Reviews

OVERALL: This movie isn't BAD but it's definitely not as great as it could have been. But what's new with live action adaptations?

STORY: This story has a lot of awesome potentials and the buildup through the background is great. There's a nice blend of urban legends, death, ghosts, the reality of trust between friends and safety in school. As someone who has read the book and watched the anime, I was able to fly by the movie and not question too much. That being said it can definitely be confusing for some. There are not enough clear explanations, nor is there a lot as far as investigation or stress and pressure from solving the mystery within a certain time frame. It is kind of presented in a blase tone of "oh another student died, maybe we should try to figure it out I guess". The anime was longer and capable of adding more detail and buildup in the story, something a 90 minute or so movie just isn't capable of. There was also quite a bit of filler that didn't need to be there. It's not a bad story though, it was just done in a lackluster way.
**the graphics are not the best, the filming techniques and cinematography are a little more than okay but not great.****

CHARACTERS: These characters could have definitely benefited from some more depth and better acting. Some of the younger actors seemed uncomfortable at first, and I do not think they were given enough time to develop their characters on screen (I blame scripting and movie length). There was a lot of vagueness overall. The older actors were very good but obviously, they are not on screen much because they are not main characters, and that cannot make up for the poor acting in other parts.

MUSIC: The music and sound effects were pretty on point for this movie. Nothing was distracting but amplified the scenes and created buildup. Like many of the Japanese horror movies I have seen, the end theme was a strange pop song with somewhat morbid/dark lyrics. I never understand why people use those rather than just more instrumental but that's just me.

REWATCH: If you're a fan of the novel, manga, or anime you would probably watch this (some fans may end up frustrated). If you feel the need for a horror marathon it's not bad. But honestly, I wouldn't really watch it again. I would rather watch the bloodier and more understandable anime. Some people might like it enough to rewatch though, to each their own.

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Waaaa, another wonderful human drama... I knew it, I knew it was going to be excellent. Another kind of J-doramas I love, because it was simple: simple clothes, simple but stunning locations, nothing snobish and all too real. I mean, look at Eita and Hikari! He is not even shaved; she has no make-up. They both have black hair (no dyed hair here). And although there are cries every episode (it was impossible not to cry -for the characters I mean, I did not cry once) there are no shouts nor overacting (though I like overacting in J-doramas, if they are comedies of course).

*Story: 10/10*
I was hooked from the very first episode. It is very human: it is about family, revenge, regrets, resentment, forgiving... Both families are still living in the past, even if the murder happened 15 years ago, but no one (except for the younger brother of Hiroki, played by Takana Kei, who looked a bit like Osamu Mukai sometimes) has moved forward. Fukami family is still sad and angry; and the Misaki/Toyama family is still with lots of regret and remorse and sadness. I love how Hiroki gets to know Futaba and slowly starts to realize that it is not the family's fault, at least not entirely. I know that it is part of the Japan society, to blame the whole family of the murderer (or criminal) and the family to become a pariah, but it was so sad! I mean, they suffered as well; they also lost a son.

And about the murderer, poor guy. He was sick. It was hard not to feel sorry for him. Total psychopath, but how it was represented you can tell he was mentally sick.

Although if we have to summarize, not a lot happens, it is never a dragging dorama.

*Acting/Cast: 10/10*
I mean, if it wasn't for the cast, I may have not watched this. I love Eita. I love Hikari. Mothers and father were also good, so pitiful... not to mention Kazama Shunsuke. I know him, of course, being a Johnny and bestie of Aiba, but I never once saw him as a Johnny; only as a pitiful murderer. Tears were abundant and all of them so good. Honestly, I wanted to comfort Hikari most of the times; she is just so vulnerable! I wanted her to be happy with Hiroki.

*Music: 10/10*
OMG, the music was so good! The OP and ED song was the same but full of feelings. And the OST is already in my playlist... sad and beautiful. I love it. I would give a 11/10 if I could.

Rewatch value: 8/10
Man, I am so disappointed with the ending. Otherwise this would have been a 10/10 for me :(

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I waited so much to see this movie. I think I have never waited so much for a movie before. When the cast was announced I was excited. I thought, and still did while watching it, that Takeru should have been Shuujin, and Ryunosuke should have been Saiko, but nevertheless, it was a good movie. The pace was well done, the special effects were very good as well. There isn't a single slow moment in the movie. All actors were spotted on. And the setting! The department looked exactly the same, the clothes were exactly the same. To see the real Shounen Jump building and offices (at least, I think they were the real locations) was as exciting as it was impressive. All those papers.. thousands and thousands of it. All those mangas!

Speaking about mangas, I was so satisfied to see that the manga used in the movie were done by the same mangaka that did BAKUMAN. His style is unique; any fan of his can recognize his work. And to see works like Otter in real life! Otter is a manga written by Hiramaru in Bakuman, and I always wanted to read it, even if it doesn't exist really.

