Siew Sum Noi – Series Review & Ending Explained

Music

Did anyone like the musical numbers in Siew Sum Noi? I know I did, especially Grateen's performance in Episode 4 where he sang the drama's OST in full length. The energetic song is a successful way to introduce his character. We see him in his natural element, singing, dancing, smiling, and performing on stage. Without speaking a single line of dialogue, he already made a positive impression on me. Plus, the song is honestly a bop! The melody is so fast and upbeat, putting me in a very enthusiastic mood every time I hear it.

The rest of the musicals were fun too, a cute way to break off the monotony of the plot with some song and dance. It felt like I was watching Glee, which is not a bad thing. Perhaps a few songs went on a little too long, and the other singers weren't as memorable as Grateen. Nonetheless, the music is a positive aspect of Siew Sum Noi that I enjoyed.

Speaking of Grateen, the actor has a bright smile and carries a very likable energy. I wish his character got more development though. A few interesting personal details could've been explored more, such as his close relationship with ~foster parent~ Grandma Yoi, or his commitment to a music career in a failing band. Touching upon these storylines would round out his characterization instead of being a one-dimensional love interest who just sings and smiles.

Ruk's father

The most dramatic scene in Siew Sum Noi is when Nakrob's father catches his son in bed with Grateen. In my opinion, the moment could've been handled better. For starters, I don't understand why Nakrob and Grateen would choose to have sex in the most dangerously conspicuous location. I thought this couple was hiding their relationship, so why are you having loud raunchy sex in your dad's house with the door unlocked? I feel bad they have to sneak around, but maybe err on the side of caution? 😓

Nonetheless, it was an intense moment for sure. The father's homophobic fury felt raw and real. I was taken aback when he grabbed Grateen by the head (‼) and started bashing him violently (‼) to the point that he was bleeding afterwards. (‼) I didn't think Siew Sum Noi would go that far in their portrayal, but they did and it was a little scary! What the hell!?

I'm glad the dad eased up on his homophobia after his heart attack, accepting his sons for who they are. With that said, I think he changed his mind too quickly from a narrative point of view. It felt like Yinrod had one casual chat with Grandma Yoi, and then he magically went from a stern homophobe to an open-minded PFLAG. The story could've made more impact if his journey to acceptance was gradual. A few more heartfelt scenes between the dad and his two sons would definitely help, making the storyline feel more organic.

IG

Although I sometimes find IG a bit unlikable, he has the best character development in Siew Sum Noi. IG is introduced to us as someone going through an identity crisis. He took two years off from high school just to ~find himself~. He wants to quit school, quit the football team, and even quit his YouTube career at one stage. Here's a guy who feels lost in life and doesn't know the direction of his future.

Another interesting facet of IG is his cultural identity. At the start, he doesn't identify with the heritage in northeastern Thailand, where his mom and grandmother came from. In Episode 4, Ruk teases him for hiding his Isaan roots, making IG very defensive. Similar to how Nakrob has been closeted about his sexuality, IG is also hiding a part of his identity. He isn't open and proud about being himself.

IG goes through a personal transformation during the series. Thanks to Grandma Yoi's influence, the hometown trip made him realize that he's passionate about music. It also inspired IG to recognize the beauty of the Isan culture, even writing a song in his native language. This trip helped IG achieve so much self-enlightenment, setting him on a decisive path as he pursues his future. He goes on a decent coming-of-age journey, and it's one of the few plots that Siew Sum Noi handles relatively well.

Tunwa

Another character who has been lying about his identity is Tunwa, the antagonist of Siew Sum Noi. Whereas IG became honest and open about himself, Tunwa continued his trajectory of hiding who he was up until the end. He hid his ulterior motive, hid his gambling debts, hid his bad family relationships, and hid his romantic feelings for Ruk. Tunwa is a very closed-off character who refuses to show his vulnerabilities to anyone. Ruk comes the closest to making him open up, but even then he's still full of secrets and lies.

