Well the story is simple a guy bakes pastries for a living, selling them under these beautiful cherry trees, in a street side shop that he doesn't own. He is somewhat unhappy with his life, because of certain events in his past. One of his close customers is a middle school girl who is also troubled by her relationship with her mother. One day an old lady appears and asks if she can be a part timer in his shop, he politely refused because he thought she could not do the job, but the old lady keeps coming until he accepts her when he has tasted her red bean paste. It is the word of mouth about Sentaro's improved Dorayaki that makes people mob their shop, but it is also the reason why the shop became deserted. At first the movie seems it is about food as you witness how much time is needed to prepare the perfect red bean paste. Until you reach into a point where you realize there is much more to it and the main point of the movie is so strong that might leave you in tears. Aside from how people were connected to nature, which was Kawase's trademark, there are also 2 main points the director wants to convey, which were "the stigma of leprosy" and "the value and meaning of life", the former is the most captivating but I find the latter rewarding.
Kawase as a director is always been impressive, her eyes and ears for films is in my opinion, unmatched. Her visuals as she captured those nature shots and blends it well with her poetic dialogues were very much engaging. Her camera work that sometimes would make you feel that you were watching a documentary was able to show the emotions of her characters perfectly. The way she captures background sounds works well for what she have, her canvass, and that would make a certain scene so poignant.
I've already said eyes and ears but now I will talk about the feels which was missing from the recent movies I've seen from her.
"we want to live in society where the sun shines"
If a single quote can knocked you off your feet, this is it, perhaps the most powerful quote I've encountered watching a movie. This quote left me bawling for tears literally, as the scene after this quote had been said were directed perfectly. The emotions that the director is trying to convey goes to me, it did hit me as it clearly show that the stigma on people who have this disease is still happening even though that Japan have already removed them from isolation since 1996. I even felt guilty that I might probably act the same way towards her like those customers and even Sentaro himself. We are only human, we only judges person based on their looks.
The acting, Nagase Masatoshi, this is the first time I've seen this actor that has this tadanobou asano-ish aura, well it may be disrespectful to addressed him this way, but I was impressed with him. He was able to show the struggles of his character in subtle way but what I was really impressed is his scene during the end. Uchida Kyara, who is kirin kiki's real granddaughter shows some promise although not to the extent of how jun yoshinaga impresses me, she managed to somewhat stick and not falls off just as a background character cause among the 3 characters , her character has less emphasis. Then its kirin kiki, who makes the time flew so fast, cause I was captivated by her acting the whole time. No need to pity her character, her character is already done with that pity phase. It is her character whose last purpose is to enrich the lives our other 2 characters, to show them that we were born into this world to see it and listen to it, since that is the case we don't have to be someone, that each of us has meaning to our lives. Kirin kiki has been the best Japanese actress for me since that time I saw her on akunin. She has done performances that melts your heart from movies chronicles of my mother, akunin, Tokyo Tower: Mom Me, and Sometimes Dad. You might just recognize her on supporting roles and that might be enough to call her great actress, but if you really want to see what she's capable of as an actress you need to see her in a main role.
Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/
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and the music.. each gang has an excellent sound track linked... The characters are well defined... each gang has its own sets of rules (policies) that make people come together as a team... S believes in fighting to protect, W protects women, O (well its a high school, i never understand what kids fight for except for maybe just fighting), R are also all about protecting their family, and D.... what to say... they just fight (i still like the leader).....!!
I watched both the seasons back to back and did not regret even a minute of it..... overall the drama was awesome...!!! just waiting for the subbed version of the movie to be uploaded somewhere....
Cheers...!!!
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Not just a Girls love story.
There are shows which need tons of episodes to tell a story and then there are shows which need only minutes. This one falls in the latter category.There are LGBTQ shows mostly BLs where we have guys falling for eachother more precisely being 'gay for you' with rainbows in the background, sun and stars shining bright, shippers in the show barfing confetti and darn near entire world (barring the proverbial evil 'female gender' being villanious) playing cheerleaders.
