Reviews

A Heartfelt Journey Through Nostalgia and Connection

Movie Review: Tune in for Love

I stumbled upon **Tune in for Love** on a particular day and at just the right moment, and it was truly what I needed. The film resonated with me deeply, creating an emotional experience that I won’t soon forget. I've found that my mind is now beautifully intertwined with its themes and atmosphere, fostering a sense of nostalgia that I know will lead me to rewatch it many times.

Every scene feels cozy and warm, inviting you to relive the moments along with the characters. It’s the kind of movie that stays with you long after the credits roll, shaping cherished memories. If you're seeking a heartfelt story that encapsulates a perfect blend of emotion and nostalgia, I highly recommend giving **Tune in for Love** a watch. You won’t regret it.

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A Good Comedy-Family Movie

Godspeed is a comedy-family road movie that follows Wan Yifan as he meets his girlfriend Zhou Weiyu's parents for the first time during a trip to her hometown for her grandfather's 80th birthday. We tag along on Wan Yifan's chaotic quest to impress Zhou Weiyu's father along the way.

As a comedy, this movie nails it with plenty of hilarious moments that had me laugh. Honestly, 'chaos vibes' comedy isn't usually my thing, but surprisingly, I enjoyed every messy mishap they went through on this trip.

That said, as a road movie, for me it doesn't fully deliver. I was hoping for deeper character development across the cast, like you'd expect from the genre but it's not the case here.

Otherwise, the actors, especially the duo of Fan Chengcheng and Qiao Shan did a good job bringing their characters to life.

In the end, Godspeed is a good comedy-family film that not only delivers laughs but also hits you with some genuine emotional moments.

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I really enjoyed Marry My Dead Body, but the Thai version was even funnier and way queerer than the original. I absolutely loved it. It managed to balance vulnerability, complexity, and genuine laughs while smartly exploring themes like identity, sexuality, acceptance, and unfair social norms.

Even though some scenes are hilarious, it’s not just a comedy. At its core, it’s a human drama with surprisingly moving and profound moments that made me cry, get angry, and reflect on a lot of things. Meen and Titi are forced to face realities neither of them wanted, and in doing so, they form a deeply intimate connection. In many ways, they’re true soulmates.

But the real scene-stealer is Titi’s grandmother, Piyamas. She’s always been his rock, his biggest supporter, his fiercest ally. Her love for him is unconditional. Two of my favorite moments are when Titi finally understands the reasons behind his father’s actions, and when Meen builds a deep bond with Titi’s father and grandmother, who welcome him as part of the family.

The whole cast delivers solid performances, but Billkin and PP completely own every scene they’re in, whether together or apart. They’re both outstanding actors, and I’d love to see them on screen more often. On top of that, their chemistry is exceptional. There’s a rare kind of synchronicity, honesty, and affinity between them that makes all their characters unforgettable. Highly recommended.

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Reminds me of KSeries Mercy for None

I was so satisfied watching and this reminds me of (Nam Gi Jun)So Ji Sub from KSeries Mercy for None the only difference is Nam Gi Jun avenged his brother's death while for Sakata, he avenged his wife and daughter's death.

Toma Ikuta(Sakata's) fighting skills is so superb.. and this is another level of acting by Toma Ikuta.

Imagine he beat all the villains by himself so sad that he lost his other arm and he had alot of injuries but still he stand up and fight all by himself others may think this is non realistic but there is a tagging Supernatural being so that explains Sakata's strenght and fighting skills and the last few minutes comeback of Mask3(Fuse Kanta) is not surprising I had a hunch that he might still be alive but thankfully due to Sakata's superb fighting skill, he was able to eliminate the fake father figure.

The ending is satisfying as well, revenge done by Sakata but unfortunately due to lot of blood loss and lots of injuries he had I assume that he's dead since I didn't see him when the rescuers arrived but good thing is he was able to reunite with his daughter that he thought was dead from 12 years ago.

