I Told Sunset About You (2020)

Maybe ke yi will be our always

Once again, I decided to watch a drama for the hype, and this time I was not disappointed. I hardly cry with TV shows but this one made me catch the feels a few times. There was just so much rawness.

Story:
Most dramas about the mundane world tend to bore me because I like a healthy sense of escapism. However, this drama had my attention from the very start. I love childhood friendships, and I love when friends stick through thick and thin with each other. That's why I was absolutely torn when Teh and Oh Aew had so many ups and downs, being friends in one moment and then resenting each other in the next. Teh is imperfect - he has seemingly many flaws but he also has a good heart. Honestly, I related to Teh on so many levels because of this. I could understand the reasoning behind his jealousy, regret, fear, desperation, and sacrifice. Friendships are difficult to navigate with such emotions, especially as a teenager. However, I can also understand people's reasoning for being upset with him. All of this negativity festering within made him hurt everyone around him. He made Oh Aew miserable because of his inability to be honest with himself. There are just so many implications as to why Teh acted the way he did. Regardless, friendship was a huge takeaway from the series for me. I loved all the playfulness and little jokes between Teh and Oh Aew, and their relationship with the other boys was pretty admirable as well.

Now for the romance part, it was very suspenseful. They turned something so innocent from their childhood like back scratching into something very different. I felt embarrassed to watch some of the scenes they had together because of how raw they felt, and they didn't even do anything too bad. But seriously, the change in their relationship was so slow and subtle that it makes you sit on the edge of your seat. Probably the most disappointing part to the development of their romance was their treatment toward their secondary love interests. Both Tarn and Bas were angels to Teh and Oh Aew, comforting them despite being rejected. I sympathized with Tarn so much because it hurts to have someone pull away from you and not give you any clear reason as to why. These two characters honestly made me question why Teh and Oh Aew got together in the end.

As an aside, I loved the incorporation of Chinese culture into the drama. It was hilarious to see the boys watch a cheesy historical Chinese drama and emulate the sword fighting and play. The cultural element really helped to suck me into the drama.

I don't have any other critiques for the story other than the fact that episode 4 was not on par with the first three. The melodrama was amped up, and this was the episode where a lot of the petty stuff happened.

Acting/Cast:
The acting is excellent. I very much believed that these characters were actual people. I was heavily invested in Teh and Oh Aew's friendship while it lasted. There was a lot of ugly crying, something that is extremely rare for dramas where the actors are meant to look perfect at all times. I was unsure of PP's acting at first, but I quickly grew to like him in his role as Oh Aew. His expressions were everything to me and he was very gentle.

Music:
The OST is everything. It added so much to every and wasn't too overt at any point. I enjoyed the music box version of "Skyline" a lot, andI'm honestly just weak for historical OSTs. The ballad/Billkin's love song was lovely. The composition of the song just really sets the mood. I really hope they release the whole soundtrack (including the instrumentals) on spotify.

Overall:
The director, screenwriters, cast, and crew did not come to play with this one. They brought it all. This series just felt so magical yet real at the same time.

Ke yi ma? Ke yi.

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A Cinematic Masterpiece!

This review will not be able to truly emphasize how amazing this series is because you have to experience it yourself to fully grasp the majesty that is ITSAY but I will try. It encompasses raw emotions, youth, yearning and learning about oneself like no other show I've watched this year. I wouldn't even consider it a BL to me it's a beautiful coming of age and love story. BKPP at their best! superb acting, they made you feel those emotions coupled with one of the best OST Billkins beautiful voice and PPs soft tender voice. All the writers for the story should feel proud with this amazing story they created P'Boss, P'Goy P'Naron P'Karakade! P'Boss is a genius director you wouldn't have what itsay is if it wasn't for his directing. Cinematography made it feel like a movie and not a series the way they use the lighting and environment of Phuket allowed for beautiful scenes that enhanced the experience. When people started commenting that it was one of the best bls ever I didn't want to watch it. I didn't want anything knocking down my number one (Tharntype) so I held off, I was hesitant, in my mind I was saying "nothing can replace Tharntype" then I watched it... sorry Tharntype you are no match, no bl is a match for this series, now don't get me wrong I still love Tharntype, and I consider it at the top of my list, but itsay shattered my preconceptions of what a bl series should be altogether. It is what it is a Cinematic Masterpiece. Go watch it!

