THE CHARACTER OF BAD BUDDY – PART 2

Two years ago GMM TV introduced us to Pat and Pran. The characters were unforgettable and the Bad Buddy Series stays with us even now. The two main characters were brought to life by remarkable actors. The following review appeared a year ago on SERENDIPITY.

The Main Characters, by Rich Paschall

For a story to be a success, the reader or viewer must connect in some way with the main characters. How many stories have you stopped reading or shows have you stopped watching because the main characters did not hold your interest?

The main characters need to have traits that the reader or viewer can identify with. They need to engage with us on an emotional and intellectual level. Above all else, we need to care about what happens. If there is no proper development of the characters to go along with the storyline, there is no hope of success. The Thai mini-series Bad Buddy provided essential character development throughout the 12 episodes. From the outset, we liked the main characters and cared about what happened to them. We saw the characters grow, mature, and overcome.

Pran
Pran (Nanon Korapat Kirdpan) is a serious student and we will learn along the way that he is somewhat afraid of the actions of his mother. When Pran’s mother learns in the first episode that Pat is at the same university she responds, “I wouldn’t have transferred you here if I knew you two would meet again.” She previously transferred Pran from his high school to get him away from Pat. They were playing together in a band. When Pran leaves the guitar with Wai (Episode 6), he is asked “How come your mom hates guitar so much?” Of course, it is not the guitar, it is the memory of Pran and Pat playing together. Pran admits that if his mother knows he is playing again, she might transfer him.

Pran’s mother also says Pran can date who he wants, except for the kids next door. This is literally what will keep Pran in the closet for a while. He fears being found out. He fears being transferred. Only one person will be able to remove those fears.

We know that Pran and Pat had a friendship in high school, and a flashback reveals that Pran had a crush on Pat. So the end of Episode 4 might be a surprise when Pat asks Pran “Would you like me?” Pran answers “I hate you.” We are probably thinking the same as Pat, “What the heck?” We know it’s not true, so why does Pran say it?

Pran fears that Pat wants a relationship with Ink and that Pran will never have one with Pat. It is fear of “Unrequited love.” We can see the tears roll down Pran’s face at the end of the episode. Pat’s confession of liking Ink is breaking Pran’s heart.

If Pran desires Pat, then why does he reject Pat after the emotional climax of Episode 5? Pat has kissed him (and Pran kisses back), but we see conflict on Pran’s face as Episode 6 opens. Pran is afraid of the very thing he desires. It could lead to rejection by others and transfer to another school. Even after he agrees to compete with Pat to try to win the other over, we see him try to keep the friendship a secret.

Pran will have to learn to deal with his fears and accept what is in his heart. Like it is for many LGBTQ+ individuals, it will be a difficult journey at times. His love for another will help him have the courage to stand up to his mother (Episode 10).

Pat (L) and Pran. They still have each other.

Pat
Pat (Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee) is a rude sort of guy who may be on the way to being like his father as the story begins. We see a number of examples in the early episodes of Pat’s father pressuring him to play rugby and win medals. He also puts pressure on him regarding the Freshy Day music contest. Despite any pressures at home, Pat is allowed to get away with his crude behavior.

When Pat is pursuing Ink, is he just doing something that would be expected of him? Near the end of Episode 4, Pat is locked out of his room and Pran lets him stay overnight. When Pat lists his good qualities as reasons Ink should like him, they are actually reasons why Pran should like him. Pat follows by asking if Pran would like him, but Pran is hurt and answers he hates him. Pat says, “We will see if you can find someone half as good as me.” Neither realizes just how true that is.

By the time we reach the rooftop at the end of Episode 5, we have seen highs and lows for each of our main characters, but we now know that Pat has feelings for Pran. When Pat asks Pran what is their relationship, Pran replies “Why? Do you want us to be friends?” Pat struggles to get out his reply before answering, “No.” Why does he say this? We know he now wants to be friends with Pran.

Pat wants to be more than friends. He proves this all through Episode 6 as he continues to pursue Pran despite what seems like rejection. Pran may have had a crush on Pat in high school, but now Pat has a crush on him. After they start competing with one another, Pat will be guilty of dropping clues with the #Just Friend?

When Pat and Pran become boyfriends and get outed at school by Wai, Pran’s best friend, Pat offers to repair the friendship by posting a status saying he and Pran broke up (Episode 9). “I can say you dumped me if that gets Wai to talk to you. I can really do it for you.” Pat offers to say he is the heartbroken one. Of course, Pran is not going to let him do that. They have come too far.

Pat comforts Pran

The Truth – Episode 10
The lies the boys have been told to create a dislike between them get revealed when Chai sees Pran and Pat together (Episode 10). He reveals the stories they have been told about the rivalry are untrue. When Pat says it must be a misunderstanding, Chai corrects him, “Your parents know all about this”  The boys will then start an investigation to find out what are the real reasons for the rivalry and hatred.

Eventually, they learn there was a friendship between Pran’s mother and Pat’s father. Pran says, “I don’t think their relationship ended well.” So what went wrong? It will finally come out when Pran’s mother confronts Pat’s father at his home.

This, of course, is not the only truth to come out. When Pran and Pat are caught at the supermarket together by Pat’s parents, Pat stands up to his father, “You want to know the truth? We are boyfriends.” This declaration is just as much a surprise to Pran as to Pat’s parents. He was not expecting this admission.

When Pran returns home, his mother has heard the story and is waiting for him. At first, Pran tries to deny a friendship, but finally admits, “We are boyfriends.” He adds “Everyone wants the truth. Now that you all know, why can’t you take it?”

The lies, the hatred, and the deception have all come crashing down. The boys have been outed at school at the end of Episode 8 and are now outed at home. It is all too much for Pran to bear and this leads to another dramatic rooftop scene to close out the episode.

Better Men
“We just like each other. Does anyone have a problem?”  – Pat, Episode 11
“We like each other. Why does it bother anyone?” – Pran, Episode 11

Pat takes care of Pran

As the series opens, Pat is a lot like his father. As Pat gets to know Pran, however, his priorities begin to shift. He becomes Pran’s protector. At first, it is because Pa has made him promise not to hurt Pran. This causes Pat to help Pran when Korn is chasing him. Later it is because he has feelings for Pran. In the rugby match, Pat wants to protect Pran from getting hurt, despite the fact that Pran is on the other team.

Pat has learned the importance of putting someone else first. By the end of Episode 10, when Pran is crushed by the events at home and at school, Pat will comfort him. He will be his strength. He will take him away from all the ugliness. This is not the same guy we met in the opening scene.

