The Sign (2023)

I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but it was pretty close.

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

Overall, this was a very interesting series. The general story concept was great, but the script quality was not consistent. However, it successfully connects multiple story lines and characters together. The ending of the whole series was ok, but it was a little lack luster. However, I liked how they tied up everything in the end.

The positive: The series had a very strong beginning and really knew how to draw you into their world. The areas that the script did very well in were the supernatural and suspense thriller elements. The actors were incredible and did a great job with their characters. The cinematography was stunning and had incredible special effects.

The negative: The big miss for me was the comedy element. It would have been fine if this was your usual series with a high school or college setting. Considering this was supposed to be a more mature series with the police setting, the comedy seemed very out of place. A lot of the humor came across as very juvenile.

The in-between: The romance element was a hit or miss for me. There was just something off with the romantic relationship with all of the characters. The relationship development between the main characters in the beginning was also a little off, but it did get better as the show moved forward. The only two characters I didn’t like were Yai and Dao. The character Yai was very annoying, immature, and unlikable during most of the series. As for the character Dao, she was very irritating.

Random Note:

Don’t stop watching after the ending credits in episode 12 because there is a bonus scene after it.

The location used for the coffee shop scene in episode 4 is the same location used for the restaurant scene in episode 8 of “Step by Step”.

I did not take point off for the obvious money grab maneuver they used for the last episode. I like how all of the series they made at this point address many social issues, but this has tarnished my viewpoint about Idol Factory a little.

*****Spoiler Alert******

Although the ending had one of my most hated story element (time jumps), this is one of those times it made sense and served an actual purpose.

The reunited scene with Tharn and Phaya was a little anticlimactic for me. I would have liked to see a grander way for them to meet again.

The bonus scene is open to interpretation. I don’t know if it was a hint of a second season or the only way for Saint to find a way to make his usual guest spot. Either way, it was cool.

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Everything I love in 1 show!

This long awaited series did not disappoint. It has so many elements to love, that the only thing that keeps it from being rated a 10/10 is the fact that it did not have double the amount of episodes, so some scenes could have been elaborated on an the last episode did not feel a bit rushed. So sad it ended!

Elements to love in this show: BL (obviously), chemistry, amazing storyline, supernatural, SFX, crime/mystery, good comedy, beautiful NC scenes, great cinematography, well outlined side characters, amazing score/ost.

Elements that could be better: ending felt a bit rushed, underexposed side couples, not enough episodes.

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Le faltó desarrollar trama

Me gustó, pero el final ais... es como que le faltan unos cuantos capítulos para terminar de desarrollar la trama antes del final final.

La serie cuenta con una historia interesante que atrapa desde el principio. Los efectos especiales son decentes y las actuaciones son notablemente sólidas. Desde su inicio, la serie va en aumento, sumergiéndote cada vez más en la trama y en la intriga, tanto en el desarrollo del caso policial como en la exploración del pasado mitológico.

La lástima ha sido que en los últimos capítulos la cosa se ha venido a bajo. Sin desarrollar los temas del todo y repitiéndose en algunas cosas. Además, en el último capítulo en vez de aprovechar para contar cosas, a mi parecer, han puesto bastante relleno con imágenes de capítulos anteriores. Que no digo yo que no quede bonito hacer eso a modo de recordatorio, pero creo que se pasan de usarlo a lo dramático y un poco cursi para lo que son los personajes.

Aún así, interesante y diferente.

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overall pretty good.

I think the sign did a lot right. it’s hard to compare it to other BLs because it’s really on its own. Overall it’s a really good story and huge production.

I have to give it credit for taking on such a massive undertaking for what they set up. I would have liked the ending to be stronger. Tharn showing back up with not really a good explanation was frustrating. I think if they showed him being healed and that whole plot point it would have been stronger.

plus I would have loved to see the teams reaction to him coming back. I also want to know more about khem & thongthai- they had a wonderful set up in the series but were brushed aside at the end. same with chat. we could have gotten clear endings if the fleshed stuff out more.

overall it was a great series and I adored the chaotic mess that was Yai. his one liners had me rolling.

I’d definitely watch a season two if they made it.

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I finally finished watching it , and dont get me wrong t wasnt cause of lack of time . I did watch the 4 episodes and stopped .. why?? The lack of chemistry between the leads and i liked both of them tho but the click to let me stzrt liking teir pairing wasn't there. Tbh i liked more babe with his friend .
The story was very good , the effect , the views , everything was good for me we csn applause the director for real .
All the cast also was good , i liked the friendship story more .
Final episode was rushed , why taking one episode to end quick a story when u can add like 2 more episodes ... fr fr and re ending was pffffff .
Re-watch q big no for me .

