I really don’t know how to put it
as soon as I heard that this movie had music from a band I like I immediately grabbed it, like a lot of the stuff I’ve been watching. I have had it for a while but initially put it off when I read there were some nude scenes, I find that and sexual scenes uncomfortable and useless in media 99% of the time, but they were actually not as bad as I was expecting. they just went on a little longer than needed but not too long. I really like this type of movie, where the character slowly loses it. I felt uncomfortable, shocked and disgusted, not disgusted and I even cried at the scene about the ice cream story with the father. at that point I’m like WHY IS THIS MOVIE MAKING ME CRY?! it was really a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I am not sure if I would recommend this to somebody personally, but I really enjoyed it for what it was.Was this review helpful to you?
nunca chorei tanto em um filme
uso esse aplicativo há alguns anos e nunca publiquei uma review nele — essa é a primeira. esse filme me deixou tão emotiva que tive que fazer uma resenha.eu não conhecia haruna ai antes de assistir esse filme, mas a sua história me deixou muito comovida e eu chorei praticamente durante o filme todo... me identifiquei com a sua história, não sou transgênero mas sou LGBT e passei por muitas coisas assim como ela.
eu recomendo muito esse filme, não só para pessoas LGBTs mas para todos. ele é encantador e pode fazer milhares de pessoas mudarem suas opiniões sobre pessoas trans.
assistam, essa história é perfeita e a atuação também é linda ♡
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Top tier opening credits
It's fascinating that for his second film as a director, Lau Kar-Leung would choose to create his own version of the Wong Fei-hung legend, ever the visionary though, Challenge of the Masters sees Lau decide to concentrate his attentions on a young, callow Wong Fei-hung in what was a near-revolutionary statement at the time. Although the film's title implies plenty of duelling, it actually thrives less on narrative surprise and more on the sheer pleasure of watching mastery forged through discipline, pain, and stubborn will. This is not the confident folk hero of later stories, but a hot-headed, frequently humiliated young man whose talent is obvious and whose character is very much under construction. Obviously, being Lau's second film as a director yields plenty of rough edges; his filmmaking style not quite knuckled down yet. Grounding the limited action in a sense of lineage and authenticity, the few martial arts bouts that do make an appearance are to his usual standard, although they aren't the focal point of the film, as more emphasis is given to rigorous and realistic training sequences. The sequences dominate the film, staged with an almost documentary clarity; every improvement feels earned, every strike the product of repetition and refinement. Being this is Gordon Liu's first leading role, he plays Wong with an engaging mix of arrogance and vulnerability, a brilliant feat as he lets us enjoy both his cocky missteps and his gradual emotional tempering. There's a gentle humour running throughout, especially in the mentor-student dynamic, but it never undermines the seriousness of the training or the respect for tradition. While the simple narrative thrust of Challenge of the Masters is enough for most filmmakers, a director of Lau Kar-Leung's lustre requires something a bit meatier to get his teeth into, yet the film still manages to offer up a well-balanced combination of action, drama and moral philosophy, albeit with repetitive redundancy and some wobbly pacing. Opening credits are top-tier, though.Was this review helpful to you?
a good watch with mixed emotions
The Japanese version had always been on my watchlist, but I never got around to it. When I came across the Korean version, I decided to give it a try (and now I’m planning to watch the Japanese one next).Without spoiling anything, the movie starts off gently, and I couldn’t help but smile while watching the early scenes. The friendship between the characters was beautifully portrayed, it was so warm and heartwarming. Their bond felt natural and genuine, which made those moments really enjoyable to watch.
I went in expecting to end up crying, but emotionally it didn’t hit me as strongly as I had anticipated. The pacing felt a bit uneven at times, which may have affected the emotional buildup.
Overall, though, it was a good watch.
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Queer Joy
One of the most beautiful, heartfelt and genuine films I've seen in a long time. It screams queer joy with all its ups and downs and ends on a positive note despite life's troubles.I can't say how true it is to Haruna Ai's actual life but it tells the story of growth, pursuing your dreams and being true to who you really are in every aspect of the story.
Sometimes the timeline gets a little lost unfortunately, the title cards including the passage of time only set in later in the story but overall it isn't too much of a criticism.
In the end tears were shed of heartbreak, of happiness and we never lose this sense of hope for the future while watching until the end.
