◝(ᵔ‿ᵔ)◜ ... AWESOME MOVIE 10/10 This was a brilliant and profoundly deep movie … so well written and acted and produced. It blew my mind with how loaded it was. Watch past the closing credits as you get the final picture to the whole story. Nothing is superfluous in this story … everything links to everything else … including Oreo the Border Collie ... even the robotic vacuum cleaner is pivotal.
The movie has a "chaos theory" edge to it i.e. Edward Norton Lorenz's 'butterfly effect" - a tornado can be influenced by minor perturbations such as a distant butterfly flapping its wings several weeks earlier ... and so it is with this movie but in respect of people and the effect they and their actions have on other people's lives and actions. It was a truly fascinating watching this concept unfold ... very moving and deeply thought provoking ... it was very well done indeed.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: this movie does include mass shooting in a public place in the opening scenes and later on in the movie. There is also some sui cidal themes and graphic shooting (head shots).
♥༺♥༻❀ﾟ:･*･:◝(๑ᵔ‿ᵔ๑)◜･:*:･ﾟ❀༺♥༻♥ Gentle but so profoundly deep ... courage spurred by the innocent joy and enthusiasm of a child and an onigiri grenade ... pain and trauma softened by gentle kindness ... dark nights of the soul illuminated by loving kindness ... obstacles overcome like a gentle stream moves around and over the rocks below ... loved this series ALOT
I so agree with you. IMO Love Stage was an absolute trainwreck when compared to the manga or even the Japanese…
We can do it ◝(ᵔ‿ᵔ)◜after all, if it comes to the worst, we don't have to keep watching it ... there is always the original, or the novel that we can revisit ... but then they may surprise us with their rendition of the story too ... until more unfolds, chilling is the way to go.
I so agree with you. IMO Love Stage was an absolute trainwreck when compared to the manga or even the Japanese…
There are some really excellent Thai actors ... but not a large pool of them that do BL or do BL at the level of the Gu Hai/Luo Yin story. Just thinking about the Thai version of Love Story and other stories that I have seen which had versions produced across Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand ... e.g. Antique etc ... each country definitely has its own unique way at interpreting a story and while I do have a preference, in a way those different interpretations are kind of interesting in and of themselves ... so maybe I should simply devest myself from the original story, wish them all the best and just chill while awaiting their interpretation with interest ⸜(•͈ᴗ•͈)⸝
Y'all, I am so worried this will not be good. If you saw Love Stage which is a live-adaptation of a Japanese anime…
I so agree with you. IMO Love Stage was an absolute trainwreck when compared to the manga or even the Japanese live production. I don't know any current Thai BL couple actors that can act the intensity of Gu Hai and the complexity of Luo Yin ... Ohm maybe for Gu Hai as he can nail that intensity, cocky, supreme self confidence that is Gu Hai ... IDK for Luo Yin ... maybe Gun ... he can do edgy when he is given the chance (e.g. Blue Hour), My concern is the script writing for the novel and subsequent direction ... the novel is complex both physically and psychologically ... I would hate for it to be massacred ... I wish Taiwan had of picked it up ... oh well ... see what happens.
This is a brilliant series ... 10/10 for me. The series is not just about the mystique of sumo or the regimentation and ritualism that has been steeped in over 1500 years of tradition ... it is about it's descent into hypocritical sanctimoniousness ... the brutal dog eat dog world in the Stables which underlies all that ritual ... it is about the personal stories behind some of the rikishi ... young men who come to the dohyo with their own individual baggage ... it is about the true spirit of sumo, when ego's are left behind and the men find their own 'sumo'.
For the few minutes (but mostly less than a minute) of something that seems so innocuous as pushing someone out of a circle ... the lead up to those few minutes is brutal, it is a test of heart and soul and body. These big men are amazing.
