1000 Years Old (2024)

Not a typical vampire drama

Oof— first of all, I'd like to state that if you're here for some spicy, fiery vampire romance, this isn't it; its the most family- friendly BL I've ever encountered and they make it work so well. This drama isn't perfect, its main flaw being that it failed to make it clear that its a satire . This drama is a Satire y'all. It may not be your kind of drama, but its right down my alley- I'm easily pleased and I loved every single second of it. Why? Here's the reason:

Plot:
The synopsis pretty much gave it all away. That's it. The synopsis is basically the only thing the story is about. Nothing to add, nothing to take.

Cast/Acting/Characters
The acting was awkward, which can be kinda anticipated as they are mostly newbies. The cast was....not misplaced. The cast did exactly what they had to. (Almost) Every character plays a noticeable role in this drama and has some kind of depth that makes them who they are and makes them appealing to the audience (at least to me).

Pun (Shane)
I initially started watching this for Shane as I had just completed "My Engineer" by then. He does a great job embodying the character Pun. He was charming, as enigmatic as this vampire could be and... very beautiful. That's not all there is. Pun is a very dedicated pers—, I mean vampire. He has a heart of gold and a smile that warms your heart. His dedication and appreciation for whatever is done for him is through the roof and makes him an extremely loveable character.

Yo (Opal)
Opal is a newbie actor. He plays the character of Yo quite well. His acting was quite awkward at times maybe due to that fact, but the character Yo is, I think, written as awkward. Beneath that awkwardness is a very determined person. He sticks to whatever he has interest in and makes it his topmost priority to know more. Plus, the actor has a very cute birthmark which they managed to incorporate into the story, which, I think was really cool of the writers.

Mild (Kamsai)
Mild has already been in a project, but is practically still a newbie. Kamsai is what I like to call the "big sister" of the whole group. She is a thoughtful person. She is another determined person who chases after what she wants head on and looks out for the other members of the group.

Luktaan (Jam)
She plays Yo's sister. She is mostly a one faced character, only showing a few expressions. However, she is a very smart person. She speaks very few words but observes her surroundings very well and is good at reading the room.

YourMOOD (Shin)
Loved by many, YourMOOD is the comic relief you crave in a drama. His comedic timing is perfect and just like his name, he's a whole MOOD. Shin is a very down-to-earth character and one who aims to please the people he wants to please. It was never a dull moment with Shin around as he was bubbly, bright and was practically a happy pill throughout his time on screen.

BigBoss (Somchai)
Ugh—the actor is handsome. His character, a very annoying and frustrating one. The urge to b*tch slap him everytime he was on screen was a very huge one. BigBoss did a good job making everyone hate Somchai, even when he did the bare minimum. We hated Somchai when he spoke, when he smiled and even when he just appeared on the screen. That's got to be one character I even wish would abruptly stop breathing.I've got to hand it, Somchai did bring some action and tension by just appearing.

Jomjam (Janja)
Another character who did nothing but managed to be a good enough villain. She didnt have much screentime, but I disliked her anytime she was on screen, until ep 12 maybe(?).

The Friend Group.
The only thing I can say is, they were moral support when necessary.

Nosy Auntie
I dont know her name, forgive me. She is more than your typical nosy neighbour. I loved her even though she didn't have that much of a significant role; her only role being to gossip.

Yo's father.
Not much to say about him also. Except he was the second most supportive dad I've ever seen in a BL (the first being Pete's dad from DBK). He encouraged his son to go for his man. You dont get this kind of dad everyday.

Pork Blood Soup.
Ah— the real MVP. The cupid that brought our main couple whose destiny had been leading them together. Pork Blood Soup, you'll always be remembered. The clutches of Pork Blood Soup cannot be escaped by anyone who watches this drama. Its impact is huge as it brings our couple together (and is everywhere).

Music:
The right songs were used in the right scenes, in my opinion. These stood out to me a lot:
1. The opening music- It was cute.
2. The Superman song - It was so ridiculous, yet oddly addicting.
3. There was a song in ep 12 with a guitar riff that I thought was so beautiful and cool.
Overall, the music is very good compared to some other soundtracks I've witnessed.

