Reviews

i'm in love with fourth.

disclaimer: it's been a week since the show ended so there might be things i misremember or misinterpret. kindly forgive and point out so i can correct myself.
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things i liked:

1. fourth's acting: his expressions are clear; the way dir. aof keeps the camera lingering on his face reminds me of this one interview i had read on irrfan khan where someone commented that directors often forgot to turn the camera off when it’s on his face because he is just that expressive. fourth’s body language is relaxed and his natural acting is akin to a seasoned actor. tanrak is one of those hamletesque roles - something that can challenge and inspire the best of actors and fourth was a great choice for the role. fourth is going to go places, farther than the places he has already reached.

2. the osts "heavenly" and “tanrak”: “heavenly” is indeed heavenly, esp the last chorus with those adlibs. gemini sounds beautiful in both songs.

3. the cinematography: really impressive in most of the scenes; bested only by boss kuno’s shows as far as thai shows are concerned.

things i didn't like:

1. i wasn't that impressed by gemini's acting. he was good in the teasing and flirting scenes and sometimes in the intimate scenes but lacked the refinement needed for the heavy emotional scenes. esp the one with his mother and father at home, the one where he recounts the abuse at the waterfall and lastly in the prison scene.

2. i had expected the makers to nod to the christian beliefs and the institution of the church as the show had priests as advisors. instead, they tried to chicken out a middle ground by keeping tanrak tied to the faith by separating god and the church. they kept him interested in god but not in the rules of the church which are homophobic and detrimental to his sense of self. i would have been completely okay if they had stopped at that and had kept barth agnostic/atheist till the end. but no, they had to transform barth into a believer. again, separating god and religion. they show the father of the church and kongdech to be benevolent who uphold the "love thy neighbour" idea over the homophobic laws of the church they are very much a part of. it makes sense to people who want a hopeful view of the world but in my parallel woke and ideal world, tanrak could be a gay married man and still be a priest because what does a priest (in a general sense minus the missionary aspect) even do? teach people how to be good: kind, helpful, accepting, civil and overall nice. is a straight unmarried man (the typical priest) somehow naturally more fit to be a priest as compared to a gay married man? logically, since queer people are sidelined and oppressed and have seen the bad side of the world, they should be considered apt to teach people to be kind and helpful and accepting. a straight unmarried man is priviledged enough to lack the bad experience and nuance required to even know why kindness is required in the first place something a gay man knows by heart.

3. kinda overlapping, but all the quotes and the father's speeches were roundabout and all over the place. god is forgiving but you need to repent. what if i am late? no worries, god is patient but you have to turn around. what if i don't? it's okay god still loves you and will forgive you. if god is so benevolent why do we even need laws (re: terms and conditions) to gain his love? technically, we could just chill at home and not go to church or even do whatever we want and god could still love us? if not, that means god's love is conditional and just a specific breed of humans can go to heaven. but then god won't be all-forgiving and benevolent. also, who guarantees what negotiations you can afford? eg, how do the father and kongdech know for sure they'll go to heaven now that they have in a way accepted gay men and hence bypassed the church's laws?

dir. aof has done a good job tying everything together in a neat bow but for the curious, everything-is-that-deep eye, one squint and the neat bow comes undone.

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Had potential but plot/setting errors got in the way

Let's give the guy credit. He worked his butt off to make that marriage happen. However, starting off a marriage with lies is usually not a great foundation to build a marriage off of. However, their sweet banter and adorable chemistry partly made up for some blinding plot holes, redundant/plot moving characters, and glaring set mistakes (FLs ring changed colors from green to blue and back to green). Their puppy love romance and total backup-bros friends (who i hope all got seats at the main table at their wedding) almost made up for the grandmother LITERALLY drugging her granddaughter-in-law the first damn time she met her. In the US criminal charges would have pressed, restraining order filed, and they would never be allowed near me or my spouse ever again. How can you expect a country to move forward and promote healthy body and mind images when the entertainment industry is promoting drugging women by making it ""okay"" because gradnma did it. It's not okay. it's never okay. Lastly, she should not have forgiven the sister. She slept with her fiance/boyfriend of 3 years and then when karma showed up she tried to ""trade back."" Lastly, I know ballet is competitive but I was curious what the rest of the story was about her fall. it looked like oil on the stage and even if it wasnt oil stages on theaters are routinely cleaned in between scenes/sets so that no one gets injured. Overall, bravery was a theme for the two leads. Bravery for thr ML to confess what he had been building up to and crushing on for years and the FL to get back on the stage again. The sister and ex-fiance were both cowards as they both chose the easy way out in life only to be taught the cold harsh truth of life: there are no shortcuts or easy way outs.

