The Water

The Most Nuanced Sapphic Love Story Of All Time!

Throw all your preconceived notions about lesbian love stories out the window! 4E:WATER will rock your boat, baby!! Nom Apo and Chonlada are both awesome and their rocky seas then calm waters then raging seas again dance is what makes 4E:WATER The Perfect Storm. This is the best of EngLot, thus far!

However, if there's one thing remarkable about the story of 4 ELEMENTS - apart from the romantic arcs of each of the leads - it's the amazing bond among the four cousins, especially between the two youngest ones, Lom and Fai. The two older ones have the onus of responsibility resting upon their shoulders - Din runs the huge farm like clockwork, Nam is transitioning from capable little boss to competent big boss of a hotel and resort conglomerate, but Lom and Fai still get to do a lot of the fun "stuff" that come with the recklessness of youthful abandon. Yet the bonds among these four cousins are so palpable, they're even thicker than sibling bonds - They'd give their lives for each other in a heartbeat! THAT is what makes 4 ELEMENTS not just a star-studded sapphic extravaganza, but also a touching family drama.

4 ELEMENTS is like a Disney fairy tale turned live action movie turned Asian adaptation.... Thailand for the win! The world sends its appreciation.

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Too goodddd (random stuff)Water is one of the four basic elements of nature and is essential for the survival of all living organisms. It covers about seventy percent of the Earth’s surface and is found in rivers, lakes, oceans, glaciers, and underground sources. Human beings, animals, and plants all depend on water for life. Without water, no living thing can survive.

Water is used for many purposes in daily life such as drinking, cooking, cleaning, farming, and generating electricity. Farmers depend on water to grow crops, while industries use it in manufacturing processes. It also helps in maintaining cleanliness and proper hygiene. Apart from its practical uses, water also adds beauty to nature through waterfalls, rivers, seas, and rain.

One of the most important qualities of water is that it exists in three forms: solid, liquid, and gas. Ice, water, and water vapor are all different forms of the same element. This makes water unique and important in maintaining the balance of nature. The water cycle, which includes evaporation, condensation, and rainfall, continuously renews the Earth’s water supply.

Water is also considered a symbol of purity, calmness, and life in many cultures and religions. People often feel relaxed near rivers, lakes, or the sea because water creates a peaceful atmosphere. It supports marine life and helps maintain the ecosystem.

However, water pollution and wastage have become serious problems today. Factories, plastic waste, and chemicals pollute rivers and oceans, making water unsafe for living beings. Therefore, it is our responsibility to save and protect water by using it wisely and avoiding

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What a good way to do a slow burn

So The Water is the second series in the Mega Project, and it’s already so much better than The Earth. The tension, the chemistry between the actresses, and the slow burn were all really well done.

The actresses’ performances were really good, and I enjoyed them a lot. I especially loved Apo and Lada’s relationship it felt so soft, sincere, and natural. It was really fun watching them on screen, and I also really appreciated the development of their personalities and characters throughout the series.

Even the side characters left an impression on me, and so did the villains, which shows they did a really good job with the writing.

Yes, the series can be cliché at times, but honestly, I had a really great time watching it, and in the end, that’s what matters it was genuinely very entertaining.

The only bad thing to me was the episode was too long.

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Did not work for me

What a mess.
I feel like many people liked this show because of the pre-existing chemistry between the actors and not because the story is good.

Just like the earth we have a quick romance. At least Din and Rose knew each other since childhood and were put in a high risk environment where they had to grow close. The water depends on the actors to make it good.

Throughout the earth Apo is the one cousin who was missing the most and we established her as this workaholic cold person. This Apo disappears within the 2nd episode. The smart business woman suddenly doesn't know how to make decisions. Yes I get that she is falling in love for the first time and doesn't know how to act but they completely throw any build up Apo had.

We don't see Apo falling in love or her side of the feelings truly. In earth we see both Din and Rose's sides but we see Din's more closely. Here we are more focused on Chonlada. We can see why she falls for Apo and how she admires her, but the same can't be said for Apo.

Since ep 3 I thought it would be more fun if Apo knew who Chonlada was and was purposefully keeping her close and then was naturally falling in love. Turns out Apo did know but its not useful since it really doesn't give an idea of what Apo likes about her. We don't see the smart business woman taking risks and seeing the vulnerabilities of her lover, instead we are shown this so called smart woman not knowing how to handle rumours. What I'm trying to say is it feel like Apo feelings are way stronger than they should be given what they have shown us.

