Drama Digest
A Thai adaptation of the popular South Korean drama Who Are You: School 2015, Who Are You follows the journey of Mind, an orphaned student, who tries to commit suicide after undergoing severe bullying and astoundingly ends up surviving. Mind, however, wakes up after losing all her memories and starts living as Meen. Mind and Meen differ in almost every aspect except for the fact that they are identical twins. While going on about her life as Meen, Mind meets Natee, a young athletic swimmer with who Meen is close friends, and Gunkan, who will help her recover her memories in the future. What happens when the memories Mind uncovers cause her more unexpected pain than she had ever felt?
The Feel-Good Part
This series employs good storytelling to keep people excited for the most part. The first episode features parallels between Meen and Mind’s lives and the glaring differences between them. There a lot of clues present in every episode which set up an interesting build-up leaving viewers excited and curious. There are also the factors of noticeably good cinematography and high production value which make this series exceptionally watchable. With some really measured performances from the star cast who do not disappoint us while essaying their roles and a carefully crafted soundtrack that lines up with the plot, Who Are You makes for quite a satisfying watch.
The Disappointing Factor
There are a few factors that act as drawbacks for this series, the most potent of which is its length. Stretching out a 16 episode series, each of which was 45 minutes long to an 18 episode long series with 60 minute long episodes does not work in its favor. Many things seem repetitive, and the build-up almost seems futile because the dredged out length makes the outcomes predictable. There is also the factor of the antagonist, Tida, being too villainized. She is a seventeen-year-old girl, and there is very little explanation for her behavior. Reducing cruelty to a character trait seems too superficial, and this show does exactly that.
In-Depth Analysis
This series explores some pretty heavy themes, school bullying being its focal point. It masterfully showcases how school is an idealized establishment in Asian countries and how children can be vindictive when they want to. The subplots were masterful additions that contributed to the storyline while also being independent in their own right. Gun’s storyline draws special attention, and his social seclusion and messy relationship with his father tug at the viewer’s heartstrings. With nuanced character arcs that do not reduce teenagers into poster-children of “childlike” behavior, this series is a watch that you will not regret.
Star Power
Namtan delivers an exceptional performance as the protagonist, and she is convincing when she enacts heavy emotions. The star of the show, though, has to be Kay, whose debut performance is stellar, and he manages to establish a connection with his character, eking empathy out of the viewer.
Overall Opinion
Kanittha Kwanyu has done a fantastic job directing this series which highlights school bullying. Watch it for some incredible performances and relatable plotlines of student life and its unexpected brutalities.
