Reviews

Sato Kanta IS Irie Naoki. Kotoko? Not so much…

The storyline of ItaKiss is always going to be a little cringy/problematic/misogynistic/dated, but you can’t help but forgive it because of all the cute little moments even though you know it’s bad. Even though you know that Naoki is a manipulative prick, and Kotoko is so aggravatingly devoted and wrapped around Naoki’s finger. Such is the nature of Itazura na Kiss. Now the acting for this particular rendition… wasn’t great. Now I didn’t expect too much from Naoki’s character because he’s meant to be largely emotionless and deadpan, so I’m mainly talking about the actress who played Kotoko here. IMO, Kotoko is the most pivotal character in this series, as she has this mindnumbingly cute, mindnumbingly dumb persona that you just can’t help but love. I felt this strongly when I watched Honoka Yahagi/Miki’s portrayal of Kotoko (whom I see as the ideal Kotoko, as she was the only one I didn’t find annoying but rather, very charming). But for this actress…. her voice sounded like a 5 year old most of the time PLUS her acting skills were terrible in comparison. And don’t get me started on the iconic rain scene. It was, I’m sorry to say, terribly acted out. There was zero tension or desperation in the scene. It just felt like two people simply saying lines back and forth with no conviction at all. I mean, again I didn’t expect too much from Naoki, but c’mon Kotoko, you love this man!

Sato Kanta’s Irie Naoki, in my opinion, was overall very true to his original character, as even when he was cold to Kotoko, you could see the little nuances, gestures, and gazes saying that he truly did hold affection for her, even as he teased her or ignored her. This was hard to tell in previous versions of Itazura na Kiss, as even Furukawa Yuki’s version seemed a little lifeless, or bipolar at times. Even visually, Sato was the most similar to Naoki in comparison to all the other adaptations. Just compare him to the original manga artworks! Sato IMO truly embodied Naoki.

Storywise, it was rushed, which is understandable given it’s 3 movies rather than 2 seasons of a show. I just wish that this was made as a drama rather than a movie trilogy. It did an okay job for what it was worth, had some cute scenes (especially in the first film), but overall… meh. If Kanta and Honoka had done a rendition together… It’d probably be perfect for me.

While I like Sato Kanta’s acting, the overall acting (including Kotoko’s) isn’t great, hence my rating.

Sidenote, but that animation of Kotorin… Let’s just say that if some creepos I met once made such a thing about me without my consent… I would be filing a sexual harassment report. Also shame on her friends (and Naoki) for thinking such a thing is funny.

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A story that felt inspired by ItaKiss, but was its own film (and a pretty good one!)

Wow, a not completely unfeeling Naoki! :0 To be honest, I was skeptical at first because I heard that the FL was annoying in other reviews, but she actually wasn’t bad at all in comparison to other FL renditions of Kotoko (ahem 2017 Japanese film version). She was just… forgettable, in the sense that if any other actress had replaced her, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Just to note - this film didn’t completely feel like Itazura na Kiss, and Darren Wang didn’t really feel like Naoki at all, and this makes sense given the fact that the director/writer(s) took liberties with the story. It didn’t feel as rushed as it could’ve been if they left everything the same and followed the manga scene by scene, which often leads to more vignettes of the story mashed up into one (which was mostly a criticism I felt I had for the Japanese ItaKiss trilogy). I thought the way they merged some scenes together and reinvented them was a good idea for the overall pacing of the film, but again it loses most of the original manga’s essence. I liked Darren’s portrayal of Irie as FINALLY we can see more of his side of the story and how he gradually came to love Kotoko in the first place. He was definitely a warmer Naoki than his Japanese and Korean counterparts, and overall felt more human and relatable (he also actually smiled more, which was shocking).

I felt like the casting for Naoki’s family was a bit off and didn’t get highlighted as much as they should have (i.e. the brother), and was surprised that Kin-chan didn’t have as many parts as I thought he would (he was mostly forgotten towards the second half of the film), but I didn’t mind it too much. Overall though, it was a cute adaptation that felt more like it was inspired by Itazura na Kiss but was its own story completely. I still enjoyed it and it’s a cute movie worth a watch!

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im tired of hating myself so that you can love me

I'm tired of hating myself so that you can love me - that line broke me. The way this story was told is creative and shows growth doesn't mean pretending wrongs didn't happen. It shows that it is important to acknowledge one's own issues in order to overcome them. It had a big impact considering how short it was. I would have loved to see this be a bit longer, maybe with more focus on the discussion they needed to have. I appreciated the dance party that added a bit of fun to the tense situation that occurred but I would have loved a more in depth discussion about their relationship.

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Like reading a book in 2 hours

I have no words to define how satisfactory this movie was to watch, I wasn't expecting much and it ended up surprising me for good.

Everything is so well executed, from the script to the acting, even the tense music was somehow good enough. I could understand each one of the characters and how they felt at every moment of pressure, their reasoning, their breakdowns. It was like reading a good book in one evening cause it was too good to leave it for another time.

Story: From the beginning to the resolution everything it's perfectly calculated for the spectator never leaving the screen, you never know who's gonna change their mind next.
Acting: Amazing, each actor portraited such unique characters with so many different emotions and thoughts on the case.
Music: Probably the blandest part of the movie, but not for bad, it's just that there's barely any sound or relative music though the whole movie other than the typical tautness music.
Rewatch Value: Would watch it again on a free evening, especially with family or friends.
Overall: I recommend watching this movie if you like the conflict resolution and human emotions being shown.

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I did not need to see that much skin...

This is definitely not a movie to watch with your parents in the room. It is graphic. It has sex scenes, fighting swords, bloodshed and more. It is definitely not for the faint of heart.

The relationship triangle that is happening in this film makes your heart break. Watching your main character's all suffer from the internal struggle of who they love versus what is right given the social norms of their time is very interesting. It's not a genre I ever thought I'd see LGBT representation in but I am very glad this film exists.

Watch it if you want to see love and death, all in the space of 90-ish minutes

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I understand why this was made, but I don't think I like it.

This story about a man reminiscing on a past love is an important story that we need to hear. We need a wider variety of LGBT people in our media and that include older people. However, I don't think showing this story through the metaphor of a grown man seeing a naked teenager is the way to do it?

It's definitely a conversation starter and I would love to talk about it to anyone who has watched it. I think this is an acquired taste in short films. I completely understand this film, I stand by it's message but I am not completely sold on the metaphor that they used to show this message. We should not be putting burdens or memories of parents on a child's shoulder.

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Everyone should see this.

This is an excellent short film about the realities of living everyday with HIV. Not many people understand that if you are consistent in taking your medication you become what they refer to as 'undetectable' which means you can't pass it on. However, people just asume you're going to spread it and that they will die, this is true even in 2021. This film shows the harsh reality of this lack of knowledge.

It also showcases a father's quite love. He might not say he supports his son with words but he does so with actions instead. This is directly contrasted with the loud, playful love he shares with his grandson. Seeing these two experiences at the same time makes it easier to understand how this man's life became so isolated and lonely.

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Enjoyable for us who know nothing about BlackPink...

This was really sweet, well made, well balanced and entertaining to watch.

I am not the type to know anything about music let alone groups and had honestly mostly heard about BlackPink on feeds and about Jisoo as the costar in snowdrop... so I am what you may call a complete unbiased nub to this, and yes I really enjoyed this documentary.

The girls are adorable, they are extremely different and as they say complement each other well, we get a very short glimpse in to the girls personal life, just enough to understand where they are coming from but not to much to feel burdened with unnecessary or uncomfortable personal stuff.., they show both the hard work behind the scenes as well as the rewards from them. The importance of personal space as well as helping each other out and it is just lovely,

I think I go a slight crush on Rosé I love her voice, her talent as well as what we got to see of her introverted personality and she is now my favorite and I want to hear more of her, has she gone solo?

Jenny had this great granny personality and Jisoo seemed cool but was the one we got to know the least and Lisa was just this cute energy pill that bursted up the screen.

All in all definitely fun to watch and a documentary I recommend to all who do not hate pop.

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Real and nostalgic

There's something so nostalgic about these Taiwanese coming-of-age films, about everyone in a class growing up together — and this movie was no different. Part of me really wanted this to have more runtime, maybe as a drama or mini series. There were just only two characters I really cared about (the two leads) and I couldn't really connect as much with the side characters and the feeling of friendship, although I knew what the movie was going for. Still, I loved the main leads a lot and they had really good chemistry.

At the same time, this had a really "movie" ending — bittersweet and not that satisfying, maybe a little more realistic than I wanted it to be. In the end, this movie just kind of left me with mixed emotions.

Great background songs also.

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The acting is great but the story... so so

I'd really wanted to watch this movie after seeing the promo Kim Go Eun and Jung Hae In did with Begin Again 3. The movie has a very nostalgic touch to it that makes you reminiscent about some time past. I loved music chosen for this movie, they were very fitting to the mood the story was trying to portray. The acting in the show is also very great. I loved seeing the different emotions Kim Go Eun and Jung Hae In portrayed in the show... The part that I'm not quite satisfied with the movie is the story (which is such a big part of a movie). The way the conflict was set up and "resolved" (can't even say it was fully resolved) was so murky. I'm left confused by what exactly caused the climax at the end of the storyline and the "logical" reasoning it came to a resolution. There also doesn't seem to be too much of character development shown in the movie, albeit there's limited time for a story to be told in a movie format, but it just wasn't very smooth in my opinion. Overall, I think it was a solid movie considering the music and acting/cast but the story just didn't do it for me.

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Fun for an evening

I liked it and probably will watch it again a few times with friends or family.

Didn't blow my mind, but I especially cherished how they used the "kids now only think of using their phones" and turned it into something positive for the film.
It's not the kind of movie that portraits extreme violent/action moments, so if that's what you're looking for, better watch another movie.

Story: Was good, can get kind of boring by half the movie, but quickly recovers.
Acting: Probably the best part, they did a good job portraiting each character and their motives to do what they do.
Music: Didn't stick out, just finished it and can barely remember anything from it.
Rewatch Value: Probably for a few more times after never watching it again.
Overall: Give it a try if you like movies that go further than a few explosions and focus more on character development/story.

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A short film that makes good use of its 16 minutes or so

The acting of the actor who plays Fan is rather good. The character's eagerness and longing as he meets his ex, Tien, for a meal is effectively conveyed. He hasn't gotten over Tien and doesn't really understand why they have broken up, but just as he broaches the question to Tien, the waiter serving their food interrupts the conversation. And it is clear that Tien is all too eager to evade the issue and the awkwardness that would ensue. The dialogue is seemingly casual, but it reveals the dynamics of the relationship between the two. Fan is the one who cares and gives: he would order the food Tien likes (even after they have broken up), and we can see that he is the one who thinks about and talks about the past whereas Tien is more concerned about getting his passport, and comments on stuff like the food. The only thing Tien really does for Fan seems to be eating the onions that Fan doesn't like, and even then, he seems to be doing so out of guilt. And eventually, almost immediately after getting his passport, Tien initiates a hug only to tell Fan to take care (which basically ends the meet-up).

It's perhaps not that Tien is meant to be the bad guy in the relationship. His actual emotions are often opaque. He does seem to realise Fan's feelings and he cares for Fan as a friend rather than as a lover. His facial expression during the embrace is not one of callousness. If nothing else, at least he doesn't give Fan false hope? Ultimately, what the film shows is that when it is time to move on from a relationship, it is time to move on. We see how Fan tries to connect his Bluetooth earphones to his phone unsuccessfully (a symbolic unsuccessful pairing). At the end of the short film, we see him deleting the device which fails to pair properly, signifying that he has finally given up on the relationship and is moving on even if it is not without sadness.

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An engaging but sometimes slow watch

I Don't Fire Myself presents exactly the situation the prompt describes. An abused and thoroughly discriminated worker is given an ultimatum that leads to her thrust into an unfamiliar working situation which is as unwelcoming as the first. Slowly, perhaps sometimes unbearably slow she begins to acclimatise as ironically she finds the plight of those there to be similarly downtrodden. The film rethreads the paths many now deep into their drama careers have seen as the labour issue consistently brought up in Korea but its message is far from cliche. Though not entirely free from those, such occurrences do not entirely hamper the film at all instead inspire a sign of disappointment that these things persist.

The acting performances were all fantastic Yoo Da In does a good job in the lead role as does Oh Jung Se in the supporting. Cinematography wise the film is competently shot with some particularly beautiful imagery centring on the paradoxically deadly transmission towers the characters must brave. All in all, it's good for a one time watch though it might be just as easily skipped.

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