Full House - Thailand Episode 1 (A SqueeCap)
Shuk: Hello everyone! This new adaptation of the manhwa "Full House" comes from Thailand. Yes, the land of the slap-slap-kiss revenge lakhorn. Only it plays out very much like the manhwa, and is similar in tone to the 2004 KBS2 version starring Rain and Song Hye-kyo. Already 10 episodes with English subs have been posted on Viki.
Shuk: It's a good dose of cuteness that I need right now, as You From Another Star heads for the end [sob], noble idiocy permeates Can We Love [grrr], and the writers flip at Age Of Feeling [nervous].
JoAnne: Me: yah! Give me cute! Show: Here you go!
EPISODE 1
Shuk: In a typical boardroom, where movers and shakers hang out, a contract is signed. The famous music idol Mike D'Angelo, has been farmed out for Public Relations work in Korea. His Management CEO is a bit nervous about his condition, but his handler gives the nod.
Shuk: Now we get a close look at our hero (Mike Pirath Nitipaisankul) and his undulating abs. He’s practicing at the studio, and it doesn't look like things are going well, as he sits down in discouragement. Personally, I rewatched it several times and it looked fine to me.
JoAnne: I giggled at all the nods to My Beloved, Rain. I hope this show does lots of that. Sometimes I really like it when a re-make doesn't even try to hide that it's lifting elements from previous versions. And...um...yeah. That was nice. Does he have a face?
Shuk: Later, Mike completes a silent but very abs-moving concert. Outside the venue, the fangirls squeal, and he takes some time to schmooze.
Shuk: Elsewhere, in the ‘real’ world. there is a beautiful boxy house on a lazy lake, and a young woman who spouts cheesy lines to Erik Satie’s “Gymnopaedes”. She suddenly stops and yells to the Powers That Be for inspiration. She’s an aspiring writer, right now delegated to articles about food. Her name is Om-Am (Aom Sucharat Manaying).
JoAnne: Initially much cuter than Song Hye Ko - my first view of her was NOT attractive, although I changed my mind quickly. Of course! Anyway this girl is a tiny peanut of adorability. I'm liking the OTP already.
Shuk: Her older sister and roommate, Oom, at at the dinner table, and oh-so-casually mention that she would get a fat commission if Om-Am is willing to sell the house to condominium developers. Om-Am is succinct: not only no, but hell no. This is an ongoing conversation. Oom turns her nose up at bibimbap, so I am already prepared to dislike her. As they prep for a sleepover, Sister realizes she's "late", and makes a phone call.
JoAnne: The only possible excuse for saying no to bibimbap is morning sickness but even then...it seems like it would be good for that.
Shuk: PPL time!! Oom is a coffee product demonstrator, and her boyfriend shows up to her tent. After some cutesy talk and disturbing aegyo from him, they both share bad news: he lost his job, and she's pregnant.
JoAnne: Certain things hold true: I already loathe this couple.
Shuk: And in debt. Om-Am receives a phone call from a credit card agency that her sister is behind on her credit card payments. She blows off the phone call as nothing, but you know this can't bode well.
Shuk: Mike is in discussion with his handler, who is pushing for him to expand outside the music scene and try his hand at acting, and a few CF's, but he doesn't want to sell out. He's given his South Korean itinerary by one of the assistants while he's working out.
JoAnne: Nice face. I approve. Why did I think all Thai people would be these tiny little creatures? He's yummy.
Shuk: Our Successful Writer is happily signing copies of her book, but only in her dream. The publishing editor basically calls it crap and tells her to rewrite it. Or better yet, start over completely.
Shuk: Mike decides to call his childhood friend and unrequited love, Mintra (Jane Janesuda Parnto). She's happy to hear from him, but too busy to pay attention. He's looking for someone to talk with, but she just prattles a bit and hangs up.
JoAnne: Yep. Moving on. Hated her in Korea, too.
Shuk: Om-Am sadly walks down the street as a sad Mike drives past her.
JoAnne: I did like how many near misses they have.
Shuk: She goes back to the wall, and remembers when she failed to learn how to ride a bike as a kid. To get out of her mood she sings "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands [clap clap]."
JoAnne: Do you still feel a bit of off-kilterness when you hear a childhood song or rhyme in another language? I always marvel.
Shuk: At her coffee tent Prego is eating with gusto, PregoMan is industriously circling job advertisements. She mentions that the loan agency is starting to call about the interest. While talking, the real estate agent calls again, and Prego tells the person to stop calling. It turns out the house is completely in the younger woman's name.
