#lin-live rambles the bad buddy rewatch

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 9

Seriously, how, HOW did Wai listen to Pran say he's afraid people will find out about him and Pat and STILL reveal their relationship in such a public way. He would have been unfriended for LIFE if he did that to me. I'm so mad at him. SO MAD. Poor little pathetic man-child didn't like that Pran lied to him. DON'T CARE. What he did was UNACCEPTABLE. (gosh I didn't realise I would feel so angry watching this again).

I LOVE that they used the same music again as the end of ep 8 (First Shooter by Bonnie Grace). The energy and drama in the ending...amazing!

Yeah, no, even after hearing Wai's reasoning why he's so upset I still don't have sympathy/empathy for him. 🤷🏽‍♀️ I love you Jimmy but Wai, no.

After all that emphasis with the rivalry and 'sides' last ep with the costumes, Pat and Pran explicitly talk about how things are going on their different sides...

The sacrifice. My man Pat is down baaaaad. He'll do anything for his man Pran. And even though Pran doesn't say anything, the fact that he pulls Pat's hand away speaks volumes. He sees the sacrifice Pat would make for him, basks in it even, the love that flows between them, and draws so much strength from it. It's how he can be so open now with Pat even though their friends/faculty have abandoned them, they have each other.

Pat getting the red vest which puts him and Wai on the same team - yes, it's supposed to cause tension between them but it's also symbolic of how, through their shared love of Pran, they are on the same team/side now. They have to be, or at least have to work out a way to be, for Pran.

And I love that through it all, with Wai being the most man-baby possible, Pran doesn't push Pat away. He allows Pat to still tease and play with him out in the open even though it upsets Wai more... The understanding, the conviction, the trust, the happiness he gets from Pat...

Ahhhhhh I just love the hotpot double date! Squeeeeeee!

We always talk about Pa's Oh moment - that she started questioning herself after Ink suggested she could be a love interest for Pa - but I don't think we've talked about Ink here - she must have walked away feeling crushed, having had to tell Pa that she was joking about hitting on her. But it's ok, because Pa got there in the end!

It's a shame the subtitles didn't include "My boyfriend is" instead of "you're" when Pat says "You're trying to make up with him here" because I'm pretty sure that's what Pat says. Out loud. For everyone to hear. 💪🏼

Oh dear god the second hand embarrassment I felt for the drink scene...but honestly it makes me laugh so hard now. Pat and Pran are made for each other. They're both dorks. Idiots (affectionate) in love. smh.

I just realised what the cold shoulder Pran gets from Safe and Louis reminds me of...a scene in my fav movie of all time, Some Kind of Wonderful, when the lead female's friends gives her the cold shoulder. Worlds colliding...🤯 (honestly, if you haven't seen this movie then do. It's really dated now, but it's a great friends-to-lovers film...most likely problematic nowadays...but SO GOOD). Back to Safe and Louis -> They're not giving Pran the cold shoulder because they want to per se but because it's what's expected of them in their 'social circles'.

Omg I forgot about the rugby 'choreography'...this would have taken a while to practice.

And I've just remembered PAT GETS SHOT at the end of this ep 😂

Napat "I like it tough" Jindapat.

The way Pran is totally ok with Pat answering his door and letting Korn into his dorm. Not an eyelid batted.

The bridge shirt!

I still think we should have gotten Korn and the guy who played Kwan together 😄

Yes! Fierce Pat again!

AHHHHHH PAT GOT SHOT!!! BAHAHAHAHAHA!

OH MY GOD...@seeking-moonscapes, Wai tells Pat in the hospital, "Next time, don't butt in." Exactly the same that Pran told Pat in ep 5! Pat should have listened to Pran back then and learnt from it!

Yeah. I love this show.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 12!

The fucking timeskip.

Look, I'll be honest...when I first watched this and saw the 'Advanced English Grammar' book on Pat's bedside table* I wondered if it was a hint that he and Pran were still together - after all, who would need that book more, Pat in Thailand or Pran in Singapore? - but I didn't trust myself to believe...I thought I was clutching at straws. But I should trust my instinct in the future.

*and Pat's red and blue bedsheets, and that Pat got up straight away, and Pran's mint green towel, and Pran's red, yellow, and blue bedsheets, and that Pran still had The Watch, and that Pat took a photo of Pran's dorm room door, and the mint green balloons... 🤦🏽‍♀️

I can't get over how bad Wai's trousers are, they're too high-waisted for him, they don't look good at all.

"You keep staring at him. Why don't you punch him already?" Don't get fooled by those stern expressions. One is the face of the man who went to the wrong airport to pick up his boyfriend and the other is the face of the man who didn't get picked up by his boyfriend because he went to the wrong airport 😂 Oh Pran's disappointment and Pat's guilt...and both lamenting the missed opportunity for reunion sex 🤷🏽‍♀️

I have to say it, I still think the pacing of this ep isn't great. We spend far too much time with the reunion party, with the flashbacks and the music and the photo and the mc character...each of these could have been shorter and we could have gotten on to Pat and Pran being together quicker. I think the impact would have been just as strong but without all the waffle. I mean, ELEVEN minutes could have been reduced to 5 tbh.

Add Pran's shoes to the bad wardrobe choices.

