Sugar

Remember that at the end of the day this is a reality show and reality shows do what they do best: increase drama. Whatever happens, like everyone else they are humans and have human emotions. We don't know the full scope of their lives, and we don't really need to know. At the end of the day, these are real people and not characters from a series. They will likely react in a way you may not agree with. I only hope that, especially with these past couple episodes it doesn't encourage harassment towards the contestants.
It's perfectly fine to express your opinions, but it should be amongst others in a forum like this.

The progression of Ayan, Akk, Khan and Thua shows such complex ways in youth, more prominently with self-discovery.
Ayan as we all know is very up-front. He's daring, challenging the school norms. He has an extra set of eyes when it comes to his surroundings. Naturally you would, knowing you're going into this mostly solo as a detective. He's cunningly flirtatious, but I feel like in this more recent episode we're seeing Ayan's vulnerability. He's been pinned to a wall from all sides; the teachers, Charok, the prefects... lad's got a lot on his plate, haha! But another side of his vulnerability is his compassion, his kindness especially during the scene with Thua and Thua's mom. Have him and Thua been close before the series began? In any case, Ayan's self-discovery is both confident and coy.
Akk's, on the other hand, is an inner battle. He's in denial. He's consciously trying to do the role of a prefect but subconsciously rebelling against it. I feel like his confusion as a character is due to his feelings for Ayan being so sudden. Even he is surprised, but still hides it with excuses. Finding out a little more about Ayan, then seeing the consequence of Ayan being picked on, reveals Akk's caring side. Still full of doubt, but nonetheless slowly getting there. Now things are shifting. Akk doesn't seem to be doing what he outwardly promised: keeping things in order. Inwardly, he wants to uncover Ayan's mystery because now he's crushing on him. Stalking his every move, but when the mouse is caught, he holds back on his true motives. I feel like Akk's gonna be the big shocker; he will go against the school first. Perhaps the first prefect in history that won't abide by the school rules? I'm looking forward to his character development.
Khan's is similar to Akk, but also different. He, too, is in denial. His attraction to Thua makes him crack whenever Thua's bullied, or around Ayan. He's jealous, uncertain of his feelings. He plays it off by joking about hitting on the teacher, or his "ideal girl". He's internally pushing and pulling with his feelings for Thua. Episode 4 shows him now understanding the bond between Thua and Ayan a little more, because in some ways, Thua is the same as Ayan. Then Khan works up the courage to hang out with Thua. Perhaps he's becoming more comfortable with his attraction to Thua?
Thua is the one lurking in the shadows. Despite the "difference", he's trying hard to blend in with the crowd. He puts the guilt on himself, because he feels like he is the root cause of trouble. So he hides. Ayan seems to act like a subtle guide for Thua. Maybe he sees a bit of him in Thua; Ayan was once frightened, but Teacher Dika helped him come out of his shell. Now he's doing the same for Thua. With an extra push, we might see Thua be more brave and stand up for himself.

I enjoy that they are taking their time with each character and their differences. It shows that they wanted to do something more than bare minimum mains and their annoying sidekicks, haha!

I gotta say, this series has me hooked from episode 1. I'm shocked this is only five episodes.
The seamless transition in episode 1, where we're introduced to Nozue while he has breakfast and it goes straight to the opening - GENIUS. The way they portray sexual intimacy - GENIUS. The close-up camera work as things grow more and more tense - GENIUS!
I read someone's insight on the use of food to symbolize lust and it's pretty bang-on with how I feel, too. Basically, the food signifies Nozue and Togawa getting more close. It's no longer just a boss and his subordinate; it's a friend, "brotherhood", and then sexual confusion. They share each other's company by masking it as cafes that Togawa recommends, as "girl talk", as anti-aging methods. Togawa, however, seeks more, and we see it with the way he handles food. After thinking about Nozue, he starts chugging a carton of milk. Being with Nozue at the cafes, even just in his presence, he stuffs his cheeks with food because he can't help himself; being near the person he's fallen hard for drives him wild. Taking pictures of the "food", when really he's trying to get as many pictures of Nozue as he can. It all boils down to his faltering suppression. There's no sex scene so far but we as an audience already can see the sexual tension between the two building up, all the way to the final minutes of episode 4.
Speaking of which, it's insane how the last four-ish minutes of episode 4 is one take. That's a huge amount of dedication to remember your lines AND make the performance look believable along with making sure there isn't a slip-up with the camera work, too.
The "silent jealousy", as someone states - again, playing pretend, just like "girl talk". Making plans, seeing people, testing each other's thoughts and feelings by fitting into the heteronormative role. You can see from their body language how much it hurts to be apart, but they can't help it. They can't be seen together often, otherwise the rising suspicion within the workforce will only become more obvious. I'm so curious what'll happen in episode 5! How will they close off such a wonderful and painfully short series?
Apologies for a ramble, haha! I'm just blown away by this short series. It's so damn good.

