Reviews

Do you know this feeling when you just finished watching something completely surprising, unique and brilliant? Right after experiencing something like that I’m always feeling empty inside, like I’ve poured all my emotions and thoughts into this particular movie/drama and it’s the only thing I can think about for days. Well, thanks to Love Exposure I feel like an empty shell again, but hell I don’t regret watching it at all.

This movie is something I would never ever imagine myself watching and liking. Why? First of all, it lasts nearly 4 hours (3h57 to be exact) – why would anybody release such a long movie? "There’s no way that it will keep me interested through the whole thing, it’s just too much!" I thought something along those lines. Now I can tell you all: this movie is not boring even for one second, on the contrary: I was surprised it ended so soon and wanted more! And guess what? The original movie lasted 6 hours (sic!) but the producers forced the director to shorten it so the audience wouldn’t be scared off by its length.

Another thing why I shouldn’t like this movie: it’s plot is completely and utterly ridiculous. How sick has a person be to write a story about a young catholic boy who wants to please his father so much that he becomes a king of perverts? Who would believe that a story about sick ways of loving would ever become popular or awarded? And what about this returning motive of a hard-on; how many scenes of the main guy struggling with an erection can one movie contain?! Also, this thing that it’s based on true story – so there really is a guy who roams around Tokio and takes “panty shots” using kung fu techniques?... You may think this sounds a lot like American Pie or any other movie for horny teenagers - well, you’re partly right, but apart from perverted stuff, this film has so much more to offer.

The acting is simply brilliant. I watched this movie because of Mitsushima Hikari – I’ve seen her in Soredemo, Ikite Yuki where she played a weird, soft-hearted girl and was really convincing as such, so when I saw a poster of Love Exposure with her showing a “fuck off” gesture I was immediately intrigued. Can she really play somebody like Yoko who’s crude, vulgar and provoking? Hell yes! I couldn’t believe she’s the same girl who played in Soredemo, she’s just a completely different person here, both in terms of character and looks. I am her die-hard fan now – she is for sure among the most talented Japanese young actresses.

As for a main male character in this drama I have a confession to make: I had no idea who Nishijima Takahiro was before today. I haven’t seen anything with him and his photo on MDL is not his best in my opinion – he looks too feminine for my taste, so I wasn’t too eager to see him in action. Well, another surprise: I simply love this guy! His smile melts my heart, every time he grins I want to hug him and never let go. He’s just too lovable for his own good, really! Plus he’s an amazing actor, he did a great job portraying Yu and that wasn’t easy, because this character was so exaggerated that if it would be any other actor I guess I would take this movie only as a disgusting comedy (eg. scenes with his countless hard-ons). Thanks to him I felt all kinds of emotions: from dying of laughter or shouting in frustration to holding back my tears; he made this strange king of perverts, Honda Yu, real. But I have one request to this guy: keep your hair black, you look so much better like that!

As for a rest of the cast, they were amazing too. Ando Sakura as a psychotic Koike was just terrifying, I felt sick whenever she was on screen – the things she does here are really disturbing sometimes (or nearly every time). Yu’s father, Yoko’s step mother and Yu’s friends – they all were strong points of this movie too; I especially loved this blond thug friend who was like a tag king or something, he was adorable.

As for a music I already downloaded main song from this movie on my mp3 – it’s really catchy and I swear I have already heard it somewhere before!

To sum this long review up, I really recommend you to watch this movie. Don’t be scared off by lots of weird perverted things that tend to go really overboard, they give this movie an air of originality and some of them are simply hilarious (kung-fu moves for panty-shooting are my favorite!). Also, watch making of Love Exposure on youtube, there are interviews with the movie’s director – this guy is really dedicated to his job, I have to watch other things made by him too!

Leia Mais

The plot while not all that original: a high schooler forced into an arranged marraige with an older guy. It however had so much comedy, one liners, and just general silliness thrown in that you just get a happy, silly feeling after watching it. The main couple was just too cute with their bickering and how they helped each other out, the friends with their support and helping keep the sanity, and the family dynamics thrown in. -Finally a movie without a B-y mother in law, frustrating love triangles, and too many relational misunderstandings (what misunderstandings occured were resolved quickly and didn't ruin the mood of the movie). Boeun's hair at the end though -ick! (The "perm" did not really suit her).

