Creepy (2016)

 

((summary taken from Rotten Tomatoes))

A retired detective is asked to investigate an old missing family case.

Download: Watch on ROKU 

7 SEEDS (Part 1)

((summary adapted from Wikipedia))

When a catastrophic future is predicted by astronomers, world leaders meet and develop a backup plan for human survival called the Seven Seeds project. Each country will cryonically preserve a number of healthy men and women, allowing them to survive the devastation of the impact until a computer determines that Earth is once again habitable.

In Japan, five groups of survivors are scattered across the country, named, Winter, Spring, Summer A, Summer B, and Autumn. Each group consists of seven members as well as an adult guide who has knowledge of the project, and is trained in wilderness survival. Since most of the "seeds" are not told what will happen before they're put in cryonic preservation, they awaken to find themselves amidst a hostile environment bare of any human life, their entire world irrevocably changed. Now, completely alone, they're forced to depend on themselves for survival.

Watch or Download: NETFLIX

What Happened in Bali (20 Episodes)

((summary taken from Aistaz Asian Movies))

Lee Soo-jung (Ha Ji Won) is a travel agent who is seeking her good luck in Bali after a harsh and unforgiving childhood. She meets Jae-min (Jo In Sung), Kang In-wook (So Ji Sup), and Young-joo (Park Ye Jin) in Bali, three seemingly perfect people entangled in a triangle of love. When Lee Soo-jung finds herself back in Seoul, her desire for success leads her to seek Jae-min for a job, unwittingly setting off a course of events that further complicate the love triangle.

What Happened in Bali is a drama that reveals the inner materialistic desires of people. It reflects upon the sometimes ugly (but truthful) side of man where nothing matters more than money.

Watch or Download: Dramafever, Avistaz Asian Torrents

End Of Animal (2011)

((summary taken from Aistaz Asian Movies))

On a cold winter day, Sun-Yeong (Lee Min-Ji) rides a taxi and heads to her hometown to give birth. Her mother still lives there. A strange man in a baseball cap (Park Hae-Il) then hops into the taxi and starts speaking gibberish. The man is also rude, borrowing money and a lighter from Sun-Yeong. The odd man pretends to know everything about Sun-Yeong and the taxi driver. He then starts a countdown and when he reaches zero the world seems to stop.

Watch or Download: Dramacrazy , Avistaz Asian Torrents

Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp

((summary taken from Asia Torrents))

  Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp / Gosa 2

Se-hee is haunted by her step sister Tae-yeon who used to be a promising swimmer but suddenly killed herself in a swimming pool 2 years ago. During the summer vacation, she joins the study camp at school for upcoming college entrance exam with other 30 elite students. On the first night, when Se-hee finds a riddling passage scribbled in the desk, she soon sees a dead girl’s body hung upside down. Then the TV monitors are on and the students watch another friend crushed by his bike in the corridor. Since then, the succession of cruel killings occurs whenever they fail to answer the given questions in time. Meanwhile, the hidden truth behind Tae-yeon’s suicide is slowly revealed and terrified students struggle to undo the puzzle before they become the next victim.

Download: Asia Torrents , Jdramas at Livejournal

Hana Kimi ~ Hotties Paradise (Japan)

EPISODE 01-12 & Special Episode

((summary taken from dramawiki, edited by me))

Hanazakari no Kimi Tachi E / ikimen paradise

Based on the popular manga of the same name by Nakajo Hisaya, Horikita plays the protagonist Ashiya Mizuki, a Japanese American living in the U.S. who one day sees the young athlete Sano Izumi (Oguri) compete in the high jump on television. She begins to idolize him, and after learning of his desire to give up the high jump, decides to move to Japan and attend the same school.

However, Izumi goes to an all-boys school, so Mizuki disguises herself as a boy to achieve her dream of being with her idol. But can she convince Sano to return to the track team? And how long can she possibly keep her gender a secret? And then, there's Nakatsu: the hot-blooded soccer player who finds himself strangely drawn to Mizuki, despite his penchant for liking women... what's a straight guy to do when he starts fearing he's falling for a man?

