Kissing while holding hands!?!!?!!

PERFECTION x

This is how I feel about this mini-series from Thailand that just finished airing! Subs are already available (Even the subbers were on the ball. Never have I see such speedy subs). Other than that one word, I just can’t seem to find other words to describe the way I feel about The dreamer!

Think of Lily Fever, but instead of 8 five minute episodes, we have 4 one hour episodes! Seriously, it was like Thailand saw Lily Fever and they decided that they could take that and improve upon it, by elongating it! And by the Gods, did they succeed!

Now sure some might be thinking that 4 episodes is still too short but let me assure you that the story of this wonderful show was so perfectly executed that it felt like a season-long show! I already gushed about it in the first post about this but the pacing of this story is on Godly levels! Such perfection! And I don’t mean the actual time jumps taking place in the story (we have a year-long time jump and another 6 months long jump). No, even those time jumps felt so natural because they did not break the story at all. It did not take you out of anything, you didn’t feel like you missed something because of them, in fact there was nothing at all of value that was washed over by the magic of time-jumps like how many TV shows use it as a device to fix things they couldn’t explain.

The relationship development between our main Ladies Pong and Tle…my goodness, I have never been so flabbergasted! Perfect pacing of relationship development in fictional stories can actually be achieved!? Why the hell has no one actually accomplished this task until now? It can be done. ‘The Dreamer’ is actual proof of that. So why are we just getting this now?!

Pong and Tle’s relationship development…Jesus! I confess that every other second I was waiting for their relationship to fall into the tropes trap! Queue my surprise when none of the clichés we have come to expect in our yuri shows and relationships actually made it into theirs! The naturalness with which their closeness went from strangers to girl-friends has never, ever, crossed these eyes of mine in all movies, TV shows and anime that I have seen, and I have seen a lot!

Using homophobia as an excuse to make the couple work? In 2016?! Bitch please, not in this show! The guy actually taking the girl in the end even though they don’t deserve her just because he is a guy or plot? Fuck that shit! The couple ending up splitting by the end because of reason? Get out of here!

None of that crap made it into this show! But if that did not make it in then it means that this is an emotionless, fluff story that never in a million years would ever actually happen. If you are concerned about this, well don’t be! I know a lot of people and have witnessed a lot of relationships, a few even developed right in my circle and I have also witnessed some of these’ complete life-cycle so let me assure you the Pong and Tle’s relationship is as natural and real as any other!

There were many moments were I closed my eyes in resignation in the inevitable because I was just expecting them to fall into the usual traps but at all turns I was proved wrong! All the recipes for disaster were there. Be it the main heroine’s close guy friend, good looking, also in love with her! Put down your hand if you didn’t think we were in for a train wreak from the very beginning as soon as you saw Pong and Ted interact! I thought so.

Many things could have happened, there could have been something between Pong and her Boss, or they could have did a curve ball with Pong and that sexy CEO, or there could have been a threesome between ted, Tle and Pong, with the disastrous implications being that there is actually no yuri whatsoever. Or maybe Pong could have forced herself on ted just to prove that she wasn’t gay, or it could have been an emo fiesta with Tle and her issues an also Pong and her own workplace issues.

But none of that happened!

Dear Readers, I can’t praise this series enough! The distance between it and my favourite Drama ever is under zero decimal numbers! The series with that trophy, after 6 frikkin years still, is South Korea and W-Moon’s ‘The Painter of the Wind’. I have a feeling that just one more episode, nay, just a couple of more time with this series could have guaranteed it as the new Queen of that list.

It was that great!

The only issue, that I personally have, it is not s negative really just me, it is that Tle’s drama was kind of over-done. Yes, I know those situations are real, I have been in a few of them, and by them I mean not being able to pay one’s bills, but come on! Hiring people to wreak her place? Starting fights with a girl? Throwing stones through windows?! They just took it too far! Now of course this is okay in fictional stories to exaggerate things but in a world which has every other aspect tolerable and realistic and then going and doing that?! It just cracked the perfect world they had built for this story is all I am saying. It came off even worse when you take Tle’s kind character into account! There was just so much clashing there.

