This is a bit different to my usual stuff but I was designing a note board to keep track of my writing and I decided to make a separate one for my Christmas challenge and I thought it was pretty cute. So, if anyone wants to keep track of anything Christmassy, here's a fun little note board!
note board below for my ramblings on this episode. this one is much more scatterbrained than the last one.
episodes 1-4
Character Notes
Akk
What we know so far
- Akk being from a small town has achieved plot relevance as well as his adherence to the rules and desire to become a prefect - he tells Ayan that he’s at Suppalo on a scholarship and implies that he can’t afford to attend without it, and the same likely holds true for college; Mes was the student prefect that Akk looked up to when he was younger, and I hope we get more details about Mes because he very clearly idolized Mes (side note but this is bothering me: Mes’ face looks SO familiar but I cannot fucking place why)
- a parental figure has entered the ring! Akk’s father spoke with him on the phone about needing to come say goodbye to his aunt before she left - all the insight we have for now but good to know he has parents
- Akk is NOT the one who took Ayan’s journal from his locker
- Akk is notably NOT annoyed at all by Ayan’s texts about being paired together for judo. in fact he actually smiles and laughs to himself a little, looking almost fond (and the shot was kind of wide so it was hard for me to tell, but right before the scene cut away, Akk almost looks a little surprised at himself for that reaction)
- he went to find Teacher Chadok after the fight with Ayan, but it’s not clear what exactly he was going to talk to him about
- Akk sought out Ayan after Ayan missed class, but didn’t talk to him after he saw Thua approach Ayan...what were you going to SAY MY GUY??
What we should keep in mind
- Akk returns to the queer cafe and he still seems totally fine in that atmosphere so my money is on Akk knows he’s queer he’s just having a crisis that he’s being queer about Ayan as a person rather than Ayan being the same gender as him
- springing from the pattern of Akk constantly threatening violence to Ayan if Ayan continued to step out of line finally culminated in Akk actually punching Ayan; he then later mentions he got into fights when he first arrived at Suppalo because he was bullied - i’m curious if Akk grew up rough and tumble or if he just snapped from the environment change and pressure
- he seems to feel the need to hide how his feelings toward Ayan are changing from Kan and Wat, likely thinking that they wouldn’t understand and he’s too confused himself still to explain
- i believe Akk is changing before he’s even aware of it, something honest breaking free without his permission; he’s the one to approach Ayan and offer up an olive branch, something Akk wouldn’t have done three episodes ago; he even acknowledges that he was after Ayan’s notebook when before he would deny it
- Akk’s obsession with the rules and love for Suppalo has been revealed to have stemmed from the interactions he had and people he met during his first year there; Mes and Dika and maybe even Chadok showed him the path to a future Akk probably felt he previously didn’t have access to, but the exact details are still yet to be revealed, especially why Suppalo was the school Akk chose in the first place
Ayan
What we know so far
- Ayan’s journal has been snatched by an unknown figure (potentially the same one who has yet to be identified from earlier episodes) and while upset about the journal being taken seems relatively unconcerned about the contents of said journal being spread around
- Ayan has moved on from giving Akk an out and now texts him to claim Akk as his partner for judo practice in advance
- previously stated that Ayan seems well-educated; he was reading G. Orwell’s 1984 in his free-time because we know damn well that’s not on Suppalo’s required reading list
- Ayan may have deleted the cheek kiss photo after sending it to Akk, but he still has sleepy Akk photos on that phone of his
- Ayan absolutely is feeling some type of way about Akk at this point
What we should keep in mind
- it seems like there is still a distance between Ayan and the World Remembers group in terms of protest planning, but I’m curious what Ayan was doing at the school when he found Akk at the end of the episode
- I should have mentioned this previously but it seems that Ayan is extremely aware of when Akk is following him and I’m not sure if it’s just because Akk is bad at it or if Ayan is that paranoid, but I find it interesting that Ayan seems to always have his guard up even outside of the school
- Ayan sending the photo to Akk felt like a test, especially when he gave Akk the out to save face about likely not deleting the photo by telling Akk to do it not in front of Ayan...I’m wondering if he’s clocked the cracks in the foundation of Akk’s beliefs in Suppalo (or maybe he’s just gay lol)
