Reviews

The devil is in the details

As this is a 14 minute short film I won’t say much. You need to be prepared for very graphic talk about sex. It is not for the squeamish.

The premise is a man meeting a school girl to have sex with her thinking she is a virgin. They begin to talk and he nauseatingly starts negotiating the price according to what he thinks her experience is. If you’ve gotten this far and are as repulsed as I was by him, don’t give up, keep going…

For a short film the production values were good as was the acting. The filmmakers packed a wallop of a story in those short minutes.

Again, not for the squeamish.


11/14/22

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Give it a try and simply watch it unfold.

Actually there are a lot of reviews that say that they couldn't connect to the main character as little is known and shown about him throughout the movie. Moreover, there is also the complaint of how there was no plot, no big plot twist/ big reveal and therefore no anticipation or guessing involved in the trials. It moved along predictably, according to many. It seems that the main character lived a bland life without taking too many risks and in every trial he was left off as it would be proven that he had actually done a good deed, not a bad one as it seemed. It's practically impossible for anyone to live so virtuously, but then again that is why he is referred to as a pure spirit that comes along only very rarely. However, it is still worth it to watch the movie if you don't keep thinking and expecting the mystery and action, but instead simply watch the story unfold. The characters did not feel real to me until the end, but the story was really beautiful and connected well. It evoked plenty of emotions in me at the end, and watching the movie till the end felt worth it (though watching even the bland parts wasn't a chore, it flowed peacefully). The movie reminds you to live a simple life taking care of your loved ones.

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Not Good Enough

Japanese Movie " Liar X Liar " is the typical shoujo drama with a light mood and a fluffy romance.

However the story, other than predictable and rushed, was odd as well. The relationship and their kiship wasn't well handled or explained from the start. And even though the bigining was enjoyable, funny and felt more original and out there compared to other japanese movies with the same theme, that didn't last long, and the story fall into cheesy tropes and awkward angst.

The performances, on the other hand, were pretty good by every actor and actresses in the cast.

So, overall, three out of ten.

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A WELL WRITTEN STORY AND A HAPPY ENDING THAT WE ALL WANT!

The story of Adachi and Kurosawa in the series was enough to get all the viewers to want more and so this movie is the answer. And boy oh boy they didn't disappoint us! This movies has a well balance elements such as drama, comedy and subtle romance. They didn't concentrate on any sex scene, even a real kiss, they just made the angle of the camera so it would appear that they kissed but they didn't which I'm fine with it! They didn't kissed in the series and they made me believed in their story, they made me cry, laugh and made my heart flutter which is a very huge deal in acting. This only shows that you don't need a torrid kissing scene or a hot sex scene to make the viewer engaged to your story.

I just can't accept the fact that they still call each other by their family names which in Japanese culture is a big deal when you call someone by their first name. But then even after they lived together and got married they still didn't call each others by their first names. I still don't get it. Talk about names, both actors have cute and hot names, Yuichi and Kiyoshi.

This has to be my very first TOP JAPANESE BL SERIES AND MOVIE for the reason that their story tells a lot about the real world experiences of a man just finding out about his real identity and overcoming the obstacles of coming out. Adachi and Kurosawa shows that a lot in the series and movie.

I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH.....WATCH WATCH WATCH THE SERIES BEFORE JUMPING ONTO THE MOVIE. IT'S WORTH YOUR TIME AND I GUARANTEE THAT YOU WON'T STOP SMILING :)

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The ending just doesn't do it for me

