oh. my. god.
i don't think i can even put into words how much i adored this.
despite its flaws, this show is going down as one of the best i've ever gotten to see, just because of everything that it made me feel. i can't get over how wonderfully, beautifully human it is. this community felt real. the characters were everyday people who make mistakes and love each other and struggle with grief and cherish life together. the attention to detail, the finding of joy in the little things, the kindness and support between characters despite facing difficulties - it made my heart feel as if it were GLOWING nearly every minute. this is what it's all about. this is all it will ever be about. I AM CRYING OVER A BOWL OF CHICKEN RICE. AND I NEVER CRY ABOUT ANYTHING
what's the plot? well - it's hard to say. it's a slice of life, and what a well-rounded, balanced, and delightful slice it was. i will agree with other reviewers that the main couple didn't catch my attention as much as everyone else did, and i think they could have shown more growth. i didn't really feel like i fully learned why they liked each other. but i still ended up caring about them than i expected, and the show is not really about them, anyway. there are intricate relationships between all the characters and i think many complex topics were handled well here. at the core, it's about understanding each other. my main complaint would be that there were a few occasions where it felt like the same conversations were being rehashed and characters weren't moving forward as i would expect, but that was far from fully ruining anything. except jim never saying "i love you" back to li ming. a daylight robbery. (and earth is a bit young for his role - but he still did a great job.)
the characters were of course at the heart of it all, and what amazing characters they were. i don't think a single one felt flat (except maybe beam...) and that in itself is a triumph. i enjoyed them all in different ways, but li ming and gaipa stole it for me. fourth and khaotung were absolutely phenomenal and didn't miss a single beat. li ming was the perfect moody teenager with a soft side and gaipa was such a truly sweet soul who has endured so much and i need all the good things in the world for both of them. where's my alangaipa spinoff?
lastly, this show, despite taking place in a chinatown, is so incredibly grounded in being thai. what a gorgeous showcase of the environment, food, culture, community life - i was genuinely entranced. i wish more dramas would do this. everywhere i looked there was something to appreciate. not to mention, whoever did the cinematography for this show did a fantastic job of highlighting the beauty of the environment and the actors. the composition, coloring, and framing were all on point.
skillfully directed, well acted, artistically shot, a story both poignant and charming, this drama really has it all. whew!