“This is the real thing. Acting that does not look like acting.” – Quote from The Star

There is honestly so much to unpack here in this short series that goes way beyond the plot or story. Reality and fiction merge together to make this series unique. As the abstract states, this series is based on a ‘true story’. Perhaps a more apt description might be closer to a docudrama.

It begins with a hapless and sad young man, ironically named Hope (Night Yodsakon), who sets up his vendor cart selling fried meatballs in front of a BL production company. He looks and acts defeated and forlorn. Yet maintains a sense of optimism outwardly; merely for show. Inwardly, he seems to have given up ‘hope’.

One day he is approached by the owner of the BL production company who asks if he would like to star in a BL series. Indeed, there is something enticing about Hope that draws you to him. His face tells it all and there is something about his demeanor that is raw and organic. If he could learn to act, channel his difficult life experiences into real meaningful and believable enactments, he could evoke a freshness about a series. Hope knows nothing about acting or even what a BL is but is willing to try.

However, his partner, Nine (Kong Chindanai), is an angry, bitter young man. Nine is feeling entitled and his resentment and bitterness towards life, and especially about not making it ‘big’, is thwarting his growth not only in acting but in learning how to live in general. With no options left, he partners with Hope and is instructed to teach him to act.

While pretending to do so, he thwarts Hope at every opportunity and literally belittles him with each step in the process and in the course diminishes his worth. Finally, Hope reaches his limit and cannot take any more of his abusive insults. When Nine finally realized the extent to which he has beaten him down, he knows his behavior has wronged an individual who is simply trying to struggle to exist and goes to look for Hope. Finding him at the lowest point in his life. Hope is now completely destitute. Nine reflects on his own personal struggles and realizes how much he was just like Hope. From that point on, the two become close and Nine begins to teach him how to act. Plus, more. They fall in love. So, their love making becomes more than mere acting. Hence, the line above becomes clear – they both begin to appreciate that acting is an extension of reality.

There are essentially only the two of them in this series. Both are relatively new to acting, with Kong having more experience. It is not that their acting is bad. Some of it is actually very good and believable. However, both are playing roles where their acting is mimicking their own levels of experiences in actuality. Unfortunately, the depth to their characterizations is not where it ought to be. God knows that they do try to and there is a natural chemistry between the two of them that in a sense makes them charming to watch. But it just is not quite enough. On a superficial level, they are cute and pull it off with a certain level of frankness, based on what I think is some intuitiveness to reality for each. But if you want to create a lasting impression for the audience, it must go deeper.

We just get to a minimal level of feeling something for them as a couple, and then the series is over. That is too bad. The emotional connections to their characters simply do not go deep enough to make them believable. These guys are good actors but not great ones and are frankly rough around the edges. They could stand to have acting lessons to hone in on their skills and an acting coach to get them through the emotional scenes with a greater sense that are believable and intensity rather than a reliance on the despondent looks and sad-sack expressions that they are admittedly both good at portraying. However, they needed to express greater emotional rawness and depth to the characters they were portraying. Nine and Hope had to become real. That sense never shown through with fervor.

They are a cute, adorable couple and could have become the poster couple for everyday ordinary gay guys feeling lost and alone that they too could also make it. I wish we had seen and felt more of that. They could have portrayed those characteristics with great appeal and advanced a portraiture of a gay couple with a different happy ending. But I get it.

The production company decided to spend its effort making a NC scene so you can watch for a paid fee. That is a bit disappointing and misguided. This deprived the full audience of seeing these guys act as a couple even though the making of a solid relationship was there. What made these two connect? I wanted to see that. Instead, it went for a titillating factor, which I think distracted from a rather evocative story.

I know this is not a big production company and I applaud their efforts to take an interesting true story and truncate it. Obviously, this series is completed on a shoestring budget with a mammoth effort and commitment on the part of the actors and production crew to give it their best shot. I tip my hat for their efforts. But, if I am going to be honest here, this is the first time I am disappointed in their endeavor. NOT because of the acting or production. But because it seems to have concentrated on only one aspect of their relationship. Rather than letting us see how two very lonely, sad, essentially misfit young men filled each other’s lives with happiness and a real sense of personal and romantic growth, they concentrated on only their salacious side.

This production company, overall, has created some solid and wholesome productions in the past. This is not a bad series, but it needed so much more effort. It just feels incomplete and awkward. I wanted to understand and know Nine and Hope more intimately on other levels besides merely their physical connection, which I did not want to pay to see or think of as a separate factor to their relationship. I, however, might want to pay for a quality production with intensely solid performances including all aspects of their relationship.

I felt a bit let down by this series.

Rating- 3.5 out of 5

Streaming on- WayuFilm Productions YouTube