1Kaburagi Keiichi was only eighteen years old when he was sentenced to death for the murders of three people. Three years later he escapes from prison and begins his life on the run, donning new personas and disguises along the way. He’s a good guy who meets good people while searching for something to exonerate himself. On his trail are two detectives tasked with bringing him in and to not question if maybe they made a mistake three years ago.
Yokohama Ryusei gave solid performances as the different people Kaburagi impersonated. Yet as competently as he individualized each “new” character, I still felt distanced from Kaburagi. By jumping into the middle of the story, with Kaburagi playing different aspects of himself, hiding his true identity, it was hard to connect with the character. It would have helped to have shown the innocent eighteen-year-old before his life was thrown into the blender. The most moving scenes for me were the moments when he experienced things for the first time and made real connections with the people he met.
The film criticized a police force more concerned with expediency and image than in the truth or justice. The role of the public in demonizing defendants and demanding swift answers also subverted justice.
Faceless had an intriguing concept, yet the bouncing from identity to identity, made immersing into the film more difficult. Perhaps the 2022 drama which covered the same material was better able to delve into who Kaburagi was and what he was thinking. As a thriller it didn’t cause my heart to race or make me wonder if he was a mass murderer. As a character study, we were never let into his psyche. Despite the slow pace, I enjoyed the film, but it could have been so much more.
17 September 2026
Otousan Note: What happened to her father’s appeal?
Drama Mama Note: The most important question that was not answered was whether Kaburagi was able to finish his drama!
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Depressing at times powerful other times
This movie attempt to show the process and hardships of gaining refugee status as well as hints in to the ups and downs of recovering from a drug addiction showin the human behind the dirt in an okay way.I cant remember ever seeing a movie depicting this situation in such a straight forward dark yet hopeful back to dark again kind of way. There are several elements in this that bothered me. the stereotypes, the gangsters, places that do not match where they are supposed o be (the airport looked a bit more like Brussels train station than its airport) .
And I am conflicted about the romance in some ways it makes our refugee more human in other ways it steels away from the realism and main plot of finding refuge and surviving.
The acting is good, the emotions are definitely there and besides the sets feeling off (for those who have been to Brussels), its is really beautifully made.
Still the movie is dark, depressing and adreses an important issue so Id say watch it not for the romance but for the issues.
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Not your typical horror monster movie
After Parasite and Memories of Murder, The Host becomes the third movie by Bong Noon Ho which I had the pleasure to watch. The film attracted my attention due to its premise but what made me especially curious was the way many people talked about it, describing it as not your typical monster movie. All the fuss around it piqued my curiosity and naturally, I decided to watch it whenever I'd have the opportunity.The film opens with an American doctor forcing his South Korean colleague to throw a big amount of formaldehyde in the Han river, in the year of 2000. As a result, a horrifying monster is created through mutation and five years after the incident, it reveals itself and captures Park Hyun Seo, the only daughter of Park Gang Du.
The movie centers around the Parks' attempt to rescue Hyun Seo from the claws of the monster. Abandoned by the government and while being accused of being the hosts' of a deadly virus, Gang Du and the rest of the other family members decide to take matters into their own hands, no matter the cost.
Bong Noon Ho, who is known for his fondness of allegories and symbolisms in his works, proved yet again why his movies can produce so much food for thought. The origin of the creature was directly inspired by a real-life scandal in 2000 when an American mortician was found guilty of dumping formaldehyde into the Han River. From the get go, the involvement of American in South Korea's politics is addressed and as the story unfolds, the movie becomes bolder with this message. Bong Noon Ho showcases USA's power over South Korea's government and the great lengths both nations would go to in order to secure USA's presence in Korea.
The Host didn't fail to call out the government's incompetence when it came to handling national matters. Just like in the movie the government didn't take any actions to reduce the pollution in Hand River and thus, prevent the casualties of the beast, in real life the government doesn't take measure against national problems, prioritizing its own power instead of the netizens' safety. In times of despair and distrust, those with power will always try to direct people's attention and anger towards a different target. Media always prey upon a scapegoat and once the opportunity arises, they launch onto it, feeding people's fears with propaganda.
