Laws of Attraction (2023)

It was a wild ride!

But it was worth it and, most importantly, fun. Charn (Well, actually his name is Chan, but the whole fandom ignores that and calls him Charn.) is a sociopathic lawyer whose intentions always lead towards money and power. That's totally not the typical BL main character. I mainly loved the originality: a lawyer that sets buildings on fire and manipulates people around him for his own benefits? You don't see that very often, especially with gay characters.
 
THE PLOT: But as Britney Spears sings in "Criminal", someone fell in love with our criminal—I mean, our narak little lawyer. Well, of course they were enemies at first, but as we saw in the first episode, Charn falls for him instantly. That "him" is Tinn, whose niece got killed in a "car incident". Charn is the lawyer of the accused murderer, the son of a rich and powerful politician. But Charn doesn't believe that it's an accident, so he decides to help Tinn find the truth behind this complicated case...

CHARACTERS: All the characters were so original and fun. Now I'm repeating myself, but it was really that funny and good. Every character had their own story. My favorite was Charn (that smile, that damned smile..), but there was also one that stole the show in the last two episodes: Charn's ex-boyfriend, Nawin. He was the Tankhun of this series. The love between Charn and Tinn was so sweet. I love the enemies to lovers trope, and this was made so amazingly. I really, really loved them. Especially in the last episodes, they were protective of each other, and Jam and Film portrayed them very well. Film and his smile? *chef's kiss* Give him an award now!
 
OVERALL: Every episode was full of fun, great fight scenes, amazing actors, a great story, and much, much more. I can't recommend it enough. Yes, it had a small budget, but does it matter if it was a masterpiece? And we got a wedding in the end! I'm crying! IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!! ❤️❤️❤️ I'll be rewatching for sure.

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Dynamic drama

Can some one please tell me why these male leads getting so good script ? What a series it was damn so good I love this couple and this series story Is damn good every episode was mystery , fun of teasing each other , love between bodyguard and boss , villain comes hero male lead wow what a great acting done by all the actors you know what at 7th episode I came to know about other series called to sir with love done by same leads I finished that drama and came back to 8th episode but unfortunately it ended so soon please make these kind of dramas more rather than boring office or college love stories I m expecting more from this couple just waiting how their next series will be may be mafia leads I hope lawyer character guy should something like mafia badass role again his smiles does look like villain in this series? anyway I enjoyed this drama hope they release some special episodes or new series soon all the best to the team❤❤

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A very entertaining watch :D

I really liked watching this drama. The first and last episodes were, to me, ridiculously over-the-top in a very « cheap lakorn » way (featuring overdramatic BGM, disjointed, jarring editing, cheap cinematography) but the in-between ones were really good, hitting a perfect balance between action and emotion, realism and romanticization.

The show had many strengths, first of which its main couple. Charn and Tinn were really compelling characters and both their individual development and their relationship progress was organic and rewarding. The acting elevated everything and the chemistry was incredible. The supporting characters orbiting around Charn and Tinn were all brilliant: Grandma, Rose, Maya, Nawin -, a performance of acting and writing which made love all of them individually and watch for them just as much as I did for Tinn and Charn. The main plot-line was engaging (baring some glaring plotholes) and the well-handled pace kept it interesting.

The second love line was, in my opinion, unnecessary, and lacking in writing and acting. None of the characters on the Thatthep side of the story managed to catch my interest, despite Thaenthai’s initial potential as a complex, multi-layered character, but that did not impede my enjoyment of the series in the slightest.

A recommended watch!

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Loved this

This is my favorite BL genre. Mafia, crime, mystery, fighting for love…. I loved it! This was my first time seeing Jam and Film together. They made such a great couple. They looked perfect together, especially in the bar when Tin spun Charn away from Tan’s friend. “He came with me.”. “I don’t share.” So hot.

The only reason I didn’t give this a perfect 10 was I thought it could have used at least one really steamy scene. And there were too many sniff kisses for me. If there had been one “KinnPorsche” type of hot kissing scene, this would have gone to the top of my list.

