What Zabb Man!
quick pitch
What Zabb Man!
(Thailand April-May on YouTube)
8/10
Main Tropes: enemies to lovers, tsundere/tsundere, rich/poor, foodie romance, CEO
It's like Star Hunter has FINALLY grown up with this show.
WZM was better than we have any right to expect with decent pacing and a foodie theme threaded through the narrative as both love language and plot driver - which I have been WAITING for. Basically CEO falls in love with a street vendor’s food, recruits him to work in his hotel, falls in love with him, and that’s the beginning. Class struggles! Kitchen drama! Papaya pounding (not a euphemism)! Chef poaching (not literally)! Spicy scenes (yes literally)! It’s all so delicious.
Star Hunter... did you serve this one up just for little old me? Sure seems like, since no one else consumed it. Well... I do have a high space tolerance.
I think I have finally figured out Star Hunter’s brand: CHEEKY.
Will this review be full of food puns.
Oh yes indeed.
Sure this show gets absurdly over cooked and falling apart messy in tone, it's like Star Hunter just CAN'T help but over egg the plotting (see what I did there). I imagine their workshopping is a hoot, it's a bunch of young actors being ridiculous, and the chaos just leaks onto the screen. But all the acting is on point, and ... FOOD!
(Yes I have eaten my body weight to som tum. Why do you ask?)
The leads are actually pretty good (previous in Hidden Love).
Poon is a great character because he is tsundere WITH good reason. And he’s portrayed with depth and sweetness for all his salty pride.
Also I'm not opposed to a bit of a CEO romance in my BL. Alpha being won over by love and som tum, tasty.
But what I really loved was that Athip loves Poon first for his food. When Poon runs away Athip finds him because of his food. Arthip begs forgiveness by eating Poon’s food.
But it’s PokeTongue (AKA BankBonus who play Teng & Mayom) who once more steal the bacon. Honestly they dominated Gen Y 2 and now they are doing it again. Just give them their own show already!
They absolutely crackle on screen together and it’s such fun to watch, who cares about plot?
Thai language moment: Pronouns
Teng & Mayom’s relationship negotiation scene (see image above) jumped around between pronouns khun/ter for you & pom/rao for I so much I couldn’t follow the nuances at all. But I can say that that pronoun hopping was part of the negotiation of intimacy between them, and changes the whole tenor of the scene.
This is one of those I wish we had translator notes on.
Food moment: Mayom
Star gooseberry (Phyllanthus acidus) is no relation to the gooseberry (Ribes) many of use grew up with in the UK. They tase a little similar in that (like cranberrys for the US folkz) they are sour and astringent, but they grow on a tree (not a bush) and are quite cute.
More on Mayom & Teng
For this particular couple I liked their claiming segment.
First I should say I'm starting to notice faen being translated more as “partner” instead of boyfriend, or VERY rarely “lover.” I’m not sure this is more or less accurate, it’s certainly more precise, but there’s just no direct translation so part of me wants them to leave it faen at this point.
We should all just learn it and adopt the word into English, it’s a better gender neutral term than anything we got. Lover is overly explicit and old fashioned. Significant other is awfully stiff and cumbersome. Partner has multiple non-romantic meanings, especially in a workplace setting.
Faen is a good word, single syllable, easy to say, nice mouth feel, pretty, reminds me of the Scots fain (which has a LOVELY meaning).
Still it’s certainly interesting to see “partner” start happening in BL, adds to the modern feel. Like they’ve been listening to the queers, again.
(I expanded on my faen feels because of comments.)
Secondly, because Teng broke up with his ex due to the closet, this is one instance where Mayom’s possessiveness is justified by the narrative since Teng needs it to feel confident in their relationship. Hence the live broadcast claiming scene.
In the end, this was the foodie romance set in the Thai Restaurant industry I have always wanted. The machinations of being in food service formed not just setting but also plot. Perhaps if Bite Me, Love Area and some of the ones from Korea (My Sweet Dear, Tasty Florida, Ocean Likes Me, To My Star) hadn’t disappointed me in this regard, I wouldn’t be so generous with this show. And to be fair, it probably should get a 7/10 by my normal standards. But What Zabb Man was cooked up exactly to suit my palate (and apparently no one else’s) so it gets a 8/10.
