Reviews

STORY:
I finished this movie back in early ’22 and I haven’t been able to let it go since. Only reason I’m writing a review now, and not earlier, I guess is due to how impossibly raw it renders me and to be able to give my honest words I needed to revision it. A task easier said than done.
(I’ll be skipping certain parts and mainly focus on Naomi and Maki and their relationship.)

Wherever I read about this movie and peoples thoughts, it’s the same: ”How could Naomi”, ”The ending didn’t make sense”, ”I don’t understand what happened in the last 1/3” - that’s okey. It’s okey to not be able to grasp, or understand, why the movie went as it did. One factor might be that people come here expecting a ”BL” - I fear this is less of that, and more of a queer movie. Going in believing you’ll get the same turns as you’d normally get, this movie will be straight up disappointing.
No kissing, no on-the-nose confessions, no magically happy ending. It’s raw and honest and a story that, at least myself, have seen played out around me when someone closeted faces a part of themselves that they have never touched before.

To have it said - Naomi treated Maki awfully. Middle to end his own uncertainties, fears and insecurities bleed into what was (and had) formed between the two, finding violent, wordless means to express a want and need he didn’t know the language to.
Maki, on the contrary, knows himself. He knows that, the love and closeness he wants, isn’t conventional or easy to find. The pool scene where he expresses that he feels this force field around him, driving people away, was such a powerful way to open up to soemone he’s evidently grown to like without putting himself on blast would Naomi in fact NOT understand or take it well. In doing so did he also (unknowingly) give Naomi words that Naomi himself understood, finding himself able to confess that he, too, feel the same. For the story, this moment is huge.

Nothing has really ever made me feel the same way their "playfights ” did, even now years later. It’s straight up beautiful storytelling and it’s so sad, sadder than I think some people realise. Both that, for Naomi to know how to even begin to show physical affection, he had to resort to punches, is in and out of itself heartbreaking.
It speaks about how he’s been raised.
It shows how lack of understanding results in violence, fueled by enaourmous feelings needing an outlet, and also a hint to that - despite him having had a girlfriend - the feelings and needs aren’t the same. What he feels towards Maki is larger and burning, it’s scary and new and something he shouldn’t want, while what he felt for Kaho most certainly was affection, but not love and want in the same way: gentler, expected, socially accepted and without any risks. And so, he punches.
And for Maki, who takes it and plays into it - wants it just as bad - a sign that parts of him will allow anything as long as he isn’t just drifting alone anymore. If this is the way to get to hold and feel Naomi, then he’ll do it. To quote ”The perks of being a wallflower”: We accept the love we think we deserve. At the start, I fear he was terrified that this would blow over, to watch Naomi slip away again, that he hurled himslef into it all the same.

The real sorrow begins when Naomi can’t move past it, can’t allow it to grow into something gentler, while Maki starts to ask for that exact thing, no reassured that Naomi does feel the same as he does. ”But why can’t he?” Fear. He’s scared. Scared and confused and stuck between holding onto the version of himself who, while not perfect, is familiar and the version of himself he has no outlines for. How will his father react if he finds out? How will the town they live in? Can they stay? Is the only answer to hide what they have? What if Maki leaves, then what? Would it even be safe? So many things, but because he has no tools to voice his feelings, him and Maki never talk. Not really.
The closest he gets is when he admits he doesn’t understand.
And so the cycle continous and spiral, and he yet again resort to violent means by robbing in an attempt to get them abroad. This part especially, was what truly cemented that their story wouldn’t continue, no matter what happened. Because Maki is ready to wait, while to Naomi, if they don’t leave, he’ll never be able to give them a chance. I can’t say for certain, but I believe Naomi saw this as the one opportunity to try be with Maki. His one surge of bravery, knowing that if they stayed then he’d never dare again. And he doesn’t. He goes to jail, and he never leaves.

As for the ending, without spoiling too much, do I think it not only made sense but was an incredibly hard watch for all the right reasons. This is a story about discovering (and falling in) love, surrounded by an everyday that is both placid and hostile - not a love story. I couldn’t ever praise this piece enough.

