97
343
13
3
2
3
6
1
5
1
1
2
4
5
This review may contain spoilers
Misfortune Teaches Us the Truth
What would you do if you had six months left to live? When we are young, aflame with dreams and a perfect view of what our world will be we never think that one day due to life circumstances we might become a mere cog in a machine and the weight of corporate or public bureaucracy will extinguish that flame with its inertia crushing in on us. If we are not careful each day can become the same without making any difference in the world. Director Kurasawa breaks through the darkness of merely enduring the days by elevating a civil servant nicknamed "The Mummy" who hasn't really lived in 20 years to hero status. The hero's journey is not without suffering and heartache, and a behemoth of a monster to face before he leaves this plane of existence. With the sands of the hourglass rapidly streaming out he has one goal to reach, one thing to do to have made his life worth living and in the final moments to give it meaning.Ikiru begins with a death sentence being handed out to the Public Works Chief, Watanabe Kanji. Watanabe sits at his desk stacked high with papers just as he has for 30 years without taking a sick day, shuffling and stamping the papers validating his reason for being there. Once 20 years ago, he submitted a proposal for making the job better only to be shot down. Now he uses the proposal pages to wipe his glasses.
Upon finding out he has stomach cancer he is devastated. Kurasawa gave us a brilliant scene as Watanabe leaves the hospital so absorbed in his own thoughts that the world is silent. When he is jarred into reality the loud noises of life intervene once again. His son and daughter-in-law only want his money to buy a house and don't even ask what's wrong when they find him sitting in the dark. With no one to talk with, in a powerful moment he covers his head and cries himself to sleep.
At a chance meeting in a bar, Watanabe meets a small time writer. The writer plants seeds in his brain about no longer being a slave to life but being its master. Never having ordered a drink before Watanabe asks for help in having a night of fun out. The writer takes him out on a raucous night on the town. At their last stop the piano player asks for suggestions and Watanabe asks for "Life is Brief". In a low deep voice, the older man sings as the pianist plays silencing the revelers around them as the listeners reflect on the words of the song and Watanabe's grief.
A young girl from his office shows up the next day at his house because she needs his stamp to hand her resignation papers in. When he asked why she is leaving she tells him the boredom is killing her, that the only thing of interest that's happened in over a year is when he didn't come into the office. Her youthful exuberance and their casual meetings lay the step for his next revelation. He needs to make something to feel useful and relevant. Happy (Re)Birthday Watanabe Kanji!
With the energy of a man possessed he determines to answer the pleas of some local women who have been given the run around about a cesspool in their neighborhood. The women want it filled in and turned into a park but had been shuffled between 20 different departments before being sent back to Public Works.
The film jumps to his funeral and the last half of the movie is shown in flashback as the mourners piece together his motivations and what courageous steps he took as he fought the machine he was a cog in by wearing it down to have the park built. At first the upper echelon patted themselves on the back saying he had nothing to do with the new park. After they leave the cogs in different departments start comparing notes and realize how hard he fought even as he was dying to do something worthwhile, no small feat in a world of petty bureaucratic fiefdoms.
The cogs are jarred out of their complacency and vow to make a difference and not let the machine kill their desire to make meaningful changes. But as they find out as well, the machine doesn't like change, making Watanabe's work all the more heroic.
There are moments in Ikiru that will give you pause, make you misty-eyed, and even laugh. As the mourners gossip and take credit your blood will boil at the injustice and cause you to cry out for Watanabe. The silenced voices of small cogs eventually join the viewer in being advocates for the man willing to change and willing to make a change, regardless of the cost. A man no longer afraid to keep persevering in the face of the word "no". No longer having the time or energy to hate. No longer afraid of death. This hero had only one enemy-time and only one super power-tenacity.
Watanabe had faced an existential crisis. Not only had he been handed a death sentence but he was faced with the realization that he had only been going through the motions for 20 years, wasting the precious gift of life. We are all handed a death sentence the moment we are born, we just don't know its date. Ikiru is a beautiful film that asks the viewer as much as the central character to self-reflect on their life and its meaning, whether it is being lived with purpose. The final scene of Ikiru is poignant and reminds us all that Life Is Brief, remember to live it while you can.
