1This review may contain spoilers
A Storytelling Masterpiece!
I highly recommend this show if you would like to experience the following:• A grounded portrayal of the lower-income class
• An accurate depiction of generation gaps
• A glimpse into the struggles faced by deaf individuals
This show delivers with:
• Fantastic chemistry and dynamic between the cast
• Intertwining plot structure and character arcs
• Meaningful reminders about the best and worst parts of life
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SPOILER BELOW
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What I love:
1. Li Ming's journey and Fourth's portrayal of him. In the beginning, Li Ming is depicted as an unintended victim of a rigid school system, unhappy with the paths other people imposed on him, and unsure about a romantic relationship. However, through a positive mindset about his future and working hard to better himself and help Heart and his family, he finds the answers to the questions troubling him. Fourth is fantastic in this role. Be it a scene with or without dialogue, he kills it. Considering this is his first significant role in a series, I am in awe. My favorite scene of Li Ming is in episode 3 where Fourth has to act without any dialog and portray the suffocation he feels while his friends are talking in a classroom. So good!
2. This series deals with the passage of time smartly. Not all significant character and relationship developments are shown in eight episodes, and viewers are encouraged to imagine and assume the progression. It is tricky to get this format working, especially in a series with time gaps in and between episodes. But with excellent writing and direction, this series manages to deliver. A notable example is how fast Jim and Wen's relationship seems to progress; we are watching them speed-running through eight episodes which can be watched in a day, but in fact, they took at least six months with plenty of interactions off-screen to build their relationship. The two plot sequences are defined, while what's in between is left for viewers to fill in and visualize.
3. “Show, don’t tell.” Related to the point above, some major plot developments are prepared as pleasant surprises for the viewers. One great example is in episode 7 where Heart’s parents could communicate with Heart in sign language. None of the characters in that scene was surprised, but I am sure the audiences are. It shows that within the gap between episode 6 and 7, Heart’s parents have learnt from their mistakes, and choose to prioritize and understand their son more. These are some of strongest scenes in this series. Kudos to the actress who acts as Heart's mom; almost all her scenes are all emotional and intense, and she delivers consistently with such finesse.
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What I wish were different:
1. The sound editing could be better in some scenes, notably the closure scene between Alan and Wen, also any beach scenes. There are squeaky sounds in the background when Alan and Wen are speaking in the restaurant, and as someone who focuses on facial expressions and reads subtitles, these distractions make it hard for me to immerse myself in such a critical scene. Though, the sound editing in episode 7 is fantastic. The backing sounds in some intense scenes are beautifully arranged and delivered.
2. Not all scenes are equally memorable, which is expected, but some are forgettable and can be replaced to better support the plot progression. Alan should have been introduced earlier in the series to flesh out the backstories between Alan and Wen.
3. As great as Earth's acting is, his portrayal of a 40-year-old man haunted by his past and selling chicken rice can be improved. His performances shine through as a parental figure for Li Ming and during flashbacks related to his previous relationship. However, when it comes to the daily portrayal of a chicken rice seller troubled by raising a teenager and trying to make ends meet, I find he lacks the signs of wear and tear surviving emotional and physical grinds.
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Best Episode -- Episode 4!
If I were to pick the best episode, I would be torn between episodes 4 and 8. I feel episode 8 is excellent in wrapping up the story and giving everyone the new beginning they deserve.
But for me, episode 4 takes the cake. Similar to the message it tries to convey about how happiness and despair come hand-in-hand in life, this episode has an outstanding balance of emotions.
My favorite scene probably in the entire series is when they celebrate Jim's birthday. Happiness is simple, and this scene exudes that.
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Takeaways:
There are important life messages that the producer and writers are trying to convey through this series.
Both Jim's and Wen's story arcs highlighted that our past could haunt us for the longest time without us knowing, so it's important to understand when to let go. On the other hand, both Jim's and Li Ming's story arcs try to remind us about generation gaps, that age is just a number at a certain point, and everyone can learn from each other regardless of age to become a better version of themselves.
Of course, all these are easier to say than do in real life, but they are good reminders nonetheless.
