Knock Out Season 1 Review – Slow Moving BL that Dodges the Prize-Winning Punch
Episode Guide
Episode 1 – Tiger Taming Canon – Review Score 2.5/5
Episode 2 – Don't Hold Back – Review Score 3/5
Episode 3 – The Heartless Left Hook – Review Score 2.5/5
Episode 4 – The Fix – Review Score 2.5/5
Episode 5 – Hero vs Hero – Review Score 2.5/5
Episode 6 – For Us – Review Score 3/5
Episode 7 – Evidence – Review Score 3.5/5
Episode 8 – Betrayal – Review Score 3.5/5
Episode 9 – The Ring Rage – Review Score 3.5/5
Episode 10 – Safe House – Review Score 3.5/5
Episode 11 – Trap – Review Score 2/5
Episode 12 & Ending Explained – Always By Your Side – Review Score 1.5/5
Slow-Moving Anti-Climactic BL
Based on the novel Knockout (หมัดน็อกล็อกหัวใจ) by Dawin (ดวินทร์), the story follows Keen as he hears the news of his father's death and, having used his entire savings on the funeral, is not prepared when debt collectors show up. He hides out at a traditional Muay Thai gym trying to figure out how to make fast money. There he meets renowned fighter, Thun – 'The Tiger Taming Cannon.' But Thun refuses to step foot into the ring.
Thai BL, Knock Out, is led by newcomers, Nice Boripat Jamsat as Keen and Gunner Natsakan Chairote as Thun. The rest of the cast offers familiar faces, including Guide Kantapon Chmpupan of Bake Me Please, Dech Narongdet Rungarun of Playboyy and Gap Jakarin Puribhat of Cat Man and The Legend of Nang Nak. It was produced by Earnie Jantawong, who brought you Hello No One and wrote Thai BL, Monster Next Door.
Keen and Thun quickly find themselves thrown together as it's not just Keen but the whole gym that needs a financial injection. He manages to get Thun on board, but that's quickly out the window as he brings in Thun's former friend for a revenge match. As the cinches tighten, Thun finally agrees to fight Typhoon. But things don't go as any of them expected.
With a glimpse into the Muay Thai Boxing world, including a public naked weigh-in plus a novel behind the story for depth, I expected a bit more than Knock Out was ultimately able to deliver. No shade to the actors specifically, but the chemistry wasn't there in any of the relationships, except maybe for the blood-crazed Yut. He did seem crazy. And Phuwish, who played his double role well, though I struggled to picture a crime boss who would enjoy feeding his enemies to his German Shepherd. Perhaps I don't get out enough.
Apart from the connections, the storyline didn't seem to offer many opportunities for the protagonists to truly form bonds, feeling a bit superficial from the start and never able to tame that trail into genuine relationships. Instead, it just pushed couples together in less-than-realistic situations and left them to it.
The storyline around loan sharks feels fairly tired, too, popping up in so many Thai dramas. It makes me wonder just how many people are in debt for it to be such a regular theme. The interesting twist was that the moneylender was actually a politician in disguise, something that may feel cheekily relevant in more than one country.
Ultimately, though, BLs are about the chemistry. While it wasn't horrible and had potential, it didn't really live up to its romance genre.
If you're on the fence about Knock Out, check out our episode reviews linked above. If you loved it, I'd love to hear why in the comments below.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Games Workshop to open new stores in US, Europe and Asia this year after Space Marine 2 success
Games Workshop is plotting dozens of new store launches around the world after the Warhammer creator's profits were supercharged by the launch of 'Space Marine 2'. The group cheered a record 2025 on Tuesday with pre-tax profits soaring by nearly 30 per cent to £262.8million, beating guidance of £255million, as sales jumped 19.6 per cent on a constant currency basis to £628.7million. It came as licencing revenues jumped from £31million to £52.5million after Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, a third-person shooter video game launched last year, performed 'well above' the group's expectations with seven million copies sold. Games Workshop is best known in the UK for its tabletop miniatures and high street stores across the country. But it has increasingly moved into video games and books, and a film and TV deal with Amazon that was finalised last December and is expected to be fronted by Superman actor Henry Cavill. Games Workshop cautioned that the next 12 months would suffer tough comparisons owing to the success of Space Marine 2, while the group thinks tariffs could impact profit before tax by around £12million. It said tariffs would be 'dealt with in our normal pragmatic way'. Nevertheless, Games Workshop outlined plans to boost manufacturing capacity and said it aims to open around 35 new stores globally over the next year. These are set to be focused on North American, continental Europe and Asia. The Nottingham-based firm's chief executive Kevin Rountree, CEO of Games Workshop said: 'After a record year, we remain focused on delivering our operational plans and working tirelessly to overcome any significant obstacles that get in the way. 'We will continue to give ourselves the freedom to make some mistakes, constantly working on improvements in product quality and manufacturing innovation. 'Despite our recent successes we will never take our hobbyists' support for granted.' Games Workshop declared and paid dividends worth 520p per share last year, up from 420p in the previous 12 months. Games Workshop shares were up 5.6 per cent to 16,110p approaching midday, having more than doubled over the last three years.
