Reviews

Ghost Illusion

The most interesting thing about this movie is the folklore behind it — the real-life stories that inspired the creators. Salmokji is a real place where many strange occurrences have been reported, so of course a movie was made to exploit it. I can say that for the first half, I was intrigued to see where it was all going, but in the second half, I just stopped caring about the characters. The mystery remains a mystery, and it’s hard to definitively conclude what really happened.

The movie is full of cheap jump scares. They build tension in a scary scene, then a ghost suddenly appears, the movie immediately cuts to the next scene, and the ghost is gone. It feels like the producers used every opportunity to insert a scare without thinking about the consequences or consistency. For example, there’s a scene with a character on a boat who changes appearance to another person and finally he disappears and the movie just continues as if nothing happened.

What I did like was the camera work. They experiment with different perspectives and shots, showing some nice filming diversity in a few interesting moments. But in the end, this is just a forgettable movie that had potential but wasted it on cheap horror tropes.

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Um dos melhores lançamentos da Netflix em Junho!

eu estava esperando esse a muito tempo, e como eu falo pra vocês em alguns doramas por aí QUE OBRA!!! literalmente incrível esse dorama, a história, os personagens, TUDO! me prendeu desde o começo com personagens super envolventes e muito interessantes! sempre nos finais dos episódios trazia uma lição muito boa!, Hwajin uma comédia, Hanrim maluquinha uma anjinha (ou um demônio se não tratarmos ela bem) Vice Bong uma comédia e o sogrão Gangseok um querido! ri muito nos episódios, me estressei e me assustei muito mas vale apena DMS! Hwajin dando tapas com aquela mãozinha lendária e lutando incrivelmente bem foi perfeito, Hanrim sendo uma diva maluquinha sempre e super gata, Bong Geundae sendo o melhor disfarce e Gangseok sendo um chefe maravilhoso foi um dos melhores quartetos desse mês!! cada jeito que eles deram uma lição nos alunos me mudou MUITO como pessoa e eu vou levar esse dorama pra minha vida pra sempre (lembrem disso tá?). a Gayun foi uma pessoa e professora muito importante e eu queria muito que ela me desse aula, só de ver ela nos flashbacks deu pra perceber que ela era uma pessoa muito querida, e onde ela estiver ela só quer paz e amor na escolas!, Hwajin e Gangseok devem e ainda sofrem muito com o luto como a gente viu, mas eles tentam sempre seguir bem e trazer respeito nas escolas! todos os vilões me irritaram muito e eu quero que eles todos paguem pelos os erros aonde estiverem, e que FDPS!! e o nosso romance entre a Maluquinha e o Vice? FOI TUDOOOOOOO, eu shippei eles desde as primeiras interações que pareciam que eles já estavam se gostando (não tava colocando romance em tudo em?) eles são uma fofura juntos e uma comédia, eu imaginei que naquela hora que a Maluquinha pediu pro Vice fazer alguma coisa nela pra ela ficar sóbria ia ser um beijo, E FOI UM BEIJO!!! surtei dmsss, e esse casal exalou muito no final do último episódio de um jeito que me coração ficou muuuuuuito apertado KAKAKAKAK, MEUS PAIS!! o final não sei se deixou com um ar de 2T, mas se tiver eu vou ficar muito feliz! esse dorama me mudou como pessoa, e todos devem assistir ele! dito tudo isso, 9.5! 🫰🏻.

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... the ending ruins it all

sorry for instant spoiler but i watched 24 episodes to see a resolution and not this cliffhanger sad stuff, seeing whatever main guys name is heart broken....

other than that they talk a LOT. like it's 70% talking dialogue, 20% fighting stuff and 10% story. it was interesting enough to continue watching but i had several moments where i fell asleep.

i loved the cast and the characters so it was interesting to watch all of the side characters stories and the backgrounds.

the music was great, i usually dont care for that but i actually listen to the songs in my free time.

sometimes it was a bit confusing as to why some people could fight the badass people easily or not easily and that kind of stuff, like the skills were weird. why was that qian girl so good it in fighting jin fan but ran away when the sister showed up.

