Reviews

Young Love with three Sweethearts

Oh, what sweethearts these three teenagers are! This is a love-triangle done right, and the film hits all the highs and lows of a first love.

And this is a story with one of the narratives I love: The "ugly duckling" doesn't change.
Takeo is, while well liked by guys, shunned by girls at every turn. His appearance and his deep voice -- the first image that came into my head when I saw him was one of a middle ranked yakuza -- is definitely not what teenage girls look for in their next crush.
The film makes is very, very clear in the first minutes, however, that this boy is a complete sweetheart, a loyal friend, and a gentle soul. From his many rejections in the past, his confidence regarding love is non-existent and he thinks his crush on Yamato is hopeless; and still he puts on a smile and tries to make his friend and his crush happy.

And this is why the film works so well; the three main actors convey the feelings with apparent ease -- when their characters smile with a broken heart, when they try to stay calm but would rather break down and cry; it's all there to see.

The humour is over-the-top as for most adaptations of comedy manga, but sprinkled throughout, and never laughs at the characters.

One little thing I loved a lot was how the writer let the mother causally accept the possibility of her son dating a man. Progressive mums, yay! Also, I love how they hinted that Suna's feelings might be not quite the platonic friendship he would like us to believe. I hated the after-credits scene though, it broke the style of humour and the characterizations of Takeo and Suna, so if you see Suna's characters the way I do, you might want to give the after-credits scene a miss.

Was it good?
Yes, both actors and writers knew what they were doing, and they told us a beautiful story about young love and friendship.

Did I like it?
Absolutely.

Who would I recommend it to?
People who want to watch a different kind of coming-of-age / young love story.

Read More

Great Multicultural Movie

"Demon Hunters" is an absolute blast from start to finish! I haven't had this much fun at the movies in a long time. The way it blends Taiwanese tradition with Indian cultural energy is pure genius-it's a colorful, high-octane mix that feels completely original.

The special effects are stunning and the humor is spot-on, keeping the theater laughing even during the intense supernatural battles. It's the perfect "supernatural buddy-action" flick: stylish, hilarious, and totally unique.

If you want a movie that's high-energy and full of heart, don't miss this one. A total 10/10 for creativity and great showcase of Taiwanese and Indian cinema!

Read More

Japanese Nuances Carried by the Actors’ Performances and the Beauty of the Dance Scenes

10Dance is a movie that lingers long after it ends. Through ballroom dance, it portrays the shifting emotions between two men with remarkable subtlety.

Japanese dialogue carries layers of meaning—levels of politeness, gendered speech, and subtle shifts in tone—that subtitles can’t always capture. Sugiki always speaks in polite Japanese, even when teaching. His tone only breaks when his emotions overflow. Forms of address also reveal character dynamics: Sugiki calls Fusako “Yagami-san,” while Suzuki casually calls her “Fusa-chan,” reflecting his innocent, free-spirited nature. Meanwhile, Fusako and Aki call him “Suzuki-sensei” (Mr. Suzuki), showing respect. Aki’s rough, casual lines like “Koeeyo” (subtitled “I’m scared”) also express her personality. These nuances may not fully translate, yet the actors’ physicality and expressions convey the emotional truth beyond language.

Sugiki (Standard) and Suzuki (Latin) clash in both style and personality, but as they teach each other, tension slowly turns into recognition and respect. Suzuki’s line, “It's like a wave, a current… Just by holding his hand, I can feel his emotions,” captures how dance lets him sense Sugiki’s inner world. When Sugiki calls from England, Suzuki quietly says, “Come back soon, okay?”—a moment that shows how close they’ve grown. Their kiss on the train marks the undeniable pull between them.

At Blackpool, Suzuki’s ex-girlfriend Liana appears. Watching Suzuki’s expression as he dances with her, Sugiki seems unsettled, and Suzuki senses this. That night, Suzuki kisses him, trying to cross a line. Sugiki rejects him with: “It’s no use. We can never become one.” The Japanese line “交われないんだよ” carries a deeper nuance—not just “we can’t become one,” but “our ways of living can never truly intersect.” The subtitle is more romantic and direct, while the Japanese expresses a heavier, existential distance. Afterward, Suzuki practices alone, reaching out as if taking the hand of someone who isn’t there. His expression holds a quiet, aching loneliness.

When Sugiki finally asks, “Will you dance with me?” their story begins to move again. Their ten-dance demonstration is breathtaking—full of joy and harmony.
And their final kiss feels less like an ending and more like the beginning of something new — a moment where their hearts finally meet. Many viewers are hoping for a Season 2, and I find myself wishing for it as well.

