A dark, twisted story about gaslighting, mental and physical abuse, deception, manipulation, secrets and... lies. Impressive cinematography, coloring and editing created an exemplary creepy, eerie and unsettling atmosphere, making the plot twists and revelations more impressive than they actually were. Though the pacing became too slow towards the end, some flashbacks were confusing, and some subplots never had a closure, overall it was a well-done entertaining watch.
A precious hidden little gem! A short but wholesome slice of life drama about the relationships and dynamics, the character development and growth, as well as the daily challenges of an extended family of 2.5 generations, while tackling some serious social issues in the most sincere, subtle and delicate way. Matsuda Ryuhei did a splendid job depicting his hikikomori character and his interactions with his nephew and niece were the most touching, sweet and cute parts of this wonderful story. Highly recommended!
A high octane action neo-noir film, with impressive choreographed chasing and fighting scenes, in a simple but cleverly unfolded story. Tense and violent, but equally funny and entertaining in a beautifully balanced blend of thriller, action, splatter, melo, irony and comedy moments. Though the protagonist, talented rookie Kang Tae Joo did a great job as Marco, the real star and driving force of this film is undoubtedly Kim Seon Ho as the quirky, stylish, poised -and sociopathic- antihero Nobleman/Childe, lethally dangerous and hilariously ironic in the most unexpected way. I'd watch a spin-off with his own story anytime!
An intense, sad and dysfunctional love triangle with a twisted revelation. Elegantly atmospheric, full of erotism, jealousy, obsession, anguish and pain, this is a demanding slow-paced watch not for everyone. Young and breathtakingly beautiful Ishihara Satomi, though the most difficult to follow character, was a pleasure to the eyes and the star of this strange movie.
This short fast-paced thai drama was a surprisingly enjoyable addition to the supernatural/mystery genre. Though the storytelling could have been smoother, it was technically excellent and the cast did a good job portraying their characters. With an intriguing teaser for a possible 2nd season, this is something to look forward to.
An intriguing women-centered revenge story about mothers and daughters, and sismance, spiced with some caustic social commentaries on beauty standards, plastic surgery, school and work bullying, dysfunctional families and parental disregard, as well as the insecurities, obsessions, moral dilemmas, traumas and desperate actions derived from those and how they can impact a person’s life and mentality. Visuals and color palette are captivating, the pacing fast, the story tightly woven -though not too deep- and all the actresses portrayed their grey, twisted and flawed characters beautifully. It's dark, violent and intentionally shocking, with numerous triggering themes. But it also has some emotionally intense moments and some cleverly embedded black humor here and there. Overall, it is a very entertaining and binge-able watch, mainly due to its refreshingly unique concept of not letting us know where the story is going in each new episode.
An interesting addition to the supernatural mystery thriller genre, full of fascinating Korean folklore elements, a top-notch production and a charismatic cast. Though on the slow-paced side, not too gory or horrifying but with large doses of psychological suspense, it was a tense, gripping and beautifully built story of greed, revenge and redemption. And I have to admit that dark twisted roles fit Kim Tae Ri perfectly well!
A sugary romcom with a simple story, a lot of overacting, a very naive -borderline simpleton- FL and a too good to be true but charming ML. It had its fun and cute moments but, overall, nothing memorable. The only saving graces of this drama were its short duration and the ML!
A great continuation of an intriguing, gritty noir story, beautifully written and directed, with a tight and detailed plot, and well-developed characters with solid background stories and compelling dynamics. My only complains are 1. the fact that there were way too many characters and names to follow, 2. the fact that this part was more focused on the politics than the police and 3. the unnecessary long break between the two parts/seasons of this story - was it really needed? Once again Lee Sung Min gave a fantastic performance, making this drama a compelling one-man show.
A strangely gripping omnibus miniseries about dreams and regrets. In each story we watch the six protagonists fighting for, abandoning, discovering, fulfilling or not their dreams, trying to do the best they can with their ordinary lives. Mundane, melancholic aesthetics with a longing vibe, uniquely creative arthouse cinematography, exemplary editing and impressive music.
An interesting makjang/revenge jdrama, not too heavy, not too dark, not too consistent either. Though there were many awkward moments, some overacting and some far-fetched and/or too convenient situations and a rather subpar closure, overall it was an entertaining watch, mainly due to its two talented and charismatic FLs, who stole the spotlights every time they were on screen. But, admittedly, the drama's highlights were Kiichi's long awaited haircut and Osamu being the worst dad ever!
Much better and engaging than the first season, though there were still some serious issues with its messy writing and reasoning, plot holes and predictability. Not perfect, but an enjoyable and bingeable watch.
A short jdrama split in two short seasons with unique and refreshing premise, an intriguing theme and some well-built mystery around it. With a talented young cast, and a surprisingly competent police force, this was definitely nothing groundbreaking, but still an enjoyable watch, in spite the lack of character depth and an acceptable reasoning for some actions, some plot holes that couldn't be ignored and the lukewarm, unnecessary romance.
