Shadow – Series Review & Episode Guide

The year is 1998. Dan is a new student at St. Lawrence, an all-boys school known for its strict rules. He transferred here after his father became hospitalized for his cancer illness. Dan's mother passed away while he was a child. With no parental support, his only guardian is Brother Anurak. This priest used to provide therapy and spiritual guidance for Dan's mother. Now, Anurak is one of the school authorities. He has asked Dan to enroll at St. Laurence to keep the orphaned teen under his care.

Since childhood, Dan has suffered from a distressing mental health condition. He has menacing nightmares and sees a shadowy figure haunt his dreams. After arriving at the school, Dan's symptoms have worsened. He can't tell the difference between reality and nightmares anymore. Brother Anurak, serving as the therapist, suggests Dan take medication and record a dream journal. The teenager obeys, yet his terrible dreams persist.

Dan makes two new friends at the school. The first is Nai, an openly gay student who gets bullied by his classmates. These homophobic teens constantly mock him for his sexuality. However, Dan is not like the other schoolboys. He defends Nai and doesn't ostracize him. Nai is grateful and quickly becomes his friend. However, their friendship draws the ire of the other students. They tease Dan and Nai for being a couple. The pair tries their best to ignore the bullying. The teachers, who are homophobic themselves, won't intervene.

Dan's other friend is Josh, his roommate in the school lodging. Josh is a cheeky troublemaker who smuggles forbidden items into the school, like music players or handheld gaming consoles. He often bribes the janitor to bypass the strict policies in the school. Josh is mindful of the bullies and doesn't want to upset them. However, he still hangs out with Dan and Nai out of solidarity. The three lodgers become a group of close friends.

A recurring figure appears in Dan's dreams. Upon sleuthing, he discovers this suspicious person's identity is Trin. A notorious student in St. Laurence's past, Trin used to be the student council president. However, he disappeared a year ago under mysterious circumstances. Rumours claim he boarded a boat to leave campus, yet his body cannot be found anywhere. Dan believes Trin may have triggered his worsening nightmares. Dan, Nai, and Josh begin to investigate Trin's whereabouts, hoping it will reveal answers that the school tries to hide.

Shadow is an ambitious series combining high school drama, supernatural horror, and many intriguing mysteries. It invites viewers into a vivid world where the line between reality and the paranormal is masterfully blurred. As the complex plot unravels, prepare for surprising twists and strange turns at every step of the journey. I respect the storyteller's imagination for creating a meticulous narrative across fourteen suspenseful episodes. The amount of lore, history, mythology & literary references is extensive.

Initially, I was intrigued by Shadow. The early episodes fuelled my curiosity, making me wonder about the nature of Dan's nightmares or Trin's disappearance. These juicy mysteries entertained the armchair detective in me. After a while, my interest began to slip. The lengthy story drags on and goes around in circles. The annoyingly vague plot gives cryptic explanations. It dawns upon me that the series will keep introducing new questions to stall the actual answers until the end. Following a perpetual investigation isn't a fun experience. I need more revelations and quicker resolutions.

The character-centric episodes are the most compelling. Episode 4 is my favourite because it dedicates an hour to fleshing out Dan's background. Understanding his tragic childhood helps me connect with this protagonist. Likewise, Nai and Trin get extended flashbacks that highlight their past experiences. I love learning about the nuances of their lives. Regrettably, the series doesn't continue doing elaborate backstories for everyone else. Instead, it wastes time on dull investigations or pointless nightmares. Ooh, Dan sees another shadowy figure! That's so fascinating!

Shadow features Singto and Fluke, two iconic BL stars with established careers. I wanted them to hook up in an epic relationship. Yet, their characters only bond as friends and share a brief moment of intimacy. In contrast, the straight pairs receive an unnecessary amount of focus. The female love interest gets more attention from the guys than the lead. Also, the LGBTQ+ content leans negatively. The series includes rampant homophobia, gay bashing, and icky teacher-student allegations. I came into Shadow expecting a romance. Instead, it smacks me with bigotry.

The emotionally charged scenes in Episode 4 are the real test of Singto's acting skills. In my opinion, he does decently but not amazingly. There's a guardedness to his performance, which stops the vulnerability from emerging. His costar (Fluke) is likable, but Nai gets reduced to the gay sidekick in the later episodes. The series doesn't give him gritty material beyond his sexuality. The cast member who impresses the most is Trin (Fiat). He has a meaty role that showcases his dramatic range. From a confident swagger to an intense anxiety, Fiat handles his scenes memorably.

The last few episodes unfold bizarrely, delving into paranormal phenomena and senseless chaos. While the story explains the shadow's origins, I'm still unsure how it works. We get answers to other mysteries, but they don't satisfy me logically. Contrary to my earlier enthusiasm, I no longer care about the drawn-out plots. If there were romantic content, I'd be more forgiving. Otherwise, I'm irritated about spending eleven hours on a non-BL series with a slight gay gimmick. Despite its immense creativity, Shadow is an average supernatural drama that doesn't appeal to me.