Moonlight Chicken Reaction
Mar. 2nd, 2023 06:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
forestsofpineI did a quick, non-spoilery intro to Moonlight Chicken (MLC) in my monthly fic rec post earlier, but honestly, this series has had me so up in my feelings all month that I felt like I should say more about it.
Spoilers below this point.
Jim & Wen
As I mentioned in my earlier comments on the show in the fic rec post, MLC was my first EarthMix series, but they're definitely a pair I'll be keeping an eye on in the future. Earth is significantly too young for the role of Jim in appearance, but I thought he played Jim's world-weariness well enough, and it made Wen's stepfather's joke about "if you call him loong, what should I call him" even funnier since Jim was visibly like 20 years younger than the stepdad - loong means an uncle who's older than your parent! Also, the age mismatch was totally worth it for the EarthMix chemistry.
I talked a little bit about their chemistry in my earlier comments as well, but it's really so good and was certainly the initial hook that pulled me into the series. Turns out Mix is capable of radiating "fuck me" vibes so strong they're probably visible from outer space.😵💫 Within the first five minutes, Wen sits up and sets eyes on Jim for the first time and you can watch him decide what he wants. Namely, Jim. And who can blame him?
This was followed by a gorgeously lit stroll down a series of streets and alleys at night as the two men drifted closer and closer together in the gravitational pull of desire.
GIF source
It really captured the sense of building anticipation and inevitability - "I think you know my preference" indeed - and the sex scene itself was brief but lovely. I'll skip the gif to keep this post SFW but I mentioned once a long time ago that I love blissed-out expressions in erotic art, and Mix's face was a thing of beauty. So I was hooked instantly, and that was just the setup.
Jim made it clear beforehand that it was a one night stand only and that he wasn't looking for a relationship, and honestly he's gotta be half stone or something with the way he managed to withstand Wen's intense "want me" eyes the next day as he shut down Wen's obvious angling for a repeat. The jokes I've seen on my Thai BL Twitter list about Mix being part siren are so understandable now. From there the series turned into an agonizing slow burn as Wen tried to fit himself back into Jim's life. I was climbing the walls every episode, but it obviously worked on multiple levels because I was just about as obsessed with the show as Wen was with Jim.
I saw a lot of startlingly bad takes about Jim as the show progressed, and some more where I could at least understand where they were coming from (i.e. those bothered by Earth being about 10 years too young for his role), but could not agree. So your mileage may vary on him a bit, but personally, I thought his character arc was really satisfying and realistically done. I feel a little bad pulling the age card, but as an elder millennial about Jim's age, a lot of the worst takes seemed to have come from younger people who might not fully comprehend how quickly the world changed for queer people. Jim is nearly 40. He's an entirely different generation than Wen is, let alone Li Ming and Heart, and moreover, he was surrounded by homophobia for his entire life, even from his sister, who otherwise seems to have been the most supportive member of his family. It was not surprising that he'd have so much internalized homophobia and such a complicated relationship with his own sexuality when he'd suffered so much because of it. (Because of society's homophobia in reality, but of course it's all too easy to conflate them as he does.)
One of the most persistent and puzzling bad takes I saw was people claiming that Jim didn't have a character arc? But for me, one of the things I really liked about the series was the gradual elucidation of Jim's character and the ways in which his relationship with Wen helped heal him. I thought the show handled the reveals about his past relationship with Beam exceptionally well in the way they escalated from "ohhh, that explains a lot" to "OH NO, I thought the previous reveal was explanation enough but this is SO MUCH WORSE" to the final reveal that left me nearly incoherent with rage and grief for him and the countless real people who've been treated the same. A bunch of the Thai BLs I've seen recently have taken some time to make a case for marriage equality, but few have laid out the cruelty and human cost of denying it as plainly and brutally as this one.