A wonderful watching experience, a bittersweet road trip in a red S800 Honda beauty. Though slow-paced and mellow, it was an intriguing and very emotionally charged story, beautifully filmed and superbly acted by Ono Machiko, Takito Kenichi and a great supporting cast. A journey of loss, grief, reconciliation, revelations and life lessons, but most of all a sad but wholesome, heartbreakingly affectionate story of love and devotion. A highly recommended hidden gem.
Hachiko tells an emotional, wonderful story of loyalty and bonding between a man and his dog. In this chinese adaptation Batong (instead of Hachiko) is still a fluffy, cute and most lovable puppy/dog and his relationship with his owner very endearing, but some of the original elements of the plot are missing, the pacing is a bit repetitive and the duration feels too long. It may not be on par with the original japanese movie, but it still is a very emotional watch based on a heart-warming and heart-breaking real life story.
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Impressive cinematography, coloring and editing created an exemplary creepy, eerie and unsettling atmosphere, making the plot twists and revelations more impressive than they actually were.
Though the pacing became too slow towards the end, some flashbacks were confusing, and some subplots never had a closure, overall it was a well-done entertaining watch.
A short but wholesome slice of life drama about the relationships and dynamics, the character development and growth, as well as the daily challenges of an extended family of 2.5 generations, while tackling some serious social issues in the most sincere, subtle and delicate way.
Matsuda Ryuhei did a splendid job depicting his hikikomori character and his interactions with his nephew and niece were the most touching, sweet and cute parts of this wonderful story.
Highly recommended!
Tense and violent, but equally funny and entertaining in a beautifully balanced blend of thriller, action, splatter, melo, irony and comedy moments.
Though the protagonist, talented rookie Kang Tae Joo did a great job as Marco, the real star and driving force of this film is undoubtedly Kim Seon Ho as the quirky, stylish, poised -and sociopathic- antihero Nobleman/Childe, lethally dangerous and hilariously ironic in the most unexpected way.
I'd watch a spin-off with his own story anytime!
Elegantly atmospheric, full of erotism, jealousy, obsession, anguish and pain, this is a demanding slow-paced watch not for everyone.
Young and breathtakingly beautiful Ishihara Satomi, though the most difficult to follow character, was a pleasure to the eyes and the star of this strange movie.
Though the storytelling could have been smoother, it was technically excellent and the cast did a good job portraying their characters.
With an intriguing teaser for a possible 2nd season, this is something to look forward to.
Visuals and color palette are captivating, the pacing fast, the story tightly woven -though not too deep- and all the actresses portrayed their grey, twisted and flawed characters beautifully.
It's dark, violent and intentionally shocking, with numerous triggering themes. But it also has some emotionally intense moments and some cleverly embedded black humor here and there.
Overall, it is a very entertaining and binge-able watch, mainly due to its refreshingly unique concept of not letting us know where the story is going in each new episode.
Though on the slow-paced side, not too gory or horrifying but with large doses of psychological suspense, it was a tense, gripping and beautifully built story of greed, revenge and redemption.
And I have to admit that dark twisted roles fit Kim Tae Ri perfectly well!
It had its fun and cute moments but, overall, nothing memorable.
The only saving graces of this drama were its short duration and the ML!
My only complains are 1. the fact that there were way too many characters and names to follow, 2. the fact that this part was more focused on the politics than the police and 3. the unnecessary long break between the two parts/seasons of this story - was it really needed?
Once again Lee Sung Min gave a fantastic performance, making this drama a compelling one-man show.
In each story we watch the six protagonists fighting for, abandoning, discovering, fulfilling or not their dreams, trying to do the best they can with their ordinary lives.
Mundane, melancholic aesthetics with a longing vibe, uniquely creative arthouse cinematography, exemplary editing and impressive music.
Though there were many awkward moments, some overacting and some far-fetched and/or too convenient situations and a rather subpar closure, overall it was an entertaining watch, mainly due to its two talented and charismatic FLs, who stole the spotlights every time they were on screen.
But, admittedly, the drama's highlights were Kiichi's long awaited haircut and Osamu being the worst dad ever!
Not perfect, but an enjoyable and bingeable watch.
With a talented young cast, and a surprisingly competent police force, this was definitely nothing groundbreaking, but still an enjoyable watch, in spite the lack of character depth and an acceptable reasoning for some actions, some plot holes that couldn't be ignored and the lukewarm, unnecessary romance.
Though slow-paced and mellow, it was an intriguing and very emotionally charged story, beautifully filmed and superbly acted by Ono Machiko, Takito Kenichi and a great supporting cast.
A journey of loss, grief, reconciliation, revelations and life lessons, but most of all a sad but wholesome, heartbreakingly affectionate story of love and devotion.
A highly recommended hidden gem.
In this chinese adaptation Batong (instead of Hachiko) is still a fluffy, cute and most lovable puppy/dog and his relationship with his owner very endearing, but some of the original elements of the plot are missing, the pacing is a bit repetitive and the duration feels too long.
It may not be on par with the original japanese movie, but it still is a very emotional watch based on a heart-warming and heart-breaking real life story.