A Tale of a Thousand Stars (2021)

A Tale of Thousand Stars

Where to begin? This drama has immediately joined my top 3 list. I don't want to do too much spoiling and spoil the drama for would be viewers. But for me, this drama is in the ranks of Until We Meet Again and He's Coming to Me.

Without spoiling much, the reason why this drama resonated with me was the tension between Tian and Phu Pha. Both actors expertly conveyed that feeling of the tension when you fall in love with someone but you're shy to say it first because you don't want to be rejected by that person because you care so much about them. There is so much tension that goes back and forth, where you think one person will finally confess their love for the other, but they don't have the courage to do so. There's one scene at the end of Episode 8 that I have rewatched over 10 times. In this scene, Phu Pha and Tian are talking to one another, and indirectly Phu Pha is saying how he cares about Tian without ever saying those words. Tian keeps trying to push Phu Pha to come forth and confess, and even then Phu Pha can't bring himself to say it. But the lovingly way that Tian stares at Phu Pha was so relatable.

I think Mix is an extraordinary actor, and I'm surprised he doesn't pursue a career in acting. His acting is never exaggerated. It's subtle and nuanced, but when he stared into Earth's eyes in the drama, I believed he was in love with him. It never felt awkward or forced. If someone told me they were lovers I would have believed it. This is definitely hard to pull off because in the back of our heads we know that most BL actors are straight and not actually romantically involved. Therefore, sometimes we can pick up on the awkwardness they might have with each other when they act lovey-dovey scenes. Definitely not these two. It feels genuine, and it feels believable; that is this drama's forte: the ability to pull you into the story.

My only beef with the drama, and this is mostly for all Thai BL dramas: the advertising. I know that these companies are advertising your show. I get that there must be some sort of agreement between the company advertising their product. But if suddenly in a drama someone stops to say, "Oh this product is really delicious," or "This is a really good facial cleanser because it's not oily and it has a wonderful smell," it breaks the viewers from what is happening in the drama. You know, product placement in USA dramas and TV shows are rampant, but usually discreet. Like someone only drinking coke all the time. Or having coke bottles in the room without ever mentioning that they're drinking coke. Or how Transformers used General Motors for most of their cars. We can pick up which brand it is without having the cars stop and say, "Wow, you're a General Motors car, you must drive smoothly," etc. I think if Thai dramas find a better way to advertise, it will help dramas not lose focus of the story they are trying to tell.

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A special BL that deserves your time

I think I've made it my mission to get everyone I know to watch this show lol. I absolutely LOVED this series. Music, acting, storyline, cinematography, EVERYTHING was done so well.

This is the first Thai BL that I actually followed as it aired and I was hooked from the beginning and I think what originally intrigued me, from the first trailer, was how different it is from other BLs (i.e. the setting to the professions of the main characters), but the differences in details are just the tip of what sets this apart from other BLs. For me, this show is much more mature than the other BLs I've seen in terms of the themes, social commentary, the way the characters conduct themselves emotionally. Maybe I'm just old (lol) but the fact this show, despite being only 10 episodes long, was a slow burn really made me appreciate the journey P'Aof, Eath, and Mix take us on.

EarthMix/PhuphaTian:
Earth and Mix really hit it out of the park. Their acting and chemistry was nothing short of phenomenal. They really put their heart into their characters and it definitely comes off on screen. They really did an amazing job making me feel what they felt—I laughed with them, I cried with them, I got annoyed and angry (here's looking at you Chief in episode 8), I felt giddy (Episode 3!!). I think there's a criticism about all the quiet staring between the two MCs, but for me, this was one of my favorite things about this show. You're watching two characters fall in love with each other, but they're so hesitant for their own reasons (Tian coming to terms with his sexuality and Phu being an awkward 30 year old who hasn't learned how to adequately convey his feelings lol (relatable)). Mix and Earth say so much with their eyes that I feel like you can't adequately express with words and for me, I loved watching them slowly get to the place where they're finally able to say the words out loud. For me, this made all the heartbreaking scenes even more heartbreaking and the ending that much more satisfying.

