Reviews

An epic continuation

Not gonna lie, I think that this is one of my favourite movies in High&Low franchise.

In this movie we continue the story from where the last movie ended. I am not gonna get into greater detail about the plot in this movie, because honestly the plot in this franchise is the same. We have a bad guy/school, we fight with them, we have a momentarily bond, we win, we bond for real after some time. This is the plot for every series and movies in this franchise.

However, I would like to point out how good the movie is to the eye. The cinematography, the colours, the frames, the fight-choreos, the attire, the camera work, the music, and many more!!! I believe that the movie had a high production quality. I cannot stretch enough how good the camera work and fight-choreos are!

Every actor was on their top performance and the outcome was amazing. I think that I need to acknowledge the elephant in the room though. Oya high, will never be the same without Murayama! He was and will always be the best leader in Oya. However, thankfully Todoroki was there :) I really enjoyed his development since the last movie. I NEED MAEDA GOKI IN EVERY MOVIE AND SERIES! PLEASE!

Something that I wasn't expecting was Suzuran's appearance here. Taking into account the reference to Rao and Suzuran in the previous movie, and also watching the movie's teasers, I thought that our main villain will be Rao. But I was wrong. And honestly, I enjoyed this plot twist. However, now I need more of Suzuran!!!! I NEED TO SEE MORE OF SUZURAN AND RAO!!

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A BDSM movie done right!

Love and Leashes is a sexy, fresh and delightful movie! I didn’t know what to expect from this movie since it seems to have mixed reviews, but I ended up really loving this. This is actually a great movie to watch for introduction to BDSM… so do yourself a favor and watch this instead of the terrible 50 Shades of Grey. Love and Leashes actually tells how important consent is, about the HEALTHY way of BDSM, not the unhealthy way. I was surprised that Korea made such a daring, progressive and controversional movie, since as far I understand Korea is a conservative country. And also surprising is that this actually potrayed BDSM in a healthy way, since this might be the first BDSM korean movie or one of the first (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong). And the third surprising thing is that the female lead and male lead is acted by a idols, Seo Hyun from Girls' Generation and Lee Jun Young from U-KISS! That’s very brave of both of them. The fourth surprising thing is that it’s the woman who is the dominatrix/master, especially since this is Korea’s first (or one of the first) BDSM movie. It feels feminist, like it breaks stereotypes about men and women, it tells that men doesn’t have to be macho/dominant, and that women doesn’t have to be sumbissive.

This is generally a lighthearted and comedy movie, sometimes even silly, but deals with serious and disturbing subjects too… Anyways, this movie despite the theme is not very explicit, but still manages to be sexy! If you are looking for something explicit / almost p*rnish, then you might be dissapointed. The chemistry between Seo Hyun and Lee Jun Young is good. I like the fact that Ji Woo does lots of research about BDSM, which is not always the case when it comes to BDSM movies, and how respectful Ji Hoo is towards Ji Woo, he doesn’t force or nag at her when it comes to BDSM, he is not pushing her into anything… and I like the fact that Ji Woo actually likes to experience new things and is so open minded. She doesn’t judge people for their perferences.

It also deals with other people’s judgement when it comes to BDSM and How they think its just perverted and sick, and the movie wants to tackle those prejudices and tell there is nothing wrong with BDSM - as long as both parties wants it. I won’t lie, this movie is a bit predictable, sometimes I could tell what would happen. Also, the acting is okay but not the best… but other than that, everything was great, it also tacklas sexism at work, and movie wants to lift up How problematic it is. Ji Woo is a strong a character, she doesn’t take crap and is a very modern, liberal woman. Ji Hoo is a nice man who hides his kinky side, afraid to be looked down on, especially because of what happened in the past. The relationship between Ji Woo and Ji Hoo is of course not the typical kind of relationship, it’s pretty unique, of course. And of course they develop feelings for each other.

Some say this movie is very tame, but not for me. Sure there are BDSM movies out there that are a LOT more explicit, but I thought this is definitely not tame since Ji Hoo actually likes pain and we see his wounds after BDSM with Ji Woo, and some scenes are actually very darn sexy, and tastefully so… While not a very deep movie , its definitely not shallow. I give this 8.5/10 whips! ?

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Soothing but somewhat lacking

I watched this movie on a long-haul flight last night. It was a slow and peaceful watch, but it didn't wring any emotions from me.

They liked each other in high school but have been apart for 10 years. This was problematic for me from the standpoint that he could get training in cello pretty much anywhere, and she had the type of job that could be done anywhere, so the distance for that long period of time didn't make sense. There were a couple of phone calls, but that's it.

