Office Romance with a Twist

For a revenge themed Lakorn, this drama lacked intensity in the way that was delightfully present in the more explosive, similarly themed dramas like Hua Jai Sila and Ra Raerng Fai. That said, it was nevertheless an engaging watch. There was simply something about it that had me flying through the episodes at great speed, even when plot-wise, not much happened in the earlier episodes. Because it's a Lakorn, a fair share of the usual nutty characters was in attendance in the mist of the more reasonable, likable characters. However, there was semblance of logic and I considered it relatively tamed compared to the few Lakorns I've seen.

Abandoned by his father at a young age, Poramee (Donut Phattharapon Dejpongwaranon) returned as an adult hell-bent on pursuing revenge. In his quest, he set out as "Paul" to seduce his stepmother, Net, who played a major role in their family’s demise. I'm in agreement that this was wrong on so many levels, and thankfully, Paul did not cross the line in the end. But it was interesting to see how deceptively Paul melded into Net's world using his charms, in order to advance his plans for revenge. With Net's help, he landed a job at Crown Diamond, his father's jewelry company. As he worked his way up the corporate ladder at the company, he slowly fell in love with the adoptive daughter of his father/stepmother, Nai (Prapye Ramida Theerapat), a person he somewhat resented for having taken his place.

Though he hid his identity with purpose, Paul's anguish was evident when his father did not recognize him. Unbeknownst to Paul, his father, Paramee, had long realized that the person who truly loved him was his first wife, Paul's mother, the one he had tossed away cruelly, along with his son. Paramee was living with regrets, longing and searching for his ex-wife and son, with his only source of happiness now being Nai, whom he loved like a real daughter. I had no sympathy for this man though, both for his past conduct and for his passivity and tolerance for a vicious woman like Net. As beautiful as Net was, she was rotten to the core. I applaud the actress for her excellent portrayal of a greedy, self-centered, promiscuous socialite. And for that matter, I was disappointed at Nai as well, for indulging to Net's every whim. Having led to believe Net as her savior, Nai grew up worshiping Net, when in actuality, Net caused the accident that killed Nai's biological parents. As this was, of course, hidden from Nai, it was reasonable that she would love this person whom she considered kind and like a mother. But her willful devotion for a blatantly horrible person like Net, to the detriment of her own life, tested my patience. I liked the actress; I thought she was a better actor than Donut. But her character was extremely frustrating at times for not standing up for herself, and especially, accepting a marriage proposal from her scumbag of a boyfriend AFTER he tried to drug and rape her, all so, in her twisted logic, she could express her gratitude toward her adoptive family. This was a major flaw in the story, no matter the reason, and I was so disappointed that she allowed herself to be treated this way, when otherwise, her character was likable, in the way she carried herself with grace, sweetness, and with the gravitas of a fair and level-headed executive.

It should be noted that except for sporadic charged moments, there wasn't much progress in the romance department for half of the drama; though I was pleased with their interactions all the same (especially whenever the song Tum Mai Taung Tur by Instinct came on). Only when Paul was revealed to be a major shareholder of Crown Diamond, did things began to pick up overall, driving the story forward (and also the part of the drama that graced us with Donut looking mighty fine in his executive suits). This was the first of two major turning points in the drama, and one where Paul and Nai's boss/employee relationship reversed. And interestingly, Paul turned out to be one mean boss, like making unreasonable demands on purpose or relegating her to secretary duties. But not so unforgiving that you wanted to strangle him, like the time he scolded her for upsetting a sleazy client but when the guy tried to sexually assault her, Paul smacked him with a wine bottle, heh.

Though I felt he was lacking in some ways as a leading man and for the type of character he played, when Donut delivered, he was amazing. I especially enjoyed witnessing his rage, or when he was seething in silence, in defense of or because of Nai. The other compelling part of the story was when Paul mistakenly believed his father ordered the hit on his adoptive father and rashly kidnapped Nai as retribution. I have to admit though that the built up to get to this point was flimsy, but I liked watching the fallout in any case. This was in contrast to some of the other story arcs, where the development may have been strong but the payoff was a major letdown; like in the way Net found out that Paul was actually her stepson. Because it was one sided, we were deprived of the perfect opportunity for a fierce showdown. Or in some instances, the rushed editing took away an otherwise perfect scene, that if left to play its full course could have had more emotional impact.

From experience, I've learned that as bizarre as the story may get in Lakorns, if you stay the course and stick around until the end, you will be rewarded with a happy ending. And this one was no different in that respect. In conclusion, Fah Mee Tawan wasn't the most exciting drama out there. But despite its lack of intensity, it sustained my interest and was charming in its own way, thanks to the leads. I encourage you to watch it and see for yourself.