Trust the Process
The less you know going into this movie, the better. Every time I thought I had this movie figured it out, it would catch me by surprise. It starts out with a mysterious creature wreaking havoc on a small town, killing animals and civilians. You have an incompetent cop chasing after this monstrous creature, and for the first 45 minutes you don't even get a glimpse of it. Once the creature is revealed, the movie becomes incredibly thrilling. The chase scenes were so fun to watch. Then Jung Ho Yeon appears on screen making the movie even better. Her character was one of the few smart ones in the movie because, in typical Horror fashion, you have characters making stupid decisions. At least it wasn't excessive.The cast is great. The action was exciting. What's unique about this movie is that you actually get to see things from the creature's perspective and learn more about their story. When it comes to the cons, I'd say the movie's length is a big one. It runs 2 hours 40 minutes and could have been shortened. The beginning seemed to have dragged a bit with the build up and suspense. The CGI was also not the best. The ending left me perplexed because the story shifts again, leaving room for a sequel. Overall, though, it was still an incredibly thrilling watch. It was worth it for the action.
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A movie about Jeong Tae Il, who faced difficult working conditions. Having learned about the law on labor standards, he tries to ensure that workers' rights are respected. After an unsuccessful attempt, he goes to a desperate act - he takes the book of laws and accepts a martyrdom so that society and the world can pay attention and take action.The film shows that even one spark may be enough to ignite a whole flame. Hence, I think, the name. At the same time, the spark is not only in one person. She also lived in his comrades, who supported him, helped him, together tried to change something - even if their efforts crashed against the wall of the system. And then this spark didn't go out years later: Kim Young Soo had it too, even if a decade had passed. He collected evidence, wrote a book - and this also fought, only in a different way.
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This review may contain spoilers
Heart wrenching. Shows how humans can be shining on the outside while they rot on the inside
Disclamer!!! I may spoil lot of the movie cz i liked it soo much.I knew it was gonna be a sad ending and decided to watch it although i usually don't but damn i couldn't stop crying and begging for the bartender. The story has let us interpret a lot of things. The acting is quite clear about the intention and thoughts behind the character.
For me, I absolutely hated the novelist. You sensed your friend crumbling right before you but chose to ignore it. I know the friend loved him romantically and sold his body just cz he wanted to see someone he loves have a good life. It was his own selfish decision but that doesn't mean you can treat them like that. The person playing the bartender did a really good job with depicting depression. The way he was hoping to have someone by his side while people did show him comfort with words but not action. The way his life seemed shinning on the outside while he crumpled on the inside cz he chose to love someone more than himself😠and that someone who never valued his sacrifices. Throughout the movie you can see him slowly losing and giving up on himself. You could see his breaking point when "I" told him that he was boring and him just exploding with the reality infront of "I". All he wanted was a simple uneventful life. All i hope is he didn't die and found someone who actually treasured him.
As for the novelist, selfish to the core. He knew his friend liked him romantically. Chose to leach on him. Then left him at his worst. Worse rubbed salt on his wounds. You can see he was insecure from the start when the girl told him how popular he was and also the scene where he comes back to the bar only to walk away. He does all that to his friend and then marries a girl he doesn't love enough. I felt the only reason he married her was to feel superior and feed his ego. You can see him calling her scary and saying she looks down on him etc showing his insecurity and the way he acts towards her shows his lack of interest in her... or he likes him not her but can't accept it.
As for the girl her character was comparatively simpler. More like an observer. She saw and knew everything but chose to keep quiet till the end. You can see how she stops midway when she says "i knew he sells his body but i didn't want u to know". You never get the ans for why. (Probably cz she knew they liked each other). She keeps saying she's jealous of them the whole time which i felt was an hint to her ex who seems similar to the novelist. So the reason she said yes to him and cz he finds her scary is cz she sees her ex in him.
The movie is more about how humans will chose something that benefits them over genuine care and concern. It hurts but it's good
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A sensual and deep movie about two lonely people, each of whom is locked in his life in his own way. He's a lonely man who's just trying to make a living. She is a married woman who is unable to have a child with her husband; her life is built around other people's feelings and other people's needs. The heroine is used to taking care of others, leaving no room for her own desires and pain. Even when she decides to get pregnant from another man, she does it not for herself, but to alleviate her husband's suffering, and this is especially bitter about her self-denial.Gradually, everything begins to change, and these changes do not happen from the outside, but from the inside. A very strong scene where she says: "Something has changed a lot here, but I don't know what, but something has definitely changed". At the same time, nothing has changed in the house - their feelings for each other have changed. She used to come here because of her husband, and now - because she wants it herself. A quiet but very important shift sounds in these words: she listens to herself for the first time.
