Reviews

A truly impressive and satisftying sequel | Great family dynamics | Topless Nadech is on FIRE!

"You fucked with the wrong family, you goddamn ghost." - Yak

They will really do everything to make the ML/Nadech shirtless won't they? and this time with a bandage which makes him more hotter and oozing! Gotta give it to whoever proposed this as it works big time. Hahaha! He's one of the main selling point of this movie, I swear!!

Anyways, moving to the story itself. I wanna say that I am extremely satisfied with this sequel as it gave us more lore about Phuang (Dark Spirit) that's been haunting them and because we got more action from Yak and the whole family. I am actually quite glad that they finally utilized the potential of the other family members instead of treating them as an offering waiting for their demise.

In regards to the scare factor...they did great in giving us some creepy and thrilling scenes that can make most people frightened. I also want to personally thank the director and the writer for reducing those sequences where they try to forcefully make the scenes extra scary by adding some ridiculous skits which spoiled the prequel and made it less scary.

Additionally, the story is compact and highly comprehensible...so I am not sure where are some people getting their idea/opinion about this story being 4 stories in 1. They must have not watched the 1st part...so if you are planning to watch this, please make sure to watch the prequel first in order to avoid confusion and in order to fully understand the story and overall emotion of the characters.

Lastly, the family dynamics is still one of the best factor about this show. I love how the father truly stands as the pillar of the family by guarding them every night even when he tries to shrug the idea off to ease his family's worries and of course, Yak for continuously hunting the Dark spirit to make sure that it can never hurt his family again.

Story - 10, This sequel gave me the lore that I was looking for which was left untold on the prequel. It was also broadened and explained even better. The scenes are nicely put up as well which makes it easier to watch.

Acting/Cast - 10, One of the best thing about this show is their set of actors/actresses. Nadech did great as the main actor, as well as Denise (Yad) and Nina (Yee) as supporting roles. I was happy to see both Mean and Frank here, but their roles are meh. lol

Music - 10, I like all the sound effects and as I mentioned on my review on the prequel, the whispering sound effect was executed very well.

Rewatch Value - 10, one of those movie I can and will surely consider watching again if time permits me to do so.

Overall - 10, I am highly satisfied about this movie. I have nothing bad to say and I don't have anything I was displeased about it as well. I really appreciate that they didn't butcher this one. Overall an impressive continuation of the prelude.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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Visually Beautiful With Enchanting Music

The story is not very special and some of the characters are not fully fleshed out which make the characters a bit unrelatable but overall the movie is quite enjoyable. Mainly due to the bright visuals and the goosebumps-inducing music. There are some funny moments like introducing the Saja Boys (Ahn Hyo Seop) to Love, Maybe (Business Proposal OST).

From Soda Pop to Golden to Your Idol, the songs are fun to listen to on repeat. The movie isn't boring for a minute and holds your attention quite well. But it is geared towards those who enjoy KPop, Kdramas and Korean language and culture. There are words in Korean that don't seem to have been translated so you won't be able to understand those little things.

If you look into the cultural references, a lot of details went into the art and animation of KPop Demon Hunters which is quite cool! The details on the animation is especially impressive.

Overall, I would say the plot is the weakest aspect of the movie but the overall fun feel and being a family entertainer certainly makes it worth watching at least once and is possibly a movie that you can even watch on repeat if you enjoy this kind of music.

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This was entertaining but don't watch if you have read webtoon you will not like this.

I'm coming into this film purely from knowing nothing of its source material, I have not read the manhwa so that's why I'm saying I enjoyed the ride. The plot is familiar one , we've all watched similar stories. Humans in our deeply flawed state used as amusement for a higher power in this case a superior alien race. Pitting humans against each other in a game of survival, it doesn't really bring anything new to the table. It was wise of them to make sure it wasn't too gory therefore allowing children to watch this. Entertainment wise, I was entertained without going much deeper then that, its a 'in the moment' kind of thrill fairly forgettable beyond that. To really excel you have to make us 'give a shit' basically about the characters, but this film is too busy setting up this new world and the rules within it that it kinda fails miserably in that department. As entertainment, its awesome despite some cheaper CGI it is chock full of Korean celebs but I'm not sure its enough to save it, especially as its geared towards a sequel if not a series. Fans of the webtoon might have some very strong opinions about that, probably not the wisest choice to completely piss off your ready audience (beyond fans of the plethora of actors) you had that were dying to see their beloved book come to life. We'll see I guess if it makes enough money to warrant another film.

