Reviews

Se per diventare immortali bisogna sacrificare la propria umanità, vinci o perdi?

Kokuho – Il maestro di kabuki, può essere facilmente scambiato, nei suoi primi minuti, per un racconto tradizionale sull’ascesa di un artista. La struttura sembrerebbe quella familiare: un ragazzo proveniente da un mondo lontano dall’arte, un talento naturale, l’incontro con un maestro, la disciplina, il sacrificio e infine il riconoscimento. Una storia di conquista.

Lee Sang-il però usa questa aspettativa come proemio: Kokuho non è veramente un film su come si raggiunge la grandezza, bensì un film su cosa la grandezza pretende in cambio.
La storia segue Kikuo Tachibana, figlio di un membro della yakuza che, dopo la morte del padre, viene accolto nella casa di un celebre interprete kabuki. Lì cresce insieme a Shunsuke, figlio biologico del maestro. Entrambi vengono educati alla tradizione degli *onnagata*, gli attori maschi specializzati nell’interpretazione di ruoli femminili nel teatro kabuki.
Fin dall’inizio il film costruisce un conflitto affascinante perché evita la strada più semplice. Kikuo e Shunsuke non sono nemici nel senso convenzionale del termine. La loro relazione vive in uno spazio molto più doloroso: quello tra fratellanza e competizione. Sono due persone che condividono lo stesso amore, lo stesso linguaggio artistico e lo stesso bisogno di essere riconosciute ma il sistema in cui vivono sembra volere concedere l’immortalità solo a uno dei due.

Uno dei temi più potenti del film è infatti il rapporto tra talento ed eredità. Il kabuki è un’arte profondamente legata alla trasmissione familiare, al nome, alla discendenza. Kikuo rappresenta l’elemento di rottura: qualcuno che non possiede il sangue ma possiede il dono. Shunsuke invece porta sulle spalle una condanna opposta: appartiene a quel mondo per nascita, ma deve continuamente dimostrare di meritare ciò che tutti pensano dovrebbe spettargli naturalmente.

Lee Sang-il non prende una posizione comoda in cui vince il talento, anzi, mostra anche la violenza nascosta dentro questa meritocrazia assoluta. Perché scegliere il migliore può sembrare giusto visto dall’esterno, ma cosa succede alla persona che viene giudicata insufficiente? Quanto della sua identità viene distrutto?
La tragedia di Shunsuke nasce proprio qui. Non dalla gelosia superficiale, ma dal lento sgretolarsi dell’immagine che aveva costruito di sé.

Dal punto di vista tecnico, *Kokuho* è uno dei lavori più interessanti del cinema giapponese contemporaneo. La fotografia di Sofian El Fani non si limita a registrare la bellezza del kabuki, ma costruisce due mondi visivi separati:
- il palcoscenico è il luogo dell’eternità, ogni immagine sembra composta come un dipinto: colori saturi, costumi elaboratissimi, trucco bianco che trasforma il volto umano in una maschera simbolica, movimenti studiati fino al millimetro. La macchina da presa rispetta la lentezza del kabuki, non cerca di modernizzarlo con tagli frenetici o movimenti inutili. Lascia respirare il gesto.
È una scelta fondamentale, perché il kabuki vive proprio nell’attesa. Una mano che si solleva lentamente, uno sguardo trattenuto, una posa mantenuta qualche secondo più del naturale: tutto diventa narrazione.

- Quando il film lascia il palco cambia completamente registro. I camerini, le case, gli spazi privati sono più freddi, più vuoti. La fotografia sembra togliere progressivamente calore alla vita reale dei personaggi mentre aumenta la magnificenza della loro vita artistica.

È quasi un paradosso visivo: più Kikuo diventa splendido davanti al pubblico, meno colore sembra rimanere nella sua esistenza privata. Anche il montaggio lavora in questa direzione. Con una durata di quasi tre ore, il film sceglie un ritmo lento, contemplativo, molto distante dalla narrazione occidentale convenzionale. Le ellissi temporali fanno percepire il passaggio degli anni non come semplice avanzamento della trama, ma come erosione. Non vediamo soltanto cosa Kikuo conquista: vediamo cosa il tempo porta via.

