Aom Fah Oab Din (2022)

A kitchen sink full of tropes but so fun to watch!

My Romance From Far Away was cheesy and cliched but I so enjoyed it! With a good-looking cast, lots of witty and lowbrow humor and physical comedy, as well as themes focused on life teaching and character growth, this show gave us endearing scenes that made me laugh and feel good. There were also moments that made me want to slap the characters but problems were quickly resolved. After one annoying episode, a heartwarming one would follow. Plus we get the most satisfying ending ever!

With all episodes now fully subbed in English, it is an easy and bingeable show.

The plot was nothing new - high society girl found herself in a traditional northern Thai village and ended up falling in love with the ML while experiencing some humbling personal growth. The ML also went through character growth as he overcame his feelings of insecurity about differences in status and wealth. In between, the side characters had their own enlightening experiences.

I appreciate how the show highlighted the northern Thai traditions, food and dialect. I also like that the show made fun of itself and its genre like the ML ’s father comparing him to the male leads in the old lakorns. Strong, stubborn and silent, Khunkhao, the ML often frustrated the viewers because he was slow to acknowledge and reluctant to vocalize his attraction and eventual love for the FL. The most irritating parts were when he was so naively dumb falling for the schemes of his so called ex. Just like in the old dramas LOL!

Still, Khunkhao’s actions were definitely louder than his words and ultimately just like other lakorns, we would forgive the ML for causing pain to the FL and we would cheer him on. Puen portrayed Khunkhao well except his stony gazes at times came across as being blank stares. He is just so adorable though when he smiles and I have been a fan since I watched him in Likit Haeng Jan.

Bua played our clumsy, cute, and plucky FL, Thofah. Even though I was at times annoyed at Fah’s inconsistent behavior; mostly brave and confident but also often became the whiny damsel in distress, I still rooted for her all the way because she was just so optimistic and determined. Bua looked amazing in all her outfits. In fact, a shout out to the stylist for this show since the clothes (modern and traditional) were lovely. I am not too sure about Bua’s acting. She did pull off the transition of Fah well; from the spoilt “money can solve everything” character who was used to getting her way to a more self-aware, humble and sympathetic one. However, there was something off about her expressions that sometimes made me think that her make up was overdone.

Together, Khunkhao and Fah made the romance come alive so enjoyably that it kept me coming back for the next episodes. Apart from our main couple, there were a 2nd couple and a potential 3rd couple. The relationships may have developed differently for these other couples, but their path to being together was also a fun watch. The supporting cast, especially Khunkhao’s parents, and his wingmen In and Jan also deserved credit for adding flavor to the story. Khunkhao’s father, Uncle Taeng has got to be one of everyone’s favorite characters since he was so wise, kind and patient, and was singularly responsible for making our leads reflect and progress.

The soundtrack list was short but memorable, and by that, I mean the songs were effective in evoking memories of the scenes for me. I like the opening song, and it reflected the lighthearted and fun tone throughout the show. For posterity, I included the song list at the end of this review.

Overall, I do recommend that you try out this show. Whether you need to cure bad-day blues or just a distraction, adding this series to your watch list might do the trick!

Songs featured:

รักได้รึเปล่า Ost.อ้อมฟ้าโอบดิน | ว่าน ธนกฤต - Wan Thanakrit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY0-4LckhXM
https://open.spotify.com/track/6tyYaFbNh5HeA6Xl3EryZr

เหตุผลที่ยังหายใจ (Still) - Tan Liptapallop x Tookta Jamaporn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxsk2yckAfY
https://open.spotify.com/track/22uJiJNMY6rJSaeRTbQi0o?si=Xy-1qXWGStu7ikPv2hmMHQ

คำตอบของทุกอย่าง - No One Else
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxx-6vEGTHM
https://open.spotify.com/track/1SmNutlpKCFi2qEspdk5EJ

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Has a Very Very Good Start and Keeps Getting Better with Each Episode!

(This review will be edited as the story progresses)

1. FIRST/EARLY IMPRESSIONS:

I don’t like Bua’s (the FL actress) previous dramas even though they’re popular (e.g. “Praomook”) so before starting this one, I was sceptical at first.

And I’m not familiar with the ML actor, never seen him before. But oh my, he’s like a FREAKING hawty! He’s one of eye candies in this drama, along with Bua and the actor who plays as her brother.

But one thing that made me jump straight into EP1 is my love for the plot involving the romance between a main character from the city & their future love interest from the countryside! E.g. “To Me, It’s Simply You”, my all-time favourite Thai drama, number 1 on my favourite lakorn list! :P

So I pushed aside my initial sceptical feelings and jumped straight into EP1, and I never regret my decision ever since. It’s so good that I wish I could travel in time to the future just so I could watch all episodes. So yeah, the only thing I regret is that I started watching it too early. :(

2. THE PLOT:

So far, so so so good! I love how light it is, and fresh, with less cliché scenes.

