BL arranged marriage story : kind of an insane premise makes for an enjoyable ride despite its flaws

This drama is for sure entertaining with a kind of bonkers premise with the two male heroes being engaged in their childhood and bound by a familial promise done to the family patriarch (grandfather of one of them). Now that there are both adults, they are therefore heading more or less voluntarily into an arranged marriage.

This plot might sound quite insane but it is pretty enjoyable with a mix of several tropes working pretty well together... Age gap, rich and cold male lead, cohabitation: there is a lot going on regarding the relationship between the two main leads as well as also regarding the relationships between the secondary characters. Do some of the relationships contains toxic and unhealthy aspects? Yep...Does everything make a lot of sense ? Not at all... But is it fun? For sure! Maybe the pacing and the writing could have been tighter, nevertheless it was a really easy watch.

I found the range in acting skills kind of unbalanced. It is a bit of a hit or miss in terms of performance (even for a same actors depending on the scene). For example, some of the younger actors felt quite inexperienced but still managed to be good for the fun and cute scenes, and were less successful in being totally convincing in the more emotional moments. Some of the more seasoned cast members oscillated a bit more between great moments and feeling oddly rigid at some other time.

Despite some flaws, I found overall the ensemble cast quite endearing and would be looking forward to see them in other series. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Nunew and Zee, they felt really comfortable acting together and the pairing worked especially well in the context set up by the show.

The OST was good, principally for the songs sang by Nunew. He is clearly talented and made the soundtrack much better by his presence. As the music was pretty important for his storyline, it was a relief seeing him so suited for that part of the role. What missed the mark the most in terms of soundtrack was relating to the way some instrumental music were used. Saxophone tunes during sexy time is not always a success and can honestly feel like a cheap trick to convey the feelings...which was the case here.

Regarding the making, I did find it a bit "soap-opera like" for some scenes with a lot of dramatic moments that felt more funny than gut-wrenching. I do not think that it was done on purpose, but once I got used to it I found it cute. I also think that this kind of "in-your-face" directing might explain why sometimes some of the acting work done felt a bit strange and "posey". You can feel that the actors are really directed to be loveable or cool but it can lack nuance and feel a bit too much at times. I still find it globally pretty charming.

I would recommend this to people looking for a BL with an age-gap and that like cold CEO vibe vs. cheeky and spunky guy. It is a simple and fun watch, do not expect a lot deepness or even angst from it. The drama content is very much matching with its title.

Read More

Interesting concept but I got super bored...Maybe a case of "it is me, not you"

The movie is centred around an interesting concept, as our hero Saijo is able see women in love surrounded by sparkling lights. The fact that he is able to visually perceive the love but does not understand what it is is, is the key element of the story. The viewer follows his evolution as he interacts with the three main female protagonists and learn more about himself and what love is.

Despite this intriguing premise, I found myself totally disengaged from the storylines. The discussions that the characters were having were highly theoretical and I got super bored as the story unfolded itself. The outcome was pretty obvious from start and the script did not manage to hold my interest. I was still hoping for a surprise until the end...but no, the resolution was exactly what I expected. Surprise and unexpectedness are not necessarily what I look forward in a romance, but still I need something to catch up my interest (passion, chemistry, poesy,....) but here it felt too bland for my taste.

I found the casting doing an adequate job but I was not super impressed by any of them. I must say that the pretty convoluted dialogs did not help keeping me invested in what was happening on screen, so I'm not sure if the problem in keeping my interest is the acting or the story, both or totally something else?

I would not recommend this to people. I feel there are better romantic movies out there and that this one is overall pretty bland and forgettable...

Read More

Horror movie lacking in suspense, thrills, characters development and logic

This horror movie did not impress me at all. The story could have been interesting but somewhat felt lacking in terms of suspense, thrills and characters development. The pacing was not good and the film managed to catch my attention only in its last third.

I was a bit frustrated by the time we got to the bottom of the story because of the lack of logic in some of the actions of the main character: some choices she made did not necessarily make sense given her psyche and the mental health issue from which she is suffering. Similarly, I did not find the romantic aspect engaging nor convincing in the context of the story. The redeeming quality of the script comes from the way it showcased that once again the scariest thing is the human nature.

Acting-wise, I'm quite neutral regarding the actors performance: they were not bad but I did not find them memorable in any way in their roles. I usually like a lot Park Min Young and she did a suitable job here but was not helped by the filmmaking and the scenario.

