I Told Sunset About You (2020)

CINEMATIC TOUR DE FORCE

A thrilling masterpiece that fully absorb your emotions in every episode.

Highly recommend this show if you are looking for the following:
• A well-written coming of age drama.
• Impeccable acting of the whole cast.
• Roller-coaster of emotions throughout the show.
• Stunning production with great amount of effort into details.
• A 2nd lead that you might want to end-up with the lead "heroine".
• Drama, angst, and a character that you want to punch in the face.
• A series that feels like a movie quality.
• Music that is captivating and poetic.

I can't give a 10/10 Rewatch Value because even though this is one of Thai BL masterpiece, I don't have the energy to go through mental and emotional breakdown in watching this again. Regardless, it is undeniably a beautiful series.

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Great Story

I really liked the story here.
The Chinese Background makes it interesting.
Teh's acting is a bit of a letdown. His limited facial expressions, fake smiles and forced crying made me cringe a lot. The writers gave his character a great emotional journey and I tried to focus on that.
Oh-Aew however genuinly transports every emotion as if he was feeling it himself.
Overall I thought Bas and Oh-Aew actually had better chemistry and I liked Bas character a lot
As for BL Dramas - this is very good. Partly helped by being short.
The music is really nice and the chinese new year scene when the play the main song on the piano is one of the best scenes for me.

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More than BL

This story compare to other BL drama i watched, this drama felt more like a reality than a story. Why? Because based on my experience i watch BL, most BL drama never show how struggling it is for a normal straight man or a gay man to accept themselves as they are. Normal BL just show the happy , romantic side but they didn’t show how struggling it is for gay to came out it our today society. But this drama perfectly display this. They show how confused for a person who have always thought they are straight but then suddenly realize they fell in love with people who had the same sex. The drama displayed how gay people doesn’t really wanna be like that and afraid that they will receive hate if they admit that they are gay. The story really display perfectly how gay people feel in our society.

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A journey of self-discovery... Before the sunset...

My heart just shattered when Teh asked “Would that be ok to have 2 male protagonists?”
The pain in his voice breaks my heart.
Usually, I don’t particularly like high school BL; however just like HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count...
I Told Sunset About You is really really really well made. Teh and Oh-aew’s chaotic emotions and attractions for each other feel like a Russian roulette. And their struggles to learn about themselves and to accept their preferences are palpable.

On top of all those, they gave us that last intimate scene in episode 3...
It was not explicit but the phenomenal emotions these 2 young actors conveyed were enough to set the tv on fire.

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AN ALMOST MASTERPIECE THAT MESSED UP BIG TIME

OMG!!! I was expecting so much from this one because of all the through-the-roof high rating and rave reviews about perfection and best BL/best Asian drama etc. and not going to lie it delivered almost that in the first 3 episodes but WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE LATTER HALF??? I'm honestly a bit much pissed off and mad at the way things unfolded after episode 3 and the way things ended.

This story to be absolutely fair is not a wholly new one. We have seen this childhood-best -friends-falling-apart-and-reuniting-later-down-the-line-and-discovering-their-love narrative enough to not be too surprised but still this series could have done so much more with this and I almost believed it could nail it with the first episodes and was so hooked and excited about it.

I will give a run down of each episode and where they might have effed up so as to have a closure with my disappointments with this series because I need one badly-

EP 1: The first episode was near perfect for a pilot episode that sets the stage for the rest of the story to unfold. It gives a nice back story to the characters who had been childhood besties but fall apart unfortunately and ghost each other for many years. This gave me flash backs to one time I fought with a good friend of mine and we ghosted each other for years. I have to admit one thing though that the whole reunion of Teh and Oh felt a little early in terms of a series as I was expecting them to slowly come to terms with each other through bittersweet developments. It would have brought me to devastation if they reunited in that beach towards last of the first half of the series or later. But since it felt a little abrupt, I couldn't connect as much because I felt connected with the child version of theirs and then suddenly they are all grown up and saying sorry to each other and crying. Also after that emotional reunion at the beach, the very next scene about the whole friend group just chilling in the beach felt a little misplaced.