ACTING/CASTING:
The casting of every character was brilliant. Even skill levels, excellent performances, a natural and realistic momentum to every scene and line delivered. Shuri (Maki) and Shion (Naomi) were incredible together, bouncing off of one another in outstanding ways and delivered a story that so easily can go on feeling tired, cringy and even boring.

MUSIC:
I love the soundtrack in this movie, it has such significant impact to the scenes and elevates them in that way only a good pick can. Giving it a 9 rather than 10 solely for the reason that I haven’t felt a need to find any of the pieces used afterwards.

REWATCH VALUE:
It’s a rough watch, because it doesn’t hodl your hand at any point, but it is most definetly worth seeing more than once.


FINAL THOUGHTS:
I’ve loved few movies the way I love "Let me hear it barefoot”. It’s a masterpiece that deserves to extend beyond japanese bl and when people speak of good queer movies, this one should be among the titles. I spoke very little of anything besides their relationship, which is shame on me, but teh side characters are all fleshed out and dynamic, their own little stories and lives feel so genuine and mapped out and help moving the story forward. It’s never stagnant and does the organic buildup so well.

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The elephant in the room got too big to ignore

This movie had the potential to be really great. Visually stunning with great camerawork that really emphasizes the good acting, it uses music and visuals to create a calm atmosphere with shifting nuances of release or tension. The criminal case it presented was very predictable, but interesting enough in its details.

However, I always have to deduct points en masse when movies don't excel at the one thing they are based on. In this case, that's the depiction of autism*. Let this be your warning that this attempted to be a heartwarming movie about a struggling lawer and a girl with a mental disability rather than a crime thriller.

If I was being mean, I'd suggest the writers were autistic themselves, since they apparently liked ticking off boxes on lists so meticously. We have all the stereotypes you could imagine, added a couple of typical crime plots and topped it off with throwing realism out the window whenever inconvenient.

(Disclaimer: I am autistic myself)
The elephant in the room - Autism:
The main character has Asperger's, obviously, because there's no other forms of autism. She has trouble understanding her surroundings so much that she is barely able to interact with other people unless they make a grand effort to get through to her. That is realistic, as everyone knows autistic people live in their own world, can't use emphasis when speaking and struggle reading facial expressions. They don't understand irony or sarcasm and can't lie. BUT they make up for all their "deficits" by having superpower-like abilities in mathematics, language or hypersensitivity that end up saving the day. *irony off*
Let's add some ableist language like talking away issues, using generalising phrases or pretending to know better, advocating for people who didn't ask to be advocated for.
I already knew it was utopic to wish to feel represented by a movie this heavily focused on autistic struggles, but this movie really ticked all the boxes on how to NOT approach the topic. It's not especially bad compared to other media, but it's also not better than them in the slightest. It's not like nobody with autism acts like the FL does, hence you could say it was realistic - down to the ableist approaches everyone took at her. Still, the disability is a mere plot device and handled with the same care as all other plot devices employed. As someone sensitized to the topic, I couldn't help but feel annoyed whenever I was able to cross off another stereotype or trope on my mental checklist. I'm tired of getting served the same old three streotypes in a "heartwarming bonding" trenchcoat.

What everyone else looks at - Plot:
Now, if you don't mind breezing through a couple of standards in good quality and don't specifically care about considerate portrayal of disabilities, this is still a good movie. But... is it?
Plot-wise, they attempted too little in too few time. We have the crime to solve, obviously, that then also has to be negotiated in court. On top of that, our main lead lawyer has to deal with a bunch of issues at home whilst facing a crisis at his job, leading him to also lose his closest friend (whose problems are hinted at as well), all while trying to befriend a girl with autism which he knows nothing about. Said girl obviously has her own struggles, too, which we also get insight into. While all these aspects are connected with each other quite skillfully, the balance between them didn't sit right to me. Neither the crime plot nor the development of the relationship between the two mains got the emphasis they deserved.
If this movie had focused just a little less on portraying something they obviously didn't know how to handle properly, it could have been a great plot with complexity and thoroughly characterised characters.

