Reviews

I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere in the U.S. so I was extra surprised to find this book translated from Korean to English at my local library. Then when I learned that a movie adaptation was being made I was definitely hyped to watch it.
Unfortunately since I live in America, it took a while for it to be released over here. I finally watched it on AsiaFlix, but the English translation was most likely done by Google or A.I. I understood maybe 30% of the dialogue and maybe 20% of what I was watching.
I waited a few more months for it to be released on DramaCool and it was worth the wait. This was a good movie! It was faithful to the book/author. The characters were brought to life really well.
Lee Hye Young did a fantastic job of portraying Hornclaw. She looked EXACTLY how I pictured the character in my imagination while reading the book. Kim Sung Cheol was excellent as Bullfight. His hatred of Hornclaw was thoroughly fleshed out. I had more sympathy for movie Bullfight than I did for the book version. So Kim and the directors did a fantastic job, imho.
The fight scenes were top notch. I saw a YouTube video of how badly Lee got injured while shooting this movie. For an actor/actress to go through that to to entertain is awe-inspiring and a little bit scary. I hope she has fully recovered.
Overall, a great movie to watch for Korean Movie Night.

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Decent Premise. but this is garbage "movie" making at its worst!!!

Sorry. This 'film' is stupid trash with very poor script writing. pretty sure bots or dummies are writing reviews for this rubbish. Even the casting is atrocious. It claims to be a dark comedy. It aint. I feel like early a.i. 'wrote' the screenplay. I love a lighthearted dark comedy action/thriller. This piece of garbage is none of those things. It had potential, i mean the concept. I am not against it. But i think destruction babies 2016 is better cinema than this crap and that's setting a pretty low bar. Japanese films and dramas have degraded over the years. which is disheartening. i am not really into anime scene. Too old for cartoons. and the whole Otaku crowd. the 1994 classic Natural Born killers a grisly film has more laughs a grim reaper tale. than this steaming pile which attracts flies!! No Lie. If you want fun action packed popcorn flix , GO watch the Fable 2019 for a super fantastic Japanese action/comedy. or even old early 2000's hong kong cinema at its finest. RUN, dont walk to witness the awesome Stephen chow who wrote/directed and acted in 2001 Shaolin soccer and 2004 Kung Fu Hustle! they won't disappoint!!! I turned off this waste of space, after less than 15mins. This refuse belongs in a dumpster fire. because that's what it is!!

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Beautifully made, but many scenes feel missing. It could have been more beautiful, but the flow breaks in between due to lack of details. There should have been more scenes to connect the moments properly. Until the breakup, it’s hard to even identify whether they are lovers or not—the ambiguity in scenes and communication makes it confusing.
It also feels like one-sided affection. We don’t really get any emotional expression from Sugiki’s side. First, he breaks up, and then after six months, he patches up without any proper communication or explanation, which makes the relationship feel emotionally weak and incomplete

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Words are often sparse in this, it's a very visual film. As such, it allows for and sometimes requires interpretation. It's not conventional, tidy, linear story-telling. It's more akin to the non-sequiturs of dreams and memories, where emotions are more important than the narrative links.

I could give you my current understanding of it, after one viewing and some reflection, but that would be far too limiting. It's the kind of film which invites us to participate, to consider its pieces from different angles and points of view. Perhaps there isn't a single meaning or interpretation, but something more like a hologram or a kaleidoscope of shifting interpretation.

The emotions are clear throughout. Maybe that can be a key for those who aren't used to this way of watching a film? There's a question in the non-linear narrative which may not have an answer. Don't get caught up in that, but let yourself be open to the possibilities. This film is worth that kind of attention, simultaneously close and careful, but also loose and free.

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Deconstructing the myth of the invincible killer with the raw reality of an aging body

When action heroes grow old – what remains?
In the case of Pa-gwa: This is NOT a late-career revenge drama. It is an anti-myth. The KMovie Pa-gwa fundamentally challenges the conventions of the action genre.

The title Pa-gwa (파과) is a clever play on words. In Korean, it refers on one hand to "bruised fruit" that is no longer fit for sale. On the other hand, it historically signifies an age (16 for women, 64 for men) marking the end of one's "prime."

At the heart of the film is Lee Hye-young, delivering a masterful performance as Hornclaw through sheer presence and minimalism. While many praise her as a "strong woman," her true power lies in being overlooked. Hornclaw is not stylized as a superhero; she is a woman who exists at the edges of the frame, rarely heroized in frontal shots. She is a character becoming increasingly invisible—socially, physically, and cinematically.

