Full perfection of production. They are fully present period 50-60. Starting from the lighting that perfectly fit into the period, then how are equipped home, furniture, household sundries, this is taken care of every detail. What is even more commendable is that the drama was filmed in many locations, so there is a selection of items that we have seen from this period more than impressive. Even the restaurant serves Coke and Seven Up from the original bottle from that period!
Stylist is definitely a genius ... Every dress in this drama I wont to sew. Beautiful. Haircuts are stylish and well suited to each character. Many makeup artists in today's dramas should take notes from this artist ....
Music is awesome elected jazz compositions that completely fit into the period but the first mood of our heroes ...
Acting is such that I completely lost track of it in terms of actors, and to those I saw in a lot of drama ... Each character is perfectly presented.
The story is greatly written with a plot that we have seen since the origins of drama ... But great featured. What surprised me pleasantly is how much I enjoyed all characters. Families are each in their own way unique and that's what attracted me. We should not forget that this is a period drama so ther are certain psychological aspects treated accordingly.
The fact is that it could be shorter for one episode. Also, some characters are getting a little more play time than is necessary, and some characters have been forgotten ....
But I finish this drama with a big smile on face, and immediately took off to look at her again!
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STORY
Perhaps I should have been alerted to the inference in the synopsis when it said that "having been rejected by Boom, Neung sets out to mess with Boom and prove that he can still get his own way". I am not a fan of power-tripping characters i.e. characters who deliberately set out to bully or oppress others to show that they can get their own way and feel all powerful and all-conquering in the process. Which is why I dislike a lot of the Thai second lead females and villains/ antagonists and tend to fast-forward through their scenes.
But here, the main male lead sports this sort of behaviour towards the main female lead. It is a testament to how well the script was written and how layered and nuanced Ken Theeradeth's acting was as Anawat that I did not immediately drop this drama after the 5th or 6th episode. However, as much as Ken was doing as good a job as he could as Anawat, I still eventually developed a real dislike towards the character that I skipped about 3 episodes entirely so that I could jump right to the last 4 and see how it ended. And I didn't really like the ending either, not because of Ken's bad acting or anything, but because I just disliked the script i.e. the way the characters ended up resolving their circumstances.
So here's the deal: this show is actually a good show.
The reason why I gave it a low score is not because of the production or the acting or even because of bad scripting (when I say bad scripting, I mean bad story-telling). My low score is entirely due to my personal dislike for main characters who pull the bully card on people and who, even after realising their own bad bullying character, made very little effort in making amends but instead went into a tailspin and even used third parties and deception to resolve the situation (i.e. he never really grew up). The whole premise and resolution for this show just rubbed me up in a bad way that no matter how well Ken did in giving Anawat a more layered and nuanced personality, I still found myself entirely dissatisfied with the show because of how his character and circumstances were portrayed.
ACTING/ CAST
KEN THEERADETH - as Anawat/ Neung. I can see why Ken is such a well-loved actor on the Thai drama scene. He can certainly pull of a dislikable character and give him more emotional depth and layers than a lot of the younger and less seasoned actors in the newer dramas these days. Had it been any other actor playing this role, I probably would have dropped this drama entirely within the first few episodes so it is a testament to Ken's performance that I was able to sit through huge chunks of the show despite the fact that he was portraying a character with a personality that I hated. Disliking my lead characters is a real deal-breaker for me in dramas but Ken made his Anawat a lot less hateful.
I am impressed with how naturally and easily Ken looked playing Anawat too. The way he walked and moved, and the way he emoted, it all looked very real and natural on-screen, as though Anawat was a living and breathing person you could meet on the street. There is very little contrived or posed looks which some actors make for the camera so that you know what they're thinking or feeling. I can see why Ken is such a powerhouse actor - pity I disliked the way his character was scripted.
Still, fantastic performance from Ken as Anawat here. I can't see any other actor pulling off this level of performance.
JANIE - as Boom/ Pum/ Hatairat. Superficially, I personally did not find her the amazing beauty the show was trying to sell to me. I think she did rather okay as the main female lead but there were quite a few scenes where I found her acting to be green, rather blank and rather artificial. I think she can handle the big dramatic moments but when it came to the soft, quiet and emotionally charged moments, she could do with lots of improvement. Ken's eyes were shooting all sorts of emotion at her and she presented him with a blank wall a lot of the time. Which made it difficult for me to really understand whether Pum/ Hatairat really secretly liked Anawat despite his 'teasing'. The shifts and change in emotions and the introspective scenes did not really lend much insight to her feelings, unlike Ken's. You'd expect her to be able to show Pum/ Hatairat's conflicted emotions in finding herself liking someone against her own will as the show progressed, but nope, I hardly saw much of it there.
