Silenced - Korea

          Director:  Dong-hyuk Hwang
          Year:  2011
          Plot:  "Gang In-ho, who is working to earn money for his daughter's surgery, is appointed to a school for hearing-impaired children in Gwangju.  But what he discovers there is an ugly truth: the children are being physically and sexually abused by their teachers.  When he decides to fight for the children's rights and expose the crimes being committed at the school, In-ho teams up with human rights activist Seo Yu-jin.  But he and Yu-jin soon realize the school's principal and teachers, and even the police, prosecutors and churches in the community are actually trying to cover up the truth."


          I know I have been slacking as far as Asian movie reviews go.  I have watched a bunch, but haven't had the time to actually get a review done.  As far as Silenced goes, I had to find the time to review.  I know it is a subject that many might try to avoid watching, I know my sister is.  I ended up watching the movie alone in my room because she refused to watch a movie involving child abuse and molestation.  As I see it though, this movie isn't about the bad, but about the good that came out of this case.
          This movie was stunning to watch and i could see it from the beginning.  I was sold about this movie even after the first 20 minutes.  The fact that the abuse and molestation wasn't shied away from like many other movies might have made the movie all that more impactful.  One person suggested that people fast forward through the scenes on Netflix and I think that is horrible.  I am a person who laughs at blood and gore, but I had to look away quite a few times while watching the abuse scenes, still I never skipped over these scenes.  It just seems wrong to me to actually skip over these scenes when the point was for them to be disturbing.  If you simply skip over them, I don't know that the impact would be the same.
          I also found another response posted about this movie that said how horrible the people were for being a part of making this movie.  The person was upset because of how the movie ended, and that the teacher was a coward for not helping the children.  The problem is that this movie wasn't meant as a feel good movie.  This was meant as a statement about the atrocities that went on at a school for the deaf and limitations that were faced when trying to punish those at fault.  The fact is that you should be upset after watching this movie.  To think that the government had so many faults that the ending happened as it did is outrageous.
          I have to say the person was completely wrong about the teacher though.  He wasn't a coward, he was just conflicted for the most part.  It was really hard for him to go against what he needed to do for his own family to help out the children.  I can only imagine what kind of stress he must have felt knowing that he was doing the right thing, but in doing so was going against his duties to his family.

          This is definitely a movie to watch.  It is sad and disturbing, but it definitely strikes a nerve in a positive way.  The acting in this movie was great, some felt that Yoo Gong (played In-ho) was rather emotionless, but I have to disagree.  I simply felt that he was conflicted and wasn't sure what the best course was.

Kaiji 2: Jinsei dakkai gemu - Japan

          Director:  Toya Sato
          Year:  2011
          Plot:  "Soon after having his debt cleared, Kaiji Ito is soon in debt again, and as is sent back underground. He earns the chance to return above ground for 2 weeks, he takes up the challenge of earning the 200,000,000 yen he needs to help his friends who are relying on him.  To make the money he finds a new game to play, one that is once again set against him."

          It's been over a year since I seen the first one, so I had to go back and look at my post for it.  While watching this movie I really did remember a lot of the first one, but nothing about what I wrote in my review. Time has sure flown by it seems, but I guess movies have a habit of leaving major impressions on me.
          In the second installment of Kaiji, the game has changed.  Instead of playing different strategy games and facing death defying challenges, Kaiji is up against a pachinko machine.  This may not seem like that big of a deal and on the simplest level, it probably wouldn't be much of a big deal.  Factor in that the machines payout would be a little over 1 billion and the fact that the game is likely rigged, and the story line starts to get a boost.
          I am not sure what it is about Kaiji, but these are the only movies involving gambling that I am genuinely nervous for the characters.  I don't know how many times my hands were clenched while watching this.  I think it might have a little something to do with the characters.  Kaiji himself is really sweet and tries to always help everyone, even when he himself is in trouble.  The pressure on him in this movie is even more intense because he not only has his own debt on his shoulders, but that of 20 or so men in the underground that are counting on him.  This isn't enough for Kaiji though and he soon takes on even more charity cases.
           I really don't think either Kaiji movie would have been so good to me if the character wasn't the way he is.  Sure, many consider Tatsuya to be an over-actor, but it has seemed to work really well with the character of Kaiji.  I just couldn't imagine him in any other way.  He is dramatic, but I like the character that way.  n.n

          As with the first movie, I highly recommend this.  Of course, the first one is probably necessary to get a feel for the characters as a few come from that one.  If you don't care for the characters and what is happening to them, neither movie will probably be all that enjoyable.  The thing is, that is the same with every movie, so you have to watch them for yourself to see if you will love the character and the movie.

