8 minutes short film to bring awareness on discrimination faced by LGBTQIA+ people

This short movie of 8 minutes packs such a punch. It brought to light many issues still faced today by LGBTQIA+ people, especially here through the angle of trans as well as non-binary people. It is pretty impactful and allows to further the reflection on the topic through the lens of the main character as it showcases vignettes / short stories that happened to them.

It is clearly too short to make a lot of sense in terms of scenario / continuity but it is efficiently showcasing the discrimination faced by the main character as well as the internal turmoil they live through despite their family support. The filmmaking was good with some very symbolic and purposeful images all throughout the short movie. I felt that acting could have been better for some of the scenes but not enough to undermine the story.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a short movie with a point of view. It is a project run by the Thai Transgender Human Rights Foundation aiming to foster awareness on various issues still faced today by people belonging to LGBTQIA+ community. I feel they managed to reach their objective in only 8 minutes which is an achievement in itself.

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Artsy and sincere story

I enjoyed that short film intertwined with the song RERUN of PP Krit. It is about the evolution of the relationship between two guys Kit (played by PP Krit) and Chou (played by Nine Naphat). It is very sincere and simple but with an artsy touch that I appreciated. The filmmaking does an excellent job in showcasing how they fell in love as well as the set back they may have faced.

The acting is good overall. PP Krit is once again demonstrating how captivating he is when emoting. Nine Naphat does a good job as his counterpart. He is not too bland and unassming at the side of PP Krit, which is already an achievement as he could have been easily eclipsed by the star power of PP Krit.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a short movie with some artsy and indie vibe. If you are a fan of PP Krit, this is a must watch (coupled as well with the MV of the song itself). The scenario is not revolutionnary in itself and I wish they went deeper on some elements but it is enough in conveying emotions.

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Dark and murky story, wish it would have been more fleshed out

This very short movie is about the encounter of a vampire and a dead drowned girl as she is brought back at the morgue where he lives. I enjoyed their interactions, the way the scenario interlocks their fates. I wish tough the story would have been a bit more fleshed out as we learn enough to understand the main characters but not enough to really be moved by their horrendous destiny as it goes very quick on it. The side characters seems also to be there just for the sake of explaining things.

The acting was good: Ji Sung and Park So Dam exude together sexy (and morbid) chemistry. They carry very well the movie, making this a tragic and wicked tale rather than what could have been otherwise very campy and comedic if not properly acted. The filmmaking was good: the special effect was well done but could have been a bit uglier and dirtier. It seems a bit too clean but I can understand that esthetic choice.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for an horrific short movie. It is in the realm of horrow but not frightening. It provides an interesting point of view on the vampire myth as well.

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Raw, brutal, horrific and proof that beauty can be found in the darkest place

This drama is far from your regular BL and will take you on a brutal journey as the characters are evolving in the darkest side of the night life of Shinjuku. The story is very heavy and gritty in addition to be totally immersive: once you start, it is both very complicated to continue because of the violence but at the same time as difficult to stop watching. There are a lot of exploration in the psyche of the characters and I was deeply invested in the storytelling. It was in overall well paced, I only wish there had been a bit more time to wrap up the ending.

The acting was overall very good: I found it pretty balanced between the two male leads and there were no obvious weak link among the cast. Maybe the way that some of the heavier material was played could have been improved but I found it was mostly a convincing emotional portraying.

There is an inherent indie feeling to the production that I enjoyed a lot. The various locations were very interesting and well-filmed: wether it is the Shinjuku night life as well as the other places the characters are going to. I enjoyed as well the opening song, very fitting for the series.

I would recommend this drama to people that are looking for a dark story. Be mindful of the triggers, there are a lot of abuse, violence. It is a super impactful story, not necessarily that rewatchable to me because of how gut-wrenching it is. You need to be strong to go through the horror but at the same time the moments of beauty and love that can be found are worth the brutal journey.

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Average but entertaining, I was there for the hot moments between the leads but not much else

While entertaining for sure, this drama had also a very nonsensical scenario that made me roll my eyes more than once. The numerous hot moments between the leads were satisfaying but not much else. I wish the world building, magical elements and all the scheming would have made a bit more sense. Here, the writer drop a lot of diseases, poisons, healing sessions a bit like it arranges the plot to foster tension between the characters and to amp the stakes. It is often done without logic and feel very deus ex machina.

Overall, acting was alright. The main villains were too caricatural to my taste (in the writing as well as the acting) but given the lack of nuance of the script, I don't see how it could have been done otherwise. I quite enjoyed the chemistry between the two main leads. Richard Li looks towards the heroine were really hot and He Xuan Lin was very good as his counterpart. Overall, the couple was quite smart in their actions (even if helped a lot by the writing) and it helped rooting for them.

