Skip to main content

Shine (Thai Series)

By Golu
Shine is a period drama set in 1969, starring ‘KinnPorsche’ stars, set against Thailand's political upheaval during those times. To be honest, there is a lot going on in this show, which I will admit that I was not prepared for. Having watched the whole thing. I feel like if I knew what Iw as getting into and paid attention to it in details, this show could have been a great watching experience, but I guess by now I am used to run of the mill BL storylines from Thailand and I was caught off-guard in a negative way. The story was quite complicated and even though the episodes were only 8, almost all of them were 70 minutes or longer with finale being almost 90 minutes,

The series follows Trin, an idealistic young professor newly back home from overseas. His idealism is tested as he is drawn into community development initiatives as much as the gritty surroundings of the protest movement amongst students. Determined to contribute to his country without resorting to violence, Trin strives to support the working class while navigating a society deeply divided between entrenched wealth and a rising generation demanding change. He crosses paths with Tanwa, the son of an abusive, rich politico, and their tenuous love affair is the emotional centre of the work. Complexity is introduced in the person of Victor, Trin’s intensely close friend, whose unrequited love and tragic ending give depth upon layer upon sadness. On the other side of the political divide, the series also explores the secret affair between Krailert, a military man spokesman, and Naran, a young muckraking reporter. These two find themselves drawn together despite standing on opposite sides of the political spectrum. Their relationship is complicated as one man is married, the other engaged but it is precisely this complexity that grounds their romance in reality and lends it emotional weight. What makes the Shine series so compelling is the manner in which it is able to intertwine the personal loves with the larger themes of corruption, repression, and self-sacrifice.

“Shine” is anything but conventional, it isn’t an easy watch. It is an unconventional exploration of love in an era where military rule was exploiting the common masses. It exhibits the boldness of the students who strived to bring upon a political change in their motherland. It takes a lot of time to acclimatize to the storyline; but what keeps you hooked is the romance, because at heart, most love stories are defiant & rebellious! The show doesn’t shy away from delivering a love story that is painfully realistic yet resilient. It’s like watching a period drama but through a multicolored lens that delivers brilliant cinematography and nuanced performances. What works best is how layered the characters feel. Everyone is dragging around some kind of baggage...political, personal, or both and the drama doesn’t sugarcoat it. Both pairings have unreal chemistry, and leave you yearning so, so, so much. You have Trin and Tanwa's story that is a pleasant warm blanket until it's not. And then you have Krailert and Naran's story that is all clandestine meetups and secretive passages in the newspaper until it's gutted so hard you will cry, especially with the fate that is in store for Victor. The attention to detail is incredible. From the 1960s setting, the vintage clothes, cars, and houses, the production team poured so much effort into making this drama authentic and immersive. 

But it isn't without flaws. The politics subplot is very heavy-handed and sometimes it felt draggy and a bit boring. It might be a personal issue because I don't enjoy the politics trope much. Also, at times, I felt too much spotlight was given to different subplots, which could have been given to the main couple. Now the thing s that ,it was my mistake I did not give this show the attention it truly deserves and it's completely my fault. Maybe I may revisit this in future sometime again. Even though my ratings maybe low, but this show definitely deserves to be seen. It is boundary pushing, well acted and directed and does a good blend of history and gay romance filled with heartbreaking angst and valuable lessons. It’s a layered story about love, politics, personal choices, and how the world around us shapes the relationships we hold dear. (7/10)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sei no Gekiyaku (Japanese) [Dangerous Drugs of Sex]

By Golu
Every person has their own unique way of dealing with loss. This film is as much a psychological thriller as it is a soft porn BDSM portrayal of two young men that makes the film overall horrifying as well as humane. It is really hard to describe the genre of this film in one word. Its important not that the film has some really disturbing scenes so if you go into seeing this film, please proceed with caution. Although any sexual non-consensual activity is not ok, this film has its won strange way of showing that suicide is not the only solution to all life's problems. Makoto is a regular office goer, who just finds out that his girlfriend is probably cheating on him. ON top of it, his parents sudden death coming back from a trip that he forced them to take, he gets completely dejected and decides to commit suicide. Unknown to him, he is saved by mysterious man Yoda Ryoji, and he wakes up finding himself tied up in leather and belts in a very BDSM setting. This mysterious saver soo...
3 comments
Read more

Drug Shore (Chinese)

By Golu
Apparently tis film was adapted by a true story Well, true or not, movies/series about drugs are not easy to watch. I have always said that drugs is like the end of life for anyone. For those who sink into this sea of addiction, some manage to swim upstream to recovery, while others cannot make it to the shore. The film may not be the best, but it does have a noble intention to remind everyone of the evil affects of drugs and combining that with sex. Ah Zhe is in a happy relationship with his influencer boyfriend. On his partner's birthday, they end up going to a party, which interestingly is being hosted at a drug dealer's house and this is where for the first time he is exposed to the world of drugs. The duo somehow do it just enough and come back home but next day Ah She gets invited by the dealer Xiao Fei for a meal. The dealer has a soft corner for Ah Zhe, but before anyone realizes, Ah Zhe's life spirals out of control when slowly he starts doing more and more drugs, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Shortest Distance is Round 3: Fallen Flowers

By Golu
Continuing with the weird trilogy of "The Shortest Distance", I am so glad that finally I am done with part 3 and won't have to deal with this again in future. Thankfully, as of now the makers have not announced any further parts; which will save all of us on this earth from the embarrassment of watching this in near future. After the first 10 minutes are used in sort of recapping bits of first two parts, the story moves forward. Haruto is now starting to have feelings for Ruka, the mysterious pole dancer from second part. In a fit of rage, Ruka ends up killing the goat man and to save him and Haruto, Shibahara asks them to go underground. Meanwhile Shibahara continues the search for Seiya (the guy who had cut off Haruto's penis). It turns out Seiya is now also taking care of the original club owner from part 1. Both of them were released after they had informed Shibahara of Aoyama's secret location. Shibahara tortures Seiya's boyfriend leading to Seiya killin...
5 comments
Read more