Reviews

I Accidentally Enrolled in High&Low University

📝 So... How Did I Feel About This One?

⚠️ WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Emotional Damage

Officially, we're into The Worst Saga, and this was actually the first one I watched in the entire High&Low franchise.

Which, looking back, probably wasn't the best way to start.

Because I had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on.

The movie itself was really enjoyable. The characters were entertaining, the action was great, and the whole thing was very well done.

But because I hadn't watched any of the predecessors yet, there was a LOT of context that I was missing.

The storyline was definitely confusing the first time around.

Then I went back and watched the previous movies and series.

And when I came back and rewatched The Worst?

Suddenly, everything made a whole lot more sense.

Funny how that works.

It also helped me appreciate what the movie was doing with the transition into a new generation.

We're moving into The Worst Saga, which is centered around Oya High and introduces a new group of characters, but we're not simply throwing away everything that came before.

The previous characters and storylines still matter.

And I really liked that.

It made the transition feel much more natural instead of suddenly feeling like we were watching an entirely different franchise.

💕 Things I Loved

The biggest thing for me was seeing this new generation of miscreants take center stage.

There is always a risk when a franchise starts moving away from characters you've already grown attached to.

You spend all this time getting invested in one group, and then suddenly you're expected to care about a bunch of new people.

Thankfully, The Worst makes that transition work.

The characters are entertaining, the story gives them room to establish themselves, and the connections to the previous storyline help keep everything feeling like one larger world.

I also really enjoyed the action.

Because let's be honest.

We're watching High&Low.

The fighting is basically part of the food pyramid.

And this movie delivers.

But above all else...

THE MUSIC.

This franchise continues to absolutely refuse to give me a bad soundtrack.

The music is easily one of my favorite things about these movies, and The Worst is no exception.

😭 Things That Hurt My Feelings

Murayama.

That's it.

That's the section.

Okay, fine. I'll elaborate.

It made me genuinely sad knowing that this was Murayama Yoshiki's last appearance and that his departure signified that the S.W.O.R.D. saga was officially coming to an end.

We've spent so much time with these characters.

We've watched them fight.

We've watched them grow.

We've watched them turn what should probably be an absolute disaster of a school environment into something resembling a found family.

And now we're moving on.

Sighs.

I knew it was coming.

I still didn't like it.

Apparently emotional attachment was the real final boss of the S.W.O.R.D. saga.

🔥 And Then There Was THIS...

So, after watching this movie, I discovered that High&Low: The Worst also has ties to another set of movies called Crows Zero.

Because apparently one franchise rabbit hole wasn't enough.

Now, in all honesty, while the premises are connected, they aren't really related in the same way the various High&Low installments are.

There are connections between the worlds, but you don't need to have watched Crows Zero to understand what you're watching here.

Still, finding out that there was yet another branch attached to this whole thing was certainly a moment of:

Wait... there's MORE?!

Apparently I had accidentally enrolled in High&Low University.

🫠 Final Mood

This was a really good movie, especially considering that it was the one that accidentally introduced me to the entire High&Low franchise.

Watching it the first time, I was confused.

Watching it again after going through the previous installments, I understood it so much better.

And honestly, I think that made me appreciate it more.

I liked the introduction of the new generation, I liked how the movie connected them to the existing world, and I loved the action and music.

It was also incredibly bittersweet knowing that this marked the end of Murayama's story and officially closed the door on the S.W.O.R.D. saga.

But it did leave me with some questions.

Like...

After Murayama leaves, what happens to the O in S.W.O.R.D.?

Because somebody needs to answer this very important question.

There's still one more movie that comes after this, and I've also heard that another installment is currently in production, supposedly set to be released in 2027.

Apparently, they're claiming that one will be the final movie.

But who knows?

Hopefully not.

Because if I've learned anything from this franchise, it's that there is always another fight, another gang, another school, another movie...

And apparently another rabbit hole waiting for me.

Started: I thought I was watching a random Japanese delinquent movie.

Finished: Somehow deeply invested in an entire cinematic universe and emotionally attached to people who solve problems by punching each other.

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estava na minha lista

Esse filme ficou desde o lançamento na minha “wishlist” e eu não conseguia encontrar lugar nenhum com legendas em ptbr e não queria me aventurar em canais alternativos pra ver. aí me reparo com ele na HBO BR, logo dei play.

