Reviews

Great Horror Moments, Weak Emotional Build-Up

I haven't read the original webtoon, but from what I've heard, this adaptation remains far more faithful to the source material than the Korean version. Even so, I found the Korean adaptation to be the stronger and more cohesive production overall.

The pacing here is relentlessly fast, leaving little room for Yu (Jongwoo) to develop as a character. As a result, I struggled to connect with him emotionally. The relationship between the two central characters also feels underdeveloped. Yu and Kirishima (Moonjo) share surprisingly few meaningful interactions, making the gradual shift from uneasy familiarity to overwhelming fear feel abrupt rather than earned. Their psychological dynamic—arguably the heart of the story—never reaches the intensity it should.

One scene I kept anticipating was the restaurant sequence from the Korean version, where Jongwoo is dining with his girlfriend and college friend before suddenly noticing Moonjo. The mounting dread in that moment remains one of the most memorable scenes in the Korean adaptation because it perfectly captures the psychological hold Moonjo has over him. I expected a similarly effective buildup here. Instead, despite Yu and Kirishima having far fewer interactions, Yu is already terrified of him. Given how little distinguishes Kirishima from the other unsettling residents at that point, it raises the question of why his fear is directed almost exclusively toward Kirishima rather than the entire building.

That said, this adaptation deserves credit where it excels. Several horror sequences are more disturbing than their Korean counterparts. Jun's decapitation is genuinely horrifying, and the fate of Yu's girlfriend was the biggest shock of the entire series. Those moments demonstrate that the show is capable of delivering effective, visceral horror when it fully commits to it.

I also have to commend Kirishima's portrayal. While I still prefer the Korean adaptation overall, Kirishima's eyes carry an almost inhuman, demonic quality that makes him deeply unsettling whenever he appears on screen. His presence alone contributes significantly to the series' eerie atmosphere.

Overall, while this adaptation succeeds in delivering several memorable horror moments and appears to stay closer to the source material, its rushed pacing and underdeveloped character dynamics prevented me from becoming fully invested. For me, the Korean version remains the more effective adaptation because it gives its characters—and especially the relationship between the protagonist and the antagonist—the time needed to breathe and evolve.

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great for a one time watch

This film was a surprisingly engaging watch, it delved into some creepy atmosphere during the final thirty min ish of the film especially. The film is made in a way where it looks like it was just a group out exploring a haunted hospital. which adds to the overall suspense and authenticity of the actual exploring of the hospital.
What initially drew my attention to this film this much later after the release was the fact that it is centred around Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, an actual real and abandoned mental institution located in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, Its one of the real like actual spooky abandoned places in Korea. The hospital closed its doors in the 1990s, officially due to issues related to sewage and economic difficulties, rather than the supernatural reasons implied in the movie. But the blend of reality from the real ghost stories and fiction creates an intriguing effect that enhances the film's effectiveness; combining actual historical elements with horror storytelling kinda elevates my experience when I watched the film it added some good suspense and intrigue.
Throughout the film, there are several genuinely frightening things. However, I don't see myself rewatching it. Much like many horror films, once you've experienced the twists and scares, they lose some of their impact on subsequent viewings

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What a story

This is bestest movie i watched in my life. I really liked what an acting of that actor ohh my god really fantabulous 👏👏 while watching the actor i can say he given his 100% effort usually when we watch a rehab people we can say how much they suffer and how uncomfortable it feels like, but i have to say hats off to this actor while watching the movie i felt very uncomfortable looking at jackson yee which means he completely behaved like one who has that disability.

Most important thing this movie conveyed was never give up even though if you are not perfect and normal. We people have many flaws like dark skin , loss of hair we feel like to give up as well as not go in front of people, despite his disability he thought he was a normal person and never gave up and infact wanted to show his talents and efforts in front of others and never hided himself at home and also his romantic desires phase was very touching his dreams are really heart wrenching . But yet he tried his best until he achieved. Even his own parents was not supportive and was doubting his birth disability but this person always tries hard working a master brain and overcoming this obstacles and also maintain a good nature by searching positivity despite in his negative environment . Mostly i never watch emotional movies but this movie i wanted to watch and it was the bestest movie and wanted to write a review.
All the actors acted well his grandma's character was one of lively and supportive character for her grandson. She is the person who protects him and also treats him normal by giving adventurous new tasks in life
Last but not the least director and story writer deserve the praise who came up with this unique idea and story.
A must watch movie and i urge everyone to watch this masterpiece when life feels like overwhelming and giving up. This movie is best motivation and also helps us to go on.

