Reviews

You'll ache but in the prettiest way possible

Watched it a day ago and I've realized how there's no getting over... I tried writing down how I felt watching it and then I thought for 50 mins but I just couldn't get the right words to describe this movie without doing injustice to it.
This movie healed me in every way possible... and broke me in every way possible. I didn't even realize how torn I was until it all ended and I was there left to take it all in, Halfway through you just don't feel anything and then it all suddenly hit, like a wave. A big one. It all starts making sense and it just ached. Throughout. Cuz of how real it was and simply on how it was portrayed, So beautifully and really, so beautifully but sadly...

The way they showed us the three perspectives. How whenever we were taken through each of them, we discovered smth new and everything made more sense and the realization just kicked in each time...

The way the two actors portrayed their characters, the way their little actions spoke for everything, the way their smiles, their sorrow spoke for everything, the way their laughs made me feel so happy, but sad, and the way the whole movie was carried out. It was everything it could ever be.

The 10 rating on all of them is real . One of the best movies I've ever watched in my whole entire living...Wanting to rewatch just 15 mins in says a lot on how much of an impact this movie had on me, and everyone who watched it in general.

Leia Mais

Really beautiful beginning

I simply couldn't rate anything lower than this because it would be disrespectful to the first half of the movie. It began so innocently with the main character walking outside during a sunny day, listening to music and just appreciating the beauty of it all. Then the other main character offers him a ride and their relationship grows naturally and gradually. Truly relaxing and it made me feel very happy... The acting in this movie feels so natural and after so much time I still remember parts that left quite an impression because of the way they made me feel.

The last part tho... yeah let's just not talk about it, I am disappointed and disturbed... I choose to ignore it and keep the first half in my mind which is the best ever...

Leia Mais

Fluffy Goodness

As a queer teenager I could only hope to meet my future crush in the future and find out they were also pining after me. This was so cute and I feel like some people would find the whole trope cliche but I felt myself really relating to both characters. This was so cute and fluffy I didn't expect myself to almost start sobbing watching one of the scenes but...I did. I found this love story so cute and soft and could truly feel the love that both characters have for each other. I could definitely see this having a second season/movie but I'm not sure if it would have the same effect. The flashbacks were very cute and the backstory was so relatable.

Leia Mais

Beautiful.

I didn't expect to cry as much as I did watching this. I watched it way after the hype and never truly knew why it was so hyped up as I didn't enjoy the webtoon from what I read before dropping it. I enjoyed both of the leads and think they did amazing portraying their characters. There is a kiss when one character is sleeping which isn't confronted later which made me slightly uncomfortable and would feel wrong to not bring up on how it made me feel. However I truly could feel the natural chemistry between the two even during their "enemies" stage and found the bickering very cute.

Leia Mais

Meh.

It is your run-of-the-mill BL, except I will agree that the concept is unique... the seven days a week once thing... makes him sound like a complete whore, but turns out he is a very dignified whore, who doesn't touch the girls he is dating...everything is soo Japanese... the actions, the reactions, and whatnot... especially the archery club, the flip phones, the suits, ohh and did I mention the hairstyles? I loved how they took it lightly in the beginning and slowly built upon it... But it is really, really average... Nothing jumps out to you in this movie, be it good or bad... maybe I might have felt differently if I watched in 2015 but the standards are not the same anymore in 2024... I appreciate the acting and the cinematography (it doesn't ruin anything much) but that's it. I am not feeling it, so I am not going to rate it very high...

Its the same thing put on repeat... they went out on a movie date, did some sightseeing, some food eating, having awkward high school dead fish kisses (which are actually dead), suddenly falling in passionate love (how? is the right question to ask here...) , had some drama sprinkled at the end ( why bother man? why?), and THE END.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Nothing great.

Leia Mais

It’s either love or luck; you can’t have both.

