This review may contain spoilers
Weak Plot Execution, but Strong Chemistry Delivery
The Secret of Us (2024) tells the story of Dr. Fahlada (Lingling Sirilak Kwong) and actress "Earn" Sanithada (Orm Kornnaphat Sethratanapong), who used to be a couple back in their college days. Unfortunately, bad-intentioned people got in their way, forcing Earn to break up with Fahlada (from now on referred to as Lada). Years later, fate brings them back together, but this time, Earn will have to work extra hard to win Lada back.
The premise is our classic friends-to-lovers-to-exes-to-lovers-again story — except it’s sapphic, which I love and will probably never get tired of. The clichés I criticize in straight romances? You’ll never catch me criticizing them (too harshly) in LGBTQ+ stories. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t have things to say.
Like, it was fun to watch Earn try to win Lada back in the most annoying ways possible — this girl was not willing to give up. But as much as I enjoyed her non-stop efforts, the lack of communication between them was incredibly frustrating. Earn was willing to do anything to get Lada back… except explain why she broke up with her in the first place. And I get it — that couldn’t happen that fast, or there’d be no story to tell.
Which brings me to another element they used to make the plot work across eight episodes: a love triangle and a lot of jealousy games. Again, they would do anything except have a conversation. I don’t hate love triangles, especially if they’re sapphic, but I don’t love them either. And jealousy? That’s even worse for me.
Then, during episode six, we reach the moment most viewers were waiting for: Lada finally finding out why Earn broke up with her and who was behind it. And what does she do? She forgives that person way too easily. That was insane to me. Not only that, but the character responsible for the breakup suddenly has a change of heart, which felt unrealistic. If the drama had been longer, maybe we could have seen proper character development. The same goes for Earn’s attempts to win Lada back — this story would have benefited if it had more episodes, but it is what it is.
On a positive note, despite not enjoying most of the events leading up to the ending, they still got their happy ending — and honestly, what a beautiful one. It almost made me forget how they were willing to give up on their relationship if the person who broke them apart wasn’t willing to accept their love.
And that’s what truly shines in this drama — the love and the chemistry between them. They were adorable to watch, and it was easy to root for them because of how precious their love was, not only in their early stages but even after they broke up. The way Lada cried over Earn breaking up with her really hit me in the feels. But that’s all thanks to the actresses. They were amazing. The way they looked at each other, with so much love and longing? Their moments of intimacy? It was all so beautifully portrayed. The way they cried when they fought or were facing something that was about to ruin their relationship? It was painful, yet still beautiful. Orm and Lingling knew exactly what they were doing.
I don’t have much to say about the supporting cast — maybe because I’m still not that familiar with Thai dramas. But I do want to highlight Apasiri Nitibhon’s performance as Lada’s cruel mother. She did an incredible job portraying her role.
Anada Prakobkit (Engfah) was great in her role as well, and I see her character as more than just a tool for the love triangle. On the other hand, Ratee (Sureeyares Yakares) was mostly an annoying character — but I have to give props to the actress. While her performance wasn’t extraordinary, she did a good job portraying the role. I should probably talk more about other characters and actors, but as I mentioned, I’m still getting used to the acting style and humor in Thai dramas. That said, there’s no denying that the lead actresses stood out in the best way possible and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of Orm and Lingling in the future.
For me, the direction was really good, and the production was just as impressive. The soundtrack was cute and matched the vibe of the series. My favorite is definitely the opening, which has a softer and more emotional feel. I feel things in my heart every time I hear it.
Overall, I think The Secret of Us is a good series. While some plot devices didn’t fully align with my personal taste, I still believe they might work well for others. The only thing that really didn’t sit right with me was the antagonist’s redemption arc — I would give anything for it to not be there. However, the chemistry between the lead actresses is surreal. I loved every minute of them together, which gives the series some rewatch value for me. And without a doubt, I’ll always be grateful that it introduced me to the stunning duo that LingOrm are.
The premise is our classic friends-to-lovers-to-exes-to-lovers-again story — except it’s sapphic, which I love and will probably never get tired of. The clichés I criticize in straight romances? You’ll never catch me criticizing them (too harshly) in LGBTQ+ stories. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t have things to say.
Like, it was fun to watch Earn try to win Lada back in the most annoying ways possible — this girl was not willing to give up. But as much as I enjoyed her non-stop efforts, the lack of communication between them was incredibly frustrating. Earn was willing to do anything to get Lada back… except explain why she broke up with her in the first place. And I get it — that couldn’t happen that fast, or there’d be no story to tell.
Which brings me to another element they used to make the plot work across eight episodes: a love triangle and a lot of jealousy games. Again, they would do anything except have a conversation. I don’t hate love triangles, especially if they’re sapphic, but I don’t love them either. And jealousy? That’s even worse for me.
Then, during episode six, we reach the moment most viewers were waiting for: Lada finally finding out why Earn broke up with her and who was behind it. And what does she do? She forgives that person way too easily. That was insane to me. Not only that, but the character responsible for the breakup suddenly has a change of heart, which felt unrealistic. If the drama had been longer, maybe we could have seen proper character development. The same goes for Earn’s attempts to win Lada back — this story would have benefited if it had more episodes, but it is what it is.
On a positive note, despite not enjoying most of the events leading up to the ending, they still got their happy ending — and honestly, what a beautiful one. It almost made me forget how they were willing to give up on their relationship if the person who broke them apart wasn’t willing to accept their love.
And that’s what truly shines in this drama — the love and the chemistry between them. They were adorable to watch, and it was easy to root for them because of how precious their love was, not only in their early stages but even after they broke up. The way Lada cried over Earn breaking up with her really hit me in the feels. But that’s all thanks to the actresses. They were amazing. The way they looked at each other, with so much love and longing? Their moments of intimacy? It was all so beautifully portrayed. The way they cried when they fought or were facing something that was about to ruin their relationship? It was painful, yet still beautiful. Orm and Lingling knew exactly what they were doing.
I don’t have much to say about the supporting cast — maybe because I’m still not that familiar with Thai dramas. But I do want to highlight Apasiri Nitibhon’s performance as Lada’s cruel mother. She did an incredible job portraying her role.
Anada Prakobkit (Engfah) was great in her role as well, and I see her character as more than just a tool for the love triangle. On the other hand, Ratee (Sureeyares Yakares) was mostly an annoying character — but I have to give props to the actress. While her performance wasn’t extraordinary, she did a good job portraying the role. I should probably talk more about other characters and actors, but as I mentioned, I’m still getting used to the acting style and humor in Thai dramas. That said, there’s no denying that the lead actresses stood out in the best way possible and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of Orm and Lingling in the future.
For me, the direction was really good, and the production was just as impressive. The soundtrack was cute and matched the vibe of the series. My favorite is definitely the opening, which has a softer and more emotional feel. I feel things in my heart every time I hear it.
Overall, I think The Secret of Us is a good series. While some plot devices didn’t fully align with my personal taste, I still believe they might work well for others. The only thing that really didn’t sit right with me was the antagonist’s redemption arc — I would give anything for it to not be there. However, the chemistry between the lead actresses is surreal. I loved every minute of them together, which gives the series some rewatch value for me. And without a doubt, I’ll always be grateful that it introduced me to the stunning duo that LingOrm are.
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