Reviews

A sweet, slice of life high school story

Overall: a nice, short (35min) realistic movie about two high schoolers, one of whom is trying to figure out who he is and what he wants

Content Warning: homophobia (mainly from 1 teacher, bleh)

What I Liked
- the theme of being true to yourself and pursuing your dreams
- a confident, out gay guy (and his friends were fine with his sexual orientation)
- the pairing of a goofy extrovert and a quiet introvert (this reminds me of MODC)
- how both apologize for pushing each other (both physically and mentally)

Room For Improvement
- no sense of how much time passed when they were getting to know each other or after the incident
- the night scenes are too dark and need a bit more lighting
- the two female students were intrusive and were not being as supportive as they thought
- the female teacher telling him not to pursue art and then being terrible at classroom management
- the male teacher for being homophobic (slight redemption after the incident)
- the ending was fine, but it would have been nice to have a super short scene (or even pics) during/after the credits with them meeting up later
- having both small hard coded and soft coded English subs, they were actually a bit different but I couldn't tell which was better (watched on gagaoolala)

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Everyone's love story

By the end of the movie, I was with a heavy heart. This was a story beautifully written, acted, and directed. It detailed the phases of a relationship that a couple goes through. A few fortunate couples make it to the end of the road, but majority of them like Mugi and Kinu do not. There are many reasons why couples break up. At the end of the day, a person chooses his or her own path that leads him/her to happiness. Mugi and Kinu's love was not any less than those couples that did make it through. They ultimately broke up because they have chosen to live a life they thought they deserved.

And it was not easy to forget that kind of love. After all, theirs was so intense, not to mention the 5 years they have spent together.

I find myself relating to both of them. And from time to time, I also think of my ex and the "what could have been'. But that's just a passing thought. After a minute, I'll forget all about it and move on with my life.

Life is like this. Love more so. You have to fight really hard to keep your love.

Kudos to our two main leads for portraying Mugi and Kinu so realistically. I said it before. This was a story beautifully written, acted, and directed. However, I will not watch this a second time.

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Tickled Happy!

This isn't a cinematic masterpiece.
Nor is it complicated or intricate in anyway.
However...this is EXACTLY the kind of video we all needed during these unprecedented times.

Rather than recreating the original film, this spin off was short&sweet, heartwarming and sure to put a smile on anyone's face (regardless of if you were a fan of the original or not!)
The closing credits were a lovely bonus too.
It creates a sense of closeness during times when we are feeling distanced.
I come back to watch this whenever I want a little chuckle. And it never fails to make me feel more positive.

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This one felt much more serious than the first movie. There was still a little humor here and there but it felt like the stakes were higher so it couldn't be funnier because then it would feel like a parody so...

I loved Kenshin's relationship with his found family at the martial arts school, especially with Sanosuke. When Sanosuke punched Kenshin after finally catching up with him in Kyoto because he was so worried when Kenshin just took off to, basically, get himself killed! Sanosuke was so pissed at him.

The action in this movie was so very, very good again. And the music! I don't think I've mentioned the score before but, boy, the OST is just top notch, so much so that it gives me goosebumps!

And the cliffhanger! Gosh, I'm so glad that I have the next movie in the franchise handy or I would be very, very... miffed, to say the least.

Also, I just really noticed it in this movie but Satoh Takeru as Kenshin looks so... tiny and slight next to every other guy in it because they're all pumped up giants and he's, well, he's not. It's cute!

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Sweet, short and simple drama

Initial view, the fabulous costumes of the Qing dynasty! A short drama that fits nicely between long episodes of dramatic, mind boggling yet addictive dramas! Being new to Asian TV dramas with questionable subtitles, it takes awhile to recognise the different characters and palace titles. With jagged flashbacks, this too simple story without the usual palace intrigue, jealousy plots, eavesdropping, gossips, overload of tea drinking and wine consumption makes it refreshing! Not familiar with any of the actors I do think they were well cast. The writer could have expanded the story with more scenes of delicious palace cuisine and added a subplot but then it would not be a short story.