This ep's not giving us good 'girlfriend representation' - three male characters now have implied that their girlfriends are controlling or demanding of them...whereas it could have been framed more like wanting to get home because they love their girlfriends so much. smh

Oh but Pat swallowing when he sees Pran on the other side of the door...PRICELESS. And Pran's "I'm delivering food." Horny devils.

My absolute favourite moment of this ep? The way Pat is lying at the beginning of part 3.

Their fucking grins when they're being 'comforted' by their mothers. 😂😂😂

I WANT PRAN'S SWEATER FROM WHEN HE LEAVES FOR SINGAPORE. I WANT IT!

God, Feral Musky Scented Hoe Pran was unleashed this ep!

And my absolute second favourite moment of the ep? The way Pran looks/says "Really?!" at 10:44 of part 3.

Oh and also add Wai's shirt in the bar to the questionable wardrobe choices...

The smile t-shirt from ep 1!!! We've come full circle.

I LOVE Pat's mum's reaction to Pa seeing Pran. She perks up so much - she must know that it means Pat has a reason to be happy again...and that he might visit home...and he does not even a minute later! And she's so enthusiastic about Pat's 'friend's' gift...so obviously from Pran...and Man Baby Ming is just sat there sour-faced 😄

Why does Ming picking up the whisky glass make me emotional?! ffs 😭 And Dissaya leaving the guitar. And Ming leaving the post. AND Dissaya's fucking smile after she hears Pat and Pran laughing. 😭😭😭 ajslkefnFNA;LNFLKNGLAKDNGLAKD

Oh no Oh no... When We Were Younger instrumental...and the tin can scene...oh no I am not ok... No don't... It's when they switch to their younger versions that breaks me.

NOOOOooooooooo it can't end. I need more of them!

The rooftop/balcony scene! And we end at peak PatPran - the competitiveness, the feral musky scented hoe Pran-ness, the "Pran, it's not a porno!".

Quite frankly, it's perfect.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 11

Okay, first, I can't believe Pat and Pran went down from the rooftop and left their dorms to go to the bus without stopping off to pack a bag 😄

But all jokes aside, I love love love that we got confirmation straight away that Pat had told Pran about what his dad did. Not only that but he obviously had apologised/fretted over how Pran would feel about it again and again because Pran tells him 'enough'. And that Pran is still there with Pat despite everything with their parents shows the strength of their convictions with each other.

"We can't change what happened. We can just live with it." I just realised that this ep is bookended with more than just the same clothes - what Pran is saying here is echoed at the end with Tong's 'One man can't change the world, but the world can't change me either'. The nuance from Tong, though, is instead of just 'living with it', Tong chooses to actively do what he wants despite it not having an impact on others, and that's what Pat and Pran learn by the end. But it's so interesting that Pran basically has the same perspective in the beginning.

Pat pulling Pran onto his shoulder so that he won't see Pat crying. 😭 I think Pat already knows here that running away isn't the answer - him saying 'I can't live with it so I'm going to run away with you to a place where people will accept us together' is just putting on a front. He might want that, but the tear shows he knows deep down it's not a permanent solution.

"Being with you already feels like freedom" 😭😭😭

Pat's question about Junior, "So he's sulking because he wants to stay longer?" is actually a premonition of how Pat will act later.

Pat's SO CHEESY! 😄 but Pran loves it so much!

Elephant shirt my beloved!

I just adore that they bicker and fight over every little thing. It's their language. Or it's Pran scolding Pat and Pat teasing Pran and their ensuing bickering because of it. And it happens in this whole ep and I think which is why I love it so much. Because we really see them at their most domestic - this is their dynamic, just them, no pretences, and they don't feel pushed away or less loved from the treatment they get from each other, they do it all the while knowing how much they love and have chosen each other.

Junior "You don't have to pound it so hard"...not understanding he made the most incredible innuendo comment.

Sneaky fucking Pran rises again. Pat asks if it's spicy. Instead of being honest and saying it is, or lying and saying it isn't, Pran simply states "I know you don't like spicy food". And then feeds the spicy sauce to Pat. Peak gremlin 😄

I have very mixed feelings about the talk on the beach between Pran and Junior's mum...but that's for personal reasons I guess.

And then we get that bar scene which contains so much it gives me whiplash. First I swear Ohm and Nanon show through when they're drinking the beer and burping afterwards. Then the English song feels like an odd choice and which kind of pulls me out of the scene a bit - I don't see why they didn't use an acoustic version of a Thai song. And then we get That Look™ from Pat to Pran as Pran is looking wistfully to the musician. And finally, Pran's wistful look takes me back to the conversation on the beach with Junior's mum and I just feel irked at all these parents who crush their children's dreams because they think it's not right for them or not profitable or not whatever else. (and I know that's not the main point of the conversation but it hits close to my heart, so I pick up on it more). And I'm just so glad that later Pran includes wanting to be a musician in his answer to what he wants to do after he's graduated.

Sulking Pat!

Look, I know I keep harping on about it, but this is how you incorporate product placement into the story. Those seaweed snacks helped that scene - it's a prop that would have worked even if it had been an unbranded snack. Pran used it as an olive branch but it had the added bonus of connecting Pat and Pran (and us) back to the very beginning of their relationship - with the beginning of the bet - giving them (and us) a way to reflect back on where they started and how far they've come.

