Lakorns!

Recently, I've been obsessed with Lakorns or Thai dramas. Here is a list of Lakorns I have watched and think are a great introduction drama. I will update this list as I watch more so please check this post from time to time. 

Full House

Episodes: 20

Year: 2014

Synopsis:

Aom Am is an aspiring writer who lives in a house filled with memories of her and her deceased father. When her sister and her sister's boyfriend send her to South Korea on a "vacation", they secretly sell the house. When she returns, she learns that her sister and her boyfriend have sold her house to Mike, a famous Thai idol that she met on the plane and had a poor encounter with in South Korea. She begs Mike to let her stay and give her house back. Mike signs a contract with her saying if she pretends to be his wife for one year, he will give the house back to her.

This is my first lakorn so it has a special place in my heart. The beginning started out interesting but I wasn't captivated until the later episodes. The OST by Mike is great. I love this couple when they bicker, because Aom Am is just so cute. These two starred in another drama together called Kiss Me, a remake of Itazura na Kiss.

Ugly Duckling Series (2015)

I love this series so much. In total, there are 4 dramas, each with a separate plot line. Each drama stars a girl from an online club called the Ugly Duckling Club; they are all deemed ugly or have insecurities about themselves. 

Perfect Match

Episodes: 9

Synopsis:

Junior seems to have it all. She is pretty, rich, popular, and has a loving, handsome, rich boyfriend. However, on Instagram, people are always calling her face wide and chubby. She decides to get plastic surgery to fix it but turns out, she is actually allergic to the chemicals, which leads to her face covered in severe acne. She decides to go to the countryside to receive treatment and to escape from her friends' criticism. There she meets Suea, an extremely handsome but dirt poor sophomore in college who takes care of her and supports her when others laugh at her. How will these two totally different characters end up?

Pity Girl

Episodes: 5

Synopsis:

Junior's cousin, Alice, likes photography. One day, as she climbs a tree to take a picture of a bird, she sees a very handsome boy below. She tries to take a picture of him but ends up falling off the tree. The boy and his cousin, Fuyu, bring Alice to the hospital. He has to leave because he is flying to America and leaves Alice to his cousin. Alice wakes up after a concussion and forgets everyone except her "hero", Fuyu. She gets bullied at school but later meets a handsome guy called Aston. He is Fuyu's cousin and the guy Alice tried to take a picture of. He wants her to remember him and wants to make up for making her fall off the tree and then leaving her. Who will she end up with? Fuyu or Aston?

Don't

Episodes: 8

Synopsis:

After being called ugly when she confessed to someone during elementary school, Maewnam hides at home and covers her face with a box. This has been going on for years until her dad finally decides to force her to go to school. At school, she is mocked for covering her face in a box because they all assume that it is because she is ugly or she wants attention. Her only comfort at school is Minton, a handsome transfer student who tries to befriend her. Her nightmare is seeing Zero, the thug of the school, fight and ends up being dragged away by him during a fight. Zero forcefully removes her box and falls in love with her cute looks. She now treats him as an enemy while Zero tries to get closer to her. Who will Maewnam end up with? the sweet, protective Minton? or the handsome but violent Zero?

My favorites are Perfect Match and Don't, with Don't quickly surpassing Perfect Match. Boy's Paradise, the last in the series, is not out yet. I don't know much about it but the two leads worked together on Leh Ratree 2015, which I really enjoyed, so I am looking forward to it.

  Leh Ratree (2015)

Episodes: 12

Synopsis:

Kate, a young, beautiful college student and part-time model, is a good stepdaughter who idolizes her stepfather. But secretly, her father's gambling addiction leads to his embezzlement of company money.

The CEO, Sake, comes after their family to throw the father into jail. The stepfather offers to give Kate to Sake in exchange for the money he embezzled. Sake's mother takes the offer because she wants an heir for her son but his son's ex-wife lied about being pregnant but actually cannot bear a child. Kate is forced to live with Sake and his mother and sister, Pa, to become the baby carrier through GIFT. She is forced to separate from her boyfriend, Pu. Sake is mean to Kate because he feels as if she wants to replace his ex-wife's, Id, place. They have a rocky relationship where at times they are fine and at other times they are angry at each other. Will Kate be able to survive at Sake's house?

This is a pretty good lakorn. This is not a light drama and has its dark side. But I think the leads are very cute together.