Other aspects:
The aesthetics are pretty and very visually appealing. This and other factors such as build up are similar to "I Will Knock You", as they have the same Screenwriter/ Director.

The story is more character driven than plot driven. It runs on character development and not plot development, which I loved in "I Will Knock You" as well.

The styling of the actors was on point, especially Yo and Pun. Their styling really stood out in the drama. Pun with his signature umbrella and 90s styling was really good to look at. His wardrobe combinations was one that made me want a wardrobe tour so badly. Yo's accessories were to die for. The little accessories were on point each time.

This drama had the sweetest and cutest wedding I've ever seen; both in works of fiction and in real life. That's a plus for me.

The ending— that ending was absolutely beautiful. This is the cutest last episode I've ever seen and I'm not even exaggerating.

Rewatch Value:
I'd actually rewatch this when I want something cute and easily digestible to watch. No worries about unnecessary drama; just a cute drama of 12 episodes that are easy to swallow.

With all the above, here are some flaws of this drama I thought to point out.
- The 1st episode failed to grasp me. I mean, the first episode has to have some kind of flair that pulls you into wanting to watch it right? The first episode for this drama did not hook me in, on the contrary. I would've dropped it if I only gave it one episode to impress me. This, I think isn't a good thing as the first episode is where a lot of people gave up on the show.
- In the 1st and 2nd episodes, Yo's behaviour felt a bit stalker-ish, which could be a turn off for some people.
- They practically wrote off the whole friend group at a point and brought them back at another. The back and forth made them look like extras. Poon not making an entrance anytime after the beginning episodes may be because he's in another drama which maybe was shot at the same time as this. But they should've addressed it better than just making him disappear.
- There was a ghost whose story I wish would have been explored.

I don't know, these were the only major flaws I found. It could be because I loved this so much so my judgement may be a bit clouded.

The Satire:
I mentioned earlier this is a satire. The question is... what is it satirizing? In my opinion, its mainly the vampire stereotype.

We know vampires to be scared of sunlight. Well it doesn't happen here. Apparently, vampires are burnt by holy water, but in this case, nothing happens to them upon contact with holy water. Accordingly, vampire hate garlic and can't stand crucifixes...well...you guessed it. It doesn't apply here. There's also the blood drinking. While some vampires here drink blood, one doesn't and prefers other things (which I won't mention cos I want this to be spoiler-free). There's also the talk of vampire fangs, and right! A vampire here has no fangs, due to their removal by choice. And these are just the ones I was able to catch. Just think about what I wasn't able to notice.

I think villains are also satirized here to an extent. The typical villain is a person who does ruthless, unforgiveable things and tries heaven and earth go bring down the lead character. Here, the villains do practically... Nothing. They just annoy watchers by their existence and thats that. There's no crossing of any line by any villain.

That being said, this show is one that you either like or hate; there's probably no in between; it's just a matter of preference. Maybe with this review, you'd be able to tell whether or not its your cup of tea. I'd however suggest giving this a chance before you decide you hate it. I'd suggest not to pay attention to the ratings and negative reviews before trying it out because who knows?...you may like it.

Overall, I'm bummed this has ended and I can see myself rewatching it occasionally until I get tired of it. This is the kind of drama you'd watch after a stressful day when you need something lighthearted to take your mind off your problems of the day and it's such a big bummer a lot of people hated this so much, but that could be my utter bias speaking here.

In the mean time, ALL HAIL PORK BLOOD SOUP!!

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Very Conflicted

I don't know how to feel about this series, On one hand, I enjoyed it, but on the other, I can't stand it.

I liked the beginning few episodes a lot, I thought it was very cute, sweet and wholesome. I loved the style choices; Yo always wore beaded jewelry was my favorite. Yo and Pun are super cute, separately. I don't know if it's the series, but this is the first time in a long time I haven't liked the main leads together. Ultimately, I would like to see them in another drama before I count them out. I like the Pork Blood group and would love to see them in another drama.

I kind of compared the show's wholesomeness to "Light On Me" and " My School President," and it doesn't compare. These shows don't have any spice to them, but the content in them was much more complex and better, in my opinion.

