This Fukushi Sota movie is labeled a bromance but let me tell you, the B in this bromance is very, very, VERY silent. Probably the most silent B in the existence of bromance.

It's a truly beautiful but also a very difficult movie to watch. It deals with themes like power harassment, suicide and depression. Takashi's (Kudo Asuka) road to peace and healing is long and ugly, luckily he has Yamamoto (Fukushi Sota) by his side every time he needs a shoulder to lean on. And it's just so wonderful!

Most of the movie is told from Takashi's POV, it's not until the end that Takashi delves into Yamamoto's life and the terrible tragedy that Yamamoto had to live with is revealed. The scene where Takashi goes digging into Yamamoto's life and finds out the truth is so, so beautiful because we finally get to see Yamamoto's POV, at least a little.

And the ending is just... fairy tale like. It's the happiest of endings, it truly is.

Read More

Oh, this was wonderful - and Fukushi Sota was so pretty in this! Sweet characters with a heart of gold suit him so well! I really, truly loved this drama. Who knew that grim reapers in pink bunny suits could be so hilarious!

The best part of this drama - at least for me - were definitely the relationships - and not just between Tsutsumi and Aguma, the leads. Tsutsumi's family was also hilarious and incredibly loving and lovable. And then there was Chisato, Tsutsumi's high school sweetheart...

I still think that Tsutsumi was autistic. His inability to understand how relationships and emotions in general worked. His tunel vision and his mile-a-minute talks on subjects that caught his interest, like rockets. It's not said out loud in the drama but... yeah.

This drama had some really hilarious moments but also some very touching that made me tear up. It had the perfect balance, IMHO. It's definitely a drama for blue moods, when you need a quick pick-up!

Read More

This is the story of two young people who - after a special brain surgery - gain the ability to, basically, predict the future. But actually, this is the story of a brutal murder of a family and of the revenge the sole survivor takes. But really, it's the story of a special friendship between two lab rats and the lengths the one goes to save the other.

There's no romance in this movie. Madoka and Kento could, possibly, one day become more if given the chance but at the time of the film, they're just friends. And while Kento is determined to avenge his late family and die together with the murderer, Madoka is just as determined to stop him and save his life.

I can't believe I felt sorry for the director, Kento's father, at first. As the story progressed and we saw what really happened from Kento's POV, what he had heard, lying comatose, what was done to him... yikes.

Also, I want to believe that Madoka and Kento found each other again at some point. I think there were enough hints dropped - she came to say goodbye to the professor (why? he knows her father, he knows the lab), when the professor started talking about why Kento disappeared, she cut him off, she was out of the lab again etc. And after everything she had done to find Kento, I don't think she would just let him disappear like that, especially in his state of mind...

Also #2, the movie's score is absolutely incredible!

Overall, a really good sci-fi movie with some interesting twists!

Read More

This movie - and manga - deals with heavy subjects, in particular with depression and suicide, both done and attempted, so beware!

I've been reading the manga - currently, I'm up to the end of vol. 4 - so I was curious how the movie compared to that. And I must say that Yamazaki Kento was amazing as Kakeru!

What I loved most about the story was the theme of friendship above everything. It didn't really matter who ended up with whom - if Naho ended up with Kakeru or Suwa or with neither of them - what really mattered was the friendship among all the six characters. Because it was not romance what kept Kakeru alive in the end, it was friendship.

To me, it was really interesting how the five friends, warned by their future selves of what would happen to Kakeru, decided to save him. Because it's quite easy to stop someone from getting hit with a brick or enter a plane that's about to crash. But how do you save someone from himself? How do you convince someone not to kill himself?

I loved the way they went about it, showing Kakeru again and again that they were there for him, that they loved him, that whatever burden weighed down on him, they would help him carry it. It truly warmed my heart, all of their love for Kakeru - and his love for them which swayed his decision in the end. It was so beautiful...

Overall, a really good, heart-warming movie. Highly recommended!

Read More

This is a movie about 3 BFFs since childhood: Shuta, Michiru & Saku. Saku dies of an heart attack in high school and since then, Shuta and Michiru's ways part, they never see each other again, both feeling guilty about what happened. But then, one day, Shuta finds a way to travel back in time and change the past. But it comes at a cost.

