Sawan Biang (1998)

I must say that i am proud that i finished the 1998 version of "Sawan Biang" without any translation at all,starring the real-life married couple Brook Danuporn as the notorious Anti-hero/villain Kawee Worawat and Kob Suvanant as the headstrong Narin.Having also wathed the 2008 version starring Ken & Anne,i also compared both versions a lot and it was easy to pick a favourite one. The 2008 version clearly seals the deal since its one of my top 10 most favourite lakhorn ever...but i still like the natural flowing performances from Brook and Kob and thewhole cast-they did a terrific job!

I absolutely LOVEEEE the story of "Sawan Biang" (wish i also could read the novel)and its main-characters.I remember the 2008 version starting my addiction of lakhorns years ago and i haven`t been cured since.This older version have a different kind of directing.It has this gloomy and gothic element to it with a much depressing but also hauntingly beautiful OST.It doesn`t shy away from showing how flawed all the characters are and how much of a broken victim Narin becomes-in a almost stronger way than in the 2008 version.Brook`s performance as Kawee started off really strong in the earlier episodes,he have this swaggy but cold introduction when he enters his step-mothers funeral.He is a hateful creature,but seems to be empty of loneliness at times.Ken`s characterization of Kawee had a added charm of sexual innuendo,whereas Brook`s version of Kawee simply ozzes with barbaric shallowness with no empathy at all.More so with the way he brutally rapes Narin-how that scene made me uncomfortable and how awful it was to see how it almost broke Narin`s soul.It made it even more horrible because Kawee had never kidnapped her in this version but had calculatedly planned to rape her-and in doing that he drugged all the servants so that no one would help her.THAT IS A MONSTER!Narin was the one person who always stood toe to toe against Kawee and considered him dirt beneath her feet-because she knew what a cold-hearted monster he was from her first sight of him.I hate what she had to go through..and i hate it even more that she got together with him in the end.I also don`t like how friendly Kawee got with Leela near the end since Kawee in the 2008 version would rather cut his hand off than ever sincerely smile at Leela-HE DESPISED HER THAT MUCH even when they had a truce!Well this seems to be the case of if Narin is happy-then we all are happy!

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Could Have Been the Better Version

*Disclaimer: This review focuses on the characters and their relationships. It talks about some story stuff you probably already know if you’re familiar with Sawan Biang, so this review should be safe to read if you've seen at least one version.

I’ve seen both the 1998 and 2008 versions, and while the 2008 adaptation is my overall favorite, I think the 1998 version began with a more promising concept. Unfortunately, it never fully delivers on that potential, though I genuinely believe it could have surpassed the 2008 version if a few key choices had been handled differently. Buckle up—this is going to be a long review.

One major issue is Kawee’s characterization. He is not the same captivating, tragic, and compelling figure he is in the 2008 version. Brook is clearly a talented actor and does his best to portray Kawee as someone desperate to be loved, but the script gives him little room to fully explore that emotional depth. While there are moments when you genuinely feel sympathy for Kawee, his early ruthlessness and lack of empathy toward Narin make him difficult to like, even when he later begins to feel remorse.
The 1998 version leans heavily into Kawee’s pride. There are many moments when he wants to be kind to Narin but can’t bring himself to do it. Even after falling in love with her, he refuses to show it, deliberately acting overly affectionate with Pat whenever Narin is around. He also refuses to admit his feelings even after learning she is pregnant with his child, refusing to confess his love to someone he knows despises him.

This pride affects his redemption arc as well. Unlike the 2008 Kawee, who is openly vocal about his guilt, the 1998 Kawee rarely expresses remorse outright, making it difficult for viewers to tell whether he regrets his actions themselves or merely their consequences. Instead, the drama emphasizes his internal struggle: he punishes himself after Narin runs away by refusing to eat, and Brook conveys his despair convincingly, even if the script doesn’t always give him the tools to make that conflict fully explicit.
Where this version of Kawee succeeds, however, is in presenting a more realistic path to redemption. Kawee doesn’t simply wake up one day, learn he’s about to become a father, and transform overnight. He resists acknowledging that he was wrong or that he needs to change at all, and he struggles to understand why Narin won’t simply marry him. Even after he recognizes the need to work on himself to earn her trust, the process remains difficult and incomplete—and by the end, he is still unmistakably flawed.

