It took me a few episodes to realize I was watching something amazing. Ken's portrayal of the ML is fantastic, and the FL is badass. I see a lot of dramas where the power is ridiculously lopsided in the ML's favor, but the FL is so strong that at most points, even when she has the disadvantage, it feels like there's only a couple moves that will turn it back in her favor. Whenever they face off on screen together, I start holding my breath like, what will they say to each other this time? What will they do? And how the ML looks at the FL or just smiles when she delivers a stinging insult... omg. Their dynamic is incredible. Must watch!
Commenting my way through this hot mess: these are all terrible people and this drama is messy af! I still couldn't…
Some further observations: I've noticed that more recent (newer, ~2018/2019 lakorns) have shifted to avoiding rape with the FL but having the female love rivals as the target of all the worst lakorn elements, namely rape. It's like they have to "punish" the love rival on screen with the worst degradation possible. I won't claim I've never seen this in western media, but it's heavily formulaic in broadcast TV lakorns. Anyway, I'm glad it becomes the subject of the final episodes, and not just swept under the rug. The perpetrator gets his due, but you have to be reaaaallly patient.
Ahh.... I went too deep into the comments below and spoiled the ending for myself, and apparently this will have one of those endings that are my least favorite. I'll have to put this on hold and pick it up again when I've come to terms, which is sad because I really loved the beautiful cooking scenes in this.
After 4 episodes I do understand some of the criticism now: it's fun and fluffy, but it's missing something you can't quite put your finger on. I think it's missing some needed friction, and higher stakes at the beginning. I'd call it a family show, but some of the early gag humor is pretty risqué. Still, that same humor is admirable because it acknowledges things that aren't generally addressed in crossworlds plots like this. Overall, cute and watchable, but not bingeable.
I watched this right after it aired and I've realized that this is one of the dramas where all the older supporting characters really make the story. Pinsuda (Mam) and Ann (Sitha) *made* this drama worth its score. I was in love with Pinsuda by the end of this, and amazed at the bad situations she turned around. The main couple themselves were a bit meh - the ML was not the strongest at all compared to other revenge lakorns, and the slap/kisses were almost caricatures of the genre. The physical violence against women though was... yikes. Some of the worst direct violence I've seen, which says a lot, since this is one of the NEWER lakorns I've seen. This is also one where most of the catfights were between the FL and her rival, and honestly catfights are more tolerable when they're between supporting characters. The soundtrack was interesting and different. However, they did wear a few out by the end.
I really liked all three couples. The main FL is so tough! Weird though, I feel like there might not be much overlap between audience wanting to see a cute little kid and audience here for this kinda dark romance. But the kid was a good actor, he had some convincing crying. The second couple was too cute, and the meddling parents were hilarious. I loved the love theme for the second couple when it was actually sung ("Saita Yao" by Sugar Eyes). Yes, a lot of time is spent on supporting characters, but if you think of this as a multiple couple drama, it's not bothersome.
Commenting my way through this hot mess: these are all terrible people and this drama is messy af! I still couldn't look away. I like that the drama is very narrowly focused on the hatred between these two sisters, and how not controlling their emotions keeps backfiring. If you can get past all the ridiculous behavior, it's an unflinching look at how infidelity affects not just the couple but the children involved and their own relationships as well. I was surprised to see Mild in this as a supporting character. Anyway, the Roy Leh Sanae Rai remake topped ALL dramas for catfights - this only has like one halfhearted fight per episode with a few real ones sprinkled here and there, so it seems more mellow, lol. But it's definitely one of the messiest I've seen with a legit love square happening. It's fascinating in a slow-motion train wreck kind of way, but definitely not one to watch with young impressionable people, or if any of the tags are triggering to you.
This one was one of my favorites of the series. I loved their chemistry. I wish it were twice as long. I also liked that the FL had genuine flaws - a lot of times dramas are trying to convince us that obviously gorgeous people are ugly ducklings, or other nonexistent issues, but she had some real challenges for the ML to overcome, lol.
I'm trying to get into this, but it's definitely slow going at first. The theme is really about going back home, reunions with old acquaintances etc, so if that's the vibe you're looking for, this might be it for you. I wasn't really ready for so much time to be devoted to flashback storytelling, and the romance doesn't start quickly. I heard there's some nice kisses in this, and I would really love to see them, but this will probably be a "watch with half my attention while doing other things" drama.
I'll have to agree with the review about this having the best character depth and development of the U-Prince series. While it wasn't the most fire chemistry of the series, and the couple's kisses were trash, this drama proved that yes, you can accomplish very good character arcs in a whopping 4 episodes. Really, it puts many other dramas I've watched to shame.
This is one of those dramas to watch if you're wondering why lakorns can be so controversial. For anyone who's wondering, you can safely watch up until episode 10 before *the incident* happens. Before that, there's only 1 kiss, and fairly mild revenge/manipulation you'd encounter in other dramas. I can make a strong case for episode 12 as well - which is something, coming from me, the dark romance queen (have you seen some of my lists..?). But, if you watched all of episode 10 and you're still here then welp... have a seat. I saved you a spot on the couch. :-p
The couple otherwise has great chemistry, the power struggles are really good (I was glued to my screen for the whole thing), and the love rivals are like silly caricatures that are hard to take seriously, so not even close to the worst you'll find in lakorns. There's A LOT of catfights, though. Like 8 or more at least. But overall I was surprised how engaging this was. I've got some lakorns under my belt, but a lot will wear you down a little toward the end with all the drama and revenge. This one, I never wanted to stop watching - I really regretted needing to sleep! A reviewer mentioned that this drama does a good job of making you root for the ML through his scheming (well, not the 10th episode, and this drama won't be for everyone). But I also rooted for the FL after that first power reversal. I also liked how they didn't delay the ML realizing his own feelings past that point. The family lawyers were nice, too. They really balanced out the plot. Overall, watch at your own risk but probably not with young impressionable people.
