THIS. IS. WHY. I. CAME. HERE.

I've been in this Thai BL drama world for a little over four years (as of the writing of this review) and it's a little sad to come to the realization that, after all this time and all of these dramas, I can only count the good ones with one hand. This one, fortunately, is on that list. This is what happens when quality triumphs over quantity. That's the best description I can give to someone about "A Tale of Thousand Stars."

~Story:
Captivating. It did have a very slow start, but things gradually ran at a better pace once the main story began unfolding and pieces were falling into place. My favorite part is that it feels like a coming-of-age story without the usual coming-of-age tropes. There's this sense of leaving an era, a part of who you were behind and taking those hard steps towards the future as you self-discover, learn, and eventually grow as a human being.
I was so relieved that this wasn't set at an university because that trope is so beyond tired already. This setting was actually one of my favorites we have had because there's just something so tranquilizing about rural Thailand that makes me feel at ease, and it helped set the tone for the whole series. Showing the hardships of living in poor conditions and the constant hard work of the residents became an allegory for the main's self-discovery.
Now, something that really struck me in the right way was how subtle the relationship between the two mains was. It was not an on-your-face type of BL, but you can tell that the writers wanted the plot to be the main focus of this story and the romance a nice extra to add a little extra flavor to it. Excellent work.

~Cast:
There are ups and downs. Luckily, there are more ups and very few downs.

-Tian: I don't think he did a bad job, but we had some moments in which his acting was just plain. There were lack of facial expressions at certain scenes where those were very necessary to express the required feelings successfully. However, for the most part, he understood the assignment. I specially loved Mix's acting on the last couple of episodes because his emotions were raw and came at the right level of intensity to not overpower the scene. Very balanced.

-Phupha: You know what, I have my fair share of dislike towards this actor. Earth was just born with this fucking facial expression that makes him look like he hates being there and I always thought he never looked good with any other actor he was paired with. That being said, I have to admit this is his best role and truly the only work of his that I genuinely enjoyed. I believed he was Phupha and that is the main goal of every actor out there, so props to you for finally finding your role. There were some scenes that looked quite "staged," but he did a good job overall. I mean, those last episodes were some of the best episodes I have ever seen from a BL.

~Direction and Writing:
One of the bests out there. I mean, the vision was so strong from the very first episode that it easily captivates the viewer. The pacing was nice and fluid. Flashbacks were perfectly placed revealing only the necessary little by little. Editing was consistently good. Honestly, I could just go on for hours about how well made this drama was, but I don't wanna take much of your time that you can be spending watching the drama instead.

Sis, this show has everything: Life and death, love that can't be requited, self-discovery, crime and justice, hard nipples, promises, wishes, longings, and so much more. Are you hungry for some good drama? Look no more cuz she is the moment. I one hundred percent recommend it.