F4 Thailand: Episode 3 Recap

So our last episode was called The Second Impact. I ought to have drawn attention to this because I really like it! The first impact (that kick) redefines Gorya and Thyme’s relationship, from bully and victim to equal adversaries. The next impact (that kiss) redefines their relationship again. It’s fair to say that they’re definitely not adversaries anymore. In the wake of the kiss, feelings are bubbling up everywhere. Gorya is reaching a crossroads when it comes to Ren, who is in turmoil after discovering that Mira plans on moving to France for good. Should she follow her heart, or help him to follow his? Meanwhile, Thyme is busy processing the fact that he’s totally fallen for Gorya, and trying to figure out how he can show it.

Since this is Ren’s episode, let’s talk about him first. Last week I let loose my assessment of him – as a selfish asshole that doesn’t deserve to be treated as ‘the nice guy’ – and I stand by this. His apathy and his passivity are infuriating and I hate watching every iteration of our heroine treat him like her hero for doing less than the bare minimum. It’s worth noting, however, that I’m always bringing my expectations from other adaptations of this story. I can’t help but compare!

Sometimes that gets in the way with iconic characters. We all know that Don Juan is a legendary seducer, but not every Don Juan is the same. Tirso de Molina’s was mischievous, Moliere’s was philosophical, Mozart’s was dark. Sometimes it’s reductive to put them under one banner. The same applies here; none of these characters can be entirely held to the standards of their predecessors, but we can still learn a lot (and have a lot of fun) in measuring the differences. When viewed in isolation, I say that F4 Thailand‘s Ren is a limp noodle and I can’t fathom why the amazing Gorya likes him, but when I bring in my knowledge of five other iterations of the character, I start to see the other side of him, and feel optimistic about the future of his character arc.

Hanazawa Rui is a child-like figure. He is the mirror image of Tsukasa – they are both starved of love, but where one lashes out because of it, the other has withdrawn inside himself. This recontextualises his self-absorption. Ren’s single-minded fixation on Mira is not indicative of a bad character, but of him having a rich inner world where there is only space for the things he loves. These shows have tried to communicate this in a variety of ways. Every Hanazawa Rui is sentimental and artistic, but always in different ways – most iconically, Boys Over Flowers‘ Ji-hoo would play a melancholy violin, a thing I hope is subject to parody forever, like in this brilliant meta scene in Extraordinary You.

Ren, meanwhile, draws. This is a clever outlet for him, it’s immediately more intimate and personal. I like what this says about the fact that he took Gorya as a subject in episode one – the only other person we’ve seen him sketch is Mira, so isn’t that indicative of how much of an impression Gorya has made on him? I’m curious to what the show will do next to try and communicate that Ren deserves my attention. All that the Hanazawa Rui character needs to do is break my heart. So go on, Ren, break my heart. I dare you.

For now, I’m very happy that I got what I wanted. I hoped the show would acknowledge Ren for his faults, and if his confrontation with Gorya wasn’t that, I don’t know what is. Ren snaps at her for trying to convince Mira to stay for him. “Did I ask you to do that?” he says, “Have you thought about her feelings?” So far, this is familiar territory to a fan of this franchise – our second lead is so wrapped up in the noble act of letting go that he fails to see how much he’s hurting himself and everyone that loves him in the process. But the crucial change is that Gorya doesn’t just take this abuse silently, thereby implying that his attack is justified:

“Mira… she’s awesome. She fights with all her might for what she believes in. But look at you! You keep saying that’s how the world works – you tell yourself to get over it, but you haven’t done anything to fight for her! Even though I haven’t made a difference, I’m relieved that at least I’ve done something! Because it matters to me, Ren!”

Yes, Gorya, drag him.

I see this as a glass-shattering moment – Gorya still cares about this boy, but she sees him for who he actually is now. Every other iteration of our heroine just accepted all his verbal abuse and ran away upset at this moment, so I felt gratified to see Gorya call him out instead. This show just keeps finding ways to make me love her more.

This is the first episode that sells me on the friendships between the F4. Before now, there was nothing but tension between them; a feeling that the three of them walked on eggshells around Thyme, a feeling that they were only friends because they always had been. This episode first introduced all the playful ribbing so characteristic of their relationships. M.J. and Win teasing Thyme is very important because it brings Thyme down to earth. The way I see it, we’ve been looking at F4 through Gorya’s eyes all this time – they used to suck all the air out of the room, goliaths that she had to somehow overcome, but that kiss was a transformative moment. Now we see Thyme, and the other three, for what they are: Just some stupid boys.

I’ve always found it very interesting that Tsukasa is arguably closest to Rui out of the three other F4 boys. Akira and Soujirou’s closeness makes sense (they’re both care-free fuckboys), but from personality to interests, Tsukasa and Rui couldn’t be more different. I love what F4 Thailand says about that with their airport reconciliation. It really doesn’t matter that they have nothing in common but their history. They love each other, and it’s the most natural thing in the world. That’s the thing about family and lifelong friends – people will grow in different directions, but their bonds can always be sustained with enough love.

Since Mira is leaving us now, and I don’t see us really having a chance to talk about her again, I’ll say a few words about her character. The idea that Mira (aka Shizuka, since this observation extends to all iterations of the franchise) is such a massive part of the F4’s lives – almost a fifth member – but she has no bearing on anyone but Ren, and is essentially absent from the rest of the story, baffles me. This stings because she’s characterised so well, she doesn’t feel like a throwaway character! Here, she’s first introduced as Gorya’s role model, a woman with the kind of agency and confidence that Gorya aspires to have. When we actually meet her, we see that somehow she’s even better than we could have imagined – it’s a little sad that subverting the expectation for female rivalry is still as shocking today as it was in the 90s, but there you go. What, you thought that Gorya was going to fight Mira for Ren’s affections? Pffft, no, these women like each other so much that they both yield him to the other! In a story with so many female rivalries, it’s such a shame that a character like this is essentially reduced to a plot device. Despite the fact we now have Tia to fill her role as Gorya’s awesome big sister, Mira will be missed.

But like they said, it’s time to move on, and with the sadsack out of the way, Gorya can now move on to better, brighter things. Why stand in the rain, looking at a boy who won’t come to you, when you could stand in the rain and look at the boy who waited?