#and I think that's where the difference between ayan and thua is

[bocje-ce-ustu]

on another note, one has to appreciate the cruel irony of ep11′s reveal scene: thua’s outburst is a time-bomb unwittingly set by ayan. ayan told thua his voice matters and thua found his voice (in a kinda twisted way, but still). and if you think about it from thua’s perspective, the worst betrayal comes when ayan, the very same person who encouraged him to speak up, is the one trying to silence him.

[aprilblossomgirl]

Through Wat's Lenses

Originally, I kept this in my personal notes, but as I'm processing episode 11, I found these to be a little helpful in putting my perspective. So, I'm just going to make this a full text post. These are my favorite lines of dialogue from Wat. I specifically made this note on his lines because, oh, I think they're wise words, no, because his lines made a good caption of each episode's things-learned-about-the-plot, in my opinion. So, I'm not lying if I said my viewing experience of the Eclipse is very much shaped, mostly, by the way Wat see-through his lenses.

===================================

Episode 1

"In every movie I watched, each character has a goal and motive to do something."

This was basically a set-up of almost everything. I started to mildly question everyone's motive because of this line. And by motive, I mean knowing the context, knowing where they're coming from for each decision and/or act they did.

Episode 2

"Akk was helping me. He was making Teacher Waree think she had a backup. You know people her age hate to lose faces. It's a big deal. He was trying to help, and so was Ayan. But they chose different methods. Come to think of it. Aye was pretty cool. He was totally talking back to Aunt Waree."

I think this is where I officially became very fond of Wat. Here, he did many things at once. First, he gave a narrative about the old generation (represented by Teacher Waree) as viewed by the younger generation (represented by himself). Second, he tried to put some understanding to Kan on how Akk had helped him through that narrative. Third, when he mentioned Aye, he might have unknowingly put some understanding to Akk as well. When Akk tried to stop Aye from talking back to Waree, I see it as Akk didn't want Aye to get into trouble. But only after hearing what Wat said, he started to see Aye a bit differently. And, lastly, with all that talks, Wat managed to reconcile both Kan and Akk. He could make Kan listen to him, he defended Akk the way Akk hesitated to do so by himself. How is it that Wat's not a peacemaker, the one standing on the middle ground, doing the job of being neutral, not taking sides but not staying silent either. How is it that he didn't speak his mind at the right time and the right place for his words to be contextual. You can't tell me not to have respect for this boy.

Episode 3

"Hey! What's wrong with you guys? Why making a grumpy face? Don't tell me you're jealous of Thua and Aye. / What? If you don't have a crush on him, why are you making that face? / Are you sure? / If you two want to know, why don't we go ask them? / What? You want to know but don't want to ask. And you think it all in your heads."

When I rewatched this episode and listened to this part of the conversation using subtitles in my native language, I realized something that should be obvious, but I misunderstood anyway when I watched it the first time using the English subtitle. It didn't help that I was also distracted by the focus on Kan's heavy reaction. So, when Wat said this line, don't tell me you're jealous of Thua and Aye, by you, he meant both Kan and Akk, also referring to his previous line, what's wrong with you guys? So, I think it's pretty safe to think that Wat knows there's something between Kan and Thua, as well as between Akk and Aye. He's not oblivious, just being (too) practical, and can't see what's the problem with bringing the topic up, only when there's only the three of them.

Episode 4

"The teachers were so harsh on Aye today. / Do you think someone is behind this hardship on Aye?"

Another line that gave a narrative about the situation with Aye. After this scene, Akk was seen looking for Chadok in his office. Perhaps, he knows that he was someone behind all those tests from the teachers to Aye. He might have guessed someone was behind the attacks, and after Wat voiced it out, he considered confirming it to the only person he has in mind.

Episode 5

"But I agree with you. We can't just judge people without hearing their reasons."

Another simple line as a middleman of the three friends. He validated the change in Akk, and made Kan understand the change is good.

Episode 6

"Akk is bonkers when he's surrounded by close friends. / He's a good leader. He always put others before himself. But he can be a little weak-minded sometimes."

"Thua seems soft but he's not stupid. He can surely survive. Don't worry about him."

"You seem so worried about Thua these days. It's weird. / You didn't even want to walk past him back then. You were so afraid people would say you two are the legendary boyfriends."

Nobody could ever convince me that Wat is not observant. He understands his closest friends well and knows things that happened to them. He has no problem explaining it to others or saying it directly to the said friends. Now, after episode 11, I gave closer attention to what he said about Thua. While not explicitly stated, his description of Thua's character implied that you shouldn't worry about the outward impression he gave. Who knows this line, he can surely survive, implies surviving a based-on-lies, that is the Suppalo curse, oppression.

Episode 7

"No, we aren't. Think about it carefully. Those who think differently read different books, watch different movies, or appreciate different types of art than us. / You are what you eat. What you take builds who you are."

Personally, I think these are the most significant lines from Wat throughout this series. It gave the narrative that underlies the show, as well as the motive of the World Remembers group for doing the protests over the old strict rules in general and the uniform rule in particular, which we know, is only a metaphor for a broader political movement at the scale of a country. There are layers of takes from these lines. If you want to change something, think differently. To think differently, have diverse and out-of-your-comfort-bubble references. Read with context. Be mindful of what you consume.

Episode 8

"Kan. I think this is so weird. Before this, Akk was the one chasing Aye. Now Aye is chasing Akk Instead.”

