on real events) and because they are men it is more hidden. However, I think that it is not the right approach to do it within the framework of a BL series for the public that me, consume BL, since in some way it makes us feel guilty of that treatment as products to the actors to which they are subjected with false couples surgery diets and no longer Let's talk about sxxx abuse. (I can’t believe!) The series is not enjoyed and if it is not for the second season of hope and strength of main actors, it leaves me with the feeling that with my consumption of these series I am supporting exploitation and this is a big mistake by the producer. Lovely Writer laid it out in a real but nice way, this here is too much. It seems that we are supporting a dark industry of exploitation… please come on ! … and the theme of the ship… that we fans are not stupid and we know that it is forced but they deluded you to project the beautiful sensation of a series outside in fan meetings and other events to enjoy the lovely characters. As example: we usually talked about them with the name of their acting role that says it all, in the shippers. As for the series in its… decently shot and decently acted and who better the hated role of Tee as much as we don't like it. in the cast of couples … that of director James and his main actor gave me a little chill but unpleasant. there is no chemistry and everything is forced. I was disgusted even seeing them together. I don't know if because of the role of one being young and the other the director or because of the actor himself who makes James have very little chemistry with Ait. the secondary couple wins chapter after chapter and there, if there is chemistry, it is obvious in some scene and shot that makes it explicit... with Bas... I say no more…. but what a great actor he is
Daniel Chang as Marco! and very well Michael Kiettisak (Michael) as Bas. As for Panupun Vongjorn (Benz) as Ait, he is as sweet as ever, it is enough to see him now in Coffee Melody, but he does not match anything with James. what a bad casting!! In short, it's with a Notting Hill type ending but with that rather bitter taste of being someone who, like me, writes and supports the BL community. pity leaves

Leia Mais

Mediocre at best

This review is for season 1 & 2

I'm reviewing both seasons together because it's very clear that this series was split in half and turned into two separate seasons just to extend the life of the series and generate more money. I liked the concept and idea of exposing the dark side of the BL industry and what many of the actors and others involved with producing these series have to go through. However the execution of this series was not the best. The acting was lifeless and slow, almost as if everyone was trying to remember their lines as they were saying them. The chemistry between both couples was pretty good but the dialogue was almost always lacking and again felt slow and dull. It shouldn't take you a minute to respond every time someone says something to you, like why are we awkwardly staring at each other and not speaking? Honestly one of the main reasons that kept me watching was to see Time (James the director). That man just does something to me 😩. Love seeing him in any Thai drama. Overall this series was mediocre at best but had a few heartwarming moments.

Leia Mais