#dunbas

Coming into Gen Y has been a ride, but when I first showed up to watch this show, I was already eager, but I held a lot of close-minded opinions and fears close as I watched it. For some reason, I thought the writer wouldn't be earnest or deep enough. I expected the storylines to be brief and not require my full attention. I assumed it was just a fanfiction of 2moons, and since I had previously seen the programme, I didn't believe I needed to analyse it. But I also thought the show would repeat a lot of things that irked me about other bls; weird humour, loud sound effects, queer baiting, kiss baits, etc. There are still some of these issues, but actually, GEN Y surprised me because once I stopped closing my mind and started paying attention, I realised what was going on. I couldn't believe it; I even let myself stop thinking Thanu and Wayu would be necessary.

I thought they were queer baiting me, and they were doing it because of promoting DunBas for fanservice but no. They were more; in fact, their whole plot was one of the deepest out of all the storylines in the show. How they found each other again, fell in love, and were sadly meant to be torn apart in season 2 (that is, if the show had followed the book). 

The show's themes stuck out clear as day, and I knew I had made a mistake. I had to write an essay and rewrite my understanding of the show; I had to show you guys the show's potential, the clues, the meanings, the choices, the dialogues that showed from the beginning the writers had some tricks up their sleeves. Before I do that, this is a disclaimer and warning to people; I get a lot of people on my essays rolling their eyes, telling me I overthink and writers don't think this deep, write this way, plan stuff like this. That's fine if they don't. My job is to rewrite a show how I see it; it could be what the writers planned, it could be a coincidence, I don't care. Mainly because it makes you enjoy the show more, it makes you see the potential of a show, it makes you want to appreciate the writers, it makes you like the couple even more, and it makes you notice things you didn't see before. That's what I do with every show I watch. I'm not 100% accurate. I always think outside the box sometimes. I always bring in a new perspective, but if it helps you enjoy a show, then I'm glad. I'm going to be saying a lot about this show, it's speculation, but I'll write it as theory and prove it with evidence, but even if the writers didn't plan it, I still want to write about this and show you my thoughts on the stories now season 2 is almost on our screens. I want to show you why I enjoy this plot so much and why season 2 will even be more fun. Okay, now that, that's done. Let's get into this show: 

One thing  I dislike about BLs is when there are too many storylines and side couples. They never give enough screen time to each pair, enough energy to them or enough depth to the others. It's always done half-heartedly, and it ends up feeling unsatisfactory.  For me, GEN Y also feels like that at times; there are many stories, so there are more plot holes, unfinished storylines, and wasted character potentials. But because GEN Y always planned for three seasons, I'll see it as they wanted those storylines to appear later. They wanted just to leave clues, build up some stories, show some characters that will be more important next season. And yeah, that's what I think they did, but it did make the show's writing at times feel odd, sometimes messy, confusing, convoluted etc. Some plotlines felt like they came out of nowhere, some rushed, some just random. The acting at times also needed work to convey the storylines better. But did it stop me from enjoying the show? Nope. And by episode 9, it started clicking, the storylines, the hints from the past, how the ending would happen, and why some characters act the way they do: Let me explain with the first thing the central theme of the show;

What is Love?

So I remember in episode 2, when we were still slowly being introduced to the story, I questioned if this show could have more hidden in the subtext. I was intrigued because I knew that the writers were laying out an outline, but I thought with my closed mind that the writers wouldn't be serious or deep with the storylines. So, I told myself to stop searching. However, I still remember when I questioned what this show was going to be about. I disagreed because Mark and Kit, the main couple, weren't following this storyline. They were following a remix of their counterparts in 2moons.

However, this was true on a surface level; their story seemed different from the others, more chirpy and complete. But to my surprise,  they did follow the same theme of the show (head vs heart).  In his tsundere ways, Kit also struggled between logic vs feelings, between his head (wanting to help Pha first, focus on situations of others and people knowing Mark as a player) vs choosing his heart and being with Mark the way he wanted to. It was there. I'm just not here to analyse them. 

I'm here to explore the rest of the characters in season 2. Theirs is more prominent and foreshadowed/hinted from episode 2. Sandee is introduced to us; he wants to help the café they just started working at,  bring in more customers; he makes a cute gimmick about asking everyone what love is to them. When I saw this scene, I remembered questioning if the show was showing clues and information in the subtext, afterwards thinking that this scene would be necessary for later. And boy, oh boy, was it. 