Sud Sai Pan

Episodes: 17

Year: 2013

Synopsis:

Tithit (Toomtam Yuthana Puengklarng) meets Gandaowasee Kitrinisuan (View Wannarot Sontichai) and falls in love with her. When she learns that his family is poor, she leaves him. Tithit searches for her desperately and waits for her to return. One year later, Thit meets Gandaowasee Kitrinisuan (View Wannarot Sontichai) at a banquet and is ecstatic upon seeing her, but Gandaowasee claims that she doesn't know him. Tithit refuses to believe that she doesn't know him and assumes that she is doing this because he's poor. In reality, the Gandaowasee that he loves is actually called Gandaomanee, Gandaowasee's secret twin sister who was separated from her at birth. Their mother took Gandaomanee and left Gandaowasee with the dad. Gandaomanee learned of Gandaowasee's existence and was jealous that her older sister was able to grow up in a rich family while she grew up in a poor one. She played men, with Tithit being one of them, and told them that her name is Gandaowasee in hopes of ruining her sister's reputation. Tithit soon learns that he is actually a noble and becomes respected and rich. He continues to pursue the real Gandaowasee, but is still rejected. Later, due to certain circumstances, Gandaowasee is forced to marry Tithit. On the other hand, Gandaomanee, who is busy with other rich, powerful men, soon hears of Tithit's change in wealth and status. She rushes back to him and tells him that she is the Gandaowasee he loves and makes up stories about the real Gandaowasee. Tithit believes all of this and starts to treat Gandaowasee poorly and wants to get a divorce with her. Will Tithit ever know the truth?

Review:

When the drama started, I loved it. However, as the drama came to an end, it just kept dragging and dragging. Every time I thought the drama was about to end, something dramatic came up. Also, Gandaomanee got more and more evil, so I was angry the entire time. Overall, I did enjoy this drama but it could've dragged on less. This is not a light drama, so if you are looking for something light, try the Ugly Duckling Series or Full House. This drama, however, did introduce me to View, the lead actress, and now my favorite Thai actress. She plays both twins and they are literally nothing alike. At first, I thought they were played by two actresses because I didn't think anyone could pull off two totally different characters. Oh, how wrong was I. View is so beautiful and talented. Be prepared to see lots of her dramas coming up.

Ngao Jai

Episodes: 15

Year: 2015

Synopsis:

The basic plot is similar to Sud Sai Pan but with the male lead now being the twin. 

Watit (Toomtam Yuthana Puengklarng) and Rut, are two identical twins who were separated at birth. Watit is rich yet is ill and weak, while Rut is healthy and a gardener in the countryside. Watit is in love with the beautiful and smart Maytinee (View Wannarot Sontichai), or May, and his biggest dream is to marry her. Watit's adoptive father's nephew, Angkoon, is jealous that his adopted cousin will receive his uncle's inheritance. He is also in love with May and she seems a lot more attracted to him than Watit. When May's family is in need of money, Watit's father gives her money in exchange for her marriage with Watit, which May accepts. Soon after the marriage, Watit is hurt by Angkoon and is in a vegetaive state. The father asks Rut to pretend to be Watit and help find the person who tried to kill his brother. Rut is the opposite of Watit so confuses everyone when they see "Watit" acting so strange. Will May like the new Watit or will she end up with Angkoon? Will justice ever be brought to Watit? Will Watit ever wake up? So many questions that need to be answered, watch to find out.

Review:

If you want something light, this is not for you. If you are looking for lots of romantic scenes but aren't really patient, this is also not for you. I am not patient, so too many times I wanted to stop watching. I only continued because I have seen trailers with romantic scenes from later episodes. I am still not done with this drama but I will come back to tell you what I think of the last couple of episodes.

View plays a new character compared Sud Sai Pan and Kaew Lorm Petch. She is a lot more free and playful here. I feel like Toomtam Yuthana Puengklarng's character is pretty similar to his character in Sud Sai Pan though, so if you like Tithit from Sud Sai Pan, I think you will like him here.

