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Still Walking centers on a particular day in the life of an ordinary Japanese family. While they try to maintain a semblance of normalcy on this day, the occasion cannot allow it to be wholly so. It is the memorial of a tragic death, and so even the most errant of relatives have come to call.
The story is told through beautifully written, but realistic conversations and domestic interactions between characters. While they cook, play, eat, or chat together, the dynamics between them slowly but surely unfold. We see fondness, pain, nostalgia, resentments, and all manner of feeling bubble to the surface. But none of this is done in the usual bombastic way, lending the entire piece more relatability than one might first imagine. It’s all very Japanese, but very human as well; how often have you swallowed a hurtful comment or urged yourself to forget it… just because of the ties that bind? I saw parts of my own family in Still Walking, little bites of conversation I've spoken myself. It leaves one with much to think about.
My chief issue would be that, while slow films rarely bother me, this takes a little *too* long to launch. Still Walking requires the viewer to see every minute to feel its effects to the highest measure. The ending also feels a little incomplete, but that can be overlooked; Still Walking is meant to portray life continuing under the cloud of death. We don’t always get perfect conclusions in real life, do we?
Calling out a particular actor or actress for an exemplary performance would be difficult. The entire ensemble works together so well they give the solid impression of an actual family, bitterness, warmth, and all. If forced to choose, Abe Hiroshi might win as the most easily recognizable among them; much of Still Walking focuses on his Ryota, and he’s arguably representative of Kore-eda himself. Kiki Kirin is also remarkable as Toshiko, the talkative and smiling mother who hides her many battle-scars behind polite words. She sometimes reminded me of my own mother, which was a little jarring.
A particular piece of music that sticks with me after completion is Blue Light Yokohama (Ishida Ayumi). If one has never "heard" nostalgia, this song will change that. Despite being quite the “oldie,” its inclusion is just exquisite. Common sounds are used effectively also; such as overlapping talk, popping and sizzling in the kitchen, etc.
Please note the interesting shots used in Still Walking. Detail in them is astounding, from hallways to individual rooms. The cinematography here lends an air of tranquility, of reality, of home…. My weak powers of description are not enough to describe the effect. One must truly see it for themselves.
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SHORT AND SWEET
Four (technically five) short easy to watch, fun and sweet episodes.I enjoyed every minute with Sky and James although i have to say that the time spent with the girl characters to provide comic relief were all wasted - time that could have been better spent in further developing the 2 leads' love story.
However with that said, even though i am left wanting to see more, i still feel like the story of James and Sky is complete enough and i am glad they didnt leave any unfinished story. This is a good series and i felt like my heart was lifted after the last episode.
Kudos to the team and to the actors. Overall rating 8.0.
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To think I once didn't like Sato Ryuta *face-palm* and I blame it on the roles he played (the idiotic but kind secondary guy). He was excellent as the MC in this drama, I love how he goes from a judgemental, ignorant guy to a understanding friend. His twin brother, Ryoji, was gay, he died and his Canadian husband comes to Japan to meet his brother-in-law Yaichi and all the places Ryoji loved.
I confess I usually don't like the foreign actors in J-dramas since it seems like anyone who is foreign but speaks a little of Japanese can be an actor; meaning, terrible acting. But Baruto, as Mike Flanagan, was perfect, he portrayed perfectly the gentle giant (he is gigantic! I remember how Nakai loved to pat his belly in SMAP Bistro XD)
This is a very realistic slice of life, where there would be ignorant people who rejects homosexuality or just refuse to accept it. At the beginning, Yaichi was all "would be make a move on me?", or just calling him "my brother's friend" or not liking Mike near his daughter. Slowly, he begins to see that Mike was a nice guy who just happened to love men. Mike was never ashamed of who he was, and he taught his niece and his niece's friends that men can love men (and marry them) and same with girls. And the little girls were confused at first, but they quickly were "if you love someone, is wonderful you can marry that person, even if the both of you are guys" :D
I smiled, I cried, I loved it! Very recommended. I will read the manga as well (the author was in my "banned" list but this one is very different from what I thought).
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Best K-POP variety show
Going Seventeen has been my source of happiness since 2017. From just the behind-the-scenes videos to a legend variety show. Nothing can beat this show. Thank you for an amazing year. It has been a really fun and wonderful year with you, GOING SEVENTEEN! If any of you reading this, you guys probably hesitate whether it is a good idea to start it but for me personally, if you ever find yourself into SEVENTEEN or just want something entertaining to watch, GOING SEVENTEEN, is the way to go. I really highly recommend this. Fyi, you don't have to be a SEVENTEEN's fan to watch the series. Seventeen have two separate fandom which is Cubic a.k.a just regular viewers of Going Seventeen, so don't feel burdened you can get to know them slowly one by one as you watch it. So have fun binge-watching these. I hope you can discover new happiness while watching it.Was this review helpful to you?
