Editorials 
"LOLOHMYGOD HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL IN CHINESE LOLWTF SRSLY"
Now that you're all over the fact that this movie exists at all, let me tell you that this is actually an official Disney production.
... And one would not want to believe that while watching.
The reason I decided to watch this movie was because it's strikes me as the kind of movie you can't know exists - and then NOT watch it. I therefore curled up in a sofa with my friend and had a go, and I cannot count the amount of facepalms that happened that night.
First of all, the story differs a little bit from the original HSM that we all (well, some) know and love. In the original movie, the story has quite deep substanse compared to this one (and it pains me more to write it than you can ever imagine). The characters hardly interact with eachother, but seem to be perfect best friends and enemies regardless of this. It just baffles me. I was also very confused by parts of the story, since I completely lost track of what was going on at some times. Not to mention, it took me about half an hour to figure out who the main characters were. That's never a good sign.
The acting was dreadful. At times it was just embarrassing to watch, and the characters were so shallow it hurt me to the bone. I can't completely blame this on the actors though, because the writers didn't exactly give them much to work with. The dramatic line coming from Poet (Chinese Zac Efron) after he was "betrayed" (seriously, what actually happened there?) by his Ning Ning (Chinese Vanessa Hudgens) will follow me in a sarcastic matter forever more - "I tried drowning my pain in water, but it seems my pain has learned how to swim." Deep stuff there, I'll give you that. It just doesn't work in the setting at all.
You're all probably wondering about my "high" music score. That is because of two specific songs in the movie - if they had been choreographed differently and sliiiiight modifications had been made to the vocals, I would not have hated it. I actually still find myself, annoying as it may be, humming to one of them.
If I ever were to rewatch this, it would have to be in 10 years when I don't remember what happened and want a good laugh. Though I really doubt it will happen. As I said, it's the kind of movie you just HAVE to watch, but one time is enough.
So why would I rate it a 5? Well, despite my negative attitude and low scores, I actually had a blast watching it. It was so awkward and embarrassing at times that I couldn't help myself from laughing (mostly at parts not meant to be funny...), and it has given me a lot of inside jokes with the friend I watched it with. And for that, I treasure it.
I would recommend people who haven't watched it to watch it just so you can say 'Hey, I watched High School Musical in chinese!'. People may look at you funny, but some may also laugh their asses of and join the epidemic themselves (because that is what I'm trying to start here - or maybe not). That's the kind of atmosphere you'd have to go for to watch this movie, because if you're looking for a movie with a plot and substance, then you ought to look elsewhere.
Still, I will never say I regret to have watched it.
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The story is very well written above all. No free events that appear out of nowhere as it does happen in many of the latest dramas. It's a classic story (the good ones will never happen to be the bad ones or vice versa) but with very interesting dramatic twists and well constructed characters learning important lessons for the final.
It's assumed that the main characters are 4, but from the beginning it seems that the main couple is that of the hotel managers and their complicated love story; however, when Frank and Yun Hee appear the story gets complicated, and that's great XD
I have to confess that I fell totally in love with the "Yoon Ah-Yong-joon" couple , I never had seen them in any other drama and seeing them here made me their number one fan, they are one of the best couples I've ever seen. On the other hand, I must say that during the first three quarters of the drama I didn't like the character of Hye Kyo because she was very arrogant, but in the final episodes, her character was more sensitive and I ended up liking her.
About music, there are two songs that I found great and that's why I qualified music with 9: "For Love" and the lovely "The Day You Come to Me" by Kang Chul. Although the drama hasn't a very diverse soundtrack and usually repeated this last song for all the romantic scenes, the melody and lyrics are as beautiful to me that I don't think that devalues the drama in any way.
In short, I think this is definitely one of the best classic dramas out there and should not be missing on your watchlist, especially because you will be satisfied with the end... although it leaves something to the imagination XD. Highly recommended!!!
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Nothing like the original and a miscast ML
The original is better imo. There was something about the sillyness and slapstick nature of kdrama that made it work. ML in kdrama was written well and made likeable. This show has not really redeemed him and it was "put them together 2 together just because. So watch it as just another show forget the other show! Now as a show:The trip in kdrama when they bond and talk like old friends made me ship them. We didnt really get the long sweet moments of just and FL was in love with younger ML.
