Moonlight Chicken (2023)

Three ships in one show – and it works!

Well, to be honest, “ship-wise” it’s ‘only’ 2 ships – EarthMix and GeminiFourth – as First and Khaotung, despite of starring in MLC, aren’t a couple in this series. Still, casting so many good performers in one show says a lot about GMMTV’s faith in the story, direction and cast – as well as the company’s ability to take risks (yes, putting so many of your assets – and popular ships clearly are assets – into one show represents a considerable risk). All of that was rewarded with a show which works very well and has some aspects usually not found in a BL. I’ll try to focus on the most important and best elements of MLC.

(1) The show has a perfectly paced and shot introduction, which presents the setting, majority of the cast and their relations in a very effective, almost music video manner.

(2) Characters and story give a very grounded, real life feel – which is often absent in BLs, especially rom-coms. This can, at least partly, be attributed to MLC being an almost classic drama. Humor is used sparingly, there are no scenes played for laughs, no comedic reliefs etc. – there’s no BL “fluff” either. The characters have different backgrounds and life experiences, but all are relatable; it’s also worth noting, that – contrary to many BLs – only two characters are teens, the rest are either young adults or “full adults”. Everyone in the show carries a lot of emotional baggage and faces problems we all understand and/or have experienced: loss of a family member, loss of a loved one, difficult break-up, unresolved past issues, unrequited love, money problems and poverty, job problems, unfair treatment and homophobia, difficult relations with parent and/or guardian, illness and/or disability. Despite of that this is still mostly a story about love – losing it, looking for it and finding it.

(3) The story is presented in a very condensed and clear way; several plots neatly fit into it. A bit surprisingly to me there weren’t too many characters (this is, after all, a series with only 8 episodes and a full cast) – mainly because each character had a specific role to play and did it. There was no drag, no time wasted on exposition or pointless talking and walking around.

(4) The cast is very solid, with GMMTV rolling out not just some of its most popular, but also most talented stars.
(a) Mix does a wonderful job as Wen regardless whether he’s drunk at the diner, passionate in bed with Jim, caring and understanding with Li Ming and Heart, trying to win over Jim or keeping his distance from Alan, while still caring for him. Wen seems the most complete character of the series and a good spirit for Li Ming and Jim – while still having issues of his own. I loved the firm grip Mix had of the character – he portrayed Wen with calm and confidence, which passed over to the character itself. This is by far Mix’s best role so far.
(b) Fourth as Li Ming is great, both as Jim’s nephew, a struggling (but never bratty) teenager, often angry and disappointed with his uncle, but also loving him, as well as Heart’s boyfriend, a teen in love – a love that grew so naturally and quietly that I could only smile and cry watching it. MLC was shot before My School President and the interaction of Fourth and Gemini here explains how we got the great chemistry of those two in MSP: it was there all the time. GemFourth is one of those superior ships like OhmNanon, EarthMix or FirstKhao: GMMTV can bank on and will never lose. Non-verbal communication between Li Ming and Heart was top notch; watch the episode 6 New Year scene to see how two unexperienced amateurs nail it without saying a word – that’s real acting. Most of GMMTV’s “actors” should watch it to realize how ridiculously incompetent they are.

MLC isn’t perfect, but it’s mature and non-fairy tale – it’s a serious BL. I enjoyed it very much.

Lire davantage

A Beautiful Slice-Of-Life Drama

A beautiful slice-of-life drama to watch if you're looking for something emotionally mature and cozy with an excellent cast. It is quiet and subtle; nuanced in feeling and incredibly moving in consequence. It dug deep to me. It tackles so many important subjects with what I felt was very careful thought and insight. Each character has their own journey and inner turmoil to sift through, deepening as relationships get involved, and gently yet ardently taking us along with it. Each story felt honest, relatable, and at times very real (those Wen and Alan scenes hit a little too close to home), causing deep thought and genuine emotion. Every journey closed in what I felt was a beautiful and authentic way, and they will stay in my heart for quite some time.

