Bad Buddies Series Review + Short Sorting
(Note: the left guy is "Pran", played by Nanon and the right guy is "Pat" played by Ohm, both are amazing actors)
This series is Thai BL series. Normally, I wouldn't even consider watching Thai BL series at all. Even if I'm Thai. Frankly almost all BL series in Thailand are written by people who have no idea what it's like to be in gay relationship. They assign 'roles' to the couple, like there must be a bottom and top. Oh, not to mention that 'I'm straight but I'm only gay for this guy' and 'a girl that appears once only to make our mc knows he like this guy' trope. That's so damn boring. The usual BL series often depict gay couple unrealistically, and I think it's an insult to our LGBTQ community. But this series just blew me away. In all the right way.
First, they don't portray a 'gay' couple but just a couple falling in love. It is universal, just two people warming up to each other and fall in love, supporting each other through thick and thin. I'm a sucker for a good love stories, and this is one of them. It's not just a gay story, it is a love story and a damn good one at that. Next is the great story pacing, it's an emotional roller coaster. When it's sad, it brings you down to the lowest. When it's happy, you can't stop smiling. When it's funny, hell, I laughed my ass off so many times I can't remember.
This story that blends all these elements into one seamlessly. I love it. But you know what's the best? The acting of every actors on screen is PHENOMENAL. I can't describe it, but they are so natural. All the emotions, they embody the characters perfectly. The banters, the kisses, the cuddles, all of them are completely natural and depict exactly just how a couple actually live. Not to mention the fact that this show isn't even sexualized. Sure, main mcs are hot, but they are not like artificially hot. Just a simple, quite hot (but not overdone) guys. A type of hot guys you can find in any setting and not artificially overdone to the point of unrealism. Which is great, because many times BL series place unrealistic expectations to us that we have to be a modeling material to be in relationship. (I never dared to hit on someone because I feared I wasn't good looking enough despite me not being ugly in anyway). Other thing worth mentioning is the "Zero Waste Village" arc, this arc is a pure gold, both for environmentalist and people just enjoying the show.
But you know what touches me the most? The fact that they are supporting each other through thicks and thins. The fact that even with insurmountable obstacles, they still stay true to what they believe in. And there is a line "If you don't leave me, fight together with me. I'm already really happy." This line strums my heartstring so hard I cried for god knows how long. It just shows how a healthy and supportive relationship can be. We are all trying so hard to be what people want us to be, to the point we are being swallowed by the current of our world. But what if we fight it? What if we say "even if I can't change the world, I won't let the world change me." This is really the essence of this story.
(Noted that the official transliteration doesn't reflect aspiration-tenuis contrast existed in my language. And we have a habit of using random English word as our nickname, so I'll just use the English orthography when that's the case)
Pat: ESFP 8w7 sx/so Snake-Lion. (A really good example of healthy 8w7)
He is actually quite easy to sort but not easy to type. He is clearly Snake primary. He cares deeply about his people (family, Pran and friends) and will go to extra length to protect them. He is a loyalist who focuses on his own happiness and his people's wellbeing. A healthy and mature Snake primary. When he knows that he likes Pran, he doesn't care about anybody else, he just lunges himself forward into enemy territory to find him.
He clashes with Pran's Badger a little because Pran cares about what his community (friends and family) would say about their relationship and later (spoiler) runaway to the sea. Pat just wants to stay with the man he loves and that's it. He is very assertive and reactive. If something happens, he charges head first into it fearlessly. When his friends are being attacked, he is the first to act and fight. When Pran failed the presentation, he steps up and improvises, go for the most obvious solution. And he is brave as hell, his faculty has long standing and often violent rivalry with Pran's but when Pran's faculty hosts an environmentalist camp, he lunges himself, alone, into the enemy territory just to talk with Pran (after an incident). He is surrounded by an enemy but he just doesn't care. His method is antithetic to Pran's. He is reactive and hands on while Pran is heady and meticulous. Like that bus stop scene where Pran can't think of a single idea for the bus stop project. Pat simply just told him to get up and imagine, if Pran is the one using it, what he'll want from this bus stop (and this 5 minutes long scene is completely improvised too, mad respect). While Pran encourages Pat to be more thoughtful of the consequences and to be overall more regimented and less impulsive.
