Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

Review: Pure Love is a story that shows no matter what happens, friendship still matters.

The story started with a radio announcer who seemed like he no longer have any passion in his work. During his session, he received a letter with a name that reminded him of someone he used to know. This is where the past of five friends were revealed.

Beomsil, Suok, Sandol, Gaeduk and Gilja were good friends. In exception of Suok who has a problem with walking, the others studied somewhere far, only coming back to the island they lived in for summer. The first half of the movie was filled with memories of their fun times, showing how close they were, and how Beomsil, Sandol and Gaeduk were silently in love with Suok.

Their friendship was tested when they thought Suok was in love with a doctor who promised to fix Suok's legs, but turns out to be lying about the real truth behind the surgery. Beomsil was angry, but Suok protected the doctor. This triggered a fight between the five friends. When Suok finally learned the truth, she was still persistent about getting a surgery. But when her father refused to give permission for the surgery, she seek for comfort at the ocean, where she had lost her mother.


So I made some research on this movie, and it turns out that this movie did not get into box office and flopped instead. It was not really a surprise. Sure, the casts were great and the story line can be called beautiful, but there were things lacking. Firstly, I could say the story lacked good values. The only good value would probably be the value of friendship, but this too, was learned too late, when Suok is no longer around. Other values? I don't think I see any.

Secondly, the tragic part where they finally found Suok's body in the sea could have been executed in a better way. Of course I cried during that part, but I can't help but judge it. There were a few people who dived into the sea to look for Suok and they found her, sending a sign by blowing the whistle. The sound was heartbreaking, and the reaction from Suok's father and Beomsil tore me apart. But the thing here is, those men could not bring out Suok's body, and the men even had professional equipment.

I'm not sure what the director was trying to show, maybe true love can do anything? Because Beomsil said "She was waiting for me" or something before diving into the ocean to get her. I admit, the scene inside the water, where he pulled her into an embrace as if saying that everything is okay was beautiful. But how easily he was able to pull her out was rather ridiculous. The men earlier had said her body was too heavy, so how can a young man like Beomsil was able to pull her out as simple as that? In my opinion, it would have been better if Beomsil took at least two or three tries to pull her out. That would have shown his devotion for her better.

But no worries, despite the scenes that could have been written better, there were still scenes that are beautiful and shows the sweetness of friendship. I absolutely love the part where the four worked their butts off by running to bring Suok to a singing competition. Their efforts to make Suok happy was amazing. And then there's a part where Gaeduk stole his family's boat to bring all of them to a small island where a lighthouse stood. It shows how much they cared for each other, especially for Suok.

The most heartbreaking part would have been the part where Suok learned the truth about her surgery. There were no good news, and of course it broke her apart. Beomsil was there to comfort her and when she said she wanted to be able to walk, he told her that he would stay by her side and bring her wherever she wants, no matter what happens. His confession, combined with the rain and the umbrella kiss were absolutely beautiful why do I keep repeating the word "beautiful" so much. Beomsil loved her so much, only to find out that she was no longer breathing on the very next day.

I had never cried so much after watching a movie. The pain of knowing that your first love died in a really bitter way, and the fact that the friendship was still not mended, what could have been more cruel? It still saddens me, for I know that if Suok had not jumped into the sea, she would have been taken care by Beomsil for the rest of her life.



There were things lacking in the movie, but Pure Love is still a movie that I would recommend to people. If you have read one of my previous posts, you would know how much I treasure and cherish friendship. Always love your friends, for they are there by your side when you needed someone.

Share your thoughts about this movie too if you have watched it. Leave a comment!

No Longer Heroine: Hatori Matsuzaki (Mirei Kiritani) is a female high school student. She has a crush on her childhood friend Rita Terasaka (Kento Yamazaki) and believes he will eventually choose her as her heroine, but Rita Terasaka begins dating Miho Adachi. Meanwhile, the most popular male student, Kosuke Hiromitsu (Kentaro Sakaguchi) takes an interest in Hatori Matsuzaki.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

Review: I rarely watch any Japanese movies, not because I don't like them, but it is more to me not knowing which movie is good. I noticed that a lot of Japanese movies were adapted from manga or anime, and the movies are often executed with the same humour and cheekiness like in the manga and anime. It made their movies more fun to watch. Kudos to Tea for making a post about this movie on her blog, she is the reason I found out about this.

