[[Thai BL Series 2016-2018] SOTUS The Series S1 & S2 พี่ว้ากตัวร้ายกับนายปีหนึ่ง]

16 hours ago, Mel_Rios said:

 

Well... you said it yourself...! This has nothing to do with reality...! LOL

 

 

 

Well, I never said it has nothing to do with reality, all I said was the series is not meant to be a gripping drama. There's plenty of sad and morbid lgbt films out there full of despair, and our lives are always painted as self-destructive by media and filmmakers. Sometimes it's nice to just watch something more cheerful, uplifting and romantic.

[[Thai BL Series 2016-2018] SOTUS The Series S1 & S2 พี่ว้ากตัวร้ายกับนายปีหนึ่ง]

6 hours ago, Mel_Rios said:

Well... I believe our Idol dustinmyeye has said already all what I would say too, so there is not need to re-write all of it.

 

This Sotus S has been a huge disappointing for me...! And the worst part is to read by some that this story was sort of "realistic" (?) Well... maybe in another planet... let's move them to Mars and do a remake of "Total Recall" as the anti gay version or to Jupiter and do "Jupiter Ascending" and have then fly around with "magical boots" - LOL

Seriously...? I mean... many gay couples may have communication problems... but never to this extend, as in Sotus S. I don't believe anyone could take that long anything of it... Not even having moments of physical closeness regularly or even spending quality time together; specially working and studying in the same city. Bangkok is huge... but you get almost anywhere with the BTS or the MRT in less than 30 minutes... and I am not considering that Kongpop has a motorbike... which is actually the best transport vehicle to get thru the city even in rush hours. Living together is an issue for many couples... this is a fact... but what is the point of living door to door and not seeing each other in days....? Can anybody take this for "realistic"...?

Moving on:

To reduce Arthit to his workplace is like taking away from him all what he is; and all what he has done before. Besides... the job doesn't have anything to do about him being in love with Kong. But those "extra hours" never play a role in this series, and that makes it so bad - amount so many other things already said.

Can we take as "realistic" that Kong had to force Arthit to take his kiss...??? I don't think anybody will feel any good if you have to act like that with your couple... Is more like watching "He is NOT into you"... so just move on and find a person that loves you and doesn't care about what any other people think about it. After all, discrimination against gender is a criminal act in Thailand.

 

Cheers...!

 

By "some" I'm guessing you might be referring to me. Look, I'm not going to start an argument or heated debate on Soompi forums over such a silly thing as a television program that's clearly created to be very light entertainment. I've watched a few of these BL shows from Thailand (and other places) and they all follow the same silly format and are very much written with a particular audience in mind - and frankly that audience isn't you and I. The difference is that I accept that and watch them for what they are and because of the light entertainment they provide - instead of overanalysing every single detail and aspect . They're fun to watch and a bit of a break from every day life. I never watch any of them with the expectation of seeing a gripping drama like it's a show on HBO. There's plenty of LGBT films and series out there when that's what I want to watch, and if that's what you're looking for then it's probably best to avoid these shows altogether and watch something else or you'll just end up frustrated and angry all the time.

 

Compared to Sotus season 1 I found Sotus S to have a more realistic storyline and touch on some subjects which Sotus didn't. But I'm not an effin' idiot - none of these shows are groundbreaking drama meant to highlight or showcase the trials and tribulations of life. They are just light entertainment. Calm down, lighten up, grab a beverage and sit down in front of your telly or laptop and watch and enjoy them for what they are instead of getting frustrated and angry.

[[Thai BL Series 2016-2018] SOTUS The Series S1 & S2 พี่ว้ากตัวร้ายกับนายปีหนึ่ง]

35 minutes ago, dustinmyeye said:

 

I agree with much that you say here. If this had been a separate story it or even if it had followed on immediately from season 1 then the plot could have been viewed differently.

 

The workplace atmosphere can be difficult but people expect new comers to be a bit shy and it is only after a while that they begin to notice that you never talk about a partner. I enjoyed the office story line but if you watch Arthit's interactions with Kongpob he is often far too close and personal and Earth is sitting just behind the 'conversation' - she had already picked up all the signs anyway (Cherry had his gaydar switched off for the entire season methinks me).

