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Thong EK: The Herbal Master thai drama review
Completed
Thong EK: The Herbal Master
1 people found this review helpful
by JulesL
May 29, 2021
14 of 14 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Mario and Kimmy Showing Off Their Comedic Chops!

Another fun lakorn that proves that the Thai know how to mix comedy, romance, and drama well, and in this case, there's some dabbling in the supernatural. Using hilarious dialogue and effective sound effects, the show swings from romantic to dramatic to funny quickly and smoothly, and it keeps the entertainment level high throughout the show. While the humor is mostly slapstick and low-brow, the show also uses a gentle version of dark comedy to deal with grimmer topics like death, sickness, and plain evilness that lurks in human nature. Just be prepared to laugh, cry and then laugh again.

The show follows our main couple, Thong Ek and Chaba, and their hate-to-love journey. In their case, opposites do attract. Thong Ek is an aspiring herbal master, knowledgeable and kind but being a hot-blooded young man, can be quite rascally, especially when encouraged by his equally flirty friends, Piak and Toon. Chaba is not your typical noble lady, expected to be soft-mannered and adept in managing the household. Instead, she is outspoken, brave, and more interested in wielding a sword than a ladle. Certainly not the kind of girl that Thong Ek fancies in the beginning. Thong Ek and Chaba start out as being hostile towards each other. Still, when Chaba gets inspired to study traditional medicine from Thong Ek, they gradually learn to meet halfway, and the feelings between the two eventually become mutual. However, the path they take to get there is full of humorous incidents, twists, and turns.

Mario Maurer is perfect as the goofy but charming Thong Ek, and really, he is simply adorable. So is Kimberley "Kimmy" Woltemas, who portrays the opinionated and plucky Chaba well. I like their characters, and together they do make a lovely couple. They are super super sweet after marriage! That said, I am not feeling the chemistry as much between them compared to other on-screen couples. Still, their romance is fun to watch,, and their antics, especially when Piak, Toon, and Chongko are involved, are guaranteed to bring on the laughter.

The show also features other cute pairings such as Perm and Glin as well as Piak and Chongko. Chongko totally rocks by the way! She is the kind of girlfriend that every girl should have, and I really want her to end up with the SML. Speaking of the SML, my poor Punjan Imanothai. He's hot, and his portrayal as Kla is sexy and sweet enough to cause me to partially root for him to win Chaba's heart. Plus the whole backstory of how they supported each other since childhood is endearing.

It's interesting that, like his character in BPS (Love Destiny), Punjan's Kla ultimately ends up with the girl who is in love with the ML initially. I did not mind it in BPS, but somehow, I really dislike the character Pong in this drama. I am not sure if it is Namwhan Supinchompoo's acting or the character is just one that does not sit well with me. She comes across as weak and sketchy; not obviously manipulative but at the same time not sincere. It is hard for me to believe that she has genuine feelings for Kla. After Thong Ek rejects her, she appears to shift her focus on Kla as a more viable option to live comfortably. Even on Kla's side, it feels more like Pong is a consolation prize, something to possess more than someone to love.

I appreciate the effort that the subbers made to provide the names of the herbs used in the traditional medicine. The show also delivers a good message about how the traditional way of treating illness can work together with the western methods.

I also like the instrumental music that underscores the emotional scenes. The opening credit song sang by Mario is light-hearted and upbeat, capturing the generally playful tone of this entertaining rom-com. According to a post I came across, Mario's ost is about "medicine to save nang'ek's heart from bruises".

Overall, this show is an enjoyable time well spent, especially if you are a fan of Mario or Kimmy. They both shine in this lakorn.

For posterity, I am recording the track list here:

1. Ya ya ya : Mario Maurer feat. Ayutthaya Cute Boys
ยา ยา ยา : มาริโอ้ เมาเร่อ feat. อยุธยา Cute Boys

2. Kord : Gun Napat
กอด : กัน นภัทร

3. Yood hai jai ngai kwa : Kala
หยุดหายใจง่ายกว่า : กะลา

4. Rak dee dee mai mee kai : Joke So Cool
รักดีๆไม่มีขาย : โจ๊ก โซคูล

5. Cross Love (V. Japan Rock) : Instinct

6. Mai rak khon eun : ETC
ไม่รักคนอื่น : ETC

7. Mai chai mai rak : Briohny
ไม่ใช่ไม่รัก : ไบรโอนี่

8. Hua jai hai ther : Ice Saranyu
หัวใจให้เธอ : ไอซ์ ศรัณยู

9. Hedpol kong khon mai dee : Opal Praput
เหตุผลของคนไม่ดี : โอปอ ประพุทธ์

10. Pror chanun : Zeal
เพราะฉะนั้น : ซีล

11. Pieng nai jai : Boy Peacemaker
เพียงในใจ : บอย พีชเมคเกอร์

12. Ja soo na ther yung ngai : Punch
จะสู้หน้าเธอยังไง : พันซ์

13. Yoo puer ther : Punjun Porrama
อยู่เพื่อเธอ : ปั้นจั่น ปรมะ

14. Rak tae mee kae krung diew : Nam Ronnadech
รักแท้มีแค่ครั้งเดียว : แหนม รณเดช

15. Rak chua nirun : Nan Satida
รักชั่วนิรันดร์ : แนน สาธิดา
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