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Delivery a well-rounded First Episode for a Mini Series

This First Episode had everything you were looking for in a light hearted Rom-Com - Warmth, Humour, Love, Comedy, Family, Friendships, a nice OST, Meaningful Phrases.
The ability to tie this first special episode to the previous series, Me and Thee, was executed so thoughtfully. The little details that probably persons would have never thought about were brought into the first episode and given it more depth when needed. I will go into more detail as the 4 episodes progresses but Episode one caught my attention in the most heartwarming way.
Pond as Thee did not disappoint at all. His expressions (both facial and physical) allowed you to take in exactly how he feels, even though a bit eccentric, he is the most loving character ever!
Phuwin as Peach really portrayed growth of his character in wanting to be more as person and expressing himself more emotionally and lovingly to Thee.
Their both lives as daddies and a married couple was visually pleasing to see on the television as it is not common at all.
A wonderful first episode.

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terrible communication with a cute ending

Overall: you could watch the last episode and miss nothing. 4 episodes about 8 minutes each. Aired on TrueFilm's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkQFxcEhORR2LQiOmunSeaw8orsZt6G2s&si=7RVLh5cA__KzeeHM

Content Warning: non con kiss (sleeping)

What I Liked
- visuals
- focused on the leads
- supportive friend
- episode 4 was a good ending

Overall
- nonsense "plan"
- more nonsense, 1 shot and a guy needed to go to the hospital?, in episode 3 a character looked completely drunk and then was suddenly sober?, the other guy had some gulps of alcohol and 2 minutes later was completely drunk? do the writers not understand how alcohol works???

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Stupid but entertaining

Crazy Love, Moo-Moo is stupid and it knows it. The comedy is self aware and at its strongest when it's poking fun at BL conventions, breaking the fourth wall, and fully committing to the absurdity.

This is exemplified perfectly in the first act of the series where Fu (Boss doing his best Khun Thee impression) relentlessly tries to win over Moo-Moo, who is sick of his bullshit (but secretly like it). Shenanigans involving cringe worthy pick up lines, public humiliation, and winks and nudges to the camera ensue. It's pure fun and will surely give viewers a dose of serotonin.

Unfortunately the series enters downward spiral after Fu and Moo-Moo get together. It was as if they ran out of plot and just started throwing shit at the wall:
Moo's rival stays at Fu's hotel and starts flirting with him? Great!
Fu and a new staff member of the hotel get shipped together online? Sure!
Moo's Highschool crush returns and starts pursuing him? Okay!
Criminals use Fu's hotel to traffic drugs and he goes undercover with the police to stop them? Why the hell not!

Despite all this, no feasible tension in Moo-Moo and Fu's relationship forms, and issues are squashed as soon as they arise. Which is honestly kind of refreshing considering the onslaught of miscommunication in BLs. But because their relationship was never actually threatened I found myself losing interest and by episode 8 I was no longer invested in Moo-Moo and Fu's relationship, even skipping their NC scene. (Which is a big time failure on the series' part considering its job is to make viewers care about the main couple.)

Another one of my major qualms with this series is the overabundance of sound effects. Sound effects are a staple in Thai comedies and can be really effective. But it gets to a point... When I tell you there are scenes where vine booms are genuinely used at the end of every sentence...

On the positive side the excessive sound effects further confirm the series is not taking itself seriously, which is its primary charm.

If you are looking for some mindless entertainment and comedy you have come to the right place. If you are looking for a good plot and emotional depth go somewhere else. (Also beware of this series' intro song. It has been stuck in my head for two months.)

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Great light hearted entertainment

I don’t understand the mean spirited reviews of this show. I’m fairly new to BLs and this is the first Thai BL comedy that was truly a comedy from start to finish that I have watched. And it was a charming, amusing little series that was a wonderful way to escape reality each week and have a laugh. There were moments of drama and tension, but only to drive the plot forward or develop character, that never dragged the show into melodrama. Sometimes it was over the top and the comedy really in your face but it worked. Round that out with some sweet, tender moments and a fun opening theme and you get some great, light hearted entertainment.

