AigooMyLengthyParagraphs

GOOD CRIME THRILLER, Lovely Duo!

Good Crime Thriller dealing old unsolved / Cold cases.
Around One CASE per EPISODE and each case is interesting.

INITIALLY a bit ODD and WEIRD, whether it be the Plot or the Acting, odd to the extent that some may find it DIFFICULT to CONTINUE WATCHING.

But DON'T DROP IT (can watch it once)

Believe me, as the episodes progress, it gets very INTERESTING, clarifying all the weirdness n suspense created in initial episodes.

The Story of Main "Okura" department along with the stories of the cold cases, is slowly built.

I LOVED the DUO, Senju n Toshiki as partners in investigation :)
Both the actors are handsome, haha.
Their Bromance is cool.
I want more of them :)
Finally in the end, Our Cold lil Prince, Toshiki learnt EMPATHY bcz of our Crazy Cool Kind Knight, Senju san! :)

Initially Senju looks silly but in later eps, u can see the variation in him, who is actually after something big but just acts goofy initially. That suspense is WELL WRITTEN.

The complicated intertwining of all the cases that they solve with a lot of TWISTS where the most unexpected people turn out to be something else, everything is WELL WRITTEN.

But there should be SOME MORE EXPLANATIONS to all the crimes happening, about the organisation, about the actual "OKURA" from a bigger picture.

And so in the end, there's potential for a SEQUEL.
There should be ONE to explain a lot of things that are left out.

*****
In Short:
This Crime Drama deals Cold Cases or Unsolved Murders From The Past.

Two Male Main Leads are Police Officers - Older and Younger partners with light Bromance.

Older is Cool n Social, while younger is Cold n Not Social.

One uses intelligence n the other uses physical strength.
One is serious n the other is silly, haha.

One of the Main Leads is suspected at some point, can't really tell whether he is good or evil in some episodes. And so as the story progresses, impressions on that character, keep changing.

In the end, younger one learns empathy in the company of older.

Older one is suspected to be a murderer of his ex partner in investigation.

There's a Surprise Twist in the end - an unexpected character turns bad.

My RATING is 8.5 / 10.
One Time Watch!

Hope there is a S2 soon, to give a proper closure to this story.

Read More

WONDERFUL! Just SUPERB!! Everyone is a Hero here.

In One Word, WONDERFUL !👌🏻
In Two Words, JUST SUPER !!✨
In Numerals, 9 / 10 (My RATING )

This is One of the few Disaster/Hijacking thrillers that I rated 9/10.

***
Disaster/ Survival/ Hijacking thrillers are always a Mix of Intense Nail-biting Suspense, Edge of the Seat Action, Adrenaline Rush Vibe, Racing against Time, Emotional n thoroughly keeps U Engaged!!

***
Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography, Production, Acting, Locations (the scenic beauty of the country in aerial shots is amazing), CGI / Visuals, Everything about this movie is SUPERB.

Aerial shots of the high speed train dashing on the rails are MESMERIZING!

Though the Plot is the usual Bomb threat n ransom demanding /routine Hijacking in moving Train setting, it's VERY GRIPPING to watch.

Pacing, story telling n story progression are GOOD.
No Moment of boredom throughout the movie.

All the Rescue Plans n the Risks that come with them, the Chaos of the Passengers, the Stress of the Officials (including the Train Conductor n Train Pilot), Political Pressures, the Train working systems n issues especially for those of high speeds, EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFULLY CAPTURED.

Even the Story of the bomber(s) is right to the plot (one is in an unfortunate situation n the other is revenge seeking)
The Twist related to the bomber is Good (the most unexpected one but I guessed it🤭, maybe I watched too many thrillers)

The power of the Internet in modern age, to spread the news in social networks or the fund raising is also captured here.
In the end, the public donating the huge impossible ransom amount is heartwarming.

***
Finally, Everyone who worked hard to Save the Day, is a Hero here !!

LOVED CHARACTERS of
ML (Train Conductor)
He himself remained composed, helped to maintain peace in this stressful high-stakes situation n calmed down not only the chaotic passengers but also his colleagues.
Truly dedicated to save everyone under his care.
Actor Kusanagi Tsuyoshi is handsome n looks like an older version of handsome Keita Machida 💕

Railway Commander (or whatever the designation is)
His Rescue plans are risky but he did everything possible, taking every bold step, running against time.
BTW this actor Saitoh Takumi is handsome

Ono Machiko's politician character.
She is so cool n funny here.
That contrast of her role from that of JDrama "Light of My Lion" is good.

Lady Train Pilot (her dedication is good)

***
Special Mentions:
That YouTuber guy is selfish, using every situation in his favour but funny, he got stuck with the other 8 members

Young actress Hana from JDrama "Minato's laundromat", liked her alot there, here hmm it's sad. She acted well.

***
As mentioned, it's a remake/sequel of the 1975's movie.
Even if U didn't watch the original movie (like me), U'll not miss out anything important.
All the references n visuals of the original, whatever required to this story, are shown here.

