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Story
I didn’t have a problem with the age difference. The ML is 939 years old. Anyone under 800 wouldn’t have anything in common with him. But seriously, the ML and FL have been touched and in their eyes cursed by the supernatural, so these are not two ordinary people. Most importantly, she is the Goblin’s bride, not wife. She has one job and I won’t spoil it here but it is not to warm his bed. He never comes across as some old geezer trying to seduce her. Even by Kdrama standards, this one is chaste.
The Goblin knows what her job is, anticipates and accepts it. But the moment she brings hope and light into his life the conflict within him and the story explodes. As he watches her and feels his heart begin to beat again the poetry that springs forth from him was so beautiful it gave my brain a little orgasm.
The conflicts in this story are mostly internal but the stakes are high.
I usually skim the secondary characters’ stories because too often they seem like filler and distract from the main storyline. Not this time. The Reaper’s and Sunny’s stories were seamlessly interwoven and integral to the main story.
The bromance between the Goblin and Reaper is legendary so I won’t go into it.
I watched every minute of this drama, savoring each one. Forgiveness plays a big role in this story. Our characters find it is not easily earned or given, whether it be for the self, others, or The Powers That Be.
Acting
This was my first time for all these actors and I wouldn’t make a single casting change.
Gong Yoo did an amazing job as ruthless warrior, tragic guardian angel and Oscar to the Reaper’s Felix.
Kim Go Eun did a good job as the girl both afflicted and blessed by her special case.
The secondary characters were all spot on and Lee Dong Wook has to be one of the most beautiful criers in the business.
OST
I don’t normally pay attention to the music unless I love it or despise it. The music in Goblin enhanced the story without distracting from it, a difficult task. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The cinematography was stunning. I had to shush my photographer husband who kept commenting on it. Which brings me to the rewatch value.
Rewatch Value
My husband who has only watched a few scattered episodes of Asian dramas sat down and watched this with me on my second go around. We laughed and cried together (damn allergies!). I will watch it again. And again.
This story of love, family, friendship, redemption, and forgiveness is definitely worth a try.
***November 2024 rewatch thoughts:
Still
I continue to love this drama, even after 5 years. The bromance was still excellent. The iconic scenes still moved me, even though numerous dramas have since tried to copycat them. Sunny and The Reaper were still heartbreaking. Lee Dong Wook is still the most beautiful crier I've seen. The OST is still one of my favorites and gives me goosebumps when I hear it. The umbrella scene that spawned a jillion others is still the best. Gong Yoo in Goryeo costume and wig is still a ferocious beast.
The humor was still cringey and the age gap when veering into the romantic could be as well. Kim Shin acting like a 939-year-old skittish virgin still boggles the mind. Overall, it kept me emotionally engaged, something few Kdramas have been able to do in recent years. Oh, and Gong Yoo still has it, aging like a fine wine.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Humans don't recognize an opportunity even when it's handed to them"
Death’s Game Part 2 came out of the gate strong, stronger than part one. The question continued to be whether Choi Yi Jae would win the game and what did that really mean?Starting the second part with Kim Jae Wook playing an evil artist is never a bad place to begin. He has a dangerous intensity hiding behind that chiseled beauty. Once again Choi Yi Jae is thrown into seemingly disparate lives with the orders that he cannot kill-others or himself. This ultimatum becomes more difficult with each life he leaps into. As he discovers the deadly tentacles of Taekang Group’s Park Tae Woo and how it has affected his life and of those he loves, he ventures near the precipice of hell.
The guest stars in Part 2 were even stronger than Part 1. Kim Mi Kyung finally had a chance to shine in the drama as Choi’s mother. The strong older actors threatened to outshine Seo In Guk as the lives he was reincarnated in. The production values were once again high as well.
I was completely absorbed in this tale of what seemed like revenge more than a journey into the soul. The elements of the revenge story were tied together nicely as Choi used what he learned in each life to bring down Park. Ultimately, the game was about Choi Yi Jae’s life. With the pieces finally in place to end a murderer’s reign of terror I still wondered if Choi had learned anything about himself and what the point of the reincarnations was. He was a difficult character to like. Self-absorbed, self-pitying, and arrogant he took a long time to understand that his actions had consequences for others.
***Spoilerish comments below***
Finally, the story took a turn into a path toward enlightenment. He hadn’t learned much in 11 of his lives, only in the last one did he understand what true pain was. I was actually quite disappointed in the final minutes of the drama that undid everything prior to it. And I’m not sure about the message on suicide. Torture people into understanding how their actions have effects on others and that some people have it worse than them? When a person is seriously depressed and suicidal, they may not be able to see that. Therapy and medications, interventions and social/financial assistance may be more helpful than the threat of a worse hell than the one they are in.
