Reviews

Stirring, Sad, Emotional

This movie is very well done - adapted from a manga.

The characters really made me feel emotional, although most of that emotion is kind of sad. The ending leaves it up to the one watching to decide what happens at the end. The one thing I didn't like bout the movie was the darkness in most of the scenes. I understand that was part of the setting to make the scenes more emotional, but I think the movie could have been made in better lighting.

I feel like both characters had issues, but they took an emotional and physical journey together. One character had a lot of difficulty in all of his relationships, because he didn't know what love really was, but in the end, he finds himself.

This movie is raw, stirring, sad, emotional and yet somehow not sad at the same time.
Both actors did a fantastic job portraying their characters.

The sex scenes between the two characters are explicit. This movie may not be everyone's cup of tea.

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A standalone film with a lot to offer

I honestly don't understand the negative comments about this film - it's frickin' beautifully written, acted, and filmed and is a very important and timely addition to other LGBTQ+ media being produced around the world at this moment. There's also no reason to draw too many comparisons to its prequel because these characters are not the same people they were much earlier - obviously. We get to know who they are right now, which is more important. And while there might not be fanservice and skinship every five minutes, the characters deeply love each other (that's obvious), they are there for one another when it matters, and they plan their lives around each other. Do they make mistakes? For sure...and they pay for them, in various ways.
I believe that this film is ultimately about the ways we can atone for the selfish mistakes we make in our lives and how they affect those around us. But, (and this is big,) sometimes the mistakes that humans make are because the societies that they're in do not have their best interests at heart, and do not allow for folks to live fully into who they are, (and that includes issues around both gender and sexuality.)
This film gets ten stars from me, and I hope more people watch it.

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Hidden Gem

It’s a fluke coming across this film today. I didn’t waste time and searched where I can watch this with English sub; YT didn’t disappoint me.
This could have been a successful full length film or drama series. I can sense there’s so much to tell within the story. The acting was exemplary and the filming was superb. I am wondering why this short film wasn’t promoted well. At any rate, it will be a worthwhile half an hour and at the end watch out because you’ll be wanting more.
Awesome production here! It lacked promotion otherwise it would have made money!0

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from the beginning i already like the cinematography and the setting. it wasn't anything fancy, but good enough. also, the fighting scenes were nicely done too

the poster making it look like harem. but the romance wasn't shown much.

the pacing were a bit too fast. which resulted in poor character development, plot holes, and makes it a bit difficult for me to keep up. but when i finished the whole movie, it's all connected.

I'm not familiar with any of the actors, but they portray their roles nicely

if you want to watch it, don't think too much and just go with the flow

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emotionally moving performance from a fine actor ,Kamio Fuju

I saw this film in London on 28 05 2022. Introduced on screen by the director Shogo Kusano.
His intro was interesting , comparing audiences to Japan and UK and wondered himself, given the cultural differences , how
UK would view this.
Firstly, I have to congratulate Shogo Kusano on an excellent film , which I could relate to and your choice in casting
Kamio Fuju as Jun was perfect. His serious acting can be quite powerful and believable .
I have to say, despite the obvious culture difference you would expect, I found a lot of similar traits when I was in Japan to an old England i used to know. I could list them but would be digressing from this review. ( so maybe not so different in many ways) There is a hospital scene that i found very moving in which Jun summarises his young life............
I have thought about it a long time since watching the film.
i hope young audiences watch this and empathise with the struggles of young gay life as well as enjoying an entertaining
and thought provoking subject matter.
I think Audiences who don,t mind sub titles here in Uk , would appreciate this excellent film.
(sorry but I dont remember any music for rating )

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A Beautiful Melancholic Film

I watched this movie because I watched first the TV Show version of this. I was enamored by how beautiful, thought provoking and heartbreaking this movie was, seeing two characters sharing the pain of thinking if their love would last was just heartbreaking yet also captivating. The two main protagonists were just well layered, sympathetic and you can easily connect with their characters. Yi Soo, was just fantastically portrayed by Han Hyo Joo, I love that they delved deeper into her character, seeing her trying her outmost best to understand Woo Jin even though it might cause her mental health deteriorating was sad yet touching. I also felt bad for Woo Jin throughout the movie, I could not imagine being in his shoes and he was also trying best not getting lost in the world of love because he was afraid it might affect his lover negatively. This movie was beautifully shot, beautifully portrayed and I was just in awe, crying and smiling all throughout. I also love the underlying message of Pansexuality, especially in the end of the film. Yi Soo did not care about the gender of Woo Jin, because she is attracted/fell in love with Woo Jin's personality which was uplifting to see. All of the A-list actors/actresses that portrayed Woo Jin were also good and I love that they ended the movie in a beautiful scenery in Czech Republic. Overall, a touching movie with great performances from the ensemble cast and a unique concept.

