The cast was another reason why I started this. The acting was superb in every single aspect. A heartbreaking story. You'll hate the whole existence after watching this.
You know those misanthropist moments when you feel ashamed being a human, watching this will leave you in that state again.
What is power? What is the power of politics that make people murder each other? What's politics that turn brothers against each other? What is a rebel? and who is the judge? Who's in the right and who's in the wrong? What's being a patriotic? Is standing for your people a crime? What's a human? What's humanity? Is life worth all the heartbreak we go through? Does anyone deserve to die? What about the people who stay behind? Who will heal their wounds?
2 hours of crying, 2 more days of depression; the result of watching this in the best scenario possible.
I will not re-watch it as long as I'm in my right mind. Won't recommend it for heartbroken people. Perfect portrayal of pain and human desperation.
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I was a big fan of kento so i thought this movie was very fantastic because there was kento. But honestly, the story was good, an innocent and cute high school love story, the conflict wasn't that hard but they made it like hard so they could touch my heart (maybe my heart was too soft), and don't forget the comedy, so this movie could make me smile or even cry (okay, i thought i was overacting). The actor and actress were so good at it. Kento was very suit with his character in this movie. But the music wasn't that good. So this movie was very recommended to watch!!
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Like Father, Like Son is bittersweet tale that is jarred with the power and emotional bond of family. It takes into question: what makes a family? Is it blood or is it the bond? Is blood truly thicker than water? Swapped children is nothing new, it's a trope. But what Koreeda does is look into this issue in detail, explore it, strip its characters bare and allows the viewer to experience (and question) the responsibilities, the decisions and the identities made/done in the film.
It is a dramatic film but not one that drowns you in useless melodrama, not one that forces you to cry and not one that feeds you with cheesy lines as family. But instead, there is rawness, there is delicate emotions portrayed and more importantly, there is realness.
Again, Koreeda channels extraordinary young talents with the two boys -- Keita and Ryusei. Not only does the contrast between the two complement their differences but it also intensifies the differences of the two families. How will a carefree boy adapt to an independent, almost traditional life? How will an independent boy adapt to a non-traditional, carefree life? How will a work-oriented father bond with his energetic, non-traditional son? How will a fun-oriented father bond with his traditional, almost serious son?
These challenges show that the people who struggle in these circumstances are not adults alone, but also the children. Keita (his real life name) portrays Keita's cuteness with invisible strength and innocence. Shogen Hwang portrayed Ryusei's energy with utmost maturity and curiosity.
Masaharu Fukuyama portrays Ryota with a distant facade that eventually tears down while Jun Kunimura balances it out with her calm and honest personality. On the other side, Lily Franky portrayed the film's comic relief that wields undeniable wisdom of fatherhood to match Ryota's and is further complemented by Yoko Maki's gentleness and cheerfulness. Each and everyone of these actors portrayed their characters with unmatched performance.
It won Jury Prize in Cannes for a reason. And it has caught the eye of Spielberg for a reason.
Amazing cinematography with attention to details (e.g. Keita's hand made rose) that plays itself as something symbolic or important in the film. Not to mention the music pacing with the frames, such beautiful piano to listen to. And finally, the contrast of the close up from the adults' POV to the children and the long shots of the children's POV to the adults. These decisions, as a whole, make Koreeda truly a talented film maker.
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This film is now over 20 years old (!!) but it is such a classic, and such a Jet Li classic too. For Jet Li fans who would like to experience his older works, this is a highly recommended watch because it not only showcases Jet Li's great martial arts in action, but it has the added benefit of being comedic and so brings along not only the action but also the laughs!
Please note that it being such an old show, the production values and the video quality of this show will naturally come across as dated and a little poor. But don't let this put you off because aside from the video quality and the lack of realism of some of the props, the movie is just brilliant.
This film showcases the good old-style directing of kung fu movies at its best. Choreography of the fight scenes is just stellar and of the quality which you will hardly be able to find in kung fu shows these days. None of that slow-motion exaggerated rubbish, none of that CGI stunt nonsense. Nope, this is raw kung fu fight scenes at its best, which means, fast-paced and high tempo. Blink-and-you-will-miss-it kind of goodness. This film won the Hong Kong Film Award and Golden Horse Award for best action choreography during its time!
The comedy in this film does not lie in the choreography or execution of the fights (they are not the Jackie Chan-style funny antics), but rather in the story itself. Fong Sai Yuk and his mother make a brilliant pair of comedic marital arts heros and more than half of the laughs are from the antics of this mother-son duo.
