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Somewhere Our Love Begins thai drama review
Completed
Somewhere Our Love Begins
6 people found this review helpful
by JulesL
Apr 9, 2022
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 7.0

Good story, well-paced episodes, great chemistry and satisfying ending...

I was anticipating this lakorn because of Esther and Jes pairing as the main couple, Arisara and Panin. Since I watched them in "Leh Ratree", I have been hoping to see them star together, but this time with Jes as the male lead. And they did not disappoint! I liked the chemistry between them, and they looked so gorgeous together. In fact, I wrote this review after watching it twice because there were scenes of them that I wanted to revisit and appreciate the gestures, the effects, and the words.

Visually, musically, emotionally - The story unfolded pretty nicely for me, and the episodes flowed quickly, keeping up the pace and never losing the momentum. The show was by no means perfect, and there were loopholes in the plot. At times, Arisara's questionably stupid actions made me mad, but I chalked those up to the show trying to create melodrama to move the story along. In general though, this show was a good watch, and I never felt tempted to fast-forward or skip.

I wish that there were more episodes earlier focused on Arisara and Panin falling in love. The development of their relationship felt too short and somewhat rushed. That said, they were so lovely together, and Jes' portrayal of Panin falling hard and fast for Arisara was done nicely, and it was believable. There were only a few kisses and almost kisses, but the scenes hit the right emotions for me with the touching background music.

Panin was one of the best MLs I have seen in a Thai lakorn! He was charismatic, suave, and charming. Always the gentleman but assertive too, Panin never hesitated to express his feelings, and I loved watching Arisara's reactions whenever Panin flirted with her. He was really quite smooth - haha! Panin was also intelligent, and he can fight! Best of all, he was mature and reasonable, allowing the progression of his and Arisara's relationship to happen realistically despite years of major misunderstandings and separation. Panin was also savvy, knowing when to manipulate the situation to his advantage, and I like that he never misled the second female lead and remained true to his heart. He was also able to respect his father without bending to the unreasonable demands.

Jes can emote well with his eyes, and I enjoyed watching how Panin pined for Arisara, the stolen glances, and pensive stares. Jes did a great job overall, but he is not quite there as a male lead yet. For me, something is missing, and he does not have the male lead aura yet. I am sure that he will get there after a few more dramas under his belt.

Esther fitted the role of Arisara, our long-suffering female lead, perfectly, but then again, this is not surprising. I think she plays this kind of role best, and she looked really pretty in the show. Arisara can be considered as a plucky optimistic female lead with an admirable spirit that cannot be broken down. She can react too quickly and emotionally, which led to some frustrating outcomes. Still, Esther, who seems to be able to bring life to any character, was able to lead the audience to sympathize with Arisara was truly the victim and cheer for her as she bounced back, determined to right the wrong she suffered.

There was also a secondary couple, Lin Jong and Nont, whose endearing interactions increased my enjoyment of the show. Also, the young actor playing Pinyet/Pete was also pretty good and added the cuteness factor.

The villains also deserved kudos for adding the layers of manipulation and scheming that kept things fresh. It was also enjoyable to see the villains unravel as they got closer to being caught, and it was so gratifying to see them punished. Nicha Chokprajakchat was awesome as Lookmee, and she pulled off looking beautifully cold-blooded and ruthless. In my opinion, Lookmee got too much screen time, but since she always looked amazing in her outfits and hairstyles, I guess it was ok :D. Pokhai, the other antagonist, was played quite well by Chopin Noochintra. He appears to be new to lakorns, but I would say that he is off to a great start, acting in two of Esther's dramas.

However, the true villain has got to be Panin's father, Puchong, portrayed superbly by Kob Songsit Rungnopakunsi. Oh, he made my blood boil throughout the show with his prejudice, narrow mind, and ignorance. He was not a stupid man, but he was blinded by misplaced hate and self-righteousness. He was really the cause of all the heartache, but it was only during the last episode when he got his redemption.

The OSTs were well-done, with appropriate instrumental pieces underscoring the more poignant scenes. The theme song, Song Krai Kid Teung by Bird Thongchai is very fitting and sets a romantic, emotional tone for the show. The more I listen, the more I like it! Unfortunately, I could not find the links for two other songs played in the show. My one complaint is that, like most other lakorns, the music producers have not mastered the effective use and timing of melodramatic/suspenseful background music. It got too loud, and sometimes, the scenes fell flat because they did not match the music.

For posterity, I have listed the tracks that I could find in this review.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kh-re0Wass
ใครคิดถึง Krai Kid Teung - BIRD THONGCHAI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM3uFeJNlRk
ใครคิดถึง Krai Kid Teung - cover by Jespipat Tilapornputt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm2N4gntigI&list=RD2kh-re0Wass&index=3
Undo - POP PONGKOOL X WONDERFRAME

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emv3FYWFcLY
Chairai - BOWKYLION

On the whole, I do recommend this lakorn. The story moved quickly with a great ending, good-looking actors who can act, and great music. So give it a try, and who knows, you may get hooked on it just like I was.
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