Includes the following:
Gap the Series; The Loyal Pin - Freen & Becky
Petrichor - Engfa & Charlotte
The Secret of Us - Lingling & Orm
Affair the Series - Lookmhee & Sonya
Roller Coaster the Series - Shelly & Pundao
Haven't stopped thinking about this film and how incredible the visuals were. What a ridiculously accurate breakdown of a relationship between two women and trying to retain one's sense of self in the pursuit of greatness.
Aside from the simple fact that this whole scene is beautifully directed and acted it’s also such a well-written moment of character development! I’m so impressed by Hometown Romance so far. It’s heartfelt, funny, silly and yet, genuinely complex. What a treat!
Let's get into the dynamics between Klao and Si in Hometown Romance because I'm loving how LMSY are portraying their characters and relationship. They're both dorks, a bit unhinged and yet incredibly endearing so let's get into it!
Also important to bear in mind that neither Klao or Si are perfect. They're both flawed in their own ways and those differences is what makes the show fun. Spoilers of the first two episodes below. Let's start with Klao.
When we're introduced to Klao we see her day-to-day at home. She wakes up before the crack of dawn, blasts music, dances by herself, tends to her land and animals and is generous with others and as far as we can tell really enjoys her own company.
And then there's Si. A total sleeping beauty. She wakes up in the evening, has everything handed to her (quite literally), is all about being pampered and lives a life entirely devoted to her own comforts. She's been spoiled so much that her life is totally materialistic and she's been siloed off from her family. Though she initially seems incredibly childish (and she is) she's also quite smart and self-aware.
Klao is a woman of principles. She's incredibly wealthy but chooses a grounded life. She has the means but opts for simplicity: an old car, fertilizer shirts, hair in braids. Class wise she's on par with Si but they've chosen completely opposite lifestyles. When land negotiations arise between Klao and Si's family, Klao continually turns them down. Si's sister, Song has been trying to renew the lease for years to no avail.
For Klao the land involved is incredibly important and she has no intent of renewing and when we see the meeting take place Si's bratty behavior gives Klao the perfect way out. Klao's entire persona is to prove a point. She's stringent in the belief that you shouldn't judge someone without merit and no one is better than anyone else. Si in all her arrogance gives Klao an opportunity to teach a lesson.
So Klao proposes the most ridiculous thing. She'll proceed with the deal but only if Si will marry her. She even holds up her phone as a mirror to Si's vanity. At this point Klao has no intention of actually marrying Si - it's just an insane proposal that in her mind will definitely tank the negotiations and maybe give Si some self-reflection.
And this is where we go full rom-com. Overwhelmed and confused Si stumbles and Klao catches her and in that moment there's a brief spark. Klao fully sees Si and despite herself envisions a crazy future where they are actually happily married. In her shock she drops Si, collects herself and her phone and leaves.
The problem in this ridiculous scenario though is that yes, Klao has stubborn traits but Si is on another level. Neither will back down so while Klao wants to defend her beliefs, make a point, and maybe more; Si has an unmissable opportunity to finally prove herself and her worth to her family.
Si is a princess caged in an ivory tower who wants to be seen AND heard. No matter how much she rants, her screams fall on plugged ears. Her parents, especially her dad are unable to come to terms with their own failed parenting and instead take it out on Si by diminishing and dismissing her. Her mom while still kind is entirely ineffective and her sister Song, who does care a lot about Si, is completely overwhelmed by the burden of familial responsibility. Si, of course, still has a lot to learn too.
While Si is the oldest yet overlooked daughter, Klao is the only girl in the family and is entirely independent. She doesn't live a life of conflict but she finds herself clashing with Si, who's beautiful and fiery. A total snob but an intriguing one. For Klao she enjoys her life and solitude but maybe, just maybe she'd like to have someone around too. Her brothers all have successful marriages with prominent wives so why can't Klao?
And then Si who despite her overly arrogant and pompous exterior is actually incredibly caring and wanting of love. Though she materially has whatever she wants she's desperate to be seen as having real value. She isn't completely honest with herself or Klao even when they've struck their deal but maybe, just maybe in Klao, Si has found someone who sees her (faults and all) and engages on an actual human level.
The initial foundation of their relationship is built on deceit, which is why there's so much of a push/pull and testing of each other's limits but what Klao and Si will come to understand is just how well they balance each other out.
Ultimately, Klao knows how to listen and Si needs to be heard. Not to mention that they're both also just kind of lovable weirdos; they go perfectly together.
And so it ends - a reflection on our heroes journey.
Let’s talk about Eleven.
Spoilers ahead for the ending of Stranger Things
I’m still processing how I feel about the ending of Stranger Things after such a long time of keeping up with the show but the longer I sit with the fate of Eleven the angrier I get. I won’t get into any of the details of the show aside from her arc but either way the wind blows with her final sacrifice being her life or her chosen existence is not only unsatisfying but also irresponsible storytelling.
But it’s realistic some may say! She’d never be free! This is a fictional tale in which very little is actually realistic so let’s put that excuse aside. Stranger Things while comprised of many, many characters and storylines was at its heart the story of a little girl with no agency and when pushed to the brink tore the fabric of space/time and had to deal with the repercussions. Eleven was always the core of the show. The ultimate hero. The show itself knows this deeply. Hopper’s speech to her in the finale perfectly encompasses everything.
And here is where the writing becomes irresponsible. Television as a medium is different than other kinds of storytelling because unlike films it has the luxury (if so lucky) of time and a show like Stranger Things has an audience that grew up with it alongside the characters themselves. There is a connection there that most projects could only dream of having. So you take a show with a generation that’s been engaging with it for years, a generation that is generally most hopeless in the fate of their futures and take a character who is representative of wanting something better for themselves and ensuring none of that comes to pass and call it a day.
I generally enjoyed the finale and how it handled most things. It did as much as it likely could with most loose ends and the epilogue had a lot of nice moments but not properly giving Eleven her dues and immediately jumping forward 18 months was harsh. The audience needed the time to process and mourn her fate along with the other characters but taking that away was incredibly harsh and quite simply disrespectful. Any finale is going to be filled with grief. It’s the end of our time with these characters - we got to join them on their journey for a while and now we say our goodbyes but Eleven’s ending does such a disservice that it truly overshadows the show.
Take for instance JK Rowling who for all her many, many flaws still knew that she couldn’t kill off the main trio. Imagine if Harry actually died in the final battle - it would have tainted the entire story because when we sit with these heroes who have done nothing but roll with the punches their whole lives at the end of the day we need hope that they’ll have a better tomorrow. The tomorrow they not only deserve but earned. Is it fantasy? Yeah, maybe but storytelling is reflective of the lives we live. Let us have happy endings - life is already bleak enough.
What’s with Tumblr adding content warnings to a bunch of sapphic/queer content? Even posts that are extremely tame and don’t have anything explicit whatsoever are being flagged