 

Why do you think Kongpob is more at ease with himself ? He has never mentioned Arthit to his family (not even as a friend) he has never suggested that he move in with Arthit. When he does move in next door he never even visits Arthit - they talk in the lift. There is also the point that even at Uni he is not overly 'out' . The lassie would not have offered her gear if it was common knowledge that Kongpob 'isn't interested in women'. Did you notice that Dae did not recognise Arthit when he walked into the office ? Fine he didn't exactly play during the hazing but Arthit spent enough time on campus with Kongpob to have been seen and as a previous head hazer there are going to be photos of him about.

 

When Kongpob posed the question : what do I mean to you ? I felt that it could be put in the other direction as well. What sort of partner takes an internship at your work place - without telling you ? Would you be happy if your partner bought the house next door - without telling you or discussing the idea with you ? Does, moving in next door suggest that they do not want to simply move in ? Ultimately though Kongpob moved in next door and Arthit saw more of the neighbour's cat than his boyfriend.

 

Yes, social events can be difficult but only if you actually take your partner along. Kongpob was there as an Intern, he wasn't there as Arthit's partner.

 

How much distance distance between the pair of us ? What was the answer to that one ? They never discussed it.

 

There lies my biggest complaint - they never discussed anything. The relationship hadn't progressed and wasn't going to because they never communicated. As you quite rightly say the story brought up lots of problems about relationships and how to proceed in life but they were never seriously addressed. Arthit and Kongpob never sat down and talked about how they should interact at work. Arthit mentions his fears about what his colleagues would think of him, but there was never any reason for him to feel pressurised because Kongpob was going to leave again after a few months. His colleagues never talked about their personal lives - was John gay/straight ? Did Earth have a current boyfriend ? We don't know, it was never talked about. Same applies to Arthit. Push would only come to shove if Kongpob had taken a job at the same firm.

 

I admit to being an Arthit fan, I can empathise with him. Of the two I have always felt that Arthit is more aware of who he is because he has posed the questions. He confided in Knott long before Kongpob mentioned anything to his friends. Arthit may not be overly comfortable with who he is but he does at least know. Of the two, to my mind, Arthit would be more open with his family. In season 1 remember Kongpob goes for denial at the seniors' party, it is Arthit that outs the pair. Same again in this season.

 

Deary me. Here I am getting all hot and bothered over a TV series. It wasn't as awful as I feared, just not as good as it could have been. Back to work, I have dead people that want to be written about !

 

I take your points and I don't necessarily disagree, there are a number of plot holes and discrepancies and it's fairly evident that there was a bit of a mad rush to get this on air. This is a common problem in TV series though (unfortunately) where you want to ride on the winds of success as much possible before they abate. You could just as easily pick holes in series 1 if I'm honest, and a lot of other series of this type. The way I partly see it is expectations - I wasn't expecting a very in-depth look into their lives (as much as I would have enjoyed that). The depth of the story was more or less at the level I expected and tailored to its expected and perceived audience. Nevertheless I enjoyed it, and I also liked that it brought up some of the topics I mentioned in my earlier post compared to season 1. It's only 13 episodes, and while each episode is technically 45 mins, actual content is more like 25 mins once you take out all the credits and long intros. And don't get me started on the shameless product placement haha! You do get that everywhere these days, but at least try to make it a bit more subtle 

 

As to your questions on Kongpob's character - I don't think he's an out and out gay person who carries a rainbow flag wherever he goes, I just got the impression he was more at ease with himself compared to Arthit, and possibly more honest with himself about his feelings towards Arthit. It's possible their relationship wasn't widely known outside their core group of friends, and a freshman may not have been aware of it if they've just joined the university. I take your point on the family thing, but that's a tricky one - just because he seems more open doesn't mean he's out to his family (plenty of those examples around!!). I do remember reading a note somewhere from the author where she did actually say she always saw Kongpob as gay and Arthit slighly more on the confused side. How open he was with his sexuality we can only speculate unless the author tells us.

 

I fully understand and appreciate your frustration and for wanting this story to have been a lot more than what it was. I share some of that frustration, but I'm partly happy that they at least tried to present a more realistic scenario.

[[Thai BL Series 2016-2018] SOTUS The Series S1 & S2 พี่ว้ากตัวร้ายกับนายปีหนึ่ง]

I've now watched the final episode of Sotus S and have been reading some of the feedback on the forum. There's been some criticism and some of it may be justified but rather than rebuff or reiterate what has been said, I thought I'd just throw my two penneth into the conversation instead. What I'm about to say may be highly controversial - but in my view season 2 is actually better.

