The Sign (2023)

Mix of variable genres with really good outcome

I'm writing this review really late, because there was no time when I finished watching the series, and then I completely forgot about it. At first I initially avoided The Sign because I wasn't in the mood for anything action-packed with a police setting, but the internet was full of edits with the main characters, so I thought I'd give it a chance. The high rating just confirmed that I should check it out.

I found out very quickly that it is not just a police story, but that it is full of fantasy elements that are very unusual for BLs (at least the ones I have seen up to that point). Overall, I haven't come across anything like this in Thai art so far, but that's probably only because I watch only a fraction of what they create.

We can meet fantasy elements in several series, but mostly it's about ghosts, time travel, and then there are a few exceptions like soul mates or a talking teddy bear, and in the new ones, the creators like to play with parallel worlds. The sign brought something completely new (for me). Not only with the story, but also with visual effects, which are not necessary for the mentioned types of fantasy.

A little research confirmed that the fantasy part was a part of Thai mythology, which really interested me. The combination of action, mystery plot, love and urban fantasy is very dangerous. It can burn really well, but also end up being very, very bad. Here, unfortunately, it was the first option.

The amazing story was made even better by the actors and their characters. Billy and Babe starred in the main roles, and sometimes Khem stole my attention. All the actors did a great job, they put exactly what was needed into their characters, enriched each scene exactly what it required and I'm not even talking about the chemistry. Billy and Babe went their separate ways, but so did the others. Friendship, devotion and on the one hand psychopathic obsession were shown as they should have been.

I liked how it all fit together. Everything was connected and together formed one big puzzle. When combining as many elements as were mixed here, it can turn out differently, but it can be seen that the creators paid attention to every detail.

However, I have some reservations about the ending. The following text may contain spoilers, so I warn you to read at your own risk. Despite what I will say now, I find the story really perfectly thought out. I didn't like Chalothon just letting Tharn go, though. Tharn appeared out of nowhere and said that someone who was downright obsessed with him and just wanted to be with him the whole time just said he was going to heal him and let him go? It does not make sense. Chalothorn would never behave like this. I have a theory (unconfirmed yet, but I hope the special won't disprove it) that Tharn killed him and told Phaya something completely different. It's the only explanation for the ending that comes to mind in my eyes.

As I said before, regardless of this small detail, for which there is an explanation, it is just doubtful whether the explanation will be part of the plot, it is really well done. The first trailers for the new projects have already been published, so I'm very excited because I saw something similar between them and I'm glad that BL production decided to work with such a type. I hope that they will not overdo it and that they will choose only good projects.

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Gorgeous Cast

The Sign gave us something different in the BL series realm, of course the romantic angle is there but with a mix of action, political intrigue and historical fantasy and let’s give credit to Idol Factory for stepping up to the challenge of presenting variety to the audience. The cast really stood out for me, well, primarily because they are all gorgeous. Leading the pack of delectable men is Billy and his slutty waist. A real eye candy but he also gave us some credible acting. It is my first time seeing Babe and he definitely has one of the most beautiful faces in BL right now, perfect in all angles. Also, special mention is actor Gap who exudes a throbbing sensuality at the same time a sweet boyish charm. The cinematography is also something to be applauded for together with the special effects which were executed cleanly. I do feel though that there were some scenes that dragged on like the crying scenes which would tempt you to hit that fast forward button a little bit but again, commendable effort in trying to offer something that is not expected for a BL series but still making sure not to deviate far from the boys love theme. I can say that I enjoyed watching this series and looking forward for what other series this production outfit can come up with in the near future.

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ATÉ A METADE É PERFEITO MAS DEPOIS VIRA UMA GRANDE BAGUNÇA

Essa é uma daquelas séries que você começa e não consegue mais parar, você quer assistir o tempo todo para saber o que vai acontecer em seguida mas chegando na metade a qualidade cai drasticamente e você só quer que acabe logo.
Os primeiros episódios são perfeitos e logo somos introduzidos aos elementos místicos, no começo esse artifício é usado de forma ok mas conduziram as visões e suas variáveis muito mal ao decorrer da história levando tudo ao fundo do poço.
A relação entre Tharn e Phaya começou bem, foi bem construída, mas como eu disse anteriormente os elementos místicos comprometeram o desenvolvimento deles deixando tudo muito maçante com um problema atrás do outro.
Parece que eles queriam mostrar tanta coisa ao mesmo tempo que acabaram se perdendo, num determinado ponto eu não aguentava mais as investigações, o médico, a burrice do Tharn e o jeito emocionado do Phaya.
Eu só queria terminar logo mas os problemas não acabavam nunca. Você não tinha uma pausa para relaxar.

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The Sign worked on this one and gave us a cute couple.

