Reviews of Asian BL Series

53 Make up, make me grow up! - A movie with a message

I've been a fan of Wayufilm since I started watching BL series and movies, and there are two main reasons. The first is that Nitchapoom "Nicchi" Chaianoun, screenwriter, director and the owner of Wayufilm, has a very good eye for young talents, and the second is that Nicchi manages to tell stories that touch viewers' hearts without being sentimental. For some time, it looked like Nicchi had lost his instinct for this kind of material, e.g. in some really unpleasant episodes of the "LGBTQ+ Dramas", but with short films like "Make up, make me grow up!", he's clearly back on track.

"Make up, make me grow up!" tells the story of Up (Nutto Nutdanai), a shy gay boy who is bullied at school because of his spots. When his long-time crush (Fongfong Pathomporn) rejects him, not only because Up is gay, but also because of his allegedly ugly face, Up is so depressed that he's about to jump from a bridge. At that moment, Mek (Jo Ronaporn) comes to his rescue.

Up seeks advice on the internet and covers his spots with make-up, transfers to a different school, and is suddenly popular – until by concidence his make-up is washed off after he tries to help a bullied boy (Night Yodsakon). As kids gather round him, humiliating him, Mek comes to his rescue once again.

Up and Mek get closer, and after some time, when Mek mainly protects Up, they become boyfriends. Up throws away all the make-up items, after Mek has made it clear to him that Up's appearance doesn't matter to him. With growing self-confidence, the two boys make their relationship public, and are accepted by their peers.

The story isn't really unique – bullying and body shaming have been topics in many other BL series as well. It's the absolutely realistic way the story is told that makes it so lovely – it depicts the ugly side of today's youth culture, with real-life and cyber bullying, with the standards of young people's appearance raised by influencers as well as BL actors, who need to have a perfect face, perfect abs and a perfect look in general, and it shows the despair of boys (and girls) who don't match these criteria, but it also shows that there are still people who don't care about looks, and who aren't evil bullies.

Nicchi succeeds in conveying these messages without "teaching", but by showing examples of how to cope with the challenges. Like in most Wayufilm productions, some typical BL elements are there, but Nicchi can do without too many of the nerve wrecking tropes. Okay, there is the "trip-stare-accidental kiss - stare – stare - stare – shock" trope, and even twice, but they come across (a little) more natural than in many BL series.

All this requires actors who are able to display all the various moods of boys trying to grow up and finding out about their identity, self-esteem, and sexuality, and both leads deliver a natural acting that has been the trademark of many Wayufilm productions, most prominently "Country Boy" with the iconic couple Oak and Mon, one of the best BL short films ever made. Jo has proven in earlier productions that he's a good actor, and he plays the protective strong boy with the soft heart convincingly. No wonder that the viewer absolutely believes that he can be the shoulder for a boyfriend to cry on. Nutto, however, is a real phenomenon - and hopefully another Wayufilm rising star. Although he's already 24, he is the perfect shy high schooler. When Up is sad, we feel with him, when he's strong, defending a bullied boy, we admire his courage, and when he smiles happily, he makes the viewer smile, too. This is what good acting means. By the way, I suspect that we've been watching Nutto's own story, as he co-wrote the script and also was the make-up artist.

It is astonishing that only two of Nicchi's talents have made their way to big production companies – Fluke Natouch, one of the most popular, and best Thai BL actors, and – to some degree - Fluke Teerapat, who has recently worked more behind the camera and as screenwriter rather than acting. I hope that we'll get to see Nutto and Jo again in lead roles, in another short film at least, and hopefully one day in a full-fledged series.

Directing and cinematography are as good as in most Wayufilm productions, although I'd wish they'd find a different setting for scenes set at Up's home than the Wayufilm headquarters. Anyway, it's good to see that small production companies are able to make movies that can easily compete with high-budget series from big companies.

To sum up – Wayufilm is giving us another nice little short film that isn't shallow, but conveys its message in a sensitive way, and once again with a talented cast.

Country: Thailand

Duration: 41 mins. (34 without BTS)

Director: Nitchapoom „Nicchi" Chaianun

Cast: Nutto Nutdanai, Jo Ronaporn et al.