At first, I didn't think I would cry as much as I did because the first 2/3 or so of the movie are actually quite funny. I started feeling a little wobbly when Kyoko, the time traveler stuck outside of time for over 60 years, told Shuta about the consequences of changing the past - the loss of all memories. Everything gets rewritten. Everyone forgets the time traveler and he/she forgets them. And Shuta still decides to save Saku because he wants Saku to live, even at the cost of becoming a stranger to both him and Michiru...

And then, the scene at the train station. When Shuta saves Saku and they manage to catch Michiru before leaving and Shuta thinks that Michiru loves Saku and that Saku loves Michiru and so he's okay with them forgetting him because they will have each other, so it's okay, everything is okay...

But then, in the very last moments before everything gets rewritten, Shuta finds out that Michiru was never in love with Saku, she was in love with him, with Shuta, and Saku knew that. Shuta's realization... When he started crying - his friends' shock because they didn't get why! - when he managed to ask Michiru to smile at him if they ever meet again, even if she didn't remember him, when he told Saku he was entrusting Michiru to him - and in the next moment, they forgot all about him... Yeah, that's when I started bawling like a little kid.

Also, Kyoko's tears. Her, "I will remember you..."

And then the last scene on the beach, when Michiru and Saku met Shuta there, strangers to each other... The way they looked, like an old married couple, sweet but, well, boring, to be honest. It showed how different their life was without Shuta in it. But Shuta felt also a little different, so... peaceful. I think that if he remembered what he had done, he would still find it worth it.

Gosh, this movie. My head's aching from all the crying I did.

Read More

This is a live action Jmovie based on a manga. I haven't read the source material so I can't say how faithful of an adaptation this is but I really liked it. The special effects were incredible, the sound mixing honestly outta this world, the music was fantastic... and the themes right up my alley: friendship, brotherhood and family.

It's a story of three brothers who live together in an ancient temple in a village in the country. And, well, there's also this scary supernatural being that might destroy the world if not sealed. But it's mainly about these three brothers. And they love each other dearly. Yeah, the two younger ones are mightily frustrated with their big brother because Tenka is always fooling around and he can't take anything seriously - and he's also a super awesome martial arts master, unbeatable and determined to always protect everyone, sure, there's that.

I loved Fukushi Sota as Tenka. I wish the story delved deeper into his relationship with the other five family descendants, his best friends from way back when, before Tenka left them to take care of his little brothers after their parents were murdered. Alas. It feels like there's a whole another story there, left untold. Too bad...

Overall, a great movie with no romance and all the brotherly love one could wish for.

Read More

Oh, this was cute! So soft and cozy like pastel colored cotton. I felt like wrapping myself in this drama and just... relaxing.

It's a very short series - 8 episodes 10 or so minutes each - and so it didn't even try going big or broad or tackling any issues. It told a very simple story and because of that, it was really good.

It gave Eun Kyu, Hae Won and Ji Soo just enough background for the characters not to feel flat. In a few words and scenes it explained the depth of friendship between Eun Kyu & Ji Soo, the love they had for each other - and why the fact that they both started to have feelings for Hae Won created a problem between them - in the end, it wasn't about Hae Won at all.

And Hae Won. For the youngest and cutest character, he sure had a spine and he knew what he wanted - Eun Kyu. And he didn't let Eun Kyu discourage him. Softly, gently he stayed by Eun Kyu's side. That was all. Despite only just starting college, he seemed much more... emotionally mature than Eun Kyu. I guess it had much to do with the fact that he obviously had a loving family whereas Eun Kyu had none and not even the love of Ji Soo's family could really make up for that.

I honestly liked it a lot. There was so much good stuff there. Like when drunk Eun Kyu crawled into Hae Won's bed. Or when Hae Won treated Eun Kyu's burned arm. So sweet and soft.

Read More

This is an 8 episode drama and each ep is barely 20 minutes long, so don't expect a masterpiece. But it was actually a good one, IMHO. I appreciated what they tried to do with the little time and money they had.

I liked that it showed mental issues that weren't pretty in their portrayal and that didn't miraculously go away once the characters got together. I liked that, yes, Nawee decided to finally actually do something about his agoraphobia, abandonment issues etc. and so on with Aiaoon's help - but just because he decided so, it didn't mean that he was cured. He just took the first step.

I was also glad that he finally cut ties with his horrible, terrible, no good, very bad family who didn't appreciate him or help him in any way. When he finally got angry and told his brother off? I cheered!

