House of Himiko rejects being sentimental even if its story is a little bit too tragic. Instead, it focuses on the positive—making this seem more like a tragic-comedy. What I enjoyed the most about the film is really how honest it was and how the characters are genuine.

Take note that I watched the second half of the film without subtitles and relied on my very little Japanese. But despite that, the film isn't short of what it intends to do. The contrast is particularly strong here.

The narration straight-up unfolds the narration and the setting. And we are introduced to Saori (Kou Shibasaki) who's always in a scowl, looks pissed and feels frustrated. That frustration bubbles up when the she starts working at the House of Himiko.

And the film takes time to get to know the characters through Saori's eyes. Hence, it's not a narrative that just focuses on homosexuality alone but also how others come to accept them. Saori's hatred is apparent. She refuses to hide her anger. Her disgust. She lets it out. To the people there. To her father (Min Tanaka). To Haruhiko (Joe Odagiri). But like Saori, these characters don't flutter. They remain themselves.

The film magnifies how people put on this wall, creating their own disillusionment and why this exists. Haruhiko tries to act together. But eventually breaks down later. Saori hates her father for leaving her and her mother but doesn't really take the time to know why, standing by the wall she built—that wall of hatred.

The House of Himiko acknowledges that its characters are not perfect but it also looks at these choices with reason and forgiveness. By looking at the backstory of these gay men, it gives them a backbone, making their stories understandable. Undeniably, the film does still have tacky stereotypes of dance number, cosplay and pretty boys. But ultimately, these stereotypes do not hinder the characters and what the film wants to show.

Kou Shibasaki here, barefaced, deglamourized is able to show her versatility as an actress. In the beginning, her face is full of utter distain, disgust. But later on, we see her smile and dance. Min Tanaka, despite his few lines gives an amazing performance. He embodies a seductive yet masculine look despite being a dress. He has power and he holds it right.

Of course I am fangirling over Joe Odagiri. And I cannot believe he was already 29 in this film. I refuse to believe it. But the heartthrob's character here is nothing short of Odagiri's trademark of a quiet, charismatic damaged soul.

Perhaps the lack of subtitles at the second half of the film did left me with question marks. But I gathered that the film's focus on sexuality doesn't only relay on its gay characters but if sexual tension is enough to form a relationship on Saori's part. I mean, I wouldn't be able to resist Joe Odagri too.

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Castaway On the Moon is a very fun film to watch. But also highlights a major "problem" commonly seen in East Asian societies which is the need for withdrawal or escape from the world because of the pressure brought about by mostly social factors such as in this case: financial and relationships. It's no surprise that South Korea has a suicide rescue team stationed near the Han River (where the protagonist jumped). East Asian countries have this pressure subtly imposed on its people and throughout the films I've watched for this class, it's been a common underlying theme. While Castaway is comedic, this subtly social commentary cannot be ignored.

Of course, it's seen in the two main characters, Kim Jung Yeon and Kim Seong Geun. Both of whom are also escaping two different things. While male Kim's is more evident, female Kim's is not explicitly told. But that's fine. A hikikomori's reason for shutting himself/herself in has a very long list of reasons and perhaps even the hikikomoris themselves do not know the definitive one. But one thing is clear: escape and withdrawal.

We see how both characters try to live as normally as they can. Male Kim adjusts to the island life in just three months and with only a scarecrow as his companion (a symbol of his old self), he looks more lively than he did 5 months ago. Female Kim lives virtually, by having a virtual identity, she feels "connected" with the world and tries to live normally by doing normal things like as she said, go to "work" and exercise.

Here, we see how human connection tries to render boundaries useless. They break down the walls we have build once we have reach an understanding and to these two is began with the noodles. The noodles becomes a symbol of hope for the two lonely characters. And eventually, it's also each other that in the end, they long to see.

As cheesy and sentimental as this sounds, Castaway wants to show the light at the end of the tunnel. That through hardships, we can retreat to our own worlds but eventually, we will emerge, good as new. It's not a dead end.

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A tale of two girls. A yanki and a lolita. What an unusual combination. What a great friendship.

Set in a small, rural town that's bounded by closeness where every thing you need is right there (Jusco in this case) and every one probably knows each other. This setting represents the reality for the two leads. A reality that they wish reject.

Momoko rejects through her love for lolita fashion. It represents a fantasy world—a means of escape. Ichiko (real name Ichigo) rejects this through being a yanki and a member of a biker gang. It represents a different identity, even changing her name from strawberry (Ichigo) to another one as she hates it—a rejection, a means of escape. This all shows a desertion. An exile in to their own worlds by two different, almost outcast young girls.

