Five Stars

This show is still a 10/10 for me.Basic 'spoilery' summary of episode 3: Teh and Jai kiss while Oh-Aew witnesses it. If only it were that simple.1. TehIt shows how the same touch can happen to you from multiple people and how it can feel different for everybody and different everytime. The first scene where the actress (Dream), does the touch workshop exercise with Teh, he is completely stiff. His body is rigid and he looks like he's in a place he doesn't want to be. The second time Teh is touched intimately is when he has sex with Oh-Aew in what seems to be quite a long time. The third time he's touched intimately it's when he repeats the workshop exercise with Jai and they end up kissing. The same motions from different people, a stranger, a lover, a friend yet none of them feels as they should be. He shouldn't be so rigid with just a colleague, she's just a stranger after all; he shouldn't be so far from Oh-Aew and close just because he thinks it'll help him; he shouldn't want to be so close to Jai; but that's the beauty of it. This is reality. Things happen.While sitting in the audience, all of us look at the same thing in a different light and it is mainly a case of conditioned response. Having sex with Oh-Aew opens something inside Teh. The experiences we've been through make us interpret the same thing differently.Not having chemistry with Dream during the rehearsals doesn't make Teh a bad actor. He's just getting there, starting to discover what he can do, trying to be better at what he can't. Similarly, kissing Jai doesn't make him a bad person. He's discovering new feelings and trying to figure out what to do with them, because feelings unlike acting are much more complex and have indecipherable layers. It's what one does after figuring out those feelings that make a person who they are. Does he start cheating on Oh-Aew? Does he take a break and restart? The answer is that we don't know. We don't know what Teh will do. This isn't a predictable drama and Teh isn't a predictable people (most people aren't). I have to give it to this show. Most series are predictable: get together, break up, but the main leads will end up together anyway. This show is the first one where I don't know what the ending will be, it has presented is with such a vast range of possibilities.Even if Teh and Oh-Aew end up together, the path they take will be interesting to watch (to say the least). 2. Oh-AewEverybody seems to have connected the dots for Teh; that just like he left Tarn, he's about to leave Oh-Aew.But I personally thought that episode 3 was a parallel about how Teh broke down after seeing Oh-Aew dating Bas. We're going to see how Oh-Aew deals with what he saw. Will he be confrontational about it? Will he try to keep a watch on them and wait for something more to happen before he acts on it? Will he try to overlook it and try to glue together his relationship as long as he can?Again, as I said about Teh, we simply don't know how Oh-Aew will act.4. JaiHe is so much more than an intriguing side character. First of I want to say that even though Jai told Teh that he wasn't sleeping with Ms. May for grades, I don't really believe him. His manner was secretive, not confidential while he told about it to Teh, as in he's hiding something.Does that make him a bad person? I would say yes. If you've been to university, you may have encountered such individuals who to resort to such techniques. Does it make him a completely bad person? No, everyone is capable of growth. Does it make him a bad director? Definitely not. Judging from the way he interacts with the crew, it's evident that he's not a bad director. He pays attention to details, he reads through logbooks, he's considerate when he has to be. A clear example is how Teh interacts with him. At first Teh was enamoured by Top but Jai was the one who told him to work backstage. Who opened up options for him. I'd say it's really natural for Teh to feel those signals from him.What stood out to me most about Jai was his dedication and secondly his insecurity. He tells Teh that he broke up with James because he was afraid how long they were going to stay together. He's afraid his portfolio isn't good enough for the New York university, which is probably why he's sleeping with Ms. May.As to his relationship with May, I don't think i have enough info to classify it as a purely sex for benefits relationship, it might be romantic too. All my signals point otherwise but I've seen an actual student marry her professor so there's that ;)5. StorytellingI've dedicated entire paragraphs to each character showing how their characters have been developed and all that happens because of how masterfully the story has been told, accompanied by splendid soundtrack of course.