The Yearbook (2021)

I wanted to love this so badly.

There is so much about this that's wonderful. The acting and cinematography are excellent.

That's a lot - and it's why I gave this a 7 instead of the 5.5 'suggested' rating. I like that this takes a more cinematic and sophistic approach to making a BL - this is not like a mainstream series where everyone is fantastically rich - the characters even take a train!

There is no way to escape comparison to I Told Sunset About You, which is another ambitious production about similar themes - I could watch that 100 times and was enthralled for every minute of it. The Yearbook was something to endure.

It's slow. I don't mind slow-pacing during scenes - in fact I prefer a scene that develops. The problem isn't the slowness of scenes, although they're really, really slow, it's the overall slowness of the plot and the reliance on flashbacks to fill time. I understand this is an expansion of a school project. It's not so much an expansion as an inflation. You will see the same scenes flashed back to many, many times - like a dozen or more - I'm not kidding. There are flashback scenes that have their own flashback scenes - I'm not joking, it happens many times.

Within scenes, the dialog is spoken in this unnatural slow and halting manner, with very long pauses and staring to the point that Bite Me seems rushed in comparison. Everyone moves very slowly, too. Like 90 year-olds. Heavily sedated 90-year olds. There's a scene were Nut takes a photo out of a drawer and sets it up on his desk. He opens the drawer so slowly I thought maybe he was afraid there was a bomb in it, then withdraws the photo really slowly, slowly places it on his desk, then writes a pointless letter that takes 5 minutes, and then he gives up and just calls Phob instead.

There is no point to this story. It's not about loss - there was an opportunity to delve into different types of loss and how you move on, but nope, just slow talking and flashbacks.

There is a scene where the main characters appear to have sex - offscreen, which is fine. But then the next day they behave exactly as they did before - there was no impact on their relationship, no discussion, it just disappeared and never happened again, and they resumed interacting like bro's. They even woke up fully-dressed and not even cuddling.

A little over halfway through, a character has to go somewhere for a few hours to take care of something life-changing. And the series comes to a screeching halt and there are three episodes that are almost entirely flashback. If you're expecting a fluffy ending, you're not getting one. It's not a sad ending, it's not really a happy ending, it just ends, as if the crew said "f@#$ it, this isn't going anywhere, let's just stop here." That sounds exaggerated, but you'll think I understated it if you watch this series.

The life-changing event is fairly dramatic, and it does result in a character signing a song for the other character (over the phone, all to flashbacks, including a flashback to someone else singing the same song - and with vocals, not just visual). No hug, no "I'm here for you", certainly nothing to indicate there's any romantic connection. The song isn't about loss or moving on, it's expression of unrelated feelings that he could have communicated 10 years prior but somehow never did, even though they had sex.

This is not a BL. It's a bromance. There is a kiss, once, miss-it-if-you-blink, and the main pair do seem to love each other, but it feels to me that it was a bromance with one kiss thrown in to make it a BL so they could market it to us and Mean's fan base. This feels like an attempt at a BL by straight guys who think m/m love is gross and so it's barely in here. This is the BL equivalent of interior "decor" that's all white walls, black leather furniture and a huge TV for video games and watching sports.

There is more time spent by straight characters discussing girls they like than there is of the main characters discussing their feelings for each other, which, incidentally, they do not do, ever, even once. They sing their feelings, which is nice (although twice it's over the phone), but we needed to see them interact like lovers. After high school, the main pair were rarely even in the same room together. Except in flashbacks.

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Story: 3. Superficial, lazy, manipulative, and designed to make sure the main characters interact as little as possible.

Acting: 9. The delivery of dialog was terrible, but that's not the actors' fault - they otherwise did an excellent job showing us what they feel, which makes the endless flashbacks mystifying. Why hire such good actors if you're not going to let them do the heavy lifing?

Music: 8.5. This was well-done. The original lyrics were good without being carried away, the singing was what you'd expect from non-professionals, although someone who's a better singer should have been cast for Phob. Anyway, one of the series' better qualities.

Rewatch value: 1. If you held a gun to my head, I would still not sit through this again. It's probably worth watching once, but there's nothing that would draw me back.

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Frustrating

It's a nostalgic look back at high school in 2002 rural Thailand. Sappy melodrama with gay kids. I like the nostalgic way it's filmed, the actors are mostly fine (Nut's brother is not as good).

Nut and Phob like each other secretly but do not communicate well, and when Phob has to move away he doesn't tell Nut why, he's just suddenly gone. They both have crushes on each other but refuse to tell each other. Phob especially barely speaks, and Nut reacts appropriately but then feels guilty later when he finds out the real reasons.

This is trying to be so much more than it is able. Not well enough written or acted. Pales in comparison to similar-setting ITSAY. None of this feels natural except the cinematography, not the conversations in person or in writing. First 5 episodes are very slow moving, but then the last 3 episodes nothing happens, almost literally nothing. And then it was over - I kept waiting for the next episode but it was over? Weird. So basically there are 5 episodes with plot and then 3 episodes without plot and the end.

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A psychological love mystery tale

“The Yearbook” is more of a psychological love mystery tale; it lives in the minds of its protagonists and their actions only obliquely reflect their thoughts and feelings. It’s neither a great success nor a great failure but it is different in ways which might challenge some viewers. It deserves a look and especially for the discovery of Title Teshin Anusananan in the lead role. (He looks even more handsome with his own hair style, btw; his hair was cut short for the role.)

It’s almost impossible to know if this series was a great idea poorly executed or an amateur effort from the beginning. So many people associated with this series (director, writers, lead actors) were newbies (Man admitted that on his first day on set he didn’t even know the different instructions for slate/action/cut) that the story feels like it went into production half-baked and with seemingly no-one in control with the experience to know how to fix it.

So what is the problem with this series? It aspires to be a tear-jerker and creates a foundation story in the early episodes similar to other BL’s where the two male lead characters have known each other since childhood and who realise as they approach young adulthood that their closeness is more than friendship. The story uses flashbacks to regularly reference events in their recent and more distant past; some viewers have found this device to be repetitive and obstructive to the story’s trajectory. But I think the flashbacks suit “The Yearbook” as a mood piece; I didn’t feel to me like the usual BL situational drama.

The title “The Yearbook” is the key to what I believe the writers might have had in mind in creating this show. References to time are the clue; ostensibly, the time frame spans the lives of Nut and Phob from childhood to their early 20’s, but this is not the primary concern. “The Yearbook” is more concerned with time as it manifests itself in their minds, and in our minds we continually think over the events of yesterday as much as we do the events of last year or earlier. The young men are constantly referring back to the small moments as well as the big incidents between them, and we, the viewers, see this in the flashbacks. And the revelations via flashback are not chronological as to what each character is thinking or feeling.
Just as in real life, the boys in their minds relive the same moments again and again; this appears to have confused some viewers who can’t grasp why the same scene is being shown more than once.

(Spoiler ahead) If I’m right interpreting “The Yearbook” in this way, then the uncertain ending is also part of this approach; the future facing the young men is far from rosy or clear. Neither Nut nor Phob are secure in their futures to be pledging themselves to each other and the expectation that Nut, still a medical undergraduate, could take on by himself the medical, emotional and financial burden of Phob’s care & rehabilitation is taking Thai BL fantasies into new stratospheres of separation from reality.

Some have commented that almost nothing happens in the last episodes; this misunderstands the story. The entire series depicts the gradual realisation of love and then from that realisation, on to their commitments to each other, forged out of a crisis neither was prepared to face at first. Emotional journeys in my view are not the same as plots which are based on action and “The Yearbook” is thin on plot, thick on emotion.

The upshot of this is that big demands are made of the young actors for performances to reflect what is happening internally to their characters. Title is amazingly good but Man struggles in places. (Personally, I can’t get past the amateur if not outright cruel scheduling of putting Man’s most emotionally difficult & demanding scene on Day 1 of the shooting schedule. A newbie especially would benefit from the chance of growing into the demands of the role for a week or two before the heavy stuff is shot.)

Mean’s freshman directing effort is adequate but someone surely has to take the blame for the incessant music which is relied upon to excess IMO for emotional impact to bolster the drama.

Finally, ignore the MDL description of 8 x 50minute episodes. I suspect the show was created to achieve a friendly rating and to fit a one hour time-slot on afternoon tv. But not a single episode manages the 50 minutes minus the credits. The script is underdeveloped and has been stretched; this is clear from the fact that every episode has “fill” of interviews and similar that follow afterwards, culminating in the final episode, No. 8, being only 28 minutes in length, following which there is a further 25 minutes of interviews and behind the scenes. (Viewed on Riki Vakuten.)

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Such A Beautiful Story

First of all, I like how they made the series look "old" by adding a worn yellow effect. I like how they based the story on a 2000s theme.

Second, I will discuss Phob and Nut in the past. I hate it when Nut is selfish, but I also understand that he only wants the best for Phob. I hate when Phob keeps quiet about what he's going through, but I also understand that he just doesn't want to see Nut sad because of him.

Third, I will discuss them in 2006. I was very happy when they met again, and sad when Nut rejected Phob's presence. Then, I was confused about my own feelings when Nut ran to look for Phob after Nut found out about what Phob was experiencing now. Really, I really like it when my feelings are shattered when I'm watching a series.

Fourth and last, I like how they depict the sibling relationship between Note and Nut, I like that their relationship is not awkward like normal siblings. I like it when Note pays attention to Nut indirectly through other people. I like it when Note becomes the most comfortable support for Nut when he's sad about Phob's situation. I really like these two brothers.

I love it.

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storia delicata, nostalgica, malinconica, drammatica, di amicizia e di amore

Mi è piaciuta tantissimo questa serie, molto lontana dagli abusatissimi e soliti clichè con personaggi irrealistici e senza spessore. In questa serie i personaggi affrontano in maniera realistica problemi pesanti, anche sbagliando, per poi correggersi e chiedere e ricevere aiuto dalla persona amata. Ci sono delle scene che rimangono davvero nel cuore, ci sono dialoghi toccanti tra i due protagonisti, tra Nut e il fratello e tra Nut e Tar. Title (Nut) è splendido e trasmette davvero le emozioni del suo personaggio. La parte musicale è magnifica ed è parte fondamentale della serie. Alcuni piccoli difetti: i flashback rappresentano il tema della serie, ma probabilmente sono utilizzati in maniera eccessiva; c'è un tappeto musicale di sottofondo in quasi tutte le scene, che la maggior parte delle volte è piacevole e crea quell'atmosfera delicata o malinconica, ma anche questo a volte forse è eccessivo

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When nostalgia and tear-jerking drama combines= MASTERPIECE

I love the nostalgia that this series was giving. I was really into it. Y'all know that Director Mean & Benz just did that. I saw glimpse of Remember Me The Series having the same production as this one. I love the cinematography it has something nostalgic filter into it kinda similar to I Told Sunset About You. I love every aspect of the series, it's not too rushed or fast in terms of pacing. It really built up a lot better than most series I've watched before this. The serenade in the phone booth and riding with your bff/crush in his bike is just chef's kiss.
Now I'm diving to the "shedding tears" territory. When Phobia left Nut and came back years later I was honestly confused why he's not the same as he was. His character toned down. I felt that hard in my core when Nut ignored him and upon learning that Phobia has cancer (or something), he rushed to the station. I was really sobbing about that. I was bathing in my tears the whole sequence of why Phobia just left Nut. It got sadder when Phob's parent(s) passed away within those years he left Nut. The point where Phob was due for consultation with his doctor. Nut urged Phob to live even if it meant that his arm would be amputated for the rest of his life.
I know the ending upsets or disappoints some people but I'd rather have that or risk Phob leaving Nut forever.

I was really engrossed to this. I know these kind of nostalgic series would shed tears and it did more actually. I saw the efforts of the actors portraying their roles really well. It really paid off. I think this was underrated and unpopular but hey sometimes underrated series turns out to be greater than the ones were all familiar to. I'm not saying that those popular BLs out there are bad, it's just lacking or having few depths in them but for this one, it is emotionally 6 ft. If you think you're expecting fluffiness and lovey-dovey stuff here, you thought wrong. This was one of the greatest BL series deserves praise because it was masterpiece 👌💯

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Sweet and beautiful <3

Let's get into it (not very deeply tho but anyways) <3

Story: I really liked the story, it was quite simple but also unique in its own way. Very beautiful and I think realistic too. Slow-going but not too much (at least for me).

Acting/Cast: The acting wasn't the best but not bad either, it was enjoyable to watch. I liked the feeling in this. I also liked the second couple. Buf, Title (Nut's actor) is so skskskskknorgnftny... <33

Music: Music doesn't matter for me but the lyrics were <3 and I liked the OST.

Rewatch Value: I probably won't rewatch this (I'm not that type of watcher). But if we get the second season, I will surely watch it <3

Overall: I think you won't lose anything if you don't watch this but you won't as well lose anything if you do watch. If you're here for skinship and fast-going storyline, this isn't it but otherwise I warmly recommend! <3

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Bittersweet Story

First of all, I will say that I absolutely adore Title's acting. I got to know this series through Remember Me, where he also did a great job portraying Name. In one if the extra talk, Man said that Title acts with his eyes, and I think that's true. I just wish he would stop crying (especially in front of computer lol) because it really hurts me to see him cry.

For the story itself, well, I'm glad that they don't really dragged the 4 years of Nut waiting and skipped to 2006 instead. I kinda spoiled myself because I watched the second bed scene where Phob told Nut directly about his cancer before properly watching the series, but I didn't realize that it's the reason he moved to Bangkok. I thought he moved because of other reasons and only got to know about his sickness at the beginning of the series.

The last two episodes are the most bittersweet ones. I just felt regretful for them, like, what if Phob told Nut about his reason of not attending the exam? What if Nut stopped avoiding Phob before he went away? I understand why they did what they did, and I love them for that, because it just showed that they're just humans with flaws, but it just hurt.

Fortunately, they got their happy ending, so I count that as the sweet part.

Also, I have to mention that I really love the singing at phonebooth scene. The lyrics and the situation were just right. And add Nut's performance on the phone, it became perfection.

Overall, I love this series a lot.

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Likely one of the most moving Thai BLs in 2021

Not knowing what the story is about except that the couple are separated for four years, I watched the first episode and thought that it was another story about one-sided love (which may not be a bad thing but is really hard to do well). It turns out, however, that there is more than meets the eye.

Perhaps it takes more patience than some viewers would be willing to give before they discover the merits of the series. But, for me, it was not a difficult watch at all. The scenes were shot well, and the young actor who plays the character of Nut, is quite impressive. Thus, although this isn't a fast-paced series, I found it easy to go on watching and it did not really seem all that slow.

There are many complaints about the flashbacks used in the story as well as a few praises. To be sure, it isn't really the use of flashbacks as a technique in itself that people are commenting about. Rather, it's the flashbacks to scenes that have already been shown that people are commenting about.

The flashbacks used are often effective as they show us that the story we think we know isn't the whole story. At their best, the flashbacks are moving, such as when they reveal the reasons behind Phob's behaviors and emotions.

Unfortunately, in Episodes 7 and 8, the use of flashbacks as a technique does not impress, and the flashbacks themselves may seem a little purposeless. It's almost as though a different team has done the editing and flashbacks for the last two episodes. While the flashbacks in Episodes 1 to 6 are quite smooth and do not confuse, there is potential for confusion in Episodes 7 and 8. This is unfortunate for a series that has shown more finesse that expected. After all, the story is not astonishingly good, but it is the way it is told that makes it moving and engaging in Episodes 1 to 6. Thankfully, the story doesn't take a bad turn and does end satisfactorily save for a totally unnecessary cliffhanger about a side couple (it's not like a sequel is going to be made about the side couple, right?)

Despite its flaws, The Yearbook still manages to be a notch above some other Thai BL series that overwhelm viewers with a large number of characters without showing much skill in telling a coherent story

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Eu só não dei 10 em tudo porque a produção é bem simples, mas um bom diretor faz toda diferença faz milagres com um orçamento pequeno. É com certeza uma das histórias mais lindas que eu já acompanhei ! è sobre amor, sacrifício e superação. Você vai chorar muito, do início ao fim, vai precisar de terapia por uns 6 meses, mas a força desse casal vai te inspirar a lutar sempre. Apenas o final é um pouco "nada a ver", mas tb n]ao chega a ser triste (apenas parece deixar um gancho para uma segunda temporada). Pegue duas caixas de lenços de papel e vá assistir!

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