Diving into Kiss Kiss Sxx, a collection of Korean short films, feels a bit like flipping through a photo album where most pictures are a blur, and only a couple capture genuine smiles. The anthology stitches together eight stories, each roughly the length of a coffee break, all united by… a kiss. Honestly, it’s almost as if the kiss is the only thread holding these tales together, leaving you wondering who these characters really are before their lips lock — a detail that felt rushed and, frankly, a little frustrating to watch.
Take “Raise Me?” for example. Here, Seokmin’s plant, Gamdong, becomes more of a character than the people taking care of it. Hiring Jaeho, a clueless but eager freelance ‘plant-sitter,’ sounds quirky enough, but their interaction felt forced, like a joke told too early. The endless phone pings from Jaeho didn’t help either; I found myself sympathizing with Seokmin—a lot. It’s strange how a simple relationship between a guy and a plant can blossom on screen, but not quite in this story.
Then there’s “Folding? You!”, where Woonhee, smitten with an origami fanatic named Jin, attempts to fold himself into Jin’s world. The whole ordeal was so cheesy it almost looped back around to being charming. I mean, using your lips to fold paper? It’s as ridiculous as it sounds and surprisingly endearing. Sometimes, you have to embrace the silliness to truly enjoy a film, and this slice of life delivered just that.
The anthology’s mood swings wildly. “Sweet Mischief” took a darker turn, where friendship gets tangled in teasing that borders on mean-spirited. Gihyeon’s prank on Sunhoo felt less like playful mischief and more like emotional bullying. It made me squirm, wondering why anyone would treat a friend that way—even temporarily.

On a slightly more tender note, “Sleep Around, Still Mine” explores the blurry lines of casual relationships turning serious. Watching Hajun’s feelings creep up on him amidst a no-strings-attached arrangement was relatable, but the story zipped by so fast that the emotional moments barely had time to breathe. The actors had sparks, though, which made me wish for a longer exploration of their complicated connection.
Not all stories hit the mark. “Craving You” dragged me through a tedious loop of unrequited affection and stubborn denial, making me question why the drama kept escalating without payoff. And then, the oddball “Not a BL” thrust us into a BL-themed café where forced flirting is job description. The setup was frankly creepy—imagine having to pretend intimacy for the sake of customers’ entertainment! It felt like a weird meta-commentary on acting, but it left me unsettled rather than intrigued.
“Something Sweet” plodded along with zero chemistry or spark, portraying a gloomy cram school scene that was as flat as day-old soda. Meanwhile, “A Killer Recipe” offered a glimpse into a thriller-romance mashup with its secret assassin and hidden pasts, wrapped in decent production values but tangled storytelling. I was left scratching my head more than once, feeling like I missed some crucial pages.
All in all, Kiss Kiss Sxx is a mixed bag that rarely leaves a lasting impression. Watching it, I kept hoping for a moment to genuinely connect or feel a spark, but more often than not, I was left with a sense of “Meh, that was something…” You know that feeling when a kiss is just a kiss, without the heartbeat, without the magic? That’s exactly how this collection plays out. If you’re curious, give it a whirl on a lazy afternoon, but don’t count on these fleeting romances to linger longer than the closing credits.
I found the way the film uses a kiss as the only common thread quite intriguing, though it does seem to leave some characters feeling underdeveloped. The idea of a plant becoming more significant than the people in ‘Raise Me?’ is oddly charming, even if the execution felt a bit awkward at times.