The theme of propaganda and misinformation is tackled directly by the movie. South Korean government representatives and the United States Forces Korea force the victims of the creatures attack to be quarantined, proclaiming the beast as the host of a deadly virus. By making a big deal of the virus, the governments were trying to distract the public from their negligence to protect the citizens and kill the monster. Among the people who were forced to be quarantined was the Park family, who broke out of the hospital they were forced to stay in, in order to go and save Hyun Seo.
Unlike other monster movies which usually put the chase of the creature in the spotlight, The Host highlighted the bond between the members of the Park Family and their desperation to save one of their own. The hardships and the obstacles the family had to cross in order to save Hyun Seo made me feel for the Parks, especially since no one was willing to help them after the government declared them as a threat. It was them against everyone and that emphasized their desperation and their bleak circumstances.
The actors did a good job showcasing their characters and the dynamic between them. Song Kang Ho proved yet again how amazing of an actor he is in this dark, comedic roles, adding more layers to Gang DJ's character. This was the first time I watched anything with Bae Doo Na and although her range was limited in the movie, I could see that she's a fierce actress. And the young Go Ah Sung did an excellent job portraying Hyun Seo.
The subtle comedic elements only enhanced the goal of the movie. Instead of adding unnecessary funny moments which would take the viewers out of the story, Bong Noon Ho utilized these bits in order to highlight the exaggerated tone of the story and add to the political commentary. Particularly in the lobotomy scene, I didn't laugh because I found it funny but because of how absurd it was and because it was laughable to watch the great lengths the government would go to in order to secure people's trust.
The movie wasn't without its flaws, however. I found the second part to be kinda weaker until the last quarter. My attention wasn't that devoted to the story compared to the beginning and I found myself kinda indifferent during some parts. Additionally, I would have liked to see even more interactions between the Park family in order to feel the emotional impact more, particularly towards the ending. Their relationship was complex and the film showed that, it's just that the movie would have benefited from more meaningful scenes between the family.
The Host might be marketed as a horror movie but it's not a horror movie in the classic way. The horror is not build around the monster. Nor it relies on cheap jumpscares. It's the fact that governments will not always do the best for the citizens and how quickly they'll try to shift the blame of their mistakes to someone else instead of taking accountability. It's the realization that people with power will always find a way to produce propaganda at the expense of others. In conclusion, the real horror is our society and the politicians who have been the real "monsters" all along.
The ending of the movie might be bittersweet but in my opinion, it ends in a hopeful note. It might not be possible to punish the people who are responsible for the tragedy of others but what we can do is try and live the best life possible, surrounded by people who we love. Contrary to the rest of the events before, the ending offers a more humane glance, one that filled me with a warm feeling, showing that while it's not possible to exterminate all "monsters", not all hope is lost.
Watch and judge for yourselves.
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"Fear a meaningless life, not death itself."
Escape was an exciting chase film running from North Korea to South Korea. Instead of denouncing Communist rhetoric as in some films, the focus was Im Gyu Nam’s overwhelming longing for autonomy and the freedom to fail as often as he desired. The man charged with hunting him down was an old childhood friend who had lost his dreams and had no hope for the freedom Im was willing to risk everything for.Im Gyu Nam is in charge of a small squad of soldiers near the DMZ. After finishing his 10 years of military service, he will be assigned civilian duty as a farmer or miner. Every night he maps out his escape from North Korea gathering information and biding his time. His subordinate, Kim Dong Hyeok, mucks up his plans by attempting an escape using Im’s secret map. When both men are arrested and tortured, Im’s childhood friend Major Ri Hyeon Sang arrives declaring Im a hero for capturing a deserter. After reassigning Im, the desperate soldier refuses to give up on his dream.
