Reviews

Loved ep 1-5, ep 6 was meh

I'm gonna get straight to the point (typed 3 paragraphs just to reload the website accidentally kms)
What I liked:
-Storyline wand plot was great, it was well pased, and it was easy for audiences to understand and immerse themselves into the character's perspective (Especially episode 2 and 3, great job on presenting Tanrak's desires and confusion and want and denial)
-Acting was pretty good, there were points of which the actors were seen repeating their non-verbal actions that felt fake (E.g.: Tanrak putting the pencil case back on the same spot again) but their acting overall when they present their lines felt natural and I could follow their acting along with the story.
-I loved the choice of the setting and the background of where they filmed it at, it really brought everything to life and made me relate as a Catholic that studied in a local church for a short period of time.
-Great character build up in the plot too, it felt like all the main characters had their own backstory and I could relate to a lot of characters, and their actions adds up and fits their character pretty well (except episode 6 I will add onto that below)

What I think could be better:
-The songs seclection were perfect, the opening music of the heavenly chior version of the opening was GREAT, I LOVED it, and the ending song was awsome too, but there's a part where they reused the same "Get you off my mind by Ten Towers" song multiple times and it was genuenily So annoying like it felt like some cheap happy stock music being reused multiple times especially during the advertisments with the Jello company, I love that snack but the ads felt SO forced like I'm okay with it if you just include it in the show but putting on a full 5 minute slow motion clip 😭

! Big spoilers alert if you haven't watched ep 6 ahead!
-I didn't like the whole love hotel part, I know it's fan service partually and I'm guessing that the director wants to show Tanrak's character development of his good boy character being torn down but that was too much, it was perfect with how he was sneaking and going out with Barth as his character being stripped away but smoking and burning his own rosary was unnecessary. He commited the so called "sin" with Barth was because he can't fight it due to his strong love for him, but he didn't even try to fight against smoking, and smoking itself is a sin as it violates the command to honor God with your physical body.. And I didn't get his action with BURNING the rosary at ALL, I need someone to explain this below!

-The makeup didn't really made sense to me during modern times, I'm assuming that they're around 50 years old in the ending, but how did father Arnon and Barth's mother look like they haven't aged at all? I do see some signs of age in father Arnon during the sunshot but it wasn't enough, whilst Kongdech showed full signs of aging in the ending😂

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Strong Beginning, Weak Second Half

This drama started off really strong for me. The first few episodes were funny, entertaining, and had a lot of potential. I genuinely enjoyed the chemistry and the overall vibe of the show at the beginning.

But as the story progressed, it slowly started falling into very predictable K-drama clichés. The biggest issue was the lack of communication between the leads. So many problems could’ve been solved if the characters had simply talked honestly instead of hiding things, pushing each other away, or creating unnecessary misunderstandings.

At first, the female lead felt smart and refreshing, but later her character started making frustrating decisions just to drag the drama forward. The misunderstanding arcs became repetitive and easy to predict, which made the second half lose its charm.

By episodes 10-11, I was honestly getting bored, watching in faster speed, and skipping scenes. Eventually, I dropped the drama at episode 12 because I completely lost interest.

Overall, My Royal Nemesis had a strong and fun start, but the second half became too cliché and frustrating for me to stay invested.

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Faith, Hope, & Love

Honestly, I don't know what I expected going into this story. I think part of me expected an angsty, tearful, heartbreaking story of how the Christian faith - Catholicism, specifically - treats its queer persons. Honestly, I wouldn't have been mad at it. To look at major religions impartially is to know that they are largely not kind to queer people.

However, now that I'm done with the show, I'm really glad that they went the route they did here. Rather than show what we all know to be the sad and ugly truth that we live with, they instead made a beautiful body of work that highlights how faith, hope, and love, all kinds of love at that, can coexist

Because this is very much a character-driven story, I feel it is best to review it based on its characters

🎟️Tanrak - Every time I think of him, the question 'But are you happy?' by Barth to Tanrak pops into my mind. Tanrak lived most of his life numb. I think if he wasn't numb, he was sad. Someone somewhere commented that he was living to die. Before Barth and their love for each other, Tanrak was simply going through the motions. Probably hoping to die after being ordained so he could meet his parents again.

