Kate

Rom-com turned psychological thriller

Imagine all the unhealthy relationships in dramas. Now, multiply that image by 100. And guess what, it still does not get close to the toxic ride I’ve got from this show.

Truth to be told, the first 10-11 episodes were a top grade hate watch. I had so much fun with how ridiculous the plot was, how toxic the ML was and yet no one saw any problems with it. After that though, it turned into a snooze fest. It was not even entertaining enough for a solid hate watch anymore.

Ling Yi Zhou is easily the worst main lead in the history of romance dramas, and yet, no one had much problems with his awful schemes, including the female lead.

I don’t even want to talk about Xia Lin. Girl needs some serious psychological help. Honestly don’t know who had more issues, her or ML.

Anything good about the show? Chu Yan, one of the semi realistic people. The chemistry between Xu Kai Cheng and Simona Wang was really good and natural. I almost enjoyed their domestic scenes when I was able to block the toxic parts out of my brain for a few seconds here and there.

Overall: I don’t know. I had fun at first because of the ridiculous writing - the plot twists were so over the top and gross (if we talk about real life) I was crying from laughing, but after some time it got boring… There are some makjang plot lines that cannot be topped. The show picked at episode 11, and went downhill from there.

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Seeking the chance without regret

Beautifully written and directed tale on chasing after your dreams and hopes regardless of external factors, whenever they are your age, family, social expectations or past demons keeping you away from taking that chance.

The true star of the show was Shim Deok Chul played by Park In Hwan. Both, how the character was written, and then portrayed on screen made me as a viewer relate to him, empathize with his journey and root for his success even though, practically speaking, we had close to nothing in common. The story was so touching and beautiful that it left me dehydrated because of all the crying (not all the tears were sad).

Acting wise, I had a small beef with Song Kang - his emotional scenes were just… not emotional. The sadness, fear, loss, frustration his character was supposed to feel, were not translated via his acting on screen.

Sadly, Shim Deok Chul arc was both the blessing and the curse of the drama. All the other plot lines felt flat when compared - there were just too many characters that at the end of the day, were relaying the same message. Dropping some characters from the script, and allowing the rest to present better structured and developed plot lines could have potentially elevated the quality of the overall storytelling.

The production quality was, dare I say, perfect. Props to Song Kang double and the director for filming the ballet scenes in a way that was consistent and it did not feel like I’m watching two completely different people doing completely separate takes of the same scene.

The OST is one big bop, having both slower and sentimental songs and faster tracks.

Overall, it was a ride that, at times, was tough to emotionally deal with, but still worth all the tears. It did not leave me completely depressed, as I was fearing, taking into consideration the used themes. What I’ve got was a beautiful conclusion to a beautiful story.

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Villains downgraded, entertainment maintained, Jimnam still hot.

Even though I was not as disappointed in season 2 as many people were, I do understand the complaints, since not one aspect of the production was improved, while some actually declined in delivery. Still, was it fun? Hell yeah.

The plot just continues from season one - Jian and Jinman forced to be against Babylon. Same good team, new villains, no nuance. While some plotlines and characters had good potential, it was never used. Schemes on top of schemes, twists on top of twists - don’t try to figure it out, just enjoy the ride. The plot and motivations of the characters are not deep enough to use any brain power on them.

What can I say about the “good” guys… decent guys? Gray characters? Still love Jian and Jinman. I love when the focus relationship that drives the whole show is not a romantic one. It always feels more refreshing, no matter what. I found Jian’s arc to be rather well paced and presented. Her resistance to accept the fact she is part of that dangerous world and there is no turning back anymore was decently developed and the turning point for her acceptance also made sense.

Jinman for sure is one of the best written and consistent characters in both seasons. Every decision he makes makes sense, his objectives have clear purpose - there is no guessing game why he does what he does, it’s clear from day one. Protecting Jian is his life mission, but I like how it’s not a stagnant arc. He goes from trying to protect her by hiding things from her, to accepting the fact the best way to protect her is supporting her own choices. It’s also wise to remember how hot Lee Dong Wook is in this role.

