Reviews

Where reincarnation meets romance

It started out pretty good, but then the plot became so much weirder, and so did the age gaps. It's like Until We Meet Again (TH drama) if it was straight and didn't give a fuck about morality, so I wish it had expanded more when it comes to the connection between characters, like you know, the "love" lingers, but it takes different forms now, the characters still appreciate each other, but don't try to get together again, as a couple. That just left a bitter aftertaste.
Random commentary:
* They should've hired more actors to play their older selves, that one scene where they call Meguro "middle-age looking" while he looked exactly the same was insane.
* It was hard at the beginning to hate Tanaka Kei's character, but his acting was so good I genuinely wanted to punch him, specially when he's chasing them in the car, the face--- pure sickness.
* The soundtrack was pretty solid, it was also a very sweet surprise to hear Arimura Kasumi's voice in the credits.
* The acting was pretty good, I don't think I need to say that. Though the child actresses disappointed me a little, but that's a given I suppose.
It's not that bad overall but because of the plot I don't think I would ever rewatch it.

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Highly recommend

I loved it then, I still love it now. I rewatched it after a long time, I remember when i first watched it, I enjoyed it so much that i recommended it to many many people. I still feel the same way, I could still smile so big and get excited for every scene. This is absolutely perfect, and i would say realistic, a beautiful introduction to whoever is curious enough about it. I love how it looked closely and carefully to every single thing. how you can find information, how you can start, how you can and should treat, how feelings are apart from orders and you can't force love, how you should take responsibilities for the decisions you make for instance the one night stands. It tried to comfort people who belong to the group that they're just fine. It went beyond my expectations. The movie was and is absolutely perfect.

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Kindred Spirits

General spoilers only. Lovely short story (14min). The leads are both members of the boy group TNT and have a true magnetism between them. The characters click with each other and their friendship grows strong fast. I like how the look of one boy's place changes (from messy and dark to clean and sunny) to indicate the steady, lasting change they make in each other's lives. They are together every day and plan to be that way from then on. They protect, comfort, and encourage each other.

This could fall under the Bromance category since it's made within China's censorship constraints, but I felt like the bond between the characters was palpable. It was fulfilling and made me smile. Surprisingly touching, since the story is quite simple, as the emotions are fully felt. Really great casting choice for this. Also some nice cinematography.

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It was good movie

I liked this movie even though it wasn't very scary. I get nightmares very easily but i still love horror movies so i watch them a lot. This one was perfect for me to watch at night because I can still sleep peacefully without being scared at every sound or movement. It was nice to see a horror movie where almost everyone was happy at the end and I really loved the last part. I think that u should give it chance if u are like me. And i saw my favorite actress Milk there so I give it on extra point for that and I liked the other actresses as well they were all good. Sorry about my spelling mistakes English isn't my first language bye:)

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If you watched the drama first, disappointment is a risk.

If you watched the drama first, disappointment is a risk. However, as a non-drama audience, it’s a 9/10 — Okay, let me elaborate:

First of all, I want to point out the obvious. The movie has this filter which gives off a “more expensive budget” but personally, I find it pretentious. The drama was in no means low-budget or lacking in editing skills. However, the drama’s cinematography gives off a unique and refreshing vibe. Basically, it’s lighthearted in a good way. On the other hand, the movie had this really heavy vibe going on. It’s not awful but it’s weird okay. It takes away the “it” factor of the drama.

Second, the movie is 2 hours long so the storyline had to be compressed. Some say that the movie is a rehash of some drama scenes. Personally, I don’t agree. The movie, as a standalone/ for non-drama audience, is actually good. It starts off slow (not in a bad way) but definitely does a great job in redeeming itself with the twist in the end. On the other hand, as drama audience, be ready to be disappointed if you expected to see (even just snippets) the other characters from the drama. At the very least I expected a cameo by Zhan Yu, Yang Chaoyang, or even Han TengTeng. Sadly, they’re not there. The only (drama) characters aside from the main leads are Gao Ge, Maizi, and Gao Guangming. To be honest, I truly don’t know how to feel about this. I’m trying to be understanding of the movie’s restricted running time but I really am sad to see them missing. Shining for One Thing (drama) was amazing, not just because of the ML and FL but because of the spectacular side characters and their fleshed out arcs. I mean, even Maizi’s friends who weren’t in the drama had more screen time than Gao Ge. Like???

Third, I also have compliments for the movie. I watched the movie right after the drama so I may be a bit bias but really, I did somewhat enjoyed the movie. That said, what the movie did better than the drama is the “I will love you in every universe” trope. In terms of that trope, the movie was brilliant. That’s why I said earlier that if you watch the movie as a non-drama audience, you’ll definitely enjoy it.

