#prapai will never get tired of reminding sky how much he loves him

[theyellowhue]

i guess im going to cry myself to sleep tonight 🥲

to have someone love you for who you are ❤️

[halliescomut]

LITA (jpn) Episode 7 Feelings

I did only watch the episode once, instead of doing a full second-rewatch, because I feel like I want to keep my initial thoughts. But I did also scroll through the episode to get the story bullet points, because there's so much happening and the bouncing back and forth, I didn't want to forget anything.

We start basically where we left off, which is Kurosaki approaching Kai, but now it's Fuma's perspective, as he's followed him. One of the things I appreciate about the choice of actor made for Kurosaki and for Gun in the og, is that they did intentionally choose attractive guys. There's a consistent trope in all media to make villians 'ugly'-the idea being that your 'evilness' will be reflected in your outward appearance, which is many levels of problematic. By making this absolute nightmare of a man from Sky/Kai's past pretty attractive, it subverts that trope. (Also, it's important to me that you know the actor playing Kurosaki was born in 1987...how TF does he look that good??)

I also think it's interesting to see Kurosaki's interaction with Fuma, it's almost an attempt to be unassuming, and Fuma doesn't really fall for it, because he's too aware that Kai wouldn't have reacted as he did if this man hadn't done something to frighten him. He might not guess they have history, but he would understand that this man was a threat to Kai for some reason.

This re-encounter with Kurosaki, sends Kai into a full spiral, he leaves, basically runs home and starts ignoring Fuma and any attempts he makes to contact him. I think this change from the OG, is one of the few that I kind don't see creating any real shift in the narrative. It's basically Sky/Kai was starting to feel comfortable- incident happens that reopens that Pandora's box in his mind that tells him eventually everyone get's "tired of him"- and he pushes Prapai/Fuma away in a desperate attempt to keep his heart from getting more broken. It is a good example of how you can change some details of a story and not only reach the same end, but have the same emotional journey. Things don't have to be set in stone.

And speaking of, one of the biggest benefits of having both couples' stories coincide, is that we're actually getting a lot more interesting interactions. While Kai is hiding from Fuma, he stays with Rei, (I think something similar happens in the og, but a couple other classmates are there as well) and while there we get a really nice and insightful conversation between Rei and Kai. One that especially helps to show Rei in a more serious light. I especially like this addition, because I do think it's good to have Rei also reminding Kai that he's worthy of love. Yes, hearing it from Fuma is important, but I think for anyone's long term healing, it's best to have that support from multiple places.

Our next big point/scene is the "break-up" and here we get a face-to-face confrontation, and I honestly don't know which is worse. I do know that I had an epiphany watching it again, which is that the words Kai throws at Fuma in his best attempt to hurt him enough that he gives up are that "he's tired of him" and "he's bored of him" and even though I've taken in this story countless times in 2 years...I JUST put together that Kai uses those words SPECIFICALLY because that's what Gun/Kurosaki said to him, and it's the most hurtful thing he can think of to say.

The whole scene is really beautifully done, very subtle acting from both sides, with Kai's sort of minimal/monotone voice and stone face, while we see some really subtle face acting from Fuma, the concern and confusion, but I think interestingly never anger here. We saw anger covering up the hurt in the og, Prapai throwing the phone, but such an outburst wouldn't be appropriate here. It's also oddly more affecting given the setting that was chosen, this brightly lit, sunny street, that should feel warm and happy, is a massive contrast to the emotions that are happening.

Once Kai leaves we cut to what may be that night, or a few nights later where Fuma has lost a race. We have the reappearance of Stop (I simply can't look up to check what his name is, it's a bit now), and he and his crony observe Arashi and Rei, setting up that we are in fact going to get the kidnapping. Stop's as greasy as ever, but Arashi and Rei are absolutely precious, and we get to see more of Rei's insights when the three return to what I'm assuming is Arashi's family shop. He encourages Fuma to not give up on Kai, that there was something there, and he should fight for that. I was very interested at the start of the conversation, because I truly was curious to see if we might get an inkling that Rei new about Kai's history, or at least knew about Kurosaki, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Fuma leaves, and Arashi and Rei are left behind to nest like two turtledoves.

Now...I'm not gonna say there aren't glaring problems with how Fuma gains access to Kai's apartment and his notebook, but I think viewers will appreciate that Kai directly calls him out for it, and doesn't mince words about it.

In regards to the reciting of the notebook itself, I understand that it is incredibly hard to watch emotionally. But I also don't really think Fuma is in the wrong here. Kai needs to hear these thoughts that HE WROTE, he needs to reconcile that he was thinking about a future with Fuma in order to see that Fuma was also thinking about a future with him. It's a terrifying thing to be perceived, that's true, and a breakthough like this, not easy, but it's also necessary. Kai needs to believe in Fuma's words. He's already recognized the love expressed in his actions, this is the next step.

I'm not going to make any direct comparisons between the adaptation and og, because honestly, I think it undermines the emotional labor that was undertaken to give us these scenes by these four actors, and I'll just say that I was incredibly affected watching this for the first time, the same way I was with the og. Me:

Following all of this we have what I think might be another of my favorite changes, which is our second NC scene for Fuma and Kai, and I think the decision to have them not engage in sex until AFTER the journal confrontation is so much better for their story. I think it made it easy for Sky to see what they did as just sex, and use that as another excuse to undermine Prapai's feelings for him, where Kai doesn't really have that excuse. And while I think stringless sex is perfectly fine for anyone who wants to have it, Kai needs strings. He needs to know that he's loved as a person first, because part of his fear is that dehumanization and objectification that Kurosaki impressed on him.

(I'll make a note here that both NC scenes have very different vibes, which makes sense considering the difference in the mental/emotional headspace the couples were in, so it feels a bit odd to compare them. But I was also very distracted by the fact that Kai's head is basically resting on the shelf that's a part of his bedframe, and that simply can't be comfortable.)

We cut from that scene to both couples having lunch again at that cafe from episode 5, and I will say I do like this scene much better than the og when Rain finds out Sky and Prapai are boyfriends now, because it was genuinely weird that he was as shocked as he was. None of it made sense and I'm still confused. I much prefer Rei's effusive excitement.

Now as discussed, we do have kidnapping confirmed, and I fear that sadly Rei is also not beating the coconut allegations, because car horns and motorcycle horns do not sound the same. Why would he assume that is Arashi honking, but even less so, if he had forgotten something, why would Arashi not just call him? Questions abound and Rei is in the back of a nondescript van....and we'll see what happens next week. Though he didn't actually send the "I'm home" text so hopefully that means Arashi will figure things out earlier rather than later.