It has been days since I finished Dark Blue Kiss and I’m still having some major separation anxiety and withdrawal from it. I still find myself rewatching clips on YouTube (I always cry every time I rewatch that 3rd anniversary scene) and I still can’t stop thinking as to how good this series really is. Starred by Tay Tawan and New Thitipoom, Dark Blue Kiss is their characters’–Pete and Kao, respectively–own series. They were first introduced as supporting leads in the 2016 Thai drama Kiss, where they play a closeted couple and friends to the main roles of Sandee (Mild Lapassalan), Thada (Mek Jirakit), and June (Nicky Nachat). In 2018, Tay and New reprised their roles as Pete and Kao, but this time, as part of the main cast in the follow-up prequel, Kiss Me Again. In the said series, it was shown how their characters in Kiss came to be. And finally, in 2019, they starred in their very own series, Dark Blue Kiss that followed the events of Kiss. And in this third installment, TayNew brought it all.
Following the events of Kiss and Kiss Me Again, Dark Blue Kiss featured Pete and Kao as a long-term, but still closeted couple. I’ve watched the first two series in preparation for DBK and was a bit surprised by the retcon. In Kiss, the two boys had already come out to the gang about their relationship. But come DBK, they’re suddenly keeping it secret again. However, this was simply a minor detail and I can understand why they decided to do this, as one of DBK’s main plot was Kao still afraid to come out to anyone. To see him still unwilling to share this vital part of himself to his closest friends amped up this already dramatic and intense series. You see, apart from him still dealing with his sexuality, a new guy waltzed into his and Pete’s lives and shook them up. Young actor AJ Chayapol was introduced as Non, a VIP student of Kao who had become a tutor to support his family. And Non, despite being so much younger, played the two in his tiny, little finger and created so much trouble that I honestly cried for one-hour straight during Episode 09.
Familiar faces have also returned in Dark Blue Kiss as Sandee, Thada, and June were still very much involved in the series. I was glad to see the oh-so-cool gang, honestly, as Ireally enjoy their group scenes. Additionally, Kao’s barista slash admirer from Kiss Me Again, Sun (Podd Suphakorn) was part of the main cast. He’s still the owner of the same cafe (but with a new name) with his brother, Rain (Pluem Pongpisal). And also returning was Mork (Fluke Gawin), Rain’s friend and Sun’s source of constant annoyance, as the latter’s love interest. Lastly, Pete’s cool dad (Krittphat Chanthanaphot) and Kao’s mom (Yangyi Benja) were also part of the show.
Without spoiling much, I can say that Dark Blue Kiss has presented one of the most real and grounded relationship we’ve yet to see in a Thai BL drama. These shows sometimes tend to be disconnected with the society they were living in. One of the issues this series tackled was coming out. It emphasized the fact that a person’s decision of when, where, how, and to whom he’d come out should only be his alone, and no one else could decide that for him. Although this topic had been featured in a lot of queer fiction, Dark Blue Kiss still managed to revitalize the whole ordeal with gentle and touching acting by New and Yangyi. In relation to this, it also showed how most Asian families would treat such huge, pressing issues as elephants in the room. As long as it’s not mentioned, it doesn’t exist. In a smart screenplay, Kao’s mom said that she wished she was braver to ask her son and to tell that she knows. I wish the same with other Asian mothers, to be honest.
Another thing that Dark Blue Kiss discussed was this unspoken rule that gay kids should be more successful that a heterosexual son or daughter. That sequence where Pete and Kao talked about this was one of the most moving scenes in the whole series. When Kao told him it’s because it’s rooted on the fact that they’ve already disappointed their parents with their sexuality so they have to work harder to be more successful as to not disappoint them further, to which Pete replied that he’s good because he wants to be good, not because he likes men, was such a poignant scene delivered with sensitivity by the two actors.
Tay and New were at their best here in Dark Blue Kiss. Having played Pete and Kao since 2016, they now know the characters inside and out and honestly, they didn’t even seem to be acting. They have truly embodied the protagonists and it was such a magical thing to watch. Their chemistry–and not only the ones during their sweeter moments, but even in such aforementioned scenes where it’s much melancholic–was off the charts. They portrayed Pete and Kao with such mastery that it felt like they’re real people and we are their friends, listening and watching their troubles and how they solve it.
The secondary story also featured some strong and unforgettable acting. Much like Pete and Kao’s dynamic, but also something new, Podd and Fluke’s Sun and Mork were similar persons, if they were of the same age. Sun was a previous delinquent who changed his way to make his parents proud. But in a flashback scene that stress the aforementioned issue of gay kids working harder to be successful, it was seen that his development from troublemaker to pacifist wasn’t enough. And Mork was still on his troublesome phase, to the annoyance and worry of Sun. Their blossoming relationship was implied during the finale of Kiss Me Again, but it developed more beautifully here in Dark Blue Kiss. Newcomer Fluke’s portrayal of the laidback, but violent Mork was thrilling to watch, but even more so were his scenes with Podd’s nagging, older Sun. Their chemistry and dynamic are remarkable, especially how the audience could see the slow, subtle, but sure way the two become so much closer like, say, a planet’s revolution around the literal sun.
The opening credits of Dark Blue Kiss is iconic. It was all flair and drama, and oh, so extra and I loved every moment of it. I tend to skip the intro, but this time, I watched it every single time (except during the last episodes where the show had become nail-bittingly exciting). But this intro and the very first scene of the very first episode where a huge fight was shown between Pete and Kao were not enough to foreshadow the enormity of the main conflict and its drama. It’s such a smart decision to start the series with that fight, because every episode I begin, I was thinking, “Is this going to be the episode where that happens?” and it puts you at the edge of your seat and it really creates this interest that pulls you in, to binge-watch. And when it actually happened, it was so much more and tear ducts burst. That’s one of the best main conflict I’ve seen in a TV series, but with an even more dramatic resolution. It was over-the-top, but still remarkably and smartly written.
In the end, Dark Blue Kiss has climbed its way not only on my list of favorite Thai BL dramas, but also my list of favorite TV series in general. Top-billed by an amazing cast of actors, with a well-written screenplay, this series is a kiss that would linger on and on and on.
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| Photos are by GMMTV |
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