Moonlight Chicken (2023)

Maybe with all the star cast, my expectations were a little high

I watched The eclipse, 1000 stars, my school president so was super excited to see all 6 leads in one series and started watching only because of them but except Li Ming and hearts storyline nothing was noteworthy considering the plot.

This series shows a realistic side of life. Financial problems, relationship problems, unintended pregnancy ( which I felt was not emphasised) , disability, unrequited love . But, nothing left an impression on me. Jim having the responsibility to support his nephew financially and still held up in his past unable to open up his heart for anyone new. Wen who has a promising future but unable to cut ties with his ex and finds new love interest. Both when seperately viewed sounds interesting but together there was no magic, poor execution of their story development . Kaipa just felt pitiful and I dare not touch my handsome First ( just happy to see him in a series. Those spectacles enhanced his good looks and not to mention he does justice to every role he plays . I am just bewitched by him )
The only good thing about this (besides First :P ) are our cute and sweet Li Ming and heart , these 2 never bore me. Their story is quite unique and the implementation is impressive. Their acting felt so real especially Fourth , felt like he was living his role

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Great idea, but a bit too flat on the chicken chest

I like the duo Pirapat & Sahaphap. I actually like all the artists from GMMTV and their series. In Moonlight Chicken the characters are well developed with one exception, the acting is good in all of them. The story is very interesting, the cinematographer does an excellent job (beautiful night shots and he was able to capture a good vibe of the local atmosphere).

So why do I give this average rating?
The story is really good and the idea could even be enough for a top prime time series. But it is a bit thinly implemented. I wonder if it was due to the Corona pandemic? Was the budget very low? The story lacks a lot of depth.

Loss, fear of a partnership, illness, death, physical disability are addressed here and very very well connected. But unfortunately not deep enough. If someone tells me that there were only 8 episodes, then I answer, each of these goes an hour. Movies go between 90 minutes and 2 hours. Why do you make it there, but not in a miniseries? I think the script is just too flatly written.


There are minimal flaws.
- Dear and good-natured Jim, everyone loves him and he has an open ear for everyone - but just not for his nephew. That's a little too contrived for me.
- Jim has a fear of relationships, which reason comes much too late onto daylight. Late also means, is why there is no conversion process. You can’t spend many hours of being a huge wall and form one minute to the other you drop down the wall.
- Jim works in a hot country, in an even hotter kitchen. At the same time, he always looks like he just came from a wellness farm. (No need to exaggerate, but every now and then I thought, doesn't he has to smell like chicken in this scene?
- Wen is scurrying around with his ex-lover. The ex is still stuck on Wen, who feels stalked by the ex, but of course hardly reacts appropriately. Hint: move out and good is.
- Li Ming (Nattawat, who played wonderfully and believably, by the way) was tricked by Heart, but falls in love with him too quickly. There was no romance involved. That should have been love-on-the-first-sight, then in the process the bottle broke and he could have protected Hearth. Hero and lover, we all dream of one of those.
- Heart became deaf due to an illness a few years ago. In that situation, he could have spoken relatively well. It doesn't always sound perfect then, but they can speak. Heart speaks 3 words at the end of the season. Yes, it was a moving moment, but then the story is not right.
- Heart's parents overprotect him. This due to his deafness. Hello? Yes. That's a very big break in a young man's life. But then locking him up at home is definitely disproportionate, against the law, and what's the point? It serves the story somewhat, but it wasn't important. This could have been rearranged just slightly, then it would be more rounded in itself.
- Kaipa's love for Jim should have been shown much earlier, too, then it would have been more coherent.
- After the miniseries, I will never eat chicken rice again. I'll be sick of it for years from watching it. And here's some real advice, too. The food may taste good. But it really didn't look good. There are cookshops on the streets meanwhile further. I found it blandly decorated. I bet there was someone cooking who has no idea about food design. You decorate differently for the camera. The food then looks so delicious that you gain weight from watching it. With this mini series I had lost many many kilos of weight ;)

- For me, the singer and actress Narinthorn Na Bangchang was a real asset. Wonderfully played. Thank you.
- Above mentioned Nattawat played very well for my taste.
Saleng (Pakin Kunaanuwit), who has a lot of fun in his life. The very liberal heterosexual is an asset in the miniseries.
- I found Heart's (Norawit Titicharoenrak) performance unconvincing. I felt like there wasn't much happening in him. He didn't speak and that's why it wasn't a supporting role, but hey... I'm talking about facial expressions or gestures. Especially when you have to take detours in your communication, body language is hugely important. That didn't come into its own here. The coach who rehearses the characters with the actors really needs to be tutored. Or something was wrong with the stage direction.


