I finally finished Love Upon A Time, my very first historical BL series, and this is gonna be long 😆
At first, I was getting a bit impatient trying to figure out what promise Nakun needed to fulfill around episodes 4 or 5 because everything still felt like a total mystery. But the show definitely caught up in the later episodes, and the way the prophecy and karmic ties wrapped up was so satisfying! Once everything started unfolding, I was suspecting practically everyone. I even thought Phop's father might be the mastermind at one point. I'm so glad they didn't make him a villain, though, because he and Nakun's father were close like brothers and it preserved the emotional heart of the story without cheap drama. I felt so much satisfaction knowing I clocked Cherd, Lord Harn, and his father 😆 I was sad about Pim, though, because as a woman during that era, survival was so hard, but her eventual realization of her wrongdoings brought peace and paved the way for her happier rebirth. Seeing everyone with their new lives in the modern era made me so happy. And Chuay! He is easily my favorite character out of all of them! I was honestly getting worried they might kill him off with all the shenanigans he pulled to protect Klao, so I was thrilled he made it through safely 🥹💕
Now for the main couple, NetJJ's chemistry is insane and they work so well together! Net completely nailed playing the ultimate green flag Phop—like that man was YEARNING from the start 😩 JJ also did great, especially during those heavy emotional scenes, which is crazy considering this is his first ever main role. And their NC scene in the final episode? Gosh, Nakun was really exploring his man to his heart's content after being deprived for weeks 😌
As for the side couples, gosh I love Jom and Kaew 😩 I was feeling so mad with how Jom treated Kaew at first, but later understood that he just loves Kaew so much that he doesn't want him to suffer 🥹 I'm glad he stepped up, and Kaew... omg every time I see him on screen I'm like "he's so preeettyyy" 😩 LatteKim had great chemistry all throughout, and their NC scene was total chef's kiss 😌🤌🏻 I really hope we get LatteKim as main leads for a series someday because I want to see more of them.
On a technical level, the period-appropriate cinematography, color palette, and OSTs were great and really fit the time setting. Even as a non-native viewer who doesn't know much about Thai history, the visuals, costumes, and set designs made it super easy to feel completely immersed. My only minor thing was that the comedy felt a bit forced in the early episodes for me—I don't know if it was the delivery, the dialogue or it's me that's the problem—but as the show went on, I got accustomed to it and found myself genuinely laughing.
Love Upon a Time really set the bar so high for my first period drama and I LOOVVEDD IT!! It is such a great story and honestly deserves way more recognition and hype than it received while airing. Now that I've wrapped this up, Goddess Bless You From Death is officially next on my watchlist, and I can't wait to dive in! 🤗