Let's review what the answers from each of our characters were to the prompt and what these answers showed about each character who wrote, and why it's essential to the theme of the show (head vs heart, logic vs feelings) 

First, we have Saeb he says he thinks love is inevitable destiny (this gets into Phai's head)  

Second, we have Sandee; he writes secretly whilst staring sadly after Phai that love is loving someone even if it hurts (which we all forgot and got distracted by because of Thanu) 

Third, we have Pok; he writes that love is waiting for someone who is more than a friend as he stares after Tong, which gives you a clue that he has feelings for Tong

Fourth, we don't see him write, but we hear Tong's own answer; he wants to save his kiss for his first love because he believes love is special. This is either someone he can't move on from or  has his own ideas about who that person should be

Fifth, we get Thanu's explanation; his is to learn what  the meaning of love is by meeting his person (this card intrigues Phai) 

Sixth,  we get Phai's towards the end of the episode; he finally learns love sacrificing for someone to make them happy (this card also pushes Sandee to make sure Phai gets his happiness) 

Wayu doesn't write his either, but he has the same as Sandee; to love even if it hurts because at least he loved (he says it to Thanu later on during the show) 

So, we hear different explanations from our characters on what they believe love is. However, the storyline this revolves around at first is Phai. He's the catalyst for this reveal. He's intrigued by love because he's never had it before, he doesn't know how it feels, and everyone around him tells him it's about destiny. Phai is intrigued and excited by being with Sandee; he is in awe of how Sandee acts and sees the world, so he's intrigued by Sandee when he keeps mentioning the idea of being with someone because of fate.  He sees a card (Thanu's), he likes the signature (OH man, do I have a lot to say about that), and then he proceeds to keep onto the card. 

It happens to be Thanu's; they're pulled to each other and later realise they have a magical prophetic connection that suggests they're soulmates. Oh okay. So love is about this inevitable destiny that binds two people together, then in the show, it must be about coincidences and feeling that connection, right?  Wrong. Well, 50%.  That's what you fall for and get distracted by. People forget that these couples have the same theme, the same question when focusing on love. Is love following what you think is suitable for you, or who you have feelings uncontrollably for? That's the question—Head vs Heart. I want to break each of the couples in this essay, the important ones that show this hint; this will surprise you because I'm sure you'll be like, wait, they're a couple? But Couple 1 is SandeePhai, 2 is ThanuWayu, 3 is TongPok. I will mention how the other couples met this quota briefly, but these are the essential couples I will focus on. So Let me return first to SandeePhai because they start this whole thing. And boy do I love them. 

SandeePhai: The moral good guy vs The ditzy naive one

When we get this storyline at first, apart from Markit, we're introduced to SandeePhai. Thanu and Wayu haven't met yet (Wayu is broken-hearted by Pha), and TongPok show up later. Sandee and Phai; we see them straight away. Phai is ditzy; he hurts his head, and we see Sandee come to him and check if he's okay. The first thing the audience thinks is, wait a minute, is there something here with these 2. Because Sandee had certain expressions, looks and gestures that suggested he was mysterious/secretive but mostly meant he had feelings and was affected by Phai. It wasn't evident. But they had a tension that was felt from the beginning; even Phai felt it. He looked dazed, and they kept staring into each other's eyes longingly like every other couple in this show. I was confused; it was pretty apparent to me from episode 1, that Sandee had unrequited feelings, but later I pushed it away because the show made me think it liked queer baiting. 

Let's review what was shown from ep 1-3 before Phai met Thanu. It's crucial to notice. We have the questions: 

Did Sandee have feelings for Phai at that moment? 

Did Phai ever have feelings for Sandee? 

My answer? Yes, they both did; they just didn't know. Well,  no, actually Sandee knew what he felt, but he had chosen to keep it a secret. Let me explain.  In ep 1-3, Sandee flirts with Phai, is affected by Phai's presence, looks at Phai longingly but later confesses he thinks love means loving someone when it hurts; he also looks at Phai as he contemplates this. What's really sad about this, is that because Phai doesn't know what love is, how it feels, or how it manifests,  he doesn't know that Sandee, the person he keeps saying he'll let Phai know about, is himself. He was already laughing at Phai's eagerness to discover who his soulmate was; he wanted to know what Sandee knew. Sandee promised him he'd know what destiny was soon. At first, Sandee honestly seems like he's talking about himself,  he's going to reveal his feelings to Phai, but because he later on, speaks darkly to the audience that there's more to Phai and Thanu's meeting,  I stopped thinking he knew about his feelings and was playing a matchmaker role for his arc. Right? But rewatching the show, I was wrong. Before I continue explaining about them,  let's explain Sandee firstly, because you need to understand why he is the way he is and why this is a massive flaw of his put purposely by the writer for him to learn about as he falls in love in season 2. 