While I enjoyed good-ish guys a lot, I cannot say the same for the antagonists. I cannot comprehend who thought it was a good idea to write off all the most distinctive fun and entertaining ones, to leave us with the psycho who is nothing, but the empty shell with no substance. That’s what the second season lacks the most - good villains with well developed motivations. Kusanagi Jin gave me nothing writing wise. I am sorry, but making your bad guys act completely psychopathic is not enough anymore, the audience wants more.

Luckily, the acting was as strong as we would hope it would be. This is an action packed drama, so I need to appreciate the hard work that was put into delivering well choreographed fighting scenes. The dominant emotion that was presented on the screen was desperation, and it did translate in any and all aspects of the performances. The deliveries that stood out for me were: obviously the man Lee Dong Wook - he needs to stick to these darker and more serious roles, this what suits him the best. I’m gonna speak from my heart - he is just so hot when he is all fighting with blood on his face. It is what it is.

Kim Hye Jun also made sure her performance was on the same level as her co-stars. Jung Yun Ha saved Kusanagi Jin with her acting, because the writing was not it. And we have to talk about Okada Masaki as J - I wish for a prequel focused just on J and Q. What an entertaining ride that would be.

As for directing - still fun. I don’t think anything truly stood out. The storytelling was far more linear, there were less unique ways to present the plot and the twists. The story just sailed smoothly from point A to point B with little disturbance. Which is a little bit disappointing.

What I liked about season one was how they delivered non-linear storytelling. Cutting the scenes and moving between the timelines at just the right moments to create the suspense - this is what this season lacked for sure. They went for typical plot twists that at some point were painfully easy to predict. While season two kept the entertainment aspect high, it lacked the tension.

As I already said - the fighting scenes were still amazing. Well choreographed and well acted - you can see they did put some effort into practice to make them seem realistic and dynamic. What I did not like were the Terminator-esque robots showing up a few times - they looked extremely fake and took me out of the show every time. Except for them, all the other CGI and special effects were good.

Similarly, the set design was fine. Nothing truly stood out either in a positive nor negative manner. Sadly, while I love the soundtrack, I think they did not utilize it to its full potential. These songs hit hard when you listen to them outside of the show, but when you watch the scenes they are used in, they do not have the same impact.

Overall, it was not as good as season one, but I also think it was not as bad as people claim it to be. The biggest mistake the show made was writing off all the best antagonists, leaving the viewers with mediocrity in the second half.

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Hear me out...

Whenever you gonna love, hate or have ambiguous feelings about this season is all dependent on whenever you like Youkyung - she was the main character and the editing was focusing on her a lot. Since she was my favorite, I loved the season a lot.

Does this season deliver a lot on love lines? Not really. There is exactly one ship with solid progression and if you are not into these two people, nothing will do much for you since most pairings felt like Titanic to crush from the start. That said, what this show for sure delivered for me are friendships and fun interactions. This felt far more like a slice of life than romance genre.

The friendship between the girls was amazing to watch and if you add Queen Jun Hyeon it gets even better. I love that no matter how complicated the romantic relationships were, it never felt like it negatively affects the friendships themselves. Bromance between Jun Hyeon and Seowon? Amazing. Seowon and Youkyung as besties? Perfection.

Obviously there are major flaws too. I don't even want to talk about PPLs, these were a joke. Usually I don't mind these, I view them as literal adds, but when they used pairing interactions to sell products it makes you doubt how real their interactions were in the first place and how much of it was scripted.

What's more, Jeong Gyu Ri issue. Do I care what's the truth? Not really. Sure she is participating in a variety show, but in my eyes she is still a normal private person, I don't care about what happens outside of the show. But I hated how the production team dealt with it. Staying silent, then saying they are checking out the truth, then silence, and then just writing her off completely. Especially since she did in fact bring some spice into the show - that legendary truth game!

