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A good movie that wanted to cover too many plotlines and topics.
At first it starts with an interesting topic of religious freedom and how loose laws can support the creation of various cults, which will pray on people's beliefs and convictions. Sadly, as the plot progresses and the supernatural aspects are being introduced, the initial meaning and message about the fake religious beliefs in cults makes no sense, since the investigated by the Park Woong Jae events do involve a "higher power".Plot wise, it was just too much. Crime investigation, cults research, demonic twins, Deer Mount cult, immortality and the whole lore and background surrounding Buddhism - at least half of it should be cut out. The movie would be far better if it either was psychological thriller without supernatural elements, where Park Woong Jae works with police to uncover the truth behind the cult OR movie focused only on supernatural, without any crime connection, with Park Woong Jae,as a person with much doubt, being challenged about his beliefs as he dives into the Deer Mount cult case.
One thing that the show did extremely well was the visual aspects and (except for one scene) special effects, make up and set design. Chun Na Han's dream sequences were truly well done and beautifully shot. Even though the scenes were quite simple, they did carry the meaning behind them well - the guilt and mental struggle of Na Han.
Overall, I wasn't bored, but I did question some choices that were made. While the plot is not that hard to understand, the message is not so clear. Would recommend it as a group watch, since the movie has a few plot twists that would be entertaining to try to predict while watching with others.
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It's hard to review this show, as there is close to no valuable content in it. There are two massive plot twists close to the end that make the majority of the plot redundant or have the plot have no effect on most of the characters. The stakes were non existing. There was quite literally no character development, not only for the mains, but also for all the supporting characters.
Maybe, if the finale was stronger and had a nice conclusion, it could make the show decent, but the last 4 episodes were painfully bad and rushed. They tried to connect all the dots (there weren't really that many dots to begin with if I must be honest) in the last 15 minutes, so when the show ended I just sat there and asked myself: that's it?
Soo Min was an amazingly annoying character who made mistakes and had to be saved right till the end of the show and, with how the plot was written and structured, it was impossible to actually give him the development needed. He was the center part of the plot and the only one who truly was affected by everything that was going on.
The supporting cast was quite nice, but yet again, all the characters were more or less ruined by that one unfortunate plot twist.
The good? Most special effects and possession scenes were nicely done. The visual aspects of the show were truly good and I enjoyed the soundtrack, especially just the instrumental parts.
Overall, I quite honestly would not recommend it to anyone.
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The Story aka The Show's Concept
I always enjoyed the survival shows that focus on less popular idols, because there is truly no disadvantage for said idols. Their debut does not depend on the show. They can only gain popularity, so the risks are truly minimal (except for emotional distress, but then they will be in the same emotional state if they won't gain the fans anyway...). I don't believe the voting was fair, but I also don't believe it's possible to make it fair, so it never bothers me in shows like that. It makes the watch less stressful and I can truly focus on enjoying the performances
The Acting/Cast aka The Contestants
I enjoyed all the groups. Before the show I was already a fan of Oneus and Pentagon, but seeing how fun the rest of the boys were, it did make me want to check them out too. The best part of the whole show were the interactions between teams and how they were hyping and supporting each other. Sadly, we barely saw it in the last episode, and with that I must say the finale was a let down. While the performances were amazing, I wished to see some reactions from other teams and listen to more of their opinions. Can we also appreciate how crazy witty Jang Jun from Golden Child is? The phone call in episode 1 was one of the most entertaining things I have seen in the past few months.
The Music aka The Performances
I cried. Twice. If anyone likes to be an emotional mess I would recommend watching Pentagon's Shine + Spring Snow performance and The Boyz/Oneus' Heroine one (which also shows how close and supportive the boys are). Other stages that amazed me were: Oneus' Warrior's Descendant and Lit, ONF's It's Raining, The Boyz's Sword of Victory.
The teams that impressed me were Oneus with their storytelling and messages, Pentagon and ONF with the music arrangements and The Boyz with innovative ideas and stunts.
Overall, I think it's a good show that does a great job actually presenting the groups and their strong points both in terms of music, but also their unique personality.
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I saw quite a few people praise the movie for the realistic approach to such an unrealistic scenario and I would agree if we look at the big picture. Focusing on one character and how they are trapped in their own home, the lack of dialogues and music, which made the smallest sounds made by zombies that much more noticeable, BUT the devil is in the details and that's what they messed up.
First, there was not enough exposition about his relationship with the family, so when they tried to bring the emotional scenes related to it, I couldn't care less.