2ml and 2fl are strong characters and shouldnt have been cast as seconds. I feel they got a bit more airtime than they should have. A lot of scenes of them talking about the other two instead of more scenes of ml and fl just ",hanging out". I see why people have 2ml syndrome. We just didnt get enough of ml and fl chemistry. I even didn't see why he left 2FL. It was just a bunch of weirdness!
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This review may contain spoilers
What a beautiful, loving drama!
I was hesitant to watch this bc of the low rating. I gave it a chance since comments were praising this drama. So happy I did!It is so unique, calming, loving, drama. The way he (ML) starts loving her, so innocent, shy, tender, special in his unique way was touching. His acting was superb! I enjoyed the 30 episodes! Didn’t find it draggy in any moment! The way FL teaches him to grow and think of himself first. The way he teaches her in his own humble way. He surely won her with his patience, caring and humbleness. He showed her that she was his only and forever love and at the end he won.
Can’t say enough about this drama! Never thought I would love it so much!
If you don’t mind age gap and can see love in its best way then give it a try! I was hooked from the first couple of episodes.
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To me, what really made this drama one of my favourites on my currently watching list is the one and only Dr. Lee Young Oh. Thank you Jang Hyuk for the incredible acting, I got chills! This character is what made me so excited to watch a new episode week after week. I just wanted to see more of him and try to decipher is mind, which is indeed a “Beautiful Mind”. I won’t even lie: emotionally damaged characters are my favourite kind of characters. The psychological aspect of this story is just brilliant.
I’ve read a lot of negative comments about how Gye Jin Sung is a clueless, stupid and annoying character but I couldn’t disagree more! It’s true she lets herself be carried away by her emotions and makes decisions impulsively but I guess that’s exactly how she’s supposed to be, so we can see the contrast between her and Dr. Lee Young Oh. Even though they’re completely different, the romance wasn’t forced. They needed each other so they could both find a balance between “brain and heart” and become better characters. Park So Dam did a really good job with her character. I’ve only watched her once in “Because It’s The First Time” and she didn’t impress me much. However, she surprised in this drama.
A big shoutout to all of the cast. The chemistry between all the actors was pretty good. (Power Rangers doctors, thank you for the laughs!)
All the episodes were really interesting and the story never dragged. The only negative thing I have to point out is about the research on regenerative medicine. Sometimes the scenes related to this were kind of repetitive and boring but they turned out better over the episodes.
The OST suited the mood of each scene wonderfully. Every time “Dirt” by Bernard Park played my heart ached for Dr. Lee Young Oh even more. God, how I love this song! It conveys so many emotions, it really touches your heart in a special place. All of the other instrumental songs were extremely appropriate to the tense atmosphere.
I recommend this drama to anyone who loves psychological and medical dramas. I promise you won’t waste your time. Don’t give up on this just because it ended earlier than planned. I don’t know how the ending would be if there were two more episodes but I can say that I’m pretty satisfied with how things were wrapped up!
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Anyways, the story itself is touching and heartwarming. The first few episodes are them working on setting up the exhibition, finding the dogs, and setting out to Antarctica. Like the last reviewer stated, how many dramas (Asian ones at that) settle around the Arctic? But not only that, this story is based off of a true one. While I'm sure they through in scenes to make it more moving and to draw you in more (which they did excellently by the way) most of what you see is how it really took place.
The acting was top notch. This is my first drama with Kimura Takuya and he really stood out in his role. His love for the dogs and his actions as a leader. Of course the rest of the cast was great as well, and I think Yamamoto Yusuke acted his best in this role.
The dogs were who really really stood out though. Again, like the last reviewer stated, how they got the dogs to act so perfectly in their roles amazed me. It was natural and realistic, everything they did and how they acted. And it added 10x more to the story. You can't watch this drama and not expect to get attached to the dogs and their teamwork and spirit. I can only imagine how well trained these dogs are.
The music fitted the drama, but it's nothing I'd really listen to outside of it. The instrumentals were moving and the actual ending song went along well with it.
I'm not sure when I'll ever rewatch this, but I can definitely see myself watching it again someday. It's a really good drama. I just can't see it happening for awhile (my next step is watching the original movie and then rewatching Eight Below and comparing the stories).