The ahjussis and ahjummas did an amazing job bringing their characters to life as well as Kim Jae Wook. The story brought all the revenge pieces together in a satisfying manner although they never did answer who the woman was that died at the bottom of the building with Choi which was disappointing. I honestly thought her death was one of the reasons he was being punished. The last episode was deeply moving in regards to a mother’s enduring love and sacrifice. Having learned how to live his life without being in constant fear of failure and rejection, I only hope Choi Yi Jae took what he learned about the people with their lives in the balance and reached out to help at least a few of them or else it feels like everything he went through was for nothing, to say nothing of the murderous Park Tae Woo being on the loose again. Death’s Game P2 progressed in a strong, emotional gait to the end and then left me disillusioned with the final outcome.
5 Jan 2024
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Res ipsa loquitur
Joseon Attorney 'appealed' to me because it stars Woo Do Hwan and it’s an historical, two of my favorite things. However, at 16 one-hour episodes it could not ‘sustain’ any level of intensity. Uneven performances and storytelling almost made me hold it in ‘contempt’. Woo Do Hwan’s performance ended up being the ‘grounds’ for me to finish it. Oh yeah, going to be law puns in this review!Han Su and his buddy Dong Chi come to town looking to make money while plotting revenge on the people responsible for killing Han Su’s parents. Along the way he meets an undercover princess and turns enemies into friends.
I almost dropped this drama after the first episode as I 'judged' it to be cringey in the most 'arbitrary' way. Instead, I bit the bullet and was able to finish the 'rest' of the episodes. As the ‘cases’ became more interesting and the revenge plot deepened, I began to enjoy it more. The romance felt unearned and didn’t ‘exhibit’ much chemistry between Han Su and So Won. My chief ‘complaint’ was that So Won’s character wasn’t written very well. She was earnest but despite saying she trusted Han Su, her ‘actions’ constantly countermanded him. Bona had one expression which made her character even more uninteresting. Yoo Ji Sun had a similar emotional 'delivery' 'issue'. The king was largely ‘incompetent’ needing others to help make 'decisions' and couldn’t ‘bail’ anyone out.
The story 'diminished' in the last few episodes. The king 'rendered a decision' based on 'facts not in evidence' that drastically ‘damaged’ Han Su. In almost no time, Han Su ‘waived’ the ‘offense’ and was back to being buddies with the king. The ‘execution’ of alternating between comedy and drama was not well done. Woo Do Hwan ‘demonstrated’ a wide variety of emotions with his usual skill. The ‘issue’ of going from laughter to tears and back again, and not ‘settling’ on a thematic mood made it difficult for me to care about the characters as I find comedic responses to serious problems distancing. The OST lacked in coherency and was ‘liable’ to cause ‘motion’ sickness as it bounced from music inspired by 1970’s television, to rock, to overtly melodramatic tunes. Trying to fit in as many bromances as possible also ‘challenged’ the veracity of the story.
Joseon Attorney didn’t raise the ‘bar’ for historicals, but I don’t hold it ‘in contempt’ either. I’d make the ‘argument’ it could have been more ‘brief’ instead of dragging out the episodes and I ‘penalized’ it for some of the weaker performances. The drama didn’t do Woo Do Hwan’s talents any ‘justice’ either. After ‘examining the evidence’, my ‘verdict’ is that while it was ‘unobjectionable’, it was not ‘effectual’.
7 July 2024
*res ipsa loquitur-the things speaks for itself
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Will someone please think of the children!
When your introduction to a movie is a mad scientist and then an alligator wandering in the ruins of the city, you know you are in for a wild ride. Badland Hunters won’t be remembered for its riveting plot but when you have Ma Dong Seok swinging his mighty fists and a giant serrated machete it really doesn’t matter.Three years after an earthquake that leveled Korea, Nam San along with teenagers Choi Ji Wan and Su Na live in an encampment called the Bus District. Due to a devastating drought, water is the most precious commodity. Nam San and Ji Wan are hunters for the people. They trade meat for whatever their neighbors can spare. A well-dressed group comes to the encampment looking for teenagers. The newcomers promise Su Na and her grandmother all the fresh water they can drink, shelter, and food at the only apartment complex to survive the quake. In a dystopian future when armed men come promising “heaven on earth”, best to be suspicious. It doesn’t take long for everyone to realize that heaven is not all it seems to be when a mad scientist is running the place. Nam San was ready rain down hell on the complex to rescue Su Na.