I did like the flashbacks, though neither one of them looked much different, just in hairstyle.

Since the whole of the movie was of them apart, trying to realize their own dreams, I couldn't feel their love. I honestly thought it would end differently than it did. It was a cute ending, but again, nothing tugging at my emotions.

The ML did say something to one of his orchestra friends about the FL that was very swoony, but again, didn't he think he should share this information with the FL?

The filming was kind of sepia toned, which I thought was interesting. Basically, for me, it was something to pass the time.

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Thank you AthenaTheStorierX for making us discover these seldom seen or heard of movies which is frankly the shame. We have been drowned under the BL wave but there are gems like this one out there nobody talks about!

This is a story of Por and Jane who have been dating for a while but Por is still in the closet. So one day she decides to come out to her mother (who raised Por alone) but she refuses to hear it. Jane, distraught goes to a club with friend and wakes up in a stranger's bed. Overcome with guilt she cuts off all contact with Por but a month later she discovers she's pregnant and goes back to see Por. In a tearful showdown the three women learn to accept each other.

The Greatest Love is a nice short movie dealing with the difficulties families have in accepting their LGBT kids, the way they are seen by the society and how hard it is to decide what makes their child happy. Is it what society expects of them or what they need really? They are rarely the same thing!

For once, the film is about an established couple who would like to get out of their love bubble and be open with the world but it is a difficult decision to make so the clashes within the couple are frequent. We do not know much about Jane and her family but she seems to be at ease with her life choices. Por is having hard time trying to find a way to come out making Jane unhappy. The main character of this story is Por. It would be interesting to see the same movie but from Jane's perspective. She is present here but not enough explication is given.

The actresses are excellent, the cinematography is a bit colourless, to go with the mood I guess but the music is good especially the thai version of The Greatest Love...

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Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

A writer is told his scrip was not honest enough so he asks his actor friend to read it. The actor decides to enact the script and incite the writer to be honest about his feelings!

What a beautiful short movie telling a story of a couple of friends afraid to take a step further in their relationship. The question is asked: what does it mean to be honest to yourself? The actor recites Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 (written for an anonymous young man known as Fair Youth) as his confession of love. The writer realizes he needs to accept himself for who he is and be open with his feelings in order to be happy.

This movie is a bit on the gloomy side: the colours are subdued, the lights for the most of the movie, are dimmed: we only see the light of the day once they are honest with each other. The music is just as gloomy: a series of classical piano waltzes.

And yet, it leaves you feeling happy and optimistic: if you are honest enough with yourself , you can grab your own happiness with both hands!

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Why was it so wholesome?

And why did I enjoy it so much! Give me a gory slice of life with amazing friendship and sweet romance. How does this combination make sense? No idea, but it was fun.

This movie is not scary, this movie is entertaining, heartwarming and silly. Yes, the deaths are gruesome, but the stakes are non-existent. This is probably the most chill horror I have ever seen - no worries, no true tension, just pure enjoyment.

The plot could be separated into distinguishable sections depending on the characters; knowledge of what is happening around them and the growing friendship. With that, it never felt boring, and surprisingly not repetitive at all. We’ve got a cute slice of life during the day, and nightmare in the night - how did it click so well? No idea, but I loved that format.

Production value was fine. I’m glad we only saw the Red Person in the dark and shadows, because giving us a good view of it would ruin the fun - the design was just too silly, looking like something from Five Nights at Freddy's.

Overall, initial confusion about the tone of the movie turned into a tiny excitement and overall a pleasant experience, which is a rare thing to say about a horror movie.

Ps. Don’t even watch the after credits scene - it’s dumb. They thought they got the viewers with a twist, but it makes literally no sense.

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Hidden Blade, a nonlinear, espionage  thriller Chinese movie with a chic style and well-edited.

Everything is just perfect! The style, the cinematography, the actor, the act is so on point, and the amazing plot, you're first might unsure of both where the things are going and the actions of everyone, so you need to put more attention in any minutes! The character is so well-played, watching the acting of Chinese senior actor, Tony Leung and Zhou Xun is definitely worthwhile. As well as Wang Yibo continues to fit well with Tony Leung despite the age gap between them. I like it the way Yibo speaks Japanese sounds cool. Their acting is definitely beyond expectations though!

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Yueh Hua was excellent as Nan Kung Hsiao. On a mission to find the killers of his entire family and find his sister-in-law and reunite her with her son. They never do find the boys mother and I guess the writer's may have forgotten that was part of the plot but I really liked his matter of fact character. There were many assassins looking to kill him for 1000 pieces of gold. Then another, top assassin is hired to kill him for 10,000 pieces of gold.

