Reviews

poise & pain

I felt like I was being suffocated right alongside Saori because she is just a walking, open wound for two hours. Satomii just let herself be ugly and it felt so painfully real. She is frantic and aggressive and looks like she hasn't brushed her hair since Miu vanished. I didn't see a single shred of poise left in her. I saw a woman being eaten alive by the fact that she was at a concert when her kid went missing and the internet will not let her forget it for a second. Watching her scroll through comments from trolls who decided she deserves this pain was devastating. I could feel every ounce of her self loathing.

"If I don't read them, it is like she has already been forgotten. This is the only place people are still talking about her."

I think she feels so dangerously authentic because Satomii doesn't try to make her grief look cinematic or poetic. It is just heavy and exhausted and mean. I felt the weight of her emotions in the way she breathes and the way her voice cracks when she is screaming at people who are just trying to help. She made me feel that desperation as if it was my own life falling apart. The media in this was actually nauseating for me to watch because of how they egg her on when she is at her lowest point. I can't get that scene out of my head where she actually proposes holding a birthday party for Miu and the news crew just leans into it because they know it will make for a pathetic sensational shot. I could see Yutaka absolutely hating the idea but he is so drained that he just stands there while they light the candles.

"I feel like I'm already dead. I'm just moving because I have to find her."

It broke my heart to see her so desperate to keep her daughter's face on TV that she starts performing her own grief for the cameras just to keep the search from dying out. I felt like Yutaka trying to be the stoic anchor just felt like abandonment to her and I watched their house become a pressure cooker where they just end up lashing out at each other in the dark. The brother Keigo is obviously another part that really got to me. He was the last person seen with the girl and because he is socially awkward he becomes a target. Seeing Saori turn her rage on him because she needs someone to blame and I think it shows how a tragedy like this just fractures a family until there is nothing left.

I was completely captivated by the way Satomii inhabits this specific, haunting brand of misery. I saw her standing in that yellow crossing guard vest at the end and it just gutted me. There is no magic resolution. She is just there in the street protecting other people's kids while hers is still gone. It is a quiet and miserable kind of strength. I felt like she was forcing me to sit in the wreckage with her until the very last frame.

Read More

Mood of the Day? More Like Mood Ruined

This movie is honestly just a waste of time. Calling it a "time-wasting movie" is even being too kind. It’s just pointless.

So, the story’s about this guy who is a player, sleeping with women like his life depends on it. He meets his latest victim on the train only to discover that she’s not like the other girls. She’s different, or so she claims.

But nope. Plot twist: She’s exactly like the others. She ends up wanting the same thing ( if you know what I mean) every other woman in town has already had.

What’s even worse is how the movie tries to make their connection seem special. But the thing is, if he had spared the same energy and time to get to know any of the other girls, he probably would’ve fallen for them too. But oh wait- Mr. player doesn't give the other women time of day because they gave in too easily the first time despite the fact that he’s also giving it up the first time and not just once, but multiple times at at that. I just do not see the appeal in such character.

At the end of the day, this movie doesn’t offer anything new or interesting but rather offers quite a shallow story.

Read More

impressive low budget school movie on the disturbing theme of bullying

an excellent compact low budget school action movie about bullying in korean schools 、
it makes its point in 80 minutes where similar movies or dramas take much longer。
it's main strength is its realism、 the low budget and noir filming actually contribute much to the realism I think、 as also how the bullying starts from seniors down、 the slight female and parent involvement is more true to life and it helps the actors actually look as though they are school boys not twenty or thirty year olds in school uniform。
it even manages to show the impotence of teachers in schools where adult discipline is absent and a law of the jungle where students substitute their own power structure and gangster discipline of survival of the strongest [interesting it includes a corporal punishment episode with seniors beating their juniors like the teachers previously did、 ironic students see this is needed where "enlightened" adults abolish it]。
the hesitation of the main protagonist to fight against students from stronger age group is convincing、 unlike some other fight dramas where the fighting skills of the heroes require much suspension of disbelief。

Read More

A Year-End Medley: 1/4/2026

This movie was real good but I personally think it would have been better as a show. This is mainly because you are following so many people throughout the movie that at some times it is just all over the place. I also feel that it prevents you in a way from building any connection to characters. Also which I think it it’s most fatal flow is that because all the stories also overlap it get confusing at times and it just wait backup what is going on. Besides this and just looking at what was given it was a really good show, and while I usually don’t like remarks I hope one day they remake it into a show.

