An exceptional example of found footage horror done right!

An interesting found footage horror that was peppered with scares. The story behind the asylum was intriguing but took a while to pick up. Great acting by Ji-Hun and Charlotte, who were two of my favourite characters in this movie. So let me share with you why you may or may not wish to watch this film.

Why you should watch Gonjiam?
1. Great set design
2. Creepy effects and audio to support the thrills
3. Wonderful acting of some of the cast
4. Background story of characters with the scripted scares and later the real scares were innovative
5. Fitting ending that leaves us with more questions than answers

Why you shouldn't watch Gojiam?
1. Difficult to comprehend if you cannot understand Korean as I couldn’t figure out where to focus between audio, subtitles, cast & surroundings.
2. Slow first half
3. Mediocre subtitles
4. Not much differentiation between the scripted scares and real scares

Overall:
I found it hard to understand what was happening because there was too much diverting my attention between the subtitles, the cast reactions/gestures and looking for ghosts/background curiosities, and the constant camera switches didn’t help. Not being a fan of found footage I might be overly critical of the movie though as parts of it; mainly second half where the story picks up, were interesting.

So would I recommend this movie for anyone to watch? Only if you understand Korean or are a fan of found footage horror.
A 7.5/10 for me.

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A short worth watching...

I watched this on a whim. Not knowing the subject and diving head first is alas a first for me. Sometimes we encounter breathtaking gems when we least expect to and this short Japanese film is a shining example.

Summary:
A story of a trans woman gently but firmly taking the first step towards her past. The movie is based on a poem from Fujiki Yumi and stars a trans actress in the lead role for the first time. I think it is somewhat of a rarity to have a movie based on this subject matter and having transgender people voice their side in their own stories must surely be a rarity, in not only Japan but throughout Asia.

Story:
I appreciated the paucity of dialogue here. While its a common attribute for most Japanese films, this form of filmmaking really lends to the sensitive subject matter.

Acting:
Identifying with a particular gender, there are so many things that we take for granted and at times I had to pause and think, to realize her pain and discomfort. I can understand her struggle when the client asks ‘are you a man cause your hands are big?’ There's a pause as the camera pans to her and she replies. Good acting!

Overall:
In real life, one doesn’t really stare that hard at people. At the same time, there can be curiosity among a lot of people from the older generations. While some times it’s really just harmless curiosity, specially if it’s not common in your country, the cluelessness of people can be hurtful as well. And I think that is what this short tries to tell us.

Good for watching once but you need to concentrate to appreciate the nuances in the filmmaking. 7.5/10 for me.

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An interesting idea backed by a relatively weak plot

A lot of invisible threads bind this cerebral sci-fi narrative, so many left open that at the end of the movie I was left questioning everything.

Story:
The premise is immediately attention grabbing for a fan of science fiction/thrillers - a spaceship that returns from a mission 150 years later with a sole female survivor. Of course there will be an inquiry panel set up that shall debrief the astronaut and inquire about what happened to the ship for 150 years.

The opening sequence begins with the inquiry already ongoing. While that is fine, as a viewer I felt hurried into the movie and it took me a while to get my bearings and understanding of what was happening.

The entire movie is an interview where the female astronaut speaks about her experience and is broken into chapters. I found the pace was fine after the first chapter and the story too was interesting but not a lot is explained.

It is assumed that the viewer is also living in this advanced world (we are 150 years ahead of time) and is aware of all the technology. We are introduced to an alien species but are never told where they went. We are told they are an intelligent life form but are never told what their purpose is. The robot should be still alive but he isn't. What happens after the inquiry?

And therefore, a lot of incidents from this uni-directional narrative were left unexplained while the astronaut wasn't questioned much at all about them.
I mean, this is an inquiry panel at least make it believable that the sole survivor of a 93 people manned ship is interrogated right. So many minor storylines were introduced but never explored and did not receive closure which left me feeling unsatisfied at the end of the movie.

Acting/Cast:
The robot 7 by virtue of being a robot should have no emotions so his acting was superb! The female astronaut also did fine with her role. Considering this was a thriller, the acting was okay.