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Nothing lawful about my attraction to this show

This show was the hottest mess I've seen in a while - and I mean that in the best way possible.
Nothing and I do mean absolutely nothing about this show should have worked yet somehow it really, really did.
This is essentially a classic cheesy crime drama crossed with all the unhinged charm of Ace Attorney and just a dash of that special sauce that makes Thai dramas so unique, and it took me for the ride of my life.

The two main leads deliver incredibly solid acting performances which elevate the entire experience way above the silly, over-the-top nonsense story it could easily have been. Their chemistry is so believable and their dynamic is so engaging from the very first moment they appear on screen together, that I was hooked almost immediately.
Tin and Chan are both extremely compelling characters in their own right, but brought together they truly are a perfect storm of comedy, emotional sincerity, angst, and pure fun.
Most of the supporting cast do a great job in fleshing out the rest of the story and I even found myself becoming genuinely emotionally invested about twenty minutes into the first episode.

What impressed me the most was that, despite how dark the show occasionally gets (trigger warnings for: graphic violence, abuse, murder, death of an animal, and mentions of rape and sexual assault and I probably missed a few there) there is an indomitable thread of genuine queerness that permeates the entire thing.
This is not just a silly BL show for straight people, this is something for queer viewers to genuinely enjoy as well.
Not only do most of the queer characters feel authentically written and portrayed (standouts to me are Chan and Maya, for instance), the show also addresses topics such as consent and marriage equality with an all-too-rare directness and refusal to sugar-coat issues.
I won't go into details because I don't want to spoil one of my favourite bits of the show, but the way the ending was portrayed was truly one of the best, if not simply the best, depictions of this trope I have ever seen in a queer Asian drama and I am very happy that more and more Thai shows have been taking this direction in recent years.

So no, this show isn't perfect by a long shot. The writing and music are often cheesy, the editing is sometimes disjointed, some of the performances are occasionally stiff, and you pretty much can't go a single episode without tripping over heaps of plot holes. But the unique, zany charm of this story and its characters, combined with the fact that the show knows never to take itself all too seriously just somehow make it all work.
If you are looking for something different from all the standard university romances, something strange and fascinating and wholly fun that will pull you in and captivate you almost immediately, then I wholeheartedly recommend this show.
Go watch it, you'll probably have the time of your life, just like I did.

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Tin fell first but chan fell harder!

The way actors portrayed their character is really mind-blowing. It's all started from the hate and distrust relationship and ends up in pure love and care.. moreover the final episode really gives you the satisfactory feeling.
Chan was only cared for money and power since his mom was murdered brutally.. But the moment when he fell for Tin the former wanted to change himself to be a better person. Even though Tin fell for chan ,he tried to step back cuz he doesn't want to get hurt..but at the end they really made it together and did justice to Tin's niece...

This drama really portrays different relationships and how deep each of them are.. Tonkhao lost her parents at very early age and from that moment Tin and his grandma was taking care of her.. Tin was a fatherly figure to Tonkhao..The emotional attachment between Tin's grandma and Chan.. True friends like Rose and Maya who were always with charn and being supportive at the worst.. the cute relationship between Thanthai and his bodyguard Thee.. The Antagonist also did his job well.. Even they ends up as married couple where Tin is the proud of husband of his naughty lawyer ?. Overall this drama will give you the fulfilment


The chemistry between Jam and Film is really cool and awesome.. Hope they will get some good project together, in future.. gonna miss Tin and Chan.

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Charn and Tinn are two sides of the same coin

It was intense. I think the series only having 8 episodes helped to keep us on our toes throughout. There was always something going on that required our attention. I liked that; it made tuning in each week for a new episode enjoyable.

The plot was interesting. There was some mystery, murder / accident investigation, corruption and action. Most of the characters were multi-dimensional which made them appear more realistic and human, no matter how much we want to hate some of them. The plot made sense, the events logically corresponded to one another, each action had a logical reaction. Even if motives of the characters were questionable.