Read More

The Emperor's Country

This film is *terribly* well done.

I hated the first hour, I freely admit it, because it was definitely on the far side of "too much". I am always the first one to point out that Japanese manga adaptations have their own style and that's how it is; and if you know what I mean by that, imagine it ten-fold that and you have a good approximation for how this film is done. I really struggled with the shouting and the overdone reactions and the wigs and ... everything, really. But for some strange reason, I also could *not* put it down.
It was all worth it for the ending -- I won't say anything to not spoil it, but let it be known that I had to get up, paced there for several minutes and then shouted "That's so clever!", and I meant both Teiichi's actions *and* the writing.

This film is set in an oligarchic and patriarchial society, both in the "adult" and in the "school" part of it -- it reminded me of the Kaiserreich society of around 1900 (go and read "Der Untertan" and "Unterm Rad", if you haven't yet!), others might think of England's Edwardian public schools, Japanese viewers will probably think of their own Imperial era. That oppressive, hierarchical society, governed by ties of obligation and old history which span generations, with its homosocial enviroment and the (homophobic) (or do I mean homoerotic?) bromances, the sizzling rivalries and the masochistic self-degradation towards the powerful -- and then, for a minuscule moment, a glimpse of a dream, of change, of humanity -- or maybe not?
All of this is perfectly distilled into the set designs and the costumes, into the use of light and color, into the pace of the ceremonies with the ritualistic stand-bow-sit and the hard-and-short applause, into the perfect timing of every single actor, and even into the kumi-daiko with half-naked men.

With this in mind, it makes a lot of sense that the female characters barely have screentime, that the younger sister (who is maybe about 13?) carries a teddy bear whereever she goes, that in his moment of victory, Teiichi leaves his girfriend(?) and runs towards his number one lackey to embrace him. Actually, that makes it even more clever that the girlfriend(?) is the only voice for egalitarianism in this film.

It would take a while to talk about all the different layers of meaning that hide behind the manga-esque facade, so I'll just point out that there are many, and leave it at that -- I think every viewer will find their own preferred reading.

And in the end, even on the day after finishing this film, I sit here and ask myself "Who is the real Teiichi?" and "What the heck is Dan hiding?"
Very much worth it.

Read More

Where the hell is the storytelling in this film?

I hesitated whether to write this review, but since I invested my time and made it to the very end, I decided to do it anyway.

The film started off quite nicely in terms of visuals. The opening scenes caught my interest, but soon after that came a major disappointment. First and foremost, the overuse of very artificial CGI and green screen was impossible to ignore. The film was advertised as showcasing breathtaking landscapes, yet there were only a few such scenes; most of the “outdoor” settings were clearly shot in a studio. There was far too much music, and for the most part it completely failed to match the atmosphere—rather than immersing me in the world, it constantly pulled me out of it. Unfortunately, these are not the most painful issues this film suffers from.

The two most serious flaws are the problems with the plot and the poor acting.

Where the hell is the storytelling in this film? The film fails to establish any overarching stakes. It does not build its characters. The viewer is told that they are supposed to care about the characters’ fate, but is never given a real chance to root for any of them—we never see how their relationship develops, how it grows, how feelings are born between them. Instead, we are simply informed: “these two love each other, you should root for them.” There is no chemistry between the main characters. Every scene is constructed according to the “tell, don’t show” principle, which in a medium like film is frankly insulting to the audience. Perhaps Tsui Hark assumed that absolutely every viewer had read the books, and that it was enough to say “this is the Venom of the West, he is their enemy,” without ever showing the audience why that is the case. But that assumption is a fundamental mistake. A film must stand on its own as a complete work—and this one does not.

