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TALE OF A THOUSAND STARS

It’s been a couple or so months that I’ve finished watching this show. I wasn’t really sure if I should make a review but finally decided to do one since I don’t get to read a lot of rave for it. I’ve seen quite a lot of BLs now, mainly because of the pandemic. Although there are a lot of good productions, very few stand out as a whole for me. Topping my list is Ni-than Phan Dao-1000 Stars.

What captured me from the start was the unusual premise of the show. A heart transplant, the need to prove one’s self, unintended romance, and social repercussions of one’s actions. This larger-than-life scenario is far too complex that I don’t recall seeing even in hetero dramas.

We are taken for a ride from the opening sequence itself. I felt the high stakes the show will tackle when Tian (Mix Sahaphap Wongratch) kept increasing his bets while playing Russian Roulette. Clearly, a metaphor for what he sees his life to be, a gamble. The story takes on a huge turn when they decide to settle things on the road. From then on, it was all nonstop euphoria.

Visually, I would have to say this has the most stunning shots I’ve seen. The director and director of photography have managed to capture the beauty of Pha Pun Dao. From the mountain trails, to the village, upto the cliff, they were all shot magnificently. The attention to detail by the production team was a cut above the rest. It was as if we were literally immersed into Pha Pun Dao culture.

The way the events in the show were setup and how they were presented literally gave me goosebumps. I was constantly on my toes as I consciously picked out clues every now and then while trying to understand the bigger picture. Very brilliant scriptwriting for me. I was really satisfied with how they laid everything out. Nothing felt rushed.

And then we have Earth and Mix. First off, I have to say that I have put off watching this show because based on the pictures I saw, promotional or otherwise, I didn’t feel them both. It was when I watched Fish Upon The Sky that I was slapped in the face by Mix (figuratively). That was when I started ATOTS. And boy, was I so wrong. These two had so much energy I felt shook by the end of Episode 1.

Mix fit the male protagonist to a tee. His portrayal of Tian was nothing short of amazing. His eyes just draw you in. You’ll feel his pain, his joy, his excitement. You can’t help but care for his character because of his performance. He managed to evoke the right emotions from his audience and you would really root for him until the very end. A lot was riding on his character, but he definitely delivered. Considering this was his first major role, Mix stuns in every sense of the word. I wouldn’t be surprised if he will win an acting award for this show. He rightfully deserves one. Or even more.

Earth Pirapat Watthanasetsiri as Chief Phupha was the only choice. I couldn’t think of anyone from GMM’s stable of BL stars that can possibly pull off a role like this. Chief Phupha wasn’t as emotionally taxing as Tian, so for me Earth’s portrayal was just right. He’s at his best whenever he is with Mix.

The chemistry between Earth and Mix was electric. The stares were everything. They didn’t even have to do anything intimate to make us believe in them both. Kudos to P’Aof, the director, for capitalizing on this. The slight touch of the fingers, or the waist-hug in the motorcycle were enough to send shockwaves through the screen. They were in love. Then that forehead kiss at the airport, it just sealed the deal.

I’d have to mention Tian’s best friend, Tul. He is the epitome of what a friend should be. Supportive, caring, and above all, understanding. He has one of the best lines in BL history as of the moment.

Overall, this show will go down as my favorite for a long time. The struggle of Tian to prove himself was beautifully executed. We are witnesses of how much his character changed for the better. He has by far, the best character development for me. If we take out the romance angle of the story, we would still be left with a good number of reasons to stay. Family, friendship, forgiveness, and social responsibility.

I really couldn’t find any fault in the series. If I will nitpick, I’d have to say Torfun was a bit stupid going after the picture flown in the middle of the street. But then again, we wouldn’t have a story if she didn’t, right? Hahaha.

I would give this series 10/10 ⭐️

Would I rewatch it? Are you kidding me? I’ve seen it like 10 times already.

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THARNTYPE THE SERIES (Season 1)

I just finished Season 1 of TharnType The Series. I’ve been putting it off for a while now since I saw it on my recommendations on Netflix. Maybe I was just into other titles that I completely forgot to put it on my list, until this weekend.