- when Akk asked Ayan about what he meant regarding the curse, Ayan didn’t answer and instead asked “does the student prefect title mean that much to you?” and i know it was Ayan’s way of diverting the conversation but to me it also read as a protective mechanism, as if trying to keep Akk clear of whatever fall out Ayan knows is coming
Dika
What we know so far
- Dika met Akk after Akk got in a fight and was able to help Akk figure out how to move forward and was “just so understanding” which is a sentiment that Ayan agrees with; the idea that Akk’s personal sense of betrayal in calling Dika a “traitor” comes from a sense of abandonment seems much more plausible now
- during the snippet of flashback, the interaction between Dika and Chadok seemed...fine. Chadok seemed calmer and less severe than he does in the present, even looking like he could crack a smile or something crazy like that
What we should keep in mind
- something happened between Dika and Chadok - my bet is some dirty truth was uncovered in relation to the rules; Mr. Sit mentioned something of the like during his conversation with Ayan, but no one seems to know exactly what went down
Thua
What we know so far
- definitely does not have a good relationship with his step-father who is abrasive and verbally abusive (what we’ve seen on screen); Thua’s mother does seem to be trying to step in where she can
- Thua abruptly left the car after his step-dad snapped at him and didn’t stop even when his mother called after him; someone is nearing a breaking point
- despite not being the direct target of harassment about his sexuality, witnessing that bigotry immediately after being yelled at by his step-dad clearly affected Thua as well
What we should keep in mind
- previously stated that he didn’t want to see Kan get hurt again - but it looks like he will have to, considering the ep6 preview
- Thua seems to understand Ayan with more ease than his other classmates, especially for someone who has not had all that much on screen interaction with Ayan thus far, which makes me continue to think that they knew each other before Ayan started going to Suppalo
- “it would be nice to disappear” i want to know how long Thua’s been thinking like this and the context in which he means disappear
Kan
What we know so far
- Kan has made progress! he did not immediately release Thua’s hand when other students saw them holding hands - an action that Kan initiated as well! in fact, it was Thua who let go of Kan’s hand, likely thinking that Kan would be uncomfortable - only for Kan to look frustrated and disappointed after Thua walked away (i’m curious what the catalyst for this change was)
- Kan’s strong belief in the curse continues to be his go-to explanation for when things start going wrong around the school
What we should keep in mind
- he is the only person we are shown on screen having seen/read Thua’s post, a scene which is immediately followed by “Bruce Wayne” contacting Thua; strong suspicion here that Kan is Bruce Wayne; if he is “Bruce” my guess is it’s an attempt at getting Thua to open up under the guise of anonymity
- continuation note from previous one but considering we had a scene where the World Remembers trio was being very publicly harassed for being queer, Thua being glared at for holding hands with Kan, and the mounting tension of the curse, I would not be surprised if the reason Kan looks roughed up in the preview is because someone says the wrong thing to either him or Thua and Kan snaps
Wat
What we know so far
- actively sought out Teacher Sani to tell her that she was right to guess he wasn’t enjoying class - that he actually liked film; and she showed him that she was listening and talked to him briefly about his interests, thereby giving Wat a supportive adult in his corner
- Wat’s mediator personality shines again in the phone scene where he waits to see how Akk will react first, and then explains his thoughts to Akk and Kan, acting as a balm to Akk’s more direct explanation; then again after Akk and Ayan’s fight when he talks Kan down from pushing Akk for answers
What we should keep in mind
- Wat told Teacher Sani that he had spoken to his family about his film interest and was told it wasn’t a stable career; however when he was talking to Kan and Akk about a communication arts degree, he implied that they would never entertain the idea and made it sound like he had never brought it up and was assuming based off what he knows; i’m curious if anyone in his family has actually told him not to pursue film
- Teacher Sani told him “you don’t always need to do what others expect of you” and i’m excited to see how that’s going to affect his growth going forward
The Curse
- we don’t get much new information on the curse in this episode, but in his emotionally driven rage, Ayan asked if the students wanted to know the truth about Suppalo’s curse - something that Akk tried to follow up on later, but Ayan didn’t give him a clear answer; the implication that Ayan already knows what’s going on and is only here to prove and expose it was not something I was expecting, but is definitely intriguing given his connection to Dika
