The Whole World is Talking About ‘KinnPorsche’; Here’s Why

The first thing I noticed when I dove into the world of Thai BL (Boys Love) series a couple of years ago, is how the majority of them are stories based around the lives of college students. I’m relatively new to the scene and began watching them after falling in love with BLs from other countries like Taiwan, Japan, and China’s globally successful BL-but-not-a-BL, The Untamed (2019.) I discovered soon enough however, that a lot of the stories from Thailand were a little too sweet for my taste. There are exceptions, of course, as the Thai BL industry has been attempting to experiment and step away from the tried-and-tested college plots (Manner of Death, Lovely Writer, A Tale of Thousand Stars and SOTUS S are particularly stand-out) but there was still an overwhelmingly large percentage that wasn’t quite what I was looking for. My heart veers towards high doses of comedy, mystery and action, and KinnPorsche: The Series delivers all this and more. As soon as I watched the first trailer, I knew things were about to shift in a major way because there’s no other show out there like this.

Based on the novel of the same name by Thai writing duo DAEMI, KinnPorsche is about the head of a mafia clan (Kinn) falling in love with his bodyguard (Porsche). A fantastic premise just on its own, but also further boosted by the rest of the plot that involves betrayal, murder, familial rivalries and wars between underground crime syndicates. Kinn and Porsche’s love story takes place at the centre of this web, majorly affected by the complexities that rise from being involved with the mob. Kinn must shoulder the burden of leading a massive empire, and falling in love isn’t a vulnerability he can show openly. Porsche is dragged away from a relatively normal (but hard) life to be thrust into a world of crime, and struggles to come to terms with the dilemma this poses to his own moral compass.

Fair warning though, KinnPorsche is exactly what it says it is: dark, vicious, explicit and unapologetically so. If you’re looking for something light and fluffy, this isn’t where you’re going to find it. All the characters make questionable choices and don’t play it safe (antagonist Vegas is particularly frightening and actor Bible Wichapas Sumettikul does a splendid job of sending a shiver down the spine whenever he’s onscreen) but that’s what makes it work. The stakes are high and no one wants to lose. There are sweet moments and romance between Kinn and Porsche, but it’s contrasted with plenty of emotional upheaval and discord that isn’t easy for them to confront.

KinnPorsche works because of the cast and directors who build a world that’s completely immersive and believable; While lead actors Mile Phakphum Romsaithong (Kinn) and Apo Nattawin Wattanagitiphat (Porsche) sizzle onscreen whenever they’re together, the rest of the cast’s chemistry with each other cannot be overlooked. Not a single character seems out of place or awkward, and every interaction is natural. You could credit it to the actors spending a long time together because of the reshoots and complications while changing production companies, but in addition to the hours on set, acting workshops, group training and rehearsals, production company Be On Cloud also ensured the cast and crew had time to bond with fun activities that included visiting a waterpark together, outings to the beach and more. Behind the scenes videos give us glimpses of actors that are in sync at every moment and close to each other, allowing for excellent performances onscreen.

In addition to the unique plot, the resilience of every single individual involved in the production process is what really cements the foundation of KinnPorsche. The show was initially supposed to release in March 2021–and had almost completed filming– but faced cancellation due to creative differences with the series’ former production company. After being picked up by Be On Cloud, it was the pure faith in the story and its fans that pushed most of the original cast to return and give it their best shot a second time around–not knowing how the delay would be received and if the show would find success at all.

They started from scratch with reshoots, rewrites, plot changes, tone changes and a boost in cinematography (which meant fans had to wait an extra year to see the final result) but it all paid off immensely as soon as the new teasers began dropping in August 2021. Every clip indicated KinnPorsche would be darker, more complex and a level above the original version. Each character was visually overhauled and every poster screamed ‘high quality production.’ Be On Cloud held a massive press conference in November 2021, announcing an April 2022 release, the final cast and a collaboration with Thai rock band Slot Machine for the original soundtrack, and the buzz began anew, perhaps even bigger than before.

Since its release on April 2nd, KinnPorsche has trended worldwide weekly after each episode dropped because it delivered what it promised it would. YouTube is flooded with reactions and discussions, while Instagram is overrun with fan edits, and Twitter with hashtags related to the show. Mile and Apo leaped to one million followers and global stardom in weeks and the cast is splashed across the pages of media outlets worldwide–and this success is well-deserved.

But what really sealed the deal for me about KinnPorsche, is that the story involves a gay relationship but isn’t about being gay–which, as a queer person, I find supremely rewarding. Our sexuality is just one aspect of our lives, not the entirety of it. (This was also one of the key reasons why I also found the The Untamed so appealing.)

We’re currently halfway through the 14-episode series (episode seven dropped tonight) and there’s a lot more strife, passion and danger on the way–which I’m looking forward to immensely. The show does a great job of resolving conflict and not giving away too much about the mystery that runs through the entire plot. There are always questions unanswered at the end of every episode, keeping viewers on edge till the next one drops, and changes from the novel which help in cutting down the predictability of the story for long-time fans. For those of you interested in checking it out, KinnPorsche is an original production by streaming platform iQiyi and airs at 10:30 PM IST every Saturday. It’s torture to wait every week once the episode is done, but it’s a struggle that’s more than worth it.