180 Degrees Longitude Between Us (2022)

intense, heartbreaking, beautiful

Overall: this series had me on the edge of my seat every single episode. Never have I been so invested in characters discussing lines. It's in a league of its own. Watched on Gagaoolala.

Content Warnings: homophobia, grief about past death, alcoholism, past bullying discussed, age gap (this does not bother me in this instance)

What I Liked
- acting, you could cut tension with a knife at times
- metaphors (bridges, lines, etc)
- layers upon layers with figuring out what all happened, we actually did not learn exactly what all happened in the past and I'm okay with that
- Wang calling his mom out about her way of addressing her friend in episode 1, overall I loved Wang's character and how he was not afraid to be himself or fight for what he thought was right
- cinematography and overall production value

Room For Improvement
- how are there only 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in that huge house?
- the OST was beautiful but it was really the only song played the same way over and over again
- should have removed the commercial breaks
- the blurring of the alcohol (this was likely done for Thai TV but wish they had unblurred it on gagaoolala)

Leggi di Più

180 Degree - Right In The Feelings

This LGBTQIA+ series is all I ever visually dreamed of, not in a "how handsome the actors are" or in a "the romance is so explicit" but rather the entire CINEMATOGRAPHY was ON POINT. So good, that I´d even forget my doubts about some part of the story. It´s a heavenly gift for everyone who not only watches the series for the plot but also for the techniques of filming and editing. It’s BREATHTAKING!
(TW: age gap, loss)

Story >> 8.0 >> 9.0
As I said before, I still have a few doubts about the plot. Nothing extremely bothersome tho. All in all, I loved the portrayal of this kind of “unspoken” story and all the time they took to emphasize on the characters conflicts and true, growing emotions.

Acting/ Cast >> 9.5
The relatability was archived by extremely good acting and an incredible production team. I hope I can expect more of this top-notch acting in the future because it felt unreal. Especially Nike´s performance was drawing my attention.

Music >> 8.5
I really hope that other thai LGBQTIA+ series could make use of soundtracks and background music like this series does. Not that there was any specific soundtrack that I liked, but they just all fit the mood well and did not bother me in the slightest, which is rare.

Rewatch Value >> 8.0 >> 7.5
It is so beautiful to watch, not even question if I´d rewatch this. I definitely will sooner or later!

100% RECOMMENDED if you are okay with the main characters' significant age gap.

Leggi di Più

Mommy and Daddy issues at its most disturbing....

This is not a romance but a drama in its true meaning, set in a beautiful setting, filled with dialog, gazes, and a whole lot of yelling.

This drama is extremely messed up, and beautifully made, telling a story I am not sure I wanted to know about in a way that had me feeling conflicted feelings about how extremely messed up everything in this drama was. As every single one of the people in here was crying for help in one way or another, making me hope all three would go their separate ways, get help and move on with their lives... And while I truly appreciated the production of this the dialog itself seemed to never really end in one way it was sooo not my cup of coffee, it felt more or less unbearable, while at the same time I appreciated how uncomfortable it made me feel...

There are a lot of intense gazes and dare I say flirting between the male leads, however the creators make sure the audience does not forget for one moment how messed up those gases really are, Though both male leads are adults capable of making their own choices etc...

" Is there something wrong with falling for the man my father once loved" - Well I may be a bit conservative here but kind of yes... Sorry kiddo there are a lot of things that you can inherit from your dad, but the man he loved is just not one of them...

However that was not nearly as disturbing as the way the mother in this drama talked about both her dead ex husband and son...

Giving us honest and raw emotion, loss, regret, screaming silence and I guess a story rarely seen on screen...

So there was a lot of disturbing dialog, even more disturbing silence... Honestly I think the silence in this drama spoke the loudest and was actually the most brutal part of it all...

I do not really know where I am going with this since I do not want to spoil the plot but if you are looking for any type of romance then run for the hills and watch more or less anything else, But if you want to feel really uncomfortable, watch some dialog driven drama, emotional stuff and secrets being dragged out by force... in a mess of mommy and daddy issues at their worst. This is definitely a must watch!

Leggi di Più

I am completely empty

This series was a blow to my emotions that I will never recover from. It's not just a depiction of a complicated story but a painful moment realization.

Wang, who has been searching for the remnants of his father's memory his entire life is suddenly drawn to a house in the middle of nowhere. An oasis... a cave? a cage where the man holding the key to the mystery lies impatient.

An unstoppable force meets the immovable object. As a young man full of resolve and fire, crashes into a man that only knows fear and regret masked as prudence.

With a Strindberg-esque theater in it's core, this show brings blade-sharp monologues and dialogues with amazing rythm and ruthlessness. It plays into the inevitability of family and the unfortunate blooming of a love that grows like weeds in concrete.

The cinematography is beautiful, the use of lines and colors to depict meaning is raw and subtle at the same time. Its impossible to pinpoint the "good moments" because it's all so meticulously planned that everyone I tried to get a quote written down I ended up with a transcription of the entire scene.

It's not necessarily sad. I don't cry at "sad". It was just too much. The situation, the emotions, the dialogues are multidimensional and overwhelming.

Pond offered a gut wrenching performance that was always topped with a smile that passes through you.

F*ck, how this shit tore me apart.

If you do not find theater entertaining, if you like explicit, easy, quiet shows definitely skip this one. This is not your typical BL, for the ones coming towards it only because of that label. It is BL, but it became so much more.

This is not a "fun" ride. It's a story of a bird trying to convince another to leave the cage. The door is not locked, the air is much nicer up there... but how could you convince a bird with no wings to fly?

Id rather stay in the labyrinth than join Icarus in the sea.

Leggi di Più

Breathtaking to Heartbreaking

Acting : 100 %
Plot :100 %
Though the plot may seem controversial, I have high hopes for this!!!!!!!

I totally love the story plot and the actors. I fell in love with Pond❤ . I love his acting, looks and his voice and the way of delivering his lines totally got me?



edit: Damnnnn!!!!!!
Ep 6 is just a conversation between two persons for the whole episode and I loved it. How can writers
come up with something as intriguing as this!!!!

I reall felt bad for the mother in this episode, until ep 5 it showed the selfish aspects of her. But in ep 6 we can clearly see how lonely she is!!!
As the way I see it, everyone seems to be lonely but she just couldn't bear it

The acting and cast is on top notch?




Its very frustrating to wait a whole week for next episode???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Edit: 02/10/2022

I never cried this hard for an LGBTQ+ show ? .
Its heart breaking and I totally understand and accept the climax. Thats how my actual first love ended.. Not because we don't love each other but because our loved ones/society can't accept it????

Some people won't change no matter what☹️

I am trying to move on, but this gave me heartbreak again?

Leggi di Più

Lesson on maladaptive coping mechanisms.

I don’t think I've ever watched a drama where all the main characters needed therapy more than these three. Pathological avoidance, codependency, constant need for external validation, running away from the pain and sadness - building it up inside you until it reaches breaking point. "It's just tolerance, not acceptance" - delivered in the drama in context of sexuality, but it also quite well described the way the characters were dealing with loss. Tolerating the existence of the tragic past, not fully accepting what really happened. Escaping from anything that might force them to face reality.

Daddy issues, yes - you read it well. Surprisingly, no matter how strange the relationship might have felt, I could not stop myself from being pulled in and wishing it would have a happy ending. It seemed like the only way out of hell for both In and Wang (the mom can stay in hell as far as I know).

Many people told me this drama feels more like a play, and I have to agree. Not beating around the bush - I’m not much of a theater fan. Everything is amplified and exaggerated on stage, there is not much space for subtlety as it has to reach each and every audience member. 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us somehow managed to keep the unique feel of plays while also being more detailed and approachable about it, making me fall for the charm it possesses.

All that said, I cannot say watching this drama was an enjoyable experience - it’s not a fluff romance you can relax to after work. All the characters are painfully frustrating, but observing their actions, witnessing their regret, being pierced by the hurtful things they say and buried under even more painful silence and unspoken truth… Felt like a solid dose of life lessons. What kind of person do you want to be? One that cannot face their own guilt? One that runs away from what’s important to them, cosplaying it as self-sacrifice? Or one that stays true to themselves, fighting for what feels right, while still trying not to hurt people around them?

For the acting - loved it for the majority of the show. Pond did an amazing job bringing Wang to life - I want to adopt and protect that character with all my heart. The skillful way he was able to present both youthful stubbornness, but also maturity that comes from pain he had to go through. Mam also impressed me, especially in more emotional scenes. While I did like Nike as In, and for most part I had no issue with his performance, there were moments of his line delivery that felt quite robotic, especially when compared to his co-actors.

The production and directing? Loved it. One of the aspects I appreciated the most was how some scenes played a bit longer, truly making it possible for all the emotions to settle in and have a bigger impact. The drama was both choking you with feelings and letting you breathe and take the moment for what it was, without distracting you, skipping right away to the next scene.

Overall, what a surprisingly interesting and intense watch. I feel like a lot of scenes could be dissected and have an essay written about their meaning - they just invite you to make your own judgments, reflect on the characters, their choices and how you might react in a similar situation.

Leggi di Più

Weirdly a master piece

This is a master piece, its not a series, its not a movie, its a screen play and a life lesson.


SPOILER AHEAD





Wang needed to understand his father without his mother view and he did, he has his father inside of him. He is the most brutally honest person in this whole play, but he does not understand the pain of love and when he understood, he knew that overall his mother loved him.

In, he needed a bridge, he needed to heal and overcome himself. He did but didn't at the same time, the most meaningful thing Wang did for In is giving him the globe. in loves Wang but he can never change his decision to stay hidden, lonely. I believe he thinks he deserves it for being 'different'. When he says in the end that he is a coward and selfish it is true, he knows what he wants and knows what he can live without. He needs to first forgive and love himself before giving love.

Mol, oh God, Mol. This is a complex, annoying, selfish and a narcissist person. Mol never forgot and never forgave. She never changed, since her youth, she controlled and manipulated everything she wanted, until her husband couldn't do it anymore and divorced her, until she hurt someone she had once trusted. She is the kind of person who thinks that if she can't have it then nobody else can.

Overall, Wang had a great character development, In had a little by opening and starting to heal himself., Mol had absolutely none, she stayed the same closed-mind, non-forgiving, talkative person who doesn't care about others but her own pain (don't tell me she showed her son love because she only did hug him after she saw how broken he was, which is also kinda her fault).

I loved the ending, was expecting it, wish it could be an open ending and not a sad one, but well I expected it would be like that since the first episode. I do not recommend binge watch this tho.

Leggi di Più

acting

I'm thrilled by their acting and not to forget main leads chemistry will be written in history, like i legit thought that it might be difficult because the gap is alot but the way these two doing their role it's more than outstanding. Show is slow burn and i loving it. cinematography is outstanding as we. The actor who playing Wang seems soooo mature and perfect for this role the way he is narrating his story and The actor playing IN damnnnnnnn ngl he's too hot for his age. this is my first time writing a review so you can imagine how much i loved this show . I hope it get more hype and support because it's genuinely so deserving.

Leggi di Più

180 Degree of a 52-hertz call

This is not your typical BL drama, so i already advice here that if you don't enjoy that theatre type of dialogues or heavy philosophical introspective tones, don't watch it cause this is not a high-teen type of drama at all; and i loved every second of it.

What to say about this one? It was unique, heartwrenching with a slow burn that left me with a "void-like" feeling inside of my soul; and yet i enjoyed that feeling.
The story is simple and yet so complex in it's undertones. A boy searches for the pieces of his late father while traveling with his overprotective and overpowering mother and finds a lonely man that is broken by his own decisions and self-imposed guilt.
These are not beautifully rose painted characters. These are just three flawed human beings, each feeling that their own view of what is right or wrong is unjustified by the views of the other; each feeling that they have the rights over their own choices and that they were right on making them.

The world belongs to nobody and yet each of them holds their own "world" in their hands as if they are made of glass, unwilling to part with it or to let anyone with a different view go inside or to let anyone that is unwilling to stay, leave.

180 Degree longitude passes through while a 52-hertz call is made on each side, never able of actually meeting.

Leggi di Più

You will probably cry

When I say I hate the series I might mean it a little bit
Despite that I still love it a lot.
I feel that some people are actually are going through the same thing as wang with the homophobic or narcissistic mother or a controlling mother.
A mother that makes you feel guilty for alot of things.
Its a very toxic mother. Like ep 8 said.. Just because your a parent doesn't mean you should control everything your child does...
Not only does it give you tears but it gives you a bit of education and gives you a perspective of what some people go through... Thats why i love this series... Although i think this series must be sued for making me cry but in the same breath... They all need a raise. Very good acting, very good plot.

Leggi di Più

Should've been a film

180 degree longitude is the slowest slowburn that has ever burnt. It certainly has some exceptional aspects that I cannot fault, however, it has some glaring issues. The cinematography is gorgeous, but it's basically the exact same shot throughout the entire series (with the same colour grading and atmospheric noise). The dialogues are too long and a bit repetitive at times, though the things they talk about are nuanced, interesting, and culturally relevant.

There are serious issues with the pacing- while they catch feelings very quickly, it takes forever for anything to actually happen, and when things happen, its bound to happen like 5 more times because the plot goes around in circles. I also understand this is kind of the point though: the conflict and the motives behind the repetitive plot help us to understand the backstory and the characters, which are largely shrouded in mystery. But overall, the information given about backstory and characters is told through spoken dialogue and is as such very hard to follow. If they were a bit more creative with how they told these plot points (eg using flashbacks, analogies, dramatic reveals), then it would be a lot easier and more interesting to follow. There is also no distinction between the episodes: while other series have small plot arcs that are sometimes concluded in a single episode, this series only really has 1 plot arc that lasts the whole series. I liked the ending, though I understand why others would hate it.

The cast of 3 people was chosen very well, and they match the characters they're supposed to portray very well. The acting was good, though perhaps lacked dynamics at points. The chemistry between the two leads is fantastic and is helped greatly by their good looks and the direction of the more sexual scenes.

Overall, its a series that requires a lot of patience, but if you do watch it all, you are rewarded with a BL that provides new ideas and insights into the genre.

Perhaps the best way to sum it up is that it would've worked better as a film. If it was, having the same cinematography/ editing throughout all of it would actually be a positive, the dialogue and plot would have to be more concise and less repetitive, and the whole production could have 1 beginning, middle, and ending, instead of requiring 8 different, smaller beginnings, middles, and endings for each episode.

Leggi di Più

This was fantastic

When you get a first rate director, cinematographer, and editors, find a good script, and cast talented actors, then throw in some love, and you get something like this.

This is a story about a young man, Wang, who engineers stranding himself and his mother seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but in reality at the house of his dead father's closest friend, and his journey of self-exploration that results. This is not really a BL, and if you try to engage with it as a BL, you will not fully appreciate it. I think I saw some of the reviews call it heartbreaking, and it really isn't - but it's about Wang's journey and what he learns about life and himself. In that light, the story isn't at all tragic, because in the end he is wiser, stronger, and knows who he is.

My favorite thing is when a series takes advantage of the visual medium - every shot of this tells a story and supports the story. Sometimes it's obvious, like the role thee screen in In's room plays, or the bridge, and other times it's more subtle, with lighting and framing.

This felt like a play, and in reality it was - almost all of it takes place in one room - but it never ceases to be a film, never becomes static or tired, and every episode feels like it zips by. Every scene is allowed to develop, and is never belabored or rushed.

And I can't tell you what a huge breath of fresh air it is for romantic feelings to develop through normal interaction rather than accidental kisses or one boy tripping and the other catching him. Here it's a real connection, deep and rooted, and it has a power I haven't felt in a long time.

The acting is fantastic - with Pond as Wang it's obvious, but Nike and Mam are both wonderful in their roles as well.

There are a couple of things that were issues for me. While Nike was great, casting a 34-year old to play a 45 (ish)-year old is cheating a bit, and it also distorts the story because it makes Wang and In seem like a no-brainer because the generational difference is not visually obvious - if it were, In's hesitation might make more sense. The second is that Wang's mother is a bit much. Judging by the comments, the audience found her to be the villainess of the story, and she's not - but she's so histrionic and melodramatic that it's a bit too hard to feel sympathy for her.

Also, many people in the comments called In a coward - but is he? I can tell you for sure that I wouldn't let myself be strong-armed into a relationship with someone half my age (and the child of my best friend and my One True Love on top of that) that I'd known for only three days. That's not cowardice, it's just sensible. Wang wanted all or nothing and came on like runaway truck with a deeply introverted person - if he'd approached it as "let's get to know each other, he would likely have gotten what he wanted.

Anyway, this is one of the best series I've ever seen and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Leggi di Più