          Check out my review of Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler!

The Sorcerer and the White Snake - China

          Director:  Siu-Tung Ching

          Year:  2011

          Plot:  "Action director Ching Siu-Tung helms this fantasy film based on an old Chinese legend about an herbalist who falls in love with a thousand-year-old White Snake disguised as a woman. Jet Li stars as a sorcerer who discovers her true identity and battles to save the man's soul."

          I actually watching this movie about a week or so ago, but homework has gotten in the way of writing a review.  As such, this review might not be as specific as those that I write right after viewing the movie.  I bought this from a little stand in the Mall of America, because my store was closed down (F.Y.E).  Because of the place I got it, the subtitles were a little interesting.  They weren't hard to understand, but they were so light sometimes, the white would disappear into scenery and clothes.

          Anyway, that has nothing to do with the movie itself.  n.n  Though I have seen quite a bit of complaints about this movie, I really enjoyed it.  It wasn't the best because I do admit some of the flaws it faces.  This movie has a lot of CGI, and it wasn't exactly on par with some of the movies that come out in the US.  This fact really doesn't bother me though as Asian movies don't usually us CGI as much, so it makes sense that they haven't exactly perfected everything.  Many parts of the movie were still very well done despite the usual CGI problems.  The only reason I had even a little problem with it is that it did take away from some of the fight scenes.

          I really like the story of the movie though.  It does come from a legend so it really has a fairytale feel to it, just with more fighting than most of us are used to.  n.n  I found that some people also had a problem with Jet Li's character in the movie because he is kind of mean towards the demons.  I actually enjoyed his character.  Sure, he is kind of mean to the snake lady, but he is a monk who fights demons.  In general cases, it is usually not a good thing to trust any demon, even if they play nice.  I also have to say that the end really made the movie and especially Jet Li's character.

          I would definitely suggest this movie to those who enjoy a variety of Asian movies.  I do not think this is one for those knew to Asian movies or culture.  I had to explain a few things to my mother, but she did understand the basic story because it falls pretty inline with some of our own tales.  Also, I really only wanted to see this movie because I love Jet Li.  I think Neng Ren is my favorite character though.  n.n

The Samurai of Ayothaya - Thailand

          Director:  Nopporn Watin
          Year:  2010
          Plot:  "Based on a true historic figure during Ayothaya Era, the film depicts the life of Yamada Nagamasa, a Japanese adventurer who gained considerable influence in Thailand and became the governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand."

          I know many people don't agree with my rating, by this I mean many of the people who voted on IMDb as it only got a 5.9 out of 10 rating.  Now though I agree that this movie wasn't a 10 out of 10, I loved this movie.  Oh and one person brought up that for a based on a true story it didn't seem very realistic.  My response is that it is 'based on' and not a documentary.  It was made to be entertaining and not exactly completely historically true.
          I really loved the way that they portrayed the story.  I really love the idea that these people would take in an injured enemy rather than leave him to die.  This fact just really spurs on the events of the rest of the movie.  It is kindness and acceptance that leads the main character to want to be apart of the life rather than seeing them as enemies.
          Someone brought up that the samurai and ninjas aren't as weak as you see in the film.  I have to agree that they were impressive figures in history, but I can accept there lacking in this movie for one reason.  In this movie, it seems that the Japanese characters (samurai and ninja) haven't encounter these warriors before.  I find it hard to believe that a ninja or samurai could be prepared for their sort of fighting style.  It would probably be very intimidating to face someone with such a drastically different style for the first time.  I also have to point out that the samurai beat many ninjas drunk, so they already didn't seem very tough.
          There wasn't really too much I disliked.  I didn't like that they sometimes speed up the fighters and it almost looked like they were teleporting.  I mean if you are going for real fighting styles for most of the movie, the teleporting looks wrong.  I mean these are real people.  Sure the fighting is about speed and power, but real peoples speed and power.