Living in a tightly knotted community, being different sticks out. And they certainly do. But they don't like that. This unity and conformity does not approve of their different-ness. And it's this different-ness that actually brings them together.

Momoko, who sees herself as always being calm even seeing animals die, has found happiness in seeing her friend happy. She tells her friend: If it makes you happy, take it. A yanki, belonging in a gang rejects conformity and chooses to live for herself.

In a way, the comedic aspects and sometimes random parts of the film is a mockery of their reality, the one they choose to reject. It acts, in a way, the fantasy world they choose to escape to—just like Himiko and her legend, just like Roccoco.

In their wishes to escape to their own world, they give up having friends (in school/in their gang), a partner (romantically) but this desire for escape brings them instead, to each other.

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Sunny is an absolute delight to watch—it's the friendship film that we all need.

In the way, the film explores the power of friendship in the most non-dramatic way possible but still tries its best to be sentimental (in a good way) and to be connected.

The flashbacks are incorporated so well with the present that it moves the narrative along in such a smooth way. Even the way the past contrasts with the present fall into place so perfectly. There is so much anticipation to get to know each character, to explore them and to love them. Just when you think you know how they'd turn out—you're in for a surprise.

There is comedy, there is drama, there is dancing and singing and even a tadbit of romance. In a way, the Sunny gang brings you into their world and immerse you in it. Their differences, their style, their talking, their singing and their dancing—they want you to experience it too. So screw the world, these girls create their own sub-culture and not confirming to the reality by simply—being them. And of course, their friendship is a mirror of female bonding.

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The Heirs is a drama that I've been eyeing for such a long time but since I've been on such a K-drama hiatus, I never really looked into it. I guess because when the show was announced, it received a huge amount of hype. I guess for good reasons. The two main leads are no question, the hottest stars of their generation. Lee Min Ho definitely made a mark with his role as Jun Pyo in the Korean adaptation of Boys Over Flowers while Park Shin Hye's role as Go Mi Nam in You're Beautiful also captured the hearts of many. The series also has a stellar cast ranging from f(x)'s Krystal Jung and CNBlue's Kang Min Hyuk. Overall speaking, I enjoyed watching this series. I think that it's greatest strength would be the amount of acting done (lead by the main leads of course) that pushed the plot to create such dramatic reaction from the viewers.

But I admit. The Heirs is not exception from the common plot cliches. Lead A is rich, lead B is poor and together they fall in love because of destiny or pure coincidence. And that is exactly how this drama works. It's a pity that the plot is quite similar to Boys Over Flowers (which I haven't seen, I've seen the Japanese and Taiwanese version) making it difficult for Min Ho is move away from that typecast. Of course, his character here has its individual characteristics that sets him aside from the icon role of Jun Pyo. But still, it somehow and in some way, go down the same rabbit hole. So that's cliche number one.

Cliche number two is really how dramas make use of the Iceberg effect. It has a tendency to just show these little details in the beginning but like an iceberg, it has deep hidden ones below the surface and once discovered will cause great disaster. Needless to say, those under the tip of the iceberg are pretty little "twists" that don't seem to be twists at all. In fact, I've become fed up with the complicated family secrets of cliche plots. This person's mother is actually this person's blah blah blah, it's embedded and will always somehow connect the two leads together. Yes, The Heirs suffers from this cliche. Again.

But what the good points? Perhaps, plot wise, a good aspect might be that being a tycoon's child and having to deal with that kind of responsibility and how it burdened the characters made the plot interesting and exciting. I didn't particularly like the high school setting (it seemed similar to Boys Over Flowers again but okay) but it's really how with power comes great responsibility and how it forced the rather young characters to carry such burden somehow pushed the plot and developed the character.

Still, the series seems to be overflowing with characters. And it's come to the point where I ask myself if having this character here is really necessary or if it's crucial to the development. Sometimes, the answer is no. Having too much characters creates unbalance and results in distraction. A character needs a purpose to be there. Not to be manic pixie character but at least to have some sort of purpose if not to the main lead then at least to the story.

As for the romance. Yes, it's like a modern Romeo and Juliet, Min Ho and Shin Hye against the world. For the most part, The Heirs lacks cohesiveness in general maybe because there's too much characters. But it also lacks consistency. Instead, it's consistent with this pattern of breaking-up-letting-go-going-back-together cycle that the leads keep going to that just becomes frustrating. You see, each episode is an hour long. In one episode, they're happily together and in the next, they're avoiding each other. And this keeps going on and on and in the end they'll be together anyway. I know that it's to show the endless power of their love but does it have to be repetitive. I notice that this is another romance cliche.

