Meh. What a waste of two talented actors as the main couple. Sort of ridiculous, how repetitive and inert the plot and script are. Akira rejecting the charming advances of the handsome and soulful Shin over and over, and over again. Even Akira's amazing beauty doesn't save this turkey of a second season.
For me, the biggest problem, among many problems, is that I'm never told WHY Akira behaves the way he does. Why does he treat Shin with such emotional cruelty over and over? Why is he such a eunuch when it comes to physical desire, of which he has none. Given what I've seen and heard over two seasons, I can't feel the angst the show wants me to feel for them because it doesn't make any sense at all. The actors are just acting out the script and that's that.
So what should have been a hugely emotional scene near the end had no resonance, no basis and I didn't buy it for a second. And of course, they woke up fully clothed; another BL couple who does the nasty then gets up, showers and dresses before going back to bed. Normal people don't do that.
This is a show for emotional masochists who enjoy being treated like shit and watching the same happen to characters on the screen.
So glad I stumbled across this somewhere here at sometime apparently, and put it on my PTW list and finally quit skipping over it and watched it tonight. What a great little film.
Nagayama Eita is sensational in this charming, touching dramedy set in and around the world of low-level professional wrestling/boxing in Japan. Bravo to all involved. Like all good films, it's rated low on MDL. Ignore that ridiculous number and check this out. You'll have a ball.
Obviously this movie isn't "nothing but sex", but there are a lot of sex scenes, and some of them are extremely,…
Gosh, I know: How irrational of me to evaluate what and who you are in relation to a particular topic by reason of what you say/write about that topic, rather than just accepting whatever you claim you are. You say you're no prude, but you have made it clear you feel the sex scenes in this film go further than they "necessarily" should have. lol
I asked what about them was "unnecessary" and you haven't answered. Like most people making statements about sexual/moral issues, you expect me just to "know" what you're talking about, and agree. I don't know and I don't agree. Your actions-what you've written above about the sex scenes-speak louder than your words; this is not a new thing. It's true of all of us.
I'm an American, raised in a very religious, Protestant environment, including eight freaking years of parochial school. I had negative attitudes about everything sexual, especially my own gay sexuality pounded into me for at least 14 of my formative years. There is a no-nonsense, no-sex, Church Lady lurking in the dark hallways of my mind, and there is no way I'll ever be rid of her. Perhaps someday I'll get her shoved down into the basement; that's the best I can hope for. However, I don't claim she's not there. In truth, I think her presence allows me to feel and experience sex and sexual content more powerfully than if she didn't exist.
So, consider the possibility you've got some prude going on inside yourself and that it effects how you think and what you say. Then maybe you can do something about that. Or not. Your choice.
Obviously this movie isn't "nothing but sex", but there are a lot of sex scenes, and some of them are extremely,…
I did not miss your point at all; I simply disagree with it, and I said exactly why.
What, exactly, is "unnecessarily explicit" to you, when in fact, there was nothing "explicit" about the scenes in the first place? Did you see anybody's genitals, erect or otherwise? Did you see a vagina? Did you see penetration? Did you SEE actual cunnilingus or a blowjob? No, no you did not. Showing those things would have been "explicit." INDICATING them, which is what actors do to portray a lot more things than just sex, is what actors do. The actors were ACTING AS IF they were having sex, just like they act as if they are really angry or having a sword fight for real, or a million other things in a script.
But somehow, even from a person like you who claims to have enjoyed the scenes, it is only in the area of SEX that we get complaining about "explicitness" when there isn't any (PORN is explicit) and whining that this or that was "unnecessary." Why is that? Well, it's because a lot of people, maybe most, have major sexual hangups, and are thus uncomfortable seeing it acted out on screen, even when they know in their rational minds that it is not actually happening.
One of the many things movies and sex scenes like this do, besides helping to make a story more vivid than it otherwise would be, is challenge the audience to ask itself why it's uncomfortable with seeing beautiful people expertly pretend to have sex. What's going on with that? The films also USE that discomfort and its attendant sexual excitement, to intensify everything else going on in the plot.