Pat has given up some of his bad habits from the past. At the beginning of Episode 2, we see Pran get out of bed when the alarm goes off, while Pat is a lazy student who has to hit the snooze button until the last possible moment. In episode 12, Pat is like Pran and gets up to the alarm. He has become a responsible adult. What would he have been like without the influence of Pran?

We can see from the beginning that Pran is concerned about what other students think and more importantly what his mother knows and is willing to do. He overcomes his fears because of his love for Pat. He too has learned to put someone else first. “I can be anywhere, as long as I have you (Episode 11).”

Pran is finally able to finish “Our Song,” Ep. 11

Near the end of Episode 8, Pran tells Pat he can go ahead and post hints on social media even though he previously objected. When Pat asks if he is afraid people will find out, Pran says he is, “But I care about you more.” He admits he is Pat’s boyfriend, something he could not say before. “If I can’t handle this little thing, how can I make this relationship work.” He was brave enough to join the fight at the beginning of Episode One, but he has developed a different form of courage through his friendship with Pat.

The boys are better men as Bad Buddy comes to an end. We saw them develop throughout the series and when the Episode 11 cliffhanger hits us, we really care about the way the story will end. If the characters had not been so well developed, would we have cared so much?

“Being with you already feels like freedom.” Pran to Pat, Episode 11
“Thank you…For trying to make a silly guy like me happy.” Pat to Pran, Episode 11

See also: “THE CHARACTER OF BAD BUDDY, PART 1,” rjptalk, November 12, 2023.
“THE ART OF BAD BUDDY SERIES,” Clues, Hints, Irony and Chemistry, rjptalk, November 27, 2022.
“THE BAD BUDDY PHENOMENON,” rjptalk, November 19, 2022.
“GIVING IT YOUR ALL,” ON Friend CIity review, rjptalk, October 2, 2022.
“WHO WE ARE NOW,” And Who We Are Not, rjptalk, September 11, 2023.
“SO HOW DOES IT END?” Bad Buddy Series, rjptalk, February 3, 2022.
AND
“FIVE FOR PRIDE,” SERENDIPITY, June 27, 2022.

THE CHARACTER OF BAD BUDDY

It has been two years since the Thai mini-series began on GMM TV. It has since become an international phenomenon. You can still find fans posting social media pictures, clips, and comments about Bad Buddy. If you follow either of its stars, Ohm Pawat or Nanon Korapat, you will have memories of the series almost every day. What made the characters so memorable? The following thoughts appeared last year on SERENDIPITY.

Developing Real People, by Rich Paschall

There has been a lot of BL series in recent years from a long list of countries. Some are ongoing from season to season while others last only for a few episodes. They all feature handsome male couples. They all create a variety of situations for the protagonists. They all try to have memorable theme songs. What makes a series an international success while others just fade away in time?

For the viewer to become invested in the storyline and the main characters of the series, there must be character development. Without a good script, it is unlikely that cute performers can save the show. An interesting premise or a clever scene or two is not enough. The story must progress in a logical fashion and the relationship between the main characters must develop in a believable manner.

Pat and Pran make a deal to get Wai to apologize.

While some series of recent years did not live up to the hype, the Bad Buddy series exceeded all expectations. At first, it seemed like we would have a simple Romeo and Romeo-type story, but the director and the scriptwriters did not insult us with tired tropes and old cliches. In fact, they did pretty much the opposite in developing memorable characters.

We know from the very opening sequence that the rival sets of parents have filled their boys with stories meant to create hate between the families and keep the rivalries going. One of the boys may start off as a Bad Buddy, but we will soon learn that they were friends in high school where Pran quietly had a crush on Pat.

Pran’s Parents:
They are more conservative than Pat’s parents as we will learn in the first episode. Pran’s mother has a deep hatred for Pat’s father but the true story will not be revealed until episode 10. In the meantime, Pran is given a set of lies about the family next door. Pran’s mother is determined to keep him away from the family she hates. We learn in emotional flashbacks that Pran was taken out of high school and sent to a boarding school by his mother when she saw Pran playing in a school band with Pat. These flashback moments will make you feel sorry for both boys.

The attitude of Pran’s parents is exactly why Pran tries to keep his friendship with Pat a secret in later episodes. His fear of being discovered will be seen on his face at the dinner table when his parents are talking about it being ok for Pran to date anyone (Episode 7). Pran’s mother adds, however, that she has just one request, “Please don’t be the kids next door.” Look at Pran’s face and you can see the conflict without any words being spoken. When the friends are outed in Episode 10, Pran’s mother wrongly assumes that Pat’s father is to blame for some of the lies being uncovered. This will lead to a confrontation at Pat’s house.

“I thought you knew your priorities.” Pat’s father, Ep. 8

Pat’s Parents:
They are much more accepting of Pat’s bad behavior than Pran’s parents would have been. They are willing to overlook his rude table manners on display early in the first episode. From the outset, Pat’s father will be pressuring Pat to be like he is. When Pat says he has been elected class president, the father replies, “Get yourself a gold medal from the rugby game first and I will let you brag.” When he learns Pran is back and an Architecture student at the same university as Pat, the father encourages the student rivalry, “If we get hurt, they get hurt too!”

In the second Episode, Pat’s father will tell Pat he must win the Freshy Day music contest. Pat says “I don’t feel the pressure at all.” The father replies “I’m not putting pressure on you here…but I’m serious.” We will continue to see Pat’s father pressure Pat to play rugby and win medals. By Episode Eight Pat’s life and his father’s expectations collide when Pat’s father learns Pat has been skipping rugby practice for Architecture’s play rehearsal. The father incorrectly states, “Do you know why I don’t intervene in your life very much? It’s because I thought you knew your priorities.” Rugby was Pat’s father’s priority, not Pat’s. The play was Pat’s priority because he wanted to be close to Pran.

Wai
We are introduced to Wai (Jimmy Jitaraphol) in the opening moments of Episode 1. Wai is an Architecture student and he is running from Engineering students. Wai is Pran’s best friend as the story opens and Pran will run to join the fight to defend Wai. As the series progresses we will learn that Wai seems to have a chip on his shoulder and his quick temper will frequently cause problems for his friends. Pran will have his work cut out as he tries to keep Wai out of fights, but as we will see, it does not always work.

Architecture and Engineering students

Wai’s character will drive a lot of the action in the series. In addition to instigating fights, he will encourage Pran to join the Freshy Day music contest. His dislike for Pat will become an increasing problem for Pran until the dramatic moment at the end of Episode 8. It may seem a bit ironic that Pran’s fear of being “outed” at school was realized when his best friend revealed his relationship with Pat at the Architecture play rehearsal. Many think Wai owed Pran an apology which we never really see. When Pran apologizes in Episode 9 for keeping his friendship with Pat a secret, Wai answers in typical Wai fashion, “I need to forgive you don’t I? Otherwise I am an asshole.” In an emotional confrontation, Wai explains he would have told Pran. “Because you’re my best friend. It really hurts.” Wai will remain mad for a while.