- Kan brings up the curse in the meeting with Teacher Sani about the World Remembers group, stating that there is almost a formula/legend for how the curse manifests which is...a highly concerning detail especially considering one involves literal burning (how has this been left unchecked what the fuck)
Things to Follow Up On
- the unknown figure from ep1 and ep2 (now appearing as the journal thief in ep5) is still unidentified; i think there was an attempt at misdirection by utilizing the framing they did with Akk at the end of the episode, but Akk does not have the journal and in the shots from ep2 the figure does not appear to be wearing a prefect armband - Namo was the one pretending to be a prefect in ep1 and then was the one to tell Thua that Kan got into a fight in ep2; also worth noting his actor is in the opening credits so best to keep an eye on him
- the jacket sniff: Ayan gave Akk his hoodie which of course made me absolutely insane <3
- ep2 4/4 timestamp 2:15 - unfortunately no follow up
- still no follow-up on the whispered conversation between Ayan and Thua, but I hold out hope
- the individual who posted the protest video still has yet to be identified
- Teacher Sani being willing to pay attention to the students and listen to them: further fulfilled by her interaction with Wat this episode, but I want to keep an eye on her progression throughout the show because Chadok was notably absent from this episode giving her that leeway to be a little softer; also there was a shot of her walking around the school at night at the end of the episode?
- the first crack in the foundation of Akk’s belief: the cracks are spreading as evidenced by his leniency with the phone situation
- Ayan’s emotional vulnerability in front of Akk: we didn’t see much of this in the same context as the last couple episode, but we did see Ayan thank Akk for stepping in and diverting the teachers from continuing to harass Ayan in class, as well as Ayan acknowledging that he reacted on emotion instead of logic when his journal went missing (though it appears from the preview for ep6 we’ll be getting some VERY emotionally vulnerable scenes between Akk and Ayan)
- none of the students at Suppalo knowing Dika’s dead: AKK THE ANSWER IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!! g o s h when Ayan changed the subject and immediately walked away, unable to tell Akk the truth about Dika? I was screaming <3
- Mr. Sit (the janitor) is now on my suspect list...previously he was in the spotlight for the van incident in ep1, then he gave Ayan the information about the rumor concerning Dika, and has interrupted charged moments between Ayan and Akk at least three times now, the last of which he seemed to have purposefully done so and did not look thrilled before he walked away...the vibes are off
- Akk: no way. i don’t want to be like you.
Ayan: how do you know? you haven’t even tried.
Me: alright okay okay okay alright why am i emotional i’ve got my eye on you
- Akk: why does it have to be you
Me: elaborate
- this whole time I’ve been curious about the World Remembers group and why they’re still at Suppalo if they’re clearly suffering so much; this episode gives the insight that they’ve tried to speak out about it to the teachers and to their families and friends and have been ignored/abandoned in every direction; if anything happens to these kids I’m rioting <3 “i truly believe tomorrow will be better than this”
Recurring Themes
- this isn’t exactly recurring but goes sort of hand in hand with the theme of Akk pulling Ayan closer (aggressively) but during the cafe conversation this episode, I absolutely LOVED the detail of body language between Akk and Ayan where they seemed to push and pull toward one another based on who had the upper hand in the conversation. when Akk felt smug and “on top” he would lean against the table and exude this aura of knowing he was winning, until Ayan also leaned on the table and brandish the familiar barb of being incredibly comfortable with utilizing/weaponizing his sexuality for his social benefit, making Akk lean away until he could find his footing again. and there’s the detail that when they were on common ground, like when Ayan said “thank you” to Akk, they were both leaning back, creating a neutral space (perhaps I’m over explaining this but I noticed it on my first watch and thought it was cool)
- every shot of Suppalo continues to have the building dominating the screen (maybe it’s just me, but the shots of the building this episode did seem like the angle was adjusted somewhat, perhaps implying something)
- no martial arts flip but Akk was the one who threw the first punch in their fight and I’m still just waiting for the narrative-relevant scene of Ayan flipping Akk
- not much in the way of sun and moon imagery but don’t think i missed the way Ayan’s face was reflecting the moonlight in that last shot <3
Favorite Shot From The Episode
emotionally charged interactions in tight spaces with your enemy who is slowly becoming something more are actually something that can be so personal
Welcome to my note board - it’s a hot fucking mess of rambling below the cut so proceed with caution.