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The comments made me watch this! DX

Ever heard curiosity killed the cat? Well this time curiosity killed my psyche! The comments on this made me so curious to watch it i regret my decision. What TF did i just watch O__O This movie was kind of traumatizing. I dont know how the actors did it i wouldnt ever be able to kiss the way they did.... they looked like cows every kissing scene XP. Just overall disturbing! Not for the faint of heart. If you are on the fence about watching this........just........dont! I promise its not worth the psychological damage. Softcore porn with a side of abuse is what your ordering if you decide to watch.

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Meh

Plot: First half had me guessing, like what actually happened and it had some mystery and horror aura but then felt flat on the last 30 minutes of the movie. Many unanswered questions that will make you confuse as to why was the ending like that, especially to the victim. Didn’t make sense to me, honestly. He was supposed to have this strong personality plus he had to go through all the trouble just to find out the truth but then ‘bam’. Would have been nice if they added something to the ending apart from their ‘supposed’ destiny. It was supposed to be the icing on the cake but turned out to be a styrofoam.

Acting: All did great and convincing.

Music: Pretty appropriate and creepy especially on the first half of the movie.

Rewatch value: I don’t think there’s something to rewatch.

Overall: 5 for acting and great suspense of first half. They didn’t maintain the momentum and ended up with a disappointing ending despite the so-called ‘twist’. It wasn’t predictable but it didn’t have the ‘wow’ factor too. I guess I watched and read too many psychological/mystery dramas and movies already.

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Human greed is the root cause of destruction

Based on true events, the legal battle in the movie against a company misconduct on a widely used household product is highly intriguing, which in real life has even caused fatality and permanent damage to its users over a decade. The narrative has really good pacing and well arranged details, it comes with a serious tone and even has a hint of espionage flavor in it that gives a pleasant surprise for viewers. In the end, it's all about the greed of human beings especially those who are at the top of the food chain, and those government officials neglecting their responsibilities, at last the ones who pay the price are common people like us.

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Excellent Contribution to the Temple

Yes…the monks of Shaolin would be proud of this contribution to the legend of Shaolin. Of course, like a lot of Chineses martial arts movies based on the past, there is a small kernel of truth to this. The monks often resisted occupying forces with their legendary prowess. In this entry, you have a great cast which you will easily recognize. Jackie Chan is in this, but he’s not the star. The story revolves around the early republic period and the our star loses his family when he is double-crossed during a double cross. He then goes to the temple and finds peace and justice. Now…as for the fight choreography… it is stellar. I had forgotten how good it was. You get every type of battle you could imagine as well as some great forms done by a bunch of talented and skilled kids. Of course, their part is the BEST part as it should be. Considering how long this is (it’s a healthy two hours) I was surprised that I was not bored at all. Even with the typical cliches and tropes it’s still watchable and rewatchable. 9/10

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Had Potential but Got Ruined by a Flimsy Script

I have a love hate relationship with Goo Hye Young, I do like that she's persevering and doesn't give any two shits what other people think but sometimes she acts too rashly, I just want to go inside the movie and tell her character to think thoroughly about the things she's about to do, especially in the restaurant scene confronting a Chairman and giving the only evidence you have away I was just dumbfounded, What did she fucking expect? She could've made another copy of the recording but oh well. Throughout the whole movie, I want some sort of clarity with her character, thankfully she showed some of vulnerability in the last act of the film, and I did like the bulldozing scene. How the movie presented itself was quite messy and because of that some scenes were boring and the pacing was just off thankfully Kim Hye Yoon yet again did amazing acting wise, she never fails to impress me. The movie had so much potential to give a realistic approach about how people deal with debt and such but it was just messy and hard to follow with unlikable characters sprinkled in the mix.

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A origin perseverance film with alot of HEART

I went in with this movie because of Wi Ha Joon, he is one of my favorite actors and I have a huge crush on him. I had expectations that his movie will be a gritty story about prison and school violence based on the posters and I didn't read any spoilers as well but I was pleasantly surprised to see that this movie was more heartwarming and inspiring. The whole message of the movie is quite simple, "Do not give up, fight harder day by day." and they clearly sent that message across. The plot was nothing new nor fresh but it was enjoyable. The main character, Cha Woo Sol played magnificently by Kim Min Seok was a believable sympathetic character and his character growth was great. Wi Ha Joon as Jung Do Hyun, was a great mentor he didn't appear as much as I hope would've been but he was the main heart of this film especially to the main protagonist. The antagonist Seok Chan was played greatly by Jung Won Chang, even though his whole character arc was just ok, I needed more layers to his character. The other side characters, Sang Yeop (The mature captain) and Ahn Hyun Min were likable but I needed more of them though. The action sequences were well choreographed and the pacing was fast and exciting. I felt like this was an origin film, and based on the comments I red down below there is an upcoming TV series sequel to this, if it ever happens this movie is a great introductory to the characters and story so that the TV series could expand more. Also, the ending cracked me up.

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