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Seeing Haruta's character, and his set up was pretty interesting. It's very rare that Japanese dramas try to cover such territory without belittling such characters or overdramatizing them. This had none of that as Shin seems pretty cheerful and accepting of most anyone and anything. Honestly, I would've liked it more without the romance elements.
In comes Haruta's ex-wife, and Miyako (Kiko Mizuhara) to churn up feelings on all ends, and where we get the most interesting character interactions. They were sweet, they were hurtful, and it really exemplified true human emotions. Of course, with over the top, weird side plots and minor characters that were quirky but rather laughable. The conclusion was solid, but rather expected and kinda creepy when you think about ages of the characters.
I did like both the ending and opening themes; they balanced a lot of the elements of the show well. Of course, the music throughout the series was appropriate but unmemorable.
My major problem is that this show pretty much pigeon-holed Kiko as a typical troupe. Get to about episode 6 of this series, look up her character in 'Shitsuren Chocolatier' and you'll see what I mean.
My second problem in Shin. He shows very minimal character development, even though he's one of the main characters. It's kinda amazing how truly of an air head he remains for the majority of the series.
Overall, if you're looking for a not so typical rom-com for some easy watching; 'Kokoro ga Pokitto ne' is your series.
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The story is the true life story of Xiao Hong the writer, and for as unbelievable as the her life seems; it's 100% true. The chronological order is accurate, as well as names and locations for where critical moments take place. While the pacing is slow, it helps respect the duration of Xiao Hong's life, which was a very brief 35 years of life.
Acting, was honestly a mixed bag in my opinion. A lot of the scenes were well done, if not a little too bland where it seemed where I looking at people on the street verses actors or actresses. The intimacy scenes, sexual and non-sexual are very dramatically rendered, some of them too much so. If you have historical background in China, you'll understand why. Of course, there were a few scenes where I did tear up. More towards the end after you start to care for the characters, but touching where I did cry despite not being a crier.
The music was unnoticeable, at least to me. And I doubt I'll be rewatching this since I had to watch it for class and a bit longer then my current tastes.
If you're a fan of Xiao Hong, you should give this movie a shot. Even if you're not a fan of her, this movie while slow is worth the build up.
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The plot is rather simple; a group of 30 students and 2 teachers are set to go on a school trip. Unfortunately, due to a series of circumstances on the fault of both the school and bus company an accident ensues and only 5 students are alive, and stranded in the woods of Shizuoka where they are pushed to all their 'limits'. It's more psychological then gore, and more survival story then survival of the fittest.
I was hooked from episode one. It's paced rather quickly, but not overwhelmingly so. The short episodes cover a lot of ground in 30 minutes but rarely does it leave loose ends. If you're not careful, you'll miss certain details that will come back into the story.
The actors and casting was PERFECT. The mixed appearances, backgrounds really add a lot of depth and variety to the show where it could have been rather stale. I really couldn't have asked for a better cast. I rarely get hooked from acting alone (usually plot or a single actor/actress) but this series had it all. The actual setting/set they used was excellent as well.
The music was alright. They had good mood music, but nothing memorable.
Like a lot of reviews I leave; I'm not a huge re-watcher. But this series since it's so short and packs a punch I'd consider re-watching.
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Overall, for such a short special, two 25 minutes episodes, it's okay. It's not long enough to really develop a solid plot with conflict and character development. It is short and sweet and worth spending an hour of your time watching. While the roles were not difficult characters, the ladies of Perfume prove the do have some capabilities in acting. (I say this as a fan of Perfume, but also someone who knows difficult roles verses easy ones.)
The music wasn't there aside from the ending theme, and even that was so-so. Overall, a solid 6 from me. Not something I'll be skipping other dramas to re-watch, but I wouldn't mind doing so with a friend who hasn't seen it.
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The story is centered around a group of high school girls, a few teachers, and one small family of three living in the high school after the zombie apocalypse happens. The girls face being killed not only on the outside, but the inside as well. Of course, being trapped in school there's a lot of internal drama as well. The story actually had a lot of minor details done right that lead from one plot point to another really well. If you can get past some of the cringe (too many inserted moments of the little boys flipping their skirts), and the side tracked episode 4, you'll be pretty intrigued by the drama as a whole.