The film treats this invisibility not as a deficit, but as a societal reality. An old woman who is overlooked, ignored, and underestimated—that is precisely what makes her dangerous. The message: A society that ignores older women creates its own formidable adversaries.

The movie consistently breaks with action clichés: there are no "cool" weapons or heroic fight choreography. The battles are grueling, often messy, making mistakes. Here, violence is not a spectacle; instead, it serves as a memory of past times and pains. It feels more lifelike and less polished.

The narrative style is equally unusual: the story remains open and incomplete, refusing simple explanations or neat moral judgments. The film does not attempt to organize violence, aging, or guilt—it simply endures them. This feels more honest, reflecting a real life that isn't always logical or conclusive.

But what makes the KMovie Pa-gwa so special in my eyes is its tenderness. The film takes time for quiet moments, observing the mundane with a mindful, unsentimental gaze—completely without trying to be "cool." Eventually, this is what makes it particularly powerful and human.

Pa-gwa tells the story of what happens when action figures grow old and can no longer win their battles with ease. And indeed: Lee Hye-young is the reason this film resonates so deeply and stays with you long after the credits roll.


PS:
The KMovie Pa-gwa (directed by Min Kyu-dong) is based on the acclaimed novel by Gu Byeong-mo.

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Incase if you can’t get this movie this might be helpful!

At first, The Great Flood may not feel like a “bad” movie, but it can definitely feel confusing, especially if you’re used to traditional K-drama or Korean films with a clear emotional or linear storyline. This movie suddenly shifts tone and narrative, which can be disorienting. However, once you understand what the film is actually about, it becomes deeply meaningful and emotionally powerful.

The world in the movie is already ending. Humanity is almost extinct. The experiment exists because humans are trying to recreate humanity, not just biologically, but emotionally. They realize that without real emotions, especially love, the new humanity they create will never truly be human.

This is where An-na and Ja-in come in.

An-na is part of the Emotion Engine Experiment. She agrees to have her brain implanted into a simulation where she relives the same scenario again and again which is loop as y’all know.
Her role is to demonstrate genuine human emotion, particularly maternal love, because nothing is more raw or instinctive than a mother’s love for a child.

Ja-in, the child, is technically “just a subject.” She is supposed to abandon him. She is meant to choose logic over emotion. But she doesn’t. She loves him like a real child — and that is the entire point of the experiment.

An-na is tested to see if she can:
• Form real emotional attachment
• Make moral choices
• Choose love even when logic and rules tell her not to

She fails thousands of times.

The drawings scattered throughout the movie are not random. They represent past loops of the simulation. Each drawing shows Ja-in remembering her words: “I’ll be back. Wait for me.”
That’s why he keeps hiding in the closet every time. That’s why he keeps drawing the helicopter scene — and why the drawings slowly get better and more detailed. He remembers. He learns. He feels.

When An-na once tells him, “Draw me with some color,” the drawings begin to change. This proves emotional memory exists — even inside a simulation.

Her shirt changing numbers shows how many times she has repeated the loop. Each number represents another failure. Another reset. In total, she is trapped for 13,499 attempts, spanning around five years from her perspective (or even longer depending on interpretation). Some theories place it closer to 21,499 days, roughly 58 years, emphasizing the unimaginable emotional weight of the experiment.

The AI systems try to stop her ( mans with gun’s) They want to reset the simulation because the machine only activates when the subject reaches their version of emotional perfection. The world ends over and over because the simulation can run thousands of apocalyptic scenarios faster than real time.

The truth is:
An-na and Ja-in are already dead.
This is a machine using their memories to learn how human emotions work so it can create the next generation of “humans.”

In the end, An-na passes the test because she chooses love over logic.

Ja-in separating from her shows free will — something artificial intelligence cannot fake. When she is allowed to return to Earth, we see others who have also passed similar simulations. Humanity doesn’t survive because bodies are recreated — it survives because love was successfully learned.

The final message of the movie is clear:
Being human isn’t about being real or artificial.
It’s about love, memory, sacrifice, and the choices we make.

This movie isn’t confusing — it’s layered.
And once you understand it, it’s devastatingly beautiful. Also including few extra words I would say the experiment proves humans are defined not by survival instincts, but by who they choose to save, plus many of people have asked why “love” they would better come with something else but going deep down maternal love is used because it’s the hardest emotion to fake or replicate while AI can simulate logic endlessly, but love requires irrational sacrifice…

That’s it!!

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Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants XIAO ZHAN'S BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE, HIS STRANGTH & POWERS!

FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE COMPLAINING, AND COMPARING THIS TO THE BOOK, THIS IS NOT THE BOOK!!! THE BOOK IS A BOOK!!! THE MOVIE IS A MOVIE!!! THEY ARE 2 TOTALLY DIFFEENT ENTITY'S!!! SO FOR YOU TO LEAVE A LOW RATING LIKE 1.0 IS NOT A FAIR RATING, BECAUSE BASED ON WHAT I SEE YOUR COMPLAINING ABOUT "DISJOINTMENT", THE CGI, IT DRAGGED ON, Etc.
All I Have Say Is You People Can Not Base This Movie On The Book. I Am Going To Assume Then Every Movie, And Drama That Has Anything To Do With Any Of The Books You Would Rate All A 1.0, Because It Is Not To Your Expectations, Like The Book Which Is Pretty Pathetic, And Sad On Your Part. But If You Must Sadly Compare This To The Book, You People DEFINITELY DON'T KNOW WHAT A TRUELY BRILLIANT AWESOME MOVIE THIS IS... OR YOU PEOPLE ARE JUST PLAIN JANE BLIND, OR WATCHED A TOTALLY DIFFRENT MOVIE, BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT OR WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!!!

"Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants" 1st And For Most Can I Just Say This... I Can't Believe This Movie Only Got A Rating Of 8.1 For My Xiao Zhan... I RATED IT A 9.5!!! (AS OF TODAY DECEMBER 23RD, 2025, IT HAS DROPPED DOWN TO A 7.8, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE???) I've Already Seen It 3 Times, And Want To See It As Man More Times As I Can, Because It Is Such A Awesome Movie, (I EVEN WENT BACK TO WATCH IT A FORTH TIME, AND STILL LOVED IT!!! 12/23/2025) Because I Want To Support Xiao Zhan As Much As Possible. If Xiao Zhan Wasn't In This Movie, I Probably Would Have Not Had Any Interest In It, Being As It, I Didn't Know Any Of The Actresses Or Actors, But I Have To Say I Would Have Been Missing Out On A Great Movie Even If Xiao Zhan Wasn't In It, BUT I Am Thinking The Only Reason Why I Love The Movie So Much Is Only Because Xiao Zhan Was In It. I HONESTLY HAVE TO SAY I WOULDN'T EVEN CARE OR PAY ATTENTION TO THIS MOVIE, BUT ONLY DID, BECAUSE XIAO ZHAN IS IN IT!!!

I Can Not Even Begin To Tell You How Much I Love, And Adore This Young Man XIAO ZHAN. He Is Such A Talented Actor, And Such A Hard Worker. All The Hard Work, And Stunt He Did To Make This Movie. He Had To Train Very Hard For This Movie. Even His Horse That The Director Specifically Chose For Him Did Not Like Him, And Gave Him Problem. Xiao Zhan Even Got Hurt In The Face From Filming This Movie. 😭😭😭 Poor Baby, But At Least He Has Not Scars On His Beautiful, Handsome Gorgeous Face.

As Fans We Don't See The Pain, And Agony An Actor Goes Though, To Get Ready To Film A Movie Unless Your Like Me, And Watch The Behind The Scenes, Or Extra Stuff. All We Do Is Sit In A Thearter For 2-3 Hours, And Watch... 5-6 Months To Film A Movie, The Agony, And Torture Of Working All Day, And All Night Long To Film!!! We All Should Appreciate Xiao Zhan For All His Hard Work And Dedication On This Movie, Because It Was Such An Awesome Movie... It Had A Lot Of Excitement, And Was Really Action Packed. I Will Say This, DO NOT BLINK OR GO TO THE BATHROOM For A Break Or You Might Miss Something Important, That's How Action Packed It Is.

The Fight Scenes Are Like Crazy Good, The 1st Time I Saw This Movie, I Was Teriffed For Xiao Zhan, And Him Getting Really, Hurt Which In Real Life He Did, And Now I See Why, Because This Movie Is Insanely Crazy. The Visual Affect Were Insanely Crazy Too... Again I Don't Understand Why This Movie Only Got A 8.1 Rating. Everything Was Great, And Awesome, Xiao Zhan Did An Excellent Job Playing His Character, His Acting Was Great, Excellent, And He Made The Character Come To Life. The Way He Interpret The Matial Arts Skills That He Was Learning, And Even At The End With Everything He Learned He Had The Power To Do It All, And More, But He Is And Was Like No Other, NOT GREEDY OR WANTING SOMETHING HE CAN'T HAVE!!! Xiao Zhan Made This Movie So Great, And So Spectacular!!! NO ONE COULD HAVE PLAYED THE ROLL OF GUO JING BETTER THEN XIAO ZHAN DID!!! Only, Only One Other Person Might Have Been Good Enough, If Not Better Is Wang YiBo, And Maybe, Maybe Ren JiaLun, And Liu YuNing, BUT XIAO ZHAN WAS SO PERFECT IN EVERY WAY, SO WE WILL NEVER KNOW!!!

