Reviews

Charming, funny and possibly one of Japan's best tv gems

It's easy to see why millions of viewers fell in love with this little gem. You won't regret! TLDR: The person who's 'not your type', may just turn out to be exactly who you need. I really enjoyed this show so much, towards the end I started to feel a bit sad. It's a fantastic production and soooo easy to binge. Both Seasons 1, and Season 2 are 30 minute episodes with a telemovie in between. Shiro and Kenji are an endearing odd couple in their late 40s; Nishijima Hidetoshi nails the emotionally restrained, hilariously frugal and very private Shiro, a small firm lawyer with a heart of gold who favours neutral colours, salaryman suits and loves a bargain; his partner is a warm, enthusiastic hairdresser in white jeans and bright T-shirts who sees ice cream as not a rare luxury, but an essential occasional happiness. Uchino Seiyou, as Kenji (Ken) is a natural physical comic who provides many moments of amusement.
Also wonderful to see an ensemble of various characters and ages, that reflect the diversity of real life, work and home. Each actor brings something special to the role. Adachi Naoko's script highlights changing social attitudes in a subtle and impactful way. The directors are also to be commended for creating a tight, easy rolling, easy to binge show that will bring a little smile to your face often.
***THANK YOU FOR READING! "Follow" to be notified of more reviews! Say Hello! ~Fumiyawagi

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"Punches and kicks don't have eyes!"

Shaolin Abbot was another telling of the burning of the Southern Shaolin Temple, this time with David Chiang as Chin San and Lo Lieh once again playing the traitorous white bearded Taoist Pai Mei.

The Shaolin temple has been resisting the Qings but lacks proper weaponry. Monk Chin San is sent to the Taoist temple in Er Mei to learn how to make firearms and gain blueprints for them. He also spends six months learning new kung fu techniques and is befriended by the master there and his niece Wu Mei. The second in command, Pai Mei, collaborates with the Qings and leaves rather than have a Shaolin monk in residence. Upon returning home to the Shaolin temple, Chin San finds the monks dead and the temple blown up. The dying abbot tells him to take the weapon blueprints south to Guangdong and rebuild the temple there. Chin San heads south and finds a loyal Buddhist patron who convinces others to support the building of a new monastery. Unfortunately, the Qings and Pai Mei are hot on Chin San’s trail and determined to kill the monk before he can complete his plans.

Shaolin Abbot had what should have been a compelling story, but I found it underwhelming. Running around 80 minutes, it felt twice that long. The acting was okay. The fights were slow, painfully slow, even for 1979. I could have handled kung fu posing if the choreography or the characters were more interesting. They weren’t bad, just bland. These are the hardest kind of reviews for me to write. Shaolin Abbot wasn’t terrible or good, just okay.

17 March 2024

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Beautiful, Poignant, Heart warming, Heart wrenching

It was beautiful, poignant, heart warming and heart wrenching all at the same time. One of the best movies I've watched. It really gets you thinking philosophically. Life is nothing but a sum of conscious choices that you make and you constantly think about the various "what-ifs", something all of us have experienced — the branching paths of life. The person who goes out of state for college must wonder what it would have been like if they had stayed closer to home. The person who lives in the town they grew up in dreaming about if they had accepted the job offer that would have taken them out of state. The person you went on a couple dates with but it didn’t work out because of timing. Our lives are full of these what ifs. And if we entertain every one of them, it can become a burden. A cherished burden. But a burden all the same. The movie gets at the idea of closure and letting go and being okay with living the life you have, and leaving the rest up to fate. You can’t be everything to everyone. Part of getting older is coming to terms with who we are rather than who we could have been.

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Presumptions & Perceptions

This movie is an essay on presumption and perception.
Every scene explores how different people interpret the same things based on how their life experiences have shaped their point of view. From the editor's notes to the male writer, to the editor's "romantic life," and the conflict about a couple's first love story.

Beautifully shot scenes, excellent acting, and a story that challenges the viewers presumptions and perceptions.

I was super excited for this movie because of Lee Dong Wook and what I thought I would be seeing, and I ended up seeing more than I expected.

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Podría no haber existido

Vayamos a la concreto. La crítica es que no aporta nada a lo que ya se conocía. Y si la tercer parte ya había sido mucho, la película es simplemente descartable. Aún cuando dentro del elenco sumaron un montón de personajes antiguos, hay un límite para jugar la carta de la nostalgia en el espectador. Éste fue el mío. No creo que la cinta sea mala en sí, pero, sirve más para llamar la atención del público que no haya visto la serie (a que la vean), que lo que aporta como interesante al público que ya la vió. Además de que tiene un cameo que nadie se esperaba, sobre el final, o al menos no de esa forma. Y tampoco sabe jugar bien la carta de la nostalgia, porque todos los cameos que vemos son tan breves como oportunos para la trama. En definitiva, no es algo que recomendaría a un amante de la serie, pero tampoco creo que sea horrible. Simplemente, me pareció olvidable.

