just so beautiful s every way posssible
ok, I definitely wasn’t expecting this. I usually don’t watch romance dramas, because the FLs are always immature, but this drama is definitely what dreams are made of.I loved that it not only focuses on the main couple, but also their drive and commitment to Kyudo, and how it brings them closer. I thought that both leads were mature, as well as very passionate. I loved watching this. this drama is definitely a hidden Gem with subtle cute moments that give me hope in real love. definitely underrated, though maybe it’s for the best if Goblin is the standard, when it really shouldn’t be. Make a Bow and Kiss should 100% be the standard. I would rewatch this, and majority of the dramas I’ve seen, I would never rewatch.
This drama is sublime💜
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A great surprise
Sometimes movies and tv shows are a case of the “whole is not greater than the sum of its parts”. A great cast with a not so great story and bland characters won’t shine. My Precious is thankfully not like that. I came into the movie thinking it would be a lighthearted first love story with a cast of young actors I already knew and liked. I started it aware that Tong and Lin would not end up together, so I was not hoping for the happily ever after. That might have contributed to the fact that, for me, My Precious was such a positive surprise. The story might not be groundbreaking, but I enjoyed the full 2 hours and the cast was fantastic.Was this review helpful to you?
Prepare yourself to cry
I came across this movie almost 10 years ago, when I was finishing high school and was feeling gloomy about my future. I decided to watch it because of one specific scene I saw on Tumblr, instantly I knew this would make me cry my eyes out and that was exactly what I needed at that point, but it also made me cheer up. The movie starts quite cheerful and it feels just like another high school love story, until all the characters personal issues starts to unfold, and it shows that everyone is living ther rainy days. However, by the end of it we realize that, despite of our decisions and actions in the past, no matter how bad they were, there's always a chance to become a better person and overcome those reiny days.By the way, Nozomi Sasaki's acting in this movie is just amazing, she swings perfectly from cute to dramatic without overdoing it.
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Not Your Typical Fairytale
From the synopis, one would think that the movie would follow the 'Sleeping Beauty' trope. That couldn't be farther from the truth!I like how the stage is set for the characters in the beginning. Once the ball was rolling, all the characters did an amazing job in giving justice to the plot. The character development is well paced throughout the story. My ratings are short of 10 just because I don't like sad endings.
The music was excelent. It gives the movie its fairytale vibes and is a nice touch to have it as part of the narration.
Rewatch value gets a 5 since I rarely rewatch movies, even if they were amazing😅. It will depend on you.
All in all, a good watch especially if you're in a lull between dramas
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Frederic Chopin's heart and the journey in the grief
The film is beautifully shot, and the cinematography is natural and serene. The director is very impressive with her film experience. The scenes are not arranged chronologically, as they are like a journey through the feelings and desires of a human being regardless of age.An unquestionable value of the film is Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising, which became the setting for the heroine's inner and spiritual journey. Frederic Chopin's heart, praying for the dead and giving someone’s life for his homeland become a motif that transforms her internally. The most important question of the story is whether it is possible to live after death. Is death the total devastation of everything we have?
We observe two stories, linked by the same theme of self-sacrifice. One story is about the grief of a wife, the other is about the grief of a boy after the death of his closest friend.
Not many words are said here, but the intensity of feelings engages the viewer every minute.
The music is beautiful.
I recommend it to anyone who loves deep stories in a minimalist style.
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Larger-than-life tragedy about... work health and safety?
Yuu, when we first meet him, is in a state of misery. He works at his village's mega waste facility as a garbage sorter by day and illegal waste dumper by night, coerced into the work due to his mother's gambling addiction. His life takes a turn for the better when his childhood friend, Misaki, moves back to the town. The two share a love of Noh: an important tradition in the village.From the start, the stakes are clear: environmental destruction, worker exposure to deadly hazards, and deep corruption among local authorities. In many respects, this film could have been a documentary. The tale it tells is one currently happening around the world.
But to avoid banality and hitting too close to home, the film's creators have opted for a larger-than-life tragedy approach to the story. The result is a high quality production with beautiful cinematography, especially the shots focussing on the Noh tradition of the village. Unfortunately, this comes at a cost to narrative cohesion, character development, and pacing.
The split focus of The Village means it ultimately fails to pack a punch. While it does have a strong tragedy element that explores the morally ambiguous nature of coerced labour, the supporting characters are just a little too underdeveloped to make it work. Maybe give this reel a sharp edit and try again.
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Dark, rough, real film 18+ I got inside and despite all the evaluation criteria for me 10 I liked the most acting two characters. In the opening photo it looks like they are playing teenagers, but it's a story about adults. At the time of filming 34 -year -old singer and actor Okura Tadayoshi and 26 -year -old model and actor Narita Ryo, who totally got me by portraying the character Imagas, which I initially perceived rather antagonne (find myself, have the courage to accept who I really am .
Tento oceněný japonský film, natočený zčásti dle mangy, je pořádný záhul do nezměrných hlubin lidské duše, lidských osudů a naprosté spletitosti vztahů a sexuální orientace. Tak hodnotný snímek pro vykreslení těchto vlastností s gay tematikou jsem ještě neviděl. Ano, nemusí se třeba některým méně vnímavým divákům nebo těm, co si nedokážou příběh poskládat a uvědomit si souvislosti, líbit natolik jako mě, ale myslím, že těm, kteří se vcítí do příběhu přes své vlastní životní zkušenosti, bude sedět jak prdel na hrnec.
Temný, drsný, reálný film 18+ se mi vryl do nitra a přes veškerá kritéria hodnocení pro mě 10 se mi nejvíce líbily herecky hlavní dvě postavy. Na úvodní fotce to vypadá, jako že hrají náctiletí, ale je to příběh o dospělcích. V době natáčení 34 letý zpěvák a herec Okura Tadayoshi a 26 letý model a herec Narita Ryo, který mě naprosto dostal tím, jak ztvárnil postavu Imagase, kterou jsem zezačátku vnímal spíše antagonně (najít sebe sama, mít odvahu přijmout to, kým ve skutečnosti jsem, bojovat předem prohraný boj o lásku svého života a případně přijmout prohru ...), ale kdoví ... více neprozradím.
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Moc poutavý příběh, dýchla na mě LIDSKOST. Hezké herecké výkony včetně dívky. Protivná matka (z hlediska příběhu). Celé laděno a zpracováno komorně, moc pěkný žážitek. Hodně jsem sledoval postavu Rinko. Tôma Ikuta transženu zahrál se vší pokorou, pátral jsem a nedávno se oženil. Spokojenost. Určitě doporučuji především těm, co mají rádi japonské filmy a dokáží je pochopit. Film zvítězil v různých kategoriích na filmových festivalech v Udine, Helsinkách, New Yorku, Madridu, Tel Avivu, Lisabonu, Berlíně, Quezon City a v Kolíně nad Rýnem.
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Just a nice movie
Directed by comedian Park Sung-kwang, this is played for laughs, but as such all ideas feel half-baked, with no one really putting in the effort. It feels a throwback to 90s US comedies, where all characters are caricatures, rather than rounded individuals. As such, you struggle to really feel much for any of them. The plot is rushed and glosses over details, and you spend the whole film knowing which way this will go.There isn't much here that hasn't been done before, with the main focus being on how its lead is a bit slow. Park is suitably gormless as Woong-nam, but doesn't offer a huge amount as Yung-hak, with the supporting cast hamming it up a little too much in parts. Woong-nam's mannerisms feel straight out of the Stephen Chow school of “Kung-fu Hustle”, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but is unoriginal a couple of decades along; as is the “Drunken Master” parody.
And this is “Bear Man's” problem. The comedy, story and special effects largely belong back in the 90s, and feel very outdated in this day and age. They do produce some laughs, but they're hidden in some very simplistic comedy; and Yung-hak's take down does have some good fight choreography, while also providing some of the film's stronger comedy moments.
If there is anything new on offer here, it is the comment of how Mal-bong's social media is a greater news source than mainstream media, with the police reliant on it. But this fails to place itself as a central theme, and so is perhaps incidental rather than social commentary.
You can grow into this as it progresses, and it's entertaining enough, but is very limited by its own lack of effort. It puts in little, so asks little of you in return. Popcorn fodder? Yes. But you can find much better options out there.
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Rewatch value at its least
HAHA so here i am writing a review after watching it in 2022 and rewatching 2 months ago. I would say, although everyone seems iffy about the ending, i loved it (because it made me cry and i love shows that make me cry).Beware tho, i wouldnt recommend rewatching. Im sure youve watched this and though 'oh rewatch value is def high' well sorry to break it to you, but not so much. I watched this over a year after i first did. Although my eyes did get teary, no single tear dropped. I wish i could go back to when i first watched it because it got me SOBBINGG. What im trying ti say is, if your watching this for the first time, SAVOUR the moment lmfao
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The BEST LDK version and cutest love story you'll see.
This is the sweetest young love story you'll see. I also watched so many of these Japanese movies and this is truly up there with the best ones out of them.There's absolutely nothing new with the script. We have seen it thousands times: insecure cute girl falls for " the bad boy " at her school, a love triangle ensue , he begins to fall in love with who she's as a person. This has been done million of times but what makes this movie stand out and so much loved and the BEST LDK version ( sorry Kento), it's the chemistry of Mone, Sugino and Ryusei. Especially the chemistry between Mone and Sugino and the fact that they're still amazing friends till this day ( they're currently doing a TBS program... that's literally almost 5 years after the drama ended), have supported each other projects throughout the years.. just warm my heart. Beautiful love story and well acted. Give it a try. I have been a big fan of these 3 since this movie and loved how each of them are so successful today.Was this review helpful to you?
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Cute short series
We mustn’t compare this with a 16 hours long series, it’s just 2 hours long. I liked it, I think it’s cute. The story is simple.I think the theme is important (in a country that’s just starting) to be open for LGBTQ+. The music and other media industry can play a big role in acceptance.
I never in my live heard about OnceOneOf (OOO) before. I like the main song, I have it on Spotify now.
I like the acting too, especially from Nine (JiHoon) and Mill (Eden). The characters suit them.
About the end: it’s a 15+ age series, for teens. It doesn’t need kissing. It gave us a promise. That’s enough for a series like this I think. It also has a good counter role in the new vibe of throwing in more and more nudity etc. in BL series.
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A perpetual coming of age
Honestly, I'm still not 100% sold on whether one can really call Ainu Mosir a coming-of-age film. It follows teen Kanto as they try to figure out their Ainu identity. Yet, I would argue, this has very little to do with the childhood-to-adult convention of usual coming-of-age stories. Or, perhaps, that the age distinction is simply irrelevant.Kanto is far from the only one in the Ainu village community who is struggling with their identity. Debo, for an adult example, struggles in his own way with his Ainu identity, He expresses his uncertainty even as he tries to impress on Kanto the importance of being Ainu. Arguably, Debo too is undergoing a coming-of-age process.
What this film does well is sit in discomfort. I agree with JennyStuckOnThatRooftop's review in that I believe this film refrains from "judging". However, I don't think it's offering social commentary per se. It's more observational in its style and while there is certainly deliberate framing at play, I wouldn't go as far to say that's it editorialising. Instead, it allows for messy nuances and seeming contradictions to unravel on screen.
Sure, it's a quiet film as far as dialogue is concerned. But I found it noisy viewing: you can clearly hear the characters' thoughts among the rainfall or the crunch of snow. No one seems to really know their place in the world but they exist regardless.
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Filming standard à la Hollywood meets melodramatic narrative, emotionally firmly rooted in SK soil
“The Moon” could have easily been titled “The Dark Side of the Moon”. At least we as audience learn quite something about it... But it's actually about much more. The KMovie is delivering action within the high-tech world of space travel. On top of that it is touching, thought-provoking and thus gnawing at fundamental, existential and political questions, too. We get a remarkably balanced production between ´international´ filming standards à la Hollywood and a melodramatic narrative with its emotional roots firmly planted in South Korean soil. So eventually, this lunar expedition is neither/nor, as this KMovie offers something in between. For hard-core fans of Hollywood blockbusters it might be offering too much melodrama. For the hard-core KMovie fan it might not be enough. Well, I simply enjoyed it as the lunar expedition as it is.The focus is on the ambitious national program that South Korea has recently set up in terms of space research (you may check side note below). With its technological innovations, South Korea is starting to present itself as an increasingly self-confident G7 space power. That is where this story is coming from. And it is against this background that the particularly high level of filmmaking effort must be seen, by which the experience of space is brought almost hyper-real within the audience's grasp.
The special ambience is staged first-class thanks to the applied highly developed audiovisual filming technology and expertise. Seemingly, the production team has spared no effort or expense - with 3D rig camera recordings, premium HDR video technology, Dolby Cinema technology (for the first time in a KMovie), innovative spatial audio technology and sophisticated rendering processes for the finest color nuances. The demand was for high-end cinema quality. And it is surely impressive. Everything in this distant, highly technological, alien world, far way within the orbit of the moon, comes as close to the audience as it can get.
Despite the enormous spatial distance, dense emotional intensity is provided, even though the protagonists are located so far away from each other. This delicate emotional bridging, requiring high-end performance skills, has been the big challenge on the actors´ side. In addition to the proven, first-class veterans Sol Kyung-gu and Kim Hee-ae on the ground at the rather clinically clean setting with high-tech computers and screens of both Aerospace Centres Naro and NASA, especially Doh Kyung-soo (D.O.) offered magnificent top performance as an astronaut lost in space. Mainly those three create and maintain an impressively emotional density (in addition to the overall action).
The plot of "The Moon" revolves around South Korea´s international profile as capable space power, while the eyes of the world are set on their (fictive) second trial of a manned lunar mission. Whereas unfortunately it didn't work out the first time... It's also about politics and tons of money. And in the end, it's all about survival... or rather, whether a human's life in the face of groundbreaking missions for humankind is worth ignoring chains of command, nationalities and costs.
Breathless action on unusual terrain. Intense scenes in an isolated space capsule 380,000 km away from earth, surrounded by darkness and severe cold. Desperate helplessness. The struggle for the 'right' decision – what´s actually the measure of what is right? Maybe ultimately just what I can live with in the end?
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SIDE NOTE: --- KSpace ---
Korean movie oder drama productions set in space have so far been few, and for good reason. The KMovie “The Moon” from 2023 as well as i.e. the KDramas “The Silent Sea” (from 2021) and “Ask the Stars” (planned for 2023) are, so to speak, a start. They reflect current (or better: hoped for further) developments regarding KSpace.
After rather unsuccessful endeavors at the beginning of the new millennium, South Korea as the 13th country to have its own space center by now, is increasingly well positioned in the KSpace segment. 2021 was marking the first attempt to launch their own test satellites into the orbit by their launch vehicle Nuri, which had been developed over the past ten years. Yet it failed. Nevertheless, in 2022 and 2023 it succeeded at last. Three more Nuri launch vehicles are already scheduled to be launched into orbit by 2027. According to the plans of the country and the Korea Aerospace Research Institut (KARI) at Naro space center, South Korean spacecraft will be collecting data on the moon in 2032 already. Additionally, the country has Mars scheduled for 2045.
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This essay cannot explain the film's title...who is the rebel?
Watching an unheralded short film is always a gamble. Quality can be erratic, especially given the prevalence of student films in the form. Rebel Heart is a short BL film (26 minutes) released by Iamzee Studios in October 2023. Since the closing credits list “Zee” as the scriptwriter, director, and OST singer, one conjectures this project is some kind of a self-financed production conceived by the studio’s namesake. Whether it is a student film or a vanity project, it displays the earmarks of films of that ilk: low budget, rough production values, and a less-than-professional feel. Every contributor listed in the closing credits is identified only by a single name. As of the date I watched the film, two weeks after its release, the MDL page for Rebel Heart contained a skimpy plot summary but absolutely no information regarding the cast, the director, or anyone else. Nothing that might speak to the pedigree within the film industry of the creative team behind the project. Deprived of any information that that might inform expectations regarding production value, actors’ ability, or director’s nous, I set the bar of expectation to "amateur." Despite that low level, I forged ahead with an open mind.A short film has three basic jobs: to hook the audience right away via compelling character or an intriguing story, to sustain their interest long enough for some problem to be solved or examined, to deliver an ending that at the very least enables the viewer to walk away without concluding their time has been wasted. Rebel Heart checked one of those three boxes but whiffed on the other two. Though often shaky, the production value proved better than I expected. Grudgingly, I concede the film satisfied the minimal expectations I had. The story was messy, chaotic in the telling, and lacked the crispness one would expect from polished filmmakers. But if (and I do not KNOW the answer) those associated with Rebel Heart churned out a homemade or student film, then this result counts as a respectable effort--and rookies deserve our eyeballs and understanding. Who should watch? For starters, BL fans who regard themselves as completists can go ahead and track down this short film on YouTube. Rebel Heart will pass muster for a 30 minute investment of time. Others should proceed only if they seek it out full of goodwill for low budget results and full of tolerance for touches of messiness. Perfectionists will be frustrated.
The opening scene offered a solid start. High school student Lucas (Bug) speaks directly to camera. He will narrate chunks of the film via voiceover. His first comments lament the loneliness of being a third-wheel in his own friend group, and the resultant sense of not belonging that follows from that. Since almost all of us have at least a passing acquaintance with being a third wheel, these opening lines rather deftly draw the viewer to empathize with Lucas. Thus, Rebel Heart successfully hooks its audience within the first minute via their identification with lonely Lucas. The self-described Third Wheel then segues into a history of his friendship with Ben (Burdy) and Emma (Ami). Lucas and Ben met as high school freshman and became fast friends. The film was billed as BL, and Lucas rather clearly likes Ben as more than a friend. Fearing rejection if this crush broke into the open, Lucas did his best to conceal it. Ben’s feelings toward Lucas are a cipher at this stage, which makes sense because the point of view reflects Lucas’s understanding of their situation. The opening monolog provides a solid introduction to the lead character, and the central problem appears to be clear: how will Lucas resolve his sense of alienation? Since that is a universal theme for a high school-set story, the short film appeared to have launched itself successfully.
The arrival of new student Emma during Ben’s and Lucas’s senior year disrupted the duo’s routines. Emma, whose dialog is exclusively in English (whether spoken by her or to her), clearly fancies Ben, and her attentions account for the sense of exclusion endured by our suffering hero Lucas. Stolid wingman that he is, Lucas facilitates the putative couple’s chances to spend time alone together by removing himself from their company whenever Emma sidles up to Ben. Lucas clearly resents the loss of his closest friend’s sole attention, and via voiceover, he expresses the film’s central problem, “It hurts to see the person you care about the most choose someone else over you.” I think this premise provided Rebel Heart with a solid foundation to build a short film around. High school alienation stories have floated around forever, and coming out stories are nowadays commonplace. But their very ubiquity demonstrates confirms the appeal of these tropes. A small, compact story with seemingly minor stakes will still resonate with an audience if it is told well. With only twenty-five minutes to tell the whole tale, why complicate the narrative with unnecessary grandeur?
Unfortunately, the film abandons the viable love triangle premise within ten minutes. Rotating into the compact time frame arrives not one new story arc, but two. First, a montage/pastiche of boy-romances-boy-in-one-day scenes. Second, a preachy coming-out-to-family sequence that both extolls the virtue of loving queer sons and brothers and fails to track in internal logic. I shall omit the plot specifics of these replacement arcs, but the details include a confession by Lucas to Ben, a confession by Ben to Lucas, a kissing scene performed and filmed more convincingly than many BL series manage to do, a bizarre adventure in a mall (see Random Thoughts below for highlights), an angry, homophobic father rejecting his son over some photos he happens to have seen on his phone (from whom? of what?), a mother talking dad down from his bigoted dudgeon, a happy family reconciliation, and an outsider (Ben) interjecting himself into the Lucas’s family turmoil despite meeting them for the first time. (Wait, weren’t these guys best buddies for three years? The parents hadn’t previously met their child’s closest friend?) Oh, I forgot to mention the hitman. No, not an assassin. A bully hired to hit people. (You’ll have to watch. Spoilers.) That’s an awful lot to cram into fifteen minutes, and perhaps Rebel Heart feels overstuffed at the end. I finished the film with the sense that if the story had mined the pathos of the lonely kid for all the inherent potential in that initial Third Wheel premise, it might have told a thoughtful, touching story and still been able to inject some commentary on coming out and acceptance.
Short films can seldom conceal the constraints of low-budget filmmaking, and Rebel Heart suffers in some technical aspects. Curious jump cuts reflect questionable editing skills and mask abrupt jumps in narrative direction. The audio mixing during street scenes swallowed the dialog in spots. Nevertheless, I am willing to tolerate such flaws from a production with clearly limited resources, and none of these problems become egregious. Director Zee did a good job of positioning his camera for each scene, and the mix of close-ups to longer shots was effective. If Rebel Heart is Zee’s fledgling effort, that strong opening at least suggests the director understands how to pinpoint universal themes in human experience and emotion. Recognizing value in the telling of a small tale and understanding when to let ambition expand scope and grandeur will be their next challenge.
Random thoughts:
• One nice touch: Lucas opens the film wearing a T-shirt reading “Love Sick.” Whether this slogan represents a subtle nod toward the 2014 series that launched the BL craze in Thailand or a subtle clue regarding Lucas’s inner head space, the shirt helps to frame the emotional stakes.
• One not so nice touch: Ben breaks up with Emma via text and then immediately blocks her. She absolutely earned the dumping on her own merits, but that is never a classy way to exit a relationship. Besides, a face-to-face telling off not only satisfies the demands of chivalry, such a confrontation delivers a much more satisfying jolt of audience satisfaction to boot. She does reappear, but the ensuing confrontation was disappointingly clunky in execution.
• Scenes set at Bangkok's big malls feel like a required element in the telling of a high school story, so perhaps it was inevitable Lucas and Ben traipsed through one on their big day together. The more curious events included trying on clothes only to flee in a full sprint from the store for no apparent reason and crashing a wedding reception while a random bride and groom sang of their love for one another. More traditional activities included a flirty stroll through the lobby of a muliplex cinema.
• The singing marital party certainly felt out of place. Since the credits list Zee as a singer, perhaps the director inserted himself into the picture? If so, confident move, Mr Hitchcock.
• Later, the boys navigate through a cinema lobby where the onesheet poster for the Barbie movie will forever situate this film's production in mid-2023.
• Aside from Emma, Lucas’s Dad also speaks only in English, and other characters speak to him only in English as well. I don’t have a point. It just stuck out to me.
• As did the slight southern drawl in Dad’s accent. The homophobia spewing out of Dad sounded more authentic with that regional twang. American gays will flinch in recognition.
• Ben addresses Lucas’s parents as Mr Evans and Mrs Evans. That politeness makes Ben the first kid since the 1980s who resorted to formal titles rather than first names with the (American) parents of his friend. As a child of the ‘80s myself, I kind of appreciated this touch.
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