A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021)

A fresh, original story: Humanity combined with love, but not overthrown by it.

I wasn't really expecting too much from this series, and boy was I in for a surprise! It turned out to be one of the best I've watched in a long time. The story is original (of course there is the typical drama ingredient backbone), but the plot unfolds in a natural way, covering most of the open questions, while the lead characters evolve, mature, and find out what makes the world spin. All in all very well done!

The chemistry between the actors is pretty good. It is not as intense as other BL series, but then again this one does not concentrate on the "spicy" bits (there is just one light kiss at the and, that's) and just three or four times holding hands. Period. If you are looking for a romantic relationship-centered story, this is not the place. Here the characters have to come to terms with the world as is, and struggle with the boundary conditions it imposes. It is by no means fatalistic (people have free choice and they also make use of it, however not without considering restrictions and consequences). Also, what makes this story so unique and brilliant, is that it also convincingly conveys a humanistic aspect, so kudos to the creators!

The only thing that annoyed me, was the rather abrupt ending. It isn't that the story makes no sense, it's just that the time leap was too much for a series (I guess this works perfectly in a book or a story, with the final chapter titled "some years later"), but it kinda felt awkward here. Or it might be that the last episode was an addition to the original story (which I have not read) thus feeling unconnected (especially since the characters' behavior sort of changed drastically to accomodate the expected happy ending). Nonetheless, this is a beautiful story about humanity, dressed up as a quasi-BL-romantic story, shot with excellent cinematography.

Would I watch it again? Hard to say. It is one of these series, which, once you know the plot, you do not get butterflies in your stomach, like typical BL series containing more romantic/teasing scenes. Is this bad? Well for me not at all, in fact this is one of the reasons I enjoyed this so much. Love was there, but not overcasting life itself. This is fulfilling both emotionally and morally (well at least in my eyes...)

Citeste mai mult

a surprisingly satisfying title

It's not a secret that I am not a big fan of GMMTV or Aof. Unlike many fans, I tend to find their writing a clumsy sort of saccharine, with a real tendency to explore serious/complex themes in ways that come off quite offensive and simplistic. I had mostly expected, like A Boss and a Babe, to have this show be a pretty mediocre show I pushed through for the enjoyment of watching actors I enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised to have been sucked into this world almost immediately and treated to one of the strongest, neatest scripts I've seen in a while. A Tale of a Thousand Stars manages to be a rare gem that pulls off everything it was hoping to accomplish in spades.

-The Full Review-

STORY:
I didn't really have any expectation of liking this show, so I didn't know much more than "organ transplant romance" and "Mix Sahaphap" going in. When I realized this was an organ-transplant-*voluntourism* plot, I was immediately nervous that the show would fall into a lot of irritating tropes like glorifying the traveling volunteer, insulting the local communities, or ignoring the harm these patchwork solutions do to the communities they serve. Thankfully, this show (for the most part) managed a very nuanced look at the industry.
Between the way that Tian doesn't really have any expectation of the career beyond finishing what Torfun started, the careful focus on the members of the community as complete people, and the quick and complete way that Tian's clumsier efforts to "help" are refuted, 1000 Stars largely manages to avoid the major pitfalls of this type of story. While some points may continue to be a little overly idealistic, I find it to be a nuanced and interesting exploration.
Aside from the community aspects, which do (to my joy) take a large portion of the screen time, I loved this romance dearly. Nothing is quite as good as a slowburn that is powered by character psychology and genuine conflict (over misunderstandings from plot-mandated lack of communication). Watching these two characters learn to understand each other and trust their forming relationship is truly beautiful. I especially appreciate these characters awareness of the others feelings, even long before they begin discussing it. It's a very mature relationship.

ACTING:
I absolutely adore both Earth Pirapat and Mix Sahaphap--I only started this show because I was so impressed with their work in Moonlight Chicken. Both of these actors bring an absolutely natural and beautiful vulnerability to their characters with a compelling chemistry. The way the two of them create connection in silence, communicating only with their eyes, is really quite remarkable. I am definitely going to be working my way through everything they've ever done.
Aside from the leads, I absolutely have to commend the child actors. It's a heavy script and there is a lot of focus on the children and their emotions. These kids carried out their parts beautifully, becoming a truly individual personalities and recognizable group of kids rather than a monolith of "the class." I really believed in their school community and the bonds they shared with each other and Tian. It is not an easy task, and the whole production should be proud.

