Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
This Thai series exists in its own little world, where finding a business partner is like walking into a shop and buying pastry and falling in love is more difficult than running a mini-mart. Most of the show is powered by the infectious smile of the lead actor, Offroad Kantapon Jindataweephol, which transforms him into a human-sized cat, dog, or whichever cuddly animal you prefer.
Directed by Lit Phadung Samajarn and Toh Worawut Thanamatchaicharoen, “Love in Translation” spans eight episodes and follows the journey of a Thai man who seeks to pursue a Chinese online celebrity, and a Chinese man who aspires to establish a Thai business. Through an unexpected twist of fate, these two individuals become business partners and embark on the venture of running a small new supermarket, which comes with its own challenges. The very first hurdle however is the fact that they cannot stand stand each other.
Offroad portrays the excitable Phumjai, who spends his days watching videos of Tammy (Jam Charuttha Imraporn), a Chinese ‘influencer’ he is infatuated with. To get closer to his dream girl, Phumjai decides to learn Chinese, embarking on a quest that leads him to Yang Feng (Daou Pittaya Saechua), who is in desperate need of a Thai partner to kickstart his new business. Initially starting off on the wrong foot and disliking each other, the two eventually forge a close bond as they work together in running a mini-mart and constantly brainstorm to attract more customers. Soon, Phumjai’s dream of winning over Tammy also appears to be a likely possibility. However, things become complicated when he starts to develop feelings for Yang as well, and these sentiments are reciprocated. Jam Charuttha Imraporn’s portrayal of Tammy was an intriguing addition to the love triangle. She is a confident young woman who knows what she wants, and while she is a bit of a player, she doesn’t fall into the stereotypical role of an antagonistic third wheel.
Offroad Kantapon Jindataweephol and Daou Pittaya Saechua are absolutely adorable as the lead pair; both of them possess a charming, cat-like cuteness and Yang even compares Phumjai to a cat in one of the later episodes. The cinematography is bright and appealing, and given the plot’s focus on a small supermarket, the writers seamlessly incorporate a multitude of sponsored items without making it appear awkward. There’s also a sub-plot involving Phumjai’s older brother Phojai (Ngern Anupart Luangsodsai) being in a secret relationship with Phumjai’s best-friend Tag (Ohm Chetnipat Lohagarog), however, his reasons for being overtly discreet about their love wasn’t very convincing. But Ngern Anupart is amusing and likable as Phojai, a character who is both overtly critical of his younger brother and, at the same time, very overprotective. For instance, Phojai convinces Tag to work at the new store so that he can keep an eye on his brother.
The first four episodes make “Love In Translation” looked like a cutesy fluffy romance, however things get surprisingly tense and serious half-way. While it was quite refreshing to see Yang being upfront and honest about his feelings for Phumjai, his subsequent “retraction” of his love confession caused a lot of hurt to Phumjai. I feel like the writers could have explored alternative ways to introduce conflict between the protagonists instead of having Yang confess his love only to backtrack within a day. Since the show consists of only eight episodes, at least the creators don’t unnecessarily prolong the story. However, they do introduce a couple of other unnecessary twists, such as having Yang kidnapped by debtors, only to conveniently resolve all the issues, leading to a happy ending.
Perhaps the show would have been a lot more entertaining if they had opted for a simple and sweet story about a group of people running a small store together and facing their daily challenges of managing a business. Regardless, Offroad and Daou make the series work due to their charming chemistry. “Love In Translation” is a decent pick if you are in the mood for watching a no-brainer romance with good looking leads.
Rating: 6 on 10.