Revenge is a dish best served cold. At least when Jay is the one behind it.

Adapted from the webtoon Payback, written by Samk and illustrated by Fujoking, the Thai adaptation stars Min Thanakorn Wichanukhor as Sun and Toptap Jarukit Kaewmoonrueang as Jay. Sun is a twenty-five-year-old deliveryman haunted by a tragic past shaped by violence, loss, and guilt. When he infiltrates Dream Entertainment seeking revenge, he crosses paths with Jay, the company’s calculating director, whose carefully controlled life begins to unravel the moment Sun walks back into it.

From the very beginning, Payback pulled me in with its web of betrayal, loss, and revenge. What first caught my attention were the surprisingly well-choreographed fight scenes (these can be hit or miss in Thai series), but it didn’t take long for the performances to become the real reason I stayed. The series quickly filled in the gaps the trailer left behind while making me want revenge right alongside Sun and Jay. In a world where kindness is often overshadowed by desperation and survival, Payback never shied away from showing how poverty, grief, and betrayal can shape the choices people make.

Payback is one hell of a wild ride full of revenge, guilt, pain, and the consequences of choices made, as well as the consequences, or rewards, of the choices that haven’t been made yet. It’s also not an easy watch if you have triggers. The series deals with several forms of abuse as well as suicide.

That said, Payback is an incredibly well-done series with an impressive ensemble cast, many of whom I wasn’t familiar with before this. I’ve been watching Thai dramas for years and jumped into BLs when the original Love Sick aired, so I was genuinely excited to discover a cast with this much talent and so much potential.

Both leads absolutely slayed their roles, taking us through an emotional roller coaster while building incredible chemistry together. Because of that, they both deserve a great deal of attention. Min Thanakorn Wichanukhor’s Sun carries heartbreaking loss throughout the series, and watching him struggle with the guilt surrounding his family’s deaths was painful. That guilt strips away so much of who he is that he no longer fears death. At least, not until Jay enters his life.

Like Min, Toptap Jarukit Kaewmoonrueang delivers a stunning performance as a man carrying his own grief. Both Sun and Jay want revenge, but for very different yet similar reasons. One of my favorite parts of the series was watching Sun slowly realize that revenge couldn’t fill the emptiness he carried. In the end, the relationships he built mattered far more than settling old scores. He felt just as hollow after getting his revenge as he did before seeking it.

The same can’t be said for Jay.

Unlike Sun, Jay’s payback was deeply satisfying and well calculated, and somehow it left me feeling satisfied too. Considering all the morally gray lines he crossed to make it happen, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about that. But if a series can make me cheer while someone dismantles the people who deserve it most, then it’s doing something right.

I also love how different Sun and Jay are. Despite sharing the same desire for revenge, they approach life in completely different ways. At the same time, there’s a part of each of them that understands the other without words. They challenge each other, comfort each other, and slowly become exactly what the other needs. There might also be a tiny bit of possessive obsession on Jay’s part, but I’ll forgive him for it.

The supporting cast deserves just as much praise. Fuaiz Thanawat Shinawatra as Sunny, Khunnote Jirapat Uttamanan as Kajorn, and the rest of the ensemble all brought something memorable to the story. Together they portrayed the abuse, pain, ambition, and moments of joy that can exist within the entertainment industry. While Payback is, of course, an exaggerated work of fiction, the uncomfortable truth is that exploitation, manipulation, and abuse aren’t exclusive to fiction. They exist everywhere, and stories like this remind us why those conversations matter.

Last but definitely not least, I completely fell for Shogun Paramee Thesdaroon’s Sky. More than anyone, I’d love to see his story continue in another series. I also wouldn’t complain if they ever decided to give us a spin-off featuring Sky and photographer Pakin, played by Boss Chaikamon Sermsongwittaya. They didn’t share much screen time, but the chemistry between them and the potential for something more left me wanting a whole lot more.

Payback is far too full of twists to spoil. It’s a story that really needs to be experienced for yourself.

For a series that promises revenge while delivering romance, check out Payback now on iQIYI.

Rating- 4.5 out of 5