Reviews

Bad writing: Makes you scratch your head at times and lacks scenes therefore the pacing also sucks

Just rewatched it, I do not remember it being this bad. I don't hate this movie, I like watching flustered adorable faces and I liked seeing Shiina do those. I'm saddened that this is like his third and last romcom. Iirc (1; Antique, 2; Artificial Beauty) Fukada is just again often in her usual unrealistic pouty/"cute" faces.

I don't hate the movie but it is just generally unsatisfying and not immersive, that's why it's bad for me. The romance was lacking. Btw, I have put a lot of spoilers below. And I am also sorry, my 'review' is likely confusing. I have a lot to say and I'm just not good at explaining. I wasn't angry while writing this, just disappointed, a bit annoyed, and confused or baffled.

If you like awkward romance like me, you can get through this.
(I thought such genre would be called pure romance but the term is just its literal definition which imo is just bland, it sounds unexciting )
I don't think I would watch this again for the third time. Maybe I will, to see Shiina's acting here again.

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The writing is terrible, like what do you mean the fictional character you wrote falls in love more because she isn't supposed to. What? Isn't it more like because she's emotionally neglected and have never fell in love for real that she falls in love more.

The love logic or wisdoms the movie mentions are kind of distasteful. Even mentioning 'law of forgotten toys' something, where if someone wants what you didn't want, suddenly you want it. And the female lead says 'love is like that'. I can relate to that but bruh, that's not true love. It's more like realization of the good of the person. In the movie, it showed moments featuring the male lead's reactions referencing that view way before it was mentioned. However, it doesn't work well or properly, because there was only 0.1% chemistry between them that happened before he reacted that way. I am not sure what the movie is saying during those moments. I believe, they were trying to show that he was jealous. Meanwhile, I'm watching and being like; bruh no way, he's probably worried because she's a woman, she's kinda naive and acts brattish (with an understandable reason), and the guy who's approaching her is a two-faced ignorant dude.

I mean, why would he be jealous in those times when there had been nothing yet good shown about her or a moment showing he's catching feelings before. He was just puzzled in the beginning and in the middle, trying to do his job. If anything and I were to rethink, the female lead would be the one catching feelings first when her strong views in love was first challenged---when they had that argument on the boat.

How the female lead writes her 'story' was also stupidly done. The movie wants to show a reality that she actually had written a good story but from the audience's perspective it's dumb---well, the description says it's a 'love comedy' and one of the parts they decided to attribute some of the comedy is to a script within her script that makes little sense. Even the male lead admits some parts were unnatural, but everyone in the end is like, yayy wowweee awesome storyy. The bad writing of her 'good writing' makes the supposed comedy for it, generally unfunny. A few parts, I could see could be laughed at, like the ridiculous appearances of the 'fictional characters' in some 'fictional scenes'.

For clarity; the female lead is writing a story (B) within another story (A). Both stories suck, you really won't care about them or be excited but it still makes you cringe whenever it appears. Story B is supposed to have funny parts, the 'comedy' I was referring to. Story A, is just a melodrama, the romance that happened there kinda makes sense... but let's just dismiss the mentioned reason that heroine in story A fell in love with male lead because she isn't supposed to--- the better and should be reason is that she's in a loveless and 1950s conservative marriage and never fell in love 'for real'.


Another thing, the movie attempted a fake-out. The female lead closes her laptop as she gives up, then a pan to her office without most of her stuff that were present when she closed her laptop. Wait... is the movie telling me she's leaving, going somewhere else far away? Nah, after the almost completed script was approved, we're back to her office and she's there writing for its finale. Girl, what happened? Was there a cut scene? Shouldn't we have been first shown instead that Shiina urgently meets Fukada and let her know of the good news?

Lastly, the confession scene sucks. There was no build up. I mean like, the movie didn't even flesh out further Shiina's feelings near the ending. The confession just seemed random.

Ok next, the main leads: Shiina Kippei and Fukada Kyoko. I am not good at determining the quality of acting. What people find bad acting, I often never thought it was so.

