I N T R O D U C T I O N
I would like to think that I’m a solid Bella fan. I enjoy watching her dramas and intend to watch almost all of them if not all.

This was how I began watching Wimarn Mekala late last year. Because it was Bella and Andrew, I went in having large expectations. But maybe because my expectations were too large, I felt underwhelmed and put it on hold. For a long time.

I picked the drama up earlier this week because I had a lot of ironing to do and thought I could probably watch it in the background while ironing the day away. It was a pretty good plan because I ended up completing it in a day.

P L O T

Wimarn Mekela is a story about a girl called Mekala who is an orphan and was brought up by her father’s sister to be self-centered and bratty. As Mekala grew up, she became a celebrity and had to pay for aunt and cousin sister’s loans and big spendings while they stayed and leeched off of her.

One day things turn for the worst when Melaka found herself in a scandal after hitting her costar and her cheating boyfriend. She lost her current drama, was “sent on a holiday”, was dumped by her boyfriend, and her aunt and cousin’s loans took away her car.

That day she met Paya, the ML, who brought bad news about Mekala’s uncle dying and also an offer to buy her uncle’s forest which the deceased man had left to Mekala. However, Mekala and Paya don’t start on the right foot and Mekala tells Paya that she would never sell the forest to him.

She soon finds a new buyer and makes a journey to the area to make the deal. On the way, however, she has an accident and loses her memory. Paya takes this opportunity to switch her identity for another girl who had also traveled to the area for work … Teacher Prim.


T H E B A D
- Too many episodes. Could be shorter.
- Writing needed improvement
- Bella and Andrew lacked chemistry
- Andrew’s character was lackluster for more than half of the show
- Amnesia arc was very stretched out
- Amnesia arc was also boring
- The ending was rushed
- Mekala’s retired in the end
- Some villains didn’t get retribution (Aunt + Cousin)

T H E G O O D
- Great scenery of the forest and farms
- Drama spreads awareness about deforestation
- Post-Amnesia arc is much more interesting
- Andrew’s character greatly improves in the last few episodes. He smiles and is a little mischievous, it made Andrew look handsome.
- The two major villains got what they deserve
- OST was good
- Happy ending


O V E R A L L
I enjoyed the last 1/3 of the drama much better than everything else. I enjoyed seeing the ML and FL bicker and smile and act cute. It was much more refreshing than all the awkward bland chemistry in the earlier 2 thirds. One thing I don’t understand, though, is why Mekala literally told her manager she wasn’t retiring or leaving her, but then one minute later she announces to the world that she’s retiring. I don’t know, to me, it felt very rushed and incomplete. I think this drama could have been made much better and with more love.

7/10