#man suang meta

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

Types of Traditional Thai Dance in Man Suang

We see two styles of traditional Thai dance-drama (Lakhon Ram) in Man Suang: Lakhon Nok and Lakhon Nai.

Lakhon Nok

The film opens with Khem performing the role of Sang Thong in what looks like a local event for a lord.

And we also see him in the iconic golden outfit for his performance as Phra Lor.

Lakhon Nok is traditionally a folk style dance drama performed by commoners.

The theatre took place away from royal palaces and was often performed at temple fairs.

Originally, Lakhon Nok was an all male dance style but these days women perform it too.

The stories are fast paced and the movements are typically more relaxed and not as refined as those you would find in Lakhon Nai or Khon, the two dance styles most associated with royal performance.

Costumes can be very simple or more elaborate.

The stories are often based on Buddhist Jataka tales and folklore with fantastical creatures like ogres, mermaids and spirits in abundance.

Traditionally any kind of story could be told except The Ramakien, Inao and Unnarut, which were reserved for royal performances of Lakhon Nai or Khon.

Popular examples of Lakhon Nok include:

Sang Thong

Phra Lor/Law

Phra Aphai Mani

Lakhon Nai

Wichiendej asks to see Khem as Inao, the hero of the Lakhon Nai dance drama.

Lakhon Nai was originally performed exclusively for the royal court by an all female group.

We do overhear Mae Kru Phikul arguing about this in the background of one scene. Shortly after this time period men would be allowed to perform in Lakhon Nai as well but I imagine it was still quite a transgressive act in this tumultuous time frame.

Only the king and members of his court were allowed to watch but during this time period, Rama 3 turned against royal dance as an art form and ordered a stop to both Lakhon Nai and Khon performances. This is likely the reason that Mae Kru Phikul ends up at Man Suang.

Characteristics of Lakhon Nai include extremely refined dance movements, adhering to traditional Thai aesthetic principles.

This is why we see Khem going to such drastic measures in his training montage, because he would be required to dance to a much more technical higher standard than he would have had to do when performing Lakhon Nok plays.

Costumes are elaborate and exquisite as befits a royal court.

The plots of Lakhon Nai come from three stories:

The Ramakien (a Thai version of the Ramayana)

Inao (The prince of the Panji tales.)

Unnarut (stories of the son of Krishna.)

There are other types of Lakhon dance styles but these are the two that are showcased in Man Suang.

I was a little surprised we didn't see Khon, the famous masked dance drama style of Thailand but it was another dance form originally exclusive to royal courts so I can also understand why it didn't show up in the film.

#man suang fic inspiration #man suang meta #mansuang #man suang #thai dance #traditional dance #lakhon nai #lakhon nok #lakhon ram

[nuwildcat]

Okay, so I noticed something in Man Suang that got me really excited. First and foremost here there be spoilers so if you haven't seen it you should not read under the cut.

Let's talk about how they managed to make Hong appear dead, cause it got my nerdy self excited.

So we start with our ill fated dinner and we see Khem pouring tea for both Khun Wichiendej and Hong. On the first watch through this kinda gets lost in all the drama but I did note it going, wait he poured for both of them.

Weirdly, noticing that made my brain more convinced that Hong actually died for a smidge longer than I would like to admit, but I had hopes. And luckily enough I was mistaken.

Toward the end of the film we get an awesome stitching together of past events that steps us through the shenanigans that were pulled to make sure that Hong came out of that dinner alive.

But as much as I love the kitchen aunties uniting to save their young master, that's not the part that got me all excited, it was this moment:

Khem pours the teapot and magically we get two teas. This is where on my rewatch I sat up and went:

I KNOW WHAT THAT IS! It's an assassin's teapot!

What's that you ask? OH JUST THE COOLEST TEAPOT EVER. (I assume my Irish ancestors would have loved to pull this one out if they ever got their hands on one).

Basically the teapot literally contains two teas, that with skill and precision you can pour one after the other, allowing you to poison someone and not another.

There's a youtube video on this if you would like to watch it here.

So what does that mean? Well, Khem had to train with the teapot, which we saw in the flashback explanations. (I cannot gif team, it's not a skill I have).

BUT THIS MOMENT HERE, like there are wild amounts of trust happening between Hong and Khem here that make me feel all the things. These boys get thrown together by circumstances and Hong trusts Khem to not fuck this up in the moment.

AND I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO WATCH THE VIDEO CAUSE FUCKING THIS UP WOULD BE EASY.

These pots aren't easy to use and they take skill. If they had fucked up they would have imitated death for one of the most powerful men in the country at that moment.

WOW, just wow.

Anyway that's the Irish lady ranting about cool teapots in a Thai historical movie.

💜'Cat out

#mansuang #man suang #mansuang spoilers #man suang spoilers #man suang meta #mansuang meta #killer teapots y'all #we got killer teapots #I get excited about the weirdest things I swear #but I did a little screech when I noticed this

[morose-marble]

I can't stop thinking about Khem and his relationship to sex as power and where it lies in relation to his own experience of sexuality. I also can't stop writing rambly, unstructured nonsense.