Overall:
Overall, this movie veers more towards the philosophical than sci-fi action. This is my first Chinese Sci-fi so I was impressed with parts of the story but parts of it also disappointed me because of a lack of logical explanation. There are some thrills in this movie which make it an easy one-time watch for a lazy day and that's my verdict.
Go watch it on the weekend if you have time! Its a 7/10 for me.

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A fantastic story with a superb cast that fell flat in the end but is kind of watchable

This drama had so much going for it:
a. A great cast that really fit the roles they were given
b. A fantastic story with a potential to be great
c. Healthy budget for effects and costume

BUT

Story:
I loved the initial episodes where Dam meets Mr. Gumiho and they start living together. Their interactions were full of humor. You could clearly see that Mr. Gumiho was supremely fascinated with Dam. Their love story was a mere progression of time.

Everything was going hunky-dory and I don't know when but I got second lead syndrome and slowly started shipping Gye Sun‑woo with Dam. I am not sure why but I think it has to do with the growth in the second lead's story/character as opposed to our lead couple.

And that's just it! While Sun Woo grew as a character with each episode I felt like Dam and Mr. Gumiho became stagnant as a couple. Yes, the story progresses and transitions into a mystery then a obstacle is placed in our couple's way which they have to overcome and so on and so forth. But while the story progresses, I see no progress between our lead couple and I think this is entirely the fault of the writers. I lost interest after episode 10-12 and the story just fell flat after it.

When you convert a webtoon into a Drama there are somethings you need to edit and I don't feel the script writers did enough of it.

Acting:
The acting was splendid! Hyeri is amazing with humour and I am ecstatic to see Jang Ki Yong in a romantic drama where he isn't the evil character. ?

Bae In-Hyuk was just superb and Kang Ha-Na also did an equally superb job as a Gumiho turned human.

The naivety that is Do Wan-Kim was great to watch. I am sure all of us have that friend who succumbs to stupidity in every relationship that he undertakes!

Music:
I don't remember the music at all. So I'm sure it wasn't anything like DAYS.

Overall:
If you are into a light fluffy romance with an element of fantasy this drama is right up your alley. There is no deep story or insight that you will get from watching it. It's okay for one time watch as a break between intense dramas that you just can't get over and have a weekend to spare.

Pet Peeve:
I know its in the webtoon but the honorifics used by the lead couple to address each other annoyed the hell out of me!!?

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A light & entertaining short film that is a visual feast

Interspersed with traditional Korean theatrics (Madanggeuk) and a musical narrative (Pansori) this 20 minute vibrant visual buffet is an entertaining short watch. It's also an advertisement for Apple's I-phone 13 Pro.

I remember American director Steven Soderbergh making 'Unsane' using I-phone in 2017 and was applauded for breaking down the perceived costs associated with producing a feature film so I am not really going to cry about Apple's marketing here. I think this is a great initiative which allows for some innovative plots and experimentation that traditional cinema might not provide to individuals just starting out in the entertainment industry due to the costs and other issues that come hand in hand with experimental cinema.

The movie is enjoyable to watch with great visuals, colourful costumes, harmless comedy and some martial arts moves thrown in. The supernatural element was just right and the amazing music took this to a whole another level.

I don't know whether life is but a dream but this short would definitely have us believe that life is one big party.
What's not to like?

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What shall I takeaway from my journey today? ----> Local food!!!

Izakaya Shinkansen felt more like a reality show than a drama to me.

I found the the way the protagonist gained joy in searching for & eating local specialties within the short time frame of his everyday train journey very relatable. All of us working individuals are generally short of time. This show is all about finding joy in those small things and how slight changes to your daily grind can make it less grinding and more fulfilling. I liked this takeaway from the drama besides the introduction to all the possible local delicacies and food ‘takeaways’!

There isn't much to the story besides moments where we are exposed to the main lead's professional experiences but this happens rarely. The major part of this show is about food and his journey towards appreciating each morsel. I guess that was the only slice of his (ML's) life that the director wanted to show us. One differentiator between this drama and other food shows is the introduction of alcoholic accompaniments with every meal.

As this show is episodic, you can watch one episode whenever you feel like it. I’d recommend watching it while eating as it makes your average food more palatable. Also, food shows tend to make me feel hungry. A 7.5/10 for me.

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A great Korean film and a must watch if you haven't seen 12 Angry Men

I had this in my PTW because it reminded me of 12 Angry Men so obviously Juror 8 came up short but otherwise it's a great Korean film.