The finale on the beach seems especially symbolic to me: the heroine and her son look at the fish that the tide threw into the puddle. She sees herself in them - she used to be the same: locked up, limited by other people's expectations and her own attempts to be "comfortable". But in this scene there is a feeling that she is finally starting to live her life.
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This review may contain spoilers
I don't like it.Do you think so?
I write only what i don't like.not good, Rie have sex with 2 men,
Is Nanae love Rie? Why Nanae not​ allow Rei fuck her (If she can not give money back,)
Why did Rei have a sexual relationship with Nanae's husband and kill him?Why doesn't Rei use the method she used before?(1)
(1). If Rei didn't kill him ,maybe it don't have this movie ha ha.
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This review may contain spoilers
Dark and Despair Main Character
I was left dumbfounded when I discovered the incredibly dark backstory of Ishigami character revealed to the audience only at the very end of the film and realized there was still an unresolved mystery regarding the true identity of the primary victim. Tsutsumi Sinichi verey good played as Ishigami, It is no wonder that he remains active in Japanese films and dramas to this day. Also Mastsuyuki Yatsuko is very "bijin-desu", first time im seeing her acting on Asadora Hanbun Aoi (2018), in here (2008) she much-much younger and adorable (of course 10 years younger).The Tokyo cityscape from 2008 evokes a strong sense of nostalgia, and the character casting was spot-on; however, the soundtrack lacked appeal only the ending theme was actually pleasant to listen to.
The plot is not too complex but for Galileo fans I think this is quite accurate to the novel but with a few changes that don't interfere with the main plot. The characters in this film will appear in Galileeo's next films.
Available on JFF Theater (APAC) until November 2026 https://id.jff.jpf.go.jp/movie/suspect-x/
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"I only came here to worship the first light of the New Year...You brought this on yourselves."
Adventures of Zatoichi was another in the long list of Zatoichi films and dramas though this was only my third. This time the blind swordsman was just wanting to enjoy celebrating the New Year when he tumbled headlong into not one, but two women needing his help.Zatoichi is headed to a small town in order to join the festivities and worship the first light of the New Year on the mountain. A desperate man asks him to take a note to a young woman named Osen who works at the inn. Zatoichi makes the delivery and asks if there is a room available. The town is overflowing with traveling vendors and entertainers leaving no rooms. Out of gratitude Osen appeals to two female guests to allow him to stay in their room. One of the women, Saki, is in town searching for her father who disappeared a month ago. Zatoichi discovers a town ruthlessly run by Boss Jinbei and Magistrate Gorota. They kill or imprison whoever crosses them and extort money from local and travelling salespeople alike. Zatoichi’s desire for a quiet holiday is about to explode into a river of blood.
Once again Katsu Shintaro played the unassuming masseur and swordsman. Zatoichi initially tried to help Osen and Saki with advice, but it wasn’t long before he had to draw his lightning-fast sword. The women stupidly went against his advice though they weren’t the only characters to make mistakes. Zatoichi showed a lapse of judgment as well at one point. Two little boys who were performers, Sankichi and Tatsukichi, helped the swordsman out on several occasions. Aside from the two big bads who were dead men walking, a swordsman that worked for them was intent on a duel with Z. Dude, this guy was in 26 Zatoichi films, you never go up against the star.
The fight choreography was pretty standard for 1964-slice and fall. The body count was high, I stopped counting before the big battles at the end and Z was already up to 20. If you are squeamish there was no squirting blood or lopped off limbs.
I found Adventures of Zatoichi entertaining with deadly elements and humorous ones woven throughout. Much like New Year’s morning on the mountain, Zatoichi walked into darkness with the light at his back. Generously scored for a pre-1990s martial arts film.
11 September 2026
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A movie where hopelessness is not shouted, but shown with quiet, but heart-beating details.McDonn returns from the army and seems to be stepping into a strange world: everything around has been rebuilt, but he has remained the same. Fields and old streets were replaced by concrete high-rise buildings - and with them the feeling of home disappeared. He just wants to help a big, poor family, he wants to return at least a drop of the comfort that was before. But there is no place for him in this new order. And then he reaches for "easy" money not out of thirst for power, but out of despair - because he simply does not see other ways.
The line with Mi-ae sounds like an echo of his own trap: they both try to break out, both feel like they are drowning, and become the only support for each other. But even these sincere feelings do not give salvation - they only make it more painful, because they show how much they want a simple right to a normal life, which they do not have.