Of course the show belongs to BossNoeul who anchor it with the other characters being satellites around them. Boss’s comedic turn as Fu was an unexpected gem and it was great to see Noeul bring his very natural sass to be his foil. Their undeniable chemistry and obvious ease with and trust in each other means the on screen relationship feels comfortable and fun to watch unlike some where the actors seem almost afraid to get too close and put the audience on edge. The show seemed busy with characters coming and going but it wasn’t confusing, helped keep the pace from dragging and a great way to suggest the story will continue with further development of Fu’s brothers Tai and Tee. And possibily even Tian!

Crazy Love Moo Moo isn’t out to change the world, merely entertain it for a short time and it does this. It never takes it self seriously, occasionally pokes fun at it self while remaining pretty much firmly footed in the real world and that’s a nice change! I will definitely have this on my rewatch list when I want something I can laugh along with.

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It’s been a long time since I watched anything that’s not a K-drama…

Note: I will be constantly updating this review as more episode comes out. For right now, I am enjoying this show. I am not familiar with the cast yet, but they seem to be great actors/actresses. I have judged cdrama actors/actresses acting for a long time (or maybe those were from the short dramas I watched?), so this was a complete surprise to me. Most of the time I watch K-dramas because of their acting, but this one did just as well in my opinion. Both leads are also very good-looking, so it’s a plus.

Update: Already done!

Acting: 10/10

The acting in this drama feels incredibly refreshing and unlike anything I've watched before, especially Xiao Wuyi's performance. I absolutely love it. As someone who's mostly watched K-dramas, I'm used to highly expressive emotional scenes where characters cry loudly, shout, and break down dramatically. This drama took a completely different approach, and I found it far more captivating. Wuyi’s emotions felt restrained yet deeply powerful and more realistic for a man like him. It was remarkable. His facial expressions and, especially, his eyes do so much of the storytelling. Whether it's intentional "eye acting" or simply exceptional acting, it's one of the strongest male performances I've seen in a long time.

Some of my favorite emotional moments include: *Crying while forcing a smile, with heartbreak visible only through his eyes.
*Holding back tears in anger, trying to remain composed while the tears fall anyway.
*Expressing sadness without saying a single word.
*Looking genuinely terrifying and murderous one moment, then soft, vulnerable, and innocent the next.
*Seamlessly switching between the aura of a calculating villain and a harmless deer within seconds.

The way his eyes change with every emotion is magical. It's subtle, nuanced, and incredibly immersive.

Story / Script: 10/10

This is one of the best-written dramas I've watched in a long time. The script constantly kept me at the edge of my seat with its suspense, emotional conflicts, political intrigue, and unexpected character dynamics. Every episode ended on a cliffhanger that made it almost impossible not to immediately watch the next one.

One of my favorite trope was the relationship between the male lead (ML), female lead (FL), and second male lead (SML). Instead of the usual love triangle, the ML was actually helping the FL run away with the SML. That alone made the story feel fresh and unpredictable. It almost felt like the ML is placed in the "second male lead" position, but because the story was told from his perspective, I ended up rooting for him. With Limao, I never experienced second lead syndrome because the main character Wuyi himself already gave me that bittersweet second lead feeling (in a good way). It was such an interesting dynamic that I haven't really seen before.

I'm also a huge fan of morally gray characters and villains with compelling backstories. So having a protagonist who carries a villain-like aura while occasionally revealing flashes of innocence is exactly the kind of character I enjoy watching. The story also balances multiple genres extremely well. It combines historical drama, warfare, political strategy, friendship, family, romance, suspense, comedy, and emotional character development without making any of them feel neglected.

Xie Jiayu underwent the most significant character development here, and it was a beautiful thing to witness. From a young girl who couldn't even tell the difference between being a couple and being close friends to a mature woman who endured life's ups and downs without ever wavering. She was the light in Xiao Wuyi’s life, and I loved that about her.


Why some viewers may find it confusing:

I can understand why some people might struggle with the first few episodes. The pacing is quite fast, and the story immediately throws viewers into a complex historical setting involving princes, regents, nobles, warlords, military strategies, and multiple factions competing for power. This isn't the type of drama you can casually play in the background. You really have to pay attention to the dialogue and subtitles, especially because there is a twist almost in every episode. No matter, I think the political intrigue was executed very well because even when I occasionally had to rewind (a me problem because I read subtitles slow and my eyes are just not that good, iqiyi subs also not as good as viki), I was never bored. If anything, I became even more curious.