Recommendation.
Are you a fan of GMMTV? Then you need to watch this miniseries too.
Is this your first GMMTV or BL series? Then better don't.
Then you better watch A Tale of Thousand Stars!

I wish you a lot of fun!

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If you want to watch "boys love" purely for romance, don't watch Moonlight Chicken!

It's not exactly a BL. Wait, hear me!

It is a boys love story, but their relationship it's just part of it, if you want to watch "boys love" purely for romance, don't watch Moonlight Chicken! When I said this, looks like I didn't like it, but it's the opposite. I love it.

Moonlight Chicken discusses social classes, directly. While this is not new in BLs, MLC has a way to discuss it that is very interesting, they do NOT romanticize being poor (thank God), but they don't make it like all the low classes life is sadness, and while they actually have a happy ending, it's realistic! Real life has happy and sad moments. And it's okay, is beautiful. The way that the series talks about being gay in Thailand is interesting too, bcs it's sensitive like everything in MLC.

The way that MLC talks about disabilities, with Heart (Gemini) being deaf is beautiful too, they were VERY respectful, they don't make Heart just a deaf person, he is a person, and he has a disability, and that's it. His thing with Li Ming (Fourth) it's SOMETHING, but I will talk about my favorite character later.

About Wen (Mix) and Jim (Earth), I love their development because it's, again, realistic. They have struggles and things to clear out before thinking about having something together.

But Li Ming it's definitely my favorite character, in the first moment he looks like a rebel teenager, typical, but he is actually suffering, struggling with his own things and problems. His relationship with his uncle Jim and his mom tells a lot about his manners too. He was also feeling so lonely if you think about it. And the way that his friendship (and later, more) develops with Heart is beautiful because he actually listens to Heart, who nobody in his life cares and he's so lonely. They are two very lonely people, and I'm glad that they found each other.

All the actors did a really GOOD job, everyone was amazing. The cast was PERFECT.

AND DAMN, the photography, it's incredible, the way that the lights talk about their feelings (theory of colors we love you) it's so ?$?!?4. MCL e ITSAY are the most beautiful BLs that exist, in these terms (but ITSAY wins).

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I love this but Heart and Li Ming take all the credit for it.

The series is very well produced and I love Aof as the director (as asual). I have loved everything Mix and Earth had done together before this, but this time their character's were kinda meh. To begin with, I didn't like Earth's character at all. He was terrible and unreasonable all the time and the only thing he would say the whole series was "I'm so old" and let's not forget how he managed to be HOMOPHOBIC with Li Ming LOL. Actually I liked Mix's part, I just don't understand why he was so into Uncle Jim. Gemini and Fourth did EVERYTHING. They were flawless. They're story was fantastic, they're acting was impecable. Everything about them was absolutely perfect, I love them so much :(

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Li Ming and Heart were my favs omg-

so I'm only 6 mins in and this is already some of the best cinematography I've ever seen in my life. like this is insane. also can we talk about the stacked cast? this is actually insane. okay so i kinda forgot to update this every ep bc i binged the crap outta it but yea-

so ima do this character by character bc its necessary.
let's start with jim and wan. while not my fav couple in this series I still liked the growth the characters had and how they learned to heal through each other even though they had a few disputes they were able to sort it out and find a home in each other as wan said he longed for. earth mix did a really good job portraying them and I loved their chem as always.

heart and li ming were my fav couple bc omg they're adorable and they def stole the show. fourth did amazing with portraying li ming and his struggles to find himself (which is is really relatable and realistic) while also figuring out love. the way he brought heart back to life and showed him that he can still live a normal life and that he is a normal person is amazing. I also loved that li ming openly expressed his feelings and how he felt that it was unfair (which it was) for jim to push his own faults onto him and not letting him live his life. now onto heart, who I think really helped li ming find himself while heart was learning how to live again. gemini did really well especially since roles like the one he has in this series are hard to emotionally and physically portray, especially as he is a younger actor compared to the rest of the cast which has significantly more experience then gemfourth.

