Reviews

shorter movie that focuses on bullying and discrimnation

Overall: although it's very low budget, I gave them points for trying to address serious real world problems in about 43 minutes. Aired on YouTube https://youtu.be/p3vl7la7-oA?si=OVtJfstzAUw1aF55

Content Warnings: near suicide, sexual assault, bullying including physical bullying, cyberbullying, non con picture taking/sharing, unwanted public outing, held against will, manipulation, violence/punch, homophobia

What I Liked
- the scene of them eating ice cream
- addressing issues like homophobia, marriage inequality, bullying
- friend called out the teacher and the bullies
- supportive parents

Room For Improvement
- they shouldn't have had the friend do that if they wanted the viewer to want two characters together
- bleeping the Thai swear words was distracting, they likely would have been fine with not bleeping them on YouTube
- not translating text messages
- subtitles, though I didn't really take off points for this because at least they added something
- an open ending with the m/m romance aspect

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Story: A collection of erotic shorts about men fantasizing about other men in uniforms.

Acting: No better than amateur porn stars.

Music: Maybe the sound of beeping horns can even lull you to sleep.

Rewatch Value: Not bored enough to do so again.

Overall Impression: This feature is actually just glorified porn trying to pass as avant-garde film. The stream of consciousness monologuing may impart some life truths that may seem profound, but they are overly gratuitous. I will not totally give this a zero though, but maybe an F for F-fort.

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Umm...

Actually, I initially couldn't bear to continue this movie. At first, the female lead's character was so bad as that is one of the people I disdain the most. The peer pressure, gaslighting, etc., she did make me uncomfortable. So, I dropped it. Then, for some reason, I picked it up again.

I thought that the "Professor" would date her after she turned 18, a legal age. However, I was proved wrong lol. But then, I tried to understand him. He probably thought he didn't have much longer to live, so he pushed it. Otherwise, he couldn't contain his feelings, but as an adult who is 18 years older, he should have been rational. But then again, regardless of his reasons, I wished that he hadn't given the girl any hope, or maybe he could, but he should have firmly rejected her, considering his situation, their age gap, and her still being a minor. She might have experienced awful things at a young age which caused her to mature way too early, but that's the more reason.

I don't know what occurred that made him suddenly kiss her and take one closer step into the relationship as she even got into his house. Still, I was disappointed.

Though I'm glad that the female lead had character development, for some reason, it felt too sudden. I can understand why she cut off her previous relations, but not in a way that she suddenly became soft-hearted. For me, there should have been an additional drive that changed her step-by-step. Anyway, as for the acting, I don't know, I think it lacks a little.

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As if you actually live in the manga

Disclaimer: I read the mangas, years and years ago
Story-wise.
All I can say is that, I would like to see these casts in a series. It was just too short for me who read all the manga, even up to Angel Hearts. But the blend of one part of the full storyline with the other part as it creates a cohesive story is quite nicely done. 90/100
Characters.
They portrayed the characters with almost perfect scores. The costumes, cars, apartment, even Ryo's way of standing, the way he moves and all of his quirky anecdotes are very much displayed there. Kaori's and Saeko's characters also almost fully fleshed out as well. Can't be too perfect though since we can't have a 200t hammer swinging all around every time, but the denim jacket is spot on for Kaori. Attention to details are 98/100

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone that have interest in a funny action drama movie. Perhaps, similar to Jackie Chan's movies.

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An exploration of the growing drag culture within Taiwan's queer landscape