 Sandee's flaw is his cunningness; he tries always to do what's right. Now, this is not bad; it's just misunderstood, leading to chaos from his actions. When we're introduced to him, Mark explains that his name means to be good/righteous. Because that's his flaw, he's always trying to do what's right. It's why he gets revenge on PokTong; it's why he's the villain in ep 9-12, and why he sent that picture of Phai to Wayu (there are more reasons than that, but it's one of it). Sandee believes everything has to be done right, correctly as the world sees it. So love has to be done right. People need to act right. Everything needs to be precisely the way it should be. This also brings the question of love. For Sandee, what he thought love was, as each of the kids, was that it's synonymous to destiny/fate, the search for a soulmate. The right one. So the thing is, he had feelings for Phai, but he pushed it down (because that's what love is for him, he was okay with being hurt and pushed to the side as long as it's correct) because he believed the coincidences and the way Thanu made Phai feel meant Phai's soulmate was Thanu. That's why it feels like he switches from episodes 1-3 as someone with feelings to all of a sudden a matchmaker. He stopped thinking he and Phai could be together. He thought with his head. 

Let's speak about Phai and how he also fell for Thanu with his head, not his heart. Phai was naive, and he wanted desperately to find love, right? So he was prodding Sandee constantly for answers about it. What's funny to me is the show already showed they had something brooding. They both lost time when they stared at each other, both felt affected by the presence of each other; seriously rewatch episodes 1-3 before Thanu shows up to Phai. The thing is, Phai felt things for Sandee but didn't know what it meant, so he was naively always asking, being interested in Sandee's thoughts. If what I guess is true, Phai adored how Sandee saw the world, he liked how he spoke about things, he enjoyed being with him, he trusted and sought him out for advice. They were close, after all. However, Saeb and others told Phai, who didn't know what love is, that love was a soulmate, an inevitable destiny. (it's brilliant because it's twisted, it's right, but it's also wrong with the show's theme).

 So Phai was curious looking for his one, and suddenly he bumps into Thanu; they have a lot of coincidences to the point it starts to be forced on them magically that they're meant to be, they're going to date, and fall for each other. Once Phai sees Thanu, especially the vision and the coincidences that happen with them, he wants to be with Thanu. The reason is simple; 

Firstly, there's tension and a connection with Thanu (they need to date to help each other figure out what love is). 

Secondly,  he liked how he felt and looked in the vision with Thanu; it was sweet, romantic; he's never had that before.

 Thirdly,  this is what everyone was telling him love was.

 Both he and Thanu couldn't escape the clues that they needed to be by each other's side. And the thing is, this is romantic because they do need to date; however, they're not the endgame. So Phai was going with his head, not his heart. He was following the obvious clues, the apparent coincidences, he wasn't thinking about his heart, but he did fall for Thanu.

Sandee, on the other hand, was okay as long as Phai was fine. But once Phai wasn't happy, once there was an obstacle (Wayu) making Phai sad, Sandee acted quick, did what was right, went back, and tried to cause a rift with Thanu and Wayu. He did it because of his need to be right and punish others who don't do right, but also he did it because he had feelings for Phai, cared about his happiness, and disliked seeing Phai being discarded by Thanu. But he's so dumb because for some reason, although his heart wants Phai, Sandee stopped thinking Phai and him could be together because of what he thought logically about soulmates. So his heart wants Phai, but he's willing to let himself hurt as long as it's right and the one he loves is happy. 

Where does this leave SandeePhai? I think Phai was meant to date Thanu (if they didn't do that voting thing and changed the whole plan); the reason is that there's a reason for why he and Thanu are destined; it's not for soulmate reasons though you can have more than one soulmate. They're meant to teach each other what love is However, in the visions, Thanu still loved Wayu, not Phai. Phai clung to Thanu because he's a good boyfriend, but he's not the one for him. Sandee is. The person who truly cares about his happiness and will go to lengths to get it is Sandee. 

This isn't me making things up; this has been in the show since episodes 1-3.  With Sandee and Phai, Phai needs to know what love is before he can be with Sandee. He's who's going to be by his side as he struggles with the triangle, but also it's the anger and the questions for why Sandee went behind his back and tried to ruin Wayu and Thanu. It's when those questions start being confronted that he'll start questioning what their relationship is because their relationship is more, it's been more, they've always been by each other's side, both every close, each other's confidant, and person to run to. That's the thing with them. But they didn't understand it. 

