I have so much to say and I know I'm going to forget a lot of pointers, but I'll express my main ones haha.
First off, the ending was everything I wanted and more. It was so beautiful, touching, and better than I expected. I thought it was going to just focus on how great Aak was and how pure Thip was while undermining Khun Ubon, but it actually did a fair job of giving each side a fair chance. Although I started getting annoyed when Aak, Thip, and Chedta kept trying to invalidate Khun Ubon's feelings, I think they just wanted to show how passionate the characters were in wanting Khun Ubon to see a side that she never saw. Plus, all of them as friends have so much support for one another, I kind of see why they were annoying lol. It played out really well in the ending. I loved it.
Where do I start? Let's start off with why I thought the ending was great, and some places where I started getting irritated but eventually understood. I didn't have high expectations for the ending because I knew Khun Ubon wasn't going to get justice like how I wanted. However, the directing and production made me see a side I thought I would never, which is Aak's story and the aftermath. I still think Khun Pra was an asshole. Especially how he had treated her in the past. No, the flashbacks didn't make me change my mind. Sure, he may have done some of those mean stuff out of love but he still came off as a selfish bastard to me. I don't think he treated Khun Ubon with pure love, he still had his mind on other things and didn't prioritize her as much as I think he should have. Those flashbacks tried so hard to show his side but it made me more irritated. I was rolling my eyes. And when Aak kept saying "Pra Aak did love you, Pra Aak did love you" I was super pissed. I kept thinking that he was invalidating her feelings. Give her all the room to express her grief, sorrow, anger, frustration. You know damn well you chopped her head off. Listen to her. It wasn't until the aftermath I started to see Aaks side. Sure, I thought he wasn't the best for Khun Ubon but maybe he did love her. He just didn't think about the consequences and what he had done. He killed the love of his life and gosh, the way Pong expressed Aak/Pra Aak was perfect. The way he tried to hold in his tears after to keep fighting, the way he felt for Khun Ubon at the end. That's what did it for me. I felt like maybe he did love her, but he wasn't in the right mindset. I still don't support what he did, but it was honestly something so last minute and in the heat of the moment. He had already decided it would be him who would die for the country and watch over the treasure (in the flashbacks), but when fight or flight came intact, he was really caught in the moment and definitely decided to pick the country over everything, even Khun Ubon. And I totally get Khun Ubon. Pra Aak, tell Khun Ubon your plans. See if she's willing to commit to choosing the land as much as you would. Don't assume! Think about what's going to happen. What will the next life look like for the both of you? That's what was hard for me to take in, because if you really loved someone you would weigh in all those factors. And, you will hear your loved one. She will be able to think "I may not see you in the next life", and maybe make a decision to just die with him and can just reborn with him. But she didn't have those options so that's why I feel for Khun Ubon. She didn't even get closure. She misunderstood so badly and I don't blame her. Then Pra Aak, I just seriously didn't think about how much torment he was going to cause Khun Ubon. He didn't think about what was going to happen as the guardian, condemning others, witnessing hell, etc. He saw how terrorizing it would be AT the moment, such as being raped, killed, and held captive by those savage soldiers. He was thinking in the present, and I loved how everything in the last episode panned out. It showed me a side that made me see where Pra Aak may have came from. I say this because of only after the fact he was still willing to take Khun Ubon's place. The way he looked at her and apologized kept well with my heart because he showed us that he actually acknowledges Khun Ubon's feelings and realized that he was wrong. To me, he showed her love because he was willing to give up his own life for her to move on, if that's what she really wanted. What kind of annoyed me was that Aak said just sacrifice him instead of Thip because he will never love Khun Ubon in any lifetime. I give props for him in being honest, but it just hurt me. Poor Ubon. But I don't blame Aak as much because he did grow up in a new lifetime without remembering anything anymore. His loved now radiates with Thip, even Chedta. He rather take places for all three and he had to tell Khun Ubon straight up that don't sacrifice Thip, because he can't come to terms with loving Khun Ubon anyways.
I did feel for Thip at the end. I really disliked her but she seemed so genuine talking to Khun Ubon. Tears were flowing all the way through because I felt like everyone finally understood where Khun Ubon was coming from. Thip was sweet for letting Khun Ubon know that she deserves happiness too. Though Aak did go into monkhood, I felt like he did it for the right reason. This showed very well when all three (Aak, Thip, and Chedta) woke up in the hospital and Aak was still crying for Khun Ubon. He knows the sacrifice that Khun Ubon made and took advice from the heavens to only do good from then on out. To go into monkhood, I think he truly shows that he was willing to do something for Khun Ubon in return. Although it doesn't compare to her eternal torment, I think it made me happy knowing he wasn't going to move on with Thip that easily. If he did, it would have just proved that he was not genuine about replacing Khun Ubon or feeling bad about what he had done to her in the last life.
The very ending of Pra Aak praying with Khun Ubon's picture in front of him was perfect. I loved how she showed up behind him and both looked at each other with happiness. When Khun Ubon looked at Aak, it was just so heartfelt. It took me back to when she said whoever Aak loves, she will love them too because she loves him so much that she will reflect the same. Khun Ubon has always been a good person to me. I think that all her hatred and vengeance was because she didn't get to receive closure and the reasoning to why she was killed. I am satisfied. This lakorn taught me so much good morals. From protecting earth, to sacrificing for the ones we love. I want to be a better person now, knowing all the potential I have. I seriously appreciate this lakorn and everything it had to offer.
Acting was truly amazing. I don't care about what I've said about Pong in the past but he was so good at being both Pra Aak and Aak. He showed his emotions so well and his tears in many scenes were so spot on. I was going to say that usually in many of these ghost type lakorns, the main character such as Noon would outshine the Pra Aek almost 99% of the time. I feel like Pong did such a good job that I give him all the credit he deserves. He did a great job.
Of course, Noon did amazzzzinggg. Why is that she is in lakorns that are so morally uplifting? I had the vibes from Kasanaka/Tong Neua Gao in this lakorn. Those lakorns had really great endings because they had such great life lessons. Noon was spectacular. As I mentioned before, I don't think anyone else could play Khun Ubon the way Noon did. The way she cried in each scene was so talented. She made Khun Ubon's character so pitiful, so loving, such a sweet and forgiving spirit. I felt so much emotion with her. I seriously applaud her so much. From the dancing, to the vengeance, to showing how fragile she was. Perfect.
I still consider Ben and Jes new but both of them are good actors too. Ben still needs work, but from what she showed us, I am very pleased and satisifed. She played Thip well and I look forward to seeing more of her future work. I will always have a place in my heart from her from this lakorn. I've always adored Jes. Although Chedta was so annoying in here, he still did a great job at showing us his annoying character. I want to see Jes and Ben paired up in their own lakorn. They would be cute and we didn't see a conclusion on their part. Maybe they get together later on...but another lakorn with them two ending up together would be good.
All the cast, wardrobe, even CG (some of course didn't look too real but it was still spectacular. I had a good time watching the hell scene. The best out of every lakorn I have seen still, so still have to give them props) were all magnificent and well played out. I applaud everyone!
Someone, please give me updates on the last episode's rating if you have it. Please and thank you! What a successful lakorn. I can't wait to see the next lakorn from all in here. I think this will be my favorite Pong/Noon lakorn although I reallly loved Kha Khong Khon haha.