Character Notes
Akk
What we know so far
- Akk is from a small town and he didn’t want to leave/grow up
- Akk initially does believe in the order and structure of Suppalo’s rules whole-heartedly (he at least states as much to Ayan and enforces them as a prefect)
- Akk lives in a dorm/apartment by himself and has yet to mention his parents in any capacity; Wat and Kan seem to visit him frequently after school or on weekends
- Akk appears significantly less affected by being in an openly queer cafe than Kan does; while he seems uncomfortable discussing his romantic/sexual life openly he does appear less defensive than Kan on the matter
- Akk is incredibly paranoid when it comes to Ayan and it is portrayed as distaste for Ayan as an outsider here to ruin Suppalo’s reputation; while Ayan has neither confirmed nor denied Akk’s suspicions, Akk believes he is right in his assumptions and continues to push at Ayan to reveal his intentions; he feels unsettled enough by Ayan’s presence in the school that he takes the risk a few times of attempting to snoop through Ayan’s things for answers/evidence
- states in ep2 that rule breakers are people who “tend to have no roots” (which is an interesting sentiment from someone who grew up in a small town likely without said roots at Suppalo)
- Akk is stronger than Ayan
- Wat mentions that Akk has always wanted to be a prefect after Akk states that he “must [continue to] be the prefect club president”
- despite his misgivings about Ayan, he does try to protect him from the ire of the teachers in certain situations usually by pulling on his sleeve and telling him to stop challenging the teachers (yet seemed upset in ep4 when Ayan didn’t fight back)
What we should keep in mind
- how he came into the mindset of strictly abiding by the rules after growing up as a “carefree small town boy” who didn’t want to grow up
- it’s a little unclear if Akk is struggling more with his attraction to Ayan from the lens of a sexuality crisis or a perception of the school crisis (though him putting his school blazer into the closet in ep1 feels incredibly symbolic; he also comments they go to an “all boys school; who would i like?”)
- Akk is consistently “violent” with Ayan (grabbing his collar to assert his power, shoving Ayan out of his space, and threatening several times to hit Ayan) but all of this is done without ever following through; perhaps a misguided fear response? potentially an inferiority complex or self-defense mechanism from when he wasn’t an upperclassman/prefect aka learned behavior
- personal opinion but he was definitely flirting with Ayan after they fed the dog together because parallel of “there’s one dog that won’t see my smile” vs. him actually smiling at Ayan while they fed the dog and then in the bathroom after, he flicks water at Ayan while saying “the dog’s pretty cute, wouldn’t you say?” and then immediately walks away
Ayan
What we know so far
- Ayan’s mother travels for work and she made a comment about a school he went to before Parot but gave no further detail; she seems to know Ayan transferred to Suppalo to seek answers about Dika’s death and is not a fan of his plan but also has not stopped him; his father has not been mentioned yet; Ayan is now at Suppalo because he’s “following” his Uncle Dika who passed away recently; Ayan believes Suppalo had a hand in Dika’s death but it has not been stated why yet (”how your school dealt with someone who disagreed” from ep4 is SUCH a telling piece of dialogue in this situation)
- Ayan wears his sexuality confidently enough to use it to his advantage in situations he might otherwise not have an upper hand in (there’s so many examples of this where do i start...notably he has only done so with Akk); seemed appropriately flustered after the accidental kiss with Akk regardless
- Ayan is keeping a journal about the consequences of rule breaking at Suppalo but that is all we know about the contents of his journal; has a conspiracy board...boy you are going to get caught if you keep inviting Akk over
- Ayan is not afraid to challenge the teachers but seems to back off or place himself in the path of ire when other students protest the rules too (i.e. telling the World Remembers group to stand down when Akk and the prefects try to aggressively remove their protest and therefore shifts the attention away from them and to himself)
- despite how much he likes to tease Akk, Ayan does give him an out in regards to helping him in the martial arts class stating that Akk doesn’t have to help him if he doesn’t want to (likely picking up on some of Akk’s awkwardness/discomfort)
- appears to be very well-educated and well read to match his “arrogance” in the classroom
- Ayan’s necklace belonged to his Uncle Dika who said he would hold it when he was anxious and uncertain of how things would turn out and tell himself everything would be okay; from the flash back in ep3 we can assume Ayan inherited the necklace from Dika after he died (mother’s brother perhaps?)
