Love in Translation (2023)

Fluff & loan sharks

With a final, post credit, oh so unexpected revelation, this little bl is over! It was a cute watch a bit draggy in the second part and full of tropes but still enjoyable.

The story is about a younger son of a well off family, overprotected, a bit spoilt but kind and sweet who has a crush on a chinese influencer in Thailand. So he wants to learn chinese. He meets a chinese investor who needs a thai partner to open a shop. Their interests converge so...They meet, clash, become friends and more....

The series reminded me a lot of Ai Long Nhai for the main couple in which one is grown up and serious while the other one is apparently silly and childish. With a gorgeous smile that literally lights up the screen!!! So they open a convenience store which takes some time to take off but still they employ the full staff who spend their time endlessly mopping the floor! No customers to speak of! But the staff keeps growing as the series moves forward!

This series is pure fluff even with the loan sharks who turned out to be businessmen and not too evil in spite of their looks. Everyone is kind and nice (reminds me as well of a number of japanese dramas in that respect!), not a big baddie in sight and the biggest evil doers are they to themselves! It is not cringy either: surprisingly so with a shrieking trans character who was actually bearable (or are we getting used to it?!?!?).

The music is awful! I presume that the songs are original but they sound just like the songs in every other thai bl: there is one with finger snapping (or something sounding like that) for rhythm, then another one which begins a capella before the music is introduced usually used in highly dramatic scenes post big revelation/confession, some instrumental piano pieces to set the mood...BORING!!!!

The amount of product placements was annoyingly high: from square loaves of bread (taken to a date as a snack), to ramen, porridge, skin care and so on and so forth. I guess the square bread PPL were actually a joke: they were so ridiculous so it must be second degree. Right?

The actors are very much at ease with each other and their chemistry is more than correct though it does not light up fireworks! The supermarket make out scene is legendary as are the morning after reactions and explanations: hilarious!

All in all, a correct though forgettable watch. On second thought, maybe not so forgettable: that smile is ......swoonworthy!

Leggi di Più

A short and a fast translation but cute

Sorry, the headline might be weird, I don't know what to write lol

Actually, I wanted to rated 8.5 because I really loved this serie because it was too cute and didn't think much about it, it's like a light fluffly love story. But looking back, I give it 7.5 because I feel like some interesting points were not enough developping. I wish they could explain / show more of Yang Yanfeng's background story since he's the main lead and I also wish he could speak a bit more mandarin chinese because this is one of the element they wanted to high light. I also wanted they could insert some scenes where he's teaching to Phumjai some other words and maybe some misunderstandings with the language barrier could be interesting and funny.

It's true that I was also annoyed by the other main lead, Phumjai being childish (especially the fanboying too hard part but it's kind of relatable and true..) but then he has a character development so I changed my mind and found him cute and I was a little impressed by the fact he's not lazy or something but he gives his heart when he's doing something.

The support characters were funny and nice. The brother of Phumjai, Phojai was kind of annoying but maybe we have to put in his shoes. As the older brother, this is his way to show some concern for Phumjai and so on. As lover, it's a different story and I'm a bit disappointed they kind of brush it off the real concern of their story ( Phorjai and Tag).

Nonetheless, it was a lovely and a heartwarming journey to follow them, especially the two main leads, they have a really nice chemistry.

I feel like, we don't have to expect much, it's an easy watch for this short serie, it will bring a smile to your face!

Leggi di Più

Pleasantly surprised

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this series, but I was pleasantly surprised.
The storyline was cute and executed better than “Hidden Agenda “ in my opinion.
The actors were good, they had chemistry and the acting was believable.
To be honest I can’t even remember the music, but I don’t remember hating it, so it must not have been too bad.

I think I would rewatch this series if I had nothing better to do, but it not at the top of my rewatch list.

There was definitely room for improvement on the storyline. I feel like the conflict was not dramatic enough, it lacked a little oomph. Also there could have been more details revolving the lead up to the conflict and more details on the second couple.

Overall this is a decent series.

Leggi di Più

Love in translation, lost in the plot.

About the plot: It's cute and has a lot of potential, at first, I thought that it would be a hilarious show and it wasn't at all. And there's just the first problem.

Their development as a couple is just... It feels rushed, and weird. The characters don't are exactly developed too, and that reflects on the couple. But it was okay until the last 2 episodes. Seriously, what was that? Lazy script and all, bcs everything was ridiculous. Not even ridiculous in a funny way, just so insufferable that I watched the last 2 episodes in 2X mode so that torture would pass faster. Not even the secondary couple (they were cute) made me more happy.

The ONLY great point about Love In Translation it's the INSANE ASS chemistry of Daou (Yang) and Offroad (Phumjai). They are from the same T-Pop group and they are very close friends, and it shows in their chemistry... but actually, none of them are very good actors, well... since it's their first action gig I guess that it was.. uhmm ok? But Offroad doing Phumjai at least was charismatic since Daou really feels awkward to watch.

Anyway, if it wasn't for the 2 last episodes, I would give a better note.

Leggi di Più

Second time trying to watch this

This series is not bad but it's also not my favorite, I stopped watching after episode 6 - The Spice in 6 was my favorite but after that was not, im not a fan of constant interrupted kisses and that's what we got. let's talk about the cast...

Yang & Phumjai - These two are okay, Phumjai obsession with Tammy was a little much at times but I do like Yang's character, he was on the outside a cold, serious person but when Phumjai came into the picture, Yang had a soft heart for him. I liked that he wasn't afraid to share his feelings when Phumjai ran away from him, Yang knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to tell anyone.

