Country Boy 2 (2022)

Another Wayufilm masterpiece

The history of BL series is a history of iconic BL couples – from Off and Gun over Max and Tul, Boun and Prem, Elijah and Kokoy, Ian and Paolo to Ohm and Nanon - names that make BL fans send their ships sailing. For me, Mon and Oak belong in the same category, although they are so different from all the others. They have been playing together in short films and series for more than three years, growing up together as actors and personalities, carefully guided by Director Nicchi. Their movies like ”Key Love”, ”My Friendship”, and of course ”Country Boy” are among the best the genre has to offer. Even a music video (”Just Like That”) proves how talented these two actors are, and that they are a perfect match.

I was sad when Oak announced the end of his acting career in a tearful video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zobLJdV2DHk). Fortunately, fans kept asking director Nicchi to produce a sequel to ”Country Boy”, and luckily two fans, John Piccone and Solipsism5, who actually met here at mydramalist, offered to finance ”Country Boy 2”. Many other fans donated smaller amounts of money, too, and Nicchi succeeded in persuading Oak to return to the screen, which made this movie possible.

The plot is simple. Keptawan, the Country Boy (Oak Puwanart) leaves his homestay, which is his comfort zone, and goes to Chiang Mai for a month as a trainee in his uncle's café. He has problems to adapt to working in the café and to life in the city, he is bullied by his uncle when he keeps making mistakes, and he feels lonely because Nubdao (Mon Hatsawatchon) doesn't have time for him because he is preparing for his final exams.

It takes four weeks until the two boys, who shyly hugged when Nubdao and his friends went to stay at Keptawan's homestay for some days in ”Country Boy”, finally spend a day together, and this time it is Keptawan who helps Nubdao overcome his crisis with the simple truths that a country boy knows. When Keptawan returns home, Nubdao is already waiting for him. The boys confess their love to each other, and their shy kiss (or should I say peck?) feels more emotional than many kisses at the end of 13 episodes of high end series.

A word about the actors. Mon is very experienced in the meantime, and it shows in this movie. Oak feels a little OTT sometimes, but he plays the simple, clumsy, yet somehow wise boy from the countryside very authentically. There are only a few supporting characters: Keptawan's mum, who doesn't come across as grumpy as in the prequel, her brother, the owner of the café, the ”villain” of the movie, and Ju, whose name, which sounds similar to the Thai word for 'dick', is a running gag, are all very natural and contribute to the authenticity of the movie.

I was a little skeptical when it was announced that a major part of the movie would be set in the city, because the landscape around Keptawan's homestay was a beautiful setting for the first episode. But we do get the rural setting again, and the places in Chiang Mai (the café, Nubdao's room, some street scenes) are well selected. Cinematography, sound and OST are very good for a budget production.

I admit I am not objective when I write about a Wayufilm production, and especially a movie starring Oak and Mon. I love those boys, and I appreciate Director Nicchi's work very much, so all in all I can only say that in my opinion, this is another masterpiece that takes you on an emotional journey.

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Sure, it's good... but a 10? YES!

Anyone that has read my other reviews may have noticed that I am not particularly generous with 9s and 10s when it comes to ratings. So why a 10 for this one? I will do my best to explain below. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS:

THE MAIN COUPLE. They are as wholesome and endearing as it gets. Nubdao (Mon) is not only beautiful, but shows a real vulnerability as well. Keptawan (Oak) is the real star here. As the uneducated country boy, he plays the part with what, at first, might come across as over-the-top acting, but it ends up working. You can't help but root for him, he totally sold me on his character.

MESSAGES. This short gay love story conveys some important messages. Keptawan shows us that, despite life's slings and arrows, maintaining a positive attitude can get us through just about anything. His mother is a wonderful role model as a supportive parent of a naive, gay son. And Nubdao shows us that love can strike unannounced, when you least expect it. (One of my favorite moments was when Keptawan found Nubdao waiting in his room, and Keptawan's reaction.)

THEME SONG. Can't get enough of it. Mon sings so nicely.

CONS:

BREVITY. The plot line is just fine, but it would have been nice to know more of the background of the characters. What happened to Keptawan's dad? Why does the uncle harbor such hostility toward the mother? Did Nubdao abandon his career to stay with Keptawan? None of these are dealbreakers for me, but it would have nice to know a bit more.