It would have been nice to have some background info on our main characters, but in this sort of movie it’s not overly necessary. Though it stumbled about in regards to narrative, the fights were right on point. Nam San had to take the scenic route on the way to the apartment complex so that he, Ji Wan, and newcomer Eun Ho could battle their way through two gangs. While the story didn’t add anything new to the genre except for maybe the whole “I am the Lizard King” angle, the fights were well choreographed. Most of the hand-to-hand combat was in close quarters and bloody. Very bloody. Lots of dismemberments and decapitations. The big draw to a film like this was watching Ma Dong Seok do his stuff. I love this big ahjussi hitter.
The production values were fairly high though some of the destroyed city sets looked familiar from other dramas and movies set in the dry ruins of Korea. Badland Hunters didn’t set itself apart in this genre but it was entertaining. I could have used 25% more ahjussi hitter. I’m just happy Ma Dong Seok is still making this kind of fun action film at the age of 52. If you are looking for a taut script with new thrilling elements in the ruins of the future, you might need to look elsewhere, especially if you’ve seen a number of this type of movie. But if, like me, you enjoy watching the big guy pummel his way through baddies, even ones with long forked tongues, you might want to give this a try.
26 January 2024
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I would walk 5000 miles for you or 8046 km, whichever comes first
Fair warning, Sunshine that Can Move Mountains is one of those mildly contemplative, slow paced, nothing really happens movies that are like butterfly nip to me. This is not the strongest Tibetan Buddhist film I’ve watched, but I still enjoyed it.Twenty-four-year-old Tenzin Paljor/Banjue is a monk who has resided at the monastery near Lhasa since he was a child. He’s already completed 100,000 prostrations and is well thought of by the Lama/Guru. When a messenger arrives to inform Tenzin that his brother, Luoci, was badly injured in a mountain fall, Tenzin has to leave. The Lama calls on the monastery to pray for Tenzin as he knows this two-week period will be a trial for the young man and worries he might not return. The two weeks becomes an extended stay as Tenzin helps his mother care for his brother which puts him in uncomfortably close quarters with his beautiful and potential sister-in-law.
I shouldn’t have said nothing happens in this film. There was a love square, a missing yak, and beautiful snowfall. The Buddhist themes and symbolism were strong, many of which I’m sure I missed or didn’t fully understand. That didn’t stop me from settling into this film and going along with it. The scenery and cinematography were stunning and the small village was like stepping back into time albeit with motorbikes.
This film will not appeal to the majority of film fans, I’m sure. This sort of spiritual journey with a devoted monk tempted to set aside his calling for the secular life and love is my jam. The story definitely had a few hiccoughs, but overall, I enjoyed the mostly quiet contemplation on life and life goals. 7.75 rounded up to 8.0
6 July 2026
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Pat and Angie have lived together in the apartment they bought for 30 years. To quote Forrest Gump they go together like peas and carrots. Once factory girls, they found a way to own a textile factory, which they sold years ago. They help Pat’s family financially when they can and always with deep seated affection. All seems well with this loving family until Pat dies suddenly without a will. With money and real estate involved, the familial bonds inexorably unwind. Angie found herself going from a life partner to a “best friend.”
I knew when I saw the synopsis where this film was headed. As same sex marriage is not currently legal in Hong Kong, Angie was in for a very rude awakening during her grief. If there is one complaint I have, it is that Pat and Angie had owned a business and had to know that everything needs to be in writing, documented, signed and sealed, especially for a particularly vulnerable relationship in the eyes of the law. * If a blow-up swimming pool has a deed or title, both people’s names better be on it or some greedy relative will appear to try and make a claim. Pat had too much faith that her family would honor her wishes. The situation in the film was that Pat’s brother became the executor and his say was all that mattered in regards to the funeral, the apartment, and other financial concerns. They quietly stole what was not theirs, all the while justifying it by minimizing Angie’s contributions through the years.
Patra Au gave a beautifully nuanced and complex performance as Angie’s grief was interrupted by the supposed loving family’s greed. Without screaming or wailing, she conveyed the pain of loss and the anger over the betrayals hurled her way. And the bitter resignation to her legal situation which saw her relationship minimized. There were also the gentle moments with Pat walking hand-in-hand and her kindnesses toward Pat’s family before they turned on her. Patra brought Angie to life and made her feel real.
