SOTUS S: The Series
Adorable couple Kongpop and Arthit are back, in the SOTUS second season SOTUS S: The Series ! I've been very keen to see how their relationship has progressed since series one. And I've been gunning for a Prem / Wat romance!
Summary: Arthit has started his new job at an electrical goods company Ocean Electric and is discovering that he is being treated like a university junior again, although in a very different adult world. Kongpop is now an Engineering senior at university and the head hazer. His approach to hazing is the complete opposite of the violence and humiliation of his predecessors; while still being very firm and sticking with ritualised activities, he prefers being constructive, helpful and positive. They weather these new circumstances of their lives together and give each other the strength and happiness to persevere, and of course they get by with a little help from their friends. Even though their social group now knows about their relationship after season one's terrific finale, Arthit insists on keeping Kongpop hidden from his new colleagues, which starts to create tension and difficulties.
I didn't realise how much I had missed the characters from the first series until I started watching season two. Kongpop has grown taller and more solid since season one, while Arthit somehow appears to have become even more slender and prettily pale. I loved seeing some of the old favourites, such as sympathetic Knot, numbskull Bright, my personal favourite Prem of the original hazers, senior mentors Ple and Tum (now a father!) who were such an important influence on Kongpop and Arthit in season one, the central group of girls May, Maprang and Prae, and Kongpop's best friends Oak and M. The producers scored a coup getting almost all the original cast back (with the sadly notable exception of Wat, who is referred to in passing), and they haven't messed with the group dynamic, knowing that they're onto a good thing. Kongpop still looks ravenously at Arthit whenever they're together, he's clearly even more head over heels in love. His love-struck stares, million-watt beaming smiles and relentless barrage of compliments and sexual innuendo are still a wonderful source of BL romance and laugh-out-loud cheesy comedy, because we know they make Arthit so painfully uncomfortable.
Unfortunately the flip side to keeping the dynamic from season 1 has carried over to some of the narrative. I was looking forward to seeing some real progression and insight into the old characters, especially in the central Kongpop / Arthit relationship. But they are stuck in a time warp. Arthit is almost pathologically averse to any displays of affection with Kongpop, just as he was in season one, and barely has any physical contact with him at all. It's hard to believe they've been in a relationship for more than two years by the time SOTUS S starts, they seem to have gone nowhere, or possibly even backwards. (EDIT: to be fair, this is probably an intentional narrative decision rather than the more typical BL default position. The writers want us to recognise that the secrecy of their relationship is a flaw, and symptomatic of Arthit's deeper problems. Later in season 2, it's eventually made clear that Arthit definitely wants things to remain secret so as to avoid both a potential 'outing' and, more ominously, to keep his deeper problems at bay.) M and May are still stuck in their rut of a lack of communication and aren't a couple yet either. This is so frustrating, it's as if they've all been doing nothing at all for years. Arthit has a more mature outlook due to his job, Bright has opened a bar, and Prem is depressed about not finding work since graduation. Otherwise it's complete stasis for the old crew.
Is it possible that SOTUS should have remained a single series drama? Truthfully, I didn't see how the writers were going to be able to replicate the success of the first season without losing its original interest and narrative continuity. Half of the cast had graduated from university at the end of season one, lives were irrevocably different, marriage and an adult working life beckoned. That's hardly fertile ground for a BL drama. What they've done to circumvent this problem actually works. It's a stroke of genius to have Kongpop as head hazer in season two, and showing Arthit's 'regression' into a junior role at work when juxtaposed against his formerly cruel behaviour as head hazer is screenwriting gold. Arthit, Bright, Korn and Prem all help Kongpop and Tew with SOTUS activities at university, which makes Arthit nostalgic for the good old days. It strikes a pretty good balance between creativity, new ideas and keeping the fans happy by not changing much at all.
It's a huge relief to see that the hazing has been toned down. There's none of the cruelty or callousness of season one. Kongpop has thoroughly revolutionised the hazing institution and its traditions by imposing his own virtues and ideals on them. It pays off enormously, both for the new juniors and the audience. There's far more value and interest in what Kongpop achieves by hazing in this way.
