Yes, when she ran into his arms, I saw Dew. The editing and acting are perfect. I did get the feeling that both…
THANK YOU. I totally agree about Bad Buddy, which I detest and think is one of the laziest, most poorly conceived/acted/directed/staged BLs in BL history. I liked Nanon as the nerd in that series where the nerd was the ML, but he was awful in BB. I didn't believe Pat would care for him as a lover for one second, and I think Nanon has the acting range of a potato, unless he's playing the nerd. :)
WELL. It was made in 2009. The BL industry was far from being realized, specially in the Philippines. So I don't…
Wow, that was a fun read. Seriously. You write extremely well in English; better than most Americans. I assume your first language is Pinoy?
Thank you for taking the time to explicate all this. I really do appreciate it. While I continue to think the bad BLs are bad, I think I have a better understanding now of WHY they are bad. I was aware of most of the elements driving Pinoy culture that you mentioned, especially the god-awful Catholic Church and its stranglehold on the country, but it is useful to heara perspective from INSIDE the situation.
I looked through a list of Filipino BLs and movies last night before I wrote you back and there are actually a good number that I had never heard of, from a few years back for the most part. When I get absolutely desperate for a BL "fix," I will try them out.
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros remains in my top ten favorite gay movies (I don't consider it a BL), as does Fuccbois. The young actor who played Maximo was remarkable in his portrayal of a character who was effeminate and gay by nature and simply being who he was, with a great deal of courage. I also loved the fact that his father and brothers, though brutish in every other way, loved and accepted him for who he was, though I don't know how realistic that would be. Their constant support and protection of Maximo from those who would insult and injure him was inspiring. Maximo is a wonderful example of making a point by expertly telling/showing a story, without preachy dialogue to guide us ever five minutes.
All best to you in the Phillippines. I hope things continue to get better for all LGBTQ there. I will keep you all in my thoughts.
WELL. It was made in 2009. The BL industry was far from being realized, specially in the Philippines. So I don't…
OK, so why do the Pinoy BLs coming out in not just 2022 but the last three years or so, generally suck also? I in no way used a film from 2009 as part of that question. And you didn't answer, which is an answer in itself.
The only Pinoy BLs/gay movies of any quality, in my estimation:
Gameboys & movie Hello Stranger & movie The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros Fuccbois Kalil, 15 How To Live and Die In Manilla Antonio's Secret Daddy Love Best. Partee. Ever. Selda
The two BLs you mention above are annoying af and I dropped them both after a couple of episodes. Pinoy BLs preach and TELL, they don't SHOW the points they are making. Half the dialogue is like a Pride parade speech and the shows are chock-full of mincing, ultra-feminine stereotypes and trans characters who usually act more like drag queens with bad attitudes than average trans people who are just, you know...people.
You disagree. Fine. OK. BTW, what's your skin in this game? You live in the Phillippines?
Note: Now that Thailand is turning out BLs like clockwork, a lot of theirs suck too.
SPOILER: Perhaps one of the most exhausting 'revenge' type movies I have ever watched, I, at the same…
Beautifully written. I am exhausted too. I agree with everything you wrote. I have two daughters. There is no doubt what I would do in this man's position. And I also know what you mean about the horrible parents of these psychopaths, who play victime and sob and scream that their little rapist boy might be hurt for fucking some poor girl to death. I've seen that in a good number of Korean movies...just an amazing level of selfishness and victimhood turned on its head and personified by a sobbing, screaming, hysterical mother of a rapist-killer who thinks she and her baby are being wronged. I want to slap the daylights out of every one of them.
This movie was good! To those who are wondering whether to watch it you need to. This movie is about justice.…
The problem is the insanely light sentences Korea apparently dishes out to juveniles, even for murder, rape and torture for god's sake. The father knew there would never be justice if it was left to the police.
It was so mentally exhausting, I was angry throughout the whole movie and repeatedly yelled at the father to do…
I know exactly what you mean. I spent these two hours in a high state of agitation, rooting for the dad as well. God, do Korean kids who do this shit really get off that easily?
Korean cinema has made me, who has NEVER particularly cared for crime-thrillers during a pretty long life, a slowly-developing fan of the genre. At least if it's a Korean crime-thriller. This is just so excellent in every way I can think of. I had a concrete block on my chest for 90% of this flick. Those of you who enjoy being tortured in a similar way by good dramas will know what I mean.
A reviewer above started out by saying "you will have to choose..." I had no trouble choosing. Never have I found myself rooting for a killer to be successful to this extent but now, thanks to this breath-taking film, I have. And I don't feel badly about it. Wow, just wow...I have two daughters. I would do the same.