The overarching stories and scenes are reminiscent of the Chinese period in which it is set - Qing dynasty setting in case you've missed it with the pigtails and male queues.
There are a few things going on in this film:-
- traditional chinese match-making of its time period is showcased, where daughters of reputable families are found matches through competitive rounds among her would-be-suitors;
- traditional chinese relationship dynamics of husband-wife;
- covert rebellious activities by rebel societies, and uprisings against what is perceived as oppression by a local tyrant - the definition of what makes a man a hero is often based on his actions and attitudes towards the people, particularly to those who are in need or oppressed; and
- traditional concept of filial piety and responsibility towards parents in that generation.
Lots of traditions and concepts of that time period are very much evident and imbued in this series, making it more than just your average comedic kung fu show. There is a wealth of information about the cultural mores and attitudes of the people in those days, which make for a much more insightful and unique watch experience.
ACTING/ CHARACTERS
JET LI is simply wonderful as the titular character Fong Sai Yuk. He portrays this cheeky, playful but incredibly talented kung fu lad to the tee. Young and brash but incredibly filial and family-oriented, he is the embodiment of your typical young kung fu hero of his day. His fight scenes are simply stellar and awe-inspiring.
JOSEPHINE SIAO as Fong Sai Yuk's mother is a scene-stealer! Her comedic and weighty moments in the show are on-point, while her own kung fu scenes are as awesome and as brilliant as Jet Li's. And that's saying a huge lot, I'm telling you, because Jet Li is practically the undisputed kung fu specialist of his time.
Both mother-son duo are the lynchpin and the cornerstone of this film - without them, the film would not be as scintillating and brilliant as it is still today.
MUSIC
Memorable traditional chinese instrumentals and songs which heighten and add depth to the show, nothing is out of place.
RE-WATCH VALUE
I have this film on DVD and while it is very well used in terms of it being lent to others for the spreading of the enjoyment of this great show, I will never ever give my DVD away. This show is just too good and too nostalgic - a keeper for sure and wonderfully re-watchable for the laughs and for the kung fu fight scenes.
An awesome kung fu film of the ages - it is not called a Jet Li classic for no reason!
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When I say that this was perfect. I mean that this was absolutely perfect.
I don't write reviews. It's hard. They're usually long and I'm sure all my thoughts have already been expressed before so I've never really seen a point, but after finishing this I just HAD to get my thoughts written down. The story is great. Mermaid-loving a human, clearly it's been done before but this was done oh so right. No details were overlooked. Everything connected and flowed. I am great when it comes to guessing "who done it" and predicting what will happen next but this drama was not predictable at all. The acting was oh so good. The entire cast had amazing chemistry. ML and FL were so stinking amazing. The character and relationship development are seriously some of the best I've ever seen. I've never seen anything with Jun Ji Hyun but I'm excited to check out her other projects. Her voice in this was like melted butter on pancakes. So gosh darn yummy. The costumes, the environments. every last detail made this such an enjoyable experience, i regret waiting so long to pick this one up. I just finished this and I'm already thinking about when I can rewatch it.Was this review helpful to you?
Novoland: The Castle in the Sky Season 2
4 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
Protective love is a shield
One striking aspect about this drama: beautiful, epic, soulful background music aptly composed for all key moments in the story! Major portion of the background music and two of the osts have not only an Indian musical rhythm, aesthetics but also a pan-Asian cultural appeal. Another remarkable feature are the beautiful, regal costumes of all main and supporting leads. Also, there is no tedious love triangle. In addition, the love story between the main leads is tender, beautiful, epic, intense despite the 'over a century ' age difference.
The first 12 episodes are the best --- there is variety, entertainment, charm, romance, cuteness, humour adventure, seriousness, and exotic appeal. The rest of the episodes are okay, watchable.
Overall, the main characters and the story are refreshing, novel --- compared to other clichéd plots. However, the plot development becomes bland, unnecessarily convoluted and inconsistent from episode 26 to episode 32. The side love story is hopeless, and the reactions of the side characters are immature, impulsive. The side love story starts on an interesting note, though.
On top of that, the main vamp's past history evokes so much empathy that one wishes she wasn't alloted such a tragic ending.
Yet, the good facets of this drama such as: the style and manner of interaction between the main leads, the dialogues ( including that of the supporting leads), the background music --- are so excellent --- that it keeps one engaged.