Money can make even level-headed people throw away their ethics, rationalizing their despicable behavior. Pat and Angie’s love was beautiful and tender, the healthiest relationship in the family. Truly kind individuals, they were generous with their time and money. Luckily for Angie, she at least had the made family of friends she and Pat had cultivated who were far more caring and loyal than Pat’s biological kin. Pat’s family wasn’t overtly homophobic but that didn’t make their actions any less mercenary. This woman who had been an integral part of their lives for 30 years, who had shared their joys and sorrows was systematically erased. The one thing they couldn’t erase was the love and memories the women shared.
29 June 2026
Spoilery comments:
Edit---*PBG Note: Our beloved PBG brought up in a comment below that same sex couples who marry outside of HK/China are recognized for inheritance purposes. The movie did mention this legal maneuver that unfortunately, this older couple did not take advantage of. They made numerous mistakes. Pat put off writing her will for whatever reason, even though Angie helped pay for the apartment her name was not on the deed, some people have trouble recognizing their own mortality. I think the couple was so close to Pat's family that they never dreamed that they would be capable of stealing Angie's home and finances.
Vengeful Note: I hope that family never had a peaceful moment in the apartment and Pat's ghost haunted them for fun when she wasn't visiting Angie.
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"Liking someone has nothing to do with killing them"
The Vendetta of On was a fairly standard drama featuring a strategic genius bent on revenge after the murders of his loved ones. As always, when doing a familiar story, the execution is key and Vendetta acquitted itself well. Much like Mei Chang Su in Nirvana in Fire, Xie Huai An rocked his fur lined costume and stayed at least one step ahead of the bad guys…most of the time.Xie Huai An aka Liu Zhi has spent the last 15 years since escaping a massacre at his family residence plotting how to bring down the people responsible. The capital has changed ownership a couple of times and Xie is put to work by the new owner in finding the deposed previous owner as well as bringing down the traitorous and sly general of the Huben Army. Spies and sleeper cells abound, with layers upon layers of deceit and deception. Xie will have to count on his wits and friend circle to attain his goals and survive long enough enact his vengeance.
🟢What I liked:
It promised on revenge with the bodies stacking up early and often.
The tenacious and loyal General Gu. Despite being unable to walk he was still respected by his men. Was happy to see a wheelchair bound character written and portrayed so well.
Ye Zheng. I’m a bodyguard girl and was thrilled for Tong Meng Shi to play the role.
I wasn’t initially crazy about Faux Mo, but he grew on me and I was actually relieved his mask wasn’t removed later on as it helped my brain keep the continuity going.
The writers attempted to provide roles for women, even though most of the female guards were cookie cutter characters. I’m always astonished when these kinds of dramas all but omit women from the cast so I’m counting it as a win. Oddly, the casting director chose women who all looked quite similar despite the wide range of variety for the men.
The sets, wigs (important in these dramas!), acting, and fight choreography were all high quality. The drama also showed the cost of "othering" people.
Cheng Yi did a solid job as the obsessive Xie who had only one purpose in life. Even though Xie was usually ahead of everyone else, he did stumble on occasion without completely face-planting. I also enjoyed Wang Jin Song’s equally obsessive take on Wu Zhong Heng. There were numerous single-minded people in this drama who were in dire need of a trip to a bouncy house park.
❌What didn’t work as well for me:
Xie was an expert in nearly everything despite spending 15 years in the reeds. He left his home penniless, but somehow through the years acquired wealth and an extensive spy network. He was privy to secrets only a fly on a wall would know. He always seemed to have a change of clothes on him as well. Lol Pretty sure he had a Megamind “frequent kidnapping” card that was nearly punched full. He also had James Bond plot armor. Despite falling into his enemies’ hands time and again, no one immediately cut off his head, rather letting him hang around until he either escaped or killed them.
🤔Things that made me go hmmm….
The guards who defended the walls were in desperate need of remedial training. It was painfully funny how easily the enemy could scale the walls without anyone knowing on numerous occasions.
Characters were often gut stabbed with no lingering effects. I don’t care how good their medicine was or how tough they were, peritonitis is deadly.
The most chilling thing said in the whole drama for me was, “Everyone is a shadow guard. That’s the price of protection.” Yep, nothing makes me feel more secure than knowing my neighbors and co-workers are spying on me 24/7, ready to turn on me at a moment’s notice.
Overall, I found The Vendetta of An entertaining. The fights were fast and furious and we were weren’t forced to wait until the last quarter of the drama to witness Xie’s enemies begin to pay for their betrayals. The stakes were high and good guy losses hurt as much as I cheered the heads of the bad guys rolling.