RECOMMENDED, especially if you like Thai food.
(source)
98 notes
·
View notes
Thai BQL Favourites List Tag Game
Thank you for tagging me @feralmuskyscentedhoepran (I think other people have also tagged me but it's been a while and I don't remember, so apologies for that! - There's also the '9 favourite tv series which two people tagged me to do, so that's also on my to-do-at-some-point list!)
Favourite bl:
I mean, it's obvious if you've been following me for a while (but Be My Favourite is coming close!)
Favourite pairing:
Look. There are SO MANY good pairs, so instead of choosing between them I'm going to go a bit left-field and name a pairing who I can't wait to see together again because I ADORED them in 10 Years Ticket (not ql, I know, but they'll be in 23.5 so I think it counts).
Most underrated actor:
I know most people already know of his magnificence but I don't think he's properly led a show as a lead pair and he absolutely could. And I want to see it.
Favourite character:
I love so many for so many reasons but the depth of love that I have for Pran is hard to beat. He pined for so long and finally got his man. And I see so much of myself in him.
Favourite side character:
I'm going to cheat again and say a favourite side pairing. I loved these two, more than the mains in Golden Blood.
Favourite scene:
I mean, it has to be. It's impossible to express how much impact this scene had on me.
Favourite line:
I'm tired. Tired of pretending to hate you while your face has taken over my heart.
*chewing glass* There's something so unbelievably romantic about this line and how Pat is using it to confess that I can't articulate properly. It just hits me deep, deeeeeep in my feels. Watching it/listening to it the first time was an incredible moment. I don't think Pat could have said anything else here, nothing else could reach this level of perfection.
Most anticipated bl and why:
I was SO impressed by Jimmy in Vice Versa (compared to Bad Buddy), and I also really liked Sea in the series (my first time watching him in anything), so I'm excited to see how they've developed in Last Twilight. I'm also very excited to see what Aof brings next and especially because the show is dealing with a disability.
Healthiest relationship in a bl:
They love each other. They respect each other. They know each other so well. They communicate seriously when they need but also can tease and play with each other without damaging their relationship. They're there for each other when they need to be and will support each other above all else.
Most toxic relationship in a bl:
I don't even want to add a gif but, yeah, Tharntype probably. Or PrapaiSky (sorry LITA lovers).
Guilty pleasure series:
I'm not sure about the 'guilty' part (that implies I feel somewhat 'bad' liking it??) but maybe the guilt is loving the pain and angst that Vi and Mark go through.
Bonus! Most underrated series:
I'm finding it hard to think of one because most of the series I really like, a lot of other people also like... Oh, I know... What Zabb Man. It didn't seem like a lot of people watched it when it came out. It was a good little show, not outstanding like others, but decent anyway (I don't quite remember the end though...) and worth checking out.
Thanks for the tag Vi! This was fun to do (even if it took longer than I thought it would!). I think a lot of people have been tagged already so I'll choose a few who may not have from my recent notifications: @sparklyeyedhimbo @callipigio @incandescentflower @spicyvampire and @vegasandhishedgehog
40 notes
·
View notes
This week (12 - 18 Mar) on the shared filming locations game in thai (mostly) ql,
*There were too many to actually fit into this week's post. The others will be in next week's 😂
Bed Friend and Fish Upon the Sky
All thanks to @aprilblossomgirl
Midnight Museum and Kinnporsche
As spotted by @blmpff
Midnight Museum, Not Me and KinnPorsche (1, 2)
As spotted by @blmpff and @dribs-and-drabbles
Midnight Museum and Dear Doctor I’m Coming for Soul
All thanks to @dribs-and-drabbles
Midnight Museum, Dear Doctor I’m Coming for Soul and What Zabb Man
Thanks to @dribs-and-drabbles for these!
Midnight Museum and Vice Versa
As spotted by @dribs-and-drabbles
I Will Knock You, My School President (and its pilot trailer), PP Krit - ลังเล [Official MV], Never Let Me Go, You’re My Sky and The Miracle of Teddy Bear
All thanks to @callipigio!