I move on with pain to the acting, which I found shockingly disappointing. I consider Xiao Zhan to be a good actor with a natural style of performance. In his earlier works, he was like a breath of fresh air—sincere, genuine, full of emotion. Here, he was a pathetically wooden presence. There was no subtlety whatsoever. The performance hits the viewer over the head with stupidity and pathos. Yes, this may have been the direction chosen by the director for the character, but that only means the actor’s potential was completely wasted. If I had not known Xiao Zhan from his other roles and had seen this film as my first exposure to him, I would have assumed he wasn’t an actor at all, just a wooden log dressed in a costume.

Do I know what kind of personality any of the characters in this film actually has? No. Do I remember any specific scene from this film three days after watching it? Only vaguely, and not in full. Did this film have any positive aspects at all? Both female actors were beautiful and clearly tried their best, but with material like this, they had nothing to work with.

My positive points go exclusively to the costumes, the horses, Khan, and both female actors. And yes—even though his role was poorly written, Bayaertu truly showed class.

Read More

Su WuKong!!! The Monkey King, Need I Say More??? His Golden Dragon Staff Is So Awesomely Beautiful!!

1ST I MUST SAY HOW GORGEOUS, AND BEAUTIFUL THE MONKEY'S SU WUKONG GOLDEN DRAGON STAFF IS!!! THAT THING IS LIKE SO FREAKIN PRETTY!!! ESPECIALLY THE ONE IN THIS MOVIE!!!
Let Me Start By Saying I Had Watched This Movie Almost 18 Years Ago... So... I Might Not Remember Every Detail. When My Mother Told Me That Jackie Chen, And Jet Lee Were Going To Be In a Movie Together, I Was Like Impossible, I Didn't Believe It At 1st, Because Both Are So Well Know For There Martial Arts Skills. Then When She Told Me It Was Going To Be About The Monkey King, I Was Like No Way, Because I Knew Niether Would Play The Monkey King As A Character. (Ha Ha Ha I Was Even More Truly Shocked To Find Out That Jet Lee Was Playing The Mischievous Monkey King. I Have To Say I Laughed My Behind Off!)

I Did Really Like Jackie, And Really Respected Him, As An Actor, And A Singer. I Liked Him Even More After He Sang This One Song, And He Said That The Song Meant This World Is Not Yours, This World Is Not Mine, This World Is Not Not Theres, This Is Our World, Etc.
But I Saw Something On Him, And I'd Hate To Say This, But I Found Something Out About Jackie Chan, That I Really Didn't, And That I Am Not To Proud Of Him For, ESPECIALLY Because It Has To Do With His Daughter, But... I Feel Really Sad For His Daughter, Because She Is Still His DAUGHTER, And Family. It Is His Preference, And His Choice To Be The Way He Is, But It Makes Me REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN HIM!!! More So, Because It's When His Daughter Needed Him The Most. Even Though I Am Upset, With Him, I Will Not Let This Affect My Review Or Rating, At Least I Hope I Won't...

