Broken (of) Love EP 1

Hey friend I’m back exited to do this journey with you

To perhaps be controversial, I think that Apple in The Earth and Faye (BTW, rhymes with Pie) in this worked out perfectly.

„Broken (of) Love“, or หัวใจช้ำรัก (Heartbreak) starts with Arisa driving around her race track while the words of her mentor Mek ring in her head: She has to be careful because Weiling is not someone to get close to easily, and far more ruthless than one might assume. But she claims she’s planned her whole life so get to those who ruined her life, to make sure they will lose everything they love, to make them feel every bit of pain and every ounce of loneliness, just as she had to. After the credits, we are at her office, where her assistant Ai gives her the gist about Weiling’s company “W Empire” being active for years and arguably the industry leader, handling only the top clients worth hundreds of million (of Baht, I presume) making a new company like hers unlikely to be able to compete with them. She accuses her of already thinking about losing before even competing, but she was just saying that winning over them won’t be easy. But Arisa claims that to win a war you must have the right strategy. Then, her assistant invites her to celebrate her birthday at a jazz bar and she eventually gets Arisa to join her. But we first join a “W Empire” board meeting for some exposition; the Petra corporation is launching a new business division, a global hotel and resort group focused on luxury, and they are intending to build their flagship “Cornerstone hotel” in Bangkok and are particularly interested in the Suan Phiman area where “W Empire” manages multiple developments, and a joint venture between W and Petra would result in 500 to 800 Million Baht (some 25 million US$) in annual revenue. Mr. Kevin Lee, the youngest heir of Petra’s founder Petra Lee who was recently appointed as CEO, oversees the project, and Weiling knows him well enough to not expect any issues, but her assistant points out that they are not the only option, Petra is also considering the Lan Arun district currently dominated by AList, Arisa’s company, but Weiling thinks Petra wouldn’t trust a relative newcomer with a project of the size and magnitude. Then, we switch to Arisa and her assistant entering the jazz bar, and they draw attention to them, but her assistant thinks that’s normal for how gorgeous she looks. She goes off to find a table and wants her boss to order them drinks; then, Waii comes over and asks if that was her girlfriend and drags her onto the dance floor as she claims that was just her friend. But Arisa excuses herself to the bathroom after a moment. There we meet Lyla who is currently occupying a stall complaining about her life as a musician to her friend. As her friend run away, she continues to claim that she loves playing the piano and making some money as a bar pianist, but in reality, it’s just a job like any other, and not a fast track to become rich or famous. That’s why her mother doesn’t want her to become one, but she asks if she should stop playing as it’s tiring. Arisa replies that she should ask herself what else she could do in her life, and argues that sometimes, these doubts are just there to remind her how much she loves what she’s doing, because there are many people whose duty and responsibility make them unable to follow their dreams. And if she has a choice, she should choose to do what she loves. Lyla runs out of the stall to meet who has given her advice, and they immediately like each other. She asks her where her friend is, and Aris tells her she left a while ago – long enough to give her some advice. Lyla guess she felt a little sorry for someone so lost, but thanks her anyway – then, the suspects her of being life coach wanting to sell her some course, but she is just at the bar to hang out. Then, her friends comes back and drags her out of the bathroom, put she tells Arisa she finishes work at midnight and wants her to wait for her. Arisa rejoins her assistant at the table she got in the meantime, as Lyla starts playing the piano, and the mood changes as she is playing a decidedly un-jazzy number unaccompanied. Later, Arisa and her assistant – who is pretty hammered by now – leave the bar and her assistant wants to go home alone in a ride that’s standing in front of the entrance, so Arisa lets her leave, eager to rejoin Lyla. But the lady parking in front of the bar is no driver; she gives her the address anyway, and the lady reluctantly takes her home as she babbles incoherently. Lyla thinks Arisa is easy to fool as she is waiting for her as told, she might become a scammer’s next victim, she argues. Arisa wants to leave as she thinks this was a waste of time, but Lyla holds her back, and they exchange names and a handshake. Lyla wants to repay her, but Arisa thinks it was just simple advice that ChatGPT could have given her. But Lyla argues that ChatGPT doesn’t look as