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Too Choppy

Firstly, I would like to point out is that although this movie and the chinese series Scarlet Heart have characters in common, these 2 are different as night and day and there are no linkage between the movie and the series. Although both the movie and the series involved time travel from present time to the past, the stories of both of them are as different as night and day. There is no indication that the story of the movie is the same as the series either.

I have not seen any of the actors for this series. I would say there is alot of "choppy" areas and unclear sections and alot of loop holes. The Female Lead has a nice quirky temperament. Both Male Leads are not that bad, acting wise. 4th Prince is cold and calculative - as expected. I quite like the temperament of the 14th Prince and how considerate he is with the Female Lead. I can't really explain the story much as I find it jumping from one thing to another without any linkage to anything. I actually watched the movie because of the similarities of the characters, unfortunately was disappointed.

The music, however, was quite nicely paired.

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A meditative retreat into simplicity

Don’t go into Little Forest expecting anything grandiose. What it offers instead is a gentle reset for the mind and spirit. If you need that right now, don't even think twice. Go watch it.

It follows a familiar premise: a young woman leaves behind the stress and disappointment of city life to seek solace in the countryside. But unlike other stories in this genre, this one doesn’t overexplain or dramatize. There’s no heavy trauma, no big cast of quirky characters, no heavy emotional monologues. It’s just Hyewon, her childhood home, two friends, the wonderful changing seasons, and a steady rhythm of cooking, farming, and reflecting.

Kim Taeri delivers such a grounded, introspective performance. She was exceptional, as always. You watch her come back to her rural roots thinking she’s only staying a few days. But little by little, through farming with old friends, preparing creative seasonal meals, and reliving quiet memories of the time with her mother, she starts feeling whole again.

Her growth felt real and subtle, and it resonated deeply. I found myself thinking, I wish I could just drop everything and disappear into a place like that too... Away from corporate noise, somewhere where I'm self-sufficient and in peace (though I’ll admit I’d be terrified of bugs).

The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. The way it captures the quiet beauty of the seasons and the intimacy of preparing food... Even for someone like me who isn’t into cooking, all of that felt almost meditative. Every frame relaxed my system.

I loved how the film didn’t try to wrap everything up neatly either. The ending was open yet satisfying, reflecting Hyewon’s quiet rediscovery of herself and her mother.

Little Forest is a film that asks for very little but gives a great deal. It's a breath of fresh air for anyone feeling burnt out or quietly yearning for something slower, simpler, and more honest.

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“Guess you’re my catch of the day.”

sometimes you just want a no-stakes, action packed film and that’s exactly what this movie brings to the table. the plot was set up from the get-go and it’s very easy to follow, with the scientific explanations behind the new generation not being too complicated and the setting being quickly established (lizard people are real and WILL hurt you). the cast in this was great and the action scenes were even better with dozens of decapitations, gunshots and swung fists that kept me entertained throughout. ma dong seok is of course the highlight of this movie as his presence is unmatched and his fight scenes are incredible but i also really enjoyed lee jun yeong in this. i loved him in whc2 and seeing him play a different role was really fun, ill definitely be checking out more from him. the female leads were also wonderful as well, with ahn ji hye playing the absolute badass that was eun ho and roh jeong eui playing the strong-willed su-na. these characters don’t have a lot of depth or backstory to them but they aren’t the focus of this movie which makes it okay. while it has its emotional moments this is far from a tearjerker, but it definitely works for some mindless fun if you don’t have anything to watch.

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"Loneliness first begins with love"

This story is about how the love between a married couple has grown cold until one day, the husband dies. The wife having grown used to the empty marriage, feels numb to his death. But on Christmas day, the wife stumbles into a worm hole and travels back to the past. She gets to meet her husband from 15 years ago, the day they first met. This is where the story starts.

The story deals with the idea of rushed marriages without proper communication, what it means to take something for granite, what's more important than living, and what would you do if you knew your fate? This movie deals with may complex layers of love and yet it shines in all the slow moments. Sincere and shy interactions, dialogue full of life, and characters that you grow connected to. This is a beautiful love story of romance and life.

I also want to mention that this movie had one of the most compelling intro scenes I've ever seen. It felt sudden and that was the horror. One second, he's thinking how it makes sense for death to come suddenly, but his final thought is still "Please, wait." (not a spoiler it happens within the first minute of the movie)

For the movie to end with a love letter is the most beautiful cycle. For the ending to not be grand, to not be as extravagant as time travel, but to be as simple as spending every day together - loving all the details, all the small moments, and treasuring each one as grand.

