Failed in Delivery
The storyline had potential and there was some cast that could've added to it, but the directors and writers failed. High school students that are athletes at the very least understand strategy and use the strengths of the people they have. But that was ignored. I watched the whole thing, but even the impossible odds didn't show much growth for the student characters. The action was okay, but overall was disappointing. Not worth rewatching. Even the "special effects" to show the time change, were completely lame.Was this review helpful to you?
Gentle Romance
The story is the typical j-drama romance formula. From the start we know that the female lead is terminally ill, so we can figure out the ending easily. It’s a simple storyline and focuses on the innocent romance. In some parts of the movie it moves very slowly and I think they could have used that time instead to show more of the dates that Yusuke and Miyuki go on, to help establish their relationship more. It felt abrupt at how the trip to Finland for them both occurred. Given the limited script they were given Hiroomi Tosaka and Ayami Nakajo to a great job of creating chemistry. But to really create the warmth of love, I felt that was lacking, with no fault of the actor and actress. The scenery of Finland and the Northern Lights are beautiful. I liked the moments with Yusuke’s family (brother and sister), and how his glass making was tied into the whole storyline too. There was so much potential within the storyline, but it fell a little short. There could’ve been more emphasis on her illness and how she hid it from him, so that the ending had more dramatic impact. Overall, I still enjoyed it.Was this review helpful to you?
Good FX, Lame Plot
LIKES:Location settings, lighting, colour palate were decent.
FX: the blood, vomit, fight wounds, etc.
Music was fitting, but notting stood out.
CAST: well selected for their roles (and Miyavi was great)
Choreography of the fight scenes was good.
As an action movie it was okay.
DISLIKES:
WRITING: the plot was the usual trope, with the usual stereotypes. But they wrecked what little story there was with too many “reveals”, so the final one lost it’s impact. Also the reason as to “why” was lame too, the main character needed a deeper connection. Also not too much “crime” other than the killing.
PRODUCTION: shaky camera moments, (use a FILM STABILIZER like WTF that’s filming 101). Strange editing, so that some parts felt disjointed. Also sometimes the music was too loud and you couldn't hear what the actor/actress was saying. It was very distracting, even if you read subtitles.
DIRECTING: there were moments where the camera lingered too long and was unnecessary as the scene had finished. [That could also be due to bad editing.]
OVERALL:
It was a decent watch, but didn’t need to be so long if editing had been done right. If you like little plot and just action with blood and fighting, this is a good choice. For a film made in 2022 it’s a bit disappointing. I won’t watch it again.
Was this review helpful to you?
Vigilantism with a big dose of cheesy comedy
LIKES:Cinematography (scene locations), colour pallet and fighting choreography was all very well done. Production was good (they thankfully knew how to use a film stabilizer.
Editing and directing for the most part was good too.
Most of the special effects (gore) was pretty good.
The violence and gore, with some creative moments, were good.
Casting was excellent as all the actors & actresses were well selected for their roles.
Just enough romance to satisfy any viewer.
Enjoyed Vincenzo being both the “good gangster” and the cold blooded mafioso.
I did like the creativity in the deaths of certain characters.
Ending was concluded well enough for all the main and supporting characters.
Decent OST, but sometimes the music was too loud and it made it hard to hear the actors/actresses speaking.
DISLIKES:
Too much comedy and some of it was just plain stupid.
The main evil boss was more sociopath, than psychopath, writers didn’t do enough research. The bad/evil characters were so predictable and typical.
Not really a crime drama or law drama, strange kind of mash up with heavy cheesy comedy.
The characters trying to pronounce Vincenzo’s name, wasn’t funny and got annoying fast.
Too many supporting characters or side characters, which made the plot get bogged down.
A lot of filler scenes that were pushed on us as being law, court and crime related, to show how bad or good the characters could be. It just made the show a little too long.
It’s more about being a vigilante than a mafia gangster and it constantly flip flops on who’s the lesser evil.
OVERALL:
Birds of a feather flock together was a strong theme throughout, both literally and figuratively. Better than some of the kdramas of 2021, but still lacking and a bit over hyped. I would recommend it and I have watched it again (but did fast forward over a many parts). Not what I expected, but didn’t disappoint me like it did for others.
Was this review helpful to you?