***
In the end, after the success of the rescue operation, when ML is looking at everyone, standing all alone, I just wanted to hug him n appreciate him😂
Another hyper excited reaction of mine🤦🏻‍♀️

BTW, my comments n review here in this page are lil hyper as though am promoting this show, so U can understand the excitement created in 2 hours 15 mins (movie run time)

***
NOW, FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS n ENJOY THIS THRILLING TRAIN RIDE! 😏

Read More

BLAST FROM THE PAST! BURN EVERYTHING! haha. The BEST in its Genre!

Initially skeptical to watch this but gave a try for our lovely smiling Namkoong and the summary looked interesting too.

A Good Mix of fantasy + Mystery + Thriller + Crime genres.

One of the BEST in its Genre!
9.5 / 10 for me.

At the beginning, it's a bit SLOW PACED.
First 5 eps are boring, felt like they are just being prolonged (content fillers?) too much to set the background and suspense to the story.

But later on, the episodes, EVERYTHING is ON FIRE ! :)
The PACING later, really got BETTER and RIGHT!

(If the pacing is Right from the beginning, my rating could be 10)

A WONDERFUL crime thriller with a VERY INTERESTING n GRIPPING STORYLINE with connected crimes or multiple murders linked n pointed to the past n present together.

The intertwining of all the Characters from the past and present in the story, is very well Written.
The writing is so creative that made to SUSPECT EVERY CHARACTER in the story :)
(I even suspected the Main Lead at times, can't really guess whether he is good or bad INITIALLY, haha )

It's like a BLAST FROM THE PAST, Haunting Trauma from the Past for the Main lead n that emotion, that vengeance seeking for the sake of all the kids in the past, is well written.
Sometimes, the BEST WAY TO SAVE ANYONE OR EVERYONE and also the BEST REVENGE PLAN, IS TO BURN EVERYTHING !! haha

Namkoong's character is VERY COOL.
Initially looked unruly, suspicious at every moment but by the end of the drama, a Lovable Character! :)
Felt a HUGE RELIEF, whenever I see him on the screen, in every scene of suspense.
(Don't forget, seeing him Eating a lollipop cools u down too in those tensed situations 🤭)

Suspense is well maintained throughout the drama till the last moment, well Directed n well Acted by everyone.
Production, Cinematography, BGM n Visual Effects are cool.

The fantasy element ( their powers ) is interesting.

So Bear the first 5 eps, by the end of the drama, U won't regret watching it!

Just A Fun Thought -
HOW MANY CANDIES / LOLLIPOPS DID NAMKOONG EAT, BY THE END OF THE DRAMA !? 🤭

Read More

Aigoo, Who is the True Victim & Who is the Actual Villain here, hehe :)

Trust No One!
Suspect Everyone!!

Do not miss to watch this interesting Crime Revenge Drama.

***
First of all,
The Title misled me little -- I expected Supernatural theme more but in entire drama, there are only three such scenes.

This is exclusively, a Crime Revenge family drama n not Supernatural.

So Supernatural genre lovers, be aware of it -- Watch, without expectations!

Even though, it's just minor content (3 scenes -- Opening scene of the drama, Resurrecting the criminal & One scene in Finale), I LOVED THIS IDEA of including Witchcraft / Resurrection/ Supernatural element in a Crime Revenge Drama 👍🏻
It's NEW and DIFFERENT!!

***
Opening scenes of the drama -- introduction to Resurrection by tribals (or whoever is practising that witchcraft) -- all those scenes are well directed, Cinematography there, is cool n Visuals are Wow.
As a Supernatural genre lover, those are mesmerizing!✨

***
Story, Direction, Cinematography are Good.

Pacing is Slow for most of the episodes.

OST -- Opening theme music n Closing credits song are Very Good

The idea of using three languages -- Taiwanese, Thai n English, as per the story demands, is Good.


*** STORY:
Set in a fictional city, Two mothers desperately fighting to seek justice for their kidnapped daughters, go to any extent to avenge for their daughters like using witchcraft, kidnap the culprit etc.

In their journey, we get to see Different Characters, many Secrets, many Selfish acts n Manipulations by everyone, Threats, Blackmails etc.

It's sad to see the Moms who teamed up for their daughters, turn as rivals, because of bad guy's manipulation.

The Story progresses with a lot of Twists n Turns, making the viewer to suspect every character.
(At one point in the drama, I lost trust on every character n suspected everyone, including the two moms, haha)

Also, in some situations, U will definitely feel bad for every character including the bad guy.
Watch it, to find out Who the True Victim is & Who the Actual Villain is!
Those twists are Good.

The Story took a turn from
Supernatural
To 3 girls being kidnapped
To Their moms trying to take revenge on the culprit
To A big spam call fraud involving teen gals
To illegal money laundering case involving an organization.


*** WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
I need to rant about STORY NARRATION.
It is confusing at times.

For eg, the Timeline and the Location of the crimes are very confusing.
Initially, it is said that moms are fighting from an year but there's a lil baby gal, related to the crime, who is around 5 years -- This is made clear only in the finale.

Also, whatever crime that happened with the 3 gals and the money laundering organization are based in the fictional city, where they speak different language (mostly Thai), not Taiwanese and only few people speak Taiwanese.