I loved that real Sumo Rikishi also stared in the series like Hishofuji Hiroki (1.92m tall and 201kg ... wow ... and even with the prosthetic scar ... that man has the most beautiful face) who played Shizuuchi ... and Ichinose Wataru (not a Sumo Rikishi) who played the ML Oze Kiyoshi / Enno, was just brilliant and so believable. He blew me away ... the anger, the rage, the depression, the fear and then the passion and exhilaration of finding his Sumo ... just brilliant.
The side stories were interesting too ... and while they were not fully explored, it provided the driving context to what drew these big men, Shizuuchi and Oze to Sumo. The different aspects of this series ... the best and worst of Sumo, the ritual and spirituality of it; the association that regulates it and the individual stories makes this a very moving and compelling series. I especially loved the end ... it was exactly what I hoped for ... ◝(ᵔ‿ᵔ)◜
Amazing story, brilliantly acted and produced ... I loved it.
Man that was an intense movie ... but it was thought provoking and really put together well.
Everything about this movie was so visual ... so in your face about some really fundamental issues and questions in life ... the food and cooking was just the "plate" to serve those matters up ... the vast chasm between rich and pour ... the difference between the hunger of the stomach and the hunger of vacuous souls, a hunger that never ceases ... are things expensive because they are special, or are they special because they are expensive ... and most poignantly, what does it profit a person to gain the whole world, and lose their own soul?
All heady stuff of philosophers and religious pundits and political platforms at election times ... but in this movie it forces these questions on you in the lives of both poor and rich ... in the sweat and tears of those who were the primary producers of the food ... in the blood and guts of the animals slaughtered for 'food' (or in the case of the rich ... for entertainment) ... and in the sweat and tears of those cooking it, both for people who were really hungry, and for people who only knew excess and never had a day of genuine hunger in their lives. Well put together ... and from my point of view a HE.
An excellent series if you are into psychological dramas. Each episode is based on a true story. That premise very much appealed to me and I wondered how those situations were going to be 'treated'. I was impressed. Each episode was tightly scripted to set the 'psychological' back story and then Lu Yue comes in, makes all the connections and provides his advice.
Every episode ends with thought provoking 'take aways'. Some episodes were hard hitting and potentially triggering ... but if you can take it, I would watch it to the end to see what Lu Yue's advice is ... at the very least, it is worth consideration. I wouldn't mind making an appointment with him 😊 as he is not patronising, his questions are razor sharp and get to the heart of the matter, he listens to the answers and does not casually categorise his patients with a label or give out cookie cutter advice ... everything he says is well considered ... and he doesn't prolong the sessions in useless round about talk fests so he can keep the dollars rolling in.
Best of all, was the mystery ending in the final episode ... I do hope that means a second season is in progress ... though I have not found any information to that effect so far.
WOW ...₍₍(♥´ ᵕ `♥)⁾⁾ ... the way the script so poignantly challenged the gender stereotype was…
This short movie was beautiful and thought provoking and profound ... I cried my eyes out ... "I like the way I am. I like the way I like you." I liked the way the ML was too ... for me he didn't have to be anything other than what he was.
WOW ...₍₍(♥´ ᵕ `♥)⁾⁾ ... the way the script so poignantly challenged the gender stereotype was so well done, and so gently done too ... succinct without being overly dramatic. The way it was filmed had a beautiful flow to it like a gentle stream ... I loved the use of the colour white in the sets and costumes, which seemed very symbolic to me ... light going through a prism can be refracted into lots of colours, not just two ... beautiful short movie ... well done to all those involved.
EPIC movie!! Aside from the fact there appeared to be a 'hidden blade' in the editing room (which I was not a fan of), everything about this movie was top notch ... the cinematography was off the charts, the OST, the intense plot and acting ... all beautifully combined ... and Wang Yi Bo ... OMG he is a force of nature, everything he does is 200% ... WOW.
Excellent movie ... could have very well been made into a series there was so much in it that they only touched on ... kind of reminded me a lot of Inside Man which is another epic Chinese production set around that time.
