Reviews

spoiler alert

spoiler alert

So netflix recommended this film to me as 'warm rom-com', a 'feel good' film

Now I know, that the person who wrote that did not see this movie. It was such a beautiful story, i loved it really... but the ending still pisses me off. Oh no i'm not just heartbroken, I'm angry.

What writer in their right mind thinks it's ok to end a movie like this? To take away my warm cuddly feelings that they've been building for over an hour and just obliterate them. Why?
And shame on Netflix for getting my hopes up. They ought to fire the person who wrote that description.

Other than the ending, i loved it ...

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Nice nostalgic Korean movie about love that warms your heart.

I won't speak on the plot too much because it will be spoilers, but this movie really warmed my heart source: trust me. It's a nice movie to watch in winter when you're in the mood for old Korean melodrama. I loved the acting, the plot the music and early the nostalgia of early 2000s. I love how the director made the male lead chase the female lead, the way he expressed his emotions, the yearning was well done. I love the depths of both characters and their reasons for doing certain actions. I love how this movie runs in seasons of their lives but it flows effortlessly. It's quite a simple movie of love but it runs so deep. The ending came so fast I was left wanting more like I didn't recognize it an hour and 40 minutes passed. Overall 8.5/10 and */10 rewatch value which is high because I rarely rewatch movies but I think I will rewatch this to feel the yearning and emotions again.

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The main plot presents different views on parenthood and the dilemma between keeping, giving up and selling a child. Each of the main characters has their own interesting and sad story. The main plot itself is captivating.
However, the whole thread of the police investigation seems to be forced into this film. It's bland, but also over-developed compared to scenes focusing on the main characters. The surrounding plot in this form feels unnecessary for me and bored me.

I love the aesthetics of this film. Definitely reminds me of other Kore-eda films I've watched. Also the actors are well known for their acting. They did a great job, so you could feel that the decision the characters had to make was not an easy one.

The main plot is very well developed and I love it but I can't give it a higher rating because of the surrounding that dragged this movie down.

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It felt as if I was in a dream..

A very heartwarming masterpiece you shouldn't miss! This movie really feels like a warm hug. No complicated plot, no cliffhangers, not one boring scene(you just cannot skip any part! It;s THAT good!).. Words really fall short to express how much I've loved this movie! It leaves you with all smiles at the end..
The star-studded cast was something that made me watch this movie. I'm a huge fan of both Han Jimin and Lee Dong Wook, but fell in love with Kang Ha Neul and Won Jin A in this movie. Everyone else too are very appreciable in this movie, without them this movie would've never been the same.
The songs were SO SO good, especially 'happy ending'. It's been a really long time since I've listened to such a touching song.
I wish that I'd have watch this early.. but as they say 'better late than never'!
Would definitely recommend if you're looking for a story of people with beautiful hearts who never fail to make you smile.

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Loved the movie ?❤

The songs, the story, the lesson everything I loved it..
one of the best Japanese movies ❤❤..
the actors were great too and the concept of time travel.. it was different from other movies...
I hope to watch more movies like this in my life... I really love romantic movies... I hope they make more movies like this so I can watch them with my loved ones...
Everything was great in this movie.......................
....................,.............................................................................


I really liked this movie.... I do wanna watch more movies like this ❤❤

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"Being father is easy, anyone could say he's a good father"

The only word I can think of to describe this film is "unfair". It's complicated to be homesexual in the society you live in, even more complicated when you have children, especially in a country where your partner has no legal rights over them.

The situation in which Phoon and Yuke find themselves calls into question the very essence of what they have built, a family, a couple, confidence in themselves and in their own sexuality. Everything falls apart overnight and Phoon's old demons don't help. But the most unfair thing is that everything Butr has to go through, he's just a curious child, with questions he has a right to ask, especially if nothing has been explained to him.

In the end, it's complicated because we can tell ourselves that Phoon's decision is unfair, but the film wouldn't have such an impact if he hadn't made that kind of decision. Cause in real life, some people react in unexpected and unconstructive ways when they love too much or when fear takes over.

A poignant film that is a must-see!

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Warm and cozy

The story does not bring any surprises, the only doubt is if they will be together or go in separate ways.

From the beginning, you already know that it is a very difficult relationship, and probably they wouldn't stay together all the time, and you already are waiting for they will break up. But you hope that they could find each other again, or if they don't, they could be happy anyway.

And the end brings exactly what we want, a delicious feeling warm and comfort. It's not a movie with big pretensions, it's just a simple love story for those people who like to believe that first love lives forever in our hearts.

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First, I'll repeat what everyone else is saying. For the first half of the film, each of us thought that it would just be a cute story with no plot twists and no surprises. After that, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who thought it wasn't going to be anything special. Just an ordinary movie to relax.

I couldn't be more wrong…

After the first half I thought I could handle this movie even though I heard it was very sad. I thought people exaggerated… And after all those cute scenes, I cried my eyes out. Then I got a few more cute scenes then the ending totally broke me.