EP 2-I don't have much to say about the second episode apart from that it was cute and paved the way for the rest of the story. I specifically liked the scene where Teh helps Oh to find out if Bas really likes him. That was true bestie goals:). Honestly I would have also liked it this way. The last part where they just sit in the river boat few seats apart looking in the opposite direction and afterwards how they address though rather loosely where their friendship stands was so artistically beautiful.

EP 3- This episode was my favourite. In this episode, their true feelings for each other surfaces and their story seems to come full circle and the fact that this one is not the last episode with the sunset scene as the closing scene is killing me. We come to know of the near toxic obsession of Teh for Oh and it only becomes more obvious in the forth episode.

EP 4- This is when all of it goes downhill and becomes a bit much real for me. So Teh is saying that he wants to be just friends after kissing Oh underwater in one of the most beautiful kissing scenes ever? Quoting Oh aew:"Do friends do that"??? I get that Teh is not ready, is a teenager, is going through a lot of confusion and his obsession for Oh isn't helping it as well but could he not have talked about it with Oh or for that matter anyone in the family? I know it can be hard to talk with family or friends about this sensitive of an issue but I believe they would have understood from what I knew of the characters or at least made it easier for Teh by letting himself out and free finally. I think I also need to cut Teh some slack because I know myself being an Asian what it is like being an LGBTQIA+ person and born into a conservative Asian family. But I also feel like since he was suffering so much and by holding it inside him it made it impossible and painful to watch which was clearly the case towards the end of the episode. It is one thing to make a cute scarpbook about Chinese idioms to help your boyfriend (there I said it!) get into uni and another to throw away your and your family's entire future, dreams and expectations over reserving him a seat there. It was nothing but painful and hurtful to watch the mom feeling helpless and questioning what befell her bright son. The crying scenes in this seemed comically exaggerated after having stupidly relinquished for his so called friend Oh. It was cringey when the next thing was them childishly fighting about this great sacrifice over IG stories (so gen Z but so out of place) . And I couldnt even watch at that point when Oh drops this great sacrifice of Teh which was expected and it makes it only funny(sorry). Oh needed to come to Teh's house at once and not wanting to see Teh sad was not a reason at all wtf?Teh crying over his cut out Chinese mastery book seems like something that can be fixed by rebuying it at the bookstore? I can't even imagine the pain Teh must have felt though because I know what getting into a good uni means to an Asian family and here too in this story an uni becomes a major make-or-break. The only thing I liked in this episode was the bra scene which is something so less portrayed in cinema so kudos for that. However this scene should have been given more importance with Oh seeing some flashbacks to his childhood or something.

EP 5- This episode did not do justice to the story of Teh and Oh and the ending seemed half baked. The ending closure felt constricted and short. The issues that Teh was facing weren't addressed well enough. Talking to his brother was not much of a help. I felt like Teh deserved to be helped with whatever he was going through and there was never a proper explanation for everything. I wanted Oh to come to Teh and have a conversation about everything which never really happened and the whole accepting himself was not seen. I wanted Bas who was so comfortable with his sexuality to help Teh in those rough times or at least give him some advice. I wanted Teh's friends who knew something was up to come help their hurting pal. I wanted Teh's mother to know the truth about her son and hopefully accept him. Teh deserved a healthy coming out.

In the whole story, I approve of Bas the most. He is sensible, smart and understanding. He is comfortable in his own skin and is not afraid to hold the hands of his boyfriend in public. He says out loud what he honestly feels about someone and is so wholesome. BAS DESERVES ALL THE LOVE IN THIS WORLD!

