Another film by Kim Ki Duk, another hard jab at gut. It's the dark side of the moon named South Korea, a minute of it is enough to blow the 'flower boy' bubble.

The movie is about Kang Do, a brutal being works for the loan sharks and a middle aged woman claim to be his mother. Most of the movie takes place in Myeongdong district in Seul, the poorest one. Apparently if you expect a korean to film outside Gangnam, it's mainly Kim Ki duk or, Park Chan Wok. The movie itself a painful journey, a journey you are glad that you take and you wont take again. Don't take me wrong, i love everything about the movie, from Michelangelo inspired poster to grusome mutilation, but I am quite sure I wont re watch it.

There's nothing much to say about it anyway. It is the first Korean film to win the top prize at three major international film festivals — Venice, Cannes and Berlin. If it suits your taste watch it, if don't, stay the heck away from it.

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This dorama here, will be the funniest thing you'll ever watch ......ok, if that's a little too much than still be sure that it will be there for a while and if not, go see a doctor.

This bizarre yet smart, over the top yet minimalist comedy has achieved what very few dramas can, it's cast enjoyed the show more than the audience and one can easily tell. There are scenes with the Konbini manager where the rest of the cast literally fights to hold off their laughter; oh how I wish I could watch the behind the scene footage (speakng of that, if anyone has any clue where to, pm me onegaishimasu!).

I didn't know any of the cast beforehand and that's sad, because I can never take them seriously ever. If you have nothing better to do (Heck! If you had, would you be wasting time here reading this?!), go watch this drama and remember,

'God is dead (Kamisama......shinda),
- Nii kun

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The one review this movie has is already great; kinda made me watch this movie. But since it's the best movie I've seen in a while, I feel obliged to write one.

It's about a song saving the world, about random events that can lead on to something great. Watching this movie is like zooming in with a photo lens,coming to the focus seeing everything around it. And it has a song, Fish Story. All I can say that it's the only Japanese song I listen to, makes you shout "punk is not dead!"

So, if you are waiting for something to blow your mind, this is it!
Ending with the opening verse of fish story,

"The story of my solitude,
If my solitude were a fish,
It would be so enormous, so militant,
A whale would get out of it."

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Three aimless, drifting mainland Chinese youth rent rooms from an uptight opera lover and their tale is beautifully told in the movie "Buddha Mountain". Li Yu's second collaboration with Fan Bing Bing also include Chen Berlin (In time with you), Fei Long and Sylvia Chang.

Nan Fang is tough, care free bar singer, Ding Bo is a illegal courier who's avoiding college entrance exam and Fatso is his side kick with no apparent job. This three party hard, hop freight trains, get into trouble again to solve it in same carefree manner. They lodge with a Peking opera bluff when they are evicted from their apartment. How they deal with this huge generation gap on their own when they are also dealing with their own problems covers the rest of the story.

This movie is well scripted, very well edited, good ost and has a solid cast. I have to mention the cinematography which is so real that it gives you the feel as if you're actually there. The view from the train top and bridge makes me want to go there right now.

Lastly, I will recommend it to anyone willing to watch a soulful tale of love and loss.

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Have you ever been to a Japanese sweet shop?

When I first came to Japan, I had no idea about their original sweets. Most of their media also focus mostly on western pastries (specially French). There was one particular shop I go to and they sell all kind of sweet stuffs, I picked up something that looked like a chocolate muffin one day. Little did I know what was waiting next! Rest assured, it was not a chocolate muffin. It was a wagashi Manju bun with red bean filling, a mouthful of surprise! Is it the best thing I've ever tested? Not sure but it was damn good, couple it with surprise effect, it was one of best experience! I go to that shop every other day to pick up a few of them :)

This drama was like a manju bun hidden among all these vanilla, chocolate pastries. I was just looking forward to kill a couple of hours with a rom-com, ended up spending two days straight in front of my laptop, with a leg cramp, dry eyes and a warm heart (in between, I managed to drag my thesis to hell, that's another story).

Moral of the drama:
'Love will come through, it's just waiting for you' - Travis

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I stumbled upon this movie a long time ago, in my stalker period for Toma kun, but never managed to find it any where online. But then 2 days ago, a friend of mine was watching this and I lost my sanity and started watching it.

2 things I was sure of this movie, it has Ikuta Toma and it's a visual feast (do watch the stills of this movie if you happen to like photography). I was disappointed by neither, there's rarely a movie is made that makes earth look better than heaven and a mortal to flow within this imagery.

