The very first Malay drama I'm about to recap is a 13 episodes romantic comedy titled "Vanila Coklat". (I still cringe whenever I think of the drama title. Can't help it) It is currently airing on TV3, every Tuesday at 9.00 pm. To speak the truth, I didn't fall in love with this drama immediately after its pilot episode was aired because:
1) I didn't really follow/watch Malay dramas (brick me all you want but hey, I'm being honest here. It's not that I didn't watch them at all but rather not following so religiously); and
2) I loathed the title for being so cheesy. Yes, I did judge the drama (at first) by it's cheesy title! haha. Pardon me for that. The title does remind me of 'Soda and Iced Tea' - a Thai drama (which I absolutely love) with the same premise as Vanila Coklat but hey, at least the title 'Soda and Iced Tea' is not that cheesy!
2) I loathed the title for being so cheesy. Yes, I did judge the drama (at first) by it's cheesy title! haha. Pardon me for that. The title does remind me of 'Soda and Iced Tea' - a Thai drama (which I absolutely love) with the same premise as Vanila Coklat but hey, at least the title 'Soda and Iced Tea' is not that cheesy!
But then after reading the tweets on my timeline whereby my friends on my t-list always talked about the drama, I got curious and decided to give it a try by watching the first episode online. But sadly the first episode doesn't have that strong pull towards me as I fell asleep halfway through it (okay, I admit it was probably largely contributed by the tired me who got off work late that night lol). Thus I gave the drama a second chance by skipping straight to episode 5 and I regret nothing. Episode 5 was cute and fun to watch thus making me hooked on it. Yes I agree that plot-wise, it's rather cliche but then again it's probably due to the fresh faces, great chemistry, great supporting casts and the fact that the drama reminds me so much of those fluff fanfictions I've read years ago about the always bickering couple that made me love it :)
...ah I better start recapping and stop blabbering, no? So without further ado...
Episode 1 starts off with our plain looking, with a strong bookwoorm-ish feel - female lead Zara Aisyah (played by Izara Aisyah) looking all ready and determined to start her day at the college ...only later to have her mood and spirit being crushed by being rudely honked at by our male lead, Amir Asyraf (played by Aiman Hakim Ridza). lol. So the animosity between the two is already being obviously presented since the start
Driving a posh car, with a tall, lean and handsome figure - so we get it. He's one handsome and rich guy (or rather, a son of a rich guy) in this story. Getting off the car with his backpack on his back and a camera bag and looking all preppy - I like.
It's not a surprise that girls are easily drawn to him and the way he carries himself in front of them tells us that he's a playboy - or trying to be one. He even gave his admires chocolates lmao so I guess we have an adorable playboy here. xD And we're also introduced to 'Liana' who's being all flirty with Amir. Zara watched the scenes of Amir with the girls in utter disgust and even blocked her curious friends' view from looking at Amir. Her being childish, I see~
While her friends being all giddy to see Amir in the same cafeteria they're at, Zara tried walking away only to end up bumping into Amir and got her drinks spilled onto his shirt. She sincerely apologised at first but after being greeted with his demeaning look, she later spilled the remaining of her drinks onto him on purpose. Hahaha. Nice one, vengeful girl.
Later on we're introduced with Amir's father - one rich Dato' who's having a time with the press with regards to his donation for the benefits of animal(or is it birds?) welfare. When asked about his favourite bird, his answer is 'parrot'. hahahaha (the reference to this is being told in the later part of the episode). Like father, like son - Dato' Ahmad is one playboy/flirty wannabe fella, too. He told the press that his family, especially his wife - Datin Dalila is a housewife who loves animal - only later we're being presented with the scene where Datin Dalila trying to get rid of a lost cat which who-knows-how ended up in their house. She's not fond of animal, at all Dato'. Dato' tipuuuuu. Haha.
Zara and Amir turn out to be classmates for a subject. Amir is always late to class and such attitude ticked off Zara who hates it when the class being disturbed. Gurrll... She even openly suggested for the lecturer to cut Amir's attendance mark for always being a late comer. Dissatisfied with Zara's attack on him in the class, he even tries to find (more like waiting to bump into) her after class so he could give her a ~warning~ or some sort. Haha. How about you try to find/wait for the college's top scorer in the library instead of at the dating spots in the college you're at, Amir?
During lunch, Datin Dalila complains to her husband on how their son is always busy. He doesn't even come home when asked to to have the lunch that she specially prepared. Datin Dalila loves to cook, thinks that she cooks well and loves the compliments about the food she prepares. Her husband is nice whereby he always shower her with compliments, but the truth is, he can't even stand the food and she is one bad cook . haha Dato' Ahmad tipu lagi. No wonder the son is reluctant to have lunch at home, too.