So, it means the entire drama is set in that city only n moms stayed there for whole five years (without knowing the language), huh?
But then, there is a time limit of seven days for the resurrected perpetrator.
So the entire story / drama has happened within seven days in that fictional city, huh?

Or moms are fighting for justice from 5 years and came to the fictional city, resurrected him n entire drama has happened in those 7 days.
If so, jin jin (coma patient) should already be in Taiwan, not in that city and they shouldn't be speaking about an air ambulance for her.

Some points in the writing of the plot do not add up clearly.
Location of the story is ok but I'm not at all clear with the Timeline of the story.

I'm not sure whether this confusion is caused by the Editing of drama or lost in translation of the dialogues.

Whatever, these confusions made me to lose interest to watch n I couldn't connect with the flow of the story, though the overall story is easy to understand.


*** EPISODES:
First three n last three eps are Very Interesting n Captivating.

Remaining three eps in the middle are Good but Execution is lil bad. The story progress is very less here.

The Mystery and Suspense of
What exactly had happened with the three girls in that city in the past,
Who the actual culprit is and
Who, among all the characters are bad -- Everything is Well Maintained till the end of the drama.

Finale is lil rushed.
The Final Twist in the climax is Very Good.

*** RATING:
My Rating is 8/10.
(Though some eps are 8.5 or 9, Slow Pacing, Rushed Climax n Confusing Narration made me give, just 8 )

Definitely, a Good n Interesting Drama but One Time Watch!

***

Read More

GOOD NEWS is surprisingly Good! IT'S HILARIOUS, indeed!! :)

DON'T MISS THIS!
Black comedy, done all Right n Very Well.

**
I'm unaware of the Original Real life Japanese Plane Hijack Incident and the events, from which this movie is inspired.
(But not necessary to know that, to understand this story).

We cannot call a Hijack / Crime movie as "Fun to watch" but I can say that about this movie -- This is FUN TO WATCH!! :)

Usually, Hijack themes are full of Nail-Biting Suspense about hostages etc but this is the funniest light-hearted hijack movie that I came across in recent times.
I have seen few such before but they are a mix of comedy and suspense
but this is full length comedy, to be precise, Black comedy which is written n executed so well that I couldn't stop laughing even in a serious scene, haha.

The sarcasm or the black comedy is no where, derogatory or offensive, even though in a serious situation.

**
Story Narration n Execution, done Right n Well.

Direction is Superb -- Creative n Impressive!
Many scenes are shot in a funny n creative way, especially few characters' imagination sequences -- haha, funny n silly :)

Cinematography is Cool.
Pacing is Good.

Sarcastic tone of the dialogues, is funny.
(Probably, All dialogues, characters and events, except the main hijacking theme, are fictional)

**
Every Actor acted Very Well.
Every Character is written Well n is Very Funny.
Every Character and Actor, either Cameo or Main Cast -- Everyone is Very Funny.

Aigoo, the hijackers are such babies!!
They hijacked a plane without any research, any knowledge and any preparation at all, haha.

**
Overall, No moment of boredom. There's nothing I can point out in this movie, as bad 👍🏻
(Except that, there's is a mild confusion at times -- In few scenes, I'm not able to understand whether they are speaking about Japanese officials or South Korean or North Korean.
Anyways, This confusion can be overlooked n one can enjoy the movie :) )

**
Some Sarcastic quotes / Funny dialogues from the movie:

1) Moon is a moon, afterall!
(Actually, this is sad n sarcastic in the scene).

2) Good News, Bad news, what do u want first?.. Is the Good news, really a good news?!
(Funny scene)

3) Is this Pyongyang - Yes or No?
(Hilarious scene)

**
My Rating is 9/10.
(Could be more, if not for the mild confusion at times).

I'm going to REWATCH this :)
**

Read More

I'M DECEIVED! Haha, Is this a Thriller or a Social Drama? But sure, It's a Test to our Patience ! :(

Oops, The Title, the Cover Photo and the Thriller Tag misled me :|
The Cover photo really has a Spooky Horror or Dark Crime Thriller Vibe and Words like REMOTE, VILLAGE etc in the title & summary made me to EXPECT AN INTERESTING THRILLER n curious to know what happened in the village, haha

God! I'm deceived n disappointed !! :)
IT'S MORE OF A DRAMA THAN A THRILLER.
It's more about what happened in a guy's life than what happened in the village.

***** SOME MORE RANTING:
Dropped it twice n finally completed this in my 3rd try-out, it is that SLOTH PACED! It's really a test to my patience!

(Couldn't drop bcz of my "Watching Tradition" of not to drop any drama /movie, once I start watching, Silly Me! ;)
n for Ryusei, pushed myself to give another try :)

BTW, KDrama Crime Thriller "Doubt" made me to sign up for MDL to rant about its slow pacing.
Now I find it better than this (in terms of pacing, not a comparison of genre or plot), atleast it has interesting thriller elements but here it's just social drama + sloth paced.
God, this would be the end of me by the time, I finish watching this movie🫣)

***** STORY:
Enough of my ranting about pacing :) , Now, about the other elements in the movie:

The storyline is OK.
It's a story of a depressed guy stuck in a village with a stagnant life n how his routine job in a waste dumping facility and his respect in the society bcz of a criminal in the family, affect him and how he tries to change himself with the help of his childhood sweetheart.

