#jom x yai

[mickeysarmyguy]

Khun Yai’s looks reserved for Jom

[nagumoshoma]

My dance partner is here.

↳ I FEEL YOU LINGER IN THE AIR

[waitmyturtles]

I Feel You Linger in the Air, episode 7. Tee Bundit, BACK on his bullshit. The episodes keep getting better.

Ooooooh, I am so full with this episode that I'm not sure I can conjure meaningful anaaaaalysis per se, so let me just yelp at a lot of the themes and elements that I took note of that I really appreciated seeing, and I hope this comes together.

So many oppressed people in this story. Fong Kaew, forced to marry to Robert, will stay with him to investigate the crimes against her family (FK was a TEN in this episode). Maey, sold into prostitution and abused. Eaeung Phueng (EP), likely arranged in marriage to Robert before Fong Kaew came on the scene. Nara, the character in the book that Yai reads to Jom, forced into marriage for her family's livelihood. Yai, comparing himself to Nara, talking about his own oppression vis à vis filial piety -- knowing that if he were to live his truth, he would be the reason for his family's ruin, as was hinted towards again and again in this episode.

Yai says to Jom, "if I had the opportunity to choose my own path, I would just want to spend time with the person I love." Even for a privileged individual like Yai -- his life, just like that of a servant in 1920s Chiang Mai, is prescribed for him. His path is determined. He must lead a straight and narrow life for the sake of his family's present and future.

Jom's life is also, interestingly, prescribed for him as a servant. Despite Yai's love for him, Yai has MANY competing pressures. Yai must dance with Uncle Dech's daughter at his father's promotional party. We are assuming now that that daughter will be Yai's future arranged bride. Yai also must see Jom as his servant, because -- well, Jom's his servant, and Yai asks Jom to continue playing with little Lek because, well, that's Jom's job. Jom clearly has already had enough of having his life prescribed for him -- we already know from earlier episodes that he wants Yai to think about the rights of the servants, and whether or not servitude is even ethical. But.... Yai's a son of 1920s Chiang Mai, and is just not there in his thinking yet.

The adults, very clearly, are also not progressive. They're the dinosaurs that get criticized so often in progressive Thai television (cc: so many of Jojo Tichakorn's works, and the GMMTV Midnight series from earlier this year). But -- the adults are also living their prescribed lives to earn and preserve the power, as Uncle Dech says to Yai's dad, that they've gained from generations past. Uncle Dech warns Yai's dad to keep tabs on anyone in his life that may take a path that risks Yai's dad's career. He asks Yai's dad: "Do you think that Yai is different from the past?"

I want to offer a small clown theory here, as my friends @lurkingshan and @neuroticbookworm both stated that "different" in this case might mean just that Yai is gay, which is highly likely true. However, I read that line the first time as meaning that Yai may have been caught in the past trying something out with someone (and my second clown theory is that that someone is Yai's dad's butler, Chan). I wonder if that's connected to Yai's hesitance about getting physically closer to Jom during the oil scene.

And: boy. That oil scene. DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDES. MY HANDS. WERE SLAMMING. THE TABLE. NONKUL. ATE. THAT SCENE. WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW. (And I believe others are writing about the INSANE cinematography of looking at your beloved in mirrors, which happened a lot in this episode. STUNNNNNNINNNNGGGG.)

Nonkul as Jom is communicating just BRILLIANTLY without as many words as we'd expect. Jom's horny, baby -- before he time traveled, he was without his boyfriend, Ohm, for two years. And as a modern gay man, he might be used to things moving a little more quickly and openly, as the acceptance of queerness in modern days is so very much more open (but not entirely legal) in modern Thailand. Yai's certainly inexperienced, but I also read that he's fearful, and hesitant for his position and his future to feel totally comfortable in being open with Jom -- at least until the end of the episode, where (CLEARLY, I HOPE) they run back to the house in the rain and.... ya know. And: considering Yai's considerable immaturity in grabbing Jom at inopportune times to be caught (including within snooping lines of other servants, like LITTLE MISS GOSSIP CHASER, get outta here), Yai's likely going to be the reason as to WHY they'll eventually get caught and punished. And: considering Yai's station vs. Jom's station -- it might be Jom who gets a more severe punishment.... as the show hinted at at the very start of the episode.