18 January 2026
Trigger Warnings: A snake in episode 22. Decapitations, spurting blood, numerous stabbings, suicide.
~~Very Spoilery thoughts below~~
Does everyone keep a perfectly preserved identical head in their junk drawer?
I didn’t care for the sister’s story. She was ill developed and only served to add to Xie's man pain of which he already had enough. It was literally overkill. Not sure why she’s listed as a main character given her limited amount of screen time.
One of the more interesting duos raised a lot of questions for me. Cen Pickles and Wu were slaves of the lowest order in Tiemo. As slaves they murdered a number of people. Did I miss their story arc? How did they escape punishment in Tiemo and then both become highly educated? Was Tiemo advanced enough to have universal schooling for everyone? Cen ended up working in the Chang'an palace and Wu had been a teacher at the academy where the Chang'an noble children attended. No background checks from the secret police? I could see Wu murdering his way to being king if the Tiemo just wanted the baddest dude to be the leader, but Tiemo nobility were mentioned often which was quite a social leap for a wolf killing slave. I actually found Cen and Wu's relationship intriguing mostly because of the actors' abilities. Wu might have had nefarious plans for the people he intended to conquer, but the actor was fascinating to watch.
I don’t have access to the special episode. My guess is, just like soap opera rules, without a body, Xie aka Liu survived. His death, mirroring Zhou Mo’s in episode 1, kept him from being killed by the Huben Army. Though I don’t see him making daisy chains and hanging out at a pub. I’m not invested enough in the ruling class to care who took over the throne…for now. That throne room had a revolving door on it.
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"If you're jealous you can drop dead"
Ghost Doctor is one of those dramas that I have a difficult time writing a review for. It had a likeable cast, an interesting story concept, and despite a spirited bromance, I often found it boo-ring.Cold, efficient Dr. Cha Young Min only takes the toughest of cases. He’s quick to anger and suffers no fools. His patience is tested when Dr. Ko Sung Tak is assigned to him. Ko is gifted at reciting diagnoses but has zero surgical skills. He’s in line to be on the hospital board and gets away with about anything either from his charming smile or hospital connections. When Cha is involved in a car accident and lapses into a coma he discovers a side of the hospital he never knew existed. Real ghosts and coma ghosts walk the hallways. He can also possess Ko’s body, even performing surgery on himself. An old love and a deadly conspiracy will make his chances of recovery challenging.
Kdramas are great at writing bromances and Ghost Doctor was no exception. Rain and Kim Bum played off each other nicely, going from enemies to platonic lovers. The romances were a different story, often killing the momentum of the story. The chemistry just wasn’t there for me. The male leads were given a wide emotional range to play. The same could not be saide for the female characters. I haven’t seen Uee in anything else so I will give her the benefit of the doubt and assume the director told her to play Jang Se Jin like a broom with a sad face drawn on it. Lackluster Jang was terribly written. The two main female characters felt like afterthoughts with no real depth. Poor Oh Soo Jung periodically disappeared from the screen leaving me to forget about her character until she popped up again.
It would be terrifying that someone like Ko could actually be assigned to a hospital. Even The Simpson’s Hollywood Upstairs Medical College would not have passed him. He might have been friendly with a tragic backstory, but I would never have wanted him near me except to look at. Maybe the rigged medical school system was why Cha was the only (live) competent heart surgeon in Korea. The hospital appeared to be run by one man with people obtaining surgical privileges super easily and operating rooms were never booked.
There was a lot of bloat in this drama. The villains that came and went weren’t terribly menacing and had ill defined goals. I knew I was in trouble when I reached episode 8 and very little had happened.
Now that I’ve complained, here’s what I did like other than the bromance. There was a charming trio of coma ghosts as well as Tess, a real ghost, who was my favorite. They would help teach Cha humility and empathy. And of course, the polar opposite wonder twins helped each other become better men and doctors.
Ghost Doctor had its entertaining moments, yet I found myself checking out through much of the drama when it fell into repetition or offered lengthy flashbacks of a romance that wasn’t compelling. The writers tended to break their own ghostly rules and just slapped a “miracle” bandage on the results. Sixteen episodes was far too long to rely on a bickering bromance, no matter how handsome the bros, in order to keep the drama stitched together.
9 October 2025
Trigger warnings: Realistic and long surgical scenes
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"I'm not a step behind, you're always a step ahead!"