The only misstep of this movie is it's story, it's rather complicated and because of the two directional flow of it(one features Genji and other features writer of his story), it tends to loose it's focus.
But then again, "Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji),” Murasaki Shikibu's 1000 year old masterpiece is compared to bible for it's influence on Japan as a culture and was considered unfilmable. So props to the script writer for managing to tell the story within considerable time frame without drowning the viewer with information and names.

The cast did an amazing job portraying their character, I couldn't take my eyes of Ikuta, he's a delight to watch! Sigmund Freud wold love to meet and analyze Genji's character as the earliest example of Oedipus complex for sure ;)

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Let me share what was my first thought when i saw the poster and title of Innocent man together. Hmm...............the male lead looks innocent enough, probably a story of a sweet guy being betrayed, then avenging in a sweet proper "gentleman-ish" way.

Could I be more wrong! None of my prediction was correct except for the betrayal part.

What I loved most about the show was it's harmony. every aspect of it were so carefully blended that nothing sticks out. This was probably the first story were I find everybody reasonable. You could easily see the reason behind one's act, though you may or may not agree. The cast did the story justice. I could not fault any one, Da gil to attorney Ahn, every one was just perfect. The female leads, Park Si Yeon and Moon Chae Won, held on their own, solid acting. I was compelled with Park Si Yeon, she probably played the most lovable protagonist of all time(at least for me).

And there remains the mystery ultimate, the deceiver, Song Joong Ki.
That guy nailed the role of Kang ma roo. I was so shocked, a guy who looked like a overgrown boy, could actually pull of intelligent, ruthless, cold- blooded reptylish persona. I am still at awe. All hail him. He made me come here and follow it every day as i was impatiently waiting for the latest episodes. And when I visit his profile, I almost had an minor heart attack just by looking at his pro pic. The same guy! Are You kidding me!

Music of the whole drama I guess was okay. If it was bad. i would have noticed it. Well to me, the point of a good score is all about just being there. It was not over powering, just fine.

As I can only speak for myself, I will re watch this drama some day............the call of Kang Ma roo is impossible to ignore.

If there is one flaw I had to, had to find, it would be the ending. I would have loved a little clarification. I had to read few comments to realize what happened.

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You'd be hard pressed to find another detective drama with such fine balance of humor, realism and thrill.
Won't lie, I went into Keiji Yugami because of my long lasting love for Tadanobu Asano and the fact that it has been quite some time since I watched a good mystery drama. The premise is pretty simple, an experienced out of the box old detective (Asano as Yugami)) gets paired with straight as arrow young blood (Kamiki as Hanyu) and they sets on solving cases. There's episodic cases with one case throughout the drama that gets solved. Average right? WRONG!
There's a twist in almost every cgaracter but most specifically Hanyu with his virginity fueled obsession with women and credit where it's due, Kamiki with this role just leaped a little far ahead of the rest of his generation in my eyes. Asano never dissapoints, subtle changes in his expresion changes the gear of the story. The rest of the cast especially their chief, badass Kanno, was also amazing and aptly written. The writing of the characters including the sides is pretty stable and consistant. Detailing of the each individual crimes and the overall plot on the other hand could use a little more finesse but I've seen so much worse.
The production is top notch. It looked like they have just the enough budget, a little more could've include badly incorporated fight scenes and a little less would've cost us the magnificent array of actors showed up each week. The setting in the husky sepia noir lighting with autumn is an immediate plus. Clap clap for the styling department, a lot can be said by the way a people dress and carry themselves, more so if it's a detective drama and they nailed it here eventhough it meant the character wearing same clothes througout the drama. See Kdramas, a very important lesson to learn here.
I've highlighted what I've felt like highlighting and the rest is up for you to decide. All I can say I've enjoyed this one and if ther's a sequel in the future, without a second doubt would watch.

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This is it!
No, I'm not talking about MJ's last concert, I'm talking about 'White Christmas'.

While watching Kdrama's, you will face a situation when you'll think you've reached your limit, they can't do anything new for you anymore......you have three apparent course of action: stop watching kdramas, wait a while then start again(though there's nothing new, it still is pretty awesome) or re watch your old faves.

There's a new path people, you should watch "White Christmas". It got me out of my slump. I'm not saying there isn't any old cliches, but it's bold enough to shade them with newer approach. The center cast list is longer than any regular kdrama but there isn't any nagging omonim, hymonim or bunch of stupid friends/neighbors.