There was an unnecesassry subplot with one of the assassins and his girlfriend's love story but I did actually really like the actress even though that plot point was not needed. The "kid" in the title of this movie is adorable as well.

This is a good one time watch. The fights aren't that spectatcular but it's a nicely paced film and the last fight scene is fairly entertaining.

5/6/23

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Enjoyed it way more than I expected to

I went in being fully aware of what was I going to watch, but it was still hard trying not to laugh the entire time.

The story is pretty simple: two guys are an arranged couple. One of them, Mint, is new in the business and not very popular, so he was matched with Pink in hopes of getting a popularity boost. However, while Pink is very popular when he's alone, he gets ignored when he's with Mint. The two of them end up jobless, which leads Pink to hold a grudge against Mint for this.
Shortly after they meet Black, who lost his job after being involved in an accident.
There, now imagine Mint as a box of melon-flavored biscuits, Pink as a box of chocolate-flavored biscuits, and Black as a box of digestive biscuits. It reminded me a lot of when I was a child and used to assign personalities and habits to certain objects, including food, which is what probably makes this so endearing to me.
I can't lie, at the beginning I thought it was just too silly, but it's actually a silly concept that was taken very seriously, which I really appreciate. The dialogues are especially good and it's even more fun when there are multiple readings for them.
The atmosphere of the story resembles a lot a theatre play, specifically a musical, and I really enjoyed the songs a lot. I expected to be weirded out or bored, but the singers are all amazing and they chose the perfect melodies for different moments of the story.

It's about 20 minutes long and it's worth every second. Go watch it if you haven't yet!

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An Amazing Piece of Work: Aesthetic Cinematography, Strong Characterization, and Excellent Acting

It was my first time watching a historical and a political chinese movie with republican era and World War II as its setting, so I didn't really know what to expect except for the main casts, Tony Leung and Wang Yibo. Both of them are well-known figures in China and also I've been a huge fan of Wang Yibo, so I think it's worth to gave this movie a try and I'm glad I did.

Maybe this genre is not for everyone but I can say this movie is enjoyable and the plot itself is great. There are indeed many conversations happened in this movie but it gets better as the story progresses and they also successfully deliver a satisfying climax. What I love about this movie are the strong characterization and its beautiful cinematography which makes the movie feel more intense and engaging. However some part might be confusing because the time setting is non-linear and there are many back and forth between scenes, so you need to really pay attention to it. I also wished they could add some informative details in the movie because I feel like some scenes aren't fully explained.

Another fascinating thing about this movie are, of course, the actors and actresses. They have big names involved in this movie and All of them did a great job in delivering their roles. I won't talk much about Tony Leung because he is, no doubt, a veteran and his acting is brilliant as always.

Meanwhile as a fan of Wang Yibo, I can say this is one of his best performances as an actor. It might be a great pressure to act as main role alongside a veteran like Tony Leung, but I think Yibo managed to deliver his character excellently and the chemistry between the main leads work very well too despite the generational difference. I'm so thankful that they gave Wang Yibo the opportunity to be a part of this movie. This is another breakthrough for his career as a movie actor. I know many people still underestimate his acting skill since he started from idol actor, but I think you could start to throw your skepticism away after you watch this movie. I'm proud of how far he grows as an actor and I know he will continue to develop because he always pours his heart into his work.

Overall, I really recommend you to watch this movie because it's worth watching and even for those who have some worries about 'communist propaganda', I think this movie is safe for you and you can still give it a try because the plot doesn't deeply showcase the idiological aspect but rather focuses on espionage and the schemes against the japanese invanders.

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"Jasmine - Gift From God."

10/05/2023

It is a sad movie and one that will pull at your heart strings.

I think movies like this are hard to re-watch as they need boxes of tissues.

Coming to terms with something like cancer is difficult at any age especially when it is aggressive with no mercy whatsoever and it cuts your time short.

Taigi Asano despite being a true fighter had real fears and questioned why he was the target - he wanted to live, like most of us, only that was taken away from him at the age of twenty.

The difference with his story compared to what I've experienced, seen or heard about in my time is Taigi Asano didn't really come to grips with dying, and that to me was the saddest part because he would have been so scared in his final moments, and that shouldn't have been so.

There are stages that a person goes through when dying or that we go through when someone dies and for some reason he didn't seem to accept what was going to happen.