Dislikes:

Case - To me the story wasn't well executed. As a juror I would assume that everyone would want to read through the evidence of a case before deciding on a verdict. The fact that only one juror was interested in the case and the Judge as well as her colleagues considered this a waste of time from the get go was quite disappointing and baffling.

Resolution - There was almost no explanation on what basis and why many jurors changed their mind. There was very little debate or discussion between the jurors wrt the verdict. I would have also loved to see how each juror changed his/her opinion and how each of them justified the verdict that they decided on.

Scenes - I found some scenes fantastic and the way they were handled diluted the seriousness of the situation for me. As I am not Korean, the ending felt like a plot twist to me and I felt rushed.

Likes:

There were a lot of good actors in the movie and I almost hoped some of them had gotten more screen time/backstory. Moon So-ri as the judge was splendid, the way she has to suffer male colleagues in her profession felt extremely realistic to me.

Park Hyung Sik as Kwon Nam-woo was brilliant. He conveyed the hesitancy of a compassionate young man very well. I liked how he refused to give up until he was sure.

Kim Mi Kyung as Juror 2 was good with her questioning mentality and some of her lines were really good.

Overall:
Interesting plot. Good Korean Movie. Great for one time watch. Since PHS is brilliant it gets an 8 but if you aren't a PHS fan I'd give it a 7.

PS: My rating scale for movies is very strict. And 12 Angry Men made it very difficult to give this anything higher than 7.5.

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Meh!

I was pretty hyped up about this show before it started but the trailers made me wary and rightly so. I have read the webtoon on which this is based and it's pretty disjointed so I wasn't sure how the drama would go.

Story:
It's okay. The narration is quite tight and there is much anticipation built among the viewers as Yumi's relationship progresses. But somehow I just couldn't find myself invested in her character or that of the male lead and that's why this drama fell flat for me.

Acting:
I don't know whether it's the character set-up or the lack of curiosity (cause I've read the webtoon) but I didn't like the main characters at all. I do like ABH's acting in Her Private Life & My Name and he's doing a great job here as well.
KGE is cute as Yumi (I get Goblin vibes whenever I see her ) but yeah, I just couldn't connect.

Overall:
I struggled to watch the first two episodes as they aired as I felt the plot moved slower than molasses and found some scenes pretty cringy. I have very low expectations for my rating to go any higher and I think it's probably because of the story line.

Finally after much contemplation (not really), I have decided to drop this. It's just not my cup of tea and frankly I have better things to waste my time on watching.

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Taken in small doses as you savour your weekend mornings with tea and some philosophy

14 minutes in you hear one of the titular characters say ‘Life is mostly a matter of chance’ and I think that’s also the principle behind this drama. The drama brings up the nostalgia of camping in the woods and living a simple life. And though the characters are poor and homeless, they are ‘self-sufficient homeless people' which is what the characters themselves say in episode 1.

Based on a play, 'Three Sages by the Banks of the River' by Ayata and Bengal of Tokyo Kandenchi this is a short comedy about homeless people peppered with many philosophical dialogues and interesting instances that make you contemplate about life and happiness. There are no grand revelations or dramatic instances in this slice-of-life drama and the show would come across as boring or slow to first time viewers of this genre. Being contemplative in nature, it's a comedy that goes no where which is symptomatic of the episodic format. To me, this drama is like a relaxing hug after work and I appreciated it's ghetto aesthetic.

The scenic backdrop of the Tama river also lent beauty to the scrap sheds which these characters call home despite them showing little in the way of growth. But still, I am glad to have stumbled upon this gem since it's mediocre reliability and lack of overdramatic elements is what pulled me in to watch this show in the first place.

A 7.5/10 from me. Perfect for those days when you want to watch something calm and scenic...

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Ho Hum but could have been exceptional...

Littered with too many plot holes as is expected from a mediocre script and small budget this drama still managed to keep me somewhat vested in the the leads' story arc. Unlike most action/thriller stories based on the police, this drama's lead is a female officer who goes undercover to bust a drug trafficking ring.

While the female lead's acting was quite wooden when it came to the romantic side of things, her poker face helped where it called for thrill/action. Her character was totally badass and I liked how her single goal in life was to bring down the drug organisation that killed her adopted father. She did not let romantic entanglements get in her way of achieving justice which was true to her character build-up.

