If you are looking for a drama that balances the frivolous glitz of high society with a genuinely touching lesson about inner beauty, Ugly Duckling: Perfect Match is the perfect weekend binge. Released as the first installment of GMMTV’s Ugly Duckling series in 2015, this show introduced us to one of the most beloved "enemies to lovers" dynamics starring Push Puttichai and Mook Worranit.
She turns around to face (Push Puttichai).
In a quiet moment, he asks her: "You aren't dying of a contagious disease, are you?"
She claims she wants to study tourism and get treatment, but really, she wants to hide. For the first time, she removes her designer clothes and steps into the real world. The moment fans have been waiting for happens in the second half of the episode. Junior, lost on campus with her face covered by a scarf, feels a tap on her shoulder.
Here is everything that went down in Episode 1 (English Subbed version). We open on Junita "Junior" Worachotingkanan (Mook Worranit), and she is living the dream. In her world, life is a flawless Instagram feed. She is rich, she is thin, she has a handsome boyfriend named Max, and a squad of equally plastic-looking friends. She listens patiently (or impatiently) to her nanny tell the story of The Ugly Duckling , scoffing at the moral. Her take? If you’re ugly, get plastic surgery. Simple, right? [citation:1]
This sets off a chain of toxic behavior. Junior crash diets and obsesses. When she meets Max, he takes a "candid" photo of her mid-bite. The internet trolls go wild. Her friends suggest she get "cheek threading" to slim her face. Initially resistant, she eventually caves to peer pressure. Here is where Episode 1 takes a sharp turn into cautionary tale territory. Junior goes to the clinic for a minor procedure. She falls asleep dreaming of being a supermodel, but wakes up to a nightmare.
You can find the English subbed episodes archived on various fan sites and streaming platforms like LINE TV (depending on your region) or fan subbing communities like Mlat Latin Fansub [citation:2][citation:3].