Action

The battle scenes were epic, exciting, well choreographed, and contribute meaningfully to the story instead of existing purely for spectacle. However, I do wish there were more.

Comedy

The comedy in the first half provided the perfect balance to the heavier political and emotional moments. I especially enjoyed the female lead's humor. Her comedic timing lightened the atmosphere without making the story feel less serious.

Makeup, Cinematography & Visual Style

One thing that surprised me was the natural visuals. From the Chinese historical drama clips I've seen on TikTok and Facebook, I expected heavy beauty filters and thick skin smoothening makeup. For the most part, this drama looked surprisingly natural with no filter on. I actually prefer this style because it suits the historical war setting much better and gives the drama a more classic, immersive atmosphere.

Overall

I loved the action, suspense, soundtrack, comedy, acting, storyline, political intrigue, the female lead's humor, and the male lead's villainous aura mixed with unexpected moments of innocence. Everything came together in a way that kept me emotionally invested from beginning to end. Kudos to the writers, actors, actresses, and director!

My reaction on the finale: I’m speechless. Instead of losing momentum, the plot somehow kept getting better with every episode. They really kept the suspense until the end. The writing became even stronger, and so did the performances: especially Xiao Wuyi, Xie Jiayu, Empress Dowager, the Grand Tutor, Eagle King and Li Lejun. Their acting elevated every emotional and political scene.

This drama genuinely exceeded my expectations. Going into it, I thought only K-dramas consistently delivered this combination of excellent writing, compelling characters, emotional depth, and outstanding performances. I'm so glad this drama proved me wrong. It deserves far more recognition than it's receiving, and so does the cast.

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didn’t live up to its potential

This drama started out strong but continuously fell off the longer it went on, it took me a month to work up the courage to watch the final episode which is very telling. The chemistry between leads was there but also was a bit lacking if you compare it to some other recent watches for me, I did not care for the relationship between the 2 side characters and to put it frankly I feel like it was an unnecessary addition to the plot. If I say the chemistry between the leads was lacking then the chemistry between the second lead couple was completely nonexistent. Overall: first half of the drama is good and then it just gets boring. For me it was too plot driven and the romance almost took a back seat especially in the later episodes, which is fine if that’s what you like but I went into this mainly for the romance so it wasn’t for me.

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10/10

If you enjoy high school and horrors, I highly recommend this drama. It completely exceeded my expectations and didn’t disappoint me for a single moment.

The acting is outstanding, and the soundtrack perfectly matches the atmosphere, making every scene even more intense. The story is so well written and disturbing that there were moments when I genuinely felt sick because of how unsettling it was. In my opinion, there aren’t any typical jump scares. Instead, the drama keeps you in a constant state of uncomfortable tension from beginning to end. The characters are well-developed, the pacing is excellent, and every episode leaves you wanting more.
Overall, I would give it a 10/10 without hesitation.

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u will need a therapist after

OMG I have this series seen but then I remember i haven't given it a review because are you kidding this series was so peak like i need wat'r right now , OK fr let be serious now
I don't even know where to start because Secret Lovers absolutely ruined me in the best way possible.

This wasn't one of those shows you casually watch in the background. This is the type of series that grabs you by the throat, refuses to let go, and somehow has you smiling, screaming, kicking your feet, and questioning your emotional stability all in the same episode.

The chemistry? Absolutely insane. Every look, every smile, every bit of tension between them had me completely hooked. It never felt forced—it felt natural, like these two characters were pulled into each other's orbit no matter how hard they tried to fight it. Watching them slowly open up and fall for each other was so satisfying that I forgot I was watching a drama.

And don't even get me started on the acting. They didn't just play their characters—they became them. Every emotion landed exactly where it needed to. I laughed with them, stressed with them, and got so attached that finishing the series genuinely left me feeling empty.

What I loved most is that the romance wasn't just there to be cute. It had depth. It had vulnerability. It made you care about these people beyond the love story itself.

By the end, I was just sitting there staring at my screen thinking, "Now what? How am I supposed to move on from this?"

If you're looking for a BL that delivers chemistry, emotions, beautiful moments, and characters you'll probably think about long after the credits roll, Secret Lovers deserves a spot on your watchlist.

10/10. No notes. I wish I could erase my memory just to experience it for the first time again.