So, the cast. There was a good chemistry between the lead actors, which didn't surprise me since I know they have worked together before. I liked that they could shake hands -or whatever you called that- only when they get serialized. It was a good point. I like that the "love story" with Miho wasn't as pathetic as in the manga/anime. In fact, they talk several times, over the phone and face to face, and it wasn't awkward, just 2 teenagers getting to know each other. She even sends him a photo of her! Something that lame Miho in anime/manga wouldn't have done. I think the scriptwriter or the director disagreed with the portrayal of the main female character in the manga/anime (it was sexist, let's be honest), so they made her less pathetic and less "I wanna be a seijuu to marry you".

Kiritani Kenta as Fukada-san was SPOT ON! He was excellent, he does this kind of character so well! The one who is rebellious and kind of a gangster but with a big heart. By far my favorite. I love his outfits, his expressions, and I am glad his role wasn't tiny. But well, all members of Fukada-team were good: Hinamaru had his moments of depression that did not fail to make me laugh, Nakai-san was there with his big belly helping his friends... True, no Aiko in the story, but it was understandable. Not all characters could be in a 2-hour-movie.

Yamada Takayuki was, I guess, a mix between the 2 editors the boys have, because he certainly wasn't confident Hattori-san. He even wears glasses and has long hair (again, not Hattori-san), and he is smaller than the boys, unlike Hattori-san. If I didn't have to compare, I'll say he was good, but nothing outstanding.

So, what was my main concern: Niizuma Eiji, who is one of my favorite characters, besides having an unique personality. Was Sometani Shouta exactly like Eiji is supposed to be? No. He wasn't as loud, as crazy, and with such weird and funny expressions and movements as Eiji. Was I disappointed? Well, not exactly. To be honest, Eiji is not a character that can be portrayed faithfully in real life, so what Sometani did was good. He did his role well, he did his research: he walked funnily, slouching, just like Eiji. He has a goofy smile, like Eiji. When he has a -metaphorically- battle against Ashirogi-sensei (penname that was never used in the movie, btw... they go by their names), he has the wings and when he is jumping, he does an Eiji-pose. Just with that I am grateful.

In the manga/anime, the guys form some kind of alliance when they encounter problems with their editorial. It begins when Saiko is in the hospital and the director forbids him to keep drawing while he is sick. All the other mangaka (Nakai-san, Aiko, Fukada-san, Eiji) support Ashirogi-sensei. Unfortunately, due lack of time in a 2-hour movie, that alliance could not be done as in the manga/anime. Instead, the guys help Saiko to finish his work. I liked that, that we could see how the guys, although rivals, are all friends. And although Eiji did not help him in drawing (it would have been very OoC) he helps in another way. Very well done, scriptwriter!

I liked the end, that things remain not-finished: Saiko and his relationship with Miho; their career as mangaka... I liked that they have this brainstorming of ideas with a blackboard, because for us fans, it was meaningful. We know what other mangas there will be, so this was like a "to be continued..."

For fans of the manga/anime, and for people interested in how the mangaka's world works, this movie is highly recommended. I am very happy to say that I wasn't disappointed and that I highly liked it.

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That moment when Gong Yoo's daughter hugged him. A father who lived for his daughter, a lonely husband who has been taking good care of his wife. It was just a simple gesture from a daughter but was deeply appreciated by a man who has given so much, enough for him to give up his desire for a woman. (This is what I have seen from Gon Yoo's eyes while acting).
I think this is what you get living in regrets, a man and a woman with regrets in their lives, if they were not married, it is called, second chance and might lead to a happy ending; but in their status, it was an escape, a fantasy which leads to a reality that they can never be together.
I guess it is always easy to fall in love with a new person compare to be in love again with the same person.
But this is just one story, there can still be another story, when you free yourself from regrets, move on, and challenge yourself to discover something new about marriage and love. If it is love, then regardless of how many times you failed and got hurt, there can always be a happy ending without the need to spend for another wedding :))

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As a huge fan of the manga , this movie did not disappoint ! This is a story that relays such a important message that you will remember it for a long time up and end up rewatching it when you 're feeling down , at least I do ! Every single character in this story is nice and kind , that you just fall in love with them and wish that everyone in this world could be this thoughtful as them . The actors who brought this characters to live did not disappoint and I could not think of a better Naho and Kakeru . If you are looking for a great story about real truggles , friendship and romance , this is the one for you ! It will show you the power that words and small acts can have .
Please watch this movie ! :D

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This is truly one of the best movie. The acting, the story line, the recording timing, the camera angles/techniques, and the background music are on the highest level of quality. I especially enjoyed the character development between the two brothers. It was very smoothly done.
As for Do Kyungsoo (D.O), I knew him as an idol but while watching this movie, I forgot he was an idol ans my UB!! This is his best acting work yet!
I 10/10 would like to recommend this, you won't regret it I promise. But don't be fooled by the trailer and
be prepared to cry a river because this movie is not just a comedy ; ).

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I have started this drama last year and get bored, I ended up dropping the drama, i decided to give an other chance but no, None of the female leads were promising, each are more boring than the other one, Don't watch with for Wang Kai, you won't see him much in the drama. I feel like I was watching some sort of psychological drama.

This is a bit of Sex and the city w/o mature- sex content a bit of Friends the two American dramas I most dislike. If you do not like those two you won't like this, but if you like them you'll possibly enjoy.