Having said that, I ship Kim Woo Bin's character with Shin Hye's character more. For me, I believe that it would have become a much more interesting romance to see how Do Young changes from this I-hate-everyone-so-I'm-going-rebel attitude to becoming this vulnerable person who can actually love but just covers up his wounds to cope with his brokenness. I'm not saying Kim Tan (Min Ho) is not having a difficult time because he is too. But at least he has a mother. Or at least he can pursue his brother's approval and just focus on that. But Do Young is just...so broken. I'm still waiting for that day where second leads will break this cliche and get the girl (or guy).

Now Shin Hye's character is really just wallowing in some much self-pity. Unlike the main lead in Boys Over Flowers who despite being poor and attending a rich school is bold, daring and brave and fights head on. But Eun Sang is just so miserable and still so pessimistic that it becomes annoying. It becomes a character that doesn't have independence or strength to draw from herself. I mean it's good that Kim Tan gives her courage and take care of her (how sweet!) but despite being a couple, one must still be great as an individual.

Did I mention how I love Kim Woo Bin and Kim Ji Won's acting? They're the ones that left the mark for me.

Hence, as I've mentioned before, the plot is good when it shows how these youngsters handle power and responsibility and that's one the message. Another one would probably be the power of love. Or even young love. (And yes, you shouldn't underestimate it) Young people are indeed fearless when it comes to love but this drama shows that an 18-year-old's love can be fearless and it can conquer. Perhaps, love is not in age after all.

Nevertheless, it's these dramatic plot cliches and intense romance that becomes the show's greatest asset. Because of that, it leaves so much emotions as a viewer who's watching. It's moving, it's dramatic, it's intense that makes you wanting for more and just ignoring all these cliches as you watch. I guess for entertainment value, the show hits the mark.

Lastly, I'd like to comment on the criss-cross and slow motion combination of "sweet" shots like hugging, kissing or whatever romantic scenes there are. This is to emphasize, sure. But it's become a cliche shot in Korean drama. And a soundtrack.

Despite all that cliches, the series moved me. So for entertainment and FEELS value's sake (because it made me cry which left a lasting impression), I would have to give it this rating.

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There was this one Friday night before the exam revision period where I randomly just decided to start watching a new drama because what harm would that do right? Anyway, it's been so long since I last watched a drama at all, I probably have forgotten the emotional and traumatic experience that goes along with it. So, the drama that I randomly decided to watch was My Love From Another Star, which would eventually scar me for life.

The Plot/Setting:
That's always been the thing with Korean dramas (maybe other Asian dramas too), the plot is always never simple. Even if it does start simple, it'll eventually dig deeper as the series progresses. So, MLFAS definitely have a simple plot at face value but it gets much more complicated than that. Actually, the plot of this seems like one of those sci-fi/dystopian romantic novels that I absolutely hate. However, MLFAS at least, tries to go deeper than what it originally presents. Though I don't like the plot 100%, I think that in some way, it's a refreshing watch. And one that I'd like to think has taken quite a risk (especially to a wider audience) as perhaps this would appeal to local audience.

MLFAS deep history connects (or tries to) connect its characters. Since MLFAS' timeline spans longer, there's more connection that needs to be done. But MLFAS lacks the clarity and the conciseness to connect its characters. Sometimes, it seems forceful rather than letting it smoothly fall into place. Now, there's some loose ends. The connection is not tight enough especially with regards to Cheon Song-yi's "reincarnation" which was touched by the drama yet was left hanging. Those kinds of coherence and unity makes the connection or as MLFAS dubs it, "fate" seem sloppy.

However, besides the characters being the drama's highlight, I think the plot's almost "forbidden-love" concept makes it very moving and really pushes the characters. The villain itself is a slight segment to tear and bring the characters apart as well as destiny's wish. It's a true embodiment of you-and-me-against-the-world. Of course, it's not perfect but at least the supernatural elements are justified and addressed rather than being left out. Though,a realistic ending would've been better even if it hurts. (I cried buckets of tears in the last three episodes)

And each episode ends with a cliffhanger. That was torture because you have to keep watching.

The Characters:
I didn't know that Jun Ji-hyun is the one that plays Song-yi's character but after I did, it made me love the series more. And besides how the love story pushes the characters, the characters pushes the story too. I love how Song-yi contrasts with Min-joon (played by Kim Soo-hyun), this is effective because it brings out the best in their characters. I've seen Ji-hyun play a very sassy, bold and loud character in My Sassy Girl (which brings back a lot of nostalgia) and her personality despite being so annoying is really the exhibit of a fragile character. Song-yi's character is such a fun character to watch. Despite the show's heavy dramatic elements, I never fail to laugh at her and smile at how much she has developed over the course of the series. However, she still manages to show her soft and fragile side using her loudness as a cover-up because of her profession as an actress. Ji-hyun has always been good at playing this time of characters as seen in My Sassy Girl.

