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Burnout Syndrome (Thai Series)

By Golu
True to its title, this show tries to capture burnout not as some big dramatic collapse but as this slow, draining exhaustion that quietly eats away at relationships and how you see yourself, and honestly it makes the characters feel really real. The pace is slow on purpose, and everyone here is flawed and full of contradictions, nobody's simple. It uses this messed up boss and employee dynamic to sneak in some pretty smart commentary on society. The story digs into toxic work culture, mental health struggles, and how money ends up running our lives whether we like it or not. And yeah, there's a love triangle thrown in too, because of course there is. This one runs ten episodes, each around 45-55 minutes. Jira's twenty eight, broke, and struggling to make it as a painter. Nothing's going right for him, his art isn't selling, he's got no steady job, and he's basically on the edge of falling apart. His best friend Ing does what she can, finding him odd jobs an...
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Yes I Do (Mandarin)

By Golu
This film feels more like an educational pseudo documentary film rather than an actual feature film. I couldn't find too much information about the film, but it feels as if it was made for TV to educate and make people aware of hardships of queer people and the challenges of creating a family. It also brings to light the struggles the community has to face to be accepted by not just the society but in many cases, their own family members.

Kim is a new lawyer who takes up the case of helping a lesbian couple to adopt a child without any support. He is heavily inspired form his father who was always about helping people. He knows that this going to be a long and tough process, but he is still willing to take it. During the process of getting his clients through the process, he decides to spend more time with them so that he can understand them closer and make a case. During this time he meets two other individuals who will have a significant impact on his life and understanding of things. He meets a teenage girl at some center who has been raised by two mothers. He also meets a young teen gay man Allen who is friends with the said lesbian couple and they treat him as a brother. But he is going through his own struggles where his parents are shell bent on getting him 'cured' and married because what will society say. Seeing how much they will struggle to adopt a child, the lesbian couple finally decide to go for natural methods and ask Allen to be the sperm donor, who after initial hesitation is more than ready. Kim realizes that there are many heart-breaking stories behind the smiles of gay and lesbian people and gets involved with many people's life unexpectedly. 

As mentioned before the film feels more like an idea to inform, educate and make people aware of the struggles of LGBT community. It really doesn't hav a story to tell , and it feels a story was sort of created around the messaging that the director wanted to give. I have no idea how the film was perceived almost 10 years ago when it came out, but I do appreciate the efforts that the director puts in. The attempt is honest, even though the final product may feel amateurish and more of a documentary; but the struggles and the stories shown are very very real to the community. At just one hour length, th film is an easy watch and something we have seen plenty of times. Maybe the local people in Taiwan might be able to relate more and I really hope this film managed to change views about LGBT folks for some people at least. (3.5/10)
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