A história é muito interessante, imaginar que um SK está disponível pra dar entrevista a uma jornalista a instigando a comparecer para que ela possa salvar uma vida foi uma ideia muito boa. Mas a dúvida que pairou por um bom tempo seria “qual a vítima então?”

O suspense se mantém por praticamente todo o filme, apesar de não mudarem tanto de cenários, a química dos protagonistas é intensa e te deixa impactado.

O roteiro segue às vezes até imprevisível pq vc está tão imerso que não para pra pensar em qual será o próximo passo do SK?

O plot twist é muito interessante e te deixa surpresa em ver o “motivo” dele ter acontecido.

Também gostei muito da discussão final, te faz pensar por um momento que seria um final diferente, mas a natureza segue seu fluxo.

🇧🇷💖

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??

This is how you make a zombie movie. Not just jumpscares and gore, but actual heart.

First of all, not a single boring minute. From the moment the train starts, it's non-stop tension. No cringe overacting, no stupid decisions just for plot. Everyone acts like a real person would in that situation.

Seok-woo is the best character arc ever. He starts as this selfish, workaholic father who barely knows his daughter. He only cares about himself and his own survival. But slowly, you see him change. He becomes the kind of father who would do anything, literally DIE for his daughter and for others. That ending broke me. I still cry thinking about it.

And Sang-hwa? The real MVP. The greenest forest husband ever. He is tough, funny, but would kill every zombie in the world for his pregnant wife. His chemistry with his wife is so pure, and his death was so unfair. He deserved to live.

The little girl Su-an is so well acted. She is not annoying like most child actors. She is brave, kind, and you feel everything through her eyes.

And then the villain - Yong-suk. The most hateable villain in K-movie history. He is not a zombie, he is worse. He is that kind of person who exists in real life - selfish, cowardly, who would sacrifice everyone else to save himself. He represents the worst of humanity, and that's why you hate him so much.

The best thing about Train to Busan is it's not about zombies. It's about people. It shows who we really are when everything goes wrong. Some people become monsters without even being bitten, and some people become heroes.

The train never stops, the tension never stops, and the emotions never stop. Last 10 minutes will destroy you.

Masterpiece.

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We have everything in the end, just not each other

Us and Them is such a gem, and honestly… what the hell was the director thinking when making something this raw??? This movie feels like a reality check disguised as a love story. It follows Xiaoxiao and Jiang Qing, two young people leaving their hometown for Beijing to chase a better life, basically starting with nothing but their dreams and each other. And the movie doesn’t romanticize their struggle at all. Poverty, being looked down on because of their education, money problems, love scams, doing shady things just to survive, the pressure to look successful in front of people back home… life keeps hitting them like an old friend who never runs out of problems. Yet through all of it, they have each other. They are together at their absolute lowest, and that’s what makes everything later hurt like hell.

High five to the director because the rawness here is insane. The camera direction, cinematography, changing seasons, crowded buildings, tiny rented rooms, cold streets—it all feels so lived-in. Even the way the seasons change makes you feel how much time has passed and how their relationship slowly changes with it. The poverty doesn’t feel like some aesthetic tragedy; it feels genuinely uncomfortable and real. And Jing Boran + Zhou Dongyu??? A FEAST. This is truly the kind of acting where you finally understand why movie actors are treated as the top chain of the entertainment industry. They barely need words. Their expressions, silence, little gestures and the way they look at each other already tell you everything. They genuinely feel like two people who have loved, fought, struggled and grown up together.

But then everything starts falling apart. After New Year’s Eve, their arguments become more frequent, and honestly I understood Jiang Qing’s insecurity. They left home to make money, so he desperately didn’t want to return looking like a failure. He pretends he’s successful, pretends he has his own place and even an address, while he’s actually still living in a building packed with tenants. And the more he tries to prove that he’s not a failure, the more frustrated and insecure he becomes. Xiaoxiao, meanwhile, is just tired. She loves him, but love cannot pay the rent, fix their future or magically make survival easier. Eventually she leaves—not because she doesn’t love him anymore, but because she’s exhausted from living like this. Then Jiang Qing finally succeeds. His game gets released, his career takes off, he gets money, a house, an actual address… everything he thought Xiaoxiao wanted. And THIS is where the misunderstanding kills me. She wanted a home. He thought she wanted a house. He worked his ass off thinking, “I finally got everything you wanted, so why won’t you come back?” But she wanted the feeling of belonging, not four walls. By the time he understood, it was already too late.

