#nlmg ben

[jyuubin]

NEVER LET ME GO (2022) // Chopper & Ben ↳ brown (endurance, reliability, comfort) ❖ white (protection, love, youth) ❖ blue (truth, loyalty, passivity)

{ID is in the ALT}

— ©jyuubin

[kessmisseschimon]

What the hell is Ben thinking in NLMG? Part 3 (poolside date at Chopper’s house to bathroom confrontation)

A quick recap for those tuning in for the first time — whether you’ve loved Never Let Me Go for years or are discovering Perth & Chimon in the excitement of Dangerous Romance, this 5 (?? please stick to only five) part series aims to explore what’s going on behind Ben’s sometimes enigmatic personality. Continued from part 1 here and part 2 here.

At this point in the show, Ben is in his third and fourth character arcs. Arc 3 = his quest to try and make up for what he did to Nueng.

Arc 4 = his effort to overcome a lifetime of homophobic influence. 

(Note: both of these arcs will continue beyond this part in the meta series; unlike the previous two arcs, they don’t resolve nearly so neatly)

In episode 9, we get to see Ben & Chopper on what looks a lot like a date. Both of them are dressed nicely, they're outside of school, and even the lighting is warmer than what we’ve seen previously. This might be reaching, but I feel like Ben seems more comfortable early on in this scene — like something has been set right inside him. 

They pretty quickly start talking about the future and wanting to move out of their houses (can you imagine them in the tenth grade talking like “when I’m older I’ll buy my own place!”? I cry.). I find this line by Ben very interesting:

The writers are telling you early on in this conversation that Ben still considers himself dependent on his dad. He says it easily here but this is trapping him - he isn’t ever going to be fully free to be himself until he’s out of his house (which is key to how their story ends).

I ADORE the immediate next sequence. Once again, this is a Ben essay not a Chopper essay, but Chopper is giddy and able to freely be in love and he is not holding back anymore:

@thirstkanaphan adds: The ease with which Chopper offers this makes you think that he's been wanting to say this to Ben since the tenth grade. And it's an offer completely without strings! This is purely Chopper's selfless desire to give Ben what he wants, the freedom to live and love freely (even if it isn't with Chopper waaah).

The sequence of faces they make at each other after he says this is a really nice way to show how close they used to be and what they are returning to.

At first Ben finds this amusing. Dare say he’s charmed

Ben is always at his most comfortable joking around; I think he can enjoy conversation like this if it remains a playful fantasy. 

Except, Chopper brings out a newfound serious, sexy voice and ups the ante:

Here, Ben clearly gets overwhelmed. He immediately stops the flirty banter and tries to be realistic about their relationship. Right now, he can’t imagine a way where it would be possible for him to live with Chopper next year. It’s telling that quickly after he talks about his dad kicking him out — this is a real fear for him that he is making light of. I will come back to this but I think a lot of Ben’s ‘jokes’ are often him expressing his true feelings.

He also says: "If I feel worried or stressed, then I can come and see you". This is heartbreakingly telling of how much Ben is still struggling with his sexuality and what happened post outing.

But Chopper is in full on sap mode and not hearing Ben’s hesitation. He is the human embodiment of heart eyes. After so long, he wants to openly tell Ben how he feels. He takes Ben's hand and says:

So far that we’ve seen on screen, Chopper has now touched Ben five times and even in their earliest most awkward interactions Ben never resisted. This is different though: It’s real now — it means something when Chopper touches him — and it scares Ben. Maybe he’s thinking of Chopper’s dad seeing them, maybe he’s picturing those fliers falling from the sky, or maybe he’s remembering all the things he’s ever heard his own dad say. Whatever it is, Chimon shows Ben’s nerves in a few different physical ways - he gets fidgety. He bats his eyelashes MANY times in quick succession. He glances down at their hands.

For the very first time all series, Ben pulls away. He tells Chopper a tiny fraction of his discomfort (of course making a joke of it). If you watch this scene again, he then makes a very uncharacteristic move to push back his hair. Everything about his body continues to scream his nerves. He can’t even look at Chopper directly.