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A great Chinese counterfeit with Chinese flavor - hilariously funny

This is delightful! it is super crafty... lmao Chinese imported So Ji Sub to be THE hot guy, and then put a Chinese ML who looks like So Ji Sub somewhat but is not that well kept beautiful you know the deal with Korean skin and working out .... THis is 2009 movie but it has guys' bathroom scene just wrapped in a towel - I guess other dramas copied this one? So Ji Sub was SML and did not have to act much.... besides the towel scenes...

On the plus side, Chinese ML is a pretty good actor and is incredibly CHARMING and convincing as a hot lover. Highly recommended. If you want to see a really hot Chinese guy, this ML beats all the anorexic looking androgenous skinny pale boys with make up that are currently the rage in China. Those kids are ... nothing. Watch this drama to see a real one :)
Also this was before being skinny was so fashionable, So Ji Sub looks amazing in that towel, and also Anna actress looks WOW amazing. What a body. Also, the FL actress has nice legs you can see she walks and exercises, the legs are toned.

Also there are lots of Hwood tricks, including the names of the Chinese in the drama - Sophie, Gordon, Anna, .... and the facial gestures that look like Hwood...

BUT as usual, Chinese did a great copycat counterfeit and made it their own, this is actually hilarious and has that off hinge humor like Stephen Chow movies from Hong Kong, and I love it. It is really fun.

I just watched a phenomenal Chinese Counterfeit with real Chinese flavor and it is totally hilarious. Sophie's Revenge 2009 Chinese rom com with So Ji Sub as 2ML. He did not have to act much besides parade around in towel. But Chinese ML is his copy lmao but does not look that well kept, however, is a very good actor and super charming and really a hot lover. A lot better than the girly pale skinny guys with make up in current cdramas... The movie has Stephen Chow from Hong Kong humor, I love it. Link in spoiler
I really dislike most cdramas and cmovies bc they have the pompous overdramatic serious feel of a military parade, BUT once in a blue moon when Chinese make something good it is EXCEPTIONAL

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Horribly Dull. Not for a lover of the original OVA

How does one turn Rurouni Kenshin into the most lifeless, boring soulless rendition ever? Watch this movie!

The fight scenes like the duel between Kenshin and Okita Souji are cool- undoubtably they must be incredibly difficult to execute.

The second half is better than the first- that part reminds me of the original story. Still it’s not the same and doesn’t evoke the same emotion as the anime.

This version is more “star studded” than the first one I saw (2012)- with Chishiya —I mean Nijirō Murakami and Takahashi Issey in the cast. The first thing I noticed what this woman’s horrible makeup job- with this white patchy powder on her face. It looks like some cheap makeup did that, her hair is a mess and her lipstick is all over the place. What on earth?

And what’s up with the Indian classical style flute? This is Rurouni Kenshin not the Ramayana! It’s totally out of place. The director is totally out of his element here.

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Hollow, flat, lacks depth and life of the anime

As a longtime lover of the anime, I’ve tried to watch this first movie several times, and I get that they don’t follow the anime timeline or stories exactly and that’s fine, but what I’m looking for is more of the vibe, the soul, the essence of the anime. And like many live action movie versions of great anime’s (My Happy Marriage is another example of this), this live action movie fails to capture the magic and essence of the anime. It’s not about the story or the plot points, this live action version is like kenshin with no soul. Don’t get me wrong, Takeru Satoh has done an incredible job playing Himura Kenshin, and he is the only character worth watching and embodies some of the soul of the anime. He has that purity, innocence, but the deadly strength. The rest are hollow, flat, and very one note. Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke, heck even Jinei- how is it that all of them are like flat 2d puppets that lack the depth of the anime? Kind of ironic right? The “real” human actors -when they try to mimic the depth of a 2d animation, they fail miserably and look hollow and flat.

Why does Kaoru let Kenshin get arrested even though he saved her and the school from the rowdy men? At the very least, she would need him for protection. It’s obviously not in the original story, and is totally useless, and just makes her look like an ungrateful person. So weird. The scene with Jinei is so lackluster- she overcomes the trance in 2 seconds and they’re like “Uh oh the spell broke!” It’s so lame!

The villain is wearing this weird fake Halloween teeth on his lower row of teeth and with that haircut and that ridiculous pompous background music theme, he just comes across as a joker. A joker is fine- the anime has plenty of that, but like I said, it is hollow.