The Sign is an action BL drama that I was not very sure at the beginning if it is a BL or not because there is so much action in the show. Luckily, I stuck with the show and the results were actually good because I did not expect myself to like it as much as I did. The story follows Tharn and Phaya. This follows the usual trope that they have met already when they were younger and they are now not very close at the beginning but things changed when they learned that they are actually very much familiar with each other. You can already tell that they are in love and Phaya is not even hiding it but they are in this group of friends that are solving this big case as well and things will soon entangle. Did I mention that there is a supernatural element to it? There is and it is actually very much satisfying that it initially was. This show can easily be what you can consider as too much but I was surprised with the story as it actually started to get a bit more interesting as the show continued and I am now glad that I did because it was really fun. I was so invested with the storylines and I feel like that the action part of the series will be coming together with the more supernatural aspect of the story I must say that it is working out flawlessly for them and they are still giving the romantic aspect of the show some time to breath so we can still fall in love with Tharn and Phaya. I have to give it to Billy and Babe because they are effective with their roles. I love their chemistry and Billy is really pushing for the romance aspect here and it is working. I love the scenes where he is being chummy with Tharn because it is what the show needed. I feel like they already did such a heavy material that it may be hard for them to really highlight the other aspect of the story. I think this is what’s important for me. I think the fact that they were able to really mix the storylines really well is pretty good. I have to admit that the ending is not very good or it was a bit boring but the way that we got to see the relationship is pretty watchable. I feel like chemistry of the lead actors is actually pretty good and the supernatural element of the story helped in adding to the romantic side of the storyline which is a good thing and not a lot of BL stories actually did that so I was pretty excited to see them do well in this. This is one of the BLs from Thailand where they were able to make it work. I may not fully like the villain because he was mostly not there but I can forgive them. The secondary couple is Khem and Thongthai and Khem is the only one of this couple that had a good character run. He is very funny and I was hoping his partner was given a chance to do something as well. He is there but was not given much to do. At the same time, I want to highlight that despite this show being talked about a lot in BL forums, the reason why I watched this show is because of GAP JAKARIN and that marvelous body of his. He is such a gorgeous specimen of a man and he is also very funny in the supporting role that he has. He is very good and I have to admit that I really like him in this show and that I have a huge crush on him. He is so sexy. The scenes where he is shirtless or just seeing his biceps onscreen makes me thank the BL gods for this fine piece of man. He is also a very good actor so I have to give it to him. He is funny and hot. He is very funny. To be honest, I really enjoyed watching this BL and it worked on so many levels. We were given such a good BL and I feel like Billy and Babe is a good couple and they were able to make the chemistry work out well. We needed that and we got that in this couple and in this BL story.

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Connecting two different timelines into a well-blended fantasy-action-romance BL

A palatable combination of history and modern set-up merging a few distinct genres into one supernatural series. At first, it never crossed my mind that it would be a fantasy genre as I was so hooked up with the vigorous appearances of the characters during their training days. It always showered with manliness and well-packed action scenes that I remembered getting excited for Yai’s role. This man always emits hot boyfriend vibes with his muscles screaming throughout his body.

Phaya and Tharn are interesting MCs yet, I get tired of watching their intimate scenes that have little to no connection with the storyline and and are just there for the sake of feeding the fandom. On the other hand, Khem and Thongthai’s love-making scene was a real comedy with an essence part to their love story.

I would also like to congratulate the creative and production crew for a realistic outcome of the celestial being such as the Naga the Dragon and the Mighty Birds featured as the MCs' past appearances. I also love the idea that Phaya dreamed about the past while Tharn can oversee the future by implicating his so-called ‘signs.’ It was a clever approach to the depth of their roles and allowed it to be the eye-opener in their relationship from the past.

The casting was all good from the main and supporting roles to even the guests from the show. They also have several side stories that are entertaining and serve as the stepping stone in revealing the main antagonist from the story, which turned out to be the political leader himself and not the divine being as the couple’s love interest.

Nicely done and executed but have more room for growth. I missed the charm and excitement from the first half after watching the last few episodes. I am demanding more unique progress of the story but the show itself keeps giving me sex scenes and prolonging the unnecessary drama from the love triangle. Nevertheless, despite its flaws, The Sign is a good BL with the show being memorable all because of its rarity in having the concept of supernatural creatures living in the modern era.

Lire davantage

THE ENDING ...

this drama i loved.i loved how different it was from other dramas and the fact that they haven't done this concept with a bl before. all those aspects combined made it the perfect bl drama to watch. the acting and the casting of the actors was nice, so kudos to the casting director. the storyline was a nice though I feel like it feels off a bit but overall, it was really well written. i enjoyed this and really hope to see more dramas like this in the future because i'd definitely give those a watch.

the ending ... i didn't totally love it well ... the part i didn't like was the year gap and how tharn disappeared but overlooking that the ending was sweet. maybe even bittersweet.

I'D DEFENTELY RECCOMEND ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFRENT WITH SOME SUPERNATURAL ASPECTS.

