Everything I like but it’s not love
This drama has everything. Bisexual man in a uniform that protects a small tight knit village and a protagonist that loves to lie. I love it when the protagonist keeps a secret that causes drama later and this drama has drama with cliffhangers that kept me watching again and again. I love when the lead characters hate eachother at the beginning, I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers. My only issues is that scenes are played out of order (flashbacks give important context that should’ve been there at the start) and that the run time sometimes drags (especially with the 1h30 episode).Was this review helpful to you?
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!
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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.
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This review may contain spoilers
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.
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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.
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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.
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This review may contain spoilers
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!
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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.
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Burning love
I loved this. The acting was great, the cinematography was great and the story was great.It was a gentle sweet story with nothing groundbreaking about it, but so comforting. I think I'm late to this drama, but I knew I had to watch it because I've seen EarthMix in other dramas (2, I think!) and loved them every time. It was a bit silly in places but that just added to the whole vibe of the drama.
The feelings that the main characters had for each other were obvious and so well portrayed. There were no NC scenes, no long making out scenes, just good acting.
The expressions some of the characters made were often funny. The mother's expression at the airport was great and I had to watch that several times!
What I liked: acting - from all characters, including the children; the cinematography was amazing and I was pleased to watch something that wasn't set in Bangkok.
What I didn't like: the Chief (Earth ) constantly sighing, but I got past that and thought of it as frustration with not knowing what to do.
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Loved it
Watched this after watching moonlight chicken. Loved it! The chemistry between the leads is delicious! Honestly, few actors and directors in this genre can pull off sexy, fiery chemistry with words and eyeing each other. It's practically G- rated and yet it feels very mature and not childish or cheesy at all. Additionally, the production is modern and detailed and professional. The OST is beautiful and fits the tone of the show some well. And all the characters main and support feel well fleshed out and enjoyable. I adored this series so much because it was so unexpected.Was this review helpful to you?
Beautiful and deep with lot of heart - literally!
What a beautiful story, landscape, cinematography and actors, especially Mix=Tian. From behind the scene you can see how much he gave into the character. Very well done! I felt all the emotions!It's a very deep story about heart transplantation and what that mean for the recipient to get a new heart from a strange person.
The love story is slow and deep until it reaches the peak. Great chemistry!
There are a lot of very wise messages about life in this series, I liked it a lot.
A big complement to the director and screenwriter.
The OST ist wonderful fitting to the location and the story.
Rewatch value very high!
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This review may contain spoilers
Started strong, snail pased middle, rushed ending
Likes:+ Mix was great in his role and the support characters were wonderful
+ Plot was extremely interesting and heartwarming at the start, I genuinely felt like I needed to see the next few epi asap
+ cinematography
Dislikes:
- Earth was weird; his acting imo was the weakest and he looked like a model and not a forest ranger.
- Slowburn romance, which I usually love but here it was non-sensical since they acknowledged their attraction under the blanket with finger action 80% before they confessed. Its a BL and BL is a sub-genre for romance, but here it was conveniently forgotten for most of the show.
- What was interesting about the plot was forgotten in the middle and instead we get repetitive scenes with villagers. Though there was some character growth for our protag, Mix so its not all bad. This part of the slice of life scenes could have had more variety and depth in story-telling.
- Dislike Mix's character's lie in the end. Was this supposed to be a melodrama?
A rich brat going to live out his life in the village/countryside is not an untold story. The novelty of the plot is why he goes there, so I wished the script focused more on that aspect. Nevertheless, I connected with the story emotionally.
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