It was above average, a fine film about the dangers of tabloid and digital rumor-spreading. Especially since this is officially South Korea's first attempt on the topic.
The film was entertaining and the general concept was catching but the twists weren't very convincing and the film felt slow several times. But the acting department was cool, Kim Kang Woo made a fine lead for this thriller.
It was a nice thriller but the plot is really old, the screewriting was lazy and I couldn't connect to it. However, it wasn't a waste of time and I really liked Ma Dong Seok in here!
It took all the will in me to stop reading a book and finish this drama. I just lost all the drama mood at the time but thankfully, I was able to spend a whole day on this one and enjoyed it to the fullest.
It's amazing how captivating this drama can get, all the political clashes and mesmerizing characterization got me tripping. I always loved politics in historical setting and man did Han Suk Kyu ahjussi did wonders with his king Yongjoo's character. I also like Lee Je Hoon's Sado; he's a pretty good actor.
Amazing drama even when I was in 'go-to-hell-dramas' mood.
So I kind of found this one hard to digest. A failure for a spinoff even if I really like L's character. This wasn't worth it.
I still love Matsuyama as L though.
I completely loved it!
This was the first time I watched Ashida Mana in anything and the little girl lives to her reputation. She's an amazing actress. She and Matsuyama made the most mesmerizing pair.
Usagi Drop was such a heartwarming watch. Although I don't usually enjoy these types of dramatic films but this one completely drawn me in.
The worst so far but it's still enjoyable and I already missed Komikado sensei like heck so I would've taken anything thrown my way.
Seriously though, this wasn't as funny as the previous special or the seasons. But I completely loved watching Higashide. He definitely grew on me in no time.
Meh. I am not really impressed. Lots of wasted potential especially my darling Kim Nam Gil.
I am going to have a serious word with him about his casting choices.
I am kind of disappointed with this version. I really expected more from a lord of horror like Nakata Hideo. For once, I actually appreciate the Korean version better.
However, my lovely Yamada was simply brilliant in this, as always. I was honestly worried about Fujiwara's part but he nailed it! He was able to leave the overreacting behind. I love his improvement.
Somehow repititive and not as disturbing as I thought it would be. It wasn't a waste of time though. And Ma Dong Seok totally nailed it.
At least, it's a Kim Ki Duk film I can appreciate.
The all-time most-watched film in South Korea was actually great. Badass and completely absorbing. I had high expectations for this picture and wasn't disappointed.
As usual, Choi Min Sik ahjussi was parfect as Yi Soon Shin while Ryu Seung Ryong ahjussi was absolutely badass. Although the latter's character isn't exactly like its historical counterpart.
There were some exaggerations in the historical part. Yi Soon Shin had only 12/13 ships which is true but the Japanese navy was only 130 to 133 not 250. That's totally not true. Yi Soon Shin destroyed about 31 ships or so in historical tellings.
Let's not forget some dramatic confrontations that never happened in real life.
But all in all, the film was mostly faithful to real events. A Korean film with all its standards. No wonder it crashed 17.5 million tickets nationwide.
Solely watched for Jung Jae Young. That ahjussi's a catch. I am so going to keep an eye on him in the future.
It was sort of fun but it's definitely not one of the better ones I saw.
War films are hard to watch but they're so freaking worth it, I absolutely loved this one.
It's always nice to see Japan's view of World War II and all the suffering the soldiers had to endure. Starting with one amazing main character which was brought to perfection by Okada. I am so interested in that actor.
There were also several amazing names but I especially liked Sometani. He definitely shined in here.
I loved how they left the ending in perfect shape for open minds.
This was a lovely yet a heavy ride. This better get something in the Academy Awards!
Kitano Takeshi brings back a blast from the past of Yakuza eiga. He succeeded in the most part, this was one interesting complicated piece.
It had all the elements of the gangster genre; power struggle, revenge, fights, brutaly violent scenes (my favourite the one at the denstist, that was freaking intense) and nicely planned schemes.
I also fell for the amazing cast especially Shiina, Kunimura and Sugimoto led by the director himself of course.
But Outrage is neither outstabding nor exceptional. It was simply an enjoyable Yakuza piece with one of the greatest Japanese director/actor Kitano.
Despite the three hours+ length, I liked this film. I also loved the messages it was trying to convey.
It was set in yakuza eiga style with a reverse philosophy against the police. I believe Confessions of a dog excelled in highlighting the director's attention through his characters. It was highly engaging. But it didn't come out as impressive. There were no twists or turns.
Some of my favourite quotes:
"We are simply dogs serving the greater powers..."
"To fulfill your duties, you can't act in a humane way."
"The police force is the biggest gang."
It was a cool thriller. It kept me entertained but I kind of saw that turn coming and some scenes were completely uncalled for. It's definitely not the best out there. South Korean produced way better thrillers than this.
Jung Jae Young ahjussi though is definitely on my favourite charts.
Having both Satoshi and Matsuyama in the same picture is a great treat but the whole thing was somehow boring. I would've never watched it if not for those two amazing actors.
Satoshi was better but Matsuyama was also cool only not as good as in the other roles I saw him in.
I am so freaking glad I watched this after so many other Miike films because this would've thrown me off the edge few years ago. In a bad way.
That being said, this film was so freakingly weird. A musical alright but it's nothing like any musical you saw before. And I didn't have a good experience with Miike's other musical "Ai to Makoto".
This is definitely one of those artsy films that keep you staring and staring until you laugh and realise you actually love what you're seeing. I mean the first few minutes made me gasp in anticipation and then I was all over the place just like the film was.