Then Barth comes into his life, and suddenly, he's smiling. His eyes have life in them again. He stopped being alive and actually started living. However, his joy, love, and happiness aren't as carefree and open as they deserve to be. Falling in love makes him scared. What I appreciate most about this story is that his fear doesn't come from God, but from man and the institutions that man has built around God.

When he was a child, Father Arnon, in not so many words, told him that dedicating his life to God and staying on that path would not only get him into heaven but also allow him to meet his parents. Falling in love deviates from that path. That promise. It makes him feel like he's betraying his promise not only to God but also to those around him who've placed their hope in him.

In his story, I believe episodes 2 and 5 hurt me the most. One where he discovers and has to face these feelings, and the other where he frantically tries to bury them. Ep 5 will stay with me the most coz it once again highlighted that while Tanrak didn't want to disappoint God, his greatest fear was always the people.

At no point in this story do we ever see him think or believe that God might think that his love for Barth was gross, or a sin, or any other undeserving words. His faith stays with him throughout this story; it's the people around him that make him fear. Made him think that his love for his fellow young man could not coexist or share space with his love for God.

🎟️Barth - I think I relate to his struggles with faith the most. That sadness and anger that come from the thought of 'If God cares and is supposed to love me, why does all this keep happening?' I'm actually highkey sad that we never got to explore his story more. The plot is centered around Tan with hints of Barth's sadness, loneliness, frustration, and anger—both at God and at the world.

Barth is presented as this rock for Tan. The person who would not only help him live for the first time (and forever), but the person who would love him for him. While this is beautiful (who wouldn't want someone like this to share their life with?) I think it is done at the expense of Barth's story.

I'd have liked to see who he was past Tan's rock, boyfriend and eventual husband. Show me Barth, the person. The struggles at school when he was outted, how he dealt with his dad's death, his mom's imprisonment, becoming a scholarship kid, and having to start over with no support system. We largely see his anger, but not what causes it. Exploring this further would've deepened him as a character in his own right.

One thing I do appreciate about him, other than how he helped Tan live again, is his respect for Tan's faith. While he had his doubts and issues, he never went out of his way to belittle who and what Tan believed in. I do not feel like the ending quite gave us an answer as to whether Barth went back to being a believer.

🎟️Kongdech - Tell me why I spent most of the show fearing that he was going to turn out to be homophobic? Thank God they never went that route. Rather than that, his anger and disappointment come from being 'dumped' by Tan. Tan here was like that one friend who gets a bf and suddenly vanishes from your life. She only pops back up if they're fighting, have broken up, or she needs something. I totally understand why he was mad. His bestie left him for the new guy. I get that their paths deviated, but Tan wasn't right in how he wiped Kongdech off his mind.

🎟️Father Arnon - I wanted to hate him. But he doesn't do anything worth hating. I think the one thing I'm most mad at him about is his words to Tan when he was a kid. He should have chosen his words to a mourning child more carefully. While he might have had the best intentions, Tan was too young to be put on the path that the Father put him on. I'd have wanted to be mad at him for the advice he gave Tan on love, but lowkey, I feel like he did what anyone in that position would do.

I was raised Catholic, and when I was younger, I encountered Nuns who would try to get young girls to become Sisters like them. Hearing Father Arnon speak reminded me of them. For them, no love was greater than God's love, no path was more noble than His path. So while some may be angry at the Father for some of the things he said, I think if you looked at it in the sense that all love is a temptation for people like them (not just queer love), then it's easier to understand him and what he was saying.

From what I know, for Catholic priests and nuns, romantic love would be seen as a sin, as they are required to remain celibate. Their capacity for love should be for their pastoral duties and relationship with God.

