Only Friends/KP *Meta*
ONLY FRIENDS
PREDICTIONS (Pilot)
Only Friends Predictions - entertaining potential endgames for each couple
TRAILER
Only Friends Trailer Thoughts - theories/commentary on the official trailer
Mental Health & Defense Mechanisms (theories) - ideas about the role of mental health/illness in the series
EPISODE 1
RaySand History Theories (Ask) - theorizing about how Sand might have recognized Ray in ep1
Characterization & Relationships (Ep1) - characters and relationships in ep1 and how they could create conflict
Crushes - interpreting Boston and Ray’s crushes on Top and Mew
Intimacy Progression (Ep1) - what the emotional and physical intimacy between each couple from ep 1 could say about their progression in the rest of the series
Apologies & Forgiveness - how apologies and forgiveness function in RaySand’s relationship and the dangerous places it could take them in the future
EPISODE 2
RaySand - how RaySand’s relationship could completely obliterate them both, etc.
Intimacy (Ep2) - what intimacy means for each couple in ep 2
Self-destruction - defense mechanisms and the dangers of forming attachments
BostonNick vs. RaySand - similarities and differences between these plot lines; how they differ by character
EPISODE 3
Intimacy (Ep3) - how intimacy lines are blurring and creating conflict
Communication - how the characters define their relationships and boundaries in ep 3
Ep4 Preview Dialogue - speculation and analysis about ep 4 scene
Sand’s Fatal Flaw (spec) - how Sand is being portrayed and hints at his potential flaws
“I can fix him” - theories/analysis about how Sand’s helpfulness and patience could be turned against him
EPISODE 4
Ray’s Attachment Issues - how Ray develops attachments easily to anyone who shows him affection
OF Title - the irony of the series’ title and the battle each couple is fighting
Resistance - how Ray’s attachment to Mew has affected his approach to Sand
Intimacy (Ep4) - physical intimacy merging with emotional intimacy; each couples’ arc
Healing - how the series is rejecting a common friends-to-lovers arc by focusing on Ray’s psychology
Narrative Framing & Setting - comparing setting/colorization between the final two scenes in ep 4; Ray’s psyche
Friendship & Emotional Awareness - exploring character flaws and potential faults with Mew’s friendship towards Ray
Nature - the role of nature and the connection it draws between Mew and Sand; theory about its future involvement
EPISODE 5
Intimacy & Emotional Attachments (Ep5) - how the couples have grown closer and more distant in their emotional bonds
Sand’s Caregiving Habits (Ask) - Sand’s self-sufficiency and caregiving traits; the balance of giving/receiving between Sand and Ray
Sand & Perspective - how ep 5 gives insight into why Sand has grown attached to Ray; narration and dialogue dissection
Attachment Issues - how Boston specifically targets Ray’s attachment issues
Sand & Nick - how Sand and Nick are both victims of a sort, and how their reactions differ
EPISODE 6
Boston & Ray’s Sabotage - comparing Boston and Ray’s motives for attacking the friend group
“Can’t you really see that I care about you?” - dialogue analysis
Guilt (Ask) - how Sand’s revenge plot on Top could prompt guilt at the end of ep 7
Addiction - comparing Ray’s relationship with alcohol to his relationship with Sand; dependency issues
Intimacy & Communication (Ep6) - lying and communication issues pushing the couples apart in ep 6
Sand’s reluctance (Ask) - Sand’s behavior in the pool scene and his approach to revenge
“Woobification” of Sand (Reblog) - how Sand is morally dubious despite his sympathetic nature
Sand as a possession - how Sand equates himself to alcohol, referencing his objectification by Ray
Ray’s Car - how Ray’s car represents the progression of Sand and Ray’s relationship
Mew & Addiction - Mew's superiority complex and perspective on Ray’s addictions
EPISODE 7
Joker & Harley - Joker and Harley Quinn references between Ray and Mew
“I’m your emergency staff after all.” - admitting to feelings
Haziness - cinematographic haziness and its effects at the end of ep 7
Ill-suited RayMew - analyzing the ways Ray and Mew’s relationship is destined to fall apart
Poverty/Addiction Tourism (Ask) - how Mew and Ray have both been ‘tourists’ to the struggles of other characters
Motivation Vs. Criticism (Ask) - analyzing Mew and Sand’s different reactions to Ray’s alcoholism
SandRay Endgame (Ask) - how the story setup makes way for a (potential) SandRay endgame
