Still2gether, the five special episodes of the phenomenal BL series 2gether, ended last night ( September 11) with a finish so strong and satisfying it was like a Smirnoff crashing with Godiva chocolates (or insert your choices here since I am neither into drinks and chocolates).
It was that decadent.
No spoilers but if you stick around since it premiered, you will know what I am referring about here. Let's just say that the fans who have been clamouring for things to happen are vindicated and are now happily lazing around in the afterglow. Seriously, how can you move on from this? Asking for a friend, lol.
This is not a review of Still2gether because my 2gether review over at AnnyeongOppa, which I linked below, still holds true for what I believe in when I started this journey to modern-day univ-utopia Thailand with two of the most insanely gorgeous boys that ever walked this side of the earth, Bright Vachirawit and Win Metawin.
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| This cast and this pure happiness |
This is a roundup of the pop culture impact that this little show has blessed upon its fans all from one Google search. It's a testament to the incantation that the show brandishes, the ones that linger even after it ended which we all wish it didn't.
But all good things do.
But at least we have these articles to read for perpetuity, to remind us why we fell so hard for 2gether, Still2gether, Sarawatine and BrightWin. Dig in!
* Kenn Anthony Mendoza for scmp.com : How Thai LGBT show, 2gether: The Series, became an instant hit
The show paints a portrait of how young queer love would look, and how it would exist in an alternate universe – free from prejudice and discrimination. It adds a bit of nostalgia given that it takes place at a university. Viewers are whisked back to their teenage years, reliving what it means to fall in love for the first time through Sarawat and Tine.
* Bethany Wade for filmdaily.co: A beginners guide to the Thai boy love show '2gether: The Series
If you haven’t fallen down the deep dark hole that is 2gether: The Series, let us get you acquainted. This Thai boy love drama, also known as 2GWin Metawinether, tells the same old school boy love story you may have heard before, with some twists to take it to new heights. We know once you learn more, you’ll quickly be on board.
* Jhoemz Vercide for thelookout.com.ph : Thai BL Series on Top: Here's why '2gether: The Series' won the hearts of Filipino fans
The series somehow gave us something to ponder on, a sudden realization and maybe a hope for the LGBTQIA+ community to stop vying for the long battle of acceptance. We all dreamt of equality and acceptance, we are wishing that one day all societal norms, gender, and choices will disappear and would not matter at all.
* Gerard C. Gotladera for mega.onemega.com: This Lighthearted Thai BL Series Has Somehow Made Life Bearable, Even For The Non-Believer
The smiles exchanged, little naughty tricks played here and there, the getting-to-know-you phase these two lead characters are still sailing in, really do get us kilig. It reminds us of how crushes are, how life would somehow change when your crush likes your post, calls you by your nickname or glances your way. It’s young love that burns brightest in this show—unbridled, not entirely innocent, but youthful in its nature that we may have forgotten about, because life on the daily is, and recently has been too serious.
* Anjana Pawa for them.us: The Internet has fallen for the Thai LGBTQ+ Show Still 2gether
One explanation for Still 2gether’s popularity is a mundane one: Nothing bigger than life itself happens to Sarawat and Tine. This is a slice-of-life show that captures the adventures of these two young men in love, their ups and downs and everyday experiences. That very ordinariness is special enough, in creating a space where stories like theirs’ can be told.
* Chuck Smith for cnnphilippines.com: Why Philippine TV doesn't have 'Boys' Love' shows like '2gether: The Series
When you’re a young gay man still trying to understand your sexuality, having feelings for another man can sometimes feels wrong. Societal norms — and, sometimes, familial expectations — say your feelings are not normal, that you shouldn’t have those romantic feelings for the same sex. Sometimes, when you’re a young gay man figuring out yourself, you need to live in your own world, even for just a duration of a song, to feel happy and accepted. You need to be Tine and Sarawat in order to be happy, literally singing to a song only they can hear.
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* Miguel Poblador for rappler.com: Why the Thai BL show 2gether: The Series works
This show’s success and how passionately celebrated it is in the media is a testament to how far we’ve come in terms of acceptance. It makes my heart sing knowing we can have these stories in the mainstream. The cheesy ones that are senselessly happy and perfect, the ones that don’t end in heartbreak or death as they too often do. It reminded me that we are allowed to have nice things, too, despite what we were told growing up. We’re allowed to have simple joys and cheap thrills, just like everyone else.
* Chad de Guzman for vice.com: Boys' Love: The Gay Romance TV Genre Taking Over Southeast Asia
2Gether’s success earlier this year pushed the genre’s popularity over the edge. The show premiered in February and was a cult hit by March, as more people stayed home due to the pandemic. In Thailand, GMMTV reported that the show already had over 100 million views on the local streaming platform LINE TV by April 19. That’s apart from audiences who tuned in on TV and YouTube.
* Danton Remoto for philstar.com: On Thailand's Boys' Love series
The series showed that homosexuality is as normal as breathing; that families can be accepting and loving; and that life is worth living even if you dare to be different. And that a gay character does not need to die in a TV series, or suffer from tragedy.
* and of course mine, Ryan Leyco Faura for annyeongoppa.com: 2gether 4ever: A love letter to the BL series that changes me
What is most admirable about #2gether is does not romanticize the usual tropes that LBGT-themed series employ to its advantage: intimate scenes, as implied in its most tender moments, do not drive the show to move a frenetic pace.
What do you think of the finale? Do you still want a Season 2? When are we going to stop clowning?
xoxo,
( Images: GMMTV Twitter)
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