Deep Night (2024)

A very pleasant surprise

When I started watching this, I had no idea what this was about. I am also not familiar with any of the actors. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this was. All of the actors did a great job and are all super cute. I loved the whole concept about a night club with “hosts” and the performances were great. Love love love the main couple and Wela’s duality. But the only reason I deducted a half point from my rating was because of how they handled the love triangle. No one in love would share. It was just a bunch of boys fooling around. But that’s okay. Hope they have a lot more projects.

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So, about that throuple...

I'm not going to dive into the show as a whole, plenty of people have already done that. Instead, I want to talk about the throuple in particular, in case anyone is debating to watch the show because of it.

First of all, I want to say that I applaud the show for actually including something that isn't your standard monogamous relationship. Throuples are a real thing, and they are in desperate need of representation. This show is a first step in a long journey, and I'm very glad of it. I've seen my fair share of Thai BLs at this point, and I've never seen this done before, so props to Deep Night for trying (No, I'm not counting Unforgotten Night because that was basically just a threesome without any build up or follow up, so let's not talk about that trash fire of a show).

That being said, I don't think the throuple in this show was done very well. There were interesting ideas, but the execution just wasn't it. Granted, they were the side characters of an 8 episode show, so it's not like there really was much room to explore this relationship to begin with. I think that was the first mistake. If they were going to tackle this right, the show needed to be longer with more room for development of this romance.

Let's dive into the different dynamics of these three guys, shall we?

So, first you have Seiji, who is basically the focal point. He's been best friends with Ken since they were kids and Ken has a major crush on Seiji. I think Seiji is also supposed to have feelings for Ken, but I honestly couldn't tell until he agreed to the whole throuple idea - but I think that's just because the actor was doing a poor job at depicting any semblance of chemistry. Which was part of the downfall, but anyway... So, Seiji and Ken are best friends and everything's great until Japan shows up. Seiji and Japan have a strong case of insta-love - meaning that they like each other for no discernible reason at all right from the get-go. However, Seiji plays hard to get (Assumably because he has feelings for Ken too, but I only know that now in hindsight. While watching the show, I was confused why he didn't just go for Japan, but again, bad acting paired with unclear writing). With Japan coming into the picture, Ken suddenly decides that it's now or never, and the two of them begin to compete for Seiji's love. Which ultimately results in Seiji kissing Japan, thusly making his choice, and them beginning to date. Ken is heartbroken and walking around all sad and dejected. Japan is feeling guilty over the whole thing and Seiji feels bad about it all too. Again, I assumed Seiji was feeling bad because he hurt his best friend, not because he actually likes Ken, but I digress. Japan talks about feeling guilty, leading to his friend joking about how they could always have a threesome. Japan then fantasies about said threesome which came completely out of the blue. And funnily enough, in his imagination, both other guys are basically focused entirely on him, rather than Japan and Ken focusing on Seiji, who's the one they both have feelings for. This left me confused once again, because I assume this was the writers' attempt at showing that Japan kinda has the hots for Ken or likes him or something, but it was done so poorly that it just left me feeling very wtf-ish. Anyway, after his little fantasy, Japan proposes to Seiji and Ken that Seiji could date them both. Which he definitely should've discussed with Seiji first, before mentioning anything to Ken but oh well... Japan says that Seiji having two boyfriends means double the care and double the happiness (It would also mean double the issues, but I won't ruin their fun). Ken agrees to this, and Seiji - with all the enthusiasm and emotion of a depressed piece of toast - does too. Alas, the throuple is formed. They have a group hug, and a few cute montage scenes. The end. No kissing, not actual threesome, nada. Just a lot of unanswered questions and frustrations.

Basically, during that scene of Japan proposing the throuple idea, we were led to believe that it's going to be both him and Ken dating Seiji. There is no talking about Japan and Ken also being romantically involved. Which was the biggest point of confusion for me, because of his threesome fantasy and because in one of the final scenes, Japan and Seiji both offer Ken some food - a nudge to a past scene where it was Ken and Japan fighting over whose food Seiji picks, a very unsubtle allegory for having him choose one of the two. So, maybe over time Japan and Ken developed a romantic bond too? Or maybe they didn't. I guess we'll never know. We'll never know at what point Seiji started to like Ken either. They had some moments, but it always seemed like Ken was the only one interested out of the two. Again, a mix of bad acting and bad writing I assume...

None of this is great, but it's not the worst thing I've ever seen. The biggest problem is how frustrating it all is, because this could've been SO good. They had all the ingredients, but somehow managed to bake it into something that is confusing at best and nonsensical at worst. Now, allow me to tell you how I think the entire thing should've gone.