Oh WOW ... that was an amazing ... profound movie ... simple plot executed with the brush of a true artist ... I am deeply moved. I had goosebumps and tears watching Nishihama paint that dragon ... the flow of it all ... the flow incorporating mistakes turning into a masterpiece ... it was indeed "Life" as Aoyama declared ... and Sensei ... find your own lines and repaint your painting ... so profound ... most of us try to copy others ... other people's success etc but what works for them doesn't necessary work for us ... there are times when life brings us to our knees ... makes us come to a complete stop ... it is like it is telling us to find our own lines, and repaint the next stage of our lives on a blank sheet of paper ... to find that 'flow' that is life, that is living, that is creation ... not a copy.
LOVED the first episode ... so 'real' but heart warming at the same time and little Tane ... he is nothing short of a little treasure ... I want to go and make some onigiri now 🤗
There was a lot of action and blood but at times it was a bit slow too and in those slow times it reminded me…
I loved how they filmed Bok Soon's mental forecasts of all the possible scenarios of a fight before they even started ... especially the scene between Bok Soon and Cha Min Kyu ... that was awesome ... it reminded me of two raging beasts sizing each other up to determine if there would be a return on the physical investment if they chose to fight. That was a very well put together and choreographed scene ... at one point there Bok Soon was mid air with her arms wide open, knife in her neck, blood pouring out ... she looked like a a crucified Christ sans cross.
Cha Min Kyu and Cha Min Hee - sibling psychos - I wonder what kind of twisted family they came from 🤔. Even though Min Kyu shed no tears at his sister's death, in the end for him blood was thicker than water ... though I did wonder if Gil Jae Yeong was his daughter 🤔 ... you could tell he had a 'thing' for Bok Soon.
I have no idea if Cha Min Kyu survived his clash with Bok Soon or not ... or what the ramifications were after that fight, because there sure has hell would be ramifications. Did Bok Soon take over the management of M.K. 🤔 ... idk ... I would like to know what happened on that front ... oh well.
My favourite part of the story was Bok Soon's daughter Jae Yeong. Jae Yeong was a very interesting character ... she had an interesting way of looking at things ... a little bit disconnected in a way but she was very self aware at the same time and very perceptive about other people. I loved Jae Yeong's GL story and the struggles she had with that on a personal level, at a family level and outside the family. My favourite scene of the whole movie was when she grabbed the ex-girlfriend in front of everybody in the class room, drew her in close and told her what the go was and then walked out into the hallway, head held high and confident in her own skin ... you go girl 🙌
There was a lot of action and blood but at times it was a bit slow too and in those slow times it reminded me of a kind of a slice of life movie for assassins from Bok Soon's perspective - family problems trying to make time for her daughter, trying to understand what was going on in her daughters life, the usual lack of communication between parent and child, problems at work etc ... just normal stuff really, except Bok Soon's career was in the business of murdering people.
This was a brilliant and profoundly deep movie … so well written and acted and produced. It blew my mind with how loaded it was. Watch past the closing credits as you get the final picture to the whole story. Nothing is superfluous in this story … everything links to everything else … including Oreo the Border Collie ... even the robotic vacuum cleaner is pivotal.
The movie has a "chaos theory" edge to it i.e. Edward Norton Lorenz's 'butterfly effect" - a tornado can be influenced by minor perturbations such as a distant butterfly flapping its wings several weeks earlier ... and so it is with this movie but in respect of people and the effect they and their actions have on other people's lives and actions. It was a truly fascinating watching this concept unfold ... very moving and deeply thought provoking ... it was very well done indeed.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: this movie does include mass shooting in a public place in the opening scenes and later on in the movie. There is also some sui cidal themes and graphic shooting (head shots).
Gentle but so profoundly deep ... courage spurred by the innocent joy and enthusiasm of a child and an onigiri grenade ... pain and trauma softened by gentle kindness ... dark nights of the soul illuminated by loving kindness ... obstacles overcome like a gentle stream moves around and over the rocks below ... loved this series ALOT
For the few minutes (but mostly less than a minute) of something that seems so innocuous as pushing someone out of a circle ... the lead up to those few minutes is brutal, it is a test of heart and soul and body. These big men are amazing.
