To Sir, With Love (Thai Series)

A Thai language but Chinese culture soap opera show. This was probably one of my first soap opera based show with a central gay character and focus on the fight for gay love, but the drama is so much more than just the gay character. A drama projected with the intensity of emotions, frustrations, and complicated feelings that only increases over time as the characters progress and grow. The show is long and will need a commitment. It has been almost a month now since I started watching the show. Sure, there are only 17 episodes but they are all 70 minutes long and a plethora of characters who are all very very important. I had my reservations when I started watching the show only because soap operas are no longer my thing, but the constant twists, turns, surprises, grey characters, love stories had me hooked and I can safely say that I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Although it did take up a lot of time and energy to watch this one. I am going to try my best to summarize my feelings and thoughts of the show here but given that I have almost forgotten what I was going through in first few episodes given they were long back, lets see how much I can actually remember.

We are introduced to Song family from 30s-40s. Mr. Song is th head of Five Dragon business guild, so naturally expectations of him and his family are high. By his main wife Li, he has his eldest son Thian. He has a secondary wife Jan with whom he has a son named Yang and he has a mistress named Bua. In a Chinese family, masculinity is prized. Thian is the face of the family and should eventually take over the business, but he is hiding a secret. He is gay and in love with a commoner, a fact that when his mother find out; will do anything to keep this information hidden from everyone, even f it means killing, lying or doing anything else. HIs half brother Yang has always known about this but has always admired and loved his brother and will continue to support him without even saying the words. But the mother (second wife), wants to find out at al cost what is Thian's secret so that she can push for her son to be the head of the association even though he has no desire and would rather fall in love with a beautiful girl and live carefree. Things only get complicated when Thian falls for a commoner named Jiu, who works for Ma, a member of the association but who secretly wants to take over. With the growing fondness between Jiu and Thian, Jiu does not fulfill his mission. Thus ensues a tumultuous power struggle surrounding a forbidden romance that captures the heart. With more characters introduced and each one equally important for the flow of the plot, the show keeps you on your hooks till a very revetting finale.

To Sir, With Love is filled with murder, mayhem, cover-ups, crazy supernatural poisonings, multiple wife catfights, deceit, and many misunderstandings. But artfully tucked inside all of this are two captivating love stories, a brotherly relationship that knows no bounds, and a group of strong, powerful women who turn the tides on the men who think they control them. I kid you not, this is real soap opera. The women of the show are the real power controllers. The gay love story steals the show, which is intentional since the entire plot and all of the characters’ decisions, rash or otherwise, stem from Tian’s hidden sexuality. The love story itself doesn't get as much focus as I would have liked it to, but it is always luring in the back. It's actually the love between the two half brothers that is the real scene stealer in the show. Well aware of his brother’s sexuality from the beginning, Yang spends his entire childhood and young adulthood supporting Tian’s position in the family. Yang is a stalwart ally in a volatile world where Tian has no one and where Yang is taught to despise everything Tian is. Everything about Tian and Yang is warm, comfortable, and safe, from the teasing to the shared smiles to the promises and emotional hugs they share. In a society where patriarchy is dominant, homosexuality is treated as STIGMA. This is experienced by Jiu and Thian when they were mocked. Thian has an emotional struggle, too, with being forced to marry a woman he doesn’t love. He does this to please his father and mother and to hide his real gender identity, and then eventually succeeds in taking over his father’s leadership in the family’s business.

The biggest USP of the show is the story and screenplay. There are no boring episodes and you wait for what's going to happen next. Each (or let's say most) characters are grey. They are well - written, unique and developed. The gay love story between felt mature and honest and healthy (unlike the university based BL dramas) It is risky, sweet, dangerous but still the purest love I've ever seen. Similarly a mother's love to do anything for their sons or the straight love story between Yang and the girl. If I have to point out negatives, I would say that I wish Thian/jiu romance was focused more on. Yes, the romance story was there and was tender and honest and real but actual love moments between the two were very far and few in between. I would have loved to see a lot more of those. I do liked the female charters of potential Thian's bride who eventually becomes Yang's girlfriend. She was a very supportive ally of the brothers. Also, one other thing I'd loved to see was Mr. Song having amore stringer personality. As the head of family and five dragon association, you would expect the man to know how to handle things, but seeing him get manipulated by the women in his life os easily mad eye question his morals and his capabilities. Besides these glitches, I think the series is a vividly told emotional story about coming out and how it is not always easy and rosy. A lot of us (even from back in the day) have had to struggle in our own ways, form being forced to get married, to do doing right by the family, to surpassing your love; this show has everything. This still is a significant time investment, in which you could probably watch ten films, but a worth rewarding one if overtly dramas are your thing. I didn't;t think they were mine, but here I am, enjoying every minute of it. (8.5/10)