A Tale of a Thousand Stars (2021)

New Level of BL

If you've been a fan of BL for a while, you will remember the hype for this show. Fans had to wait nearly 2 years for this show, but it was worth the wait!

Firstly the concept is incredible. The characters are a bit older than your average university BL, so the show deals with some mature concepts. It's very refreshing to get out of the city and into the countryside - which the directors played with. We follow Tian's journey in Pha Phun Dao Village, learning how to live and adapt to new surroundings. The world-building in this show is incredible, you really feel like you're there.

For Mix's first acting job, he did a phenomenal job. He embodied Tian and portrayed his character development through his body language and voice. Plus, his chemistry with Earth and the other actors were incredible. It is crystal clear that the entire cast and crew got along while filming because nobody looked uncomfortable or stiff.

Speaking of characters, these characters are wonderfully written. There are clear motivations for each one and no one falls out of character. I do agree that Chief Phupha started acting differently when he started crushing on Tian. I personally didn't mind it as everyone acts differently when they have a crush, but yeah it did feel weird when shy Phupha started flirting and pursuing Tian.

I'd say the one main downfall of the show is the medical inaccuracies. Tian hardly recovered from his surgery when he travelled to Pha Phun Dao and almost died basically every episode. He followed NONE of the advice his doctor gave him and SOMEHOW stayed alive.

Overall, this show is incredible. It's realistic while feeling like a fantasy.
The romance isn't very explicit, nor is there much skinship, but the flirtatious moments set up for some really rewarding and emotional intimate scenes.
Not only does this show feature mature themes, but it's also hilarious. Plus the attitude towards LGBTQ+ people is phenomenal.
There is not a dull moment in this show, you will be taken on a rollercoaster of emotions, but it is well worth it - 10/10!

Leggi di Più

MUST WATCH

it took me about a year to finally get to watching this show and i’m glad i finally got to watching it. i hold this show so dear to my heart, especially after seeing how much work was put into it. this show is so much more than a love show. i need to commend earth and mix for their amazing acting. i’ll start with earth as he is a veteran actor. he absolutely portrayed phu in the best way possible. his facial expressions, his body language, his EYES, the light smiled here and there, his demeanor. everything was so perfect. there will never be a better phu than earth. as for mix, i absolutely commend his work as a baby actor. his devotion to his role as tian was so heartwarming to see. every little action that he took had meaning. every single he word he delivered was delivered flawlessly, im so endeared by earthmix, and i wish them the best in their careers going forward

Leggi di Più

This is not a BL or a Romance

This story had so much potential. I love the premise. But the execution is so poor. First of all this is far from a BL, even though it was promoted as such. There's absolutely no romantic chemistry between the leads. They do get together towards the very end but their story together is non-existent. This is like a poorly done personal development story for Tian's character. The screenplay is in shallow and lacklustre, the pacing is way too slow, and the acting is underwhelming. Honestly it's a waste of time if you're looking to enjoy a nice BL. If you just want a slice of life story, there are way better ones out there. I'm surprised it's so grossly overrated by BL watchers. My overall score is around 4, but seeing this show get so much underserved praise makes me want to be petty. Dropping it to 1.

Leggi di Più

Fantastic. Beautiful, but... This is not a LGBT+ show or a gay romance.

Absolutely beautiful. Almost perfect story.
Fantastic cinematography. Everything was almost perfect, but...
This was a perfect example of a BL for women. I can see why it scores so high with that demographic.

One word for this show, manipulative. I was looking forward to the last 3 episodes... But then Tian reverts to a child that cannot make his own decisions.

1. This was bromance, not romance. Slight innuendos and minor flirting does not make this a love story.

2. The writing made Tian's entire character a plot device. Tian's own feelings and acts were underplayed. It was Torfun's acts that was constantly talked about and praised, making HER the protagonist and not Tian.

3. Major problem with the 'Tian lied' storyline. Yes he did not tell them about the heart transplant, but it was Pupha and the rest of the officers that decided not to tell the villagers about her death. Being mad at him was very hypocritical, especially considering:

4. The revelation that Tian's father asked Pupha to look after Tian. Nothing about this made sense. It felt like a plot device just added to provide conflict. If this was true Pupha would have known about the heart transplant from the beginning.