I might be wrong about my interpretation here. I think these are the only lines that highlight Akk and Aye's relationship shift in the romance term. Akk was the first to like Aye, unbeknownst to himself, and Aye fell with Akk later, fully conscious of the matter.

Episode 9

"I like a screenplay that someone wrote. His name is Nut. He writes indie film screenplays. / He likes to play around with the grey area between tales and reality. / I'm interested in what's happening in our school. The protest and the Suppalo curse."

This time, no lines were indicative of other characters or the story. It was the episode where Wat started to take pictures/videos at the school. Also, in this episode, he stated his intention of what story he wanted to tell by referring to a screenplay he liked. I guess this line, "...to play around with the grey area between tales and reality," should have somewhat prepared us for the not-so-beautiful chaos, but, whether we like it or not, a part of that grey area (edited; previously I wrote reality), that was episode 11. But that is another discussion.

Episode 10

Kan: "So the Suppalo curse is back?" | Wat: "I don't think it is."

In this episode, Wat continued taking pictures/videos at the school. That only important line he said, answering Kan, briefly but firmly implied he doesn't believe there was even the Suppalo curse to begin with.

Episode 11

"About what? I don't care who you like. What I do care is what you did."

And finally, my beloved boy exploded. He was angry that Akk lied to them about the curse, and for a reason, I believe, that's not attached to himself personally. He was mad because he realized Akk had inflicted danger on others, even to a life-threatening level. He focused his anger on Akk for doing what he had done and did not extend it to Aye for hiding the fact. And, while he was angry and disappointed and had every right to be, he still knew his boundaries. He still knew he needed to prevent Kan from fighting Akk. Even when he got irritated with Thua, he was the one ready to put himself between Kan and Thua. The boy had his rage and emotional complaint but was a peacemaker still, a middleman, the one to be neutral and take only the side of the truth.

===================================

After this brief revisit of Wat's lines of dialogue, I might have come to my terms with the feel-like chaos that is episode 11. Of course, people are free to interpret as they see fit since the series is, after all, an already published work of everyone involved, open for any receipt. And, here I am, finding my way to process and understand the intense information poured at once in the episode. Now, I am beyond happy the show gave us Wat because of whom I think I could appreciate the Eclipse for what it is and what it wished to represent.

[paalove]

You’re taking prompts!! 🤩 would you write some AkkAyan? Maybe during university life dealing with Akk’s internalised homophobia and figuring out what his and Ayan’s level of comfort is in terms of being open about their relationship? Or something like that I don’t mind at all I love your writing!

oh wow, you prompted this in april - guessing i got caught up in essays and updates and, of course, The Vanquished Beast (dissertation) haha, sorry about the Months-Long-Wait. this will go up on ao3 sometime this evening, but im trying to post something else today as well, so it might be a little while! {edit: now up on ao3!}

anyway, this might be the only thing i ever write that actually goes with our skyy2's Bad And Incorrect Ideas re: akkayan's university plans. fhbdhbdh

....

It’s a nice bench, under a little roof, and Aye points that out as he drags Akk by the hand and adds, “That makes it perfect to sit with a laptop under.”

“Ohh,” Akk nods, smile wide and confident, “What would I use the laptop for, huh?”

Aye shrugs and turns back to him, looks at the sun on Akk’s face and thinks about how pretty he is, but doesn’t answer.

Akk answers himself, anyway, saying, “Probably for working on. I wouldn’t be video-calling anyone, right?”

He’s nearly laughing at his own joke, but it’s Aye’s joke too, so he’ll allow it – he wanders around the bench and back into Akk’s space again.

“That’d be redundant,” he agrees.

Catching his hand, Akk stands over him with light in his eyes and says, “How would it be redundant?”

Aye’s glad he asked.

With a hum, he twines their fingers together properly – Akk doesn’t always catch them right, trapping two of Aye’s together, because his hands are bigger and just that little bit clumsier, but Aye can always fix it – and as he’s watching their hands he explains, “Well, you’re always going to be wearing one Bluetooth headphone, and we’ll always be in each other’s ears. A video call at the same time would probably make a weird feedback loop.”

Akk snorts.

He doesn’t disagree.

This is how they’re handling it – or, well, he’s pretty sure they’re handling it? Aye isn’t having the best time, thinking forwards, and every couple of days he calls his mae, or Akk’s parents, or Akk, or sometimes Thua or the guys, and asks if he’s making a stupid choice, but the choice is made and Akk’s university wouldn’t take a registration this late anyway, so the choice is made.

But Akk doesn’t seem like he’s as freaked out as Aye, or even as freaked out as he was, and that’s because they’re handling it like this; the jokes about how they’re going to manage being attached at the hip from five thousand nine hundred and ten miles away-

Okay, Aye hasn’t told Akk he’s memorised the specific number.

And he’s so grateful for the difference between when their terms start, because it means he gets to bother Akk and make him learn the city with Aye, and they can kind of pretend they haven’t decided to make everything way harder than it needs to be. Like they always do.

Eventually, Akk says, “The time difference is six hours in the summer and seven in winter, we won’t always be awake at the same-“

“-You included daylight savings when you looked up the time difference?” Aye grins, delighted.

Akk’s busy sputtering and trying to deny it when-

“Hey, man!”

He drops Aye’s hand and turns.

