Reviews

Love knows no obstacles

Well, this was a perfect romcom for a Saturday evening!

And it is just a romcom that does not try to be anything more than that: so no dealing with lgbt issues, no history context issues, no family acceptance issues. Just a romcom! Fun, funny, sweet, butterflies inducing chemistry...what more do you need for a relaxing evening?

I have been aware of this drama but since the rating was very low and comments not good, I was never tempted to watch it. Until I discovered today that there was a movie version of it. I was actually looking for a BL to watch tonight and it was a toss up between this and Venus In The Sky. I am so happy that this film won!

The story: a man dresses up as his sister who ran away, and takes her place at her wedding. Afterwards he asks her husband to wait a few days until his sister is found. Since nobleman Ryu's mother is of fragile health, they decide to continue with the charade for a few days. But the forced proximity makes them get to know each other well and feelings start growing between them.

There is a lot of comedy, smart kind involving secondary characters: Mother heating up the room to make them undress, Ryu's friend who falls for his "wife" and sends "her" love letters even the jealous little sister pranking. There is not one single mean character, surprisingly.

The characters live in their own universe apparently: it is a costume drama but we do not know when because that is not important. Nothing exists outside this little world and I was fine with that. I was not expecting it to deal with the lgbt issues in the past: that was not the point of this film.

I have not seen the drama but this film version flows smoothly. The characters are sweet and nice. The main couple have great chemistry. The actor Han Se Jin, playing the brother dressed as a sister, is beautiful. He made me think of the japanese actor Yutaro: same kind of actor! Actually he looked better in a dress than in a hat (but anyway nobody looks well in those hats!).

This is just a regular costume romcom involving a crossdressing main character but it is amusing, well written and acted. Towards the end there is a bit of too many flashbacks, same scenes over and over again. The music is really nice and the final scene gave me butterflies....

This was a nice and light, amusing and warm, a perfect relaxing watch. I want more like this!

Read More

The transformative power of cinema to improve society

Taiwanese screenwriter, director and producer Angel I-Han Teng believes in the transformative power of cinema to improve society. In this way, he writes the script for 'Bao Bao' (親愛的卵男日記), an LGBT+ themed drama co-produced between Taiwan and the United Kingdom, which focuses on the struggles of same-sex couples to form families in that Asian island.
Presented at Outfest, the Asia-Pacific Film Festival, in Los Angeles, United States, in 2018, and released in theaters in Taiwan and Japan that same year, the film, directed by Shie Guang Cheng, revolves around two homosexual couples: Joanne and Cindy, and Charles and Tim. The four young people live in London and plan to have children, but then they have to return to Taiwan, where challenges await them.
'Bao Bao' was written and made while Teng was residing in the United States, but it tells an exclusively Taiwanese story, but universal due to the impossibility of homosexual couples to adopt children and marry in countries where people of the same sex do not have the possibility of getting married.
For the filmmaker, the best result is to be able to make Taiwanese stories with Taiwanese actors and then let an international audience see and appreciate them.
Her training in Psychology allows the writer to develop complex characters in her work faced with complex dilemmas, such as homosexuality and the adoption of newborn children.
In her marriage to Joanne/Xu Jie An (Christine Ke), Cindy/Fang Rong Xin (Ries Emmie), is a young woman who is expecting two babies, but loses one. Having also lost trust in her partner, Cindy doesn't know where to go, who to believe, or whether it's her baby or not. So, he decides to return to Taiwan from London, where he has lived for some time. In her hometown, she will find care in Yang Tai / Ah Tai, (Yankee Yang), her childhood best friend, who promises to raise the baby with her.
Confused about what a family should be like, Cindy finally works up the courage to confront Joanne and the gay couple of Charles Watanabe/Du Bian Zhi Jiu (Yukihiko Kageyama) and Tim/Li Hao Ting (Daniel Tsai). At the time the film was filmed, equal marriage or homosexual marriage was not yet legalized in Taiwan. Even today, after this right has been legal since 2019, the existence of same-sex parents is still not acceptable for that society. And our protagonist trusts that that day will come.
With this, her first narrative feature film as a writer, the also sound specialist and with extensive experience working as a recording engineer and sound mixer, begins a filmography in which she addresses issues related to identity, gender, feminism and rights. humans with a subtle sensitivity, as can be seen in 'Rose Skirt' (玫瑰色的裙), 'The Fragrance of the First Flower', winner of the Gold Award for an investment fund at the GagaOOLala Pitching Sessions, or 'A Balloon's Landing'(我在這裡等你), 2024.
'Bao Bao', a film that allowed Angel I-Han Teng to obtain the Excellent Screenplay Award from the Taiwanese government, is also an example of his interest in the musicality of cinematographic components that go beyond the conventional limits between sound and music in cinema.
Teng's fascination with highlighting gender issues begins in his Family Psychology classes at the University: "Not only was I not familiar with same-sex parent households, but I noticed that all the examples the professor gave were from abroad. Those from Taiwan either didn't stand out or weren't seen. A creative light bulb went off in my head," he says. He adds: "I appreciate the beauty of individual differences although we share many similarities. The complexities of the human mind open my imagination to create works of art. I wrote many scripts and entered competitions, some of which completely changed the course of my career my life…".

