Reviews

Can't believe that it took me this long to finally watch this movie fully; like I've seen bits of this movie as well as bits of the original when I was younger, but never completely.

I have to agree that this movie was one of the best movie that Jet LI had produced and it was sad that initially, this movie didn't quite gain popularity when it was initially released.

For a remake of the original Fist of Fury this movie was very well made. I love how multi-lingual this movie was, considering that the setting involved scenes set in Japan and China and involving the said people in either country. The dubbing works was also very well made that unless you have a very good ear you won't really notice the difference.

The fight choreography in this movie was also very well done. And I have to say that Jet Li was one of the very few martial artists who could really emulate a similar fighting style as Bruce Lee without making it look too silly.

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An OK adaptation

I didn't know this has a page on MDL, but i very much in love with the Manga, and for a while i didn't know about the adaptation, i dare say i watched it pretty late...

This has no reviews here so i decided to write one for reference.

The movie covers pretty much the first 2 volumes of the manga (out of 7) with some major changes of course.

Now the good changes are:
1- He became more human after Emu broke his curse, stopping Koh from killing innocent people.

SPOİLER: skip this paragraph if you plan to read the manga ~~
İn the manga he kept killing people normally, innocent or guilty, and the rule of "killing anyone who find out their secret" still stands which is weird cause why would he not kill Emu if he didn't break the hypnosis.

2- Less nudity, which is kinda expected because it was excessive and unnecessary in the manga, also very not practical, imagine killing a bunch of guys while being completely naked lol 😂 here it's moderate and mostly carried on by Mark.

3- They skipped the whole Tiger lady part... İYKYK, i didn't even like her lol

Other changes that i didn't like.
1- Everyone's role became very shallow, and made the whole movie inconsistent, hadn't i read the manga, I'd probably be so lost while watching.
2- The weird slow motion action sequences, oh my goodness i was laughing the whole time and being a 90s movie doesn't excuse that at all.
3-Emu had no weight at all in the story which is a major change cause everything is basically involves her, and she didn't shot anyone xD
4-they changed some tiny details that was necessary like when Emu asked Freeman to sleep with her BEFORE killing her cause she was 29 and virgin, as he was too which was something significant for the story yet they made her only 20, and nothing about her or his past experiences.

Aside from that it was an OK movie, i wouldn't recommend it unless you are a huge fan of the manga and wants to see more ~
But judging it as a movie, it's not the best except for the most beautiful Mark Dacascos ❣️ everything else is pretty meh, i only rated it higher than it deserves cause I'm a hardcore fan of the manga ~

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Their opinions of life got reversed

Mi Sha and XingXing had more than a genuine friendship, they shared a treasurable bond between them which can't be named just as a friendship. MiSha helped XingXing in realising her dreams, while XingXing was like a mother to her which she never had. Though they were drifted apart due to misunderstandings and in a fit of anger, their place in other's life was irreplaceable. After years, they had a bittersweet reunion, however, I'm sure that the only regret XingXing had was that she didn't get more time to spend with MiSha. Also, she wants MiSha to get out of her regrets and live her life better.

When LuLi entered in between them, initially it was cute and heart-warming to watch but things started to get complicated when they began to catch feelings for each other. I was thankful to him for taking care of XingXing as a faithful childhood friend, but did that only because he was the reason her mother died. That's such a turn off!

As the title suggests, their destinies or I can say their perspectives of their mother swapped at some point. MiSha thought her mother abandoned her, only to find out that she didn't leave her but got into an accident. And XingXing who was fond of her mother's love, got a reality check that she (XingXing's mother) regretted having her. It was a lot to handle for both of them, yet it was a relief that they had someone to lean on. And it definitely wasn't LuLi.

MiSha and XingXing's closeness give lowkey Sapphic taste to the movie. The entire time while watching the movie, I wished for it to turn into a GL. LuLi's presence was just to bring a rift between them. That's it. I didn't find other significance for his character. It's sad that he had to pay the price with an life-long injury.

Actors did a great job at conveying their emotions. Anger. Betrayal. Love. Pity. All of it was outstanding. Actress who played as XingXing deserves a special praise to act the scenes where XingXing suffers from episodes also actress who played MiSha, while shooting the harrassing scene. It must've been quite traumatic.

All over, this was an excellent movie to watch that will definitely leave you with buckets of tears.

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As long as you're with me, you won't feel scared

This movie adaptation was overall very solid. While it did have to cut several minor plotlines and at least one major one from the manga due to time constraints, I liked the writers' choice to rework the script in a way that preserved the feeling of the original while giving themselves enough wiggle room to abridge and condense some of the more complex subplots without sacrificing the overall internal logic of the story.

