Episode 1: Not the greatest start to a Strongberry...
...but it's Strongberry, so I'll stick around. Why do most of the actors look as though they're made of white candle wax? Why do most of the actors look as though they're in middle school?
This is one of the most delightful, ultra low-budget shorts I've seen. In 17 minutes we get right to the point and tell the story. Cute actors who do a good job under the circumstances. Great characters, including the adorable stalker fujoshi. Cliches galore, but in a good, fun way.
so weird that the first thing you thought because his face isn't all sucked that he must be unwell and went searching…
I won't address your motivations here because I don't care what they are.
So weird that you're pretending he doesn't look unwell in The Match and Alive. So weird that your first thought upon reading my comment was to figure out a way to tell me to STFU. So weird to encourage ignoring the symptoms of ill health in those around us, and in the entertainers we see in films and series. So weird to promote the silence and pretense that often enable self-destruction in others. How many times, after someone dies of an overdose, succumbs to anorexia, or kills themselves, do we hear morons around them claim not to have noticed "anything was wrong." They are lying to distract from their complicity.
I'm not sure what YOU are doing. I'll leave that conclusion to others.
I'm only hearing about the news now, but why is everyone in the comments acting like they know what happened.…
These weirdos don't care about neutrality of opinion or innocence until guilt is proven. They want to take part in the sadistic thrill of taking down another entertainer NOW. Assuming the worst and cancelling celebs is what they live for.
She's not a victim, she's an accuser. An accuser who claims to have been "inappropriately touched." The world…
It would be great if that were true, but the reality is that media and KK's agency have already tried him, rendered a guilty verdict, and meted out punishment. He has been yanked from his Jpop group, fired by the agency, and lost endorsements. And we both know he will never get those things back, regardless of his innocence. There is no justice in any of the above.
It's not as though July 30th will decide and end things one way or the other. KK has to wait two agonizing months for the trial to BEGIN, not end. He is only 25 years old. Can you imagine the psychological/mental/emotional pain he is experiencing?
That is the opposite of justice; it is barbaric. Not that CJKTnetz care; for them, his pain is all part of the entertainment package. And should he take his own life, as so many CJKT celebs have well, that's an even juicier thrill.
I see we have a frustrated Cnetz here who doesn't want its supply of thinly-sourced, entirely irrelevant but potentially career-destroying, trashy articles cut off.
NO ONE needs to be writing a story, get it? There is nothing here. Someone faked a recording of this actress trashing Chinese people, so now, before anyone knows what's going on, Lily Alice and her type will have spread the "news" across China/Asia, and most of those who hear of it will only remember what the actress was ACCUSED of, not that in the end it fizzled into nothing.
Note to the wise: Lily Alice doesn't "know" anything about this. All she thinks she knows is what she read, authored by some other trash-spreading writer on some other trash news source. That's how this works; they all print each others' garbage, using ass-covering words such as "reportedly," "some say," "many people," blah blah blah. The trash swirls and swirls, until the celebrity's career and reputation are destroyed, and they kill themselves.
But don't you worry yourself about a little thing like that.
No, Lily Alice, Eleanor Lee did not "find herself" in this "controversy;" you and other disseminators of fabrications, rumors, and half-truths, PUT her there with loose, fact-light articles like this one. Have some decency, and just stop.
I wish someone would remake this film. There is an intriguing, romantic, and tragic story here, which is unfortunately rendered with countless absurdities and ridiculosities. The latter are too numerous to mention, but just for fun, I'll give it a go:
The hilariously bad artwork, which we are to take as the product of a budding genius. That painting is one of the ugliest I've seen. Takumi as a famous and upcoming model, though of what we have no clue. This famous model is nevertheless an average Joe high school student. This famous model is nevertheless a promiscuous mess, not at all picky about his sex partners. This famous model leaves his door unlocked most of the time. The psycho, obsessed friend is apparently the spawn of Satan himself. The bruises to Takumi's face after the attack were on the wrong side of his face. Yoshikazu carried a corpse from Takumi's apartment to the train, then from the train to the beach. Yes...apparently, all hospitals and ambulances were shut down that evening. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Takumi and Yoshikazu ever had sex, though Takumi had already done so with half of Tokyo. Too much bad acting to list, but perhaps the worst is Takumi's dry-eyed sobbing near the end. However, these actors were all young and green at the time, so I blame the director. The stabbing itself...hahahahahahahaha I could continue, but why...?