It's important to acknowledge that a lot of the success of season two rests with the new characters. University junior Day and especially the new Ocean Electric intern Nai stand out. They are both great characters and I see a lot of potential in their contributions to the story. Day is very resistant to the hazers and their activities, far more even than Kongpop and Wat in season one, probably because he's more quietly persuasive in his opinions about it. Tew takes it upon himself to befriend the spiky unapproachable Day and to find out why he's so solitary - though Tew may have ulterior motives as well. Day might be relatively BL-standard in concept, however Nai is a strikingly idiosyncratic creation, with a roving unpretentious intelligence that is captivating. He even gets his own BL arc in season two. He's definitely one to keep an eye on if the series progresses beyond this season. (Season Three! Imagine that!) Arthit's Ocean Electric co-workers are an interesting bunch too, especially intelligent hard-working Earth and cool new-starter Tod - who right off the bat suffers from the others' (and, I'm sorry to say, my) judgemental prejudice by being the CEO's nephew. There's a couple of very sharp shocks in store for Arthit when Kongpop doesn't tell him about some important events that directly affect his job. And seeing Kongpop's parents for the first time provides the audience with the best "what the hell" moment of the season.
So while the focus is still very much on the strangely inert relationship of Kongpop and Arthit, the screenplay is interesting and well-written enough to allow for a large number of secondary sub plots without overwhelming the central narrative. On top of this, it still manages to remain faithful to the spirit and characterisations of the first season. It's such a vast improvement and a real pleasure to watch. I can't wait to see the rest of the episodes. I've only seen the 9 that are so far available on youtube.
Rating: to be confirmed, but if the standard holds up, I'm feeling a 13 or 14 out of 20 coming on. (See below)
Ending: to be confirmed (see below)
Best scene: (so far) just about any scene where Kongpop and Arthit have some alone time. (See below)
*******************
UPDATE:
So I've watched the remaining episodes, there are 13 in total. There's some fine work here, with plenty of sweet moments, and the standalone five-minute romantic 'specials' after each episode are BL perfection. But overall it feels like a rush to the final destination rather than finding joy in the journey.
The pressure on Arthit at work really ramps up in these episodes, due to some workplace deception and negligence. As a result he's much more prominent than Kongpop. It's the first time this has happened in the series, so it's a refreshing change, and gives us a chance to get to know Arthit away from Kongpop. As also happened in the climactic wedding and rooftop party scenes in series one, he is forced into a corner and he must make a do-or-die decision. It's wonderful to see that the writers have made him come out of his shell at last. This is exactly what the show needed to get it out of its inertia when dealing with the central relationship. Arthit's reserve and habitual aggression towards Kongpop whenever he is too sweet and physically affectionate was getting excessive and alienating. They've somehow managed to tone his routine down and make it adorable instead, which is a relief, given how devastating the consequences of his behaviour could have been on Kongpop in the final stages of this season. The actor playing Arthit, Krist, has these small facial quirks that he uses to great effect. For example, when his eyes turn blank and there's a twitch of a smile on his lips as he turns and looks away into the half distance, pretending he didn't hear one of Kongpop's cute compliments, and thereby showing despite himself that he's genuinely ecstatic.
The subplots involving the secondary characters are given short shrift, with just a moment or two in the final episode to tie the threads together very quickly. This is so dissatisfying and deflating, after all the effort put into their stories and characters in the early part of the season. Nai and Day in particular just dissolve into boring loose ends. We have approximately 60 seconds with Arthit's friends, the former seniors, in the final episode before they disappear again, possibly forever this time. (Goodbye Prem. Someone please give this actor a lead role in his own series.) May, M, Oak, Prae and Maprang barely get much longer, and have almost as little to do - though we do get to meet one the friends' surprise new partner! This all comes about due to the virtually uninterrupted focus in these 5 final episodes on a disastrous social media error and some difficulties at Arthit's work. Once these two plotlines are resolved, the series is effectively over and has no time for anything else but finalising the story of the two leads.
Overall, I'm ambivalent about SOTUS S now. It's worth watching but it feels like a long ordeal at times, with not much payoff. It does its best when it focuses on the romance, trials and tribulations of Kongpop and Arthit - which, when you think about it, is what we all ultimately want from a BL drama anyway. They make a fascinating couple, and it's been a real happiness and privilege to join them on their journey.
