ShortCircuit

Third season is the last season, big part of the story is the Yi City arc - and then the ending. There are some two or three teasers out already, it looks like they're going to have quite a few WangXian moments.

I thought he did quite like her, but she wasn't the one. But that was my impression. If he did lead her on while he felt nothing for her, that's even worse than what Jai did to him, IMHO.

No, it's more like they're a generic gay pair who just happen to have had their relationship established before the start of this series. The actors did their job very well, but the difference is extreme, IMHO. It could have been anyone playing this on-again, off-again pair of lovers going through college, not necessarily Teh and Oh.

ITSAY was an acquired taste for me, particularly in the first two episodes, because I found Billkin's facial expressions kind of strange. But then the magic happened and by the end of it, ITSAY became one of the best Thai BL dramas I've ever watched. (And I did watch the most mentioned on MDL, too, even if not all). But ITSAY did have something special - and IPYTM only has that it's a sequel to ITSAY and that wasn't quite enough for me, though I'm happy I got to see more content involving these two.

Jai manipulated Teh - not that it took all that much work.

But what about Airy? Who manipulated Teh into THAT relationship, if he was still heartbroken over Oh-Aew and still hoping to get together? And if he started a relationship with her for the sake of the TV series, then how is he any better than Jai?...

I mean, he had a role in Jai's play and fell for Jai. He went on to star in the series and had a relationship with Airy, his co-star.

Yes, he says he's only really loved Oh-Aew, but it feels like he's falling in love with each partner in a series or play, so far. Or if not partner, whoever happens to be the most major influence on his acting in that series/play.

IMHO, Oh-Aew is in for a world of hurt, if this pattern keeps repeating, and at this point, why wouldn't it? Oh-Aew took Teh back, even if - according to Teh, he'd loved him all along, even while in a relationship with his co-star - Teh can't seem to help himself. He'd take him back again even if this will happen again...

And Oh-Aew even said he couldn't TRUST Teh any more, therefore he couldn't even contemplate getting back together. But then they did. So there's that. A HEA slap-dashed onto a series that was going full-speed ahead toward a non-HEA ending....

He might have had more interests - he's definitely bisexual, considering we saw him in love or lust with Oh-Aew and Jai and then there's the already ex actress (the ex part came out of the left field, there was no tension between them in the make-up room, just that scene where Teh is saying sorry after talking with Oh-Aew and getting some pointers, LOL. So I guess that felt a bit pasted-on just because. )

I mean, he did struggle with his sexuality in the first part, and if he'd have stayed with Oh-Aew and then immediately moved on to a girl, he would fall in the gay-for-you case, but with Jai involved that's clearly not a clean option any more.

The IG pictures... maybe there's an after IPYTM, like there was after ITSAY and we get to see at least some explanation of that. I still hope he didn't delete them. Because if he did, this final episode will lose a lot of the fizz for me. If he really missed Oh-Aew, at least he should've kept their memories together.

Keeping fingers crossed for a bit of extra story.

They're going to leave it all to fate. And hope they don't grow out of each other.

TBH, with the time skips, it's almost palatable. But it still kind of lands with a thud. I know, they're back together and a bit more mature, and aware that life isn't perfect etc. Somehow it still feels like they're just going to repeat the cycle until one of them - probably Oh-Aew - gets exhausted and ends it once and for all.

Anyway, highlights:

- Toon's wedding and them having the instrumental Skyline theme playing - that's not fair, I got teary-eyed. I hope at least Toon gets his unconditional HEA.
- the final picture on IG, with Teh smiling broadly and Oh-Aew with his worried expression in the second plan. That's how the dynamics' going to be from now on, probably. Still unanswered - did Teh delete all the old IG pictures though?...

Overall, this wasn't up with ITSAY for me, mostly for the lack of a good OST, and maybe there's a problem with the editing too, I can't really say but it keeps bugging me a bit. Still, not a disappointment, though maybe a more linear plot would have felt better. I'm pleased with what we got, in the end.

So...

What, no "The Legends" at all?! It was one of my first costume dramas, and sparked my love for Bai Lu (she's a great actress and too cute for words) and interest in Xu Kai, too :)

To anyone who hasn't watched it yet - it's a story about cultivation, prejudice and Zhao Yao's quest to become infamous, LOL, because the orthodox cultivation sects are made up of hypocrites. She accidentally dies and when she comes back, she starts her revenge, encountering just a few problems (in that she's slowly falling for the person who took over the sect that she never noticed much in her first life... or did she not? :D) There are plenty twists and turns, but the acting and music are good, the plot mainly makes sense (there are some speeded up parts in places) and I rooted for the MLs all the way.