Story/Music:
Fantastic. There's no other word for it. I'm grateful for Bacteria for creating such amazing source material and words can't describe how much in awe I am of P'Aof and whoever else worked on translating the novel into the script/story. I haven't finished the book yet, but from what I understand there are some differences (as expected), but without knowing what those differences are I trust P'Aof did what he thought was best for the series. You can tell a lot of thought went into the story as just about no stone goes left unturned. Every detail is so meticulous. You can tell this was a labor of love and I, as a fan and a viewer, am so grateful.

The show, while taking on very classic drama tropes, I think does a great job in ramping up the intensity. The way the plot and characters are written allows you to be fully immersed. Specifically in the last few episodes when the drama is at its peak, was yelling at my tv through tears.

I can't talk about the story without talking about the music/scoring. PHENOMENAL. The opening OST is already iconic and now we have three versions (still waiting on GMMTV to give us the EarthMix version), and of course Earth's FIRST OST (proud of him) which is so sweet, but I also love the incorporation of previously released songs as well. The song used in the Karaoke scene in Ep. 3 is dreamy and of course, the most recent song used at the reception in Ep. 10? I cried and then immediately purchased the song on iTunes lol. Aside from the lyrical songs, the scores included in the series are just perfection. We have all the classic silly sounds used to elevate the mood of certain scenes, but for me, it's the romantic scores used throughout the series that just never fails to make my heart flutter. I applaud whoever worked on the score for the series.

Underrated favorite scene of ATOTS:
This is random, but I cry every time I watch this scene (I've seen it at least half a dozen times at this point) so I want to mention it lol. One of my absolute favorite scenes of the series is the campfire scene in Ep. 9. It's so heartbreaking and Earth and Mix did such a phenomenal job. This scene, from the dialogue, the acting, the cinematography was SUPERB.

I know a lot of us were upset with Chief in the last few episodes, as someone who's closer to his age in the show, I can't help but feel empathy for him when he tries to get Tian to go home. Specifically in this scene, when Phu tells Tian "It's impossible" for them to be together, my heart absolutely breaks. The way Earth delivers this line, you can just hear the tired and hurt in his voice. You absolutely know Phu wants nothing more than to be with Tian, but there are so many other factors. Tian is still so young. Not to discredit his feelings or experience, because he's lived so much life for someone who's only 21, but he does have so much else to live for. Tian has his parents, friends, school, a whole other life away from Pha Pun Dao and Chief knowing that Tian would give literally all of that up just to stay with him? I mean what an act of love on Tian's part. It's awe-inspiring (sorry if that's cheesy lol) but at the same time, I feel like 1) Phu is scared Tian will resent him one day after making such a huge sacrifice and 2) he doesn't want to put Tian in the same position his mother was in (flashback to the start of the EP when Phu is talking to Torfun on the cliff about why he doesn't make time for love).

On the opposite end, seeing Tian being so honest and adamant about how he feels for Chief was so amazing to see. Mix is seriously a force."Chief, one word from you and I'll stay." I think about this scene/ dialogue constantly. It was so well done.

Rewatch ability:
I've already rewatched each episode multiple times and I just started my entire series rewatch lol. Knowing what I know now, I'm looking for clues trying to figure out when Chief's duty transformed into love and honestly, I think Chief was smitten from the very beginning.

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A turning point for GMM BL series, but not a masterpiece

Most people loved this series, but I don't like it so much. One of the main reasons is the acting. Many people might hate me for saying that, but Earth's performance is far inferior to Mix's. I really cannot feel much sympathy for Phupha. I don't hate him, but I don't like him either. He causes me indifference, which is a problem in a series that depends on its main characters so much.