In short, even prudes get turned on during such scenes; even those who claim they are NOT prudes write comments calling into question whether or not well-crafted sex scenes are "necessary" or not.
When was the last time you left a comment questioning the relevance of a particularly brutal sword-fighting scene?
Obviously this movie isn't "nothing but sex", but there are a lot of sex scenes, and some of them are extremely,…
The steaminess afforded this film by the sex scenes is precisely why they were included. Witnessing the sex taking place between various characters is a LOT more powerful than just having it referred to as having happened off-screen or showing the participants laying around all sweaty in bed afterward.
Gotta admit, I am not a fan of the last third of this movie.
First two-thirds I was totally into it; great acting, realism, etc. Three fascinating plot threads all headed for...??? To me, there was zero payoff one way or the other in any of these three storylines. Urita, the main focus for 2/3 of the way, simply disappeared. He wasn't even at the wedding of his two closest friends. I thought he might be dead. He certainly seemed depressed enough to do something awful ("No...not like that" while sitting in the dark all alone). But no, he just wasn't there, or anywhere else anymore.
Kazuki is experiencing extreme episodes of you-know-what, and it's getting worse, and then...??? Nothing, one way or the other again. The girlfriend seems aware of the danger but doesn't act affirmatively...one way or the other.
Then there's Narasaki, a great and entertaining character, but if he won that last match-and I'm not sure he did or didn't-it was certainly like...whatever.
So, I'm a big fan of this film until 2/3 of the way, then it falls apart for me. Should have been titled "Not One Way Or the Other."
FOR REAL!!! i think people have been taking it too seriously tbh. like sure the writing is far from perfect and…
The "BL Community" does not exist. I don't live next door to you and the other BL fans I exchange PMs with don't shop at the same supermarket I do. There is a BL audience and it is as varied as its numbers.
There are a lot of people "like you" here. That is why I used the term. And yes, I was mocking you. Lots of mocking goes on in comments. Can't handle it, don't engage, especially in defense of silly things like this show.
I'm going to drop out at about 40 minutes. I'm just kind of...bored.
SPOILERS BELOW:
Of course, I have no idea how this is going to end up, but if there is a fairy-tale, happy-ever-after ending in which the child regains significant brain function, it will be the result of very wishful thinking and creative writing on the part of the scripting team. There is no way a person is coming back from that to a life anywhere within screaming distance of fulfilling.
What I see is selfish parents unwilling to accept what has already happened and to let go for the sake of their child. Instead, they are deceiving themselves and ghoulishly using advanced technology and resources unavailable to non-rich families, to allow themselves the pretense that what is actually a dead body is somehow functioning. "She's breathing on her own..." NO, an electronic contraption, which could fail at any time, has been implanted and is breathing FOR her. Seeing her chest go up and down creates the illusion of life. It's ghastly, like a Frankenstein tale.
The child, in any realistic sense, could never have a pleasant existence free of machines and round-the-clock care. I raised three children and thankfully, was never presented with such a horrific situation. But if I had been, I hope I'd have had the strength to accept reality and let my child go.
The identity of the killer is known even in the trailer. This is not an investigation and mystery movie
Did I say anything about the identity of the killer? Did I say they gave it away or did I reference it in any other way? The scripting, as in WRITING, dialogue, etc., is stupid and sounds fake as hell. No, it's not an investigation or mystery movie. It's a BAD movie. If you think it's great, enjoy.
I read your stupid post, which is why I reacted to it. Locking someone in a room might be "false imprisonment" under the law, depending on where you live. It is not "rape." ASKING for sex is not "rape." If you ask and the person says "no" and you don't force them, it is not "rape," the word you have no understanding of. If you ask and the person says "yes" and you have sex, it is still not "rape" -the word you're trying to water down-because they consented.
You think you're good at making shit up, but you're not.
