A Tale of a Thousand Stars (2021)

Deserves the praises it's getting

When I first read about the story, I wasn't expecting this series to be amazing though I thought it could at least be decent. It remains that the story isn't exactly the sort that blows one's mind with twists or unexpected plotlines, but this turns out to be a good thing. It is a relatively simple story that is turned into a series that is made very well in practically every way.

In the story, Tian, who suffers from a heart disease, gets a heart transplant. He finds out that the donor is a volunteer teacher in a remote village, and he decides to volunteer for the same job. But this is BL, so you can obviously expect a romance here. At first, I was wondering if Tian would just fall in love with his donor's boyfriend and turn into some kind of replacement for her. But this is certainly not the case. The heart donor is in love with Tian's love interest when she's still alive, but her feelings are actually not reciprocated.

The story doesn't go out of its way to pander to BL fans. Again, this can be a good thing. The other characters are given a chance to be portrayed with nuance, which makes the story of the main characters better. Whether it is the villain who has an understatedly menacing aura or the kindly village chief who is surprisingly wise, the characterization enhances the story. I haven't read the original novel, but I dare say this is a wonderful adaptation because it is so easy to spoil things even with a solid original story that is followed faithfully.

Mix, who plays Tian, has a rather challenging role. Apart from the complicated emotions the character undergoes, Mix has to portray the change in Tian after his heart transplant. But it's not a 180-degree change (and there are subtle developments after the heart transplant too), so it's harder than playing two different characters. Mix manages to play Tian before and after the transplant impressively well. It's not often that we have a new actor who manages to portray the character's emotions without any lines, as Mix does in the last episode when he looks around the hut wistfully and starts tearing up.

Earth plays Phupha, Tian's love interest well enough too, though I'm not sure if I entirely understand the character. Phupha's liking for Tian is quite obvious and he even progresses to blatant flirting with Tian. Yet, it is later revealed that he knows Tian's identity (Tian's father is an influential man) from the start, and he later behaves as though Tian should leave the village and forget about him because Tian has a better life to lead. (Oh, then what's up with all the flirting in the first place?) But perhaps this is love--maybe when he falls more deeply in love with Tian, he wants the best for Tian, even if it means he has to lose Tian?

Perhaps one weakness of 1000 Stars is that it's so good that it belongs to a class of its own and loses some of the trademark fluff of the BL genre. There is, for instance, side BL couple at all. And while most BL focus on the BL romance at the expense of everything else in the story, 1000 Stars doesn't sacrifice the other elements of the story. (An example is when Tian is about the leave the village in the last episode. We can see that he is genuinely emotional about leaving the village and the children he has taught, and it's not just about Phupha's absence or his yet-to-be-fulfilled romance. ) One other series that I think is like that is Until We Meet Again, but it seems that praise for 1000 Stars approaches unanimity more closely.

Ultimately, 1000 Stars is a BL series that BL fans can appreciate for its strengths, but it is also a really good series to watch even if you aren't into BL (well, as long as you have nothing against male-male romance).

Lire davantage

the most gorgeous show i've ever seen

i seriously almost didnt watch this show bc the whole thing with the heart kinda freaked me out and for some reason i thought it would be like... torfun's feelings for phupha or something but lmao i was very wrong. this show... was so worth waiting for. first of all, the ost is absolutely gorgeous. i fell for the soundtrack, and i usually never really pay much attention to soundtracks on bls but this one... whew.

this show is genuinely gorgous and is probably the best bl ive ever seen. a tale of thousand stars is practically perfect. i mean, of course there are little aspects people may pick out but i seriously think it was amazing. and omg the ending!! *sobs violently* (in a good way)

but my point of writing this is that you need to watch it. this show had practically everything i already loved and sm more.

