Neti Suwanjinda, director of BL series such as 'Love Sea' and 'Wedding Plan', and editor of 'Only Friends', directed the Thai version of the novels "Love Storm" (พายุรักโถมใจ) and "Love Sky" in 2022. (พระพายหมายฟ้า), written by Orawan Vichayawannakul, or simply Mame, the prolific writer of boys' love stories at Dek-d.com, and co-founder of the production company Me Mind Y.
With the title 'Love Storm' ('Love in the Air'), this series, about two romantic relationships, taken one from each book, which will be sustained by the handsome friends of motorcycle racers and car mechanics Phayu and Prapai, with Rain and Sky, respectively, the shy, naive and cute college kids. The characters were played by Boss Chaikamon Sermsongwittaya, Noeul Nuttarat Tangwai, Fort Thitipong Setjai and Peat Wasuthorn Chaijindar, four young actors who have managed to win the hearts of genre lovers thanks to their appearances on screen.
A very popular series, it received diverse criticism, especially among those who disapproved of alleged toxic relationships and non-consensual sexual approaches, on the one hand, and those who did not spare praise and valued it for its effective display of intimacy, realistic representation of sex, stories of mental healing, overcoming trauma and developing the couple's relationship. In my opinion, a decent romantic drama that will keep you excited if you haven't skimmed the book. Even if you've read it, it's still a very good story.
Although specialized criticism does not contradict it, it was not that big of a deal. Just a fast-paced and sexy series, which gradually seasoned its plot with accessories of motorcycle racing, college drama, senior-junior relationship, and a strong erotic touch. Depending on the latter, Noeul and Peat were there: to inflame Boss and Fort, respectively, and to make them race on their motorcycles at more than a thousand kilometers per hour in a desperation not so much to win a race, but to return to each other's arms, and the bed, of his lovers.
Japanese television decided to revive the well-known plot, now in a series with the title 'Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan' (2024), one that also arouses mixed comments for the same reasons, but has even awakened the desire to watch it on many of those who ignored the Thai version.
The series deviates very little from the Thai television original. In addition to the logical adaptations of the environment, it softens the speeches, slightly redraws the profile of the characters, changes their names to Japanese patronyms, and incorporates a plot within the university classrooms, the automotive workshop and the race track. The light and slapsticky Japanese humor or physical comedy is to be celebrated, as a form of scandalous and simulated violence that it contributes to the remake.
But at the same time, it maintains the essence and vibrations of the characters, while capturing the Japanese aesthetic and enriching the actions with its beautiful photography and soundtrack.
With a slightly more agile pace than the Thai original, which like this one brings together two novels in a series, but unlike that one, the remake must cover in 10 episodes of about 26 minutes each the content of 14 chapters of 45 minutes approximately shown by its predecessor. Thus, creators must be vigilant to avoid filler and stay focused on the central story.
Now, the motorcycle racers and cunning saviors who raise storms in the hearts of the two best friends are composed of Nagumo Shoma and Suzuki Asahi, who play Hayase Arashi and Kawai Fuma, in that order; while the university students who will let the motorcyclists steal their kisses and burn with passion are Nagatsuma Reo and Hamaya Takuto, actors who play Sorano Kai and Amemiya Rei, respectively.
The latter is responsible for awakening Shoma's goat-like sexual fury.
Rei, although she may seem a little annoying and silly to many viewers, somewhat less than her counterpart Rain in 'Love Storm', reflects precisely the type of irritating, clumsy and even childish character written in the script and the novels. Despite not being the kind of character I like to appreciate, I have to admit that the Japanese version of Rain is better than the Thai version. In this sense, the Japanese actor gives me cuter vibes than Noeul.
Naguno Shoma forges here one of the most defined compositions of his career, after playing Naoki in 'Atelier Kiss', and Komine in 'Growth Kiss', stories that make up the BL drama 'Kiss x Kiss x Kiss: Love ii Shower' , a classmate of Akira in 'Minato Shouji Coin Laundry', and Yamase Kazuma in '25 Ji, Akasaka de', all recent Bl dramas, and looks much more captivating than usual: necessary faculty to compose a character who accepts the challenge of falling in love with Rei in less than a month, at the same time subjected to extreme emotional tensions, who goes through various emotional scenarios and complicated circumstances both within and off the race tracks.
His almost permanent presence before the camera creates an effectively constructed material; with very good supporting actors (especially Higuchi Hina, who plays Furuta Rinka, a student at the university where Rei and Kai study and who from a person who liked Rei becomes his rival for the love of Arashi; and Mochizuki Ayumu as Tomaru Taiga, a haughty lover of illegal speed racing; the latter character written with grit and precision regarding his arrogance as a daddy's son and connoisseur of the world of sports motorcycling.
And if the first story is happy, fun and sweet, that of Kai and Fuma is dark and sad, since the young university student suffers from sexual, physical and psychological harassment and abuse by Kurosaki Gan (Tajima Yusei), a violent man who Together with his henchmen, he pursues Rei's friend to make him suffer. Kai won't know how to deal with this situation. Why do you reject his approaches and flirtations? Will smoking be the same as your stalker? If I told you the truth, how would Fuma react? Will he be able to count on Fuma's help? Will Kai manage to overcome his trauma and be happy next to the handsome motorcycle racer?
This is the second, a story as beautiful and moving as the first.
In fact, praise must be given to its experienced creator, Tomori Atsuki, an all-rounder in Japanese commercial television fiction, who, in addition to being an actress (she does not intervene in the drama as such), is a screenwriter and director, and manages to effectively film the remake of the Thai original , introducing successful and slight changes.
With only two episodes viewed at the time of writing the review, I will wait for the series to progress a little further, or even conclude, to issue new evaluations.