Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Ew, ew, and EW! The ending was so cringe! However, I will still explain my generous rating despite the exclamations of disgust, taking into account that there are other shows where I’ve given out fewer stars. SO, read me out.
The 2023 Thai series “Past-Senger” is a low-budget sci-fi romantic comedy that may not always make complete sense but delivers many laugh-out-loud moments and doesn’t take itself too seriously for most parts. Cooper Patpasit Na Songkhla portrays the protagonist, Kiao, a boy who has just finished high school and finds himself transported 25 years into the future. Kiao seeks out his friends for assistance and discovers that he had vanished without a trace in the 90s. Trapped in an unfamiliar future, Kiao attempts to find a way back to his own timeline while also falling in love with the adorable Bamee (Marc Pahun Jiyacharoen), who, as it turns out, is his friend’s son.
“Past-Senger” is like a roller-coaster ride, featuring its fair share of hilarious moments, cute romantic scenes, a generous dose of clichés, and some strange, cringe-worthy elements. Cooper, in the role of Kiao, delivers an absolutely entertaining performance, skillfully portraying a college student who can be both reckless and responsible, depending on the situation and mood. Last seen in “Chains of Heart” in a completely forgettable role, Marc Pahun Jiyacharoen shows a lot more charisma as the introverted reserved Bamee in “Past-Senger”. Although their chemistry as a couple isn’t fireworks, they are sort of cute together and seem more like platonic BFFs.
This is the kind of show where you can simply sit back, set aside logic, and enjoy the silliness that unfolds. To the writers’ credit, even though the time-travel element is arbitrary and amusing, at least they avoid confusing viewers with nonsensical complications like in the time-bending show “609 Bedtime Story”. The first half of the series had me laughing out loud with its comedic elements, even if the jokes felt like they were straight out of the 1990s. Instead of stretching the series to 12 episodes, they should have concluded everything within 10. The climax turned out to be surprising, albeit potentially very strange for many viewers (including me). Extra credit goes to the actors for pulling off this wacky script. While it may not be a show you can binge-watch and it has limited re-watch value, “Past-Senger” still makes for a decent one-time watch.
It’s a 5 on 10 from me.
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