9/16/22
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Only sincere ones need apply"
If You Are the One is a pragmatic love story infused with gentle humor, but not your typical romcom. Stars Shu Qi and Ge You were able to cover over the obvious problems with the story with their enormous likeability.Ge You played Qin Fen, a 40ish man, who had recently come into money and was ready to find a wife. He found a dating site and listed his honest qualifications and what he expected in a spouse. "Only sincere ones need apply". Of course, at his age and prerequisites he had several humorous takers including a woman selling grave plots, a stock broker who assessed his continually devaluing worth, and an old Army buddy who had hoped he'd changed teams. One of his blind dates was with Smiley, the luminous Shu Qi. It didn't take long for the two to realize that they weren't compatible but they ended up going for drinks and revealing their dark secrets in a very human moment. Smiley, it turned out, was in love with a married man who kept dangling marriage in front of her but who was unwilling to leave his wife.
Though the two swore to never see each other again, destiny had other plans. Serendipity kept dropping them into each others' paths. Smiley decided to become Qin Fen's girlfriend with the caveat that her heart still belonged to her ex-lover though she would never act on it. The two take a trip to Hokkien, Japan for her to make peace with her decision and hopefully leave the memory of her lover behind. The incongruous couple engaged in a long road trip with Qin Fen's tour driver buddy Wu Sang. Realizing his good fortune of a lovely, young girlfriend Qin Fen stopped at a Buddhist temple to pray only to interrupt a Yakuza funeral. He later went to a Catholic chapel where he confessed every sin since kindergarten to a priest who didn't speak Mandarin, finally driving the priest to tell him he needed a bigger cathedral to confess in because the chapel was too small to hold all his sins!
If You Are the One was not a typical head over heels falling in love film with a race to the airport at the end. It was far more practical as Qin Fen reflected upon his lonely life and Smiley realized her great love affair was not going anywhere, that maybe the two misfits could rely on each other and love would slowly bloom from friendship.
The second half of the film devolved into more of a scenic Japanese road trip, though the scenery was beautiful. There was also a nice tour of the West Brook Wetlands and Hangzhou earlier in the story.
It would be hard to fault the acting, Ge You and Shu Qi played their roles brilliantly. The lapses come in the narrative. The huge age gap between the two was never directly addressed. Why gorgeous Smiley was attracted to a bald, cranky middle aged man, especially when she was hopelessly in love with her sexy lover also was glossed over. Shu Qi did an amazing job as the emotionally wounded character, unable to find meaning in her life without her lover, utterly drowning in despair. As pragmatic as Smiley was though, it was difficult to understand some of the decisions she made over a failed love affair.
There were some interesting topics brought up that I haven't seen in recent movies. A gay character was introduced as something completely normal, clearly against more recent rules. During Qin Fen's blind date with a Taiwanese woman, the two debated whether there had been a liberation or a regime had fallen in regards to the exodus to Taiwan during the 1940's. And finally, a woman was reported to the authorities for wanting to find a way to stay in the United States. Usually, these sensitive subjects aren't broached.
For a slow burn romance with scenic cinematography and more than capable acting, If You Are the One is a nice change of pace from so many frenetic romantic comedies. It could be uneven at times but Shu Qi and Ge You managed to charm me enough to enjoy my time with them.
9/7/22
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Ice Bar delivers a nostalgic, joyful story that goes down like a soothing ice bar on a hot summer day.Enthusiastic ten-year-old Young Rae and his single mother struggle to make ends meet in 1960's Korea. His mother sells smuggled cosmetics and gets into fights using most of her money on fines and not on Young Rae's tuition. Young Rae is often the target of harassment because he's a fatherless "brat" though he can give as good as gets. His best friend, Dong Su, is an orphan who hustles to make money anyway he can, and during the summer it's selling ice bars. The summer starts off with a bang when Young Rae hears his mom's drunk best friend tell him that his father is not dead, but alive and well in Seoul. His mother denies it, but Young Rae determines to make enough money to take the train to Seoul. Dong Su hooks him up with a job selling ice bars through his shady boss at the factory and that's when the fun begins. Young Rae struggles with ice bar turf wars and bullies and written and unwritten rules about where he can and can't sell. Finally, with some help from Dong Su and a young man, In Bak, the son of a "commie", who works at the factory he starts to figure out how to successfully sell the frozen treats.
The boys get into and out trouble, with no severe consequences for the most part. The biggest hurdle for Young Rae aside from earning the money is his mother who is firmly against him finding his father for fear he will take her son away from her.
Ice Bar is a lighthearted comedy that occasionally dips its toe into melodrama only to rise to a bubbly surface once again.