Inspired by a true story of a mom working in a laundromat who fell victim to phishing, Citizen of a Kind showed that bad guys really should avoid ticking off the wrong ahjumma. Especially if she has equally tenacious friends.Single mom Kim Deok Hui is in dire straits financially after her house burned. Initially denied a loan, a bank manager calls her suggesting a special loan for low-income applicants. In order to qualify she has to borrow money from loan sharks to meet all the requirements. Then the bottom falls out when Kim discovers it was all a scam. The police are no help and without the money she and her kids are left homeless. Misfortune continues to fall. When a Korean worker at the call center phones her asking for help to escape, Kim sees this as her chance to bring down the criminals and get her money back.
Ra Mi Ran was perfect for the role of Kim Deok Hui, the loving mom who was determined to find the people responsible for stealing her money. Kim fearlessly tracked down every lead, despite the police and Detective Park being fairly feckless. Yeom Hye Ran as the bilingual Bong Rim as usual gave a strong performance. Gong Myung as Kwon Jae Min acquitted himself well as the imprisoned caller desperately wanting to escape. Jang Yoon Ju was the weak link for me. Perhaps she was supposed to be the comic relief but her vocal intonation was set on shriek for most of the film.
Knowing it was based on a real woman who lost so much made the stakes high for the film. The film itself may have not broken new ground but the ahjumma posse tracking the criminal organization across two countries was entertaining to watch, largely due to the actresses’ performances. The film had comedy and thrilling moments with some violence and everything held together by Ra as the justice seeking ahjumma. Worth a try.
21 September 2025
7.75 bumped up to an 8.0
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Charming slice of life
If you are having a bad day and need something soothing with almost zero conflict and the nice being nice to the nice, The Way We Are is the perfect answer to what ails you. Ann Hui created a gentle and touching slice of life centered around a hard-working widow raising her teenage son.Cheung Kwai works as a durian slicer and stocker at the local grocery store. Her son Ka On enjoys manga and while not ambitious has a good heart on him. The two live in a rundown apartment, yet are content in their circumstances. A new elderly neighbor asks Kwai about a job in the store. Kwai takes Granny Leung Foon under her wing helping her whenever she can. The two women develop an easy-going bond. Whether a funeral, a hospitalized relative, or celebration, Kwai’s family gathers and supports each other. Kwai had worked to put her brothers through school and they now look for opportunities to show her kindness.
Pau Hei Ching’s Kwai was the focal point of the film with the other characters acting as satellites circling around her magnetic pull. Pau gave Kwai a quiet confidence and soft-spoken demeanor. Nothing rattled her as she faced whatever came her way with strength and aplomb. Pau went largely without makeup, had mussed up hair, and wore old t-shirts, yet had a beautiful dignity. Chan Lai Wan exuded the tragic loneliness of an older woman who had lost the most important people in her life. At the HKFA, Pau won for Best Actress, Chan Lai Wan for Supporting Actress and Ann Hui for Best Director—all well deserved.
This film will not be for everyone as nothing exciting happened. Hui showcased the quiet joys of tissues being given with the daily newspaper, freshly cut fruit, and helping a person without asking for anything in return. Filled with compassionate, kind acts, The Way We Are was exactly what I needed in this time when civility and generosity have often become too rare.
13 September 2025
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Flawed but interesting suspense story
Helpless was a bittersweet watch as it starred the late Lee Sun Kyun as a desperate man searching for his missing fiancée. Director Byun Young Joo directed this film adapted from the Japanese novel, “Kasha.”
On the way to deliver their wedding invitation to his parents, Jang Moon Ho’s fiancée disappears from his car while he is purchasing coffee and snacks at a rest stop. The police ignore his requests for help assuming she’s a runaway bride. When his every step leads to more questions, he calls upon his old friend and ex-police officer Kim “Everyone Was Taking Bribes” Jong Geun. The trail to Kang Sun Young and her past becomes increasingly dark and twisted.
The acting in this film was quite strong. Each of the three main actors pulled off complex and believable performances. The first and last acts were tense and well crafted, though the ending tiptoed into overwrought territory. The middle became weighted with too many characters and not enough attention paid to the most interesting one…Kang Sun Young.
I don’t want to write anything that would fall into spoiler territory, for this film is best enjoyed going into it knowing little about it. The pace could be painstakingly slow at times carried only by the actors and their commitment to their characters and the story. Helpless was more suspense than thriller, but worth a watch if you enjoy this genre.
12 September 2025
Triggers: Strong allusions to sexual assault and trafficking, suicide. Butterfly murder.