(This is the second adaptation of Hana Kimi: In 2007, Taiwan did their own version)

Download: Jdramas at Livejournal , SilentRegrets
Watch Online: Aznv.TV , MySoju , DramaCrazy

Galileo (10 Episodes + Movie)

EPISODE 01-10
Movie: Suspect X

((summary taken from wikipedia))

Galileo / ガリレオ

Kaoru Utsumi, a rookie detective who has just been reassigned to the criminal division, finds her investigation of her first murder case stalled by the seemingly supernatural phenomenons surrounding the event. She seeks help from Shunpei Kusanagi, a senior detective at the police headquarter, who introduces her to his college buddy and an associate professor at Teito University, Manabu Yukawa.

Yukawa is a tall, handsome, brilliant but eccentric scientist who is interested in nothing but physics, while Utsumi is a hot-blooded detective with a strong sense of justice. Together, the odd pair solves many difficult and seemingly impossible crimes with their individual talents.

(The drama is based on a novel series by Higashino Keigo, who won the prestigious Naoki Prize in 2006. Fukuyama Masaharu also wrote the music and lyrics for the theme song.)

Cast: Fukuyama Masaharu, Shibasaki Kou, Kitamura Kazuki
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Detective
Theme song: KISS Shite by KOH+

Boys Before Flowers (25 Episodes)

EPISODE 01-25

((summary taken from aznv.tv and wikipedia))

Boys Before Flowers / 꽃보다 남자 / Boys Over Flowers / Kgotboda Namja

Geum Jan Di is an average girl who is admitted to the prestigious Shinhwa High School after stopping a bullied student from committing suicide. Once there, she learns that the school is run by a group of rich and good-looking boys called "F4" (Flower 4) who seem to enjoy humiliating and tormenting others. If someone opposes them, they're issued a red card in their locker and become the target of bullying by the entire student body.

When Jan Di's friend, Oh Min Ji, accidentally gets ice cream on the leader of the F4's shoes, Jan Di sticks up for her and ends up receiving a red card herself. Soon after, she declares war on the leader of F4, Goo Jun Pyo.

((This is the Korean drama adaptation of the Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango. It is the equivalent of Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden and Japan's Hana Yori Dango. This is the third televised version to air.))

Directed by: Jun Ki Sang
Cast: Koo Hye Sun, Lee Min Ho, Kim Hyun Joong, Kim Bum, Kim Joon

Death Bell

((summary taken from azntv))
고死 : 피의 중간고사 / Gosa

A chi-chi private high school, which actively encourages cutthroat competition among the student body by, for instance, publicly displaying their exam score rankings, selects twenty elite members and organizes a boot camp of sorts, to prepare for an international student exchange event.

To their chagrin, the students, including rebellious heroine Ina (the singer Nam Gyu-ri), her timid best buddette Myong-hyo (Son Yeo-eun) and her wannabe-boyfriend Hyun (the sit-com idol Kim Beom), and the teachers, uptight English teacher So-young (Yoon Jeong-hee, TV's Happy Woman) and popular Korean instructor Chang-wook (Lee Beom-soo, City of Violence) find themselves stuck inside the school. Somebody is kidnapping students one by one, in the order of their midterm score ranks, and killing them. The gruesome ways in which they die are broadcast via the school AV system: the only way to prevent the hideous murders is to find correct solutions to the culprit's "exam questions" in time.

Cast: Lee Beom-Su, Yun Jeong-Hee, Nam Gyu-Ri, Kim Beom
Director: Director Chang

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do

((summary from Wikipedia, edited by me))

도레미파솔라시도

Jung-won is a high school student who works several part time jobs. One day while working at an amusement park, she is continuously harassed by a boy who keeps making fun of her dragon costume... upset, Jung-won pours soda on him and storms off.

Soon after, she sees that same boy, who's name is Eun Gye, moving into the house next door. Eun Gye is the lead singer/guitarist in a band called Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do, and threatens to tell Jung-won’s parents that she works several part time jobs unless she agrees to carry his guitar for a week.

Jung-won and Eun-Gye quickly develop feelings for each other, and the two become a couple. But soon after that, Jung-won meets Hee-won, a familiar person from her past, who is Eun-Gye's best friend and a member in his band. Jung-won and Hee-won had a falling out 10 years ago, and Hee-won stopped talking to her completely. Now Hee-won admits that he still likes Jung-won, and Jung-won finds herself torn between her friendship to Hee-won and her love for Eun-Gye.