Then there are shows where everything is dark, gloomy, depressing, hopeless and yes .. just bury your gays coz that's how it rolls.
In between the two extremes there is this lovely little masterpiece which tells a sweet story without erasing the sadness and hopeless that the community faces. Yet gives out one of the most powerful emotion of the human world.
Hope!
Yes.. life sucks but here is hoping to a happy life.
And the most poignant message that we need to tattoo in our lives.. Yeah maybe world will not accept me... But I am going to accept myself. I choose to be Me.
The story is too short but i thought that is the whole charm of it. The actresses are lovely to look at. And did a great job in bringing the characters alive. Especially Min Seo. She expresses so much with just her face that dialogues become redundant. The pain seeps through the smiles. Tremendous acting.
The chemistry is adorable.
And the skinship.. toecurling.
Story.. Melts you heart, then breaks it and then makes it whole again and let it soar.
Special mention to the friend. She is one wonderful character.
This is not just a girls love story. This is a story of choosing to be who you are and choosing to be with the one who will let you be. That is.. a human who should live and love the way others do. Freely!
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This review may contain spoilers
I ran into this drama by accident, and I'm glad I did.The Last Scandal is a sweet twist on the Cinderella story, that never came across as super corny. It's a familiar story of a struggling, stubborn, female lead, and a spoiled, rich, male lead, but with mature actors. Choi Jin Shil and Jung Joon Ho had such amazing chemistry, and I loved watching their relationship develop. There were so many cute, rewatchable, moments between the two of them, and times when Jung Joon Ho literally made me lol. There were also quite a few moments where I broke into tears. Aside from the main theme of reconnecting with a first love, theres also a great theme around what makes a family. This drama really has a good balance beween light, fun moments, and emotional, touching moments.
The entire cast is great, including the 2 younger actors. Jung Woong was particularly good, playing such a reserved character, but I think he had some of the most touching moments in the drama. In contrast, Kim Byung Se had some of the weakest moments in the drama. I think he played his part well, but his character's actions sometimes seemed too unbelievable to me. Byun Jung Soo was good, and was cast so perfectly that her character's secret is almost instantly given away. Jung Joon Ho is really fun to watch, and his struggle between his persona and his true identity seemed really genuine. I really can't think of any weak cast members.
The true star of this drama, Choi Jin Shil, was so impressive. I am relatively new to dramas, so I had no idea who she was, or what happened to her, when I started watching Last Scandal. I loved rooting for her character's happy ending, and It was about halfway through I learned about her tragic story. It was hard to watch without keeping that in mind, but her performance was so good that I could keep rooting for Sunny. I will definitely check out some of her other dramas.
There's a reason why Cinderella stories are to popular, and this drama is a perfect example of why that is. The mature Cinderella (or 'Joomarella') story is enough to make me watch this drama again. This drama also has a good ending, that gives each character the closure they deserve, and I don't consider it a spoiler to say that those looking for a fairytale ending won't be disappointed. I definitely recommend this one.
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Re. missing children: highly topical, soundly researched, superbly directed and masterfully acted
"Bring Me Home" is a KMovie full of raw reality and emotional impact that disturbingly brings you closer to present day human abyss.Perhaps it would be appropriate to describe this KMovie as a fine study in the nexus between humanity and inhumanity, with the scales being tipped by human compassion. Life becomes barren, cruel, brutal and hopeless when this compassion no longer finds a place among people. But it makes a difference whether a soul has already left the human body and only a cold shell remains, which already lacks any human compassion. Or whether a soul is deeply injured and has only withdrawn far from a dazed body, but at the decisive moment, when human compassion seizes this body and reaches the soul, unexpected energies are mobilized and thus in a kind of holy anger fighting their way out of the pull of gloomy abysses. ...It is compassion that makes a difference in human dignity.
In any case, it is appropriate to describe this KMovie as a highly topical, soundly researched, superbly directed and masterfully acted study about the subject of missing children, or child abduction and child abuse in South Korea.
