Romance for Days!

This was mostly enjoyable and this just made me realize how much Park Min Young is stellar. The whole cast was good but she is a star for a reason. She is efforlessly, funny, sweet, and likeable. Kim Jae Wook was pefectly cast as the Korean born American raised Ryan Gold. He and PMY have some of the best chemistry I've seen on screen. Their scenes together were funny and fire! The other standout in the acting category is Kim Sun Young she played director Ohm brillantly. I have never scene her in anything else but this made me a total fan. I also love the wardrobe departments bold choices for her character.

What this drama did right for me is that there was not too much drama or push and pull and it was the better for it. The leads worked thru their issues by talking instead of shutting down. I mean Duk Mi did do something stupid but it was wrapped up quickly so I'm forgiving her stupidy. They also, nail the obnoxious fan behavior to a T.

What I did not like was the unnecessary childhood trauma to an already traumatic situation re the leads. It didn't elevate the story at all; it didn't even make effing sense. But overall this series was just what I wanted and needed in the romance department!

8/22/23

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of Enter the Dragon, arguably the most well known of the Bruce Lee movies. Especially, for western audiences. I'll take Big Boss and Fist of Fury over this. I have seen this multiple times. We watched a lot of martial art movies when I was a kid and Bruce Lee was always everyone's favorite.

I just watched tonight on the big screen. It was my first time seeing on the big screen. It's the standard revenge story with a little espionage thrown in for good measure. It was the 70's afterall. It's definitely, a dated movie but It's still was enjoyable. Young me really like the movie. Old me thinks it's just ok; but Bruce Lee is a legend for a reason. His charisma and martial arts are top notch. He was also the fight choreographer on this film. The cast if pretty good and a young Angela Mao has a small role as Bruce Lee's sister.

8/16/23

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Enjoyable

I really enjoyed this series overall and I purposely watched after finishing the anime which I found super sweet. This series was just what I needed after the last disappointing series I watched. I really liked the pace of the series too. I mean, they condensed the material but not to the detriment of the story.

The cast is really good and I think the casting director made some really good matches with casting. I liked the actresses playing Sawako, and Yanochan but I especially loved Nakamura Riho playing Yoshidachan. She really played the role to perfection. It was good seeing Miura playing Pin even though I think the character is actually more closer in age to the characters in the anime.

8/8/23

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A different bully redemption arc

I liked this. It was an average film about bully culture in a high school setting. It's fairly cliche but I liked what was different about this story was the bully redemption arc. It's done well here and not in the typical linear way. People make mistakes. Anyone can fall victim to peer pressure and do things they never thought they would do. I am not justifying any bullying behavior but if you can see the wrong that you have done and apologize than I can accept that. The young cast is really good too. Especially, Wang Yu Ping playing the FL Yun Heng.

I iked that the comeuppance was done the way I had hoped. I mean, I actually, at first was like an eye for an eye. The main bully was terrible and had no remorse for her actions but then they gave her the best comeuppance I have seen in a long while. Not everyone is going to be satisfied with this film, especially regarding the rape situation.

7/16/23

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Did Not Like the Ending

This was a fairly good action/drama film. It was a solid 8 for me until the ending. I just don't like the way the movie ended. Drops this down to a 6 rating. The last fight scene was sub par at best and I do understand why they did that but NOPE! I hated it. I needed a better fight scene between the 2 leads. The movie is 2 hours and 20 minutes and there are things they should have cut and things that could have been added. Specifically what could have been added was a conversation between Bok Soon and the other CEOs in the assassin business. Especially, after they were starting to question the leader of MK.

The highlight of the film is the cast. Pretty stacked too with some of my favorites in small parts. Looking at you Kim Sung Oh. FL Jeon Do Yeon is oustanding. This is the first thing I've seen her it. She was great as Bok Soon. Lee Yeon was really good here too as the new recruit.

Totally worth the watch at least once though.

7/16/23.

