Magically Dramatical Mistakes: Jp

Showing posts with label Jp. Show all posts

Friday, August 14, 2015

Love Exposure

Love Exposure/ 愛のむきだし/ Ai no Mukidashi * (Japanese)
Movie 237 mins

Takahiro Nishijima as Yu Tsunoda

Not to be confused by the Korean film with the same name. I did not like this film. it seemed gritty and dirty from the first to the last.. The acting, I suppose, was alright, given the constant sense of doomed tragedy going on. Favorite scene(s): The arrival of Ms. Scorpion, kickin butt and kissin face.

Yu lost his mom to a disease, then lost his dad to the church. As if that were bad enough, Priest dad got swayed and felled by a parishioner and poor Yu about became bro-in-law to the love of his life. In an insane desire to get his dad's attention, Yu had turned to the wilder and darker side of the city and took on a dare. Not only did this get the attention of the girl he liked, it also unfortunately got the attention of a cult called Zero church, which snagged his family, such as it was, and only Yu could do anything about it.

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Monday, August 3, 2015

Time Spiral

Time Spiral/ タイムスパイラル ** (Japanese)
8 episodes

Kuroki Meisa as Aizawa Natsuki

University student, Natsuki, still suffered panic attacks from a 'mistaken identity' kidnapping in her youth. Even as she attempted to let go of her reliance on her best friend, Kentaro, He had thoughts of making more of their relationship. Then one day, the school had a new teacher, and strange and rather inexplicable things began to happen to Natsuki. Prof. Tatsumi, it seems, has been desperately hopping back and forth in time looking for a perfect ideal that would keep someone very close to him alive in the future he knows.

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Friday, July 17, 2015

Black Butler

Black Butler/ 黒執事/ Kuroshitsuji (Japanese)
119 min movie

Hiro Mizushima as Sebastian
Ayame Gouriki as Earl Shiori

Not too bad for a live action rendition. That butler was sure wicked quick with a butter knife, wow. Favorite scene(s): the Butler dance of death in a room full of enemy targets.

The young Earl of the corporation is a watchdog or investigator of sorts for the western side queen. In the Earl's company is a proficient butler/bodyguard who holds a demonic contract for when the Earl dies. The earl is put on task in trying to find the reason why one of the nobles was found recently mummified in his car.

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Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Yamada and the Seven Witches

Yamada and the Seven Witches/ 山田くんと7人の魔女/ Yamada-kun to nananin no majo ** (Japanese)
8 episodes

Cute story. Putting excessive number of smooches aside for the moment, it was a funny light romantic romp with a bit of adventure thrown in just to keep the short story moving along. Favorite scene(s): splatted and unrolling at the foot of the stairs. the heart of a Pomeranian. and the exuberant buddy kiss.

Rebel goes to an elite school and in an effort to ask for help with a failing grade, learns of the legend of 7 witches... each with a spell passed from one person to another through a kiss. After a bout of the switchero gains him the needed help with his test, and curious about what spells each has, he and his new-found friends begin a quest to find the other 6.

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Thursday, June 13, 2013

High School debut

High School debut/ 高校デビュー/ Koko Debut **\ (Japanese)
Movie 98mins

Junpei Mizobata as You Komiyama
Ito Ono as Haruna Nagashima

Sweet and silly movie. I liked the brand of humor in this one. Not the crazed over-the-top stuff that passes for funny like many Japanese shows seem to show, but a simple clumsy and slap-at-the-forehead humour for being a bit behind in 'normal' life, mixed with some easy mind-reading laughs. Favorite character(s): I liked them all really, well.. except perhaps, for the freakish dog/person statue in front of the school. It was quite the character though.

A girl, having spent most of her previous school years embroiled in baseball, makes the decision, at last, to concentrate on getting a boyfriend before Christmas. If efforts to gain control of her woahfully out of date wardrobe and dating skills, she begs a more popular guy to help her out. He reluctantly agrees, with the condition that she not fall for him.

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Hyunhaetan Marriage War

Hyunhaetan Marriage War/ Doenjang-gun and Natto-jjang's Marriage War/ 된장군과 낫토짱의 결혼전쟁/ Doenjanggungwa Nattojjangui Kyeolhonjeonjaeng ** (Korean-Japanese colab)
2 episodes

Im Joo Hwan as Kim Dae Chun

Fun romance with several chuckles at the silliness of the situation. Favorite scene(s): The dad's are finally getting along.

Japanese girl and Korean guy, very much in love, break the news of their desire to marry, to their folks, the father's of whom are badly surprised and against marriage outside their own country.

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Sunday, May 12, 2013

Kimi ni Todoke

Kimi ni Todoke/ 君に届け/ From Me to You **\ (Japanese)
Movie 128 mins

Haruma Miura as Shota Kazehaya

What a sweet school romance! Favorite scene(s): Abruptly leaving the gym, hand in hand.