Let's get into more of the triangle by talking about ThanuWayu

ThanuWayu: The loyal servant and The fairest beau 

Thinking about the theme of the show. It couldn't be even more obvious when you watch Thanu's plot in the show. Thanu and Wayu, before we even knew about their feelings for each other or that they were in love with each other from high school, were also soulmates. When they first meet in episodes 1-3, it's right in front of us, and I just didn't care to notice it. Their chemistry, tension, the way they're affected by each other from the moment they meet each other should have been a sign these two, like SandeePhai, had something uncontrollable. 

Thanu truly struggles with the feelings, especially when he later has to also question what Phai is to him. But Wayu struggles with it too; in fact, he was also confused, his heart was being shaken up from the first time he saw Thanu (no one else did this to him, by the way, just Thanu) but because his head had rationalised Pha as his soulmate and destiny who saved his life in high school, he didn't want to let go of Pha. This is so important. This is the theme of the show; it's literally what all the ukes are dealing with. They can't let go of their logic on love/who they think should be their love vs what their heart is telling them. It's so good.

 What I like about this is that when you rewatch the show, what Thanu and Wayu have is uncontrollable. It is felt from the start; they want each other, they long for each other, even when Wayu is still trying to hold onto Pha and thinks the reason he likes Thanu is because he's reminding him of Pha. He even hugs him thinking he's Pha when they first meet. This is ironic as we find out it's Pha who is taking Thanu's place. The person who Wayu thought Pha was, was Thanu who saved his life. It's so interesting because Wayu is clinging onto Pha because he thinks that's his soulmate, the one who he had a connection with as he fell, but it wasn't; it's why he cries about lost time in episode 12. It was a big confusing moment because yes, he loved Pha, but he loved Pha and chose to be with Pha because of Thanu saving him.

 He also chose to be with Pha because Pha had reputation, status, popularity; everyone told Wayu he was the greatest. That was the thing; it was all his head choosing Pha because he didn't know his heart already belonged to Thanu. Like I said, ironic. And that's why it's a big deal to see how flustered he gets, how different he gets with only Thanu, even when he's struggling with heartbreak. He keeps crying on Thanu, calling him Pha, which I do recognise, but he later says what happened; he thought he wanted Thanu because he acted like Pha, but really he wanted Thanu for Thanu. He realised how much he fell in Episode 9 but didn't know how to deal with Pha. However, once he realised in episode 12 that Thanu was the first person he loved, he noticed the flowers, the necklace, but it didn't make him want to question what he had with Thanu. He cared about breaking the music box, having it fixed before the picture was sent to him. 

It's the same with Thanu. He was also dealing with his head vs heart situation. His soulmate was Phai, which was being shown by weird occurrences that Phai and him had something; however, Thanu even got intrigued by Phai because he was searching for the person who made him feel a specific connection (Wayu). Remember, Phai and Wayu and Thanu both see visions in their respective ship, and Thanu knew he saved someone but couldn't find. When he saw Phai, he was intrigued because the feelings felt very similar to when he held Wayu. He was looking for him but got distracted by the expulsion, so they never met; when he saw Phai and later started having more clues and hints that something was more with them, he was confused because from the start when Wayu hugged him, he had become intrigued and was falling for Wayu the more he spent with him. 

He knew this, so when he struggled to follow his head and choose Phai (avoid Wayu) because of what he saw with Phai, he regretted it because he almost lost Wayu. Only when Wayu is about to walk away, he stops him and says no, he can't let go of him because the thought of what his heart wants leaving was not good for him. That's why he's so determined and switches and tells Phai it doesn't matter. From the start, his heart wanted Wayu; we see it in the flashback of when he saved him; he's always wanted Wayu. They've always wanted each other. 

And that's the weird thing about the situation because it's head vs heart, and although the soulmate thing felt like it was with heart (because of romance and destiny), it wasn't; it was what we think love is meant to be. Weirdly, there are supernatural occurrences with ThanuPhai, but it's shallow. Yes, it saves his life, yes it's basically a vision of a cute relationship, but even in the vision, Thanu still wants Wayu. Thanu still gave his heart (the music box) to Wayu. And it's so important to notice that. I think people don't see that he chose Wayu immediately after having doubts, he stopped even thinking of Phai in a romantic moment,  he worried about the thing with Phai ruining him and Wayu, he panicked every time Phai waved because Wayu seemed like he knew something. Still, Thanu never once was thinking or regretting choosing Wayu. He had wanted Wayu from the start. That's why I'm telling you this was a done deal.

