Reviews

A Dark and Twisted Thriller by Takashi Miike

Takashi Miike, known for his bold and provocative filmmaking, delivers another unsettling masterpiece with "Lesson of the Evil." This psychological thriller takes you on a disturbing journey into the mind of a charismatic high school teacher, where the lines between good and evil blur in the most chilling ways imaginable. Not one to shy away from extreme violence and gore, Takashi Miike serves another great movie experience.

The film wastes no time in plunging viewers into the dark underbelly of a high school plagued by rampant cheating, bullying, and teachers who cross ethical boundaries. At the center of this chaos is Professor Hasumi, portrayed with chilling conviction by Ito Hideki. Hasumi initially appears as a beloved teacher, adored by his students. However, beneath the facade of a caring educator lies a remorseless killer who believes in solving students' issues through murder. What begins as a twisted form of vigilante justice spirals into a descent into madness, compelling Hasumi to take increasingly drastic measures to conceal his crimes.

Miike's direction shines as the film expertly navigates the duality of Hasumi's character. Through well-placed flashbacks and a relentless pace, viewers gain insight into the motivations behind his actions. As curiosity about his past threatens to expose him, Hasumi's transformation into a sadistic murderer is portrayed with unnerving precision. The supporting cast, though primarily serving as fodder for Hasumi's sadistic nature, adds to the film's unsettling atmosphere.

'Lesson of the Evil' excels in showcasing the gruesome consequences of Hasumi's actions, culminating in a crescendo of violence that leaves an indelible mark. From themes of bullying, harassment, and blackmail to moments of nudity and brutal deaths, the film spares no detail in its exploration of horror.

In conclusion, 'Lesson of the Evil' is not for the faint of heart. If you possess the stomach for extreme violence and gore, this movie offers a captivating and disturbing cinematic experience. Ito Hideki's remarkable performance, combined with Miike's unflinching direction, makes this film a standout entry in the director's challenging body of work. It's a 'magnificent' descent into darkness that lingers long after the credits roll.

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It break your heart into pieces only to put it all back together!

I cried so much in last 10 mins, it's such a beautiful ending. It's the best ending I've seen in BL- the way it's all wrapped up, tied together. Its so neat and beautiful

I got fed up at Akira at some point, but I'm glad it call came around well. It's just so inspiring, touching and beaautiful

I admire Yuki's spirit. He's really brave, honest and true to his heart. He reminds us to LIVE life fully and freely.

What an inspiring show! I'm glad I found this show.

While the ending is perfect, I wouldn't mind watching a part 2 where they just show the happy story of how they get married, etc etc. It'd be just so lovely to watch

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Friends, lovers, soulmates?

Finally a movie that tells the scamming 2nd female leads story, a bout the girl we know so well from mostly c-drams and have been taught to hate.

Here she is our female lead, as we get to see what made her that way, and a rare (okay ot so rare as this has been done before), window in to the mind of the obsessed girl who is about to loose the man she has gotten used to having around, and does pretty much what she needs to hold on... let go.. hold on again?

Something that we know from the start ended up making her loose the guy for 3 years, but what wil lhappen after that, what did she actually do that was so wrong that even she knows she was wrong (the intro to the movie), well I am not going to tell you that part as that would completely spoil the movie but I will say she does indeed do something really wrong, it compleatly spinnes out of control and it is portrayed rather well

If you are looking for fluff this is not the place to find it, but you will find some longing gazes, fun characters, second hand embarrassment (but not to much) a different perspective on the lines between soulmate, friends, lovers and what not .

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This is what life is for some people.

This was a raw view of a bad relationship. Getting together and staying for the wrong reasons. Unfortunately we are given very little information on the why’s that result in this. The end also has to be assumed. These unhealthy relationships happen and continue to this day. Regardless of the gender.The actors did a good job with what they had. The main couple was disfuncional and their vision towards life was hopeless. Our second North Korean on the other hand. Stayed the course. We can assume that even though the pain, made an effort to integrate himself to society.

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Just go watch Lost instead

Anatahan is a fictional retelling of the Japanese soldiers stranded on the Pacific island of Anatahan from 1944 to 1951. In both the real story and this one, they refused to believe the war was over.

This film features a Japanese cast and has dialogue all in Japanese, but the director (who also narrates the story in English) is a white dude who lathers the story with a heap of racist exotification and sexism. All in all, it's a pretty Western production.

As such, the story ends up as a crude Lord the Flies with the one woman on the island tossed around as part of the ongoing power struggle. The narrator and the other characters spend the entire film objectifying and harassing her (also content warning for domestic violence and rape, if you plan on watching this).

It's a shame because the premise of the story is an interesting one. Holding out on a stranded island for years on end has been the premise of many of a good piece of cinema. Yet this film flops. Badly.

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Hollow

There wasn't enough of an emotional connection (with any character or between any of them) to make up for all the disturbing and shock-value scenes (sexually and non-sexually). Gruesome in parts. It's not philosophical or psychologically interesting either.
I wish I hadn't given it a try.

The "bond" between the student and teacher is thin and forced. Their motivations, especially regarding each other, are weak and shallow. They had very little chemistry. The "romance" is flat and actually had me rolling my eyes a couple times.

The acting was okay but no one was charismatic.

Out of the many sexual scenes, the 2 that weren't disturbing weren't good either. They felt blocked-out and not natural at all. Rather awkward and perfunctory.

To me there was nothing redeeming or in any way enjoyable about this story.