What worked for me:
Lee Je Hoon and Koo Kyo Hwan had great chemistry as estranged friends and bitter adversaries. Their cat and mouse game became more ferocious as the minutes clicked on.
Instead of vilifying the NK propaganda, they showed the South’s sounding very similar. What Im understood was that at least in the South he could travel, explore, and find his own path, one he chose-not the government or Ri. His motivation wasn’t overtly political—he just wanted to live and die on his own terms.
Ri had his own failed dreams-as a pianist and as a man. He’d acquired too much power and status to throw it all away for a friend or freedom.
Je Hoon running! And running! And when he wasn’t running, he was rapidly recalculating as his plans were thwarted. There was no room for boredom in this film.
What didn’t work as well:
Kim Dong Hyeok felt wedged into the story for a couple of obvious plot reasons.
While I enjoyed the fast-paced storytelling, the lack of backstory and motivations was frustrating, reducing the characters to cardboard cut-outs.
After the first half of the film, the situations became more preposterous, especially the deux ex machina used when all seemed lost.
To sum up:
I enjoyed this film when I quieted my ever-questioning mind. The story and thrills raced at breakneck speed with Lee Je Hoon and Koo Kyo Hwan often able to overcome the plot holes and narrative minefields through force of will and charisma. If you are a fan of either actor or this category of film, it’s one to try.
16 September 2026
Trigger warning: Loss of a leg. Wild boars killed.
LGBTQ note: It was heavily implied that Ri was gay and that he and another character had been together when he was stationed in Russia as a competitive pianist. He also possibly cared for Im in a more than brotherly manner. Now married to the Division Commander’s daughter with a baby on the way, he was unable to lead the life he desired. I’m hoping that the writers were not implying that his bitterness was what caused his cruelty. Other movie villains don’t need a reason to torture and kill so I’m going to assume, that this film didn’t drag out that old homophobic trope.
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A masterful and visceral psychological thriller: a monumental slap ❤️
Forgotten (2017) is a rare cinematic feat, a jewel of darkness and virtuosity that grips you from the first sequences and never lets go. It's not just an excellent thriller: it's an absolute psychological shock, a tour de force of devastating intensity that redefines the art of suspense.The plot is a perfect model of surgical and Machiavellian writing. The film orchestrates a slow descent into paranoia, constantly blurring the line between reality, altered memory, and waking nightmare. The dramatic tension is suffocating, distilled with millimeter precision. Every clue, every silence, and every creak in this mysterious house fuels a fascinating, anxiety-inducing atmosphere, leading to astonishing revelations that shatter all of the viewer's theories.
The art direction and acting reach new heights:
A titanic acting performance: the protagonist delivers a heartbreakingly truthful interpretation, oscillating with striking distress between total confusion, pure terror, and latent madness.
Suffocating psychological tension: the fraternal dynamic, initially warm, morphs into a insidious psychological trap, instilling a permanent unease of unprecedented power.
A heartbreaking conclusion: far from a simple gratuitous twist, the final revelation proves to be a devastating human tragedy, mixing sorrow, guilt, and despair with a breathtaking melancholy.
Brilliant staging: the dark cinematography, the oppressive sound design, and the suffocating framing create a claustrophobic atmosphere of poisonous beauty.
Forgotten is a prodigious, dark, and brilliant work — a true masterpiece of Korean suspense cinema that leaves you knocked out, your mind haunted long after the final credits. 10/10.
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Well done drama that exposes the underlying deep issues
Well done. BL dramas are too often just pornographic and/or s.x centered, and this GL drama definitely brought the issues and deals with the deeper layers. It seems very realistic. I am straight so I can only guess. However, I am also a minority, so I know from personal experience what persecution looks likeThis drama brings attention to one group of people being bullied. However the principle of it applies to all bullying anywhere.
The reality of the situation is that the exact scenario of this drama happens in life all the time bc there is always some morons defending their turf and dissing others who dont fit into THEIR picture. It is the plight of human life on earth...
