Reviews

“5 people who had no connections can become a family”

STORY

“I just learned a song, I wanna play it for you”

This drama started out a bit confusing.You might see WCT on bad sides with WCQ in a few scene but you can also see them being the best siblings ever.WCT’s character was a bit confusing at first.She was supposed to be YKQ’s “best friend” but she would “threaten” or bring back memories from times to times.BUT I later understood why it was like that.As a Lesle Chen’s movie, it is has some of the biggest and most unexpected plot twists.The story really makes you go on a roller coaster of emotions.It gave you hints here and there but you’d choose to ignore it.My favorite scene is honestly the scene where WCT and WCQ were sitting together and WCQ played a song for his sister.It was really emotional.Another scene was the last scene when YKQ ran back to his home.This story told me that strangers can become family too.Although, it was really weird when PCL(Wang Mom) scared WCQ, I guess she’s possessed?
Something that bothered me was:Did WCQ/CXQ forgot what happened on the day the bus rolled down?why was he surprised when PCL told him that he wasn’t WCQ but CXQ?And what happened to LL?Did she die?wasn’t she in the bus when it rolled down?Maybe there were answers but I missed it.

ACTING
No jokes, everyone did an amazing job.Even people who only showed up for a minute.GFC’s acting was on point.From a mean dad to someone who actually wanted to help someone.DYH was just, awesome, amazing, splendid.XWN did a super duper, really awesome and splendid job.Whether it was when she was acting all crazy or the kind mom.ZZF is really good.She’s nation’s little sister but in here, we can see the mature, older sister version of her.RZS, come on, extraordinary.Not to mention, he was just 12 at the time of shooting.

Music:
More of a personal taste of music but the music was always when it should be.I checked the trailer and I wanted to watch it because of the music shown in it.Not to mention, RZS, WSD(Wang ShengDi) and SPY(Shi PengYuan) sang the theme song too!(Yass, the 3 “bad kids”)

Rewatch:
Idk, I don’t like rewatching things sooooooo maybe it’s different from y’all.

Overall:
The story may confuse you at first, but be patient and you won’t regret it!
Sorry if there’s any grammar mistakes!I’m too lazy to double-check it!

Read More

The first part of the film was good and most of the time the sequels are disappointing, but in this case it's better.
The story line is very well done and as I expected the second paragon (Kim Soo Hong) is definitely more intelligent and interesting. I like the way he approached his trial, the actions and questions he asked to push the guard Kang Rim to free himself from his past throughout their journey. And Joo Ji Hoon as Hae Won Maek is refreshing, I like the duality between the warrior and the man even 1000 years later. I didn't know Kim Hyang Gi as an actress but she is stunning as Lee Deok Choon, she is the face of innocence with a tigress inside her.
I will also add that the CGI is very well done, it feels so good to my eyes, the fight scenes are very well orchestrated, Goreyo here I come.
At the end, I had my answer on who these guardians were and considering their links the 3rd and 4th part of this movie will have to be epic.
If I had to describe this film: the path to redemption (without religious connotations)

Read More

Why HANA YORI DANGO will always be THE SUPERIOR/BEST VERSION a.k.a THE GOLDEN STANDARD!

HANA YORI DANGO is the ONE AND ONLY VERSION that GOT TO PLUCKED MY HEARTSTRINGS, FREAKIN' PLAYED WITH MY EMOTIONS & MADE ME FEEL ALL SORT OF THINGS!!! The way HanaDan was made was SO COMPELLING, FULL OF ANGST & HEARTWARMING, that's why, it will ALWAYS BE THE SUPERIOR VERSION a.k.a THE GOLDEN STANDARD!!!!!!! ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Just watch HANA YORI DANGO is you want to see:

• A properly tailored flow of the scenes/plot. QUALITY MORE THAN QUANTITY!

• The version that stood the test of time a.k.a. REWATCH VALUE.

• Well-written characters that's why you can understand why they're acting the way they were.