This is a drama that makes you pause, reflect, and immerse into feelings that we sometimes disregard, push away, or ignore. I can see why some could find it boring, as the pace is slower than most; but that's the beauty of a well-written slice-of-life drama... it finds strength in the quiet moments, shows the ugly as it is, and unveils the beauty behind it all.

Anyways, I loved it. It is now one of my comfort dramas. The cast owns my heart, and this story does, too.

Lire davantage

A beautiful story about people and life in every shades of it

This is a must watch series! I don't know if I can consider it as a bl because it does not contain the common elements of a bl but this is simply a story of a queer people. This series unveils what is actually happening, both good and bad, happy and sad and that is life.

Every character portrays a very humane character who has white and black in them. Maybe you won't relate to each one of them but you will surely find someone who you can relate with because each one of them represents a real person.

I also love how the story tackled important topics that is not so out of place because they are not speaking for it but because they are "that topic" and they show why it is important for us to know them and be with them.

The series is just beautiful, other comments that says negatively about this just don't understand the story or don't care to understand it. They are those people who expected something but they were not granted so they began to hate it. And once you see negatively, it will be hard to change but if you see the story of how it is , without expectations or associating it with the actors... This series is phenomenal, it is not for someone's fetish or fantasy. This is the real story for mature and older people, not because of nc scenes but because it challenges your understanding of a person and their relationship with someone and with the society they live in.

Lire davantage

good but not great

I love adult love but this wasn't for me, the main couple, for me was so boring that I had to used 2x speed sometimes. the acting is good but their characters felt kinda empty(? idk.

now, second couple is everything to me, cute, lot of chemistry, acting is perfect, character stories are good (I would have loved to see more about about heart individual story) and they saved this bl for me, tbh I just finished it because of them.

don't take me wrong, I enjoyed the beginning of Jim and wen but then their story felt so slow and boring :/ (FOR ME) still, Iike their chemistry and acting so yeah, this bl it's good but not great

Lire davantage

enchanting!

"moonlight chicken" was a great discovery for me!

i followed the series since its release, and I only saw positive comments about it, so I needed to check it out for myself, and I simply loved it! it's a light and gentle series with an emotional storyline.

the highlight of the series for me was the romance between Li Ming and Heart, which captivated me from beginning to end and made me emotional in the scene where Li Ming translates what Heart is trying to say to his mother. i believe that despite being fictional, Heart's story can be found in various homes around the world, and that is extremely sad, but following these two together was magical. that moment when Heart goes up to his room to cry and Li Ming just hugs him made me cry too.

but, amidst such a beautiful story, unfortunately, I don't think Jim and Wen's story impacted me as much. it took too long for their story to unfold, and at a certain point, it started to wear me out, and it made me wish to see more of Li Ming and Heart, and even see other characters like Leng and his girlfriend (who was pregnant). not that Jim and Wen weren't cute together, but the story was a bit too long and the dialogues a bit too childish disappointed me.

i believe there were some events in the series that were a bit rushed, like Gaipa's mother's death, but it still affected me deeply, especially in the scene where he sings her favorite song in tears; it's heartbreaking.

overall, as i said, it's a enchanting series. despite some flaws, it still shines and moves with the teachings it leaves behind!

* and i loved the serie's aesthetic, its colors, everything about it it's extremely beautiful and gives me exactly the feeling i wanted to feel and needed to feel!

Lire davantage

AMAZING

This review might be a bit lengthy because I have a lot to say about this show so here we go.

I was super excited for Moonlight Chicken, mostly because of First but also because everything I've seen by Aof has been amazing. The hype around this one was just crazy, especially for an 8 episode series, so I was a little worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. It surpassed them.

It tells the story of Jim (Earth), who runs a chicken rice shop with his nephew Li Ming (Fourth). One night after close, Jim sees Wen (Mix) still at the diner, passed out from a night of drinking. The two hook up and as much as Jim wants for it to not be complicated and to stay as a simple one night stand, of course it gets complicated. While Jim and Wen work things out, there's still Gaipa (Khaotung) who has been in love with Jim for some time now, and Alan (First) who Wen broke up with after a five-year long relationship. In short, things are messy, complicated, and wonderful to watch.

