Reviews

Saved the best flying kicks for last

Everything about Episode Final feels significantly more dynamic, fierce, and exhilarating, clearly benefiting from its theatrical presentation with a dark, supernatural edge. The whole thing plays fast and loose with the show's rules, almost as if they shot themselves in the foot with Zolda's Giga Launcher by making a finale that debuted way before the series had even ended, one that turns up the bleak factor to maximum. Even the happier and more carefree moments come with a silver lining; knowing that the Rider War cannot be escaped, these people will have to die one way or another, and we can do nothing but watch. The result is a much more urgent narrative than what we saw in the show, and a slickly directed one at that, arguably the best-looking of the entire Ryuki saga, with Ryuta Tasaki once again in the director's seat, adding real flair to the film as the camera sweeps and dives around the impeccably choreographed action. Ryuga makes for a fantastic villain and feels like the true 13th Rider, a dark mirror counterpart to Ryuki, who takes no prisoners with sheer brutality. He's one of the major highlights here; another is unquestionably the franchise's first female Rider, Femme. While not as fleshed out as you'd like her to be, she is utterly adorable for all the time we spend with her, definitely helped by Natsuki Kato's enchanting performance. While Episode Final is undoubtedly going to leave you with more questions than answers in a lot of aspects, for me at least, it managed to provide an immensely satisfying end to Ryuki's narrative that didn't feel like a complete reset of the status quo. It makes for a heroic last stand as these characters resign themselves to their fate, yet still fight for all that's good in the world to the bitter end.

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Sweet if Dated Film

Unfortunately I could only find a very poor quality video of this movie with English subtitles, so my review is colored by my frustration with unclear pictures and bad subtitles.
This film is a sweet and engaging story that sets the standard for first love BLs in terms of storyline and emotional development. Many of the tropes we now see in gay awakening or first love BLs are present here, many years before the Thai BL industry got going. I found this very interesting. There is some homophobia which we also see in many BLs, especially early ones, which I don’t like. It’s frustrating to watch characters say they don’t want to be gay or are not gay when they clearly love someone of the same sex.
The third act of this film was really moving, and I cried when the MLs were separated. Ped’s realization of his feelings after Oí leaves was powerful even if it he never stated that he wanted to be a couple. It is implied enough by the end. I guess it was too much to expect a kiss, though.
Despite liking the story, it was a bit amateurish and lacked development. Certain parts felt abrupt and the dialogue was limited. (Or I thought so because the subtitles were so bad.) The acting seemed good through the haze of poor video quality, but I can’t be sure because it was hard to see their faces clearly.
Overall I’m glad I watched this, but frankly I can now see better versions of this story many times over. Still it was touching and very interesting in terms of the history of BLs. No one mentions this as paving the way for future shows. Maybe not many people saw it or know about it. I only found it because I needed to watch an early work as part of a Challenge.
I don’t think it deserves a good rating but it also shouldn’t be discounted just because it has flaws.

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Mantis is a spin-off set in the same hired-assassin universe as the successful 2023 film Kill Boksoon. This time, the story focuses on Han-ul (Im Si-wan), an elite assassin who returns to the business under the alias “Mantis” after retirement. His comeback takes place during a time of chaos and anarchy in the hitman world, triggered by the downfall of the corporation that once ruled it.

The film unfolds as a thrilling power struggle where three assassins, each with their own skills and ambitions, compete for the title of number one. Alliances are fragile, betrayals are constant, and the old rules no longer apply, plunging the audience into a violent, dark world.

The movie delivers intense, well-choreographed action sequences, a hallmark of South Korean thrillers. Park Gyu-young’s performance as the ambitious Jae-yi stands out for its strength and complexity, offering a more compelling character arc. The premise of a war between assassin factions fighting for control of the market is an intriguing one.

However, the film suffers from pacing issues and a script that stalls while building toward the inevitable final showdown. The tone can also feel inconsistent, shifting between serious drama and forced humor. And while visually stylized, it never quite reaches the elegance or emotional impact of its predecessor.

In summary, Mantis is an entertaining action thriller that expands the Kill Boksoon universe with a story of intrigue and rivalry, even if it doesn’t achieve the same level of impact. It’s a recommended pick if you enjoy brutal action and stories about power struggles in the Korean underworld.

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Certainly creative but at times, frustrating.

Exit 8 does some well and truly clever things in the sound design. Yes, enough so to be the first line of my review. The opening section is all done so cleverly in an immersive way, which is also the strongest section of the film in my opinion. Additionally, the choice for Ravel’s Bolero to be the main theme of the film is a witty one - a piece that is lengthy with lots of repetition of the main theme on different instruments, much like Exit 8’s hallway. The piece and the film have the same major issue for me - an excessive use of variations on a theme. While engaging, I feel the film could have done a little more with the fear factor.

Luckily, the film does bring some variation, and in doing so it explores some existential themes, while sticking to the core premise and exploring it a bit further.

The strengths of the film:
- Immersive sound design. (Brilliant use of surround sound!)
- Visually crisp and clean.
- Strong acting performances.
- Underlying human themes.

The weaknesses of the film:
- A sense of monotony begins to creep in throughout.
- Some painfully unrealistic character reactions. (Where I became frustrated at times.)
- Variations could have maintained better momentum.

Definitely a good film, and I’d go as far as to say clever, but I wouldn’t say brilliant. Worth a watch if you’re interested, a fan of the game, or if you’d like something different from the usual. Best experienced in cinemas or with surround sound. Also an easy watch without subtitles even if you only understand some very basic Japanese, as this film has little dialogue, of which most is mercifully simple.

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"Love Untangled" acerta no romance, mas erra no drama

"Eu fiz um ovinho para cada vez que pensei em você."

Love Untangled é um filme leve e extremamente agradável, que acerta muito ao entregar um romance adolescente simples e fofo. O roteiro do filme constrói de forma tão delicada a relação entre Park Se-ri e Han Yoon-seok que o casal se torna incrivelmente autêntico e envolvente.

Conseguimos sentir o amor e a conexão dos protagonistas florescerem em cada cena, demonstrando um encaixe perfeito. O desenvolvimento individual de cada personagem também é notável: Park Se-ri é a onda de esperança que resgata Han Yoon-seok do caos de sua vida, e, em contrapartida, ele a ajuda a abraçar e gostar de si mesma. Essa jornada mútua é o ponto da obra que realmente conquista o espectador.

No entanto, o filme peca ao abordar o drama familiar do protagonista. Essa subtrama parece pouco desenvolvida e deixada de escanteio ao longo de toda a história, resultando em um conflito dramático exagerado no final.

Por ter sido negligenciado, o desfecho repentino — a partida de Han Yoon-seok — falha em causar a sensação de aflição que deveria. O drama não parece real, soa apenas como um artifício forçado e sem criatividade para gerar um obstáculo na vida do casal e dramatizar o encerramento. É um detalhe que prejudica o impacto emocional da reta final, servindo apenas como um empecilho superficial e inorgânico para o relacionamento.

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Naah this ain't it for me

I was excited because this was in the same universe as Kill Bok Soon, but sadly, it disappointed me.

Well, already in the beginning, i had a bad feeling about when the first fight was about to happen, and suddenly the main character cracked a joke, like wut?!?!?! It was all serious and shit, but you had to crack one up, and that took me off.

The first fight happened, and it felt off already, because it was so obvious that they were using ropes to do some impossible movements; they weren't even trying to hide it. I came into this movie expecting fights here and there, but for the most part of the movie, it was mostly goo goo gaa gaa toxic romance. I mean, that's fine and all, but it was really messy.

This movie was a let down, sadly. It could've been better, as this is tied to Kill Bok Soon.

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So many emotions i'm feeling after watching.

The movie has a lot of questionable elements. It’s very dark, heavy, and sexual, with many scenes that honestly felt excessive or unnecessary. It reminded me a lot of The Handmaiden in terms of the sexual content, which often felt over the top. Unfortunately, the film also gave off a strong sense of being made for the male gaze, which was frustrating because the story itself had so much potential. It felt like such a good plot was partially wasted because of that choice.
That being said, the film is still stunning in many ways. The cinematography is beautiful, the atmosphere is intense, and the performances are excellent. The ending especially left a strong impression, tying everything together in a way that felt both emotional and powerful. Personally, I’d give it a 7.5/10. I think it deserves more credit than it gets, but I can also understand why some people don’t like it. It’s one of those films that really splits opinions you’ll either connect with it or find it off-putting. That’s why I’d say don’t rely too much on the ratings; it’s a movie you need to experience yourself to know whether it’s a hit or a miss for you.

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I honestly didn't think it could get worse...

But here we are. After my rant about the first part of this story, I went and watched the conclusion of this adaptation because I was hoping now that the characters were going to be university students, perhaps the story would pick up. I was wrong.

Not only Megami Korin: After has all the same issues as its first part, it also has the nerve to brush off bullying and stalking as things you for for someone else’s sake. It’s a new level of delulu I hope to never see in a jdrama or jfilm ever again.

PART 1 REVIEW: https://kisskh.at/profile/namjhyuns/review/497366

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I am so angry.

The japanese version of True Beauty lacks the unhinged and hilarious camaraderie from the original korean version, which it's a bummer because the friendship among the kids and how the leading lady learnt to love herself thanks to their support it was one of the best parts of the story. Instead, this version decided to put the emphasis on the romance and love triangle, which was incredibly unnecessary considering the actors got barely any chemistry together.

The family dynamics were not only toned down but changed (as I am finding it's the usual move in a jdrama adaptation of a kdrama) and I wish they wouldn’t have. One of the main conflicts' in the original story, it's the FL's relatioship with her mother and the way people were constantly comparing her older sister. None of this happens in the movie, so other than the external conflict of bullying, there's no inner development to be resolved. Which, by the way, it's another thing they changed: the bullies in this are a tenth of the original and there's no confrontation or consequence to their actions.

All of this changes meant that there’s almost no comedy in this rom-com. It's just a romance about a girl who one day found out make up and it made her feel pretty.

Koki looks like a deer caught in the headlights all the time, I don't know if this was a script change or the director's fault but it's like he very loved female lead of the original True Beauty had a lobotomy. And as I much I appreciate Watanabe Keisuke, he had no business playing a high schooler when he is thirty. I'm sorry but this was not good. Miyase Ryubi has a random cameo/guest role in this, and honestly? They should have swap him for Watanabe. Maybe we would have a more compelling love triangle

It does have some nice moments, Tsuna Keito and Sato Jiro being the highlights, but that's about it.

PART 2 REVIEW: https://kisskh.at/profile/namjhyuns/review/497372

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A timeless masterpiece

By now i have watched this movie a many times and i would say that you will not get bored even after rewatching it because the story is so well written, i am not korean so it took 2-3 watches for me to understand every element shown in movie because to understand things deeply i always search about them. apart from this the cinemotography is very good and the way movie takes turn is also nice because after one hour into the film you migh question that everything went well than why one more hour is still pending and from that moment movie catches the speed and than its just a nonstop mindblowing journey and with some twists for first time watcher, at last i would highly recoomad this movie because movies with good storyline are very few in korea in my opnion.

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A rare case where more jumpscares would benefit the movie.

It’s based on a really simple concept filled with really effective jumpscares, and then made it more complex and took away the majority of the potential jumpscares and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

I don’t think it gives me enough substance to see the potential depth and build that psychological horror of the situation and male lead’s real life circumstances, but since it also took away a lot of the typical horror elements, it also does not quite serve as a good horror movie. It balances between simple, but effective and complex and reflective and does not really hit a homerun in any direction.

If I had to guess? Analyze? I’d say the theme of the movie is dealing with regret and guilt. The loop is not just about checking for anomalies, but also about dealing with your inner struggles. Male lead regretted his hesitation after hearing the news from his ex-girlfriend, he regretted not helping the mother in the subway. He regretted his inaction. Hence the ending somehow makes sense for me. It’s left to various interpretations though, there is no clear cut idea what it means. And that’s kind of how the whole movie rolls - throwing stuff at you without explanation, things that feel related, but not quite. You kind of get the full picture, but not really.

Ninomiya Kazunari did a great job as Lost Man, but I have to say my favorite performance was Kochi Yamato as Walking Man. Be it for his creepy blank expression, or even creepier smile. Or his desperation and regret, fear, anger. Such a tiny bit of the plot, yet such an expressive performance.

To be honest I feel like the movie was both too annoying and not annoying enough. I should feel the frustration of the lead being stuck in the loop, but I don’t feel like he was stuck in it that long… The number of mistakes he made was minimal to what would be expected, knowing how minimal some anomalies are. At the same time I was so annoyed, because he kept lingering a bit too long in the corridor even after noticing the anomalies. What are you exactly waiting for? There is no new development going on - you see something off, you turn around right away. And yet this man was checking them all out as if he was in a haunted house in an amusement park.

It was a decent movie, maybe the issue were my expectations.

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Fell Flat

They tried, but it honestly fell quite flat for me. Got me a small chuckle here and there as well, but by the end I was kinda zoning out, just waiting for it to end. Thankfully it was short, so I made it to the end, though I feel it could've been a tad shorter and it might've fared better with some scenes being cut or at least shortened.

The production value also felt quite early 2000s, so seeing (2025) surprises me, though they did have a drone in the budget at least, as was seen in a certain shot with the drone being visible in one of the shadows.

My biggest gripe was probably the audio mixing/mastering. 2/10 for that. Certain scenes were barely audible with their whispers, only to suddenly be shocked by them speaking at a normal volume, and then suddenly the music blaring at an even higher volume. It's as if they completely neglected it, or only recorded audio from one source, so in e.g. one scene they're standing with the back to the camera while talking quietly and you can barely hear it, as am I guessing the camera location was maybe the microphone location as well, and recording someone speaking softly and quietly with their back turned away from you, from a small distance on top isn't exactly gonna make for great audio.
This is definitely one of the few times where dynamic range compression (DRC) would actually improve the audio experience instead of destroy it, lol.

4/10, with 5 being average and just "OK".

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FIGHT FOR HIS CAREER

I love the plot of he actually want his career back but he did something unexpected and weird. Jeongwoo act as a woman are so good, even though people should notice he's a man in the first glance from his body figure and voice🤣but maybe they doesn't want to judge quickly

Jeongwoo story is sad, since his own life disappear after one news then he lost everything.
(Spoiler)
I glad that that girl doesn't become his love interest after he knew she's the one that spread the story of him.
People should confront other face to face if they really unsatisfied with their action instead of share in social media, social media are so scary about spreading hate

Overall, this is good, balance humor with Captain Seo that looks like an idiot hahahahah. Recommend to watch :)

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