Reviews

From Page to Screen: Disappointing Live Action

From manga to screen, "Wolf Girl and Black Prince" undergoes a transformation that may leave fans of the original manga with mixed feelings. Kento Yamazaki delivers a compelling portrayal of Kyōya Sata, capturing the enigmatic and sometimes sadistic nature of his character with precision. His performance stands out as one of the film's strengths, showcasing his ability to embody complex manga characters on screen.

Opposite Yamazaki, Fumi Nikaidō brings Erika Shinohara to life with charm and authenticity. Their chemistry is perfect, synchronized, and fully replicate the depth seen in the manga's depiction of their relationship. The film's cinematography and direction often fall short, particularly in pivotal emotional scenes where the camera work fails to enhance the narrative's impact.

Despite its shortcomings, "Wolf Girl and Black Prince" offers moments of genuine emotion, notably when Erika splashes water onto Sata's face—a scene that encapsulates their tumultuous dynamic.
While fans of the manga may appreciate seeing their favorite characters on screen, the adaptation ultimately struggles to capture the depth and nuance of its source material.

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Not easy being an actor

First, I have to say that I like the actor Yang Dong-geun all the way since „Wild Card (2003)”. Without him this movie would not be worth my time. He brings a little bit of his charisma to guide the young guy who dreams of becoming a movie star but first needs to do the proper lesson. Unfortunately, his acting here also doesn’t appear to be completely sincere so instead of levelling up the acting performance for the rest of the cast they all perform on a mid level.

Actually the movie feels like a gag movie. I am not quite sure if the comedy is intentional or the movie makers wanted a drama, but somehow it wasn’t believable in any way. The positive is that the movie is short and an easy watch and it manages to show some difficulties of becoming an actor. I was actually dreaming of appearing in one of Korean movies but I was reminded here that this is not easy or fun work. A person needs to have some deeper motivation and vocation for acting profession. Music selection was good also.

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A much better series

As one who has read the novel & watched the series Love Syndrome III, this was a much better series than the previous one. The acting, The production, The scenes, the transition from one scene to another & the blocking of the actors. I guess this had more budget than the previous series. I never expected Itt & Day's actor to be good!! Tbh, I have no expectations on this series & just want to watch it, but it was good!
I'm really hoping that this has a continuation with the same group of actors. Sad to know that the director on this series has been deceased T__T

looking forward to the next part though~

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It will remind us that there is always room for love and personal growth