5. The chemistry between the leads were never really explored. Instead we got multiple shots of a shirtless Earth.
A lot of reviewers are praising the almost total lack of intimacy between Tian and Pupha, citing their character's traits.
Sorry, no. That is not how relationships work. It really got frustrating and at the end, insulting.

Again, beautiful show, but it might as well have been made with male and female leads. (It almost felt like it was with the constant Torfun flashbacks.)

It could have been perfect.

Edited to add, after reading other 10/10 reviews, I'm changing the rating because of the manipulation by the director.

Leggi di Più

I am living with my expectations on this series! 2 episodes are done and I can say, KUDOS! TO ALL THE TEAM! This Series deserves to be more famous all around the world. 👍👌🤝🤝🤝

Cinematography is at its 100% perfection! Plot is also perfect. OST is the best! The actors/actresses are great! #EarthMix is the newest love team that we deserve. They deserve the fame also. 😘😘😘


There are spoilers in social medias but I don't watch it. I prefer to be hungry and more excited every week! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I commend Mix as a new artist of GMM for giving us his acting skills. He has a very angelic face for a guy. And I can't help myself staring at him whenever the camera is focusing on him. Waahhhhhhhhhhh! Ofcourse Earthe, 1 of my favorite actors. When he pull off his shirt, OH EM GEE!!! What the!!!!! He is very sexyyyyy! Shiaaa! With that bite chuchu. 😜😜😜😜 Furthermore, I am very happy that GMM is giving us a very well-done series! I commend GMM this time too! 👌👍


From Sotus, Sotus S, Theory of Love, Dark Blue Kiss, 2gether and now A Tale of Thousand Stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Leggi di Più

Flawless

The story is really articulated. At any moment you have no idea on how the story might develop, which keeps the interest up. I also appreciated the fact the love story isn't too sappy or irrealistic. Actually they don't even show too much affection in an obvious way. They don't need to show anything to know that they're in love and this is really interesting and clever, because it makes their relationship look genuine, deep and intimate.

The actors were just perfect. Mix in particular was always able to efficiently portray the emotions of his character. There were a lot of sad and emotional scenes (like A LOT), but despite this I never felt like his acting was exaggerated.

What I didn't like was Sakda's subplot. It didn't add much to the story and they didn't even finish it. They just implied the police was tracking them down, but there was no actual development. I really don't understand the point of that subplot, but because it was so minor, I'm not going to complain too much either. At the end of the day the show isn't impacted by it.

Anyway, I recommend this 100%. According to my personal taste, there are better shows, but I can't deny this is absolutely top tier in its category. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to anyone who loves the genre. Just beware: many people nicknamed this "A tale of thousand tears" and to be honest this is really accurate. The emotional involvement is extreme (this might be a good thing or a bad thing, depends on your personal taste).

Leggi di Più

Ca bouge enfin du côté des BL Thaï

La Thaïlande semble enfin prête à nous fournir des BL plus adultes qui s'écartent des traditionnelles histoires universitaires. Après Manner of Death, qui mélange action et polar, et Lovely Writer qui s'amuse avec les codes du boy's love, on nous offre une romance rurale plutôt sympathique, inspirée elle aussi d'un bouquin. Bref résumé de l'histoire : étudiant richissime et pourri gâté, Tian reçoit une greffe de cœur en urgence. Après avoir trouvé le journal de Torfun (sa donneuse décédée la même nuit, qui était enseignante bénévole dans un petit village perdu dans la montage), il décide de changer de vie, prendre sa place et poursuivre son œuvre. Ce faisant, il va progressivement tomber amoureux de Pha, le chef de la garnison chargée de protéger ce secteur frontalier.

L'intrigue en elle-même n'a rien de très exceptionnel, elle est d'ailleurs plutôt lente, mais elle est néanmoins riche et bien exploitée. Les décors montagneux sont magnifiques, le village et ses habitants bien rendus, le contexte fouillé, et malgré quelques longueurs on ne s'ennuie pas vraiment. Bien que certains épisodes nous offrent un peu d'action, ce n'est pas le principal. On suit essentiellement l'adaptation de Tian à cette nouvelle vie très éloignée de ses habitudes ainsi qu'à son nouveau rôle d'enseignant volontaire, ses tentatives plus ou moins fructueuses de gagner l'affection des habitants et surtout, l'évolution de sa romance avec Pha, compliquée par le fait qu'il vit grâce au cœur d'une femme que les villageois ont connue et appréciée, d'autant que la plupart ignorent son décès. A part quelques moments plus soutenus, pas de grosses tensions ou de grande passion donc, mais l'originalité du scénario, son rythme paisible et son cadre rendent l'histoire agréable.

