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This review may contain spoilers
Watch it for the insights into South Korean society.
This film, from 2001, is in my eyes more interesting for its historical value and the insights it gives into South Korean society then -- and now -- than for its own merit.The story itself is okay-ish, I did not laugh that much even if it was supposed to be a comedy (there was too much violence against innocents for that). In the storytelling, the directing and the camera work we can see the roots of today's masterpieces, it's still uneven but there are also brilliant scenes.
For that, and the insights into society, I'll give eight stars.
I have been thinking for a while now that violence seems to pervade South Korean's society (which is not that surprising, considering people lived under a military regime until 1987, and also the strictly hierarchical structure that's still there). In this movie, this idea was confirmed.
Yes, it's a film about gangsters, and a comedy, so a certain amount of violence is to be expected. But let's have a look at the different situations where people use force:
1. The violence amongst the gangsters is, as I said, expected. But I want to point out one aspect -- the boss casually slaps around his subordinate. If you've seen other K-Dramas, you've probably seen this kind of violence a lot. It's only interesting in the light of ...
... 2. the bullying of the newbie by the class bully and his cronies, which is probably intended as funny. The roles are inverted, the boss is now the victim and can't fight back (because he, in turn, is pressured by HIS boss to get an education). The bully, in turn is ...
... 3. bullied by another gangs of students. Violence begets violence -- but this circle of violence is not even worth mentioning for the protagonists. Instead the main character "defeats" the bullies by beating them up.
4. Teachers slap their students around habitually. This was, until a few years ago, a practice condoned by society in South Korea. I don't know if it still is. Slapping, beating students when they are already on the ground, beating them with sticks -- all of it is obvously "okay".
4. The violence against teachers (by students, by parents) is, in contrast, very much condemned.
So, violence against subordinates, against those lower in seniority, against those lower in status -- this is absolutely all right in this movie. As media are just a mirror of society, this is what people who are now adults, have learned. You can see this in the interaction between fathers and sons, between bosses and subordinates. It becomes clear when an older man in a drama has difficulties to understand that young people (especially women, but that's a whole other kettle of fish) are allowed to speak their minds.
If you, dear reader of this review, watch your next K-Drama, maybe keep this in mind while interpreting the drama, you might see certain scenes in a new light.
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I haven't read the manga, and haven't watched the anime adaptation, so this is solely for the movie.
First, what I liked:
As usual with Japanese productions, the use of light and colours was exceptional. It's especially noticable in Kaizaki's old workplace, where drab greys dominate -- and the light is changed according to the mood of the scene.
I also liked how background music was only used very sparingly.
The ending was also well done -- we really don't need more than the "ano" at the end. We had been told that they will retain their memories. so anything more would be redundant. I also would have liked if the film had ended after Yoake had left his reports on his desk. We don't need to be told everything, we can think for ourselves sometimes.
I don't mind so much that the six characters stay relativly bland. In a film with a runtime of two hous, there will be limitations. I do think that the other subject could have had a deeper backstory -- or the writer could have committed to only focus on the main protagonist Kaizaki and his journey of change.
Even so, none of the characters' stories managed to capture my interest -- except for Yoake, whose story I'd really like to hear. (Really, I think he is the most fascinating one, and *his* story of change, what he feels and thinks when he, the one who is supposed to be the unemotional observer, begins to like his subjects? *That* would have been interesting.) For a story about character development, it is a huge minus that I feel kind of meh about the main characters.
I can imagine that other people can relate more to Kaizaki's struggles and the story of the last year at school and their message of "Treasure the Now" than I do, so this is extremely subjective.
For me, I wouldn't have missed anything if I hadn't watched the film, but it wasn't so bad that I regret it either.
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This review may contain spoilers
This film feels more like a pilot for a series. I'd even say it feels like an exposé for a series -- the movie's plot could have been the first half of the episodes, with the later half dedicated to the resolution of the main character's backstory.The plot seems unfinished, some parts of it feel rushed, and it's unfortunate that a lot of backstory just gets told via the older detective's thoughts. I also would have liked to see more of all characters, and more of how they grow to like the main character. As it is, we still get a surprising amount of character development, especially from the team leader. (Heo Sung Tae is a highlight, as always.)