ON May 17, 1990, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the list of the International Classification of Diseases. Later, since 2004, it became a date to commemorate the fight of the LGBTIQ+ community for their rights and raise awareness about discrimination.
However, LGBTIQ+ people in Japan face certain legal and social challenges not experienced by heterosexual citizens. The current Constitution, written after World War II under the control and supervision of the United States, refers to marriage as an act between a man and a woman and is prohibited for homosexual couples.
Despite the discrimination towards this human group and the fact that the dates mentioned above are not that far away, the issue of homosexuality had already been on the rise in the Japanese film industry long before.
With diverse approaches, mainly from the 80s of the 20th century, we could remember some films such as 'Beautiful Mystery' (Genji Nakamura, 1983), considered a cult film and the first feature film from that country that addressed homosexuality as a central theme; 'Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence' (1983) and Gohatto (Taboo), from 1999, both by Nagisa Oshima, a director of extraordinary sensitivity and director of some of the most international Japanese films, and the list could be longer, because while The closer we get to modernity, the more prevalent the theme has become.
In this sense, a film that stands out is 'Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka?' (In English 'Can I Buy Your Love from a Vending Machine?', from 2023, a live-action adaptation of the popular manga series of the same name by Yoshii Haruaki.
Thus we find this film that was born from the thoroughness and creativity of an incomparable filmmaker who had already worked on several equally significant works such as 'One Man's Son' and 'Reminiscence Journey'.
This is a film that stands out for its deeply human themes, its formal successes and its delicate exploration of identity and friendship. Additionally, it combines elements of comedy-drama with a sincere look at relationships between men.
Although it covers several contents (the construction of a friendship narrated with unusual delicacy, the support of friends, coming out of the closet, work vertigo in today's world, a journey towards the search for happiness, self-acceptance and self-love) , the film is simply about a love story.
In 'Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka?', everything that can be conceived is reduced to the gaze, which confirms the existence of the other; and from there comes the rapprochement, and then desire and love. Yamashita Ryoma, a strong, tall and muscular 28-year-old man in charge of a juice vending machine in an office in Tokyo, surprises office worker Koiwai Ayumu with a noble gesture in a moment of exhaustion from hard work. From that moment on, Koiwai, 32, cannot take his eyes off Yamashita Ryoma, with whom he has secretly fallen in love. One day, he musters the courage to start a conversation, which sets in motion a closer relationship.
Although eye contact, known as shisen or awasu, is not common in Japan, and staring into a person's eyes can be very rude and uncomfortable, at some point, their gazes meet.
Actors Matsuda Ryo and Tazuru Shoho play the lead roles, Koiwai Ayumu and Yamashita Ryoma, respectively. Next to them we see Yanagi Yurina, who plays the character of Ooishi, Koiwai's colleague and friend.
Matsuda Ryo is one of the best-known Japanese actors inside and outside his country, thanks to his role as Jonouchi Hideyasu / Kamen Rider Gridon in several films and series of the Kamen Rider universe, as well as his leading performances in the films 'Bakumatsu Without Honor and Humanity' and 'Messiah: Shikkoku no Shou', among others.
For his part, Tazuru Shoho made his acting debut precisely in 'Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka?'. Through his character's relationship with a man who recognizes his gay status from the first scenes and who has just entered his life, he learns to accept his sexuality and find his own voice. His authentic performance captures the complexity of his character.
Written by Kumi Tawada ('Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma' (2020), 'To Each His Own' | 'Chotto Ima Kara Shigoto Yamete Kuru' (2017) and 'A Chair on the Plains | Sougen no Isu (2013)', the The audience will be able to enjoy in this office romance how each young person becomes the center of the other's attention and they build, step by step, a very strong bond, friendly at first, romantic later, although full of clumsiness and misunderstandings.
The viewer will appreciate how small everyday mistakes, such as being late for an appointment, also contribute to boosting confidence and making the person you want to conquer feel more comfortable.
Koiwai Ayumu and Yamashita Ryoma will confirm to us that Japanese way of being when it comes to seducing: they are not as inventive as Westerners could be, as it is difficult for them to express their feelings or take the initiative. Even the first kiss takes forever to come. And it's not exactly due to lack of interest, shyness or even coldness, as many might think, but it seems that flirting is still a taboo in Japan. Although much of this has changed in the last century, Japanese society still finds it somewhat difficult to express its feelings, due to its culture of extreme respect for others.
But equally, the film transgresses, for the better, some of the peculiarities of Japanese romance. For example: the characters' dates are not with groups of friends, such as work or study colleagues, and when they declare their feelings they can lead to public displays of affection.
It is striking how Yamashita, who is the younger of the two, is the one who not only asks to exchange contact information or proposes the date without spending weeks exchanging messages, as the Japanese usually do, but he will also ask Kiowai to call him. his first name and leave aside the use of honorifics, something strongly rooted in Japanese culture.
The viewer will be able to appreciate that although they are both adults, everything related to the emotions that Yamashita awakens in Ayumu, and vice versa, feels like the first love of a teenager.
I also recommend the film for joining other dramatized films in addressing issues related to sexuality and gender identity in a conservative society with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions, such as Japan.
I highly value the fact that 'Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka?' portray the diversity of human relationships with delicacy, and contribute to dismantling the prevailing stereotypes regarding what is "normal", enabling the necessary change in society.
In short, it is a film that not only seeks to entertain us, but also makes us reflect on our own lives and relationships. It is a reminder that no matter what challenges we face, there is always room for love and personal growth.

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It hooks you up... somehow. It needed some better writing!