I watched this because I saw an edit on tiktok. There is a remake that will come out so I watched it. The story was interesting, I felt really bad for So-eun. I can't imagine how betrayed she would with no interference from Ji In. But I don't understand how she could forgive her best friend (indicated by old pics) so maybe his interference was needed for her to maintain that relationship. Maybe his interference is what allowed her to accept it.
Also I was hoping for a romance between Ji In and So-eun or atleast for her not be single all this time. But I like that they all accept reality and move on. Maybe a romance trope between them would ruin it as realistically if such a situation were to happen, a romance would be unlikely. I do wish they had a talk or something for closure in 2000 but she seems to want to put it behind her.
Following on with the fact that she stays single. I just don't get how that would happen with how cute she is, she seems to get over Dong-hee so the fact she doesn't get with someone doesn't make sense. I feel like there should be a bit more to the ending, maybe a montague of her life or maybe how she gets on with her friends. The friend obviously knew she liked Dong-hee so much so I wanted to know when did their romance actually start; does he cheat or do they break up naturally. I'm really curious.
Also, I can't accept the fact that Ji in didn't try harder to see her and talk to her but I guess he understood she didn't want to see him as she transferred before he joined university and the fact she walked passed him.
All in all the ending just doesn't hit right for me.

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Did We Really Need This?

This was... fine.

Honestly, I don't know what else to say about it. It was underwhelming, though I wouldn't call it bad. It's just-- the show is one of my all-time favorites, and this just did not hold up. I didn't feel the chemistry I felt in the show, and it just couldn't get me to /care/. There really wasn't a story it was trying to tell-- it was so slice-of-life, just following Adachi and Kurosawa's relationship after the show ended. Nothing particularly exciting happened, and honestly this was nothing we couldn't have gotten from fanfiction (and done better, too!).

The only scene that really stuck out to me was the scene with Adachi's family. The rest of them... weren't anything special.

So, yeah. This was fine, but did we really need this? Was the show not enough?

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Please watch!!!

Doh Kyung Soo Just blew me away in this film; when I learned that he actually performed this masterclass in tap dancing himself I was awestruck.I have watched him perform such a variety of roles including his latest venture bad prosecutor I can imagine him being in his sixties and still acting, becoming a legendary figure.
Apologies for not introducing with my review of the film but I have literally just finished watching it and I am still reeling from his performance,
Swing Kids at times is bizarre, poignant, brutal and joyous.I felt emotionally drained when it finished.It’s a very unusual portrayal of the dehumanization that war produces in mankind and I found it profoundly moving
Hats off to every member of the cast, they were exceptional and swing kids is a film that will stay with me for a long time…….

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"Cover your belly button!"

Raiga: The Monster from the Deep was the second in the Raiga trilogy and arguably the best of the three. The actors weren't better, nor the sets, but the monster scenes were much improved.

The whole Raiga trilogy was low budget, super sale bargain bin quality. Despite its lack of finesse, story cohesion, and quality CGI, it was apparent how much the director loved this Kaiju. If you've ever seen the third one it leaves no doubt his determination to tell Raiga's story, however convoluted it was.

This Raiga had evolved to be able to walk on land, much to Asakusa's disappointment. The city was torn up not once, but twice in this movie.

The human story revolved around a widower and his three teenage daughters. He had two buddies and all were on the festival committee which is very important to remember when a monster is bent on destroying the town. This widower who hawked T-shirts was interested in a young woman and tried to hide it from his children who were all too aware of his feelings. Commander Kito, he of the eye-patch and deranged personality, led the defense forces. Between his efforts and Raiga's not much was left of Asakusa. All of the acting was over the top with unending mugging for the camera. How well you can stomach this kind of comedy may determine your enjoyment of this movie. For me, it didn't work.

The Bone Fish/Fish Born of the Devil/Dragon Killers made an appearance again, attacking people on boats and land. Raiga battled a sea monster in the opening scenes and later another Raiga. The lightning bolts and fire breath were more spectacular than in the first movie. Aside from the monsters, the rest of the CGI and miniatures were low quality, especially for 2009. The director made liberal use of red and green lights for both human and monster scenes.

Though I would never question the director's passion for Raiga, I might question his abilities for putting a seamless, coherent story together and understanding the film's identity. Was it a parody? Most probably. Was it a comedy? Your mileage/kilometerage may vary. Was it a horror? If you are super sensitive to bone fish tearing people's throats out-then maybe. Was it a Tokusatsu? Yes. An obvious rip-off of Godzilla, at least the Kaiju scenes, for the budget, were not bad.

