Beautiful but dark

First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2021 Online Special without whom I would not have seen this film.

I was very wary of watching this especially due to having watched Miyamoto last night & its blunt nature but this is a beautiful film despite dealing with difficult topics. Yes, there is a scene or two that may be triggering but they are shot in a tactful way with quite quick edits & it doesn't last that long unlike in Miyamoto.
The beginning is intriguing & within around half an hour we get into the main body of the film which is about two young people escaping their dismaying lives as well as the police. There is most definitely a Bonnie & Clyde/Thelma & Louise vibe to it but at the same time it is really different. I believe this is about discovering yourself & a pure relationship/love.
The acting was phenomenal and the scenery is breathtaking; it does have a slightly ambiguous ending but there's also a revelation right at the end which is very emotional and makes you think about fate & life coming full circle. Overall, I think this is a beautiful, emotional, touching & thought-provoking story that will stay with me for a while.

Read More

A new take on 'the other woman'

First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2021 Online Special without whom I would not have seen this film.

This is a really interesting film, looking at 'the other woman' in a way few films (which I've seen) have done before, with honesty & humour. The characters all feel very real & their motivations are generally understandable. In the middle of this very grown-up story is a teenage girl trying to figure out her own life whilst the people around her are making decisions she just can't fathom; she makes some brave & mature choices that really show her strength of character & give the film a strong foundation. The other two female leads both give stunning performances but in very different ways; however, Murata Yui as 'the other woman' displayed such an emotional & likeable interpretation, of a role that is normally very unlikeable, stole the show for me.
Technically, there are some brilliant shots, including quite a few close-ups of the actresses staring straight into the camera, which make those moments feel really intimate.
That ending is just screaming for a Thelma & Louise-esque sequel ?

Read More

If you like cooking shows & idols then this is the show for you! The first episode is hilarious, seeing the idols trying to make simple food & failing miserably was so entertaining! VIXX were my personal favourites ????. The second episode is made of two challenges & the competition actually really hots up. Some of these idols are super impressive cooks & the judges were very impressed by them too. I actually can't find anything bad to say about this show, when it started off I thought it would just be fun to watch for a laugh but once it gets into the second episode (whilst still fun) I actually felt like I was watching a proper cooking competition! I really wish they had made more than this one-off special.

Read More

Oh My God! I Loved It!

If you want lovey-dovey romance this is not the series for you (for the most part it deals with unrequited love) but if you want decent characters, a great story & a fantastic cast then definitely watch it! This was quite focused on a big company run by a family & the business aspect does play a large role in the story but it's the relationships between all of the characters that make this drama special. The three leads have very intricate relationships with each other, Hyuk's relationship with his family is so intriguing & the relationships with Jun's original 3 co-workers that develops over the course over the series is so sweet, I loved them all. The fight scenes were surprisingly brutal & shocked me a little but it just made me love certain characters even more. It's a very funny drama - I laughed out loud during every single episode - & it is very difficult to get a big laugh out of me. I liked that Jun has an unconventional life & lives the way she wants to - I really admire that. I enjoyed watching Kang So Ra's performance, Choi Siwon is really great in this (as per usual) & I'll definitely keep an eye out for more of Gong Myung's work.

Read More

This drama is short and sweet... once you get into it. After the first couple of episodes, I still wasn't sold on it but I'm glad I stuck with it because I did end up enjoying the drama. The drama kind of throws you in at the deep end, each episode is only half an hour so there are no proper introductions to the characters in my opinion; I think that is why it takes so long to get into it. The drama starts and you are right in the middle of the story straight away, basically a group of 5 women living their best lives in Hong Kong. They are all late twenties to thirty (I think), they love to party, have to focus on their careers and are trying to find Mr Right but in the end, this drama is about friendship and how important it is to these women.
I am still slightly confused by the end of each episode - the "episode" will end but then there is a minute or so of some women being interviewed (mainly about the party scene in Hong Kong), I have no idea who these women are, are they who the characters in the drama were based on? I have no idea but after a few episodes, I got used to it and actually found some of the insights and stories from "real women" quite interesting.
Finally, I just want to say that I was blown away by Adam Pak's performance in this drama! Why isn't he in more shows/films???

Read More

A fascinating drama based on a true story. Shows what happened during the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923, the Massacre of Koreans and the trial of Park Yeol & Fumiko Kaneko to cover it up. This film is based on a period of history I knew very little about but after watching it I will definitely be doing some research into the history told here. The story is brutal and upsetting but leaves you with a sense that justice will be done in the end. Definitely deserves a watch no matter what but if you enjoy films based on real-life or historical dramas you should like this.

Read More

A girl starts a new year at school but trouble soon finds its way into her teen life, then almost magically an app appears on her phone, 'Revenge Note'. When she enters someone's name on the app misfortune falls on that person. The app is not actually a main part of the story, it's a very exaggerated high school teen life story, which of course includes a bit of romance. This drama seemed very promising to start with, I liked the main protagonists and the story was interesting but I'm afraid to say it went nowhere (hence the lack of stars), which was disappointing as I did really quite like it. The two major plotlines I was interested in was what happened with Cha Eun Woo (member of Astro who plays himself in the show, quite a bit of time was devoted to him at the beginning and then his storyline wasn't even slightly resolved ????) and who is the master of the Revenge Note (you don't find out, even right at the end it teases you about this and it just made me really angry ????). If you are watching because Cha Eun Woo is a main character, he isn't, he is most definitely a part of the supporting cast (he isn't even in all the episodes). It makes me a bit angry (doing that quite a bit today lol) because it seems like they are just trying to get more viewers by advertising this handsome idol is a main star when he's not ????. Anyway, the good news is if you like Eun Woo you may be a fan of Astro and the whole group makes an appearance! That was definitely the highlight of the series for me! Although Eun Woo is not on screen as much I would have liked, when he is, the show seems 10 times better and he is pretty much perfect (yet another reason why his story being cut short is annoying). I'm also doing something I never thought I would, I'm giving a whole star just for Eun Woo ???? cos he deserves it ????. Finally, episode 12 is just a recap of the entire season, which made the teaser for who the master of the Revenge Note was at the end of the previous episode infuriating, I actually thought we would get the answer in the last episode but there was no payoff, it was just a recap! ???? #Anger #Infuriated #Disappointed

