"The Shipper" is a commendable work of Thai television drama under GMMTV. When I watched the trailer, I instantly knew that this is going to be a nice drama. But when I watched Episode 1, it exceeded my expectations. This drama is a gem! I think this is one of the best, all-around Thai TV dramas ever created by GMMTV and it's a pity avid BL fans are simply "waiting to see if it's BL" (even when it's actually not).
"The Shipper" is worth the praise and the viewers' time because of the following aspects (avid BL fans have probably overlooked for the sake of their focusing on love teams):
(1) Remarkable screenwriting - This is evident on the drama's plot/story and theme/topics/issues/theses presented, the flow/presentation of the plot (through cam/cast directions and literary techniques such as cliffhangers), the human and relatable character development, the skilled mixing of comedy, romance, and drama, and the cast members' lines. All of these and the drama's overall momentum was maintained until the very last scenes.
(2) Directing and the cast members' acting - Kanaphan Puitrakul skillfully managed to play two characters (as Pan in Kim's body, and as original Kim), with an acting that is realistic, fun at some points (but not too exaggerated), and heart-rending in dramatic scenes. Notable acting performances include those of Sureeyaret Yakaret (as Pan), Pawat Chittsawangdee (as Khet), Kanyarat Ruangrung (as Soda), Pusit Dithapisit (as Way), and Benyapa Jeaprasom (as Phingphing).
But of course, those performances are put into amazing execution as whelmed by Director Aticha Tanthanawigrai, who also heads the writing team that wrote the drama's screenplay. The high-quality performance in the drama shows how talented she is as a screenwriter and director. In fact, she has also written the screenplay for a critically acclaimed Netflix drama "Girl From Nowhere."
(3) Cinematography, as evident in the camera shots and angles, the harmony of colors and the lighting.
This is a no wonder since Parbdee Taweesuk, the producer for "The Shipper," was also the producer for the critically acclaimed One31 series "The Gifted" and is the producer for its sequel "The Gifted: Graduation."
(4) Musical score (a.k.a. background music) - A high-quality film or TV drama should not only look well but sounds well. For "The Shipper," I did not only enjoy watching it, but I also enjoyed listening to it! Its use of a main theme (based from its main theme song "Kae Glai Glai"), another theme score based on the second theme song "Chan Pen Khong Thoe Thukwan," and its other musical scores that naturally fit and flow/blend with the scenes are worth the praise.
The aforementioned points show that "The Shipper" really deserves the hype and praise its predecessor "2gether" had. But it saddens me that "The Shipper" is relatively underrated and is grossly misunderstood (worse, hated) by many viewers, most of them being avid fans of the boy's love (BL) genre.
I do not wish to make hasty generalizations, or trigger arguments or debates. I do not have anything against BL fans or the BL genre (in fact, I also watch BL), but reading the comments made under "The Shipper" (since Ep. 1) made me realize many had misunderstood this drama, had let their BL biases/fantasies/prejudices/stereotypes define this drama and blur out the its real essence and beauty, and focused only on the love teams instead of letting the drama unfold by itself in front of their eyes.
One of the greatest misunderstandings on "The Shipper" is that this is a BL drama and its story focuses on the "main characters" Kim and Way. This is very, very wrong and twisted.
Since the time I watched the trailer for "The Shipper," I knew at once that this isn't a BL drama: this is more of a fantasy/romcom/coming-of-age drama.
I believe this drama never aimed at (what most avid BL fans say) "toying with" their "emotions," if this will "turn into a BL" or not or their "ships" will sink or not. I think the avid fans of the genre are somewhat misled to think this is going to be a BL series since it presented boy-boy pairings/relationships. But the boy-boy relationships were:
(1) borne out of the characters Pan and Soda's yaoi Kim×Way fan fiction,
(2) due to the body swap, and;
(3) are only secondary aspects to the plot.
The boy-boy pairings were never the centerpiece of the story nor its topic; if the opposite was true, then this series could have been BL (e.g. "2gether," "Our Skyy," "Theory of Love").
Analyzing carefully, one would see that the plot of "The Shipper" centers on the main "shipper," the main character Pan herself, and the chain of events (and the realizations) that will follow after her accidental body swap with one of the boys she ships, the character Kim.
Contrary to popular biases, Kim was NEVER the protagonist: it's actually Pan.
The character Kim even had relatively little screentime than other characters, albeit his character is central to the plot development. Despite Kim not appearing physically (and spiritually) in most espisodes, his presence and role in the drama is immortalized and made important through Pan, Way, Khet, Soda, Phingphing, and other supporting characters: they make Kim alive in the drama in parts when he is not present.
The drama's plot focused on:
(1) Pan being a shipper, and her self-realization of her being a shipper (particularly on shipping Kim and Way) and its pros and cons. For this aspect, there have been important takeaways from the drama. To name a few:
- Pan not REALLY knowing things about Kim and the fictitious image she had had created out of what she can only see about Kim
- Pan knowing things about simple people who are actually great, and knowing things about people she think are great but are not (reminiscent of Saint-Exupery's quote "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.")
(2) Pan's attempts in pretending to be Kim while the real Kim is in missing (revealed to have died in latter episodes), and the consequences and realizations of her actions: will it make things better or worse for Kim and Way, for Phingphing, for Soda, for Khet, and for her?
I hope BL fans and non-BL fans alike will appreciate this drama, not being engrossed with love teams but on the technical, literary, and dramatic aspects of the drama.
I wish not to start a debate or to create hasty generalizations, but I think many BL fans (but not all) - and many other avid viewers of Korean, Thai, or any TV drama - directly look for love teams first, instead of asking first in-depth the question "What is it all about?"
Do all dramas depicting romance put its love teams in centerstage?
Do all dramas depicting boy-boy relationships immediately belong to the BL genre?
Do all dramas have to have happy endings (e.g. "the couple lives happily ever after" kind of ending)?
Do we always have to define dramas based on what love teams are in it? Isn't it a shallow, perfunctory, or lazy way of thinking while experiencing or consuming the art of TV dramas?
I think many BL fans (but not all) put their expectations or their biases first and foremost in watching dramas. I don't say having expectations or biases is bad - in fact, it's natural. I'm not saying having romance or love teams are bad. But I think it is better instead to let the drama, in all its elements and technicalities, unfold by itself in front of our eyes.
There are many things I want to say, many thing about "The Shipper" that are worth analyzing and pointing out, but I want this review to be uploaded as soon as possible, hoping I can help in opening the minds of avid BL fans into the beauty of this gem of Thai TV drama.
Those who appreciate and deeply understand "The Shipper" and recognize the efforts of Director Tanthanawigrai, Parbdee Taweesuk, and the cast members are those who know how to consume TV dramas/series with a critical and analytical mind.
Congrats to Director Tanthanawigrai and thank you for giving us a wonderful viewing experience with "The Shipper"! You, the cast, the production, and "The Shipper" in general deserve way more than what you received right now. Please don't be saddened by negative comments or lower viewership. Just know that "The Shipper" will definitely go down as one of the best Thai dramas ever created in all aspects - technical, literary, and dramatic. Thank you for giving us such a beautiful series! We love you all!