Also, the likeable female lead is strong, feisty, optimistic, resourceful, charming, but a cute damsel in distress at the same time --- a rare combination of traits. She is very direct in her appoach towards her opponents as well as enemies. Her dialogues are always power-packed when she confronts the male lead ( her master, Xue jingkong) to discuss about their love. When it comes to love, the invincible male lead flounders ( which gets really trying sometimes) ; the female lead, on the other hand, takes the bull by its horns.
The ending of this intense love story, though happy is a bit disappointing; it's bittersweet. A decade later, the male lead is resurrected, but with all his memories gone. However, since the male lead allows Ah Che to hug him, the possibility of him falling for Ah Che does not seem small.
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Incomplete Ending
Ending felt incomplete. It felt as if not jut the base stories but the side stories were incomplete as well, almost every side story you an pick was incomplete.There was no proper chemistry development between the leads, it always went in multiple direction.
Because the story wasn't presented properly, something which could have been great lost its potential.
Acting was good of not just the leads but of side actors as well.
I have seen multiple mini series, only 30-40% of which cover the story properly, this being a mini series as well, its just too short to cover even a single story nicely.
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This review may contain spoilers
A suspense drama, also no director name.
Probably the first series from China cinematography I come upon from the genre "suspense movie". Here no information of who the director is, and in suspense movies, the Director is a figure of prime importance.So out of that, is the genre not popular in China?
Not that the movie is bad, but the tags in MyDramaList have mislead me, I would not have watched it, if I knew it was suspense.
Regarding the production - there are triller elements, there are crimes - and investigations.
Also, the ratings ctriteria that MyDramaList provided do not include aspects of assessing of the cinematography and the contribution of Director.
Regarding the plot - the FL marries the CEO of a company with the main purpose to get access to the company archives in order to obtain information regarding the past, involving one of her parents. We do not get assurance that she married out of love or that she developed unconditional love for her husband during the timeframe of the series.
The drama ends with the FL leaving her husband with a wish to have someone in the world that would love him unconditionally.
In the very end, her husband is taken to the scenery where they first met. Someone comes behind him taking a picture - he turns and smiles. This gives the viewer a hope for this unconditional love - whether the FL or not is just another suspense.
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The story is as real as it can possibly get. We see movies and/ or dramas where rumors and lies can hurt people and truly impact them but who can say they've never experienced it nor been victim of it? Yet we still do it because the consequences from it is forgotten after time.
The cast is unknown to me but they did a bang up job. The girls when they were just hanging out in the bathroom fixing their makeup played out so naturally that I'm assuming they must be friends irl, the dialogue just seemed ad-libbed at times.
This movie unfortunately has a low score but if you are thinking about whether to watch this or not, please do. The subject matter will have you feeling a plethora of emotions.
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"Eat, drink, man, woman, food and sex-basic human desires"
Eat Drink Man Woman is a film by Ang Lee that I’ve watched before and wanted to revisit. I liked it even better this time than I did the first, maybe it is an acquired taste. Food, family, love, loss, and secrets made for a tasty feast to sit down to.Mr. Chu is a widowed chef who has lost his sense of taste. He has three daughters who live with him. Each lives their lives separately except for when they sit down to the elaborate Sunday meals he prepares. One by one they face challenges, and find new love or new paths to take.
The food preparation was sumptuous. Chicken, pork, fish, a variety of seafood, hot pot, all made not only to taste with the mouth but with the eyes as well. No one would have to cook for a week with the Sunday dinners the father served. The daughters didn’t eat that much and there were enormous quantities of food leftover. Much of the food was also shared with the eldest daughter’s divorced friend and child. Mr. Chu would also pack culinary delights for the child to take to school for her lunches making her very popular with her classmates. The middle daughter loved to cook like her father, but had been banished from the restaurant kitchen so that she would find a proper job. While she excelled at her position with an airline, her passion was making the dishes she’d seen her father so thoughtfully prepare.
Everyone cared about the other yet had lost the capacity to communicate freely. Only when things began to be shaken up and the status quo was flipped over and scattered did father and daughters begin to reach out again. Sometimes a pot can be simmering quietly on the stove and is only noticed when it boils over. The dish isn’t ruined if someone attends to it lovingly. Everyone in the Chu family had to discover what made them happy, what helped them be who they wanted to be. Sometimes that exploration led to loss before it led to gain. If you enjoy watching elaborate meals being prepared as well as father-daughter, and sisterly relationships being explored, this quirky family drama is seasoned to near perfection.