MBTI and Ennagram wise, he is a tad harder to sort. He's definitely ESxP, but I wasn't sure about his judging function. He is very attentive to his surrounding, often notices things people don't notice (like Pran's reactions, the poster that hints the company is interested in environmental-friendly projects, etc,) and is quick to leap on those opportunities. He is quick thinking and fast to act physically. He is the first to rush to his friend's help and is able to accomplish a string of events in a very short period of time. He can and will use whatever in the surrounding to his advantage. That's all indicator to Se-dominance. But is he Ti-Fe or Fi-Te? He often goes to the most obvious fix and straightforward solution that is very Te in nature. He isn't driven by logic or desire to understand, instead he is driven by his strong internal values that dominate all of his decisions. Pat is driven by his own sense of right and wrong and will enact it physically if he must (Se-Te). He isn't exactly that subtle, he is very smart but many times, his simple methods (Lion secondary + Se-Te not being very subtle) can mask the depth of understanding and deliberation he has So, he is ESFP. . His enneagram is harder to sort, he is definitely either 7w8 or 8w7. Both aggressive stance. But which one?
He is so healthy that some traits escape me. But he is definitely 8w7. He is aggressive go-getter who doesn't afraid of anyone and will fight with anyone if necessary. He doesn't really understand or care about personal space much. He will just barge into it and assume it's alright (much to Pran's annoyance). He just barged into Pran's room and leisurely walked around the room while Pran told him, exasperatedly, to get out and he didn't care (ofc, Pran likes him so he doesn't really resist...). That is, except his inner circle (mainly Pran and his sister Pa) where he lets out more of his 7 wing. Being playful and positive. His 7-wing comes out in a form of lighthearted and often cute gestures. When the going gets hard, he stands his ground and fight. He is that kind of 'authoritative' 8 (Yara Greyjoy) as opposed to 'authoritarian' ones (E.g. Tywin Lannister).
He lacks the obvious domineering and often harsh nature of enneagram 8. But that's simply him being healthy person. He doesn't need to dominate people or to actively act mean toward them (except for Wai, initially) so much as protecting his own and his people's rights when they are challenged. He doesn't need to. He is secure enough in his own skin that he doesn't have to subdue others to feel big and safe. But when someone challenges his authority or harming his friends he will let them have it. He shows integration to 2 when he is with Pran. He becomes more caring and helpful toward Pran. He cares for Pran and provides him with help, as well as be there for him. Pat is naturally understanding, empathetic and kind guy which in essence is his integration toward 2. But he is still 8w7 first and foremost, just a healthy one. (And as to why not enneagram 2w1 disintegrate to 8w7? He isn't image type and he is not dependent type. He is gut type first and foremost then he is aggressive stance type second which is 8w7).
Pran: ISTJ 1w2 so/sp Badger-Bird.
Pran is the opposite of Pat in that he is easy to type but not easy to sort. He is ISTJ. Always the perfect, precise, calm and level-headed individual. He is that neat and responsible guy who tends to do things himself (as opposed to leave it to other people) and do it very meticulously. Like, when he figures out how to help his friends pay for the bus stop they wrecked that isn't even Pran's own doing.
First, Pran does it out of his sense of responsibility, both as the president and friend and his own desire to help (Si-Fi to the max). He slowly pieces together how much he will need and how will he gets the money needed. Then delegates exactly how to lower the costs and how to find money (which are all strong Te). And he condemns Pat because his friends are jerks who bullied Wai (Pran's bff) which resulted in the fight at the bus stop. And since he is 1w2, he is a dependent stance type, or as I'd call them "should and must" types. He constantly suppresses himself, his reactions and emotions, in order to be what he 'should' - a perfect child, responsible, proper and regimented guy. But when he finally reconnects with his feelings and step out of his comfort zone, he shows 7 integration. Being playful, silly and chill. He teases Pat on too many occasions and he is cute. But he's also quite wrathful like to that actor guy (irresponsible smirk face) and lashes out in anger before telling him to **** off from the project if he can't be more responsible.
But he has rather weak intuition and often detached from his surroundings (a sign of inferior Ne). It doesn't occur to him that he could just cook up a project to build the bus stop and presents it to the university or to outside CSRs. (Which, to Ne-dom like me, it's immediate apparent. I've been in this situation once and that was what immediately came to my mind, though I could never hope to be nearly as meticulous as ISTJs are ... they are superhuman...). But he is also opens to alternative ideas and change in plans as it is able. He didn't see the poster in the lift when he went to present his project (courtesy to Pat) and failed to capitalize on the company's policy on environment architectural projects. Though luckily Pat intervenes. When his friends come to him for advice, he doesn't give them emotional advice but practical and often blunt ones. When he fought with his mother, he doesn't yell. He didn't even want to talk to her at all, but when she pressed him. He just told her bluntly that he and Pat are in relationship. And told off his mother before door slamming her and retreated to his room (well, he has a point though. Both parents pitting off their children to hate each other because of their own unresolved disputes is just not cool, at all). That's how Fi-Te works in FPs and TJs. (So, INFJs don't door slam people guys!)