Tl;Dr - Conclusion:
This was still a good movie, and until approximately the last 20 minutes, I was able to focus fully on what was happening on screen. The way it was filmed and edited really helped to protray atmosphere and emotionality, hence gripping and holding my interest. Whether you will feel the main characters actually form a bond or stay somewhat distant will be up to you. What it's not is a good crime movie or a good representation of disabilities. If you leave your inner detective at home where you also store away your courtroom knowledge, chances are you'll highly enjoy watching.

*PS: I don't hold any firm view on the disability-first vs. person-first debate, hence I used both versions as I saw fit.

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Super entertaining with an amazing soundtrack

The story in itself was entertaining and well-paced. It is kinda reusing very known beats of storylines about knowing and trusting oneself, friendship and overcoming fears. But it does it with a touch of Korean culture, demon hunting magic and with a lot of energic girl power. Truly enjoyable even if I wish some of the relationships would have been explored further, it was enough to convey the overall message of the movie.

The OST is the strongest point of this movie with Golden by Huntrix and Soda Pop by Saja Boys being my faves songs from the movie, but honestly all of them are a vibes and are also kind of echoing very famous KPOP groups. The voice actors and actresses all did a solid job, I particularly appreciated Ahn Hyo Seop voicing Jinu in a super smooth way.

The animations style is not necessarily my favorite but I appreciate how different the characters design of the three members of Huntrix are. I wish the demons and the demon king design were more refined, as well as the fights scenes more varied. At some points the fights seems to all merge into a big battle again the same kind of puppets demons. I loved how colorful everything was and the care brought to the stage costume design for the heroines and the Saja Boys. Very reminiscent of what would actual KPOP stars wear.

I would recommend this to people looking for a very entertaining action anime movie. If you are fan of KPOP or are/have been part of a fandom, it will be for sure an enjoyable watch as there are myriad of references, moments, atmosphere that will resonate in the heart of fans.

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If there is God...

I hope you won’t watch this movie for Christmas. The title, Christmas Carol, may mislead those searching for a film to lift up the holiday spirit. Instead, we are given a gut-wrenching story about a crime that was never properly addressed—one that becomes more and more depressing as the events unfold.

I feel this movie is made for people of faith like me, to provoke our religious ideas about God’s providence, His blessings, forgiveness, and redemption. The film asks: If God is real, how can you believe and trust in Him when He allows such terrible things to happen? But I would say that the pain and anguish we feel in the face of evil are themselves proof that there must be some higher justice. In the end, I really liked this movie, even though I don’t think I will want to watch it again.

The main actor, Park Jin-young, plays both himself and his brother, and he was truly pushed to the limit to authentically express and convey the emotional reality of his characters. The other actors were good as well, but he displayed a rawness of emotion rarely seen on screen. So even if only for his performance, this movie is worth seeing.

Now, let us sing a Christmas carol. Which one is your favourite?

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A Hollow Attempt at Dark Comedy

Not Other Choice” is a film that never justifies its own length.
From the very beginning, it becomes clear that Park Chan-wook does not have a grip on dark comedy. The film mistakes boredom for depth and builds a structure that is scattered, heavy, and unfocused. It tries to criticize everything—family, society, ethics, justice, media—but ends up saying nothing.

The so-called humor is completely absent. Every line feels clumsy, improvised, and painfully forced. After the first thirty minutes, the movie becomes almost unbearable. The characters are surprisingly unlikable—rare for Korean cinema—and the protagonist goes from being laid off to committing murder without any believable motivation.

The attempt to adapt Western satire to a Korean context simply doesn’t work. The values, tone, and moral foundations don’t translate, and the story collapses under its own confusion.
Lee Byung-hun tries, but never looks natural.
Son Ye-jin is the only redeeming element: every scene she’s in carries more emotional truth than the entire script.

In the end, the film feels like a mix of Breaking Bad and Ozark—but with none of the intelligence, tension, or moral clarity that made those works great.