The 2021 short film 'Best Sisters Forever' revolves around the elegant Xue Rong / "Snow" (Heng-Chi Kuo) and the fun and frivolous A Du / "Cavon" (Soda Voyu), two gay "sisters" best friends, who after having a heated discussion about issues of promiscuity, end up distancing themselves from each other.
A tragic event allows the reunion of the two "sisters" a decade later. Knowing that their days together are numbered, the couple embarks on an adventure in hopes of recapturing lost opportunities and creating happy memories. Along the way, they make important discoveries about life, love, friendship, and family. Promises are kept and a long lost dream comes true.
The year after releasing 'Your Name Engraved Herein', a film shortlisted for four awards at the 57th Golden Horse Awards 2020, Liu Kuang Hui (Patrick Liu) offers in 'Best Sisters Forever' an authentic vision of the drag sisterhood in that Asian island.
Associated with GagaOOLala, the Taiwanese director explores the growing drag culture within Taiwan's queer landscape, and reflects on questions of identity, empowerment, bonds and brotherhood within the flamboyant Taiwanese community.
To this end, the film features original performances by some of Taiwan's most famous drag queens at Taipei's most iconic LGBT venue, the historic Red House in Ximending District.
"What has always fascinated me is this special sense of bond or brotherhood that exists between members of the gay community but is rarely talked about or discussed in the mainstream. "So, this is where I wanted to play with this idea of ​​'sisterhood' and create a story around it specifically in the context of drag," Liu says when premiering the work.
With the intention of visualizing 'drag' and brotherhood within the community, Liu calls on two of the most important actors in the Taiwanese entertainment industry: Heng-Chi Kuo and Soda Voyu.
The first is a singer, director and composer who makes his official screen debut as an actor in this film. In addition to acting, Heng-Chi Kuo performs the main theme of the film: "Don't Rub Salt on the Wound", a song composed in 1999 for A-Mei, the singer considered a gay icon and defender of Taiwanese indigenous and LGBT+ rights throughout the Mandarin-speaking world.
For his part, Soda Voyu is an outstanding actor, winner of the Golden Bell Award, with an extensive filmography, which includes the film 'Tale of the Lost Boys', from 2017, the drama 'Magic Showdown', from that same year, 'iHero 2' and 'Your Name Engraved Herein'.
Thanks to 'Best Friends Forever', both actors play drag characters in a film for the first time, an experience that both together describe as "very entertaining but challenging, a special project that was worth pursuing, especially for its deep cause and the "so necessary drag defense."
Best Sisters Forever is the third installment of GagaOOLala's 2021 anthology 'Queer Up The Volume', a collection of original queer stories, each with their own title track and music video, aiming to portray the different facets of the community. contemporary queer.
The Queer Up The Volume project also includes other titles, such as the second season of GagaOOLala's successful Thai-Taiwanese BL co-production series, 'Call It What You Want 2', by Anusorn Soisa-ngim (Aam); 'Light', from director Adiamond Lee and starring Jed Chung, Max Liu and Ding Ning; the Taiwanese BL drama 'Dark Blue and Moonlight', and 'Fragrance of the First Flower', the lesbian miniseries by director Angel Teng (Bao Bao), winner of the first prize of the GagaOOLala Pitching Sessions 2020.

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Story: Two boys go from friends to being more than friends, but less than lovers. Their shenanigans escalated from silly things like spinning bottles on their foreheads, to more brazen acts like throwing Molotov cocktails in public streets. And at some point, probably experimented with each other during one of these reckless escapades. But to what extent, we don't really know.

Acting: The actors are not too shabby.

Music: Unmemorable.

Rewatch Value: If only to figure out whether some parts are a dream or the reality.

Overall: We see two friends bonding with each other for different reasons. Jie Yu uses his friendship with Yan Shiu as an escape from the real problems his family had been facing, with his mother working hard, and still had to help at the shop his father was supposed to oversee. His father doesn't seem to take responsibility; he wakes up late and he runs off to "business trips" that no one knows where he really went. Tired of picking up his father's slack, Jie Yu goes and spends more time with Yan Shiu. But the time spent made Jie Yu confused about what he really feels, especially when sex gets in the mix.

All the scenes of both boys being together are interspersed with scenes of Jie Yu riding solo on the streets. The camera work was choppy as the frames go back and forth the present and the past. If the film's intent was to confuse the viewers, it certainly did its job.

So many questions were left unanswered. Was Jie Yu running away because he had developed feelings for Yan Shiu , or was he just escaping the increasing intimacy of their friendship? Was Jie Yu denying his sexuality or was he afraid that Yan Shiu was only fooling around and wasn't as invested in their friendship as he was? Nevertheless, we will never know whether the lovemaking between them really happened or just a figment of Jie Yu's imagination.

I'm leaning towards the belief that they did sleep with each other, since Jie Yu said he wanted to go back to being friends. But whether he meant it or not, was another question.

