#khem is chatra's happiness

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

Khem เขม

a look at his name

Khem's name was much trickier than Chatra's to pin down. (of course I did both of them)

It wasn't on any of the "name lists" you can find.

I did come across a "Khem," which means "needle," as in a sewing needle but it was listed as a girl's name. (a lot of Thai names are gendered.)

The closest boy's name I could find was "KhemKhaeng" which means "strong."

So I looked for "Khem," as a word and initially I found a khem which means "Dark" or "Strong," but it was spelled like this เข้ม which is very similar to Khem's Thai spelling but not the same.

Khem เขม Vs khem เข้ม

So I kept looking and eventually I found Khem, with the correct Thai spelling and it means...

Happiness / Comfort

(freedom from danger/trouble is also listed.)

Now, I am not a native Thai speaker so there could be something I've missed but I think this name meaning is quite fitting because we learn from Khem that he was abandoned as a baby, left in a cloth and nothing else.

He was raised by an old monk, so very likely taken in by a temple.

This monk must have given Khem his name and considering Buddhist values, I think naming an orphaned baby "Happiness/Comfort," seems quite plausible.

Khem has been taken in by the temple and under Buddha's guidance he will be happy and safe from the dangers of the outside world.

When he's not in danger / being objectified or bullied, Khem is quite a happy, carefree individual.

Apo has spoken about that in interviews, Khem retains an innocent naiveté, despite the darkness he is frequently surrounded by. An example is how quickly he reveals his real purpose for being in Man Suang to a visibly shocked Chatra.

He has a strong sense of justice and makes the best of his situation.

Khem is also a source of happiness for Chatra. We don't see Chatra smile that often in the film but when he does, it is usually at Khem and/or their baby Ruang.

[aikawa-kazuki]

man suang trailer dropped

[gunsatthaphan]

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: January 2024 ~ 

✨ Happy February!!! 🎭

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post! 

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank In Hen - January 2nd (Japan) 

🌟 Ossan's Love Returns - January 5th (Japan) 

🌟 Refund Love - January 7th (Thailand) 

🌟 Time The Series - January 9th (Thailand) 

🌟 Intern in My Heart (BL side couple) - January 10th (Thailand) 

🌟 Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (Although I Love You, and You) - January 11th (Japan) 

🌟 Beside You (mini series) - January 11th (Thailand) 

🌟 I Wish You Love - January 21st (Thailand) 

🌟 Happy Ending - January 23rd (South Korea)

🌟 Love for Love's Sake - January 24th (South Korea)

Monthly likes/dislikes

👎🏻 I've been catching up on some KBLs from last year this month and sadly most of them were very disappointing. I put a few on my watchlist that generally had good reviews but yeah let's just say I'm glad I didn't miss anything in the last 2 years lol. The only one I liked was Love Mate, the rest was pretty much pointless. Hopefully the upcoming ones will be better 🤞🏻

New series & movie announcements

🎥 Beating Again (dance-themed, starring Kaownah K., Earth K. and others) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Unknown - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 The Book Store - Date TBA (South Korea)

🎥 Term Begins - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Mafia Prince and the Bookworm - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Black Forest - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Go Alone With Me - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Can I Love You? - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 The Shining Star - Date TBA (Vietnam)

🎥 At My Fingertips (Unintentional Love Story spinoff) - Coming May 2024 (South Korea)

🎥 Connecting To You - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 The Star (movie) - Coming March 2024 (Thailand)

🎥 What's the Nong? - Date TBA (Thailand)

Other news from the BL world

❗️ Actors Mike Chinnarat, Fluke Pusit, White Nawat, Pluem Purim and Lee Thanat have left GMMTV.

❗️ After Korean actor Choo Youngwoo won an award for "Best Rookie Actor" at the recent KBS Drama Awards, he came under fire for not mentioning his participation in the BL You Make Me Dance which launched his career and earned him the award.

