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When you find your calling in life
I always admire people who have found their calling in life, and dedicate large parts of it to their passion. This film is about this kind of people -- who work steadily towards one goal, with a lot of hard work, attention for detail and perseverence.It's very Japanese in it's slow story telling, the lights and colours and the detailed sets. It's, again, a story about a small group of outsiders doing a work which is underappreciated by others, who find solace and satisfaction in what they do, not necessarily in what others think of it.
I'm not a het romance fan, but I liked the love story between the main protagonist and the landlady's granddaughter. They are full of respect for each other and the other's passion and interests, even though they don't quite understand them.
And one aspect I also liked: It's a story about words, but in moments of great emotion, the characters fail to find the right words to express them; and in the story telling, silence and the gentle background music is at least as important as the dialogue.
Well worth it.
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Arm WC, the sole host of this show, is a charming man, who can even make the most nervous newbies relax. A lot of the guests seem to enjoy taking part and keep coming back, and I think this is the reason why the show has been as long running as it has. (Arm Share has been running for five-and-a-half years now (Oct 2024), from before the Covid pandemic, through it, and beyond.)
Except for the episodes before the pandemic, the main goal of most episodes seems to be to promote the guests and the sponsors' products. And the latter is unfortunately so prominent in more than a few episodes that I felt as if I watched a long commercial, not a show. I do understand the need for finances, so I can take a bit of advertisement, but sometimes it felt as if every third sentence was about the promoted product. Recent episodes (I'd say from the beginning of 2024) have been much better in that regard, so maybe they've decided to dial it down a bit.
Edit April 2025: They seem to have settled on a concept for now, which is that either Arm takes his guests out to explore a street with its shops and cafés or an attraction, playing "tourists" or they play Werewolf. Both means that the obnoxious product placements are gone for the most part. I really don't mind that local shop owners get an opportunity to show their businesses.
For those who are undecided if they want to watch older episodes -- you absolutely can! I'd recommend the first 46 episodes, which had a different concept. They showed Arm as he tested food together with GMMTV staff, as he explained how to do subtle make-up for men, as he showed us parts of his life, as he worked as a stylist for concerts and MVs, as he travelled to SKorea and Japan. (A YouTube comment on the second Hiroshima episode reads "I miss Arm Share when it was about Arm" and they are right.)
Actually, I think it's a crying shame that the concept changed, because this way, the show underutilizes Arm's talents in the areas of styling, fashion, arts, and his general hard-working character who seems to be interested in a lot of topics. I wonder how this show would have developed if the pandemic and it's consequences hadn't forced restrictions on producing?
After those first episodes, it's probably better to choose only those when there's a guest you want to see, because, as I said, it's become about the guests and the product placements. It's still funny, but not as charming and authentic.
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This review may contain spoilers
This film feels more like a pilot for a series. I'd even say it feels like an exposé for a series -- the movie's plot could have been the first half of the episodes, with the later half dedicated to the resolution of the main character's backstory.The plot seems unfinished, some parts of it feel rushed, and it's unfortunate that a lot of backstory just gets told via the older detective's thoughts. I also would have liked to see more of all characters, and more of how they grow to like the main character. As it is, we still get a surprising amount of character development, especially from the team leader. (Heo Sung Tae is a highlight, as always.)
I think if the writer might have originally planned to have this produced as a longer series. There's a surprising amount of world building there, the characters all seem to have much more backstory than what we got to see. I certainly would like to watch this as a longer series, if it ever gets made.
Well, who knows what happened, at least they got a small budget for making this film, right?
One thing that is probably better because of the short duration of the movie: There was no time to force a romance subplot into it.
Overall, the movie does what it can with its short time and low budget, and it is a nice watch for a rainy afternoon or so.
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I don't mind the rather predictable story about the men going on a drunken trip, and the ensuing entanglement with the local drug dealing ring -- but did they have to make it sexist? Especially the scene at the beach on the first day was terrible to watch. Also, the other female characters were at turns harassing the men and being the weak victim.
The stars are for the acting, the drug dealing plot, and the overall cinematography.
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If you saw a light teenage summer film, fine! If you saw an allegory about modern tiktok-shorts, easily consumed and easily forgotten, versus feature-length old-style slow-paced films, good! Or if you saw an essay about how similar rival relationships in classic samurai films (and also wild west movies and thriller dramas, btw) are to love relationships, also nice!
And if you saw a completely different meaning in the film, especially in the last scene -- impressive! The author is dead. It's your film as soon as you watch it.
