Leis da Atração (2023)

An anti-hero type of BL

If you’re willing to look past the lakorn-esque stylistic treatment of Laws Of Attraction, Jam and Film continue to deliver in this addictive series.

The magic of Laws of Attraction is that it demonstrates complex motivations and the inconsistent behaviour of individuals. It’s not so clear who the bad guys are because you end up rooting for their character anyway, even if they have done some pretty questionable things.

As the narrative unfolds, the lines between the “good people” and “bad people” are increasingly destabilised as Charn turns out to be a classic anti-hero.

Unlike Khun Chai where Jam and Film have a cute and wholesome dynamic, Film is a total corporate gangster in Laws of Attraction. With a really creepy smile too.

Overall, “To Sir With Love” is still my favourite JamFilm show, but as a series, Laws of Attraction is compelling enough to keep you hooked.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/09/24/laws-of-attraction-2023-bl-review/

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Main Leads' Chemistry is Great, Romance Itself is Lacking

Right off the bat, Tinn is one of my personal favorite main leads of the series I've watched so far--he didn't frustrate me, which is one of my pet peeves due to the copious amount of angst in BL that could be solved if only they talked. I understood his reluctance teaming up with Charn and was fully on board with how it took a while for him to trust Charn.

One of the things I was most worried about after the first two episodes with how seriously I could take Charn's viewpoints and the actions he takes because of them, but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved seeing a character such as him--selfish, greedy, with a hint of psychopathy and no shame. Now obviously Charn changes throughout the story, which is another point that I really appreciated; it was clear that he changed and adapted because of Tinn.
But can we say the same vice versa? Tinn remained quite static from how he was originally portrayed. He didn't have much of a character arc--which, don't get me wrong, I didn't actually mind in this particular case, but it still stands out.

I do wish we had some more explicitly romantic scenes because I felt like they could match very nicely with the mature atmosphere and older characters. I think they could've made on-screen sex scenes very impactful and beautiful, but sadly, it was only very obviously implied. Which is fine, I just. . . think that it could've sold the romance much better due to the focus on solving the mystery and action. The chemistry was there, but the romance itself lacked. In fact, I truly felt like the series may as well not have included the main leads' romance and nothing much would've been impacted. You know, if they'd ended up being besties, it'd work fine.

Now the side characters. Absolutely adored them all. All the actors in this drama are good, not just the main leads. I didn't expect to end up liking Thaenthai as much as I did, nor the romance between him and Thee ("romance", as I said before, this BL isn't that romantic).

There are a few painfully bad CGI/special effects moments. Let's not even talk about that horrible fire effect. Some fight scenes are a bit overdramatic and simply not very well-acted--the main leads clearly shine in scenes that require emotions and focus on character, not so much action or high-stakes moving about.

The story fell a little flat in the end. I might've missed why Charn couldn't tell Tinn his plan--it felt to me like Charn still didn't actually trust Tinn that much--but him leaving the way he did with Nawin felt dramatic for the sake of being dramatic and angsty. The plot twist also wasn't that surprising, however, the murder-mystery vibes did keep me hooked until the very end. It's pretty good for a BL.

CONCLUSION/TL;DR: The main leads had good chemistry, the side characters were great, the acting was mostly on point, lack of satisfying romance/sex scenes, a surprisingly cute secondary couple, quite horrible CGI/special effects, emotional scenes were very good and realistic, mystery vibes are solid enough, OST didn't stand out.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

It has been a long time since I binged a good thai BL. And I loved this one. The main couple was on fire, their chemistry was so good. So much so, I might even go back and finish To Sir, With Love which I dropped....

But I have an issue with costume designer. More about that later!

The story is rather superficial: a cynical lawyer wants to get revenge for being fired from a case so he takes the former opponents as clients and in the course of investigation they fall for each other. Not a new or revolutionary plot: a classical enemies to lovers story. And I love those so this turned out to be such a binge fest!

The actors were great: Film is an amazing actor. He showed us all the ambiguity of Charn's character and motivations. I might check out his other series! Jam is Tin, the usual macho man, straightforward and honest to a fault.

Did anyone watch this for the plot? I do not think so! We all watched for the romance and the plot was secondary: it was important as a driving force behind the characters, bringing them together. But those characters were what mattered and they were a varied and intriguing lot. There was the second couple: the big baddie's son, yearning for his crazy abusive father's love and his bodyguard. Ambiguous at the start of the series, they proved to be a couple of unlucky boys trying to survive the bully of the father/boss/criminal mastermind(korean makjang evil chaebol like)! And an assorted lot of his henchmen with baseball bats beating everyone up. On the good side, there was the grandmother: kind, smart, strong and open minded; and of course the club owner and her girlfriend, the singer: wise and loving and helpful! And last but not least, Charn's the mad as a hatter ex boyfriend and local thug rich boy, Naween. A delight to watch., for real!