I cried more during this movie than during all the movies I watched this year combined.

Also the aesthetics of this movie were really nice and the actors did a great job. I love this movie and highly recommend it.

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A Different Flavor of Magic..yet, still peak Cherry!

Cherry Magic: The Movie provides a salient reminder that the medium of film works differently than the medium of television. Even when two projects share a title, and a cast, and one story flows directly from the other, each filmed drama should be judged according to criterion appropriate to its medium rather than from a direct comparison of one to another. And, if the progenitor project happens to rank among the most widely acclaimed, most exemplary examples of its genre ever produced, then the potential for backlash against the sequel project loom large. Cherry Magic: The Movie is a fizzy, frothy rom-com that is almost achingly sweet. It even sneaks in one of the most pro-gay marriage subtexts I've encountered from any Asian gay film or BL television series. Yet, most of my fellow reviewers on this site have harped on the ways in which the film disappointed them. That disappointment likely reflects the near-universal esteem in which fans hold the 12-episode 2020 television series Cherry Magic. If those fans expect the 2022 film sequel to deliver the same magical mix of charm and whimsy, then they will register disappointment when they see the film. But don't fault the film for underdelivering--instead fault the fans for their unrealistic expectations. If, instead, fans allow the motion picture to exist as its own creation, with expectations appropriate for the medium of film, then they will likely appreciate that Cherry Magic: The Movie succeeds on its own merit.

This film Cherry Magic picks up the story from that television series Cherry Magic. As a film, the sequel lacks the runtime to lavish attention to beloved side characters--all your favorites are present, but they don't do much. Also, the sequel lacks the space to delve into the office romance angle that made the series stand out amidst a sea of BL dramas about campus life. Also, it has no chance to build romantic tension across three months worth of once-weekly hour-long episodes because it has to wrap up all its business in under two hours. Shorn of these qualities better suited to the serial narrative of episodic TV, the film has only Kurosawa and Adachi to work with. Their palpable chemistry still anchors the story, but there's not much story to speak of. Newcomers to the Magic might find that off-putting, but most fans of the series won't mind because they came for Kurodachi in the first place. We might divide the film's plot into three phases. An initial phase reacquaints us with how the couple came to be and with the influence of Adachi's wizardry on that relationship. A secondary phase relocates the mind-reading wizard to distant Nagasaki. There, he must learn to read his boyfriend's thoughts without actually touching him. An accident highlights the fragility of same-sex relationships as social constructs when Kurosawa can get no information about Adachi's well-being because no one recognizes the validity of their relationship. The movie's third phase thus concerns their efforts to come out to important people in their lives, most notably their respective families. This aspect of the story generates great good will and warm feelings--traits BL genre stories thrive on--but does so by delivering a decidedly LGBT-genre message about the value of coming out and of being accepted by family, by friends, and by employers.

This writer deems the 2020 Cherry Magic to represent the pinnacle of BL greatness. That is to say, no other episodic BL story succeeds as a television project the way the original Cherry Magic did. Expecting any sequel to live up to that standard is unfair. Indeed, Cherry Magic: the Movie will not be in contention for any list compiling "Best Movie" ever made. But before I watched, I accepted that that standard was unrealistic--the TV series set a bar so unreasonably high that expecting a repeat of that wizardry was never a realistic expectation.* The 2022 movie delivers what a sequel should: fans can revisit beloved characters to see how their story progressed. It delivers also what a film should: a story that breezes along quickly in an easy to follow way. It delivers what a rom-com FILM should: nicely packaged romantic moments that move briskly from one to the next. It over-delivers on BL by infusing the film with a hard-to-miss commentary regarding the importance of having family and society recognize queer relationships. Subtly, it endorses the idea of gay marriage. For a country that at this writing still does not authorize same-sex marriage equality, that ending has a decided political bent. For all these reasons, Cherry Magic: The Movie succeeds as a movie. Enjoy it as one.

*--Sidenote: I write this review on the exact same day in November 2022 that GMMTV has announced a Thai adaptation of Cherry Magic. That's very brave of them--because judging that finished product against the 2020 original...sounds like a fair proposition to me. Which means, let's hope the enduring popularity of TayNew can still deliver, because lest you missed my opinion above, the series GMMTV now seeks to emulate happens to be the pinnacle of BL creativity. Good luck living up to that, lads! 'Cause if you fall short, the critics will come with the long knives and the tart reviews.

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A predictable, but surprisingly entertaining hell of a ride

As a person who doesn’t really care for movies full of action and cars, I was a bit hesitant to watch this. What eventually persuaded me? The beautiful cast and the 80’s nostalgic feels it has.

I was pleasantly surprised. It’s fast paced and kept me engaged from the beginning. Don’t expect a very in-depth story with surprising plot twists; it’s all quite predictable and like the average action movie story. However, in an entertaining kind of way.

You’ll get to see a fine looking cast that does a good job and clearly had fun making this. The only character that was a bit too much for my liking was Song Min-Ho as Galchi.
The music felt somewhat out of place sometimes, but in a way that complemented the vibes of the movie.