          I do suggest you watch this movie.  Despite the vote on IMDb, this movie is very good.  The story line is just great.  I of course have to bring up the quality of the warriors fighting.  It is really quite great to watch.

I Give my First Love to You - Japan

          Director:  Takehiko Shinjo
          Year:  2009
          Plot:  "As a child Takuma is diagnosed with a heart condition that requires care from a cardiologist.  He soon becomes friends with his doctors young daughter Mayu while being treated at the hospital.  One day Mayu overhears her father saying that Takumas condition is serious enough that he most likely wont live beyond the age of 20.  Takuma at 8-years-old he makes a promise to marry Mayu when grow up.  Later in life, Takuma becomes aware that he wont be able to keep this promise and he begins distancing himself from Mayu in hopes of protecting her."


          I first have to say that I can't believe I put this movie off since I came across it in May.  After seeing it, it just seems so wrong that I waited so long to watch this.  So this movie is based off a manga of the same name by Kotomi Aoki which I have not read.  I have to say this so those who have read it know that I am simply talking about this movie and not how it stuck to the manga.
          I really enjoyed this one, though I am sure that is evident based on the rating I gave it.  n.n  But really, this is a very sweet touching story, not to mention quite sad in parts.  I just loved the fact that the main characters have been together since they were kids.  You can't beat a first love like these two had.  Usually a first love is just a simple crush, but this is so much more than that, it is a rather amazing little love story.
          I didn't really see anything in this movie that I could say was bad or disappointing.  Of the reviews from others I have seen, it seems all they think was wrong was that it was 'cliche' or boring.  The main point they said was 'cliche' was the fact that two guys fall for the same girl.  I don't feel this is very cliche because for one it is only a small part of the movie, and for another, it is resolved on a rather quiet note.
          As for the point of being boring, I didn't get this at all.  I was really into the characters and the story, so it seemed like the time was used very well.  Time doesn't seem like a big deal when you can feel for the characters.


          I really can't say anything more about this movie, or I might give away everything.  All I can say is that I highly recommend this movie.  It is a really great story and very touching.  I am sure there will be some like the few that I found that didn't like this movie, but you cannot know unless you give it a try.  You might just be surprised and fall completely in love with this movie.

Dasepo Naughty Girls - Korea

          Director:  Je-yong Lee
          Year:  2006
          Plot:  "Based on the popular Internet novel, "Multi-Cell Girl", the film takes place in "No-Use High School", a school renowned for its sexual aberrations.  The student body is comprised of sexually ambiguous teenagers.  But amidst this environment, there are some that just can't adapt.  Among them: "Poor Girl", a student who earns money for her family by sleeping with older men; "Anthony", a luxurious pretty-boy from Switzerland; and "One-Eye", the school's sole virgin."

          When the movie first started, I kept asking myself why I was watching this movie.  I mean the opening scene with all the students excusing themselves seemed a little out there.  I mean really every single person (Except One-Eye) was connected and had to leave.  This of course then leads to a very strange musical number.  Though I thought the girls dancing through the different religions was kind of cool.  The fact is though that this movie starts off really strange.
          The interesting thing is though that this movie turned out to be rather good.  I did skip most of the little musical numbers after I figured out what it was about.  The rest of the story line was quite good.  You see the lives of some interesting characters, but it mainly revolves around the life of Poor Girl.
          I also have to say that some parts were really funny.  I absolutely loved the scene with the guy chatting with a girl on the computer.  It was hard to keep from laughing and waking up those who were sleeping.  The only thing that was more ridiculous than funny was the way they were trying to defeat the rather strange being.

          This movie is one I would say I would definitely suggest.  It is a rather funny movie, though it also has its serious points.  It is one that should only be watched if you are in the mood for a comedy.  If you want something serious, you should probably stay away.

Sasori - Japan

          Director:  Joe Ma
          Year:  2008
          Plot:  "A ruthless pack of thugs force mild-mannered, caught-in-the-middle-of-something-bigger Nami to murder her fiance's sister, decidedly ruining her pending marriage and landing the poor girl in the most brutal women's prison. Here she decides to stop being a victim. She eventually escapes the prison and returns to the streets in order to make the thugs who ruined her life pay. By this time, Nami prefers to go by the name of Sasori (Scorpion)."