The Run Time is too lengthy for this plot & for this slow story progression.

The thriller part is only for few minutes towards the end of the movie, which U can predict very easily, it's obvious whose body is that n who would have murdered.
So, it's just Drama with almost zero thriller elements.

***** POSITIVES:
Ryusei's Character n his STELLAR Performance is the ONLY ONE INTERESTING point that kept me watching this boring tale.

His PERFORMANCE is VERY IMPRESSIVE,
initially as an extremely frustrated with life, helpless n depressed soul and
Later, as a lively, happy & confident person, knowing that there is one person (FL) who loves n supports him and all such changes, Love & Hope have brought in him.
He acted these variations of the emotions in his expressions, VERY WELL.

Special Mention ;) :
Ryusei with facial hair and that messy hairstyle, looks totally like a different person.
I didn't recognise him in the Cover Photo, until I saw the cast list :)
And with clean shave n combed hair, looks like a young handsome hunk :)
When he smiled, he reminded me of
actor Tatsunari Kimura :)

***** SPOILER *****
1)
Throughout the movie, there is just a GLOOMY Vibe but Not any Suspense or anything Mysterious, as expected from a Thriller.

Even about the waste dumping facility, I don't find any Mystery around it.
U can guess that there is some ILLEGAL dumping happening at night that affects the environment n resources of the village, when U see a group of persons working in the night secretly, out of working hours.
(If there are murders n bodies dumped there, it would have been done by 1-2 persons, not a big team, right? )

And so, murder mystery by gangsters is ruled out n there is no suspense & mystery Expected from illegal dumping :|

As said above, found one body in police investigations of illegal dumping, it can be predicted n so No mystery, there too.

2)
Also, There are some UNCLEAR points left without explanations.
For eg, THE ENDING:
What happened to FL's case n the police investigation?
Did ML's dad really commit a crime in the past?
Or like the mayor said in the climax about sacrificing people (for his own selfish sake) but in the name of village's development, did the mayor have a direct role in his dad's death, who is innocent, falsely accused n being disrespected as a criminal all these years?

3)
Also in the end, is the ML, back to his former depressed state?
Bcz his Hair style is messy & down, tears in his eyes n doesn't look into the eye of his police friend, in the climax scene, like how he used to be in the beginning.
When he is lively n happy, he has his hair neatly combed & when depressed, has his hair down with a Messy bedhead hair style.
So, the ML has no peace in life, finally!? :O , What? :)
Poor Yuu (Ryusei's Character)!! :|

Finally, I'm not sure of
what I have watched 😂 or
what the director n story writers want to convey through this story or
what story elements or plot points, I have to take as implied / implicit, without direct explanations in the scenes :o

*****
I'm RATING this as 7 / 10,
just for Ryusei's Performance as a depressed man trying to find a motive to live and
for the Direction, Cinematography, Locations and the BGM which are AMAZING!
(These are the ONLY POSITIVES that I found in this)
Else it would be 5.5 or 6.

Pacing, Story Narration and Story Progression have completely gone WRONG.

If the Pacing and the Run Time are Right, this would be 8 or 8.5 .

*****
If U are a fan of Ryusei or can tolerate extremely slow paced Social Dramas, Watch it at your own risk !! :)

Read More

The "Fiery Priest" is on Fire while in Action! (BGM music starts, haha) Mindless Fun Ride!!

(NOTE: Check out my Reviews for both the seasons, for similarities n differences between S1 n S2)

Alert: Watch this only,
if U are a fan of Kim Nam Gil,
a fan of mindless silly comedy / Slapstick comedy dramas
Or
In a mood for a Light Drama without any expectation of an interesting or a gripping suspense, just to sit back, relax n watch one to pass the time!
Else
Some may find this, Boring.

I watched this Only for Nam gil n even writing a review Only bcz of him :)

Just BE AWARE that this has Zero gripping /thought provoking plot, Zero to Little mystery but just a mediocre comedy, little exaggerated reactions and overacting for comedic purposes.

It's just the usual formula of 1 Hero, 1 Villain n a Fight between them. Hero saving good people with a touch of murder of his close ones n so on a Revenge & Justice seeking journey with the help of a team of comedy characters.

Can be watched for your favourite actors n to pass the time mindlessly without any toxic storylines. Just a Light Drama.

A mix of action + comedy + crime

Nam Gil Admirers will Love to watch him in Action! :)
Though the drama is mediocre, ABSOLUTELY LOVED Nam Gil's Sarcastic n Bold Character

The only little mystery here is about Who the exact killer is, of senior father from the bad guys team.
This suspense is maintained till the end.

***** ACTORS / CHARACTERS:
Love Nam Gil's character a lot - The Fiery, the Bold, the Sarcastic but Kind Hearted :)
But very short tempered and that generates the comedy😂
Nam Gil is so handsome with his sarcastic Smirks, haha
Nam Gil's role, truly a "Fiery" Priest!