- has photos of sleepy Akk on his phone alongside photos of him kissing Akk’s cheek; he thinks sleepy Akk is cute
- a regular at the Cafe for All as Dika used to bring him there (frequently it sounds like but the reason has not been stated)
What we should keep in mind
- despite what Akk believes we have yet to see Ayan instigate acts of protest that involve other students aside from telling the World Remembers group in ep3 that it seems like their protests are working/upsetting people loyal to Suppalo; he has talked down the World Remembers group during their protests however to try and subvert punish away from them; he has not partaken in one of their protests so it’s unclear if he is actually involved in planning them
- Ayan seemed a little unsettled during the martial arts class and even got up to walk away from the mat before he was called back by the teacher; curious about that reaction because Ayan has not attempted to walk out of a class before (could be frustration at not remembering techniques like the teacher said; however in the scene immediately after where Akk is instructing Ayan, it almost looks like Ayan hesitates to even get close to Akk to begin with)
- not above attempting to provoke a reaction out of Thua by telling Thua that when he remains “neutral” he is “no better than those dictators” and states that Thua’s opinion and voice matter; if he’s not careful in who he provokes Ayan might actually get punched
- the teachers are following Chadok’s lead to quite literally tamp down Ayan’s self-confidence because they don’t like being questioned...we can imagine how well this will turn out as evidenced by him letting his guard down around Akk after the teachers put Ayan through his paces all day
Dika
What we know so far
- used to work as a professor at Suppalo and supposedly transferred to Parot (it’s unclear if this was a lie the students/staff at Suppalo were told since the majority don’t know he’s dead but it would explain why Ayan moved to Parot before transferring to Suppalo)
- Dika taught Ayan English and was an English teacher at Suppalo [confirmed by Ayan in ep1] and worked in the student welfare department under Chadok for a brief time; the rumor Mr. Sit mentioned states that Dika was promised higher pay at Parot which is why it is believed he left Suppalo
- in the photo Ayan took about the Christmas board, when he zooms in we can see two of the three students that are part of the World Remembers group posing with Dika and they’re all smiling widely and look happy
- from Ayan’s nightmare it looks like Dika took his own life and Ayan believes Suppalo had something to do with it but we do not know why yet; can be assumed that Ayan either witnessed Dika’s death or might have been the one to find him
- liked white roses and used to keep a vase of them behind his desk (loyalty, innocence, purity in language of flowers)
What we should keep in mind
- Uncle Dika did talk to Ayan about how strict Suppalo was before he died and before Ayan transferred but in what context they spoke about Suppalo we don’t know yet
- Kan makes a comment about Dika being able to “handle the trouble makers” if he was still around implying that he probably had a good approach to compromise with upset students; Akk calls Dika a “traitor” to the school more than once and feels strongly enough about it to call him a “traitor” in front of Teacher Sani (whether this is because Dika “left” and Akk’s blind loyalty is making him think that way or because he looked up to Dika/was close with Dika and feels abandoned is yet to be seen) -- starting to wonder if the student body was purposefully turned against him somehow
- referencing the above statement, in ep2 Akk asks Ayan if he was “brainwashed by Teacher Dika; you are both rebellious” which could imply that Dika might have been stating similar sentiments as Ayan before he “left”
Thua
What we know so far
- Thua is an intelligent, well-organized student who is outwardly friendly and helpful but keeps a lot of personal things under wraps (curious how Ayan found out about Thua’s step father...) and he obviously is comfortable with his sexuality to some degree and knows that people talk about and judge him in a negative light for it; he also knows that Kan avoids him sometimes because Kan doesn’t want to be judged in the way Thua is
- his step-father attended Suppalo (i think...still not sure if it was his step-dad or biological dad that went) and wanted Thua to do the same
- he is the head of their class
