Moonlight Chicken (2023)

absolutely breathtaking

oh. my. god.
i don't think i can even put into words how much i adored this.
despite its flaws, this show is going down as one of the best i've ever gotten to see, just because of everything that it made me feel. i can't get over how wonderfully, beautifully human it is. this community felt real. the characters were everyday people who make mistakes and love each other and struggle with grief and cherish life together. the attention to detail, the finding of joy in the little things, the kindness and support between characters despite facing difficulties - it made my heart feel as if it were GLOWING nearly every minute. this is what it's all about. this is all it will ever be about. I AM CRYING OVER A BOWL OF CHICKEN RICE. AND I NEVER CRY ABOUT ANYTHING
what's the plot? well - it's hard to say. it's a slice of life, and what a well-rounded, balanced, and delightful slice it was. i will agree with other reviewers that the main couple didn't catch my attention as much as everyone else did, and i think they could have shown more growth. i didn't really feel like i fully learned why they liked each other. but i still ended up caring about them than i expected, and the show is not really about them, anyway. there are intricate relationships between all the characters and i think many complex topics were handled well here. at the core, it's about understanding each other. my main complaint would be that there were a few occasions where it felt like the same conversations were being rehashed and characters weren't moving forward as i would expect, but that was far from fully ruining anything. except jim never saying "i love you" back to li ming. a daylight robbery. (and earth is a bit young for his role - but he still did a great job.)
the characters were of course at the heart of it all, and what amazing characters they were. i don't think a single one felt flat (except maybe beam...) and that in itself is a triumph. i enjoyed them all in different ways, but li ming and gaipa stole it for me. fourth and khaotung were absolutely phenomenal and didn't miss a single beat. li ming was the perfect moody teenager with a soft side and gaipa was such a truly sweet soul who has endured so much and i need all the good things in the world for both of them. where's my alangaipa spinoff?
lastly, this show, despite taking place in a chinatown, is so incredibly grounded in being thai. what a gorgeous showcase of the environment, food, culture, community life - i was genuinely entranced. i wish more dramas would do this. everywhere i looked there was something to appreciate. not to mention, whoever did the cinematography for this show did a fantastic job of highlighting the beauty of the environment and the actors. the composition, coloring, and framing were all on point.
skillfully directed, well acted, artistically shot, a story both poignant and charming, this drama really has it all. whew!

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Série simples, curta, mas com muita qualidade

Earth Mix mais uma vez se envolvendo numa obra espetacular!!

Moonlight Chicken é uma história simples, sobre pessoas comuns, sem grandes plots ou grandes reviravoltas, o que te prende na história é como você se apega a esses personagens e suas trajetórias. Earth está ótimo no papel. Eu lembro de bem antes no comecinho da carreira dele na época de Water Boyys que ele era "conhecido" por ser mau ator kkkk mas como ele evoluiu desde então!! Nesse papel ele conseguiu transmitir todas a nuances do tio Jim, sem ser canastrão ou caricato. Mix eu achei bem talentoso desde o começo. Esse casal pode ter algumas similaridades com Puppha Tian de 1000 estrelas, mas você consegue ver que os personagens são totalmente diferentes, as atuações foram na medida certa, e, mesmo já sendo bom, Mix também evoluiu bastante.

Os personagens secundários também são muito bem desenvolvidos. Gemini Fourth roubam bem a cena. Achei que o Li Ming seria um personagem adolescente chato, mas em muitos momentos é quase impossível não ficar do lado dele. Eu gosto muito do Fourth, acho incrivelmente carismático e com um sorriso lindo. Gemini tem uma atuação bem discreta, as vezes é ofuscado pela luz emitida pelo Fourth, mas ele brilhou muito nesse papel, foi impossível não se emocionar com algumas cenas.

Do Khao não preciso falar muito, ele já é bem conhecido pelo talento, mas a cena de quando ele é rejeitado pelo tio Jim merece um prêmio, e a cena dele cantando no funeral da mãe (cantando mal sendo que ele tem uma voz de anjo) foi muito emocionante. First não teve tanto espaço, mas incrível como ele tem química com todo mundo, por meio segundo até shippei ele com o Mix kkkkkkk

Tenho que dar uma menção honrosa para o Mark que eu amo em todos os universos e sempre serve muito como alívio cômico.