I don't remember anyone's names, but the acting by everyone was really well done. It wasn't cringe-y, and it wasn't unwatchable as whole. The main members for the drama that were chosen did well, and actually looked like they were acting. Just mostly ignore their narrator counterparts. Part of me understood the cheesy intros and part of me wished they weren't there at all.
The music is fun to listen too, and isn't all AKB stuff. It's rather quirky once you see and hear the 'magic' song.
The major fault of this was the ending. I hated it, it was not satisfactory at all considering the build up it had and the potential. I wasn't expecting it to be completely concluded with no loose ends, but the ending they chose and how they framed it was beyond disappointing. That sapped my re-watch value completely for this series.
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Less AI, More Original Thought Please
Where to begin... if I had done my due diligence and double checked all the hashtags I wouldn't have bothered. If you hate AI, skip this one without a second thought.Yes, I'm biased as hell as a born AI hater. This drama could've been really cute. The premise, if it didn't have AI, is a standard meet-cute premise. There's some great shot composition for a vertically filmed drama, the set design is slick and appealing, and the acting is pretty solid. I mean, being on Youtube for accessibility is nice as well.
The problem is, the entire thing is an extended ad for Google Gemini. The female lead, from episode one, doesn't seem to have an original thought of her own. It's hilarious that she uses Google Gemini to solve all her problems, but somehow conjures up an original idea to win of all things, a graphic design competition. Yet as soon as she lands the job, she's back to AI bullshit. It could've been inspiring, if it wasn't for the AI coat of paint. Which is a shame.
I'm sure AI supporters would eat this up right away. As someone whose a hater though, even with the short run time I actually REGRET watching this. Don't waste your time with AI slop, watch a better short form drama with no AI included.
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A Recipe Not Worth It's Ingredients
Where to even begin with this one... I watched for my girl Nahyun, formerly of Sonamoo and was pleasantly surprised to see the rest of the cast that was included. Unfortunately for me, Nahyun and the other idols listed that I was interested in seeing on screen are relegated to the last half hour of film.Instead of focusing on what makes the idol group, we get a deeply unfunny film focused on a washed up manager, Bae Jae Seong, trying to take advantage of the situation. Told in a series of 'The Hangover' inspired alcoholic binge and black-out story bits and pieces, without any punchlines or soul for any character, hero or villain. The padding being the individual idols stories, which are nothing but cookie-cutter and uninspired that we've seen other stories do before, and better.
What makes the movie worse, is the clear lack of focus and detailing. The audio, especially for a story that should focus on music, was awful. I constantly had to monitor my own volume in order to not get my ears blown out, or attempt to pick up any of the spoken dialogue - some of which I only knew was happening due to the subtitles. The sets were bland and felt closer to rented locations for influencers, not a feature length film. The filming and direction was fine, but nothing impressive for evocative.
The only redeeming quality for fans of any of the idols, is genuinely the last ten ish minutes of the film. You don't even need to pretend to know what's going on or how they got their to enjoy it. Honestly, most of their acting skills, minus Bae Woo Hee, are... limited to say the least. It won't blow you away by any means, but at least it's the Idol Recipe completed and that's about all anyone needs anyway.
This is by no means, a good film in ANY regard. It's something you can put on in the background while working, glance up every once in awhile, and get the gist of it. Probably don't need to look up if you have a decent command of Korean. But if you're a fan of someone in cast - save yourself the trouble and just watch the final performance and count it as watched.
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Bessho, and (I believe) Ozaki Ai, are completely complementary to one another. Bessho plays the part of an eclectic if not semi-violent in inspiration designer. The tone of his voice, against Ozaki's shows a stark contrast between man and women, but their two viewpoints as well. Ozaki has slow build up in her delivery of translation/interpretation, and the cut scenes elaborating her role will leave you wanting more.
Musically, not much going on therefore the low score. The rewatch value is high since it's so short and well delivered. Overall, if you're looking for something to just have a good 'oh' moment without watching a plot drag on forever; "Lies" is it.