The dance scenes are stunning, filled with the actors’ dedication and emotional precision. Their nonverbal acting—glances, silences, subtle shifts—speaks louder than dialogue. At first, I couldn’t quite connect with Suzuki’s character, but his sincerity and passion won me over. By the end, I found myself wholeheartedly rooting for them.

Read More

I wish the story was fleshed out more, it was so beautiful and well executed yet so short to deeply feel anything.

It's a very short movie which is fine as it doesn't have much to tell, the ML was spectacular, his performance was amazing and I wish I could see more of it.

The only thing I wish they showed more was the development of the relationship between the leads, or at least show some sweet moments between them, they literally had 2 scenes before we jump into the ML, who is so against love, opening up to the FL.

Despite everything, it was great and easy watch ~~

02/01

Read More

An interesting film, but hard to fully understand

The Great Flood is a film that left me with a strong feeling of emptiness and confusion. While watching, I didn't understand everything right away, and even at the end, I felt like I only partially understood the film. Despite this, I can't say it was bad, but it was definitely different from what I expected.
The film is very confusing and requires a lot of attention to detail. The explanations are there, but they aren't immediate, and this makes it difficult to watch. I often felt like the film was deliberately trying to confuse the viewer, using a cold and distant atmosphere.
An-na struck me as a very human and fragile figure, a mother trying to do the right thing in an impossible situation.
In my opinion, the film is about humanity collapsing, but receiving a second chance thanks to artificial intelligence. It's not just a disaster movie, but a reflection on the future, on the extinction of humanity, and on the extreme choices people make to survive.
The ending left me even more confused, and I admit I was also a little disappointed. From the trailer and the title, I expected a major natural disaster, but instead I found a much more philosophical film, tied to the theme of artificial intelligence.
I would recommend The Great Flood to those who love sci-fi films, which are symbolic and full of hidden details. I wouldn't recommend it to those looking for an action film or a classic disaster film.
My rating is 6/10: the beginning had piqued my interest, but the general confusion prevented me from fully appreciating it.

Read More

A Message On A Desk, A Love Mix Up - and the best surprise of a teen movie!

I am currently on a Japanese teen movie streak. It started out from a moment of nostalgia but obviously now I am traveling down the rabbit hole. Momentum still ongoing. Huh. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤣🤣🤣
And I am a bit giddy at the moment by how good this movie was! (The level of wow reminds me of “10 Things, I Hate About You”)

Yes. It has all the stereotypical elements of a run of the mill teenage romance.
But perfectly executed with warmth, depth and wit. The main characters are all flawed but oh so relatable and easy to love.
While predictable, the storyline still has some unexpected twists towards the ending and delivers some underlying wisdom without being in the face about it.
Fluffy. Wholesome. Entertaining. Likable. Excellent music choices to strengthen the vibe of the story part or even bring the plot to the next stage. How the songs got used reminded me of “Perks of Being A Wallflower” (Great movie, too).

This teen romance deserves its high rating.
Highly recommended! 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿

Read More

A Gentle Love Found by Chance

“Some More” is a gentle, heartfelt short film that proves you don’t need drama or spice to tell a meaningful love story. The simple setup—two men meeting by chance when a city boy cycling injures his leg and finds help at a quiet countryside farm—quickly blossoms into something warm and sincere. Their discovery that they’re both gay feels natural, and the sweet, innocent flirting that follows is full of soft glances and genuine connection. I loved how the film leaned into tenderness rather than intensity, letting the romance grow at its own pace. As the city boy heals and prepares to return to his life, I was nervous the story would end on an uncertain, open note—but the final scene completely eased that fear. Seeing him return, backpack in hand, strongly hints that what they shared was more than a fleeting moment. The supportive cousin was also a lovely touch, quietly affirming and kind throughout. Overall, “Some More” is pure sweetness—soft, hopeful, and quietly romantic in the best way.

Read More

Tony Leung and Shu Qi

“You can mess with me, but not my hair.” — Tony Leung’s iconic line came back, and it was still as charming. It’s always nice to watch a chill funny Tony Leung.

This movie also featured one of my beloved actresses, Shu Qi. She was gorgeous as usual in this movie. And the scene where she disguised as a man was perfectly charming.

