Reviews

Yes you earn some stars

In appearance To My Star is exactly the same as the other 6 or 7 BL Korean dramas in this “miniseries” format, but in reality it is much more, I am not saying that those other series are bad or not very entertaining or anything like that is simply that they have repeated the formula ad nauseam and it seems that they do not create these types of stories because they have something to contribute and it is simply because they are popular and point to a booming market at this time. Despite all this, if it is a miniseries/film which limits some aspects by having a short duration, I think it is superior to its peers.

The story, Seo Joon and Ji Woo have very different lives seen from one angle and very similar seen from the other, one is a celebrity who is struggling with defamation and harassment, the other is a not very successful chef; both men live lonely lives, have small social groups and have a hard time trusting people, but once their paths cross, things will never be the same for either of them.

One of the cliches of these Korean BL series is that the characters always end up living together for one reason or another, and this is no exception, Seo Joon and Ji Woo are forced to live together and in the first instance receive a kind of lesson humility on the part of the other, even though Ji-woo's personality is not very pleasant initially, Seo-joon is intrigued by him and does what he can to get along especially when he realizes that he is a trustworthy person and out of the facade Ji-woo is a good boy so he doesn't make things too difficult either.

Having established this point, the characters actually coexist a lot not only due to the fact that they live in the same house but also because they start working in the same restaurant since Seo-joon is looking to learn new skills while solving his problems with the press, gradually learning from each other and they feel hopelessly attracted.

One of the successes of the series is the rhythm, unlike others the revelation of feelings does not happen in the last chapter more or less a two thirds of the narration the characters begin to develop feelings directly, which makes the plot more interesting.

After going through their respective dose of drama, the characters can finally be together and in fact lead a peaceful and beautiful life, as the two complement each other in many ways.

The acting is good, the chemistry is one of the best I've seen in the Korean BL, the personalities of the characters feel natural, at no point are they over-acting and you manage to connect with them, plus their dramatic moments if it feels genuine. And despite its short duration, they still include important topics such as the fragility of fame, the harassment of famous people, loneliness, extortion and how easy it is to lose or win the love of the public by mere rumors. Even so, the character of Ji-woo deserves more development. There are a couple of things that are not clear about his life at the end of the series.

The production quality is also good, although this is a section in which it is difficult to find a Korean series on any subject that fails, in that sense they are very neat, at least for productions that go out to the international market, the photography, the assembly and the ost comply, they make the story more enjoyable and the dialogues are very good, they are not uncomfortable or anything like that.

In general, I like this story a lot, although it is nothing to write home about or something that has never been seen, it is well told and well acted, I managed to connect with the story and the characters.

And bravo for a kiss well given, generally I do not care if the series has kisses or not, but if it is going to include them, do it well, make it look natural and credible.

Read More

Friendship Like No Other.

Forbidden dream sets around King Sejong the Great and the building of astronomical science in the Joseon era with his loyal companion Yeong Sil who helps him accomplish this through his intelligence and friendship.

Choi Min Sik's performance is Impeccable, I have not seen him in a whole lot but this movie really moved me and it isn't even one of his highest-rated ones. Han Suk Hyu as well, portraying one of the most acted-out kings in Korean film history and yet bringing his originality to the table. Although their chemistry was bubbling, the plot bored me out in the midway. I found it hard keeping up with the outside political scuffle and the dialogues between the support roles. I perceived the lack of attention given to these scenes because conversations between the 2 main leads were so good the expectation for other aspects are meant to be followed but it didn't meet halfway.

I don't think I've ever seen a plot based solely on friendship like this to the depths of it being sacrificial as well. a lot of times dramas and movies would include romance but not this film. I applaud the writers for solely taking us through the build in a society where nobility and poverty are seen as galaxies apart and then you have a king befriend a servant. Not just befriending him but building a relationship (platonic) with so much love and respect for each other, helping each other build dreams, and rooting for each other as they try and make a difference in their harsh reality. it makes me want to be a better friend but also want to surround myself around people who would also replicate this in my life.

