#Bmf Kawi

[syrena-del-mar]

Embracing the Waters of Uncertainty

We've hit the beach episode this week and I can't help but love how they were able to intertwine this trope with a message that is so significant to who Kawi is as a character. Coming from Pisaeng no less. The one that always challenges Kawi to be better, to be truer to himself, to strive for more out of the relationships he's forged with people.

So much of Kawi's life he been held back by his own fear. His fear of not having enough, of not being enough. He's spent ten years yearning for the idea of Pear because she was nice to him during his Freshman year, but he never took the plunge of actually getting to know her in the first timeline. It isn't until he believes that he has an infinite amount of chances (initially) of going back in time that he readily and willingly makes a move to pursue her.

Desires and fears go hand in hand, Kawi needs to take the step back to reassess whether the fears that he has held onto tightly are actual concerns or he's merely constructing barriers because of his own apprehension of getting accustomed to having people in his life. It isn't until Pisaeng throws himself on him to topple him over that he really allows himself to have fun in the water, similarly Pisaeng is the one that has been making Kawi confront his own fears about his insecurities.

Kawi struggles with the apprehension of facing his perceived failure, of returning to the life of being a translator, where he spent close to ten years alone with no human attachments. He knows what it means to be completely isolated after the death of his father, so he doesn't want to risk stepping into the realm of uncertainty that comes with pursuing what he actually truly wants. He's doing everything that he perceives will make him satisfied in the future, so he refuses to rock the boat. This time around he learned, that no matter how much he tries to fulfill the status quo of wooing Pear, of getting his father the emergency surgery, of keeping Pisaeng as a friend, of making amends with Max, he still ends up alone and distant from those he cares about in the future. His battle of fully playing in the water and getting in the water highlights Kawi's internal battle of desire of having people in his life and the fear of making a false move that would make them leave him.

It's paradoxical, Kawi wants to be happy, and honestly we see him to be at his most happy with Pisaeng, but he's the one that creates the most obstacles for himself in achieving that happiness. One might think it's irrational that he wants that happiness, he just might have that happiness and he's unwilling to accept the inevitable consequences of accepting it, but this man is only starting to grow from the shame that he has clung onto. Like @lurkingshan said, in this episode we see Kawi interrupting his own growth arc, he still has to put in the work. In episode 6 we saw Kawi finally starting to self-reflect, hanging his head just like the Wisteria flowers, and realize that his unchecked emotions of shame and anger cause him to push others away when they're only attempting to help him. He was starting to learn that allowing people to help you and depend on them doesn't drive people away, but how you react to that help might. Yet, by moving to the future, he put a pause to the much needed self-awareness and growth. He made his own obstacles that caused him to be alone in the future, again.

Getting wet for Kawi is an illustration of his perception of risks that he runs in attempting to fix his future. Just as getting wet can be inconvenient, he's still facing drawbacks. He gets everything done on his checklist, but he goes back to a future where he's an alcoholic. This Kawi has driven everyone away from him. I don't think that we'll ever fully receive an explanation for that Kawi, but I wouldn't surprised if his drinking stemmed from the loss of his dad, like he said about in the first timeline, his world stopped with the loss of his dad. But as @chickenstrangers said, it's important for Kawi to see the imperfect future, because it's motivation for him to see that sometimes no matter if you complete the checklist, it might not give him the future that he wants, because life isn't that predictable.

Kawi has to take the first step to confront and overcome his fears. Like @stuffnonsenseandotherthings said, there's going to be a moment where Kawi has to realize that he might not ever be able to completely fix the past so he gets the present that he wished for. Growth and progress isn't linear, but one still has to be willing to confront and overcome their fears to achieve the path of fulfilling their desires. This means willing to face potential setbacks, or in Kawi's case, learning to be okay with the fact that he won't ever able to completely fix the past. When you live so much in the past, you forget to appreciate the present, and with Kawi living in between timelines, it's so easy for him to develop a fear of failure, but if he examines and self-reflects on what he truly desires, then he might just learn that the future is nothing to fear and accept that change can still happen in his present with the choices he makes.