🎟️Final Thoughts🎟️
💖As a someone who has had the 'privilege' (idk another word to use for this) of never having to question my faith based on who I am attracted to or who I choose to love, this story helped me better understand how those who have, yet still hold on to their faith and in some cases remain in the church despite all the meanness that can come from others in that very circle, manage to do it. It is a reminder that faith and religion are not synonymous. And for those who are lucky, you can find acceptance in your religion

💖This may not have been a point of the show, but seeing Barh's struggle with his faith in relation to general life made me feel a little cathartic. Oftentimes, being angry at God is seen as wrong. You're not even allowed to talk about it, let alone acknowledge it. But Barth being angry and Tan not being judgmental about it made me feel seen...and other feelings that I cannot quite put into words

To end this yap session, I think Ticket to Heaven is a worthy watch. It's one of those stories that are not all sunshine and rainbows, but are very important, impactful, and leave a lasting impression. It is a valuable story of faith, hope, and above all, love.

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Short Thriller That Keeps You Guessing

This drama only has 6 episodes, but every single episode kept me hooked. The biggest thing I felt while watching was curiosity. The suspense was done so well that my mind kept trying to predict the ending… but none of my theories were right. The final twist was honestly shocking.

Another thing I kept thinking throughout the show: Professor Heo was a complete piece of sh*t. People who are still stuck on their exes honestly shouldn’t date or marry because they end up hurting their partners. I kept wishing his wife would leave him, so seeing that happen was satisfying.

And the way he talked about orphan kids so harshly? Yeah, that man was truly awful. after this Lee kang's revenge felt even sweeter.

The reveal about Min Hui being Lee Kang’s imagination was such a “wow” moment. The way he fooled him was honestly brilliant.

The only thing I felt was lacking was the writer’s family storyline. I know a lot of it was made up by Lee Kang, but the scene where the professor goes to their house and rambles about the fire felt too short. They could’ve explored that part a little more.

Overall, a short but very gripping thriller with great suspense.

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feelings

- Điểm mình thích ở phim : chắc có lẽ là diễn xuất của nhân vật Kei, mình thấy diễn khá uci, kiểu ra đúng cái nét nhoi nhoi hài hài luôn í. Và cái tiếp theo mình thích ở phim nữa là làm về nội dung fan cuồng toxic, dù mô tuýp nó khá cũ nhưng có lẽ gu mình là mấy phim mô tuýp kiểu về idol rồi fan cuồng kiểu vậy. Kiểu nó khai thác được 1 trong những mặt tối của fan cuồng như thế nào

- Điểm mình nghĩ phim cần cải thiện :
+ Diễn xuất của nhân vật Tenya, mình chưa thực sự cảm nhận được sự tự nhiên và thoải mái của nhân vật Tenya này
+ Ở đoạn quản lý cấm Kei với Tenya qua lại, nhưng sau khi xem xong live của Tenya thì đổi ý, mình nghĩ nó hơi thiếu logic ở khúc này
+ Xem phim nhưng mình chỉ cảm giác được tình cảm theo kiểu fan với idol, chứ mình chưa cảm thụ được tình cảm yêu đương của hai nhân vật
+ Đoạn tỏ tình, mình hơi khó chịu với cách tỏ tình của Tenya, nó giống hâm doạ để Kei đồng ý hơn là lời tỏ tình chân thành, với nó bị viễn vong quá đà nữa, nên khúc này làm mình cảm giác tình cảm của hai nó cứ không chân thật, không thực tế kiểu gì ấy

*Lưu ý : đây chỉ là cảm nhận của cá nhân mình sau khi xem phim xong, mong bạn đọc xong và xem nó theo hướng tích cực như lời góp ý, mình mong bạn sẽ tự xem phim và cảm nhận theo góc nhìn của bản thân bạn, vì mình tin rằng, mỗi người sẽ có một cách cảm thụ phim riêng nên không ai giống ai được, có người gu này và cũng có người gu kia

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They can act, when the script lets them...