 

Before you get shocked into near cardiac arrest and start to hurl a barrage of insults my way, hear me out. As a continuation of season 1 it might not work very well, for many of the reason that have already been mentioned - so again, I won't reiterate them. But in isolation, ie if you ignore season 1 for a second (if that's possible), then season 2 is in my view a better storyline. It is more believable, better acted and deals with many issues that in season 1 were more or less brushed aside in favour of the cutesy stuff. Don't get me wrong, I liked season 1 - it was entertaining, lovey and fun to watch - but very much a typical BL storyline which is amusing and fun but not very realistic.

 

Season 2 actually depicted a situation and storyline that in many ways isn't far from reality.  If they had become a couple just as Arthit graduated and started working, many of the struggles and issues they faced would be quite realistic (based on my own experience) - and the storyline actually makes a lot more sense. As a gay person who works in an office environment I know all too well the difficulties of being in a gay relationship in a very hetero-normative environment. There is a regular worry about what colleagues will think of you and how you will be perceived. Gay "jokes" are all too common and casual homophobia can be a real issue - and this coming from someone who lives and works in what is probably one of the most liberal and gay friendly countries in Europe. I'm not Thai or live anywhere near Thailand, but my understanding is that Thai society is still somewhat conservative (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) where a "gay lifestyle" is generally frowned upon, and there is pressure from family not to embarrass or do anything "shameful" (having said that - you still get this in Europe as well, but it can be a bit more manageable over here).

 

Anyway, back to the topic at hand before I digress too much and get carried away with these other issues.

 

As I'm not fluent in Thai I can't read the novels (unless they get translated), so can only base things on the TV show - but compared to Arthit's character, Kongpob's seems to be much more at ease with himself, who he is, his feelings and importantly with being in a relationship with another man. Arthit is still too conscious of how he will be perceived by others and probably only takes sneak peeks on what goes on outside the closet before locking himself back in again. The only place where he is comfortable being himself and with his boyfriend is at home, in private. This is much more common than you think, and the show actually touches on issues which are very real and experienced by many homosexual couples around the world. This disparity in a gay relationship - ie where one is more open and comfortable compared to the other - can be really challenging to deal with, as is shown in episode 7 when Kongpob asks how much distance he should keep in order for Arthit to feel comfortable.

 

The setting of Arthit starting a job for the first time and trying to find his way in a new chapter in his life, while having a boyfriend who is still in university can be a challenging one for a number of reasons - such as worrying about finding your role in the company, where you fit in, worrying about making mistakes, how well will you perform etc. In the meantime you're also trying to get your relationship to work when your lifestyles are very different (studying vs working). Throw in the issues raised above and it becomes even more difficult.

 

I liked the fact that the show brought up a lot of these issues - as well as the cutesy stuff- and applaud them for doing so. They were quite subtle at times and maybe not picked up by everyone, but for someone who has lived and still lives this reality, I identified a lot more with the characters and their situation - for example: being with your partner on a company social event (I can tell you it raises a few eyebrows!). In the end you have to decide for yourself what's more important to you - the person you love standing next to you or what people think of you. It may seem like a an easy decision but that isn't always the case.

 

And yes, we would all like to have seen more touchy feely stuff between the two (who wouldn't  - they're both gorgeous!), but you know what - it didn't massively bother me that there were just insinuations instead.

 

For me season 1 and 2 are almost two different stories with the same characters - standalone as opposed to one being a sequel to the other. I'm fully aware that wasn't the intention, and for that reason I can understand the frustration many viewers feel. At first I was also a bit bewildered by how the relationship didn't seem to be at the expected stage considering the timeline. But in the end I actually ended up enjoying the season 2 storyline more than the first, simply because it presented a more realistic setting - for me anyway. It was by no means perfect, for instance I would have preferred for the "extra" Bl couples to have been omitted altogether (I actually fast forwarded those bits) and to see more interaction between the two main characters. But nothing is ever perfect.

 

So I choose to reconcile the show by seeing the two seasons as two distinct storylines with the same characters. Maybe this can help people enjoy season 2 a bit more as well