The supporting cast was serviceable. No real standout characters for me here. I actually found some of the actions/ decisions from some of the characters inappropriate and callous - am not sure if it was because of film-culture in 2005 or because it is a Thai drama period quirk but some of the characters who are supposed to be close to Pum hardly empathised with her or understood her. As well-intentioned as some of their actions were, the fact that Pum was put in situations which made her feel very uncomfortable, or was put in circumstances which she really disliked, showed how little those people knew her. Friends or family who care and love you simply don't do this sort of thing to you on a regular basis. I therefore could not really connect or relate to them in a positive way.
So, all said and done, the only glue holding this drama together for me was Mr Ken Theeradeth.
MUSIC
I quite liked the score and background music. It helped to keep a lot of the horrid moments less horrid, and the period feel of it was brought out.
RE-WATCH VALUE
Honestly, for me, I would not touch this again because the entire plot premise and lack of character growth sits very ill with me, and because I dislike the character and personality of the main male lead. As much as Ken was amazing, I simply dislike the essence of the character which doesn't improve itself, to really root for him.
Still, for those who don't mind having a male lead with a rather childish, bullying character (it helps that he is only this way to the main female lead, as opposed to intrinsically horrible across the board), you might want to give this show a watch, because Ken does this sort of character amazingly well.
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This review may contain spoilers
I've recently started batching more Thai dramas after a period of drama drought. For me, the most accessible video platform is YouTube, and it so happens that this drama popped up in the suggestions. I actually watched the 2015 version before this, but wasn't super impressed. Curious as to how the original incarnation (which I discovered was not that original after all) differed from the new, I clicked into the playlist. Little did I know that this will kickstart my journey to complete all of Ken T. and Janie T.'s dramas.On the plot... I would say that it is not anything special. On hindsight, it does seem like the main conflict is far too trivial, and both leads were crippled by their preconceptions and stubbornness. That said, as a relative newbie to Thai dramas, I think the plot was cute and the execution was great. My bar for Thai dramas is set at the no ridiculous trope level, so the story was pretty satisfying for me.
On the acting... It may just be because of their electrifying chemistry, but I thought the main leads were fantastic. I think Ken delivered his character well. Anawat is not likeable per se, but he managed to portray him in a way that's not irritating. Janie looked beautiful in her period costumes. Appearance aside, I thought she gave a great performance as well. I notice that she's slightly awkward in the romantic scenes, but I liked her small gestures and her dialogue delivery. The two actors also have a sort of connection (imo) which makes them great to watch as a couple. As a whole, including the rest of the cast, I thought this was a very well-acted lakorn.
I also love, love, love the opening theme. I don't think there's a way to get it legally though. The only disappointing thing about the drama is the fact that it was aired 15 years ago, and there is no HD re-runs (why?). It was torturous trying to watch it in 240p.
Finally, I also wanted to give my two cents on the old and new versions. I think the old version eclipses the new in every aspect. The first being the execution. The scene where Anawat chased Haitharat down is legendary, but the execution was worlds apart in the two versions. Watch it and you'll know. The acting in the new version is also subpar, but I think that's the issue of having a complete newcomer play the lead role. Ken and Janie's chemistry was off the charts, unlike the new leads as well. I don't want to incite a fan war of any sort, but I think it's evident that there is a superior version.
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This review may contain spoilers
Practically Hated It
I know my rating is in the minority, but I really don't care. I practically hated this drama. I saw a comment saying they don't understand how anyone can rate this below a 7.5, but I don't understand how anyone can rate it above 7.5.This drama is basically about the FL being forced to be around the male lead by everyone around her. The ml would consistently force himself on her or force her to do things. If things didn't go his way, he'd get those around her to manipulate her into doing what he wants. And while some would say why did she allow this to happen; there were many times where she would say no or try to get out of it and friends and family, especially Pu and Paen, would still force/manipulate her into it. No one in this drama cared about Poom's feelings. They would even laugh about him teasing/ bullying her and laugh about the mean things he said to her. Only Panee was woman enough to apologize for not taking Poom's feelings and reputation into consideration.
Because of the ml's behavior in the first 12 episodes, I refuse to rate this above a 2. I also didn't find his antics/deception in the last three episodes funny whatsoever. I may have enjoyed similar shows before, but as I get older, I realize how toxic these relationships are and they are nothing to swoon over. I don't understand why it's considered romantic for someone to fall in love with their abuser.
I have no desire to rewatch this drama whatsoever. I gave both acting and music an average rating because they were just fine to me.
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WHERE CAN I WATCH THE REST? (eng sub)
I fell in love with this 2005 version of Neung Nai Suang!! It made my days so much brighter. I love the set designs, the costumes, the dances, the main guy, the main girl, and the story!! I love everything about it; it's probably one of the best Thai dramas I've watched! Unfortunately I had to stop at Episode 4 because the english subtitles got deleted. For some reason I cannot find the rest of it in english sub. I am so confused and honestly heartbroken. This show made me really happy! Can someone PLEASE tell me where I can find the rest?I would really appreciate it. I LOVE THIS SHOW!
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