I love watching all these Thai and other Asian dramas but I am sad sometimes that I miss some nuance in the language translation. I wish I could have a Thai speaker sit down with me and talk me through that kiss scene because I'm sure there's more in there that we're missing.

When I first watched the kiss, though, I thought the pause that Pran made after pulling Pat to him was a bit odd...but just now it made me think of Pran talking about the 'hesitation' before a confession and I think this moment gives the same excited anticipation energy that he talks about there, and which is why he chooses to pause before the kiss.

I don't think we as a collective fandom talk enough about the noise Pat makes at 14:40 in part 3.

Pran Parakul '10/10' Siridichawat. He's so fucking smug.

How on Earth did we get our collective knickers in a twist about the possibility of Pat and Pran breaking up?! I mean, Pat says it himself - "You never leave me. You always fight alongside me." They were basically telling us not to worry, that even when they go back and confront the fallout of their parents finding out, they'll stand by each other, fight alongside each other. 🤦🏽‍♀️

THE FUCKING SONG! (I can't believe I didn't notice straight away first time round that it was the theme song - I was so engrossed in watching the flashbacks 😭).

Ahhhhhhh this ep!!!

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 10

Pran, the most awkward gay to ever be awkward.

Ming, seriously, your face is gonna feel my fists... No 'how are you', 'I'm glad you're safe, son'...no...he's all 'what's Pran doing here?'. smh so hard it's giving me whiplash.

The California shirt!

God this ep...settling us into a false sense of security that Ming might actually turn out to be good and nice and accepting of Pat and Pran...but ha! sike! no!

I mean, it's in the conversation - with how Ming apologises and Pat tells Pran he's never seen his dad act like this - but also the clothes - Pat in red and blue, Ming in red and black, and Pran in red and a black, grey, and white/cream t-shirt. Harmonious colour co-ordination...

Nong Nao!!

I wonder if Pat purposely thought to wear red to meet Pran because he wanted to blend in and not be recognised as from 'enemy territory' 😄

Sneaky fucking Pran. Look at the SMUGNESS on his face.

In hindsight, you can absolutely see that Joke is a) joking (playing along on behalf of Pran) and b) Pran's peer mentor - his buttoned up white shirt indicating he's more of a 'straight-laced' person and suggesting Pran emulates him in his own wardrobe choices.

God Pran is SO HAPPY and it's not because their love for each other is being revealed so loudly but rather it's because he's GIFTING this moment to Pat, allowing Pat the one thing he's wanted all along - for everyone to know he's taken - and that makes Pran SO DAMN HAPPY. And I love that Pat basically asks Pran 'are you sure this is what you want?' and Pran basically answers 'absolutely, do your worst (best)'...and he does.

And again with the product placement - they used in a way that supports the relationship development of Wai and Korn. Who else is doing it like this?!

Honestly, we were ROBBED of both friends groups together. I'm Sad™.

I love Chai 'I think one day things will get better'. The look on his face when Pat told him he and Pran were dating 😄

Like brother, like sister. I love the two scenes we have of Pa and Pat in their dorm on their beds chatting - both ending with one running away towards their crush! The parallels!

Do you think the little look Ink gives Pa at 2:25 in part 2 is her acknowledging that she knows what Pa is up to with trying to figure out if she's being hit on? Also, at 6:31 Ink does the little hair tuck behind her ear with the same tone of voice for "I wonder who that could be" as when she told Pat she knew he was hitting on her in ep 5. SHE KNOWS.

I wonder if this is the first time Pat has gone further into Pran's house than his bedroom...or if they sneak around when Pran's parents aren't there. I mean, he knew which room to go to...and he wasn't that afraid of being caught somewhere he shouldn't have been...

I love the reminiscing at the school, that they're now making happy memories there too. Their reputation isn't as the infamous rivals but as 'faens', Pran gets to sing their song on that stage and hear that Pat ran after him with his guitar, Pat learns that Pran always looked at him...they're rewriting their past for a better future.

Like brother, like sister #2 - Pat 'I'm hot' Jindapat and Pa 'I'm hot' Jindapat.

And then like brother, like sister part 3 - Pat and Pa immediately confessing to their crushes the moment they realise they like them.

But that darkroom scene is so special. And I just love how Ink's sweater was both their colours - Pa's limey green in normal light and then Ink's burnt orange in the red light of the darkroom.

AHHHHHHH the hotpot date!!! (but I have trauma memories from those shirts 😭)

THEY'RE SO HAPPY WHHHHHY DID MING HAVE TO BE THERE?!

*takes a deep breath* okay, time for part 4...

aklgaldjgladkglkjdlfkgjladkg 😭😭😭

How DARE Ming push our darling Pran like that?!!

Fierce eyes Pat is back.

I just adore the shot of Pat walking away from Pran...adore as in it wrenches my heart out of chest, stomps on it, and then hands it back like it's a favour to me.

And I love the symbolism of the spilled bag - the worst that Pran could imagine has happened now, the secret is out, and the world hasn't ended but rather life continues, all he can do is put the food back in the bag, pick it up and walk forwards to the inevitable confrontation with the families. It's so mundane but so heavy - like the bag he carries instead of placing in the shopping trolley.

The intensity of the scene with Pran and his mum...I can't believe it was one of the first scenes they filmed for the series 🔥

The look in Pat's eyes after Dissaya leaves just about breaks me.

