Innocent & Heartwarming Drama
This is a very unique and interesting story. Young Woo is the perfect person for this part. He's had great past performances, and once again, he doesn't disappoint! He and Shi Ah create a perfect blend together with their characters. Along with Ho Eun, a small but equally fitting supporting cast is an all around good fit for a solid story.Without giving anything away, I can say, don't be fooled on how smoothly things are going after the first hour. You kind of expect something to change, because it seemed like one big happy ending on the horizon. I wasn't expecting what eventually turns the entire story upside down and inside out. The circumstances that occur in the last thirty minutes almost made me change my mind on how good this movie was. I was sort of disappointed, not to mention shock by the outcome ... but somehow, the script does the storyline justice, not only making an excellent final few minutes, but probably giving us one of the saddest endings you'll see in a drama this year.
Sang Hyeon says a line toward the end that really hits home with this movie, "As time goes by, everyone's memories start to fade ... but what remains in your heart, that never changes"
Great and enjoyable. Keep the tissues handy!!!
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cute but is not as emotionally hitting
their dating era and everything is so good to watch and brings a smile on my face but i was not emotionally connected to either of the characters.
something that i have noticed in the few korean remakes i have watched is that they mostly shift the female pov to a male one and i think that's the mistake here. i don't remember the japanese version exactly but i think we see the movie mostly through the female lead's eyes and we connect with her a lot more. she was already doing art before the guy suggests it so when she draws him after forgetting him it was more painful. here we don't get to see both of the characters deeply. she is a girl with memory loss and he is just a guy(?)
his death hits very hard in jpn version and we feel the female lead's pain, here all of that happens quite quickly
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tearjerker
this story reminds me of 20th century girl. I knew it would be a sad movie but I still kept on watching. I thought maybe it could have a happy ending but of course that's not the case. it started all happy and sweet but I ended up crying my eyes out. it taught me to appreciate every single moment and that every single memory is precious. we all have an ending to our lives, so let's appreciate every single moment we have left, because who knows, it might be our last.Was this review helpful to you?
A valuable deeper dive into the Nie brothers' relationship
Nie Huaisang is my favorite Mo Dao Zu Shi character, and I love CQL's Nie Mingjue, so I'm very glad I saw this. I wish I'd seen this closer to the time that I'd read the book and watched The Untamed/CQL, because I probably would have appreciated it more with all the details fresh in my mind. So I definitely recommend watching this shortly after you finish CQL.I expected it to just be some sort of adventure thriller, and indeed it has a very spooky horror Raiders feel, and if you ever do an escape room, NHS is definitely who you want with you. But it also delved a lot more into the bond between the brothers, the struggles NMJ was having due to Jin Guangyao's guqin poison and the strain this caused on the brothers' relationship, aside from the strain already there due to their differing priorities/interests. They got pretty emotional. NMJ actually cried a few times (one time, even sobbed because of something he did during a qi deviation).
The special effects were meh and some of the martial arts stuff was over the top, but the story definitely added a lot of depth to the Nie brothers' relationship, and a deeper insight into why NHS was so determined to avenge NMJ. It made me realize that JGY's guqin spell was a symbol for depression... something invisible that takes over your mind and changes you in bad ways.
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I fell in love with the movie and it broke my heart
It was literally the best movie I've ever seen in my life! I knew the ending would be harsh and painful, but I still wanted to see the chemistry between the main leads, and the trailer looked so catchy and fresh for korean cinema. The movie reminded me of "20th century girl," but it's still different from it, with its own unique features. The only similarity is the ending.Starting from bts I could feel the chemistry between Choo Young Woo and Shin Shi Ah! They both did a great job and their acting was captivating. Their eyes spoke volumes.
The cinematography in the drama is excellent, with beautifully shot scenes.
I highly recommend watching it, but if you don't like dramas with sad endings, don't even start!
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apparently i never learnt from my mistake of watching 20th century girl
this somehow managed to break my heart, pierce it back together again, and then absolutely shatter it.i swore to myself after watching 20th century girl that i would NEVER put myself in a place where i'd have to feel that amount of pain again over a movie, and instead what did i do? i dove headfirst into it! this movie genuinely had me fooled, and before i knew it, there i was drowning in my own tears. smh.
this movie was so genuinely a work of art, but with that said, i am absolutely not ever rewatching this ever again.
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Break that promise
The movie follows the saga of a detective Yoon Ji-Wook. His story rips the heart apart. The division of Ji- Wook friends cries for unneeded attention. That unneeded attention is the sister of his male dead lover. The sister would have survive. The real Ji- Wook sacrifice is life of happiness for a girl he did not love.He should have broke his promise of protecting the sister. The sister notice the affection between Ji- Wook and her brother. Her jealousy and need to have what her brother had was sickening.
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Kleenex in hand, take the dive.
What a love, what a friendship, what a story. 🥹🥹Aptly titled, Taste and Tears will burrow into your heart and wound your soul, just to mend it stronger than it was before you began. This story is beautifully wound, the acting is great, and the overall ending is very satisfying. I am very glad I experienced this story, I found it so poetic.
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A Powerful, Emotion‑Packed Film That Never Lets Go
Seeing Park Ji Hoon in the cast, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed by this film, and indeed I wasn't. It's a film full of emotions that doesn't let you catch your breath for a moment, but still keeps you watching without looking away. Please give Park Ji Hoon a happy role! (I know he's great at playing characters with sad stories, but he deserves a bit of happiness in the series too, hahaha.)Was this review helpful to you?
Jeon Do-yeon’s Power, Precision, and Presence
Kill Bok-soon completely blew me away. Stylish, brutal, emotional, and unapologetically sharp, this film delivers on every level — action, character, and atmosphere. It’s intense without being mindless, violent without being empty, and surprisingly emotional beneath all the bloodshed. I was hooked from start to finish.Jeon Do-yeon is the heart and soul of this film. After loving her so much in Crash Course in Romance, seeing her transform so effortlessly into this role was incredible. The contrast alone is stunning — from warmth and everyday vulnerability to icy control and lethal precision. She doesn’t just play an assassin; she becomes her. Every movement, every look, every moment feels deliberate and commanding.
What makes her performance so special is the emotional depth she brings beneath the action. There’s restraint, conflict, and quiet humanity layered into her character, making her feel real rather than exaggerated. She dominates the screen without ever needing to overact, proving once again why she’s one of the finest actresses in Korean cinema.
The supporting cast is excellent as well, adding tension, complexity, and weight to the story. The film’s world feels polished and intentional, and the action choreography is clean, stylish, and impactful rather than chaotic. Every fight feels purposeful, every confrontation charged.
Kill Bok-soon is a thrilling, unforgettable experience, but above all, it’s a showcase of Jeon Do-yeon’s brilliance. Loving her in CCIR and then witnessing this performance only deepened my admiration. She’s phenomenal — and this film is proof of her incredible range.
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Flawed but emotionally powerful
This movie is a very emotional and over the top . The story is simple and full of familiar tropes, especially if you have seen many Bollywood social dramas. The first half feels exaggerated and unrealistic and the system looks cartoonishly cruel.But the ending is where the film truly hits hard. The execution of an innocent man and his name being cleared only after death is heartbreaking. That bitter unfair ending is a bold and effective move.
Flawed but emotionally powerful in the end.
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Paved the way…
I watched this very much knowing I was entering the “kill your gays” era of cinema, it’s been 20 years, so expecting the worst is just something you have to gird your loins against when it comes to watching gay cinema of this time. But what I got instead is a story that LITERALLY tried to bury its gays, only to give them a second chance, and then another fatal blow, but yet another redemption beyond expectation. Why aren’t more people talking about this?! I will admittedly agree that I wish there was just a bit more at the end there that really brought home a happy ending. But I’ve got an imagination and can plot out the rest on my own. I have to give it to movies like this that brought about the realistic expectation that BLs can have a happy ending. Although this may not be noticed by the masses. This is definitely worth the roller coaster ride of a watch and worth your time. Give it a go for sure.Was this review helpful to you?
"I hate telling lies"
Kinoshita Keisuke’s Phoenix showed how a young war widow rose from the ashes of her life much as the country she lived in was attempting to do. Tanaka Kinuyo gave a touching performance of a woman reflecting back on the love of her life as her son reaches his fourth birthday.Aihara Sayoko busies herself as the Yasaka household joyfully prepares for her son’s birthday. Her brother-in-law takes her aside to see if she will be comfortable when he marries soon. He fears seeing a blissful newlywed couple might cause her pain. She assures him that she is happy and his happiness will only bring her more. Sayoko then reflects on her relationship with his brother and the trials they met in order to get married.
Honestly, not much happened in this film of lost love. But what did happen was expertly done. The film revealed how Sayoko and Shinichi’s relationship developed in flashback. Kinoshita brought the lovers to life with a deft hand. There was some melodrama but it was not overwrought. Though she was 38 at the time Tanaka played a young woman maturing even as her love did for Yasaka Shinichi. This film hinged on her delicate performance as Sayoko filled most frames. Sada Keiji, as the handsome Shinichi, was ever loyal to her and his country. Shinichi bucked the family tradition of the parents picking his bride, angering his father, all for love of Sayoko.
Shinichi’s enlistment and deployment loomed like a deadly shadow over the couple. The very real concern that Sayoko could become a young widow and “ruin” her life was palpable. For Sayoko, Shinichi’s love and adoration was her past, her present, and her uncertain future, worth any risk and capable of sustaining her for a lifetime. This brief love story was a breath of fresh air among many maudlin films from this time period. Well-acted, engaging, and beautifully shot, worth a try if you enjoy old films.
2 February 2026
Note: There were places with damaged audio and the film had some streaking to it.
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Life doesn't always offer closure - and we have to learn to move forward
I found this movie very meaningful - with its beautiful shots and colors and a nice, slow pace. For me, it explores (among other things) the need of humans to understand everything, to have closure, to find meaning - even though real life seldom gives answers. I was reminded that sometimes we are left with a big "why", or with open wounds that we have to somehow move on from.This movie stuck with me after days, and I think I will remember it from time to time, if I ever need it.
It gave a beautiful message of acceptance, and hope.
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"It will always be just the two of us"
Japanese Girls at the Harbor was one of Shimizu Hiroshi’s silent films. Two inseparable school girls find their friendship challenged when they both fall for the older bad boy on a motorcycle. He wasn’t worthy of either of them, but this was a male fantasy, not a female one.Dora and Sunako are two school girls and friends who love viewing the Yokohama harbor. As soon as Dora proclaims, “It will always be just the two of us,” Henry rides in on his motorcycle and off with Sunako. Now Henry and Sunako are inseparable…until Henry ghosts her for Yoko. Oh, poor Henry, never heard the song lyrics, “Don’t go around breaking young girls’ hearts.” Sunako makes an impulsive decision that changes everyone’s lives.
This is where I would normally rant about the patriarchy, but today, I’m going to take a different angle on this story of one man being loved by three women, two of which had their lives ruined. Both Sunako and Yoko claimed that God had not forgiven them and they were being punished. Both ended up in unsavory jobs. Now allow me to perform a thought exercise. If women are so emotionally unstable, unable to easily attain forgiveness from God and man, and immediately punished for transgressions, shouldn’t it be on men to be the responsible ones? Henry cheated on not one but three women! He ran around with hoodlums in the first part of the film and yet still found socially acceptable employment. He violated moral and social laws but suffered no punishment and was easily forgiven by God, society, and the women. In fact, despite his moral and social failings, all the women were still madly in love with him. Therefore, being on the untouchable moral high seat, and the one who destroyed two women’s lives and almost a third, he should have been the one to be punished and ostracized instead of rewarded. It was on him to not tamper with blatantly inferior creatures. Creatures who had only two paths in life-housewife or hooker. To shamelessly quote Spiderman’s Uncle Ben, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Therefore, God and society should have taken the superior, and older, Henry to task for playing with the undeveloped feelings and minds of such inferior young girls. Knowing he was the vastly superior creature it was on him to not tempt weak girls with his glorious manhood and unlimited forgiveness and opportunities. Because he handed out and withdrew his vaunted affection and presence, the poor women had no choice in the matter and could not process such extreme magnificence and loss. Such feeble and ignorant creatures should not have been held liable for their innate physical, emotional, and moral frailty, as they were not designed to know any better. He was. I rest my case Mr. Shimizu.
Despite my eye-rolling regarding the fawning over pretty, but lackluster Henry, the film was beautifully shot for the time and wasn’t plagued by the salt and pepper pock marking of so many other silent films. Shimizu used a ball of yarn to denote the relationships’ status throughout the film--marital bliss, marital discord, entanglements, and friendship. Though I’ve banged on about the rigid traditional roles, a male painter entered the picture willing to take on women’s work in a role reversal in order to be closer to Sunako. Whether a more egalitarian take or that’s the best the damaged Sunako could hope for was a man who didn’t have any male dignity, I don’t know. After a long loop, the friends have to decide if there is anything left to salvage, all in the shadow of Henry. Even with my misgivings, for people who enjoy these old films, Japanese Girls at the Harbor is one to check out.
2 February 2026
A piano accompaniment was added that actually fit quite well, matched and enhanced the mood without being distracting. Sometimes music that is added later doesn't always fit the emotion of the scenes and draws attention away from the story.
Housekeeping notes: I was saddened to learn that the actress who played Sunako died a few years later of TB. I have now seen all of Inoue Yukiko's short list of silent films.
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