I don't usually watch docs on how the magic is made :D It tends to break the immersion if I'm doing it while the series is airing - but I did watch some ITSAY docs after it was done, and I was really impressed with the general care everybody took with each scene.

Sadly, I might not look up IPYTM docs this time. Not because the actors aren't doing a great job - they are! - but somehow it doesn't reach that level of addictiveness for me that the first series did.

Music - and particularly BGM - is a huge draw for me in movies and series. I might hate the show but still remember the music. Or the show might be great, but the music would suck - well, that makes a huge difference for me. So IPYTM not having a memorable song/BGM works against it (for me). It still does have the sound effects to show off, though (like that tinnitus sound rising and suddenly stopping when the duet happens in Ep. 4).

So far, there aren't many Thai songs I remember well - Skyline from ITSAY, Getsunova's Fake Protagonist from Theory of Love (Skyline is the better song, IMHO, but both are memorable), and that's about it. I'd have loved to add another one to the list.

Maybe next time :D

I noticed it since the first episode - there's no special song to carry over the meanings, and the BGM is not outstanding. But they did remember not to overload emotional scenes with too many BGM, and to make good use of silence when it's needed. Actually, I really appreciate the use of sound effects in this.

But I miss another haunting song like "Skyline", and I mentioned that before, too. For some reason, it's still playing in my head whenever some romantic scene comes around :D

I'm not actually taking this in any manner personally. This is a drama, they are both characters I'm invested in but not actually obsessed with (and I've seen talk that some fans of ITSAY got abusive towards the actors and the production team, which I'm practically unable to understand, as I've never, myself, mixed up the characters and the actors - not just in this drama, but in everything I've watched. I mean, real people are real people, characters in a drama or movie are characters, there' no room for overlapping.) That doesn't prevent myself or other commenters here of seeing other PoVs from different people. That's just a general assumption that might be wrong, and IS definitely wrong in my case. But from MY PoV, Teh's ACTIONS (not justification thereof from people watching the drama) are not up for discussion. Obviously it's all subjective.

The reason I keep commenting here is that I actually like this drama, even if it's not probably on par with ITSAY. I have no problem with the direction it took, and the characters seem to have developed naturally, so it doesn't bug me at all to have them be unfaithful to each other.

But - and it's a big but - there is no excuse for the CHARACTER of Teh to be forgiven (or not so fast anyway) for something he actually did. You're presenting his side as if he really was a passionate acting genius, incapable of separating dramaland from reality (in their own dramaland, that is), when he's basically fallen into lust with someone else and completely forgot he even had a long-term partner. I can HYPOTHETICALLY imagine myself in Oh's place, and there's no room for turning back to the original relationship. Because the trust is gone. Teh might be an incredible actor, he might actually mature some and realize how he's hurt Oh, but he has the emotional quotient of a tomcat in heat in this particular setting, given he was completely ready to just go to Jai IF Jai had accepted him.

And that took place in the staircase below the room where his actual boyfriend was waiting for him. And it's followed by him actually singing longingly to Jai as if he were the last man on Earth, while standing right next to his actual boyfriend. That takes such a level of lack of awareness it's beyond whatever anyone can say to justify it.

And were I to place myself in Teh's shoes - finding someone who seems to share my likes and interests and is magnetic and intelligent and sexy etc... But at the same time I have a long-term boyfriend who keeps being around me and who even raised the issue of my new lust interest with me... The honest thing to do was to FIRST ask for some time off with Oh. If there's a problem in the relationship, if there's something lacking, if there's a new person of interest, Teh should first let go of the one who's expecting his loyalty and love. And he doesn't - he wants his cake and to eat it too, this is not about Oh being hard on him. Oh becomes an afterthought in Teh's lust for Jai.

And that's not easily forgivable.

It's not even the first time Teh rejected Oh, either, it took a few tries before they ended up together in ITSAY. How many times can one break someone's heart and still expect second chances? There's always a first, and a lot of times, there's a last chance. IMHO Teh squandered his last.

But we'll see in the last episode how they decide to end it. It's a story, so no matter how it ends, I'll be happy with whatever, as long as it makes sense and doesn't waste the first episodes' setting.

If this was real life though, even if they remained in love, I'd think they'd be better apart, as there are a bit too many signs of an abusive relationship going on (verbal and emotional abuse, of course.) Obviously the heart wants what the heart wants, but sometimes the mind should take over and make a decision instead.

Thank you. Summer's coming, I'm in the mood for light-hearted romance. This is a good list to choose from :)

Edit: Started "A Girl Like Me" and it's giving me strong "The Romance of Tiger and Rose" vibes (a positive note, that is). The ML is extremely cute but can become very manly at the drop of a feather, and the FL is chasing him with all her might and not for love, LOL.