And then the plane scene??? I was genuinely stupid enough to think, okay maybe they’ll finally get another chance. Ten years later, Jiang Qing is in business class while Xiaoxiao is in economy, basically showing us that he finally became the successful man he always wanted to be. They sit together, talk about the past, and for a second it feels like maybe the universe is finally giving them another chance. THEN HIS PHONE RINGS. A VIDEO CALL FROM HIS SON. EXCUSE ME???? I actually wanted to throw something. He has a wife. A son. A whole life. And suddenly Xiaoxiao says that she could have been his wife, but now she would only look like a homewrecker. THAT HURTS. Because you can tell they still love each other, but what are they supposed to do with that love now? They finally have the money, house, career and stability they were fighting for back then… just not each other. And honestly, I watched their conversation with a guilty feeling too, because no matter how obvious it is that something between them never really died, he has a family now. Love doesn’t erase consequences.

And that stupidly cruel line kept coming back to me: maybe a man only truly loves someone once, and everything after that is just surviving. WHAT A VILLAIN SENTENCE. I don’t even know if I believe it. I really don’t want to. People can love again. People can build happy families again. But watching Jiang Qing and Xiaoxiao made me understand why that sentence feels believable. Jiang Qing moved on with his life—married, had a son, became successful—but when he sees Xiaoxiao again, you can still feel that old love underneath everything. Meanwhile, Xiaoxiao still hasn’t found someone she loves enough to build another life with, and she still doesn’t have the home she was longing for all those years ago. Maybe Jiang Qing learned how to survive without her, while Xiaoxiao never really found another place that felt like home. And then his dad’s letter absolutely finished me. His father loved Xiaoxiao so much, already knew these two might not end up together, but still considered her his daughter. Even he couldn’t completely let her go. I WAS BAWLING.

What frustrates me most is that I still wanted them together. Even after everything. Even knowing it probably shouldn’t happen. Because what if Jiang Qing had gotten on that train and chased her? What if Xiaoxiao stayed? What if they had met at a different time, when they were more mature and financially stable? Maybe they would’ve been happy. Or maybe they would’ve stayed poor and miserable and eventually broken up anyway. That’s the cruel part—we will never know. Maybe if they had stayed together, Jiang Qing would never have become the man he is now. Maybe Xiaoxiao would have found her home with him, but they would have lost everything else they eventually achieved. Life basically forced them to choose, and neither of them knew what they were choosing at the time.

That’s why this movie hurts so fucking much. There’s no real villain. No cheating. No huge betrayal. No one simply stopped loving the other. It was poverty, insecurity, timing, circumstances and two people who were just too tired and too young to understand what they actually needed. They were each other’s home when they had nothing, but somehow couldn’t stay together after they finally had everything. Sometimes you can love someone deeply, be perfect for each other at one point in your life, and still not be meant to stay. And honestly? That is such a horrible reality check. I finished this movie thinking about all the "what ifs" instead of the ending, and maybe that’s exactly why it hurts. They finally got the life they dreamed of. They just didn’t get to live it together.

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Quiet, unhurried cinema, which at first seems like a simple story about childhood. But it's a deceptive impression. On the surface - loneliness, class differences, fragility of friendship: all this is visible at once, and this is important. But the real meaning of the film is revealed only in the finale - and is voiced by its youngest character.

His words are simple and therefore striking: in childhood there is no time for protracted grievances and endless conflicts. We quarreled, fought - and keep playing. Don't hide malice, don't complicate life for yourself or someone else. Childhood is one, and to waste it on enmity means to miss what you can't get back.

The line of father and son works here not as a parallel plot branch, but as a warning. It shows what the habit of not letting go, saving, keeping silent leads to - and how this habit cripples relationships through generations. It's not about childhood or adulthood: inability to live conflicts destroys equally.

That's why the message of the film cannot be called childish. It's universal. The director does not read moral teachings, does not give answers - she simply shows two ways: one, along which a small child walks, and the other, along which adults follow. And the difference between them is not in age, but in the ability to let go.