Particolarmente interessante è il lavoro degli attori. Ryo Yoshizawa non interpreta la trasformazione di Kikuo attraverso grandi esplosioni emotive, lavora in sottrazione. Il suo personaggio sembra perdere qualcosa scena dopo scena: spontaneità, leggerezza, possibilità di mostrarsi vulnerabile.
È un’interpretazione costruita sul controllo del corpo. E questo dialoga perfettamente con il kabuki stesso, un’arte in cui il corpo non esprime semplicemente emozioni, ma viene disciplinato fino a diventare uno strumento.

Ryusei Yokohama offre invece un contrappunto più fragile e umano. Shunsuke è forse il personaggio attraverso cui il pubblico percepisce maggiormente la crudeltà del sistema. Non è privo di talento, non è indegno, semplicemente vive accanto a qualcuno destinato a brillare più forte.

Anche il comparto sonoro merita attenzione. Il film utilizza il silenzio come elemento narrativo. I momenti più dolorosi raramente sono accompagnati da melodramma musicale: spesso sono vuoti, trattenuti. È una scelta coerente con personaggi abituati a trasformare ogni emozione in rappresentazione artistica invece che comunicarla direttamente, in linea con lo stile del racconto asiatico.

La dimensione sentimentale aggiunge un altro livello alla tragedia. La relazione amorosa di Kikuo mostra forse l’unico spazio dove lui potrebbe esistere senza dover essere “il grande artista”. Lì non deve raggiungere la perfezione, non deve incarnare un ideale, non deve dimostrare nulla ma è costretto a rinunciarvi, non è semplicemente scegliere il lavoro invece dell’amore. È scegliere definitivamente di appartenere più all’arte che alla propria vita.

Una riflessione interessante emersa anche da molti spettatori riguarda proprio il finale: il momento in cui Kikuo raggiunge il massimo riconoscimento e diventa un “Tesoro Nazionale”. In una storia classica sarebbe la scena della vittoria. Qui invece ha qualcosa di profondamente malinconico.
L’applauso arriva, il mondo riconosce il genio, la tradizione ha trovato il suo simbolo. Ma cosa rimane dell’uomo che ha dovuto trasformarsi in quel simbolo?
Una delle letture più efficaci del film è proprio questa: la società celebra il capolavoro, ma spesso dimentica la persona che ha dovuto consumarsi per crearlo. Kokuho non vuole farci applaudire semplicemente un artista arrivato in cima. Vuole farci guardare il prezzo della scalata.

Ed è questo che rende il film universale. Non serve conoscere il kabuki per comprenderlo, perché sotto i costumi magnifici e la tradizione giapponese racconta qualcosa di molto umano: il desiderio di essere eccezionali e la paura che, nel tentativo di diventarlo, si possa perdere proprio ciò che rendeva quella grandezza significativa, se stessi.

Kokuho è un film sulla perfezione, ma soprattutto sulle crepe nascoste dietro la perfezione. Una celebrazione dell’arte che ti lascia con una domanda scomoda: se per diventare immortali bisogna sacrificare la propria umanità, vinci o perdi?

Non per tutti!

DOVE L'HO VISTO?
https://mydrama.altervista.org/kokuho-sub-ita-2025/

Leer más

Healthiest Romantasy Cdrama I've Watched as a Woman

First review ever and I hope someone in the Chinese entertainment industry reads this.

Firstly I have developed a recent addiction to cdramas in an effort to try and learn about my native culture and country (Chinese Australian).

Unfortunately after watching literally almost the entire top 100 list of cdrama romantasy titles, I have come across a very troubling pattern.

Let's start with the anorexia glorifying stick figures of Chinese women which are both historically inaccurate and dangerous for public health in both the local and global Chinese community.

Not to mention this crazy obsession with height disparities in pairing short, anorexic women with massive 1.9m men.

Or that the idolisation of women who look like they have never even touched puberty borders paedophillia.

This definitely has affected the general public in China given the popularity with weight loss and public accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers who are literally clinically anorexic on RedNote.

It's unhealthy, both on a psychological, physical and also broader societal level.

Let's talk about Lost You Forever. Yang Zi is beautiful, healthy, buxom and yes she is still slim in this drama!! She is what a healthy Chinese woman SHOULD LOOK LIKE. Her figure in this drama should be idolised as opposed to Jiu Jingyi who has had so much plastic surgery you can barely see any facial expressions, or Song Zuer who is now definitely in the anorexia nervosa diagnostic range. She has muscle, she probably has a healthy period every month because to be a fertile woman you have to actually have a minimum percentage of body fat.