No, wait, it's when Pran hugs Pat on the rooftop with the swell of the music that does it 😭😭😭

I have no words. Just incredible.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 3

Although Pat and Pran look hesitant about each other in the music room, Pran still (initially) trusts Pat enough to hand over his student ID, no questions asked. It's only when Pran sees what Pat is about to do that he stops him. And even though Pat laughs at Pran's picture, Pat also laughs at his own as a kind of 'equalizer' or acknowledgement that they're both just as embarrassing...but of course his confidence leads him to then say he looks handsome in his photo 😄

I wonder if having the guitar case in the lower right hand side of the frame with the peace sign visible was a deliberate choice to symbolise how the connection between Pat and Pran was actually amicable...

And, god, for all of Pran's protestrations about how gross Pat is (speaking with his mouth full, slurping from the bowl), he doesn't bat an eyelid when Pat puts the stolen wanton in his mouth and then spits it out. The draw of competition (which itself isn't really about competing...rather just interacting, having a connection) is too great and he joins in seemingly completely unaffected by the increased level of grossness.

I love the race up the stairs. It's the first time we really see Pran lose his composure, actually give as much as he gets from Pat, and show just how animated he can get. This is the effect Pat has on him. And it's so freeing.

I also love the little production error that has 'home' under 'just a friend' on Pran's phone when Pat calls him. But also, yes, Pat is Pran's 'home'. Incidentally, when Pat tries calling Pran and we see the phone screen again later in the ep, not only is the 'home' missing but the screen isn't cracked as it is here.

PAT'S SO OBLIVIOUS. AND PRAN'S SO IN LOVE. (elevator scene)

Scent kink activated! There's something about that music shop which unlocks things for Pat 😄

Pat just wants to be with Pran so much...and Pran is doing his utmost to protect himself from having any proximity to Pat. God, they both want each other so damn much but whereas one pushes the other away to try to not to feel the want he's so aware he feels, the other has no clue about why he wants (or even that he has this want) and so crowds into him even more. The contrast!

God this show did product placement well. 😂

You know, it's tiny, but still, despite everything that Pat and Pran bicker about, Pran still trusts Pat not to lie or cheat. We were told in the beginning that it was drilled into Pran from an early age that Pat is a cheater just like his dad. However, the minute Pat says they should use lower-grade materials Pran doesn't for one second think he might be serious. Pran immediately berates Pat for joking around because he knows it's a joke and that Pat wouldn't cheat like this and it just shows how close they really are despite how they act towards each other and appear to others.

Bad Buddy 🤝🏽 The Eclipse - Both having a self-prophesising lie. (Pran's fabrication to prevent the two groups from fighting ended up coming true when they came together to re-build the bus stop.)

More linguistics... It's interesting that the few times up to now that Pran has thanked Pat (for paying for the noodle meal, for giving Pran the info about the design contest) he's used the more casual 'thanks' (ขอบใจ | khawp jai). But in the corridor, after nervously pacing outside Pat's door, Pran uses the more polite 'thank you' (ขอบคุณ | khawp khun). Then, after being gifted the guitar back, Pran goes back to the casual 'thanks' but adds on the softening 'na' particle and 'wai' (sounds like 'way' and which I'm not sure what this is) afterwards. Something something the development of gradually accepting Pat's presence in his life and letting Pat in shown through language choices...

Oh oh another parallel. At the end of ep 2, Pat and Pran bicker over still owing each other, or who actually owes who. But here, at the end of ep 3, Pat asks sincerely "Can we call it even now?" (about posting the video and then helping with the bus stop rebuild) and Pran answers with a nod. One episode. Just one episode difference. Insert GrowthGif.

Ahhhhh Ebb & Flod by After Nature 💖 Not only a fantastic piece of music but the title (ebb and flow) reflects the way Pat seems to shower Pran with affection but then deflects it into a joke ("You smell so good...do my laundry" | "I love to see your face...when you lose") which he does throughout the ep and all the way to the rooftop when Pran finally calls him out on it.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 1

A year ago, I knew I was going to love this show the moment Pran took his headphones out and the music stopped. And then he proceeded to pack away all his pens and stationary before going to help Wai. SOLD.

As much as I love that Korn and Wai are just friends by the end of the series, I also wish we had gotten an enemies-to-lovers arch with them too. Sigh.

Also, we were ROBBED of Pran's dad's tattoos...I see them there peeking out from under his collar...but I want to see moar!

I just realised it cut straight from the Valentine's Day scene as kids back to the fight...almost as if they were subliminally telling us these boys are gonna be in love (I know we knew that anyway but the juxtaposition of it!)

THE SONG. THE FRICKING SONG. OUR FRICKING SONG.

I'm STILL so salty that we never got the two groups walking together as in the opening credits clip. SO SALTY.

Pat's dad, "Back then they (architecture) always hit on girls from my faculty." He's not wrong there...since Pran went on to hit on Pat during their bet 😂

I've often wondered about Pat's shirt here - "turn up the saturation" - I guess it could symbolise how the return of Pran infuses Pat's life again with increased life, colour, happiness...everything really, even trials and tribulations. There's never a 'dull moment' anymore now they're back together.

The Freshy Day music festival started at 8 AM!

