ChaNee's Weekend Movie Recommendations

Calling all movie buffs. Grab your blankets and tissue boxes and come join me for a weekend filled with “feel-good” movies. They will be sure to make you cry, laugh and smile.

HEAVENLY FOREST

(Tada, kimi wo aishiteru)

• Country: Japan     

• Year: 2006     

• Genre: Manga, Melodrama, Romance, Youth

On the first day of freshman semester at the University, Segawa Makoto (Tamaki Hiroshi) skips the opening ceremony and heads toward the traffic light. That is where he spots Satonaka Shizuru (Miyazaki Aoi), a very eccentric-looking girl trying to cross a busy pedestrian walk. This moment is the beginning of Segawa and Shizuru’s journey through friendship, love & photography.

Ramblings

For those who don’t like slow-moving introspective storylines, you may not enjoy this as much as I did. I loved getting to know the two main characters as individuals as well as seeing their friendship grow. Now for me, this was an emotional film but it wasn’t quite the tearjerker I was expecting. It did leave me a little shook even though half way through the movie, you can detect how the story will end. Still a feel-good movie that I am recommending.

I give this film 4 out of 5 Gimbap

A Boy and His Samurai

(Chonmage Purin)

• Country: Japan     

• Year: 2010     

• Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Manga    

Yasube Kijima (Nishikido Ryo), an Edo Period samurai, travels 180 years into the future to Tokyo Japan and meets single mother Hiroko (Tomosaka Rie) and her son Tomoya (Suzuki Fuku). He moves in with the small family and shows his gratitude by helping Hiroko with household chores and taking care of Tomoya while she works. While Kijima stays home being a “stay-at-home” guardian, he finds a passion for baking desserts.   

Ramblings

This is not a unique premise and it’s not exceptionally well-written but what it is is a nice, simple story about family, friends, love and sweets. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I give this film 4 out of 5 Gimbap

Orange

(Orenji)

• Country:  Japan     

• Year: 2015     

• Genre: Drama, Friendship, Manga, Romance, School, Supernatural, Tragedy, Youth

One day on her way to school, Takamiya Naho (Tsuchiya Tao) receives a letter written by her from 10 years into the future. She begins to read it at the beginning of class and realises that it is foreshadowing the events of the arrival of a new classmate, Naruse Kakeru (Yamazaki Kento) As she continues reading the letter, she finds several requests from her future self in regards to Kakeru.  She begins to wonder what is it about Kakeru and why is it so important to change the outcome of the past. What happens to Kakeru in the future? 

Ramblings  

This was such a feel-good movie. It will definitely put some smiles on your face, some laughter in your voice, and certainly have tears pouring from your eyes. I don’t think I found one thing wrong with this movie and it might have some flaws but I was so engrossed in the characters and their relationships with each other that nothing else mattered. You will get to see the reason behind the future letter and how it interacts with the past. I found it to be beautifully synced. It was just natural to watch.

I give this film 5 out of 5 Gimbap

If you have any recommendations for movies I should watch, send me a message: @ChaNee
If you are interested in writing Movie Reviews, please contact @Kikimorka.