Dha_Zai

More of Joe EP 8 – the opening fighting scene
Warning – Long & boring
Take a closer look at what Joe is wearing in the scene of Muay Boran fight: the Mongkhon, Pra Jiads and Pha Kao Ma. Besides, his hands & forearms are wrapped in hemp rope.

Oh, you're right – not so much to cover the gorgeous body; but if you are into Mauy Thai, you must've already recognised the headband & armbands.


-The headband is Mongkhon headdress. Mongkhon can seem to play a sheerly utilitarian role – a thing without unnecessary embellishments whose function is to keep hair or sweat out of a warrior's face; sweat in particular as it can severely impair your vision & slow down your reaction time.
The warriors would tie a piece of cloth around their heads & chant Buddhist prayers prior to battles, so Mongkhon was believed to possess sacred powers bestowing protection and good luck on its wearer.

-Armbands worn around the biceps - Pra Jiads. They are claimed to represent a mothers’ blessing for the safety of their children on the battlefield, since Pra Jiads were pieces of fabric having torn off a mother’s garment so that the warriors proudly tied them around their arms.

-Thai loincloth - Pha-Kao-Ma – you can call this piece of fabric a male sarong; actually it's something stable in Thai household & can serve many purposes, you can even use it to cover your body to rest or sleep. Why red? Probably because of the red soil of the Ayutthaya Kingdom; or the colour adapted by King U-Tong who is maintained to have been of Chinese descent – red is an auspicious colour for Chinese; or maybe simply because the madder root was used to die the fabric...

-Joe's hands and forearms are wrapped in hemp rope. The warriors or fighters used the hemp rope layer binding not only to protect their fists (finger joints and wrist are most susceptible to injuries) but also to inflict the most massive bodily harm on the enemy while punching, since the rope bindings could become serious offensive weapons facilitating cutting into the skin, especially if rope had been soaked in rice water and dried thoroughly, which hardened it and made it similar to knuckle dusters.

Muay Boran was one of the society pillars, so elements of the garment related to it - Mongkhon & Pra Jiads - consecrated by monks or given by parents became a kind of conduit between the spiritual & physical realms „imbuing the wearer with strength, courage, and protection during combat.”

So, when during the fight the Mongkhon dropped off Joe's head on to the ground, Tong's lips curved in a victorious smirk, as a sacred object, - although the hairdress was a film prop, it still has its significance - lost its spiritual & protective powers as well as Joe was humbled in the dust. It was Tong's revenge & elation at the sight of his enemy's defeat.
I think that Tong bribed one of the stuntmen to use his full force on Joe while delivering kicks & punches on the abdominal area too close to the solar plexus.
„Power tends to corrupt” it suits Tong.

More of Ming (7)
A short historical note:
[*The Kingdom of Ayutthaya existed from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya, Thailand.
**Krabi-Krabong literally means “a saber and a mace"; it is an ancient weapon-based martial art which is likely to have been used in conjunction with Muay Boran*** – an unarmed martial art, predecessor of Muay Thai - developed in the 13 century in the Kingdom of Ayutthaya.
Muay Boran fighters were highly respected and the best ot them were enlisted into the King's Royal Guard.]

Why was Ming so much enthralled by that male back in the sword fighting scene of the promotional video? Perhaps there was something else apart from the obvious quintessence of sex & power, which he found himself irresistably attracted to.

You will have to stop being a beholder, you need to see it through Ming's eyes.

Ming saw a shrouded in legend Muay Boran*** fighter - a warrior of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya* wielding Thai double swords (Daab song mue) and the fierce beauty of Krabi-Krabong** famed for its deadly efficacy & spellbinding precision.

With ease controlling his powerful body the sword-fighting artist flawlessly performs the elaborate choreography of a fight in front of Ming's eyes this way becoming the embodyment of a plethora of those grandiose stories about heroic deeds of Ayutthaya warriors.
Ming is enwrapped in his own reverie - of course, he considers the sword fighting scene to be the tribute to his motherland's cultural heritage and martial arts legacy, but these thoughts are the background for the sensation Ming can't articulate properly, as he feels the release of euphoria comparable to that one induced by taking cocaine & he can't stop wanting more of that intense pleasure so that he can indulge in it completely.
For Ming two worlds inextricably entwinded - present & past, lust & profound veneration, desire to possess & fear to lose.

And something else.
If you think that the fighter's outfit is the product of a costume designer's flight of fancy, you got it wrong - it's the historical battle garment each piece of which has its particular meaning.
TBC

A standing ovation for Tong! The audience see only a glimpse of him in this episode. But don't you feel that overwhelming urge to put your hands on his throat & with great relish squeeze life out of him ?
Mek delivers a beautifully executed performance; he has been able to portray an absolutely compelling scoundrel.

