Maggi64

The director, screenwriter, and cast did not disappoint for season two. It's just perfect. Alas, I could only get a GagaOOlala version and their subs are poor again. My biggest gripe is that they translated "kimo" as "gross" once again, when what it really means is "creepy." I wish I could get a Viki version because they translated it correctly as "creepy" last season and it made a crucial difference to Kiyoi's character. For instance, calling Hira "gross" made Kiyoi seem cruel, whereas calling Hira "creepy" fits, because Hira truly is creepy.

Oh well, I suppose I'll simply have to wait for the Viki subs to be posted. But I was so eager to watch this today that I watched whichever version was posted first! lol.

When you hear the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" within the first 15 minutes, you know you are in for a super cool, modern adaptation of Dostoevsky's 1880 novel, "The Brothers Karamazov." And the show thereon does not disappoint.

I read the novel and can say that the screenwriter did a splendid job of retaining not only all the crucial plot points, but the spirit of the novel as well. The Japanese are known for being fastidiously faithful to source material, and this show is a good example. Indeed, the screenwriter made only a couple of changes (most significantly, a change to the mother's character, and the addition of a detective's interrogation of the characters as a framing device), and those choices worked brilliantly.

To be clear, while this drama is faithful to the novel, the story is so good that one need not have read the novel to appreciate it. In short, those who read the novel will be pleased by the faithful adaptation, while those who have not read the novel will be pleased by what is, simply, a damn good story.

It's an intensely interesting story that had the benefit of an expert director who told it with a brisk pace and compelling emotional drive. It also features an exceptional cast, all of whom are terrific actors. Add to this the fact that they are playing fully developed, psychologically fascinating characters. Then, finally, we have a deeply meaningful theme which the show conveys organically through the characters' actions, rather than teleprompting it by having characters mouth the theme in a cheap, obvious fashion. Thus, we have impressive screenwriting, directing, acting, soundtrack, story, characters and theme -- all of which made this this drama a powerful viewing experience. I highly recommend it.


NOTE: This has the coolest soundtrack ever. It's all American/British Classic Rock, replete with songs by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, and Nirvana among others.

Ok, I won't put a spoiler tag for what happens in the manga, because it does not happen in this movie, and this page is about the movie only. I didn't read the manga, but read in comments here that the guy marries the little girl when she grows up, something which the movie, thankfully, omits.

This would be illegal in America for 2 reasons. One, an adopted child is officially your child, and one cannot legally marry their own children. Two, the child in this movie is the man's grandfather's daughter, making her his aunt. Thus, the genetic relation is too close to legally marry in America, even if he never adopted and raised the child. So my question is whether or not it is truly legal in Japan to marry one's adopted child, and/or to marry a person who is genetically only two steps away. An aunt and nephew marrying, as in the manga, are genetically only 2 steps away and, thus, their children would have genetic disorders. Is this legal in Japan or did the manga writer simply ignore the laws and make this up?

Yes, it was about the fall of the yakuza, but your comments here are still all legit. Because it was also, as you said, about the journey of one particular man. That's what made it so great -- ie, it told the story both of the larger group (the fall of the yakuza) while simultaneously telling the story of one man. I loved it and gave it a solid 10.

Also, I am dying to know who that blonde actor was. The cast is not listed here for some reason so I can't check, but I am sure I have seen him in another Taiwanese movie.

LOL, when you say, "I think Hao has already and will in the future leave a string of other "Tods" in his wake, and they will all probably be in love with him." I totally agree.

This guy is a heartbreaker and will absolutely leave any boy he stays with in love with him. Hell, I fell in love with his character just watching this movie. I adore people like him! Yea, he's a bad boy who will get you in trouble (he's got Todd breaking shop windows and using a stolen bank card to withdraw money from an ATM), but he's irresistible nonetheless.

lol, I guess the phrase, "creepy, disgusting people doing creepy, disgusting things" would actually make me curious to see a movie too.

A 35-40 year old cop continually has sex with a 15 year old girl as they, um, "fall in love." We're supposed to accept that this is ok, and that it truly is "love" because the 15 yr old girl is weird as fuck and spouts gibberish about Chinese proverbs related to the Chinese symbol tattooed on the cop's back. But the film does nothing to denote any kind of love between the two, and the constant tattoo gibberish simply comes off as an excuse to show an old man diddling a little girl.

Others in the town know about the affair and a cop at the precinct simply jokes to the main character cop, "So you've moved on from married women to school girls, huh?" The 15 yr old girl's grandfather (and her caretaker), not only approves of the relationship, but gives his blessing and asks the cop to take good care of his granddaughter after he dies. In other words, the affair is played as ok within the social context of the character's world as another way of making the viewer accept it. Note to the director: it did not work. Because the viewer still does not accept it. Indeed, the viewer is still repulsed by this affair.