His character is the ONLY Pillar to this story, the ONLY Attraction in this drama!!

I love his evil sarcastic smirks given to bad guys.
If he gives one, it means that he is about kick someone and the music (that BGM) starts! :)

Whenever there is any injustice around him, the Savage Angry Beast inside this NIS agent turned Priest, awakens n the comedy follows while he is punishing the bad or fighting for the justice.

His Fight sequences are VERY GOOD

Would love to watch the same character of Nam gil with the same personality n not being a Priest, with romance or bromance, in a Crime Action Comedy or a Crime Thriller
(The thought itself is so interesting! :o )

**
Kim Sung Kyun's role is the funniest, his comedic facial expressions are pure fun to watch!
His Bickering with the Priest is the funniest .

**
Lee Ha Nee's character is Good for a comedy genre but a bit exaggerated reactions and expressions, little hyper active .

Maybe, such a hyper active bold female character is demanded by the story in the team not only for some action but also for comedy .

Since ML is a priest, shouldn't expect Romance .
But ML n FL's bromance (😂) / friendship is good.
Their bickering initially is funny but as the story progresses, formed a close friendly bond to kick the bad guys as a team!
It's like Two devils in action! :)
(No offense meant for devil / priest terms, meant Good kind hearted devils )

(Here in S1,
there are few moments of mild romance between ML n FL but then, they themselves take back their hidden flirty dialogues , since he is a priest
This generates the mindless comedy.

Also For comedy purposes, in 1-2 episodes:
U can find little Bromance of our priest with the small priest (Jeon Sung woo's role).

Also U can see the police gal (Geum Sae Rok's role) fangirling over the priest )

**
Go Jun is so handsome n did the bad guy role well.

**
The other characters, the helping team of the priest are good n funny.
The actors did their roles well

Sae Rok's role is a bold police officer n her fight scenes are good.

**
To be honest, LOVED Nam Gil's , Sung Kyun's (the funny piece with priest all the time) n Go Jun's roles, the Most.
ONLY THESE CHARACTERS ARE MORE INTERESTING out of all other characters.

*****
OST - that music suits well to the mood of the drama.

The instrumental bgm musics used for the Fiery Priest in Action or for FL, are cool .

*****
At the first look, one might feel that
S1 is better than S2 since it's the same story formula but
S1 n S2 have their own charms, even though it's the same story formula.

Just for Nam Gil's role,
a true Fiery & Justice seeking one n
to watch more of Nam gil as a punisher,
Need a S2
(n not for the usual routine story)

***** RATING:
8.5 / 10 for the joy ride

(7 for the story and the mediocre comedy.

8.5 only bcz of Nam Gil's Lovely Fiery character n impressive acting :)
Enjoyed this show only bcz of his role n acting )

**** My Admiration for Nam Gil :) :
I fell in love with his acting from Crime Thriller "Through the Darkness" :)
n then watched Action Comedy "The Fiery Priest "

The variations in his roles in these two dramas are Amazing, SURPRISED ME alot.

There, as a Cold Introvert person, who never talks (dark vibes surrounding him n so brooding)
Here, as a fiery n yet funny n lively person, who never stops talking n smiling, punishing the bad guys and giving evil smirks to them, haha

There, I always wanted him to smile or speak out,
Here, am surprised to see him talking non-stop 😂

He just slayed both the roles though they are extremes in nature n in personality.

Anyways,
Introvert analysing criminals (Through the Darkness) to
A Fiery smiley (comedic in The Fiery Priest) to
An Emotional One side lover / stalker (in another drama),
U can clearly see the differences in each of his roles n in his acting.

He is a PROLIFIC actor!

And so the Saga of me, watching every drama of his, Started
If he is in a project, I'm in! :)

Oh my Nam Gil Oppa!
What have U done to my poor heart !! 🤭

Read More

Horror Comedy with a touch of unexpected "FOREVER"!!

***SPOILER***

I love Horror genre.

Comedy in a Haunted House is routine (Here, it's FUNNY enough, not hilarious)

But Falling in Love with a Ghost, is something Different!

And I, who avoid Sad Endings usually, even after reaching that "Different" point in the story knowing that it will End Bad, still continued watching, all because that there was little hope for a Happy Ending since this is fiction and anything n everything is possible in fiction.
But anyways, the ENDING here is REALISTIC!

***
I watched this with an expectation of Only Horror + Comedy.
But this is more of Rom-com than Horror Comedy.

Also, I expected a Sad Ending for the couple since Human - Ghost Love stories are impossible -- Forbidden Love

But OmG, I didn't expect the "Actual Ending", that little Twist -- His "True Efforts" to see her face daily for the rest of his life are Sweet.
I'm truly SURPRISED!
Such a beautiful moment in the forbidden love story -- That effort of his, truly mean "FOREVER"!!
(U need to watch the movie to know what those efforts are -- am not going to spill that lil thrill that I felt :) )

***
I liked how the Story is written -- How n Why, they are Fated to Meet because of their previous births and the back story of the ghost.
I didn't expect the reason for her death, why she is haunting that house and why only he can see her -- Well Written.