Howsoever I describe it, the bottom line is the same: "Bring me Back" is a thriller about (in)human abysses. The KMovie unfolds its haunting power through an almost brutal, unimpressed realism, holding up a merciless mirror to a society that seems indifferent to the disappearance of children. "Bring me Back" is a family drama. But it is also rigorous social criticism that explains the particular drama of one (of an alarmingly large number) of South Korean families as a disturbing general social disaster.
Yoo Jae-myung surpasses himself here as dishonest, repellent policeman without shame or sense of duty. Also fantastic: Lee Young-ae. She has already proven herself as an avenging angel in the KMovie "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance". At that time it was about vigilantism as a concept based on principle and planned for a long time. Here it's more of a reflex in the heat of the moment.
Heavy. Gloomy. Still recommendable.
P.S.
Actually, in 2020 (the movie is from 2019) there was a nationwide campaign in South Korea. At that time, 661 children had been missing for more than a year, 638 of them for more than five years. So that they are not forgotten, their faces have now been printed on a wide parcel tape, which is used by the South Korean Post and larger shipping services and can also be used privately. The faces were digitally edited and adjusted to look as they could possibly look today. The central information about their case was also printed on it. (However, I do not know whether this has contributed to the clarification of individual cases yet.)
---------------------------------- SIDE NOTE: --- Missing children in South Korea ---
Human trafficking is not a specifically South Korean issue. However, the continent of Asia is the undisputed leader with 7 countries among the 11 countries with the most victims worldwide. One might not expect South Korea to be at the forefront, but human trafficking is an alarmingly profitable business here, and the trend is expanding - regardless of whether it involves women and children who are exported or imported from abroad, or as Transit country for human traffickers from China or Russia. This is largely beneath the public radar. Public officials are often involved or bribed. In addition, most of the victims here are under the age of 16. This means that they are initially treated 'only' as runaways - this was the case in 80 percent of the solved cases. Thus, the police and authorities are not primarily in charge, but the parents. If the children are among the remaining 20 percent - the kidnapped or abandoned - then unfortunately they are unlucky that they are not searched for with the necessary vigor. At the same time, these minors are among the weakest and most defenseless members of society. They have neither voice, nor life experience, nor strength to really oppose the perpetrators. This makes them easy prey for a lucrative business.
In South Korea, over 99 percent of missing children are found within the first two days. That sounds like a lot. However, for the 1 percent of families who do not find their child during this time span, a nightmare begins that has already driven many parents to even commit suicide. It has been proven that the pain, the struggle with guilt and hope, does not stop in the years and decades that follow.
A figure from 2016: of around 38,000 missing persons reports, half were minors who turned up again within the famous 48 hours. 285 of these missing persons cases could not be cleared up. Among long-term missing minors (according to a 2014 case study), 65 percent were later found dead, and 46 percent of resolved child kidnapping cases revealed they were victims of physical sexual violence.
The statute of limitations marks another problem. As a result, parents often devote their lives to searching on their own, far beyond their means, since no one else will. They however can´t help but keep searching and hoping. They are more likely to lose their job, their social life, their health, or their own life. A 2006 study found that 40 percent of parents who missed their child for years or decades lost their job and spent an average total of around $500,000 in the search. (By now, that sum is likely to be a lot higher.) This includes the money that had to be paid to the number of false informants, or the travel expenses to travel to a potential location where a tip sent the parents. More than once, someone played a prank. Such cases are well documented. But there are also (fortunately) case histories of donors and supporters.
In South Korea, the legal activities relating to missing minors have been tightened again and again in recent years. But the results are still not what one might wish for. A government study from 2021 identifies acute further needs in all areas: from prevention to investigation and prosecution to officials training. Between 2015 and 2020, South Korean women and children were trafficked in increasing numbers. There are always accomplices among public officials, in particular the cooperation between human traffickers and police officers is criticized, which robs the victims of any last hope of help. By the way, in this context, fishing industry on the coasts is also expressly mentioned as a crime scene. Numerous cases of human trafficking and exploitation of workers whose working and living conditions are sometimes disastrous are documented.
