A Tale of a Thousand Stars (2021)

Such a dreamy series

This BL series is well-written. It is definitely my comfort series. Everything from the music, cinematography, and ambience was just so beautiful, warm and peaceful. All the actors were great too. I was very impressed with Mix, though he wasn't as experienced of an actor as the rest of the cast, he still portrayed his role as Tian pretty well.
By the time it got to the end I was tired of Tian living his life for Torfun. I'm glad he was able to move on and live his life for himself.
Overall this series is not only magical and dreamy but Tian and Phupha 's love story is unique and beautiful, this BL will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Lire davantage

green giants, notoriously hypocritical.

i LOVE this series. it stands out a lot. the story is incredibly unique, it's nothing like anything i've seen before, both in plot, setting, and characters. the acting was beyond amazing. mix especially worked some real magic in this series. i was blown away by his ability to portray tian's emotions without saying a single word. the chemistry between mix and earth was astronomical, as always. these two work so well together and this story suited them perfectly. the cinematography was also extremely beautiful. the color grading and scenery was stunning. i was very impressed.
i do have to be a bit critical tho. there was some parts of this series that didn't really click to me. firstly, how quickly they moved on from the tea bags, which were apparently very important, that they spent so much time and effort on, being destroyed and burned to nothing. like.. what? also, the reaction of the villagers finding out about tian's connection to torfun. i understand that they were distraught and sad, but he really didn't do anything wrong. he wasn't lying, he really didn't know her while she was alive and he never said he didn't take her heart so....technically, no lying was done. he simply just wasn't ready to tell them yet as he was seemingly still coming to terms with his situation himself, which is understandable because it was quite a rough one. they were acting like he ripped her heart out of her chest with his bare hands, but she was a donor, which means it was really HER choice. and he even took responsibility for her death when it really wasn't his fault, which is a sign of his maturity to me. it also wasn't like he didn't care about the villagers, you don't have to look deep to see how much he loved them and that village.
i also want to very quickly praise mix for the scene in the beginning of ep 9 where tian is talking to phupha in the hospital while he's still unconscious, because his acting was outstanding. his words and his tears felt so true, it was a very moving scene and he did an absolutely beautiful job.

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Its very deep and meaningful!!

after years I've never seen any good bl dramas as good as a tale of thousand stars, the thing I very love about this drama is their (earthmix) chemistry as a couple both on camera or off the camera. P'Aoff is amazing director, this series is undoubtedly beautiful, the story is out of the box and unexpected, the sound, camera, everything about this drama is amazing!!!. There are some plot twist in the story but they don't change the whole story plot either so its ok for me. To be honest this is the one series that if I could rewatch it like when I watch it for the first time ????

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A drama you will remember forever !!

I don‘t usually write reviews but for this i just had to
I feel like no other bl can keep up with this one in my opinion it‘s so amazing in every possible way.
First of all the acting is amazing and we have to consider that mix is a rookie actor
The acting felt so natural and i could immediately empathize with the characters
The story was not like the „typical“ Bl story that is fluffy but nothing really to mention
I really love that there are many important and realistic topics mentioned that make the story so unique
This series had me tear up so may times and I’m not a person who starts to cry quickly it was the natural emotions the actors delivered that just make you fell emotional too.
In conclusion this drama is worth watching for everyone it‘s just a masterpiece i can watch over and over again without getting bored .
I hope for a second season so bad !

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One of the greatest love stories of this era of BLs.

A lot of BLs prior to ATOTS had driving factors to their appeal. Some relied on the actors delivering heartstopping roles, while others used the story and plot to deliver a banger of a series. Yet, ATOTS has something that those that came before it lacked: a desire to connect and feel loved.

Tian's rich boy ways and the events before the transplant makes you hate him. He's someone that should not have been redeemed and would make you feel like he is undeserving of that help. Even he knows it. But like Tian, we get to see that he is in fact a redeemable person, despite not having the actual skills to prove it. Leaving his life of comfort and happiness, he embarks on a journey to pay tribute to the person who gave him a chance at a second life. Much like a lot of Eastern philosophies, our redemptions are our truest self.

What makes this story good is that Tian shows us how much he wants to learn and prove to others that while he was the part of the reason for Torfun's early death, he wants to find redemption. It's a story of finding oneself and learning about the discomforts of the outside world. Not everything is easy and we must learn from our past.