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My New Obsession: High & Low’s Wild Ride
This is a loud, stylish, high-octane gang-action spectacle that leans into comic intensity and that’s exactly where it works best. On a personal note, I’m an NCTzen and I’ve now become a fan of H&L, thanks to Yuta for opening the H&L gateway in my life. Bcause of him, I ended up truly appreciating all of H&L’s works and the world they’ve built.Performance-wise, Yuta stands out less through big dramatic speeches and more through screen presence: controlled body language, a cold, steady gaze, and sharp timing when entering or leaving a scene that makes his character feel “weighty” amid the crowded ensemble. At times his expression can read slightly rigid in emotional transitions, but it also fits a character built around restraint and intimidation. The staging and fight blocking are impressively organized for such large brawls—corridors, school yards, and open spaces are used to keep the chaos legible, with choreography prioritizing impact and gang formations over strict realism, boosted by punchy sound design and brisk editing. I also really love other characters like Todoroki, Sachio, and the four other Housen leaders, who add distinct flavors and rivalry dynamics that keep the ensemble engaging.
Thank you for the amazing presentation and the sheer effort behind every fight, every frame, and every character moment. This film was such a thrilling ride.
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Definitely Worth a Watch
I went into this knowing absolutely nothing about the plot, which probably influenced how much I enjoyed it, but I honestly thought it was great. I’m not familiar with the original Japanese version, and I’ve noticed that a lot of the ratings seem heavily based on comparisons to that. I think if more people rated this purely as a standalone film, it might have received fairer and higher scores.I’m definitely going to watch the Japanese version now, and I’m sure I’ll probably end up agreeing with many of the reviews that compare the two. That said, on its own, I think this is absolutely worth a watch and one of the better Korean movies I’ve seen in a while — and God knows I’ve seen a lot haha. I’ve also worked with film sound design and music, and the soundtrack here is veryyyyy well done!
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1This review may contain spoilers
This Movie Literally Broke Me
Some movies make you cry. Some movies make you sit in silence afterward, staring at the credits like they just personally insulted your soul. And then there are movies like Even If This Love Disappears Tonight—a film that doesn’t just tug at your heart, it grabs it with both hands and completely shatters it.I went into this thinking it would be a bittersweet romance. Something soft. Something emotional, sure—but still safe. I expected something like Korea’s version of 50 First Dates: the sweet, repeated love story, the gentle comedy, the “we’ll find our way back to each other” vibe.
And for a while, it feels like that.
There’s charm. There’s warmth. There’s the kind of innocent connection that reminds you of what it feels like to be loved without conditions. The premise is familiar—love in the face of memory loss, love that must be rebuilt over and over, love that doesn’t get to live in the comfort of “tomorrow will be the same.”
But trusting a Korean writer to keep it light is like trusting the ocean not to drown you.
Because what starts as a tender romance slowly turns into something else entirely: a story about love that is temporary, fragile, and painfully human. And if you’re grieving—if you’ve lost someone, if you’ve had to say goodbye to someone you still love—this movie doesn’t just hit close to home.
It walks into your home, sits beside you, and presses directly on the bruise you’ve been trying not to touch.
What makes Even If This Love Disappears Tonight so devastating isn’t just the tragedy. It’s how real the emotions feel. The film captures that specific kind of love where you know you don’t have forever, but you love anyway. The kind where every moment becomes sacred because it might be the last one. The kind where you start memorizing the way someone laughs, the way they look at you, the way they exist—because some part of you already senses you’ll be left with only memories.
And grief… grief is all over this movie, even before you realize it.
It’s in the quiet scenes. The pauses. The way the characters try to act normal while something unbearable looms over them. That feeling of trying to enjoy love while time is stealing it in the background. The film doesn’t romanticize pain—it just shows it. Raw and unavoidable.
And then comes the twist.
Not just a plot twist for shock value, but the kind of twist Korean films are infamous for—the kind that doesn’t just change the story, but changes you. It reframes everything you thought you were watching and forces you to realize you weren’t watching a romance.
You were watching a goodbye.
The hardest part is how the movie captures what it means to keep loving someone even when they can’t hold onto you. Even when they can’t remember. Even when they can’t stay. That’s what grief is, isn’t it? Loving someone who is no longer reachable, but still feeling them everywhere. Still carrying them in your chest like a weight you didn’t ask for but can’t put down.
