Thai Movie Review: Yes or No

I’m abandoning my usual format for this review as I can’t quite seem to organize my thoughts into neat “liked this” and “didn’t like this” boxes. I’m just going to talk about this.

Let’s start with a note about terminology. The subtitles on the version of Yes or No that I watched referred to Kim as a tomboy. I feel like this is not a totally accurate translation, but as I don’t speak Thai, I have to use context here. Tomboy in this movie, seems to include concerns about her that range from her being gay to her being transgender. I would say that Kim dresses more androgynous more than butch (which is what I originally pictured when reading the review of this movie) and is very adamant about being a girl. Regardless of what she wears or who she loves, she embraces being a woman. While we do know by the end of the movie (or reading the summary) that Kim is ultimately gay (or bi at least), she doesn’t seem to fully understand that herself at the beginning, so the way she dresses or presents does not appear to have much influence from that side of herself – at least, not consciously. All that is to say, I am going to keep using tomboy as the term to encapsulate all of this when writing this review, understanding that it’s a bit different from how I would normally use it.

In short, this movie is about roommates, Pie and Kim. Pie is conservative and therefore concerned when she meets tomboy Kim. Even though she wants nothing to do with Kim initially, the she warms over time as they develop their friendship and ultimately, their relationship.

In watching this movie, I was most profoundly moved by the vulnerability Kim shows. I somehow expected that because she is a tomboy, she’d be forcing a strong façade, but Kim never shies away from showing her insecurities. Whether its fear of the dark or her own feelings, Kim is constantly opening herself to the others around her, in spite of the fact that people treat her poorly. Although Pie is cruel to her for a long time, Kim waits her out and never lashes out at her. Sadly, this does seem to speak to how much she deals with this, but more than that, it speaks to her bravery and strength. Kim seems almost childlike, she wants acceptance and approval, which makes the way people behave towards her even worse.

In this regard, it is much harder to feel for Pie. She starts this movie at a place of ignorance and fear and it is really only through jealousy that she notices her feelings for Kim may be more than friendship. Between the two, Pie displays more outward confidence, but behaves much more cowardly when it comes to Kim. Yet, coming from a religious family, knowing that level of judgment so close to home, it actually takes a herculean effort to accept others and yourself when you’ve been told that it’s not right. In that way, I think Pie actually deserves a bit of slack. It takes her long than the viewer would like to be upfront with herself and others, but she does a good job of being honest with Kim about her fears. Kim, more than anyone, should know what signing up for a romance with her will mean. It’s easy to say that love will win out, but that can be impossible when the world is tearing you down and apart.

On that note, let’s talk about Jane. Jane owns her sexuality, but that’s really the only positive thing about her. Jane’s painted as a drama queen and it is heavily implied that she jumps rather quickly from girl to girl when it comes to love. There is some blame to be laid on Kim, who is not upfront about the fact that she is not interested in Jane until it is way too late, but Jane can see what is happening between Pie and Kim and constantly interferes. While she doesn’t explicitly know the extent of their relationship, it is not OK to just come into someone’s room and kiss them when they can’t see you. I have no sympathy for Jane (which is probably intentional) and waited for her to realize that what she did was wrong, but her own selfishness really makes any redemption for this character almost impossible.

On the flip side, there are supportive characters. The people that Kim is surrounded by are truly heartwarming. I love that Auntie Inn is very upfront with Kim and helps her work through issues that are difficult for her to handle on her own. Furthermore, we don’t get to see Kim’s father much, but his immediate acceptance of Pie is a nice balm on the wounds that get torn open at the end of this movie.

In terms of bravery, this movie embodies it just by existing. As far as I can tell, this is one of the first movies with these themes in Thailand. It is important for people of all kinds to feel accepted and seen and representation in the media is an important part of that. For all the dramas I watch, especially those with the cross dressing, seeing those with true LGBT representation is rare. Especially, all things considered, at its heart this movie is just a romantic comedy. The chemistry between our leading ladies and a script with vulnerability and heart made this a lovely watch.

Final Grade: A-

CDrama Review: Love 020

*Available on U.S. Netflix Streaming*

The Gist: If you are looking for a show with misunderstandings, love triangles, rich moms who think no one is ever good enough for their sons, drawn out fights, and lots of suspense… Love 020 is not the show for you.

When computer major and department beauty, Bei Weiwei (Zheng Shuang), is approached by a talented player in her online game to be her new in-game spouse, she accepts, not imagining that the one behind the character is campus celebrity Xiao Nai (Yang Yang). Xiao Nai, though, fully understands what he’s doing, having seen Weiwei play in a cafe and admiring her instantly. After getting to know each other their game, eventually the draw to meet is too strong and they must take their relationship offscreen.

