A Tale of a Thousand Stars (2021)

The standard has been SET.

I have been watching BL’s for four years now, and A Tale of 1000 Stars is by far one of the most fulfilling shows that has been produced from this genre.

The all-round quality of acting, directing, cinematography and screenwriting is impeccable and I have been having a hard time trying to bring myself to enjoy watching other current BL’s - the standard was that good. A Tale of 1000 stars had been sitting in my ‘To Watch’ for a long time, I couldn’t get myself around to as I was concerned the ‘Heart Transplant’ trope was going to result in Tian only being attracted to Phupha because he ‘became’ Torfun, but the progression of the show proved me wrong and I completed it in one whole night.

Acting / Cinematography / Sound Track

To begin with, this is by far one of the most unconventional BL’s out there - a masterpiece Backaof should be proud of. The depth of the narrative seems completely independent of the genre as a whole, and does not play into any of the common BL tropes, creating a series that is realistic, and a love story that viewers can truly immerse themselves in and connect to.

The aesthetic of the series is beautiful, I understand there was a lot of tropical weather to contend with, but the production remains top quality. The cinematic hues are washed with warm tones setting a warm, somewhat nostalgic mood.

The composition of the frame and cutting is extremely well planned, enhancing the natural chemistry between Mix and Earth. They portray the emotions of the characters they play realistically and these are perfectly captured on film. The tensions that are created through the aforementioned film techniques showcase their acting skills further, and viewers are able to clearly understand how the characters are feeling. Not to mention the carefully crafted soundtrack, there is no cheesiness, and the music matches the moods of the scenes perfectly.

Themes / Character Development

I find many BL’s focus on petty relationship drama, just trying to create a light-hearted and feel good story. The depth of ATOTS does not take away from the the ‘feel-goodness’ but successfully goes down a route that challenges themes of Identity and Class Divide.

The romance is intertwined with Tian’s story of finding himself immaculately. The role of both Phupha and Tian complement themselves in a way that their characters are both able to develop. By the end of the series, it is clear that they both have a clear individual of self, which makes for a mature relationship. Together they overcome guilt and regret, learn about forgiveness to themselves and each other and are comfortable with their relationship regardless of a class divide. They are both comfortable with their own purpose in love, contributing to their understanding of what it means for them to be together, and the strengths and weaknesses each of them has.

I absolutely loved the way Tian learnt about community. You could definitely see how the villagers felt about a ‘Rich City Kid’ coming to have a bit of ‘fun’ but the way Tian developed an identity within a community was a beautiful way to show his growth as a person, and illustrate his understanding of the value in life.

I loved the coming out scene of Tian to Tul. The reaction, acceptance and support seemed so natural and is how it should be! The role of the supporting characters is often undercapitalised by BL’s but the function of a family unit, the supportive best friends and the guidance from the older members of the community really contributed to the development of the main characters.

Summative Comments

This is truly one of the few BL’s that successfully communicates realistic issues, and challenges the viewer to consider the way that they perceive their own value and life.

Finally, of course the love story was extremely satisfying - I think I was crying from episode 6 onwards, but by the end it was pure tears of joy.

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This Drama is PERFECT. Their HARD WORK is WONDERFUL

I just finished watching the last episode of "a tale of thousand stars" and it left me with so many emotions that i decided to write a review in order to pour them all out.

For everyone who is still contemplating wether you should give this drama a try or not, i want to help you by saying "YES, you should definitly watch it". Without giving too much away, everything in this show is just so spot on. The story, the characters, the soundtrack, the cinematography, ... You can practically feel, how much work and thought were put into every single scene.

Everything makes sense. There's a read thread going through each episode, starting from the very first one to the finale. It never loses focus on the original plotpoint, still giving the characters and the storyline room for development.

What i personally loved most about the show, is the complexity of the different characters and their relationships towards each other. Their actions and feelings are not just black and white, right and wrong. There is so much going on on the inside and they were written so cleverly, that despite their complexity, they are still relatable and the viewer can empathize with them.