As we know, there's no explicit indication as to how Khem identifies sexuality-wise, other than subtle hints that Chatra's positive attention pleases him somehow (the repeating of 'you did a good job today', the very slight smile and perplexed pause at Chatra's admission that he just wanted to spend time with him, and finally, his frankly reckless trust in Chatra in the tree). And of course, 19th century understanding of 'sexual identity' as a character trait was different from the present.

I would have been interested in seeing more of Khem's perspective of his own sexual identity, considering that there was a scene that addressed homophobia directly. The fight that broke out was essentially used as a plot device to get him alone with Chatra, so I'm intrigued as to why they chose to emphasise homophobic rhetoric, when it seems that it isn't really presented as the issue. In Khem's case, class always trumps everything else.

All instances of Khem's sexuality we see are completely predicated on exploitation, with no suggestion at all as to what Khem's experience is beyond that. He has sympathy for the courtesans, because he understands what it is like to be reduced to the value of the pleasure to be derived from one's body. The first encounter with Phraya Wichiendej and the Inao performance, combined with the opening scene of the film, establish (to me at least) that he is practiced at recognising men's desire to 'have' him in a sexual sense, but perhaps more importantly, to exact class-facilitated power over him (he isn't really in a position to refuse). The way he smiles up at Wichiendej upon greeting him, the tone of voice he uses, come off as deliberately deferential in a way he has learned strokes the egos of men who see him as lesser. He recognises that it is the only tool for security or potential advancement he has in that particular kind of social situation. Tragically, the delivery of his lines during their meeting also holds a sliver of tenacious hope for the compliments to really only be for his efforts and not a veiled assertion of dominance ("you please me and I have all the power I need to make you do what I want"). And who knows, this may well have been the case, as we aren't shown Wichiendej pursuing Khem in any way after the Inao performance. We get the flashback montage of Khem's history of being sexually exploited by what appear to be men and a woman. So, again, the sex part of this exploitation is primarily about power, to reaally drive home that Khem has never had agency over his body or in his life. It is his base trauma.

The fight is Khem being slut shamed to compound on the humiliation he already feels from having received a thorough and public dressing down from Kru Phikun. And to add insult to injury, not only is he a slut, he's potentially 'a gay slut' (D.E.B.S? anyone?). He's understandably frustrated and angry, because he has had no choice in the matter, like, ever. What we don't know, is how he feels about the accusation regarding the gay part.

We don't get to see him as a sexual being on his own terms, he doesn't do any explicit desiring at any point in the narrative. So, the question is, how are we to interpret Khem's reaction to the disparaging of sexual conduct between men specifically? That's a big part of the argument, even to the point of surpassing the accusation that he is performing sexual favours in general. In fact, his assailant makes sure to let him know that he thinks performing gay sex acts for profit is worse than being a female sex worker in man suang, because gayness is particularly disgusting. Khem demands to know who presented the claim and whether they have proof, and he does it in a defensive, aggressive manner, and understandably so. Rather than commenting on the gay part of the accusation further than denying it, he chooses to openly defend the courtesans, effectively aligning himself with them, negating any discussion of the gender specificity of the accusation, but implicitly confirming the sexual favours part.

Does he recognise himself as experiencing desire for men? Or anyone, for that matter? Can he, when the primary association he is shown to have with sex is power-driven transactionality, instead of pleasure? Clearly this has been going on for a long time, but how long exactly? How has this impacted his perspective on sex and sexuality?

I was actually quite surprised how much time they devoted to establishing this part of Khem's character, without it playing a more pivotal role in the plot as the story advanced. I was sure at the Inao performance that Wichiendej would be built up as some kind of lech whose downfall would lie in his classist underestimation of Khem as a person, clouded as he would have been, with lust and a sense of superiority.

That leaves it to be simply a building block of Khem's character background, with the purpose to elicit sympathy in the viewer and contribute to world-building. But how does he feel? What does he think??

I know that Apo mentioned in an interview that Khem is some flavour of alphabet soup (not sure how specific he was tho), but within the narrative, they leave us guessing on multiple levels.

My fanfic fantasy for this whole thing is Khem finally being given a chance to get to know himself and have agency in choosing what he wants. Emancipate the lad!!!

#I sure do go around in circles here lmao #man suang #man suang spoilers #Man suang meta #apo nattawin

[artpo]

Um so I...I wrote an analysis on Hong and Tiang that's too long for a tumblr post 🤡

As always, beware of spoilers if you haven't seen the movie!

#man suang #man suang spoilers #hong #tiang #man suang meta #man suang analysis?

[luckydragon10]

Meta Doc for Man Suang & Shine

I have no chill.

I'm starting a meta doc for Man Suang and Shine. I wouldn't have done it for a movie alone, but since we're getting a series, well, game on.

There isn't enough content to make it worth sharing yet, but I just want y'all to know I'm on it and this is happening.