On the other side, you have the "Chief" Phupa who has seen first hand the dangers of the real world and knows that one must stick together, espically in a community. He is tough and well respected, loved by the elders and the youth. He embodies a sense of "fatherly" vibes, coupled with his protective nature. At first, one would think Phupa and Tian wouldn't belong (typical). But, Phupa starts to see that redemption within Tian. He knows that while he might have more status and safety, he is willing to risk and learn in order to prove to others he too can make a difference.

This BL came to me at a time when I myself was thinking about my future, specifically wanting to teach. I saw myself in Tian (minus the rich and snob). I wanted to desperately prove to others and myself that I can do things on my own. That I wasn't weak. Phupa is like the ideal man, who will do what he can to protect all while allowing you to grow and be confident.

Kudos to this amazing story! EarthMix is one of my favorite couples.

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A slow burn that creeps up on you & steals your heart

This story (and the romance) is truly a slow burn. The impact of the sentiments from this story just slowly creeps up on you; and before you know it, your heart's been stolen.
I really enjoyed watching this series! It's important to note, that I don't normally like slow burns so that's really saying something.

The acting and the cast of characters is fantastic. There's a lot to love here. Mix's acting in particular stood out with all of his micro expressions and Tian's sass. Khaotung was also soo cute.

I didn't love the pilot episode so if you're in that boat, keep going it gets so much better. ATOTS really played with my emotions; it had me laughing, crying, sobbing and cackling. All in the best ways possible and dealt out some pretty deep wisdom. Definitely unexpected and memorable. It left me with the feeling of hope.

My Rating: 9.26/10 stars

Also that song at the end about the wind was absolutely beautiful and fit perfectly.
Edit: I found the name of it! –> ลม (Wind) by Num Kala

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THEY GRANTED MY DREAM

Have you ever thought of what is like to live your dreams? As for me, ever since I was young, I've never dreamt myself living in a city. Yes, the city may be a place where everyone dreams of, but I found cities the busiest. Whereas, living in rural areas/province is a fresh breath of air. This series has made me realize that my dream isn't a shame.

I love the sceneries that this drama showed. When I was young, I used to watch dramas with the same setting as this drama used. This is something new and different from all the dramas in this era. I think that this is quite risky but I applaud the writer/s for making this. The story should've been perfect but there are missing plots in this series. I don't know for sure if I am the one who missed those. We all know for sure that this is a BL drama and I will also mention that each episode is an hour long. I'm just wondering why the two main characters would easily fall from each other regardless of gender. A minute or two of uncertainty of the main characters would clear this matter but I failed to see this in the 10 episodes. We are still in the age of coping for the gender equality. It is not acceptable to fall in love with the same gender unless they were thought when they were young that love has no boundaries. I would have given this a 10/10 for story but let me rate this a 9/10 due to this reason.

As usual, I have no negative thoughts regarding Thai actors. As for music, there is nothing worth to mention.

Must-watch! Not your typical kind of drama and very recommendable to other watchers. But don't expect for any kissing scenes here because I think there is only one or two kissing scenes here. Nonetheless, this is still a beautiful romantic story.

(Note that suggested overall is 8/10 but I will still rate this a 9/10 due to different factors)

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The acting is so good.. Even the cliche romance make you excited n not cringe..

As an Indian.. and a kdrama watcher.. I found the plot cliche.. but the concept was so completely different from the usual doctor engineering college boys love.. also.. introduces to the traditional rural Thai culture in some bits n parts.. both the leading actors were so perfect for their roles.. the action scenes were a bit lame.. but the subtle blooming romance will give you butterflies... I personally have watched way too many Asian dramas n bl's that I cringe at the same old *looking in the eye to accidental kiss to all same romance*.. but the romance in this series gave me butterflies after such a long time even though it is the same cliche romance.. the chemistry between the leads is absolute killer.. after watching the whole series... I realised that a series could be so romantic even though the one n only kiss is the last scene of the series.. I'm definitely going to re-watch it..
(also.. Tian is very very handsome.. ?❤️)

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A Prince playing pretend at being a Pauper

Not only was I disappointed - I was offended. Don't bring up a haunted past of a character that lost a parent when you only mention it twice in the drama and never again. Some people have had close calls concerning death and have lost loved ones - so this was just offensive, laziness, and irreverent. No thank you.
Also - stop using the struggles, pain, and death of a female character as a catalyst for a gay couple! (Or any couple really!) Torfun doesn't deserve such disrespect! This reminds me of Manner of Death and I strongly disliked that drama too. Gave it 1.5 stars because it was bad and disappointing but it didn't offend me as much as this drama did.