          Apparently, this is a remake of Female Prisoner #701 Scorpion, but I haven't seen them.  Generally I stay away from movies made in the 70's, but I might eventually watch those versions.  I say might, because I did enjoy this remake, to a point.  It is also based off the manga of the same name by Toru Shibohara.
          I felt that the plot of this movie was really good.  There was two little plot holes that I seen and was a little confused with the Hei Tai ending, but there weren't any major problems.  I do have to say that the fight scenes got a little weird even for me.  I mean usually I can ignore when the fights are fantastical, but parts of this one were just too much for me.  That didn't necessarily take away from the movie too much though.
          I did enjoy the character progression.  Nami really did start off as this timid little thing.  By the end of the movie, she is so drastically changed.  Though, like I said, I am confused with the ending of Hei Tai.  I am not quite sure what happened with him.  Usually this is not hard for me, but I am really confused.  >.<
          Someone said that they thought everything happened because he was involved with the death of his sister and that he was a bad cop.  That makes absolutely no sense though.  From what is shown, he is a good guy, and had nothing to do with the deaths.  The only part that he had with the thugs was going to a sort of therapy that the head person did for him.  That doesn't make him involved with his sisters death though.
          I must bring up something another person said in a review of this movie.  They said that the movie was too much work to enjoy.  This makes me think that they do not usually watch Asian movies, as they seem to feel this because they said it was hard to follow with the flashbacks.  I am of course a big fan of Asian movies and found this one to be generally easy to follow and a fun watch, despite the few points that I mentioned.

          This was a good movie despite a few flaws.  This is one of those movies that if you go into it not expecting perfection, you might be rather surprised at the quality of it.  I gave it leeway and found this movie to be quite good.  n.n

Last Quarter - Japan

          Director:  Ken Nikai
          Year:  2004
          Plot:  "On the eve of her 19th birthday, Mizuki doesn't have a lot to celebrate about.  After loosing her mother, gaining a step-family, and being hurt by her boyfriend and best friend, Mizuki runs from everything.  Deep within a dilapidated house Mizuki discovers the mysterious Adam, playing a hauntingly familiar melody on the guitar.  Melancholy and full of secrets, it seems that Adam, and the house, have a strange, irresistible link to Mizuki."


          The reason I watched this is a bit long.  It actually all started when I heard The Cape of Storms for the first time.  This is of course the song in this movie by Adam's group Evil Eye.  I was really captivated by the song and wanted to watch the movie then.  I didn't watch the movie completely until now for one reason.  The reason was I had dial up.  I only got to watch the first half hour or so then, and forgot about watching it until know.
          This movie was based off of the manga by Ai Yazawa who also made the manga NANA.  This movie did have its faults for me though.  The ghost scenes looked rather crappy.  This isn't a major problem though, it is just one of the faults that this has.  I say it isn't a major problem, because sfx aren't quite advanced in Asian countries.  I actually love this fact, because it means that they haven't used it as much.
          I also think that this movie was a little slow at points, but it didn't really hurt the movie too much.  The fact is that if you get interested in even part of the story, it is extremely hard to walk away from this movie.  So much of the story line is hidden until the end that you just want to know not only why everything was happening, but what was going to happen to Mizuki.
          The love story in this movie was really sweet as well.  Adam's fate was a little sad, but I guess it had to do with his own choice, but it is sad.  The ending of this movie was very strange though, with the ring on Tomoki and all.  If you get what it hints to, it is a little strange, but I guess it also explains some of the faults that he has when it comes to Mizuki.


          I would still suggest this movie to fan's of Hyde just for the fact that he is in it, but I would also suggest this to others because it is an interesting movie.  The sweet love story is also a plus for this movie.  This definitely isn't for those that want action or anything fast-paced as this movie is neither.  This movie is good for a watch though and does have it's good points.

Iris: The Movie - Korea

          Director:  Kim Kyu Tae, and Yang Yun-ho
          Year:  2010
          Plot:  "Hyun-jun and Sa-woo, close friends and rivals from the South Korean special forces, are recruited by the secret agency NSS. They both fall for Seung-hee, the beautiful but lethal profiling specialist at NSS. When they are faced against each other in a nuclear terrorist attack, they are forced to make their final decision and Seung-hee's formidable secret is revealed."