This is hard to judge, because I'm not into religion at all and not into christian religion especially. The premise to be gay is bad in Gods eyes is an interpretation and translation errors due to the history of this incredible book. For me the bible is nothing more than like "Lord of the Rings" - an epic story madeup by many people and rewritten so often to fit the narrative of the people of the then religious power. Don't forget that the pope, cardinals and arch bishops had more power than any king or emperor. And to break that power we had for example the breaking off the Anglicans in England because the power of the papacy was too much for King Henry VIII. And soon after the christians fought themselves with the protestant movement and the excess corruption of the catholic church.

When I see people demonstrating against gay rights because they are christians, then I ask myself what's wrong with them. It can't be God is love for all or just for heterosexuals. That does not work out. This series never questions the stance of the christian religion at all and make it too smooth especially in the 90ties when gay rights are not as developed as they are now.

Edit: GMMTV did something different, but it felt like propaganda for the cathlic church. I know some where not even alive when all the sexual abuse scandals broke, gay priests f*cking innocent boys marking them with a trauma for a lifetime. Besides burning woman alive it was the most disgusting thing the catholic church ever did and they also kept it under the rug for a long time. Some will say but the church did not do it, and I say, of course they they did, because they knew. And not telling is the same as doing it. End of Edit.

GMMTV only did something different in the scope of the MLs. The struggle about the imho "false teachings" and his sexuality was perfectly done by Forth and I believe him, when he said this series was mentally draining. Other than that, the pacing was a bit off, the first two episodes were too slow for my taste, abruptly picking up the pace. For me the portrayal of the catholic faith was way too positive and unrealistic. I especially missed the struggle of Father Arnon. He was just too perfect for his times. He already knew what was going on, but he decides to let it go?

The finale also was a bit off. First I was confused in which timeline we are in the beginning after the emotional end scene in ep 5. So did they run away or what happened? And because it's GMMTV we get a happy end. Could not have been that Tanrak broke and went to be a priest as he always has envisioned - which would the more realistic and plausible scenario in that time.. Of course that can never ever happen with any GMMTV show.

So, is this a bad show? No. Considering all the other medicore to crap shows GMMTV mass produces, this series did at least attempt to show the struggle of being of faith and being gay. We see that ships can act, when the script lets them. I don't think especially Forth did improve, I think he always had the capability but with 08/15 BL scripts there was no chance he could shine. Production quality was very good as expected but for me this show is not a master piece because it does not question the catholic church and their teachings. On the other hand it's also not the standard BL which makes you to switch off your brain which is an improvement generally speaking.

Overall it's a good show with many flaws, but you need your brain switched on to process the content.

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this series will remain engraved in my brain.

my phone's close to dying so i'll spare you from reading too much from me again guys, you must be tired of my freaking books by now istg, so i'll just give my overall overview of the series separately.

ticket to heaven is such a beautiful experience, you don't have to be religious, having been religious but no longer or have to know somebody who is or used to be religious to understand the feelings of the characters and what drives them on or makes them fear the next thing that comes.

aof created a story with beautiful cinematography, well-thought out symbolism, incredible dialogue, strong script and amazing execution. like said previously, to some, this story may lack meanwhile to others, this story is every little bit of their own feelings poured into a six episode series.

the past six weeks have truly been something incredible. like others have said, people doubted ticket to heaven would be good after a wait of 2 years and a distancing from the rather darker and much more sombre feel of the pilot trailer, however, i feel like that was the right move for this. it was a reminder to both us as an audience and just the overall person passing by that when creating a story burdened with pain, sorrow, guilt and many emotions, there's always more than just one depiction, there's always more than just one experience and there's always just more than one way to understand it and see it.