I liked the love story part more than the horror or comedy.

Pleasant, Easy-going n Light-hearted Horror with more emotional towards the end.

***
Came here for Actor Gee, after watching his "Terror Tuesday: Extreme".

FL is such a pretty baby doll.
Try how much ever but can't imagine her to be Scary! :)

***
My Rating is 7.5/10
One Time Watch!

Read More

What a sadist Xia Yan is !! haha Poor baby Shu Nian.

****
This uncut version has some 5-6 minutes of intimate scenes (of movie's part 2), nothing else related to the plot with any added importance
****

GOOD EMOTIONAL SADISTIC story (including both prequel and sequel, two movies with two endings to the story)

Well written, well directed and well acted.

CONTAINS UNACCEPTABLE THEMES of VIOLENCE EMOTIONALLY and PHYSICALLY.

Initially it is very creepy, sadistic, abusive , irritating and disturbing.

The amount of time, I wanted to thrash Xie Yan for his arrogant attitude n narcissistic behaviour n for torturing our Shu Nian, is countless!

Poor baby Shu Nian! :|
I can't bear his SUFFERING (orphan with a slave life and on top of it, unrequited love) :(
ONE SIDE LOVE is HELL n Life is hell! :(

Contains Master - Slave / boss - servant theme.
And has a plot of servant secretly in love with his arrogant master.
Has an emotional Unrequited Love theme n later forbidden love theme (forbidden by parents)

Master - Slave concepts are always uncomfortable, especially if the submissive has unrequited love for the dominant :(

Later Master, when forbidden, persuading his lover trope, is always satisfying in a evil manner.
LET THE MASTER ALSO SUFFER LIKE HELL! 😂

FORBIDDEN LOVE IS ALWAYS SPICY TO WATCH ! Haha

***** SPOILER*****

Read the NOVEL too.
Has two endings

Xie Yan is more pathetic and TOXIC in the novel n so I prefer the SAD Ending there.
He should not be forgiven for the hell torture he made to Shu Nian and has to take the punishment lifelong, crying and feelinh guilty for the loss of Shu Nian.

Movie has depicted both endings.
Liked the HAPPY ENDING here.
Xie Yan character is comparatively lighter n less toxic here.
So am happy for Shu Nian to find his peace finally with his loved one :)
(Though Xie Yan don't deserve such a kind soul like Shu Nian).

Their lovey dovey scenes, though very short, are very sweet :)

The post credits scene of the Happy ending movie version, is very funny and cute :)

OST - Both the songs, each sung by the main actors, are good.

(Watch both the movies and both the endings.
If possible, watch the uncut version with few added scenes too)

Read More

Poor Mita! A Good Sad Story!!

Initially SKEPTICAL to watch this but turned out to be a GOOD SAD story !
uff, Poor Mita / Poor Bok !! :(

Not only Mita/ Bok's story, the story of children's family is also good.
Overall a GOOD family drama too

Watched both parent Japanese story n the Korean Remake.
Both are GOOD.
Well written, well acted n well directed.

Korean Remake has an EXTRA plot of Mita/Bok's stalker.
And there are some differences in few other characters too like aunt character is funny n has some importance in JD, while its counterpart is less important, not so funny. And Grandpa in KD is strict n yet silly n funny, while his counterpart is so moody n an angry bird, OmG, haha
Neighbouring nosy aunty is such a silly baby doll in KD 😂, while her counterpart is just fine.
SO BOTH VERSIONS CAN BE WATCHED N ENJOYED.

(KD director n screenwriter took their own sweet time of 9 extra hours to add these EXTRA contents, so pls do watch it too, haha )

In KD, I loved character "Director Hong" (boss of Bok's agency). She is hilarious :)
(I can hear her laughing while writing this ,- "ahh, hahaha") ;)
Her counterpart in JD is just fine.
(She justs spills every secret n says OmG.. 🤭)

Initially U feel odd, weird n suspicious of the robot like housekeeper
but when life bashes u a lot, u feel that u don't deserve anything, not even a simple little Smile :(.. Sad lives! :(

SOMETIMES, LIFE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE!

Read More

A SCARY PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR!

(Be AWARE of lil EXPLICIT CONTENT!)

I love Horror genre.

This is a SERIOUS HORROR.
May not contain Jump Scares but truly SCARY PSYCHOLOGICALLY.

It is not some easy-going Ghost story or the usual
light horror trope.

The Vibe is DARK n gives CHILLS.
Will truly feel "The Ghost in the air, everywhere" sort of scary vibe, haha 😱

***** CHARACTERS:
Some CHARACTERS are DARK n DISTURBING!

The PROTAGONIST being related to the Possessed, TAKES GREAT PAIN n EFFORT to Save his close ones.

The STRUGGLE involved, ML DESPERATE to SAVE is TIRING :|
At some point, ML may be left with no clue or no way to Survive or Save his little one n remains helpless.
Chasing away an evil spirit is tiring 😂 :(

Constantly, Keeps one on the Edge of one's Seat, watching the ML struggling hard n running around desparately to ward off the evil spirit, to save his baby gal
And creates a NAIL BITING Tension n Suspense, doubting how they will Save n Survive!

