Reviews

Compelling story with some missed opportunities

I started watching Ticket to Heaven with some trepidation. A BL with a religious theme? Seemed like it had the potential to be great or a complete disaster. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

ACTING. After watching them in mostly light fare, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed at the range of both Gemini and Fourth. I also liked many of the other actors. There were some serious scenes that conveyed real emotion.

POSITIVE TRANS REPRESENTATION. I don't know the name of the actor who played the trans character in Ep. 6, but she did a phenomenal job of creating a sympathtic, positive role model.

RESPECT FOR THEME. I appreciated that the story maintained respect for the Catholic religion while exploring the difficulties of young gay men growing up in that environment.

LENGTH OF SERIES. Six episodes felt just right to me.

CONS

DEPTH. While I was fine with the length of the series, I would have liked it more if it had gone deeper into Tan's struggles, which could have been addressed in place of certain other scenes, which dragged on and didn't offer anything important to the plot.

TIME JUMP. I get it, the story dated from 1996. But when they jumped 20 years at the end, it wasn't believable at all, with the exception of the Father with his added face wrinkles (good job there, makeup crew!). There was a reference to Kongdech having some grey hair. They tried to age Barth with different glasses and clothes (didn't work), and Tan looked exactly the same. No way someone is going to look the same after 20 years. They should have used different actors at the end, to make it credible.

DISAPPEARING CHARACTERS. Barth's mom was great. It would have been nice to know what happened to her. And what happened to the guy who was bullying Barth in Ep. 1? It would have been satisfying to see him get his comeuppance, like seeing him tied to an anthill and covered with honey or something...

While I feel there were some missed opportunities for a more powerful presentation, overall it was a pleasant experience for me.

I'm giving it 7/10.

Read More

Man, this one had so much potential! This is a sentence I have previously only used for Thai BLs, but here it is entirely deserved.

The drama had it all: Cute and talented actors, a tried-but-true premise of "opposites attract but have to put in effort to make it work", a solid technical crew -- but then the whole thing is watered down by an unnecessary rival and inconsistent characterizations.

The drama starts out strong -- we get a meet-cute between an outgoing Kansai dweller and a reserved man from Tokyo, a "love at first sight" trope and tasty-looking food. All of the cast give their characters life in just a few scenes.

The plot progression in the first few episodes, which focuses on the two men who slowly get closer and learn each other's likes and dislikes, and how to talk to each other, would be good too, if it wasn't for Soga's poor characterisation: He is a divorcé, so he should be able to recognize attraction and desire in himself, right? But he very much acts as if all of this is new to him, and he has never even thought of himself as someone who could be in a relationship -- and it's not that he is confused that it's a man; nor is he asexual (he very bluntly proposes sex in a later episode).

So, his character is already inconsistent (but somewhat in accordance with J-BL "rules"), but then it gets worse: Sakae's ex, who left him a while ago, is back and wants to restart the relationship. Much of the short runtime is wasted on this love rival side plot instead of further exploring how two people who have next to nothing in common could make a relationship work.
I think this as well as the inconsistent characterisation of Soga's is why other viewers feel that there's no "chemistry" between the leads.

And it's worth of note that as soon as this is resolved and our couple is again on the search for the middle-ground (quite literally!), their dynamics start to get interesting again. Unfortunately, that is the point where the runtime ends already.

This could have been a cute and light story about two people who are very different, who tend to pull back to make their partners happy and who learn that to make a partnership work you have to find compromise that fits both of you.

Was it good?
It has much potential to be one of the J-BLs with tight writing and interesting character dynamics which I so love. Unfortunately, it id not use this potential at all.

Did I like it?
I really want to. I liked the start and the end, but the middle dragged the whole thing down.

Would I recommend it?
Not really.