21 February 2024
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Had the potential
I didn't hate this series. The storyline was interesting enough and had so much potential. This potential however was wasted with zero development in the characters. You can't deny ZeeNuNew's chemistry but love scenes are not enough to keep the viewers engaged. If you are looking for a hot series then this BL is perfect for you but in my case, I also like a well-established plot which was non-existent in this series. The beginning had me intrigued but in the end, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions.Overall the acting was not bad but for the main role, I feel like NuNew could have delivered more especially for his crying scenes. I'm in love with his voice though and I'm excited to see how his future acting roles and his promising career as a singer will unfold. Zee is an experienced actor so he portrayed his role as Lian quite well. Then we have Nat who I adore so much but unfortunately, his acting wasn't impressive either. He too has the potential as well as his partner Max whose portrayal of Hia Yi could also have been better.
My favourite couple has to be Nuer and Syn! I was more interested in their love story and I'm looking forward to their own series.
Even though this series has some intense and hot love scenes from Kuea and Lian, every other aspect of their relationship was a mess. Firstly there was no communication whatsoever and they both didn't seem to know or understand each other. Healthy communication is an important foundation for any relationship.
With Khondiao and Hia Yi what exactly was their narrative?
The ending was especially illogical. So not only do they barely know anything about each other but instead of actually spending time talking and resolving their issues they prioritise sex. A lot of aspects of this BL are a little immature and distasteful, it could have been written better.
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Action Drama That Got Me Into Korean Drama
They said, you never forget your first. This is the case for Vagabond. An action series without romance but can still make me have a good cry. I immediately wanted to see more of Lee Seung Gi and Bae Suzy. This is the effect of Vagabond to me. For that I gave the score 10 even when I think the story is not special. What I don't like is the cliffhanger. I watched Vagabond in June 2020 and I wrote this in July 2021. Seriously, how long does it take for us to know what happened?It is an action drama. I am not looking for a great story. I need action at a good pace, beautiful fighting scenes and tolerable actions. The fighting scenes are not necessarily new but they are good enough to entertain me and make me want to see more of them. Having said that, I won't comment much about the story.
Lee Seung Gi is definitely working hard for this. Later I learned more about him and I got to better appreciate his work in Vagabond. His movement, expression and body language feels right. As for Bae Suzy, in early scenes, I underestimated her role. As the stories continue, I grow to like her character and how she portrayed Go Hae Ri. That first scene where she drove and entered the meeting room is stuck in my mind, even after a year. Such a simple scene but it set the tone for Go Hae Ri. The chemistry between the two is visible. I like them.
I can't comment about the music. None that I can remember. That's not really a good sign, no?
I have rewatched this a couple of times, sometimes just some episodes. That tells how much I like it. I don't think this applies for many people though. But yes, watch it if you are a fan of LSG or Bae Suzy. This is a good action movie to binge watch after finishing a deadline.
First watch: 15 July 2020
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This review may contain spoilers
Theory Of Love Will Make You Feel Nostalgic And Warm On The Inside
I actually quite loved this one! I knew very little about this show going in and ended up thoroughly enjoying it. I've never identified with a main character more in a series than I do with Third. His entire situation with loving his best friend and not wanting to admit it at risk of losing him, I've been through that exact same situation. It's heartbreaking to see him cry over and over again. Literally Third be third-wheeling on a regular basis, its upsetting! So I think his arch was really really well done. Even when he becomes much more closed off and reserved, we as viewers totally get it because we've seen what he's gone through.Since the series is basically divided into 2 POV's (which I adore that concept btw) we also get to see Khai's side of the situation. Which is much needed since his character is so frustrating during Third's first half. He's such a hoe literally, but he has his moments that make it make sense why Third puts up with it for soooo long. Also Khai clearly doesn't really like any of the girls he's "dating". It's kind of just clout in a way. He's never been in love and admits that upfront. Everything changes once he watched Third's private confession video. Though it did take me time as a viewer to get over the reveal of Khai actually knowing that Third likes him. That was so messed up, really well done but messed up. I actually gasped out loud and gaped when him and Bone were talking about it like he would just undress Third and bang him if he was "actually into him". Ugh, the hell Khai! But eventually he got there for me as a character.
Two is actually one of my faves in this series. He's a true friend, especially when he finds out so quickly about Third's feelings. He's supportive immediately and tries to help by playing matchmaker. Also his film t shirts are great in this. Though his relationship love triangle with Un (whom I've called discount Type for some time because of the actor playing in LBC lol) and Lyn. At first I was like oh yeah Un likes Two duh, but then they set it up like Un likes Third for a bit and then Two gets with Lyn. So I was like, okay? I was find with it because Lyn is super cute and sweet. But then jealousy started happening and its revealed I was right the first time! The bisexuality is strong with this one. It sucked for Lyn because she's so sweet, but I guess it worked out.
