etoks21

This was hardly portrayed as being as easy as "changing clothes." If you have to misrepresent what it is you're critiquing to make a point, then your point isn't valid.

BRAVO.

Went in completely blind as to whether this would be of interest to me. Ummm...YES.

Great story, great sub-plot regarding the Japanese obsession with imagining themselves to somehow be racially superior to Koreans. Fuck, they've been invading and mixing with Koreans for thousands of years. There is no Japanese "race." Get a grip.

Tsumabuki Satoshi, Ando Sakura and Kubota Masataka are expertly cast and each actor's performance is perfection. Watching Sakura's face in closeup in the opening scene, before anything at all took place, was a master class in acting without "acting." She is stunning in this part.

Film did a good job of walking me through the identities as they piled up, just often enough to keep me, who can get lost in such things, clear on what information had been discovered and how it related to everything else.

LOVE how things wrapped up, so unexpectedly. Talk about MASSIVE dramatic events portrayed with understated, low-key perfection...wow.

9.5/10

As always on MDL the best films are dramatically underrated.

Pretty terrible.

A few touching/wrenching emotional moments toward the end but the lame FX and the bad romantic comedy/slapstick first hour during which we are supposed to have connected to the characters, but which did not work, wrecked the show.

Then, the science of earthquakes & tsunamis, which is known in detail especially in that area of Asia, was tossed as far away as you can imagine in the writing and plot development of this movie. Tsunamis do not gain their height until they hit shallow waters. The shockwave from the underwater earthquakes that cause most Tsunamis travels along the BOTTOM of the ocean, not the freaking top. Boats at sea may barely notice a Tsunami that becomes a monster killer once it hits land.

Also, most of them come in an extremely fast-rising, relentless tide, not a 50-story tall wave. lol Pathetic. Youtube is full of videos that will show you the real thing if you're interested.

I am pissed that the writers killed off the beautifully handsome Lee Min Ki, who was one of the saving graces of the film. The boy and girl actors were very good. Actually, there was a lot of fine comedic and dramatic acting, but in service to such a bad script and cheap CGI it was all a waste. The wave portion was almost an afterthought.

5/10

Pretty terrible.

A few touching/wrenching emotional moments toward the end but the lame FX and the bad romantic comedy/slapstick first hour during which we are supposed to have connected to the characters, but which did not work, wrecked the show.

Then, the science of earthquakes & tsunamis, which is known in detail especially in that area of Asia, was tossed as far away as you can imagine in the writing and plot development of this movie. Tsunamis do not gain their height until they hit shallow waters. The shockwave from the underwater earthquakes that cause most Tsunamis travels along the BOTTOM of the ocean, not the freaking top. Boats at sea may barely notice a Tsunami that becomes a monster killer once it hits land.

Also, most of them come in as an extremely fast-rising, relentless tide, not a 50-story tall wave. lol Pathetic. Youtube is full of videos that will show you the real thing if you're interested.

I am pissed that the writers killed off the beautifully handsome Lee Min Ki, who was one of the saving graces of the film. The boy and girl actors were very good. Actually, there was a lot of fine comedic and dramatic acting, but in service to such a bad script and cheap CGI it was all a waste. The wave portion was almost an afterthought.

5/10

Can't get on the Akita Aju Bandwagon as it's rolling in comments below. She portrayed her character as the bratty, sullen, head-down, sniffling Japanese teen we've seen 194 times before. Of course, her character had PLENTY of reasons to be feeling the emotions she was feeling but please, Japanese women actors, PLEASE do some workshopping or something to come up with new and original ways to express those emotions. She also did the classic Japanese female-upset-character-who-starts-listlessly-flailing-away-at-someone-else-but-whose-blows-are-deliberately-harlf-ass-and-innefectual-designed-more-to-annoy-than-to-actually-do-any-damage thing when she attacked her uncle for being an asshole. Please, either really lay into the person you're hitting or don't bother. I've seen that weak/flailing thing 194 times too.

The actor who impressed me was Nagasaku Hiromi as the adoptive mom. From the very beginning she did great work in showing every emotion with a natural, subtle ease that made her character feel real.

The film could have lost 30 minutes and been better for it. The bit at the Baby Baton place went on too long. A lot of that felt like a Anti-Choice propaganda commercial/documentary. I wanted to know more about why the pregnant girl's mother was such a bitch.

6/10

One of the best disaster flicks I have ever seen. Kim Nam Gil is sensationally understated in the lead role. I came to have great affection for the character within the first 20 minutes,

However, also during those first 20 minutes I thought maybe the movie was going to be cheesy af but it got increasingly better with every minute after that. The special effects and crowd scenes are excellent. Whatever combination of what appears to be thousands of extras and CGI made the mass panic scenes in every location and respect absolutely believable and thus horrifying.

And, as the Koreans tend to do so well, the human element was featured front and center and beautifully acted/directed. I think I had tears running quietly down my face most of the second half of the film, yet it never felt maudlin or schmaltzy. This is what happens to human beings when government and industry do their usual running carelessly amok. People are maimed and killed and families are destroyed. This movie doesn't shy away from that and nor should anyone else.