The acting was excellent -Loved the girl that played Boeun, Sangmin was really funny, and just everyone added so much to the movie.

The music was fine, but nothing overly special.

Rewatch value is excellent because it was so funny, the relationships were great, and everyone was just so good in this movie.

Leia Mais

Going to preface this review by letting you know that the sexual abuse in this movie is pretty graphic. And somewhat frequent. If that's something you can't handle, I would suggest not watching this movie.

Story: The story, sadly true, is about deaf and mute children who suffer constant sexual abuse from the people paid to protect them.

The movie is a lot more graphic than I would have originally imagined it being, and in the end, that's what makes this movie so amazing. It seems so incredibly real the whole time you're watching it that it just breaks your heart. Every scream, every tear, and every bit of abuse you witness on screen just tears you up inside.

I really enjoy the pace of the movie. We get some time to see the main characters, build a connection with them, and see how affected they are by the abuse, and this movie leaves a huge impact on you because of that.

Acting/Cast: Gong Yoo has been my favorite actor from the second I started watching Korean dramas/movies. Given the storyline and his ability to always grab me with his acting, I knew I wouldn't regret my choice to watch this movie. I was definitely not disappointed by this man. His ability to just jump into any role and play it perfectly is fantastic.

Baek Seung Hwan, Kim Hyun Soo, and Jung In Seo all deserve praise for their acting in this movie. They all managed to portray abused children so perfectly that you believe every single second of it. When they cry, you cry; when you have to sit there and watch them get sexually molested, you cry.
If you're anything like me though, even though each of their stories breaks your heart, Baek Seung Hwan's acting/character will just kill you.

Jang Gwang also did a fantastic job in his role. Not only did he have to play twins; he had to play twins that both sexually molested students.

Music: I only remember two songs from this movie, and that's only because they play a pretty vital role. Normally I would score low for that, but the lack of music playing in the movie really helped. Instead of distracting you with music, it lets you focus on everything that's happening.

Rewatch Value: So far, I've watched this twice. I'm sure I'll watch it many more times in the future.

Overall: Overall, this movie is sheer perfection. It's brilliantly told, the acting is spectacular, and it manages to just make you sit there and think long after you've finished it.

Leia Mais

i dont even know what or where to begin with this movie, I'm a big fan of horror/ghost type movies so i guess that's what attracted me to this movie. Basic summary w/out any spoilers…. military sent to a deserted island to find out what happened to another military unit that disappeared 6 months ago blah blah blah. the acting was great i think the cast work very well together. the music…cant remember much. id rewatch it just so i can show some of my friends because its just one of those movies you have to see at least once. Overall this movie is ridiculous(in a good way). Everything starts off okay and then goes to complete shit. You will either like it or hate it. ^^

Leia Mais

Jung Woo-sung brought me to this movie and let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed. The man is a vision. But his pretty face isn't the movie's only merit. Though not the most original of scripts, it served its purpose of entertaining me for a couple of hours. It's a cute, light-hearted story about rekindling a friendship that eventually leads to love.

I enjoyed the cross cultural elements of the film. There was a time, in my ignorance, when I thought all East Asian cultures were more or less the same. I have since broadened my horizons, but it was still quite interesting to see that China was just as much a cultural novelty for Dong-ha, a Korean, as it would've been for me, a Westerner.

What's more interesting is that a great portion of this film is in English because Dong-ha doesn't speak Chinese and May doesn't speak Korean. I must admit it was a bit weird for me to hear them speak English so I muted the sound and simply read the subtitles. It's not that their English was poor. Actually, they were as good as anyone can speak a foreign language, but their accents were really heavy. I found that it distracted me from the emotion of the story and the performances.

I'm thankful this movie wasn’t too emotionally draining. The few times it reverted to more somber themes, those were quickly overruled by one comedic scene or another.

Dong-ha and May had mad on-screen chemistry. There were some very steamy kisses in this movie, and May was a full participant in all the action! No shocked, open-eyed reaction here. For once I can't complain about the intimacy between the characters being fake. My only wish was that those kisses were more frequent and longer! haha :)

Overall, I have very few complaints. This was a simple, but satisfying story with good, subtle performances from a pair of very attractive leads. I doubt I've ever seen Jung Woo-sung look so handsome on screen, not even in A Moment to Remember (and let’s face it, the man was pretty darn hot in that movie!). The ending was unnecessary. I would have preferred a different outcome, one that was a bit more straightforward and less open, but it didn't spoil the movie for me. It's clear that the director just wanted to be a jerk and yank our chain.