The synopsis says the movie has something to do with global warming. There actually were a couple of lines wedged into the ending to propose that idea, very ham handedly. This movie was all over the place and hard to take seriously even for the genre. After the final battle much of the city had been destroyed but the main characters were shown laughing and frolicking on a hillside. That weird juxtaposition had me wanting Raiga to come back and mark his territory again right where they were, though I'm not sure they would be deserving of the rainbow.

If you are wanting to try the Raiga movies, this is the one to start with. It shows the best of the clips from the first Raiga and how much the monster development had improved. The third film was more of a fan service and only for the most devoted of Kaiju fans, actually, you'd really have to love Kaiju to attempt to watch this movie. It could almost be put into the it's so bad it's good category...almost.


11/13/22

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Magic was never lost.

Cherry magic did it again. Most the time series generally get ruined with a sequel but no, this one did great. I was smiling from beginning to the end. I loved how there was no unnecessary drama and it only showed the problems you generally face when you are dating. I loved the character growth of both Adachi and Kurosawa. Adachi became more confident with himself and Kurosawa became more vulnerable in front of Adachi and spoke his mind more often. I loved that they got rid of the magic early and showed us how Adachi can do well and even more without his powers. I loved the confrontation scenes with the parents. The pacing is good in my opinion. And the second couple didn't steal so much scenes cause I didn't like it that they had many scenes in the series. Although we didn't get the kiss scene that we were dying for but it gave us so much more. There may be some mix opinions about this but in my opinion it did really well. The magic is still there and it is stronger than ever.

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"When you're weak, I'll be strong. And when I'm weak, I'd appreciate a helping hand from you."

I might not be able to love it as much as the drama, but it was definitely a beautiful one.

I love every bit of it. You can tell every scene has meaning - every touch, every word and every expression. This was so needlessly sweet and warm and pleasant and respectful to the source material,

Even some says the magic was lost, well not for me. Still my favorite couple and sure many will also agree for them.

The beach scene >>>>>>>>>>>

Absolutely recommended to watch it. Especially if you are having a bad day, this is the answer thus re watch this as many times as you can.

May we find the Adachi and Kurosawa in our lives. <3

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This devil in blue jeans knows how to kick!

Devil and Angel is a classic kung fu revenge movie. The action runs almost non-stop even when the logic runs out.

Lo Lieh joins a heist gang to gain enough money to marry his sweetheart. Instead of instant wealth, he’s set-up and lands in jail. Upon exiting jail, he rejoins his girl and plots his revenge against the men who hung him out to dry.

That’s it and probably more plot than a lot of kung fu films. Lo Lieh carries this film with his charisma and athleticism. I was happy to see him in the, if not good guy role, a not completely bad guy role. He also directed and co-wrote the script. If he were still alive, I would like to ask him about that WTF ending.

Many of the standard kung fu guys populated the screen. It was fun to see Tien Feng, Wu Ma, and Fong Yau in street clothes instead of wigs and historical wear. The fights were solid and entertaining, choreographed by Lau Kar Wing and Chan Chuen. Before Capt. America exited as the only man standing from an elevator full of baddies, Lo Lieh did it in 1973.

For a low budget kung fu flick, it was put together fairly well. There was plenty of generic ‘70s music, lots of bow chicka wow wow guitar action, even a rock ‘n roll band at one point. Lo Lieh made good use of the city for stalking and fights with old school overlays. That doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of cringey campy scenes, including a slow car chase through a parking garage and the hills outside the city. But with this type of film they are to be expected.

Given the constraints, not a bad first directorial effort for Lo Lieh although I did ding his score for that ridiculous ending. As always, I grade these old, niche movies on a curve. This type of movie is only for hardcore fans of the genre.

11/12/22

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Touching and ultimately satisfying.

The movie has a different feel and pacing from the series, and initially, I was disappointed as I was looking for, and missing, the lightness and humour that was such a part of Cherry Magic. I thought about bailing, but I kept watching because those two actors are just that good. Seriously, I'd pull out the popcorn and the lapquilt just to listen to them do a table read of my insurance policy's fine print. Once I settled into the movie, I started to enjoy it for what it was: a more serious take on what would happen once the magic of a fairytale dissipates. By the halfway mark, I was totally invested in the film, and closer toward the finish line I kept mentally tagging places that I knew I'd want to rewind to. All in, I felt it was a touching end to a wonderful series, and, as the titles says: ultimately satisfying.