However, Fukada's obviously not good again. The voice she uses is grating to my ears. Regardless, her voice always doesn't convey emotions well when speaking. It was decent in the beginning, her voice wasn't grating---notably, parts where she spoke coldly and clearly conveyed annoyance. But as the movie goes on she's back to her usual low quality. Shiina was alright---like, it's not unsatisfying, it's enough. I love awkward main characters the most and I just love his role in the movie.

Overall, did Shiina's character convince me that he loves Fukada? Yes, but the execution is just so poor.

In the beginning, I don't think he likes her. Especially, when they introduced his 'rival', the movie gives frames of Shiina's uncomfortable face because of that rival to supposedly hint romance but before that, it didn't give us anything that Shiina actually has interest in Fukada. All he has been doing was just his job---including those 'date' scenes, all of it was just for his job. So how could he react like that? If it's because the law of blah blah blah, I find that illogical as I did say that there were no good moments that would bud love from Fukada yet.

In the middle, yes. Bro smiles when Fukada has some establishment take care of his clothes (laundry + new clothes). I cannot tell if it was because of the translation but that action was just random tho. The laundry part and excuse "The assistant of Taniyama should be clean" I get it. However, why would you buy him new clothes? All he did was just watch everything you wrote that he hadn't seen yet. I couldn't make sense of this part but it did not lessen the fact that Fukada has begun budding feelings.

In the end, like I said, the confession was just huh, that's it? Like, what made bro want to confess in that moment?

How about Fukada? It's kinda the same. I have much to say about Shiina's because he had more of the focus. Fukada's character, I think her feelings only began as she saw Shiina's actual genuine efforts to help her, which was the middle.

I don't hate the movie, it had only me stretching my lips like Luffy and scratching my head. And parts that made me do so, I've mentioned here. I love Shiina's character, Fukada's was okay. Both romance and comedy wasn't great. Personally, romcoms are fine even if they aren't actually funny because I just realized something. I realized romcoms are just a type of lighthearted romance and the lighthearted romance is the best part of romcoms for me, not the comedy---Jdrama romcoms only make me laugh a few times.

Overall the movie is not engaging, inadequate to the heart. I don't know how I was satisfied by the ending a few years ago. The movie lacked enough points of which deep dived the internal feelings of the characters. The best scenes for me are just the characters' reactions or the faces they showed.

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"We're all just part of the drama..."

Peking Opera Blues is a classic 1980s Hong Kong film by Tsui Hark. Set around 1911, the film starred Brigette Lin, Sally Yeh, and Cherie Chung as three women with vastly different backgrounds who were thrown together by fate. I'm always happy when women take the main roles and aren't continually shown as helpless victims or sex objects. My kung fu movie loving heart was also happy to see Ku Feng and Wu Ma along with a secret document added to the mix.

Itinerant singer Sheung Hung swipes a box of jewels when the local warlord runs afoul of his men. They’ve learned he can’t pay them because he lost everything gambling with another “general.” Bai Niu works for her father who runs a Chinese opera troupe. She desperately wants to act which enrages her father as women are forbidden from performing. Cho Wan is the daughter of General Cho and has returned from abroad wearing men’s clothes and a cropped men’s haircut saying the style grants her more freedom by keeping people guessing. The women end up working with a rebel who is after proof that General Cho and Yuan Shi Kai are working together in a plot for corrupt power and wealth.

I loved Brigitte Lin in her gender bender outfits. She carried the look off with chic elegance. Her character, Cho Wan, was a boss. Lin expertly showed Cho’s toughness, vulnerability, and also her conflict over betraying her father. Sally Yeh’s Bai Niu had less to do as the frustrated actress wannabe though her turn at Peking Opera was entertaining. Cherie Chung’s Cheung Hung was the weak link for me. I’m going to blame the writers as I enjoyed her performance in 1987’s An Autumn’s Tale. I’m just not a fan of bumbling, selfish, comedic characters. Mark Cheng as the rebel Ling Pak Hoi was handsome and capable in the fight scenes. Speaking of the fights, the martial arts and gun fights were well choreographed but often pushed the bounds of belief. Lastly, Ku Feng flexed his bad guy muscles as Commander Liu.