I felt the editing was a bit all over the place, the succession of sequences felt abrupt, not letting a lot of time for characters development and growth. A bit more room to breath bewteen heavy moment would have helped the series to feel less absurd and to be more connected to the fate of the characters. Similarly, ending felt too rushed. The soundtrack was okay: nothing remarkable and quite repetitive, but not bad.

I would not necessarily recommend this to people as I feel there are too many issues to really warrant a watch. There are some exciting and hot moments between the leads but it cannot save the drama from its writing and editing issues. I feel that the format of 20 minutes episodes was not exploited properly, the numerous events faced by the characters in quick succession made it both entertaining but also completly nonsensical. To be noted: a couple of points of some of the storylines can be triggering so be mindful of the tags if you have any triggers.

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Fun and cute travel short show to see again the cast of His Man Season 2

This special show (cut in 6 small episodes of about 12 minutes) features the cast of His Man Season 2 in a format similar(but much simpler and with clearly less budget) to the TV show "1 Night 2 Days" as they all go somewhere for about 2 days and spend the night together.

The production value is quite low but the atmosphere among the cast, the good vibes and honestly the pleasure to find them all back together is really satisfying. My favorite couple from the whole dating show is there and they are for sure as lovable as when we discovered them. The poor guys seems to be destined to freeze when filming as they travel during winter times, but at least the weather and activities provide to the viewer a sweet nostalgia throwback.

I would recommend this to people that enjoyed His Man Season 2. Do not expect anything deep, just fun fluff moments between the cast members with not a lot of production. The friendship between the participants feels real, cute and wholesome.

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Strangely paced "Pirates of the Caribbean meets Robin Hood" story - underwhelming

Unfortunately, I found this movie a bit underwhelming. I'm surprised because what's not to like about a 'Pirates of the Caribbean meets Robin Hood" film? Sadly enough, it takes almost half of the story to really have the pace picking up. The interactions between the two main characters were the best part of the scenario, but it fell too little too late. I truly enjoyed the last part for the action but at the same time, I felt the moral of the story and the resolution were very weak.

The acting was satisfying, with good chemistry and a strong ensemble cast. The action scenes were convincing and pretty varied. The music was not outstanding but suitable for an action movie, hyping the thrilling moments at the proper time.

I would recommend this movie despite its flaws because I think it might be a case of "it's not you; it's me". If you enjoy adventure movie, you might want to give it a shot for yourself. I did not find it that entertaining because of the pacing issue but I'm not regretting watching it. I will also be curious to have a look at the sequel. I was disappointed by the resolution and ending but I truly appreciated the acting as well as the action scenes.

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Too short but still worth it for the interesting context and the cast

Disclaimer, this review only relates to the 29 minutes short film, not to the additional bonus making of / behind-the-scene which lacked subtitles.

In a nutshell, I found the premise very interesting and quite subversive (especially given the fact it was released in 2009) as it features the romantic relationship between two guys separated while one is doing his mandatory military service. In a very short time, I found the movie made some very compelling points, with scenes showcasing how somewhat taboo their relationship is seen by Korean society. Unfortunately, the film is too short to really get to the bottom of the conflict and remain relatively superficial on the turmoil faced by the characters.

The acting was good and it is quite pleasant to watch some familiar actors that I had seen in other works, here at the very beginning of their career, in an indie movie. The production value is quite limited, you feel the budget constraint. Even though it felt very strange because of the shift of tone, I enjoyed the opening and ending generic. It was quite fun to watch with some joyful folk music that I appreciated.

I would recommend this movie to people looking for an indie BL short movie. It approaches love between men within the mandatory military context in Korea, which is not a very common topic. It felt unfortunately a bit short in terms of storyline and what it is trying to say, mainly because of its short length format. Still, given its short duration, it is worth giving it a shot, especially if you want to see performances of Yeon Woo Jin and Lee Je Hoon at the beginning of their career.

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Sometimes entertaining but missed the mark completely in terms of writing

Full transparency here, I had no clue what was "Omegaverse" when I decided to watch this series. And honestly, I'm still not sure after watching the series to fully understand what encompasses this new (to me at least) genre/concept. I thought at first it was wolf related as there is mention of alpha, then they lost me totally at enigma...I think I understood from what was hinted by the show (and also some comments) that men are able to be pregnant as well, but the logistic behind it went completely over my head. All of it was a bit disconcerting but the viewer needs to roll with it without a lot of support from the script.

Therefore, my main complaint for the drama is really the lack of proper explanation regarding the lore of the universe. The power of the alphas are never really addressed in a way that make complete sense...My thought process behind that as a viewer, I should not feel the need to do extensive research on the supernatural elements that the shows try to explain to grasp what's really at stake behind the relationships between the characters. That honestly tempered my enjoyment of the watch.