Tinn & Charn: the two are different sides of the same coin. Tinn is the more idealistic version, the one who never lost faith in justice, in good in the people. Charn’s loss turned him into this heartless version of himself, he doesn’t believe that justice is possible by following the law. He wants power, something that he can use to protect himself from going through what he went again. Neither of them had it easy, but they chose two different paths in how to deal with it. Charn knows that while his way is effective, it’s not one that would allow Tinn to keep his head up if he had done the same. Charn has a way of making you want to hate him, but at the same time you want to give him a hug and never let go. I love the duality of his character, his ruthless side in contrast with his cute side when he is with Tinn. Tinn might appear soft and gentle at first, but he shows his fiercer and more possessive side as well. Both Film and Jam did an amazing job with playing the two characters. Their chemistry was amazing!

Methee & Thaenthai: They were a couple I didn’t know I needed, but I absolutely adored. Thee is Tai’s bodyguard and has been around him since the two were children. He loves Tai, that is clear from the start. And his pain whenever Tai gets hurt is something we can feel through the screen. Thee does his best to take care of Tai. Tai might seem like a rich troublemaker, but there is a lot more to him. Whenever he is with Thee, he shows this vulnerable and almost childlike side of himself that I started to enjoy. He is not nearly as wild or as problematic as one would expect. Pearl and See both did really well in their roles. I think they both showed a lot through their eyes and facial expressions.

As for other characters, I think Tinn’s grandma is amazing! I love how open and supportive she is. Rose and Maya are amazing too, I love how the two kind of adopted Charn as part of their little family once he lost his mother. Rose also isn’t afraid to put him into his place when needed. Charn’s ex is on a whole different level of crazy. I can see why he and Charn were together in the past, but the man is still obsessed! When it comes to the senator Thatthep… ugh, just burn him or something.

There were some parts that I think were overdramatic for no reason, but it didn’t bother me too much. The senator did come across as a bit cartoon-y at times, which made it hard for me to take him seriously at those parts.

The ending was what we needed. The OST was nice, I enjoyed the cinematography and the overall aesthetic of the series as well.

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it reads like a telenovella

The premise of the show was interesting from the beginning, and it stayed somewhat interesting as it evolved over time. I think connecting where they go to charn's past was a nice tie-in because, for most of the show, we don't know anything about him other than his personality and a vague sense that something's happened to him to make him this way. That being said, I would have liked to see more meaningful character development for all of the characters. Other than turning the "bad lawyer" into someone who cares about everyday people again, I don't feel like there was much movement for anyone. For example, the senator was a one-dimensional person. Someone overrun by anger and unable to control his impulses, corrupt and willing to do anything to maintain power and control. If the show were to go along the lines of the theme "things make people this way," they should have developed more about him besides randomly throwing in that his wife died at childbirth and that's why he treats Tan terribly. Like, there's so much more to that!
I also would have loved to know more about maya and rose. Like it shows them also being engaged at the end of the show, but we don't actually know almost anything about them. They just own and work at a bar that's queer-friendly. And what about Tan and Thee? Smh, they were such a cute couple and didn't get enough time to really develop their backstories, either. I wish we could have seen more of their relationship development...They run away and suddenly Tan falls in love with him/discovers his love for him? Was that why they went to the one openly queer bar? Was that the hint? My last complaint - Charn and Tinn did not look much like a married couple. They couldn't even dance very close to each other let alone film a quality kiss. Awkward!
There were some saving graces. Firstly, the grandma was the star of the show PERIOD. I LOVED her character. She was flexible, had a lot of wisdom, and gave everyone insight on how to be a better version of themself. For Charn, she showed him what unconditional love looked like and provided him empathy and understanding, even when her grandson was incredibly suspicious. For Tinn, she helped him to see the bigger picture and always showed him support, regardless whether she thought he was making a mistake or doing something wrong. For Maya and Rose, she showed them how to stay playful and age with grace! lol I loved that the grandma was so present - she actually had a lot of life and character, though I wish I could have known more about her background, too. Nawin also came to the rescue there at the end. He was fucking hilarious. Every scene he was in, I was laughing my ass off. I was debating not finishing the series bc it got to dragging a lot toward the middle, but Nawin pushed me through bc I knew he would be in the last couple episodes. Lastly, the village that they went to was stunning. Though we didn't get to see a ton of it, the greenery was really beautiful as were the people <3 I loved the incorporation of indigenous land rights vs. capitalism -- this is something that is coming up a bit more in Thai shows, esp. BL. It's something really worth considering as the country continues to develop.
Overall, the telenovella was decent! It even ended with a wedding and the promise of a lesbian wedding.

