The simultaneous narratives were really interesting as Thai Lakorns can be somewhat typical and standardized in terms of storylines and Khun Mae Suam Roy was anything but. Saying that I wouldn’t recommend it as a first Lakorn to watch for Thai drama beginners as it will build unrealistic expectations about them. This Lakorn is like an old Port wine, one has to wait to drink it in order to fully maximize the experience of tasting the wine.
The mysteries about who shot Siriya, who caused her lover’s death, who messed up with the car breaks to cause Sina (pretending to be Siriya) accident, who shot her, and the Cluedo guessing game kept raising an array of questions about the possible suspects and sending viewers on mental wild goose chases nearly until the end. For those that like mystery games, this drama is brilliant. For those that like lovey dovey enemies to lovers kiss and slap stories, they’re not is as large a supply. The relationship between Thi and Sina is intriguing and really captivating from the beginning but it’s a bit like climbing a mountain except that when you think you reached the top and the view can’t get better, you haven’t reached the top yet and the view will get tons better.
Khun Thi, the male lead has always suffered from abandoned child syndrome both physically and emotionally by his mother which have caused him a severe emotional trauma and scarred him deep inside his heart. It was a tough issue for a young child to deal with and one that has strongly impacted on him. He’s very loyal to his father’s family who have raised him but he’s still the son of a mistress and that knowledge has always waved itself invisibly over his head, hidden away in an emotional inferiority complex. His leading lady, Sina (pretending to be her twin sister Siriya to discover who shot her, making her wheelchair bound), on the other hand is rather normal; a hardworking stunt double who kicks ass and protects her sister. Their love story is cliché and the way their emotions and their struggles play are a like an elastic band constantly expanding and shrinking, standard but at the same time so real life and both Pop and Bua have a strong chemistry onscreen. I found Darika’s obsession with Khun Thi too paranoid but that’s Lakorn stereotypical.
The writers have done a brilliant job writing the Nat and Siriya/Sina and both Khem Rujira Chuaykua and Bua Ongumpai have done a great job bringing them to life. Nat is the scorned woman who feels that her infertility caused her husband to fall for Siriya, who bore him a child and as a consequence had made her live in agony for years. Wanting to be a mother and being unable to, wanting her husband’s love but being scorned by him is something that many women can empathise with and can understand too well. As a result of those issues Nat battled depression, low self-esteem and extreme stress. Siriya is the eldest twin and the weakest one. She’s so meek and calm all the time making her look way too insipid and pitiful as she always comes across like a damsel in distress who needs to be rescued by her knight in shining armour. This makes her annoying as a character. Sina on the other hand is completely the opposite and that’s what makes her interesting, her Spice Girls, girl power attitude. The twins are so utterly simple, so devoided of complexity which is interesting as the story doesn’t need them to be multi-layered. The writers did such a great job in keeping viewers guessing, double guessing and questioning things all the time that when the Lakorn ended there the Suttarak family has finally got a sense of understanding about what happened, why it happened and was finally able to move on from that.
I liked that Khun Mae Suam Roy as a Lakorn is very well written and that the story is organic, flowing without a lot of dull or unnecessary moments. The storylines have purpose and are intrinsically connected; in one way or another they add substance to the development of main story arch which in itself is an achievement. The actors played a huge role in that but it’s easy to perform well with a great script that deals with contemporary issues relevant to current society.
I loved the romance, how the love story developed and how the drama production team gave viewers an entire episode dedicated to it. It was amazing, particularly how Thi played with the cards that were dealt to him and how, despite the denials and his own internal battles, he has overcome them and gave himself the chance to be happy with the woman he loves, freely and without reservations; but for me despite loving the romance, Khun mae suam roy was not about it, it was about the fight for justice and for a chance at happiness, underlined by a revenge plot, emphasized by a beautiful soundtrack. Roses have thorns.
For all of the above I am giving this Lakorn 10 points out of 10.