Read More

If you are a City Hunter Fan…

City Hunter was a classic J comic, may seem like a simple story but the main character can be complex back story. I am a fan of the comic and anime, so nice to see finally J entertainment made this series into a movie. There has been so many version made previously, the one with good effort and attempt was the French version. However I must say this is movie by far is the best adaptation and maintained the essence of its original comic. And only with a J production, we can see the J humour done so well. The casts done a fantastic job, the fighting and shooting scenes were quite well done. I really enjoyed watching this, if you are a fan of City Hunter, it’s a must watch and you sure will enjoy this a lot.

Read More

Memorable melodramatic love story with great cast and filmmaking

I enjoyed the movie overall and found the story quite gripping. There were some direction in terms of plot that I felt was a bit heavily handed and somewhat predictable but at least the choices made by the characters made sense as the scenario provided sufficient background story to depicts their motivation and inner turmoil.

The cast is overall excellent. I truly love Han Hyo Joo and she tackes brilliantly the role. You cannot help but feel for her character and the tragic elements of her life story. The other main role, played by So Ji Sub delivers a performance matching hers in quality, full of charisma, passion and dramatic moments.

The filmmaking was very good. Even watching it 13 years later, it is still very up to nowadays standard for pictures in that specific genre. There were so many particularly well filmed and beautiful romantic scenes (e.g. the staircase one, the river,...) as well as so many little details in the production allowing the build up of the characterization of the two main protagonists.

I would recommend this to people looking for a good romantic story full of turmoil and emotion as it is centered arount the encounter of two broken-by-life human beings. The story in itself is not without flaws but is quite poetic and the sincere performances of the two main leads brought up to a higher level the scenario.

Read More

Enchanting & thought provoking, a showcase of complexity of love and debt in a Thai context.

"In debt, you must pay back, but in love, there's no need to return the heart."

Han Dong-Wook's 2014 Korean film "Man in Love," gets remade into Taiwanese (2021) and Thai versions, the latter titled "Love You To Debt" in 2024.

The narrative consistently follows a debt collector who falls for a debtor struggling to care for her terminally ill father while trying to settle her debts. This leads to an unusual proposition: dates in exchange for debt reduction. Their relationship, sparked by financial necessity, slowly blooms into genuine affection.

Directed by Wa-Wasuthep Ketpetch, known for his work on the Thai teen series "The Gifted," this film marks his directorial debut. The screenplay, crafted by Malila and Onthakarn, features Bright-Vachirawit Chivaaree and Yaya-Urassaya Sperbund in leading roles.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Pattaya, the film captures the essence of this bustling tourist hub and its hidden, sleepless underworld. Despite its serious undertones about debt, the Thai adaptation infuses the story with a distinctive local flavor, blending comedy, action, and charming dating scenes. However, as the narrative deepens, the weight of debt brings about profound struggles, casting a shadow over the blossoming romance.

Bright-Vachirawit, portraying the protagonist, brings depth to his role as a lovesick debt collector. His performance is a seamless blend of intensity and vulnerability, particularly in his interactions with Yaya-Urassaya's character, Im. Their chemistry transforms every scene they share into a vivid depiction of conflicted emotions—joy in love contrasted with the harsh realities of their lives.

In a remarkable commitment to authenticity, Bright performed all his stunts, bearing both the physical and emotional weight of his character. His transformation into the scarred, tattooed Bo involved an extensive makeup process, adding layers to his portrayal of a man navigating the harsh world of debt collection while harboring a tender love.

Yaya Urassaya's portrayal of Im reflects a woman burdened yet resilient, adapting her vocal tones and demeanor to authentically convey a spectrum of emotions. This nuanced performance ensures that viewers feel the weight of her struggles and the strength of her spirit.

The film's aesthetic, from the vivid Hawaiian shirts worn by Bo to Im's modest flea market attire, visually represents their worlds and personalities, mirroring Pattaya's colorful landscape.

"Love You to Debt" is not just a film but a cultural dialogue tailored to resonate with Thai audiences, offering a fresh perspective on familiar themes of love and financial hardship. Wasuthep and his team have skillfully adapted the original story's essence to engage local viewers, making it a reflective and entertaining exploration of life's burdens and beauties.

Recommended.

(Translated and edited for brevity and readability from a review in Thai by @PooChaiKonNun https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%B9%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B1%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%87%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B7%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B5%E0%B9%89%20%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%98%E0%B8%AD%20%E0%B8%9F%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%8C%20%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%8A%20)

Read More

Exciting and Fun plot

What a roller-coaster emotional story.. Laugh, thrilled, heartbreaking, laugh, intriguing, cry then so on xD There's a lot of actions that showed skillful and badass Ryo.. It makes me hype watching it.. Also love how they make Kaori that tough but at the same time fragile.. Her acting is superb..

But Suzuki Ryohei totally carried out the whole movie.. The moment they announced the cast, I knew he will nailed it.. and he did it more than I was expected.. ^_^

Nice camerawork that showed different kind and angle of shootings.. How I wish they make into drama series..
They have potential to develop the storyline.. Hopefully there's sequel..