But what surprised me is that Ryu's(Mayor) twin Jin turned out to be alive but unlucky him, when he was dancing in the temple(probably thinking he had won LOL) Sakata's daughter Ryo used her arrow to kill Jin and the last shot was on Jin's neck and finally he's dead serves him right LOL!!!

Overall, I loved watching this movie so it's 10/10 for me since this type of movie gives me satisfaction, relieves my stress and makes me feel alive 😁.

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A movie for dance lovers only

I hate to be this person who doesn't agree with everyone else in thinking this is a great movie, but let me explain why I didn't like it that much.

First of all, I'm not a fan of these type of dances, never were my thing and I've never been interested in them, so this movie is very niche IMO, only if you are interested in this world you will enjoy it.
You may ask me, why do you watch a movie about something you are not interested in? Simply because movies are made to make you interested in those things, to capture your attention through story telling to the beauty of different things you are not interested in or probably never came across before, so you'll end up with a new perspective about new things. This movie failed to do that for me.

Second thing is the acting from the two leads .... It's spectacular and brilliant talent in showing a wide range of emotions that both characters felt.
The thing is, despite the great effort made from both leads Keita and Ryoma, I didn't understand the reason of those emotions they show, like you can understand the emotion but why did this character had that feeling at this particular scene, for example... And this could be a spoiler so skip... When Sugiki tells Suzuki about the first tournament with yagami and how he bullied her and bla bla bla to the end of the scene... Suzuki gets disappointed, he get on the train, Sugiki follows him, and kisses him, the other guys melt then a reverse Beggin' by Måneskin moment where he tells him
"I could be the beauty and you can be the monster"... And the whole scene ends with a weird remark from Sugiki that he's always inspired him ...
What am I supposed to get from this scene? How did we go from this point to that one? I understand the pure emotions they both shows but I don't understand the situation, I think my mind is broken or something, also I love Ryoma, so so much, but why does his character have this look of disgust most of the times ...

The end... It was abrupt, and weird. That's it, I'll say no more ...
I genuinely believe that people just get over hyped about anything that has a hint of a BL even if it's not that great, and if it wasn't for the fantastic acting, I don't see any appeal in the story none whatsoever ~

Not recommended ~

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Cantonese Language, Cheap Hollywood Crap

Oh, what a joy to find a “Cantonese” movie at the local cinema! I expected the magic of the Chinese films I’ve loved before. Instead… wow. It was basically a western action movie with a Chinese face.
A group of people jumps into a time machine and what happens next? Guns, explosions, tech motorbikes, and a Hollywood soundtrack. The only real Chinese parts? The language, the faces, and a few costumes.
I left after 30 minutes, ticket in hand (premium seat, thanks), because the action and sci‑fi didn’t just fall flat, they completely missed the mark.
All I want now is a Chinese movie with robots, AI, and planet-ending disasters… then maybe the cinema will be worth it (irony). Until then, my trips to the movies? Extinct.

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This was super cute and super sweet.

The boss was a bit cold at the beginning, but never cruel, and was ultra sweet once he started to like the employee.

The relationship was mutual - no reluctance and avoidance that made the whole relationship feel uncomfortable / dubiously consensual (even despite one character being a virgin). Both characters were equals within their relationship, despite the power dynamic at work, and both took the lead, took initiative, and took care of the other at different times.

There was lots of casual physical affection, and it didn’t feel overly chaste or sanitized like KBLs often do. All proper kisses, and one implied sex scene (with a cut to the morning after). The movie version includes a shirtless make out in bed scene before it cuts to the morning after. I felt it could have done with an ending kiss in the finale though.

There were three things that kept me from giving this 10 stars: the ex-drama, the employee’s default behavior of running away when things get hard, and the consent issues.