With chemistry like EarthMix's, I would have watched 8 hours of Jim and Wen chopping chicken and bantering with each other in between sex scenes and been delighted with it, but from a story and character perspective, it was so satisfying and meaningful to see the ways in which Wen was shown learning Jim's trauma and boundaries and using his knowledge to adapt his own behavior. By the later episodes, he'd learned enough to neatly unravel Jim's self-image as someone who is undeserving of the love and care of others and must be resigned to suffer. I especially enjoyed the conversation between them in episode seven after Jim worried aloud that his influence had resulted in Li Ming being gay, and that Li Ming's life would be as hard as his own because of it. Wen didn't dismiss his fears or lecture him that being gay isn't a choice, he just carefully laid out the breadcrumbs of his argument and let Jim follow them to the natural conclusions.
As an aside, Wen is going to be the most amazing stepparent for Li Ming and stepparent-in-law for Heart. He's obviously drawing a lot from his loving relationship with his own stepfather and it was almost as lovely seeing Li Ming opening up and confiding in him as it was to see Jim doing the same. It would be really hard to overstate how happy I felt just to see Jim smiling, laughing, and joking with Wen in later episodes, and Wen had some hilarious reactions to Jim's playful teasing as well. Wen is so good with people and has so much love to give, he is exactly the type of person Jim and Li Ming both needed in their lives, and I appreciated that the show did such a beautiful job of building that out rather than relying purely on EarthMix's nuclear levels of sexual tension to make us root for them as a couple.
At the same time, MLC also did a good job of showing why a guy like Wen would be attracted to a guy like Jim (besides the fact that he looks like Earth Pirapat and apparently gives life-changing dick). Jim's fundamental kindness and decency shone as beautifully as his handsome face, and it made absolute sense that Wen, who stated explicitly that he was looking for a home, would be attracted to someone like Jim who creates community and family around him as naturally as breathing.
I really liked Jim's ending - despite his uncertainty about whether serving chicken rice day in and day out was something he wanted or just something he knew he was good at, Jim obviously DID love the community that builds around a good restaurant like his. It wasn't the chicken rice, it was the people. I was sad to see his diner close, but a food truck where he's not surrounded by memories of Beam and helpless to the whims of a crass and greedy landlord seemed to me like a pretty great alternative where he can continue to connect with people in the way that he loves.
So suffice it to say that I absolutely loved Jim/Wen both as a ship and as characters. My only complaint, which is really mild in the scheme of things, was that after all the many (many) times Wen tried to get Jim to define their relationship together, I would have liked to have seen them define it together, instead of Jim surprising Wen by introducing him as his boyfriend for the first time to others. Wen, however, was clearly happy about it, and you can also easily make the argument that Jim owning up to their relationship publicly was a bigger and more important step for him than "officially" getting together with a guy he'd already slept with and who'd gradually been moving into his life and affections for months, so I can't complain tooo much. Also, the incredibly domestic epilogue scene that followed, with Jim not only relaxed and gently teasing but also initiating physical contact was so lovely and fulfilling. And the lanyard tug was 🔥
Li Ming & Heart
I've been hearing really good things all year about Fourth and Gemini's performances in My School President and am 100% going to check that series out after seeing them in MLC. I was blown away by how talented they both were, especially given that MLC was filmed even before MSP and was Gemini's first role.
Most of their scenes together were just really, incredibly cute. I don't think I could even count the number of times I went "awww" watching them. However, they were also more than capable of pulling off serious and emotional scenes. The confrontation with Heart's parents and its aftermath in episode six was one of my favorite scenes in the entire show. Absolutely fantastic acting from both boys. Prior to the confrontation, Li Ming had done more for Heart in three months than his parents had done in three years and Heart's parents were genuinely among the parents I've hated most in any show ever. I cannot say I was impressed by the changes they made afterwards, since learning how to talk to their kid and giving him more opportunities to live normally and have social interactions with other human beings is really the bare minimum, but better late than never. I have to admit that I'm a little less optimistic than I'd like to be that such entrenched behavior could truly be changed so thoroughly in real life, and I spent awhile afraid that one of the parents was going to pull something like Toph's father in Avatar: the Last Airbender and try to shut Heart's newfound freedom back down, but thank goodness they didn't.