The dragon rises.

Not familiar with the KinnPorsche Meta Doc? It's nearly 1,000 collected links of Tumblr meta thoughts about KinnPorsche the Series, gathered from dozens upon dozens of fans during the time the show was airing.

#man suang #shine #shine the series #meta doc #mileapo #kinnporsche cast #more great meta to come #because I'm a glutton for punishment #kinnporsche #kinnporsche meta doc

[matan4il]

Just sitting here, quietly thinking about the fact that it turns out the attempt to save KPTS started on June 20, 2021. Because Filmania's problems in producing the show first became public on July 4th. And they only officially canceled the show on July 13th.

Apo tweeted on July 4th, and his brief words seemed to reflect the depths of his upset and disappointment.

But if Mile was taking action even before that in order to save the show, it means he saw what was coming. It means he understood the likely fate of the project before it was known for sure, he didn’t bury his head in the sand when he saw the worrisome signs, and he cared enough about KPTS, about the people involved that he had bonded with (and I believe more than anyone else on set, about Apo) that he took steps to prevent that reality from materializing even before it became a fact.

I have no words for how much I appreciate this man, his comprehension, his resolve and dedication, his caring, investment and passion. I have no doubt that Apo was a huge part of saving the show, too. Not just in terms of providing Mile with a huge chunk of the motivation to do it. I’m convinced that Apo was an active part of the efforts behind the scenes, providing crucial contributions. But nothing would have happened without Mile and I think he deserves credit for that. His efforts are not something that could have reasonably been expected of him. So let me say how much I'm grateful for him, for the fire in his bones despite how chill he always comes across, and for the bond that these two share that might have helped ignite the flame.

As a queer person, I can’t stress enough how much I love KPTS. How convinced I am that good representation matters. How close I hold Kinn and Porsche to my heart. How human this show made its queer characters and with how much dignity it treated them IMO. How freeing it was to see this celebration of queer love in all its forms, including the sexual ones. Yes, treating the sexuality of queer characters with respect and even joy, allowing them to do more than chastely kiss, that is incredibly important, too. That’s a part of what turns them into flesh and bone, not merely cardboard cutouts. No matter what the origins of the need to save the show, I have no doubt that the good it brought about grows exponentially (yes, as long as people keep discovering and watching the show, it will continue to grow), far beyond what Mile and Apo might have dreamed of when they first set out to try and make the show happen despite the fact that, as actors, that was never their designated role.

My heroes. Two kings. I’m so glad you met again. I’m so grateful for all the good that that is (i.e that you two are) responsible for.

#mileapo #mkp #mile phakphum #mile phakphum romsaithong #phakphum romsaithong #apo nattawin #apo nattawin wattanagitiphat #nattawin wattanagitiphat #man suang #man suang cast #kinnporsche #kinnporsche cast #kinnporsche the cast #kpts cast #kpts the cast #kinnporsche the series #kpts #kinnporsche meta #kinda #kp

[moerusai]

Chat leaving Ruang with Khem is his saying "I will come home, to both of you."

#ARE YOU FEELING ATTACKED YET? #COZ I'VE BEEN FEELING IT SINCE SEPT #chatkhem #man suang #mansuang #mansuang meta

[discluded]

MileApo x Dior update

Reporters are asking about working with Dior, Po said wait for the good news coming soon. Wait for the official announcement…

Apo: What news will there be coming soon

Q: Will there be any titles coming from working the brand? The fans are wondering/hoping there’ll be a title for you

Apo: Have to wait and see krub. It might or just from the fashion side, it could be from movie, work, or even the film ManSuang, (we’d/I’d) like to stay tune for what’s going surprise everyone

Translation by MileApo Safe Place

I had mentioned in the Dior Gateway to India press roundup that Hello! India might have jumped the gun on announcing the Dior ambassadorship in their coverage or possibly misunderstood the invite... it looks more like the former is the truth now.

Additionally, I'd mentioned this in response to anon about Dior:

Dior might be testing the waters of how much bang they’re going to get for their buck too. I had also thought, given the ambitious nature of Man Suang at international film festivals circuit, a high fashion brand might want the exclusive rights to dress them for all the red carpets, which for BOC could be very lucrative. Putting Mile and Apo in front for Dior seems to be part of a larger strategy at LVMH. LV is the stable brand that drives the highest volume and sets the average, but LVMH has been vesting a lot of effort into making Dior a giant.

Apo's comments seem to be validating that that might be what's in negotiation too.

Finally, on the bang-for-their-buck and digital strategy element, that wasn't just a throwaway comment--! Hot off the press, Lefty.io just published their most influential figures at the Dior pre-fall show (Gateway to India)

This is what EMV stands for:

What Is Earned Media Value? Earned Media Value is an influencer marketing metric that's used to quantify the value of social media content. EMV measures engagement with social media content about a brand that is created by a third party.