Have Seiji and Ken be childhood friends. That was all well and good. So was Ken being secretly in love with Seiji. None of that needs to change (other than swapping the actor of Seiji because that guy had no chemistry with either of his romantic partners and no emotional range). Then, Japan comes into the picture. But instead of him being completely new to Seiji's life, have them know each other from the start. Maybe they've been friends for a while, but Japan went to study abroad and now he's back and they reunite. That way, it won't feel as insta-lovey, because they already have a bond. So, Japan comes back into Seiji's life after a while. They both have changed, grown, and matured. They catch up, notice how the other has changed, and they begin to fall for those new sides of each other. Ken realises that Seiji is spending more time with Japan and starts worrying. Things get tense when Seiji brings Japan home for dinner and the three of them have a meal. Seiji goes to the bathroom and Japan and Ken basically tell each other they're in love with him. Thus, the competition for Seiji's heart begins. Seiji is kinda enjoying this, because he obviously likes Japan and seeing him fight for him is something he finds cute But also, seeing Ken be this serious about winning him over is kinda stirring something within Seiji. Something that wasn't there before.
While competing for Seiji's love, Ken and Japan somehow get forced to spend more time together. Maybe when they go on their little getaway trip with their friends, they fight over who gets to share a room with Seiji. Eventually, their friends get fed up and put them in a room together while Seiji rooms with someone else. During that time, Ken and Japan get to know each other better, and would you believe, they somehow start realising the other isn't so bad. In fact, they start finding each other kind of cute and suddenly... What is that?... Oh, they start falling for each other too! Of course, they don't know that about the other person, so it's angsty and a lot of silent pining. Ken realises that now, he wants both Japan and Seiji to be happy, so he backs out willingly and gives them his blessing to be together. So, they kiss and are now dating.
But something feels off. They get all weird as soon as Ken is around which leads the two to have a talk. Seiji admits that despite being head over heels for Japan, he also has feelings for Ken. In what is the plot twist of the century for Seiji, Japan admits to also having feelings for Ken. Suddenly, things start clicking in Seiji's head and we get a slide show of moments between Japan and Ken that Seiji hadn't really noticed before, and he blurts out "I think he likes you too!" And thus, they decide why all the heavy hearts if there's a simple solution to the issue. They sit down Ken and Seiji is basically like "I like you. Japan likes you. I know you like me. And I know you well enough to know you like Japan too. So... What are we doing? We should all just be together." They have their little group hug and then they make things awkward when they want to kiss but aren't sure who should go first and all that jazz. It's cute and embarrassing and eventually, they get the hang of it. Throw in that threesome scene if you must. Have a cute montage of them bonding and being all happy together. Then add a special episode where they figure out their different dynamics and boundaries and all. And so, they live happily ever after. (It would be even greater if they explored the difficulties a throuple brings as well, but I don't trust these writers to handle that well, so I think it's best not to go there at all...)

If they would've done it this way, I would've easily rated this an 8 or a 9. However, with the clunky writing and the poor acting/chemistry, this storyline is only a 6. And even that is kind of generous, but I gotta praise the attempt at least. I think out of everyone, the guys playing Japan and Ken had better chemistry than either of them did with Seiji's actor, which wasn't really helping the narrative... Maybe if Seiji had better chemistry with Ken, things would've been a little less confusing, but I guess casting attractive people over actors with actual skills is a growing issue...

Despite its flaws, would I still suggest you watch this? Absolutely. Not because it's great, but because if people are rooting for this throuple, there's a greater likelihood of us seeing more throuple storylines in the future. Hopefully ones with better writing and chemistry. And one day, we'll get an actually great one. I'll be here, waiting.

Lire davantage

The bare bones of a good show

There's the foundation of a genuinely good story in here somewhere, but unfortunately you have to dig through a lot of meaningless-at-best, annoying-at-worst filler to get to it.
But let's focus on the positives first. This show genuinely has a lot going for it, the cinematography is good, the pole and aerial silk performances are surprisingly great, and most of the characters are genuinely likeable, realistically flawed human beings.
My personal favourite being Wela, who honestly could have been milestone for the genre on top of being incredibly charming, if only the script had been, well... better.
There are also middle aged lesbians in a thriving relationship as well as polyamory representation which we love to see. Yes, the latter could have been handled a bit more smoothly and I think that plot line would have benefited from more of a romantic buildup between Pan and Ken as well, rather than just between Seji and the other two individually, but all in all it still works surprisingly well and I am hopeful that this casual inclusion will open the door for more series and films to showcase healthy, loving polyamorous relationships.
Finally, and arguably most importantly, the show focuses on sex work and sex worker's daily lives which is an incredibly mis- and under-represented group of people, so I was understandably excited for this story.