No Longer Heroine centres around four high school students, Hatori, Rita, Hiromitsu and Adachi. Hatori and Rita had been best friends since childhood, their friendship starting with Hatori saving Rita from involving in a fight. Rita was pretty much a loner, with no other obvious friends than Hatori, and his mother abandoned him when he was young. Ever since that, Hatori had made it her life mission to always be by Rita's side, to be his heroine because she had labelled Rita as the hero.

But her plan to become Rita's heroine backfired before she even managed to confess her feelings, for Rita got into a relationship with Adachi, another loner girl. The parts where Hatori realised that she could no longer be the heroine was funny though, the way the scenes were made. It was definitely manga style. Hatori has a really cute face, and when she made faces or when her voice somehow became manly, it was still cute. I can't get over how funny it was when she said Na-ka-ji-maaaaaaaa loudly (Nakajima is a friend that was always around Hatori, listening to Hatori's daily talks about Rita).

Shortly after being upset that she could not become Rita's heroine, Hatori met Hiromitsu, a popular guy in their school. Let me take a breathe, because I'm still not over how adorable Hiromitsu is. His smiles are like sunshine, very radiant and very sweet. And those dimples. And his eyes. And the mole under his eye. And─ okay, maybe I'll spare the details about Hiromitsu since I'm reviewing the movie, not the boy. Oops.

Only on Hatori and Hiromitsu's second time meeting, Hiromitsu managed to steal a kiss from Hatori. It was so cute oh god someone hold me please Hatori was furious because she had saved her first kiss for Rita, only for it to be taken away by someone she barely even know. The days after that was no longer that happy for Hatori because of Rita's relationship with Adachi. There came a day, not long before summer holiday, where Adachi met Hatori and told her to take care of Rita while she was gone for a while somewhere.

Hatori was of course delighted for the news of Adachi's short absence, but Nakajima told her to stop seeing Rita for a while. Nakajima made Hatori agree to a plan, where she was supposedly to stay away from Rita and he himself contacted her. But the plan failed because Rita did not contact her. One of the days where Hatori felt lonely, Hiromitsu found her and they went out for a walk together. It was really sweet and Hiromitsu is so boyfriend material. But Hatori missed Rita so much that she made a call for Rita, asking him to go to the firework festival, without actually realising it.

Rita agreed and so they went there together, both wearing yukata. Yukata is really cute, I'm really hoping to be able to try one someday! On the festival, of course, the two bumped with Hiromitsu. Gosh, Hiromitsu in a white yukata looked so handsome, I couldn't stop squealing. You can almost see the spark going on between Rita and Hiromitsu. The boys hated each other. When Hatori went to the toilet for a while, Hiromitsu talked some senses into Rita, before leaving. When Hatori returned, she was surprised to find Rita alone. And somehow, she ended up confessing her feelings to Rita, and Rita kissed her.

When I thought that everything is going to be alright, it seemed that Rita was still confused about his own feelings. And right when he was going to say something, Adachi came back. Rita promised Hatori that he would clarify his real feelings on the next day. But in the end, Rita chose Adachi instead. Feeling torn, Hatori tried to make a call to Hiromitsu, but ended the call quickly, thinking that it was ridiculous to call for him. She cried on her own, and not long after that, Hiromitsu found her. After her call, he had ran over to look for her, not even caring that it was raining. He was there to comfort her. Best scene ever because the way Hiromitsu hugged Hatori as she cried was really sweet. They started to spend a lot of time together since then, Hatori slowly forgetting Rita.

There was a class trip to somewhere snowy, and Hatori decided that she wanted to confess to Hiromitsu on his birthday. She was excited for it, but when Nakajima asked her if she was going to regret it or not, her thoughts started to jumble up again. It turns out that Rita's mother was actually there, and Hatori was scared it might hurt him, so she pulled Rita away, not even realising she held his hand. They parted when Hiromitsu and Adachi came, Hiromitsu realising something, and Rita going to Adachi's side because she was sick.