Rating: 13 out of 20
Ending: Full of happiness and acceptance
Best scene: the shocking speech at an awards ceremony at Arthit's workplace.
Summary: Arthit has started his new job at an electrical goods company Ocean Electric and is discovering that he is being treated like a university junior again, although in a very different adult world. Kongpop is now an Engineering senior at university and the head hazer. His approach to hazing is the complete opposite of the violence and humiliation of his predecessors; while still being very firm and sticking with ritualised activities, he prefers being constructive, helpful and positive. They weather these new circumstances of their lives together and give each other the strength and happiness to persevere, and of course they get by with a little help from their friends. Even though their social group now knows about their relationship after season one's terrific finale, Arthit insists on keeping Kongpop hidden from his new colleagues, which starts to create tension and difficulties.
I didn't realise how much I had missed the characters from the first series until I started watching season two. Kongpop has grown taller and more solid since season one, while Arthit somehow appears to have become even more slender and prettily pale. I loved seeing some of the old favourites, such as sympathetic Knot, numbskull Bright, my personal favourite Prem of the original hazers, senior mentors Ple and Tum (now a father!) who were such an important influence on Kongpop and Arthit in season one, the central group of girls May, Maprang and Prae, and Kongpop's best friends Oak and M. The producers scored a coup getting almost all the original cast back (with the sadly notable exception of Wat, who is referred to in passing), and they haven't messed with the group dynamic, knowing that they're onto a good thing. Kongpop still looks ravenously at Arthit whenever they're together, he's clearly even more head over heels in love. His love-struck stares, million-watt beaming smiles and relentless barrage of compliments and sexual innuendo are still a wonderful source of BL romance and laugh-out-loud cheesy comedy, because we know they make Arthit so painfully uncomfortable.
Unfortunately the flip side to keeping the dynamic from season 1 has carried over to some of the narrative. I was looking forward to seeing some real progression and insight into the old characters, especially in the central Kongpop / Arthit relationship. But they are stuck in a time warp. Arthit is almost pathologically averse to any displays of affection with Kongpop, just as he was in season one, and barely has any physical contact with him at all. It's hard to believe they've been in a relationship for more than two years by the time SOTUS S starts, they seem to have gone nowhere, or possibly even backwards. (EDIT: to be fair, this is probably an intentional narrative decision rather than the more typical BL default position. The writers want us to recognise that the secrecy of their relationship is a flaw, and symptomatic of Arthit's deeper problems. Later in season 2, it's eventually made clear that Arthit definitely wants things to remain secret so as to avoid both a potential 'outing' and, more ominously, to keep his deeper problems at bay.) M and May are still stuck in their rut of a lack of communication and aren't a couple yet either. This is so frustrating, it's as if they've all been doing nothing at all for years. Arthit has a more mature outlook due to his job, Bright has opened a bar, and Prem is depressed about not finding work since graduation. Otherwise it's complete stasis for the old crew.
Is it possible that SOTUS should have remained a single series drama? Truthfully, I didn't see how the writers were going to be able to replicate the success of the first season without losing its original interest and narrative continuity. Half of the cast had graduated from university at the end of season one, lives were irrevocably different, marriage and an adult working life beckoned. That's hardly fertile ground for a BL drama. What they've done to circumvent this problem actually works. It's a stroke of genius to have Kongpop as head hazer in season two, and showing Arthit's 'regression' into a junior role at work when juxtaposed against his formerly cruel behaviour as head hazer is screenwriting gold. Arthit, Bright, Korn and Prem all help Kongpop and Tew with SOTUS activities at university, which makes Arthit nostalgic for the good old days. It strikes a pretty good balance between creativity, new ideas and keeping the fans happy by not changing much at all.
It's a huge relief to see that the hazing has been toned down. There's none of the cruelty or callousness of season one. Kongpop has thoroughly revolutionised the hazing institution and its traditions by imposing his own virtues and ideals on them. It pays off enormously, both for the new juniors and the audience. There's far more value and interest in what Kongpop achieves by hazing in this way.