• Polished arcs of the characters, most especially to Domyouji’s redemption, with his arc in S2!
(It was the heaviest compared to his other counterparts.)

• The STRONGER THAN THE WHOLE PERIODIC TABLE CHEMISTRY of Inoue Mao (Makino Tsukushi) and Jun Matsumoto (Domyouji Tsukasa), and how their chemistry really worked like magic which also launched thousands of shippers until this day on! Their chemistry was so believable that you could actually feel their scenes whether it be love, confusion, pain and longing!

• The solid & genuine friendship of F4 and how it extended up to Makino.

• The version that gave justice & “more than meets the eye” element to Makino and Domyouji’s character sketches and against all odds love story; whereas, Inoue Mao and Jun Matsumoto perfectly etched a convincing, endearing, full of angst, in-depth and emotional rawness to their portrayals which really stood out above the rest. They have this amazing control over the audience that makes you super-emotionally invested and attached to their characters and how they affect each other!

• The ICONIC OSTs (Wish, Love So Sweet, One Love, Planetarium, Flavor of Life & Kiss Hug) and the very beautiful music scoring (composed by Kousuke Yamashita) used that made the emotional scenes of HanaDan even more poignant & heart wrenching!

• THE CONSISTENCY OF THE ITEMS THAT SYMBOLIZES MAKINO & DOMYOUJI’S ROMANCE as they're constantly there and really plays “plot” in the show too! They were able to deeply showcase the important roles of those intricate items, not just some random pretty decorations.

1.) SATURN NECKLACE - According to the horoscope, Makino & Domyouji are “people of saturn” meant to share and experience all the fun and difficult times together. You can also see that Makino in this version really treasured the necklace compared to her other counterparts!

2.) THE FLAVOR OF LOVE – As Domyouji said, the flavor of love (bittersweetness) tastes like the lousy cookies Makino made for him. The only Domyouji counterpart that made an impactful statement about Makino’s cookies!

3.) EBISU GARDEN PLACE – a.k.a. their sacred place (I just loved the fact that this is where Makino & Domyouji held their marriage as a nod to their first date!)


• THE CONSISTENCY OF THE NARRATIVE PARALLELS

1.) MAKINO’S EYES – From S1, S2 and Final movie, you will notice that the exposition scenes always start with the close up shot of Makino’s eyes and her multiple “why’s” as it meant that this is her story and journey with F4! She is the main lead character after all and I loved how they highlighted it!

2.) DOMYOUJI'S GALAXY PUZZLES (In Season 1) - You can notice that when Domyouji was starting to show his inner self (behind his tiger mask) and applying what his older sister suggested ("Patience is a Virtue / "You have to love in order to be loved!") to Makino, he also began to happily arrange his galaxy puzzles one at a time. And at the near end of S1, he was able to finally put the last piece of the puzzle before leaving for New York! As a deep viewer who understood this important symbolism, I do believe that Domyouji finally completing the picture of the galaxy puzzle means that his relationship-building with Makino (from "Hate to Love") has already been completely and strongly established! For Domyouji, arranging his galaxy puzzles is like whenever he sees Makino's presence or when he's with Makino━he truly feels happy and genuinely at peace.

3.) “GIRL I APPROVE OF” & “PARTNERSHIP OF DESTINY/ MEANT TO BE/ CHOSEN BY DESTINY” – It’s really endearing when Domyouji was so consistent in saying and initiatively stressing these words to Makino!


• The one and only version that highlighted the importance of Eternal/Everlasting Love on Makino and Domyouji where love is more than just a feeling but a commitment, and the essence of including the person you love in your dreams and priorities in life.

• HanaDan out of all the versions has the BEST PROPOSAL, BEST WEDDING SCENE & BEST SATISFYINGLY PERFECT HAPPY ENDING!