Definitely a good watch, it might drag but overall with the right mood it can be a tear-jerker. WATCH IT!

Read More

Stop me if you’ve heard this one, a lone unnamed man in black wanders into a dusty, dilapidated town that’s as broken down as its moral code and he sets to work cleaning it up. I grew up watching Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns starring Clint Eastwood with my dad on television. This is the movie that Leone ripped off, I mean used as inspiration for A Fistful of Dollars. Of course, Kurosawa borrowed heavily from a novel by American author, Dashiell Hammett, for the plot of Yojimbo. I saw dashes of old American Western movie touches in it as well. Inspiration shared can reap great rewards for audiences.

Despite his unkempt appearance, Mifune Toshiro saunters into town with a posture like an old-time gunfighter ready for a fight. In this town gambling, lying, cheating, and murder reign supreme. Prostitutes and townsfolk peer out of windows watching the play unfolding before them. The people are dirty and you can practically smell them in the desolate landscape. Western heroes before this were squeaky clean, but this ronin is roughly dressed and seems to scratch at fleas in his hair. I kept expecting to see a tumbleweed skitter across the dirt road in front of him.

Mifune Toshiro’s subtle and fluid body language and ever-changing facial expressions conveyed more than 10 pages of dialogue could about his character. He is the coolest ronin ever. Masterless, broke, and hungry he strolls into town taking inventory. While he has compassion on the townsfolk oppressed by two vicious rival gangs vying for control, he also needs to make some money. He has no problem doing what needs to be done to turn the gangs against each other and pocketing a few coins. This is not the cowboy with a white hat who adheres to an unbudging ethical code, this ronin toys with his prey before ultimately killing it. Sanjuro (the name the character chooses at random) is a classic anti-hero and fascinating to watch.

There is humor interspersed among the mayhem. One of my favorite scenes is after Sanjuro had stirred up trouble between the gangs, he climbed to a high point to gleefully watch the confrontation.

I’m no film student, but my amateur eye can pick up on the skill that went into the cinematography of this film. Every shot and frame felt filmed with care and an eye toward what was necessary for the story to be told.

The music varied from ominous to playful with some kooky 1960’s horns and cymbals thrown in for good measure.

Yojimbo is not a non-stop action film, though there are a few good action scenes in it. Sanjuro is as deft with his strategy as he is with his sword which is fun to watch as he pits people against each other. Yojimbo is a classic for a reason and well worth trying. I found it highly entertaining.



29 June 2021

Read More

Spring is just the beginning

Totally, this marks the end of an era, although the story was completed with what we saw in the movie Pornographer: Playback, it seems to me that this short close perfectly with anything that could be left in the inkwell, to begin with, yes, the relationship between Kuzumi and Kijima it is still a long distance relationship but we see that their situation is much more consolidated than before and the most important thing is that for the first time, in the entire franchise, we see them openly happy in their relationship.

One of the things that I appreciate about this epilogue is that we were able to see a little more convenience with the Kijima family and I appreciate how the relationship between Rio and Haruhiko became so natural to everyone, something rarely seen in cut productions LGBT Japanese, at least in which I have seen and although it was a brief moment, it was nice.

After that we have Kuzumi once again asking Rio to live with him and once more Rio putting buts (Rio is enough, don't make me suffer the baby, he's been waiting for a life), however this moment is interrupted when Kido asks him Rio to write the prologue for a new reprint of his Sensei Kamoda's latest work, to which he accesses.

After a talk about Kamoda's latest work and a visit to his grave, by Kuzumi and Rio, Rio reflects on everything he has experienced as a writer, his stormy relationship and subsequent friendship with Kido, his feelings towards his Sensei and finally having met Kuzumi on the way.

In the end, Rio and Kuzumi go to the latter's house, where Kuzumi asks him once more to live with him and stay be together forever to which Rio finally agrees, he asks him to never leave him and the two say they love each other.

Finally giving a conclusion to this story, although I think it is something that was already made quite clear in Playback, it was still nice to see the actors embody their characters one last time to say goodbye properly, giving a definitive conclusion where we see the main characters finally stay together after all they lived through.