Enfim, assisti meio atrasada e parece que a série até já ganhou uns prêmios e são muito merecidos mesmo. Uma série curtinha com uma história simples, um plot mais adulto, mas você se envolve bastante e se apega muito aos personagens.

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I'm new to BLs, so this was my first time watching Earth and Mix together. Personally - I didn't have a problem with assuming Earth was late thirties, I would have assumed by looking at him that he was mid thirties. So I didn't have a problem with that. My issue was more that this series was too short - it needed another couple of episodes for the emotions and story to be fully fleshed out.

That being said, it is absolutely worth a watch. None of the acting, even the small parts, is wasted.

Gemini and Fourth (Heart and Li Ming) are the stars of the show, without a doubt, as previous reviews will state. I will watch anything with them in it together at this point. Gemini's acting while only saying a couple of words throughout the entire series was so perfect and I loved to see the portrayal of a character with a disability (though I do wish we had gotten subtitles for more of Heart's sign language). Their story alone would make this show worth watching.

Overall I really enjoyed it, I just felt there was more to tell that didn't fully get developed. But, worth a watch for the GeminiFourth crumbs and ensemble cast nonetheless.

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Gaipa stole the show!

I went into this with quite some expectations and while I wouldn't say I was disappointed, I do believe this series did not manage to reach its potential.
The story by itself was quite simple, but I loved that each character had some issues they needed to work on. No one (Except Gaipa, but that's my opinion) here is perfect, and they have to work on themselves through the show. I enjoyed Li-ming and Heart's story a lot, and it was a cute development that was well done.
As for the main couple, for some reason their story just......... never took off for me. Not a diss on Earth and Mix, both of them played their characters well, and have amazing chemistry on screen. It's just that I feel like there was no depth to their story at all. Felt like Wen was just following his crush around like a puppy and Jim ended up begrudgingly agreeing to be his boyfriend. There was at no point any scene that highlighted Earth really liked Wen romantically, even though they did end up together.
Jim's attitude towards his nephew threw me off sometimes, especially his reaction to finding out about him being gay, but I believe that was the intention, to show that people are not perfect.
I loved Gaipa and his mother the most. Khaotung is an incredible actor, and he once again proved himself through his portrayal of Gaipa. He is my fav character from this series.
Overall this was a decent series and I would recommend watching if you want a slice of life kinda watch.

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Um lar para o franguinho da meia-noite

Dificilmente vemos uma série com protagonista mais velho e temas mais maduros, combinados com boa atuação e fotografia de primeira. Moonlight Chicken nos entrega uma trama realista, personagens cativantes e resolução em apenas 8 episódios.

Desde o teaser as expectativas para série já eram altas, com direção de Aof e um elenco de peso, era esperado que o conteúdo fosse de qualidade, porém o lançamento de 2 episódios por semana e o fato de serem apenas 8 episódios no total deixou algumas pessoas apreensivas, mas a série não decepcionou.

Tudo começa com o encontro inesperado de Jim e Wen, que fica bêbado e dorme na mesa do restaurante de Jim, que já está nos seus 40 anos e fazendo o possível para sobreviver em plena crise. Depois de uma noite quente entre os dois, Wen continua investindo em Jim e aqui fica um elogio para o Mix que apenas com olhares certeiros conseguiu demonstrar todo o desejo de Wen por Jim. Enquanto vemos o desenrolar da história dos dois, outros personagens cativantes aparecem, como Li Ming, o sobrinho de Jim e Heart, um menino que ficou surdo e vive isolado pelos portões da sua casa. Ainda temos o alegre Gaipa e o apaixonado Alan, sem falar no Leng que aparece pouco, mas faz a diferença.

A história segue com conflitos, aprendizados e amadurecimento dos personagens, que são muito mais próximos da realidade e passíveis de identificação. A atuação foi de primeira, mesmo sendo iniciantes Gemini e Forth encantaram com seus personagens, o Mix parece que ficou ainda mais bonito e sedutor, o First como sempre entregando tudo e o show que o Khaotung deu no episódio 7 foi emocionante.

Por fim, a fotografia estava impecável, o tratamento de cor feito cuidadosamente, muitas cenas não tem fala alguma, só os olhares e movimentos dos personagens, mas a atmosfera construída cuidadosamente, deixa o espectador completamente imerso. Essa série é uma gema, para quem prefere temas mais próximos da realidade e roteiros que investem no amadurecimento dos personagens, Moonlight Chicken é um prato cheio! No final das contas um lar é onde o seu coração está.