I was also glad that Aiaoon simply told Chanjao the truth, that he wasn't just not ready to marry yet - he didn't love her anymore. After so many years that she spent studying abroad - years during which they apparently barely saw each other, barely even stayed in contact with each other - no wonder. And I was glad he didn't let himself be dragged along into a marriage. And another thing that I liked? That Chanjao didn't turn into some vengeful harpy but she stayed his friend, even though it hurt.

This drama is chock-full of whump, both physical - Nawee keeps fainting more often than your average Victorian romance heroine - and the care that Aiaoon shows to Nawee is just *chef's kiss*

Overall? Not really a masterpiece but a sweet little drama full of tropes and clichés and pretty people with great chemistry.

Read More

S2 was shorter than S1, the eps were only 25 mins or so long, so there were only a few cases to solve, but the addition of Terauchi Hajime, the... well, antagonist, made it more intriguing, though his story and his deeds, his motives turned out to be different than I originally thought.

The relationship between Akira and Fukamachi was deeper and closer, more meaningful and touching and sweet in S2, it progressed a lot since S1 and they became such good friends, it was quite sweet to watch. And Fukamachi smiled so much more here! Though I wish the story utilized both of their special powers more. Oh well...

Overall, a great follow-up to S1, though it did not give us all the answers regarding Akira and what happened to him, if he had really encountered a demon as a kid or not. I wish there were S3 but that seems highly unlikely. Too bad...

Read More

Satoh Takeru was absolutely amazing in this drama, playing so many characters at once, so many versions of Possessed!Ryoutaro. And in certain moments, it also allowed him to showcase his fighting skills, though rather rarely, true. I also have to praise all the suit actors who played the various Imagin!Ryoutaros because you really immediately knew who was in charge, which Imagin was at the wheel, just from their body language alone. That was so great!

But!

Despite all that, I didn't enjoy Den-O nearly as much as Build, my top Kamen Rider series. Why? Because even though Ryoutaro was the lead, the main storyline was not about Ryoutaro - at all. It was about Airi, Sakurai and finally Hana while Ryoutaro was, well, he was basically the pawn. Even Yuuto had a bigger role to play within the main arc than Ryoutaro, a red herring, sure, but for a big part of the story, Yuuto was the focus of the bad guys, so...

Sakurai was the mastermind, Airi the linchpin and then Hana the one it was all about while Ryoutaro... well, he fought. Sure, he made all of it possible but he wasn't the focus of the main arc. Compare that with Build where Sento and Banjo were the fighters and the focus of the main arc - and Sento even was the mastermind who went toe to toe with the lead baddie. It's basically the difference between action and reaction. Sento acted - Ryoutaro reacted. Sento played chess with Evolt - Ryoutaro was getting dragged along. Sento was Sakurai - Ryoutaro was Grease.

Also, I didn't understand why Ryoutaro gave up his train ticket at the end. I guess I must've missed something, it's possible because with all the time hopping and junctions and Singularity Points speak, I was getting a wee bit lost in how the rules of this world actually worked. Oh well... Maybe it gets explained in one of the movies? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Overall, a good series but for me personally, it doesn't top Build, not even remotely.

Read More

At first, I wasn't too sure if I would like the drama, it took an ep or two to get going for me, but once it started peeling back the characters' layers, it got really interesting. Especially once we got into Si Won's background, as revealed by that spiteful older student.

What I really loved about this little drama was that both the main characters made mistakes - either they were knee-jerk reactions (Si Won) or good intentions going all bad and awry (Da Woon) - but they always owned up to them and apologized. Maybe not right away and maybe they had to stew about them for a while but they always did. Communication, what a marvelous thing!

Also, for two newbie actors, they were really good and I hope we will get to see them in more dramas soon. Especially Jo Hyuk Joon got to me with his deep, smooth voice. What a voice that was!

Read More

This drama had some really funny moments. And some really cute ones. And Yamada Yuki was just great as Detective Yamada. And all the relationships among the cops, among the various partner pairs, were also great and sweet and touching.

But the drama lacked any kind of suspense. For a cop drama - even a comedy - it was plain boring, to be honest. It felt like it was written by a teenage girl, the cases and the cop stuff. The cops seemed more like regular small town clerks than actual policemen/women. I don't like or need gung-ho gunslingers but these cops were just lame. The only actually good one was the Police Box Chief, the resident slacker, which is kinda telling.

Overall, it wasn't exactly bad. But it wasn't all that great either. It had its moments but it definitely didn't glue me to the screen.

Read More

I watched this movie for Park Jin Young who played a supporting part in this movie - and who was as awesome as always, of course. And to watch him kick butt and be all ruthless and smart and cunning was a pleasure, too, of course.

I loved the action and Yaksha's core team, their loyalty to him - but I simply couldn't stand Prosecutor Han aka Nike. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't because of his need to uphold the law, not at all. But I hated that he behaved like a bull in a china shop once he joined the team in the field, getting them almost killed time and time again. When I'm dropped into a situation I don't know anything about, I don't behave like an arrogant power hungry know-it-all. I keep my trap shut and follow the lead of those who actually do know what's going on. He irked me so badly!

But I did love the ending, the scenes while the credits were rolling. That was awesome. And if there's a sequel - which is quite uncertain now, considering Netflix's current money trouble - I will watch it because I want to see Yaksha's team again!

Read More

This was cute. Quiet and peaceful. No big upheavals, just a story of two friends becoming successful in their chosen fields and finding love in each other. IMHO, it would've worked better as a movie - even 4 eps seemed a bit too much - but it was really cute. The actors sure elevated the whole thing.

I think my favorite character in the series was Kang Woo Il, the Big Name composer and Lee Eun Soo's boss. I loved that he gave Eun Soo an honest opinion on her writing without ever being mean. That he gave her a second chance and the time to get her song lyrics just right. That he worked on them with her. That he didn't let Han Sun Woo's childish tantrums rile him up. That when he proposed to Eun Soo and she rejected him, he calmly and kindly accepted it and remained her friend... He was just so... good.

Overall, a nice way how to spend an evening or two. But it's true that the drama was mostly carried by the acting and chemistry between Park Hyung Sik and Han So Hee.

Read More

I haven't seen Ryusoulger as of yet so I watched this movie solely for the Lupinrangers and the Patrangers. And even though they didn't interact much, I wasn't disappointed because it gave me much food for thought. Why?

Because it felt so... sad. The fun and energy of the series seemed subdued. Even the music - like when Kairi & Keiichiro met on "their" bridge - was so sad. The thieves, especially Kairi and Touma, were so... I don't know how to describe it. Like they carried the weight of the world on their shoulders, like their way of living was sucking the life out of them. Like Tsukasa mentioned, none of the Lupinrangers went home after they had been rescued. Umika at least went to college but Kairi still lived solely for stealing and Touma might have started a café but now that Tsukasa found out about it, it meant scraping it all and running again. In the series, being a thief seemed all excitement and fun but in the movie, you could see how much it was costing them, the fact that they could never go home. Not that they ever regretted their choices but... yeah.

It seemed like mainly Kairi and Keiichiro matured. Kairi was, what, 21 here in the movie? But when he talked to the Ryusoulgers, it felt as if a span of decades separated them. And Keiichiro... he was still quite excitable, sure, but what he had been through, it showed. Especially in the scene on the bridge.

I love that when they want to talk, they either go to the park where they first met or to that particular bridge and there they wait for the other to show up. One look in the middle of a fight is enough for them to communicate this, to say, "I need to talk, I'll be waiting," and the other just... gets it.

And the plot of this particular movie, the dinos trapped in the safes of that new Gangler leader, the despair of the Ryusoulgers to get them back... Kairi & Keiichiro understood it like no other. The need to save a loved one trapped like that. It was his brother for Kairi - and it was Kairi for Keiichiro! Kairi - and Touma and Umika - had also been once trapped in a Gangler's safe, the Gangler Boss Dogranio's safe, and it was Keiichiro who had to decide what was more important to him, the earth or Kairi. And he chose Kairi...

Gosh, the scene on the bridge, the way Keiichiro couldn't seem to take his eyes off Kairi. Kairi's "Don't die, Mr. Hot-headed policeman." Yeah, it was short but the actors managed to squeeze so much emotion into it, the depth of affection between Kairi & Keiichiro, their need to see each other, to talk to each other, at least for a little while, like they used to before, when the world didn't know the identity of the thieves... Yeah, these two? They are definitely not just friends.

Also, I love Kairi's new abode, the old factory. It's very chic.

Read More