I also really liked how mark's character leng worked into the plot and showed the struggles of someone who is expecting an unplanned child while not being able to financially support them.

now I can't finish without mentioning the amazing firstkhao who were scene stealers for me this entire show. the amount of emotion they can portray is insaneeee. also they really understand their characters well and become immersed in their roles which can be really taxing and deserves tons of recognition. the way first can express feelings through his voice is crazy like the amount of pain I feel throughout his scenes with wen was so impressive. and Alan's character isn't one that is easy to express because there's so many layers of conflicting emotions going on there. and of course khaotung. the way this man can never cease to make me start bawling when he starts crying shows you how good he is at acting. every scene he does is impeccable and the emotions he portrays in his eyes truly embody each of his characters. like the amount of sheer talent and star quality is insane. also after having watched the behind and having seen everyone start crying during Khao's scene where he sings at gaipa's mother's funeral shows just how amazing he is. Even earthmix mentioned after that he was so good that everyone just felt the emotion so deeply. get these two more dramas bc good lord we need more. I would watch every single one bc thats just how good they are. and ik some people were upset that gaipa and alan didn't have a finished story but this was their side series for this year.

also i just need to say that the cinematography in this was so well done. probably one of if not the best I've ever seen in a bl and def ranks among the top of dramas in general. the use of colors is genius and really sets the mood for each scene. and the ost was really good too, with the background music fitting well and not out of place which can tend to ruin the mood in bls. anyways this is my take on this series and now ima sleep haha.

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A Masterpiece

I was confused as to why this drama only has 8 episodes but after finishing it, I realized why. Every single episodes, every single parts truly touched the audience’s hearts with its truly remarkable moments. All the characters were executed well. You truly see the growth of every individual characters as they also learned to accept what life has to offer them. Uncle Jim finally accepting help from others and opening up at the end was such a refreshing scene. Him moving away from the old diner place and selling his car really shows he’s moved on with Wen. I love the growth of his relationship with Ming. From being flawed in the beginning to accepting each other at the end. Wen and his fighter nature really inspired me. The amount of persistence he has despite being continuously rejected at first was just amazing. I love how he rejected the promotion at the end. It may seem absurd to some but since the beginning, he never was about money. He actually have always wanted a home which he finally found with Uncle Jim. What happened between Wen and Alan was heartbreaking but it does happen in real life . You wake up one day and realize this is not the love you’re looking for. It was very realistic the way their characters were portrayed. From trying to be friends, to not working out, to angst then finally to moving on. I’m glad both of them were able to find another means of happiness and seem to end the series by still being friends. Then we have Heart and Li Ming. I have so much praises for them. The innocence yet heaviness of their story must have been hard to portray but both Gemini and Fourth played their parts very well. Then we have Gaipa. This sweet man tore my heart in pieces when he was singing for his mom. Khaotung’a acting definitely deserve a recognition! All the actors do! The series was made to be realistic that even after finishing it, I can still feel their emotions. Congratulations to e everyone who was part of this masterpiece. Hope everyone will get the chance to watch this! ❤️

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It just feels real

The Midnight Series of GMMTV had been on my "Watch Later" list for a while now. Simply because i have grown so accustomed to their story telling type and the quality of their series that I did not expect anything profound from it.

Then I stumbled upon Moonlight Chicken. By it's name, I had already found it interesting enough. A Chicken diner located in a region/province in Thailand that is yet to recover after the tumultuous times from COVID-19. Despite the rising prices and the need to adapt to an economy that has been heavily hit, Moonlight Chicken stands different because it gives more of a respite to its customers than a reminder of harder times.

There are a lot of things I thoroughly enjoyed about this story but one stood high above all-- the use of a Chinese song called "The Moon Represents My Heart".

For those who are familiar with this song, it is a sweet Chinese love song that has been popularized by Teresa Teng. I would not get into much details with the song because the show encapsulates the kind of love that it wishes to share. But that's not what I am getting at. I had not read or watched anything regarding the production of Moonlight Chicken, so I have no idea what the director/writer's intention was when they incorporated the song-- but one name stood out when I was watching the series and it was Li Ming's mother's fiance Mr Tong. What's funny enough is that she refers to him as Mr Tong multiple times through the series.

And it hit me so hard, because Mr Tong and The Moon Represents My Heart suddenly becomes real. I am not sure if it was meant as a reference, but after watching the story of Jim and Wen, then Li Ming and Heart and the hardships of Alan and Gaipa-- I can't help but relate it to a beloved actor's story of Leslie Cheung. And for those who do not know, that is a story that is both pure and tragic. Such love that is enduring and a love that is all consuming. Thank you to the writer for that beautiful homage.

Now it brings me to the three or maybe an extent, four couples that are showcasing love differently.

Jim and Wen, the main couple. This is interesting because they both are dealing with different kinds of trauma from their past love. You have Jim whose love had treated him with selfishness, and had ended up with much tragedy that the entire ordeal had left him distrustful. Then we have Wen, whose heart is ready to love but can't properly move on from a love that has kept him captive. How could you move on from someone you have been with for so long? How can you help that person accept that you no longer love them? Sprinkle in with other personal matters such as work, family and inner predicaments gives you a story that beautifully endures. Kudos to Earth and Mix, they rarely miss.