This should’ve come with a TRIGGER WARNING. I didn’t have a clue as to what the premise of the season was because I didn’t read the given synopsis. I just went on and played the first episode. Boy, was I in for a surprise. Well, not just a surprise. But a complete shocker.

First sequence in, I got a glimpse of what was to come. A homophobic man forced to live with a gay man in a single dormroom. Sure, it’s a formula I can’t recall seeing yet so it should be interesting how it plays out for the entire 12 episodes. But as the first episode progressed, I couldn’t help but think why Type was the way he was. I had an inkling, that maybe he experienced something when he was a child, but I put it at the back of my mind. Afterall, it was something too serious for a BL show like this. Maybe he had other reasons for behaving like that. Who knows.

Now here’s where I just completely lost it. Near the ending where Type was passed out due to intoxication, Tharn starts to take advantage of him. In no way am I going to romanticize rape or sexual abuse. In my mind, I have already labeled Tharn as a sexual predator. I was uncomfortable watching the whole sequence because it was not right.

I so wanted to root for Tharn because he was standing his ground against a bigot. He was fighting for what was right, that he shouldn’t leave just because he was gay. But then, he starts to do inappropriate things to Type while sleeping, while drunk, and most of all when he barged into the bathroom. At that point, I was shouting on the screen at Type “You’re being raped, goddammit!” No matter what, consent is important. These acts just further cemented the idea that gay men are sexual predators, which literally had Type all riled up.

This series may be the one that has enraged me so much due to their controversial theme. I’m so frustrated at how they seemingly romanticized and downplayed sexual violence. I wished they attacked the theme in a different way. Maybe then it wouldn’t be so off-putting. Too bad because I really liked Type. He was so damaged inside. Gulf Kanawut caught me offguard with his acting chops especially in the first 4 episodes. I wanted to like Tharn, but I can’t get past the fact that he forced himself on Type.

I genuinely want to put this series among my favorites, but all the negative aspects hinders me to do so. I stayed until the end because I wanted to see the journey of Type from damaged to healed. Everything else, was just really disturbing for me. Could have been outstanding if only they dealt with rape/sexual abuse differently. I would have loved seeing Tharn as loving gay man who helped Type free himself from the horrors of his past rather than being a sexual predator. Maybe I could’ve rooted for him until the end.

I don’t know if I would watch Season 2. I need to heal myself first from the trauma Season 1 gave me. Haha.

Would I rewatch this? Hmm. I love my life and sanity so I think the answer would be never again.

I’ll rate this one 6.5 out of 10 ⭐️ The script just really weighs down the whole season as it failed to address very important issues in today’s society.

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UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

This drama came out in 2019 but it’s only now that I got the time and energy to watch it. I’ve had a lot of recommendations from a bunch of people to check this one out. Finally, I did. This is gonna be a full-on review so brace yourselves. Warning: Spoilers possibly ahead.

Time and again, I’ve told people that I am a sucker for great storytelling. Toss me a line in your opening sequences and if I like it, I’m gonna grab on and sink into the story with you. What happened here was that I kept tugging at the line and wasn’t able to sink until about Episode 4.

Okay. The show actually has merits. I’ll list them down one by one.

1. Great concept. Right off the bat, it is nice to see a BL defy the norm. The soulmate/reincarnation theme was something that we normally get to watch on heteronormal media. Really refreshing to see it incorporated into a BL series to separate it from the “usual” themes we have in this genre.

2. Cooking/cuisine. I love the fact that we are introduced to Thai cuisine, specifically, desserts. My knowledge of Thai food is just basically limited to pad thai and tom yum. So it’s nice to get educated in this area especially international viewers like me.

3. Soundtrack. The series has pretty decent music. It’s not the most outstanding, but it was enough to put you into the mood to watch the scenes/episodes. The upbeat song they used for the more cheerful scenes was my favorite.

4. Dean/Pharm relationship. I’d have to say that this was in fact a very healthy relationship. I liked that boundaries are explicitly established and that even if they were together, consent was still a major factor.

