A cut above the rest - in its own way

Oh Behind Cut, my beloved mess.
This movie makes me FEEL things that I don't quite know how to articulate.
It can't be denied that it makes for an incredibly confounding and high-effort viewing experience - this is not a movie to simply breeze through without giving it your full attention. There are a lot of details the audience are left to fill in for themselves; the film absolutely refuses to hold anyone's hand and walk them through the plot, it expects the viewer to make the connections themselves. In that, as well as with the general pacing, atmosphere, and occasionally inconsistent audio quality, it reminds me a lot more of a queer indie film than of a professional K-drama.
And on one hand, that's exactly what I love it for. The acting is absolutely stellar, the dialogues feel wonderfully real, and the way the main characters' relationship builds does not just feel entirely believable, but also a refreshing step removed from the more common romance beats. Don't get me wrong, I love me a good romcom and there's a reason why the classic formula works so well, but there's just something about getting to see a relationship at a slightly different pace and through a slightly different lens that I really appreciate.
But on the other hand, was it all really necessary? Did they need to lean so far into the artful incoherence and away from a more straight-forward storyline?
I absolutely detest the one-year separation trope, but here it could have worked so well. There's something interesting there, some genuinely poignant commentary on the nature of passion, dreams, and what it means to pursue them. There are insightful observations to be found about the fine line between self-determination and rejecting all help, between finding inspiration in someone you love and loving someone for the purpose of being inspired by them.
All of that and more is right there, so close to being fully woven into the story and coherently brought across, almost, almost, but not quite...
I don't know if you'll like this movie, I honestly couldn't tell you. I can only say that I, personally, really love it. I bemoan what it could have been with juuuust a little more polish, but I also adore it for what it ended up being, in all it's sincere, chaotic glory.

Leia Mais

Oh! I actually liked it!

I was not expecting to like this show and yet, astonishingly, I did.
Is it silly? Yes, very much so. Is it horny? Yes, although not nearly as much as you'd expect given the setting.
But it's also quite genuinely charming, often humorous, and deals openly with sex and sexuality in a way that I haven't seen before in a K-drama, much less a queer one. Not only does it directly address bisexuality (which, again, I've never seen in a K-drama), the characters' sexualities and preferences and their exploration thereof play a big part in the story in general.
I didn't even mind the miscommunication plot, which is a trope I normally abhor, since it kind of makes sense here.
Feelings are complicated, relationships are complicated, and even the most self-aware and introspective of people - which, to be clear, these characters aren't - will occasionally go to stupid lengths to avoid having conversations they're worried about. I'm not saying the story is incredibly realistic by any means, but it's also not nearly so far removed from reality as a lot of reviews here make it out to be; at least in my opinion.
I will admit that the show suffers under its short run-time, especially during the last episode where some scenes feel like speed runs of what should have been much more drawn-out conversations and plots.
I also wish Joon Seok, whom I found myself quite fond of, had gotten a slightly less open-ended storyline.
All in all though, there is nothing so egregiously wrong with this series that I wouldn't recommend watching it.
It's certainly not a masterpiece, but it is weird, fun, and refreshingly, earnestly queer.
If you're looking for a somewhat less-than-typical romcom and you've got a certain tolerance for strangeness then I'd say this show is definitely worth a watch.

Leia Mais

Simple and worthwhile

This movie was a lovely surprise. It's a straight-forward, well-realised coming-of-age story with a strong focus on sports and friendship, as well as a delightful romance.
The audio and visuals are strong, the script - while not perfect - is solid, and the story quite skillfully tackles some more serious issues like sexual abuse and homophobia even if it doesn't focus on them too heavily.
Watching this honestly felt like watching a classic 2000s teen sports movie, it had such a wonderful sense of nostalgia about it. It reminded me slightly of Bend It Like Beckham except, you know, actually gay.
If you consider the story by itself it may be nothing too special, but it's earnest, fun, and delightfully queer - a perfect watch for a cozy weekend.

Leia Mais

Not my cup of tea, but still worth watching

So this one just wasn't for me. I'm usually a sucker for soulmate stories but here the concept didn't really work for me.
I will say, however, that the production quality is fairly high for a short little indie movie and I very much enjoyed the final message and the spirit in which the story was told.
This was clearly a passion project for the film makers and that love really shines through.
I am beyond thrilled about how YouTube and the like have become platforms for queer creators to realise their vision over these past two-ish decades and this short film is a perfect example of exactly such a vision come to life.
Give it a shot, maybe it'll hit just right for you even if it didn't for me.

Leia Mais

Lukewarm, but enjoyable

If you're looking for anything but vibes you won't find it here, but if it's atmosphere you're after, this show's got it in spades.
The story has absolutely no substance to it whatsoever, but there's something so pleasant and calming about the energy that radiates from every single shot that I just couldn't bring myself to mind.
If you take the show for what it is - a lovely advertisement featuring queer women (a bold choice even in the increasingly progressive social climate of modern South Korea) - and don't expect anything else, you'll definitely enjoy this little sapphic slice of life.