Overall it was exciting and fun movie.. I really enjoyed watching it ^_^ Highly recommended

Read More

Created to be featured on the variety show "Gozen 0ji no Mori"

'Nekutai magatteru yo', which in English would be translated as "Your necktie is crooked", by Japanese director Ikeda Ayano, is a Thai-Japanese BL short film starring Perth Nakhun Screaigh as Rokko, and Lay Talay Sanguandikul as Ratanapol.
The film marks the return after four years of two of the actors who first participated as a couple in the 2020 Thai BL drama 'My Engineer', playing Ram and King, respectively.
The short film, just 7 minutes long, was created with the purpose of being presented in the variety program "Gozen 0ji no Mori" (Midnight Forest). It is a one-hour Japanese television interview program in which participants talk about a wide variety of topics that have recently happened in Japan during the Reiwa era, the current era of Japan that began in May 2019.
As assistant director of the program "Gozen 0ji no Mori", Ayano Ikeda conceived the idea of ​​interviewing the two actors visiting Japan under the legend "Reunited in Tokyo", while a short dramatized film aired, without great claims, in which both participated, and which also served as a letter of introduction to the public.
Due to the popularity of BL in Japan, the television space has invited Perth on several occasions to talk about Thai dramas of this genre. Taking advantage of the coincidence of Talay being in that nation, he was also invited to present himself.
The short film also pays a kind of tribute to the culture of the two countries, since the story revolves around two young Thais, one of them an actor (Talay) and the other a translator of the Thai-Japanese languages ​​(Perth). , who separated after having had a romance, because each one took a different path to build a future, and now, six years later, for work reasons, they meet again in Japanese lands and, as they are still in love, they have the opportunity to continue their love relationship.

Read More

I watched the drama first, this movie could have been better but it lacked proper execution.

First things first, this is my first time watching Angelababy act and I must say she did a much better job at portraying Bei Wei Wei compared to the actress in the drama. I'm sure Bei Wei Wei's character was written that way in the drama and it made it boring to watch despite the chemistry between the two. Now, in the movie, Bei Wei Wei, was as she should be, full of life and gamer with much more than an ounce of personality.

Both Jing Bo Ran's & Yang Yang's Xiao Nai were pretty similar to met. They were both nice to the FL and it is a quality that appreciate in the MLs of the romance dramas I prefer to watch.

And I was so surprised to see three stars of dramaworld as secondary character with very little contribution to the movie. Li Xian, Tan Song Yun, and Janice Wu. There story arcs were such that they almost disappeared in the background. Only their memorable faces made me remember them.

Now, coming to the story, the drama did a much better job. While we understand the time limit and how compression works, the movie was not executed well. It lacked flow, the scenes changed abruptly. The romance developed suddenly. I have seen many dramas where 1 single episode showcased so many different scenes but the transition between them was perfect.

But was it worth the time spent watching it? Yes, not bad for a one time watch.

Read More

Well done adaptation, should have been a series not a movie

Not gonna lie, my fav thing about this movie was Lord Kudo's glorious hair. And his uniform.

I jest but if you are looking for a quick watch with a bit of romance then this hits the spot. If you have read the manga/watched the anime, just watch it for the hair and don't care about the MASSIVE pieces of story missing from this. I understand that while condensing this into a 90 min movie give or take , you would have to cut some things, I feel they cut way too much and because of that, I didn't really care about any of it, I just sat there, thinking ' Yeah, I would fall in love with that hair too, girl'. Because so much was cut, there were so many payoffs that didn't land. The step mother and sisters comeuppance was a one line throw away voice over. And it didn't matter cause cause you didn't really see the absolute depth of Miyo's mistreatment and bulling by this family. Or the extent of her PTSD.

It was all just not there. I can't imagine what watching this having not read the manga or seen the anime would be like as I felt it was so disjointed. The only thing I enjoyed that perhaps not present in the other forms of this was the absolutely creepy, chilling vibe the film had.

I'm making it sound like this film was bad. It wasn't but it is not as amazing as other reviews on here would have you believe. It was always going to be hard to adapt this into movie. The story really demands more time and it shows. The actors and all the team were done dirty in my opinion. Go watch the anime. Its got much more in it.

Read More

It's a fun-to-watch action film.

The film begins with Ryo and his colleague investigating a case in which a gorgeous girl mysteriously disappears, maybe as a result of some strange happenings in the city. While researching what occurred, Ryo and his partner become entangled in something deadly that could cost them their lives.

There are many adaptations, so we already know ML's characteristics: he is brilliant, charming, has excellent communication skills, and, ultimately, he is proficient in martial arts. There is no doubt about Suzuki Ryotei's acting skills, his lines, facial expressions, and body language are exceptional. While Kaori, I'm not invested in her character at all because she is a little bit annoying.

I felt a little bit frustrated about the plot because it lacked some intense scenes, character development that make you blend and invest in the character's story, but after all this movie is worth watching because of its humor and relaxation.

Lastly, I thought it was a mini-series at first though.

Read More