In terms of the unmessy events, we've got Jim's nephew Li Ming (Fourth) and Heart (Gemini) who end up becoming friends when Li Ming has to work for Heart's parents to pay off a debt. Heart became deaf three years ago, and while his parents still refuse to learn sign, Li Ming is quick to learn it to communicate with him better. The clearly intentional lack of subtitles on the signing was a brilliant move; the viewer is put in the shoes of the parents (and other characters) who do not know sign and must rely on Li Ming's translations (when he gives them) or use context to figure it out. Coming to the realization that I didn't know what Heart was saying, and watching the same realization cross his mother's face when they get into an argument, was a wonderful touch on this already amazing series.

The storyline between Jim and Wen begins as plenty of BLs do: with a hookup. While I'm not typically a fan of this trope, I've never seen it done as well as it was here. Jim telling Wen he only wants a one night stand that is uncomplicated leads him into an entire mess that he seems to just want out of.

I might be biased because he's played by First, but I thought that the introduction of Alan added an entire layer to the story that was missing from the first few episodes. Seeing a five-year long relationship that crumbled and ended with a simple "I don't love you anymore" was devastating, especially because only Wen felt that way. Alan, trying desperately to hold onto the relationship, couldn't stop Wen from seeing other people. Wen, who still hadn't moved out of their shared apartment months after the break up, got mad at Alan for still treating him like his boyfriend--even though it seemed that Wen was still hesitant to let go too.

This show was an extremely emotional one, and it was done extremely well. There are four separate but important dynamics between characters. There's young love (HeartLiMing), stale love (AlanWen), unrequited love (JimGaipa), and new love (JimWen), all of which allow the viewer to sympathize with different characters at different points in the show. The way this show is shot was beautiful, and the intertwining of the characters' lives wasn't rushed at all even though it was a shorter series. In fact, this being a shorter series cut out any unnecessary scenes or conflicts, which meant every scene was important.

The parallels between characters help to enhance their interactions and showcase the different sides of them. Wen yells at Alan for not taking his break up words seriously--then Jim says the same thing to Wen. Alan yells at Jim for taking his pen because it doesn't belong to him--and then laughs and tells Gaipa it's fine that he took it. These little hints at past actions help to round out the story and keep the viewer looking for easter eggs in every scene. Beautifully done, wonderfully written, and worth a watch (and rewatch).

My only complaint: I want more AlanGaipa screen time. And honestly more content from this show in general.

Lire davantage

Incredible side characters & secondary romance that stole the show to the detriment of main couple

This BL drama is about the encounter of emotionnaly closed-off almost 40 years old Jim (the owner of a Hainanese chicken rice diner) and charming late twenties Wen. There are multiple storylines as the drama follows the evolution of their relationship as well as the ones of their entourage.

I had some issues with the pacing of the scenario as well as the distribution of the scenes between the various relationships. I truly enjoyed most of the secondary stories but it was to the detriment of the main relationship of Jim and Wen. I love the ensemble cast but clearly some of the secondary storylines interested me more than the main one. I particularly liked the Li Ming and Heart story: they kinda stole the show for me. I also found myself caring a lot about some other sides characters: Kaipa, Alan and Saleng...much more than the main couple.

Regarding the main relationship, Mix managed to make Wen a likeable and endearing character. He is beautiful and sincere that you can completly understand why the other male main lead would fall for him despite his messy arc. The opposite was less true to me. Jim is a hardworker with seemingly good intentions but he is really closed off and has big walls (for good reasons). However, it is really difficult to root for him and to understand why Wen is so smitten by him. I wonder if the script would have given more room to them, it would have made a difference in making the growth of the relationship more romantic. Here, it felt that the relationship was working thanks to Wen hard work, in a rather unilateral and sometimes frustrating way.

The whole cast did a good job. Khaotung is once again very impressive and full of nuances: even in a side role, he made me care so much. Some of his scenes are gut-wrenching and I know that it is thanks to his great skills that the emotions flowed through so well. I also found First amazing in a very different and difficult role : he carried it very well given the context of his narrative arc. Fourth and Gemini chemistry continue to be really excellent, they had the best romance.

I liked a lot Mix performance but I wish that Earth would have been more charismatic in the role of Jim. He was not helped by the script but still, he was clearly the weakling in terms of acting skills among the main cast. I also wished that the age gap thing would have been better adressed. Here, it was a bit strange as Earth does not seem to have a 10 years age gap with Mix (in real life, they are only 4 years apart and are both still in their twenties)...Earth's character is supposed to be going on forty but sometimes his character talks like he is 70+ years old and that any change is impossible like he is at the end of the road...This creates clearly a disconnection in the story because you really need to suspend your disbelief when you look at Earth attempting to play that part...

I loved the cinematography despite some editing hiccups between scenes...Sometimes, there are jarring cuts in the music when switching from one scenes to another...The soundtrack is rather average outside of the generic which is very nice because of the song as well as the images displayed with it.

I would recommend this to people looking for a more slice-of-life BL with nuanced storylines and very good ensemble cast. The cinematography is good despite some editing hiccups and there are some really memorable scenes in terms of acting and stakes. The pacing could have been better and the main romance is a bit lacking story-wise (especially compared to the other storylines) but the series has enough qualities despite its flaws to be worthwile.

Lire davantage

A perfect series

As always, everything is my own opinion and not intended to offend or upset anyone. (Let's be honest, I'm just rambling, really.)

I loved Moonlight Chicken. I honestly just adored everything about it and it definitely is one of my favourite series to date.

It's a simple story, but built with nuances of life that made it feel relatable. I feel like anyone that watches could find at least one character to relate to in one way or anything.

Earth as Jim was probably my favourite role I have ever seen him in (even if I am constantly perplexed over GMMTV's need to constantly make him play age ranges that are much older than what he actually is - I'm sorry, Jim was supposed to be almost 40? However, despite that, Earth just owns the role in such a way that you'd almost not question it). I feel like Earth is an actor who really puts his whole soul in his roles and you can feel the emotions attached to everything that character goes through. Then you have Mix as Wen, a millennial who seems to be a little stuck on where he is and what he wants from life; and of course, Mix just blows you away with his performance. I truly think EarthMix as a paired couple is one of the best things GMMTV have ever done, because they really do feed off each other's performances. As Jim and Wen they both felt so raw; both characters had flaws, made mistakes, and they were acknowledged in a way that I feel is often missed in other dramas. I often feel like the negative aspects of characters are over looked and just accepted in most drama series, whilst Moonlight Chicken takes those things and almost forces the audience to acknowledge that no one is perfect, alongside the characters.

Fourth and Gemini as Li Ming and Heart were perfect; these boys really are out there just taking the Thai Bl world by storm, and they deserve the love and accolades they are receiving because, gosh, these kids are amazing actors. The characterisation of Heart was fantastic, and I really liked that we didn't get subtitles for sign language because it was putting the audience in his place, if that makes sense? He was just a normal teenage boy, but he wasn't getting to live like one until Li Ming showed up, and it was nice to see what I think many of us felt was a role reversal; since My School President was airing at the same time, we were all used to watching Gemini playing the upfront and forward character, but here it was Fourth playing the cheeky and unforgiving Li Ming who just wanted to be who himself and love who he loved.

Khaotung's performance as Gaipa was beautiful; it wasn't a huge role, but it was still so important to the journey of the main characters. I'll be honest, I find it so difficult to actually talk about Khao's acting because words don't seem to work for me when it comes to him - he continues to be one of my all time favourites and he just puts his whole heart into his roles. Gaipa's love for those around him felt so real, because that's pretty much just Khaotung in real life. First as Alan was something that really had me clutching my heart, though; it was such a different type of character for First, I feel, and he knocked it out of the park. We all assumed Alan was going to be this horrible person before the show came out, when really he was just this heartbroken man who didn't want to give up fighting for who he believed was the love of his life, and First just stole the show in the few scenes he had.

The rest of the supporting cast was fantastic, of course. I just felt like this show was perfect, and my only issue is that I wish there was more; however, it really was this brilliant little mini series and I can't recommend it enough.

Lire davantage

a full four course meal

The average of the episodes was 9.4 stars out of 10, so I rounded it up to 9.5 stars out of 10 because this was so fucking good. The acting was amazing. They got really good actors and popular ships and smashed them into one show that was too short for its own good. The acting is what kept me wanting more and more with each episode. This banger joins Bad Buddy and Love in the Air as my highest ratings for dramas at 9.5 stars. So we love to see that. This was just truly amazing and groundbreaking. I posted a lot on it, so I am going to go to my close friend's highlights, which are just a moon, a light bulb, and a chicken. I also started this two months ago because the first episode didn't leave me wanting more, but today changed that.

10 hours ago, I was like, Moonlight Chicken has such an amazing cast with all of my baes; let me just fucking finish it. And that's what I did. And I forgot who was in it for some reason. My boyfriend was there. Love them. Then I said that I forgot his name in the show. That's so embarrassing, huh. Uncle Jim and Wen. Earth and Mix have great chemistry, and that hit me like a truck in this. Love them.

Leng's character was so real for no reason. He was very woke and, over all, just said a whole bunch of facts all the time, and I love him for that. Then I say that I will learn sign language just for fun. Then I said, "Characters wearing completely out-of-place Jordans are my new favorite thing in Thai dramas." Because it's always so random, and I love it.

We meet Jim's ex, who is the reason our poor baby 40-year-old man is the way he is. He doesn't show a lot of emotion and boards himself off when it comes to love because he doesn't want the same thing to happen again. Which is so real for him, but bro died in 2018, and it was like 2022 in the timeline. You've got to move on, dawg; you are 40 years old; that's already half your life if we are going by American life expectancy. You've got to move on.

Then we see the love of my life, First, lying in bed looking all gorgeous. Him with the glasses is my favorite thing, and he was lowkey making me go feral. Love Me Again by John Newman is Alan and Wen's song, because no matter what Alan says or what he does, Wen has completely lost his love for him. I feel bad, but bro broke up with her, and he couldn't get the hint for like FOUR FUCKING MONTHS? Like what? Get over it. I understand it is a 5-year relationship, but please, just leave them alone. Let him live; that's why he left you.

This show was low-key a lot, just the way they were telling it and making it out to be. Fuck beams, Jim's ex. Bro deserved that one hundred percent. But I would be wrong to say that. I hated him, and I still do. Jim was, for real, the other woman. Which was sad but true.

Heart and Li Ming are just so cute, and I love them. Li Ming getting heart's parents to learn sign language for their son and them listening was such good character development for them, and I love the parents for that. Jim being high-key homophobic when he is literally gay was funny. Like what? If you are that pressed about gay people, look in the mirror before you even say anything. LIKE WHAT? lol.

Then Gaipa's mom died, and I was on the brink of tears. Because in edits, I have seen people in all black, and I am like, damn, which one of our main couples is dying? and then they kill off Gaipas mom. Oh my god, bro, I was like, No way, and then in denial about it for the rest of the show.

Then they were going condo shopping and being all cute, and then Jim said to paint the walls green, and I was like, Ew, green! Who would do that? All of the walls in my house are literally green; I am a fool. And that's all for my close friends highlights.

I loved this show so much, and I feel like they could have made it longer. This was so good, and I loved every couple, even Alan and Gaipa at the end. Everyone was just so full of character, and it made me excited to watch and see how people would develop and how they would regress. This was a banger, and I would recommend it. Okay bye!

Lire davantage

There Were No Chickens Under the Moonlight

What a show! I went in fully expecting a cheating storyline to unfold which was there, but now the way I thought.

The show depicts struggles of love, loss, being queer, and just life for different generations. Sometimes love doesn't always have a happy endings, you find love in a place you never thought you would. They did an amazing job portraying all the loves we experience in life.

I think watching this made me feel like I have been in all their shoes at one point in my life. Being young and in love, falling out of love, finding a new love and being scared out of my wits. The characters are flawed, no one is perfect but that doesn't make them a bad person. Even when you find a character that you hate/might not agree with, you will find yourself seeing those same character in new light in the next episode.

So it was very easy to get submerge in this drama and at times it felt overwhelming. Definitely high on my recommended dramas.

Lire davantage

Noteworthy Acting

Moonlight Chicken is an eight-episode drama that includes some incredible actors doing the most amazing acting. Gemini and Fourth, being new actors at the time, did a great job pulling off the teenage angst and problems that so many go through. Earth and Mix know each other so well already that they played these characters with ease. Khaotung, First, and Mark were shining examples of how actors should play roles.

I want to especially praise a few of the actors, although all of them did a wonderful job. Khaotung did a fantastic job portraying the grief of Gaipa losing his mother right after having his heart broken. I wonder if his scenes didn't cause some real tears while filming. First is such a versatile actor, and he impresses me more with every drama. Mark, however, really stood out to me for the first time, although I've seen him act before. He pulled off different types of scenes without making them cringey. Mark's character Leng was comic relief at times and serious at other times. While he played a smaller role within this drama, his role was very important in preventing the show from taking itself too seriously. At the same time, Leng was also dealing with his own personal drama that many will be able to relate to, and I personally was proud of the character's growth and maturity within the situation. I doubt that many other actors could have portrayed the complexity of this character as well as Mark did.

My favorite character, however, was Wen. I think that Mix's ability to emote love, care, affection, pain, confusion, determination, etc. makes Wen a truly lovable character. Adding his skills with, in my opinion, his beautiful eyes and outstanding visuals, Mix is the one that I came back for with each episode release. There is true affection between him and Earth already, but he made Wen a beacon of light in a serious drama.

I wasn't sure if I would like this when the trailers first came out, but by the end of the drama I was 100% invested.

Lire davantage

Beautiful take on the complexity of relationships

This was so lovely and heartfelt, wow. P’Aof once again proving that he’s the best in the industry.
This was so well-paced and rich in its depth of characters. It’s not a light watch but it isn’t heavy either. It is well-balanced between the more dramatic main couple and the light first-love of the secondary. The atmosphere is great, I love that the diner scenes are always a bit dreamy.

This is a character focused drama. The plot revolves almost entirely around the feelings and motivations of the characters. I knew this was going to be well-written when, the first scene after Wen returned home, the camera pans over to two cell phone chargers instead of one. Implying that he’s living with someone but he just slept with someone else. Like they didn’t say anything but left just enough information for the viewer to put that together.
I thought for sure it was going to revolve around cheating but it actually turned into a more complicated topic around stringing people a long and the cruelty of it.

Relationships overall were thought out in a very realistic way. I’m glad they didn’t cop out and reveal that Jim’s dead lover wasn’t actually cheating. Instead, his lover was really cheating and had been their entire relationship, and it was that lack of closure that really held Jim back in the present. That’s just so human and so true.

I usually don’t like side-pairings very much but I really loved Heart and Li Ming. They kind of stole the show to be totally honest. I am once again amazed by these young actors’ acting chops. Gemini’s standout moment was his fight with his parents. It felt real and raw. Wow.

One negative, Earth’s casting as Jim. I love Earth but he’s definitely too young for this role lol. Like, everyone’s going around calling him Uncle and he’s talking about how he’s middle aged…..???? Earth you’re not even 30 looool. It didn’t bother me too much but it did kind of take me out of the scene whenever his age is mentioned.

Overall though, I would highly recommend this show.

Lire davantage