Seeing Lee Sun Kyun-whatever his problems, he didn't deserve the death penalty he sentenced himself to. RIP.
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"Will you wait for me?"
Somewhere Winter told the story of a Beijing university student’s up and down relationship with a Taiwanese businessman. An Ran would have to decide how long she was willing to wait for Qi Xiao and if the timing would ever be right.An Ran desperately wants to attend her idol’s first concert in Beijing but doesn’t have a ticket. When hope was lost a man hands her a ticket after his date didn’t show up. Such began the coincidental run ins for An and Qi Xiao before they became more purposeful. Problems with Qi’s family, on-again-off-again lover, and his business cause Qi to ask An to wait for him, a habit that covers 6 years. In the present, An returns to Beijing with her estranged daughter when An’s father is dying. After the funeral as fate would have it, the daughter makes the acquaintance of Qi’s son and the two find a mystery to be solved.
I’m an old, cranky Butterfly and did not see this romance as a great love for the ages. An Ran was a college student so in her late teens or around 20 when she met the older Qi. This for me was the story of a first young love, when you are sure it is the most powerful love of all time and will always endure. No sacrifice is too great for it. As conflicts and separations continue to arise and the timing is never right, maturity and pain kick in for self-preservation and enlightenment.
Ma Si Chun and Wallace Huo did an admirable job of selling the love that couldn’t quite touch. The film didn't do anything to make them look 28 years older when telling the story in the present which was a bit confusing. Zhang Yao played An’s best girl who stood with her through all her heartbreaks.
I enjoyed this film even if it got to the point I was hoping the couple would not get together as An’s needs were almost never met. Somewhere Winter may not have been a love for the ages, but it was also a tale of how first love can overwhelm the senses and common sense, and cause a young woman to throw caution to the wind. First loves don't always mean last loves, although it’s always possible.
9 August 2025
Spoilery comments below:
The writer(s) chickened out and gave us an open ending. After all the times Qi let her down and went radio silent, I have a hard time seeing An giving up the life she had created to go back to him. Even the last time before the scandal erupted, his eyes were darting looking for the door when he realized he didn’t have enough money to start his hot pot restaurant without An’s help. She sacrificed 6 years of her life for a few days of happiness, not a great predicter of a happy future with this man. But then again, I’m old, cranky, and less forgiving…with a long memory. lol
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"It takes time to learn to like yourself"
Director Kim Bo Ra explored the joy and pain of adolescence in The House of Hummingbird. Life for an adult can be chaotic and overwhelming, at fourteen, Eun Hee was neither a child nor an adult. Her world was confined to the two places she didn’t fit in---school and her family.“How many do you understand?”
Eun Hee’s family stresses education to the point that her brother easily flies into rages and beats her, her older sister has begun skipping school, and Eun Hee has a tendency to fall asleep in class. At home her parents come across as disinterested in her or verbally abusive. Dinners are eaten in silence or with the father berating them. When she has a health concern that worsens, Eun Hee has to deal with it all by herself. Anything resembling emotional support is in short supply. She has an on-again, off-again boyfriend and a best friend she attends Chinese tutoring school with. It is her new tutor who actually sees her and lets her know she’s valuable just as she is that touches Eun Hee and frees something within her.
“We should all live separately.”
There were times watching this I was waiting for someone in Eun Hee's family to snap and commit a mass murder. Her parents would go from a no holds barred screaming match and using a lamp as a shiv to acting like nothing happened the next morning. Vicious words were thrown around at the children and physical blows. Then everyone would shove all the frustrations, anger, and fear somewhere deep inside and live in silence with each other. The two sisters’ needs were especially invisible with a brother in the house. Their mother was in a vicious cycle as she’d had to drop out of school in order for her brother to finish high school, a man who never amounted to anything. As Eun Hee learned from her tutor, even a quality university education did not guarantee happiness.
“Will my life start to shine someday?”
Dealing with physical abuse, insecurities, and fickle friends, Eun Hee learned from her tutor that as long as she had her two hands and could move them, she still had the ability to change things. Eun Hee found that friendships and connections made life more bearable or even simply jumping on a trampoline on a sunny day. Despite the chaos around her, Eun Hee’s resilient spirit began to soar. Bad things happen but so do good.
“What’s the right way to live?
Somedays I feel like I know but I don’t really know for sure.
I just know that when bad things happen, good things happen, too.
And that we always meet someone and share something with them.
The world is fascinating and beautiful.”
