Hulu celebrates Asian American Heritage Month with newly added titles

"Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" Korean Theatrical Poster

"Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" Korean Theatrical Poster

In celebration of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, Hulu is adding some new and exciting titles to its Chinese, Japanese and Korean libraries.

Korean Titles:

Korean Dramas: Launching today are My Sassy Girl (dir. Jae-Young Kwaek), 200 Pounds Beauty (Young-Hwa Kim), and action drama Crying Fist (Seung-Wan Ryoo with Oldboy’s Min-Sik Choi).

Korean Cannes Selections: Hahaha, Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (Sang-Soo Hong), and A Brand New Life (Ounie Lecomte)

The famed Vengeance trilogy is available on Hulu Plus until June 30th. The sci-fi cult classic is about a man determined to find his kidnapper who imprisoned him for 15 years. The film has been recognized at numerous festivals, and took home the Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes in 2004. Enter the world of director Chan-Wook Park with Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance.

Chinese Titles:

Chinese dramas, such as Love In a Puff (Ho-Cheung Pang), The Soul Of Bread (Pin-Chuan Kao), and Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (Johnnie To) make their Hulu debut in the Chinese film category as well.

Japanese Titles:

Continue your journey into cinematic history with the Criterion Collection, which features masterpieces by Akira Kurosawa, Masaki Koboyashi and Nagisa Oshima, among many others. Brand new Criterion titles never before seen on DVD are coming exclusively to Hulu soon, so stay tuned.

Experiencing Asian films can be as simple as adventuring through one of our many categorized playlists, such as New Asian Films on Hulu, Chinese or Korean Dramas and A Beginner’s Guide to Korean Dramas.

New Asian Films on Hulu | Cick Here
Asian Fight Films | Click Here
Chinese Dramas  | Click Here
A Beginner’s Guide to Korean Dramas | Click Here

Cityonfire.com received the above press release from hulu.com.

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Seconds | Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion Collection)

Seconds | Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion Collection)

Seconds | Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion Collection)

RELEASE DATE: August 13, 2013

Criterion Collections presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1966’s Seconds, directed by John Frankenheimer (Ronin). Desperate to escape his dreary life, an aging broker succumbs to a mysterious organization’s offer of a new identity and a fresh start. This totally underrated film has been long out of print. Finally, Criterion releases this cutting edge flick the way it was meant to be be seen (4K remaster), plus a load of extras. Starring Rock Hudson, Frank Campanella, John Randolph and Frances Reid. Watch the trailer.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Solomon Kane | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

Solomon Kane | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

Solomon Kane | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

RELEASE DATE: July 16, 2013

Anchor Bay presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Solomon Kane. This has been one of those movies whispered about by the diehard film community but completely unknown to the general public. An adaptation of the character created by Robert E. Howard of Conan fame, the film stars James Purefoy (Ironclad) as the titular hero who renounces a life of war and killing, only to discover that he might just be England’s last defense against the forces of the underworld.  Watch the trailer.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

The Guillotines | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

The Guillotines | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

The Guillotines | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: August 13, 2013

Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for The Guillotines. Andrew Lau, famous for helming the original Infernal Affairs and Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, is back with a a new Chinese-language film that pays homage to the classic Flying Guillotine movies of old. Huang Xiaoming, Ethan Juan, Shawn Yue, Li Yuchun, Jing Boran and Jimmy Wang Yu. Watch the trailer.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

The undead won’t ride off into the sunset when ‘Gallowwalkers’ strikes this August 6th

"Gallowwalkers" DVD Cover

The undead roam the range in the thrilling, supernatural Western Gallowwalkers, arriving on DVD (plus Digital UltraViolet), Digital Download, and Video on Demand this August 6th, 2013, from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

Picked as an official selection at Film4 Fright Fest, Gallowwalkers stars Wesley Snipes (the Blade trilogy) and Kevin Howarth (The Seasoning House). Including a “making of” featurette, the Gallowwalkers DVD will be available for a suggested retail price of $26.98.

