Thai BL series have fully embraced the Yaoi elements with the 2024’s batch of series. We had shows like “House of Stars”, “Playboyy” and “Only Friends” which compensated for a lack of quality script or good acting by some of the cast with the sensuality, a heavy lean on sexual situations, or brevity by characters who originally presented themselves as cool serious personas; doing outrageous and funny things that somehow worked in the mini universes the series created.

Mame’s new series “Love Seas The Series” joins the Yaoi/BL trend that fans are receiving this year. Streaming via IQIYI app for international viewers, the ten episode series follows romance author Tongrak played by Peat Wasuthorn. The author is passively forced to go on a vacation as his new book just isn’t happening. So he is sent to small island by his wealthy best friend Connor. Tongrak is a spoiled, bratty rich man who hasn’t ever had to fend for himself. A situation Connor took into account by employing a caretaker for him in the form of Mahasmut (Mut) played by Fort Thitipong. The Jack of all trades man who has a cavalier reputation among the islanders who look up to him as if he were an unofficial Chief. Like in “Wedding Plan” there are two female characters who exist as a part of Tongrak’s life. But have had no scenes with him as of the second episode.

I get the strong impression the two women will be their own separate half of the series until the script puts all four into the same scenes. Ironically one half of the pair of women played a similar role in “Wedding Plan The Series ”. That woman is Aya Orapan who plays Khaimuk, the overworked secretary of Tongrak. Her partner the time is Vivi played by Chanya Amarit. Vivi is Tongrak’s best friend and rents one of his apartments. She uses her position to treat Khaimuk as if she were her employee instead of Tongrak’s. She makes a point to reward the smaller woman’s efforts for her with a kiss on the forehead much to Khaimuk’s delight.

The series maintains the same energy as “Wedding Plan The Series ”. Silly and comedic combined with the dramatic seriousness of “Love By Chance”. The only frown in the first two episodes was Tongrak, who masks his enjoyment of Mut’s golden retriever behavior. Tongrak and Khaimuk mirror each other in the most obnoxious whining manner possible. It sets the tone for their characters as they deal with minor inconveniences as if they stepped on broken glass, which after the first 15 minutes seemed to recede like a wave. Khaimuk barely had any screen time in the first episode and Mut quickly became the focus of Tongrak’s attention.

It’s interesting the way the show used these 15 minutes to set the bar for how bad/annoying Tongrak could be. He spends predominantly most of the first episode being annoyed at Mut’s kindness. The series relies on the chemistry between Mut and Tongrak to make Tongrak’s bratty behavior tolerable. Mut with the patience of a saint tolerates the rude and often cruel ways Tongrak talks to him. The series approaches this by peppering most of the two’s interactions with stairs that last too long, side conversations with side characters deployed to highlight the attraction between the two.

The show is self aware in not making viewers wait for a few episodes for the two to get “together” by the second episode they both give into the sexual attraction between them. Tongrak in pure bratty fashion dismisses him with the same indifference he had for the four meals Mut made him for breakfast, to have him take a small bite from the fourth before saying he was full. To save the show from being purely soft core Yaoi, by the end of the second episode it’s clear Tongrak had a rough childhood that makes him disbelieve love is real.

If you’re looking for a beautifully shot slice of cake of a BL, “Love Seas The Series” is for you. If you want a well written BL, look elsewhere. There were three or four instances where the characters say one thing before doing the opposite. As if the show’s editors just didn’t take the time to make sure the words aligned with how characters behaved. (Example : Tongrak sees Mut sitting with a bunch of beautiful women. He kisses him infront of the women. Then in the next scene says the man can do whatever he wants but because he paid him, Mut can’t do anything with anyone else because he is his”

Rating- 3 out of 5 stars (for being enjoyable until I have to think about it with a critical mindset).

Streaming on- IQIYI