Do Min-joon on the other hand has also changed from being a serious, monotonic character to being someone who can love and care for someone so deeply. His character who's more mature, more rational is a complete opposite of Song-yi's and they bring out the best in each other. I'd say that the chemistry between all the characters are such great pleasures to watch. Even Song-yi and Se-mi's best friend rivalry has chemistry. And that's important because it makes each interaction much more pleasing and something to look forward to. I do love all the characters and I think that they were able to form connections with their audience, effective in its emotional approach.

Despite having a seven-year age gap between Ji-hyun and Soo-hyun, the chemistry is undeniable. It just makes the forbidden love more appealing.

The Soundtrack:
Whenever "My Destiny" plays, I already know it's about to get emotional. That is all.

The Romance:
There is an obvious age difference between Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun. In fact, their age difference is like seven years, if I remember correctly. However, there's an instant chemistry despite all that. I think that this "forbidden" love story that both characters have is both beautiful and sad. There's always that thing that pulls you as a viewer to be truly content and happy knowing that Do Mi Joon could be leaving Earth anytime. It's a tangled of secrets and sacrifices. And that in turn, made their romance so compelling that I cried buckets of tears.

The Themes:
Besides the forbidden love drama which later becomes a me-and-you-against-the-world, there's the obvious family drama. The isolation. The alienation. Best friend-zoned and the struggles of being a celebrity. It's all tangled up. As much as I love the drama to frame away from the very cliche past history being connected and loneliness/alone theme, it doesn't. In fact, it needed to. For the sake of Do Min Joon's identity and to make their romance the best of the best and out of this world. Leaving cliches aside, the drama does heavily rely on making the romance the central pulling force of its plot and its characters.

The Soundtrack:
Enough to make me cry. That is all.

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Asian teenage rom-com starter pack:
1) not-so-good-looking female lead
2) bad boy male lead
3) beauty transformation
4) some type of bet
5) bet backfires and the two leads fall in love
6) but they don't know how the other feel
7) love triangle (usually with a more good-looking character)
8) "make the best of our youth"
9) follows a time line
10) first love = endgame
Bonus 11) The actors are going to become household names after...

Number 10 is really the reason why I kept coming back. I just have the awful attachment to those kinds of stories and just makes me believe in them more...even if the chance that they'll happen in reality is slim. But anyway, the point is: teenage Asian rom-coms follow this similar path. Of course, there's some changes here and there but the initial idea remains and Our Times is no exception. It likens with another Taiwanese hit, You're the Apple of My Eye and Thai hit, Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

Yet I enjoyed watching all three. Why? Because of the nostalgia. (And yes, I'm weakness in these type of plots.) Thing is, these type of movies, like Our Times is of course, not for everyone. It has its target audience and I guess it's able to reach them successfully. All these movies I mentioned, including Our Times tries to tickle a millennial's nostalgic heartstrings which is really a big thing in Asia. You feel it alongside the movie, that is why timelines work.

And Our Times used that. Cameos by well-known actors like (no spoilers allowed so...) made that feeling stronger since many of us young adults, grew up watching them.

With that, we are able to remember our own first loves. Not to mention that Our Times has beautiful cinematography and soundtrack. The plot is nothing new but the comedy is still spot-on. Darren Wang and Vivian Sung (both in their early 20s by the way) play their respective characters well. I do think that Our Times, however, tried to twist things a little to make it a little more interesting (though still relaying on common romance tropes) but still trying to stretch things a little.

In the end, it's not a movie for everyone. But for those it wants to reach, I believe it does. It's a fun, light-hearted watch that tries its best to deliver a message for us youngsters out there.

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My Lovely Girl is one of the most hyped shows of 2014. And you could probably tell why because of the cast. This drama is Rain's comeback series after his military training. It starts f(x)'s Krystal Jung, her first lead role. Infinite's L is also in the cast. Hoya, another member of Infinite is there and Fiestar, an all-female K-pop band. The show gained this hype because of its popular cast.

Rain is probably a household name in Korea. Rain knows what's he doing. He's been in the industry for long. I think he was able to act out his character well. Krystal Jung, in my opinion, is such a very flexible artist. In The Heirs, she's able to play a rich, sassy girl. When you look at her photo shoots, she transforms into a high-fashion model and here she plays a funny and laid back girl-next-door. Infinite's L is adorable and funny. So what I mean to say is that the actors INDIVIDUALLY are talented, no doubt. However, addressing the issue that Rain and Krystal having no chemistry, I think they have chemistry AS actors (like brothers and sisters). But romance chemistry? NO. None at all.