Plot: A mysterious gunman, Aman (Snipes), is the son of a nun who breaks her covenant with God to ensure his survival. This act brings a curse upon Aman – all those that die by his gun will return. Soon, he is hunted by a gang of his undead former victims, led by the vicious Kansa (Howarth). Aman enlists Fabulos (Riley Smith), a new young warrior, to fight by his side. Watch the trailer.

DVD Special Features (subject to change): “The Making of Gallowwalkers” featurette

Additional Information: Year of Production: 2012, Rating: R for bloody violence, grisly images, some language and brief nudity; Closed Captioned: English; Subtitles: English and Spanish; Feature Run Time: 92 minutes ; Format: 16×9 Widescreen (2.35:1); DVD Audio Status: 5.1 Dolby Digital

Cityonfire.com received the above press release courtesy of Lionsgate.

Posted in News |

DDDHouse is on fire with a string of hot new releases on Import Blu-ray and DVD

"Rurouni Kenshin" Japanese Teaser Poster

"Rurouni Kenshin" Japanese Teaser Poster

If you’re anything like us, you might have grown a little tired lately from waiting for the next big Asian action epics to make their way to North America. Well, trusted retailer DDDHouse has you covered with a slate of new releases available now and in the next month on Import Blu-ray and DVD.

Titles available now include Wong Kar-wai’s highly anticipated martial arts film The Grandmaster, about Bruce Lee’s legendary teacher Ip Man, on All-Region Blu-ray or All-Region DVD.

Action buffs will also want to look into Warner Brothers Japan’s live-action adaptation of the popular anime Rurouni Kenshin, which has earned rave reviews for its samurai violence. It’s available on Region A Blu-ray or Region 3 DVD as well.

Bear in mind that Region A Blu-rays will play on any North American hi-def player but Region 3-coded DVDs will only play on Import-compatible players.

You also won’t want to miss the new special FX-infused blockbuster Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, a tale of the Monkey Kong from producer/co-director Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle). This movie broke box office records all over Mainland China and is now available on Region A Blu-ray or Region 3 DVD.

What to look forward to in the weeks to come? The Chinese historical epic Saving General Yang, which is the latest from Fearless and The Bride With White Hair director Ronny Yu, is making its way to All-Region Blu-ray on May 23rd, 2013. It will also be available on All-Region DVD on the same date.

On May 30th, 2013, you’ll be able to experience A Lesson of the Evil. This grisly new thriller, about a beloved teacher who is secretly a psychopath, arrives from Japanese shock master Takashi Miike. Anticipate it on Region A Blu-ray and Region 3 DVD.

Looking for something you don’t have to wait for? The Korean disaster movie The Tower is on Region 3 DVD while Jackie Chan’s CZ12 skydives onto Region A Blu-ray. We happen to have a review for that one right here. Not matter what kind of Asian film you’re interested in, the past two months have surely delivered a wide range of entertainment.

Posted in News |

Blu-ray and DVD Releases for 5/14/13

Back to 1942 Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Back to 1942 Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Hello folks. It’s never a lazy Sunday around here so let’s get started. If you’re interested in any of these titles, you can support the site by ordering through our affiliate. We appreciate it!

Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 5/14/13:

ASIAN CINEMA

Back to 1942 (Blu-ray/DVD) – one of the most lavishly-mounted Chinese epics of 2012 was this emotional drama, co-starring Hollywood actors Adrien Brody and Tim Robbins, about a terrible drought that struck in the Henan Province

Jet Li Double Feature (DVD) – Image Entertainment presents two vintage early 90’s Jet Li martial arts pictures, including Tsui Hark’s “Once Upon a Time in China” alongside “Legend of the Red Dragon,” AKA “The New Legend of Shaolin” co-directed by Corey Yuen and Wong Jing