The beginning started with Yo being obsessed with Aliens, but after the show went on and we were introduced to Pun, we slowly forgot the whole alien premise. I know it's a vampire series, but I wish they kept the alien aspect there. Maybe they made Shin an alien since he was often goofy and in "outer space". ." so, I could've had a little more vampire drama, if that's what we were going with here, like maybe make Pun have a little more substance to him, all he did was walk around confessing his love to Yo and eating Pork blood, he didn't do much. I liked that they put a meaning to Opal's actual birthmark but I didn't get it, I wish they would've put in earlier episodes so we could've gotten a little more from it.

As for the BL aspect, it was fine. There was no spice, and there was one small kiss. They had Pun follow Yo around, telling him that he was in love with him, and Yo didn't accept or reciprocate any feelings until the last episode. We also didn't have any side couples. I think we kind of needed them to make the series move. They could've had a GL storyline with Janga and that girl whom she drank from; they had something going on.

I didn't understand the ending after Yo confessed his love to Pun; it was all confusing and honestly unnecessary. They could've just ended it with a hug.

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Weird, remarkably consistent -- and can make you think if you look beyond the Pork Blood Soup

For vampire Pun, only meeting Yo makes his own life meaningful. Only when they are together, during the all too short span of a human life, there can be happiness. Pun will enjoy every single second with Yo, it doesn't matter if these seconds are good, bad, or deeply absurd.

For those who seek help in deciding if they should watch this series, this might be important to know:
* Take all of your ideas what a vampire story should be like, and put them away, because this story either discards them or at least subverts all the vampire tropes.
* Almost all of the characters are weird in some way. If you can't handle "cringe" (whatever that is, because I still don't understand the word), then this might not be for you.
* Blood Pork Soup sometimes feels like the main character of the show. This is what brings the group together.
* This is not a fast-paced romance. At times, it seems as if this show is not about the romance, but about the absurdity of life. Which also means that sometimes it seems that nothing is happening at all. Relax, follow the flow of the drama, enjoy every scene on its own, without expecting it to advance the story -- and you'll enjoy this show.
* Pun is, and that is important to notice, usually at least an unreliable narrator -- inconsistencies in what he says are not plot holes. Take everything Pun says about himself or other vampires with a grain of salt, he has his reasons.
* You *will* get a common trope used in stories about humans and immortals at the end.
* And last, watch the trailer https://youtu.be/5ekNPUazAmA. For a trailer, this one is pretty much accurate. If you like what you see there, you might like the series.

_________________________________
Now, the things I love about the series:
1. The series tries to do something different.
While I can love a tropey rom-com, I don't want only that. I love when somebody does something new; when tropes are discarded or subverted. Actually, I was deeply sceptical before I started watching this serie, because I DON'T like vampire stories and their tropes. Dark and brooding, cruel and mysterious, erotic blood-sucking included? No, thank you. But this one is different. This is colourful, and bright, and everybody enjoys the absurdity life can bring.
"Different" always gets bonus points, even if other aspects might not be good.

2. The characters are weird, and so, so loveable.
Pun, of course, the good vampire who loves Yo and Pork Blood Soup, who once wore braces as an accessory, whose assortment of colourful umbrellas shade us from the harsh sun of reality.
Yo, who is obsessed with aliens and fascinated by the weird, who likes wearing his beaded bracelets and, of course, loves eating Pork Blood Soup.
Kamsai, whose main goal in life is to have a Pork Blood Soup stall, and who is the most pragmatic of them all at the age of 16.
Yam, Yo's little sister, who seems to be a no-nonsense kind of person but ultimately gives in to the weird obsession of Yo's, and who is the one who has a good sense for people and is the first to point out the attraction between Yo and Pun.
Shin, of course, who is hard-working, always full of energy, and who seems to have a slight humiliation kink.
And then there are the side characters; the alien-obsessed Pak and her mute girlfriend, the nosy but courageous auntie, Gyoza and her elderly grandma, the small and cheeky landlady.

