First, let me admit my bias. Everyone knows I love Idol Factory, The Boss, Saint Suppapong and Secret Crush on You and I was looking forward to this story. Gap is the first Girls Love (GL) in Thailand, where thein the first placeTwo women are at the center of the story. It is based on the novel Gap Yuri by Chao Planoy. The book is available in English through the MEB Market app or website.
Recently, we've seen some side girl couples who love dramatic couples, like the couple Pa and Ink in Bad Buddy. And we saw some GL from other countries, likechasing the sunsetYpearl on the sidefrom the Philippines, although I think Pearl is bisexual. There are also some from Korea and Taiwan. But these examples lack the length and breadth of most BL narratives: the number of episodes is fewer and the running time is shorter than standard BLs. the excellentchasing the sunsetit only had five episodes, each lasting 30 minutes.pearl on the sideit had eight episodes of 30 minutes each.
gap diagram:
Mon is a young woman who goes to work at her idol's company. Her idol is Khun Sam, a wealthy mama luang (a person with family ties to the royal family) who owns her own business: an online entertainment publication. Mon closely follows Khun Sam's life; After having a meaningful interaction with Sam at a young age, he cuts through the society pages and saves pictures of her.
She meets Sam, who is not how she remembers him from her childhood memories. Sam is wild, cold and distant.
The two seem different, but the more time they spend together, the closer they become. There are many obstacles to overcome for your love to be successful. They come from different social classes; Both are women, Khun Sam has a fiance and she is a member of the royal bloodline with a controlling grandmother. What will happen to them?
Where to see:
Gap will run for 12 episodes. Episode 1 on YouTube lasted about 75 minutes. It will be broadcast on Channel 3 with a desirable time slot of 11pm. m. THA, followed by a midnight release on the Idol Factory YouTube channel. The Midnight YouTube release will be available immediately with English subtitles and will contain additional footage not seen in the streaming version, which is being described as "uncut". Many more languages will follow including German, Italian, Indonesian and many others. They might be a week behind, but look for them if another language is your primary language.
Gap is truly innovative and there were no sponsors involved during its production. Saint made this series hard-working, doing a lot of work himself and using his life savings as CEO. He strongly believes in this:
equivalence
He believes in it so much that he put his own money into this production. And from the first episode I can say it's fabulous, they spared no effort. The costumes are top-notch, the sets are beautiful, the cinematography uses state-of-the-art equipment, and the entire series is beautifully shot.4K (3840 x 2160).
So I'll add a few words from Saint himself. There are English subtitles thanks to a good channel that has subtitled content from Becky and Freen.
— Dragon MingEr Philippines 🇵🇭 (@DragonMingErPH) November 22, 2022"It's an opportunity for society to see something that hasn't happened yet so that one day it might happen." –@saint_sup
Someone has to start for others to follow. The Saint's goal has been achieved, many GL are coming.#saint_sup #MingEr#frenbeck #idolfactoryTH#GAPtheserien #pink theory pic.twitter.com/dxyAkdWEEK
He hopes this program will help shed light and promote change on LGBTQ+ rights in Thailand. It's more than a BL/GL; It is a way of bringing up issues of social equality. I am proud to be a fan of someone so passionate about the equal right to love.
Made by:
Holy Suppapong Udomkaewkanjana
Chen Sodpho from Idol Factory Thailand
Directed by:
Nuttapong Wongkaveepairoj
Pour:
becky amstronglike mine
Freen Sarocha Chankimhalike sam
Heng Asavarid Pinitkanjanapunlike kirk
As Urasaya Malaiwonglike juki
No Ratchanon Kanpianglike nop
Looknam Orntara Polesaklike jim
Noah Vorrakittikun the nationlike t-shirt
Episode 1
We start with a beautiful photo of Bangkok and then move on to Mon, who tells us about how her idol feels inside her. I can relate. Especially when you feel down, sad or need inspiration or encouragement, your idol can make you feel better, smile and inspire you to do your best. This parasocial relationship can be good, especially for those struggling to get through tough times. Those are my two cents. And I feel a little empowered when I see a wall of Khun Sam pictures in her mirror (although mine are in a small photo album, does that make it any better? 🤣).
Mon and her friend Yuki go to a BillySeng concert, which freaks me out. It's a great way to get in on a guest appearance and invite fans as extras. Good marketing and money saving because fans will be more excited to be on set. And they are happy to come and work for free to be close to their idols.
The cinematography is excellent in the first year episode. The colors are strong and well saturated. However, backgrounds are softer, with a shallow depth of field. Cover it up with some lens flare to make everything look like a dream. I really liked the optics.
We discover that when he was a teenager, Sam saved Mon and a cute dog from being hit by a car. Sam wanted to keep the dog but couldn't, so she tearfully begged Mon's mother to take the dog with her. Mon asked her mother so sweetly and said that she wouldn't want to see Khun Sam crying, such a cute little girl.
As the story progresses, we see that the Sam Mon he thought he knew is not the same Sam who is currently his boss. She is a tough boss with undeniable style, coolness, stoicism and hiding her emotions.
Just like in BL, there are tropes that we see in this GL. We know from the preview that it's going to be an office romance between the two, but Khun Sam fires a couple and makes them a public example for breaking the rule and dating in the office. This scene is followed by a scene that beautifully captures her feelings. Sam goes to the roof of his building. Alone, he looks at the buildings and breathes a sigh of relief. You can see it's been difficult for her, but here she is literally upstairs, alone and with no one to share her burdens or worries.
Another discovered trope is falling into the arms of the person you like. Repeatedly, Mon seems unsteady around Sam, her heart pounding and her feet wobbly, causing her to fall on top of Khun Sam if she stumbles. HeEsMore cute.
We also see the dichotomy between the two families when showing both houses to the public. We have Mon, a young man who lives in a middle-class house with his mother and stepfather. She has loving parents and a dog. Her world is warm and she is supported.
We see Sam visiting his grandmother, who is cold, old-fashioned and domineering. Granny sees Sam as someone who will bend to her will, which is to marry her, give up his career, and have kids. Grandma places great importance on formality and her status as a distant relative of the royal family. They eat at a huge, widely separated table with Sam, Grandma, and Kirk, Sam's fiancé and business partner. Dinner is quiet and cold as Sam is overwhelmed with expectations.
When Sam returns to his huge house, he lights candles, turns on the opera, and drinks wine while taking a shower. Despite all these luxurious comforts, she is neither relaxed nor happy. She feels lonely and stressed about whether or not she can make the company a success. She asked for five years and is only four years old, but she hasn't achieved that success yet.
This is where Mon comes in. He has new ideas and isn't afraid to give Sam feedback. So what will happen next? Can't wait to find out.
Some changes in the series deviate from the novel, which I'll leave here. In the flashback, we see that Mon's mother looks like an upper-class female school teacher. In the novel, her mother is the school's janitor and cleaner. Mon travels a long distance by bus every day to work from her small house. Apparently, they decided to narrow the gap between her social class and her age a bit. It makes sense why the age difference between Freen and Becky isn't that big. And as for social classes, where Mon belongs to the middle class; She has a nice house, good wardrobe, etc.
From what I can tell, the two face some obstacles. You must overcome granny's disapproval. Kurt, Sam's fiance; No, a friend of Mon's who has a crush on her; the company policy prepared by Sam; and society. That's a huge hurdle to overcome in "only" 12 episodes.
Is it bright, exhilarating and strong?
Not yet, but it's a good start.
It makes me smile and I'm glad they're together. Ultimately, I want love to win, regardless of class, age, race, gender, or whatever tries to act as a barrier.
Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. [View our assessment guide]