Arthit and Typhoon - Parallel to one another
One thing I’ve always found interesting about the 4 Fourever You stories is how some characters parallel each other. Most notably Arthit and Typhoon.
They, arguably, have the most tragic and painful backstories. They are the two who, whether desperation or sheer stubborn will, have moved forward after significant life altering trauma, and they are the two who both need and receive the most healing.
The clearest delineation between the two comes from their fathers -
Obviously, Typhoon’s father (if you’d call him that) is an abusive piece of shit. His callous disregard and vitriol towards Typhoon, even prior to Fun’s death, is vivid. They show us that for Typhoon to go on living once his sister died, he had to find a means to regulate his emotions and find a steady footing without any assistance. Even after reuniting with Tonfah and befriending Easter and the others, it’s Typhoon who eventually makes the decision to heal. It’s Typhoon who seeks help.
In contrast, Direk is a good loving father to Arthit. BUT their dynamic is far more friendly than parent-child and while not an issue in adulthood, this coupled with the slow decline and ultimate loss of his mother, leaves Arthit largely alone from a young age with his emotions too. Whereas Typhoon found outlets and allowed himself to mourn even if it was in solitude, Arthit refused to give himself those moments creating a mask and bottling up the pain.
Another key difference is that the outside world largely recognized Typhoon’s emotional turmoil. His friends knew something was wrong, and though they didn’t outright ask they did offer him support.
The world at large did not see this in Arthit — though there’s ample evidence to suggest that the other doctors knew at least the basics and likely tried to offer support early on but were ultimately shut down.
The other key difference between these two is the need for an outside party (Tonfah or Daotok) to finally “fix” the problem.
As previously mentioned, Typhoon largely overcomes everything by himself. He gains confidence, friends, takes steps towards both reconnecting and flirting with Tonfah largely of his own volition, and starts to go against his father’s wishes long before the two start dating.
Arthit does not have this ability. Is not for the happenstance of Daotok moving in next door and his ability to see ghosts, and the fortunate naming of Emma — he’d likely never heal.
It rather poetic in the end.
Typhoon, the smallest and least assuming member of the group possesses far more strength than Arthit, the stubborn wild child.
This contrast is made all the more interesting when you see the actors portraying them too.