Cast: Jang Geun-Suk, Cha Ye-Ryun, Jung Eui-Chul
Directed by: Kang Geon-Hyang

The Cut / Cadaver

((summary taken from asianmediawiki.com))

 In a cold dark shaded anatomy classn room, 6 student prosectors are taking part in anatomy class Sun-hwa, Ki-bum, Joong-suk, Eun-joo, Ji-young and Kyung-min are smart medical college freshmen in the same anatomy class. Sun-hwa smart and confident; Ki-bum born to be a team leader full of confidence, Joong-suk son a hospital owner; Kyung-min too weak to be a doctor; Ji-young sexy and haughty but poor at study, Eun-joo studious nerd. They are competing with each other to be the best surgeon, but are strongly tied with fellowship as a team. In the first class, they try to suppress their fear and approach the cadaver that is waiting for them…. The first meeting with a deadly beautiful cadaver, and their nightmare begins. The cadaver is assigned to them, right after the first class. They suffer from ghosts and hallucinations. After several accidents and death of some team members, they start to realize something horrible is coming for them. They do their best to survive and find one clue: these accidents all have something to do with the female cadaver.

The Bad Guy

Wow. I’m really not sure what I was expected to take away from this movie. How brutal, twisted, and ugly love can be? Something like that? Whatever the message, I guess I’m an idiot because I had trouble seeing it. And if that was the only message… well, I already knew all that… I certainly didn’t need to watch a girl becoming an unwilling prostitution in order to understand such a thing.

It was hard and disturbing to watch… and I’m afraid I had trouble understanding the motivations for both the main character and the college-girl-turned-hooker… especially towards the end. They were both full of contradictions, so I wasn’t sure which part of their personalities I could believe was ‘real’—if any facets of them were. Perhaps that’s where the two-way mirror comes in—playing with the idea that nobody really knows who they are—that we only see what we want to see. And of course there had to be something about reflections in there—like, when they broke the mirror together, our sense of reality was shifted or reversed, and we were shown an alternate reality where they were happy being ‘bad’—or being bad was ‘good’.

Haha, yeah, I know it’s a HUGE stretch. Plus it sounds shallow and stupid… but my mind is like mush right now... but at least trying to find meaning where there is none, is fun, right?! ;)

The play on the photographs, however, was really intriguing and interesting… especially the way he superimposed the main characters face using the mirror. And the woman with the red dress was a strong visual: I have little doubt in my mind they were headed down the same path as her. After all, no story like this could possibly end happily, right?

…Right???

What it comes down to though, is that I’m not really sure what I should be taking away from this movie—what I should feel.

Disgusted? Angry? Annoyed? Disturbed? Pity?

Well, at least it got me thinking and questioning things… that’s a vast improvement over my initial reaction. But I still think it was lacking something: I wasn’t blown away like with Crocodile or 3 Iron. But I guess the film wasn’t too “bad”… (haha, yay for crappy puns). In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think there’s more to the plot than my simple mind is able to comprehend.

At least I hope there is… otherwise, this was nothing but a glorified porno with an abundance of mirror motifs. =P

My Rating:

Dal Ja's Spring (22 Episodes)

(EPISODE 01-22)

((summary taken from dramawiki))

‘Dalja’s Spring’ is the story of Dalja, a 33-year old single at a crossroad of whether to remain single or get married before she gets older. The drama aims to comically and candidly portray the reality and undying pursuit of romance of a thirty something single woman.

The love triangle of Dalja, Taebong and Gijoong brews conflicts over love versus marriage. Taebong, a hunk six years younger than Dalja, works as substitute dates and becomes Dalja’s fake boyfriend. Gijoong is the type who dreams of an ideal and rational courtship. The drama also highlights the life and work of women in their thirties through Dalja who is a talented managing director at a home shopping channel.

