Everything start sweet but LDR usually turns a relationship sour, especially if the two person got a job, hard to communicate, rarely seeing each other, so it's not strange if there's a change in feelings.
This film is pretty good on describing this kind of relationship, we get to see Jang Hyeok and Daeun from a sweet couple to the verge of collapse because of LDR.
It's really hard to see our couple shattered here, but what happened in the end, that happens for good.
The message this film trying to deliver from my understanding is love between 2 people requires trust, mutual understanding and appreciation, especially if you in LDR.
There a twist in the end, I didn't see it coming but I gotta say it make sense, Daeun was hurt and she deserve a good ending, she gets a man who can appreciate her more. It's not spoiler I guess. Just watch it, you'll get it.
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The last 25 minute or after Shane & Som found the truth about Chaba was the best moment in this film, spooky, tense, especially seeing them desperate was aahh you know that feeling like when you're inside a nightmare and you can't do anything, that's what i felt when I watch it.
I watched it at night and after finished this, I was a little afraid to sleep because the ghost was so terrifying and the mood of the film inside this film "Revengeful Spirit" so much like a nightmare. Thank god, I got nice dream and woke up happily.
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A unique movie
This movie was pretty good.The story seems to be well thought out. The way small flashbacks that are played out in the earlier parts of the movie are later elaborated and relevant was great. However, I still felt like I was missing important key facts by the end, to which I read a summary of the movie and it all started to click in. It helped me interpret some visuals that I was actually unsure of the meaning of. In the wiki I used, I learned that the subtitles didn't convey the full meaning of what was being said, so I am more understanding of this.
The visuals/CGI is a unique situation in this movie. This was filmed all on a green screen, and I was afraid that the early 2000s CGI was not going to hold well. To my surprise, even though it is nowhere near the CGI of today, it honestly was not too bad. I have seen way worse CGI in modern Toei toku shows. I did not like, however, how the scenes would jump from one filter to another without much reason. At first, the flashbacks were the only ones in greyscale, but then, the present was also in greyscale, but only with our hero. I think the idea that they wanted to show with the filters was the mood of the situation, but honestly, I don't think it worked too well.
The acting was honestly pretty good. Can't say much about it.
Honestly, if you like action movies and experimental films, this is a decent watch and you will like it. It was worth the watch just to see the vision of the director in his CGI experiment, but the story was pretty good as well.
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What did I just watch?
Overall: Even reading the summary doesn't help me to understand what it was that I just watched. And I have zero desire to re-watch it and see if I can figure out what was going on. It appears that this was related to the first Find You In The Crowd, but don't ask me exactly how. Watched on Gagaoolala.Content Warnings (I'm not sure what was reality and what wasn't with these): murder, attempted suicide (graphic), manipulation/lying?, suicide?
What I Liked
- there was some nice music
- acting was fine
Room For Improvement
- the plot was incomprehensible, multiple flashbacks/forwards/dreams/maybe dreams?/cutting quickly to other scenes/choppy editing
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This review may contain spoilers
It's definitely fanatical love (minor spoilers)
Overall: The title gives you a clue that this isn't going to be some fluffy love story, but luckily it isn't unnecessarily tragic like so much other stuff from China. Watched on Gagaoolala.Content Warnings: attempted murder, kidnapping, manipulation, non con that turns consensual, violence
What I Liked
- the flashbacks to high school were very clear thanks to the different hairstyles/clothing
- there were a couple of funny moments
- I enjoyed the sci fi aspect even if I was super confused about how it worked
Room For Improvement
- the plot, especially in the beginning, is very confusing thanks to multiple flashbacks/forwards/dreams/maybe dreams?/cutting quickly to other characters/choppy editing.
- the audience is supposed to be happy with the ending but I'm kind of not based on what we've seen
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Boring and uninspired
I know this movie received critical acclaim and a lot of people loved the plot twists but wow, it did not click with me at all. I liked how the plot was set up at the start but as the movie went on, it just felt like it was dragging a lot. There were a lot of scenes I didn't care much for, and all of the characters (especially the main guy) just felt very bland and uninteresting to me.Part of my apathy, though, I know is just a lack of interest in this genre as a whole — I found it really difficult to suspend disbelief when the explanations were reliant on religious mythology, exorcism, and themes like that. If you are a fan of those kinds of movies, you might enjoy this more than I did.