On the day Hatori was going to confess to Hiromitsu, she accidentally got on the same elevator with Rita. They stopped on a floor, and was met by the stunning view of the dusk sky. The orange and pink sky was meaningful to them, because they grew up constantly watching the sky together. Hatori left then, and as the elevator's door slowly closed, Rita took a picture of it. He did not managed to get Hatori's picture, but only the view of the elevator closed. As he went through his phone gallery, he realised that there were a lot of Hatori's pictures in it.

Hatori and Hiromitsu sneaked out for a date on a Ferris wheel ride, and at the same time, Rita went to Adachi's room. Rita heard Adachi bad-mouthing Hatori, and he barged in the room expecting Adachi to be speaking with someone, but slowly realising that Adachi was only talking to the mirror. Talk about being creepy, who wouldn't be surprised to find a girl talking to a mirror? Adachi then admitted that she had faked her sickness in order to keep Rita by her side. She could not bear lying anymore, so she decided to let him go, despite saying that she would not forgive him. Rita soon realised that he was actually in love with Hatori all along.

On the other hand, Hatori was inside the Ferris wheel with Hiromitsu. As she was trying to confess to Hiromitsu, she too realised that she had never forgotten Rita after all. So she told her real feelings, how she is in love with Rita, and it was no surprise that Hiromitsu said he understood. He let her go, and she wished for him to get a girl that is better than her, because he deserves someone good.

In the middle of Hatori and Rita's search for each other, Rita accidentally run into his mother. Hatori found about it from Nakajima who saw Rita leaving with the woman, and she became scared. She ran and ran and saw Rita sitting dangerously on the metal railings of a tower. She had thought that he was going to jump and started to freak out. But she met him up there, and was relieved to know that he was okay. The two finally confessed and hugged and kissed, and it was beautiful.

At first, I was upset that Hatori did not end up with Hiromitsu, I was rooting for them! But then I realised that it was better for Hatori to be with Rita. He had nothing, but Hatori accepted him for who he is. They were meant for each other even from the start. And yes, Hiromitsu deserves someone better ♡ Can we just have a sequel where Hiromitsu finally finds someone for him?

This looks more like a rant instead of a review... Oh well, this movie is definitely a worth watch. If you have watched or planning to watch No Longer Heroine, do leave a comment on your thoughts about it!

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

Review: I don't really know how to explain my feelings towards this movie. I mean, the execution of the events were good, some parts were amazing even, but I can still feel the chills from watching it until now. This is a movie that "horror" and "thriller" lovers would definitely want to watch. The twists were definitely unexpected, and I found myself liking the story more than I should be.

Edith was the only daughter and child, and she was loved well by her father. Her mother died when she was young, and she claimed to see her mother's ghost a few times, often getting warnings from the spirit. Somewhere along the way, she met Thomas, who was trying to impress Edith's father in order to be given funds to support his new invention. Edith was immediately swept away by Thomas, but her father knew that something was wrong.

He tried to save his daughter by making Thomas and his sister (Lucille) leave, but shortly after Thomas agreed to leave, Edith's father was murdered tragically. This part deserves a huge warning. The way Edith's father died was really horrifying. I'll probably still shriek or cringe if I happen to rewatch the movie.

Grief stricken by the loss of her only parent, Edith seek for comfort from Thomas, and eventually they got married. She decided to leave her house and follow Thomas and Lucille back to their home. Viewers can immediately sense that something was not right between Thomas and Lucille's relationship. Instead of acting like siblings, they were acting more like secret lovers.

Day by day, Edith started seeing more and more ghosts. She was scared at first, but she soon learned that the spirits were only trying to communicate with her, to tell her the truth. But of course, their way of giving a warning was obviously creepy. Edith found too late about the scheme going on between Thomas and Lucille, and by that time, she had already consumed too much of the poison that Lucille had placed in Edith's teas. She was too weak to run on her own, and the mansion was practically in the middle of nowhere.

As I have mentioned, there were a lot of unexpected twists, and one of them was Thomas and Lucille's relationship. I had assumed they were married but pretended to be siblings, but instead, they were real siblings. Because of their lonely past, they only had each other to love, and Lucille's love for Thomas went too wrong. It was disgusting, but what do you expect from people that did not have a stable mental state? And another unexpected part was how Lucille killed her own brother when she realised that Thomas had actually fallen for Edith. Oops, sorry for the spoiler. But really, the way Thomas died was really tragic. I didn't expect that it was really easy to stab someone in the face.

