Drama Digest
Anyawadee, the Snake Empress, falls in love with the handsome Prince Chaiyawong. She casts a spell on him to make him fall in love with her. When Prince Chaiyawong’s fiancée, Jaonang Kamyadfah, discovers that Anyawadee is not human, she requests that the royal dancer Maneewan perform the snake blessing dance routine to break the charm and entrap Anyawadee’s spirit in the statue. As a result, the Snake Empress was sentenced to death by burning. Her lover, Prince Chaiyawong simply stood there watching her plight and she pledges to return and take her revenge. 500 years later, in the present, Anyawadee waits for her beloved to return to punish him and take her vengeance on Maneewan and everyone who condemned her to her death. This is the beginning of the Snake Empress’ and the Prince’s rekindled love and revenge.
The Feel-Good Part
Overall, the series is quite over-dramatic and cliche with the story being about mythical creatures. Yet, this is the aspect that appeals to many viewers because of the fantasy element. The whole concept of love and betrayal is taken to a whole new level with this series. Even though the main character (Anyawadee) is technically an antagonist, you want to take her side because all she wanted was love. Although many will sympathize with the Prince and Maneewan, everyone will still want Anyawadee to get the justice she deserves. I found it interesting how the story was moulded to make you empathize with the antagonist rather than the protagonists.
The Disappointing Factor
The CGI was pretty decent but still not good enough. In order for the whole dramatization of half-snake, half-person to come alive, the animation and effects needed to be better. This would have helped the visuals and not caused them to look half-hearted. In terms of pacing, the drama was a little oddly paced because in general the series moves pretty fast but suddenly staggers in the middle. These staggering moments made it look like the writers were simply trying to stretch the story somehow. In terms of set design and overall scene design, the series failed quite a bit. Especially for the scenes set in the past, the character’s dresses and the way they acted seemed very fake. Most of these scenes seemed visually empty because there were not enough props to make them look realistic.
In-Depth Analysis
I wouldn’t say that this show was an outright disappointment because it was not. There is certainly a large community out there who enjoy this subgenre of series. In terms of casting and music direction as well, the makers of this drama did a good job. The story and the acting were pretty good, the only thing that failed was the execution. There are several plot twists and turns that keep you engaged in the show. There are also several over-the-top and downright cringey elements to the show. But in the long run, these small details certainly shouldn’t affect your opinion about the show.
Star Power
The casting of “Kiss of the Cobra” was certainly well chosen. We see Vill Wannarot Sonthichai in the role of Anyawadee. Vill is a Thai film and television actress from Exact/OneHD who debuted in the Thai entertainment industry alongside Son Yuke Songpaisan at Exact. Kaew Lorm Petch, her debut series, was a big hit, with the highest rating for an episode. She did an excellent job in her role as Anyawadee and she really brought the character to life. Her years of experience in the acting industry can be clearly seen. The other protagonists – Bright Norraphat Vilaiphan as Prince Chaiyawong and Plengkwan Nattaya Thongsaen as Maneewan also did a great job. They are both fairly new to the industry but they tackled their roles for this series very well!
Overall Opinion
“Kiss of the Cobra” is a good series to watch if you want to blow off some steam. It is not a series you think too deeply about but you will surely get invested in.