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The couple has an absurd chemistry, the actress who makes the protagonist can make two characters with mastery (to the point where most people love the protagonist (Na) and hate the boring sister, Ya). But the opinion about the female protagonist is divided because she has a strong personality and she doesn't hesitate to bring justice for what happened to her sister. So some people will hate her, but for me she was right in defending her sister (even if her sister does not deserve) because that is what you do for the people you love (some people could say: but it none of her business. Yeah, but what would you do if someone shotted your sister (or anyone in your family), would you say is none of your business?).
And that's why I do not blame her. She may be impulsive and commited, but she is also brave and not only when we talk about the fighting scenes where she is awesome, but when she does something wrong, she admits the mistake and apologizes without hesitation. She is always ready to give up on something because of someone she loves. And that's why she cannot be crucified. The main character is a hero, he is always trying to do the right thing even if he does not agree.
The main character is a hero, he is always trying to do the right thing even if he does not agree. He is fair and it is interesting that even when he does not like the lead girl, he is always trying to protect her (even when he is angry to her). He is the kind of guy you would want to meet and he is a perfect son and brother. He always see the two sides of the same coin, even when it seems impossible.
Moreover, he is not afraid to face everything and everyone for what is right (at this point it is even similar to the protagonist). They both are very similar and maybe that is the fact that has made the couple so well accepted. They fought a lot, however their fights were mostly silly discussions that soon passed into the scope of the comedy, you could see from the beggining their love for each other (they never hated each other completely). At the end of the day, this lakorn has many reasons why you should not watch this, but at the same time you will want to see only to follow the progress of this couple that was undoubtedly incredible.
Besides that, the OST is wonderful and addictive, worth checking out! PS: final was pretty cute and left nothing to be desired.
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STORY: Very well done. I applaud the writers on their brilliance in this one. The drama was fast-paced (unlike most lakorns) and engaging. The romance was adorable, the characters well-developed and believable,. The mystery never lost its intrigue, and I was fully convinced that any one of the people in the drama could've been the murderer the whole time. I was shocked when the big reveal came, though it was still believable, and didn't come out of the blue at all.
ACTING/CAST: Pop was so adorable in this one and such a pra'ek guy. He was funny and cute with good morals, but he still had his flaws. Pop did an awesome job at keeping his character consistent, even when Thi wasn't so cute and became more angsty. Bua did a great job too. Her Sina and Siriya had distinctly different personalities, but still had depth as characters. Sinna acted strong even though she wasn't always so strong on the inside, while Siriya was kind and sweet, but she didn't allow herself to be a doormat for the people around her.
The supporting cast was great too. The Sutharaks made a believable family, and the villain was downright amazing in their role.
MUSIC: Very enjoyable. I especially liked the song that sounded like the songs that used to play in old superhero TV shows :)
REWATCH VALUE: Now that I know who was behind everything and the whole evil plot, I'll definitely be watching this one again to look for clues. I'll also rewatch the romance because Bua and Pop were so great together.
All in all, this drama was an awesome watch for all 31 episodes. It has a bit of everything, from romance to comedy to action to drama. Plus, it has a strong female lead who ISN'T a damsel in distress for once. I highly recommend this one.
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This review may contain spoilers
I liked this drama. With the majority of lakorns being dramatic for the heck of it or having crazy 2-D delusional characters, I have to say this drama was a nice breath of fresh air. You have a headstrong kick-ass FL and supporting characters that do more than to be entertaining. ML isn't too shabby either. My fav character has to be hands down the spurned wife, P'Nat. She was more than just a crazy villain, as we're able to see the motivations behind who she is and why she does certain things. I felt for her the most, and was honestly on her side for the majority of the lakorn because when it came down to it, the FL's sister stole her husband from her and it was because of something she couldn't control (this is where I really felt sorry for her because she was infertile and goddammit that's not her fault). It was off-putting to see the FL's sister be so nice, because if she was so nice then why be with someone who's taken...I was kind of annoyed by her near the end.I also loved P'Nat's fashion LOL. Fashion is usually not something I pay attention to in dramas, but everything she was wearing was something I wanted to wear it too.
I also didn't like the second ML; I'm not sure if it's his character or the actor but I felt like most of the time his expressions weren't appropriate to the situation at hand. I felt no emotion from him, and he felt like a robot to me. He was only really alive when he was with P'Nat, and honestly I was shipping him with her more than the FL's sister.