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Handsome Hajun and his gang of secret admirers...
It did what it was supposed to do and that is scare me haha. The plotline was interesting and the acting was also great. I enjoyed it, jumpscares and all. The plot twist I wouldn't have ever guessed but glad I didnt, made it more interesting to watch. Sex scene felt natural to me, no awkwardness as I watched, props to the actors for the full commitment. As usual with strongberry content, my only compliant is the length. Left me wanting more as always haha but truly never disappoint. Great job to everyone.Was this review helpful to you?
You Can't Go Against The Fate, Just Be Kind With It
I watched this thru HBO Red Channel in 2012. After watching the whole movie I concluded that this movie is a masterpiece.This movie tackles about the then unrest years in mainland China wc the government needed compulsory soldiers to fight with the civil war. As the story went on, the patriarch who is the good baker went to Taiwan to avoid the longer time in military. In this time, since he hadntjis problem with the government he couldnt go back to the family in MC so he stayed in Taiwan for many years, got married to another wife and got a daughter named JiaYi.
There were so many good scenes in the movie and I couldn't recall anymore but most of all I love the ending scene wherein the father came back to his hometown in China where he saw his wife, his son wc is little Jiawan and and the whole family (mother, father, sisters, as in all his family waiting for him in their front yard) If you watch closely as if everyone is real but it his spirit that just returned to. He died without being able to return to their house and without the chance to be able to see his family.
This is a nth degree tear jerker movie. The father didn't want to abandon his wife but forced to join the military. He couldnt back home to mainland China since there was political rift between China and Taiwan and his visa problem. The son and the daughter understood the situation better after so many times of disagreements and fighting.
I love this movie coz it reminds me of my mother's family's situation and experience. This is about family and how should we value our family.
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This review may contain spoilers
Definitely not the typical "Emotionless chef rediscovers the spirit of cooking" story.
I didn't expect it to touch my heart as much as it did, the premise was a very familiar one. A cold, emotionless, perfectionist chef, sent on a culinary mission, finds the true meaning of cooking along the way.Well at least that's how I predicted it to go.
By the midpoint, there was this almost-breaking the 4th dimension moment where our chef went, "So I'm supposed to be moved and realise food must be cooked with love? What bs!" And I realised that no, this is not going to be just another typical take on the trope.
In the end it turned out to be a realistic, heartfelt discussion about how many people care about you in the world, even the people you'd think are most unimportaht and unrelated to you, and at the moment you think you are most alone in the world, how they would all come together to help you and you don't even know it. When you realise it you might even be too late.
It was a story about love transcending generations, through family and not-family, and I was so moved.
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Beauty and the Beast but make it about fish people
Not gonna lie I kinda liked this movie...I feel like fantastical romance movies with happy endings are few and far between when it comes to Chinese cinema. Although I don't know the tale this movie was inspired by in "Strange Tales of Liao Zhai" (there's like, tons of adaptations for the stories in there), to me it's straight up Beauty and the Beast. And personally, I could rewatch BatB retellings all day, any day, so of course this would be a hit for me.
Thank you Productive Procrastination for the subs!
PROS
❀ Fast-paced storytelling that manages to fit a lot | It felt like I watched an entire drama in these 2 hours. Obviously it's much harder to get onboard the romance and chemistry due to the inherent rushed nature of the plot, but it's the price you gotta pay for romance movies, lol.
❀ Low-key surprised at the CGI/visuals | I don't except much when it comes to CGI in Chinese films/dramas, but I was pleasantly surprised at the ones seen here. The fighting scenes were elaborate and fun, the romantic scenes/scenery were gorgeous (if fake), and the settings in general were very fantastical. I liked it!
Another note on the production value: It was way more intricate than I expected, including background instrumental music, which made it easy to get immersed in the story.
❀ Main couple was easy to cheer for | Their romance isn't deep, but typical to what you would find in a BatB retelling. The FL's acting was not too bad (she's so pretty!). I didn't like her character in Intense Love, but at least in this movie her character's actively trying to escape her fate and figure out the mysteries.
❀ Pretty OST | I'm a fan of the ballad song that comes up when the leads get together. It's called "The Song of the Sea in My Heart" and fits well with the dramatic tones of this movie.