I just realised...Pat, Pran and the others must all be in their second year of uni already since they're not in the uniform of black trousers, white shirt, and tie. I'd always assumed they were all in the first year but now I realise that Pat's gone through a whole year of uni without Pran...a whole year of 'fierce eyes' and fighting and mis-directed energy. 🥺😭 Edit: The general consensus is that the show starts at the second half of their first year since the time-skip does say they go into 'year 2' in ep 7.

These young kids were SO GOOD.

Oh...Ohhhh...it's the way Pat and Pran use fists to fight, to fake-fight, and to put on a show of rivalry for others...but also to compromise, collude, and unify in secret. 🤯

Pran's so in love! But he's also so doomed! The dichotomy! 😂

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 2

I think this is absolutely one of the best opening scenes in any show. It's perhaps a cliché montage but they do it SO WELL.

I forgot to say on my last post but the music for this series is FANTASTIC and if you want to know what all the tracks are then check out @veorulfr

I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE PAT SNIFFED HIS FINGERS!

I also can't believe it took me until episode 6 to notice the colours of Pran's phone 😂

I love that it doesn't even enter Pran's mind that Pat might be the guy who invited him to look at the moon together on the rooftop when he gets there. He's so distracted by Pat even being there that he doesn't stop to question the mere possibility that Pat might be his mystery date. I guess he presumes that the other guy knows who he is rather than being like him - unaware of the other person's identity. Pat's ignorance can be forgiven a bit because he thinks it's a girl...but still, they're the only ones there at 21:00 and neither of them make any attempt to join any dots. 😄

And I love the linguistics of "The one you're waiting for is me" from Pran, as opposed to what he could have said: 'I'm actually the one who lives in room 439, not some girl'. The latter is more - 'you've misunderstood who this person is and mistakenly didn't realise it was not only not a girl but actually your long time rival, me' - whereas the former is more of a statement of fact - 'you don't realise it yet but I'm the person for you'. Whether this is how it is in the original Thai, I don't know, but from an English perspective, I like the subliminal messgage in what Pran says.

I can't get over how brave Pran is in all this - openly saying things like "Are you my boyfriend?"; "Do you still want to see the moon with me?"; and "Thank you so much for the dumplings". I guess his philosophy is to be so overt with it that Pat can't possibly guess that these things are exactly what Pran would like.

Look, I know that picture on Pran's dorm wall is there because of the architectural 'design' of it...but that's a lot of blue existing in Pran's space...and it's seen a lot in a scene where Pat is outside and Pran gets teased for it by his friends (even though they don't know it's Pat)...just sayin'... Oh! And then, of course, Pat's dad brings a big ole bit of red into Pat's room in the next scene!

I just love the way Pran goes into Pat's room gunning for a fight but gets completely thrown when Pat actually apologises and tries to be accommodating. It's easier to bicker about things than to find a solution to their problems. And finding a solution requires them to be genuine and open with each other, which Pran isn't quite ready to do yet with Pat. Or he's not quite ready for Pat to do that with him. So he turns it back into a bickering match because that's their 'safe space', it's all they've known really.

Also, I don't think this has ever been mentioned but I do find it funny that there's no way in hell that Pran is actually hiding under Pat's bed because it is way too low to the floor...they must have mocked up a 'bed' for the shots of his face. Maybe the show's budget didn't extend to making sure they had a bed high enough.

I've often thought the Thai word for 'responsibility' sounded like the Thai word for 'like', so I finally looked it up and it is in fact the same word: to like = ชอบ | chôp; and to be responsible = รับผิดชอบ | ráp pìt chôp. Huh. Linguistics is cool.

@casualavocados Similar to Marc in ep 1, I can't help but to wince when watching the fight scene in ep 2 because of how Jimmy whacked his head on the bus stop sign.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 5

You know how Pran asked if Pat was Pran's boyfriend in ep 2 as a joke despite actually wanting that...well, after Pran's heart gets broken by learning that Pat likes Ink and any hope for him and Pat to be together has been shattered, Pran somehow is able to take it to the next level and ask Pat if he's Pran's wife. I mean, go big or go home right? What's that saying that there's always an element of truth in a joke. Pran is so brave. (This also applies to the "Who on earth told you this was cute?")

I love that there's so much of that condensed milk stuff in that sandwich that it flies out when Pat picks it up and drips over himself and the worktop.

Also...@telomeke-bbs pointed out that when Pran's making his own breakfast at the beginning of ep 2 he only makes a sandwich but here there's also eggs, sausages, and salad...which might mean he made all that for Pat.

Oh and then Pat seeing Pran eating the sausage might be why he made Pran sausages when he cooked breakfast in bed in ep 8...because he thought that's what Pran liked/ate.

Pat's "I hope you're not as cruel as to make me wait outside" has always interested me because you can hear the teasing/whining tone and also because he uses the polite form of 'pronouns' of P'Pran and P'Pat instead of the informal/rude 'guu/meung' which they mainly use (not sure what it means when P' is being used for both people but brushing over that...)...BUT I think Pat ends with a 'ja' instead of the polite 'krap', which according to @absolutebl is "used with very close friends/family and by the queer community". I think Pat uses it here because they've been joking about the 'wife' status...but I wouldn't be surprised if this had an effect on Pran even before the pleading 'na'.