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Clear and strong message: the fight for LGBT+ rights in Taiwan has not stopped

Inspired by the "skirt week" controversy at Banqiao Municipal High School in Taiwan, where students fought for men's right to wear skirts in the student center, the short film 'Rose Skirt' (玫瑰色的裙), from 2021, tells how while the well-intentioned students carried out the exercise in a playful and boisterous manner, Xiao Yan, the only boy in the class who really has desires to crossdress, remains silent and hides his longing.
From Taiwanese writer, director and producer Angel I-Han Teng, 'Rose Skirt' is a queer coming-of-age short that depicts the ambiguity of growing gender consciousness in teenagers. Yan, the teenage protagonist of the story, faces his desire for feminine expressions while struggling with feelings of guilt and shame. Is it internalized homophobia? Is it homophobia? The truth is that he is afraid to admit his true self to everyone.
Starring Xiang-Dao ChenKey, Yi Rou Kao and Etsen Chen, the film continues the filmography of a filmmaker interested in addressing issues related to identity, gender, feminism and human rights with a subtle sensitivity.
These themes are addressed by the filmmaker since her first work as a screenwriter of 'Bao Bao' (親愛的卵男日記), from 2018, directed by Shie Guang Cheng, or 'The Fragrance of the First Flower', winner of the Gold Award in the GagaOOLala Pitching Sessions, and 'A Balloon's Landing'(我在這裡等你), from 2024, among other film pieces.
The short film addresses a conflict already seen before, but from a different angle. When society downplays the issue and affirms that a man, regardless of his sexuality, can wear women's clothing, they drown out the voices of those who really want to cross-dress.
In a subtle way, the filmmaker uses this conflict to weave a deeper and more delicate narrative. But what is striking is that the short film is set in Taiwan, the only territory in Asia where LGBT+ people have achieved some social and human rights achievements, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage.
The filmmaker's message is that, despite what has been achieved, the members of this human group still suffer from misunderstandings and humiliations, which generate fears and insecurities. The objective of the film is clear and forceful: to point out that Taiwanese LGBT+ people must still continue the fight for full recognition of their human rights.

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Love knows no obstacles

Well, this was a perfect romcom for a Saturday evening!

And it is just a romcom that does not try to be anything more than that: so no dealing with lgbt issues, no history context issues, no family acceptance issues. Just a romcom! Fun, funny, sweet, butterflies inducing chemistry...what more do you need for a relaxing evening?

I have been aware of this drama but since the rating was very low and comments not good, I was never tempted to watch it. Until I discovered today that there was a movie version of it. I was actually looking for a BL to watch tonight and it was a toss up between this and Venus In The Sky. I am so happy that this film won!

The story: a man dresses up as his sister who ran away, and takes her place at her wedding. Afterwards he asks her husband to wait a few days until his sister is found. Since nobleman Ryu's mother is of fragile health, they decide to continue with the charade for a few days. But the forced proximity makes them get to know each other well and feelings start growing between them.

There is a lot of comedy, smart kind involving secondary characters: Mother heating up the room to make them undress, Ryu's friend who falls for his "wife" and sends "her" love letters even the jealous little sister pranking. There is not one single mean character, surprisingly.

The characters live in their own universe apparently: it is a costume drama but we do not know when because that is not important. Nothing exists outside this little world and I was fine with that. I was not expecting it to deal with the lgbt issues in the past: that was not the point of this film.

I have not seen the drama but this film version flows smoothly. The characters are sweet and nice. The main couple have great chemistry. The actor Han Se Jin, playing the brother dressed as a sister, is beautiful. He made me think of the japanese actor Yutaro: same kind of actor! Actually he looked better in a dress than in a hat (but anyway nobody looks well in those hats!).

This is just a regular costume romcom involving a crossdressing main character but it is amusing, well written and acted. Towards the end there is a bit of too many flashbacks, same scenes over and over again. The music is really nice and the final scene gave me butterflies....

This was a nice and light, amusing and warm, a perfect relaxing watch. I want more like this!