The Twins Effect

((summary taken from AsianMediaWiki))

Ace vampire slayer Reeve (Ekin Cheng) tracks his arch-enemy, the Duke Dekotes to Hong Kong. The Duke is hunting for Kazaf (Edison Chen), the fifth prince of the vampire nation. With Kazaf's blood and the ancient vampire bible, the Duke will bring a new age of darkness. On arrival, Reeve learns that he has a new partner, a feisty but inexperienced young beauty named Gypsy (Gillian Chung). Matters are further complicated when Reeve's innocent younger sister, Helen (Charlene Choi), develops a romantic relationship with Kazaf. With all the odds against them, our heroes get some unexpected help in the form of high-kicking paramedic Jackie Fong (Jackie Chan). In a high impact final reel, Reeve, Gypsy and Helen join forces to fight the Duke and his minions¡K Horror, comedy and high impact martial arts action collide in 'The Twins Effect'.

Lovely Complex (Movie)

I recently discovered an anime (based on a shojo manga) that I instantly fell in love with called Lovely Complex. But since the series is currently airing, and is only up to episode 11, I needed something to ease the torture while waiting for new episodes. So, you can imagine how excited I was when I learned there was a live action movie made recently!!

So, as soon as I got caught up with the anime, I watched it.

And wow. At first I thought it was terrible...they add lots of unnecessary original stuff... and rather than focusing on the relationship from both perspectives, we're given Risa's angle and little else. The main thing that kept me watching was the awesomeness of Teppei Koike who played the role of Otani: he had the character down perfectly and did an excellent job bringing the character to life!! ^_^

The girl playing Risa, however...

Err, well, she certainly looked the part, and she was very cute.

Her performance on the other hand...

To be honest, it kind of annoyed me. For one thing, the way they had her over-acting drove me crazy. I realize that's probably the way the director wanted it... especially since there were certain scenes where the other characters mimicked the same kind of gestures. But still, it was distracting, looked bad, and was really unnecessary. It was like, with every line she delivered, she'd shake like crazy, and make weird motions with her hands. And her movements were over-exaggerated and looked staged--part of the reason though, is probably because they had her wearing high heels for a majority of the film. Which, by itself, didn't make much sense to start with. I mean, she's supposed to be at least a little self-conscious about her height, especially when standing next to Otani... and yet they have her wearing high heels to make her look even taller!

I just thought that was funny. Especially since being tall and being a good actress should have been the only requirements for Risa's actress... and yet, the girl they chose, didn't have either.

Throughout the entire movie, I just couldn't picture her as Risa--not like I could picture Otani. But that's just my personal take. I've heard of a LOT of people who loved her. And to be fair, her accent is adorable.

But still... was she the ONLY semi-tall girl in Osaka with an accent, or something?!

Oh! And it was cool how they had Maity narrating... though I really wish they would have had him doing it in Japanese instead. His English really wasn't very good, and half the time, I couldn't understand what he was saying. If they really wanted to include an English speaking narrator, they should have at least chose someone who can speak it fluently. Why else include Japanese subtitles, when the language you're translating can't even be understood by native speakers?! Though I do like how they saved that "revelation" until the end. It was funny, on hindsight, that it was that crazy teacher speaking all along, lol.

I did NOT like that strange guy in the chair though--the one who kept popping up at random moments, to point out something really obvious or stupid. What was the purpose...?! Because it definitely wasn't funny.

And what was with Risa's sister?! That whole bit was annoying, disturbing, unnecessary, corny, and stupid. Instead of wasting time with made up story-lines and over-used jokes (their teacher's "wig" anyone?) they should have concentrated more on developing Risa and Otani's relationship. Or in the very least, developed Otani's side of the story a little more. We never got a good look into his head, so his revelations at the end practically came out of nowhere! I wish they had stuck more closely to the manga Maity-storyline instead. It wasn't quite as corny... and much more romantic.

Plus, the whole "height" issue which is the staple of the story, wasn't as powerful in the movie. She really wasn't that tall. In the anime, you can DEFINITELY see the difference between them in height--same goes for the manga--but in the movie, there really wasn't that much of a difference. Not enough to make such a big deal over anyway...