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connected to past lives, action, love, execution is good

This is my first time ever writing review i don't know why but i like this one it's some what interesting and action,investigation nd added love scenes their friendship even apart from it teamwork in their roles is great like these interesting every episode itself but somewhere i disappointed is tharn climax part i didn't expect that and i hoped a better one but it's like same that's one is disappointed for me as i expected a little more but somehow it didn't meet my expectations...
Apart from it i loved it wholly, beautiful ones with culture including too i liked it.

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Beautiful But Incomplete

I have learned with time to lower my expectations so I can be pleasantly surprised. Saying that, the poster for this drama intrigued me and the plot sounded interesting, the first episode surprised me and overall the story was very well-written and unique, but there was always something that bothered me.

I understand that they were going full out with the special effects, the story was daring and hard to adapt to the small screen, so it was a huge risk taken by the company. But it annoyed me that they didn't dedicate more of screentime to the flashback scenes, even in the present it felt too much that I was being told what happened instead of showed what happened and I'm a visual person, so it really made a difference to me.

I loved the build up of the main couple, flirting and bickering being my favorite dynamic, up until the point that they consumate their love, I can't really explain why, I don't think it was either the director or actors' fault, as they still delivered masterfully done love scenes, but the writing did feel a little bit lackluster at times and I stopped being pulled by their epic love story, what was bad for me since it was the main point of the story.

I didn't really care for the secondary couple, they couldn't even work as a comic relief for me. Yai was the highlight of the series, he was not just a great friend and a wonderful boyfriend, the support he gave Tharn warmed my heart and I really believed in their bond, he was ultimately a great person.

Heng Asavarid was giving it as the villain Chalothon, but unfortunately Chalothon didn't give much as the main antagonist making his redemption very undeserving.

For that and other reason I say, The Sign gave a lot to the genre, it was an audacious adventure with a lot of heart and a pinch of experience. It was beautiful, but for me, it was incomplete. Making it a good start, but hopefully, not the best fantasy BL we will ever see.

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Espetacular!! Definitivamente uma das melhores do ano, vale mt a pena!

Foi uma experiência incomparável poder acompanhar esse bl sensacional do começo ao fim, já estou ansiosa para reassistir.
Pra começar, essa história sensacional que conseguiu abordar perfeitamente: investigação, policial, fantasia e budismo numa série só! O desenrolar da série durante os eps foi impecável, a cada ep ficava melhor. Ainda tiveram culhão de serem os primeiros na indústria do bl (ou até da Tailândia) pra colocarem cgi, que na minha opinião para a indústria cinematográfica tailandesa ficou bom demaaaaaaais! Não posso deixar de ressaltar também as cenas de luta que ficaram surpreendentes!

Gostei muito da cinematografia e da trilha sonora. A produção toda desse bl foi sensacional, vendo os 'behind the scenes' deu pra ver o quão bem produzida essa série foi.

A atuação de todos os personagens é impecável, me apaixonei por todo esse elenco perfeito e super esforçado!!!
Agora, a química dos BillyBabe é completamente surreal!!! Como podem arrasar tanto a série inteira, viraram meu novo vício, estou muito ansiosa pra eles atuarem juntos em outro bl.

Assim como toda série, essa também tem alguns defeitos, mas nada que tenha alguma relevância.
E achei o último ep meio corrido, não achei que chegou na altura de todos os outros eps, mas mesmo assim foi muito bom!!!

Pra finalizar, recomendo demaaaaais, uma das, se não a, melhor série do momento! Toda a produção, história e atuação tá sensacional, vale muuuuito a pena ver.

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Uneven quality but still interesting

It's really cool to see a story that utilizes Thai mythology, the action scenes are well done, the visual effects look good, the leads playing Phaya and Tharn are good, and the supporting role Yai is effective at both comic relief and serious scenes when needed. The Yai hand heart scene with him accidentally interrupting the two diver's conversation is the most hilarious scene of the series.