This doesn’t alarm Aye at first – they aren’t actually physically glued together, no matter what Thua might say.

Or Mae.

Or pretty much anyone else they know.

But they aren’t and it’s not weird to drop the hand you were stroking to have an entirely separate conversation with… someone.

Who is this guy?

Akk is nodding a lot as they speak and calling him phi, but Aye doesn’t recognise him, and Akk’s classes haven’t actually started yet, so he isn’t quite sure where this guy could be from.

Again, not literally attached, but-

“And your friend…” the senior is suddenly turning to him, expression open. “You must be from a different faculty, right? You weren’t at the welcome meeting.”

“Oh, I don’t go here-“

“-This is Aye,” Akk agrees, taking his hand again – which would be good except for what happens next – and adding, “And I’m so sorry, he actually has to meet up with someone,” and before Aye really knows what’s happening he’s been pulled away and out of sight.

He’s still looking over his shoulder at where they just came from when Akk stops, so abruptly Aye crashes into him.

Akk tries to step back; not allowed, so Aye winds an arm around his waist as quick as he can.

Clearly there’s a very serious issue.

Obviously they need to be hugging for this.

When he looks up, Akk’s face is pained, and Aye can think of half a dozen things that could be the issue but he won’t press-

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what my fucking issue is, I shouldn’t have-“

“-It’s fine,” Aye says, but apparently he will press because Akk needs it. “What was that about?”

Because if Akk didn’t know, if he was confused, that would have been ‘I don’t know why I did that’ – if he’s talking about ‘my issues’, he’s in self-hating mode, so he must have some idea.

That thought process has Aye nearly reaching a conclusion, and his heart clenches because he doesn’t want Akk to hate himself over that, but it’s for Akk to say, not him.

Slowly, Akk closes his eyes.

Aye puts the other arm around him, because he might go into escape-mode at any moment. Not allowed.

“I started thinking about introducing you as my boyfriend,” he says to Aye’s shoulder, “And then he actually asked. And I just- it just felt like I was back at Suppalo.”

“Akk-“

“Sorry.”

“Akk,” Aye tries to interrupt, intervene, because Akk sounds like he thinks Aye’s mad at him, and yeah, sure, he thought Akk was past this stuff, but that doesn’t mean he could ever be mad at Akk for it.

But Akk doesn’t wait, repeating, “Sorry,” and awkwardly, slowly adding, “I don’t even want people to not know about you. I like people knowing you’re my boyfriend. It’s nice.”

Which is definitely a cue for Aye to hug him tighter and stare up at him with all the devotion he had learned to tone down in school settings – reluctantly, and only with frequent reminders from their friends, but he had learned. Emergency situations are different, though, and Akk’s sad.

That’s the most emergency a situation can be.

Akk meets his gaze and gets visibly caught in it, does that thing where he tries to close his eyes but can’t for long because he just wants to stare back.

“It is nice,” Aye agrees. Carefully unwinding one arm, he reaches up to stroke Akk’s head and says, “But it’s not something you owe me.”

Face filled with disagreement, Akk shakes his head and repeats, “I don’t know why I’m like this now.”

Aye doesn’t either, doesn’t know what to say to it all, but even though he’s not always as smart about this stuff as he used to pretend, there was someone in his life who really was, once. The answer comes to him from a memory.

He swallows against the feeling.

“Uncle Di told me, once, that problems come back around once you’re ready. So you can prove to yourself that you’re stronger than before.”

Akk hums, and Aye feels it in his chest too.

“What,” Akk starts, swallows, and continues, “What do you think that means for me? Now?”

Aye thinks…

Well, he’s pretty sure it’s for Akk to know, and to decide, and they can talk about it seriously and they can talk about it for a long time, but it’s been a couple of minutes since he’s seen Akk smile.

Ignoring all his thoughts, then, Aye says, “Hm… well, I think that because last time you ended up stealing a car about it, this time it has to be more. At least a bus… maybe you could steal a truck?”

“Aye,” Akk laughs, beautiful and embarrassed.

“Could you steal a truck?”

“Why would I steal a truck-“

[mel0000]

My top BL-Series Of 2022

Hello my fellow Bl-fans. The girls/ gays and theys obviously won this year, so let’s look back on our blessings 😃

I’m not spoiling anything or I’m trying not to, let’s go 🚶🏻‍♀️

1. KinnPorsche

This doesn‘t come surprising, does it? I remember how I lived week to week back then and the mafia topic was still kind of new and oh so exciting. Enough sexyness, earnestness and humour gave this series a well rounded outcome. There were still holes in the plot here and there but where weren‘t any this year? Let‘s move on. (Waiting for season 2)

2. Semantic Error

My god, these two held me by my throat in the beginning of this year, you couldn‘t help but immediately fall in love with them. It was a successful series and I hope Jaechan and Seoham will do another project in the future, but I don’t think so as of now.

3. Young Royals 2

Another Wilmon gold piece produced, which plot went smooth and showed progress over the episodes. It’s still very short for such an amazing piece and I miss Wilmon almost all of the time, but I‘ll gladly wait for season 3.

4. The Eclipse

The portraying of strong queers went WILD with this one. How Akk got weak in the knees because of Ayan had me gushing over them every week. The plot is lacking a little tho since some points weren’t finished/ worked on properly and Thua..no, just no. Neo looked so dann handsome in his role though and did such a good job with Louis!