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Too Repetative

As per usual, I wanted to loved this series and the idea of not using the police to help retrieve your kidnapped child. I mean what would you do if your child has been kidnapped? How desperate would any us us become to get our child back?

The 1st episode was really interesting but as each episode went along the show was just too ridiculous and boring. For me however, the biggest set back for this series is the ML. Actor, Ninomiya Kazunari, can't act to save his life. It was nice seeing Tamaki Hiroshi as the lead detective but even he couldn't save this series. I will say the episodes got better towards the end but this could have been a limited series of 5 episodes. 10 episode led to too many repetative scenes and the same plot devices.

Actor, Hamada Gaku, was great. His portrayal of a desperate father and ex cop was very believable and heartbreaking once all the history was revealed.

6/27/23

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Pretty Good Competition Series

The best thing about the show is that the cast is genuinely good and almost eveyone is likable. I don't usually watch reality shows, the competition kind or otherwise but I really was hooked watching week to week. Could the show have been better most definitely but for the entertainment value it gave was excellent.

After the challenges in episode 8, I really did think Jo Jin Hyeong, the bodybuilder would win but it goes to show that stamina becomes more important than brute strength. Most of my favorites were out but the winner really was good throughout the series. Love that the contestants rooted for each other.

I would have liked more individual challenges each round similiar to how they did episode 8. I also think that the picking of the teams should had been random. That would have made for much more interesting and possibly more evenly matched teams.

Dont know if I'd watch another season but this was pretty entertaining.

2/21/23

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Sweet and Comforting

This was a sweet, bittersweet and comforting, slice of life drama. I just really enjoyed it and the cast is wonderful, especially the 2 young female leads, Mori Nana and Deguchi Natsuki.

Kiyo and Sumire leave their hometown to go to Kyoto to become Maiko, while Sumkre shines Kiyo struggles but she is a glass half full person and take things as they come. She ends up becoming the maikani of the house and she cooks for the girls.

I didnt even realize Meiko and Geiko could have boyfriends or that Geikco coud have children. I ended up Googling b/c I was curious and I learned a lot.

I originally didn't like the character of Ryoko but as the episodes went along, I understood her longing and what she was going through. My heart kinda broke for her too!.

Overall a really good series. Just a simple year in the life of these characters and it's quite enjoyable. I really liked how each episode built on the story. Loved the showcasing of food as well. Would love to try some of the dishes presented. Episode 6 was my favorite.

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Not enough action

Su Can the son of the Admiral in charge of destroying the opium being brought in by the Prince is essentially an aimless youngman who doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of his government official father. He's happy to go around with the beggar clan just living his life and being in love with Lady Ruyu. Lady Ruyu is a performer whom the Prince has taken a keen interest. She rebuffs him and also gets into a kerfuffle with Su Can. The Prince sets in motion a plan to eliminate Su Can and is father so that he can continue his opiod busniess.After the murder of his father and then the Beggar clan leader Su Can seeks out revenge. It's not a bad movie but the movie is choppy. Somethings happened way to fast and too unbelievably. I did like the costumes and the cast though. I just wish there was a more coherent story.

I can see why this has a low rating. I really wanted to like this film and it really should have been good and enjoyable. The runtime was a short 73 minutes and maybe that's why the story falls apart?

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The movie delivers the goods

I preface this by saying I am not a person who's really into the zombie genre but there are some genuinely good zombie movies out there.

Train to Busan did not disappoint!! Well written and well acted, with some humorous moments.

I was 30 minutes in and I was wondering how the movie could possibly be almost 2 hours long on a train. The level of tension, suspense and action never waivered. I was super impressed. Gong Yoo was excellent and Ma Dong-seok was fantastic! I mean the entire cast is really good. The young actress Kim Soo An playing Gong Yoo's daughter was good too!

I loved the scene where Ma Dong, Gong Yoo and Choi Woo Shik are in the bathroom waiting for the next tunnel and Gong Yoo ask why Ma Dong has that as his ring tone. The whole scene is great and it was an excellent tension breaker. Ma Dong's speech about Gong Yoo's daughter understanding him later was also on point.

