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the eclipse: episodes 1-4

Welcome to my note board - it’s a hot fucking mess of rambling below the cut so proceed with caution.

Character Notes

Akk What we know so far - Akk is from a small town and he didn’t want to leave/grow up - Akk initially does believe in the order and structure of Suppalo’s rules whole-heartedly (he at least states as much to Ayan and enforces them as a prefect) - Akk lives in a dorm/apartment by himself and has yet to mention his parents in any capacity; Wat and Kan seem to visit him frequently after school or on weekends - Akk appears significantly less affected by being in an openly queer cafe than Kan does; while he seems uncomfortable discussing his romantic/sexual life openly he does appear less defensive than Kan on the matter - Akk is incredibly paranoid when it comes to Ayan and it is portrayed as distaste for Ayan as an outsider here to ruin Suppalo’s reputation; while Ayan has neither confirmed nor denied Akk’s suspicions, Akk believes he is right in his assumptions and continues to push at Ayan to reveal his intentions; he feels unsettled enough by Ayan’s presence in the school that he takes the risk a few times of attempting to snoop through Ayan’s things for answers/evidence - states in ep2 that rule breakers are people who “tend to have no roots” (which is an interesting sentiment from someone who grew up in a small town likely without said roots at Suppalo) - Akk is stronger than Ayan - Wat mentions that Akk has always wanted to be a prefect after Akk states that he “must [continue to] be the prefect club president” - despite his misgivings about Ayan, he does try to protect him from the ire of the teachers in certain situations usually by pulling on his sleeve and telling him to stop challenging the teachers (yet seemed upset in ep4 when Ayan didn’t fight back)

What we should keep in mind - how he came into the mindset of strictly abiding by the rules after growing up as a “carefree small town boy” who didn’t want to grow up - it’s a little unclear if Akk is struggling more with his attraction to Ayan from the lens of a sexuality crisis or a perception of the school crisis (though him putting his school blazer into the closet in ep1 feels incredibly symbolic; he also comments they go to an “all boys school; who would i like?”) - Akk is consistently “violent” with Ayan (grabbing his collar to assert his power, shoving Ayan out of his space, and threatening several times to hit Ayan) but all of this is done without ever following through; perhaps a misguided fear response? potentially an inferiority complex or self-defense mechanism from when he wasn’t an upperclassman/prefect aka learned behavior - personal opinion but he was definitely flirting with Ayan after they fed the dog together because parallel of “there’s one dog that won’t see my smile” vs. him actually smiling at Ayan while they fed the dog and then in the bathroom after, he flicks water at Ayan while saying “the dog’s pretty cute, wouldn’t you say?” and then immediately walks away

Ayan What we know so far - Ayan’s mother travels for work and she made a comment about a school he went to before Parot but gave no further detail; she seems to know Ayan transferred to Suppalo to seek answers about Dika’s death and is not a fan of his plan but also has not stopped him; his father has not been mentioned yet; Ayan is now at Suppalo because he’s “following” his Uncle Dika who passed away recently; Ayan believes Suppalo had a hand in Dika’s death but it has not been stated why yet (”how your school dealt with someone who disagreed” from ep4 is SUCH a telling piece of dialogue in this situation) - Ayan wears his sexuality confidently enough to use it to his advantage in situations he might otherwise not have an upper hand in (there’s so many examples of this where do i start...notably he has only done so with Akk); seemed appropriately flustered after the accidental kiss with Akk regardless - Ayan is keeping a journal about the consequences of rule breaking at Suppalo but that is all we know about the contents of his journal; has a conspiracy board...boy you are going to get caught if you keep inviting Akk over - Ayan is not afraid to challenge the teachers but seems to back off or place himself in the path of ire when other students protest the rules too (i.e. telling the World Remembers group to stand down when Akk and the prefects try to aggressively remove their protest and therefore shifts the attention away from them and to himself) - despite how much he likes to tease Akk, Ayan does give him an out in regards to helping him in the martial arts class stating that Akk doesn’t have to help him if he doesn’t want to (likely picking up on some of Akk’s awkwardness/discomfort) - appears to be very well-educated and well read to match his “arrogance” in the classroom - Ayan’s necklace belonged to his Uncle Dika who said he would hold it when he was anxious and uncertain of how things would turn out and tell himself everything would be okay; from the flash back in ep3 we can assume Ayan inherited the necklace from Dika after he died (mother’s brother perhaps?) - has photos of sleepy Akk on his phone alongside photos of him kissing Akk’s cheek; he thinks sleepy Akk is cute - a regular at the Cafe for All as Dika used to bring him there (frequently it sounds like but the reason has not been stated)