So that was a really fun watch until the last half an hour when they delved into the weak gay rights in Thailand, and hopes for the better world, and diversity, and inclusion and all that jazz. Now days, they seem to end every bl like that including a wedding! Fine! Just fluff mixed with gay rights movement! Well, why not?

I know that I am going to be slapped on the fingers by the community, but am I allowed to have a slight disagreement with you about the fashion?

The non business clothes they put on Film: frilly blouses and wide floppy trousers and a tuxedo looking more like a wedding dress than a suit - why? Why did not they put the same kind of clothing on Jam? So people here say that Film's character wears that because he is in accord with his sexuality and being gay he shows his softer side like that. Could not the same thing be said about Jam's character? Tin is open about his sexuality and does not hide it. But unlike Charm he does not feel the need to advertise it???? I had the same problem with Bed Friend where James wore the same kind of clothing. And his macho boyfriend was always dresses in black. Yes, the BLs have evolved from classical seme/uke stereotypes but still it is very much obvious by the way the characters speak, move and dress who is who in these relationships. Both James and Film are beautiful in their respective series. Beautiful not handsome.

But, that's only my opinion...

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It's more than just a love story

You need to watch this show guys..
because it's amazing.. I'm not exaggerating, it really is.
Very first about our jam and film.. they were awesome.
I loved their acting and also their dedication to each and every episodes.( at some point we will hate charn to the point that we can't get back, but hats off to his acting and commitment that made all those scenes real) and some scenes gave me butterflies in my stomach, actually they have one the best onscreen chemistry.
Coming to the plot.. i didn't like the first episode and sincerely I was planning to drop this series but I just gave it a try.. after 2nd episode, the plot developed mainly the interaction between the main characters also.. ( that's what we want to see right?) I couldn't resist my laughter at some scenes and also my tears to some other..
it's a complete package and I really loved it.
one of the main things that pulled me towards this drama is it's music.. to tell you the truth, they had heartwarming songs and romantic ost till the end.
I really loved this series. I have a brother and sister.. so it was easy for me to understand the emotions and their love towards each other. so I think you guys also can connect. And I want to say you that, just give it a try.. please don't drop the series by just watching first 2 episodes.( if you're a jam film fan, then you'll definitely regret that decision)

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Amazing! Underappreciated!

My parents ?? I want Film and Jam to adopt me officially ?

This series was seriously so good! These 2 are phenomenal actors. I really enjoyed Nat as well.

When I initially watched To Sir with Love, I really loved FilmJam, I watched it a year later than it was initially released and was super happy when I found out that Laws of Attraction would be released as well. These two were amazing in both.

A special appreciation should be given to Film. In To Sir with Love, he was such an innocent, loveable, pure-soul character, and it was really interesting to see how he shifted to this ruthless, heartless, good-at-heart, almost psychotic lawyer. I really enjoyed seeing him in the show. What I loved the most was his evil smile! Whenever he smiled, he looked kind, psychotic, and scary and for some reason, elegant all at once! His smile was definitely a good touch to portray his character. I liked Jam as well. His character definitely complimented Film's character and I thoroughly enjoyed his performance as well.

I highly recommend this one. These two actors and this series deserve way more love. I am so happy this got much more attention than To Sir with Love. I hope, now that all of the episodes have been released, that more and more people will discover this, and this series will get a lot more attention. I hope the crew and production made a good profit on this one because they deserve it. Everyone did a fantastic job.

I hope to see See and Pearl on a new series soon as the main couple because they also deserve it. They performed really well. They had a fantastic chemistry.

I really enjoyed Nat's character! I genuinely hope he gets many more opportunities in the future, and hopefully, I will see him in a main role soon.

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I didn't expect this nice of a story line, chemistry, acting from 8 episodes bl. I didn't get bored and don't have to skip scenes in all episodes. JamFilm already proved themselves in To Sir with Love so I was pretty excited to watch them again and they didn't disappoint. This drama is a worth watch. Charn's character is the one which attracted me the most in this series. His smile gives creepy feeling and when at sometimes when he sincerely laughs(that's mostly when he is with Tin) it is a clear contrast which shows how much he changed from a soft hearted lawyer to a cunning selfish power hunger and revenge seeking lawyer. I was very happy that tenthai finally got free from his abusive father and had Thee by his side at end

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Honestly, there's nothing I can say about this series that hasn't already been gushed about but it is one of those rare gems that I just can't let it pass by without singing its praises.

