When Thai tv series Khemjira (2025) appeared on my Netflix recommendation. I thought it might be another Thai BL series, like Love Like a Bike. Fast-forwarding through the first episode, I saw only a boy-girl romance, plus someone who looked nonbinary. So I'm going to review Episode 7; maybe the same-sex romance will heat up.
Our Story So Far: The Spirit Ramphueng, who looks like Rita Repulsa from Power Rangers, has cursed a family: every boy born will die before his 21st birthday. Khem's parents give him a girl's name to fool her, but it doesn't work; demons keep attacking. So they send him to Ubon Ratchatthani province, near the Laotian border, where Shaman Pharam can protect him.
He befriends two of the shaman students: Red-haired, effervescent Jet, and shy, quiet Cham.
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Scene 1: Shaman Pharam, who is very young (the actor is 25), brings the guys to a real outdoor performance, "Remembering the Holy Men." In 1901, followers of the Phu Mi Bun religion started a rebellion against Siam and French Indo-China. After some skirmishes, Siamese troops stormed their camp and killed over 300 men.
Khem sees some of the spirits; very muscular. But he also sees Ramphueng, and worries that she will use them to attack. So Shaman Pharam gives him an additional locket for protection.
Scene 2: While Jet and Cham choose a paint color ffor an offering to the spirits, a girl who dated or had a crush on Shaman Pharam ten years ago tries to get with him again, but Pharam isn't interested.
Scene 3: The performance. Chalked men and women wave tapers with multicolored smoke and run back and forth, grab tall poles, bleed red dust, carry each other off, and finally fall dead. Very impressive.
Uh-oh, there's Ramphueng again! She tries to control the very muscular spirits, but they are too powerful, and make her choke and evaporate.
Scene 4: As everyone is packing up, the girl with the crush on Shaman Pharam stops by to say goodbye and give him a gift. Khem, eavesdropping, thinks they are dating, and walks away morosely.
Shaman Pharam notices and calls him back. "Anything wrong?" "Oh...no, not at all, Master. Bye!"
"Then give my my protection amulet back." "Grr...yeah, sure, I guess."
Scene 5: It's a busy day: next up Rich Guy Pong, who wears a Bethany Nazarene College t-shirt, arrives to take the guys to the Temple Festival.
Rich Guy Pong asks Khem to sit up front -- um, to check the map. He agrees. Jet and Cham gossip about whether the two are an item.
As they pull out, Shaman Pharam stares despondently. Jealous, dude? He summons two child-appearing spirits, and orders them to watch the group and report back if there's trouble.
"And if they split up, who do you want us to keep an eye on? Anybody special, giggle giggle?"
More aftr the break. Caution: Explicit.
Scene 6: It's like a county fair, with carnival games and a ferris wheel. Khem hangs with his friends, which annoys Rich Guy Pong. He suggests tht they split into two pairs.
Jet drags Chm off to the dance floor, and Rich Guy Pong pushes Khem toward the make-out ride...um, I mean the haunted house ride.
"But it's all couples," Khem protests.
"Aren't we a couple?"
Uh-oh, time for a just-friends speech. "I really just think of you as a big brother...I'm going through a lot of stuff right now..." You still have to ride home with this guy, buddy.
Rich Guy Pong is understandable upset. "Is the real reason that you've given your heart to another?"
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Scene 7: Just as Khem finishes shooting him down, Bully Kla (top photo and center) appears to insult him... and Khem. Rich Guy Pong punches him.
They run, stopping to pick up Jet and Cham. The bullies chase them for awhile; then Bully Kla uses his magic to summon a swarm of demonic wasps.
Jet tries to use his magic to protect them, but he is not strong enough. Fortunately, the child-spirit Ake notifies Shaman Pharam, who conjures a protective bubble around them and summons a giant spirit bee to chase the wasps away.
Too late: Rich Guy Pong was bitten a few times, and collapses.
Scene 8: Back at the house, Shaman Pharam cures his magical wounds and puts him to bed.
Cut to Jet and Chan in their bedroom (they sleep on mats separated by a barrier). Shy Guy Cham confesses that he's been having feelings for Jet, but they were boyfriends in a previous life, so is it just a memory, or a romantic interest in this life? One way to find out: they kiss, followed by a lengthy scene of kissing, fondling, and holding hands, with both guys in black underwear..
Shaman Pharam examines a non-magical injury that Khem got in the fight, and insists on applying salve, though Khem protests.
As they stand close enough to kiss, he notes that he's angry with Pong for not being able to keep Khem safe, and mad at himself. he doesn't say for what. They keep standing there gazing at each other. Just kiss him! Shaman-student relations may be forbidden, but he's not really your student, he's there for protection.
Finally he moves in, but Khem backs away! Make up your mind, do you like him or not?. The end.
Whoa, talk about slow-burn. What were they doing in the previous six hour-long episodes?
Got it.See also:"Love Like a Bike": three gay romances, a lot of hot physiques, four d*cks, and a view of Pattaya. Plus sex work and human trafficking.
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