Overall, I feel this drama is a bit underrated on MDL. It's a drama about faith and encouragement and working together as a team. It's a drama that shows that the life of a dog is just as valuable as a life of a human. It's a drama that really pulls you in and leaves you with a bittersweet feeling. You can't watch this drama and not feel a single drop of emotion.
Keep a box of tissues by you!
This drama has a hint of romance, but it's not what it's about or focused on so don't expect much in that department. Same with Comedy. Expect discovery and teamwork and drama.
TL;DR?
Watch it!! It's worth your time!
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This review may contain spoilers
This is by far the best BL I have ever watched.
The story is unique and interesting. I watched each episode fully, without having to skip parts because the episode was boring, or nothing was happening, like many BL's I've watched. The story wasn't confusing and it was easy to understand, there weren't a lot of couples to remember.One big part of it is that usually, I either like the main couple more or I like the side couples more. But I enjoyed each couple, and couldn't wait to see more of each of them. Likeable side characters are really hard to pull off in any series, but this one did it.
The main couple had a lot of chemistry, speaking they had already been a couple in a separate series. And when watching them interact I never felt uncomfortable or awkward for the characters. The acting was amazing, and it didn't make me look away or cringe.
The characters weren't annoying or cringy, or stereotypical. Almost every single BL i've watched had a cringy feminine bottom, and more masculine top, but it wasn't like that at all. It was a gay couple, and represented two men, both liking masculine things, not like a straight couple, (Masculine, feminine.)
There was no rapey character, or any sexual assault, all sexual and romantic interactions were consensual. (Which is hella rare to find in any BL.) Also the romance wasn't repetitive, or overdone.
I also liked how they represented the deaf/disabled, and how differently they are treated in work settings, you hardly ever see that.
I thought that the twin connection between black and white was cool, I also haven't seen that in a BL.
Also totally biased here but bikers guys are super hot so that was nice-
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This review may contain spoilers
I have been casually lurking on this website for a year; now I have finally made an account because I want to write a review JUST for this show. This is a spoiler-free review! I will provide some assurances here and there in case there are things that might otherwise turn you away, but I do not count these as spoilers because I give absolutely no specifics.tl;dr - Skip to the Overall Rating section at the bottom for a basic recommendation.
---Story: 8.5/10
The tone of the show was consistent; it knew what it wanted to be. From the first episode to the last, it was dramatic (comes with the genre), but it had a good balance of humor and romance and knew when to lighten up. After all, it is a generally feel-good kind of show, one that I would classify as a comedy in the original sense of the term. It never felt dark or gritty; just serious and sometimes perilous at times, and then would relax a bit with something cute and/or cheesy and make me smile like crazy.
The synopsis might sound spoilery to some but it just basically gives you an idea of what happens in the first episode. Yes, everything is set up in the FIRST episode, even one plot thread that is left hanging until episode 17 before it is nicely tied off by the very end of the show. So basically you are in for a ride to know exactly HOW this sweet, innocent woman who has never been part of the “underworld” has to adjust and fool everyone into thinking she’s her sister, the Female Star Killer boss of Yi Ching Group. And how the other characters with their own conflicts and secrets achieve their goals and react to each other. It’s quite entertaining.
It takes a little while for the romance to develop but that just makes it feel more natural, and any other way would be too rushed. After all, there are secrets and misunderstandings that keep the characters apart at first. At the beginning of the series when the characters are getting to know each other, I sensed that spark between the two main couples and it definitely was all paying off between episodes 7-15 with plenty of cute and romantic moments to keep you feeling warm and fuzzy. Things get dark by episode 16 but this is building up to the climax and the storm will pass soon—don’t give up hope.
Oh yeah, big plus here for me: NO LOVE TRIANGLES. HALLELUJAH! I was expecting the first male lead (Le Jun) and first female lead (Ping Fan) to get hijacked by some stupid love triangle shenanigans with the second male lead (Tian Xing) but AMAZINGLY this never happened! Because Le Jun and Ping Fan have eyes only for each other. Meanwhile, Tian Xing becomes enamored with the unexpected second female lead (Jing Xuan) who is a nurse at a hospital that these characters end up frequenting because they are in the mafia and always getting into fights, of course. Now there was a bit of concern with another character who tries to court Jing Xuan but in the end I didn’t have to worry about it. So if you are like me and can’t stand those silly love triangles, this is probably a good show for you! (=^w^=)
The plot features a lot of tropes and cliches, but rather than being annoyed by them, I felt like they were used in ways that made sense, were set up logically/plausibly (as much as you can in a fictional story), and propelled the story along. That is to say, I got the impression they were not included for their own sake, but to create a sense of a greater picture that simply involves some elements that we're familiar with. Or even if they WERE just included because the writers thought they had to, at least there was a REASON for it and it was explained in the show to make you believe it. Honestly, we are watching a romantic drama, what do you expect? We're HERE to see Ping Fan bandage up a wound on Le Jun's muscular, swoon-worthy shoulder and to see Tian Xing woo Jing Xuan ineffectively by showering her with flowers and gifts because he thinks that’s what girls want. :P We drama fans signed up for this stuff, this is what we expect and they deliver on every occasion.