In all honesty, as soon as I pressed "play" to this movie, I was feeling unsure. The first few scenes looked not only low-budget, but also low-camera-quality. Luckily. it gets better... somehow.

PLOT (6.5/10):
Nathan is a lifestyle photographer. While in a bar, his attention gets instantly caught by a guy named Emman. They locked eyes and flirted from afar... but nothing happens.
Emman is a student and an activist. He's part of a movement that seems quite organized, but ultimately FAILS in give to the audience plenty enough information about itself. I'm not from Philliphines, so I have no idea if that movement is real or if its goals are clear enough for them which is why they didn't bother to explain better.
While in rallying against tuition fee increase, Emman and Nathan met, and the "love story" begins. About this scene in particular, I have no idea why Emman run away with Nathan in his car. There's more people involved struggling against ONE security guard, and no one else ran, just the two of them. We didn't even see the two of them struggling together, or Nathan "rescuing" Emman. So that was really bad executed.

PLOT TWISTS [PT] (8.5/10) (Warning: Heavy Spoilers):
The twists and turns were actually the best thing about this film. The movie relies heavily on flashbacks to tell the love story that has already ended, but we don't know that right from the very beggining. You surely can suspect that, but you still don't know why.
PT N°1: The student movement (in which Emman is envolved) wants to take some congressman to justice for some scam (that the movie fails to explain). That congressman turns out to be Nathan's "godfather". In other words, his mother's lover. Later, we learn that the mother is also persecuted by law.
PT N°2: Being in two different stages of life and two opposites sides of a conflict wasn't enough, because, at the end, Nathan seems to be willing to support Emman. They have already professed their love for each other at this point, and those lovey-dovey words: "You are mine!". But, wait... it's time for a new reveal! ... Emman already has a boyfriend. It is implied that he has been in a relationship way before meeting Nathan. This third person (Vince) even gives allowance to Emman and pays his tuition!
PT N°3: As soon as Nathan learns that he has being played by Emman, he dumps him. I was actually impressed but this realistic depiction of a person with a minimun of dignity, who was strong enough to get out of a relationship after being deceived this way. He didn't really "fight for his man", which is the usual route in this kind of movies. So I really loved this.
I'm OK with "open relationship" and "Throuples". But those two have something in common: previous agreement of both or three parties. If you learn that your partner has another person along the way... there's no way in hell I'm gonna be OK with that. This is why the second half of the movie got way more enternaining for me.

PT N°4: Some people never stay for midcredit or postcredit scenes. Well, I'm not one of those.
By the last scenes of the movie, Emman keeps asking Nathan for another chance because he loves him very much... however, he also loves Vince and he's not willing to give up on his sugar-daddy. Emman keeps insisting "I'll be back", but after Nathan says something like "Drop Vince, and then come back"... well, Emman just leaves without saying a word and Nathan cries. The End.
.... Then, came the midcredits. Someone knocks on the door. Nathan thinks "oh, Emman came back". But no, as soon as he opens the door a familiar face gets inside the house. The pizza guy (Ivan) from very early in the movie, in the scene when Nathan and Emman met and then went to Nathan's house for netflix and chill. In that particular scene, we see how the pizza delivery guy just enters to the house, giving a sense of familiarity with the place and with Nathan. Now, in the very last scene of the movie, we learn that Nathan and Ivan are in some kind of relationship. They say and do somethings that at the very leadt implies they are "now", but it makes you question if they have been together all along.

WRITING (6/10)
The writing involving the main couple is ok, quite realistic sometimes (specially the whole breakup and after breakup). They hit the clishes and even tried some risky choices.
The writing that involves the student movement and the organization, the politic scam/corruption was bad.

