TharnType The Series
2019 Thai BL series TharnType The Series is a prequel to game-changer Love By Chance, so it has high expectations to live up to. It focuses on soccer team manager Type when he was a university freshman, and his gradual realisation that he's in love with a man. Played by Earth Pirapet, Type was my favourite character in Love By Chance; impatient, crass and blunt but also kind and generous, I loved him for his unconditional support of his friends and teammates, and for being a loving partner. It was a minor role with very little to do, so creating a prequel around him to develop his character better is already a winning decision.
MINOR SPOILERS WARNING for the end of this review.
Summary: University freshman Type is horrified when he hears a rumour that his new roommate Tharn is gay. An unrepentant homophobe, he wants Tharn out of the dorm room as soon as possible, so he sets about finding ways to torture Tharn with annoyances that range from pettiness to vandalism. Shaken by Type's sudden hatred but not afraid to stand up for himself, Tharn chooses to escalate the war. But he makes a catastrophically bad decision and takes his revenge too far. When Type shows signs of profound trauma hidden under all the anger and homophobia, Tharn begins to understand the real Type and realises he has feelings for him.
This series is a fairly decent mix of standard BL tropes and original ideas. Its central narrative of the blossoming relationship between Tharn and Type takes some getting used to, mainly because it's impossible to understand why Tharn tolerates Type's homophobic hatred, let alone falls in love with him. It only takes him a couple of episodes before he is head over heels, and it's barely convincing that he sees more to Type than the loathsome, aggressive aspects of his personality. It's only once we are given reasons for his gay-hating aggression that Type is marginally more sympathetic, but these reasons create an even more baffling barrier to understanding why he falls in love with Tharn. Type's fighting and vulgar abuse are probably meant to be endearing - Tharn usually ends up laughing at Type's insults as if they were back-handed compliments - but it's difficult to think of them as anything other than disgusting. This is definitely one of the more challenging "hate turns to love" BL stories put on screen. Type's internalised homophobia makes more sense once we understand his trauma better, but that doesn't make it any easier to see past his behaviour in the way that Tharn so obviously does.
TharnType does much better when it sets up its tie-ins with Love By Chance. A few of the characters from LBC are back, though most of them are played by new actors except for notable brief appearances by Tin (Mean), Pete (Saint) and Kengkla (Mark). As Type's best friend, Techno (played by a very eager Mild Suttinut) gets a more prominent role with a stronger comic edge. His well-meaning interventions in his friend's love life are sometimes funny but usually unintentionally negative. Champ and other soccer teammates are also back in a small way, though Champ has a key role to play in Type's more dramatic moments. But the best reworking comes with step brothers Tum and Tar. They take a couple of episodes to find their place in the wider narrative, and it's tough to see what the writers can do with them, knowing that Tum doesn't find out the truth about Tar until Love By Chance comes along. But the twists and turns of Tar's story end up being the strongest elements in the series. Taking the step back in time to find out what happened to Tar after he broke up with Tharn but before he left for France is critical to TharnType's success, especially given how poorly Tar's story is managed in LBC. It plays out so well here, especially as events turn everyone's opinion against Tar in the most terrifying way. His victimisation is absolute, and it casts him aside as a ruined shell of a human being who can barely function without exposing himself to even worse treatment. There are a few hints throughout the series that something isn't quite right, but once Tar's horror story explodes across the screen like a nightmare, TharnType chooses to take the "Together With Me" approach and introduces the idea of a psychopath manipulating everyone like puppets. It only works up to a point, then unfortunately dissolves into poorly-directed violence and hysteria in the final episode. Its one saving grace is that it's Type who saves the day, and it gives us a much deeper appreciation of his flawed character and why he ended up being so sympathetic to Tar in LBC.
TharnType also has an interesting take on modern relationships, especially for a BL drama, which can often lack sincerity and get bogged down in cliché. It shows how there's a widening gap between the intimacy of sex, the feelings that come from that intimacy, and the misdirected focus on the 'casual' nature of modern hook ups and sex friends. No matter how jaded and indifferent people act when dealing with the 'fun' of casual sex, there's always an element of connection to it, even if it's hidden or one-sided. Tharn is so smitten with Type that he convinces him to sleep with him, simply by being so considerate and loving to him that he can't resist. At first, Type insists it's only a one-time thing, but then of course he eventually wants to be sex friends so that they can go at it whenever they feel horny. It's meant to be a throwaway line, and both boys agree to the deal as if it's nothing special, but a closer connection is inevitable by that point. First and foremost, they already need and rely on each other. Having sex when you already need each other is never going to be just an isolated 'casual' fun time!
TharnType has plenty to like, but there's also a lot to dislike. "I can't sleep with other men, just you."...Wifey/hubby...sexual assault made to look like it's no big deal...the mistreatment of women and effeminate men...on and on, so many boring overused BL tropes. This is one of those shows where you know it would have been exceptional, if only they had made more of an effort to be daring and original. It's hard to avoid feeling disappointed, especially as it's been widely crowned as the best BL drama of 2019. It's definitely overrated, and that's largely due to the lack of credibility of its central loving couple and its unadventurousness. But on the rare occasions when this show hits the right notes, it's easier to see why it's so widely praised and loved.
Rating: 12 out of 20. Recommended, if only for you to see for yourself what all the fuss is about.
Ending: happy
Best scene: there are a few to choose from.
MINOR SPOILERS WARNING for the end of this review.