Maybe one word about the cast -- they were all great! I love the subtle pining of Bito-Ban's, I love the banter between the technical crew of the samurai movie. And Ito Marika, who played Hadashi was overwhelmingly good -- I loved how she managed to change her body language depending on the mood and setting her character is in: Awkward and angular at school, relaxed and engaged when with her friends and when directing, focussed and precise when imitating Samurai fighting. Her facial expressions range from subtle to exaggerated. I cannot imagine another actress taking this role.
Thank you, Elisheva, for giving me the push to finally watch this film. I'm glad I did.
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1980s action movie cop meets progressive millenial
Mao Bang Yu and Wu Ming Han couldn't be more different -- while the latter is a walking 80s action movie cop cliché, complete with casual sexism, homophobia and fast car chases, the former is an enviromentally aware, gay and family oriented millenial.What could go wrong, when those two are tied in a ghost marriage and Wu Ming Han has to help his "husband" move on to the next life?
Don't let yourself be fooled by the macismo in the beginning, this movie will show its depth later on.
This movie combines the best of old-fashioned action movies with a healthy dose of humour, criticism of sexism and homophobia, and a story about personal growth.
The bickering between the two main characters made me laugh, the grandma and her circle of aunties giggle, and the father's story cry.
Only one aspect is rather unfortunate, that with all the good messages about tolerance and equality, the fat, gay cop remained an object of "comedy", and did not get his own moment to shine.
The acting is great overall, the pacing fast, but lets the quieter moments breathe. I never would have thought that an action film could move me to tears, but this on did.
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This review may contain spoilers
What a ride!
You think, yes, now I know what will happen next, now I know how it will end -- and no, you probably don't. While it was always clear that Trillion Game would win in the end, the "how" was very much not clear. I thought I'd know how Haru would do it, but, as it turned out, I didn't. Even at the last scene, there was a bit of a twist.That said, the obstacles were overcome a bit too easily; and even now, I'm not clear about Princess Kiriri's motivations at times. I'd have liked to see maybe one or two fewer obstacles but better ones, or at least I'd have liked to see Haru having a bit more trouble in succeeding. As it was, his plans were a bit *too* perfect. More attention to details would have been a benefit to the story.
Speaking of details, one aspect that continuously irked me: The way that the actual *doing* was just disregarded.
For example, the opening of an e-commerce flower delivery: Where do you get the flowers from? Who will do the actual arrangements, even if they are planned by an "AI"?
Oh, and "AI", as Haru said himself: "It's a buzzword." Even if you can program an AI to do the things it does in this series, the costs for building and maintaining servers with enough processing power are enormous! Not only the material cost, but also the energy cost needed.It's why any company investing in AI has not seen a penny of return investment and it's expected to remain that way in the forseeable future.
It's a shame that the series doesn't pay attention to this sort of details.
Another aspect I found disappointing was the writing of the female characters. Yes, it's the story of the journey of Haru and Gaku -- but as the third partner Rinrin deserved better than to be used as scapegoat (even if she got her own happy ending), and that Princess Kiriri had to submit was also disappointing (even if it was for character-appropriate reasons). I would have liked to see them both put on a more equal footing with the men.
What I really loved though, and what made everything I just said insignificant overall, was the excellent acting -- by all of the cast. Meguro, of course, as the inscrutable Haru -- and until the last show-down I wasn't quite sure what exactly went in in his head -- but also Imada with her cool and calculating presence as well as Sano's depiction of an awkward nerd. I could list all of the actors, but then this will get too long.
Another plus in my book, there's only a hint of romance towards the very end, and even the sizzling chemistry between Haru and Kiri is always turned into rivalry, never romance.
The actors, together with the outstanding music choices and the fast-paced editing made the drama a wild ride, and I was hooked from the first to the last minute.
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And when I say, slow, I mean slow. We get to see too many flashbacks, and too often the same scenes, from the same perspective. The story has been edited into a 2:30h film, which I expect is not that bad in this regard.
What I liked:
* The acting performances of both main leads, they portrayed the emotions of their characters, their fears, their anguish, their hopes really well.
* The soft, washed-out colour palette. It supports the slow pacing of the story well.
* The setting is in a rural area, with normal people in normal surroundings.
* There are none of the usual BL tropes here, wich is always nice to see. This is what you can call a universal love story.
* Overall an unusual story for a BL series, although not for a "traditional" (romantic) show; expect a story that deals with a heavy experience and how both main leads deal with it. Extra points for that.
What I did not like:
* I don't know why the brother and his friend could not have just stayed supporting background characters. Their relationship distracted from the main leads.
* As I said above, there are too many flashbacks. The pacing could have been more concise and still alllow for enough space to show the motives and emotions of all characters and have a slow pacing.