Even though the apology never comes, Wai steps up when it counts the most. When Pat is in trouble and only Wai knows the truth of Pat’s innocence, he ultimately hands over the proof to Pran. Why? Because he really is Pran’s best friend.

Korn
What Wai is to Pran, Korn (Drake Sattabut) is to Pat, or pretty close anyway. It is Korn who is leading the charge to catch Wai in the opening scene. Just as Wai leads his Architecture student friends into fights, Korn will do the same with his Engineering student friends. When Pat and Pran brokered a deal to have Wai apologize to Pat to end the problem we saw at the opening, Korn would upset the plan. “If you think you can end this with a sorry, you’re wrong. Get them!” The fight between the groups resumes.

When Pat is outed at school, Korn will deny him a seat at the lunch table. He will quickly apologize and add he was being pressured by Seniors. When there is trouble, Korn will defend Pat.

Pat, Pran, Pa, Ink (L to R)

Pa, Pat’s sister
Pa (Love Pattranite Limpatiyakorn) will be the voice of reason in her family. She will balance out Pat’s rude behavior and push him to do the right thing. In the first episode when Pat is showing his rude table manners and eating loudly, Pa remarks “Why don’t you just eat that spoon too?” She will often call out Pat for anything he may be doing wrong. It is important that she is the one who asks Pat not to hurt Pran in the fights between the Architecture and Engineering students. In fact, she thinks Pat and Pran are brought together because they are “soulmates,” as odd as that may seem for two rival families.

When Korn and later Pat’s father disturb Pran’s dorm life in Episode two, Pat goes to see Pa at the high school. She correctly points out, “You came to see me because you feel guilty. You feel bad about what Korn and Papa did.” Until Pat finally has Pran in his life, it will be Pa who will keep Pat’s behavior in check. In the latter episodes when Pa goes to the university too, a new element will be introduced that is uncommon to a BL series.

Ink
When Ink (Milk Pansa Vosbein) enters early in Episode 4 as the photographer, she brings a new dynamic to the story. It is revealed in a flashback that she was at the same high school as Pat and Pran. Pat quickly pulls Ink aside so she does not reveal to the others that Pat and Pran actually know one another from before the university. She pledges to keep their secret but Pat must ultimately promise to be a model for a photo shoot.

While there is no rival in the Pat and Pran storyline, Pran sees Pat with Ink a number of times which causes him concern. We will also see flashbacks where Pran may have misunderstood what is going on between Pat and Ink. When Pat sees Ink give Pran a bracelet like his after the rugby match (Episode 4), he is worried that Pran could be a rival for Ink. The misunderstandings are all in the boys’ minds. For a while, Pat will think he should date Ink until he learns for whom he really has feelings.

In the second year, when Pa goes to university too, we see the development of the Pa/Ink relationship. It may seem like Ink is just a peer mentor for Pa, but Pat’s sister will grow to have romantic feelings for Ink. Pat will jokingly add “The brother can’t make it, but the sister can.” Pat is not upset when Pa tells him because he never really dated Ink. The introduction of a GL storyline is unique and something you do not see in a BL series.

Side Characters:
Unlike many BL series, there is no “side BL couple” as a second storyline. There is no third person trying to win the affection of Pat or Pran. Aside from Wai and Korn, we do not learn much about the other students. Many of the supporting characters are necessary to reveal certain elements of the plot, but we will remain focused on the relationship between Pat and Pran throughout. This leads to a bit of an “in-joke” in Episode 9. When the guys are celebrating at the bar after the rugby game, Korn says “Here’s to Pat, our hero.” Pat says to the other engineering students, “Yes, I am a hero. You guys are supporting actors.” Korn’s replay? “What an ass.”  It’s not the only exchange in the series that’s made with a “wink” at the audience. Did you catch any others?

Next time: Pat and Pran.

See also: “THE ART OF BAD BUDDY SERIES,” Clues, Hints, Irony and Chemistry, rjptalk, November 27, 2022.
“THE BAD BUDDY PHENOMENON,” rjptalk, November 19, 2022.
“GIVING IT YOUR ALL,” ON Friend CIity review, rjptalk, October 2, 2022.
“WHO WE ARE NOW,” And Who We Are Not, rjptalk, September 11, 2023.
“SO HOW DOES IT END?” Bad Buddy Series, rjptalk, February 3, 2022.

TOP LGBT SERIES AND MINI-SERIES

Last week we began our list of my Top ten LGBT series and mini-series. Here are the rest. This originally appeared last June on SERENDIPITY.

Gay Storylines and Television, part 2, by Rich Paschall

Pat (left) and Pran. Bad Buddies?

We know that you “Young Royals” and “Special” people have been eagerly awaiting the rest of our Top Ten. We do not want you to feel like you are up “Schitt’s Creek” without a television set. Our readers are “Elite” and we want you to “Feel Good” and find the remaining five with “Glee.” These are more than a few “Trinkets,” but my actual favorites. We know when we only gave you my favorites 6 through 10 last week some of you may have said “I Am Not Okay With This.” We had to give you time to binge-watch a few before moving on.

You may be enjoying reruns of The Golden Girls where you are, but consider these golden entries before the month is out:

5. Not Me (2021-2022). GMMTV YouTube channel. This action/mystery series will keep you guessing. Who beat-up student and gang member “Black” so severely he is in a coma? Will the twin brother he has not seen for 15 years be able to take Black’s place to track down the attacker? Which gang member or members could possibly end up in a gay relationship? Is there a traitor in the gang? The leads turn in outstanding performances. You can read my review of the 14-episode series HERE.

4. Tales of the City (1993),  More Tales of the City (1998), Further Tales of the City (2001) DVD. These three series were based on the first three books of Armistead Maupin’s novel series involving “tales” in San Francisco. The first “Tales” miniseries was 6 episodes and it was a joint venture of Britain’s Channel 4 and PBS. Despite giving PBS its largest audience for a dramatic series up to that point, they backed off the next series under the threat of losing their federal funding for showing “homosexual themes.” Channel 4 teamed up with Showtime to produce the next mini-series and Showtime took on the third series by itself. The Tales involve the goings-on at 28 Barbary Lane, the eccentric pot-growing landlady Mrs. Madrigal and the various tenants of the building. Olympia Dukakis plays Anna Madrigal in all series and several other actors reprised their roles throughout. Maupin makes a cameo appearance in each of the series.
In 2019 Netflix did a reboot of Tales of the City with 10 episodes. Olympia Dukakis once again played Mrs. Madrigal. Maupin and Laura Linney, who appeared in all four of the series, were the Executive Producers.  Actress Barbara Garrick also appeared in all four series.

