Zíza

It wasn't bad, but such is the way with 20-episode series; they’re too long. The genius doctor character was a nice refresher, as was the setting of a dingy hospital somewhere outside of Seoul. The doctors for the most part didn't disappoint, either; and they were doctors, they really treated patients, they had their moments of power struggles, but eventually they got over it. Of course then there was the element that spoiled a great doctor drama for me, and the power struggle was back, the superiority and the treating of patients was out the window. That's why I'm glad for a genius doctor who stuck to the wall and tried to treat rather than plot. It made the series more bearable, even though it was filled with such typical series ballast. I also found some perfect scenes in it, and every now and then someone overdid themselves and played it above expectations. Those were the moments that made me think that it was worth watching more, that it wasn't just a typical Korean series set in a hospital. But those moments were rather rare. Too bad. I guess the series offered me unreasonable expectations. I'm still waiting for an Asian medical series that's more like ER. This was close to my concept at times. Lots of healing, lots of talk, romance in spurts, interesting characters, great tone of voice by that master Kim, overlong, vapidly used clichés. There are a lot of procedures and diagnostics, so if you’re someone who likes "treatment", this series might be to your liking.

I think you should know what you’re getting into with this series. If you find out beforehand and want to see it, you should like it; but if you go into it just because this or that person is in it, not knowing that it's a very slow, rather artsy series, you will be sorely disappointed. Though the story is about a couple who want to become a comedy duo, i.e. to do what is known as manzai, the series is not very funny. On the contrary, it is quite heavy and often shows a hopelessness that can burden the viewer. You get a slow mundanity, full of long scenes and shots that are not to everyone's liking. The acting is very minimalistic, but the filmmakers are skilled at their craft, so you won't be disappointed. It's a human drama. Well performed. With powerful scenes that can really speak to you. To get an idea of what the Japanese really want to be making, check it out. After all, they got a free hand here from Netflix.

It starts off fairly brisk, fun, and light. Basically, no complex relationships are dealt with and there are no emotionally charged speeches. The robotic Keiko was fine, but you just can't watch her unchanging face for ten episodes; you want that change, and when it comes for a while it feels like a caress. Unfortunately, just past the halfway point it runs out of breath and stops being as entertaining as it was at the beginning. Some of the characters seem frozen in time, some seem to have moved on a bit. But I'd say this isn't a series that wants to showcase character development, more just to give the viewer a break. And that's what it did. It's just a show about a woman who can't use her mime muscles, but can sell any house.

There were moments of tension where you wondered what was behind it all. The puzzles surrounding the skating lady were built up decently. But it was all ruined by the empty spaces. Although sometimes those spaces wanted to say something, and maybe in the end some of them were appropriate, it wasn't enough. The mysterious atmosphere didn't last. And it wasn't enough. I honestly felt like the main character couldn't show more than one or two expressions, so I didn't get much from her either. Since it failed to grab my attention with the mysterious atmosphere or the acting, the movie went terribly long for me, even though it's not even two hours long. This village life, bullying, gossip, and evil is so common in Korean movies and TV shows that this level just doesn't even measure up to average.

Quite a hilarious Shōjo a long time coming. As usual, the animation is nothing to brag about, but it's fun to watch and the main character isn't too much of an ass. Basically, as someone who is an adult and has had the opportunity to encounter the world outside of school, it seems to me like it had a sort of advisory element. Because as you get older, you see all those possibilities of youth in a whole different light. I really enjoyed the first half, but then it seemed weaker, and basically just rehashed situations we'd been in before. The pattern kept repeating and I didn't really have anything new to look forward to. Still, a very decent piece of work. A strong 3 stars.

I had no idea Hanks needed the money to be willing to star in something like this. But maybe he did it for charity. Or to give a history lesson. Or for the symbolism of it... Actually, it's pretty much about nothing. If you want action, this isn't it. If you want someone on the run, maybe it could be worth it. But if you want someone on the run, during which he has time to spout a lot of fine-sounding nonsense, then this film would be recommended. And then there's the part with the virus. How do you feel about a virus? Like one that wipes out a large part of humanity? Then I can't recommend it in that case, either. The cinematography is poor, the script's weak because the subject matter was weak. I don't think there's much to be done here. The acting is standard for such a B-movie (?). Somehow they'll get you through the dirt. A very weak 2 stars.

It's got substance. You can totally feel the late sixties/early seventies, when filmmakers weren't held back by certain obstacles like today; on the other hand, for some people it will be a big minus that it's during this period because they absolutely don't appreciate the animation. I was pretty much looking forward to every episode, not so much for what they were going to steal and how it would turn out, but for Lupin's way of getting out of whatever mess he was going to get himself into. Sometimes it was better, sometimes it was worse, but the final impression is that Lupin's a wanker, his gang is a bunch of wankers, and if it weren't for Zenigata, it wouldn't work that way. A series full of shenanigans. Light, totally uncomplicated, like many works today because we've gotten rid of that simplistic action. Too bad. At first I didn't believe I'd enjoy Lupin more just because of its simplicity, but I ended up wanting to see more of it.

You know, I'm a sucker for a scheme where two people are forced to get married under certain circumstances, even though it's definitely not out of love. Usually this scheme starts with some misunderstanding that causes the two to get married, even though they actually can’t stand each other. But over time they see through their prejudices and fall in love. But watch out! That’s not the case in this series. Here, Mikuri and Hiramasa arrange a "marriage" without anything like that happening and without having to hate each other. All the clichés of that scheme are discarded and NigeHaji comes up with something completely new and, wonder of wonders, I loved it. Because their relationship is built from the start on mutual understanding. The series has a lot going for it – the script was written by my current favorite screenwriter, which guarantees a lot of interesting dialogue, gentle (predominantly verbal) humor that carries us through the whole series, interesting characters, an ending by Hoshino Geno, “Koi", whose dance has become such a hit in Japan that everyone is doing it, and above all the main duo Mikuri x Hiramasa, who were incredibly cute together. It's a totally relaxing series that in no way looks down on the viewer for coming to watch just to relax. It's got the right stuff. If you want to see a romantic comedy from 2016, I think this one is the best of the bunch; though there were several in Japan that year, this one is by far the best (if you don't count Kazoku no Katachi in the genre). A strong 4 stars. Watch out for a reprise.

It drags on and on the entire time. You can stand it, but you don't really feel anything. But once everything comes to the surface, it manages to do something to the viewer, who finally gets lifted up by a rush of emotion and even finally starts to play around with the film a bit. But it doesn't end there; it then cools the viewer down again quite quickly, so that as the closing credits start to roll, you're not left with an emotional mix, but rather sort of a "meh". As with any Korean film, you like to look at it, the glitz is nice, but the content is rather unsatisfying. A weak 3 stars and I definitely won't watch it again.

Bryan Cranston was certainly captivating, the real Trumbo even more so; the time period it was set in was horrible. The film is certainly well made, but I don't know why; when it was all over I felt like I wasn't getting something, like I'd skipped a scene that would have wrapped it all up for me. Maybe this feeling will pass when I watch Trumbo's biography (the "non-artistic" one, that is).