Okay, so maybe that was a kind of big issue for me and most probably why this is only my No.2 TV drama instead of the Queen! Really, I don’t think I needed any extra time with the story. The timeline was perfect so it really has to be this issue with Tle. I mean even Pong had issues at her job but they weren’t extreme. They were handled the way you would think they would be handled. When the scandal was brought to light in front of the CEO, the accused did not jump through the window, the CEO did not break character, there wasn’t invisible police appearing out of thin air! It wasn’t a moustache-twirling villain either.

I just did not like the way Tle was handled. I don’t believe we even needed that issue in the first place. Sure we got Tle to have a sleep over (and in the same bed!!!) with Pong because her electricity was cut off for not paying her bills (she lived in her café) but they could have just had a normal sleep over, especially since they were established to have that closeness! At the very least they shouldn’t have drawn it out and even make it into parts of the story (forcing Tle to leave) because in the end all it did was deny us of some awesome Pong/Tle moments.

But then again, maybe it was because of these things that I got to appreciate the couple as much as I am!

Dear Readers, if you haven’t watched this series, just like Sarah Waters’ book – Fingersmith, this short mini-series is one of the things that should be experienced once in your life-time! If you don’t watch this series (or read that book) you are going to have regrets in your after life, no matter where you will end up. Yes, not even heaven’s glory will save you from the regret! So get to it while you still have a chance!

The GD links are on this YT channel. And you know where to get the Book (^^).

Best. Mini-series. Ever!

I was really shocked by this series! Thailand has been on a roll lately. Not only did they have a yaoi series running along-side Hormones S3 in the back end of last year, which also has yaoi and yuri, but they started off 2016 with a bang with this lovely series with execution of a homosexual TV show I have ever encountered! No bullshit, just great chemistry and relationship development! They managed to build and deliver a concept of true love without the generic devices, red strings of fate, surviving break-ups, multiple relationships, triangles, you name it! None of that made it into here. It made for a perfect viewing experience, leaving one wandering what they had just witnessed!

I really hop this mini-series gets the buzz it deserves so that other countries and companies can get motivated. There is no need to half-ass things in the world we live in today! Yes, people will give you looks if you are a girl making out with your girlfriend or a guy doing the chummy in the middle of the street with your boyfriend but why do that?! Even straight couples get the disgusted eye when they do it publicly, it about decency. Just hold hand, share smiles, everyone will be jealous and look on with longing as they wish they had someone that made them as happy as you are.

It isn’t that hard to make a good homosexual show without bringing up the phobia, or other feelings that give writers excuses to not go all the way and either sugar-coat things, shy away and either kill off one of the partners, turn them straight, make the guy win etc…’The Dreamer’ did it, everyone else can do it! Sure you can tackle the phobia issue and the public reaction but be realistic about it.

~ The Dreamer – Condo/Barista/Architect ~

That title is going to be in my memory until the day it stops functioning! Pong and Tle have already reserved their space in the top favourite ships! Every time I watch a yuri show from now on, I am going to be using ‘The Dreamer’ as the base line for calculations! It is my KPI for good yuri shows as of this very moment!

Everything about Pong and Tle’s relationship was on point! It was like the creator of this story had a dream, woke up as soon as it was finished and started right away to put that dream to paper while it was still fresh in its perfection. You know what I mean! Have you ever gotten that dream that you were sure was so brilliant that were you to transfer that dream into reality you would change the world? It’s like in the dream you were at the pinnacle of your capabilities, hundred times more intelligent and that if only you could take that information and turn it into reality…Oh my God, is this how all those world changers come to be so successful? By turning these dreams into reality?

Notes personally taken…

That is what I think of ‘The Dreamer’s story as. From the way that Pong and Tle’s first meeting is actually the exact same way that we last see them, to the two being such soulmates in that without even knowing it at all, or intending to, Tle was constantly motivating and inspiring Pong just from her everyday actions…Such perfection!

And the kiss!! Forget the drama kisses that you saw in Hormones! Forget all the others kisses that came out of nowhere, that felt unnecessary or unwarranted! Pong and Tle’s kiss was so perfectly timed that I did not even react like I usually do. I wasn’t screaming in surprise (in a good way)! I wasn’t hiding half of my face in embarrassment because it felt forced. I wasn’t frowning because it was not gained.

I was just blissfully happy when it actually happened because it was just so the right moment. And then I died a little when Pong just leaned in for another on her own accord opposite Tle instigating the first one, after that look of the two just drowning in each other’s souls through their eyes.