What we should keep in mind - despite what Akk believes we have yet to see Ayan instigate acts of protest that involve other students aside from telling the World Remembers group in ep3 that it seems like their protests are working/upsetting people loyal to Suppalo; he has talked down the World Remembers group during their protests however to try and subvert punish away from them; he has not partaken in one of their protests so it’s unclear if he is actually involved in planning them - Ayan seemed a little unsettled during the martial arts class and even got up to walk away from the mat before he was called back by the teacher; curious about that reaction because Ayan has not attempted to walk out of a class before (could be frustration at not remembering techniques like the teacher said; however in the scene immediately after where Akk is instructing Ayan, it almost looks like Ayan hesitates to even get close to Akk to begin with) - not above attempting to provoke a reaction out of Thua by telling Thua that when he remains “neutral” he is “no better than those dictators” and states that Thua’s opinion and voice matter; if he’s not careful in who he provokes Ayan might actually get punched - the teachers are following Chadok’s lead to quite literally tamp down Ayan’s self-confidence because they don’t like being questioned...we can imagine how well this will turn out as evidenced by him letting his guard down around Akk after the teachers put Ayan through his paces all day

Dika What we know so far - used to work as a professor at Suppalo and supposedly transferred to Parot (it’s unclear if this was a lie the students/staff at Suppalo were told since the majority don’t know he’s dead but it would explain why Ayan moved to Parot before transferring to Suppalo) - Dika taught Ayan English and was an English teacher at Suppalo [confirmed by Ayan in ep1] and worked in the student welfare department under Chadok for a brief time; the rumor Mr. Sit mentioned states that Dika was promised higher pay at Parot which is why it is believed he left Suppalo - in the photo Ayan took about the Christmas board, when he zooms in we can see two of the three students that are part of the World Remembers group posing with Dika and they’re all smiling widely and look happy - from Ayan’s nightmare it looks like Dika took his own life and Ayan believes Suppalo had something to do with it but we do not know why yet; can be assumed that Ayan either witnessed Dika’s death or might have been the one to find him - liked white roses and used to keep a vase of them behind his desk (loyalty, innocence, purity in language of flowers)

What we should keep in mind - Uncle Dika did talk to Ayan about how strict Suppalo was before he died and before Ayan transferred but in what context they spoke about Suppalo we don’t know yet - Kan makes a comment about Dika being able to “handle the trouble makers” if he was still around implying that he probably had a good approach to compromise with upset students; Akk calls Dika a “traitor” to the school more than once and feels strongly enough about it to call him a “traitor” in front of Teacher Sani (whether this is because Dika “left” and Akk’s blind loyalty is making him think that way or because he looked up to Dika/was close with Dika and feels abandoned is yet to be seen) -- starting to wonder if the student body was purposefully turned against him somehow - referencing the above statement, in ep2 Akk asks Ayan if he was “brainwashed by Teacher Dika; you are both rebellious” which could imply that Dika might have been stating similar sentiments as Ayan before he “left”

Thua What we know so far - Thua is an intelligent, well-organized student who is outwardly friendly and helpful but keeps a lot of personal things under wraps (curious how Ayan found out about Thua’s step father...) and he obviously is comfortable with his sexuality to some degree and knows that people talk about and judge him in a negative light for it; he also knows that Kan avoids him sometimes because Kan doesn’t want to be judged in the way Thua is - his step-father attended Suppalo (i think...still not sure if it was his step-dad or biological dad that went) and wanted Thua to do the same - he is the head of their class - as their class was being forced to recite the school’s pledge, Thua does so with a neutral expression and clenched fists - states to Ayan that he’s not “playing it safe” but “staying neutral” (whether or not this is Thua lying to himself remains to be seen); advises Ayan to stop challenging the teachers/rules but backs off immediately when Ayan says he won’t

What we should keep in mind - has yet to state his opinion concretely however stated that “if we can let it slide we should; we won’t be here forever” indicating that he does not enjoy the rules and would prefer not to adhere to them, but is willing to keep his head down - he stated that he didn’t want to see Kan get hurt again when he asked Kan not to defend him in the future; wondering if this is foreshadowing for a follow-up scene involving exactly this - definitely has a strained relationship with his step-father as implied by Thua’s mother; relationship with biological father is unknown but is apparently notably different from his step-dad; parents are divorced (questionable since all his mother said was “since I got remarried” so his father could have passed away too); got a blank look on his face and went quiet in ep3 when Kan brought up Thua’s father having attended Suppalo - when Ayan met with Thua and Thua’s mother, he seemed rather familiar with Thua’s mother (this might be me not understanding the finer details of Thai culture but I don’t think Ayan would bring up the topics he did at a first meeting and risk not knowing how she might react) [note: Thua’s mother is an angel <3]

Kan What we know so far - Kan is blatantly in the closet (potentially harboring some internalized homophobia) as he becomes skittish and paranoid at even the slightest indication toward any interaction or situation that presents the topic of queerness (i.e. cafe scene); sometimes tries to overcompensate so he is perceived as straight (i.e. Valentine’s day scene) - brings up Suppalo’s curse several times and appears to believe in it with the way he addresses the topic (unclear where his foundation of belief stems from) - despite how uncomfortable Kan is with being in the spotlight in terms of his sexuality he does go out of his way to care for Thua and defend him - not all of the teachers seem uptight and strict at all times, shown by Kan often making jokes in class that the teachers often take in stride or shake their heads at while looking amused; Kan’s role seems to be very emotion/heart driven

