strawyuu

A faux-deep show with a harmful message

I’m actually surprised to see how much praise is being sung for Death’s Game. Death’s Game is by no means philosophical, nor does it bring anything new to the table in terms of discussion around the subject of suicide. It simply offers the common - and harmful - rhetoric of “You should feel guilty about (thinking of) killing yourself because your death will hurt others.”

Living to avoid causing pain to others - and by proxy living FOR others - is no way to live at all. In fact, according to this rhetoric, if no one would mourn your passing, then it should be fine for you to die by your own hands. Your desire to live has to come from yourself because the minute it depends on other factors you lose any semblance of control over it.

Death’s Game tackled its message wrong from the start. In my opinion, an anti-suicide show should focus on the “joys” rather than the pains of life. If you’ve ever said something along the lines of “I’m feeling down/sad/upset” and been told “well others have it worse,” did that really make you feel any less upset? Probably not. This is why reincarnations such as the baby’s don’t work as substantial support for the show’s main message.

On the topic of support for the show’s main message: this support is thin. Why? Because so much of it is just pure shock value. There are multiple instances of this. The baby. But also the prisoner reincarnation. One would think this particular story would end with the hit-and-run daughter’s father killing who he believes to be the perpetrator BECAUSE this would tie in with the idea the show was pushing about the consequences of Korea’s lenient juvenile laws. But no, the main character is then stabbed a SECOND time by another twist villain. Did this add anything to the show? No. In fact, it lessened the impact of the previous scene. So why did it need to happen?

On a side-note, the twists in this show are so random. Some I predicted from the start, like the brother being behind the airplane crash. Other twists just exist to be twists. That is not good writing.

Additionally, logically-speaking, why does Death target our main character specifically? Does she give this same experience to everyone? Surely there are others who fit her criteria more explicitly. And, on the other hand, imagine someone who has suffered much worse than Choi Yi Jae. Does said person deserve to experience more suffering (multiple deaths) simply because they sought to put an end to their own? Definitely not.

I really can’t tell what this show wants to be. It feels so ungrounded from reality that I find it hard to take it seriously. The tone feels a bit all over the place. It doesn’t help that the special effects look cheap, and that the dialogue sometimes sounds incredibly comic book-y. All it was missing was some text bubbles. I’m assuming that might be because the show is an adaptation from a Webtoon, but what works in comic format won’t always work in live action. Also, I’m not usually one to comment on bad acting, and I’m sorry to say that despite the cast being visually stunning, this show is chock-full with it.

Lastly, I felt no emotional connection to any of the characters? I wasn’t sad about any of the deaths. Which I find surprising given I’m very empathetic and often have no trouble doing so. Nor did any character relationships particularly stand out. The main character and his gf have the stock template, textbook start to their relationship, and their dynamic isn’t particularly interesting.

If Death truly cared about the main character’s respect for “death” she would show him how to love living again instead of torturing and potentially emotionally traumatizing him for the remainder of his existence.

Death’s game is not as deep and thought-provoking as some laud it to be, and it's honestly worrisome how well-received such a show is. It presents its singular perspective on suicide, which negates and ignores the mental health aspects that come along with suicidal ideation.

Read More

If you're doomed either way, is it better to have hope or be hopeless?

intro:
The movie's native title, "화란," is an old-fashioned transliteration of the word "Dutch". Yet, in the movie, the Netherlands symbolizes Yeon-gyu's hope for a better life, alongside his mother. At first, it seemed almost paradoxical that the English title of this film should be "Hopeless," when the original title came closer to "Hope". Perhaps this is because Yeon-gyu's utopic version of the Netherlands is in and of itself a form of false hope: the Netherlands is not the idyllic, free of economic inequalities, country Yeon-gyu makes it out to be.

"Hopeless" follows Yeon-gyu, who still has hope, and Chi Geon, who has hope only for Yeon-gyu. It is a story of tragic kinship between a boy and a man who never got to be children.

acting:
The acting from all cast members was stellar. This is especially true for the lead actors, Hong Xa Bin, Song Joong Ki and BIBI. They played their characters so well, their emotions were so raw and genuine, that I couldn't peel my eyes away from the screen. When they cried, I cried. Their performances, both subtle and loud, were award-worthy.

plot:
A story following the descent into darkness and moral corruption of a protagonist has been done a thousand times. Similarly, there are a library's worth of gangster flicks. What makes "Hopeless" different? In terms of plot, nothing really. Instead, what "Hopeless" brings to the table is something intrinsically human. The focus here isn't flashy action but the characters themselves. Perhaps I'm just imagining it, but I found the camera's focus to be more often than not on the characters' faces. With limited dialogue, it is these faces that tell much of the story. And tell a gut-wrenching story they certainly did. "Hopeless" offers a story you've certainly heard before, in a way you'll likely never hear it quite like again.

I'd been looking forward to this movie ever since I learned of its existence, and for the past couple months had been eagerly checking this page in the hopes of news of its release. With the trailer's release, I knew this movie would be amazing. Safe to say, my intuition was correct. In fact, I was so immersed in this movie that I can't even comment on its cinematography. I guess a re-watch is likely in store for me. I highly recommend this movie to any viewer able to withstand graphic violence. Please have a box of tissues at your disposal.

Read More

A decent, if disappointing, adaptation that takes its own direction

This adaptation definitely stayed more truthful to the Webtoon in certain aspects, but veered into new territory in others, with one notable twist, and several minors ones. Thus, the movie offers a new experience, even if you've watched the Kdrama or read the Webtoon.

Personally, I much prefer the characters in the Kdrama. While this problem may partially lie with lacking screentime, I think I take issue with the writing too.

Here I find Yu (Jongwoo) entirely unsympathetic, and lacking in depth. I felt little pity for him. While this may have been intended, the movie loses some necessary tension by not making us care more about our main character's safety. Additionally, unlike in the Kdrama, the gangster literally told Yu he didn't plan on leaving. I expected the writers to have added this interaction so Yu would suspect the Ark's residents earlier on, but this was not the case. Instead, you have more reason to shake the screen in frustration. One other thing I found a bit strange is that Jun was given the role of "suspense writer" (here, "showmaker"). Not sure why they did that.

The movie equally stripped Kirishima (Moonjo) of some dimension. He tells us he's an artist, but we're never really shown his artistry. In the Kdrama, he creates jewelry. He reads classics. Here... he wears a colorful shirt. Kirishima lacks the creative spirit of his Webtoon and Kdrama counterparts.

I found their dynamic unfortunately weaker, and less compelling in this movie. The at times questionable writing decisions are the reason I docked 3 points compared to my rating of the Kdrama.

On the positive side, like the Kdrama, the movie offered fun cinematography, with a particular focus on color and patterns. The acting was well done, particularly Kirishima's. I believe the new twist to be decently written and aptly foreshadowed.

Overall, while I prefer both the Kdrama and the Webtoon, I think this adaptation is worth a watch because even if I don't agree with all the writing decisions, it brings something new to the table. You experience the same awesome "what" moment you did in the Kdrama's finale. For first time viewers, though, I would suggest the Kdrama.

Read More