In some countries, like the UK, there are dedicated counsellors to assist those that are dying so that they are psychologically prepared. So, I'm wondering what does Japan have these days because 20 years ago if someone was diagnosed with a terminal disease families had the right to keep that from the person if they wanted.

In fact, there is this one brief scene where Taigi's sister has bought a cake for him and says lightheartedly to her mother more or less: "We can do cake again next year..." I don't think she knew the seriousness of his condition compared to his parents and him. Not at all!

I also want to mention that turning twenty in Japan is quite a special time and significant for all young people that age as it means they can drink and gamble - it is celebrated on the second Monday of January every year where they dress up in kimonos or smart attire and have the best time ever!

Unfortunately, Taigi Asano died a few days after it was celebrated so never had that opportunity.

The reason I mention it is because his girlfriend acknowledged him making it to that age in one small scene and I felt it really underplayed the significance of it, however, he wouldn't have been able to celebrate the "Coming of Age Day " even if he wanted to as he would have been too sick.

I wish he had been able to do that at least.

Anyhow, Taigi Asano composed a few musical pieces in high school and university with "Jasmine" being one that he wrote and completed not long before he died and the other being a short anthem for his high school which is full of vigor with an upbeat drum intro. Maybe others too - not sure.

At the end of the movie you will hear the song "Jasmine" sung in English by Kenta Dedachi and there is a real photo of Taigi Asano attached to it before it finishes.

The song in English comes across a bit like a love song so I'm not sure if it quite fits in with how Taigi meant it to be with some of the lyrics, but it is a beautifully written song to what was just a musical composition.

Asano composed "Jasmine" as "Jasmine" means "Gift from God".

For him, each day waking up was a "gift from god" and he really wished that his "tomorrow" "the gods would grant his wish" to "let him live" not make forever "memories". Being alive each day, having good moments rather than bad, seeing butterflies flying around and his hopes was what the song was all about and to not disappear.

He wanted to live!

"Jasmine"
良かったらどうぞ。自分なりの和訳も加えてみました。(YouTube)

Do you hear the song?
Quiet melody
Ringing in the hallway still
When you feel
Like you’re falling behind
Be still
And hear your heart

Treasure your heart
Wherever you go

Say you’ll remember
Every moment together
You are my forever
My gift from above
I’ll never let you go
If you never let me go
I’ll give my soul for you
Tonight…


You’re the one I want
In my memories
If I could only have one wish
When I couldn’t fight fear
You cheered me in tears
And you’re still
Standing here with me

We’re only at the beginning

Say you’ll remember
Every moment together
You are my forever
My gift from above
I’ll never let you go
If you never let me go
I’ll give my soul for you
Tonight…

Every night I pray to God in bed
In spite of the pain I thank you for the light
in my life
Here’s to another day

Don’t wait ’til tomorrow
If you know you’re not over
You are my jasmine
My gift from above
I’ll never let you go
If you never let me go
I’ll give my all my soul…

Say you’ll remember
Every moment together
You are my forever
My gift from above
I’ll never let you go
If you never let me go
I’ll give my soul for you

If there is tomorrow
Let go of your sorrow
Remember the rainbow
That gift from above
I’ll never let you go
If you never let me go
I’ll give my soul for you
Tonight…

その歌が聞こえますか？
静かなメロディーが
廊下で今でも鳴っている
あなたが取り残されていると感じたら
静かに心の声を聞いてね

たとえ何処に行こうとも
あなたの心を大切にしてね

すべての瞬間を一緒に心に留めようと言って
あなたは私の永遠で
天上からの贈り物
私はあなたを決して手放さない
もしあなたが手放さずにいてくれたら
魂をあなたのために捧げるよ
今宵は…

あなたは、私の思い出の中で望む唯一の人です
もし私が1つだけ願いを持つことができたならば
恐怖に打ち勝つことができなかったとき
あなたは涙を流して私を励ましてくれた
そしてあなたは今でも私とここに立っている

私たちはまだ始まりに過ぎない

すべての瞬間を一緒に心に留めようと言って
あなたは私の永遠で
天上からの贈り物
私はあなたを決して手放さない
もしあなたが手放さずにいてくれたら
魂をあなたのために捧げるよ
今宵は…
毎晩ベッドで神様に祈っています
苦しみにも負けず私は人生の希望の光に感謝します
今日も一日頑張ろう

ただじっと明日を待つことをしないで
終わっていないと分かるならば
あなたは私の｢ジャスミン｣だから
天上からの贈り物
私はあなたを決して手放さない
もしあなたが手放さずにいてくれたら
魂をあなたのために捧げるよ

すべての瞬間を一緒に心に留めようと言って
あなたは私の永遠で
天上からの贈り物
私はあなたを決して手放さない
もしあなたが手放さずにいてくれたら
魂をあなたのために捧げるよ
今宵は…

明日がそこにあるのなら
悲しみなんて捨てて
虹を思い浮かべよう
天上からの贈り物
私はあなたを決して手放さない
もしあなたが手放さずにいてくれたら
魂をあなたのために捧げるよ
今宵は…

It is a touching tribute to a young male that really loved music - he still lives on because of the pieces he composed.

