Kleun Cheewit (2017)

My first Thai drama and it was FANTASTIC! Personally, I think the acting really made the difference for me. The chemistry between the leading couple (Mark Prin and Yaya) was off the charts! Yaya was great at the emotional scenes, not just the crying but the ability to really project the emotions. It was captivating. As for Mark Prin, he is great at the subtle facial expressions. The attention is in the details and he nailed the subtle emotions each time. As a viewer you definitely get more invested in the characters and the story if the actors are able to elevate the story and the depth of the characters. They both did it for me. The story itself could be deemed somewhat cliched but what made it was the nuanced attention by the actors and the director. The conflicts, the emotional complications, the internal struggles all seemed very realistic and understandable. Each episode wasn't drawn out without reason, each had a purpose for adding to the layers of emotional complexity and the turmoil the characters were feeling. I LOVED it. I usually watch K-Dramas and Taiwanese or Chinese dramas but I have to say, this drama really impressed me and blew my perception of Thai dramas out of the water. I will be watching a lot more Thai dramas and now, I'm a huge Yaya and Mark Prin fan! Oh yes, a shout out to P'Suki - Jee's gay manager in the drama. He is arguably the best gay side kick I've seen in any drama! AWESOME!!!

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I have been watching lakorns since last year and even longer have watched various of other Asian dramas for seven years now that I easily lose interest because either the plot, characters, or the overall storyline makes no sense or changes within the middle. The same cannot be said of this drama, from beginning to end the storyline, characters, and plot has always been consistent. I didn't know much of Yaya or Prin before heading into this drama, but afterwards they have made a huge impact when it comes to further lakorns in the future.

The story is like Secret (kdrama), if anyone ever watched it, and although Secret has been one of my favorite dramas when it comes to revenge/hate turning into love and obsession, this lakorn has beaten it out of the water due to the main characters but more so to Yaya's potrayal of Jeerawat or Jee.

Story:
Very Simple, Jee is a major nangek/celebrity who despite all the fame and status lives her life constantly in the rumor mill potrayed as a whore and slut who snatches up people husbands. In reality, she is anything but and instead is just a woman or rather a girl who just wants love, mainly from her mother that she continuously protects at the cost of her own self-respect. While Satit is a young lawyer who is deeply in love with his fiance Tiw, all for justice and the fight for the underdog and the little man. Unlike in the synopsis, Jee is NOT an alcoholic and instead is lusted after by her stepfather and is heavily drugged (IM style in the arm) and in her pursuit to run away from her eventual rape innocently hit and run over Satit's fiance Tiw. Instead of actually running, Jee tries to express her apologies and own up to her mistake, however, the people around her refuses for her to do so and instead her assistant takes the fall while she lives her life in a constant cycle of regret, guilt, remorse, and horror for the fact she cannot pay for the crime that she caused.

Satit, however, doesn't believe what is released to the public and is in hot pursuit to punish Jee for his fiance's death which leads to his obsession. Eventually constant interactions, fighting/arguments, and slowly seeing the inner truth of who Jee really is makes him falls in love with her. But at the same time, he struggles with the reality that he might be falling for the very woman who killed the love of his life and is constantly struggling to battle his own feelings.

Of course there are two other couples but in reality it became such a nuisance (really in Piak and Chaiyan's case) but they only at times help the main draw closer and own up to their feelings.


Acting/Cast:
If I didn't state it earlier, this show was amazing not from the story itself alone, but from the flawless potrayal from the main characters and the amazing chemistry between Jee and Satit. Although Prin was amazing showing Satit as someone obsessed, I have to give the full recognition to Yaya for such an amazing job as Jee.

Yaya: have never seen her before, never knew her before, or etc...but my GODDDD!!!!! She was simply amazing as Jeerawat. She potrayed the hard as nails, aloof, bitch that everyone saw her but at the same time show the vulnerabilities of a young woman (more so girl in my opinion) that just wanted love. Love from her mother and those around her that were actually genuine. At times female leads that just cry nonstop would be annoying and ridiculous but you knew Jee was crying was because she built such a icy facade for the world that when it came to herself, her manager Suki, and her best friend Dao, that was the only time she could really be herself and let it out. Each time, each time, Yaya did such an amazing job showing the emotions of someone lost, tired, hopeful, yearning, and just wanting someone to just love her for herself. Although as the audience battled with the decisions she made at times Yaya did such a seamless job in showing someone fighting with herself and inner desires, wants, and needs. She was not a Candy female lead or someone so darn evil you wonder if she was REALLY a lead female. Rather she was human. She was realistic. She came from a broken home, her mother and her struggled and suffered for everything they got, and even then she wouldn't show others her true self. she was tough as nails and at the same time vulnerable. She was as real as you are gonna get if you want a realistic female lead that is not sugarcoated but is not always wearing a smile despite all the crap life hands to her.

Piak: a insecure housewife now producer/director who constantly suspects her husband Chaiyan is sleeping with his female actresses (nangek) and more specifically, thinks he is sleeping with Jee. Her (adopted) brother is Satit.

Chaiyan: is best friends with Jee, rather shares a brother/sister relationship to Jee that is constantly misconstrued to his wife and the media as an affair.

Dao: Jee's best friend with Jee and is in love with Jate

Jate: confused and playing both fields. In love with Jee but attracted to Dao.


Rewatch Value, Overall:

I would watch this show again at least a few months from now to completely forget the story-line (which i doubt) as this show is just so darn intriguing, and not so predictable compared to most dramas. As i stated before this show has two other couples and to me were either annoying at times or just so unbelievable, but they don't ruin the story. This lakorn is sooooooo enjoyable, intriguing, and unpredictable. Highly recommend to watch, and watch, watch, and then watch some more.

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