I believe Manner of Death is one of the highest, if not the highest, rated BL out there and I can understand why! To be fair though, I’ll always be partial to the production value of KinnPorsche. But this one definitely delivered on chemistry!
Dr. Bun has recently moved back to his hometown acting as their medical examiner. He no sooner reconnects with old friends when things take a turn for the worse. After a swanky party one night, his good friend Janejira is found dead by asphyxiation. Bun knows it couldn’t have been suicide and immediately assumes it’s her boyfriend, Tan, given that he’s also acted a little suspiciously. It’s soon clear though that Tan never actually dated Janejira, and he for sure has a crush on Bun.
As they decide to work together to find the real killer, they are met with many obstacles. Most of which are attempts on their lives, but luckily they are always there to protect each other. Though Bun is falling for Tan, it’s clear that there are many secrets he’s keeping. While Tan thinks it’s for Bun’s own good, there were definitely instances where I’d beg to differ. Luckily, Bun and Tan are respected by a great number of people in town and get plenty of help, but it’s wild to see how many people they trust turn on them.
For example, Tan’s half brother and Bun’s old friend, Pued, did some nasty stuff to Janejira in the years that they dated. He’s the reason she needed to be medically treated for depression, and his career put her in some very dangerous situations. It was these situations that led to Janejira’s demise. The lengths that powerful and wealthy people will go to to cover their tracks is astounding. Unlucky for them, Janejira thought a few steps ahead should she meet her demise. And though they weren’t working with a full deck, both Bun and Tan believed in her enough to connect the dots eventually.
Perhaps the only plot point in this series that confused the hell out of me was that of Inspector M. A young guy like Bun and Tan, initially appeared just as eager as them to find out what really happened to Janejira. Then it looks like one little talking to from his superior made him DESTROY CRUCIAL EVIDENCE?! All of that on top of personal attacks and threats against Bun and Tan suddenly turns into ally ship more than halfway through the series. I could never quite figure out what made him change his mind or if he was playing the long game to help them out, but I suppose I was glad that ended up on team good-guys in the end.
Overall, this was an enjoyable series with lots of twists and turns and if you think you know who did it, you’re probably wrong. Aside from an engaging plot, the chemistry between the actors who played Bun and Tan will make your stomach drop. After one particular scene I did some research and found out these two had been paired up in three previous series, so it made more sense how they were able to pull off that connection so well. As far as BL dramas go, this one’s a keeper.