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A romantic gem is waiting for you.

My heart is still racing as I write this review. Seventeen years and three months ago, this movie was released into the world. It felt like it was just waiting for me to arrive. I was immersed in the story five minutes after it started. I’m always looking for romance in a drama, but I never expected to find a gem like this. I’m at a loss for words to describe what I just watched.

Jang Hyuk did an outstanding job in his portrayal of Myungwoo. He was just starting a long impressive career. But the star of this show was the unbelievable Jun Ji Hyun. She is a talent like no other. Playing a strong and fearless police officer was as easy as breathing to her. She brings her talent into everything she does.

I loved her commitment to Myungwoo. You don’t see that often in a drama. She never wavered in her love for him. It truly felt like two souls blending together for eternity. If you have any romance in your soul, this movie will give you goosebumps, bring tears to your eyes and make you smile.

I loved everything about this movie, including the music. If you can’t find it anywhere else, try YouTube.

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A Hidden Gem with great young actresses of same age

I’ve watched this movie without subs, but it’s fine because it’s easy to understand (from the perspective of someone who did not formally study Japanese). I wanted to watch this mainly because I love the cast, but was hesitant because it’s genre is horror. But I told myself that I can’t miss to see my favorite actresses working together.

Unexpectedly, I find the story relatable. But it is definitely not for everybody, TRIGGER WARNING for bullying and sexual assault. The main character, Kana (Kawaguchi Haruna), is an average high school girl who quietly dreams to be like the most popular girl in school, Rio (Hirose Alice). I’ve also admired the cool kids at school, and I think this is normal and shows realistic depiction of a teenage girl. Kana also have a best friend, Erika (Matsuoka Mayu), who is almost inseparable with her. This made me remember how I stick with a close friend almost everyday, never getting tired of each other (hopefully they didn’t lol), we would look for each other soon as we arrive school, and it’s automatic to be partners at group works xD I’ve also had some ups and downs with my friends, and I could see my immature self to some of these characters.

Now onto the frustrating part, bullies does unbelievable things to their targets. I didn’t understood what made Rio so twisted and evil, maybe something abt her upbringing. There’s also a side story abt the ghost, Yomi (Yamamoto Mizuki), and her friend, who is now a teacher (Haru), who also encountered bullies. It’s a sad and heartbreaking story, which only shows the haunting effect of bullying. I also think that the ending is perfect for a horror movie, and also gives an important lesson abt bullying, standing up for others, and loyalty, esp to younger people.

The acting is great as expected. I also like how the leads are of same age, Haruna, Mayu, Alice, and Ikeda Elaiza are probably 18-19 here. It’s fun to review their early works, given that they have already established their names in the industry in the present. Mizuki and Haru are of same age too, so I appreciate if the casting team. The OST also did a great job for giving me creeps, and yeah, there’s some screaming. But this movie is watchable for me who hates horror. I also don’t think it would made me scared at night, it’s just right so I would recommend it if you’re a fan of these actresses but hates horror. It’s honestly a hidden gem, and I would like to see more of collab from these actresses.

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One of the best, simply the best!

This is one of my go-to movies, whenever I feel stress, bored or just simply want to re-watch it, simply because I've been missing Won Bin. I really enjoyed watching action, suspense-thriller and just a good story movies, it's just a bonus if I really love the actor playing the role on a movie.

This movie is purely intense, gore, full of action, never a dull moment and will keep you on edge. Everything is fast phase and makes sense. No wasted screen time, good dialogues and just simply a perfection for me.

If you cannot bear watching movies with a lot of blood or violence, stay away from this movie, if it's good with you, go and enjoy this masterpiece. Watch Won Bin, to be fascinated with his take on his character as well as reminisce young Kim Sae Ron.

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A first

So this was my first Japanese BL movie, and although I didn't go into it with high expectations, it was an okay movie.

There is RAPE – very GRAPHIC. This is not a spoiler, this is a warning. If you cannot stomach that, then don't watch it.