Thank you for ploughing through that monumental drag of mine.

EP 7 Joe. Reactive abuse – a victim's self-defensive reaction

Besieged by Ming and infested by little ratty Tharn with that condescending tone of his, at long last Joe reached his breaking point - his fight-or-flight response kicked and he lashed out at his abusers.
Despite never showing abusive (aggressive) tendencies towards any other person or situation, Joe resorted to reactive abuse which is a self-defensive reaction to his abusers' actions.

And if Tharn is totally stunned by Joe manhandling him, Ming responds like an ASPD individual usually does in these circumstances – aggression instigates aggression.

I heaved a sigh of relief when Tong intervened.
I would note here that Tong is rather well aware of Ming's explosive nature and how fast the situation can escalate with potentially disastrous consequences, so he didn't stop either yelling or banging on the door, he's sure Ming will react to his voice (a figure of authority, perhaps to a lesser degree, but still capable of influencing Ming).

I was so proud of how Joe reacted to Ming's “That's nothing.”
The word “nothing” hit Joe with full force of a tidal wave evoking so different an emotion in him which is “hyper-present” pent-up acrimony; he doesn't want to be “nothing” any more and, although he is incapable of regaining full control over his life since he's in a chokehold of debt, he's ready to face his abusers.

Ming is said to have fallen in love with a complete stranger virtuosically performing a fencing scene in a promotional video. A fairy tale conception of „at first sight” warped & twisted beyond any measure.
(Not going to quarrel about conception of „at first sight”, it's up to each individual to decide whether to believe in it or not; personally for me it's inacceptable.)

So, falling in love with the back or any other part of the human body sounds bizzare. You may get enchanted, infatuated, bewitched with the golden ration but it doesn't imply „love” at all. You can be consumed with a powerful desire to touch, to possess, to have a wank, to take a hefty bite... Am I obscene enough..?
Is Ming's behaviour normal? Yes, it is, unless his actions distress or impair the object of his infatuation. So, Tong has never been abused by Ming unless those back hugs an example of which was demonstrated in EP 1 can be deemed abusive. Ludicrous.

Did Ming fall in love with Tong after getting acquainted with him? No. The distance between sexual attraction and love is chasmal. Besides, Ming's sister Mei caught Tong's attention, Tong declarated his preferences, Ming felt rejected, Tong being so close but out of reach made Ming spiral into a crisis and he left for the USA.
Why do you think that Ming's life's revolved around Tong?

And why is it expected that a set of positive traits is a necessary condition to be loved?
William Faulkner said, 'You don't love because: you love despite; not for the virtues, but despite the faults.'

Ming is a bunch of ASPD traits and he isn't able to bond with a person so easily – life with him is going to be like balancing on a rope suspended over a precipice.
Ming craves love and connection but is not able to control his impulsive behavior: he's violent, passionate, unpredictable, dramatic; and it's Joe who unwittingly becomes Ming's safe harbour, his everything – comfort, consolation, avoidance of confrontation, unconditional acceptance – it's so meaningful and so painful for both of them.
Ming feverishly clinged to the idea of Joe being alive. He employs the art of Kintsugi to repair the cat mugs, which should've taken him at least about half a year; he still maintains Joe's house, preserves the things around him untouched... insanity in each further step.

Why is the audience's attention glued to this shoulder to waist part of the body? It's only a physical distractor. It would be strange to deny that Ming isn't attracted to a particular physical type, but he craves the safety of home provided for him by Joe. Ming locked his jaws on Joe 2 and gives him nasty bites only because the guy behaves like Joe 1 and gives off a weirdly familiar vibe.

Trying to find rational behind Ming's actions seems to be an invidious task as his notion of rational lies far away from ours.

We haven't been shown how Ming has developed his mental health issues but here they are right on the surface.
Most of the time he looks like a bottle of champagne which is about to be burst open with a cork half way out. Nevertheless, Ming is quite predictable in his actions: being provoked he is likely to use physical violence or verbal abuse to dominate a person, actually, he does exactly the same thing whenever he feels resistance or senses a person attempt to withhold information from him.

Look at Ming's attitude to other people when he considers a situation safe for himself - barely does he notice the existence of theirs or he's indifferent in an unpleasant way usually geared up for exerting pressure any time he finds it necessary.

I'm giddily infatuated with the golden ratio of David's back. Yet, it would absolutely inappropriate to say that I'm in love. I can't perceive worshipping or sexual attraction as love.

Oh, don't get me wrong, please. My little comment was nothing but a joke.

I beg your pardon. What?! Could you develop your "a video's going to come out"?