 It's more complicated with Wayu because even if Thanu is his first love (initially), Pha still entered. They formed something for a year, and yes, he thought he was with the person who saved his life, but it doesn't change the fact that they dated, loved and cherished each other for a while. However, because Pha has been a toxic thing to Wayu in this show because he dumped him with no explanations and kept making him lose his mind, Wayu was glad to find a way to forget about him. Because the only reason he held onto Pha was because he thought he was Thanu (the person who saved him). So in a way, if the Phai thing hadn't been an issue with Wayu finding out about the connection and Phai is a close friend of his, who he cares about and who may have feelings for Thanu, Wayu would have just confronted Pha and moved on. That's why he got scared when he first received flowers and the necklace from Pha at the end, but he didn't put any energy thinking about it after; he focused on Thanu's presents and fixing them because he wanted Thanu. 

You know those couples that you can't help but want to break down and analyse despite knowing you're a clown and you know it probably isn't that deep. But if it is confirmed later on that your suspicions were valid, then you would absolutely have that show become your favourite? Gen Y is like that for me. It has a cute straight forward main couple with Mark and Kit, but their story and plot aren't the main focus of the show. 

An introduction to Gen Y

The main focus is on the events that transpire in episode 1, immediately the love of his life dumps Mark's best friend, Wayu. Now, Gen Y is meant to a be parody/ fan fiction based on 2 Moons the series. We know the story of Wayu's lover and how they came to be. They were one of the biggest and most loved couples in BL. So this is interesting when we see that Pa leaves Wayu without any explanation and is a constant source of confusion and pain throughout the rest of the show. What makes it worse is when Pa decides to keep an eye on Wayu and ensure Wayu is alright, he proceeds to send in his best friend/ senior Thanu. And the exciting thing about this is Thanu looks a lot like Pa, tall, handsome, same department, same vibe. Wayu is immediately drawn to Thanu because he reminds him of Pa They both start to be closer to each other, (with the audience confused by if it's romantic or if it's platonic because of the book version of this story shows they're not going to be anything) Thanu to keep his promise to his friend, and Wayu because he sees Pa in Thanu. Basically, Thanu makes him feel closer to Pa, and he feels good and distracted by Thanu's presence. 

Now the worst thing about all of this is that Thanu and Wayu have chemistry, but the audience is led to believe that they're meant to be more of a bait and not a real thing. Basically, the production team confirmed that these two weren't going to be together. Instead, Thanu was meant to have a relationship or loveline with a soulmate trope with Phai and Pa was going to return back to the show to explain himself probably and these two were probably meant to become the main couple storyline in season 2. Fair enough, that's an interesting premise. Except I can't help but think we're being trolled. It doesn't make sense. Because when you actually focus on the plotline that is Thanu and Wayu, you can see they're clearly falling hard for each other. Let me explain in more detail in both their perspectives. And why it's actually not confusing when you piece everything together for their episode 9 separation. 

Wayu: The jilted

Wayu is heartbroken because of his devotion to his ex-boyfriend of a long time. Now if you remember 2Moons which this story is based on kind of, Wayu and Pa had a really intense, dramatic love story where both of them were utterly devoted to each other. Pa was Wayu's prince charming out of everyone and the only person that mattered to Wayu. Pause, when Wayu is broken up with Pa,  Wayu doesn't want to move on from Pa because he can't; basically, no one else will ever move his heart like that until Thanu shows up. Now at first Wayu latches unto Thanu (from their first meeting when he hugs his back and thinks he's Pa) because of his similarities to his ex and his presence reminds him of his ex. At first, that's all it is; he can't help but be comfortable and reliant on Thanu to distract him and give him information about Pa's whereabouts. In doing so, he slowly starts to care for Thanu and is still unable to let go of Pa. Pause again. There are moments wherein his pain and sadness, Wayu uses the similar presence of Thanu to mistake him for Pa thus their kiss/ almost kiss in episode 8 when he's crying about Pa leaving him. But as we look deeper, we see that it's more than that. 

Wayu likes and is falling for Thanu, and it's not a bait, they're something. Wayu is protective over Thanu and enjoys being in his presence. They both make each other smile, and they both want to be around each other. Plus there's this natural tension with them since the first time they met not because of the Pa thing, but they get nervous and scared when they're with each other, they lean close and find themselves staring longingly at each other's lips and more. They're physically and emotionally attracted to each other, and they know it. Wayu slowly gets over Pa when Pa for the last time breaks his heart, in trying to get over that heartbreak Wayu starts to spend more time and attention with Thanu. Which is why we have episode 9, Wayu is betrayed and hurt by the realisation that all that was happening with Thanu was because of Pa again, and was because of obligation not want from Thanu. It broke his heart; you can see it despite the fact that he pretends it doesn't.