"Good morning"
"Good night"
"Welcome back"
"I'm home"
"Thank you"
"See you later"

Love is in the details

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A rare occurrence : an adaptation that I enjoyed more than the original Taiwanese movie

I was really curious to see the Thai version of this story featuring a supernatural mariage between a gay ghost and a straight guy who wants to become a police officer. The original story was fun but not without flaws and I appreciated Thailand version more. It is adapted well to fit the local culture, balancing some very slap stick humor and over the top moments, with very actual queer questioning in a world that is progressing on acceptance on the topic but not fully free and liberated yet.

The strongest point of the movie is the actors performances, especially Billkin. Full disclosure, I'm a big fan and once again, he did not disappoint. His acting is the heart of the movie. He is very versatile, has a great sense of comedy and can deliver angst like no-one. He has iconic scenes in this movie : really fun ones that I will remember for a long time as well as more touching scenes that he nailed. He managed to outshine everyone, even PP Krit, which is not an easy fit. PP still did a commendable job with the extrencity and likebility of his role. Their characters bonding through the film were the best part of it all.

Production was quite good and colourful. I particularly enjoyed the scenes at the club as well as the "Fire Boy" reference. Those were simply unforgettable (contrary to the soundtrack which was alright but is already fading away from my memory).

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a Thai action comedy with a lot of heart and fun. The friendship that the two main characters built together is great to follow. If you like Billkin and/or PP Krit, it is definitely a must watch. If you enjoyed the original movie, you should definitely give it a shot as it is a real adaptation, improving on the source material and embedding it in Thai culture, rather than just being a basic copy.

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Pursuing genuineness

Injustice: this threat that plans overhangs us all and strikes ruthlessly on some. And when it happens, we always have the choice between either consenting to its fateful sentence, or declining it and attempting to set the record straight.

That is 『Shoutai』's central issue: main character Keiichi Kaburagi, sentenced to death because of human carelessness for a crime he never committed, seeking truth in a race — or rather chase — against the clock. Thus showing humanity under its bad aspects, the movies does it too in a good light: naturally through Keiichi but also through the other characters, whose actors display neat performances. A narrative problem however lies with KK, who possesses way too many skills considering his education and displays such incredible kindness that his innocence is almost instantly recognized by the people he meets along his journey. But that facet is probably due to the inherent Christian thread of the movie: the MC not only comes from a Christian orphanage, he also is a kind of metaphor of Jesus, who was also condemned to death but still converted the people around him while believing in the good of this world (as Kaburagi says himself). That is well portrayed through an enthralling storytelling split in clearly identified chapters, through which we run successively with a mundane OST but a thrilling tension, a clever camera and even well-crafted special effects.

Coming from a novel with a first adaptation as a series in 2022, 『Shoutai』 makes good use of the medium of cinema narrate its story. The end might be predictable, but the piece of work does convey its critic of death sentence, along with a reflection on identity (as its Japanese title entails): our real identity (*shoutai*) may be defined by others, we alone carry it.

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BL on a Budget

This feels like a low-budget version of Theory of Love, and honestly, it's a bit disappointing—especially knowing it was produced by ABS-CBN, one of the biggest and oldest TV networks in the Philippines. When it comes to their straight dramas, they always go all out with the budget. But for BL? It seems like they just cut corners.

This is yet another BL film made during the COVID era, and sure, I get the limitations. But then again, Gameboys and Hello Stranger were also shot during the pandemic, and they pulled it off really well.

About 70% of the movie feels dragging. Okay fine, I get it—quarantine life meant all people could do was have endless video calls. But it lacked that spark, that butterflies in the stomach factor.

On the bright side, the acting wasn’t bad—especially Kendrick. He had good chemistry with his co-star, and that helped a lot. What I actually loved most was the ending—it was subtle but powerful, with a double meaning.

(Kendrick holds up his pinky to the cam)

Tom: "I don’t want that, I want a hug."
Kendrick: "How?"
Tom: "I don’t know. Maybe when we can come out."

That line hit me. It could mean when quarantine is over, they can finally see each other and hug. Or maybe it means when they’re ready to come out they can fully embrace who they are.

For me, they were the real endgame—not Kendrick’s ex-girlfriend.

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Thank You Kim Byung Woo For This Anti-Fan Fiction!

[THE MAIN REVIEW HAS BEEN WRITTEN]

==> WHO IS THIS REVIEW SUPPOSED TO BE FOR?
For that one reader who is willing to read it, and also because of my desire to get my thoughts about this films out there.

==> MY EXPECTATIONS FROM IT
Let me preface this by saying that my expectations for this film were honestly at rock bottom, so I thought that I might actually like some aspects of it because of having zero expectations from it, but in all honesty I really don't have a lot of good things to say about it.