Overall, I don't dislike this series and am not mad about it and honestly would recommend it highly because of great performances, enchanting cinematography and addressing of certain important topics. When I was watching it, I got deja vu to the movie Call me by your Name due to the way it was shot and directed. Like Call me by your name which is also highly regarded and artistically beautiful but has its own set of flaws, ITSAY remains a worthy watch provided one doesn't hold too much expectations and know their priorities well.

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This is not a BL

This showed up in my recommendations after I finished Atots. This show is not just a BL, this is an LGBT show that can compete with a lot of western/ European LGBT drama. This show is soo well done with the most amazing cinematography ever. I had to google the actors because they surprised me, this has one of the best natural acting have seen in a while, best OST, best pacing, best directing. I watched this with my kids and we were all sobbing at the end of this series. I will greatly recommend this and rewatch soo many times. I am about to start watching the documentary now.

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Wow

I was not expecting to enjoy this drama as much as I did. I am not a person that enjoys slow-paced dramas but I am so glad I kept pushing. The storyline is rather simple but it was done so well that it felt like a new story that I had not seen before. First of all the acting was spectacular. At first I did not think the actor who played Teh was talented enough compared to his counterpart. I am saying now that I admit that I was wrong. Episode 4 kicked me in my heart so bad I was left in shock. I felt his pain. Oh my god I felt that so deeply. He cried exactly that way I have cried many times before. Second, the scenery oh my lord. Take my to Thailand right now! What town was this in? I want to visit so badly. Third, the subtle messages were great. The subtle touches, glances, and messages all of it. Fourth, the tie in with Chinese culture I adored. I am learning Mandarin currently and am fascinated about Chinese culture. I wanted to squeal like a fan girl every time I understood the Chinese. I loved the way Teh used Chinese as a way to convey his thoughts and emotions to Oh-aew. 放心（fàngxīn-to trust), 关心（guānxīn- to care), 男主角(Nán zhǔjiǎo- male protagonist). 我的天啊！我很感动。I definitely say watch it to anyone who is on the fence about watching it. I can't wait for season 2!