It has been incredibly refreshing to see.

The plot is so different, fresh and interesting. Nothing in Romantasy is realistic, and neither is several rich handsome men pining over one originally man now lady.

I love that she is conflicted but also takes her time choosing and sampling the wares.

Out of all of them this is the first one that actually has a reverse harem, and boy is it done well!

The series overall was incredibly fun to watch amongst all the pining and yearning.

Unfortunately the music score really can't beat some of the others however the acting in this drama has been top notch among everyone.

Yang Zi is the best actress I've seen out of all the female actresses so far. The fact that she has remained true to her own face and body puts her at a much higher tier than anyone else.

Leer más

I think it’s safe to say that 2026 is the year of Chinese BLs. The writing, acting, directing, and cinematography just keep getting better with every show, giving us some incredibly interesting and gripping series. I love dark romance and red flags, and even though the script isn't perfect, I really loved this show. It was an absolute emotional rollercoaster.

First off, I have to say that both Lu Feng’s and Xiao Chen’s families— and their siblings— are just despicable. I honestly don't know which family is worse. Lu Feng and Xiao Chen are the products of two toxic, dysfunctional households that use their kids as mere puppets to get what they want. While the homophobia in Lu Feng's family is blatant, Xiao Chen's family uses love and filial piety to blackmail him and make him feel guilty.

Lu Feng is my favorite character. He’s complex and layered; he drove me crazy countless times, but he never once doubted his love for Xiao Chen. He took all his family's hatred and even got disowned just to stand up for their relationship. Xiao Chen, on the other hand, just couldn't break free from his family's emotional blackmail. There were so many times I wondered if he actually loved Lu Feng, and honestly, I wanted to shake him out of his apathy and make him stand up to his family.

Even though the show's take on Lu Feng’s bipolar disorder might be a bit questionable, I’m glad the character actually went through medical treatment. In most shows, characters with severe trauma miraculously heal the second they find the love of their life. Even if it was just on the surface, the series showed his resistance and how hard it was for him to stick to the treatment, which I think added a bit of realism to the story. That said, I think it would have been more interesting if both Lu Feng and Xiao Chen had gone to therapy. Xiao Chen went through plenty of trauma too, and in a way, he’s also responsible for how Lu Feng acts. Couples therapy would have really helped them find some balance in a relationship that’s still pretty emotionally unstable.

The whole cast did a great job, especially Ayden Sng and Lu Si Tong. It’s definitely worth a watch.

Leer más

The "Breadcrumb" Male Lead

Doctor on the Edge ended without much impact.

The plot barely moves forward, the conflicts become repetitive, and the romance never develops the emotional spark needed to keep me invested.

The secondary couple was far more engaging than the main one, and the love triangle felt completely unnecessary.

Once again, the male characters are written as "breadcrumb" lovers—men who keep chasing someone even after being rejected, always hoping for another chance instead of simply moving on with their lives.

Frustrating, bland, boring, and ultimately forgettable.

Leer más

Frustrating Watch!!!

Just because the first episode has some banter doesn't make a drama a comedy. Similarly, one kiss and "we're dating" don't make it a romance. This drama failed miserably in every genre it was tagged with. Even the medical aspect was laughable. Performing a tracheostomy in the middle of a tsunami wasn't impressive. It was so unrealistic that I genuinely laughed. And don't even get me started on the female lead. She was unbelievably annoying. Whenever it suited her, she relied on Cheon, and whenever it suited her again, she leaned on the male lead. Then, to emphasize how lonely and helpless she supposedly was, she delivered lines like, "I want to be strong, so if you ever see me struggling, pretend you don't know me." She gave me the exact same vibes as the female lead from Our Universe. I honestly didn't find this drama entertaining, healing, or romantic in the slightest despite whatever genre tags it carries. This review isn't for everyone, but those who get it, will get it.

Leer más

The kind of strong female character we rarely see in Thai drama

In many Thai dramas, female characters often fall into conventional roles such as the gentle heroine or the supportive figure. However, "The Evil Lawyer" breaks this mold by centering on a protagonist who is assertive and unafraid to wield power in a male-dominated environment. This drama challenges traditional stereotypes by presenting a woman who exudes strength, intelligence, and unapologetic self-assurance.