❗️ Actors Jin Hoeun (All Of Us are Dead), Kwon Hyuk (The New Employee), Byun Junseo (Perfect Marriage Revenge) and Nam Yoonsu (Extracurricular) have been confirmed to star in the upcoming BL Love In The Big City, which portrays the life and love of an HIV-positive gay writer.

❗️ ZeeNunew and GeminiFourth won an award respectively for "Best Thai Artists" at this year's Seoul Music Awards.

❗️ The Chinese BL Stay with Me is getting an audiobook. The series furthermore recently confirmed its second season, further details are unknown.

❗️ Over a year after its initial premiere, the Thai BL To Sir, With Love won "Popular Foreign Drama” at this years's Vietnam Face Of The Year Awards.

❗️ The Thai BL Playboyy will no longer air on youtube after the suspension of the channel due to explicit sexual content. The show will continue to exclusively air on Gagaoolala, as well as RakutenTV.

❗️ Actors EarthMix had a cameo appearance in Ossan's Love Returns; they will star in the Thai adaption of the same name later this year. Details about the production are still unknown.

❗️ MileApo (KinnPorsche) were announced to star in the upcoming series Shine. The show is an extension/spinoff of Man Suang and focuses on Khem and Chatra's story in more detail.

Upcoming series & movies for February

👉🏻 Anti Reset - February 2nd (Taiwan)

👉🏻 Perfect Proposal - February 2nd (Japan)

👉🏻 City of Stars - February 2nd (Thailand)

👉🏻 Love Syndrome: The Beginning - February 8th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Baka Pwede pa? - February 9th (Philippines)

👉🏻 1000 Years Old - February 14th (Thailand)

👉🏻 My Strawberry Film - February 16th (Japan)

👉🏻 A Secret Love - February 17th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Unknown - February 24th (Taiwan)

👉🏻 Wedding Impossible - February 26th (South Korea)

👉🏻 Kiseki Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 - February TBA (Thailand)

[mileapo]

Dynamic Duo Mile & Apo

With a warm personality, these two actors talked about cultural projects that represent soft power.

Harper's Bazaar (HB): What was your first impression of Indonesia? Mile (M): I have known Indonesia since elementary school and Indonesia seems to have a very interesting culture. The first impression when he was an adult came from feedback from Indonesian fans on social media . The moment I landed, I felt very familiar, like I was at home. Apo (A): The first impression of Indonesia for me came from Indonesian fans , because previously I only saw it on social media . This visit in Jakarta was the first moment I met them. Previously I had been to Bali and I felt that Bali had a good, cozy culture. Balinese people are also very friendly.

HB: Still talking about impressions. What was your first impression of each other? M: My impression when I first saw Apo was the character Zhan Zhao in the series Justice Bao (Zhan Zhao is Judge Bao's secretary) . At that time I first met Apo at a fashion show , that's where I realized the similarity. A: Mile was very friendly and gentle, it made a big impression on me. I officially met him at a fashion show . But apart from that I've met him at the gym. Actually, Mile and I studied at the same university. Mile is a senior, I am a junior, but in different majors. We are 2 or 3 years apart.

HB: How would you compare the completed projects you have worked on with ManSuang? What's special about this film? M: If we compare it, the format of the previous project was a series and this time the format is a film. There are differences between the two formats in terms of how they are produced. Then the things that stand out from the main theme of this film are the cultural, historical side, even the act of inspection. So a combination of main themes like this is very different from the previous one. A: My previous projects were generally roles in soap operas or series, they were long term. In the film ManSuang, the duration is only two hours. In ManSuang it seems like the audience shares their imagination with the characters in the film, while I feel that in soap operas the audience just watches. Apart from that, ManSuang is a story about Thailand , about the culture and stories about the people.

HB: Tell us about your tour to Jakarta this time. M: Our main goal here is actually to meet and greet fans directly. We want them to see the real ManSuang in Jakarta. We also try so that fans can watch our performance live on stage, even though we only show snippets of scenes from films. So far there are 4 cities in Asia that we will visit, Jakarta is the first. A: So in this tour we will bring the audience to feel the atmosphere inside ManSuang, which is an imaginary place that makes people happy. Moreover, this was the first moment the Be On Cloud team and Indonesian fans met in person, so this was a very beautiful experience.

