Leum Prai Lai Ruk (2010)

The posted summary for Leum Prai Lai Ruk is fairly vague so I didn’t feel bad about exploring the plot more in this review. Despite the lovey-dovey, all-about-the-romance scenario in the summary, this lakorn actually has a fairly complicated and action packed plot.

At its very core, this lakorn is really the age old story of Romeo and Juliet. Heroine Yanin Jakrawut (aka Nikki), played by Jensen Sririta, returns to Thailand from living in America. As an heir to the Jakrawut fortune, she visits Thailand regularly to see her father even though she feels unloved as the odd one out - the “half-breed” her relatives call her - the only American in a large wealthy family. She meets her opposite number, San or Sanyakorn Rungsarith (played by Wasukraipaisarn Witaya) while traveling as an ordinary student. He’s the very proper son of the wealthy Rungsarith family - her family’s business rival - and Nikki’s half-brother’s cousin. Sparks fly between the two as they get to know each other despite their cultural differences.

Expect as a many twists and turns as an American soap opera or a Korean makjong drama in this story as there are deaths, birth secrets, hidden loves, conflicts between servants and masters, guns, and beatings as well as lots and lots of broken hearts. I was surprised by how addictive this story was and how, despite some pretty coarse language and situations, love wins out for all the surviving characters. Secondary characters Niyomsup Worawut as Bunleu and Yaowananon Pitisak as Kampanart/Raywat have a particularly deep story line. Unlike some of the more slap/kiss lakorns, this show features true loves and a fair amount of un-forced skinship that makes this a very appealing drama. Be prepared for some horrible relatives, though!

Ratings-wise, I gave this lakorn a 7.5 overall for its story, which surprised even me! Its plot involves several generations, love and hate, and appropriate business settings - all aspects that pleased me. There is a lot of almost-gun-violences, however, so that brought my overall score down in my opinion. The cast did a very good job with what they were given. You’ll see a lot of the standard lakorn characters but by the end, the writers did a great job explaining the very complicated motivations.
I don’t often wish a lakorn is longer but this one was so action packed that it really could have been extended by an episode or two. Music-wise, this lakorn was nothing to write home about. Even the theme song did not stick with me. Despite this, it wasn’t annoying or distracting so that is a plus. As a rewatch, well, this lakorn doesn’t call to me. It was actually so complicated that I felt like I gave it my full concentration the first time and it doesn’t need another viewing yet. Despite the 6 for rewatch value and a 7 for music, the plot (plots!) itself keeps my total viewing score higher than I’d expected.

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