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Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars merece muito mais atenção

Depois de ser demitido, o tímido Xiang Yong volta para sua cidade natal que fica localizada em uma ilha, onde reencontra seu amigo de longa data Wan Zhe, as pessoas que o viram crescer e acham que ele é um homem de sucesso assim como seu pai também acha, e que inclusive não sabe da sua demissão e que esse é o motivo de seu retorno a pousada do pai, já que nunca consegue ter uma conversa com ele sem que discutam. Algo acontece e leva Xiang Yong e Wan Zhe para a falésia numa noite repleta de estrelas cadentes onde o desejo mais íntimo acaba se tornando realidade para os dois e eles precisam lidar com as consequências boas (o reencontro com um amor do passado e um novo amor) e ruins (o preço de um desejo) de suas escolhas.

O BL conseguiu entregar uma história sensível e bonita tanto dos protagonistas quanto do casal secundário. Conforme vamos tomando conhecimento do passado do Xiang Yong e do Hao Wei é perceptível o despertar dos sentimentos de ambos os personagens e como palavras não ditas e sentimentos não revelados levaram a ruptura que os fizeram se afastar por anos.

E pode parecer um BL pequeno, de baixa renda, pode até ter sido eu realmente não sei, mas o trabalho que eles fizeram aqui é de impressionar, é muito bonito o local onde escolheram filmar, as cenas que mostram mais a ilha para nós a gente tem uma noção maior da dimensão do lugar e das belezas nele e o final desse bl explora muito isso e é uma sequência marcante e bonita, Taiwan conseguiu nos entregar um bom bl.

Obs: As cenas NC desse bl são impressionantes seja pela duração de 3 minutos ininterruptos ou também pela forma como os atores se entregaram ao que estavam fazendo (nada pornográfico, com o jogo de luzes e a trilha que colocaram é uma coisa que fica poética, mas bonita até) já que uma coisa que eu gosto muito nos bls além da química entre os atores é o beijo, quando o beijo consegue entregar aquela sensação verdadeira de um beijo já me ganha.

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What lesson are they trying to teach?

I caved and watched Teach You A Lesson. Let me tell you: a student getting slapped around should be the least of your concerns about this kdrama.

There are some serious WTF moments and the way some issues are dealt with are definitely laced with korean right wing ideology.

Spoilers ahead.

As usual, when talking about social issues from other countries, disclaimer: I am not Korean. Just an art curator studying asian cultures and histories to better understand the creative processes. I am not here to put my western POV into this story, just to point out some things I found interesting.

Yes, Teach You A Lesson is a fantasy-action kdrama about confronting severe school bullying and protecting victims when institutions fail. I will also say it puts in the table school violence and educational issues that are rarely dealt with in a proper way in South Korea.

First, you should approach it as part of the kdrama family of Weak Hero Class 1 and Study Group. Except here, it’s a government agency doing the dirty work and not students beating the lights out of each other. The power dynamics are not the same.

Second, some episodes are really well done. I liked the one about a primary teacher being harassed by an overly critical parent telling them how to treat their “precious” children. There’s been several reports primary teachers taking extreme desicions because of it and government remains inactive.

I also liked the episode dealing with a mother pressuring her son to get into one of SKY med schools. It shows how children are pushed to extremes (mentally, emotionally and physically) to the point of pill dependency and burn out before they are even in university.

There are other issues such as online game gambling, something that has become a problem for high school student and parents around the world. Also, wealthy parents paying teachers to get exams ahead of time to the detriment of middle class/poor families whose children work and excel on their own.

BTW, the kdrama treats all kind of addictions as a crime and uses prison as “rehabilitation” but never questions if there should be new legislation to deal with this crisis, nor offers any message about access to psychological treatment.

And sure, a few episodes are pure fantasy.

With that said, let’s move on to the episodes that made me rise by eyebrows: A teen influencer accuses her male teacher of sexual harassment that leads to his death. Spoiler, she lied. This my first red flag.

Teach You A Lesson ot once takes this girl’s accusation seriously and offhandedly writes it off as a bully acting out. Using THIS particular issue to make a point about “teachers right to protect themselves against kids” is wild.

This episode could have been a good opportunity to explore the complicated relationship between teachers and students in a hyper-mediated environment. How both are left to become victims due to lack of government legislation or the naturalisation of a culture of online shaming, doxxing and harassment. Some reports published lately could have been enough for a solid episode if Teach You A Lesson really wanted to lean into a more realist approach. But this is not that kind of kdrama and you should be aware of that when watching it.

There’s also a direct or underhanded commentary, depending on the story, about kids hierarchy according to social status and economic circumstances. As well as “broken families” being an excuse to dwell into crime, even when we see some of these rich kids are probably the worst of all.