In terms of production, the jump scares were almost all a miss for me and I did not find the film scary and dark enough despite it being labelled in the horror genre. Some (if not most) of the visual effects were outdated and quite bad.

I would not recommend this to people unless you like Park Min Young and want to see her in something quite different. This film deals a lot with animal cruelty and can therefore be triggering. The statement at the end of the movie, explaining that "no cat were hurt during the filmmaking" was a big relief because of the awful treatments of the animals in some scenes.

Read More

Original story quite fascinating but odd pacing and ending

I really enjoyed the concept and the scenario, it is quite innovative and leave for sure a lasting impression on the viewer. I did not found the story super well-paced and the ending felt a bit too rushed though. I think the movie could have been a bit longer to better flesh out the ending and the message of the film.

The ensemble cast was pretty good. More specifically, I really enjoyed Rain performance, with his goofy, cool but also more crazy and mad sides. Im Soo Jung did also a great job in her very particular and erratic role. It is a bit of a shame that despite the quite good acting, I did not find myself emotionally invested in the characters. It might be linked to the script, but I felt more like a "cold" external observer trying to understand what was happening rather than candidly rooting for any of the protagonists.

I quite enjoyed the directing choices to represent the various mental illnesses faced in the mental hospital. There are quite a bit of memorable scenes and the cinematography for some of them was really cool. Even so, the visual FX regarding some of the cyborg aspects did not age very well, it is still impactful for sure but a bit cringy at the same time. The music did not really stand out to me, except one specific song with some yodelling.

I would recommend this to people that enjoy movies by acclaimed director Park Chan Wook. It is not the most well-known of his filmography but it is worth a watch for its interesting concept. Strangely enough, even though both pieces are very different from another, it made me think somewhat to "Squid Game" as a comparable recommendation.

Read More

Quite loose adaptation disappointing in some aspects

I have read the manga quite a few years ago and was curious to see its movie adaptation. I remember quite enjoying it at the time despite some flaws in its writing. Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed by the film.

Story-wise, it is a quite loose adaptation -which make sense as a 14 volumes manga cannot be encompassed fully by a less than 2 hours movie. However, despite the shortcuts taken by the script, I still found the plot rather confusing as if the writer was trying to put too much into it. They try to make it sensible but I found it difficult to follow and it was also a bit all over the place in its pacing.

Acting-wise, I like a lot Tsuchiya Tao but I would not say that I found her role when playing "a genius actress" totally believable. The part was clearly not easy and she did an honourable job (as well as the other female lead Yoshine Kyoko), but still something did not click for me in the performance. The acting got definitely better in the last third of the movie with a pretty compelling last narrative arc allowing the actresses to be more intense.

Production-wise, I liked a lot some of the decors around the theatre plays. I also truly enjoyed the set up and making of the dramatic scenes. I am much less convinced with how the main "fantastical" element was portrayed with the lipstick and its implication. I found also the "ugliness" of Kasane and her outside appearance totally downplayed. I had already some nit-picking regarding that specific point with the manga, and the movie made it even far less convincing...

I would not necessarily recommend this to people unless you really like one of the main actresses or if you enjoyed the manga and are curious to see its adaptation.

Read More

An unfinished controversial Chinese BL, worth the watch despite its shortcomings

This BL Chinese drama felt very indie to me being in its filmmaking, script and well as its music choices. It has a lot of qualities as well as shortcomings. One of them being that unfortunately, the show is unfinished: it stops after 15 episodes of 20 minutes, right in the middle of a narrative arc.

My understanding is that the series was cancelled due to the Chinese Government censorship regarding BL stories. Here indeed, the show does not shy away from its nature: it is clearly standing out as a romance between two guys rather than a blurry bromance leaving room too interpretation. It is a shame that the show was not allowed to complete its course but I am still glad to have watched it as I think it is an important piece in the BL genre.

Despite the characters being not really likeable and the romance having some deep toxic roots, I was totally invested in the relationship forming between the two main male leads. There are not stereotypical protagonists and they felt very real to me with their raw and dry personalities. In addition to the romance, there is a strong family component to the script: it is more or less inspired but at least provide an interesting and spicy background for the relationships.

It is a shame that the secondary characters felt not correctly exploited, it seems that the writer was planning something for them but their journey never really started. It is also really too bad that almost all the female protagonists are awful: they are the antagonists and nothing more, which I found really lacking nuance.