For the ex-drama, the employee had an all-consuming crush on this guy back in college, but the guy never reciprocated and it turned out that he had dated the boss for a while. He’s now a friend and business client of the boss. This really bothers the employee, to the point that they almost break up when the boss doesn’t understand why it’s a big deal. To be honest, I don’t understand why it’s a big deal either. If he was truly over him, why would the hurt over the ex wanting the boss instead of him in the past still have any bearing? I wanted a more definitive statement to show that the employee was truly over that guy because I didn’t get the impression that he was. After the conflict is resolved though, the ex never shows up or is mentioned again, so that was good.

The employee has never been in a relationship before, so it makes sense that he doesn’t really understand healthy conflict resolution. But after the first fight around the ex, the boss tells him that they’ll work through things together, just don’t run away. But in the end, when the employee doesn’t get a full time position, he does the same thing and shuts down. They’re not explicitly fighting, but he avoids the boss for several days while still having time to work on a project with the other intern and to look for jobs. And he didn’t even seem unhappy about the lack of contact. That annoyed me, especially since it was in the finale, because it felt like a lack of character development. That would been the perfect moment to showcase the employee confiding in and leaning on the boss. When the employee apologized for shutting down again, it felt like a hollow promise since that seems to be his default response the minute things get emotionally difficult.

For consent, there were definitely a few times at the beginning that read like sexual harassment, as well as a few dubiously consensual moments. Because their relationship was developed in the workplace instead of outside it, because the boss made physical moves without clarifying anything verbally (even ignoring the drunk scenes and power dynamics), and because the employee kept calling the boss “Department Head Kim” for a while into their relationship, the beginning did feel a bit like sexual harassment. Also, the boss kisses the employee’s cheek when the employee is drunk, he carcasses his hair while both are sober in the office, and he kisses the employee for the first time while the employee is even more drunk on another occasion. There’s also a scene where the boss is annoyed the employee is avoiding him, so he grabs him by the wrist and yanks him a bit aggressively to get him to talk.

That being said, when the boss makes a move to initiate sex and the employee tells him to wait, he does stop and they discuss before proceeding. The employee is the one that decides to continue and the boss doesn’t pressure or coerce him in any way.

Also, it’s really minor but the idea that the video thanking the company that the employee and his co-intern made after not getting full time positions would 1) go viral, and 2) make the company regret not hiring them was a bit ridiculous. The video was super cringy and not dissimilar to a student project. It would have been more believable if they hadn’t actually shown the video they had made and left it to the viewer’s imagination.

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This was an okay watch, but nothing special. It wasn’t ultra-boring or hard to sit through or anything, and the premise was fairly interesting, but I think it fell flat with the chemistry and relationship development. And I thought the show’s messaging about alcohol was flawed.

In terms of the overall storyline, I didn’t think the relationship development or the development of Kihoon’s views on alcohol made sense.

From the start, Kihoon agreed to serve Jiyoo food during the restaurant’s break hours, which was a rule he strictly upheld. It didn’t make sense given that he had no pre-existing relationship with Jiyoo and Jiyoo had only ever made a bad, extremely drunk impression on him.

But more than that, the turning point where Kihoon really started to like Jiyoo seemed to be when Jiyoo helped with a large party at the restaurant, but as part of that, he offered them alcohol. He did that despite knowing about Kihoon’s alcohol ban, but Kihoon wasn’t upset and actually ended up removing the alcohol ban as a result. That was totally out of character, given that he vehemently refused any type of alcohol to be served no matter how upset it made customers, and often got angry if he was challenged. He knew that alcohol would make customers happier from the start, so seeing that play out in front of him wouldn’t have been a surprise. Not enough to overcome his trauma and make him do a total 180 after strictly upholding his rules for so long, anyways.

For Kihoon to go from strictly banning alcohol in all forms to serving it in his restaurant, agreeing to partner with an alcohol company, and personally drinking alcohol, all within a span of a few weeks, just didn’t make sense. It seemed too abrupt.