I was definitely glad that Edith (and Alan, her friend who tried to rescue her but was attacked by Lucille too) survived in the end. I rejoiced when Lucille died because she was a real witch, though I had expected the brawl between the two women to be longer.

All in all, I really enjoyed watching Crimson Peak. I had expected to be watching a typical ghost story with a cliche plot, but I am glad to say that this one is different from anything else. Crimson Peak is definitely recommended to all horror and thriller lovers!

This is why I love sleeping late. My midnight musings are the best okay probably not but I am more easily inspired during the darkest hours like this. I guess I finally have to accept that this is why my dark circles are really prominent...

Okay, now we are going to the actual topic: How To Handle Misunderstandings In A Friendship. I recently got into an argument with one of my closest friend- well, we did not really argued. It was more of a misunderstanding, yes. It started with a mistake of my own, but because of ego, I was reluctant to give in. So a misunderstanding happened, and we did not talk to each other for quite some time.

But the good news is, we are okay now. Here's a few tips that I would like to share with whoever out there that feels down because of a slight mishap in your relationship.

It is better for you to stay away from others for a while when you got into an argument or misunderstanding. Stay away and spend a time alone to think about what you have done. Sometimes ego and anger can cloud your mind. It could have started from you without your realisation. Give yourself some time to calm down, to think rationally.

Seeking for advice does not only mean from a professional. You can always find a person, or a family member for comfort. Sometimes they can help you. Do not seek for them so you could bad mouth about the friend that you are arguing with, this is the reason why it is important to take a timeout first before doing anything else.

Ego is something you cannot help but have. Everyone has their own ego, and for some people, their ego can effect their thinking. Don't let your ego take over your sense of judgement, you are better than that. It doesn't kill you to lower your ego and face your mistake. It would definitely help in your friendship if your ego is not the main issue. Give and take, both sides are important.

If the mistake is from your side, find a way to apologise. Do something to prove how guilty and sorry you feel. Prove to your friend that you know you are wrong. I know that asking for an apology is one of the hardest thing to do, so this is why you have to lower your ego first. If it is your fault, you should apologise. 

Tips: If you're too much of a coward to apologise face to face (just like me ;;;), there are more ways to apologise. Even though you can simply apologise by sending personal messages or texts, for some people, those are unacceptable. In my case, I wrote an apology letter. It worked. It can work for you too. Do something physical, something that shows you still want to be friends with that person. Prove to them how much they worth.

If you are not the one at fault, forgive your friend. Even if they have not yet apologised, forgive them. Forgiving people is one of the greatest thing one could do. It is as hard as asking for an apology, but if you treasure the friendship, just forgive. Try to understand the act of your friend. There may be reasons for the things that had happened.

If things go smoothly, sit down together (or text) and talk about your feelings on each other. One side may feel this way, and the other side may feel another thing. Whatever you are feeling and experiencing is okay, that is life. Misunderstanding and arguments in friendship are just a way for you to know whether your friendship is worth it or not. Everything is normal, you are not alone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I seriously don't know what I have written. But I really do hope some of you understand what I am trying to convey. Cherish your friendship, be there for your friends. Just like I mentioned before, friendship could be impermanent, but if you give effort, you can be there for each other for as long as can be. Friendship is beautiful, so please, appreciate your friends.

Take this time to tell your friends how much you love them. Tell them how thankful you are to have them. Because everyone deserves to know how much they are loved.

Till next time ♡ Love, Aera

P.S: To Nick, thank you for still accepting me after what I have done. I'm still sorry for what I did, but like I said, I won't leave and I don't want to lose you either. I love you!

P.P.S: To Hyeo, words will never do justice on how thankful I am to have you by my side. Thank you for being with me through the ups and downs, thank you for constantly believing in me. Love you lots!

P.P.P.S: To all my other friends, I love you guys so so much too! I hope all of you are having the greatest time, and I really appreciate all of you. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I am always around. You guys are amazing!