The reality of the situation is that this exact scenario is the classic "chaebol family does not want a poor in-law" lmao I am now half joking
The reality of the situation is that this happens to any minority anywhere. It is still happening to all women, all people with darker skin color, all Native ppl anywhere, all ppl with disability, all ppl who are poor, who are the "wrong" religion, "wrong" social/ethnic group, etc - BUT EACH SMALL GROUP TALKS ABOUT ITSELF AND NOBODY TALKS ABOUT **** OTHER ***** SMALL GROUPS AND BIG PATTERNS
Like, the gender inequality is insane globally, but nobody addresses it really and we still watch dramas with cute oppas acting as sugar daddies to ditz immature women.
LGBT+ community got somewhere with their issues bc they united all the letters, but still there are tons of BL dramas and practically no GL... and this minority community could care less about other minorities.
So various minority communities act as abusers to each other, bc they are selfish too just like everyone else, and everyone is just ELBOWING FORWARD.
And the reality is that what is shown in this drama happens to EVERYONE - even if you are straight, white enough, male, with the right money, religion, car, etc.. you might get bullied in office politics, in your marriage, with friends, etc... Like Dream Life of Mr. Kim...
Ppl just do this to each other. Like pack animals establishing pecking order and hierarchy. We humans are no different than monkeys.
So as soon as ppl find ONE "weakness" in you, they will harass you - and then exploit you. That is why this is done. When you are kicked out, there is more resources for them. The fact that women are paid less and work more, means that men automatically have more. If you steal land and riches from your "less worthy" neighbors or countries, it is ok - for YOU.
So yeah this drama brings attention to one minority group being bullied like that.
But this same exact principle is behind all colonization, wars, exploitation, any bullying in any sense anywhere.
For example, In the USA, there is an EPIDEMIC of stealing homes from (single) women, elderly, and disabled, ppl who had enough money to buy a home but not enough clout in the society to care about them being kicked to the curb, and not enough money and connections to hire lawyers and get the media or someone to act to protect them.
So some attorneys will sue you for bogus fake stuff, then the judge will condemn you and then take your home.
So this drama is a LOT bigger than just LGBT+ issues, the core issue here is bullying and exploitation of anyone who is labeled "weaker" by the society.
In this case, ppl can take FL's spot in the broadcasting club, push her lower on the grade ranking list so they automatically go higher, prevent her from getting good jobs, her sister saves herself from social stigma, etc
and one day some poor man might get stuck unknowingly marrying a lesbian, and she might get stuck living a life of lies.
The whole situation of handling things on Earth in the human society is really really really messed up. A lot of effort is needed to clean up this toxic elbowing forward over the heads of others.
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This review may contain spoilers
From Sublime to the Toilet
Hope achieved something very few films manage to do with me: for a good portion of its two-hour-and-forty-minute runtime, it had me completely hooked. And perhaps that is precisely why its final stretch pissed me off so much.The film begins as an excellent science-fiction thriller. A small Korean town is confronted with an inexplicable event, and information is revealed intelligently: first we know something is happening, then we discover the creatures, then we realise there is more than one, and eventually we find a crashed spacecraft. Each revelation expands the mystery without destroying it.
And in the middle of all this comes Jung Ho-yeon, providing a perfect lesson in how to introduce a badass character. Nobody needs to tell us how extraordinary she is, show us her résumé, or explain what she can do. We simply watch her act and discover it for ourselves. A character is not badass because the script tells you so. They have to prove it.
The early action sequences are excellent, and it is important to distinguish visual effects from practical stunt work. Some of the VFX are far from convincing, but what the stunt drivers do with the cars is something else entirely. Some of those manoeuvres and crashes are genuinely spectacular.
The problem begins when the film enters its interminable final chase. What had previously been action that moved the story forward becomes repetition: run, shoot, scream, run again, shoot again. And then an even bigger problem appears: the physical rules governing the aliens change according to what the screenplay needs.
These creatures can move at astonishing speeds, yet later they cannot catch a car, people running on foot, or even a horse galloping down a road.