La Pluie (Official Teaser), Enchante, Baker Boys and The Eclipse
A Boss and a Babe and Secret Crush on You
104 notes
·
View notes
Boys with ponytails. Boys with short ponytails. Boys with little puff ponytails. Boys with ponytails on top of their head. Boys with tied back hair that isn't quite a ponytail. Boys with undercuts and ponytails on top. Boys with silky smooth and perfectly coiffed and controlled hair. Bad boys with ponytails. Sweet boys with ponytails.
237 notes
·
View notes
i basically just stole this ask from @gunsatthaphan, partially because i’ve been wanting to make a post about it and after almost 3 years watching bls, i might as well. right? right. anyways.
Compilation of Bad Kisses in BLs (Part 1)
mind you, this is only for the ones i’ve seen. if i put every single bad kiss out there, this post would go on forever.
i strongly believe a kiss, whether is good or bad, can make or break a show and in my personal opinion, a lot of them fell off simply because of the fishy kisses. they are truly hard to watch, so much so that you have to look away because they are ugly and this is something we CAN and SHOULD blame both the actors and the company. sometimes, workshops are not enough.
i also believe that these actors shouldn’t play dumb. like, they HAVE to know there’s gonna be a kiss at some point. put in the work, pls.
LET’S GET IT
1. My Engineer (MekBoss)
at the time, i didn’t think it was that bad. i just thought they needed some work, a little bit of help because clearly it wasn’t that good either. now, i just see two walls kissing and we might not see these walls kissing ever again.
2. YYY (NottPun)
imagine watching this mess of a show, they promise you a kiss, and once you’re sure you’re gonna get it, they literally bring the sun out, block the view and that’s how the season ends. but honestly? the little i can see it’s still awful.
3. YYY 2 (NottPun)
well... there it is. no words.
4. 2gether (SarawaTine)
maturing is accepting the fact that 2gether had two straight bros playing these characters and that’s how they kissed and then the high five. it was a bad kiss, bestie. we were all just blinded by the pandemic and though this was high cinema.
5. SOTUS (ArthitKongpop)
i’m not afraid of the girlies still caught up on this show. this was a bad first kiss and i’m ready to die on this hill. granted, this was 2016, the actors were still iffy on playing queer characters, they were calling each other wife and the obsession with pink milk was at its peak. gmmtv had $5 and a dream and you could tell.
6. ‘Cause you are my boy/My Tee (TeeMork)
this was frankdrake’s first roles and you could tell. you could also tell that they were in the trenches because everything was bad with this show and i truly think it was a cry for help. they did the best they could with what they had but there was no way in hell they could save this show and honestly, i’m not surprised that their first kiss was like this. it goes well with the quality of the show.
7. Love By Chance (TinCan)
and it doesn’t get better after this. i’m gonna be the devil’s advocate, mean actually tried to make these kisses better but there was no helping with this couple. a mess.
8. Oxygen (SoloGui)
as far as first kisses go... yeah. granted, oxygen wasn’t really that good either but they could have salvage this show with a decent kiss. nothing. nada. it was a let down.
9. Make it right (FuseTee)
make it right paved the way for angle kisses.
now listen, i’m pretty sure boom and peak were 17 or something when they filmed this and back in the day, this was already too much. like, cheewin was pushing it by directing this show. still, it has to be on this list (it’s not like it hasn’t changed anyways. boom and peak would never EVER kiss. this was the closest we could get).
10. Where your eyes linger
i mean, come on. COME ON. i know this was like the first kbl and you know, they paved the way. give credit where credit is due and all that but LOOK. it’s bad. it was a good show, for the plot that it had and the limited time, it was good. BUT THE KISS WAS... it was a letdown.
11. Gen Y (MarkKit)
how are you gonna be a senior in the industry and still kiss like this? kimcop are one of those settled ships that are hard to break and to ship with someone else. with that in mind, you would think they would do wonders. gen y was a dumpster fire and so were the kisses.
12. WISH YOU: Your melody in my heart
this is where you start to understand that it’s not about the production or how short kbls are and that’s why the kisses are so bad. no, it’s because workshops apparently don’t exist in korea and they put these men to kiss without practicing first. this is the product. this is what you get.
13. Color Rush
i know some of you call it the best kbl out there because the plot was different, which is true, but like... their lips are not even touching... so yeah. next.