(i) SOUND EFFECT: The sound effects of IPYTM don't sound like normal sound dumps in most dramas. Where the OST is just dumped during long agonising moments of 'romantic' eye contact, or during the kiss scenes–no, the tracks have been perfectly timed. There are three particular beats in the OST which have never stuck out to me before but at the moment when Jai tells Teh to recreate his first memory with Oh-Aew (read: sleep with Oh-Aew again), I could feel the weight of those three notes and it was all so tragic (I don't think I'm making sense anymore).(ii) TIME SKIP: If you've been keeping up with the news on ipytm since March, then you might know that Nadao had announced that each episode will be dealing with a year of their lives at the university. Needless to say, this worried me A LOT. Time slips/jumps always feel like meaningless plot devices but I'm just beginning to understand that it's more about how you use it. In IPYTM, each year hasn't been summed up in one episode, instead key incidents from each year have been woven together to tell the story.(iii) AESTHETICS: Aesthetics aren't about how much scenery you can clump into an episode–the colours matter. I never knew there were so many shades of blue (I sound like I'm talking about my lover's eyes XD) The drama club room where Teh and the other's practice have a light brown shade to them: Teh's shirt, the close-ups of Jai's face all meld together but Oh-Aew's bright pink and red don't. The floating in water redux scene is sea blue but this time it's artificial and lonely unlike the waves of Phuket. The Bangkok skyline is navy night, not black. I can't help noticing all this about IPYTM.(iv) PARALLELS (with itsay)~ a) In ipytm, Oh-Aew's friends who start dating each other, sit comfortably in each other's presence, touching knees. When Jai and Teh's knees touch, Teh becomes hyperaware of it, conveying a crush.e) DIALOGUE‘Ah. So you did it for work again.’Why do these simple sentences hurt so much. When Jai takes Teh to watch his favorite mime show and later reveals his story with James, he explains it saying that it's to increase Teh's acting ability. This hurts Teh a lot obviously. In the ending scene when they kiss, Teh feels that there's passion but Jai simply breaks away and starts packing to leave as if it's completely normal, leaving Teh to wonder whether he did it for work again.The conversation is so natural, especially with Oh-Aew and his friends.[I swear I thought of more while watching the drama :/ ](v) ACTINGI was not expecting to see that classic 'Teh puppy face' again. Teh does this thing where his mouth is halfway to a pout and his simple looks especially 'poke-able' and his eyes are incredibly soft–he looks vulnerable. Billion captured it perfectly. Red hair Oh-Aew still has the swag that Phuket Oh-Aew had except it seems that the Bangkok lifestyle has been more conducive to letting him explore himself. Thanks to P’Meen's direction, we can see all these actors at their best, bringing the characters to life. Even the actress (Dream), a side character, had great facial expressions.IPYTM (like itsay), is not a sci-fi or fantasy or historical production. Its a largely ‘feeling based’ romance, as in the emotions it conveys to the audience are very important. To convey sadness, an actor doesn't just have to be good at crying, the build up to that emotional precipice has to be guided well and the director, scriptwriters and everyone working backstage have done that.I hope I've managed to convey and justify why this is a 10/10 for me.Waiting for episode 4 now. In the episode 3 mv there's a line which bothers me a lot: “People in the mirror may be closer than you think”What does that mean? That Teh and Jai (testing their backs against the mirror together) are closer than they think? That Teh, even though he feels lost, is closer to himself than he think (he looks into the mirror for quite sometime). It's all very mysterious and I love it.

