Not sure about the purpose of the article.. RIP Nakayama Miho.. J-ent isn't the same without your romance dramas and movies. You are terribly missed :(
i truly understand where mio is coming from and why she acted like that, but as a viewer i was also wishing for…
Yup that's exactly what I meant about Flower of Evil. Wait till you watch the last episode of FOE (if you do get to it) - it pretty much was the worst finale the writer could have come up with HAHA I felt like I was watching another drama. Anyway I have a detailed comment on that drama's page if you're interested.
WORD on this drama - it wasn't perfect and there were some things that could have been better, but it delivered in giving a relationship that is dark and real.
Huh? I've seen the original and the FL's charm had nothing to do with her weight. So there was no need to lose weight for this role. Anyway, her body her choice. I just hope she's eating all the nutrients her body needs and is taking care of herself.
Also if you liked Hot Spot, then you should definitely check more of the same writer's works. Also Kudo Kankuro's works. Tons and tons of banter, friendship and fun.
What the F*CK is NIZI? What's with the "translation" of the title, it doesn't even make sense pronounciation…
I know right.. I hate that MDL has been changing the title of a lot of Japanese dramas to English ones. The English title doesn't even make sense and neither does it have any connection with the Japanese title. Annoying seriously.
It's a extremely sterile and logical review. As if a psycologist reviewed it. Now I won't be able to see this…
Thank you for your comment :)
think that's why I don't watch as many South Korean dramas anymore. The writing has really gone downhill in many ways. My biggest issue with this show was that the writer overlooked the toxicity in these relationships and (1) neither presented growth in the characters nor (2) acknowledgment of the toxicity and then having characters talk about it and meet halfway. It was all just glossed over in the name of 'love'.
Anyway I prefer Japanese and Taiwanese dramas much much more now because they present far more real characters with varied stories.
Kurosawa's work doesn't fully fall under the genres you mentioned. But since you liked this film, you should definitely check out his other works. Some I would recommend starting with (though all are worth a watch)- Ikiru Rashomon Red Beard (1965) High & Low
You should check out Ozu Yasujiro's films from the 40s-60s. Good slice-of-life stories. You can start with Tokyo Story (1953). I think it's one of his most famous works.
If you're open to more recent J-dramas / movies, I highly highly recommend some of these slice of life stuff. There are countless more since Japan makes the most from this genre compared to other countries Unmet NIZI Village Clinic Hot Spot Rebooting Beach Boys Perfect Days Swing Girls Sweet Bean
You should definitely check out a lot more older cinema. For Japanese, specifically Kurosawa, Ozu Yasujiro, Kobayashi, Naruse Mikiyo, and Hiroshi Teshigahara's works.
So basically 'Ran' means 'chaos' in Japanese. The ending emphasised the theme - while chaos and war will always be eternal, humans will always have to face the consequences of their actions. He dropped a Buddha scroll which also highlighted a world without the divine, and without hope.
The teasers shown so far have disappointed me. Doesn't have the sexiness and vibe the original had. I tend to enjoy the leads but they seem pretty miscast here. Anyway, good luck to the team.
I read the review! I would like to say it was interesting and thought provoking to read and I wanted to share…
I find your perspectives on Hye Jin and Doo Shik very interesting.
Doo Shik - I agree that he is a people pleaser but my biggest issue was that his sunshine character and the guilt-ridden side of his felt either like dual personalities or different people to me. I know that people hide their pain behind their smile but in the solo moments when he was by himself (at least before the past was revealed), the drama portrayed him to be pretty content. He would do things he enjoyed like surfing etc. which is not something you would expect someone so guilt-ridden to do. They would probably be out and about helping people and then when they're back home, they would just be drowning in sadness and feel empty. This wasn't the case with Doo Shik at all. So when the secret came out, if my memory serves me right, he was portrayed as someone whose entire life was destroyed and he had nothing to live for, which was pretty extreme? Yes we all could guess there was a past but never did the show in a good first half ever indicate that he was this guilt-ridden and had this big of a burden.. like you know it wasn't infused into the plot well? He just came across as this nice people-pleaser dude with probably some sad memory he is running away from. And then the past came in and then it's like a really extreme side was presented that didn't seem like him. On the money part, yeah I think I can agree with you.
Your take on Hye Jin is something I can accept. So thank you for this different perspective, though I still wish the writer showed the transition better because when you work so strongly towards a goal sacrificing your basic needs, even after reaching it, many people struggle to break free from those habits. I do counsel a lot of ppl who find it hard to break free from maladaptive behaviours and habits. Like if you grew up saving money.. it's hard to actually start spending it even if you're damn rich and are making a lot more. Change doesn't happen overnight.
And also I refuse to believe that someone with the kind of childhood that Hye Jin had grew up so "healthy functioning". Her scars and the neglect she saw was never quite fleshed out.
Regarding the villagers and their toxic relationships - sorry but I disagree. Yes people are far from ideal and so are relationships. But the way the show presented them was definitely pushing the narrative that these people are an ideal, happy, peaceful village and that everyone should move there. I can never understand how we are supposed to be be happy for about the woman who took her husband back in when he confessed his love to a younger girl. I can never understand how we are supposed to simply accept a man who never changed and was this insensitive to his pregnant wife. It would have worked if there was character development for these characters but there wasn't. OR it would have worked if the wives in both relationships acknowledged the fact that their husbands were shitty and decided to stay in the hope that maybe one day, things would get better. But none of this happened. Rather, the writer justified these actions, overlooked them and ended it with the we-are-happily-in-love, completely ignoring the way the men treated them.