Read More

hidden gem alert

i genuinely think the past couple of months have been one of the best kdrama eras we've had in a while because why is every drama suddenly so GOOD again?? and then there's reborn rookie, a drama i found completely by accident while doomscrolling. i clicked because the synopsis sounded fun, expecting nothing more than a silly body-swap comedy. little did i know i was about to find one of the biggest hidden gems of the year. this drama perfectly balances comedy with corporate politics, family drama, mystery, and just a tiny pinch of romance at the very end. every week i kept asking myself, "okay... but how are they gonna land this ending?" because body-swap stories can go downhill REAL fast. but nope. they actually pulled it off. i know it's adapted from a popular webtoon, but after hearing people's say about the original ending... yeah, i think the drama version is way better. the changes just make more sense and give everyone a much more satisfying conclusion.

the story follows kang young ho, the chairman of chaesong, who suddenly swaps bodies with young football player hwang jun hyeon after a car accident secretly caused by his own twin sons. and honestly? watching this old chairman casually speedrun rookie office life inside a young athlete's body was comedy gold. but underneath all the laughs, the drama slowly uncovers how terrifyingly greedy and cruel his own children have become, and that part hit harder than i expected. my biggest concern was definitely kang bang geul's crush on hwang jun hyeon because... WE knew that was technically her dad inside that body. i was stressing so bad wondering how the writers were gonna fix that without making it weird. thankfully, they cooked. after everyone returned to their original bodies, it turned out the real hwang jun hyeon had already fallen for bang geul while visiting kang young ho during his coma, so their relationship still worked naturally. and PLEASE... those last two minutes??? i was fully ready for the credits, then suddenly ITZY's Ryujin showed up out of nowhere and hwang jun hyeon ended up swapping bodies AGAIN. i actually laughed out loud. what an unserious way to end such a satisfying finale.

and can we PLEASE give lee jun young his flowers?? because wow. he wasn't just playing two characters—he was playing two completely different souls, and i could immediately tell who was who just from his expressions, body language, and the way he talked. that's insane. everyone else delivered too, from the main cast to the supporting characters, and even the villains were so good at making my blood boil. the writing stayed solid for all six weeks, the directing never lost its momentum, and every episode was just... FUN

Read More

They Didn't Fail. They Just Didn't Succeed.

Disclaimer: I cried SO MUCH watching this that I don’t even know why myself. Please keep in mind that I just finished the series, so I’m feeling a little emotional. With that in mind, let’s get started.

Kasuga Yuma (Ito Kentaro) and Hasegawa Itsuki (Sato Kanichiro) are a gay couple who recently went viral in an interview about co-parenting. With the popularity the couple achieved, a proposal came up to make a documentary about their dynamic as a couple. The problem? They had actually broken up a while ago.

My goodness, what an important series! At its core, it’s a slice-of-life show, filmed to some extent like a sitcom (like *The Office*), because it mimics a documentary, I personally thought that was a brilliant idea. Setting aside technical aspects and performances, which, by the way, were flawless, I have no negative criticism, not only for the protagonists Kentaro and Kanichiro, who made me rethink the nature of all the relationships around me, but also for Narumi Yui and Nomura Masumi, who played Shiho and Naomi, respectively. They didn’t just act; they did so with excellence, highlighting how patriarchy affects women in the workplace in a unique way.

IN SHORT

The protagonists’ relationship which, by the way, initially seemed to suggest they would indeed end up together proved to be something so complex and delicate in and of itself, culminating in a line Itsuki said in the final episode:
“The people who will shape the world are those who yearn to live in the light.”
And that alone defines the series; their dialogues when they’re alone lead us to understand that there’s no right or wrong in this story, they just didn’t work out. In the end, when they both talk about the relationship they had, and as shown in the scenes that unfolded there was indeed affection between them. Itsuki was built to live one day at a time, while Yuma lived several days ahead; he wanted his place in the sun as a “””””””””normal””””””””” person, so to speak; he wanted to get married and start a family. In the end, it becomes clear that Itsuki isn’t the kind of person who worries about what he’ll have for dinner the next day, but even so, he sacrificed a lot in terms of his lifestyle. Over the course of six episodes, we got to see what their relationship was like before all this happened; we could see the difference in their approaches to life. Everything became very clear, and I think that really impacted me, because it wasn’t the kind of thing I expected to see.