Although people say 1000 Stars is a mature series, it looks like more a fairy tale. When I think about a mature movie or series, fairy tales don't come to my mind. A mature series explore real issues faced by adults. This series is not like that. The main purpose here is to make the audience emotional to Tian's redemption story. It is true that we are presented to the struggle of the poor villagers, but this is more to develop Tian's character other than denouncing or reflecting on North Thailand's social issues. If they had explored the social problem more seriously, maybe we could consider it a mature series. Poverty here is portrayed in a very romanticized way. It doesn't seem real. The plight of the villagers are not developed and the difficulties faced by Tian in the village are there to emphasize his redemption arc, not to give life to any hidden social dilemma. All the community's suffering is more a background to the development of Tian & Phupha's romance. Even the conflict with the weapon/drug dealers is easily solved. If the solution was only calling the police and leading an armed attack on the bad guys' settlement, why have they never done this before?

But it is ok, a TV show doesn't need to be mature to be good. I just expected more from 1000 Stars. The production is better than other GMM series, but it is still inferior to Nadao, for example. Some scenes are embarrassingly unrealistic, such as the drowning of the school kid in episode 2. Other scenes are simply cringe, such as the episode where the villagers and Tian observe a sexual performance inside a wooden house. This kind of comedic moments were a turn off. I would have preferred if they explored more the psychology of the characters. Phupha, for instance, is an unidimensional character. It is difficult to develop a realistic romance when one of the characters is so plain and shallow.

Finally, I disliked a lot the way they treated Tian's crimes. He organized a street race and gave his car to the killer. According to Thai law, he should be prosecuted. I have the feeling that the plot justifies a very bad underlying moral in Thai society: the rich ones only need to make a "social work/charity" to get away with their crimes, no matter what they did. No one ends up behind bars. If you are curious about what I am saying here, search for Orachorn “Praewa” Thephasadin's case. It happened in 2010 and it is a very good example of how rich young Thai people can do whatever they want and get away with it .

If you pay attention, the main ideia here is: a rich boy causes someone else's death. Through a series of criminal tricks, his family gets the heart of the girl who was indirectly killed by their son and gives the boy the heart of the same girl the boy helped to kill. Then, the boy gets away with all his crimes, devotes part of his life to help the poor villagers, pays for his karma and gets a price: a hot boyfriend.

No justice for Torfun at all.

In sum, it is an interesting GMM series. Much better than the average for a series from this TV channel, but not the masterpiece it could have been.

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This Took A Turn

I could tell this series was going to be an emotional one right away. Let's start off with the good. The series emotionally already started to get to me during the scene where our main character Tian reads Torfun's diary and sees everything she did with her shortened life. His expressions shows how he wants to change and not waste her heart inside of him now. Because he was wasting his life before and wants to do something greater, and fulfill Janes dreams. The musical accompaniment to the show is a much needed added emotional impact. It swells perfectly to the scenes. I also appreciate that they kept a big scar on Tian's chest, because a heart transplant is a big surgery. Maybe it wouldn't necessarily look that (for a lack of a better term) gnarly and painful, but some shows opt to go for "beautiful looking scars or minimal scar tissue" and that's not realistic at all.

I loved the interactions with the kids, kind of like "Oxygen the Series" but better. The kids have distinct personalities and I loved the developments with them. Tian's character too is trying really hard and I appreciate it. We see him in the town too trying to get in with the locals, and help them when they are being taken advantage of financially. He brought back the scale to teach to the kids! So they won't get ripped off like their parents were, omg yes full circle.
After all like the show says; "Where we feel happy, we feel like home".