I would have loved this drama if the writer hadn't presented it as a peaceful loving slice-of-life drama. If it was presented as a human drama with flawed characters trying to live their best each day, overcoming the prejudices and limitations, and still living on with some tears and a smile, yeah I would have been able to appreciate this. A little like 'My Liberation Notes' with very flawed unlikeable characters, but still characters I came to root for and understand. OR 'Nagi's Long Vacation' with flawed but likeable characters. OR 'Nizi Village Clinic' with absolutely beautiful, peaceful, loving characters - now this is a well done, peaceful slice of life.
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RIP Nakayama Miho.. J-ent isn't the same without your romance dramas and movies. You are terribly missed :(
P.S On the other hand I remember Season 1 very vividly.. strange
Congratulations to her then. Hope she gets her much deserved rest and comes back with a bang.
But yeah the drama had too many plotholes.
I felt like I was watching another drama. Anyway I have a detailed comment on that drama's page if you're interested.
WORD on this drama - it wasn't perfect and there were some things that could have been better, but it delivered in giving a relationship that is dark and real.
Anyway, her body her choice. I just hope she's eating all the nutrients her body needs and is taking care of herself.
Also if you liked Hot Spot, then you should definitely check more of the same writer's works. Also Kudo Kankuro's works. Tons and tons of banter, friendship and fun.
Annoying seriously.
think that's why I don't watch as many South Korean dramas anymore. The writing has really gone downhill in many ways. My biggest issue with this show was that the writer overlooked the toxicity in these relationships and (1) neither presented growth in the characters nor (2) acknowledgment of the toxicity and then having characters talk about it and meet halfway. It was all just glossed over in the name of 'love'.
Anyway I prefer Japanese and Taiwanese dramas much much more now because they present far more real characters with varied stories.
Ouroboros
Tengoku to Jigoku: Psychona Futari
Some others I remember that are close with leads being on the opposite conflicting ends
Soredemo Ikite Yuku
Watashi no Otto wa Reitouko ni Nemutte Iru
Yasha
Lupin no Musume
Waiting in the Dark
Ice World
Soseji
Will stop here for now.. feel free to reach out for more :)
Ikiru
Rashomon
Red Beard (1965)
High & Low
You should check out Ozu Yasujiro's films from the 40s-60s. Good slice-of-life stories. You can start with Tokyo Story (1953). I think it's one of his most famous works.
If you're open to more recent J-dramas / movies, I highly highly recommend some of these slice of life stuff. There are countless more since Japan makes the most from this genre compared to other countries
Unmet
NIZI Village Clinic
Hot Spot
Rebooting
Beach Boys
Perfect Days
Swing Girls
Sweet Bean
A recommendations list if you're interested in exploring other genres:
https://kisskh.at/list/LQJEl7R3
Are there any specific genres you'd be interested in watching?
So basically 'Ran' means 'chaos' in Japanese. The ending emphasised the theme - while chaos and war will always be eternal, humans will always have to face the consequences of their actions. He dropped a Buddha scroll which also highlighted a world without the divine, and without hope.
Anyway, good luck to the team.
Doo Shik - I agree that he is a people pleaser but my biggest issue was that his sunshine character and the guilt-ridden side of his felt either like dual personalities or different people to me. I know that people hide their pain behind their smile but in the solo moments when he was by himself (at least before the past was revealed), the drama portrayed him to be pretty content. He would do things he enjoyed like surfing etc. which is not something you would expect someone so guilt-ridden to do. They would probably be out and about helping people and then when they're back home, they would just be drowning in sadness and feel empty. This wasn't the case with Doo Shik at all. So when the secret came out, if my memory serves me right, he was portrayed as someone whose entire life was destroyed and he had nothing to live for, which was pretty extreme? Yes we all could guess there was a past but never did the show in a good first half ever indicate that he was this guilt-ridden and had this big of a burden.. like you know it wasn't infused into the plot well? He just came across as this nice people-pleaser dude with probably some sad memory he is running away from. And then the past came in and then it's like a really extreme side was presented that didn't seem like him.
On the money part, yeah I think I can agree with you.
Your take on Hye Jin is something I can accept. So thank you for this different perspective, though I still wish the writer showed the transition better because when you work so strongly towards a goal sacrificing your basic needs, even after reaching it, many people struggle to break free from those habits. I do counsel a lot of ppl who find it hard to break free from maladaptive behaviours and habits. Like if you grew up saving money.. it's hard to actually start spending it even if you're damn rich and are making a lot more. Change doesn't happen overnight.
And also I refuse to believe that someone with the kind of childhood that Hye Jin had grew up so "healthy functioning". Her scars and the neglect she saw was never quite fleshed out.
Regarding the villagers and their toxic relationships - sorry but I disagree. Yes people are far from ideal and so are relationships. But the way the show presented them was definitely pushing the narrative that these people are an ideal, happy, peaceful village and that everyone should move there. I can never understand how we are supposed to be be happy for about the woman who took her husband back in when he confessed his love to a younger girl. I can never understand how we are supposed to simply accept a man who never changed and was this insensitive to his pregnant wife. It would have worked if there was character development for these characters but there wasn't. OR it would have worked if the wives in both relationships acknowledged the fact that their husbands were shitty and decided to stay in the hope that maybe one day, things would get better. But none of this happened. Rather, the writer justified these actions, overlooked them and ended it with the we-are-happily-in-love, completely ignoring the way the men treated them.
I would have loved this drama if the writer hadn't presented it as a peaceful loving slice-of-life drama. If it was presented as a human drama with flawed characters trying to live their best each day, overcoming the prejudices and limitations, and still living on with some tears and a smile, yeah I would have been able to appreciate this. A little like 'My Liberation Notes' with very flawed unlikeable characters, but still characters I came to root for and understand.
OR 'Nagi's Long Vacation' with flawed but likeable characters.
OR 'Nizi Village Clinic' with absolutely beautiful, peaceful, loving characters - now this is a well done, peaceful slice of life.