It's interesting how they are building up Vegas's character. His manipulative tactics are gradual but also calculated. It feels like they are slowly unfurling his menacing side episode after episode while keeping a stoic face, which to me really adds onto that scary aura he has. The latest episode bumped up his gruelling nature by showing us his methods of torture, masked as helping the family gain information. That is how a "villainous" character is done successfully.
It's insane that this is apparently Bible's first gig and already he's doing a tremendous job as an actor.

Oh no doubt Dan seems to be a genuine person, he wears his heart on his sleeve especially for Yok. But there's still some things about him that remain muddled. He may not be an on-duty cop anymore, but he's still a part of the force for some reason. Can't quite put a finger on it yet.

The stark contrast between White and Black is haunting. What hit me first was how both dealt with their near-death experiences; White was petrified afterwards, Black remained collected and stoic. That man is still on a mission and he seems to refuse to back down. But what exactly is he aiming for? Todd? Tawi? Something else we don't know yet?
I am a little disappointed how Sean's curiosity was managed in this episode. At least from previous episodes, we as the audience are presumed the idea that Sean has an inkling "Black" isn't really Black. From the glasses in the bag, to constantly reminding "Black" that he's changed as a person, to him asking "Black" if he has a sibling, only to confront the real Black and be absolutely betrayed of his feelings, whilst calling out Black's name repeatedly, pleading in fact. That hurt to watch, but it was also really confusing. I'm still inclined to believe Sean has some suspicions, but that might also be the sympathy talking, haha! It's just so heart-wrenching to watch this poor young man come from a very complicated and tragic background, to finally have something - someone - to live for, have meaning to push on, only to have his heart ripped out of his chest and stomped on over and over. Now he's back to having no concern for his life anymore - but we are left on a cliffhanger when White swoops in to save him. So that leaves us wondering will he finally come clean?
Then there's Gumpa who seems to be backing up White's hidden identity. He knows this isn't Black, so could he have been involved in some way with the attack on the real Black? He also suddenly wants police involvement, even though he knows his good friend despises them. So then, are they really friends? Or is Gumpa part of a cover-up?
Dan is also a character raising high suspicions. How does he know EXACTLY where Yok is to swoop in as Superman and save him just in time? Is he perhaps working undercover for Todd? I don't see him working for Tawi, since he was in his house painting on his walls. He is also responsible for Sean's dad's death. At the end of the day, I hope he isn't painted as the good guy. He may have battle scars, but he is still a part of a (seemingly) corrupt system. Dan and Yok's future seems grim... how they will turn up, no idea.
I have to conclude by saying this: this is hands down Off's best acting role by far. I am impressed by his way of convincing the viewers that this is indeed, a young man holding a lot of pain. Gun is the best actor, without a doubt. His way of switching between two completely different people so naturally yet so flawlessly really goes to show that - if you don't believe he is THE actor, "Not Me" Gun will prove you wrong.
Loving the story so far, just has some unanswered questions that will hopefully be answered in these last few episodes.

Pretty much echoing everyone else's comments, but this series is absolutely amazing. Well done to the cast and crew, I really hope there's more to it.

While some people might not like the second part and may make comparisons between IPYTM and ITSAY, at the end of the day we're all just expressing our opinions. No two people are going to feel the same, and that's something that needs to be accepted and understood. So as long as there's no hatred towards the creators involved or other people who may have opinions different than yours.
I believe these opinions are mixed because what part 2 did successfully was create imperfect characters. IPYTM, like any other series, may not be perfect, but it was raw and dealt with emotions splendidly.
I personally loved ITSAY more, but I appreciate the craft and hard work put into IPYTM as well. This series as a whole holds a special place in my heart, and speaks volumes in realism. I cannot thank the creators enough for creating a beautiful series and giving us as a community anticipation and excitement, talking about theories and discussing how we felt after each episode. I wish Billkin and PP Krit great success in whatever future paths they choose to go.