And (this is me, totally being nit-picky) but I really wish they would have had the kids wearing school uniforms like in the anime. Normally, I really wouldn't care, but the clothes they had the girls wearing (particularly Nobu, Risa's best friend) made them look like junior high delinquents pretending to be grown-ups--not high school students. It was so annoying! Plus, I didn't like how they tried to portray Nobu and Chiharu's relationships, into something dirty.

Prime examples: Chiharu blushing as she admits to her boyfriend that she's not wearing any panties underneath her kimono. And at the beginning of the movie, Risa's other friend, asking her bf to buy her something, and in exchange, she lets him do stuff to her body--

They sounded like lines out of really bad fanfics!

At least make it subtle!

Overall, it was a pretty average adaptation of a wonderfully, funny, cute, romantic story. They could have done so much better with the script and the casting though...

But again, Teppei Koike definitely held this movie together: in my mind he IS Otani. Of course, I'm in love with the japanese seiyuu for the anime too, so it could just be that I love his character period. Risa is one lucky imaginary girl, lol.

In the future, I have (and will) watch this again... simply because I have an unhealthy obsession with this couple, and need to see them in whichever form they happen to embody. If, however, you could care less about Lovely Complex (or most high-school oriented romantic comedies, for that matter) I'd suggest skipping this one all together. But for shoujo fans, you're sure to be entertained. Just ignore Risa's shaking, concentrate all your energy on Otani, and enjoy! ^_^

My Rating:

Witch Amusement (16 Episodes)

EPISODE 01-16

Chalk up another finished drama to my list of accomplishments! Two down, three more to go!

Overall, Witch Amusement was a cute, amusing drama. It was one of the shows I was watching that was being subbed almost simultaneously as it was airing in Korea. I really liked the premise, and kept watching mainly to see what would become of the OTP. Moo-Ryong's character alone was enough to steal the show... it's not often you see a thoroughly likeable character that you wouldn't mind dating in real life! I wish I had a maid like him, who would clean and cook for me, lol. He was so sweet, and really complimented Yoo Hee's character perfectly. Without him, she would have forever been a witch! The fact that he also has a girlfriend at the beginning of the series, just made it that more unique, and made it seem a little more realistic. After all, a guy that awesome CAN'T be single! Plus, he was played by Jae Hee who was also in Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang (another favorite of mine). So really, he can do no wrong! ^_^

I'll be honest though... I've never been a huge fan of Han Ga In. I've seen her in enough dramas/movies to have formed an adequate opinion of her (A Tale of High School, Super Rookie, Dr. Kkaeng, Witch Amusement) and I've decided I definitely don't like her as an actress. She's not exactly bad... there's just something about her that rubs me the wrong way. For one thing, she always has this huge, doey-eyed look, where her eyes get HUGE--and no matter what drama she's acting in, it's ALWAYS present. It annoys me to no end for some reason. Plus, she's terrible at kiss scenes... and in a romantic drama, you really want the romance to be believable, and to get lost in their story. I can't do that when I see her kissing Moo-Ryong: all I see is how stiff and uncomfortable she looks! Of course, this is just my own personal opinion, so others might not (and probably won't) feel the same way. It all comes down to personal preference I guess...

But really, despite my dislike for the lead actress, the story was interesting and engaging enough to keep me watching. Plus, with so many handsome actors, (Dennis Oh, Kim Jeong Hoon; aka, Yul from Goong!) I had more than enough motivation to stay tuned in.

The only other thing that stopped me from giving it a higher rating (up until episode 15, I was planning on giving it a solid 4) was the last two episodes. I don't know what the writers were thinking at that point... but all of a sudden, the big climax was filled with korean cliches that you can see in any drama!

The "break up" scene: check.

The spurned-lover's accident scene: check.

The airport scene: check.

The sick parent in need of an operation: check.

Honestly! The only thing missing was an incurable disease! For such a fun series, I really wonder why they ended it the way they did. It was very anti-climatic, in my opinion. And the last 10 minutes, was just a lot of "evil" characters seeing the light out of nowhere, and pushing the main character to be happy. I was like... "WHAT?!"

So again, it was a good, cute series... but the ending (though ultimately happy, don't worry) was a huge disappointment. To be honest, I guess I expected more considering its lead-in.

