My Magic Prophecy 1×03 Review: “The Fool”

And they were roommates! With “The Fool”, Thap and In begin their forced cohabitation. Taking up residence in the house that belonged to In’s parents, the two struggle to adjust to very different lifestyles.

A great thing about forced cohabitation as a trope is that it usually requires some kind of introspection from both of the characters. Thap and In are different people. It’s made clear throughout the episode that they have different expectations and outlooks. From Thap being appalled by In’s unhealthy eating habits to In being affected by Thap’s relatively blasé outlook on death, these two are diametrically opposed.

I love how both of them are in deeper than they realize already. Well, Thap may realize it, as he’s already been warned by Ton not to fall in love with In. (Apparently, “soft and fluffy” is exactly Thap’s type.) And I think, by the way he was watching In sleep in the car, that he is aware on some level that he’s attracted to him. I definitely think that comes into play in a number of the scenes in this episode, like when he corners In while shirtless just after his shower to check whether or not his hair is dry.

They argue a lot, but there’s that undercurrent of tension in every scene. It was hilarious to watch them fight over that first dinner, as though there weren’t extra plates they could have used. I got a big kick out of the scene with the two of them making a list of boundaries, like a divorcing couple still forced to live together. And I don’t care how clichéd the hair-drying thing is, there are precious few tropes that provide that level of domesticity and intimacy.

What’s been really great about My Magic Prophecy so far is the writing. There have been multiple nods to JimmySea as a pair (although this is mostly about props – In’s Tarot cards have their logo, Thap’s bandages have their mascot); today we got a reference to their previous show, Last Twilight. Thap is entranced by the view from In’s family home and questions why In isn’t more moved, and In states that he hates sunsets.

For those who haven’t seen Last Twilight, a pivotal moment in the series revolved around Sea’s character wanting to witness the sunset from a very specific mountain. It was one of the last things he wanted to see before he lost his vision completely, and it was one of the most emotional and heartbreaking scenes I’ve ever watched in a BL.

Now, I hope that In’s statement isn’t just a one-off as a callback, and that there is a reason for it. But I admit, the only thing I can think of is that In’s parents died at sunset or something. Or watching the sunset could have been something he and his parents did together, and, like his guitar, he has put that aside in his grief.

The major thing about the writing in this episode is the use of metaphor. The broken chair represents In’s current emotional state. His grief is almost a third character, particularly in “The Fool”. His seemingly extreme overreaction to Thap trying to fix the chair by declaring that everything in the house (like himself) is already broken. There’s no point in fixing anything, because the big problem (his parents’ deaths) can’t be fixed.

I’ve not experienced a loss like his, but I have lost people, and In’s grief feels very realistic. He’s territorial over everything; telling Thap to make himself at home but not allowing him to really touch anything. He’s unable to let go. I had wondered, when he cried at arrival, if the loss was recent, and this was his first time returning to an empty house. But when he was talking to the woman in the village, the implication was that it had been at least a couple of years. (She asked if he wanted her to handle his parents’ death anniversary “like always”, which indicates that there have been multiple anniversaries.)

Likewise, his willingness to let Thap fix the chair may represent that he may be willing to start moving on from his parents’ deaths. He allows Thap to comfort him during his breakdown; he has an honest conversation about how he feels and admits that he hasn’t seen a therapist about it. They may be mutually antagonistic, but they are also someone who considers himself broken paired with someone whose instinct is to fix.

I mentioned earlier how Thap and In had to adjust to very different lifestyles. Thap is used to a certain level of luxury; we know he was very particular about his car, and we learned in this episode that he has a shopping addiction. Mae Hong Son is isolated and remote, he’s not allowed to use his phone, and he still seems convinced that everyone is freaking out over nothing.

Meanwhile, In is clearly used to living on his own. He leaves water all over the bathroom floor (his joke about it being a bathroom was funny, but nonetheless that is a safety hazard), he cooks like a single person (I know because that’s how I cook), and he can’t stand having someone else in his space. His grief is a big factor in that, but also, as someone who’s lived alone for a decade, it is very hard adjusting to having someone else there all the time.

I think being around each other will be good for the two of them. Despite In’s insistence that he can take care of himself, he doesn’t seem to be doing a good job. And I think Thap needs someone to expand his world views. I can understand being dismissive of fortune telling, especially as a doctor. But it’s important to acknowledge that people have different beliefs and perspectives.

Thap’s brother Thiu actually had a line this week, thereby disproving the “Thiu is a ghost” theory that I mentioned last week. Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted.

Another theory that was apparently disproven is my minor speculations that Karn has something to do with what’s happening to Thap. Much of “The Fool” takes place in Mae Hong Son, but we do get one scene back at the hospital in Bangkok, where Ton requests a meeting with Pong. There are definite second couple crumbs in this scene (the way Ton grips the back of Pong’s head? *chef’s kiss*), but the important takeaway is that Kasidis does seem to be the villain. Ton tells Pong that when Kasidis found out Thap was “in Singapore”, he sent people after him.

Now, to be fair, Ton may say that Kasidis sent the people, but we only have this one scene. It’s entirely possible that people were sent after Thap, but that Kasidis is not who sent them. However, I’m starting to think that the mystery isn’t going to be all that complicated. I think I’m overthinking it.

Next week, Thap begins antagonizing the locals. Won’t that be fun?

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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