The Guardian
7 hours ago
- The Guardian
Kamikaze: An Untold History review – a bewilderingly brutal act of collective desperation recalled
Going by the raw numbers, Japan's use of kamikaze pilots in the dying days of the second world war was an effective military action. While the country lost almost 4,000 of its men by asking them to fly planes laden with explosives into enemy ships – a task that entailed certain death – the losses on the other side were closer to 7,000. But it was a bewildering act of collective desperation that still has the ability to shock, and tells us a lot about the futility of modern warfare and the power of mass hysteria in times of conflict. Kamikaze: An Untold History is a documentary by the Japanese public broadcaster NHK that could have been a very powerful film at 60 minutes but is still impactful at an exhaustive hour and a half. It starts with the first suicide pilots who flew in October 1944, as the Americans advanced inexorably across the Pacific towards mainland Japan. The programme is determined to commemorate individuals who perished, beginning with 20-year-old Hirota Yukinobu. There is clear footage of his plane hitting an aircraft carrier and creating a large explosion on deck, having taken a hit to the wing on its descent: we can well imagine the last moments of a young man's life being filled with fear of failure and perhaps the physical pain of fire in the cockpit, followed by a final split-second of realisation that his mission had been accomplished. What is even more extraordinary was what happened once the first wave of kamikaze pilots had flown. Newsreel propaganda, shown in cinemas nationwide, lauded the men as something beyond heroic: 'With your departure,' said one proud announcer, 'you have joined the gods.' It was thought that a nation that was willing to resort to such measures could not possibly lose, and that if Emperor Hirohito were forced to negotiate for peace, this show of strength would enable a more favourable deal. The men became superstars. The home village of 19-year-old Terashima Tadamasa erected a stone monument to his memory, and local dignitaries attended his funeral. In one of several interviews recorded in the 2000s and 2010s with first-hand witnesses, who have since died, the sister of 23-year-old Ishii Mitoshi recalls how hordes of well-wishing strangers made it hard for her family to grieve for him. Pilots had their final written statements read out on national radio ('Mother, are you well? I will not squander the 21 years of life you have given me!'). As the slogan '100 million kamikaze' became popular, schoolchildren wore headbands expressing support for the men, while adults who were not physically fit to serve often proved to be particularly fervent amateur agitators, urging the kamikaze on. The film is a straightforward historical account, so it doesn't debate the spiky moral and philosophical conundrums the kamikaze phenomenon raises. War requires the mass sacrifice of human life, often in the form of strategies that will certainly lead to heavy losses for your own side. The emotional pull of last year's American-made second world war drama Masters of the Air, for example, was provided largely by the idea of men being sent on missions from which many would not return. What is the logic in feeling inspired by the selflessness of soldiers who had a tiny chance of survival, but horrified by those who had none? Clear answers are not to be found here but, as we gaze at photographs of squadrons of men under the age of 25, whose whole adult lives were rehearsals for their death, we have to ask why. The slightly baggy back half of the film does give us more to chew on, as it looks at those who weren't selected, or who volunteered with some reluctance. Documents are found that suggest the Japanese navy rejected some men's applications if they had scored top marks in aptitude tests: at a time when few Japanese families could afford higher education, university graduates saw their peers become kamikaze pilots and wondered whether the country really wanted to turn its brightest minds into ammunition. More distressing than the tales of those whose privilege didn't protect them are reports of kamikaze mania driving men of all backgrounds to sign up unwillingly. We hear how they felt that the political climate gave them no choice: the dynamic that is always in place during conflicts, where it is treasonous to criticise the war effort, crushed any dissent. The kamikaze strategy gave Japanese citizens hope. The film ends by glimpsing the atomic bombs hitting Hiroshima and Nagasaki, brutal events that showed that hope to be false. Whether that made the gestures of the kamikaze pilots more or less noble than any other war death is a question that can't ever be answered, but this film shines new light on it. Kamikaze: An Untold History aired on BBC Four and is available on iPlayer.
Time Out
11 hours ago
- Time Out
Sip with Pride
Time Out Bangkok in partnership with Chalong Bay Pride in Thailand has a powerful new reason to celebrate all year long. On June 18 2024, the country made history, passing a bill to become the first nation in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriage – a monumental win for love and equality that sent waves of joy across the kingdom. Riding that celebratory wave is Phuket's own Chalong Bay, the craft distillery celebrated for its 100 percent natural Thai sugarcane spirits. To honour this landmark moment, the brand has just dropped its Limited Pride Edition Rum, a pioneering tribute to the LGBTQ+ community and the freedom to love. As the first Thai liquor brand to create a special bottle for this occasion, Chalong Bay is proving that every toast, every bottle, and every sip can be a meaningful step forward. Here's the story behind this spirited celebration. A personal pour The inspiration for this special edition comes straight from the heart. Chinavich 'Lek' Ratanachinakorn, co-owner of Chalong Bay and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, sees this rum as an extension of his identity and values. 'At Chalong Bay, our craft is also our voice,' Lek explains. 'The legalisation of same-sex marriage in Thailand is a huge step forward. We're proud to release our Limited Pride Edition rum as a celebration of love, equality, and the freedom to be yourself.' Crafted with Thai Pride True to its sustainable roots, this rum begins with 100 percent organic Thai sugarcane. The stalks are harvested by hand – never burned – to protect the environment. By working directly with local farmers who champion sustainable agriculture, Chalong Bay ensures that every bottle supports both the planet and the community. A zesty toast to love Using a traditional French copper still, Chalong Bay distills the sugarcane wine infused with the fresh zest of hand-peeled Thai limes. This meticulous process creates a bright, citrusy kick that's entirely natural, with no artificial additives. The result is a rum that's as authentic as the community it celebrates. Sip, celebrate and support This bottle does more than just taste good – it does good. Chalong Bay is donating three percent of revenue from each Pride Edition bottle to APCOM, a leading organisation advocating for LGBTQ+ human rights, health and community development across the Asia-Pacific region.
