If you were to find out that you are connected to your soulmate by a thread, would you believe it?
By Patricia Cruz/EMZ
The red thread of fate, a Chinese myth of love, says that a red thread intertwines you and your destined lover’s fate regardless of time and place. This was what brought two lost souls together, Dean and Pharm, who were trapped in the fate of their past selves, Korn and Intouch.
When the pandemic struck, people found new hobbies and pastimes, and the recent hype for “Boys’ love” dramas is no exception to that.
BL dramas are a hard punch to the heteronormative world of romance dramas, and people were quick to drool over two male leads falling in love. This brings us back to one of the hit BL Thai dramas during the pandemic Until We Meet Again (2019). UWMA follows the story of the swim team’s captain, Dean, and the talented young cook, Pharm.
The two boys found themselves drawn to each other cluelessly until they became friends who went on to end up as lovers, but this drama doesn’t just give you butterflies in your stomach, it’s a tear-jerker too (better have those tissues nearby).
The finale episodes were the most heart-wrenching as Intouch takes over Pharm, as He with his greatest sorrow, wanted Korn (Now Dean) to feel the agony he felt when Korn decided to take his life, taking away the life they could have had. Emotions poured as both actors displayed superb skills making the audience cry with them, instilling worry and fear to the audience’s hearts with scenes no one ever thought could be so powerful.
UWMA is a beautiful mix of teen romance, stories of coming out, and life lessons, followed by a good range of Thai actors and actresses, especially the lead couple who are played by Ohm and Fluke. What got me most impressed by is that some characters are played by openly gay actors just like Fluke Natouch who plays Pharm, and Earth who plays Pharm’s past-self, Intouch.
It feels refreshing to see a blossoming representation of the LGBTQIA+ community in the mainstream media, where in other dramas they are always portrayed as the silly side character who’s always best friends with the lead, like mere footnotes of the narrative. BL dramas have now shaped the world of TV dramas, bringing light to issues that other people might deem too sensitive, like the social stigma against coming out.
According to this 2020 study, many young people turn to BL stories as a primary source on understanding queer love, which makes the subject an influential repository of knowledge about the LGBTQIA+ community. By allowing queer stories be in the limelight instead of being brushed away to the side, fans horizons are widenend that opens reflection and acceptance.
Perhaps the red thread of love solves this disconnect by bringing LGBTQIA+ stories, like one of Dean and Pharm, to the general consumer. If television and other mainstream outlets could be more receptive to important shows such as Until We Meet Again, it may enforce the social perspective that, at the end of the day, we are all human beings essentially intertwined with one another — no “strings” needed.
We just have to believe that love is what binds us all together, and until then, Love Wins.
Need another drama to add to your watch list? Until We Meet Again is definitely a must-watch.
Patricia Cruz is a freelance social media manager and content writer, and the person behind the brand dearMaria. She is also a full-time struggling and sleep-deprived student, cramming her way out of college.