JoAnne: I hope they do a better job of this part, because it enrages me, this whole bit. I have to accept it in order to get the enforced cohabitation which IS ALWAYS the best type of cohabitation...but it's still a hard pill to swallow even for that.
Shuk: Later that night, the two girls talk while watering the plant boxes. The restaurant reviews are keeping her in the black financially, even if her novels won't sell. She takes heart that her father is watching her from heaven.
Shuk: Om-Am is excited to make it to Korea, and quickly makes arrangements. Outside and out of earshot, PregoJerk (who is the mastermind in all this) has to convince Oom to sell the house and contents out from under her sister as the only possible solution to the financial problems they have. And the person that she's been freeloading from. Biatch.
JoAnne: So they're just going to go with it, then. Ugh.
Shuk: At the airport, they tell her to have a nice time, and give her some spending cash. Jerk doesn't want to, but Prego makes him. And they suddenly realize they forgot the hotel reservations. They hand her the cash, wish her luck, and they part ways.
Shuk: Oh, and look! Here comes Fate in the presence of Mike on the same flight, heading to Seoul to fulfill that PR contract. His handler gives him final instructions before bundling him onto the flight.
Shuk: It appears she's got a business class ticket. And it appears that her English and Korean is lacking. But she's happy to be on her first flight ever. Until her seatmate shows up, with great hair and even better English. He's got the window seat, but she spends so much time in his personal space staring out the window that he decides to switch with her. See, she's already in control! LOL
JoAnne: Actually already love them together. I fell hard and fast. TOO cute for words. Him in love and trying to hide it is going to be AWESOME.
Shuk: And the perks of higher flight? All the alcohol you can drink, and really good food. Om-Am takes it upon herself to try his food too. Meta-reference! She keeps comparing him to a famous singer, Golf (who is Mike Pirat's real brother and bandmate). To his credit, he's tolerating her pretty well, including the ever-increasing silly drunkeness, until she, of course, loses everything down his back and collapses on the floor.
JoAnne: My heartfelt plea to dramas everywhere: Can we just NOT with the vomit? Do you realize that every time you do this, I gag and have to struggle with the urge as well? SOMETIMES I LOSE. My teeshirt reads: KDramas: I love them so much I vomit.
Shuk: He drags her to the bathroom and leaves her there. He takes off the now-disgusting shirt, revealing a nice black singlet. The stewardess brings her back, but by then he's switched to another seat.
Shuk: The evil pair are finalizing the sale of the house as Om-Am peacefully sleeps alone in the airplane.
FINAL COMMENTS
Shuk: As my first foray into recapping a Thai series, I'm pleasantly surprised by the flow of the story. The couple is already cute as a truck-full of kittens, and I am ready for a light and happy rom-com!
JoAnne: Hurry up and get to the good stuff, Show. I love your couple, now make them snuggle!
Shuk: It's a good dose of cuteness that I need right now, as You From Another Star heads for the end [sob], noble idiocy permeates Can We Love [grrr], and the writers flip at Age Of Feeling [nervous].
JoAnne: Me: yah! Give me cute! Show: Here you go!
EPISODE 1
Shuk: In a typical boardroom, where movers and shakers hang out, a contract is signed. The famous music idol Mike D'Angelo, has been farmed out for Public Relations work in Korea. His Management CEO is a bit nervous about his condition, but his handler gives the nod.
Shuk: Now we get a close look at our hero (Mike Pirath Nitipaisankul) and his undulating abs. He’s practicing at the studio, and it doesn't look like things are going well, as he sits down in discouragement. Personally, I rewatched it several times and it looked fine to me.
JoAnne: I giggled at all the nods to My Beloved, Rain. I hope this show does lots of that. Sometimes I really like it when a re-make doesn't even try to hide that it's lifting elements from previous versions. And...um...yeah. That was nice. Does he have a face?
Shuk: Later, Mike completes a silent but very abs-moving concert. Outside the venue, the fangirls squeal, and he takes some time to schmooze.
JoAnne: Initially much cuter than Song Hye Ko - my first view of her was NOT attractive, although I changed my mind quickly. Of course! Anyway this girl is a tiny peanut of adorability. I'm liking the OTP already.
Shuk: Her older sister and roommate, Oom, at at the dinner table, and oh-so-casually mention that she would get a fat commission if Om-Am is willing to sell the house to condominium developers. Om-Am is succinct: not only no, but hell no. This is an ongoing conversation. Oom turns her nose up at bibimbap, so I am already prepared to dislike her. As they prep for a sleepover, Sister realizes she's "late", and makes a phone call.