Li Ming and Heart. This couple had captured me in a way purity does, in awe and appreciation. LiMing and Heart shows the silence and subtlety of love, where what is considered "normal" should not dictate the limitations of what love can become. Despite Li Mings feelings of inadequacy or Heart's disability, the two of them found the right note and voice to conquer their trials and emerge victorious. A love stemmed from the desire to understand and grow together. Kudos to the young actors Fourth and Gemini.

Saleng and Praew. Though brief and not as highlighted, I appreciate the realness of this couple. They are by no means rich and they know that with the pregnancy they will be facing harsher times. And yet they persevered. The growth of Saleng's character as well made me admire him more, his hard work to ensure his child will grow up with enough opportunities and his willingness to do more to give his wife a safe home. It's wonderful how they both did their best for each other and did not let the situation hinder them from still also working hard for the betterment of themselves. Kudos to Mark and View.

Alan and Wen (then Gaipa). Alan comes of pitiful to me. Which is maybe what we want to feel at the start. Though it is annoying and clearly appalling how he acts so stubborn with Wen and how he allows his personal feelings affect his work-- you can't deny that the man is clearly deeply heartbroken and moving on has become a curse to him. However, it also shows two people who drift apart and are slowly drawn to beings that can move their world for the better. Kudos to First and Khaotung, they express emotions strongly and beautifully.

This is already a testament to the story writing and to the actors themselves.

Apart from that, what's the most beautiful about Moonlight Chicken is that everything feels real. Rarely were their the usual plot devices that forces the characters to come together-- it was enough for the characters being human to move the story forward. Their jobs are not glamorous, there are hardships and the effects of gentrifying a historical part of the land is also highlighted. There is also the evolution of dreams, how one can transform that dream and still be wonderful. Family dynamics, how giving birth does not guarantee forever love, how being different does not mean you affect others, how your love is enough to make others feel appreciated and how we can never be perfect, but we can always try to make it work.

Love. Loss. Hope. Bravery. Honesty. Resilience. Growth. Heart. Friendship. Trust. Letting go.

I appreciate so many things about this series but can't really put all my thoughts in one go. It is well thought of, well executed and well meaning. Love and suffering, love and growth, love and moving on. Truly a treat and something i wish could touch hearts for the years to come. Kudos! A definite must watch.

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Exceptional

Moonlight Chicken has two perfect couples and I love them both for different reasons. Wen and Jim are basically love at first sight but it takes them a whole show to be able to act on it, Wen gets there quicker but he has his troubles to sort through as well. They yearn, are scared, are tired and just really want to find a some place to call home.

Li Ming and Heart on the other hand have a rocky beginning but after they get over it they become close so fast. Their relationship was the most special to me, and the way it was written is truly exceptional. They both just want someone to listen and believe in them. Acting from both of the boys is perfect, all the strong emotions, small facial expressions, they sold it so well and I love them both.

Finale was perhaps the least strong of the episodes, but I already rewatched it since I wasn't ready to let this show go.

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the only bitter and gritty thing about this show is how I feel about it

Uff, this really hurts to write, but I need to write it anyway. When I first heard about this show and its premise, I’m gonna be honest, I wasn’t too happy. But I was reassured that it would not be your typical cheating storyline and it would be handled more realistically and less like your typical BL cheating plot. It was also said that this show would be very realistic, gritty, and bitter. And I prepared myself for that. Once the actual trailer dropped though, it didn’t look nearly as bitter and gritty as they promised. And surprise, surprise it wasn’t. And what was left was...a mere shadow of what it could've been.

This show was so dead-set on being realistic and the first thing they do is cast a 28 year old to play a middle aged man. Like…come one. The joke writes itself. I’m not saying that Earth wasn’t fit for this role because of his skills, because he is a good actor. This is entirely about his age and how the role makes him out to be way older than he actually is. It just turned into this joke that whenever Uncle Jim sighed or complained about the youth and how old he is, I had to laugh.

There is a very clear ship>casting mentality in the BL industry. If it wasn’t for the specific ship(s), I am almost certain that the cast wouldn’t look as they do now. Not that I would want to recast most of them, but it's obvious.

Someone said to me that P’Aof is really great in making lighthearted, fluffy BLs and maybe he should stick to what he’s best at, because bitter and realistic isn’t hitting nearly as much as his previous works. It does look amazing though, you gotta give him that.

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