Read More

A man who is a master of disguise takes his brother's place after he is murdered to try to find his killer. I agree with a previous reviewer that this film is very confusing, the jumps in time make it quite difficult to follow & you have to be paying attention at all times or you will get lost in the plot. The technique of never seeing our main protagonist's true face was inspired, although it took me a while to get used to it, it's a shame that this was also a part of the film's downfall - it was confusing when you thought you were watching one character and it turned out to be another. This film definitely had an interesting concept but I wasn't sold on the execution. It may have been better if it was longer and the characters were developed more.

Read More

Annara sumanara

So I had seen one trailer for this while looking for something to watch & thought this looks nice & fun but it is so much more than that. There are actually a lot of serious & dark elements to this short series which I wasn't really expecting & is probably the reason I have not rated it higher.
However, I absolutely adored this show - the first episode was just mesmerising - it had me hooked immediately. Ji Chang-wook is utterly perfect as the Magician (I definitely will be watching more of his work, I also think he should play a vampire at some point - he'd be brilliant) & the rest of the ensemble was cast really well too.
The first few episodes feel quite musical theatre but I'm fine with that however things turn darker towards the end of the show. It does feel like more could be done with this, there are certainly a few unanswered questions. Overall, this show puts a spotlight on many pertinent societal issues whilst throwing in some singing & dancing along with a few tear-jerking moments... what more could you want?

Read More

So I thought this was gonna have a bit of drama at the beginning & turn into a kind of rom-com... unfortunately, it was the other way round.
It has quite a generic rom-com style storyline to begin with - woman has accident, gets amnesia, can't remember the last 5 years; she remembers being on her honeymoon but now she is divorced & doesn't know who she really is. So, of course, she goes to her now ex-husband to try to regain her memories... let's all guess what happens next... exactly, their romance is rekindled = total rom-com right?! No, not right. This takes a very dark yet realistic turn & the final act is utterly heartbreaking. I thought the ending was quite beautifully done despite the serious & upsetting subject matter... I just wish it had been a rom-com; it is a good film but the ending is just too depressing for me.

Read More

Amazing, epic, fantasy, love story from China

Chinese dramas tend to be quite long & I haven't found one that has held my interest long enough to complete one... until now. The synopsis appealed to me as I've always had an interest in Gods, Goddesses, fantasy & the like but I was slightly concerned about the love aspect & the length of the series.
The three main characters of Jinmi, Xufeng & Runyu are pretty likeable from the beginning and the settings are out of this world (literally most of the time); the production value for scenery and costumes are immense. Yes, 63 episodes is a bit long and whilst watching I felt the human story arc could have been shorter (or turned into a series of its own) but by the finale, I was wishing it would continue for much longer. The series really lies upon Yang Zi's shoulders, as the main protagonist for such a long series her role is vital for its success. Her portrayal of Jinmi is quite extraordinary in my opinion & whilst I prefer the Jinmi of the beginning more so than the end, the character development is beneficial for the storyline & shows the versatility of this actress. Runyu's character arc is definitely the most interesting & well-rounded but also the saddest. The acting from most of the cast is pretty much perfect & I love some of the support characters very much but I must say that Deng Lun & Luo Yun Xi (especially in the later episodes) display some of the best pure, emotional acting I've seen from actors in a long time!
It is serious with love, life & death being major themes but their are lighter moments & even proper laugh out loud ones, especially in the begininng. The ending didn't feel as 'wow' as I was hoping for; it actually felt a bit anti-climactic to me after the epic battle & heartbreak preceding it. Also, I was disappointed that we didn't get to find out what happened to Mr Puchi and Fox Fairy but hopefully, the sequel can shed some light on that ??

Read More

Sherry Baby!

I have seen one other version of this 'film' before & it was a serious drama... this film is most definitely not a serious drama in any shape, way or form. It is a fairly short, absurdly funny, silly film (it has a dark undertone but I definitely view this as a comedy) & perhaps surprisingly I enjoyed it. I say surprisingly because the setting & genre was so different from the original work. It is very highly stylized which I really like; it put me in mind of some work by Sion Sono. It actually gets a bit slow towards the end but the gag reel alongside the credits makes up for that.

Bonus - Donnie Yen being all Four Seasons singing Sherry was A-MA-ZING - I think I'll watch it again just for that!

Read More

I loved this and hated it at the same time. A young lady has a heart transplant & goes to a beautiful island to recuperate. Whilst there she meets a lovely young man who plays the trumpet to the sea. This is a romantic, soppy, melancholic, tear-jerker of a film, so be warned lol. I actually didn't mind the romantic build-up of this film (for once), I thought it was done beautifully & I enjoyed seeing the relationship between the two leads develop. Unfortunately, right from the beginning of the film, you can work out the "twist" which takes away a lot of the enjoyment (in my opinion) & makes it even sadder than it already is. Overall, the acting is decent, the scenery is beautiful and if you enjoy melancholy films then you will probably like this one. Personally, I think the predictability is what really lets this film down & the ending could have been a lot better.

Read More