Unfortunately, however, this is where the series really crashes and burns.
It does treat its characters with the respect they deserve and even tries to address certain topics like social and systemic discrimination of sex workers, or the fact that sex work is a paying job like any other which pays the bills and puts food on the table (which is quite an important point to highlight seeing as, statistically speaking, quite a high percentage of Thai sex workers actively use their income to support family in their home towns). But any deeper exploration of these topics is hindered by bad writing, a meandering, unfocused plot, and So. Much. Product. Placement.
There is a certain point in the series at which I thought the story was going to address the vicious cycle of repeat criminalization which allows corrupt government forces to profit off the sex work industry endlessly while publicly condemning it, but no. To my great disappointment it's just another opportunity for the almost offensively cartoonish female villain to do her thing.
The series also spends way too much time on people making out with one another and while yes, the portrayals of physical intimacy are very good and yes, I understand this can be a draw for some viewers, these scenes take up vital screen time that could have been much better spent on more important things like fleshing out the plot and weaving more cohesive storylines.
Personally I also really dislike the ending of Wela's character arc, it feels completely contrary to his previous actions and kind of devalues most of the show's core messages.

All in all, this show tries, in its own convoluted way, to offer a nuanced and respectful portrayal of sex work and shine a light on the serious issues facing people working in that industry, and for that it is to be commended.
It does, however, mostly fail to achieve what it sets out to do, making it quite difficult for me to wholeheartedly recommend watching it.
Instead I would recommend doing your own research on the issues of sex work in Thailand and around the world before watching the show and forming your own opinion :)


P.S.:
If you don't know where to start you could, for example, read some articles published by EMPOWER, a Thai sex workers' advocacy group and non-profit, or by the NSWP, a global network of human rights organisations advocating for sex workers worldwide, which offer some highly educational material.
Hell, even just reading through the wikipedia entry on sex work in Thailand can offer some reasonably nuanced insights on the topic.
For any visual learners I recommend watching John Oliver's segment on sex work (it's available on youtube for free) - it does strike a fairly satirical tone and focuses mostly on America and other western countries but a lot of the points made are universally applicable and it covers a lot of ground in a relatively short time span, so I feel it could work well as an introduction to the topic.

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Host Club BL done right, unlike Time the series

Well, time the series did have a half-baked time travel element to it while this show doesn't, but im mostly talking about the shared similarity of both shows settings being a host club.

I'd say my biggest gripe with this show was the rushed ending for the side trio. The three characters could have been a lot more developed and would have been really nice to see how the three thrived in the poly relationship. But all we got was a 30 second or so sexualized scene of the three making out and one rushed conversation. That being said, I am grateful for the trio all getting their happy endings with each other. A bold move I genuinely didn't expect them to go with.

Besides that I overall enjoyed this BL. Aside from Time, this is the only BL I've scene which is set in a host club. Which probably goes without saying but really helps with the aesthetics of this show. Deep Night takes this very specific vibe and rubs with it throughout the entire series. With the lighting, set dressing, costuming, it was just really nice to look at is what I'm saying. The actors also all really portrayed their parts well, the only issue being that some of the R18+ felt a little awkward to me. Specifically the hand job and dream sequence scenes near the end. Felt very tacked on just for the sake of having something sexual thrown in when it wasn't necessary at all.

Deep Night is more of a matter over substance BL in general, since it's messaging and story doesn't really bring anything that new to the table. And when it does its near the end or gets very little attention put towards it, like with Ken, Japan, and Seiji. Not to mention Freyja and her girlfriend, whose entire arc got established and solved within two scenes.

So if you're looking for a BL with strong vibes and an appealing cast. By all means, enjoy your visit at Deep Night. I sure did.

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Is that all?

It's actually a fun ride, I quite like the journey following this series, I really enjoy the chemistry between the characters (especially the main couple who have been together from the start so there are lots of moments to enjoy, I'm a bit tired of the "confused phase" in BL lol) , the plot is also light and easy to follow, it's not long-winded (like some Thai BL where I dropped, usually because the long-windedness to lengthens the duration), but in my opinion overall it's just ordinary. There's no after taste. Not bad, but nothing special either.

In my opinion, the conclusion about the side couple, Japan-Seiji-Ken, is too late. I like it, but it's too late. And it's like, okay, that's it?

But overall I recommend it for people who are looking for something to watch while filling their time. 🤣

Lire davantage

Is the storyline worth watching..