My favorite part of the lakorn was the mother-child relationships; all were really touching. In particular, the ML and his adoptive mother's relationship touched me the most. She raised him despite being not related at all and it really hearkens to the idea of family being more than just blood; it's about unconditional love and support. I like how the adoptive mom doesn't hate the bio mom of the ML, and is understanding because of something that I believe; that not everyone is meant to or knows how to be a mom.
It took me a while to finish this lakorn. Why? Because I'm someone who's driven primarily by romance when watching dramas, and while it was here, I wasn't really feeling it. This is not a romantic drama, the romance being more of an element and it was done okay.
All in all, I'd recommend watching if you want to watch something with not much bs, a great storyline and fleshed out characters. Don't expect heavy romance. Music was alright, nothing to write home about. Not sure I'd re-watch it tbh, it'd only be to look at what P'Nat is wearing and looking for something similar.
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According to story line it was funny and quiet mysterious also. I loved the story and actors are also handsome????????.
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Romance, family, betrayal, murder, mystery this lakorn has it all. It is highly entertaining and keeps us guessing almost until the very end. The plot was well-paced, with nothing be overly drawn out.
I personally loved both the OSTs for this lakorn as well, which is always a fun bonus. Bua and Pop have great onscreen chemistry. And I look forward to their future projects.
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This review may contain spoilers
POSITIVES : - The main vilain is the best thing in this drama. The character is very complex, human but also evil and a psycho. Great job from the person who played the role.
- The main lead: I liked his values and behavior. Dragged into a situation he did not want, he dealt with it the best way he could both trying to dig into something he found was fishy and working to protect his family. He is a little bit of a boy scout but he was compelling the way he tried to solve all the wrong and protect the FL.
- The disabled twin sister: I found she was a nice person. I liked her more than than her twin.
NEGATIVES:
- The FL. I Could not bring myself to like her. She was very stubborn, reckless, obsessed with her vengeance using means and tone that are no better than the ones used by the people she called her enemies. She showed little respect for people and for the ML. I could not figure how they ended together as their personalities for me did not fit together.
- The second male lead. The attorney. I found him annoying, To drag the two sister into this plan. He was always able to bail them out of provide them with info from where we don't know. I did not want him to finish with the single mother twin. I did not like the fact that he stayed as attorney because he clearly did not act in the interest of the company.
- The chemistry between the ML and FL. 2/3 of the drama she talks bad to him, she is rude to him, she keeps on lying and she hits him too much. When he takes a bullet for her she still keeps on lying to him. She pursued her vengeance all the time while he was chasing after her identity. This made them follow different paths and I found it was weird
. They used one episode in the end to make them find each other out of weirdness.
OVERALL:
Decent drama thanks to the vilain, the change of direction and pace after ep 19, the action in the last part. One thing to notice: this drama is pretty conservative and lauds the adulterers and make them look like nice people who are so sorry for their mistakes. Cheaters are cheaters.
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The plot was promising but Sina was really annoying! I understand that she had to suspect everyone to find the truth but she did hurt so many people without remorse, she was way too rude and harsh -seriously you can't treat people like trash without evidence. And eventhough the ML was helping her from day 1 it felt like she did not trust him till the very end I really wished that he would torture her more before forginving her ! Athirat was the most stable character of the show.He's very rational and mature unlike many ML in thai lakorns, doesn't use violence which I appreciated so much ( he actually get beat up by the sadistic FL many times :)
Siriya was the worst , she's very weak , how can she rise a child with that kind of attitude? the only time she stood for herself was when she slapped Thit after hurting him with her venomous words .Wrong really wrong!
Kritt-the lawyer.....if we can call him so in annoying as well! how can you seek the truth when you believe only what you want ! He should really resign and spend his time pampering his lady love.
Athirat and Khun Pawinee were the MVP of the show ! I loved their bond and trust! their relatioship was the best.
The actress who played Nattaya was really good you can feel the character's struggles with her facial expressions and gestures.