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countryside slice of life movie full of nice looking food

Little Forest - 8,5/10 -kmovie

slice of life movie full of simple food making and countryside lifestyle.
I quite enjoyed seeing how big is difference in cuisine and got feel that even I can try out some of these simple dishes.

this movie got alot of vibe like dramas :Summer Strike: or :When weather is fine: but it does better. May be cause its movie so you dont feel that drama being slow.

No much of romance here, but still worth to watch.

plot - FL runs away from stressed life of big city back to her home countryside. She begins live countryside daily life just as when she was small kid, before she decides what to do with her life.

genre- slice of life, cooking, countryside

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takes the phrase “leave you on the edge of your seat” to new heights (haha, flight pun)

The story was not only thrilling, it was surprisingly very moving as well. The actors did great (I’m an Yibo fan and I’m trying to be unbiased here, but he did so well! Everyone did!). The cgi/action scenes were all very nicely done, and I felt like they never gave us time to breathe before throwing us into another thrilling flight scene. Their fear, urgency, camaraderie, pride; all these felt very real.

I never heard of test pilots before this, so I thought how refreshing and touching it was to be able to watch a version of their stories. I laughed, I cried…

It was a great movie. That’s what it is.

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Feelings

When I saw this movie by chance on some website, I didn't know that it would be so moving, at least for me.

During the very beginning of the movie it was written that this movie is based on true events I didn't think it would be so brutal. I can't believe what people, especially adults, can do to children who are defenseless and innocent.

This film perfectly shows how today's power behaves, which will do anything for money if they are told how many scams can be done even for little money if someone needs them. However, you can also see the contrast that there are still good people in this world who can focus on the victims and help them, even at all costs, such as arguing with the family to show them the truth.
I had goosebumps and shivers the entire time I was watching. The whole movie was suspenseful.

To be honest, people who are more emotional will cry for sure.

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So bad, it's just bad

Some movies are so bad that they are good. The Invisible Terrorist almost made the cut in this category if not for two disturbing scenes that downgraded it in my view. Too bad, I'm always up for some Carter Wong kung fu action and ridiculous weaponry and plot lines. The Invisible Terrorist delivered in those areas.

Once again, Ming rebels have a secret list of their members that for some reason they are carrying around and the evil Qing, of course, want to steal it. Poor Lo Lieh, in what amounts to a guest role, is taken out by a Qing ambush within the first ten minutes of the movie. Wang Hsieh is a turncoat Ming general working for the other side along with Chin Kang and Lung Fei. A Shaolin monk who is a rebel leader gives Carter Wong the secret rebel list. The monk tells him that there is a traitor among them called the Deadly Blade. During an attack, the monk is killed as the rebels escape. Carter divides the list between himself and Cliff Lok and Wen Chiang Long. From there the story amps up the bizarro plot lines.

What ruined this film for me is when Carter's character is captured and his sister is brought in to persuade him to give the Qing the list he has hidden, he brutally rapes his sister to prove that she isn't his sister. The only thing that it proved to me was that he was a vicious pervert. Even plot-wise it didn't make sense as they were alone in a prison cell and he was rescued about two minutes after the fact. Later, a number of pigeons were killed. So, if incestual rape and animal cruelty trouble you, I would recommend you not watch this movie.

It really was a shame because this movie has one of the most bonkers plotlines I've seen in a kung fu film, not good, but so bad it was funny. The number of double crosses and "I know something you don't know!" reveals kept going right up to the end credits. In an ode to school band members, one of the deadly squads of assassins was called The Six Cymbals. They were impervious to swords and defeated their opponents with the loudest most annoying weapons ever. Another squad was called The Six Whips. They too, had loud annoying weapons impervious to swords. But they had a weakness---bamboo!

Loud annoying weapons, rape, animal cruelty, the makers of this movie knew how to ruin a perfectly convoluted kung fu good time. My advice is to skip this one. I wish I had.

5/5/23

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