Li Ming and Jim, meanwhile, spent most of the show absolutely killing me because it was so obvious that they loved each other, but they couldn't get through a single conversation without fighting about something, in a way that was really realistic and so relatable to anyone who's ever been a teenager or had one. I'm glad that Wen was able to play peacemaker and get them to understand each other better, and their later scenes together were pretty heartwarming. Speaking of great acting, Li Ming's reluctant, embarrassed "I love you" to his uncle was classic.
[Months later, an ETA to add this great bit of meta on queer community in Moonlight Chicken and why it was Li Ming and Jim's relationship that had an explicit "I love you" and not Jim and Wen's or Li Ming and Heart's.]
Alan
Is there an adult in the world who doesn't know someone who fell out of love with somebody they once thought they'd love forever, or who was left behind in the aftermath wondering what went wrong? Most of us have probably been on one side or the other of that situation, and sometimes even both sides. In short, Alan is someone whose situation is familiar to almost anyone, and although I was facepalming pretty hard about his unprofessionalism when dealing with Jim at the bank (and Gaipa, for that matter, the difference in how he treated them was 😬) and his terrible decision to show up at the diner to pick a fight... I do get it, even if I can't respect it. It's such a hard place to be in and lord knows there's many people who handle it far worse. I didn't initially realize that they'd been together for five years and that really did make it a lot more understandable why Alan was having such a hard time coping.
First and Mix's acting in a lot of their scenes together was absolutely stellar and so was the writing - sharp and painfully realistic. That said, theirs are likely the scenes I'll skip most on rewatch just because: ouch. One of the standout parts for me was the fight where Alan kept accusing Wen of mixed messages because they'd slept together after Wen wanted to break up and Wen finally got frustrated and yelled, "I slept with you because I felt sorry for you, are you happy now?" Getting angry and saying something hurtful that you didn't really mean to ever say out loud and then instantly regretting it is another of those universal human experiences that MLC did so well and that helped it feel so grounded in real life and real character and relationship dynamics.
It was good to see Alan coming to terms with the breakup in the later episodes of the show. I think the conversation with Jim at the funeral was a bit of a turning point for him - realizing that it really wasn't Jim's fault, or anyone's fault, and it was just something that happened. It was nice to see him being accepted somewhat awkwardly but genuinely into the fold at the food truck in the final scenes - Wen is good enough with people and still cares about Alan enough even if he doesn't love him anymore that I'm optimistic that they'll make it out the other side okay.
Gaipa
Speaking of stellar acting, Khaotung slaughtered me repeatedly and without mercy, holy crap. Gaipa was just... such a good kid. I loved his relationship with his mom, and I felt so sorry for him about his crush on Jim. The scene where Gaipa asked if he had a chance and was gently but firmly rejected.... oh mannnnn. ðŸ˜
And then even more so when his mom died. Egad, but I was in floods.
Speaking of Jim and the funeral, though, I think it goes pretty far to show why Gaipa and Wen both loved Jim that he instantly stepped up to help Gaipa after his mom's death despite the awkwardness between them since Gaipa's confession. Jim did sincerely love Gaipa, I think, just more like a younger brother or cousin than a lover.
I honestly have mixed feelings about the hints of future Alan/Gaipa in the closing scenes. I was expecting it because First and Khaotung became such a popular pair recently, but as sympathetic as I am to Alan about his situation with Wen, showing up at the diner to pick a fight was NOT a great look and I'm not 100% convinced he deserves my sweet Gaipa. Still, I wouldn't necessarily go so far as to call him a bad person, just a person who reacted badly under stress, and he's one of the characters who can probably afford some therapy sessions. So I should probably just let myself be happy for them. Like the rest of the fandom, I'm dying to know what Alan texted Gaipa to make him make THAT face as he was leaving the bank, but I suspect it's a Noodle Incident sort of question that's best left never resolved.