Haha, that Evil Spirit is a dirty one, not only insults with mind-twisting words to manipulate the minds, also tries to weaken the person whoever interacts with it.

*****
Well Directed and well Acted.

Good Cinematography too.

This reminds me of the famous serious horrors that are psychological scary horrors, where Protagonists Struggle a lot to Save the Possessed, like
"The Exorcist" or few James Wan's horror movies ("Conjuring", "Insidious")
or Korean horrors "The Priests", "Exhuma"
or Thai horror anthology series "Angkhan Khlumpong" (all stories in this are serious n scary) etc.

Oh My God, That ENDING! :(

*****
Rating - 9 / 10

Read More

Not for everyone, Violence, chasing everywhere

ALERT: Violence depicted might be Disturbing to some, so be aware of it.

The chasing, hunting of a serial killer by an ex police
HUNTING THE PREDATOR!👌🏻

Very interesting n grippng to watch.
Well acted by both the actors.

U will be TIRED n EXHAUSTED MENTALLY, WATCHING them RUNNING n CHASING desparately😂

And the levels of unacceptable gore Violence, OmG, weak hearts or angry hearts, just leave! 😂 :O

****
As per Wikipedia, this is inspired from Real Life Serial Killer, "The Raincoat Killer"

This is also shown in Crime profiler Drama "Through the Darkness" as one of the cases.

And there is a Documentary about this - "The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea"

Read More

Another STRONGBERRY 's lovely work

Very cute, sweet and warm ULTRA SHORT FILM from STRONGBERRY :)

Can be made into a full length series :)

Just 7 mins is not enough, Need more of them :)
This is just one scene, just a confession scene😂

Their acting is so natural.

STRONGBERRY never ceases to amaze me, even if it just a scene or a full length drama :)
They can always be trusted, when U are in a search of a Good work to Watch!!

They will never disappoint U.
They don't compromise on the plot or the quality n don't miss the Perfection! :)

All their works etch a beautiful mark in your heart n mind.
If it is from them, I'm definitely in, without second thoughts! :)

(Silly me, am I like their ambassador!? :O, leaving a comment or a review in all their works' pages, speaking more about the production team than the actual drama😂)

Read More

My 9.5 + / 10 drama! DON'T MISS IT !!

Horror / Supernatural + Historic -- Wonderful Combo !!

As a fan of Horror, Supernatural n Historical genres, I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS DRAMA.

***
The Story is VERY INTERESTING from ep 1 itself.

No Moment of Boredom n No Repetitive content throughout the drama.
Pacing is Apt n Well Maintained.

Cinematography is Awesome.

Direction, Plot, Story Narration, Production, EVERYTHING IS GOOD & RIGHT IN EVERY CATEGORY.

The Horror, Supernatural & Historic elements -- Everything is Right to the Point n is in Right Proportions!

BGM n OST are Good.

The Suspense n Mystery of who the haunting spirit is, who the bad guys are n the Back story of the haunting spirit, are Well Written.
(Initially, suspected every character to be bad n to be helping the spirit, haha)

The scenes of confronting the haunting spirits are directed well.
The suspense n horror effects in these scenes are right to the point.

*** CHARACTERS & ACTORS:
Watched this for the Main lead actors (Kim Ji Hoon, Kim Young Kwang n Sung Jae) but fell in love with FL character n the actress Bo Na :)
Her acting is apt to her role.

The Trio - King, Imugi n Yeo Ri is the BEST n are FUN to watch :)

Bromance of King n Imugi is very Sweet.

Young Kwang as Imugi is very funny n even Sung Jae did well as Imugi.

Love triangle is good for a change, haha (Usually, I don't like love triangles)

Special Mention: Jihoon acted very well in emotional scenes, u can see his pain in his eyes (pain for his family n for the people in his kingdom as a King).

*** ENDING & RATING :
This drama got a Satisfied Ending n a good closure to this story.

Eps 11 to 13 are a bit slow n so My Rating is 9.5,
else could be 10 / 10!

Horror, Supernatural and Historic genre lovers will definitely love this!!

I miss the Trio! :)
Rewatch-worthy!

Read More

A 9.5 / 10 POLICE CRIME DRAMA! A TRUE BROMANCE !! :)

As a lover of Crime Thrillers, LOVED EVERYTHING about this police crime drama✨
Well written and Well executed.

Every scene is interesting to watch, since it's a good blend of a Police officer duo solving criminal cases with good proportions of humour, emotional stories of how a deep bond is developed between the duo, how there is a good character arc to one of them who gets out of his trauma with the help of the other, story of the bond among the team members & good team work and finally, a thought provoking take on different crimes depicting the issues in society (like teenage drug cases, foreign migrant workers' issues etc)

The two male main leads are police officers - Partners In Investigation in a special department called Mobile Investigative Unit (MIU), which targets at solving a case within first 24 hours after the report.
This duo along with other MIU teams, work on different cases.