It's not only because there's an obvious age gap (12 years) but the fact that Rain is just so...big and huge, it doesn't compliment Krystal's character. Which is why I'm suffering from second lead syndrome because L (or Myung Soo) has greater chemistry than Krystal that every time Hyun Wook (Rain) and Se Na (Krystal) have romantic scenes together, I just can't help but cringe. Yes, Rain does hug like a drama which makes it worst. There's no romantic tension AT ALL.

Hyun Wook is a character that's very bland. His prominent personality trait is just the fact that he's in so much pain from losing his girlfriend. Does he develop? I'm not even sure. He does have those moments when he tries to pull a joke or try to be funny but it doesn't suit Rain. It just makes me laugh not because it's funny but it looks pathetic. Se Na on the other hand doesn't have much characteristic to be called "lovely" or "lovable" so I don't even know why the title of the show is that (it could've been related to music). She's a character that's a mess with not solid foundation. (I may be biased here because Shi Woo, played by L captured my heart) but to me, he has more foundation than the two who eventually become canon. At least his character was explored, mommy-issues, outcast, lack of confidence thus, he uses his witty (or not so witty) jokes to look cool but he's scared deep inside. My only problem is sometimes it doesn't suit him because L looks tiny compared to Rain, it doesn't suit him trying to act all cool.

The lack of flashback in the drama also drag down the character's foundation, even the hate between Hyun Wook and Producer Seo is only evident because of his bantering but the lack of flashback doesn't create much tension or dynamic. Not to mention, Producer Seo isn't an effective of a "bad" guy enough. The show lacks that bad guy to keep the viewers excited about.

Realistically though, will a songwriter like Se Na make it especially in this age where education is valued so much more than talent? (especially in Asia even?) I don't know but you can judge that for yourself. That magic cellphone device was terrible too. And then it was forgotten later on. Which made is much more terrible.

Plot wise though, I find it rather pathetic that accidents have to play such a big role here. It's a plot cliche. It's also a plot cliche that Hyun Wook blames himself and punishes himself for it. It's also a plot cliche that Hyun Wook and Se Na are alone. It makes Se Na seem pitiful if she wasn't such a character who's hardworking then she'd probably will wallowing in self-pity. However, I find appreciate that the drama didn't go down the rabbit hole of complicated family issues of this actually being the father of whoever the hell this is cycle. At face value, it is indeed just a very simple and straightforward plot using music and the entertainment industry as a back drop but the romance becomes the driving force though sloppy. And then there's that annoying cliche of breaking-up-going-back-together that I really hate.

I also find the romance rather pathetic. (As I mentioned, the lack of chemistry is one reason) The other reason is the fact that I don't even know if Hyun Wook fell in love with Se Na because of who she really is or because she's like a rebound for the sister. I wish this issue was addressed more OR this could have been the struggle of their romance. After the "big" secret was revealed. The plot just declines especially Se Na's stupid reason to leave. The Big secret was a better reason to leave THAN her own reason for leaving. And using time skips suck. It started out really well and interesting given the conflicts that were presented to Rain's character for him to develop, hopefully. Then the pacing became sloppier later on.

Did music play a big role? Yes and no. I think it played a bigger role for Shi Woo and Se Na rather than Hyun Wook and Se Na. And I didn't like that though. But still, I like the soundtrack and Se Na's music style.

And that was a terrible ending. I get it if films want open-ended endings because it's just 2-3 hours short. But a 1-hour run of 16 episodes to have that kind of "open-ended" ending is terrible, there is not resolution at all. And it doesn't give justice to the characters.

But my favorite in this drama is none other than Dal Bong. Dal Bong is the one that captured my heart.

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My only reason for watching Pretty Man is Jang Geun Suk. But I was in for a surprise. After watching so many dramatic series prior to this, my heart is broken in so many pieces. But Pretty Man proved to be funny, witty and refreshing. Yes, there are some aspects of it that falls in the plot cliches but for the most part it actually tries to steer clear from it. To me, the concept of this show is refreshing. Instead of romance or family being the focus, it's money or rather, climbing the social ladder. Now, that sounds something rather different doesn't it?

Yes, I liked the concept that the show takes on. Narcissist, charismatic yet lacking the knowledge, money to be rich and pretty face, Ma Te (oppa)'s mission to conquer ten different women to climb the social ladder is somewhat refreshing to watch. It's also interesting how Ma Te, who is poor and lacks the basics of making money would use only his pretty face to get to the top. And of course, I thought "FINALLY! A show without complicated family drama cliches!" And boy, was I wrong? Yes, I was. At the last minute, the show fired off two family dramatic "twist" which also proved to be its dramatic climax and well, downfall.