I would recommend this to people looking for a more raw BL romance in a high school. The romance is kind of toxic but captivating to follow. And there is a real indie feel to the show that I found really attractive. As stated above, you need to be aware that because it was cancelled, it does not have a proper ending with most of the narrative arcs are left unfinished. I still think it is really worth a watch just to see the development of the romance which has some really enthralling peaks and valleys.

Read More

Thrilling series shedding some light on dark realities of South Korea military service & deserters

This series depicts the story of a rookie within the Deserter Pursuit (D.P.) military unit. It shed some light on the dark realities behind the military mandatory service, with the hazing and brutalities some older officers inflicts on the newcomers, as well as how it is easy to reproduce and repeat same malpractices in an organization where high ranking officers are more tempted to cover up any issues rather than take corrective and progressive actions.

Given the military context as well as the difficult and sordid topics discussed, I was positively surprised by the overall tone of the drama. I was expecting a painful watch almost unbearable to walk through it...but not at all. On the contrary, it is not an harsh watch but a super bingeable show with a good pacing and nice action sequences. Of course, there are some tough moments that are difficult to swallow and gut wrenching, but there are also some really inspiring and touching scenes.

Overall it is very good show that could have been even better with more episodes. There are so many things that I would have liked to see explored more regarding the characters, their relationship as well as each of the mission they were doing. Luckily enough a second season is planned: I'm really looking forward to it!

The casting is amazing! Whether it be the main actors or the secondary cast and the guests actors (playing the deserters roles in the various episodes), they all gave really good performance and it is a real pleasure too see so many familiar faces. The duo formed by Jung Hae In & Koo Kyo Hwan works incredibly well: they have a good chemistry with each other and I wanted to see so much more of it. The MVP of the cast is Kim Sung Kyun, radiating though mentor energy, and who brings a lot of humanity to his role and to the show.

The OST is nice and not overly present, it is not that memorable but I appreciated the sorrowfulness of the songs ending almost each of the episode. I found the filmmaking very good, the budget is visible on screen and there are some nice editing choices, leaving the spectator a bit out of breath given the tension.

I would recommend this to people who are looking for a thrilling series set in the context of the military mandatory service in South Korea. The storylines are quite dark but there is also a wholesome aspect to the drama with some almost slice-of-life details as well as a buddy cop vibe. If you enjoyed the movie "Midnight Runners", you will likely enjoy this too! Given the topics approached, be mindful if you have any trigger.

Read More

Good BL story: original in its form with an artistic vision, hindered a bit by editing issues

This drama is more than a BL, it is a also a story about mental health, fear, trauma, growth and friendship....The romance is of course important but there are a lot of additional interesting topics approached by this series. I also appreciated to have a variety of female roles, not only bad-shit crazy woman stereotype but also sane and even good female parts.

I enjoyed the evolution of the main relationship within the plot. My main regrets are coming from the fact that some of the elements put in place over the course of the episodes (regarding the traumatic event faced by one of the character and his family, as well as the career topics and so on...) were left on-the-side and not really addressed by the end. I liked the attempt at life-lesson from the show but I was also a bit frustrated by the conclusion as there was some undeserved forgiveness warranted to some shitty characters.

Regarding the casting, I found the chemistry between the two males lead quite good but not necessarily sizzling hot. Still, they felt comfortable in the most intimates scenes (much less platonic than the ones in common South Korean BL story) and they made their relationship really believable. Both are a bit outshined by the secondary cast which does an amazing job in emotional but also fun scenes...Those secondary roles carried in a way the plot: some were showcasing the best of friendship and love, while some were the worst of it, and it was really well-acted overall.

The atmosphere of the series with its almost muted colours and tones, as well as its sensitive OST, set the show apart artistically-speaking. It is a bit unequal in terms of production quality: there are some beautiful filmmaking and directing but at the same time some strikingly odd editing choices (between the episodes and even sometimes between scenes). The shift between sequences can feel a bit erratic and jumpy, with the viewer not being sure how the characters reach directly point B from point A...

I would recommend this to people looking for an interesting and artistic BL story set in a university background with some surfing. If you enjoyed drama such as "I Told Sunset About You", it might bring you similar feelings.

Read More

Painfully real, interesting and innovative take on a BL story

The drama follows the evolution of the relationship of Teh and Oh-aew as they are settling in Bangkok in two different universities. The story is painfully realistic: I'm quite impressed from an intellectual perspective of the narrative road taken by the show. The focus is more on the sad and difficult parts of the relationship rather than on the happiness and light moments...This is such an unconventional and fresh take on young love evolution but what makes it so interesting makes it also a bit dry to follow. There are some defaults in the pacing, as there is an unbalance between the waves of emotional distresses the viewer experiences watching the show vs. the time spent on rewarding and happy moments.