Read other reviews for more detailed infos, I'm just sharing my overall experience.
plus they had "Clash" and "Arcade Fire" on their OST, pretty impressive for a kdrama, ne?

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My back page is directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita, is a movie set on late 60s and early 70s radical student movement in Japan.The two main characters, a not-so-noble revolutionary and not-so-driven journalist are played by Kenichi Matsuyama and Tsumabuki Satoshi to perfection. It saddens me that I've never heard of Tsumabuki, confesseing my guilt here and accepting your awesomeness,Sir! And Matsuyama is just like a Bogart, shapes himself to whatever given, this time a spineless, deluded leftist rebel. The movie's pace is similar to that of revolution and journalism, all about waiting for the right moment. 60s and 70s, in the era of change and revolution, this less known movement is rages mostly in the mind of it's attendees with less physical impact. Both the rebels and oppressors are left without cause and observers dazed and confused.

It has all it takes to be "never heard of exceptionally good" movie. If you are a fan of that type like me, welcome aboard to a enthralling journey!

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I discovered this movie while repetitive refreshing Dramacrazy page for update on Gu family book sub. So until it gets subbed, I'll watch this instead. And also I'm hugely curious about Korean mandatory military service, which played a part to make me watch this movie.

As for I myself being subjected to hierarchical society and thus being a subject of bullying in College(It has a more definite term, Ragging), I always wanted to know the real face of military service in Korea, where if anything, social hierarchy is much more prominent. It is a very sensitive issue and not many films or anything are made to deal with this, all I knew Rain and Jae Wook linking arms together and smiling brightly can't be the whole picture.

It's a slow paced movie with two character on it's focus, Tae Jung and Seung Young, in real life they are junior school mates but in service they have a hoobae-sunbae relationship. How this polar opposite characters, one being all sorts of manly and other rather sensitive, awfully just and 'feminine', tackles their life in and outside service. There is also a third character, Ji Hoon, annoyingly dumb junior of Seung Young.

This movie is made as a graduation thesis film by director Yoon Jong Bin who also played the role of Ji Hoon (applause), so it's not as technically polished as some would like it to be. But it's honest to it's core, it's not a negative portrayal of Military service, it seeks to know the price these boys pay while they were shut aside in a dark, unjust corner for a part of their life.

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Nobuo Mizuta's movie 'Apology king' teaches us a very important life lesson in a craziest way possible, that the most serious of problems can be solved by simple empathy.

It's a bizarre movie and it's coming from someone who has seen her share of weird stuffs. Only movie I can draw comparison to would be probably 'Fish Story', that should be enough to prove it's quality. The main character is Mr. Kurojima (Brilliant Sado Abe) who's the self employed director of Tokyo Apology Center offering his service to those who fails to make amends. Noriko (Inue Mao, girl can make 240 different scowl face I tell you), his first client of the movie joins him as his secretary and the movie then sets for it's loop hole-ish journey.

If I have to point one wrong in the movie that would be I felt it's a tad too long, specially the final arc. But the wait pays off, real big ;)

If I still fail to drop what you're watching to start this, then listen up: A mash up MV of Verbal, Exile and E girls is in it.

Enjoy.

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Let's face the fact: I've started watching "Bad Guy" solely for Kim Jae Wook. Khire, I am shameless Jae Wook Fan!

When I first saw the male lead, Hmmm, well I never liked 'here but barely there' mustache, but he seemed to pull it of. The story, I can't say it's unique but it has enough juice to grab hold of you. I was really scared when the story moved to Japan because whenever a Kdrama is shot overseas, it's plain horrible - be it awful foreign cast, extras, never mind the accent. But the part in Japan was flawless, and I knew I wasn't watching it for KJW any more.

The casting was spot on, everyone fit their role and I met my first Korean girl crush - Han Ga In! The story, ah well, I liked it, there was some plot holes here and there but I loved the way it ended.

KJW, you are awesome! Please forgive me for chanting "Kim Nam Gil,Kim Nam Gil" at some points!

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Here I thought another 'Beck' on the way! Glad it didn't turn out like that.

'Bandage' is about a 90s indie band named 'Lands'. The story progresses with conversations, means in almost every scene there's two person talking. And that's all the information you get, so a lot is left for you to understand.

This film is intense, fast and never boring. It also is a example how one person's charisma can gravitate everything around it.
Akanishi Jin, red salute. Kora Kengo, amazing taste in scripts, first 'Fish story' than this.

A good film all the way. If you are looking for "not mushy mushy" type film centers around music, give it a go.

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