All of the characters are unrealistically weird, and have backstories of parents who are either suicidal or sexually abusive. The 15 year old girl's brother is mentally disabled and her grandfather is an undertaker. Her job is to put makeup on corpses, and we see her doing this a number of times. The movie is packed with such scenes that are designed to be meaningful but are, instead, simply disturbing. This makes it worse than pretentious, because even the pretentiousness falls flat. Ultimately, it's just a movie where creepy, disgusting people do creepy disgusting things.

It already is. I marked it as a spoiler 2 months ago when I posted the comment.

They keep switching it up for the actor to be a good guy helping his crush to a bad guy doing it for money. Which is it? Give me a spoiler.

This is the only BL I've watched more than My Beautiful Man. They are my top two faves, and both Japanese. No side characters, no filler, no waste like the Thai BL's, or increasingly the long Taiwanese BL's. The Japanese nail it in just 20 minute episodes. Alas, MBM and OFC were so good that I want more and end up rewatching both . Indeed, I'm embarrassed to say how many times, lol.

I only wish OFC had a long, tender kiss at the end. But they are following the manga to a tee and the kiss was cut short at the end. But hey, like you said in your other comment here, at least they did do a quick kiss in Togawa's confession scene. God, that was heartbreaking. Both guys were splendid actors and you really see it in that scene (it was all done in one take).

BTW, MBM is kicking off Season 2 next week. I am sure we'll get season two of OFC too, cuz it was #1 on Raketuen and the confession scene trended on Twitter. Soooo good!

This and Eternal Summer are two totally different movies, and each good in its own way. You are acting as if one must make a choice out of only two LGBT films in the world, with one good and one bad. Moreover, your tone is clearly showing off what you think makes you sound intellectual and of rarefied tastes (eg, you trash the masses who made it a hit). It wasn't some cheap blockbuster designed for the masses, but a film that was praised by serious critics as well. Indeed, you should check out some of the critics and you'll see how silly you sound.

It's interesting that Birdy is the brave one in the beginning and risks himself to protect the gay kid whom they are near torturing in the bathroom, while Jia Han was the coward who succumbed to peer pressure and was ready to bash the gay kid with a baseball bat. Birdy also tries to fight police who were harassing the gay condom activist in Taipei, and Jia Han had to hold him back. Then they switch roles. Now it's Birdy who's succumbs to peer pressure and runs for cover behind a faux girlfriend. And it's Jia Han who is brave about voicing his homosexual attraction. I thought this switch was very powerful.

thanks!

You realize he was not truly a pedophile, right? It turned out that he was incapable of sex cuz he had that medical condition called micro-penis. That's what he stripped to show the girl at the end. He could not be with women because of that.

Wow, it's the same author!

But what does any of that have to do with making porn? The rumor was about porn, right? At any thanks for your reply.

I agree that BL's and Asian dramas in general, are way too fluffy. Both the BL's and hetero dramas use the old "slip and catch" (SAC) where one slips into the others arms and they stare at each other interminably. I can't stand that and groan every time. The Thai BL's are especially rife with SACs, while the Koreans use SACs for gay and straight dramas. Can't anyone just consciously kiss? lol.

BTW, I want to thank you for a polite and engaging conversation. We may not always have agreed, but respected each others views. That doesn't always happen (in fact, it failed to happen with a guy on this thread the other day). At any rate, thanks!

The LGBT movies from the West you cite may not be overtly political, but they all feature some struggle. Consider Carol and how she fights against homophobia to be with the woman she loves. And the same in Young Royals. These characters are all fighting to be with a same sex lover. In BL's, conversely, it's all flowers and sunshine. The girls who watch them only want what they call "fluffy." Now, I prefer a little bit of struggle, while also thinking that it's harmless if some girls want fluff. I loved the LGBT Korean film "Night Flight" which depicts horrifying homophobia in Korea. I mean, a gay guy is beaten and raped for Christ sake. But it also has the best revenge scene EVER at the end. Now this is one I recommend.

As for GL's audience, yes, it's a smaller market. Gay guys and girls will watch hot men in BL's but they don't typically want to see 2 women, and straight guys only want to see lesbians in porn, not romance as you astutely noted. That leaves only lesbians as the market for GL's.. Well, one would think. Because straight women will also watch GL's. Women are more open audiences in general. I used to work in publishing and women were also our prime target there. They consume 80% of books sold, and it's women who decide on what movies to watch in theatres. So it's always wisest to pitch your product to women, and with us being more open minded, that's a good thing.. I am proud of my sex on this note :)

Can you tell me why under a spoiler tag? I don't want him to turn out to be a cartoon villain, as he's been drawn realistically thus far, and a villain would be, moreover, utterly inconsistent with how the character's been depicted thus far.