In retrospect, Hana Yori Dango Japanese drama is a classic rom-com done right & its execution was definitely more than just a formulaic statement. it delivered flawed characters that actually had a chance to redeem themselves and perfectly balanced the humor, angst, heart wrenching and romantic moments between the characters! Thus, it will always have a REWATCH VALUE even after so many years have passed or will still pass! ♥♥♥


So if you haven't watched this yet, I BET YOU SHOULD! ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Read More

Thoroughly discussed by mature means

Given that the movie is dark, it also tackled such social problems in the Philippines.

The Hallyu effect primarily ​K-pop contributed greatly to the growth of fangirls around the world. The movie was very eye-opener as these times some fangirls keep praising their idols treating them perfectly and forgetting the fact that they are also just any other humans who have wants and needs.

It shocked me as they left me hanging having an open-ended ending. They said that it was for the better as they made it hopeful in a way. But over that nothing registered in my mind except the line '"Putangina/Tangina" which is a curse word.

Anyway, the actors had done an exemplary job. The actor and actress award was very deserved

Read More

Sweet indie gay film

I genuinely made a mdl account just to come here and post a review for this movie. Please understand that this is not, a BL. This is an indie film from 2007, filmed with probably one camera and maybe 500$.

I do actually love the directors work, I’ve seen several of his later films and I was so excited to watch this on gagaoolala. I hope they get more of his movies.

This movie is a sweet coming of age story, but it’s also! A little weird if you’re used to typical BL drama. This is much more realistic, which means it’s a little rough and you might not like it. But I think you should definitely give it a chance.

Read More

Light-hearted but missing plot

I had watched the drama before this and of course, I expected the movie to cut a lot out simply due to time constraints. Because of that, however, I felt like we ended up with a mediocre movie. It was light-hearted and we still got a really warm and mature relationship between the two leads, but in terms of plot and character development, this version was lacking.

Essentially, I felt like nothing really happened in this movie. I'm not sure what the plot for this movie was and what conflicts there really were; because there was no big conflict, I also didn't really see our characters grow or change or have to face any obstacles.

I liked the tidbits of bromance and sismance between the cast, but it's also true that we weren't able to see much of it and everyone was very cookie-cutter.

I did like the visual effects however, though the actual gaming didn't take up a big part of the movie either (understandably).

Read More

I have really STRONG feelings about this movie and heres why...

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely hated this movie but sat through the two hours of torture, expecting something to be better, something, just ANYTHING.
I'll make it short: The cast is cute, they look cute together and altogether beautiful people. Yes.
The plot is one of the most boring effing things I've ever seen/heard. I've heard people mumble more interesting things in their sleep.
Main girl has two characteristics, and two only: She is dumb as a rock and obsessed with the main dude. She has no ambitions or anything even resembling a life other than that. Yes we've all been there, we've all been in love and did stupid shit, but this is just a hollow shell of a person that drove me nuts!
Main dude has two characteristics: he is super smart (????) and cold. There is some halfassed sob story to why he is how he is, but it's about as convincing as my new years resolutions. He is absolutely narcissistic and not likeable at all.
Then there is this side dude who would've actually deserved some love, but at some point he just got in a riksha and never came back?
It was really, REALLY frustrating to watch this toxic weird relationship evolve into A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL OUT OF NOWHERE?!??! If this review is confusing, I'm sorry, but I couldn't find any other way to describe this mess. What I'm trying to say is; if you have the emotional capacity of a >14 year old, you're in for an ugly ass ride.

Read More

You won't regret watching it!

As a fan of the manga, it's true that this movie changed a few details, but it manages to catch the atmosphere of the manga. I'm not entirely sure about the actor chosen for Light, although he definitely got better through the movie. I get why he was chosen. L's actor did a great job making me envious of his food XD, and was the one that most resembled the original character. I'm still trying to guess why Misa has black hair now, but I guess they wanted to be more natural looking. Please Misa, give me your recipes :) ! Also, Ryuk looked a bit fake, but who cares about that.
I know I'm funnily describing all the issues, but don't worry, they don't affect the enjoyment of the story. It's a pretty witty movie, it will twist what you see and deceive you all the time. And even when you rewatch it, you'll be amazed at how it all actually happens. Seriously though, who wrote this story has quite a twisted mind XD. I wonder if the second movie (which ends the manga storyline) will be just as good.