I feel like the big reason for this is the lack of the cousins. The cousins really helped Rose and Din get together and they also acted as an way for the audience to really understand Din's feelings. I have seen ppl saying that in the novel Rose and Din help Apo understand/confess her feelings and that would have worked so well here. Instead of the cousins we get a cousin and a father who want Apo and Chonlada to be a thing immediately instead of being a safe space where we see Apo handle her feelings. The father and sister were almost like stand in for fans. Plus we don't have characters like Modaeng to support the leads.
I hate that we gave a whole redemption arc to Chonlada's father. He was abusive and she and her mother should not be in the same room ever again

The actresses were really good, no complaints in that department. I really liked their outfits and their usage of blue. The wedding scenes are always cute and love the bouquet passing. Lowkey don't have high expectations for the air since it looks like there is a big story to tell and they won't be able to do it in 8 eps

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Sanitized and nonsensical plot

One should always take these 8+ star GL reviews with a grain of salt because most of the GLs themselves have a low production value and are practically unwatchable even at 1.5-2x speed. I was looking forward to this one mainly because of Engfa/Charlotte, after loving their dynamic in Petrichor. But, I have to say, after having watched Petrichor and enjoying the grittiness, the chemistry, and the more mature plot than most GLs and BLs go into, The Water was jarring in the way it sanitized the romance and sexiness and in how nonsensical and uninspiring the plot was.

If I didn't know better, I would've thought this was another GMM show – lighting overblown, a majority of the characters acting in the exact same way without having any of their own agency, the leads flat cut-outs acting as if possessed by the script rather than people with dimension and nuance, highly sensationalized antagonists, a lot of hoopla over some lackluster flirting and immature hints at sex, and a plot that I would not be able to describe to someone who hasn't seen the show. Also, I will be awaiting the day when GLs have better body representation and stray outside of the 2 femmes archetype, because, no matter how they dress Engfa, she passes as a femme with a sprinkle of butch energy.

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10/10 Finally a GL That Gets Slow Burn and Subtle Chemistry Right

10/10 Finally a GL That Gets Slow Burn and Subtle Chemistry Right
Episode 1 of Water is a 10/10 for me. It does everything right in terms of atmosphere, character introduction, and slow-burn tension. The personalities are shown naturally through behaviour and interaction rather than forced exposition, which makes everything feel more believable. The chemistry is subtle but constant, built through small moments, expressions, and timing instead of pushed romance scenes.
The vibe and setting also really support the story, creating a strong immersive atmosphere from the start. Overall, it feels like a proper slow-burn GL done right, where the connection is allowed to develop naturally instead of being rushed.

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Peut-on légitimement monter une fausse opération de police pour kidnapper une mariée ?

Après avoir adoré The Earth, j'attendais énormément The Water. Et même si je continue à préférer légèrement l'histoire de Din et Rose, cette seconde entrée de la saga réussit quelque chose de très difficile : raconter une romance crédible entre deux femmes profondément blessées, sans jamais oublier son identité de drama romantique.

Une romance construite avec patience
Le plus grand point fort de The Water est sans aucun doute la relation entre Nam et Lada.
Au départ, tout les oppose.
Nam est une dirigeante brillante, perfectionniste et incapable de faire passer autre chose que son travail avant ses responsabilités. Lada, elle, entre dans sa vie avec de mauvaises intentions, poussée par une famille toxique qui l'utilise comme un pion dans une guerre économique.
Ce qui aurait pu devenir une romance remplie de malentendus artificiels évolue finalement vers quelque chose de beaucoup plus intéressant. Nam apprend progressivement à aimer. Lada apprend progressivement qu'elle a le droit de choisir sa propre vie.
J'ai particulièrement apprécié le fait que leurs arcs soient complémentaires :
- Nam commence l'histoire en sacrifiant sa vie émotionnelle au profit de son travail.
- Lada commence l'histoire en sacrifiant son bonheur au profit des attentes des autres.
Au fil des épisodes, elles s'aident mutuellement à guérir ces blessures. Nam apprend à vivre pour elle-même. Lada apprend que son bonheur a de la valeur.

Une héroïne prisonnière de sa culpabilité
Là où beaucoup de dramas auraient réduit le conflit principal à une simple question de confiance, The Water va plus loin. Le véritable obstacle n'est pas que Lada ne fait plus confiance à Nam. Le véritable obstacle est que Lada ne parvient plus à se pardonner. Même après avoir choisi Nam. Même après avoir refusé de nuire à l'hôtel. Même après avoir rejeté son frère. Lada continue à se définir à travers les erreurs qu'elle a commises. C'est ce qui rend sa rupture avec Nam si douloureuse. Elle ne rejette pas Nam parce qu'elle ne l'aime plus. Elle rejette Nam parce qu'elle estime ne plus mériter cet amour. C'est probablement l'aspect le plus réussi de l'écriture du personnage.