==> MY FAMILIARITY WITH ORV
As for my history with ORV, I've read the manhwa up to the Dark Castle Arc and recently even started reading the webnovel, but I'm currently only in the starting parts of it. As it's been some time since I read the manhwa, honestly I don't remember everything in exact detail, but I do remember the very basic details of events and I obviously won't be dissecting every deviation they did just because of how often it has been prefaced.

==> ADAPTATIONS AND THEIR NEED TO BE FAITHFUL
Some people have stated that an adaptation doesn't need to be a 1:1 copy of the source material. In all honesty, I totally agree with you on this point, it doesn't need to be one. But it shouldn't have as many creative liberties as to the point that it becomes a completely different entity from its source material. It should have an identity of its own while still being a mouthpiece of its source material. If we had actually wanted to see a variation in it, believe me there's a ton of fan-fiction for ORV out there, and you can obviously count on our amazing ability to read.

==> WHY THIS FILM WOULD'VE WORKED AS A LOOSE ADAPTATION?
There's a thing called loose adaptations, and in those adaptations, the creators of them actually take an already established IP and put their own twist on it to the point it becomes unrecognizable from the original, and they most of the time even change the title and character names for the adaptation. If Kim Byung Woo had actually done it, I might have honestly maybe liked it a bit. He literally took every single thing that makes ORV so beloved out of the film.

==> WHY DIRECTORS OF ADAPTATIONS OF AN ESTABLISHED IP NEED TO CATER TO ORIGINAL FANS?
If we were to take ORV as an example, the only reason it got so popular to the point of it even getting a live-adaptation is because of the original fans. Their love for the story, the themes, the characters, and just about every thing this story stood for made the IP that much popular to the point that producers were willing to invest that much money into this being made, even going as far as to casting A-list actors for it. And their priority should be to cater to them, the original fans and I honestly don't even know who this adaptation is supposed to be for, the original fans or your average fantasy flick watchers because it even fails to amuse most of the later ones.

==> THE NEED TO INCLUDE ORIGINAL CREATORS OF AN ESTABLISHED IP IN THE MAKING OF ADAPTATIONS BASED ON THEIR WORKS
From the interview, the author of ORV (Sing Shong), it's already clear that they only visited the filming site once, and he had no such say as far as to the production of the film and had put all of their trust in Kim Byung Woo. the amazing director of this film. If we were to look at the Live-Action Adaptation of One Piece, one of the major reason that got so much popular is that they were willing to give the reins of the production in the hands of the original creator of it and every decision had to be approved before being incorporated in the series. Had they maybe done the same for this film, we honestly might've seen a different product altogether. I'm not saying to let them decide everything, but they should at the very least have a say on what goes in the film and what doesn't. And the director should also look at the original and try to please both the author and the fans of it.

==> THOUGHTS ON THE STORY ITSELF
As for the actual story itself, the changes honestly bothered me a lot, but the thing that bothered me the most is the lack of any such crucial information that actually explains the world building of this story. It ended up being more of an action fantasy flick that you watch first, maybe it might intrigue you very mildly, but you'll eventually forget about it.

==> CHANGES I DIDN'T LIKE
There has been one thing that has been said before, but I honestly want to say it myself too. Who exactly is Kim Dokja? In the original, he's supposed to be a reader. Then I honestly really want to know where's the most crucial part of the story? In the original, Dokja gets extremely OP skills because of him being a reader. Where is the FOURTH WALL, BOOKMARK, & the most important of all OMNISCIENT READER'S VIEWPOINT??? Like please someone explain this to me, I can maybe understand every single change the director made but why this, like that's the whole point of this story to begin with, and they took that away. Also, maybe a smaller change in comparison, but Junghyeok dies now instead of Dokja, are the memes now supposed to get reversed lol. And the King of No Killing is a revival skill, that's the second most important part of the story, and you went ahead and changed that one too. I'm honestly astonished at the choices or creative liberties this director took.

==> A GOOD STORY DOESN'T NEED KNOWN FACES
Now, on to the actors, this is just a point of mine that I do want to convey that when you actually believe in the story and your ability to create something good, you honestly don't need big names to do the promotion for it. If you want to take an example, let's look at the Live-Action Adaptation of One Piece, none of the actors were big names or had much fame, but they all embodied the original characters so well and the story was written perfectly that the adaptation spoke for itself.

==> WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THE ACTING
I don't mean to actually disregard the efforts of the actors because they actually seemed to have worked really hard on it, especially Lee Min Ho, that guy nailed the character of Yu Junghyeok. Yes, there were changes to his character's writing too, but in all honesty, he exceeded my expectations. The only reason I decided to up the rating to 2 stars instead of 1 was because of him. I was honestly expecting Shin Seung Ho to do some good, but I definitely wasn't expecting myself to be impressed by Lee Min Ho. All the others did some decent work, they were alright and sometimes bearable in my opinion, but still pretty decent.

==> TERRIBLE VISUAL EFFECTS
Now, let's talk about the visual effects, and calling them lackluster would be an understatement. This film was supposed to a decently high budget for as far as I am aware of, and this is what they came up with. The monsters were laughable for how horrendous they looked, especially the grasshopper. Since I had already seen clips of Dokkaebi's ddesign, I was already expecting it, but I'm still going to say that it was a downgrade from its original design.

==> THE ENDING
They decided to do an original ending for the film since rather than going to the Theatre Dungeon, they decided to introduce a Flame Dragon that Kim Dokja and Co. will fight together and emerge victorious due to the "MOST BEAUTIFUL POWER OF FRIENDSHIP". Seriously, I would've rather watched a shounen anime or read a shounen manga if this was going to the end theme for this film. Also, them doing a big bad villain for the finale of the film does solidify its position as just another average action fantasy flick.

==> CHANGING THE OVERALL THEMES
Honestly, I might've been content with every change had they not changed what ORV stood for. Even if they wanted to do this theme for the film, there were much better ways to do this rather than saying it to the face of the audience, subtle gestures are sometimes much better reflected in fictions like these rather than direct ones. And the ending scene with Kim Dokja saying that line looking at the camera smiling:
"I, who was nothing, lived this story and met new companions. Together with my companions, we will write a new ending to this story."
I honestly almost vomited at this line for how cringy and badly written this was.

==> OVERALL THOUGHTS
This in my opinion is a disgustingly horrible adaptation and maybe a somewhat decent below average standalone film. If you want to watch it, you can go ahead and do that. These are just my thoughts, people seem to have a very subjective taste regarding things like these, so you can obviously have your own opinion after watching this, but I honestly don't think you'll like it all that much either.
If you have zero expectations from it and know nothing about the original, you might actually end up liking it a lot and my personal recommendation at that point would be to go read either the webnovel or the manhwa but then again just do whatever you like.

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Solid!

I just saw on Tiktok about this Movie and it gets a lot of hype. I tried watching it without knowing what this is all about. I am just sure due to some clips that it has a lot of visual effects so I got really curious. Guess what this drama was a Webtoon I read months ago or maybe last year?

How it started or the first few clips while Ahn Hyo Seop was narrating just reminded me of the webtoon. I just admire how Korean do their webtoon, dramas and series - it was all worth watching. I can't believe that this was how it will be made on a live action. I was really amazed. There might be some action lapses or kind of awkward with the effects but it was minimal and just perfectly fit the webtoon feels.

It was solid. I do not know why it was rated low here in MDL but I am looking forward to the next installment.

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The time of sand

A long and tense chamber drama, with sand and society as antagonists, masterfully cinematographed. There is both little and much to say; while the film takes its time, it also makes sense once that time has been taken.

We are torn between the tragic attempts to escape the hole and combat the sand, the complex and atmospheric relationship between the protagonist and the woman, and the inhumane subjugation undertaken by the societal microcosm of this desolate place.

What emerges is a brutal and profound poetry, between realistic nihilism and disillusioned optimism, streaked with a certain political denunciation in the background.

The female lead is very interesting, and what emerges from her discussions with the professor is quite dramatic in terms of life prospects. Her relationship with him is intriguing, and the more sensual scenes are particularly striking, to say the least. They are brilliantly filmed, but always imbued with the ambiguity and precariousness of their situation; this casts a veil over the truth, which thematically reinforces the professor's questioning of relationships between men and women at the beginning of the film. The truth is as impenetrable as it is ubiquitous, much like the sand that seeps into all things.

In general, she lights up the screen and her performance is masterful, balanced between the resignation of a woman hardened by her desperate "country" life and a faint glimmer of desire for the outside world (the radio and her questions about Tokyo). A tormented and tormenting character, not entirely in spite of herself, with an unknown name and an uncertain past.

The protagonist ends up alleviating his anxiety by finding "hobbies," and it's quite chilling to watch, especially since, as viewers, we are happy for him that he manages to escape his Sisyphean daily life and we ourselves forget the reality of his existence, caught up in the novelty of his activities.

The ending is superb, one of those that ties up and magnifies the overall story, a masterpiece.

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