My god, why was I not made aware of this nearly flawless movie before? As a refugee from the U.S. into the great Land of Asian cinema, Gay Asian cinema, and BL with only three years under my belt so far, I hope I never run out of spectacular films like this of which I am currently unaware. A Frozen Flower will forever be my 10/10, #1-ranked historical dramatic film...this is now its 9.5/10 #2. I wish I could give it a 9.75 or 9.99 even. It's that good. Of course, in the wasteland that is MDL, this near-peerless epic is rated 7.7/10. For fuck's sake...
This show has grabbed me by the cajones and won't let go; not that I want it to. Funny, sexy, interesting, well-written, cliches and tropes done with wit and style, off-the-charts handsome lead, what's not to love?
Hsiao Hung is a Fandy Fan Jr. and just as talented as he is beautiful. I'm already at work on a script featuring Hsiao as Fandy's younger brother in an incest-themed BL blockbuster. You know you want it.
Seriously, this show is excellent so far. Fluff and light under-girded with darkness and some angst, indicated by the president's inability to sleep well at night and why that might be the case. Looks like some nasty childhood shit went down.
1 
1 
You are one of the emotional masochists I mentioned above.
For me, the biggest problem, among many problems, is that I'm never told WHY Akira behaves the way he does. Why does he treat Shin with such emotional cruelty over and over? Why is he such a eunuch when it comes to physical desire, of which he has none. Given what I've seen and heard over two seasons, I can't feel the angst the show wants me to feel for them because it doesn't make any sense at all. The actors are just acting out the script and that's that.
So what should have been a hugely emotional scene near the end had no resonance, no basis and I didn't buy it for a second. And of course, they woke up fully clothed; another BL couple who does the nasty then gets up, showers and dresses before going back to bed. Normal people don't do that.
This is a show for emotional masochists who enjoy being treated like shit and watching the same happen to characters on the screen.
5/10
Nagayama Eita is sensational in this charming, touching dramedy set in and around the world of low-level professional wrestling/boxing in Japan. Bravo to all involved. Like all good films, it's rated low on MDL. Ignore that ridiculous number and check this out. You'll have a ball.
9/10
I asked what about them was "unnecessary" and you haven't answered. Like most people making statements about sexual/moral issues, you expect me just to "know" what you're talking about, and agree. I don't know and I don't agree. Your actions-what you've written above about the sex scenes-speak louder than your words; this is not a new thing. It's true of all of us.
I'm an American, raised in a very religious, Protestant environment, including eight freaking years of parochial school. I had negative attitudes about everything sexual, especially my own gay sexuality pounded into me for at least 14 of my formative years. There is a no-nonsense, no-sex, Church Lady lurking in the dark hallways of my mind, and there is no way I'll ever be rid of her. Perhaps someday I'll get her shoved down into the basement; that's the best I can hope for. However, I don't claim she's not there. In truth, I think her presence allows me to feel and experience sex and sexual content more powerfully than if she didn't exist.
So, consider the possibility you've got some prude going on inside yourself and that it effects how you think and what you say. Then maybe you can do something about that. Or not. Your choice.
What, exactly, is "unnecessarily explicit" to you, when in fact, there was nothing "explicit" about the scenes in the first place? Did you see anybody's genitals, erect or otherwise? Did you see a vagina? Did you see penetration? Did you SEE actual cunnilingus or a blowjob? No, no you did not. Showing those things would have been "explicit." INDICATING them, which is what actors do to portray a lot more things than just sex, is what actors do. The actors were ACTING AS IF they were having sex, just like they act as if they are really angry or having a sword fight for real, or a million other things in a script.
But somehow, even from a person like you who claims to have enjoyed the scenes, it is only in the area of SEX that we get complaining about "explicitness" when there isn't any (PORN is explicit) and whining that this or that was "unnecessary." Why is that? Well, it's because a lot of people, maybe most, have major sexual hangups, and are thus uncomfortable seeing it acted out on screen, even when they know in their rational minds that it is not actually happening.