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The important think to know is that this is not a movie for everyone. It is slow paced, especially in the first half and I would definitely call the film raw. For me what Koreeda wanted to achieve was to tackle very important social issues, that foreigners and especially Japanese tend to hide in a corner knowing that they exist and at the same time smiling like nothing is wrong.
The acting was fantastic and if someone forced me to see the movie without knowing anything about it, I would probably say that it was a Koreeda film, not his best -from the ones I have watched- but certainly a good one.
This kind of movies are so realistic and at the same time unbelievable. Knowing that this kind of things are an issue not only in Japan, but I would dare say everywhere is heart-wrenching.
All in all this is not a movie someone should watch to just pass their time. The film needs your attention and your understanding.
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A great undercover police drama that plunges us into a dark and dangerous universe.
This drama is different from most regular dramas. It takes place in a different region than popular dramas and plunges us into the world of drugs and crime.Story:
The story is pretty well written and the action and event sequences are thrilling. Sometimes an explanatory scene is missing for certain things but it remains a detail. The plot, the course of events, everything is well balanced.
The first two episodes, which serve as an introduction, would have deserved more clarity (apparently several scenes from the beginning of the drama have been cut) but remain correct in their introduction of the characters and the universe of the story.
The story really starts at the end of Episode 2 and from there it's a roller coaster ride. We live, like the heroine, the immersion in a sad, hard, cruel and dangerous world.
Characters:
The FL who, at first may seem like a hothead, will quickly find her way into our hearts with her ability to blend in with the surroundings, her resourcefulness and her badass attitude. She is different from the usual FLs. She knows how to fight, knows how to use her mind, has a lot of nerve. She also has a lot of empathy, strength of mind, and can be cute and innocent in certain situations.
ML meanwhile is more mysterious. It is difficult to truly understand who he is since most of his thoughts are not accessible to us at first. However, we are captivated by his charisma, the sensitive heart we feel under the mask he has created and, at the same time, just like the FL, we fear him and his intentions.
It's a drama that wants to portray life undercover and what it means to investigate. Therefore, the focus is on the FL. We also follow her whole team. It is the story of these police officers, of their courage, of their difficulty in arresting criminals that is told.
The bad guys are also important because the FL works with them and you have to feel all the danger that it represents to work in this environment.
The drama achieves the feat of humanizing the people living in this environment. There are the rotten ones, of course. We often have little empathy for them. But there are also those whom poverty and lack of perspective has thrown into this world. I applaud the writers for portraying human misery and the fact that we have to destroy drug trafficking for these people too, so that they have a chance.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend this drama to those who like action, police, crime and mafia stories. This drama is definitely worth it. If you like to try another kind of drama, go watch it! Its unique proposition in dramaland, its focus on a badass and resourceful FL and its subject made it a drama to be seen.
On the other hand, not everyone will appreciate this story given the subject and the way it is treated so don't waste your time if you don't like police drama or crime drama.
OST:
The OST is really good. It is not use at each episode like in most dramas but sublimates the scenes in which the songs are used. I have had chills and tears more than once thanks to the OST.
Conclusion:
It's one of the best dramas I've seen. From start to finish, I was glued to my screen. The story is interesting and the characters are well written and endearing. There is everything: action, investigation, romance, social painting.
What I liked the most:
- A strong and resourceful heroine who improves over time.
- A charismatic and enigmatic male character.
- An intense immersion in the world of crime.
What I liked the least:
- A lack of clarity during the introduction of the main characters.
- The dubbing of the voices, due to censorship and a rewriting of certain dialogues, is sometimes not perfectly synchronized in the beginning.
- Some somewhat confusing editing choices.
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For the second time this year, the Phillipines has decided to show the world how BL should be done.
Like in the Movies is a beautiful, intelligent, layered discussion of coming out and having the courage to seize control of your life.
