Although diversity could be strength to explore creativity, I personally need romance, comedy, cute moments and happy endings in my dramas. If our tastes are the same, read on for my favourite list, which could be a gentle introduction for lakorn newbies.
Wanida
Back in 2010, my Cambodian friend introduced me to my very first Thai drama called Wanida for their stunning outfits from 1940s/1950s. Aff's father is a loan shark who worries that his daughter won't be able to marry well due to his unfavourable reputation in society. Tik's noble family only has good name but no wealth to accompany it. When Tik's brother was unable to repay a large amount of money he owed to Aff's father, the latter demanded marriage to his daughter as a repayment. The drama followed Tik & Aff as they were forced into a contract marriage and slowly fell in love despite obstacles thrown at them by conniving ex-girlfriend and interfering mother-in-law. Overreacting servants either provided comedic relief or cringe-inducing moments, depending on how you look at it. However, we witness how both Tik and Aff grew and matured through the the narrative. How a son's filial duty, a man's integrity as well as a woman's strong will and perseverance intertwined to create a story which was cliche but nonetheless beautiful.
Due to lack of subbed Thai videos back then as well as the colossal success of Korean shows reignited by the popularity of Boys Over Flowers, I went back to the K-drama land. Fast forward to 2019, Korean shows available didn't quite capture my interest and I decided to watch highly acclaimed Thai movie Friend Zone. While the movie is by no means a standout with its own shortcomings in terms of story & character development, Baifern shines brightly with her charm.
The Sand Princess
When I realised this leading lady has a new drama available on YouTube with English subtitles, I immediately started watching The Sand Princess. Baifern (an orphan) is best friend with Dan's younger brother, who always uses money to make Baifern run errands for him (cook for him, do homework for him etc). The biggest task she has to undertake for him was look after his illegitimate child as he has a fiancé and is unable to publicly take care of the child. Being an orphan herself, Baifern just doesn't have a heart to send the child to an orphanage so she undertakes this immense duty as a single mother. Baifern, Dan & Dan's younger brother's love triangle is not angsty, but instead heart-warming. Yes, the female villain character is one dimensional and there are a tad too many product placements for my liking. But this show incorporates modern day issues such as money bouquet and single parenting while remaining light-hearted and charming. Baifern's performance as always was convincing as an exhausted single mother who yearns to be loved and taken care of.
Since then, I have been in lakorn-land. Of course, there were a couple of shows I couldn't even finish till the end and I won't be including those in my list. From now on, my reviews will be in chronological order of the time dramas were released, instead of the sequence I watched as you can then better appreciate actors' acting skills and how far they have come along. After enjoying Nadech's and Yaya's stellar performances in Switch (2017), I just couldn't go back to watching their earlier works from 2013/2014 and I would love to spare you from that fate.
| No | Drama | Male Lead | Female Lead |
| 1 |
(2010) Wanida
| Tik | Aff |
| 2 |
(2013) Khun Chai Puttipat
| James Ji | Bella |
| 3 |
(2013) Khun Chai Ronapee
| James Ma | Mint |
| 4 |
(2014) Rising Sun 2
| Nadech | Yaya |
| 5 |
(2015) Neung Nai Suang
| James Ji | Yaya |
| 6 |
(2016) Padiwaradda
| James Ji | Bella |
| 7 |
(2016) When a man loves a woman
| James Ma | Kimmy |
| 8 |
(2017) Switch
| Nadech | Yaya |
| 9 |
(2018) Bpoop Phaeh Saniwaat
| Pope | Bella |
| 10 | (2018) Crown Princess | Nadech | Yaya |
| 11 |
(2018) Devil Angel
| Tao | Baifern |
| 12 |
(2018) The fierce wife MIA
| Film | Bee |
| 13 |
(2018) When I marry a stranger
| Mik | Pooklook |
| 14 |
(2019) Sand Princess
| Dan | Baifern |
| 15 |
(2020) Sapai Import
| Mik | Min |
Khun Chai Puttipat
This is the third drama from a five part series, with each part depicting a love story of each Juthathep brother. Their deceased father promised one of his 5 sons will be married to a daughter from another noble family Taewaprom. As the first two older bothers have found their love matches, this duty is passed onto the third brother Khun Chai Puttipat (James Ji). But when James Ji fell in love with Bella's character (Miss Thailand) against the elders' wishes, how will he get out from the promise made by his father?
I was in love with James Ji and Bella pairing, for their unbelievably awesome chemistry. Unfortunately for me, Bella‘s character was a tad weak for my liking. The first four episodes were truly unbearable with all the misunderstandings, which could have been easily avoided through communication and some trust by the way. I couldn’t even breathe! If not for the lovely bromance between the three younger brothers and the eye candy that was James Ma (youngest brother), I would have given up on this drama.
As much as I love Bella and accept class divide was a legit issue in Thailand in those days (1950s/1960s), I just wish she would put more trust in James Ji. For example, when she was trying to rush to Ayutthaya from Bangkok, it was in the middle of the night which wasn’t safe for a young girl to be traveling alone. More importantly, she doesn’t have any money to travel. She was just begging the taxi driver to bring her home on credit (there was no guarantee driver will get his money back), while stubbornly refusing James from driving her to her hometown. I understand if she refused to get James’ help because she has an action plan. But that’s the thing - she has none and yet, she stubbornly refused to accept James’ help. While her resilience and will to be independent is admirable, she also needs to be clever in a world where people are ready to judge you and step on you. I just wish she would use her headstrong nature against people who were insulting her instead of the guy who loves her with all he has.
James Ji deserves to get his girl for being very determined and clear about his feelings while not hesitating to share his thoughts and not taking bullshit from people around him. He doesn’t shy away from having to admit his feelings and was willing to trust his love. And it was satisfying to see his character’s growth from an unemotional, workaholic doctor to being a mushy lover boy who smiles a lot, who would do anything for Bella (stand strong in front of his grandmothers) and who has his priorities right. The only issue I have with James Ji was his glasses. Is it possible to make him look mature without the use of those glasses, which made him look like a young boy, not as a man ready to face the world for his lady?
Being the final instalment of the Juthathep series, the pressure is on Khun Chai Ronapee (James Ma) as the last chance for his grandmothers to fulfil the promise made between two noble families. Thanks to his prestigious family name, title, handsome looks and wealth, women want him but what about true love that all his four older brothers have found? For a man who doesn't know what love is, he found himself intrigued by Mint who perceives love as the road to abandonment, disappointment and subsequently pain, despite being the object of affection for many suitors.
Through the story, we could see a playful, fun-loving young boy who is a permanent fixture at parties matured into a man who looks forward to spending time with his beloved, even at temple festivals. When declaring his love to her, he gave her the gold ring he gained as a reward for his skills as a pilot, not an expensive ring which could have been purchased with his family's wealth. Even though the deception about his identity will make you anxious, you can also understand why he is in that position and why he is scared. You can't help but root for James Ma for the confrontations with his own fear of rejection (unfamiliar emotion to the youngest son of Juthathep family). James was brave enough to admit his mistakes, courageous enough to put his heart on the line and willing to leave all the family legacy behind for his lady. How can you not adore this leading man? After a whirlwind of trials and tribulations, our man gets his heroine but it has definitely been a gripping emotional rollercoaster. As this is only James Ma's first drama, I just cannot wait to see his upcoming work.
Here is the first 4 dramas and stay tuned for part II :D
Adios!
xoxo
Miss N
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