A couple more comments on Gaipa:
Khaotung made me cry SEVERAL times, but he was also involved in some of the funniest scenes in the show. I especially loved the scene in episode two where he heard about Wen working for Jim and went over to check out the competition. Gaipa and Wen sizing each other up while Jim sweated nervously between them was absolutely hilarious, and someone on Tumblr made a funny meme of it.
Class and class differences were a major theme of MLC and I haven't talked about them as much in these ramblings as I probably should have, but it was interesting to pick up on the little hints that Gaipa and his mom were wealthier than Jim, Li Ming, and Leng, and then to have it confirmed when his mom died and left him "a fortune" in insurance payouts. Gaipa's a good boy who'd far rather have his mom by his side, but I'm glad at least that she loved him so much she did this for him. He deserves only good things forever.
Leng
I don't have a ton to say about him, but I really enjoyed his scenes and the way he's always trying to cheer people up and be supportive no matter what. Leng worried me with how irresponsible he seemed at first, but impending fatherhood does seem to have made him step up and settle down. It seems like he lived with Jim for awhile after his parents died and if so, it's definitely a credit to Jim that he raised two such good kids. And of course, Jason is going to have so many awesome uncles, what a lucky kid.
Jimbo
The true star of the show, of course. What a chill kitty. And although it can't top the sheer insanity of some of Thailand's more infamous product placements (I am never gonna get over the mermaid fishing with the sex bread in Kinnporsche), it was way more fun to watch a cute kitty getting a snack than listen to somebody getting suspiciously excited about their new laser printer or eyeliner pencil. 😆
Conclusion
As I said in my comments about MLC in the monthly fic recs post, I really think it might be my new favorite Thai series ever. Aside from a few minor sound editing issues (and honestly, those are so common in Thai series it's practically become part of the charm), the production quality was really solid, especially the gorgeous lighting and cinematography, the storytelling was realistic, mature, and balanced, and the cast was outstanding, with chemistry to die for. I also have to give a shout-out to the lovely soundtrack, which included a nice version of The Moon Represents My Heart, Teresa Teng's classic love song, sung by the main cast.
Links:
Spoilers below this point.
Jim & Wen
As I mentioned in my earlier comments on the show in the fic rec post, MLC was my first EarthMix series, but they're definitely a pair I'll be keeping an eye on in the future. Earth is significantly too young for the role of Jim in appearance, but I thought he played Jim's world-weariness well enough, and it made Wen's stepfather's joke about "if you call him loong, what should I call him" even funnier since Jim was visibly like 20 years younger than the stepdad - loong means an uncle who's older than your parent! Also, the age mismatch was totally worth it for the EarthMix chemistry.
I talked a little bit about their chemistry in my earlier comments as well, but it's really so good and was certainly the initial hook that pulled me into the series. Turns out Mix is capable of radiating "fuck me" vibes so strong they're probably visible from outer space.😵💫 Within the first five minutes, Wen sits up and sets eyes on Jim for the first time and you can watch him decide what he wants. Namely, Jim. And who can blame him?
This was followed by a gorgeously lit stroll down a series of streets and alleys at night as the two men drifted closer and closer together in the gravitational pull of desire.
GIF source
It really captured the sense of building anticipation and inevitability - "I think you know my preference" indeed - and the sex scene itself was brief but lovely. I'll skip the gif to keep this post SFW but I mentioned once a long time ago that I love blissed-out expressions in erotic art, and Mix's face was a thing of beauty. So I was hooked instantly, and that was just the setup.
Jim made it clear beforehand that it was a one night stand only and that he wasn't looking for a relationship, and honestly he's gotta be half stone or something with the way he managed to withstand Wen's intense "want me" eyes the next day as he shut down Wen's obvious angling for a repeat. The jokes I've seen on my Thai BL Twitter list about Mix being part siren are so understandable now. From there the series turned into an agonizing slow burn as Wen tried to fit himself back into Jim's life. I was climbing the walls every episode, but it obviously worked on multiple levels because I was just about as obsessed with the show as Wen was with Jim.
