Po, a young photographer is lost in life. His ex used him, draining his talent and then left him. He does odd jobs here and there to keep afloat. So when a friend offers him a dream job—capturing the final moments of the beloved T-pop band MARS before they disbanded, he jumps at the chance. But things take an unexpected turn when he meets the band’s leader, Thame. Everything doesn't seem as it does from outside about this band. Thame is apparently being promoted as a solo singer and will go to Korea as part of company's larger business plans, leaving the remaining 4 members on their own. While taking everyone's interviews, Po realizes that Thame feels very lonely, almost as much as the other 4 members do. The next almost 6 episodes go into how Thame and Po make a plan to bring all the band members together and in unison just as they used to. Thame wants to be a good leader and does not want to be selfish. He wants to prove to the CEO of the company that all 5 of them together can be as popular as people think he alone is. They put forward this plan to CEO and she reluctantly agrees with many conditions. While the band is making music together, this is where the love between Thame and Po really develops. Both of them steal glances at one another but never brave enough to do anything. Jun, one of the band members uses this opportunity to openly flirt with Po making Thame unhappy and jealous. It's only after 4 episodes he says that he was doing all this so that Thame can be brave enough to confess their feelings. The band's reunion doesn't come easy. They start getting popular but then one of the band member Pepper's affair becomes public and suddenly wants start hating. So he has tp renounce is love, making Po wonder off him being in a relationship with Thame affect his career. While Thame and Po try to navigate through this love story, the CEO plays a totally different game where she refuses to finally continue the contract with the band. Even though the band will need to pay up the lost money to company, at least they can perform together and be a single group. And also Tham and Po will be a lovely couple together.
I dunno why but I was unable to connect with the show at many places. I mean the love story was nice and cute but the whole Thai idol, -pop etc are the kind of things that personally, I find hard to connect with. Maybe I am too old. I feel that more than romance, the focus of the show was on band and there is noting wrong with that. Despite all the tensions, drama and misunderstandings, there was a genuine sense of camaraderie between the five members. Their relationships evolve throughout the story and the tension slowly turns into more understanding and support, which was good to see. They each had their vibe but also had each other's back. But at many places I felt that the resolutions for the drama between the 5 were easily solved and were too convenient and maybe I am being too harsh, but thats how I felt. Coming to the romance between Thame and Po, it is one of the tender kinds we have seen in recent times. It’s this subtle intimacy that makes their connection so real. The way Thame looks at Po, with such warmth and affection makes their interactions feel genuine and heartfelt. The chemistry is soft and subtle but undeniable and it’s clear they are there for each other without needing to shout it out. There was this unspoken support between them and it was in those quiet, thoughtful moments that make their romance feel so down-to-earth. Even the character graphs are interesting. Po becomes a confident director from a shy photographer and editor. Similarly, Thame's portrayal of an idol struggling between duty and personal freedom is mesmerizing. The weight of fame, the suffocating pressure of being a public figure, the loneliness behind the glamour; it's all there.
One of the most powerful aspects of ThamePo is how it sheds light on the unseen struggles of the idol industry. It shows us the ruthless business side of talent acquisition, the relentless pressure of being in the spotlight, the suffocating contracts that control every aspect of an artist’s life. It also throws a light on para social relationship between idols and their fans, particularly the tensions that arise when idols are rumored to be in relationships. Fame comes with its own set of problems. We often see idols on stage, smiling, shining, performing their hearts out—but what happens when the cameras stop rolling? This show addresses that very nicely.
The heart of ThamePo is the relationship between Po and Thame. Two people - one lost and broken, the other weighed down by fame - finding solace in each other. There’s something so touching about watching two souls, scarred in different ways, slowly mend each other’s wounds. The problem is this romance maybe got like 40% attention in the show while the show was mainly focused on the band, its trails, struggles, issues and everything else. Overall, I can see why this show would become so popular. I like dit but at no point did I go, "Wow! This is amazing" In fact I was left anting to see more of Thame Po romance. (7/10)
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