ACTING (7/10)
It's kinda mixed, honestly. Some better than others, There's also the problem of some characters being written better than others. So, overall:
- The actor playing Nathan was, PERFORMANCE-WISE, the best. I'm not saying it was a strong performance, but was more than enough. Maybe his loud crying could improve, but his silent crying was on point! By the end of the movie, I believed his words, and I believed he has dignity, which is way underrated.
- The actor playing Emman was so-so. Sometimes good, sometimes not. I didn't get the level of emotion that he was trying to portray. Still, I'm not saying it was bad, just "not as good".
- The actor playing Raven fine. He's whole objective was to be flirtatious at the beggining (to fuck with Emman, which didn't showed to us, but I believed it happened) and then, flirtatious again with Nathan when he was brokenhearted (and, yeah, also fuck him... which we did get to see). Meaning, he wasn't a major character, but his performance was really convincing. Also, really nice ass.
- The actors playing Nathan's mother and Congressman Ignacio were... meh. Average performances, but the script didn't alow them to shine in any way or form.
- The actors playing Ruel and the Organization Leader were no good. I blame the writing. They didn't speak much, specially Ruel, but they failed to make an impression.
- The actor playing Vince was just OK.

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Watchable but disappointing

I found out about this movie after people pointed out that the actress from Atypical Family K-drama (the FL’s ‘sister’) was in a lesbian movie, and of course I was intrigued.

Korea doesn’t produce many GLs or lesbian centered movies (atleast not now), so I always look forward to watching a new one, but this movie is just too vague. Half of the time I had to fill in the gaps myself on what was happening, and the abrupt cuts they would have between some scenes (e.g the scene where she was talking to that guy in the junkyard about her gf and him asking her why she was being sensitive over him wanting to meet her gf and then her moving away and then the scene just cuts) There’s more examples, I’m sure you would notice them too. However the chemistry between the actresses was also not that good, I was expecting a lot more but throughout the movie it felt like Jisoo wasn’t reciprocating any of the feelings back and she was just with her for fun. I wanted to enjoy this movie, seeing two people in love but it turned bleak so fast and it remained that way throughout the movie.

But I guess the stereotype of lesbians wanting to move in with each other immediately after getting together is true ?

Overall, the movie isn’t that bad, it talks about homophobia though very briefly and they never really get into it too much. It felt like everytime they touched a new topic in the movie, it wouldn’t be brought up again at all.

I wasn’t satisfied with the ending either, like I said, too vague. But the beginning was cute I guess.

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Pretty bad honestly

With the director and everything I thought this was going to be pretty good, but I full on got up and quit watching and went to shower. My partner finished the ending and told me about it, and Im glad I didn't sit through to finish it. Lots of harm and hate towards women. I get its the whole story, but after the first incident it is entirely on the ML's choices that the rest of the people get hurt because of his unwise and vengeful decisions. I dont need to watch a film being gorey / graphic towards women.

The beginning is decent, good set up, good motives, and I can't say it wasn't well filmed because it certainly was. Acting is well done, whoever wrote this is the problem. Story is bad. ML becomes just as bad as the villains and is leading on the harm towards other people. I told myself after another women got harmed that if he let the pedo kliller go ONE more time for his sh*tty selfish anger and someone died I'd be done with it. And that's exactly what happened. Would not recommend. Its not "good revenge" if you let other people die, get traumatized and then ask that person to then help the dude who literally just SA'd you. Seriously?

Being a decent film doesnt negate this terrible plo

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hear me out...

I loveee everything about it except... maybe... the ending. I mean, I'm kind of torn about it because I'm aware that dysfunctional (?) relationships are really a thing when it comes to japanese media (i also read manga sooo iykyk) but in this case i kind of didnt want them to follow that kind of storyline and i was lowkey expecting them not to because izumiya and nao had potential. like, it felt like they could make it work as a couple even though it was quite obvious that nao liked sakaki. it wasnt just the age gap that kind of bothered me with sakaki and nao but its the fact that their parents had a double affair so them being together (i mean, that's how it looked like with the movie ending) feels wrong. anyways, i liked the cast hirose suzu will always deliver, i love her and also the one who portrayed nao and izumiya (the little sister) they also did a good job. the lighthearted/comedic parts were also good. the sceneries were also so gorgeous. so all in all, i really enjoyed watching this movie and i recommend it <3 AND THEY HAVE A CAT!!! the cat was so cuteee. i almost cried when i thought they wouldn't adopt it.

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