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The transformative power of cinema to improve society

Taiwanese screenwriter, director and producer Angel I-Han Teng believes in the transformative power of cinema to improve society. In this way, he writes the script for 'Bao Bao' (親愛的卵男日記), an LGBT+ themed drama co-produced between Taiwan and the United Kingdom, which focuses on the struggles of same-sex couples to form families in that Asian island.
Presented at Outfest, the Asia-Pacific Film Festival, in Los Angeles, United States, in 2018, and released in theaters in Taiwan and Japan that same year, the film, directed by Shie Guang Cheng, revolves around two homosexual couples: Joanne and Cindy, and Charles and Tim. The four young people live in London and plan to have children, but then they have to return to Taiwan, where challenges await them.
'Bao Bao' was written and made while Teng was residing in the United States, but it tells an exclusively Taiwanese story, but universal due to the impossibility of homosexual couples to adopt children and marry in countries where people of the same sex do not have the possibility of getting married.
For the filmmaker, the best result is to be able to make Taiwanese stories with Taiwanese actors and then let an international audience see and appreciate them.
Her training in Psychology allows the writer to develop complex characters in her work faced with complex dilemmas, such as homosexuality and the adoption of newborn children.
In her marriage to Joanne/Xu Jie An (Christine Ke), Cindy/Fang Rong Xin (Ries Emmie), is a young woman who is expecting two babies, but loses one. Having also lost trust in her partner, Cindy doesn't know where to go, who to believe, or whether it's her baby or not. So, he decides to return to Taiwan from London, where he has lived for some time. In her hometown, she will find care in Yang Tai / Ah Tai, (Yankee Yang), her childhood best friend, who promises to raise the baby with her.
Confused about what a family should be like, Cindy finally works up the courage to confront Joanne and the gay couple of Charles Watanabe/Du Bian Zhi Jiu (Yukihiko Kageyama) and Tim/Li Hao Ting (Daniel Tsai). At the time the film was filmed, equal marriage or homosexual marriage was not yet legalized in Taiwan. Even today, after this right has been legal since 2019, the existence of same-sex parents is still not acceptable for that society. And our protagonist trusts that that day will come.
With this, her first narrative feature film as a writer, the also sound specialist and with extensive experience working as a recording engineer and sound mixer, begins a filmography in which she addresses issues related to identity, gender, feminism and rights. humans with a subtle sensitivity, as can be seen in 'Rose Skirt' (玫瑰色的裙), 'The Fragrance of the First Flower', winner of the Gold Award for an investment fund at the GagaOOLala Pitching Sessions, or 'A Balloon's Landing'(我在這裡等你), 2024.
'Bao Bao', a film that allowed Angel I-Han Teng to obtain the Excellent Screenplay Award from the Taiwanese government, is also an example of his interest in the musicality of cinematographic components that go beyond the conventional limits between sound and music in cinema.
Teng's fascination with highlighting gender issues begins in his Family Psychology classes at the University: "Not only was I not familiar with same-sex parent households, but I noticed that all the examples the professor gave were from abroad. Those from Taiwan either didn't stand out or weren't seen. A creative light bulb went off in my head," he says. He adds: "I appreciate the beauty of individual differences although we share many similarities. The complexities of the human mind open my imagination to create works of art. I wrote many scripts and entered competitions, some of which completely changed the course of my career my life…".

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If you are a City Hunter Fan…

City Hunter was a classic J comic, may seem like a simple story but the main character can be complex back story. I am a fan of the comic and anime, so nice to see finally J entertainment made this series into a movie. There has been so many version made previously, the one with good effort and attempt was the French version. However I must say this is movie by far is the best adaptation and maintained the essence of its original comic. And only with a J production, we can see the J humour done so well. The casts done a fantastic job, the fighting and shooting scenes were quite well done. I really enjoyed watching this, if you are a fan of City Hunter, it’s a must watch and you sure will enjoy this a lot.

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Memorable melodramatic love story with great cast and filmmaking

I enjoyed the movie overall and found the story quite gripping. There were some direction in terms of plot that I felt was a bit heavily handed and somewhat predictable but at least the choices made by the characters made sense as the scenario provided sufficient background story to depicts their motivation and inner turmoil.

The cast is overall excellent. I truly love Han Hyo Joo and she tackes brilliantly the role. You cannot help but feel for her character and the tragic elements of her life story. The other main role, played by So Ji Sub delivers a performance matching hers in quality, full of charisma, passion and dramatic moments.

The filmmaking was very good. Even watching it 13 years later, it is still very up to nowadays standard for pictures in that specific genre. There were so many particularly well filmed and beautiful romantic scenes (e.g. the staircase one, the river,...) as well as so many little details in the production allowing the build up of the characterization of the two main protagonists.

I would recommend this to people looking for a good romantic story full of turmoil and emotion as it is centered arount the encounter of two broken-by-life human beings. The story in itself is not without flaws but is quite poetic and the sincere performances of the two main leads brought up to a higher level the scenario.

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