The plot is totally bonkers and feels for its most part like a fanfic fever dream. There are some griping moments in the story and some hot scenes that are pretty good. But for the majority of the show, I oscillated between being entertained because it was so bad that it was good in a way...And then being totally over-it and frustrated because of the characters (often) stupid choices. None of their "plans" felt very prepared and there were a lot of undeserved / too quick forgiveness for some protagonists.

Casting-wise, the actors did an okay job...There were a lot of weaknesses (especially regarding the villains that felt super caricatural) but as none of the cast was helped by neither the scenario neither the production, I will not fault any of the actors for what was offered here. The best relationship was the secondary one but I still will be willing to watch another show featuring the main pairing Pooh - Pavel as their chemistry was pretty good. A lot of their scenes were super cringy and they went for it...That's an achievement in itself.

Production-wise, I wish the action scenes were better filmed and that the music was less basic. There were mainly one song repeating at nauseum when characters were having sex and I don't know, it set the mood with the jazzy beat but got very repetitive as well. Most of the soundtrack felt generic and not good. Product placement was not well done as well.

I would not recommend this to people unless you already know/like the "Omegaverse" genre/concept. It missed the mark for me because I don't know anything about it and even after watching the series, I'm still totally perplexed. I must admit though that there were some entertaining parts to the overall trainwreck provided by the series and I will probably try to watch season 2 by curiosity...Hoping for the writing, filmmaking, soundtrack and acting to be better now that they have soft-launched the "Omegaverse" in Thai dramas.

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Enjoyed the high school friendship part, not fully convinced by the romance and its evolution

The premise of the story with the misunderstanding and triangular/rectangular relationship is very interesting. It reminded me of some Shojo mangas I read as there are a lot of classical storylines: the class school play, the class building activities...A lot of fun high school moments that I enjoyed to see here. It is not that innovative but it is very fluffy and sweet to follow. Unfortunately, I started to progressively be disinterested after the 1st half of the drama as the story stagnated. I felt there was a bit too much of repetition in the main relationship with not a lot of progress nor evolution in the second part of the series. Comparatively, I felt that the narrative arc of the secondary couple was stronger and had a better flow in terms of development.

Overall the acting was quite good in the more comedic moments, when the story does not take itself too seriously. When the tone was more serious, I had some trouble believing in what was happening on screen. I liked the two main leads but I felt there were better conveying friendship than romantic sparks.

The soundtrack was really nice with some pop songs enjoyable and fitting the high school romance thematic. The production was satisfying, in line with standard from the genre.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a Japanese BL high school series. The scenario is very reminiscent of classical high school Shojo manga storylines, so if you are familiar with and enjoy those, this drama will likely be a comfort and comfy watch for you as it was for me. Even though I have some nitpicking regarding the pace of the romance and its evolution, I still enjoyed the watch.

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Memorable slice-of-life story, beautifully acted and filmed

I really enjoyed the story. It follows the character of Hirayama who finds joy and light in the simple things of everyday life. It addresses strong societal but human issues: loneliness, shadow workers, can you feel surrounded but alone, can you be alone but satisfied...There is very little dialogue in the first half of the film, and it is the part that seduced me the most. The second arc allows more introspection on the character and also calls a lot of things into question. The ending scene shook me and was memorable in its simplicity... It is bittersweet and concludes in a sober but strong way the film which values ​​the concept of Komorebi all throughout.

The acting performance of Yakusho Koji is incredible. His acting is the cornerstone of the film. There are so many moments that are solely relying on the way he looks at the world and the people he meets. As there are not that many dialogs, without an excellent actor, the ideas that the script conveys might have not be transmitted as well as it was. Nakano Arisa (in her first role here) was very good as well and brought a fresh breeze to the story through her part.

Music is an important part of the movie. Our main character listens to a lot of tapes while he rides, and it is so acutely fitting with the vibe of the film. It is a common thread to the story and I really enjoyed being carried on by the music which is part of the life of Hirayama. The piano pieces also contributes to the masterfully crafted cinematographic experience that this movie provide. The filmmaking is beautiful, very atmospheric with some sets I found really interesting.

I would recommend this movie to people that enjoy slice-of-life genre and introspection. It is a very chill film in its pace, very simple in its story and therefore which might not please everyone. That said, the poetry that pores through this slice-of-life story, the fact that I got so attached to the main protagonist as well as the beautiful filmmaking featuring stunning shots of Tokyo (and more precisely Sumida) make it for me an excellent discovery really worth the watch.

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Artsy and unfathomable Chinese thriller - will leave you pondering

This Chinese thriller is centered around Detective Ma Zhe as he investigates a series of murders that happened in a rural area nearby a river in 1995. It is not a typical "Who's done it?" mystery as it focus much more on psychological aspects (with some quite crazy / feverish scenes) and an unreliable narrator... The spectator is left to ponder about the resolution of the mystery. I'm unsure if I enjoyed the film or if I am more perplexed by how to interpret it. I also think pacing could have been better.