Long story short, this movie doesn't disappoint both new and old fans, so do watch it!

Read More

Very Unique

Story:
It is a great story about Joseon minstrels made more interesting in the historical background of this movie. I love how this movie is made to look like we're watching an actual Korean play. I love how the King is being humanized in this movie, showing some moments between him and a character the audience is supposed to care about, Gonggil. A lot of people mention that this movie has homosexual tendencies, and while I do agree, I'm not sure if I see it on Gonggil's side for either the King or his friend Jangsaeng. For sure, I feel Jangsaeng has some sort of feelings for him (we see him getting jealous as the king spends more time with Gonggil) and the king is definitely attracted by Gonggil's physical beauty. I supposed knowing about Gonggil and Jangsaeng's background (like their family, how either of them relate to each other's past), would help us understand whether Gonggil has attraction towards Jangsaeng or even the king, But I still give this story good points despite that since we don't need to know exactly what Gonggil feels, it is enough for the audience to know that he sincerely cares about Jangsaeng at least as a really great friend (and also somehow can understand the king's attraction to him). (9.5/10)
Acting Cast:
I noticed that all the actors seem to act as if they are in a Shakespearean play (maybe because of the way some lines are presented). Everyone is really great. Particular highlights for me are Jung Jin Young as King Yeon San and Lee Joon Gi as Gonggil, but Kam Woo Sung and the rest of the cast also did great (10/10)
Music:
Music is not very much memorable but it really fits well with this film. However, the song "Fate", which is not in the movie but is eventually associated with it, is really good and I really love it. (8.5/10)
Rewatch Value:
I usually don't give higher scores on rewatch value as most films/dramas require people not knowing everything for them to appreciate it, but I'm giving this film a perfect (10/10) for rewatch value because I feel like there are many scenes that can be understood and analyzed more for more interpretation upon rewatch . (10/10)
Overall: (9.5/10)

Read More

Disclaimer: I am fairly sure, I would enjoy this movie less, if I watched it before pandemic.

If you look for realism, you won’t find it here. The plot is pushed to extremes at times, but it does fit the overall mood and story progression - I never felt like they were going so far just to shock the viewers, all the scenes seemed to match well together.

Surprisingly, with how grim the movie was at times, it left me quite happy and hopeful - we truly dealt with the pandemic way better in real life, compared to authorities in The Flu.

The whole cast did an amazing job portraying the characters - each representing a different reaction to an unexpected and dangerous event occurring. Different motivations led to different actions taken by them. The characters were smart and dumb in a realistic way, so even when they made mistakes, it was understandable.

If I had to complain about anything, I would say Kang Ji Goo was unreasonably heroic and the ending was not satisfying in one specific aspect.

Overall, it got my blood boiling. I was annoyed, but in a good way - I was supposed to be annoyed. Even though I wanted to throw my laptop out of the window, I still kept watching - it truly got me engaged. Would definitely recommend it, just remember: it’s not a realistic story.

Read More

Honestly speaking, I started this movie thinking “Guardians of the Galaxy Korean version”. Based on the trailer, synopsis and the posters, it’s hard to not make that connection. Sadly, it was not as entertaining, fun and enjoyable to watch.

The biggest problem I had was poor world building and a villain that made no sense. The pacing was also quite all over the place. With a rather simple plot like this (especially since they did not expand on more complex themes that could have been included), it was just too long - the movie dragged.

The ending was lazy. In this type of movie I am not expecting a plot twist of a century, but they should wrap everything up.

The best part of Space Sweepers was for sure Kang Kot Nim. Truly loved the actress and the character she was playing. She had the best chemistry with every cast member.