Then — and I recognize this also serves as a plot device — he makes up an excuse to give himself a moment to clear his head: he asks to go to the bathroom. But the show makes a point to tell you that some part of him, underneath the fear, is happy too. On the way, he turns back and he gives Chopper a really lovely — besotted is the only word for it —  smile:

Then he stares at Chopper for several long seconds, as if wanting to take the full sight of him in. The music changes and turns romantic and upbeat.

Ben might feel as if he is standing at the edge of a very terrifying cliff — but it is one he wants to be on, with the person he wants to be with.

Then, there is a time jump. When he next sees Ben in the bathroom at school, Chopper lets us know that Ben has been avoiding him a little bit — long enough that Chopper started to notice but not enough for Chopper to really worry yet.

Something that jumped out at me in the bathroom scene only on the third watch, is that Ben starts off sad. Chopper immediately asks him “what’s wrong?” And Ben looks a little like he’s going to cry:

PLEASE LOOK at the smiling Ben above again and then at this. Ugh, Chimon!!

Before he talks, Ben shakes his head subtly as if steeling himself. I think he realizes that he’s about to really hurt Chopper (if Chopper doesn’t know about his dad already) or he’s about to break his own heart (spoiler alert! he does both at the same time). His care for Chopper still shows in really small ways here, even as he’s upset, like him not wanting to go somewhere public where Chopper could get in trouble (because their school apparently has magic bathrooms that only the exact people who need to be in go in) and him initially easing into the news on the chance it’s going to be a surprise to Chopper.

Ben gradually works himself up into a full on strop, but I want to emphasize that he starts off from a place closer to grief.

As he starts to rant at Chopper, one line really sticks out:

This is a tough line. You the watcher remember that Ben chose Nuengdiao ‘first’ and him pulling his hand away earlier this episode could (incorrectly) be construed as him not really being that into Chopper. It’s also really hard to take Ben seriously about him stopping Chopper’s dad when Ben couldn’t stop his own dad when there were much lower stakes at play. This whole scene leaves a lot of room to judge and criticize Ben, especially when he comes across so outwardly angry while Chopper is tearful and earnest.

But what’s really important to remember here is that Ben has told/showed us (at least) four times that he feels guilty and ashamed he about what he did to Nuengdiao and wants the chance to make up for it:

When Chopper sits at the table with him post outing - "I was a jerk."

In his reaction to bully kid - see part 2

On the rooftop with Chopper -- also discussed in part 2, plus he says "I'm feeling so guilty" & "I want to apologize to him. But I'm not sure if he will forgive me."

By the school pool with Chopper -- when he asks if Chopper has any updates on Nueng

Ben truly feels stopping Uncle Kit is his chance to make things right

Him wanting to make things right doesn’t lessen his feelings for Chopper. He is actively fighting against his feelings for Chopper here. In fact, he has to look away when Chopper says one of his several devastating lines in this exchange:

He is staring at the bathroom tiles because he cannot look into Chopper’s tearful eyes.

After that, Ben does this stupid cocky nod thing, clearly working himself up again to go back to on the aggressive, which is an easier place to be emotionally:

Notice that he breaks the contact - it would be harder to maintain the emotional distance he needs with Chopper’s warm hand secure around his arm:

This is a completely ridiculous thing to say. This is Ben trying to maintain his righteous anger. And Chopper disarms it immediately with his sincerity ("I'm not threatening you. I'm worried about you.").

Look at Ben’s face. The anger instantly evaporates. And that’s even before Chopper says his number one most heart crushing line:

Pretend is a good word. Ben is trying to pretend Chopper doesn’t care about him because he is in a position where he can’t make things right for Nueng without hurting Chopper (and himself by proxy). And Chopper won’t let him keep up that farce.

At this point Ben sways backwards. His eyes are shining. When Chopper takes his hand, Ben has to blink 7 or 8 times. He’s very close to bursting into tears and Chimon plays it masterfully. Look at Ben’s face when Chopper says "If he hurts you, I don't think I can bear it". Go back and watch him have to swallow the lump in his throat.

This scene is not about Ben’s feelings for Chopper. Ben is moved almost to tears by the realization of how much Chopper loves him. This is about Ben’s fundamental sense of self worth. 