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11/10

I'll try to keep this short as much as I can.

This is def one of the best Dramas of all time, and I'm not just talking about BL or Asian. I MEANT ALL DRAMAS I'VE EVER WATCHED.

What makes this show a 11/10 for me:

- FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE SEXUAL TENSION OF TEH AND OH. MYGAAAADD I CANT WITH THESE TWOOOO
- Killer chemistry between the main leads as Best Friends, rivals, and lovers. They're obviously soulmates!!
- How they portrayed their role. All those crying scenes. They didnt give a damn how ugly they looked or if their salivas are dripping or they have a runny nose everytime they cry. Such talented actors. They're still young but you'd be amazed by how they project themselves on screen. KUDOS GUYS!
- Cinematography and Videography. Camera movement is perfection may it be in a running or steady scene.
- All those scenes where the camera didn't change angles just goes to show how talented the actors are having embraced their characters' persona and memorized their lines perfectly and characters by heart.
- OST. I'M FREAKING INLOVE WITH ALL VERSIONS OF IT both in Thai and Chinese. And the mainleads sang each their versions tooo. Super talented.
- Storyline. The conflict and goal may seem simple, but the journey is really unpredictable and it touches your heart and you can relate to some of the characters in so many ways.
- Script. The timing of what was said, how it was said, when it was said, and why it was said, FREAKING BRILLIANT!!
- There were a lot of scenes where no words were spoken and the camera is just focused on the expressions of their faces yet you would be missing a lot if you dont get to see those. The more they dont say anything, the more you get what they're feeling
- Beautiful places and streets in Thailand.
- Incorporation of the Chinese language.
- Very sensible and realistic. Sensible in a sense where they didn't went with the stereotypical bl stories by destroying the image of each other main lead's liked person at first. Their roles are significant to the mainlead's charactee development.
- Hoon. Teh's brother. I'd want to have a brother who listens and gives advices like him.
- Bas. He's soooooo cuuuuteeee
- Teh and Oh's cute teases of each other.
- The title 'I Told Sunset About You' is so powerful, whoever chose it, I'd consider a genius.
- The series is not that long to watch too.

Oops sorry I know I said to keep it short. I got carried away while writing the review. What can I sayn I just love everything about ITSAY.

Definitely highly recommended!!!!

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OMG

This is one of the best series I've watched all 2020 and I fan girl screamed so damn hard! It definitely deserves all the love it's received. It's an emotional roller coaster but instead of feeling sad, I mostly felt anxiety. SO MANY times you're going to be tricked and wanna scream "WTF?!" But it's an amazing story none the less. The boys have great chemistry with each other which makes the story so much more convincing. It was nice to seem some new faces and this lead role will definitely put them in the spot light in the future. The name seems weird... until the very end, it'll all make sense (I love stuff like that). Now the wait for S2 begins...

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I TOLD EVERYONE ABOUT THIS DRAMA

This is a real masterpiece. There was not a single thing I hated about this drama. The story was so down to earth and it has the ability to really take all your attention. The characters are fairly realistic and you will catch yourself getting so invest in their "life" that you will be able to resonate with them or at the least understand them. Not only you will like the main leads, but you will also fall for the side characters. The cinematography was amazing, the music was well chosen and the dialogues felt really natural. If unseeying something was possible, you would totally unsee this drama just so you could experience watching it once again for the first time.

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A piece of art

I am speechless, I'm not trying to over-glorify it. I have watched tonnes of BL dramas and this series by far is the most exquisite. I found myself trying to give any of the rating less than perfection but I just couldn't, I would deem myself a liar if I did that. There were times that I had to pause the video while watching sinceI felt like sobbing. The cinematography is immaculate and beautiful, the colouring is so calming. Top notch acting, especially the two main characters, they made the whole thing so beautiful. I would say that the lines were minimal in this series but they never ran out of conversations. All the actors communicate with their facial expressions, body language, and their eyes pretty amazingly. The story flows like water, it was really like watching a piece of art coming together before your eyes. This series is a masterpiece, created by all the people involved in the making of the series. It was such a privilege to be able to witness it.

