Alrighty folks I hadn’t decided whether I was going to write this post or not because all of ya’ll already know the show is great, but right now I feel like doing it so might as well.
The first time I was utterly struck by the kindness of the show was with this moment with Khan and Ayan on the stairs
After watching Khan spy Ayan with first Akk and then Thua, combined with his previous warnings to Thua, on how dangerous Aye was, I full expected this confrontation to BLOW UP.
The framing of this initial shot and the power dynamics implied by this difference in height did nothing to temper those expectations
And yet…
It doesn’t blow up, and not just because Ayan keeps a level head, but because Khan never loses his in the first place. He approaches the conversation softly, mostly trying to make sure that Ayan isn’t toying with Akk or Thua’s feelings and then apparently giving him his blessing to date Thua, even as Ayan correctly notes that Khan wishes to date Thua himself (even if he can’t admit that out loud.) This scene also resonated with me for the way, as both parties speak with kindness they move closer onto the same level (literally) as Ayan moves up the stairs.
The kindness makes them more equal.
This got me thinking about the way kindness to used in so many parts of the show to connect our isolated characters in together.
Khan being Bruce Wayne
Khan choosing to reach out to Thua via an anonymous internet friend is a beautiful example of this kindness, not for how it helps Thua (who I’ll get too) but for how it helps Khan. The closeness he gains through anonymity to check in on Thua and try to keep him safe makes him realise how much he wants to be able to do this in person. Which in turn leads to him prioritising Thua over his prefect responsibilities when he goes to the rally and reveals his identity.
Khan choosing kindness once, makes him more able to choose kindness again.
Uncle Dika
It is clear from the beginning of the show that Dika’s presence had a pretty clear impact on the school when he was there, at least for our main cast. Akks visceral feelings of betrayal at his absence come from the belief that someone he trusted has abandoned him for (he believes) no reason.
Dika’s kindness is seen again in the moment in episode 7 when Khan is acting out different characters (specifically the teachers) for his friends to guess and when he acts as Dika his words and actions are unbelievably kind and EVERYONE knows immediately who he is enacting despite the length of time it has been since they saw Dika (it’s also realistic enough to trigger poor Ayan)
Ayan himself is obviously a wonderful example of his uncle’s kindness with every flashback we see of them (and Chadok and Dika as well) is irrevocably altered by Dika’s kindness even though, with Dika’s death, we see Chadok’s regression and fear forcing him back into a space of repression and unkindness.
Ayan
Ayan is undoubtedly the heart of kindness in this show and it was so unexpected to me that, given what he knew from the beginning about Akk and his Uncle’s death, he continues to choose to be kind. This kindness is shown throughout the show to be the means of far greater change and persuasion than any other tactic used (Fear, Anger, Defiance, Hate, Financial Enticement, Neutrality etc.)
We see this with the World Remembers Gang, when he successfully gets them to leave their location with a quiet suggestion that they’ve done enough that day (Leading Akk to even more suspicions whoops)
We see this with Khan in the above conversation and again later with his encouragement to Khan to tell Thua the truth
We see this with Thua and the way Ayan notices he’s not okay and sets up the conversation with his mum. Ultimately, in my opinion, it is Ayan’s kindness that convinces Thua to fight for the change (regardless of what you think of his methods) where all the other pressure he was under only left him to sink down, Ayan’s kindness causes him to rise up.
Akk
Before I talk about Ayan’s kindness with Akk, I want to talk about Akk’s kindness with Ayan, because their entire relationship comes about (in my opinion) because even as they are suspicious of each other, they do remain fundamentally kind. We see this in the early stages most clearly in this moment
And when Akk asks the teachers to be responsible more managing Ayan.
But even before this, the sitting together in class and the volunteering to help train him in the martial arts class weren’t steeped in malice. Yes, these things were about keeping tabs (and maybe wanting to be close for unacknowledged reasons) but regardless of complicated motivations Akk takes these things seriously and does not use them as a chance to bully or otherwise make Ayan’s life at school more difficult (think semantic error style) even if he wishes Ayan would just follow the rules already.
Additionally a key moment of understanding and softening between them comes from a moment of pure human kindness, when Ayan see’s Akk feeding the dog.
This friendliness builds up because as Akk remains kind, despite his suspicions, Ayan responds with kindness despite his suspicions (and actual knowledge of Akks actions)
Ayan again
Ayan’s support of Akk through all this is incredibly central to the story so I’m not going to go into it in detail. His kindness towards Akk extends to the point of covering up his wrong doing as he sees Akk for who he is and prioritises Akks mental safety over finding out the truth of his death. But all this came about because throughout their initial antagonism, harm was never Ayan’s primary intent.