PRODUCTION:
A necessary simplicity, given the setting, but the quality of the production was truly top notch. I have to especially commend the costumes team for the visual journey of Tian becoming part of this community. Some stand out selections include: Tian's traditional shirt when he goes into Chiang Mai, Phupha's button up date shirt, Torfun's scarves, and Everyone's wedding outfits. Just really excellent choices.
I also appreciated lighting design of this series. A lot of the night scenes got very dark, but for once I think it enhanced the series rather than inspired comparisons to Lord of the Rings and "when you could actually see what's happening on screen." The dark and stillness of this community became a very present aspect of the series. I loved the scenes when you could only catch glimpses of the actors expressions (and they always ensured you could see the action when necessary).

In all, this title has shot right to the top of my list. It's a perfect choice when you are looking for something slow, romantic, and healing. It's a really beautiful story.

Citeste mai mult

Transcending the simplicity?

Unlike many viewers I was not overwhelmed by this drama. Final note : 8.8/10

Yes the concept is different from Thai dramas of the genre but I had this feeling of unfinished business as if one or two episodes were missing to complete the picture. Nevertheless, it has the merit of being well directed and well acted especially for Mix Sahaphap whose first role it is. As for Earth, he has made enormous progress in his acting by finding a sort of balance between modesty and passion for his character. You can feel the chemistry between the characters, it's all fine and natural.

It's a wonderful romance, all tenderness and sweetness. There's an element of reality in the way it's done. There is a whole range of emotions and feelings that are exploited, guilt, fear of being judged by society, respect for one's elders, affection for children of the village, righteousness towards one's work and confidence in one's friendships and so many others. We go from laughter to tears, from anger to appeasement, from revolt to respect, from resignation to hope.

Each of the characters has a role to play in Tian's evolution and in the construction of their couple. It's just refreshing when there's no useless melodrama or characters to fill in the blanks.

Bonus: I really appreciate the fact that this drama shows us rural Thailand, far from the glitz, the nice houses, cars and expensive clothes and accessories.

Citeste mai mult

ep 9 and phu's audacity.

[read when you went past ep9]
minus .5 cuz ep 9 irritated me so much. yes phu, im talking about you :).. u lil shit. the audacity i cant- i still love the series with my whole heart tho.



my mans, tian, went through all sorts of heartache goddamn. heartbreak, literal heartache, almost died, betrayal, trauma, accident and emotionally too..


anyway phu technically redeemed himself but imo it wasnt enough i kinda wanted phu to beg for forgiveness lmao but oh well. (oh did i forget that tian literally apologized when shit wasnt even his fault??? yeah. im salty af)



but that forehead kiss gave me a seizure tho. i literally screamed and melted.

Citeste mai mult

Excellent from start to finish

A Tale of Thousand Stars is probably the most solid BL show I have watched. The story makes sense and carries strong throughout, big events towards the end are hinted at as the episodes go on and there are no shock twists that come out of left field or drama just for drama's sake, it all feel earned. It is not a *realistic* story by any means but one that I could still belive!

Acting is much the same; emotions felt real, chemistry was great and even the side characters were enjoying and very well protrayed. I loved the ending too, the show really stuck the landing! This is probably the first BL show with music that I actually remember after finishing, there were a couple of really beautiful songs that I'm now gonna hunt for online, they really added to the story as well.

In the beginning I struggled with second hand embarrasment a few times but it got better after Tian learned and grew as a character. I've honestly got no complaints, and can highly recommend to anyone!

Citeste mai mult

Fluffy, inspirational and avoids BL pitfalls

I had in my head that, for me to like a BL drama, i needed the overt romance to start early in a series.

"Tale of 1000 Stars" proved me wrong about myself. I can absolutely enjoy meaningful, edge-of-your-seat romance without any PDA or even the couple being together in any way. The gazes, a single lingering touch or even the delivery of a single sentence all can create a beautiful tension that leaves you wanting to see the resolution.

I've started writing this review before finishing the last episode, so i haven't even seen the ending and i can say that.

And rest easy, because if your worried about any questionable cliches between leads that are unfortunately common in the genre. Not a single one is present here.

This is the perfect PG romance

The premise is already interesting by itself but on top of that there are the actors, cinematography and script that really and truly make you feel the emotions the characters are feeling.

You don't just care about the leads. You care about the entire village and everyone who crosses paths with the leads.

Everything flows in a satisfying way. Each moment in the script makes logical sense. Sometimes things happen you don't want to happen, but it makes perfect sense in the script.