          If you have read the post for 71: Into the Fire, you probably know why I decided to watch this one.  Yes, it was all about Seung Hyun Choi (T.O.P) for me, which seems kind of sad now.  This is actually edited from the TV drama.  I have been wanting to see it, but wasn't sure if it was worth my time.  Because of this, I decided to watch the movie first (I wanted to watch the drama for T.O.P of course).
          I have to say that this was a really good movie.  It seems that the drama was edited very well to make a movie.  I do have one complaint though.  It is the reason I said my initial reasons for watching it seem sad now.  It is all because T.O.P has only like three scenes.  Apparently it isn't much different in the drama though as he appeared in five out of the first fourteen episodes.  Rather disappointing.  The scenes that he was in were good though, and he did look great like in the screenshot at the bottom.  n.n  I am not the biggest fan of T.O.P looks wise (usually), but I can't deny that he looked really great in that scene.
          Oops, a whole paragraph for someone in only three scenes.  I will reign in my fan-girl tendencies now.  Okay, so about the movie itself.  It really had me immersed in the action, even though I had to stop every once in awhile for it to load.  The action was just as good as the underlying romance.  I did dislike the ending, but that can't be helped much.  It wasn't a bad ending as it did work quite well, I just wish it hadn't ended that way.
          I don't really know what else to say.  If I talk anymore, I might give away something important.  That wouldn't be very good, so I will leave it here.


          This movie really kept my interest the entire time and didn't leave any bad taste afterwards.  This is definitely one to watch though.  Whether you watch the movie or the drama first, is up to you.  I do suggest though watching them both if you watch the movie first.  I intend to be adding both to my collection in the near future, that's for sure.  n.n

Intial D - China

          Director:  Wai-keung Lau, Alan Mak, and Ralph Rieckermann
          Year:  2005
          Plot:  "After winning his first competition, Takumi focuses his attention on drift racing, a sport he has unknowingly perfected while delivering tofu in his father's Toyota AE86."


          I am not sure why I decided to watch this movie over all of the others on my list.  I do like Edison Chen, but that wasn't really a deciding factor for me.  I had decided to watch it while I was knitting, because knitting without watching something is pretty boring (well for me).  The problem with this movie was that halfway through I had to stop knitting.  I was rather into the movie.
          I haven't read the manga or anything, but I did enjoy this movie.  I am not a fan of most racing movies.  There is a reason for this though.  I don't find normal racing to be very entertaining.  In many race movies, I get the feeling that not much skill is very necessary.  It is more whose car is better not really who is more skilled (I know it is not supposed to be that way and many movies try to show the skills but I just don't believe that they are good).
          My feelings about race movies change when you make it drift racing.  I simply can't get enough of it, nor the skills that they shoot.  Oh yeah, the movie.  This is a good drift movie in my opinion, well, better than Tokyo Drift.  I liked Tokyo Drift, but this one has the better story line to me.  I loved to see Takumi in the Toyota AE86 take on the so called better cars.  The funny thing is that my heart was pretty much racing with the cars during the final race.  I got a little too much into this movie.  n.n
           I did have an issue with the ending though.  I thought it was quite sad especially because they never even discussed what was going on.  The two just left it that way even though one had decided to stop what the other was upset with.  Man, talk about trying not to give a spoiler, yet still explain myself...  Sometimes this is hard.  >.<


          I definitely suggest this one.  It is definitely at least worth your time.  I found it to be more than just a good waste of time, specially seeing that it caused me to put down the pillow I was working on.  >.<  Man, now I have to find another movie to watch so I actually get some work done.

Ai no Kotodama - Japan

          Director:  Satoshi Kaneda
          Year:  2008
          Plot:  “Ootani and Tachibana have been inseparable since high school.  Now that they're in college, they live together, they're happy and everything seems prefect.  But their little world is disrupted when they meet an old high school friend, Yuki, who seems to have a crush on Tachibana, making Ootani feel jealous and insecure.  Will Tachibana really choose him over a pretty girl?”


