Mon is excited, she’s starting her new job at the company run by Sam, on whom she has had a crush since she was a child. But the kind Sam she remembers from when they were young, has turned into a bitter and mean-spirited woman, a person who apparently delights in making the people around her miserable.

Caught in a passive-aggressive relationship with her crush, Mon is trying to figure out how to be what she wants to be to Sam, while Sam doesn’t seem to know what she wants, at all. What we, the viewers can see, is that Sam is living in a emotionally abusive environment, with a sadistic and unyielding grandmother who has given her a deadline on her dreams.

Pink Theory GAP The Series (ทฤษฎีสีชมพู GAP The series), is a live-action Yuri series based on the novel of the same name by Chaoplanoy. This series is streaming on the Idol Factory official channel on YouTube, with English subtitles, with a new episode every Saturday night Thai time. This series had pretty solid marketing and a positive response to the trailers, so I was expecting something pretty good. Now that I’ve watched the first two episodes, I think I can safely say that we’re getting something that is, in fact, pretty good. ^_^

Becky Armstrong plays Mon and Freen plays Sam. Both are doing a decent job with their characters, and there is pretty good tension between them, even aside from the slow, belabored, lingering still moments when they come within 6 inches of each other. Also good is the supporting cast, especially Mon’s coworkers, who live in fear of Sam’s whimsy.  Several of the actors are known to me from the previous Idol Factory series I watched. It’s kind of nice to see “familiar” faces in different roles. I quite like Yha in this story, she’s definitely our greek chorus and rather dry. I’m also pleased that Sam has some friends, and we – rather unusually for live action – are introduced to a butch lesbian as well as the usual crop of very femme lesbians.

The negative side is pretty small. It’s a rom-com, so the comedic elements are excruciating as they almost always are. Drunk, screaming coworkers is not actually funny, in any format. My idea of things that make me cringe are different from yours, so I’m always not-okay with obsessions as a form of normalized character building…that said, Mon’s obsession with Sam is the basis for her taking the job and her overall character, but not the focus of the story. Furthermore, Mon isn’t a morose or weepy character and it’s very easy to like and support her, which I think works to the story’s advantage. I describe the story as Devil Wears Prada with social consciousness.

On the positive side, the characters have some depth; there are reasons that Sam is an abusive jerk and that Mon won’t put up with it, even though it breaks her heart to have Sam look her the eye and have no idea who she is. There is also clearly a side plot or two, I’m pretty sure Sam’s fiance Kirk is setting her up for failure. But going in to this knowing they will get together and it’s going to become socially conscious, gives me hope that there will be even more depth.  I’m looking forward to the final boss confrontation and if they will defeat Evil Grandma,. (They clearly will, I’m just pretending there’s some doubt.)

As the first fully Yuri Thai Live-Action, I’ve got to give props to Pink Theory GAP The Series…they’ve set a pretty high benchmark.

Ratings:

Cinematography – 7 Tropey, but decent
Characters – 7 Same, with Mon being so likeable that it all works
Story – 7 Same. It’s a rom-com, until it becomes a drama.
Yuri – 8 It’s pretty strong off the mark, but I’ll give it somewhere to go when they become lovers
Service – 4 A little here and there. Not grotesque, just “sexy” in a very thin definition of what makes a thing sexy,

Overall  – A strong 7 with room to go up.

At some point, I have going to have to read the novel, aren’t I? ^_^

Very exciting news via BL scholar Thomas Baudinette today! Thai Yuri novel GAP ทฤษฎีสีชมพู is being adapted into a live-action story, ทฤษฎีสีชมพู GAP The Series, in English, Pink Theory GAP The Series.

The synopsis on MyDramaList says: “Mon, a newly graduated student from university, starts working as an intern in a big company because she admires Sam, the super rich chairwoman since young age. However, when Mon met Sam again, her image of her completely crashed, since she was not like the media shows her.”

Thomas adds, “Technically, it’s one part of a broader series primarily focusing on BL, but it’s adapted from an original Thai-language GL novel. The two actresses gained attention for featuring as supporting cast in some BL series but this move is designed to grow their fanbases. Series seems to be marketed to the same base as BL.

There have been some prominent GL sub-plots in recent series but usually not the series focus. This GL couple is getting equal billing to the two BL couples in the show.” The show this is part of is, according to Thomas, called Secret Crush on You.

Thomas was kind enough to nab a bunch of promo pics for us, so I thought I’d share them with you.

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I’ve been looking into non-Japanese Yuri recently and hope to one day soon talk to you about Chinese Yuri, but this news is really exciting! Thai BL has been growing by leaps and bounds, and I’m really thrilled that GL is getting some screen time. What’s more important is that the popularity of BL has been a pretty recent trend, so Yuri being introduced so quickly is a great sign…and so is the fact that the GL plot is being marketed to the same audience as the BL.

chao_planoy, the author, considers their work “Yuri” and there is a #GAPYuri hashtag on Twitter for more pictures and news. According to a commenter on MyDramalist, an English translation for this book is being planned. Of course, I’ll be sure to let you know when it is available.

Update: There’s a promo on Youtube. ^_^

Thomas also says, that “both Secret Crush on You and GAP The Series will be released internationally, in high definition, through select streaming services. Everyone’s best bet is to follow Idol Factory’s YouTube account for updates.”

While on the Idol Factory YT account, I found this interview with the actresses. It has English closed captions.

Thank you Thomas for thinking of us, and congrats to chao_planoy for having their work adapted into the very first Thai live-action Yuri series!