Then the forced editing. If by the end you start showing clips from earlier moments that you cut out of the show to confuse the viewers into believing there was more hesitation and conflict than there really was - that's not clever, that's dumb. There is a limit to how much you can manipulate the footage before it becomes a full clownery. I get it, you want people to keep guessing, but you need to have some limits.

Still, I liked this season a lot and I hope we will get a special episode or two with the cast watching some clips from the episodes and interacting with each other more.

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To quote the movie: “Storytime is over, I’m bored”

Okay, I was not really bored, but I was slightly frustrated. I wish they just made it a comedy horror - it had so many elements working for it, if they leaned a little bit more into the silliness and exaggeration of that situation.

The movie is way too goofy to be a serious psychological horror, but also not goofy enough to be a comedy. It dances between two completely different atmospheres not knowing what it should be. Personally, I loved the scenes that had these tiny jokes or just borderline acid delivery. I did laugh a few times. Rose was extremely likeable - fun, with realistic reactions, solid survival instincts.

The plot is extremely simple and obvious after 30 minutes of watching. There is no real big twist, since it’s not hard to guess who the villain is from the start. But it is a fun and easy watch. I did find one scene quite… unnecessary, but I am also not surprised it exists.

For the production, I was actually quite impressed with the practical effects of the injuries and blood. I also loved how cheap and childish the costume of the villain was - it made sense for that character.

Was this some groundbreaking cinematic experience? No. Did I have fun? Hell yeah. This is a good movie for a silly group watch fir sure.

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Fast, fun, and already fading.

Almost worked, but not quite right. The characters were fun, the set up was interesting, the chemistry did sparkle a few times, but why do I feel so unsatisfied with what I’ve got?

What I enjoyed was the curse of extremes - I liked how they presented both bad luck and good fortune as potential sources of negativity and isolation. On one hand Fukuhara Kota kept to himself, because he was afraid of affecting others with misfortune. On the other hand Naoya struggled with creating deep connections with people after countless bad experiences of being exploited because of his good luck.

The grass is never greener on the other side, it’s green where it’s taken care of. It was great to witness how the characters slowly come to that conclusion. They learned how to change perspectives as a way of dealing with their circumstances. Instead of running away from potential issues, they focused on the positive outcomes they previously neglected.

When I think about the characters as individuals though, Fukuhara Kota was quite confusing. Technically they told me he built a fake personality as a way to protect himself, but I don’t think they were truly clear about what aspects of how he acts were fake and what was real. The drama opened with him approaching Naoya with the “fake”, but later when he shows his true self, it’s not really much different - he still is bubbly, overexcited about certain things… The only difference is how he lets himself explore and present frustration which he was more likely to conceal before. That said, I did adore the inside voice commentary Kota kept giving whenever something he disliked happened, but he still wanted to play fake nice about it.

Then we have Shinomiya Naoya lacking some depth. I wish they dived deeper into his insecurities concerning his good luck and how he kept being used by people around him. We did not really get much of it and he was a bit too perfect for me liking. Patient, caring, nice - I cannot even name any flaw in the character. And the flaws are what makes them feel real.

The romance was surprisingly the weakest part. Kota was so hyperactive and animated it was hard to truly get into his chemistry with more laid back Naoya - they did not keep the tension between the characters, always breaking it with some overexaggerated reactions from Kota. While I did enjoy the few looks of adoration Naoya delivered, overall there was something missing… I feel like many scenes did not use the full potential of the set up presented and it was always somehow half-baked.

I did like all the performances, be it from the main cast or the supporting one. Even with limited screentime and their stories not being shown, Naoya’s friends did feel like distinctive individuals.

Overall, this was an extremely fun and fast watch that I will equally extremely fast forget.

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Way more slice of life than I thought it would be.

Even though there is no comedy genre, I somehow went into it thinking it would be far more silly in terms of plot, characters and relationship. What I’ve got had far more depth and complexity and even if I disagreed with certain choices, I understood where they were coming from. Be it result of miscommunication, fear, insecurity, need for growth, care or love - nothing felt arbitrary.