(I need to stop my unwinding on the episode for a sec to meditate on a Tee trend. I just want to give him a big hug for this. I'm honestly not sure if Yai's dad, played by Nu Surasak, will change to accept Yai and his lesbian daughter, EP. But remember: Nu Surasak started out as a VERY unaccepting father to Gene in Lovely Writer. And he just ate that role, god, including the dad's revelation to Gene that he, too, was a queer man who struggled with acceptance and had to end a relationship because of the times he lived in, in which living and loving openly as a queer man wasn't acceptable and even safe. I see this theme as one that Tee likes treading; to choose a classic BL elder in Nu Surasak to take this role means a lot. Again, the history of this show will likely not allow Yai's dad to take Gene's dad's path, but this is clearly something Tee likes to play around with.)

Whew. Okay, more. I love when Jom kinda rolled his eyes at Yai during the apology scene in the house -- it is clear that Yai's really inexperienced at all this, and Jom, before time traveling to the 1920s, has had experience, in sex and relationships. I read in that slight exasperation (that melted into love, mind you) that Jom really needs Yai to get his head outta the damn books, and to pay attention to what's in front of him -- which Yai is not doing, as Yai continues to take risks in being with Jom out in the open.

But, dang it. While I was SCREAMING at the dudes to STOP dancing and making out in the open, god, WHAT A SCENE THAT WAS ANYWAY. An acceptance fantasy of dancing in front of their community. Their family and friends clapping in happiness to accept them. (Remember the wedding in Cherry Magic? The joy of having your community celebrate your love. I had so many crying face emojis to share in that moment, watching Jom and Yai dance.)

GOD. Tee covered A LOT IN THIS EPISODE. Secret love, for the ill-fated lesbian couple at the start of the episode, for Jom and Yai, for EP and Maey. Keeping your personal secrets secret for your safety. No hope of acceptance or openness. The literal threat of life lost. The threat of the loss of power among the powerful parental generation. Fates made by parents -- Yai prescribed into marriage, Maey prescribed into prostitution. EP needing to fight Robert at every angle for her own existence. The desire for acceptance. The way GOSSIP is used to harm people, for power, or (in a servant's case) maybe out of misplaced trauma for the servant's OWN station. And more, and more.

I am watching Tee with my Lovely Writer hat firmly on, watching him do a LOT with a LOT, seeing it continue to succeed well into a series, and being VERY hopeful about it. This show is SUMPTUOUS, and is not stepping away from what it needs to handle to tell a holistic and historical story of acceptance, and of Jom's fear and need to protect himself -- which he very well may not be able to do. Let's see what Tee and his source material can conjure for us. I love Only Friends, I do, I do, but IFYLITA is the show I'm looking forward to the most right now.

[heretherebedork]

Parallel flower staring. Love it.

Plus, underwater kisses are for the gays

[jae-o15]

Congratulations to Last Twilight and IFYLITA for having the most beautiful dance scenes in the entire year.

Like nobody is going to peak this ever

[7698]

[hirmienworld]

There is no need for words when you have such wonderful art in your hands, like in this drama.

[pickletrip]

[thatsjustyou]

I love Scarlet heart ryeo coz of angst, pain, time travel and now that I finally² got my wish come true with my favourite thai bl period drama I feel you linger in the air, I can't stop myself doing parallels in both the series..

From falling down on the water in an accident after being betrayed by their exes

To

Yearning for the love they left behind in the past life, leaving their partner alone in that world

[dragonagelesbian]

Absolutely gutted at episode 9 of IFYLITA. Jom and Yai really owned this one, after Maey's and Peung's stellar time last episode.