The plot was basically the same as the original movie, just with different characters as the same roles. Although it still had its moments, I found this one less entertaining than Tokyo Raiders. It’s probably because the storyline was already nothing new, and the fighting scenes also weren’t as good. I think I prefer Ekin Cheng as Tony Leung’s partner. I think they made a better duo. I didn’t feel any found family or partnership vibe among the duo or between Lin and the Korean girls who worked under him. And this was the most entertaining thing about the original movie.

—————-
By the way, this is my first movie of 2026. Happy New Year! 🎉 Let's leave all the bad things behind in 2025 and may we all be blessed with good health, good fortune, and only happiness and great films in this new year. Cheers to 2026! 🥂I wish all the best things to everyone in this universe. ❤️

Read More

Released worldwide by Netflix on December 19, 2025, the South Korean film "The Great Flood" (Daehongsu), directed by Kim Byung-woo (The Terror Live), is one of the most ambitious and divisive productions of the year.

Although the trailer and title suggest a conventional disaster film (in the style of 2012 or The Day After Tomorrow), the work is actually an existentialist science fiction thriller that uses a "time loop" to explore artificial intelligence.

1. Synopsis and the Big Twist

The plot begins with An-na (played by the excellent Kim Da-mi), an AI researcher, desperately trying to save her son Ja-in from an apartment building being submerged by an apocalyptic tsunami. She receives help from Hee-jo (Park Hae-soo, from Round 6), a security agent with mysterious motivations.

The Twist (Mild Spoiler): The film reveals that the disaster we are witnessing is not immediate physical reality, but rather a computer simulation repeated thousands of times. An-na's research aims to "teach" real human emotions to an AI so that humanity's consciousness can be preserved in synthetic bodies after Earth's extinction.

2. Strengths: The Visual and Technical Spectacle

Aquatic Realism: The work with practical effects and CGI is impressive. The feeling of claustrophobia inside the flooded building and the force of the water are palpable and distressing. Performances: Kim Da-mi carries the emotional weight of the film, delivering an exhausted yet resilient performance that keeps the audience engaged, even when the plot becomes confusing.

Genre Innovation: Director Kim Byung-woo defies expectations by transforming an action film into a philosophical meditation on what makes us human (the "emotional engine").

3. Criticism and Controversy

The film's reception was mixed due to its complexity:

"Bait and Switch": Many viewers felt misled by the marketing, expecting a linear survival film and receiving a dense plot about transhumanism and time loops.

Fragmented Narrative: The repetitive structure (the loop) can be tiring. The film demands total attention to detail to understand which "version" of the simulation we are in.

Scientism vs. Emotion: Critics point out that, in its effort to appear intellectually profound, the script sometimes loses the simple emotional connection that the disaster subgenre usually offers.

Expectation vs. Reality
What the trailer promises What the film delivers
Global disaster film Psychological thriller in a confined location
Fight against nature Fight against human obsolescence
Frenetic action Cerebral and repetitive science fiction

Final Verdict

"Daehongsu" is a film for those who enjoy complex science fiction like Interstellar or Dark. If you're only looking for adrenaline and collapsing buildings, you might be disappointed by the second half. It's a film about memory and the human capacity to love, even when the world (or the code) is crumbling.

Interesting Note: The film ends with a post-credits scene that suggests the fate of "New Humanity" in space, raising ethical debates about whether AI clones can truly replace the human race.

Read More

Not just a flood movie

The Great Flood (2025) begins as a high-stakes disaster film, throwing you into a city overwhelmed by massive flooding and impossible odds. The tension is constant, the visuals are striking, and the emotional core—centered on survival, sacrifice, and human connection—keeps you deeply invested. As the story unfolds, it slowly reveals a smarter, more ambitious side, weaving in unexpected sci-fi elements that reframe what you’re watching without giving everything away. By the end, it’s no longer just about escaping the flood, but about memory, humanity, and what we’re willing to do to protect the future. It’s the kind of movie that surprises you, makes you think, and stays with you after the screen goes dark.

Read More

Revelations: The Thin Line Between Guilt and Excuse

Revelations is a gripping Korean psychological thriller that kept me hooked with its tense atmosphere and complex characters. I appreciated how the film explores human guilt, the tendency to rationalize our actions, and the moral choices people face under pressure.