* Why do the doctors tell Nut about his friend's (their patient's) medical situation? This is not ethical behaviour and it irks me.
Was it good?
The premise had much potential, and I liked that it stayed soft throughout but it was underwhelming because of the lengthy and repeating flashbacks.
Did I like it?
I did, and I loved the characters and their story, but I wouldn't watch it again, not even the movie version.
Would I recommend it?
Not the drama. Maybe the movie. If you watch it, be mindful that it is not light-hearted, so if you are prone to crying in emotional scenes, keep your hankies ready!
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This becomes very obvious in this film. The question of what Mu Ran will find when he arrives -- thee meaning of "Su Chen", who he is and where he is -- this is not the point of the film (also very obvious after a while).
The people he will meet on his journey, who live very different lives but are all part of the queer community, who will tell their stories about love and loss, about family and partnership, these people and their stories are at the heart of the film.
Mu Ran, and with him the viewers, will learn what it can mean to love. Will we regret having taken or not taken the opportunity to find happiness?
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I appreciate what they wanted to do...
... but this was not it.The premise of the mini-drama, that a normal guy finds it completely normal to help others in need -- and to make a comedy out of it, I love it.
I loved the message that a "Super-Maen" can exist in each of us , and that society might be better if we would be more like Maen.
I liked the criticism of modern "journalists" who in its pursuit of stories not only disrupts ordinary people's lives but sometimes go so far as to fabricate stories out of thin air.
I liked how it shows how fickle society can be, when people flip from adoring to condemning in an instant.
I liked the problems that were touched upon, like domestic violence and poverty.
I loved Maen's family -- the parents with their hobbies were comedic gold!
Unfortunately, the other actors tried too hard -- quite a lot of their scenes could have been funny, but something was lacking. Sometimes it was the acting (which was either too much or not enough, especially Mew Suppasit's scenes with the young boy it seemed as if he forgot how to act), sometimes the script dragged (some comedic bits were just too drawn out -- comedy is all about timing, and it's missing here).
Honestly, I found it hard to get through both episodes.
Overall, I could have lived happily without watching it, but it's only two hours, so I'm not too bothered.
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This is how you do a teenage rom-com
I love this.The comedy is spot-on, both all of the characters (the students of class 8/1 are a hoot!) and the comedic timing. It's very silly, and still the film has some depth.
The eternal desire of highschool students -- I want to fit in -- is tackled for several characters' perspective. Whether it is that your secret crush is exposed in the most demeaning way, whether you have a condition that sets you apart form the others, or whether your nipples are inverted -- all of us want recognition, and even love. But how to achieve that?
This rom-com is not only funny as heck until the last minute, it also surprised me not only with a positive message, but also with excellent acting, a good pacing, great animation(!), and very, very likable characters.
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This review may contain spoilers
Solid Thai BL with blue-collar characters
If I had to recommend some Thai BL dramas, then this one would be among the recs for someone who has seen a few already and wants to explore the genre some more.What I liked:
* Highest point: Blue-collar workers in a lot of roles and as love interest, which is a refreshing deviation from all the super-rich college boys, who I am sick of. We need more normal people in Thai BLs. In connection to that, a gentle critique of classism.
* Very gentle and smooth evolution of the main couple. I love how they care for and respect each other. The dynamics between them feel very equal from the first time they meet (which is reflected by the use of names instead of titles and the pronouns เรา /rao/ and นาย /naai/).
* Workplace setting; hospital with a good balance of medical jargon and not too much nonsense.
* middle-aged long-term same-sex partners as advisors and role models, who get a decent amount of screentime.
* a trans gender person in a non-comedic role.
* the three riders, who provided not only comedic relief but also gave Mork the occasional insight.
* The acting is decent, if a bit uneven on Fluke's part (Mork). Pat (Por) was excellent as the slimy boyfriend.
What I did not like:
* the doctor-only couple. I'm allergic to bullying (and what Toy does, can only be called bullying). Yes, he does apologize in a way, but even after, he "teases" Boss, and runs rough-shod over his mental needs, we almost never see Toy respect them. Boss is shown as an introvert, with a sensitivity to explosion noises and a need for his order and rules. In their progression, it's Boss, who has to change much more than Toy and "overcome" his needs. Also, there's no real connection to the main couple , other than that they both work under Tawan. I would have liked to see more of the love story between Fueng and Kru Ai than them.