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If someone asked me what is the best part…

If someone asked me what is the best part of IPYTM then they'd probably expect confusion but i have my answer ready: REAL CHARACTERS.IPYTM will convince you that the people they show are real. They are friends, partners, exes, sons/daughters—real people with aspirations and dreams and responsibilities. Even the side characters have a story to tell. Like Top who despite reaching his goal suspects that he isn't truly good enough. Khim, who isn't ready to forsake her dream yet but her duties compel her to. Teh, who is afraid of being alone. Oh Aew who gets judged for being who he is.We get to see a lot of romantic gestures from both Teh and Oh Aew. In the first scene we see Teh with the milk bottle in his hand. Even though its been a year, Oh Aew still heats up milk for him. He gets a small tattoo too. Teh may be more subtle but his emotions are there. I was particularly touched in the scene where Oh Aew was drunk and Teh, instead of taking the bed, sleeps on the carpet beside the couch.The story is told through time skips but without any holes and the audience gets a good idea of how the relationships have progressed. All in all a 9/10 episode. It's an emotional rollercoaster, the ending scene of episode 2 was something which would probably be the ending scene of any other standard drama. This is how IPYTM stands apart. (I'm losing kots of sleep wondering how episode 3 will turn out).

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Spoilers ahead

I don't mean to offend anyone or rebutt anyone's opinion but this is just my pov as an Indian on the scenes included in episode 4 of FUTs where they disguise themselves as Sikhs.I think we can all agree regardless of our opinions on this matter, that Duean and his friends (and Pi too) have baloney for brains. Not only did they come up with a plan which was a failure since it's conception, the only disguises they could come up with was to dress as Punjabis XD which made them stand out more and there faces were noticeable too. As an Indian myself I wasn't offended by it. They looked absolutely like the adorable fools they are.Yes, Thais and the rest of the world might have racist opinions about India (and so do Indians) but that's not the message I got from here (would appreciate not get @d because I won't be replying ;)Also, coming to the important stuff— Mork is just so extra... AND THAT CONFESSION!!! I'm losing my head over who kissed Pi and we have to wait a whole damn week for the nest episode. Mork and Pi's chemistry is up in the sky and (no I won't be listening to otherwise).I absolutely need spoilers at this point and hope everyone who's not watching this gives it a chance...

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Five Stars

Two minutes into the episode I have a massive grin on my face, Teh and Oh Aew buying condoms has to be the cutest thing. The way they chased each other under the streetlight and then lay together blissfully on the beach just filled my heart with happiness. Five minutes into the episode I'm still grinning like an idiot because Teh’s mom just got the best mom ever award. She's not only supportive but a romantic at heart and she had handmade gifts for both Teh and Oh Aew. Then comes I think it was perfect that their first public kiss was after Teh’s mom accepted him. Even in LTIP, while they're on a nearly deserted street, they don't kiss openly. It's his family's acceptance which gives them the courage to be open.Both Teh and Oh Aew have changed slightly—the cognitive changes which accompany the beginning of adulthood—but at heart Teh is still the enthusiastic boy who saw Yongjian on his television screen and realized what he wanted to be and Oh Aew is still the soft boy who fell in love. On his first week at Pranchamayan university, Teh joins the drama club where he meets his new friends: Jai (the stage manager), Top (an actor) and Kim (who despite several attempts keeps getting side roles and is now directing).The reason cited previously for the director change was that P'Meen would be better at framing a script which showcased the problems a student from a rural area would encounter in Bangkok and these were realistically portrayed: homesickness, cost cutting, sticking out in the crowd. Teh, despite his avid interest in film making has no idea of how it works and is fascinated with even the simplest backstage tasks. The drama club members playfully laugh at his interest. Oh Aew too faces difficulties, he is unable to make friends at Anantsart. While Teh immerses himself into the drama club, he is unable to toggle between reducing transportation cost, late nights backstage and making time for Oh Aew. When Teh thinks of resigning, Oh Aew encourages him to continue with his drama saying that he will be fine. But what was supposed to last just a month, stretches into two. Episode 1 ends with Oh Aew sinking into loneliness and unwillingly partying with his newly made friends. As has already been spoilered by the director, IPYTM is going to have a happy ending, but that doesn't guarantee that the journey will be smooth.In terms of cinematography, the quality is still maintained. Apparently the 4k release on Vimeo is the best experience ever, as has been said by those who purchased the Vimeo package. While we don't get to visit the quaint spots of old town Phuket, we have amazing shots of the characters with the Bangkok skyline in the background.The soundtracks have been used amazingly. The part which strick me the most was the ending scene where Oh Aew was sitting alone on the couch, closing his eyes an hoping to conjure Teh in front of him. When he opens his eyes and sees Q who makes him join the party, the crescendo rises in the background before coming to a still.There were lots of parallels to ITSAY. The most popular one being the kiss in front of aquarium. With the sea in the background, Teh and Oh Aew kiss in the open, showing their bravery (also, I think this was a much less harrowing for PP, who is not only claustrophobic but has a phobia of fish and corals ;)The last scene where the difference finally dawned on me was beautifully done. When Oh Aew comes to see Teh’s drama, Teh tells him to close his eyes at a particular cue so that when the lights go out, Teh’s eyes can accommodate to the darkness so that he can see Teh in the backstage. Here I love how Teh waved at Oh Aew, it was like he knew that regardless of how vague his request was, Oh Aew would comply. But in the final scene when Oh Aew is missing Teh he tries to re-live the experience but instead of counting upto 10, he stops at 3 and opens his eyes. It's as if he's already started to lose hope in Teh and their relationship.All I can say is that IPYTM is a different flavour from ITSAY and this here is where the major conflict is about to start. Fans who compare this to ITSAY (as would is natural), will either love this more than ITSAY or love it less that ITSAY but they'll love it all the same ;)

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