The Secret Of Us is a wonderful change of pace in Thai GL. With (relatively) mature leads, minimal boyfriend drama, and cleaner production values it's easy to get swept up in enjoying the drama and antics of these women's lives. An entertaining story, charismatic actresses, and a good sense of pacing carries this story above the pack in a GL-heavy year (and I hope there's many more to come). That said, the script is still relatively weak and focus on being pretty sometimes overtakes the opportunity for a more heartfelt performance. It's a step up, but I hope we don't stop here!

-The Full Review-
STORY:
This story is a bit... shaky. While Earn and her devotion is quite sweet and charming, the context behind it is paper thin. Despite the break up hinging on her mother's health, we almost never see Earn interact with that mother again. Likewise, there are many other plot points (and characters) that are treated as vital to these women's lives... only to disappear the second their entertainment value is spent. It feels... sloppy. I enjoy the chance to get to know adult women with prior history and firm ambitions, but the script struggles to fill out their lives.
Additionally, I found the finale episode to be quite weak. A large piece of plot is introduced and solved in 3/4 parts, leaving the final moments to largely montage wrap up. It felt oddly rushed and empty at the same time, leaving a rather pale impression after so many weeks of enjoyment. I would have liked to see the plots more connected throughout the episodes leading up to a finale that resolves them in a more satisfying manner.

ACTING:
This one is tricky. I think Orm and Lingling are both enormously talented... but the show did not truly showcase that. The chemistry is undeniable and the character work consistent, but everything is plastered over with perfect hair, perfect make up, perfect costumes, and perfect lighting. There is no real sense that these are real women, rather than actress dolls. It severely undercut the emotional pay-off of the more dramatic scenes, despite these actresses clearly giving it their all.

PRODUCTION:
This whole show is very shiny. Everyone has is perfectly dressed with glass skin and designer clothing, living in magazine houses with sports cars. I'm not sure this was always the right move or mood for the story. It made the characters and their problems feel more distant and false, creating a detachment to the story instead of getting to explore the circumstances of these women and their love.
That said, it was a beautifully shot show that was easy to watch. The lighting was always gorgeous and romantic, creating a strong tone for the story to build off of. I especially loved Juepak's colorful and lively costuming, and the levity it brought to the story. Each prop specific to Lada and Earn was well designed--especially the puzzle, Earn's scarf, and the music box girls. Their appearances helped tie the story together.

INTIMACY:
I really enjoyed Orm and Lingling together. Despite Ch. 3 mostly offering low-heat and... poised intimacy, they brought a real affection and comfortability with each other. It was easy to believe these women were in love and desired to be near each other, and truly beautiful to see the way they gently cared for each other. While I'm always advocating to allow women to be as sexual and present as their male counterparts, this seemed like the right tone for this company and this production (as opposed to a cop out). I really enjoyed it.

In all, this was probably one of the cleanest GL productions I've seen yet, but I'm not sure it was my favorite. I would like to see some of the improvements made here mixed with the heart and passion of less-polished works. I enjoyed the lead actresses immensely and would love to see them in something again soon.