Still, I think I should mention that some parts are kind of cringy. Some more than others. Most of the time the cringe is light and I was expecting it so it didn’t bother me, but oh man, there was only one big offender that stands out in my mind. Somewhere between episode 12-14 (I think, I don’t quite remember which episode exactly) was a Certain Scene (no spoilers… you’ll know when you get there) that was so cringy I almost couldn’t watch it… I thought it was going to be a dream sequence because it was so absurd but it was real. Sigh. I am impressed that somehow I survived the cringe and the writers still managed to make it relevant to the plot and move the story forward so it all worked out.
The pacing and editing was great! I admit I'm no expert when it comes to this kind of thing, but I thought the scenes flowed from one to the next naturally, spending a bit of time with different characters and letting the story unfold in a way that was engaging and kept me hooked. Even the introductory 1-2 minute recap sequence at the beginning of each episode was fresh and fast-paced to remind you what happened in the last episode (in case you go a few days or weeks between episodes) and I found myself watching them even when I was binging 3 episodes at a time. None of the episodes dragged or felt like filler—19 is the perfect number for the story they were trying to tell and they used their time wisely to wrap up all the plot points and address everything that I had questions about. As far as I was concerned, the writers had the whole story planned out and knew exactly what they were doing.
They also left themselves enough room to squeeze in quite a few kissing scenes by the end of the show, but that’s what you came for, right? Gotta watch ‘em smooch. Ain’t no romance drama without the smooching!
Last note: WHAT A CUTE INTRO! The opening theme is catchy, cute, and fresh. I liked the style they used with the cartoony animated effects overlaid on… well, it’s hard to describe, but the way the characters are presented in the intro is kind of an exaggeration of their roles in the story? In a good way… it felt appropriate for the opening. Everything about it sets you up to expect a comedic, yet dramatic, romantic story featuring two main couples. I was slightly disappointed that they always show Ping Fan with long hair in the opening and in the commercial break scenes, when she has short hair in the rest of the show (except the first episode, obviously), but that’s just a nitpick. I’m about to fangirl again thinking about it. \(>3<)/
---Acting/Cast: 9/10
I loved all the casting choices they made for each character! Personally I was captivated by the performance of each of the mains. Especially the actress who played Ping Fan/Ping An! She was amazing! She put on this whole different persona for each sister, she has a completely different vibe and way of moving/making facial expressions depending on which sister she is acting at the time. And she is ADORABLE! Oh my god, that cute grin she makes is enough to make my heart melt. Oh, Gu Le Jun, you never stood a chance against that smile. The girl who plays Jing Xuan is also adorable with those little curls at the tips of her hair and she has such a cute voice. The actor for Le Jun makes a convincing bodyguard type and has a winning smile that he shows on rare occasions (mainly after episode 6). Tian Xing is quite fetching in his black suits and styled hair, especially when he goes making puppy eyes at Jing Xuan. Oh goodness.
They all played their parts well. There may have been a bit of over-acting for the supporting characters but it was for comedic effect and felt purposeful, not like it was bad acting or anything. You will care about all these characters and want to know how their story ends.
An interesting note: Each character had their own wardrobe or personal style, wearing particular kinds of clothing, which I think helped not only to differentiate them from each other but also to tell a little about their profession/character. For instance, the strawberry-loving Xiao Zhi always wears a dapper patterned vest that doesn't quite match the “black mafia” theme the rest of his peers have. Ping An wears a lot of leather and tight pants while Ping Fan has a more casual, light, and cutesy style. Le Jun has no-nonsense rugged wardrobe in neutral/earthy colors. I also noticed that Jing Xuan is always wearing light colors (like white, beige, and blue), while Tian Xing wears dark colors-- a sort of visual contrast between the "white" and "black" professions they represent. This was very consistent throughout the entire show, though it took me a while to notice it. I just like this kind of attention to detail. Great visual cues to support the overarching themes. Whoever was in charge of costumes deserves some recognition!
