2 Moons
Certain aspects of Thai BL series Two Moons really mystify me, I definitely think it's worth a review, I'd love to hear your comments about it as well.
Summary: Quiet and unassuming Wayo commences his studies at a university which his high-school crush Phana also attends. Wayo is surprised when he is elected by his faculty to participate in a university-wide popularity contest as a "Moon" (ie, the most popular male student in his faculty). Being very handsome and popular among all the students, Phana had been chosen as the university Moon when he was a freshman, so he and Wayo come into more regular contact as a result. They don't get along at first. As his senior, Phana is dismissive and harsh with Wayo, who is hurt by such mean words from his crush and so he responds with contempt and disrespect. Wayo's irrepressible friend Ming supports Wayo and urges him not to give up on Phana. As preparations for the Moons and Stars contest continue, Phana begins to feel attracted to Wayo, and Phana's two best friends Kit and Beam encourage him to look closely at his feelings and what they mean. In the meantime, a very handsome senior Forth makes it clear to Wayo that he is interested in him.
This slowly-paced drama is gentle and affectionate with minimal substance. The focus is all on the youthful emotion and attraction, most of which is centred on Wayo. Apart from Phana and Wayo, the characters aren't really given much in the screenplay or the narrative to differentiate themselves from each other, and they are given nothing in the way of motives for their actions. They just exist as ciphers of feeling. The series is hollow and unrealistic as a result, but it's still fun to watch it if you take it as a sugar-loaded BL fantasy rather than a slice of real life.
Bringing all the youthful emotion to the forefront is the series' strong point. It lets us focus on what's key in BL - whether the characters will find each other, despite all their weaknesses and miscommunication. Narrative and characterisation just aren't all that important in 2 Moons. The story, such as it is, follows the preparations for the Moons and Stars contest and the wider implications of the competition almost all the time. There are a few intermittent scenes in class, gossiping at lunch in the grounds of the university, at the dorm or out at dinner, but that's about it in terms of story throughout this very long series. There's a very welcome change of scenery when the entire cast moves to the seaside town of Hua Hin to practise for the contest.
But what really kept me coming back to watch this series is the way it dealt with its characters' sexuality. I was constantly wondering what on earth was going on. Are all the characters meant to be gay? If they were, then why were they all dating girls at the same time with no compunction whatsoever? Forth's obvious attraction to Wayo just comes out of nowhere, I saw no reason for it except that - just like everyone else - he thinks Wayo is 'cute'. The show makes it clear that Kit, Phana and Beam have been basketball jocks since high school and are very popular with girls. And yet they gossip to each other about liking and dating boys just like any out-of-the-closet queer. There's a crucial flashback scene at high school where Wayo overhears Phana tell Kit and Beam that he has no feelings for Wayo at all or for men in general. What are we supposed to make of that - beyond the fact that Phana is probably in denial? In my view, the main reason for all this mystifying ambiguity is that the narrative wants to play it both ways; it wants us to assume the guys are all straight, but that they also have feelings for men. As I mentioned in my review of SOTUS, this duality has nothing to do with fluidity of sexuality. It is much more in keeping with the deeply annoying BL narrative device of divorcing homosexuality from a sanitised idea of romantic affection between men. Even worse, it's suggesting that gay love has less value than heterosexual love. Ultimately, it's effectively saying that none of the characters is gay. While SOTUS only dealt with the subject in passing, it's used as one of the key narrative struts in 2 Moons - it's entirely assumed and dealt with as if it's a social norm. It's this assumption that's so curious to me, and made me question everything I was watching.
As always with BL, any women in the story are dealt a very bad hand. They are used unwittingly as 'beards', and discarded without a second thought. They are left with no recourse but to play sullen shrewish harpies, vainly trying to win their men back. The openly gay characters are without exception effeminate, vapid and useful for nothing but a cruel punchline - in stark contrast to the 'straight' main characters. The senior/junior or dominant/submissive BL trope is given full rein in 2 Moons, but it's refreshing to see the show take the tack that love can turn it upside down.
Can I also just say how much I loved Wayo's friend Ming? He's by far the most interesting character of the series, and as played by the magnetic Khemmonta Varodom (far left in the photo below), he's every person's dream best friend and support. He's quick-witted, intelligent, has a wonderfully anarchic sense of humour, and has a winning smile for everyone. It takes no stretch of the imagination to understand why he is also chosen as a Moon by his faculty.
Please bring on season 2 of this odd, enchanting series soon! I'll be watching for sure.
