Dark Blue Kiss
2019 Thai BL sequel series Dark Blue Kiss (DBK) gets its greatest gift and strength from the charisma of its two lead actors Newwie and Tay, reprising their Kiss The Series and Kiss Me Again roles of sensitive intelligent Kao and hot-tempered tough guy Pete respectively. These two very likeable and popular actors have amazing chemistry, and with this series they've reimagined one of the least sympathetic couples in Thai BL as one of its greatest. But the real surprise here is how unexpectedly great the new series is too. The screenplay is just so good.
Summary: At the start of this sequel, set three years later, Pete and Kao's loving and trusting relationship is now well-established, though they remain closeted and discreet in front of most of their friends and family. Perhaps surprisingly, it's Pete who wants to take the next step and come out, whereas it's Kao who resists firmly and won't be pressured. Perhaps this is partly because Pete is already out to his father? As a result, their best friends from university - friendly Thada, joker Jun and in-the-know firecracker Sandee - and Kao's mother start to get suspicious of the small telltale signs of how close they really are. When Pete is offered a modelling job, he takes a violent dislike to an obnoxious male model at the agency called Non, who has clear designs on Kao. When Kao is forced to become Non's tutor, old tensions and simmering jealousies resurface and drive a wedge of distrust between Kao and Pete. Brothers Sun and Rain continue to run their cafe, but they are struggling financially. Rain's hard-edged friend Mork visits the cafe regularly to help out, but Sun dislikes what he considers to be his bad influence on Rain. When Rain tries to convince his conservative brother that Mork isn't as bad as he thinks he is, Sun starts to see Mork in a different light.
I wasn't a huge fan of the prequel to DBK, called Kiss Me Again (KMA). It was excessively violent and the Pete/Kao subplot was poorly written and dragged at times. What it did have, however, was one of my favourite BL kiss scenes - the swimming pool scene. So seeing New and Tay create something electrifyingly similar in the first few minutes of this new series had me well and truly hooked on DBK straight off the bat.
I have to admit, a lot of this sequel gets to me in the same way another famous sequel SOTUS S did - by aiming for nostalgia. It was a great choice to do a spin-off for KMA that focuses on Kao and Pete, but it's an equally great pleasure seeing the characters closest to them from the original here as well. Sun and Rain in particular are so good to revisit because of their character progression, while the fun dynamic of teasing and bickering between Jun, Thada and Sandee at university is clearly inspired by SOTUS. It's no coincidence that they are studying Engineering at university. Seeing how Kao and Pete interact with their much-loved friends doesn't just make for an entertaining narrative, it also shows how their relationship is maturing (or not!). Watching them progressively open up is especially interesting, as is their surprisingly kind treatment of still-closeted Sun, given how badly his infatuation for Kao could have ended for everyone when KMA finished up. But it's unreliable scamp Rain who's the secret weapon here. He's adorably funny and steals every scene he's in. Watch him in Episode 3 trying to sell cake in the street wearing rabbit ears to see what I mean here. His endless bickering with 'nagging' Sun is also nicely done, especially as he always comes off second-best. His revenge comes when he gets an absolutely cracking reaction scene in Episode 10, when he gives Sun a well-deserved blast of fiery disrespect, after Sun disparages Mork unjustly.
It's hard to understand why this series' screenwriters opted to make Kao and Pete far less physically affectionate with each other, but Pete's kind, syrupy-sweet words of love to Kao at regular intervals almost make up for it. Be prepared to say "Awww!" at Pete a lot. I don't think I'll ever get over the personalised coffee cup he gives as a present to Kao. (Does anyone know if they are for sale?!) There are even a few moments of sexual banter that will make you blush and smile.
Flipping their original dynamic so as to make Pete more open and loving, while Kao is more distant and evasive, is a fun unforeseen surprise and it keeps us anticipating what's next for the rest of the series. There are some brilliantly executed scenes with Pete's father in particular (the condom scene!) and Kao's mother that gently show exactly what it means to be either in or out of the closet with loving, patient parents. But even better than this, the writers have given Pete and Kao some decently-written, thoughtful scenes where they discuss what it means to be gay. Such as facing up to the tiresome hypocrisy of being constantly required to justify and prove themselves in many facets of life where heterosexuals never are, and the considerable emotional impact this can have on those who love them, especially parents. This hypocrisy, injustice and homophobia intensify towards the end of the series, when Non tells a desperate lie that takes a severe toll on Kao. Even though Pete and Kao are still coming to terms with their sexuality and what it means to be a couple, the writers make sure there's no equivocation about them being anything other than gay. This almost never happens in Thai BL, so it's a real pleasure to experience it with one of its strongest, most popular couples.