Behind the action comedy, Cho Wan and Bai Niu pushed gender roles for the early 20th century. It was gratifying to watch a film with three women going after what they wanted and weren't reduced to victims. Tsui Hark wasn’t afraid to tweak historical figures and events with some political satire. There was also the subtle emotional tug that Cho was the idealist and devoted to making China a better place through her actions and sacrifice though whether they amounted to anything remained to be seen.

This is one of those films that wildly mashed story tropes together to see what stuck to the wall--friendship, torture, comedy, action, politics, espionage, Chinese opera, familial love, betrayal, defying boundaries, and even hints of romance. Some of it worked for me, some of it didn’t (Sheung’s “comedic” scenes). I’m not a huge fan of Hong Kong comedy yet I will say one scene had me laughing so hard I almost cried and is the reason I bumped my score up a half point. If you like 1980s Hong Kong films or are a fan of Tsui Hark, this is a film worth giving a try, keeping in mind that the production looks dated. Prior to 1990 so I graded it on a curve.

21 November 2025
Trigger warning: a rather intense torture scene
7.75 could be a 7.5 or an 8.0 in my rating system. I've changed it twice now. lol

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Can’t Get enough of these two!

Within 3 days I finished the whole Cherry Magic 12 episode series + 2 SP and the movie. Turns out I can’t get enough of these two as a couple. They are so very sweet together. They are kind and respectful towards each other, show patience, genuine care, and don’t play games. They have their moments of hiding how they really feel but it’s not done out of game playing. They are both sincere. Especially Kurosawa- his love from the beginning is inspiring. What I like about this movie is that even though there are hurdles along the way like Adachi being transferred for 8 months to Nagasaki to become a sales manager and start up the company branch there, and gets into an accident, it all serves to strengthen their bond and relationship. It isn’t drama just for the sake of having conflict. In fact, other than these two things and meeting each other’s family, the movie doesn’t have a whole lot of conflict- in other words, it depicts a good relationship that is blossoming and blooming without drama. A relationship without drama is a good sign! That’s actually what I love about this movie. Even Adachi being sent to Nagasaki for 8 months served to make him more responsible and take on more responsibility and step up to the plate, and Adachi’s accident (though he wasn’t physically hurt) also served as a reminder of impermanence and just the fact that they didn’t contact Kurosawa upon hearing the news, and that motivated them to take the next step forward to meeting each others’ families to become part of each others’ families. I was almost bracing for some horrible conflict like someone dies, and for me to be left clutching my heart J drama style, but that moment never came- it was smooth sailing and even ended on a wedding- like scene even though I don’t think gay marriage is legal in Japan, well this is an anime story so it’s legal in this world! I love it. I love their romance, their love, their relationship.

Cherry Magic gives you something this world rarely offers:
a vision of love without chaos.
No trauma bonding.
No narcissistic hooks.
No ego theatrics.
Just two people who show up for each other without forcing anything.

I saw the power in that and sensed what it means for a relationship to deepen through gentleness instead of crisis.
And because this world is characterized by egoic love, seeing a story that doesn’t do that feels almost unreal, like a parallel world with different physics.

My only gripe is that they didn’t show the two kissing- no smooching needed, just that still kiss they do in the Japanese dramas, but alas there was none. I get that either the actors (especially Eiji Akaso) were uncomfortable with it, or it’s maybe a censor issue in Japan for a same sex couple to kiss? But that’s what we BL fans are here for! That elevator hidden kiss at the end of the series as the doors were closing was iconic. Kurosawa is so badass, and Adachi is so handsome and sweet. Ahhhhh. The lack of overt kissing, the soft, almost shy portrayal of intimacy: Japanese dramas excel at this. They understand that the sacredness of a connection doesn’t need to be shoved in your face. In a way, it keeps the romance suspended in that pure emotional frequency that I love so much, even if part of me wanted just one more quiet kiss to seal the moment.