Was i a bit bored with the ‘feet on the pedals’ closeups? Yes.
Was the same camera trick used every time a car was spinning on the road? Yes.
Was I surprised by the ending? Not at all.
But it kept me captivated until the end and had me entertained. And sometimes that’s enough.

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This is not a high budget, high production value documentary that tackles a complex issue from different angles. This is a one man take to uncover the truth, by exposing one lie at the time and I believe this is the correct approach.

The story behind the Sewol is extremely complex. It’s not just a case of one person negligence - it’s a story that involves individual workers, coastal guards, press, police, politicians - you name it, more or less everyone was involved.

So does this documentary tell us how it happened? Why it happened? Does it provide any concrete explanations? No. But it paints a horrifying picture - when people on the site were too scared to even talk about what was going on. It focused on just a small portion of the events - the use of a diving bell, and how the government was doing its best to not make it successful. Exposing that lie in such detail, with interviews and video/recordings proof is how you break the well crafted picture the government and press created.

The movie shows how much effort was put into creating and upholding a lie and shifting the blame on others, when half of that effort would probably be enough to save the people trapped in the sunken ship.

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Get your tissues ready!!

A great movie for a rainy night snuggled under your blanket!! Haha… yes.. good one to binge watch (well it’s only two hours)

Loved the main two leads- the attraction was real and both had good visuals together. The storyline is simple enough- best friend asks to find out stuff about Guy A, so girl starts “stalking” him, unknowingly Guy A’s best friend Guy B starts liking her. But he thinks she likes Guy A so gets jealous. Then FL starts falling for Guy B but her best friend who thought liked Guy A , actually turns out likes Guy B!! Ok- it may sound confusing, but when you watch it it’s not :)

There is one very light kiss scene. Other than that it was pure face to face attraction/ standing close to each other, giving each other glances etc ;) Very sweet and tear jerking- cos it’s not a happy ending. It’s a teen movie but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it! Definitely recommended :)

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"It all comes down to chance"

“The river flows on, it always has, it always will.” Director Mizoguchi sent his lovers down the river to the waiting waterfall at the end in this tragic tale. He comes across as an early feminist showing his independent heroine go through many trials all at the hands of men, her every compassionate deed coming back to haunt her. Yet she never gave up or gave in even when there was little left to lose. He seemed to want to shine a light on the fact that women had little say in their lives, they could be abused, sold, and even betrayed by the male judicial system as well.

Mizushima Tomo aka Taki No Shiraito performed a mesmerizing water show with a band of traveling entertainers. Known for her beauty she was also twenty-four-years old, an old maid at this time. Fate sent a carriage driver into her path. When a rickshaw passed the horse drawn carriage he drove on the road, the passengers in the carriage demanded he pass the rickshaw. In the process an axle was broken so he carried Tomo on his horse to the next town. She was instantly smitten but feared she’d never see him again. Once more fate intervened, and she found him sleeping on a bridge in the moonlight where she was walking one night. She learned his name was Murakoshi Kinaya. He’d been fired for driving the horses recklessly. His parents had died causing him to leave school in order to earn a living and now he was unemployed. Tomo told him she would help pay for him to finish law school so that he could become a great man. “As long as I breathe, I’ll remember my debt to you,” Kinaya promised.

Going into a Mizoguchi film I know better than to expect a happy ending and he did not fail that expectation. Tomo writes Kinaya letters inclosing cash for his tuition. Kinaya uses her dedication to spur on his studies and desire to succeed. During the winter, the show would have to close down and money became tight. Tomo always found a way to send Kinaya some money. Along the way, she helped two couples suffering at the hands of Minami the knife thrower and Iwabuchi the loan shark. Her generosity emptied her pockets and she had only one other means of earning the money for Kinaya to finish school and it led to the awaited tragedy. Let’s just say there is no leniency for a woman defending herself.

Kinaya and Tomo meet once again, both prepared to die. Tomo finds genuine joy in Kinaya’s success and is complete. Kinaya acknowledges he would still be a laborer if not for her sacrifices. And the water flows on, along with their short and ill-fated love.

The copy I watched of this film was very badly damaged. This was a silent film per se, but also had music and a benshi narration. I found the voiceover to be distracting and ended up muting it to focus on the performances. Even with the fading and scratches, Tomo’s water show was magnificent and a bit of a mystery as well. Irie Takako was beautiful and gave a moving performance as the compassionate woman who just wanted to be loved. Whether showing Tomo performing her water tricks, falling in love, helping those who needed it, or fighting for her life, Irie made Tomo believable and a worthy, if flawed, heroine.

Mizoguchi wasted no chance to show that it was the men in the story who created the problems for Tomo from the knife thrower to the judges. There’s an old saying, “No good deed goes unpunished,” and for Tomo this was true. Despite all she suffered for the ones she loved, she remained resolute to the end, cleansed as if from flowing water, until all that was left was joy and satisfaction.


11/21/22

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