Reviews

This film blew me away. It was by chance that I even watched it (saw a few gifs on Tumblr and decided to watch it, bearing in mind it was 3AM at that point lol). No regrets.

Story:
The story is different from anything I'd ever watched. Usually, I'm not a fan of films or dramas set in a historical-like time period, because I tend to find them boring (and yet despite this I have like 3+ dramas of this kind on my 'To Watch' list lol), but the twist in this film made it so much more interesting. A girl agreeing to go work for an heiress under the pretence of helping her, but only to accomplish a plan set by a swindler to take the heiress' money. I mean, that alone got me hooked, but the layers in the story that will be revealed are fantastic.

Cast:
Honestly, a huge kudos to all the actors in this film because they were brilliant at all of their roles. Ha Jeong Woo was a convincing swindler, and honestly the comedic element at times for me. Kim Tae Ri played out her mental battle of acting the part of an honest handmaid and plotting to betray the heiress really well. Jo Jin Woong creeped the fuck out of me. Kim Min Hee made me question my sexuality. I mean, they were all fabulous.

Music:
If you've read my other reviews you might sense a pattern here.... I do not remember the music well lol. Actually, I watched this recently so I do remember bits, but nothing particular. I remember not hating it, so a 7 it is lol.

Overall:
Doesn't start off slow. You will genuinely want to skip parts because of the creep factor (I mean you won't, but the fact that you MIGHT means it's just that great). Kim Min Hee. A def must watch.

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Soo, clearly from my scores, you can tell I did not like this show lol.

Story:
I decided to watch this after watching season 1 of The Genius. I read in the comments that it was based on this drama, or something along those lines, so figured I'd enjoy the drama as well. I think the story is definitely the greatest aspect. It's interesting and right up my alley; it's a shame that the other elements of the drama prevented me from enjoying it.

Cast:
I don't know if this is the case with all Japanese dramas, but I found the acting weird. Like, I couldn't tell if the point was humour or not, which made it awkward to watch. I didn't know whether to laugh or feel the intensity of the scene. Basically, too awkward for me. The only character I kind of liked was Akiyama (I mean tbf, he was cool), but just not enough to keep watching this show.

Music:
I don't remember any particular tracks.

Overall:
It was just too awkward for to me continue. In all honesty, I hear that once they start playing the games, it's a lot more interesting, so I do feel compelled to continue it. However, not anytime soon, so it shall remain on my 'Dropped' list :(

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First Korean film!! Looooooooved it!!!! I'm such a fan of this genre of film, so when I heard about the film I decided I had to watch it immediately. Wasn't disappointed.

Story:
The story, in comparison to other zombie-themed films and series, isn't too unique. An outbreak occurs, pandemonium arises, shit gets real. That being said, that didn't make it boring or predictable, at least in my opinion. They added a few interesting elements to the characteristics of the zombies, which I liked. Also, they didn't try to sugarcoat what was happening, if that makes sense. A zombie apocalypse happens, that means almost nothing should go the characters' way, and the movie really sticks to that.

Cast:
8 points just for Gong Yoo, lol. Idk I love that man. The other cast members were also cool. I liked how the main characters, and even some side-characters, had their own story. It meant that you weren't just rooting for one person, but a group of people, to survive. Major props to the little girl, she is quite the actress considering some of the scenes she had.

Music:
I have such a bad memory when it comes to music lol. That's the only reason why I give it low scores. I don't remember any particular track, although I do remember ominous music, which is quite obvious. Anyway, it wasn't bad, but not good enough for me to recall anything much.

Overall:
Go watch asap. If you liked World War Z, you'll like this.

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This was my first Korean drama, and I really enjoyed it! I didn't actually know much about it, I just saw a few gifs on Tumblr and decided to check it out. So here's my first review:

Story:
I liked the story because it was different. Yes, there was romance, but it was also about the female lead realising her career goals and working to accomplish them. In fact, I was a bit surprised by how late the romance plot actually began. Also, I liked how it was set at a sports university. The problem I have with YA series set at some sort of school is that they're all quite similar. The fact that the story took place at a sports uni and we got to see the dynamics between different students within that setting made it interesting for me.

Cast:
I loved them! I didn't know any of them, but now I'm a fan of both Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk! I hope to watch more of their work. I thought Lee Sung's acting was amazing. She really played her character well, and her facial expressions are both humorous and adorable. Nam Joo Hyuk is just as adorable haha, and he definitely gave me the warm fuzzies with his coy grins. Although these two were my favourites, I really liked Lee Joo Young as well. Mostly because I could relate to her character more, she was the voice of reason in their crew lol.