There’s a lot of talking about violence when it comes to this kdrama but I don’t see anyone saying anything about corporal punishment becoming an issue in South Korea only in the 2000s. And it was only by 2021 that all corporal punishment of children was banned under South Korean law. This means that, until 5 years ago, physical punishment was widely accepted in families, schools, the military and the justice system. And it’s likely still very much a thing today (when people are not looking… or not). Just giving context for those following the discourse of Teach You A Lesson.

Now, the most WTF moment of them all (for me): a governmental office illegally holding in prison four juvenile delinquents (shaved heads and all), refusing their parents habeas corpus, and exposing them to hardened criminals for bullying and dealing drugs is perhaps a right winger’s wet dream.

The fact this comes in the coattails of Shinsegae Group’s Starbucks Tank Day campaign leaves me speechless. This episode is truly tone deaf or outright propaganda.

Teach You A Lesson’s production team had no way to know this “controversy” would happen weeks before the release of the kdrama. But it does give pause, to say the least, they everyone involved in this kdrama thought that practices usually seen during dictatorships or extreme right wing regimes was a proper resolution to the issue of juvenile delinquency. Characters are criminals or victims. There’s no middle ground.

I said at the beginning this kdrama belongs to a particular genre of kdrama but, unlike those, Teach You A Lesson seems to want to deliver a message about the education system. That’s why I think it’s a missed opportunity to point out the need for legislation and educational reforms.

You can read more about the very real social issues the kdrama and original webtoon are based on here:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66655572
https://thediplomat.com/2025/06/south-koreas-education-obsession-is-a-national-emergency/
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2187691/how-south-koreas-metoo-generation-fights-sexual-abuse-schools
https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=192623
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Inhwa_School
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20260515/80-of-teachers-fear-child-abuse-accusations-for-routine-classroom-guidance
https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10576776
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/06/starbucks-south-korea-tank-day-promotion-blunder

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O Respeito de Volta para a Sala de Aula

Aprendendo a Lição (2026) é um drama coreano espetacular que mistura negócios, comédia e uma crítica social de extrema importância. A trama aborda a crise na educação e a desvalorização dos professores, mostrando a criação de um departamento governamental focado em restaurar a ordem nas escolas.

Por que a nota 100000?
Tema Muito Importante: O roteiro toca em uma ferida real da sociedade. Ver a autoridade dos professores destruída dá um aperto no coração, e o dorama aborda isso de forma corajosa e realista.
Protagonista Foda: O Na Hwa Jin é um personagem incrível. Ele entra em cena pelo Departamento de Proteção de Direitos Educacionais e bota ordem na bagunça de um jeito que dá gosto de assistir. Ele não tem medo e faz a justiça acontecer.
Equilíbrio Perfeito: Mesmo lidando com um assunto sério e pesado sobre problemas sociais, a série consegue colocar doses de comédia e drama na medida certa, prendendo a atenção em cada minuto dos 10 episódios.

Um dorama obrigatório, marcante e necessário para os dias de hoje. Nota máxima com louvor!

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Justice for all

While devoted fans of the original work that perhaps started it all in the world of wuxia (The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants) may balk at the changes made in this drama to certain characters and events, this show is a worthy entry into the broader genre of wuxia that has been lacking in recent years.

This story highlights Zhan Zhao, chronicling a formative period in his life where he develops his strong sense of justice. You may think of it as a sort of origin story, and it largely works with a engaging mystery-laden plot and an understanding of how to develop strong villains in contrast to our heroes. Zhan Zhao is joined by the charming if hotheaded Bai Yutang and the bright-eyed but equally steely Huo Linglong as the trio make their way through treacherous places in search of justice for themselves as well as for the people of Song.

While the plot is not entirely original nor inventive nor the mystery quite so mysterious (one can guess quite early on who is who but perhaps that is not the main point), the antagonists and villains are given a fuller depiction than in most period C dramas of late, supported by a cadre of veteran performers that bring each character to life. Yang Yang gives one of his best performances in recent years, and Alen Fang deserves more time as Bai Yutang if a second season ever comes to light. Perhaps the weakest of the three in our trio is Zhang Ruonan as Linglong, but to be fair, she is not given much to do onscreen after the gripping initial arc.

If you enjoy period dramas, especially wuxia, you cannot miss this one in 2026.

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Great wuxia action let down by rushed ending

Let me just start by saying the action sequences in this show a top notch 10 out of 10. The action sequences are why I rated this show high for rewatch value. I have already rewatched two of the fight scenes multiple times before I finished the drama.