The concept is relatively new – it’s literally about love and gambling – something you rarely see focused on every now and then in Asian movies. The premise of this movie is straightforward: two strangers use their 'luck' to gamble their way out of debt and fall in love. The main conflict has already been established right from the beginning, making it easier for the audience to just enjoy the whole story without having to think much about it. The only thing that will leave the audience anticipating is how they will deal with the cardinal rule of being ‘life charms’ – that neither of them can fall in love with each other. Even though the plots flow smooth and nicely, they leave little to the imagination. The clichés are expected too. But since it’s a rom-com, I’m well aware that I shouldn't expect much.

In my opinion, Jericho Rosales and Bela Padilla’s acting is what elevates this rom-com. It’s refreshing to see Jericho play an imperfect, pitiful, uncharismatic character, which deviates from the serious-sappy persona he usually portrays. Bela naturally and effortlessly nailed the typical hopeless romantic character - I love her! I’m amazed by the great chemistry Jericho and Bela have, considering that this is the first time they are paired together. The 'falling in love’ scenes are so natural, making it impossible to not smile like an idiot. Despite not being a love team, the tandem of the two actors makes the movie a very entertaining romantic watch. I hope they can act together again in the future. Overall, this is well-made and well-acted escapism fluff, and I enjoyed it.

Leia Mais

Very realistic and great story.

FL = Female lead
ML= Male lead

"A Japanese romcom that is realistic?! No way." I know it sounds strange, but I truly think that this movie is very realistic for a romcom. Before some of you start debating me, no I do not think that very single detail of the movie is realistic such as the cafeteria guy running on the walls in the first ten minutes of the movie or any of the classic Japanese effects that add humor to the situation (such as arrows hitting/ rocks falling on the FL when she feels defeated).

HOWEVER, I do think that the actions/emotions of both the FL and the ML are very realistic and I think a lot of people would act the same way in their situations.
Examples (spoilers will occur):
- The way the FL was treating the ML's new gf was expected.
She was jealous and very passive aggressive and when she wasn't getting the reactions she expected out of the ML's gf, she felt shock and was uncertain of 'her roll in the story'. Disclaimer- I'm not saying that the way she treated ML's gf was valid or something I would do, I'm just saying the way she reacted was realistic for an extroverted and jealous teenage girl.
- The manipulation happening between the ML and his gf.
This topic is a very realistic situation in which the MF's gf manipulates him into not leaving her, even though he wants to and isn't truly happy with her. The whole reason why he didn't leave her is because she had him thinking that she was unwell or sick when she really wasn't, and he -believing her- knew he would feel extremely guilty if he left her all alone while she was sick and he was the only person that she relied on. Not only does this manipulation make him unhappy, but it causes him to distance himself from the FL (even though they were close friends their whole life) and that is a very realistic situation that makes the audience empathize with him, especially if they've been in that exact situation themselves.
- The FL trying to move on.
I think a lot of people can relate to trying to move on when they don't want to or aren't 100% ready to. When the FL tries to move on with the 2nd male lead, she finds that she's not able to truly move on even though she tries and can't help but still be in love with the ML. The guilt that she feels when she breaks the news to the 2nd male lead is something that I think a lot of people can empathize with even if they don't fully agree with her decision.

There is more, but I feel like I've already written an essay and might start to be losing some people's attention, lol.

Overall I think that this story is a good watch and I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did based on some reviews I read before hand, which just proves that the only opinion that matters is your own!! Is this story cliché? Yes. But, I truly think you need to watch it for yourself at least once! Thanks for reading!!

Leia Mais

Nice story

This was a nice little movie to pass time. It was very interesting and it kept my attention throughout the whole thing because the way the story plays out left me with questions in which I wanted to keep watching for answer to. I will say it wasn't necessarily something 'life changing' because I have seen similar plots like it , but I did enjoy watching. It isn't SUPER predictable, and that is a big bonus in my opinion. The re-watch value is iffy, personally I don't consider it to be something I'd have the desire to watch again, but overall I do think it's a good movie to watch at least once in your life.

Leia Mais

Watched Again After 7 Years

I didnt remember most of the story (though i did remember most of the twists) and god, I forgot how good this movie is. I gave it a 10 in the past and Im keeping it as a 10 for my personal rating, but showing some restraint and giving it a 9 here.