Music:
I watched this a while ago, so I don't particularly remember any of the songs. That's why I gave it a 7. Unlike other dramas like Goblin, whose OST I don't think I could ever forget, I think this OST didn't have any particular stand out songs. Then again, I may just have a terrible memory.

Overall:
Good characters! Good story! Very nice, heart-warming drama to watch! ^^

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As a fan of It Started with a Kiss, They Kiss Again, Kiss Me, Playful Kiss, Mischievous Kiss as well as the manga series, I can honestly say Miss in Kiss wasn't really the best version of Itazura na Kiss.

Wu Esther was quite adorable and I actually really liked Gong Yi Teng he's adorable but Lee Dino was completely emotionless. Towards the start of the series I thought Dino might actually have something special about him but sadly, he became more and more robotic as the series continued. It was very sad and almost cringe worthy to watch his interactions with Esther. Of course, his character is supposed to be like that but compared to the way other actors portrayed Irie-kun, Dino's version was by far the worst and most disappointing.

Would I watch a series 2? Absolutely, because I have hopes that Dino will bring more to the role. But as a remake I expected much, much more from this version of Itazura na Kiss especially considering how legendary the original was. You'd think they would want to do better in honor of the original series and the fans who loved it.

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I came across this film randomly browsing MDL and I was NOT prepared for this masterpiece. I cannot recommend this film enough, truly. It's got to be one of my favourite films, from anywhere, about anything, in any genre, and I've already watched it three times in less than 24 hours. I'll start from the ground up.

The presentation of this story was brilliant. The props and wardrobe were outstanding; the cinematography was simply everything it could have been and needed to be; the set/locations were wonderful. Although sometimes the Korean accents were a bit strong, the script was thoughtfully divided between Japanese and Korean, truly recreating the sense of Japan-occupied Korea. Everything was 100% believable, and due to this the film had an integrity that allowed me to fall straight into this shadowy world of lies and desire.

MUSIC
The music absolutely blew me away too, the icing on the cake, it was a vital and definitive part to creating a solid atmosphere throughout, and I searched for the OST pretty much as soon as the credits started. Especially towards the second half there were several scenes where the music captured perfectly the characters - in terms of style I'm strongly reminded of the OST from The Imitation Game, or perhaps Black Beauty.

ACTING
Down to the youngest child and the briefest role nothing was lost here. The Handmaiden is blessed with astounding performances from both Kim Min Hee and Kim Tae Ri - with the way it was filmed there was no room for error to go unnoticed, as the vitality of each character seems to scratch the screen, itching for their very breaths to be felt. I was shocked to discover this to be Kim Tae Ri's first ever full length film, and was nominated for and won 8 awards for her perfomance - I will definitely be watching her future works after the sincerity with which Sook Hee was given.

PLOT & CHARACTERS
Although I can't say too much without revealing it's contents, the plot was enigmatic, cunningly told, and built up in unexpected ways. The main characters are well structured and dynamic, and although I'd say this film is a kind of romance there's nothing sappy about it. In a word I think one could describe this story as being ironic, but I'll leave you to find out for yourself. And you really should go and find out.

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With a super long wait for the english subtitles, I still couldn't find this movie with translations, so I gave it my best shot to watch it in the original, Japanese language. I've watched a ton of anime so understanding Japanese is quite simple actually. Speaking of anime, Itazura na Kiss was one of the first romance anime that I head over heels fell in love with. It is that good of a story that I've re-watched it about 5 times, read the manga and watched the Thai and Japanese drama adaptations. Seeing the trailer for this movie and hearing about its' release seriously made my year so much better!

First of all, let's just appreciate the fact that they're making 2 more movies with the same director and actors. The story was actually never finished due to the author of the manga passing away while writing it. That's why there is an opportunity of the directors and writers to add their own little twist to the story. I loved that this movie was actually very close to the anime, all of the principal parts were kept in and squeezed into a one great film.

Second, what I adored the most were the actors and how wisely they were chosen. I mean, the actors of Irie and Kotoko looked like they were taken straight out of the manga, their resemblance is uncanny. The acting was spot on as well. The mom's character got me just like in every other adaptation, she'll forever be my true spirit animal of shipping couples :D

Overall, this movie is definitely worth a watch for the biggest and true fans of Mischievous Kiss and for those, who are looking for a sweet and typical Japanese rom-com movie. Can't wait for the upcoming sequels! Let's hope they'll be subbed faster!

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This review is based on the 3h director's cut.
Shunji Iwai has a way of making me think about his works for long after I watched them. The lack of objective perspective that would reveal the true version of events, and abrupt cut of scenes always leaves room for interpretation. A melancholy portrayal of themes such as loneliness, companionship, conformity, outward appearances, all in the age of social media.