He is friendly and amicable but also introverted. Sure, he has a lot of friends, but he is very protective of his emotions and personal space. He needs a lot of time alone to feel content. So he is very reluctant to let Pat into his room at first. To him, this is his private space and only after they warm up to each other he lets Pat in. He is often calm and reserved on the outside, always rational and practical, but he actually harbors so much intense emotions within himself. Many of which he sacrifices for what is logical like denying his feelings for Pat, because of possible consequences. Stop playing guitar (which he loves) because his mother doesn't want it and the possible consequences.
I mean, he was uprooted on a whim of his mother when she saw him in a band with Pat. He was traumatized and doesn't want it to happen again. But when they have their first kiss, Pran pours out all of his suppressed feelings into the kiss, all the pain and love he held back all these years (it's implied that Pran falls for Pat at least when he was in Grade 10 and the kiss happens in their 1st year of university, so at least 4 years). After that he retreats back to his room, crying, shut himself off from Pat and reflect on what he had done. He knows he loves Pat but he also knows the consequences. He was confused and hurt. Only after Pat's daring trip to Environmentalist camp (with Pran's friends waiting there to beat Pat to pulp, literally) he steps out of his comfort zone and start dating. But that's only after Pat proves it to him that it's ok to go for it. That is how inferior Ne works. If they make sure that this venture will not doom them, they will usually go for it.
Sorting wise, he is either Bird or Badger primary. He is all about upholding what's 'right' that comes from the outside world. Rules, laws, system and teachings. However, I don't think he is Bird primary. He is Badger primary. His main focus is to be a part of the community and upholding them. From his family to his friends. He is aware that his relationship with Pat will affect more than just them, but the community as well. He is broader than Pat in this sense. While Pat is all about him and people he loves, Pran is all about him and the community he is a part of.
However, he is also very healthy. He doesn't devalue anyone. No matter who and where that person came from. They are all people in his eyes and if necessary, he'll be there for them. And he doesn't let the community overrides his freewill. Sure he cares about his community deeply, but he does things for himself and his happiness as well (while negotiating with the community's wish halfway, like, faking that he broke up with Pat to keep his family content, but there relationship is still going strong).
His secondary is bird. He is all about skills and strategies. He doesn't do well when things don't go according to plans. He panics and retreats. Like, that presentation. He didn't expect the judges to refuse to fund him. And he was literally shocked. He loves gathering skills. Like music and architectural skills, he tinkers with it and find enjoyment in improving his skills for its own sake. But sometimes he focuses too much on skills and plans that he forgets the human element. Like when he tries to design the bus stop, he can't draw a single line. He is stuck in his constructed methodology. But opens when Pat's method proves useful. I might not express this well, but he's bird secondary.
Pat - ESFP 8w7 sx/so Snake-Lion
Pran - ISTJ 1w2 so/sp Badger-Bird
Wai - ISFP cp6w7 so/sp Bird-Badger (his intuition is actually good. He is the first person to sense something more is going on between Pat and Pran, but he derives it from sensory evidence first which suggests Se > Ni. Though I'm not particularly fond of him, especially since he outed his friends without asking him the reason. He is initially the immature Bird primary and 6w7 who felt betrayed when his friend withhold the secret from him and being vengeful unnecessarily. He grows out of it though, thankfully.)
I wish there are more intuitive types represented in Thai series. Most of the series don't have a single intuitive. If in the west you guys have intuitive bias, we have sensor bias. Intuitives are often ill-received by our culture and media landscape.
PS 1. I don't want to post a character picture individually, because Thai media's tendency to tune up the otherwise already great looking (as in normal and realistic looking) guy when pictures individually. And I don't want to risk copyright complication by taking a random screenshot so ...
PS 2. Thai phonology has aspiration contrast and since p t k in English can be both aspirated (Pen, Ten, King) and unaspirated (Spa, Stark, Sky) we simply just write p t k for both aspirated and unaspirated consonant. Not to mention the tone (5 tones in total), extra vowels like /ɯ/ /ɯː/ /ɤ/ /ɤː/ /ɔ/ /ɔː/ /ɛ/ /ɛː/ and vowel length distinction (short-long). So, the transliteration can be quite deceiving.
The proper pronunciation of this series character's names are as followed (in IPA)
PS 3. I just love how both Pat and Pran are mother hen to their friend groups. I wish I could have a relationship with someone like Pat. I love this kind of healthy and great guy. But I'll have to work on myself too ... being less grumpy and overall becoming a better person before I can feel like I deserve this kind of great guy.
That's it guys. Thanks for reading this!!!