Shy and quiet Sawako Kuronuma, seeks only to be of help, but becomes something of the school's pariah, Rumors fly about her resemblance and demeanor of a ghost, of how she can curse with a steady gaze of 3 seconds. Many believe the rumors,..but for 4. her teacher, two girls who became good friends, and Shota Kazehaya, whose eyes and ready smile were always on her.

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Sunday, April 28, 2013

Minami-kun no Koibito

Minami-kun no Koibito 2004/ 南くんの恋人/ Minami's Girlfriend ** (Japanese)
11 episodes

Fukada Kyoko as Chiyomi
Ninomiya Kazunari as Minami

2nd version of an original idea, I believe. Not a bad tale really.. almost in spite of the issues. I was expecting the seductress girl to be a bit more ruthless then she turned out to be... not sure just why that was...almost a disappointment. Acting in general was so-so yet not horrible. Could have something to do with having to act through the camera trickery.
Fav scene(s): the implied, 'I'm not worried about you.. I'm worried about..' ... me.(?)

A guy and girl's mutual love is tested, stressed, and then changed.. when one is shrunken to a much smaller version of themselves.

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Atsui Kuuki

Atsui Kuuki/ 熱い空気/ Hot Air *\(Japanese)
1 episode

The boy's Grandmother

Reminds me vaguely of Mary Poppins, although certainly not for any magical overtones. This housekeeper's reasons for doing and being, was a bit more serious and personal, then were Mary's. Didn't mean a whole lot to me one way or another. a little boring, a little romantic, a little mystery, a little sadness. All in all, I guess it was ok... I guess.

Girl with an unbearably sad past, disguises her natural beauty, and takes on a job as a housekeeper for a high society family on the brink of collapse. She tries both to support the family as well as to expose their problems to the light of awareness. The father is having an affair, the wife might be as well. The oldest son is smoking, the youngest is 'Trouble' in the making... and somehow she quietly moves through the whole thing... even if it's having to weasel past or suddenly snarling her way through their objections and suspicions.

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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Watashi to Kare to Oshaberi Kuruma

Watashi to Kare to Oshaberi Kuruma/ Me, Him and the Talkative Car/ 私と彼とおしゃべりクルマ ** (Japanese)
2 episodes

Girl, bored practically to tears with her life and job, gripes her way to the beach in her car to spend a lonely birthday. Mysteriously, there is a 'bolt out of the blue' that strikes the car she was driving and before she quite realizes what happened, her car is talking! Seems he was a gift from the future set to brighten her life and make it a bit more fun for her.

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Friday, January 11, 2013

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time/ 時をかける少女/ Toki o Kakeru Shojo ** (Japanese)
Movie 122 mins

Based off a manga story (and an anime by the same name - link). A show set to spark the imagination into circles of possibility. Favorite scene(s):The time travel dash, the eventual meeting with dad, and the realization of a swiftly upcoming danger to those dear.

A girl, whose mother was in an accident, takes the time experiment her mother had created, in an attempt to go back in time to meet her father and deliver a message. Problem is.. she miscalculates and arrives in a school lab 2 years after the time she was to arrive. There, she meets 2 film makers in the midst of an amateur movie who attempt to help her achieve her goals before she has to return.

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin/ るろうに剣心 (Japanese)
movie 134 mins

Takeru Sato as Kenshin Himura

Lots of well done sword-fighting! Not much in the romance genre for this movie, unless you consider the slight glows of preference. Perhaps the story will be continued in a part 2? Here is to hoping. fav scene(s): Kaoru Kamiya's first how-do-you-do with the wanderer. bokken style.

A wandering samurai, having taken a vow of no-more-killing, discovers a new home when he protects a girl and her father's dojo from thugs. After which he makes the acquaintance of a new friend, the brawler, and takes on the local drug lord.

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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Zenkai Girl

Zenkai Girl/ 全開ガール/ full throttle girl **\ (Japanese)
11 episodes

Aragaki Yui as Ayukawa Wakaba

I liked this one, rather in spite of the bull-headed girl. Hat's off to the shop owner, well supported. fav character(s): little Emitaro for being the ray of light at his dad's feet.

A thickheaded woman wanna-be-famous lawyer, struggling for a job, gains employment babysitting for the president of the company. And through that little girl, meets a poor single dad and his son. One drunk evening, she tries to prove that a single kiss ment nothing, and ends up smooching the guy. Unfortunately, it was just the start of her heart's trouble... and his as well. This love hardly went in-line with her planned future!

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Rich Man Poor Woman

Rich Man Poor Woman/ リッチマン、プアウーマン ** (Japanese)
11 episodes

Ishihara Satomi as Natsui Makoto

This first episode and a good part of the second, seemed scattered and difficult to understand (tech talk).. It did pick up rather nicely though. Good Comedy Romance.
Fav scene(s): finally! He admits it!