It's important to acknowledge that a lot of the success of season two rests with the new characters. University junior Day and especially the new Ocean Electric intern Nai stand out. They are both great characters and I see a lot of potential in their contributions to the story. Day is very resistant to the hazers and their activities, far more even than Kongpop and Wat in season one, probably because he's more quietly persuasive in his opinions about it. Tew takes it upon himself to befriend the spiky unapproachable Day and to find out why he's so solitary - though Tew may have ulterior motives as well. Day might be relatively BL-standard in concept, however Nai is a strikingly idiosyncratic creation, with a roving unpretentious intelligence that is captivating. He even gets his own BL arc in season two. He's definitely one to keep an eye on if the series progresses beyond this season. (Season Three! Imagine that!) Arthit's Ocean Electric co-workers are an interesting bunch too, especially intelligent hard-working Earth and cool new-starter Tod - who right off the bat suffers from the others' (and, I'm sorry to say, my) judgemental prejudice by being the CEO's nephew. There's a couple of very sharp shocks in store for Arthit when Kongpop doesn't tell him about some important events that directly affect his job. And seeing Kongpop's parents for the first time provides the audience with the best "what the hell" moment of the season.
So while the focus is still very much on the strangely inert relationship of Kongpop and Arthit, the screenplay is interesting and well-written enough to allow for a large number of secondary sub plots without overwhelming the central narrative. On top of this, it still manages to remain faithful to the spirit and characterisations of the first season. It's such a vast improvement and a real pleasure to watch. I can't wait to see the rest of the episodes. I've only seen the 9 that are so far available on youtube.
Rating: to be confirmed, but if the standard holds up, I'm feeling a 13 or 14 out of 20 coming on. (See below)
Ending: to be confirmed (see below)
Best scene: (so far) just about any scene where Kongpop and Arthit have some alone time. (See below)
*******************
UPDATE:
So I've watched the remaining episodes, there are 13 in total. There's some fine work here, with plenty of sweet moments, and the standalone five-minute romantic 'specials' after each episode are BL perfection. But overall it feels like a rush to the final destination rather than finding joy in the journey.
The pressure on Arthit at work really ramps up in these episodes, due to some workplace deception and negligence. As a result he's much more prominent than Kongpop. It's the first time this has happened in the series, so it's a refreshing change, and gives us a chance to get to know Arthit away from Kongpop. As also happened in the climactic wedding and rooftop party scenes in series one, he is forced into a corner and he must make a do-or-die decision. It's wonderful to see that the writers have made him come out of his shell at last. This is exactly what the show needed to get it out of its inertia when dealing with the central relationship. Arthit's reserve and habitual aggression towards Kongpop whenever he is too sweet and physically affectionate was getting excessive and alienating. They've somehow managed to tone his routine down and make it adorable instead, which is a relief, given how devastating the consequences of his behaviour could have been on Kongpop in the final stages of this season. The actor playing Arthit, Krist, has these small facial quirks that he uses to great effect. For example, when his eyes turn blank and there's a twitch of a smile on his lips as he turns and looks away into the half distance, pretending he didn't hear one of Kongpop's cute compliments, and thereby showing despite himself that he's genuinely ecstatic.
The subplots involving the secondary characters are given short shrift, with just a moment or two in the final episode to tie the threads together very quickly. This is so dissatisfying and deflating, after all the effort put into their stories and characters in the early part of the season. Nai and Day in particular just dissolve into boring loose ends. We have approximately 60 seconds with Arthit's friends, the former seniors, in the final episode before they disappear again, possibly forever this time. (Goodbye Prem. Someone please give this actor a lead role in his own series.) May, M, Oak, Prae and Maprang barely get much longer, and have almost as little to do - though we do get to meet one the friends' surprise new partner! This all comes about due to the virtually uninterrupted focus in these 5 final episodes on a disastrous social media error and some difficulties at Arthit's work. Once these two plotlines are resolved, the series is effectively over and has no time for anything else but finalising the story of the two leads.
Overall, I'm ambivalent about SOTUS S now. It's worth watching but it feels like a long ordeal at times, with not much payoff. It does its best when it focuses on the romance, trials and tribulations of Kongpop and Arthit - which, when you think about it, is what we all ultimately want from a BL drama anyway. They make a fascinating couple, and it's been a real happiness and privilege to join them on their journey.
Rating: 13 out of 20
Ending: Full of happiness and acceptance
Best scene: the shocking speech at an awards ceremony at Arthit's workplace.
Comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKH5mGQA_dA