❀ Happy ending!!! | With a nice, intense kiss scene in the middle of the movie too. Swoon!
CONS
✕ Cheesiness | It do be kinda cheesy at times. Also, there was so much happening in the last half that got me shook (a combo of the writing + acting + graphic effects). Not a bad shook! Like a "whoa, okay, that's happening" shook. Prepare yourself.
✕ Why did the ML have such an indifferent expression the whole time? | Mans took "brooding" to another level.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 0/10 | No misunderstandings happen outside the classical BatB storyline.
OVERALL
If you're looking for a quick fantasy romance, this movie delivers. It features all the components of Beauty and the Beast, gorgeous (but fake) backgrounds, low key well-done action scenes, and a happily ever after!
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Loved It
As a person who likes dark gloomy worlds, I really enjoyed this movie. I had just finished watching the 04 cutie honey when i watched this and they are literally like night and day.My biggest complaint (which is more like a nitpick) is all the cuts during the action. I can see it was done to hide the fact that the actors and actresses are not martial artists, so I can let it slide. However, when the stunt actors took over, it was beautiful action.
The story was excellently paced. Never did I feel like asking why any character just magically changed opinions to service the plot. It was well planned and thought out.
The actors and actresses were great. I had never seen any of the main cast but I fell in love with Nishiuchi Mariya's acting.
Now, I need more of this Cutie Honey and I don't think I'll get it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Funny Toku Movie
There were problems with the story that could have been fixed. For example, the whole uncle thing was rushed. We see her care so much for a random guy that honestly, I didn't know if he was good or bad until the end. I guess it might have to do with the fact that I know nothing about Cutie Honey prior to watching this. However, this movie was just a fun watch. It was great to see how the personalities of Honey and Aki interacted. And the CGI was bad, but it fits this kind of movie. It owned how bad it was and just made it more enjoyable.Now, I'm off to watch the newer Cutie Honey movie/show.
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This review may contain spoilers
this is not my type of story though the "inspired by real events" always gets me. though the movie was not boring during the 2 hours, I still wished for a little more touching moments, and maybe angst but not devastation
like they could've bonded more during the night, they could've cooked together, the kids could've played together, the adults could've talked about books or music, something that gave the parting a more bitter feeling
I've actually seen a few movies like this, and I'm actually glad there was no sudden hidden evil because no matter what, there was too much evil there ;(
though I knew someone was bound to die, no wonder I liked Koo Kyo Hwan, he's the D.P cutie! that makes it sadder ;(
behind every conflict, behind every war, there's normal people who want normal things but they're in situations they can't control ;(
sad, heartbreaking, violent, scary, devastating and yet heartwarming and hopeful TT_TT
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This review may contain spoilers
I usually love these type of movies, they are actually one of my favorite type of movies. But this movie just hits differently and not in a good way. It was actually going well until I saw the special effects that was used, especially on the shark. It makes the shark from jaws look real and that's saying something. Another thing that irked me that they had problems sinking some of the sound to some of the actresses. So I study media and I pick up on things quickly and that their voices actually don't match there lips moving, so it looked like off beat lip syncing. STORY/PLOT
I stayed for the story to be honest, and it's possible my ranking is higher because of it. The story had real potential and probably the only reason I stayed to the end. I've watched movies with similar plots and absolutely love them, this is why I gave it ago.
ACTING/CAST
The cast they chose did a pretty decent job. Sadly though I didn't form any emotional connection with any character except maybe for the main guy character because of what happened in the past with his wife, other then that nothing really. But I still believe they are great actors, it might've been this movie that didn't give them justice.
OVERALL
Even though I loved the idea of the plot, it definitely needed improvement. Also the special effects definitely weren't the best (especially for something that came out in 2020) which I believe ruined the experience for me. It's a good pass time if you have nothing better to watch, but I would not come back and rewatch it.
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If you are sensitive don't watch, this is heavy.
A mix of feelings and thoughts passing through our mind everyday, i mean if you are off this community. I think this movie is the real point of view of a lot of our lives, It's a film that needs a warning because it deals with a lot of senstives things. The actors are great , the soundtrack good too, the story It's sensitive, they are all good because it reflects with perfection what real young couples are going through in real life. Don't watch if you are passing by a hard moment. It's a beautiful sad history.Was this review helpful to you?
