Story / Plot and Cast: The series is refreshing! To me, the series explored many issues in life. I am going to explain these below. As an apathetic person, I cannot count how many times my eyes were wet − there truly is a special power.

Life and Death: As I probably do not need to elaborate, the story starts with the heart transplant of Tian and the heart is from Torfun. Torfun used to be a teacher in the village of Pha Ban Dao (literally, the cliff of Ban Dao [บันดาว]). Tian is well-off and used to be reckless because he knew he has a heart problem. What induced the change in Tian is the moment when he knew the donor of his heart is a well-loved teacher in a distant village. Tian felt a strong sense of guilt all along, and this was only alleviated near the end. He used to show off his wealth. After he knew the whole thing, he thinks nothing can compensate for the life of a well-loved teacher, be it money or a relationship. He has no choice (bear in mind, it was his parents who decided on the heart transplant), but he still decided to go to Pha Ban Dao as a teacher. We can say his acts were generated by his guilt towards the loss of a loving teacher to the village.

Love and Life: Why does Phupha want Tian to leave Pha Ban Dao so desperately? Phupha thinks Tian is young, and it is not worth it for Tian to stay in Pha Ban Dao just for him. (Honestly, if it is only for Phupha, Tian could have other ways to make it − thereby proving Phupha is obviously not the only factor for Tian to return to / stay in Pha Ban Dao.) Some think Phupha is selfless because he thinks it is better for Tian to develop his own life outside, despite leaving him. For me, I think Tian has the ability to decide. (Of course, if that turns out wrong, Tian himself has to bear the consequence too.) Instead of only asking Tian to leave, Tian should have the right to decide for himself.

Education and the Underprivileged: Education is not easy. Education is not only giving someone a fish, it is teaching someone how to get a fish. Tian has no idea what to teach at first, even though this is not his fault. The kids have learnt the Thai alphabet, and they show little interest in the English alphabet. Later, Tian understands that what the kids need is useful knowledge, not knowledge of the metropolitan area. The line that hit me most is when Phupha told Tian that he has to treat the kids as his family. It is only by immersing himself in the lives of the villagers does he fully understand what they need, and simultaneously this also let the villagers understand his passion for teaching. I do not think Tian is a bad person − and guilt cannot lead a person to stay in such an environment for three months. At the end of the day, I think Tian gradually developed his love of teaching, especially to the adorable kids! This can be seen from the finale.

Justice: You can say Tian is reckless or righteous. Sometimes, the two words do not differ that much. When the villagers were scammed by the rich guy nearby, Tian voiced out immediately. I agree that Tian could have done better, for example with planning and careful investigation. But, his intentions were good, and I think this is undoubted. Khama said later that Tian reminded him that oppression should not be accepted. Sure, careful planning is good. But did our spirit of justice dissolve throughout the time?

Stay or Leave: Pha Ban Dao is a dangerous place, as said by Phupha. Why do the villagers stay? Why do the team stay? Why one stay in a certain place has countless answers. For Phupha, it is his goal to protect the forests. The forests are so important to him that he can risk his life just to protect the forest. Pha Ban Dao is near the boundary, and there had been countless conflicts. If a heart (or a brain, you decide) wants to stay, nothing really can alter the decision, no matter how reckless and risky it is. So is the world. There is no utopia in this world. Conflicts are everywhere. Evil parties are everywhere. Violence is everywhere. But home is the place where you find your place. Will you leave your home notwithstanding all these?

The cast is excellent! I am not a big fan of EarthMix, but I have to say they have interesting interactions. Earth (Phupha) was manly (OK, I struggled to put the word or not) and really gets the role of Phupha. Mix (Tian) obviously has an innocent face and cause a heart attack whenever he was weeping. Khaotung (Longtae) is understanding, and Nammon (Dr. Nam) is the strongest shipper between EarthMix! Also, Aye (Torfun) really resembles a loving teacher. Not to mention the really adorable kids, which was a bit uninterested at first but turns out to be the source of happiness and satisfaction for Khruu [Th., Sir] Tian.

Music: The soundtrack of the series, นิทานพันดาว (Tale of Thousand Stars) by Gun Napat Injaiuea is really touching. The sound of woodwind indeed strengthened the theme and made it a soft song. I will not deny that whenever the song was played (except, of course, in every outro) it made my eyes wet. My favourite line is

หากดาวได้ยินคำอธิษฐาน ของหัวใจ
กี่พันครั้งก็ยังจะขอ ให้ดวงใจฉันอยู่ใกล้เธอ

which translates to

if a star can hear the prayer of my heart
even for thousand times, I will still wish for my heart to be close to yours

(A phonemic approximation can be obtained from Google Translate. If not, comment down below and let me know, I might produce a rough transcription there.)

That’s it! I love the series not only for the cast; but also for the meaning it conveyed.