23 August 2024
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Powerful and inspiring short film
Beautiful Run was a powerful and deeply touching short film. I have watched it twice and cried twice-something quite unusual for me. I’m not sure how realistic it would be, but I hope with all my heart it could be.A young girl with a disabled leg who uses crutches cares for her bedridden father often missing school. Short on food and medication she applies for the most menial of jobs but is rudely turned down as people glance at her leg. She happens upon a flyer for a marathon with a cash reward and enters it. At first, she receives the same disdainful side-ways glances from the other runners, but during the arduous journey as she determinedly perseveres with one leg, her efforts begin to change the hearts of the other runners.
At less than seven minutes long the story is told with almost no dialogue. Only the careful editing and expressions on people’s faces tells the story. Near the end there is clarification through group messaging, but other than that everyone is silent. The music also nurtures the audience’s feelings. The nameless young woman never complains, never breaks down in tears, she just relentlessly keeps moving forward with her committed resolve.
This girl’s selfless persistence in a grueling physical act of love broke through people’s prejudices and began to bring out the best in others. The film stopped short of being patronizing. Beautiful Run made me believe that good does exist and people can open their minds and hearts to others. “Gratitude makes the impossible happen.” Let it be so.
10 June 2024
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"This battle is a fight to live for our future"
When I saw the Toho logo my heart jumped with joy knowing Godzilla was back home where he belonged. In Godzilla Minus One he was no longer a comic character playing catch with a giant lobster or the King of the Kaiju restoring balance to the Earth. He was a destroyer and an indictment on humankind’s hubris and a reminder of the horrors of war. If Japan was at level zero after WWII, Gojira put them at minus one when he surfaced from the depths of the ocean with a terrible judgement.Near the end of WWII, Shikishima Koichi is a kamikaze pilot who lands his plane on a small island held by the Japanese ostensibly for engine trouble. It’s not long before the mechanics realize he has run away from the fight. They don’t have long to berate him when they are attacked by a monster the locals call Gojira. When Shikishima freezes once again, he is labeled a coward by the only other survivor. Back home he is reviled by a sister for returning alive, as she blames the country’s problems on his failure. Koichi takes in a woman with an orphaned baby, unable to throw them out when Noriko makes herself at home. The war isn’t over for Koichi as he is paralyzed with regret, guilt and PTSD and unable to move on with his life. When Gojira heads for Japan, the pilot will have a second chance to redeem himself and his honor.
Godzilla Minus One succeeded in two areas. Firstly, they went back to Gojira’s mythology and his evolution from nuclear testing. Gojira was personification of the fear and memory of atomic weapons, something the people of Japan had suffered horrifically from. He was also a punishment for Japan’s militaristic era and the damage done to others and their own people. This monster claimed his territory with a fearsome rage. Capable of regenerating, modern weapons were all but useless against him. Secondly, for one of the first times since the original, there were compelling human characters with interesting stories seamlessly woven into Gojira’s appearance and threat. Too often, the humans were dead weight in Toho’s Gojira films saddled with mediocre actors and dialogue. Koichi was a complicated character and his boat buddies were developed enough to remember them. Noriko as a character was thinly but heroically drawn. Even the characters who reviled Koichi came around to being more well developed.
If there was one flaw, the horrors of the war were laid solely at the government’s feet, which categorically absolved the rank and file from atrocities committed during the war. And yes, the government had the “best ability of spinning and hiding information from the masses”. The government also, “...treated our lives too cheaply...Tanks with insufficient armor, poor supply chains-leading to starvation and disease…and fighter planes without ejection seats…as well as kamikaze and suicide attacks.” The characters emphasized living for their country and its future instead of dying for it even as they bravely faced a seemingly indestructible foe.
For a film made for 15 million dollars (USD), it looked far richer. The special effects were excellent whether it was Gojira’s atomic breath, miniatures, ships, or buildings crumbling like houses made of cards. Gojira himself, was frighteningly majestic and terrifying. Able to regenerate, he did come across as a vengeful god. This film deservedly earned an Oscar for Visual Effects. One last little production note--Sato Naoki is credited as the composer but much of the score was a reworking of Ifukube Akira's iconic Godzilla theme.
Not since the original Godzilla (1954) have I enjoyed a Big G film this much. Gojira was a merciless, destructive force, created by unnaturally splitting atoms. The people of Japan united not to fight to the death against this formidable opponent but to use all of their abilities in a battle that would ensure that they could live for their future. In the face of this harbinger of death, there were those who found redemption, love, and healing. Good job Toho! You made a film worthy of the original and a wonderful way to celebrate Gojira’s 70th anniversary.
2 June 2024
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