Last but surely not least, let's talk about he incredible chemistry between the two male protagonists. Every time Tian and Phupha interact with each other - heck, every time they even just look at each other - you can feel the tension and electricity going on between them. There are literal sparks flying around them. I salute to Earth and Mix for their fantastic performance.

In conclusion, I can nothing but recommend this show, It truly moved my heart and i am sure it will move yours as well.

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SOMETHING LIKE THIS NEED TO BE APPRECIATED AND LOVED!

SO HERE IS MY FIRST REVIEW IM NOT A PERSON WHO USUALLY EVEN THINK OF IT, BUT THIS SHOW MADE ME REALIZE THAT IT NEED TO BE REVIEWED SO HERE IT IS- FIRST REACTION WOULD BE " WHAT A SHOW" I MEAN IM VERY CYNICAL ABOUT BL STORIES AS I USUALLY SEE BL'S WITH LESS CONTENT AND MORE LIKE HENTAI PART .I MEAN ME AS A BL FAN IS NOT ONLY A HENTAI WE ALSO NEED STORY TO SEE I M NOT WATCHING 12 TO 14 EP JUST FOR SCENES . BUT THIS SERIES TICKS ALL MY BOXES ESPCIALLY CONVINCING POWER TO ACTUALLY MAKE YOU BELEIVE WHAT THEY ARE PLAYING IS NOT JUST A CHARACTER BUT THEM THEMSELVES FOR THE DEFINED SCREEN TIME AND I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THIER ACTING SKILLS CAUSE THEY BOTH DID A EXCELLENT JOB CAUSE THIS IS NOT A NORMAL LOVE STORY WHERE TWO PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE , THEY SAY IT,SOME ISSUES IN BETWEEN , THEY COME TOGETHER AND THATS IT .NO ITS MORE LIKE A MATURE LOVE WHERE PEOPLE SAY LESS AND MEAN MORE . I LOVE THE DIRECTION ITSELF . THERE WHERE SOME DEEP MOMENTS AND WOW I STILL CAN'T GET OVER I WANT TO WRITE MORE ABOUT IT BUT IG YOU ALL WILL GET MY EMOTIONS TOWARDS THIS SHOW ! AND DO WATCH IF YOU HAVEN'T IT WON'T DISAPPOINT YOU ANWAY ENJOY WATCHING THIS BEAUTIFUL TALENTED COUPLE! IM ROOTING FOR THEM MORE! I HOPE THIS WILL HELP YOU !

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One of the best

As someone who’s watched over 70 bls, this is easily in my top five.
Im so sad this beauty of a show is finished , it took me weeks to finally watch episodes 8-10 and now I feel like a part of me is missing.
This is the kind of show that has strong chemistry by the simplest of things. Whenever they look at each other or glance , you can just feel the fire of their love. It’s one of those shows where it doesn’t feel awkward when they stare at each other, like you’re intruding on a private moment. It’s a show that makes you happy even by the smallest of things, and as cute as that kiss scene was, the show would’ve been perfectly fine without it.

The storyline is so well done and well written. You have this rich boy who likes to party with his friends , and because of a second chance at life, he puts himself in a position totally opposite from his lifestyle. You see the difference from being a upperclassman, to someone who is basically poor. The message of this story basically tells you that you really don’t need money to make you happy. You have one life, so live the way you want. Don’t waste a minute of it and Just do what makes your heart happy.

Earth does such an amazing job playing as Phupha, someone who’s strict but also shows his warmth beneath the suit. His facial expressions and the tone of his voice even , I literally can’t imagine anyone else with that kind of roll. And hello rookie actor Miew. Tian is one of my new bl crushes and I need more of this actor, I’m so surprised that he’s a rookie. His way with the children and those big beautiful eyes when they look at Chief, you just can’t help yourself and just fangirl. When he smiles, you smile. when he cries, you also cry. He’s very good at showing his heart as he acts and Tian had a lot of moments where his heart was shown.
Other actors aside, I love Dr. Nam, Torfun, the kids, but especially Longtae. Longtae didn’t have that second male lead that are often in shows, even tho at one point it seemed like it might’ve been heading there. He played such an amazing best friend to Tian, and helped him whenever he noticed Tian was in trouble . I hope to have a Longtae in my life, what a guy.

OST was a perfect 10/10, I really loved the edition of the wooden flute, everything else along with it was just stunning. I applaud to the musicians who put their hard work into it.

If you’re thinking about watching this, even a little bit , take the chance to watch it. It really opened up an eye for me and I don’t think I’ll take anything for granted again, because most of us don’t get that second chance of life. I pray that they make a Season 2 , but with no intense storyline. I’m happy to watch another 10 episodes of Tian and Phupha being cute, see their daily dating life in the village, and perhaps seeing more of Phuphas personal life. I will most definitely rewatch this in the future, easy easy rewatch value in here. WATCH IT!

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Things that I really want to see in a movies or series are: looks, chemistry, acting, and storyline.

LOOKS: Mix Sahaphap Wongratch (Tian) He is cute and very perfect for the role.
Earth Pirapat Watthanasetsiri (Phupha) He is very handsome, nice body built, perfect to be a man in uniform and
when he smiles your heart will melt.


CHEMISTRY: Their chemistry is not so romantic for me. (Just my opinion)

ACTING: When it comes to their acting, both of them did a good job in their respective roles. I can really say that they gave justice to it.

STORYLINE: This is quite interesting because the set-up of the story is not common with most BL's that always happened in universities. This one really spice up the setting environment of the story. They are showing that a person can be happy with what are the things that they have as long as we are contented of it. The story teaches us that we must have to accept the things that we have. Living a simple life can make you happy as long as you know how to deal with it. Always put positivity in it.



# PrinceEldie's Review 2021

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Cute LGBTQ drama

I must admit I wasn't too bothered when I watched the trailer so didn't give this much thought when it first came out, however, I have finished watching it now and I quite enjoyed it.

I was a bit concerned at first with the heart transplant situation that this was going to go down the route of "I'm not actually gay it's because I have a woman's heart that I'm attracted to you" but thankfully this wasn't pushed. None this nonsense of "I'm only really gay for you" (*cough* SOTUS, 2gether).

The main end scene with Tian/Phupha could have been done slightly differently in my view which would have flowed better, and it drags on a bit at times but they are minor gripes. Other than that I would probably echo most of the positive comments and reviews and won't bore you with the same things again.

I just wanted to say though that Mix's acting in this is very good for a rookie actor. He should be very proud of himself, and I hope GMMTV appreciates it. Sadly, I'm not sure they will as they seem to want to stick to their usual pretty but talentless cash cows which is a shame. But who knows - maybe I will be proven wrong this time.

Earth does a decent job as well but Mix really steals his scenes in this for me. White as Tul also does a good job - he only has as few scenes but they are memorable so a good job from him as well.

All and all a decent series with good acting and an interesting story.

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THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL A "MASTERPIECE"!!!! OKAY!!!!!

First of all, this BL has its own unique storyline that is very interesting to follow and almost every aspect of this series is top-notch! GMMTV really did that! Thank you!! This is one of the best and timeless BL Series I've ever watched and even though I haven't watch the finale episode, this is considered as a perfection. OSTs are so beautiful, acting and portrayal of characters were perfectly done. I personally appreciate and love everything in this series in infinite folds. This series also stood out among any other BL Series out there along with He's Coming to Me. Don't argue with me because everything were just so perfect. The revelations and interconnected characters and circumstances included in this series really kept my interest. This series is worth the wait. Hope GMMTV have it a special ep or season 2 will be great. Hate to say goodbye to this series but hope GMMTV make another masterpiece like this.

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The BEST BL show I’ve seen (till now)!

I watched ATOTS while it was airing and looked forward to spending my Friday nights with the show! Everything from the acting/cast, to the cinematography with beautiful locations, OST and storyline was simply perfect! What I liked the most was how the series didn’t need to show many intimate scenes for us to understand the love that was growing between the two leads.

The second half of the series was especially good and I was crying so badly every episode (Ep 8 - 10 were just crazy good)! I love how real it got towards the end and they did not try to give us a “fairytale” ending. Things happened when they were meant to happen and I love that about the show!

I still cry every now and then when I revisit my favourite scenes! Overall, I give it 10s across the board and I would recommend everyone to watch it!

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Best BL of 2021

Things that I like about the series:
- Storyline wise, I loved it. This was another original concept that I felt was executed well.
- Let's dive into the characters. Tian has the best character development that I've ever seen, period. Not just in BL, but in general. Normally when we have the trope of spoiled rich kid who spends their time in a less fortunate environment, it's usually because they're forced into it. But for Tian, he VOLUNTEERS to go to Pha Pun Dao of his own free will. Even better, he knows it's a challenge for him. He's never cooked or cleaned for himself, and was practically born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he willingly leaves it all behind, even when it's technically not a good idea for him given his poor health.
- Speaking of Tian, him and Phupha's chemistry was electrifying. I think what makes their connection so strong was the fact that Earth and Mix, who plays the lead roles, have known each other for 7+ years prior to this series. It shows in how easily they interact with each other. Both actors were amazing in their roles. They are one of my favorite ships to date, right beside OhmFluke.
- Speaking of acting, I once again have to go back to Mix, and his role as Tian. 1000stars is Mix's first ever acting role, and yet, you could never tell that by watching this show. Mix did such an amazing job this series! From the BTS, I know he struggled along the way, but all his hard work truly paid off. Mix will be a force to be reckoned with in the BL industry. I know he'll also be in Fish Upon the Sky, so I look forward to seeing his acting skills once again.
- Let's talk about the scenery for a minute. Pha Pun Dao village and the surrounding forest was so breathtakingly beautiful! I haven't seen a lot of BL series yet, but from the few that I have seen, almost none of them have expanded their surroundings as much as this show. There's just something about nature that brings the whole show to life.
- The OST is one of my favorites, especially the opening theme. It's one of the few songs I actually want to try learning the lyrics to, even though it's in another language.
- Next, let's talk about the romance. This is a very slow-burning romance where Tian and Phupha don't even get together until the literal end of the series. Nevertheless, I love the affection and intimacy that is shown between them. There's no sex scenes or hot kissing, but this show didn't need it. We were able to perfectly see how much Tian and Phupha liked each other through their gestures, both big and small.
- I also like the lack of toxicity there was in the "relationship." No abuse, or crazy ex girlfriends, misunderstandings, etc. While I know there will be a few who disagrees with me, I believe this is one of the more mature pairings in BL.
- Lastly, I want to talk about the messages that this show produces. 1000stars tackles a lot of life lessons such as never taking life for granted, how happiness isn't always defined by riches, forgiveness, how we should always try to better ourselves, and how we should always work to help others. All of which are valuable lessons that we should all take to heart. We should all live our days as if it's our last because you never know when it will.

Things that I didn't like about the series:
- Honestly, there wasn't a whole lot I disliked about the series. There were a few minor things that bugged me, but nothing that hindered my enjoyment, thankfully.
- Let's talk about realism for a moment. I'll be completely honestly, it wasn't that realistic. Things like how Torfun's death was handled, to the villagers constantly changing their minds about Tian whether liking or disliking him, the whole ordeal with Mr. Sakda, etc. Like I said, not very realistic. That said, I actually didn't mind it that much. This was the ideal fairytale romance, and that's what I loved about it. We even got true love's kiss at the very end, which adds more to that fairytale element. Disney should take a few notes.
- The one thing that really bothered me, and we never really got a reason as to why this happened, but I hate that Phupha deliberately kept the news of Torfun's death a secret from the village, which in turn, became Tian's shoulder to burden. It's honestly not fair that he had to be the one who break the news, and I seriously can't figure out why it had to be him. It only added more fuel to the fire for him, and honestly, my heart broke for Tian during his admission about Torfun.
- Okay, I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for this one, but please hear me out! I love Earth as Chief Phupha, but I felt the character was very one-dimensional. He has almost little-to-no character development. He finally speaks up about what he really wants and feels at the end, but even then we still had Tian practically pulling it out of him. It was really annoying. I wish we had more time to develop his character more. The most we know about him is both parents are dead, and he doesn't want a partner because of how his mother felt when his father passed. That's pretty much it. I want more.

And while we're on the subject, let me share my thoughts about Chief Phupha's actions in episodes 8-10:
-I know a lot of people were very frustrated with Phupha since Tian broke the news to the village about Torfun. I myself was kindof pissed by how he was acting, but at the same time, I somewhat understand why he was acting the way he was. Him being mad at Tian when Tian said he was the reason Torfun is dead should've been obvious to everyone. Phupha even said he'd never forgive the person who killed Torfun, and here's Tian who basically said "I killed her!" It's a tough pill to swallow, and yes, anyone in his shoes would act out of anger in the beginning.
- As for Phupha pushing Tian out of the village to go back home, I can also understand where he's coming from. Let's be real here for a minute. Yes, Tian would want to stay because he grew to live it in the village, but he still had unfinished business to take care of at home. He's young and currently working on finishing his degree. His health is also not the best at the time. Let's not forget he nearly died TWICE during his time in the village. Not to mention Tian wasn't doing the best job at looking after his health. Also, the main reason why he was in the village was because of Torfun, not really for him. It was him wanting to get rid of the guilt he felt. Now that got Phupha and the villagers forgiveness, HE NEEDED TIME to forgive himself and figure out what he wanted to do with his life next. Phupha is in his thirties, which gives him seniority. He's essentially doing what he felt was best for Tian because he didn't want Tian to continue living his life because of Torfun.
- That said, was Phupha harsh about it? Absolutely. I'm not denying that he took it too far with trying to push Tian out, but I do understand his reasonings, and his fear that Tian may one day regret staying and not finishing his degree or doing something more with his life.

Overall Thoughts:
This story is so amazing, and definitely a top tier BL series in my book. Everything from the characters, to the storyline, the atmosphere, and music, was top notch. This show filled me with so much emotions, and also made me want to try living in a village like Pha Pun Dao. Like I said earlier, Tian had one of the best character developments I've ever seen, and for a rookie actor, Mix was incredible in the role. Other than the question of realism and how much Chief Phupha frustrated me towards the last 3 episodes, I thoroughly enjoyed this show. This is one BL I will never forget, one I will always recommend, and one I'll definitely watch more than once.

Rank: 9/10

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I love this drama

What i like about this drama is not as other BL dramas no school boy no erotic scenes no cheating, whole story is perfect and leave to you deep feeling, after i finish watching this drama left me special feeling i can’t describe with a word, i want s2 ggmtv pls and highly recommend you guys to watch.
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After a volunteer teacher dies in a tragic accident, her heart is transplanted into Tian. He learns about his donor’s life through a series of diary entries that reveal her secrets and interests. Included is her promise to count a thousand stars with Chief Forest Officer Phupha.
Tian then decides to follow in her footsteps and fulfill her promise. Now a new volunteer teacher himself, Tian attempts to befriend Phupha, who initially gives him the cold shoulder.
As the two slowly grow closer, Tian noticed his new heart beats quickly whenever near the officer. Much like the heart’s previous owner, Tian cannot help but fall for Phupha. Treading on dangerous ground, can he still go through with the thousand-star promise?

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