The end of the year always gives us delightful treats regarding BL productions. 2023, in particular, is ending with a bang. There are such great BL series in motion! Most importantly, the variety of subjects portrayed makes it all that much more fun. We are no longer stuck with a one-theme-only BL engineer students series. Plots are more carefully scripted and acted out, even though there’s room for improvement in the editing department. What pleases me the most are the more mature content and characters.

I was intrigued when I saw the trailer for “The Sign”. Handsome men galore. Blurry naked butts a la The Sims. Sizzling attraction between the protagonists. And the best yet to come: supernatural elements! “The Sign: Premonition” stars Babe Tanatat as Tharn and Billy Patchanon as Phaya and is directed by A Natthaphong Wongkawiphairot – who also directed the adorable “GAP: The Series”. Both are produced by The Idol Factory, established by multi-talented Saint (“Love by Change”, “Why R U”). It’s a supernatural story shrouded in mystery – a genre I adore. Besides the mind-blowing trailer and a few comments about it being a story of good versus evil and enemies to lovers, I knew nothing else.

The first episode did not disappoint. Two teams of investigators are training, one competing against the other. One team is led by Phaya, and the other by Chat, who is also Tharn’s team. Chat is played by Kaownah Kittipat (famous for roles such as Ryou of “Love Stage” and Lhong of “TharnType”). The scene is full of action and choreographed fighting that has divided viewers’ opinions. Some thought it was great; some thought it was cringy. Besides thinking it may have gone for a bit longer than necessary, I thought it was well-filmed and rehearsed.

In the middle of training, Tharn is hit by a vision of Phaya being killed by Chat in a fight, so he runs to save him. However, saving Phaya cost both teams disqualification, making a lot of people very angry at Tharn, especially Chat. Perhaps because of that failed training, their last test to become investigators gets even more difficult. And once again, Tharn has another vision of Phaya dying. He manages to save Phaya, but Chat suffers an accident instead and has to leave the academy, making me wonder if he will return in future episodes. I hope so. Kaownah is great at playing villains, and Chat seems a worthy antagonist.

Their last training is in the ocean. While underwater, Phaya sees a dragon (excellent CGI for a BL series) and almost drowns, being saved by a mythical sea creature, Wansarat, played by Freen, who keeps calling him Master. The one who actually pulls Phaya out of the water is Tharn, who yet again has a vision of Phaya dying. By now, it is very clear that Tharn and Phaya are linked by great chemistry and something stronger and supernatural. In fact, Tharn has had visions with Phaya since they were children – but it seems they are not aware of it (yet).

Phaya becomes obsessed with the sea lady – who reminds him of Tharn. He draws a picture of the woman in his notebook, only to be stolen by another hot cadet (Yai), who makes everyone aware that the woman looks like Tharn. Also, even the name Wansarat is similar to Tharn’s Wansa. This is when Phaya truly begins paying attention to Tharn, and from this point on, their attraction becomes impossible to overlook. They even share a cliche first kiss. Tharn falls on top of Phaya, and their lips “accidentally” touch. Now, this is a cliche scene I still adore in BLs and don’t mind seeing more of.

The episode ends with the death of a lieutenant, and Phaya, Tharn and friends are not convinced that it was suicide, so they start an investigation of their own.

I was blown away by the first episode. It was full of action, mystery, hot guys, and an intriguing plot. It went by fast for a one-hour episode, making me crave more.

The second episode is just as engaging as the first one. The plot thickens as they continue to investigate the death of the lieutenant. Is it supernatural? Was the lieutenant involved in gambling debts? Is there a conspiracy going on? I don’t know, but I’m eager to find out.

This episode also gave us nice moments between Phaya and Tharn and an almost kiss in the restroom of a restaurant. Phaya is openly interested in Tharn. Tharn, however, is afraid of getting too close. In the end, a handsome man appears to take Tharn away, making Phaya feel jealous and threatened. Does that mean Tharn’s heart will be torn between both men? Is this new guy a friend or foe? So many questions. I usually go after spoilers to know more about the story, but this time, I’ve decided I want to be wowed at every episode.

Here are some things that I did hear about the story: Phaya and Tharn had loved each other in previous lives but were unable to be together; they are mythical beings and enemies, making their love story all the more tragic.

“The Sign” has everything to become a must-watch and a favourite of the BL world, and I cannot wait for future episodes. If you love mystery, the paranormal, shirtless men, and a wonderful love story, this is for you – and me.

Rating- 4 out of 5

Streaming on- Idol Factory YouTube Channel