Kaew Lorm Petch

Episodes: 35

Year: 2008

Synopsis:

Pikul runs away from her alcoholic and abusive husband to Bangkok while she is 9 months pregnant. That same night a businessman and his wife, Lada, who is also 9 months pregnant, gets into a car accident with the bus Pikul was on. They both gave birth to daughters at the same hospital. The name tags of the babies flew off and the nurse put them on the wrong baby. Later on, Pikul overhears the police talking about arresting a fugitive. Thinking it was her, she quickly took the baby she thought was hers and ran. She finds a golden anklet on the baby and knows it is Lada's baby so she goes back to the hospital to return the baby. She return to the hospital but learns that her own baby is ill and needs expensive surgery so she lets the wealthy couple keep her baby. 18 years later, Pikul runs a candy stall with her daughter, Namphet (Wiew Wonarot), or Lada’s real daughter. Namphet is obedient and respects her mother unlike Gaew Gao (Erin Siripan), Pikul’s real daughter who is now a spoiled brat. One day, Namphet saves Lada from getting stabbed by a robber. To help Pikul and Namphet escape from Pikul's abusive father, Lada offers them a job as a servant at her house. Pikul, recognizing Lada, accepts because she wants to be able to see her real daughter. Namphet becomes instant enemies with Gaew Gao, because Gaew Gao's boyfriend, Cheewin, falls in love with Namphet. Pikul also acts super suspicious because she is always trying to care for Gaew Gao. Both Namphet and Gaew Gao don't understand why Pikul is acting this way. Namphet feels unimportant and sad because her own mother is never on her side. Namphet is comforted by Karn (Ton Chayatorn Setjinda), Lada's son, who falls in love with her. As the drama goes on, Cheewin and Karn are both fighting for Namphet and Gaew Gao learns of her birth secret and does everything she can to protect her identity as Lada's daughter and Cheewin's love.

Comments:

Surprise, surprise, View is in this drama too. This is the drama that shot her into fame. If you have watched a Chinese drama called Shining Days, this is basically the same thing. This is a successful and popular drama but I actually am not a huge fan. Namphet and Cheewin were the golden couple in Thailand when this drama came out, but I saw barely any sparks. What is interesting, however, is that in real life the male lead actually had a crush on the female lead before their debut. Once again, this is also not a light drama.

Duang Jai Akkanee

Year: 2010

Episodes: 10

Synopsis:

Akkanee (Nadech Kugimiya) and Ajjima (Urassaya Sperbund) are neighbors but their families hate each other. When Fai falls for Jeed, in his way is the two families' rivalry. Will Fai and Jeed ever be together?

Review:

This is basically Romeo and Juliet. The leads were so popular in this drama that they became the golden couple on screen and in real life. They are in a relationship together and seem so sweet and lovely. As for the drama, I feel like it was not the best drama ever but the leads were super cute together. This was a popular drama during its run, so if you are new to Lakorns and you are looking for a basic drama to start with, this is a good one. This is one of four dramas in a series. The other three are Thara Himalai, Wayupak Montra, and Pathapee Leh Ruk.

Leh Nangfah

Year: 2014

 Episodes: 28

Synopsis:

Lallalit (Sonthichai Wannarot or View), or Beauty, is a rich, spoiled, bratty model. She is an orphan and the co-president of her late father's company. She does not care about the company and is obsessed over her own beauty. Two angels decide that she must pay for her sins, so they cast a spell on her to make her a human by day and a bird by night. She needs to do good deeds and receive a kiss from a man who genuinely loves her. She has three months to fulfill the requirements or she will forever remain a bird, the animal she hates the most. In her bird form, she can listen to secrets. She learns that her uncle, the one who she thought loved her the most, is actually plotting to take over her company. She decides to ask Teepob (Kasetsin Puttichai or Put), her co-president to help train her to be a good president. Beauty quickly learns how rotten and disliked she is and though she tries to do good deeds, she is still despised by many. Will Beauty ever be able to break the spell? Watch to find out!

Review:

I actually really enjoyed this drama. Two of my favorite actors/actresses, View and Put are in the same drama, which is a dream come true for me. When I first read the synopsis, I thought this drama would be so weird because the lead becomes a bird. I just couldn't process that in my mind. However, I read some great reviews of this drama and decided to give it a try. This drama is not as intense as other lakorns I have watched. You have your hatred, your family issues, your second female lead, but there wasn't really any rape or a ton of slapping or a ton of secrets. I think there was a good amount of suspense and evilness in this drama. I feel like usually, lakorns get way too violent and I don't think that is ok. For example, lakorns are known for their rape scenes, the crazy slapping scenes, and the forced kisses and wrist grabs. I feel like these scenes make these horrific actions seem ok by romanticizing them. I am very happy that Teepob is a gentleman who never did any of this. I am also happy that the girls don't slap each other during each encounter.