And it was refreshing to see that the families accepted their son’s partner eventually- they didn’t storm off in a tantrum.. even that part was compassionate and those characters show restraint and emotional maturity. The families in Cherry Magic behaved in a way the world rarely does: they didn’t weaponize shock, they didn’t collapse into melodrama, and they didn’t turn love into a battlefield. They felt the discomfort, processed it, and then chose connection over ego. That restraint, that quiet willingness to grow, carries an emotional dignity I’ve rarely seen reflected in this world. That’s why this pure love lives in an alternate universe and I’m here for that.

For someone who has given up on human love and romance long ago, this Cherry Magic story has turned me into a pile of mush- this is like an alternate reality that shows that in some other reality, this kind of pure love is possible, and I am inspired by that. Daisuki!

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Fairytale without the "fairytale" theme

Hanazawa Hinana (Hashimoto Kanna) is a highschool student whose main focus is to study. They are not a well-off family, so she strives to be at the top of her class, even giving up her hobby of playing the piano. Meanwhile, Ayase Kaede (Katayose Ryota) is an ex-member of the idol group "Funny Bone". Now a famous actor, his face can be seen everywhere. When their school asked for students to play as extras for a movie, Hinana bumped into Kaede. And that's how their love story began.

I stumbled upon this movie on Netflix, thinking it would be a fun watch. If you thought it would have a sort of fairytale-like story/vibe like Cinderella, then you might be wrong. It is a fairytale without the essence of being a fairytale. I guess an idol being in a relationship with a regular person is the "fairytale" in the story, but it didn't capture the essence of what a fantastical love story should be. The story progressed too slowly; every scene was essentially the same, just in different locations. It was not a hard watch, but it would be if you were expecting a different type of challenge for the couple when it comes to this trope. The casting was great; even the supporting cast gave colour to the movie. If the story was written differently, I think it would be a better romantic movie.

じゃあね

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this was too short & it felt like there were areas that needed more exploration / light for this to maybe be really good. this was ok & had potential, the acting was good - so bummer.

1st off everyone assuming An Sung Woo was the older brother, i don't think so - either way what happened to the other 10 boys that were adopted?!? was the mothers mental issues too much to handle?! wont blame them considering the husband/father wasn't ready to stick around & left his sick wife for his young son to handle. & that would also explain An Sung Woo's automatic animosity towards Lim Ji Hoon, why play nice with someone that wont stick around?!? no need to put on an act when they were alone - that's why he told him to do it in front of mother.... cause they were all putting on an act for her mental health. that's also the reason for all the adoptions.

given An Sung Woo's family situation i aint shocked he wasn't ready to dump that baggage on Jae Min, maybe fearing he would run like his own father did. while Jae Min wanted that they share more then physical intimacy. ironic that avoiding telling him about his family, still made Jae Min leave.

given what Sung Kyu's Father told Lim Ji Hoon at the door makes me wonder what problems did he have in his previous home? orphanage?!? did he know that Lim Ji Hoon was gay? were the 'boys' he mentioned, Lim Ji Hoon's ex-partners that got caught? or were they bullies, that found out his secret & were causing him trouble?!? can guess at his life before coming to the An household, but his 'clocking' Sung Woo made it clear that it was the case of 'it took one to know one' - think even Sung Woo figure this out.
given Ji Hoon's age (that means u usually don't get adopted) i aint shocked that he was ready to do anything to stay in that house in-spite of the mental issues of one & the animosity of the other. but i guess other then realizing Sung Woo was gay, he was also attracted to him. but then i wonder what was that look about when Sung Woo kissed him before leaving for school?!? that look left me wondering, did he pull Sung Woo into the shower cause he felt the mutual attraction ,or he could use that to stay in that house? but it didn't look like Sung Woo was gonna try & push him out, he needed someone to shoulder the burden that was his mother. like i said this needed more.... so i could really enjoy what i watched. it was ok on a whole but one off

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My November 2025 recommendation

Watched this for my Recommendation Challenge from 𝑨𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒂𝑻𝒉𝒆𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒓𝑿

"Even If" is a short film that sheds light on school bullying and excessive violence, while also highlighting the struggles faced by LGBT individuals in a judgmental society.

It tells the story of May and Cin—two close friends who fall for each other.

The only problem? They’re both girls. And as teenagers, that alone makes their relationship a target. At first, their friends seem supportive—or at least stay silent.

But things change when Tae, a charming new student, arrives and starts teasing them. His influence makes the other girls, who are drawn to him, begin bullying May and especially Cin. The pressure builds, day after day.

So how does their relationship hold up in the end?
Can May and Cin survive the judgment of those around them?
Or will they break apart under the weight of fear, shame, and constant bullying?

That's pretty much the story without giving anymore spoilers. In the end this truly highlights the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community—especially for young people trying to love openly in an unaccepting world.

For just 27 min, it’s really worth your time to watch it…

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Dreams really do come true

Tsui Hark's love letter to the classic screwball comedy and giddy genre mash-ups of Classical Hollywood, it's impossible not to be carried along by Shanghai Blues' delirious rush of silliness and delightfully vibrant mix of slapstick, sweetness, and song. Pure magic from beginning to end. As always with this tireless filmmaker, the pace never lets up, and the screen is constantly awhirl with colourful movement. Thanks to the persistent abuse of the starburst filter and soft focus at every opportunity, the cartoonish slapstick is balanced with carefully crafted set pieces and a sincere wistfulness beneath a youthful touch of punkish anarchism. The screenplay shamelessly deploys fate to manipulate events into a pleasing narrative, while the actors deliver their lines in a manner reminiscent of American pre-code cinema. The trio of likeable leads does a marvellous job guiding us through the insanity, heightened to the point of satire, that ensues throughout Shanghai Blues. Meticulously crafted and saturated in vivid colour, this is a world where even the most lofty dreams can come true.

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Suffocatingly Unfunny

The film truly had nothing to say, but attempting to mine gross out humor from the incest concept. I felt horrible for Rin from the beginning to the end having to put up with a creepily invasive and controlling male family member her whole life because he and his father are the only family she has left in the world. Due is awful and selfish and his disgusting behavior towards her is of course enabled by his friend and even his boss. The writing is self aware enough with Due's rash out of nowhere reveal to her that they aren't family, his mind only about being able to date her, while to her she just found out she never had a nephew and brother in law in the first place. Regardless of the truth of them not being blood related, they were still raised as family and she only ever saw them as such. There was never once at any point of the film that establishes that Rin felt anything other than familial towards Due. The ending is even left open ended because they know it's weird that she would ever date him and he just acts the same instead of making it clear he will treat her as just family from now on. There is no point that the film makes either way. The side character of the guy that's obsessed with her is also extremely unfunny. His aggressively unwanted, intrusive advances are really no different than Due aside from the fact that she can't get away from Due because he's family. It's sad that she never even got to try dating the cute college guy that liked her and she also liked back. I'm glad she went off to England to study though, at least she did something for herself though she did miss the family that she grew up with.

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According to the info on GagaOOLala's page for this film, it was screened at several festivals and won the 2021 Korean Association of Film Critics Awards for Best New Actor; and rightfully so.

I found it to be a solid film, with a well-written script, fine acting and overall thoughtful design choices. It's "slice-of-life" in the sense that we only see the turning point in the protagonists' lives, with only hints of what happened before and an indication of what will happen after the ending credits.

The ending that doesn't tie everything up with a nice and neat bow is a suitable choice for the underlying universal themes of the film: the fragility of life, the struggle to find what you want and can do, the importance of listening and trying to understand.
And while it is a film that talks about themes that concern every human being in this earth, it also picks up topics specific to life as a gay man (some of them stereotypically so), and as such it is very much a gay film.

And even with all of these heavy themes, the characters are what bring the film to life and give it a wonderfully light optimism. Both Bongshik and Haneul are extremely likeable and realistically written characters, who get a decent bit of character growth in the one-and-a-half hour of the film's runtime.

Was it good?
I think so, I loved the actors' performance and the mix of lightness with heavier themes.

Did I like it?
It made me laugh and cry with the characters, which is always a good sign.

Would I recommend it?
Yes! It might not be the world's most groundbreaking film, but it's a solid production.

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