Tofu exists to tell us that miracles (rarely) happen
A fantasy show that explicit real-life matters in the most accurate way. The kind of drama who uplifts, inform, educate, and enlighten the general public about the world of a person falling in love with the same sex. It was reported to be the first-ever Lakorn BL that aired on a national television channel in Thailand. Which took the chance to build a new bridge on bringing out the difficulties, barriers, and emotional distress that criticism works on gay people. Exhibiting that generation gap is one of the biggest factors why most older people are homophobic. They are against seeing two male individuals being in love simply because of how society told them to be. In contrast to the people who borned in the earlier generations, who are more introduced to the freedom of choices that allows them to identify their own gender by themselves. Yet, LGBTQ+ community is far away from living in a world without experiencing a brutal approach, discrimination, and hate-crime from these anti-gay people.A perfect portrayal of this is Nut’s unhealed wounds from the past that he carries all throughout his life, not until his miracle happens. Living in a dysfunctional family, he surely suffers a lot. His father is a prideful man with toxic masculinity who physically and verbally abuses him. However, it's also frustrating that the one he considers to be the closest to, his mother, pushes that his son is like any other normal boy out there. Disregarding the child’s much-needed acceptance and support. Leading Nut to hold grudges and distance himself from his mother.
Fortunately, the appearance of Tofu slowly calms down the chaos from the house and closes the gap between the sour history of the mother-and-son. All thanks to the fantasy that I never expected to be this great, with the rarity of showcasing fresh ideas that I never yet seen from others. The level of imagination in creating talking objects from the strong emotions coming from humans. A well-appreciated flow of mysteries that is both entertaining and sentimental.
Tofu being one of the most selfless characters and cutest human-teddy in the history. His willingness to be hurt and sacrifice himself for the sake of the happiness from the people he loves is annoyingly making me all tear up. When Tofu put up with any kind of pain, I wholeheartedly wish that he became selfish for once.
Phenomenal acting on every dramatic and confrontation scene coming from Mrs. Na and Nut. You can feel the tension of their emotions ranging in their hearts by only looking at their eyes. We witness the importance of conversing in one’s life. The exchange of words and being honest can help to release the uneasy emotion that keeps dwelling inside. There’s nothing more touching than to finally witness Nut and his Mom embracing a new start in life. Tears can’t stop from flowing, especially the scene where they took a family picture. The journey towards reconciliation took so long but all’s well that ends well.
Theories are all over your mind once you start watching this. The drama that makes you feel excited for more since it triggers your brain on the possible outcome that the story may end. However, during the last few episodes, plots are predictable but who cares as long as they consistently display a fine job executing the storyline.
It also delivers a variation of big emotions. A feeling of warmth and comfort from Gen’s family. An open-minded parents letting their son decide for his own path in life. Their entire family conversation is extra-sweet and loveable; a real gem. The feeling of happiness on seeing the appended hole between Song and his Dad. The eighteen year old boy comparing himself to his deceased brother is sadly unavoidable. Perceiving favoritism is what makes Song unhappy as for the reason that his dad remembers a lot more things from Neung more than his living son. The realization of the dad was a joyful conclusion of their character development. Song and Gen’s family picture at the finale, draws a curving smile on my face.
Kuenchai is hailed as the cutest, fluffiest, and most intelligent dog in Lakorn. He outshone real human actors with his excellent acting skills as a supporting character. A bright ray of sunshine and the couple’s number one third wheel. His whole existence contributes a lot from the show, most especially his relationship with Tofu. Even when Tofu came back to his original form, Kuenchai wanted to play with him and keep him company from time to time. Tarn on the other hand is the person who colors the gloomy world of Nut. The bittersweet high school love story is a good memory. Nut lives in a depressing world at his house before but Tarn makes him feel the exact opposite.
The actress playing as Jan deserves praise as well. She did well on being firm to her character as the obsessed love antagonist. Saen as the greatest pretender was somehow expected since they didn’t have enough characters to be suspected for the crimes he did. It just felt so weird that Sean and Jan blamed each other before for Tarn’s incident and they ended up being the suspect.
The show also emphasizes that marriage is a life-time choice; marrying someone you truly love. Along with it, the artistic writing technique and the uses of idioms in life is an effective and affectionate way of storytelling.
