I have to say because I legit fell for the male lead I'm really biased even though there are definitely a bunch of issues but for me it didn't really take away from the viewing experience and I had so much fun.
The skin ship is just the best you'll see and the leads had chemistry.
Another problem was the sudden disappearance of Jaspers friend because I got so involved in him and Keifei's arc seeing her with someone else just didn't work. But again I still enjoyed it overall.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review is full of spoilers.
Korean crime drama all have the same trajectory - crime gets committed by good main characters which becomes entangled into something more evil, and then the real evil people are only there to justify the main characters role because 'I'm bad but not that bad' and then naturally they'll meet another character, possible shipping couple, and then you get unpalatable amounts of lecturing along the same lines 'don't do crime kids' and then the villain gets their comuppence. Everything from Watchers, Voice, to Psychopath diary, to Gap Dong, ALL follow this same pattern and no one besides me gets bored? Lol i dont understand!
The only ones that broke the mold -- WHITE CHRISTMAS. And HELLO MONSTER to some extent because at least it was obvious Jang naras character was being judgemental and self-righteous to some kid who grew up thinking that killing was the norm. But Seo in Guks character DID NOT which makes more sense and is more realistic because things change drastically when a sibling you think of as your own baby becomes a murderer. Even DUEL was extremely nuanced. Save Me. Children of Nobody. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes.
But that was years ago!
These dramas had nuance and complexity. I see this frequently in Jdramas like off the top of my head Aku No Hado, SCAM (Scum), Todome No Kiss, death note, Bokutachiga yarimashta, and even DYING EYE , again most of these are CURRENT DRAMAS or a year old at most.
But this preachy self-righteous lecturing really isn't the mature way to do things imo.
So, naturally this drama was no exception.
That said I was truly entertained watching this drama and Lee Ji Hoon s characters death gutted me. As did pretty much all the cast performance at some point. So I will say this, acting and direction was great no doubt. But the script was really just a very typical Korean crime drama.
So, not terrible but nothing memorable either. They kept killing people off because the story was just so bland so all the death of the brother and Lee Ji Hoon was so pointless! No character acts the way they were set up and the so called 'growth' felt more like the characters doing something really convenient to bring about a plot twist. Eh. Okay I'm done lol
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This film is powerful. Pure art. I know it's not the sort that most people will get because it's not a guilty pleasure relief or melodrama, you can't 'ship' and expect trivial tropey dialog and sentiments, this is more like watching poetry. But if you do enjoy artistic poignancy and want to watch something with a little more meaning and depth, then please watch this one. The dialog is raw and honest and the love is always sincere and painful. Doesn't matter who you wanted the main character to end up with this film will teach you a great deal about love... and life. I don't like using words like ' literary tour de force ' at the risk of sounding like a paid review on a Dan Brown book jacket but I can't find any other words that fit.
Was this review helpful to you?
Anyway, so yes definitely watch if you are a kpop fan!
Was this review helpful to you?
OK so basically everything from murder to violence to cannibalism it's all there!!! Sometimes you'll laugh so hard at the dark humor you'll wonder what is wrong with you lol
Not my favorite but definitely worth watching if you can stomach the gore it's entertaining for sure and unpredictable.
In a way the old land lord and the girl with the suitcases seem like two loki style mischievous gods who are always manipulating the tenants. Like I said super trippy!
I liked the ending but you have to pay attention to understand it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
1, Sakurada DORI.
2. Phenomenal skin ship.
3. Sakurada DORI.
4. Pervy kinky male lead
5. Sakurada DORI.
6. Sakurada DORI
7. Sakurada DORI
And did I mention SAKURADA FREAKING DORI
XD
If that's not enough of a reason, well okay I know most people can't stand the idea of insta love so what can I say, MORE DORI FOR ME YOU LOSERS!!!!
XD
So now that that's out of the way I just thought this drama was well made, full of eye candy and the couple had chemistry and it's not the most brilliant writing but it's not bad writing either. This is very much guilty pleasure wish fulfillment at its finest!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
That right there is the entire heart of Murakami's story.
Yes, like every other pretentious snob I picked up a copy of Kafka On the Shore when I was a teenager and read it cover to cover by morning. And then I still remember using my measly allowance on buying whatever Murakami titles I could get my hands on because I still love paperbacks. The second purchase was the Hard Boiled Wonderland and The Elephant Vanishes. Both titles that will literally grab you and if you don't become a Murakami fan girl by then it's probably not for you.
I know I'm rambling because honestly there's a reason I used the phrase fan girl.
But while I love Murakamis works I never read him all the time. Like I love Black mirror but can't watch them without feeling all of my existential dread all at once. Give me gore I'll watch it read it no problem but when it's someone like Murakami who doesn't show a knife but you feel the cut deep down in your gut, he shows you a hole in the ground and you feel the claustrophia and choking sensation, what do you even call that?
Basically it's inscrutable horror of the worst kind.
So when I was finally able to get the courage to see Burning which btw I like Yoo Ah In obviously but ok Steven Yeun doing a Murakami interpretation-- my heart couldn't freaking handle it!!!
So many times I had to pause just to keep my heart from exploding. Fuck ok there's just something about watching THE GLENNspeak Korean asksdksds jeez he's so SEXY with that fucking charismatic look and the hypnotic voice jeeeeez and when the person you love so much does a fantastic job playing a Murakami character it's freaking Christmas and Birthday all at once.
So when I finally was able to stop fangirling long enough to watch the film it finally gutted me like I expected it to and what I loved about the film is it very much retained the main feel of Murakamis story.
I love the pantomime bit, when she peels the orange she was mesmerizing! I mean all three main leads NAILED their roles.