The pacing of the scenes are a bit slow and the writing introduces a lot of story beats but they disappear abruptly or is explained as something that happened off screen, like whole Montree storyline, Mayris disappears, Chart never getting mentioned after he ended up in the hospital after blowing his cover trying to help them, and the worst instance is the ending where instead of seeing Tharn and Chalothon's discussion, it's just quickly explained away by a Tharn who suddenly reappears. We don't get to see him reuniting with everyone else who has been looking for him and how the conversation went for the whole IDF to be on board with Tharn is missing because of being taken by supernatural forces. As elite officers, Phaya and Tharn aren't very professional a lot of the times. Phaya is also the worst at explaining why he finds someone shady, which is a crucial ability in his line of work. He was also cognizant when drunk Tharn mentioned the amulet, but he just totally forgets about it by the time he goes to the temple. Then there is an epilogue that seemed to be setting up for a 2nd season, but is actually for a special episode for a paywall live in person event.

I appreciate the ambition of the show. It would have been nice if the script was further polished and there was either more episodes or runtime to flesh out certain story points or shaved some off to film some important missing ones. Overall, it's still worth a one time watch.

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One Step Away from Greatness

The first four or so episodes of this series were so action-packed and engaging that I couldn't believe my eyes. Was I really watching a Thai BL? Would The Sign be a sign of big improvements to come? It had everything that the Thai BL audience is starved for: a setting away from the college campus, a unique story inspired by Buddhist mythology, fated soulmates, and a bottom who is a match for the top in strength and ability.

My excitement fizzled out soon, though. It is not that The Sign became bad after the promising first episodes -- it was still a good series with likable characters, funny humor, and green-flag romance. But it could not meet the high expectations that it set in the beginning. The complex storyline, which consisted of several different threads, lost its way and began to meander, spending time on characters whose connection to the main plot is not clear and leaving plot holes. I believe that stories in which a lot is going on are more interesting to watch, but it seems that in this series, there was too much going on for the scriptwriters to handle. Furthermore, the ending was underwhelming, as the resolution of the main couple's conflict with the villain, which the story had been building up towards since the beginning, was done off-screen, by talking it out with him. This is so out of character for that villain.

Billy and Babe have amazing chemistry, and the whole cast delivered great performances. The production team deserves praise for their attempt to make a series that is different and better than what we usually get. They have succeeded in many ways. The Sign is one step away from greatness -- a step that could have been overcome by a good scriptwriter.

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Perfect at first, tedious to get through by the end

Two episodes in, I was telling my friends this could be my new favorite BL series. It reminded me of Manner of Death a lot, and I loved the mature, serious atmosphere. The dynamic between the two main characters was unpredictable and intriguing, and I liked that they were both portrayed as equals.

Unfortunately, the series lost its identity halfway through when the mythical stuff began to mess with the priorities I thought were set out at the beginning. By the end, I was no longer interested in the romance, the plot or the characters. I hoped this show wouldn't be one of those which has to clearly define which character is a bottom and which is a top, both through physical traits and their past lives, but alas, that's what it was. Honestly, even with the mess this show became and how much of a chore it was to finish it, I would have had a much better time if at least they flipped that dynamic on its head.

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THE SIGNS OF A GOOD BL?

What makes a BL 'good'? This is subjective of course. I can't tell you how to live your life. But I can tell you that you need to watch this series! And why.

1. The story is so unique for the BL world (and that makes me very happy). We are so past the high school/college universtiy student phase! We need something new and substantial with actual plot, depth and relevancy! The story is a mix of mythological reincarnated lovers and thriller with Phaya and Tharn working as detectives of a special unit (theyre cops lol) and i think this adds to the tension because phaya and tharn often are in dangerous situations.
however they do have a lot of unresolved conflicts left that deserve some more explanation.
THE SIGN is unlike any other BL series i've watched and i predict it will become one of those staple BLs in a few years.


[i will admit that though i was ecstatic when watching the finale, it is a fact that it is very rushed and SPOILER!!!

spoiler:
tharn should not just have returned Just Like That with no nothing stakes or consequences of him carrying a Naga soul in a human body.]



2. the acting is just superb! I can't believe that this is one of babe's first series (i think i read somewhere that this is his debut but i'm not sure about that). he did so well as tharn! the ensemble cast was also great, and also had everybody's favourite 2 grandmas ;)
i am kind of sad that the GL storyline was kind of unresolved at the end, but the post credit scene for the finale makes me hopeful that we're getting a season 2 (please please please)
3. the cinematography and production was also great! the cgi, for a tv-series was pretty good and impressed me.
i love when they use different colour lighting :)

all in all, it was a very enjoyable series and im waiting for a season 2

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