In Sarin duality from this show is insane. Him as Tofu is full of cuteness while Nueng is full of manliness. You can easily differentiate the two from having distinct vibes. Also, I’m living my best life by seeing a lot of skinships and skin exposure from the series. It may not contain heated bed scenes but it is more than enough to say that the main leads are bathing in sexiness.
And yes! The episodes prior to the last, tried to prepare the viewers for the tragedy. I anticipated this ending but it still hurts me a lot. Conveying the message that fairy tales don’t exist and we will eventually end up going back to reality. I break down when Nut and Tarn bring back the tragic romance they had before while Tofu is happy enough to see Nut in a good situation.
This drama inspires and pushes me to start writing my own novel and I’m currently having a fun time doing it. I love that the show doesn’t only center in a love story but talks about various topics surrounding societal problems that mostly revolve around the family.
Tofu, your whole existence to the show doesn't end in a tragedy. The best version of yourself remains in everyone’s memories. Thank you for allowing us to witness a miracle in life. You deserve the whole world. You deserve a Tofu in life too.
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Perfect blend of romance, medical, and military
I’ve been writing paragraphs after paragraphs every week, so I’m not even going to lie to myself. I’m really easy to please and this drama is a perfect 10 for me.Mi Ka and Xing Kelei are equal - smart, capable, and successful in their own fields. They have respect, trust, and communication in their relationship. They know the demands of each other’s jobs (a doctor and a special police officer) so they have never had a problem with the lack of time together. They always make up for it, apologize with no excuses, and have been very supporting and understanding of one another. I remember having a problem with one of the leads’ decision making, and the drama actually managed to address it and let them talk it out by the end of that specific episode. They are learning and growing (as a person) together. Definitely one of the healthiest relationships in recent dramas. Ma Sichun and Bai Jingting is quite an unexpected pairing so I’m glad they chose to work on this project and show their great acting and even greater chemistry.
The story has a lot of sweet, cute and comedic moments but it also has some heavy and serious ones. Fortunately, it never got boring nor frustrating because the things happened have been realistic, minus whenever they always get into life-threatening situations together (that's too much of a coincidence lmao). There is no exaggerated nor unnecessary drama for the sake of creating tension. All characters, both main and supporting, calmly deal with the problems and solve them through civilized means (ex. Mi Ka vs Xu Yanshan, Xing Keyao vs the Shen sisters) as soon as possible. No dragging out. I can’t even recall any confrontation wherein someone raised their voice.
Besides from the romance, all relationships have been pretty solid as well. The student-mentor relationship of the doctors and soldiers, the long-standing friendship of Mi Ka and Ruan Qiangxia, and the sibling relationship of Xing Kelei and Xing Keyao have all been highlighted in the drama.
The second couple’s storyline may have been dragged out but it got better eventually and not to mention, both are great as individuals. Ruan Qiangxia is another successful, smart, and sweet female lead. She knows how to reject and how to accept rejection. Shun Wenbo is quite dense when it comes to love, but when he gets decisive, he acts on it quickly. As Xia said, he is a very simple-minded person who wears his heart on his sleeve. I didn’t hate him like how some viewers did.
As for the third couple’s storyline, natural-flowing and subtle. If Mi Ka and Xing Kelei are growing together, then Xing Keyao and Shao Yuhan are already two grown adults. There is an unspoken understanding in their undefined relationship, as shown in their actions and conversations. Their scenes together are always a pleasure to watch.
Overall, a well-written and a well-acted drama brimming with chemistry, good characters and relationships. Bonus: the drama used their real voices and is not dubbed.
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7 years ago STH was my first journey into dramaland and even now when I hear "Bogoshipda", there's a quick bittersweet tinge of feeling. A must watch! Just select lighter fare after STH.
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NOT a cliché catastrophic love story but in fact a marvellous jewel.
I have never been a fan of “love stories” or any dramas that have been set up in 1970/1980s. I prefer modern or extreme historic dramas but this one is so different then many other that I’ve watched.
Story/Plot:
Youth of May- the name itself signifies the story of the leads. It’s a love story taking place in Gwangju during the 1980s in the midst of the democracy movement. The main love story isn’t directly connected to the movement but plays a big role in the story. The basic plot of the story depicts Hwang Hee Tae, who comes from a well off and well known family but hasn’t lived the best life. On the other hand, we have Kim Myung Hee a kind and selfless nurse who although is very strong, tries her best to not show her weak side. Although many might find the story a little slow paced, I in fact adored how beautifully we could see the chemistry of our leads grow scene after scene. There are many life lessons of this drama that truly did catch my attention in many ways.