The patriarch as a figure haunted the entire episode. It really showcased both how unsurmountable his power is and how fragile it is. The patriarch can doom his children, but his children can doom him in return. Peung can't fight back as a woman. Yai has gotten used to not rebelling, to accepting frustration and loneliness.

Jom literally died 8 episodes ago. He's got nothing to lose. Without Yai and with his father's guaranteed distaste, he has no certainty of his life in this time period. Maybe James can help, but that's tentative at best, especially with Robert hating him as well. He lives in a time where you CAN fight back. He can glimpse the image of queer happiness: the house he designed for him and Ohm.

Yai was simply heartbreaking this time. He has no allies anywhere. Even Jom, who literally just got here, has more people watching his back: Ming, Prik, even Fong Kaew in a way. Yai is alone to protect himself (literally living apart from everyone) but what he needs is community, embrace. He needs to find other queer people. He needs to talk to his sister and HELP her, as a man in this time, honestly.

Ming was spectacular. Incredible acting from Guide, great scenes all around. His intervention with the prison guard highlighted Tee's consistent view of the value of the lives of servants and working class people. When our protagonists treat servants as disposable, when they behave recklessly, people suffer the consequences. I'm happy to see that being a recurring theme.

Fong Kaew. Beautiful. Way too nice for what has happened to her, but not because she's naive or stupid. FK understands what Yai does not: she has no power on her own. She must find power in alliances, her position, and her influence on her husband. She must save others to save herself. She cannot crawl her way out of hell on stubbornness alone.

Jom. The scene with Prik...it got me. He dared to dream, with Yai, even knowing what a silly dream it was. He dared to kiss and hold and fuck and love, after a horrible betrayal. And to find out in that way... to send your lover away because you know him loving you is literally bringing him problems. Chills. Queer love is revolutionary, but queer love is also dangerous. It is twisted. It contains risk even as it brings immeasurable pleasure.

Very interested to see where episode 10 goes, especially this "show". I think they're cramming in all the time travel shenanigans in the last 3 episodes, which will be...something. Also excited to see more of James - he has something on Robert. James is simply an incredibly intelligent character, so it's nice to see him onscreen.

Once again, IFYLITA surpasses my expectations.

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Dispair [noun] /dɪˈspeər/ - the feeling that there is no hope and that you can do nothing to improve a difficult or worrying situation

[mickeysarmyguy]

this was the most intense and painful aftersex nonverbal conversation

[tipsyjaehyun]

I get that some people are confused by the ending of ep 12, so let me explain (novel spoilers ahead) -

The show heavily revolves around the theme of reincarnation and love that overcomes the test of time. So, we have 3 versions of Yai. One in 1920s, Khun Yai. One in 1700s (Seehasingkorn era), Commander Yai and then we have one in the present time, Yai Kanthorn.

The one we see in the post credit scene (and have been seeing glimpses of in ep 1 underwater as well as in ep 12) is Commander Yai, who was a celebrated warrior of the royal army.

So, after Jom disappears from Khun Yai's timeline, he is transported back to 1700s where he meets Commander Yai. If (and please God, please) they come up with a season 2, it would follow their story. It was because of him and his pledge of everlasting love for Jom that Khun Yai felt that he had been waiting for Jom for a long time.

The one we see at the Palathip house is Yai Kanthorn. He is the son of the granddaughter of Khun Lek (Khun Yai's younger brother). He is the only version of Yai who has memories of his past lives.

When Jom comes back to his timeline, he meets Yai Kanthorn, who had asked specifically for Jom to renovate their old house in Chiang Mai, hoping for Jom to remember their love. When Yai sees Jom waiting for him at the house, he asks, "Did you wait for long?"

To which Jom replies, "Not as long as you've been waiting for me".

[waitmyturtles]

Geeeeez -- whoa. Did that ever take some twists and turns. I Feel You Linger in the Air, episode 9: I don't think this can be meta, since I'm still sorting through my thoughts, but I'll try.

