Shine (2025): Relationships Born Amidst Political Struggles

Shine (2025) Thai BL Series is a period drama set between 1969-1971. It deals with the political turmoil, the communist and anti-communist conflicts of those years, and student uprisings. Amidst all this chaos, the love and passions of gay couples discovering someone are also narrated quite dramatically. In the series, 5 gay characters are caught between romance and their radical views amidst the turmoil. You can add this drama to your watch list, which will offer a viewing experience outside the generally cliché Thai school and youth BL molds. However, if you want a “passionate and cute” youth love from start to finish, then you should choose another series for yourself.

It is a production that should be on the watch list for fans who love the “MileApo” partnership and the chemistry of the duo. When “MileApo” is mentioned, we cannot pass without mentioning KinnPorsche (2022), one of the most famous (cult) series of the Thai BL genre.

🏳️‍🌈🇹🇭 Curator’s Recommendation: The Best Thai BL Catalog

Shine (2025) Thai BL Series Plot and Synopsis

Economics professor Trin makes a definitive return from France. He completed his education there. Trin, who also lost his lover in the familiar left-right clashes of the 60s in France, has returned to Thailand for good. He will prepare a new economic plan here. His uncle Krailert Suwannaphat is a pro-government colonel.

Meanwhile, as chaos and right-left fights erupt in the country, the moment of the first footsteps on the Moon in ’69 is watched on live broadcast. But amidst all this spectacle, a group of students, with Victor at their head, will protest the government. On the other hand, journalist Naran wants to document the connection and bribery between the rich and high-ranking military officers.

A power plant to be built will destroy a village, displace the villagers, and pollute nature. While the students protest the state, wealthy businessman Phadoem will want to advance the project by making a deal with high-ranking officers and the state. The General, while committing all kinds of massacres for the sake of political ambition, will learn that the colonel is gay, kill his assistant Veera, and seize the evidence Veera has. This is the breaking point of the series, or rather, the colonel.

While right-left and communist fights continue. Gay journalist Naran begins to have a secret affair with Colonel Krailert Suwannaphat while struggling to document the bribery wheel between the state-military-businessman regarding the power plant to be built. The general, making plans to suppress the student movement and kill the protesters, takes action for his political interests.

This section may contain spoilers.

The finale and the preceding episode are quite dramatic. Victor is killed. The General resorts to violence. Because he knows the colonel is gay, he kills his assistant and takes the evidence that is against him. Trin doesn’t know what to do. Amidst the losses and chaos, there are no winners and no losers.

In terms of character dynamics and development, I think the most notable character must be Colonel Krailert Suwannaphat. By the time he finally considers raising his voice against injustice and opposing it, it is already too late. Even though Trin denies it, he also loves Victor very much. Hippie Tanwa, living within the anti-war hippie tradition, finds his relationship with Trin becoming uncertain. Is Trin, who did not reciprocate his love and didn’t fully pay attention to him, responsible for Victor’s death?

Although the series fails to show the city atmosphere and life of the period on the streets, avenues, and houses due to the restricted environment, in general, the music will satisfy you. With a larger budget, a set for the period could have been built. On the other hand, the right-left conflict, communism, and imperialism clashes were among the biggest social problems of the 60s and 70s; these PROBLEMS are handled quite clearly in the series.

Against Trin, who tries to solve problems through peace and agreement, stands a general dedicated to war and fighting, and a greedy businessman. I couldn’t ignore the gay love in the series, or to use a more accurate expression, the LGBT/queer theme. Secret relationships, social pressure, and the difficulty of being gay are also handled very well. The series will not offer you an exactly sweet and cute BL. You will find yourself in a reality far away from the world of pink dreams. When you watch the series carefully, the production mostly combines BL with social events and heteronormative pressures under a political roof. A bit of a heavy theme, isn’t it? The general BL audience loves the sparkling world of university romances.

The BL Love Theme in the Series: Who Has a Relationship with Whom?

Victor from the student movement has fallen in love with Professor Trin. But the Professor wants to listen to the students and show them the right path. He loves Trin, but this is not a romance. The professor is in a relationship with Tanwa, the son of the rich businessman who has adopted the hippie lifestyle. Meanwhile, Victor expects his love to be reciprocated. (You will actually love the character Victor in the series; his tragedy is contrary to the BL theme that ends with a happy ending.)

On the other hand, journalist Naran is secretly together with Colonel Krailert Suwannaphat. Krailert Suwannaphat, who does not love his wife and pays no attention to her, will fall into a disagreement with his male lover, whom he meets secretly, due to political reasons. (This theme forms the best example of how politics and ideologies strip humanity from people.)

While Hippie Tanwa lives a classic hippie life far away from everything with cigarettes and substances, his relationship with Trin will suddenly break down. Towards the finale, things heat up completely, and student Victor almost falls into the position of the ultimate “scapegoat.” Victor’s tragedy will create a chasm between Trin and Tanwa. Trin falls into a great void; he has no hope left to fix everything without fighting.

Shine (2025) Series Review and Comments

Although the series is a period drama, because it was shot in a very restricted environment, the audience, who will see almost nothing in the name of 1970s Thailand, might be disappointed in this regard. The shots are quite close-up; the background is almost completely blurred and enclosed. The scenes mostly take place in dark environments. I can say it is weak in terms of cinematography, the reason for which is the low budget.

If you have watched them in KinnPorsche before, the duo comes together again here as opposite characters, but that legendary harmony and togetherness are not really here. In short, the Trin and Tanwa duo will not give you the chemistry and provocative acting in the legendary KinnPorsche. But the character development and breaking points of the duo are quite dramatic. Especially Victor’s death will be a devastation for Trin. Perhaps Trin had chosen the wrong person. The interpretation is yours.

On the other hand, the Colonel is a coward who protects the system. As someone who cannot speak up against injustice and hides his homosexuality, he will also show development. The Colonel will surpass himself with the death of his assistant and Victor, and he too will rebel against the system. The chemistry and harmony between the characters, their psychological developments will sometimes make you laugh and sometimes make you sad. In short, the character development and the political and social messages it gives in the series are good. The visuality is unsuccessful in terms of the series’ inability to reflect the architectural structure of the period.

Shine (2025) Thai BL Series Details

The BL drama is a production that tackles the loves that blossom amidst the political events of 1969, communism and imperialism, right-left fights, and social problems. Original Title: ชาย. Number of Episodes of the Series: 8 Episodes. You can watch it officially on WeTv Acoustic Ver. For More Information and trashy fanservice fights, I also provided the MyDramaList links: Uncut (Orchestric Ver.) and Acoustic Ver.

Cast and Characters

• Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat (Trin Suwannaphat): An economics professor with a peaceful perspective, believing he will solve the rebellion movement by talking to the students. He has a relationship with Tanwa.
• Mile Phakphum Romsaithong (Tanwa Chatbodi): One of the gay characters who has adopted the hippie lifestyle. He tries to stay away from his father’s dirty political affairs. He has a relationship with Trin.
• Son Yuke Songpaisan (Krailert Suwannaphat): Colonel. He unintentionally gets involved in the General’s dirty affairs. He is married to his wife as a formality. He is a closeted gay man. He has a relationship with journalist Naran.
• Euro Yotsawat Tawapee (Naran Pitayatorn): While meeting Krailert Suwannaphat secretly on one hand, a tension occurs between them due to Krailert being a man of the system on the other.
• Peter Deriy (Victor Boonterdtoon): The half-Russian, half-Thai student who is the head of the student movement, harboring a platonic love for Trin. He gets killed during the student incidents.