I saw a lot of startlingly bad takes about Jim as the show progressed, and some more where I could at least understand where they were coming from (i.e. those bothered by Earth being about 10 years too young for his role), but could not agree. So your mileage may vary on him a bit, but personally, I thought his character arc was really satisfying and realistically done. I feel a little bad pulling the age card, but as an elder millennial about Jim's age, a lot of the worst takes seemed to have come from younger people who might not fully comprehend how quickly the world changed for queer people. Jim is nearly 40. He's an entirely different generation than Wen is, let alone Li Ming and Heart, and moreover, he was surrounded by homophobia for his entire life, even from his sister, who otherwise seems to have been the most supportive member of his family. It was not surprising that he'd have so much internalized homophobia and such a complicated relationship with his own sexuality when he'd suffered so much because of it. (Because of society's homophobia in reality, but of course it's all too easy to conflate them as he does.)
One of the most persistent and puzzling bad takes I saw was people claiming that Jim didn't have a character arc? But for me, one of the things I really liked about the series was the gradual elucidation of Jim's character and the ways in which his relationship with Wen helped heal him. I thought the show handled the reveals about his past relationship with Beam exceptionally well in the way they escalated from "ohhh, that explains a lot" to "OH NO, I thought the previous reveal was explanation enough but this is SO MUCH WORSE" to the final reveal that left me nearly incoherent with rage and grief for him and the countless real people who've been treated the same. A bunch of the Thai BLs I've seen recently have taken some time to make a case for marriage equality, but few have laid out the cruelty and human cost of denying it as plainly and brutally as this one.
With chemistry like EarthMix's, I would have watched 8 hours of Jim and Wen chopping chicken and bantering with each other in between sex scenes and been delighted with it, but from a story and character perspective, it was so satisfying and meaningful to see the ways in which Wen was shown learning Jim's trauma and boundaries and using his knowledge to adapt his own behavior. By the later episodes, he'd learned enough to neatly unravel Jim's self-image as someone who is undeserving of the love and care of others and must be resigned to suffer. I especially enjoyed the conversation between them in episode seven after Jim worried aloud that his influence had resulted in Li Ming being gay, and that Li Ming's life would be as hard as his own because of it. Wen didn't dismiss his fears or lecture him that being gay isn't a choice, he just carefully laid out the breadcrumbs of his argument and let Jim follow them to the natural conclusions.
As an aside, Wen is going to be the most amazing stepparent for Li Ming and stepparent-in-law for Heart. He's obviously drawing a lot from his loving relationship with his own stepfather and it was almost as lovely seeing Li Ming opening up and confiding in him as it was to see Jim doing the same. It would be really hard to overstate how happy I felt just to see Jim smiling, laughing, and joking with Wen in later episodes, and Wen had some hilarious reactions to Jim's playful teasing as well. Wen is so good with people and has so much love to give, he is exactly the type of person Jim and Li Ming both needed in their lives, and I appreciated that the show did such a beautiful job of building that out rather than relying purely on EarthMix's nuclear levels of sexual tension to make us root for them as a couple.
At the same time, MLC also did a good job of showing why a guy like Wen would be attracted to a guy like Jim (besides the fact that he looks like Earth Pirapat and apparently gives life-changing dick). Jim's fundamental kindness and decency shone as beautifully as his handsome face, and it made absolute sense that Wen, who stated explicitly that he was looking for a home, would be attracted to someone like Jim who creates community and family around him as naturally as breathing.
I really liked Jim's ending - despite his uncertainty about whether serving chicken rice day in and day out was something he wanted or just something he knew he was good at, Jim obviously DID love the community that builds around a good restaurant like his. It wasn't the chicken rice, it was the people. I was sad to see his diner close, but a food truck where he's not surrounded by memories of Beam and helpless to the whims of a crass and greedy landlord seemed to me like a pretty great alternative where he can continue to connect with people in the way that he loves.