Park Ji Bin's bright performance as the young entrepreneur was the heart and soul of this film. His laughter and tears were infectious and touching. Future ahjumma Shin Ae Ra as his mother managed to turn what could have been a shrewish role into a sympathetic one, never letting you doubt her love and devotion for her son.
The pace of the story kept the events moving forward, tying together small side stories in aid of Young Rae's goal. Much of the action was child high, taking us on their adventures running through the streets and down to the train station. There was a real feeling of community among the regulars in the scenes as they interacted with the boys. Certain sets could feel artificial, but the characters' interactions made up for the almost play like settings.
Though a largely child friendly film, told through Young Rae's eyes, it does have the typical bullying and hitting so many older Korean movies and dramas have. There is also a disturbing incident in the last quarter of the film. Despite those detriments, Ice Bar is a feel-good movie with an effervescent score and delightful performances. Though narrow in scope, it's big in heart.
If the ending felt a bit contrived, that's okay, ice bars during childhood summers are meant to be enjoyed and not suffered through.
Was this review helpful to you?
Michelle Yeoh’s sister married a wealthy banker. Maggie Cheung’s sister married the revolutionary and ultimately leader of the Nationalist party, Sun Yat Sen. Later she was an integral part of the communist party. Vivian Wu’s sister married Chiang Kai Shek who would take over the Nationalist party after Sun’s death and later she would become the First Lady of Taiwan. And that’s about the extent of my knowledge on this subject.
I take all historical movies with a grain of salt, everyone has their own agenda or message they want to get across. I’m even more skeptical when governmental censoring is always lurking in the background. Someone else with more knowledge about Chinese history will have to judge the accuracy of the historical aspects of the story.
Purely as a work of art, The Soong Sisters was lovely to look at. The cinematography, sets, and costumes were lush. The OST gave the right amount of mood to the scenes that took place across several decades. Plus, I'm always happy when a film is F rated, Mabel Cheung was the director.
The actresses all gave strong performances. Wu Hsing Guo was quite charismatic as the mercurial leader, Chiang Kai Shek as well.
Where the movie faltered for me was that the sisters were rather thinly drawn. Ostensibly a movie about three powerful women, two who were the wealthiest in China at one point, the other a communist icon, should have fully developed the complex characters and given these talented actresses something to sink their teeth into.
Maggie’s Soong Ching Ling was the only sister who came across as three dimensional as she worked with the communist party to maintain the integrity of her husband’s legacy. Michelle’s Soon Ai Ling had the smallest role of the sisters. The tag line indicated she loved money, but there wasn’t much evidence of that. Vivian’s Soong Mai Ling seemed more like an infatuated school girl for most of the movie, finally developing a backbone in the last quarter of the story.
It felt like the three women were ignominiously dropped from era to era and place to place. Much of the time I wasn’t sure where or when the story was taking place. Their father’s story would have been fascinating to see made into a movie, but by devoting so much time to him and the women as children we missed out on the real meat of the story. His presence did loom over them as he had wanted a new China. Was his dream all that motivated them? What were they thinking? What kind of relationships did they have with these powerful men? Two of the them never had children, did that cause any conflict in their relationships? Extreme hardships were glossed over. The film did touch on the political conflicts between Chiang Kai Shek and Soong Ching Ling, he was bitterly opposed to the communist party and she had given up on the Nationalist Party when he took over and ordered purges. I can't even imagine how strained those family dinners were when they got together.
With all the wealth, power, egos, and rivalries, there should have been more depth to the characters and story. The Soong Sisters was a beautiful pool of water to look at, unfortunately these still waters didn’t run very deep.
Was this review helpful to you?
Lena is a descendent of Koreans who were forced to work for the Japanese mining coal in Sakhalin and then later trapped there after WWII. Their story would make an interesting film in and off itself as they fought for citizenship and many fought to go back to South Korea. They became second class citizens in Russia and those who made it home were less than in South Korea as well. Lena wants to bury her parents' ashes in South Korea and becomes a mail order bride to make the trip. This aspect is barely touched on and again, would have given more depth to the story to explore that process.
The male lead is a tea farmer in a remote area which lends itself to some lovely cinematography. He tries very hard to make Lena feel welcome and give her anything she needs. Lena in turn tries to help with different chores to show that she is invested in the relationship. She calls him ahjussi throughout the movie which seems to make their relationship an even further oddity. As she walks to the fields she makes friends with a photographer who is traveling through and begins learning to take photographs. Both the film's cinematography and her photos play a large role. Lena tends to be quiet, walking and taking pictures as she has much on her mind. I wish we'd been more privy to what was weighing so heavily on her.