          This is a rather good movie.  Okay, so I did decide to watch it because of Yasuka Saito.  I can’t help it, I find him kind of pretty.  n.n
          Oh yeah, about the movie.  There were many points that I really enjoyed.  I absolutely loved how different the two main characters are.  I sometimes love the opposite attraction rather than the perfect couple thing.  The thing is though that the difference in characters leads to rather big problems.  Just like the plot statement says, Ootani get jealous, and rather rightfully so.  It isn’t that things are necessarily happening like he thinks they are, it’s just that from his view, his thoughts really do seem true.
           I don’t really know if there was any points that I really disliked with this movie.  I am sure there is some points that could have been better, but nothing really drastic.  There really wasn’t anything that stuck out to the point where I was drawn away from the movie itself.


          For fans of Boys Love movie, this is one I would suggest.  PDA is rather watered down throughout this movie, but it is not nonexistent.  I found that it is just a little hidden (though not completely) in the beginning and finds its way out through the movie.  The ending is very cute though.  n.n

Antique - Korea

           Director:  Kyu-Dong Ming
           Year:  2008
           Plot:  “Jin-hyeok opens a cake shop in an old antique shop, hiring Seon-woo, Korea's best pastry chef, who fell in love with him in high school.  Also there, are Su-yeong, crushing on Seon-woo, ex-boxer Ki-beom, and Seon-woo's French ex-boyfriend.”


           I simply had to watch this one when I seen this on the site LetMeWatchThis.  I figured a Korean Gay Comedy wouldn’t be too much of a waste of time.  It turns out that I was right.  I absolutely loved this movie.  Oh, and I haven’t read the comic it is based on or anything.
           It is always seems strange to me when I find a comedy that I enjoy.  I usually find comedies stupid, but maybe that is just the American ones.  I absolutely found this movie genuinely funny.  I still can’t get over Su-yeong.  I think he was about the funniest person in this movie.
           I thought they did a good job bringing all of the characters history into this movie.  You got a little piece of everyone’s story, and that really helped to understand them better.  It is sad what Jin-hyeok did to Su-yeong when they were in school, but it really wasn’t done on purpose.  At first you look at it and think of him as a horrible person, but by the end of the movie you realize that he would have never done that if something hadn’t happened just moments before.  Of course I won’t tell you what happened, that’s for you to see for yourself.
           I think Su-yeong is my favorite character in the whole movie, and it’s not just because he is the gay guy, or cause he is pretty.  I just felt bad for him, especially with his ex-boyfriend, now there’s someone who deserved worse than he got.  Nothing may have happened between any of the shop employee (though between the two would have been nice), it seems Su-yeong was happy just working there, which is cute.
           The mystery taking place behind the cute comedy front was a very nice touch.  It really did give this movie something to keep everything in balance.  This movie might not have done so well without such an intriguing story.  I found the ending rather interesting though.  I had expected it to end a little different, but it wasn’t bad the way it happened either.  I am sure you will understand me if you watch the movie.  n.n


            This is definitely a movie I have to own.  It has a great balance of an intriguing mystery, and light-hearted humor.  Parts of this movie though may be a little off-putting to homophobes, for those who don’t mind, it is very cute.  n.n  This is definitely one to check out.

Time Traveler - Japan

          Director:  Masaaki Taniguchi
          Year:  2010
          Plot:  “Yoshiyama Kazuko works as a pharmaceutical researcher secretly developing a formula for time travel.  When she is left comatose after a car accident, her daughter Akari learns of her mother's first love, Fukamachi Kazuo.  Believing that finding Kazuo will allow her mother to regain consciousness, Akari uses Kazuko's formula to leap back in time to the 1970s in hopes of finding a younger Kazuo. I instead, she meets and befriends Mizorogi Ryouta.  Together, they attempt to search for Kazuo, but love begins to blossom between them.”


          There was some mixed opinions on the site I watched it, but most said it wasn’t good because it wasn’t up to par with the anime.  Well I haven’t seen the anime, as it is still in my To Watch list.  I wanted to see the live action first, because, well that is the version I would have less argument with trying to get my family to watch with me.  n.n
          Though I didn’t watch the anime, I have to say that this is a very good movie of itself.  There were of course some points that were kind of off, like the time travel sequence (bad sfx), and the lack of explanation, but all in all, it was a good movie.  I really loved Akari’s whole experience in the past.  She really did make a great little trip for herself, but too bad those things can’t last.
           I absolutely loved the fact that this movie took me by surprise.  I never thought the story of the past would end like it did.  I really felt bad for Akari, but at least that point she didn’t have to be a part of for long.  I also loved the idea of the promise, even though time had past, and they couldn’t really remember things, they were still able to keep the promises that were made.
           Like I said, I did have a problem with the lack of explanation in the movie.  It would have been even better if it had explained how the time travel was possible.  Simply telling us that someone created an elixir isn’t very satisfying.  The rest of the storyline though keeps this point from ruining the movie.