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You watch it for EarthMix but fall in love with GeminiFourth

I don't know if it was a canon event for everyone, but this happened to me.

Story (8)
I couldn't get caught up with Jim and Wen.... maybe they are a little too serious characters? They are obviously two adults with adult problems, so I found them a little too complicated for my taste. That's not to say they're not a great pairing. Earth and Mix make even the worst-written character shine. But Gemini and Fourth were really a revelation: Ming and Heart deserved to have a spin-off series just for them. I also like that they are finally showing different disabilities in bls, it gives a breath of fresh air to a stale room of super nice and perfect characters.

Acting/Cast (9)
- Earth and Mix never disappoint: they are excellent actors who can play characters with great character depths
- Gemini and Fourth: I saw them for the first time here, and I really liked them; GMMTV's new recruits never disappoint
- First and Kao are a wonderful addition to an already fantastic cast; here they show how they are capable of being good actors even when they are apart

Music (8)
I liked the fact that they had all the guys sing in the opening ost. It's a wonderful lullaby.

Rewatch Value (7.5)
If I ever do a rewatch I will do it for Heart and Ming. I'm sorry to say this because EarthMix is my favourite ship, but in this drama they were eaten up by these two.

Overall (8.5)
Overall it's a good drama. There is nothing really problematic about it. There is just something missing (which I can't describe) about Jim and Wen. Just that.

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fun, tears & love

I really liked this BL but the couple that stole my heart was Li Ming and Heart. But let's go step by step! Unlike the couple formed by the two boys, I find that the relationship between Jim and Wen has not gone gradually, it has certainly had ups and downs but in the last episode a love seems to have been born between the two that didn’t exist until the previous episode. Surely Jim held back his feelings due to the situation with Wen, Alan and Gaipa but maybe I wouldn't have shown this gap so obviously.
I find Li Ming the best character in the drama, a little boy who grew up too quickly who, despite having received no love, has so much to give and gives it to Heart who also has never received any love since he became deaf. This couple was the one that let me breath again while everything went wrong between Jim and Wen, the only one that gave me joy from the start to the end. The theme of deafness, although I don't know anything about it, is addressed really well and I think it opens the world to those people who are left out of society because "they lack in something". Heart was immediately loved by everyone, treated like the others and i was so happy when Wen learned sign language (or at least, some gestures).
Gaipa and Alan also deserve a special mention. Despite the few scenes during the series, the two have stolen my heart and I hope that one day a spin off will be made to better understand their characters and their relationship. I felt every emotion of Gaipa from being whipped for jim to being rejected and the pain of losing his mother. A true, pure character with a big heart who despite the broken heart helps Jim. I experienced Alan's suffering from start to finish but I would have liked to see him smile more with Gaipa, only in the final episode I was able to see him happy. Although I don't understand the last scene when Wen approaches him and Gaipa angrily. Bro? It's none of your business anymore.
At the end, I would like to conclude with Leng who gave me lightness and fun. A little boy who, despite the difficulty of becoming a father at such a young age, try to gave a good life for his son.

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It's a fun series that has a lot going for it, but there are a few things not a fan of, especially Wan living with his ex. Wen needs to grow up and do better. Wen is to pushy with trying to start a relationship to fast just after braking up. Sadly was not at all a fan of the character. He is still growing slowly and not seeing all that is happening and the bigger picture took way too long. You can't just live with an ex and expect to be friends so easily. I enjoy this series because it does face a lot of issues and opens up about real problems. I love the lead chemistry. The cast is amazing. Sadly a lot of hurt, and pain but love and laughter. It's a good series, not great but it has a wonderful and powerful story to tell and it did a great job of it. Sadly I felt it took many episodes to really get to the point of the majority of the story and wish it took more effort to show real development with the couples and pairs. Overall would I recommend it Yes, love the cast and the storyline, just wish it put more to get to the point and showed more growth for the pairs. The one thing I have to say is Li and Heart are the best and most amazing characters ever.

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It Leaves a Mark to Your Heart

Not just a slice-of-life but slices-of-life because it transcends beyond it. Aside from gay relationships, it tackles about family, youth, being an orphan, unwanted pregnancy, single parenthood, person with disability, daily survival, among others we can witness in our society in a daily basis. But in the end, there is forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing.