His ultimatum feels cruel compared to Chopper’s outpouring of emotion but it IS A CONCESSION he’s making:

This is difficult for us to watch because we know how scared Chopper is of his dad and it feels like Ben is forcing Chopper to confront him. But Chopper ASKED FOR THIS. Ben originally told him he was going to go straight to the police (see first photo in this essay). Chopper in fact, begged him not to. TWICE.

This is the most Ben is willing to cede on this point (“I will wait a little bit but I am not willing to be complicit in hurting Nueng again.”) At the core, he’s thinking: (If I knew Chopper’s dad hurt Nueng’s family and I let him get away with it, how could I ever consider himself a good person again?)

Ben ruins this gesture a bit with his last line and by yanking his hand away.

I think this is mostly self preservation though, however cruel it comes across. I think he was about ten seconds away from either comforting Chopper or letting Chopper pull him closer and he had to get away from him. I also think the words “I won’t care” can very believably be read at being directed at himself (“I’m not going to let myself care”)

If you watch this scene and tune out Chopper’s impassioned pleas (a big ask, I know), Ben is going through a whole lot more angst about it than immediately shows through. And Chimon uses a lot of micro movements to demonstrate this.

--

Since I am at 29 of the maximum 30 images allowed by tumblr, this conflict between them will continue into the next part of this meta series during which our boys are mostly apart but clearly thinking about each other a lot.

Continue to part 4.

[ilargeicontradictmiself]

Yall are so suspicious of Ben like "he is an evil mastermind , he is manipulative , he is cunning , he is, literally, the devil" and its just a kid with a strict homophobic dad who fucked up when he threw nueng under the bus to protect himself.

[quodekash]

guys hes so whipped its gonna make me cry

[justafriend-ql]

Nueng told me all about who you are ... He doesn't need a bodyguard ... So you will have time to do what you want. Don't you like basketball? Why don't you apply to the Basketball Club? Do you want me to do that for you? It's okay. I can manage my schedule. favorite character dynamics: palm vs. ben mlm hostility NEVER LET ME GO (2022-2023) | dir. Jojo Tichakorn

[heretherebedork]

This line and the casual delivery almost did me in and then to follow this with the knowledge that Chopper confessed his love to Ben before this and so Ben has known this entire time that Chopper liked him and is wondering if he still likes and the way that Chopper is avoiding any kind of answer because he's seen how Ben is dating Nueng and he saw how happy his cousin was as well.

That is not the face of someone who has gotten over his feelings. But also oh the call backs, to Chopper telling Ben to take his shot, to confess, to speak his love even if he'll be rejected because Chopper knows exactly how that feels but he still wants to see Ben happy. He loves Ben in the way that says 'just be happy, please be happy, don't be like me.'

All Chopper has been doing is encouraging Ben from a place of love that he already knew was rejected. My entire heart.

The quiet longing I could never quite place fits right here. This is Chopper's longing. This is Chopper's wish. This is Chopper admitting he had to create the distance with Ben because he had confessed and we know he never lost those feelings.

Chopper is trying so hard to be clear that he wants Ben to be happy with Nueng, that he hopes their future is bring and Ben is watching him, oh Ben is studying him. He's trying to figure out the words he isn't saying.

MY ENTIRE SOUL LEFT THE BUILDING.

How can Chopper answer this? He's seen how happy Nueng was with Ben and how hard Ben was fighting to get home back but he's been carrying this torch despite rejection for years... how can he do this? What can he do? My entire heart for these two.

[mineonmain]

So I hope we can all come to a consensus and collectively agree that we’re renaming NLMG to Daddy Issues: The Series

[youdontloveme-yet]

who are you trying to fool?

[alwayspining]

“This time, I want you to kiss me with your true feelings.”

Never let me go (2022) l ep 7 l dir. Tichakorn Phukhaotong

[srnileforme]

CHIMON WACHIRAWIT ⤷ ROLES IN 2023

BEN | NEVER LET ME GO BANK | MY PRECIOUS PENNHUNG | HOME SCHOOL SAILOM | DANGEROUS ROMANCE

[candygalaxyyy]

I totally see Chopper sacrificing himself in the finale. But please GMMTV don’t kill my baby, Kit should be the one to die. They really made Chopper the sweetest and the most depressingly lonely character, like no one is there for him. His dad is a narcissistic murderer, Ben is ignoring him and Nueng hates him now because of his father’s actions. But he still keeps his values and cares for all of them. And if he ends up dead instead of Kit, best believe I will be flying to Thailand to protest outside the GMMTV building!

