Gummy_Marshmallow:
Reader may or may not agree with my opinions

Agreed about Return Man (easily one of the most enjoyable dramas this year, Thai need to make more of such dramas) and My Lucky Star - my ratings are almost the same :) Haven't seen most of the rest, but regarding Love and Redemption, in my opinion there was a lot of nonsense and really weird decisions by most characters, but the story as a whole was sufficiently engaging. I had complaints about the leads' relationship development which wasn't well done - I think they didn't have enough grounds to get where they ended up. That attempt in the end to show that they were destined to be together was quite lame imo. And I have Praomook on hold, I'm trying to brace myself to get through with it lol.

 Jelena Petrovic:
That attempt in the end to show that they were destined to be together was quite lame imo

Agreed.

 Jelena Petrovic:
I have Praomook on hold, I'm trying to brace myself to get through with it lol.

Maybe, it could work out for you.😁

 Gummy_Marshmallow:
Maybe, it could work out for you.?

I really like Bua and Pon, I think they are both good actors, so I hope they can make me endure xD I read that the relationship between their characters is dumpster fire because most of the nice moments were cut in editing.

 Jelena Petrovic:
because most of the nice moments were cut in editing.

lol xD

 Gummy_Marshmallow:
PRAOMOOK - 5.5/10 - There's nothing much to say about this one, as I only watched this because it was on my watchlist. Everyone was so annoying in this one, or maybe it was just my mood then. FL's sister was definitely annoying though. Skipped a lot ... was really frustrating. ?

Rewatch: I want to maintain my sanity. ?

You were generous. =D  If I remember correctly filmed during pandemic and butchered in editing.  

 Gummy_Marshmallow:
Been on hiatus for 2 months. Also, I'm watching more Korean Dramas recently.

Welcome back.

 Anusaya:
You were generous.

haha .. lol

I'm being slow again, probably because it's summer and my focus is on vacation. Done with a couple dramas and watching a few ongoing ones.

Fallen Rainbow - 7.5/10 - Emotionally draining because of all the misery. Great performances by Sammy, Pong and some of the supporting cast. Could have been shorter because half of the plot was just people going from one place to another and having long repetitive conversations. Mystery was predictable. Waewphan is the most useless and pointless character I've ever seen. What was her purpose anyway, other than being an utter pain in the *ss? Does even the actress know?

My Lucky Star - 8.5/10 - I can't be objective when Film is in a drama lol, but this was still pretty good and fun (I haven't seen the original drama so no idea how similar it is, although I think I can recognize typical Thai additions to the story). Loved the chemistry between the leads and the fact that they didn't fall into some very common traps used in lakorns. There is some nonsense which can be overlooked if you focus on other things, like Film haha.

Currently watching:

Rivalry - I had high expectations because there's Alec and Pop and the premise sounds fun, but the first 5 episodes were a real chore to watch. My biggest problem is that I find the FL totally unlikeable so far, along with her whole family. Second problem is that (unexpectedly) Alec is being overshadowed by Pop and I kind of wish this story is about Tawin and Lisa lol. I also wish for more good lead roles for Pop, hope he finally gets recognition. Third problem is that I'm very annoyed by the whole competition thing between families since there isn't a shred of moral and ethics involved. Looks like I'll struggle here.

La Pluie - Started this since it's near the end and I can't say I'm impressed or entertained. It just doesn't hold my attention. Title and Suar are the only ones who can act. Saengthian is a source of occassional comedy, I'll give him that.

Unhating You - Way more lighthearted than I expected and acting is very good. Pong and Fern work well together. Phuket sets are gorgeous. Alas, the premise is close to ridiculous. This kind of story is just not fit for this day and age. But ok, I figured I need to turn off my brain so it's quite enjoyable lol.

When a Snail Falls in Love - As everyone agrees, this is very different from the Chinese drama which is hard to come close to. Good decision by Thai to go for a new adaptation of the novel instead of a remake of the drama. So far it's fun, more of Thai humor and overall lighter atmosphere. I like the leads, they are doing well.

Thai Watch Challenge 2023 - officially done 09.01. Believe; I finished 15 days earlier than last year. It was fun and thank you all for the challenge as always. <3 =D

If you are interested in my short take on each series; Challenge list 2023:

List: https://mydramalist.com/list/1VKNJkvL

Official: thai-watch-challenge-2023

 Anusaya:
Thai Watch Challenge 2023 - officially done 09.01.

Congrats!!!

Congratulations to the participants who have already completed the challenge, and "su su na" to all those who still have titles to finish. 

We have until December 31, 2023, so there's no rush. 

Don't forget that you can already send us a list of your favorite talents and your favorite titles from this year for the 2024 challenge. You can also provide suggestions for improving the current challenge.

 Thank you in advance for your participation.

 ManUtiavN:

Congrats!!!

Thank you. <3 ^_^


 Thai Drama Club:
Don't forget that you can already send us a list of your favorite talents and your favorite titles from this year for the 2024 challenge. You can also provide suggestions for improving the current challenge.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

My favorite series of the entire challenge:
"How to Be a Perfect Dad" (2022-23)

Seasoned actors: I would consider them my new for 2024;
Aon Sarawut Martthong
Toey Jarinporn Joonkiat
Chai Chatayodom Hiranyatithi

I second Toey :)

It crossed my mind recently how many times people in comment sections bash Thai cinematography and dramas because they don't like lakorns and think that Thai are only good at making BLs, while the majority are simply unaware of all other Thai dramas which don't belong to any of those two categories. I remember there was an article tackling this topic, but I couldn't find a comprehensive list of such dramas, so I created one myself. I included Thai remakes of non-Thai dramas and movies, but the purpose of the list is mainly a reminder for myself and others how many other Thai dramas there are out there. Here is the link to the list:

https://mydramalist.com/list/1VKEE7mL

These are dramas I watched or came across while browsing the MDL database and they seem to be neither lakorns nor BLs, only released ones included. I'd be happy to receive feedback regarding the list, whether there are dramas you think should be added or removed from the list :) If you have any ideas, you can comment on the list in order not to spam here.

 Jelena Petrovic:
If you have any ideas, you can comment on the list in order not to spam here.

Thank you for this list. I'll try to check out some of the titles I've seen too and get back to you.
But first a list, or rather the Thai PBS titles I've gathered so far that aren't lakorns at all.
https://mydramalist.com/list/1R8JDxG3

Thanks for the list!

Question for those who watched My Queen and Retribution:  do we consider them lakorns or not, due to the length of episodes?

Great list. I so agree with the misconception. I stay out of discussion more than I use to - because I just don't feel up to the task to change someone's preconceived notion of what kind of series they are watching.  Thrillers are the worst; romance? No he's a murderer. =/ end rant. lol

 Jelena Petrovic:

Thanks for the list!

Question for those who watched My Queen and Retribution:  do we consider them lakorns or not, due to the length of episodes?

"My Queen" I would, it's a remake of a Taiwan original. "Retribution" had all the usual suspects of a lakorn, but it was a thriller. Thrillers often get bad ratings because every one channeled  a lakorn.

I was going to point out "The Broken Us" [2022] - @ManUtiavN beat me to it on that list. Great list btw. <3 ThaiPBS is a good place to find something different, and often with subs.  You'll find credits for them them subsidizing  public YT channels. I'll be back with a list.