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This isn't your average BL trope so do not expect romance.

Yes, this short film is under a niche genre that mainstream gay films rarely and almost never talk about. Likewise, fans don't necessarily like this type of trope.
The amount of realism is on point, then it tricks your head and confuses you with the weird actions of the characters.
The hint of immorality may seem off-putting for viewers. But I think that was the whole point. Interactions were meant to make you uncomfortable, but the point is you still enter the gates of hell despite knowing what lies ahead and what it offers.

L and Uncle act like a couple. But they aren't. L is in love with Uncle, and there was a hint Uncle was, too. But they both are too scared to admit. L, because he knows where he stands in reality. Uncle because he lives in reality with no option. Or so he thinks. Whether the separation Sun adviced him refers to L, or his wife, is unclear and open-ended.
Sun and Roger show two different types of detachment to relationships.
Sun, hoping to rekindle something he lost. Hoping to tug back the feeling he thinks has escaped him. He is there, but he isn't. He tries to be. But he feels empty, even after all that.
Roger is the main man who holds the orgies. He is there, he is part of the copulation and the pleasure, from start to finish. He recieves and gives and make sure everyone gets their cut of the warmth. But for some reason, he doesn't seem to be there. It's a different feeling of emptiness than Sun.
Sun's emptiness was brought about by a loss, he cannot accept. The lack of feeling resulting from not being able to have or keep something.
Roger, though, his emptiness comes because of his own fear of attachment. He is there. He feels everything and everyone, anyone but himself... He didn't lose anything or anyone important. He probably just wanted to feel alive.
Duke, who went there to experiment and experience, then realized that the lack of emotional attachment of orgies was not for him and so he went back to his regular life.

It's fun how the director used the ORGY to depict the various loneliness beneath the surface of the community. It's such a niche genre, I doubt a lot of people will like or understand. But personally, I love this.
The psychedelic effect of the lighting, the disorientation of clip sequencing, the lack of conclusion in each story that plays with your mind which adds more to the realism... The awkwardness, the confusion... it's all so unique and captivating.
You wanna pull away, but you can't because it gives you so much curiosity. Only to leave you hanging on a cliff because that was it. It ends when you start having questions, which are unlikely to be answered.
So you are left sitting there, staring at the screen pondering what you've just watched... refusing to believe that, that was it. It's done...

A fairy tale with no happy endings, just continuous existence... and reeks of poisonous gas instead of pixie dusts...

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My fellows I rarely write a review EVER, but this movie deserves one....

If I am saying that I have not cried that much in 5-7 years then I really mean it.
I am not talking bout light flakey tears, I am talking bout sobbing, non stop rivers of tears.
So if you are down for a emotional ride and a good cry. Here you go.

Got this movie recommended and thought it would be fun to watch as a time killer. Oh boy was I wrong.

The main and side characters are all so pure, innocent, genuine and kind-hearted.
I love it the most, when people are considerate, understanding and patient. This movie was the definition of it.
The story is so natural and refreshing, the actors and actresses. MY GOD. THEIR ACTING.... M-A-S-T-E-R-P-I-E-C-E!

It is a true delight and I am very grateful for the director and everyone involved in this movie, because it might be my favorite movie in maybe 4 years? Everything is a built up of a perfect end result.

I finished it 10 minutes ago and my feelings are still very raw and I aam still slightly overwhelmed.
It literally awakened so many feelings I have not felt in a long time.

I just read that many people rated it relatively lowly, because of the ending.
But guys honestly the ending is maybe 10 minutes of the whole movie.
There are 1h and 50min left to enjoy fully, which are so worth it.

Idk if you can even call it a review, but this is what I felt and I think I should share it with you guys.
If you are down for an emotional awakening, this movie is IT! Especially when you have been very numb for a long time.

If you have plans later that day and want to meet friends after the movie I totally not recommend. Your eyes will be very red and you will feel MANY emotions.

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