The main male leads keep being great together: it is not anymore a young love blossoming they portray but rather a mature relationship with his conflicts and interference, when habits and routine prevail on desire and butterflies in your stomach. I found them quite convincing in their role, and my heart felt a lot of pain as the characters went through a lot. It was almost awkward to watch some of the scenes as it felt almost too real in the interactions, as if the viewer is an intruder witnessing very private and painful situations.

The production maintains a high quality level in the second part of the story of Teh and Oh-aew. The Bangkok setting has less charm than the Phuket scenery but the context of the arts students working on various play together is superbly directed. The OST is still really nice: one specific scene with the two main actors singing shook me and set a new turn to the story.

I would recommend this to people that have seen the first part ITSAY of course. You need to be in a certain mindset to watch this Part 2 as the show is pretty deep and focus on the painfully real sides of a relationship. If you want some meaningless fluff, chose another series and wait to be ready and in the right mood for this. It is so worth it in a way as it is such an innovative take in terms of storytelling for a BL story despite some minor flaws in its pacing and writing.

Read More

Amazing coconut-scented BL drama: turmoil of emotions, strong possessive friendship and more...

This BL series is a simple romance between two former friends turned rivals...The premise sound quite banal but not at all: far from being basic, the love story is super compelling thanks to the context in which the characters are evolving. The internal conflicts are well balanced with some external events. The fact that they are studying Chinese is super interesting and inspiring as well.

The writing is solid with maybe some defaults towards the end with a noble idiocy trope which I would have preferred to be avoided. Still it is well in line with a teen angsty mentality...Despite this, I found the plot captivating and I was enraptured by the 5 episodes.

There are so much tension and angst between the two main male leads: they completely captures the viewer's heart. I felt deeply connected to the characters and their budding feelings for each other. The characterization is really well done: watching some scenes, you feel a lot of second-hand embarrassment as well as excitement at the same time. One of the main protagonist is such a jealous, possessive, angsty boy: I loved it and it made so much sense to! Overall both of the main roles are really lovable with their flaws and their needy side in their friendship.

The two main actors had a great chemistry together: there is such a poetry and a longing when they are staring at each other, nothing extravagant, just super sensual. They are super committed and are not afraid to get ugly and dirty to sell the scenes, which I found very commendable. There are so many platonic moments that made my heart rate increase and were super compelling. Such a turmoil of emotion and internalised passion could be seen in the eyes of the actors: they did an amazing job, especially as it was their first time in leading roles.

The directing is beautiful, most of the scenes are shot with purpose and artistry. It is super impressive to see all the little details filmed to nuance the script and show the growing desires between those two young people. The OST is really nice with one specific Chinese song particularly meaningful for the relationship as well as some pretty emotional Thai songs. The overall soundtrack is lovely with sometimes songs without instrumental (and sang in an excellent way by the two actors) or in the contrary some instrumentals without lyrics.

I would strongly recommend this to people looking for a poetic and deep BL teenagers story. It is an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance but so much more than that. It has an artistic vision quite uncommon which leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.

Read More

Gripping and unsettling revenge story with some interesting narrative and production choices

This extremely dark movie is a revenge story centred around a crime committed in a middle school background. The plot is unsettling as the viewer witnesses a patchwork of criminal acts, toxic behaviours, mental health issues and disturbing scenes. I found the pace of the story really good as the film progresses and the motivations of some of the characters unveil. It might feel a bit over-the-top at some point but it succeed in being frighteningly believable somewhat. I appreciated the ambivalence of the ending and the fact that there is a greyish morale to it...

Acting-wise, the cast was overall pretty good. Matsu Takako is good as this distraught, cold and relentless character seeking revenge. She is a bit over-shadowed by the performances of the three teens actors: given their young ages and the darkness of their scenes, I found them pretty impressive and convincing, even though sometimes their acting might have been a bit too "over-the-top" or uneven.

Production-wise, it manages to showcase the different perspective of the stakeholders in a gripping way. Even the more narrated parts (which are "telling" more than "showing") are captivating to follow due to some inspired mise-en-scene. There was some elements that I felt a bit too exaggerated (in terms of visual effects or for example with the blood spattering...) to the detriment of the poignancy of some of the scenes but it was still super impactful overall. The soundtrack was suitable for the film but not memorable to me.

