Unforgotten Night – Series Review & Ending Explained

Story

One-night stand

The "unforgotten night" refers to Kim and Kamol's one-night stand in Episode 1. The "unforgotten" part is a euphemism for their mind-blowing sex, leaving a memorable impression on Kamol. Previously, he had trouble finding a compatible partner for his aggressive S&M tastes. Kamol is delighted by his physical chemistry with Kim and becomes lovestruck after one evening together.

I guess it's normal to catch feelings after your one-night stand. However, what's not okay is Kamol's weirdly obsessive behaviour after the incident. He uses his frightening mafia boss powers to stalk, harass, and control his sex partner. Kim wants nothing to do with him. Yet, Kamol keeps pestering him at work and home. There's a dominance and submission power dynamic to their relationship. Kamol dominates Kim's entire life until he finally submits to his aggressor's will.

Kamol's behaviour seems clingy and creepy. If Kamol wanted to date after their one-night stand, he should've courted Kim through regular channels. Ask him politely for a second unforgettable night without all the extra antics. No bodyguards, no surveillance, and no moving in together. I hate that poor Kim doesn't actually have a choice in their relationship. Poor Kim is held captive at Kamol's house, forced into loving the mafia boss. Their romance is like a cautionary tale for anonymous sex. Be careful about which stranger you hook up with, or else you may end up in a predicament like Kim!

Kamol vs Danai

Unforgotten Night focuses too much on Danai in the story. I know he's the ~final boss~ and the central villain of the series. Yet, he's still a minor supporting character not involved in any BL romance. If we look at the big picture, Danai doesn't need prominence to make an impact. Yet, Danai features in many scenes, constantly feuding with Kamol over casino investments, nameless henchmen, or whatever. These subplots are vaguely similar, carrying little consequences. The series keeps reiterating the Danai x Kamol rivalry when it doesn't deserve emphasis.

The other problem with Danai's high visibility is that it nerfs him as a villain. The bomb threat debacle makes Danai look so silly that I can't take his character seriously anymore. How am I supposed to find this doofus threatening when he gets outsmarted by Kamol in every episode? The more we see of Danai, the less menacing he seems. It lessens his appeal as the final boss because we know he isn't going to win over Kamol. Danai's character is okay as a comical villain, but most of his screen time could've been allocated to other storylines instead.

Tigers

Unforgotten Night has tigers! Other BL leads have cats as pets, but Kamol must one-up them and get domesticated tigers instead. This quirky detail adds to Kamol's characterization, highlighting his ~rich asshole~ persona. I appreciate the series for going the extra length to do something differently. Having tigers is a cool novelty you don't see in other BL dramas. 🐯

With that said, Unforgotten Night must've splurged its budget on the tigers and wanted to get their money's worth. They keep making the characters go inside the cage and pet the tigers. Petting the tiger may be unusual imagery the first time, but not when there are multiple scenes of the same activity. By the fourth or fifth tiger-petting session, I was like, "Again!? How much attention do these tigers need?"

The producers' thought process must be, "We paid a lot of money for these tigers! We want as many shots with them as possible!" The same logic goes for the airplane because Kamol and Kim keep riding the private jet everywhere. Since the series spent its budget on tigers and planes, it must shoehorn these props into the narrative!

Romance

Kim & Kamol

I don't ship the romance in Unforgotten Night, and it's all because of Kamol. Kim is a sweetheart who deserves better than his evil love interest. Before meeting the mafia boss, Kim seems like a regular guy with an upstanding personality. He comes from a loving family, gets along with his colleagues, and doesn't put on pretentious airs. My favourite part about Kim is how kindly he interacts with Kamol's staff, especially the housekeeper, viewing them as equals. Kim is a good egg.

As much as I like Kim, his partner Kamol is detestable. Kamol acts like an arrogant ass for the entire series. Cherry claims he's a "kind" person, but his actions speak otherwise. Kamol harasses his love interest, abuses his employees, and treats human lives as collateral damage. The dude was ready to blow up all the guests at Danai's party like a terrorist! In Episode 5, Kamol punches his bodyguard for not protecting Kim from the tiger. It's disgraceful how Kamol hurts his loyal subordinates who risk their lives for him. He resorts to gruesome violence just because his lover gets a little spooked!

Yet, nobody confronts Kamol about his deranged behaviour because of his mafia position. They're all afraid of him. Kim is the only person who challenges Kamol, but he doesn't have that much power in their lopsided dynamic. Unforgotten Night wants us to think Kamol is a "changed" man just because he quits being a criminal. However, I won't commend him for doing the bare minimum. Being slightly less evil doesn't absolve Kamol's misdeeds or redeem his character. I end the series thinking Kamol is a thug, and I don't want him anywhere near Kim.

Kim, Day & Itt

The series begins with Kim getting dumped by his ex-boyfriend Day, who moved on with another man. Despite their breakup, these two spend an inexplicable amount of time together. Typically, you'd want to distance yourself from your ex as much as possible. Yet, Kim hangs out at Day's house and acts like an awkward third wheel. Unforgotten Night teases a love triangle conflict between Kim, Day & Itt. Yet, nothing exciting happens between them.

Day's new lover Itt is friendly toward Kim and welcomes him with hospitality. However, he's almost too chummy. He isn't guarded around Kim at all, weirdly enough. Itt keeps reassuring Day & Kim that he harbours no resentment, to the extent that his behaviour seems insincere. Itt came in between the relationship between these two former lovers. Realistically, there should be some tension in their dynamic. So, I was suspicious of Itt's relaxed demeanour. I thought there would be a plot twist where Itt drops his nice-guy act and reveals himself as a villain.

In Episode 7, Kim goes into witness protection and lives with his ex. However, he still gets attacked by Danai's henchmen. I was so convinced that Itt issued the hit on him. I thought I saw through his evil agenda against his boyfriend's ex. Aha! Itt must be using his nephew as a cover-up for his malicious intentions! To my surprise, Itt isn't responsible for the home invasion. I pegged his character completely wrong. It actually disappointed me that Itt turned out to be a regular guy, instead of becoming the villain like I imagined. 😅 

Kamol & Cherry

Like Danai, Unforgotten Night may have spent too much time on Cherry's storyline, which didn't yield exciting scenes. I'm bored watching her play double agent between Kanol and Danai. I also dislike watching Cherry flirt with Kanol, who always rejects her. Occasionally, she has a few amusing moments in her catfight with Kim. However, they aren't enough to salvage Cherry's character, who feels like a spare part of the narrative. She's an irrelevant supporting character who doesn't need that much prominence.

That said, Cherry starred in one of my favourite moments in this series. In Episode 11, she suddenly appears in the parking lot, wearing a ridiculously over-the-top disguise. Cherry points a gun at Kim, but she fails to kill him. Oh my god, I cracked up! 🤣 The clothes, the circumstances, and the botched assassination attempt were so absurd that everything circled back to being hilariously camp. Cherry goes from an annoying love rival to a silly walking parody. If only Cherry had exuded this evil energy throughout the series, I would like her much better!

Kamol, Danil & Kim

Danil seems redundant since his character repeats a similar love triangle conflict as Cherry. He inherits her storyline after Episode 9, serving the role of the jealous, jilted ex-lover. Like Cherry, Danil is also useless and annoying most of the time. I'm embarrassed for him, coming in between an established relationship. He stirs up shit despite having zero chance of getting back together with his ex.

Although I'm not fond of Danil, I like his character better than Cherry. His scenes are a bit campier, more unhinged, and sexually charged. In Episode 11, there's a saucy moment where Danil gets naked and seduces Kamol. Later, he sticks that thick sausage in his mouth, a crude sexual innuendo that still made me giggle. I also like Danil's character development in the finale as he comes to terms with Kim & Kamol's relationship. While his redemption arc is shallow and nonsensical, it's decent when judging by Unforgotten Night's low standards.

Since nobody seems to be asking, I'll be the one to start the roundtable discussion: What is Kamol's appeal? I'm mystified about why Cherry, Danil, and Kim are drawn to this evil mafia leader with a terrible temper. It can't be because of the money because Cherry and Danil are pretty well-off. Surely, it can't be because of his winning personality. I don't understand what Cherry or Danil see in Kamol to the point that they develop a fatal attraction. Is this manipulative bastard really worth your time of day? Is his dick that good?

Khom & Baiboon

I sorta like Khom and Baiboon together. They share a few sweet exchanges. They're a weirdly wholesome couple in a series with S&M, orgies, and drunken hookups. Khom & Baiboon's pairing makes this BL drama less sleazy. Unforgotten Night proves it can tell a sweet romance without relying on shock, scandal, or sensuality.

However, I must acknowledge this secondary romance feels irrelevant and superfluous. I can't pinpoint any memorable moment between the couple. As much as I find Kim and Kamol's dynamic problematic, at least they leave an impression. In contrast, Khom and Baiboon are a really forgettable pairing. They need more drama, passion, and substance in their storyline.

Throuple

I'm into Kit, Lop, and Ruj as a throuple. When the trio hooked up in Episode 10, that was the best plot twist ever! The story never hinted any sexual attraction among Kamol's three henchmen. I assumed they were just minor characters who fought bad guys and delivered exposition. Suddenly, the three guys are involved in this over-the-top gay fantasy scenario in the shower. OH MY GOD. I'm shocked! What just happened!? Their shower orgy came out of NOWHERE. 🚿

First, Kit and Lop start making out, which is already surprising. Then, Ruj jumps into the action, leaving me bewildered. WOW. To be fair, I know the gay orgy is meant as titillating fanservice. It's gratuitous erotica to stimulate the viewers. However, I believe the storyteller should've gone all-in on this romance. I wanna see more! Scrap the stupid mafia storylines and give us more throuple content! Sadly, the Kit, Lop & Ruj throuple gets little focus outside this scene. Unforgotten Night missed an opportunity to highlight a unique subplot that fits their series perfectly.

The throuple is scandalous, sexy, and strange in a good way. Their dynamic is something we don't often see in BL dramas, like a selling point that would have fans talking. Imagine if Unforgotten Night takes the time to develop these three characters and cultivate their sexual tension. Show us how they get to the point of the shower orgy, and then explore their aftermath. Don't just give us one shocking moment and leave it be. Give us a complete storyline and take their attraction seriously.

Acting

Miscast

It's my fourth time watching Kamol's actor (Yoon) in a BL drama. He stars in YYY, a quirky comedy about two apartment roommates who fall in love. His other works include My Ride, portraying a flirty doctor who clashes with his senior. He also has a supporting part in Paint with Love, where his character gets involved with an actor. Sadly, I haven't liked any of those past pairings, and Unforgotten Night suffers the same fate. Four different pairings and four different series later, Yoon still hasn't landed a winning role.

Honestly, I don't think it's the actor's fault. The reason why I haven't liked the pairings is due to other factors, like the writing or the characterizations. In the case of Unforgotten Night, the Kamol character has such an awful personality that I can't warm up to him. I also think Yoon is miscast in this role. He lacks the rugged demeanour of a gangster. Danai's actor (Beam) isn't intimidating either, but at least he has the swagger and imposing stature to portray a mafia leader. In contrast, Kamol's bravado doesn't feel convincing enough, making it hard to sell his performance.

Style

Meeting

I like how the series uses lighting to produce ambiance throughout the series. The fluorescent purple, green, or blue hues can create a striking appearance, although it's more effective in some scenes than others. It works really well in Episode 1. I love the atmosphere of Kamol and Kim's first meeting.

 The setup isn't that fancy. Kim sits at the bar, Kamol walks past him, and the two men exchange gazes. That was the entire interaction. Yet, the slow camera movements, dark lighting, and tense background music created a compelling mood. I felt danger, excitement, and intrigue as the characters stared at each other without speaking. It's one of the several times where Unforgotten Night does a great job of highlighting the attraction between the leads.

Unfortunately, I don't get a romantic vibe during the sex scenes. I find the over-the-top eroticism kinda cheesy, like watching a bad porno. I'm more amused than aroused when Kim and Kamol screw each other. But hey, at least I'm entertained! 😅

Ending

Happy ending

Unforgotten Night has a happy ending where Kamol quits his criminal career to settle down with Kim. The finale featured an intense final showdown between the two mafia factions, where Kamol triumphs over his rival. Danai held Kim, Cherry, and Danil hostage. He threatens to hurt his captives unless Kamol transfers ownership over the casino investment contracts. A gunfight ensues, and Kamol's boss Evan kills Danil to end this feud.

After the fight, Evan allows Kamol to quit his mafia leader position. Kamol switches to running legal businesses, but his staff still remains employed. Danil also breaks down in tears, feels guilty for treating Kim terribly, and makes up with him. Likewise, the leads clarify their misunderstanding over Day. Both acknowledge that Kim is no longer in love with his ex, unlike how he was at the start of the series. They also visit Kim's parents, who show support for their relationship.

Unforgotten Night ends with a wedding celebration. Kamol and Kim get married as their friends celebrate their union at a private party. The final scene shows them exchanging wedding rings outside at nighttime. Afterwards, they put on handcuffs around each other. It's a cheeky joke that references their one-night stand. Symbolically, the handcuffs also represent how they're locked into this union. It's a little tacky to express your love through handcuffs on your wedding day, but I'm secretly a fan of this gesture lol. Unforgotten Night remains hilariously camp until the end. 😆