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"Soon, it will be time to say goodbye."

As always, Meguro Ren did an amazing job on the big screen, this time delivering a poignant and emotionally charged performance as Urushibara Reiji.

Anyways!

Until We Meet Again doesn't have any romance, if that's what you were looking for; this quiet, beautiful movie, presents us a small view of the working life of two different people who deal with grief and death in whole different ways, through a quite unique perspective: a funeral home worker's.

Sure, we see a lot of deaths in movies and dramas, and Japan truly knows how to makes us cry with those, but in this movie, death doesn't seem as tragic and dramatic as we use to see.

Here... it just feels... gentle, natural, and with each individual funeral we discover more about the main characters, while learning a bit about how important is it to respect the deceased ones.

It can feel repetitive, and painfully slow too, but I believe that movies like this one need to be digested little by little, because death may be sudden, but the grief and all the pain that comes after that doesn't go away fast. If you're not patient enough, you may not enjoy watching this wholeheartedly.

Alongside with Meguro-san, Hamabe Minami, our Shimizu Misora stole the spotlight, bringing this role to life in the most beautiful way. Her reactions felt real, and moving. We see her growing up as a character, and the way she tries so hard to get better at her job makes us to root for her. Despite her mistakes, you can understand her worries, her sadness, and her admiration towards Urushibara-san.

It is elemental that this movie doesn't have romance, because it lets us see more about the importance of the message they try to portray about funerals: Each person deserves its own, respectful goodbye.

It's really nice to see Meguro and Hamabe together, because the weight doesn't seem that hard to bear with them helping us to understand what's going on.

In any case, I would've loved to see more about Misora's grandmother, and maybe Urushibara-san's beginning in the funeral home. We just see him as a professional; perhaps a silly or stressful flashback showing the start of his journey could've given him more depth as a character because it takes years to build that professional mask, but, Misora's the protagonist after all, so, we can survive without that just fine...

The scenography, the narrative, the music... everything's absolutely gentle, so, if you're looking something to cry to, you have the right material to do so. It builds up tension just fine, hurting and healing with a great balance.

Meguro-san may seem kind of unexpressive here, or even cold to say the least, but please take into consideration the little gestures and his body language. That, and his attentive gaze complement Misora's emotional personality.

Hope you can watch with a good heart, and let yourself heal with it if you need it!

As a last note: Music's... just there. I'd say the lack of soundtrack in some scenes is what makes them even more memorable. That's why I gave it a 6.5/10. Me personally, wouldn't rewatch, so, 1/10 in that aspect.

That's all what I can say as for now.

I loved this a lot :-)

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Looking forward to the continuation of this story!!!

This is one of the best scifi/action movies I’ve seen in a while. I enjoyed it so much that I’m going to rewatch it again and again which is not something I normally do…I usually watch it once and then never again. I’m not sure how this movie ended up with such low ratings except for the couple of reviews I looked at which compare it to the original series. I have not read the series so I remain unaffected by that but I will say that when I do watch a series or movie based on a book that love I always make sure to look at it like they are two separate stories, don’t compare them it only leads to heartache. If you haven’t read the series like me then I’m sure you’ll love it too. I’m excitedly waiting now for the next one to come out and my only regret is that I didn’t watch this sooner!

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Concrete Market

The best part of this movie was that I was watching it while flying to Korea. Unfortunately I was dissapointed in this, maybe I should have watched Concrete Utopia before (still planning to do it). Acting was not bad but not great either, funny thing I liked the most the bad guy, I do not think that suppose to happen. Story was okay but nothing extraordinary. Maybe the biggest problem was that it was too long (and somehow it also has a series), maybe if it was only 90 minutes long it would work better or if we learn more about character to care about them. I do not know, I would not recommend.

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My Aug Recommendation Movie

Watch this because recommendation challenge from 𝑨𝒓𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒊. Let’s discuss movie…

The story follows Jung Ji-woo, a sharp and competent corporate employee whose routine workplace life takes an unexpected turn because of a mix-up involving her new coworker, Jung Ji-hoo, who happens to have the same surname.
At the office, Ji-hoo appears to be the perfect colleague—polite, capable, and well-liked by everyone. But behind his seemingly flawless image, he hides a personal secret that he is afraid others might discover.

