MAI

"What is that child who was fed and grew up by a wolf? Is she a bitch? Or a human?"

Now, this film has some excellent dialogue!

Can someone tell me whether this gets any better? I literally just started this but, I swear, the first episode almost sent me into cardiac arrest with the level of physical cringe I felt about Toh failing to act like a functional human being. They really took the I-don't-know-how-to-act-around-my-crush trope to its extreme and I don't know if my heart can handle any more situations of him forgetting how to walk or talk. (Also, in what fantasy universe does this take place that all students are wearing those baby blue Korean-inspired uniforms? I swear I've seen carbon copies of those in a few adult stores lol.)

Now, well over a month after watching this, I am realising the subtle jab at older generations that this movie offers. The story does not only highlight the realities of violence and corruption but it also shows the way older generations fail their youth by not taking responsibility for their own negligence. Arroyo, despite her good intentions and her efforts to rid Manilla of crime, is--quite frankly-- a shit mom. She isn't involved in her son's life and has no clue where the teen hangs out (that while she is shagging no other than his guidance councilor--someone who should be in a position to help lost teens). She may have wanted to serve her country by being a cop (a job which this movie displays as redundant by the way criminals manage to evade the law) but she still fails to serve the country by not being a mother figure for her son. The movie seems to ask us how we, as an audience, envision the future of the youth in the Philippines. How can young people stay away from a life of crime when they inherit a country that has been tainted by the corruption, violence, and addictions of their parents? How can youth grow up without good examples or guidance?

I would have loved a full-length documentary about this!

The guy's phone number! 😉

Realistic and clever. Definitely low budget but the color grading and the nonlinear storytelling turned this otherwise straightforward plot into a pretty captivating watch. Moral of the story: in life, you will gain some and lose some.

Not bad. The movie is a tad slow but it is filmed with an air of realism and it has an meaningful and clever message comparing the Manila massacre (commonly referred as the 'Rape of Manila') with the exploitation of the (Japanese) porn industry. Still can't believe the male lead claims to have broken up with his girlfriend because of this film, tho.

LMAO this is a director I absolutely hate yet always gravitate towards. He has an exceptional talent for pinpointing-- and then very detailedly showing-- cultural taboos. It's somehow so fascinating to me that most of his movies deal with dysfunctional parental figures considering the hierarchical Korean society and the cultural importance that is given to filial piety.
Wish he'd make something new because we haven't heard anything from him in a while! I want a new twisted tale about people going insane during the pandemic or something.

I'd say it's a show you'll love to hate. The story itself is an absolute mess but it also has great production value and--if you're into that--tons of fan-service. I put it on in the background each week while cleaning and then enjoy reading the tsunami of shit-posts on this website afterwards.

Your comment made me want to watch the BTS video LMAO! No shit, that acting coach looks like he'll cry himself to sleep tonight. That's the stare of a man who has given up on life itself.

LMAO. Now that was a plot.

*flashbacks to Perth's pouting face at the end of ep 1 in KinnPorsche*

100% agree with you there, although I do wonder how often a script truly calls for a foreign character. I suppose it makes sense in the context of this particular show-- the Thai clubbing scene is a popular place for foreign investors-- but I am more hesitant about other shows.

Not completely surprised about what you say about foreign actors being shoehorned into the Thai acting industry, unfortunately. Sounds an awful lot like the white monkey jobs white foreigners in Asia pick up (or simply like handsome yet talent-less Korean oppas landing the lead roles in K-dramas). Beauty sells. Too bad, I love seeing real, unfiltered people in media.

A beautiful cinematic account of a young man trying to come to terms with death and decay. Great acting and symbolism.

For me it ain't even the accent per se; it's the need for the shows to give him these random (and unnecessary) English one-liners. I get it: the guy's Thai still needs some work but he also has a solid fanbase so it's profitable to keep him around.
I just believe that, if an actor can't live up to the demands of the role, he simply is not suitable for that role. They always end up altering Perth's characters so he can speak English. That's just odd. Can you imagine my boss doing the same thing for me? "I think you're a shitty employee so I've decided to make your tasks easier?" Like, I'm pretty sure I would be able to pack my bags if I constantly fail to live up to the company's standards.