Me, My Husband, and My Husband's Boyfriend
0 people found this review helpful
Easy Watch, Lame Ending
DISLIKES:Shaky camera syndrome very bad in Ep. 10
Everyone except Yuki was well casted for their characters. Furukawa Yuki didn’t have chemistry with Kyoto nor with Akane. His kissing scenes with Shuhei did not make you think he was gay or even undecided. He mostly kissed with his mouth closed, even during his “hungry for you and can’t control myself” moments. So it all fell very flat.
Writer tried to tackle some hard subjects, but didn’t provide enough back story for Misaki and Yuki’s relationship, prior to Shuhei entering it. For example, why does she love Yuki so much, when he practically ignores her? Why did Yuki decide to marry her and live a lie about who he wanted?
Also they needed Misaki to define what she meant by liking/loving someone, as her definition was too ambiguous, compared to Shuhei.
They had Misaki repeating she wanted to be liked as a woman, yet when Shuhei and Daichi did exactly that, she turned them down.
Also the ending was too open ended, it needed a few more episodes to really have impact and a sound conclusion, while showing us character growth.
Wardrobe was too obvious in regards to making Misaki demure and Shuhei artsy.
LIKES:
Sets and scenery, cinematography and colour palette.
Music was okay, but nothing memorable.
Writer tackled depression and suicide, on top of the other concepts which the story revolved around. I liked how Shuhei showed them how to let go of all the negativity and move on.
I liked that the anime artists were shown actually drawing and creating.
I loved the gift Shuhei gave the couple at Christmas, it was beautiful.
The ending was okay, but was still lacking.
OVERALL:
I was a little disappointed in how this drama was concluded. Thankfully it was only 30 minute episodes and 10 episodes in total, so not a complete waste of time. I liked that it strayed from the usual Boy Love/Affair/Marriage Relationship drama formula. If you are okay with open endings, then I will recommend it. I won’t watch it again.
Was this review helpful to you?
BITTER SWEET
The Sweet (LIKES):Cinematography, locations, colour pallet, all visually pleasing.
The nostalgia with the VCR tapes, camcorder, etc. was fun.
Well chosen cast. Good chemistry between Kim Too Jung, Byeon Woo Seok and Park Jung Woo, as the three main leads. Acting was okay.
Production: Finally a South Korean movie that uses a film stabilizer for the most part, (still some shaky moments though)!
I liked the ending, but
The Bitter (DISLIKES):
WRITING: Wish this was a series instead of a movie, so that there was more back story for the main characters, more character growth and better impact of certain moments in the story. Too many loopholes in the plot, unexplained/unresolved moments. This was the usual teen drama. Timing of showing the leads as high school, university and adults, was off and very abrupt. Script was lacking too.
OVERALL:
I didn’t mind the ending, but it seemed a cheap way to get a reaction from the viewers, due to the under developed story. It’s an easy watch, with not too much angst. I recommend it for the audience it was made for (teens). And I would watch it again.
Was this review helpful to you?
Good Fight Scenes with over the top comedy
LIKES:Decent story, with an over the top delivery. I liked that there was character growth throughout the show.
Well choreographed fight scenes.
Production was great, no shaking camera moments.
FX for fight wounds looked mostly realistic, including swollen cheek bones and bruising.
Casting was spot on for the characters that the actors and actresses played.
Music was appropriate and never too loud that you couldn’t hear what was being said.
Acting was good for what they were given.
The messages of: never give up on your goals, believe in yourself and some friendships are strong and for life.
DISLIKES:
Over the top comedy, that was just too stupid.
Strong sexism throughout the show and overly exploiting the damsel in distress concept. [the UFC fighting network has show women can fight, sometimes even better then the men.]
The dog was cute, but it’s bark was too high pitched and became annoying. They really didn’t need the commenting voice from the dog’s mind, it could’ve been left out.
Some parts (mostly the Nanba family all together) were so idiotic, especially the brother.
Seems like they ripped off: Tong Memories, Bokutachi ga yarimashita & High & Low The Worst. Like it was a mash up of those three, with over the top comedy, and it’s not just because of the locations used that match (like the high schools for example).
Directing had some bad moments too, like the FL (Nanba’s love interest/crush) reacting way too slow for some situations.
Although I liked Mamiya Shotaro’s acting, it was so obvious that he is way older than a high school student, as he was selected to play.
A little too much repetition and keeping to the formula
OVERALL:
The fight scenes were the highlights for this show and of course the acting of Mamiya Shotaro and Kamio Fuju! I would recommend this show to people who like high school brawls and street fighting, they should watch this first and then the others I mentioned in my Dislikes section. I would rewatch this just for the fights and Kamio Fuju parts.
Was this review helpful to you?