I think if the writer might have originally planned to have this produced as a longer series. There's a surprising amount of world building there, the characters all seem to have much more backstory than what we got to see. I certainly would like to watch this as a longer series, if it ever gets made.
Well, who knows what happened, at least they got a small budget for making this film, right?
One thing that is probably better because of the short duration of the movie: There was no time to force a romance subplot into it.
Overall, the movie does what it can with its short time and low budget, and it is a nice watch for a rainy afternoon or so.
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1980s action movie cop meets progressive millenial
Mao Bang Yu and Wu Ming Han couldn't be more different -- while the latter is a walking 80s action movie cop cliché, complete with casual sexism, homophobia and fast car chases, the former is an enviromentally aware, gay and family oriented millenial.What could go wrong, when those two are tied in a ghost marriage and Wu Ming Han has to help his "husband" move on to the next life?
Don't let yourself be fooled by the macismo in the beginning, this movie will show its depth later on.
This movie combines the best of old-fashioned action movies with a healthy dose of humour, criticism of sexism and homophobia, and a story about personal growth.
The bickering between the two main characters made me laugh, the grandma and her circle of aunties giggle, and the father's story cry.
Only one aspect is rather unfortunate, that with all the good messages about tolerance and equality, the fat, gay cop remained an object of "comedy", and did not get his own moment to shine.
The acting is great overall, the pacing fast, but lets the quieter moments breathe. I never would have thought that an action film could move me to tears, but this on did.
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This becomes very obvious in this film. The question of what Mu Ran will find when he arrives -- thee meaning of "Su Chen", who he is and where he is -- this is not the point of the film (also very obvious after a while).
The people he will meet on his journey, who live very different lives but are all part of the queer community, who will tell their stories about love and loss, about family and partnership, these people and their stories are at the heart of the film.
Mu Ran, and with him the viewers, will learn what it can mean to love. Will we regret having taken or not taken the opportunity to find happiness?
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This review may contain spoilers
Honestly, I have never been so bored with a show before. I don't know how I managed to finish it.* The storyline was dragging on and on, and I had the feeling that nothing much happened at all. I even drifted off during later episodes. The thing is, I do not mind slower paced series, if -- IF -- it fits the storyline. Also, twelve episodes of basically the same over and over again gets boring whatever the content might be. The plot could have been tightened to maybe four episodes or so.
* The writer seems to have only a passing idea of how the music industry, cafés or workplaces in general work. Examples that annoyed me most: Sentences like "Now that you are debuting, you are a real artist!" (or something like that), an employee mopping the floor during opening hours without reason, taking breaks just ecause you want to, "trainees" that practice unsupervised and are something like eleven years old(?), a freelance composer who then has to got to Shanghai (?). Overall, it feels as if the writer was one of those "trainee" children.
* The camera work was uninspired and kind of static.
* The acting was stiff, which was most apparent in group scenes, where those actors who did not have something to say just stood around like mannequins.
* The sets showed the tight budget, and putting a rainbow flag doesn't improve things. Although I did like the colour scheme they chose.
* Other people have already commented on the band's musical abilities, which I cannot remark upon, since I myself have no abilities in this field whatsoever. I don't think the pink-haired guy's singing was very good though.
* If the story is about tasty coffee, then I want to see tasty coffee! We haven't even seen how Plengrak brews it -- show us how the grounds look like when the water is poured into the filter, at least. The director responsible should maybe look at some Japanese shows who excel in showing food and drinks and make the audience crave them.
All in all, I'd say to give this series a miss.
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Neither funny nor thrilling
45 minutes in, and I noticed that I did not care about the serial killer. I did not care if he even existed or if it was [spoiler]. I did not care about the company's new marketing, I did not care about the three main characters.Ten minutes later, and I noticed that I did not care how the movie would end. So I stopped watching.
I admit, in the beginning, I did laugh a few times -- and then the jokes either were of the same category or I did not even notice them.
There was no tension, the "scary" scenes never were exciting, let alone thrilling.
Scenes were often too slow, or not contributing to the story -- why should I be interested in how they market their shirts(? I think they make shirts.)? And I say this as someone who has a high tolerance for slow pacing, if it's done with purpose.
Come on, there are excellent Thai comedies, and great Thai thrillers! You know how to do it!