I loved that real Sumo Rikishi also stared in the series like Hishofuji Hiroki (1.92m tall and 201kg ... wow ... and even with the prosthetic scar ... that man has the most beautiful face) who played Shizuuchi ... and Ichinose Wataru (not a Sumo Rikishi) who played the ML Oze Kiyoshi / Enno, was just brilliant and so believable. He blew me away ... the anger, the rage, the depression, the fear and then the passion and exhilaration of finding his Sumo ... just brilliant.
The side stories were interesting too ... and while they were not fully explored, it provided the driving context to what drew these big men, Shizuuchi and Oze to Sumo. The different aspects of this series ... the best and worst of Sumo, the ritual and spirituality of it; the association that regulates it and the individual stories makes this a very moving and compelling series. I especially loved the end ... it was exactly what I hoped for ... ◝(ᵔ‿ᵔ)◜
Amazing story, brilliantly acted and produced ... I loved it.
Everything about this movie was so visual ... so in your face about some really fundamental issues and questions in life ... the food and cooking was just the "plate" to serve those matters up ... the vast chasm between rich and pour ... the difference between the hunger of the stomach and the hunger of vacuous souls, a hunger that never ceases ... are things expensive because they are special, or are they special because they are expensive ... and most poignantly, what does it profit a person to gain the whole world, and lose their own soul?
All heady stuff of philosophers and religious pundits and political platforms at election times ... but in this movie it forces these questions on you in the lives of both poor and rich ... in the sweat and tears of those who were the primary producers of the food ... in the blood and guts of the animals slaughtered for 'food' (or in the case of the rich ... for entertainment) ... and in the sweat and tears of those cooking it, both for people who were really hungry, and for people who only knew excess and never had a day of genuine hunger in their lives. Well put together ... and from my point of view a HE.
Every episode ends with thought provoking 'take aways'. Some episodes were hard hitting and potentially triggering ... but if you can take it, I would watch it to the end to see what Lu Yue's advice is ... at the very least, it is worth consideration. I wouldn't mind making an appointment with him 😊 as he is not patronising, his questions are razor sharp and get to the heart of the matter, he listens to the answers and does not casually categorise his patients with a label or give out cookie cutter advice ... everything he says is well considered ... and he doesn't prolong the sessions in useless round about talk fests so he can keep the dollars rolling in.
Best of all, was the mystery ending in the final episode ... I do hope that means a second season is in progress ... though I have not found any information to that effect so far.
Excellent movie ... could have very well been made into a series there was so much in it that they only touched on ... kind of reminded me a lot of Inside Man which is another epic Chinese production set around that time.
A masterpiece ...
Cha Min Kyu and Cha Min Hee - sibling psychos - I wonder what kind of twisted family they came from 🤔. Even though Min Kyu shed no tears at his sister's death, in the end for him blood was thicker than water ... though I did wonder if Gil Jae Yeong was his daughter 🤔 ... you could tell he had a 'thing' for Bok Soon.
I have no idea if Cha Min Kyu survived his clash with Bok Soon or not ... or what the ramifications were after that fight, because there sure has hell would be ramifications. Did Bok Soon take over the management of M.K. 🤔 ... idk ... I would like to know what happened on that front ... oh well.
My favourite part of the story was Bok Soon's daughter Jae Yeong. Jae Yeong was a very interesting character ... she had an interesting way of looking at things ... a little bit disconnected in a way but she was very self aware at the same time and very perceptive about other people. I loved Jae Yeong's GL story and the struggles she had with that on a personal level, at a family level and outside the family. My favourite scene of the whole movie was when she grabbed the ex-girlfriend in front of everybody in the class room, drew her in close and told her what the go was and then walked out into the hallway, head held high and confident in her own skin ... you go girl 🙌