Apparently, the aliens' speed and strength are inversely proportional to the importance of the character they are chasing.
And just when we expect some kind of conclusion, the film decides to open another movie instead. A gigantic mothership falls from the sky, an extraterrestrial hierarchy is introduced, there is an emperor, new characters played by Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender appear, and suddenly an entire mythology emerges just as the film is ending.
Which only creates more questions. What brought down a ship that enormous? How does an object of that size enter the atmosphere over South Korea without triggering a military response? Where is the Korean military? And does a civilisation capable of interstellar travel really have no auxiliary vehicles or smaller craft, forcing its creatures to chase people and horses on foot?
We know Na Hong-jin considers this only the first half of the story and intends to continue it. Fine. That explains the ending. It does not justify it.
The audience paid to watch this film, not half of a film whose continuation may arrive who knows when. And the elements introduced at the end create frustration rather than mystery.
A film can leave questions unanswered. The problem begins when those questions no longer make you eager to discover the answers, but instead make you feel that part of the film you paid to watch is missing.
Hope had an extraordinary film in its hands.
And then it flushed it down the toilet.
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Attack on Titan Live-Action: A Misunderstood Adaptation
1. This looks amazing for the budget and time this was made in, it's not an Hollywood blockbuster and they put in a lot of work (hybrid filming, meaning tokusatsu mixed with CGI). The titans are portrayed as they should, creepy and horrifying. That in itself works better in live action, imo, as it does overall if you like the more grounded feel. I understand why people could make fun of them in the trailer but while watching the movie I was not laughing, and if that's how you see it then it's literally the same in the anime, in fact they're even worse.2. The author himself asked for the differences, he literally worked with them.
3. This is closer to Chapter 0, the author's trial before the actual manga.
4. Brilliant details such as the movies being adapted as a novel inspired by Dante's Inferno, the implied bisexuality of Kirishima's character in the white room scene (Matrix reference) with Eren being a parallel to Satan tempting Adam and Eve (White Room Explained: https://youtu.be/5CQ3b8iR6Ag). Yes Levi will be the cooler guy but Kirishima is meaningful in the story. (Explanation for Levi's removal at 32:20 on the video mentioned below, basically they needed someone who confronts and stands against the main protagonist (Eren), whether physically or mentally and Levi shouldn't have to carry the burden of that role, but they added a tinge of Levi's presence in him.)
5. The music itself was amazing and the whole movie was artistic with beautiful landscapes and sets. And of course that final shot. Speaking of, the setting of the movie (modern Japan) also allowed for classism in its world of walls, with the tower of Babel even being mentioned at the very center as the government. (25:50)
6. The characters themselves are actually the same, that was said by the director. While Levi isn't there, you might be shocked because he was considered as the main character until Isayama decided to make them write a different story (20:00). Since at that time the anime was already telling the manga's story, it would not have been a creative choice.
7. Lastly, I want to thank Miura for his brilliant portrayal as Eren. Rest in peace... It was really disheartening to find out after I looked up his name when I finished Part 1. Miura's words about his love for the director and it being a powerful film literally moved the director to tears.
8. Attack on Titan (itself inspired by tokusatsu) was the first tokusatsu film production of this scale, which marked the history of Japanese cinema and also premiered in Hollywood. Now that might sound like the criticism was nothing, but that's not the case. And obviously, the majority of the Attack on Titan fandom is constituted of Western fans. (Last part of the video about the reception at 33:30) The Hollywood screenings themselves made it worse with defective subtitles that either got fixed or not which provoked refunds, memes, and a recap on their YouTube channel for the second part.
TitanGoji's latest videos on the movie if you're interested: (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsiDKUgsnosJqpQbtq452u0WjNTt-Tlaq) Please at least look up the "Attack on Titan Live-Action: What Happened?" video if you have time and if you're interested in the Attack on Titan franchise.
// Details of my earlier points
The official novelizations published by Kodansha are based on the film screenplays by Tomohiro Machiyama and Yusuke Watanabe—they are not adaptations of the manga.