While focusing on the leads, I loved how the support cast was had their fair share in the story and none of the support characters were “useless”. All the characters played an important role and made the story what it is.
Acting/Cast: (EXCELLENT AND OUTSTANDING)
Each and every cast member did an outstanding job in portraying their roles. The most notable actors for me were lee do hyun- I’ve seen him in many dramas playing totally different roles in all and he has scored each and every one of em’! He’s definitely one of the most remarkable actors of the generation. Go min si- I’m shook at how versatile she is. From love alarm to sweet home and now THIS- they are all completely different roles and yet she’s portrayed them flawlessly!
Geum Sae Rok- this is my first drama with her and man I’m in love with her skills! It doesn’t look like she’s acting and that’s how real she is. In fact she’s definitely my favourite character!
Choi seung hoon- I’ve followed this little man in a few dramas and man he’s good. He depicts the emotions of his character extremely well! He’s pretty talented!
Characters: (of imp roles)
Hwang Hee Tae: I think it’s safe to say that he was MADLY in love with Myung Hee, which is why he could be considered somewhat selfish. I mean love does make one selfish- which is why his top priority had always been to make sure that Him and Myung Hee were safe and together. I loved how he was EXTREMELY respectful and gentle. Genuinely, he’s not a man anyone world wanna lose. He’s playful yet sad- he’s perfect with all his imperfections!
Myung Hee: I love her. She’s tries her best to live with honesty and her selflessness is very attractive. She’s the kinda person who’ll risk herself to help a stranger. Although she does have a hard life, she’ll never show herself being sad in-front of the people who care for her. She’s an extremely strong woman, which is why I respect her.
Soo Ryun: I started from strongly disliking her to absolutely loving her. In the beginning, she was selfish and not the most honest person- but I get where that came from. As episodes passed, I understood her more and I absolutely loved and adored how she didn’t give a damn about her love life and dedicated herself to her country and citizens. She’s extremely strong and doesn’t need anyone to take care of her, which is why she’s my favourite!
Hwang Gi Nam (Hee Tae’s dad): Annoying, hateful, cunning, merciless, disloyal and if I could- I would love to kill him myself.
Overall: Truly a masterpiece and definitely worth a one time watch. It has it’s own fair share of tears (a river or maybe a sea) and happiness! I recommend this to everyone if your looking to watch a drama that’s of high quality and amazing presence.
Rewatch Value: If your strong enough, then yea go for it! Watch it again! I personally wouldn’t rewatch it except for a few scenes!
Edit: Yayyy! I’ve been analysing and writing this review since episode 1 and now I’m finally here!
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I began the movie thinking I already had the plot figured out. While watching the movie I still thought that this isn't such a great movie maybe. By the end I was choked up and bawling my eyes out. The story takes such an unexpected turn towards the end that you just never see it coming. It was a beautifully woven tale about the love stories of a mother and daughter. In fact, as far as unrequited love stories go, this has got to be my favorite one. Usually at the end of those, I'm cursing the characters for their foolishness but this time, I was awestruck by the sheer power of sentiments and reality when it comes to loving someone you cannot be with. The strongest part of the movie, as well as the best, is the story.
The actors were all truly amazing. Son Ye Jin is one of my favorite actors and she never fails to impress me. She did a great job playing both the roles and brought credibility to the screen. Jo Seung Woo was brilliant from the first scene he appeared in, you just love the guy by the end. Jo In Sung and Lee Ki Woo had smaller roles but were pretty good in their own respect.
I never usually notice the music in a movie because there's not much time, not much focus on it. But the music of this movie was heartbreaking and heartwarming-ly beautiful. The instrumental theme of the movie made me feel bittersweet, like an unrequited love.
I could definitely watch this movie again but maybe in a little while, not in the near future. I'd like to see it again when the effect of this tie wears off and I need to be reminded that yes not all the love stories get their happy ends but life moves on nevertheless.
A must watch movie for everybody. Steer clear if you don't like too of much emotional hooha. But I'd still recommend it anyway because it's just that brilliant!
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Healthy Relationships! Communication! (And... a fetish?)