When I watched the first Country Boy, I thought it was sweet but wasn't quite sold on it -- I think I gave it a 7.0 rating -- mainly because it was hinting at romance but delivered more of a bromance. And, since it seemed like that might be it, I was a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I don't need skinship and make out/sex sessions to enjoy a BL series. But I was a little confused as to what we were supposed to get out of it, other than a cute story. Thankfully, Country Boy 2 changed all that for me.

At the end of the day, I found myself not only anticipating these episodes much more than I have with some other, more high budget (and longer) popular BL series. And I've already rewatched both episodes a few times and will continue to do so. I'd love it if they come up with Country Boy 3. Can't get enough of these two!

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This feels like a homemade meal. Warm, natural and simplistic.

They might have a small budget, but it works on their favor. The rawness and simple scenes, their appearances and how the characters dress and carry themselves, the natural and real scenarios feel like they are 0 atrezzo, prepared or fabricated, photography that is costumbrist and of course the story, full of feels of the first crush between two teens that feel like teens that are blossoming in front of our eyes. They are honest, clumsy, shy and all what you would expect these kids to be if they were real people.

For having such a short length, they made us know what kind of people they are, where do they come from, their background and situations. The contraposition between a capital city kid who worries about school, grades, internships and future and a rural area kid who worries about labor work and helping his mom. They don't feel one dimensional, is realistic and the honesty transcends again.

Don't come expecting a GMMTV production quality that would be like a full course meal at a good restaurant, come expecting a small rural canteen where a villager cooks homemade dishes with their own ingredients.

Even the way their friendship and love progress feels natural and costumbrist. I went back to when i was 12 and meet a cute person at a summer camp. I'm sure that plenty of us remember what a first crush between our childhood and teenager days was.

There are things to be improved, like making the timing and run down of the events more logical and cohesive, going overboard with how they portray certain characteristics of Keptawan or too little about Nabdao ones... but in all honesty it makes this one even more natural and close to my hearth.

If you can donate to this project here is their paypal: [email protected]

Hope we can see more of them in the future.

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Simple but Beautiful Love Story

Usually when I see a "2" in relation to a series or movie, I immediately think of how disappointed I will be. Not with Country Boy 2! Part 2 is set in the Chiang Mai rather than the homestay. Business has picked up at the homestay, so Keptawan goes to the city to train at his uncle's coffee shop. I'll get this out of the way, but Keptawan's uncle is a rude, belittling, jerk, but Keptawan keeps smiling through the training. Keptawan gets in touch with Nabdao, but because of his exam schedule, and needing to study to keep his grades up for is scholarship, he isn't able to meet with Keptawan right away. In fact, they do not meet until the day before Keptawan goes home.

This is how to tell this film is outstanding, the time Keptaway and Nabdao have together is short, but their date is one of the most beautiful stories I've seen in a long time. They hang out, and just spend the day together, going shopping and sitting and talking. They talk about their plans for the future and both are remain positive about their plans. I don't want to go into detail because I don't want to spoil it. Normally, I don't care about spoilers in a review, but this project is so special that I don't want to spoil the plot.

They kept the music the same as Country Boy. The theme song is sung by Mon, and it is perfect for these films.

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THE Best So Far in 2022!

I know it may sound trite to call this a masterpiece but it is. It is the best BL so far in 2022. I named Country Boy (1) as THE best in 2021 and this is is well on its way of taking its place for this year of 2022. What makes it so special? It's simplicity! It is nothing more than a pure love story with no gimmicks. The characters are so real, genuine, honest, and so original! I want to be in their world!
The acting is first rate, story is simple and basic, but its beauty is not want is only on the screen. It's beauty is in the actors themselves. This is a labor of love that screams classic!
There are simply NOT enough adjectives to describe its beauty and the impact this short series has on me. PLEASE watch this gem and its counterpart. I think you will be moved not only to smile but to cry and perhaps just wish a tiny bit to live in their world.