Clumsy unemployed and struggling girl, meets a rich to ruin computer wiz company president with a repelling attitude. somehow, even through all of the trouble love does indeed blossom. Questions are.. how to get back on their feet, and how to get them both on the same page together?

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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Sprout

Sprout ** (Japanese)
12 episodes

Jinguji Yuta as Katagiri Kou

Short and rather sweet really. First loves aren't always the one and only.. and yet sometimes, feelings are enduring.

The days seemed to flow by without a hitch for Miku, until her folks decided to open their house to boarders. Of significance, was a guy called Souhei. Miku fell head over heels the moment her hand touched his. she knew he was the one, trouble was, he had a girlfriend. And to add complication, another of the school's hunk's (and a seeming playboy), Hayato, finally let on that he liked her. While she seemed flattered and touched by a first confession, she was hopelessly pining for her next door housemate!

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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Konkatsu!

Konkatsu!/ Marriage Hunting!/ 婚カツ！ **(Japanese)
11 episodes

Ueto Aya as Tobita Haruno

Mildly funny romance. Somehow My eyes were always being drawn to the main male lead's hair... it just.. idunno.. it looked weird. Fav character(s): yasu and spunky Haruno.

Having walked away from a previous job in efforts to save the job of a co-worker, Kuniyuki desperately looks about for a new job. finally finding a temporary possibility he tells a fib to pass the 'marriage' requirement. Then finds himself having to back it up before the company president finds out.

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Friday, July 13, 2012

Ohitorisama

Ohitorisama/ ** (Japanese)
10 episodes

Koike Teppei as Kamisaka Shinichi

Sweet romantic comedy..even though there seemed no real chemistry between the male lead and anyone else. Still, I liked him for a clumsy personality which was a bit of relief from the concerns of the president, her cruddy subordinates, the strictness of the lead teacher, and the sniping from some of the students.

An older single teacher gets more responsibilities when another teacher resigns and a young hand-picked freeter substitute is introduced. After a couple of drunken evenings and a bad circumstance, he moves in with her in secrecy, with the understanding he would find his own place when he got paid. How long though, will they be able to keep it and their growing feelings for one another under wraps?

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Sunday, July 1, 2012

Shima Shima

Shima Shima/ シマシマ/ Striped Sheep ** (Japanese)
10 episodes

Yada Akiko as Houkigi Shio

Mildly funny romance. Got a few giggles and sympathy out of me for the "can't sleep dreammare." The shop theme seemed a wanted and delightful one, but, I can imagine it'd be difficult to maintain in it's platonic style. All in all, it seemed... melancholy.

Shio, a 30something salon worker starts a business to help women sleep by providing sleep companions.. Young men willing to to play teddybear for a night. But in all her helping others, she didn't consider herself, lonely since the day the older brother of one of her sheep ran off trailing divorce papers for her. As it turns out, two of the sheep profess feelings for her, and try to help her out, going to the extent of possibly throwing away a future career because it would mean years in a far away place.

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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Star no Koi

Star no Koi/ Star Struck/ Love with a Super Star/ スタアの恋/ Sutaa no Koi ** (Japanese)
11 episodes

Kusanagi Tsuyoshi as Nakata Sosuke
Fujiwara Norika as Kirishima Hikaruko

A romance-comedic take on a British film. The two main characters in this drama just kept missing each-others cues and prompts. The only true drawback that I found to this drama, was the constant repeat of the theme 'song's first couple of chorus lines. I dunno it got seriously old really fast to me. fav scene(s): The star's sudden arrival at the commoner's home for a week's stay.

A 'common' worker in a ham company, meets and falls in with a famous actress, when she seizes the moment in an attempt to spur the guy she liked. He's disappointed by the use, but plays along for a time until the situation falls apart and the truth is revealed. From that point onward, they were brought together several times but each time seemed to result in another fail to realize their true feelings for one another. Would the two ever find the moment to confess before the distance became too great?

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Friday, June 29, 2012

Space Battleship Yamato

Space Battleship Yamato/ Uchu senkan Yamato ** (Japanese)
Movie 138mins

Takuya Kimura as Susumu Kodai

Not a bad story really. The movie had several *super-villian-timestop-for-explanation* moments, most of which I managed to gloss over in favor of watching the movie action. So, really, there was only one scene which stopped me near in my tracks and left me grumbling and glancing at my watch, wondering just when they were going to restart the desperate moment they were in just before having a long tearful goodbye. Tragedy by the bunches to be found here. Fav scene(s): woo! acting captain gets a little action in warp before the action of arrival.

Earth has a problem, invading aliens have radiated the entire surface of the planet, leaving the people no-where else to go but underground while the military is quickly losing ground in the near space. After Kodai comes across an alian com device, they quickly put the finishing touches to the yamoto and take on crew in a last ditch effort to find a long-shot miracle for the planet before time runs out for the remaining human population. Kodai quickly reinlists and takes on the gamble to see them all the way to the alien planet and back again.

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