The 2 Female Leads Did A Great Job Too... Selling There Sweetness, And There Strengths... By The Way I Want Huang Rong Weapon, That Thing Was Bad *ss... Not Sure If She Made It Look To Be Bad ss Or It Was Just The Weapon It-Self, But That Thing Was Cooler Then Hll. But Yeah, These 2 Lady's Did A Great Job, Everyone Thoughout The Movie Did A Great Job, But Xiao Zhan As Guo Jing Was The Best... 🤣😂🤣 No Just Kidding... No, But Seriously Xiao Zhan Is What, And Who Made This Movie Happen.

Anyways If You Want To See A Really Action Packed Movie With Same Crazy Sunts, And Crazy Fight Scenes Then This Is The Movie For You. By The Way Every Fight Scenes That Xiao Zhan Was Playing Guo Jing, HE NEVER HAS A WEAPON, AND OR SWORD, NO BO, NOTHING!!! He Has Other Means, And Powers To Fight, Magic Like... He Was Very Strong And Powerful With His Craft. .

The 2 Main Female Leads, 1 Fights With A Sword, And Other One With Some Type Of Metal Iron Stick That Can Be Flimsy, And Soft Like Whip, Or Hard Like A Stick. They Both Fought In There Own Special, And Unique Ways. They Both Became Friends In The Most Unexpected Way, But Ended Up Becoming Kind Of Enemy's, But Not Enemy's... Because Of A Slight Lie, Or Not Telling The Truth To The Other One.
They Both Fancied Guo Jing One Was Supposed To Be Engaged With Him After 2 Years, But Got There Heart Broken, The Other Left Him, Because Of A Misunderstanding, But In The End He Showed Signs To Her In How To Find Him. "PINWHEELS" That's All I'm Going To Say!!!

Guo Jing Was Raised By The Mongolian, And The Great Genghis Kuan, So When It Came Down To War, Genghis Kuan Expect Something Of Guo Jing, And Guo Jing Rejected His Request, Even If It Meant Killing Guo Jing, But Guo Jing Would Not Fight Against His Own Country, Even Though Genghis Kuan Took His Mother, And Him In When He Was Just A Child. Guo Jing Knew Where His Roots Were From, And Could Not Do It. I Knew He Couldn't Betray His Own Country.

But Even Though He Could Not Betray His Country, He Could Not Hurt The Mongolian's, His Brothers... Nor Genghis Kuan, Even Though There Was A War Between The Mongolians, And His Country. Guo Jing Came Up With Tactical Strategies To Take The Mongolians Down, But Not Kill Them. He Came Up With So Many Strategies The Mongolians Never Knew What Hit Them. Just Amazing, And Clever Planed Out Strategies!!!

As Far As Everything Else Goes, Your Just Going To Have To Watch The Movie To See What Happens... Just Remember Your Watching A Movie Full Of Magic Of Sorts, So It Will Be A Action Packed Movie. Not To Mention The Strangth, And Powers That Guo Jing, And This One Other Guy Has... Guo Jing Is Way Strong Then Him, And Always Seems To Beat Him When It Comes To Strangth, Power, And Magic. The Other Guy Says They Are Equal In Strangth, And Power, NOT EVEN!!! OTHER GUY WISH HE WAS EQUAL TO GUO JING!!! 🤣😂🤣

P.s. The Horse That Producer Chose For Xiao Zhan That Was Supposed To Be The Perfect Horse For Him, NOT, It Was So Stubborn, And Disobedient That Xiao Zhan Had Trained With That Horse Before The Filming Of Movie For 2-3 Months Sraight, 8 To 10 Hours A Day, And Yet In The Movie, I Hardly See Xiao Zhan Riding Horse In The Movie, Maybe The Most Is 3-4 Time, So I Don't Understand The Rigerous Training With That Horse, And WOULDN'T IT HAD MADE MORE SENSE TO JUST CHANGE TO A BETTER WELL TRAINED HORSE??? "I GUESS NOT" LIKE SERIOUSLY WHY, TORTURE XIAO ZHAN, AND THE HORSE, WHEN THE SOLUTION IS TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER HORSE. 🤷‍♀️ I JUST SAYING SHEESH!!!