Of course there is always a character in these films that you hate and I was so mad he made it til the end. Total bastard.

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Hands down one of the best kdramas I have ever watched. Periodt!

I have been trying to find a really good adult Kdrama to watch this year and I found Memory from 2016.

This is honestly, one of the best series I have ever watched Korean or otherwise. From the first episode to the last, the acting, the writing, the revelations were all on point. Easily and believably woven together to give an exceptionally, meaningful 16 episodes to the viewers. This story about a prominent lawyer learning he has early onset Alzheimer's is so damn good. It has aspects of a great family drama, legal drama and thriller.

Lee Sung Min as Park Tae-seok was absolutely brilliant. This was the first series I have seen him in and I can't get over how great he was in this role. The whole cast is really good though and I genuinely loved everyone in their roles. Kim Jee Soo as Young joo, Tae-Seok wife was stellar. One of my favorite people in the show was Yoon So Hee as Sun Hwa. She was such a great legal assistant and I loved that she respected her boss and was looking out for him/ had his back. She is such a great female character.

The theme song More than a memory by Kim Kyung Hee is beautiful and perfect. It played a lot but I was happy hearing it.

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I enjoyed this slice of life story. Hye Won was going through a quarterlife crisis. She's struggling to know what she really wants to do with her life after failing her teacher's exam. She's also still feeling abandoned by her mother. She heads back to her home town and through some memories of her mother and time with her friends she finds the answers she needs.

What I loved the most about the film is the storytelling through food. So many interesting dishes. Things I would definitely try and some I wouldn't. The cabbage pancake with egg looked strange but somehow delicious. I am always envious of people who can cook and especially cook from scratch. I loved those scenes the most.

The cast is really good to. I particularly loved the performance of Moon So Ri, the actress playing the mother of Hye Won.

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Really average movie but I did like it overall. It started off well then the middle kind of got stupid but it redeemed itself in the last half. I really liked Hee Min the ML and So Young the FL even though techically I would say there isn't a FL in the traditional sense. I really liked the whole cast. The actress playing the distraught/grieving mother was really good too!

My main negative critique is that the CGI is BAD. There is a scene where a character is throwing up blood and it was terrible. Most of the CGI is not good but I didn't mind that but you would think in 2021 it would be better than this and that particular scene was ridiculous!

Another reviewer said it would be better as a series and I agree with that.

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Average Drama way to many episodes

This could have been a 12 ep series. 16 eps is a bit much.

I realliy liked the actor playing the ML, Cha Eun Woo. I liked his character too. I loved the actress Park Yoo Na playing Yoo Eun.

The story is rather compelling. Since it dicusses the issues surrounding plastic surgery and the unbelievably high Korean beauty standards. I think it's wild that so many young people have the kinds of plastic surgeries the character received. That being said if you want to change something about yourself to make you happy then go for it! Who's to say what's right for you.

I did like that MiRae the FL struggled with being attractive. It's a huge thing to change your entire face and no matter what you look like, good or bad, there will always be someone who has something to say about it, good or bad. My biggest gripe with the story is that MiRae took too long to get over caring about what others thought and it took waayyyy to long for ML & FL to have a kiss!!

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This is a standard story of the teacher as saviour of those wayward youths. It's really well done even if it's completely cliche but Donnie Yen is outstanding; as is the fantastic young cast as well. I liked too that it was about forgiveness and overcoming your own hangups and demons. I liked Yu Kang the villian here as well. You never how something you do can affect someone's whole life!

I am such a sucker for these kinds of feel good movies and I cried on a few scenes. Like when Glady's had the car race with her father. I was also glad her father and honestly, all the parentals turned out to be loving/caring human beings even the alchoholic father of the twins. I bawled my eyes out when one of the twins was struggling and felt like he couldnt turn to anyone (trying not to spoil anything) those scenes really broke my heart.

Overall, a really enjoyable film. The music was pretty good too! Im probably biased re the music it was mostly american music that I was familiar with.

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