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At first, I was curious how P'Aof would be able to direct this series given the ensemble cast; Earth, Mix, First, Khaotung, also now Gemini and Fourth can lead an entire series just within their couple. And the fact that this series can balance them beautifully speaks about how great the director and his team are.
Kudos to P'Aof and his team for this masterpiece of storytelling!
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This review may contain spoilers
There's no real plot
Even tho the show is not over I'm over it. I got tired of it very quickly. I just keep watching for Fourth and Gemini.Fourth and Gemini did a great job with what they were given. They're great actors and I feel like their talent was wasted on this series.
It feels like mlmu was going for a sitcom vibe. Every episode had a different story and an ending of its own. Which is just completely the opposite of the manga and makes a mess. They also cut very important stuff or changed it which ruined the reasoning for the character to be the way they are and act the way they do.
For example Atom not getting involved with food was supposed to be because he got bullied when he was a little kid cause he was chubby. That explains why he has such low self esteem. But they changed it into his mother getting hurt which was so random. If the accident caused scars on the mother's body it means it was very serious and probably traumatizing for little Atom but after he burned the chocolate he was back to his old self which is not how a traumatized person would react after such an experience. That could've been a good moment to let him talk to Kongthap and let Kongthap comfort him.
Also after Kongthap gets upset that Atom forgot about the university he wanted to go to, in the original manga, Atom tries his best to make it up to him and plans the entire trip including booking the hotel. Then Kongthap asks to talk to him about something and Atom is sure Kongthap is going to break up with him cause he always feels like he doesn't deserve him. They didn't show it in the series. So when Atom's mother tells Kongthap about Atoms fear of losing the ones he loves it doesn't hit the same cause we never saw his fear. She said he pretends to be strong and independent but he doesn't. That's the entire thing about Atom. He is a messy cute little fellow, that has no idea what he is doing. He needs others and needs their help.
Kongthap is a simple character so they couldn't mess him up too much. But they failed to show his humanity. Kongthap was studying hard in order to make sure he gets into the university so he and Atom could be together. He didn't rest while Atom studies. That shows how much he loves and cares for Atom.
They cut parts of him being protective and possessive over Atom. Him being jealous that Atom is studying with his cram school teacher and asking Atom to study with him instead. Or even a sweet moment like when Atom hugs him in the hotel. Kongthap asks him to stop hugging him cause it makes him feel things. Atom breaks the hug straight away in panic.
There were moments in the bts that were better if included in the episode but for some reason got cut. Like Atom worrying about Kongthap when he passed out which I don't understand why they cut it out.
And let's not talk about the wasted musical episode which was so unnecessary. The manga is long enough and considering how many parts they cut, they could've used that time for something better. I love the songs but I still think it was a waste of time for the series.
That's about the plot. Now lets talk about the terrible directing that made both Fourth and Gemini look bad. I don't know who thought that getting a camera right in their faces was the right way to go. Or filming from weird angles. And the amount of time that they had their eyes almost completely shut because of the sun so you can't see any emotion whatsoever and they can hardly look at eo cause the sun is burning their eyes. And the terrible editing, sound effects that were too much and the brightening filter that made everything seem so unnatural.
I hope they get a better series next year. A one where they can showcase their acting skills better. A more serious one. A better written one, better directed and better all over.
That's it. That's all I have to say.
Edit after ep 12: this ep was worse than everything before. We clearly saw Atom's mother accepting Kongthap last ep just to get Atom coming out to her in this one. Explain. Also they tried to make her a mean parent only for this ep which made 100% no sense cause she was always caring. When Atom got sick she didn't tell him it's his fault for staying up all night. She isn't a harsh parent so wtf is this nonsense of her telling her son to basically not be a loser. But surprisingly enough (or maybe not so surprisingly because I know his true abilities) Fourth made the coming out scene so emotional even tho it made no sense. His raw emotions and his shaking voice had me in tears. His and Gemini's acting are the only good thing about this show.