3. Will and Grace (1998-2006, 2017-2020) NBC. The long-running sitcom featured gay Will Truman and his best friend Grace Adler, along with Will’s friend and neighbor Jack (also gay) and socialite Karen Walker. The 11 seasons and 246 episodes can be found in syndication and on specific streaming platforms. Unlike some of the other shows in our top 10, this one was played strictly for laughs and infrequently tackled social stereotypes. It is also available on DVD (of course).

2. Queer as Folk (2000-2005) Showtime. Based on the British series of the same name (1999-2000), the American version greatly expanded the stories. While the British show was two seasons and just 10 episodes, Showtime presented 5 seasons and 83 episodes. The American version was set in Pittsburgh (filmed in Toronto) and involved 5 gay friends, one of their mothers (Sharon Gless), and a lesbian couple. The expanded series on a cable network was able to push the boundaries a lot further than we had ever seen. This was the reason I held on to my Showtime subscription for years beyond my original plan. This year Peacock has rebooted the series with a much heavier beginning than either the British or original American versions.

1. Bad Buddy. (2021). GMMTV YouTube channel. The famous Thai mini-series picked up a long list of awards for the story of guys who go “From two people who shouldn’t be friends to two people who can’t be ‘Just Friends.'” Coming from rival neighboring families, the boys meet up in college as enemies. At his sister’s insistence, Pat forms an uneasy alliance with Pran to keep their warring school groups apart. When Pat decides he would like to become friends with the neighbor he is supposed to hate, life becomes more complicated than it already was.

Pat (L) and Pran. Outed and alone?

Pat and Pran are played by real-life best friends Ohm Pawat and Nanon Korapat. This likely adds to the fierce onscreen chemistry demonstrated throughout the 12-episode series. The Episode 11 cliffhanger will keep you guessing right through the first half of Episode 12. I will avoid any spoilers, but if you really need to know, you can read my review here.

Nanon Korapat (L) and Ohm Pawat

Because of syndication, and various streaming platforms as well as dubbing into other languages, and subtitles, the series has picked up fans from around the world. The last day of shooting includes a couple of the most emotional scenes:

Click on any of the titles above for the trailer for the series. When you get to the trailers or highlights of foreign-language entries, be sure to click on CC (closed captions) to get the translations.

See also: “LGBT AND THE SMALL SCREEN,” Gay Storylines and Television, part 1, rjptalk, SUNDAY NIGHT BLOG, June 18, 2023.

LGBT AND THE SMALL SCREEN

Last year on SERENDIPITY we gave you our Top Ten 10 LGBT series for Pride month. Here they are again in case you need some excellent viewing before the month ends.

Gay Storylines and Television, part 1

OK, maybe your television is not a small screen, but at one time our TV sets were much smaller. In fact, some of my Top Ten memorable LGBT series were seen on a small screen. Now we can watch in high definition on a much larger set. Some of the younger crowd may choose to watch on a 5-inch phone screen, but that is Not Me.

Broadcast television in the US has not embraced gay series with the same acceptance as other countries. A few series have been well received, but most USA LGBT programs will show up on cable networks or streaming services. There are quite a few to be seen and I don’t subscribe to a lot of paid services. There are even channels dedicated to LGBT programming (Here and Logo). I have Here with Prime but I am rather disappointed with the selection.

Before I give you my favorites we must toss in a few honorable mentions. After seven seasons, Netflix brought its longest-running series to a close this past April. “Grace and Frankie” stars Jane Fonda as Grace and Lily Tomlin as Frankie. The rivals form a friendship when their husbands (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) discover they love one another. A number of well-known performers turned up during the 94 episodes. Who would not want to work with that crew of old pros? All four of these stars are now in their 80s. Catch the trailer here.

Currently, I am watching the very popular Thai series “KinnPorsche.” After the first 10 episodes, I am undecided. It is about the second son (Kinn) of a Mafia family and a favorite bodyguard (Porsche). I know you are supposed to like the main characters, but, you know, they kill people. Maybe the third son will turn out to be OK.

The critically acclaimed “Modern Family” ran for 11 seasons and 250 episodes on ABC. Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet play a same-sex couple throughout the run. Ferguson plays the son of Ed O’Neill’s character, family patriarch Jay Pritchett. Stonestreet picked up two Emmy awards, and the series picked up a basket full. It will be around in syndication for a long time.

Since June is Pride month, we have a top ten list of LGBT series that I have seen. Included are a few series from Thailand. I have watched others, but these are the ones worth watching with subtitles. I am sure there are many other great series from around the world. Please comment if you have seen something worth recommending. Our Top Ten list does not include reality shows or movies but just series and mini-series I liked best. These are the excellent programs you should discover for the Pride of it:

10. Dark Blue Kiss (2019), Netflix and GMMTV youtube channel. This is a continuation of the truly awful prequel series, Kiss Me Again. Fortunately, GMM cut out all the Pete and Kao scenes from the prequel to create a special three episodes, which are also on their youtube channel. Only one other storyline is continued and all the rest from the muddled prequel are dropped. Pete and Kao are reluctant boyfriends and schoolmates who try to keep their friendship a secret.

09. Love, Victor. (ongoing) Hulu. Two seasons and 20 episodes have already dropped. This is a follow-up to the 2018 movie, “Love, Simon,” and stars a buffed-up Michael Cimino as Victor. He faces similar problems as Simon did at the same school and in fact receives advice from Simon, as played by Nick Robinson in the movie. Robinson narrates the letters and actually appeared in two episodes so far. The third season begins this month on Hulu and Disney+.

08. Theory of Love. (2019), Netflix and GMMTV youtube channel. This is the story of four film students who work as a team. The problem is one of them, “Third,” has a crush on his best friend. “Khai” is straight and a player who keeps changing the girl he is dating. “Third” finally decides to end his friendship with Khai because carrying the secret is just too hard. He is tired of Khai’s lies and broken promises. The comedy/drama also has interesting storylines for the two supporting players.

07. 2gether. (2020) Netflix and GMMTV youtube channel. This college students series is the most popular LGBT series from GMM. It has tens of millions of views on the various platforms where you can see it. Tine asks the most popular boy at school, Sarawat, to be his fake boyfriend in order to stop Green from chasing after him. It turns out that Sarawat secretly wanted to be more than a fake boyfriend. The 13-episode series led to an additional 5 episodes (Still 2gether) later in 2020. Then came the movie and the musical, all with the same lead actors.