Like Gameboys before it, it has the perfect mix of brains and heart.
A sparse production with few characters and even fewer sets, Like in the Movies is obviously another victim of filming restrictions due to Covid19. And yet the show’s filming limitations don’t detract from it. Nothing feels missing.
There’s a lot to like about Like in the Movies right from the first scene, especially around its gleeful embrace of romcom tropes such as fake relationship, forced cohabitation and Odd Couple conflict. But underneath the surface, the show is finely tuned and intricately written but has enough kilig to satisfy the most shallow romcom fan.
If the Phillipines keeps producing BL like this i may not watch Thai BL ever again.
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Some think the female lead Sumaru is a bit over the top and thus annoying. I think she’s funny and just real. It’s her innocence and naivety. She’s refreshing if you’re a bit reserved or surrounded by people who are too self-conscious or scared to show tneir real selves. She loves and she wasn’t afraid to show it. Wouldn’t it be good to be like her, without fear and reservation. But alas, most of us are jaded and scared due to our life experiences. She meets things and situations head on, even if she knew it might hurt her. Yes, she’s a bit all over the place, but that’s what made her funny and endearing. She’s just what Mr Hirotmitsu/sensei ( the male lead) needed.
Sensei is a mathematician. He loves Math. Math is rigid, structured, consistent, driven by logic. Some find it difficult, boring or mundane. Yet Math brings order to chaos. And here is how the Sumaru and Mr. Hiromitsu compliment each other.
She brought unpredictability into his structured world and made him laugh. Her honesty and courage inspired him to face the things he was running from. And for all her naivety, she was mature enough to encourage him to face his fears and go back to France to finish his studies.
Whilst he taught her to focus on things she wants to do. When she thought she has no chance to gain his love, she still didn’t give up. She did cry a bit. He taught her the realities of adulthood. That we may not always get what we want no matter how much effort we put into it. And that if we love someone, we shouldn’t be selfish. That we should let the other one grow and not be held back by our love.
I probably made it sound like it’s a deep movie with profound or life-changing lessons. No, it’s not. It was meant to entertain.
I felt the last part was a bit lacking, not because there was no proper kiss. I wasn’t expecting one anyway. I like this taboo student-teacher genre but I still think it wasn’t right for him to kiss a previous student in the school.
I gave it 9, because it made me giggle and laugh, a lot. And I liked the heroine. She’s fresh, funny and brave. Her and sensei gave me the warm fuzzy feelings. Definitely will watch it again.
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I watched it when it was ongoing so that made me realize that I was eagerly waiting for another episode every week. I really love the chemistry of lead actors to the point that I really want them in another drama. That would be treat to watch. The surprising elements were supporting cast that stole the show especially Court Lady Choi whenever she was there in the screen that made me chuckle. And definitely, the OST were quite different from other Korean dramas.
Overall it is a must watch drama at least once and further, it makes us crave more
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There were a lot of clever, artsy, indy details built into this movie that I got a real kick out of:
1) They played up the fact that this is a movie with a movie in a very obvious and clever way.
2) So Ji Sub's name is Kang Pae (gangster) and Kang Ji Hwan's name is Su Ta (star).
3) The scripts for the "movie" in the shooting scenes were the actual script for the movie.
4) And the ending...
I loved the intensity of both Ji Sub and Ji Hwan, their acting and characters. I loved that Ji Sub always wore black and Ji Hwan wore white. I loved the spoiled angry child in Su Ta and the way he got in over his head so deeply. Kang Ji Hwan always impresses me..Always.
I loved So Ji Sub's anger...his pure rage. His character's desperation and desperate grab for something more in his life, something he wanted, to make a change. The frustration of his inability to understand what to do with it once he'd grabbed on. And how his past, his personality and his lot in life were like a greased palm that made it impossible for him to keep hold. And then the terrible acceptance...He doesn't have to say much. That is the beauty of his acting. (sorry fangirl)
Watch it for the punch...beginning, middle and end.
