Buang Banjathorn (2017)

Okay this was an emotional rollercoaster here. There are different reasons for this – maybe especially because you get to look in two different timelines. Here are my thoughts about the lakorn.

Story:
Woah… it’s really difficult to judge this. I like most parts of the past storyline. Accept for the two villains and their sidekicks, the people are actually quite nice. Well yeah, it’s annoying when those nice people get played by the villains but it’s always like this right? For the couples I liked the main couple for what they were. It was not really difficult to ship Prae and Laoperng. They were basically a thing right after meeting and you knew that there was tension. (It was helpful that her husband in modern times was a cheating coward.) I also liked the second leading couple with Thongriew and her decision to choose love over the expectations for her. What I liked about Prae (in the beginning) was the way she was so cautious, experimental and curious about everything once she was back in times of WWII. I liked that she was not acting recklessly or dumb but rather used her brain to explore the secrets around her. This is why I was even more surprised that the tough and curious Prae was sometimes such an easy prey for her enemies. She was sometimes so easily fooled that I found it ridiculous.

The story of the modern timeline was a mess to me. I despised almost all of them which is quite surprising. I just couldn’t get over the fact that people were pushing Prae to stay with a husband who cheated on her several times! It was ridiculous how they argued that “their own partner had affairs too, but you get used to it with time” and “he really loves you so much! The other 5 women were nothing to him”. Her husband acting all pitiful while still sleeping with his secretary was also a total let-down. I probably would have given the plot more points if not for all people around Prae. It was utterly ridiculous to be honest. The only light in the tunnel was cute little Laem who was the only one really caring for Praes thoughts and feelings.

That being said, the last episode ruined a lot for me. Not because of the ending (which I found refreshing because the viewer get to decide what to believe) but because of all the chaos and messy editing. I don’t know what exactly went wrong that it suddenly escalated so quickly. This is where both timelines mess up. If you’re a fan of fight scenes this lakorn is definitely not your cup of tea since it actually looked a little bit funny to me. People get shot in the lungs and still manage to run around! Episode 10 seemed to me like the producers were starting to get greedy and put in every possible plot twist they could think of. Some things were managed off-screen and viewers were told what happened while being super confused about the sudden change of scenes (e. g. the bad guy was surrounded by soldiers and in the next scene he suddenly escapes with hostages in a car). Because they jumped from scene to scene without telling the whole story, it got messy and confusing. Yeah, they explained later but there was actually no real need to disfigure the story in such a way.

In modern times people were so busy pushing Prae around that it annoyed me. I mean yeah she is talking about weird things but come on! She is still their friend and their family member; shouldn’t they at least talk about what they are concerned about? It was basically them judging her for everything (discussing things in her absence) and because they were judging her she was more desperate to explain herself which made her seem crazier and crazier. It was plainly unfair what they did to her.
The story premise it quite interesting so you get curious about it, but as in every TV show there are plot holes. It was going well for me until Episode 10, though.

Acting/Cast:
I know some lakorns where Mai or Mario starred in. I never really loved them or hated them. They were ok most of the time. So I watched it without much expectations and that was okay. The leads were doing a good job and it was believable that Laoperng was head over heels for his leading lady right from the start. Some parts of the script were super cheesy but well it’s a lakorn right? Mai was also doing good in both timelines. I actually wished that she would stand up more for herself – in both times. She was doing good in the past timeline but got weaker – but that’s the script. Innocent Thongriew and her lover were likeable, and I actually felt bad for them, when they fell in the trap of the evil people.
I don’t think I watched something with Sara Legge before. She was definitely a hateable villain as Ruengrayub but I wasn’t really impressed by her acting. It seemed stoic to me. The acting overall was okay – not amazing though. Especially the main villain Ausor overacted to me way too much. His facial expressions caused me to not take him seriously most of the time. And those fight scenes… oh those fight scenes. I really want to forget them.

Music:
You know how music directors in TV Shows use music to prepare/help viewers to get into the mood of what is happening or how the character is feeling right now? This music director overdid it at some parts. In the first episodes there was a change of music from dramatic to sad to funny to sad again – in one scene. I don’t know if I got used to it but the more I watched the less it bothered me. The sound effects were also funny to me – yes those already mentioned fight scenes! The OST was fine though.

Rewatch value:
I don’t know. I don’t think I would rewatch the whole lakorn. I don’t even think I would rewatch some scenes. It was okay to watch it once. I mean I liked watching it – sometimes more sometimes less – but the story is over for me so I don’t think I’ll go back to this one.

Overall:
This lakorn has its ups and downs. It’s a mixture of a fated love story and the message that you should love yourself in order to find true love and happiness – at least that’s what I want it to be. It’s neither a horrible lakorn nor is it the best lakorn ever but it gets you hooked at some points. You actually feel for a lot of characters – and obviously you curse at some of them too. Some scenes were unintentionally funny to me. I wish I could rewrite the last episode though because without Episode 10 this would have scored a little bit higher for me. Anyways, if you decide to watch it I hope you enjoy it :)

Leggi di Più

The story presented are very interesting, historical themes wrapped with fiction - time magic. However, if you watch it you will feel that the story shown is very confusing. Making a fiction story with the theme of time, I mean manipulation of timeline, is very difficult, not many stories are great presented. I don't care about old story of the drama, but the courage to raise a story with a difficult theme like this deserves a thumbs up, but sorry, I don't think they are ready to do this and seem very difficult to present this theme in the drama. Lots of plot holes, this is very bad. In addition, conflicts that occur are always repeated as if they are confused to create anything more than kidnapping, kidnapping, kidnapping and kidnapping. I cannot objectively judge the acting role in this matter, I am a fan of Mario Maurer and Davika Hoorne. I just wanna say they do whatever they can do. The problem of cinematography, dialogues, visual effects, and others, I think all is so-so, I mean, not bad, nor is there anything special.