Jung Jae Young and Lee Sung Min deserve joint Oscars for their performances here. Seo Joon Young was perfect too. Highly recommended. I don't know who the imbeciles are who are rating this low enough to have a 7.7 average, but they don't know shit.
OK, fine, so I teared up a few times and actually wept at the end...sue me. :) But in between all those times I laughed my ass off. No, seriously, my ass is gone.
Joo Ji Hoon is nothing short of remarkable in these dual roles...SO freaking funny, and also touching as the "real" crown prince, learning the actual conditions his people existed in and realizing he could do something about it. Sets, costumes, scenery, cinematography, direction...I don't know...maybe flawless? I don't remember off the top of my head a comic element that didn't land just right. Not overplayed nor under, the drama and the comedy were beautifully balanced. And I love how this flick has fun with all the cliches and tropes of Asian historical dramas.
It is wild that this tiny country of Korea, which I already knew turns out crime/gang/murder/rape/revenge flicks by the boatload every week, also makes films like this, as well as all the moving dramas I've now seen. Just flabbergasting. I'm American. I feel really sorry for most of the people in my country who know little to nothing about what's going on cinematically in Korea.
Question, in scenes near the end where both princes were together it appeared that the "real" one was taller. Am I delusional? If that were the case, wouldn't people notice the difference? Also, I thought the birthmark on the prince's ass would come up again but it never did or did I miss something. I Love this movie.
Wow, I'm really surprised at myself for this, as I consider myself about as far as you can get from being PC and it takes a LOT to "offend" me, but the way this flick is presenting the fat sister has made me uncomfortable to the point of dropping it about 45 minutes in. They've got the poor woman spitting up at theme parks, snorting like a pig, struggling to try on a tee shirt that is obviously about ten sizes too small (that part didn't even make sense) and dancing around in her room in a way that is not awkward/uncomfortable/touching but that makes her out to be a fool as well as a glutton.
Add to this that the younger, slimmer sister aggressively mocks, insults and passive-aggressively sets up her sibling for pain and you've got TWO primary characters who are extremely unappealing and unsympathetic. I don't feel sorry for the older/heavier sister either, because she has her mean streak on display as well, though it's likely the result of a lifetime of being compared unfavorably to her little sister.
The brother who just got out of prison is a brutish/buffoon, standard Korean thuggish "type." There is no originality in the way he is being played. And our ML is a wimp. I like the actor, but I think he's capable of a lot more than he's being directed to do here. A lot of his mannerisms and behaviors also belong in a listing of Korean stock characters. Not a good thing when it's the center of the film we're talking about here.
Anyway, I decided a while back I wasn't watching any more shows, reading any more books, listening to any more music, etc., unless it really engages me. Life is too short, for one thing, and I like to turn myself over to a movie, not find myself outside it the whole time, thinking about how sub-par it is. So...dropped.
AIN'T CAPITALISM GRAND?! Korea must be almost as corrupt as my home-country, the U.S.A.
I actually preferred this by quite a bit to the Godfather movies, which I have seen all of. I still probably missed about 1/3 of what was going on, but the Koreans bring more intensity to everything, be it love or treachery.
From reading comments, I guess I'm getting that Lee Min Ho has had lots of roles but nobody seems real excited about his work. I did prefer the work of Kim Rae Won, but these two made a great pair, before going gangster and after.
I do wish a Korean film would show at least ONE female character who, when confronted with the spectacle of a close male associate being beaten, would jump into the fray and try to help him out, even if it's just hanging on an assailant's back and gouging his eyes out. All I see to see and hear is hiding under the table and high-pitched screeching and crying. I'm like "why are you crying, girl, it's your man who's being beaten to a pulp?"
Love me some Suda Masaki but the humor here is so broad and sooooooooooo slow that I got bored about halfway through, even with him on board. Maybe I'll come back and finish it off someday.
god, I hate white subtitles. It's not worth the trouble and frustration, as I spend more time straining to make out the subs than watching the visual portion of the movie.
Ugh. Dropping after 40 minutes. Feels like a TV movie of the week. The grandmother to be is not "difficult," she is a bitch. Her son is wimp who hides his gay relationship from her, but wants to have a baby and expect his BF to help out with parenting. Plot lines/developments are silly/stupid/illogical/poorly written. The BF considers himself an artist, but his work is amateurish and embarrassing.
I no longer have patience with BLs or gay-themed movies that feature grown men and/or women bendiing over backward to accomodate the stupidity/bigotry/class-based arrogance/racism/ignorance of their selfish, god-awful parents. Especially when their characters are financially and educationally accomplished and no real reason is established for their spinelessness other than that they are afraid of these horrible people's rejection. Well, get over it, for god's sake. It is long past time for grown-ass Asian gay adults to remove these hideous people from their lives, or have a damn good reason for not doing so. And "I am afraid of losing Mommy's love" doesn't cut it. That's not love, that's enslavement.