In the end Rio achieves a redemption with the most important aspects of his past, writing, Kido and his sensei and it is what allows him to finally free himself to start a life with Kuzumi without so many fears, something it gave a lot of peace to my heart.

Read More

I can hardly believe it all started with a bike bump.

A story that began a few years ago in 2018 when Japan gave the world: Pornographer, looking back at the truth is I did not expect that in what at that time was just a small story about a lonely erotic writer, he would become something so great and it was something that would continue for so long, but here I am 3 years later.

Pornographer: Playback continues with the foundations laid by its predecessors (especially Pornographer: the series and Pornographer: spring life) a couple of years have passed since the last meeting between Kijima and Kuzumi, until now they have only maintained contact through letters and once again they meet again, now the conditions have changed; Kijima is still a writer, but he is not as lonely as before, now he lives with his family outside of Tokyo and on the other hand Kuzumi has grown up, now he is no longer a student, he is a worker who seeks to have a more stable relationship with Kijima.

From the beginning we have something very clear, Kijima wants to be with Kuzumi but his fears, insecurities and prejudices still do not let him trust the child at all, although Kuzumi makes clear the efforts he makes to maintain their relationship, but still so seems that Kijima is just waiting for the moment when the other leaves him, despite these situations they seem to have a certain "stability" until one day they have a misunderstanding that quickly escalates into a fight, where Kijima refuses to listen to Kuzumi and the two are injured.

Kijima, as we know from other installments of the franchise, is a broken person, he costs him too much work to trust others and is an expert in sabotaging his own happiness before someone else does do it, for this reason after going through the fight with Kuzumi and for an argument with his sister, he has no choice but to flee.

Due to life circumstances, he ends up at Haruko and Shizuo's house, where he cuts off all communication with his family and of course with Kuzumi, but the latter does not remain calm with the apparent disappearance of Kijima and with all the difficulties that it generates in his daily life goes to look for him, only to find him being helped by another young man to write his books, as he did in the past, I consider that this is one of the ugliest things that Kijima does to Kuzumi because supposed to be something special among them and much of why they had fallen in love.

With the help of Haruko, Kijima reflects on his true feelings and goes in search of Kuzumi, where finally after years and a back-and-forth relationship he confesses that he loves him and that he is afraid of losing him, he asks him not to leave and we see that in the end Kuzumi is the one who gives him the courage to fix many of the disasters in his life, it is true we all suffer and feel alone at times, but it does not have to be like that always and we cannot close ourselves to all love just for the possibility of not being loved one day.

In the end, Kijima and Kuzumi return to the house of the first, where their family welcomes them with open arms and although apparently they continue to maintain a long-distance relationship, it is implied that this will not be for long since, just as Kijima was ready to face his feelings, he will soon be to go fully after Kuzumi and finally live together.

The plot is very good, and manages to perfectly fit all the plots and conflicts seen in previous installments, the new characters are pleasant and you manage to connect with them in a short time and it leaves a bit of the "murky" of Mood Indigo that at the less for me it was a success, we saw even Kijima much more cheerful and relaxed at times and thank you very much for that after seeing him 3 years tormented it was what I needed.

The performances are very good, both Takezai Terunosuke and Izuka Kenta do a great job, especially the first one, well is their story and each and every one of the installments of the franchise has been stolen by him, their chemistry is explosive and here they had a chance to have more scenes together, from very hot to tender or dramatic; the other actors also do a very good job, my only complaint is that Kuzumi's family is somewhat wasted, I would have liked to see more of their coexistence.

I know that maybe many Pornographer fans would like to see another type of story (something more between Kido and Kijima) but sorry I can't be on that team, it always seemed to me that the connection they created between Kijima and Kuzumi was healthier and more redemptive for Kijima, while it is true that Mood Indigo gave us much more context between Kido and Kijima for me it always felt like a story that came from the past and that somehow had destroyed them both, so in the end Pornographer: Playback seems like a very fair ending for his main character, Kijima, after all he deserves a happy and peaceful life and I think that was just what he found.

I don't know how many times to write Kijima in this review, outrageous.