5. Between Us

It‘s not finished yet and the plot seems to move too slow atm, but boy, Win is the consent king of this year and is doing the work for every bl character this year that couldn’t do the bare minimum. *COUGH*LITA*COUGH*

We also got a P‘Deeaan~ and the UWMA throwback is nice and so well done from this perspective.

6. Cutie Pie

Nunew and Zee feeding the sub bottom/ dom top fetish/ height difference fetish well 😂 I didn’t like the bff side couple that much and sometimes the corny plot was too much, but the acting was well done.

7. My School President

I can’t believe either that this is in my list already BUT IT IS MAKING ME FEEL THINGS THAT COME CLOSE TO THE THINGS I FELT WHILE WATCHING BAD BUDDY. It is super cute now, not like you think at the beginning and I can’t wait for a new episode. The fandom posts here on Tumblr are also 😘👌🏻

8. Never Let Me Go

This one is also here already. Can’t say much except for the acting that has improved for both Pond and especially Phuwin, my little guy grew up.

9. Blueming

One of the best k-bls this year, hands down. Story, aesthetics, just everything.

10. 180 Degrees Longitude Passes Through Us

"You ask me what I‘m thinking about, I tell you that I’m thinking about whatever you’re thinking about“ it’s DADDY ISSUES, everyone! We all needed a series like this. It was slow-paced and kind of clickbait, but the aesthetic shots made up for that. Nothing made up for the one of a hell annoying mother tho. I also didn’t know any of the actors before even though they seem quite famous.

Very honorable mentions:

Plus And Minus (best Taiwanese bl, still not over the cameo)

Star In My Mind (the Joong-flavour)

My Only 12% (good worked out plot, good acting, angsty season)

Enchanté (the end omg 🤦🏻‍♀️, Force is one handsome dude)

Old Fashion Cupcake & Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice (best of Japan this year)

My Secret Love (preferred the second couple)

Cherry Magic The Movie (😍 I missed them and WEDDIIIIING)

Big Dragon (…they could improve the plot for season 2)

Love Mechanics (the kinda non-con at the end turned me off and it wasn’t my favourite story to begin with)

Eternal Yesterday (I should‘ve watched the trailer, I didn’t expect THAT 😂 but it was still good)

To My Star 2 (at first I thought we didn’t need the angst, but we kind of did)

Vice Versa (good story, mediocre acting, not my favorite couple except for the lesbians 😏)

Cupid’s Last Wish (…we didn’t need that, but EarthMix we did)

Kissable lips (I’m happy that the actors still work together, but it was mediocre)

About Youth (can’t remember anything, but it was good 😶)

My Tooth Your Love (cute and the couples slayed)

Magic Of Zero (🥹 EarthMix and MilkLove)

Secret Crush On You (super corny and mediocre acting, but the topics they handled and how they handled them!! Rare occasion)

The Tuxedo (pretty actors and an okay plot)

The Miracle Of Teddy Bear (not my cup of tea, but I’m happy it was kinda famous in Thailand)

Not so honorable mentions:

Minato’s Laundromat (did turn me off and also non-con)

A Man Who Defies The World Of BL 2 (it was probably decent, but I can’t remember one second of it 😫, I’m getting old)

Ocean Likes Me (cute and HOLLAND💓💓💓💓💗 but we didn’t need that)

Cherry Blossoms After Winter (the non-con destroyed it)

Our Days (I don’t know what the person ate that made the plot go this way)

Check Out (we all know why this is here, I can watch porn instead, thanks)

Close Friend 2 (oh we didn’t need that as well)

Love In The Air (kinda non-con and Mame can’t live without rape in a plot, sorry not sorry)

Oh!My Sunshine Night ( I started this series and stopped after two episodes since it was boring, sorry OhmFluke)

War Of Y (started off good, but went downhill pretty fast. Been skipping the last few weeks through the episodes)

Love Victor 3 (not sure where to put this honestly. I loved 1&2, but this was a back and forth, which is normal for teenagers, but I think this wasn’t it for me)

Mr. Cinderella (finally a Vietnamese bl, but not my cup of tea)

Heartstopper (kinda overhyped, plot didn’t get me, boring 😶)

Note at the end: Look how far we’ve come! It’s sad bl’s with lots of sex scenes get the most attention, I recommend everyone to just watch porn if you’re thinking a series/ movie is bad/ not enough because there is not enough bed sports displayed. If you’re an adult, you must know there are relationships that aren’t only in for the sex. (Since I’ve seen enough people saying you’re not a couple when you’re not having sex, BULLSHIT YOU F***ING CHILDREN)

Thanks for coming to my rant. Let’s hope for a better 2023!

[gunsatthaphan]

YES! I'm so glad other people saw it too. And by it I mean the thing about Akk's "I'm not like you" comment being more about their differences in personality than Akk saying he isn't queer etc. Differences specifically being Ayan's ability to challenge authority and the status quo and live/love freely, while Akk is trapped by the rules and order and where he's comfortable based on everything he's ever known.

Granted, part of their personality differences very well could have something to do with inability to accept romantic and sexual attraction to someone of the same gender on Akk's part... BUT it's defo tied up in a whole bunch of other stuff too!

yesss!!!!!

I don't wanna rule out the internalized homophobia aspect though because that certainly does play a part too but that very moment of him saying I'm not like you did not refer to that in my opinion. I think that plot applies to kan and thua more than to akk and ayan.