Rom-Com with a huge slice of Cheese
LIKES:Cinematography (no shaking camera even during action scenes, zoom in & out well done) and beautiful landscape shots of Taiwan. Soundtrack aka OST was good and fit the mood. I really enjoyed Bii singing acapella and he contributed some beautiful songs. Theme song was overplayed. I liked the storyline of Nana and Qing Yang, and they had good chemistry. There is one part where Katie Chen’s character overhears something and misunderstands what is being said, which becomes a gut wrenching moment for Nana. It was so well done, that as the viewer I could really feel her pain. The actress did really well in that scene. I also liked the friendship and family aspect of the storyline. There is a part where Baron Chen’s character questions his sexual orientation and Bii’s character is understanding and supportive. I truly liked that whole scene and how it was handled, including the bit of comedy that was inserted too. The bare upper body shots of Edison Wang as Han Zheng, showed off how much work he puts into his physical appearance and I’m sure the female viewers appreciated it.
DISLIKES:
AUDIO ISSUES: background noise that even drowned out what the actors/actresses were saying. There is a camping scene where they are supposed to be in the mountains/wilderness, yet you hear a barking dog. LIGHTING ISSUES: happened here too, as it’s supposed to be night time away from the lights to see the stars (Nana & Qing Yang moment), but it’s like a spot light is shining on them as if they are camping on a ski hill with all it’s lights [but there is no ski hills in Taiwan. Mountain peaks get snow, but no ski hills.] Also a lot of cheese and CLICHES, but it was more funny than annoying to me. Others will probably hate it though. The WARDROBE DEPARTMENT should’ve been fired, especially how they dressed Pi Ya Nou and Xing Tian. I hated how they only gave two or three outfits to Nana and they weren’t good. ACTING was okay, but Mandy Tao was way over the top (probably the director’s fault) and her voice was annoying. The adults were mostly irritating, especially Pi Ya Nou’s mother. LIMITED CHARACTER GROWTH: FL started out as a strong character and as the show progressed she only existed for the ML and often was very childish. The rest of the characters really had no character growth, they only had semi-completed storylines. Zi Han’s supposed character growth seemed forced and thrown in at the last second. CHEMISTRY: it was lacking between the ML and FL, even the kiss scenes seemed the chemistry didn’t work. Their kisses held no romance and passion seemed to forceful. WRITERS FAILED: the reason for the FL to pretend being a man from childhood to an adult, was completely stupid. It was supposed to be the main story, but became a sub-plot to the “gangster” storyline. It was like the writer(s) got confused with what they wanted to make the main storyline. Most of the adults were annoying and added little to the plot. Even the “gangster” aspect was very low key (and a lot of cliches). Also if Qing Yang was supposed to be Zi Feng’s Enforcer or investigator, they didn’t execute it very well. The Villain was a boy playing at being a gangster, or that’s how it was delivered. Then we have the attempted triangle love story between Pi Ya Nou, Zi Feng and the vet. It was pathetic and the vet only served as a catalyst of truth for the ML & FL. Also the writers gave up on the story towards the end or maybe they just rushed it to get the series done. Either way it came across as empty.
OVERALL: It’s a decent rom-com, with some heartfelt moments and simple romance. I have re-watched it, but mostly for the Qing Yang and Nana story. I would recommend it.
Was this review helpful to you?
There Better Be A Season 2
I loved the brain games they had to play. I don't mind gore or sex or any of that which they showed in this. It reminded me a little bit of Battle Royal (2000). Good acting, great FX, interesting story, decent music and great production. I liked Murakami Nijiro's character: Chishiya Shuntaro and hope he's got more screen time in Season 2.The reason I'm not giving it a 10/10 is because there better be a Season 2 or else the ending makes me mad. There were some scenes that were irrelevant or not really needed. IF Arisu and Usagi are to become more than friends or partners of the game, then the writers need to make that clearer in Season 2.
Overall I binge watched this show. I've rewatched it a few times too!
Was this review helpful to you?
Mature And Yet Not.