LAKYIM my beloved!

If you haven't read @telomeke-bbs analysis of this first scene you should - there's a fantastic bit about how a water splash is a substitute for saying 'asshole'. Love it!

"If I see any stain on them, I'll barge into your room and yell at you" -> Pat must have had a huge dilemma with this...I mean, does he clean the dishes well to impress Pran and get his praise? Or does he do them poorly in the hope that Pran will barge into his room and scold him? I mean...that's a difficult choice!

(omg I've only just got to the credits and I've written all this already...sorry it's going to be a long one...I mean, I guess it's to be expected since it's ep 5...)

Oh the embarrassment! We've all been there Pran.

I've never really understood the "Don't butt in next time" line... Anyone got any thoughts?

Ooof Cloaked Emotions by Lama House...another piece of music that stabs me in the heart...and the title fitting the scene -> Pran hiding his feelings at seeing Ink and Pat together.

Pat eating properly because of Pran 😭

Because of the order of filming, it looks like Pat gets a haircut before his date with Ink.

😂 I can't with the horse sound effect 🤣

The mental gymnastics Pa must have done without realising to justify why she should tag along to the date that she told Pat to go on with Ink.

"I don't have to tell you I love you. I fed you pancake". AFTER INK ASKED PA TO FEED HER THE PANCAKE AND THEN INK FEEDS PA THE PANCAKE.

I'm irrationally disturbed by the continuity error with the hands on the guitar.

But that gets erased because the choreography of Pat turning his head away unblinking when Pran looks at him on that bit of music (6:06 in part 2) is DIVINE.

Also, I love Pran's hair and I know it must just be because the instrument shop scenes were filmed early on and therefore Nanon's hair was shorter/tidier (like Ohm's) but still, I love that they both look so good during Pat's Oh moment.

When I first watched this I didn't need Pa's repeated voiceover of the four signs because I got it just from Pat's expression...but now I don't mind it.

But also back to the music again because the way they edited the recap of the four signs (actually the whole instrument shop scene) with Pat and Pran's head turns, their actions, or the camera angle/frame changes hitting either the piano chords or the 'silent' suspensions in the music is actual choreography and adds to why this scene is SO GOOD. They are dancing to the music...and the irony of them being in shop surrounded by instruments...

I've just noticed that during the bread-eating scene, the pink and purple of the condensed milk tube is amplified by the painting on the wall behind, the sticky tape and post-it notes behind, and the selection of pens in front...

This has already been pointed out, but the lyrics of the song Pat suggests they sing in the flashback, Never by 25 hours, basically reflects Pat's loneliness when Pran went away. brb crying.

When We Were Younger instrumental over the flashback scene 💖

That flashback is Pat wondering if Pran liked him, no? I mean, I know Pat is realising his feelings for Pran and remembering back to high school is part of that...but that particular memory is Pran telling Pat he wants to write something that reflects the idea of 'born to be together' and two people growing up together falling in love as well as them writing the 'are we friends or are we something more?' song...so Pat must be wondering how Pran felt and still feels now.

Pat's freshy day outfit!

I must have known this already but can't remember if I've written about it before when I've talked about this shirt, but the word 'pineapple' is written in both red and blue on Pat's shirt.

Oh the hurt in Pran's eyes when Pat says the song is lousy.

'silly' ... 😭

PRAN THE WARRIOOOOOOR!

And we're back to Cloaked Emotions. This time Pran is forcing Pat to stay quiet.

You know how the production team created the condensed milk tube...well I wonder if they put a rose on it because that's the usual flower people give as gifts to those they like...and Pat bought it as a gift for Pran...effectively buying him a rose. But maybe this has already been pointed out.

"IT WAS DEPRESSINGLY LONELY FOR ME" 😭😭😭

Pat's tear...😭 Then Pran's tear...😭 (and mine of course)

Oh god, the way they both move towards each other...

THE MUSIC when their lips touched...

It's the way we all thought the ep, the show, had reach its peak at that short first kiss because the music hit a crescendo and BECAUSE THEY HAD KISSED already in ep 5...but then not 10 seconds after their lips had parted the show absolutely DECIMATED us with that epic second kiss. Pran pulling Pat in, the hand on the neck, Pat's first hand gripping the back of Pran's head, the gasped inhales as they shifted their heads, Pat's second hand joining his first, the increase in speed, Pran's second hand also going to Pat's neck, the symmetry of it, the MUSIC, the way Pat hunched into his shoulders to devour Pran's mouth, and the slow pull away as the music tailed off...

Pat's smile and breath of relief

Pran's devastation

The rain

Pat's tear-filled eyes

Baseball mom

The prolonged black screen at the end as the music ended...

The way I was never the same again.

