While Mama Gogo initially appears to be a Thai edition of Magic Mike, this show is so much more than muscle and empty gyrating. What Annie’s crew sells is in short supply in the modern world: A connection to something deeper.

Amidst the roaring crowd and flurry of dollar bills, Mama Gogo makes the point that desire is complex, going beyond just a handsome face and a nice body. It’s about undivided attention and the ability to make others feel seen.

And that’s exactly what Chen (played by Lee Thanat) – my favourite character in the show – demonstrates even without shedding his shirt. I was worried that the debtor-collector relationship between him and Annie was going to be cringey and problematic but their relationship progressed in a really sweet (and surprisingly, not at all weird) way. Chen was the one who saw through Annie for who she is – a single mother struggling to do the best she can.

Earth’s character, Kampan, is supposed to be an antagonist in the show, but he’s not a typical villain. In fact, I have difficulty wrapping my head around his character. If I had to describe him, he’s like a real-life Ken (yeah, like Barbie’s Ken) but with a bit more depth and agency – sometimes, he comes off like a robot with a pre-downloaded personality struggling to masquerade as a human being. Not quite sure what to feel about his character but it’s certainly not Earth’s best performance.

Full review here: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/08/30/mama-gogo-2022-review/