HB: Talking about your character in ManSuang, what did you prepare to get into before filming? M: For me there are two ways, inside out and outside in. Not how to play it, but how to think about playing that role. Inside out is how I introduce the character named Chatra, how his life is, what his father and mother are like. And outside in is how to study the era of 1850 (this is the setting of the year in the film ManSuang) , what the culture was like at that time. For example, how people at that time interacted with foreigners, the way they spoke. In those days, people couldn't speak English or Chinese well, so if someone was able to do so, then he was someone special. There are differences in ways of speaking and behaving. We wanted to immortalize that moment. A: At first I learned about Khem's character. He loves dancing so I had to learn it before starting the shoot. I am from the generation that lives in the present, while Khem lives in the past, so I have to learn how the old people thought, danced, and what their thought patterns were. I have to train the flexibility of my fingers so that I can display the beauty of the dance, as well as practicing my body movements so that I can look like a picture in a painting. If you have ever visited a temple in Thailand, there are pictures of dancing on the walls. I tried to be like what was in the picture and ended up studying dance for 8 months. Then, apart from trying to show Thai culture, I also explored the character development of Khem .

HB: After finishing all this busy work, what would an ideal rest day look like for you? M: Basically I like everything related to guitar. Then I also like watching concerts, thirdly I like sports. Then lastly, I like to drink when I have free time. A: I like nature. Just sitting in the front yard of the house is already a break for me, the important thing is there must be delicious food or snacks .

[aeternallis]

Are you looking forward to Wuju Bakery and/or Happy Ending? As a huge Kimchay girlie I’m kind of conflicted myself. I really hope I’ll be able to enjoy these upcoming shows, but from previous experience I’ve noticed that if a show and its characters are too iconic for me I have trouble enjoying other characters played by the actors who have life to said iconic characters. For instance, my immense enjoyment of the characters of Kinn, Porsche and Vegas prevented me from liking Chatra and Khem in Man Suang and Great in 4 minutes (despite my best efforts, I kept wishing for the return of the KP characters instead). Despite their objectively high quality,all these new shows/movies feel like consolation prizes to me compared to if we would have gotten a KP season 2. Therefore,as a Kimchay enjoyer,I’m a bit worried that if I end up watching Wuju or HE I’ll just keep wishing the shows were about Kimchay instead (trying to rationally convince myself to feel otherwise probably won’t help cause it’s about feelings after all). I guess with Kimchay especially it is kind of hard to move on since we never got the much needed closure with these two.I’m torn between not watching at all or possibly bingewatching after the shows have aired if other Kimchay fans seem to enjoy the shows. I know this is probably a really weird ask (also is this controversial I don’t know lol), but I guess I just wanted to share my thoughts with another Kimchay fan whose writing I like.

Heyyaaa nonnie! <3

Thank you for the ask, apologies for taking a bit to answer this, and no worries, this isn’t weird at all! I’m flattered my writing gave you enough comfort that you were able to vent some of your feelings! I don’t think this ask is controversial at all, it’s your feelings. It’s valid. Period.

Controversy has nothing to do with it, and if some peeps think it is, obviously they need to touch grass. Like, not just touch it, but reallllyyyyy feel the smooth surfaces of each blade of grass, maybe even smell it, to really ground themselves to reality, yknow?

As for Wuju Bakery and Happy Ending, I’m vaguely looking forward to them, since there was always a question(s) in the back of my mind that I wanted to get an answer to: is Jeff and Barcode’s chemistry in KinnPorsche a one-off because of KimChay’s storyline in particular? And are they able to build chemistry once more, one that doesn’t rely on the chemistry they had when they played KimChay?