This is a horribly conceptualized story about obsessive love, control, rape, cognitive dissonance, and abuse. We have an individual who will leave everything in his world behind, everything he has owned and search to the ends of the Earth to find this fig mental "thing" he has deemed his love. Then he will take what he "loves" and FORCE it to "love" him back. DEMAND it. The absurdity of it all is that everyone around the victim seems to believe the victim was blessed to be loved in such a way. The victim sees the absurdity of the situation but then falls prey to this thinking and believes the lie of those around him.

Since this was my first Japanese manga, I didn't get the whole story line. the start the over-acting was hilarious - yeah bad acting - but it was funny and wasn't taking this seriously, as also found some of the character's likeable - not Natsuko (who just went from bad character to worse!) but other character's in that orchestra where quirky and fun to watch.

Defiantly not a good start to the JP Drama!!!

Recommendations are welcomed for any good Japanese BL Dramas!!!

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Unsurprisingly, as I've seen with many Kdramas, the trailer for this movie was not reflective of what to expect with this movie. The trailer looks particularly funny and light-hearted, but the movie wasn't particulaly funny (though there were some humorous parts) and it wasn't light either. It tackled some great things concerning gender inequity and human rights though! The ending wasn't bad either, considering that the story was told as a story from the MMC's perspective, but I wouldn't say it's a happy ending either. Personally, I think I was expecting a bit more and this one just kind of blurs with other historicals that have courtesan houses with nothing to really distinguish it, plot-wise.

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Fluffy watch

I never read the manga so just hopped on in this b/c it sounded interesting and the ML is soft on the eyes.

Let's be honest ... no one is watching this for an earth shattering, award winning performance of some mind bending show.

This is what it is intended to be - a piece of fluff.

It's one of those you go into for nothing more than gluttonous enjoyment.

The characters had great chemistry, the story was cute and cavity inducing (sweet sweet), and sailed on through from start to finish with no problem.

Over all I enjoyed it.

The story is not too far fetched, not all that 'taboo', and certainly not incest.

It's going on the list with my other "fill the weekend" movies / shows.

And shout out to ECOTV for being the first on subbing it - you're the real MVP.

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The trailer for this movie looks exciting and intense. But when you finally watch it, it's not as exciting as the trailer makes it look. It's definitely intense - you won't be able to fall asleep while watching, but it has lulls in the plot. Plot-wise, it's meant to depict the life of the last princess of Korea; as you'd expect, it's not a happy story. I might be able to argue it has a bittersweet ending, but not happy. There's nothing objectively wrong with the way the story unfolds, it's just not the kind of ending that I find enjoyment out of, so for me, it's not a higher rated movie.

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Quirky short musical with cute guys

Overall: This is one of the few artsy/quirky short films that I actually really enjoyed.

Content Warnings: very mild violence (and you may never eat candy the same way again :P )

What I Liked
- the music, round of applause to whoever wrote the songs and the singing was good
- unique plot, definitely haven't seen this before
- the outfits matched their candy counterparts well
- apparently I really like tattoos, even when it's the word "digestive" lol
- I liked that even in the darker scenes there was light on the actors' faces, too frequently I can't see anything

Room For Improvement
- I didn't at first like the first song the guy wearing black sang, but I think it was a style thing
- the animation when showing people looked a bit amateurish
- a small continuity error with the white band being ripped, but then not being ripped in a wide shot

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Sweet a bit too religious for my personal taste but I love this angele to it...

This movie is really sweet, the main couple is adorable and their story is pretty typical guy who thinks he is straight falls for another guy and struggles with it. Not much new to that but also something always nice to to watch. what I do love is the way they for once let gay people be religious. So yes I love the representation here, the way the religion is portrayed and even if I personally am not a big fan of the whole jesus loves you theme when it comes to my personal belief as an atheist, It is not really my cup of tea to watch. However the freedom of religion person within me is thrilled with this type of movie. It brought down the entertainment value but I am really happy this movie exists and hope many people will watch it!

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