 He tells Thanu the truth; he may have started off liking him because he reminded him of Pa, but actually, he started liking Thanu for Thanu. He was quick to protect and believe in Thanu even when Padbok was trying to make Thanu a villain. He saw how caring and smart and comforting Thanu could be not Pa. So really Wayu as of now has feelings for Thanu. And is torn between the realisation that he's no longer into his soulmate/person he should be with always, Pa and Thanu his best friend. It's a sticky situation, and that's why he pretended he was okay and told Thanu to find the right one. In a way, he felt like what they had, or what he felt for Thanu wasn't reciprocated because Thanu only stuck by his side because of the obligation to Pa. It also felt probably wrong to fall for Thanu, Pa's best friend,  when Pa is meant to be the one for him. The other thing, I wanted to say as well is that he regressed back into thinking that the reason he likes Thanu is because of the similarities he had to Pha. So he pushed down his feelings. 

Thanu: The good friend

When Thanu first shows up, we find out he doesn't do love. Like he doesn't know what love is, or what it feels like. Thanu's character dynamic is focused on his loyalty to his friends. Two of his plotlines revolve around this. One includes Pa and Wayu, and the other includes Padbok. In both of these, he has no choice but to betray the friendship despite fighting hard not to. Bear this in mind, when you think about his actions throughout the whole show. He first shows up to Wayu out of obligation; it's because Pa could not explain why he left the love of his life and told Thanu to come to retrieve his belongings. 

However, I think people forget one crucial information to know Thanu has liked Wayu for a while; he just didn't know it. He was actually touched and interested in getting to know Wayu because of how Pa described him. He liked who Wayu was, and when he saw Wayu, he said he was exactly as he described him. There's already an intrigue and interest in Wayu's welfare even before Pa asked him to keep an eye on Wayu. Wayu and Thanu have this intensity between them, and they both feel it but push it away, you can see it throughout the whole scenes, I used to think it just baited and fanservice for DunBas, but it wasn't, it was showing you they actually had feelings and chemistry that they noticed but ignored. Because at that moment, Wayu was still not over Pa, and Thanu did not know what love was. Pause. 

Before we continue another thing we must notice is that Thanu tries his hardest to be a loyal best friend. He's made a mistake before with Padbok that probably haunts him and makes him feel like a failure/ bad person. He probably swore to himself he'll never end up in another situation where he betrays the trust of a friend. Padbok makes sure he doesn't forget the misunderstanding, and he feels guilty so much to not even try to explain what actually occurred and why he ended betraying him by mistake. This is important to his character. He doesn't want to betray a friend. What would be the worst betrayal apart from falling in love with your best friend's ex-lover who your best friend clearly isn't over?  So please take that into account and watch his actions with Wayu. 

He clearly felt the same spark, energy and chemistry with Wayu, it both made them act nervous, it made them shifty, and it made them drawn to each other each time they were close. Thanu believes the reason why Wayu is this way is that he sees Pa in him. He says it in episode 9,  he knew he was being a replacement for Pa because of his similarities and he was asked to keep an eye on and prevent Wayu from breaking down by Pa. Thing is I think Pa stopped being the reason for why he wanted to be with Wayu. He also admits to this in episode 9, he and Wayu actually had a lot of fun together, they laughed, they spoke profoundly, and they were both worried and wanted to protect each other Pa or no Pa. I think that's important. Wayu's presence started to mean a lot to Thanu who had to confess to Wayu why he started being close to him. You could see in episode 9 he didn't want Wayu to leave he wanted him to know he wanted to be around him. But there are reasons why they can't cross that line

Because he's not even sure if this is love. He doesn't know what that feeling is (he needs to learn about it first with Phai I bet so that he can accept his feelings for Wayu)

Because of his determination not to betray a friend 

Because he was also being intrigued and distracted by Phai who he didn't know the reason why. 

So he also pushes his feelings down and is determined in episode 10 to give up on the Wayu feelings he started to have. They're not good, and he's not meant to think about Wayu that way, he's not meant to be with Wayu; he's meant to be with Phai. 

Pha and Phai -The soulmate problem

Literally, the universe is forcing Phai and Thanu to be together. And whilst this is cute, it's shallow. There's not really a reason for why these two are soulmates, yes they could have a good romance together, and they're both intrigued and drawn to each other enough to be a recurring memory to them. But is that enough reason for why they're soulmates I don't know, with Thanu it is interesting to see him make some bold choice to draw Phai, it shows he's someone exciting and vital to him? It could be love at first sight which is fine, but I feel like with Wayu, there's been this build-up of longing and angst and repressed feelings because he can't be with Wayu in that way. In a way, Wayu challenges Thanu's mindset and character because his goals are being warped because of the messy feelings he's starting to have for Wayu. As a writer, the couple with more development, and more depth and reasons for why they should be together is Thanu and Wayu. 