Une fois n'est pas coutume dans un BL Thaï, ici le jeu d'acteur est en général assez bon. Je dis "en général", parce que j'ai toujours eu du mal avec le comédien Earth Pirapat Watthanasetsiri, qui interprète Pha. Je ne le trouvais déjà pas très inspiré dans Water Boyy et les 2-3 autres dramas dans lesquels je l'ai vu, et ce n'est certes pas A Tale of Thousand Stars qui va changer mon opinion à son sujet. J'ai beau me forcer, je ne lui trouve décidément aucun charisme. Il jouerait dans n'importe quel drama d'action, ok je ne dis pas, sans doute aurait-il sa place. Mais là on parle d'une romance, le minimum serait qu'il dégage un peu quelque chose, à défaut d'une réelle alchimie entre les acteurs. Le pire c'est que j'ai l'impression qu'il ne sait pas trop comment jouer les émotions autrement qu'en soupirant. Il soupire quand il est agacé, il soupire quand il est triste, il soupire quand il hésite, il soupire quand il est timide... Bref, à la fin je n'entendais plus que ses soupirs, au point qu'ils ont fini par m'obséder comme le feraient les crissements des ongles sur un tableau. Bon, pour être tout à fait honnête avec lui et parce que je suis une gentille fille, j'étais à l'affût de tous les points positifs que je pouvais lui trouver, et c'est vrai qu'il s'améliore dans les deux derniers épisodes où il devient un peu plus touchant et crédible dans ses émotions, la preuve je ne l'ai entendu soupirer que 3 fois. Quant à Mix Sahaphap Wongratch qui interprète Tian, je n'irais pas jusqu'à affirmer que c'est un excellent acteur, sa palette d'émotions est plutôt réduite elle aussi (il faut admettre que son personnage n'est pas censé danser de joie), mais contrairement à son partenaire, il est charismatique et émouvant, donc on va dire que ça rattrape le truc surtout que cela semble être son premier vrai rôle . Enfin, j'ai eu l'agréable surprise de découvrir un réel talent et là encore un certain charisme, chez l'acteur Khaotung Thanawat Ratanakitpaisan qui joue ici un rôle secondaire. En bref, tout le contraire de sa présence désastreuse dans le très oubliable "TonhonChonlatee", où il interprétait la 2ème moitié dudit titre. Espérons qu'après A Tale of Thousand Stars, on lui offrira plus de boulots à sa mesure. Quant au reste du casting (villageois, militaires, etc.) ils s'en sortent relativement bien, en tout cas je les ai trouvés plutôt naturels, même les gamins. Et cerise sur le gâteau pour les habitués des BL, on peut reconnaître le fameux Noh de Love Sick qui joue le meilleur ami du héros, et à la toute fin l'evil bitch de TonhonChonlatee, tous deux également dans des rôles secondaires.

Comme d'hab, on a aussi droit à des scènes ridicules de placement de produits, où la caméra s'attarde bien trop longtemps sur l'étiquette de divers(e)s chips / boissons / savons (barrez les mentions inutiles) dont nos personnages font usage, mais par chance ça arrive un peu moins souvent que dans d'autres BL Thaï, franchement on a vu pire et ça reste supportable. Peut-être parce que cette série et son cadre s'adressent à un public plus large et moins influençable que les adolescentes que l'on cible d'ordinaire ? Ou bien parce qu'il est difficile de placer des scènes visant à promouvoir du mascara quand les villageoises n'ont même pas l'eau courante ? Mystère...

En tout cas, je ne regrette pas d'avoir découvert ce drama. L'intrigue plus grave et plus adulte nous change des niaiseries habituelles, sans compter qu'on nous offre de très beaux paysages. Quant à l'acteur principal, il est quand même convaincant et parvient à nous attendrir malgré son jeu plutôt réduit (mais comme je l'ai dit, je pense que c'est son rôle qui veut ça) et je serais vraiment emballée de le voir dans d'autres productions. L'intrigue est suffisamment sympathique pour nous faire oublier ses quelques longueurs, le contexte général est bien développé, et aucun personnage n'adopte de comportement problématique du genre à diviser l'opinion. Bref, une belle histoire qui vaut la peine d'être visionnée, ne serait-ce que pour encourager la nouvelle direction prise par les productions BL thaïlandaises, en espérant qu'ils poursuivront dans leur volonté de diversifier leur offre.

