#benjamin braiser

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Poster 11 of Red Peafowl | Ben & Dave

Two handsome guys from Europe, Rufus (Benjamin), world class mafia who is a close business friend of Hongkong Que, and Miller Coyle (Dave), a Scotland Yard cop from London who were sent to coordinate with Feiqi's side.

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Benearth behind the scenes of their first kiss scene

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Credit: Okto_Pixel

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[mosbanks]

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

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I need more ben braiser content in my life

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Fuck you too Ben

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2moons2: Review (& General Info)

Summary: Wayo gets into the same university as his high school crush Phana, who he’s liked for years, but has never really managed to properly talk to. There, they eventually start hanging out because of the contest Wayo takes part in. The only problem? Phana doesn’t recognize Wayo at all. Meanwhile, Wayo is also being pursued by Phana’s friend Forth, which first creates a love triangle that is later resolved by Forth getting drunk and hooking up with his friend Beam. At the same time, Wayo’s friend Ming starts pursuing Phana’s friend Kit, who is reluctant to reciprocate the feelings. (Trailer)

Couples: Three mlm couples - one is slightly above the two others, but generally the running time of the show is separated pretty evenly between the three.

Running Time: 12 episodes - around 53 minutes each - 10,5 hours in total.

Cast (& their Instagram pages): Benjamin Braiser (Phana), Earth Teerapat (Wayo), Joong (Chen) Aydin (Ming), Nine Kornchid (Kit), Pavel (Phoom) Naret (Forth), Dome Woranart (Beam), [more].

Where to watch? YouTube

Related Shows: 2moons (the original version with a different cast that has the same plot as the first four episodes of 2moons2, except more detailed), 2moons3 (a future sequel that hasn’t come out yet).

My Review:

Rating: 8/10

Short review: 2moons2 is both kind of problematic and really cute. The acting is great, the characters are good, the relationships - both platonic and romantic - are really sweet and wonderful. There is lots of details about this show that really just make you feel things, you know? At the same time, it has quite a few problems, most of which are unfortunately connected to questionable consent. Which is why it’s really hard to say how good this show really is, but man do I love it anyway! And, if I had to choose one word to describe 2moons2, it would be “charming”, because even with all it’s disadvantages, you still end up falling in love with it. Which is why I recommend you to watch it. Though, as usual, it’s obviously your own decision to make.

Extended review (under the cut):

I am confident in saying that 2moons2 is the most charming BL that has ever been made. How so? Well, I can’t exactly explain how they did it, but I can certainly tell you why it is so charming to me. The thing is, 2moons2 is pretty problematic. It’s not the most problematic BL we’ve ever had, but it definitely has a lot of questionable and just downright shitty moments in it. And usually, that takes away from my personal experience of watching a BL. I can still enjoy it, but the more problematic it is – the angrier I get at the whole situation and the less I can enjoy the show. However, that is not the case with 2moons2. Even with all the problematic moments that it has, there is just something so specifically charming about it that those problematic moments don’t take away from my experience of the show at all. Which is why I give it the high rating of 8/10 stars. But, let’s stop generalizing and talk specifics. What is so good and what is so bad about this BL?

So, let’s start with a pretty important thing for this form of media – acting. In my personal opinion, it’s actually really good here! Benjamin, who plays Phana, does a great job of showing us both Phana’s “cool guy” mask and later on revealing his true slightly awkward and soft self. Earth, who plays Wayo, can fall a little flat sometimes, but he is extremely good in emotional scenes. Chen, who plays Ming, is very good at what he does. He is just charming and noisy enough, and I can’t stop talking about his background acting choices, which are clearly his own initiative and which are so intricate and genius that they deserve a round of some serious applause. Nine, who plays Kit, is very good at showing emotions through very subtle actions, which is extremely important considering what kind of character he plays. If Nine wasn’t this good, Kit would fall completely flat and would seem emotionless and stone-like, but thanks to Nine being able to play as subtly as he does, we see and understand more of Kit, while the character himself remains as reserved and shy as he should be. Pavel, who plays Forth, is very clearly in his element with this character and does him just right (though, I have talked about a different interpretation of Forth that would perhaps be more interesting than the one Pavel chose, but his is still 110% valid). Dome, who plays Beam, doesn’t get much screen time at the beginning of the season, but thankfully that didn’t seem to be much of a problem for him, since he manages to shine through even with the limited amount of lines and shots that he got, which helps us get attached to him even before his storyline starts properly. Dome managed to fix what I think was a mistake on the scriptwriters’ part with his great acting, and I commend him for it. Finally, the other actors that play more minor characters are both good and bad, depending on who we’re talking about. As for the background characters, unfortunately I don’t recommend paying any attention to them at all, since they all look like glitching emotional NPCs (though, I’m going to say that I’ve only noticed that on like the 5th rewatch, so you might not even see what I mean while watching it for the first time).