good as Arisa. She wants to get something to eat, and argues that a deep talk and some deep-fried food go well together, And she drags her off before she can say anything else. At dinner, Lyla tell her that she played piano all her life, but has taken the job only a few months ago. Arisa claims she’s a photographer; she claims to like to picture everything, bit most of all, she likes to picture people, they have interesting stories to tell. Lyla wants to know if she interesting enough to be her model, and she replies, not yet, because she doesn’t know her well enough. Lyla wants to know whom she’s interested in, and Arisa claims an interesting person doesn’t need to try, just being themselves is enough. They are offered some fortune cookies and Arisa needs some coaxing to finally take one – but we don’t see what she got in it yet, and we don’t see Lyla fortune, either. Later, they visit some street vendor, and Arisa visits them often, she admits, and argues they should visit again sometime, but Arisa argues that going out once with Lyla is enough, to which Lyla proposes to make this one count. Then, they encounter a kid playing the guitar on the street with no one watching, and Arisa offers to pay him some money but Lyla has a better idea: she grabs him microphone and starts singing with him accompanying her on the guitar. And Arisa clearly enjoys her singing and even takes a few photos. This works, as many people give the kid some money. Afterwards, Lyla asks if she secretly took some pictures of her, and Arisa replies that she didn’t secretly, she meant to, and Lyla want to know if she’s interesting enough for her now. She wants to know what else she can do besides singing and playing music, and Lyla claims a lot, but she would need time to find out, so just tonight isn’t enough. They stroll through a park that is beautiful at night, but then Arisa drags her against a tree, apparently to avoid meeting a park official, and they are standing very close to each other for a moment before Lyla drags her further. On a bridge across the river Arisa is out of breath and wants to know why she brought her there and Lyla wants her to talk to her, because she grew up alone a didn’t have many friends, and claims that no one really pays attention to her (I seriously doubt that! 😉), so she feels like she’s alone in this world. Arisa feels that for as long as she can remember, so she had to find a purpose, something that makes her life worth living. Lyla doesn’t know what she’s been though, but argues it must have been hard. But she’s sure she’ll get through it, even if she knows her only for a few hours. She takes a photo of her, and claims she has finally become interesting to her. But Arisa draws her closer, claiming neither of them has to be alone that night anymore, before she kisses her. But Arisa suddenly shies away, claiming she should head home, and she has some work the next day. And she leaves Lyla standing alone by the riverside thinking about that kiss. The next day. Arisa is sitting is her office, as her mentor tell her that the first the towards becoming Petra’s partner is to secure the highlight peace at their auction. This will surely capture Petra’s attention. But Arisa is in thoughts about the night before leading Mek to worry that she partied to much with Ai. But she claims she’s fine, and their only real competitor is W Empire, but with securing the item, they’ll gain leverage when pitching the project. Then, Ai tells her that someone is asking to see her – and it’s that pianist from the jazz bar. Arisa instructs Ai to tell her she is unavailable. But Lyla claims she’ll be back the next day, and Ai should tell her that people should take responsibility for what they did – she’ll understand that. She comes back for days, with Arisa refusing to see her, but Arisa tells Ai she will stop when she’s tired of waiting. And we see her slip from the fortune cookie: “This chance may never come again; don’t let it slip away.” She finally talks to her, wanting to know how she found her, and she tells her it was the keychain on her camera bad which showed the logo of this racing track. Lyla she that while she claimed to be a photographer, in reality, she owns a racing circuit. She asks her if she takes responsibility for kissing her, then ditching her in the park, arguably the worst memory she has. She wants to know her better, but Arisa claims she wouldn’t be able to handle someone like her. Lyla asks her if she knows her well enough to say that, what makes her think that she can’t handle her. Then, she takes her for a drive on the racing track. Lyla exits the car a little shaken but claims she’s okay. Arisa thinks she about to faint and wants to give her an inhaler, but she claims she has no need for one. She wants to know if that night, she really felt nothing for her, because if she didn’t she won’t bother her anymore. And she admits she felt a little and that’s why she ran away. But