This story just unfolds before your eyes and makes you feel love.

It's sweet and gentle, and even without the romance, it's a wonderful inspirational story about a young man struggling to find meaning in life in the best way possible.

The emotions are strong in this one.

Citeste mai mult

I was hooked from start to finish.

This was absolutely amazing, from the story, to the characters, to the music. Everything about it was beautiful. I did blubber like a baby during the last episode; I am emotionally attached to this series. EarthMix are wonderful too! They’ve really solidified themselves as one of my favourite BL ships.

It was a bit frustrating towards the end with all the unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings. This was top tear slow burn torture!!! It made it feel a bit repetitive and drags a little bit towards the end but the ending made it worth it all.

A Tale of a Thousand Stars deserves more attention. Definitely one of my favourites.

Citeste mai mult

Tian’s character growth was done so beautifully!

I am more than just impressed with the story! I was worried that the whole premise of the show will be how Tian falls for Phu (and vice versa) because of Torfun’s heart that Tian got through the transplant surgery. It’s what we usually see as it goes with the whole romanticized idea that love and emotions come from the heart. I was over the moon when Tul, Tian’s friend, said that our emotions come from the brain when Tian expressed his worries that his emotions might actually be Torfun’s emotions.

The series is filled with extremely powerful and masterfully done imagery. I think some of the most memorable scenes are the ones where we see the comparisons between Torfun’s and Tian’s lives as well as the parallels between Tian’s old and new life. I think this is where we can really see how much progress Tian has made, just how much he matured and became a better version of himself. He went from this spoiled rich boy who didn’t value anything, to a very down-to-earth, grateful person who started to see value in little things. It was not an instant change, but a process that we got to follow through the series.

Phu & Tian: their relationship was really a slow burn relationship. I really liked the fact that they avoided pretty much every single cliché plot twist that we usually get in BL series. Instead, the actual conflicts came from just life running its course. It was refreshing to see. They both had their secrets, I guess we could call them that, that they weren’t ready to share with each other quite yet. Which is understandable, especially with them slowly developing feelings for each other. I think Earth and Mix have an amazing chemistry, they can portray a lot just through a gaze or a simple touch.

I think the cast in general did an amazing job with this series. The friends, the villagers, the kids… they all made the story flow so nicely. I loved how supportive they were of Phu & Tian’s relationship. I loved the fact that the friends who were the biggest shippers were actually straight – we didn’t get your usual everyone is gay series, which is another cliché in BL series.

The OST, the ending and even the sounds of the flute were perfect as well. I expected the series to make me cry at some point, however, I did not expect tears in pretty much every episode. It just shows what a great job everyone did when it came to portraying emotions. Tian’s guilt (even if misplaced) is something I could really feel at times.

It’s a must watch. Just keep some tissues on hand.

Citeste mai mult

I enjoyed it more then I thought

Honestly, I thought that this isn't exactly my type of series, but because everybody calls it a masterpiece, I decided to watch it, having very low expectations. But it was definitely not as boring as I thought that it would be. If you like I feel you linger in the air, you probably will like this, the vibe is pretty similar, but this is not as slow-paced imho.
The first few episodes weren't that exciting, but after the whole "tea-mafia" (which I didn't expect at all lol) thing started, I was hooked. If I'm honest, I expect there to be a "super-natural element" because he has her heart, so I was a little but disappointed, but that's my fault for assuming that lol.

What I liked:
The setting in the village was very interesting and that's one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much.
All characters felt real, they weren't perfect or comically evil, expect Sakda (and to some extent Torfun but obviously they won't talk bad about the dead teacher they all loved).
The way they dealt with Sakda was realistic, in the end the police arrested them, Tian and Phupha
aren't super heroes after all, but real people.
That Tian actually says that he is gay (or at least Tul said that) and no of the "I'm don't like men, I only like him". And I liked Tul.
The slow burn. The slow burn was the slowest slow burn I've ever seen from a Thai BL and I love slow burn in romance.
The music and cinematography were perfect to set the atmosphere in this beautiful village.

What I didn't like:
Phupha. At first I was annoyed by how arrogant Phupha was and how he treated Tian. After that he became nicer, but I was indifferent to him. Usually I absolutely love the stoic and cold kind of character (Tin from LBC, An Zian from Like Love, Korn form UWMA, even Ram from my engineer etc.) but I didn't like Phupha for some reason, maybe he was a little but to "bland" (but realistic), which I only noticed because he is in most of the scenes.
I didn't ship Tian and Phupha at all, I'm sorry. I shipped the Doctor and Tian, Longtae and Tian, Phupha and Torfun even, the Doctor and Phupha, Rang and Tian. I'm honestly not sure why, but I didn't really feel sparks between Tian and Phupha, only an emotional connection after both of them have falling for the other.