As for the actual characters, I’m overall satisfied with them too. For starters, all of the main characters end up being rather multidimensional and can’t really be fit into one specific stereotype, which is really nice – especially in this genre. Phana seems like a bit of an asshole at first, but it’s supposed to be like that, and he gets more and more lovable as we progress through the show. There is the quite confusing point of him being a bit awkward or even shy in his advances towards Wayo, which doesn’t really make much sense. But otherwise, his character is pretty sympathetic and consistent. Wayo is a little more complicated. They don’t seem to really know what exactly they want to do with him, because sometimes he is just shy a normal amount, and can even be cheeky and quite confident. But, at the same time, sometimes they make him almost cartoonishly juvenile, naïve and “unexperienced”. Not only does this make his character disappointingly inconsistent, it just looks unrealistic and frankly uncomfortable. Ming is just an overall great character. He is extroverted, clingy, noisy and honest, but not in a bad way. He is just charming enough, he knows boundaries and he can be quite hilarious, so nothing bad to say there. Kit is beautifully written and played. In the beginning, he is as shy and reserved as he is supposed to be, and the way they show his progression from being all that to opening up a little and being much softer and more vulnerable with his boyfriend is absolutely magnificent. I would call Forth everyone’s problematic fave, because you will love him, but you will also roll your eyes more than they can probably handle. He is this bad boy, who has a soft yet still quite cheeky side to him, and he is probably the most familiar and stereotypical character out of all. Beam is probably the least definable character, since as I said he doesn’t have much screen time in the beginning. And even though you will like him thanks to Dome’s efforts, it won’t be for anything particular in his personality. At least, that’s how I felt. There is also the so called “lady gang” in the show, which has always been a shitty trope, and even though they tried to humanize them just a bit, it’s still offensively stereotypical and just overall bad. Finally, there is not many girls in this show – only two being really of any importance, one of whom is a terrible person and the other is a fujoshi, which should tell you everything that you need to know. Not good, guys…

Friendships are actually handled very well in this show. When someone is in distress, they always go to their friend(s) for advice or to just talk it out, friends always ask each other how they are doing and make sure everything’s ok, they are interested in each other’s lives and are up to date with everything. And that doesn’t just go for friendships between the main characters, but also for example the friendship that Forth has with his engineering friends, who we see very rarely, but who are still established as his friends in a very natural and eloquent manner. Of course, Ming and Wayo take the cake in terms of friendship. Though, I certainly think that sometimes Ming is a better friend to Wayo than Wayo is to Ming. But that has less to do with actual bad writing of friendships and more to do with the pedestal Phana and Wayo are weirdly put on in the show, which I will talk about later. The “wild doctor gang” which consists of Phana, Kit and Beam is also quite well written, though I don’t think we see enough of them. Phana also ends up being close to the entire main cast, which involves him in lots of different storylines, which is fun to see, because usually BLs don’t go for complicated mixing like that and separate storylines quite strongly. The only thing I’m really disappointed in is the lack of friendship between Ming and Forth. I think it’s a truly missed opportunity, considering the fact that they are both in the engineering faculty, they are both the Moons of their faculty, and they were both on two sides of one situation at one point in the plot, and could really help each other out and support each other at that time, because they would understand each other perfectly.

What about the most important part of the show – romance and everything connected to it? Well, there’s a lot to unpack there, so let’s start slow.

Firstly, let’s say a few words about how LGBTQ+ rep is handled. I would say that it’s a little better than usual. For example, when Kit and Beam ask Phana if he liked Wayo and he confesses that he does, the boys say that they are alright with him liking boys (in general) and are still friends, which gives us kind of a nice coming out and doesn’t put us through the whole “I only like him and girls” thing, which is great. Though, there are still some questionable moments and generally LGBTQ+ topics are not really addressed.

Secondly, let’s talk about the couples and their romantic journeys themselves. For starters, it’s important to point out that none of the couples come out of nowhere. Obviously, Phana and Wayo have something going on ever since high school, we find out later on that Ming has always payed quite a bit attention to Kit even in school and remembers him very well, and by some interactions between Forth and Beam, you can clearly see that they really care about each other – even before anything starts. And, before I say anything (negative), I want to say that regardless of anything, I still love all the three couples and consider them to be super cute.