06. He’s Coming To Me. (2019). iWant TFC and GMMTV youtube channel. This fantasy/mystery series concerns a twenty-year-old student, Med, who dies under suspicious circumstances. He can not cross over and wanders the cemetery with other ghosts. His tomb is neglected and he has not received the proper send-off. A boy who comes each year with his father for tomb sweeping, an important ritual in their custom, asks his father why Med’s tomb is like that. The father explains no one comes to take care of the tomb, and the maintenance fee was not paid. The boy asks for an incense stick and an offering for the neglected tomb. So the ghost tells him to bring something else the next year, and he does. The ghost is certain the boy sees and hears him. One year the boy is crying at the tomb and the ghost asks what is the matter. The boy tells him! The boy does see and hear ghosts.

Many years later the boy (Thun) comes again but he is now a first-year college student. After spending the day with Med, he tells the ghost his aura is red, which means he does not know how he died. Med thought he had a heart attack. Thun is determined to help Med find out who killed him so he can cross over. Med is played by Singto Prachaya who had a lead in the first GMM LGBT series in 2016. The grown-up Thun is played by Ohm Pawat (Bad Buddy). If the murder is solved, the tomb is swept and merits made, then Med…  Well, I guess you need to see it.

Click on any of the titles 6 through 10 above to get the official trailer.

My Top 5 next week may include some favorite US series. Stop back to find out which ones.

THE DEPARTURE

The following LGBT+ short story first appeared last year on SERENDIPITY.

A Time Passage story, by Rich Paschall

It was a gloomy summer evening. The rain was falling steadily. The street lights were coming on and the soft glow fell through the front room window. Riley did not notice the street lights. He did not see anything. He sat silently staring at the front door. He was waiting for the sound of a key in the door lock.

Jack arrived two hours later than usual. It was not like Jack to forget to call when he would be late. This was not a typical night, however. There was a bit of celebrating to be done before he could return home with the news. Jack paused in the doorway when he saw Riley with an expressionless stare, sitting in the dark.

“It looks like you already know the news,” Jack said with a tinge of “I’m sorry” in his voice.

“Some of your friends posted it online hours ago,” Riley advised without emotion. The expressionless gaze was somewhat unnerving to Jack. He searched for the right words.

“I wanted to be the one to tell you. I did not realize you would find out like that. A number of people rushed me out of work early to get a drink and I lost track of time.”

Riley just nodded.

Jack had worked his way up in business. He went from the warehouse to the office and then to the executive suite. He picked up his business degree along the way and finally made it to the top. There was just one problem. Riley and Jack lived in a Midwest city.

“The job will be in Seattle. We will have to sell this place and find a new home. It will be great, you’ll see,” Jack exclaimed.

“I can’t move to Seattle.”

Riley and Jack had been together for twelve years. They spent the last five living in Riley’s mom’s house. Riley worked from home and took care of his mother.

“We can put your mother in a nice assisted living facility. We can afford to do it.”

Riley just shook his head.

“We can take her with us. We will be able to afford a place with enough room for all of us to be comfortable.”

“Seattle Skyline” by Bryce_Edwards is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Again Riley shook his head. “I promised to keep her in her own home as long as possible.”

“But she does not even know where she is half of the time,” Jack exclaimed.

“And the other half she does. If I move her to another place while she is still capable of living here, then I break my promise.”

Riley sat quietly. He could just about see the emotions coursing through Jack’s veins and they were about to bubble over.

“It’s not fair, Riley. I have worked my whole life to get to this point. This is the top of the ladder. I can not go back now. You are almost at retirement, I have to work another 15 years, maybe longer if all goes well. A chance like this may never come again.”

Riley would retire in less than a year. Jack was younger and his executive dream had just come true.

“You have to take it, Jack. You have to go. I will stay here with Mom as long as needed.”

Jack sat down in a chair opposite Riley. They stared silently at one another for a long time. Neither knew what to say, what emotions to express. They just stared.

The next day Jack advised that the corporation would help him find a place and would cover all of his moving expenses. Everything was set in motion.

“When will you be leaving?” Riley asked.

“Three weeks. I need to be there before the end of the month.”

After two weeks a moving van came for the items Jack was going to send ahead. All that was left would fit into a suitcase and carry-on bag.

Riley and Jack barely spoke to one another for the last three weeks. Neither one was angry. They just did not know what to say. Riley thought Jack would be there to help him as he got older. Jack thought Riley would always be by his side to give encouragement. A step forward for Jack meant a step backward for both.

When the day finally arrived, Jack put his luggage by the door and contacted one of the popular rideshare companies. Riley sat silently in the living room as Jack watched the app for a time.

“One minute and the driver will be here,” Jack said. Riley got up to give Jack a hug. Then he sat back down.

“Aren’t you coming out to the car with me?”  Riley asked.

“Why?” Jack asked with a bit of a smile. “Did you really want to see me cry?”

“He’s here. I have to go. I will call you when I get there,” Jack promised. Riley nodded as Jack closed the door behind him.

When the door was shut, Riley got up and hurried to the window. He kept a step back so Jack would not see him. As the car drove off, Riley had tears rolling down his face.

Jack did not call when he got there. In fact, he never called. A door opened, he walked through, and just like he did at Riley’s mom’s house, he closed the door behind himself.

Bad Buddy

The following review ran at the beginning of the year on SERENDIPITY after the first 11 episodes of the popular Thai series had aired. At that time, we were eagerly awaiting the finale because BBS gave us a real cliffhanger. You probably know how it ended, but if you were one of the few who don’t know, GMM TV has started running the series again. The mini-series also continues to be available on YouTube and other streaming platforms.

Thai series review, by Rich Paschall

One of the things I have done in the past year while we continue to hide out from the pandemic is to find new entertainment options online.  When you consider what is available from around the world, the options for movies and television series seem endless. I watched a number of foreign movies, full-length and short subjects. Now I have also added some foreign television series.

Recently I mentioned the Chinese series “Dive” and its Thai co-star Chanon Santinatornkul (nickname: Nonkul) when recommending Nonkul’s English language pop tune and music video, “Won’t Tell You.”  I also watched him in a previous Chinese series “Blowing in the Wind.”  He obviously had to dub in a lot of his dialogue in the 28 episodes of “Blowing in the Wind” as working in Chinese was new to him at the time. Since then the popular Thai Actor, singer, and model has been busy with a movie, television series, and photoshoots.

From there I discovered recommendations for other Thai series. I decided to go with Bad Buddy as I liked the series trailer and thought I would enjoy the story. It is a familiar theme.

Two rival families teach their boys to dislike one another. They are made to compete in everything. When one of the mothers discovers the two boys working together in a band at school, she has her son transferred away from there. The friendship comes to an end.

The story picks up years later when both of the boys end up at the same university. One becomes president of the Architecture students while the other becomes president of the Engineering students. The groups are rivals and often end up in fights. A problem sets in when the sister of one of the leaders makes him promise not to beat up the other. This goes back to a childhood incident. Of course, they are both supposed to fight the other. Their friends and their parents would expect as much.