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The story is a bit bland and kinda typical for a music based movie. It the basic struggles of a niche, session band looking to sign a label contract and the struggles they face. Pretty readable, pretty basic, not a new thing. However the concept of only one member of a band being sought out (headhunting) is 100% accurate in the world of VKei so that was a pleasant surprise to featured and featured accurately.
I didn't care for the sub-plot romance between Aki and Nanami, it was honestly just filler for me. Otherwise, the plot is pretty solid and doesn't drag out too much.
Seeing Takeru from SuG acting here was AMAZING. He did a lot better then expected/I was led to believe by previous comments and such. It's no wonder that he ended up taking half a dozen cameo roles later on. Kiriyama Renn as support helped flesh out the cast, especially since there wasn't too much for the other characters to really develop on.
Of course, the music if you're a VKei fan is EXCELLANT. Love the sound track so much, so glad that they let Takeru sing for real.
Since it's so short, I might rewatch, might not. Watching it in 11 parts on youtube was not an easy feat. xD
Overall, if you like VKei or specifically SCREW or SuG; you should watch. If you're curious about the VKei world, this movie isn't a bad introduction to it either. For being relatively simple of a premise, it was a short easy watch for any drama fan.
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We see Moga and Eimi continue on after their misadventures in the first season. They happen to be helping out Rina, who, surprise is also a White Witch from a different academy. The 'black' witches arrive, and declare not war, but superiority over the white witches and capture Rina. For some reason, a mysterious red suited man appears to assist Moga in a time of crisis.
Again, you can almost 100% read this plot like the first season. But it's still very much worth a watch if you liked the first season and looking for something to numb your mind a bit. Again, the acting isn't great, but definitely better then Season I. The fight choreography got even better, which is a plus (still cheesy at parts though).
The episodes are a touch longer (on average 20 minutes an episode), but the season is shorter (only 5 episodes). The plot, while not as strong as the original, was tacked on nicely and works out without too many kinks. The black witches, and other new characters aren't idols but actual actresses/actors which allows a more stable flow of scenes and direction.
The music, is recycled from the first season, aside from a new song you'll hear.
Again, this isn't a serious drama. This isn't something you're going to be raving to your friends about. But it's worth a watch if you liked the first season. It's worth a watch if you need something to numb you're brain about. It's cute, it's dramatic, and I, despite the low rating, enjoyed it.
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I was told this drama is a true tear jerker, and that to proceed with caution. I ended up marathoning it in two days.
It's a rather simple story of highschool sweethearts, through their ups, downs, and all sorts of other events, persisting through it all. This drama will have you rooting for people, crying, even hating a few people. It has it all.
I didn't like the pacing, it was REALLY fast since it's only 6 episodes. Be prepared for significant, but marked, time skips. And be prepared for about 2-3 drama moments per episode that will have you crying your heart out.
I was hesitant to start watching, but I'm so glad I finished it. I will most likely be rewatching in the future with friends, and a tissue box handy.
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I went in with low expectations, and well, it was about what I expected. The plot is kinda simple, girls who have varied troubled pasts (we're talking a lot of exploitation, bullying issues here) are recruited to Shiromajo Gakuen (White Magic School) in order to become an all powerful 'White Witch'. Of course, all is not what it seems and from there, it turns vaguely into something akin to Battle Royale with magical powers. You can guess (and be correct) about the entire plot by the end of episode 1. It's pretty choppy in delivery too, but it gets the job done.
To be honest; it's a sub par filler drama. The acting isn't great since the main characters are all from Depagumi.inc; they're singers over actors. Although, like I said, I really like Moga and her character here. From what I can tell it was all their first time trying a drama, and a mini drama wasn't a terrible start. The three full fledged witches are all minor talents who didn't have much traction. Kasumi's actress is actually pretty solid, and fleshed out her character as best she could.
The music was all right. The opening and ending are sung by, you guessed it; Dempagumi.inc . The rest of the audio tracks are alright, although the 'witch activation' affects are overdone.
It's not a good drama overall to be completely honest. If you're looking for something a little mind-numbing or you need a drama series to counter act a binge horror watch; this would be it.
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