Now that pleasantries are out of the way, let’s get serious. I do think that generally Phana and Wayo are truly very cute. However, they do have quite a few problems. Mostly they come out of the fact that – as I’ve previously mentioned – Wayo is sometimes presented as uncomfortably juvenile and it creates a weird and unsettling dynamic in his relationship, because Phana almost seems like “the adult”, which is obviously not how this is supposed to work. However, I have nothing, but genuinely good things to say about Ming and Kit. They understand each other very well, are really soft and cute with each other and the way their relationship progresses is very natural and makes complete sense both in general and in terms of their characters. They are clearly very different people, but it works, because neither of them expects the other to change and be someone they’re not. They accept each other the way they are and never overstep or push beyond clear boundaries that each of them has set. It’s interesting to point out that both Ming and Forth have to deal with boys who they like very much, but who are reluctant to reciprocate their feelings. And I think the main reason why Ming and Kit have such a different dynamic in comparison to Forth and Beam, despite being in pretty similar situations, is because Ming approaches Kit with care and respect, stepping away whenever Kit asks him to. Meanwhile, Forth pushes quite hard, and though there are moments when he appropriately steps away, there are also moments when he uncomfortably oversteps boundaries, which can be a little unsettling to watch, especially because Forth often gets physical. Forth and Beam generally begin very questionably and they never seem to really get into each other’s comfort zones and even it all out. I suppose it has something to do with the idea that there is indeed such thing as someone wanting something, but not saying it – but I’m obviously not a fan of it. Beam is often hot-and-cold, and there is something a little unsettling about Forth thinking he can hold Beam’s hand after Beam pushed him away just because Beam held his hand the night before. That’s why it’s possibly the hardest for me to evaluate how appropriate Forth and Beam even are together, but that usual 2moons2 charm steps in once again, and I still think they’re hella cute even though there is clearly lots of questionable stuff going on in their storyline.

Thirdly, I would like to say that emotional vulnerability is handled quite well in this show. Those of the boys who are generally very opened can be quite emotional from time to time and express themselves quite eloquently. But even those characters that were established as very reserved and detached have some moments where they really talk about how they feel and that’s important. When someone has communication issues, they are also dealt with very well. They are not there for the drama and they are resolved in a way in which they are supposed to be resolved – by talking.

Fourthly, with pushing some boundaries, intimacy in 2moons2 ends up being better than in most Thai BLs. There are many kisses – of different kind and on different occasions, there are hugs and cuddling in bed and sharing drinks and things couples usually do, which other Thai BLs usually shy away or even loudly run away from. It’s still not entirely perfect, mostly because there is that questionable area of consent that comes up from time to time, but it’s better than usual. Also, there is some great fucking kissing in this show. Every single kiss is really good. Like really good, guys. It’s quite shocking really.

Finally and I suppose unfortunately, we have to talk about consent and the way sex is handled in this show in general. Ming and Kit didn’t get to have any scenes of even discussing anything past kissing, so we are not talking about them in this section simply because this subject matter hasn’t touched them at all. Now, Forth and Beam had a hook up scene, and Phana and Wayo eventually have a sex scene too. And what I mean by hook up and sex scene is talking about it and the camera fading away right before it actually happens. Still, there manages to be quite a few questionable moments. Starting with Phana and Wayo, there are moments when Phana kisses Wayo when he clearly doesn’t like it or even outright tells him to stop and tries to push him away. They also often switch between questionable consent and sudden change of character, as if to justify the initial actions of Phana. So, Wayo starts pushing him away and asking him to stop, and when he eventually does, Wayo suddenly changes his mind or feels the need to assure him that “he will do it eventually”, looking guilty. When Phana first starts the conversation about sex, Wayo is clearly uncomfortable, but every time Phana talks about it, he puts quite a bit of pressure on him. As for Forth and Beam, it’s important to point out that they were both drunk when they first hooked up – Beam being significantly more drunk that Forth, and there is of course the unsettling moment of Beam asking if he “can be on top” and Forth saying no, pressing him into the mattress. Also, the idea of Beam having his first time without any lube or condom, when Forth is clearly very experienced and very bisexual, is quite unbelievable to me (and definitely not cool).

Now that romance is out of the way, let’s talk a little about some other things I liked and disliked about the plot. There are some really emotional moments in this show and they manage to be quite natural and realistic and they can really make your heart sink. Many plot points are executed quite well and end up being either deeply entertaining or deeply emotional, both of which is great. There’s a lot of care about the boys’ lives outside of what’s happening here and now in the show, because both Phana and Wayo as well as Ming and Kit appropriately reminisce about their joined time together in high school. They’ve also used the jealousy trope twice and as amazing and satisfying as it was the first time, that’s how disappointing and frustrating it was the second time. 