Zara is one fierce, serious, studious and no nonsense kind of girl. She's brutally honest and outspoken with her friends and even with her boyfriend, Kamal. She hates it when her boyfriend waits for her (...what?) and even rejected his offer for a dinner together cuz she already promised her dad to have dinner together. Poor boyfie looking all dejected. So it's either because she's not the lovey-dovey type or that she doesn't have that strong feelings for him. Hah.
Zara's dad is a doctor and the father-daughter do have quite a strong bond. She rejected the offer from her father to buy her a car (again, ..what?) which it seems as a way to coax her to take up the driving license. She said it was because she's afraid to drive but the father in his banter said that it was actually because she just loves being overly pampered.
On the day where their mid-term exam is set, the rushing Amir bumped into Zara and that knocked her down (and that gave her a sprained ankle, too!). Instead of being sorry he laughed it off. Oh no you didn't, Amir.
I don't blame Zara if her grudge against him multiplied. And guess what, though he is rushing for the exam, he even had the time to flirt with a girl whom he can't even recall the right name and yes, he did give her chocolates, too. That son of a playboy wannabe! Haha.
Zara almost got a retribution moment against Amir as she reported to the lecturer about Amir's act of cheating in the exam but he got away with it a believable explanation on how he accidentally brought in the notes into the class. Anak Dato' tipuuuu. And also thanks to the fact that he's being backed up by his wannabe girlfriend, Liana. Wannabe is being used here because Amir still set his Facebook status as 'single' and that she is actually having a one-sided feeling for him. lol. Heated by the earlier incident, Amir starts on calling Zara names and one of them is 'parrot'. hahaha.
Back at home, Zara's mom and dad had to clean her messy room and while doing so, they were sighing and complaining about the daughter's childish, lazy, hot tempered, brutally outspoken attitude and so on. Her mom is specially worried on such brutally outspoken attitude could easily earns her enmity like santau. Hahahahahaha. Ku Salmi much, Zara's mom?
Amir, once again, hit Zara by the shoulder and pass by without even saying sorry. This time their argument hits up another notch as Amir aside of been calling her names, throwing barbs at and insulting her, he also sneered at Kamal's taste on women since Kamal's so smitten to Zara.
Meanwhile, Zara's dad suggested to her mother that probably by being married at a young age like how they themselves did, could slowly and positively change Zara's attitude. (...seriously parents of Zara?) But the problem is, how to ask the royal lioness herself of the idea on being married early. Zara and Kamal on the other hand are having a heated argument since Kamal called her 'lioness' earlier and now addressing and advising on her hot-tempered issue. Zara is absolutely not fond of the word 'together' that Kamal used to describe their relationship since secondary school. Whoopsie Kamal, that's highly alarming - she is not so into you.
While together with Liana, Amir talked about Zara. On how she's actually a brilliant girl but thinking back on her problematic attitudes, that could probably chase even a mad man away from her. Tsk. Amir appears uncomfortable when Liana trying to get all touchy with him and when being asked on why he's behaving so, Amir trying to give out lame excuses. Guess what Amir said when Liana told him that she doesn't mind what other people might say about them being an item? It's 'Since when we are an item?' Ouch.
Dato' Ahmad told her wife about the call he received from his best friend and how both him and his best friend will proceed on executing the agreed plan they had on the future of their children. Uh oh.
The next day when Zara goes to college with a bandaged ankle, Amir had a good time laughing at and ridiculing her. So childish bicker number..(I lost count) continues. From ridiculing each other's father's job to Zara's sprained ankle to name calling, it ends with with Zara telling Amir if she's for real a witch like Amir's been name-calling her, she'd turn him into a beast using her magic. Oh wait, there's no need for that since he himself is already a beast. hahaha. On the other hand, Dato' Ahmad is on the phone with someone and told the one on the other line that no matter how great the objection will be, he doesn't care. He still wants the plan to be smoothly executed. Dun dun dun
Afterwards Zara saw Kamal who apologised for yesterday's argument and it doesn't take long for her forgive him. He offered on going for a meal together but she refused as she had other things to do and Kamal talk about how she should at least listen to him once and brought up about what if they're married later on - and Zara immediately goes on how impossible is that. She is just 19 and she doesn't wish to think about marriage at all. yeaaahhhhh, Zara. We'll see.
When she's on a lunch late with her mom and dad, they keep on bombarding her with questions on does she like seeing the parents happy, would she be willing to do everything to make them happy and she happily answers in affirmative. Then her dad with a rather firm tone asked her to do this one favour to make them happy: marry a guy whom his father has chosen.
Tense.
Then her father's guests arrived and join them - Dato' Ahmad, his wife ...and son.
"Papa nak Zara kahwin dengan anak kawan baik Papa"
"KAHWIN?"