Love:

1. Modern/Unique Relationship

I love the premise of this show. There is something so modern about a relationship that begins by gaming together. As someone who games with their SO, I know how fun and engaging it can be to get to know someone through playing together. I like that this show never looks down on gaming, but uses it as a unique framework for developing this relationship. I love the costuming and looks of everyone as their characters and really enjoyed the gaming sequences. I was even pleasantly surprised at how good the effects looked.

But beyond that, this relationship is portrayed really differently than a lot of drama relationships. There is a tinge of her snagging the  celebrity and the whole world is jealous, but that’s not really what this show is about. This show is more about the small things: getting to know each others’ friends, supporting each other through work, meeting the parents, planning a future together, and above all else, trust. The amount of trust in this relationship is staggering. You get used to the usual misconceptions and self-doubt that dramas normally portray, that this is a total breath of fresh air. It’s actually a fairly relaxing watch because you know that no matter what problem arise, what mischief gets thrown at our character, they are always on each others’ side, unconditionally. They believe each other first and foremost and tackle their problems together. These are the types of relationships that should be role models for young girls (and boys) out there.

2. Bei Weiwei

Oh, my love for Weiwei knows no bounds! While I will always love a show with a poor but plucky protagonist, it’s nice to have a girl who is respected in her field, considered skilled and talented, smart, capable, and pretty. I know that last one seems petty, but shows are always trying to convince me that pretty girls are ugly (like Love 020 does with Weiwei’s roommate Erxi), that it’s nice for once to have one just come out and say, yes, she’s gorgeous! Because she is!

But, I think what I love most about Weiwei is that she handles her own problems (and Xiao Nai encourages her do so). When rumors float around about her, she faces them directly and head on, even though she is a quieter personality. She is no damsel in distress and does not need her boyfriend to fight her battles for her. He always supports her, but the one time he does confront someone for her, he apologizes for it.

I love Weiwei and her and Xiao Nai have such amazing on-screen chemistry together that every scene between them feels effortless. I love that she is never jealous of how much he works, but just tries to support him as much as possible. I think despite how shocked she is at first, she is a very confident person in herself and her relationship.

3. The Cao Guang Problem

Let me start off by saying it’s been a long time since I disliked a character the same way I disliked Cao Guang. He contributes to rumors and thinks he has some right to Weiwei. Even when she is very clear with him how she feels, he does not accept her answer. Even when she start dating Xiao Nai, he doesn’t totally let go. He’s not above using her friends to get at her and is all around just problematic and incredibly selfish.

For a show with minimal conflict, his behavior is the catalyst for probably the largest issue. All of this led me to have some amount of dread about his interactions with Erxi (Weiwei’s roommate). She likes him, but I felt like he is in no way good enough. That was something I was just prepared to not like about the show.

Spoilers to follow: Yet, I was pleasantly surprised how they handled this situation. Having Weiwei confront him was insanely satisfying. He totally deserved to have someone ask him genuinely what is wrong with him because he’d been behaving like a spoiled, hurt child. And you know what? He gives both Weiwei and Erxi space. He apologizes and makes things as right as you can with Erxi, but then he backs off. This is especially meaningful because that’s the biggest mistake he makes in the first place, is not backing off when Weiwei says she’s not interested.

I like that the show time jumps a bit because I think the only thing that really redeems him is having time to change. If this show had moved right into a romance with Erxi, I would have resented it as everyone was hurt by what happened. Ending this show with a hint of a relationship to come for them was the right flavor and extremely tactful. They say time heals all wounds and if Cao Guang used his time to learn how to treat people, then I’m all for some redemption for him.

4. Meng Yiran

Ostensibly, Yiran is supposed to be some sort of love rival for Weiwei, but she never stands a chance (at all). Yet, Yiran is not really the villain of the show. Her friend Nana is horrible and constantly giving her bad advice, but I’d say Yiran’s biggest flaws are jealousy and listening to people who don’t have her best interests at heart.

Some more spoilers - ultimately, I like Yiran. Unlike Cao Guang, for the most part, she accepts at a certain point that Xiao Nai likes Weiwei and lets it drop. She really only comes back in when she legitimately thinks something is wrong. Her friends go out of the way to bully Weiwei, but Yiran doesn’t really. By the end, I did just kind of feel bad for her and for that reason I was happy when she realized she wanted better friendships and a sincere relationship. She makes things right with Weiwei before heading off to a fresh start. I think that’s about what this character deserved, so I thought it was well handled.

5. K.O. and Hao Mei

I was totally stumped at the beginning of this relationship. I could not figure out if K.O. was something nefarious (and I mean, he kind of is?) or why Hao Mei liked him so much. I really was just confused and constantly, wondering… are they going to…? will they? won’t they? Because let’s face it, asian dramas are not on the forefront of LGBT representation, so while the show left it kind of vague, the two of them are definitely starting some kind of relationship by the end of the show. There is a closeness that is very cute between these two. K.O. is not expressive, but is constantly taking care of Hao Mei and Hao Mei is jealous of other people interacting with K.O. and is proud of him, not to mention K.O. protects him. Essentially, while I would have loved for this to sprout to full blown romance, I am happy at the groundwork laid for a relationship for them.