My Rating:

The Perfect Couple

((summary taken from AsianMediaWiki))

Romance can bloom out of the strangest events. Sometimes even very embarrassing ones. Running after a pickpocket, Detective Kang Jae Hyuk (Lee Dong Wook, My Girl) finds out how problematic journalist Choi Soo Jin (Hyun Young, The Art of Seduction) can be when the skewer that holds her delicious treat magically ends up impaled in his abdomen. Things become more complicated when Kang becomes the police's media rep, as Choi is transferred to crime reporting. The reality show that ensues ("The Choi vs. Kang Report") enables the bickering pair to pursue a crime boss for the benefit of both their careers. But the two start to form a reluctant but formidable alliance: he's good looking, a great fighter, and a good detective. And she's determined to get her story done. Together, they make The Perfect Couple.

Hwang Jin Yi (Episodes 1-24)

EPISODE 01-24

I really hate to say this since I had such high expectations for this drama... but I really didn't like it that much. At least, not compared to other dramas I've seen from this genre. Don't get me wrong--the acting, setting, costumes, choreography--it was all top notch! But in the end, it was the story that let me down the most. And for something like this that tries to invest so much... the story should be the strongest.

Now, for those of you who have heard amazing, glowing reviews for this drama... here me out first before you start hurling things at your screen.

First, I must start out by saying that I LOVE period dramas, and Ha Ji Won (Damo and Duelist) is actually one of my favorite actresses. Yet, when I try to compare Hwang Jin Yi with other dramas I've seen that are set around the same time-period, it just pales in comparison. I mean, Dae Jang Geum had 54 episodes, but it had me hooked from beginning to end! Damo was the same--though depressing, it had a strong story, cast, costumes, settings, fight scenes, etc. It lacked nothing. However, Hwang Jin Yi seemed like another attempt to duplicate the success and feelings that those dramas evoked... only it never quite succeeded.

One of the main problems I had with the story, was that towards the end, the main point of the drama appeared to get blurred, or maybe just forgotten. While I was watching it, love and romance seemed to be the main motivation for Jin Yi... she was driven by it, inspired by it, and was willing to die for it. And though she never truly stopped loving her art, to me, it always seemed to come second in her life.

SPOILER

Towards the end, when she finally manages to successfully run away with the Minister... that, I think, is when the story begins getting itself tangled up. All of the scenes that show their life far away from the palace and the Gyobang, show them happy, content, and in love... even if they occasionally have regrets about the lives they left behind, they genuinely appear happy just being together, and feel that the sacrifices they made were well worth it. The fact that she's pregnant and plans to surprise him with the news soon, only seems to reinforce that fact.

And then they get caught and dragged back to the palace--and Jin Yi appears to change suddenly, without warning. Given the chance to run away with him again (with the king's blessing, no less!) she decides to go back to the Gyobang, and live out her life as a courtesan. Even though she's pregnant, and has constantly fought against this very thing--she decides to throw it all away. Supposedly it's for his sake... but I don't know if I believe that, or truly agree with it. First of all, who is she to make that kind of decision for him? He knows what he's given up--he was with her for 3 years after all--so why does she suddenly think she knows what's best for him? Does she truly think he'd just let her walk away? Especially after finding out she's pregnant?

That just seemed very selfish to me... and though, not exactly out of character, it was frustrating, stupid, and apparently a very convenient plot devise to get her back where the writers wanted her. After her miscarriage, the writers seem to forget all about her "husband" and tried sweeping the whole incident under the rug. I mean, one minute she's willing to die for him--the next, she's abandoning him and their love to pursue her art. Blah, whatever!

Love seems to be the main thing motivating her throughout the entire series--to watch her throw it away suddenly without any real, adequate reason, just doesn't make much sense to me. Especially when he's willing to lower himself so that she can have both... it's as if he's the only one truly invested in their relationship.

END SPOILER

A majority of the drama is devoted to building up the "rivalry" between Bu-Young and Jin-Yi... and yet, when their show-down finally comes, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by it all. I thought it came to late, and the outcome left me annoyed and angry. When it was over, I couldn't help but think of it as another frustrating mistake by the writers. Jin Yi was just some puppet they used in order to force the characters around her to evolve and change.

