ATOTS Rewatch Party: Ep. 1 April 9th 8:30 PM Bangkok Time Spoilers For Ep. 1 At That Time

 Jaybird17:

Mixx as Tian is a standout. For a first time actor in a lead, he made it look so effortless and didn't seem like he was trying hard at all. I like his character right away and can easily sympathize with him. The series made it clear that this was to be about his journey in finding a deeper meaning to his existence. He was probably lonely being sheltered all his life. Despite his happy -go-lucky party boy façade, Tian is actually smart. I was impressed by how fast he can think on his feet evidently when his father caught him in the study or when he was talking to Torfun's aunt. (he'll demonstrate this multiple times as the series progress).

I agree completely. Mix's skills thoroughly impressed me from the start.

 Jaybird17:

I enjoyed reading appreciation to 1000 Stars from our little community. So keep those post coming as it definitely helps overcome the sadness now that it's ended.

Indeed. I've already enjoyed the insights of others during the first run of the series. It really enhanced my viewing experience. I've been looking forward to this rewatch and hearing from others all week. =)

 Jaybird17:

The interchanging scenes of Tian and Torfun's lives where he was shown partying and she finding happiness in the village was deeply moving. Kudos to how perfect that was executed. At that point, I understood that Tian was clearly lost.

Yes....I am really impressed by this episode on second watch.   The first time I watched, it grabbed me enough that I said "really need to watch the rest of this series" but now looking back at it, the story-telling in ep. 1 is really superb.  

 dllmzca:

They'd already set the auntie up as being a gambler who used the money Torfun sent her for gambling

Actually, I thought we were going to learn that the reference to Tian's new heart being "worth the money" was an indication that the greedy auntie had been paid off by Tian's father.    But it seems the money went to corrupt officials, not the Aunt???

 dllmzca:

This is interesting. Tian's family looks quite affluent. I thought he would be more than modestly paid, given that he has a Ministerial position. I didn't know Khoi Yai is a national park. Interesting socio-political commentary, indeed...

Yah, Khao Yai is Thailand's Yellowstone -- the first National Park, and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.   Here's an article that discusses some of the land scandals associated with the park, over the last decade:  https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/advanced/531823/luxury-golf-resort-targetted-in-new-land-probe 

- Just by changing the hair style, we can get two versions of Tian: 1. Showing the forehead when he is in Bangkok; 2. Bangs down when he is in Pha Pun Dao.. and by simply playing with the hair, it gives different characther of Tian. Bangs down show more vulnerable & "pure" Tian.

- Still amazed & feel goosebumped by the magical scene of Tian & Phupha passing each other in the party. No conversation, just playing with the expression + ethereal music. WOW. I wish we can get more information what Phupha was doing there...

- Fun small details: 1. Bad Buddy (appear as decoration in Tian's bed room is the next most anticipated series by P'Aof); 2. Fast & Furious posters in Tian's bedroom is the first movie Earth & Mix watched together.

Will be back with more comments...

 Andaman:

1. Showing the forehead when he is in Bangkok; 2. Bangs down when he is in Pha Pun Dao.. and by simply playing with the hair, it gives different characther of Tian. Bangs down show more vulnerable & "pure" Tian

Very interesting.  In a previous post, I opined that Tian was better dressed in BKK, and I hadn't focused on the hair, but clearly that's a part of it.    (I'm not overly fond of the bangs look, but it certainly contributes to the ingenuous look of teacher Tian.)   I went back to see when the bangs first appear.   Tian has parted hair and forehead showing when he arrives in Chiang Mai, and through his first jeep trip and hike up with Yod.   But after he faints into Phu's arms, suddenly the part is gone.   And the next morning, when he starts talking with Phu about his shower, it is bangs all the way......

 BraveAppointment1:

Earth the actor is a helluva good looking man.   He's also a lot nicer / more relatable than Phu the character, who is older and has that hard "stern" look about him.   In interviews, Earth laughs a lot and has a real heart-warming vibe about him.  He says he is "shy" (not sure what Thai word was used), but he sure doesn't come across that way.

Earth is a stunner in the looks department. He seems like a guy who's always good for a laugh and loves to tease, but he's also a very sensitive person. I don't know if you've ever seen the BTS clip where they were filming the counting Stars scene but Mix actually fainted in Earth's arms. At first, Earth though he was in character and improvising something but then he realised that Mix was actually out. As the crew rushed around MIx, Earth kind of got jostled to the side and you can see him sobbing into into the assistant director's shoulder.

Mix had more scenes than Earth did for filming but Earth would often go to the set to support his friend, Mix, anyway.

The Thai concepts of shyness and modesty are still difficult for me to pin down. They do seem to be shy about expressing certain emotions, at least publicly.