[danielsarmand]

i actually love kawi so much every time someone says something mean about him my first reaction is to go ‘kawi get behind me’ sure he's not perfect but he's been trying so hard to be a good person i can't not root for him

[heretherebedork]

The dawning of the understanding and then nothing but 'how dare you'. Piseang's audacity has come back around and whacked him.

[stupidiry]

Kawi: I don't return your feelings but I can still be your friend if that's okay with you.

Kawi the next day:

[kristsingto]

iʻd like to lock arthit and kawi in a room and see what their interactions are like (though i do not think their boyfriends would be happy about this experiment)

[minorista]

Okay, I'd like this show to have a happy ending as much as the next person, believe me, but...

What if pisaeng goes to the past as we see in the trailer, and he tries so so hard to prevent kawi getting sick, but he doesn't succeed, and he loses him.

So he tries again, and again, and again and again, he tries so many times and fails so many times, until he finally talks to kawi in despair, crying and apologizing, but kawi stays calm and asks him how many times he tried, and pisaeng answers that he lost count, and then kawi remembers all of his tries, with his father and pear and all the times he traveled to the past and failed at his mission and he rememberes what he learned, that some things can't be changed, aren't meant to be changed.

And so he calmly explains it to pisaeng, saying that he will be happy to live however long he has with him, and that it's okay. Sometimes, you need to let go and move on. And in the end, that's what happens.

[ghoststookournightmares]

Be My Favorite: Relatability

The best thing about Be My Favorite is just how organic all the relationships are being portrayed feel, even if it's a time-travel, time-altering fictional show. Everybody is so relatable, especially Kawi (in fact he is the most relatable, at least to me). The acting, the dialogues, the scriptwriting, the direction, and the freaking chemistry are just top-notch. GawinKrist, I'm sorry for ever doubting you. You are both phenomenal.

[k-white]

Seeing that post about the Kawi and Ray "who wore it better" moment I know there is another one in this case it is between Kawi and Nick(Boston being there in both the OF pics is hilariois) tho this is more of a shirt showdown than an outfit showdown but it still counts

We do not really see the bottom part of either, we can see Nick is wearing shorts and headphones, Kawi we can only see the shirt

So people of the internet here is the question:

if you wanna you can share and argument your choice!

[zzh3]

I cannot stop rambling about how absolutely pretty Kawi looks here. Like absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

Pisaeng, I totally get you.

[dropthedemiurge]

Be My Favorite Finale Timeline [EP.10-12] How Pisaeng and Kawi change until they become equal

I honestly have no idea why I spent so much time on this, but the discussion with @rocketturtle4 got me thinking and, well, I like to consume my media scientifically, so I made a graph of my interpretation of the final jump xD

Somehow, I believe there wasn't really any 'different' alternate timeline this time because the changes to Kawi and Pisaeng's lives were minimal, so it can be a slightly different AU but to simplify, I'll assume it's one timeline because it makes a lot of sense. What's fascinating to me is not following their where-being (or when-being) but the changes in the characters mindsets.

[please open it to study, i couldn't make it more vertical, unfortunately]

I was talking about possible reasons why Kawi suddenly seemed to switch into such wise and calm demeanor during their repeated date, and I've heard of behavior patterns of Child, Parent, Adult modes.

Disclaimer: we studied it in uni very briefly cuz i'm actually STEM major but that description of mindsets opened my eyes and explained a lot to me so i'm using it, you can interpret it's probably with your own life experience; also terminology is probably not official, i'm describing it with my words and not scientific articles

So let me tell you my thoughts!

Phase [1]

Kawi and Pisaeng aren't on the equal footing even if they started to date. Kawi is into his "child mode": he's anxious and even if he's brave at times without alcohol, he's getting more anxious about being with Pisaeng due to all pressuring flirting (and Max's comments). His fears and hesitation are valid but he is protesting and running away a lot, sometimes being unnecessarily harsh and self-centered.

Pisaeng in his "parent mode" has to coax him, reassure him and sometimes manipulate to get them where he wants them, adding more not-subtle hints and more pressure onto Kawi.