One of the many things movies and sex scenes like this do, besides helping to make a story more vivid than it otherwise would be, is challenge the audience to ask itself why it's uncomfortable with seeing beautiful people expertly pretend to have sex. What's going on with that? The films also USE that discomfort and its attendant sexual excitement, to intensify everything else going on in the plot.
In short, even prudes get turned on during such scenes; even those who claim they are NOT prudes write comments calling into question whether or not well-crafted sex scenes are "necessary" or not.
When was the last time you left a comment questioning the relevance of a particularly brutal sword-fighting scene?
First two-thirds I was totally into it; great acting, realism, etc. Three fascinating plot threads all headed for...??? To me, there was zero payoff one way or the other in any of these three storylines. Urita, the main focus for 2/3 of the way, simply disappeared. He wasn't even at the wedding of his two closest friends. I thought he might be dead. He certainly seemed depressed enough to do something awful ("No...not like that" while sitting in the dark all alone). But no, he just wasn't there, or anywhere else anymore.
Kazuki is experiencing extreme episodes of you-know-what, and it's getting worse, and then...??? Nothing, one way or the other again. The girlfriend seems aware of the danger but doesn't act affirmatively...one way or the other.
Then there's Narasaki, a great and entertaining character, but if he won that last match-and I'm not sure he did or didn't-it was certainly like...whatever.
So, I'm a big fan of this film until 2/3 of the way, then it falls apart for me. Should have been titled "Not One Way Or the Other."
7/10
There are a lot of people "like you" here. That is why I used the term. And yes, I was mocking you. Lots of mocking goes on in comments. Can't handle it, don't engage, especially in defense of silly things like this show.
SPOILERS BELOW:
Of course, I have no idea how this is going to end up, but if there is a fairy-tale, happy-ever-after ending in which the child regains significant brain function, it will be the result of very wishful thinking and creative writing on the part of the scripting team. There is no way a person is coming back from that to a life anywhere within screaming distance of fulfilling.
What I see is selfish parents unwilling to accept what has already happened and to let go for the sake of their child. Instead, they are deceiving themselves and ghoulishly using advanced technology and resources unavailable to non-rich families, to allow themselves the pretense that what is actually a dead body is somehow functioning. "She's breathing on her own..." NO, an electronic contraption, which could fail at any time, has been implanted and is breathing FOR her. Seeing her chest go up and down creates the illusion of life. It's ghastly, like a Frankenstein tale.
The child, in any realistic sense, could never have a pleasant existence free of machines and round-the-clock care. I raised three children and thankfully, was never presented with such a horrific situation. But if I had been, I hope I'd have had the strength to accept reality and let my child go.
Dropped.
ASKING for sex is not "rape."
If you ask and the person says "no" and you don't force them, it is not "rape," the word you have no understanding of.
If you ask and the person says "yes" and you have sex, it is still not "rape" -the word you're trying to water down-because they consented.
You think you're good at making shit up, but you're not.
Get a clue...dumb ass.
As a refugee from the U.S. into the great Land of Asian cinema, Gay Asian cinema, and BL with only three years under my belt so far, I hope I never run out of spectacular films like this of which I am currently unaware.
A Frozen Flower will forever be my 10/10, #1-ranked historical dramatic film...this is now its 9.5/10 #2. I wish I could give it a 9.75 or 9.99 even. It's that good.
Of course, in the wasteland that is MDL, this near-peerless epic is rated 7.7/10. For fuck's sake...
BRAVO!
9.5/10
This show has grabbed me by the cajones and won't let go; not that I want it to. Funny, sexy, interesting, well-written, cliches and tropes done with wit and style, off-the-charts handsome lead, what's not to love?
Hsiao Hung is a Fandy Fan Jr. and just as talented as he is beautiful. I'm already at work on a script featuring Hsiao as Fandy's younger brother in an incest-themed BL blockbuster. You know you want it.
Seriously, this show is excellent so far. Fluff and light under-girded with darkness and some angst, indicated by the president's inability to sleep well at night and why that might be the case. Looks like some nasty childhood shit went down.
Love this so far.