Lire davantage

REMARKABLE AND REALISTIC : TRULY, A BEAUTIFUL STORY OF LOVE, ACCEPTANCE AND FORGIVENESS

Everything about this series will give you a lot of realizations as well things to love and lessons to be learned for the following reasons:

1. This series strays away from the university tropes because of the setting (rural village) that the characters are in. In addition to that, the series focuses on one couple (Tian and Phupha) and it does not rely on other side couples just to sustain the interest or attention of the viewers. Personally, I prefer a series with just one couple so that we could focus on it like Manner of Death instead of scattered side plots or side characters.

2. This series is REALISTIC AND WHOLESOME because of the situations that the main characters are facing like the considerations that they have to ponder in their relationship (their age gap, how society will see them and also the fact that Tian comes from a different family background etc.).

3. This series is not the typical fast paced plot with hot steamy scenes or kissing scenes because the relationship of the couple here is slow burn and I'm glad they put it that way. We need more dramas that portray relationships in a manner that there is progress and development. If you're into slow burn relationships, you will surely love this because of the wholesomeness of Tian and Phupha. I'm also glad that the director made this drama in a manner that it flows naturally in which the sweet or subtle moments of the characters are enough.

4. The series itself is giving a MESSAGE to the audience because of the life lessons that it's giving and it will surely touch you.
"Happiness can be found in the simplest things that we have."
"We all make mistakes. What is important is what we can learn from those mistakes."
"Where we feel our happiness is where we feel at home."
"Do your best and don't be discouraged by the obstacles that you have to face."
"Things might have been damaged or broken but nothing can bring us down so long as we have Love and Unity."

5. The ACTING, PRODUCTION AND OST USED IS BEAUTIFUL.
-I love the way Mix had portayed his characted in the story (Tian). I'm amazed by his facial expressions especially his eye expressions. Mix definitely stole the show from me. The way he expressed his character is amazing (Tian's happiness and sadness etc.)
Let's also not forget about Earth. How he expressed his character Phupha is remarkable. Their subtle flirting as well as their stares are ❤️👌... I'm also amazed by their chemistry. Kudos to them as well as to the other supporting characters most especially Tul (Tian's bestfriend) and Longtae!!
For the OST, I can say that it is definitely one of the best soundtracks of dramas I've heard because of the emotions the OST is giving. Also, the PRODUCTION AND VISUAL for the drama is well thought. You can really see the effort everyone had put through into making this series. Lastly, the CINEMATOGRAPHY IS STUNNING. You get to see places that are beautiful as well as everyone who was involved in the series who made it aesthetically pleasing that it will also touch your heart. This series is definitely a MASTERPIECE.

In conclusion, I thank the people for creating this series and be looking forward to more series like this in the future... :)

Edit : I just finished watching the last episode and this is definitely what we (viewers / audience ) need. A good ending. No cliff hangers, No open ending but A Wholesome ending for a Captivating Story..

Lire davantage

One word. MASTERPIECE.

So, 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.

Lire davantage

One word: Beautiful

I've been waiting for this series to air since the first trailer drops, and when it does air, it does not disappoint at all. I didn't really get my hopes up but it exceeded my expectation, really.

I love how the relationship between Tian and Phupha develops ever so naturally. Like it just happens. They spend time together and gradually grow fond of each other's presence. They don't need skinship to show their feelings towards another because the way they look at each other already holds much affection.

Not to mention Tian's character development, he went from selfish to selfless :)

The series ended perfectly, couldn't say anything more
Definitely one of my favorite BL shows to ever air

Lire davantage

One of the best BLs that isn't really a BL

This just has the greatest story.
I loved the setting and that it was not a typical High School or University drama.
The chemistry of the actors is fantastic.
I had this at 10 out of 10 until the very last episode but downgraded it to 9.5 because they sort of botched the ending a bit.
It could have been perfect but they added one more thing and that sort of made it feel a bit rushed. It's still very good though.
I really liked that there was nothing bad or dramatic about being gay, there were no actual role sterotypes like who is top and who is bottom and they made it clear that this a story about two men being in love and their love is respected and even encouraged by everyone around them. This doesn't have any of the typical BL tropes except maybe that bit of rich vs. poor but the main story succeeds without any artificial drama.
This is presented as a BL but this is really more of a modern love story which is much more positive than other BLs. If this is a new direction that BLs are taking then I want more more and more.

oh - one more thing... if you binge this make sure you have lot's of tissues around because this breaks your heart and puts it back together many times.

