School Tales, on Netflix, is a Thai horror anthology series based on graphic novels. Each episode is directed by a different big name in Thai cinema. Thailand is relatively gay-friendly, and BL stories (about two boys in love) are common, so no doubt there will be gay characters. I'll try the first episode, "7:00 am."
IMDB doesn't say which actor starred in which episode, and the closing credits are in Thai only, so the illustrations are anyone in the cast with beefcake photos.
Scene1: 7:55 am: A teenage boy runs through the school hall, being stopped and ridiculed by bullies. He stops and approaches a classmate: "I couldn't find the book you mentioned." A magical grimoire?
He runs into a classroom, looks at a textbook title on the chalkboard (Society and Government), and franticlaly sorts through his backpack. But it's too late: the sky darkens, and time stops. A female ghost flies of the wall and grabs him!
Scene 2: A male student tells us that the Q App is a place where "you can be who you want to be," with "friends who understand." Sounds like a gay kid looking for a safe space. He goes into the classroom, photographs the book title on the chalkboard, and uploads it to the app.
Plot dump: Every morning at 7:00 am, the title of a book appears on the chalkboard. Q comes in early, photographs it, and sends it to the students. They have to present the book by 8:00 am. If they don't, one of them will get grabbed, and the memory of him erased.
Scene 3: Class begins. The teacher, calling role, comes to Wittaya, the boy who was grabbed earlier. "That's odd -- there is no such student in my class." So do his parents wonder why they have a bedroom furnished for a teenager and lots of pictures of a boy they don't know?
After class, the students are sitting around, trying to figure out what to do about their curse. Sure, Q is performing a valuable service, but what if he oversleeps or is sick one day? So they know about the disappearances, just not who the students were? Would anyone mind taking over his duty? They all refuse, and Q gets upset and storms out.
A student follows him out. A boyfriend, maybe? No such luck: he asks Q to photograph the book title earlier, because he has to leave at 6:30 and can't look for it at 7:00.
Uh-oh, a girl comes to the rescue. Kind, gentle, nurturing girls and boorish, bullying boys. I'm in a 1980s nerd comedy!
Scene 4: It's 7:00 am, but instead of texting the title, Q calmly sits down to breakfast in the school courtyard. The boys start frantically cyber-bullying: "Where are you? Why are you so late? I have to leave for school soon!" The kind, nurturing Girl texts: "I'm worried about you." Ugh! I'm done.
Maybe the next episode: "A female student puts a curse on her rival." No. "The most popular girl in school..." No. "A female student is bullied..." No. "A bullied boy makes a deal with a ghost." Ok.
Scene 1: An abandoned building behind the school. A boy named Korn is being beat up by three bullies, two boys and a girl. They order him to let them copy his answers on the upcoming exam. He refuses; they pummel him. That's it? When I was in school, kids copied my answers all the time, without asking permission first.
The narrator tells us that you have to go to the abandoned infirmary and sit in a wheelchair. Then the ghost of the school nurse will appear and grant you a wish.
Scene 2: Outside the school, students are discussing the upcoming exams, playing video games, texting each other, and being bullied. Korn, still bandaged from his last pummeling, gets pummeled again, plus his homework tossed into a puddle. The main bullies, Jack and Mor, laugh at him and call him a sissy.
Scene 3: Lunchtime. Korn tries to sit with two boys, but they block him out and laugh at him. Then some younger kids mock him. Why is Korn universally despised?
He sits by himself. More bullies drop by to insult him. I can't take any more of this. I'm out.
"A pair of mischievous students look into the mystery of the headless teacher." School Tales, this is your last chance!
Scene 1: A panicking boy runs across the deserted campus, into the school, and into the library, screaming "Help!" He tries to hide, but something grabs him!
Psych! It was just some bullies, who tie him up so they can copy his homework.
At lunch, a boy is terrified to see two legs coming at him, but it turns out to be a grotesque teacher with a discipline cane, who terrorizes the lunch ladies about money they owe her. She licks her entire hand like a dog to get it wet enough to turn the pages of her ledger. Nauseating!
Grotesque Teacher rushes out into the school yard, tears down pictures that criticize her, and gets a faceful of powder. She captures the two boys responsible, Ping and Tim, and canes them.
I'm out of space, and this is too disgusting to watch, so I'll just fast-forward to see if the boys have a BL or gay-subtext romance.
In the shower, romantic music plays as Ping and Tim lean forward for a kiss. But before they get there, Tim pushes Ping away, yells "Why did you try to kiss me?", and "If you don't help me, I'll tell everyone!" So not only are they not a gay couple, Tim is actively homophobic. No more physical contact as they help Grotesque Teacher find her missing head.
My grade: F.
That's a nice looking group of boys.
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