So suffice it to say that I absolutely loved Jim/Wen both as a ship and as characters. My only complaint, which is really mild in the scheme of things, was that after all the many (many) times Wen tried to get Jim to define their relationship together, I would have liked to have seen them define it together, instead of Jim surprising Wen by introducing him as his boyfriend for the first time to others. Wen, however, was clearly happy about it, and you can also easily make the argument that Jim owning up to their relationship publicly was a bigger and more important step for him than "officially" getting together with a guy he'd already slept with and who'd gradually been moving into his life and affections for months, so I can't complain tooo much. Also, the incredibly domestic epilogue scene that followed, with Jim not only relaxed and gently teasing but also initiating physical contact was so lovely and fulfilling. And the lanyard tug was 🔥
Li Ming & Heart
I've been hearing really good things all year about Fourth and Gemini's performances in My School President and am 100% going to check that series out after seeing them in MLC. I was blown away by how talented they both were, especially given that MLC was filmed even before MSP and was Gemini's first role.
Most of their scenes together were just really, incredibly cute. I don't think I could even count the number of times I went "awww" watching them. However, they were also more than capable of pulling off serious and emotional scenes. The confrontation with Heart's parents and its aftermath in episode six was one of my favorite scenes in the entire show. Absolutely fantastic acting from both boys. Prior to the confrontation, Li Ming had done more for Heart in three months than his parents had done in three years and Heart's parents were genuinely among the parents I've hated most in any show ever. I cannot say I was impressed by the changes they made afterwards, since learning how to talk to their kid and giving him more opportunities to live normally and have social interactions with other human beings is really the bare minimum, but better late than never. I have to admit that I'm a little less optimistic than I'd like to be that such entrenched behavior could truly be changed so thoroughly in real life, and I spent awhile afraid that one of the parents was going to pull something like Toph's father in Avatar: the Last Airbender and try to shut Heart's newfound freedom back down, but thank goodness they didn't.
Li Ming and Jim, meanwhile, spent most of the show absolutely killing me because it was so obvious that they loved each other, but they couldn't get through a single conversation without fighting about something, in a way that was really realistic and so relatable to anyone who's ever been a teenager or had one. I'm glad that Wen was able to play peacemaker and get them to understand each other better, and their later scenes together were pretty heartwarming. Speaking of great acting, Li Ming's reluctant, embarrassed "I love you" to his uncle was classic.
[Months later, an ETA to add this great bit of meta on queer community in Moonlight Chicken and why it was Li Ming and Jim's relationship that had an explicit "I love you" and not Jim and Wen's or Li Ming and Heart's.]
Alan
Is there an adult in the world who doesn't know someone who fell out of love with somebody they once thought they'd love forever, or who was left behind in the aftermath wondering what went wrong? Most of us have probably been on one side or the other of that situation, and sometimes even both sides. In short, Alan is someone whose situation is familiar to almost anyone, and although I was facepalming pretty hard about his unprofessionalism when dealing with Jim at the bank (and Gaipa, for that matter, the difference in how he treated them was 😬) and his terrible decision to show up at the diner to pick a fight... I do get it, even if I can't respect it. It's such a hard place to be in and lord knows there's many people who handle it far worse. I didn't initially realize that they'd been together for five years and that really did make it a lot more understandable why Alan was having such a hard time coping.
First and Mix's acting in a lot of their scenes together was absolutely stellar and so was the writing - sharp and painfully realistic. That said, theirs are likely the scenes I'll skip most on rewatch just because: ouch. One of the standout parts for me was the fight where Alan kept accusing Wen of mixed messages because they'd slept together after Wen wanted to break up and Wen finally got frustrated and yelled, "I slept with you because I felt sorry for you, are you happy now?" Getting angry and saying something hurtful that you didn't really mean to ever say out loud and then instantly regretting it is another of those universal human experiences that MLC did so well and that helped it feel so grounded in real life and real character and relationship dynamics.
It was good to see Alan coming to terms with the breakup in the later episodes of the show. I think the conversation with Jim at the funeral was a bit of a turning point for him - realizing that it really wasn't Jim's fault, or anyone's fault, and it was just something that happened. It was nice to see him being accepted somewhat awkwardly but genuinely into the fold at the food truck in the final scenes - Wen is good enough with people and still cares about Alan enough even if he doesn't love him anymore that I'm optimistic that they'll make it out the other side okay.
Gaipa
Speaking of stellar acting, Khaotung slaughtered me repeatedly and without mercy, holy crap. Gaipa was just... such a good kid. I loved his relationship with his mom, and I felt so sorry for him about his crush on Jim. The scene where Gaipa asked if he had a chance and was gently but firmly rejected.... oh mannnnn. ðŸ˜
And then even more so when his mom died. Egad, but I was in floods.
Speaking of Jim and the funeral, though, I think it goes pretty far to show why Gaipa and Wen both loved Jim that he instantly stepped up to help Gaipa after his mom's death despite the awkwardness between them since Gaipa's confession. Jim did sincerely love Gaipa, I think, just more like a younger brother or cousin than a lover.
I honestly have mixed feelings about the hints of future Alan/Gaipa in the closing scenes. I was expecting it because First and Khaotung became such a popular pair recently, but as sympathetic as I am to Alan about his situation with Wen, showing up at the diner to pick a fight was NOT a great look and I'm not 100% convinced he deserves my sweet Gaipa. Still, I wouldn't necessarily go so far as to call him a bad person, just a person who reacted badly under stress, and he's one of the characters who can probably afford some therapy sessions. So I should probably just let myself be happy for them. Like the rest of the fandom, I'm dying to know what Alan texted Gaipa to make him make THAT face as he was leaving the bank, but I suspect it's a Noodle Incident sort of question that's best left never resolved.
A couple more comments on Gaipa:
Khaotung made me cry SEVERAL times, but he was also involved in some of the funniest scenes in the show. I especially loved the scene in episode two where he heard about Wen working for Jim and went over to check out the competition. Gaipa and Wen sizing each other up while Jim sweated nervously between them was absolutely hilarious, and someone on Tumblr made a funny meme of it.
Class and class differences were a major theme of MLC and I haven't talked about them as much in these ramblings as I probably should have, but it was interesting to pick up on the little hints that Gaipa and his mom were wealthier than Jim, Li Ming, and Leng, and then to have it confirmed when his mom died and left him "a fortune" in insurance payouts. Gaipa's a good boy who'd far rather have his mom by his side, but I'm glad at least that she loved him so much she did this for him. He deserves only good things forever.
Leng
I don't have a ton to say about him, but I really enjoyed his scenes and the way he's always trying to cheer people up and be supportive no matter what. Leng worried me with how irresponsible he seemed at first, but impending fatherhood does seem to have made him step up and settle down. It seems like he lived with Jim for awhile after his parents died and if so, it's definitely a credit to Jim that he raised two such good kids. And of course, Jason is going to have so many awesome uncles, what a lucky kid.
Jimbo
The true star of the show, of course. What a chill kitty. And although it can't top the sheer insanity of some of Thailand's more infamous product placements (I am never gonna get over the mermaid fishing with the sex bread in Kinnporsche), it was way more fun to watch a cute kitty getting a snack than listen to somebody getting suspiciously excited about their new laser printer or eyeliner pencil. 😆
Conclusion
As I said in my comments about MLC in the monthly fic recs post, I really think it might be my new favorite Thai series ever. Aside from a few minor sound editing issues (and honestly, those are so common in Thai series it's practically become part of the charm), the production quality was really solid, especially the gorgeous lighting and cinematography, the storytelling was realistic, mature, and balanced, and the cast was outstanding, with chemistry to die for. I also have to give a shout-out to the lovely soundtrack, which included a nice version of The Moon Represents My Heart, Teresa Teng's classic love song, sung by the main cast.
Links:
