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buddhamethods · 4 months

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10 BL Characters I Want Carnally

AKA I'm just a person with two keen eyes and dubious morals when it comes to enjoying media so don't take it seriously, I'm here for a good time.

Thank you @sndrys for tagging me! This was an eye opening experience putting this together. As it turns out I might have a type (ew).

1) Guy from Bake Me Please (2023)

The sole reason for me creating this list! Look, I dropped Bake Me Please almost immediately because it just wasn't for me BUT I've been lowkey watching through my dash. And let me tell you, my fingers gain consciousness and hit reblog everytime this baby's face pops up because...well...LOOK AT HIM. He is beautiful and he should get the guy (hehe get it) in the end idc.

2) Yok from Not Me (2021)

Yok is such a beloved character and for good reason! He is sexy, he is gay, he sets buildings on fire and steals cops' wallets on accident because HOW WAS HE SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT GUY HE WAS STALKING WAS A COP??? I love you Yok, never change.

3) Palm from Never Let Me Go/ OurSkyy2 (2022-23)

The anger I felt for all the injustice and mistreatment our beautiful Palm had to face in this show took literal years off my life. It's rare for me to get this passionately protective over a character and yet here we are, in the Palm Protection Squad headquarters. Even Nueng is on the watchlist!

4) Tonhon from Tonhon Chonlatee (2020)

Not to out myself as an enjoyer of silly goofy times , but I did have fun watching Fish Upon The Sky and Secret Crush On You, so OFCOURSE I thought I would like this one too but GOD was it rough. Did I still finish it? Yes. Did I fawn over PoddKhao pairing and have been quietly praying for some kind of reunion ever since? Also yes. Was I foaming at the mouth barking everytime Tonhon AKA Podd was on my screen? I'm not gonna comment without lawyer present.

5) Tew from My Dear Gangster Oppa (2023)

Speaking of Tonhon Chonlatee...AH! Ai Long Nhai (TC's spiritual prequel of sorts) was sure...something. And by something I mean I saw Meen and decided I will never speak ill of men ever again, feminism quite literally left my body. And then a year later My Dear Gangster Oppa came out and guess what??! MEEN IS THE GANGSTER OPPA! Dreams really do come true, kids.

6) Wen from Moonlight Chicken (2023)

(or Tian from ATOATS or Mueang Nan fron FUTS). Mix...I will eat you. Always so dewy and healthy and sparkly-eyed. But Wen from Moonlight Chicken is something out of the realm of my imagination. The sex appeal? The maturity?? The gentleness??!! Somebody sedate me before I say something I will not be able to justify in court.

7) Vee from Love Mechanics (2022)

He is a pretty bisexual who makes the most abhorrent stupid decisions known to men and then weeps and suffers for them WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED? Once again, is the show flawless or even remotely coherent? Absolutely not. That being said Vee brought me so much joy by being stupid I'm forever grateful.

(also YinWar are so back GO WATCH JACK AND JOKER TRAILER)

8) Prapai from Love In The Air (2022)

To a certain extent I've enjoyed every MAME show I've watched. To do that you need to possess the rare ability called "I abandoned every shred of moral integrity to gawk at hot men". And Prapai? MAN is this bitch hot. Tall dark handsome? Check! Bisexual on a bike? Check! Stubborn and annoying? CHECK!

9) Xiang Hao Ting from HIStory3: Make Our Days Count (2019)

*incoherent wailing and sobbing* IM NOT EXPLAINING SHIT ABOUT HIM LEAVE ME ALONE

10) AlanJeff from Pit Babe (2023)

My newest obsession! I refuse to separate our local senior citizen and his favorite prophetic mechanic. Both of them are hot as shit in their own way. Alan is a sexy dilf with so much weight and responsibility on his shoulders it's a miracle he retained his optimism and youthful awkwardness. And Jeff is a prickly baby-cow-baby-deer eyed baby that is so touch starved it's actually a little funny. SO I GUESS ALANJEFF SANDWICH IT IS.

(don't be shy tag yourselves besties <3)

#tag game #bake me please #bake me please the series #not me #not me the series #never let me go #never let me go the series #my dear gangster oppa #my dear gangster oppa the series #moonlight chicken #history 3: make our days count #pit babe #pit babe the series #love mechanics #tonhon chonlatee #love in the air #love in the air the series #blacked out and tagged every show oops

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justafriend-ql · 1 year

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"i can't breathe" - the privilege paradox (never let me go, ep. 4)

nuengdiao has "everything," except for what he really wants. the paradox is that although he occupies a position of privilege, that very privilege is what most prevents him from achieving happiness. his privilege comes with expectations that constrict around him and limitations on his ability to form meaningful relationships with other people. nueng is incredibly skilled at maintaining a confident, unbothered mask. but as the pressure on him mounts and his feelings for palm grow increasingly uncontrollable, the mask fractures - and as he shouts at palm at the party, it shatters.

the first 15 minutes of the series set the tone. nuengdiao's parents prioritize work over him. his dad pressures him to take over the family hotel business (despite his lack of interest in it) by saying he's "the only one" who can be trusted to do it. his dad is murdered in front of his eyes, launching him into the limelight as the company's heir apparent. he must face a crowd of hungry reporters fishing for dirt on his family and the greedy parents of his peers with a steel gaze, betraying no weakness.

the color palette is all midnight blue and velvet red - decadent, heavy, and suffocating. you subconsciously feel nueng's unwanted future closing in around him, so much so that you don't realize you're holding your breath until it cuts to palm on his fishing boat. there, it's all bright sky and open air, complemented by relaxed, breezy music. of course, this too, is a prison (palm himself says he has "no future here"), but in contrast to the darkness and formality of nueng's world, it feels like freedom.

nueng takes it pretty well, all things considered. he swallows his desires and tells his parents he'll do his best to take over the family business. when an english-speaking reporter asks him about concerns that the company's profits will decline in his father's absence, nueng masks his uncertainty about the future with a confident tone and elegant accent, telling the report everything will be "absolutely fine."

nuengdiao wears the same mask at school, proclaiming he doesn't need friends and refusing to give his bullies the satisfaction of seeing him upset. instead, he leaves the room calmly, only folding in on himself when in the safety and privacy of his beloved music room.

because everybody approaches him for personal gain, he can't allow himself to trust anyone. perhaps the most powerful example of nueng's masking ability is when he acts friendly with phum in the pool, all while suspecting him of being his bully and simultaneously executing a plan to catch him in the act. even when he does, nueng exercises self-restraint, attempting to first negotiate with phum to get his necklace back rather than rely on violence.

palm is the only one with whom nueng's mask falters, perhaps because he is the only person nueng has any real power over (or, perhaps, because he actively wants palm to see and love his true self). again and again, we see nueng show extreme vulnerability to palm in a way he doesn't let anyone else (even his own mother) see. he shares his grief and bitterness at the condo rooftop in episode one ("my father died on my birthday"/"we are our father's puppets"), invites palm to touch his neck in episodes two and three ("pengyou"/"can you put it on me?"), and shares his anxieties about his mother's response to his sexuality in episode 4 ("i'm afraid i won't fulfill her expectations").

nueng's inability to be with palm (as a friend and a romantic partner) is yet another instance of nueng's privileged position getting in the way of what he wants. each time they take a step closer to becoming something more than boss and subordinate, an external factor comes and reminds them that doing so is not allowed. this is clearest in episode 2: they agreed to be friends, but aunt nid asks palm to bring palm breakfast like a servant; nueng invites palm to eat with him, but chanon scolds palm for doing so; palm must take the bus to school, while nueng rides in the van; the teachers exempt nueng from doing push-ups when he's late, while palm must do double; and so on...

because being with palm seems impossible, nueng accepts ben's advances, mostly because he is willing and able to shower him with the love and affection he so desperately craves (side note: at least for the time being - i haven't forgotten chopper's warning). when ben confesses his feelings for him, nueng admits that "no one has said those words" to him before. as he tells palm later, it feels good to be "wanted."

but nueng cannot mask or repress his feelings for palm for long. two scenes are critical to nueng making the decision to continue to pursue palm and slow things down with ben. the first is when palm says he doesn't like maggie during their conversation by the pond. nueng looks confused and asks if it's possible that he'll like her in the future (perhaps an attempt at figuring out palm's sexuality?), to which palm gives an ambivalent response. previously, nueng had assumed palm liked maggie, and that assumption drove his jealousy. now though, there's a possibility that all of those lingering looks and soft touches and caring words he's exchanged with palm meant something to palm too.

the second critical scene is when nueng is in the bath, thinking about his kiss with ben. he touches his lips contemplatively, remembering the sensation, but the memory of ben is quickly replaced by one of palm wrapping his arms around him at the shooting range. just like in episode 3, when nueng danced with ben but wanted to dance with palm, nueng kissed ben but would rather kiss palm. he sits up and leans forward abruptly, as if coming to a decision. he's not giving up on palm. he looks slightly resigned, acknowledging how difficult it will be for them to be together.

nueng's conversation with ben at the dance hall, in which he suggests they not rush to date and take time to get to know each other first, illustrates his decision to pump the brakes with ben in hopes of being with palm instead. throughout their whole conversation, he wears a happy, flirtatious, confident mask. but as soon as ben leaves, the mask drops, replaced by a forlorn, jealous expression as he heads to the bar to drink while stewing over maggie and palm from afar.

more than anything else, i think nueng is jealous of how easy it is for maggie and palm to be with each other. when he storms over to them, demanding to know why palm can dance with maggie but not him, he is acutely aware of why. he spells out all the reasons as he derogates palm, calling him his servant, his running dog, his lackey. he doesn't really see palm this way, but everyone else does. and when has what nueng thought mattered? when have his feelings made a difference?

despite his privileged position in society, nueng is powerless in his own life. at the dance, he takes out this helpless anger on palm, the one person he can exert power over. (it reminds me a little of vegaspete's dynamic on a smaller scale, with one taking out their frustration about the impossible expectations they've inherited from their fathers on the one person they can control.) it's almost like nueng is grappling with the impossibility of being with palm aloud, angry that their status difference will always keep them apart. maybe he's angry with himself, for thinking things could be different.

while the moment is certainly devastatingly painful for palm, i want to suggest that it is also painful for nueng. when palm is knocked to the ground, gasping for breath, nueng falls to the floor too. despite the harsh words nueng just said, they reach for each other in mutual anguish. nueng cries palm's name, begging for help as he repeatedly says, "i can't breathe."

it's a confession. i can't breathe. maybe he stopped breathing when his father died, bleeding out in a back alley and releasing one last breath into the night air. ever since, he's been suffocating in slow motion, denied oxygen at every turn. palm is the only one who gives him air, the only one he can let the mask slip for. but now, the mask is altogether shattered, and nueng is as vulnerable as he's ever been. he's reaching a shaky hand out toward palm, telling him, i can't breathe without you.

and sometime soon, palm will take him to the ocean, where we first saw palm against a background of bright sky. where it felt like freedom. and they'll be able to breathe once more. together.

#trying to get inside nueng's head with this one #and surprise! it's sad in there #never let me go #never let me go the series #palmnueng #nuengpalm #pond naravit #nlmg #phuwin tangsakyuen #pondphuwin #never let me go meta #thai bl #bl series #bl drama #thai drama #asianlgbtqdramas

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heretherebedork · 1 year

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Palm and Chopper respond to their crushes realizing new love almost identically: with self-sacrifice and kindness and a tenderness that does nothing to hide how much they love the person even as they support their new relationship. They're both breaking into pieces inside but still hold themselves to kindness when dealing with the person they love.

There's no outburst, no anger, no jealousy sending them into a fit of rage. Just two boys in love trying to support the person they love even as they ache inside.

And then there's Nueng.

Grieving, aching Nueng.

Nueng who accepts Ben's confession and his kiss but can't stop thinking about Palm. Nueng who teases Ben but gets drunk watching Palm talk to his friend. Nueng who demands that Palm dance with him and breaks down when he doesn't. Nueng who handles his own pain by lashing out again and again against the one person he knows can't leave him but he doesn't think loves him the way he wants, needs, to be loved by him.

And we see Ben next episode, Ben with his face crumpled as his father accuses Nueng of planning this, of doing this on purpose, of being the one ruining his son. Ben who hides his own pain and fear behind a smile and Ben who cannot love who wants because he is not free and his love does not matter.

There is so much pain here in so many ways, from the quiet to the lonely to the desperate to the aching and all the pain is there even if the people around them don't realize it's happening.

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khaothanawat · 1 year

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i honestly love that nueng is running around girlbossing his way through bangkok, but like… he doesn’t know what he’s doing. it’s not real, none of what he’s doing is real. he can look like he’s walking the walk and talking the talk, but ultimately he’s just a teenage boy.

he’s just a kid who’s dad died, who’s mother is in a coma, who just watched the last parental figure he’d found get shot to death. he is convinced he’s going to die too, that his life is destined to be short and unhappy. that isolating himself is the only way to keep everyone else around him safe. he’s resigned himself to this terrible loneliness, because he’s convinced it’s the only thing he can do.

and honestly? he’s been like this since his dad died. it’s just become worse and worse for him as time has gone on, as more and more terrible things have happened around him.

it looks to other people as though nueng has toughened up, but really he’s just faking it - this much is clear from episode 10, where the only moments of emotional truth we see from him are just heartbreak and devastation and complete, unbearable loneliness. and that’s what he thinks his life has to be. the very first scene of this episode said everything - he’s the problem. he’s what’s wrong. palm can still leave and find something better, because palm doesn’t need to doom himself in the way nueng is doomed.

but nueng’s isolation isn’t just self-inflicted to protect his loved ones. he’s also paranoid - he says it point blank to ben, that he can’t trust anyone. and it makes sense, because nueng is traumatised. he’s angry at the entire world, at every perceived betrayal from every person around him - even those who don’t deserve it, like chopper. it’s all reactionary on nueng’s part. he’s had three parental figures shot in front of him. none of them are around. he’s acting tough but it’s an act of survival. he doesn’t know what he’s doing, he’s just doing the only thing he thinks he can.

he’s going to school and trying to run an entire hotel empire even though he has no idea how to - and ultimately he doesn’t care about the hotel chain. honestly, i think his care for it probably only extends as far as tanya, really. if tanya dies and nueng runs that thing into the ground, then so be it.

i mean - nueng knows kit wants him dead, and all he’s done since coming back is rile kit up. it’s doesn’t seem to be fear that’s driving him. it probably should be, but it’s not. he’s fighting back, because he’s angry and because his mother is still alive and we already know how far he’ll go to fight for her - but he doesn’t really seem scared.

he doesn’t trust anyone except palm and chanon, and there’s a part of him that would desperately prefer if palm were very far away. there’s also a huge part of him that is miserable without palm, because palm was the one person who saved him from feeling isolated and gave him a sense of what happiness and hope for the future might be like. he already tried to give that up - first by yelling at palm, then by reasoning with him, and finally by leaving him. palm didn’t budge once (because palm has zero intention of leaving nueng to face the massive amount of danger he’s in alone).

so i don’t think nueng’s girlboss era is like… truly a sign that he’s stronger than yesterday now it’s nothing but my way now, or that he’s at the pinnacle of this ~badass character arc. i think he’s just… he’s just an 18 year old kid who has been subjected to too much violence and death. and he’s just doing the only things he can to survive, and to keep the people he loves safe.

#never let me go #whatever the opposite of having your shit together is - i think nueng’s that #show: never let me go #nlmg: nuengdiao #nlmg: meta

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kess-in-the-perthchimzone · 8 months

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What the hell is Ben thinking in NLMG? Part 5 (final hospital scenes)

Wow, welcome to the final part of this ridiculously long (12,000 words in total!!!) meta series. If this is your first time tuning in, find part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.

So far we’ve seen Ben explore being with a man for the very first time; realize how much losing Chopper as a friend in the past hurt him; discover he has feelings for Chopper; confess those feelings to Chopper; and take an action to make up for his cowardice in the post-outing office scene.

This leaves us in his final arc which involves learning how to move past a lifetime of homophobic influence from his father. This arc does NOT conclude on screen, which likely helps contribute to feelings of his story being unfinished

I’m going to break from my previous structure here a bit. First I’m going to analyze their scenes straight through, as I’ve been doing all series. So I’m going to try to discuss purely what’s shown and why it’s being shown because I do think everything mostly has a reason. And then, only after I finish am I going to offer a major point of critique on how I genuinely feel the writing let them down, leading to this annoying perception I somehow see daily that Perth and Chimon “don’t have chemistry”.

Let’s get started:

Noticing this for the first time - as Nueng has a breakdown over Palm, Ben and Chopper share a wordless look and go to help him together. The seamless teamwork!

I’m having a lot of feelings about these lines from Ben. This is twice in this episode that he’s been cast in this role of being the steadying presence. He stays very calm and is good at these gentle commands. You can almost see him as a future music teacher (or, I would argue if music doesn’t work out he would make a good first responder).

Also to all the “Ben shouldn’t be in this scene” haters I’m going to get a little sassy here. Yes, he should, and for two reasons: first, like Nueng, Chopper is kind of hysterical. For the first minute or so, Ben is the main one offering Nueng comfort, because Chopper is also grieving. They both need Ben here as an anchor. If you go back and watch, Ben touches and or verbally comforts Nueng much more than Chopper, and in a few cases Chopper seems to be mimicking what he is seeing Ben doing.

And second, if you want Ben to understand how his actions in the bathroom scene hurt Chopper, it is IMPERATIVE that he witnesses this conversation between Nueng and Chopper. Yes, Ben is shown kind of awkwardly off to the side, not participating. That is intentional. He is meant to be observing this. He is seeing Chopper sob hysterically over his dad with space where there is no pressure for him to respond. He is being given the chance to internalize how Chopper has been feeling.

There’s an interesting progression of Ben’s face in the background. First you can just barely see his guilty/contemplative expression and his hung head in the back here

And then when Nueng says “it’s not easy to put your own dad in jail, you should be proud of yourself” is when Ben looks directly at Chopper. Ben is realizing he needs to say something like this to Chopper too.

Then finally, personally I adore Ben’s little smile here. It is genuinely such a sweet moment happening between the cousins! And he’s happy on a purely selfless level to see Chopper getting this hug and affirmation from Nueng. The camera lingers on him a long time at this point, more than during his guilty expression period, but I think it’s because this is meant to serve as a kind of “oh” moment where Ben is really sitting with how he feels about Chopper. Look at the love on his face.

@thirstkanaphan adds: Jojo is making the choice to emphasize Ben's reactions. We need the outsider perspective to understand the significance of this moment - the two cousins, never allowed to be close, finally seeking and receiving comfort in each other that they deserved to have all along. Ben's little smile reminds us that this moment is painful but things will get better!

And then they do then make a point of having Ben look away to give them some privacy before it gets too voyeuristic

If you have been reading this series along the way, I hope you are proud of me for making it this long before saying PERTH’S ACTING IN THIS SCENE!! how pale and small and fragile he looks!! His desperation! It’s so good.

Ben is much quieter than Nueng and Chopper in this scene, so he gets a little lost, but he’s not just a third wheel. His presence serves a purpose. And then we get to what is in many ways the scene of my Chopper loving heart. Rewatch pays off here because I do think it is important to note that Chopper is actively crying. A big tear falls from his eyes while he sits quietly and then you see him scrub his eyes as Ben approaches.

I think Chimon plays it really well that Ben is very tired and very worried about Chopper and that he has to work a little harder than usual to find a smile to try and comfort him. Here we get the payoff of Ben being present earlier. First he tries reminding Chopper of what Nueng said to him ("Nueng said it’s not your fault").

Then, he realizes he needs to add on to that. Look how introspective he is as he says this line, which Chopper so badly needs to hear.

@thirstkanaphan adds: I wonder if he's admitting that part of his justification for not reciprocating Chopper's feelings earlier was because of this anger, which was childish and misplaced, and clearly allowed Ben to avoid facing his own feelings of guilt for not stopping HIS OWN DAD for the harm he inflicted via his homophobia. THINKING THOUGHTS OVER HERE. By absolving Chopper of the guilt he feels, he can start to do the same for himself.

I LOVE this shot of Chopper’s slow turn to look at him with his tear streaked cheeks.

Ben touched Nueng in a somewhat similar way, but it was very much depicted as a bro touch. This feels very intimate. Look how it’s shot almost as if he’s touching Chopper’s face – his hand is both more firmly on Chopper’s shoulder and Chopper is instinctively turning into the comfort of the touch.

Plus we get the line at the very top of this essay: I’M PROUD OF YOU. Ben is like a little robot learning to be a human. He is quoting something he heard Nueng say that he wanted to say. And Chopper briefly SMILES. After so much heartbreak, Ben coaxes a moment of happiness out of him.

I’m going to skip over the revelation that they were texting because the texts make ZERO sense in the context of the plot and I previously discussed them in part four of this series.

This kind of breaks my heart. Chopper then adds “At first I thought you wouldn’t come”. And he starts crying again.

Ben kind of screws up here at first. This is a little like when he was trying to ask Chopper if he still had feelings for him and he had to do so over multiple days and multiple different rewords. He says, “Why wouldn’t I come. I also did bad things to Nueng. This is a good chance to redeem my mistake”

This is like facepalm levels of Not The Right Thing to Say In This Moment. But it’s the easier thing to say. It’s so much less vulnerable. He’s also being a little jokey (his comfort zone) as he says it. He even does this goofy eyebrow raise thing.

It clearly does not help Chopper, who very quickly drops his head. Fortunately, Ben realizes very quickly he’s going to have to put himself out there:

Look how nervous he looks as he starts. This is TERRIFYING for him. But he winds up giving such a beautiful little speech

A brilliant observation by @thirstkanaphan here: Ben also moves from the passive "this is a good chance to redeem my mistake" to the active "I want to stay by your side" and "I want you to know that you did the right thing." Ben is now able to clearly articulate his wants when it comes to Chopper. He may not be able to say "I want you to come to England with me," but this is such good progress for a character who has previously hidden behind half-truths, sarcasm, and passiveness when it comes to the people he cares about.

I’m realizing as I write this that both the shoulder and leg touch are the first ones Ben has completely initiated. Every touch they’ve shared like this has played a key role in the progression of their relationship. These touches are significant. Ben is finally the one reaching out.

And Ben concludes with:

ALWAYS. ((I will be with you forever.)) This is a confession of love!! Said differently, ((I am never going to let you go!)) Look what they did there!

Ben looks very proud of himself after getting all that out. You can tell he thinks he did good. But Chopper is in a dark place and full of doubts. I think at this point he thinks he lost Ben’s romantic feelings for him by not acting sooner on his dad. Which means we get the return of the incredulous besotted bathroom look and Ben’s reminder (“Remember this. The feelings you have, mine are the same”):

At first, I admit I too found their hug in this scene kind of goofy. But seeing how fragile Chopper is, and the fact that he’s been crying off and on for HOURS at this point, I think Ben is reading him perfectly. This isn’t the time for romance. This is the time for comfort and assurance.

You can see this is his thought process in his next line:

His first priority is making sure Chopper is okay. In fact, this is the second time he’s asked Chopper how he’s doing in a matter of a few minutes.

I find their next interaction so incredibly charming. He has comforted Chopper to the point that Chopper can play along. Can say “no” for the sheer pretense of getting to cling to Ben longer.

I really love how equal this hug is too. They are holding on at the same height, with the same ferocity. And they keep escalating the tightness too. You get the sense that they are savoring finally really being together. <3 <3

Next, Chopper and Ben come back to visit Palm. They’ve clearly left, showered, and returned. Chopper looks FINE in his silk shirt and GLOWING. There is a nice follow through here that Ben is with him (he is by Chopper’s side where he promised to be!!)

Ben jumps in at this moment where Chopper is clearly a little shy/uncertain:

The suggestion that he and Nueng are now just bros who chat is a fun one. Ben says a few more things that I won’t overanalyze but they are encouraging and optimistic - very in line with his personality. This is a distinct contrast to Chopper’s earnest apology that follows

I’m obsessed with this wordless moment where Chopper looks to Ben as if for encouragement before having to press Palm a bit on letting him pay for medical expenses:

Ahhh and they do it again after Palm agrees too (that’s three times for those who are counting that they’ve had a wordless conversation in episode 12). All these wordless looks really demonstrate the strong foundation of past friendship they have that is now translating to a deeper level of intimacy

Then, outside the room, they have this very silly back and forth where it is clear Ben’s brain went to sex (hmmm Ben, does this have anything to do with your hot new boyfriend?). It’s super coupley though - they tune Nueng out for several seconds and make each other devolve into little giggles at the end

And then we get this reveal from Ben:

To which Chopper very blithely says he’s going too. And when Nueng asks if they are going together, they disagree — Ben says no. Both Chopper and Nueng (and the audience) are clearly like “what the heck??” But I think it’s important how Ben immediately gets very shy — look at his ducked head and the way he won’t meet Chopper’s eyes.

Although he is ostensibly saying this to Nueng, this is fishing directed at Chopper — he wants, maybe needs, to hear Chopper tell someone else this. He wants it to be REAL.

I like Chopper’s reaction which reads more teasing than offended

And here is what Ben says: YES he is the one who asked

I’m going to read “not serious” as “joking”. Ben has shown a few different times over the series that he makes a joke of things he wants but is scared to sincerely admit

And I’m going to read vulnerability in this line. This is a big ask, (‘will you move to a foreign country with me?’) I think it is something he very badly wanted but didn’t think Chopper would agree to

And Chopper immediately dismisses this. “Of course I would go with you”

Look at their smiles then after they resolve this — they are beaming:

Sure, Ben, “that’s (just) fine” with you — you’re so cool, calm, and collected with your giddy face.

After, a delightfully smug, confident Chopper takes Ben’s hand. He can read his man. He knows exactly what just played out.

The show makes a point to show Ben’s head jerk down in shock. BUT, he doesn’t pull his hand away. And they are shown with their hands intertwined for several seconds after. In fact, they do this cheesy swinging thing (see this gifset) between them, even.

Taken at quick watch, the “no” and the head jerk read as Ben not being that into Chopper (as his scenes often do, unfortunately). However, I think what NLMG is trying to show is that Ben is still scared and a little overwhelmed by this very new relationship. They are demonstrating that the lingering trauma of how his dad raised him and what happened after he kissed Nueng will stick with him for a long time. It’s actually really good he has a partner as loving and patient and understanding as Chopper while he works through everything. However the ending is meant to emphatically show that they are a team who WILL get through it (all the shared looks! The private jokes! Walking away from Nueng hand in hand!).

Having done this analysis, even working purely off the source material I leave feeling optimistic for their future

((I do love @gaiaxygang’s added content from the novel that they one day talk about getting married!!! I see it!!))

—

All that said, however, here is my primary frustration: they needed to kiss. Period.

Ben kissed someone else ON SCREEN and didn’t kiss Chopper. That is a narrative imbalance. Ben should have been shown having a better, more intimate kiss with Chopper.

Also, NLMG very arguably positioned the ending so CHOPPER WAS THE REAL HERO OF THE STORY. He was so important to the plot in so many ways, and he doesn’t get to kiss the boy he’s been in love with since the 10th grade?? Insane.

If we’re going to talk about someone unnecessary being in a scene, why did they need to have that final scene with Nueng present? I don’t care that he’s the ‘main’ character — they could have shown Ben and Chopper at Chopper’s pool or in Chopper’s dad’s office where they could have had the future talk about going to London together in an intimate setting. It could have even played out similar to what we heard. For example –

Ben: says he’s going

Chopper: maybe a little surprised and hurt (Ben is leaving me already??)

Ben: joking but in a way where he clearly wants it “you could come with me”

Chopper: immediately lights up and agrees

Ben: “I was joking” (but clearly pleased)

Chopper: “of course I’m coming with you”

Ben: (fake protest) “it’s a big move”

Chopper: (something ridiculously sappy)

Ben: (blushing, ducking his head) “okay. that’s fine. if you want to.”

Then Chopper takes him by the face and kisses him!! Or better yet, Ben sees Chopper’s happy smile and kisses him!

They had such an angsty plotline and a simple shift to create a sappier, more romantic end scene would have wrapped it up so nicely and made it feel more balanced!!

—

So thousands and thousands of words in, here’s my number one take away: Ben is a much more multifaceted character than he appears on the surface and he goes through a surprisingly complex series of arcs for a secondary character.

I think there are two main reasons people then struggle with ChopperBen: 1. They weren’t given a romantic ending that matched their other angsty moments in emotional payoff; and 2. If you watch Ben only paying attention to his surface presentation, it’s easier to believe than it should be that he doesn’t care about Chopper (especially since he liked someone else ‘first’). In most shows, you don’t have to work so hard to understand a B plot character. And that’s exacerbated further because his love interest is given a borderline A plot storyline!!

If you felt frustrated by Ben when you first saw NLMG, I encourage you to rewatch some of their key scenes and pay attention both to Chimon’s non verbal cues and the things Ben says when he is “joking”. I hope you’ll notice something new and love him a little more.

Most importantly, I think GMMTV left themselves a rich set of characters with very much unresolved issues that could easily be picked back up and explored further in a sequel. pleeeease, BL gods, please.

#never let me go #never let me go the series #nlmg #ben nlmg #nlmg ben #meta meta meta #ben meta series #chopper kiattrakulmethee #chopper the best boy in the whole world #perth tanapon #chimon wachirawit #chopperben #benchopper

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respectthepetty · 1 year

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I can't be normal about this show

suggested song for maximum emotional impact - "How Will I Know," the Sam Smith version

Falling in love is so bittersweet This love is strong, why do I feel weak? How will I know if you really love me?

David and Wu were EVERYTHING to me this episode! In an episode buried with foreshadowing of a separation (e.g. the fortunes) and clear signs of Palm and Nueng's differences ("this is my home like Bangkok is your home"), these two men gave Palm and Nueng hope for the future.

The speech Wu gave to David about people not believing they should be together because they are too different, but that's what makes him love David more because every day he learns something new and he is his family, his friend, AND his soulmate are exactly the words and actions Palm and Nueng need to hear and see.

Nueng is immediately clocked as a rich kid several times in the series, and even Mam comments on the boys' social class differences, but Wu and David show them that love isn't conforming to someone else's life; it's making a new life together. Love isn't speaking each other's language; love is learning a new language together.

Based on the trailer, I truly believe Nueng is going to push Palm away in hopes of protecting Palm from a caged life, but if anything, this episode showed that they are better, together.

Nueng is great with words. He can sell fish just by his words. He can translate. He can directly tell Palm he wants him. Palm is a man of action. He can physically protect Nueng and always gives him little touches of support.

This episode, we see both boys give more for the other. Nueng grabs Palm's hand several times, plays with him, and hugs him. Palm flirts with Nueng and tells him he took him to the beach to romance him. And neither of them shy away from it. After Mam interrupts them, Nueng still pushes Palm when she leaves. When Palm is unsure of Nueng's requests, he asks for clarification. These boys bring out aspects of each other that others don't even think exist within them.

Mam mistakenly compares Palm's love for Nueng to Chanon's love for her. She said she lost freedom because Chanon loved her so much. Palm is not Chanon. Palm is Nueng's freedom but being Nueng's bodyguard is Palm's bondage.

However, Mam is right that love isn't all life is about. It's about living, something neither boy has had a chance to do. Palm had no hope for the future and was told he would give his life for Nueng. Nueng has been told he will take over the family business. But here, with each other, they are experiencing lives they never imagined because they have each other. Life isn't all about love, but love has greatly enhanced their lives.

Nueng has complete faith that Palm can fix the motorcycle, and instead of his normal bossiness, he tells Wu he will ask Palm first about the beach. Palm knows Nueng wants money for a phone, but he quickly dismisses David's suggestion of payment. Nueng is learning that money isn't all there is to life. He is learning that the only things Palm can give him are more valuable than any gifts he has acquired over the years - the warmth of the beach, the kindness in his heart, and the love in his touch.

That's why Nueng doesn't ask Palm to tell him how he feels about him. He tells Palm to show him how he feels about him. He is asking Palm to give in, so Nueng can finally give Palm something he desires - permission to be free.

Permission to be free of his employment. Permission to be free of the future that the fortune predicts and his father dictates. Permission to be free to love him, fully, without the constraints of respectability and duty. Nueng can give that to Palm now, and later, when he pushes him on the rocks and tells him he doesn't love him, he will attempt to do the same. He will give Palm an out. He will give Palm permission to be free of him and a life that requires him to sacrifice himself because that's all Nueng can give this boy who has given him everything. (Please don't let Chanon's arrest cause a rift between them.)

Chopper has already learned this.

Instead of fighting for Ben, he let's Ben go and encourages him to pursue Nueng. (I'm sorry I ever doubted you. You are a good boy. THE BEST BOY!) He doesn't hide his emotions. It's clear how he feels, but he never voices them because he is giving Ben an out. He doesn't want to burden Ben with his feelings. Not yet. Not when he knows Ben can't reciprocate, even if he wanted to.

Although both boys are being crushed under the toxicity of their fathers' expectations, Ben still has a chance to be free. Ben likes Nueng's bravery, but Chopper knows he can't be brave. Not like that. Not when he knows his father is willing to kill anyone he deems as an obstacle, even family.

Chopper wants to protect Ben. Chopper wants to be there for Ben. Chopper wants Ben. But much like Chopper already knows and Nueng is going to learn, they won't always get what they want.

Mostly if they don't have the courage to fight for it.

#Never Let Me Go #episode 7 #Palm x Nueng #Chopper x Ben #I cannot be normal about this show #It is feeding my soul #The way they continued to bring out different elements of each other #David and Wu showed them the future that they can have if they fight for it #Chopper is the best boy #Although I wanted him to be the person who outed Ben and Nueng‚ Aun being it hurt more #Why won't Ben love him?!#It's written all over Chopper's face that he is willing to do anything for Ben #Perth and Pond's looks are devastating #How will I know if you really love me?

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aprilblossomgirl · 1 year

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Never Let Me Go Episode 5 (the scenes that matter)

I’m not going to write much for this episode for now. I think two scenes strongly stood out to me in tonight’s episode.

Scene #1. You should love yourself more, Bigfoot.

A contrast to Chanon, I think it was good that Palm had Maggie trying to remind him, despite sometimes being too pushy, that he needs to have time for himself and that while Nueng is his boss, he is not the owner of his life. She is also one to ask how he was after the incident, not only about the physical bruise but also about his heart. Although, it was also just as clear that Maggie could not catch the full picture of the relationship between Palm and Nueng. I guess it is a dynamic she can't truly understand yet. Much like me at the moment, actually.

Scene #2. Palm throwing away the cast with the text from Maggie.

I cannot help but think this scene so very symbolically marks the transition of how Palm would approach his relationship with Nueng from now on. He knows where he stands and knows where he needs and wants to be. At first glance, it might look like he was throwing away the idea of loving himself more. But on second thought, he was actually choosing a way of doing so. That is, by taking care of Nueng’s heart. A way maybe only he understands, and Nueng himself may not accept easily. Because he will still see it as Palm only doing his job, while it’s not all that.

By throwing the cast away while rushing for his life, Palm is ready to embrace (literally and figuratively) the complexity that is Nueng, and subsequently, tries to make him understand that it comes from his heart. By never leaving him alone, as he promised.

#never let me go #never let me go the series #never let me go ep5 #nuengpalm #nlmg 🧡#*🎬#*📝#truthfully this episode is just too much to digest #can't write more than this

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invisiblegarters · 1 year

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Never Let Me Go Ep 5

Chanon is the worst dad. And he’s not a very good bodyguard either, so he’s sort of failing on all counts except driving, I guess. Maybe he should stick to that and be quiet about everything else. I would like to say that I can’t believe that his son is standing in front of him beat all to hell and all he can do is yell at him about not protecting Nueng, but unfortunately I can believe it. He’s awful.

Also, Nueng is almost a grown ass man on the verge of taking over his father’s company - he is surely old enough to handle his own drinking, especially if he’s allergic. He made the dumb decision, not Palm. And good on Palm for biting back. I don’t actually think he resents Nueng for all of this - I think he heavily resent the situation and maybe is coming to resent his dad for putting him in it - but it could very easily go that way.

I am so happy that Nueng heard all that, though, because my favorite thing about these types of narratives is the angst inherent to wondering if the dude who has sworn to protect you (and in this case, very specifically protect your heart) is actually feeling something real of if he’s just taking one for the team. Look, we the audience know that Palm is already pretty far gone, but Nueng doesn’t. He can’t be in Palm’s head, and as much as he says that Palm’s easy for him to read, the truth is that when it comes to the way Palm feels about him Nueng can’t read for shit. He can tell when Palm is being off but not the reason why, and because he also has feelings for Palm he can’t trust that if he does read interest from him that it isn’t his own desires being reflected back, whether it’s because he’s imagining it or Palm is just...doing the job. Giving the young master what he wants. It’s delicious and I love it and i hope it gets played with.

Palm seeing what a concerned, loving parent looks like hurt my heart, though. And I’m happy we didn’t get a scene of Tanya ripping him a new one for not helping her son enough.

Okay, I know what this says about me, but I find Nueng’s attempts at apologizing without actually apologizing hilarious, as well as his pissy reaction to Palm putting more distance between them. I said it before and I’ll say it again, he’s such a spoiled brat. Leaving the pair of shoes with the cook to give to Palm is just...my dude. I am entirely sure that he did that because he figured that Palm wouldn’t be able to give them back if he had someone else pass them on. Thank goodness Palm disabused him of that notion right quick.

I’m quite happy that Palm didn’t just give in, and I’m glad that Nueng has to feel the effects of his stupid, angry, jealous rant. Not just in the way that Palm won’t forgive him, but the deliberate distance he keeps between them afterwards, even as Nueng keeps trying to prod him back towards what they were like before.

Ha, Ben with his “maybe the horse wants a partner”. Smooth.

Literally everyone in his life thinks that Nueng is a burden that Palm has to deal with as a job, including Nueng. But I think Palm would be fine with it if not for the fact that so much of his job now consists of watching him with Ben, ha. Hurt as he was by everything Nueng said, I still think this.

I love Maggie. I think it, she says it. Preach, girl. And she’s not wrong about Palm needing to love himself more. But what’s with the Silent Night sounding refrain? Every time that one plays I’m just very wtf.

Okay, so this scene. The outing and Ben’s awful father. See, I think you can see that Nueng just has no clue what it is like to be truly powerless - he is in some ways, but in a lot of ways that matter he has more power than his peers. More power than Palm who has to swallow down all his bitterness when his father basically tells him that his life is not his own, and that he better be prepared to spend it following Nueng around. Ben who can’t even be himself lest his father lose his cool.

I get the desire to be mad at Ben for his betrayal, I really do. He’s the one who pursued Nueng, he’s the one who wanted the kiss and who keeps hinting not-so-subtly that he wants more than that, and yet the second there’s a little heat under his feet he’s pointing fingers at Nueng and playing the innocent.

Except Chimon is actually pretty good at his job, and I could read every single thing going on in Ben’s head, and i just...it’s all well and good to think or say that we’d be different, and I know that our sympathy is supposed to lie with Nueng here. Mine does, but it is also with Ben. He’s visibly miserable the whole time, he tries to squirm out of it by not answering, and when his dad won’t let him, he shoots a look full of apology and pleading at Nueng, and his entire face screws up against what he’s saying even as he tells his dad what he wants to hear. Cowardly? Sure. But he’s gotta go home with that man, and I don’t get the sense that he’s one of the loving kind of parents in this drama. I have a feeling that that’s not done, and that things are going to come to a head there. Look, I just feel for him, okay?

*sigh* It’s gonna turn out to be Chopper who outed them, isn’t it? Of course it is. Why am I even doubting it? He was too calm. Full disclosure this really freaking annoys me and I’m probably still gonna want good things for him. It’s the Perth Effect.

I do like that both Palm and Chopper went for the person who most mattered to them in the situation, though.

Pfft at Palm just ripping off the cast. Pretty sure that’s not how they work.

Okay, I love the rooftop kiss for many reasons. The first is that it’s just a good kiss. Palm saw his chance and did not hesitate. And he really went for it, too. I also really really liked that they shot it from the same or close enough to the same angles as the Ben kiss so that you can really see the difference, especially if you watched the eps back to back like I just did. Nueng is still a little stiff, but he’s fully participating in this kiss, tilting up and leaning in for it whereas with Ben he was more being kissed than kissing. Plus he full on licks his lips before the kiss happens, don’t think I didn’t clock that because I did, I see everything. Then there’s the way he looks after - halfway to wrecked, just from one kiss. I even love that the only thing that really touches is their mouths - both of them are holding back here.

And I think it has a lot to do with the pretext of the kiss. The agreement is that Palm is going to kiss Nueng to wipe out the memory of Ben’s lips on his, so that means that he’s allowed to go so far and no further. He can kiss Nueng like he wants to devour him, but holding him is still forbidden because Nueng is only doing this to rid himself of a bad memory. And Nueng can give into it, can respond like all he wants is to be devoured, but he can’t reach for Palm either, because Palm is only kissing him to help him out. And this is the main reason why I love it. Please bring on the “he said he’d be anything, and the anything I needed was a kiss/to be comforted, it’s not real” angst. Please bring on the “he’s only turning to me because he can’t have who he wants” angst. I am an utter sucker for that stuff and I will eat it up and ask for more. This is the kind of relationship drama I can get behind.

Music choice was really good in this scene too.

I always love supportive moms, and Tanya rocked it. Only I don’t really believe her when she says that Nueng’s happiness comes before the business, sorry. Although I do love her “I will find those bullies and get them for you” mindset. Good for Nueng for deciding to handle it though. Shame that he won’t get to.

I don’t think Tanya’s dead but she was shot in a gnarly place, looks like. That said, I don’t really trust Chanon either so you know, he might just let her bleed a while. Also it’s super sus that he was only shot in the shoulder even though the bike dudes had a lot of time to try for a different spot (like the head).

Also they’re frolicking on a beach next ep and Nueng is asking the important questions, like why Palm kissed him (yesss please be vague in your answer Palm or even say something like “you needed me” please please I know it’s only been half a month but I’ve been really good this year I deserve this), and I can’t see him doing that if he thought his mom might be dead.

I guess we’ll see. And hey, maybe we’ll find out Chopper was also the one who shot them. Why not (yes, I’m already bitter. Leave me alone).

#never let me go #episode 5 #kinda forming the chopper defense squad already #sorry but not really #thai bl

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chaotic-aro-incarnate · 4 months

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10 BL BOYS I WILL THROW HANDS FOR

Was tagged by @scarefox for this (technically my main blog but I post my bl stuff on here lol) and am very excited

I imprint on characters like nobody's business so this is a list made for me

EDIT changed the gifs because apparently the way I did it didn't properly link to the creators (only on desktop at least). should be properly credited now

In no particular order

1) Sound (My School President)

Starting the trend of lonely queer teenagers that I get a little too attached to, it's of course Sound. Like I was already a fan of Sound and intrigued by the concept of SoundWin (at the time people didn't know it was going to be the main secondary ship) but when the medal scene happened and Sound gave this so sad ans soft "oh no" look I was gone. That is my son and I WILL fight anyone and everyone for him

2) Nuengdiao (Never Let Me Go)

Another lonely queer teenager I decided to protect. I loved Never Let Me Go so much and Nueng was my special little babygirl and then Our Skyy 2 came out and it was like oh...... I will kill for him. Look I love Nueng and he did nothing wrong and also that scene where he's forcing Palm to put the gun to his head while screaming at him to shoot him leaves rent free in my mind. He's so traumatized and lonely and he's like 18 I would do anything for him especially throw hands

3) Typhoon (Star in My Mind)

Fun fact! I had to stop watching Star in My Mind because I got so unreasonably attached to Typhoon that I couldn't bear the thought of him not getting a happy ending. I wanted him to end up with Dao so bad because it would make him happy and I knew that if I kept watching they would either break his heart OR show that he's actually not that great of a guy, both which were unbearable to me. So I simply cut my losses and live in the fantasy that he got everything he ever wanted.

4) Bai Lang (My Tooth Your Love)

One of those "he just like me fr fr" characters who I would do anything for. He's my specialist little boy and I love him so dearly. Here's to having your trauma swag bewitch the local hot autistic dentist body and soul.

5) Han Ying (Word of Honor)

Talk about my specialest boy. Ying'er is my guy through and through. He deserved so much better and in every WoH fic I have written (they are all still in drafts) he lives and is happy no matter what. He IS my sweet cheese, my rotten solider, my good time boy. I will continue writing him getting railed to the high heavens by Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing like he deserves. He is incapable of being anything other but the goodest boy possible and I will die on this hill

6) Boston (Only Friends)

He is the worst. I would move mountains for him. Enough said.

7) Pluem (Ghost Host Ghost House)

Look this man has been going through it AND he manages to be the like the most flirtatious and romantic guy around? Give me your secrets sir. Also say the word king and I'll do it. This show broke me on so many levels but a lot of those levels were tied to anytime I saw him break down

8) Ye Huo/Fire (Guardian)

A recent (and somewhat obscure) pull as I am currently watching Guardian and was just exposed to his character today but he is my guy and I will defend him to the death. The only weaker point for me than a lonely gay teenager is a self appointed older sibling who sacrifices everything for their younger siblings. I was really like man this guy is an asshole for so long but then the truth of how he was saving the boys at the fighting ring came out and I was like oh no that's my son now and I need him to live and be happy. I have not finished his arc yet so I am scared that it'll be a tragedy BUT he is my wonderful son all the same and I will throw hands for him in an instant

9) That (Manner of Death)

The return of troubled teenagers I need to adopt and protect against all costs. I WILL fight anyone for him even though he's like a rebellious teenager who does crime and I am a strange looking college student who he would not respect but it's the thought that counts

10) Mark/Village Head Ma (Love Tractor)

Why is there a random white man living in rural South Korea? I don't know!!! They never address what he's doing there. But I literally love this man. There's a reason I made him to be my pfp for bl-bracket. Seriously he's the best and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. Best character ever written. In my heart he's got the spirit of Quincey Morris form Dracula in the long tradition of just having a random American man in your story with no explanation

Tagging others!!!!! @saturnskyline @non-binarypal7 @supernovasimplicity @vegussy and anyoen else who wants to!!

There's been so many of these types of challenges/tag things lately that I have not kept track of who has or hasn't done which ones so sorry if you've already done something similar

#fun fact when looking up gifs i kept running into polls for bl bracket #and getting annoyed for filling up the search results #and then remembering that's me lmao

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cornflowershade · 10 months

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okay thoughts + honorable mention moments after the episodes i saw last night. The “you need energy for palm” scene and the “are you going [to europe] together?” scene with ben/chopper and nueng, that was very funny and cute.

ALSO, nueng sitting alone in his pajamas continuing to channel badass vibes but in a way that is just so ‘playing pretend’ in a ‘kid has house to themself for once’ way. just him and a glass of wine that he knows he’s not allowed to be having lol. (at least it looks like he didn’t really touch it much, last thing he needed was to get rushed to the hospital pfff. still not over when he did that to himself at the party like dude you knew you were allergic and did this anyway?? and then at the beach tries to drink again and palm is like nah and nueng makes a pouty face. followed by the nueng dancing with everyone sequence which is in my favorite moments)

speaking of nueng’s little faces i love when he makes that narrow-eyed little annoyed/fake dirty-look aimed at palm followed by like the babiest smile a few seconds later. he’s cute

and okay but palm getting shot in the last ep I have to say... my reaction was super delayed. Like I knew he didn’t die in the show so for my first thought was ‘it’s okay, nueng, he was obviously wearing a bullet proof vest! :D’ but then palm just. didn’t get up. and slow realization hit that he had actually been shot badly, because i was like “wait palm wouldn’t let nueng worry about him for this long. OH NO.” But this brings me to a very good question which is that if Palm (and palm’s dad even) is a bodyguard, why don’t they wear bulletproof vests when they’re on duty???? Palm was literally heading into a situation that he knew was a trap and didn’t think of that? You’re telling me Nueng’s family didn’t purchase their bodyguards like, the bare necessities for not dying? b r u h.

also screaming about the earlier on stuff when palm almost killed nueng’s mom. dude thought about it for a good more-than-a-few-minutes there??? and the “shoot me” scene after AJDSOJDOIVSD. (loved the drama)

anyway good on nueng’s mom for talking some sense into him to go get Palm back. laughed that palm named the bar after him like ofc you did. But the whole “i only left until i was ready to take care of you” / “how long would i be waiting” (yes call him out, nueng) exchange on the bed. If Palm intended to only leave temporarily then why write the letter with such finality and put nueng through emotional damage?? these two i swear. I love them but they’re so convoluted about each other lmao. by the end of the show I think i’ve decided that the series is actually called “never let me go” not just because of the ‘ohh i depend on you and we have each other and go on the run together’ vibes (a good vibe btw, 10/10) but because it’s about them learning through a LOT of trial and error to not actively choose to let each other go. Because that is. obviously a struggle for them. Easy for these two to get in that self-blaming loop of ‘oh i don’t want you to have to worry about me / you should go live your own life and i’m holding you back / i don’t want to put you i danger.’ So the show is kind of, both of them learning that it’s okay to let someone be there for you.

#never let me go #mine

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stormyoceans · 1 year

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ahhh i see what you mean, that happened to me with love mechanics but yinwar's chemistry was actually enough to make me overlook some... things lol but yeah seems like there are some tropes there that i can't be bothered to watch, also i just really trust your taste and views. but hey! at least pond and phuwin showed their potential and now we have this gem!

what was your favorite part of the first episode? mine was probably the pool scene, i feel like so much happened there, the intense eye contact x2 and the hand over hand moment...................... he didn't have to do that but he did it for all of us! they really are seeing each other like genuinely seeing each other i bet that scares them a lot. oh the pining oh the yearning pond does it so well! like the scene when they first met HIS FACEEEE it's gonna be so great just seeing them fall in love. oH IMAGINE THE ANGST IT'S GONNA HURT SOOOO GOOD AND NOT JUST UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW THEY FEEL BUT ALSO AFTER THAT BECAUSE THEY WILL WANT TO PROTECT EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME AND IT'S GONNA BE HARD TO BALANCE IT ALL the hype was RIGHT

ugh i wish i could have the will to wait and binge watch because i think i'm able to enjoy shows more when i can do that, and space the episodes how i want or just watch them all in a day, like it's a much more intense experience for me that way and even though it leaves less time to theorize and the fandom experience and all that i personally prefer it. but i cannot see all the pretty gifs and not go to youtube and watch the episode when they are right thereee i wanna join the fun! i actually binge watched vice versa (🥰) and i feel like i liked it so much because i did! i also binge watched love mechanics and i swear to god i would have given up if i was watching that show weekly, and i had to binge watch to my star 2 too cause that was actually hurting me lol this is so long already okay i'll shut up now 💌

fish upon the sky and love mechanics actually fall in the same category of 'shows i can't bring myself to like even if the actors have an insane chemistry' for me, but between the two i did enjoy love mechanics more, even if i cannot stand cheating, so i guess this says a lot about my feelings for FUTS ;;;;;;;;

BUT!!!!!! like you said, the most important thing is that pond and phuwin are now playing in a show with a more mature storyline that makes their chemistry shine and that i can thoroughly enjoy!!!!! and that makes me ridiculously happy!!!!! JUST LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU TRUST MY TASTES?????? THAT'S SUCH AN INCREDIBLE COMPLIMENT THANK YOU!!!!!! 🥺🤧

we must have pretty similar tastes, though, because THE POOL SCENE WAS MY FAVORITE ONE TOO!!!!!! like.. both the hallway and the sneaking out scenes are A LOT, but the pool one is on a whole other level!!!!! not only the tension is already off the charts, but i love how it also says a lot about palm and nueng as characters and perfectly sets up the journey for their relationship!!!! it's the way nueng asks "if i don't tell your dad, what will i get from you?" because that's what he has been taught his entire life, that no one does anything for free, and he got further confirmation of it earlier that day when his classmate made the others stop teasing him only to ask him a favor right after!!!! it's the way palm answers "i have nothing to give you. i have no money" because he sees no value in himself but eventually he is going to (willingly) give nueng exactly what he needs - friendship, care, trust, love - and in doing that he will learn his self worth and start to build his own future!!!!

AND GOD YEAH THE MOMENT THEIR HANDS TOUCHED!!!!! i will never have the words to properly explain the importance of hands in queer culture, but they're often used as objects of desire, as conduits for future intimacy, and once the hands touch that's it: there's no turning back, you can't ignore your want anymore, and the fact that it already happens the second time palm and nueng see each other casts such a sense of inevitability on their relationship!!!! since their first meeting all their interactions have just been so full of pining and yearning and tension and this magnetic pull that makes them so aware of each other and leaves the viewers breathless even if we already know they will end up together!!!! BUT LIKE YOU SAID IT ALSO WON'T END WHEN THEY GET TOGETHER BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE DUTY AND DESIRE AND ABOVE ALL THE WISH TO PROTECT THE OTHER AND GIVE THEM A BETTER CHANCE AT LIFE. ALSO WHEN PALM WILL CALL NUENG BY HIS NAME FOR THE FIRST TIME THEN WHAT!!!!!!!!

anyway..... please never apologize for sending me a long message because 1) I ABSOLUTELY LOVED READING IT, and 2) as you can see brevity is not one of my virtues ;;;;;;;; so please feel free to write as much as you want!!!! 💜

gonna end this by saying that idk if i personally prefer binge watching, but i definitely understand what you mean!!! i do tend to be more forgiving when i watch a series all in one go and it also helps me keep my emotions under control sfjkshdj i think it actually depends a lot on the show itself: some series i like to see week by week because i enjoy freaking out with everyone else, but other ones i NEED to binge watch to preserve my mental health (to my star 2 is a great example, because after seeing the first episode i also went NOPE and waited for all the episodes to be out before going back to it I DON'T DO WELL WITH THAT KIND OF ANGST)

#not only idk what brevity is but i also do not feel normal about nlmg so i apologize for how long this is ;;;;;;#ON ANOTHER NOTE IF YOU EVER FEEL LIKE SHARING YOUR VICE VERSA THOUGHTS I WOULD LOVE TO READ THEM #never let me go #never let me go the series #nlmg #m: ask

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heretherebedork · 1 year

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How did we go from A to B in one episode? How did Chopper go from having so much hope to realizing that everyone in his life is leaving him? He was so happy. He saw a future with Ben, he hoped Nueng was safe, he was talking about leaving his father and finding his own freedom...

And now here he is. Ben left him, Nueng tells him he's to blame for everything, his father won't listen to him and he has no more power than they do.

Everyone treats Chopper like he's an adult. Nueng and Ben both seem to assume he can stop his father when neither of them could do anything about their parents choices. But Chopper, the son of a man who tried to have Nueng killed and is actively threatening Ben, is supposed to be so brave?

Chopper deserves so many apologies but, even more than that, he deserves to be understood and I don't know how we can go from where we are to where we need to be for Chopper and Ben to work as a relationship.

I hope that Chopper gets to save Palm. I hope Chopper is part of the solution from Nueng and Palm and that he can prove to everyone that he isn't who they think he is and that they, in return, can prove that he is still loved and worthy of support.

Or, in my own twisted way, I hope Chopper is hurt and I hope that they have to pay for abandoning him and see what they did. Nueng grew so much and so much of that growth came at Chopper expense because he needs to be tough instead of kind and all he sees in Chopper is when he was too kind.

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seffjatur · 1 year

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i saw a post in the tags about someone who wished the ending of os2 nlmg was different, and that's their preference, but it made me think about how i feel about the ending

i kind of like how nueng still persists in choosing what he wants to do for himself, because that's something he never got growing up despite being the privileged rich kid

he's always been shouldering the burden of behaving the way others want him to because that's what they expect of him, and the whole story of nlmg was about how palm is the only one hes ever felt like he could be himself with, the only one who has always supported him no matter what choices he makes because palm loves nueng for who he is, not what nueng does for palm

palm was the first person who showed him that nueng doesn't have to pretend to be someone else or make choices that he thinks they want him to make, to be loved by someone

and from the start to the end, regardless of the growth palm goes through in the narrative, his duty has always been his heart and that's choosing nueng. it's always been the easiest choice for him, even if everyone tells him that it shouldn't be his choice.

i love that nueng chooses to pursue his master's degree because he trusts whatever decision palm will make, because he's sure that palm will love him even if they need to spend more time apart. and that brief moment of disappointment was probably his past experiences with others triggering that sadness, especially with the ambiguous way palm worded it.

but i also love how palm chose to grow with nueng, because these are all things that he never would've even considered back as a young man in a rural fishing village. meeting his mom again, getting a tattoo of the person he loves, running his own bar, opening a restaurant, buying his own car, getting to travel outside of thailand?

he had no idea what he wanted to do back then in ep 1 on that fishing boat, but being with nueng gives him the inspiration and also the courage to pursue all these things. because nueng believes palm deserves all these things. and palm is probably starting to believe that these are all things he gets to have.

sure, he did have that frustration when nueng first told him, but we already know that palm is hotheaded, does things he regrets reflexively, but he never means any of it (referencing that one scene after mama mam dies and they reach that cliffside, palm is losing his shit and he shoves nueng instinctively, but when nueng actually tries to leave, palm doesn't actually want him to)

i feel like palm's reaction is a very normal emotional response to being told that the person you love will have to be parted from you longer than you originally expected, especially when you're already emotionally distressed by being slingshot like over 100 years into the past into your supposed previous incarnation

sometimes, i think we want characters to always perform the emotionally regulated, healthy, mature response, but palm is just some 21 year old dude (assuming that three years passed since they were 18 year old high school seniors, according to the video call captions in the first bit of ep 1) who's allowed to get mad first and then think later

honestly happy with the ending nueng and palm got, i'm sad to let these two little shits go but i hope pond and phuwin have more works together in the future and im definitely going to be checking out fish upon the sky now that i've watched nlmg and i hope i like pimork just as much as i liked palmnueng

#b watches os2 nlmg

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