Spellbound (DVD) – this unique 2011 Korean film is billed as a ‘horror romantic comedy’! On DVD from the folks at CJ Entertainment

Colorful: The Motion Picture (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2010 Japanese animated feature about the transitory state between life and death won the 34th Japanese Academy Prize for Excellence in Animation

Chanbara Beauty: Movie Vortex (DVD) – this 2009 movie in the “Chanbara” series is based on a hack-n-slash video game series spotlighting, what else, but bikini-clad zombie killers

MARTIAL ARTS AND ACTION

Universal Soldier: The Return & Second in Command – BD Double Feature (Blu-ray) – Jean-Claude Van Damme takes the spotlight in this hi-def double feature, offering two of his more recent action movies for only $6.99

4 Action-Packed Movies Collection (DVD) – in this set, you’ll witness Steven Seagal in Ching Siu-tung’s slightly underrated “Belly of the Beast”; Jackie Chan in “The Medallion”; Steven Seagal in “Half Past Dead”; and wrestler Goldberg in “Half Past Dead 2”

Money Train / The Big Hit (DVD) – an action double feature starring Wesley Snipes in “Money Train” and Mark Wahlberg in the Hong Kong-inspired “The Big Hit,” which was “Crime Story” director Kirk Wong’s break into Hollywood

FOREIGN

French Masterworks: Russian Emigres in Paris 1923-1929 (DVD) – distributor Flicker Alley presents 5 films, ranging from 1923 to 1929, from Ivan Mosjoukine, a Russian-born director who made his claim to fame in France

Escape (Blu-ray/DVD) – despite a cover that makes it look like a shameless rip-off of “The Hunger Games,” this 2012 Norwegian film is a thriller about a young girl trying to escape a prison camp shortly after the Black Death. From the director of the “Cold Prey” series

MAINSTREAM

Cloud Atlas (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Wachowskis of “The Matrix” fame teamed up with the director of “Run Lola Run” for this 2012 far-reaching science-fiction film

Tomorrow You’re Gone (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 direct-to-video thriller stars two actors whose work usually goes to theaters, Michelle Monaghan (“Mission: Impossible III”) and Willem Dafoe (“Boondock Saints’), as well as “Blade’s” Stephen Dorff

Nicolas Cage Double Feature (DVD) – these days actor Nicolas Cage tends to be the butt of industry jokes, but this set will remind you that he can be a great actor when he wants to be. Look for director Spike Jonze’s mind-bending “Adaptation” alongside the very David Lynch-esque early 90’s thriller “Red Rock West”

Offender (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 British thriller in the “Death Wish” vein follows a young man out for revenge after his girlfriend is viciously attacked by a gang

MASTERED in 4K

Spider-Man (Blu-ray) – this 2002 comic book blockbuster from “Darkman” director Sam Raimi turned the superhero genre into Hollywood’s #1 moneymaking avenue

Taxi Driver (Blu-ray) – this 1976 gritty thriller from Martin Scorsese needs no introduction. Starring Robert De Niro in his most iconic role

Glory (Blu-ray) – the 1989 Civil War drama starring Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington is brought to Blu-ray with a stunning new transfer

The Amazing Spider-Man (Blu-ray) – actor Andrew Garfield assumes the role of everyone’s favorite web-slinger in this 2012 blockbuster

Battle: Los Angeles (Blu-ray) – a 2011 film about U.S. soldiers fighting alien invaders in the streets of L.A. From the director of “Wrath of the Titans”

Totall Recall (Blu-ray) – director Len Wiseman presents his 2012 high-tech, poe-faced remake of the 1990 Paul Verhoeven classic

Angels & Demons (Blu-ray) – Tom Hanks tries to get to the bottom of a Biblical conspiracy in this 2009 sequel to “The Da Vinci Code”

The Other Guys (Blu-ray) – Will Ferrel and Mark Wahlberg play two bumbling detectives in this 2010 comedic riff on buddy cop action movies