If you like dark anything, watch it. If you like unequal power dynamics, ooooh my god is this for you. I love obsessive love done well and this is done spectacularly. My kingdom for this to have been a series because i could absolutely gorge myself on these two's relationship.

Mitsuo is in charge but Mitsuo is in charge so, secretly, Mitsuo is in charge. Its a lovely watch, filled to the brim with violence and grimy living... ah, I just love it!!

So worth a watch. And a rewatch for that matter, this pair is just ??. Anyway, if you watch things with your ethics or morals in mind, mayne skip, otherwise, jump in :D

Leia Mais

Movie missed the mark on many aspects, wish it would have taken a much darker road!

The premise of the story is relatively bonker but is very interesting as well. The way the two main leads are bounded together as well as the mystery could have made an amazing story. Unfortunately, it failed on a lot of aspects making it very difficult for me to connect and be invested in what was happening to the characters.

Acting-wise, I like a lot Zee and Nunew pairing. They are quite good in the more classical romantic moments and their chemistry is still very strong and believable. Sadly enough, I don't think they have the acting chops for some of the more "thrilling" scenes: they lacked quite a bit and it felt blank when it should have been super emotional or frightning. To be fair, they were really not helped by the scenario and the dialogs.

I enjoyed the soundtrack, there are really not a lot of songs but Nunew singing is always really beautiful and once again I truly enjoyed his voice in the movie. Regarding the filmmaking, it could have been much better. The horror factor is too limited, the overall vibe is not scary enough. The mansion is too luxurious and nice, it sets an atmosphere propice for the romance but it diminishes the fright the viewer might feel as the mystery unfolds. I wish they would have taken a very dark road rather than going for what felt as some very safe and run-of-the-mill filmmaking choices.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a BL with some horrific elements. It could have been much scarier but it is at least different from usual BL stories. Scenario could as well have been better, the idea and concept is interesting (while a bit crazy in its starting point) but the way it develops and the ending felt flat. There are better BL movies out there but if you like Zee and Nunew, it might be worth your time to see them in a very different setting than their previous drama.

Leia Mais

I WAS SOBBING

I know, it doesn't have any music, story and the cast is just the director and his mother but these 1 minute 34 seconds made me feel sooooooooooo much....I know it sounds like I'm over-exaggerating but I seriously am not....The way his mother, despite her old age walks all the way to the grocery store and comes back carrying a heavy cabbage just to make jeon for her son, who's coming back home, shows us how POWERFUL mothers are....Every single day many of us blessed people who have their mothers, experience this...And we all are sooooooo used to our mothers being kind to us that we never even think of their hardwork....I tell my mom "iloveyou" several times, but I don't know if I'm truly being a good daughter to her....
I wanna write more but my tears are blurring my vision....I apologize for any grammatical/lexical errors....

Leia Mais

Not for Square People

First of all, the plot twist was crazy. I really loved it. The acting was great, and the cast performed very well. Kim Tae Ri looked so pretty, and the film looked pretty realistic and raw, and that's something I absolutely loved. Everything was good except the erotica. I just jumped out of my seat when I first watched it, plus it weirded me out. I don't know why they added so much intensity to this film; it just looked extra. Not even needed.
Probably added more scenes of Count about how good of a conman he is, Kim Tae Ri's past, or the Uncle's past, but nah, Lesbian Love was added. I am just not comfortable watching that kind of thing on screen.
The Handmaiden is a cinematic movie, probably a blockbuster movie if launched today, but not my cup of tea. The fetish and erotica are probably for coomers, not for normal people who watch movies for plot, characters, story, and acting.

