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.
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Not a Bad Prosecutor — But Definitely a Lawless (and Crazy) One
I started watching Bad Prosecutor for Doh Kyungsoo, but I had a feeling the story wouldn't disappoint me either. Initially presenting itself as a comedy, the drama quickly shifts into a legal thriller where the protagonist and his team have to find out the culprits behind a homicide and take them down one by one using the law.Despite enjoying how the story was told, I can see how some people might not appreciate it as much as I did — mainly because it has a lot of inaccuracies for the sake of keeping the plot moving. After all, it is still essentially a comedy and it focuses a lot on that aspect. However, these inaccuracies weren't a problem for me, as I was so engaged in the story and wanted to see justice being served, even if it meant overlooking some plot holes and events that seemed to happen just for the sake of moving the plot forward and wrapping things up.
But what are those inaccuracies that I keep talking about? Well, I can use our main character, Jin Jung (Doh Kyungsoo), as an example. The whole story revolves around him being a "bad prosecutor". And what does that mean? He collects evidence for his cases through illegal means. Realistically speaking, if this weren't for the sake of the drama, he would have been fired and probably face several criminal charges. But despite appreciating some realism in my dramas, I couldn't care less about that when Jin Jung is such a charismatic character.
And what about the mystery? Well, the mystery aspect isn't bad but could've been better. The antagonists and the story itself are quite predictable at times. But, once again, Jin Jung saves the scene, as I didn't find his character predictable, and it surely kept me entertained.
Which brings me to the next topic: the characters (and their actors). As you can tell by now, I loved Doh Kyungsoo's character, and I think he did an amazing job portraying him. As always, Kyungsoo never fails to impress me, and I can't wait to see him in more dramas as a main character. His co-star, Lee Se Hee, was also really great — I loved seeing her character's interactions with Jin Jung since they are so different from each other, creating a great dynamic. The sidekicks were enjoyable, but I found some of their comedic moments a bit over the top.
Something I didn't quite understand is how Ha Joon (who portrays Oh Do Hwan) was supposed to be a main character when he actually felt more like a supporting one. The same applies to Kim Sang Ho (who portrays Park Jae Kyung), who is apparently a supporting character, but to me, he seemed more like a main character. He played such an important role in the story — and is definitely one of my favorite characters. But overall, I think all the actors were phenomenal, and I don't have anything bad to say about their performances.
Usually, you don't see me talking about technical aspects, as I focus more on those when it comes to movies, but this time I have to say that the fight scenes were a bit underwhelming, if not plain boring. And ironically, I believe they were actually trying to make them funny. However, most of these scenes relied on a shaky camera, probably to create a frenetic feel, but I absolutely hated it. The scenes could have delivered the comedy they were going for without looking so poorly executed.
Speaking of which, they could have toned down the comedic aspect at times. Some moments clearly called for a more serious and tense delivery, but the comedy often disrupted that — especially due to the soundtrack. And that brings me to the worst part of the drama for me: the score. And I say this as someone who thinks the OST was actually great — I just don't think they knew how to use it. There were songs playing when there was absolutely no need for a song, or worse, songs that didn't match the mood of the scene at all. And this happened throughout most of the drama, which I found pretty frustrating.
Despite its flaws, Bad Prosecutor was an entertaining watch for me. While the legal aspects weren't exactly realistic, the fast-paced storytelling, good performances, and fun character dynamics kept me engaged. It's not for everyone — especially if you're looking for a serious legal drama — but if you enjoy something on the lighter side, you might have fun with this one, just like I did.
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Too Much Bank and Not Enough Choco
Choco Bank (2016), starring EXO's Kai and Park Eun Bin, was nothing more than an attempt to make us... I don't know... open a bank account? I swear I couldn't even figure out what they were trying to sell us. Was it financial advice? A savings plan? I couldn't care less.What about the storyline? Did it have one? Yes. I mean... kind of. They try to give us a story where we follow Kim Eun Haeng (Kai), who, despite having a good résumé, is struggling to find a job. He ends up finding a new purpose when he meets Ha Cho Co (Park Eun Bin), a struggling chocolatier who dreams of running her own café but hasn't had much luck attracting clients or keeping her finances in order — and that's how their paths cross. But everything is so rushed that it feels like they tried to mix every cliché into just one drama. I mean, we have romance, jealousy, family issues (and we can't forget about the financial advice) all packed into just six episodes.
What about the acting? Well, Park Eun Bin is Park Eun Bin — she became big in the industry for a reason, and we could already see her potential here. Kai wasn't bad at all. Not perfect, but he wasn't bad. Lee Il Hwa (Eun Haeng's mother) is a veteran actress, and she didn't disappoint, despite her character not having much screentime. The acting was probably the best thing I took from this drama. The only performances that felt a bit underwhelming were Yun Joon Suk (Bae Dal Su) and Gong Da Im (Cherry) — the supposed second leads. Overall, the cast did what they could with the material they had, and while the acting wasn't extraordinary, it was decent enough to keep the drama watchable, and their charisma also sells.
Is it rewatchable? For me, as a drama fan, it doesn't have much rewatch value. But as an EXO-L, well, I could never say no to watching Kai over and over again. Unfortunately, I like to be critical when it comes to what I watch, so my drama fan heart takes the lead here. But yes, the drama is an okay watch for an EXO-L, or for someone who doesn't want something too heavy. If you go in not expecting a big storyline and don't mind the random conversations about finances and things like that, I think you could enjoy it even a little bit — I mean, I didn't hate it.
Overall, I think it's important to mention that I understand this is a web series, and a very short one — each of the six episodes is only about 14 minutes long. But I still think it was unnecessary to put together so many plot points into a project that never had enough time to work with. I strongly believe this drama would work better in a full-length drama format (and maybe miniseries aren't for me). To end on a positive note, I appreciate the fact they tried to give us a bit of a 'never give up on your dreams' message. It's a struggle to find a job, and sometimes an even bigger struggle to keep one, but it's good to hold onto our dreams.
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