But Revelations is more than just a crime story; it is, beyond a simple film, a sharp critique of human greed.
At the center of the film is the criminal Kwon Yang-rae, who, beyond his role as an antagonist, is primarily treated as a projection for our two main characters. For the pastor, he represents a kind of “revelation” and divine calling, while for the detective, he is the source of her deep suffering and guilt. In this sense, he serves as a personification of excuse.
Meanwhile, the young A-yeong clearly represents a return to reality. Here, we are confronted with two completely different perspectives: for Seong Min-chan, the girl symbolizes his job loss and his “disobedience” to God, whereas for Lee Yeon-hui, she embodies the possibility of ending her guilt. She is the element of the film that forces each character to face the consequences of their actions.

From the very beginning, the film establishes strong symbolism: A-yeong fleeing from a threatening man represents the human tendency to constantly seek excuses. This pursuit can be read as a metaphor: youth still seems spared from guilt and greed. However, later in the film, we understand that this moral justification is inevitable.

Ultimately, the final confrontation clearly demonstrates that the need to justify our actions is not eternal. It only takes one choice to break free: the choice to face the truth. The final scene distinctly portrays two completely different personalities: one who remains in ignorance and prefers to try to escape her guilt, and the other who confronts her own “demons” and is finally freed from all culpability.
In fact, the film does not suggest that we are all doomed, but rather that we can always find a way out, as long as we accept the truth as it is.

Finally, I would like to add that I do not believe Revelations critiques faith or an “obsession” with God. I genuinely think it should be seen differently: here, faith highlights our human need to avoid facing our guilt. Religion is just one of many excuses used to show how much we seek to justify our actions in order to absolve ourselves of responsibility.

Thank you for reading :)

Read More

I love dancing, so I knew I’d fall for this movie, I just didn’t realize how much. To me, you listen to music with your soul and dance with your heart. A great dancer doesn’t just move to the beat, they feel the music, as if every cell in their body is a note being played through the dance. And that’s exactly what the movie is about: love, but in a broader sense. Not just romantic love between two people, but also the act of feeling, of surrendering to emotions you can’t control.

I don’t see Shinya Sugiki and Shinya Suzuki as opposites. In fact, they’re more alike than they realize. Both are professional dancers who’ve dedicated their lives to the dance, which is at the core of their identities. And while they emphasize different sides of dance, Sugiki prioritizing strict technique over emotion, and Suzuki prioritizing desire and emotion over rigid technique, they’re still two sides of the same coin. That similarity is what makes their relationship so magnetic and what kept me glued to the screen. Each sees in the other both a reflection and a contrast.

They also recognize in each other a silent pain they both carry. I wish we knew more about their backstories, what shaped them into who they are. Suzuki says he can’t stand lies or betrayal. Who lied to him? Who betrayed him? Could that explain his arrogance and disdain for elegance, finesse, competitions, and audiences? At one point, Fusako says Sugiki believes he has to suffer to grow stronger. What happened to make him become the “grim reaper,” killing off all his feelings just to be stronger and successful? I don’t think it’s simply because of his failed relationship with Liana.

As for the romance, I’ve always seen Sugiki and Suzuki’s relationship like a moth drawn to a flame. They’ve always felt this magnetic, irresistible pull toward each other, an admiration that was almost impossible to control. And working together turned that admiration into something deeper: love. When Sugiki danced with Liana, it was forced by the competition committee. But when he invited Suzuki to dance, that was a true declaration of love. He chose Suzuki, and in a way, crossed that line and lost himself. It was also a declaration of love for dance itself, where both of them allowed themselves to feel everything, together with the audience.

At first, the audience’s applause was hesitant and confused, but as they kept dancing, Sugiki overwhelmed by emotion, Suzuki more restrained and technical, the applause grew louder and louder. With each performance, they showed what they could achieve if they let go of their fears and insecurities, the things holding them back from what they truly wanted. That’s my favorite scene in the whole movie.

Takeuchi Ryoma and Machida Keita’s performances were absolutely phenomenal. The two-hour film flies by thanks to them. Not to take away from the rest of the cast, who were flawless, but honestly, the movie could’ve been just Ryoma and Keita and it still would’ve been amazing. Their chemistry is out of this world. If Ryoma’s hips had me hypnotized, Keita’s eyes had me completely captivated. He conveyed everything: admiration, love, pain, doubt... all hidden beneath Sugiki’s rigid, cold exterior. Netflix nailed the production, and the soundtrack was fantastic.
I desperately need a sequel, a mini-series, a special episode, anything. I’m not picky. The story of Shinya Sugiki and Shinya Suzuki cannot end here.

I know this isn’t a film for everyone, but if you allow yourself to feel the passion, you’ll be swept away by this beautiful story. Highly recommended!!

Read More