This movie understands that kind of pain.
And as someone grieving, it broke me in a way I didn’t expect. Because it reminded me that love isn’t always about getting the happy ending. Sometimes love is about showing up anyway. About choosing someone again and again, even when the universe is cruel enough to make it temporary.
By the end, I wasn’t just crying—I was mourning. Not only for the characters, but for everything grief brings back up: the helplessness, the unfairness, the silent anger at life for continuing to move forward when your heart is stuck behind.
Even If This Love Disappears Tonight is beautiful, but it’s also brutal. It’s soft, but it’s ruthless. It’s the kind of movie that leaves you emotionally winded, like you’ve just survived something.
So if you’re looking for a cute romance, this might fool you at first.
But if you’re grieving, if your heart is already cracked open, be warned: this movie doesn’t just make you cry.
It literally breaks you.
And somehow… you’re grateful for it.
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Eurocrime with a jolt of Michael Mann's visual design
Given his more famous body of work and especially the title, you'd probably be expecting Men from the Gutter to be another one in a long line of incredible Lam Nai-Choi horror. It is not. Instead, trading the classical Shaw wuxia sheen for street-level desperation, it's an outstanding, gritty, hard-edged action thriller. One that gives a neon-lit glimpse into Hong Kong's grimy underbelly of smoke-filled gambling joints and roach-infested tenements filled with grubby, desperate lowlifes. It's all conceived in a way that combines elements of gritty Eurocrime with a jolt of Michael Mann's visual design. It crams a lot into its tight 88-minute runtime, with excitingly staged action that's rough, pragmatic and rather splat-tastic at points and all complemented by Lam Nai-Choi's own slick photography, intense direction and even a cool cod-Tangerine Dream electronic score. This isn't heroic bloodshed yet, but you can feel it forming in the margins. The characters are defined less by archetypes than by exhaustion. These are men with no illusions left; every alliance is temporary, every moral line negotiable with the cast selling that weariness well. Lo Meng and Jason Pai Pao deliver earthy, impassioned, and downright menacing performances that are far more morally ambiguous than the stoic archetypes they usually played, especially in the quieter moments where ambition gives way to fear or resignation. As a Shaw Brothers production, it's fascinating precisely because it doesn't feel like a classic Shaw film. The studio trappings are present, but the spirit belongs to what comes next. While Men from the Gutter may not be as iconic as what followed, it serves as a raw and compelling bridge between eras. A tough, unsentimental crime film that captures a moment when both its characters and its studio were fighting not to be left behind.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
But why?…
Wish I wouldn’t have watched. I didn’t want another “20th Century Girl” but with a “50 First Dates” hot take. The girl who has progressive memory loss is left to remember her first love? Stfu with all that noise. This is sensationalism for nothing more than the sake of tears. Build em up, break em down, and leave only ruins behind.Why make a story, and try to make it matter, but leave no meaning behind in it at all?
I should have read the comments first. Lesson learned (again).
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Mediocre and Stale storyline that doesn't do justice to the cast
When it was announced that Han So Hee and Jong Seo were cast in a movie together and for it being an action thriller involving a high stake heist, I had my expectations high as both the actresses are really good when it comes to doing raw action but after watching the movie today I can surely say this was a big letdown.The entire cast surely did justice to their flat characters but it was the storyline and the action that missed the mark from a big margin. There was nothing in the story that kept me on the edge of my seat or any moment that made my jaw drop. The story faltered both in action and thriller genre.
They promoted it as a high staked heist action thriller when in reality the movie was exact opposite of it.
It sucks that despite all the hype around the title and heist plus two strong female leads, all they gave us is an empty shell of a movie. No wonder it tanked at the box office.
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1On the road again!
Children of the Beehive was a post WWII film about orphans, both children and adults with no home and no family. Director Shimizu didn’t shy away from the hardships the Japanese faced, especially the most vulnerable, yet he also bathed those hardships in kindness and generosity.Several orphans hang out at the train station finding ways to make money, fleecing people for a one-legged man they call the Old Man. They run into a repatriated Soldier who opts to not get on the train. He shares some food with them and they also meet a Young Woman. When the police arrive to arrest vagrants, the boys and the Old Man scatter. The Soldier and boys meet up on the road with the boys deciding to tag along with him. He insists they find jobs that don’t involve the black market or stealing. Along the way, they pick up more boys as they stop and do jobs for food or money. The Soldier is guiding them to the orphanage/reform school he attended, “Introspection Tower,” so that they will have a safe home and schooling. He seeks to teach them kindness, generosity, respect, and hard work as they travel together. A found family slowly develops strengthening them, which helps them when death and other adversities strike.