The characters remained consistent with their original selves and the actors nicely captured the despair these lonely people were feeling, as well as their clumsy and desperate attempts to find connection with someone who understand them. The dialogue in particular was well utilized to explain important concepts while keeping the plot moving in a cohesive direction—while the first half of the movie can be confusing for people who haven't read the source material, I found that the second half tied the plotlines together rather nicely and provided enough context to help the viewer along, granted you aren't watching this in the background while focusing on some other activity.

My favourite aspect of this adaptation was the production quality, though. The photography and lighting were especially well done, giving a sharp and somber feeling to the movie that perfectly fit with the mystery/suspense plotline. The scenarios, while mostly made up of dingy streets and half-empty buildings, actually enhanced the gritty aesthetics of the story, as did the understated costume design. The editing was also very consistent, and it managed to balance the many different threads of the story without losing track of how all the subplots fit together or making the pace feel stilted or overly scattered.

Also, I want to emphasize that the BL aspects of this story are mostly unspoken and hinted at throughout the movie, so don't go into this expecting it to have any on-screen discussion or even resolution. Just like in the manga, the storyline related to the curses takes precedence and you have to read between the lines to infer the main characters' romantic entanglement. But make no mistake: the whole exorcism plot is a thinly veiled metaphor for their relationship, both romantic and physical, and you can see how it develops through sexual innuendos, casual touches, and one or two insane life-long promises (was it casual when they called each other their fate???).

Lastly, a fun fact: Akutami Gege, the author of Jujutsu Kaisen, is a fan of Yamashita-sensei's work and used some of the plot points from The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window as an inspiration for his own series! You can see it more clearly in the manga as it delves into curse manipulation and curse users, so I recommend checking it out if that interests you.

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No Touching At All is a slow sunrise. And sometimes that's even more beautiful.

How do you review No Touching At All when your main memories are awkward silences, lingering glances, and two grown men acting like feelings were a government conspiracy?

This film really looked at office romances and said, "What if we removed all unnecessary noise and replaced it with yearning?"

Shima had already learned how to survive disappointment.

Keep your distance.

Keep things casual.

Don't expect too much from people.

Simple.

Then Togawa walked into his life and immediately made all of that significantly more difficult.

Because unfortunately for Shima, Togawa possessed three dangerous qualities:

Patience.

Kindness.

And the ability to see straight through him.

Naturally, disaster followed.

Yonashiro Sho brought so much quiet vulnerability to Shima that sometimes it felt like watching someone trying to hold themselves together with sheer determination.

And Watanabe Shu as Togawa?

The king of gentle persistence.

The emperor of emotional intelligence.

The CEO of asking, "Are you okay?" and actually waiting for the answer.

Their relationship wasn't built on dramatic confessions or grand romantic gestures.

It was built on small moments.

Shared drinks after work.

Conversations in elevators.

Walking home together.

The kind of moments that don't look important until one day you realize they've become your entire world.

And honestly?

That's exactly what made this story feel so real.

Because love doesn't always arrive loudly.

Sometimes it arrives quietly.

Sometimes it sits beside you after a long day at work.

Sometimes it asks if you've eaten.

Sometimes it waits patiently for you to believe that you're worth staying for.

And can we talk about the people behind the camera?

Director Chihiro Amano understood exactly what this story needed: restraint.

The film trusted silence.

It trusted body language.

It trusted the audience enough to understand what wasn't being said.

The pacing was quiet, deliberate, and deeply intimate.

The office spaces felt ordinary.

The city felt ordinary.

The lives being lived inside them felt ordinary.

And somehow that made everything feel extraordinary.

The cinematography deserves special praise.

The fluorescent office lights.

The rainy streets.

The late-night trains.

Every frame felt grounded in reality.

And the soundtrack?

Minimal.

Subtle.

Perfect.

No Touching At All wasn't trying to reinvent romance.

It wasn't trying to shock you.

It wasn't trying to emotionally destroy you.

It was simply telling the story of two adults learning that vulnerability might be terrifying, but loneliness isn't any easier.

This wasn't enemies-to-lovers.

This wasn't friends-to-lovers.

This was emotionally unavailable office worker × emotionally intelligent man with the patience of a saint.

10/10.

Would absolutely stand awkwardly in that elevator, share convenience store drinks after work, and watch these two slowly learn how to let someone in all over again.