Rating: 12 out of 20
Ending: Cutely happy
Summary: Quiet and unassuming Wayo commences his studies at a university which his high-school crush Phana also attends. Wayo is surprised when he is elected by his faculty to participate in a university-wide popularity contest as a "Moon" (ie, the most popular male student in his faculty). Being very handsome and popular among all the students, Phana had been chosen as the university Moon when he was a freshman, so he and Wayo come into more regular contact as a result. They don't get along at first. As his senior, Phana is dismissive and harsh with Wayo, who is hurt by such mean words from his crush and so he responds with contempt and disrespect. Wayo's irrepressible friend Ming supports Wayo and urges him not to give up on Phana. As preparations for the Moons and Stars contest continue, Phana begins to feel attracted to Wayo, and Phana's two best friends Kit and Beam encourage him to look closely at his feelings and what they mean. In the meantime, a very handsome senior Forth makes it clear to Wayo that he is interested in him.
This slowly-paced drama is gentle and affectionate with minimal substance. The focus is all on the youthful emotion and attraction, most of which is centred on Wayo. Apart from Phana and Wayo, the characters aren't really given much in the screenplay or the narrative to differentiate themselves from each other, and they are given nothing in the way of motives for their actions. They just exist as ciphers of feeling. The series is hollow and unrealistic as a result, but it's still fun to watch it if you take it as a sugar-loaded BL fantasy rather than a slice of real life.
Bringing all the youthful emotion to the forefront is the series' strong point. It lets us focus on what's key in BL - whether the characters will find each other, despite all their weaknesses and miscommunication. Narrative and characterisation just aren't all that important in 2 Moons. The story, such as it is, follows the preparations for the Moons and Stars contest and the wider implications of the competition almost all the time. There are a few intermittent scenes in class, gossiping at lunch in the grounds of the university, at the dorm or out at dinner, but that's about it in terms of story throughout this very long series. There's a very welcome change of scenery when the entire cast moves to the seaside town of Hua Hin to practise for the contest.
But what really kept me coming back to watch this series is the way it dealt with its characters' sexuality. I was constantly wondering what on earth was going on. Are all the characters meant to be gay? If they were, then why were they all dating girls at the same time with no compunction whatsoever? Forth's obvious attraction to Wayo just comes out of nowhere, I saw no reason for it except that - just like everyone else - he thinks Wayo is 'cute'. The show makes it clear that Kit, Phana and Beam have been basketball jocks since high school and are very popular with girls. And yet they gossip to each other about liking and dating boys just like any out-of-the-closet queer. There's a crucial flashback scene at high school where Wayo overhears Phana tell Kit and Beam that he has no feelings for Wayo at all or for men in general. What are we supposed to make of that - beyond the fact that Phana is probably in denial? In my view, the main reason for all this mystifying ambiguity is that the narrative wants to play it both ways; it wants us to assume the guys are all straight, but that they also have feelings for men. As I mentioned in my review of SOTUS, this duality has nothing to do with fluidity of sexuality. It is much more in keeping with the deeply annoying BL narrative device of divorcing homosexuality from a sanitised idea of romantic affection between men. Even worse, it's suggesting that gay love has less value than heterosexual love. Ultimately, it's effectively saying that none of the characters is gay. While SOTUS only dealt with the subject in passing, it's used as one of the key narrative struts in 2 Moons - it's entirely assumed and dealt with as if it's a social norm. It's this assumption that's so curious to me, and made me question everything I was watching.
As always with BL, any women in the story are dealt a very bad hand. They are used unwittingly as 'beards', and discarded without a second thought. They are left with no recourse but to play sullen shrewish harpies, vainly trying to win their men back. The openly gay characters are without exception effeminate, vapid and useful for nothing but a cruel punchline - in stark contrast to the 'straight' main characters. The senior/junior or dominant/submissive BL trope is given full rein in 2 Moons, but it's refreshing to see the show take the tack that love can turn it upside down.
Can I also just say how much I loved Wayo's friend Ming? He's by far the most interesting character of the series, and as played by the magnetic Khemmonta Varodom (far left in the photo below), he's every person's dream best friend and support. He's quick-witted, intelligent, has a wonderfully anarchic sense of humour, and has a winning smile for everyone. It takes no stretch of the imagination to understand why he is also chosen as a Moon by his faculty.
Please bring on season 2 of this odd, enchanting series soon! I'll be watching for sure.
Rating: 12 out of 20
Ending: Cutely happy
Comments