Fourth, let’s talk about Maizi. Now, I found him adorable in the drama. Even with limited screentime, the actor stood out to me. He still embodied Maizi from the drama. I also really liked how they kept Zhang Wansen and Maizi’s friendship, because that was definitely one of the strong points of the drama. Even in the movie universe, Maizi’s loyalty to his friend was just heartwarming & heartbreaking. I’m even willing to overlook the loophole of how Zhang Wansen and Maizi became friends, when the drama established multiple times that they became friends after Maizi beat up Zhang Wansen because of Gao Ge. This was canon regardless of when Lin Baixing time/space-traveled. The movie, on the other hand, tells the audience nothing at all. Nevertheless, since Maizi is still the loyal & kind Maizi everybody loves, I’ll overlook this heh

Fifth, let’s talk about the acting. For a non-drama audience, it’s moving. On the other hand, as drama audience, even love for the drama cannot make me gaslight myself enough to ignore some quirks. Zhang Wansen’s actor kept 90% of his character from the drama. His mannerisms were still there and all that. Acting wise, it’s good but emotionally, it doesn’t feel genuine. On the other hand, Lin Beixing’s actress was just disappointing. It was so so so unfamiliar to the point of being borderline uncomfortable. Imagine this, I’m seeing the same Lin Beixing face and hearing the voice from the drama but the familiarity is not there. The mannerisms of Lin Beixing is simply not there. Adding fire, Lin Beixing’s character in the movie is simply not fleshed out. Not even the movie’s runtime can excuse this problem. Lin Beixing in the movie is simply a girl who Zhang Wansen likes and a girl who likes Zhang Wansen, nothing more, nothing less. Now, as a non-drama audience who watched the movie for the romance part, you probably won’t mind. But as a drama audience, no other words can describe it other than disappointing. Drama Lin Beixing was her own person, someone who actually had their own personality. I really related to Drama Lin Beixing because she was honest of her fears for her future after graduation. Everyone around her seems to have their own dreams and plans while she felt lost. Now, that Lin Beixing was truly a character. Looking at Movie Lin Beixing, I am simply not moved.

Sixth, the music. The movie did not have any standout music, which is unfortunate since what made the drama 10x better is the ost.

In conclusion, I really couldn’t enjoy the movie as a drama fan. I’m trying to be reasonable and give my compliments to the movie. I mean, I do have sincere compliments to the movie which is how they truly did a spectacular job with the “I will love you in every universe” trope. However, from a non-drama perspective, the characters really are not fleshed out. You’ll only truly enjoy them if you are already acquainted with the drama. The irony is, as a drama audience, disappointment is really a risk.

P.S. Some will argue that the drama characters and the movie characters are not from the same universe so that’s why they’re not exactly the same. The problem here is not “not being exactly the same” but rather, it definitely feels like a caricature of the drama.

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Being perfect with flaws is what makes the difference!

"It's easier to give up when it hurts, to leave when it gets tiring. But what you really need, is patience. If you only held on you would still learn those things."

This is me finishing the last movie of KathlNiel with puffy eyes and heavy heart. And if you ask, "how's is it?" I would say, you need to watch this yourself to feel the emotions I felt.
It might be a cliche to some but someone out there will still enjoy this movie as it is.

This is literally a break-up story of a young lovers Primo & George, who went through ups and downs in life just to realise they belonged together forever. But their realisation was not easy as they ended their relationship in bad terms. The believe they had in eachother started fading with the each year and oneday the feelings outbursted, they were left scarred for life.

KathlNiel's acting once again was undoubtedly brilliant. You can not tell if they're acting or just being themselves. As they we know they were a real couple (currently they're not anymore) which really helped them to intensify their chemistry. The emotions were portrayed unfiltered, real and raw, so that you can put yourself in their place and judge the situation.

Now the only problem I have is, I expected it to be an open ending or a sad ending than a happy ending because that would give proper justice to FL and what she's been through. ML is not a jerk but still he left her when she needed him the most. I believe breaking up once shows how fragile that relationship is. It doesn't matter how many times you try to put it back together, the crack will be still there poking the old wounds.

But regardless of all the shortcomings I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to all the happy ending loving romanticists. Make sure to have enough tissues.

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Why wasn't a perfect Ending?

It is important to be truthful in a relationship. If you fall in love with someone despite being married, it is better to face the truth and confront it instead of resorting to deception. You should give a clear signal and then start a new life. The main characters faced hardships in their relationship because they started it in the wrong way. After three years, both of them were living separate lives. One divorced her husband, while the other was still living with his wife unwillingly because of her manipulative behavior. Eventually, they met again, but the ending was tragic. I was hoping for a perfect ending, but the unsatisfying conclusion left me disappointed.

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The more you don't know, the better it is!

I personally watched this for tao because i am such a big fan but basically i have no idea regarding the plot except for rinka, the wedding planner met the weird guy ; tomu.

surprisingly, there are a lot of depth and references here and there for me who just expecting it is just another serial killer thriller movie.

tsuchiya tao did great as always !! i think this may the first time i didnt see her smile much in a film :')

for sakuma who is a rookie actor, he also did well and matched with all the senior actors. well done, sakkun!

i recommend you to avoid any spoilers as much as you can so you can experience the value of this movie.