---Music: 6.5/10
I would have given it a higher score but there is just one problem with the way they presented the music in this show. And only one flaw, really… Whenever anything vaguely dramatic/surprising happened, the SAME SONG kept playing at the SAME PART of the chorus and it got kind of old after the second episode. But they will keep playing the SAME SONG about 4 times per episode right up until the last minute of the last episode, so it’s better if you just get used to it. The song is “I’m Burning” by Ian Chen and it’s a great song, I actually like it… it just gets old when they play it so much. I would have preferred if they saved it for the MOST DRAMATIC moments and not just as a cue for each commercial break. Man, that chorus “I’m burning…” is going to haunt my dreams from now on. (;=__=)
All the other songs were fine, though nothing really stood out to me. Could be because I only watch these shows when I wear headphones and I keep the volume down to preserve my hearing, so I couldn’t hear the music so clearly all the time. But the other music choices were fitting to the mood of the scenes and I have no complaints. Would have gotten a higher rating here if not for the “I’m Burning” repetition that I mentioned above.
---Rewatch Value: 6.5/10
I’m not the kind of person who rewatches shows so I gave this a lower rating. But this one was quite a journey! It would be interesting to see it again, knowing in advance all the background information that is slowly revealed with each episode. It puts the characters into a different light and makes you say “Ah, that’s why that happened!” If you do rewatch, maybe watch it with a sister/close relative or friend who likes chick flicks or dramas. I personally would not watch it again but that’s just because I already have so many other dramas on my list to get to. (<u<;) Watch at least the first 2 episodes before dropping it. And remember that when things start to get rough, it will be resolved within 1 or 2 episodes!
---Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Everything in this show was part and parcel of the genre, plot, and tone they were aiming for and I think it worked great! No drama is perfect, but for what they did here I will heartily give them a round of applause and recommend The Masked Lover to people who are looking for some adorable, suspenseful, emotional, and sometimes cheesy comedic romance with a structured, well-planned plot.
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Criticism wise, I wish that the plot had been more complex and that things were a little harder to achieve. As the other reviews mentioned, the story felt a little too simple at times. Albeit, that just may because I usually watch 16 hour long dramas, and thus I am used to seeing things progress in more detail. Overall, I do think that the movie did a good job with the 2 hours it had!
I also think Kento's acting was also a little over-the-top at times. As much as I love him - I actually started this movie for him! - it was a little cringe to see his overly enthusiastic acting. Although, I understand that this is his first time playing such a big role and it is very different from his past roles. I hope that in the next three movies, he can improve and become better because I know he is a brilliant actor and capable of a lot (as seen in his works Death Note and Todome No Kiss)! Other than that, the cast was brilliant and all actors delivered their roles very well!
To conclude, I would definitely recommend this movie! There may be a few things that were a little lacking, but in the end it was a very fun rollercoaster! I am excited to join the community of the Kingdom fans and read the story in it's different forms of media (ex: manga & anime) ((:
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This movie really make you hear the voice of the silenced ones
I think it's one of my favourites this year if not THE fav. I think that the title "Without a Sound" refers not that much to a mute protagonist, but to the fact that in Korean (but not only) society many voices are unheard, many bad, criminal things happen without media and people being loud about those problems, because it's hard to handle, because of corruption, because it's an uncomfortable topic or because more powerful people make them keep quite...Chang Bok said to Tae In "what will he do without him?", because people with impairments and disabilities, people from very poor families, orphans like himself really need more help, but instead are being mistreated and cast out like trash and in some cases really have no choice (if they don't want to starve). Not to mention mafia, human traffic for organs, prostitution, paedophilia... The movie may seem almost comic (I did laugh hard in many scenes), but it does make you think about some really heavy topics with many strong metaphors and question yourself what did YOU do about it, since you surely had more possibilities to make a change than the protagonist, a person without a voice (physically and metaphorically, although he did make many people "hear" him at the end of the movie). It also obviously blurs the line between good and evil, since the protagonists do some criminal things, but also some good things, so it's not them being evil in their nature, but some of their actions. It makes us question ourselves what’s right and wrong, what’s good and bad what do we think about a certain situation and if those beliefs depend on motives and circumstanced or if our moral is absolute.
