Only on MDL would this stellar film be a f**king 7.5/10.
I just finished it so am still beside myself with feels but this is one of the finest mystery/thrillers I have ever seen, whether out of Hollywood, Japan or Korea. Will come back tomorrow after collecting myself to expound a bit, but meanwhile:
The world of South Korea. The laws pertaining to “self defense” are the most unfathomable. Basically, just…
No, haven't watched IC? Do you recommend it, given my comments above, or will it just annoy me? :D
I watched and very much enjoyed the Korean Netflix series "Prison Playbook, BUT I was never able to grasp why a dude would do prison time for happening upon his sister being raped, chasing the guy down and ACCIDENTALLY killing him? How does that make sense in Korea or anywhere else? THEN...it was all made worse by the fact the stupid sister NEVER got her shit together to visit her brother in prison even ONCE because it would make her feeeeeel bad. wtf? How selfish is that? She should have been there with banana muffins and chocolate bars for him three times a week.
I guess I should do some google/research and try to get a handle on what this bizarre attitude toward self-defense is about, but I can't imagine changing my mind to believing it makes any sense.
They've got violent Yakuza shit and street crime going on but if you defend yourself you're fucked?
These are the show, characters and actors I've been pining for but didn't know it! :D Tremendously good so far. Both are very talented and easy on the eyes. Mashiko Atsuki Is beyond beautiful. Higuchi Kohei is distinctively handsome with massive sexual charisma. The combination of their looks and chemistry is explosive. The calm pace and restrained OST makes for a great contrast to the nonstop fireworks between them.
At first, I thought "wait, this is happening too quickly, given the number of episodes" but then Mizuki's words as Yoh slept near the end seemed to hint at angst to come. I hope so!
My only hope is that, maybe, the whole amnesia thing is just a trick by Shin to make Minato realize how much he…
oooh, I like that. Akira would totally deserve such an underhanded prank. His never-ending cold shouldering of Shin is absurd. He needs to be taught a lesson.
It's remarkable that this show features two such appealing, handsome and talented leads, and somehow manages to make them uninteresting.
The post-birthday scene: Give me a break. Exchange of jewelry, confessions of love, hugs, a chaste little kiss, and THEN THEY SAY GOODNIGHT AND GO TO BED IN SEPARATE ROOMS. Only in lollipop and rainbows BL Land would such a ridiculous interaction be played out. Where is the PASSION? These guys act like pre-pubescent fourth graders, lacking any trace of a natural sex drive.
Once again, what's with those oversized, short-sleeve maternity tops the costumer makes Shin wear in every episode?
Asuka is adorable. Love when he pulls back that little bit of hair from his center forehead and clips it. lol Shu, on the other hand, is entirely unattractive, with the air of a funeral director. We have seen NO reason why Asuka would be so in love with him. None
I continue to tune in just to look at Kusakawa Takuya. He is exceptionally beautiful. His character is absurdly underwritten. NINE episodes of a second season and we STILL have no idea WHY Akira is so love and affection-averse. Why does he freak out at every touch? What happened in his childhood that made him this way? Who knows?
I need a gay-themed version of this, ALSO starring Matsazuka Tori. The second half convinced me this is intended as a parody. omg, the pinky finger scene. Tori is going to move several spaces up my Best Feature Film Actors list. Some of the sex-acting (Awe sure it was acting?) was a bit porn-fake-ish.
Far from perfect but Tori, as always, completely committed to this project. The flick gets at least a full star extra just for GOING THERE.
Lee Byung Hoon is a beautiful man and a very good actor, but even his magnificent presence can't keep me watching this turd any longer...dumping a little more than halfway through.
The FL has zero sex appeal or screen presence so if someone could tell me why all the men in this film are in love with her, that would be great.
No one survives six feet of mud and water...sorry, not possible. These Yakuza types need to quit standing around talking in wise summations of life and lighting up cigs instead of getting right to the killing...it always leads to no good.
Sometimes cute and zany but also oftentimes lame. So, the Lesbian just turned off her Lesbianism button? Cute guys, should have been a BL instead of a straight show.
Holy crap. Taking a break at 1:117:01 because I'm so stressed, and also to ask a question: WTF do you build a nuclear power plant RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE OCEAN on the side of Japan notorious throughout the centuries for its goddam tsunamis?!!!!
Am I somehow wrong to ask what seems like a simple question?