If they wanted to be serious about the topic of death - why add unnecessary comedy, or an attempt at blatant romance or an idea of redemption arc - if you weren't going to follow through?! It's a rural setting in the forest, in the middle of nowhere with poor, impoverished villagers with a 'chaebol/prince' character doing community service for three months thrown in the mix.
Poor Torfun.
I feel bad that the village, the villagers, and especially the children are just plot devices to get the two main characters together. All of the drama was in the direction of 'get the two guys together - to do what? To be what? A causal attempt at drama/slice-of-life with nonexistent BL? (Why do Thai BL dramas sometimes have characters be attracted to the same sex like it's happened to them before but it never shows that evidence IN THE DRAMA AT ALL!?? Sexual fluidity is real you know?)

The romance wasn't even romantic and the plot twist in episode 7 was quickly shot down by the next episode when the drama couldn't go through with the idea of Tian actually being the one to kill Torfun directly in that car race. No. He's innocent of murder so let's focus back on the romance and his 'redemption' for the 'guilt' he feels for having Torfun's heart. Not the guilt of stealing medical documents he should have never been privy to, or lying about why he wants to volunteer, or running away from home after a HEART TRANSPLANT SURGERY BECAUSE HE ALMOST DIED - possibly worrying his family to death scared he can be anywhere dead in a ditch somewhere, or lying and manipulating to the villagers into thinking he can teach at all, or never telling the village doctor that he has to take daily medication that lowers his immune system?!?!

As a pre-med student - this hurts to watch. My head hurts from trying to follow the show's logic when the only logic is: 'get the two main guys together'. That's it.
It's not having Torfun's heart that Tian should feel guilty about - it's the fact that he's a whiny, sheltered, reckless, selfish, inconsiderate, spoiled brat that can't seem to do anything right. He almost had a child drown on his watch after numerous adults advised him to not take the children to the waterfall that day. A day AFTER Phu tells him that the waterfall is really close to the border and it's not safe to be at that waterfall unsupervised! Reckless. After some casual child-endangerment, back to the romance of Phu, the 'stoic' and mean Forest Ranger and Tian, the volunteer Teacher that means well???? I don't think so.

Imagine how good this drama could have been if the writers actually allowed the characters to be people with real struggles and real solutions to their problems. Tian is a horrible son and the actor for this character could not come through on the emotional scenes to make this character feel like a natural, breathing person with fears, hopes, flaws, dreams, and passions. (Was the only hobby he had before he found out he had a heart disease was playing with toy cars? What is the director thinking? Or is it the writer's fault again? Someone dropped the ball here unless everyone involved has butterfingers.)

Instead, his three facial expressions have to convey what's supposed to be happening and the music cues are supposed to help the viewers know how to feel because I can't tell what's going on when watching him on screen. Tian's parents are a part of the problem but their money is Tian's first solution to his biggest problems. Nepotism is strong in this drama. That and the social divide between classism and the glimpse into the socioeconomics in Thailand. Why bring up such topics if you will not address how bad it is and how as a society when we watch these dramas should feel about such injustice in the world. I guess it's not important if it doesn't concern the possible relationship between two guys, that's why.

If Tian creates more problems? Solve it with money or say you are the son of so-and-so to save your life. I wanted Mr. Sakda to kill Tian then. The drama would have finally been good then - but that's a terrible thing to wish on a person. Fictional or not, right? Right?!

I want my time back that I wasted on this drama. I want the writers to apologize to Torfun and all the other women in this drama for using them for plot devices (especially Tian's mom. She was just there to be dramatic and 'an overbearing mother', screw you writers!) and I want my time back. Once again, that's messed up.