Ohm (Left) and Nanon

Bad Buddy stars popular Thai actor Pawat Chittsawangdee (Ohm) as the boy trying not to fight his rival. Ohm originally did not want the part as he had already been in some series where he played a gay love interest. He changed his mind when he heard they were going to cast his close friend, fellow actor, and pop singer Korapat Kirdpan (Nanon). The two handsome actors are just 21 years old and longtime friends.  The chemistry between the hate and later love relationship is perfect. It has become one of the most-watched and most-streamed series in Thailand. A Filipino dubbed version drops a day later and an English captioned version can be found on the YouTube channel GMMTV and other platforms. You may need a VPN to catch it on some other websites where content is restricted to some countries.

You will find the YouTube channel your best option, although they like to insert a lot of commercials. Like most YouTube videos, you can skip most of the commercials after 5 seconds. You will also find the Thai-sponsored products as you go back into each of the 4 segments in the hour-long comedy-drama. It seems all college students need Canon printers, drink a particular brand of flavored tea, love peppermint inhalers (seriously) and use Nivea products. The product placement in the series is a bit overdone, but we can live with it since the boys are so likable.

As each episode airs, the show starts trending on Thai social media. A popular tag is #OhmNanon. The boys have become so popular together they can be seen everywhere: In commercials, series promotions, interviews, and fan meet-ups. You name it, they have done it. In addition, due to the rise of the coronavirus, the boys from the Bad Buddy series (not just Ohm and Nanon) were kept in a Safe House for weeks to keep from getting the virus. This was set up like Big Brother with plenty of cameras to stream the house for hours a day. As a result, we have plenty of internet hours of #OhmNanon.

The stars speak basic English, and while not so good at it, they did sit through a long streaming event in English for the Filipino channel that runs their show. Ohm and Nanon are both college students and hope to continue in the craft.

[SPOLIER ALERT: Stop reading now if you want to go watch this short series.}

For eleven episodes this has been mostly a romantic comedy. It did have its serious moments, even taking on how children are taught to hate one another based on the lies of the parents. It seemed like it was heading to an acceptable conclusion for the two based on the direction of episodes 10 and 11. Then the series dropped an ominous trailer for what is coming in the final episode.

Pat (Ohm) left, and Pran (Nanon)

If you are going to take us on a rom-com journey, we certainly would not expect a “star-crossed lovers” ending to this Romeo and Romeo affair (Pat and Pran, actually). That’s what the 30-second coming attraction gave us. Are we to see a break-up?  Will there be death for one or both of our stars? Will their parents finally succeed in crushing their sons’ love?  The voice-over promises the most shocking episode of 2022. OK, it’s only January. They have suggested the boys will be torn apart.

Yes, I know. TV series love to tease us with “scenes from our next episode” that often deceive us a bit, but this trailer was a little longer and seemed like it was meant to dash the hopes of all the #PatPran fans.  I will really be annoyed if that is the ultimate ending to this pleasant little series.

Instead of trailers, I will leave you with this song Nanon sings in the series. It is littered with clips from the show. Turn on captions for English. If you are not sure this guy is really popular, check out the number of views of this video:

Update: Ohm and Nanon confirmed in an interview Thursday that they filmed three different endings. They claim not to know what was chosen and they too will have to watch to see how it ends.

See Also: “What Are You Listening To?” SERENDIPITY, December 5, 2021.

OVER AND OUT – FICTION

A family short story by Rich Paschall

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It was not like Billy’s dad to just walk into his room. At 17 years old he really expected his parents to knock first. He quickly closed out of his chat and turned around to see what his father wanted.

“What’s up, dad?” Billy began.

“Son, I think there is something you should tell me.” Billy’s father paused and waited for a response. Billy was clueless. He could not think of a thing he should say, so there was this long awkward silence as the two of them shot puzzled looks at one another.

Over the last two months, Billy’s father had noticed the nature of his son’s friendship with a handsome young classmate named Josh. They went everywhere together. They studied together and they spent hours on the phone together. Going to the movies on a Saturday night was just like the dates Billy’s dad had with his wife when they were teenagers. Billy would spend a lot of time getting ready. He picked out his best date-night-type clothes and he absolutely lit up when Josh appeared at the door. Dad felt he could not be mistaken.

“No, Dad, I can’t think of anything,” Billy finally said in his best “I’m innocent” voice.

“Are you gay?” his father shot back. All of a sudden something heavy fell on Billy’s chest. It must have been the weight of reality hitting him. He was unprepared.

“Yes dad,” Billy responded as boldly as he could after the truth was already out there anyway.

“And this Josh fellow, is he your boyfriend?” Billy did not want to out Josh to his father but he figured that he somehow knew so he gave up that truth too.

“Yes, dad.” Once again they stared at one another until Billy could finally throw that weight off himself and speak up.

“So, it’s OK then?” Billy asked. His dad did not want to say “yes” because it was not alright with him, but he did not want to say “no” because he recalled how difficult teenage love could be and just figured that gay teenage love was even harder. After a few moments deep in thought, Billy’s dad had a course of action in mind.

“Son, I want you to tell your mother this week. Am I clear about that?”

“No dad, please,” the boy replied in horror. “Can’t you tell her?” If his dad was not all “open-arms” about this he could not imagine his mother’s reaction. She was far more right of center than dad.

“Billy, if you think you are old enough to be making out with another boy, you are certainly old enough to man up and tell your mother exactly who you are.” At that, Billy’s dad left the room and quietly closed the door on the way out.

For the rest of the week, Billy was a nervous wreck. Every time he saw his mother he could feel a knot in his stomach. His father started shooting him angry glances for failing to tell his story. Billy did tell two people though, Josh and his sister, Mary. The latter was a tactical error, to be sure.

One night when they all happened to be at the dinner table at once, a rare occurrence for two busy parents and two teenagers, Mary could not hold her brother’s secret any longer. “So, little Billy, did you tell mom yet that you’ve been kissing boys?”

Billy’s mom immediately looked like she had seen the ghost of her dear departed mother glaring at her. “Robert, did you know about this?” Billy’s mom shouted across the room at her husband. He did not respond but she could tell after twenty-three years of marriage what the response would be. “How dare you!” she screamed at either Billy or her husband, neither was quite sure, and then she stormed out of the room.

Over the next few weeks, Billy’s parents argued often about why the boy was gay. Each thought the other had a hand in it, but only mom was mortified and angry beyond reason.

“If you had been a stronger father,” she took to telling him almost daily, “This would not have happened.”