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"No need to be rash. Someone will kill you tomorrow!"

Ivy Ling Po and Chang Yi avenge their master in The Crimson Charm. The film is an older Shaw Brothers, not a classic, but still watchable if you enjoy early martial arts movies.

Chiang Tzu Chao and his daughter, Shang Ching, enrage the Yellow Gowned Chief of the Crimson Charm gang when Tzu Chao kills his son who was attacking a young woman. Tzu Chao and Shang Ching are befriended by the Blood Master during an encounter with Tsao Kang’s men. Tsao has decreed Chiang and all his disciples will die the next day. During the bloody battle, only three Chiang disciples initially survive-Han Yu, a badly wounded Yu Fang Fang, a mortally wounded Shang Ching, and the Blood Master. The three ultimate survivors will independently forge new skills and resolution to take revenge on not only Tsao Kang but the head of the Crimson Charm gang, Lin Han Su.

The acting covered a wide range in this film. Fang Mian as Tzu Chao can always be counted on to do a good job, but Shih Szu as his daughter was quite limited. At first, Ivy Ling Po’s performance was annoying as a pouty disciple but after she faced disaster, her character’s resolve and steely determination was a much more mature turn. Chang Yi’s appearance never seemed to change in films whether he was 26 as in this film or 40 in later films. James Nam showed a broader range of emotion as Ling Wu Lui, the Blood Master. Ku Feng appeared at the end of the film as the Crimson Charm Chief, bald, bare chested and sporting a leopard vest. Ku always seemed up for whatever directors threw at him.

There was a mix of sword work, other weapons, and kung fu. Shih Szu really struggled to be convincing holding a sword. Ivy Ling Po, especially in the second half of the movie did a much better job, even with her handicap. I always like when they allow the woman warrior to take her own revenge without the help of the male characters, and Ivy was able to shine during a battle in an inn. Chang Yi and James Nam both had good fights against the various Crimson Charm clans. One fight engaged tridents with annoying bells on them. The loud weapons might have made me go berserk as well. Body parts flew and #2 red finger paint ran everywhere throughout the movie.

The Crimson Charm had little story to it, only multiple revenge layers. And in the end, it showed just how destructive revenge can be as many of the clans lay in waste. While not one of the more well-known Shaw Brother films, it was entertaining once you get past some of the awkwardness of the first twenty minutes. For old kung fu movie fans. As always, I rate these niche films before 1990 on a curve.

17 March 2024

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absolutely loved the movie.. but i'm a bit sad cauae i thought som and peach will end up together!! Please make more movies like this and and please make it a happy ending for the couples.. Please my humble request ?
absolutely loved the movie.. but i'm a bit sad cauae i thought som and peach will end up together!! Please make more movies like this and and please make it a happy ending for the couples.. Please my humble request ?
absolutely loved the movie.. but i'm a bit sad cauae i thought som and peach will end up together!! Please make more movies like this and and please make it a happy ending for the couples.. Please my humble request ?

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The script failed in making me understand the characters' choices...and therefore to care about them

Let's face it, watching this movie was not an enjoyable experience for me...But at the same time, I must admit that I will remember some scenes for a long time as some images and ideas in terms of production and filmmaking were quite striking.

Despite acknowledging this, the flaws of the movie outweight its qualities in my watching experience. There are a lot of issues with the story itself. It is very difficult to empathize with (or even simply understand) the characters' choices. The way the scenario handles the heavy issues that face the protagonists in their relationship is clearly more "poetic" than relatable and does not make a lot of sense.

The casting did an okay job, I was not particularly convinced by their portraying of "love". For me, it was clearly more lust than love but I am not sure if it is linked to the acting or rather more because of the script itself which really prevented me to understand why the two main male leads would love each other.

I would not recommend this movie to people because it was not an enjoyable watch for me even if I must admit that I will likely remember some scenes for a long time because of a few striking images. Be aware that this movie can be very very triggering, be mindful of the tags if you have any.

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One of the best zombie movie

This is one the few zombie movies which are really good and are not just about action and all making ? boom bam here and there rather it's explore the grounded level problems and keep situations bit realistic and just not glorify the maine character.