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LOVED IT SO MUCH

I loved the K-drama Love Reset because it offered the perfect blend of heart-fluttering romance, comforting humor, and emotional honesty. From the very beginning, the drama pulled me in with its unusual premise—a couple on the brink of separation forced to rediscover their connection. Instead of following the typical storyline of two strangers falling in love, Love Reset explored what it means to fall in love again with someone you already know deeply, flaws and all. That freshness made every episode feel unpredictable and exciting.
The chemistry between the leads was another huge reason this drama stood out. Their banter felt natural, their emotional moments felt genuine, and even their arguments were filled with a rawness that made the relationship feel real. I found myself rooting for them not because the script told me to, but because their journey made me reflect on how love can evolve, break, and rebuild. Watching them rediscover small things—shared memories, inside jokes, tiny gestures—was incredibly heartwarming.
I also loved how Love Reset balanced comedy with sincerity. The comedic timing was impeccable, offering laugh-out-loud moments that lightened the more emotional scenes. Side characters added warmth and charm without overshadowing the main couple, and the pacing kept me engaged from start to finish.
But what truly stayed with me was the drama’s message: love isn’t only about passion; it’s also about patience, vulnerability, and choosing each other even when it’s difficult. Love Reset reminded me that relationships aren’t perfect, yet they can be beautiful when two people are willing to grow together.
Overall, I loved Love Reset because it made me laugh, made me feel, and ultimately made me believe in second chances.

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Unexpected Treat

What an unexpected treat. This is by far one of the best romances set in high school. The premise is simple enough. Nozomi receives a love letter from Setoyama that is meant for someone else, unbeknownst to Setoyama. Though she initially attempts to clarify, they soon turn into pen pals and the heroine finds herself becoming increasingly ridden with guilt while falling for Setoyama.

Mistaken identity tropes can leave viewers feeling uncomfortable if protracted, especially if left befuddled over when characters' true feelings begin with whom, leading to more dissatisfaction with the outcome. It's safe to say that none of that occurred for me as a viewer here. It was almost a two hour long movie but I really didn't want it to end. The film strikes a nice balance of showing youthful charm without seeming unrealistic. For instance, Nozomi is somewhat shy and introverted like a typical teenage girl, but she's also thoughtful and kind and shows a level of maturity that makes her a very likeable heroine. And I'm happy to report that none of the characters does anything that would send viewers reeling in secondhand embarrassment.

With a pumping soundtrack that also plays a narrative part, it's a film that is an instant pick me up and completely caught me off guard with how endearing the leads are together. Though I had a sense of what the twist may be, it is in no way a detriment to the story. On the contrary, I love that the film gives us subtle hints about the male lead's true feelings and that adds to the charm. Their study session in his room had me giggling like a school girl. It was my first time watching Takahashi Fumiya and he is so charming with the brightest smile that can light up any room.

For such a predicament the heroine finds herself in that is seemingly difficult to resolve, the resolution is reasonable and concludes in a heart warming way. This is truly delightful and for a movie I randomly picked up, I never thought I would love it so much to be compelled to write a review. So freakin' CUTE.

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No matter what everyone say, I loved it.
I have to admit that I'm completely and utterly prejudiced 😂 because takumi kun is literally my first BL ever, it marks my falling into the rabbit hole of the magical BL wonderland, so can't give it less than a 6 ( I actually rated it higher mainly because of the epic slap lol) but my point is, this movie is special.

Now if I have to say how good or bad it is ... It's bad ... Like really bad... Which is why it's actually perfect. lol ... Nope I didn't go crazy just hear me out!... The first takumi kun was out in 2007, and to give the same vibes of the original it has to mimic the old BL style, the slow scenes, the long pauses, the odd story like a puzzle that doesn't fit, the long stares, and of course the kabedon moment... this movie checks all these boxes, making it the perfect nostalgic shitty BL we used to watch and enjoy.

Be that as it may, the movie has a freshness in it, it doesn't look old despite all the similarities I mentioned, I can't put my finger on what exactly gives it this modern feeling but it was good enough to make me enjoy it more.

I know many would disagree, but if you are like me, started BL too early and have good old memories with takumi kun series, you are going to love it.

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Tofu and Money

What a nice movie! House of the Seasons is a slow-paced meditation on a Korean family, portraying one year (from spring to winter) and four generations of family members living together. What we see here is the bond within the family—both in good times and in bad—and the movie also gives us foreigners a glimpse into the traditional Korean way of life. It is mesmerizing to observe and reflect on the traditional rituals and the dynamics between generations. There is a lot of dialogue in the movie, but the best moments for me were the silent portraits of people and nature, filled with gentle music. The changing of the seasons corresponds to the rhythm of family life (spring brings new life and opportunities, while winter points to death and loss). But life is bigger than one year and one generation, and after winter a new spring will come.