But anyway I think the ability to challenge authorities and the status quo like you said and the ability of accepting and expressing sexuality go hand in hand for me so I guess it's a mixture of both for Akk.

He is trapped in what he thinks is right and where he thinks he is safe and Ayan is breaking into that space which,,,,, what an iconic narrative. ugh. I love it so much. It's frustrating to witness lmao but there's so many layers to what's going on between these 2 apart from the attraction and there's so much more to Akk rejecting Ayan other than simply saying yikes im not gay and I think that’s important to point out.

xxx

[iamdarthbader]

I’m tired of seeing takes that aren’t mine so I’m gonna throw in my two cents on the Thua outing Akk discourse

1) Ayan outing Thua and Akk is the same as Thua outing Akk.

This is the argument I’ve seen the most of, and I’m sorry but it’s just wrong. I’m not going to say Ayan completely in the right when he outed Thua to his mom or when he blackmailed Akk with the picture of them kissing, but it wasn’t equivalent to the way Thua outed Akk. Ayan revealed Thua’s sexuality to his mom in a safe, LGBT-friendly environment where Thua would be supported if things went bad. And Thua’s mom agreed to be there with them beforehand without an adverse reaction to it being an LGBT space. Ayan understood Thua’s position and took care in what he was doing. I genuinely do not think Ayan would have done what he did if he believed it would put Thua in danger. I also don’t believe Ayan would have ever released that picture of him an Akk, he just wanted to get him out of his comfort zone. That doesn’t make it okay to blackmail someone obviously, but his intentions were pure, and that does mean something.

Edit: Rewatching the series. Thua’s sexuality doesn’t even come up during the cafe scene. The conversation was about Thua’s dad. At no point was there something that could be conceived as an outing. I don’t know why everyone and their mother decided to twist the narrative to criticize Ayan

Thua, on the other hand, outed Akk maliciously. unnecessarily, and without any care for Akk's situation. I don't think he was necessarily wrong to expose what Akk had done, but he didn't need to out Akk to do that. He did it just because he was angry and he could, which isn't an okay thing to do not matter how justifiable your anger is. Also unlike Ayan, he did so not only without regard for Akk's safety, but knowing exactly what would happen to him. He knows first hand how the school treats gay students, but he chose to out Akk in front of the entire school anyways, knowing it would paint a target on his back.

2) Oh so it's okay that Akk tried to murder people?

First of all, that is not what happened. Yes, he did something really stupid and dangerous that could have gotten a lot of people hurt, but there's a big difference between that and murder, so let's just slow our roll there. Moving past that, saying that it was wrong of Thua to out Akk isn't saying what Akk did was okay. No one is arguing that. Not even the narrative is arguing that. I don't know why I keep seeing this argument.

3) Thua is a bad person

No, he isn't. He's a teenager in a really fucked up situation. All the kids are, and none of them are bad people even if they've all done bad things. They are just kids that are under the influence of much worse adults. Of course they're going to make bad and harmful decisions. The real bad guys are the adults who created this situation in the first place and I feel like people have lost sight of that.

[heretherebedork]

Hi. I really wanted to talk to someone about eclipse but no one I know is watching it😭😭 but then I read all your amazing analysis🥰🥰

I just wanted to ask about your thoughts on how akk is as a prefect.

I’ve been thinking about how beloved of a prefect akk would be if the school and its teachers weren’t so shitty. He genuinely wants to protect the students even if he doesn’t always choose a good method. I think the biggest reason he’s so harsh on the protestors is because he thinks his methods are nothing compared to the school. Especially coming from a lower socioeconomic he realizes what having something on your record can be detrimental to the future and he’s trying to stop them from doing what he thinks they will regret later.

He upholds the schools values in front of the students but also doesn’t go overboard with the power play . Like when he stopped namo from taking the phone from the kid but still confiscated the phone because it was against the rules. At the same time he also brings the students perspective to the teachers too. Like the scene where the teachers were drilling into ayan. He thought they were going overboard and went straight to chadok. This is such a mature way of handling situations like this and I don’t think a lot of ppl realize it. He realizes he has that privilege of directly asking chadok and even gave him the benefit of the doubt of not knowing what the teachers were doing. Because he thought that this isn’t something ppl he respected would do.

For him, the rules with the uniforms and not having phones isn’t a big deal. They are easy to follow. But what the teachers did to ayan wasn’t right. It was a clear power play and he was immediately uncomfortable with it. So when taking to chadok didn’t work he went to teacher waree who still had some power to stop this.

A good mentor could’ve really taught him about flexibility of rules depending on circumstances. They could’ve taught him about how different ppl have different priorities. And you have to let them make their own decisions and choose their own consequences 😭 I just think about how much he could’ve thrived if he had better teachers and just😭😭😭😭

That's part of the real message of The Eclipse, between the revolution and the romance.

It's that good people end up hurting people because they're taught the wrong things.

It's that Akk, who is a wonderful young man just doing his best, is hurting Ayan and The World Remembers because he thinks he's doing the right thing because that's what he's been taught.

It's that Kan, a young gay man, is hurting himself and people around him because he's been taught that the only way to exist is to hide who he is because of 100 year old rules upheld by the people those rules benefit.

It's Thua hiding his earrings and staying silent because it's safe and he needs to be safe and he can follow the rules so he does because if he doesn't he gets punished.