- as their class was being forced to recite the school’s pledge, Thua does so with a neutral expression and clenched fists
- states to Ayan that he’s not “playing it safe” but “staying neutral” (whether or not this is Thua lying to himself remains to be seen); advises Ayan to stop challenging the teachers/rules but backs off immediately when Ayan says he won’t
What we should keep in mind
- has yet to state his opinion concretely however stated that “if we can let it slide we should; we won’t be here forever” indicating that he does not enjoy the rules and would prefer not to adhere to them, but is willing to keep his head down
- he stated that he didn’t want to see Kan get hurt again when he asked Kan not to defend him in the future; wondering if this is foreshadowing for a follow-up scene involving exactly this
- definitely has a strained relationship with his step-father as implied by Thua’s mother; relationship with biological father is unknown but is apparently notably different from his step-dad; parents are divorced (questionable since all his mother said was “since I got remarried” so his father could have passed away too); got a blank look on his face and went quiet in ep3 when Kan brought up Thua’s father having attended Suppalo
- when Ayan met with Thua and Thua’s mother, he seemed rather familiar with Thua’s mother (this might be me not understanding the finer details of Thai culture but I don’t think Ayan would bring up the topics he did at a first meeting and risk not knowing how she might react) [note: Thua’s mother is an angel <3]
Kan
What we know so far
- Kan is blatantly in the closet (potentially harboring some internalized homophobia) as he becomes skittish and paranoid at even the slightest indication toward any interaction or situation that presents the topic of queerness (i.e. cafe scene); sometimes tries to overcompensate so he is perceived as straight (i.e. Valentine’s day scene)
- brings up Suppalo’s curse several times and appears to believe in it with the way he addresses the topic (unclear where his foundation of belief stems from)
- despite how uncomfortable Kan is with being in the spotlight in terms of his sexuality he does go out of his way to care for Thua and defend him
- not all of the teachers seem uptight and strict at all times, shown by Kan often making jokes in class that the teachers often take in stride or shake their heads at while looking amused; Kan’s role seems to be very emotion/heart driven
What we should keep in mind
- he made a comment in ep1 about “not talking/joking” about who he’s attracted to when Wat made a joke about Thua being Kan’s boyfriend; there’s a chance that he might have confessed or hinted about his sexuality to Wat and Akk as they seem to be his closest friends
- his defensive attitude toward others when it comes to them gossiping about Thua is an interesting dichotomy to the way Kan handles his own sexuality and i for one am curious about how all that is going to play out
Wat
What we know so far
- is interested in film and communication arts but comes from a family of engineers and doctors so he is not planning on pursuing his own passions in school
- has thus far acted as the mediator of the prefect trio and offers the straightforward and obvious solution to issues - usually telling his friends to just talk to each other
What we should keep in mind
- Wat appears easy going and care free on the surface but clearly has the weight of legacy on his shoulders
- he does not appear to believe fully in the curse of Suppalo and his overall stance on the rules is unclear, but he does his job as a prefect; assuming that Akk is swayed to Ayan’s view of things in the future it will be interesting to see how this might affect the prefect trio and where Wat’s mediator position will land him if it turns into an argument (especially since Kan doesn’t necessarily like the rules but believes in the curse)
The Curse
- belief in the curse of Suppalo is not school wide and varies from student to student; the trio that make up the World Remembers group believe it is someone trying to scare them into following the rules instead of a curse while Kan seems to believe the curse is real and is strengthened by the presence of a solar eclipse
- the teachers’ stance on the curse is unclear; when Teacher Sani asked about the curse she was told to defer to Chadok’s decisions on the matter and advised to mind her own business and not get involved with more than necessary if she wanted to work at Suppalo for a long time (likely foreshadowing for a similar conversation/situation with Dika?)