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História cativante e singela, com boas atuações

Muito triste que acabou, mas feliz pelo final ter sido perfeito. Eu sempre critico a GMMTV (especialmente depois do horror que foi Tonhon Chonlatee), mas nesse drama ela entregou tudo! A história é bem feita, bem amarrada, as atuações são boas, até a trilha sonora é boa, a série é bem feita, da pra ver que é bem produzida e bem dirigida, não tem forçação de vilão, de mal entendido, de ex chata, tudo ocorre com a maior naturalidade, você vê o relacionamento deles evoluindo sutilmente, de uma forma muito bonita, é bem devagar, mas é muito profundo. Sobre o Earth e o Mix eu me impressionei bastante. Já tinha visto outros dramas com o Earth e nunca achei um bom ator, sempre achei ele muito "engessado", mas nessa série ele se superou, estava muito bem, entregou tudo e teve uma química incrível com o Mix. E o Mix, esse menino, meu deus, vi em algum lugar que era a primeira série dele e ele já vem com esse talento todo. Normalmente nas séries tailandesas os atores nunca soam muito reais em cenas de drama e tendem a "overact", chorar de um jeito muito exagerado, ou exagerar muito no drama, o que me faz rir na maioria das cenas dramáticas das lakorns. Com o Mix não aconteceu nada disso, ele atua na medida certa, atua pelos olhos, você percebe as emoções apenas pelas expressões dele, nas cenas de drama ele também entrega perfeitamente, te comove, te emociona, sem exagero, tudo na medida certa, nem da pra acreditar que seja o primeiro drama dele, com certeza a melhor aquisição da GMMTV. Enfim, fiquei mendigando um beijo que não veio por 9 episódios, mas nem precisava com tanta química que os atores tinham, mas quando veio no último momento do ep 10, foi bonito, foi singelo e eu terminei a série feliz e muito satisfeita com o final e com a história como um todo.

Lire davantage

If there is 1000 stars rating on MyDramaList, this drama truly deserves 1000 stars!

The best BL ever made (as of April 2021)!

As a fan of the novel, I would say (and I believe most readers agree too) that this drama adaptation of the novel really made well. This drama did justice to the novel although there were some changes here and there.

This drama is full of emotions ride. We were blessed with romance, happiness, drama and emotional stories in one go. If you are looking for a BL that is not typical, does not revolve around school-university students life with different setting, then this is the one.

Why I like it:
Great directing! (kudos P'Aof)
Great acting!
Great storyline!
Great music!
Great cinematography!
Great editing!

The chemistry of Earth and Mix is insane. We immediately felt the connection between Phupha and Tian the moment they met. The tensions and attractions of Phupa and Tian toward each other were crazy, greatly done and made me smile each time I saw the romantic scenes. Earth really did a great job in this drama. He improved a lot and managed to convey his feelings and thoughts through his expressions only and we immediately felt that. Mix, as a newcomer was amazing. He could carry this heavy role and express all complex feelings really well. His acting is natural and doesn't have "acting template" which sometimes some other actors look unnatural when they acted some difficult and challenging scenes. I felt connected to Tian's struggles, feelings, emotions and stories through Mix's acting.

Other characters did an awesome job too, they are there to fit the purposes and not just a character to fill up the storyline. I like Longtae, Khama and Dr Nam characters the most. One thing I particularly like is the cinematography of this drama. All scenes were beautiful and the camera work was really good and there was no awkward camera angle. I like the colour tone of this drama which gave warm and calm feelings whenever I watch it. Also, I must credit P'Aof for giving us such a high quality drama with good editing and storyline. Each episode did not feel boring, storyline was written and planned properly and the stories developed with sensical plotline and editing. The other beauty side of Thailand was portrayed really well in the drama and this made me really happy.

One last thing to note, I really love the conversation between Tian and Tul in which Tian expressed his feelings and fond of Phupa. He understands his feelings, he acknowledges it and there is no bullshit reason to tell why he likes Phupha. Also, the editing of that scene alone which also showed the conversations between Phupha and Dr Nam was beautifully done.

If you have watched this drama, I recommend you to read the novel too (I think English translation of the novel is available). If you haven't watched, please watch this beautiful drama. You will not regret it. It's hard to move on from this beautiful drama and I am sure I will watch this over and over again till I get tired or till new BL that can beat this drama produced. I haven't felt this kind of feelings after watching a drama for a long time and I would say the one year plus waiting for this drama was totally worth it!

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