Pretty solid

I randomly stumbled upon this movie. I think you would like it, if you like thriller/action movies. My favorite scenes were always the ones between the two leads, Leo and Yuri. There is some great cinematography. There's lots of blood, and quite a few comedic moments, but it's not full on campy. As someone who really enjoys campy and bizarre movies (especially Japanese, as they happen to do it best lol), I felt somewhat fulfilled on that part. That being said, it's not a lot, so even if you don't like things like that, I think you can still get some value out of this movie.

Read More

Much better than expected!!!

This had been on my list for what seemed like forever. I thought it seemed kinda interesting but also predictable, so I kept putting off watching it. I was completely wrong though!

This drama is full of the unexpected, but the twists and turns still 100% make sense and seem reasonable. I think we're all watched at least a couple of dramas with crazy twists that come out of nowhere and leave plot holes. Million Yen Women is not like that at all.

I really loved this drama. It's a wonderful thriller. The total runtime is under 6 hours, but nothing feels rushed. The pacing is literally perfect. Personally, I was hooked almost immediately. I'm not really the type to binge dramas without breaks, but that's pretty much what I did with this one. Each episode is 20ish minutes and ends with a cliffhanger. It's really easy to watch several episodes without even realizing you're been sitting there for hours. I don't watch Japanese dramas very much because I find them to be too fast paced a lot of times, but I thought this was fantastic.

The acting was good. I especially liked the facial expressions of several of the main actresses. The editing was good, as well. There are certain sound effects that are used in the second half of the drama that I loved, totally suit the vibe of the drama.

If you want a short thriller/mystery drama, this is perfect!

Read More

Miss in Kiss is frustrating but fun

This is my first review, so bear with me here lol

Miss in Kiss is an adaptation of Itazura na Kiss. However, I didn't know that until I was ~1/3 of the way through. So this review is from the perspective of someone who went into this completely blind, just expecting it to be like any other drama.

Basic plot --> our main character, Yueqin, is a Taiwanese high school girl. Her mother is dead, so her family consists of just her and her father. She has 2 female friends (who really aren't that important to the story) and a male friend named Ahjin, who is in love with Yueqin. Yueqin and her friends are in the dumb class essentially. The number 1 smartest student in the school is Zhishu, who Yueqin has been in love with since the beginning of high school. Zhishu is known for being rich, smart and handsome, and so girls are always fawning over him throughout the course of the series. For a reason that's honestly nonsensical, Yueqin and her father's new house is totally destroyed. But, as it just so happens, Yueqin's father was best friends with Zhishu's father back in the day; and so Yueqin and her father go and live with Zhishu and his family (mother, father, younger brother). There's a semi love triangle (more on this in a moment) in the series with Ahjin, Yueqin and Zhishu.

Cast & acting --> I think this series was very well casted. I especially loved the 2 actresses who played Yueqin and Zhishu's mother. Yueqin's behavior is kinda cringey, but I think the actress did well with it nonetheless. Dino Lee is the actor who played Zhishu. I felt like a lot of times Zhishu was very confusing between what he says, does and his facial expressions. However, I think this was a story issue more than an acting issue. Zhishu is supposed to be a tsundere type, and so since we almost never know what his thoughts are, he seems super inconsistent. Despite being aware of that, I personally found it to be annoying. I think Dino Lee did a good job with the character though with all things considered.

The semi love triangle --> Miss in Kiss is one of those dramas where the end couple is already told to you from the beginning. It's never a question of who Yueqin would end up with. Sure, there are a few moments where the audience is teased with the prospect of Yueqin being with the other guy, but you already know that that isn't how the series will turn out. I now know that Itazura na Kiss is pretty well known, but I think that while this series is definitely a fun watch, it would have been more interesting if they didn't straight up tell you from the very beginning who Yueqin ends up with.

How I feel about the ending --> Personally, I think Yueqin ended up with the wrong guy. As I said in the last section, it's very clear who Yueqin will end up with; so if you're anything like me, then while watching you'll constantly be like "omg no! Not him!" and you'll be super crazy frustrated. Yueqin has been chasing after the same guy for literal years, despite him not only being obviously not interested, but also mean and borderline cruel to her. So while there were definitely moment where I liked him initially, the games he plays get old very fast. He's quite sadistic towards Yueqin, in my opinion. As for the other guy, he's quite likable. There are definitely moments where he embarrasses Yueqin; but throughout the series, he cares for Yueqin greatly and wants for her to be happy, and it's 100% obvious. I kept finding myself wishing that the show would just suddenly do a 180 so that Yueqin could end up with him instead. As much as the main guy is a jerk, this guy is a sweetheart.

Conclusion --> Despite my all my issues with the main love interest, I finished and enjoyed Miss in Kiss. As I said in the beginning, I didn't know about Itazura na Kiss until this series; but, I definitely plan on watching more Itazura na Kiss adaptations. It's weirdly an addicting story. I think a huge reason why is because the characters were so fun and unique from each other (namely Yueqin, Zhishu, Ahjin, Zhishu's mom, and towards the end of the series, Ziyu). So while the romance part of the series is quite frustrating, I recommend watching Miss in Kiss simply because it's fun.

Read More