I would say that the director did a great job making this movie. It is not for everyone, but it has the potential to become a classic for future generations. The movie isn’t so much plot-driven as it is character-immersive, and the director uses the symbol of tofu to represent the building of a family. In contrast to tofu, there is also the symbol of money, which may divide the family.

I want to eat some tofu now and pray for my family.

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Interesting movie!! 6.83/10

I first saw this movie on an instagram reel, and I am quite a fan of spy themed movies so i started it. The major thing I can takeaway from this movie is how perspective can really change your outlook on life, and how the fl's ordinary life can actually feel exciting even while doing the same things. However the movies ending was a little too underwhelming after some great buildup of suspense, and I was a little disappointed with it. But I think its part of the charm in this movie as it shows that not everything in life goes how we would want it to, but there is a special uniqueness in continuing every boring life. The reason why I give it a 7 is becaues I think its quite relaxing and gives you a break from the current high dopamine fast paced structure of social media, allowing your brain to slow down while being fairly interesting. Yet its not as life changing and value altering as some other dramas, so it will lose a few points. I am a bigger fan of deeper emotional tv shows but I do think this movie achieves its purpose as a mildly funny and ordinary movie.

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Satirical comedy relevant to the times

I thoroughly enjoyed this satirical comedy and its take on the morally questionable use of media in achieving somewhat beneficial political outcomes (if you see the big picture). It explores how carefully scripted narratives are fed to the public, and how the public consumes and proliferates this manufactured reality such that it becomes truth and conviction.

Wonderful comedic timing, well-written script (with dialogues in Korean, Japanese and English, so if you understand all 3 languages it makes this movie even more enjoyable as you are able to pick up the nuances), great acting and great cinematography. My 2 favourite moments were when the South Korean and North Korean air controllers had a stand-off and it switched between a cowboy scene and the control room, and the the poignant moment the South Korean controller received his 'reward'.

This was a good satirical movie relevant for the times where so often we are 'truths' that we can't confidently trust as truths, where madness blends into reality and where we ask ourselves if the truth is worth sacrificing for the greater good.

Recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good satire that tickles the funny bone and has an open view on politics.

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More like ways to ruin a masterpiece

I was lowkey excited at first when the announcement came out but when they first announced the cast i knew it was goin to be a disaster, almost all of the main cast doesn't fit the original character and a LOT of the parts of the story got change, not just it being shorter, they also added lots of unnecessary changes that effects the story like sword to guns?! , bihyung's appearance?, and why does jihye looks old like she's supposed to be 17 and wields a sword not a gun, i mean her constellation is supposed to be a HISTORICAL figure who literally wields a SWORD ,and the title? Bro kim dokja aint a prophet,with what the title is the mc should've been anna croft lmao, so to all the people who doesn't read the manhwa nor the novel who says that the hate is over or unfair and says that its cuz the movies too short to have all of the details , just be silent, i mean if the movie is too short to hv all of the detail then why do they decide to compress all of the information into a 3 hour movie instead making it into a series? And its clear that they didn't put much effort into it and is probably just hoping to ride on to the fame of the actors they casted without considering the fan of the original work , kim dokja would have exploded from madness if he knew that this thing existed.

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Dangerous is correct - read the content warnings before watching

First thing anyone thinking of watching this needs to know is that this is basically 90 mins of P*** with plot!

Without giving spoilers this movie is in no way meant to be a depiction of anything nearing healthy so keep that in mind while watching it. All of the scenes the whole way through have you engage yet always slightly uncomfortable the whole way through - not in an uncanny valley type way but just in a 'this feels illegal to be watching this' kind of way which important because we are in no way meant to be sympathising with the abuser here regardless of his reasons.
I think the story in it was kind of interesting but let's all be real on why we actually finished the movie.

If you're looking for something toxic that is actually entertaining then this is for you but proceed with caution.

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