14. Nobleman Ryu’s wedding
i’m pretty sure this was supposed to be an angle kiss and they changed their mind at the last minute and we got... this. i mean, compared to others in this list is not that bad but is it good? far from it. this was also the first period kbl we got and it was kind of forgettable too. it was very low budget and you could see it with the kiss
15. What Zabb Man
BOTH COUPLES because both of them were such a let down. i was here mainly because of the toxics from gen y and with the crazy tension they had going on, i thought they would go off. not even that. don’t even get me started on the main couple. the manipulation that went down between them UGH but i can’t even get a good kiss out of this mess anyways.
184 notes
·
View notes
Learning Thai through characters' names:
Kon diao = alone/only one
Dao | nuea = star | north
Kluen = waves
Som = orange
Mayom = gooseberry
40 notes
·
View notes
BL Round-Up
This is the first time in a while that I’ve been watching less than 10 shows at once, so I figured I’d get some of my thoughts down.
Big Feelings
Where is the Sexual Tension?
I am in a weird funk with BL right now about how saccharine shows want to be. I feel an intense mismatch with how much exists within the drama and what feels like overly-modest portrayals of relationship dynamics. Maybe it’s just actor chemistry not lining up effectively with the shows, but I’ve been deeply bored with a lot of pairs active right now, and I wonder if it’s just because the gap between the good and the bad feels extreme for me right now. So, sincerely, where is the sexual tension in the dramas right now? Did KinnPorsche suck all of it out of the genre at once?
Running From Embarassment
This is a Japanese trope that I think I’m falling out of love with. Ever since @absolutebl conflated it with blushing maiden trope, I’ve not been able to unsee it. It feels like an easy way to bring a scene to an end and avoid a Now Kiss moment, but I kinda hate watching boys from each other if they feel a rise in romantic or sexual tension.
The Shows
Close Friend 2 - I am actually liking this show, even if I think it’s a bit slow. I know a lot of people were frustrated with SOTUS S and IPYTM, but I really like when we go past the high of getting together with someone and plunge into the not-so-pretty world of being with someone. I really like that Fluke and Ohm get to show a couple suffering inside the closet together. However, I think I’m learning that I’m not a KimCop fan. I’ve bounced off of almost every project they’ve been involved with, and I’m struggling here too. I like the story being told about their characters and their pairing, but I don’t think I’m really feeling them as a pair. To be clear, I think they’re doing an admirable job even if I’m not totally with them.
Dear Doctor, I’m Coming For Soul - This is another post-school show that I will always support in the hopes that the genre doesn’t get stuck only telling stories about teens and undergrads. However, Prakan’s god complex has been frustrating, and Metha’s misplaced jealousy is going to worsen care for patients. It’s bad enough that I’m questioning Nuch’s crush on Metha, because he is giving off such terrible vibes. I think Nathee falls for Kheeta a little quickly (in the sense that I didn’t feel his feelings shift on screen even if I understand where it may have occurred), but I’m invested in seeing their dynamic through. I’m enjoying the supernatural components, but I’m not entirely certain where this story is headed.
Still, I want to appload this show for delivering solid intimate chemistry with its couples, which I’ve been wanting a lot more of lately.
KinnPorsche - There’s a lot of feelings all over the tags about this show, but I am still liking it. I think the episodes can have some huge tonal swings sometimes (I felt that in episode 2 especially), but damn do I really love how earnest this show manages to be when deceit and manipulation are a big part of the storytelling. There are some banger posts folks have been writing about this, and I’m having fun seeing a lot of folks intensely engaged again. Feels like we haven’t had that since Not Me or Bad Buddy. Really enjoying the work on this show, and enjoying the way Be On Cloud has been doing BTS drops. I feel like this show has a lot of ground to cover in six episodes, but I’m really enjoying the cast and especially the way Mile and Apo are playing out this relationship. More than Dear Doctor, I’m enjoying believing that the characters want to bone.