I respect your opinion! It is true that people can break up from bad circumstances and eventually get back together, but in my experience cheating is what crosses the line. I am curious that if they do have them get back together, how they will go about concluding it with only one episode left. Teh's character indicates he is impulsive and reacts with emotions than rational thought. He also takes time to realize he messed up. I at least hope if anything that this is the big push for him to reflect on his wrongdoings and become a better person in the process. But yes, we shall see how this all wraps up.

Agreed! The hatred towards the entire crew is absolutely abysmal. While I do wish there were some changes to the storyline, I'm not going to outright hate everyone involved just because it didn't turn out how I wished. Some people seem to go so far as to threaten the directors/screenwriters/etc. just because it's not going their own way. To that they need to take a step back and realize at the end of a day it's a series; you can criticize it, but you shouldn't sink as low as threatening someone's life.

Dare I say, this might be my favourite episode of IPYTM.
The acting, the tensity, the scenes, emotions, symbols all had me on the edge of my seat.
I stand corrected when I thought Jai had feelings for Teh. He's a real master manipulator. I both hate and love him as a character. He carries so much pain to inflict it upon others for his own gain. Pain is gain in his eyes.
This episode really showed how mentally confusing it can feel to project your feelings onto a character. In Teh's case, however, he took it too far. Yes, Jai did guide him down that path, but Teh consciously knew what he was doing. He even told Jai he was his "Fang". He liked him. In no other way can you think of this other than it's plain cheating. If he genuinely felt bad, he would've come clean to Oh-Aew, or at least tell him his job involves being intimate with other actors. It was inevitable Teh was going to do something bad; it's part of his personality.
While yes, Oh-Aew should've confronted Teh earlier, what he did was the same as in ITSAY: being observant. He wanted to find out his own way. It ends as the two break up and him never wanting to see Teh ever again. The sunflowers (loyalty) has been destroyed due to what Teh did. Case closed, right? Well...
We see repeating symbols, the blue and red. Teh wears the blue shirt with hibiscus, Oh-Aew is wearing the blue shirt with "Things I'll Never Say". In the end, I'm on board with other people in that I hope they don't create a "happy" ending, meaning they get back together. It just, realistically, doesn't work that way. What Teh did was irreparable with Oh-Aew. And from what it seems like, Teh doesn't miss Oh-Aew, he just misses having someone by his side. Feel free to disagree. In the end I hope the happy ending is them remaining separate, maybe they'll be back as friends but hopefully nothing more. Their relationship was soured and it just logistically can't work out.
Finally I want to bring this up cuz seeing this a lot is very concerning. Fictional characters do NOT equal the actor. Oab did an amazing job portraying Jai, but Jai is not Oab and vice versa. They are completely separate, and he is just doing his job as, well, an actor. Please be civil and mature about this, in the end it's a job and they all act incredibly well.

Now I just want to quickly bring up the plum wine from episode 3. Teh doesn't drink, yet he still insisted on taking a sip of the plum wine. Obviously because dude's smitten for Jai, however:
"This one is six months old, and within the next six months, the taste will change."
Six and six is twelve, which equates to how each episode is another year later.
The taste of wine becomes better the older it is. Though the saying 'aged like fine wine' commonly refers to a compliment over someone's attractiveness even as they get older, it can also mean a person becomes more experienced as they go through the ups and downs of life. Wine improves its quality as it ages, so does this indicate Teh getting better as he ages too? People experience growing up at different parts of their lives; whether young or old. Oh-Aew is improving early, while Teh is taking longer.
Now the wine could also indicate Teh and Oh-Aew's relationship. Regardless if the end game is them together or not, both of them are changing as individuals. And as the title 'I Promised You The Moon' states, though both promised to love each other 'unchanged', such is life; people change.