[jyuubin]

NEVER LET ME GO (2022) // Ensemble Cast ↳ the major arcanas of tarot

{ID is in the ALT}

— ©jyuubin

[kessmisseschimon]

What the hell is Ben thinking in NLMG? Part 5 (final hospital scenes)

Wow, welcome to the final part of this ridiculously long (12,000 words in total!!!) meta series. If this is your first time tuning in, find part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4. 

So far we’ve seen Ben explore being with a man for the very first time; realize how much losing Chopper as a friend in the past hurt him; discover he has feelings for Chopper; confess those feelings to Chopper; and take an action to make up for his cowardice in the post-outing office scene.

This leaves us in his final arc which involves learning how to move past a lifetime of homophobic influence from his father. This arc does NOT conclude on screen, which likely helps contribute to feelings of his story being unfinished

I’m going to break from my previous structure here a bit. First I’m going to analyze their scenes straight through, as I’ve been doing all series. So I’m going to try to discuss purely what’s shown and why it’s being shown because I do think everything mostly has a reason. And then, only after I finish am I going to offer a major point of critique on how I genuinely feel the writing let them down, leading to this annoying perception I somehow see daily that Perth and Chimon “don’t have chemistry”.

Let’s get started:

Noticing this for the first time - as Nueng has a breakdown over Palm, Ben and Chopper share a wordless look and go to help him together. The seamless teamwork!

I’m having a lot of feelings about these lines from Ben. This is twice in this episode that he’s been cast in this role of being the steadying presence. He stays very calm and is good at these gentle commands. You can almost see him as a future music teacher (or, I would argue if music doesn’t work out he would make a good first responder).

Also to all the “Ben shouldn’t be in this scene” haters I’m going to get a little sassy here. Yes, he should, and for two reasons: first, like Nueng, Chopper is kind of hysterical. For the first minute or so, Ben is the main one offering Nueng comfort, because Chopper is also grieving. They both need Ben here as an anchor. If you go back and watch, Ben touches and or verbally comforts Nueng much more than Chopper, and in a few cases Chopper seems to be mimicking what he is seeing Ben doing.

And second, if you want Ben to understand how his actions in the bathroom scene hurt Chopper, it is IMPERATIVE that he witnesses this conversation between Nueng and Chopper. Yes, Ben is shown kind of awkwardly off to the side, not participating. That is intentional. He is meant to be observing this. He is seeing Chopper sob hysterically over his dad with space where there is no pressure for him to respond. He is being given the chance to internalize how Chopper has been feeling. 

There’s an interesting progression of Ben’s face in the background. First you can just barely see his guilty/contemplative expression and his hung head in the back here

And then when Nueng says “it’s not easy to put your own dad in jail, you should be proud of yourself” is when Ben looks directly at Chopper. Ben is realizing he needs to say something like this to Chopper too.

Then finally, personally I adore Ben’s little smile here. It is genuinely such a sweet moment happening between the cousins! And he’s happy on a purely selfless level to see Chopper getting this hug and affirmation from Nueng. The camera lingers on him a long time at this point, more than during his guilty expression period, but I think it’s because this is meant to serve as a kind of “oh” moment where Ben is really sitting with how he feels about Chopper. Look at the love on his face.

@thirstkanaphan adds: Jojo is making the choice to emphasize Ben's reactions. We need the outsider perspective to understand the significance of this moment - the two cousins, never allowed to be close, finally seeking and receiving comfort in each other that they deserved to have all along. Ben's little smile reminds us that this moment is painful but things will get better!

And then they do then make a point of having Ben look away to give them some privacy before it gets too voyeuristic

If you have been reading this series along the way, I hope you are proud of me for making it this long before saying PERTH’S ACTING IN THIS SCENE!! how pale and small and fragile he looks!! His desperation! It’s so good.