I highly recommend Season of Good Rain as the perfect date movie. It’s a light romantic drama that’ll make you reminisce about when you first met your love, give you many reasons to make out and offer you something light-hearted to debate about after it’s done. Enjoy!

Leia Mais

S Diary is a romantic comedy, but it has a serious/sad feeling to it. Kim Sun Ah plays Jini very well. Her character changes depending on the person she is with---Lee Hyun Woo the priest, Kim Soo Ro the playboy, and Gong Yoo the artist--- during the look back on her relationships. At first when she goes to speak to each ex-boyfriend she seems to be looking for confirmation that she was loved and then seeks revenge against the men that she feels didn't love her. The revenge part is where it becomes actually funny. In the end she realizes the truth, that no matter what kind of relationship a person is in or how that relationship ends there is meaning. SPOILERISH >>> I like how at the end we get a glimpse of how the men in her lives really felt about her during their relationship.

The plot is pretty good, the acting is excellent. This is the kind of movie to watch for fun. Plus Kim Sun Ah is in it.

Leia Mais

Ok this is not being lenient this movie made me laugh so hard!!! I mean I haven't seen asian comedy like this and HE CAN BE SO DUMB! It's sexy, actiony, romancey, and all other ey's i can think of! The plot was great, it had just the right amount of romance and the right amount of action and the jokes just kept on coming till the end of the CREDITS!! Acting wise well come on I think they did wonderful and since it was a movie it didn't drag on and there were no excessive use of tears and the actors really seemed to be having a good time during filming. Muic was great for any spy/romace film! And rewatch value is a 10 just becasue the laughs I got wouldn't be bad to have when Im having a crappy day and its a movie so no need to sit for days upon days to finish! Overall it really is a great watch and I believe that this is something you should watch when you
1)having a bad day
2)bored with some time
3)ITS BREAK AND YOU WANT TO WASTE TIME (my case)
4)Lie To Me made you obsessed so you wouldn't mind some more Kang Ji Hwan in action!

Leia Mais

This movie left neither a lasting nor positive impression on me.

Basically what I disliked the most was its message that a woman's worth is determined only by her beauty.

The story, about a selfish, cocksure playboy architect who falls for an "ugly" woman due to a temporary vision impairment, was pointless and shallow. The hero was a jerk for most of the movie. He did little to endear himself to me, and the supposedly "ugly" heroine was anything but. I think if you're gonna make a movie about a playboy falling for an "ugly" woman don't cast a woman who looks like a supermodel, put fake buck teeth in her mouth and pass her off as ugly. That's just weird, disingenuous. Cast someone plain then at least the movie might have acquired a little authenticity, if nothing else.

I was surprised to learn that Kang Ji Hwan who I recently saw and liked in LIE TO ME was the male lead in this movie. His acting was okay, but I didn't like him in this role. There was no growth to his character. He started out being a shallow bastard who takes advantage of women and pretty much remained that way 'til the end.

I've heard a rumour that South Koreans are unusually fixated on looks. If there's any truth to that I guess this film isn't so far fetched. Nevertheless, I couldn't get over the blatant objectification of its female cast members.

I try not to judge East Asian culture through the prism of western ideals, and for the most part I don't mind that they adhere to traditional gender roles, but it's hard to suspend belief or maintain a laissez-faire attitude when certain liberties are taken. I worry about what lessons impressionable South Korean girls (and boys) will draw from this film.

I wouldn't recommend it. Watch My Little Bride instead. It's a lot sweeter, funnier and the hero is a decent guy who appreciates the heroine in all her adorable quirkiness.

Leia Mais

First of all, I have to say that what I was able to watch was Hana Yori Dango Final (Director's Cut). I don't know how different that is from the theatrical cut, but, yeah, I'm reacting on what I've watched.

The story is a good one although I found some scenes boring. I guess it's most probably because it's not really edited and cut much. Still, it's good to be a wrap-up of the story. All the actors did good jobs and that is really important.

The music goes well with whatever is shown.

I don't think I would want to re-watch this much.

For me, this is a good movie. Of course, it's recommended for those who watched the series because just watching the end of the second season is not enough.

Leia Mais