5. Side couple supremacy. I’m sorry but I was really more interested in the Team-Win duo. Eventhough they had such limited screentime, they actually managed to steal my attention. Every single frame that Buon is onscreen, he effortlessly grabs the attention. Prem, on the other hand, was so natural that I had his character as my most favorite. The way he was overprotecting Pharm like he was a baby was just so endearing to me.

6. No girlfriend to ruin the story. I’m so done with stories that incorporate a girl just to stir things up. That being said, the female support in this series was so good to watch (well, maybe Manaow can be a bit irritating most of the time lol).

Now, where do I begin for the not so positive points? For the record, I was meaning to drop the entire show after Episode 3. It wasn’t doing anything for me. But thankfully, I chose to stick it out. Although, I don’t recall watching another BL show where I had to fast forward scenes more than this one. I’ll talk about it later. Here goes the list of minus points:

1. Opening sequences. Good Lord. I wasn’t prepared for it. Like, it literally shocked me I had to stop watching after just 5 minutes in. Once I got over the initial shock, I came back and just started shaking my head. The entire opening was devoid of logic and badly executed. But hey, I can forgive this bit because the whole story is hinged on it.

2. Korn and Intouch. Pivotal characters but sadly, falls short, by a long shot. I should say first and foremost, they were miscast. Not the actors’ fault though, more on the production’s side. There was literally no chemistry between Kao and Earth. Now here’s one major problem for me. I didn’t feel connected with the supposedly OG couple to even care about their reincarnated souls. I had to fast forward their scenes because I found them borderline disturbing and cringey. I was looking for clues as to why Korn fell madly in love with Intouch but I didn’t find any. Intouch, to me, was annoying and creepy. Emotional investment was really hard to come by with this series.

3. Pharm. Oh Pharm. You were cute with your shyboy demeanor at first, but I was mildly irritated once the series progressed. I felt like he had a rather boring personality. Had he not been the reincarnated Intouch, would Dean even bother? That’s a question I was waiting to be answered in the end but I think I’ll just draw out my own conclusion.

4. It’s awfully long, to the point it has already become dragging. Literally, it was a struggle to finish the whole thing. I mean, 17-45 minutes-ish episodes are nothing compared to your normal dramas but from a BL standard, it’s rather long. Some scenes could have been chopped off but still would push the narrative forward. Was this fan service? I don’t know really.

5. Dream sequences. Okay. These were important to the story but midseries, I was so done with them because it seemed like nothing was coming out of it. Fine, Kao and Earth story arc was the focus. And that it was to establish that Dean and Pharm were the reincarnations. But other than that, what was accomplished? Just have some random nightmare and then hyperventilate? At least Dean made a move by having Korn and In investigated but Pharm? What did you do about your nightmares? Me thinks it was just a ploy to have Dean by his side.

6. The final revelations were anti-climactic. Imagine building up the events of the tragic past, only to have a resolution that seemed too convenient. Why say so? Was it just me or did any of you feel like all the obstacles that were supposed to be in Dean and Pharm’s way were consciously removed? This was where I felt super underwhelmed with the writing. The OG lovers had hell to deal with but the reincarnated lovers seemed to have a walk in the park. I’m not saying that they should also go through hell but seriously, there was no real conflict to resolve by the end. Hence, it was a let down.

7. Switching families. Korn being reborn into In’s lineage and In being reborn into the other. I didn’t actually get the point here. I was predisposed to the notion that reincarnated souls tend to come out in the place where they felt they were most loved. Or did I not get the memo it has already changed? Lol. But yeah. It didn’t make sense for me for the OG couple to be reborn in the other side of their respective families. I mean, where’s the familiarity there? It wasn’t even shown that each one had a deep seated connection with members of the other’s families to merit such occurence.

Overall, I enjoyed the story for the most part. I’m sorry if the points I raised in here differ from yours. But the thing is, I watch not only to be entertained. I was constantly trying to find logic to what was happening onscreen especially towards the end when the revelations started coming out. The writers, I have to say, had a penchant with creating unnecessary moments.

Kudos to LineTV and Wabi Sabi for coming up with this very out of the box series. Although I had a lot of reservations, I was still able to appreciate the effort. There were moments of brilliance, but sadly, it was inconsistent.

Would I rewatch it? Hmm. Maybe Team-Win sequences only.