Ben is much quieter than Nueng and Chopper in this scene, so he gets a little lost, but he’s not just a third wheel. His presence serves a purpose. And then we get to what is in many ways the scene of my Chopper loving heart. Rewatch pays off here because I do think it is important to note that Chopper is actively crying. A big tear falls from his eyes while he sits quietly and then you see him scrub his eyes as Ben approaches.

I think Chimon plays it really well that Ben is very tired and very worried about Chopper and that he has to work a little harder than usual to find a smile to try and comfort him. Here we get the payoff of Ben being present earlier. First he tries reminding Chopper of what Nueng said to him ("Nueng said it’s not your fault"). 

Then, he realizes he needs to add on to that. Look how introspective he is as he says this line, which Chopper so badly needs to hear.

@thirstkanaphan adds: I wonder if he's admitting that part of his justification for not reciprocating Chopper's feelings earlier was because of this anger, which was childish and misplaced, and clearly allowed Ben to avoid facing his own feelings of guilt for not stopping HIS OWN DAD for the harm he inflicted via his homophobia. THINKING THOUGHTS OVER HERE. By absolving Chopper of the guilt he feels, he can start to do the same for himself.

I LOVE this shot of Chopper’s slow turn to look at him with his tear streaked cheeks.

Ben touched Nueng in a somewhat similar way, but it was very much depicted as a bro touch. This feels very intimate. Look how it’s shot almost as if he’s touching Chopper’s face – his hand is both more firmly on Chopper’s shoulder and Chopper is instinctively turning into the comfort of the touch. 

Plus we get the line at the very top of this essay: I’M PROUD OF YOU. Ben is like a little robot learning to be a human. He is quoting something he heard Nueng say that he wanted to say. And Chopper briefly SMILES. After so much heartbreak, Ben coaxes a moment of happiness out of him. 

I’m going to skip over the revelation that they were texting because the texts make ZERO sense in the context of the plot and I previously discussed them in part four of this series.

This kind of breaks my heart. Chopper then adds “At first I thought you wouldn’t come”. And he starts crying again.

Ben kind of screws up here at first. This is a little like when he was trying to ask Chopper if he still had feelings for him and he had to do so over multiple days and multiple different rewords. He says, “Why wouldn’t I come. I also did bad things to Nueng. This is a good chance to redeem my mistake”

This is like facepalm levels of Not The Right Thing to Say In This Moment. But it’s the easier thing to say. It’s so much less vulnerable. He’s also being a little jokey (his comfort zone) as he says it. He even does this goofy eyebrow raise thing.

It clearly does not help Chopper, who very quickly drops his head. Fortunately, Ben realizes very quickly he’s going to have to put himself out there:

Look how nervous he looks as he starts. This is TERRIFYING for him. But he winds up giving such a beautiful little speech

A brilliant observation by @thirstkanaphan here: Ben also moves from the passive "this is a good chance to redeem my mistake" to the active "I want to stay by your side" and "I want you to know that you did the right thing." Ben is now able to clearly articulate his wants when it comes to Chopper. He may not be able to say "I want you to come to England with me," but this is such good progress for a character who has previously hidden behind half-truths, sarcasm, and passiveness when it comes to the people he cares about.

I’m realizing as I write this that both the shoulder and leg touch are the first ones Ben has completely initiated. Every touch they’ve shared like this has played a key role in the progression of their relationship. These touches are significant. Ben is finally the one reaching out.

And Ben concludes with:

ALWAYS. ((I will be with you forever.)) This is a confession of love!! Said differently, ((I am never going to let you go!)) Look what they did there!

Ben looks very proud of himself after getting all that out. You can tell he thinks he did good. But Chopper is in a dark place and full of doubts. I think at this point he thinks he lost Ben’s romantic feelings for him by not acting sooner on his dad. Which means we get the return of the incredulous besotted bathroom look and Ben’s reminder (“Remember this. The feelings you have, mine are the same”):

At first, I admit I too found their hug in this scene kind of goofy. But seeing how fragile Chopper is, and the fact that he’s been crying off and on for HOURS at this point, I think Ben is reading him perfectly. This isn’t the time for romance. This is the time for comfort and assurance.