meanwhile i see where other people think it lacks and i respect that, it's really not perfect in everyway, and it's also what i believe, that nothing can be truly perfect. i personally resonate with this series in so many ways and it's so beautifully crafted, up from the setting, down to its characters. everything is so well-utilised and becomes so thought-provoking. there's so many ways you can interpret certain aspects of the series, such as the symbolism used and the meaning of it, the dialogues etc. it's just beautiful.

like i said in my review of ep 6, i feel that the ending is the right ending. i'll repeat it again just in case some people don't want to read too much, a sad ending doesn't always define every sad story and every sad experience, sometimes, a happy ending comes to those who have worked for it, have fought for it and have accepted what they are, who they are and what they deserve.

gemini and fourth were splendid in this, their acting range has truly gotten so much better and they've truly, really proven themselves with the roles of barth and tanrak as said even in their words, they're very different to them. they were able to create so many emotions from the very first episode to the very finale without fail and i'm so happy to see that and see how much they've improved in a few years, they truly deserved the roles of barth and tanrak, i now cannot envision anybody else as barth and tanrak at all - these roles were made for them.

this is now among my top 5, such a deep yet beautiful story. i could wipe my tears with my freaking nose atp.

ok, that's it now ig. bye bye everyone and thank you SO SO MUCH to all the people who have liked, interacted or even read my reviews of ticket to heaven FULLY every week, i know i talk a lot, i know some things might seem too far-fetched but it's been such an enjoyable time and i feel like this series has brought together so many people. i hope to see you guys next week with peach and me !!!!!!

i'll miss barthtanrak. 💔

"i love you tanrak."

"i love you too."

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A Story Where Love Doesn’t Replace Faith, But Lives Beside It ?

The director P’Aof did such an amazing job with this show. You can genuinely feel it in how everything is put together and executed till the very end. Nothing feels rushed or forced, it all just flows in a very natural way, especially in the emotional scenes and confessions between characters. What stood out most to me were the quiete moments. The silences, the looks, the pauses… they actually say so much without needing big dialogue.

The trans representation through the aunt’s character was something I really appreciated too. Her conversation with Tanrak felt really important, but also very soft and honest. It wasn’t loud or preachy, just two people talking and trying to understand each other. That moment gave Tanrak a lot of emotional support and helped ease his doubts. Also the idea that you don’t have to choose between faith and love came through even stronger there. It wasn’t about changing who you are, but about accepting yourself and still holding onto your beliefs in your own way.

The religious images made everything feel heavier, especially for Tanrak as he walked past them. You could really feel his thoughts getting louder in his head wondering if he’s accepted, and if he’ll ever see his parents again in heaven.

Gemini and Fourth did an amazing job portraying those characters. My rating 9,5/10

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Solid Execution, Gaseous Villain: A Refreshing Sci-Fi Thriller

The concept was too good and the topic was interesting too, which made me binge-watch it in one day itself. Even though the "White Center" part is repetitive—as I have seen secret government organizations making poor people do all sorts of things in Stranger Things and even recently in The Wonderfools—it is just the same genre, but I still love the scenes between human Ren and the small girl, Kyoko. Seriously, their chemistry is too good, and I felt so bad for Ren throughout this entire series; it was heartbreaking to see him go through everything.

Damn, when I found out he is a new actor and, on top of that, a model, I was in shock because he acted so maturely in this series that it made me tear apart. Personally, he is the heart of this show, even more so than the main lead and Kyoko. I hope he does more projects in the future because I would love to see him more. The cast and crew, the cinematographer, and especially the casting director did a very nice job casting Ren, as he suited the role perfectly. The story is nice, but the ending was a little bit disappointing for me.

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The plot had so much potential but it ended up feeling very rushed.

When I first picked this show up, I noticed that the plot was very rushed as if it was just trying to move from one thing to the next. If they added more episodes and actually fleshed out the plot, the drama would of felt more satisfying to watch and enhanced there chemistry especially because I left like they became close too quickly.