Lyla argues she should give herself a chance to be happy and share the loneliness. And Arisa takes her in her arms, and this is followed by a montage of scenes of them together, ending in them sitting together on the hood of her race car, with Lyla claiming she can ride in her car without throwing up now, and Arisa responding that she is the best, but she doesn’t have to push herself so hard. But Lyla just wants to step into her world a little more, and argues that it take a lot for her to let someone in. Arisa thanks her for trying, but she likes her more just the way she is: bright and a little mischievous, the kind of person who tricked her into a date on the very first night. Lyla argues that when she likes someone, she must have a plan. But Arisa argues that her world is not meant to be entered and far darker that she would expect, but Lyla argues that her world isn’t as simple as she might think, either, and it only started to get better when she met her. She claims that Arisa is her first girlfriend, and Arisa argues that it’s only been three months, but Lyla claims that time doesn’t matter as much as feelings do, and asks her are they doing this or not. Arisa asks should they, but Lyla claims she doesn’t even need to ask because she endured all that dizziness riding with her – if they aren’t dating after that, she will lose it. Arisa finally hugs her and confirms that they are official. Mek reminds her that the auction is approaching, and that they have come too far to turn back now, so he doesn’t want her to be distracted. But Arisa tells him not to worry, she has been waiting for this moment for her entire life and nothing will be able to stop her (famous last words?). Lyta places some flower at the grave of her father claiming she kept his “home” clean, and she tells him that she thinks she’s found someone to make her smile, but assures him that he will always be the number one in her heart. Then, her mother – who is Weiling(!!!) – comes along, and Lyla argues that sending money is all she’s ever done, but Weiling argues that it was done to protect her, to make her safe, and to prevent that she ends up like her father. Lyla (who is called Lalin by her mother) accuses her of making excuses and caring more about her business than anything else, but Weiling argues that she’s never been a burden, she will always be the most valuable part of her life. And she thinks it’s time to make a comeback and be like other families, and she thinks that nobody can hurt them anymore (famous last words again?). Then, we go forward to the auction day, and the highlight is the Moonriver necklace, a necklace specially made for Petra’s daughter who died in an accident before she could become the CEO of the family company. Ai confirms that they have budget for 20.000.000 THB (some 600,000 US$) for this item. Arisa tells Ai to push the limit and to show them that they are not afraid. At the auction we see Petra CEO Kevin Lee (who is played by Lift who was in “Only You” and “Queendom” last year) taking family shots with the press as Weiling arrives, and he greets her and if honored by her presence at the auction as the number one real estate magnate of Thailand. She claims she not competing with anyone (not meaning the auction), and claims she remains his first choice (also not meaning the auction). Then, Arisa and Ai come in and meet Kevin and Weiling as well, and they exchange a few “niceties” before the auction begins. Arisa is clearly bothered by the veiled threats Weiling uttered to she goes to the restroom while the auction begins. Ai meanwhile runs into her “driver” who is actually a news reporter. Then, Kevin opens the auction… …as Arisa deals with her memories of the past where she got saved by Mek out of a fire, than trained for revenge, with Mak claiming: “The pleasure of revenge is not seeing you enemy die, but watching them suffer while they’re still alive”. Then, we come to the Moonriver necklace which trigger a bidding frenzy in Ai and Weiling going up to 20 million Baht until Weiling herself outbids Ai with 25 million Baht – but just in time, Arisa arrives and bis 30 million Baht, exceeding both her own and Weiling’s their budget. After the auction, Kevin is photographed with Arisa wearing the necklace, and it has made Kevin realize AList’s true potential. Arisa claims she is ready to have the opportunity to work together soon. But then Weiling presents her daughter Lilin, a piano player, to the assembled press – and Arisa realizes it’s her Lyla who is the daughter of her enemy. And on that bombshell, the first episode ends. ____ That was essentially a 65-minute version of the trailer – but it was well-acted and well-filmed and a compelling watch. Now, it’s the question whether they can hold up the quality for the next seven episodes, where we will step into unknown territory because all of the scenes of the trailer were already covered in episode one. I’ll tune in again next Saturday.