The stars really aligned for this production with a solid story, great cast and terrific editing/pacing that didn't make it feel disjointed or confusing at any point.

Story-wise, it had a strong and interesting plot that caught the viewers attention almost from the get-go which makes the viewer not only invested but also really caring about these characters early on. Even though Charn is not a good guy, we still want him to succeed and be happy. Tinn is the poster child for naivety and right or wrong which makes him clash in an epic way against Charn's corrupted mind. And yet their attraction and chemistry is undeniable and so fun to watch that the viewer can not help but stare and watch the train wreck unfold.

In that regard, the actors did a phenomenal job at portraying the very different, opposing sides while their flirting was so clever and cheeky. I was actually surprised at how funny the series was, considering the very sad and serious nature of the overall plot. Part of it was the one-liners of the mains bickering and a huge part was due to the actors' delivery that just made it overly amusing. Especially Film's portrayal of Charn was mind-blowingly good with just how crazy of a character Charn is. Film absolutely nailed the persona with his mannerisms and quirks throughout the whole series.

I had actually watched this right after seeing To Sir, With Love which has 4 or 5 of the same cast but each of them played a VERY different role here which was nice to see. It was almost to the extent that I could forget they were the same people. Especially Film and Jam seemed to do a kind of role swap between the innocent and the not-so-innocent type characters. In To Sir, With Love, Film had a lot of sad, crying moments where this, he was downright insane, bordering on The Joker level. I'm happy to see that they aren't being type-cast which I've already noticed a lot of in BLs whether it's a main lead or a supporting character.

If I had anything remotely negative to say about the series is that there really wasn't any need for the second couple to be, well, a couple. It felt a little forced, to be honest. I mean, they were cute together and all, but in their case, the situation was way too serious and dire to throw romance into the mix, at least at the time that they did. Like, guys, wait till you actually get away from Thatthep completely before you get into a relationship. And, of course, I am not a fan of the dead fish kisses which is unfortunately mostly what we got here. I would rather not have it at all than have the dead lips.. especially when the main couple's flirting was so strong and filled with innuendo. If they are going to build it up like that, you'd think the characters would be ready to explode by the time they finally give in and allow themselves the pleasure. We as the viewers also feel that tension and need a release in some way, shape or form to feel complete. If they aren't going to give it, then maybe lighten up on the tension and build-up.

BUT! Really, as I said, this series was strong enough that they didn't need to add that anyway. Oh, and when Nawin shows up?? OMG, and I thought Charn was unhinged... but damn, Nawin was hilarious and very well played by Nat. Honestly, I think he stole more than a few scenes singlehandedly. Even with the smallest gestures (like tossing the brass knuckles away through his legs) was brilliant and had me laughing so much, probably more than it should. In a way, he reminded me of Tankhun from KinnPorsche where he was over the top but in a fun way that never became annoying or out of place. You just come to expect that they are brilliantly insane and adorably dangerous.

I think this show will become a favorite amongst many people.. it's already top 5 status in my book. And the short-ish nature of it makes for easy rewatch, which I'm sure I will again and again.

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Nawin stole the show

If Charn and Nawin were leads, Laws of Attraction would easily be a 10/10.

I originally dropped this show halfway through episode one for a number of reasons but a friend strongly suggested that I finish it as it gets better, thank goodness she wasn't lying. I immediately adore Charn in episode two; Charn being unserious in serious situations is a lot more pleasant to watch than Film trying to be serious in poorly edited/executed scenes.

In all 8 episodes, there wasn't one time where I was charmed by Tinn. If Charn was Mr. Smirky then Tinn was Mr. Smiley. I don't understand why Tinn was so merry about his second meeting with Charn when his niece had just passed; I expected him to be more mopey given the situation. Jam is a good-looking actor, but Tinn has no personality other than being overly jealous and obsessive over Charn. Speaking of personalities, Charn's smiles and horror-like grins don't make sense sometimes but I can't hate them since they do add to his 'devil'/'evil' character.