From what I’ve said, you can tell that I really liked Itsuki’s character, because as he himself said, Yuma is an ordinary person even if he doesn’t want to believe it. But Itsuki isn’t like that, he’s afraid of being forgotten, even if he hasn’t admitted it in those exact words; he lives one day at a time. And he doesn’t feel the need to fight for a collective; he just wants to live his little life, he’s minding his own business. Personally speaking, I appreciate people like that in real life and, eventually, the characters who represent them.

I think the line “We’d never work out. Because the things I want to throw away are the things he wants to carry” suggests that they tried, and in the end, it’s okay that it didn’t work out. The series almost seemed to convey the message that, just because we share the same letter in the LGBT acronym doesn’t mean we’ll work out. Shared suffering is also part of who we are.
10/10

Read More

A Ticket Well Spent

By the final episode, Ticket to Heaven doesn't so much wrap up as it settles — quietly, gently, like the last candle going out after evensong. Tanrak and Barth's journey from wary strangers to something far deeper never loses sight of what the series was really banging on about: that faith and love aren't natural enemies, whatever the seminary walls might suggest.
The ending doesn't dodge the hard stuff either. Both lads have paid a price to get here — Barth with his broken family, Tanrak with his crisis of conscience — and the show has the good sense not to paper over that with a tidy bow. Instead, it offers something a bit more honest: the sense that they've earned their peace, rather than simply been handed it.
For a six-episode run, it punches well above its weight. It's not perfect — a longer series might've let a few of the quieter moments breathe a touch more — but as a piece of storytelling about first love, faith, and finding your own version of heaven, it lands its ending with real conviction. A proper lump-in-the-throat finish, and no mistake.

Read More

My first K Drama - - Loved it!

Not going to lie - this was a show that I almost gave up on after episode 1 of Part 1. SO glad I gave it another chance because it's going in my top five. The action in Ep 1 was super cool but they throw a LOT of history at you right at the beginning and it took awhile to get to the fun part. Do give it a chance though because it gets better.

It ticked all my drama boxes; cute MLs, fantasy/magic, good music, interesting story, fun characters - it made me LOL a lot (mid Part 1 and lots of Part 2) - - I was laugh barking so loud, I scared my cat.

Also - you can totally make a drinking game with this show! (Semi-spoilers ahead)
- Every time there's a montage
- One of the characters cries
-Slow motion walk
- The Prince sighs and looks thoughtfully "Hmm"
- Jung Uk MAKES AN ENTRANCE (Part 2)

I read somewhere that someone suggested to skip Part 2 - - - So glad I gave it a shot because I liked it more than the first part!

Read More

First of all, I know I'll say things that most people aren't going to agree with, and that's fine! Everyone has their own opinions.

The first thing that's impressive about the series is that it's well made. And made with deep care. There are some beautiful scenes, and it's one of the most delicate series in terms of working with more than just words. A lot of BL series focus heavily on dialogue, making sure every point is made super clear… because, let's be honest, the average BL spectator isn't educated in audiovisual, which is fine, but they don't appreciate it as much when things aren't spelled out for them, when it's not screamed and handed to you. When it's not about NCs and boys making out.

TTH isn't like that… for me, it's about what's not said, it's about feelings, and there are some scenes with amazing photography and framing.

I think the visual language is the highlight of the series. Actually, thinking about it more, it doesn't have that much dialogue? Which is something I liked and, at the same time, didn't like. There are parts I would have liked differently, but overall, it's not something I can just call good or bad… it depends. I think it's definitely interesting, though, and very well constructed.

The directing is on point, that's not the problem for me here. The problem for me is more in the screenwriting. I didn't like the way things were organized… not exactly the development, because my problem with the development in the series isn't the narrative itself, it's more about the development of the characters. Well, not the development itself, LOL, but the lack of development.

I hate that we get to the last episode and Tanrak is still the same boy with the same questions… like, 30 years after meeting Barth and being together, he's still stuck suffering in his guilt? And Barth too?

I also don't like how the episodes were structured. In the last episode, a bunch of things happen. And from episode one to five, we have development in a proper structure, then we get to this last episode and it's just a bunch of scenes, time skips, and things happening, with a lot being left unsaid. I understand it's a stylistic choice, but… idk, it doesn't make sense to me. I didn't like it.