I love it. It has originality. It feels fresh. Not that cliché, IMO. I like that sometimes they almost gave us cliché scenes, but they decided not to, in the end. LOL

So if you’re tired of cliché storylines but you’re not really looking for “bizarre” plot, then this one is perfect for you. :D

3. THE GENRE:

So far (EP1-5), it’s fun and cute with nothing really important happening, except for the accident that happened in EP1. I think they left that for the “mystery” part later, but we just don’t know when they’ll start to uncover it.

However, I feel kinda worried seeing the lack of the word “comedy” in the genre list of this drama. Because the early episodes are funny, cute and light, like a romcom drama.

I’m just hoping it won’t be too heavy later, because I want the story to have the same tone like its intro & outro.

4. THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:

If you’re familiar with my reviews, you’d know that character development is the most important thing that I seek in a drama.

The FL starts off as an annoying/snobbish rich girl, like typical city girl in dramas. But what I like is how they portray her in a way that she also has her sweet & kind side, and TBH, her snobbish personality came from her life as a person born with a silver spoon in her mouth. But she’s not too spoiled. Her dad has the power to control her path in life. She’s also hardworking and smart! <3

The ML, on the other hand, is strict, but soft-spoken. I just hope he doesn’t go too hard on the FL. And I’m also not a fan of some of his life principles.

5. THE CHEMISTRY:

I really love the chemistry between all cast members here, not just the main leads. I can tell that they’re enjoying the shooting of this drama. ^^

6. THE ACTING

I have no complaints about the acting part, because as far as I can see, they’re all good at their job. Yes, even the child actor!

7. THE OST

So far, the songs are good, however, they haven’t left a deep impression on me, yet. Let’s see.

But OST isn’t an important part of a drama for me. If it’s great, then it’s great, I might put it in my favourite OST list. But if it’s not, it’s fine as long as the story is good. Usually when the story is not good, then I don’t even care about the OST no matter how good it is!

EDIT: The OST is growing on me

I hope there will be many more Thai dramas like this!

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Just watch it you won’t be disappointed

It’s a daily lakorn with 29 episodes so things move faster compared to weekly

It has its ups & downs, sometimes you lose your hopes and stop watching an episode or two but you get curious & come back again

The story starts with the death of Tawan’s mother (~ML Khun Khao’s sister & Fah FL’s brother) & how the people who hated each other at first sight slowly fall in love & their ups & downs till they make it.

It took them 26 episodes to figure out the death of their siblings not an accident but a murder.

Fah & Khun come from 2 different backgrounds it takes time for them to get used to their customs.

I loved how a little boy changed an entire family.

The supporting cast was also great sometimes they kept me entertained

I think I want another lakorn just with Enjoy (Khanning & Champ (Kawin) Suam (Arche) Cine (Namcha)

Yes there are cliches
1 rich girl poor boy
2 a family member is against the relationship
3 third wheel, annoying 2fl but she disappears very quickly
4 snob girl turns into a down to earth girl
5 both leads have bffs that helped them through out their journey leading to say yes 🙌


As for chemistry Puen has more chemistry with chippy
I’m not a great fan of Bua so I don’t really feel that heart throbbing chemistry in between the leads

OST is not something you’d use an app find the song & download it to listen over & over

The opening credits is upbeat & nice but not something you’d want to listen all the time

If you are new to this lakorn just watch it, it’s only short & fun.

The only yucky scene is the frog eating scene that’s about it.

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A little delight in each episode - A guilty pleasure (* '▽ `*)

PLOT: After the accidental death of a couple, the late husband's sister (FL, a rich heiress) comes to the mountain to "get" her nephew. He is with his maternal uncle, ML, who runs a coffee farm. The first interactions are tense and the FL decides to stay on the farm until her nephew accepts her.

PROS:
+ Very classic plot (but one of my favorites :) of the rich FL city girl who must adapt to the rough life of the mountains. Plus, it's very well done, convincing and quite funny.
+ The CL is very very cute... A little too much fake-kiss, but it works.
+ The characters are endearing, although some are exaggerated.
+ The production is quite dynamic, the flaws of the lakorns are present, but not too annoying.

CONS:
- the music has a bearable volume, but it is omnipresent.
- In the last episodes, the pace is slower and some behaviors are not consistent: the flip-flop decisions of the FL's father, the reckless CL who confronts the villains without weapons or preparation, etc.
- the systematic repentance of the villains (those who do not repent, die, this is a rule in lakorns' world), is here much too rapid to be credible.