3. The series is consistent:
When I watched the series for the first time, I waited for the plot to fall apart very episode. It didn't. Actually, after rewatching, I can say, the plot and the worldbuilding is remarkably consistent -- there are no glaring inconsistencies, no obvious plot holes. I do wish the writer had put more obvious clues about Pun's backstory in earlier episodes. As it is, the last episodes reveals *two* crucial pieces of information about the past and has to resolve all of it in half an episode -- this might be one of the reasons some people find the ending rushed.

I also have to mention that this is one of the few Thai BLs that actually give us dates! The main story starts shortly before Valentine (episode 1, the couple's discount at the food stall) and ends shortly after Songkran, then there's a time-skip of a year, after which follows a montage over the next fifty-four years (this can be easily calculated). So, and I think that's something a lot of people haven't noticed, the main part only takes just over two months -- that's actually not that long.

I also feel that the characters are consistent in their actions. There wasn't a scene when I thought that someone was out of character. Even the side characters had, well, *character*.
Look at Chalui / Luis for example. He's part of "UFO and the gang" (Yo's college friend group) -- if you observe him, he's obviously not as into alien hunting as Yo and Pak. He rolls his eyes continuously, he doesn't want to get involved with that vampire nonsense. He points out that their thesis in the next semester will be a solo project -- and consequently, disappears from the moment the break starts and doesn't appear again. (And, let's be honest, friend groups at college form and disband all the time.)

4. Something that also impressed me were the props and sets.
Seeing the Pun and Yo's rooms, they fit their characters. None of those soulless condos and houses for the super-rich that look as if they were just rented spaces for a series. I can see Yo and Pun *living* there, surrounded by all the things that are important to them. The roof-top restaurant, too, evolves over time, from a neglected space to a place where our group regularly meets and eats their pork blood soup -- props were added over the course of the series, changed places, were *used*. That shows what you can do with a small budget, if you know what you want.

5. The music.
Most of the songs are sung by Boy YourMOOD, who also plays Shin in this show, they are as up-beat and colourful as the whole series. And I encourage you to pay attention to the songs at the opening and closing credits!

6. The plot, in all its consistency, leaves some questions unanswered. (Yes, I'm still at "things I love")
I don't mean the important questions -- the main plot itself is resolved in the end; we get to hear the reasons for the main obstacle, we know why Pun acts the way he does. But there are some minor plot points that are left open -- I won't talk about them here, I try to keep this spoiler-free.
The thing is, I like it when I can think and theorize more after a show has ended. When I can have my little fantasies about what happened before and why, about what someone did or said between scenes, about what will happen after the last scene. Bonus points for that!

7. Below all of the quirky weirdness, there lie unexplored depths of existential questions.
Throughout the series, it feels as if the mood is just one turn away from shifting into the dark.
The drama asks: What to do when everything falls apart and the thing / the person that gave meaning to your life is gone? What will you do when you are the one who will outlive them all?
And: How much do you let yourself be defined by what you are? Can you go against your very own nature? Against what everybody else says how you should be? How long will you be able to defy expectations?
And: What makes a good life? Can happiness be a bowl of Pork Blood Soup?

________________________
The acting by all of the actors was not something exceptional, but we've all seen much worse in Thai BLs. Both main actors did a good job -- especially Pun's besotted stares and Yo's laugh whenever he was embarrassed or confused were very well done. The comedic timing was usually spot-on for me, and where it wasn't. it seems mainly be a strange editing choice. Somchai could have had more range -- the clapping and laughing got samey after a while, but in other scenes the actor was good enough to make everybody hate his character. Special mention goes to Mild who played Kaemsai, what a remarkable scene in episode 11! And she was only 16 when they filmed; I'm looking forward to following her acting career.

__________________
And, at last, the not-so-good.
Because everything cannot be perfect, and we can love something while also be aware of the flaws.
I already pointed it out earlier: There are two crucial plot points that answer questions that are central to the whole plot; and we don't even get real hints before that. While rewatching, I noticed that, at least for one of those plot points, there are actions that make much more sense now that I know what I know -- during the first time, I felt that there was something ... not quite off, but strange about them, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
In my opinion, it would have been possible to place more and stronger hints in earlier episodes, without revealing everything. It might also have made the series more palatable for the people who felt that it was "too slow" or that "nothing is happening".