I mean, I'm shook by the end, and I don't want to jump here, but I think I have to: Jom realizes that his fate follows him. Is this a Buddhist reincarnation analogy? His lovers leave him to enter traditional/heteronormative relationships, both of them out of obligation and not out of want (or at least, that's how I'm reading Ohm's decision at the start of the series).

And so: Jom strolls onto the scene during the engagement celebration to fuck a lil' shit up? Damn. As @shortpplfedup said to me in post-ep discussion: in that moment, as Jom interrupts the dinner, are we seeing Jom realizing that he has "nothing to lose"?

Jom learns through Ming that Eaeung Phueng was caught having an affair with Maey. Fong Kaew then comes to ask for help in saving Maey. And then Jom learns that Yai will be engaged.

Jom is putting two and two together: this is a family in which the parents are starving their children of the real affection that their children desire. BOTH OF THEIR KIDS. Both of their kids are gay. BOTH OF THEIR KIDS are potential embarrassments. Their parents will NOT let their kids lead the lives they want. As much as Yai will talk to his father about the life that YAI wants to lead: his father's power will always win out, and his mother WILL go along with what his father says. This is not a family that will allow the heteronormative paradigm to change. And we are reminded, constantly, that Yai's father's career very much hinges on his children following a literally straight path.

(Let me just fucking say that rewatching Bad Buddy right now is NOT HELPING MY FEELINGS towards BAD ASIAN PARENTS at this moment, lol help me.)

Anyway, I thought an interesting parallel to all of this was Pat's shooter's James's encounter with Robert (uhhhh, wtf James, just strolling into the servants' holding area, huh? I was like, what are YOU doing here, lol.) James sits Robert down to tell him: homeboy, you gotta focus on work. And Robert's like, nah dude, too much shit's going down at home. And James is like, bruv, what do you care more about? You are going to let your work go, and let your reputation go, because you're not concentrating enough on your job? Don't mess this shit up because of the house stuff.

I am absolutely, 100% like this sideeye (-_-) re: James -- I question his motives, because we have no idea what his priorities are, and Robert says as much.

But it's interesting that we got this parallel -- one side from within Yai's family, and another side from two foreigners, both saying that family life can be enough of a distraction to take down careers. This threat transcends Thai culture, as James's and Robert's backgrounds indicate. And that the struggle that these entities have is in making REALLY SURE that the family lives are as calm and copacetic as possible so as to NOT risk the careers of anyone involved.

Saving face, anyone? The effort to save face in these instances could VERY well cost a life or lives, and I think we know that Jom knows that as he begins to embark on his risky show at the end of the episode.

He may be trying to leverage his modern perspective on LGBTQ+ equality, because -- he sees his own fate repeating itself from past to present, and vice versa. If we take the Buddhist analogy further: is this a change he needs to make in a past (or future?) life in order to stop the cycle of repeating fates in his lives?

It might be. I don't know. We could call it a clown theory, but director Tee Bundit has referred to "dimensions" in the IFYLITA behind-the-scenes videos, so I'm really not sure. But we can safely assume that Buddhist practices infuse this show (remember the encounter with the side-eye monk in the last episode), so... reincarnation is a directional possibility.

All of this to be said. As Jom's fate repeats itself, I'll also note that certain Asian cultural practices like saving face also repeat themselves (...... can't believe I'm infusing almost all of my writing with Bad Buddy these days, but alas -- Bad Buddy shows that saving face in Asian societies is well and thriving in our modern times).

And maybe this is a theme of IFYLITA -- repetition. Of Jom's fate, yes. Of saving face, yes. Of prioritizing work and reputation over a family's happiness, yes. Traditions and behaviors that get inherited and passed down through families and societies, generation after generation.

And Jom arrives on the scene to change the paradigm. We don't know what risks he and/or Yai (AND EP, AND Maey) will face, but he's about to change some shit, and we'll see what that fall-out will look like.

[namtanlovesfilm]

[pharawee]

—I FEEL YOU LINGER IN THE AIR 💮 Episode 12 (Finale)