I no longer hesitate to drop movies or dramas that take a turn for the stupid, like this one did.
The initial premise involving the high school-age twin brothers and the bullying thing was intriguing. Then it got even MORE intriguing with the rooftop incident. THEN...it all went to shit.
I am beyond over shrieking/wailing Korean mothers who randomly choose to blame and berate siblings who had absolutely zero control over what the b****s are wailing about. I was hoping the twin at the police station would punch her out. It wasn't enough to blame him for the actions of the other, but then she demands he take the other's place. What the living f**k? I was glad to see her show up in an urn.
Problem is, as soon as the plot did a time jump into drugs/cop/thriller/ territory it got boring. Who cares? Seen it. Been there. Have the tee shirt. What was interesting was the twins/bullying/death thing...had we stuck with that timeline and gone forward this might have been interesting. For a few minutes at this point I actually thought there was a glitch in the video and I was in another movie.
BTW, if you're going to cast a strikingly hot actor as a set of twins when they're young, you have to cast a strikingly hot actor to play them as grownups. Fail.
I punted when the cop melodramatically tossed fish all over the conference room table.
Repeated problem in Korean crime flicks, especially ones about bullying: People are forever going to prison for the deaths and injuries of malevolent tormentors who brought about their OWN death. The bully who fell had been violently harassing and otherwise abusing one of the twins for a long time. This would have been easy to document and would be a mitigating factor. PLUS, the other twin did not push or otherwise propel the creep to his demise. The creep jumped him, he ducked and the creep went over; case closed. But no matter; in minutes we had the shrieking mother, one twin as much as confessing, and the worst investigation in the history of Korean bullying.
Absolutely terrible. Thailand continues to aggressively insult its BL audience by releasing this sort of made-in-a-minute garbage. At least it's nice to know I won't feel obligated to waste 45 minutes of my time each week for the next century.
LMAO!!! i love your comment..thank you :-DDDD hahaha. I'm usually the one dropping BL series but this time it's…
I watched the first episode and found this show intriguing and well-directed/acted despite a low budget, so I hoped it would turn out to be a good series. But beginning with episode 2 the series has gone downhill to where I don't want to watch anymore.
Must-see film, especially for those interested in WW2 history.
Great to see Watanabe Ken so young...I didn't know it was him until I came here to rate the film. He's become a much better actor over the years since this film.
This would have been a 10/10 from me except for some cheesy and over-the-top acting here and there, which I blame on the director. Also, some inexplicable behaviors from characters here and there. Best performance in the film may be that of Kishida Kyoko as the head nurse.
1 
1 
I just finished it so am still beside myself with feels but this is one of the finest mystery/thrillers I have ever seen, whether out of Hollywood, Japan or Korea. Will come back tomorrow after collecting myself to expound a bit, but meanwhile:
Bravo all-round.
10/10
I watched and very much enjoyed the Korean Netflix series "Prison Playbook, BUT I was never able to grasp why a dude would do prison time for happening upon his sister being raped, chasing the guy down and ACCIDENTALLY killing him? How does that make sense in Korea or anywhere else? THEN...it was all made worse by the fact the stupid sister NEVER got her shit together to visit her brother in prison even ONCE because it would make her feeeeeel bad. wtf? How selfish is that? She should have been there with banana muffins and chocolate bars for him three times a week.
I guess I should do some google/research and try to get a handle on what this bizarre attitude toward self-defense is about, but I can't imagine changing my mind to believing it makes any sense.
They've got violent Yakuza shit and street crime going on but if you defend yourself you're fucked?
These are the show, characters and actors I've been pining for but didn't know it! :D
Tremendously good so far.
Both are very talented and easy on the eyes.
Mashiko Atsuki Is beyond beautiful.
Higuchi Kohei is distinctively handsome with massive sexual charisma.
The combination of their looks and chemistry is explosive. The calm pace and restrained OST makes for a great contrast to the nonstop fireworks between them.
At first, I thought "wait, this is happening too quickly, given the number of episodes" but then Mizuki's words as Yoh slept near the end seemed to hint at angst to come.
I hope so!
Bravo!
It's remarkable that this show features two such appealing, handsome and talented leads, and somehow manages to make them uninteresting.
The post-birthday scene: Give me a break. Exchange of jewelry, confessions of love, hugs, a chaste little kiss, and THEN THEY SAY GOODNIGHT AND GO TO BED IN SEPARATE ROOMS. Only in lollipop and rainbows BL Land would such a ridiculous interaction be played out. Where is the PASSION? These guys act like pre-pubescent fourth graders, lacking any trace of a natural sex drive.
