Bittersweet, melancholic and nostalgic - with a touch of magic - study on afterlife, regrets and making amends. With a Koreeda-like vibe, wonderful cinematography and a great cast, especially Lily Franky who gave a heartfelt performance as Michael, and a well-balanced emotional impact, this was an interesting watch, even though some characters backstories weren't developed properly.
A cruel and honest depiction of the depths of desperation defectors and refugees have to face while seeking a place to belong. Not bad, but could have been much better if the pacing and the storytelling of the first part wasn't swept away by the forced romance that wasn't romancing during the second half. Nonetheless, it was nice to see Song Joong Ki in this challenging role.
Based on true events, this is an inspirational, feel-good and very entertaining sports story about an underdog high school basketball team, full of youth, dreams, talent and hard work that manages to achieve an impossible success. A perfect weekend watch.
A bleak, slow-burn story inspired by a real-life case of a young student's struggling, exploitation and tragic demise, told in two parts. A piercing social commentary on the crushed hopes and dreams of young people caused by the indifference and derogation they face at their exploitative working environment, as well as the social stigma for those who are unable to 'endure' the suffocating family and societal expectations. Top-notch performances from Bae Doo Na and Kim Shi Eun, in a difficult but thought-provoking watch.
A whimsical story of love and search for happiness told in a peculiar and unconventional way. With interesting performances from Nakatani Miki and Abe Hiroshi, and a clearly unbalanced tone between the three distinctive act plots, this was a flawed but entertaining watch.
A bittersweet, poignant slice of life story and an exquisite character study of women in Japan of the 60s, through the life of a bar hostess, her struggles to find happiness and financial stability among her demanding family, her unreliable colleagues and the men/clients that try to take advantage of her in every occasion. Takamine Hideko, with her elegance and charisma filling the entire screen, gave a superb as well devastating performance as young widow Keiko, who lives her hard life with dignity and patience. A classic and a masterpiece.
Intriguing concept with comforting and healing vibes, that tackles some serious matters, but the outcome is definitely lacking and the characters not properly fleshed-out.
An impressive neo-noir film, with a tight plot, lots of action and raw violence, and some intriguing plot-twists. But, its biggest asset was casting Sol Kyung Gu and Yim Si Wan as the main leads: impeccable acting, fantastic chemistry.
A decent courtroom/crime thriller with some interesting twists, that unfortunately suffered from a flat, dry storytelling and mundane cinematography. Not bad, but not memorable either.
Delicate, subtle, healing and mellow. With soothing silences, poetic words and genuine feelings, this was a slow-paced romance story, as well as a slice-of-life and character study that focused on the value of friendship, communication and second chances. Superb acting from Jung Woo Sung, who could convey all his emotions without speaking a single word, and wonderful cinematography that complimented elegantly this down-to-earth and heartwarming melodrama.
When the story is based in true events and the cast includes Ra Mi Ran and Yeom Hye Ran, who never fail to deliver with any role they're given, the expectations are definitely high. With many funny, touching, violent and tense moments, this was an entertaining watch, mainly thanks to Ra Mi Ran's down-to-earth and on-point depiction of an ordinary ahjumma that lost everything from a voice phishing scam and takes matters on her own hands, with the help of her friends, trying to find justice and her money back. Time well-spent.
I salute your patience to finish this.I had to drop it 14 episodes in because I found almost every character frustrating.
Five Enough, Dear My Friends, My Father Is Strange are the first titles that come to mind. You can visit my 'Best Family dramas' list for more recommendations: https://mydramalist.com/list/1XzBEnK3
With too many frustrating characters and substories (especially that one towards the end), this family weekend drama had a lot of potential in the beginning that the writer couldn't fully develop and utilise. Most of the actors did a good job, but eventually this wasn't enough to make this drama a memorable watching experience.
This bittersweet, humane story is a piercing social commentary on children poverty and abandonment, bureaucratic prejudice and dysfunctional families, using metaphorically a midsummer drought, water and the lack of it. With Ikuta Toma in a refreshingly reserved character and two very promising child actresses, this slow-burn film was an interesting watch.
News 
65 
197 
14 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
3 
2 
With a Koreeda-like vibe, wonderful cinematography and a great cast, especially Lily Franky who gave a heartfelt performance as Michael, and a well-balanced emotional impact, this was an interesting watch, even though some characters backstories weren't developed properly.
Not bad, but could have been much better if the pacing and the storytelling of the first part wasn't swept away by the forced romance that wasn't romancing during the second half.
Nonetheless, it was nice to see Song Joong Ki in this challenging role.
A perfect weekend watch.
A piercing social commentary on the crushed hopes and dreams of young people caused by the indifference and derogation they face at their exploitative working environment, as well as the social stigma for those who are unable to 'endure' the suffocating family and societal expectations.
Top-notch performances from Bae Doo Na and Kim Shi Eun, in a difficult but thought-provoking watch.
With interesting performances from Nakatani Miki and Abe Hiroshi, and a clearly unbalanced tone between the three distinctive act plots, this was a flawed but entertaining watch.
Takamine Hideko, with her elegance and charisma filling the entire screen, gave a superb as well devastating performance as young widow Keiko, who lives her hard life with dignity and patience.
A classic and a masterpiece.
But, its biggest asset was casting Sol Kyung Gu and Yim Si Wan as the main leads: impeccable acting, fantastic chemistry.
With soothing silences, poetic words and genuine feelings, this was a slow-paced romance story, as well as a slice-of-life and character study that focused on the value of friendship, communication and second chances.
Superb acting from Jung Woo Sung, who could convey all his emotions without speaking a single word, and wonderful cinematography that complimented elegantly this down-to-earth and heartwarming melodrama.
With many funny, touching, violent and tense moments, this was an entertaining watch, mainly thanks to Ra Mi Ran's down-to-earth and on-point depiction of an ordinary ahjumma that lost everything from a voice phishing scam and takes matters on her own hands, with the help of her friends, trying to find justice and her money back.
Time well-spent.
You can visit my 'Best Family dramas' list for more recommendations:
https://mydramalist.com/list/1XzBEnK3
With Ikuta Toma in a refreshingly reserved character and two very promising child actresses, this slow-burn film was an interesting watch.