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Better than most BL series out there

20 minutes of short film can make you feel too much if it's written well, and this film was the perfect example of it. The storyline is heartbreaking yet beautiful because of its realistic essence. "The screen is the only place where you allow me to love you." This quote by the character played by Bible really hit hard. Garn loves Tul as a lover, for a long time, but Tul wants something else. He just wants a normal family, a normal kid, a normal life. He doesn't love Garn as a lover; his love for him isn't in a romantic way, and that's slowly eating Garn up. Knowing that the other person will never love you in a romantic way but still being with them for years is a true type of heartbreaking horror, like it's even worse than a normal heartbreak and being lonely. "I can love your daughter as well." Gosh, this quote even makes everything worse but it's adorable at the same time. For all the years he continued to love Tul, and now when Tul finally got what he always wanted (a family), Garn even decided to love his daughter as he watches his happiness from a distance. He was happy for him, but he wasn't happy with him.

At the end, he died with the same love for Tul, the same hopeless, unrequited love, and Tul decided to name his daughter after Garn to always have his memory. Heart-wrenching.The script was good, the acting was effortless, and the chemistry was nice.

To be honest, I kind of wish it were a series because I felt some parts of the story needed to have a spotlight, for example, exploring their relationship in depth and so on. Overall, it was a good and definitely well-acted short film.

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Intriguing Story

This movie was quite enjoyable. There was some predictability in the storyline with some questionable moments that made me go “of course that would happen or wow what a shocker (sarcasm),” but overall I can understand the high praise for this movie.

The Good

It was filled with high action from beginning to end and the overall story moved at a fast pace so things never got boring. Although I’m not familiar with all of the Chinese lore, it was neat to see it portrayed in a large feature film centered around war. The overall acting was a highlight here as most of the cast did a pretty decent job. Overall production was good with attention to details from the costumes, settings, hair and makeup, etc. wasn’t low budget at all. I’m glad the run time was also a little longer to give time to actually tell the story without it feeling rushed or too incomplete for the first installment.

The Bad

Not much in the way of character and world building. Most of the movie was shot in 1 or 2 locations. Though there was a summarized backstory in the very beginning, would have like to see this go deeper and explain more of the war backstory and king’s backstory in more detail so we could connect more to the story and motivations. Again, as mentioned at the beginning, there was some predictability in the story that I wish would have been turned more into an interesting twist. The OST was okay but not very memorable.

I’d recommend a watch for this movie if you like high action and stories about Gods.

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A movie that released 14 years ago, yet the sentiment lives on like the fresh blooming of a hawthorn flower. My nature has scarce attachments to true-story films, but I stumbled upon this film out of boredom. I wanted to feel something, something new. A few things bothered me at first: there was barely any background music, the lighting was dark, and the slow pacing inclined my impatience to check the timestamps every 10 minutes. These impressions all dispersed in an instant by the hands of the plot's historical and emotional insightfulness. Sun and Jing's love story gave us a glimpse at life during China's cultural revolution movement. I harbored little memory of it from my history course, but my eyes have truly been opened to just how scant their freedom was. Having an opinion could put you in jail or under probation. One wrong move, thinking of a future is the last thing people think of. Everyone sacrifices a bit of their humaneness just to see a tomorrow. But ironically, humans will still yearn ways to stay human. I was at the edge of seat watching Jing and Sun's love story unfold. My heart especially goes for two scenes. First, the scene where Sun cuts his arm so Jing could receive medical care on her foot. The show initially displayed wholesome interactions between the two, so imagine my surprise when I watched this guy start to bleed quite a lot just for a girl he had met recently. Secondly, the ending. Sun dies of leukemia. I cannot tell you how tearjerking this was. He stuck a photo they took together previously up on the ceiling before his last breaths. His body was pale and inhumane, yet he shed his last tear after hearing Jing's voice. It was an ending I never expected, but still realistic considering the medical knowledge they had back then. One last note: I really admired the touch of characterism they gave for Sun's mother. How before she ended her own life, she wanted die looking pretty. It meant his mother cared about her reputation, but I guess it was just too unbearable at some point. Overall, I think all walks of life should watch Under the Hawthorn Tree once in their life. It reminds us of our roots. Even if you may not share the culture, the message remains universal: to realise gratitude for the freedom we swim in everyday, which was unfortunately something Sun and Jing never had.

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Lovely

Story : Simple story, straight to the point and efficient.

Acting/Cast : As a man i will only talk about the female main role because i think we watch these to relate in some way to story and the feelings going on during the scenes as the counter part of the main actor/actress.
Her acting was touching, her expressions of feelings were heartbreaking.

Physical appearance : natural beauty is something i value very much, i think it makes her prettier than any more famous star doll (even more than the ones considered "beautiful").
With or almost without makeup, she is definitely attractive in her own ways, and my standards.

Artistic direction :
- There weren't many different landscapes, which means that they didn't have a big budget, mostly indoors, and they managed to make a good movie.

- Too many drama/movies nowadays take the easy road of sexual lust (this includes kisses a bit too visual), mistakenly confusing it with erotic genre (relating to or tending to arouse sexual desire or excitement) and forgetting the whole point of what is supposed to be a romantic drama. To each its own, i am old fashioned.

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