I haven't written any monthly movie reviews for months, and since I have been rather inactive here due to lacking of inspirations, I decided to write another monthly movie review more like movie rant though.

The Good Dinosaur: Luckily for young Arlo, his parents (Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand) and his two siblings, the mighty dinosaurs were not wiped out 65 million years ago. When a rainstorm washes poor Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) downriver, he ends up bruised, battered and miles away from home. Good fortune shines on the frightened dino when he meets Spot (Jack Bright), a Neanderthal boy who offers his help and friendship. Together, the unlikely duo embark on an epic adventure to reunite Arlo with his beloved family.

Rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

Review: If you have known me long, you will know how much I love animated movies. To prove that, let me admit this: in just two days, I watched Good Dinosaur for five times! See how much of an addict I am? I really would not mind watching it for the sixth time.

Good Dinosaur got me into quite an emotional wreck (yes, even after five times watching). It started from the time Arlo and his siblings first hatched, and how he grew up in the family. Arlo was rather small and weaker than his siblings, he was basically scared of everything. When his father made him set up a trap and he caught something, he released it instead of killing it as he was instructed. That frustrated his father so his father took him into the woods to chase the thing that they have caught and kill it, in order to prove that Arlo could survive on his own. That was when the tide rose and Arlo's father was killed. I wanted to cry then, the "You are me, and more" was seriously so heartbreaking.

Not long after Arlo's father's death, the thing that he had caught came back to eat Arlo's family's food. In a fit of rage, he chased the thing and eventually fell into a river. That started the journey of Arlo and the thing, which was actually a human boy that Arlo named as Spot after spending time together. Arlo and Spot's friendship was so adorable. Spot seemed to really appreciate Arlo releasing him from the trap, and soon, Arlo became fond of Spot too. Their journey to go back home was very inspiring, and I found myself attached to the story each time I watched it. And the fact that the T-Rex in the story are good dinosaurs, it taught me to never judge anyone from their appearance.

I am still torn over the fact that in the end, Spot and Arlo had to go separate ways. Spot found a human family of his own, so Arlo went home alone to his own family and during this scene, I did cry. It was a really beautifully made story, there were many moral values inside it. I am definitely going to re-watch it soon!

Splash Splash Love: Danbi is a senior high school student taking the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). However she has an irrational fear of maths, and in order to escape taking the test travels through a time portal to the Joseon era. In Joseon she is mistaken for a eunuch and serving in the palace becomes a confidante of King Lee Do. Danbi finds that in the Joseon Dynasty her high school level of maths and science makes her the greatest scientist in the entire Kingdom, falling in love with the King she inspires him in his reform of the country. However, fearing for their own privileges, Danbi becomes the target of traditionalist courtiers who seek her death. Having a hand in saving both the King and the Queen, Danbi becomes friends with the Queen who, in order to allow the King and Danbi to be together, endorses Danbi becoming a royal concubine. Presented to the Queen Dowager, who is a doppleganger of her own mother, Danbi becomes very home sick and taking her leave of the King returns to the present day. Returning to the exact moment of her departure, Danbi becomes determined to sit the CSAT, having learnt in her sojourn in Joseon that problems are not solved by running away, but by facing them.

Rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

Review: Splash Splash Love is actually a two-episode drama special, but since the run time is basically just like a movie, I decided to include it here too. This is a story of a high school girl, Danbi, trying to run away from life because she was not confident in herself, in her studies. Her wish to escape was fulfilled when she suddenly jumped into a puddle that led her back hundred years ago, to the Joseon era. There, she was misunderstood as an eunuch so people thought she was a man.

In order to survive, she needed to help the kingdom to get rain again, because it had been drought for so many years. While she was trying to survive, her frequent meeting with the King made both of them started to develop feelings for each other. I had a great time watching this drama. Even though most of the scenes were nonsensical, but it was a fiction anyway. The sense of humour and comedy is real good, and when combined with some romance, I gotta say this one is an amazing one!

Of course, in the end, Danbi and the King could not be together, for she had to go back home. But this drama taught me two things. First, you have to work hard to succeed. It's okay to fail, stand up again and fight for it. Second, if you are meant to be with someone, you will be with him/her. Because after Danbi went back to the present time, she did meet a guy with the same look as the King. They were meant for each other ♡

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

Review: Pong was actually in love with another girl, but when his life got tangled up with May as he learnt her secret, he slowly fell for May instead. Normally, I do not really enjoy high school love stories because they tend to get cheesy and I think high school students are still too immature to understand the real meaning of love. But I found myself really loving May Who.