What's particularly interesting is the chapter structure.
The first novel (Attack on Titan) contains chapter titles such as:
辺獄 (Limbo)
地獄の門 (The Gate of Hell)
ディーテの市 (City of Dis)
遅悔者 (Late Repentant)
コキュートス (Cocytus)
ジュデッカ (Judecca)
These are all locations or concepts directly associated with Dante's Inferno.
The second novel (End of the World) continues the pattern with chapters including:
ミーノスの審判 (The Judgment of Minos)
エデンの真実 (The Truth of Eden)
アケローン川の畔 (On the Banks of the Acheron)
悪魔と聖女 (The Devil and the Saint)
Again, Minos and the River Acheron are unmistakable references to Inferno.
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ETERNAL!!!!!!
I know it’s selfish to want but I wish the series lasted forever..I rewatched and I just love and miss them so much!!😭😭 I’ll do anything to have another season even if it’s 2 episodes, I’ll take anything!!🥹🥲
I literally cried happy tears when it showed them back at the school because they’ve grown and come so far, Hira and Kiyoi I hope you’re still happy together! Please come back to me! T~T❤️
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"When it comes to the underworld, it's easier to get in than out."
In 1986, Tsui Hark and John Woo had the crazy idea of making a gangster film when comedy was all the rage. The film would star Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung and box office “poison”-Chow Yun Fat. A Better Tomorrow was expected to bomb but instead ruled the box office, influenced fashion, started a new film trend, and propelled Chow into action hero mode. After forty years, it showed its age for sure, but it was still a compelling story of brotherhood, sacrifice, and loyalty surrounded by a whole lot of bullets.Sung Tse Ho is a triad member but also devoted to his younger brother Kit who is in the police academy. At his dying father’s behest he decides to give up the life of crime after his final mission in Taiwan. After being set up, he and underling Shing escape but are tracked down by the police. He surrenders so that Shing can escape. Ho’s blood brother Mark, makes sure the Taiwanese gangsters who betrayed Ho pay dearly. Unfortunately, so does Mark. After Ho’s release from prison, Kit refuses to reconcile, despite Ho desperately trying to go straight.
This was definitely a buddy bonding movie. There were male tears, hugs, heartfelt declarations, and sacrifice for each other amongst the blood, bullets, and beatings. I loved the cast. Ti Lung is one of my favorites from kung fu’s golden era. He gave a moving performance as a devoted brother and friend who just wanted to take a new path but kept getting dragged back in to the life he'd left behind. Leslie Cheung had the thankless job of being the naïve, obstinate, childlike brother hell bent on bringing Shing down. Chow Yun Fat who was hired because he didn’t look like a gangster, gave an iconic performance in his shades with a matchstick in his mouth. Mark went from overconfident “veteran” gangster to lackey to vengeful destroyer. Waise Lee was adequate as the slimy turncoat determined to bring everyone under his heel. I didn’t find him particularly menacing.
The shootouts were early gangster choreography. A few of the extras tried to push the bullets out of their guns which was humorous. But it was an evolving craft of bullet ballet that Woo would further refine through the years. A brutal beatdown had me turning away as it was too intense and personal to watch. I’m not a huge fan of these almost constant fire fights, at least this film didn’t have a high civilian body count. It was mostly gangster on gangster action.
I can see why A Better Tomorrow is considered a classic even with its flaws. Aside from the three stars I enjoyed spotting many players from the old martial arts flicks I’ve watched including Wang Hsieh and Tien Feng. If you are a John Woo fan and have not seen this film, it is definitely one to try. Because it’s pre-1990, I did give it a ratings bump.
15 September 2026
Trigger warnings: Bloody shootouts and beatings. Smoking. An impossibly stupid and klutzy female character.