To which he frequently responded, “I tried to discipline the boy but every time I did he would run to you and get off the hook. I would say you are the reason he’s a mama’s boy.” From there it only got worse.

After one particularly stormy session, Billy’s mom finally declared she was through. “I want a divorce. We can not continue these fights in front of the children.” Robert agreed and went to their room. A stunned Billy, eavesdropping in the next room, began to cry.

Robert called his brother and asked to stay a few days. He packed a bag and prepared to leave when Billy ran into his room. “No dad, please don’t leave. I am sorry, it’s all my fault. I’ll change, I promise. I won’t be gay anymore. Please.” Billy buckled at the knees and went down to the floor. His dad helped him up and sat him on the edge of the bed.

“Look son, my marriage was over years ago. It took something like this to point that out. You can not change this anymore than I can change who you are.” At that, he reached over to hug the boy. He planted a kiss on his forehead, got up, grabbed his bag, and walked out the door.

IT’S MY PARTY

This list of top LGBT singers first appeared on SERENDIPITY last year.

My Top Ten LGBT singers, by Rich Paschall

If you were to Google (verb, meaning “to search for”) LGBTQ musicians, singers, or artists, you are likely to find some rather long lists. You might be surprised by the numbers, which include many well-known performers. I “Googled” just that to be sure not to miss any obvious choices. Not only did I end up with a long list, but I also tumbled down the rabbit hole of YouTube music videos. Now I have returned, Mad Hatter in tow, to present my Top Ten. If you are unaware of any of these, my new friend will explain them clearly and almost concisely.

We will start you out with an honorable mention. When I was in grade school, Lesley Gore had a string of hit songs. “It’s My Party” was on the radio and on the Juke Box all the time. In 1964 it was nominated for a Grammy award. Listen to the oldies gem here from the Ed Sullivan show. At the time of her death in 2015 at just 68 (lung cancer), she had been with her partner Lois Sasson for 33 years.

Whether you are a member (show your membership card at the door), or an ally (pay a small cover charge), it is time to show some pride in these top performers.

10. Johnny Mathis. “Chances Are” you are familiar with this artist. He was a favorite at our house and my mother played his albums all the time.  What’s a little housework without Mr. Mathis singing in the background? It’s Not For Me To Say but he is still singing and just may go on until The Twelfth of Never. That should make you a little Misty.
09. Kathryn Dawn Lang, aka k.d. lang,  is a Canadian singer-songwriter. You may have a Constant Craving for the songs of this Grammy Award-winning artist. In 2004 she toured with Tony Bennett and their Album won a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
08. Barry Manilow. The popular singer-songwriter had a long string of hit records and is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. He had 51 songs in the Top 40. In the 1970s and 80s, you could not turn on the radio without hearing him. Not only did he tell you “I Write The Songs,” but he sang them too.

We saw him twice in concert, once at the historic Chicago Theater where I captured the above.

07. Sam Tsui. The popular singer-songwriter became a YouTube sensation a few years ago and has 3.18 million subscribers to his YouTube channel. His album “Make It Up” includes some high-energy videos, including this remarkable non-stop multi-scene no edits effort on the title track.

06. Melissa Ethridge. The American sing-songwriter is known not only for her music but also for her civil rights activism. The frequent Grammy nominee won Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female in 1993. She picked up an Oscar in 2007. It would be tempting to give you one of her hit recordings, but instead, we will go for her dramatic 2005 comeback. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2004, she underwent surgery and chemotherapy. Along with Joss Stone, she owned the stage in this performance at the 2005 Grammy Awards tribute to Janis Joplin.

05. Montero Lamar Hill, aka Lil Nas X is a singer-songwriter and rapper. He won a basketful of awards in 2019 and 2020 and his first country-pop-rap song “Old Town Road” was a massive hit. It stayed in the Number 1 spot for 19 weeks. The Country Music Awards left him out of the bigger categories despite his recognition for collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus. Perhaps it was because, you know…he’s gay and..young…and black…AND a rapper too!  Just in case you think the song was not country enough, he presented this:

04. Darin Zanyar, or just Darin to his fans. The Swedish singer-songwriter is a Superstar in Europe. He first became famous at 16 as the runner-up on Swedish Idol. He records in Swedish and English.

03. Enrique Martin Morales, aka Ricky Martin. The handsome Puerto Rican superstar has been “Livin La Vid Loca” since his days in the boy singing group Menudo. He has also worked as an actor in Mexico and the US where he picked up an Emmy nomination.

02. Steve Grand. The local Chicago area sensation burst onto the scene as the All-American Boy. His self-produced debut album was bolstered by the success of the title tune.

Steve Grand at “Seven” nightclub.

He doesn’t “Stay” here long as he is in high demand around the world:

01. Elton John.  His superstar success earns him the number 1 spot. From the Crocodile Rock all the way to Your Song, we have never said: “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”  I don’t know about you, but he has put a lot of songs on the soundtrack of my life.

Click on the artist’s name for one of his/her hits, or find our 15-song Pride Playlist here.

A GLANCE BACKWARD

This article appeared last year on SERENDIPITY. We wanted to know how would we address a certain point in our past? Do we have regrets? Would we have good advice for our young selves now?

Your younger self, by Rich Paschall

A few years ago another blogger suggested a book to read (The Letter Q) that is a collection of letters certain writers would send to their younger selves, if only they could. Some letters are just a couple of pages. Some are a bit longer. Some of these writers may be well-known to you. Others may be interesting just as a study of what an older person still recalls of his younger life. Some of these letters really touched me. I can feel the emotion they must have felt as they looked back. I suspect that is because I am looking back over my shoulder at the same time.

If you were to write a letter to your younger self, at the age you are now, to what age would you send it? Would it be you at 12? 14? 18? Older or younger?  When would you need your advice the most? I guess it should be no surprise that many of these letters were sent to teenage years. Perhaps that is when growing pains are the sharpest. Maybe it is when young love hurts the most. It could have been when you were terrorized by bullies, parents, or supposed friends the most. It might be at the time when you wanted advice the most, but you trusted no one to give it to you. Would you even have taken it if it came from a more experienced you?

It seems pointless to me to send a letter back to a good time in life. What would you say? “I am glad you had such a great time at the picnic?” No, that has just melted into a fond memory. At your current age, you would probably want to send yourself advice to help see you through a problem. You might want to send words of encouragement for times when you may have wanted to give up, or worse. An early letter in the book is sent to a child alone and crying in a park. She hopes to be murdered there because she thinks it can not possibly be worse than the hurt she is feeling.  Of course, you would go back and comfort that child, if only you could.