To everyone who made it to the end of this review, I say:
โบกมือลา ... แล้ววันหน้าพบกันใหม่ --- Wave goodbye ... and meet you again in the future.

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Funny and unique approach to BL!

First, let me just clarify for anyone going into the show unaware, this is a SATIRE. If satire and parody are not your cup of tea I totally get it, that’s fine, we all like what we like! But for the love of the holy BL gods, don’t down-rate a series you haven’t even finished just because you don’t enjoy the genre and it’s not what you expected.

How many people have downrated BL or queer shows in general just because they expected or wanted it to be straight? Don’t be part of the problem my friends, don’t hurt independent artists simply because a concept isn’t one you personally enjoy.

This is a parody of both vampire/monster shows and also of BL, and done in a beautifully witty, kind, and unique style too. The director, Champ Weerachit Thongjila, is a genius and I’ve been a fan of his since IWKY. It’s self-aware, clever, charming, full of bright colors and subverted expectations and quirky characters and supportive friends. It’s supposed to be over the top and in your face, and yes, you have to put a bit of work in to watch carefully and read between the lines. Every detail is planned and deliberate and clever, from the sets to the music, and if you pay attention there’s little Easter eggs and call backs all through the show.

I don’t normally write a review before I’ve finished a show, but I hated seeing all the negative comments from a bunch of grumpy Karens who traveled to a foreign country and went to a local restaurant only to leave in a huff when they couldn’t order a caesar salad or a hamburger. It’s like watching a horror film and then down-rating it because you don’t like gore or jump scares 🤦🏻‍♀️

I’ll be back to update when the show is done ☺️

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Cutely bizarre which just became bizarre at the end.

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

I enjoyed most of this series despite its flaws, but I am a pushover for supernatural storylines. That being said, you should probably skip this series if that does not interest you. This was an interesting and bizarrely cute series with some cool story ideas. The script was light, fluffy (most of the time), and quirky. Unfortunately, the implementation of the ideas was not the greatest at times. My main problem was the end of episode 11 and episode 12. This is when it just became bizarre. Some of the comedy aspect didn’t really hit the mark and there were sections/things that didn’t make sense. Although I liked it, the mystery/suspense aspect was not incorporated very well and seemed out of place. The overall story pacing was good, but there was a lot of wasted screentime. The acting is ok (not horrible or great) considering many of the actors were new.

Random Notes:

Maybe I enjoyed this because I already went into this with low expectations. I was not a fan of the screenwriter/director’s last series (I Will Knock You) which I dropped.

The subtitles are ok. Sometimes the lines get mixed up with the words of the song that is playing in the background which was confusing.


******Spoiler Alert******

I would have loved to see more of the ghost story element. You do see the girl ghost a few times, but nothing about her backstory.

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As usual it gets weaker with every episode

While I enjoyed the first two episodes even with its weired story, it goes down the hill from there. The blood pork soup song was really entertaining and funny for me. But overall the story lacked substance and depth. Why drop the alien aspect of it? Why can they be only be 1000 years old which is against common "knowledge" and also why can't it be in the established realm that vampires can convert a human into a vampire?
That this is low budget production is evident, because most scenes are either on the rooftop or in the two rooms or Yohs home, with some scenes outside. Only the wardrobe was a bit fancy. As usual all the comedy slices in thai series have very silly soundeffects which are just annoying.

The show is not bad per se, but it left sooooo much to be desired. The supporting cast (especially the girls) are great imho because the main leads together don't have the chemistry you expect from a BL. Other low budget shows try to compensate with more mature scenes but here they are completly absent. Just one kissing scene is disappointing for a BL. Overall a mixed bag which could have been skipped alltogether.

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The entertainment aspect depends on the person

Personally, although the drama had certain plot holes, acting skills can be improved, and the plot, overall, relied a lot on the mysteriousness of Pun, it is a cute watch for a mid-week break. However, I know if I watched it after airing, I would not have been able to continue.