CULT

Crimewave (Blu-ray + DVD) – this goofy 1985 crime/comedy, co-starring Bruce Campbell, arrives from none other than “Evil Dead” creator Sam Raimi himself

The Unbelievable Truth (Blu-ray/DVD) – Olive Films offers this early 1989 effort from indie auteur Hal Hartley, about a college girl preoccupied with the thought of nuclear armageddon

CLASSICS

3:10 to Yuma (Blu-ray/DVD) – the 1957 original Western arrives in hi-definition, courtesy of the fine folks at the Criterion Collection

Jubal (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection also releases this other Western starring “3:10 to Yuma’s” Glenn Ford, this time from 1956. Co-starring Ernest Borgnine and Charles Bronson

Land of the Pharaohs (DVD) – legendary Hollywood director Howard Hawks (“The Big Sleep”) helmed this 1955 Cinemascope epic set in Ancient Egypt

Three Faces West (Blu-ray/DVD) – cinema icon John Wayne plays against type as a gifted surgeon in this 1940 drama

The Miracle of the Bells (Blu-ray/DVD) – Fred MacMurray (“Double Indemnity”) and Frank Sinatra star in this 1948 heartwarming tale

Command Decision (DVD) – a 1949 picture about the heavy decisions made by high-ranking officers in World War II. Headlined by Clark Gable

HORROR

Texas Chainsaw (3D Blu-ray/DVD) – the latest addition to the venerable “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” series is this 2013 flick

Mr. Sardonicus & Brotherhood of Satan – BD Double Feature (Blu-ray) – two old-school horror films, including William Castle’s 1961 chiller “Mr. Sardonicus,” are available together for $6.99

Interested in any of these movies? If so, we hope that you’ll consider ordering from our affiliate to help support this site. Thank you!

Posted in News |

Ultra Q: The Complete Series | DVD (Shout! Factory)

Ultra Q: The Complete Series | DVD (Shout! Factory)

Ultra Q: The Complete Series | DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: August 13, 2013

Shout! Factory presents the DVD for Toho’s Ultra Q: The Complete Series. This late 60s kaiju series, created by Eiji Tsuburaya (Ultraman), predates The X-Files, with continuing characters who investigate strange supernatural phenomena, be they giant monsters, aliens, ghosts, and other assorted calamities.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

Horny Working Girl: From 5 to 9 | DVD (Impulse Pictures)

Horny Working Girl: From 5 to 9 | DVD (Impulse Pictures)

Horny Working Girl: From 5 to 9 | DVD (Impulse Pictures)

RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2013

Impulse Pictures presents the DVD for Katsuhiko Fujii’s Horny Working Girl: From 5 to 9. A woman named Chieko Kuwano (Junko Asahina) is hired as an assistant manager at a large corporate office in Japan. Fed up with the boss and his perverted ways, the ladies in the building band together to plot their own special kind of revenge.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

John Carpenter wants big trouble in ‘Dead Space’

"The Thing" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"The Thing" Japanese Theatrical Poster

John Carpenter, the director behind genre classics like Halloween, The Thing and Escape from New York, wants to make a movie based on EA’s Dead Space videogame. In an interview with Game Informer, he said: “I maintain that Dead Space would just make a great movie because you have these people coming onto an abandoned, shut-down space ship and they have to start it up and something’s on board. It’s just great stuff. I would love to make Dead Space [into a film], I’ll tell you that right now. That one is ready-made.”

If you’re not familiar with Dead Space, it’s an acclaimed video game that puts the player in control of an engineer who battles Necromorphs (reanimated human corpses) aboard an interstellar mining ship. The original spawned two sequels and two animated movies. Despite the weak sales of Dead Space 3, it’s rumored that EA has started pre-production for Dead Space 4.

If it was the late 70s/early 80s when Carpenter was at the top of his game, I’d say he would be the perfect guy for the job. Since then, he has sort of lost his juice. But hey, maybe a Dead Space movie could be his great comeback. Whatever the case, we’ll keep you posted.