Perfect Kiss(es)!

But what was even more surprising to me was the fact that despite the two being so close, growing so close, if they had not ended up together, we viewers would not have felt cheated, at least not so much. There wasn’t promises that could have not been kept had things ended a different way. They did not go out of their way to make the two blatantly END-GAME. No one was lusting after the other. Even when we might have thought that Tle might have had a crush on Pong, something happens to let us know we know nothing!

When we think that Pong might actually have been gay all along, we find out that the thought had never even crossed her mind when her singer friend points out to her that Tle might have had a crush on her instead of Ted and Pong is surprised because Tle is a girl. She doesn’t over-react in a way that many straight characters are written and in fact she goes into detective mode to find out of Tle was actually in love with her. Which was actually pretty hilarious!

But then just as you would think that it was Tle’s chance to use that as a boost of motivation and come onto Pong, she is more thrown off by Pong’s suddenly strange behaviour. And even though soon after Tle does give her a deep glance that teases to there being some truth to the matter soon after, it ends up more of Pong being the one with more love towards Tle than Tle her.

I just loved this fact! Their relationship grew over time so perfectly in balance that be it turning out to be that they were not actually romantically attracted to one another, be it that they were, either road would have been perfectly plausible and acceptable. And it is this fact, despite the writers having the perfect escape route, they chose not to cower away. They raised their heads high, proud and gave us what has to be the best executed relationship ever!

It mostly definitely is my favourite development!

I will say it again; I implore you all to watch this show!

But you must be getting tired of all the text so how about some pics…

 

 
 

 

What could have happened had this been any other series!!!! Thank you Lord!
 
 

Fate!

Fuck red threads of Destiny! I will take this Death’s Design (Final Destination) type of Fate any other day!

 
Tle: I’m sorry Miss, we are closed (As you can see I’m in my nightie!)
Pong: That’s good then. It means there will be no one to interfere!

This was the two’s first ever exchange! And this…

 
Pong: I’m sorry Miss, we are closed!
Tle: Good. That means we will be alone!

Their very last exchange! How perfect, something so simple but o so perfect! I could eat this show for dessert!

I saw you looking Pong! (Not that I blame you >.<)

 
 

 

Okay, even if Tle ended up letting Pong stay, I found it really satisfying that she refused all Pong’s tries to let her stay. She even did the puppy dog eyes but Tle turned her down! Small things like this really made me connect with this show! There is no way that in the real world one would let a stranger stay the night in their shop like that. It wasn’t until Pong did the magic coffee trick, which was bound to hit home with a coffee freak like Tle that she was left to do her work there.

 
 
 

The moment when Pong realised what was missing in her mornings all her life!
 

They are listening to people having sex! I kid you not!

 

The first time Tle comes over to Pong’s apartment!

There was something about this scene here that got to me. We have seen and know how important those plants are to Pong. Seeing her let Tle all over her plants felt incredibly personal and kind of invasive! This moment alone would have been enough to turn me into a shipper at how comfortable Pong was with letting Tle play with her plants.

 

 

Another moment that was shared between the two like their first dialogue. Here Tle reads Pong’s fortune which will later fall onto Pong to read Tle’s fortune for her, which led to the incredible scene!

 

 
 

 

Double-tap, dear Readers, always Double-tap!
 
 
 

Yes, by that moment I meant the Kiss!!

Here is the kicker though! My brain turned to mush when I found that that at this moment Tle had already made up her mind about leaving! This kiss here was like her last resolve to perhaps not to have regrets or doing it as having nothing else to lose since she would be leaving and whatever happened afterwards, it wouldn’t have mattered because she wouldn’t be there to live with the consequences!

Worse still is the fact that the letter was right there in front of Pong! It was already written when she placed the cup down on it! She returned Tle’s kiss with fervour, thinking this a beginning of something incredible, the real beginning of her life! Not knowing that this was actually the exact opposite to Tle! To her this was the end of something incredible in her life. It was that fact that gave her the courage to kiss Pong.

Knowing this after you see what happens the next day just…

Dear you all writers out there, this is how you do emotions! This is how you write relationships! Even when you actually give us a BAD-END, you never deliver it right! Here, where we don’t even get the BAD-END, we actually get a better separation than when we actually get a BAD-END!