Second, they try to make us believe someone can not eat for a good ten days and still have the energy to do anything at all. He didn't even look physically exhausted.
Third, the ending did not fit the overall mood of the movie. It showed all the tragic, gruesome and questionable aspects of humanity, but then they followed it with a Disney ending, why? I think that was the most disappointing part of the movie. Amazingly anticlimactic.
What about the good? As I mentioned earlier, they did a good job in creating this "isolation that slowly drives you mad" feel to it. While the lack of sounds and dialogues annoyed me at first, I started to appreciate it more and more as the plot progressed. The zombies were done in extremely good style, we got a few "gross", but fun scenes, especially between the zombie and Shin Hye's character. That would be it though.
Overall, it was painfully "meh". It had its moments, but overall I almost fell asleep while watching. I did not connect with the characters so the whole movie did not evoke any type of emotions in me, except for frustration.
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For a movie, where a lot of the plot happened in the past, it kept me excited and curious about the events, even though I knew what result we would be getting from the start. As exciting as it was, it also left me in a state of relaxation. This warm feeling that is hard to describe - maybe comparing it to sitting under a blanket with a hot tea in your hands looking out of the window on a snowy morning.
I fell in love with all the characters. Each and every one of them had such a unique color, I just sat in wonder, seeing how small events and situations brought them together and connected one way or another, at present or in the past.
The plot might feel bittersweet, especially with such an ending. For me, it was perfect. It shows that life keeps going, even when we are faced with loss, missed opportunities, regret or struggles. The same plot presented in a different way would have left me feeling frustrated and annoyed. After Love Letter, I was left with just one thought: what a wonderful movie.
What's more, it's simply beautiful. Maybe it just fits my taste and aesthetics, but I did hold my breath a few times, simply because I enjoyed the visual feast I was witnessing. Even though it was filmed 25 years ago, it could be easily played in cinemas now. The quality was just that good.
I cannot regret not watching it earlier. I'm sure my younger self would not appreciate it as much as I did today. I am still amazed how a movie could make me feel excited, curious, anxious, but also calm, relaxed and warm at the same time.
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Did I like the movie? Yes. At first it was hard to get into, but as more and more people died, and all the explanations given or guessed by me turned out to be false, I started to enjoy it more. Why are people dying around Ga In? Why is everyone trying to kill her? The movie presents few answers, but at the same time dismantles them with new information. Plot wise, even though fairly simple, will keep you interested. It dives into the dark topic of who and for what reasons could kill and how much of the external factors are needed to convince them to murder.
The best performance award in the movie goes to Lee Kan Hee for playing Ga In's mother. That once kitchen scene truly impressed me.
What else did I like? Some pictures created were amazing and shocking. Especially two scenes: the hospital scene from the beginning and Ga In's dream with the ceiling involved (once you watch it, you will know).
Any warnings? Some scenes are graphic, blood is more than present more than once. It's also an older movie, so expecting extremely high production quality would be a mistake.
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Along with the Gods 2: The Last 49 Days
3 people found this review helpful
We've got explanations for some plot lines introduced in the first movie, and in their place new questions have been asked. The progression of the story makes sense and the connection between the two installments truly makes them feel like two pieces of a larger story. While The Two Worlds focused more on the humans, The Last 49 Days explained the background of the gods' realm and the three main reapers.
Duk Choon yet again won me over with her personality and goodness, but this time I actually got drawn to Won Maek more. The story of their past life was extremely well presented and written. Sadly, while the first movie centered around one character and his life, it was easier for me to connect to the story and feel the emotional impact they tried to deliver. Here we’ve got the storytelling split among few characters... Which for me made a huge difference and I was not as emotionally connected as I wished I could.
That said, we can clearly see that the history told in both movies was carefully planned, before the first movie became a success. It's obvious that The Last 49 Days is not a cheap way of just making more money with a random script loosely connected to the original movie.
The acting, cinematography, music, costumes and special effects were amazing, there is nothing to complain about. They aced the job with visual storytelling. With that, I cannot wait for the next movie to come out.
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Let's start with my favorite character that bought me completely - Duk Choon. Brave, emphatic, strong, cheerful, driven, just, cute. She was the glue for the group, but also the one that saved the situation more than one time.
I adored how Kim Ja Hong was externally painted as a good man, close to a hero. But internally he was a guilt driven, flawed human being.
The movie explains the main story well, but branches some plot lines, giving the perfect space for the future installments to tackle. After finishing watching I wanted both - to rewatch right away and watch The Last 49 Days.