Read More

I'm proud of myself. I finished the movie trilogy, and while "The Proposal" wasn't my favorite, I enjoyed the last hour more than the first hour. So it got better. The story still isn't entirely to my liking, though. Naoki causes a lot of headaches and emotional turmoil so I can't really like him, but I still like how Kanta Sato plays him. He's a little more relatable, but the character and the story still drive me crazy. I can tell this is where the idiot girl and the tsundere boy trope sprang from (the manga, not the movies) and I can't help rolling my eyes. Still hoping that someday Asia will have moved on from this particular trope!

Read More

Leaves you waiting for more

This short serves as an introduction to Pornographer: Playback is located between this and Pornographer the series, it has been a few years since Kijima and Kuzumi saw for the last time and they have only been communicating through letters, now once again they meet and the sparks are still there, however we see that as before, Kijima, has doubts about their relationship, at the same time that he is irremediably attracted to Kuzumi, something that will be explored more in the next installment of the franchise.

What this short leaves us with is that the sexual-emotional attraction that Kuzumi and Kijima had is still as strong as before and I would dare to say even more despite not seeing each other for a long time.

Kijima, although reluctant, seems increasingly willing to let Kuzimi into his life to the point that it leads him to meet his family, which for our old acquaintance Kijima would have been impossible before, in addition to admitting that he is looking forward to the letters that Kuzimi sends out periodically.

As an introduction it works quite well, since in a couple of minutes it raises you the new situation in which the characters live, the problems they will face and some of their fears, such as their ambitions, as well as that even at a distance these people have I've been developing feelings for each other for a long time and it's a situation that can spiral out of control at any moment.

The acting is very good and natural, even better than in Pornographer and the change of style with more "light" greatly favored the aesthetics, the chemistry is a bomb.

The Japanese never cease to amaze me, these people are either so pure that they do not even touch each other with their eyes or flat out suck each other down to the soul, what a barbarity.

Read More

Made Me Nostalgic About My Own Childhood

Just as the headline says, this movie made me nostalgic about my own childhood. I was reminded of my own adventures and misadventures when young while watching this. I, too, did many of the same things, especially during summers at my grandparents' mountain house. I guess all kids are similar! Haha!

Keeping it brief this time, I rate this 10/10. So cute, funny and nostalgic. You will laugh out loud and remember when you were little and did the same things! It doesn't matter that it was made in 1984. Trust me. Besides some of the kids' fashion and cars, you really don't notice at all. The movie itself felt timeless. I highly, highly reccommend!

Read More

Do Not Expect Cutesy / Fluffy

I've read reviews that the story is predictable, but don't let that deter you. Take joy in Uhm Tae-Goo's performance, as well as the rest of the cast. Also beautiful is the drumming and singing...reminiscent of Native American pow-wows (along with some of the humor in the chants).
Some viewers start this movie thinking it's a rom-com, it is not. It is poignant and bittersweet. I very much liked it and will probably see it again in the future; but I do realize it is not for everybody.
A brain damaged 29 year old who desperately wants to do what he loves one last time and knowing he is on the fast track to dementia is human emotion on a deeper level. Or, like our main character when he sees the strays, maybe I just empathize too much

Read More

Serene, Authentic, Warm

I have always loved and in constant quest to find for slow, relaxing, peaceful and lighhearted movies and Little Forest fit each and every criteria of an escapism movie. This one nonchalantly lets you take a deep breath and just immerse yourself in the beauty of Nature, home cooked foods and love.

The cinematography is excellent. The way it potrays the such serenity in a rural setting makes you reminisce of the peace you felt staying at your grandparents place. Now I can’t help but to picture myself settling at a farmhouse too!

Definitely one of my favourite movies 🤍🌸🌻

Read More

Not What I Expected or Wanted

Whenever I pick a movie I go into it expecting to love it otherwise why pick it?

