Love at First Hate (2018)

I really enjoyed this Thai Drama, though I may be biased because the ML is so darn good looking ;-)
It was cute & fluffy and filled with adorable moments and great side characters that though we didn't get to dive deeply into them as characters, they were still somehow memorable and great support for the lead cast. (honestly, shows with super complicated side character plots kind of annoy me in Thai dramas anyway because they are rarely well done/interesting enough for me not to want to just skip through. Personal Opinion.)

I (opposite of others, it seems) actually was not that convinced by the acting of the main antagonist, the evil step sister, so her role and how important it was to the plot/story was probably one of the only issues I had with this show. It felt off to me.

One other minor "issue" I had with the show was in a scene we see people deceive the FL to "test her feelings" which really hurt her, enough to call a BFF and cry. I felt this whole scene was played off way too easily and the ML should have really had to pay for this mistake and rethink what he was doing/how he made her feel by doing that. I think her insta-forgiveness (literally) was unbelievable and ticked me off as a woman/viewer. That kind of emotional manipulation is not OK and it could have been handled better in the show.

BUT, other than the two minor issues above, this show is lovely and I would DEF re-watch! I LOVE the cast and I LOVE the REAL kisses and REALISTIC emotions from the ML & FL. Adorable.

OH & an FYI. I started to watch this show with Eng Subs on a random website, but noticed in the first few minutes that the subs seemed "off". I found the show on YouTube and the subs there were GREAT, so I definitely suggest watching on YouTube for the better subbing experience :)

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This show is great if you are looking for a light romantic comedy. However, if you want some depth of character or some amazing acting, then this isn't the show for you.

The story isn't anything new and has very little originality to it, yet due to its simplicity, its a fun watch. We have a bunch of misunderstandings that cause the main couple to have to be together and this forced proximity allows for both of them to eventually fall for each other.

After reading a lot of comments regarding the stalking and forced seductions in the comments, I would like to add my two bits. I find that the MLs behaviour is a bit pushy and he does seem manipulative. Throughout the whole series, the ML tires to unnerve the FL and through his push and pull tactics, he tries to get her to like him. Despite all this, I still did not think he was a stalker or went overboard. That's because I find the FLs acting was very subpar. She acted like a child, who was shy, awkward and overly skittish. Those types of behaviours are okay, but doing them all the time, in almost every scene is a bit over the top and unrealistic for the field of work the FL is in. She is supposed to be top tier actress, who is popular and worldly. For the FL to act the way she does around the ML is odd based on everything we know about the entertainment industry. The type of character that was required by the FL was not delivered in this lacklustre performance we were given. I think a bit more nuance and between the lines was necessary for the audience to not feel as though the ML was always the aggressor if the audience was to believe that the two leads were really in love and not a one way forced seduction.

Also, I want to add that the actress playing Ploy did a really good job and I found her much more believable than the FL in her role. It's also funny that everyone thought Kluay was prettier than Ploy in the show only because Kluay was 'whiter' than Ploy. As a western audience, I think Ploy is a lot more stunning than Kluay, but that's a cultural bias so I don't mind the dramas narrative that Kluay is supposedly more beautiful than Ploy.

Overall I enjoyed the show and I would recommend it for anyone looking to watch a laid-back romantic comedy with simple misunderstandings that get resolved quickly between the couple.

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