Lire davantage

Missing it already

I had high expectations for this and I’ve been waiting for forever it felt like since the first trailer was released. I’m glad that it exceeded my expectations, I laughed, cried, boy did I cry and smiled so much with this series. Mix and Earth portrayed their characters amazingly well; So well that they had me feeling super single at times. Their chemistry was phenomenal to the point that I didn't need super intimate scenes to feel their love. From episode 1 I was hooked onto Tian's life story in the city to his life in the Village with not just Phupha but with the kids and all of the villagers. To see how far it went within the 10 episodes, it's a journey that I would love to experience all over again for the first time.

The cinematography was beautifully done, every shot left me in awe...especially with the mountain scenes. Nothing more to say there except great job to the crew for their hard work just as much to all the actors.

The Ost remains my head for days until the next episode so that should tell you something.

Overall I give this masterpiece a 10/10, definitely recommend and would rewatch again. Missing it already as I type this.

Lire davantage

1000 Stars: A shinning star and crown jewel all time masterpiece in BL World

1000 stars is a truly the most beautiful BL ever made. It is an old fashioned love story. A lot of stars in the series:
Soundtrack: the opening song is truly the most BL beautiful song I have heard out of others. The second one would be from Until We Meet Again
Director: the best one I have ever known. I am glad that he would direct “Bad Buddies” He knows how to make the storyline reaches audience emotion and brings the best
Storyline: so beautifully crafted and old fashion. So lovely and full of positive messages
Actors: the best of the best choice I have ever seen. All fit with the characters they played
Chemistry: shooting out through the roof seen through all actors actions and taking out audience emotion
Production: outstanding hard works, worldwide work qualities
Cinematography: well done
International viewer service: shining worldwide super star, extremely helpful by having an official channel in YouTube, timely English subs(tardiness is resolved within a few hours in 24 hours) and no geo blocking/restriction.
Overall: The best of the best BL stories ever made.

Lire davantage

a literal masterpiece

i’m not really sure if i can even put into words of how beautiful this show is because i’m honestly still speechless lol.
i think this is the first time a show has had me hooked from the first episode. it has such a unique storyline and seeing the progression of tian and phu’s relationship was so heartwarming. this show is able to depict the purest forms of love which include patience and the fact that both of tian and phupha’s love languages are physical touch made me tear up. literally everything was perfect.

the chemistry was also fucking insane like the fact that they were able to show how much they care and love eachother without indirectly saying it is so beautiful :( the amount of symbolism too ugh theyre perfect

earthmix did an incredible job, i had no idea this was mix’s first acting role and he was seriously amazing. and earth was literally the perfect person to play phupha :’) i’m really glad he got to shine with a lead role he’s incredible!! i noticed that both earth and mix are always so hard on themselves, but i hope they know that all of their hard work payed off. their 7 years of friendship really reflected on how good they were in the show, and i love how they have such a strong bond in real life too. i’m getting to know both of them more through stuff on twitter and wow i adore them

the cinematography is something i could go on and on about but i loved it so much like there were so many pretty still shots of just the sky in the village and pretty shots of phupha and tian and i think the cinematography is the thing that makes this show even more emotional. i loved the ost’s too

also just seeing how much effort they put into making this show just makes me appreciate atots in a different way

all in all i recommend this show to everyone. we got to see a mature progression of their relationship that not many shows have. i don’t think i’ll get over this show LOL but yeah, i’m very happy :)

Lire davantage

The amount of emotions in this drama is just insane!! (Best bl drama for me ) Beautiful ending!!