Moving past the characters individually. I love that they're all film students because I'm a film student! Also finally not engineering in a series like this lmao. Seeing all the movies and discussions made me so nostalgic! Like when Third wanted to recreate a film love confession scene, so freaking cute. Random side note, I noticed these college students had Michael Kors, Balenciaga bags, givenchy, etc designer brand merch and I'm sitting here like where is this money coming from!? I'm a student and sure as hell don't have that kind of money. Okay back on track, I also really loved the background music/ambiance in this show. Very nicely done.
So as a couple, Third and Khai needed time to develop because of the buildup of crap we had to go through (in the best way). Once that first (real) kiss happens though its really really good. Not the bs in the bathroom, that was not okay. I'm talking about in the room when Khai went for it, the chemistry was there and it was strong my dude. I know the actors are quite close and have worked together before, so keep it up guys! You play a couple well. Like that entire "500 Days of Summer" sequence/reference they did was super cute in the furniture store. I die for that! Or when Khai said something along the lines of using his body with those girls, but his heart with Third. Damn.
All of that makes Third and Khai's fighting hit hard. The bar scene, followed up by the throwing of the bottle, getting cut by glass and the sex insinuation from Third. Oof, it was hard to watch. Third's actor (Gun) is very good and it was well done, however I wish it would've happened after more time of the two being officially together. Either way though, we get great dialogue and solid gut punches. Like Khai explaining why he didn't just tell Third the girl kissed him forcefully because he knew he wouldn't be believed due to his past. Then we think we'll get some levity, but nope we get Third hitting us with "but the Khai I know loves no one but himself" f****** ouch dude! This is followed by the train station scene...which is all I really have to say but...he waited dude! Serious character development in Khai. At the end too when he watched so many romance movies to find out what love is. "But instead of finding the answer, I found you in every one of them." UGH! I died!
Some of the things I didn't particularly care for in the series were the motorcycle crash. It was a little cliche and looked really dumb lol. Like the shots were weird of Khai just flying through the air and then bloody on the ground. Though him walking to find Third was pretty powerful. I also didn't care about Bone's plotline at all with the teacher. First of all, eww girl don't mess around with a student. I get you didn't know but still. It's also kind of out of place feeling in the story, he could've just been the side friend and coffee guy.
The ending was great. Cute couple montage, graduation and successful film career and the ending Third always wanted. Looking into his loves eyes for a final kiss, or set of kisses in their case. Would definitely recommend this one!
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A very good show for wasting your time on
The only reason why I am giving this show a 0.5 not a 0 is because I do not want to sound too harsh, and I still have to give the production group some credit at least for making something.Seeing the rating at 8.2 on MDL from 4 mysterious users alone is alarming enough for me to write a review on this, that this garbage need no spread to more audiences other than me and the other 4 person on here.
Some will question why I am watching this if it is that bad. The fact is that I only watched 2 episodes of it, and I decided that it would be the best for me to drop this show.
First reason why this show is so bad, was how it attempts to hide away the diring situation the country was in during the 60s and 70s. How they sugar-coated plenty of the historical diplomatic situation between China and other countries is ridiculous. 60s till 70s is one of the darkest era in modern China history, with Cultural revolution taking place. Different sources suggest different figures of total death toll result from it, but they are all at the scale of millions. And this show is trying to sweep all those pathetic mistake being made by the CCP under carpet. Who the fuck cares about how many countries recognise you diplomatically, when millions are killed by the childish and idiotic political decision you made.
Okay, even if your show is patriotic, at least you can make it enjoyable right? But sorry, this show is the opposite to what an enjoyable show should be. For the three episodes, it is about the same thing: leaders of foreign countries coming to China, and praise Mao. That's all. The whole 40 minutes of an episode is about leader of a particular country simping Mao. That was the same for the 3 episodes I watched, and I can conclude that it will probably be the same for the rest of the show.
The acting is dull as hell. When you have a bunch of 70 years old politicians using turtle speed of speech to communicate, and every lines they say are flat without emotions, as well as the only acting to be expressions of approval for Mao, you can see how boring this is. Even the drama play back in my primary school time was more interesting than this.
To conclude, if you are those patriotic CCP members, you will love this. Sadly I am not one of those, and I am sure 99% of the remaining of the non Chinese communities are the same.
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