I say this with all sincerity: Suda Masaki, the human being and the actor, is magical. He is one of those one-in-ten-million angels that the universe blesses the rest of us to have been on the same planet at the same time with him. I am not young, I am an American, and I am not kidding: No other actor of any nationality in my lifetime touches, moves, delights and takes my breath away like this beautiful unicorn of a man does. I know what I'm saying; I am not gushing and I mean every word. Sweet Jesus, he is a miracle.
This is my sixth or seventh SM movie so I know what I'm talking about. No one else has made me laugh like a hyena and tear up within the first ten minutes of a movie, as I did watching this one. And that's the yo-yo I was on through the entire thing, and I loved it. At this point, having just finished this watch, I don't even want to try to deconstruct what he achieved here. I just want to bask in it. Was it perfect? No, nothing in the world is perfect. But SM is as close to that word as an actor/persona/presence/spirit as I have ever seen onscreen. God bless him.
I will read more about this movie later, but it feels like it was built around him and inspired by his essence. Those few opening scenes are all about his magical aura, stunt-man or not. :)
This is a great little gem. Came upon it and gave it a try only after forcing myself to, but I'm glad I did. The moral and lessons of each episode come too easily and wrap up too cleanly, but what the hell? I don't care, it's a lot of fun. The morals and lessons are valid, and it's a television show with time limitations, and the main character is so outrageously different and off the wall that I'm cutting it as much slack as it needs. I love it. I won't be watching more than a couple of eps at a time I think, as I prefer a dark underbelly to my humor, but...there have been some hints that maybe that is the direction we may be going as more is revealed, so I'll be back for more.
I'm looking at it as a fairy tale featuring a magic unicorn; it's not meant, at least to some degree, to be realstic anyway. What I do know is that I found myself grinning so wide it hurt a few times, which for me is a sign of a heart-healing watch. Bravo to Furuto Arata for making a crazy-ass character seem believable.
Thank you for taking the time to explicate all this. I really do appreciate it. While I continue to think the bad BLs are bad, I think I have a better understanding now of WHY they are bad. I was aware of most of the elements driving Pinoy culture that you mentioned, especially the god-awful Catholic Church and its stranglehold on the country, but it is useful to heara perspective from INSIDE the situation.
I looked through a list of Filipino BLs and movies last night before I wrote you back and there are actually a good number that I had never heard of, from a few years back for the most part. When I get absolutely desperate for a BL "fix," I will try them out.
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros remains in my top ten favorite gay movies (I don't consider it a BL), as does Fuccbois. The young actor who played Maximo was remarkable in his portrayal of a character who was effeminate and gay by nature and simply being who he was, with a great deal of courage. I also loved the fact that his father and brothers, though brutish in every other way, loved and accepted him for who he was, though I don't know how realistic that would be. Their constant support and protection of Maximo from those who would insult and injure him was inspiring. Maximo is a wonderful example of making a point by expertly telling/showing a story, without preachy dialogue to guide us ever five minutes.
All best to you in the Phillippines. I hope things continue to get better for all LGBTQ there. I will keep you all in my thoughts.
The only Pinoy BLs/gay movies of any quality, in my estimation:
Gameboys & movie
Hello Stranger & movie
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros
Fuccbois
Kalil, 15
How To Live and Die In Manilla
Antonio's Secret
Daddy Love
Best. Partee. Ever.
Selda
The two BLs you mention above are annoying af and I dropped them both after a couple of episodes. Pinoy BLs preach and TELL, they don't SHOW the points they are making. Half the dialogue is like a Pride parade speech and the shows are chock-full of mincing, ultra-feminine stereotypes and trans characters who usually act more like drag queens with bad attitudes than average trans people who are just, you know...people.
You disagree. Fine. OK. BTW, what's your skin in this game? You live in the Phillippines?
Note: Now that Thailand is turning out BLs like clockwork, a lot of theirs suck too.
Korean cinema has made me, who has NEVER particularly cared for crime-thrillers during a pretty long life, a slowly-developing fan of the genre. At least if it's a Korean crime-thriller. This is just so excellent in every way I can think of. I had a concrete block on my chest for 90% of this flick. Those of you who enjoy being tortured in a similar way by good dramas will know what I mean.
A reviewer above started out by saying "you will have to choose..." I had no trouble choosing. Never have I found myself rooting for a killer to be successful to this extent but now, thanks to this breath-taking film, I have. And I don't feel badly about it. Wow, just wow...I have two daughters. I would do the same.
Jung Jae Young and Lee Sung Min deserve joint Oscars for their performances here. Seo Joon Young was perfect too. Highly recommended. I don't know who the imbeciles are who are rating this low enough to have a 7.7 average, but they don't know shit.