I don't care about other celebrities or whatever, but as a point of reference you can look at other EMV values they generated in these tweets for reference: (1) (2) (3)

If you bother to click the tweets, there are some other Thai actors on the list including Bright and Win (from you know. that couple). Mile and Apo clearly still lag behind them, but for a year out of one successful show it's pretty decent, and brands are really starting to see the impact of the Thai media in international soft power realm.

Finally, in terms of Dior's overall strategy, this is on overview of their digital push:

(this one is for SS2023 show, which happened in October 2022 - MA attended none of these shows)

(For FW2023 which is the show Apo attended)

This is why when I and annoying other fan clubs or posters encourage you to engage with Twitter and IG posts - that's why. Brands can see the impact of the engagement directly translating into marketing value and will encourage further high-value sponsors with their projects.

I don't have Mile's numbers for the Pre-fall show nor am I giving this company my info to get it, but I would be surprised if it was below $1M. But anyway, please continue to engage with posts not just on Tumblr. It does make a difference.

#mileapo #mileapo x dior #dior #social media #marketing #kinnporsche #man suang #mileapo x king power #digital strategy #mile phakphum #apo nattawin #mileapo meta

[absolutebl]

2023 Thai BL Favorites List - Mid Year Check In

Tagged by @thatgirl4815​ (thanks hon!) I adapted this to my taste.

Feel free to c/p do the same! 

I’m answering all these right now for 2023, because it’s too complicated for me otherwise. 

Favorite Thai BL 2023:

My School President

Favorite currently active Thai BL Branded Pair:

High Heat: Net James (Bed Friend) 

Established: OhmFluke (609 Bedtime Story)

New: GeminiFourth (My School President & Moonlight Chicken) 

Most underrated Thai BL actor right now: 

Film Thanapat. He was perfectly serviceable in To Sir, With Love but he’s a goddamn revelation in Laws of Attraction. 

Pair the deserves a second chance: 

Haii & Boom (Chains of Heart) 

Favorite Thai BL Main Character 2023:

King (Bed Friend) 

Favorite Thai BL Side Character 2023:

Thiu (My School President)

Favorite Thai BL side dishes 2023: 

Li Ming & Heart (Moonlight Chicken)

Favorite scene in a Thai BL so far:

My School President calling on the spirit of Love Sick. What can I say? I love meta and I love BL remembering it’s own history. This did both. 

Most Anticipated Thai BL (& why):

I Feel You Linger in the Air 

I like the premise, the cast looks great. This is a time travel historical romance adaption of y-novel by Violet Rain about a heartbroken architect who is transported to the 1930s from the producers of Lovely Writer.

Guilty pleasure Thai BL 2023 series (or likely to become so):

Future the series

July 2023 Thai BL Report

ABL has watched:

My School President & Our Skyy 2: My School President

La Pluie

Step By Step

Bed Friend

Between Us

Destiny Seeker

Make a Wish

Moonlight Chicken

Never Let Me Go & Our Skyy 2: Never Let Me Go

Our Skyy 2: A Tale of Thousand Stars

Our Skyy 2: Bad Buddy

Our Skyy 2: Star in My Mind

Our Skyy 2: The Eclipse

A Boss and a Babe & Our Skyy 2: A Boss and a Babe

Cutie Pie 2 You special

Future the series

609 Bedtime Story

Our Skyy 2: Vice Versa

I Will Knock You

Remember Me

Tin Tem Jai

Pastsenger

The Promise

Cafe In Love

Chains of Heart

Hit Bite Love

The Luminous Solution

My Blessing

Currently Watching: 

Be Mine Super Star

Be My Favorite

Dinosaur Love

Hidden Agenda

Laws of Attraction

Love Syndrome III  

Low Frequency

Senior Love Me

Wedding Plan

Can’t Find

Love Upon a Time

Boyband the series

Heart by Heart

Moments Of Love

DNF 

House of Stars

Till the World Ends

Announced for 2023 (maybe still to come?)

After Sundown

1626

Fake Love

Friends Forever

I Wish You Love

Lucky Love

Pisces of Me

Refund Love

Right Time, Right You

You Are My Soulmate

The Camp Fire

The Outing Series

Deep Night

Pit Babe

Rule No.1: Don’t Be Too Emotional

Future From Me

SHADOW

Naughty Babe

Only Friends

Buddy Line Y Animal AKA

Mystique in the Mirror

2 Worlds

Punk Spy

The Next Prince

Kemjira Will Survive

Playboyy

Close Friend 3 Soju Bomb

Waterboyy 3 AKA Waterboys

Acadex

I Feel You Linger in the Air

Middleman’s Love AKA Middle Love

Cinderella Boys

Cherry Magic (Thai remake)

