Odessa Jones
American living in South Korea
As I said in my review for part 1 (Monday-Thursday), I wish the budget and production logistics had allowed putting both parts into one movie. But when you watch these two parts together, they are hypnotic and beautiful. This movie is an enjoyable romance that I think any film buff could enjoy--it's definitely not just for BL fan girls. These characters are young (10 and 12th grade in American terms) and the movie gives us a picture of how stressful it is to deal with adult emotions for the first time.
Seven Days is shonen ai (not yaoi), with an intense focus on the characters' emotions (and no sex). This will make it seem very slow to some viewers. In fact, I know some people will hate the long silences, the long lingering shots of people thinking. It's artistic and elegant. Not humorous or action-packed.
But other viewers will love how closely this movie gets into the characters' heads. Usually when movies use voice-over, it seems like a lazy way of story-telling. Just because the manga has characters telling us their thoughts doesn't mean a movie should drone on and on with voice-over. But it works here, perhaps because the characters present such restrained public faces. Hearing their thoughts, we can understand their doubts and misconceptions perfectly.
Or perhaps the whole movie works because the characters are three-dimensional and well-acted.
Or because the theme of knowing someone's appearance versus knowing their inner depths is so compelling? Or because the music is simple but builds slowly so you want to keep watching to the end of the scene?
I don't know, I just know that I couldn't stop watching.
I've talked a lot about what's in the characters' heads, but this drama also has passionate moments. The kissing scene on Saturday suggests the physical attraction between these two guys. Although BL stories can be notoriously oblivious to the realities of gay identity and "coming out"--and this is not a story about coming out, rather about falling in love--the actors body language makes this a plausible story of queer love. It's not one of those "I love girls but I love you more" stories that haunt BL manga. Overall, a great romance!
Seven Days is shonen ai (not yaoi), with an intense focus on the characters' emotions (and no sex). This will make it seem very slow to some viewers. In fact, I know some people will hate the long silences, the long lingering shots of people thinking. It's artistic and elegant. Not humorous or action-packed.
But other viewers will love how closely this movie gets into the characters' heads. Usually when movies use voice-over, it seems like a lazy way of story-telling. Just because the manga has characters telling us their thoughts doesn't mean a movie should drone on and on with voice-over. But it works here, perhaps because the characters present such restrained public faces. Hearing their thoughts, we can understand their doubts and misconceptions perfectly.
Or perhaps the whole movie works because the characters are three-dimensional and well-acted.
Or because the theme of knowing someone's appearance versus knowing their inner depths is so compelling? Or because the music is simple but builds slowly so you want to keep watching to the end of the scene?
I don't know, I just know that I couldn't stop watching.
I've talked a lot about what's in the characters' heads, but this drama also has passionate moments. The kissing scene on Saturday suggests the physical attraction between these two guys. Although BL stories can be notoriously oblivious to the realities of gay identity and "coming out"--and this is not a story about coming out, rather about falling in love--the actors body language makes this a plausible story of queer love. It's not one of those "I love girls but I love you more" stories that haunt BL manga. Overall, a great romance!
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