Revamp: The Undead Story 1×05 Review: Episode 5

Every episode of Revamp: The Undead Story gives us another piece of the puzzle. Unfortunately, they’re all the same color. Yes, we’re getting more information, but it’s still difficult to see the overall picture.

Firstly, I want to look a little more in-depth about the big reveal last week that Ramil can read minds. This is where the nuance of language comes into play. As usual, something gets lost in the translation. The English subtitles were not adequately explaining just what we were being told.

In episode 3, when Punn asked how Ramil knew roses were his favorite, Ramil said, “What would you say if I could read minds?” The words he used implied a surface-level power, like how one would normally think of mind-reading as an ability. The basic concept of hearing thoughts or seeing images. In episode 4, in Punn’s dream, Ramil again says he’s reading Punn’s mind, using the surface-level power.

When Methus thanks Punn for helping restore all four of Ramil’s powers, the subtitles use the term “mind-reading” again. However, Methus uses different words, implying different abilities. The words he use indicate a much deeper power – the ability to influence someone’s thoughts. (I had debated questioning how aware Punn was of what was going on at the end of last week’s episode. I thought about mentioning thralls and ultimately decided not to.)

So when Punn confronts Ramil and pulls the knife on him, he’s not angry that Ramil has been lying to him, even though he has been underplaying his abilities. Punn is mad because he can’t trust his own mind. Every time he’s gotten a nosebleed, it’s been because Ramil is manipulating something in his brain. The dreams Punn has been having were a kind of shared reality in that Ramil was actively guiding their direction.

Ergo, when Punn wakes up the next morning, he’s understandably confused. Particularly given the dream he had about the orphanage attack. (We’ll come back to that.) At this point, he’s not sure how much of what he feels is genuine and how much is because of Ramil’s influence. And Ramil grants him some time to get his thoughts and feelings in order.

Interestingly, when Elise comes to visit his shop, she asks if he quit the mission because he’s fallen for Ramil. The way that she asks implies that they always knew it was a possibility. You may remember that I questioned how much the Hunters knew about the curse. They clearly knew that Punn was the only one capable of breaking it, but I wasn’t sure if they understood just what that meant. Given the way Elise was talking, it seems that they were aware. It explains more about Punn’s behavior; he knew the curse said he was Ramil’s fated lover, and he played into that.

Punn seems to have made his decision about whether or not to stay with Ramil. He calls his clients and tells them that the shop will be reopening soon. He invites Pokpong to stay. He starts clearing out his murder basement. But then Ramil shows up and begs him for another chance, and Punn caves.

For a while, it looks like it’s going to work. Ramil is goofy and endearing, and I do believe that this behavior is a big reason as to why Punn initially started softening towards him. There are so many little moments throughout this episode where Punn gives these little smiles when he thinks of Ramil. I particularly loved the pillow scene; the fact that he went to sleep hugging his, and Ramil woke up hugging his own, was just too sweet for words.

Punn is particularly charmed when he sees Ramil and Pokpong getting along so well. Especially given how standoffish Pokpong was initially, which is understandable, given the brothers’ already tense relationship. I can’t imagine Pokpong would take well to an interloper taking up the little time he gets with Punn. Unfortunately, Ramil uses his more-than-mind-reading abilities after Pokpong warns him that he won’t approve of Ramil as Punn’s partner unless he impresses him. (Side note: Ramil being ridiculously excited at being referred to as “brother-in-law” was super adorable. 10/10, no notes.)

I’m a little unclear as to what exactly happened. I thought, at first, that Ramil was removing the memory of him catching the vase from Pokpong’s mind. I assumed it was because Punn had warned Ramil not to let Pokpong find out he was a vampire, and he used his speed to catch the vase. But later, Pokpong tells Punn that Ramil impressed him, which makes me think Ramil put memories into his head, instead of removing them. (Sadly, Pokpong has a couple of lines that were not subbed, thank you so much, iQIYI. I really need to learn Thai.)

Just when it seems like Punn is going to accept Ramil, he finds the bloodied tissues in the bathroom trash and realizes that Pokpong had a nosebleed, which means Ramil used his abilities – something he promised not to do. The conversation that follows is heartbreaking – and so well acted – as Punn tries to impress upon Ramil the seriousness of what he’s done. In the end, Punn officially rejects him and sends him on his way.

Boun and Prem really nailed that goodbye scene. The quiet desperation from Ramil as he begged Punn for another chance. The silent tears from both. Ramil watching Punn when he wasn’t looking; Punn turning around hoping to find Ramil but he had already gone. Punn breaking down after he realized that Ramil had left.

I think that bit hit me hardest. Ramil has been terrible with boundaries the entire time. Punn asked for space, and Ramil agreed, yet shows up on Punn’s doorstep after, like, less than 24 hours because he missed him too much. Ramil is pathetic and clingy and has ignored Punn’s requests time and time again in order to get close to him. And I think Punn was hoping that Ramil would do that again. Punn may not trust his feelings, but it’s clear that he has them.

