Love Storm (2022)

I Bought The Box Set

I'm a year behind, and wish I wasn't, but there you go.

If you can't stop re-watching a series, you buy the Box Set.

You just do.

The English translations of the novels "Love Storm" and "Love Sky" were released in May of 2023. I purchased them on impulse, and read both of them in two days.

Then, I watched the tv series.

And watched it again.

And again.

And again.

And then I bought the Box Set.

Let me start off by saying that this is a show that earns it's NC/18+ rating. If that makes you uncomfortable, that's fine, it's not your cup of tea and that's ok. It's mine, and I love it.

Rain is an Adorable Puppy dog.

I just want to give him a hug and spend the whole day with the little snark. Everything he does, everything he says, is so entertaining and so--what a 19-year-old would do that I'm grinning like a stupid idiot whenever he's on screen. His sweet and naive misreading of the initial situation is so authentic and his "plan" spectacularly backfiring on him is one of my favorite little plot points. He attracted to Payu from the get go(I mean, he literally says "you're so handsome" at their first meeting and then bites his lip because it just slipped out and I "awwwww"ed, because why wouldn't I). I also love that he goes straight to Payu when he needs him(in the rain, because of course) and remains his stubborn feisty, snarky little self even after they get together. Watching his become more confident in both himself and his relationship with Payu(Episode Six: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) is fabulous to watch.

Noeul Nuttarat Tangwai is a delightful personality and I love how he throws himself into his character. The lip twitch thing he constantly has Rain do is so freakin cute I could die. This is his acting debut, but it's hard to tell, because he's so authentic and commits one hundred percent to portraying Rain. I want to see more of his work and I hope he does another series soon because !!!!!!!!!!

I want a Payu.

This is the type of character who could easily be called a red flag, but he really isn't. Yes there are controversial scenes in both the novel and the series with Payu/Rain, but here's the deal: Payu LITERALLY give Rain the Safe Word/Phrase, and stops as soon as Rain says it. Even when he's doing the butterfly kisses he checks to see how Rain feels(it's a very tiny glance, but a glance none the less, and Rain *looks* like he's enjoying it; plus, Rain is 19 and super naive so misreading of situations is bound to happen). However, he never pushes later on--he literally says "I'll wait until you're ready". Payu is attracted to Rain but wants a committed relationship, and tells Rain so. There is no NC until Rain has proved himself to be responsible, and even during that scene, Payu is checking in with Rain. He asks permission and takes his time so Rain is comfortable(if you know, you know, disagree if you want to).

Say what you like about the early interactions( since I've dated guys like this; I see it as mischievous flirting, but others may disagree) Payu cares about his little Rain. He drops everything at work and runs home because Rain is waiting for him after Rain missed a deadline as is upset. He comforts Rain when he first sees him, and then delivers Life Home Truths about responsibility and then distances himself from Rain so Rain won't be distracted. He won't take him to the street race because there's "too many assholes". He allows himself to get beaten to a pulp by some rich asshole so that rich asshole won't kill Rain.

Boss Chaikamon Sermsongwittaya is making his acting debut with this series and he knows his character inside and out (seriously, that Payu Smirk and Eyebrow Thing is my favorite). He even read the novel and discussed his character relationship with both P'MAME and Noeul Nuttarat Tangwai(Rain) to make sure that the character was portrayed accurately. He's also a total sweetheart off screen so I'm looking forward watching more of his work.

The relationship between Rain/Payu is raw and sexy and full of squeal-worthy and even tear jerking moments(Rain's "I screwed up" about tore my heart open). Even before they get together, there's an emotional as well as physical connection that I adore. Payu reassuring Rain before his race and Rain running to Payu on the racetrack is another highlight that I watch on repeat because of course I do.

Also, Stop sucks. Like, what a freaking entitled asshole. But, a great villainous foil for Rain/Payu, and I love the fact that he doesn't cackle in the corner for most of the first half of the season and then make his move. No, he shows up halfway through, and antagonizes Payu in a way that's realistic and fabulous. Because, let's be real, sometimes people we see as"villains" show up out of nowhere and do their thing and leave. Theme Phubeth Atarunwong is another Thai actor who is now on my radar because he acted the shit out of his role and made me hate him so much(leave my baby Rain alone!!!).