But also, not this drama turning me into a redditor screaming “divorce!”, “break up!”, “move on!”. The conflicts were so annoyingly real it was impossible not to connect to the characters and experience what they are feeling. Be it fear of losing or starting a relationship, shame concerning their own desires and wants, incompatibility - whatever the core of the issue was, they managed to present it in an easy to understand and relatable manner.

Maybe because the characters and conflicts had so much depth I did not feel fully satisfied? These 8 episodes were enough to give me set up and proper closure, but not enough development.

As for the sex - yes, there is sex in the drama. Quite a lot of it. No, it’s not “artsy blurred make out scenes ending on hand holding”. The sex scenes are actually really… normal. Which is kind of the point of the show - sex is normal. What surprised me was the almost complete lack of nudity. Even during the scenes we know characters are naked, we don’t really see much thanks to the well planned camera work and use of props.

Acting wise - I dare anyone to have any complaints. No matter how normal or eccentric the characters might have been, how exciting, mundane, heartbreaking or uplifting were the moments in their lives, the actors delivered.

I saw many people describe this drama as educational, which I would for sure agree with, but I think it’s more about encouraging reflection about topics like sex, intimacy, honesty, communication, relationships, setbacks and traumas. It’s not just “sex lessons”, it’s life lessons and sex is just a part of it.

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What the author had in mind?

First thing first: trigger warning for real animal cruelty. Damn 2000's was a different time for this movie to be able to exist. It's mostly fish, but they are not that nice towards dog, bird and frog either...

This movie is kind of hypnotising - you cannot stop watching not matter how gross and weird it gets. You question everything and yet you don't hit that pause button. I think the depth of that movie is hidden deep down in the mind of the author. Is this deep symbolism, or is it a shallow pretentious symbolism? I don't know.

The movie has little to no dialogue and yet it was directed in a way I did understand easily what was going on and what the characters were thinking and feeling (it was all fucked up, but I could grasp it). It's a story of two broken people becoming more broken and more fucked up.

The acting was great, not gonna lie. Seo Jung as Hee Jin was simply disturbing.

Overall... that was quite an experience and I don't think I know even one person I would recommend this movie to.

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Conclusion: everyone was wrong and everyone was right.

And I don’t know how I feel about it. I’m honestly convinced a lot of people got brainwashed by how good the last few episodes were, to believe this drama is a true masterpiece, when at the same time most of us agreed that the whole mid section was quite meh.

Here’s the thing - by the end of the drama I kind of wanted everyone dead. Personally, there wasn’t really a character to root for. Everyone was hypocritical and painfully frustrating. On one hand, this was one of the aspects that made the drama objectively good - complex and flawed characters. On the other hand, it left me with no emotional stakes - I couldn't care less about what will happen to all these people. And I’m a character driven viewer: I can watch a boring plot, as long as I like the characters, but I get bored with an interesting plot, if I don’t vibe with anyone.

It started strong. Sure, I disliked fans’ favorite - Bang Won, but I adored a lot of other characters: Sam Bong, Boon Yi, Bang Ji. All characters had distinctive personalities, motivations, and moral values. But the closer to the end we’ve got, the less interesting the majority of the characters became. Some were just stagnant with little to no change or development, some completely lost any individuality and felt a bit too like plot devices. Sure, Bang Won and Sambong were great, dynamic, driven, smart, but also amazingly flawed. But it’s “Six Flying Dragons” not “Two Flying Dragons”.

All that said, Six Flying Dragons for sure had one of the most fulfilling endings of all dramas I have seen - everything just made sense and I could clearly see how all the events and characters led to that conclusion. It was just satisfying and I might have cried just a little bit.

The performances were amazing. I know many people are not on board with Shin Sae Kyeong, but for me, she did exactly what the character demanded from the actress. She was not supposed to be this charismatic and badass fighter, she represented the normal people and for me, her delivery matched that energy well. Objectively speaking I know Yoo Ah In did an amazing job, but I disliked Bang Won so much, it’s hard for me to verbalize what was good about the performance - it for sure made me feel a lot of different emotions… Best performance though: Park Hyuk Kwon. Being able to deliver both Gil Tae Mi and Gil Seon Mi, and make them feel like truly two different people was a phenomenal job done.