First of all, this series as a whole is pretty amazing. It’s an unpredictable legal thriller that explores moral complexities and doesn’t shy away from illustrating Thailand’s political landscape, while also addressing systemic corruption. The way each case is seamlessly woven into a larger storyline with a great pace really makes the series captivating. However, what really stands out for me is the portrayal of the female lead. I want to shine a light on Jittri, who brings a refreshing take on strong female characters in Thai dramas.

While Jittri's approaches and morale are more on the grey side, she's a woman with a bold attitude that can really get under your skin, yet somehow, you'll end up admiring her. Her confidence is not just a personality trait but a defining element of the story, influencing both her personal and professional interactions. It gives viewers a new take on female empowerment, featuring a woman who tackles obstacles with cleverness and grit. It mirrors changing societal views on gender roles in Thailand, emphasizing the need for more varied and authentic female characters in the media. Plus, Ying Rhatha Phongam's performance is nothing short of amazing. This series marks her return to a leading role since 2022, and she truly came back with a bang. She transformed a character that could have been unlikable into a stylish, and captivating anti-heroine worthy of admiration.

Overall, this drama is more than just a story; it is a cultural marker that signals change and the growing recognition of complex female characters in Thai television. It's something worth watching not only for the story, but for the performance and the underlying issues.

Leer más

Best BL I've watched!

GOODNESS MEEEE!!! THIS IS A BOMBLASTIC DRAMA! FIRE!

Me and Thee (or Get a grip, Khun Thee) is a REALLY good drama, I must say. I never knew I liked overdramatic people THIS much 😭 Nor did I expect myself to love over the top gestures of love 😭 But now that I know, I don't think we're settling for anything far less from this 😭

Every scene is more hilarious than the other. You never get bored! It's not all comedy though. The perfect balance of exaggeration and seriousness. A crazy drama with very grounded undertone. Beautiful!

This drama is LITERALLY PondPhuwin in their element. Pond just feels like Khun Thee himself and Phuwin? HE IS PEACH, no doubt, no argument, PERIOD. Every single moment, whether it's the meeting or falling in love or being together, they just feel like they were meant to be together. Match made in heaven, exactly what the missing piece in each other's life was. Yes, Theerakit Kian Lee is crazy, but it's in the best wayyy! T_T LOVED HIM! Pond did such a great job to portray this role, his acting skills are amazing! And Peach...he is this calm in the storm, the peace and reasoning WE need in this drama, not just Thee. Phuwin has this natural steadiness to himself, that's why I said, Peach would be the closet to his true self, at least from an onlookers perspective.

The side characters are INSANE. EST SUPHA! The man you are! He is literally the most accurate feedback page for every scene you can access. Because his expressions and reactions, ALL SO CORRECT 😭😭😭 He is the perfect comedian - straight faced that'll make u laugh till your stomach hurts with just his reactions. Loved his role. His acting is spectacular. And as a fan of WilliamEst, I freaking loved the cameo of William as Rome.

P'Godja is another big part to the funny scenes. She is such a versatile actress, great talent. Bonnie! I love her so muchhhh!! I cannot wait to watch another drama of hers. Plub is the best sister I have seen in a while. And the one of the most genuine humans. Especially that scene of Peach and Plub's conversation, that is the most healing and comforting scene I've watched in years! That was such an authentic and soft scene, it touched my heart. I couldn't stop nodding and agreeing with every word she said. Both Phuwin and Bonnie did a fantastic job there and it's going to be a scene that stays with me forever!

MUSIC! Sound and music in this drama are casts of their own. Without it, this drama literally loses quarter of its total score. Honestly, those dramatic scenes got that extra punch with the sound. And I cannot tell you how much I liked it!! Thank you to the director and everyone on the sound team. The musical scene in between reminded me of Indian movies 😂 That was SO iconic. Then again, what about Khun Thee is not iconic 😌😏

At first glance, this drama seems like a cringe sitcom. But when you're done watching, you are left confused about how, despite every episode making you laugh, every scene being either a logical impossibility or you face palming or having second hand embarrassment, it feels like a warm hug that heals your heart. This drama is a bandage to the wounds you never knew existed. A cozy drama you can turn to whenever life gets too hard. Comfort drama list approved!

Leer más

predictable but never boring

This drama was such a fun ride. Going into it I didn't really know what to expect, but it completely pulled me in. It actually gave me Stranger Things vibes at times not because the stories are the same, but because of the group dynamic, the mix of supernatural elements, comedy and mystery

The comedy was honestly one of the strongest parts of the drama. It never felt forced, and it balanced the more emotional and action-packed moments really well.