I really adore Miike's sense of brutality and wierdness but this wasn't about violence. It was the opposite with a carefully crafted hidden meaning behind it. I've got to admit that the dialogue got me laughing at its cheesiness and I rarely do that but it's Miike so no surprise here.
I can literally talk about this film for hours but you wouldn't understand what it means unless you see it yourself.
Requirements: Open mind+open mind and knowledge in Miike's weird style and Japanese cinematic madness.
This is one of the fewest Lee Jung Jae ahjussi films that I was putting away on purpose. I finally got rid of my hesitation and jumped into it.
It was a pretty good treat. I loved how they implanted the hidden messages of comparing the rich and poor. I completely fell for Jeon Do Yeon's performance beside ahjussi of course.
And big thumbs to the ending. It was absolutely fitting.
Totally not my type of film. Too slice of life for my taste.
However, it was beautifully made and perfectly acted by the growing Ayano Go and the talented Ikewaki Chizuru. They were the main reason I attempted watching this anyway. Even Suda is promising.
Overall, this was a great example of Japanese drama.
The film was entertaining and the general concept was catching but the twists weren't very convincing and the film felt slow several times. But the acting department was cool, Kim Kang Woo made a fine lead for this thriller.
It took all the will in me to stop reading a book and finish this drama. I just lost all the drama mood at the time but thankfully, I was able to spend a whole day on this one and enjoyed it to the fullest.
It's amazing how captivating this drama can get, all the political clashes and mesmerizing characterization got me tripping. I always loved politics in historical setting and man did Han Suk Kyu ahjussi did wonders with his king Yongjoo's character. I also like Lee Je Hoon's Sado; he's a pretty good actor.
Amazing drama even when I was in 'go-to-hell-dramas' mood.
I still love Matsuyama as L though.
This was the first time I watched Ashida Mana in anything and the little girl lives to her reputation. She's an amazing actress. She and Matsuyama made the most mesmerizing pair.
Usagi Drop was such a heartwarming watch. Although I don't usually enjoy these types of dramatic films but this one completely drawn me in.
Seriously though, this wasn't as funny as the previous special or the seasons. But I completely loved watching Higashide. He definitely grew on me in no time.
I am going to have a serious word with him about his casting choices.
However, my lovely Yamada was simply brilliant in this, as always. I was honestly worried about Fujiwara's part but he nailed it! He was able to leave the overreacting behind. I love his improvement.
At least, it's a Kim Ki Duk film I can appreciate.
As usual, Choi Min Sik ahjussi was parfect as Yi Soon Shin while Ryu Seung Ryong ahjussi was absolutely badass. Although the latter's character isn't exactly like its historical counterpart.
There were some exaggerations in the historical part. Yi Soon Shin had only 12/13 ships which is true but the Japanese navy was only 130 to 133 not 250. That's totally not true. Yi Soon Shin destroyed about 31 ships or so in historical tellings.
Let's not forget some dramatic confrontations that never happened in real life.
But all in all, the film was mostly faithful to real events. A Korean film with all its standards. No wonder it crashed 17.5 million tickets nationwide.
It was sort of fun but it's definitely not one of the better ones I saw.
It's always nice to see Japan's view of World War II and all the suffering the soldiers had to endure. Starting with one amazing main character which was brought to perfection by Okada. I am so interested in that actor.
There were also several amazing names but I especially liked Sometani. He definitely shined in here.
I loved how they left the ending in perfect shape for open minds.
This was a lovely yet a heavy ride. This better get something in the Academy Awards!
It had all the elements of the gangster genre; power struggle, revenge, fights, brutaly violent scenes (my favourite the one at the denstist, that was freaking intense) and nicely planned schemes.
I also fell for the amazing cast especially Shiina, Kunimura and Sugimoto led by the director himself of course.
But Outrage is neither outstabding nor exceptional. It was simply an enjoyable Yakuza piece with one of the greatest Japanese director/actor Kitano.
It was set in yakuza eiga style with a reverse philosophy against the police. I believe Confessions of a dog excelled in highlighting the director's attention through his characters. It was highly engaging. But it didn't come out as impressive. There were no twists or turns.
Some of my favourite quotes:
"We are simply dogs serving the greater powers..."
"To fulfill your duties, you can't act in a humane way."
"The police force is the biggest gang."
Jung Jae Young ahjussi though is definitely on my favourite charts.
Satoshi was better but Matsuyama was also cool only not as good as in the other roles I saw him in.
That being said, this film was so freakingly weird. A musical alright but it's nothing like any musical you saw before. And I didn't have a good experience with Miike's other musical "Ai to Makoto".
This is definitely one of those artsy films that keep you staring and staring until you laugh and realise you actually love what you're seeing. I mean the first few minutes made me gasp in anticipation and then I was all over the place just like the film was.
I really adore Miike's sense of brutality and wierdness but this wasn't about violence. It was the opposite with a carefully crafted hidden meaning behind it. I've got to admit that the dialogue got me laughing at its cheesiness and I rarely do that but it's Miike so no surprise here.
I can literally talk about this film for hours but you wouldn't understand what it means unless you see it yourself.
Requirements: Open mind+open mind and knowledge in Miike's weird style and Japanese cinematic madness.
It was a pretty good treat. I loved how they implanted the hidden messages of comparing the rich and poor. I completely fell for Jeon Do Yeon's performance beside ahjussi of course.
And big thumbs to the ending. It was absolutely fitting.
However, it was beautifully made and perfectly acted by the growing Ayano Go and the talented Ikewaki Chizuru. They were the main reason I attempted watching this anyway. Even Suda is promising.
Overall, this was a great example of Japanese drama.