Overall I liked the show especiaaly for Athirat but i don't feel like watching it again , once was enough !
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Every time Sina was up out of that wheelchair in front of the windows and every 'private' conversation they chose to have in the gardens (where they too have eavesdropped on conversations) drove me flippin' nuts.
If the plot sounds appealing, give it a whirl.
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The biggest positive aspect - it had a great variety of characters. And yet a good majority of them annoyed me more often than not. While I understand Sina being suspicious of everyone, but her blindly accusing any person in the household of being the evil mastermind was at some point frustrating. She kept showing all her cards and not getting any closer to the truth. Like girl, use your brain.
There was quite a straightforward plot that had a nice conclusion. BUT It felt like a lot happened in the first 20 episodes, and at the same time... nothing was really happening. And then last 10 was a cluster F of plot lines coming together.
The part that at the beginning I enjoyed the most was the amazing chemistry Sina and Thi had, but even this died down a lot in the middle of the show, just to be brought back in the last few episodes in what seemed like a forced manner.
Conclusion: It was fun, but it was not amazing. I guess me and lakorns need to peacefully go our separate ways from now on.
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Too Boring, Too Long
The actress does a pretty nice job playing both twins, but at times when she’s back to being Sina, some of her mannerisms and personality cross into Siriya. The convoluted plot all boils down to essentially a scorned woman’s revenge. Siriya’s shooting, the death of Pipop and Kritt’s father, the company’s embezzlement are the doing of Pipop’s vengeful and angry wife. I kind of have sympathy for Nattaya. Your husband, who wooed you and proclaimed that he loved you, after 20+ years of marriage keeps a young mistress and has a child with her. Pipop, even though everyone loves him and says he’s a good man, however has a mistress, who based on the child’s age, was probably only 18 o 19 years old when the affair started and he maybe in his 40s. That knowledge is pretty icky. The men in this lakorn (Pawinee’s husband—the grandfather, Wiset – Paradee’s husband, Chet, and Pipop) are all cheaters and some with mistresses and illegitimate children. So, it’s hard to think that any women would want to settle down with the men in this lakorn, because based on the track record, the men, including Athirat and Kritt have a high percent chance of being unfaithful and bringing home pregnant mistresses.The 31 episodes, even only at 45 minute running time, is too long. Flashbacks to conversations/events that happened maybe just five minutes ago are used too frequently and they don’t contribute much to the story telling; possibly they’re just to fill time. Maybe because the actress has to play two different characters, but there’s not much chemistry between Sina and Athirat. They do spend some time together, but I don’t really see them as being attracted to each other and in love. Forget about kissing, because there are zero, zip kissing on the lips. It’s totally unbelievable that two young, healthy, attractive people who haven’t seen each other for a while, in love, reconcile, propose marriage, walk on a secluded beach, and the only kiss we get is on the forehead. What in the world?
After the first 2-3 episodes, I was pretty much bored with the rest of the drama. I have very little sympathy or interest in any of the characters. I am not a fan of the underlying message that as women/wives/girlfriends, they must be saints and accept that men will cheat and bring home mistresses and other children. If the woman did not sign up for a polygamous marriage, she can kick that SOB to the curb.
Can't get revenge and keep a spotless reputation
Sometimes revenge is a choice you gotta make
My mama came from a softer generation
Where you get a grip and bite your lip just to save a little face
Go and fix your makeup girl it's just a break-up
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
'Cause I raised you better, gotta keep it together
Even when you fall apart
But this ain't my mama's broken heart
– Miranda Lambert, Mama’s Broken Heart, 2011
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An emotional roller coaster ride worth getting on!
Intriguing mystery, sweet glimpses of romance, and amazing chemistry between the leading roles are some of the reasons you might consider watching this lakorn. For me, it is also the great acting by Bua Sakulongumpai, Pop Karnthip, and Kem Chuaykua that makes it a highly recommendable show.The main narrative centered around betrayal on multiple levels, from childhood abandonment to adulterous spouses to inter-family backstabbing and rivalry. The writer did an excellent job weaving the various subplots into the primary storyline, one so filled with twists and turns that it kept the suspense up in every episode except for the predictable ending. However, it was predictable in a comforting way because it gave me the proper closure I wanted after experiencing this emotional roller coaster ride. Seriously, if you want to experience frustration, joy, laughter, sadness, anger, and heartaches, then my friends, this lakorn may be just the one to give you that.