The cases are DIVERSE dealing with a variety of crimes & around, ONE CASE per EPISODE.
Not every case is a murder crime but depicts different crimes in the society.
Each case looks different but in the end, as the episodes progress, it's a surprise that how most of those crimes are pointed towards the villain.

The Team Work among different teams is well depicted.

Direction, Acting, Plot, Story Progression & Story Narration are Good.
The Storyline and Story writing of the cases n that of main leads, are Good (to be honest, could be better at times).
How some of the cases are related to the villain n how the duo stops him, is well written.

First half of ep 1 looks little weird n slow but maybe that is to form the base of the characters but by the end of that episode, gets interesting n remaining episodes are fun to watch with the boys in action!

*** CHARACTERS & ACTORS:
Both Main Leads' characters are impressive in their own ways and have different styles of reacting to a crime n acting on it, to bring justice to every victim in a case.

Ayano's character, Ibuki is very funny, empathizes with the victims & it's hilarious watching him cry along with them, Silly Ibuki! haha.
Hoshino's character, Shima looks stoic but is Cool.

One (Shima) uses Intelligence n the other (Ibuki) uses Physical Strength.
One (Shima) is Serious n the other (Ibuki) is Silly, haha.

Shima has trust issues while Ibuki trusts anyone easily.

Ibuki is like a goofy pup (haha), very emotional and very warm & pure at heart.
Looks messy and reckless but good at work.
Shima is good, mature and intelligent at work but is serious n lil grumpy bcz of the trust issues.

Initially, Shima didn't like the reckless Ibuki but he started liking his company, seeing his dedication towards work.
Ibuki, right from the moment, they are assigned as partners, tries different ways to be close to Shima, which are very funny ;)

The bromance is cool and sweet.
Initially, Shima hates the silliness of Ibuki but the way their bond is developed over each case in each episode, is Sweet!
Each of them goes to any extent to save their partner in investigation, such is the bond formed, a True Bromance! :)

The way they tease each other about their girl crushes, is very funny.
Shima is suspected to be the reason for the death of his ex partner in investigation.
The way how Ibuki takes that extra effort which is not asked for but takes as a friend, to solve that ex officer's death case thereby to save Shima from his trauma, is impressive and heart warming :)

Very fun to watch Ibuki n Shima at work as Partners! :)
Overall, I love their Dynamics -- Sweet n Funny! :)

Actors Ayano and Hoshino have made these charcaters Ibuki and Shima, more Lively and Lovely! :)

Their female boss and the other team members are cool.
I love the character dynamics among the teams -- very funny at times, haha

The villain looks soft but an evil mastermind behind many crimes, that actor's performance is Good.

All characters are well written.
Not just the main lead duo, villain n the supporting characters, even the plot of each case is well written.

*** EPISODES & CASES :
11 episodes with different crimes each episode and Pacing is Right.

Initial episodes are a bit dull since the plot of the crimes is simple & plain and also felt rushed but it gets interesting with the other cases, as episodes progress.

Each ep, a different case -- initial cases are related to small crimes n only the cases in later eps got serious.

For the cases till ep 4, they look rushed to be solved n closed without clarity or elaborate details but by the end of each ep, for each case how it is solved or the commentary of the writer/director about the issue in that case, is well done.

Some cases are not criminal cases, they are just societal issues which need police to take an action n so the take on these problems in the society, the sad reality, on everything, the writers' thoughts are well discussed through the characters.

Ep 5:
This one is sad, maybe the dark side of their country -- the issue of foreign migrant workers and their troubles.

Ep 6:
In other police units /departments, Shima is defamed of being a murderer of his ex partner in investigation and so he got an emotional trauma & trust issues, out of that guilt.
So Ibuki tried hard to solve that partner's death case to relieve Shima out of guilt & trauma.
I love their Friendship! :)

(Here at times, it's funny -- Ibuki just says "Eh eh eh" and nothing else, to make Shima start a conversation and Shima in return says "Eh eh" but not an actual conversation, Silly them! haha.
BTW, I do the same with my mom n she scolds me n so found that silly scene, hilarious :) )

Ep 8:
Ibuki's senior who is admired alot by Ibuki, gets involved in a murder case which affects Ibuki very bad, emotionally.
Then, Shima really supports Ibuki so well that it helps Ibuki to recover.
I love their Bond! :)

Ep 10 and Finale (11):
Their friendship, that bond, their sacrifices to save each other n so a temporary break of the duo n each working independently bcz of being manipulated /blackmailed by the villain and finally capturing him by the duo, all are written well n emotional.
There are some funny scenes too here.

There are Two scenarios, two Endings -- one sad n another a happy one.
(Just watch, am not going to spoil it here ;) )

*** OST:
Ending song -- Kanden by Kenshi Yonezu is Good.

***
My Rating is 9.5 / 10.
To be honest, only the Duo really made this drama Good & Interesting than the cases shown here.
9.5 exclusively only for them, for actors Ayano - Hoshino and characters Ibuki - Shima :)

I miss this duo Ibuki - Shima! :)
I want these partners in investigation with more seasons coming, more episodes n more cases to solve ! ✨

Crime drama ardent lovers will definitely enjoy and crave for more cases with the duo solving them in their own styles.

Read More