You can see this is his thought process in his next line:

His first priority is making sure Chopper is okay. In fact, this is the second time he’s asked Chopper how he’s doing in a matter of a few minutes. 

I find their next interaction so incredibly charming. He has comforted Chopper to the point that Chopper can play along. Can say “no” for the sheer pretense of getting to cling to Ben longer.

I really love how equal this hug is too. They are holding on at the same height, with the same ferocity. And they keep escalating the tightness too. You get the sense that they are savoring finally really being together. <3 <3

Next, Chopper and Ben come back to visit Palm. They’ve clearly left, showered, and returned. Chopper looks FINE in his silk shirt and GLOWING. There is a nice follow through here that Ben is with him (he is by Chopper’s side where he promised to be!!)

Ben jumps in at this moment where Chopper is clearly a little shy/uncertain:

The suggestion that he and Nueng are now just bros who chat is a fun one. Ben says a few more things that I won’t overanalyze but they are encouraging and optimistic - very in line with his personality. This is a distinct contrast to Chopper’s earnest apology that follows

I’m obsessed with this wordless moment where Chopper looks to Ben as if for encouragement before having to press Palm a bit on letting him pay for medical expenses:

Ahhh and they do it again after Palm agrees too (that’s three times for those who are counting that they’ve had a wordless conversation in episode 12). All these wordless looks really demonstrate the strong foundation of past friendship they have that is now translating to a deeper level of intimacy

Then, outside the room, they have this very silly back and forth where it is clear Ben’s brain went to sex (hmmm Ben, does this have anything to do with your hot new boyfriend?). It’s super coupley though - they tune Nueng out for several seconds and make each other devolve into little giggles at the end

And then we get this reveal from Ben:

To which Chopper very blithely says he’s going too. And when Nueng asks if they are going together, they disagree  — Ben says no. Both Chopper and Nueng (and the audience) are clearly like “what the heck??” But I think it’s important how Ben immediately gets very shy — look at his ducked head and the way he won’t meet Chopper’s eyes.

Although he is ostensibly saying this to Nueng, this is fishing directed at Chopper — he wants, maybe needs, to hear Chopper tell someone else this. He wants it to be REAL.

I like Chopper’s reaction which reads more teasing than offended

And here is what Ben says: YES he is the one who asked

I’m going to read “not serious” as “joking”. Ben has shown a few different times over the series that he makes a joke of things he wants but is scared to sincerely admit

And I’m going to read vulnerability in this line. This is a big ask, (‘will you move to a foreign country with me?’) I think it is something he very badly wanted but didn’t think Chopper would agree to

And Chopper immediately dismisses this. “Of course I would go with you”

Look at their smiles then after they resolve this — they are beaming:

Sure, Ben, “that’s (just) fine” with you — you’re so cool, calm, and collected with your giddy face. 

After, a delightfully smug, confident Chopper takes Ben’s hand. He can read his man. He knows exactly what just played out.

The show makes a point to show Ben’s head jerk down in shock. BUT, he doesn’t pull his hand away. And they are shown with their hands intertwined for several seconds after. In fact, they do this cheesy swinging thing (see this gifset) between them, even.

Taken at quick watch, the “no” and the head jerk read as Ben not being that into Chopper (as his scenes often do, unfortunately). However, I think what NLMG is trying to show is that Ben is still scared and a little overwhelmed by this very new relationship. They are demonstrating that the lingering trauma of how his dad raised him and what happened after he kissed Nueng will stick with him for a long time. It’s actually really good he has a partner as loving and patient and understanding as Chopper while he works through everything. However the ending is meant to emphatically show that they are a team who WILL get through it (all the shared looks! The private jokes! Walking away from Nueng hand in hand!).

Having done this analysis, even working purely off the source material I leave feeling optimistic for their future 

((I do love @gaiaxygang’s added content from the novel that they one day talk about getting married!!! I see it!!))

—

All that said, however, here is my primary frustration: they needed to kiss. Period.

Ben kissed someone else ON SCREEN and didn’t kiss Chopper. That is a narrative imbalance. Ben should have been shown having a better, more intimate kiss with Chopper.

