#and Fay’s perfect hair (tm)

[choosingwhatmatters]

Goodbye, Dream

I’ve finally been able to watch the last Dream episode. This show will stay with me for a long time to come, and not only because I’m currently butchering the first credits song every time I sit down at the piano.

I enjoyed the journey of Wan and Kim. While it is true that we basically watched them not talking to each other for ten episodes, I was fascinated by how that changes them as people. How Wan clings to Kim for dear life only to find that in this state they can’t be anything to each other. How Wan undergoes therapy (I will never not celebrate this) and concludes that, while she still cannot be honest about her feelings, she will now support Kim in all of her decisions. How Wan only springs into action when she realises that Kim shares all her experiences in Dream Land. How Wan is the most adorable goofball in a relationship.

How Kim goes from holding herself back for Wan’s sake to pursuing her own dream, only to again submit to someone else’s wishes when her mother wants her to marry Marwin. How Kim, once she has committed to Wan, continues to do just that.

While I breathe for fluff and intimacy, I am glad that there is now one more show that gave its characters time to grow. I agree that the show could have been structured differently in order to be more concise and, thus, more engaging. I am, however, very glad that it exists to inspire shows to come. It’s always easy to criticise a piece of art, but CREATING art, that’s hard work and I am thankful for anyone who is undertaking it.

[choosingwhatmatters]

The baby soap song - “Awake” by Boy Sompob

So, in my last post I ranted about the piece of music used in the "let me smell your soap" scene of episode 6 and how I hoped that it would make a reappearance. Boy, did I get my wish in episode 7. Not only do we get to hear the piece again, not only is it connected to the relationship of Wan and Kim, it is an actual song!

I was a little miffed when I made this discovery because I had watched the soap scene about 63 times in order to hear how the song goes and got utterly distracted by what was happening on screen. Had I known that there was an actual song that exists on Spotify, I could have listened in peace. Then again: The onscreen appenings DID warm my little heart. Plus, 63 more views for the video :D

Back to the song: the first time we get to hear the song, we once again hear an instrumental version. It starts when Kim hears that Wan is missing. Kim drops the flowers that Mawin gave her and rushes to look for Wan. Here are the opening bars of the song:

As soon as I heard the music, I knew that Wan would be okay. Somewhat okay. As okay as you can be when you wrangle with feelings for your former best friend whom you scared away by first taking them for granted and then clinging to them for dear life.

The song isn’t dramatic. It has a melancholic, ambient quality. For me, it’s not there to suggest that Wan is in danger but rather that both Wan and Kim have a lot of emotions to grapple with.

This is also true for the second time we hear the song. It guides us through Wan's day of reminiscing and staring into space dejectedly. She watches her mother getting treatment at the hospital. After returning home, she remembers the cutest tidying up scene in human history. (I appreciate the visual of her being physically in the frame as the memory plays out. Also, compliments to the dream team for finding another person who has Fay's perfect hair (tm).)

This is the first time we get to hear the lyrics. As Boy Sompob croons (in the best sense of the word) about yearning for nighttime, about dreaming of a loved one, about never wanting to wake up, Wan suffers through the day until the last bars of the song transport her to dream land. Notably, this is where Kim tells her that she can't be in her dream forever and begs her to see a doctor. Which Wan does! You go, Wan!

We hear the song one last time when the ending credits are rolling. I understand that this is common practice after the first half of a show, but oh!, I am going to miss Mint's "Tha khuu fan di (Reverie)," which I will rant on further in another post.

To conclude: As I had hoped, the song is still connected solely to Wan and Kim's relationship. It has twice now transported Wan to dream land. Both of these dreams were good dreams that led Wan to make decisions that have a positive impact on her life, namely wanting to confess her feelings and seeking treatment for her depression. I will keep straining my ears to catch the opening bars of the song because, as of yet, it has only brought me things that warm my little heart.