Drama Thursday: Lovesick: The Series

In recent years, Thailand has started to gain attention for their dramas and movies. One series in particular, 2014’s Lovesick, has sparked interest among domestic and international fans alike. Lovesick has quite the cult following on social media. The story has an interesting premise. That’s not all: The story is also based on an online Thai Boy Love novel/series called Lovesick: The Chaotic Lives of Blue Shorts Guys by IndryTimes.

While the story has an interesting premise, there are times when the series has awkward pacing and scenes that make the tale seem jilted at times. Even with these occurrences, it’s easy to see why Lovesick has the following it does.

Plot

Lovesick focuses on Phun (Phumphothingam Nawat) and Noh (Kongyingyong Chonlathorn), the two male protagonists. Life gets complicated for Phun after his father tells him he wants Phun to date his friend’s daughter. Phun has an issue: He’s already dating a girl named Aim (Chindavanich Primrose). To avoid dating his father’s friend’s daughter, Phun’s sister, Pang (Nuchanart Veerakaarn)—who is obsessed with “boy love” stories—tells him to have a boy love romance. This is where Noh comes in as both make an agreement to engage in a faux relationship. However, as the story progresses, it’s clear the faux-mance may have more to it.

Their relationship serves as part of the story, with the rest of the tale focusing on dealing with school and the dramas that come with it.

Thoughts

When the series opened, the first episode slogged, so there were feelings of “how will I make it through this series if the pacing is so slow in this episode?” Well, once you make it past the first episode, pacing does improve for some episodes. This was something that cropped up as an issue for Lovesick because there are episodes that are well though-out with engaging acting and action, but then there are some episodes where the show drags, especially when characters that aren’t Phun and Noh are concerned.

While watching, the story felt almost too idealized, like Lovesick came straight from a Boy Love fanfiction. Supporting characters come across as stereotyped teenagers that could be found at any school anywhere in the world, but this could be part of the show’s appeal for so many people. The characters are relatable, but they can come across as dull because they are a typical representation of everyday high school students. To some degree, it felt like Lovesick could have been more interesting with something out of the ordinary, but this didn’t occur.

However, while the supporting characters feel a little less interesting, Noh and Phun are not. There is something sweet and natural about their characterizations and how they grow throughout the series together. Their awkwardness felt realistic, as did their conversations at times. It is fun to watch how these two interact as their friendship branches off into new territory. Since they are the main characters, it is good they do come across more natural since the show would feel weird overall.

As much as Noh and Phun are enjoyed, there are times when the acting does take away from the natural ease of the characters. Perhaps it was some of the awkward writing, but there were moments when acting felt wooden and like the actors were going through the motions just to get past a scene or two. This happens in a lot of series, though, so it’s not that big of deal. However, when awkward acting moments happen, it is easy to pick up on. In season two of the series, these moments may improve.

The series is engaging in its own way, so it’s understandable why there is an appeal. The Boy Love angle Lovesick has is enough to keep viewers engaged because it’s interesting just to see the romance develop. This alone kept me engaged, so there are positives to the series. However, if you’re someone who isn’t into Boy Love scenarios and school-focused stories, Lovesick may not be the drama for you. However, give it a chance because you find it worth it.

Lovesick earns a 2.5/5.

 

–J. Chung