Story-wise, I really enjoyed it. While I did find the plot a little predictable at times, it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment. The storyline itself was interesting enough to keep me invested and I was always excited to see what would happen next.

My biggest issue was the romance. I just don't think it was needed. Everything else about the drama was strong enough to stand on its own, so the romance between the main characters felt a bit out of place for me

Overall, I had a great time watching this. It's funny, entertaining and has a really lovable cast. Despite a few predictable moments and my issues with the romance, I'd still definitely recommend it if you're looking for something short that is fun and easy to watch.

Leer más

neither fish nor fowl...

Hmmm.... Six episodes á 9 minutes is not enough to tell a comprehensive story. While the first 5 episodes are not that bad, the finale felt extremely rushed. I have no idea how the main couple fell in love. The chemistry between them was not convincing me even when their kissing and nc-scene were well done.

I have not much to say, because while it was ok to watch, I never felt involved in that story. The "little" reaper was of course the only professional actor and he did a good job, Lee Hyeon Jun was more or less the same person we know from "His Man" - quite stoic, not giving any vibes that he was interested in his partner. Kim Yung Hee is an extrovert person, so he could deliver his character much better and with some training he could become a "real" actor.

In summary, the script was not fleshed out, six short episodes is not enough to build up a comprehensive story. At least it was not stupid or cringe, so you can binge watch 45 minutes without much fuzz. Such a show should have much more depth especially so the viewer can understand what the attraction between the couple is, besides visual appeal. You can watch this if you like, you will get some nice visuals and will not waste time watching a fully fledged series which could be even worse.

Leer más

Short But Sweet!

I rated this drama a little bit higher than most of the other reviews for it, but that's okay. To each their own! Everyone likes different things and I won't disagree with someone else's opinion, you know? It is what it is.

Now, I will commend the casting department for casting two "older" actors for the lead roles. They're both in their mid-to-late 30s and I really appreciated that. That was different and I found it refreshing. Actually, their chemistry was pretty decent too, if I do say so myself. Good job to the casting team!

This drama falls into the category I like to call 'palate cleansers.' It wasn't too heavy; there weren't a lot of dark themes or constant violence. It was your typical, sanitized, polished, bubblegum pop K-Drama. If you've seen one transmigration story, you've seen them all. But because this was a Korean drama (and not a Chinese drama like I typically watch), the ending was different. That's one of the high points for this drama, as well. There was no weird ending where it was all a dream or where it turned out to be the storyline for the book one of the leads was writing in the real world. No, it was nothing like that. The lead swapped places with the original character from the story and they both decided to stay in their new worlds/lives. The original lead from our world decided to stay in the book and vice versa. Again, I'm a C-Drama girl so I'm not used to these dramas ending this way so I'm still riding the high of that.

However, I will say I enjoyed the first half of this drama a LOT more than the latter half. I found myself skipping through the later episodes and there are still some things I don't know anything about because I skipped past certain scenes. It's almost like I grew tired of watching it, if that makes any sense. I can't explain what happened towards the end; I just wanted to finish the drama and be done with it.

Would I recommend it? Sure. Again, if you want something short but sweet and easy to watch, it's good for that. Would I rewatch it? As of right now, doubtful. I don't see myself rewatching this one. I have my comfort dramas and I don't see this being one of them. Regardless of my feelings for the leads, their chemistry, and the story, I can't find it in me to rewatch this one.

Leer más

this is THE SHIT

The fact that I binge watched this drama in one day says a lot. I got hooked from the very first episode and literally couldn't stop watching until I finished it.

I went into this expecting a fun fantasy-action drama, but it ended up exceeding my expectations. It manages to balance its fantasy elements with real-life issues in a way thet feels engaging rather than preachy. It definitely made me reflect on how flawed and corrupt school systems can be, not just in Korea but in many countries around the world.

The acting was AMAZING . Everyone completely owned their role, and the performances made it so easy to get emotionally invested in the characters

The pacing was one of the drama's biggest strengths. There wasn't a single episode that dragged and every ending made me want to hit 'Next Episode'. I honestly don't remember the last time I was invested in this drama.

Overall, I'd recommend this to everyone. It's exciting, thought-provoking and incredibly bingeable. If you're looking for a drama that keeps you hooked from start to finish this one is definitely worth watching.

Leer más