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I'm so entertained

I know, it's only been two episodes. So why am I writing this review? Although some of my ratings aren't too positive, I would give this series a 10/10 at the moment (but I'm keeping some space for improvement).

With the last couple of series, I had to skip a lot of the first episodes because it dragged on, made me cringe, or because I simply disliked the characters. But not with this series! I don't remember when I have been so entertained by a series for the whole runtime of an episode. Especially in the first episode, something happened every single scene. I was getting whiplash from the back and forth, action and revelations. The music highlights the dramatic camera work. So many zooms (esp. episode 1)!

This might not be the best series ever made, but man is it entertaining. If this series goes on like the first two episodes, it will be one of my favourites. I'll revisit this review once I've finished the show.

Edit: Now that I've watched the whole show, I wanted to revisit this review and add a few more thoughts.

Overall I enjoyed this series a lot. I would say the first 3 and the last 2 episodes had the same entertainment as what I described before. Once their relationship changed, the series was like a standard romantic drama, but it was fine. I really enjoyed the differences between the two leads and how the conflict was handled. I liked the resolution at the end, because let's be honest, this is as close we would get to justice being served. And what I like about this, is that both Tinn and Charn were somewhat right. I'm still so sad that Tinn's niece died. I wanted her to see Tinn happily married. But that makes it bittersweet I guess.

Overall I really enjoyed this series and it's themes, and even though my rating did go down a bit, I would still recommend this series.

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When I first saw the trailer for this, I decided to skip it. The leads were attractive enough but to be honest it seemed kinda poorly made and like it didn't know what it was going to do with itself. And I was feeling surly and judgmental and decided that it just wasn't for me. Also it was on Iquiy and I had no interest in signing up for another subscription.

But then I saw someone had stuck it on youtube and I was bored one Saturday an there were a few eps already out, so I thought, eh, why not?

And I've not regretted it for a moment. I loved this show so much my god. Even when OF started (and you all know how much I obsess about OF) this was still the thing I looked forward to most on Saturdays, perhaps made even I adored Charn and his shark smile from moment, one, and that adoration did not cease throughout the entirety of the show's run. His character development was by far the best on the show, and I loved the slow, stumbling way he regained the person he used to be, while still keeping the ruthlessness of the man he allowed anger and bitterness to let him become (up to a point). I loved that the show began and ended with his shark smile, but for very different reasons. And he and Tinn were adorable.

I appreciated them banging the marriage equality drum, too, and especially Charn's very pragmatic reasons for wanting it to be legal (as a lawyer, he would think like that, and I appreciate that the show kept him in character even when he was sappy). I also loved his wedding jacket I want four.

I also loved Tinn, and I have to give credit to Jam for the way he portrayed him. While Film totally ate as Charn I do think that in some ways a character like Tinn is harder to portray, because it would be very very easy for him to become preachy because of his morality and rigid sense of justice. But Jam played him with enough nuance that he never slid into that for me - he was willing to occasionally be at least slightly underhanded when the situation called for it, and while he expected Charn to be better (and read him to filth when he caught him out lying to and manipulating him), he thankfully also seemed to understand the fine art of compromise. Plus he's really pretty. Both of them are really pretty.

But the thing that I never expected was just how hard I turned around on Thaenthai. He drove me absolutely bonkers for the first few eps, and I was loudly annoyed by the fact that after about ep three (if not sooner), it became clear that he was not the one who had hit Tonkhao but that he was being made to take the blame. It felt to me like the show wanted me to excuse how vile he was (acting like Tonkhao's death was nothing, beating the crap out of Tinn when he was already tied up and helpless, just generally acting like a spoiled, entitled, horrible shitstain of a human being) because his father beat him. And while that was horrifying and I wanted him to get the hell out of there as soon as possible I still felt that a worm is a worm is a worm, even if the worm's father happens to be worse.