The last thirty minutes or so give the movie the emotional thrust it sorely needed. While this was a beautiful, quiet movie, it could have been more meaningful if only the director had stirred the calm surface with the emotions running beneath.
Was this review helpful to you?
Dong Ju: The Portrait of a Poet is an eloquent story woven around the poet's own insightful words. Shot in black and white, the monochrome film beautifully fits the quiet, intense mood of the short lives of these two young men.
I will leave the historical aspect of this film to those who have a personal stake in it or are more well versed in it than I am.
This film is as much about Yun Dong Ju's cousin and revolutionary, Song Mong Gyu, as it is the poet. Their lives are intertwined, two different ideals in how to resist during a time of hated occupation. One willing to use a gun, the other a pen though at times those lines blur. Their friendship though challenged never waivers.
The story begins and ends with the young men in prison. The present takes place during Yun's interrogation by the Japanese. As Yun is questioned, the past is revealed to show the steps they took to end up in prison. Quoting Yun's poetry to the corresponding events paints the conflicted feelings he had over his role during the dark times and his attempt to find hope in the moment. The tripod of present, past and poetry is perfectly balanced.
Kang Ha Neul gives a restrained and poignant performance as Yun's younger self and later as the tortured prisoner knowing death is imminent, reflecting on his actions and inactions. All the performances are good but his stood out as the titular character.
Dong Ju is an elegantly filmed story of an inelegant and agonizing time told through the courage, defiance and beauty of poetry and a poet.
Prelude
Wishing not to have
so much as a speck of shame
toward heaven until the day I die,
I suffered, even when the wind stirred the leaves.
With my heart singing to the stars,
I shall love all things that are dying.
And I must walk the road
that has been given to me.
Tonight, again, the stars are
brushed by the wind.
-Yun Dong Ju
Was this review helpful to you?
The cinematography is dark and melancholic, reflecting the mood of anger, guilt, sadness, and regret. The score embraces those same feelings.
JDY gives a good performance as the angry son, Zhen Chen, who travels from China to South Korea to find his mother due to his dying father's wish. What he finds only deepens his anger and resentment. Lee's mother shows restrained emotions, a woman who has long dealt with sacrifice and hardships. The story deepens when a disappointed Zhen Chen on the return trip home finds the diary his mother left him and her long buried secrets and his are slowly revealed.
The film dips into the overly dramatic waters on occasions, but never completely sinks into them. Though not for everyone, and not a perfect movie, I found the struggles of this mother and son compelling.
Was this review helpful to you?
"Only good things lie ahead"
The makers of Karma liked to take the viewer on a ride that jostled back and forth and side to side for the most part in familiar territory. While I’m sure they thought we’d be shocked and awed, there were few surprises. I do admit to falling for one of the red herrings for part of the drama. Sometimes this style of filming and script writing can feel overly contrived, but for me, it worked in Karma…for the most part.Six people’s lives became entangled both from despicable actions in the past and foul deeds in the present, the majority of whom deserved whatever karma dished out. And karma was as ruthless as a finely honed scalpel but not nearly as kind.
I don’t want to say much more because this short drama is best enjoyed coming to it fresh. The cast was strong, not that you’ll like most of the characters. Even the “good” characters harbored abhorrent secrets. Karma was a dark and twisted knot of the worst of humanity’s foibles. A better title for this drama might have been “Just Deserts.”
8 April 2025
Trigger warnings: Foul language. Gruesome scenes.
Tiny spoilerish comment below:
There were a few scenes that came across as comical when the drama began to feel like Weekend at Bernie’s gone awry. lol
Was this review helpful to you?
Shujiro Saga is a skilled samurai who has been retired after a devastating battle that obliterated everyone on the battlefield with new weaponry. Swords have been outlawed in the new government and the samurai have been shuttled aside. Suffering from debilitating PTSD, he couldn’t use his sword if he had to. To top things off, his family is suffering from cholera and he has no money for medicine. When he hears about a gathering of samurai for a contest with a 100,000 yen prize, he has no choice but to join. At the gathering he finds other desperate people and also samurai desperate to fight, a deadly combination made worse by the conditions of the contest and the ever watchful, heavily armed guards. Along the way from Kyoto to Tokyo, Saga becomes allied with, or rather babysitter for an eclectic group. Aside from the rank-and-file contestants after them for their tokens, is also a shadow from his past intent on taking more than his token.
