I’m not sure what I’m more invested in, the developing relationship between Pod and Jinna or the drama Anda is wading through.

Either way, Oops Mysterious Sounds has my attention.

Adapted from Karnsaii’s web novel of the same name, this Thai BL stars PK Patarachai as Podduang “Pod,” Namna Thanthai as Jinna, Paul Punyaphat as Anda, Pufresh as Dunk, and Fang Viracha Thapanangkoonkorn as Bumm.

At the center of the story is Pod, a shy student secretly crushing on his straight best friend, Dunk. When those feelings become a little too obvious, Pod tries to cover them by pretending he’s actually interested in Jinna, an attractive mutual friend he doesn’t particularly like. Somehow, he convinces Jinna to play along.

And that’s already complicated enough. Then famous BL actor Anda, a friend of Jinna’s and an actor Pod fanboys over, opens up about his real life relationship and the hate that comes his way is much more than the kindness some manage to show him.

Oops Mysterious Sounds has been released at an interesting time in BL social media. Not that the landscape has necessarily changed that much, but the wars between fans seem to have grown increasingly worse with each passing year. As has the need to destroy real life relationships while cancelling everyone for everything. And while Oops Mysterious Sounds is ultimately about the developing relationship between Jinna and Pod, what appears destined to draw them closer together is what happens to BL celebrity Anda.

At least according to the preview.

At only two episodes in, Oops Mysterious Sounds feels very reminiscent of old-school BLs, and I find that oddly comforting in its nostalgia. There’s something familiar about the friendships, the fake dating setup, and even the slightly ridiculous circumstances bringing Pod and Jinna together, while Anda’s story gives all of that lightness a much heavier edge.

And the connections between all of them start coming together and, at times, unraveling pretty quickly.

Pod’s other best friend, Bumm, and Dunk begin dating. In an attempt to make his friends feel better about being together, Pod pretends he’s in a burgeoning relationship with his rival Jinna. Meanwhile, Anda, the BL actor Pod fans over, is being hounded in the media after coming out and announcing that he’s in a relationship.

I love the chemistry between PK and Namna, and that chemistry is doing enough of the heavy lifting romantically while Anda’s story delivers the meat of the controversy. And honestly, Anda’s story breaks my heart. He’s an actor being attacked for having a relationship outside his fictional ship. He’s accused of being selfish because he wants to be public with his real-life partner. His father doesn’t accept him for who he is. And all the while, he’s being torn apart online and through hate mail for simply trying to live his own life.

There’s something particularly painful about watching a character whose identity seems to belong to everyone except himself. He wants to explore who he is, but other people have already decided who he’s allowed to be. He wants to enjoy his career while still having a life outside of it, only to discover that some people believe his career should be his life.

And there’s something incredibly timely about that.

It’s sad that in the fight to “grow” the world, we’ve sometimes found more satisfaction in condemning people than allowing them room to grow. That in our fight to educate, education can so easily become cancellation. And that in spaces built around stories about love, acceptance, and finding happiness, there can still be a constant war over everything and everyone.

Somewhere beneath all that anger, love gets buried. Anda’s storyline feels like one painful example of that.

When I clock out of work for the day, I’m a lot like Pod. I’m quiet. I have a small, close-knit friend group. I like reading, watching dramas, and relaxing at home with a cup of coffee. I see enough ugliness working in animal welfare. I’ve seen my fair share of how hateful people can be, which may be why Anda’s storyline hurts as much as it does. Fiction is often where people go to breathe for a little while, and there’s something heartbreaking about watching that same space become another place where a person is punished for simply trying to be himself.

There are too many things I could say about this topic to fit into one first impression. But I will say that I’m glad there are series willing to explore the darker side of entertainment and the possession, discrimination, and obsession that can come with it.

Especially when Oops Mysterious Sounds balances that darkness with something much lighter.

Because beneath the celebrity controversy and impending murder mystery the trailer and teasers have hinted at, we still have Pod and Jinna awkwardly pretending to like each other while very likely heading toward the realization that they don’t have to pretend at all.

And I really like that contrast.

There are a few minor editing issues, but the series has a good start. The chemistry is there. The mystery is there. And it tackles some surprisingly profound issues while leaning into the lighter romantic tropes that make it feel reminiscent of older BLs. Now I’m interested to see what happens when those two sides of the story finally collide.

For a rivals-to-lovers mystery revolving around a celebrity one lead calls a friend and the other calls his idol, check out Oops Mysterious Sounds, now streaming on Viki.

Rating- 4 out of 5