Ngao (2018)

Firstly, the acting in this one was amazing on Athichart's part. He played such a great role as the God of Death. He really perpetuated the belief that all good things come to those who do good and bad things happen to those who sin. In terms of acting and character likability he definitely stole the show. Pattie was also good, but in contrast to the Prince's strong personality her acting was outshined. La-ongmanee's acting was disappointing. It seemed like he had the same facial expressions for most of his scenes. I'm not sure if it's just part of his character but the monotonous facial expressions got a little tiring to watch after a while. I've also seen this in other Thai actors as well so it could just be a part of the acting culture. For me, his acting could have improved a bit more. Pang Ornjira Larmwilai acted her part really well as the antagonist. Her character was despicable and had no remorse for those around her and she portrayed that well. Her character, Chalinee, grew up in the absence of her parents. They were always too busy with work to take care of her so she was in the care of others growing up. In a way, this led to her downfall. She never really experienced parental love or any type of love for that matter and this negatively shaped her. You can't help but pity her. However, every person has a choice in life. You can choose to make the right decision or you can choose to let your past influence you into making poor decisions. She always had a choice, and she had many chances to correct her behavior yet she always chose to go down the evil route.

Secondly, the storyline was mediocre. The thing that made me stay and finish the drama was the meaning behind the Prince's actions. To sum it up, he's the God of Death and every person's soul that leaves earth goes to him and he gets to decide whether they go to hell or to heaven. He stresses multiple times to each character that they should do what's right instead of succumbing to their greed. I think it's relatable in a way because we all struggle with what's right and what's wrong. It really makes us reflect on ourselves and ask whether we have done enough to deserve to go to heaven. Karma from one's past life is also mentioned and each character has some sort of karma bound to them. This made the plot more interesting because you learn that they are all connected in their past life. Their bad and good deeds follow them into their next life and this sort of determines how difficult or easy their life turns out. Charoenkwan was admirable because of her innate goodness. She exudes peace, happiness, and love in a world full of hate. The Prince can see this and truly wants the best for her. Their relationship was truly unique and one of a kind. They both want what's best for the other. I was left wondering why they didn't end up together. But I can also see why her and Isara were meant for each other.

Thirdly, the music was nice. I really liked the theme song. I don't remember much of the other songs but that one seemed to come on alot. Whenever it came on I would immediately think of a place without any evil or wrongdoings. There was one part near the end when this song came on and it was just the female voice singing without the background music and it was sooo beautiful, I cried. It almost got me to google that version and download it so I could listen to it on repeat. Actually, I'm probably gonna look it up after this!

Fourthly, the rewatch value is low for me. I don't think I'd be able to sit through 18 hours rewatching this.

Lastly, while it wasn't the best drama I've seen, it definitely had a great message for the viewers. Athichart was the saving grace for this drama in my opinion. If you're on the fence about watching this drama you should give it a try. Watch a couple episodes and if it's not to your taste you can always drop it. I do have to say this though: if you like happy endings then this one isn't for you.

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