And idk nonnie, this might just be me projecting some of my own feelings, but I think there is some thread of similarity between you and I that we see JeffBarcode and KimChay as two completely separate entities. (Please feel free to send me a message again if I got this part wrong! XD)

Like, ngl—I love Kim Theerapanyakul and Porchay Kittisawasd as characters, they’re both very complicated, and I adore writing character studies about them, but I’m really not that big a fan of either of their actors, haha.

I’m not an anti-fan by any means, I like some of Jeff’s songs, even went to his concert last year, and he has an A++ face card, but otherwise? He’s just another celebrity playing the game to me.

Same with Barcode; he’s cute and he’s a hard worker, but I don’t feel any inclination to follow his progress. Hope he’s been doing well~

I think it may be much harder to look forward to Wuju Bakery and Happy Ending, because our attachment of KimChay goes beyond a superficial level. I’m not saying that those who are excited about the other two shows are superficial, but that KimChay as a pair of characters are able to exist entirely on their own. When I see the promotional images of KimChay when they were first released, I see two characters, not two actors. Their story can completely stand on its own, without having to rely on their actors to do other shows together, in order to keep KimChay alive.

I’ve mentioned it a few times and have always been a firm believer that BOC changed up KimChay’s storyline in the show in order to make them stand out from the other two.

Did they succeed? I think they did. And does that make sense? God, I hope it does. Lmao~

I think that’s partly the reason why it may have been hard for you to also enjoy Man Suang and 4 Minutes; the story for both shows couldn’t fully stand on their own, not enough to pull you out of the KPTS hellhole, alas alas~ When you see Chat, Khem, and Great, you don’t see them as their characters in their respective stories, you see the vessels of Porsche, Kinn, and Vegas.

Ngl, I adored Man Suang as I adore most historical films, but the story was kinda boring. Haha! I’m not too much into mystery stories, and the pacing was awkward. I didn’t watch 4 Minutes!

For all its flaws, KPTS I think still has many on a chokehold because there’s something about what the characters in that show experience that’s both very raw and just so relatable, yknow? Who hasn’t struggled with money, or impossible parental expectations? Who hasn’t experienced some form of heartbreak and betrayal in their lives? These experiences felt real in the show, because they echo some of our own.

Compare that to getting involved with conspiracy and murder (I’m assuming most of us here are not involved in murder) or supernatural dreaming, and meh? For some like us, it just doesn’t hold a candle. 😆 And that’s okay!

At the end of the day, I say go with your gut feeling, nonnie~ If you decide to binge watch Wuju Bakery and Happy Ending later on, go for it~ Sometimes there’s only one way to find out what our feelings are.

But if you also don’t feel a strong inclination to feel excited for these two upcoming shows, that’s okay too. In fact, that might be better, you’re not as tortured by the wait. Lmaooo~ KimChay’s not going anywhere, so just enjoy them and immerse yourself in their story as much as you want!

[tiedankelstotheocean]

Man Suang Live Reaction

HEAVY SPOILER ALERTS!!!

That creepy guy from the beginning I'm kinda glad he's dead.

Wan you poor dumb boy why did you pull the knife

The intro song is epic

Damn Be on Cloud can you say Production Value!! The extras and the market sets!

Yo looser your creep nephew wasn't killed by them.

TTTTOOOONNNNGGG!! Looking fine baby that opium pipe is beautiful.

Poor Wan I want to give him a hug.

Ohh that reaction is Wan related to the Chinese gangsters.

Again Production value come through!

God even laying there Apo is beautiful.

That scene was a tad overacted.

MIIIILLEEEE or should I say.... CHATRA!!

Kitty!!!😻 Also Mile is beautiful

The dance teacher is so pretty

Oooh I see Chatra is interested... A self-trained dancer

Sir you're supposed to be undercover what see you fighting?

Tong look at you. I need him to play more serious dramas, look at him he's so elegant.

So Tong is Khun Hong.

I like the lord he's quietly menacing. Though leave Khem alone.

Ouch!

Pretty!!!

Look at him dance.

Right Miss pretty teach he's wonderful

Go Chatra with the drums.

You know they said Chatra acts sort if regal what if he's related to prince in some way. Maybe he's the prince?