Acting was good. Especially the performance of Zhu Yi Long who brought a lot of gravitas to his role. I personally enjoyed as well the actor playing the sidekick of our main detective. His role was a much needed relief to the overall pressure felt by the main character in his resolve to find out the truth.

Filmmaking is properly impressive as it clearly makes the viewer feel that the movie is shoot in the 1990s. The dark colors, the gloomy atmosphere of the story under a lot of rain contribute tremendously to the heaviness and almost thickness of the unfathomable plot. The background music with a lot of classical tunes has a melancholic vibe properly fitting the story.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a thriller supported by good filmmaking and acting. It features rural China in the 1990s and is quite dark with the scenario deeply rooted in exploring the darkest aspects of people in small town. If you enjoyed series like "Mare of Easttown", you will likely enjoy it. However, there is a part of frustration bounded to the resolution of the mystery as it left a lot to the viewer's interpretation.

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Seventeen casted away on an island and goofing around while trying to survive! So fun!

Seventeen's One Fine Day is an amazing reality show that features the boys being cast-away on an island where they need to demonstrate quite a bit of survival skills to feed for themselves. It is a super fun program released beginning 2016 (after their Mansae release and before their Pretty U comeback). They are clearly such a bunch of great kids, goofing around and trying their best together to figure out how to navigate the reality show rules. They are already so skilled at providing various and hilarious content.

I already knew the group, the members, the music and watched quite a bit of some of their other programs but this provide a great throwback and an opportunity to observe their dynamics at the beginning of their career. Hoshi mastering fire and Mingyu aka survival housewife were the highlights of the show...But there are so many great moments featuring all the members that it is difficult to list them...Let's say that I think any producer would be happy to have Seventeen part of their show.

I would recommend this to people that love Seventeen. If you are a fan of the group, I feel this is a must-see as it showcases so well their group dynamics as well as their resilience. I was super impressed by how they manage to make lemonade from quite sour lemons...It is some bright and inspirational content for sure...And it is Seventeen...So it is just super fun and will brighten your mood without a doubt.

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At least watch episode 10! That sole episode is a sweet epilogue to Todome no Kiss <3

This series made of 10 quite short episodes of about 10-15 minutes is a sequel of "Todome no Kiss" which showcases stories happening in parallel universes of the drama. Indeed, when Otaro kisses Saiko, he dies and return 7 days earlier in the past. Actually, it is a time leap as even after his death, time goes on in the universe from which he time leaped.

This short drama allows us to get a glimpse to what's happening in those parallel universes, after the deaths of the characters as time continue moving forward in those alternative realities. I loved how the series was able to explore in such a short time parallel storylines. The overall tone was pretty dark for most of them, with sometimes a bit of overacting but most of them were made sense with what we knew from the characters from the main show. Not all of them were of the same qualities, but some really grabbed my attention and I was sad when some of the episodes ended because I wanted to see more of it rather than just a glimpse of what happened.

I loved the acting in the main series and here it was good with maybe a bit too much of overacting in some of the episodes...But it is more due to a directing and stylistic choices because of the format of the series than really because of the cast. As in the parent series, I kept enjoying the soundtrack...Here it was mostly bits of the opening generic but still super catchy and pleasant to my hears.

I would recommend this to people that have seen and liked "Todome no Kiss". Of course, if you have not seen the parent series, you will not be able to understand a thing (and you will spoil yourself), as the episodes are really focused on parallel stories at several points of the scenario from the main show. If you don't want to spend time watching this, I will still strongly recommend to watch only episode 10 which is an epilogue to the main story and brought me warm feelings as it is a sweet conclusion to the main series. I wish they had included it in the main series for everyone to see it.

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Caricatural action movie very predictable despite intriguing start

I found super interesting at first the premise of the story, with the legend being the starting point of the film . Unfortunately, the scenario quickly lost me because of the uneasy mix of genres, as well as its overall predictability.

I am not sure if it is related to cast or scenario but I had some real trouble getting attached to the characters... Despite solid acting, actually most of the roles were pretty caricatural.

Production and music were ok but nothing memorable. There were some bad visual effects for some of the animals...Those were not the main focus of the film but were distracting enough.

I would not recommend this to people unless you are ready to leave your brain on off for the duration of the film as well as to use of lot of suspension of disbelief, then you might enjoy yourself. However, I feel there are better no brain required action movie out there...Even if the premise of the story was interesting, it missed the mark for me in terms of what it was trying to convey as well as in mixing tones. Indeed, it oscillated between comedy and noir movie, which really did not mash up well together.

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