What we should keep in mind - he made a comment in ep1 about “not talking/joking” about who he’s attracted to when Wat made a joke about Thua being Kan’s boyfriend; there’s a chance that he might have confessed or hinted about his sexuality to Wat and Akk as they seem to be his closest friends - his defensive attitude toward others when it comes to them gossiping about Thua is an interesting dichotomy to the way Kan handles his own sexuality and i for one am curious about how all that is going to play out

Wat What we know so far - is interested in film and communication arts but comes from a family of engineers and doctors so he is not planning on pursuing his own passions in school - has thus far acted as the mediator of the prefect trio and offers the straightforward and obvious solution to issues - usually telling his friends to just talk to each other

What we should keep in mind - Wat appears easy going and care free on the surface but clearly has the weight of legacy on his shoulders - he does not appear to believe fully in the curse of Suppalo and his overall stance on the rules is unclear, but he does his job as a prefect; assuming that Akk is swayed to Ayan’s view of things in the future it will be interesting to see how this might affect the prefect trio and where Wat’s mediator position will land him if it turns into an argument (especially since Kan doesn’t necessarily like the rules but believes in the curse)

The Curse

- belief in the curse of Suppalo is not school wide and varies from student to student; the trio that make up the World Remembers group believe it is someone trying to scare them into following the rules instead of a curse while Kan seems to believe the curse is real and is strengthened by the presence of a solar eclipse - the teachers’ stance on the curse is unclear; when Teacher Sani asked about the curse she was told to defer to Chadok’s decisions on the matter and advised to mind her own business and not get involved with more than necessary if she wanted to work at Suppalo for a long time (likely foreshadowing for a similar conversation/situation with Dika?) - Chadok is the only professor who has mentioned the curse and has spoken as if he believes in it when speaking to Akk; during ep3 when the class is reciting the pledge Chadok states that they should unite and adhere strictly to Suppalo’s rules to prevent the curse from taking hold (gaslighting much?) - in the flashback of the flowerpot falling toward the World Remembers group, someone’s fingers are noticeably/intentionally in the shot from two different angles pushing the flowerpot off the edge of the balcony (perhaps implication/foreshadowing that the curse is not as supernatural as some believe it to be)

Things to Follow Up On

- in ep1 the World Remembers group is making copies secretly at night in the school when they are approached by a figure who startles them but the aftermath of that scene and the identity of the figure are never revealed - in ep2 we see an unknown figure pulling down the flyers that the World Remembers group put up and presumably the same figure burning all of those flyers in the middle of the night (same or different figure from ep1?) - the jacket sniff???? Akk??? - ep2 4/4 timestamp 2:15 ... is it just me or does the photo in the textbook look like Teacher Chadok? - Thua, Ayan, and Thua’s mother meeting up in the cafe seemed to be an after thought to the topic of the whispered conversation from ep3 between Ayan and Thua because Ayan asked Thua when he was free AFTER the whispering ended; so i’m curious what the whispers were about that provoked Thua to say “you know you can’t say what you said to me to anyone else in this school, right?” - who filmed/posted the video of the protest at the school; anonymous account since none of the staff seem to know who posted it? - Teacher Sani went out of her way to speak to Wat when she recognized that he seemed off/unhappy in class; she also told Teacher Chadok that they should hear what the World Remembers group had to say so that they knew the teachers were listening; she seems to genuinely care about the students and may end up walking a similar path as Dika did (or at least what has been hinted at) - ep4 is the first time we see Akk attempt to reason/talk back to teacher Chadok and after Chadok leaves Akk looks a little unsettled; this is likely the first crack in the foundation of Akk’s faith in the school - there are two scenes in ep4 where Ayan allows himself to be emotionally vulnerable; one where he doesn’t tell Akk much of anything but asks/allows him to stay while Ayan is crying; the other Ayan intended to be alone but realized that Akk had followed him - both times Akk found Ayan in an emotionally vulnerable state and was allowed to stay but at a distance - Akk: what if Teacher Dika was the one who took Ayan to the cafe? Kan: but Ayan said that person was dead... Akk: oh...right me, realizing what that implies: oh christ. you’ll get there eventually and it’s going to hurt. i can’t wait.

Recurring Themes

- Akk tends to be the one pulling Ayan closer - usually as a threat (keep your enemies close etc.) - but it is Ayan who puts a hand on the back of Akk’s neck to keep him there or dare him to get closer (until the cheek kiss scene) - Akk flipping Ayan during martial arts practice (i’m praying for a scene where Ayan is the one to finally flip Akk and i hope it’s symbolic as hell) - shots of the front of the school always make the Suppalo building to appear as a looming figure (especially in ep1 where Ayan and Akk are in each other’s faces set to the background of Suppalo taking up almost the whole shot) - Ayan is always framed on the outskirts of the crowd during the World Remembers protests, watching on silently as Akk tries to intervene; Ayan has only directly intervened once - sun and moon imagery (duh)

Favorite Shot From Each Episode

episode 1 - this doesn’t do the moment justice but <3