6. Let’s Talk About That Ending

Spoilers, obviously. So, this show has always been incredibly grounded and the ending is no different. Much of the last episode is dedicated to Xiao Nai getting Weiwei’s parents’ permission to marry her and then bringing their families together. I didn’t even mind that we didn’t get to see the wedding because the scene where Nai is helping her put on her wedding dress is sensual, intimate, and just touching. Not to mention, her dress is a red gorgeous thing that instantly brings back memories of her character’s red outfit, reminding the audience of the roots of the relationship. She looks all at once not totally done up, because she’s at home freshly showered, and so authentically beautiful and happy, that it’s a lovely wrap to the show. The two of them are building their home and life together and you get to see just enough of it to feel satisfied. Finally, it was a joy for him to bring him back and walk her through where he first saw her. They muse on how they may have missed each other and it really is such a wonder that there relationship worked out the way that it did.

7. Xiao Nai

This seems a little low down on my list and that’s only because Xiao Nai is the closest thing this drama has to a trope. He’s not overly rich, but he’s well off, and he’s gorgeous and great at everything from IT to basketball. Yet, despite this, he seems incredibly grounded. He doesn’t care that everyone is looking at him, isn’t embarrassed by how much he likes Weiwei, how inexperienced he is at romance. He has a great balance of dry humor, he loves to mess with just about everyone, and sincerity, so that Weiwei is never left doubting his feelings for her. He cares about whether her friends are taken care of and that her parents like him. He works a lot, but makes sure that Weiwei is never feeling less than cared for. Most importantly, though, we come back to the trust issue. When anyone casts doubt on Weiwei, he stands by her, forever, and that is what truly makes him gorgeous.

8. The Support Systems

I love the friends on both sides of this show. Weiwei’s roommates are totally her number 1 supporters when she gets with Xiao Nai, rather than being jealous that he wants her. They care for each other and watch each other’s back. Erxi and Weiwei do have some issues to work through, but the sincerity of their friendship is evident and you can see how important it is to both of them. Likewise, Xiao Nai’s friends are loyal and funny and they immediately embrace Weiwei as family. There, again, is barely any jealousy, but good natured love for each other. I like that Weiwei and Xiao Nai take the time to get to know each others’ friends (OK she gets to know his friends more, but still). This is something I feel like gets overlooked in a lot of drama romances - they’re so concerned with developing the relationship that they don’t incorporate their lives together. It’s one thing I like particularly about Meteor Garden and Love 020 does it better.

Hate:

OK, there is one single, solitary thing that I really didn’t like about this show. It’s small, but this show is so flawless that is stuck out to me. Tiny spoilers ahead. There is one conversation in episode 23 that grates on my nerves. Erxi and Weiwei have a falling out after Erxi realizes what’s been happening between her and Cao Guang in the game. In the attempt to comfort her later, Xiao Nai tells Weiwei essentially that she shouldn’t feel too bad because Erxi is just a small part of Wei wei’s life and he is her everything. It’s played straight, but that’s horrible advice. I think they were trying to get at the fact that he is a constant to her, but it ends up sounding like he is the only thing she needs… which isn’t right. It’s important for people to have strong friendships outside of their relationships. It’s even weirder for Nai to say that when his male friendships are so strong and important. He really should have said that they’d work it out. I did like him encouraging her that the two of them (Nai/Weiwei) wouldn’t need to fight in the future because they have other ways to solve their problems, but I wish he hadn’t followed it up with something so… immature. It also sticks way out because Nai is otherwise so reasonable, that it just tanked that scene for me.

I will say that this conversation is redeemed in the fact that he tells Erxi how much Weiwei misses her and how happy they’ll be to make up. I’m hoping something is lost in the translation of this scene, because I know he doesn’t feel like their friendship isn’t important (he even threatens Cao Guang about messing with their friendship), so it just seemed like a weird thing to say. But, I am dwelling on the tiny, tiny piece of an otherwise stellar show.

So…

Can you tell that I loved this show? Have I been holding it in? Yeah, it’s obvious, this show was a home run for me. I like shows that are happy, fluffy, and this one was totally different than the things I have been watching recently. I am actually feeling a keen sense of loss at finishing this show because I was enjoying watching it so much (I actually forced myself to space out several of the episodes so that I could savor the experience). I plan to actually watch the whole thing over again as soon as possible - the 30 episodes seem to fly by. For a show whose main characters don’t meet for 10 episodes, it sure is awfully compelling. It’s sweet, it’s healthy, it’s inspiring, it’s warm. Perfect for a winter night watch.

Final Grade: Super Double A+ Perfection