Phase [2]

The date doesn't go well because they are not communicating and the power/control imbalance is too strong. It's not enough to get them to break up, of course, but it's not perfect life.

But wait – then why had the series immediately jumped to such a sweet intimate scene without any communication? Did we miss something? Why Kawi seemed to be hesitantly ready to challenge himself now when he just flatly refused to go on a scary ride with Pisaeng? First night shouldn't work when two people are on very different levels of comfort and confidence, so many viewers were worried and put off by this, me included. [especially if you consider Kawi was so heavily ace-coded throughout the show, it felt really wrong to force him to go through this in his alleged state of mind]

[now I completely recontextualized these Kawi's brave little nods, anxious blinking and heavy breathing, thanks to time-travelling hooray]

But! In EP.12 we get an explanation – Kawi actually lived the day twice (vaguely conscious of that) and experienced something very unusual that flipped his mindset – Pisaeng in distress. Kawi saw very upset and sad, scared and not confident Pisaeng in "child mode" and... immediately switched to his "parent mode" instead. (as someone who experienced this, I can tell that this switch can happen really fast and work really effective and it's not unbelievable).

Kawi is now the one reassuring Pisaeng – as someone who lived longer, as someone who already time-traveled and learned a lesson or two from time wizard and his own countless mistakes. Knowing that he and Pisaeng lived many happy years and they both don't want to change anything, left only one thought: well, then let's just be brave for each other, hold hands and face the future together, no matter what it is. I'll be strong for you when you aren't, and vice versa.

Phase [3]

Finally communicating with Pisaeng and seeing his vulnerable side, being able to provide comfort for him and gaining much-needed control, Kawi is reaching his ultimate bravery and peace in "adult mode".

It is leading him to overcome his last fears (even if taking "high adrenaline rides for adults" doesn't make him feel great anyway like he predicted, it makes Pisaeng happy so he'll do it, and they met each other in the middle instead, therefore the metaphor is complete). Kawi lives many years very content and zen-like, speaking wisdom because he's satisfied with his not-grand-not-miserable life. He also knows a bit about his future and getting extremely sick (he probably prepared that "i know what you have done!" teasing long beforehand xD) and just patiently lives his happy life, enjoying every moment in the present.

Original!Pisaeng, however, is still in his "parent mode", but since Kawi is meeting him now with more strength and confidence, they are able to move forward from disaster dates and live for years in good relationship, making many sweet domestic memories.

But it's time for Pisaeng's self-journey!

Phase [4]

Years in the future, Pisaeng is seeing Kawi's potential for stardom and celebrity fame, and he is thinking their queer relationship is bad for Kawi's life, that he's holding him back. Being "parent" all this time, he still feels responsible for Kawi. He doesn't believe that Kawi actually experienced fame in another life and doesn't want it anymore. Pisaeng thinks he doesn't improve Kawi's life. Not being able to pinpoint his fears or get answers that would satisfy him out of nonchalant enlightened Kawi, Pisaeng is slipping more into "child mode".

And when Kawi gets extremely sick, Pisaeng is hit with distressing realization that Kawi legally has no family and he's powerless to help him or do anything. All the more reasons that Kawi shouldn't have been staying in relationship with Pisaeng. Maybe they should've broken up in the past (which he actually suggest when going back). Eventually, Pisaeng is unsure, scared and in need of advice, like a child.

Phase [5]

It's only when he's experienced travelling to the past [Phase [2]], he actually believes Kawi. And Kawi insists that he would never change anything even if he knew he could die. He claims Pisaeng is the right person for him, and there's no room for any but what if? – Kawi has experienced many versions of his life, and he knows what he's talking about. Parenting reassurance of Kawi finally gives Pisaeng the peace of mind and his confidence back. [also something something hand offering-hand rejection-hand reaching-hand holding leitmotiv throughout phase 2 and phase 5]

At the happier and more peaceful version of their date, Kawi and Pisaeng already are two equal "adults" stuck in a weird little dot of a time-loop — but it is the exact moment that would define their whole life together.