          This is another movie that I am going to have to own.  It was really a nice story though I kind of wanted it to end differently, not because the ending was bad, but it is just kind of sad to see even if it realistically had to happen.  I am also going to have to watch the anime sometime, because if it is even better than this movie, it will be well worth my time.  n.n

Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler - Japan

          Director:  Toya Sato
          Year:  2009
          Plot:  “Kaiji spends his days gambling, vandalizing cars, and drinking booze, a debt collector named Endo arrives to collect money.  The debt collector then offers two choices to Kaiji: spend 10 year paying off your loan or board a gambling boat for one night to repay your debt & possibly make a whole lot more.”


          I decided I simply had to watch this movie because both Tatsuya Fujiwara and Ken'ichi Matsuyama are in this.  Both, of course, also star together in Death Note as Light and L.  Now even though I simply watched this for the two stars, I actually enjoyed this movie for other points.
          I saw on one site that someone didn’t like the fact that pretty much only a few parts actually have anything to do with gambling.  I would certainly have to disagree with their point.  Gambling isn’t just about an actual game such as cards for money.  You can gamble at anything with money, or simply with your life.  Not everything has to be an actual game.  This movie starts with a game and ends with one.  Though the middle part isn’t a game in a normal sense of gambling, it is still a gamble.
          I really enjoyed this movie because of the characters.  I absolutely loved the fact that Kaiji was seemingly nothing more than garbage to those who saw themselves as superior.  The only problem is that they failed to realize what true worth is.  Kaiji may have been penniless, but he was a good person.  He had the chance of breaking free but choose to stay with a man he was trying to help.  Not only that but that same man didn’t care about his own prosperity but that of his daughter in the end.  I also have to say that I love the strategies that are used in this movie.  I especially loved the final round of E-Card.
          The person who had an issue with the seemingly lack of gambling also mentioned over acting as being a problem.  This didn’t really bother me.  They happened to mention the beer scene as a major problem.  This didn’t seem like over acting to me though.  I mean living the life he was, I think I might have acted the same way getting something ice-cold.  I do have to say though that sometimes the acting does seem a bit much, but because the storyline is so interesting it isn’t too much of a problem with me.


          I would have to say that this is one I would recommend.  There might be some points that aren’t great, but the movie as a whole is really good.  I feel that I have to add this one to my collection as it goes quite well alongside Death Note.  I couldn’t tell you how dedicated they were to the original manga when they made this movie, but it was good for someone who has never read the manga, or previously heard of it.

          Check out my review of Kaiji 2: Jinsei dakkai gemu!

Kimi ni Todoke - Japan

          Director:  Naoto Kumazawa
          Year:  2010
          Plot:  "Kuronuma Sawako, called Sadako by her classmates for her resemblance to the character from The Ring, has always been feared and misunderstood because of her appearance.  Despite her appearances, she is a sweet and timid girl who longs to be able to make friends with everyone and be liked by everyone else.  When her idol, popular boy Kazehaya, begins talking with her, everything changes.  She finds herself in a new world, trying to make friends and talking to different people.  Slowly, but surely, a sweet love is blossoming between the two as they will overtake any circumstance or clear obstacles in their way."


          When I seen this movie listed on a website, I just absolutely had to watch it.  I am a fan of the manga, though I couldn't tell you what chapter I was last on because I lost my manga file.  >.<   Anyway, I thought the manga was sweet and just had to watch the movie when I found it.
          Because I haven't read the manga in quite awhile, there are some things I simply can't remember.  As far as what I do remember, this movie turned out to be very good.  There were some points that didn't quite make it, but I am not sure if they were just want I wanted to see or if they were actually in the manga.  (I have simply read too many to remember what goes with what in most cases, unless it is one of my favorite action ones.)  Anyway, it really doesn't matter because this was a good movie.
          I really loved the way that Sawako was portrayed.  I felt that the actress did very good with the character, which could have ruined the movie if played poorly.  It wasn't just Sawako though, the whole movie was casted really well in my opinion.  Though I can't say whether they stuck perfectly to the manga at the moment, but they did well enough to make a very good movie.
          There wasn’t really any point within the movie that I can say that I was disappointed with.  Though some parts made me mad or upset, it wasn’t because of the movie, but because of things within the storyline.  By this I mean that I was mad a let’s say what a character did or for that matter didn’t do, not with something that was done by the filmmakers.