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That kid was dumb as fuggg

Conceptually, this movie should have been an easy win for me. A disaster movie mixed with science fiction, a mysterious mission, and the future of humanity at stake? That is exactly the kind of movie I would normally enjoy. The idea was definitely there, and the opening disaster sequences were intense enough to keep me interested. Unfortunately, the execution became so complicated and messy that I started questioning why I had chosen to watch it in the first place.

The movie begins like a straightforward survival thriller, but then suddenly turns into a much more confusing and philosophical sci-fi story. I appreciate that it tried to explore bigger ideas about artificial intelligence, emotions, motherhood, and the bond between a parent and child. However, it felt like the movie was trying to fit too many concepts into one story without giving them enough time to develop properly. Some scenes were genuinely interesting, especially toward the ending, but other parts felt repetitive, rushed, and unnecessarily difficult to follow.

And I am sorry, but why was that kid so unbelievably stupid? Seriously, he might be one of the dumbest children I have ever seen in a sci-fi movie. I understand that children can panic and make irrational decisions during dangerous situations, but some of his choices were so frustrating that I wanted to enter the screen and drag him to safety myself. Overall, the movie had an ambitious concept, strong visuals, and an interesting twist, but the confusing storytelling and that extremely annoying child made it much harder for me to enjoy.

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It's just bad

I genuinely can't believe anyone actually liked this movie.

It somehow manages to be bad at both the drama and the romance. The only genuinely good thing about it is Yamashita, who looks absolutely gorgeous with those smiles of someone who knows exactly how ridiculously handsome he is.

I could say I'm just too old for this kind of movie, but that's not even the issue. There's simply nothing good enough here to make the experience enjoyable. Maybe the cinematography deserves some credit, but that's about it.

The characters have no charisma, the romance is completely underdeveloped, and neither his nor her feelings are explored in any meaningful way. The female lead is the stereotypical stiff manga heroine who might work on the page, but completely falls apart in live action. She doesn't feel natural for a second. Her shyness goes so far beyond believable that it ends up feeling painfully forced.

Yamashita does bring some charisma to his role, but the story is so empty and his character is so shallow that it ends up wasting all of his potential.

And honestly, if this were just a silly, mindless movie, I could probably still have fun with it. The problem is that it has no foundation whatsoever. The dialogue is dull, the characters have no personality (or they're defined by a single ridiculously exaggerated trait), and every single aspect of the story lacks proper development.

In the end, it's just bad.

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good atmosphere for the horror and some unsettling based on real life urban legend

Overall this was an enjoyable psychological horror film. I quite liked the scares, they weren't the scariest but it does however thrives on mystery and uncertainty surrounding Salmokji. It's apparently also based around some real life urban stories surrounding the place and that's pretty cool. I like when they base thrillers/horror on urban legends it makes it so much more enjoyable and realistic in a sense. It also makes it feel more real even though none of this ever happened but it got that element of spooky where it's a fun watch. I watched this while it was completely dark out and no lights bc that is how horror should be enjoyed and it added so much more to the film. It definitely one I would rewatch at a later point with some of my friends if they were up for watching a horror film. But yes as mentioned It is not particularly frightening but it got some unsettling aspects to it since it's some urban legend sequel. What I loved about it especially is that it create an eerie atmosphere that keept me focused on the film and not loose focus, I tend to loose focus when I watch bad and poorly directed/poor jumpscares in horror.
So if I had to give an overall, id say that this is a good watch for those looking for a layered psychological experience.

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By this point, I had to admit it - I really loved Xie Miao and his works. Because as soon as he's back as Sun Wukong, Dream Journey immediately becomes really funny as hell. Like it can't just be the writing or how the movie's direction, but Xie Miao really can pull some very comedic scenes even just wearing a poker face.

So this time, the gang meets the 7 spider sisters. But before that, we get to see Wukong and Tang Seng have yet another argument which end up with them switching each other's powers as well as making a bet for who would be to most successful in transcending the demons they'd encounter afterwards in seven days. Whoever thought up this idea for this is a genius. Tang Seng with Wukong's powers and simple mind ended up being very unruly and overconfident. Wukong with Tang Seng's intellect ended up being very talkative and thoughtful, and while he lost his invincible powers for a while... he still had his fighting skill but have weak body. You have no idea how funny these scenarios are.

I ended up seeing quite a number of familiar faces, who gonna end up acting together with Xie Miao again in Great God Monkey drama. So that explains why their chemistry with each other was so very good. So yeah, if you're looking for some very good laugh... this movie is for you. I seriously recommend this movie a lot. I somehow end up laughing my backpain away after watching this.

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