Born to be Y

Dangerous Romance

23.5

4 Minutes

7 Times 4 Days

Big Dragon 2

Big Dragon the movie

Boy Never Smiles

Chiang Mai Adventures

City of Stars 

Colorful Melody

Cooking Crush

Flirt Milk

Friend. Boyfriend

Heroin The Series

Hot Bamee and Yummy Gyogung

Khemjira Will Survive

Last Twilight

Lost in the Woods

Love in Translation

Love Puzzle AKA Plengrak AKA

Love Syndrome – The Beginning

Lover Merman

Man Suang

Night Dream

Our Skyy 2

Our Story

Rule No.1: Don't Be too Emotional

Sunset Vibes

The Chinese Family

The D Project

The Hidden Character

The Internship

The Sign

The Whisperer

True Moon

Two Worlds

Wish Me Luck

Wish You Luck

Y-Moment

Crazy Handsome Rich

For Him the series

Twin The Series AKA Twins

Casanova Begins

Marry Go Round

Venus in the Sky  

#Thai bl #memes gonna meme #abl answers the call of the meme #favorite thai bl #favorite thai pairing #most underrated actor #thai BL midyear reoirt #thai bl till to come

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

Khem เขม

a look at his name

Khem's name was much trickier than Chatra's to pin down. (of course I did both of them)

It wasn't on any of the "name lists" you can find.

I did come across a "Khem," which means "needle," as in a sewing needle but it was listed as a girl's name. (a lot of Thai names are gendered.)

The closest boy's name I could find was "KhemKhaeng" which means "strong."

So I looked for "Khem," as a word and initially I found a khem which means "Dark" or "Strong," but it was spelled like this เข้ม which is very similar to Khem's Thai spelling but not the same.

Khem เขม Vs khem เข้ม

So I kept looking and eventually I found Khem, with the correct Thai spelling and it means...

Happiness / Comfort

(freedom from danger/trouble is also listed.)

Now, I am not a native Thai speaker so there could be something I've missed but I think this name meaning is quite fitting because we learn from Khem that he was abandoned as a baby, left in a cloth and nothing else.

He was raised by an old monk, so very likely taken in by a temple.

This monk must have given Khem his name and considering Buddhist values, I think naming an orphaned baby "Happiness/Comfort," seems quite plausible.

Khem has been taken in by the temple and under Buddha's guidance he will be happy and safe from the dangers of the outside world.

When he's not in danger / being objectified or bullied, Khem is quite a happy, carefree individual.

Apo has spoken about that in interviews, Khem retains an innocent naiveté, despite the darkness he is frequently surrounded by. An example is how quickly he reveals his real purpose for being in Man Suang to a visibly shocked Chatra.

He has a strong sense of justice and makes the best of his situation.

Khem is also a source of happiness for Chatra. We don't see Chatra smile that often in the film but when he does, it is usually at Khem and/or their baby Ruang.

#man suang #mansuang #man suang meta #khem #apo nattawin #names have meaning #khem is chatra's happiness #man suang spoilers

[nuwildcat]

Well I thought I was going to do a one and done meta for Man Suang but it turns out that I was wrong. Let's talk about ships and metaphors team.

Water first comes into play right in the thick of our trouble. Khem has just threatened to go to Bodisorn with the documents incriminating Chat's father. He gives Chat two days to do something and then we get this delicious angsty moment:

Chat in full existential crisis thinking back on a conversation with his father where he tells Chat that it's good that he doesn't want to be a civil servant.

And then he says this: But you must remember my words. It is ill striving against the stream. You will be ruined.

Luckily for Chat he gets a proper application of cat before having to deal with more drama when the fireworks explode.

Shout out to Ruang for his stellar acting when that goes down.

But that's not the last time that we hear about a stream and when we get it again, we add boats.

I really like the way they chose to reveal information at the end of the movie, cutting between different scenes to give us the whole picture of what happens to our characters after Hong's dramatic reveal and our conflict resolution.

There are two distinct conversations that bring up the stream, one with Chat and Bodisorn and the other with Chat and Khem.

Chat and Bodisorn's conversation is threaded through from start to finish at the ending scenes of the movie. Starting with Chat trying to turn over the incriminating documents.

There's a lot to unpack in that conversation but for now let's focus on the streams/boats.

Before this conversation is resolved we get Khem saying this:

A steamboat is made for the sea. A sailboat follows the wind. And a row boat can plough through every canal and river.

Here Khem is calling himself a rowboat. The Phrai status he has chosen to keep, turning down the offer of a title and land, is no longer a symbol of his powerlessness, but instead how he plans to leverage and change his circumstances. As a dancer at Man Suang, he is going to build his own form of power instead of having it given to him.

Adorably Chat shoots him some serious heart eyes at this statement but our boy is more than just smitten, he's charmed how they both think so similarly.

BECAUSE HERE IS THE THING. The conversation with Bodisorn that we start the end of the movie with? It happened before Chat and Khem have this talk.

Which means that Chat has already said this:

My father always told me that it's ill striving against the stream. But I don't think so. Now Siam has steamboats that can strike against the stream, wave, and wind, right?

And then we cut directly to credits.

To the best of our knowledge, Chat and Khem don't discuss the warning that Chat's father gives him, which means Khem's use of the boat metaphor comes naturally.