Changing Sand - examining Sand’s values; analyzing Sand as a ‘pathetic’ character
Bringing out the best - how RayMew and SandRay dynamics differ
EPISODE 8
Self-respect (Ask) - how Sand doesn’t let go of his self-respect at the party; how Ray’s inebriation plays a role in his insults
Articulating Feelings (Ask) - communicating and the admission of feelings
More than a possession - how Ray’s feelings portray themselves through toxic outbursts; Ray’s impulsiveness/possessiveness as a result of his mental health
Misdirection & Possession - how the ep 7 preview was misleading; showing possession of characters
“When I’m with you, I’m so damn happy” - subtleties and entendres in the opening scene of ep 8
Freedom & Corruption, Ep 8 - how characters seek freedom; how alcohol/drugs, self-worth issues, superiority complexes, etc. limit characters’ freedom
The Alcohol Mask - how intoxication is a mask for Ray
Lacking feelings for Mew (Ask) - how Ray’s feelings for Mew don’t appear as strong by his actions in ep 8
Kissing as romantic (Ask) - how the kisses in ep 7 are used to show possessiveness and are not read as romantic
Parallelism Ep1/Ep7 - paralleling scene of TopMew and SandRay
Party Context (Ask) - details and context in the RayMew party kiss scene
Subsumed by Mew (Ask) - how Ray’s sense of self is completely wrapped up in Mew
Responsibility (Reblog) - how neither Mew nor Ray is responsible for each other’s issues, but they both contribute in some way
Cheum’s Fears (Ask) - Cheum’s motivations in ep 8 and her fear of losing Mew
Why does Sand like Ray anyway? (Ask) - what makes Sand care about Ray and how it has developed
EPISODE 9
RayMew Friendship - what Ray and Mew have realized about their relationship; letting go
Forgiveness - Ray’s struggles to forgive himself and how it relates to issues of self-love
Music Room - music room scene analysis
Maturity & Mirrors - how characters mirror each other and how transient relationships promote individual, long-term growth
Top, Mew, & Cheating (Ask) - discussion of the comparisons between SandRay and TopMew on the topic of “cheating”
Ray/Boston & Sand/Nick Parallels - how the many similarities Ray/Boston and Sand/Nick emphasize their biggest differences
Why Boston Should End Up Alone - why Boston could gain the most from being alone in the end of the series (in a friendship with Nick)
Sand & Emotions (Ask) - how Sand is guided by emotions in his relationship with Ray; theorizing about Sand’s “dark side” and SandRay endgame
Is Sand really the 2nd option? (Ask) - discussion of whether Sand is really Ray’s second choice, Ray’s possessiveness, and how Ray comes to terms with his true feelings
EPISODE 10
Unworthy of Love/Mirroring - how Ray and Sand mirror the sentiment of being “unspecial” and where these perspectives stem from
Self-preservation (Ask) - dependency and self-preservation’s crossover with mental health
SandBoeing Fears (Ask) - the emotional betrayal of Sand being with Boeing
Embracing Parallels - paralleling RayMew/SandRay in Ep4 scene and Ep10 scene
Top & Boston’s Punishment (Ask) - whether Top & Boston are being unjustly punished by the narrative and other characters
Ray’s Feelings - how Ray’s feelings have developed, his process of confronting them, and where that leads in Ep10
“I’m sorry/thank you” Parallelism (Ask) - comparing when Ray has thanked Sand/apologized to him & its weight in the ending scene of Ep10
Ray’s Money - Ep10 fight and how it seems to confirm to Ray that his worth comes from his wealth
Religious Connotations in Ending Scene of Ep 10 (Ask) - details of Ep10 scene (lighting, camera angles, etc.) and religious aspects
SandRay Fight (Ask) - common interpretations of the insults used in the apartment fight scene
SandRay/RayMew Parallel - Ray’s echoing dialogue for how Sand and Mew care about him
Private Catharsis (Ask) - the poignancy of Ep10 scene being imaginary; why Ray needed to go to rehab for someone else and not himself
Suppression Versus Explosion (Ask) - how SandRay deal with emotions differently
EPISODE 11
Sand’s Agency - analyzing the fandom’s perception of Sand’s agency
Dichotomous Thinking (Ask) - how the fandom tends to defend/oppose characters without empathizing with everyone involved
Sand’s Behavior & Retreat Mentality (Ask) - whether Sand is ooc in Ep11
Friendship - the significance of friendship throughout the series
Ephemerality (Ask) - ephemerality’s application to each couple/dynamic
The Pool Scene of Doom (Ask) - analysis of tension in final scene of Ep11
Record Store Lyricism (Ask) - relating the lyrics Ray sings in the record store to his relationship with Sand