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Just watch the 2nd part of Country Boy 2

Overall: This is a sweet and tame BL. I'd give the first part a 7 and the second part a 9 - so average it to 8. I think you could easily skip the first part. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked
- the theme song but it played over and over again
- a sweet story (the 2nd part)
- finally some clear signs that this is romantic and not a bromance/friend situation at the end of the 2nd part

Room For Improvement
- the whole first part was not enjoyable. The uncle was a jerk for no reason. And it was so odd that Nabdao basically ignored Keptawan until the day before Keptawan left... The first part made me think that they weren't even friends let alone potential boyfriends.

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Much more focused than Season 1

Season 2 is much more focused than Season 1. A couple of the urban teens from Season 1 do not appear in Season 2. Whether this is a deliberate move or due to the unavailability of the actors or even a lack of budget, it has an unintended positive effect of helping the series become more focused.

In Country Boy 2, the story is much more focused on the romance between Keptawan and Nubdao. There are fewer distractions although they only actually confess their feelings quite late. The acting of the two main actors isn't perfect but it is decent, and they are certainly putting in effort to immerse themselves in their roles. Their awkwardness, shyness and their worries are adequately conveyed, making the story more engaging.

As with Season 1, however, the plight of the country boy (Keptawan) gets a touch-and-go sort of treatment. Keptawan works at his uncle's cafe in Chiang Mai for a month. From the start, he isn't particularly welcome and because he is prone to making mistakes, he is often scolded and insulted. The discrimination towards the person from the countryside is obvious, and the series shows this. Unfortunately, there is a lack of thematic development. Just like how the country boy's financial woes are a tad too easily overcome in Season 1, his plight does not get the attention it deserves. In fact, he simply becomes better at his job and gains the recognition of both customers at his uncle's cafe and his uncle himself. If there isn't going to be development on the theme of discrimination against the country boy, I would rather do away with it altogether and use the space freed up to make Country Boy 2 a better BL.

There is room for improvement, but Country Boy 2 is an improvement from Country Boy 1.

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The province boi got lost in the city. Super Loss.

Checked the reviews posted under this series and seems like this review of mine could be a little different from theirs.

Anyways...I like the first season. Truly. The simplicity of the story was the reason of that fondness. This is also the reason why I watched the second season.

This season for me feels like a downgrade.

We are already there, the base story itself is good. A province boi trying his luck in the province and got to meet the friends he got to meet in the province sounds promising. But the acting scenes brought my spirit down. I won't review the components of this series like the cinematography, the music and the like which I usually do. I'll just say what I want.

As what I have said the base story is so promising. It started strong but it slowly gotten weak as the story progresses. There are some awkward scenes and even some dead scenes. I understand the level of budget for this mini series but this season is far more inferior than the previous one. Can't appreciate the settings in this season because of the limited spaces and location. Can't review that music scoring as well. Thus, your attention will surely direct to the color grading and the acting skills. Which I ended up doing and I was, well not disappointed but grrrr, the term is "sayang" (there's no equivalent english word for this) but it is a pity because I know that they could've done better.

I appreciate the effort and the time that they gave in producing the series though. Am truly thankful.

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Protagonistas injustiçados

Quero pontuar duas coisas: Primeiro, gosto muito desse conceito de mostrar outras partes da Tailândia, longe dos centros urbanos e da agitação das universidades. Segundo, acompanho os dois protagonistas, Mon e Oat, há muito tempo, desde seu primeiro trabalho nessa indústria, e só posso parabenizá-los pelo tanto que cresceram e amadureceram. Por outro lado, acho eles injustiçados, por só terem espeço em produções pequenas e de baixo orçamento.

É um especial dividido em duas partes, existe uma sequência, mas eu ainda não assisti. A locação, os cenários, a fotografia, realmente são muito lindos. Na minha opinião faltou uma ost marcante para complementar.

A atuação dos protas, como já falei, melhorou bastante. Sem falar na beleza dos personagens, beleza de alma, que cativa e emociona. Eu chorei ao ver o Keptawan contando toda a sua vida super triste sem tirar o sorriso dos lábios nem por um momento. Não pq estivesse debochando, mas pq apesar de tudo, ele acredita que tudo vai ficar bem. O carinho com que os meninos, chefiados por Nobdao o acolheram e decidiram ajudar foi singelo e tocante.

Dois episódios que ficaram para sempre em meu coração. Com certeza recomendo, e em breve pretendo ver a segunda temporada.

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