So initially when Phuapha is introduced I dug him so much. Dude saved a snail, like get outta my face lol. The drunk scene with Tian touching Phupha's face was so wholesome, they had such sweet chemistry. Their relationship was starting to gear up to be one of my faves. Unfortunately that didn't happen, because of some fatal character flaws written into the plot. Which were very uncharacteristic. These were my thoughts once Tian came clean about Torfun and basically everything: "Why are you ruining it show with the village putting literally all the blame on Tian? The rangers didn't want him to tell them about Torfun's death! This is total bs and its making characters unlikable, especially Phupha!" The random question thrown in there of did Tian kill Torfun with his car was stupid too. That would've taken away all likability from his character (luckily it didn't end up that way) and made all of his actions seem not as genuine as before because they are fueled by guilt. This was just all poorly done and it kinda ruined the final half of the storyline.

I also didn't like that they framed it like Phupha is just worried about Tian's future when he tries to convince him to leave. It's Tian's choice whether to stay at the village or not and Phupha basically was not allowing that choice at all! It's really controlling and I keep asking myself why is he leaving again? Like don't tell me what to do Phupha! Sure he ends up finishing teaching school anyway, but still how it was approached was wrong. This is another perfect example of a series that narratively starts off essentially perfect and then flops so bad towards the end with poor character writing that it ruins the relationship for me. Also Tian's mom I understood at the beginning. Her son almost died and she was being overly protective. But then she began to suck at the end. Trying to tell Tian not to become a teacher because its "difficult" which doesn't make sense because so was becoming an engineer? So it was just an excuse, she just thinks its not a reputable enough job. Then when she "agrees" which she shouldn't even have to, she forces the idea of going to a fancy school in America because her friends kids couldn't get in there. Seriously screw you!

Overall, this show is fantastic at the first half and then meh at the end. It's concept is so interesting, so it's a shame parts of it ruined it for me. The last episode was stretched out too long, but once we get the wrap up it's pretty nice. Albeit kind of cliche to end with a peck-kiss on the mountain, I felt some satisfaction from the ending. Though I was highly disappointed that we got no reunion between Tian and the kids or him and Longtae! That would've been great. The after credits ending scene too was a nice addition. Also final side-note, low-key it's mad disrespectful to have a literal ad for a car at the beginning of these episodes knowing full well the story surrounds a character getting struck and hit by a car! XD

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More a slice of life drama than a romance

This was one of the most anticipated BL dramas that I wanted to watch in the past year. The story, and the actors that would be playing the parts, really intrigued me. The storyline that involves organ transplantation, specifically the heart, is not a new idea, but it certainly hasn’t been overdone either. There were many parts of the drama that lived up to my expectations. The acting, the cinematography, the dilemma in the story of someone else’s life being sacrificed for your own. And overall I really liked the themes that were presented of camaraderie , family, friendship and living a simple contented life.

However, to call this a romance....is a little generous. I would call it bromance more than anything. I did not feel romantic chemistry between the main couple, though they had good acting chemistry. I know it may be petty, but I was extremely disappointed to not get any kind of affectionate overtures from them until the last episode. And until the last minute they didn’t even kiss each other! Now I understand culturally there is a difference in how romantic couples may show their affection. As well as the characters personalities. But you also have to sell me on some kind of physical attraction in order to believe that these two seemingly heterosexual man all of a sudden are romantically interested each other and want to spend their life together. I would be interested in reading the book and seeing if it differed in this way. Maybe they were trying to keep it rated “G” in order to appeal to a larger audience on television?

That said, I don’t feel like I wasted my time watching it. The child actors were very good and adorable. I liked the themes and the general storyline and how one can change their life for the better. But I would not watch this again, and I definitely would not recommend it to someone as being a romance. It’s more like a slice of life drama.

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One for the BL history books

Didn't think I would find a BL better than I Told Sunset About You, but this show proved me wrong. I waited over a year for it and I'm so glad it didn't disappoint. If anything it surpassed all my expectations.

Let's start off with the story. The pacing of the show was really good. It wasn't rushed or dragged, and the build-up for their romance was perfect. The show's concept is fresh and it's always nice to have a breather from the typical cheesy college setting we see in BLs.