If you're wondering where the relationship that Khem and Chat have post Man Suang stems from, I would argue that this moment, this conversation is one of the key sparks that could lead to the presumably romantic feelings we are being promised in Shine.

Two men, from completely different worlds, meeting due to circumstances and despite their differences, sharing a mindset. A core understanding, that with the right position and power, you can change the world.

Whether you are a steamboat or a row boat.

#man suang #man suang spoilers #mansuang #mansuang spoilers #gosh I love these two #'cat gettin' nerdy with language and metaphors #boats people it's all about the boats #meta #chatra my beloved dork #mansuang meta #man suang meta

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

The Romance of Inao

The story of Inao originally comes from the Javanese and Malay Panji stories, centered around Prince Panji and Princess Kirana.

The stories have spread throughout SouthEast Asia and they have their own versions of the tales with different names for the characters.

I am going to focus on the Thai dance drama version where Prince Panji is called Inao.

Brace yourselves, this one is long and complicated and a lot of information is not easily available in English so it's not as complete as I would like it to be but here goes.

Inao is the son of the king of Kurepan

Bussaba/Kirana is the daughter of the king of Daha

At birth they are betrothed to each other

When Inao is 15, his grandmother passes away in the kingdom of Manya.

The kings of Kurepan and Daha send him to represent them at the funeral.

In Manya, Inao meets and falls in love with princess Jintara.

After the elaborate funeral celebrations are over, he wishes to stay in Manya with Jintara.

But his father orders him home and Inao leaves, after sending a lovelorn letter to Jintara.

At home in Kurepan, his father decides to speed up that marriage! (Clearly sensing trouble.)

But Inao refuses to go along with this plan and goes off hunting.

Having left the palace, he takes on a disguise, along with a few loyal followers and after an encounter with a bandit, he acquires two captured princesses.

They all head to Manya where the king happily welcomes him and Inao makes Jintara his wife.

Jintra, clearly drunk on love, decides to magnanimously invite the two princesses to be Inao’s concubines (polygmy was standard in this time.)

Inao’s father orders him to return home and marry Bussaba but Inao send’s word that he is no longer willing to go along with those plans.

The king of Daha felt slighted and angry and Bussaba too, felt shamed by Inao’s actions, although at this point, they had never actually met each other. (Can you guess what is going to happen?)

Rather recklessly, the king of Daha decides to marry her off to the next person that asks and the king of Joraka, famously ugly, promptly proposes, much to the King of Daha (and Bussaba’s) dismay. Unable to back out of his rash declaration, he reluctantly accepts the proposal.

But, plot twist, the king of Kamang Kuning ALSO wanted to marry Bussaba, because unlike Inao, he knew what she looked like and he was prepared to fight to have her.

Daha Vs Kamang Kuning

Fight!

The King of Daha was obliged to ask Kurepan for help (which must have sucked) and Inao was ordered to go to Daha and help the king sort out this mess since it was all his fault for backing out of the betrothal.

Jintara does not want Inao to go, fearing the worst but Inao decides that this is one summons that he cannot ignore. Perhaps a twinge of guilt at work there too. He promises to return though. (do you think he will?)

(now in SOME versions, an alternative situation occurs where poor Jintara is tricked away and murdered and Inao goes mad with grief for a time before finally regaining his senses when his original intended comes to save him. In this version poor Jintara is usually a commoner and so, sadly, easily got rid of.)

Inao rides in to the rescue and kills the king of Kamang Kuning.

Entering the palace of Daha to celebrate, he finally comes face to face with Bussaba.

(I like to imagine a Bollywood slo-mo moment here, where a mysterious wind blows Bussaba’s hair back from her face, as their eyes meet and a song starts to play.)

He instantly falls in love and realises what a MISTAKE he’s made. (It’s really all your own fault Inao. Minimal sympathy right now.)

I particularly enjoy the accounts where he is standing by Siyatra (Bussaba’s brother) when he spots her and he is so overcome with passion that he repeatedly kisses her brother, mistaking him for her. (Ok, Inao, you tell yourself that.)

The King of Joraka was ALSO on the way to help Daha but he arrived too late to be of any assistance. (Ugly and useless!)

Inao was now desperate to prevent Joraka’s marriage to Bussaba and the king of Daha was sympathetic but he had already given his word. (Unlike some, he doesn’t renege on a promise.)

Beach holiday filler episode time!

Ok, not really but the king of Daha and his wives and followers decide they simply must climb the mountain Wilismara to make offerings and worship to the Buddha image there.

Madewi, the king's second wife, suggests that Bussaba go and ask the image about her fate. Using lighted candles to decipher the Buddha’s message.

She lit three candles, one for Joraka on the left, herself in the middle and Inao on the right.

Bussaba asks the sacred image to extinguish the candle of the person who is not her soulmate.

Inao had secretly followed her and overheard this conversation and he plays a trick, pretending his voice is that of the god’s and persuading Bussaba and Madewi that Inao is her true soulmate.

He sends his follower Prasanta to drive out the bats and extinguish the candles and the darkness he finds and embraces Bussaba.