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Mismatch Casting and not Believable age/visual gap

FACTS instead of speculations: (PLEASE DON'T use profanity, nasty comments, you will be BLOCKED.) AGAIN, I am not judging anyone. Please enjoy your show. For people who say that the laws are for REAL relationship, not acting, if you are interested, you can research further what's the harm in casting minors and older actors in romantic relationships. There are age power dynamics/relationships between older actors and minor actors. This has happened in real life acting environment. Abusers have been prosecuted/blacklisted. I am not saying it's happening here. But it a scenario where it can happen.

According to Article 17 of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, a natural person aged 18 or above is an adult, while anyone under 18 is a MINOR. "The age of consent for sexual activity is 14 years, with certain exceptions for sexual activity between MINORS."

https://globalchildexploitationpolicy.org/legal-summaries/china

Marriage Age (20/22): Adulthood does not automatically grant marriage rights. The legal marriage age in China is 20 for women and 22 for men

Lead actress Ai Mi (艾米) turned 17 years old during the first week of filming.Her specific age breakdown throughout the production schedule includes:Filming Start (July 15, 2025): She began filming at 17 years old (having celebrated her 17th birthday just two days prior on July 13, 2008).Filming Wrap (November 5, 2025): She was still 17 years old when principal photography officially concluded.Because she was a minor playing opposite 28-year-old actor Hou Minghao (Neo Hou), the production minimized romantic physical contact. According to early statements from the production crew and viewers tracking the project, the storyline focused on political alliance and mutual affection rather than explicit romantic intimacy or kissing scenes.

When a real 17-year-old actress is cast opposite a significantly older adult actor, it creates concerns, even if they are playing fictional characters.Power Dynamics: A minor working with a popular ML actor faces a imbalance of power. This can make it difficult for the minor to voice discomfort during romantic or intimate scenes.



I did see 3 eps of the drama. It's an engaging story, but I decided to stop, especially when the 2nd ML (30 yrs old) shows up. I think ultimately, it's the way the FL looks. She has a lot more makeup on compared to when she was younger. She's amazing beautiful but next to the older actors, she still looks very young. It's not believable for me.

ML has a wife and marries her as a 2nd concubine

ML acts well. FL acts well. But together = no chemistry as the age gap/visuals are too huge, especially when she is only 17 years old. She looks like a little girl next to him. The authenticity of a couple is not believable for me.

Wishing everyone a good show!

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Good! Brevity Killed It Though

I hate that this did not resonate with me like I see that it has with so many other people. Ticket To Heaven was my most anticipated GMMTV BL of 2025 out of 18 (?) BL series announced. I think I'm more upset by my expectations than the actual series.

Let's Dive In.

Ticket To Heaven is no means a bad series. It is a great series, Gemini and Fourth have a powerhouse chemistry that is just as fervent here as it was in their past series. The cinematography is gorgeous, with a subtle grain and muted gray color palette that perfectly complements the story's tone. I also appreciated the lack of heavy beauty filters. Being able to see the actors' natural skin and facial details made everything feel much more grounded. The performances across the board are stellar, and the central question the series poses, "Can I love God and men too?" is both poignant and painfully too-real. Where the series loses me, unfortunately, is its brevity.

I genuinely think this story could have benefited from at least 4 more episodes. There were several plotlines that felt like they were only scratching the surface, but the biggest one was Barth and Tanrak's relationship. I love yearning. I love watching two people desperately want each other while circumstances keep them apart, and for the first three episodes, the series delivered exactly that. The final three episodes didn't have the same effect. I wanted more time with the slow burn. After the almost-kiss in the wash room, I would have loved to see Tanrak continue wrestling with his feelings while still pushing Barth away. Let that longing build even more before finally giving us the kiss in maybe episode 5, or even the finale. I think my expectations were shaped by the idea that this would be a slow romance, and honestly, I believe it could have been if the series had been given more room to breathe.

This is mostly me being nitpicky. Overall, Ticket To Heaven succeeds in many ways. It tells a compelling love story about two people trying to find each other while navigating the restrictions and expectations of religion. Even if it didn't completely land for me, I can absolutely understand why it has resonated so deeply with so many others.

Story: 7.5/10 - Good parts, parts that could've been better. Good though.

Acting: 9/10 - Good! Gemini definitely surprised me!

Music: 6/10 - Didn't pay much attention to it. Definitely did not care for the title sequence song.

Recommendation Value 8/10: Sure, if religious torture is your thing? But overall, it's honestly pretty light on what you'd think it'd be pretty tough on. Also, Gemini is so hot in this, so yes, go for it!

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