This ep has such special memories for me, not only because of the show and what it did to me but because of where I was when I watched it. I've since sold and moved from the apartment I was living in at the time and I treasure the memory of settling into my sofa with a blanket over my legs, a warm cup of tea and something sweet to eat, the light slowly dimming to black outside even though it was only 15:30 (it was end of november and I lived in Sweden), and then the euphoria when I realised this silly little Thai romcom bl was doing something different. Ep 5 part 4 not only changed me in many ways but it changed the way we watch bls now. We have higher expectations - a bar has been raised - and I'm seeing where shows are reaching for it. Last December, I watched the GMMTV Live for the first time because I caught some people talking about it on tumblr (I didn't know anything about it before even though I'd been watching Thai bl for a year). Now, I'm ridiculously excited about seeing it this year, to see what we may be in store for next year. Hopefully they will build on Bad Buddy, Vice Versa, The Eclipse, and others. And I know there are other production companies and I'm also excited to see what they do too...and for all the gl coming out... But back to Bad Buddy ep 5 and it was this ep that finally brought me to make this blog because I needed a way to process what I was watching - and to scream about it with others. I had never analysed a piece of media in this way before this show and I've since continued with many others. This is who I am now. This is part of what I mean by Bad Buddy changing me. And I'm thankful for it, and for Aof, Nanon, and Ohm, and for all the people who I've interacted with on here about it. There is something exceedingly special about this show and I wish I could adequately express it to the whole world but I also want to keep it for me, and for us, to treasure always.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 8

The mint green shorts! The two faculty jackets side-by-side! The domesticity!

The way they haven't changed who they are for the other person. Pran still scolds Pat. Pat still teases Pran. But they're doing it knowing they're accepted for who they are.

Oh, I never saw Pran's name and the smiley face written on the bottle before!

Whether it's fighting or flirting, nothing gets done between these two faculties 😄 Pat and Pran being told off every two minutes by Toto.

Yes! Fierce Ink. No wonder Pat, Ink, and Pran are all friends, they all have the same fierce protective streak...

How did we ever think we weren't going to be getting InkPa endgame?! It's so obvious now.

We got another 'ja' end particle and this time I think it's only mildly teasing! On the rooftop after Pat says 'Copy Paste' he says thank you - "khawp jai ja" (the 'ja' being “used with very close friends/family and by the queer community”).

Oh there's so much in that rooftop dinner scene. The need to be public and to be secret in equal parts and the hurt they want to avoid but end up not being able to...

The way Pat can only lie to his friends because they think he's dating an architecture girl.

Proud to be a Noles Hater te-shirt my beloved.

Narcissist Wai. smh. The fact that Pa being Pat's sister is Pat messing with Wai's life 😂

Again...Wai listened to Pran talk about all the hardships he would face because of the rivalries if he tried to date Pat's sister...and yet had no element of empathy for Pat and Pran when he discovered they were dating.

Pran's line, "It's a kind of relationship that I always avoid" basically sums up the first 5 eps of the series, how Pran did his best to avoid getting close to Pat even though he was in love...but because we know that they did eventually get together, it just shows the strength of their feelings for each other because really, logically, they shouldn't even try because of how difficult it is...but they do anyway 💙💖

"When did I teach you to lie?" Ming's double standards are showing.

I don't think i could dislike Ming any more than I do. How very dare him to make Pat feel this way.

And then Pat's in all white, stripped of colour, of happiness... The 'temporary' alluding to how it will pass, the 'select' alluding to the sides they're on and the need to choose [spoiler: they choose each other], and the brand being Korean adding to the theme of sides and rivalry set up by the Noles t-shirt earlier on (even the Tampa Bay shirt in the beginning)... And finally, Pat lays the 'Friend' shirt across his chest, back to colour, back to happiness. 😍

I just love how dorky these two are. Pran imitates an elevator and escalator to make Pat laugh. Pat gets Pran a case for his headphones with a double 'P' design but won't say what it means. They virtual-hug across the divide and get each other to give each other big smiles. All through this scene I kept thinking Pat would tell Pran he loves him...but it shines through in their actions, in the care and support they give, and in the way they look at each other.

Ooof that xylophone scene is majestic. The way Aof took a risk with it but it's so powerful.

Pran thinking back to the ways that Pat has helped him or been there for him...and Pat thinking back to the gift of the t-shirt from Pran and how he threw that back in his face. Both realising that their anger is mis-placed -> it's the circumstances of their life that they're mad at, not each other, not really.

And Pran doing what he does best - hiding a compliment as he scolds Pat. "Put your shirt on, you're making everyone drool" = "You're so hot".

Their soft 'sorry's 😭

"But I care about you more" 😭😭

Pat is so happy. He just radiates so much love for Pran 😭😭😭

THE MUSIC! building and leading up to Wai. ajdalkgja;ldfgja!!!

When I first watched this end, I felt cheated. I wanted more happy PatPran times after their reconciliation and before their relationship got revealed and brought more angst. They had just turned a corner in their relationship - Pran making himself more comfortable with the levels of 'publicity' Pat wanted to make, and Pat understanding that love can also be private and still be just as important (the seeds of ep 12). But I guess knowing what I know now about how they still have happy PatPran times in ep 9, I accept this pacing. It almost seems fitting because Pran had just decided he didn't care as much if people found out...and so people did...and Pat and Pran's love and understanding of each other helped them through the fallout.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 4

See, I think the show absolutely knew what it was doing by not including Pat's "when you lose" after "I love to see your face" in the ep 3 recap at the beginning. It was deliberately omitted to fuel our thinking that Pat surely, has to, must, absolutely likes Pran and would be confessing his feelings soon. I wrote about this in more depth here because it became too much for this post.

I can't watch that stairwell scene without thinking of this post...

The FRIEND t-shirt! Because they are friends now.

Honestly, the flirting. And even that they make it into a competition - who can compliment the other the most but disguise it as an insult.