Another moment
Another moment which struck me on my initial watch through was this moment
Where Akk apologises to The World Remembers gang even as he follows his orders and takes away the things they’re using to protest. (I think it’s around episode 10?) The shock and confusion on their faces as he does this, and their immediate relinquishing of their things compared to their loud anger over his removing them on other occasions (when in the past he stepped forward not with apology but instead with anger) highlights to me how he has changed, and how his new kindness de-escalates the situation (in much the same way Ayan’s had some episodes earlier).
Related thoughts on the Isolation of the Characters
The isolation of Akk, Thua and Khan at the start of the show is a grounded foundation. Akk is desperately scared of being perceived as weak (in terms of his authority and management - this later is added to by his fear of being gay), Khan is desperately scared of being perceived as Gay, Ayan is isolated as a newbie and Thua is isolated as an ?out gay person in the school. (Thua’s identity seems to be known by his classmates but not his teachers so not sure on the details here but he is definitely isolated). It is these characters reaching out to each other in kindness, and continuing to reach out to each other in kindness despite the difficulties that arise as their identities shift and grow that results in positive change within themselves and within the school.
Brief mention of Thua
Just to officially state my opinion on the record I am absolutely including Thua as part of this without caveat, he is the most isolated character and his change is wrought by Ayan’s kindness causing him to wish for change. His anger came from a place of hurt and I don’t view his actions as more extreme than Akks, especially as neither the banner or the fire were likely to hurt anyone. His goal of drawing attention to the wrongdoings of the school made sense and though it was NOT driven by kindness, it was pushed on by the desire to have a kind place for all people, (especially LGBTQIA+ people).
Forgiveness
I loved how everyone in episode 11 got to be angry, Thua at Ayan, Ayan at Chadok, Khan and Wat at Akk etc. They were allowed to have these emotions and express these emotions and in doing so they didn’t end their relationships or loose their friends. Everyone’s anger was used to create understanding because THEIR ANGER WAS MET WITH KINDNESS.
The forgiveness of ALL our teenagers in the final episode underlined this theme of kindness with the welfare teachers standing up for Akk and Thua, The World Remembers gang forgiving the boys because they sincerely apologised and were regretful.
And of course Akk coming out to his parents.
Final thoughts
Kindness isn’t perfect of course, in some ways Akks parent’s kindness lead to his own warped self image and Ayan’s kindness to Thua in part lead to some of the not kind choices he made.
Many shows have examples characters choosing not to forgive and that is a valid and healthy choice (one we could all stand to make more often). I’m not saying that always being kind to everyone is the right choice, and it’s certainly not a sustainable one.
Instead I’m highlighting how this show used kindness in defiance of isolation, in defiance of jealousy, in defiance of anger and in defiance of hate.
For the record, rating wise this show got 97% making it equal third overall out of 77 BLs and counting. I loved it for so many reasons and I honestly can’t wait to watch it again.
This works as an answer to the metaphorical problem because the key is for the hedgehogs and prcupines to be a bit flexible about how they position themselves and keep thier spines pointed in such a fashion to minimize poking, just like how in human relationships you have to be a bit flexible and concious of your position relative to others, and to manage your sharp bits to minimize the harm you do to others.
And another lesson the hedgies show: you have to face each other with your vulnerable side
Simply put, endosymbiosis is a biological concept involving two symbiotic organisms who, over millions of years, become so interdependent that they evolve into one organism.
It’s theorized that this how cells got their chloroplasts and mitochondria. It’s why, to this day, mitochondria have DNA unique to themselves, separate from the DNA of the rest of the organism.
And without this primordial partnership, life on Earth as we know it wouldn’t exist.
Nature may be arms race. But it’s equally a cooperation. And we lose so much perspective if we try to strip away that nuance, and apply that misconception to our own society.
We survive better together than we ever could apart
its so fucked up how difficult it is to move to another country you shouldn’t need a reason or anything you should be able to show up at the border and be like “the vibes were off back home” and they should let you in
Chapters:
5/5
Fandom:
คาธ | The Eclipse (TV 2022)
Rating:
Explicit
Warnings:
Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships:
Akk/Ayan (The Eclipse), Kan/Thua (The Eclipse), Namo/Wat (The Eclipse)
Additional Tags:
Dubious Consent, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, demisexual!Akk, drunk!Ayan, Edgeplay, Mutual Masturbation, Anal Sex, Top!Akk, Porn with Feelings, Meeting the Parents
Summary:
Akk’s patience finally snapped. “I’m trying to be nice, asshole. You don’t have to get an attitude with me. Can you please just—”
He broke off with a sharp intake of breath when he felt a pair of lips press against his. Only he hadn’t moved and the boy in front of him hadn’t either, which meant that the kiss wasn’t real. It was only a fantasy.
He stood there in a stupor as the kiss became more heated, more desperate—a kiss that, if it were real, would have bruised. But then, just as quick as it had come, the phantom lips disappeared, becoming again what they actually were: nothing more than a figment of his—or, well, someone else’s—imagination.
OR the one where virgins can feel their soulmate’s fantasies.