Jeon Jeong Seo played her earthy, bohemian, impulsive character Hae Mi in such an endearing way you couldn't help love her and even her sadness that seems to constantly plague her even though she's constantly laughing and talking, it's so heartbreaking to watch her fight those two sides of her.
YooAh In's Jong Su is a writer who is not sure about his own feelings and finds himself in an unlikely relationship with Hae Mi who's known to travel and is prone to leave for trips without telling anyone and he loves her even when she brings home Ben from her African trip.
Both Hae Mi and Jong Su are a little lost and traumatized by their pasts.
And then of course there's Ben, played by Steven Yeun who is the antithesis of everything Hae Mi is. She's bohemian, unpredictable, loud. He's practical, self-composed, hypnotic low but commanding voice.
When Hae Mi suddenly springs Ben on Jong Su he gets hurt but he also can't stop being a little fascinated by him. He even calls him Gatsby, because while filthy rich the source of Ben's fortune remains something of a mystery. The thing I loved was the way Yeun flawlessly and brilliantly played Ben's role in a nuanced, compelling way , bringing the complexity of his person so you couldn't stop falling for him (or maybe that was just me XD)
Omg I want to say soooo much but I'll stop now and please just watch this beautiful heartbreaking film.
And by the way this is one of those films that are entirely in metaphors just like Murakami especially Burning Barns (from The Elephant Vanishes if you're so inclined) so if you don't get metaphorical writing and visuals you probably won't get this film or the original story but let me know if you need some explanation feel free to pm me.
Was this review helpful to you?
A fun watch!
Was this review helpful to you?
Anyway, back to the film, that ending was perfect.
It wasn’t a great movie but it had its moments and definitely the triggering content made an impact . This movie takes a nihilistic view and shows us the brutal reality.
It doesn't glorify sexual deviancy or make light of it.
Just shows how hardened, cold, jaded people live their lives amidst all the hostility and the pain of loving people the world tells us we should be hating.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
I think Neo Hou (Minghao) played Wu Xie so well I was completely satisfied and as always we get more characterization and back stories, but I especially fell hard for the Qi Ling doppelganger story about the Republic, I think that's where Cheng Yi shined, and the role of Xie Yu Cheng played phenomenally by Liu Xue Yi, a super emotional, but morally ambiguous guy who is dangerous to anyone who crosses him yet is deathyly loyal to his cousins and his friends!
And Zhang Bo Yu was just perfect as Fatty, as always with his snark and fierce loyalty, his character made me laugh hysterically even when I was crying sometimes!
I can't wait for the next season!
Was this review helpful to you?
I long for you again. "
There's nothing like a drama that makes you cry not just during the sad scenes but also the happy moments. Because it means the words aren't the only thing evoking that feeling of sadness but also everything that you're witnessing on screen. From the shots, to the actors subtle emotions, to the soundtrack, this drama makes you feel. A starcrossed lovers story that reminded me of this Spanish film Little Ashes about Salvador Dalí and Federico García Lorca. I feel there's a lot in fact in this drama that will remind you of Spanish films in general. So, anyway that's how good it is. And truly the most beautiful thing about Hymn of Death is that it feels less about the actual characters portrayed and more about the struggle broken people face when they try to live a life of love and passion. In fact, even more beautiful was the way both the leads cried in many different moments, but don't shed a single tear in the entire last part. Like, that's PHENOMENAL. Because I was still a heartbroken mess for the entire last episodes.
Must watch for anyone who truly appreciates art.
Was this review helpful to you?
This is easily one of my favorite movies now, because two of my favorite people being friends, and their banter and the whole scenario, it was so much fun to watch! Kind of like the Korean version of Kick-ass! Two regular friends banding together to fight a much stronger evil force.
We all know Park Seo Joon and Kang Ha Neul are two of the most amazing actors and it shows in this movie where they both play the parts of guys who meet in the police academy and become friends when Park Ki Joon (Park Seo Joon) saves another trainee Kang Hee Yeol (Kang Ha Neul) when he gets hurt during a training session without thinking about getting a penalty.
Not only does this bond them but it shows a side of these two people who while still struggling with their own identity and the usual dilemmas people that young face, worrying about making the wrong career choice, money issues, not having a girlfriend, just basically being a young adult.
They go out one night to a bar to have fun and meet girls, but instead end up being caught up in a world of human trafficking when they witness a girl getting kidnapped and thrown into a van. They try to get the cops to help but realize that without the pressure of an adult, no one is going to listen to them especially because the girl in question is a runaway and doesn't have a family who would file an actual missing persons report.
Ki Joon (Seo Joon) gets angry and starts to lash out at the cop who refuses to take them seriously but Hee Yeol (Kang) manages to get him to calm down and they both decide to catch the criminals on their own because they learned in their training that the first seven hours are crucial in a female kidnapping case. After that time has passed, there's less chance of finding them and they don't want to waste any more time.
With no idea who the victim was they go back to the site of the kidnapping to look for clues.
After that ensues an interesting little plot about a young girl being sold to human traffickers and how two naive trainees go in search of her applying whatever knowledge they have of police work and even end up putting their own lives at risks, when they could have just as easily not bothered and stayed safe.
One of the things that I love about this movie is their characters. They're well thought out, well acted, such an amazing combo! When they go from total badasses to acting their real age you fall in love with their inexperienced innocence, and their naive charm. In a time where people are forgetting about family values and give very little importance to friends because we all think we can live in a bubble and survive, this movie shows two people who believe in each other and in the goodness of people. And they do it not by demanding everyone to be good to them but by SHOWING them how it's done.
An amazing, fresh new take that you have to check out!
Was this review helpful to you?