Side Character Roles/Functions - the purpose of side characters throughout the narrative
BostonNick Ephemerality - how BN demonstrate the impact of ephemeral bonds
Sand & Ep11 - Sand’s behavior in Ep 11
EPISODE 12
“Thank you for giving my life a goal” - line significance
BostonNick’s Storyline (Ask) - thoughts on BN’s storyline wrap-up
Only Friends Review/Themes - a look back at the series as a whole
Character Rankings/Analysis - final character rankings/arcs
Sand’s Growth - how the show didn’t finish out Sand’s growth arc
- - -
KINNPORSCHE
(Just a note, but I didn’t start posting KP metas until Ep5, though many of my metas cover recurring general themes across the series. The episode labels are a way of denoting at what point the meta was made during the series’ airing. The bottom of the list is always the most recent. EDIT: Geez, this has gotten long…And my VP obsession has been fully exposed by the end, lol. 😅)
EPISODE 5
The Full Picture - the importance of perspective & facial expression
Intentionally Blurred Lines: Analysis - Porsche’s trauma, unwinnable wars, & sex vs. intimacy
Everything They Aren’t Saying - final scene discourse, Kinn’s psychology, & the importance of subtext
A kiss? - what agency means for Kinn & Porsche & body language in a scene
Ep4 vs. Ep5 Aesthetics - differing cinematography of sex scene & flashbacks in eps5&6; picking apart the aesthetics & psychology
Recognizing the Pressure - Porsche’s naiveté & relating to Kinn’s perspective
Hair Styling - how Porsche’s hair changes in Ep5 (and beyond) reveal his state of mind
Definitely not love (yet) - why Ep5 is too early to call it love between Kinn & Porsche; general “love” discourse
Smoking & Drinking Habits - comparing Porsche’s smoking & Kinn’s drinking habits
Pool Chess - how chess pieces could reflect internal states
Certain Dialogue - picking apart Ep5 dialogue
EPISODE 6
Rejecting Feelings & Acting on Them - how actions reflect Kinn’s feelings for Porsche
A Lovely Forest Swim (meta) - analysis of Kinn & Porsche’s waterfall kiss scene
*A Forest Fantasy 1: Mega Meta -- Catharsis & Progression (Ep6) - analysis of hand severance scene/Kinn’s second apology
Nature & Setting in KinnPorsche - how nature & industrialization conflict; importance of setting & its subtext
Physical to Emotional: Handcuffs - the symbolism of handcuffs in Ep6 and its connection to KP’s emotional relationship
*A Forest Fantasy 2: Mega Meta -- Goodbyes (Ep6) - analysis of goodbye scene; double sacrifices
About the title... - why the title of the series is reasonably fitting
EPISODE 7
Dominance - Kinn’s dominance and submission in the last scene of Ep7
Cinematography & Color -- The New *Scene™* - the use of cinematography and color to create tension and set the mood in the final scene of Ep7
Gold/Sun Color Theory (Ask) - the symbolism of gold and green in the final scene of Ep7 and why KP’s respective colors were excluded
Vegas’ Failed Smooch - how Porsche responds to Vegas’ advances and what these reactions mean
Transitions & Tension - how mood changes occur seamlessly within scenes
Physical & Emotional Trust - the development of KP’s physical trust and how it intersects with emotional trust
Red - analysis of the color red and its connection to both Kinn and Vegas
EPISODE 8
Brightness in Ep8 - the brightness/aesthetics/coloring of Ep8 to establish mood
Admissions & Manipulation - Tawan’s manipulation & why admitting their feelings directly will be a big step forward for KP
Portraying Reluctance - the portrayal of Porsche’s hesitance to hold Kinn’s hand in public and how it contrasts other media representations
Trust, Tawan, & Korn - analysis of dialogue between KP in Ep8 & the influence of both Tawan and Korn on Kinn’s trust issues
Arcs & Ep9 - semi-meta comparing arcs in eps 1-8 and the progression of external conflict
EPISODE 9
Warm Milk (meta) - the symbolism of warm milk in Ep9 and the tension between Porsche and Tawan
Knights, Kings, & Queens♟ - the chess metaphor and how Kim functions as a knight
Tankhun & Chess - how Tankhun could function in the chess metaphor
EPISODE 10
Tawan vs. Vegas - how Tawan’s portrayal in Ep9 and 10 heightens Vegas’s villainy
Torture in Ep10 - analysis of cinematography, expression, lighting, and mood in VegasPete’s first torture scene
Pete as a masochist - combatting notions that Pete is as twisted as Vegas
Dominance (Vegas) - analysis of Vegas’s need to dominate his victims and Ep11 preview speculation