The music of the Kenshin anime series is like the heart and soul of it- the music breathes life into it. The music here is again hollow, adds nothing to the movie at all. People rated these movies highly for their star power and keep marveling at “wow it’s one of the best anime adaptations!” If this is the best, then I don’t want to know what the worst is. I don’t plan to find out. Stick with the anime. It has soul that these movies don’t have.

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Brutally Insane Ride You can Barely Breathe

Kwon Yu, an ex national athlete who is now living off his mom who works as hospice worker, quietly wasting away his life by playing video games around the clock. A phonecall offering reward of $300 for returning a phone turned his life into a living hell. The next morning after returning the phone, he wakes up to a police raid, convicted with a crime he knew nothing of, and sentenced to life in prison without parole. He finally decides to escape when his mom died mysteriously amid his appeal. Determined to exonerate himself, he teams up with his online gaming team to track down the men behind his frame-up.

I had to say this is one of the most engaging kmovie I’ve ever watched. The level of blood being spilled in those brutal fight sequences is unimaginable. Ji Changwook is exceedingly phenomenal here, the writer definitely did quite a number on his role - he gets beaten, sexually assaulted, drugged, shot and crashed into non stop. Even when I saw The Worst of Evil, his role had not been as brutally injured as this Kwon Yu. The action and special effects team are astronomically excellent here with those hand-to-hand fights, car chases and explosions. Totally love the car chase especially when the good guys had to work with that tiny compact car compared to beamers and mercedes benz that the villains drive.

The plot twists, the angst, the fury of both good guys and villains as they outwit each other back to back keeps me at the edge of my seat in the whole duration of the movie. Gosh I’d really rewatch this just for the action. As usual, i cant really find any faults with korean actors, they carried their role too well even those with the small parts. I really love the foreigner characters that were ever so small but were actually the tipping point between Kwon Yu getting caught and escaping. Man, the whole production is truly awesome.

I am glad I watched this in movie format compared to the series The Manipulated (also starring Ji Chang Wook), cuz I dont think I can handle the anger and frustration of seeing ML getting assaulted and outwitted by the villains on a longer basis.

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Masterpiece - about sh.t you are eating

This movie is a masterpiece about the politics of the food and what you are eating right now. And about human stupidity as most of the audience canNOT see it - in the movie itself .... as well as in real life. Commentary and review of this movie are ... well... tragic, actually. People love eating meat and will not ask how it ended up on their plate.

This is not a cute fantasy, it is a realistic animal rights and big agg movie, about the meat we PEOPLE eat and where it comes from. IT IS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED. That stuff is no joke bc what you eat will also "genetically engineer" you the eater....

Anything you eat will change you as it becomes your own flesh.

I suggest reading reports on what happens when mice eat genetically modified food.

The movie, comments and the reviews show how obviously nobody cares.

THE COMMENTS/REVIEWS OF THE AUDIENCE ARE THE MOST TERRIFYING PART OF THIS MOVE. PRACTICALLY NOBODY GETS IT.

The movie is realistic and shows the realism - so many ppl continuing to support the big agg industry and everything that comes with it - bc ppl love to eat meat....
and a very small group of ppl are called "idealistic" and they fight to stop the big agg farms and genetically modified/engineered foods.
And the audience in real life!!!! the big agg has the money so there are articles how the movie was booed at Cannes Festival - but what was booed was Netflix logo and some technical problems, not the movie....

AND NOBODY REALLY GETTING THIS MOVIE OR DOING ANYTHING IN REAL LIFE ABOUT THESE ISSUES

PEOPLE LOVE MEAT! so much that they dont care how much animals are tortured so that their meat ends up on the plate

PEOPLE STILL EAT TONS OF MEAT

I suggest going to youtube and other places to see what big animal farms actually look like and how animals are really raised and killed... Some of the most gross stuff is drilling a hole in a cow's side and then the vet puts his hand into it and puts stuff...

or cows and pigs kept in tiny "cages" and their necks are in like a yoke and they cannot move, they are "fixed" in the eating position....

And lakes of feces and urine, sprayed into air...

So anyways, the movie is so realistic...
and the message is clear, ppl are too stupid and this mass evil keeps happening, and only a few ones who put in the effort will escape..

and yeah that is what life is like :)

I am amazed that Americans made this movie :) this is one of the rare smart movies in the USA .... all smart movies in the USA became extinct in like ... 2006 or so.... ....

and yeah NYC lmao the smartest town in the USA
and also containing the most vile corporate evil masterminds :)

The movie is 100% realistic. I was cracked up by Miranda family, esp Nancy as a cold blooded scrooge - she gave us a super great business lesson - and Lucy as this new age corporate "cover it up rosey, ppl will consent to anything if you put a sweet bs to it." SO true!!!! ppl really behave like that.