The comparison to Squid Game was inevitable despite the fact that these kinds of gruesome games have been played out in the movies and television shows for decades. The main thing the two have in common aside from pitting players against each other is that both focus on people who have been pushed to the edge economically and emotionally. I suppose the other is that whenever the camera diverted to the wealthy elite betting on the contestants, the emotional momentum came to a standstill. None of the people behind the game was particularly compelling, in fact, the Big Bad was downright disappointing. The drama was at its best when it focused on the contestants.
Okada Junichi made for an excellent conflicted lead. A loving father and husband, he was also believably Kokushu the Manslayer. I won’t go into his entourage so as not to spoil too much. The acting there was hit or miss. One of the villainous contestants was simply drawn as a mindless killing machine, though the actor chewed through the scenery in the bloody performance. In this contest, aside from Saga, mercy or complexity was rarely a strength.
The Last Samurai Standing was on its way to an 8.5 from me as I was quite enjoying it. For the genre, it delivered on what you’d expect, though no real surprises. The fights were well choreographed and not for the squeamish. The last episode veered into unrealistic territory which was jarring. Yet it also set up huge stakes beyond the contest for our intrepid little band of contestants. Surrounded by powerful enemies, it will be interesting to see how or if the writers can bring this to a satisfying conclusion when the second season rolls around.
14 November 2025
Trigger warnings: The heads rolled in this drama like a macabre bowling match. If you ever wondered what the Yojimbo blood spewing fight would look like in color, well, here’s your opportunity.
Was this review helpful to you?
"Only the cloud knows the feather"
Spies, assassins, poison, sword fights, and a struggle for the leadership of one of the last sects not under the thumb of the evil Wufeng sect, My Journey to You attempted to cover a lot of ground. Populated with beautiful people and costumes, this drama was sometimes more stunning to look at than compelling.What drew me to this drama was the promise of not one, but at least two female “assassins”. This felt like a bad translation, as they were more spies than killers. Yun Wei Shan had real possibilities for a dark and intriguing character. Once the Gong male characters were introduced, it often felt like the Wufeng spies had little to do other than talking in whispered tones. When a double tragedy left the underachiever, Gong Zi Yu, as the only choice for Sword Wielder, I had to agree with the snide Gong Shang Jue. Zi Yu was pitifully unprepared for such a task. Of course, it was difficult to side with Shang Jue and his “brother” Yuan Zhi, as they could be insufferably contemptuous. Much of the drama focused on Zi Yu’s trials in the Three Realms of the Back Hill with some assistance from Yun. Shang Jue had his own undercover bridal spy to deal with as well.
At the beginning I was completely engaged with this drama. Then it began to rinse, lather, repeat for me one too many times. Zi Yu and Shang Jue kept being hauled before the elders where they could accuse the other of causing problems. At this point I felt like neither one deserved to be the Sword Wielder. The Back Hill provided some interesting characters and trials when the two Gongs weren’t arguing over who was prettiest. There were multiple attempts at humor, usually involving the overly dramatic and over acted role of Gong Zi Shang and her crush on Zi Yu’s bodyguard, Jin Fan. Which brings up the point, this was the martial world and only the “bad” girls knew martial arts. The Gong women all seemed to be rather defenseless. To quote Eowyn from LOTR: TT, “Those without swords can still die upon them.” The oldest surviving Chinese wuxia starred a woman! I was disappointed by the lack of Gong women wielding swords.
The beginning was strong and I enjoyed some of the middle until it became bogged down in recrimination after recrimination. The last part with the fights that had real consequences was more engaging. Then the big “twist” was almost a movie length of exposition. “I suppose you all wondered why I gathered you here today…” The acting varied from adequate to excellent. This drama should help Ryan Cheng graduate from web dramas for good. I also quite enjoyed Wen Zheng Rong’s performance as Lady Wu Ji. She was able to go from calculating to maternal in the blink of an eye.
Overall, I found this to be an entertaining and binge-worthy, if flawed, drama. Had it not been for my least favorite ending-the open end, I would have bumped it up to at least an 8. Maybe there will be a S2, maybe there won’t. If they develop a compelling S2 that coincides with this story well, I’ll revisit my rating. Even with the disappointing ending, this was a journey worth making.