As for production - impressive. The fact that even after 8 years the drama does not feel dated at all is surprising. The styling, production value and budget for dramas changed so much in the past few years, achieving this level of quality in 2015 could not have been easy. Best part? Fighting scenes! The choreographies were truly pure perfection. Some I rewatched good 10 times.

Overall, it’s a great and addicting drama with a bit too much filler plots in the middle part.

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Going into this show one needs to understand this is not really a dating show. It definitely focuses on the hardships of existing couples and any “dates” seem more like a distraction from what’s going on. You won’t really get butterflies watching it, there is no “hot tea” of who likes whom and why. It’s more frustration, pain and a lot of sadness and this is kind of why I liked it.

Quite quickly you can figure out no new couples will form here. While the dates provide a new perspective for the couples to view their own relationship, it would be painfully ridiculous and unrealistic for any of these people to fall in love with a new person in just two weeks. And that’s one of the aspects I did not like - short duration. I honestly don’t think 2 weeks is enough of a time for a show with a premise like that. It probably would be better if the filming took a month - just keep them all in Seoul and let them go to work, so they don’t take a full 2 weeks off.

Because the duration was so short, a lot of things felt rushed and we kind of got bombarded with new developments, constant arguments and unresolved issues. I cannot even imagine how exhausting it must have been for the participants.

That said, it’s still a surprisingly great show. Somehow, no matter how flawed the relationships might have been, I rooted for most of them to stay together. It was nice to watch them learn how to communicate with each other and appreciate the bond they have.

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Bumpy road with not so smooth storytelling.

Copycat Killer is for sure not anything groundbreaking, but it has its charm thanks to the 90’ set up and great performances.

It’s best to watch it without trying to figure it all out. If you start to pay too much attention to the plot and certain details, you’ll start to get more and more frustrated. Yes, it’s the case of poorly done detective work and letting the killer get away a few too many times before the final face off. If you just go with the flow, it’s a rather entertaining watch and game of wits from people who don't really have that much wits in the first place.

Honestly speaking, I truly enjoyed the first 3 and last 3 episodes, but the middle part was just not well constructed and, at least for me, it failed to connect the initial set up to the given conclusion. All the revelations made sense, but they never truly felt earned. I also wished we had more background on the mastermind, more information and explanation for his motives. They spent a lot of time developing things that by the end did not matter as much as the vital aspect that were left underdeveloped.

Copycat Kill in a not so subtle way delivers a message about the biased portrayal of victims in media and the negative consequences of chasing after topics, disregarding feelings of people who are involved. While the message was clear, even that felt a bit wishy-washy in the presentation.

Best aspect of the drama? Undoubtedly the performances. Chris Wu aced the role of the justice driven, hardworking prosecutor with a tragic past. The raw emotions and vulnerability he delivered on screen amazed me quite a few times. That was truly a one man story. Technically speaking there were 7 main characters, but by the end of the show, everyone seemed like a supporting character for Guo Xiao Qi’s journey.

Personally, I loved the production quality. Great and detailed set designs, beautiful use of lighting, smooth editing and transitions between scenes. The 90’ aesthetics were presented in a realistic way without making the show look dated. The few gore scenes had perfectly done makeup and practical effects. It's not over the top graphic just to shock the audience, but it also does not shy away from the reality of the gruesome crime.

Overall, a nice watch. Nothing thrilling enough that would make you binge watch in one sitting, but something that might make you want to watch an episode every few days.

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The initial hesitation and resignation I felt when I started watching, turned into interest and excitement by the end. I mean, I did not think a group of annoying and obnoxious teens that are basically asking to be killed could make a fun watch - I was wrong.