At first as soon as I saw the the noisy irritating actors being loud and acting ridiculously stupid which shows up in a lot of BLs. If a series is full of drama its very off putting. The bl series was watchable and I did enjoy some of the scenes. The 4 male Leads played their parts very well and were very easy on the eye. I find Thai males are extremely good looking. There were a few hiccups like the delay between verbal conversations which gave the idea they had forgot their lines. I think they need to drop the scene where one falls and lands on top of the other nearly kissing and then mortified it actually happened. It's been done that many times its
boring. I enjoy the drunk scenes because I enjoy men kissing. Don't ask me why but I do. I've shocked myself.
It is I think Asian men (Korean.. Chinese.. Thai...) they look after themselves.. Dress stylish and have so many talents to their name. I did enjoy the series. The male leads were charismatic.. They jelled.. and l just love BLS.
I haven't watched anything western for at least 2years.
Sending love from the UK... ❤️

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surprisingly enjoyable with loveable characters :)

this series was surprisingly good but ofc it had its pros and cons.

for the cons, I wish there were fewer nc scenes and more scenes with kenseijijapan and freyameiji cause they could've been shown a lot more. like we could've explored the way older lesbians are in a relationship as well as how a polyamorous couple are together. great and james felt very last minute and rushed as well, could've added more scenes about their relationship and dynamic.

as for the pros, the music and cinematography in the show are so good! especially scenes in the nightclub while they're performing and whatnot. khem and wela have my entire heart, I love them so much which was surprising to me as at first, I had doubts about khem but he had so much character development which was amazing. I wanted to see more of their relationship without the nc scenes though. I love wela's character, so hardworking, passionate, and lovely (and adorable ofc). I also love seijijapan's dynamic, japan is such an adorable character. love the poly representation cause I'll take whatever rep we can get and also love older queer rep that shows how different older queers think compared to younger queers. love p'dai, she had an iconic personality matched with iconic outfits. I wish they didn't just use her as a comic relief character to give us more proper trans rep.

overall, it's not exactly a masterpiece, I would say there is something that feels missing from it. Nevertheless, it's a cute show to watch just for fun with cute and complex characters. the chemistry between the actors, especially between the two male leads, was amazing. definitely worth watching if you wanna just binge a cute lil gay show.

IM SUPER EXCITED FOR DEEP LOVE THOUGH HOPEFULLY IT COMES OUT SOON CANT WAIT!

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Man on pole? Bring it on!

It was really good and it fell flat towards the end.

I love all the couples here. I wish there are more screentime for the supporting couples.

I'm not a fan of the nightclub business per se but I do really enjoy the performance by the hosts. I also love how there's BL shipping in the club, that part is really so funny

There are decent number of NCs, some are pretty good- I can feel that they want to eat each other up

The ending is pretty cool, I didn't expect they'd really go ahead with polygamy. I love how this show is pushing boundary in this sense. It's also giving us a different perspective of the host business

Although, I've a mixed feeling about this. While I'm supportive about showcasing their talent, I'm not sure if it's "right" to promote "accompanying clients" as a profession. After all, the clients do get touchy, it's not like they are having heart-to-heart talk. This is the only piece of the show that I'm not sure how to feel. But, at same time, this is just depiction of real life, and it's up to the viewers to make our own discretion

Overall, I enjoy the show- it's pretty wild and fun.

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Это было здорово

Впервые за долгое время, Таиланд у меня уходит в ЛЮБИМЫЕ и на пересмотр много раз. Не хочу писать много слов, тк уже мало кто смотрит сюжет и всю историю каждого персонажа.
Благодаря этому лакорну, я снова начинаю верить в актерскую школу Таиланда. Простим им плагиат, они и сами извинились, что тоже дает плюс. Плюс все трюки выполняли сами. Молодцы. Единственный, маленький минус. - это создание тройничка. Лишнее, можно было обыграть историю иначе.

Lire davantage

Just a bit too slow

I really liked the characters! they are all more or less likeable and interesting. 6 is my usual rating for shows that were okay to watch, but are nothing special or didn't hook me emotionally + annoyed me here and there a bit, but I liked the crew so much that I added 0,5. And for people who care for looks: Eyecandy is served well. I mean, especially the main couple and Seji and Japan look so handsome, geez. Seji really stole my heart, lol. But the female couple is also absolutely gorgeous! Everytime I say Freya i was like "goddamn, what a pretty human being T_T".

The music was okay. the title song is nice, but sometimes the bgm was weird. :D

I don't really get why the throuple is so hyped, since they only got together in the last minutes of the last episode. ^^' The dynamic between those three was so weird (Ken obviously didn't like Pan much most of the time) till this point and as much as i crave relationships that are different from monogamy, i would have loved to see a proper built up here. Pan just offering this because Seji looks so sad all the time left a bad taste behind. The scenes afterwards helped a bit to clean this feeling, but I would have just loved to see how they are properly established and behave in a relationship. To see that Ken and Pan also get along well and not just Pan tolerating it, because Seji and Ken look on the edge of tears all the time. x)

I watched a bunch of scenes in double speed, because it was just sooo slow, geez.

But for the rest, it was okay to watch. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, because I don't think the story is strong or the relationships are fleshed out enough. It's a lot of the same, repetitive stuff.

Addition, that doesn't influence the rating: Oh. My. God. The subtitles on iQIYI were horrible. :'D

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