Madwei is furious about this (Bussaba less so,) and she argues with Inao who has the audacity to claim that he never refused Bussaba. (I think your dad has a letter suggesting otherwise buddy.)

Inao reluctantly hands Bussaba back to Madewi but asks Bussaba for a piece of cloth from her clothes, to hold when he is missing her. (smooth.)

What comes next is a cycle of adventures where the lovers are separated and have to search for each other before they are eventually reunited in a happy ending but they are not all told in the Lakhon Nai dance drama.

In many versions, Bussaba has to temporarily take on the disguise of a man and she has an active role in trying to help rescue Inao.

In a Javanese version, a demon takes her place and pretends to be the princess, called Candra Kirana in this story and the real princess appears at the court, disguised as a man to win back her man.

#man suang fic inspiration #apo nattawin #khem #thai culture #thai dance #thai literature #Indonesian culture #panji cycle #man suang meta #dance #traditional dance #thai dance drama

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

Just What Was Wan Smoking?

I suspect, for the most part, Wan was smoking cheroots.

Cheroots are filterless cylindrical cigars, easy to hand roll and clipped at both ends.

In Thailand, they were traditionally rolled in banana leaves and as well as tobacco, the leaves of the Indian cork tree were often added, along with the flowers sometimes for fragrance.

Things like molasses, honey, rice wine, pineapple and banana were often used to sweeten the mixture.

Sometimes cannabis could be added, which was historically used for pain relief in Thailand.

It seems like Wan relies on smoking these as a way to manage his mental health issues, like many smokers, who reach for a cigarette when they are stressed, we often see him smoking when he is feeling disturbed.

We can see from the film that Khem seems very comfortable with the act of stealing but we only ever see him steal or think about stealing, cheroots on Wan's behalf.

He even splashes out on expensive imported "cigarettes," as a gift for Wan which his friend is clearly touched by. That recognition from Khem, that these are important for Wan.

It's as if he recognises that they are something Wan needs, we never see Khem smoke himself although they were both clearly fans of betel chewing before they were forbidden to do so in ManSuang.

Hence their black teeth.

Betel nut is a stimulant and many people describe the act of chewing betel as giving them a bit of a high. It is certainly addictive but was also a standard part of socialising for a very long time in several parts of Southeast Asia and India.

As Khem and Wan are forbidden from chewing betel while they stay at ManSuang, it is likely that they both would have experienced some withdrawal symptoms and this probably made Wan rely on the cheroots even more.

Cheroots originated in India along with beedies which historically were made from leftover scraps of tobacco and rolled into leaves.

Cheroot smoking was very traditional both in India and Myanmar.

#man suang #mansuang #man suang meta #wan #khem #bas asavapatr #apo nattawin

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

Costume Break Down

aka more than you ever wanted to know about Thai dance costume details but I think they are gorgeous and require so much effort to create and wear that they are worth celebrating.

Let's take a look at Khem's beautiful red costume.

Here the presence of the dagger and the colour choice quite firmly indicate that he is performing the role of the hero Prince Inao from the Lakhon Nai dance drama 'The Romance of Inao.'

His costume is based on the traditional costumes worn by heroes in both Khon and Lakhon Nai. There are some historical differences between the two types but they have very much influenced each other from the 19th Century onwards.

There are some elements of his costume that read as modern influences which I suspect are to reflect both current tastes and also the fact that the costume was intended to be seen on screen rather than a stage.

Here we see Khem's ornate headdress, known as a chada, he has a flower garland on the right side of his crown, which is the side that male characters always wear these flower pendants with heroines displaying them on the left.(Historically Lakhon Nai was only performed by women and was only for the eyes of the royal court although rules did relax in the 19th Century.)

It's hard to see in these pictures but he would usually be wearing the ornate wing shaped ear kaffa as well, which sit around the ears.

We can also see his very fine inthorn-tanu, which are those high pointed shoulder pads, worn by male characters to exaggerate their body shape.

We can see him wearing the ornate wide collar around his neck, known as a krong-kaw and a large pendant pinned to the end of the collar against his chest.

A body chain known as sangwan is then crossed around the pendant and is usually attached to an ornamental belt or just below it, at the front and back of the costume.

Khem's sangwan is a relatively simple looking version of what can be a very intricate piece of jewellery but I suspect it is because the camera will be getting a much closer look at him than an audience looking at a stage could do.

In general I think his costume is not quite as ornate and covered with detail as a stage costume often is but there is just enough there to show the luxurious nature of dance outfits without looking too much on screen.

The above picture also gives us a great look at both his hoy-na, a silk panel that hangs at the front of the costume, (here it is red and gold with gold fringe) and his hoy-kang, the silk panels that sit either side of the central hoy-na.

We also see one very modern addition - the shiny gold buttons!

Traditionally dancers are sewn into their costumes with no visible seams, a lengthy process which does run the risk of damaging the costumes every time they are stitched and unstitched.