Originally Wrote This Review On March 3rd, 2025 From 11:39 A.M. To 1:03 P.M.
Edit, And Added More To The Review On December 23rd, 2025 From 9:27 A.M. To 10:43 A.M.

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Another side of Keita Machida (in terms of BLs)

I'm sure lots of people watched this because of Keita Machida. I myself really loved Cherry Magic so much before, and this one somehow is the total opposite of that BL lol. Sugiki and Suzuki were really sensual and less restrained in their attraction through their body language and how they looked at each other. As for Keita Machida, he plays Kurosawa, who is a total green flag in Cherry Magic, but here he is totally the red flag one between him as Sugiki and Takeuchi Ryoma as Suzuki. His acting was as expectedly great, but I have to say that Takeuchi Ryoma (who I'm watching for the 1st time) captivated me more with his character and acting. He really looks majestic while dancing, but also when he cries, it really makes me empathize with him. I found them being inspired by eachother to keep dancing on 2 separate occasions (without their knowledge) when they were both thinking of quitting to be quite beautiful. But also wanting to be the best in the competition was also the one to tear them apart just as they were sure they liked eachother, which is ironic. Personally, I can understand Suzuki more with his want to pursue a relationship with Sugiki even if they were rivals. For me even if they were supposed to be "rivals", they could have made it work if they really liked/loved eachother. I can also understand Sugiki was too focused on his goal and thinking he can't have a relationship with someone he will be competing against. Him being in that mindset won't do their relationship any good, so even if it sucks (for us as viewers especially) and is painful, he had to leave Suzuki and prove to himself that he could win the competition first. The ending with Sugiki as the guest performer means he reached this goal and has proved himself. I really loved that Sugiki and Suzuki did a 10Dance as the special performance, and he has opened his heart to Suzuki with that ending kiss and the promise to see eachother in the real competition in the future. Overall, an 8.5/10 for me as I liked their acting and the characters of their dance partners, who supported them and made them realize things they were missing. One thing I wanted to see was their relationship progress more during the movie, but the ending has left hope that there might be a part 2, as the manga this is based on is also not finished.

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English and Portuguese Review

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝-𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞
Forgotten starts off really strong, with lots of suspense and a strange atmosphere that pulls you in right away. From the beginning, you’re curious to understand what’s going on, and the movie does a great job of keeping you tense the whole time. As the story goes on, you start feeling just as paranoid as the protagonist, constantly trying to figure out what’s real and what isn’t. The film conveys that sense of confusion and fear really well.

The protagonist’s performance plays a big part in this. You can genuinely feel his desperation, and you end up falling into the paranoia along with him. The movie messes with your head on purpose and makes you uncomfortable, and honestly, that’s the best part of the experience.

The plot twist is good and surprising, but the final part bothered me a bit. The movie chooses to explain everything very directly, and because of that, the mystery and tension start to fade. For me, the psychological horror that was carrying the film becomes weaker there, making it feel a bit slower.

Even so, it doesn’t ruin the experience. Forgotten is still a movie that’s very much worth watching, especially if you enjoy thrillers that play with your mind and stay with you even after they’re over.

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𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐱𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐜̧𝐚
Forgotten já começa muito bem, com bastante suspense e um clima estranho que te prende fácil. Desde o início você fica curioso pra entender o que tá acontecendo, e o filme faz um ótimo trabalho em te deixar tenso o tempo todo. Conforme a história avança, você começa a ficar tão paranoico quanto o protagonista, tentando descobrir o que é real e o que não é. O filme consegue passar muito bem essa sensação de confusão e medo.

A atuação do protagonista ajuda muito nisso. Dá pra sentir o desespero dele de um jeito bem real, e você acaba entrando na paranoia junto com ele. O filme brinca com a sua cabeça, te deixa desconfortável de propósito, e essa é a melhor parte da experiência.

O plot twist é bom e surpreende, mas a parte final me incomodou um pouco. O filme resolve explicar tudo de forma bem direta, e aí aquele clima de mistério e tensão vai se perdendo. Pra mim, o terror psicológico que segurava o filme acaba ficando mais fraco nessa parte, deixando tudo um pouco mais arrastado.

Mesmo com isso, não estraga a experiência. Forgotten ainda é um filme que vale muito a pena, principalmente se você curte suspense que mexe com a cabeça e te deixa pensando até depois que acaba.

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