Now they have similar timey-wimey experiences, mutual understanding and the same level of love, communication and bravery to face the future. That's where they definitely end up during the Time-Travelling point of Pearmai's wedding, after Pisaeng returns to the future and meets Kawi as equal.

With their lovely found family, many happy memories, bright future, both Kawi and Pisaeng are being confident and content with their lives.

Time Wizard Uncle's job is done here, for sure.

[syrena-del-mar]

Exploring Enclosures and Privacy in 'Be My Favorite'

Quick meta because @piningbisexuals gifset made me realize the parallels in last week's and today's ending scene, particularly in the setting and blocking, and I just couldn’t get it out of my mind.

The first time around when Pisaeng tells Kawi that he can wait for him, they're positioned on a balcony, where you can see through the bars, facing out and admiring the skyline. I couldn't help but realize that they were young, spending a moment that really contemplates their future. They're both embracing the vast possibilities that lie ahead of them. They still have obstacles that they're going to face, just as there are posts that block the sky from being in fully view, but there's a willingness to explore and engage with the world around them. They're both on the balcony, exposed to the world, standing side by side. They're learning, together, how to navigate their relationship because it is important to the both of them. Yet Pisaeng is the one that is sharing his feelings with a willingness to be open and honest towards Kawi. Pisaeng isn't hiding or sifting through his feelings anymore, and just like the balcony allows for the skyline to seep through, he's allowing his feelings for Kawi to be apparent. He's sharing his thoughts with the intention of making a statement to Kawi, he can joke about his feelings but his confession still holds true. He'll be there, waiting for him.

In comparison to the last scene of episode 7, where they're now eight years older, positioned in a way where they're no longer looking out into the world. Instead they're facing towards the apartment, yet slanted enough where they're in each other's line of sight. You can no longer see through this balcony, as it's densely covered with ivy, creating an enclosure and giving them privacy. The surrounding leaves act as a shield, allowing them to have a vulnerable conversation without any distractions. They've retreated from the external world and its demands. From the timeline, we can assume this was one year after Kawi's career really took off, where Pisaeng could hardly get a hold of him. It's no longer Kawi, the schedule-packed singer. It's Kawi and Pisaeng, like all those years ago. Pisaeng as always, being the most open and honest of the two, which can be seen by the way he leans forward completely engaged with Kawi and by the words he speaks. Just as the foliage surrounds and envelops the balcony, their emotional bond encapsulates and shelters their relationship. They've created a space, intentionally or not, through the years of their relationship where they can focus only on each other. And just like when they were young, Pisaeng is still waiting.

[malepresentingleg]

Ohmygod imagine if they have kawi be asexual i would send them a gift basket

[heretherebedork]

The juxtaposition of Kawi looking at his diary and stating he's finished and completed all his missions with the turtle sitting between him and all his supposed goals and his supposed completion is just perfectly sending me. It's the fact that Piseang's love and Kawi's own feelings towards him mean that this perfect life he thinks he's put together and completed for himself aren't anywhere near that because the turtle, those feelings, are in direct opposition to the life he's convinced he should live and the life he will actually be happy and fulfilled living.

Kawi has created what he thinks is the perfect life by changing the past but he has not done the work to face who he really is. He is still, at this point, hiding behind who he is meant to be, the person society has shaped him to wish he was.

[stupidiry]

Kawi: *accidentally brushes his hand against Pisaeng’s*

Pisaeng: *aggressively holds Kawi’s hand* Fucking commit to it.

[languidlotus]

Here is the winner of that poll I did a few days ago; Kawi, from Be My Favorite. Drawn using ohuhu markers, fineliners, and coloured pencils.

[marbles290]

As great as It would be to have asexuality representation in the show I’m not sure if we can say kawi is Ace . Yes he has that talk with max but we have to wait for kawi to explain it to us.

This show does good flashbacks so I think they are going to give us one next episode to show why Kawi decided to have sex with Pisaeng

There is nothing wrong with being Asexual but this is something you have to have open communication with . What I think is he has been so scared and lonely for so long that sex was something he never thought about. Now he has a person he likes and wants and don’t know how to go about it . I think this episode shows what happens when kawi let’s his insecurities get the best of him