Tweet
Anti-Burmese soap uses time travel and romance to hammer home regressive values
Asaree Thaitrakulpanich
Tue, 23/02/2016
A time-traveling romantic soap opera surrounding the events of Bang Rachan, based on a novel written by a right-wing author, colours the imagined past through rosy, blood-tinted glasses.
non-existenceFrom left to right, the members of the love square: Kalong in the Ayutthaya period, reincarnated as Latika in the modern (Fonthip Watcharatrakul), Mueangjai (Akkaphan Namart), Sirot (Pattaradet Sa-nguankwamdee), and Chankapho (Tisanart Sornsuek)
(Source)
The plotMueangjai in modern-day Bangkok, looking for cannons at the Ministry of Defence (Opening titles)
crawl) has caused debate in the Thai online world about whether it is appropriate, now that Thailand is part of ASEAN. An online forumKobori raping Angsumalin the 2013 movie version of Khu Kam
(Source)
Glorifying warand solidifying an imagined past with the glory days of a lost empire through romance and time travelling is actually a trademark of the author of the novel, Wimon Chiamcharoen. Wimon, a prolific writer with multiple pen names, has written numerous romantic novels that have been constantly and repeatedly adapted to the screen, including Khu KamSunset at Chaophraya, a World War II romance between a Japanese soldier and a Thai woman that includes rape) and Tawee Pope (another time-traveling romance between a modern-day woman and a man in the reign of Rama V). Interestingly, Wimon shows favouritism when it comes to portraying foreigners in her novels: the Burmese are the barbaric, evil enemies in Atitha, but the WWII Japanese soldier who rapes is a dashing hero.
Left: Wimon Chiamcharoen, far-right romantic novelist (Source)
Right: Shirtless Bang Rachan warriors on a cover of Atitha (Source)
Left: Wimon is like a Thai Barbara Cartland...but with a dangerous political edge (Source)
Right: Not familiar with her books? See this review (Source)
Wimon, with her Khun Ying
Asaree Thaitrakulpanich
Tue, 23/02/2016
A time-traveling romantic soap opera surrounding the events of Bang Rachan, based on a novel written by a right-wing author, colours the imagined past through rosy, blood-tinted glasses.
non-existenceFrom left to right, the members of the love square: Kalong in the Ayutthaya period, reincarnated as Latika in the modern (Fonthip Watcharatrakul), Mueangjai (Akkaphan Namart), Sirot (Pattaradet Sa-nguankwamdee), and Chankapho (Tisanart Sornsuek)
(Source)
The plotMueangjai in modern-day Bangkok, looking for cannons at the Ministry of Defence (Opening titles)
crawl) has caused debate in the Thai online world about whether it is appropriate, now that Thailand is part of ASEAN. An online forumKobori raping Angsumalin the 2013 movie version of Khu Kam
(Source)
Glorifying warand solidifying an imagined past with the glory days of a lost empire through romance and time travelling is actually a trademark of the author of the novel, Wimon Chiamcharoen. Wimon, a prolific writer with multiple pen names, has written numerous romantic novels that have been constantly and repeatedly adapted to the screen, including Khu KamSunset at Chaophraya, a World War II romance between a Japanese soldier and a Thai woman that includes rape) and Tawee Pope (another time-traveling romance between a modern-day woman and a man in the reign of Rama V). Interestingly, Wimon shows favouritism when it comes to portraying foreigners in her novels: the Burmese are the barbaric, evil enemies in Atitha, but the WWII Japanese soldier who rapes is a dashing hero.
Left: Wimon Chiamcharoen, far-right romantic novelist (Source)
Right: Shirtless Bang Rachan warriors on a cover of Atitha (Source)
Left: Wimon is like a Thai Barbara Cartland...but with a dangerous political edge (Source)
Right: Not familiar with her books? See this review (Source)
Wimon, with her Khun Ying
Comment