It is a pure old- school wuxia. No green screen or visual effects. Just people with skills and wire work and a whole lot of practice and devotion. They do not make many shows like this anymore. Kudos to cast and crew. But if your preference is pretty cg-enhanced action, you will probably find this plain.

The old-school vibe carries over to the characters too. This is a spin-off of the old Justice Bao and Seven Heroes and Five Gallants stories. The two MLs are exactly as they should be. I love that the show respected the characters and did not change them for the modern audience. Zhan Zhao is a government official. His job is to bring villain to justice by rule of law not to kill them. Bai Yu Tong is the jiang-wu hero who exerts justice unbound by rules. For me, the casting and acting and characterizations and constrast of these two are 10 out of 10. But if your preference is instant jiang-wu justice (i.e. encounter villain - kill villain), this show is probably not for you either.

Where the show lose points for me is the story and pacing. I prefer my mysteries to give clues so I can solve it along with the characters even if it's predictable. I do not like rushed expositions that serves as info-dump. I hate unresolved/unexplained plot points.

This show has one overarching plot that can be subdivided into about four cases each unmasking a major helper of main villain. The first two cases took 2/3 of the show. Some people find the early section slow, but for me, that was the right pace. They find clues, investigate, fight some bad guys, then find new clues till the case is solved.

The last two cases were cramped into less than 10 episodes. There was no time for clues, so they either make it super obvious or just told you the solution. The ending is the worst. They cram everything into one episode and don't explain key plot points. It literally made me go "huh? what happened?". If I had to rate episodes 1-28, it would be a 9.5-10. If I had to rate 1-36, it dropped to a 9. Rating 1-37 made it go down to a 8.5.

Still, the cast chemistry is amazing and I would happily watch another season of the same cast going on another adventure.

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So much potential...

What a shame, this could have been so much better. I still enjoyed it, but i also anoyed me.
The story was good, the visuals and music beautiful. But the production was bad!
The actors did a good job acting, but it was a bit destroyed by the voice overs. It felt flat.

There was chemistry with both couples, but i really dislike it when one of the actors at least tries to give good kisses, but his partner hardly moves his lips.

And i have two things that were really bad:
Li You En was taken by the loansharks, Zhai Qiu Yu goes in, and saves him. Then he asks the loansharks how much is owed, he reaches for his phone and transfers the money. A nice gesture, but where did he wire the money to? He didn't ask the loansharks where to wire it to. Just a little mistake, but i hated it when such mistakes are made, it makes it less realistic..

And those pour goldfish!!! Kept in a bowl so small they couldn't even move in it! Animal cruelty at its max, no wonder the goldfish died!

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10/10 The Cursed Love - The Series That Stole My Heart

10/10 The Cursed Love - The Series That Stole My Heart
I don't even know where to start because this series has truly captured my whole heart! "The Cursed Love" is pure magic - every scene, every glance, every emotion feels so real and beautiful that I can't stop thinking about it. fo
The acting is incredible, and the chemistry between the main leads is just breathtaking - so natural, so deep, and so full of emotion. Every time they're on screen together, it feels like the world stops for a moment. Their connection is something truly special. +
The story itself is amazing - full of emotion, mystery, and love. I wait for every new episode like it's a gift, and it never disappoints. It's such an underrated series that deserves so much more love and support!
And the OST... oh my heart ( Sung by one of the main leads, Ongsa Tthuchh, his voice is absolutely stunning - melodic, warm, and full of feeling. It fits the story perfectly and adds an extra layer of emotion to this already beautiful series.
"The Cursed Love" isn't just a show - it's an experience, a feeling, something that stays with you long after the episode ends.

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Me surpreendeu!

Já imaginava que gostaria muito desse drama, e ele superou minhas expectativas. Sem dúvida, foi um dos melhores doramas que assisti este ano (não que eu tenha assistido a muitos), e recomendo muito para quem ainda não viu.

Park Eun-bin e Cha Eun-woo arrasaram muito em seus papéis, assim como todo o elenco. Adorei a relação entre os quatro protagonistas e achei o humor na medida certa: nem demais, nem de menos. Achei muito interessante que, mesmo com cenas mais cômicas, ainda houvesse muitas cenas pesadas e desconfortáveis relacionadas aos experimentos com as crianças.

Tirando o elefante da sala, a atuação do Cha Eun-woo não me incomodou, como vi muitas pessoas apontando. Não acho que ele tenha sido fenomenal, mas também não achei uma desgraça absoluta. Ao meu ver, ele entregou o que precisava entregar e mandou bem no papel...

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