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Pure, Crazy Fun
Despite how some of the stills look, this is 100% a comedy from start to end & it’s a good one! I had no idea what to expect going in - all I knew was that the premise was beyond dumb and I had a sudden need to watch something crazy.Well this show is dumb! And it’s definitely crazy! But in the best way!
Knowing how bizarre the premise of a self-aware handsome zombie is, the drama doesn’t once take itself seriously and delivers comedy gold from the ridiculous situations the leads find themselves in: including the slapstick, the little skits they have and the wacky side characters.
Most important, like any good comedy it has heart. You’ll find yourself caring a lot about these characters, our zombie main lead and his tenacious & clever partner especially (hello awesome female character!) and when the time comes for serious moments, the drama delivers - best of all it doesn’t stay serious for too long & quickly returns to being lighthearted which is why I’m here!
The second main villain of the show is literally the worst actor I have ever had the misfortune to witness - how did this man get a role it’s not like he has an idol career to boost him - but aside from that (and plot threads which I wish were better tightened up or character beats more developed) this is basically a fun time to be had. Genuine laugh out loud moments scattered throughout. What more could you ask from a comedy!
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Genius screenwriters – My absolute Favourite Cdrama !
After watching nearly 100 Cdramas and an equal number of Kdramas, I finally decide to write my first review because I’ve found my favourite Cdrama (Meet Yourself = You Feng De Di Fang). I am not sure why this English title since it is not a literal translation, but I think it is quite appropriate. I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey with the Yunmiao village people. How I wish it was a real place we could travel to and stay there. There are beautiful sceneries in China but here the landscape, farms, houses, markets, narrow alleys, seaside views, and mostly the people captivate our hearts. The vision of sustainable village development resonates with me who was born on a very small island still struggling to earn income from tourism.The relationship development between the lead couple was a model of maturity, wisdom, good communication, realistic understanding of each other’s needs, mutual time and space giving, selfless love but keeping the childish playfulness, humour, and hot romance. The stories of each person were all real-life situations. I love the characters with their beautiful personalities as well as their weirdness and weaknesses. Xie nainai is indeed my heroine, I regret I have no grannies.
I have no words for the script writing. I have also watched Go Ahead another favourite Cdrama from the same screenwriters. The writers are amazing geniuses to come up with such wholesome conversations as some have said, chicken soup for the soul. I can rewatch, which I don’t usually do, just to enjoy the script so beautifully and simply worded. No frills or make believe. It was all so sincere and touching. There is no need for plots in such setting.
The actors were all top-notch. I have not watched any of their previous work, but I will follow them from now on. They made me feel part of their conversations and stories. Their acting does not feel like acting at all. They felt like real people and performed so naturally. Crystal Liu’s voice is really soothing.
The OST’s music and lyrics matched the script perfectly.
Someone said she will recommend this masterpiece drama for the rest of her life. I will do same. It is not exaggerated to say that I may have to wait for some time to get this one dethroned as my absolute favourite! I count on you dear screenwriters 😊
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Meh
Plot: First half had me guessing, like what actually happened and it had some mystery and horror aura but then felt flat on the last 30 minutes of the movie. Many unanswered questions that will make you confuse as to why was the ending like that, especially to the victim. Didn’t make sense to me, honestly. He was supposed to have this strong personality plus he had to go through all the trouble just to find out the truth but then ‘bam’. Would have been nice if they added something to the ending apart from their ‘supposed’ destiny. It was supposed to be the icing on the cake but turned out to be a styrofoam.Acting: All did great and convincing.
Music: Pretty appropriate and creepy especially on the first half of the movie.
Rewatch value: I don’t think there’s something to rewatch.
Overall: 5 for acting and great suspense of first half. They didn’t maintain the momentum and ended up with a disappointing ending despite the so-called ‘twist’. It wasn’t predictable but it didn’t have the ‘wow’ factor too. I guess I watched and read too many psychological/mystery dramas and movies already.
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