Kleun Cheewit

Year: 2017

Episodes: 15

Synopsis:

Jeerawat (Sperbund Urassaya or Yaya) is currently one of the most popular actresses in Thailand. However, behind her success is a tragic past. She grew up yearning her mother's love. Her mother was a prostitute who returned home every day, drunk. She never received her mother's love so she does not know how to love others. Her mother remarries a rich, corrupt businessman called Thun. Thun lusts after Jee and drugs her in hopes of raping her. Jee manages to escape by car, only to accidentally crash into Tiw. Tiw's fiance, Sathit (Suparat Prin or Mark) is a righteous lawyer who vows to bring justice to Tiw. However, Jee's management and her family quickly remove the evidence that Jee was ever present at the accident. This aggravates Sathit and he tries to find evidence to prove that she is the murderer. However, Sathit and Jee slowly start to fall in love with each other, but in their way is Jee's accidental murder of Tiw.

Review:

I really enjoyed this drama, mainly because of Yaya. Her acting was so good. She is one of the best actresses I have ever seen and she is now my new favorite along with my girl, View.

The drama did start to drag a bit near the end. There were just so many coincidences and misunderstandings, especially with the second couple. Overall, this is a great drama and there aren't too many rape scens or slapping scenes compared to other lakorns.

Game Rai Game Ruk

Year: 2011

Episodes: 21

Synopsis:

Fahlada washes up to Min Island and is saved by Saichon. When she regains consciousness, she loses her memory. Saichon names her Nang Fah and they live together. The two soon fall in love. One day, Chompooprae, Fahlada's adopted sister, sees Fahlada's picture in a tourist magazine, so she sends people to take Fahlada back. Chompooprae needs Fahlada in order for her to take over her adopted family's business. In an attempt to fight those who are about to take away Nang Fah, Saichon gets shot. Fahlada receives shock therapy treatment to regain her memories, but she loses her memories about Saichon and Min Island. Chompooprae lies to her sister and doesn't tell her anything about Min Island. When Saichon awakens, he is devastated to learn that his Nang Fah is gone. He decides to go to Bangkok to look for her. Many years later, Saichon comes back from America as a successful executive of an airline company. Chompooprae, now his business partner, falls for him at first sight even though she is already engaged. Saichon also meets Fahlada and is happy to see her again but hurt and angry because she doesn't remember him.

Review:

Definitely a slap kiss. This drama started out great. The leads are Nadech and Yaya, my favorite pairing. They shared an innocent love in a beautiful, serene place. That escalated quickly when Chompooproae decides to butt into their peaceful life and pry them apart. Saichon will stop at nothing to force Fahlada to remember him so this leads to lots of slap kiss, which means there is a lot of slapping and raping but portrayed as romantic. I do not applaud slap kiss because it portrays rape as a romantic act, which will definitely add to the number of rapists. Overall, I loved the beginning and started disliking the second half because Saichon was no longer a happy, protective guy but a calculative, controlling freak.

Panyachon Kon Krua

Episodes: 12

Year: 2012

Synopsis:

Aemika or Cha Aem (Kimberley Anne Woltemas), a drama student, strives to write the best script to get the chance to study abroad in New York. She decides to write about a maid. What better way to gather resources for her script than to become a maid herself? She becomes a maid for a wealthy family with the help of her friends. She tries her best to hide her identity but that seems to be impossible with Tam here. Tam (Prin Suparat), or the nephew of Aemika's new boss, constantly doubts Aemika's identity and is always just an inch away from discovering the truth. Will she be able to complete her script and study abroad in New York? or will Tam reveal her true identity before she succeeds?

Comments:

Though this drama is pretty dramatic and hectic, I can't help but fall for this drama. This drama is a good mix of romance, comedy, and family. Aemika's role as a maid not only sets the setting for the plot, but it is the origin of much growth among the characters. Not only does she discover the good in life and the good in people, but she also helps the family she serves to resolve their conflicts. She truly has a great personality and I love how in every episode she betters herself and those around her. Cha Aem and Tam have lots of chemistry and are very cute together. Kimberley and Prin are actually dating in real life which only adds to my love for this drama. The supporting characters are funny, kind, and relatable. There are almost no antagonists and every character has their redeeming moment.

Sao Chai Hi-Tech (2010)

Year: 2010

Episodes: 22

Synopsis:

After his fiancee left him for his best friend, Nol Ratsamee became a shut-in. He became a woman-hating, angry, irritable man. His younger sister tries to help him by having her bubbly best friend, Reuangrin Narokmon, become his personal maid. Things get sticky when they start to develop feelings for each other but Reuangrin has a boyfriend and Nol's ex-fiancee returns.

Review:

This drama is pretty funny. I especially love the other maids in the household.

I feel like it is kind of similar to Panyachon Kon Krua because both are undercover maids.