Few people fall in love with their high school sweetheart, get married right out of high school, and live happily ever after. Even Cinderella had a tough life before her prince came along, and so it is with fairy tales. Most of us may have thought that we were falling in love in high school, but we are really just falling and needed to get back up. It does not look that way in the isolation of your teenage room, however. What words would have helped you then? You received little comfort from the one you longed for and had little or no desire to tell your parents, teachers, or anyone more than 25 years old. Do you now have the words for your younger self? How would you help yourself through teenage angst?

Younger self

If the thought of living without your “true love” was scary, I suppose that our lives after the high school held a bit of panic for many as well. “What will I do? Will I make enough money? Can I support a family? Can I support myself?” What answers can you send back to those questions? Somewhere between 10 and 20 lie the years that produce emotional changes, doubts, and questions. Can you write the letter today that could have helped you then?

In looking through those letters, I think it is fair to say that people are writing back to what they see as a defining moment in their young lives. While some may see that as 12, others are writing to 18. Perhaps they only wish to send letters to a time that today’s knowledge could help. Maybe we can not even find the words for certain moments in our young existence. Some can only say that he or she will have to work through the problems with the knowledge from your older self that it gets better.

Awkward, yet emotionally charged, are those that struggled through their sexuality, the questioning, “Am I loveable?  Am I attractive?  Am I gay?” We may spend many youthful hours looking in the mirror and asking questions. We may spend many more avoiding the mirror because we do not like what we see. Some years ago I spent a lot of time reassuring a handsome teenager (not me, btw) that he was indeed handsome. I am not sure he believed me then, but he is much more self-assured now. What could you tell yourself about those self-doubts?  What would I tell myself?

This book was not just for those who “made it through the rain,” and came out the other side a stronger person. It is also for those who are struggling now. “The Letter Q” gives half of its royalties to The Trevor Project to help reach youth in crisis. There are those that desperately need advice. Let’s hope they make it to send word back to their younger selves that “It gets better.”

BAD BUDDY

Thai series review

One of the things I have done in the past year while we hide out from the pandemic is to find new entertainment options online.  When you consider what is available from around the world, the options for movies and television series seem endless.  I watched a number of foreign movies, full-length and short subjects.  Now I have also added some foreign television series.

Dive, Thai actor Nonkul (L) and Jason Koo

Over on the SERENDIPITY website, I had mentioned the Chinese series “Dive” and its Thai co-star Chanon Santinatornkul (nickname: Nonkul) when recommending Nonkul’s English language pop tune and music video, “Won’t Tell You.”  I also watched him in a previous Chinese series “Blowing in the Wind.”  He obviously had to dub in a lot of his dialogue in the 28 episodes of “Blowing in the Wind” as working in Chinese was new to him at the time.  Since then the popular Thai Actor, singer, and model has been busy with a movie, television series, and photoshoots.

From there I discovered recommendations for other Thai series.  I decided to go with Bad Buddy as I liked the series trailer and thought I would enjoy the story. It is a familiar theme.

Two rival families teach their boys to dislike one another and they compete in everything. When one of the mothers discovers the two boys working together in a band at school, she has her son transferred away from there. The friendship comes to an end.

The story picks up years later when both of the boys end up at the same university. One becomes president of the Architecture students while the other becomes president of the Engineering students. The groups are rivals and often end up in fights. A problem sets in when the sister of one of the leaders makes him promise not to beat up the other.  This goes back to a childhood incident. Of course, they are both supposed to fight the other. Their friends and their parents would expect as much.

Ohm (L) and Nanon

Bad Buddy stars popular Thai actor Pawat Chittsawangdee (Ohm) as the boy trying not to fight his rival.  Ohm originally did not want the part as he had already been in some series where he played a gay love interest. He changed his mind when he heard they were going to cast his close friend, fellow actor, and pop singer Korapat Kirdpan (Nanon).  The two handsome actors are just 21 years old and longtime friends.  The chemistry for the hate and later love relationship is perfect. It has become one of the most-watched and most-streamed series in Thailand. A Filipino dubbed version drops a day later and an English captioned version can be found on the YouTube channel GMMTV and other platforms. You may need a VPN to catch it on some other websites where content is restricted to some countries.

You will find the YouTube channel your best option, although they like to insert a lot of commercials. Like most YouTube videos, you can skip most of the commercials after 5 seconds. You will also find the Thai sponsored products as you go back into each of the 4 segments in the hour-long comedy-drama. It seems all college students need Canon printers, drink a particular brand of flavored tea, love peppermint inhalers (seriously) and use Nivea products. The product placement in the series is a bit overdone, but we can live with it since the boys are so likable.

As each episode airs, the show starts trending on Thai social media. A popular tag is #OhmNanon. The boys have become so popular together they can be seen everywhere: Commercials, series promotions, interviews, fan meet-ups. You name it, they have done it. In addition, due to the rise of the coronavirus, the boys from the Bad Buddy series (not just Ohm and Nanon) were kept in a Safe House for weeks to keep from getting the virus. This was set up like Big Brother with plenty of cameras to stream the house for hours a day. As a result, we have plenty of internet hours of #OhmNanon.

The stars speak basic English, and while not so good at it, they did sit through a long streaming event in English for the Filipino channel that runs their show. Ohm and Nanon are both college students and hope to continue in the craft.

[SPOLIER ALERT: Stop reading now if you want to go watch this short series.}

The show had a brief break but has been airing weekly with the final episode dropping on Friday.  For eleven episodes this has been mostly a romantic comedy. It did have its serious moments, even taking on how children are taught to hate one another based on the lies of the parents. It seemed like it was heading to an acceptable conclusion for the two based on the direction of episodes 10 and 11. Then the series dropped an ominous trailer for what is coming in the final episode.

If you are going to take us on a romcom journey, we certainly would not expect a “star-crossed lovers” ending to this Romeo and Romeo affair (Pat and Pran, actually). That’s what the 30-second coming attraction gave us. Are we to see a break-up?  Will there be death for one or both of our stars? Will their parents finally succeed in crushing their sons’ love?  The voice-over promises the most shocking episode of 2022. OK, it’s only January. They have suggested the boys will be torn apart and there will be a death scene.

Yes, I know. TV series love to tease us with “scenes from our next episode” that often deceive us a bit, but this trailer was a little longer and seemed like it was meant to dash the hopes of all the #PatPran fans.  I will really be annoyed if that is the ultimate ending to this pleasant little series.  They have since dropped an eight-and-a-half-minute trailer labeled as having spoilers. There is no chance I will watch that in advance.

Instead of trailers, I will leave you with this song Nanon sings in the series. It is littered with clips from the show. Turn on captions for English.  If you are not sure this guy is really popular, check out the number of views:

Update: Ohm and Nanon confirmed in an interview Thursday that they filmed three different endings and one is very sad.  They claim not to know what was chosen and they too will have to watch to see how it ends.