They do devote a proper amount of time to each couple and aren’t afraid to give a lot of screen time to one specific couple at once, when they truly need it, which is incredible. At the same time, it often happens so that after a couple got a lot of attention from scriptwriters, they completely disappear off the radar for a while and aren’t present together even in the background, which is quite nonsensical. The initial mystery of the show is a little dumb and a lot unrealistic, but kind of in the best traditions of BLs like this. Some plot lines can honestly be ridiculously unrealistic as well, and some scenes that are clearly used to further the storyline in the easiest of ways don’t make any sense whatsoever. Finally, the most disappointing and specific plot point is Phana and Wayo’s reunion, which was shortened (in comparison to the novel and the original show) for obvious reasons, but was unfortunately shortened in all the wrong places and ended up being very confusing and unsatisfying. It was done oh so very wrong, and that’s kind of sad, because it’s a monumental point in Phana and Wayo’s relationship.

Now, a couple of other minor points:

This show is actually quite good with metaphors and foreshadowing and referencing both important plot points from the past and the future, which takes quite some care and dedication and is rather complicated to do, which is a pleasant surprise, since BLs of this kind don’t usually try this hard. It also tries to be deep sometimes, which always ends up being a 50/50 situation, when you either think “Hey, that’s kinda true!” or “What the f-“.

The attention to detail in this show is the true enigma of our time. On the one hand, there is a lot of details in this show that are very small and you don’t really notice right away, but which are done exceptionally well. On the other hand, when you are watching this show for the 5th time, you start seeing missed details that are painfully obvious (to you at that point). So, it’s both extremely good and extremely bad with details, neither of which you will really notice unless you watch it five times like I did.

This show has a lot of unnecessary pauses, and the closer you get to the end of it, the more you will come across this unfortunate phenomenon. Are you familiar with the expression “a pregnant pause”? Well, 2moons2 has whatever the opposite of a pregnant pause is, because all its pauses have absolutely no meaning or purpose, and are there to just drag out the time and probably also annoy the living hell out of me personally.

Some moments in the show can be quite cringy, awkward or even just really weird. Some moments are really cute and will send your heart racing and force all your smile muscles to do some cardio, but some moments that are supposed to be cute can be quite awkward and weird as well. It can also be genuinely very funny, but some jokes are not only extremely unfunny, but also terrible (I could really do without those rape jokes, 2moons2 – I really could). Second hand embarrassment is here as well and it’s here to stay.

Another important point to make is the fact that the subs are slightly worse than usual, but considering the fact that when the show was airing we were getting them right away, and the episodes were translated with the help of some cast members who were trying their best, but simply don’t know English very well, it’s all entirely understandable and justified.

Camera work itself in this show is genuinely quite good – the camera person clearly knows what to film and when to film it and how to film it so it would look good and have additional meaning. At the same time, there is a lot of shots that make no sense and are there to look “epic” and which just end up looking ridiculous, which is clearly a poor directing choice. 

Some final minor points on the weird and problematic moments of 2moons2 also have to be made. There is this weird pedestal that both Phana and Wayo are put on, when everyone always compares everyone to them and says they are the best, which is very weird and nonsensical, especially when a guy talks about how beautiful the guy he likes is, but how “he’s still not as beautiful as Phana” or whatever. Everyone is also way too invested in all three couples’ relationships. Actual real people don’t do that, I doubt even fujoshis act like this in real life. By the way, there is a scene where a fujoshi teaches the “lady gang” all the fujoshi (gods forgive me) terminology, which is just… yikes. There is also a moment where Phana leaves his phone in Wayo’s room and Wayo looks through it and does some things in it, and that’s just not ok. Oh and, the whole “wifey” thing? Needs to go like right now. Needed to go years ago. In fact, didn’t need to show up in the first place.

Finally-finally, the show ends with a cliffhanger, which is connected to a storyline that just ain’t it chief. Honestly, it’s so vague, badly written, ridiculous and clearly done for shock value that, considering the importance of the subject matter, it’s quite offensive. Thankfully, the show ending on a cliffhanger isn’t a problem, because we are getting a sequel, but that was a huge risk that they took, and I’m not a fan of the entire storyline that’s connected to the cliffhanger in the first place, so the ending is not only bad, but also not even really an ending at all.

In conclusion, I would like to say that despite 2moons2 having so many problems, I still love this show and enjoy it a lot. And perhaps it’s about the unproblematic MingKit, or perhaps it’s about that secret charm of this show. Either way, despite all the questionable moments, I still highly recommend this BL – it’s quite cute and lots of fun. But, as usual, it’s obviously your own decision to make.

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benjamin braiser could piss on my shoes

#benjaminbraiser#2moons#piss

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Credit: PlanetEarth (img #1)

Credit: Mintkankawee (img #2&3)

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Lmao, I'm sooo excited for Dark Blue Kiss! It's tomorrow for me!

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Credit to owner; if you know who it is please message me privately and I will correct the post

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Maxtul so sweeet

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