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Absolute masterpiece - hilarious, deep, tragic, profound HEALING - true kmovie/kdrama
OMG MOVIE!!!!!! wow. True mastery of Korean video. WOW!!!! It is hilariously funny, it is rowdy fun and daily life yet deep profound topics and amazing friendships.... And it is a lot more than that.... It is absolutely masterfully told and filmed HEALING.MDL description for this movie is cheesy inadequate and very deceptive :) The movie is a psychological thriller that uses lots of comedy .... and more... .... . But I cannot spoil anything for you. You have to watch it from beginning to the end, ALL THE WAY TO THE END, even past the credits and super hilarious cut scenes.
WOW. THe movie blew my mind
Amazing comedy
Really heartbreaking tragedy
and AMAZING HEALING
t is HEARTWARMING AND HEARTBREAKING AT THE SAME TIME
but leaves the healing aftertaste
and it shows HEALING on many levels
The movie is hilariously funny and also tragic, and overall it documents a HEALING PROCESS.
Seemingly so simple but it catches you and thugs on your brain and your heart and changes your life. Extremely PROFOUND DEEP.
WOW MOVIE!!!!! Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Leaves you fully aware of life's tragedies and appreciation for the healing process and overcoming and transforming.
I wasnt aware that my fav kactor was in this movie, so I am watching it 1 yr late, but omg am I glad I watched it!!!!! OMG MOVIE!!!!!
The cast is all super great experienced actors on fire, they were really having fun horsing around, but also... showing some very deep complex scenes, super highly emotional scenes
I AM SO GLAD I WATCHED THIS MOVIE!!! i would have never watched it based on MDL description. The only reason why I watched is Kim Young Kwang, and he delivered as usual, all his artworks are high quality. He has now officialy become my fav kactor. He picks only very interesting projects.
This is a masterpiece movie with everything that we love kdramas/kmovies for - it is warm, fun, humorous, twisty, deep yet light, shows personal and community growth, shows deep complex tragic things with compassion and in a way that makes you think and change your life. It is sophisticated, it is humane and mundane and totally profound and HEALING. WOW.
WOW S KOREA!!!!! what is in the air and the water there - and in all those skin creams and good food - that makes S Koreans so creative and so wickedly funny in a very deep compassionate warm and POSITIVE HEALING way. We need to learn from them.
ACTORS:
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I would have NEVER watched this movie bc the description is totally not of interest to me... but I watched it bc I wanted to see Kim Young-Kwang's work. After watching Pinnochio as my first kdrama in 2019 bc I found it on Internet by chance and at that time I had no idea what kdramas were .... but I remember his role... bc he ha presence and acts well... then I wathed by chance On Her Wedding Day - and did not recognize the guy from Pinnociop lol but that movie stood in my mind, it is excellent... then Haunted Palace Imugi was so memorable... then Walking on Thin Ice... so complex and profound... creative .... and by then... I realized that I need to check the other movies / dramas this actor made bc they are all extraordinary, creative, profound art pieces with very complex and profound messages. I watched a few more movies from his MDL list - Mssion Possible and Year End Medley ... ... and learned that Kim Young-kwang is my fav kactor and one of my fav actors overall. Every role he is in is complex and thoughtful and life changing learning experience - so I watched this movie.
And I will surely watch all on his list.
Another perk from this movie is that Tastefully Yours ML is here too, and he too is a fantastic comedian
and the dude from Agent Kim got a good role in here too, it fits him soooo well to be Korean ambassador lmao who is pissed off lmao
There is only one female character and the actress is great but the character is also ... a ditz... unfortunately :) and there is a female villain. The sexism is still there. That's my only criticism of this movie.
It seems absurd at times but it really is not. Real life does look like that.
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This review may contain spoilers
Which to watch first? Fabricated City or Manipulated
I watched manipulated first, and I am glad I did, because if I had watched Fabricated City first I would have been so disappointed with the Drama series.1st of all let me say two main points. one, the acting is phenomenal in both movie and series . Two the Story is scary good.