The characters themselves also had way more potential more the script writers dialled them down so much. In the novel, the characters more more intense, darker and more morally grey. Zhou Wan hated her mother in the novel and purely approached Lu Xixiao for the intent of revenge against her mother and Lu Xixiao was more destructive and unruly. Even the breakup was more emotionally intense in the novel as Zhou Wan broke up with Lu Xixiao to complete a deal she had with his father (Zhou Wan made a deal with his father promising that if she broke up with Lu Xixiao, he would split up with her mother). Whilst in the drama, the grandpa just 'begged' her to break up with him so he can have a better future. Honestly, if the drama was more faithful to the novel, it would of been a better watch and filled with way more tension.

The acting from the cast was great. Bao Shangen and Zhou Keyu had amazing chemistry and played both roles amazingly with what they were given. The soundtrack was pretty good - my favourite song was Sunburn by Brian Cheng. It is quite a sad song but it definitely helped set the mood for the sad and emotional scenes in the drama.

Overall, I would have to sad the drama was mid. I enjoyed watching it but the quality of the plot could of been way better and less rushed.

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Ticket to Heaven fez história!

Não sei nem por onde começar. TTH é um bl incrível que explora muito bem o tema da religiosidade e amor. Tudo sobre esse bl é envolvente e interessante, a cinematografia, os figurinos, as OST's e principalmente a entrega dos GeminiFourth. Esses dois captaram perfeitamente cada aspecto dos seus personagens e conseguiam te convencer e envolver em tudo que passava pela cabecinha dos BarthTanrak.

A história, roteiro produção me deixaram extremamente satisfeito. TTH foi lindo do início ao fim. Acredito que muitas coisas eram deixadas "unsaid" e isso gera espaço para muitas interpretações, felizmente tive as melhores sobre a série. TTH explora o catolicismo de um jeito diferente do que costumamos ver, mostrando que existem sim outras realidades e vivências além daquelas que costumamos ver em séries LGBT+. Me identifico muito com Barth, sua religiosidade está ligada àqueles que mais ama e não a uma religião. Mesmo que Barth não acredite em Deus, ele aprende a conviver com a religião visto que sua vida é perpassada por ela tanto no âmbito familiar, escolar quanto seu maridinho TANRAK!! Em apenas 6 episódios TTH consegue entregar tudo que a gente espera e mais um pouco. Os momentos de intimidade entre os dois são extremamente bonitos e bem coordenados, o roteiro é muito bem amarrado e as motivações de cada um são convincentes.

Tenho que admitir que estava preocupado com o final. Sabe, como eles terminariam essa história que até o EP 5 estava cheia de dúvidas e angústias, mas repleta de potencial para a grandeza. E posso dizer que não me decepcionei, pelo contrário. O final de TTH é lindo, feliz e doce. Trazendo tudo aquilo que BarthTanrak queriam viver, cada um com suas crenças e caminhos, mas o mais importante, terminaram vivendo felizes JUNTOS.

Produção e música foram incríveis, adorei escutar o piano e as vozes de GeminiFourth.

Existem pequenas ressalvas mas que não afetam a experiência de assistir.

Recomendo muito assistir!

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Spl Ep did not have much but still the best

This 15-episode drama has everything, just dont miss it. I totally recommend everyone of the BL lovers to watch it once at any cost. This series will effortlessly take the #1 place in the 2026 BLs (even including the ones yet to release), I am so obsessed with Fan Xiao and You Shulang that watching the series was not enough and wanted to listen to the audiobook, but could not find one, so i went to the extent of not only the reading the novel but decided to make my own audiobook and share it to everyone who felt the same way. It is not perfect as it is my first time reading and recording and I'm only trying it out, so please let me know how it is. Do check my youtube "untamedwhispers" as i thought, i am really enjoying reading the novel as it has more emotions and stories (scenes) to add which is not found in the series, so if you would want more of "to my shore" do listen, thank you

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