The Movie Was Actually Was Really Good, And Fun, Action Packed. It's More Then I Expected Of A Movie About A Magical Monkey King Called Su WuKong!!! By The Way I Knew That Su WuKong Was Magical, But I Didn't Know He Was That Magical... In Short One Of Strained Of Plucked Hair Is, Was Magical. Boy Was It Magical!!! JUST 1 LITTLE STRAINED OF HAIR!!! 🤯🤯🤯
Jet Lee Did An Excellent, And Amazing Job Playing The Monkey King... At 1st With All The Make-Up On, And All The Stuff For The Monkey King Outfit, Costume, Crown, Hair, Ect., It Was Hard To Tell It Was Him. From Scratching His Head To Moving Around Like The Mischievous Monkey King. He Did An Awesome, And A Wonderful Job Recreating The Monkey King Su WuKong!!!
He Did Played 2 Different Characters Some Of The Monkey King, And Then Some A Monk. Both Monkey King, And The Monk Both Fought Crazyly. The Monk Was On A Mission To Find The Golden Dragon Staff, Now This Is Where The Strained If Hair Comes In, But You'll Have To Watch It To Find Out.

So A Young White Boy That Loves Martial Arts Videos Goes To Buy Kung Fu Movies From A Elderly Man (Jackie Chan). The Golden Dragon Staff Is Passed On To The Boy, By The Elderly Man, Because The Elderly Man's Shop Is Being Robbed. It's Covered By A Cloth So The Boy Has No Idea What It Is, All He Knows Is To Keep It Safe, And To Protect It With His Life, Because The Elderly Man Told Him To. The Elderly Man Told Him He Was The Keeper Of The Staff, And He's Been Protecting It All These Years.
The Young White Boy Get Sucked Back Into The Past In Antcient Times, I Believe, Because Of The Staff, And He Comes Accross, A Drunken Master Who's Immortal (Jackie Chan), When They 1st Meet, WOW!!! 😂🤣😂 I Just Remember It Being Way To Funny!!! CLASSIC AMERICAN/ CHINESE HUMOR, I GUESS YOU WOULD CALL IT!!! English, And Chinese Lost In Translation... Maybe Not Knowing English, And Not Knowing Chinese!!! But Then, Wahlah English!!!
Anyways The Boy, And Drunken Master Come Accross The Monk, Where Both The Drunken Master, And The Monk Fight Eachother, Which Was Pointless, Because They Both Matched One Another With Martial Arts Skills!!! (My Mom Had Said The Director Of Forbidden Kingdom, Said When Jackie Chan, And Jet Lee Fought, He Didn't Have To Direct, Or Choreograph Anything, Because They Already Knew What To Do. I Said Of Corse, Because They Both Know How To Fight!) Anyways They Both, Dunken Master, And The Monk Agreed To Disagree In How To Train The Kid In Martial Arts. At Times I Felt Like They Were Just Messing Around With Him, And Pulling His Leg.

All 3 Came Accross A Pretty Young Chinese Girl Named Sparrow, Who Wanted Avenge Her Family, I Believe. The Young White Boy, Was... IN LOVE AT 1ST SIGHT!!! She Had A Specific White Jade Sparrow Hair Pin, That She Was To Use, And Kill with. I Can't Remember Who It Was That She Wanted To Kill, If She Even Killed Them, I Do Remember Her Fighting At The End With The White Jade Sparrow Hair Pin, I Believe. I Can't Remember Did It End Good For Her, But For Sure Not Until They Go Back To The Present Time. I Guess Technically In The Present Times It's Still Not The Same Girl Sparrow, Just A Look A Like, Or Doppelganger!

As You Know Jackie Chan Played 2 Characters The Elderly Man With The Shop, And The Drunken Master. He Did A Great Job Playing The Elderly Man, Because When I 1st Saw Him Too, I Couldn't Tell If It Was Him Or Not... (I Guess The Make Up, And Costumes, And Stuff For Both Jackie Chen And Jet Lee, Was That Good, So They Were Unrecognizable.) Anyways Back In The Present The Elderly Man Was Back, When Last Saw Him , Before The Boy Got Sucked Into Antcient Times, You Think That He's A Gonner, Because Of The Robbery... Back In The Present World He Told The Boy, He Was Immortal. Sparrow Was A Different Person, But Looked The Same, If I'm Not Mistake, Her Name Had To Do With Sparrow Too...

SADLY I DON'T REMEMBER THE MUSIC, IF IT WAS GOOD OR BAD... BUT I GUESS IT WASN'T THAT BAD, BECAUSE IF IT WAS I WOULD REMEMBER THAT... I Usually Remember The Bad Songs... Anyways I Rated Music 8.5, Because I Am Not Sure, Don't Want To Give To Low Of Rating Or To High, Because I Just Don't Remember.

Anyways As Far As The Ending Goes, I Really Can't Remember It... Ha Ha Ha I Know Lots Of Detail Above, But I Don't Even Remember What Happened To The Monkey King, I Do Know The Movie Was Based On Him. I Will Say This... The Monk Had To Do With The Monkey King, And The Money King Had To Do With The Monk!!! They Connected, And Intertwined Together Some How. That All I Can Say. The Rest Your Going To Have To Watch, And Find Out On Your Own.

If I Happen To Come Accross The Movie Again On T.V. Again I'll Write Another Review... Because I've Seen It On T.V. At Least 3 Times. Not As Of Lately Though. =0/

January 6th, 2026 @ 2:10 P.M (Fell Asleep In Between Writing The Review.) -9:43 P.M.
Posted At 9:47 P.M.

Read More

Disjointed-felt pieced together with plot holes

I didn't watch the drama of the same title & have not encountered the webtoon, so I had no preconceptions going into it. I see that the female lead is different from the 16 episode series of the same name, which made me wonder why this felt as if it could be just bits & pieces of the 16 episode drama series chopped, spun & thrown at a wall for the end product. By the end I had questions still unanswered. It definitely didn't make me want to watch the drama series ! For me, I would have rather seen the female lead with the second male lead, violent though he may be, at least he was an open book & easy to understand.

Read More

This Geed movie is pretty simple, and the script is full of plot conveniences. Still, it’s a fun watch, but as is often the case with this new generation of Ultras, it’s noticeably weaker than the TV series it’s based on. It’s a very straightforward film with a nice message at the end about “everyone being an Ultraman.” The reference to “Jean Fight!” was especially funny (context: Hamada Tatsuomi, who is Ultraman Geed, previously worked on Revenge of Belial, where he operated the robot Jean). It’s a funny reference.

Overall, the movie isn’t essential for those who have already watched Ultraman Geed; it’s safe to skip.

PS: Whoever wrote the other review needs Jesus, because that was rough.

Read More

A Beautifully Made Story with Slight Narrative Loss

This drama demonstrates excellent production values, with thoughtful choices in casting, cinematography, music, and overall direction. Each element complements the others, resulting in a cohesive and well-rounded viewing experience. From the opening scenes, it is evident that great care was taken in selecting the cast, as the actors not only resemble their characters but also bring them to life in a convincing and natural way. The leads, Yang Yi / Yang Si Ho and Xu Nian Nian, deliver performances full of depth and nuance. Their chemistry is particularly noteworthy; the director carefully crafted their interactions to display genuine rapport, comfort, and mutual understanding. Watching their scenes together feels effortless and authentic, enhancing the emotional impact of the story.
The supporting cast also contributes significantly to the drama’s overall quality. Each character has been thoughtfully developed, with clear backgrounds and motivations that allow them to shine individually while supporting the main narrative. Their interactions with the leads and each other feel genuine, adding richness and diversity to the storytelling. The production design, cinematography, and music further elevate the series, creating a visually pleasing and emotionally engaging experience that complements the actors’ performances. The soundtrack is carefully chosen to enhance the tone of each scene without overshadowing it, and the cinematography captures both the intimacy and grandeur of the story’s key moments.
However, despite its many strengths, the drama is not without its flaws. Certain deleted or condensed scenes resulted in moments of ambiguity and slightly weakened some story arcs. Specifically, the reasons behind Xu Nian Nian’s low grades, despite her consistent diligence and high performance in other areas, were not fully explained, which may leave viewers questioning her motivations. Additionally, her decision to end the relationship was presented in a way that lacked clarity. It remains uncertain whether her choice was influenced by rivalry with Yang Yi / Yang Si Ho or if there were other underlying reasons, which may leave some viewers feeling that an important emotional element was missing.
Despite these minor issues, the drama succeeds in delivering a compelling narrative with well-developed characters, strong performances, and excellent production values. The chemistry between the leads, in particular, is a highlight, creating moments that feel authentic, heartfelt, and memorable. The supporting cast, music, and cinematography all work together harmoniously, making the series enjoyable and engaging from start to finish.
Overall, this drama is a rewarding watch, offering both emotional depth and visual appeal. While the narrative could have benefitted from retaining some deleted scenes to clarify character motivations and certain plot points, the strengths of the performances, chemistry, and production more than compensate for these minor gaps. Fans of well-acted, visually appealing, and emotionally engaging dramas will likely find this series highly satisfying.

Read More

A Painful, but Interesting Watch

The somewhat mundanity of this film is definitely not for everybody, but for me, I liked it. For those who enjoy slice-of-life films that focus on the relationships between characters, growing up in an environment you want to run away from, loneliness, not seeing a real future for yourself, I recommend giving this movie a chance.

I think the most compelling part of this movie is the acting. Bang Minah did an phenomenal job in every scene. It completely drew me in and pulled me inside of Kang Yi's head. I felt myself smiling with her, and I felt my heart breaking with her. She loved her friends a lot, especially So Young, and it was heartbreaking seeing how many times she continued to trust So Young and have faith in their friendship going back to the way it was despite So Young's changed attitude towards her.

It was heartbreaking how the characters' connections developed throughout the film, how these changes affected them and affected their dynamic, and witnessing Kang Yi's growing depression. Once these girls were all each other had and probably their own happiness, and then their own feelings and lives got in between their connections with each other. In adolescence, feelings are so big and confusing, you have no idea how to deal with them. This film is a depressing portrayal of life.

Read More

Outwardly, it's a simple enough story, but it takes its time - as so many of the best Thai films do - to let the depth of its emotions unfold and give them room to breathe.

And the emotions in this are exquisite, sometimes painful, sometimes beautiful, always grounded and real. Score and pacing are superb, acting excellent - everything working together to give it richness and depth, everything coming exactly when it needs to. I really do love the Thai way with a story, especially their two hour movies.

If I could see one piece of media over again for the first time, it would be this.

Read More

Beautiful

For a short movie, this was so beautiful and touching.

First, it's loosely based on Natsume Soseki's novel Kokoro:
I think it's only influenced by it not an adaptation or anything, and I was about to be angry when I started it and found out that it has absolutely nothing to do with the book -except maybe the love and guilt theme- because I'm a huge fan of it, but this movie was so good that I didn't care about it being an adaptation or not.

The story is painfully beautiful and the 3 actors did a great job, I usually refrain from saying anything in my reviews for short movies because it's only 30 mins, anything I say about it would spoil everything but I loved it so much.

Kouhei was so pretty, he broke my heart in the confession scene, it was heart-wrenching, the way he said those words to Takuya's character... I want to give him a hug, I don't understand how could he bear to watch him like that and leave.

Highly recommended movie ❣️❣️

Read More

doomed yuri will always hurt

live action nana will always have a place in my heart. I prefer the anime, but the cinematography and aesthetics of this movie is just so fucking beautiful, and it's casted so well. however when you don't think of it in a lesbian way, it's definietly less enjoyable to watch. It just feels like I'm writing about the anime because they're not that different, just not everything included which I'm fine with. It's less explicit than the anime also, and more suitable for preteens than the anime, because I watched it only a couple years after it came out and I was 11 so WAYYYY too young and didn't know lesbians existed and I panicked when I saw breasts and yeah. BUT ANYWAY WATCH IT!!!

Read More