Hear me out they both comfort each other during times of distress, Thanu literally is a comforting presence sent to Wayu for that purpose by Pa. Wayu comforts and takes care of Thanu when he's agitated and triggered by Padbok, they both like being with each other, they can talk deeply about their opinions and feelings like we see in episode 9. They compliment each other, they both make each other smile without meaning to, and they're clearly as I keep on repeating attracted to each other automatically before knowing. Yes, Pa was important for both of them. However, I think Wayu would have still been attracted and drawn to Thanu even without Pa, like the episode where they first meet, later on, they meet again at the cafe, and you can feel the longing, attraction and chemistry from when they look at each other when they bump into each other. I also think Thanu liked Wayu when he heard about his traits and his personality, and I think it's an innate thing not just because of Pa that he wants to take care of Wayu. 

I think that's why Kit told him to be careful; he was blurring the lines between what he wanted to do, vs what he felt he should do for Pa. In his head Wayu only wanted Pa, and so it should stay that way. This couple without us knowing it actually has a tremendous angsty plot and it's actually interesting and impressive. But the sad thing about this is we're reverting back to the surface storylines with ThanuPhai and PaWayu at the end of this season. Is it really over for ThanuWayu, or are we being trolled? 

Reasons I think we may be being trolled.

DunBas pre this show were asked by the production team to keep up with fanservice. They wanted us to ship and care for them. They wanted us to see their chemistry. Why if they're not going to end up together. It's bizarre when people tell me the producers said they're not end game or a couple in this series. I think that doesn't make any sense with how much the storyline is showing they both fell for each other hard. I feel it's not going to be completed easily in season 1. 

Phai and Sandee could be an interesting match. I questioned why people told me that Sandee didn't have any feelings for Phai because, in the book, he doesn't. I questioned it because Phai and Sandee's actors have been a known couple and have acted together romantically in The Moment. They have their own fan base, their own fan service and it didn't make sense to me why they would make us think Sandee had unrequited feelings only to just forget about that once Phai sees Thanu. I don't know why they would choose these two specifically as Phai and Sandee. 

There are more depth and storyline for Thanu and Wayu throughout the whole show. Yes in the book it's the same, but Thanu still ends up with Phai but what if we're being trolled what if the writer switched the couple. It's all nice to see the chemistry between DunBas and make Thanu confess that he cares deeply about Wayu and not just because of Pa, to see him actively try and avoid Wayu so he focuses on Phai suggests there's more there than just a platonic relationship. They can't just go back to letting Wayu be sad, and Thanu move on, maybe in the book but that's not the vibes I'm getting from the show.

Pa is coming back, and he's important obviously. His reason for why he left could make or break ThanuWayu. I think that's what I'm going to have to wait to understand. Because right now Pa doesn't seem like a great love interest maybe that's why season 2 will be based on them because it'd be angsty and dramatic once we find out why, but I don't know his actions this whole show has been quite upsetting. I will say that Wayu might not be over him yet since he probably still holds some kind of love for him since he's the one for him or whatever, but isn't it ironic that both Wayu and Thanu find themselves in a predicament. Do they choose to throw away their 'soulmate' the people who they should be with, who the universe wants them to be with or do they choose each other because they are falling for each other. That dilemma makes them again even more in-depth and engaging as a couple.

It would be such a great plot if ThanuWayu still holds their feelings for each other. It'll bring the questions up about what love is really all about, how destiny plays a role in that, and what is required to be a good partner. It also would make the love square even more interesting to keep watching in season 2.

So yeah if it's not apparent. I'm trying really hard to give this ThanuPhai thing a try but with the ridiculous magical system of the world forcing them to be together despite them not even knowing anything about each other doesn't sit well with me. Like yeh, soulmate trope is adorable, but I really need more evidence and reason why they compliment each other. Right now looking into each other's eyes and feeling a spark is not enough for me to want this to be end game. Also, I think there was a foreshadowing in that scene that people will overlook. When they touched hands again, they couldn't see the future they saw before. That's a hint that this on the surface it's not something long-lasting. I think they're both helping each other know what love is, so they recognise their real feelings for the other people by their side.