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This review may contain spoilers
Known Ex-Boyfriend
This drama is what disappointment looks like. But I can't even complain, cuz it's on me... I had too high expectations. I blame myself for this one, I disappointed myself.When I first learned about the premise of this, I was like. Oh, so Taiwan bls graduated from stepbrothers and are now going into the uncle business, sign me up. I was ready to be on my moral high ground while enjoying, and judging. Unfortunately, when the first episode aired and the intro was longer than the episode, I almost rioted.
Literally, the eff was this? It was all over the place. The plot needed time, which they didn't have, so it was rushed. And who the hell even propose like the uncle did in the finale? It felt like they ran out of budget in the location they were at, and had to leave, so the director was like, hurry up, quickly, put the ring on his finger and let's check out before we have to pay for another day.
Also, all that missed chances for them to meet and find out about each other was ridiculous. The mother even sent a picture, and you telling me after he returned to his phone he couldn't see it?? Then, it turned out the uncle knew the whole time any way? Meh.
Taiwan dramas almost never disappoint, so to see this one let me down, was unexpected. I'm not sure if it's due to the plot being whatever, or the execution, but this was not it. The story was very rushed, the secondary characters were uninteresting, and that basic arse bad guy came off whiny and childish with no depth. The main cp were there, didn't really get much from them either, and that mother was also there... really, everything about this disappointed me. Such a shame, this would have been an amazing bl if it had proper run time and the plot was well executed. Perhaps they lacked investment?
Anyway, if you wanna watch it, kudos to you, personally I won't recommend it. Hopefully the actors get a chance to work on something better in the future. One thing I liked about this though, was the theme song. Dafug you mean 'My love for you is 3 centimeters deep, not more, not less.' It made me laugh, so at least there was that.
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Set in the peaceful Edo era, the film is a human drama instead of a straight chambara (swords play) film like the title displays so do not expect heads rolling and straightforward Samurai action the whole time. Once again, Kobayachi harshly criticize the ancient Japanese feudal system and the Bushido codes of Samurai honour that requires blind loyalty.
Screenwriter Hashimoto (Kurosawa’s regular) did a magnificent job with the story’s shades, turns and flashbacks in a way that would make you anticipate the developments of the story; it may feel slow paced at times but that’s the usual Kobayachi way of building strong tension to end it with a blow; heroism was created little by little until it reached the end. The term “Rebellion” isn’t exactly what you think when reading the title, it’s not the story of a samurai establishing justice or honoring his lord, this is the story of an elder samurai’s own codes of honour to help his son and daughter-in-law through the injustice caused by their clan’s lord and the closest higher-ups. Instead of blind loyalty and accepting unfairness without asking questions, they decided to go against their feudal lord, the system and the world they live in.
Samurai Rebellion is also viewed as a family drama with many displayed emotions and connections. It also contains the most touching romantic story I’ve ever seen in any Samurai film; the sacrifices, the mutual understandings and the painful injustice leading to separation. However, that doesn’t deny the presence of action especially at the end. The dual and the fight sequences were splendid considering the fact that they were used to get all of that intensity that’s been constructing during the whole film. It made the perfect finale of the film.
Is it really necessary to talk about acting? It’s Mifune Toshiro, the legendary best actor Japan ever knew and one of the better actors in the world; people usually know Mifune in Kurosawa’s films where he always shined but let me tell you, Mifune’s performance with Kobayachi was one of his finest works ever; he did a flawless job with the character of an elder samurai who built a hero out of himself to confront injustice. There’s also Nakadai Tatsuya, the second Japanese legend. Although he was only a supporting role, he delivered so well and I must say that I completely loved his character that sounded mysterious; he was someone who had to be torn apart between his greed to be the best swordsman in the clan, to be a friend or to serve his lord according to the samurai codes of honour. Someone else deserve all the praise is Tsukasa Yoko, she had one of the strongest female performances I’ve seen in the golden Japanese cinema. Her character Ichi was also one of the better female characters displayed in Samurai films.