La Cuisine - I like the friends and family of this show, but HOO BOY is this show SLOW. That being said, I like that this show called a gay bashing what it was, and I like seeing a famous actress express righteous rage at the way paparazzi violate the privacy of children. There are an alarming number of stories in recent years from SE Asia about reporters inflicinting injury on infants and toddlers to get to their parents. Ram and Lukchub are a bit weak for me, but this show has been an easy watch, so I’m not gonna be harsh. There are a lot of neat things in this show, especially seeing people suss out NamNing right away and bring the correct response. Half-joked to my bestie that she was gonna have a gun, and I am sad that I am correct.
Meow Ears Up! - I often struggle with shapeshifter stories for a lot of different reasons, but this show ended up being more fun (so far) than I expected. I struggle with Meow’s awareness of the world, because he seems overly sheltered sometimes and supremely aware other times. Evan and Faiyen are a lot easier to approach. I have enjoyed the GL in this show with Jin and Manni. However…where is the sexual tension in this show? It’s too sweet for me, I think.
Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But To Kiss! - I am really loving this show. Japan is always good at taking a very narrow concept and getting a lot of character mileage out of it. I like Shinomiya being firm with Fukuhara and demanding they be clear about their intentions for each other, especially one that covered a lot of ground. I like Fukuhara starting to look at his life differently. I like the vibe of all of the other classmates. I liked the end of the episode, where once again Shinomiya keeps his worries private and only expresses joy and relief to see Fukuhara whole. We even got to see Shinomiya in an apron that looks so much like overalls that it sent me to the stratosphere. (Shoutout to @liyazaki for giffing that for me). I like this show a lot, and my biggest hope is that we understand why Shinomiya has liked Fukuhara since before the first episode. Also, why is there a GUN in the next episode. So many guns in BL right now!
My Secret Love - I am watching this to support Earth Teerapat, but I don’t know that I’m feeling it after the first episode? It took me three sittings to finish it. Maybe I’m nearing the end of my ability to watch all school BL, particularly enemies to lovers. I think the implication that there are multiple secret pairings is interesting, but eh? Otherwise, the show sincerely seems fine; I just think my tastes are shifting.
Plus & Minus - I love, love, love this show. I’m a sucker for long-term pining between best friends. I’m also a sucker for someone living a quiet life getting sucked up into a new romance with a far more outgoing partner. The bed scene of episode 8 is probably something I will talk about forever, and may devote a second post to. For now, let me say that I was so glad we got to see both Fu Li Gong and Zhang Ze Zhou awkwardly prepare for their first night in bed as a couple. I like that they were able to find comfort in each other, and I really like Ze Zhou being comfortable with Li Gong wanting to stop for the night. We rarely see that in BL, and I loved it. Also, the double date camping trip was incredibly endearing for both couples. I look forward to this and Mr. Unlucky very late on Thursday night to the point that it’s affected my watching of Critical Role.
Star in My Mind - I like that it felt like Kluen could lose Daoneua for not getting his shit together, but goddamn was this show painful for me. I don’t generally enjoy noncommunication as a story driver. I’m also not a fan of the way Kluen consistently kisses Daoneua unexpectedly or when he’s sleeping. This felt pretty familiar in terms of Thai BL, but I don’t think I’m going to reflect on this one fondly.
What Zabb Man - I feel like I wanted something from this show that it absolutely did not promise at all. In a lot of ways, I actually think this show is really delightful in that it takes a lot of the movements of college BL and applies them to people working in food service. You get a competition. You get pining and relationship drama. You get the sort of cute, patient first steps of first time dating. You get a really possessive seme. You even get the complexities of huge wealth gap in a relationship. I think this show is truly fine. I just think I was hoping for the BL answer to Waiting (2005), and was expecting there to be more heat to this show, particularly amongst the kitchen staff. I thought this show would go that route early, but things felt rather chaste in the finale.
I’m still hoping that someone will give us the dramatic and “why is everyone having sex with everyone?” show that we need.
Final Thoughts
I continue to enjoy BL, though I will say I’m glad I’m not watching close to 15 active show right now. I feel like I’m not enjoying the more soft and cute shows with minimal sexual tension in them at this point, especially when the leads and characters are adults; I can understand the restrictions placed on filming and displaying minors in other countries.
Honestly, I feel like I just want more of Kinou Nani Tabeta (aka What Did You Eat Yesterday?) and Papa & Daddy.
38 notes
·
View notes