Somehow, I slowly got invested. I honestly didn’t care who would survive, I just wanted a few dead, and after each vote I got more and more anxious and annoyed - what if they will survive? Not really caring about these kids is actually a good thing. This movie is not made to awaken empathy in viewers, it’s not deep, and does not serve as social commentary. You are here for the thrills of who will die and who will survive the mind games.

What I also liked about this story is how we saw both the participants and the operators' perspective. Personally, I think it made the movie more digestible.

Acting was good. I don’t think it needed strong performances. Asakura Fuyuna was probably my favorite.

Overall, surprisingly fun, building the tension and thrills as it goes with a great ending that actually made me appreciate it even more.

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Being brave does not mean not being afraid...

It means doing what's right despite your fears. Great message for a movie that obviously has kids as their target audience. And for kids I would for sure recommend it.

It was painfully cheesy, especially the ending. The messages were literally slapped into my face, no ambiguity, no need to dwell on them more. The power of love, care, friendship, bravery, apology, reconciliation - everything kids should be learning about, you have it here.

Watanabe Kei is honestly a great character - usure and scared, but willing to learn and improve if it means helping others and saving his younger brother. He is not a perfect hero, he is a normal kid that other children can relate to. What helps is also an amazing performance from Terada Kokoro - this child knows how to scream and has actually great comedic and dramatic skills.

Production was nice, typical for fantasy movies for younger audiences, focused on the practical makeup and costumes with CGI just as an addition slapped on top.

Overall, while I obviously was not in mind of the creators when they made it, I still had a great time and even cried by the end. As cheesy as it was, it’s a nice and simple story that can teach kids some life lessons.

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Another nonsensical movie for the win.

The most surprising thing is: it was not that bad at the beginning. I would even call it decent. I went into it thinking “piranhaconda”, but got an opening of a not bad disaster movie. The joy did not last though, and it turned into a full on laughter about all the absurdities.

Trying to find logic and realism would be harder than finding Wally with blindfold on. Truly nothing made sense. The villain was comical, the physics did not work, the crocodile had some magical powers to do all the stunts he did. Most characters had a negative will to live too. As brainless as it was, I did have fun watching.

My favorite part was when the crocodile was running wild and everyone on set was looking everywhere, but the crocodile. Obviously they did not even use a toy electric car to give the actors indication where the animal is supposed to be at any given scene - unintentional comedy goals.

Have to say though, while the CGI was not great, it was actually better than many Chinese wuxia shows I have seen. Easier to make it decent with all the dark sets - you can care less about the details. Still, surprised with the not awful quality.

Overall, it’s a good fun watch with a group of friends. You can place bets on who will die first too, or who will survive till the end.

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Vast improvement in storytelling compared to previous movies.

I always had exactly the same issue with Whispering Corridors - they always try to make the audience question if the events happening are the result of supernatural or not, but they also always dump over the top spooky stuff in the last 15 minutes. Here, the pacing and storytelling was more gradual and the ending actually gave a solid answer to the events happening.

For sure my favorite installment. You still need to pay more attention than while watching other horror movies to get the story and not get confused by anything, but it is possible to truly understand everything, and that’s something I cannot say about all Whispering Corridors films. The Humming was simply a solid plot with good storytelling.

It does tackle some triggering issues (TW in the comment under spoiler), but it’s not explicit - they set it so everyone knows what happened, but they don’t slap you in the face with scenes you would rather not see. Can’t say the same about gore - while nothing bothered me (I’m not exactly easily grossed out), there is some blood, there are some mutilated bodies. Nothing too intense, but better know about it before picking up the movie. Especially since the previous Whispering Corridors movies were not exactly known for bloody content.

I liked the acting a lot. A lot of characters were rather basic, but Kim Seo Hyung as Noh Eun Hee delivered a perfect performance. Well presented gradual transition of where the characters started and where it ended.

Production wise it was a well made horror, honestly nothing spectacular. Two semi-jumpscares bothered me, because they were painfully unnecessary and cheap. Glad we did not get more of it.

Overall, that’s the Whispering Corridor movie I would recommend with no regrets. You can skip all the rest.

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