Two good aspects:
* Three woman in main roles.
* Very good acting, especially of the Boss.
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This review may contain spoilers
During the first few episodes this series seemed a bit bland, but it picked up in the fourth episode.* The main couple are just adorable! I love how gentle they are with each other from the first moment they met until the very end. The progression from comfortable silences to learning how to express their emotions with each other was also really well done.
* The scond cuple was a bit ... weird at first, with the "bunny" and "owner" it gave uncomfortable vibes. Also, Phu playing hard to get took a bit too long. Overall, they have a similar progression, in that they have to learn how to give and take -- and not one only giving and the other taking.
* I hated the het romance, if you can even call it that. Starting from Khim, who ships real-life people and posts their photos online without asking for permission, and ending with Dr. Lies -- why two people have a crush on him, I'll never understand -- this whole storyline was a mess. It also didn't have anything to do with the others. Khim's illness was only there as long as it was usable for the plot. Overall, too much screentime for a (badly written) het romance -- there are already enough het romance series, I don't need them in my BLs. (Maybe as a very small side couple, but this here was too much.)
* I don't really get the father. I have no idea what he thought, and why he acted that way. They could have done a "Gui has to prove himself" subplot without a fiancée, and without that much pressure. It also changed the tone of the drama a lot. Instead of the het romance, it would have been much more interesting to develop this further.
* There are some smaller inconsistencies, but they can easily be overlooked.
* The cinematography was good though. At first I found it a bit beige-y and dull but it got better later.
* Also, the slow pacing of the first ten episodes was nice and appropriate for the development of the relationships. The music underlined this feeling.
Overall, I'm glad I picked this series up again (after dropping it last year after three episodes or so), but I probably won't watch it a second time.
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This review may contain spoilers
I should have liked the film, I wanted to love it -- but there was one major thing that annoyed me so much I even dreamed about it the following night. I tried to keep this review spoiler-free anyway, but I don't think I managed.For the most part, the film just shows an old man (Tsutomu) gathering vegetables from the hill and from his field, cooking and eating them; and writing a book. Alongside this, we hear his thoughts about food, and about life -- his own life and how it shaped him specifically. In the film, what we hear is what Tsutomu is writing -- it's probably the essay the film is based on.
It's an interesting choice, to take an essay with Zen thoughts about life and try to turn it into a film -- and until the one hour mark, it works.
We see the season change, the landscapes and the vegetables change with them. Occasionally, the man's quiet life connects to the outside world -- a visit by his editor, by a carpenter, or when Tsutomu visits his mother-in-law.
I liked that part, I was looking forward to see the rest of the seasons. Even the motive of death, which was introduced at the end of the first hour, was fitting -- life and death are interconnected, which is why we like to eat together after a burial or a wake. I even liked the change of pace then, that death made Tsutomo's life more hectic -- that is a beautiful juxtaposition.
But after the scare he gets, his voice-over thoughts start to sound like those motivational quotes on greeting cards / calendars / facebook posts -- every single sentence has this feeling to it. This is no longer like the flow of thoughts of an old man, with some deep thoughts and some more personal observations, it's more like a compilation of "The Best of Zen" you could buy in the gift section of a book store.
I would have liked it much better if there had been more silence in this part of the film, only occasionally enhanced by a single sentence or thought.
Since this film is based on an essay, I suppose that everything we hear in the voice-over is from the essay, and that everything from the essay is in the film -- so unless either the film is longer or parts of the essay had been cut, there wasn't much else to do.
I'm also not too impressed with the relationship between the man and his editor -- is it friendship? Something romantic? It's implied that it's the latter, but the apparent age gap and some other smaller things make it strange.
Let's go back to the good things:
I loved the acting and the looks of the main character. Tsutomu is just an older man who is living his life. I like that he looks just like an ordinary man. With just a few changes in his movements, the actor shows us the change from the sprightly man who ambles through the woods and chases after pigeons to the elederly man who feels as if he's at death's door.
I also loved watching nature change from month to month -- and whenever I met the little frog again, I thought "Hello friend, there you are!" -- and also how the ingredients and the food preparation was filmed, which is something Japanese dramas or movies excel in.
And then, the last few minutes had everything I loved about the film, we also went full circle; but not quite -- as the year is complete, and things go back to the start, we'll have changed and the new year will be the same, and different.