I would recommend this to people looking for a gripping revenge story, quite different in its narrative style. If you loved manga such as "Teseusu no fune", you might love this as it gives some similar vibe. Given the crime committed as well as the various topics approached in the film, it features heavily (a lot) of really triggering components. I would strongly suggest to look at the tags before watching this if you have any triggers. If you don't, this could be better to go watch it blind in order to not spoil yourself of course.

Read More

Song Joong Ki as a pining wolf boy in the '60s countryside: a "must see" ^^

The story is centred around the encounter in the '60s in the countryside of a young woman and a "wolf boy", a young man clearly not used to human interactions and society rules. I loved a lot the premise of this movie as well as its setting in the past. It allowed a certain suspension of disbelief. What could seem impossible made indeed much more sense in the context of a small rural village in the sixties and after the war context. Story-wise, it was fascinating to see the development of the relationship between the two main protagonists. The only little default is the "contemporary" storyline which I felt did not add much to film overall.

This movie is starring some actors and actresses that I generally like. The pairing between Song Joong Ki and Park Bo Young works pretty well. The first one manages to transmit a lot of emotions without any need for dialog, the viewer is able to see everything through the eyes of his character. The second one does also a very good job as the central figure to the story, with a lot of poignant scenes successfully acted. Yoo Yeon Seok was excellent: I was quite shocked to see him in an antagonist role and he surpassed my expectations playing a despicable character. Jang Young Nam, in a supporting role, gives once again a great performance as the motherly figure trying her best to make lemonade with the lemons that life gave her.

Though some of the visual effects feel a bit outdated, the production value is pretty good overall. I found the sceneries and decors really well made: some were frightening and providing a chilling atmosphere, some were heart-warming and bright. There is one specific scene where music is particularly important that I liked a lot. The remaining soundtrack was not necessarily memorable.

I would recommend this to people looking for a good movie, well-acted with an interesting plot balancing pretty well several genres. It is a quite surprising and effective melange of slice-of-life and fantasy with some elements of thriller and romance. If you love one of the actors/actresses of the cast, it is a "must see". Strangely enough, even if the scenario has nothing to do with it, it kind of remind me in a way of "Titanic" in terms of relationships, characters and plot structure.

Read More

Restrained & soothing slice-of-life story: expected and not that memorable

This short slice-of-life movie (about 45 minutes) is centred around a young aspiring mangaka and his cat. It is a soothing and sad picture: the flow of the script is kind of slow and lenient, not a lot is happening on the surface but it has deeper meaning than it appears. I found particularly interesting too see the main character living a solitary but purpose-driven life with his cat being his lifebelt.

The filmmaking was very appropriate in making us understand the key message, but maybe this was a bit too expected. Indeed, nothing surprised me and I did not find myself emotionally invested in the story. The music was subdue with some peaceful piano notes. What I enjoyed the most was the drawings showcased at various steps of the film and in the ending generic: those were totally relevant and fitting overall.

Still, The main actor performance was satisfying, it was full of nuances and he manages to work well with the cat, which was the central figure of the show. The cat had himself an internal voice and I'm still hesitant about this choice. I'm wondering if it is not a shortcut in trying to provoke emotions to the viewer who is told what to think rather than to show it and letting him free of interpreting it.

I would recommend this to people that like more restrained and quiet slice-of-life story or shows that are involving cats. It is really short, so you will not lose much time trying it.

Read More

Unfortunately sequel not living up to my expectations: disappointing

I really loved the first movie and I am quite disappointed by this sequel. The story took a turn that I did not appreciate as it focalised much more on external events and people being obstacles to the main romance, as well as some over-the-top melodramatic tropes than on the development of the master-servant relationship itself.

The plot lost completely its appeal to me mostly in the second part of the movie, as the angst was coming foremost from quite soapy elements and much too quickly. There are 2 endings to this movie and I'm not fan of either of them due to the scenario becoming quite bonkers.

The main actors kept doing a good job but I was less invested in their couple. I think it is more likely linked to the scenario than to the cast but I was less enthralled by their chemistry together as the script gave them what felt like less opportunities to show nuances.

The music did not really stand out to me and the production was quite in line with the previous movie: standard and more what's expected in a series than in a film. As in the first movie, the subtitles unfortunately keep being appalling.

I would not necessarily recommend this to people unless you have seen the first movie. If you loved it and are curious about what happens to the characters, and do not mind some over-the-top narrative choices, you might give it a go to and see for yourself!

Read More