I get it. Revealing it towards the end to fire off the suspense and create tension in this somewhat funny and laid back series. However, it also becomes a weakness because not only is it important and crucial but it doesn't allow room for the characters and the audience to take in. And then the show ends. The subsequent actions and events that took place aren't enough of a reflection for such a big bomb being dropped. The show also lacks cohesiveness. For a plot where there are ten women, I expected all those ten women to be "successfully" conquered in a balanced and clarified manner. However, some of the women have longer spotlights than others. Some were not even "conquered" or nothing was learnt from them. They are merely Mary Sues for Ma Te to be successful so you question the credibility of his success. Can he really be independent?

Also, I would have appreciated the end for Ma Te to put into action or summarize all the things he learned from these women. Still, I love how the password concept came into play. And what it turned out to be becomes crucial to the characters. The only cohesiveness I found here is the connection between the three leads and the family minus the women. It's true that they were pacing problems, the first few episodes were taking its time and then towards the end, it felt rushed, that's why the women concept didn't successfully worked towards the end because of the pacing.

Ma Te is such an interesting character. From a nobody to a somebody. It's a struggle. And he's changed in some way. To me, this series isn't really man vs. man, yes, there were some aspects of that but for the most part, it's man vs. self. Ma Te's struggle to become a somebody. I maybe biased here because I love Jang Geun Suk but as always, he never fails me with his acting whether witty, serious or romantic. Though Ma Te still has some fragments of Tae Kyung, Jang Geun Suk's iconic role. It's exciting on how with every women, his hairstyle changes. IU, playing Bo Tong is probably one of my favorite characters. Not only is she cute but she's innocent, naive yet passionate, determined and strong-willed. And what I love the most about her is she never ever wallows in her self-pity. I love how she doesn't give a damn about being poor. Of course, her undying love for Ma Te is also admirable. She's this hopeless romantic. She's like my animal spirit.

But truth be told, as much as I love Geun Suk. I believe that Bo Tong would have been more suitable for David Choi. I think that his love is more sincere and more passionate. Geun Suk actually takes Bo Tong for granted and it raises my eyebrows whether he sincerely likes her or because she's the only one he has left. But I guess, it's Bo Tong's life long dream come true. Oh, I love how the show didn't fall into the romance cliches:

1) There wasn't any repetitive I-love-you-but-I-have-to-let-you-go back and forth going on. IN FACT, there's only ONE.

2) FINALLY, the girl who's in love with the lead for so long gets to be with the lead. I hate this romance cliche the most, character C in love with character A for YEARS but character A choose character B. This is such a painful cliche.

3) It's not forbidden love or a love that's like me-and-you-against-the-world despite the fact that Bo Tong thinks she's just down there. But that never became an issue in the story in general, perhaps in the characters only.

4) Bo Tong loves Ma Te for so long. They didn't need to get to know each other to fall heads over heels for each other. At least no disaster or fate or coincidence happened for them to meet. It just happened, like life.

So as a whole, the series does shy away from cliches. I think this series is one of those underrated series and that's a pity. I like how the artists here aren't also a repeat of the others, they're all fresh faces unless Geun Suk.

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Watching Norwegian Wood felt more like listening to an emo ballad than watching a film. The movie itself is filled with death, grief and mourning. Even with times that the atmosphere is light and lively, the air is heavy with emotional pain. And as a viewer, you breathe in that air as you watch. Now, I haven't read the book so I'm judging merely from what I gathered from the film. But I've done some research after I finished watching and the film already failed to establish an important aspect: this is Toru's recollection and remembering of the past from present day Germany.

Leaving that detail out in the beginning fails to tie in and give connection to the film's ending (which confused me a lot). I haven't read any of Murakami's book but from what I've gathered, his works are difficult to adapt because of the nature of his writing: poetic and full of prose. Now, if you have such a difficult source material to adapt, to me, it it necessary to ensure that everything ties together. Without knowing that this is a recollection, I would've not get the other symbolism or metaphor in the story itself.

The ending itself is already difficult to show visually (the reflection of "Where am I?" by Toru) isn't justified enough. As I've gathered, the ending is open-ended and the film does show that but the open-ending nature of it ties back to the fact that he's recalling it now that he's in his 30s (despite the voice-overs). This chosen past contrasts with the heavy air of death and suicide and grief that dominates the film and that I believe is important to break out of the cycle of wanting to be saved from yourself.

