First of all this film is about a teacher who actively involves herself in her troubled student's lives, all while trying to cover that she is apart of a mafia family.
Now I am not a big K-drama, J-drama (TV series from Korea and Japan) fan. I simply do not have the time nor care to dedicate myself to sitting through all the episodes every week for an undetermined course of time till the last episode of the last season. I prefer movies. So I watched the 1st episode of this series just for an idea and I liked it but again, I could not dedicate myself to it.
But I agree with the review from 8thSin from Tokyo/Toronto.
There's two things I remember that made me want to watch the film: the silly, adorable humor of the teacher...and the sexy male faces. But the melodrama is a bit eye rolling, it's another reason I avoid drama series. If I do watch series, it's sitcoms free of sentimentality. But I think I have read and heard constantly that recipes for success in Korea and Japan's shows is dramatic, tearful moments and the music to go along with it.
But it doesn't work for me, so I think that the very...VERY attractive guys in this movie (*VERY*) was to keep at least the females watching, to compensate for a poor plot and idea. I can imagine this was released in Japanese cinemas/theaters and made a lot of money off guys getting dragged to see it and stuck sitting next to their squealing girlfriend or sister or even mom the entire viewing.
Because I even turned the film off. Not even the cute faces could hold me. I tried. But I couldn't endure it any longer. It was funny, laugh out loud funny. Until about 40 minutes in, it just became dull. If I hear her say "my precious students" one more time, I'm going to throw this laptop somewhere. (Did I mention there are so many sexy faces? It's completely irrelevant to what I'm saying but whatever.)
The uneven balance between silly, exaggerated humor, and tear- jerking melodrama, and mediocre martial arts, also threw me off. This film was simply like a long TV-episode.
I also do not know why she loved her students so much, no offense to children. But you don't just love your students to the point of risking your life and job for them. Especially if they're involved in gangs and crime. As realistically portrayed in Memories of Matsuko. However, maybe it's just her character, her personality, but this teddy bear persona that honestly this entire series and film gave to members of the yakuza/mafia, was...strange. However, the yakuza in Japan do not like to be portrayed as monstrous villains. Word on the street is that they ironically rage if you do that.
So all in all, if you like cute guys who coif and cry (a lot), drug dealers who get beat up by a dorky, clumsy female teacher, and yakuza who learn to love, then have at it.
