An Awesome Light Hearted and Touching Drama

Everyone in this drama just has superb chemistry. It's a really sweet and touching Drama about a mother-daughter pair played by the irrepressible duo of Miho Kanno and Minami Hamabe.

The best part of this drama is that every relationship shown is just so precious. Okada Kenshi is seriously one of the sweetest on screen guy around, ever so patient, understanding and supportive.

You gotta give it to the writers. Even saori's relationship with Gon's father is so sweet despite the crazy age gap.

I've a huge fan of Minami and I can say this was totally worth my time. Just a wholesome drama all around. Kudos to the casts.

Leia Mais

A Slow, Warm and Thought-provoking drama

Now this is not a romantic or a comedy drama (despite the funny looking promo poster). It is actually a slow (really slow at times) and thought-provoking drama.

This may not be everyone's cup of tea (as can be seen in it's fluctuating tv rating in Japan). However, the acting by the casts is stellar.

Again, this drama boasts the collaboration between two of Japan's finest young actor/actress, Kasumi Arimura and Suda Masaki. If you have seen the film Loved Liked a Flower Bouquet, you will totally understand why they are so highly sought after in japan . In this drama, this duo again provides us with their superb performance, albeit this time supported by a really strong casts all around.

Story wise, it's really about sticking to your dreams, no matter what the final outcome may be. You will see how the main casts struggle to fulfil their lifelong dreams despite all the setbacks and difficulties they faced.

In a way, it is also a story of hope, of how even someone whom may be perceived as a failure by many, may in the end be a source of strength to another.

Watch this, even if it's only for the great acting by the casts. You won't regret it.

(PS: Kasumi Arimura was voted the best supporting actress for her role in this drama in the recent 108th The Television Drama Academy Awards Japan Winner (Spring 2021). Suda Masaki was named runners-up in the best actor category, which was won by Hiroshi Abe)

Leia Mais

The highest grossing kamen rider film in history. A great ride!

Firstly, i am not a follower of the kamen rider series although i do know them since i was a kid. Kamen rider is pretty iconic in Japan and Asia, just like Ultraman and Godzilla.

Helmed by the brilliant Hideaki Anno, the mastermind behind the Shin series (Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman), this film stars Sosuke Ikematsu as Kamen Rider 1. What really drew me to this film is actually Minami Hamabe.

The story basically starts from the creation of Kamen Rider. Minami plays Ruriko Midorikawa, the daughter of the brilliant scientist Dr. Hiroshi Midorikawa, who is basically the creator of Kamen Rider 1. It's basically a story of the war between Kamen Rider and an "evil" organisation called "Shocker". Que the inverted comas because there's a reason for it. Watch it to find out.

I have been a fan of Minami Hamabe since forever. To see her reuniting with Emoto Tasuku (they both starred in the drama series Dr. White) is indeed a treat. I really loved her acting here. She just embodies her character really well.

The CGI used is pretty interesting. Some may find the fighting scenes rather dizzying or bloody but i personally enjoyed them. I liked the chemistry between Ruriko and the 2 Kamen Riders. Overall, the acting by all the casts were great. Although this is essentially an action-movie, there are some really well-done touching/sad scenes.

PS: there are actually quite a number of cameos by popular actors and actresses such as Masami Nagasawa and Yutaka Takenouchi. Keep an eye out for it.

Overall, this is a great watch. The storyline is good and consistent. Although this movie's box office performance isn't as good as the previous two shin series, it is still the highest grossing kamen rider film in history. I believe the lower box office gross is due more to the fact that the Kamen rider series itself is not as popular as that of Ultraman and Godzilla.

Is it worth the watch ? DEFINITELY!

Leia Mais

A crash course to craziness!

A first look at the casts and if you are a fan of Korean movies and dramas, the first names you will notice is the acclaimed actress Jeon Do-yeon. A 4 times Best actress winner at the Baeksang Arts Awards, you are pretty much guaranteed a drama with good acting. Or course, Jung Kyung-ho is no slouch in the acting department either.

However, as the show progresses, what really caught me was the acting of the students, in particular the young and beautiful Roh Yoon-seo. Boy can this girl act. It's funny how i first saw her in 20th century girl where I thought she was really good, but due to her being the 2nd lead, she didn't have too much screen time so I sort of forgot about her. Then as I watched this show, I went back and watched her previous drama (which also happened to be a mega hit, Our Blues) and she really blew me away there with her acting as a pregnant teen student.

Coming back to this drama, it's not an exaggeration to say that the actors/actresses acting as students really carried quite a portion of this drama.

Funny scenes aside, with a focus on the overbearing parents and a dog-eats-dog world of high school life, this show really sheds serious light on how an uncompromising and competition-focused education system can bring not only honor and pride to successful students, but also massive pressure and heartache to students and parents alike.

At times, this show really makes you feel for the students. That is all thanks to the brilliant acting from the young casts.