I snorted because, the thing is, Perth has actually majorly improved since I've seen him act last. He was an absolute dumpster fire in My Engineer: his character barely uttered a word since the dude didn't feel confident about his Thai (and on the rare occasions he remembered he had vocal cords his performance was stiff and unnatural). I find his acting style much more relaxed now, although he still manages to speak English 80% of the time.

I mean, power to him-- he truly seems like a genuine and kind dude-- but, if I were casting director, I would never consider an actor who can't properly speak the language of the show in which they must act. Dialogue is one of the major elements of a good show. The company seems to have reeled him in just for his good looks or something. Can everyone become an actor nowadays?

This gave me everything I need from a horror-comedy. There are two versions of this available: the original 2003 film and the more recent, edited director's cut (which is also conveniently roughly 30 minutes shorter). They are both obviously slapstick comedies but the director's cut is definitely more suspenseful due to the darker color grading and editing. The whole plot is not necessarily original (although I imagine it being so back in 2003) but the silly humor had me in stitches.

The movie got postponed due to COVID. It has no new release date yet (but I highly doubt we'll be getting one this year). It seems like they've finished editing, tho.

"Ozaki induces irresistible pheromones"
Ah, hell naw. 🏃🏃

I 100% agree with you, homophobia is definitely not a struggle that is only faced by older generations. However, my comment was directly catered towards @LykeItRuff since, according to his profile and his previous responses, I had gathered he's from North America. Hence is was speaking about the North American context here (which I should have emphasised probably). From the discussions I have had with those living there, I do find that there is a more clear divide between younger and older generations when it comes to queer issues (e.g. discussions about younger generations taking for granted the support they enjoy and older generations feeling bitter about this, but but also the generational difference in regards to the discussion about pronouns for instance). It doesn't help that, at least online and on MDL, the opinion of younger people is over-represented.

My own folks ended up assuming I was gay (which I, ironically, never confirmed or denied) simply because I failed to bring home a romantic partner at a respectable age, and from that moment onward they've awkwardly refrained from asking me about my romantic endeavors. This was more than 10 years ago, and my love life is still a topic that is carefully avoided when I do visit them. Mind you, I was born and raised in the Netherlands which is a country with a very strong homonationalist rhetoric so, on paper, my family should have beenpride-flag-waving supporters. My point is, homophobia and the struggle for acceptance are universal experiences but these experiences look distinctly different in various cultural contexts. In some, the coming-out-experience is more central than in others. But, since English remains the lingua franca for LGBTQ+ discussions online and in academic spheres, queer narratives take take on a particular Western (in particular, North American) flavour. I'm therefore not surprised that many BLs don't touch upon homophobia or coming-out as much. But, of course, fluffy stories sell better too.

I have not watched What Did You Eat Yesterday (but thanks for the recommendation! 😊) but I still stand with my comment that coming out is a mostly Western rite of passage that we shouldn't superimpose on all cultural settings. A great example for me was the Taiwanese short film Komorebi, which features a young man who must tell his mom about his sexuality on her birthday. This movie has no distinct moment where the main character comes out of the closet (as is often pushed/expected in North American and Western European countries) but his experience almost looks a careful dance of hints and suggestions. The word 'gay' never even ends up leaving the main character's lips. I am not saying this is necessary good (or bad) but just that this way of dealing with family subverts the Western idea of the coming-out experience as a grand reveal-all. Also, coming out and being gay in public doesn't automatically equal acceptance. I am less familiar with queer discourse in Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia (of which you speak) but I know that, at least in China for instance, being gay is largely perceived as an mental illness. Scholars writing about queer matters are not taken seriously by the larger public if they themselves 'suffer' from such an illness. Gay acceptance, in this context, is not a matter of visibility or being out in the open but more so about changing the whole image of what being queer actually is.