Pink: Color Analysis - the color pink in the Ep10 torture scene, other character colors, and comparisons of dynamics between KP and VP
EPISODE 11
Breaking the Cycle - analysis of the cycle of violence and trauma between Kan and Vegas and the breaking of this cycle by Pete
**The Pete Effect - analysis of Pete’s effect on Vegas and deep dive into Vegas’s psychological state in Ep11
Colors in Ep11 🌈 - use of color and how the combinations could hint at different phases of VP’s relationship
VegasTawan Vs. VegasPete - contrast between Vegas’s relationship with Tawan and Pete in specific scenes from Ep10 and 11
Poison - analysis of Pete’s refusal to take the pill Vegas offers him in Ep11
KP & VP Parallels - similarities and differences in KP & VP’s relationship development to Ep11
“No legacy is so rich as honesty” - analysis of Pete’s tattoo, the original source, and how it applies to Vegas’s growth
Micro Expressions (Vegas) - breakdown of three GIFs from Ep11 and how Vegas’s micro expressions could present a crack in his facade
“I can change him” - dichotomous thinking in the fandom; the light and dark inside both K&P and V&P
EPISODE 12
Captivation - the ways in which Vegas and Pete captivate each other and how that led to their love scene
Boundaries - exploration of the boundaries in all three relationships
“You’re a psycho.” - manipulation, control, and power dynamics in VP’s love scene
KP First Time Vs. VP First Time - how music and intensity is different between KP’s first love scene and VP’s first love scene
Earning the moment - how prior interactions in Ep11 and 12 led to the VP love scene
***Cinematography & Mood (1/2) - analysis of camera angles and mood setting in VP’s Ep12 love scene
***Color & Expression (2/2) - continuation of previous post on VP love scene; symbolism of colors and character expressions
Use of “Khun” (Ask) - usage of the word “Khun” and its authoritative significance for both Kinn and Vegas; importance of Pete omitting the title from Vegas’s name
Sacrifice & Intimacy - the Hedgehog Dilemma and all the ways it has connected VP both physically and emotionally
Korn as a *Player* (chess meta ♟) - analysis of Korn’s role in the chess metaphor and his strategy for manipulating Porsche
Pete’s Deprivation - what Pete’s behavior in Ep12 suggests about his emotional state
“Trauma does not excuse villainy.” - the importance of holding Vegas accountable for his actions; criticism of “love-as-a-cure” trope; how Pete can help Vegas but not fundamentally change him
**The Vegas Effect - analysis of Pete’s psychological state and his lack of self-worth, as demonstrated by self-sacrificial behavior
“Vegas should be terrified.” - why Vegas should be afraid of Pete
First Kisses - thematic similarities and differences between each couple’s first kiss scene
Setting, setting, setting - contrasting KP’s Ep6 setting and VP’s Ep11 and 12 setting
EPISODE 13
About coping mechanisms... - VP’s similarities in processing their trauma with contrasting outward personas
Pool Scene Shadow - the shadow of distrust looming over Kinn and Porsche’s relationship and the infamous Pool Scene™
“Don’t you ever think that just because we had sex you can say anything.” - how VP view their relationship after the events of Ep12; Pete’s escape scene analysis
Clothing, Color, & Pattern - analysis of Pete’s outfit at the bar, why he wore it, and what it could tell us about his mental state
Hands - the symbolism of hands in VP’s relationship and their focus in Ep13; hands as weapons and hands as harbingers of affection
Vegas’s English (Ask) - what Vegas speaking English means; manipulation versus truth
Pete’s Escape (Dialogue) - dialogue during Pete’s escape scene; focus on individual lines and their impact/hidden meanings
Red & Blue - the symbolism of colors in VP’s scenes throughout Ep13
Touching - how Vegas has been conditioned to use touch to exert his dominance; the transition from brutal touches to tender touches
Ep13 Opening (Ask) - body language and dialogue in VP’s opening scene
Submission - significance of Vegas and Pete telling the other to kill them in Ep13
“So why didn’t I say no?” (Ask) - Pete dialogue analysis
EPISODE 14
Porsche and the minor family - discussion of Porsche’s position in the minor family and what it could mean for future conflicts
Finale Thoughts - summation of thoughts on Ep14 and the series as a whole (relationships, specifically)
REPRISE
VegasTawan vs. VegasPete - thoughts on what Vegas’s relationship with both Tawan and Pete illustrates about his growth as a character and his weaknesses