The performances were excellent. A wallflower who conforms to what others want, Nanami is the type of character I usually like to hate on but thanks to the depth given by Iwai and Kuroki Haru's portrayal she was endearing. Cocco's Mashiro is the opposite of Nanami. She is vivacious, a bit of an airheaded and flighty person on the surface but is actually introspective and carries a lot of pain. Ayano Go, a chameleon actor plays a chameleon character who changes his appearance to fit a situation. We know the least about him but he is the one who moves the story forward.

The story might get confusing at times but the puzzles eventually start falling into place. It is mostly character focused. Most of the questions left unanswered revolve around Amuro and his motives behind literally every action he takes. Is he a stone cold bastard, savvy businessman, charitable prince, human-chess enthusiast? all of the above?

The music wasn't epic but it complimented the film nicely with the classical pieces. I tend to re watch films that I like although I have seconds thoughts about films that are long. But I didn't check the time at all during the 3h and this one is compelling me to give it another go sometime in the future.

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The artistic side of my mind screams out how beautiful and aesthetic this film is, but at the same time this film was fucked lmao.

Since watching this film i still debate whether i hated or loved this film.
It is to this day on of the most what-da-fuck movies i have ever seen, but at the same time, this silent film paints a portrait that intrigues my artistic soul so fiercely, i don't even know.

You're either going to hate this film or you're going to love it. There is no in between here, my friend.

The story itself, is so weird, after you watch it, you sit back and recount what just happened and you won't even understand, it's that weird. I could go into detail of how weird this film is, but spoilers are not allowed.

If you plan to watch this film, have an open mind. that's all i can say.

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I really loved the concept of this film!
There is also quite a lot of famous actors in this film -
Lee Dong wook, Park Shin hye, Seo Kang joon, Park Seo joon, Kim joo hyuk, Kim Hee won, Lee Hyun woo, Kim Sang ho... etc! I was quite surprised to see that many famous actors for such a short period of time in this film, i was quite impressed.
They all played the same character really well.

I love the message of this film, that love comes from the inside of others than the outside.
Power of love!

If you're looking for a feels-good cute movie i recommend this film to you!

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I'm really unsure of my feelings towards this show. There were some things I loved, others that I hated. There were many times were I just wanted to stop watching the show, but I had to know how it would end.

My biggest issue was probably the male lead, Yoo Jung. With regards to the actor playing him, he did a really good job. But he does look a lot older than he should. Yoo Jung is just an unlikable character throughout the show. I'm not sure if the few glimpses of his past was supposed to make me feel sympathy for him, but it only strengthened my disdain for him. He has no redeeming qualities and frustrated me to no end. The Yoo Jung storyline was tiring and disappointing

The relationship between Yoo Jung and the female lead, Hong Seol, made no sense. They have absolutely no chemistry as a couple, it's uncomfortable to watch. It felt unnatural and forced. The way Hong Seol continuously rationalised and accepted Yoo Jung's actions because he did those things for her was upsetting as well, especially towards the end.

Baek In Ha and Baek In Ho were wonderful, I loved them. Honestly, I wish there was more focus on them. Also, Baek In Ho and Hong Seol had such a great relationship / friendship, you could see and feel their natural and effortless connection. They should have been together.

My disdain for Yoo Jung himself and his relationship with Hong Seol aside, this is a good drama. Phenomenal acting, and an okay storyline with compelling supporting characters. The ending wasn't as conclusive as I would have liked, but it wasn't too bad. I wont rewatch this though, I might just die from frustration.

I wouldn't recommend this to you if you're looking for something romantic and lighthearted, because this show is not it. It's also not exactly a dark or sinister show. If you're curious about it, watch a few episodes and see how you feel. And if you want to stop watching it, I won't blame you. You could even skip right to the last episode, you won't have missed out on too much, seeing as the storyline is very predictable.

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This film, t h i s f i l m

This film was very beautiful, i definitely think it's underrated.
Even though there are flaws in this film (in a logical sense some of the things didn't make sense) but it was overlooked by how intriguing the story line is.
I sat at the end of my seat waiting to see what the outcome would be.

If you're looking for a super romantic man, Soo hyun (Past) is your man, he is just so freaking adorable and he is aesthetically pleasing to the eye you'll be waiting for his scenes to come up. Soo hyun (future) is a romantic man too, but in a different way, you'll understand when you watch it! ~

This film is very suspenseful (well it was to me), i definitely think you will not get bored!
(and if you do, well, sorry ;;)

If you enjoy time travel, romance and (in a way) mystery I recommend this film to you!

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