- Chadok is the only professor who has mentioned the curse and has spoken as if he believes in it when speaking to Akk; during ep3 when the class is reciting the pledge Chadok states that they should unite and adhere strictly to Suppalo’s rules to prevent the curse from taking hold (gaslighting much?)
- in the flashback of the flowerpot falling toward the World Remembers group, someone’s fingers are noticeably/intentionally in the shot from two different angles pushing the flowerpot off the edge of the balcony (perhaps implication/foreshadowing that the curse is not as supernatural as some believe it to be)
Things to Follow Up On
- in ep1 the World Remembers group is making copies secretly at night in the school when they are approached by a figure who startles them but the aftermath of that scene and the identity of the figure are never revealed
- in ep2 we see an unknown figure pulling down the flyers that the World Remembers group put up and presumably the same figure burning all of those flyers in the middle of the night (same or different figure from ep1?)
- the jacket sniff???? Akk???
- ep2 4/4 timestamp 2:15 ... is it just me or does the photo in the textbook look like Teacher Chadok?
- Thua, Ayan, and Thua’s mother meeting up in the cafe seemed to be an after thought to the topic of the whispered conversation from ep3 between Ayan and Thua because Ayan asked Thua when he was free AFTER the whispering ended; so i’m curious what the whispers were about that provoked Thua to say “you know you can’t say what you said to me to anyone else in this school, right?”
- who filmed/posted the video of the protest at the school; anonymous account since none of the staff seem to know who posted it?
- Teacher Sani went out of her way to speak to Wat when she recognized that he seemed off/unhappy in class; she also told Teacher Chadok that they should hear what the World Remembers group had to say so that they knew the teachers were listening; she seems to genuinely care about the students and may end up walking a similar path as Dika did (or at least what has been hinted at)
- ep4 is the first time we see Akk attempt to reason/talk back to teacher Chadok and after Chadok leaves Akk looks a little unsettled; this is likely the first crack in the foundation of Akk’s faith in the school
- there are two scenes in ep4 where Ayan allows himself to be emotionally vulnerable; one where he doesn’t tell Akk much of anything but asks/allows him to stay while Ayan is crying; the other Ayan intended to be alone but realized that Akk had followed him - both times Akk found Ayan in an emotionally vulnerable state and was allowed to stay but at a distance
- Akk: what if Teacher Dika was the one who took Ayan to the cafe?
Kan: but Ayan said that person was dead...
Akk: oh...right
me, realizing what that implies: oh christ. you’ll get there eventually and it’s going to hurt. i can’t wait.
Recurring Themes
- Akk tends to be the one pulling Ayan closer - usually as a threat (keep your enemies close etc.) - but it is Ayan who puts a hand on the back of Akk’s neck to keep him there or dare him to get closer (until the cheek kiss scene)
- Akk flipping Ayan during martial arts practice (i’m praying for a scene where Ayan is the one to finally flip Akk and i hope it’s symbolic as hell)
- shots of the front of the school always make the Suppalo building to appear as a looming figure (especially in ep1 where Ayan and Akk are in each other’s faces set to the background of Suppalo taking up almost the whole shot)
- Ayan is always framed on the outskirts of the crowd during the World Remembers protests, watching on silently as Akk tries to intervene; Ayan has only directly intervened once
- sun and moon imagery (duh)
Favorite Shot From Each Episode
episode 1 - this doesn’t do the moment justice but <3
episode 2 - THIS is the care free Akk we’ve been missing! he’s still in there.
episode 3 - just kids being kids...guys being silly with their friends
episode 4 - it’s about the framing...the vulnerability
honorable mentions from ep2 (it’s about the yearning) and ep4 (my SON <3 my BOY <3)