It's the teachers all ganging up on Ayan even though he is a literal child because he goes against the rules they're upholding and nothing else matters to them because all of their power is in those rules.

It's why Akk can go to the teachers and talk about Ayan and receive an answer that troubles him because it calls so many of the reasons he's been following these rules into but he also doesn't know how to question them because they're all he knows.

It's how being around Dika is what led Ayan to revolution but also what helped The World Remembers and how we know they knew him and that he was most likely on their side.

It's how losing Dika is what broke Ayan, what sent him there, but it's also the look Akk and Kan shared at the thought that he might be dead, at the loss that would be.

It's about the school erasing Dika because he promoted equality and he promoted the very idea that not all of the old rules must be followed as times change.

Akk is exactly what Suppalo has shaped him to be and, yes, we can see who he could have been and we can tell that he is a good person trapped in a bad place and that, sometimes, he ever knows it. But we can also see that he has accepted his role in this and that he is not backing down despite knowing that what he's doing isn't right.

Akk and Kan are both proof of exactly what Suppalo does to people. Even Thua, honestly, even Wat. They're all shaped by this school that has taught him values that are contrary to who they are as people and you see how much it hurts them.

Kan has so much self-hatred and aching and yearning and pain and he's hiding himself and pushing people away while Akk fights for the teachers to try for any chance to protect other students and Wat knows his dreams are beyond him.

Suppalo is the enemy. Suppalo is taking these boys, these good boys, and turning them into more people who will mindlessly follow the old laws and uphold the old rules just because that's what they do.

[watchinglikeafangirl]

The eclipse - honesty, purity, understanding

The eclipse caught my eye the first week it aired because it has a certain vibe I just loved but couldn't name. I remember thinking "this show knows exactly what it wants" after the second episode because the overall set-up is a fanfiction and the lines are partly cheesy whilst heavily criticizing an opressive system where rules only overshadow the fact protestors are being harmed. The show doesn't take itself too serious but also doesn't make fun of itself. It's very balanced and the characters are treated with care, everybody matters and has their own role in the plot. There are no unnecessary and nameless roles. This is due to the fact the show follows a mission. There is a story that needs to be told and it's not just about Akk and Ayan developing heart eyes, it's very critical, there is a protest going on and people are not following the ideal and step out of line.

Honesty

The show is very honest about what it wants to portray. It wants to criticize, it wants to tell a love story. And this honesty coming from the characters is what prevents it from crashing down at some point because the characters never betray the audience. There is not gonna be a weird turning point and one of them followed a different plan the whole time. There is no traitor for the drama. No, the characters state their intentions pretty early in the story, thus we know which role each is gonna play in the upcoming fight against the system.

Thua knows the rules don't make sense, he even is a victim of them. The rules of Suppalo protect the bullies and not the victim. The victim can't speak up, so they stay silent. But deep down, Thua wants to fight, just lost his willpower along the way. He is on the side of the protestors but not protesting which makes him tecnically neutral, but as Ayan put it "no better than the other's following the rules".

Kan is afraid to be judged, not just because of his sexuality but also because of his true opinion. That one time the three friends were talking in Akk's room, he implied, the rules don't make sense for him either. But he is too afraid his true self will be judged, so he keeps quiet as well.

Ayan has his personal mission and we know about it the first second we see him. And even though Akk doesn't know the story behind the bond between Ayan and Dika, he knows Ayan is against the rule system. Ayan tells him hundreths of times. He never goes deeper than that, doesn't explain, but his intentions are clearly framed since the start.

And Akk, as I see it, never lied. He was honest this whole time because there is a difference between lying and not telling. Yes, he didn't say he is the one behind the curse but nobody actively asked him about it, so he didn't deny it either. The reveal was shocking, yes, but didn't feel like a betrayal. Akk was always stating his intentions of upholding the system no matter what and no matter if it's right or wrong.

You see, the characters are honest and even if some take longer to open up than others, it all fits with their behavior from before. Akk's explaination makes sense because he always protected the school and students from lashing out.

Purity

This honesty carries a certain purity because even the bad things are talked about. Nothing is left out of the story. The self-doubt, the dark moments, the traumatizing past. It is all dealt with in flashbacks and dialogues and actions.

Kan has to jump across his own shadow but just doesn't know how to. He is lost and Thua thinks Kan doesn't like him but how could Kan not. We see him being very sad about the past and that he just can't bring himself to help Thua. This inner conflict of Kan, coming from his heart, is portrayed in a very pure but painful way. Especially the scene Thua walks away, it hits deep but it is very clear why he does it and why Kan looks after him like a ghost of the past. The feelings are raw but nothing is left out. And even if something is ugly, it can still be pure and so are Kan and Thua.

Akk and Ayan just love to put everything out there. Like their scenes are sometimes so heavy, the rawness just hits me. But those moments are the purest in this show. Ayan crying with his head on Akk's shoulder, them in the gym, Akk crying in Ayan's arms, Ayan having a nightmare. It is raw and pure - just not in the sense of them waving a white flag. The emotions are all over the place, they are there, they talk, they cry, they hug. It's the most honest they can ever be and the most honest they allow themselves to be, so their bond is very important to each other and it's pure since nobody lies.