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I am aware about the Ip Man series, and how it's based on a real-life figure of the same name, but I've never really watched the Donnie Yen movies or been interested in Ip Man stories until now. And then I found out that Xie Miao is playing a younger version of Ip Man, so how can I not watch this movie?

In this movie, Xie Miao plays a young Ip Man who at the moment was studying in Hong Kong. By chance, he encountered a mugging incident... and while he came over to lend a hand, he happened to reunite with an old friend. While spending time with his fellow martial arts student, Man came to witness a kidnapping attempt by some men working for a British company and proceeded to rescue the kidnapped women. What started as one simple incident ended up blowing up as the thugs from the company involved with the human trafficking business started to retaliate, and people around Man started to get hurt. As Ip Man began to reawaken his sense of justice and learn that righteousness must also be followed by wisdom, he sought to confront the British and make right the wrongs that had been done.

Considering that I dived into the story blind, I have no bias toward which actor played Ip Man better. But what I can say is... Xie Miao really brought out a sense of youthfulness and bright energy in his portrayal of young Ip Man. It was really refreshing, seeing him portray a prominent Kungfu master and it's really exciting to see him portray Ip Man from an early point in his life.

If there was anything that I really disliked about any characters in the movie, it would be the man villain MR Stark.Whether it was intentional or not... the character really gave the impression of a very corrupt old Imperial officer with all the many allusions about the Chinese culture that they often speak. Which was really offputting, seeing it coming from a foreigner who appeared to be cosplaying as this 'native' Chinese mob leader. But I suppose, since he's a villain, it's expected for Stark to be a hated character and it really does feel satisfying seeing Man take them down. I'm not sure there were any more plans for future movies featuring Xie Miao as Ip Man, but I would've loved to see more if possible. Xie Miao really did well portraying a Wing Chun master~

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A Nationalistic, Cringe-Inducing Mess That Ruins a Classic with Modern Propaganda and Creepy Romance

What's most important to know?
​Tsui Hark completely strips away the soul, adventure, and organic growth of Jin Yong’s original masterpiece. By aggressively cutting out the first 33 chapters, the film rushes straight into heavy-handed, mainland state-style political propaganda about "serving the nation." Worse, the poorly paced, deeply uncomfortable romantic dynamic between the leads feels entirely unearned, creepy, and borderline predatory given how rushed and immature the character setups are. It’s a 1/10 disaster that swaps genuine wuxia chivalry for modern political pandering.

A absolute trainwreck that feels more like a mainland state-mandated lecture than a martial arts epic.
​The Story: Rushed Pacing and Blatant Propaganda
​By chopping off the entire first half of the novel, the film obliterates any actual character development. We are expected to care about Guo Jing and Huang Rong instantly, but their relationship comes off as incredibly forced and deeply uncomfortable. The adaptation completely mishandles the youthful innocence of the characters, turning what should be a classic coming-of-age romance into a cringe-inducing, bizarrely paced relationship that feels entirely inappropriate.
​Worse yet is the transparent political agenda. Jin Yong’s classic line, "A Great Gallant serves the nation and its people," is stripped of its historical nuance and weaponized as modern, heavy-handed Communist Chinese propaganda. The entire plot is narrowed down to blind nationalism and sacrificing family (like Li Ping’s forced suicide) for the state. Turning a beloved fantasy adventure into a mouthpiece for modern state ideology is utterly exhausting to watch.
​Acting & Cast: Zero Chemistry
​The acting is completely wooden. The lead actors have absolutely zero chemistry, making the romance feel even more unnatural and hard to watch. Guo Jing isn't portrayed as "pure-hearted and slow-witted"—he comes across as utterly brainless, making it impossible to believe that a brilliant character like Huang Rong would blindly follow him around. The legendary Ouyang Feng is reduced to a screaming, cartoonish caricature once he goes mad from the reversed Nine Yin Manual. There is no emotional weight to any of the sacrifices; it’s just actors shouting lines at a green screen.
​Production, Music, and Action
​Don't expect the classic, gritty Tsui Hark style of the 1990s. This film is bloated with cheap, over-saturated CGI that looks like a modern Chinese mobile game. The final battle at Xiangyang is just a messy barrage of special effects where the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms look like generic superhero energy blasts. The music is equally terrible—loud, overblown, and aggressively nationalistic, constantly telling the audience exactly when they are supposed to feel patriotic.
​Conclusion
​If you want genuine wuxia, skip this entirely. It is a cynical, state-pleasing product that completely ruins Jin Yong's legacy, butchering a classic romance and replacing it with unearned sentimentality and loud political messaging. Avoid at all costs.