For me, the most poignant moment is a call to my brother from the phone booth. There is no plan or hope in him, only a bitter confession: he has gone too far, and there is no way back. The title of the film seems to be about this elusive hope itself: a green fish from childhood, which he tried to catch all day and could not. She's like that dream that always turns out to be one step ahead, no matter how hard you try.
And the final beats especially hard: the family's dream comes true. They now have their own restaurant, prosperity, comfort - everything they dreamed of. Only McDon himself is no longer happy in this picture. And when Mi-ae, pregnant, comes there with his killer and suddenly realizes that this is the family of the guy she was in love with, it becomes really bitter. She couldn't get out either.
This movie is about how hard it is to get used to a world that has become different, when you have neither the resources nor the time to adapt. About the fact that behind every wrong step there is a payback, and often it is much heavier than it seems at the time of choice. It leaves the same heavy bitterness inside - not because the hero is "bad", but because of how easily circumstances make a person a hostage of a situation when he is simply trying to survive.
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Enjoyed Every Bit's of the Movie
I really appreciate the plot which isn't overly complex and the way it draws me into thinking about the case at the heart of the film. Adapted from a novel, the writing is excellent; there are also elements that allow us to deeply relate to the relationships between the characters, enabling the audience to truly feel the sorrow and the sacrifices involved.Masaharu Fukuyama, Anne Watanabe, and Gin Maeda deliver excellent performances in this film; their characterizations are strong and feel completely natural. It is a bit of a sad that Yuriko Yoshitaka’s role falls into a somewhat awkward middle ground hovering between being crucial and inconsequential even though her character is actually quite interesting.
Available at JFF Theater (APAC) until november 2026 free english subtitle, https://id.jff.jpf.go.jp/movie/midsummers-equation/
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I Wanted to Like Them More Than I Did.
I really wanted to understand the appeal of Hira and Kiyoi. But across two seasons and a film, their dynamic never gave me what I was waiting for.Kiyoi I could actually follow. There's something interesting in watching someone who doesn't know how to express feelings slowly learn to do so, and he does show some growth over time. But Hira drove me to distraction — and not in a way the series seemed to intend.
Being shy or insecure isn't the problem. What frustrated me was that Hira never really stops seeing himself as a fan rather than a boyfriend. Even once they're in a relationship, even after Kiyoi explicitly asks him to stop putting him on a pedestal and to treat their relationship as something real and equal — Hira stays stuck. There's something almost deliberately self-diminishing about it, as if Hira has decided that the role of devoted admirer is the only one he's allowed to play, and has no interest in leaving it.
And that's what made watching so exhausting. Not the imbalance itself, but the fact that the series had two seasons and a film to do something with it — and didn't. At a certain point I genuinely started asking myself why Kiyoi would choose to stay in a relationship where his partner refuses to fully accept that they're equals.
And what makes it harder to brush off is how widely this series has been praised. I can see why the premise appeals to people — but a relationship built on this particular dynamic being celebrated as romantic gives me pause.
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Strong follow-up to the original
Eye for an Eye 2 was a loose sequel to the original with Xie Miao reprising his role as the blind swordsman Cheng. This time around he ended up with a vengeful pint-sized sidekick bent on revenge.Zhang Xiao Yu and her brother Cao are saved by Blind Cheng. When Cao later meets an untimely death, she dogs Cheng until he agrees to help her avenge her brother. The demon swordsman is none too happy about the determined child and tries numerous ways to rid himself of her.
Gender note: I’m going to refer to Xiao Yu as she/her because the character was played by a girl and Xiao Yu looked like a typical crossdressing girl in Chinese dramas and films despite what the synopsis says and it literally makes no difference story wise.
You can absolutely watch this film if you haven’t watched the first film. Much as in the first film, Cheng was a cranky blind swordsman who made his living as a bounty hunter. Xiao Yu found ways to assist him in hopes he’d teach her how to kill the object of her hatred-Li Jiu Lang. Cheng was once again forced to summon the demon within as he battled hundreds of warriors at one time. And much like Fezzik from The Princess Bride, he only stumbled when fighting one man.
The story slowed down long enough to have some cute moments with Xiao Yu acting as Cheng’s eyes while hunting his bounties. In one of the few scripted "humorous" moments, it emphasized the weakness of the film's premise. Xiao Yu rearranged the furniture causing Cheng to bump into things and fall when he never had a problem in completely strange environments fighting bad guys.
The smaller fights were better choreographed. Despite Xie Miao being a martial artist, wires were used prolifically. His skills definitely helped sell the moves though. The large fights were less entertaining as they were sped up and filmed up close. I suppose it made the outrageous odds Cheng faced better able to swallow. As I said in my EfaE1 review, if you can buy into a blind swordsman bounty hunter, fighting 300 men single-handedly wasn’t much of a stretch. This film wasn’t afraid to lean into the bone crunching and slicing sound effects.