The emotional connection among the male friends at the core of the story is especially compelling. Their affection for each other was palpable which is what made the later events of the film so excruciatingly real and moving.

Take note of who makes all the mistakes, who is powerful and who is not, who has all the wrong priorities, and yet who pays the price. Thus it has always been. The actor who portrayed the Korean president is highly effective as a man who wants to have done the right thing but, as always, was manipulated into ignorance by those around him until it was too late. It was nice to see him step up when it counted and reclaim his power, and his heartbreak at the human sacrifices made necessary by the situation was palpable.

Highly recommended.

9/10

Agreed. A lot of MDLers will accept as palatable whatever gruel is placed before them and called a "BL." I think they're just desperately happy to view ANYTHING featuring two young men as lovers.

And yes, the Sanaada plot is not only dull but a waste of BL time. A third of the show's limited running length has been given over to a lame women's "Me Too" plot. Maybe the writers and director though Fujoshis would go for that.

oooh...did you come up with that attempted insult all on your own, J-J? lol

You should probably learn the proper definition of a word before you try to use it. In this case those of you crusading to save the world from sex are the ones who would be accused by right-wingers of being "woke." You must not be from the U.S., where the anti-woke psychos on the right are waging war against gay people, women, and imagined enemies of all kinds. Try harder, JJ, and use words you're familiar with.

I STILL disagree with all your points and I've made myself clear on why. If you don't feel satisfied...sorry.
Finally, you're clearly determined to be clueless about why more people aren't up in arms over 14 year-old actors doing what 14 year-old humans do in real life, under legal and ethical circumstances. Yes, 14 year-olds get on top of each other in real life too. They also go all the way, but none of that was shown here which is why I maintain the issue is on the inside of your head and nowhere else.
What country do you live in where 18 is the age of consent? Ridiculous. To say all people suddenly become emotionally mature at the stroke of midnight on their 18th birthday, and not a moment before, is absurd. Some studies indicate many human brains don't fully develop until the age of 25 or so. Should the age of consent be raised to 25? If it is, then anyone under 25 shouldn't be able to drive a car, own property, go to war or god forbid, have sex.
Some people mature at 12 and some never do. I know fossils my age who are idiots.
I didn't say YOU called me a pervert. More misdirection.
Let me try it this way: I DO understand why you are "uncomfortable" about the 14 year-old actors. And I believe your reasoning is silly and yes, prudish. Is it OK for 14 year-olds to pretend to be killed in a war or murder-themed movie? If so, why? It's always S-E-X that freaks you folks out, rarely is it violence.

OK, good night.

WOW.

9/10

If you felt condescended to, I can't help you. However, I will definitely own my "snark." My blood content is 60% snark.

I did not waste time responding to your points for two reasons; I disagree with ALL of them and you didn't ask any questions, so what is it I'm supposed to answer?

So it is against your "morals" to see legally-aged minor actors in a scene where they are shown kissing just like teens their age do IRL because...morals. Could you express what it is that is against your "morals" in this context? Maybe I could learn that I too should be outraged at the immorality of it all but just don't get it. Meanwhile, this means you must consider everyone who is NOT disturbed by this to be immoral, is that correct?

Over and over and over I see commenters on MDL who are extremely "uncomfortable" with anything implying sex between characters in a live-action production, even when everything is above board and perfectly legal. And very few of them, like you, take the time to explain WHY they are disturbed and delight in saying things like "if you werent' a pervert you would be disturbed to!" or "It just IS, that's why!" which is kind of what I'm getting from you.

We went through a whole sexual revolution in the late 20th century but now here we are 50 years later and young people are turning back into prudes and panty-sniffers, afraid of their own sexual feelings. Again, just as there is nothing wrong with 14 year-olds kissing IRL, there is nothing wrong with 14 year-old actors doing likewise. We disagree. It's fine. I'm not out to change your mind.

Or just enjoy pretending to be outraged at things they secretly enjoy watching.

Did you see Ren's break-down scene after that bitch smacked him around verbally? Or the scene during which she did the smacking and he tried to act nervous and overwhelmed? I cringed so hard my spine fractured. I'm writing this from the hospital.

Wow, delicate much? I'm happy for you that your low standards allow you to enjoy whatever sludge is presented to you as a BL. Please do enjoy your watch.

Also, a production company pushing specific actors as part of a plan is known as a "marketing strategy," not a "plot." But thanks for your ineffective attempt to disparage what I wrote above.

I'm curious as to what you mean with "I can only commend them for playing such roles." Are you referring to GAY roles? You think low-performance actors who lower themselves to play gay are brave and commendable for that alone? Lord.

I am not "upset" and you know it. There is nothing abusive or profane in my reply to you. It was written in a very dispassionate style. You know that too.
But commenters who can't back up their position with facts often use the "you're upset" approach as a way to suggest the other commenter is being overly emotional and thus irrational. I am being neither.

BTW, another red herring you threw out is the implication I suggested you have no right to have or express your opinion. I wrote NOTHING of the kind, so why are you pretending I did?