This is a story of Jim, owner of a famous chicken rice diner that only opens in the evening. He is being helped by his nephews Li Ming, a graduating student and Saleng, who has a girlfriend. One night, upon closing, a drunk Wen was the only customer left sleeping on the table. Waking him and having beers together as they walked to the main street. Since Wen is totally wasted, he brought him home and let him sleep in his room. Quite sober, one-night-stand occurs. The next morning, Jim is decided to leave it as it is. They did not even got their names. But Wen could not forget what happened and came back to the diner applying as waiter as his second job just to pursue Jim. Then their story evolves.

Uncle Jim as they call him is struggling to make both ends meet as he raises his two nephews’, the nagging-hater Li Ming and sexually active Saleng. As Li Ming delivers an order to Heart's house (which is deaf), expensive liquor was broken and it was accused to Li Mings fault. That is why Li Ming volunteered to work with the family to pay the amount with an ulterior motive of escaping the work at the diner. While Saleng announced to his uncle that his girlfriend is pregnant. They could not propose marriage because they could not afford any dowry and the girlfriend's parents are in the province.

Wen is a person who tries to break-free from suffocating relationship but still living as "friends" with his ex, Alan. While Alan still hopes to make their relationship work and goes back as a couple. When Wen knew Jim in an unusual one-night-stand, Wen tries to pursue Jim which also has issues from his past.

Heart is a person with disability. For the past three years, he was unable to hear. He was kept home by his parents to avoid social ridicule. When Li Ming works in their home to pay the broken expensive liquor, enemy to friends develops and ends into deep feelings.

Personally speaking, I almost discontinue watching after the end of episode 3. (**SPOILER) That is because Wen made all the efforts to be in good terms again and Wen let Jim meet his father; but as Wen went home, some guy is sleeping in Wen's bed. More so, I misunderstood because in the picture it wears some glasses, I thought it was Jim's ex...(gosh, looks can be deceiving). It made me read all the reviews and comments as to what will happen next. And yet, as you continue watching, you can't help but shed tears non-stop.

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A complicated hookup with tiny sprinkes of bittersweets

I stopped watching this after the first hour because of the slow and pointless nature of the main couple's actions. The very slow-paced slow motion life did not touch me...

and I'm guessing we are supposed to understand the characters doing mundane stuff. Months later, I came back to the show to be tortured some more. The second couple was less complicated and had hints of hope and something resembling romance. The main couple just sat there being dramatic and well, complicated. The main couple's pointless actions eventually grew on me as the back story was revealed but I never fully understood the why. Like why are we here? And just why, why why

The acting is top-notch, and the visuals are moody and interesting. The story of a hook-up culture trying to be something more is not really a fun watch. But, it's closer to a bittersweet independent film that people force you to watch to say how life is horrible and we will all die alone. And after the torture of watching it you are supposed to be happy about your own life...I guess.

I'm being a bit dramatic, I mean, after all, I gave it a nine out of ten.

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Good BL, characters not so much.

I would have to say this is a pretty solid BL, I really enjoyed it. The plot was sort of unique and there was a lot representation especially with the deaf community which isn't often seen in BL, and in shows/movies in general so i enjoyed the aspect about it.

The characters were a bit annoying at times, especially the main couple. And I didn't really like how they made Alan out to be the bad guy in the beginning, because I generally felt bad for him. But I was glad that Alan got his own little romance at the ending, or else it wouldn't really feel complete.

There was a lot realism in this series and wasn't overally fluffy, and was more realistic with the build up of the relationships and the relationships had more depth. You don't see that in a lot of BLs. Wen was a bit repetitive with his relationship with Jim, I like how there was more build up, but Wen seemed a bit to desperate and it felt like he was forceful which was a bit annoying.

I honestly liked the side couples more, especially with Heart and Li Ming, I wish there was some spin-off series between the two people they were so much more interesting but had way less screen time. And their overall relationship was more healthy and the dynamics were fun to watch.

So 8/10 feels right, mostly just wish the main couple weren't as annoying as they were shown, (It got a bit better.) And the side couple had more screen time. The age gap wasn't HUGE, but it was kind of weird.

I recommend this BL if you like slow build up between characters and are looking for more diversity when it comes to stories or characters.

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