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This review may contain spoilers
Forget it; I did.
This show is forgettable. And I mean this in the most literal way: I first watched this series some time the summer of 2022. When I came across the title again in the autumn of the same year, I had no idea what story this was supposed to be -- only during watching had I the feeling that I knew it somehow. And that happened again a few weeks later.I have no idea why the series was such that I forgot about it -- even after I watched it a fourth time. This is what could have contributed:
* The storylines are stereotypes -- friends to lovers / trusting a new relationship after a bad one / secret identities; they all seem to develop slowly but fast at the sam time? Maybe three couples was a bit much for 6x40 minutes. I am not even able to give a description of the stories (see above).
* The actors all look the same to me. Not only those who are brothers IRL, but also Chris and Ton Fah looked rather similar.
* The music was amazing in itself but made the whole show feel a bit dreamlike and apart from reality. I think a second soundtrack for the more dramatic and the emotionally heavy scenes would have helped.
* It feels as if there's a lot of backstory that we don't see, and there are also several inconsistencies.
All in all, I don't think I've made a connection to the characters in the series, maybe due to one of the points above, maybe not.
That said, the show is not bad, even mediocre is not the right word for it, it's just ... bland.
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The tropes quickly come one after the other, and the whole drama is very fast-paced.
I loved all the side couples and the couples in the background. Also the parents really are the epitome of "mob"!
There is one, maybe a minor, point I did not like:
* I don't understand why "Mob" is so desperate to avoid a romance storyline -- I get it in the beginning, when he's reading about "Meriba"-endings, which I wouldn't like for me either, but after a while it just feels a bit homophobic, especially as he doesn't want his little brother to end up with a guy too! I wish we'd get a better explanation for that. As it is, the whole thing feels a little off for me especially regarding the ending, which kind of comes out of nowhere.
Recommended, if you need a laugh and if you know a lot of BL tropes.
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What I liked:
* The main lead's acting. I loved how he portrayed his character's emotional turmoil and, especially in the first half, his confusion about his feelings.
* I liked the pacing overall. There was a bit of a drag around the 2/3 mark, and the last episode felt rushed, but I really liked how the story, the parent's history and the love story, unfold.
* The action scenes were well done, and there was no excessive violence, only what was needed by the plot.
* I like the underlying message. Namely, that a free press (Free of politics and free of commercial restrictions) can be very powerful and that is why we need it.
* Something which I loved: At the beginning of each episode we were shown the last scene of the episode which came before -- which is not that new, but that scene always had something new, either just an extended version or the pint of view of another character, which sometimes even made me re-evaluate what I saw before. I don't think I've seen that done before, at least not that consistently.
What I did not like:
* Maybe I'm spoiled by dramas like "The Good Detective" or "Stove League", where there are multilayered characters and no clear line between good and bad, but I was disappointed by the "mystery", which was basically the "evil group who controls everything with an even more evil leader" trope. That trope is old and overdone, and I think audiences can and should expect more respect for their intelligence.
* I especially don't understand why they had to introduce a new plotpoint in the last two episodes. I'm sure they wanted to resolve the "item" and the murder of the first episode and maybe they wanted to finish with a bang, but it did not feel as an organic part of the rest.
* The female characters (apart from "Ajumma") also stayed remarkably passive during the whole show. The plot was mainly driven by Healer and the male reporter, while the young female reporter and the lady in the wheelchair usually followed behind, although both women's lives were equally, if not more, affected by the bad guys. Also, they are meant to be reporters! I expected them to take the lead at least in the later episodes.
All in all, it wasn't a bad watch but I'm not sure if it's worth a rewatch.
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A drama about contemporary societal problems not only in South Korea
Topics in this court drama are sexism, corruption, greed, power imbalance and the question of how to make a just and lawful decision.I think as a European person, I probably was not able to understand the intricacies fully. South Korea is still young as a liberal democracy, but within an old, patriarchial and strictly hierarchical society. So, some themes, like how the old order between younger people (and people in lower status) and people with more seniority (higher status) clashes with a new system of ethics, where everyone is equal in front of the law, are things I will probably never really understand.
What I liked:
* I loved the team dynamics, and that every one of the recurring characters had their own personalities.