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Perseverance is really Important

Just finished the movie and I gotta say that it leaves such a warm feeling by the time you finish it. The song at the end specially would give you such a feeling of warmth. I watched this movie after listening to that song repeatedly. The acting by our two main leads was good. If felt natural for high schooler even though it is a fantasized version. No unnecessary plots. I specially loved how both the leads focus on perfecting their craft for not only because of the promise but also because of the passion and respect they have for each other. Only problem with this series (not the movie) is that the manga is not fully translated in English and there is no anime version. What the hell are you waiting for Japan. Make an anime adaptation of this Shoujo. It would sell like hotcakes. Sorry to go off on a weird tangent but the point is this movie is not only wholesome but also inspirational. It would inspire you to be best at your craft while also encouraging others to do the best.

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Cute retelling

This was a re-telling that was fun. It has a happy ending, yet leaves the door open for future re-telling. As is often the case with Japanese productions, there are always one or two people that overact. The witch was such a person, but finally settled into her role.

There was a fun twist to the story that I didn’t see coming. The actress playing Little Red Riding hood was very good. I just wish they hadn’t made her hair red, it blended too much with her cape. Small quibble. Since there is a requirement for a certain number of words in reviews, I’ll say that I would recommend this if you don’t want to make too much of a time commitment.

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A cute watch

This drama starts of like any other enemies to lovers kind of trope. Except the lead is a tutor and the male lead is a high school student?!?

It’s a bit odd at first and I found myself disliking the female lead at the start- she just seemed very annoying at times. But after the first couple of tutor sessions it’s really funny to see their dynamic.

The male lead is absolutely amazing - I have seen him in other dramas and he always nails it. I think he really saved it for me - he was able to encompass all the emotions so well (jealous, anger, happiness and love).

There are also many side characters like the high school friends, those scenes were really funny. It also felt like a time capsule ( gave me flashbacks to older kdramas).

The premise of the drama is not really complex- but I think what makes it so intriguing is the chemistry. It really grows throughout and you begin to root for them.

The music was not really memorable and I would not really say I remembered much of it.

I would definitely rewatch. It’s a cute watch would recommend if your feeling a bit down.

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A perfect conclusion

Oh hell yeah, that's how you do a story climax right!

Where the first half focused on introducing the characters and setting up the plot, this second half gives us some more insights into the characters' inner lives. It explores the fascinating seesaw of power between the two - the restrictive labels of Senior and Junior, the class difference, and Seiryo's relationship with Shino which lends him a certain amount of power in Yuzuru's eyes.
It also dives a little deeper into the euphoric sense of vertigo that comes with finding someone who likes you, just you, as a whole, and adores the things that other people have repeatedly criticised you for. This not only endears the viewer further to the characters (although if you've not grown incredibly fond of them at this point I don't know what to tell you), but also serves to make the ever-building, all-consuming tension not only bearable but enjoyable as well.

The camera work and editing continue to enhance each scene until the story finally culminates in a truly fantastic and incredibly touching penultimate scene that genuinely made me pump my fist in the air and go "Now THAT'S how you do buildup and breaking of tension!"

I don't think I really need to say anything to make you watch this movie, this is the second half after all, if you're here you've already started watching anyway.
But if you're just scrolling through these reviews and fondly remembering the movie, let this be your sign to go rewatch it, rewatch it right now! You already know you'll love every minute.

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A masterpiece that has stood the test of time!

When I stumbled across this movie for the first time I thought "Huh..." and somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind I started to vaguely recall having read the manga years ago.
So I thought "Why not" and decided to give the movie a shot. And absolutely nothing could have prepared me for how much I've grown to love it.

From the very beginning the movie has a distinct quiet feel to it, a sort of understated grace that is incredibly hard to pull off without becoming boring. But bore me this did not!
The, let's be honest, fairly shallow and fluffy story is given depth by absolutely stellar performances and gains an undercurrent of authenticity and, for me personally, an aching sense of nostalgia. It effortlessly conjures up the absolute, razor sharp, stepping-around-landmines tension of being a queer kid, who maybe isn't even aware they're a queer kid yet, making a queer connection for the first time with such incisiveness that I found myself absolutely speechless.

And that feeling didn't let up. The entire movie is an absolute masterclass in tension. From the recurring theme of archery, the creaking drawing of bowstrings, to the ceaseless push and pull of the main characters' dynamic - that hesitant reaching out and pulling back of two people who are terrified, terrified of wanting but much more terrified of not being wanted in return - to the long static shots, the lingering close-ups, and the drawn-out continuous takes. It all adds up to steadily build a breathless sort of tension until you feel as if you're being forced to walk a tight-rope of emotions.
It's absolutely incredible.

If you like slow-building romances, stories with lots of tension but very little angst, or movies that speak volumes by deliberately saying very little out loud, then I couldn't recommend this movie more.
It's also a very faithful adaptation of the manga so if you're a fan of the source material you'll very likely love this as well.
Go watch it and then go watch the sequel, I promise you'll be in for an absolute treat.

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Beautiful movie

I started this movie because of the edits I saw on tiktok and it’s safe to say I wasn’t disappointed at all!

The love story build up between the main characters is beautiful and heart wrenching at the same time. From their first kiss to their love confession, everything was just so beautiful.

I loved how angsty their love story is the most, there was so much unsurety between them but both of them knew that they liked each other, even that boss in the end could tell they loved each other so much…

I was going to be very mad if they didn’t end up together but thankfully their love won!!!

Beautiful story!!

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