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You Are My Most Favourite Surprise
Make My Heart Smile tells the story of Ye Wei Mian who disguises as her twin, Ye Zheng Han due to some circumstances. Through disguising as Ye Zheng Han, she met Gu Yan Luo and embark on a romantic journey. The plot is straightforward and not complicated. However tho, the storyline is very cliche, you can literally predict everything that is going to happen, it is your typical story of an average woman who meets a "god-like" man. And also I can lowkey feel a hint of the Korean drama, School 2015. As the title name goes, this drama makes you smile from time to time, you can feel the sweetness between the leads. The plenty of sweet kiss scenes in this drama definitely made up for the lack of storyline and plot holes. Such as, there is no explanation about the twin's parents, Yan Luo's dad, and so on.Luo Zheng's character in this drama is someone who is cold yet warm to the one he loves. And I can say that Luo Zheng did a pretty good job since most of the characters he portrayed are similar. The actress, Ji Mei Han also did a pretty good job. I've watched some of the dramas she featured in before, but she did not leave any deep impression, so I can't really comment on her acting. However, I gotta say, some of her scenes were really cringey and greasy. Another thing that does not sit in right with me is her costume, why does the wardrobe and design team dress her like she is a 7-year-old kid. The wardrobe team could've definitely done better.
This drama was under a lot of backlashes due to a racist comment in the drama, "you look like a Filipino maid". I know it is wrong for the actors and production team not to clarify it, however, I personally feel that one shouldn't literally criticize the whole drama over a line of the scriptwriter's mistake. There is still a group of actors, directors, and so on hard work poured into this drama.
All in all, if you are looking for a fluffy romance that will make you smile this is the one! (if you don't mind the racist comment tho)
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(Sorry it’s pretty long haha)
• This is INTENSE. Hah. I watched it not long after completing "Cheongdamdong Alice" which is a light hearted romantic comedy with the same lead actor (Park Si Hoo) and they couldn't be further far apart and in opposite spectrums! And while intense dramas are usually the genre I opt for and I sincerely wasn't expecting a drama so masterfully written that would blow out the waters.
• 'Star crossed lovers'/ 'Forbidden love' are these genres that you love to venture into? Well this is right up your street. Although you may be presumptuous into believing you are getting a very typical 'Romeo & Juliet' type story, it has a lot more depth than you could ever imagine. I hope you’ll bear with the slow start of this drama)
• I highly applaud the writer for not taking us down the standard K-drama cliché route. While it's so hard to maintain fresh ideas (with so many dramas around) and avoid the typical rules of K drama land, I am impressed at how the story was carried out with some pretty un-predictable revelations. While it was not faultless I can’t say it applied to everything but it was a pretty damn close to being as far away as possible from being stereotypical.
• Astounding OST I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for a good OST. And boy does this do it for me. Baek Ji Young is definitely the queen of OST’S and this is just an additional one added to her line of hauntingly beautiful soundtracks she has done. Her song ‘Again, today I love you’ will stick with you long after the drama ended, that said all the songs that represent the main characters (Particularly the lovers Seung Yoo and Se Ryung) each have their own songs which literally scream what you can hear blaring from their hearts.
• Wonderful chemistry between the two leads. Usually something that is overlooked, as sometimes while it can be fantastic to put two high profile actors together for a drama however It doesn’t beat two leads who share an amazing on screen chemistry. While I don’t mean the fire work/sparks flying of the screen type, but the type, where you genuinely believe that these are two people in love. (I’d say their phenomenal acting has a lot to do with this) But you can feel/breathe each characters feelings and when they are happy, you’re joyful but when their heart’s break, so does yours.
• It’s not perfect. No not nit-picking, I absolutely loved this drama, and while nothing is perfect and I have so much praise for it. I want to point out that it does have its flaws; some parts of the drama can feel slightly dragged out, and you may feel at times you don’t get indulged enough into seeing enough of the romance side and on some occasions in episodes there wasn’t enough screen time for the romance aspect. Don’t get me wrong, I love the side stories and the political side was a great element of the story line as well as portraying why the two leads are the way they are; but at times I thought there was too much emphasis on the side stories and lack of concentration on the main protagonists. I think the long wait for these precious moments we all wait for did make it all so much sweeter when we finally got them and powerful scenes between Se-Ryung and Seung-Yoo were nothing short of spectacular.
Some moments I think I needed a fan/ Park Si Hoo sizzles and Moon Chae Won is unbelievably charming I am almost convinced this was not a drama and it all happened it real life.
