Reasons why I Told Sunset About You is such a masterpiece.

If only I could give this series more than five stars and more than a score of 10.0, I surely would have.

This series, as a whole, is a masterpiece; and each episode is an individual masterpiece of its own. The plot, the cinematography and production, the music scores and the OSTs, the casting, the symbolism and everything about it just you in awe of how well thought out and well put this series is.

THE PLOT. I Told Sunset About You is a breath of fresh air from all the BL series ever to have graced our screens. (Nadao Bangkok insists on not calling it BL but rather a “coming-of-age” series.) It really captures all the aspects of what is it truly to undergo a “coming-of-age” phase. It talks about a phase of one’s life that other BL series are afraid or is not ready to take on just yet. The plot itself is so well written. The phasing is fast but not too fast that one will get lost. The scenes are seamlessly interwoven with each other, there’s not a scene that looks like a mere filler. Each scene is really of importance to the whole story.

THE CINEMATOGRAPHY AND PRODUCTION. The series feels like five individual yet connected movies. The production of this series is no joke. The plot is accompanied with aesthetically pleasing scenes. From the color tones of the series, to the way the camera pans in and out on scenes, to the way how the shooting locations complement the plot, the series is giving us movie-quality production. What makes this series more immaculate is the fact that it was shot in Phuket as it gives the whole series a more magical feeling to it as if the characters are living in their own small world – far from the usual setting we see from other Thai series which is Bangkok.

THE MUSIC SCORES AND OSTs. The music scores and sound effects were really perfectly placed. It’s not that distracting and not overdone, it really piques up the feeling that the scene wants to convey. Some series have their music scores overdone that it becomes distracting but here in this series, it’s perfectly blended that you won’t even notice that there’s a background music. (I highly recommend that you watch this series on earphone to really appreciate all the music.) The OSTs really add another level of flavor this series. Billkin’s voice in singing two of the four OSTs just sends you to another dimension, it’s that immaculate. PP’s voice is equally immaculate as well when he sang a Chinese mellow version of Billkin’s Skyline. The way the OSTs were written were filled with so many messages and intriguing details. What this series really offered with its OSTs is a variety. Although two of the four OSTs are covers in different languages, it still sounded different and evokes a different range of emotions.

THE CASTING. Billkin (Teh) and PP (Oh-Aew) really delivered in this series; their chemistry will be a tough act to match. When they say that the leads’ chemistry is essential to the whole story, this series really showed that and it delivered beyond expectation. One wouldn’t really appreciate this series if it wasn’t for how Billkin and PP delivered their scenes. Best believe that these two really gave it their all. From the crying, to their subtle expressions, their eye and body language, their mannerisms, their lines and their emotions – everything was just perfect and well-executed. (Billkin and PP really proved that at a young age they really have the talent to really make it big in this industry.) As for Nobel and Pupa (young Teh and Oh-Aew respectively), these kids really didn’t just come to play, they delivered their brief yet very important scenes to a tee. The kids’ acting wasn’t mediocre but was at par with Billkin’s and PP’s, perfect enough to deliver an important backgrounder scene in the first episode. As for Khunpol (Bas), Rolex (Kai), Dream (Phillip), Christian (Mod), Smile (Tarn), and the other cast, not a single character wasted. Their roles had an important part to play in the series. All of them also delivered what they were suppose to deliver.

THE SYMBOLISM. This series really hints so much symbols in it. The “coming-of-age” aspect of the series really depicted what most, if not some, of LGBTQ+ people have gone through and are going through. The series somehow validates that these experiences and struggles are real. Even if one is not a part of the LGBTQ+ community, the struggles of the characters are still relatable. The struggles are realistic and not exaggerated. The way the scenes are shot symbolizes and manifest a deeper understanding and realization of what a particular scene really is. Even the small details in the series means something – the red color pencil, the red hibiscus flowers, the flashcards, the coconut scent, the hammock, the underwater scene, Promthep Cape, the beach, Oh-aew’s mannerisms, the bra scene. Every little detail was well put out that it really helps tie the whole story together.

Overall, as I said, the series is masterpiece in itself. Although the series is five episodes long only, it doesn’t feel too short once because of how the story is told. Nadao Bangkok has really proved to us all that it is a master storyteller. Nadao Bangkok is really pushing on so many boundaries and breaking so many glass ceilings with this series. Nadao Bangkok just raised the bar for future series so high.

For sure, I Told Sunset About You will become one of Nadao Bangkok’s crowning jewels, and I’m pretty sure that (even if Nadao Bangkok insists on calling it BL) I Told Sunset About You will eventually become a ‘BL classic’ or a ‘BL legend’ when time comes.

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