A Tale of A Thousand Stars, Moonlight Chicken, Bad Buddy, and The Last Twilight. P’Aof or Aof Noppharnach Chaiwimol is a highly acclaimed Thai director, screenwriter, and producer for GMMTV who occasionally also gives the audience a cameo appearance in his shows. Let’s look at some of his genius directions:
The Ghost That Makes Sense: He’s Coming To Me
Aside from its great humour and lovable acting, He’s Coming to Me is a special coming-of-age supernatural romance story that masterfully deals with themes of love, friendship, life, and death.
The main character, Mes, was a young man who died from his heart condition. He becomes a lonely ghost trapped in the living world, unable to leave the confines of the cemetery.
What sets this story apart from the other supernatural stories is how P’Aof sets clear rules and boundaries between the world of the living and the world of the dead.
Even though the show deals with death, there’s an easygoing atmosphere prevalent throughout the series. The explanations for why Thun (Ohm) can sometimes touch ghosts and just walk through others, the continued suspense that keeps viewers glued to the story, and the subtle details of their relationships and the mystery in the series, all prove to be the reasons why this drama is one of the fan favourites.
The Beautiful Side Story: Moonlight Chicken
Moonlight Chicken is a nuanced account of the daily lives of Jim, an ordinary guy who sells Hainanese chicken rice for a living, and who meets Wen, a drunk customer in his diner.
Yet, the spotlight is stolen by another cute couple, Liming and Heart (FourthGemini).
The subtle and soft ways in which these two characters show each other affection, and the way it grows, are simply beautiful.
The direction of P’Aof for the deaf side character is no less than that of the main character.
By lip-reading, sign language and pure facial expressions, these characters portray millions of lines of dialogue in just one shot.
P’Aof’s way of storytelling also extends to metaphors. When two characters are arguing, he makes a cameo appearance. Not only does that make a lighthearted moment for the viewers, but he also brings in a metaphor for the rekindling of a relationship to be “too late.” Moonlight Chicken is a poignant exploration of the daily life struggles of a common man.
The Beloved Enemies to Lovers: Bad Buddy
Bad Buddy is one of the, if not the best, works of P’Aof.
The rivalry of Pat (Ohm), a cheeky guy, and Pran (Nanon), a perfectionist, has been passed down from a previous generation. They were destined to be mutual enemies even before they were born.
Each episode builds up to their relationship, their physical interactions, their verbal matches, and their equally romantic eye contact.
The final reveal of the reason their parents fought all this time, and their disappointment, will always be a pain in the viewer’s hearts.
P’Aof perfectly executes these myriads of emotions into the drama. Bad Buddy is arguably one of the best BL dramas ever.
“It was always you”: The Tale of A Thousand Stars
The Tale of A Thousand Stars is a story that touches people’s hearts right from the first episode.
A spoilt rich city boy trying to learn the ways of the common people that he meets. The story of Tian and Phupha inspires self-discovery.
One of the main concerns of Tian, after he falls in love with Phupha, is his doubt regarding Phupha’s previous relationship. The one who gave Tian his new heart.
P’Aof does an incredible job giving us intricate details about Phupha’s feelings without explicitly telling the audience.
One of P’Aof’s greatest storytelling skills is how he can give the audience details while still respecting their intelligence and observations. He plants ideas and details and leaves them for the viewers to pick up on to get the gist of the story.
The Slow Built Trust: The Last Twilight
The Last Twilight is a 2023 romance where Mhok, a young man burdened with heavy debt, applies for a high-paying job as a caregiver to Day, a badminton player with partial blindness.
The story captured everyone’s interest with its intricate plot line. The delicate handling of Day’s partial and eventually complete blindness is also a point worth noting.
The “one palm distance” detail becomes the main point in their relationship that gains attention from the audience.
A special detail that can be noticed in his works is the way P’Aof handles the concept of trust. Just like how Mhok earns Day’s trust over gradual acts of kindness, trust has to be worked upon and earned. Trust is not something that people can earn instantly.
P’Aof is a master of building slow burns that don’t feel forced or fated. He builds relationships naturally, considering the time it takes to build trust, feelings of companionship and pure love.
These are just a few examples within these dramas that show his talent for storytelling. P’Aof is known to be a reliable director. His art of telling a story subtly yet powerfully, which gives his dramas a real-life essence with a compelling narrative and beautiful execution. For more of his dramas: https://mydramalist.com/people/24019-backaof-aof-noppharnach
To watch GMMTV directors making cameos in their own shows, watch:
Stay tuned to The World Times for more such content!
