This series can best be described by a quote from Charles Dickens, “A Tale of Two Cities” – “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” It had an exceptional storyline only to slip into banality and nonsensical story arcs. Here is yet again another Thai series that simply had no idea what a great diegesis it actually had. If only they had followed through with their main title.

It is first and foremost a love story dawning in a rural backdrop in Thailand which in and of itself made it unique and refreshingly different. That alone was enticing. The basic, simple life of rural Thailand seems almost idyllic to those of us who do not have to live in it. It felt sublime. I know, of course, it is not. And sadly, that reality is bore out in all too graphic ways in the end.

The love story is between two childhood neighbors who over the years of being companions developed an intense devoutness and bond to one another that is discernible. Closer than brothers. Cherished friends who know each other better than they know themselves. But as they grow closer to the age when expectations are that each must seek a mate for marriage, as is customary, it finally spills over into a physical relationship. One that at first feels awkward but at the same time is unambiguously inevitable. Both knew or at the very least sensed that someday it would lead to this moment. Both and each knew they were in love with each other. Not just ostensively or only merely in a physical sense. They were meant to be – had to be – together. Each thus pledged their undying love for one another both in words, actions, and emotions.

Loy (Leng Natthaphon Nindonwai) a rather kind-hearted son of a widow with both trying to eke out an existence while Kaew (Stamp Pornwasin Rueangnukul) is a member of a nobler family. Both are strikingly handsome, natural leaders, pillars of the community, and are because of the small village, desirable by all the eligible females in this rather small community.

As mentioned, this series is a tale of two stories. The love story between Loy and Kaew, despite all the negative comments overall about this series, is breathtakingly romantic. It is also sensuous and, in some instances, even erotic. There was a naturalness about these guys together that made the camera disappear. They made love come to life and feel honest and so genuine between them. And their kissing scenes are some of the best I have ever seen and surely are the best Thai kissing scenes ever produced. Quite a statement but also quite true. They were warm, gentle, sincere, intimate, and obviously sensual. There was something about their embracing that was discernibly magical. When the story was about and with these two young men, it was blissful. Simple and beautiful. Exotic and erotic.

When it got to the other narratives of the story, it completely fell apart. Consistency and coherency were gone, and it became a jumbled mess. The acting was amateurish, and the plot meandered, therefore pointless. Some parts of it were downright cringe-worthy if not even revolting. There was no structure, no rhythm, and many of the supporting performers lacked confidence along with experience. That became quite clear and obvious.

The flashbacks between when a gaggle of these characters were their younger selves meant I am guessing to be a comparison and useful to understanding how/why they bridged themselves to their present circumstances, quickly became more of an annoyance. While an occasional use of this method can certainly enhance a story, it soon became a reliance on it to move the story along. Yet, it just did not work. That all felt so overused. Sure, the culture references, settings, and surroundings enhanced the mood but unfortunately that all was underutilized. They indeed seemed more like props rather than distinctly and accurately making them an integral part of the story and how it would either advance or hinder the story overall.

As mentioned, this story meandered all over the map that mostly centered around the ugliness of the backstabbing, negative intrigue, and overindulgence of its pampered, petulant, and decadent privileged individuals. One side-story, however, that was intriguing and fascinating centered around a character by the name of Gun played by Xhonhan Kitjanarat Nanhanarungruang. Raised as a boy, Gun is a female but dresses and acts like a male because her mother wanted a son. While she tries very hard to be a male, when she finally falls in love with a young beautiful female in the village, she simply cannot do it as a male and wants to express herself as a female; which of course created a conflict with her mother who eventually realized the damage she was creating. The story never fully addresses the complexities of this issue but overall, the community seemed a bit more tolerant of her behavior than what Loy and Kaew perceived their open relationship would have created. Indeed, Xhonhan Kitjanarat does show some complexities to this character and a depth to her persona that surprised me. Her performance certainly does stand out and will grab your attention. She is the most unique and different among the villagers.

I think the love story will touch you deeply and even if you are not gay, it will still make you believe in love. It is touching, moving, tender, intimate, sensual, and most of all utterly genuine and authentic. Knowing all of this, you are permitted to feel something at its end that maybe you did not want to experience. But sometimes in life, it is inevitable.

Sadly, I cannot not and will not reveal anything about the ending of this series except to say that it is forthright and heartbreaking. And real. So real.

Overall, this series is generally reviewed poorly. And I cannot sugar-coat it to make it good. Perhaps it would work better if you sat down and watched it in toto. It does contain one of the best gay love stories, and therefore one of the best BLs, I have ever seen. I shall remember that portion, though the rest of it is less polished. This may influence its legacy and how the series is perceived. Reconsider this series. If you want to see one of the purest and therefore loveliest BLs and gay love stories, watch this series for Loy and Kaew. If you filter out the rest of the noise, I think you will see clearly what I am saying.

At the end, it is okay if you want… to….cr….

Rating- 3 out of 5

Streaming on- LoyKaewFirstLove YouTube Channel