Another characterization that falls short in this version is Tom’s. The 1998 Tom is simply not as likable as the 2008 Tom—you may not actively dislike him, but you’re unlikely to feel much affection for him either. One major difference I noticed is how Tom reacts after learning that Narin has been raped. In the 2008 version, he feels a deep sense of anger and hatred toward Kawee for hurting the woman he loves, and it takes a long time—and significant effort on Kawee’s part to prove he is willing to change—before Tom even considers helping him pursue Narin. In contrast, the 1998 version shows Tom being angry at first but then softening very quickly; without Kawee doing much self-reflection or growth, Tom is already considering telling him where Narin is.

That said, the 1998 version succeeds in portraying Leela as a far more complex character than her 2008 counterpart. Rather than being reduced to jealousy or irrationality, she is depicted as a deeply wounded woman who doesn’t know where to place her grief, which leads her to rush into a marriage with a man she has just met. I also appreciated that this version does not hold Leela responsible for Kawee’s own decisions, unlike the 2008 version. Additionally, the 1998 version makes Leela’s guilt and remorse for her actions explicit, rather than leaving her feelings open to interpretation as the 2008 version often does.

Another area where this version is stronger is in Narin’s mother’s reaction to discovering that her daughter had been raped. She is angry and devastated and only begins to soften after she sees how much Kawee regrets what he’s done, even if he doesn’t express it out loud. In contrast, in the 2008 version, after Narin’s mother finds out, she is kind to Kawee the very next day and even teaches him how to cook.

Many viewers consider the 1998 version “darker,” and I think that’s because it doesn’t try to soften the story for the audience. Sawan Biang is dark—plain and simple.
This is evident in how Kawee’s violence toward Narin is portrayed. In the 2008 version, when Kawee hits her, Narin hits him back; in the 1998 version, she doesn’t. Similarly, the first rape is framed differently: the 2008 version presents it as a heat-of-the-moment act fueled by anger, while in the 1998 version it’s a calculated decision fueled by jealousy.

Another example is how the 2008 version restricts the amount of emotion Narin is allowed to show: she can cry and be upset, but she isn’t allowed to completely break down the way the 1998 version allows her to. I think that’s why this version is so difficult for many people to watch—it doesn’t downplay Narin’s emotions or devastation. While the 2008 Narin carries her pain with dignified grace, the 1998 Narin’s emotions are messy and painfully real, and the show doesn’t shy away from depicting her ongoing trauma and constant sense of fear afterward.

The romance in the 1998 version is much slower compared to the 2008 version. In the first few episodes, Kawee and Narin barely interact at all. As a result, the drama can feel a bit draggy, with long stretches that repeat the same emotions without really moving the story or the characters forward.
However, when they do interact—whether through heated arguments, quiet moments of compassion, secret longing, or fiery jealousy—the chemistry between Kob and Brook makes every scene feel worthwhile. Still, the writers often miss opportunities to deepen their emotional connection, which can be frustrating.

Because of the drama’s uneven pacing, Narin isn’t given enough time to genuinely fall in love with the kinder version of Kawee, which makes the happy ending feel forced. It comes across as though Narin forgave Kawee mainly because of her pregnancy and the constant pressure from those around her to “just give him a chance.”

Unlike most viewers, I actually appreciate that Kawee doesn’t kidnap Narin in this version. Instead, we see his love develop gradually through small gestures, such as setting aside his pride to buy her a birthday gift and even wrapping it himself.
That said, the framing of Kawee’s violence is still uncomfortable to watch. In the 2008 version, when Kawee kidnaps and rapes Narin, it has nothing to do with love and everything to do with hate and anger. In the 1998 version, when Kawee rapes Narin, it’s framed as coming from his love for her and his inability to express that love in a healthy way.
Showing how his desperate need to be loved led him to hurt the person he loved most could have added much more complexity to his character and served as a stronger foundation for a truly earned redemption arc. I only wish it had been handled a little differently—particularly by not portraying Kawee as so proud afterward. His pride over hurting Narin does eventually shift into something else—maybe guilt, maybe remorse—and he begins to worry about her. However, because of his prideful nature, he never fully expresses those feelings, so the characters in the show don’t see how bad he feels, even though viewers can.

Taken as a whole, Sawan Biang (1998) is an emotionally raw and ambitious adaptation that never quite reaches the heights it could have. I wouldn’t rule out rewatching this one day, though I’d definitely need to be in the right headspace, as the story is very dark.

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