It's a fun adventure story with some unique characters, great visuals and HUGE HEART. The emotional impact this movie had on me as I was watching it is hard to describe. I stopped counting how many times I cried. I empathize with the message - you don't have to be perfect, you can make mistakes, you can hurt people and still be a good person.
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Starting this drama, I had no idea what to expect. The poster makes it look like a crime show, the synopsis breaks your heart suggesting a painful tragedy, but users opinion makes it look like a nice drama that can make you emotionally attached to the characters without totally ruining you.
While the romance is ever present and easily felt, it's not shoved in your face with every scene. We not only get to know about the forming relationship between Mes and Thun, but also about them as separate characters.
The supporting cast did an amazing job showing realistic reactions to a situation presented to them. They have some back story of their own, that is used as a driving force making them take action.
The best part of the show was definitely the emotional impact it has on you as you watch it. It has this nostalgic feeling that slowly draws you in and makes you feel like you are part of the story. Singto did an amazing job portraying his character and I must admit, I did tear up with him a few times.
That said, some things were a let down for me. Ohm overall did a stunning job, yet there were few instances where his emotional scenes felt… forced? I was holding back a sarcastic comment like: yes, squeeze these tears (That said, the rooftop scene was amazing). Some plot twists and the answer to the questions presented at the beginning were… questionable at best. And the ending… oh boi I was not crazy about it. Without giving any spoilers, I just feel like they wanted to have and eat the cake and it just did not work out for me.
Overall, a truly nice drama with amazing pace (one of the strongest points), realistic characters with flaws, simple yet well executed conflict and lots of emotional depth. You don’t need to be scared by the fact it’s a ghost love story, it will not ruin you emotionally :)
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When editing kills the tension.
This actually could have been a decent simple horror movie if it was not for the actually poor editing... and sound design. From the opening scene, it was distracting. No, the footsteps with no other sound did not add to an eerie atmosphere - they sounded like someone was chopping wood.So like, everyone sucks and that includes the victim. How many times do you need to get screwed by your bestie to see how much of a coward and asshole she is? She just wanted to be a victim or something. At least Lee Yoon Soo's acting was good, even if the character was rather dumb.
Still it had some good moments - the deaths were "fun" and well filmed and directed. I actually enjoyed a lot of the shots, just not how they were put together. The editing was too slow, not sharp enough especially for the jump scares.
Overall, many better one is more or less the same plot.
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Why was it 4 different movies in one?
I might be biased (probably am) since I really enjoyed the first Death Whisperer, but this was just so all over the place I found it hard to focus on any plotline. It truly felt like 4 different movies put into one:Ghoul man story
Yak ghost hunter story
The family still being haunted as they trying to move on from all that happened in the first movie.
The Dad 2.0, Asshole and Coward family trio.
And realistically speaking, the only 2 parts I cared about were Yak and his family. Everything else seemed like an unnecessary convoluted way to make the movie longer than needed. The whole part of the woods with the new set of characters was boring, because these characters were simply awful to watch.
Sure the gore and how characters died was just as "fun" as in the first movie, but way less impactful on the emotional side. I kind of wanted a lot of these people die there...
The acting was good for most part. Nadech Kugimiya plays such a fun and cheeky character I would not mind a whole drama of his character doing on ghosts hunting trips Winchesters style.
Overall, this could have worked, maybe as a short series. Too much things happened in too short of a period of screentime.
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Surprisingly dark, surprisingly approachable.
For a drama that tackles a whole list of triggering topics, it had quite a way to put a smile on my face.While the first half is quirky in the presentation, the second half loses a bit of that charm, diving deeper into the realistic approach. One has to be extremely careful when presenting a story built on misfortune and struggles to not make the audience feel completely hopeless and drained from all energy, while also making it tactful - what jokes are appropriate and which ones could cross the line and make fun of the issues. Definitely Not Today does quite a good job keeping the balance. Keep in mind though: a lot of triggering elements like assault, attempted suicide are shown in rather straightforward manner.
To be honest, I kept thinking how unhinged the drama truly is. The way it presented Mi Chong’s constant suicide attempts with his peculiar, emotionally detached narration surprised me, but in a positive way. The same story presented in a hyper realistic manner would break me into pieces and I would fall into eternal drama slump buried under mild depressive thoughts. Going wacky and unconventional was the good approach - the message is the same, the heart is the same, but you don’t end up in a gloomy mood when you watch it.
What we get is a heartwarming and at times funny journey of two people with a lot of emotional baggage who learn how to appreciate living, how to trust others and show care for people around them. Who learn how to receive and give help. People who learn how to live.
