This will not be as much of a review but more an observation or perhaps a character analysis. Teh is pursuing his dream to be an actor, it is his passion. He is struggling though with a upcoming love scene in a play written by his mentor. Jai believes in Teh, he just needs Teh to believe in himself, and to that end, he needed Teh to trust him which is why he opened up about his personal life to him. The "Kiss" was to illicit a reaction from Teh that would be convincing to an audience (which judging from the ratings of the episode) was very convincing. How does an actor learn to "act" out convincingly in a love scene? How does he learn to separate the "real" from the "act"? This is what this episode was building up to. Granted, Jai was taken aback by the intensity of Teh's reaction to his kiss, but as a new actor I think that Teh has yet to learn how to "act" without any real passion. This will come in time the more experience he has. If I fault the episode it would be for the cliche Oh-awe observing the "kiss" in the doorway. This of course will cause all kinds of issues for the next episode. Put yourself in Teh's position, he loves Oh-awe, this causes him to hold back. Jai showed him that he could be passionate with someone as an actor so as to convince an audience (which he did, Oh-awe) but still be true to the one you love. I find some of the reaction to this episode curious considering how many viewers have praised this and ITSAY for being so "true to life" and "real" as opposed to the myriad of series which are cliche/trope ridden. However it seems that to be "real" and "true to life" is fine so long as one does not upset the cart with "real" and "true to life" emotions such as jealousy, temptation, self-doubt, mistrust, lust and a lack of communication. I commend this episode for stirring the pot which I suspect was the director's intention from the onset. I am sure that it will garner a lot of attention on social media, one must remember though that if we are to accept that if "IPYTM" is "real" and "true to life" it is because the protagonists are human and as such will screw up and make a number of mistakes along the way. Perhaps some viewers should consider this before they put this series (and especially this episode) on a pedestal.Update............................................................The social media reactions to this episode are priceless! With most being of the opinion that Teh's character has been ruined, almost as if it was written that way just to piss you off! People, it's just a dramatic series which shows the difficulties and problems which can arise in any relationship. Communication is the key, but how many twenty somethings understand that with everything else they have to go through with college life. Nadao has done an excellent job in portraying a very real depiction of what can happen when two people while still in love can drift apart due to a lack of communication. Billkin turned in a 'tour de force' performance so as to rile up so many viewers to loath his character. Any actor who, with the right direction, can take a beloved character and make him hated and despised by so many so quickly deserves high praise. How will this play out? There are two more episodes, so perhaps it might be best wait it out till the end before it is given a two thumbs up or a two thumbs down. Remember it is best not to judge when you don't know all the facts. Looking forward to Episodes 4 & 5.
Although it was a little cliched at the end, it was never the less an enjoyable ride. Some may think the "happy ending" was just to appease the fans but situations like this do happen. Thank you Nadao for this wonderful story that brought back a memory for me from 40 years ago. I made a decision then, and while I do not regret my life since, I will always think "what if". He was my first true love, and, although we lost touch over 15 years ago, I still think of him everyday and what my life might have been. I miss him.
How many of us have had a crush, or been smitten (yeah, old timer's term) by someone in your life. Think back was it a teacher, a mentor, a friend or perhaps a co-worker. Can you remember the feelings you had, your thoughts, your fatasies (erotic or otherwise) about this person. Did you feel guilty because you were in a relationship at the same time? How did you feel when you discovered that your "mutual attraction" or perhaps more was just that "yours" and not shared? Words and actions can often mislead us especially if they are made by someone we look up to. Jai may actually have had feelings for Teh, however (and this is all speculation) the pain and anguish he felt from his own failed relationship was something he didn't want Teh to go through. Jai made the right (mature) decision to tell Teh it was all planned for the success of the play, unfortunately Teh had trouble accepting this. As a result, his immature actions on the stage sealed his fate.This was another excellent episode kudos to the actors and director here for presenting a very real situation convincingly. Teh is a flawed character, who is only now beginning to see the consequences of his actions. Will he become a famous actor and get his picture on a billboard as he predicted in episode one? Yes. Will Teh and Oh-aew get back together? We'll see in the finale. My guess though would be yes they will. However it will be after some time has passed when both are successful and after both have experienced other relationships. They will meet again and realize that they have always been each other's soulmates.I have not discussed Oh-aew as he is the nominal character in this series (to this point anyway). There will be a lot of "poor Oh-aew" comments and reviews on social media which is to be expected, but this series is really about Teh. It is about the pursuit of his dream, which he will come to realize is nothing if he cannot share it with the one person who has always loved him.Eagerly awaiting the finale.