Story-wise, I thought it was alright overall. Not exactly mind-blowing or impressive but not bad. A lot of the conflicts were quickly resolved (understandable given its shorter length than most) and a lot of it was predictable. That wedding came at a left field, though, and can't say I love it. I don't mind the second couple but I wished Thaenthai had more scenes with Tinn and the grandmother just to apologize and atone for not telling the truth earlier on. As for musicality, I really don't remember much of it and whether or not I enjoyed or hated it. I did skip Tinn's singing moments but it's mainly because I'm sort of fed up with them singing in these series xD

Finally, Nawin! This man was the highlight of the show and I'm sure he's just about everyone's favorite character. I'm always laughing whenever he's on screen. I love his immoral craziness, his humor, his 180 in everything from attitude to expression and to voice volume when engaging with Charn and Tinn, and his reactions to everyone around him including his minions. Nat really stole the show and made episodes 7 and 8 tolerable. I swear he's had more expressions in two episodes than Tinn, Thaenthai, and Thee combined in eight. If I ever rewatch "Laws of Attraction" it'll only be for Nawin's parts in ep 7 and 8.

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Enjoyable watch

I went on an 8 hours binge of this show and was taken aback by how good and invested I was. The show does a good job at getting you intrigued by episode 1. every minute is important, none are wasted on pointless plot point.
The show is about Chan (Film) a crooked lawyer and Tin (Jam) a man seeking justice for his niece's death.
in terms of acting Film and Jam really stepped up their game. Chan is so unhinged at times that even I got scared. Tin is a lot closer to his emotions and the acting reflected it nicely.
the character growth was something I appreciated and it wasn't rushed. Chan went from being emotionless to starting to understand the people around him slowly but surely while keeping his unhinge side (which you slowly start to love).
Jam and Film have amazing chemistry, the way they look at each other says so much. I do think that the romance started lacking when we got near the end of the series. The show did a great job at building tension between the leads but failed when the tension reached a peak.
the only thing I have to say about the acting, is that See who plays Thaenthai (the son of the senator) was struggling at time to make me believe in the things he was feeling. Thaenthai has a very emotional storyline, he goes through a lot, but See failed to really portray that. I do believe that the actor has a lot of potential but is in need of more acting workshop.
one positive thing I can say is that he had nice chemistry with Pearl who plays Thee (our favourite bodyguard). See was also really good at making me dislike him but also like him......
as for the plot, I was intrigued from beginning to end, the show did a good job with getting the viewers invested enough to keep watching.
I do think that the final plot twist was not surprising and also easy to guess. I still enjoyed watching our characters discover clues and finally find out what really happened.

I want to add that this show was clearly made with a limited budget, the special effects were rough at times and you could clearly see that it was CGI. but I think the plot and acting really made up for that.

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something different that partially worked (spoilers in the content warnings)

Overall: I absolutely loved Jiu/Tian in To Sir With Love, but Charn/Tinn's dynamic didn't really work for me in Laws of Attraction. Aired 8 episodes on One31's YouTube channel (not in the U.S.) and on iQIYI subbed in some countries including the U.S.

Note: this is a lakorn style (soap opera) so things are meant to be over the top (like that jump flying kick in ep 1)

Content Warnings (pretty much all of them and there are some really disturbing ones): murders, attempted murder, fights/beaten up/violence, blood, manipulation, blackmail, corruption, non con touching, parental abuse, torture, bullying, animal death, arson

What I Liked
- the secondary m/m couple, wish they had more scenes and showed things instead of alluding to them (I heard One31 is a more conservative channel so that could be why we don't see steamy scenes)
- mystery elements with what has happened in the past, what exactly happened in episode 1, characters' motivations
- flirty Charn
- absolutely loved the ex and his shirt allergy
- soap opera vibe, loved that flying kick
- sweet family moments, that grandma was awesome
- marriage equality advocacy

Room For Improvement
- Charn/Tinn's romantic dynamic didn't work for me because
1. it seemed to be a few days or couple of weeks after something that is sooooo awful and we have Charn hitting on Tinn, I couldn't enjoy their romance with that plot point in the background
2. why/when did Tinn trust Charn?
3. Charn is a flawed character which is fine but what he did to innocent people in the past is beyond redemption, I'd be okay if he was with another deeply flawed character but they put him with a squeaky clean character and it didn't work for me

- plot holes/contradictions/because the writer said so stuff (how on earth would that law office do that, we see a character injured in the back but then bleeding from their head, etc)
- needed more screentime to flesh out the plot and characters, felt rushed
- the final episode was very jarring, we'd see something extremely violent and then instant cut to pure fluff
- dead fish lip presses between two adult characters (somehow murder/blood is fine but the company couldn't do more than the presses?)
- upbeat music when a character was talking about something extremely serious in episode 2
- the special effects were low budget but I didn't take off points for that

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