And I want a Prapai.

It's the One Night Stand With A Playboy Trope--at least to start. The thing that I love about Sky and Prapai's relationship is that Sky is savvy enough to initially tell him "you're an asshole, I know you're an asshole, leave me alone", so then Prapai has to deal with someone he's crazy about who wants nothing to do with him. It's a sweet little slow burn, where Prapai has to go from Playboy to Nice Guy. And the way he wins Sky over is so sweet: buying him food, texting to make sure Sky is eating, and sleeping and literally saying "I'm worried about you"(which we know Sky loves).

Prapai is someone I want with me when I'm sick or stressed. The way he looks after Sky both when he's worked himself sick and when he's stressed about school made my heart melt. He's another one that doesn't push, but he doesn't push in a different way. He tells Sky "you can tell me when you're ready" and he also holds himself back beautifully when Sky is vulnerable. He also drops everything to run to Sky when he thinks Sky is in trouble, and even though he's annoyed that all Sky wanted was help with his homework, he stays to help. He even proves himself worthy by cleaning Sky's apartment and in the NC scene he wants to make sure that Sky is aware of his intentions(again, if you know, you know).

Fort Thitipong Sangngey is the youngest in the cast and starts out just a tiny bit rough improves as an actor faster than expected. Seeing his relationship on and off screen with Peat Wasuthorn Chaijindar(Sky) is the most adorable thing ever. He can say so much with just a tiny little gesture and I'm also looking forward to seeing more of his work.

Also, Sky should be my best friend.

For someone who has such a traumatic past, Sky is able to maintain his sassy and sarcastic front, especially in the first half of the season, when you're seeing him through Rain's eyes. He's the kindest, most supportive of Rain's friend circle and is always ready to either help Rain out or tell him when he's being stupid(which he does--often). In the second half of the season, when we get in his head, he still has that sassy front, but we also see how strong he actually is, and how hard he has to work to move past his trauma. As hard as it was to watch, his confrontation with Gun is a highlight of his half of the season because he tries so hard to fight back and it's Gun's lies about Prapai that finally break him.

His relationship with Prapai is also one of the most endearing parts of the second half of the season. As standoffish as he is to the "dark giant", who wants to court him, you can tell just how much Sky wants Prapai to like him and how much he hopes that his feelings toward Prapai are reciprocated. The diary scene/love confession about broke me and his "I love you"s in both Thai and English were a masterclass in emotional acting.

Peat Wasuthorn Chaijindar blew my mind with his acting ability. He's another of those actors who can act with his eyes or a twitch of his facial muscles, which is a joy to watch. He also said is a couple of interviews that he improvised some of his lines, and they were truly some of the best ones. He's a natural actor that I can't wait to see again.

Sky/Prapai's relationship is a beautiful contrast to Rain/Payu's. It still one-partner-trying-to-win-the-other-over, but there seems to be a more mature quality to it. Their conversations--once you get past the sassy "stay-away-from-me-you-potential-asshole" phase made me smile like an idiot, and the trust that builds between them was a beautiful slow burn. The NC scene was equally fabulous, and a fantastic contrast to Rain/Payu's, it made me "awwwwwww".

And Gun is a Fucking Pig.

Like Stop, he doesn't really make an appearance until the the end of the Sky/Prapai half of the series, his presence is felt throughout. When he actually does appear, he made my skin crawl even though I had no clear idea who this person actually was. His confrontation with Sky was heartbreaking and I wanted to help Prapai kick the shit out of him. Well done, Patak Pingmuang.

I said at the beginning of this review that the show earns it's NC/18+ rating, and here's why: one of the themes that I saw in this series is "you can have sex without love, but you can't have love without sex"(Boss said something like this in an interview and I totally agree). Both Payu/Rain's and Prapai/Sky's stories show that. Contrary to what some viewers may think, I believe that these are two of healthiest portrayals of how couples who have a solid relationship also have a healthy sex life, and I wish this was portrayed more often in entertainment.

MAME gets flack for some of her content, so this show isn't for everyone, but it's worth the watch--and the re-watch.

And you should by the Box Set.

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