After everything she sacrificed to get to that point, she basically ends up back at the beginning. I didn't sit there for over 24 hours, just to watch the main character lose everyone and everything she cares about... just to dance happily in the marketplace.

Overall, I felt it could have been much better, and the story (if not closer to the actual historical character she's supposedly based on) then at least something less muddled, and more coherent. Towards the end, I just couldn't shake the feeling that it was wrong somehow-- like, something else was supposed to happen, but they changed it at the last minute for no discernible reason. THAT'S what I walked away thinking after watching this drama...

It was good. But there are MANY other dramas I'd definitely recommend watching before this one.

Also, for a more balanced review, definitely read xinisterlayer's comment below!

My Rating:

Whispering Corridors 4: Voice

The only reason I'm reviewing this movie here, is because I just finished watching Whispering Corridors 3: Wishing Stairs, and I wanted something to compare it against. It seems like I'm watching the Whispering Corridors movies/sequels backwards, lol. I guess next in line is the second movie. ;)

But first, let me just say that the fourth movie in this franchise was a HUGE let down for me. I'd been wanting to see it ever since I saw the cover (which ironically enough, I didn't even use here). But keep in mind that I had not seen any of the previous films before this one, and so had no idea what to expect. Seeing that it was number 4, simply led me to believe that it must be good--why else would there be sequels?

And honestly, at first, I really did like this movie. For one thing, it wasn't your typical horror film. Instead of relying on cheap horror tricks, the first half seemed more focused on the story and the mystery behind Yeong-Eon's death. It was like watching a puzzle being put together--a creepy, strange puzzle--but an extremely entertaining one. And I really liked the fact that the movie was told from the ghost's perspective, and not from the victim's...

The second half, however, is when it started taking on the typical horror movie role. I was kind of angry, to be honest. Here they had this great idea, but instead of following through with it, they took the easy, predictable way out. It's like watching a really great drama, and then at the end, having the main character get hit by a car. She survives, of course, but only to learn that she has cancer and will die anyway.

It's like... what the @#*$#!!

And truthfully, some of the "killing" techniques were a little ridiculous (see above capture). The directing and acting, however, were top-notch, and the musical score was also great. Now if only they'd redo the ending!!

I'm giving it a 3.5/5 only because I thought it had so much more potential...

My Rating:

Madeleine

I may be having a tiny bit of trouble deciding if I liked this movie or not. It was cute, and sweet... and I loved the main actors. But when all is said and done, I didn't really come away with anything after the credits rolled. I just kind of shrugged, and was ready to watch something else.

I think the main problem was the plot. It was believable, but it was very very typical. While watching it, I couldn't help thinking that I've seen this before in a variety of other Korean movies. Usually, that's not necessarily a bad thing... but for some reason, after watching this, I found it very forgettable.

I did however love the chemistry between the main couple. Shin Min-ah is one of my favorite Korean actresses--I just loved her in Punch. And though I haven't seen Jo In-sung in anything, I've heard of almost every drama he's been in, and only lack of time has kept me from watching them all. And here, he really seemed to embody the role.

I especially liked the contrast between their characters--they were so different, and yet when they're together, they just seem to fit. And I like how they included the flashbacks (the notebook-incident, and the gelled hair). And of course I loved the rain scene! (probably because I love rain in general, so I could completely understand the appeal). ;)

Also, I thought using Madeleine for the title was very clever. It was interesting how they worked it into the story... although I do wish they had included it in the ending somehow. They could have done a lot more with it, than what they did.

One thing I must comment on though, is the music. The soundtrack was AWESOME. My favorites were actually the songs their junior high classmate sang (her name escapes me)... I really liked her voice. (Which is saying a lot, since I usually despise any character who gets in the way of the main couple). And in movies, it's always nice to hear a variety of music, and not the same song sung over and over again, which is usually the case in dramas.

Overall, I'd say it was very average, but still enjoyable. It wasn't depressing, and nobody was dying of an illness or incurable disease (which is always a plus). It is very forgettable though, and I doubt I'll remember its plot or characters from all the other movies I've seen. But while I watched it, I enjoyed it. And I guess that's all that really counts. ^_^

My Rating: