Exciting from start to end

I had not a great day at work and was looking for something entertaining. I checked Netflix, saw Run for the Money: Battle Royal on the home page, and ignored it. About an hour later I saw it again. I thought that Japanese guy looks just like Choi Min Ho. Turns out that Japanese wasn't Japanese, but it was Minho. I know about Minho's competitive streak and athleticism from his many guest appearances on Running Man so I decided to watch the trailer. Next thing I know I'm at the end of episode 1. Three hours after that, I'm done.

RFTM reminded me of an American reality show from about 10 years ago, that wasn't half as exciting. The concept was 29 celebrities are hunted for 3 hours or until they are all put in jail Each minute they remain uncaught money drops in the pot. They can win up to 5.04 million yen which is roughly $35,000 USD. Not bad for 3 hours work. They have timed missions which can help them add money quicker and lower the amount of hunters. Besides being physical, it's a psychological game. Who can be trusted? Who will betray? In some aspects it's a lot how Running Man used to be.

Over the years I've seen a few Japanese game/variety shows. I rarely stick with them. But this ...I would watch again. The short form made it more urgent. Also, the celebs were entertaining. It was obvious that being in front of the camera was nothing new to any of them. I'd seen a few of the actors and idols (well, I've heard songs by JO1). They were all entertaining and easy to like , even the Youtubers (ganbarre JinJin! "Run Kuro-san!"). I found myself rooting for quite a few by the end. I wish a few had more screen time, but like I said there was 29 of them. Many are dispatched rather quickly. The camera work and editing are extremely well done as is the video quality. Oh and the hunters, nothing to sneeze at. I really wish they had been unmasked at the end. Anyone that can run in dress shoes as fast as they were gets respect!

The music added to the tension. I know the outcome of everything, but if in the need of something amusing and competitive I wouldn't hesitate to re-watch RFTM. That's a a lot coming from me because I really don't re-watch.

Run For The Money is fast paced and marathon worthy. With only 4 - 60 minutes episodes, there's really nothing to lose.

Leia Mais

Originally, I had no intention of watching Mystic Pop Up Bar. I happened to watch a trailer and saw Choi Won Young was in it. He rarely disappoints me so I figured I'd try it. So happy that I dd. This quirky supernatural rom com is truly endearing. Five hundred years ago circumstances happen that causes a young girl, Weol Ju, with mystical powers to kill herself and do damage to a sacred tree. As penance she must solve the grudges of 100,000 humans. With the help of her assistant (minder/supervisor really) and a young man with an odd power, she tries to solve her last 10 grudges. The story seems straight forward, but through flashbacks we see Weol Ju has some serious grudges on her own and not everything is what you see.

The story is a good one. For those that need romance there's not only a 500 year old longing, but a new budding romance with 2 very odd characters. For those that like supernatural, there's plenty. The ghost and demon effects were nicely done. There's even action and fight scenes for action addicts like myself.

Although the story is good, it wouldn't have been anything if it weren't for the outstanding cast. Choi Won Young never disappoints me. Sometimes what he's in does, but he never has. He was wonderful as Guibangjang. Hwang Jung Eum was very good, but I couldn't help staring at her lips. It appears she had injections. They were very unnatural. But she was playing a spirit so I guess whatever works. Yook Sung-jae rounds out our leads. I loved his scenes with Choi Won Young. I think he's a natural at bromances. He played Kang Bae with the right amount of charm, naivete, and hope. It made you root for KB from the very beginning.

The music was good I guess. I'm happy they didn't play the same sappy song in every episode like a music video. There were no flashbacks of scenes that were shown, thankfully! I really would love to see another season, but I don't think I'll re-watch MPUB again, at least not in the foreseeable future.

Overall, it was a really enjoyable show. Nothing truly deep and heavy. There are a lot of smiles to be had and perhaps some tears for some. I truly recommend it.

Leia Mais

Fell Asleep

I was bored.

I'd like to believe that Deranged is a poor misinterpretation of the title. If it is not, then this movie is poorly named. Frenzied is probably more appropriate. Basically, a man is trying to save his family from a pandemic. His ex-colleague is trying to cure it, while is brother, a cop, is trying to get down to the bottom of the misshapen corpses being found in waterways.

The premise is sound. The execution was not. There are plot holes that can't be ignored. The writing was slow. I think some crucial scenes remained on the cutting room floor. The acting was good enough. It wasn't great nor was it poor. It just was. The music conveyed the emotion of the scenes so it was good.

Overall, I would not recommend this movie. There's no way I would have fallen asleep late morning on a thriller unless it was much less than thrilling.

Leia Mais

Hideaki Ito gets my motor running. I have adored him since the first moment I saw him in Yasha. He is an underrated actor because he makes his hero and antihero roles look effortless like he's just playing himself. With that being said I don't know what to say about the ease at which he transitions to not so heroic and downright evil characters. YIKES!

Lesson of the Evil is dark and pulls no punches. No, the English isn't wrong. The 'the' is definitely correct. Anyone who thought Takashi Miike had gone soft or mainstream because of 13 Assassins gets his answer right here. This master of shock, horror, and otherwise oddball characters lets us all know he's not done with the crazy.

Lesson the Evil is dark. Wait, did I say that? Well, it is. it is violent. It is bloody. Ito's character is rancid. He's like the Joker from Batman, but not as friendly (or sane perhaps). He plays his role well and is rarely not smiling which just added to the creepy. By the way, there are scenes with gay undertones, as well as, statuatory rape. If you think that might bother you, do not watch this movie.

If you like crazy people horror and violence isn't much of a concern to you, grab your popcorn and watch the mayhem.

Leia Mais

There was nothing great about this drama except maybe the attempt to touch some taboo topics in Korean culture. I do mean touch as in lightly graze. Alright alright they didn't graze the pregnancy issue, but everything else including abortion was surface. Perhaps they were too weighty of subjects I don't know. I do know that the story has holes, too many holes. The holes made me unable to actually like or really care about the lead characters save 1. I'm a big Kim Sun Ah fan and I watched I Do, I Do solely (pun intended) because she was in it. For the first time I did not like her. I did not dislike her, but I did not like her. I did not care about her or the fact that she was pregnant. The 2 leads lacked chemistry. Since the Koreans film and air with barely any time in the middle, one would think when the leads have more chemistry with other characters they'd do something. Ji Sung or whatever her name is wound up with the wrong man. The idea that the 2 characters would even be attracted to one another and/or that she would fall for him is preposterous even for a romcom. I Do, I Do is closer to an I Don't, I Don't I think (I think). It goes from 4 to 6 simply because of the 2nd leads and supporting cast.

Leia Mais

Pass that pretty boy a sword

Hwarang was great! It was exactly what it said it was, perhaps a tad bit more, but no less. In the beginning I called Hwarang "Pretty Boys Fighting." I didn't want anything too heavy or melo and I was sure Hwarang was it. I was right. It did what it intended which was entertain. It was never boring or slow. It's also more than just PBF, too. It has a fairly solid and interesting story about a faceless king trying to come into his own and a nameless peasant basically doing the same without realizing it. Each episode was well written and often times gave me a smile or laugh.

The major cast did a damn fine job, especially considering 3 or 4 are idols. The supports, many of whom were veteran actors, were excellent as per usual, but somehow allowed their younger counterparts to shine. I admit I adored the scenes between Sung Dong-Il and Kim Kwang-Kyu. They were my secret faves. Well, I guess non-secret now. I've loved Park Seo Joon since Kill Me, Heal Me. He did a fantastic job in Hwarang. His scenes with Lee Gwang Soo and Park Hyng Sik were great. I'd love to see him with one or both of them again. Overall, the male cast had great chemistry, even those you love to hate. There were a bunch of bromances going on. The only sore thumb was perhaps, Seo Ye-Ji, who joined the cast in later episodes. She was stiff and very hard to like or even dislike. She was like a weed in your yard. You know you want to pluck it, but you don't feel like bending over.

The music was good, especially the incidental aka background music. It really set the tone and helped move things along. I liked the lead song well enough. The love song was a bit annoying and is played a little too often.

Overall, Hwarang is thoroughly enjoyable. It made me laugh. It frustrated me. It gave me characters to hate. It gave me characters to love. It made me jealous. And at one point it almost made me cry (also rare). Will Hwarang go down in the annals of time as one of the best dramas ever? No. Will it win a bunch of awards? Doubtful. However, I'd watch it again in a heartbeat. Actually, I just may while at work. Nothing like Pretty Boys Fighting to get you through the day. :D

Leia Mais

What Eye? There is no eye!

Eye Of the Storm is set in a Taipei hospital that has a SARS outbreak trapping employees, visitors, and patients alike within. It starts off pretty quick introducing all of the main players, while also showing us some suspiciously ill people. The eye of a storm is placid, calm. No one and nothing in this movie was calm. We barely see any time before the SARS outbreak and none after. Can you say poorly named?

The cinematography and flow of the film reminds me of movies from the mid to late 90s when the Coen Brothers were at the height of their popularity. (I've never been a fan of the CBs.) I think it was supposed to give the movie a more realistic and serious feel. Personally, I think that was a failure. It's a hospital with an outbreak. The plodding slow nature of the movie doesn't work. The story is insufficient. It does not concentrate on any one aspect of the story line. There's the treatment of the sick and people on lockdown which is barely explored. The investigation into where the outbreak came from is lacklustre. What's interesting are the main characters and how they navigate the outbreak. Unfortunately, that aspect is not sufficiently explored. Somehow the director managed to take all these skimmed upon topics and made a fairly watchable 2 hour movie. Here's the spoiler... ready? It doesn't end. There is no tidy little ending. No rainbow after the storm. We have no clue as to the fate of the lead characters. We have foreshadowing, but no real answer. END SPOILER

The cast sells the story. They do a great job at emoting and make you care for their characters. Out of our 3 leads: the overly caring nurse, Tai He An (played by Jing Huaa Tseng), the spoiled/selfish surgeon (Edison Wang - never noticed he kind of looks like Gong Yoo), and our intrepid investigative reporter (Simon Hsueh), nurse An is my favorite. I found him admirable and An great a job with this character.

I rarely rewatch, but I can't see anyone wanting to watch this twice. The music was good and supportive.

Eye Of the Storm is not your normal outbreak movie. It's not action pack. Hmm maybe the placid title. It's a character driven hospital drama that does not delve fully into any aspect of it's subject. I don't recommend this to anyone seeking anything like the move Outbreak or even the level of excitement from a typical hospital drama. For all others there's nothing to like or dislike. It just is. It's 2 hours of something if and when you need it.

Leia Mais

LOVED IT...until the end

Before I start let me say this is not a comedy.. It's more of a dramedy. It's good, but f you're looking for laughs, this isn't the show you want. Cold Blooded Intern has a very interesting story driver. Personally, I enjoy seeing social issues. I find it interesting seeing socio-political views and policies of other nations, especially ones I've never visited. CBI takes on maternity leave and working mothers. Honestly, I get angry a lot in Asian dramas when I see women forced out of the workforce just because they're married and/or a mother. While CBI doesn't delve deep into the topic (the episodes are only 39 minutes), it gives the viewer a clear picture of the trials women and some men may go through.

Go Hae Ra played by Ra Mi Ran is returning to the workforce after a 7 year absence now that her daughter is 12 years old. She's met with ageism at every door. After running into an old colleague during an interview she's given a chance with strings at Market House. The story revolves around Go Intern and how she maneuvers at work while juggling her home life (to a point). The writing is passable, not good nor bad. The writing excelled in small light hearted scenes. It has good pacing up until the end where it seems rushed. One of the subplots dealing with our MC's husband never gets resolved. They take us up to the door only to slam it in our faces. The rest of production is solid from directing to cinematography.

The cast sells CBI. Ra is perfect as Go Hae Ra. She's likable and dogged, which is a character archetype she seems to do very well. Um Ji Won plays Choi Ji Won our co-MC and she does effortlessly. Honestly, I didn't like her writing much. She was too one dimensional compared to other characters. However, Uhm pulls it off and makes the writing seem better than it was. Actually, the entire cast makes the writing seem good, which is a testament to how good they were. The scenes between Go Hae Ra's husband (played by Lee Jung Hyuk) and daughter (Kim Min Seo) were fantastic. The 2 had chemistry like a real father and daughter. The supports were all very good especially Kim Im Kwon (Go Hae Ra's boss) and scene stealing expert Kim Won Hae, who I thought had turned down his scene stealing ways until turning it up in his last scene.

The music was pretty good. I liked the ending theme. I rarely re-watch, but if there is a season 2 I may watch the last 3 or 4 to jog my memory.

Overall, Cold Blooded Intern is good. Like I said the cast sells all 12 episodes. It's marathon worthy. It has some great scenes and some that make you scratch your head. It does have light hearted scenes that may make you smile, but you may also find yourself muttering why to yourself. It has it's issues and the end made me want to strangle the writer, but it's entertaining nonetheless. It's greater than the sum of it's parts. Score: 7.5 up to 8

Leia Mais

Eh...glad it was short

The set designs are fantastic as is the costuming, but that's all the raving I can do about The Lost Tomb. I kind of wish it had stayed lost.

The story is pretty good. One day Wu Xie finds his grandfathers diary and comes to the realization that is beloved grandfather was a tomb robber, a thief that stole China's history and sold it to the highest bidder. He and his friend, Zhang Qi Ling, track down tombs and relics so they can be preserved and displayed and not become someone's possession. Along the way they find friends, enemies, and various miscreants. Sounds fun, right? It should be. It really wasn't. Most of the episode flounder and fail to find their footing. The story isn't well told nor well written.

My favorite character is Uncle Fatty, aka Wang Pang Zi. He's the most fun. The actor steals every scene he's in and I was happy to see him each time. The rest of the acting is ok, not bad and not great, just ok. For me none of the cast except maybe Fatty made me want to search their names and other dramas or wuxia they've been in. They could actually switch actors and I would pay it no nevermind.

The music is a bit much. The ending theme is a sappy ballad followed by a power ballad. The episodes end with so much time left you think there are other scenes and there very well may be. I didn't find one. I couldn't sit all the way through the songs.

If I re-watch any aspect of this is to see if I missed a clue or figure out what something else means in the many many sequels. Yes, I am going to watch the 2nd season. Why? This season ends in a cliffhanger and I am a glutton for punishment. With all it's faults and boring scenes The Lost Tomb still managed to set off my Indiana Jones Disease. It's terminal. Like I said, I wish the Lost Tomb had stayed lost and that I had never stumbled upon it.

Leia Mais

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I adore funeral comedies.  I mean ADORE!! It started years ago with Juzo Itami's The Funeral and continues to this day.  I started watching The Bros because, well, it's a funeral comedy, duh.  Did you not read the first sentence? j/p I also love Don Lee (aka Dong Suk Ma).  Truly. A funeral comedy starring Don Lee?  I'm in!

When I read the synopsis, I thought The Bros would be a remake of "Passed Away," a 90's funeral comedy starring Bob Hoskins and William Peterson. It isn't. The only similarities are the 2 brothers and their disconnect from their father.  Dong Suk Ma and Dong Hwi Lee play 2 estranged brothers that head to the family estate after the death of their father. Both have hidden agendas that are the real reasons they have headed home in 20 years.  Suk Bong Lee (Ma) is the eldest brother. He's a broke lecturer and adventurer who dreams of finding a national treasure.  Lee Joo Bong  (Lee) is the 2nd brother who works for a company wanting to run a highway through the family's property. The brother's relationships and shenanigans are what make the movie.  The story isn't much different from other funeral comedies but they did leave out any debauchery, which was refreshing.  There's also the weird woman.  In most comedies at least one of the brothers would have fallen for her, but not this one. The Bros just think she's odd.

Although they look nothing alike and you'd be hard pressed to think them full blood brothers, Ma and Lee are wonderful in their roles.  Their chemistry  was really good. I think there's something about Ma's 'hard working guy just trying to get ahead' look that leads him to play characters with sincerity even when the character isn't very trustworthy.  You trust in him and it causes an instant chemistry on camera.  I'm not very familiar with Lee, but he did a good job as did Honey Lee (how many Lee's were in this movie?) as the weird woman.  The supporting cast was great.  Jung Jae Jin played a family elder.  He was a scene stealing marvel.  He was hilarious, especially at the end when he lost his composure and tried to fight one of the brothers. I know it's advertised as having a guest appearance by Ji Chang Wook.  The emphasis is appearance.  He's in the movie 5 minutes or less.  Do not watch this movie because you're his fan and wish to see him.  You will be disappointed.

The music was fitting.  I liked the theme used for the 'weird woman.'  It was sufficiently silly sounding.

The rewatch value for me is high as I tend to rewatch funeral comedies at least once.

Overall, I'd give The Bros an 8.5.  It was funny and entertaining.  It will not break any records and it won't movie the industry forward.  It is what it is, an entertaining quirky comedy.

Leia Mais

Copped Out At the End

Super Me has a great premise and it starts off great. Sang Yu is a young poor writer that learns to harvest his nightmares for big rewards. His greed and desire for the woman he's been pining away for gets the better of him. Sang Yu learns taking short cuts to achieve ones desires can come with a hefty toll.

The writing for the most part is good. Everything was going along fairly well until the end. The writer fell upon cliches and contrivances to move the story forward. The story is whitewashed leaving you with a happy hopeful ending then it takes a slight turn. I'm guessing the turn is supposed to spark debate and conversation, but, to be quite frank, I just didn't care. The CG effects were great.

The cast did their job. Darren Wang did a good job as Sang Yu. Everyone was just... good. They weren't bad. They weren't fantastic. They were just good. Actually, the pancake salesman, who was in the movie all of 10 minutes tops, gave the best performance out of everyone. He's a veteran actor and it showed. Cao Bing Kun's Sang Ge was also fun to watch.

Aside from the lead female singing (she was so unimportant and truly unnecessary in my opinion), the music was ok. It supported the scenes. I have no reason to watch this again unless I skip from dream sequence to dream sequence. I can't say I wasted 90 minutes watching it, but I do wish I'd had watched something else.

Leia Mais

Queen of Reversals is what you get when the powers that be in Korean broadcasting let a production just be (let the writers develop the characters and story and the directors direct). When the writers of QoR found out the drama was getting an extension (not once but 2x), they began to actually write instead of retreading the same thing. They developed characters and the story. The cast and crew had time to breathe and create one great entertaining almost soap opera like show. QoR was just too much fun to watch. The cast is fantastic. The production top notch! This is one of the few dramas that truly show off Korean talent behind & in front of the camera.

Leia Mais

I've been thinking about GSD a lot recently though it's been a few years since it was on. GSD (and Black & White) gave me hope for the future of Taiwanese and to some extent Korean dramas. Gloomy Salad Days is not just controversial, it's creative, well written, and the production standards are very good. It's based a bit on Hell Girl, but the similarities are slight in my opinion. It does deal with so-called taboo topics, especially in some communities (and religions) like homosexuality, transgender, teen prostitution, and suicide. If these are topics you find offensive or don't have the ability to handle, then I suggest you not watch GSD. It is not for everyone, but I think it's for most people. It definitely pushed the envelope on Taiwanese tv. Too bad they didn't keep leaping forward.

Leia Mais

Gonna Make This Short

Don't start it. The end.

You're still here? OK...here's the deal. If you grew up on American Daytime soaps, especially the half hours from Search For Tomorrow to Santa Barbara, you will get hooked. A/The Secret House fills the 'it's so bad it's good' hole left empty by the slow demise of the daytime soap operas in the US. I specifically mention half hour soaps because if you watched them, you're used to the pace at which ASH moves. I'm not saying it's good or bad, but just typical. Telenovela watchers consider yourselves warned, too.

The writing could, no should have been better. They had too many storylines going all at once . There was no way to satisfactorily handle them and tie it up in a neat little bow as we all know they do. For me the ONLY saving grace was for the character Ham Sook Jin. Oh did I love to hate her! As I stated on the drama's page, I think the writer(s) had a thing for Agnes Nixon's daytime because Ham Sook Jin was like if Erica Kane and Dorinan Lord (look them up if you don't know) had a baby. She's deliciously conniving and unapologetic.

More than half of the 8 points (4 stars) I gave the cast were for HSJ's portrayer, Lee Seung Yeon. In the hands of a less skilled actress the character could have turned into a caricature. This entire drama was carried on the back of the more "seasoned" professionals. The ML has gorgeous teeth and is damn attractive. That's all the good I can say. The FLs (I supposed that's what they were) aren't the best actresses I've ever seen. The 2nd ML was a better actor than the other leads (if you don't count Lee) and he wasn't that good. Although, I will admit, he seemed to get better as the series progressed.

There was nothing music wise that is worth mentioning. The re-watch is zilch. If you catch me watching this again, someone paid me.

Overall, it's a typical revenge plot. Had the writers concentrated on that storyline instead of creating so many other unnecessary ones with obvious conclusions. A Secret House would have been a much better watch.

Leia Mais

Final Cut has the worst English fansubs I've ever seen and I've been watching foreign media online for approximately 20 years. Oh how the mighty Japanese fan sub groups have fallen! The subs were mostly incoherent. The grammar was atrocious. It's painfully obvious that the people at jpsubs do not speak English. Even if they believe they do, they don't. It appears that they used a translator app or program. The subs are replete with incorrect pronouns, missing verbs, etc. Every now and then a sentence made sense only for the next line to be complete gibberish. I spent most of my time trying to use my limited Japanese vocabulary and the subs to figure out what was actually being said. I think I may have done better if I had just watched the RAWS. At least I wouldn't have been distracted.

I say all of this to explain why I truly can not tell you if this is worth watching (in English) or not. The acting looked damn good, but what use is it if you don't know what's being said? There were some serious emotions flying around in the last episode, but they could've been ordering fast food for all I know. Kame might be really emotional about his fries. Of course you get the gist, but it's not the same. The cast was solid. Final Cut is full of veteran actors who always give great performances like Sugimoto Tetta and Sasaki Kuranoske. The one thing I did not like was the forced romance which makes absolutely no sense. It's also obvious that the last scene was tacked on. I don't know if it's because of audience reaction, but it just didn't fit. It was unsatisfying and unnecessary.

The music was ok I guess. I only remember the end theme by KAT-TUN. If coherent English subs are ever found, I might rewatch it. I have a feeling I'd have a much different impression. I truly don't think I have the right to say if Final Cut is good or bad since it feels like I slept through or missed most of it. Perhaps the other 2 reviewers had actual subs to base their decisions on, but as for me I'd say it's slightly above average.

Leia Mais