Y Journey: Stay Like a Local – Series Review & Episode Guide

This anthology has six episodes, each featuring new characters and telling a separate plot. None of the stories are related, so you can watch one without the other.

Episode 1 is "Friend Zone". Two friends, Na Mao and Tawan, have secret feelings for each other since their high school days. During a reunion, they spend the day hanging out. Episode 2 is "Confession". Mai brings his boyfriend, Win, to visit his parents. However, they don't know about their son's romantic relationship.

Episode 3 is "He's Not Happy". Natee, a new resort employee, struggles in his new job. Jadee, the manager, helps him get used to the tasks and takes him sightseeing. Episode 4 is "Goes On a Trip". North and Nueng are two travel photographers on a work trip. Despite their bickering, they must work together to finish an urgent assignment at a campsite.

Episode 5 is "Let's Say a Lover". A heartbroken man visits a beach after his failed engagement. He's about to throw away his ring, but another man stops him. They get to know each other better. Episode 6 is "Memories". Sailom and Sky used to be friends. Years later, they have separated and must sadly reminisce their old memories.

Y Journey: Live Like a Local combines a BL anthology series with a marketing campaign. Although each episode contains a simple plot, the real intention is to advertise the destinations. It showcases different facets of Thai culture, from popular attractions to famous cuisine. This promotional agenda comes at the expense of storytelling. Instead of an intricate narrative or a compelling romance, Y Journey: Live Like a Local cares more about boosting tourism. It often feels like I'm watching a commercial.

If I judge Y Journey: Live Like a Local as an ad, its effort is decent. Most tourism marketing campaigns are informational and only focus on highlighting the attractions. They don't bother to create a fictional narrative to introduce the destinations. From a business perspective, this drama shows creativity. In addition, everything is beautifully filmed. As you'd expect from a travel commercial, the professional cinematography displays each location majestically. It inspires you to visit Thailand's beaches, campsites, and villages to experience the stunning scenery.

Unfortunately, the plot is too lightweight. Each episode must wrap up in under ten minutes. It dedicates half the time to promoting tourism, resulting in a condensed and underdeveloped narrative. We hardly know anything about the characters or their superficial relationships. They also lack meaningful experiences besides eating and sightseeing. Furthermore, there's no continuity since the six short stories feature different leads. The series should've considered using the same protagonists, allowing viewers to feel emotionally invested in the accumulative journey.

You may recognize many actors in Y Journey: Stay Like a Local. They have appeared in high-profile BL dramas throughout their careers. Their collective star power gives you an incentive to watch the stories. However, don't expect too much from the lacklustre romances. All the interactions are simple and mild-mannered, displaying little intimacy between the couples. The exchanges are mostly limited to gazes, smiles, and positive vibes. Only one of the pairings is confirmed to be dating, whereas the other five are in various stages of vague bromance territory.

My favourite is Episode 5, the only entry that overcomes the short time limit and builds a successful emotional arc. While the story may not be complex for obvious reasons, it's still an impressive effort for ten minutes. I love how the protagonist's broken engagement ties to the theme of sustainability in a surprisingly clever way. Likewise, I respond positively to Episode 2. The lead's coming-out journey offers a sentimental moment with his family. Even if the plot lacks substance, I appreciate a tourism marketing campaign that embraces LGBTQ+ messaging.

Most stories fail to engage me. Episode 1 is my least favourite because it's the shortest and too blatantly promotional. Episode 3 is forgettable, although it features gorgeous landscapes. Despite seeing more potential in Episode 4, it still suffers from uneventfulness. Episode 6 tries to do something different, but the plot feels dull and gloomy. However, even my favourite entry in this anthology underwhelms me. Y Journey: Live Like a Local doesn't meet standards if I evaluate it as a regular story. It resembles a glorified travel advert over a memorable BL drama.