To be honest I'm not really fan of sad endings I even avoid watching movies or drama with sad sad endings but this is one of them which I watch even knowing that the ending is not really a happy ending.
And I think sad ending make this movie even more spacial.

So if you want to watch a zombie movie with emotional rollercoaster ride then just watch it without thinking about the ending I am sure you will like it.

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Love the leads' acting (especially Liza). Characters really relatable to people in their late 20s.

I enjoyed this movie. It's very relatable to someone like me in her late 20s who feels like a failure after college, except that I don't have big dreams except to have money and I don't have a boyfriend. I watched this for Liza Soberano, she's good here. Enrique Gil is good as well but I feel like this is Liza's movie and she was the one given more chances to show her acting prowess. I have the impression that some people find her acting bad because she doesn't put in "big emotions". However I found her acting on point. Her emotions shown in the movie is perfect. It doesn't need to be too loud or too mechanical. She's perfect
Unlike some people, I'm not bothered with the "cheating" here. Raf had already broken up with his girlfriend prior to going to New York and proposing to Tin while Tin can't help returning back Raf's affections as I think her boss boyfriend is too controlling.

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A sweet high school romance

This was such a fun watch!

The portrayal of the central romance was really sweet.

All the characters are really endearing with realistic flaws and actions that keep you rooting for everyone and their relationships whether romance or friendship. The main character is so adorable and sweet while having flaws and issues that she is working though that makes her character development really satisfying. The main love interest is pretty much a dreamboat who helps the main character come out of her shell and challenges her without shaming or judging her. He also takes accountability for his mistakes, apologises and corrects his behaviour. A really healthy relationship that you root for and want to watch.

The friendships were really nice and well done. Whether it was the female friendships or the male friendships, they were all depicted as super supportive and understanding. Thankfully, there was no fighting or friendships ending over boys and any fights that did occur were resolved very quickly and seemed to strengthen the bond between friends and make them more honest and vulnerable.

The visual's and filmmaking were also well done. Though admittedly, I don't know much about filmmaking, the shots in the film were all visually stunning.

Overall, a sweet and entertaining high school romance with great characters that you root for.

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Mediocre movie with beautiful visuals.

If you have ever watched a Hallmark romance movie in your life, this movie follows the same template: a rural location, a farm, a deteriorating family business, a lovely and kind FL with a big dream, and a city-guy ML with an attitude. And this one is not far from predictable plots and conflicts as well.

This movie centers around a coffee farm; a remote and beautiful place that becomes the background of a bland love story. It’s basically romanticizing coffee by explaining the plots by the acidity, sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, and sourness of coffee and relating them to life situations. However, while the plots progress nicely, they lack anything outstanding or compelling. ML and FL do have their own backstories, but they aren’t strong enough, making their characters lack depth. Their romance felt rushed and dull as well. Although JC Santos and Barbie Imperial both performed well, their chemistry is just okay.

I felt like I’d been dragged till the end of the movie without any memorable plots other than the breathtaking backdrop of the mountains throughout the movie. Apparently, the beautiful visuals couldn’t save this movie. As a whole, this movie is not bad, but it’s not good either.

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Has you on the edge of your seat.

Its places you into the action right from the beginning and takes you on a journey that is full tilt from start to finish. I was lucky to see this in a cinema in New Zealand so if you can see it on the big screen I recommend you do so, its certainly just that much more immersive and impressive surrounded by a sea of strangers. There's some powerhouse performances from all the leads, I love Lee Do Hyun, so him and the subject matter was what drew me to the film. I think for me the only downside was this story seems like it could have been fleshed out more in a series rather then a movie, it felt like it was wrapped up too quickly for me at least. They hinted at the background of the main characters but you never felt completely invested in the horror they were facing because you weren't given enough information about them. The soundtrack is masterful and the cinematography sublime. I still very much recommend this film.

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GDH ALWAYS ON THE TOP!!!

I've been waiting for this movie from several months since it released. And finally it's here online on an official platform.

I thought the trailer already spoiled everything and I was a little suspecting if the movie will success to catch my attention. Whatever, it turned to be so good and more than what I expected. The plot seems too simple, but the emotions are too real to handle especially at the last part. Everyone's need to be remembered at his most beautiful picture! Maybe we just passed in each other life but still this slight passing could affect you somehow. It brings you a lot of childhood memories and makes you longing those old days.

I can say the acting of all the cast were a superb, especially Anthony as Pae. He was so good at You & Me & Me, but here he shows such a good acting skills full of emotions and energy. He's a real deal with a bright future and happy to discover about him from GDH movies.

Give it a chance! you will never be regret.

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