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KESİNLİKLE İZLENMELİ

yakın zamanda izlediğim en iyi ve en estetik dizilerden biriydi. şekilsel açıdan da içeriksel açıdan da takdire şayan kesinlikle.
ben normalde müziklere dikkat etmem ama sahneler için seçilen müzikler duyguları o kadar iyi yansıtıyor ve güçlendiriyor ki şaştım kaldım. birkaç yerde sırf müzikler yüzünden ağladım. bunun yanında kurgu ve anlatı da yine tam olması gerektiği gibiydi. hızlı akışı olan bir dizi değildi ama asla sıkmıyordu, gereksiz olay ve saçmalıklar yoktu; akış bozulmadan 5 bölüm boyunca devam etti. mekanlar, dekorlar ve renkler de çok iyi seçilmişti. söylemeden edemeyeceğim, biçimde beni en çok etkileyen şeylerden bir diğeri de anlatı içinde yer alan izleklerdi. defterlere serbest çağrışım ile yazılan ya da rastgele okunan kelimeler bu izleklerden birisiydi mesela. o kelimeler olayları ve durumları özetler nitelikteydi; hikayenin akışı, karakterlerin duyguları o kelimelerden okunabiliyordu. önemli küçük detaylar... kesinlikle emek harcanmış bir dizi.
biçimin yanında biraz içeriğe de değinmek istiyorum: benim için bu dizinin en önemli artılarından biri de -kesinlikle- problematikliğin diğer popüler bl'lere nazaran az olmasıydı. yok demiyorum, birkaç bölüm boyunca çiftimizin ne kadar toksik bir ilişkilenme içine girdiğine şahit olacaksınız ama şahsen bunu affedebiliyorum çünkü pişmanlıklar ve değişimleri de görüyoruz devamında. hiç kimse kusursuz değildir, ben de problematik davranışlar içine girebiliyorum. önemli olan bunları fark edebilmek, eleştiriye açık olmak, öz eleştiri yapabilmek ve en sonunda da özür dileyip bu problematiklerin tekrarlamaması için uğraşmaktır. medyada lgbti+fobi gözükmesin demiyorum ama görünüyorsa da bu romantize edilmemeli. "tharntype" çok sevilen bir bl ama bir homofobiğin, bir şiddet failinin, bir ayrımcının nasıl romantize edildiğini ve bu durumun "aşk" adı altında nasıl meşrulaştırıldığını görüyoruz. bu işte problematik olan. "i told sunset abut you"nun dizi böyle değil. karakterler birbirlerine karşı sorunlu davranışlarını fark ediyor, sessiz bir özür ve anlaşma ile çözüm yolunda adım atıyorlar. kalbimi çok kırdı bu dizi ama asla politik bir kırgınlık değildi bu. klişelerden de olabildiğince kaçınılmış bunu da ekleyeyim.
son olarak, tekrar etmekte fayda var diyerekten: kesinlikle izlemeye değer.
update (25.12.2020): izledeğim çoğu bl'de beni en çok rahatsız eden şey karakterlerin fazla normatif ve aşırı maskülen olmasıdır. sanki karakterleri yaratan kişiler bu karakterlerin de "heterolar gibi normal(!)" olduğunu ispatlamak istercesine maço, sahiplenici, sert, duygusuz vb. yazarlar karakterleri. onlar da erkektir. kendi adıma konuşmak gerekirse ben bu tiplemeden çok sıkıldım. ben artık maço erkekler görmek istemiyorum. artık bana feminenliğiyle barışık, sürekli erkekliğini kanıtlamaya çalışan, pasif/aktif gibi ikiliklerden kurtulmuş karakterler görmek istiyorum. bu dizi bir açıdan bana bunu sağladı. ana karakterlerden birinin cinsiyetini sorgulaması o kadar önemli bir olaydı ki benim için anlatamam. başka hiçbir bl'de benzerini görmedim çünkü çoğunda tüm karakterler aşırı maskülendi. maskülen mi olmamız gerekiyor? neden? neden masküleniteyi bu kadar popülerize ediyoruz halbuki çok toksik bir şeyken?
kendimi keşfetme sürecinde ben de yaşadım bunu. maskülen değilim, olmak da istemiyorum. "acaba yanlış(!) bedende mi doğdum?" diye sorgulamıştım. bu dizide de bunu görmek karakter ile bir ortaklık kurmamı sağladı. bu sorgulamayı tek yaşan kişi ben de değilim birçok insan bu süreçlerden geçiyor, hepimize dayatılan bazı cinsiyet normları var ve bunların altalarında eziliyoruz. diğer LGBTİ+ temalı dizilerde, bl'lerde bunları neden göremiyoruz? niye tüm karakterler aşırı maskülen, kavgacı, aşırı kıskanç, neden hepsi kaslı, yakışıklı?eğer bu yazıyı okuyan varsa lütfen artık bu tür klişeleri romantize etmeyi keselim. "erkeklerden değil sadece senden hoşlanıyorum gibi" cinsel yünelimleri utanılacak, kabul edilemeyecek bir şey haline getiren klişelerden; "seviyorum ki kıskanıyorum" gibi şiddet dolu ilişkileri romantize eden; "erkek adam şunu yapar" gibi maskülenliği öven ama feminenliği aşağılayan klişeleri popüler etmeyelim. bu bizlere zarar veriyor, bunu fark etmemiz lazım.

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a pure sensitive Story of Love, Friendship and all between...

This series is not a common BL like the others. There is no „courting“, no stereotypes, and no unbelievable Storyline, there are emotions with every word, gesture, and look.

The Acting of both main roles is perfectly on point and their chemistry is noticeable in every way. In my suggestion, it puts ThaiBL to another Level. (Even if it’s more a Coming Out Drama than a BL series)

It's a little bit calmer and more groundstandig but in a good way. There are no storytwists, no plotlines, just pure emotions, and struggles.
The only issue I see is in the support roles, which don’t have the same emotional power as the main couple.
But that is more than bearable in such a great drama series.