Performance wise, I fell in love with Leon Leong. His depiction of Mi Chong was so heartbreaking, even in his more lethargic state, you could sense the pain and struggle behind the odd narration. Vivienne Tien did an amazing job presenting both the strong and confrontational, but also vulnerable and scared side of Zhi Liao. Complicated characters presented in a skillful manner.
Undeniably the directing and editing help the story a lot. The silly drawings during some scenes, wacky editing, quick cuts between shots - all added to that bizarre, but weirdly relatable feeling.
Overall, great drama. I only wish they kept more of the lighter tone of the directing and editing in the second half.
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Simple, yet surprisingly entertaining.
I went into it expecting a low budget, ridiculous supernatural horror with questionable CGI and awful acting. What I’ve got was a simple yet well presented story with good acting and decent CGI.I’m gonna say it - this is basically a supernatural horror GL. No one is going to convince me otherwise. The two main ladies were in love with each other and it could not be more apparent. While technically Mei Lin was the main character, I actually liked Yin Xing more - she was smart, loyal and badass. What more can I ask for?
The plot is exactly what the synopsis says and nothing more. They don’t add any true details to make the story more complex - you will get what you expect. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a perfect movie for a late evening when you want to be entertained.
As I said, the acting was surprisingly good. The emotional scene hit well, the actresses were not awkward during the green screen moments, so even if the cgi could (and should) be improved, the end result was still quite passable. Honestly? I saw worse CGI in more mainstream dramas with big budgets.
What to improve? The ending. Last scene rolled and my reaction was - wait… that’s it? I did get a conclusion, just not the one I wanted.
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Not gonna lie, I did struggle a bit watching the first few episodes. It was not bad, it just did not hold my attention. You know how some shows start with amazing first few episodes and then fall into a writing dark hole and misery? Nobody Knows is a rare case of the opposite - starts just fine and only gets better with every episode.
What to love? The variety of friendships and partnerships formed between the characters. The really gradual, but undeniable character developments that are not exaggerated. Strong and empathic female lead, who charmed me with her badassery and emotional maturity. Male lead that overcomes his flaws and trauma and learns how to care about others again. Teens that seem more mature than adults in their approach to life, hardships, unjust behavior and learning from your own mistakes. It’s rare to see a crime drama where the characters are the core of the story and the thing that will keep you glued to the screen.
Sadly, as much as I loved the writing of the protagonists, I cannot say I enjoyed the villains as much. Rather one dimensional and cliche. Sure, delivered some exciting scenes and carried the crime side of the show, but definitely did not present the same level of complexity and depth as the good guys. And with how disappointing that aspect was, the overall plot suffered too and it was especially evident in the last episode.
Luckily, everyone’s performance was stellar. From the older and more experienced cast to the teens and kids - solid acting with some nice nuances in delivery.
Production wise it was great. Loved the soundtrack, the tones and editing - all creating a coherent picture and style.
Overall, not exactly addicting and thrilling making you binge watch, but somehow making you curious to continue watching at your own pace.
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A Story to Read When You First Fall in Love
1 people found this review helpful
Two full semesters of developmental psychology flashed before my eyes as I was watching…
And with that, I just could not with this romance. That said, the drama was still extremely entertaining and fun to watch and had a lot of other great elements working for me quite well.What I loved about it was the whole supportive community around Yuri - each and every character trying to help him, putting aside their own feelings. It was heartwarming and extremely enjoyable to watch. I especially loved his interactions with two 2nd male leads.
I also appreciated Harumi Junko in the context of her work - slowly learning how to enjoy what she does, what her strengths are and how she can motivate her students to strive for improvement and enjoy learning.
Sadly, it was hard to watch her in terms of romance. Being indecisive when you don’t know how you feel about people around you is one thing, but with her, she knew she has little to no romantic interest for the guys, yet still did not set proper boundaries for quite some time. Not only the truly questionable age gap (the romance became legal literally almost at the end of the show), but also the female lead’s personality made me not really interested in her journey to a happy relationship. Not to mention the lack of chemistry between her and the male lead.
The acting was quite good. It’s a rare case when the cast truly matches the age of the characters they are playing (we all know that mid 20’ actors usually play all the characters in the late teens to 40’), which helped a lot with creating a realistic portrayal.
I don’t really have much to say about the production - it’s a rom-com and it fits the standards of the good quality one.
Overall, it works better as a motivational and heartwarming slice of life than romance drama.
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