JoAnne: The only possible excuse for saying no to bibimbap is morning sickness but even then...it seems like it would be good for that.
 |
| They even have bibimbap on Korean Air! |
Shuk: Outside the house we see a series of paintings. It's Om-Am, from toddler to adult. Her late father painted them, and she reminisces about the time spent with him at the house.
JoAnne: Too sweet for words. although I admit I didn't realize they were all her. I thought she had sisters.Shuk: PPL time!! Oom is a coffee product demonstrator, and her boyfriend shows up to her tent. After some cutesy talk and disturbing aegyo from him, they both share bad news: he lost his job, and she's pregnant.
JoAnne: Certain things hold true: I already loathe this couple.
Shuk: Mike is in discussion with his handler, who is pushing for him to expand outside the music scene and try his hand at acting, and a few CF's, but he doesn't want to sell out. He's given his South Korean itinerary by one of the assistants while he's working out.
JoAnne: Nice face. I approve. Why did I think all Thai people would be these tiny little creatures? He's yummy.
Shuk: Mike decides to call his childhood friend and unrequited love, Mintra (Jane Janesuda Parnto). She's happy to hear from him, but too busy to pay attention. He's looking for someone to talk with, but she just prattles a bit and hangs up.
JoAnne: Yep. Moving on. Hated her in Korea, too.
JoAnne: I did like how many near misses they have.
Shuk: She goes back to the wall, and remembers when she failed to learn how to ride a bike as a kid. To get out of her mood she sings "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands [clap clap]."
JoAnne: Do you still feel a bit of off-kilterness when you hear a childhood song or rhyme in another language? I always marvel.
Shuk: At her coffee tent Prego is eating with gusto, PregoMan is industriously circling job advertisements. She mentions that the loan agency is starting to call about the interest. While talking, the real estate agent calls again, and Prego tells the person to stop calling. It turns out the house is completely in the younger woman's name.
JoAnne: I hope they do a better job of this part, because it enrages me, this whole bit. I have to accept it in order to get the enforced cohabitation which IS ALWAYS the best type of cohabitation...but it's still a hard pill to swallow even for that.
Shuk: Later that night, the two girls talk while watering the plant boxes. The restaurant reviews are keeping her in the black financially, even if her novels won't sell. She takes heart that her father is watching her from heaven.
Shuk: Prego and PregoMan show up to congratulate Om-Am! Pao (PregoMan's real name) won a week in Seoul, and he wants to give it to her, all expenses paid! She just has to sign a couple of forms so he can sign over the vacation package to her....
JoAnne: So they're just going to go with it, then. Ugh.
Shuk: At the airport, they tell her to have a nice time, and give her some spending cash. Jerk doesn't want to, but Prego makes him. And they suddenly realize they forgot the hotel reservations. They hand her the cash, wish her luck, and they part ways.
Shuk: Oh, and look! Here comes Fate in the presence of Mike on the same flight, heading to Seoul to fulfill that PR contract. His handler gives him final instructions before bundling him onto the flight.
Shuk: It appears she's got a business class ticket. And it appears that her English and Korean is lacking. But she's happy to be on her first flight ever. Until her seatmate shows up, with great hair and even better English. He's got the window seat, but she spends so much time in his personal space staring out the window that he decides to switch with her. See, she's already in control! LOL
JoAnne: Actually already love them together. I fell hard and fast. TOO cute for words. Him in love and trying to hide it is going to be AWESOME.
Shuk: And the perks of higher flight? All the alcohol you can drink, and really good food. Om-Am takes it upon herself to try his food too. Meta-reference! She keeps comparing him to a famous singer, Golf (who is Mike Pirat's real brother and bandmate). To his credit, he's tolerating her pretty well, including the ever-increasing silly drunkeness, until she, of course, loses everything down his back and collapses on the floor.
JoAnne: My heartfelt plea to dramas everywhere: Can we just NOT with the vomit? Do you realize that every time you do this, I gag and have to struggle with the urge as well? SOMETIMES I LOSE. My teeshirt reads: KDramas: I love them so much I vomit.
Shuk: He drags her to the bathroom and leaves her there. He takes off the now-disgusting shirt, revealing a nice black singlet. The stewardess brings her back, but by then he's switched to another seat.
Shuk: The evil pair are finalizing the sale of the house as Om-Am peacefully sleeps alone in the airplane.
FINAL COMMENTS
Shuk: As my first foray into recapping a Thai series, I'm pleasantly surprised by the flow of the story. The couple is already cute as a truck-full of kittens, and I am ready for a light and happy rom-com!
JoAnne: Hurry up and get to the good stuff, Show. I love your couple, now make them snuggle!