Leggi di Più

The new standard of BLs! One of the best BLs in the past 5 years!

I was done with school based BLs and BLs where the leads are rowdy teenagers in school/college. This BL was a breath of fresh air and frankly one of the GMMTV's best BL series. There were proper adults in the drama playing adult roles and it was lovely to experience the leads' journey towards love for each other.

Reasons to watch this series
1. Simple yet amazing story, quality production and beautiful cinematography
2. Solid acting by the leads and supporting cast
3. No unnecessary scenes - there were no unnecessary sexual scenes between the leads, yet their chemistry was worth watching
4. Music and OST - the title track itself is very good

8.5/10 because at times the plot was very slow and some scenes could have been acted well.

With this series and Manner of Death, I am glad that there is some refreshing change. Do not miss this - A must watch!!

Leggi di Più

Felt Manipulated and Empty

I am perhaps in a minority here. While I liked the series, I do not think it is great nor a masterpiece of any sorts. Sure, it is well-acted but the story itself was so convoluted and contrived. This series simply tried too hard to get us to like it. It certainly tugged at our heartstrings. It had all the right elements - children, poverty, bad-guys, redemption, guilt, and a stab at romance. And many, many people certainly liked this series. But it all felt so empty to me, and I felt manipulated. I know that is what stories are supposed to do but I wanted and needed to feel something - a strong connection, something relatable, an emotional link. I simply just did not get it. What bothered me the most was yet again a BL story refusing to consummate its relationship with any kind of romantic gesture (i.e. kiss). Dear God, when is this going to stop. If you love one (or even like someone a lot), a simple kiss on the lips is not a commitment to enteral love or even marriage, Kissing one's forehead is an insult to everyone who is in a real relationship.

Leggi di Più

the best thai BL I've ever watch

Story: I can confidently say that this is the most heartwarming and relatable thai drama ever. Tian, being a teacher after a car crash that almost costs his life, meets phupha, a forest ranger, and fell in love. I love how they write Tian's character development, from a men who doesn't believe in anything, to someone who inspires others. i think this is very nice.
Acting: despite being new to acting, mix portrayed tian with so much feeling. his expression is very good and not awkward at all. the chemistry between mix and earth was so nice. earth as usual, did a very great job. he deserved more popularity.
music: as a traditional music fan, i really liked it when they used traditional thai music instrument incorporated in the song.
rewatch value: since the final episode was released, i already rewatched this for idk how many times but I remember I watch this everyday in a week after the finale.
overall, it was a great BL with unnecessary drama-llama and has a really warm story that could make you cry the entire series.

Leggi di Più

Good For One Watch, Slow Burn, Mix Is Captivating.

Good for one watch if you don't mind it dissolving into unnecessary, predictable, and angsty melodrama for a while. Overall I'm glad I saw it (mainly because Mix is a fantastic actor and I really enjoy watching him in his characters), but I won't watch it again.

Ten 60-75min episodes. Great (8.5 or 9 out of 10) then Ep 7 started to slide into some clichés and frustrating character choices. Then Ep 8 & 9 were full of clichéd plot lines, all so predictable in their character stupidity. People said things or didn't say things in unrealistic ways to force the contrived plot points aimed at emotional angst to work. The screenplay became so melodramatic. I started watching at 2x the speed, rolling my eyes frequently, and so annoyed that I stopped caring about the story and stopped feeling for the characters. I just wanted to get it over with.

In Ep 10 the stupidity died down a little and it became watchable again and Mix's acting managed to get me re-invested in his character. The second half of Ep 10 was great and satisfying. One of the best airport scenes ever! I usually find them cringworthy but this one was understated, heartfelt, and perfect, even with other character's reactions.

Earth is not my favorite actor but he was surprisingly more nuanced in this than in Moonlight Chicken.
All of the secondary and tertiary characters did great.

This is one long, major slow-burn! It stays pretty PG, but the hearfelt way Ep 10 was done made it satisfying nonetheless.

Leggi di Più