This movie is one of those I find it really hard to write a review for -- anything I would say would spoil it, since this movie is one of those which are fascinating because there's no way to know what will happen next.

So, I'll just point out only some aspects:
* Trigger warnings for explicit depictions of excessive violence, suicide, human trafficking, drug use rape and forced sex work.
* The movie is very slow and quiet, except where it's not.
* The movie is definitely not fluffy. But heartwarming all the same.
* There's a love story that is told in less than six minutes, from beginning to the end -- and I still cried for both lovers. (But it's still not a romance movie.)
* The young boy actor was impressive.
* A lot of the story is told not in dialogue but in silence. The movie expects the viewer to pay attention not what the characters say, but what they do.
* When people are victims, over and over, all of their lives, is there a chance to get up again? -- The story can be read as some social commentary. But maybe not.
* The sombre tone is lightened by the group of neighbours, whose loving antics are hilarious.

This is not a movie I will rewatch any time soon, it's just too intense for that -- maybe in a few years. But I can recommend it for anyone who is not disturbed by the themes mentioned above and wants something different that engages the mind.
It's probably best if you see for yourself.

Leia Mais

Question: Is the Kim Pilheung the same character as in To My Star, just a few years younger?

What I liked:
* I actually liked that there was no inner dialogue, which is there in the series -- it made things a bit more ambiguous for me, which suits the characters' developing emotional state.* I liked the acting of all the actors.
* The girl's mother was cute :)
* We still don't know what is so different at the end of the story that it is possible for the couple to be together. I actually like that.


What I did not like:
* The premise is interesting (though similar things have been done already), but things don't really add up, unless Gang Gook is in some kind of indentured servitude? If they are both 18 or so, then 15 years ago, when their master-bodyguard-relationship began, Gook must have been three years old?
* Even if he started his role later, he would still have been a minor.
* Tae Joo's father seems to regard Gook as some kind of whipping boy, which is otherwise not seen as a problem, but it is an archaic practice that should not have a place in modern society.
* All of this imbalance of power between Tae Joo and Gook is adressed several times but never resolved between them. It makes the happy ending unfinished, for me, and leaves a bad taste...

The last points of both my lists would make an excellent starting point for a second series, in which their difference in status and the need for balance in their relationship would be the main theme. (Could even be as good as the second series of To My Star, I think).

Compared to the movie, I like the series less, since the movie's music score fits it better, and also I liked that we don't get the inner monolgue, which I found more distracting than helpful.

So, overall, it's not that bad, if you can and want to watch the story, then watch the movie.

Leia Mais

I'll drink this cup, even though I don't like coffee.

The most stressful parts of this series are the previews for the next episode.

This is a slow-paced slice-of-life drama, and although it addresses heavier topics (illness, death, financial problems, social injustice etc.), all the episodes end on a positive note.

Each episode focuses on one question or person -- but there are enough recurring characters from the neighbourhood that the shop feels like a part of the community.
The coffee shop is not just a backdrop for the stories, but the process of making a cup of coffee and the pleasure of drinking it are a integral part of the series -- even I, who do not like to drink coffee, was tempted to go and try some of these. In later episodes, the focus tends toward the beans and their origins, and that lost me a bit; my investment in the characters was strong enough to continue regardless.

Also, I liked that they incorporated the pandemic -- a lot of shows just ignore it, even though it has had a huge impact on most of us over the last few years.

The open but hopeful ending suited the slice-of-life theme of the whole show -- life does not have a Happily Ever After.

All in all, I can recommend it.
Although the show reminds me of Japanese shows like "Rokuhoudou" oder "Three Star Bar", it lacks that certain je ne sais quoi that those shows have -- so it's worth watching and I enjoyed every minute of it, but I don't think I'll be coming back.

Leia Mais

Overall, this is one of the better K-BL dramas. It is focused on telling a tight story, where every scene is meaningful, and all characters have their part in the plot.

It's a slow and gentle story -- both the school bullying and short violence in the beginning and the initial coldness of Tae Seong's make the thawing of feelings and the beginning warmth between the couple clearer.

I really like the progression of the story, the pacing is right, the camera work is solid. I like that the young men change their hair style and their clothing when starting university. I also think both their body language changes with their changing feeling, though that point is more subtle.

There's one thing I wish would have been different. I feel that the sets and the colour palette of this series are very cool, too white, sometimes even a bit sterile. While this makes sense in the beginning (Hae Bom's room looks more like a guest room than a teenager's room -- but then again, he feels like a guest in this house), I would have like a shift to warmer colours in later episodes -- spring colours to go with the plot. Unfortunately, Tae Seong and Hae Bom's flat still looks impersonal and cold -- personal effects, a bit of untidyness could have helped. The strings of lighting, I'm sorry to say, only feel artificial to me. Still, this is something that I only can put in words now, after having watched this series several times, so it's really only a minor thing.

Leia Mais

I watched until episode 11 -- then I struggled for one-and-a-half years to even pick it up again. I finally managed to work my way through the last episodes in the course of another six months.

One main reason for this is the main male character, Lee Ahn, who I thoroughly disliked. He is cocky and self-assured without having any abilities to support it -- and it feels that he thinks it's enough that he is himself and has this psychometry to be allowed to flaunt rules.

Another is the romance, which felt forced and superfluous. Is it not enough to share the same traumatic childhood exerience? To have the same goal? Why does it have to be romance, when partners and eventual friends would have made enough sense?
I did not feel any sexual or romantic attraction between them. For the longest time, Jae In seemed to be more annoyed than romantically interested.
They wouldn't do a romance arc if the young people had the same gender, so why force this into a good mystery?

Because the mystery plot was quite good otherwise -- the storyline of the dangerous stranger whose identity is slowly revealed and how he connects to the mysterious Kang Seong Mo was delightfully muddied by the storyline about corporate fraud.
It seemed that we knew everything already in episodes 11 to 13 or so (which is also part of why I had trouble continuing at that point) -- but then there's a surprising plot twist!
(The story telling though was a bit too slow in the last episodes.)

Kang Seong Mo was by far the most interesting character, and his actor subtly portrayed his emotions -- emotionless robot, even though it seems to the other characters, he is not. Without him, I would probably not have made it through the drama.

An honourable mention for Jae In -- one of the few female characters in a drama who can hold her own -- yes, she "needs" to be saved by the male lead at least once, but other than that, she is indispensible to the plot, and actually more competent than Lee Ahn.

Overall, it's not bad -- just not something I liked. If you don't mind romance in your mysteries, cocky male characters and slow pacing, then it might be for you.

Leia Mais

Compelling -- until episode 42.

If they'd stopped after episode 42, this series would have earned a solid 9 from me. As it is, the last story arc was crammed into 4 of the last 6 episodes, with the last 1.5 episodes dedicated to flashbacks and battle scenes. That last story arc had scenes cut, which made it almost incomprehensible. I wish they'd cut some of the romantic flashbacks, of which we had entirely too many, instead.

Other grievances:
* The show is, like all of the Lost Tomb series, quite misogynistic. All of the women are only there to serve the men's plot, one of them is even a classical case of fridging. At least they put the female characters in less revealing clothes, but that was probably because of the historical setting.
* Clichéd depiction of non-Han, "tribal" minority groups. Why would you think that they all dress the same? And what's with the face paintings? (Although, tbh, C-Dramas tend to be Han-nationalist, so it's not every surprising.)
* I would have liked to see more of the other families. Why is the drama called "The Mystic Nine" if we see three of them only in few short scenes?

But:
* The sets are better than some C-Dramas, the acting is superb, the mysteries are compelling -- all in all a great watch. If you liked the other Lost Tomb dramas, you'll like this one.
* Ba Ye and the lieutenant held the story, they are hilarious together.

Recommended, if you like action and mystery and also don't mind some romance or if you want to collect all you can from the Lost Tomb Universe.

Leia Mais

I actually watched the show a second time, just to check if there are any clues in the beginning (or somewhere before the last episode) to what is happening. There are not.

And that's the least of the show's problems.

But first: What I liked:
* All of the actors played everything straight and took their job seriously.
* The funny scenes made me laugh, the cute scenes made me smile, the serious scenes were sombre.
* There were no technical issues.

But the story. Oh my.
I think the first, and most relevant, issue is that we as the audience do not get any clues that this is not supposed to be anything but one of the usual BL romances (or romance comedies).

Also, the production doesn't stick to one "genre" -- between scenes the mood jumps from serious to cutesy to plain silly.

The show could have been
-- either: a serious, heartbreaking story about a relationship that's come to its end, and how the couple deals with it, and maybe find a new way to be together,
-- or: a cute, maybe a bit trope-y story about a couple that tries to balance their relationship and work / college with cheesy slice-of-life-scenes,
-- or: a silly, over-the-top story that makes fun of alle the tropes of het and BL romances, maybe with some slapstick thrown in.
Considering the quality of the technical aspects and the acting (and, again kudos to all of the actors), either of the three genres would have been great!

I suppose this show was conceived as a parody, which is the only thing that would make at least some kind of sense -- but the audience needs to get clues what this show is supposed to be!
As it is, the show does not know what exactly it is (what it is is a mess) and leave the audience not only confused but also disappointed.

Leia Mais

Mellow and relaxing; painting together on a hot summer day

What I liked:
* The general atmosphere of the movie was relaxing, they managed to capture the feeling of sitting in nature on a hot summer day and falling in love perfectly.
* The storyline is a good fit for the length of the movie.
* All three main characters, especially the bodyguard. They all manged to convey their feelings without trouble. I liked the bodyguard's reaction to that suspicious person, his worry and gradual acceptance of what is to come. Also, I love that it remains unclear what his feelings are exactly -- loyalty, friendship, romantic love? Sometimes things are muddled and it's good to leave it open.
* Although I'm usually wary of timeskips, that one at the end worked. In my opinion, showing what happened directly after the return would have felt very differently to the rest of the movie. Good choice, there.

What I did not like:
* The last ten minutes or so feel weirdly paced, in contrast to the majority of the film, which is pretty slow. I think they tried to convey a sense of urgency, but why then this strange flashback to the conversation between the lady and the bodyguard?

Overall impression:

It's a nice romance, with okay-to-good pacing, nice scenery, and well acted. The story is captivating and although it is on itself quite predictable, the characters and their actors make it something special.
There are some questions that remain unanswered, sometimes I liked the ambiguity, sometimes it would have been nice to have it a bit clearer.

[This is a slightly edited version of the review I posted on Viki.]

Leia Mais

Even three years after its release, this is still one of the better Korean BLs.
In a lot of other Korean BL dramas, something is always off -- either the story doesn't make any sense (or only had old-fashioned and even harmful clichés), or the acting is stiff or the production (sets, audio etc.) lacks details or the directing is lackluster etc.

This drama has none of those problems.
The plot is is solid, if a little predictable. What's making it special are the little hints at more backstory -- especially for the two main leads, who are wonderfully vulnerable and both have scars from earlier events in their lives, which we only get hints of -- and they both accept these vulnerabilities and the weaknesses of each other.
The acting enhances this further. There are many small moments when you have to look closely at the actors, they often express their emotions through small changes in posture or even just with their eyes (I loved these moments when Son Woo Hyun shows how his character is hurt by Han Ji Woo's harsh words, and equally, how Kim Kang Min can say whole paragraphs by just averting his eyes.) Both main actors and the supporting cast are obviously invested in making this drama into something good.
The sets feel real, and with much attention to detail. In the beginning of the story, Ji Woo's home seems a bit bare -- except for the kitchen, which is clearly well loved and often used. This is the only place in the whole house where Ji Woo has left traces of his own personality -- until Seo Joon, that is. Then suddenly, decorating items start to show up (and it's clear that Ji Woo put them there for Seo Joon).
The directing puts all these things into a cohesive whole. For me, it feels as if the director had a clear vision of the story, the characters, and their backstories.

Yes, the budget could have been higher, the run time could have been longer. But I think they did what they could, and it doesn't even show too much that it was shot during the first autumn/winter of the covid-pandemic (I suppose that South Korea had quite a few restrictions back then, as did other countries).

I recommend that you re-watch this after season 2 -- there are several scenes that hit differently after you know more about the characters.

Leia Mais

Good for a one time watch

"Friends-to-lovers" is usually a trope I like very much, and they did it justice until Zheng Ze Shou and Fu Li Gong got together. From then on, it was rather cheesy and the conflicts too clichéd for me.

The acting by the main couple was excellent, especially when they were still figuring out their feelings or what to do about them.
I also loved the two fathers and Nikita. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the second couple; especially Yuki's actor stayed bland, he mostly had the same gentle smile, whoever he looked at and however he felt -- I noticed it the most when he was fighting with the laundromat owner. It really didn't help that he didn't get any backstory (we only know his father was Japanese and died when Yuki was a child, which makes Yuki's "ohayou" even more pretentious).

The song that was used for the opening credits got on my nerves (it also was non-sensical); and the piano background music was distracting from what was happening on-screen.

It's a shame that the female roles did not get more development. The sister is unfortunately the stereotypical little sister (even though she's somewhere in her early twenties), the little girl has no personality whatsoever, apart from being a bit sassy. And Nikita's character, who was so cool and mysterious and generally an impressive woman with her own business, was ruined by that stupid and unnecessary crush.