It seems I was mistaken last week when I said that we flew by what I assumed would be the central conflict of the series: Ramil being a vampire and Punn being a Hunter. It’s less Punn being a Hunter and more so him being human. It’s something he brings up more than once in this episode, so we know it’s going to be a continuing issue. Punn mentions it, Mekhin mentions it: Ramil is immortal, and Punn is not.

So there are two potential outcomes of this show, because this is GMMTV and we’re almost guaranteed a happy ending. Either Punn becomes a vampire, or Ramil becomes human. While the former is more likely, given the staples of the genre, I’m more inclined to lean towards the latter. After all, there was that line in the initial curse that said once Ramil’s curse was broken, his heart would beat again and he would be granted a new life. Plus there’s that bit in the trailer where Ramil talks about having a beating heart again.

OK, now let’s talk about Punn’s dream-memory about the orphanage attack. I talked last week about my theories as to what happened. (Option 1, rebel vampires. Option 2, someone framing vampires.) This week, we see a little more of what Punn remembers, and it’s just even more confusing. Punn seemingly remembers Ramil saving him – that’s why he recognized Ramil’s necklace. Except Ramil was trapped in the painting for a hundred years, so how could he have saved Punn ten years ago?

There are several possibilities. The first is that Ramil somehow managed to get out of the painting. This is unlikely, given the nonsense that had to go into getting him out in the first place. The second is that the orphanage attack is when Punn’s dreams started; that this is when, perhaps even why, Ramil chose him to break the curse, and may be the first instance of Ramil influencing Punn’s mind. The third is that Ramil was somehow altering the memory as Punn dreamed it. Given the lack of a nosebleed when Punn woke up, I doubt this is true.

I believe the second theory is more likely. I think somehow Ramil was able to reach into Punn’s mind either during the actual attack or shortly after and alter his perception of what happened. Of course we don’t know how; I’m still waiting for an explanation of how Ramil was able to choose Punn in the first place. And unfortunately, even if we do learn more about the orphanage attack, we can’t trust Punn’s recollection of what happened.

But this absolutely explains why they hold the Jonoel family responsible. So far we haven’t seen any of the vampires who actually attacked, but Punn remembers Ramil clearly. And I had a thought earlier this week about Ciar and Mekhin. In episode 2, when they leave the hotel, Ciar says something to Mekhin about getting a drink together, because it’s been ten years. The orphanage attack was ten years ago.

That could mean nothing; a lot of times writers will just pick arbitrary lengths of time to imply that it’s been a while. But it could mean everything. I’ve seen a lot of people theorize that Ciar was responsible. (We only see the back of a head, but it does look like Ciar.) And we shouldn’t discount the possibility that it may have been Mekhin. Yes, Ciar is the one most opposed to the “no killing humans” rule, but Mekhin is so far the only one canonically who has lost control.

Still, we also can’t rule out that the Jonoel family is being framed. As I’ve said, there’s no way three orphans just became Hunters. They had to be trained. They had to be bankrolled. Someone is behind this. Could whoever made them Hunters have manipulated their perception of the attack to blame the Jonoel family? Is the church itself behind this?

Also, yes, Ramil’s jewelry absolutely glows when he uses his powers. I wasn’t seeing things last week when he healed Punn. But what does it mean?

Speaking of Mekhin, I really loved both of his scenes with Pokpong. They’re so precious together, and I think they have a lot in common. They’re both younger brothers, and I think given Mekhin’s backstory, there was probably a lot of coddling in his past. So I’m sure he understands Pokpong’s frustration that Punn won’t open up to him. And I thought it was so sweet that Mekhin bought him a birthday cake and they had their own little celebration.

I also loved his heart-to-heart with Ramil. Mekhin seems to be the most human of the group; he’s been a doctor for ages, so not only does he work among humans, he works to save and heal humans. And though he has the supernatural ability to heal, he doesn’t use it. I think, based on his past, he probably resents being a vampire. So it’s natural that Ramil would come to him for advice about Punn.

We learn in this episode that the kid Jett keeps staring at when he goes to the church is actually himself as a teen. I’d really love to know what’s going on with that, because Jett has always seemed legitimately angry every time he’s looked at his past self. He’s basically trying to set his past self’s head on fire with his mind. Something clearly happened to him at that age – the part of the orphanage attack we’ve yet to get a clear view of.

For the first time, I’m a little put off by the pacing. Well, it isn’t so much the pacing as it is the thought that we’re missing scenes. When Punn is readying Pokpong’s birthday cake, Ramil says something like, “So you didn’t forget your brother’s birthday.” Did we know it was his birthday? I don’t remember that being mentioned until that moment, but it’s clearly a big deal, as we have Pokpong despondently wishing himself happy birthday in the bathroom, thinking his brother forgot.

Also, how did Mekhin know that it was Pokpong’s birthday and, more importantly, when did Mekhin and Pokpong exchange phone numbers?

It’s insane to me that we’re only halfway through and already so much has happened. It looks like next week is the big fight we saw teased in the trailer. What else could possibly be on the horizon? I have no idea what to expect at this point. (Except, possibly, Ramil becoming human.)

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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