1 July 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
Flawed drama about flawed and broken people
The Trunk was filled with deeply flawed and wounded people. No one walked away looking like a hero by the time it was all over. There were many moments of frustration over truly idiotic decisions and the never welcome noble idiocy. Through it all Gong Yoo showed why he is a top actor regardless of country.Han Jeong Won cannot get over his ex-wife, Lee Seo Yeon, and takes the pills she supplies to sleep and get through the day. In order to maintain any contact with her he has to agree to a 1 year contract marriage to Noh In Ji. Lee married a younger man, Ji O, and uses him like a Boy Toy. Jeong Won and In Ji tie the knot by signing a contract which is stored in her designer trunk. The trunk and a dead body are later found with the police investigating this damaged group of people.
When a drama or movie bounces back and forth repeatedly in time, it’s usually a clue that the story isn’t that deep but the writers want to make it appear to be mysterious. Such was the case with this drama.
The story itself dragged most of the characters over the coals of desire and despair. Han made a terrible decision during a moment of anger and desperation. In Ji seemed to see what Han could not, yet made numerous idiotic decisions. Lee had a right to be angry even though she created a deadly situation, yet decided to punish Han into self-destruction. Not exactly the most likeable lot, yet Jeong Won and In Ji slowly dragged their way toward atonement. I was disappointed that a few of the familial elements were never cleared up.
The Trunk was stylishly shot and had a beautiful OST. Some of the acting was exemplary while some of it was perfunctory. The scattershot approach to storytelling was confusing at first but by the fourth episode was clearly laid out. Han’s mansion resembled a fun house with mirrored scenes and wild swirling circles and lines. The cold, severe decorating scheme would be enough to cause isolation issues. Shortcomings in stalking laws were brought up as well as a tyrannical view of bisexuality and terrible invasion of privacy and internet laws. For me, the only thing that held it together and made it worthwhile viewing was seeing Gong Yoo once again in a starring role even if his character was often shoved to the side. This was closer to a 7.5 drama but the cinematography, music, and GY’s acting bumped it up to an inflated 8 for me. Welcome back, Gong Yoo, don't stay away so long next time!
29 November 2024
Triggers: Sexual content and nudity. One gratuitous scene and other more “artistic” ones and two shower scenes that go lower than Kdramas.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A kill or be killed world and love
When a film begins with a traditional marriage where the bride wants to murder the groom on their wedding night you are left with the question, "Which one is the The Legend and which one is the Butterfly?" A political marriage of the uncouth Fool of Owari and the cunning Viper's Daughter made for an explosive and potent combination.The story was a reimagining of Oda Nobunaga and Nohime's marriage as little was known about it. Historically, she was thought to be beautiful, intelligent, and skilled with a blade. In this version of the life story of the first "Great Unifier" of Japan, she was the genius and fire behind the man.
Nobunaga and Nohime clashed, sometimes violently, in early scenes in the film. The story takes place over thirty years, giving short amounts of time to major events in their lives, usually converging with battles for power outside of the marriage. Eventually, they come to a place outside of Nohime's role as a spy for her father and her infertility where they could move beyond tolerance and reluctant admiration to love. But true love rarely flows smoothly with pride, vengeance, and illness creating problems.
Kimura Takuya was able to portray Nobunaga's carefree and coarse youth with buddies outside of his caste. He also conveyed the weight of the battles and familiar lives lost, showing the transformation from the Fool of Owari into the Demon King capable of ordering women and children to be killed. Ayase Haruka transcended many of her drama roles as the tough as nails and brilliant strategist, Nohime. I was saddened as her role diminished once she fell in love and yet she still wrung as much out of Nohime's shadow as she could.
The gorgeous sets, elaborate costumes, music, and cinematography were all well done. It would be hard to fault unless there were some anachronisms involved. I am not well versed in the history of this era so I can only comment on the entertainment value of the film for an outsider. While I enjoyed the fast-track history lesson, the romance between Nobunaga and Nohime was difficult to comprehend as both held their emotions close to their vests. They only allowed their true feelings to show a couple of times. It could be hard to keep up with their emotional "growth" because of the constant short time jumps and quick changes in attitudes as Nobunaga strengthened his resolve to kill everyone who opposed him and she softened desiring a normal life with him more and more. As much as I wanted to care about the two, it was difficult to emotionally connect to them and their conflicts. Perhaps this would have worked better as a short drama so that their personality changes could have been delved into more and not be seen as so abrupt.