Overall, don’t bother to watch it, unless you are a massive fan of any of the main cast. It was just a really safe movie, tried to keep everything low key (except for visuals) and because of that it was at times boring and skippable.

Read More

Truly amazed with how an interesting story can be ruined with bad directing.

The plot was there, the twist was there, the emotions should be there, but the storytelling was just a mess. There was close to no introduction to the characters and till the end some of their motivations were simply not explained (why was Yool even loyal to Deok Gi?). Scenes were not concluded in a proper way which led to weird jumps in the characters’ arcs progressions. And don’t even make me start on whatever was going on between Yool and Sul Hee, because that made exactly zero sense and was just a massive waste of screen time.

As I was watching Memories of the Sword I thought “Did they lose some files? This literally feels unfinished, as if there are scenes missing”. You know how at school you wrote essays, used different sources and just wrote all the relevant information in, but after rereading it from the top, you saw how some paragraphs just don’t connect and there is no flow to it? That’s this movie.

The two good aspects were visuals and acting, but that’s barely enough to make me finish the movie. In theory, this movie works. If someone showed me the screenshots and described the plot I would assume it’s an amazing movie… but then, the end product I actually watched was a mess.

Read More

Demons Exist........

●I don’t even know why I watched this, maybe because of its cheesy synopsis, or was it maybe beauty and the beast feel. Well growing up watching Disney movies, we all imagine demons having horns, and fairies having wings. Since I have started watching Asian dramas depicting, all supernatural creatures like aliens, goblins, gumiho, grim reapers, etc as normal humans like us is excellent. But then this movie promised to show demons, and due to the Disney effect I made the mistake just as the FL of the movie, thinking the demons to be beastly creatures, but this breaks up the norm again with demons portrayed as human beings. It's just their tribe has different traditions and they live for a long time.

●The story was convincing, with all the creative absurd plot scripted together. as there are no female demons, to continue their tribe male demons trap human females to be their bride. attending schools together is the way to get to know each other and if romance doesn't blossom you are free to choose other demons or leave. there are all set of rules which the demons follow. The ending is poetic having a positive note. with two more movies with the same character, I wish if this movie ending is well explained.

●Kaki and Kanna are broken in family relationships growing up with complex characters and complicated life. kaki being the demon king had experienced painful events in past. while Kanna has a bad past, she is marked as a demon's bride.
This goes well with the supporting character indulging in their lives and giving variety and smoothness. The school backdrop was beautiful and the fighting scenes were funny. The music was earful and nice.

●Even though the movie was nonsense, it still gave a moment of relief from usual drama stories.

Read More

I hate how parasitic Kento is in this movie because of how good Kento is carrying his role here.

I wish everyone watch this at least once in their lifetime. Instead of love story, I would say it is a life story. Story of a man trying to live with love but ended up hurting love.

It is a raw depiction of love and life weaved together forming a reality. It took me tearing down by the end for how harsh reality truly is. You can love someone with all your heart but ended in different path; you can struggle life with someone but ended up struggling to run away from them; you can try to hate someone you love but your heart will never forget the one who makes your heart happy :'

Read More

This is a movie about trans ppl for cis ppl

TW in this movie: transphobia/rape/sexual assault/implied suicide
I don't have to explain the movie´s plot since MDL already does that, and it's a good summary.
This movie gives a good representation to systematic transphobia, but the representation of trans ppl (women because there's no trans men) isn't good. Which is weird because there's a good amount of trans characters, however we know nothing about them besides the fact that they're trans. This is why I believe the movie isn't for trans ppl, they don't show what's like to be trans, they just portray how the experience transphobia (and trans lives aren't just about being trans, they're also about being people, just like cis)
I wouldn't recommend this movie to trans people, because it only shows fear, and things they might already worry about. However, I believe it's good for cis ppl to watch, so they can see how the system affects trans ppl and why they're still fighting, and why cis ppl need to be better allies.

PD. I'm agender but my gender expression is what you'd expect from my gender assigned at birth, so I don't identify as cis nor trans

Read More