Female leads are so loud first.

An-Di is the ice cube of all the girls living in the apartment
Ju Er is after hunting a rich man
Ying Ying is the most innocent of all

for me this was too boring, could not pass ep 7

One of the most over rated Chinese Dramas ever.

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This show would have been a 8 out of 10 had it not for been the terrible casting choice for the female lead, Jiang Xin as Tang Ning.

Jiang Xin's portrayal of her character did not fit Tang Ning's background at all. Throughout the entire show, she seems to be capable of only one single expression - a dazed, teary-eyed look (Those who have watched it would instantly know what I am referring to). Rather than being the strong, Harvard-educated lawyer that Tang Ning should be, Jiang Xin makes Tang Ning a meek and dumb woman who at times tries to be "cute" but ends up being seriously annoying. Previously, I never believed that a single actor/actress can so substantially lower the enjoyability of an entire show, but Jiang Xin proved me very wrong.

If you can look past Jiang Xin's miserable failure, you will find the show quite enjoyable. The majority of other actors do a very good job portraying their characters, such as the actor and actress who played Dai Po and Tang Jing respectively. The plot was quite engaging throughout the show, though the emphasis on hereditary cases seem a bit forced. Music was enjoyable but not outstanding.

Overall, I don't believe it is worth a watch. At around episode twenty I was quite ready give up. The prevailing opinion from the youtube comments at that point all were along the lines of "Jiang Xin makes the show unbearable to watch."

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I intended to re-review this series as I feel like that my first watch was focused on the magic that the series holds. Even though I think it's good, it's okay for a coming-of-age series where the characters experienced awakening in their sexuality and love preference. However, it's not that good as i first watched it years ago.

There's magic in this story and I can attest to that when I watched the whole episodes with no skipping the third time. Even though it's a coming-of-age drama among university students, there's magical element that I couldn't figure out until I re-watched the whole episodes.

The vulnerability yet honest portrayal of the leading characters is what makes me hooked to the series. They're like velcro straps that you wish to get out from the system but would require certain level of force to detach from the characters and their budding love story.

Honestly, I didn't find this appealing during the first time that I watched this. I felt like it's another first-time romantic story among 2 male lead characters who wished not to label themselves as gay but just ended up falling in love. I skipped most parts and episodes until the episode where Arthit and Kong's kissing scene in the rooftop. There is where I felt that they have this palpable chemistry but kinda forgettable. But that proved to be wrong when I binge-watched it again from evening to early morning, sacrificing the plan to sleep in on a weekend. It's during this binge-watching that I felt certain giddiness, the similar reaction I have experienced watching Isak and Even in Skam and Max and Tul in Bad Romance.

I like the delivery of the lead actors especially Arthit's acting. Their moments were done in slow-paced dramatic motion that, at times, I felt the scenes were dragging. But the cutesy parts especially when Arthit smiles were magical that just watching those scenes can compensate the less pragmatic storyline of the series.

I can't really find lots of kissing scenes in this series, typical of Asian BL series but those only two kissing scenes are, I think, enough to feel the magic of the love story of male characters who want to express their love and just be "fuck it, I don't care! I have to do this 'coz it feels so right!"

Overall, SOTUS the series is a BL Drama that is full of moments of friendship and overcoming obstacles in the SOTUS system and a certain kind of romance that may not anymore be that special to some but still worthy to relive the first-love moments.

I am not Thai but I commend the Thai entertainment industry for bringing these characters to the Asian audiences.

Also, I am done with BL stories that are all about tragedy and mostly negative storyline. Although I like some arguments in plots from time to time, I want to see another dimension in the portrayal of gay love with positive notes.

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What I Liked:

There was no excessive blood or gore. The acting was very good. There is a difference in the second half in terms of the direction it takes. I am very good at guessing the end, and while I had an idea of two ways that it might end, because of some of the events that occur in the final 10 minutes I thought I had it figured it out...but I didn't. And that I liked. I liked the end too. It was very satisfying.

I also liked the portrayal of the villain in addition to his interactions with the neighbors. I enjoyed the way the story slowly opened up, and I thought it was interesting how the film in many ways was about the male lead coming into his own again.

What I disliked:
I thought there were a few strange inconsistencies in the story. One of the points the drama makes is the fact that the detective is very smart and is very educated in police matters, including the FBI in the states and their profiling techniques. That said, I thought it was strange that the police department never made a note of him as a consultant, which you can do. He was working with another detective on the side, but because of safety, typically you want to document everything, including where you visit if you are on the job, or following a lead, for safety issues. Some people don't do this in the show, and that made no sense to me.

What was odd:
I found it difficult to understand the detectives wife. I truly could not understand how her opinion of the neighbor seemed to change given how clearly bizarre and weird his behavior was. He did a lot of little things that makes you want to stay away from him, like invading your personal space and making weird requests.

Overall:
I would re-watch it and thought it was interesting, especially because of the acting ands script and the fact that there was hardly any blood or violence (although be warned, people die)(and there is no showing of torture or anything like that, which I like). it was a very psychological film.

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