I rewatched a bit of episode 1 to refresh my mind and wanted to point out some things with the symbolism. I am probably overthinking a lot of this, but hell, it's ITSAY and IPYTM, they're both series that make you think a lot.
The vase with roses.
We know that blue is Teh's colour and red is Oh-Aew's. The vase is blue, the roses are, obviously, red. Roses are a common symbol of love. It depicts Teh "holding" the love he has for Oh-Aew. But there is a catch:
"When I give you the signal, you run and take one of the flowers."
It's as if this part implies Teh's love for Oh-Aew being taken away. Though the scene doesn't show it, we can assume that is what happens. It's interesting that in that moment, Teh's eyes focus on Khim and Jai, his two role models, rather than the objective.
The lights.
It creates an illusion as things being moved on their own, and only the crew know how to adjust their eyesight so they can create that illusion. The audience doesn't really know about this. Before the play, Teh informs Oh-Aew on how to see him during a part.
"When Top says 'Fix your eyes on the pendulum', you close your eyes for ten seconds and open them."
Which he does, and eventually sees Teh. But when he does the same thing later in the episode, the image is empty. Teh is nowhere to be found. It is as if the lights are saying they are in control of how scenes work. Does this foreshadow Oh-Aew not "seeing" a future anymore with him and Teh? It's hard to say, because it's been confirmed that Oh-Aew's love for Teh remains unchanged. But perhaps it was out of his control; due to either what happened in episode 3 or something else in the final episodes. Again, the light signifies a sense of control, so perhaps it will be something out of his control (which also connects with the title "I Promised You The Moon").
The sunflower.
Sunflowers symbolize loyalty. Near the end of episode 1, Oh-Aew gifts Teh a bouquet that has a sunflower in it.
"But I've given so much of our time to other people already."
I find this remark funny coming from Teh. It does point out their relationship slowly drifting apart. And as Teh looks around for somewhere to place the bouquet down, Oh-Aew takes it back.
"I'll keep it for you."
I feel this means that despite it all, Oh-Aew remains loyal to Teh. He will keep staying loyal. But Teh giving back the bouquet foreshadows that he will not remain loyal.

It really is a hard pill to swallow, but you are speaking the truth.
Generally, having a series with picture-perfect characters will make the story boring and unmemorable. There's a difference between perfection and acknowledging morality.
So as long as they don't paint cheating as a small brush on the shoulder, or any other issues that may arise, it shouldn't be what makes this series "bad".
Regardless of the show or movie, there will still be someone that will not like it. As the saying goes, "you can be the best peach on the planet, but there will still be someone who doesn't like peaches".

Agreed! It is better when there's more wholesome or sweeter series, but series that take their spin on reality and unapologetically make human characters (as in the non-perfect, relatable route) adds more depth to them. Life has a lot more grey than black and white. With ITSAY, I was hit with every emotion in the book, and I'm getting the same feelings with IPYTM. Shows that make you feel for the characters tend to be the most impactful and most remembered.
Also, we are only halfway-ish in the series. Whatever feelings we may have can change depending on the direction the final episodes go. It is frustrating to see people jump to conclusions, but like you said, we are seeing characters making mistakes, growing and changing as people are over the years.

Very true.
Teh's character reads as stubborn, impulsive, and reacts in emotional outbursts because of overthinking. Why? Because he hardly had guidance growing up; he wanted to be the next proud breadwinner, only to be stuck in dreamland. It was him acting as the "toughie", the leader trying to do nice deeds academically. His only "guidance" are those he looked up to; first the actor in ITSAY, and then Khim and Jai in IPYTM. He was afraid of things changing with Oh-Aew, of things changing around them, which is exactly how he acts in IPYTM.
But yes, doesn't really make what he did redeemable.