* The critique of classism ends when the relationships get serious -- only after Nadia learns that the barista owns his café and is a famous YouTuber, she accepts his advances. Mork starts his college education to be able to "care for Tawan" (which shouldn't be needed, Tawan should earn enough as a doctor.) and even ends up with the same hairstyle (helmet-like and styled upwards) as all of the higher-class characters.
* A bit of inconsistency in how and when Mork realises his feelings -- he does so twice in ep. 4 and in ep. 7.
* The sub-plot with the kid could have been improved with a bit more room -- as it is, it doesn't feel like an organic part of the whole story. The kid appears, is there, and disappears again. At least, maybe show him in the epilogue scene?
* Por and his boyfriend have more heat between them than the main couple -- either tone one down or give the other a bit more intimacy.
Was it good? -- There are certainly better BLs out there, but it was solid all around.
Did I like it? -- I loved the gentle progression and the respect in the main couple and the blue-collar characters.
Would I recommend it? -- I would, it's smooth, and easy to watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Honestly, I have never been so bored with a show before. I don't know how I managed to finish it.* The storyline was dragging on and on, and I had the feeling that nothing much happened at all. I even drifted off during later episodes. The thing is, I do not mind slower paced series, if -- IF -- it fits the storyline. Also, twelve episodes of basically the same over and over again gets boring whatever the content might be. The plot could have been tightened to maybe four episodes or so.
* The writer seems to have only a passing idea of how the music industry, cafés or workplaces in general work. Examples that annoyed me most: Sentences like "Now that you are debuting, you are a real artist!" (or something like that), an employee mopping the floor during opening hours without reason, taking breaks just ecause you want to, "trainees" that practice unsupervised and are something like eleven years old(?), a freelance composer who then has to got to Shanghai (?). Overall, it feels as if the writer was one of those "trainee" children.
* The camera work was uninspired and kind of static.
* The acting was stiff, which was most apparent in group scenes, where those actors who did not have something to say just stood around like mannequins.
* The sets showed the tight budget, and putting a rainbow flag doesn't improve things. Although I did like the colour scheme they chose.
* Other people have already commented on the band's musical abilities, which I cannot remark upon, since I myself have no abilities in this field whatsoever. I don't think the pink-haired guy's singing was very good though.
* If the story is about tasty coffee, then I want to see tasty coffee! We haven't even seen how Plengrak brews it -- show us how the grounds look like when the water is poured into the filter, at least. The director responsible should maybe look at some Japanese shows who excel in showing food and drinks and make the audience crave them.
All in all, I'd say to give this series a miss.
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If you don't have the budget, you should you use it to your advantage
Overall, I liked the idea -- people coming into a café where its barista can make a coffee flavored drink based on the cup you choose and then, when you drink it, it will help with the problem you currently have.It's an interesting twist on shows with similar ideas like the Japanese "Three Star Bar" or the S-Korean "Would you like a cup of coffee".
I also don't mind that it is basically just a long commercial for the Vibie platform.
What I do mind is that the production is lacking.
In episode one, there are serious sound problems, which do get better in the following episodes.
The acting is bad to mediocre -- considering that most of the people are just internet personalities, not actors, it is probably to be expected.
The set is ... obviously a set that is trying very hard to be a real café. I can only guess why they couldn't rent an actual café for their filming or why the set looks so cheap (what café has only one table and a sofa and is an office space converted to a café?) -- probably they did not have the budget.
In my view, if you don't have enough money to make things look good, you should either choose a story to something you can afford (the new "Fake Buddies" did this very well) or you "own" it. Why not go all the way and make it obvious that this is a set? Let it take place on a theatre stage, make the props look like props -- except maybe for the magical coffee -- theatre is magic, and the way the drinks help people is too -- and with this, you'd have made a mediocre story with a small budget into something special.
As it is, I can only say: Nice try, do better next time.
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Until this project, the YouTube channel "옆집남자 GuyNextDoor" had only made short comedy skits -- most of which are really good! They used their history and experience with these shorts to their advantage for their project "Fake Buddies" by filming and releasing the seven parts as comedic shorts, without any indication whether each one would be the last. The first four or so were even complete little stories in themselves, at first I wasn't sure if they should be seen as part of the same story at all. The wait and the guessing game (Will the story continue? Will we get a backstory? Which couple will we see?) enhanced the experience for me.
Even as a finished product, this short story (the complete version is 44:35 min) is charming -- the acting is well done, the comedic timing on point. The plot is simple -- the way it is told make us root for all four of the young people. The budget was obviously non-existent -- for this story about people "next door" more wasn't needed.
GuyNextDoor show us that you can tell a good story, even without budget, if you use your strengths to your advantage. I'll be looking forward to their upcoming projects.
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