It was a really funny movie, filled with relatable issues of being stuck in a one-sided love and high school issues. I like the fact that they put on comics in the movie too. And the fact that May shoots out electricity when she gets excited or scared or shocked was really something different. I really rooted for Pong, even before he started liking May, because their friendship was so cute and his reaction whenever she threatened to shock him with her power was too adorable.

I felt bad for Fame because he was the one who ended up being the on caught in a one-sided love, but he was good looking anyway so it would not be hard for him to find someone else.

Goosebumps: Upset about moving from the big city to a small town, young Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) finds a silver lining when he meets his beautiful neighbor Hannah (Odeya Rush). The teen is surprised to learn that Hannah's mysterious father is R.L. Stine (Jack Black), the famous author of the best-selling "Goosebumps" series. When Zach accidentally unleashes the monsters from the fantastic tales, it's up to Stine, his daughter and Cooper to return the beasts back to the books where they belong.

Rating: ★★★★★ (5 out of 5)

Review: I only read a few books from R. L. Stine. The most memorable one is related to a mummy, and there were many endings for it. I could not recall the name of the book, but it was a really fun book! I wish I can read again books that will lead to different endings when you chose different pages.

Anyway, when I first heard that they were making a movie about Goosebumps, I was totally hooked (sucks that I only managed to watch it recently). And Jack Black is in it too! What else would I ask for? Nothing. Because this movie is totally amazing. I love the interaction between Zach and Hannah, the grumpy R. L. Stine and even Champ's weird and funny character. The monsters were frightful too, especially the ghouls at the graveyard and Slappy, the talking dummy. Goodness, Slappy gave me actual goosebumps!

All in all, this is a great movie, with a lot of humour and surprises that would definitely give you goosebumps.

The Witness: A blind woman (Yang Mi) and a deliveryman (Lu Han) investigate a hit-and-run accident after the police fail to find any promising leads.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

Review: The Witness is a remake of Blind (2011), a South Korean movie. Extra info: Blind is, and still is, one of my all time favourite movie. When I heard that they were making a Chinese version of it, I was more than excited for it. It was also a bonus that Lu Han starred in the Chinese version.

I like the fact that they kept most of the scenes the same, except for a few additional scenes here and there. It was cute that they made Linchong rollerskate instead of riding a scooter like Giseob in Blind. It still amazed me how much a blind person could know without actually seeing anything. I do believe that a blind person could do a lot of good for the world too.

Even though I have no problem with The Witness (except for the part where the police broke into the criminal's house, because that, was so unprofessional and senseless), I think I still preferred the Korean version.

Demonic: A violent slaughter occurs in an abandoned house in Louisiana where three college students are found dead. Detective Mark Lewis (Frank Grillo) examines the crime scene and finds a shocked survivor, John (Dustin Milligan) before calling reinforcements. Several police cars then arrive at the house alongside an ambulance and a psychologist, Dr. Elizabeth Klein (Maria Bello). She talks to John, who tells her that a seance performed in the house called the attention of many spirits, including one he identified as his mother, and that two of the group members, consisting of his pregnant girlfriend and her ex boyfriend, are still missing.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5)

Review: Just like how much I enjoyed watching animated movies, I enjoy horror and dark movies too. Demonic was recommended by a good friend of mine, and because usually, our taste in horror movies were the same, I decided to give it a try. I was disappointed to find out that Demonic was not my kind of horror.

Firstly because Demonic used the element of video recording/taping (uh, how do I explain this? I mean, like, Paranormal Activities style?). I dislike movies like these, so that was a huge turn off. Their reason to come and film at the house was rather nonsense too. But I like the fact that the John that was being interrogated by the detective and psychiatrist was actually the demon, and the real John was dead. That would probably be the only scene that I liked.

It was frustrating that the demon will be using the late-John and his girlfriend's baby as a vessel though. If there would be Demonic 2, sorry to say but I am definitely not going to watch it.