Leia Mais

Life Note

Une petite review pour un film très feel good et donc très nécessaire pour 2024, si vous ne l'avez pas encore vu en 2023. Avec les plateformes, il est devenu tellement plus simple et légal de voir les adaptations en live action de shojo. Et celui-ci est particulièrement réussi. Sakurada Hiyori colle toujours bien à ses personnages d'ados ou post-ados en difficulté de communication. Même si, ici, c'est l'amour qui la fait bafouer. Très juste et touchante dans son interprétation, nul doute que la cible de cette œuvre arrivera grandement à s’identifier. Takahashi Fumiya est lui-même touchant, même s'il commence à être un peu à côté de son âge supposé pour le rôle. Alors que Hiyori-chan paraîtra encore quelques années avoir 16 ans, lui, doit faire un effort supplémentaire dans son jeu pour en paraître 17 et il y parvient bien mieux que Sota Ryosuke qui en avait 24 durant le tournage du film. Mais étant assez bons acteurs tous les deux, avec un Takahashi Fumiya bien meilleur et sensible que dans Fermat Ryouri tout cela passe parfaitement. Sans dévoiler l'intrigue on vibre avec ces ados qui vivent leurs premiers émois, même si la relation avec Hiyori-chan et son senpai en classe de 2de peut un peu faire froid dans le dos par le jeu de psychopathe délivré ici. Tout est classique dans cette année très School Life. Les examens, les fiches d'orientation, la litre de déclaration et le journal intime toujours très utilisé par les ados japonais nous rappellent qu'on est dans un Shojo. Mais un très bon, à hautement recommander pour ceux qui veulent une histoire assez réaliste et bien réalisée. Pas de réels méchants et peu d'enjeux dramatiques ici, mais un film qui donne encore un peu plus envie de vivre comme un ados au japon à nos ados d'ici. Attention, le film comporte quand même quelques éléments de pression scolaire qui pourraient choquer nos élèves les plus sensibles au travail à fournir.

Leia Mais

It's all about heartwarming moments and discovering the ABCs of teenage love.

As I went into the live-action adaptation of "Ao Haru Ride," I found myself pleasantly surprised by the heartfelt storytelling, captivating characters, and the undeniable chemistry that unfolded on screen. Strangely, or perhaps fittingly, my lack of familiarity with the manga or anime allowed me to approach the film with a fresh perspective, unburdened by preconceived expectations.

The narrative weaves a tale of love, growth, and the complexities of human connections. Yoshioka and Mabuchi, portrayed by the talented Tsubasa Honda and Masahiro Higashide, are at the forefront of this emotional journey. The story follows Yoshioka's high school experience as she crosses paths with her long-lost love, now known as Mabuchi Kou, played impeccably by Higashide. The film masterfully builds upon the nuances of their relationship, creating a palpable connection that is both heartwarming and bittersweet.

The standout element of "Ao Haru Ride" is the chemistry between the two leads. Contrary to what one might expect, their on-screen dynamic is undeniably charming. Honda's portrayal of Yoshioka exudes a mix of vulnerability and strength, while Higashide breathes life into Kou with a depth that goes beyond the typical high school romance tropes. Their interactions felt genuine, and the adorable scene where Kou consoles Yoshioka by placing her head on his chest was a touching highlight, leaving an indelible mark on the viewer's heart.

One cannot overlook the meticulous attention to character development, particularly in the backstories of Mabuchi and Yoshioka. Their evolution throughout the film is not only believable but also relatable. The sacrifices and choices they make for each other, coupled with moments of heartbreak, contribute to a narrative that transcends the typical teenage romance and delves into the complexities of love and self-discovery.

The supporting cast, including the ever-loyal friends, adds depth to the story. The strong bond and friendship among the characters make you feel good, and there's no betrayal or unnecessary drama happening. This not only supports the central narrative but also emphasizes the importance of friendship in navigating the tumultuous waters of adolescence.

The film's pace may be considered slow by some, but the deliberate unfolding of key moments, coupled with skillful direction and cinematography, amplifies the emotional impact. The music complements the narrative, enhancing the overall viewing experience and underscoring the depth of the characters' emotions.

In conclusion, "Ao Haru Ride" stands as a testament to the power of well-executed live-action adaptations. For those like me, entering the story with fresh eyes, it becomes a delightful journey of heart and growth. The chemistry between Honda and Higashide, coupled with the genuine portrayal of characters and their relationships, makes this film a captivating exploration of love and self-discovery. Whether you're a fan of high school romance or simply looking for a heartfelt escape, "Ao Haru Ride" is a must-watch, a cinematic gem that lingers in the heart long after the credits roll.

Leia Mais