Leia Mais

A swing and a miss

I really wanted to like this show and I'm kind of sad that I didn't.
There is potential in this story and in this cast but the final product fails to live up to it, which is a shame.
I feel like the series is stuck in the unfortunate limbo between being enjoyable as an actually good show and being enjoyable as a silly, self-aware rollercoaster ride.
It's too nonsensical and off-beat to be truly taken seriously, but it also takes *itself* just a bit too seriously to be a fun thrill-ride like this year's Why R U was, for instance.
The overall production quality is very decent and there are a couple of genuinely good scenes, but that's about all the show has going for it, unfortunately.
If you want something simple to turn your brain off to, this might do the trick. There simply also happen to be a lot of better shows you could be spending your time on instead, just saying.

Leia Mais

So close and yet so far

This show was so close to being actually good and enjoyable but then it tripped and fell flat on its face just before the finish line.
To be clear: I didn't expect this show to be a masterpiece by any means, but I was hoping for a romance drama that, while shallow, would be just charming and self-aware enough to spark my interest. And for the first few episodes that's what I thought I was getting. Sure, there are some fairly obvious flaws with the series even early on, but all in all the first half of the show is still entirely watchable.
But then, instead of slowly improving on the main characters' dynamic, the show inexplicably starts spiraling, sidelining its lovable supporting cast, introducing strange conflicts that go nowhere and an antagonist who sees zero consequences for her actions, before ending on an incredibly strange note that feels nothing like the satisfying happy ending it presents itself as.
I admit I'm being fairly harsh here, but I suppose I'm just annoyed at the wasted potential. This didn't have to be some queer epic, but it could have at least been a pleasant, if slightly silly, food romance. It's just a shame, is all.
If you're just looking for a show that's easy on the eyes and requires absolutely zero brain cells to follow you might like this fine. But even as far as mindless entertainment goes, there's better series out there, in my opinion, and you'd probably be a lot better off watching one of them.

Leia Mais

The tractors were just okay

Well I don't know what the hell I just watched but it was mildly entertaining I suppose.
Let me start off by saying that this show is pretty much entirely inoffensive (apart from some completely unnecessary remarks steeped in colourism, we absolutely could have done without those) but after watching it, all I was left with was the fleeting awareness of having grown some two odd hours older.

The dynamic between the two leads has a lot of potential that the show, in my humble opinion, entirely fails to live up to.
Yul is a man living out a perfectly standard K-drama life with all the emotions and pitfalls this encompasses, while literally everybody else around him (perhaps with the exception of Inseo) is clearly inhabiting a muppet movie world; over-the-top emotions, tongue-in-cheek silliness, visual gags and all.
Now, this concept can be, and very much has been, used to great effect. But here, all it does is create a strange tonal dissonance that permeates through the entire story.
The emotional moments have less impact because they are often directly followed or even interrupted by some off-colour joke or another. The deliberately humourous moments are harder to enjoy because, compared to the genuine emotion of some other scenes, they seem somewhat hollow.

Which is not to say that there is nothing to enjoy about the show at all! There are several sincerely funny and charming moments and the two main characters' relationship, when they are allowed to be alone together, is actually very sweet, and the performances, whatever my personal opinion, are all objectively quite strong.
I do understand why people enjoy this series and I certainly won't discourage anyone from watching it. I just also think there's a lot of better ways to spend a couple of hours.
So, if you think this specific brand of silliness will work for you, go ahead and watch Love Tractor.
But if not, then I'd probably give it a pass and watch Restart After Come Back Home instead, to scratch that countryside romance itch.

Leia Mais

An absolute delight from start to finish

Where cozy, food-centered romances are concerned, there's just no beating Japan - and with this movie they've proved it once again.
The music and cinematography work together to create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort which serves as a perfect backdrop for this gentle slice-of-life tale of two long-time friends' first tentative steps towards shifting their relationship into something more romantic.
The characters are deeply endearing and lovable, their chemistry is so natural and comfortable, and they're both just so plain charming that every second of seeing them on screen is pure joy.
In a story that is as heavily character driven as this one, the connections between the characters have to feel real and grounded and this film absolutely nails it. I'm a complete sucker for realistic depictions of (queer) friendship in general and rarely have I seen them portrayed as perfectly as I have here.
I highly recommend this movie to anyone looking for a tender, wholesome slice-of-life story with lots of good food and friendship, and to any queer folks out there looking for a new comfort watch.
Fair warning - this movie is the first part of a longer story and therefore very light on the explicit romance, so if you're looking for something more romance-heavy, maybe give this one a pass until the next part of the story is released.
Personally though, I really do consider this movie a masterpiece in its own right and I absolutely cannot wait for the sequel.
Meanwhile I'll just have to pass the time by recreating some of Aki's recipes :)

Leia Mais

Not overly delicious, but still entirely edible

If I had to describe this show in one word I would go with "harmless". It's a sweet enough story without much bite (pun intended) but with some quite lovely moments. And that's about it.
Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike this show, it's perfectly fine. But personally I just didn't get very much out of it.