In her quest to find the culprit who failed to murder her twin but left her disabled, Sina, our FL, had to pose as Siriya, her sister, throughout most of the show. Playing identical twins is not easy for most actors, but Bua pulled it off to great effect! The tone of voice, mannerism, attitude, and the way of speaking - the differences were subtle but effective, and her portrayal of the two characters was believable. I appreciate that there was no over-acting from Bua to contrast Sina's confident, straightforward, no BS character against Siriya's, who was softer, quieter, and timider.
Due to Siriya's entanglement with Pipop Sutharak, Sina found herself (acting as Siriya) in a cohabitation/contract marriage situation with Athirat. Pop was excellent as our ML, a nuanced and complex character; charismatic and generous but emotionally shuttered due to being abandoned by his mother at a young age. Even though his father's family accepted him and raised him well as part of the influential Sutharak family, being the son of a mistress also added to his emotional baggage. Pop was really on point with his expressions and body language; one could tell when Athirat was angry, disappointed, or happily in love. Even when he was torn between doing the right thing versus following his heart, you can see the conflict on Athirat's face. Speaking of "doing the right thing", the characters in this show were all about doing things correctly/properly; so much so that I added a new word to my Thai vocabulary - อย่างถูกต้อง - Xỳāng t̄hūk t̂xng.
Kem Chuaykua deserved a shout-out as Khun Nat, the primary wife of Pipop. Kem did a great job building up Nat's character and how she slowly lost her grip on reality as she silently but gracefully bore with the humiliation of being betrayed by her husband, especially under the scrutiny of gossipmongers. Nat's fashion, by the way, was GORGEOUS and drool-worthy. I lusted after her every outfit!
In general, I find the characters well-written, and no one was one-dimensional - all good or all bad. The good character had flaws, and the villains had a backstory that made them relatable and their actions understandable. Sina, for example, was a great FL, smart, sassy, and skilled in fighting, but she had her reckless and rash moments. Many commenters found Siriya too weak, but I saw her to be a good complement to Sina, tempering and slowing her down. Athirat was deeply loyal to his family, but he always chose justice and fairness over family bonds. I did find Darika's obsession with Athirat rather extreme, but she was not the worst nang rai I have come across in the lakorn world.
Romance-wise, there were more heart-fluttering moments due to accidental skinship, deep stares, longing gazes, and near kisses compared to actual love scenes. There were some bonus moments when Athirat was so flirty with Sina even when he was suspicious of her. Our two couples had to deal with the challenges of forbidden love, so it was not surprising that viewers had to wait until the end to see our couples finally being together. Bua's chemistry with Pop and Judo Tharinpirom (who played Kritt, the SML in love with Siriya) was fantastic, but ultimately, it was the push-pull relationship between Athirat and Sina that kept me rooted to the screen. That said, I did find the show somewhat draggy in the middle and felt that they could have gotten to the big reveal sooner by cutting out some unnecessary twists. Still, I did like the way the show executed the final showdown with the villain - it was a touching scene, well played by the actors.
The other criticism I had was how the show mostly failed in using fitting sound effects or background music. What I heard did not match the mood appropriately, especially in the first part of the show. Although, it did seem that the music producers/editors got better towards the end. Also, I did like the featured songs listed below:
อยากจะรู้ / Yak Ja Roo (I want to know) by Arnon Saisangchan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnBCtvuPJ6k
อย่าวัดด้วยสายตา / Yah Wad Duay Sai Dta (Don't measure me with your sight) by Beam Jaruwanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjW7D7Xnh74
Overall, this lakorn was highly entertaining. It's packed with drama and action with multiple murder attempts, actual murders, love obsessions, betrayals, and secrets galore, with a good amount of underlying romantic currents and comedy to balance things out.
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