Melody Of Secrets (Thai Series)

I am not even sure where to start with this one. While it did deliver on being a solid BL centered on a murder mystery, the logic eventually falls apart entirely. By the time the big reveals happen, you are left wondering “what?”—not out of shock, but because the writing is just that dumb. The most frustrating element involves the main character, who supposedly suffers from memory loss and can only recall the last ten years of his life; if that is the case, it makes no sense that he requires a stranger to mail him a diary to jog his memory about the past. The entire plot felt far too random. Across ten episodes of about fifty minutes each, the show fails to connect its own premise. Even the title, which refers to a specific melody that both hypnotizes and triggers memories for Botpleng, ends up having no actual relevance.

The story follows Botpleng, a crime journalist dealing with a mother in a coma and a memory that only spans the last decade. His life shifts when he receives a stranger’s diary containing old entries from a period when he was apparently in love with Tankhun. Returning to his hometown, Botpleng finds himself entangled in a double murder case, which leads to his meeting with Tankhun. Even though Botpleng has no memory of him, he continues reading the diary and gradually begins to grow close to the man. While Tankhun serves as an advisor on the murder investigation, he is secretly pursuing his own agenda: investigating the mysterious death of his younger brother, Thunpob. The sole significant lead suggests that Thunpob was actually dating Botpleng. As a romantic connection develops between Botpleng and Tankhun, the murderer is caught, triggering the unraveling of many buried secrets. It is revealed that the protagonist is not even the real Botpleng; the actual Botpleng died as a child, leading his mother and grandmother to take in another boy, use hypnosis to wipe his memory entirely, and raise him as their own son. The show never bothers to explain the reasoning behind this. Furthermore, Tankhun is not who he claims to be either. The real Tankhun was actually the brother who died under mysterious circumstances—the one involved with the real Botpleng—and this man only introduced himself as Tankhun’s brother to get close to Botpleng to solve the murder case and uncover the truth. While the reveal of the actual killer makes sense, the inclusion of a subplot involving a female police officer’s involvement in the murders felt completely unnecessary. Predictably, despite the web of fake identities, the two eventually fall for each other, sort out their lives, and get married.

I am at a loss for where to begin with the sheer number of plot holes here; rather than a coherent story, it feels like a road crumbling beneath your feet as you walk. I found nothing about this show capable of holding my attention. While the first three episodes pulled me in slightly, I lost all interest once the “nobody is who they claim to be” chaos began, particularly because the show abandons logic entirely without ever bothering to explain anything. The direction and acting were also quite rough. It was strange to watch the actor playing Thunpob, who was easily the weakest link; regardless of whether the scene required distress, arousal, anger, or determination, he remained stuck with the same tired expression of raised eyebrows and half closed eyes. Meanwhile, the actor playing Botpleng is someone I have seen in other works, and he performs fine here. However, the sex and kissing scenes between the two leads felt completely forced and landed with zero emotional impact. We all know by now that these random sex scenes will appear regardless of whether they make sense. The show’s romance and mystery elements are both equally unrecommendable. Adding to the confusion was a parallel story involving Botpleng’s boss and friend, where the boss maybe likes him but also flirts with this girl. You can safely skip this one, especially given how much BL content is already out there competing for your time. I really wish someone had warned me off this one beforehand.

Ultimately, the forced romance and nonsensical plot holes make this one skippable. (3/10)