* The romance between the judge of court 43 and the secretary was cute. I liked that they both changed for the better during their courtship, and neither of them -- especially not the female character -- lost their core personality traits.
* The cases were, for the most part, interesting.
* It was also fascinating to see how the judicial system in S.Korea works. According to Wikipedia, the script (and the book it was based on) was written by a senior judge himself, so I don't expect there to be any glaring inaccuracies.
What I did not like:
* The last episodes were too cheesy for my taste. That happy ending felt too forced for me. Two main points:
* Especially the relationship between Ba Reun and Oh Reum could have remained platonic -- until the second to last episode, I loved their dynamic, and how they were learning to listen to the other. Sometimes love remains unrequited, and men and women can work together as nothing more than colleagues.
* They could also have left the story arc about NJ group more ambiguous. In real life, you don't have this kind of closure.
All in all, I don't regret watching it, although the last episodes made me change my rating of a solid 9 to a disappointed seven.
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This review may contain spoilers
I have not seen the Korean drama or read the original webtoon, so I cannot compare them to this Japanese version. Nevertheless, this version has a distinctly "Korean feel" to it. Especially the love triangle (quadrangle?) and the fight against a power-hungry chairman of a huge conglomerate are plot points I've seen in several Korean dramas.(But I trust that the story was Japanese enough for the Japanese producers to make an adaptation.)
I liked the basic idea of a young man seeking revenge for a wrong done to him and his father -- with the help of friends he makes along the way.
(I wonder; if this had been an original idea, what would a Japanese writer have done with it? More friendship and group action, less love triangle, I hope.)
Also, the pacing and story managed to keep my interest until the four-year time skip. After that, I found a lot of the plot points superfluous and the rest dragged on.)
--spoilers start here--
I also did not like most of the characters:
* Aoi who was introduced as a high school brat, is suddenly a more than capable manager? At twenty? I find that not believable, especially as her main motivation is her "love" for Arata -- which feels more like a childish crush to me.
* Arata who is supposed to have strong morals, and put people before profit in the first episodes, becomes more and more ruthless and lives only for his revenge -- he even has no answer to the question "What are you going to do after?" for most of the series. That character devolpment could have been interseting but then they should have addressed it more.
* Riku, who was fine as a character, but until her surgery looked more like a FTM transgender person than a MTF transgender person. Also, why did they choose a biologically female actress? Were there no adequate male actors willing to play her? (I have no idea whether there are actual transgender actors in Japan who could have taken the role, which would have been the best choice.)
* Yuka was interesting for a lot of the episodes, because her actions were rather ambiguous. She was a character with shades of grey -- but unfortunately she was also too passive, waiting for Arata to "save her", whatever that meant.
* Ryota, the ex-criminal, had not enough screen time to develop his character. He's an example why I am not fond of time jumps -- what happened to him in the time when RC grew and he had to change his position? He started a an uneducated ruffian -- how did he manage to change to managing director?
* The one I felt the most sympathy for was Ryuji, who was the most likeable among the bunch. But why does his only reason for doing what he does have to be his "One True Love"(TM)? There are so many other motivations than that!
The Nagayas (father and elder son) were fantastic enemies though! No complaints here!
All in all, I do not regret watching it, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to others -- there are better dramas out there.
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A light-hearted, cute simple little love story about two marathon runners in college
While this is not my favourite BL of all time, it is one of the go-to BLs whenever I need a short pick-me-up.The series and the drama are identical, there are just a few scenes swapped around where the episodes end / start, probably for narrative reasons.
What I liked:
* They chose a story line that is adequate for the length of the series. Anything more complicated, and it might have become frustrating (again).
* The series is focused on the two main leads, which are supported by only a few other characters, which also fits the drama's length. I loved all of them, the coach was like an exasperated but loving uncle, the friend insightful, the two loan sharks hilariously cute.
* They did almost everything to keep the story light-hearted, from the sometimes cheesy dialogue to the upbeat music.
* The story, though straightforward, shows quite a bit of character development for BOTH main characters.
What I did not like:
* To keep it consistently light-hearted, I would have liked if the scene with the loan sharks' boss could have been less violent -- I'm sure there was another way to put pressure on SangHa than to beat him up.
Overall, a sweet and short drama.
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