And that brings me to my second point. I didn’t like that the show was about rehabbing Kihoon to be okay with alcohol instead of rehabbing or even acknowledging Jiyoo’s blatant alcoholic tendencies. Because it’s totally valid to not drink, to not want to serve alcohol, and to not want to be around alcohol, and those boundaries should be respected, not treated as unreasonable. Jiyoo was quite literally an alcoholic. He drank every day and with every meal - not just a drink or two, but actively getting shitfaced. He would show up at work hungover and smelling of alcohol. But his behavior was never acknowledged as problematic. Kihoon had trauma about his grandmother who drank daily, but in the end her drinking was framed in a positive light, with him saying that she was drinking to congratulate herself for raising him. So the show ended up normalizing alcoholism while framing sobriety as abnormal, and that didn’t sit well with me.

The chemistry was there, but died with 3 dead fish kisses and not a single proper one. The relationship only gets to the awkward beginning stage. They’ve only known each other for a few weeks by the end of the show, and haven’t even reached the “love” stage yet, so it didn’t feel like a deep everlasting HEA, which is the type of fantastical romance I prefer.

Also, the show opens with Jiyoo’s break up with his ex, which I felt was irrelevant and should have been excluded. Why unnecessarily put in ex-related stuff? I don’t even like it when they put in ex-related stuff that is relevant.

Good consent / boundaries for the most part. The only minor issue was when Jiyoo put his face really close to Kihoon’s and watched while he was passed out drunk.

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This was really great. My only complaint is that it was so short, and that I wanted a bit more closure at the end.

The pacing across the overall series was perfect. I think the progression of the two characters falling for each other was great. In typical KBL fashion though, the actual content feels like it’s playing in slow motion. It’s perfect at 1.25x speed. The acting, from both leads, but particularly Shi On, was pretty good as well. It’s short, and the love story is simple without tons of conflicts, but it was well executed. The dancing was good enough to be passable for the story they wanted to tell. They were clever with the camera angles and cuts, and what was shown wasn’t mind-blowingly impressive contemporary dance, but it wasn’t so bad that it detracted from the story or anything. And props to this show for no dead fish lip presses! Nothing super steamy, but multiple real, proper kisses all the same.

My primary complaint is that I didn’t feel all the loose ends were tied up in the end. Hong Seok was being forced to go to Vietnam. Did his boss just completely let go of that after hearing Shi On’s confession? She was cold and uncaring the whole series so I don’t know why she changed her mind. Is she going to let him quit like he originally wanted to, and if so, what’s he going to do now? And what was her deal anyways? She was inappropriately caressing Hong Seok’s face sometimes, and that was never explained. What happened to Shi On’s mom? Is the end of that story line just that she abandoned him and we’ll never know anything more? And what about Jung Hoon? Is he not going to have any reaction to losing the audition to Shi On? And the show ends right when Hong Seok comes back to Shi On. They hug and kiss and live happily ever after I guess. I needed like 5 or 10 more minutes to see them actually happy together and see some semblance of what their happily ever after would actually look like.

No consent issues, but some minor boundary issues. Their first meeting, Hong Seok ties up and carries Shi On away over his shoulder — he’s a debt collector and Shi On was running. Following that, Hong Seok signs as the guarantor for Shi On’s debt, which Shi On plans to pay off by getting the lead role in his audition. Hong Seok starts entering Shi On’s house uninvited, essentially moving in, trailing him around, and micromanaging him, including force-feeding him and preventing him from working instead of practicing. Shi On says he’s uncomfortable with this, but it’s not really acknowledged. Hong Seok also demands that Shi On answer the phone whenever he calls. Hong Seok is very grabby — there are multiple scenes where he grabs Shi On by the arm to prevent him from leaving.

But overall, both consent and respect of boundaries were relatively good compared to other BLs. When Hong Seok starts staying over, he never presumes or insists that he sleep in the same bed as Shi On, and instead sleeps in a sleeping bag on the floor, even though the heat isn’t working. When Shi On tries to hold Hong Seok, and also when he tries to lean on his shoulder, Hong Seok immediately rejects him and Shi On immediately backs off. When Shi On first kisses Hong Seok, he gives him ample time to stop the kiss before making contact. When Hong Seok stops them and says it can’t happen again, Shi On listens. When Shi On says he wants to be alone that night, Hong Seok listens. I also appreciated that despite the creditor / debtor dynamic, there were no power dynamics between Shi On and Hong Seok. Shi On was confident and assertive, not afraid to voice his opinions, stand up for himself, or say no, and he was often the one making the first move.

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felt that I was missing the first part of the story

Overall: I was plopped into a story that didn't make a ton of sense. Why did a character love the other character? Maybe there were censorship/budget issues at play. 21 minutes long. It has a sequel. Watched on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/6067/find-you-in-the-crowd-one-2017

Content Warning: slaps, homophobia

What I Liked
- wish the dream at the end had been reality
- music

Room For Improvement
- started in the present then flashback and then present
- choppy
- cliche evil woman character
- love rival (needed to focus on the two main characters)

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It took me almost 3 years

As the title says, "It took me almost 3 years" watching this movie and has been sleeping on my laptop since 2023.

I'd say that the movie is good but it's tad BORING. Despite bringing in good actors (a.k.a Yakusho Koji and Yoshizawa Ryo), the writing is just boring. It really took me almost 3 years watching the whole film just because I can't focus on how boring the story is especially on the first hour. It only got interested for me after an hour.

As the story title says, "Familia", it focuses about the main character, Yakusho Koji and the people around him are "families" of their own.

Aside from the story being boring, I wished they did a bit more of a research. I've read another review here that it's not how they are in Algeria. Even though it was made ""fictional"", they could do more of a research about that part. Also, casting a more of a Southeast Asian looking actress, they could have shifted the story into something about Middle East Asia as that would make it 'more realistic' as they are also focused on the same industry and also wars are happening in the said area. I just wished they stayed realistic despite being 'fictional'. By the way, Nadia's actress is quite cute, she can improve more of her acting in the long run.

The Brazilians in the story are good actors too. I appreciate how they delivered their lines and how they portrayed their roles. Their expressions are good, especially the one who portrayed Marcus. There's something on how he looks and how he delivered his lines.

About Miyavi and his guys, I think that's just how thugs look? For an acting perspective, he could just do more. I really feel less effort coming from him until the end of the story. Most of the story, he's either talking or just sitting there with a BORING expression in his face. He had decent lines but for me, his expressions all throughout the story isn't making much. I don't see much of the supposedly hate in his expressions and just saw his face as plain bored.

My overall rating is 6 as I had enjoyed the movie especially the last hour. It was quite fast paced at the last hour but at least that's where I understood the story better than the first hour. They could have either made it as a movie with a sequel or even a 6 episode drama series instead.

My rewatch value is actually 0.5 but MDL won't allow me to do so. Lol. If you have a lot of time to spare, feel free to watch it. Haha.

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wish it was a full two hour movie

Overall: there are interesting concepts introduced but it was much too short and I was a bit confused (more story past the initial credits). Aired on YouTube https://youtu.be/_b96Y29V-fo and later GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/6066/love-ever-after-2023

Content Warnings: self harm marks, past suicide mentioned

What I Liked
- interesting concept, just wish it was more fleshed out
- production value (styling, cinematography)

Room For Improvement
- choppy/confusing, maybe they could have cut the sister character to give more time to the other parts of the plot

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Difficult but desired re-watch

It's a beautiful but tragic story where I shouldn't feel bad for Jo Dol-seok because he made the bed he laid in, but I simply mourn for the friendship between the two tailors. I just love people who have a passion for what they do, and the shift between politics to love/inspiration is such a painful thing to watch because there is so much happiness, but Jo Dol-seok was blinded by a dream created by fear and pain that if he had a more peaceful upbringing, he wouldn't be so vigilant in the wrong way.

I do rewatch it when I want to see the beautiful outfits, and have the stomach to deal with the tragedy.

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