I did like that we got to see two lawyers working together, and it was an excellent idea to have them be divorce lawyers in a romance -- the drama was strongest when the cases made Ze Shou and Li Gong think and talk about love and marriage, and reflect on their own love story. I wish the writer had used this also to resolve the conflicts of the second half. Together with maybe more time to show the father's side (because I think it's not very clear why he reacts the way he does). this would have made the second half better.

Overall, the story's flow is good, it's done well -- though not so good that I'd want to watch it a second time.

[cross-posted to VIki]

Leia Mais

Light, soothing, slice-of-life

This is an absolute gem among family-themed series. It's feel-good, light and easy to watch on a hectic day with its short 15-minute episodes.

Let me highlight some of the things I loved:
* I am most impressed by the child actors. It's no simple feat for a child to portray a character so consistently as they do.
* I love that the two families are not your picture-book families (Mum, dad and their two kids). One is a family of four boys, who live their lives without parents, the other consists of a divorced mother with her two kids who live with their grandfather. Both families are shown as full of love for one another, as they navigate typical problems with school, growing-up, parenting etc.
* While it might not be very common that four boys continue living with each other after their parents passed away, the difficulties in the drama are real-life problems that most of us have had at one time or another -- I think viewers of all ages can find something to relate to here. Problems are always resolved by good communication and assuming that the other person acted not out of malice but well-intentioned.
* While most of the episodes lean into a more comedic style, and there's plenty to laugh (with the characters, never at them) -- the loss of the brothers' parents is not once taken lightly. There were several scenes that made me cry.
* All of the recurring characters are fleshed out, with their own story to tell -- and they are accepted the way they are by the others.

In some episodes, you can clearly see the manga heritage -- there are a few that are more supernatural in nature, which some viewers might find jarring, and there are some episodes that are clearly over-the-top.

I admit, at first, I wasn't too enthused that this is another drama about four male characters -- but after a time I noticed that a) there are more than enough well-rounded female characters with their own story, b) with a girl in the family some dynamics would have changed, and not for the better, and c) it takes the opportunity to gently subvert gender tropes. The oldest brother takes on household chores (cooking, cleaning etc.) willingly, and does them really well without outside help, and the younger borther pitch in. Except for one instance, nobody doubts that a man can care for his younger siblings. The divorcee neighbour is a police officer and while she is at work, her father cares for the kids (and the youngest brother).

Overall, this is a gentle and soothing series, perfect to watch if you need something that makes you feel happy.

Leia Mais

I usually don't like cats. But the picture looked cute and the series is short, so I thought, why not?

What I liked:
* I loved the male lead's acting -- his face was so expressive, and made his emotions, whether spoken or not, very clear to the audience, without being exaggerated.
* Loved the best friend and the editor -- they were supportive and gave some much needed comic relief at times.
* Bok Gil's voice acting was spot on.
* All of the actors were great, and they all did what they could with their roles.
* I also liked the general idea of the story -- a young, traumatized man who finds solace in his pet and during the development of the story the ability to move on. I also loved how during the first six episodes, everything seems to go wrong, and the male lead has to juggle all of these demands plus his worry about his cat. In this, the series is a wonderful slice of life drama. And for the most part, things fit well together -- with the exception of the female lead.

So, before I talk about her, let's count for a minute. When the traumatic event in male lead's life happens, he is a high school teenager, so between 16 and 18 years old. A year later, he finds Bok Gil and lives with her for seven years, until the present day. So, he is probably between 24 and 26 years old. He definitely has finished his university education. The female lead is, according to her, the same age as him.

And now to the "What I did not like" part of my review:
I think who ever wrote the script did not do well in writing the female lead's character.
In the first half, or rather, three-quarters, she is dramatically emotional, clinging to every cat she sees and bawling her heart out. She does not know boundaries, courteous distance or privacy but rather barges into the male lead's life, even though he tells her to stay away several times. This behaviour would have fit better with a teenager, not with a woman in her mid-twenties. If she had been a teenager, I would have liked that better than what we got. It would have fit the story better, and the writers would also not have forced another lukewarm heterosexual romance down our throats.

(They could have left out the romance aspect regardless, since it only played a minuscule role in the story. I really don't know why writers think their dramas must have a (het) romance.)

One explanation for her behaviour could be that she was so traumatized by her illness and the disappearance of her own cat at the same time, that she now acts that way. If so, the show should have gone deeper into her past, into her life and that could have given her a real character development. Instead, she mainly serves as the catalyst for the male lead's character development instead of getting her own character progression, which unfortunately happens all too often in all kinds of dramas.