Posted in News |

Nurse Diary: Wicked Finger | DVD (Impulse Pictures)

Nurse Diary: Wicked Finger | DVD (Impulse Pictures)

Nurse Diary: Wicked Finger | DVD (Impulse Pictures)

RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2013

Impulse Pictures presents the DVD for Katsuhiko Fujii’s Nurse Diary: Wicked Finger. The first film in Nikkatsu’s three picture “Nurse Diary” series, Katsuhiko Fujii is a strange mix of comedy, nudity and sex with an oh-so-crazy plot that will have you shaking your head in disbelief! Starring Etsuko Hara, Asami Ogawa and Hiroshi Unayama.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

A Boy and His Dog | aka Apocalypse 2024 | Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

A Boy and His Dog | aka Apocalypse 2024 | Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

A Boy and His Dog | aka Apocalypse 2024 | Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: August 2013

Shout! Factory presents the Blu-ray for 1975’s A Boy and His Dog (aka Apocalypse 2024). THe movie is the story of a boy and his uniquely telepathic dog, who work together as a team in the post-apocalyptic world. Written and Directed by L.Q. Jones and starring Don Johnson, Susanne Benton and Jason Robards. Watch the trailer.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

All Night Horror Marathon | DVD (Shout! Factory)

All Night Horror Marathon | DVD (Shout! Factory)

All Night Horror Marathon | DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: August 20, 2013

Shout! Factory presents the DVD for the All Night Horror Marathon 2-disc DVD set, which includes 1980’s Schizoid (trailer), 1992’s The Vagrant (trailer), 1980’s The Godsend (clip) and 1987’s The Outing aka The Lamp (trailer). It’s like going back in time, and walking into the ‘horror section’ of your favorite video rental store!

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

‘Dungeons & Dragons’ to return to the big screen?

"Dungeons & Dragons" Theatrical Poster

Decades since its creation, Dungeons & Dragons remains one of the most beloved fantasy properties in the world, spanning every medium from tabletop RPG to novels and video games. Despite its stellar reputation among fans, the brand has never been able to make a successful transition to the big screen.

2000’s Dungeons & Dragons movie was a dud of colossal proportions – even respected names like Jeremy Irons and, uh, Marlon Wayans couldn’t save it from being labeled one of the worst flicks of the new millennium.

Regardless, the Dungeons & Dragons name still carries enough goodwill that Warner Brothers is rolling the die once again, in the hopes of turning D&D into a fantasy movie for the ages. The studio has secured a screenplay from writer David Johnson (TV’s The Walking Dead, Wrath of the Titans); now all Warner needs is a filmmaker with a vision.

Posted in News |

Armour of God III: Chinese Zodiac | aka CZ12 (2012) Review

"CZ12" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“CZ12” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Jackie Chan
Cast: Jackie Chan, Kwon Sang-woo, Liao Fan, Yao Xing Tong, Zhang Lan Xin, Laura Weissbecker, Ken Lo, Oliver Platt, Shu Qi, Daniel Wu, Kazu Patrick Tang
Running Time: 123 min.

By HKFanatic

Shortly into the second act of Jackie Chan’s new film CZ12, one of the movie’s many hapless English-speaking characters tells Jackie and his team “You guys are amazing!” as they launch yet another one of their gadgets into the sky. Jackie shakes his head modestly, smiles and says, “No, technology is amazing.” This statement neatly sums up CZ12 as a whole, as an aging Jackie Chan increasingly relies on wirework and computer effects to perform the kind of stunts he could do in his sleep as a young man.

Can you blame him? The actor is a bonafide global icon who’s spent decades breaking bones and risking death to please his millions of fans over the world. The time for Jackie to pass the torch was probably back in 2005 with New Police Story, a graceful swansong for both the series and Jackie Chan the action star. And yet Jackie persists – while he claims CZ12 will likely be his last globetrotting blockbuster, he also says Rush Hour 4 is still in the cards.