The place they shot Pha Pun Dao village added a lot of color to the show and made it very realistic. It gave a good sense of how life is like in these villages and the problems they go through. This was what made it stand out so well from other shows.

Besides romance, the show had also taught me so many good lessons when it comes to personal growth. I enjoyed each and every episode and I'm going to miss getting excited for Fridays!

Next, acting. I thought this was going to be the weak point of the show since Mix is pretty much a newbie, and I was never a big fan of Earth's acting. But, they definitely proved me wrong. The amount of emotion and tension I felt from watching was amazing. Mix's acting is extremely impressive and Earth's acting had improved a lot as well. Overall casting and acting was good and there isn't anything for me to fault.

Lastly, music. I am not one to care about soundtracks/music in shows. But the music in this show really hit me hard for some reason. I wasn't tearing up in the last episode until the music started playing, and I ended up becoming a sobbing mess.

To summarise, I would 100% rewatch this show again and would definitely recommend everyone (not just BL lovers) to watch this. It's a really beautiful show. It has raised my standard for BLs and has proven that you don't need many kiss/sexual scenes to pull off a fantastic BL. Good job to everyone who worked on this!

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Masterpiece

Another masterpiece was ended. Never forget the lessons we have learned with this series. Contentment, Love, dreams, family, friendship, patience, and forgiveness. We only have one life to live so live your life to the fullest.

We all waited for a year to make this happen and the production never fails to give us the. hundred percent

I never thought that I cried so hard for the final episode especially the airport scene and when Tian bid farewell in the village. I hate goodbyes so this kinda broke my heart. My heart is overwhelmed with happiness at the latter part. They gave us the sweetest ending that we all wanted.

I cannot stop smiling at the last part. They act like a married couple! I wanted to see more of this because they look good together!

The instrumental music was everything. It always gave me chills whenever it's playing. It makes the scenes heartwarming and emotional which gives me a signal to start crying.

I remember how emotional I am with SOTUS, UWMA, and ITSAY. 💗

We can all agree that the acting, music, production, and direction were superb! Everyone will probably demand for another season. #ATaleOfThousandStars #ATOTS #ataleofthousandstarsFinale #EarthMix #phupha #Tian #PhuphaTian #GMMTV #alaiwaph

𝓙𝓪𝔂

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Highest quality of any BL

For sure this is the best yet of the Thai BL's. Bravo! I can't remember even on episode that I thought the story was off track or they were stalling or going on a tangent. The story developed out from start to finish logically. There were some twist and turns but not too much and not too fantastical to be believable. Earth for sure was the best actor award. He was believable playing a stern and difficult part. All of the actors including the kids were believable and likeable. That again is a great accomplishment without being too cheesy. I will really miss this one. Maybe I'll feel better about the rewatch value after a while but because it is a story with a they live happily every after and no want of a season 2. The Dr (Nam) is also an honorable mention. He needs his own series.

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Classic BL

Yup. You read it right. It's a CLASSIC BL for me. From the story up to the cast and crews. I want to read the novel of this story.

Story....
I really appreciate the loved the series itself. Eventhough some says that there are some changes that they made in the series, it is still very much appreciated. Well because first the setting itself is really lovely. I love the nature. It is first time for me to see the nature of thailand, the flow of the story is really refreshing - as an inter fan - , the different culture/believes/place in thailand, the simplicity of the group that lives and protects their place, they've shown it clearly - because the story sets on the northern part of thailand, based on the interview videos that i've watch, correct me if i'm wrong. It also shows the conflict and the power between the poor and rich people, and how they've solve it one by one. It is not just focus on the bl genre but it focuses as a whole. Every episode is a must see, the story itself has a lesson.