Once again, what's with those oversized, short-sleeve maternity tops the costumer makes Shin wear in every episode?
Asuka is adorable. Love when he pulls back that little bit of hair from his center forehead and clips it. lol Shu, on the other hand, is entirely unattractive, with the air of a funeral director. We have seen NO reason why Asuka would be so in love with him. None
I continue to tune in just to look at Kusakawa Takuya. He is exceptionally beautiful. His character is absurdly underwritten. NINE episodes of a second season and we STILL have no idea WHY Akira is so love and affection-averse. Why does he freak out at every touch? What happened in his childhood that made him this way? Who knows?
This show should have been six episodes, max.
I need a gay-themed version of this, ALSO starring Matsazuka Tori.
The second half convinced me this is intended as a parody.
omg, the pinky finger scene.
Tori is going to move several spaces up my Best Feature Film Actors list.
Some of the sex-acting (Awe sure it was acting?) was a bit porn-fake-ish.
Far from perfect but Tori, as always, completely committed to this project.
The flick gets at least a full star extra just for GOING THERE.
9/10
Lee Byung Hoon is a beautiful man and a very good actor, but even his magnificent presence can't keep me watching this turd any longer...dumping a little more than halfway through.
The FL has zero sex appeal or screen presence so if someone could tell me why all the men in this film are in love with her, that would be great.
No one survives six feet of mud and water...sorry, not possible. These Yakuza types need to quit standing around talking in wise summations of life and lighting up cigs instead of getting right to the killing...it always leads to no good.
Dropped.
4/10
So, the Lesbian just turned off her Lesbianism button?
Cute guys, should have been a BL instead of a straight show.
6.5/10
Am I somehow wrong to ask what seems like a simple question?
OK, going back in.
The initial premise involving the high school-age twin brothers and the bullying thing was intriguing. Then it got even MORE intriguing with the rooftop incident. THEN...it all went to shit.
I am beyond over shrieking/wailing Korean mothers who randomly choose to blame and berate siblings who had absolutely zero control over what the b****s are wailing about. I was hoping the twin at the police station would punch her out. It wasn't enough to blame him for the actions of the other, but then she demands he take the other's place. What the living f**k? I was glad to see her show up in an urn.
Problem is, as soon as the plot did a time jump into drugs/cop/thriller/ territory it got boring. Who cares? Seen it. Been there. Have the tee shirt. What was interesting was the twins/bullying/death thing...had we stuck with that timeline and gone forward this might have been interesting. For a few minutes at this point I actually thought there was a glitch in the video and I was in another movie.
BTW, if you're going to cast a strikingly hot actor as a set of twins when they're young, you have to cast a strikingly hot actor to play them as grownups. Fail.
I punted when the cop melodramatically tossed fish all over the conference room table.
Repeated problem in Korean crime flicks, especially ones about bullying: People are forever going to prison for the deaths and injuries of malevolent tormentors who brought about their OWN death. The bully who fell had been violently harassing and otherwise abusing one of the twins for a long time. This would have been easy to document and would be a mitigating factor. PLUS, the other twin did not push or otherwise propel the creep to his demise. The creep jumped him, he ducked and the creep went over; case closed. But no matter; in minutes we had the shrieking mother, one twin as much as confessing, and the worst investigation in the history of Korean bullying.
Done. Out. Over. Punted. Dropped.
1/10
Not gonna give it that extra 10 minutes of my life.
1/10
Thailand continues to aggressively insult its BL audience by releasing this sort of made-in-a-minute garbage. At least it's nice to know I won't feel obligated to waste 45 minutes of my time each week for the next century.
Dropped.
1/10
Great to see Watanabe Ken so young...I didn't know it was him until I came here to rate the film. He's become a much better actor over the years since this film.
This would have been a 10/10 from me except for some cheesy and over-the-top acting here and there, which I blame on the director. Also, some inexplicable behaviors from characters here and there.
Best performance in the film may be that of Kishida Kyoko as the head nurse.
9/10
Highly recommended.
The FL here is atrocious.
Cannot stand this actress.
Almost as annoying as her character.
Dropped. Life's too short.
1/10
Out after 45 minutes. Dropped.
1/10
You deserve an endurance medal.