Understanding

As I have begun to talk about the scene at the bonfire, let me just say, I got goosebumbs right there. Ayan's reaction surprised me a lot and it made this scene even more hurting. Despite Akk confessing he was ready to risk student's lives, Ayan only says once "what you did was a crime" but then switches to "could you take responsibility" which holds so much more power than he ever wanted. Those words are heavy and it leads Akk to confessing all the feelings he has inside. The inner conflict is visible and Ayan understands it. I doubt he really 100% does but he tries so hard to support Akk, it's lovely. "You're allowed to be weak. At least with me" this is another turning point. And that is what I mean, the characters try very hard to understand each other's perspective. They ask questions that make them doubt themselves and make sure the other knows it's a safe space.

Kan tells Thua he is there for him, after realizing how much Thua struggles. He understands his actions now and why he says what he says about Kan. Kan can reminisce now and make it better. Understanding another person makes them understand themselves better. It's what happens with Akk and Ayan as well. It was Ayan's turn to understand Akk but then it was the other way around when Ayan had a nightmare.

Conclusion

The show just cares a lot and that makes it all so lovely.

[bengiyo]

The Eclipse Ep 4 Stray Thoughts

Back-to-back high school shows on Friday, and they're both good. Excited to see the new form of oppressive structural power we'll face today!

Really love the homoerotic energy of these Judo scenes. It's fun watching them knowing that Khaotung was better in their training, and that First was so nervous about injuring Khaotung.

Akk half undressed is framed well with Ayan's peeking. Me, too, Ayan.

Ayan needs a better way to secure this notebook.

Oh lord a pratfall kiss. This one was okay, but I am just not a fan of this as a dramatic tool.

A bunch of educators trying to gang up on a student by making him look incompetent in class is such a bad tactic. It makes him sympathetic to his peers, and the teachers look petty. Worse, Ayan is actually good at memorization and recall, so he's embarrassing them.

It's sad that Akk is being boxed in by this teacher. Akk doesn't like seeing people get hurt, and he's being told repeatedly to ignore the pain of others, lest it befall him as well.

Notable how few ads we have with this show. Hope this isn't a bust for GMMTV.

Ayan looks legitimately tired here. Khaotung and the makeup team did a great job here.

Ayan's premise of understanding personally how this school attempts to break people down is compelling. I think what scares him and Akk is that it might actually be working. Ayan looks like he's taken a loss.

Wow, that was a good scene. The way First plays Akk's fear is fantastic. Really loving the dynamic between Akk and Ayan.

I tell ya. Post-it notes are an integral tool to Thai BL.

All of us who said Khaotung should be lead were correct. Cut the check.

I like the dynamic between the prefect boys as well. Akk and Kan have a very different rapport, and it's fun. I hope we see a version of them when they aren't repressed. How does First manage to pull this out of every scene partner?

The look of hurt and frustration from Aye when his mom didn't support him got me.

Kan suggests that Ayan might be meeting a lover, and that's what makes Akk decide they must go in the cafe. Oh, boys.

Okay, what is this actual cafe. @heretherebedork I'm pretty sure this is the same one used in Antique Bakery???

I appreciate that they used a lot of girls and femmes to show that this is a diverse cafe catering to a queer audience. There are enough boys in the show.

Mmm. I'm not sure I approve of Ayan thrusting Thua into this situation with Thua's mom.

I'm curious how Kan feels about not knowing that something was wrong with Thua, and that it was Ayan who helped him.

I'm presuming that the Uncle was queer, and now this whole school must burn for driving a gay uncle to death.

Khaotung is quite vascular.

Oh, I think I'd be more upset if the uncle wasn't queer, but took the time to help build up a queer support system for his nephew.

Loving this version of Thua that will tell Kan exactly what's going on.

I think they found Louis's angles. He looks gorgeous here.

I like Kan and Thua repairing their friendship a bit, but I don't think it's enough to ease the longing between them.

Not surprised that this school would like about Dika's death. Really fucked up that they let students think he was a traitor.

I sometimes struggle with the romance of pulling someone from getting struck by a vehicle, because the levels of car violence in Bangkok are alarmingly high.

That kiss is going to lead to nonromantic things. I'm concerned about Ayan taking a picture.

However, that lip bite from Ayan was affective.

Curious where we go next with this show.

[ravenpureforever]

Sooo… I started watching the Eclipse and just oh my god,,,,

And it’s weird because I usually hate darker school dramas and click out by the second episode but I’m actually really intrigued and invested and I was trying to place why and then I realized-

It’s because of how genuine they are about being a teenager, particularly a queer teenager at that.

It’s because none of the students truly have any power. They’re doing these things, but it’s made clear time and time again that the adults are the ones truly hurting them. There is no all powerful student council running the show here, the enemies are genuinely just regular adults with authority over them who don’t understand them. 

Akk and Kan are prefects, but they’re actually very limited in what they’re able to do, he’s taking orders and trying to do what he thinks is right within those orders. Ayan is investigating and wants to expose corruption, but his mom his absent and he’s all alone and grieving and there are no mentions of any of his old friends, he’s being target by the teachers, he’s not suddenly popular and causing a transformation over night, he’s isolated and angry and trying to achieve his sense of justice. Thua clearly doesn’t feel safe at home, but he has no power, he has no protective friends willing to fight the world for him (Kan is scared himself, and this is simply a fact not a fault or criticism) and is simply trying to find a relative safety within the hidden corners. Wat loves something that no one else, not even his friends, can appreciate, and is being shoved towards a future he does not want because it is stable, because it is safe It’s funny and I love the chemistry and it’s such a fascinating plot and I’m having a blast watching it and yet there are times where I feel like I’m being cut into, like my soul is being bared to the world as I remember being that scared, angry queer teenager.