I haven't read the book so I don't know the reason but I feel like the reason behind Kizuki's death is important especially since Naoko and him are madly in love. There needs to be justification even in death. Why would he just leave the girl he loves and the best friend? Now, these two are forced into this cycle together.

I feel like Hung is trying to do too much here that the characters seem to be in generals rather than specifics. Toru's character despite the narration seems very detached from the audience and focused more on observations from others rather than his itself. This is both a strength and a weakness. It shows Toru's character as not wanting to open up and present himself entirely to others by creating distance but this also shows the lack of development on his part. Of course there are some exceptions. Some scenes where we were able to see his vulnerability. Also, because of this detachment, the film's direction seems aimless and I'm not quite sure what goal the story or the characters are trying to head on to.

I do, however, love the contrasts in this film especially with Naoko and Midori. I might be bias when it comes to Kiko Mizuhara (she's my favorite model) but I think she's incredible in the mood. She has this mysterious aura but lively and simple yet still sexually alluring. And I love how that contrasts with the disturbed and troubled Naoko played incredibly well by Rinko Kuchiki. I think that Kuchiki is able to really portray the grief that Naoko has outshining Toru played by Ken'ichi Matsuyama. I don't want to touch to much on the sex but I guess I have to comment on it since it's very prominent in the film. Because of that I believe that it's not just there for the sake of being there, it's there because it's suppose to be there and it was a conscious choice.

To me, seeing this film with a lot of sex enforces the struggle of the characters not only with the heightening of their sexuality but the increasing amount of grief that they have to go through. In so many ways, it's grief that brought Naoko and Toru together. But the sex here also seems like a thread that bounds these character together, which is not really strong in the film. Certainly, it plays an important part in the fate of the characters.

But all in all, the film has beautiful cinematography and has an indie feel to it with the long cuts. There is still some poetic feel given with the cinematography and the narration (voice-over) helps with the eerie silence. It also has a great soundtrack.

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Japanese lumiere, Hirokazu Koreeda takes a bold move from his gentle family dramas to a crime drama. Yes, I applaud his shift. But perhaps, this is Koreeda's weakest film to date.

It is a very interesting film that explores the judicial system especially Japan's given its almost 99% conviction rate. It is a good look at how lawyers, the defendants, the victim and even the prosecution work. Indeed, the storyline is intriguing particularly of my fondness of courtroom/crime stories.

Koreeda tries his outmost best to keep his signature gentleness—using music. The opening scene is particularly a contrast. A brutal murder yet you have grand classical piece playing in the background and this goes on throughout the entire film. Perhaps this choice show meaning given its subject.

Koreeda has always been a show-don't-tell director and that's very very true here. The point is not to determine whether the lead is guilty or not but it's more sentimental—typical of Koreeda's film. It's always been about exploration, with more focus on its characters. Here, we get that too. And you have actors that Koreeda has worked with in the past to wrap the film up.

But my problem is The Third Murder just feels...dry. Now, Koreeda's film like I said, has always been about exploration. But My Little Sister for instance, while not having an impactful premise was at least...colorful. But The Third Murder felt too nihilistic for my taste that I found myself closing my eyes at times (because I was sleepy) or check my phone for the time.

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Yoo Ha finds his niche in gangster/action films and clearly knows his forte.

A Dirty Carnival has elements of competition, survival and trust.

In the game of survival, competition is tough and you cannot trust anyone.

That's Carnival's message.

When push comes to shove, people are pitted to confront their inner darkness—which eventually eats them up and destroys them.

In a way, Carnival explores this deterioration through Kim Byung-do's (wonderfully played by Jo In-Sung) life as a low-ranking gangster.

The dynamics of friendship, family and love for someone like him, in that profession is explored mirroring who those deemed "deviant" by society go through.

A family you have to support but is also a weakness to your job, a long-time crush who fears you because of your job and a friendship you want to trust...but for a job like this, can you really?

Carnival does well in showing parallels of the old and the new—that perhaps, human desire is eventually just never similar. Especially in this profession.

A realistic ending. Brutal fight scenes (I find myself looking away sometimes) and a heartfelt story.

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Friend is part coming-of-age, part gritty gangster film. Throughout the film, these two elements never fail to diminish; they're always constant.

Yet another example of how school, family and society shapes a person. How these kids get hit and slapped when they do something wrong as a punish, how parents are blamed for these actions and how they fall in society's pitfalls because of the life they're born in to and how they're forced to live it.

"If we went to the same middle school, I would have been in the right direction.

Competition is prevalent is a place where you have to be the best—to survive. And because of that, relationships are sacrificed.

While friendship is an overarching theme, Friend doesn't start with melodrama.