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This documentary taught me more about the fish trade in Japan than I ever thought I would want to know -- which is the best kind of documentary.
However, squeamish people should maybe approach this one with caution. We see fish being killed and filleted in close-ups; even I, who is not normally fazed, felt vaguely uncomfortable when the vendors used a thin rod and pushed it into the fish to crush their spines (so they'd be paralysed but still alive).

The films looks at the different kinds of vendors and workers who work at Tsukiji Fish Market, which is the largest and most important fish market in Japan. We get to see their work day (rather: night), and, more importantly, their relationships with each other: While yes, there's a rivalry going on, the workers and vendors are also aware that they are dependent from each other -- not only vertically (from wholesaler to grocer to consumer) but also horizontally; because in the end, they are all dependent on the market's good reputation.
Of course, the docu also shows the famous Japanese working spirit, the pride in providing excellent service and products and all the traditions that come with it. However, it doesn't hide that new eating habits of the Japanese people as well as the declining birth rates have already changed the market, and a further decline is expected.
One thing to know is that this docu was made in 2016, so ten years ago. Near the end, they tell us that there are changes coming to the market (if I understood it correctly, the wanted to built a new market?). I wonder how Tsukiji market is doing nowadays?

There is only one aspect I wasn't too fond of: That the narrator spoke English, not Japanese. For me, this disrupts the general vibe and it's not needed at all, especially since everything else was in Japanese and we need the subtitles anyway.

Personally, I would have loved to see even more of the behind-the-scenes and the history of the building but that's not a complaint, because we get to see plenty already.
Recommended.

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Wow. There wasn't even an animal to lose and I feel so down after finishing this movie.

What they wrote for Mao Shiba was wholly unexpected and so sad!

I started off just thinking, "Aw, look at baby Yang Yang with his floppy hair and comically large glasses," and being happy at his sweet relationship, and then Chubby's storyline happened and I felt a sense of foreboding.

I knew that he wasn't going to get a happy ending, but I wasn't sure which half of his couple was going to get that outcome (because obviously the phone thief gang was going to ruin things with a knife).

Story-wise, the writers made the right choice, but for goodness' sake. My heart.

(Okay, also, that quick phone call that happened during the credits about Chen Mo's upcoming wedding between Chubby and...was that Mao Shiba?!)

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it’s only porn if you think it is

When I first watched Double Exposure, there were no subtitles, so without any context, I could only appreciate its visuals. At first glance, those visuals appeared highly erotic—almost pornographic.

When I finally watched it again with subtitles, the film became something entirely different. The dialogue, though seemingly simple and understated, added remarkable depth and dimension to the story. It transformed what initially felt like a purely visual experience into an exploration of intimacy, vulnerability, and human connection.

I also found myself wondering how a Korean production company had the courage to make such a daring film. Had it been produced in parts of Europe, it might have been viewed less as something controversial and more as an artistic or educational exploration of sexuality. Cultural context inevitably shapes how audiences perceive a film like this.

I admired the actors for pushing beyond conventional boundaries, knowing they risked criticism or even being marginalized within their own industry. Learning that this was their first acting role made their performances even more impressive. They played their characters with complete conviction. Their chemistry felt natural and unforced, as though the attraction between them genuinely existed. Their body language and facial expressions conveyed everything that words could not.

The film’s nudity, including its full-frontal scenes, never struck me as gratuitous. It felt honest and matter-of-fact—more akin to the casual nudity one encounters in a Korean spa, where there is no malice or voyeurism attached to the human body. It was simply presented as part of the characters’ reality.

If I had one criticism, it would be the editing. While I appreciate the deliberate pacing and lingering shots, a few sequences became confusing, and tighter editing could have made the narrative flow more cohesively.
The NC-17 scenes were executed with remarkable restraint and authenticity. They never felt forced or inserted merely for shock value. The kiss, in particular, was beautifully performed—so genuine that it became easy to forget these were actors simply fulfilling a role.

There will undoubtedly be those who dismiss the film because of its explicit content. But I can’t help wondering: if the same story were told between a man and a woman, would it be judged differently?
For me, Double Exposure is ultimately a work of art. Art, when created without malice or exploitation, is an expression of humanity. This film may challenge its audience, but beneath its explicit imagery lies a sincere exploration of intimacy, vulnerability, and the courage to tell an unconventional story.

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