Of course, as per the title of the drama, there's a healthy dose of romance and comedy involved, as well as some darker theme (serial killer, anyone?).

Plot-wise, I won't call this the best storyline or anything. In fact, I would say that there are quite a few major and glaring plotholes as well as some unresolved plot (guess the writer just forgot about it along the way). However, what is lack story wise, it definitely made up acting wise.

I would say this is definitely worth a watch, simply for the great acting by all the casts involved. Mark my words, Roh Yoon-seo is certainly a name for the future. I hope she will reach the heights of Jeon Do-yeon. (sorry if this turned into a Roh Yoon-seo worshipping post lol).

Leia Mais

An interesting story of 3 Italian men stranded in Japan during World War 2

I'm Kasumi Arimura's biggest fan so maybe my review is biased but then again, this is a really fun watch.

I like how unlike a lot of Japanese films on world war 2, this one doesn't really touch on which side is right or wrong nor does it promote Japan nationalism during the war.

Rather, it is more of a comedic take on 3 Italian sailors who happen to be stranded in Japan and treat as a semi Prisoner of War due to Italy's suddenly change of stance during WW2.

You have to give props to the acting by the 3 Italian guys. They are funny and yet, emotional at the same time. You just find yourself rooting for them somehow or other.

Kasumi is great as usual but Ninomiya actually surprised me here. I've watched a couple of his shows and I know he is quite an acclaimed actor but still, he's really good here as the Japanese commander who is tasked with supervising the 3 Italians.

It's a fun movie which is suitable for everyone and it's worth the watch.

Leia Mais

One of the best Thrillers around

Definitely one of the best time travel / time loop movie I've watched in a long time. It really puts you at the edge of your seat. Park Shin-Hye and Jeon Jong Seo are both spectacular here. I just don't see this movie succeeding with anyone else aside from them.

It's always difficult to create a good time travel movie as there are just too many things to explain and it's really difficult to ensure everything is tied together. They did it pretty well here.

No doubt this is sort of a remake of the old English film but still, the actresses played it to perfection. You can feel the thrill when shin hye and Jong Seo were having their cat and mouse game and there's always that lingering question, how can someone from the present (A) prevent someone from the past (B) from killing A's past self, especially when A has no way of reaching her past self ?

It's like a totally against the odds tale. You know chances are extremely high that A is gonna lose, but you still want to find out if A can actually win.

Masterpiece really.

Leia Mais

The best Korean Drama ever and one of the best live-actions ever produced, period.

Sure, my headline may not be to everyone's taste, but I have no doubts this is one of the best live-action shows ever made.

We all know the Japanese are the masters of live-action, with awesome movies and dramas such as Rurouni Kenshin, I want to eat your pancreas, Death Note, Tokyo Revengers, to name a few. The West have a few too, with the Avengers trilogy being at the forefront as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Just looking at the shows named above means that it will take a lot to make a new live-action that is on par with those mentioned above, and South Korea isn't really known for their live-action shows.

That has all changed with Moving. This is the groundbreaking one, the series that finally breaks the ceiling for Korean Cinema, the one allows Korean to proudly proclaim "we can produce live-action films and dramas too, and a damn good one as well".

Based on the story by Kang Full, a popular Korean manhwa artists, this drama basically tells the story of a group of superpowered human and their children.

The way their story is told is non-conventional and this actually adds a lot to it's charm.

With multiple Baeksang Arts Award (the highest and most prestigious film, drama and theater honours in South Korea) winning actors and actresses such as Han hyo-joo, Jo In-sung, Ryu Seung-ryong, Ryoo Seung-bum, Cha Tae-hyun, Kim Sung-kyun, Moon Seung-keun, Kim Shin-rok and Yang Dong-geun, you can be assured that acting quality will not even be an issue to be discussed. (I have to confess, this is probably the first and the only time you will ever see 9 Baeksang award winners in a single show, except for award ceremonies of course. If this isn't a reason in itself to watch this show, I don't know what is).

You will be able to witness spectacular performances, most notably from Ryu Seung-ryong and Han Hyo-joo. I dare say, even at this stage, these 2 actors will be the frontrunners for awards at the next Baeksang Arts Award.

The most unique part of this series is that this isn't your typical superhero show. There's no "let's all go save the world" overused plots. In facts, it's almost as if the superhuman beings in this show never wanted to be heroes in the first place. They just want to live as normal human beings with their family members. Whether they are able to do so and for how long is the crux of the story.

To tell a superhero story is easy. We have an abundance of films and dramas on them already (marvel cinematic universe, DC cinematic universe etc etc). To tell a superhero story that is centered so much on family, parent-child and schoolmates relationships is on the other hand, not that easy. A wrong touch and it may end up as a bore. Moving however managed to do it with applause.

This is a show not to be missed. It is a masterpiece for the ages.

PS : Keep you eyes wide open. There are quite a few easter eggs here and there.

Leia Mais