BL rarely gets both its characterisation and its dialogue right, but it all comes together for DBK in the best possible way, and not just for Pete and Kao. Even its secondary characters - such as the various parents, Sandee, Non and Rain - have interesting perspectives and stories. Almost no one is neglected or poorly served by lazy writing. (Only Rain's love interest Manaow is weakly drawn, and it's a shame that Kao's sister Gift never made it into DBK. She's sorely missed, and would have been an invaluable support to Kao in his most difficult moments when he couldn't turn to Pete or his mother.) But from way out of left field comes probably the most interesting character in DBK - Sun's ex-girlfriend Kitty. She doesn't appear in more than five or six scenes but she makes a huge impression. Her florist scene with Mork is just about the most perfect moment in the whole series. Listening to her counsel Mork and talk about her life experiences with kindness, candour and empathy is surprisingly moving, and shows that BL screenwriters really can do great, original work when they make the effort.
The biggest problem with KMA - the overdone violence - has thankfully been toned down in this sequel. There are still a few moments, but they are largely done to bring rebellious Mork to the fore. They are over quickly, and they're nowhere near as gratuitous or bloody. In fact the most violent scene in the series actually works because of the way it's filmed side-by-side with an important competition scene. I'm so glad the director and screenwriters got this balance right because it makes a huge difference with the audience's sympathy for Mork in particular, who starts off as such bad company for impressionable Rain to keep and thereby alienates himself from Sun. It doesn't distract from the story by being too shocking or disruptive either. Pete's violent temper is tamer too, thanks to Kao, though he still has a few very off-putting, childish tantrums. Whenever it looks like he's going to lose it and hit someone, he manages to hold back - unlike in KMA, where his rage ran unchecked. He was unlikeable and too aggressive there, but he's a real softie and a romantic sweetheart here. Love really does conquer all!
I never thought I'd say this, but DBK is one of 2019's best BL dramas. It doesn't stray too far from the BL formula, but its screenplay is so well-considered, and its dialogue so thoughtful and well-written, it feels remarkable and like a true Thai BL milestone. With such great material to work with, the acting talents of Newwiee and Tay shine through and give us something really memorable.
Rating: 14/20. Essential viewing.
Ending: so happy! It will leave you smiling for days.
Best scene: Mork and Sun get some very funny scenes when they take an extended trip around Thailand: most notably, the Mine t-shirt scene, and the car radio scene all come so close to number one. But ultimately there's no contest here: the beautifully romantic locker room scene with Kao and Pete in episode 7 is sensationally good and impossible to beat.
PS. Am I wrong, or was the Star and Moon pageant song from "2 Moons" used in the final episode - ie, when Rain and Manaow are riding his motorbike??
Summary: At the start of this sequel, set three years later, Pete and Kao's loving and trusting relationship is now well-established, though they remain closeted and discreet in front of most of their friends and family. Perhaps surprisingly, it's Pete who wants to take the next step and come out, whereas it's Kao who resists firmly and won't be pressured. Perhaps this is partly because Pete is already out to his father? As a result, their best friends from university - friendly Thada, joker Jun and in-the-know firecracker Sandee - and Kao's mother start to get suspicious of the small telltale signs of how close they really are. When Pete is offered a modelling job, he takes a violent dislike to an obnoxious male model at the agency called Non, who has clear designs on Kao. When Kao is forced to become Non's tutor, old tensions and simmering jealousies resurface and drive a wedge of distrust between Kao and Pete. Brothers Sun and Rain continue to run their cafe, but they are struggling financially. Rain's hard-edged friend Mork visits the cafe regularly to help out, but Sun dislikes what he considers to be his bad influence on Rain. When Rain tries to convince his conservative brother that Mork isn't as bad as he thinks he is, Sun starts to see Mork in a different light.
I wasn't a huge fan of the prequel to DBK, called Kiss Me Again (KMA). It was excessively violent and the Pete/Kao subplot was poorly written and dragged at times. What it did have, however, was one of my favourite BL kiss scenes - the swimming pool scene. So seeing New and Tay create something electrifyingly similar in the first few minutes of this new series had me well and truly hooked on DBK straight off the bat.
I have to admit, a lot of this sequel gets to me in the same way another famous sequel SOTUS S did - by aiming for nostalgia. It was a great choice to do a spin-off for KMA that focuses on Kao and Pete, but it's an equally great pleasure seeing the characters closest to them from the original here as well. Sun and Rain in particular are so good to revisit because of their character progression, while the fun dynamic of teasing and bickering between Jun, Thada and Sandee at university is clearly inspired by SOTUS. It's no coincidence that they are studying Engineering at university. Seeing how Kao and Pete interact with their much-loved friends doesn't just make for an entertaining narrative, it also shows how their relationship is maturing (or not!). Watching them progressively open up is especially interesting, as is their surprisingly kind treatment of still-closeted Sun, given how badly his infatuation for Kao could have ended for everyone when KMA finished up. But it's unreliable scamp Rain who's the secret weapon here. He's adorably funny and steals every scene he's in. Watch him in Episode 3 trying to sell cake in the street wearing rabbit ears to see what I mean here. His endless bickering with 'nagging' Sun is also nicely done, especially as he always comes off second-best. His revenge comes when he gets an absolutely cracking reaction scene in Episode 10, when he gives Sun a well-deserved blast of fiery disrespect, after Sun disparages Mork unjustly.
It's hard to understand why this series' screenwriters opted to make Kao and Pete far less physically affectionate with each other, but Pete's kind, syrupy-sweet words of love to Kao at regular intervals almost make up for it. Be prepared to say "Awww!" at Pete a lot. I don't think I'll ever get over the personalised coffee cup he gives as a present to Kao. (Does anyone know if they are for sale?!) There are even a few moments of sexual banter that will make you blush and smile.
Flipping their original dynamic so as to make Pete more open and loving, while Kao is more distant and evasive, is a fun unforeseen surprise and it keeps us anticipating what's next for the rest of the series. There are some brilliantly executed scenes with Pete's father in particular (the condom scene!) and Kao's mother that gently show exactly what it means to be either in or out of the closet with loving, patient parents. But even better than this, the writers have given Pete and Kao some decently-written, thoughtful scenes where they discuss what it means to be gay. Such as facing up to the tiresome hypocrisy of being constantly required to justify and prove themselves in many facets of life where heterosexuals never are, and the considerable emotional impact this can have on those who love them, especially parents. This hypocrisy, injustice and homophobia intensify towards the end of the series, when Non tells a desperate lie that takes a severe toll on Kao. Even though Pete and Kao are still coming to terms with their sexuality and what it means to be a couple, the writers make sure there's no equivocation about them being anything other than gay. This almost never happens in Thai BL, so it's a real pleasure to experience it with one of its strongest, most popular couples.
BL rarely gets both its characterisation and its dialogue right, but it all comes together for DBK in the best possible way, and not just for Pete and Kao. Even its secondary characters - such as the various parents, Sandee, Non and Rain - have interesting perspectives and stories. Almost no one is neglected or poorly served by lazy writing. (Only Rain's love interest Manaow is weakly drawn, and it's a shame that Kao's sister Gift never made it into DBK. She's sorely missed, and would have been an invaluable support to Kao in his most difficult moments when he couldn't turn to Pete or his mother.) But from way out of left field comes probably the most interesting character in DBK - Sun's ex-girlfriend Kitty. She doesn't appear in more than five or six scenes but she makes a huge impression. Her florist scene with Mork is just about the most perfect moment in the whole series. Listening to her counsel Mork and talk about her life experiences with kindness, candour and empathy is surprisingly moving, and shows that BL screenwriters really can do great, original work when they make the effort.
The biggest problem with KMA - the overdone violence - has thankfully been toned down in this sequel. There are still a few moments, but they are largely done to bring rebellious Mork to the fore. They are over quickly, and they're nowhere near as gratuitous or bloody. In fact the most violent scene in the series actually works because of the way it's filmed side-by-side with an important competition scene. I'm so glad the director and screenwriters got this balance right because it makes a huge difference with the audience's sympathy for Mork in particular, who starts off as such bad company for impressionable Rain to keep and thereby alienates himself from Sun. It doesn't distract from the story by being too shocking or disruptive either. Pete's violent temper is tamer too, thanks to Kao, though he still has a few very off-putting, childish tantrums. Whenever it looks like he's going to lose it and hit someone, he manages to hold back - unlike in KMA, where his rage ran unchecked. He was unlikeable and too aggressive there, but he's a real softie and a romantic sweetheart here. Love really does conquer all!
I never thought I'd say this, but DBK is one of 2019's best BL dramas. It doesn't stray too far from the BL formula, but its screenplay is so well-considered, and its dialogue so thoughtful and well-written, it feels remarkable and like a true Thai BL milestone. With such great material to work with, the acting talents of Newwiee and Tay shine through and give us something really memorable.
Rating: 14/20. Essential viewing.
Ending: so happy! It will leave you smiling for days.
Best scene: Mork and Sun get some very funny scenes when they take an extended trip around Thailand: most notably, the Mine t-shirt scene, and the car radio scene all come so close to number one. But ultimately there's no contest here: the beautifully romantic locker room scene with Kao and Pete in episode 7 is sensationally good and impossible to beat.
PS. Am I wrong, or was the Star and Moon pageant song from "2 Moons" used in the final episode - ie, when Rain and Manaow are riding his motorbike??
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