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This is gonna make you cry!

This is one of the best romances I have ever seen... I generally binge on a lot of dramas just for the pretty faces and the good feels... but this was not one of them. The 'teen' in their teenage was so glaringly obvious and makes you want to hold all of them and give a good hug! The actors were so in character, every single one of them. I didn't connect with all the crying in the first episode.. but it made me curious for the rest..and boy was I glad I continued!!!
Reasons why I LOVED this drama enough to write a review for the first time ever:
The chemistry felt real.
There were no unnecessary toxic and mean characters.
The struggle felt real. The story was believable.
Did I tell you that their chemistry was off the charts??
It portrays the teenage mood swings and confusions perfectly!
Some of it felt gross but in a way that we are all gross and stupid and disgusting and weird during our teenage, at least I
was... so it made things more real than glossing over and prettied up.
While rarely the music felt a bit off, it was ON POINT every other time, making the scene even more perfect.
There were no useless scenes giving explanations and spelling out things. Every shot was necessary and added to the story instead of dragging it. The details of the purple and red hibiscus and the words they write... every single thing was given thought and reason.
This is a true slice of life drama, the kind I like.

Weirdly the person I connected most to was Tarn in the last episode... though I didn't like her till then.

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Likely the best BL series for 2020

I didn't have high expectations going into this series. In fact, I didnt have any expectations at all.

The surprise that came following the first episode and then on was pleasant. There aren't enough words I could use to describe how good of a series this was. The two main actors are absolutely amazing. Their ability to show pain, love, and longing is something I havent seen in a while - the last being in History 2: Boundary Crossing. The chemistry between the mains was also incredible good.

The best moments were the silent ones, where it told a story louder than spoken words could. What an absolutely fantastic series. Can't wait for the continuation of this storyline.

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Gorgeous, Sincere, and Compassionate

I'd heard people calling this show a masterpiece and thought "Right, sure, whatever." And then, of course, I actually saw it.

This show is incredibly compassionate and detailed - perhaps more so than any queer movie or television show ever aired. Rather than attempting to placate viewers with BL tropes, this show steps into a queer mindset and asks "How would it really happen?" and "What are the real internal obstacles to this love?" There's never an attempt to insert artificial drama. No evil exes, no random tragedies, no one-dimensional homophobic bullies. Teh and Oh are multi-faceted characters with dreams of their own, trying to figure out what is going on between them, because it isn't clear - as it often isn't in real life. Is this friendship? Is this love? How do they know? With no role models, no representation, Teh and Oh are left on their own trying to figure what is happening between them and many of the side characters are eventually brought into the crossfires. At times, everyone behaves poorly, and it is abundantly clear from the acting of the cast that each actor portrays their character as if they themselves are the main character.

As for the story: there are scenes here that are so lovingly and sensitively portrayed that you can't help watch them over and over again. There's also a concerted effort to show, not tell - red hibiscus vs purple hibiscus, the smell of coconut shampoo, the evolution of the back massage. Each character has a rich psychological framework they are operating out of, and the show displays their inner life with an enormous amount of non-verbal scenes. At times, I think there's almost too much detail in the stares for the average person, but I'm not sure how much of a cultural background features into eye contact. Do Thai people stare at each other that much and that long? I mean, maybe right? As an American, I can't exactly say. The story comes across as very Thai, as well, and at times Americans (and maybe other non-Thai folk?) may struggle to figure out exactly what's happening, given the inclusion of a myriad of Thai customs not always explained to the non-Thai perspective. Some people might complain that the story moves too slowly - but I would argue that it goes at an extremely believable pace, even slightly too quickly. For instance, some of the necessary backbone of Teh and Oh's relationship is glossed over as the story moves into their romance. People eager for their romantic interactions might not mind, and PP Krit and Billkin certainly have great chemistry. But on the most technical level, I think we needed to see more of what Teh and Oh like about each other as people. They're certainly playful and they understand each other extremely well; they also share a passion for acting. But I don't think it's ever made clear why exactly Teh is so in love with Oh. To be fair, Thai BL rarely explain the logic behind the passion, and teenagers in general tend to be less logical about these sorts of things, but a little more logic might have given the show a more mature perspective. Towards the end, there's maybe one or two scenes (I'm thinking specifically the Chinese New Year scene) that feel like they're milking the emotions more than necessary - I'd argue we could have done without Teh and the song and just had a red hibiscus make its appearance to be effective. But other than that, there really is so much stunning writing and deeply honest conflict that makes the story feel unique, believable, and genuine in its attempt to explore the lows and highs of the characters.