Not to mention all the foreshadowing this episode that the person he wants is Wayu (the music box represented his heart/desire) and he gave it to Wayu. And the visions he and Phai see are telling us he will choose to date Phai but won’t be able to move on from Wayu but Pa will come back and both of them will be stuck in their respective obligational relationships it doesn’t mean he won’t care about Phai. Also the reason why he and Phai are having a bitter sweet conversation is because his heart is somewhere else with Wayu probably Phai loves him but I’m sure Sandee will be a factor too later in the future. I think all these couples apart from MarkKit were a slow burn and unfortunately I think the directors and screen writer didn’t plan it well because I think people are losing patience with everything in the show. I do like Wayu and Thanu, and Thanu and Phai and if it is as I think it’s being planned, then I’ll actually be into this show more. I still want more dimensional characters that have more than just one personality. And I want Pa back to see his reason

Wayu/Thanu :: Remembering their first kiss

I love how they had to touch their lips as if they can still feel the other's touch there. Confusion and disbelief written all over them but the recollection is so clear.

GEN Y Ep 9 Observations and Comments

Gen Y is really that show that is great on one hand; because of the fluff, humour and cuteness overall. But then it also leaves you with sighs for certain choices made whilst writing the show. I love how each of the couples are non toxic and have great chemistry and MarkKit are adorable despite the shallow plot, they’re a nice main couple to watch for fun. Their scenes are just chef’s kiss because of Kimmon and Copter. 

Now with Thanu Wayu Phai Phana love triangle. This is meant to be the big plot of the show with angst and drama. And I feel sad because I think more focus should have been given to Thanu and Phai as the main characters with more depth to their characters. Like we know already Thanu would do anything for his friends so we should have had him be this weird closed off to love person who is loyal to his friends but strained away from relationships because he never trusted love or knew what it was. (Tbh that’s what the show has already written him as but I would have loved him to have more character goals and growth and emotions to why he acts a certain way. What’s his philosophy of life, what’s his flaws and what does he need to change to grow and find real love.) 

And his story with Padbok should have had more of a main screen time with more explanations and understanding. We could have also given Phai more character depth he seems like he doesn’t know a lot about love and destiny so he could be logical and given like a different reason for why he’s so against believing in that despite the signs he’s noticing about the Thanu situation. Right now he’s just stale with no personality other than curiosity about his meeting with Thanu. It that would have given more dimensionality as a character. 

Have their soulmate missed opportunities plot be the biggest focus of the show and make the love triangle with Wayu more built up and have the WayuPha storyline like a side couple story like it should have been at the beginning. Would have been greater to see these two with more depth and story and goals and see them slowly affect each other with their missed opportunities and symbols more than just the staring at each other from afar and having really no reason why they should like each other apart from a spark. Have them do more significant stuff to help the other without knowing. And just as they’re about to be together cause the love triangle conflict to happen: should Thanu be with Wayu who there clearly is chemistry and care for or should he follow his heart and be with this person who he can’t help but be drawn to and has secretly been attached to. 

Have Phai misunderstand the situation with Thanu and Wayu and have a moment where he thinks all they’ve been having together is just coincidences and in his head and then bring Pha back for Wayu after Thanu finally discovers that Phai is the person who he’s destined fo,r to come at the end and then have the next season focused on Wayu and Pha drama and the crying and the resentment and all that angst. I just think one of the main issues with Gen Y is the priority given to the Phana and Wayu storyline that it makes it quite irksome and confusing because we don’t even know who Phana is and why he’s acting up and causing so much issues. Like I enjoy the angst of Thanu slowly falling for Wayu as he helps him get over Pha (would have made a great love story as well) but if they’re not meant to be together, it makes a great love triangle plot. 

It would have made more sense for Wayu to be just Mark’s bestfriend who finds him self involved in the other main couple storyline and then give him the spotlight in season 2. If the writer just gave more goals and aims to Thanu and Phai and actually gave their back stories more depth and focus, given them personalities other than just the soulmate thing it would have been a great plot to follow and not feel as lack lustre as it feels. Because I like Thanu and Phai and their chemistry but because we’ve had to focus on the growing angst between Thanu and Wayu not knowing what line they should cross each other, I feel a bit cheated that Wayu and Thanu are not going to be together.

 I just think don’t just give us this shallow soulmate au plot but actually give me more reasons other than these weird coincidences why Thanu and Phai are good together, how do they compliment each other with their personalities, how do they help each other change and grow. In soulmate plots,  even though they’ve never met each other like you can have them still affect each other with actions behind the scenes deeply without them knowing how they do so. Even have them write more answers and opinions anonymously  to each other without knowing they’re speaking to each other essentially like the first love note Thanu wrote about his opinions on love. Have them get to be in contact through that with fake nicknames or anonymously and then those missed opportunities where they keep having moments to be close to each other but they keep missing out on each other matters even more because they already have each other as a priority that they care about and affects their life without knowing who it is. A bit like Love Simon and Blue; that kinda energy but the audience knows who is who.