The actors did a good job and the editing and music were solid. The chemistry between the leads was good as well and I did quite enjoy some of the supporting characters.
I just also felt like there was something lacking. Sure, there were plot holes, but nothing particularly egregious or bothersome.
I occasionally had some trouble understanding certain characters' motivations, but liked them all well enough. Some of the conflicts were a bit ridiculous, but they weren't drawn out unnecessarily and over all the characters communicated with each other quite well.
I couldn't tell you exactly which of these things reduced my enjoyment of the story so much. Maybe it's all of them together.

But there are quite a lot of people who enjoy this show and I can understand why. It's a sweet, low-stakes, low-angst romance between to people who seem to genuinely care about each other and aren't afraid to show casual physical affection.
There are also a few novel aspects to the story such as the dreaded "love rival" who turns out not to be much of a rival at all and instead turns into a supportive friend.
But above all, the show is incredibly easy to watch. It's easy to understand, easy to like, and easy on the eyes.
You can blaze through it in a breezy 3.5 hours and, if nothing else, walk away with a feeling of not entirely having wasted that time.

So, while I personally didn't get much enjoyment out of the series and certainly wouldn't rank it among the greats of food-centered romances (of which I am usually quite a big fan), I would still recommend giving it a watch.
Maybe you'll find yourself vaguely disappointed, but maybe you'll enjoy it quite a lot. Either way, it's worth a shot.

Leia Mais

A short, easy watch

This little show was alright! It's not my favourite in the genre, but it does have that classic mini C-drama charm going for it.
It's fun, breezy, and gorgeous.
My one gripe is the short runtime, unfortunately. Normally I don't mind how much these shows have to pack into such little time, but here the plot was actually interesting enough that I would have liked to see it fleshed out more. I would also have loved to see more of the main characters' relationship develop, as there seemed to be comparatively little screen-time devoted to the two of them together.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed myself quite a bit while watching this so I consider it 50 minutes well spent.
If you're a fan of the genre or of short Chinese dramas in general, you'll likely enjoy this show as well, so give it a shot.

Leia Mais

A story about people who often go unheard

This movie is a very rare gem indeed. It's not often that you get to see Own-Voices productions of stories about queer people or deaf people and here you get both woven into one, all based on the real life experiences of the director.
Because of this, the film feels undeniably real in a way which I really enjoyed.
The actors' performances are fantastic for the most part, and the sound design is phenomenal. It fully immerses the viewer in the world that its deaf characters inhabit while still being entirely accessible for those not hard of hearing, it really is masterfully done.
I also really loved how much the story focused on the importance of community and support, of found family in a way.
Now, will some viewers, such as myself, who enjoy certain privileges in their lives find this movie boring? Unfortunately, yes.
As someone who is lucky enough to be able to live openly and without fear and whose coming out was fully supported by a host of loving family members and friends, I couldn't relate to a lot of the struggles the characters faced.
But that in no way diminishes the film's value or should prevent anyone from watching it.
For anyone struggling with societal pressures due to their identity, for anyone who has to face rejection and recrimination for being who they are, for anyone grieving the "normal" happy life they haven't gotten to live yet, this movie will undoubtedly mean a lot. It's a promise that there is light at the end of the tunnel, the reassurance that, no matter what, you are not alone.
This is an incredibly important and meaningful message and for that alone I consider this movie well worth watching.

Leia Mais

A quiet story about self-acceptance

I liked this one. It's not really a romantic short film (although there is a very sweet romance) it's more just an exploration of the difficulties of coming out, coming to terms with your past and your current identity, and finding peace with yourself no matter what others might think of you.
It manages to get this message across very clearly despite its short run time, and though the set-up and plot may be simplistic, they work well for the story that is being told.
The acting and writing are also quite strong which helps the whole thing feel more grounded and realistic.
I think this story is something a lot of queer folk can relate to in one way or another and for that alone I'd say it's worth a watch.

Leia Mais

The best kind of catharsis

Is this short ridiculous? Over the top? On the nose? Why yes, yes it is. And for once I truly mean that as a compliment.
This film has a very clear message and that is: Queer women are done with your shit.
The endless struggle to find funding for queer media, the non-stop fight for monetization, the never-ending stream of straight men trying to lay claim to female sexuality... no more.
Most of the time the fight for progress is a slow, drawn-out process of fostering good-will and understanding but sometimes, just sometimes, it's an actual fight. Sometimes you have to stand up and very literally kick your opponent directly in the nuts... and then make out with your girlfriend about how cool that was just now.
This film is a giant, joyous middle finger towards anything and anyone that has ever kept queer women down and I for one enjoyed the hell out of it.

Leia Mais

Strongberry does it again

Seriously though, how do they keep doing that, it's almost spooky at this point.
This is another absolutely delightful little short with Strongberry's signature blend of great acting, tight editing, and a goddamn adorable story. It takes the simply premise of confessing to your crush and portrays it in such a charming, realistic way you can't help but grin and reminisce because, yeah, we've all been there in one way or another.
If you enjoy other Matchbox productions you'll almost certainly like this as well. And if you're unfamiliar with their work, welcome, you're about to discover a whole host of treasures. And this one is certainly a great place to start.

Leia Mais