Yay the official dance

PING!!

Hey the other dancer is pretty.

Yes Lord be smitten

Yeah baby boy you can do as you please. Shes right and you're undercover again!!!

Oh why are there so many creeps around our pretty boy??

Kitty, cheer him up.

Oh my god it's happening!!

You did a good job today 😭

You did a good job again ��😭😭😭

You know for now hit him (but don't you're undercover)

Yes no whoreophobia in this house

Oh you didn't just hit Wan that's my child. Fuck them up.

Yes Chatra!!

Miss teach make them walk through coals.

Oh look it's our boys.. So cute

He is charming right.

Ok who the fuck is in charge of this translation copulate, bollocks? Even for someone who spent 6 years in Scotland it's a bit eh.

Okay Chatra is definitely important

Okay this scene is cute but the pacing feels a tad off.

Ok we're back the pacing feels right again cute but I'd have shortened the scene and skipped to this part.

Yeah I loved this scene if have played the other scene with the treasure a lot more serious

Okay Chatra might not be trusted.

Oh I have the same coffee shot cups. They're great for Ethiopian brew.

Investigation time

Oh my god well that's a gruesome way to go.do we think Khun Hong is behind this?

Yeah now he isnt!

Poor Wan

Okay I want Bas to play a very serious drama I mean breakbreak and crying serious.

Poor wan again dude please calm down

ping!

Oh no Wan.

But seriously I want Bas in a serious drama Make it happen BOC give him something to cry in.

Also why Wan what about Khem?

You know nothing Khun Heng!

BOC give Tong the Leading man status.

Noooooooo Khun Hong!!!!

Khun Hong 😭😭😭😭.

Chatra!! What the fuck?????????

Goddamn Chatra!

I mean you couldn't have said that before pulling a gun on him??

Oh god no.

Yeah Wens gonna loose it.

Tiang you bitch I know you're somehow involved in this.

I really like the villain I want to see him in more things.

Okay Tiang may not be as involved as I thought but he's still a bitch that killed his brother (and father).

TOOOOOONNNNNGG. Yes baby girl!

But that looser ass bitch up.

Yes plans plans baby

Yeah great fight a tab over acted again (some strange director decisions here).

Wan, please don't betray Khem both sides are shit here.

Apoo god he's so pretty here.

Way to make an entrance baby.

Yeah the rose is hitting me hard now

Are you sure that the ciggies aren't laced with opium? Wan seems to loose it whenever he smokes

Yes Tong for the drama!!!!!

Oh no Wan please.

Hahahhaba that superhero ass battle stations pose.wtf was that?

Ok mr overactor. Tiang pleasr leave.

Ahh the one-handed gun operation I lothe well comeback.

Not Hong leave Wan be!

No wan I want to give him a hug 😭😭😭😭😭

Waaaaaan.....noooooooooooo

And a happy ending was had (for some baby boy wan well)

Well I am to drunk to write more so lookout got my final thoughts and writing tomorrow but I'll leave you with that Bas surprised me the most and I want more of him!!!

Night everyone

[chelleofchaos]

Words We Never Said

✧ Universe: ManSuang

✧ Pairing: Chat x Khem

✧ Style: One-Shot

✧ Status: Complete

✧ AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62031337

✧ Summary:

After a year away from his home, Chatra returns to ManSuang with a heart full of hope and yet he was riddled with anxiety.

Had his dazzling dancer, Khem, forgotten him? Would he be humiliated for coming back for someone who had moved on? Enlisting Hong's help, they concoct a delightful surprise for Khem that includes love letters, a drummer's song, and gold jewelry with the hopes of a happy reunion.

Khem becomes mesmerized by all the pieces that point to the one who ran away with his heart.

✧ Beta read by BlingBling30

✧ Dedicated to my Maria (Coldties)

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

Khem and Chatra

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

How I imagine Khem and Chatra at the end of When The Nightingale Sings.

Happy and carefree (at least for the moment,) on a beautiful beach or by a river.