Where I have a problem is her lack of emoting anything other than angst throughout the series. I didn't see any chemistry between her and her supposed romantic interest. The actor who played the romantic interest on the other hand did bang-up job of portraying all the emotions and stole the scenes whenever he was on screen. His daughter was also very cute and helped limp along the scenes where the couple shared screen with her.

The supporting cast felt mostly one dimensional with the exception of a few memorable characters such as Cao Yong Ming, the Vice-Captain of narcotics control who is assigned to lead this case. His resistance to the female lead in the initial episodes and later acceptance made complete sense however the way his character was made to handle the case was mind-boggling to me. Another character I found likeable was Chu Jiao Jiao, the woman kept by one of the bosses. Her character growth through the drama was interesting and portrayed really well by the actor.

The drama requires a complete suspension of disbelief and is held up only by an intriguing overarching story, the details as to how to get there are completely overlooked. The initial episodes were totally illogical but the feeling of disbelief reduced during the middle and came back full force in the last few episodes. The pace was gripping and helped overlook a lot of the flaws. The ending was justifiable and satisfactory with most lose ends getting resolved.

Overall this feels like a one time watch if you are into police/thrillers sporting an actually strong but somewhat hot tempered female lead who doesn't need a man to save her from every little encounter. Kudos to the writer for that!

A 6.5/10 only because of what I said about the FL. If this drama was a typical male dominated story it would be around 5/10 so you can understand how great the plot is...

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Goes well with a cup of tea on those lazy afternoons...

The charm of Kamogawa Shokudo lies in its premise and nostalgia brought on by that one dish the diner cannot forget. A dish infused with memories and that’s how we get the name ‘memento food’ which the restaurant promises to deliver to the diner and the viewers are presented with picturesque scenery as the investigation of the lost recipe goes on.

Story:
Each episode is like a short story and takes us on the journey that the diner has gone through. The hook for this drama would be how engaged the viewer gets to each story. There are some hits and a few misses but the drama retains it’s silent charm in its scenic storytelling and the secretive location of its restaurant.

Acting:
Considering the subject matter is not a serious drama but more of relaxed storytelling, the acting is all right. The proprietor of the restaurant and his daughter (the detective) did a good job of infusing life into otherwise one dimensional characters.

Overall:
A nice addition to the slice of life genre and the beautiful shots of homely food are a great takeaway from this 8-episode drama. I would have loved to see more connected backstories wrt all the regular patrons of the restaurant as well as a more cohesive storyline. Because of the episodic format, I found this drama is not binge-able but goes well with a cup of tea on lazy afternoons.
A 7.5/10 for me!

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For all food lovers out there, watch while eating or beware!

I love love this series. This has been my dinner mate for years now and it never gets old!

Story:
This is based on a popular food manga and season 9 continues with the amazing plethora of dishes that Japan has to offer. There is no need to watch previous seasons but if you like food then you should.
The story follows our ML as he decides on which restaurant to grace with his presence and what dish to order, and then continues with the stunning visuals of food being eaten. What is there to not like?!

Acting:
Matsushige Yutaka is such a great Goro! He encapsulates the impatience of Inogashira-san - when he is hungry but stuck with work - so well! And he eats a lot of food. This was the first time that I actually started noticing the number of bites he has been taking at each restaurant and I wonder if he spits it out when the Director calls cut! 0_O
I hope not cause the food looks really appetising. I love the segment where we get to see the actual restaurant and its chef. I wish I lived in Japan and could visit all the restaurants that the author takes us to.

Music:
Every episode I wait for that musical cue and the camera to pan further and further away from him as he embarks on his main purpose of the day - eating!! :)
I think there is just one song that plays throughout the show but I am so busy with the visuals everything else kind of takes a back seat!!

Overall:
If you like the food genre, this is an amazing show and up there with the likes of Shinya Shokudo and Wakako-zake. A 10/10 for me. :)
Similar shows include Samurai Gourmet and Ramen daisuki Koizumi-san. There's also Kentaro - the sweet tooth salaryman but I find it a bit cringy.