Summary: University freshman Type is horrified when he hears a rumour that his new roommate Tharn is gay. An unrepentant homophobe, he wants Tharn out of the dorm room as soon as possible, so he sets about finding ways to torture Tharn with annoyances that range from pettiness to vandalism. Shaken by Type's sudden hatred but not afraid to stand up for himself, Tharn chooses to escalate the war. But he makes a catastrophically bad decision and takes his revenge too far. When Type shows signs of profound trauma hidden under all the anger and homophobia, Tharn begins to understand the real Type and realises he has feelings for him.
This series is a fairly decent mix of standard BL tropes and original ideas. Its central narrative of the blossoming relationship between Tharn and Type takes some getting used to, mainly because it's impossible to understand why Tharn tolerates Type's homophobic hatred, let alone falls in love with him. It only takes him a couple of episodes before he is head over heels, and it's barely convincing that he sees more to Type than the loathsome, aggressive aspects of his personality. It's only once we are given reasons for his gay-hating aggression that Type is marginally more sympathetic, but these reasons create an even more baffling barrier to understanding why he falls in love with Tharn. Type's fighting and vulgar abuse are probably meant to be endearing - Tharn usually ends up laughing at Type's insults as if they were back-handed compliments - but it's difficult to think of them as anything other than disgusting. This is definitely one of the more challenging "hate turns to love" BL stories put on screen. Type's internalised homophobia makes more sense once we understand his trauma better, but that doesn't make it any easier to see past his behaviour in the way that Tharn so obviously does.
TharnType does much better when it sets up its tie-ins with Love By Chance. A few of the characters from LBC are back, though most of them are played by new actors except for notable brief appearances by Tin (Mean), Pete (Saint) and Kengkla (Mark). As Type's best friend, Techno (played by a very eager Mild Suttinut) gets a more prominent role with a stronger comic edge. His well-meaning interventions in his friend's love life are sometimes funny but usually unintentionally negative. Champ and other soccer teammates are also back in a small way, though Champ has a key role to play in Type's more dramatic moments. But the best reworking comes with step brothers Tum and Tar. They take a couple of episodes to find their place in the wider narrative, and it's tough to see what the writers can do with them, knowing that Tum doesn't find out the truth about Tar until Love By Chance comes along. But the twists and turns of Tar's story end up being the strongest elements in the series. Taking the step back in time to find out what happened to Tar after he broke up with Tharn but before he left for France is critical to TharnType's success, especially given how poorly Tar's story is managed in LBC. It plays out so well here, especially as events turn everyone's opinion against Tar in the most terrifying way. His victimisation is absolute, and it casts him aside as a ruined shell of a human being who can barely function without exposing himself to even worse treatment. There are a few hints throughout the series that something isn't quite right, but once Tar's horror story explodes across the screen like a nightmare, TharnType chooses to take the "Together With Me" approach and introduces the idea of a psychopath manipulating everyone like puppets. It only works up to a point, then unfortunately dissolves into poorly-directed violence and hysteria in the final episode. Its one saving grace is that it's Type who saves the day, and it gives us a much deeper appreciation of his flawed character and why he ended up being so sympathetic to Tar in LBC.
TharnType also has an interesting take on modern relationships, especially for a BL drama, which can often lack sincerity and get bogged down in cliché. It shows how there's a widening gap between the intimacy of sex, the feelings that come from that intimacy, and the misdirected focus on the 'casual' nature of modern hook ups and sex friends. No matter how jaded and indifferent people act when dealing with the 'fun' of casual sex, there's always an element of connection to it, even if it's hidden or one-sided. Tharn is so smitten with Type that he convinces him to sleep with him, simply by being so considerate and loving to him that he can't resist. At first, Type insists it's only a one-time thing, but then of course he eventually wants to be sex friends so that they can go at it whenever they feel horny. It's meant to be a throwaway line, and both boys agree to the deal as if it's nothing special, but a closer connection is inevitable by that point. First and foremost, they already need and rely on each other. Having sex when you already need each other is never going to be just an isolated 'casual' fun time!
TharnType has plenty to like, but there's also a lot to dislike. "I can't sleep with other men, just you."...Wifey/hubby...sexual assault made to look like it's no big deal...the mistreatment of women and effeminate men...on and on, so many boring overused BL tropes. This is one of those shows where you know it would have been exceptional, if only they had made more of an effort to be daring and original. It's hard to avoid feeling disappointed, especially as it's been widely crowned as the best BL drama of 2019. It's definitely overrated, and that's largely due to the lack of credibility of its central loving couple and its unadventurousness. But on the rare occasions when this show hits the right notes, it's easier to see why it's so widely praised and loved.
Rating: 12 out of 20. Recommended, if only for you to see for yourself what all the fuss is about.
Ending: happy
Best scene: there are a few to choose from.
- The middle of Episode 3 has a breathtakingly good extended sequence where Tharn apologises on behalf of Type, after he insulted two gays with homophobic slurs. It's superlatively written, and is very likely the best five minutes of screenplay I've ever encountered in a BL series.
- After an abusive confrontation with Type, Tharn's close friend Sun walks away alone down a long dormitory corridor. As you watch him slowly walk off into the distance, you begin to realise the extent of what he's just done, and it's one of the most moving moments in the series. TharnType really excels at moments like this - just one character, us in the audience and a strong human connection full of empathy. It's so easy to draw conclusions based on false impressions and quick judgements. He's flawed and selfish, but characters like P'Sun show us the true meaning of love and maybe even how to be a decent human being when everything is tempting you to act diabolically.
- That final scene with Tharn and Type! three years after the events that have taken place and they are still so happy together and in love! It's sublimely beautiful in how it depicts the boys' intimacy, sincerity and subdued exultation at the harmony that comes with sharing their lives with each other as soulmates. The acting is spot on, especially Mew as Tharn (as he has been through the whole series), and the production and direction just nail all the points they are meant to with precision. BL rarely gets better than this.
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