I do hope you enjoy this hauntingly beautiful drama as much as I did, my heart gets a gut wrenching feeling when I hear the OST and although this is not my favourite drama nor will I be re watching it for a while (Too.Intense.man) need too cool off. Phew! I would watch it for just for the Seung Yoo/Se Ryung Moments (I do love this couple)
It’s not just another tragic love story drama, It’s set in a context where you can understand why the two leads would fall in love (‘stead of telling you that they had because it’s part of the plot), the development in each character is something you will see blossom and grow as you see how people lived/ and their values were at the time. It will make you reflect on what’s important and how it was never easy to live the way they wanted to back then as the complications of blood ties and where betraying your father was treason.
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This review may contain spoilers
Fabulous Idea; Epic Fail
I placed spoilers at the end of this review.The only positive thing about this series was the group dynamic between the four friends. This series had an interesting premise, but failed with the execution. The script started off great but completely fell apart by episode 5. The main problem is it has too many storylines that were not fully developed. You get bits and pieces of a story with no full details. Because it’s an 8-episode series, they should have scaled down on the storylines and supporting characters. I was bored by the romance storyline and wished they had focused more on the friendship aspect of the script. See spoiler alert at the end of this review for more information. The actors did a great job with what they were given. However, many of the characters had very little depth or substance to them which is probably due to the poor script. See spoiler alert at the end of this review for more information.
******Spoiler Alert******
The romance between Pyo Ji Eun and Ji Woo Min was lack luster. I’m not a fan of love triangles, but the one in this series was the most annoying.
It's interesting that Joseph (the designer) and Ye Seon Ho (the modal) had very little character development considering this was about the fashion industry. You see how their careers developed, but nothing really about their personal life.
What was the point of Shim Do Young’s storyline? This character was annoying and creepy at times. This storyline had no real purpose in the series.
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Story: Well the basic story was interesting and different, but the writer didnt add much substance to it, I mean how can you stretch a story line which is good for about 10 episodes to 16, it kept going round and round endlessly. The main story was mild but the side stories were quite boring.
Acting: Park Shi Hoo was perfect as always, like most of his other dramas he does steal the show. Probably if it wasnt for his acting this drama would have been a disaster. He plays the cute and nutty character wonderfully as does he with the more serious role of the same character. The female lead I felt was not the right choice. I didnt much care for her acting, and mosty she has a blank and bland expression. Sadly another basic thing which was lacking was the chemistry. That was very lukewarm, rather cold actually.
Verdict: Nothing addictive about this one. If you are a PSH fan, then I guess you have to watch it. Others if you have time and nothing else to watch then give it a go but dont expect it to be like other PSH dramas.
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This review may contain spoilers
the scene at the start - i was like wow that didn't take a sec and we r getting both violence and a pretty intense sex scene... but the more it goes on, u "get" that only goes to show the hypocrisy and unfairness, where hundreds r being butchered, where the ones in power r enjoying the "fruits of their labor"... and this sh*t be going on even now, where people being slaughtered for a privileged few.but getting back to my opinion about the movie - this turned out to be a tragedy. sub's were killing the mood, found myself chuckling more than once at the absurdity of them, but the story is freaking sad.
Ga-Hee understandably wants revenge, she wasn't only brutally raped by that f*cker Jin, his family/ mother not only injures her mother when she comes seeking justice for her child, but precedes to burn her alive thinking, they were getting rid of the daughter/"evidence". who wouldn't want to demolish their family?!?... and as she isn't powerful she becomes a pawn (suicide mission from the look of things) for Prince Bang-won. who wants to get rid of that white bearded minister whose close to the king. what better way then through his family?!
ironically Min-Jea who is (well in name alone) Jin's father and the minister's son-in-law is basically a good guy, he is the pawn used to infiltrate the family. using info about his own unfortunate childhood. but as he is a good guy - unlike everyone else involved, he doesn't use or mistreats Ga-Hee. and their attraction is genuine. which in turn, grows into love. this was sad because of how it unfolded but it was good in-spite of the bad subs.