The Legend and Butterfly was entertaining even if it lacked the emotional depth I was looking for between the spouses. Regardless of historical accuracy, it was refreshing to see Nohime shown as a capable and intelligent woman, a wife Nobunaga could turn to for sound advice. Whether Nobunaga was a Fool or a Demon, neither, or a little of both is for people far more educated on the subject than me to comment on. As a film, a nearly 3 hour film covering 3 decades, focusing on the marital harmony and disharmony of one of Japan's most famous historical figures, The Legend and Butterfly succeeded largely on the likeability and skills of the performers. It was a kill or be killed world and for a time, marriage.
5/19/23
Was this review helpful to you?
"Let love be your guide!"
I was in the mood for a heartwarming story and the synopsis for Little Q drew me in. That and a beautiful Labrador retriever on the poster was all I needed to watch this film. While it portrayed the value of the guide dog program, it also failed rather spectacularly as well.Temperamental pastry chef and general all around jerk, Li Bao Ting, is losing his sight which makes him even crankier with everyone around him. At the same time, a family agrees to foster a lab puppy, Little Q, for a or the Hong Kong Seeing Eye Dog Organization. Despite the rules, the little girl largely attempts to undo Little Q’s training so that she will fail the stringent training and Chan Tsz Kiu/Chan Yu Qiao will be allowed to keep her. Q prevails and is paired with Li who wants nothing to do with the dog. When not sitting at home drinking he’s berating his apprentices at his pastry shop. He repeatedly tries to rid himself of the dog until he realizes Q’s value and attempts to get his life back on track.
So far, this general synopsis of the first part of the film plays out like many other redemption stories. The only problem is, Q would never have been given to Li in real life. There are far more people in need of guide dogs than there are guide dogs. Even if he had received one due to his family connections, the minute they discovered his mistreatment of the loyal pup, Q would have gone to a deserving person. For the first 49 minutes of this film, I have never hated a movie character more. Li’s 180 in outlook was enough to give him and me whiplash. There was no gradual buildup, just an unearned personality change. And in the final quarter another action happened that had me spitting nails I was so angry**.
I had a friend in college with a guide dog. Dennis was a beautiful black lab that was all business when my friend and I walked about campus as we shared several classes. But when he was off duty, I was able to pet him and give him treats and play with him. In the film there seemed to be a real concern that guide dogs lead a too serious life. When Dennis wasn’t working, he played with his golden retriever sibling and his human parents just like any other dog. The thought of someone treating one of these highly trained dogs so cavalierly was infuriating, even if it was just a film. Especially with a need greater than a supply of these loyal friends.
Yes, there was a nice little middle with happy, bonding moments with Q, but they were bookended by actions that were reprehensible. I appreciated that the film gave a shout out to the importance of guide dogs as it appeared to be a fairly recent program. Yet I was also appalled that Q was left with someone completely unqualified for receiving such a gift despite movie magic turning him into a loving caring person in a matter of minutes.
As a work of art, the writers worked hard to manipulate the viewer into feeling sorry for the little girl and eventually the owner. Due to the callousness and utter stupidity of the humans, my only concern was for the ever faithful yellow lab. If ever there was a film that showed we don’t deserve dogs, Little Q was it.
10 November 2025
**Spoiler comments below! **
When Li prepares to go to the US, he takes Q off the leash and throws the ball down a city sidewalk for Q to chase to distract her. What? He can’t see where he’s throwing putting Q at risk in an urban environment. Then Q chases his van down the road. The driver and Li’s sister see Q but do NOT stop the car and get Q out of harms way. Only when Q was physically blocked from following did she finally give up. Who would let a dog run down the middle of the street in a city?
Another problem was when Li decided to walk into traffic to commit suicide. He caused a multi-car accident which might have injured drivers and passengers as well as the financial cost. If he had succeeded, a driver would have been traumatized for causing a pedestrian’s death. Somehow, right afterwards he was able to smile-about everything. I’m guessing all those people in the cars weren’t smiling much.
I'm not sure what else they could do to try and gain sympathy for Q as they put her through numerous physical ailments. I love organic moments that create sympathy and even sorrow for characters both two-legged and four-legged alike, but the writers used a sledge hammer with little nuance to try and create emotions.
And the less said about the Dog Meat Festival the better.
Was this review helpful to you?
"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
Was this review helpful to you?
"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
Was this review helpful to you?
