This review may contain spoilers
Let me get this out of the way from the door. So Ji Sub looks so adorable in this I want to hit him with a frying pan. Such a handsome man. But anyway, on to the review. This is a Japanese Leon: The Professional, for those of you who know and loved it. So Ji Sub delivers a great performance considering he doesn't speak a word throughout the whole film. This film seems somehow lighter than the original, even though they depict the Japanese mafia, which I believe is pretty gruesome. And while Tanimura Mitsuki doesn't quite deliver the performance Natalie Portman did in The Professional, she still gave us a sympathetic character that we sided with immediately.
The music was melancholy at all the right moments, helping you to feel the characters pain.
The cinematography gave us a chance to see a lot of Japan that we probably wouldn't have seen anywhere else...those average, everyday places like under the bridge, along the docks, side streets that blend into life in Japan that most of us don't know. In that, it was interesting. (Did I mention the hotel that has a room key vending machine? Handy much?)
You spend the entire film really pulling for the two main characters, who, even though they are doing heinously illegal activities, you can't help but root for.
I would probably watch this again, if only to see an adorable So Ji Sub from seven years ago. Watch this if you loved the original. If you love So Ji Sub (and yes, there *may* be a gratuitous bare chest scene sorry for the spoiler). If you love an Us-Against-The-World concept. And if you don't mind that killers can be A-OK!
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As it was originally broadcasted as a mobile drama and later released to DVD, I feel it didn't do a bad job at all but having to divide it into small bits of 24 episodes could have been hard to watch. I feel interest would have slowly gone down as it continues at that pace.
Silence takes a big part compared to the entire dialogue and this is actually one of the good points. The story and theme is filled with tension but you find yourself relaxed as you watch it.
If you're expecting a lot of action scenes, then no, you won't find it here. Most of them were short and quick but that's understandable seeing the small time frame of every episode.
Acting was good on the main roles' part but the same can't be said about everyone else. There are times when you can't take some of the appearances seriously.
If you're going to watch this now, then you will surely have a DVD release as the only choice and that's preferable knowing you can watch it in one sitting. Find yourself a free evening to watch it when you want to relax. Don't put high expectations and you will surely enjoy it without being disappointed.
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