Lire davantage

wish it were better

I'm sorry but I just couldn't enjoy the last 60% of this drama. people want plot but this plot was convoluted and not convincing

I liked.the beginning but as soon as they kept piling on supernatural elements with spy stuff it all became very messy and bad.

i don't believe for a second that tharn wouldn't have the intuition to know the doc was bad. that was highly suspect to me but they hinged half the plot on that point

and I'm not a fantasy fan so i didn't particularly enjoy those elements but also they weren't worked into the narrative in a believable way? i spent the latter half of the show just waiting for it to end. even though i loved the leads

Lire davantage

I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but it was pretty close.

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

Overall, this was a very interesting series. The general story concept was great, but the script quality was not consistent. However, it successfully connects multiple story lines and characters together. The ending of the whole series was ok, but it was a little lack luster. However, I liked how they tied up everything in the end.

The positive: The series had a very strong beginning and really knew how to draw you into their world. The areas that the script did very well in were the supernatural and suspense thriller elements. The actors were incredible and did a great job with their characters. The cinematography was stunning and had incredible special effects.

The negative: The big miss for me was the comedy element. It would have been fine if this was your usual series with a high school or college setting. Considering this was supposed to be a more mature series with the police setting, the comedy seemed very out of place. A lot of the humor came across as very juvenile.

The in-between: The romance element was a hit or miss for me. There was just something off with the romantic relationship with all of the characters. The relationship development between the main characters in the beginning was also a little off, but it did get better as the show moved forward. The only two characters I didn’t like were Yai and Dao. The character Yai was very annoying, immature, and unlikable during most of the series. As for the character Dao, she was very irritating.

Random Note:

Don’t stop watching after the ending credits in episode 12 because there is a bonus scene after it.

The location used for the coffee shop scene in episode 4 is the same location used for the restaurant scene in episode 8 of “Step by Step”.

I did not take point off for the obvious money grab maneuver they used for the last episode. I like how all of the series they made at this point address many social issues, but this has tarnished my viewpoint about Idol Factory a little.

*****Spoiler Alert******

Although the ending had one of my most hated story element (time jumps), this is one of those times it made sense and served an actual purpose.

The reunited scene with Tharn and Phaya was a little anticlimactic for me. I would have liked to see a grander way for them to meet again.

The bonus scene is open to interpretation. I don’t know if it was a hint of a second season or the only way for Saint to find a way to make his usual guest spot. Either way, it was cool.

Lire davantage

Everything I love in 1 show!

This long awaited series did not disappoint. It has so many elements to love, that the only thing that keeps it from being rated a 10/10 is the fact that it did not have double the amount of episodes, so some scenes could have been elaborated on an the last episode did not feel a bit rushed. So sad it ended!

Elements to love in this show: BL (obviously), chemistry, amazing storyline, supernatural, SFX, crime/mystery, good comedy, beautiful NC scenes, great cinematography, well outlined side characters, amazing score/ost.

Elements that could be better: ending felt a bit rushed, underexposed side couples, not enough episodes.

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Le faltó desarrollar trama

Me gustó, pero el final ais... es como que le faltan unos cuantos capítulos para terminar de desarrollar la trama antes del final final.

La serie cuenta con una historia interesante que atrapa desde el principio. Los efectos especiales son decentes y las actuaciones son notablemente sólidas. Desde su inicio, la serie va en aumento, sumergiéndote cada vez más en la trama y en la intriga, tanto en el desarrollo del caso policial como en la exploración del pasado mitológico.

La lástima ha sido que en los últimos capítulos la cosa se ha venido a bajo. Sin desarrollar los temas del todo y repitiéndose en algunas cosas. Además, en el último capítulo en vez de aprovechar para contar cosas, a mi parecer, han puesto bastante relleno con imágenes de capítulos anteriores. Que no digo yo que no quede bonito hacer eso a modo de recordatorio, pero creo que se pasan de usarlo a lo dramático y un poco cursi para lo que son los personajes.

Aún así, interesante y diferente.

Lire davantage

overall pretty good.

I think the sign did a lot right. it’s hard to compare it to other BLs because it’s really on its own. Overall it’s a really good story and huge production.

I have to give it credit for taking on such a massive undertaking for what they set up. I would have liked the ending to be stronger. Tharn showing back up with not really a good explanation was frustrating. I think if they showed him being healed and that whole plot point it would have been stronger.

plus I would have loved to see the teams reaction to him coming back. I also want to know more about khem & thongthai- they had a wonderful set up in the series but were brushed aside at the end. same with chat. we could have gotten clear endings if the fleshed stuff out more.

overall it was a great series and I adored the chaotic mess that was Yai. his one liners had me rolling.

I’d definitely watch a season two if they made it.

Lire davantage

I finally finished watching it , and dont get me wrong t wasnt cause of lack of time . I did watch the 4 episodes and stopped .. why?? The lack of chemistry between the leads and i liked both of them tho but the click to let me stzrt liking teir pairing wasn't there. Tbh i liked more babe with his friend .
The story was very good , the effect , the views , everything was good for me we csn applause the director for real .
All the cast also was good , i liked the friendship story more .
Final episode was rushed , why taking one episode to end quick a story when u can add like 2 more episodes ... fr fr and re ending was pffffff .
Re-watch q big no for me .

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