          This movie is well worth the watch.  The storyline is well done, even if you don’t quite know the manga.  This is definitely one movie that is good enough for the average audience and not just the manga fan.  I have already decided that this is one movie that needs to go into my collection especially as a live action anime movie.

  

Dragon Tiger Gate - China

          Director:  Wilson Yip
          Year:  2006
          Plot:  “Three young martial arts masters emerge from the back streets of Hong Kong to help the powerless fight injustice.”


          So many of the comments on this were really split on the site I choose to watch my movies on.  Most of the ones that were bad complained about the sfx.  I don’t usually have a problem with this, so I gave this one a shot.  I am very glad that I gave this one a shot, and I bought it halfway through watching the movie.  This one was great from the get go.  I absolutely loved Tiger and Dragon, and I can’t forget about Turbo either.
          The fight scenes were sometimes a little over done with sfx such as the flying and all, but it does make sense as to why.  This was based off a comic book and done so in a rather dedicated way.  The over-the-top action makes perfect sense when you take into account that comic book action is very over-the-top as well.
          The only problem I had with this movie was the ending.  Not necessarily how it ends, but the end of the final fight.  That one got a little too sfx-y for even me.  Though it was way too much with the ending, I still absolutely loved this movie.  The action is great in all other parts of the movie.  Especially when Tiger takes on the gang goons.  It is near the beginning and was a really great hook for it.


          This is a rather good movie despite the final battle having a little too much sfx.  The action is really good as well as a well put together storyline.  This is one that I will be watching again as soon as the DVD comes in the mail.  It is definitely one that belongs in my martial arts movie collection.

Gantz - Japan

          Director:  Shinsuke Sato

          Year:  2011

          Plot:  “After trying to rescue a man on the subway tracks, two teens wake up in a room dominated by a mysterious black sphere that sends them to hunt down and kill aliens hiding on Earth.”

          So I have to say that I watched this a few days ago only because Matsuyama Ken’ichi was in it.  I know that it is based on an anime/manga, but I am not a fan of either.  I read the first chapter and couldn’t get into it.  I couldn’t read more than that simply because of the artwork.  It wasn’t my style, so I just couldn’t get attacked, not that the story idea wasn’t intriguing.

          Anyway, about the movie.  I went into this movie not expecting much of anything (mainly because of my lack of interest in the manga), but I have to saw I was surprised.  Not only did I love Ken’ichi’s character, but I also enjoyed the others.  I really loved the girl.  I knew her reason for death the moment I saw her, but I love the fact that her world gets changed by gestures from the kind Kato.  I had a major problem with Kei at one point, but that was also the point of that part of the movie, so it isn’t a bad thing.

          Now, let’s talk gear.  I loved the suits.  At first I thought they were a little ridiculous, but once the action stated going the tight fitting suits become rather normal.  I did like how the suit would grow around the guys, giving them strength.  It was pretty cool.  I also really loved the weapons.  The guns were pretty awesome.  I love how nothing happens right after the trigger is pulled, but comes a few seconds later.  It leads to lots of nice little pieces.  ^.~

          I was kind of sad at the end.  This was for a few reasons.  One being that something I disliked happened in the end.  Two, it is a very open ending that leaves much to be hoped for.  Finally, just the simple fact that even watching it awhile after release, I still have to wait for the second one.  Oh well, it won’t be too long.  I’m just going to have to get this one on its way to my movie shelf in the mean time.  n.n

          Though fans of the Anime/Manga might not like this movie (because a lot of the sex and all that is left out), I absolutely loved this.  This is the type of movie that an average viewer will like, and not just an Anime fan.  This one has to at least be given a shot.  If you end up not liking it, you can always come back and argue with me.