But the acting… Fourth, why are you the best of your generation? Gemini is also good and does wonderful work, but Fourth is extraordinary. It's insane. This boy is SO talented and he gets so immersed in his characters, he's so so so talented.

Overall, it's a good series, but I think toward the end they got a little lost in it.

An additional observation, and this one is very, very personal: I understand that this was a very personal work for Aof (the director), since he is Catholic and gay and still attends church. Of course, that's understandable… the whole point of view he's coming from. It's a specific and personal view. I just can't say I liked it, because I understand his point of having faith and hope, and it's beautiful and bright, I understand that he wants to lean more toward the cheerful, brighter side of things. It's just… utopic.

As a queer person who grew up in a Catholic church, in a Catholic family, it feels almost utopic to me… completely unrealistic in some parts. Some of it leans more toward propaganda, and I have strong, bad feelings about that. It was a beautiful, well-made series despite the issues I've already mentioned, it isn't a bad work as a whole piece, but this "detail" bothers me a lot. I can't ignore it.

But this is a very personal critique, because I also understand that it's a personal work he's doing based on his views and his beliefs, and he made that clear the whole time. I can just say I don't like this detail (it isn't a minor detail, but I do understand that it's a very personal point of view).

So… yeah.

Read More

Full of Betrayals

I waited until this drama finished airing before starting it, and I'd say it was definitely worth the wait. It was fun, entertaining, and kept me engaged from beginning to end.

I'm the type of viewer who relies heavily on the first episode. If Episode 1 doesn't hook me, it's usually hard for me to continue the rest of the series. Thankfully, this drama gave me exactly what I was looking for right from the start.

First of all, I have to commend the Yulivia team and Director Lee for their excellent teamwork. I really enjoyed their dynamics, and they worked so well together that it became one of my favorite aspects of the show.

I also felt sorry for the twins. I honestly thought the drama wouldn't give Jae Gyeong a redemption arc, but after watching the finale, I think she genuinely regretted everything she had done. As for Jae Seong, I found it difficult to trust him for most of the series, but I'm glad he eventually made the right choices for himself.

This drama was filled with betrayals, bribery, and constant twists, I don't think I've watched another series with this many people double-crossing each other.

The only thing that didn't really work for me was Na Eun Se as the main villain. She didn't leave much of an impact, and honestly, the final five minutes of the finale surprised me more than the reveal of who killed the chairman. That twist felt more memorable than the actual murder mystery, but that's just my opinion.

I also couldn't help but laugh at the way Kang Bang Geul liked Hwang Jun Hyeon. Despite knowing HJH is the chairman and is KBG's father, their chemistry was surprisingly hard to ignore. I had to keep reminding myself that they weren't meant to be a couple because some of their scenes unintentionally made me think otherwise.

Overall, I really enjoyed this drama. It had plenty of funny moments that balanced out the suspense, although I have to admit that all the business terms and corporate politics were sometimes difficult to follow. Still, they didn't stop me from enjoying the story.

In the end, this was a very entertaining watch with a strong opening, a lovable team, and enough twists to keep me guessing until the end. It may not be perfect, but it's one of those dramas that's easy to binge once you get into it. If you enjoy mystery, crime, and corporate power struggles mixed with humor, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a try.

Read More

Sensitive and fun. A whole mix of emotions!

It's a very interesting story, and differently from most GMMTV series, it's about an already established couple and also, a couple of adults.

This series is not exactly about their development as a couple (though they do have some development), but more as individuals. How they can grow together, heal their traumas (and ofc, this does affect the growth of their relationship).

It's very well made OMG THE COSTUMES 🤏🏻 it's sooo cute, their clothes were like adorable. Every set was so cutely decorated.

And everyone delivered SUCH good acting. Seriously, ofc it has to be Santa doing Sun/Solar bcs who else has this boyish-ness like him? I wouldn't buy it if it were anyone else. This character was MADE for him. Perth is such a good actor too.

It's a beautiful storyline, but it does have some… holes? In the narrative. Some things are left without proper development. It's still enjoyable but I can't ignore it.

But definitely very well made and the struggles with mental health were addressed properly and with care. I do wish that they would have had more of the psychiatrist and therapists, though.

Read More