Warning:
Do not watch on an empty stomach cause you will feel hungry. Do not watch with a full stomach cause you will feel hungry. Basically the only time you can watch this is while you are eating. Else you are screwed! :)

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A mediocre introduction to computer shogi

To be honest, I don't know how to review this movie. Unlike karuta, go or chess, I know nothing about shogi and so I am sure to have missed a lot of the meaning/depth behind few scenes.

Take my review with a pinch of salt as it would be based completely on entertainment value and comparative rating with movies/shows/documentaries on chess variants.

Story:
The inspiration for the movie comes from the Denou-sen, a human versus machine battle where an ai-based computer shogi program played against a professional player, and is set in the early 2010's where computer programs were just getting developed.

Awake starts of slow, picks up in the middle but comes to a quick end. The pacing of the movie felt weird to me and I found the story quite disjointed up till the last 40 mins. After which it ended without much fanfare, leaving the feeling of an incomplete story. To me, this movie fell more under the 'slice of life' genre than anything else.

Acting:
The characters felt very one dimensional to me and I couldn't really connect with any single one.

There were some exaggerated scenes where I couldn’t understand why Eichi got so hyper but otherwise the social awkwardness and introverted nature of the main character was displayed wonderfully by Yoshizawa Ryo.

There were some beautiful instances in the movie where we were shown the dedication the secondary lead had to shogi (particularly when he is playing practice matches with the AI) but these moments were far and between.

Music:
There is very little dialogue in this movie. Music plays a huge part during the silent intervals and many times I felt I would prefer someone said something rather than hearing a tune playing in the background. Though, the melody during the game moves is good.

Overall:
I am pretty much on the fence about this movie. It lies somewhere between meh and okay. Overall, I had more fun watching the movie on AlphaGo. I knew what I was getting into with that one and it kept my interest till end unlike this movie, where I couldn't care less what happened to the characters after the match.

So in conclusion, if you aren’t aware of AI programming this isn’t a bad movie to start your journey but don't expect to be wowed. Its just about okay for a one time watch and that's pushing it.

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Not as bad as some but definitely not as good as some...

So I am pretty much on the fence with this drama and wasn't planning on writing a review but noticing the polarising ratings here on MDL I decided to give my two cents.

For those wondering whether to watch this drama, go ahead. It isn't that bad but do keep in my mind its very cliche and full of tropes that prevail in C-Dramaland.

Story:
Cliche beginning and middle. Meandered quite a bit towards the end and I pretty much fast forwarded the last few episodes but it's palatable.

Acting:
Considering the average storyline one cannot really expect oscar-worthy performances so I shall rate their acting as passable.

The male lead in typical C-Drama fashion is a stoic and genius fellow who turns overbearing (almost stalker-ish) when he falls in love with our FL who in turn is foolish, not so serious about her studies and some might also call her unprofessional.
I found the ML to be cute in the beginning as he falls for our ML (JL is really cute) but his character takes a nose dive into being overbearing. ---- Considering I have watched 'Hello Mr.Gu', our ML comes across as a saint here compared to Mr.Gu (but that's like comparing bad to worse and saying bad is good).

I like ZYT, she is beautiful and she is beautiful in this drama as well. Her acting is mediocre but her character is mediocre so I am not sure what I am rating here. ;)

Side characters did not get on my nerves so overall I am am happy with the acting.

Overall:
Having read my review till here you can probably get the picture.

I watched this show with my eyes open, expecting very less and assuming I'm going to be mildly annoyed with the tropes that would be present in this drama. A typical average Chinese rom-com. And it delivered exactly what I was expecting. So I am satisfied with my choice.

As long as you don't expect too much I think this is okay for a one time watch & some fast forwards. (which anyway is my normal speed for watching C-drama these days! )

p.s: Watch eps 1-20 FFW and skipped rest till 24.

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A cute and lighthearted middle school web drama!

This was a super light romance about a middle school girl looking for the guy who confessed to her.

I liked that the episodes were short as this is a web drama and got over in 10 episodes without diluting the spirit of the story.
Lets be clear - the story is nothing new but the acting by the idols and actors was good. All the incidences that cropped up were resolved satisfactorily and we got a happy ending. I liked the second ML better but hey I wasn't the girl so its okay. I will live.

I was looking for a short and sweet romcom as a break from "Joy of Life" and this drama delivers that. Totally recommend this as a filler between long serious dramas! :)

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