Nam : de la PDG glaciale au golden retriever amoureux
Je ne pensais pas écrire cette phrase un jour. Nam est probablement le personnage qui évolue le plus durant la série.
On passe progressivement de :
"Vous êtes virée." à "La cuisine est fermée mais tu peux me manger." Le contraste est absolument hilarant.
Pendant toute la première moitié de la série, Nam est incapable d'exprimer ses sentiments autrement qu'à travers le travail, les actes de service ou des solutions pratiques. Quand elle commence enfin à accepter ses émotions, elle devient incroyablement attachante... et parfois complètement ridicule.
- Les fleurs.
- Le stand de fleurs.
- Les drones.
- La clé USB.
- La bague.
Nam ne sait visiblement pas aimer à moitié. Elle est du genre "all-in". Ce qui est à la fois romantique et légèrement terrifiant.

Une famille qui vole presque la vedette
S'il y a bien une chose que la franchise maîtrise, ce sont les dynamiques familiales. J'ai adoré retrouver Din, Rose, Lom et Fai.
La scène où Nam annonce :
"Je ne l'aime plus." avant d'être immédiatement interrompue par Lom et Fai est probablement l'un des moments les plus drôles du drama. Le contraste entre les cousines est parfait :
- Din, stratège pragmatique terre-à-terre.
- Nam, bourreau de travail émotionnellement handicapée.
- Lom, dragueuse professionnelle et lieutenant de police.
- Fai, gremlin sous caféine.
Et au milieu de tout ça : Rose. La seule personne normale de cet univers. Mention spéciale également au père de Nam. L'homme a porté cette relation sur ses épaules pendant huit épisodes. Je refuse toute discussion.

Des antagonistes qu'on adore détester
Phat est un excellent antagoniste. Pas parce qu'il est complexe, mais parce qu'il est profondément agaçant et creepy. Chaque apparition donne envie de lui mettre une gifle.
Quant au père de Lada, il est probablement l'un des personnages les plus détestables de toute la franchise. Le voir traiter sa fille comme un simple objet d'échange était particulièrement difficile à regarder. Et pourtant, même après tout cela, Lada et sa mère refusent de devenir cruelles à leur tour. J'ai trouvé cela très cohérent avec leurs personnages.

Une réalisation solide
La production est magnifique. Le resort en bord de mer renforce parfaitement les thèmes du drama. Comme pour The Earth, l'élément n'est pas seulement présent dans le titre, il imprègne toute l'œuvre.
L'eau est partout :
- dans le décor,
- dans les souvenirs,
- dans les émotions,
- dans les secrets qui finissent toujours par remonter à la surface.
L'OST est excellente. La photographie est superbe. Et le duo Engfa-Charlotte fonctionne remarquablement bien. J'ai particulièrement apprécié de voir Engfa dans un rôle plus contenu et plus réprimé émotionnellement que d'habitude.

Quelques défauts
Le principal problème du drama reste sa seconde moitié. J'ai apprécié la révélation concernant Nam qui connaissait déjà l'identité de Lada. Cependant, certaines méthodes utilisées par Nam après la rupture sont plus romantiques dans le cadre d'un drama que dans la vraie vie. Les drones, le traçage quasi permanent et certaines démonstrations de persévérance amoureuse flirtent parfois avec la limite entre romantisme et comportement inquiétant.
J'aurais également aimé que la réconciliation prenne un peu plus de temps après les événements de l'épisode 6. Même si l'écriture montre bien que Lada lutte davantage contre sa culpabilité que contre un manque de confiance, quelques scènes supplémentaires auraient permis de mieux respirer.

Conclusion
The Water raconte avant tout l'histoire de deux femmes qui apprennent à vivre pour elles-mêmes. Nam apprend à aimer. Lada apprend à se choisir. Et ensemble, elles apprennent que l'amour ne consiste pas à résoudre tous les problèmes de l'autre, mais à accepter de les affronter côte à côte. Une romance touchante, parfois frustrante, souvent adorable, portée par une excellente alchimie et par des personnages secondaires toujours aussi attachants.
Au final, la plus grande réussite de ce GL n'est pas de nous convaincre que Nam aime Lada. C'est de nous convaincre que Lada mérite enfin d'être heureuse.

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