This review may contain spoilers
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.
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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