Leggi di Più

My favorite Thai Drama

Okay, yes the kidnappings were a bit much and I sort of didn't understand the motives of the villain but I really love this drama. I mean it could be the fact that I'm deeply in love with the male lead but I continue to go back and watch it. I think the 2 leads have good chemistry and I liked how steadfast the FL was in divorcing her cheating husband, you gave him multiple chances and he squandered them, leave him. I like how he asked her something to the effect of if you love me why are you leaving me and she replied with I love myself too and I was like yes, girl take care of you. He fucked around and found out. That being said I hated how he was obsessed with her through the rest of the drama even though he continued cheating on her. He was an absolute waste of oxygen. I like how the story connected the past and the present and how she was able to fix broken familial bonds. I liked how she was trying too finalize her divorce before getting too involved with the ML even though if we look, historically, he came first. The ending is slightly ambiguous as we are given a version of events that most likely happen but no one is sure. I choose to believe in a happier ending for the couple and in a way it's fine they left it so open for interpretation. Good kissing scenes and intimate moments, good acting, chemistry, costumes, pretty actresses and actors. I definitely recommend this drama. Oh bonus, no rape but there are attempted rapes, come on Thailand quit this shit it's tired and nobody gets adequately punished.

Leggi di Più

Mario's gaze is worth taking the time to watch this Lakorn

The story is interesting and I liked the alternate realities and time jumps. To put it simple, Buang Banjathorn is about a woman who is betrayed by her husband of 2 years and retreats to the house she inherited from her father where she finds an old beautiful bed which transports her back in time to the period of World War II. There she meets Laoperng and love blossoms! Apart from this the Lakorn is nothing out of the ordinary really character development wise. They are all so utterly simple, basic, elemetary essential wearing their hears in their sleeves the entire time it was both a joy and an inrritating agony to watch.

Mario was great! His eyes are always so sweet and kind. I don't think I have ever watched a Lakorn with him as a male lead where his eyes were not so beguiling expressive. As Laoperng he is the epitome of a man with a high degree of honour and chivalry, most unduly uncommon nearly most of the time in any era! Indeed a very sweet and principled lead!

Mai was okay. She's a good actress. Here it felt like her talent was wasted. Either that or the writers did intend to write Praenuan like a statue that always portrays the same contemplative emotions or lack of them. Praen is also constantly monocordic even when what's required is a bit of spunk and attitude by kicking Khed out of her house and out of her life instead of just plainly telling him to leave when he's going to keep ignoring her and act like the a boss doing what he pleases to his subordinates instead of a worthy Man who respects his wife's wishes! Sometimes it's really hard to get Praen's attitudes as her proactive manner scumbs to her reactive nature at every occasion, unfortunately!

Khed is exasperating, irritating, maddening, infuriating, irksome, vexing, galling, vexatious, displeasing, pesky, aggravating, infernal idiotic! Honestly! Why does he refuse to get it? Why? He doesn't love Prae. He wants her, he's possessive and a pain. Above all he betrayed her and then he kept being there all the time! Please writers, could you not have written a male character less repetitive? Someone with a bit of common sense rather than the emotional overlord who wants to keep his wife at all costs regardless of her wishes, despite her wishes to be divorced. Was he born in the wrong century or is he experiencing a constant mental regression into feudal times?

Thongriew and Sanpaeng love story was sweet, really sweet but Ruengrayub was a Cruella Deville reincarnation backwards minus the dalmatians. Truly annoying but that's something one gets used to watching Lakorns and it adds symbiosis. There is good and there is evil. Both coexist but in the end, good prevails, yay!

The end was a thorn but the story was good and the Lakorn is really worth watching for the story and for Mario!

Leggi di Più

Well, I DID watch the 15 years earlier version so I can tell you if there is any significant difference.

Fresh faced Davika Hoorne who barely reached 25 years of age (though I couldn't help but notice the traditional dress made her look like her breast sinked lower?), instead of mature beauty in her thirties. Visual effect of the enchanted bed, showing - unnecessarily - that someone fell asleep in it. The exact same plot holes. Ugh... we have Jason Young as the main villain (well, it's not a secret he cannot act) so... You might as well download decent quality of the 2002 version at lakornsworld2.blogspot, and see how Alex Rendell looked as a kid. Then again, that older version is more draggy. And if you love Mario, there's real kiss scene... Well, it does not really matter which 'Buang Banjathorn' you watch, all I can tell you it is not real necessary to waste time to see both, like I did:)

Either way, when we have grand final fight, which thanks to Jason Young is ridiculous and funny instead of thrilling, then any rating above average is too much.

Leggi di Più