side note this aint NO porno, and people going on and on about this being Phonographic need to check out porn-hub to see what porn really is. yeah its erotic as f*ck, but it wasn't obscene or vulgar. so plz with the prudish attitude, there is so much more to this movie then the nudity/sex scenes, that focusing on only that, is childishly idiotic - if this is not for u - go watch something pg for the sake of ur own sanity
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Ella Chen was hilarious and adorable! Her expressions always had me cracking :D And that reminds me - the adorable little boy from Autumn's concerto is in this drama too! Awww. If only cuteness could kill. And after watching this drama I'm really looking forward to Taiwan's version Of Hana Kimi (I don't think there could've been a better choice for the role of Ashiya than Ella Chen) and Hana Yori Dango (Jerry Yen as Goo Joon Pyo = I can't wait) ^^
Special credits to Jerry Yen as Yu Ping. Lol, sorry but his hotness deserves super special credits. Not just anyone can pull off a pink shirt looking as hot as him ^^ Super special credits to the kids. Aww, I wish they'd stuck around longer so that Guo could continue being their nanny for a few more episodes. I missed them so much! But the story turned another way (mostly involving fake relationships and annoying people). still liked it!
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Story-The story is a dark melodrama about when passion spins out of control. It discusses adultery, unrequited love, and (what I would call) abuse. You already know from the very beginning that things will go really wrong with the affair(s). The plot moves from the past to the present which what makes this show exciting.
Acting- I feel that Lee Dong Wook's best role is here. I know a lot of people who have enjoyed My Girl and say that was his best role, but I disagree. I believe his best role was in Bittersweet Life. In this role, he went from adorable and happy, to scary and creepy like that. That made the show even more enjoyable because you would not know how he would react next.
Park Si Yeon did a great job at being a mistress that you don't want to have around. In this drama, her character comes off as money obsessed and annoying. It isn't a great combo, but still I don't think it was her fault for coming off that way. I just think that was the writer trying to make her as dislikable as possible....which honestly isn't hard.
Jung Bo Suk (aka the husband)- succeeds in being a man you love to hate. His character is a control freak who doesn't really care about anybody. He did a great job at making people want to punch the screen.
Oh Yun Soo- Wow. Just wow. She was great! I don't know if it was the writers doing or her own doing, but I felt the character's resentment in a way I can't describe.
Music- The music was wonderful. It was exciting and thrilling and fit well with every scene.
Overall- I highly recommend! Definitely not a drama for kids though.
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Brace Your Flight to Avert Catastrophe
Personal Note before Review: I have reassembled my thoughts before pouring mine out due to being influenced to look at letterboxd's reviews (before the official release, because they watch pre-screen from Cannes Award last year), then my mind goes screwed all over then messed all up like *rant-rage mode activated* so I prefer to opinize mine rather than hearing their thoughts insteadTL;DR: What if you already plan to take a vacation abroad, but when it comes to an emergency situation; you've come unprepared beforehand? What if you have zero knowledge of what's going on up there, but decide to side with the fault before reading the room? That's basically what happened during this watch of its announcement theme. You'll never know what's up or below, sky or land, just to resolve a calamity
I have come up with its pros and cons, but most cons are from their perspectives and my assumptions (which doesn't mean that's their overall thoughts. It's just a theory)
PROS:
It's Not That You Instead of Delving into This Story But Must IMMERSE Their Experience
There is a reason why I should encourage you to use the upgrade cinema feature (4DX or Screen X if you afford it): this one. As you can see from all trailers, you need to experience how it feels to fly through the horizon, while encountering the crisis itself. It slowly starts from the usual atmosphere on land, then before departure, then all... all combined into one while knowing their solving to each problem
Every Main Lead Nailed Their Tasks. Period
Nothing goes unresolved in this film. They made a great job settling down every precise detail of its roots. From solving cases to ongoing aviation crisis, which is why I really love this development so much that I want to rewatch it all over again. I have no queasy feeling for this film for the first time I ever had, which is funny coming from myself, who dislike marathons such mediums
It Will Leave You Emotional Depending on The Circumstances
General to personal, for some main leads' stories. Leaves you wondering why, but you found the answer throughout the film. Can't say it's unpredictable, but all I can say is unexpected
A Reality-Check Eventhough It's Fiction
But I believe this director collect/researched all investigation cases, especially major ones into this remarkable movie. Sad to say that this is not from the true event, but he leaves wonderful, inspirational traces behind, even after his previous creations. Salute
Now, to its CONS:
Longer Movie Duration
I realized that some of the watchers I observed during that, are dozing off; and bigger 'alarms' (you'll see why) woke them up. I don't think this one is a part of the weakness for this film because I find it overall enthusiastic (yet also wondering how some can endure watching not instead of 2+ hours, even from web movies like 4+ or maximum 8 hours?)
Political Issues Included, Hence Biased Favor of Its Propaganda
Yes.... this one, is pretty much undeniable, and I see the pattern there. I mean, not willing to take any risks from certain countries, hence being one-sided and all. I don't want to be specific on which country, but you'll see, again, why
Regardless of any endings they made: happy, sad, or open-endings, I'd still rate this 10 anyways, because they have portrayed everything beautifully, and made it a Hollywood-esque level of VFX, cinematography... even its storyline, too. I've been more than glad despite its 2-year delay, it's the most worth watching; therefore the best Korean movie I ever watched so far
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One of my favorites!
The ratings for this on MDL has made me lose all faith in the rating system, so I am ignoring it from here on out. If this is a 7.8, then I am really missing out on some great dramas by thinking the ratings here have any basis in reality. The Matchmakers is a 10/10 drama with an incredibly tight and complete story that is so well written. There is comedy gold, cuteness, romance, and Shakespearean intrigue. I have never seen any kdrama like this and would put it right up there with Mr. Queen. I actually enjoyed this one more. Just for Rowoon's facial expressions and the brilliant comedic interactions between him and his servant make this worthy of rewatching, but the whole cast was great. I highly recommend this!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This drama basically started off with both main lead how they meet and all those. Then the girl ( Han Fei ) had a accident and died which the boy ( Wu Jing Hao ) regretted not to save her as Han Fei met him before the accident. So 10 years later, Jing Hao is a doctor and he went back 10 years ago, about 3 to 4 months before the accident and he tried ways to stopped it, Along this journey, he started to know more about Han Fei. But on the day of the accident, Jing Hao saved Han Fei with his life. He left a letter for Han Fei about him coming back from the past and how he tried saving her So the drama skipped to 10 years later where Han Fei is a a doctor , went through what Jing Hao did, went back to 10 years and then she saved him and they both lived happily ever after.
( P.S. I am mentioning partly of the story )
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However, the story-telling is a bit new. I did not realize how a very short film without speaking parts can speak volumes with just their actions.
And here the acting comes in as natural as if the actors are living it. The small touches, the glances, the visible clearing of throats, all gestures
contribute to the beautiful and poignant telling of the story of requited or unrequited love. (depending on one's view).
The music brings attention to the flow and ebb of emotions and moves the story along.
Re-watch value: The need to play this movie over and over again is quite strong, and quite tempting as it is short.
Overall, a very short and sweet film.
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Tales of the Misfits
Characters are self obsessed, angsty, self-destructive and in some sense rejected by society. I was truly absorbed by these characters throughout the movie, and being a coming of age film lover, I really like the character study treatment they have given on each character especially the interview part. Film was deep, very philosophical, it tackles existentialism quite profoundly. I also heard it was based on a manga so if that's true that would make it the darkest and the most depressing manga based movie I've ever seen. I also love the setting, it is set in an industrial area in 1990's, and vibe is a blend between depressing and nostalgic.I love the cinematography, it's very atmospheric, and camera work is documentary like, love character close up shots and the background. Music is simplistic but effective, it builds the tension for each scenes and the transition to the next. I also love how the ending credits song is upbeat such contrast to the whole theme of the film, it gives smile to my face.
Great acting from all of these young cast lead by the Fumi Nikaido which in my opinion the best young actress in Japan, she's really good with these type of characters. Yoshizawa Ryo is a revelation in this movie, I didn't know he can act like this, such intensity, reminds me of a young Kengo Kora. The rest of the cast did great job as well because it's not an easy feat to play these types of characters.
Not for everyone obviously, lots of gore and sex scenes. Also the narrative doesn't have anything to do with romanticism but existentialism. Slow but thought provoking film, it probably requires a rewatch to fully understand the message of the film.
Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/
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