Major Plot Hole: *Spoiler* I am not sure if it was me who missed it or it was never addressed, but, in the show, it was never mentioned how Pun was able to stay with Yoh longer. Was it the possible consumption of human blood or his marriage with Janja, which seemed somewhat pertinent, aside from the romance aspect.

Acting: This is one of the parts that I tend to use for deciding whether a drama is worth watching. I would say the acting was not bad, but definitely, with more experience, it will improve.

Plot: The main premise of the story surrounded Pun's life and how Yoh gets involved in it. I feel like the story, basically, progressed because of Pun, the other vampires, and the fact that not many questions about Pun were answered even at the end of the show. It was, mainly, curiosity which made me watch the show.

A fun watch and I am excited to see the upcoming projects of the cast.

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I'm Not Angry, Just Disappointed

Episode one is usually rough so I'm giving this the benefit of the doubt, but I have a strong feeling the entire series is going to require a lot of it. Cringe alone doesnt make for a good series and holy hell is there cringe. And not even good cringe or funny cringe, just.... "uh ok, i guess" cringe. We begin with a stalker who refuses to believe he's the weird one. And he is, somehow, slightly less weird than the person he's stalking. Slightly.

Also the 1000 year old supernatural being has no secrecy or self-preservation? Sure cool. I can suspend disbelief there if only because in the trailer we see that he's not exactly attached to living but something about the execution is.....suspect. Again, gonna chalk all this up to first episode growing pains and cross my fingers that it gets better.

After finishing episode two, it was much less excruciating. If we follow this trend, episode three (or maybe four) on should be watchable, so I'm in it for another two weeks, I guess.

After watching episode three, I finally figured out why this irks me: it feels like a middle school fanfiction. The sheer amount of characters repeating lines and staring with no talking, just awkwards giggles, is painful. I was watching on 2x and it took up a lot of the episode even still. Three episodes in and this is the first episode that feels like something happened, but it still feels like nothing is happening. Like the script has so few plot points that they really drag out what should be a cute lil siesta into a nine hour sleep.

Episode four kinda seals the deal, I'm dropping this. It feels like a middle schooler's crackfic which isn't necessarily an awful thing, but all the dead space also makes it feel like filming day was the first time any of the actors saw the script. The humor has not been landing for me, despite being able to see every moment thats *supposed* to be funny. The plot is thinner than one-ply toilet paper and the two new characters managed to somehow be even less compelling than the cast we already know (except Mild, who can do no wrong.) I'm not taking this series seriously at all-- not even remotely-- which usually makes things better, but it's still impressively bad. Alas.

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Badly staged, could be better (good and sad ending in the same time)

Conclusion after the end:
If you take out the whole, in my opinion, unnecessary vampire story, the series is a story about the love of your life and the luck of finding it. It's a story about soul mates who find each other again and again and finally grow old happily in one of their lives. Just as many of us humans wish we could have a marriage with someone we love with every fibre of our being until they both find their way back into the cycle of the earth.
The series should have either left the vampire theme alone or done it better (the vampires here are toothless, kind of like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, the Disney film). But the version here is really bad, unfortunately, and greatly reduces the rating of the series. I will therefore only give it one star more than my provisional rating. A wasted opportunity.

Review after 5ep:
The first two episodes were hard to take, my thoughts were "bad acting, weird main characters, a story that barely fits together". Even now after 5 episodes the story is still opaque but with the appearance of the "bad boy" it becomes more exciting, he brings in dynamism.
Overall, I'm only staying tuned because I want to know whether pun will bite yoh. Unfortunately, the vampire himself is also very badly staged, I've seen it done better in other East Asian productions like the Kdrama Blood for example.

Random thoughts on the series, may contain spoilers:
What the hell is going on with Somchai anyway? He may be a well-written character, but the actor is rubbish. He only has one laugh and the exact same sentence structure. There's no variance, you can't just hear if he's amused or pissed off about something or whatever. And his constant clapping...just super annoying.
It's a shame that Pun's story wasn't told more about how he became a vampire and why his father made a deal. This storyline would help a lot with understanding.

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