Pran showing his Gay there...sitting unfazed in the classroom shaking his head at all the other boys vying for Ink's attention.

The scene with Pat entering Pran's room for the first time is almost two minutes of sheer brilliance. Ohm and Nanon committed to those characters and their motivations and didn't break once. It's very impressive.

INKPA SUPREMACY!

It wasn't until the beginning of part 3 of this ep that I realised just how tall Ohm is 😂 (or I guess i could say how short Love is!)

Overlapping leaves shirt my beloved!

Oh the bar scene is so heartbreaking. And I'm also sad we never got to see Pat and Pran in matching bracelets.

Micellair my beloved!

I love that it's Dr Jimmy who runs over to check if Pran's ok when he hurts his shoulder 😄

God Pran is SO BRAVE. I just adore him asking Ink if she likes Pat...and then his reaction to her asking him if he wants to hit on her 😂 Like, she knows he doesn't but she teases him anyway. Love it.

Oooof that last scene. It just hits so hard after everything that's built up to it. And we've focussed a lot on Pran's heartbreak in the scene but you can see the moment that Pat's heart also breaks - even though he probably doesn't realise it's being broken - when Pran says he hates him. But our sunshine!Pat doesn't dwell, he just picks himself up, gives himself some self-care.

This episode is art.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 6

Nope. I'm still on the rooftop.

...

It's funny that the two faculties are such rivals since the two professors seem very chummy with each other.

God Nanon's acting here is SO GOOD. The way he can just stare unblinking and closed off, shutting Pat down. It's gut-punching.

That's the second time Ming has turned up and Pran, troubled and upset, has walked away from Pat. I'm gonna throw fists...

Wai telling Pran he's dramatic...oh honey in a few eps you're gonna drop a whole-ass curtain and reveal Pat and Pran's relationship because you're upset with Pran. Who's exactly dramatic here?

And we all thought Dissaya was being extra but now all her protests are understandable -> not wanting Pat to give Pran something from their professor, saying Pran will get it himself...the pettiness kind of makes sense when we know that Ming lied to a professor to get the scholarship that was going to go to Dissaya. No wonder she'd want Pran to go to the professor himself.

Oh all the mint green this ep!! In fact the wardrobe design of this whole ep is so well thought out.

Pa's obliviousness!

The look of adoration on Pat's face when he gets on the bus 😍

Pat speaking overly politely to Wai when Pat is sat in Wai's seat (he uses 'pom' for 'I' instead of 'guu')

UNCLE TONG! JUNIOR!

There was a post at some point about the symbolism of the sweet basil...but I can't find it...anyone remember?

The way Pat says "Talk to me" at 6:30 in part 2 makes me go akdjhskfdh;ashdf. Pran is SO STRONG to resist.

(omg Ohm's forearm muscle at 7:10 in part 2)

I love Pat's red belt (and the mic pack showing!)

Sorry but I love the comedy cliché of 'if we ignore him he'll eventually leave us alone' at which the person in question creeps into the frame and settles themselves amongst the group.

But Pat, my god, had some gall to join their table, smile at their 'if looks could kill' faces, and then EAT WAI'S MEATBALL. This man! What's that quote from the book? "People act terrible when they need love and I need it from him tremendously"... Well it kind of applies here if we interpret 'terrible' to be 'stupid' because Pat literally walked into the lion's den for Pran.

OH MY GOD The shift that Pran(Nanon) makes from 10:00-10:03 in part 2 is incredible. He comes to Pat gunning for a fight, this is what they do, they bicker and fight, but Pat's done, he's tired. Pat meets Pran's intensity, absorbs it, and then softly asks him is they're talking now and Pran...doesn't know what to do with that. He expected more of what happened in Pat's dorm room in ep 2 but those times are over. That was BK. This is AK. (before kiss/after kiss - it was that momentous...for us all).

SECRET! The way I didn't even notice it was the new ost because I was too drawn in by Pat and Pran's interactions.

It's the way they just needed to be away from everyone and everything else. The way Pran couldn't resist in the end to throw some jibes at Pat when it was just them and Junior in the truck. The way even Pran gives a small nod to the question whether they're friends by the market seller.

"We're just born this way" 😭

The show really did their best to incorporate the product placement well. Printer scene my beloved.

There's also a post out there somewhere which explains how Pat eating the melon is symbolic of saying 'f*ck you' to Wai...

I still can't get over Pat rolling up the 'sleeves' of his sleeveless shirt.

When I first watched the bet scene, I felt the switch between Pran caging himself off from Pat and avoiding answering him to goading Pat about how much he liked Pran a bit jarring. I didn't really understand the journey. I still feel like it's rushed in some way but I wonder if that's to do with the nuance of the language that we're not privy to as translation readers. Anyway, I do love that Pat finally found a way to engage Pran and thus unlocked their love language - competing.

And speaking of their competition, what a way to start! Seaweed snacks my beloved. Feral musky scented hoe Pran unlocked! The way Pran licked Pat's finger, causing both Pat to short circuit but also the entire fandom to collectively Lose It™. This is what I mean by raising the bar. Not only with story and acting and design...but the little things like the goddamn product placement which pay for the series to be made but when used well can help drive the plot. And these seaweed snacks definitely drove the plot.