Their professional relationship takes an unexpected turn when Ji-woo accidentally receives and opens a parcel meant for Ji-hoo. Inside, she finds a leather collar. When Ji-hoo nervously claims that it is for his dog, a promotional flyer revealing the nature of the product falls from the box, leaving him with no choice but to admit that he has preferences he has kept hidden from others.

Rather than reacting with disgust or judgment, Ji-woo responds with empathy, which deeply touches Ji-hoo. Recognizing Ji-woo's naturally direct and authoritative personality, Ji-hoo asks whether she would consider taking on a dominant role in their private arrangement. Curious and harboring a growing attraction toward him, Ji-woo agrees after learning more about the dynamic. They then establish a three-month agreement with clear boundaries, keeping their private arrangement completely separate from their professional relationship.

As the two become more comfortable with each other, their carefully defined boundaries begin to blur. What was supposed to be a temporary arrangement gradually brings out emotional vulnerabilities neither of them expected. Their growing attachment forces them to confront their insecurities, past relationship experiences, fear of being judged, and the complications of maintaining a relationship while working together.

But as their feelings become harder to ignore, Ji-woo and Ji-hoo must decide whether their relationship can survive beyond the boundaries they originally set.

So, how will their story end? Will the pressure and complications ultimately force them apart, or will they find a way to turn their unusual arrangement into a genuine and lasting relationship?

That's pretty much the story without giving anymore spoilers.

What I Like:
+ A fun plot to explore the BDSM story…
+ How Ji-hoo & Ji-woo never undermine the other about their ‘role’
+ How both of them learn about BDSM

Overall this one fun story to watch…

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A fun ride

Right after watching River, I couldn’t get enough, so I came back for more. So I was pleasantly surprised to see the same cast as River showing up in this time loop movie as well, for two minutes long as well! What made this so cool was the fact that the entire movie looks like it was done in a single shot! The camera simply follows the people everywhere. It’s an incredible experimental film where all the actors are always coming in and out of the scene, almost like a play. It’s incredible. And to see all the intricacies of their plot lines as it weaves in and out of view- makes me think of a dream honestly

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The Sweetest

This was the sweetest movie.

I didn’t expect to laugh so hard, and I had so many LOL moments. It was endearing, sweet, funny, and heartfelt. To see that it was Mikoto’s desire for her love to come back to her that was driving the entire loop of time, shows just how powerful the heart and mind is. I love how the time loop was actually being created by the main lady Mikoto, but the nerdy scientist guy made up some explanation that it was about a cardboard Jim Henson looking Time Machine that glitched. No way, it was Mikoto who was creating the time loop. It was being created by her own desire to start over the love story between her and the hotel guest. The biggest tell what from the fact that the whole movie was from her perspective, and other characters were simply surrounding her. So the whole movie was her dream, her creation, appearing in her consciousness.

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Beautiful

I love how it shoes the feeling of starting alone, looking like the odd one out, with people making weird remarks and staring. But Sachie is herself from beginning to end- she is kind, reserved, and keep to her principles. She doesn’t people please, but she is kind, compassionate, and helpful. She is open to learning and is humble to accept help where needed, like the coffee good luck charm guy. And she slowly draws people to her. Despite this, she always remains herself. The characters are realistic in that they are odd, flawed, and not airbrushed in any way- they are cooky, eccentric weirdos just as you would expect. Even the Finnish ones that seemed cold and distant at first start warming up to her in the form of customers and become regulars, changing their face from a scowl into a smile. From comments about her appearance as a “child person” into expressions of gratitude. By the end the cafe is bustling with more and more people.

I love the dialogue between her and Midori where Midori asks Sachie if she would miss her if she went back to Japan, and Sachie doesn’t give a definite sentimental answer (what Midori wants to hear)- instead she accepts it and says however it turns out would be for the best. After all, things can’t always be the same in this world- they eventually pass away. She beautifully embodies the spirit of Aikido which she practices on her own. And while teaching Midori she says, “ Nature and your spirit must become one flowing unit, which instructing Midori to anchor to the inner center.” She is very grounded and I like that about her. Whether she is surrounded by people or alone, she is the same, true to herself and the spirit. Because she is always connected.

I love how at the end, the scene where she always swims alone, she is in the swimming pool and then it seems to fill with all these people, and they clap for her.

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