What started out as a slightly weird and funny show ended up being really touching with an example of what a healthy relationship should be. I was incredibly surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this show, and encourage anyone who's curious about it to give it a chance.Let's start with the characters. Natori is a man who can smell things really well, to the point where it is a little bit of a superpower. It helps him develop his relationship with Yaeshima in both obvious (how they met) and subtle (emotion-sensing) ways. Yaeshima has low-self-esteem, but while that would normally make me not want to watch the show (unfortunately women like this are often portrayed as pushovers or people without personalities), they actually portrayed it well in this show. She's got some trauma from being bullied as a child, and Natori and his fascination with Yaeshima's scent very much helps her feel a lot more comfortable in her own skin.
The side characters were very much just side characters, with none of them being fully fleshed out, but honestly I didn't feel too saddened by this, since by the time I realized this I was already invested in Natori and Yaeshima's relationship.
But honestly, my most favorite thing about this show is the communication! The show always makes sure to resolve the conflict of the episode in the same episode (with the exception of the penultimate episode) and there is rarely any miscommunication that isn't talked out in the very same episode. As a person who watches a lot of dramas, this was like a breath of fresh air. Miscommunication is often used as a trope and/or plot-device to create more drama, and quite frankly it's something I'm very tired of. To have these two flawed characters act like adults and talk about their problems in a healthy way just made my heart sing. Whoever is the screenwriter -- thank you!
If you can get past (or get used to) the sniffing bits, how often the female lead gets shown in a bra, and the unique, almost-metaphorical ways of portraying steamy scenes, you'll be in for a pleasant surprise with this show.
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Disappointed
Very disappointed in the lack of conclusion to Leon/Pob. Can't believe I was rooked into paying $9 to watch this and it was a waste. The Leo/Fiat story was great, as always but the last 20 mins of credits, photos and behind the scenes, not worth it. I was really hoping that Leon and Pob would see each other and have a happy ending. So sad about this. Don't waste your money people. There is a pretty steamy love scene with Leo and Fiat but that is about all, certainly not paying to see, however. Don't waste your time or money people.Was this review helpful to you?
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From the opening scene you are drawn into the main protagonist's life and where he comes from. N' Ngern draws you in with the back story and total likability of his portrayal of Mong. The gritty realness of his moving from home and trying to make a new life is just simply portrayed perfectly.
As the story progresses you can't help but love the cast. As relationships develop the realness is felt. The daily struggles, the forged friendships, the problems balancing school and outside life, especially sleep! This is truly University life!
What's interesting is although Mong is the genesis he is not the only focus as the world expands. All the characters are given their fair share of development so you don't really feel boxed-in or linear. Kinda rare in dramas, especially with such a large cast.
The music score is more an upbeat, dreamy, and story-book-telling like. Adds quite an atmosphere to the series!
The directing is simply perfection! Camera angles, capturing faces, always on-point!
You don't feel like a spectator. You don't feel like you're intruding. You don't feel like you're spying. You don't feel like an outsider! You get to know the characters, their ambitions, their wants, their needs, their emotions! It just feels like you are there going through life with them!
All in all a wonderful drama that comes really close to mimicking true life as it could get! Thai television coming of age and really maturing in this genre!
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It was so dramatic the storyline the events were all perfectly done .
- But in case you've read the novel , I heard that they changed the storyline & the ending .
The lead actress Ren Min " Yi Yao" was AMAZING ! everything about her facial expression her gaze really i was so impressed .
Gu Sen Xi was an amazing supporter for Yi Yao , I liked his character .
The whole production the story the acting the cinematography is well done , but if only they made the movie a bit longer like to show the bullying scenes not just flashes of what happened to her and also so we know what happened at the end after all these events .. but still it has a decent ending .
I am really excited for the drama version am not sure if they will follow the novel or not .
Anyway , I highly recommend watching the movie , for me it is the best movie of this year .
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Did I feel I need to wash my eyes? No
Did it jade my view of future performances of the actors in shows designed for the mainstream audience? No
Do I now think less of any of the actors in it? Absolutely not. All actors start somewhere. It's their current works that I define my current rating for their talent.
If you are here to watch more than what you're used to seeing of Woo Do Hwan, you will surely do so. It's worthy of noting this August 2017 disclaimer from Woo Do Hwan's agency, Key East Entertainment, 'Woo Do Hwan filmed the movie during a time when he wasn't known and didn't know how to receive acting opportunities. He only filmed the movie because he was passionate about acting and happened to receive the casting offer.' My thoughts simply are if you want to see a really good work by Woo Do Hwan, spend your time watching works from 2017: 'Save Me' or 'Mad Dog.' He's a rising star and deservedly so.
_________Articles related to this review for MDL admin purposes_____________
http://www.insight.co.kr/news/116638
https://www.koreaboo.com/buzz/fans-discover-rising-rookie-actor-19-film/
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