I love this mini-series!

 
Tle roling her eyes at ted trying to hit on her. She’s  like bitch pls!
 

 
 
 

This really had so much potential to end badly dear Readers. Seriously, at this moment I am just amazed at how we got a BEST-END! I still can’t fathom it! All the partial yuri we have had so far has really spoiled our brains, eh?

In those last caps when Pong asks ted if he had the hots for Tle and ted saying that he already had someone he loves then he gives Pong this look! That would have been a really big dip in development because our main heroine would had started to get confused at that moment! But not Pong! And it wasn’t that she did not know! She knew ted liked her, and even if she didn’t, she would have during that moment but Pong did not fall into the usual trap! She just gave Ted this ‘What’s your point’ look!

Again, I love this show!

 
 
 

Those looks, those smiles!
 
 

First sleep over (in the same damn bed!)
 
 
Pong just admiring the beauty before her eyes. What a view to wake up to!
 
 

They are married, those plants are their children!

My God!

And is the colour palette suddenly different this morning or is it me?! The way Pong woke up then proceeded to look to he place beside her indicating that the two had slept together in the same bed but not going out of their way to blatantly show it to us. This is perfect story-telling right here!

Those longing gazes from Pong as she watches Tle on the veranda with her beloved plants! Jesus! If this were a dream, I wouldn’t even care! And given the colour palette maybe they were going for the cross between dream and reality, telling us subtly (again, perfection)  how Pong’s feelings towards Tle were changing!

This show, dear Readers, this show…>.<

 
 
Tle being all cute because she was shy of Pong seeing her in such a situation! Awww

Girl, where did you pull that candle out of?!
 
 
 
Might as well use that as an opportunity, eh? ^_-

 
 
 
 
She Knows!!
 
Bitch, get out of that T-shirt! You don’t deserve it!
 
 
Like a Boss!
 

All the damn physical contacts!

 
Best. Pal. Ever!

I so wish I had a friend like her! Not only is she cool as Alps but she is as big a badass! Did you see the way she brushed off the injury like it was just a scratch and just continued on playing her music amidst all the chaos?! Man, I wouldn’t even have been mad if it turned out that she was Pong’s first lay. But like I said, Pong is probably even a virgin!

In fact it was actually Da who pointed out things for Pong, letting her know that Tle didn’t have a crush on ted but rather her. She appeared with a storm and left behind one too. That Da, she is so awesome!

And just as her car pulls away, we find out that Ted was right behind them in an ambulance and that he had heard the whole conversation! And while, once again, in another story this would have changed things, all it seemed to do was slap reality into Ted, showing him that he might after all not have had a chance at Pong. I mean not that I blame him, who could compete with Tle?

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

Da got you good Pong, she got you good!

And what followed was the hilarity of Pong being jealous of Da because it seemed like Tle was taken with her asking for her autograph. And also what I mentioned before of Pong trying to find the signs that Tle had a crush on her but then turning out to be the weirdo! Damn these two ..,

 
 
 
 

Now Kiss…Oh right, this isn;t that kind of show!
 
 
Just an example of how Tle’s simple actions inspire Pong!

Seriously, these two were meant to be together!

 
 
 
 
Meaningful tears!

 
 
 

Relatable worries and partners providing actual useful comfort!
 
 
 
Those gazes! Jesus!

That scene after the Kiss!! Someone’s heart is all sunshine!
 
 
 

I was so ready to do something stupid at this moment!
 

What is life after all this?! Really?!
 
To be treasured…forever!
 
 
 

This doesn’t happen! I was right in screaming my head off in sheer happiness!

 
 

 

Most, hated, words, ever!

I apologise dear Readers. I did not know how damaging those two words are. I hereby swear to never, ever, use those two words ever again!

And there you have it! Perfect score for this series! I don’t care about the length anymore because I just know that if they had more time, many things would have happened, many bad things! More chances of making the wrong decisions, following the usual tropes in order to fill in the gaps!

No, this was the perfect mini-series! And if they are all going to be like this, I would rather have them short than drugged out stories that won’t manage to escape the usual formula!

Dear all that were involved in the making of this treasure of a show, I am forever grateful to you! I know it is only Feb but dear Thailand, 2016 belongs to you in the yuri department!

Finally,

GO WATCH THIS SHOW!!!!