I’d give this a 6.5 out of 10 stars. ⭐️

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I PROMISED YOU THE MOON

I was meaning to do a review once I’m done watching the whole series but I can’t help myself after seeing Episode 3. I just need to put my thoughts into writing before they drive me nuts.

Going into Season 2, I clearly wanted something that most people, I’m sure, don’t. I was secretly hoping that Teh and Oh Aew would call it quits in the end. Okay, please don’t crucify me for this. It’s just that I want them to separate in order for them to grow into their own persons. They’ve been together far too much that I feel like their characters won’t flourish into what they ought to be if they stick it out till the end. At least, that’s how I perceive it.

I can’t say I’m a fan of I Told Sunset About You, but when I Promised You The Moon came out, my hope was really high. I’m gonna be in the minority for this because ITSAY didn’t do it for me. It was moving, however, I wasn’t really that invested. That’s why I was so looking forward to IPYTM. Take a hold of me and bring me along for a ride.

Teh. Where do I begin? People are angry at you right now. And for good reason. Any form of cheating in a relationship is a no-no. You’re very wrong there, my friend. Although I can’t help but still love your character. To me, you’re one of the most human characters I’ve seen on TV. You are dumb. You are rash. You make mistakes. You overthink. You overflow with so much emotions for your own good. You are not perfect. You reflect each of us in the real world. Maybe that’s the reason why you are probably my favorite character in the entire series. Because you are flawed; grounded on reality.

I get you, Teh. I get what you are going through. ITSAY portrayed you as the formidable male lead. You were smart. You were the star. You were poised for greatness, yet by your own doing, you fell from it. But due to your determination and perseverance, you were able to turn things around. You were victorious in the end. You were on top once again. IPYTM set you up differently. It made you realize that maybe you are not enough. You thought you were great, but reality had you thinking twice. There are other people far better than you. You are now feeling inferior. I see you dealing with that internal conflict through your dazed eyes. You’re like a deer caught in headlights.

I am not here to defend you, Teh. I’m just voicing out the point you are in right now. You are afraid of a lot of things. Losing Oh Aew as evidenced by the ending of Episode 2, never making it into acting due to the zero casting you’ve had despite numerous auditions, ending up like Khim who gave up her dream, to name a few. I’m sure due to your desperation, you had to cling on to Jai. You’ve pinned on him your last hopes because he’s right in the same alley as you are; the ambition to make it in the entertainment world. Enough to cloud your reason. You were so naive to recognize that you were acting on a little, harmless crush. There’s so much you have to deal with. I really hope the last 2 episodes would be enough to tie all the lose ends.

I sincerely wished the production team went a different route instead of the cheating part. It really left a bitter taste to everyone, casuals and fans alike. I wouldn’t say I was surprised, but I’m really disappointed. Things could’ve been dealt with differently. Now there really is no turning back. Oh Aew doesn’t deserve any of this. For me, the only logical ending for them is a breakup. There’s no point of still being together. We’ll just have to wait and see how the whole thing pans out in the last two episodes. I’ll leave it to the team behind the drama.

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GAYA SA PELIKULA

Its been a month or so since Gaya Sa Pelikula aired so I’m late in joining the fandom for this masterpiece. With the mass production of Boy Love serials in the Philippines, I felt like we have become a bit oversaturated. As a viewer, it was difficult for me to choose a series that I would want to finish until the last episode. I have always been a sucker for top notch story-telling. And for this reason, I didn’t find the current line up of BLs interesting, save but one. Thankfully, I gave in to the prodding of mutuals to try out Gaya Sa Pelikula. And boy, was I in for a treat.

GSP main actors, Ian and Paolo Pangilinan, are the very much believable characters, Vlad and Karl, respectively. I love the fact that they have really owned their characters. We felt their struggles. We felt every emotion they experienced. They took us on a roller coaster ride, and it was satisfying. At least for me.