This series made me write a review for the first time ever on this platform. But like wow just wow!!
This drama literally is the best example of a nontoxic, mature relationship. This is the type of series that just needs one season to be enough and tell everything it has to say because it just fit and it's so goddamn good made. It had me giggling and smiling like a fool from the beginning to the ending. For the whole series, we never heard Tian and Chief Phupa said the word “I love you”. However, you could feel it in every scene: the way they made us laugh, cry and feel the pain. This made ATOTS not just one of the best BL dramas, but also one of the best Asian Dramas of our generation.
I cried and I laughed and now I'm going to rewatch the whole series cause the way I got attached to every single character in this drama is unbelievable!!!!
it's just been 15 min and I miss them like a crazy TT TT

Lire davantage

Best GMMTV Series To Date

A Tale of (a) Thousand Stars was the best BL that GMMTV has ever produced. Period. From the quality of production, acting, setting, and story, TOTS will forever remain a stellar series that has pushed the agenda for BLs to come.

Let's Dive In.

I'll keep my review pretty precise since there are plenty others to read from, but this series really brought me to tears, which isn't easy. Tian's character development was some of the best I have ever seen, and it was done with such subtleness and delicateness that was shown through his trials and tribulations with wanting to belong amongst the villagers and his students. For this to be Mix's (Tian) first-ever acting gig, he did a phenomenal job, and I hope to see him in many more series to come. Earth was finally given a decent role! the last I had seen of Earth was when he played a rude swimmer, but in this series, he served as the stern officer, who became gentle when around Tian. Phupa was a delight and I really enjoyed all that he brought. The chemistry between the two was off the charts. When you can present a connection that is so strong to the audience without the need for physical affection or intimacy, then you know it's good. A huge pat on the back for Mix and Earth.

The plot was phenomenal, nothing more is needed to be said. Everything connected in one way or another, and I NEED to see more well-thought-out and detailed plots like this with GMMTV. No toxic ex-girlfriend, no homophobic characters, and no plot holes. Perfection is the only word needed to exclaim this plot.

When looking at the behind-the-scenes, it was obvious how much effort and hard work was put into producing this series, and that right there deserves a ten for itself. I've seen Backoaf's (director) other work, but this one was the best one he has done yet. Seeing at how difficult it was to make this series, I doubt that we'll get a season two, but where we left off was perfect and a really good ending.

Yod was by far my favorite character. He was the comedic relief to this series (as well as Rang), and it was some of the best I had seen. I hope to see Champ in future projects because he was pure bliss to see on screen. Khaotung did a fantabulous job here, and I liked him way more than his other character in Tonhon Chonalatee. I liked how he served as kind of this discreet hint of jealously that Phu had because it just spiced up the plot even more. We don't see too much of Torfun in this, but her actress was fantastic and had such a bubbly and happy personality with the kids. Speaking of the kids, I am so impressed with all of their acting. While it was not the best ever, it was still a lot better than some other child actors I've seen on these series. My favorite would have to be between Ayi and Khao. Tul was the friend that everyone deserved. He was accepting and kind right off the bat, cheering on Tian the whole way. Now that's a best friend.

Overall, this series did a phenomenal job at basically everything. Some of the low rating reviews I've read complained about nit-picky stuff, or the fact that Tian and Phu didn't have enough physical affection. While I agree that Phu did come off as a bit too stern at times (especially towards the end), he did what he thought was the right thing to do, and even though pushing away Tian wasn't the right decision at all, he believed so out of the depth of his heart. With the whole intimacy thing, yes it was nothing big or flamboyant, but it matched perfectly with this couple, and quite frankly if them kissing and shangidy-shang-bang-banging is all that you're worried about and not the actual falling in love part, then the few of you need to do some soul-searching.

This series is definitely going on my top 10, and I highly recommend it, especially to people starting out in BL (this was supposed to be a short review, but I love this series so much, so oh well).

Lire davantage