I would suggest you take a look at why non-pornographic depictions of human, sexual interactions that take place in the real world make you "uncomfortable." LOTS of things in art and media are INTENDED to make you uncomfortable as part of the emotional journey encountered as you follow the story. I watch many shows that make me uncomfortable at multiple points in the plot. I LIKE those shows best. Experiencing that discomfort is essential if later in the story there is to be some sort of plot development that will resolve my discomfort and even turn it into joy.

Why is it sex that disturbs you so? Do you feel the same when murder, rape, robbery, kidnapping, physical abuse, war, false imprisonment, on and on, etc. are depicted onscreen? What is it about s-e-x that makes it the focus of your distress? It is a HUGE part of the human experience and effects many other aspects of our lives beyond the bedroom.

OK, so you're watching to the end a series you don't like. Got it. Enjoy your discomfort.

That's fine, don't agree.
I have to say I will never understand the strange willingness of BL viewers to make excuses for bad writing, acting and direction "because it's just a BL" and "they're newbies" and "there are other BLs that are worse." lol Newsflash: there are newbies who can actually act and do it well. Just because one is new to BL World doesn't mean they cant' have had other acting experience, however limited.

Which leads to questions of casting. How and why were these two newbies, whose acting is extremely flat and inauthentic, hired to play these roles. That is something we'll never know because the last thing a production company wants to reveal is how lame actors get plum roles.

Is it your belief there are NO qualified, talented, good actors of the age required for these two roles in all of Japan, a country of 125M people, who are seeking work and would have been great in these roles?

My guess is the production company is promoting these actors as part of some overall plan to turn them into money-makers for the organization because they're pretty. Don't get me wrong, pretty is good, though less important than core talent and hard work.

Here we go again:
There have been NO "sex scenes" in this series. There have been moments in which it was clearly indicated sex was imminent and then the scene ended. The sex you're seeing is in your mind, where it was intended to be, not on the screen.

FourTEEN year-olds are not children.
Dictionary definition of "child:" "A human being aged between birth and puberty." Most boys hit puberty by 12, girls by 10. The two TEENAGE actors in this series have clearly hit puberty. Thus, the "child actors" you are seeing are also only in your mind and not on the screen.

Fourteen year-olds by the millions all over the world kiss each other every day of the week and the Earth continues to turn on its axis. Why in the world should it be any different in a story about fourteen year-olds or on a set where fourteen year-old actors are working? Is this a homophobia thing with you? Would you have blinked an eye if male and female teenagers enacted a straight kissing scene? Because, you know, that's all we saw them do.

You claim to have been "alarmed" by "graphic" scenes featuring young characters in the Manga, yet you finished reading it. You know those are just drawings and words, right?Despite your alleged distress over the content of the Manga, you are watching through to the end the series based on the Manga that caused your distress. Got it.

And now you are in comments on the page of the live adaptation you're upset by, based on the Manga you were allegedly distressed by, complaining that the acting and pacing are bad and that the show is not keeping you interested. lol Why are you doing this to yourself? Could it be you enjoyed the content of the Manga and thus wanted to see the adaptation in its entirety? Just asking.

Can we just agree to admit that as great-looking as he is, with amazing shoulders and great hair, Takamatsu Aloha simply does not have the acting chops to pull off the big, intense moments required to make this melodramatic plot at all believable. The scene where he pretended to break down after meeting with that psycho b***h was embarrassing. The director should have trouble finding another job too. Aloha (love that name) has trouble making a scene where he acts like he's saying goodbye to Kazuma on a good day seem authentic; there is no way he's up to the big moments in which Ren experiences great anguish/sorrow/fear/etc. His efforts are very amateurish and seem to be getting worse.

Sakurai Yuki isn't much better, but his character is much calmer and collected than Ren so his lame moments aren't as excruciatingly bad. Overall, their combined acting is high school-level and flat. Again, much of this lies at the feet of the director who is clearly not up to his job either.

For some reason, the one exception to the above that stands out is the scene where Kazuma convinced Ren to make love with the curtains and his eyes open in an earlier episode. Perhaps another director covered for the principal on the day of that shooting.

Also, if Ren's busy at the computer saving the world for sexually harassed women, why can't he pick up his phone and call Kazuma?

Too bad. This had a good vibe in the beginning.

IKR? lol

My guess has always been just absolute laziness on the part of set designers and dressers working the Thai BL Assembly Line. It's not as though they didn't have enough budget to go buy a bunch of 50-cent used books at the thrift store, or hell, even ask everyone on the crew to bring borrowed books from home. They just don't freaking care.

Ultimately, all those things are the director's fault but they're mostly lazy and lame at working with their actors so I suppose it's way too much to expect them to notice things like blank walls, empty bookcases and floodlight ceiling lights that stay on even when the characters go to bed.

Watching this one young man set up his little room with what he could scrounge together, carefully sweeping the floor to make it tidy and adding the Sunflower lent great authenticity and told us more about his character than most Thai BLs tell us in 12 one-hour episodes.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