The black and white cinematography was top-notch just like the camera angles and the smooth close-ups because Kobayachi is a masterful director after all. What also should be highlighted is the superb music choice to empathize the emotional involvement.
Watch if:
-You like Samurai films.
-You want to discover old Japanese films.
-You like Toshiro Mifune because this is one of his better works.
-You like Masaki Kobayachi’s way of making films.
Do not watch if:
-You dislike old films (black and white).
-You dislike Samurai films.
Samurai Rebellion is a timeless Kobayachi masterpiece that defies the usual definitions of samurai codes of honor in the most brutal tragic way.
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The plot itself is rather simple and not that difficult to predict, but what made the drama stand out is how everything was presented. The tone of the drama is very lighthearted and serious moments or events aren't portrayed in an overdramatic way. I loved that some dramatic scenes were even purposefully exaggerated so that they seemed funny instead. With a 2 episode extension the last episodes were a little slower than the rest, but personally I didn't mind that especially because I really liked the ending.
The cast was great as well; Chae Rim really gave life to her character and she will be one of the drama heroines that I won't be able to forget. For me a huge plus of this drama was that it dealt with regular middle class people who are often overlooked in dramas. Another thing I liked was that even supporting characters were well written so that I've grown fond of the whole cast. However, I thought that one of the male leads was a little dull and he didn't leave as much of an impression on me as other characters.
All in all, Dal Ja's Spring is a heartwarming, cute story that I will surely rewatch on a rainy day when I need an uplifting drama!
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There's nothing great or unique about this show. I must say, though, that it served its purpose of entertaining me. I'm not that demanding about the shows I watch, my main criteria is to like at least one of the main characters, so that I have someone to root for along the watching journey. In this case, I liked both.
The main problem for me was the amount of extremely childish fights between our main couple. It was pretty much clear they had attraction and cared about each other, but were too imature to be honest and properly communicate their feelings. I would have no problem with it if those fights lead to some progress on their relationship but it started getting exausting since almost every time it just lead to more misunderstadings. Both were too proud and stubborn... Though I liked that most of the time, Neung was the one who would give in. Hehe.
Well, it was fun. And short.
8/10 for me.
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This review may contain spoilers
Tackling the horrors of war and the absurdity of the Korean War in particular with grotesque humor
"The Long Way Home" – original: "Western Front" - is a KMovie about the Korean War. But a funny one... if a movie about war might be called funny at all... In fact, it succeeded brilliantly in tackling the horrors of war in general and the absurdity of the Korean War in particular with grotesque humor.As a last resort, even a North Korean student is drafted to drive a tank into battle. A South Korean farmer, in turn, has to leave his heavily pregnant wife behind in order to take part in an all-important, top-secret mission and deliver strategically important secret information to the Allies. Neither are heroes. Neither of them would actually care about the war. But both have dutifully learned the ideological phrases of their 'side' and both, quite by chance, are the only ones in their respective units to survive in an airstrike three days before the truce is signed. The North Korean incidentally stumbles upon the top secret paper and hides it. The South Korean incidentally overwhelms the North Korean... obviously, neither of them being born to be soldiers.
"The Long Way Home" is a kind of road movie back and forth through the empty landscape of the western front line. The student from the north wants to return home with his tank. The farmer from the south, in turn, wants to hand over the secret paper so that he can finally return to his wife and newborn baby. Eventually, sometimes one pulls in this direction and then the other one in that. Only a cow is involved, too. And a bizarre village community in no man's land. Along the way, the two squabblers also stumble upon Chinese troops reinforcing the north, and there is also another airstrike from the south. Then, again and again the cow in the vastness of the natural landscape, in which military equipment and soldiers don´t seem to fit in at all. The war is increasingly losing its meaning and significance. The tank has long been junk anyway, but ironically it becomes their shared cozy home. Enmity becomes friendship. War is crap. This one anyway! Regarding its fatal futility and arbitrariness, the KMovie in conclusion actually goes one better, too.
In "The Long Way Home" infernal war scenarios and powerful chamber drama collide with slapstick and situational comedy. A daring mixture, but quite successful not least thanks to strong mimes - with young talent Yeo Jin-goo and veteran Sol Kyun-gu in a fantastic playing mood.
A different kind of anti-(Korea) war movie.
Not a milestone in cinematics, but quite entertaining in its bizarreness.
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