Tunwa could've been a fascinating character if Siew Sum Noi wasn't so intent on making him the cartoonish villain. The story obviously wants us to see IG as the good guy and Tunwa as the bad guy in black-and-white terms. I think Tunwa is more interesting if they redeemed him a little and made him morally ambiguous. Once he starts pulling out guns and ordering hit jobs, this character goes too far and there's no complexity to his actions. He loses any type of intrigue and becomes a really flat antagonist.

I also think Siew Sum Noi spent WAY too much time on the scam artist storyline. Even though those four fundraising friends are supposed to be minor characters, they get so much screentime in this series. I don't have a problem with them, but their narrative isn't that dynamic and those repetitive scenes start to drag very quickly. Siew Sum Noi didn't prioritize their storylines well, focusing too much on this insignificant subplot over the more substantial characters and relationships.

Ruk and IG

The first thing I notice about Ruk and IG is their dramatic height difference. Oh my gosh, IG towers over Ruk when they are standing side-by-side. Some BL couples are compatible because the two leads look kinda similar, whereas others work because they look so wildly different. It's definitely the latter with this couple.

The Ruk and IG relationship suffers from too much drama. In BL, I simply want to watch an easy, breezy romance between two guys, but Siew Sum Noi throws all these random love interests at us. There is IG's ex-girlfriend, Ruk's childhood friend, and Ruk's other childhood friend, all of whom complicate the romance unnecessarily. On top of everything else, the couple also has to endure the homophobic dad. The romance between Ruk and IG feels extremely strained due to all the annoying, irrelevant third-party conflicts.

However, the two actors have chemistry together with lots of physical intimacy between them. Plus, their sex scene in Episode 11 is pretty memorable. In my long history of watching BL, I've witnessed so much lovemaking that it doesn't faze me normally. Yet, this sex scene stood out in a titillating way. The intimate camera angle panned over their torsos and nipples in a slow lingering motion. It was erotic, but also kinda artistic in how it depicted the beauty of the male physique. If you enjoy watching BL for the physicality, this sex scene is worth a look.

Nakrob and Grateen

Nakrob and Grateen are my favourite couple in Siew Sum Noi, probably because they're likable characters with very relatable circumstances. These are two ordinary guys who have fallen in love, but they must hide their relationship in a traditional society with conservative values. Their experiences are relevant to marginalized gay couples anywhere, particularly in East Asia, and especially for those living in a similar environment.

The two of them have their sweet moments together, but they also go through plenty of hardships in their romance. In Episode 10, there's a scene where that evil kid throws eggs at Grateen, and Nakrob immediately puts himself in front of his boyfriend to shield him from the attack. He would rather get hurt himself to keep Grateen safe. Moments like these will make you root for them as a couple, like a pair of underdogs that you want to prevail and persevere.

Fortunately, Nakrob and Grateen have a happy ending together. Once the homophobic dad eases up, he's suddenly a-okay seeing his son with another man. I guess once you've caught them having sex, taking a soapy shower together doesn't seem like a big deal in perspective. 😅 Anyway, I think Grateen and Nakrob suffered enough by that point, so I'm glad there's a positive turning point in their love story. They can kiss openly and no longer have to sneak around with their relationship anymore, yay!

Kui and Petch

As the tertiary couple in Siew Sum Noi, Kui and Petch have a simple, straightforward romance that doesn't feel complicated. Kui likes girls in the past, but discovers that he's also attracted to guys after meeting Petch. Feeling bicurious, he experiments with a kiss and concludes that he can swing towards guys too. The two start dating, and then Petch closes their long-distance relationship by transferring to the same school.

It's a satisfying romantic arc for a minor couple in a BL drama, and I'm totally okay with the two of them. With that said, they got a little sidelined, not receiving as much emphasis as the other two couples. Hell, even those four cheer squad friends received more screentime than Petch. I would've liked to see a few more scenes between Kui and Petch, amplifying their relationship.

