Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Set in the 1960s, Thai romance ‘Love in the Moonlight’ follows Saenkaew, the prince of a fictional kingdom, as he is packed off by his father to Bangkok to enter a marriage of convenience with Pinanong AKA Pin, the daughter of a cash-strapped royal family. The goal is to transfer their assets before the military takes over their properties. Not only is the young prince not interested in marriage, his father is also well aware of his lack of interest in women. So when he arrives in Bangkok, a forbidden romance blooms between him and the handsome Sasin, a close cousin of Pin.
Directed by Pui Pha-oon Chandrasiri, ‘Love in the Moonlight’ stars Peak Peemapol Panichtamrong as Prince Saenkaew, a handsome royal heir crushed by expectations; Perth Veerinsara Tangkitsuvanich is Pin, the adorable young woman with a huge crush on him and doesn’t mind their families arranging a marriage between them for financial gain. The problem? Her protective older musician cousin Sasin (Pearl Satjakorn Chalard) doesn’t trust the prince one bit and wants to save Pin from becoming a political bride… only to inconveniently fall for the prince himself.
Nok Chatchai Plengpanich plays Prince Kamfka, Saenkaew’s strict and tyrannical father, who is pushing his son into marriage largely so the family can safely transfer its assets before the military takes control of their kingdom. Peak Peemapol Panichtamrong’s graceful, emotionally torn Saenkaew is the heart of ‘Love in the Moonlight’. Desperate to escape a marriage with a woman he can never love, the young prince tries to find another way to protect his family’s wealth without sacrificing his own happiness.
The romance between Saenkaew and Sasin is a convincing slow burn, with a slight hostile-strangers-to-lovers flavor. Sasin is deeply suspicious of Saenkaew when the prince’s family moves into Pin’s home ahead of their impending engagement. But the more Sasin tries to figure him out, the more he finds himself drawn to Saenkaew. The prince is initially far too consumed by his own troubles to pay much attention to Sasin, although their shared interest in music acts as an ice-breaker.
A comedic subplot in ‘Love in the Moonlight’ follows Saenkaew’s scheming uncle Inthra (Nut Devahastin Na Ayutthaya), who has his own eyes on the family’s fortune. Since Saenkaew’s marriage to Pin would help secure the royal assets, Inthra is determined to stop the wedding and keeps snooping around his nephew, hoping to uncover why he’s so reluctant to marry. He even conspires with the military, hoping to help them seize the family’s wealth in exchange for a generous cut.
The romantic chemistry between the leads is great, with Pearl Satjakorn Chalard’s Sasin looking increasingly smitten with the handsome prince and rightfully so. But Perth Veerinsara Tangkitsuvanich also makes you genuinely feel for Pin. She starts out as an innocent, bright-eyed young woman who’s incredibly easy to root for, genuinely believing she might find love in an arranged marriage. Of course, the poor girl has no idea that her own cousin is slowly falling for her future husband. That’s a pretty brutal betrayal she’ll eventually have to contend with, especially since neither Saenkaew nor Sasin actually wants to hurt her.
Besides, it’s the 1960s, so can anybody really have a “happy ending”? Love in the Moonlight keeps you guessing on that front. The 12-episode run does begin to feel overstretched towards the end, though, and the story could’ve easily been trimmed down to ten episodes. Regardless, if you’re in the mood for some lakorn-style drama, a convincing slow-burn romance, and plenty of angst, yearning, and drama. If you enjoyed Thai retro romances like ‘Memoir of Rati‘ and ‘I Feel You Linger in the Air‘, then ‘Love in the Moonlight’ will be even more up your alley.
Watch ‘Love in the Moonlight’ on GagaOolala.
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