Acting/casting....
All of them did the great and lovely job, they we're really into their roles especially the main couple Earth and Mix Captain Phupha and Tian) Earth really improve in this series, those eyes, i really love those eyes, they we're somewhat talking, Earth don't need any words to speak because his eyes we're the one's who do the talking (😂) Mix is really did a great job in the series, it is not obvious to him that he is a newbie, he's like a pro. I love their body language. Their emotions will really touch your heart. The supporting actors (best friend of Tian, Dr. Nam and the forest rangers), they we're really support the main, in their love story, they let them loved each other, the children, i really love them, they we're cute (they we're look like the daughters and sons of Captain Phupha and Teacher Tian) the words of wisdom that comes from the elders, and lastly the crews, because without them this series won't be alive/won't be shown it tv/internet.

Music....
I love the theme song. First time i've read the english translated version of it in the series it made me cry, because of the flasback scene. Knowing the message of the song because it was translated/subtitled in english and the tone makes me understand more the series itself. And it is classic (the tune of the song makes it old eventhough it is new, it is refreshing.)

Rewatched and Over all value...
Since it is finished, i will watch it all over again. It is really worth it. From episode 1 up to 10. Years of waiting from the first trailer that been shown in yt and until now, it is worth it for those who were waiting for it.

Classic? Yup it is classic. Because the story, the setting and the music itself makes it classic. And how they connect classic to bl genre.

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The series long awaited and we all needed

Like the title says this series is the one that made us wait a few good months, but that was not for nothing. I've already fallen in love with this series concept back in 2019 when the 1st trailer was released. Literally everything from the story through the music to the cast intrigued me. We have waited quite a long time until we got the 2nd trailer of this series. It was slightly different, but the most important was that the series was said to finally happen. Then the release day finally has come...

Going into the 1st episode I was freaking excited. After it finished I was totally enchanted by every aspect of it. The plot was smooth and at the same time detailed. I felt that my expectations were met and kept my hopes up for the remaining episodes. As the plot had gone further I could feel totally involved in this story. The scenes following each other made every time sense without having any unnecessary scenes (okay maybe just one scene but that's only one out of hundreds). I don't want to spoil the ending of the series but it is was executed PERFECTLY. To see me getting emotional while watching a series is quite rare and the last episode made my tears flow quite frequently. Wonderful job P'Aof! That's why I want to give this series a perfect 10 for the story telling.

I think we all will agree that the chemistry that Earth (Chief Phupha) and Mix (Tian) had was one of the best that a Thai series ever served us. Of course the fact that they knew each other for a long time beforehand and that Earth recommended Mix for the role of Tian is the main factor for the chemistry. What matters is that they managed to get into the role despite their characters in real life. First of all, we have Mix who played Tian. No one would be able to handle Tian's role the way Mix did it. It was his debut and he nailed every single scene. He put his whole heart into acting as Tian and it totally paid of the effort. On the other hand there's Earth who portrayed Chief Phupha in an amazing way. At first cold and bossy he kept on getting warmer towards Tian. The way he kept being serious throughout most of the time and smiling once in a while in an episode made me totally feel the role he played. Such a lovely and non-toxic relationship growing episode by episode. Also shoutout to the actors who had amazing supporting roles and the kids who did great job. I have to give them all a 10 for their HUGE effort.

Music made me feel every time so good. The OST did fit very well in the trailer. I'm very glad they picked such good songs for the whole series. I'm very happy that the actors took part in it as well. Both Earth and Aye did great job covering the song. Actors should always have some cover or a song and I'm glad to see that often in Thai series. Also shoutout to Earth playing klui which was very comforting. Furthermore, the song "Lom" (Wind) in episode 10 made me cry instantly. It fits so damn well there! The only thing I regret is that they didn't use the song from the 1st trailer at all. That's why I have to cut off a half star so the music gets 9.5/10.

To be honest, it's hard for me to tell anything about rewatch value. I love this series the most of all the series, but it's just too early to elaborate on that. I'm certainly gonna rewatch it soon, but I don't know when. This series is PURE and with this word I want to end my review.

PS. I certainly want to recommend this series to everyone who want to watch something genuine, educational and beautiful to the core as an escape from our reality.

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