The plot was my type; jerk rich guy who ultimatey falls for the girl he's treating like crap. The cast was ok but I actually didn't find the ML that attractive and the FL was actually too good for him IMO. That being said, I also feel like there was no real development for the 2 of them to actually fall in love. It seemed like the FL was in love with him from the get go and I did't like that. When she found out he was scamming her she challenged him and then immdiately backed down. I didn't like that either!! The ending was rushed and still didn't lead me to believe the relationship was real.

The disappointment ultimately falls on me. I thought the movie was going to be way cuter and I was going to root for the 2 leads but I really didn't like either one of them.

There are also, way too many gross out scenes 2 of the most agregious were the teacher and the booger and the girl who spit in 2 peoples face. That girl would have been dead where I come from!!!

Read More

Nice samurai movie

An emotional story about a man who wants to keep his promise to his late wife, and an ended friendship.

Watching this movie somehow reminded me of the older samurai movies. Excellent performances by the actors and a suspenseful story of complicated treacheries among a han. I was really curious as to see who the killer of the father was.

My only complaint (well, not actually) would be honestly a nitpicking, and it is that there was lack of music. There was only a single piece - I presume it is by a violin that played through the whole movie. It doesn't really affect the experience though, I actually thought it added to it.

The fights were good too. I like seeing more realistic samurai matches in movies personally and was not disappointed. I don't know if it's just me but until the last ~20 minutes of the movie, there weren't much blood shown, but after that it was like bloodbath for some reason. That was weird haha but I'm not complaining.

It could be a little slow but it was a nice watch. I would recommend.

Read More

Action-packed but fail to resonate

Action with disaster of different settings, satisfactory cgi and stunts. But storyline, characther building, camaderie and emotional payoffs lacking.

I havnt reviewed a movie in a long while. Watched this on a weekend with my kids. They were entertained in the rescue scenes. The ooohs and ahhs over helicopters, blast, sinking rig, aeroplane disaster etc etc.

There is also a need for suspension of belief. Personally I dont thk in real life situation rescue missions are carried out when it is deemed too risky, jeopardising rescue mission and endangering the entire team. So in 2 of the missions i did not agree with their call and that they would be given the greenlight to go ahead realistically.

The intro of one of the rescue member (played by Wang yan lin) and his fiance/wife and also male lead (eddie peng)'s son was part of the character building and part and parcel of setting up emotional scenes in second half and the climax. However the flow as well as the lack of depth in writing fails to give the audience enough time to form emotional attachment to them. The storyline is busy from the get go, original pilot leaves, new female pilot enters with her assistant co pilot, then assistant co pilot wants to leave too... blah blah. They com and go and failed to be important to me. The cutting and editing between mission scenes to dailylife scenes were also jarring. At times it felt like two different movies with similar actors trying to mesh together. The poor execution felt like you are forced to buy in with a promise of emotional payout that never comes. Even the ending mission also felt anti climatic. I do appreciate the peptalk and highlight on courage. But that's about it.

You can watch if you are an Eddie Peng fan or if you're in for an action flick on a rainy weekend. Just dont expect too much.

Read More

This was below my expectations

I love action-comedies for the most part. I really enjoyed Midnight Runners a quintessential Korean action-comedy, but this movie is not an action-comedy. It was a mess (period). If you saw someone recommend this movie to you please don't have high expectations

The story itself was cliched, but that doesn't mean that I will give it a low rating. It was beyond the story it was the characters, the execution, and the messy plotline.

The beginning was quite entertaining but after seeing the plot circle back and loop around onto itself bringing me back to the same place, I realized that the writer did not understand how to push the plot forward.

The story essentially had no development for the first 105 minutes. The ending was the only revelation in the entire story. The characters did not enrich the story; there was 0, I mean ZERO, character or intellectual development. Sometimes I wonder what the writer was thinking. How can the background of these 2 characters create the 2 individuals I saw on the screen?

The one SAVING GRACE: Choi Daniel. Choi Daniel's portrayal and follow-through of his character in the plot was flawless (this might be relative) but it was truly so good. I think that his acting was the one thing that made this movie gel and feel, somewhat, complete.

I truly don't know why I completed this movie, but if you enjoy childish comedies where errors are abundant, please enjoy!

Read More