I suspect that Apo is still partly sewn into this outfit but I imagine they wanted to give him a top that he could get in and out of more easily as he would need to be able to change constantly for filming.

I really like the design of the top, it gives both a hint of Western influence with the shape but also has a Chinese feel with the high collar and then those beautiful very Indian looking fabrics, which feels appropriate for the era and for Man Suang itself. We see it sits over the pha-nung and hoy-na etc which would not typically be the case and is why I suspect he is not also wearing a cloth belt under it as well (mentioned below.)

The red tights are also a modern addition, usually we would see bare legs and feet but they do give a very theatrical look which feels fitting for Man Suang.

From this angle we can see his pha-nung, which is a long rectangular cloth that is usually pre stitched and pleated and is wrapped around the waist and drawn through the legs to be tied in a knot at the back.

Underneath that he will be wearing a pair of sanab-plao, short trousers with deep embroidered hems that sit just below the knee.

He may also be wearing pha-pawk, which is a fabric that basically functions like hip pads to assist the pha-nung in exaggerating the body shape to create an image that mimics statues and murals depicting dancers.

Usually he would be wearing a radsa-aew, a cloth belt which is stitched into place and secures the pha-nung. I can't tell just by looking at this but I suspect he may not be given the way his clothes are lying.

We can see he is wearing a lovely cloak here that appears to be silk lined velvet.

Here we can see his embroidered sleeves, these are usually sewn on to an undershirt which also has padding sewn into it to exaggerate the shape of their chests. The decorative outer shirt is then usually sewn onto that undershirt.

Now in this picture, we see the fancy sleeves taper off to a plain red fabric at the shoulders which could indicate the presence of an undershirt but there is that clip in the trailer where Khem tugs his costume open and we see his bare chest so I don't know whether he is or isn't. Perhaps it depends on the necessity for him to be able to strip in any given scene which is totally fine by me!

We can also see his decorative golden vambraces and he is likely also wearing beads or a bracelet of rings as well. Usually more is more when it comes to dance jewellery but once again, I think they have been more restrained here.

Rings worn on the fingers are common and of course, anklets are essential.

At least they are to me ❤️

#thai dance #thai dance drama #thai dance costumes #khon #lakhon nai #thai culture #man suang #man suang fic inspiration #khem #apo nattawin #i love this costume #i want to know who designed it #give them a medal please #its perfect #does this count as #man suang meta #? #man suang costumes

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

Chatra ฉัตร

a look at his name

Chatra is one way of referring to the Thai Royal Nine Tiered Umbrella.

Also called:

นพปฎลมหาเศวตฉัตร: Nopphapadon Mahasawettachat

(The spelling for Chatra is the same so I assume that is a deliberate choice although I am not a native Thai speaker so I could be wrong.)

A Chatra is considered to be the most ancient and sacred symbol of the royal regalia of Thailand.

These symbolic umbrellas consist of differing numbers of tiers, depending on how high up the royal is.

They are usually displayed above thrones (and royal beds, according to the Thai novel 'Four Reigns.')

The umbrellas are a representation of the spiritual and physical protection that a king can provide for his subjects.

Does it make me feel a little emotional to think of Chatra's name meaning "Protection"? - yes it does!

In the film we see Chatra is investigating what happened to his father, he wants to protect his family.

When he discovers the dangerous truth around the documents, his immediate concern is how to protect his family, not himself, he says explicitly, but his family.

We also see him protecting Khem on several occasions.

In their first meeting we see Chatra instinctively protecting Khem from being spotted listening in to a conversation.

Afterwards, he intercedes when he sees Khem being bullied by the other dancers.

The need to protect his family and his desire to protect Khem will end up causing conflict, both between Khem and Chatra and within Chatra himself.

But ultimately Chatra decides to protect Khem, no matter the risk to himself, or by extension, his family.

Bonus Ruang content:

Chatra is the first protector of Ruang. He can't have brought a cat in with him to investigate so I assume Ruang is a stray that he has taken it upon himself to take care of.

#man suang #mansuang #man suang meta #chatra #mile phakphum #names have meaning #Chatra is Khem's protector #man suang spoilers

[heaven-is-in-your-arms-series]

I've been thinking (overthinking) about this costume of Khem's

It could be that he is portraying some heroic figure from one of the many jataka tales. A commoner perhaps.

But I also think, from what little we can see of it, (which is a crime,) that it has some elements that really remind me Lanna folk dances. Specifically the dance that comes from Jerng, the ancient Northern Thai martial art form.

There are two types of this dance:

Forn Jerng (barehanded)

Forn Jerng Daab (sword dance.) sometimes you will see flags in place of swords.

The headband and the rope around the arms is what gives me that impression but I'm just guessing here as we see no glimpse of the dance itself and barely anything of the costume.

#man suang #mansuang #man suang meta #khem #apo nattawin #thai dance #thai film #his eyes look so dead here #my baby #heartbreaking 💔 #somebody save him #that man needs a knife to the throat #man suang spoilers