*looks around* Okay so yes there's a Part II that I haven't seen, but looks Iike I'm gonna have to be that person here and say wtfffff. It started off well enough, though there were definitely some problematic elements: in this drama all the gray areas of both gender and sexual identity are ignored and it's very up or down, left or right, etc. Still, the first half was pleasant, their chemistry is great. This is only 4 episodes and I had no idea that poo could slide downhill that quickly. The second half is MESSY AF, and not in a good way. It made me hate both of them, their behavior, their decisions, and the absolute misery they created for themselves. I see there's a part two and I'm baffled how I'll ever root for them.
Oh, man. I definitely think this is a drama you should spoil for yourself by reading the comments below, so you…
That being said, this drama makes me ponder rating something based on how well-done it was (even if the events were disagreeable) vs how it made you feel. Everyone acted their role and it played out pretty thoroughly, and with painful realism. I rarely see a romance where the ML openly and repeatedly cheats on the FL. In most romances they twist it to get that happy ending: the ML "stopped right before" or was drugged, brainwashed, amnesia, putting on a fake act, you name it. In this drama the cheating is real, it's raw, it gets ugly. So many dramas are selling the idea of a playboy that falls in love and immediately stays faithful to the "right" one, but it's a rare lottery ticket, and you're 50% as likely to get served this painful dish than the one you want. And this is real life; this is playing out around us everywhere with thousands of different couples. I watched my mom go through this when I was a kid, and I had a fiance tell me on a holiday that another woman was pregnant. In a way this is a cathartic watch, and in a way it makes me more curious: I'd love to watch interviews with real people, how they dealt with it, and if they decided to stay (or came back or eventually had enough and left) - these are romance stories too, even if they hurt or don't end how we wish they did. And getting fed up enough to REALLY leave is often a longer road than you'd think, if you fall deep enough for someone. It's more like addiction management: it's never fully gone, it's more like "54 days since..." and sometimes the only answer is to put as much physical distance between you and the person that keeps hurting you as much as you can't stop loving them. Anyway, this was a fascinating watch.
Oh, man. I definitely think this is a drama you should spoil for yourself by reading the comments below, so you know what you're getting into, or just stop after episode 4. Once you know, you can sit back and focus on the other elements of the drama. If I hadn't done that, I might have had a stroke from surprised anger watching this. Also, I've never seen a drama with Push before and... damn. He's a looker, so I'm a fan. However I did see Esther in Leh Ratree and I was really hoping she'd have grown more in her acting, but maybe that's her charm: that childlike personality. The couple has sizzling chemistry, or maybe Push has that chemistry with every costar? I feel like he could star opposite a houseplant and the chemistry would still be rock solid.
So I started watching and this drama and it's telling the life of the ML's mother, as he cooks recipes for the girlfriend who wants to leave him, and he keeps enticing her to stay and listen to a story behind a different recipe of his mother's. The format reminds me of Arabian Nights, where Scheherazade keeps telling a different story each night to keep herself alive from the cruel king. Except the ML here doesn't quite have my sympathy yet, lol. I hope he develops into someone I can root for as the series goes on. But the stories of his mother's life in the 70s are vivid and beautiful and the food looks amazing!
Ok first so those expressions when they were mattress shopping omggggg. Yes, how about that rubber mattress. :-P Another stellar makeout scene as well. I don't know how it's possible for either actor to *not* be moved acting out scenes like that! Now on to the serious thoughts: It was good that Type's friend back home called him on his BS with that hate behavior. It shows how yes, you can be in a close, even intimate relationship with a type of person you "hate" and still treat others in the same category with hate, with ZERO self-awareness. This is one of the FEW cases where Type is transforming into what he *thinks* he hates and so will obviously have a paradigm shift, which may happen when he experiences that hate himself. But I think it makes a strong case for why "I can't be [whatever] prejudiced because my friend/partner is [whatever]" doesn't work irl. At this point, tragically, I'd say Tharn is enabling him to some extent. He's trying so hard to keep turning the other cheek and look the other way because he loves Type and he understands the cause of Type's prejudice, but at some point he needs to have some serious discussions with Type to help him grow as a person, and deconstruct that prejudice. Until then it feels more and more like Tharn is living off a 1/3rd of the love he really needs, like a plant with no sun living off water alone. However, seeing that preview of episode 8 YES LOVE RIVAL, SHOW TYPE WHAT HE CAN LOSE IF HE DOESN'T START ACTING RIGHT. *mic drop*
The couple otherwise has great chemistry, the power struggles are really good (I was glued to my screen for the whole thing), and the love rivals are like silly caricatures that are hard to take seriously, so not even close to the worst you'll find in lakorns. There's A LOT of catfights, though. Like 8 or more at least. But overall I was surprised how engaging this was. I've got some lakorns under my belt, but a lot will wear you down a little toward the end with all the drama and revenge. This one, I never wanted to stop watching - I really regretted needing to sleep! A reviewer mentioned that this drama does a good job of making you root for the ML through his scheming (well, not the 10th episode, and this drama won't be for everyone). But I also rooted for the FL after that first power reversal. I also liked how they didn't delay the ML realizing his own feelings past that point. The family lawyers were nice, too. They really balanced out the plot. Overall, watch at your own risk but probably not with young impressionable people.