Good stuff: Basic story line. Beautiful leading men. Beautiful leading men in black Speedos. Takumi's butt. The toilet scene, early on. Nice moments here and there.
Clearly, I don't hate this movie, which is why I just watched it for the third time. I enjoy Saito Takumi's general gorgeousness, combined with the air of danger/sleaze he carries around with him in every project. Yoshikazu is easy on the eyes and a good enough actor. But yeah, I do wish someone would rewrite the screenplay and shoot a remake. If you do, please contact me. I have casting suggestions.
Um…Anyways trans women are women and trans men are men. The trans community is valid no matter the transphobic…
Your "both sides" schtick is even stinkier than it was 25 years ago when John Stewart first fished it out of his toilet.
Your sad, wildly out-of-proportion hatred for the one-half of one percent of the population who are trans speaks for itself. It's called punching down.
but when others say the same about other series you call them psychos..... Lol
No, Cindy, that is not the case. I apply such a label to others for reasons having little or nothing to do with their preference for or against a particular show. Sounds like you might be a frustrated Knetz, since MDL shut your people down. I have called a LOT of those people "psychos."
With mid being a 5, I'm glad you gave it an 8 rating.
I confess to a curiosity about where a film/series lands on a rating scale among its overall audience, but I do not let it prevent me from watching films that sound intriguing. I find the MDL ratings to be almost entirely the opposite of my take on shows. To me, up is down, and black is white in the ratings here.
I don’t just want a BL (Boys' Love) to be about a simple love story anymore. These days, audiences expect more…
Yeah, I've never seen BM a second time, either. :) I remember it being a tad boring. It's significance lies in that it was the first "big" Hollywood film, starring two well-known actors, who played gay. And there's been nothing like it since.
Wow, I am sort of shocked you have NO Asian gay-themed films on your "best" list. Mind sharing titles of films that ARE on your list? I watch films from all over the world, so I'd be eager to see any I haven't seen already.
With the help of the Internet, I put together a list of non-American Western gay films I enjoyed. I have watched many of them a second or third time. It's just that my quirk for more powerfully connecting emotionally with Asian characters/stories than those from elsewhere, leaves my uber-favorite gay films list completely Asian. I am as Caucasian as you can get, so make of that as you will. :D
Cousins In the Reeds God's Own Country Free Fall Weekend Beaut Travail Moffie O Fantasma Summer of 85 Fireworks Teenage Kicks The String Eyes Wide Open David's Birthday Summer Storm Boys Summer Storm Longtime Companion Come Undone Rocky Horror Picture Show Maurice Mario Hidden Kisses Season 3 of the original SKAM (Norway), which focuses on gay lovers Isaac and Even
I don’t just want a BL (Boys' Love) to be about a simple love story anymore. These days, audiences expect more…
Thanks for your thoughtful reply. :) I enjoyed reading about your perspective and for the most part, I think I agree.
If by "...western professional gay/LGBTQ productions.'' you are referring to feature films, I do have to disagree there. I am American, but ALL the best gay/LGBTQ films I have seen are Asian; ranking by quality Korea, Japanese, Taiwan, Thai. The only film I see as equaling what I have found in Asia is the classic, "Brokeback Mountain." Most American gay films are cheesy/stupid/low budget/embarrassing. :)
We have no equivalent nor anything close, to BL in the West. Nothing.
With its sense of foreboding from the early frames to the denouement, dim interiors, and gays-must-be-miserable ending, A Capella feels more like it was made in 1996 than 2016. Still, I rather liked it. My tastes have grown and changed in five years. I remember dropping this early in, about that long ago.
1 
1 
...but it's Strongberry, so I'll stick around.
Why do most of the actors look as though they're made of white candle wax?
Why do most of the actors look as though they're in middle school?
Just asking.
In 17 minutes we get right to the point and tell the story. Cute actors who do a good job under the circumstances. Great characters, including the adorable stalker fujoshi. Cliches galore, but in a good, fun way.
Highly recommended.
9/10
So weird that you're pretending he doesn't look unwell in The Match and Alive.
So weird that your first thought upon reading my comment was to figure out a way to tell me to STFU.
So weird to encourage ignoring the symptoms of ill health in those around us, and in the entertainers we see in films and series.
So weird to promote the silence and pretense that often enable self-destruction in others.
How many times, after someone dies of an overdose, succumbs to anorexia, or kills themselves, do we hear morons around them claim not to have noticed "anything was wrong."
They are lying to distract from their complicity.
I'm not sure what YOU are doing. I'll leave that conclusion to others.
