Freespirit1221

Letterboxd     MAL     serializd

My Journey with Asian films:

I grew up watching Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese and Hong Kong dramas, started around 2002. I watched a lot of old dramas and movies produced in 2000s and before that in my childhood days. Those Japanese series “Super Sentai Gaoranger”, “Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger”, and “Kamen Rider” are also my childhood series. I watched those with my brother and enjoyed them a lot. :)

I also watched a few Filipino and Thai dramas with my mom as a kid and teenager, and some new ones later.

Later on, I watched Korean and Chinese dramas mostly. I’ve watched more historical Chinese dramas than modern ones. I rewatch my old favorites a lot so my list doesn’t have many new titles, compared to the time I’ve spent on watching dramas. 

I started watching more Japanese dramas and movies maybe around 2015, when I watched the live action movie of my favorite anime “Anohana”. Japanese films are like gems to me. They are much less popular than other Asian films, so it's much harder to find the ones with subtitles, or which platforms to watch.

As I mentioned above, I rewatch my favorite films all the time. I’m often lazy to pick up new dramas and movies so I rewatch a lot. They are mostly the ones rated 9-10 from my list, sometimes 8-8.5. There are dramas I've watched more than 10 times. I put a lot of films into my plan to watch list but often end up rewatching my old favorite ones instead. :)

I rarely drop, and almost never skip while watching a film. I watch the whole thing most of the time. It’s more like a mental obsession (OCD) about finishing what I have started, not just films but also other things. Anyway,  if a film is in my on-hold list, it usually means that I suddenly couldn’t find where to watch it.

I watch all kinds of genres, from Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Life to Mystery, Thriller, Action, etc. My current favorite genres are slice of life and slow-paced dramas and movies, but it also depends on my mood. Basically I watch whatever I feel like at the time. 

If I’m interested in a synopsis of a film, I will go for it. I usually don’t read reviews or comments, or watch any cuts before watching it, to avoid spoilers. However, I love reading different reviews from others after I finish it. 

I used to enjoy watching dramas when it was airing, but now I prefer binge-watching. I don’t like to wait for the whole week for one or two episodes. I always get too excited!

My Ratings and Reviews:

I rate a film based on my moods and I think I'm quite generous and easy to please. I give a lot of 10, 9.5 and 9. However, I do pay attention to little details in a film and can be picky sometimes.

Here are a few criteria for my ratings, but it’s not always exactly the same way, as my ratings are mood-based. Also, my childhood films are exceptions. I mostly rate them high, because of the sense of nostalgia they bring. Although I might not like a film as much as I used to do when I rewatch it later, I usually keep my initial rating.

• 9-10: If a film gives me a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, I will easily give 10 or 9.5, or 9, although there might be a few things I don't quite like about it. At this rate, the film is rewatchable.
• 8-8.5: It's a good film. I enjoyed it. I may rewatch it.
• 7-7.5: Overall it’s good. There are great moments that I enjoyed, but nothing so special.
• 6-6.5: I'm a little bit disappointed, but overall it's okay.
• 5-5.5: It's watchable, but not enjoyable.
• 4-4.5: I didn’t enjoy it, though there are very few things or moments that I like. Not worth watching. 
• 0-3.5: Not worth watching at all.

Please keep in mind that my opinions about a film are just about my personal taste. I may have a different taste from you.

I love writing reviews, and I often write them long. I basically write them for myself to read later, so I sometimes add some personal experiences that I relate to the story or characters. I really appreciate it if you read through my lengthy reviews. :)

I don’t rate or write reviews for the films I haven’t completed.