=> an excellent “comedy” and romantic lakorn.
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Un petit délice à chaque épisode - A guilty pleasure (* '▽ `*)

PLOT : Après le décès par accident d'un couple, la sœur de l'homme (la FL, une riche héritière) vient à la montagne pour "récupérer" son neveu. Celui-ci se trouve avec son oncle maternel, le ML, qui dirige une ferme de café. Les 1eres interactions sont tendues et la FL décide de rester à la ferme tant que son neveu ne l'accepte pas.

PROS:
+ Plot très classique (mais un de mes fav :) de la riche FL citadine qui doit s'adapter à la vie fruste de la montagne. De plus, c'est très bien fait, convaincant et assez drôle.
+ Le CL est très très cute... Un peu trop de fake-kiss, mais ça passe.
+ Les personnages sont attachants, bien que certains soient exagérés.
+ La réalisation est assez dynamique, les défauts des lakorns sont présents, mais pas trop gênants.

CONS:
- la musique a un volume supportable, mais elle est omniprésente.
- Dans les derniers épisodes, le rythme est plus lent et certains comportements ne sont pas cohérents : les volte-faces du père de la FL, le CL téméraire qui affrontent les villains sans arme ni préparation, etc.
- le repentir systématique des vilains (ceux qui ne se repentent pas, meurent, c'est la règle des lakorns), est ici bien trop rapide pour être crédible.

=> un excellent lakorn "comédie" et romantique.

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TL;DR - This is chock full of Thai lakorn clichés and it got too much for me. The part when they were in Chiang Mai was the best, but things went downhill when they were in Bangkok. I would still encourage people to watch this as it is light-hearted and fun, and the episodes are pretty short. It was just unfortunately not my cup of tea.  

If this series only consisted of the episodes where the leads were in Chiang Mai, then I would've rated this higher. Unfortunately, I can't base my rating on a select few episodes just because logically it wouldn't make sense (even though sentimentally, I wanted to like this more). I can't deny the bad parts that soured my experience of the lakorn. A lot of people seemed to enjoy this and if you are one of them, then that's all that really matters. All of this is my opinion only.

Basically the first part of the series where they were in Chiang Mai was the best in terms of story pacing, character and romantic development. While it wasn't something I hadn't seen before and predictable, it still had unexpected emotional punches that made me feel connected. I loved the setting in the village and seeing the way of life there; the traditions, the way people spoke Thai and the clothing. Northern Thai clothing is so beautiful. The villagers, especially Khun's dad, were all adorable, well-meaning and innocent. I also thought Bua's acting shined here, as she was able to make her spoiled princess character bearable to watch and showcased her development well. The romance was also progressing well here, and it seemed to be going well until the leads went to Bangkok.

Oh boy. It seems like when they got back to the city, everything from story to romance went down the drain real fast. The story pacing became slow and hard to immerse in, and it didn't help that they used every Thai lakorn cliché in the book to drive plot. You have a shitty parent figure who wrecks havoc but gets a redemption in the end? You got it. A female lead who means well but gets herself in multiple sticky situations and ends up getting saved by the ML every time? You got it. A male lead that is so tight-lipped about his love for the female lead that you need to create a whole scenario with the 2nd ML to push him to admit it? Yep. An irrelevant female character comes to destroy the relationship between the leads even though it's been 6 years and she and the ML never dated? Oh man. The list goes on and on. The clichés were tolerable in the beginning but it really got too much and in my face. There was no subtlety. When you rely on clichés to tell your story, it just tells me that you're a lazy writer and it makes story progression feel unnatural and superficial. I felt like especially with the last scenario I mentioned (with the side FL) it added nothing except unnecessary drama and making Khun look like a fool. 

The romance at this point also relied on clichés too much where it was detrimental. Sure on the surface, Khun and Fah seemed perfect for each other and their wedding at the end was really nice. But if I really thought about it, their relationship felt oddly superficial because they put clichés where they should've put meaningful dialogue/action. The only significant conversation I can remember is in the very beginning when Fah and Khun are talking about their siblings during Fah's initial visit to the village. After that, the leads get swept up in love rival drama, family drama and drug trafficking drama, and that takes up more of their time than actually sitting down and having a conversation. The same two situations play out where Fah needs help and Khun saves her or Khun feels insecure and cuts Fah off, and Fah has to track him down and figure out what's going on. In all this, I don't see where Khun gets the confidence to say that he will only love Fah for the rest of his life; also I don't know how Fah can rely on Khun when he tends to shut her out of his problems. Presumably they get their issues sorted out by the time they get married, but we don't really see that progress. Overall I wasn't satisfied with the romance.

MVP of this show is the 2nd ML, Kawin. I admired him for trying to fight his 2nd ML fate and attempting to break out of the friendzone with Fah. Although it was futile, I will remember his attempt for a long time to come (for real I was impressed haha. Haven't seen a 2nd ML like this).

The music was okay and appropriately played. This did not play out as I'd hoped, as I like both leads. I will just look for more of their lakorns to watch. Would not re-watch. 

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