random thoughts / character studies

VAN  --  The scene in episode 11 where he breaks down about how much he hates going home to an empty house without his parents there was incredibly real. Seriously, Java perfectly conveyed how it feels to have the walls that keep those deep-rooted fears and trauma from coming to the surface crumble from your own self-guilt. His character arc made so much sense to me. While I hate many of the things he did, everything was incredibly in-character for someone who feels completely alone but doesn't want to connect with anyone in fear of losing them. The thing people need to understand is he has NO IDEA why he does this until he lets the walls down, and he has NO ONE to understand him (besides Farm a little bit) because of the trauma he doesn't want to admit he has - Van is incredibly nuanced but one of the realist characters in the show (which is why people hate him so much).

Thyme's Character Development --

There is a quote from The Good Place that I thought about a lot while watching this series -

"People improve when they get external love and support. How can we hold it against them when they don't?" 

Thyme is a perfect example of this. Throughout the series we are shown, through his experiences with Gorya, that his upbringing was strife with emotional neglect, manipulation, and projected elitism. As soon as he is exposed to Gorya's "heart-on-your-sleeve, fight for what you believe in" way of living that he realizes how much of his life was governed by his mother's (and high society's) survival of the fittest mentality. In my opinion, this is one of the most well written character developments I've seen in a Thai series to date. Gorya's presence in the story changes everyone just by her being there. 

Here's my review : [ link to review ]

PRODUCTION  -- the cinematography is GORGEOUS; it’s soft and dreamy, very cinematic and simple but beautiful. Pair that with a refreshing lack of sound effects and properly (but sparingly) placed music cues, and this show has me glued to the screen.

ACTING  --  everyone’s acting is refreshingly well-restrained. Don’t get me wrong, I love comedic relief as much as the next person, but I didn’t realize how much I was craving a soft drama storyline with natural comedy that doesn’t make them feel like over-the-top caricatures of normal people backed by sound effects.

DUNK  --  it may be too early to say, but after binge-watching all of JoongDunk’s projects, I feel I can credibly say that I think this is Dunk’s best-acted role. He feels so natural that I sometimes forget he’s acting. Many people don’t get Dunk’s acting style or expect him to be high-energy like many GMMTV 2nd leads. And when he doesn’t they blame his acting. But as someone who is OBSESSED with eye-acting and micro-expressions, I thoroughly appreciate Dunk’s acting as Zo. He’s written as a character that is relatively closed-off when it comes to expressing his feelings and overthinks many situations. Maybe it’s because I can relate heavily to always being in my head about things and often blaming myself for other people’s emotions, but I think Dunk has been phenomenal in portraying all these emotions in a character that doesn’t know how to put his feelings into words.

JOONG  --  I’ve always really adored Joong’s acting style, usually playing characters that are more restrained in their emotions initially and then open up as the story progresses. His eye-acting is what make these complex characters perfect for him. So far, as Joke, he’s doing wonderfully. I adore how forward Joke is with the importance of communication and expressing how you feel to your partner/friends. 

Check out my review where I give my in-depth analysis of the character arcs of this series : [ link to review ]

QIN'S PARENTS -- Okay, touchy subject here that many may not agree with, but I think these are some of the most realistic parents portrayed in a BL so far. Let me explain. I feel like in BL's parents are either amazing, perfect, and kind parents OR unsupportive or emotionally/physically abusive. Here, they're loving, but human. We can tell they love Qin, but they also have deep-rooted guilt and a LOT of shame surrounding what happened to Qin as a child, ultimately leading to Qin's emotional neglect. While I don’t agree with their choices, I get it. Sometimes, out of fear and shame, we hide traumatic memories in an effort to not feel them again or hurt the ones we love. HOWEVER, this only strengthens whatever pain the affected parties feel. Even the scene where Qin finally confronts his parents felt so accurate. They didn't get it at first, and you could see the instinctive push-back they had towards Qin calling them out. Their deflection was out of a place of deep shame. But it wasn't until he broke down in front of them that they finally allowed themselves to see how they affected him. I both hated and absolutely loved that scene. So while I hate that they took this route to protect themselves first, I get it. They're human and flawed.

I was lucky enough to have parents that emphasized communication above everything else. But even though I never doubted their love for me, they also made mistakes that I still see the side effects of in my everyday life. Parents are living for the first time, too. They're going to do things wrong and hopefully, when confronted, they'll see how they need to improve to better the lives of those around them. I really appreciate how the writers took their time for us to see both the love and the neglect the parents displayed and how that affected Qin.

It was heartbreaking and refreshing and raw; utterly human.

NET (as Phop) -- I haven't seen a ton of Net's projects (only Bed Friend and his guest role in Khemjira) so what I'm about to say is based upon the brief exposure I've had of him. I can honestly say that I feel this role is PERFECT for his acting style. The thing I really lie about Thai period pieces is the emphasis on quiet yearning during a time where queer love was outcasted. Not to mention, the Thai language, already an extremely romantic and relationship-based language, reads like poetry. Pair that with Net's ultimate yearning eyes and ability to display every hidden emotion behind every word he speaks and you're sold.

Phop is a character that I'm finding myself pulled in by his acting

The wordless exchange between Phop and Nankun in episode 6 when Phop is sick - CINEMA. The quiet yearning and mutual understanding of desire. The slow approach to closeness. All without saying a word. UGH

ARTHIT + DAO -- Okay so there are some iffy moments for sure - Arthit is trying to unlearn his past behaviors and experiencing real love for the first time, while Dao is cold and seemingly harsh before learning to open up and let people in for the first time since being burned by his ex.

Individually, they may be red or yellow flags, but together they have a green-flag relationship. Arthit's honesty and persistence are exactly what Dao needs to feel safe enough to let his walls down, and Dao's emotional intelligence helps Arthit explore his grief in a safe space so he can finally understand his own emotions. Dao also pushes him to be aware of how his actions and words affect those around him while not making him feel guilty about it. Legitimately, they have to be one of my favorite couples I've seen in a while - their development from strangers to reluctant acquaintances to sharing a quiet understanding provided the perfect foundation of trust for their relationship. Everything felt so real and grounded.

EPISODE 6 -- The scene in the cabin during the thunderstorm when Sankaew is changing clothes. The lighting is amazing - pairing cool and warm colors on each side of Sasin's face with the light shining from behind the sheet to emphasize Sankaew's silhouette. But none of this would have the effect needed for the scene without Peak's INSANE eye acting - THE YEARNING OMG. You can see every damn emotion on his face and every micro-expression adds up to a glassy-eyed realization that he YEARNS for Sankaew.