But then the show went and did something I did not expect it to do: it didn't just tell us that Thaentha was lashing out because he was caught in a desperate limbo of wanting to run away from his and wanting to please him, but it went and did the work to show it. I started turning around on him after he found out about the gardener his father used as a scapegoat once things started getting heated, because we finally got to catch him before he had time to put on his mask. And it just kept coming, because now we knew what to look for. He's still an ass for beating the shit out of Tinn when he was tied up though, lol.

Another thing I really loved that this sow did with him was show him loving his dad in spite of everything. This man beat him, nearly drowned him, let him take the blame for a murder he did, tried to kill the only person Thaentha felt was really on his side (because I do think that the intent was always to kill Thee - I'm just not entirely sure why it didn't happen as soon as Thaentha got on that plane. I guess because we needed a happier ending. I am not complaining), and told him to his face that he could never love him because he killed his mother, and yet Thaentha still loved him, still wanted his attention and his respect and his love in return. And it just rang very painfully true to me. You don't stop loving your parents because they're shit, and humans for some reason tend to be wired to try harder for love that is hard to receive (or impossible, in this case). It did not surprise me that Thaentha tried to visit his father in prison, or that he was sad when he died. But neither did it surprise me that something in him seemed looser in those scenes as well, because even though he loved his dad there's a part of him that's glad he's gone.

I love stuff like this, because it's so complicated and realistic and it hurts in a way that only something that resonates with reality can. I ate it up.

Shout out as well to Not Vorarit, because he really did a good job with Thatthep. The way he slowly unraveled as the show went on was pitch perfect, every little nuance from his first intro as the shady but possibly not *that* shady "concerned" parent right up until that last scene with Charn where he's just a cackling monster. Kudos, you created an excellently detestable character. Watching him get his comeuppance was certainly a highlight of the show for me.

I was also really into the way that Tonkhoa was very much a main character despite the fact that she died so early. One of the best strengths of this show was the way that it never let us forget what started this whole thing, it showed Tinn and Grandma grieving for their little girl, talking about her, missing her. Being reminded of her around every corner. They kept her in the forefront of our minds exactly the way that they should have, and I was delighted by it.

Other fun notables are himbo ex Nawin and Rose and Maya, our GL couple that I wish had gotten a little more screen time *as* a couple but either way were fabulous. I will love this show forever for introducing Nawin in the final hour and making him such a great combination of ridiculous and ruthless. And the way they let him breathe as a character - they really just stood back and were like "look at this ridiculous man stealing the show" and it was amazing. And Rose was just - she was such a good friend to Charn the whole way through, and both her and Maya's utter delight for him when he found Tinn (and them welcoming not only him but grandma into their little family so readily) warmed my cynical heart. And I will watch Sylvie Pavida in pretty much anything, I think.

All in all I would highly recommend this. I loved it, and I'm gonna miss it on Saturdays.

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An anti-hero type of BL

If you’re willing to look past the lakorn-esque stylistic treatment of Laws Of Attraction, Jam and Film continue to deliver in this addictive series.

The magic of Laws of Attraction is that it demonstrates complex motivations and the inconsistent behaviour of individuals. It’s not so clear who the bad guys are because you end up rooting for their character anyway, even if they have done some pretty questionable things.

As the narrative unfolds, the lines between the “good people” and “bad people” are increasingly destabilised as Charn turns out to be a classic anti-hero.

Unlike Khun Chai where Jam and Film have a cute and wholesome dynamic, Film is a total corporate gangster in Laws of Attraction. With a really creepy smile too.

Overall, “To Sir With Love” is still my favourite JamFilm show, but as a series, Laws of Attraction is compelling enough to keep you hooked.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/09/24/laws-of-attraction-2023-bl-review/

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