That's a solid rec, thank you for it!

They're not married, they're a couple of barely grown kids who face the world for the first time. As compared to ITSAY, IPYTM is taking a more fragmented path, periodically skipping a lot of time and only showing certain things, like journal entries. The relationship has already morphed from their innocent first-love kind of story to a more multi-faceted one, where not having the same interractions daily and/or having misunderstandings are driving them apart.

What counseling?! For what? What did Oh-Aew do wrong? It's Teh getting infatuated with Jai, and if Jai hadn't refused him, he'd have jumped his bones then and there. TBH, I was expecting Oh-Aew to follow them into the stairway and be a direct witness to their talk, but I'm very glad he stayed put and let Teh make his own decision. And what did Teh do? In front of his actual lover, he starts eye-fucking Jai?!... What's there to be getting counselling about? When a relationship is not based on mutual interest, admiration and love, what's there to keep?... If only Oh-Aew is actually still in love all the way, and Teh is free to just browse around, looking for the next interesting person, it's not love any more, despite lingering feelings.

It's not their first trial - Teh had to be dragged into admitting his feelings, kicking and screaming, and his signals toward Oh-Aew were kind of screwed up a lot of times. Oh-Aew was already insecure (he is more girly, likes feminine things, he seemed to be the only one in love with his friend at a certain point, he was definitely getting depressed for not being perfect) - and then he gets to be judged for not wanting to become an actor after all, for changing his looks, for having way too many party-type friends, and so on and so forth. Teh always realizes he's going overboard only after he's spoken or acted - well, the hurt doesn't go away all that easily. Words don't break bones, but they do break confidence. Being someone's boyfriend doesn't mean owning them and getting to par them down to one's expectations and mental image of that person. Oh-Aew (and anyone, actually) is completely entitled to their own life, no matter how grand the love story might be.

It was already hard for both of them to be together - neither were making easy choices, coming out to their families, or getting intimate, and later facing the lack of time for maintaining their relationship and everything. But only one of them remained firm (and I'd argue he has many more friends and therefore opportunities to cheat, were he so inclined, but he never did, whereas the other basically had the one chance and did take it immediately, no pangs of conscience, nothing.)

What I'm saying is - they're young. They don't know any better, and shouldn't have to make compromises either. Teh could be forgiven, but that doesn't mean they should get back together. It's easier to forgive when you don't see that person each day and get to rehash their problems each time there's a fight.

Now speaking of their passions and eventual work immersion. There's no prize-race here. They could be passionate and quiet, or passionate and obsessive, etc. There's no way to be "better" at it - they each have their personality and act accordingly. Nobody needs to show they're crazily loving their actual/future work, what the hell. What, are introverts lacking passion for what they're working on or studying just because they don't like to show it?!

Ah well, Sorry I got a bit ranty here. It gets frustrating seeing comments on how one is more deserving BECAUSE they're more passionate, or that someone should return to a relationship because they're meant to be. This has nothing to do with forgiveness, or second chances and all. This is about both sides - and particularly the one who did nothing wrong - having a say in a relationship... and getting the chance to just break it if it's not working any more.

I don't care how it ends at this point. I just would prefer a more realistic split up instead of a fictional rainbow final happiness. I know it's fiction, but the time is too short to have a meaningful turn (IMHO, maybe they'll pull it off, I don't know).

You be you, I'll be myself, let's both have good, separate lives :)

That only happens in dramas, IMHO, and usually those characters who "forgive" are just begging for more abuse, too, but I agree we'll have to just disagree on that.

PS Your replies tend to be acid towards comments that don't fit to your own opinion - here's an unasked-for advice: chill out a bit, this is an open forum where drama watchers come to discuss a drama. Their opinions are just as valid as yours, no need to diss their tastes and/or experiences just because they're different.

Have a nice day!

I don't know about other people, but I remember being 20. I almost remember being a teen - but that's another story. At 20, everything was larger than life, all our reactions were considerably out of place (looking back with a more mature eye and enough life experience). We definitely would not consider forgiveness of such a betrayal, because it shattered all trust. Trust is the mainstay of a relationship. There's no redemption for destroying trust.

Now that I'm older, I wish we had the foresight or patience to consider that things change eventually. But that is NOT how life feels at 20. To have young adults be reasonable and patient and willing to let go of such deep betrayals is not really realistic, IMHO. For me at least it would feel contrived.

If they were in their late 30s or maybe 40s, yes, it would make sense to get your SO another and yet another chance - by then we grow cynical (or more realistic) and see more shades of gray than we used to.