You have to wonder what keeps Jackie going. If he’s anything like his character in CZ12,the answer might be money. The last we saw of Jackie’s character ‘Asian Condor,’ he was keeping gold out of the Nazis’ hands in 1991’s Armour of God II: Operation Condor. In the intervening years it appears Condor has, well, sold out. The treasure hunter will steal any work of art or relic for the highest bidder; as the film opens, he’s currently selling his services to a multinational corporation who want 12 ancient statues representing the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Condor agrees thanks to the promise of millions of Euros and, thus, the adventure begins. The Condor character has always been Jackie’s way of riffing on the Indiana Jones persona, but you don’t need to have seen very many movies to guess that Condor’s character arc in this film will involve his character waking up from being such a materialistic bastard.

Except that CZ12 isn’t too concerned with anything resembling a character arc. Condor and his team travel around the world, risking life and limb for these statues, but there are no personal stakes to the story since Condor is only after Euros and the screenplay treats human relationships as extraneous soap opera details to occupy the downtime in-between action setpieces. A slap to the face from a young archaeology student seems to awaken some shred of dignity in Condor and sets him on a path to fight against his former employers. The thing is, the viewer doesn’t really buy that Jackie’s character has had a change of heart; he’s just punching and kicking a different set of people now.

CZ12 is weighed down with a lot of historical babble about how foreign powers like the British and French ransacked the Chinese empire back in the early 20th century. Although Condor’s character explicitly states that we can’t judge the actions of our ancestors using our civilized modern ideology, it’s as though Jackie the filmmaker doesn’t agree with him. For one, all of the college age characters in this film walk around with a huge chip on their shoulder, like the Second Opium War was a current regional conflict being covered by CNN and not something that happened over 100 years ago.

The overall message is that Chinese artifacts should be returned to their rightful owners and preserved for their historical value; which is all well and good, but the multi-national focus means you practically need Rosetta Stone to follow the dialogue in this movie. You’ve got characters speaking Mandarin, French, English, and often switching between them on the fly. Unless you happen to be multi-lingual, the subtitle track is going to get a workout.

As with any Jackie Chan movie, fans know that the plot routinely takes a backseat to the fight scenes. For many, CZ12‘s biggest sin will be the fact that there isn’t much action. The stunts and combat that are here are pretty outstanding stuff, especially considering Jackie’s age. He still scampers around and exchanges fists and kicks with the best of him. However, the best action beats in CZ12 are crammed obnoxiously into the final thirty minutes. It’s a buffet of action by the time Jackie arrives at the bad guys’ secret hideout, but until then you might grow restless waiting for Jackie to throw a punch.

A trek through the jungle with Jackie and his cohorts takes up the entire second act of the movie but proves fruitless, descending into sub-Kingdom of the Crystal Skull antics. The sets look studio-constructed and the characters appear to be in zero danger, despite the presence of automatic gunfire and an angry swarm of bees. The most excitement to be had is the rollerblade chase that opens the film and the aforementioned closing surplus of action, including a great tussle between JC and a character named The Vulture (played by French/Moroccan Taekwondo expert Alaa Saif). And as most folks are probably aware of by now, the final setpiece involves Jackie skydiving above a live volcano. It’s a fun sequence, even if most of it was brought to life via green screen effects.

CZ12 is a rough exterior you have to peel back, past layer after layer of grating characters and sequences that fail to advance the plot, to get to the fulfilling part: a 30-minute spectacle that will remind you why you love Jackie Chan movies, yes, even the ones where Jackie can’t move quite as fast as he used to. CZ12 proves that, even at age 59, Jackie’s still got more fight in him than most. At the end of the day, the film is likely too much of a mess to appeal to anyone but his most die-hard fans, but for those fans it should be an enjoyable romp with enough flashes of greatness to recall the good old days.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , |