In a Relationship (2022)

A nice suprise

There is an inevitable comparison with Gameboys, but the similarities are only superficial - this is a totally different story with different themes.

This is well-done for what it is - and a rare examination of the disconnect between who we seem to be online and who we really are. I can't say too much about the story without spoiling, but the buildup of the plot and the main theme of the story is quite well-done.

However, the resolution was too easy and simplistic and let down the series overall by being unearned. It really needed 2-4 more episodes so that what happens can be processed - in a way that makes sense for teens.

The simple fact is that there is an element to attraction that is physical. There is nothing wrong with that. It can be problemmatic if ALL your criteria are physical, but there are just certain looks that appeal to us more than others. For example, I have a little trouble finding really tall men attractive, and I find Asian men more attractive than any others. That doesn't mean I'm never attracted to men of other races, and I'm sure there are cultural elements involved in my associations, and there's much more to any attractions I have than just physical.

The other thing that was a little off-putting was that there was a large personality difference between fantasy and reality as well. There is a power element to love relationships, and that is also OK and natural. In this case, Boss has an easy, cocky confidence and a sexual confidence that Tono doesn't have - I would find that exciting, and if that balance were suddenly reversed, it would be an issue. Also, there are limits to how different a person can look from what you expected - for example if they're 40 years older or a different gender. Small superficial differences are much easier to integrate than major, categorical ones (e.g. he's really a woman instead of a man vs. his hair is dark brown, not light brown or he looks a little heavier or lighter in person than on camera, etc.)

What I would have liked is some processing on the part of Tono - like his initial reaction is a bit shallow and he needs a little time to think about how that makes him feel and how important it is or isn't to how he feels about Boss, maybe talks it through with his friend, rather than the isntantaneous shrugging it off.

Anyway, I still liked it and it's worth watching. The pacing is good (except at the end), the actors work well togther even in the videochat format, and both are charming and have wll-drawn characters given the short length of the series. I hope we get a chance to see more of them both.

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Short and thoroughly Innocent

Starts like Gameboys, but ends much more teenagery than young adult. However, for the first 6 episodes or so, Boss did come off as very pushy and more than a little creepy. Somehow the dream sequence where he was extra creepy actually made him less so from then on out.

Boss and all the supporting actors were great. The guy playing Tono, on the other hand, looked like he was about to fall asleep at any moment, even while delivering his lines. Other people seemed to enjoy his portrayal of the character, so I'll chalk this up to personal preference.

I'll agree with the other reviewer that the ending needed a few more episodes. It was incredibly abrupt. Also, very anticlimactic, lol! Otherwise, the pacing was pretty good and the lack of length really cut out a lot of unnecessary drama with which the longer shows usually get bogged down. Very refreshing!

My ratings tend to err on the side of harsh, but a 6.0 falls into the range of "I don't fully regret watching this" and "The elements of what I liked and what I disliked balanced out." I probably won't rewatch. Some others won't agree with that opinion, so give the show a shot! You never know when you'll find your diamond in the rough.

P.S. I rarely register background music, so please disregard the rating for that.

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Short Story about Two Relatable Guys

This series aired in 3 short chapters per episode. At first glance, it looked like it was going to be a story that is a copy of Gameboys, but ended up being a story with its own message. Like in GB, Tono gets insultue by Boss for being carried by the team, so they do a one one one challenge, and yes, Boss win. Boss and Tono develop an online friendship, and Tono finds himself excluded by his gaming buddies, including a close friend Jade , because they think he is gaming for content, instead of seriously gaming.. Feeling left out and on his own, Boss, encourages Tono to develop his own content and style on his own, and their relationship grows. A major problem is, Boss always uses a filter when he video chats with Tono. This becomes a make or break moment between them. Will Boss come clean? Will Tono forgive Boss?

I know that some viewers have criticized the performance of Nine, who plays Tono. I disagree because in my opinion, Tono is one of the few characters I've watched who resembles like regular a guy in his late teens. He admits that he is not sexually experienced, although he functions in this area. He also acts a little awkward, compared to the more polished Boss. Yet, Tono is more mature in the aspects of forgiveness and encouraging the person he cares for to be himself. I recommend this series even if the plot isn't exactly ground breaking, nor will leave the viewer crying in their pillow from the angst. It was about two guys I could related to, Hope there will be a continuation of their story in the future.

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bingeable BL series

Overall: this is a small production that uses video calls/tech and is reminiscent of Gameboys in the premise. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: manipulation

What I Liked
- the cute moments
- I adored the information that was brought up in the final episode as this is something commonplace that is almost never discussed in series/movies
- closing credits

Room For Improvement
- (similar to Gameboys), I'm not a fan of a really aggressive pursuit of a very reluctant stranger, it comes across as harassment instead of romantic (for me at least)
- the cliche 'agree to anything'
- there was something that I didn't like throughout but if I talk about it then it will be a spoiler, things made sense in the end
- the ending was rather abrupt, I could see them doing a second season

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It's similar to the first to third episode but it's different from the next episodes I like the fact that the story is not too matured it tackles the issue of a typical teenager specially how they expressing their love and how they handle the misunderstanding and not looking to the physical looks just for saying the true love, overall it's good. Congratulations to the cast and crew. I hope you make a new series with the two casts because they both have good chemistry. Hope you made it face to face to make it more realistic and fun to watch. Hope you make much interesting stories and plot so that the viewers gain interest to watch for. And the cast must do more acting workshops to be good in acting.

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Não gostei.

Apesar dessa série ser de 2022, parece muito com as séries do início da pandemia, possivelmente foi gravada antes, durante a quarentena. Os personagens só se falam pelo computador. Nesse caso, eles se conheceram através de um jogo, onde um deles comentou algo que o outro não gostou e isso iniciou uma discussão, e o outro já se mostrou apaixonado desde então. Achei isso bemmmm forçado, mas enfim, se trata de uma minissérie, com eps bem curtos, então vamos dar um desconto sobre a velocidade dessa paixão, que por sinal não foi unilateral, já que o outro se interessou em pouco tempo. Ou seja, o desenvolvimento foi com Deus!
Os meninos são bonitos, achei estranho que durante todo o tempo Boss usava aquele filtro de gatinho, mas depois isso foi explicado...uma explicação meia-boca, o problema era apenas as espinhas, mas fora elas o filtro não escondia nada de seu rosto né? O assunto em questão é bem pertinente, me parece um transtorno de imagem, de alguém que vê a beleza exorbitante que as pessoas mostram na internet, e acabam se achando feias, se diminuindo. Mas não achei que o tema foi bem trabalhado, poderiam ter colocado muito mais profundidade no tema .

Achei estranho, o fato de que a partir do momento em que começaram a se conhecer, nenhum dos dois jogava mais on-line, mas teciam conversas com o intuito de
se conhecerem melhor, seus gostos, história de vida etc. E as declarações de amor no final também foram muito forçadas.

Gostei muito da ost... A cena em que o Tono está doente e recebe as comidas e remédios que Boss mandou, e em seguida vê o vídeo com a música é bem fofinha. E fica mais fofa quando ele retribui o presente, quase morri de amores, a do violão então, sem se fala. ❤️ Uma coisa boa é que tudo é regado a doses de humor, mas são doses razoáveis. Podemos perceber os sentimentos, as inquietações, mas de forma divertida. Sobre o final, achei péssimo não terem mostrado o encontro, mas ao menos o final foi feliz.

Não existem cenários além dos quartos deles, assim como não tem uma fotografia empolgante, mas a filmografia é razoável. A atuação dos meninos é mais ou menos, mas a série é um baixa produção, então minhas expectativas quanto a isso não eram altas.

Sinceramente, não pretendo rever a série. Já vi duas vezes e não mudei minha opinião sobre ela. Não desencorajo quem quer ver, aliás, o canal oficial tem legendas em PT/BR, mas não espere uma grande produção.

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A story of love, discovery, acceptance and second chances

With the speed of survival we have insisted on forgetting the pandemic, focused on the new challenges that life imposes, day by day.
And there is the art to bear witness to how Covid-19 changed the world as we knew it until then, and among these changes stands out the way in which human beings manage to communicate and establish diverse relationships, including romantic ones, amid limitations of not being able to interact face to face with others.
'In a Relationship', the romantic series with an LGBTIQ+ theme, directed and produced by Napat Worakitpunya, allows us to appreciate the emergence of a love relationship between two teenagers, against the backdrop of social networks and the period of incidence of the pandemic in our lives.
This is one of the BL series produced by Jinloe Media Work, the studio that has also made 'Hit Bite Love' (2023), 'What the Duck' (2018) and its sequel 'What the Duck 2: Final Call' (2019 ).
Starring Nine Trin Summasub, as Tono, and Pea Pearanut Athicomnanta, in the role of Boss, the 2022 Thai drama takes us into characters whose existences are affected by the circumstances of a pandemic that disrupts everything in its path. However, in an indistinct manner, but at the same time in close union, each of them manages to recognize in the sad event the possibility of loving each other, growing as people, the power of forgiveness and second chances.
With a script by Chim Sedthawut Inboon, Tono, a teenager with a growing reputation among online video game players, is presented as the central axis of the plot. One day, while he is live streaming and recording one of his videos, a user he later identifies as Boss criticizes his gaming skills in a chat room. Annoyed, Tono confronts him and they both agree to participate in a video game competition to see who is the best.
After losing the game, Tono must fulfill the winner's three demands: The last request is that Tono become her boyfriend! Reluctant to comply with this demand, Tono will be forced to listen to the constant flirting of the person who claims to have been in love with him for some time.
Will Boss manage to change his social media status to "in a relationship"? Will love arise between these two teenagers? Will they manage to nurture a loving bond beyond any screen? Will they be aware that the true essence of a relationship lies in the mutual understanding, support and love that is built day by day, surpassing virtual scenarios?
The truth is that this is how Boss and Tono begin a relationship, friendly first, romantic later, thanks to cultivating meaningful conversations every day, like those of any teenager of our days, building memories and strengthening emotional bonds.
Boss is a well-defined character. For some time now he has been aware of his sexual identity, and he finds himself caught between the desire to be honest with himself and with the boy he loves, as he fears suffering a new love rejection for having his face marked by youthful acne. That is why he has communicated through a filter and hides his true identity from Tono.
But despite this dark side, the character created by Pea Pearanut Athicomnanta turns out to be more than the simple playboy he can seem every time he flirts. He understands when Tono needs space and backs away, but he still shows his love and sends constant signals of support to the teenager in difficult times, such as during Tono's illness, or when he is upset because his friend Jade has decided not to play with him.
Knowing and loving Tono will make him grow as a person and trust in himself.
For his part, Tono is a boy without major conflicts in his life. Busy with video games and virtual classes due to the pandemic, he has only suffered from his parents' divorce. His character goes through several very different moments throughout the series. She experiences intense feelings when Boss confesses his love for her, and emotional stress when she suspects that the young man she loves has been playing with her feelings.
Tono shows maturity when he forgives Boss and by encouraging him to be himself and grow as a person. Through her relationship with Boss, Tono will discover not only her sexual identity, but also her true feelings and first love.
At first, I find his performance a little uncomfortable, but as the episodes progress, we can see an actor who takes on the role of a typical teenager of our days, giving it his own interpretation and meaning, as he focuses on his goal and fight for what he wants.
Isolated from everything and everyone, even his family members, who are never shown on screen nor are there any references to them, Tono navigates between doubts and insecurities, while trying to understand his own feelings. Can a boy fall in love with another boy?
Although sometimes a certain lack of rhythm is felt in the progression, the best moments of 'In a Relationship' are reserved for the final episodes, when the story gains in maturity and complexity by deepening the plot in the themes addressed, managing to enrich the dynamics of the love relationship and add a fascinating growing tension between the characters.
Intimately and emotionally, 'In a Relationship' addresses universal themes such as the search for authenticity, discovery, personal acceptance, second chances, identity, friendship and love, with a refreshing and sensitive narrative. Along the way, both young people discover much more about themselves and what love and friendship really mean.
The two boys will begin a journey that will change their lives forever. During it, Boss and Tono develop an unexpected and deep connection as they share their personal stories, fears, preferences and dreams.
The music of TheMoonwillalwaysbewithme, Foam and Boxx Music Team helps capture the beauty of first love and self-discovery in adolescence, with totally recognizable boys, but at the same time with the pain of lying.
With evocative cinematography limited by the pandemic scenario, the series immerses us in a crucial moment in the lives of its protagonists where emotions are on the surface.
The series explores many of the challenges that we can encounter every day on social networks and messaging applications, such as the possibility of someone lying or hiding their true identity because they feel ashamed of their own life or body, the prospect of closing distances with people who are far from us; the way to understand, approach and expose our personal life and our relationships, or suffer from the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) syndrome caused by dependence on social networks.
Likewise, 'In a Relationship' portrays other of the daily challenges faced by people on social networks, who may feel that they are constantly in contact, but the quality and depth of their conversations may decrease. Or what is related to the emotional tone, which is often misinterpreted in texts and messages, which can generate unnecessary conflicts, due to the lack of eye contact and body language, essential for effective communication.
That is the reason why Tono frequently demands the need to complement digital communication through real, in-person connection. That is, being able to see yourself outside of virtual spaces, to be able to openly communicate your feelings, concerns, doubts and insecurities... in short, give free rein to love.
For this reason, I applaud that final scene in which the empty chairs that have always been occupied by our two protagonists prevail, because finally both, after the dangers of the pandemic have disappeared, have met outside the screens of their digital devices.

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