9.5/10
OK, fine, so I teared up a few times and actually wept at the end...sue me. :) But in between all those times I laughed my ass off. No, seriously, my ass is gone.
Joo Ji Hoon is nothing short of remarkable in these dual roles...SO freaking funny, and also touching as the "real" crown prince, learning the actual conditions his people existed in and realizing he could do something about it. Sets, costumes, scenery, cinematography, direction...I don't know...maybe flawless? I don't remember off the top of my head a comic element that didn't land just right. Not overplayed nor under, the drama and the comedy were beautifully balanced. And I love how this flick has fun with all the cliches and tropes of Asian historical dramas.
It is wild that this tiny country of Korea, which I already knew turns out crime/gang/murder/rape/revenge flicks by the boatload every week, also makes films like this, as well as all the moving dramas I've now seen. Just flabbergasting. I'm American. I feel really sorry for most of the people in my country who know little to nothing about what's going on cinematically in Korea.
Question, in scenes near the end where both princes were together it appeared that the "real" one was taller. Am I delusional? If that were the case, wouldn't people notice the difference? Also, I thought the birthmark on the prince's ass would come up again but it never did or did I miss something. I Love this movie.
BRAVO.
Add to this that the younger, slimmer sister aggressively mocks, insults and passive-aggressively sets up her sibling for pain and you've got TWO primary characters who are extremely unappealing and unsympathetic. I don't feel sorry for the older/heavier sister either, because she has her mean streak on display as well, though it's likely the result of a lifetime of being compared unfavorably to her little sister.
The brother who just got out of prison is a brutish/buffoon, standard Korean thuggish "type." There is no originality in the way he is being played. And our ML is a wimp. I like the actor, but I think he's capable of a lot more than he's being directed to do here. A lot of his mannerisms and behaviors also belong in a listing of Korean stock characters. Not a good thing when it's the center of the film we're talking about here.
Anyway, I decided a while back I wasn't watching any more shows, reading any more books, listening to any more music, etc., unless it really engages me. Life is too short, for one thing, and I like to turn myself over to a movie, not find myself outside it the whole time, thinking about how sub-par it is. So...dropped.
5/10
I actually preferred this by quite a bit to the Godfather movies, which I have seen all of. I still probably missed about 1/3 of what was going on, but the Koreans bring more intensity to everything, be it love or treachery.
From reading comments, I guess I'm getting that Lee Min Ho has had lots of roles but nobody seems real excited about his work. I did prefer the work of Kim Rae Won, but these two made a great pair, before going gangster and after.
I do wish a Korean film would show at least ONE female character who, when confronted with the spectacle of a close male associate being beaten, would jump into the fray and try to help him out, even if it's just hanging on an assailant's back and gouging his eyes out. All I see to see and hear is hiding under the table and high-pitched screeching and crying. I'm like "why are you crying, girl, it's your man who's being beaten to a pulp?"
Feels like a TV movie of the week.
The grandmother to be is not "difficult," she is a bitch.
Her son is wimp who hides his gay relationship from her, but wants to have a baby and expect his BF to help out with parenting.
Plot lines/developments are silly/stupid/illogical/poorly written.
The BF considers himself an artist, but his work is amateurish and embarrassing.
I no longer have patience with BLs or gay-themed movies that feature grown men and/or women bendiing over backward to accomodate the stupidity/bigotry/class-based arrogance/racism/ignorance of their selfish, god-awful parents. Especially when their characters are financially and educationally accomplished and no real reason is established for their spinelessness other than that they are afraid of these horrible people's rejection. Well, get over it, for god's sake. It is long past time for grown-ass Asian gay adults to remove these hideous people from their lives, or have a damn good reason for not doing so. And "I am afraid of losing Mommy's love" doesn't cut it. That's not love, that's enslavement.
This is my sixth or seventh SM movie so I know what I'm talking about. No one else has made me laugh like a hyena and tear up within the first ten minutes of a movie, as I did watching this one. And that's the yo-yo I was on through the entire thing, and I loved it. At this point, having just finished this watch, I don't even want to try to deconstruct what he achieved here. I just want to bask in it. Was it perfect? No, nothing in the world is perfect. But SM is as close to that word as an actor/persona/presence/spirit as I have ever seen onscreen. God bless him.
I will read more about this movie later, but it feels like it was built around him and inspired by his essence. Those few opening scenes are all about his magical aura, stunt-man or not. :)
BRAVO! 9/10
I'm looking at it as a fairy tale featuring a magic unicorn; it's not meant, at least to some degree, to be realstic anyway. What I do know is that I found myself grinning so wide it hurt a few times, which for me is a sign of a heart-healing watch. Bravo to Furuto Arata for making a crazy-ass character seem believable.