Surface reaction, but I honestly wish instead of cheating/misinterpretation type of trope that it would have Teh and Oh-Aew "breaking up", as in they have a break from each other, go out with someone else, realize their feelings, break up with them and then get back together. Wishful thinking, if I have to say.
But of course Teh remains the same stubborn impulsive self. Realizes he hates change without realizing that he, too, is starting to change but is projecting his insecurity on other people. At the same time though, it's obvious Jai has fallen for Teh and was kinda leading him into the cheating (and correct me if I'm wrong but the "Forget about Oh-Aew." still hasn't happened yet). Now I am NOT saying it's not Teh's fault - of course it's his fault. He consciously did all those things for Jai. No clue how Teh is going to get out of this mess he dug himself in. Cheating is cheating.
If we're going through a formula similar to ITSAY, episode 4 is going to be the worst and episode 5 will lead into more trouble before coming to a cheerful conclusion.
Damn though, all in all I feel so bad for Oh-Aew. He finally realized his dream, is pursuing it despite the hiccups, has a great group of friends, only to watch as his boyfriend cheats on him in the end. I have a feeling he had suspicions - which I gotta commend all of the actors - but PP Krit perfectly conveyed suspicion through body language and facial expression without it being incredibly obvious.
The scene in episode 3 of ITSAY where Oh-Aew is in the light and Teh is in the dark couldn't be more clear.
Mixed emotions about this episode, but I'm curious as to how they will try to turn things around.

My judgement isn't based on the amount of sexual intimacy, it's how it has been often shown in BLs, which coming from that post, blurs the lines between what is considered a joke and what is actually a harmful perception. Love By Chance, Together With Me Season 2, My Dream, Tharntype, Waterboyy - all of these shows and more turn gay relationships into a sexual fetish. What may be seen as something funny or not taken seriously can be taken differently from person to person. I am saying, after watching so many BLs, that there are hopeful changes in storytelling.

I'm not saying IPYTM is perfect, I'm stating my appreciation on how they depicted that scene, which tends to be immediately slapped on as sexual.

I wanted to bring this up here, not sure if anyone else has yet, but I came across a post a bit ago that perfectly described the normalcy of Oh-Aew and Teh's relationship and how it should be further encouraged for future series.
The person basically stated how the scenes where Teh or Oh-Aew are nude isn't sexualized. In a lot of LGBT media, particularly BL, nudity is seen as something sexual/steamy/something that involves sex. Whereas in the bath scene, where Oh-Aew is washing Teh's hair, it is assumed that Teh is naked. But they both have been together for quite a while, and they both are comfortable with each other. Therefore it's perfectly shown in a non-sexual nature that they are intimate just like any other relationship. Washing each other's hair, taking care of your partner if they're drunk, or having dinner together; simplicity that is often overlooked because it isn't dramatized into a conflict, or driven down a setup that becomes toxic.
The only thing so far in both ITSAY and IPYTM where there is a sexual buildup in nature is in episode 3 of ITSAY. However the "sexual tension" is both Teh and Oh-Aew's long kept feelings for each other that explode into impulsive yearning for intimacy.
This type of portrayal I find to be extremely important. One, for us in the community to have something shown that destroys the stereotypes of seeing same-sex intimacy as only a fetish. And two, to hopefully create open-minded awareness about these types of things.

I'm really enjoying the pace of the story, and how it's been progressing so far. It's showing a lot more realism in terms of how life can be handled from person to person. My assumptions are an opinion like anybody else, but I believe there are many that seem to go way over how some of these characters reacted.
The main issue brought up was how Teh handles things taking a sudden shift. How a dream isn't always a fantastical brick road leading to your destiny. In some ways I could really relate to Teh. I was stubborn his age too, not feeling right about change either. He expressed his fear of abandonment, or reaching his dream only to end up empty handed. In the end, Teh, like in ITSAY, doesn't take to huge changes in life. Think about it - he felt lonely coming to terms with his sexuality, now in IPYTM, he's feeling lonely coming to terms with life. Is what he did wrong? Obviously yes, but does that make him a bad person? From what's been shown, not really. He's just confused. I believe he's struggling like he has coming out of the closet. Bring it back to that scene in ITSAY where Oh-Aew was in the light, while Teh was in the dark. That's the same thing here. Oh-Aew knows where he wants to go, while Teh is struggling to juggle between what he wants and what he needs. Teh's personality shows he takes things gradually. So he is bound to make more mistakes; that's human. Just like how Oh-Aew is dealing with his battles. A relationship becomes stronger through a means of trust and communication. Both Teh and Oh-Aew are still young and learning life as a young adult in a crazy world of change. In the end, they find comfort with each other's presence.
Now with the last scene, could it be foreshadowing? Roller coaster emotions are in their print, so I wouldn't be shocked. I'm really enjoying the show so far. It's unearthing a lot of human emotions while maintaining character growth. We shall see how it develops.