All of this, plus the completely uneccessary love-triangle, made this drama hard to watch. The slice-of-life storyline was nice, and you'll probably enjoy the cat scenes, if you are seriously into cats.

Leia Mais

Most of us who have already passed the age of fourty will probably concur that this age does feel like a threshold. Whether your kids are starting to leave home (or will do so soon) or your parents start to need your help (or pass away even) -- suddenly, you notice that you are no longer young and chances are that the years ahead will be fewer than the years already behind.
Add to that the comfortable days you are living -- you finally settled into your job and know your role, days have a predictable routine. You think you know yourself, what you want and what you fear.
Youth seems like a dim memory, something you are no longer allowed to have.

But Kozue is lucky. He gets a Togawa, and is able to rediscover his own self, and find new passion for life (and for love). This story is told concisely, never rushed. No scene, no line of dialogue, no gesture is unecessary. Both leads and the supporting actors act with precision.
Browns and greys, shades and dim lighting are contrasted with bright spring greens and the lovely crisp spring sun -- Colours, light and shadows play an important role in this drama, if you care to look for it.

Follow the colour, the sets, the acting, which gets increasingly tight, tense and even oppressive -- the tension rises, until Togawa reaches his breaking point -- and it seems as if things are broken. Everything is grey and brownish again, but changed. Spots of light and colour show how Nozue's life has already changed -- but wouldn't it be brighter and livelier with Togawa in it?

Even after watching this lovely series more than a few times, I haven't found anything that I don't like -- it's that excellent!

Leia Mais

I don't know why, but Japanese shows about food and drink tend to be really good at making them look tasty. This show is no exception to the rule; even canned food looks delicious here!

Most of us probably know that bartender stereotype -- that you can come to him and tell him all your worries. In this series, this is exactly what happens in each episode: A customer finds their way into the little bar, and with the help of canned food, mixed drinks and the gentle smile of the bartender people tell their worries and find a way forward.

I loved the stories the customers brought into the bar, they were mainly real-life problems, that we as the audience might also have. These problems were not alway solved to perfection, but the customers always went home with a sense of hope for the future.

I also liked how the customers' stories tied into the lives of the three main protagonists and helped them find their own path forward.

Overall, the pacing is slow, which I found appropriate to the setting of a small bar. The set (which is almost only the bar and the street directly in front of it) fits the story, and the mood -- slightly run down, looking towards an end, but still lovingly maintained.

If you like something different, slow-paced and down-to-earth, with great food and drinks, then this is for you.

Leia Mais

tropes all around

Screenwriter: How many tropes would you like?
Producer: YES.


This is a fun, tropey little love story, which has fast become one of my to-go-series if I need a pick-me-up.

What I liked:

* This drama makes heavy use of the one trope I can never get enough of: mutual pining with a side of miscommunication; while still keeping just to this side of frustrating.
* I loved watching the facial expressions of Kaneda -- he's so repressed, and when things overwhelm him, his emotions either explode out of him or he completely shuts down, which the actor portrays really well.
* Both Kaneda and Yanase try to respect the other's boundaries (or what they think the other's boundaries are). This is on one hand really nice to see: I really hate this trope of the pushy "top", who pressures his partner into things (and this is one of the things the drama does better than the oringinal manga). Yanase pulls back after that kiss in the first episode since he thinks "It's not like that", that probably Kaneda is straight and is not interested in anything sexual, he also pulls back any other kind of physical touch, since Kaneda very clearly said he does not want it.
* On the other hand, in later episodes, both believe that there are boundaries where there are none, adding to the miscommunication.
* The first half of the drama makes time for Kaneda's feelings to evolve from professional admiration to hero worship to something more balanced. At times it's a bit too subtle, but if you look at Kaneda's facial expressions and the way he talks to his Senpai, I think you can see it clearly.
* I also like these two last episodes (did I mention that I am a sucker for mutual pining?), I feel they make the relationship more balanced. Both have "leveled up" in their profession, and Kaneda does not only need any help anymore, he even has his own Kouhai! We finally get to see more of Yanase's feelings, and how he also has a hard time to express himself. Now it's him who speaks first, if a bit obliquely, of his feelings.


There are only two things that could have been better:

* Kaneda's hair really does not fit his face, a bit shorter or at least a bit darker would have been better.
* I would have loved to see more of how Yanase's feelings evolved, we only get to see glimpses, which is a bit unfortunate.


All in all, I love this drama, and can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of mutual pining!

Leia Mais