There's a memorable scene between them in Episode 5, where Kui spills some water on his shirt. He immediately strips off, then tells Petch to wipe his body, while staring at him with come-hither eyes. Dude, I know you're flirting with him, but it seems awkward when your agenda is so transparent. Afterwards, Kui has the cheek to be like "omg idk y ur so flustered~ 😏" as if he wasn't the one coming onto Petch. In that moment, I remember giving Kui the biggest side-eye ever. I like his character, but this playa is playing some deliberate games. 🙄

Okay acting

The acting in Siew Sum Noi is okay. No one does a lousy job, and the entire cast meets an acceptable standard. Maybe the actress playing IG's mom shows some extravagant flair, so she tends to be a scene-stealer more often. It's a good thing though! Her character is super likable and the actress does a good job being ~the cool mom~.

With that said, none of the acting performances were really remarkable until the final episode. There's a scene where Ruk cries in the hospital after injuring his leg, and it's the first time I have noticed someone's acting. Ruk's actor (Champ) surprises me with how natural his tears look. He gives a persuasive portrayal of an aspiring athlete who is devastated by his injury. In that scene, he might've given the best performance out of everyone in the entire series.

Seeing his talent makes me wish that Ruk received better characterization. While Ruk is a pleasant protagonist, he doesn't get much character development throughout the series. Primarily, he's involved in some mundane relationship drama with Noinae, Tunwa, and IG. The injury subplot finally gives him some different material. Yet, it gets resolved too quickly instead of exploring his trauma more. This emotional storyline could've been a fantastic showcase for the actor, but Siew Sum Noi misses another opportunity here.

Happy ending

There's a happy ending in Siew Sum Noi, wrapping up all the storylines in very tidy ways. After the hit-and-run accident, the police have caught the culprit, who confesses that Tunwa paid him to hurt Ruk. (No wonder Tunwa finds himself in debt if this is how he wastes his money…) The debt collectors catch up to Tunwa, beating him up so severely that he gets sent to the hospital, where the police then arrest him for fraud.

Although Ruk injures his leg, he makes a full miraculous recovery a month later. He even gets scouted to a football tryout by a professional team. Meanwhile, IG has gotten a studio contract to launch his music career, but he will be situated elsewhere from his boyfriend. Although this long-distance relationship initially upsets IG, Ruk has a very mature outlook, stating their separation is only temporary as they chase their dreams. They'll reunite again in the future, not leaving each other behind.

When the homophobic dad sees IG comforting his son in the hospital, it makes him sentimental. Yinrod is finally at peace with his two gay sons, relieved that they both found someone who makes them happy. Now that the father is more open-minded, Nakrob can go public with his boyfriend. Grateen's band is also picking up momentum again, booking a series of new gigs that keep his schedule busy. In the finale, they share a quick kiss right before Grateen heads for his next performance.

Ending explained

Meanwhile, the minor characters get happy endings too. Basically, everyone is happy except for Tunwa, who rots away in prison. Here's a quick summary of what happens to the others:

• Kui and Petch are still together! Petch transferred to the same school as Kui in the city, so that they could become a couple together.
• Ruk forgives Noinae for outing him. Tong suddenly confesses his feelings towards her, who accepts his advances.
• Thanks to IG's music performance that went viral online, he won a cash prize. He donates this money to his friends for fundraising their club activities.
• IG also makes amends with his ex-girlfriend, wishing Fangkok the best in her new relationship with Kim.

In the last scene, the entire cast assembles together to perform a group song and dance of the OST. Grateen's actor busts some serious dance moves, while everyone else just sways their bodies left and right. 😅 Nonetheless, it's a pretty lovely way to conclude the series, giving everyone enough closure so that there aren't any loose ends. I'm satisfied with how Siew Sum Noi finishes off, and I thought the ending was one of the stronger episodes in the drama.