KinnPorsche (2022)

KinnPorsche, close but not quite

Overall: I rated the first episode a 9.5. Unfortunately the series kind of fell apart for me, but there were some really good aspects. Although there's crack comedy (and some stupid comedy) parts, I would label KP as a mature series with major content warnings. Make sure to watch past the credits for the final episode. Watched on iQIYI (watched the uncut La Forte and also several episodes of the cut TV version)

Content Warnings: murders/deaths, attempted murder, suicide, threatened suicide, non con kissing and sex (drugged), dub/non con kiss (drunk), torture, manipulation, violence, fight scenes, blood and gore, kidnapping, pet death, breaking & entering, trauma/past trauma, physical abuse, self harm, drunk driving? 17/18 year old with 22? year old (this personally didn't bother me the way it was presented)

What I Liked
- intro song and the music fit the scenes well
- acting, especially Apo and his microexpressions
- some of the funny moments like that light shining on Porsche in the bar as if he's sent from heaven in ep 1
- really lovely cinematography such as the bathroom scene in episode 7
- beautiful and well thought out lighting
- Porsche and Porschay brother relationship was super sweet
- that Kinn and Porsche were realistically horny after they got together
- a more unique premise (we don't have many BL mafia series)
- fun product placements like that bread in the bed
- the free, shorter TV versions are cut really well and it doesn't ruin the series, they toned down/cut some of the violence and sex/nudity in the shorter versions as well as other parts (like cutting the toilet humor from ep 1 which I appreciated)

Room For Improvement
- disappointed with Porsche's character. In the first episode he's shown as a good fighter and intelligent but then it all goes downhill. He does some of the stupidest things, speaking of...
- really stupid decisions from multiple characters (somehow Tankhun is the smartest brother...), Kinn saying he forgot something - really???
- back to Porsche. It's so odd how the character felt about the mafia in episode 1 to where he ends up in the finale with apparently no internal struggle.
- lack of character growth with KinnPorsche, they are terrible at communicating and trusting one another. I wanted to see them work thru this and grow together. Kinn continued to seek his father's approval and I wanted him to start breaking away.
- stark tonal changes. At the end of episode 10 there was no time to grieve, just farting in the bed. I think humor can go well with a darker tone (like Our Flag Means Death) but going from torture to silly scenes did not work for me.
- non logic: owning an expensive motorcycle and having no money, going clubbing with only 3 bodyguards when someone wants you dead, knowing how to spearfish but not that a small knife won't cut through bone, clean shaven after 3 days in the wilderness, lack of police, no one wears bullet proof vests ever
- the dub/non con with KinnPorsche although I appreciate that it wasn't immediately glossed over, there was apologizing and some selfless acts
- Vegas and Pete needed more screen time. I really wish we had seen Pete have a wet dream with Vegas and Pete as a masochist earlier. Also that he purposefully got caught because he was attracted to Vegas. Their relationship felt Stockholm Syndromey and was very rushed. The sex scene needed less music and more actual sounds from them, a steadier camera and some research on BDSM.
- Kim/Porschay, they needed more screentime as well. I was confused by Porschay's intensity as it seemed they were together for a short time but in a later episode Kim looks back at a bunch of pictures of them together and it made me think they dated for longer than I thought.
- camerawork was a little too shaky during action scenes
- replacing swear words with things like "fudge" WTF? We see multiple murders but using swear words is too much (I didn't take off points for this though as maybe the production couldn't control the subs)
- it felt like maybe too many twists at the end, definitely felt like a set up for season 2

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bodyguard, mafia, cohabitation, BDSM, he’s a monster but he’s my monster

Adapted from a Y-novel and with real rough beginnings in terms of switching production houses, funding, and distribution which showed in a shaky point of view, weak script, and poorly distributed of couple weight and pacing. By about 3 episodes in I just got pissed off at this show, it was largely inconsistent in all ways which I think is all production issues. It should have been better. It should at least have been as good as everyone else seemed to think.

However at 50% car porn 50% actual porn I was game. (That said I got no chemistry from KimChay - I think it was a BIG mistake to switch out Gameplay, and had real issues with several of KinnPorsche’s sex scenes.) The fight sequences were excellent and Kinn’s eyebrows are like seriously aggressive caterpillars - I was half afraid they’re going to strike out on their own, take up the rainbow flag and join the march in Not Me. There’s also a lot of Fighter-inspired shirts (Why R U?) in this show. I suppose mafia DOES have a long tradition of chest forward narrative.

VegasPete were in one drama; KimChay were in another; KinnPorsche were in each of those randomly but then sometimes in their own extremely slapstick cheese-fest alt-reality + Tankhun. There were clearly 2 directors with 2 distinct and conflicting points of view, who apparently never had a single conversation with each other. Was this show good? Nope. Was it absorbing as fuck? Sure. Was it well acted, absolutely. Were the sex scenes great? Yes. We the fight scenes awesome? Actually yeah (special props to Jeff for the hand-to-hand stuff). Did I enjoy the kinky bits? Certainly. But all that said: the VegasPete universe of KP was the only universe I really enjoyed and would like to revisit, and I only got that 1/5 of the time. Mathematics is working against this one, for me personally. So I guess I, at least, am still waiting for the perfect mafia BL. I think it might be up to Japan at this juncture. As a result of fan fervor meets my own hearty indifference, I don’t really know how to judge this show but I have to go with my heart, and KP didn’t win it. No full review, enough people have weighed in on this one, you don’t need my thoughts too.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

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VEGAS APOLOGIST ?

VEGAS PETE

Everything about their relationship flies in the face of all that I know is LOVE. This couple breaks into your vulnerability and turns you weak for them. They’re deeply, violently kinky, and that just does it for me, and no amount of moral's can make me doubt that what they have is real. Pete and Vegas are both people who protect their hearts, they have chains locked around their emotions so it's hard for them to define any of this. They are closed off to the world and maybe they will be each other's freedom but it starts as an understanding. Vegas is seeking validation so he doesn't want to hurt Pete because he is the only one who can provide it. He unlocks something new and exciting far from reality and beyond heaven but not hell. It's again something right but at the same time wrong. Their relationship simply can't be described in black and white. The last close-up in ep 12 is very important with Pete is smiling like he feels fulfilled about unlocking this side of him, he finally allowed his dark side to come to the surface and it's clear he feels liberated.

The dynamic between these two characters is too complex to decipher. Both of them wear professional crafted masks. Vegas is a psycho seemingly without empathy. Pete, on the other hand, is a ray of sunshine with a layer of darkness underneath. Pete's desires are covered and Vegas is bringing them to the surface, we can already see that in episode 11-- he physically reacts when Vegas licks his face, his eyes close, he is shivering under vegas's tongue. Pete feels connected to Vegas because of his own childhood, they are bonding over their trauma and Vegas is reticent to connect with Pete but the chains are already tied between them both and there is no escape any more. Both Vegas and Pete will cave in irrevocably. And we can see the last drop of their self control when the hedgehog dies. Pete chooses to console him and Vegas willingly let's him. When Vegas hurts himself, Pete is finally discovering the unseen hatred he has towards himself and he tries to reason with him without success until Vegas brings his layered, cold behavior out again. He tries to lure Pete in a new game thinking he won't play along but Pete surprises him and takes the lead, easily winning. Vegas uses his body as a catalyst and it's electrifying. Their body language lays everything they feel bare for the audience to see. They are tiying the chains around them tighter, they strengthen their connection through physical attachment. An other thing I want to point out is Vegas's blood type. AB means universal receiver, he will take any love he can get because he's that starved for it and Pete's blood type is O which means universal donar, he has the capacity of loving anyone and this is a clear metaphor for the receiving dynamics and I admire the details in the show.

In the end Vegas is the one who is trapped. The same man who likes to be ahead of everyone, who is calculated enough to over do everyone, simply doesn't know what to do anymore. He is scared. He is actually afraid of the consequences because it'll all be like a chain reaction. He is the vulnerable one despite being free, he may not have physical restraints but I assure you his head is in a cage.

Now compared to the novel, their story seems to go faster than the speedlight, it's extremely rushed and I don't think that what they have is anything rational to begin with. To me it seems like they developed an emotional support that they gradually got addicted to. Vegas is layered with so much affection but there is an unabashed violence to this because of his trauma as for Pete, he seems to free himself into chains, he was masked with this fake appearance his entire life and now Vegas undressed him, leaving his dark side exposed and Pete can finally be himself. Vegas is the other way around, he can be evil when he pleases but his sensitivity must be hidden from the world, with Pete he is able to let it out. They are literally like Yin and Yang. They need each other for balance. Pete needs Vegas to be dark and Vegas needs Pete to be light. It's not love, it's balance.

The scene where Pete was "eating" the ramyeon and breaks down crying reminded me that he is alone, no one really knows him beside Vegas.

Vegas and Pete can't kill each other because if one of them dies, the other will crumble. If one of them is hurt the other one will shatter in pain. That's why Pete couldn't pull the trigger.

They honestly broke my heart, together & individually.

Also can we talk about the tenderness with which vegas treats Pete in the moments where he lets himself be vulnerable? He looks at Pete like he's the most precious thing he's ever laid his eyes on, he touches him as if he was a fragile treasure that was too frail to break. Especially when he comes down from his anger and suddenly turns into a little puppy, you see his eyes change and you realize he is guided by his feelings for Pete.

Honestly, even though their story is going faster than expected it surprises me how a few episodes managed to get me this invested, the writers are following through with all the angst and twisted devotion between them and it's truly gratifying to watch. I think the development was carefully done and rightfully so because it's a very complex story and I’m so happy both characters have been given adequate time to process their individual trauma and desires.

KINNPORSCHE

Porsche and Chay display their affection through physical service act of service, their care is established properly and visibly. And for kinn is the exact opposite, within his family It's always the small details that covey their feelings. They are used to different environments and I think it's important, kinn's perspective on what " caring " means is very different in contrast to what it means for Porsche, they are different but somehow the same and I loved to see their journey together, they balance each other out so well. They ended the season trusting each other, going through various extreme situations together, fighting together, keeping their mutual attraction. They had time to built their relationship, they were cared by the creators and it shows, nothing was rushed and it was all perfectly executed.

KIMCHAY

The power imbalance between them is more celebrity/fan. For most of their relationship, Chay has seen Kim through rose-colored glasses. Because Chay was obsessed with the celebrity, there’s still a lot to be discovered with their relationship and their feelings together. But there is definitely a change in control now compared to how it started, and I’m interested to see how it will evolve in season 2.

ACTING

I'll give a special row of lines to Build. Those screams are just so raw and extremely convincing. He truly made me believe his pain is real. Bible was so great with Vegas as well, I was shocked to find out how introverted and shy he is in real life, I have deep respect for them. Bible sells it at every moment, he is magnificent in his role. For every one of Pete’s panicked, despaired looks, Vegas returns an equally unsettling one, their dynamic on set is actually mindblowing. Vegas is such a convincing manipulator, he is a master minded psychopath and it’s hard to distinguish him. We see Vegas's eyes seizing Pete, analyzing him with each stare and there’s a degree of arrogance there as if he's trying to be superior when in reality he's inferior. The way they both observe with the details of their eyes is immaculate. They are delivering.

Mile and apo's friendship is so authentic and real compared to so, so many actors and musicians and other entertainers who work together and claim to be close, but these two seem incredibly bonded and their connection is brought onto the screen which makes their acting even more phenomenal, their chemistry feels natural and it's easy to watch them without cringing one bit.

Jeff and barcode managed to steal my breath for each 5 minutes of the little screen time they had, with such a short amount of time they succeed to convey so many emotions and draw the audience so deep within their story.

OVERALL

I can only describe this show as vulnerable -- It was done so tastefully and grounded in humanity. It was sexy yes, but it was fragile. It was immaculate accompanied by the perfect scenery and an outstanding cinematography, watching their love bloom was so heart wrenching but evenly so beautiful.

ON A SIDE NOTE

The fantasy is aimed at the people who are mature enough to see it for what it is, and to distinguish between the morality and ethics of real life and those of a immoral fictional universe, if anyone is questioning the series based on the representation of a healthy relationship then you shouldn't watch it.

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Long-Awaited Seduction Into A DARK CONCEPT !!

Exceeding Expectations. And Then Again Disappointing. It´s wild.

This painstakingly created series is expected to be one of the most controversial, hardest and longest emotional rollercoasters in 2022 and it has also been highly awaited by the entire LGBTQI+ film community.

However, if you easily feel offended by toxic tropes then I recommend you reconsider watching this series !!

Production / Music >> 9.5 >> 9.0 >> 8.5
As already seen in the first trailer – deleted by now – KinnPorsche has always been visually incomparable to other series. Even with their delay in airing and producing, the fandom has been faithfully waiting for this visual masterpiece to finally air. Given the second trailer and after watching the first episode, I know that KinnPorsche will lift the visual standards of LGBTQI+ shows to another level. Additionally, for those who don´t know me, I am a sucker for dark concepts and for what has been displayed so far with the lighting and colouring, my eyes are blessed and my creativity is exploding.

Combined with the series' soundtracks – e.g.: Slot Machine´s “Free Fall” – this entire show seems so unreal in quality, especially since it has a heavier and more challenging plot and concept than most LGBTQI+ series in the past. Therefore, I think they can still fail in the execution of a good story, but they have lifted the standards for the cinematography and consequently, I´ll predict this to blow up and get at least an 8.0 rating on MDL - excluded any crucial errors such as misrepresentation of fundamental issues, e.g.: LGBTQI+, toxic relationships, abuse, etc. I, however, doubt they will fail in the portrayal of those.

Let´s especially praise the Cinematographer (Maneerat Srinakarin) and the Screenwriter (Pond Kritsada Wittayakachondej), for perceiving the possibilities of this concept's aesthetics and implementing them successfully, as well as the Editors and Production in general.

Plot / Story >> 7.5 >> 8.5 >> 9.0 >> 8.0 >> 7.5
So far, I´ve been satisfied with the introduction to this series and its concept. However, even though the plot is exciting and thrilling, "it is not that innovative yet and therefore I need more episodes to change my mind and give it an 8 or higher". At some points, it was just so random, and the entire mafia thing got a bit laughable.

BUT Then I continued watching and changed my mind A BIT. Despite the aspect of some lack in the stories innovation, I am a total sucker for these sorts of concepts, and in the past, I´d just blindly give it a 10 BUT I´m trying to not let my excitement take over my rationality. However, if my rating was based on my own excitement, this rating would surely have a different outcome.

Cast >> 9.5 >> 10.0 >> 9.0
The entire training the actors have been going under in 2021 has finally paid off and the series successfully cast very talented individuals for each role. Especially Apo has been well chosen as Porsche, his personality finds shelter and rises like “The Phoenix”. Mile takes our breath as toxic-tinged Mr Kinn, who exudes a bold and decisive charm like Mile himself. The result is well-cast Main roles.

However, I will not forget to give the supporting cast all the praise. It´s just that I could write so many paragraphs about them - trust me I did that - but I´m trying to keep it short. Honestly, Bible did not only put effort into acting out Vegas but he also committed a lot to the KinnPorsche Story by translating Daemi´s book. I´m happy to see that the involved people also enjoy being part of this huge project. Love it!

Rewatch Value >> 9.0 >> 9.5 >> 9.0 >> 8.0
So far so good. Since this sort of concept is always extremely pulling me in and my disappointment in “Golden Blood” is heavily weighing down on me, I am quite sure this will be one of the shows I will come back to at least twice, if not more often. Therefore, my overall rating so far is a solid and well-deserved 8.5 and had chances to be a 9.0 if they had increased the story's uniqueness and matched it to their incomparable cinematography/ visuals.

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A thorough disappointment

KinnPorsche the Series actually said bring sexy back. Sexy being Non Consensual drugged sex and varying forms of unacknowledged sexual assault between a mafia boss and a trauma-bonded man he rapes after kidnapping and making an offer he can’t refuse on pain of harm to his family.

This story depicts a full on masc4masc agenda, prioritising of white, cis, male, western, English speaking fan aesthetics and preferences, while sidelining femme characters who would normally be the stars in an Asian BL, in favour of cis men who would undoubtedly screen out most of the mlm who paid good money to support KPTS with: “No [Redacted], No [Redacted], No [Redacted].

Clearly the studio/crew comprised mainly of cis gay men wants to appeal to more men - a worthy goal, and men want to see lots of casual sex, but the legacy of Kinn Porsche’s pornificaction of live action BL could very well mean very little attention will be paid by investors to innovative, high quality BL storytelling that treats complex themes with even the minimum care and attention they deserve, for some time to come. “Fetishizing fujoshis” will still somehow get the blame for this but I can assure you women fans of BL did not ask for this.

Everything that women, queer or not, and femmes ran away from mainstream gay media to escape was forced back down their throats for 14 excruciating and traumatic weeks with the blanket hyper masculine, Stepford wife agenda of this series.

There is a bigger issue with what happens to art when big capital gets involved and the way it tends to reenforce the status quo but that’s a separate discussion. It is the production company first and foremost that is guilty of professional malpractice and it is disturbing but inevitable that the unethical practices behind the scenes - sexual harassment, homophobia and misogynistic behaviour, embarrassing scandals and infighting, with no consequences, are exactly the same ones reflected in how the story is conveyed onscreen. They are the same people after all; the art can never be better than the artist.

The basic problem with this Anti-BL is that the writing, mediocre as it was, is consistently from the perspective of the rapists/predators and the writers repeatedly insert textual ambiguity that invites the viewer to empathise with the power-holders rather than the victims of abuse which is the antithesis of romance BL. Spoiler Alert: This profound power imbalance is never eroded throughout 14 episodes.

In both sets of rape scenes the power-holder has emotional depth, complicated backstory and whimsical feelings of guilt along with innocence behind his actions while the victim has a disproportionate amount of motivation, agency and accountability attributed to him for the sexual assaults he endures - very much upholding a regressive status quo that already affects queer men severely.

Every flaw in this blatantly homonormative series is actually intentional and that’s what makes it so alarming. Both the production on screen and the way the studio treats its actors and fans, especially the psychological operations delivered through marketing, is seriously unethical especially from a well capitalised studio that has so many eyes globally on its first so-called BL, and its audience was so large it could end up giving the genre in Thailand a name that will be hard to recover from, but at the same time be so commercially sucessful judging by views, that investment for more BoC content could crowd out investment for more high quality productions such as from Nadao which are starved for investment while producing much higher quality series which are actually BLs. What’s the central conflict? We still have no idea despite the new characters and arcs forced into the final minutes of the final episode, not to conclude the story but to open the door to more exploitative money-making for a threatened season 2.

Even in the way writers/directors treated the first rape scene the focus was more on diminishing KP fan’s dislike of Kinn so he could be effortlessly “redeemed” enough for fan service to be lucrative, and less on portraying bad men doing bad things, which is why they couldn’t commit to delivering a rape scene as what it wasn’t- a rape scene, as they ought.

Writers didn’t have the skill to write a compelling redemption arc so they made the bad men “less bad” in the first place; according to the writers Porsche and Pete “welcomed their rapes” as well as their emotional and abuse. Logics of good storytelling were abandoned to prioritise commercial marketability of the actors.

Furthermore KP is fujoshi bait, what you get when your intention is to make toys for boys but you need the superior numbers, social media engagement and higher propensity to spend on their faves that only women bring to fandom but men do not. Hence the upside down, inappropriate and superficial application of some BL tropes which shows the team failed to do its research into the work BL tropes are meant to be doing. Why try to enter the BL industry if you have this level of contempt for its defining features of its fans?

Targeting women fans shows at least they understand the business of BL even if not the substance of the content. Because commercial viability of the ships was always more important that telling a good story in BoC decision making, is for eg why fans ended up in a virtual civil war over the fact that CPs that were given elaborate focus in the marketing promos ended up having little (Vegas/Pete) or no story arc whatsoever (Time/Tay) in the actual script.

Instead of a bad-faith production that looked like it was comprised of scraps off the cutting room floor, Kinn Porsche The Series could’ve hired quality screenwriters to create something awesome and chose not to but to spend instead on cynical marketing tactics and over-saturated colour grading. If an exploitative, mediocre drama with stressful and exasperating mess in front and behind the camera, topped off with pointless sex scenes that are decidedly Not sexy is what you’re looking for, then this series is for you.

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Plot who? We don't know her!

I waited impatiently for months for the series only for my excitement to be replaced with disappointment as each episode aired...

The Good:

Acting.
For a majority of these actors, this was their first ever series. Despite this, I felt that overall, the acting was extremely solid and great! Biggest props and kudos to Bible, who in my opinion was definitely the scene stealer of the show. Also BibleBuild as a pair, despite the plot line that their characters had, blew me away with the amazing chemistry and tension that they have every time they are onscreen throughout the series.

Cinematography.
This is no Korean Drama, but for a Thai BL, the cinematography is pretty great. Though towards the end of the series the quality of this did start to drop... BUT then again, the cinematography of Thai BL's in general this year have improved significantly... so having good cinematography is honestly nothing special anymore...

The Bad:

Poor Writing. Plot who? We don't know her!
I didn't know that you could take garbage (the novel) and make it even worse (the series)... but they managed to do it! LOL
I can't even begin to count the number of plot holes and "oh how convenient" moments there are throughout this series... The pacing of each episode and of the series in general is extremely off. If you really think about it (which I unfortunately did...), the story makes NO sense. ZERO. NONE. There were a lot of unnecessary scenes and things that did not need to happen and that they could have cut out of the show, but if they did that the episodes would end up being 10 minutes long LMAO

I don't understand the point of having an ensemble of 16 when you can take more than half of the characters away and there would be absolutely zero difference or change to the story/plot. Most of the characters ended up being extremely flat, 2 dimensional and have no real substance or development to them. Macau for example, who could've been used to show more of Vegas's soft/human side in the beginning, was completely disregarded. Half of Ta's screen time was him literally sleeping...

I refuse to go into an in-depth review of the couples because i'm way too sober for that right now but just know that I bought none of the relationships. And not just the romantic ones... even the sibling relationships were barely touched on or utilised to their fullest potential. It honestly upset me that the one and only scene we got of Kinn, Khun and Kim in the same frame together was in the LAST episode... and that was it... just one scene...

What is this? A comedy? A dark and toxic mafia story? Because it missed the mark on BOTH of those. Most of the jokes were super cringy, childish and did not land well at all... If you want to be dark and toxic, then BE DARK AND TOXIC. Them refusing to commit to the dark and toxic theme just made these characters feel super OOC at times.

If anything, this series just proved to me that all you need for a successful BL series is hot men who can act, good cinematography and a whole lot of unnecessary sex scenes. A good script and plot that makes sense is not needed.

In conclusion, I think that KinnPorsche is still watchable as long as you don't expect anything from the storyline/plot.

Also (very) unpopular opinion but I hope that they will just let the KinnPorsche franchise die after this because I really truly want to see these amazing actors acting in stories that are actually worthy of their talent.

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Trashy guilty pleasure with a side of good smut

Kinn is the second son of a mafia boss who meets the barfly, Porsche. With no parents and a younger brother to care for, Porsche is willing to do just about anything for money. Following an excellent first episode, he gets recruited to be a bodyguard for Kinn's gangster family. As the two fall in love, they find themselves mired in generic gangster shootouts and a complex family scandal that involves the mystery of Porsche's dead parents.

Which is to say, that on paper KinnPorsche sounds like fun. In reality, it's A-grade, rolled-gold trash full of Makjang twists, inconsistent characterisation and a whole lot of sexy boys doing sexy things - most of it non-consensual or involving incest.

KinnPorsche is essentially a fetish drama, with the various fetishes interspersed with something that resembles a plot only in passing: it doesn't stand up to scrutiny, doesn't make much sense and isn't important anyway, frankly.

The show is also a tonal mess, with different direction and production styles clashing (the first episode is surprisingly good, the next two are confusing and contradictory, and the tones clash regularly from there).

But once you get past the idea that this show should be taken in any way seriously - and if you're in the right mood - it could be your latest guilty pleasure watch as it quickly descends into a morass of hot guys boning; sometimes drugged, sometimes drunk, sometimes underage, and sometimes as a result of chained-up basement torture. And nearly always when they're related in some way.

There's a lot of gratuitous sex and mindless violence and the odd, weird, fluffy date episode, which doesn't fit at all. But, I guess, for some people fluffy dating is their fetish so that's here for you as well.

The acting is actually pretty good, especially for a Thai BL, and the sex scenes are genuinely steamy as long as you handwave the rape, incest, torture, murder and creepy borderline paedophilia.

Kinn rapes Porsche, gaslights him, abuses him, manipulates him and yet the relationship somehow seems the most healthy when compared to the other ones in the show. Especially Vegas/Pete ["Nobody can hurt you but me!"] and the super creepy Kim/Porschay ["You're my underage cousin but I'm going to manipulate you into kissing me anyway"].

Anyway, put your brain on hold and enjoy the abuse trainwreck. Otherwise, steer clear.

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The Mafia Never Looked So Good

This was a drama that almost literally left my head spinning and not necessarily in a good way. It had so much potential and at first, it seemed like it was going to live up to all the hype, but that last episode just killed it for me. I can never understand why so many dramas struggle with this issue of saving everything for the last episode. Its incredibly frustrating and it rarely works out well. That being said, I didn't hate it.

The one saving grace of this drama is its actors. Every single one of them owns their character. While they were all superb, I really have to comment on Bible and Build as Vegas and Pete, respectively. Their acting and chemistry quite literally blew me away. The intensity of their scenes together, the way they played off of each other and their individual performances too, the nuance of it all just, wow. Literally left me speechless at times. But truly the whole cast was phenomenal. Mile and Apo's chemistry was absolute fire and those eyebrows! They were both just so good. And I can't forget Tong who absolutely stole the show as Tankhun. I can only imagine how much fun he had in that role.

The characters were another win for this drama. I have rarely seen a drama where characters left me with so many conflicting emotions. On the one hand, I appreciate that, it makes the story more interesting and keeps you glued to the screen. On the other hand, it also left some things feeling unfinished.
- Kinn was interesting right from the start. I appreciated the fact that, although he had bodyguards, it was obvious from the first that he was also perfectly capable of defending himself. That was refreshing. And watching him fall in love with Porsche was adorable. I really enjoyed the nuance of his character, the severe exterior but more sensitive, caring interior. His character development was well done, I thought. There's clear growth as he relaxes and becomes more comfortable being himself but he's still absolutely deadly. Beautifully done. My biggest qualm was his reaction, or lack of reaction, to Big's death as well as his lack of insight regarding Pete's disappearance. Honestly, the fact that Big's death was so completely ignored really pissed me off, but Kinn's complete dismissal of the person who had been his personal bodyguard at one point and was so completely loyal to him was off-putting and felt out of character. I wasn't expecting him to break down crying, but some kind of acknowledgement of the man who died to save his lover's life would have been nice. Same with Pete's disappearance. It was obvious he thought something was off and that he so easily dismissed it and that he even forgot that Pete had gone undercover seemed uncharacteristic.
- Porsche left me cringing the first couple of episodes. The level of second hand embarrassment was intense. I wasn't sure if I was going to like his character at first, because he frankly seemed like a bit of an idiot. I mean, he's offered this gig with the understanding that, in accepting it, his brother will be cared for. And yet he acts like a complete ass and makes it clear he doesn't care. He was obviously not an idiot so the fact that he acted with such disregard seemed weird to me. That being said, I also enjoyed seeing his character growth. One of the things I loved about this drama is that despite the character growth that all the characters undergo, they still remain fundamentally themselves. So while Porsche is softened and becomes less cocky and more serious, he's still Porsche. His tug of war for power with Kinn was fun to watch as was watching him slowly fall for him. As with Kinn, my biggest issue with Porsche was his complete lack of acknowledgement of Big's death. The man literally died to save your life and you can't take two seconds to mourn him? Again, it felt out of character. And while I liked his character development overall, there were aspects of it that did feel abrupt. It was like after he and Kinn were kidnapped and what they went through, he was suddenly more okay with what the family did. I would have liked to see a little more development with that.
- Tankhun was one of the highlights of the drama. He was just so much fun to watch with his dramatic outbursts and his fabulous fashion. While I wouldn't say that he had a huge amount of character growth, there was definitely some. I really liked that he was one of the most insightful characters. Everyone thought he was crazy, but there were times when he was actually the voice of reason. He knew Tawan was not to be trusted, but Porsche could be and that Pete was in danger. It added additional depth to his character that I really enjoyed.
- Pete came completely out of left field for me. I really liked his character from the get go, he's just so darn cute and funny. And yet, after being captured by Vegas, we see a whole other side to him. He's not the kind of character that you would typically think would hold up under torture, but he shows a resilience that's frankly astounding. On top of that, he is a genuinely good person. Despite the abuse he suffers at Vegas' hands, he reaches out to him and offers him comfort and friendship. His whole relationship with Vegas, though, I found very conflicting. I don't think it was a case of Stockholm Syndrome, but it was certainly not a particularly healthy relationship given it was initially born out of abuse and violence though at the end it seems to have taken a turn for the better. My only issue with Pete's character was in the last episode. Earlier in the drama, there's a scene where he tells Vegas that he's not a pet, he's a human but in the final episode, he tells Vegas that he's his pet and he had to go find his owner. I feel like there's an element of he's just trying to keep Vegas from killing himself and/or walking away, but there's also a note of truth to his tone that made me think he was willing to keep being Vegas' pet just so he wouldn't be left alone. That scene felt like a bit of regression for Pete's character and I didn't love it.
- Vegas was one of the most interesting, conflicting characters of the series. He was absolutely riveting to watch. I loved that I never knew what he was thinking or what the true purpose of his actions were. The way he vacillated between good guy and bad guy was fascinating to watch and I really liked that there were reasons for why he did what he did, namely because of his father. His developing relationship with Pete was very well done as was the change in that relationship from owner/pet to more equals. There's a certain twisted beauty to their relationship and while it left me feeling conflicted as to whether I should actually be rooting for them, I did enjoy watching it. I also appreciated how the drama illustrated that people handle abuse in different ways. While his father's abuse turned Vegas into a volatile, sadistic person, the abuse Pete endured from his father gave him insight into his father's actions and made him realize he was not the one at fault. I really appreciated that at the end of the last episode, Vegas tells Pete that he's not going to treat him like a pet anymore. It showed that their relationship was on a healthier track and at that point, I wished their little family all the best.
- I'm going to group Porchay and Kim together here. While I found Kim to be a somewhat interesting character, I found his relationship with Porchay to be unnecessary, distracting, and underdeveloped. To be honest though, I found his entire character to be lacking. While his focus on gathering information for his crime board was an intriguing concept, I never got a good idea of what exactly he was hoping to accomplish with it since it seemed like something he'd been working on for some time. What exactly was he looking for? I just would have liked to see him utilized as more than just a love interest. Porchay was, well, boring. Similarly to Kim, his sole purpose seemed to be acting as a love interest. He just wasn't well-developed. We knew he loved his brother and loved Kim, wanted to play music and that's about it. He cropped up when it was convenient and was pushed to the side the rest of the time. I also didn't get a good sense of why Kim even fell in love with him. They spent, a few days together tutoring, Porchay wrote a love song for him and that was it, he was in love? I don't buy it. And Porchay's feelings seemed more fanboy than in love especially since he didn't actually know Kim. The status of their relationship being left uncertain at the end of the drama was also frustrating. If you're going to make them a couple, at least give a satisfying conclusion. My only thought for why they left it that way is they're hoping for a spin-off with those two.
- Korn and Gun were honestly the most problematic characters for me in this drama just because there were so many questions left unanswered with both of them. I didn't feel like there was ever a clear resolution on who actually killed Porsche's father, though I lean towards believing Korn did the deed. And then there's the mystery of what Gun was going to say before he was killed. I found Korn's character to be more interesting than Gun, mostly because he was more nuanced. Gun was obviously meant to be seen as the bad guy, while Korn was supposed to be the more benevolent one though at the end he's revealed to be just as ruthless and cunning as his brother. And I'm sorry, but I cannot forgive Gun for wearing those shorts to a shoot out. I wasn't sure if I should laugh or just shake my head in embarrassment for him. In any case, I feel like this one of the areas that the series failed. It was so busy adding in minor scenes that didn't really accomplish anything that it failed to focus on the relationship between the two brothers and their history. A whole host of important information regarding the two of them was left until the last episode and there just wasn't enough time to do it justice.

The OST was awesome. I really loved the opening song, it fit the drama and mafia theme very well. I am also in love with the song Jeff Satur sings. Not only can he act, but he has an amazing voice. And the song is just beautiful. The visuals and cinematography were also quite good. The way they used the lighting in some scenes was very well done and worked to enhance the overall mood. The vast majority of the action scenes were well choreographed and were entertaining to watch.

Now for the parts that ended up killing this drama.
- For a drama about the mafia, there was very little information given about it and that whole concept took a backseat which was disappointing. It felt like it should be more central and play more of a role in the character's lives. Instead it felt like a prop piece that was only used when convenient. The world building in general left a lot to be desired.
- The pacing was also off. There just wasn't a good balance of important scenes and filler scenes. The last two episodes in particular were very rushed with a huge amount of information packed in and felt very half-assed. There's also the lack of a consistent plot. The first half or so of the drama was pretty good aside from the pacing. It seemed to generally know where it was headed and then it suddenly lost itself and it just went downhill from there. The ending left a fair number of unanswered or half answered questions. It didn't work for me.
-The attempts at comedy often fell flat. The jokes just weren't that funny and made me cringe. Don't get me wrong, there are some genuinely funny moments, but there are others that just don't work.
-I know I mentioned it before but the third couple of Porchay and Kim was just unnecessary.
- The ending was creepy to me. Porsche and Porchay's mother has brain damage and has no idea who they are, but they proceed to crowd this poor woman and touch and hug her without making sure she's okay with them doing so. I think it was meant to be a sweet, hopeful moment, they're together as a family again, but she just looked confused and uncomfortable and it made me uncomfortable watching it.
- There's an element of romanticizing abuse. The first time Kinn and Porsche have sex, Porsche is still under the influence of the drug Vegas gave him. Despite Porsche goading him and touching him, Kinn should have realized his actions were due to the drugs and he was in no shape to give consent. Yes, he does apologize, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the damage was done. The second time, in Vegas' bathroom, Porsche is drunk and again, Kinn engages in sexual activities with him. Even the first time they kiss, Porsche is drunk and high. And then there's Pete and Vegas' relationship which starts out in an incredibly toxic and unhealthy way. And like I said before, I won't go so far as to say it's an example of Stockholm Syndrome because I think Pete is made of sterner stuff than that and its hinted that there's attraction on both sides before he's kidnapped, it is obviously not an ideal way to start a relationship and it does perpetuate that kind of toxicity is hot which is dangerous. Vegas in particular is a complicated, conflicting character and their relationship is equally complicated and conflicting but ultimately, its not healthy and they both desperately need therapy.
- Finally, the number and explicitness of the sex scenes frankly surprised me. This is the only BL I've seen to this point that's featured actual sex scenes and this level of nudity. No full frontal, but a fair number of bare asses are scene throughout. There's also a scene where several characters watch porn. Though nothing is explicitly seen, it is heard.

I really wanted to love this drama especially since I kept hearing people talk about how amazing it was, but while I enjoyed it, I don't feel like its the best drama I've ever seen, not even close. There were a lot of issues in terms of plot and pacing and in the end it just couldn't realize the story that was attempting to be told. It is a nice break from the typical BL college setting, I just wish more time had been spent making sure there was a story that made sense.

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Rate 10/10 for fun and 1/10 for storyline

All the rave reviews, mad fans in love on comments, all the hype - I am weak willed, I succumbed to KP mania and ended up binge watching it!
First and foremost this series is a COMEDY, to be more precise, it is a spoof of all mafia movies! It takes place in a country called BL-land where they speak thai and sometimes english for no apparent reason but to sound cool! Parents in this country are all straight and they only have boys who are ALL gay! The main economy of this country is managed by the elegantly dressed mobsters! The police and the hospital do not exist: mobsters kill each other with impunity and the doctors and nurses treat the patients at their own homes in their king sized beds!
It took me about 8 episodes of incredulity to finally understand that this series SHOULD NOT in any case be taken seriously! I was so frustrated until it dawned on me that I am supposed to be laughing at the unbelievably ridiculous plot! After I did that, what a ride, what a rollercoaster ride it became!

What I liked:
- the comedy: Tankhun is the King
- Porsche's smile
- buttonless shirts
- cinematography (those love scenes were hooooot!)
- Pete (who looks uncannily like Job who played "Nut" in TMOTB so every time I saw his crooked smile I thought of teddybears!)
- Jeff Satur (how can he possibly be be so handsome and so talented?)

What I did not like:
- the eyebrows and the actor who came with them
- plot full of toxic behaviours (Kinn making out with drugged Porsche, Stockholm syndrome Pete & Vegas)
- Kinn & Porsche being so lovey dovey in ep. 11, I was seriously getting diabetes and expecting to see flowers popping around them like in a manga!
- final plot twists worthy of the best US soaps (like Dallas or Dynasty-the classics are still the best!)
- italian mob ripped from Vincenzo together with wine and classical music!

As for the soundtrack, I did not notice anything special about it.

This series reminds me in a way of TharnType with it toxic silly plot and great chemistry between the leads. Would I watch it again? Probably ! When I need something silly and hot to take my mind off of the daily life struggles, this along with TT is what the doctor prescribed! Mindless fun, just entertainment!

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Not up to my standards softcore fetish porn disguised unsuccessfully as mafia drama

This drama could be used as proof that the Halo effect is very real and powerful (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_effect). The plot was full of holes, every relationship was utterly toxic and the mafia element existed for the coolness factor without actually being utilized.


What carried the entire show was the careful selection of handsome men as the main cast. NOTHING ELSE. If the same things were done or said by ugly men, the show would have flopped 100%. Kinn exploits Porsche knowing his desperate financial position, rapes him, has zero trust towards him and becomes abusive even under suspicion that Porsche has been unfaithful (bathroom scene with Vegas is a good example). Kinn-Chay are a textbook grooming case, where an idol manipulates their fan who happens to be a minor (disturbing and disgusting). I won't even start with serial rapist, bipolar, psychopath Vegas who ''changes'' under the magical influence of his kidnapped/raped/tortured victim Pete (who has Stockholm syndrome). It is clear that the people writing such nonsense have zero understanding of psychiatry because they romanticize rape and abuse and no, psychopaths don't change and you can't ''save'' them with your love.

As if all that mess wasn't enough, towards the end, there is an incest element added with Porsche's mother being the adoptive sister of Kinn's father. This reminds me a lot of a third rate heterosexual lakorn plot and not of the pioneering, ground breaking BL that they claim to be. It was also extremely unecessary.

There is way too much comedy and fluffy scenes that come semi-randomly and don't match the show's supposedly mafia atmosphere and other cringe moments, for example Vegas speaking English at random times. What's up with that nonsense? I would understand if his character was a foreigner or something, but nothing is explained and it's honestly annoying.

It is clear at this point, that the producers know that the BL market is full of hypocritical people who pretend to want to watch dramas, but in reality just want to watch gay fetish porn, otherwise there would not have been so much emphasizing on sex scenes and so much less on the actual plot. A lot of the couples have nothing in common besides sex (with Kinn-Porsche being the best example of incompatible toxic couple who ends up having sex after every argument that was never properly resolved). Often it felt like different people direct different episodes, with the first one being much better and more serious than the nonsense comedy second one. All over the place production is an understatement.

The acting was decent, the music was decent, the scenery was decent, but the overall result is not up to my standards and it's the fault of the producers and the creepy authors (I have read the book and it's an abomination worship and romanticizing of murder and rape, way worse than the series).

If you don't believe me, go on tumblr and twitter and see how many people are talking about the plot (literally nobody unless they refer to sex scenes) and how many are worshipping the actors similar to kpop stans and other disturbed celebrity cult followings (you will be seeing comments like ''you can torture me anytime Bible, step on my neck Kinn and other products of the sexual frustration of individuals in need of help).

Would not rewatch.

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A refreshing concept with a mediocre outcome

I didn’t have any definite expectations, but atleast I wanted action and badass characters. It’s a mafia themed series after all. However, this series did not know what it wanted to be. It neither ended up as a mafia series nor a rom-com, it ended up being a big mess.

The plot at first starts off fine, but due to most of the comedy and romance, it goes south. The plot lines either were forgotten or anti-climatic. There could be a scene which was serious and afterwards they threw in a slapstick comedy/romantic scene, it easily ruined the mood. In the end this series would’ve been great off without any comedy at all.

Kinn and Porsche’s relationship just wasn’t it. They had okay introductions individually but their relationship’s build-up was questionable. I don't really get why they even had interest in each other in the first place. They had two unnecessary scenes, a questionable consent scene and a no consent scene. Even worse was that this was swept under the rug way too easily. They also had too many comedy scenes, which made them very unserious to me. Also too many intimate scenes, could’ve done less of them too, just less of them in general thanks.

Them as characters are pretty weak. Porsche is very gullible, he trusted Kinn and Vegas way too easily. Kinn is simply not a great boss. I don't feel like he is suitable as the leader of the main family at all, Kim would've fit better, heck even Tankhun would’ve suited better as the leader. If Kinn and Porsche had character development I would've liked them but they didn’t, they stayed the same from the beginning to the end.

Kim and Porschay were just there. They didn’t fit into this series and they didn’t add anything to the story.

The only characters I like in the end are Vegas and Pete. They were honestly the only reason why I finished this series. By having Kinn and Porsche as the main characters they obviously had the most scenes but so many of their scenes could’ve been replaced with more Vegas and Pete scenes. They were such a wasted potential, they were very interesting as individuals and as a couple. Such a shame.

Conclusion: I was entertained but in the end I wouldn’t recommend this at all. If you’re looking for a serious mafia series with badass characters, good character development and decent plot, you better wait a bit more for such a series to be released. If you want an unserious series, with comedy, romance and a few action scenes, then this series is for you.

PS. I have not read any of the original work, so this review is purely based on the series alone.

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