This film was a loose sequel to Shimizu’s Introspection Tower. I didn’t care much for the original, which smacked too much of wartime propaganda for me. This time it was the US censors that had a hand in this film, which was also problematic. Much as in the first film, the boys worked at dangerous adult jobs. What I really liked about this film was the found family element, showing that in a world on the brink and slowly rebuilding, it really was safer to stick together rather than go it alone. Especially when you’re only 10-years-old. While they may have dealt with hard labor and having no parents, the boys still showed they were kids, finding ways to play and even approaching a little league team.
Beehive acknowledged the dark side of post war Japan-poverty, hunger, lack of shelter, prostitution, homeless orphans, and exploitation. Shimizu softened the edges of those harsh realities as the boys had enough food and were generous with their food. They never truly suffered from being exposed to the elements in tattered clothing. Work also appeared to be plentiful as The Soldier refused to take illegal jobs, despite the precariousness of his own situation and the boys’. The rousting of vagrants and need for “papers” was often mentioned but never enforced. No one questioned a man with 8 boys hanging around him. The Young Woman came into play off and on and was the only true feminine presence. No orphan girls were ever seen, once again showing how filmdom’s demographic skews heavily male.
Children of the Beehive was populated with inexperienced actors which lent the film a natural feel. The film itself was quite aesthetic accompanied by a pleasing score. A scene near the end was one of the strongest and heartbreaking scenes in any film. It would be difficult to find a film with a more poignant moment, reinforcing the love and loyalty these children felt for each other. Everyone was capable of redemption and being brought into the family. Kindness overrode cruelty and selfishness was transformed into generosity. The children were tremendously resilient. Given the bleak setting (there was even a side trip to Hiroshima) the film culminated in hope and acceptance. Though it might not have been terribly realistic, I quite enjoyed this positive road trip emphasizing the need children, and adults for that matter, have for safety, a home, and love.
9 February 2026
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This review may contain spoilers
a must watch if you want to cry.
to be honest, in the first part i really thought the fl was gonna die in the end (cuz i knew someone would die obvi). However things turned out that the ml had heart problems and he died and it broke me so baddddd bc i really love that actor from head over heels. He sacrificed his own health when he chased the bus, he knew he shouldn't get tired but he still did and he did everything to make her every day happy 😭 and him dying after the fireworks scene was so bad i literally couldnt stop myself from cryinggggggg.. from that moment -> to the end and after the end i cried so yeah if you just want to cry watch this, other than that its nothing special. it has really good cinematography btw.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I usually don't write reviews but I'll have to for this movie. It doesn't have the attention it deserves. I was in tears after finishing the movie and went to TikTok to look for edits but there were no edits(I'll have to edit this movie myself cause the editors are asleep... literally) the acting was amazing and the story was awesome. I've seen someone say that the escape scene was stupid but I feel the person didn't get the context of the scene. The scene pretty much just shows how when faced with calamaties will choose to save themselves without caring about other people's lives. It shows basic human nature. This movie is definitely worth watching. I'm going to go make tons of edits and Pinterest pins so that this movie gets the attention it deserves. I enjoyed this movie a lot and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves Was this review helpful to you?
tragic but beautiful
I watched this on a whim when I was just looking for something to play in the background but omg this was such a beautiful piece of art. I loved how most of it was just silent or very quiet and let the watcher sit in the grief and memories the main character was experiencing. I also espec loved the contrast of the scenes where it was much brighter and colorful whenever the other woman was there and how bleak and dull it went without her. it was very sad and heartbreaking but told in a beautiful way. I also enjoyed how the story wasn’t about what’s being portrayed in the movie but more what isn’t, like the relationship between the two women, the circumstances of how and why it happened the way it did. I wish more movies used this sort of storytelling because it oftentimes makes it so much more tragic (at least for me).I’d definitely recommend it if you like sad, short, beautiful movies that won’t say much but still speak volumes.
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