It's not as though July 30th will decide and end things one way or the other. KK has to wait two agonizing months for the trial to BEGIN, not end. He is only 25 years old. Can you imagine the psychological/mental/emotional pain he is experiencing?
That is the opposite of justice; it is barbaric. Not that CJKTnetz care; for them, his pain is all part of the entertainment package. And should he take his own life, as so many CJKT celebs have well, that's an even juicier thrill.
Appalling.
NO ONE needs to be writing a story, get it? There is nothing here. Someone faked a recording of this actress trashing Chinese people, so now, before anyone knows what's going on, Lily Alice and her type will have spread the "news" across China/Asia, and most of those who hear of it will only remember what the actress was ACCUSED of, not that in the end it fizzled into nothing.
Note to the wise: Lily Alice doesn't "know" anything about this. All she thinks she knows is what she read, authored by some other trash-spreading writer on some other trash news source. That's how this works; they all print each others' garbage, using ass-covering words such as "reportedly," "some say," "many people," blah blah blah. The trash swirls and swirls, until the celebrity's career and reputation are destroyed, and they kill themselves.
But don't you worry yourself about a little thing like that.
Have some decency, and just stop.
There is an intriguing, romantic, and tragic story here, which is unfortunately rendered with countless absurdities and ridiculosities. The latter are too numerous to mention, but just for fun, I'll give it a go:
The hilariously bad artwork, which we are to take as the product of a budding genius.
That painting is one of the ugliest I've seen.
Takumi as a famous and upcoming model, though of what we have no clue.
This famous model is nevertheless an average Joe high school student.
This famous model is nevertheless a promiscuous mess, not at all picky about his sex partners.
This famous model leaves his door unlocked most of the time.
The psycho, obsessed friend is apparently the spawn of Satan himself.
The bruises to Takumi's face after the attack were on the wrong side of his face.
Yoshikazu carried a corpse from Takumi's apartment to the train, then from the train to the beach.
Yes...apparently, all hospitals and ambulances were shut down that evening.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Takumi and Yoshikazu ever had sex, though Takumi had already done so with half of Tokyo.
Too much bad acting to list, but perhaps the worst is Takumi's dry-eyed sobbing near the end. However, these actors were all young and green at the time, so I blame the director.
The stabbing itself...hahahahahahahaha
I could continue, but why...?
Good stuff:
Basic story line.
Beautiful leading men.
Beautiful leading men in black Speedos.
Takumi's butt.
The toilet scene, early on.
Nice moments here and there.
Clearly, I don't hate this movie, which is why I just watched it for the third time.
I enjoy Saito Takumi's general gorgeousness, combined with the air of danger/sleaze he carries around with him in every project. Yoshikazu is easy on the eyes and a good enough actor.
But yeah, I do wish someone would rewrite the screenplay and shoot a remake. If you do, please contact me. I have casting suggestions.
So, once again: 8/10
Self-important, much?
Reading four lines of text IS a lot to ask of anyone.
Your sad, wildly out-of-proportion hatred for the one-half of one percent of the population who are trans speaks for itself. It's called punching down.
Wow, I am sort of shocked you have NO Asian gay-themed films on your "best" list. Mind sharing titles of films that ARE on your list? I watch films from all over the world, so I'd be eager to see any I haven't seen already.
With the help of the Internet, I put together a list of non-American Western gay films I enjoyed. I have watched many of them a second or third time. It's just that my quirk for more powerfully connecting emotionally with Asian characters/stories than those from elsewhere, leaves my uber-favorite gay films list completely Asian. I am as Caucasian as you can get, so make of that as you will. :D
Cousins
In the Reeds
God's Own Country
Free Fall
Weekend
Beaut Travail
Moffie
O Fantasma
Summer of 85
Fireworks
Teenage Kicks
The String
Eyes Wide Open
David's Birthday
Summer Storm
Boys
Summer Storm
Longtime Companion
Come Undone
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Maurice
Mario
Hidden Kisses
Season 3 of the original SKAM (Norway), which focuses on gay lovers Isaac and Even
If by "...western professional gay/LGBTQ productions.'' you are referring to feature films, I do have to disagree there. I am American, but ALL the best gay/LGBTQ films I have seen are Asian; ranking by quality Korea, Japanese, Taiwan, Thai. The only film I see as equaling what I have found in Asia is the classic, "Brokeback Mountain." Most American gay films are cheesy/stupid/low budget/embarrassing. :)
We have no equivalent nor anything close, to BL in the West. Nothing.
8.5/10