The greatest act of friendship is probably punishing yourself out of the shame and humiliation because you cannot save your friend even if you have the power.

Friend doesn't try too hard. It's straightforward, it's simple and it gets what it wants to across. Perhaps, it just drags on too much where the later part (when they have grown up) feels lopsided compared to when they were younger. Ultimately, that suffers. But the power is in portraying its characters.

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I was itching to see Park Chan-wook's return to South Korean films after Thirst (2009) and his English-debut, Stoker (2013). Because of that, my expectations for The Handmaiden were definitely high.

Were they met?

Yes and no.

I don't know what I exactly expected to see. Maybe I was looking for something ala-Oldboy (2003), his best work to date and something better than Stoker (I didn't quite like it). But instead, I got something different. I just don't know if it's better or worst (than Oldboy but better than Stoker).

I find myself very enthralled with the production the most.

Park proves his mastery when it comes to making feels look beautiful and meaningful, and to me, his handling of build-up and then exploding them all at once is done so gracefully, so smoothly, so satisfying.

The Handmaiden is visually beautiful on all levels. Based (or inspired) by Sarah Waters' The Fingersmith, Park shifts the setting to 1930s colonial Korea. Just like Stoker, The Handmaiden is eerie, full of suspense and has a sexual, erotic tone—which clearly represents his film.

Broken into three parts, Park knows what cards to keep and when to reveal them—leaving room for a grand voila. The Handmaiden, itself, it not complicated nor does the plot try to be mysterious but its Park's touches that makes it sexually mysterious and ultimately full of taunting and teasing.

Colors emit a gothic vibe, the cinematography is superb, the score embraces the atmosphere and the characters are showered with undeniable tension from start to finish.

Ultimately, Park triumphs at showing female sexual satisfaction without the need of men. It's liberating as much as it's satisfying—an exploration, or explosion rather, of the female characters' undiscovered desires.

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When I told my brother that I was going to watch Tokyo Tribe, he asked me what it was about. I hesitated and said, "tribes" and he said "Sounds good" which to me sounded sarcastic. So I added and said, "Well you see, the director likes to add weird and crazy stuff in his films and...yeah, I don't know."

So there you have it. Tokyo Tribe. Tribes. Crazy stuff. Music. Fighting. And chaos. Lots of it. But it's Sion Sono. As I said to my brother, Sono always manages to add insanity in his films and still manage to make it work. If you watch a Sono films, you're transported to his world, his rules, his creation, his everything. With a crazy yet satisfying 4-hour journey from Love Exposure to blood fountains that swept me off my feet in Why Don't You Play in Hell, Tokyo Tribe might have just taken Sono's style to the next level. Bursting energy and life and music and characters from start to finish, you'll be the one feeling exhausted (yet also satisfied) as the credits roll. In Sono's world, you got to keep up. You're also there in the film alright.

Tokyo Tribe is messy, chaotic, loads more to improve it but like others, it doesn't matter. It's not about following traditional storytelling or traditional film-making, it's about presenting something with creative freedom as much as you like. Sono embodies that, Tokyo Tribe embodies that. Mix that here, put that there, add more here, even if things don't make sense, whatever! It's entertainment, it's about having fun. It's filled with pleasure and enough to keep you at the edge of yourself -- if you're used to Sono's style.

It's a big big cast alright but having such a truckload of people in a film makes it all the more enjoyable, it makes it all the more fun. It's not character-focused, you're not suppose to give a shit about anyone, you're just suppose to sit there and watch and laugh and enjoy. That's what you're suppose to do. These actors aren't that great singers (although one of the leads, Kai is from a J-pop band, he's not an actor but who cares because it doesn't matter) but that too doesn't matter. This isn't about music. It's about having fun! Sono just adds music because it doesn't feel like it belongs there (so Sono like!) but that's what makes it stand out. He always manages to put the bizarre and weird and make it look good.

(To be honest, watching Sometani laugh made me crack up a lot. Still manages to keep his signature look that I love even as a rapper. He's definitely a chameleon, whatever role he takes and clearly Sono loves him -- with good reasons.)

As always though, my take on Sono films is that they tend to be misogynistic. Loads of (unnecessary) boob shots, underwear shots and all that (I mean Love Exposure is all about that!) but I feel like he tries to compensate for that by giving us badass/I-can-save-myself female characters. And here, we have female characters that can fight. So thank goodness.

There is so much colors, so much sound and just so much everything, you don't have time to think, no time to react as each scene continues to drive you crazy. Sono proves his mastery at creating films that are filled with whatever the heck he can think of and want at his will and still make them something worth watching -- a genius.

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