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A Coming-Out Story Isn't Necessarily a BL

There are some things to say right away - the story is beautiful in its way, the settings and acting are great. BUT....

If this were a BL series, the story would revolve around Teh and Oh-Aew coming to realize that they like each other and then kissing at the end. The journey is MUTUAL in that both are finding their way toward each other.

This is a more of a coming-out movie, where the story obsessively focuses on Teh's realization of his homosexual attractions and Oh-Aew just so happens to be the person who awakens those feelings in him. In fact, this would make a better film than a series.

By the end of this, I was really dissatisfied with the absolute torture Teh put everyone through to come to his self-realizations. I found him to be selfish and self-obsessed. I think it's episode 5 when Teh's wonderful brother Hoon, calls him a crybaby, and that definitely applies to Teh. I just don't have much patience for crybabies who seem to always be saddest about their own predicament and barely moved by others. In fact, I don't know if I can even describe Teh as a good person because he always has motives for what he's doing. You can understand why a movie focused on Teh wouldn't be much to my liking.

Besides, if you think Teh has it bad, what would this story be like from Oh-Aew's point of view? He decides to go into acting as a child, only after getting permission from Teh, then once he likes it, Teh drops him for betraying him. Can you imagine the hurt Oh went through? Oh is a single child without the benefit of a comforting brother to give him the go-ahead to explore his gay feelings. He had to come to those realizations and experience all the pain and hesitation ON HIS OWN. Imagine how hard that would have been. And still, he was willing to put himself out there - first by accepting Teh's friendship again after being hurt so badly by him and then by repeatedly showing affection toward Teh only to be swatted away. Oh-Aew even is willing to treat Bas poorly on his way to get Teh to accept his feelings. Teh is CRUEL to Oh-Aew and to Tarn, for that matter, and isn't worth all the screen time.

In the end, I would have liked Oh to have run that journey on his own, because the show should have allowed him to come to his own realizations too - that he doesn't need anyone in this world to support him who is not ready to accept him as he is, bra and all.

This series might look beautiful and might take itself very seriously, but it doesn't succeed at telling a BL story. If this is BL, then so is "Brokeback Mountain" and we can agree there is a difference.

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COMPLICATED MASTERPIECE

[I am really impressed that this series is so real]
I would be saying what I wanted , what I liked, what I disliked about the character- it doesn't mean I don;'t like this drama. This drama didn't go according to my preference that's why t was more attractive to me.
||I DON'T REWATCH DRAMAS SO CAN'T GIVE REWATCH VALUE||

===I would start with something which I personally wanted to happen.
- Teh's character was not manipulative at all, he is kind of egoistic. He does not show any of his emotions directly to aew. And Aew is totally opposite of him. He loves him, and he told him proudly. I felt really hurt for Aew. I think he deserves Bas more. Their relationship was more preferred to me. Aew could fall for him eventually because Bas was a nice guy and he is extremely understanding. I would say the same for Tan. Teh should have settled with Tan because his mood swings and "I am gonna do whatever without thinking" can only be tolerated by Tan.
===Now, the characters
-I have liked the character of Aew, he is sweet and real.
- Teh is not real, he is just confused. He always hurt people and gets hurt at the same time.
- decisions I didn't like, ofc giving his college seat to Aew, bro! this happened before and you insulted him so badly, why do you think Aew could accept it. Of course he would misunderstand you, if you don't clarify.
-Aew choosing, Teh over bas
-Teh and Aew using, Tan and Bas [indirectly, unknowingly]
====What I liked
-Real plot
-Amazingly portrayal of Aew and Teh's characters.
-My perspective did change from ep1 to ep 5
-Teh's character can be really immature but it's real. I also have these misunderstandings, most of teenagers have these immature thoughts so I am not complaining. It's just in real world, I could have been real mad at him.

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