Oh, that's only normal not to have anything to do with worshipping a particular part of the body or partialism.
But don't compare a mere toe to the back, please! (A little sly smile) You know, men's shoulder-to-hip ratios influence neurophysiological responses related to perception and attractiveness. So, why not?! I could absolutly get enarmoured with Michelangelo's David's back. What a bummer - the guy is marble!

EP 7 Final scene. It was precious.
It got me rocking-and-reeling.
Joe performing a fencing scene was ab-so-lute-ly swooning. Did you feel like your heart was missing heartbeats or pounding right in your throat?
Ming's outburst on the film set was jaw-dropping; the people who witnessed the entire thing are going to tittle-tattle about what occurred there for a long time to come.
I swear, at that precise moment Tong, sitting in front of the monitors, saw his own flat-line on the screen.
Oh, my iron skivvies!
If word of this scandalous incident ever leaks out, the tabloids are going to have a field day.

I don't think that the makers of the series could afford to deeply explore a main character with a mental health condition exhibiting so many ASPD traits as Ming does. I presume, many viewers wouldn't look kindly on that uncompromisingly calling the makers assaulter's apologists.

That's quite a striking tendency that there's an increasing number of people seeking to discover the reasons behind a person / character having become villainous but it's a painful disappointment for them to find out that there's basically nothing that can be considered as a convincing enough excuse. (That's drudging and difficult to show on screen how a lack of appropriate emotional respose and insecure relationship with parents can warp and affect a person's relationships later in life. The scriptwriter should be a genius to do that.)

The viewers would rather witness a sinner / scoundrel showing remose, searching for redemption and getting their long live together, which sounds completely absurd as there's no miraculous recovery. It's a long bumpy journey of developing awareness and recognizing the problem, then processing harmful relationship dynamics and then, little by little, hurdles start crumbling since the partners persistently work on it together.

After the audience get their long-awaited happy end, Joe is going to go through hell with Ming. Joe is Ming's anchor or safe harbour, whatever you call it, so Ming is likely to demonstrate an increased emotional dependence on Joe, his jealousy & possessiveness won't evaporate, and however grotesque it may sound, Joe will never be able to change his beloved Ming's behavior, he can only learn ways to understand and cope, set boundaries and protect himself.

Bear with me, please – I've got carried away.

You are far away from being shallow. You seem to be a person with secure attachment, who can set boundaries and has empathy.
The appeal of a face is absolutely undeniable, but unlike you Ming is attracted to a different part of the body - he worships the back with the shoulder-to-hip golden ratio. The face is the least problem here as Joe could undergo a plastic surgery. Do I sound cynical?

I've never read the book. If it's necessary to use a crutch, I mean to read a book, to understand the characters, their incentives or storyline, it means the film has failed and is not worth viewing. Perhaps I'm a bit rough when talking about it.
Load of things in this series appeal to me & stir interest - visuals, sound, voices as well as how written language has been translated into images.

I've never read the book.
When it comes to the cat mugs, the prop master botched the job during pre-production, since after being mended the mugs should have gold seams both inside & outside.

I'm surprised that you were surprised . Ming used a 400-year-old technique of Kintsugi to mend the cheap cat mugs.

Kintsugi is connected with the philosophy of wabi-sabi. It teaches us that scars or imperfections, both physical and emotional, are not something to be ashamed of but rather to be celebrated.

Gold which is used for mending symbolizes that even the most broken things can be made whole again. So, Ming's Joe is alive. As a friend of mine implied, "Your Ming must have bats in the belfry that's why he didn't commit suicide after having lost his love".

As far as I understand, the story is narrated from Joe's point of view; introducing new plotlines would seriously affect the lengh of the series, slowed down the pacing and change the focal point. Given the film genre, it would feel counterproductive.
Yet, I wouldn't mind watching a far more longer episodes or series showing more Tong, Ming and Ming's family interactions, even though the series contains elements of fantasy.

4. Some slices of Ming

- insecure attachment issue;

- Ming does not struggle to hide his ASPD traits unless it concerns Joe; out of fear of being betrayed & abandoned by Joe, Ming commits a crime of passion. Joe escaping unscathed is bordering on the miraculous. [A moderate TBI (traumatic brai injury) causing unconsciousness which lasts more than 30 minutes but fewer than 24 hours is Joe's case. He should've developed the whole bouquet of symptoms: nausea or vomiting, balance and coordination issues, hearing or vision issues, difficulty thinking clearly, difficulty managing behavior, trouble communicating... you know, it's going to be a separate post)]

3. Some slices of Ming

- Ming has quite a curious form of worshipping a particular part of a human body which
borders on partialism - a sexual focus on a specific part of the body – dorsum philia. Ming is enarmoured with a male back. Long live the golden ration!

- Ming has to keep his emotions sealed, put a lid on them whereas he craves love & connection;