The reason I feel the movie is better and would be watched after the series is because it is pulled nicely together with the action and timely wit. You feel good watching and seeing how the characters developed. I'm the manipulated it was spooky dark and you cried for the pain and angst that the victims suffered, and it made you sick with some of the rally painful continuation of the bad guys winning. Where this Film "FC" didn't drag out all the dark and ugly points of the premise. also by giving the main character people that knew from the get go and actively helped him his name was far more rewarding. I feel better now knowing after the movie it redeemed the storyline from series.
I still recommend both to watch, but trust me get the darker longer series fine first then watch this movie.
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Never Reached Its Zenith
My dilemma with this movie and story is that it is primarily labeled as a comedy. I do not find the subject matter funny and the main premise, one most serious. This story is about the sacrifices mothers make for their children and whether you think Twinkle is a mother or not; unquestionably, she indeed was. So much could have been explored with this story. Mara, in a sense, played the greater victim here than Angelo. I thought Mara’s actions were astonishingly selfish with little thought to the actual needs of Angelo or the inevitable psychological destruction of Twinkle. It is what righted her ship from sinking while Twinkle’s ship sank. That really needed to be explored more extensively and thus the whole story felt so rushed and incomplete. While some of the scenes was certainly dynamic, especially towards the end, the rest of it tended to be gimmicky and played to who the actresses were but did not challenge either. I simply wanted more from both. The screenplay was a bit of a disappointment for me and with so many superfluous actors and actresses trying to get a piece of the story, it got a bit helter-skelter. Nevertheless, the story and movie are solid, and it is one that many may find even poignant. It is also important to watch this film for the astonishing performance by an 8-year-old boy named Lucas Andelio. He truly is the cynosure of the drama and the movie.Was this review helpful to you?
I really enjoyed this one. ❤️ It has such a fun and unusual premise: Kie is a huge daydreamer, while Mitsumasa comes from a family with the ability to read minds. So of course, things get very interesting when he starts hearing all the things she imagines about him. 😂
What I loved most was Kie herself. Her imagination is honestly one of the funniest parts of the movie, and I really enjoyed seeing all the ridiculous scenarios that happen inside her head. They give the movie a very playful and slightly surreal feeling.
I also really liked the relationship between Kie and Mitsumasa. Their dynamic is cute because he can hear everything she is thinking, including all the things she would never actually say out loud. I enjoyed watching him become more interested in her despite knowing exactly what goes on in her head. ❤️
The Kodai family is also a big part of the charm. The whole idea of a family where several members can read minds makes for some really funny situations, and I liked seeing how they interact with each other.
For me, the biggest appeal is the combination of romance, comedy, Kie’s imagination, and the whole mind-reading concept. It’s such a quirky idea, and I think that’s what makes the movie stand out.
A little note: This is such a cute and quirky rom-com. I especially loved Kie’s imagination scenes—they made the movie so much more fun. 😂❤️
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I actually watched this because I had read the manga first, and I was really curious to see how the story would be brought to life as a live-action.
It has that very specific Japanese high-school romance feeling that I love—the friendships, the awkward moments, the first love, and all those little emotions that come with being young. 🌸
What I liked most is the relationship between Futaba and Kou. They already have a history together, so their relationship feels different from a typical romance where two people simply meet and fall in love. I really enjoyed watching them find their way back to each other and slowly get to know the people they’ve become.
I also really liked Futaba as a character. She’s emotional and sometimes unsure of herself, but she’s also strong in her own way. I liked seeing her realize that she doesn’t have to change herself just to fit in or be accepted by other people.
The friendships are another part I really enjoyed. They give the story a lot of warmth and make it feel like more than just a romance between Futaba and Kou. There’s something very nostalgic about watching these characters go through that stage of their lives together.
The story does use a lot of familiar shoujo romance tropes, and some parts can feel predictable, but honestly, that didn’t bother me much. For me, the charm is in the atmosphere, the characters, the emotional moments, and that nostalgic feeling of first love.
A little note: I think reading the manga first definitely made me more curious about the live-action, because I wanted to see how they would bring one of my favorite stories to life. 🌸❤️
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