Juan Miguel Severo and JP Habac are both brilliant. They had a great script which was matched by a very masterful execution. This show, with its smallest details, make it so much fun to watch and rewatch. I love how it opened with a black screen and a voice-over from Karl, your own reflection on your TV set, as if you are about to see your own story. I also love the use of metaphors to get points across, like the seemingly neat condo unit with an unkempt closet, the reflection of Karl in the mirror holding his chest with a very audible heartbeat sound, or Vlad’s Theme Song Test scene where he was hugging the white picture frame and Karl appears in a white shirt. These details just left me in awe.

It is a brave show because it tackled a lot of social issues like no other. You cannot sit through the whole series without having your own realizations. It gave everyone an idea of how it is like to be in the community. What it feels like to question yourself, to embrace your true self, to live your truth.

I love all the episodes of GSP, but I particularly have Episodes 6 and 7 as my favorites.

Episode 6 is aptly titled “A Baring of Souls” because this was the first time we saw Karl let go of his real self. For me, the real Karl is the effeminate Karl. There’s nothing wrong with being effeminate. But we grew up in a society where being effeminate is being frowned upon. Dads get angry when their sons are soft and telling them that boys should be tough, not girly. I came to this conclusion of Karl because of certain things. One, the hand gesture he used when he asked Vlad if he was gay. That was his definition of gay. This probably was the first time he met someone like Vlad who was different from his definition of gay. Two, the fact that he has a fixation with “being obvious.” This was evident with what he said to Vlad “na hindi ka halata” on Episode 5 and when he asked him “So halata ako?” on Episode 7. Third, his guarded behavior. We see snippets of the real Karl when he is caught off guard, like in Episode 2 where a ghostly Judit suddenly appears, and in Episode 5 when he runs out of the unit. He’s also jumpy, a trait that someone who’s hiding something normally has. We also see the stark difference in the way Karl dances in Episode 1, and the way he let go of himself in Episode 6. I loved it when he started dancing in a soft and delicate manner. This was also the episode where we get to peek into what shaped our protagonists into what they were at that point in their lives. It showed them opening up to each other, even sharing the most uncomfortable details about them.

Episode 7, for me, is the most emotionally charged of the series. From an aspiring screenwriter’s point of view, I understood why JMS and Direk JP formulated the episode that way. It was intended to be chaotic. There was too much going on in a span of 7-8 minutes starting from the introduction of Tito Santi upto the dinner. It was utter chaos. And I loved every second of it. I had to rewatch the episode just to be able to get the whole picture. It was an ode to where Karl was with what he was feeling. If you were confused with what you were watching, try to put yourself in Karl’s shoes. I can only imagine the stress he was in. His heart must have been in his throat at the very least. I like the way they set up the events leading up to the confrontation scene. Just brilliant.

Vlad is a character that we instantly fall in love with. Why not? He’s handsome and charismatic. But what made me love him is the fact that he is broken. And he’s not one to hide that. I get his yearning to be with someone that would match his boldness when it comes to love. Because of his past hurt, we see him being cautious. Obviously, he had a crush on Karl. But he held back. This is precisely the reason why we see him wait for Karl to make the first move. Karl initiated the dance on Episode 5. Karl initiated the kiss they shared on Episode 6. So it was just devastating for him when Karl did not give a Yes or No answer to his “do you have feelings for me?” question.

While Vlad is an emotional character, Karl on the other hand is a cerebral character. We often see him lost in his thoughts. One thing about cerebral people is that feelings and emotions take a backseat. I appreciate the part where he said “Ayoko na magisip.” It signified that he let his emotions take over. I also fully understand how he reacted to all the stimuli on Episode 7. I’ve seen a number of reactions and comments angry at him, saying he has no balls. Its easy for us to antagonize his character for not standing up for Vlad. But keep in mind that Karl’s just new to this. He has lived his life in constant fear. Fear of being exposed, especially to his family. Fear that he might indeed, be gay; he’s confused about himself. All the pent up emotions he had were just too much to process. He gave the best answer he could afford when he was cornered by Judit at the dinner table. How could he have owned up to Vlad, when he can’t even accept himself? Karl is a very beautiful character with so much layers to him.

Overall, Gaya Sa Pelikula is a masterpiece. A God-tier drama series. It is not just a love story. It is a social commentary as well.

Thank you GSP Team for bringing these characters to life on the screen. Karl, I see you.