There is a lot of sex scenes, which give it the mature rating. However it seems almost childish how the director and production handled those graphic sex scenes. It was like watching a porno, but even a porn has better filming. The lighting was often terrible and the zooming in was unnecessary. This movie needed less graphic action of the actual intercourse. The kissing was gross; like a fish, eating your face. That's not sexy or seductive. I liked the concept of the story, but it wasn't well written either. For all the main characters, no one had any growth, which was disappointing. I don't really remember the music much, so it had no impact.I did like how each character's story was revealed. The actors and actresses did the best they could with what they were given and told to do. The ending was okay too. If you're into kinky sex or watching rather than experiencing, this movie could be what you're looking for. I won't rewatch it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Really Good Acting by Mackenyu and Kubota
I binge watched this because Mackenyu and Kubota were really good in this; the range of emotion shown was superb. The story touched on a few dark concepts; bullying, attempted rape, suicide, bombing, corruption and betrayal. There were some great songs played in the background of the episodes too. Production was pretty good. Worth a rewatch.However, the bombing FXs sucked; in terms of the explosion looked so fake. And same with the fight wounds; the ones who did the punching never showed damage to the knuckles and the facial wounds looked like amateur makeup artists did them.
The romance portions lacked impact and the chemistry fell flat. The part about the female teacher's involvement could've been left out. Hence the 7.5/10 rating.
Was this review helpful to you?
E-sport Romance
I came to watch this because of Xu Kai. His character was nothing too great and he fell too fast for the FL. As for the FL sometimes she was a little too cute. The underlying message about fandoms and internet toxicity was frequently highlighted, but not seriously addressed enough, thus not as impactful as it should've been. I liked the sections of game play where the characters of the game were 3D animated. Other e-sport dramas emphasized the training and work that goes into everything involved, but that was downplayed in this drama. There was just enough romance story, but I felt it was rushed and too easy for the FL and ML, same with the secondary romance. Not enough attention paid to the supporting characters backstory and there was plenty of time to do that. However it's a good watch and I do hope that there will be a season 2. Overall for me it's a 7.5/10Was this review helpful to you?
Cute Romance
I have watched Go Go Squid 1 and this season wasn't as good. There were too many flash backs that didn't help the storyline or explain anything. Although there was some robot combat to make it a little more interesting,, the suspense fell flat. The leads did okay with their acting and finally towards the end DT had more lines to say. I didn't feel chemistry between Appledog and DT. There were a lot of cute moments, but eventually that got boring. I skipped a bunch of episodes for this exact reason. They could have cut about 10 episodes out of this, it dragged on that much. I prefer the first one. I did like the Robot house servant , but it seemed to be forgotten half way through and could've been used for more cute/sweet scenes. The father of the two sisters, was annoying. Yes he was there to delay their romances, but his interference so often was laughable and not in a good way. Overall I'd say it gives the viewer too happy of an ending, because it was too easy. I give it a 6.5.Was this review helpful to you?
Total Crap, Don't Waste Your Time
Some Manga should never be made into live action and this is one of those times. Good looking cast and perhaps they can act their characters, but the writing is horrible! The director should be fired; WAY too long pauses before either FL or ML react, that it's ridiculous. Production is bad too, with zoom in being way too close (I don't want to see their nose hair) and their heads are cut off at the top. At least they used a film stabilizer, unlike a lot of K-drama's brought to us by Netflix. Music is too loud, although fitting with the scenes.I have liked the FL in other shows, but in this one she's too stupid and trying too hard to be cute, perhaps to match the manga character, but she fails.
I just can't watch more than what I already have. I don't recommend this to anyone, not even to teens, because you'll feel your brain cells die.
Was this review helpful to you?
ML's character is a super Jerk
I came into this show expecting nothing, but liking the clothing designer concept and the FL. I watched 10 episodes and even skipped to episode 14, but couldn't go further.LIKES:
The FL's character and how the actress portrayed her.
The 2nd couple [FL's best friend and Glasses Boy (Allergic to cats guy)].
Cinematography was great and production was smooth.
OST was not over powering and I liked even the music used for the ring tones, but nothing stood out.
FX were minimal, but not overdone.
DISLIKES:
Male lead acted his part well, but I don't like how the writers made his character an over-the-top insufferable jerk. There was nothing charming about him. He deserves a woman like Luna to be his wife.
Also didn't like that they had the FL always walking in the middle of the road, like she's suicidal or just plain stupid.
Too many little side stories that weren't well written, which bogged down everything and no wonder it's 45 episodes long.
Too much product placement and some of it not even well done. (However a lot of dramas in China seem to have this issue too.)
The message of the show seemed to be more "don't try anything that you like, because you'll just fail."
OVERALL:
I don't know why everyone rated this so high, the ML's character has so many red flags! I wont watch this again and I don't recommend it at all. It was a waste of time. I kept hoping the ML's character would have some growth and not keep being such an @sshole, but he never changed.
Was this review helpful to you?