Also, NLMG very arguably positioned the ending so CHOPPER WAS THE REAL HERO OF THE STORY. He was so important to the plot in so many ways, and he doesn’t get to kiss the boy he’s been in love with since the 10th grade?? Insane. 

If we’re going to talk about someone unnecessary being in a scene, why did they need to have that final scene with Nueng present? I don’t care that he’s the ‘main’ character — they could have shown Ben and Chopper at Chopper’s pool or in Chopper’s dad’s office where they could have had the future talk about going to London together in an intimate setting. It could have even played out similar to what we heard. For example –

Ben: says he’s going

Chopper: maybe a little surprised and hurt (Ben is leaving me already??)

Ben: joking but in a way where he clearly wants it “you could come with me”

Chopper: immediately lights up and agrees

Ben: “I was joking” (but clearly pleased)

Chopper: “of course I’m coming with you”

Ben: (fake protest) “it’s a big move”

Chopper: (something ridiculously sappy)

Ben: (blushing, ducking his head) “okay. that’s fine. if you want to.”

Then Chopper takes him by the face and kisses him!! Or better yet, Ben sees Chopper’s happy smile and kisses him!

They had such an angsty plotline and a simple shift to create a sappier, more romantic end scene would have wrapped it up so nicely and made it feel more balanced!!

—

So thousands and thousands of words in, here’s my number one take away: Ben is a much more multifaceted character than he appears on the surface and he goes through a surprisingly complex series of arcs for a secondary character. 

I think there are two main reasons people then struggle with ChopperBen: 1. They weren’t given a romantic ending that matched their other angsty moments in emotional payoff; and 2. If you watch Ben only paying attention to his surface presentation, it’s easier to believe than it should be that he doesn’t care about Chopper (especially since he liked someone else ‘first’). In most shows, you don’t have to work so hard to understand a B plot character. And that’s exacerbated further because his love interest is given a borderline A plot storyline!! 

If you felt frustrated by Ben when you first saw NLMG, I encourage you to rewatch some of their key scenes and pay attention both to Chimon’s non verbal cues and the things Ben says when he is “joking”. I hope you’ll notice something new and love him a little more. 

Most importantly, I think GMMTV left themselves a rich set of characters with very much unresolved issues that could easily be picked back up and explored further in a sequel. pleeeease, BL gods, please. 

[movementsofmylife]

there's this level of desperation and tragedy woven into this show. all the teens are stuck in little boxes made by their parents and the other adults around them. phum says, "It's business between adults. I'll let them handle it." and it's fucking tragic because, if only.

nlmg shows the extremely compromised position of children and teens in society. the lack of agency and pressure and expectation and strictures; a 'protected' class which is very often an oppressed class. the classification of a child as not a person, as simply an extension of their parent or guardian. and the different ways this plays out due to wealth and class status.

all these teens are being moulded and put under pressure to become an object of their parents' desires and crises, both purposefully and through the vagaries of their circumstances. the adults with power and money get to choose and direct their children's paths. the ones without get fucked and changed by those that do, and this falls onto their kids and influences them regardless of their parents' true desires. capitalism makes the position of child an even more precarious one for those not in power.

and it's clear that the teens are all aware of the situation. palm goes around his dad by hiding and lying. nueng by manipulating his mom. only chopper seems to be pushing back in a straightforward way: by becoming financially independent with his crypto (sigh) stuff and telling his father where he stands. (i want to say that whatever chopper implied happened between him and ben was part of the reason he started to push back against his dad's expectations? maybe?)

i hope they all get a chance to push back and remake the world and themselves in their own image. and don't let the pressure and circumstances lead them to destroying each other instead. (although that's clearly already begun. thus, the air of tragedy.)

[gaiaxygang]

thinking about when chopper said ben cant stay close to people for long (shakes the writing team) what does it mean!!!!! WHAT DOES IT MEAN !!!!!!!!!!

[justafriend-ql]

who said never let me go isn't a comedy. watching maggie and ben shoot their shot with palm and nueng again and again while receiving absolutely no positive feedback is the funniest thing i've ever seen. like read the room; palm and nueng are eye-fucking from opposite sides of it.