Phojai & Tag - Tag deserved so much better, Phojai had a weird obsession with his brother and was following him everywhere, I get it his little brother but he needed to let him live and learn. Poor Tag was trying to love Phojai and wanted to be out in public with him but Phojai wasn't giving him the time of day. The whole Chinese Valentine was sad when Tag daydreamed of the reaction to the necklace and got something completely different from Phojai. I think he deserved better.

Tammy- I think she was annoying and unnecessary, I wish she were only in there a little, but I kept seeing her and I wish I hadn't.

Leggi di Più

Mignon

Très mignon. Malheureusement cela va un petit peu trop dans tous les sens avec notamment la partie policière assez mal amenée et dispensée. Peut-être ont-ils pensé, ou était-ce dans le roman, que l'histoire était trop vide sans partition supplémentaire... Dommage, la relation du couple principal est adorable et DaouOffroad sont convaincants, tant dans leurs rôles que dans leur relation. Leurs baisers réclament réellement un éventail. J'aime aussi particulièrement ce feeling familial très chaleureux que l'on retrouve avec le groupe de Little Sun. J'ai dévoré ce drama. Pas parfait mais un joli bonheur. Comme le sourire d'Offroad.

Leggi di Più

Fun Series with small twist

The series is overall very enjoyable. The down part was the very slow start of the characters. In the beginning, Phumjai was super annoying and overdid it with his obsession with Tammy, who I found annoying. He did slowly start to grow on me. I loved Yang and felt bad for his situation. The rest of the cast were interesting. I did wish they would have developed the characters more instead of focusing on Phumja's obsession with Tammy which was overdone. I loved Tag and Phojai relationship and wish they had more time to shine. The overall story was a fun idea, but it was not executed very well. The ending felt rushed when they could have done all that happened in the end to happen in the middle of the series, given the series is short. The ending should have taken a better route in showing more growth and development between the couples. The 2 couples are good and have good chemistry but wish they showed them more as couples than running around and chaotic storylines. Overall all i enjoyed the series and the cast but wish the series was done a bit better in telling the story.

Leggi di Più

Cute and wholesome

I don't have anything really to say about this bl, which is strange. It lies in the category of good but not extraordinary so there is nothing to rave about but it's not bad so I can't rant about it. The couples are cute, Phumjai and Yang are so sweet together. So supportive and adorable. PhoJai and Tag are also cute, I wish we'd seen more of them. The acting isn't the best but I didn't mind, not being good at emotional scenes saves me tears so I won't complain haha. It does have a factor to it that I think is very rewatchable. It seems like one that I could watch again if I were introducing a friend to bl or something. I would recommend this bl to everyone but I don't think it's going to be a new favourite of mine. Solid 8.5/10

Leggi di Più

Started from the bottom and we soar to the skies

This is what you call a blessing in disguise. Cause the first episode was not good at all but I am glad I stuck around. Cause it kept getting better and better. The plot was simple but well executed and cute. Both the characters were really likeable. Phumjai in the first episode was really annoying than cute but after the first episode he became so cute. Yang too was so cool and cute and expressed falling in love with his eyes. The other characters were not done so well but it was expected since there were too many and it had only few episodes with small run time but it still did quite well. The chemistry between the characters is not a joke. The actors did very well. The thirsty scenes as well as the cute scenes were done very well. I am so amazed and satisfied. A very enjoyable sweet and simple drama. Give it a try at least after the first episode. You won't regret it .

Leggi di Più

Believe me, YOU have to WATCH this series !!!

This series is sooooo goddamn FINE i cam rewatch it everyday
The main couple has such an amazing chemistry ommmgggg they’re soooo cute and adorable together i fell in love with them from the first episode.
I can say this series will hit so hard in the future more than it already does now, the cast overall are so cute, amazing, and attractive I didn’t hate any single character in this series WOW and for the second couple 👏🏻👏🏻I LOVED them damnn.
If you didn’t watch it yet, then what are you waiting for…go and watch it NOWWWWW ♥️♥️♥️

Leggi di Più

Fun and light-hearted romance

The plot starts with the two main characters as enemies who are forced to cooperate to reach their personal goals. Their relationship warms up to a sincere friendship as they begin to trust each other and get to know each other better. I really liked how their romantic feelings developed, I felt like I could see them grow and bloom as the episodes went by.
The premise of the two main characters becoming equal business partners is also something new for me - I'm used to see romance between office workers, or romance between a boss and their employee, so this was a refreshing change of pace!
While the plot is cute and it's shown well in the first five episodes or so, things didn't look as good toward the end. Some elements of the plot would have benefited from being introduced earlier on rather than being shown at the last moment; there was no proper build-up for them and it felt more like an attempt from the writers to stir-up things. These plotlines were also not cared for properly, as their resolution felt kind of underwhelming to me.

The cast was very good. It's the first series I watched with Daou and Offroad, but I could immediately tell that they're very at ease with each other - it's hard to find this level of chemistry in most on-screen couples. I was also really happy to see Ngern here! His performance as Phumjai's older brother was actually my favorite out of the entire cast.
The secondary couple was interesting, but I believe they needed more screentime for a proper development of their plotline.
The secondary characters were all chosen well and I really liked the atmosphere they created in the series, making the store feel like an actual home to everyone.

In conclusion, while this series definitely has its flaws, I still believe it's a fun show to watch and its romance deserves the attention. Recommended if you're looking for something mostly light-hearted!

Leggi di Più