I enjoyed Eye for an Eye 2. It might not have broken any new ground, but the slow build of Cheng and Xiao Yu’s relationship was fun to watch and the actors had a nice rapport with each other. And Cheng certainly knew how to make an entrance when Xiao Yu was in need. If you enjoyed Eye for an Eye 1, this is definitely worth a try.
10 September 2026
Trigger warnings: Child murder and pet murder. As expected, numerous bloody impalements.
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What an interesting, heart-breaking story.
It is a story that shows how gray, corrupt, and unfair the world can be. A world where some have to steal and con to survive, and others steal and con to thrive. Where people who have fallen are used as lower rungs to lift those who selfishly want more than most.I love how real and dark this story is and how it portrays each side in such a dramatic way.
Tan Jian Ci, once again shows his acting range. He can play a character that towers over everyone and everything then can shrink and lower himself. He has multiple facets and emotions, and I love how he can play such heartwarming, heart wrenching characters.
The FL (Lan Xi Ya) was amazing. Such emotions and determination are shown in her character ... Superb.
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Heartfelt movie
It's in fact quite a fun watch !The movie take the time to set up it's character problematics and make it a real relief when the two meet to unveil part of their personnalities that couldn't shine in front of others.
The story feel a bit rushed toward the end in a sense that the solution to a very big problem seem a bit unrealistic and uncompatible with the way the characters behaves.
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Very deep and painful movie.What struck me most of all was how much it means just to be around. In the scene where he seems to conjure so that the shadow from the tree disappears - there is no pathos, no beautiful words, but so much real care that it becomes bitter and warm at the same time. She didn't need explanations, she needed to know that she was not alone. And he understood it without words and just did what he could. And when in the final he runs away not for himself, but to break these branches again... it literally fascinates me. It's not an attempt to fix everything, it's his way of saying: "I can't be there, but I'll at least remove what scares you."
The scenes where she imagines herself healthy and fools around, dances with her lover and the characters from the picture - they are really bitterly beautiful. It's bitter, because it's just an oasis, a mirage that's about to melt. Beautiful, because in these moments they are truly happy and sincere - and this sincerity does not depend on whether they see an oasis or not. The title of the film falls right in the heart: it's a short, fragile island of peace in the middle of a heavy, unfair reality.
The scene at the banquet also hits the mark. Bringing her there is both a silent accusation against her brother, a reminder of the crime committed and avoidance of responsibility, and at the same time a very bold, almost desperate statement: "This is my girlfriend, look at her, accept it." And the way the family can't stand this truth, how it's easier for it to see only the criminal in it, and the problem in it, makes the scene especially difficult.
And the final... this helplessness is so clearly visible there - when you try your best to help, shout, try to convey that a person is kind, and they just don't hear you, they don't try to hear you. This is probably the most painful thing: not that the world is unfair, but that sometimes it just doesn't want to notice your truth.
This movie is about the fact that real feelings do not depend on health, wealth or family approval. When there is room for sincerity between two people, everything else becomes not so significant.
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Learning to Live Through Learning to Say Goodbye
This movie is beyond pleasant. It’s wholesome, heartwarming, and somehow managed to make me cry through multiple scenes. I genuinely loved almost everything about it.The premise itself is already unusual. We follow a man who inherits his family’s funeral business even though he clearly doesn’t enjoy the job. He’s immature, financially struggling, terrible at relationships, and honestly not someone you’d expect to become a source of comfort for anyone. Then he meets a little girl who has just lost her grandmother. She’s too young to fully understand what death means, but she understands one thing very clearly: the person who made her feel safe is gone. With no one else in her family quite capable of giving her the security and care she needs, she unexpectedly finds shelter in this completely unsuitable man. And somehow, it works.
Their bond is the heart of this movie. She needs someone who can make her feel safe, while he desperately needs someone who forces him to grow up and take responsibility for someone other than himself. Watching him slowly become more compassionate and responsible as he helps her navigate her grief was genuinely beautiful.
I also love how the movie gradually changes his perspective on death. What starts as nothing more than a family business eventually becomes something much more meaningful. Through this little girl, he begins to understand that a funeral isn’t simply about death. It’s about love, memories, and giving someone a beautiful farewell. The father-son relationship adds another emotional layer to the story as well. There is so much here about family, regret, grief, and the different ways people learn to say goodbye.
At its core, this is a story about grief, family, responsibility, and the unexpected connections that can change us. It’s a beautiful reminder that sometimes, the people we meet by chance become the ones who teach us how to live, love, and finally learn how to say goodbye.
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