The Eclipse is something so deeply personal to me with the experiences of being a queer teen.

It just feels so genuine and honest with its characters and the acting and portrayals are done so well-

It’s the fear and the anger and the mutual I don’t want to be silenced but I am absolutely petrified of what could happen if I am seen so I keep my head down for me

I want to burn the world to the ground and never stop screaming. I want to bury myself in my bed and blankets and never emerge. I joke and laugh and everyone thinks I’m straight and cis and my soul is suffocating but I’m too scared to ever let anyone suspect anything about me. I know what I am and I can not hide but I will bury it so deep so I can pretend it is not there. Anger is going to eat me alive if fear doesn’t suffocate me first. I want to be brave, but what is courage when it threatens my own survival, when it means risking everything and everyone I love? It’s seeing other queer kids, loud and proud and open and being utterly terrified of them, being utterly terrified for them because I could never do that, how can they do that, how can they be so sure of their own existence, so unafraid in a world that wants them dead?

I’m watching different aspects of my own queer experience interact as actual complex characters and oh my god I want to cry

The tension between Ayan and Akk kills me every time, I adore Ayan, of course I do, he’s a mouthy chaotic gremlin brat and I very much have a type Ayan is consumed by his grief and rage and he is so blinded by vengeance he’s only going to end up burning himself in the end and Akk experiencing gay panic every five minutes gives me life Akk being torn between the different parts of himself, his heart’s desire and the heavy weight of expectations threatening to break him

The yearning with Kan and Thua stabs at me, the two cowards trying to survive even as it’s slowly crushing the-

Kinnporsche was a cinematic masterpiece and complete and utter game changer for me, it will be forever the greatest show of all time for me. Ingredients was something simple and sweet. My Engineer was…something that had a magical, compelling romance amidst chaos. Cutie Pie was fun and sweet and dramatic and heartfelt and a marriage equality and very fun and enjoyable to watch. But there’s something so achingly vulnerable about The Eclipse.

It’s funny and I love the chemistry and it’s such a fascinating plot and I’m having a blast watching it and yet there are times where I feel like I’m being cut into, like my soul is being bared to the world as I remember being that scared, angry queer teenager.

I just wanted to watch a fun Thai BL not like actual feelings cutting me down to the fiber making up my very being as I watch a surprisingly intense and psychological drama that’s making me reflect on my own past,,,, yeah

Can’t wait to see where it goes!

[heretherebedork]

Hi💕

I wanted to ask you what kind of character development do you think Wat will undergo?

I’ve recently fallen into a black hole for Wat. I realized we haven’t really seen a negative side/flaw to him. The show has demonstrated how no character is truly black and white. A lot of the grayness comes from the flaws/insecurities each character has. Akk’s constant fight between his ambitions and moralities. Ayan’s unwillingness to consider another person’s perspective if it doesn’t fit his narrative, Kan’s insecurities interfering with his care for Thua. Thua’s silence eating him from inside out.

And yet Wat’s issues stem from an extrinsic source. His family. His struggle is between choosing to do what he wants to or to listen to his family. But we haven’t really seen the gray area yet. So far we’ve seen him as a supportive friend, someone who can think from multiple perspectives, someone who is incredibly self aware and doesn’t have a problem asking for advice/help. There hasn’t really been an issue where he skirts around moral ambiguity of a situation. It makes me wonder what his gray area is? Is it something he has already handled or has he become so good at hiding/ repressing it that even we as viewers can’t see it.

On a side note, I’ve seen a theory that Wat could’ve been the one to film/upload the video of the World Remembers protest from a couple episodes ago? Do you think it was him?

If it was, I find it truly fascinating that he’s using the very thing he’s trying to suppress because of his family to elevate someone else’s expression and by doing this he’s also expressing his own desires. The symbolism🥰 I’m so excited for his storyline!

I'm gonna be honest here... I have not fallen down the Wat hole. For me, so far, he's just been a side character with a vaguely interesting story that illustrated another aspect of Thai culture and their relationships with their family to contrast to the way everyone else relates to their families as well.

I don't think his gray areas are going to be as well-defined as the rest of our boys, honestly, because he needs a different kind of gray.

Because his issue is with a different level of society, his issue is with the way parent and child relationships are treated and how to be accepted when the career he wants isn't one they'll support.

Wat is about being a good person while still trying to be the person he's expected to be which is a good person but a step to the left of the way he's expected.

Wat is a genuinely good person struggling with his own issues and being supportive of everyone around him while none of them know how much he's struggling.

He's similar to Thua more than his other friends. He stays quiet, does what's expected and only steps out of line for an uncomfortable moment before slipping back into the role that's expected of him.

Wat wants to be someone different than his parent's expectations of him but he also wants to still make them proud. He wants to be an artist and a creator but he doesn't want to be unstable. He wants to live his dream but he doesn't want to without knowing what it means as well.

Wat knows his parents love him and he knows they want what's best for him but he doesn't know how to tell them that what he wants isn't what they think is best or what they want.

I don't know Wat's role and, honestly. I can't predict it. But I suspect he's going to be more commentary of how parents struggle to accept when their children step outside of the picture they planned for them.