The acting: I mean, it is definitely good - and in part due to the director. The director has such a strong sense of the smallness of looks and touches. It's all very subtle, but very detailed. Again, all actors give their characters complex and specific interior lives. The chemistry is also really lovely between Billkin and PP. And of course, the actors who play Tarn and Hoon are just wonderful.

The music: absolutely stunning. All of it. Sensitive and - as I think I saw another review put it - wise. And there's such a tenderness and compassion in the music; you can tell that the composer really loves these characters and so hopes they find happiness. There's also a lot of emotional complexity to the music which greatly aids scenes that are extremely subtle. You will more than likely be humming a few of these songs when the show is over.

The cinematography: also, absolutely stunning. Careful, lavish, meticulously thought-out, very high production. This is a project that people really, truly cared about, and it shows on every level.

Rewatch value: I NEVER rewatch BL dramas, but I've watched nearly ever scene about three or four times now. Again, every scene is so complex - there is so much hidden symbolism and psychological warfare - that you won't be able to pick up on everything the first time around. But as you rewatch, things just become clearer and richer. And there is SO much to talk about. I Told Sunset About You investigates queer love with an honesty unparalleled at this point and there are scenes and conflicts wholly accurate to the queer experience that have never been displayed before. I Told Sunset About You never tries (or almost never tries) to make the experience melodramatic - it is sincerely invested in helping you see how difficult - and how beautiful - queer love truly is.

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"We haven't talked for so long. If I could choose, I wouldn't want it to be this way."

-story wise, it’s a strong concept that i personally really love. childhood friends who got into a fight, fell apart, but reunite years later, discovering and navigating through new feelings. i’m a sucker for coming of age media as well as the childhood friends trope so i was all in for this. and for the first three episodes i was absolutely invested but then it started going downhill. the problem is quite clear, they simply went overboard with the angst. it was just sobbing after sobbing (mainly Teh, mans was crying like there was no tomorrow i swear) like i understand its coming of age so obviously there’s gonna be heartbreak, obviously there’s gonna be tears, but it was just so excessive that it started turning way too dramatic to me. and for the cherry on top...it didn’t help that the main lead’s acting for the crying scenes was flat out bad.
-so PP’s crying was okay but Billkin’s? yikes. there was one scene especially that i honestly couldn’t tell if he was crying or laughing. his facial expressions were just awkward and the fact that his character was ALWAYS crying...not a great combo. however! besides the crying scenes, the acting was honestly good! PP, in my opinion, was def a much stronger actor than Billkin, he really brought Oh-aew to life. the whole cast as well did their characters justice.
-another positive note is that PP and Billkin’s chemistry was for sure there. and that was what made me so invested the first three episodes. it’s what brought the coming of age feel to this show. the yearning, the touches, the glances between them, it was all so intimate and present. they really felt like childhood friends who always had a special place in their heart for each other.
-you may be asking why i gave it a good rating even tho i just went off about the bad crying and angst excessive plot...well...one word. cinematography. it’s absolutely stunning. there were so many scenes that honestly gave me chills. shots that were crafted with such a delicacy and care that every feeling and emotion the director wanted to convey through these shots were felt. every scene’s directional purpose felt intentional. the colors, where the light was coming from, where the actors stood, the angle of the camera, it’s this cinematography that made it worth it.
so...yes the angst was excessive. yes Billkin’s crying scenes were really rough. but Oh-aew and Teh’s connection and yearning struck me. the cinematography left me in absolute awe. this show wasn’t perfect at all but it managed to make me feel all the emotions that come with a coming of age genre. so i’ll still recommend this show because maybe you’ll be struck with those feelings too. just be aware that you’ll end up saying to yourself, “is this guy really crying AGAIN?”

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