The way Tian "killed" Torfun. That seemed like it was only there to make the villagers hate him. Also, the way of him saying he killed her and then it was actually his friend felt really predicable, like ofc he didn't kill her himself, because I knew that the villagers and audience wouldn't have forgiven him then. But the show should have addressed how bad street racing is, (and definitely illegal in Thailand).

Why was Tian blamed for not telling the villagers that Torfun was dead. Why did the Ranger never say anything??? If anyone, they should have told everyone immediately, but instead Tian was blamed. (But he was rightfully blamed for being one of the reasons for Torfun's death). Honestly, I don't even blame him for not telling the villagers that he "killed" Torfun, I mean they would not have accepted them there and then he could not have fulfilled Torfun's wishes etc, which was his main goal. But that's probably an unpopular opinion.

The ending. I really expected a better ending than this, especially after how carefully this universe was build. It makes sense that they decided not to be together after Tian leaves, but then, Tian has to leave to the US and magically Phupha meets him at the airport and wants to be with him?? This was weirdly cliché for this kind of series. What about all the reasons they didn't get together in the first place? Yes, you could say he noticed that he can't be without Tian after being apart from him for some time, but I don't buy it, a guy like Phupha doesn't seem to change his decision easily. Also, how about their two year long-distance relationship(? idk if they were together or if he just "waited for him").

And did we all forget that they spied on the couple on the “dog howling night”, that was creepy and very weird and not even funny.

All in all, do I regret watching this? No, but it was beautiful and fun at times. In my opinion it is not the masterpiece everyone calls it though. Not my favorite, but definitely not a bad show.

Citeste mai mult

Unique take on the BL genre

This series is a "must see" for every Thai BL lover, but I think that anyone can enjoy it too, because the story is quite unique and moving. When we meet the main character, he feels unhappy and his life is meaningless, even though he seemingly can have anything he could wish for. Dramatic events of one night set him on a completely new course. Guilt, redemption, hope, friendship, love, caring for others - you will find all these strong emotions, beautifully acted by the main and supporting cast.
I encourage you also to watch the BTS materials, to see how much effort and dedication was needed to film this series, so that we can enjoy magnificent landscapes of northern Thailand and immerse ourselves in the life of a small village by the mountains.
It'a a 10 from me.

Citeste mai mult

One of the most beautiful BLs out there

It's stunning and beautiful in so many diffferent ways, not only in terms of cinematography but also story.

It's a far more mature plot than we are used to in especially Thai Bls, but it's what makes it special. We see these two people step by step falling in love, but we also watch how Tian falls in love with the life at the little village and everyone and everything who is a part of it.

Lots of people are frustrated by the lack of kisses, but I think we got a lot of intimacy before that. I do wish though the actual romance after the disruption was handled differently and more thouroughly. Also more couple moments would have been nice!

While a lot started to hate Phupa for what he said and done and I get their frustration, I think it was understandable to a degree, why he misunderstood. I just wish they would have talked about it better.

EarthMix were lovely, I am glad they have Moonlight Chicken coming up!

The music was ewually beautiful and really elevated the mood and feeling.

I really don't know what kind of magic P'Aof puts into his work but I hope he never stops!

Citeste mai mult

Slowburn but great development!

While I do think the relationship developed a bit slow, it was very cute to watch. Tian, who recently got a heart transplant, follows in the footsteps of the heart's former owner and become a volunteer teacher in a small village. There, he meets Phupha, the chief of the forest protection service. Tian learns that his heart donor was in love with Phupha, and realizes that he may be falling for him too.

I loved seeing Tian's growth as a character. From a rich kid with no cares in the world, ready to gamble away all his parents money, to an independent adult who decides that he should use his time to be around people that he cares about and help others. Seeing his relationship with Phupha develop was very satisfying and enjoyable to watch. Though there are moments of heartbreak and conflict, the dynamic between these characters is wonderful to watch unfold.

It did feel like a lot of the show was spent waiting for Tian and Phupha to finally be together. If you don't like a slow burn romance, this one is not for you. Personally, I enjoyed watching each character grow and change after meeting the other, and seeing how this change finally led them to be together was very satisfying.

Citeste mai mult