But these are still young kids, they won't know how it feels to actually understand (or make a good try at understanding) how and why your lover could even contemplate having an affair. Hormones and immaturity are hell.

Teh actually did cheat on Oh-Aew - he went all in, kissing Jai and not setting up any boundaries. He didn't have to go all committed to kissing a (basically) stranger, just because Jai asked him to. He was in a long-term relationship, there were plenty of other ways to get the scene feeling. I didn't catch the lights-out before the kiss that was actually included in the actual play, but Oh-Aew certainly did. There was zero need for passionately kissing Jai, even if a certain feeling should have been included in the scene.

And oh, what's worse - he wrote in his logbook about forgetting how sex with Oh-Aew was in the beginning, so what does he do?! He gets worked up by lusting after Jai then goes home and has sex with Oh-Aew?! That's disgusting - if they were real persons and not characters in a drama, it would be beyond disgusting, IMHO.

I get it that Teh is a passionate actor who wants to improve his art, but he's quite judgemental of people who don't share his passion and nobody is owing him their life's choices. And his impulse control is quite poor - being passionate about things is not the be-all, end-all of everything. Having compassion and maturing a bit would enrich his character. So far he hasn't grown up much from the teen obsessed with acting.

As for Oh-Aew... he's quite subdued in this second part of the story, but he didn't start as a bubbly, confident character in the first part either. He's uncertain in his (mental and physical) body image, uncertain on how deep Teh's feelings actually are (as evidenced in his reaction to Oh-Aew's changing his major in university, in the clear divide between friends - they're all Oh-Aew's, Teh doesn't mix well with the group, in the very easy manner that Teh let go of everything they had together when the first temptation comes along.) To be able to push Teh away shows a good and strong mind, that seriously I didn't expect. I hope they don't take this away from the character in the final episode.

And to me he seems to actually enjoy marketing - he doesn't have to be all happy-happy joy-joy about it to be good at it and love it. As he was never too extrovert, him being quiet and getting the job done looks to be exactly in character.

As for Jai... I now don't wonder why his ex left him. If this is the level of conscience he'd shown him, somebody in his right mind wouldn't excuse his end-justifies-the-means approach to directing and would just let him go. Again, being passionate about something doesn't mean trampling over everybody who doesn't share in it, or manipulating people into doing your bidding. He is in great part guilty of leading Teh on... but Teh is supposed to NOT be lead, if his love is real. Just giving in to lust is extremely disappointing, and if it was more than lust for him, where does that leave his actual boyfriend?!

I seriously hope they don't get a fabricated happy end. I'd rather have another series if they're meant to end up together, so that nothing is rushed.

That doesn't work. Teh gave up his already won place at his favourite university because he wanted to comfort (and compensate?) Oh-Aew, and Oh-Aew VERY emphatically did. not. want. anything to do with that.

So giving up his offer of a role in a series for Oh-Aew would just show Oh-Aew that Teh didn't get it again: he doesn't want his sacrifices, he wants for himself to be Teh's true love, like Teh is for Oh-Aew. If the love is there, but not on the same level, then it's meaningless, no matter how much Teh gives up. They're not contracted to buy each other's happiness with personal sacrifices. If it's not truly from the heart, then it never was a relationship between equally involved people, Teh just went for the ride because Oh-Aew was always there and obviously loved him, so loving him back was natural... but not definitive.

What'll happen should they get back together and Teh gets yet another love/affair interest? Why would they stay together, when his heart isn't in it? Oh-Aew rightfully tells him to break up because of it - it feels like Oh-Aew's love is the comfortable space for Teh to come back to as soon as he's over his new love interest... so that Oh-Aew is always just the second best. That scene was almost as sad as the one with the bra and the mirror in the first series. Oh-Aew must feel like he's still not the first choice of anyone, still unqualified to become the one and only in Teh's heart.

That was heartbreaking for me. I hope they don't go the way of Teh sacrificing the offer in order to buy back into Oh-Aew's graces, or if he does, Oh-Aew doesn't accept it. They'd just cycle through the same things again and end up in a similar position in the end.

At this point, I want a clean break between them, unless Teh actually is able to change... just not by repeating mistakes showing he never understood Oh Aew's heart.

Actually you're right. Why have an on-hold list if I never actually want to restart watching those dramas any time soon? At least if I drop them I'll never have them hanging on to the back of my neck strangling me with anxiety.

Also, F the rules. If I don't like it, I won't watch it. If I happen to take up again some drama I've already dropped, and it still isn't delivering, well, life's short and then you die. One should watch dramas for the fun, not as a chore.

Thanks for helping me make up my mind LOL.